Tracy Falbe's Blog, page 48

Fantasy Book Giveaway - The Rys Chronicles complete series by Tracy Falbe

November 3rd to 10th - Enter to win The Rys Chronicles complete series paperbacks.
Enter to win all four paperback novels of The Rys Chronicles epic fantasy series. These are the first novels I wrote and published when I started my company seven years ago. I did a small print run of every title and still have some copies left.

The prize includes:

Union of Renegades
The Goddess Queen
Judgment Rising
The Borderlands of Power

About the series

Grandiose ambitions and desperation drive this fantasy epic of colliding civilizations. The Rys Chronicles is a fantasy quartet spanning seven years and revealing the tragedies, challenges, and triumphs of a diverse cast of characters.

Although most of my readers discover me through ebooks, I realize a good portion of the reading public still needs print books. No charging necessary. No software updates.

Paperbacks are 6" x 9" trade paperbacks produced with offset printing. Novels include the maps of the fantasy world.

This would be a nice opportunity for my fans to obtain print copies of novels they loved.

If this is the first you've heard of my fantasy novels, you can read Union of Renegades for free by downloading an ebook version. (Scroll down this page to select your free ebook format.) Also see my Fan Feedback for proof that some people like my writing.

If you'd like to LISTEN to three chapters you can download the mp3 audiobook sample of Union of Renegades.

Please note that the prize is only available to people in the United States. High shipping costs prevent me from sending them out of the country for free. I'll plan some digital ebook giveaways in the future so I can reward readers anywhere in the world.

People can enter the drawing from November 3rd to November 10th. I'll select a winner through the Rafflecopter system on November 11th and contact the winner. The winner will have 7 days to claim the prize before I select an alternative winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Want to mention this giveaway at your blog?

Grab the Rafflecopter giveaway embed code and put it at your blog. Thanks!

Good luck everybody.

Indie Game: The Movie embodies the passion of artists

I was able to relate to this documentary that reveals the difficulties and rewards of independent game developers. Their determination and commitment to their deep artistic needs for expression were inspiring.

The world of video games is huge. The market is immense, and most of the games are produced by large media companies with vast staffs and big marketing budgets and unfettered access to high profile distribution.

And then there are indie game developers. These individuals and tiny teams labor over their creations. Do they long for commercial success? Usually, but many of them mostly want to create games without having to adhere to ideas developed by marketing teams that need to check off boxes determined by focus groups. Mostly the indie game developers need at least some success because they've sacrificed their careers and financial prospects to spend every day creating their visions.

The men presented in this documentary very much bared their feelings for the cameras. They were deeply driven to express their visions. To be honest they were obsessive as mad scientists, and I found them very validating personally. They helped me know that I am not alone in my unreasonable devotion to an artistic pursuit. They illustrated that some people are like me and want to spend their lives following their dreams.

Like them, I believe that the hardest thing about being an indie artist is not doing it. All the other setbacks, disappointments, and doubts are nothing compared to the soul-gutting horror of giving up.

The efforts of indie game developers are admirable. They make writing a novel look like almost nothing. They make me wish I had time to play games, but I don't. I'm too busy writing novels and trying to fit in other boring life responsibilities. [image error]

New Release: Lost Volumes by Marsha A. Moore

The third novel in Marsha A. Moore's Enchanted Bookstore Legends fantasy romance series was released this week.Marsha A. Moore is on tour to promote her newest release Lost Volumes. My interview with her will be published here next Monday, November 5th. Please follow this blog or her whole tour so you can catch her interview and find out how many bicycles she has, how much yoga means to her life, and when she plans to complete the rest of the Enchanted Bookstore Legend series.

Until the interview, find out more about Lost Volumes and read an excerpt.


