Auryn Hadley's Blog, page 11

My thoughts on Piracy

Authors are always terrified of their work being “stolen”. They think that somehow they are losing a sale because someone may have read their work without paying the paltry few dollars for the privilege. I happen to disagree.

I see piracy as the best free marketing plan EVER! I’m not some big shot who can command millions of people to line up in wait for the release of my next book. I’m just an author – a rather average one – like so many other authors out in this new age of digital books. I...

Sneak Peak – Challenge Accepted (Chp 3)

If you missed the initial installments, you can read Chapter 1 here, or you can catch up with Chapter 2 right here.

Chapter 3

The waitress returned with the drinks, passing Riley hers before setting the other by IceMan. Funny thing about gamer conventions, everyone used their character’s names as their own and no one thought anything of it. Riley slammed back the tequila, sucked on the slice of lemon, and Ice gestured for the girl to return.

“Give her another, and something lighter to slow he...

Sneak Peak – Challenge Accepted (Chp 2)

Yesterday, I shared the first chapter of Challenge Accepted. If you missed it, you can read it here.

Chapter 2

Friday started wet and chilly, but Riley had things to finish before she left. While the new colt played, running circles around his dam, she shoveled piles of manure into the bucket of the tractor and spread shavings. Andrews Shires wasn’t exactly a large farm, but the barn had fifteen stalls, all sized for draft horses, and six more geldings lived in the pasture. Every morning star...

Sneak Peak – Challenge Accepted (Chp 1)

Riley Andrews refuses to bend to the expectations of society. She wants to chase her own dreams, be who she is deep inside, and just have someone accept her. But that’s now how the world works. Challenge Accepted is a story of learning to trust, of thwarting expectations, and finding the person who compliments all of our own personal flaws.

Chapter 1

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The clicking of the keyboard was loud in the room, but Riley couldn’t hear it. With music blaring in her headphones and the game sounds cranke...

You don’t need to be a gamer to get these books.

Riley dreamed of becoming the first female professional gamer in the PLG. She always loved gaming. Maybe it’s because she’s part tomboy, or it could be just her wild nature rearing its ugly head. Either way, it’s what she’s spent her life working toward, and something as silly as falling in love isn’t going to get in her way.

That’s the basic story of Challenge Accepted, the first book in the Eternal Combat series. Of course, things aren’t quite that simple. Riley is convinced that the reason...

The Villain’s Story

I’m going to tell you all a secret. The iliri may not be the good guys. Oh, sure, they are the protagonists of my latest series, but does that make them good? Not really.

You see, Salryc Luxx was actually designed around Sauron from the Lord of the Rings. You know, that mysteriously evil character who is charismatic and people just keep falling in with. If you pay attention, there’s plenty of hints along the way, but I wanted to see if it was even possible to write the bad guy’s story in such...

The Series Continues

The enemy wants to kill them. Their own country wants to make sure they never rise above slaves. Humans created them to be the perfect soldiers, but iliri will never be equals. They’re animals, vicious enough to be the perfect killers, but unable to be trusted.

So why are the Black Blades the unit chosen to stop the Emperor’s bribe of steel on its way to Anglia? One of the rareest materials on the planet, metal could change the tide of the war. It cuts better, stays sharper, and is stronger t...

It’s an addiction

I have a problem. It’s worth than pills, harder to break than nicotine, and more exhilarating than caffeine. I love writing. I can’t get enough of it. No matter what I’m doing, I think about it.

I am an addict.

And I just finished another book! Yes, one of those mostly done books in my list of things to finish up is now done. Oh, I don’t mean it’s ready to be published – not by a longshot! It’s just ready for my alpha reader. Then I make a few corrections and send it to the editor. Then more...

All the pretty books!

I can’t spend all my time editing, but I have enough books in “line” that I should. It just gets tedious. After seeing enough stupid mistakes, I want to pull my hair out, and need to feel the creative urge again.

Now, considering that I typically work on at least three books at once, that’s saying something. Yes, my friends say I’m a freak of nature, that my mind works in crazy ways, and other almost flattering things. Love you guys, no really.

But trying to plan a release schedule like this...

She didn’t ask for this

She had it all going for her. Destiny was pretty, smart, and had already started proving herself as one of the best up and coming game developers on the scene. Unfortunately, she also had opinions, and a certain group of people had a problem with that. They told her to keep her mouth shut. They told her to get back in the kitchen. They sent her threats on her blog, social media, and any way they could be sure it was seen.

Then they did exactly what they’d promised.

One day Destiny was the big...