Tracy Falbe's Blog, page 63

The Rys Chronicles giveaway! Visit the book blog Angel-on-a-move

Frana, publisher of the book blog Angel-on-a-move, kindly read my first fantasy novel Union of Renegades this summer and was quite positive about it in her review:

"The world is laid before you and all you have to do is enter it and you are immediately drawn into its power plays and adventures."

See full review of Union of Renegades.

Frana, who lives in Croatia, also welcomed me as a guest blogger and today published my essay Building a good hero.

But here's the best part...we're doing a giveaway of The Rys Chronicles complete series!

The randomly selected winner will receive the ebooks: Union of Renegades, The Goddess Queen, Judgment Rising, and The Borderlands of Power.

To enter, please leave a comment at the Union of Renegades review or my Hero guest post by September 3rd and Frana will draw the winner on September 4th. I will email the winner the ebooks as soon as I know who won.

Tuesday morning update to fantasy web novel

In Chapter 13. A Man That Is Feared Amar goes alone into the stronghold of the Temulanka warlord Wayndo, who Amar must assassinate in order to prove himself worthy of joining the Kez. The mission is meant to be the death of Amar.

Please visit the fantasy web novel version of Rys Rising: Book I. If you like what you read you can download the whole novel for free. http://falbepublishing.com/rys-rising/download-fantasy-ebook/

Taking my novels directly to readers was the best decision of my life

Rys Rising: Book I is my newest fantasy novel. Download it for free.
From a young age, I was one of those people who dreamed of seeing her novels on the bookstore shelf. I've poured many years of my life into that dream. I'm still not on bookstore shelves, but I am reaching readers around the world everyday.

I'm cultivating a readership with digital publishing. Packaging my fantasy fiction as ebooks allows me to have lower price points than print products and worldwide online distribution. I was selling ebooks before there were any Kindles, Nooks, or Ipads out there. I stumbled into ebook selling when I published my fiction in late 2005. I was determined to get my novels out to the reading public. Unanimous rejection from agents and publishers of fantasy fiction was not a good enough reason to stop trying. When there are billions of people on the planet, why would I accept the opinion of a handful of people that likely never read my work as they reached for their photocopied rejection letters?

I have never regretted publishing my own novels. What was utterly intolerable was accepting rejection and keeping my novels as boxes of paper in a closet. With the act of self publishing I also discovered that I was pursuing my dearest dream of creating a business out of something I love. And some readers love my novels too. Of course not everyone likes my work. No novel is appreciated by everyone, but the rise of independent writers like me has expanded the options for readers. No longer is their reading entertainment restricted to the profit-driven opinion of an agent or editor. I understand fully that someone in the publishing business has to look at everything and ask "Will this make money?" Readers however assess fiction with the question "Am I liking this?" I can often get past that question, and that's why I am finding growing success as a fiction writer.

I'm so happy that digital reading is allowing more authors than ever before to reach readers. As part of the indie writer scene, I've had the pleasure of reading many wonderful novels that will probably never appear on bookstore shelves. For example, Jak Phoenix by Canadian author Matt D. Williams was a delightful space opera that made me laugh out loud chapter after chapter. Somehow Williams makes every cliché in the space adventure handbook fun again. I've also discovered the talented South African T.C. Southwell, author of 31 novels. Her one-book deal with a South African publisher fizzled, but now she is getting 5-star ratings at online retailers. Her novel Demon Lord was an astonishingly good read full of complex emotions, and its sequel Dark God is next on my reading list.

Like Williams and Southwell and thousands of other indie writers, I get to have my chance with readers because I took a chance on publishing myself. I no longer dream of being on bookstore shelves. I understand now that my dream comes true every time someone reads my novels, whatever the format. And when the occasional reader is kind enough to contact me and say how enjoyable my novels were to read, I truly know success.

All my novels are available in multiple formats including print at http://www.braveluck.com/.

Fantasy web novel updated Chapter 10. Followers

In Chapter 10. Followers Amar is accompanied by three Kez mercenaries as he begins his mission of assassination. He does not head directly toward his target, which deepens the suspicions of his companions who think he is trying to escape his duty. But Amar has no such cowardly plans. He is taking them to Onja so they can see who they should truly be loyal to.