Lost Volumes: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Three by Marsha A. Moore
Genre: Fantasy romance
Description:
When Lyra McCauley learns residents of Dragonspeir’s Alliance are suffering with a deadly plague, she doesn’t heed the warnings of her fiancé, wizard Cullen Drake, to remain safe in her human world. After all, she’s the present Scribe—one of five strong women in her ancestry who possessed unique magic, each destined to protect the Alliance against the evil Black Dragon of the Dark Realm. With Cullen dependent upon Alliance power to maintain his immortality, the stakes are doubled for Lyra.
She leaves her college teaching and puts herself at risk for the community afflicted by black magic. To find a cure, she and Cullen travel into the vile, lawless underworld of Terza to strike a bargain with an expert. Their efforts further enrage the Black Dragon, vowing to decimate the Alliance and avenge the murder of his heir. Lyra must secure the three lost volumes of the Book of Dragonspeir. Written by the three earliest Scribes, each book contains energy. Possession of the entire set will enable overthrow of the Dark Realm. Following clues into dangerous lands, Lyra and Cullen seek those volumes. His assistants, Kenzo the tiger owl and Noba the pseudodragon, prove invaluable aids. Only if they succeed, will the Alliance be safe and Lyra reach closer to the immortality she needs to live a life with Cullen.
Purchase at Amazonhttp://www.amazon.com/Lost-Volumes-Enchanted-Bookstore-ebook/dp/B009YNY18Q/ref=la_B004NF6E08_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1351596686&sr=1-8



