Steve Copling's Blog
May 2, 2018
The Blood of Seth
Book two is out! Sage Alexander and the Blood of Seth, book two in the seven book series, was released last month. Blood of Seth was more fun for me, primarily because the majority of the setup for the series took place in book one, Hall of Nightmares.
Writing a series takes some forward thinking. The characters have to grow, suffer setbacks, win some - lose some, and overcome different challenges from book to book. With a seven book series, there will be new characters, some who stick around for awhile, some who make untimely exits.
In Blood of Seth, Sage, the main guy, overcomes challenges he wasn't forced to face in Hall of Nightmares. Elsbeth, the main gal, is also challenged. She must prove her worth within a team of veteran warriors while being unable to use her most powerful angelic gift. We get to know Nick, Sage's younger brother, and watch him grow into someone I hope the readers will want to see in every future book.
Blood of Seth is a revenge story. It requires Sage to decide just how much he will risk for Nick. It's also a story of teamwork, of how leaving a fellow warrior on the battlefield is simply not an option. And it's a story about determination; from Sage's survival, to Elsbeth's proving her worth, to Nick's adapting to a world he never knew existed.
As I craft each book in this series, I struggle with how far to push these characters, and with deciding who does and does not survive the endless battle between good and evil. I think I struck a good balance with Blood of Seth. I hope you'll read it and let me know if you agree.
Take care and thanks for reading.
Writing a series takes some forward thinking. The characters have to grow, suffer setbacks, win some - lose some, and overcome different challenges from book to book. With a seven book series, there will be new characters, some who stick around for awhile, some who make untimely exits.
In Blood of Seth, Sage, the main guy, overcomes challenges he wasn't forced to face in Hall of Nightmares. Elsbeth, the main gal, is also challenged. She must prove her worth within a team of veteran warriors while being unable to use her most powerful angelic gift. We get to know Nick, Sage's younger brother, and watch him grow into someone I hope the readers will want to see in every future book.
Blood of Seth is a revenge story. It requires Sage to decide just how much he will risk for Nick. It's also a story of teamwork, of how leaving a fellow warrior on the battlefield is simply not an option. And it's a story about determination; from Sage's survival, to Elsbeth's proving her worth, to Nick's adapting to a world he never knew existed.
As I craft each book in this series, I struggle with how far to push these characters, and with deciding who does and does not survive the endless battle between good and evil. I think I struck a good balance with Blood of Seth. I hope you'll read it and let me know if you agree.
Take care and thanks for reading.
January 12, 2018
My First Blog Post!
Okay, so, I've never written a blog post before. Hmmm, just how does this work? Do I spew nonsense about what's happening in the political world? Ha, not on your life. Do I whine about the pitiful state of my favorite NFL team (Cowboys)? I could write a tome about them, but nope, not going there. Maybe I should crack open some religious themes . . . well, no, not my area of expertise. Do I have an area of expertise? Debatable, but maybe law enforcement, since I've been doing that my entire adult life. But...really, not going to waste my very first blog post on stuff I have to deal with every day - a guy's gotta get away from the real world, after all.
Hey, I know, I'll talk about some book stuff. Sage Alexander and the Hall of Nightmares has gotten some good reviews, both on Amazon, and here on Goodreads. I'm pretty happy about that. I especially want to thank everyone who took time out of their day to actually write a few comments about it. Even those here on Goodreads who found that the book didn't really do it for them. The reading universe is a huge place, filled by book lovers with more tastes than stars in the sky. I have super close friends who read exactly the same stuff as me who hated books I loved. Crazy, but it's what makes the publishing world go round and round. So for all of you who take your precious time to comment on any book, God bless you.
So, Sage Alexander and the Blood of Seth gets released on April 11, 2018. I am very excited about this one. It's a little longer, is filled with mythology, really explores and expands Elsbeth's character, and introduces the entire history of Sage's angelic-human race. It takes place within the underworld, has a ton of conflict and emotion, and forces Sage and Elsbeth to face some hard truths. It also sets up book three quite well. I'm rolling strong on book three (around 80% completed), and I'm really pumped about that one, too. Okay, enough about all that.
My understanding of a blog, which might be waaaaay off base, is there should be some kind of deep, intellectual component mixed in there somewhere. Maybe ask a question? Yes? Hmmm, if so, well, I might just disappoint. I'm gonna take a stab at it, although I doubt you'll find it very thought provoking.
Here it is: What, in your opinion, is the absolute number one thing about fiction you want to see in the books you read? For me, it is multi-layered conflict. Yes, you have to have the main conflict, the plot, the force driving the book. But I like it when I see several layers of conflict, maybe best described as short-term challenges that must be overcome in order for the protagonist to keep pushing forward to achieve his/her ultimate goal. Life is like that. We all have our careers, but reaching the pinnacle of that career is a life-long journey rife with challenges and obstacles. Nobody is really interested in the simple fact that someone reached the end of an amazing goal, people want to hear about the journey, the pitfalls, how they mastered their fears and doubts. It's layers of conflict that intrigue. And for me, that is what I find in the books I love the most.
How about you?
Thanks for reading. Post number one in the books!
Hey, I know, I'll talk about some book stuff. Sage Alexander and the Hall of Nightmares has gotten some good reviews, both on Amazon, and here on Goodreads. I'm pretty happy about that. I especially want to thank everyone who took time out of their day to actually write a few comments about it. Even those here on Goodreads who found that the book didn't really do it for them. The reading universe is a huge place, filled by book lovers with more tastes than stars in the sky. I have super close friends who read exactly the same stuff as me who hated books I loved. Crazy, but it's what makes the publishing world go round and round. So for all of you who take your precious time to comment on any book, God bless you.
So, Sage Alexander and the Blood of Seth gets released on April 11, 2018. I am very excited about this one. It's a little longer, is filled with mythology, really explores and expands Elsbeth's character, and introduces the entire history of Sage's angelic-human race. It takes place within the underworld, has a ton of conflict and emotion, and forces Sage and Elsbeth to face some hard truths. It also sets up book three quite well. I'm rolling strong on book three (around 80% completed), and I'm really pumped about that one, too. Okay, enough about all that.
My understanding of a blog, which might be waaaaay off base, is there should be some kind of deep, intellectual component mixed in there somewhere. Maybe ask a question? Yes? Hmmm, if so, well, I might just disappoint. I'm gonna take a stab at it, although I doubt you'll find it very thought provoking.
Here it is: What, in your opinion, is the absolute number one thing about fiction you want to see in the books you read? For me, it is multi-layered conflict. Yes, you have to have the main conflict, the plot, the force driving the book. But I like it when I see several layers of conflict, maybe best described as short-term challenges that must be overcome in order for the protagonist to keep pushing forward to achieve his/her ultimate goal. Life is like that. We all have our careers, but reaching the pinnacle of that career is a life-long journey rife with challenges and obstacles. Nobody is really interested in the simple fact that someone reached the end of an amazing goal, people want to hear about the journey, the pitfalls, how they mastered their fears and doubts. It's layers of conflict that intrigue. And for me, that is what I find in the books I love the most.
How about you?
Thanks for reading. Post number one in the books!