Chapter 9. Three Pledges

In Chapter 9. Three Pledges the narrative switches to the heart of Nufal in the great city of Kwellstan, the crown of civilization. Cruce Chenomet is expected to take over the political duties of his invalid father, but Cruce is young and dreams of adventure and glory. He can no longer delay telling his father that he intends to join the Kwellstan Militia and serve on the Nufalese frontier fighting savages.

Online serial fantasy novel Chapter 8. Primitive Sports

Today at the Rys Rising online serial I added Chapter 8. Primitive Sports. In this chapter the action returns to Jingten. Dacian discovers that tabre acolytes are exposed to training that he is not receiving from his teacher. He takes it upon himself to investigate the Bozee competitions of the tabre and learns that his magic can cause real harm.



The web novel serialized version of Rys Rising: Book I updates on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. It is also a complete novel that introduces a new fantasy series. You can download the whole ebook from my download service with this link. (It's free.)

New chapter added: 7. The Brotherhood of Vu

In Chapter 7. The Brotherhood of Vu Amar gets his chance to prove himself and enter the elite ranks of outlaw society if he can survive the jealousy of Lax Ar Fu.

This chapter is from the serialized web novel version of the fantasy Rys Rising: Book I. If you like what you read online, you can download the whole novel at this page: http://falbepublishing.com/rys-rising/download-fantasy-ebook/

Best of the Quest #1

I've been blogging for a while now and would like my readers to know about some of my older posts that I'm rather fond of. This Best of the Quest selection shows off the eclectic nature of my blog. Enjoy.

Book Review: Rise of the Creative Class by Richard Florida

This book is tremendously well written. The author has an engaging style that is supported by abundant facts, statistics, and anecdotes. All creative workers should find that it rings very true with their personal experiences, beliefs, and tastes. I know it did for me. After reading this book, I consider myself enlightened to a reality that I felt but was not aware of intellectually or consciously. For anyone interested in understanding systemic problems with the U.S. economy and social trends, The Rise of the Creative Class is highly recommended and truly fascinating.


Big eastern coyotes thriving in Midwest, see video evidence


They might be watching you on a bike lane or hiking trail at dusk. Maybe one of them ate your cat. Some people find it hard to believe that they are even there.


Easy Rider: They do NOT make movies like this anymore


I was somewhat reluctant to watch Easy Rider. I knew the film was regarded as a classic, but I was not sure if a movie with two dudes riding around on motorcycles (choppers?) would appeal to me. Well, don't judge a man by his haircut because I was wrong to doubt the artistic quality of Easy Rider.

New at the Rys Rising blog Chapter 6. The Thievesmeet

Now in the company of scoundrels and mercenaries, Amar journeys to the Thievesmeet and sees the secret revels of the outlaws. He also encounters the Kez and begins to dream of joining their notorious society, but it is the wild and wanton dance of the Shamaness Loxane that consumes his mind. Loxane notices Amar as well and invites the jealousy of her current lover, the Overlord of the Kez.



You'll love reading this one at the web novel serial presentation of Rys Rising: Book I.



6. The Thievesmeet

The Wedding Shroud by Elisabeth Storrs now available worldwide

Following up on the review I did of the wonderful novel The Wedding Shroud by Elisabeth Storrs of Australia, I'm pleased to pass along her announcement that it is now an ebook available to readers in many countries.

When I reviewed The Wedding Shroud last December it was only available in the Australian market. Her carefully crafted, unique, and elegantly written novel about the arranged marriage of an ancient Roman woman and an Etruscan lord can definitely be enjoyed by lovers of historical fiction regardless of where they live.

This novel really made me contemplate the world of ancient people and how it differed from our modern world. The primitive elements and the superstitions interwoven with an advanced culture of music, cuisine, language, law, mathematics, and architecture were fascinating. The characters were complex, tormented, and I was never quite sure what anyone would do.

Look for The Wedding Shroud at Amazon, Amazon UK, and the iBookstore.

Related article: Mysteries of Etruscan civilization.