Excerpt:
From Chapter One: An Urgent Message
Lyra almost deleted the email marked urgent, suspecting some virus that might take control of her computer, but stopped when she realized the sender was her lover—a 220-year-old wizard, who rarely used a computer. She couldn’t open the message fast enough.Lyra,Alliance mortals and lower magicals are taking violently ill. I’m leaving the bookstore for a while to offer aid. DO NOT come to Dragonspeir. Stay safe in your world. Love always,CullenShe stared at the screen, twisting a strand of her long hair. Leaning forward, she gripped the armrests of the chair. Her breath caught when she noticed how the dragon’s sapphire eyes on her new bloodswear ring sparked from the energy of her concern. His message left her undecided, reading between the lines and weighing the choices.Those affected—mortals and lower magicals—seemed to place her in the risk group, obviously Cullen’s concern. However, those mortals were all born in Dragonspeir, while she originally came from Tampa. Lower magicals did include members of both worlds. But as the current Scribe, Lyra possessed inherited power at least as great as high-order wizards. She just didn’t fully grasp how to command her magic yet. She did want to help. Since her parents and dear Aunt Jean died, the Guardians, wizards, dragons, and other residents of the Alliance were her only family. Lyra’s unique powers might be useful, especially since they now lacked an alchemist. Eburscon disappeared after he attempted to steal her scribal aura, and she’d heard no reports of him since, so he was presumed dead by many. According to Cullen, no one wanted him back. However, living without a person capable of creating remedies for a plague or widespread illness had left many residents uneasy. Some talked about trying to persuade Tarom, the Dark Realm’s alchemist, to switch his allegiance. Two centuries ago, he served the Imperial Dragon, leaving only when he couldn’t tolerate working under Eburscon any longer. Despite ranking as the top wizard, the Imperial Sorcerer in the Alliance High Council, Cullen lacked alchemical skills. Even though untrained, Lyra possessed a keen intuitive sense in the craft. She could help him. Aries guided the fire in her scribal powers and also fueled her impatience. Lyra checked and secured Aunt Jean’s cottage since the last gasps of late winter storms in the upper peninsula of Michigan could be brutal. Dashing off a few emails to her college students in Florida, she gave them feedback on their independent study in the Fantasy Lit course. She was glad her leave from on-campus teaching responsibilities continued until the next fall term. Lyra saved and printed the chronicle draft of her bloodswear quest, completed at the end of last year. It was mid-March, and she’d almost finished the written account, storing magic in her words that would empower the Alliance—her role as a Scribe. The hard copy she stuffed into a commuter bag to work on later with the Imperial Dragon and the other three Guardians. She needed to sort through their research details that had helped her kill the heir to the Black Dragon. Additional supplies could be conjured from memory. Outside, the dock in the backyard looked weather-beaten but sound. Waves from Lake Huron lapped at its old boards. In the flower bed, the first spring perennials peeked through the packed ground and would require plenty of care soon. Lyra hoped to be back in time to maintain what her aunt had loved so much. Crocuses stood bravely against the melting snowpack—a reminder. As she turned from the garden, a large black butterfly flitted around her head. It was the same type that had spied on her before and been in her aunt’s room when she was killed—purple spots like eyes on its wings. Suspecting it was a transformed magical from Dragonspeir’s Dark Realm, Lyra swatted at the insect. Thinking that someone watched her leave caused a chill to run down her spine.Finally shooing it to the nearby bushes, she lifted her head high, put her bag inside her silver Subaru sport wagon, and drove straight to Drake’s Bookstore. After parking in back, she twisted her dragon ring to unlock the back door of Cullen’s shop, no longer needing the magical skeleton key. “Sheridan, I’m using your portal,” she called out.From his cage on the showroom counter, the cicada chirped, “I already knew it was you, sweetheart. Nice perfume.” Lyra shook her head. Darned bug never stopped flirting. “By the way, Sire Drake told me to not let you pass. Something about an illness in the Alliance. Don’t make me use my magic on you.”“I’m going anyway,” she replied as she prepared herself in the storage room.“Like I knew you would,” he snapped.She gave her ring another twist and stated, “Pateo porta!”In response, two metal bookcases moved apart. Between them lay the connector to Dragonspeir. She stepped across. The familiar tingling sensation now felt invigorating, when last summer it had frightened her. Her jeans, t-shirt, and jacket transformed into a full-skirted gown of light blue cotton under a navy cloak. It was her first time back since being publically honored for completing her bloodswear quest and sorcery studies. She’d have to wait to find out if her new abilities could alter the clothing she acquired at the portal. Lifting one side of the long garments, Lyra ran the short distance along the wooded trail to the location of the old, sentry tree, Gatekeeper Cranewort. Reminding her of the shape of grand live oaks in Florida, his branches spread wide and high, taller than any nearby. His large, flat leathery leaves were turned to collect the warm morning rays.“Hello, Cranewort,” she called ahead. “I don’t mean to disturb your sunbathing, but I need to pass to the Imperial Dragon’s lair, or to the Meadow—whichever place I can help most with those who are sick.”“Not sunbathing, child, merely enhancing my immune functioning to bolster my health after the harsh winter. Sire Drake instructed me to not permit your passage. He and all of us fear you will fall ill.” He lifted extensions of his roots into a spiky barricade, one of his gate-keeping defenses.“Perhaps I can help,” she maintained, hands on her hips.“It looks to be a horrible disease—elevated fever, chills, vomiting blood. Some are dying. Please stay here, Adalyra.”“I’m not like any from Dragonspeir. I won’t get it.” Lyra hoped what she said was true but couldn’t turn her back on thousands who were ill.“Well…you most certainly are unique.” He folded his leaves and tipped his trunk forward to look at her directly. “The Alliance relies on your special scribal abilities to battle the Dark Realm. Losing you to illness would risk too much. Be wise and stay back.” He smoothed down his bark and held out a twigged hand to her.She stepped beyond his touch. “The entire Alliance is my family, and I need to help them.” The gnarled tree let out a sigh and lowered his roots. “Very well. You have your own mind, and it is one of a leader. That is your inheritance from the four female Scribes in your family. But, I expect you to use every caution available. Sire Drake is in the Meadow. Stay with him.”“I promise.” Lyra hurried toward the crossroads, which connected dozens of trails. There she selected the short path leading to the Meadow.Pluch trees lined the trail. Their weeping branches, active with new sap, swept after Lyra in attempt to caress her golden hair, now grown almost to her waist. Flower buds on the bell flowers peaked out. The air held gentle notes of fragrant jasmine from the vine’s first purple flowers. She took a deep breath as she sped down the familiar walk. She had missed Dragonspeir. Along the way, Lyra thought about her action, entering the land without permission. Although she recently passed sorcery training for all crafts except powerthrowing, Lyra only elevated her immortal status. In Dragonspeir, they used the term afflation—having received divine impartment of knowledge and strength to endure more physical hardship than a non-magical. Until gaining enough afflation to become fully immortal, she needed to be invited by the Imperial Dragon to be his guest in Dragonspeir. As a new Alliance sorceress, the Imperial Dragon decided when he needed her. Lyra clearly broke his established protocol. But she often bent Alliance customs to suit her needs while working for the greater good. So far, she had only raised eyebrows, and no one troubled her. She hoped this time would be the same, but entering a plague-ridden land against orders was a bit different than wearing jeans or hugging dragons.

Purchase at Amazonhttp://www.amazon.com/Lost-Volumes-Enchanted-Bookstore-ebook/dp/B009YNY18Q/ref=la_B004NF6E08_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1351596686&sr=1-8

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Rys Rising in the UK Kindle free top 100 epic fantasy

I'll admit it's not much to get excited about, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that Rys Rising: Book I has broken into the top 100 free epic fantasy ebooks list at Kindle UK. It's number 57 today to be precise. Amusingly it is right above the title British Legends: The Life and Legacy of J.R.R. Tolkien. Well, he was certainly an inspiration for me to start writing fantasy fiction.

If you have no money and a desire to read some hard hitting epic fantasy, please consider Rys Rising for Kindle UK.

Additionally, Rys Rising is a free download right here in a choice of formats.

Hopefully Amazon will keep it free for Kindle users. The company tried to sneak it back up to 99 cents and its British pounds equivalent for a few days this month, but thankfully that's been corrected by the price matching system because I offer Rys Rising for free everywhere. Amazon is the only place that won't let me set a free price, so I have to wait for price matching.

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UK Nook is here with free fantasy ebooks

I'm excited to be included in the ebook catalog for the new Nook Store in the United Kingdom. I've done well with my fantasy novels in Barnes & Noble's Nook U.S. online catalog, so I'm hoping UK readers will enjoy the chance to discover my fiction with their Nooks.

To promote my fantasy series, I have two free fantasy ebooks in the UK Nook digital shop.


Free UK Nook download

Union of Renegades: The Rys Chronicles Book I
The epic begins as Dreibrand Veta and the conquering Horde of the Atrophane Empire reach a mythic Wilderness that beckons with a magical call to glory. But Onja, Queen of the rys, a race far more powerful than the greatest human state, guards this land. She has the power to imprison souls and her genocidal rage is legendary. Everything is at risk for her desperate enemies, the union of renegades. 

Free UK Nook ebook
Rys Rising: Book I
Enjoy this unique epic of complex heroes and villains meant to engulf readers from many angles. You will root for everybody, even if you shouldn't. Packed with primitive energy, the intertwining stories and rising stakes of this fantasy world will indulge your cravings for intrigue, bravery, desire, and freedom.

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My 10 Best Ideas for Promoting my Indie Novels

Now that I've finished writing the Rys Rising series, I have switched my focus to marketing. I also have another series The Rys Chronicles, so altogether I have 8 fantasy novels out there. Not a bad fleet to take out on the high seas I'm thinking.

But it's a crowded market and people have lots of reading choices. Most of those are presented by big publishing companies with already popular authors. They get attention online and sometimes placement in bookstores.

So to break out, I have to be innovative, nay provocative.

Here are some of my ideas to boost my publicity efforts.

1. Initiate a messy divorce with my husband. Something that will splash across tabloid magazines. We'll have a vicious fight over who gets stuck with children and who gets the pets.

2. Wardrobe malfunction. This seems to be a mainstay with female singers these days.

3. Marry a European prince. (I rather like this one. He can cheat on me. It's OK. I'll be dazzled by my diamonds while I gamble in Monte Carlo.)

4. Robocall people in large urban areas.

5. Be arrested protesting the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. Oh wait, the media pays NO attention to that ongoing injustice.

6. Start a reality TV show about being a novelist. It will feature daydreaming while listening to music and typing.

7. Begin using performance enhancing drugs. Everyone else is doing it right? Maybe that's why I can't break from the crowd.

8. Produce a runaway viral video of my cat doing something.

9. Perform a daredevil stunt like jumping off the Mackinaw bridge with a parachute.

10. Throw Stephen Colbert a birthday party and jump out of a cake naked for him.

Oh well, I suppose very little of the above is reasonable. Robocalls probably cost a fortune, and I defy anyone to get a video of my cat doing ANYTHING.

I will have to settle for the humble blog tour I am setting up. I'm giving away a $25 Etsy gift card and the Rys Rising complete series ebooks. The tour starts November 16th and goes until December 16th. I'm currently seeking blog tour hosts. For more information see the Feel Real Fantasy Blog Tour.

Add a giveaway to your blog - Join the Feel Real Fantasy Blog Tour

Among the people who enjoy my fantasy novels, many of them remark upon how much they enjoy the characters. They feel real to these readers who connect with my fantasy fiction, and they want to know what will happen next to the people and magical beings in my stories.

Therefore characters from the Rys Rising fantasy series will be my ambassadors on the blog tour to promote my recent completion of this fantasy quartet. I liken it to actors appearing on talk shows to promote a movie, except I'll do it with words and fictional characters.

Rys Rising, Savage Strom, New Religion, Love Lost
The content I offer participating bloggers will be character profiles. A character profile provides a description of the character, my insights about the character, and two or three quotes or a short excerpt featuring the character. See an example.

Although my fantasy series has many characters, I will also offer flash excerpts from the four novels of the series (Rys Rising, Savage Storm, New Religion, and Love Lost.) This way I can accommodate all interested bloggers and offer each one unique content even if I run out of main characters to profile. The flash excerpts will be about 200 to 300 words along with an introductory sentence or two to set the scene.

Prizes 

Bloggers like to host blog tours because they get some free content.

But giveaway prizes are much better for drawing extra traffic to your blog and keeping regular readers engaged (and maybe rewarded). Therefore, all participating bloggers will be able to present the blog tour giveaway drawing to their readers.

I'm giving away:

- $25 Etsy gift card

- Rys Rising complete fantasy series ebooks (Rys Rising, Savage Storm, New Religion, and Love Lost)


I'm running the giveaway through Rafflecopter, a widget service that should make things easy for everybody. It will handle the entries from various blogs and automatically open and close the giveaway on my selected dates. It will also allow me to randomly pick the winners. See widget below.

Please note that the Etsy gift card prize is only available in the United States. The ebook prize is available worldwide.

If any bloggers are wondering what Etsy is, it is my favorite online marketplace, especially for gift shopping. It is a sprawling wonderland of artists, crafters, creatives, and indie entrepreneurs of many stripes. I have no doubt that the person winning the gift card will find something to treasure from the Etsy marketplace.

Tour dates: November 16th to December 16th.

mattdwilliamsonline.com Nov. 16 - Amar, outlaw warlord, most favored of Onja, Overlord of the Kezanada Brotherhood Nov. 17 - Excerpt from Rys Rising Nov. 18 - Veta, frontier woman, refugee, horse expert, and warrior Nov. 19 - Excerpt from Savage StormNov. 20 - Demeda, Princess of the Sabar'Uto Tribe and Handmaiden of the Goddess Nov. 21 - Excerpt from New ReligionNov. 23 - Dacian, rys, former prisoner of the Kwellstan Sect and King of Jingten Nov. 24 - Excerpt from Love Losthttp://annakashinablog.wordpress.com/ Nov. 25 - Onja, deviant young rys female, Queen of Jingten, Goddess of the west Nov. 26 - Excerpt from Rys RisingNov. 27 - Cruce, male heir of the Chenomet family, militia commander, Adarium councilor, most favored of Alloi Nov. 28 - Excerpt from Savage StormNov. 29 - Ajel, frontier woman and fleshmender Nov. 30 - Excerpt from New ReligionDec. 1 - Alloi, most powerful and revered female tabre of the Drathatarlane Sect and twin sister of TempetDec. 2 - Excerpt from Love LostDec. 3 - Tempet, most powerful and famous tabre warrior of the Drathatarlane Sect and twin brother of AlloiDec. 4 - Excerpt from Rys RisingDec. 5 - Jafe, devoted bodyguard of the Handmaiden Dec. 6 - Excerpt from Savage StormDec. 7 - Urlen, disgraced scribe of the Nurati King, state criminal, best friend of Amar Dec. 8 - Excerpt from New ReligionDec. 9 - Kym, high ranking Kezanada brother and loyal lieutenant of Amar jakphoenix.com Dec. 10 - Excerpt from Love LostDec. 11 - Gehr, senior militia commander from Kwellstan, mentor and friend of Cruce Dec. 12 - Excerpt from Rys RisingDec. 13 - Khage, child soldier forced into the army of the Goddess Dec. 14 - Excerpt from Savage StormDec. 16 - Tour ends and winners are picked.
Interested bloggers can participate in the tour by leaving a comment here with:

- A link to your blog (Make sure your blog has some way for me to contact you.) 

- The date you want

Then I'll follow up by email and we can work out the details and deliverables. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway[image error]

Revisiting The Goddess Queen in audiobook form

I completed writing my second fantasy novel The Goddess Queen in 2000. I'm a little amazed to realize that was twelve years ago. Now that I'm producing it as an audiobook, I get to assess it after many years of distance. Sometimes I cringe and think "I was way too wordy with that paragraph." Or "Wow, that phrase was redundant." But other times I'm delighted by an exchange of dialogue or how I described a visual detail.

As an artist I am also intrigued by the process of hearing another creative person interpret my fiction as spoken word. I am still not sure how to express what it feels like to hear another person perform my writing. I enjoy it, but I think it goes beyond merely pleasuring my ego. I contemplate the fluidity of artistic expression. A creation in one medium becomes another creation when translated into a new medium.

Art functions on a spectrum of many colors, shapes, and sounds. Think of all the mythological stories that have inspired paintings. Oral and written stories have been expressed in visual forms to expand communication opportunities for thousands of years. The relief sculptures on the walls of countless temples have illustrated myths. Each medium adds something to a story experience.

The creative vision of one artist can continue on through other artists and lead to new ideas and visions and reach more audiences. I imagine it as an oak tree dropping an acorn that a squirrel carries away to a place where a new oak grows, unless of course it gets eaten.

As I listen to the chapters of The Goddess Queen audiobook, I can feel how the epic story of The Rys Chronicles really shoots up and reaches for the sun. Everything has been set in motion. The roots have gone deep and the branches are growing. The relationships among Dreibrand, Shan, and Miranda deepen, and the plot unfurls new leaves as more characters are introduced. Specifically I'm referring to Faychan, the Masterspy of the Kezanada. He's one of my favorite characters in the whole series. I think he injects a lot of intrigue and interest into the story. Despite his sense of humor, he's a cold and calculating man, but in the story he'll be unexpectedly nudged by softer feelings toward humanity. No one really gives him credit for it, but his actions will be critical to the cause of the rebels. A complicated relationship between Faychan and Dreibrand will also evolve throughout the saga.

Although I feel that I've improved as a writer since I created The Goddess Queen, I remain tremendously fond of the novel. The story came together for me in the way I wanted it to. It's packed with action and intrigue and hopefully a few surprises.

Everything in the first novel Union of Renegades comes to fruition in The Goddess Queen. I wish I could have had more happen in the first novel, but like many series, the first part has a lot of heavy lifting to do with establishing characters, setting, and plot. I like to think of Union of Renegades as the regular season and The Goddess Queen as the playoffs. A life and death championship is in play.

Today I published two more chapters of the audiobook:


In Chapter 7 Reports from the Masterspy, Miranda meets the powerful Kezanada named Faychan and attempts to influence his conscience.
In Chapter 8 Dominated, Quylan endures the relentless training of Queen Onja, and the Atrophane prisoner Lord Kwan emerges from his reclusive depression. 
Voice talent Andrew Wetmore is doing a lovely job with the reading. You can learn more about him at
www.voice123.com/andrewwetmore


Listen to a sample from the novel and access all available episodes at The Goddess Queen fantasy audiobook page.

Just Published! Love Lost: Rys Rising Book IV

Last night I made Love Lost, the fourth and final novel in the Rys Rising fantasy series, live at Brave Luck Books and emailed my readers' list. I've had sales already! Thanks everybody!

Love Lost: Rys Rising Book IV by Tracy FalbeCourage only goes so far.

In this breathtaking conclusion to the series, unleashed monsters born of cruel spells test the mettle of the sturdiest warriors. Soul wrenching chaos consumes the faith of thousands, and Nufal meets an awesome assault ignited by the raging power of love lost.

Dacian embraces Onja’s dark inspirations and helps twist the flesh of captives into powerful new beasts. While building a larger human army for his Goddess, Amar shrugs off an assassination attempt but then must lash out viciously after a vengeful attack against his lover the rogue Princess Demeda. His magnificent fortress continues to rise while he gathers all tribes to his supremacy. With his armies ready, he awaits Onja’s call to war and dreams of feasting upon the spoils of wealthy Nufal.

Threatened with a rys invasion, Cruce Chenomet hardens his body for brutal combat and labors to prepare his society to survive the onslaught of terrible enemies. The new fenthakrabi beasts magically conceived by his tabre allies disturb him with their unholy presence, but he remains devoted to Alloi, who has pledged to defend his people. Torn between his need to protect his secret lover and son on the frontier and his family in Kwellstan, Cruce struggles through ever worsening battles until he finally wagers his life against the most favored warlord of Onja.

The ebook version in either PDF, Epub, or Kindle Prc can be purchased from my website for $4.95.

In the coming days and weeks, Love Lost will be distributed through several online retailers. I will also develop a hardcover and paperback as soon as I get a chance.

Writing and editing Love Lost consumed my life this year

In one week on Oct. 15th I'm going to release Love Lost: Rys Rising Book IV into the world. It is my 8th novel, and at this point I personally believe it's the best novel I've ever written. Reader opinions will certainly vary, but when I finished writing Love Lost, I felt an immense sense of accomplishment. It concluded a story that had been inside me for a very long time.

Over the past eight months since I published New Religion: Rys Rising Book III, I have devoted almost all my time to Love Lost. I had to finish drafting the manuscript, which was done in early July. Since July I have edited the entire manuscript twice and then did a final proofread. This means I have read the novel three times in the past three months. I can honestly say I am still in love with it. I hope some readers will be able to appreciate it as well.

I worked very hard to polish this novel so that readers can enjoy it. I removed a monstrous 17,000 words, and I think the prose flows much better now. My editing is mostly about refining the language. I rarely remove whole scenes. Generally I make the decision to remove or add scenes during the initial drafting of the novel. My editing removes wordiness and refines dialogue. I find that I often fumble around for three sentences trying to express something, and then during editing I find a way to smooth it down to one sentence.

I'm very excited about publishing Love Lost. I'm also eager to move on to new projects. I desperately need to get back to writing. I miss doing it.

When I write a novel I always tell myself to make it better than my last novel. With Love Lost, I truly believe that I have met my goal. People will say that what I think of my novel does not matter. Readers are what matter, and that is partially true because I want to deliver a good reader experience, but the fact remains that it is impossible to please everyone. My novel writing is my artistic pursuit. Ultimately I have to be happy with it. I can never truly be sure if other people will like a novel. I can only know if I like it.

To join my readers' list and receive an email when Love Lost is first available, please use the form on the right side of the Love Lost: Rys Rising Book IV page at Brave Luck Books.