Kayleigh Nicol's Blog: The Broken Wing, page 4

A Thank You to You

Today, I simply want to say thank you. Thank you to my readers, to the reviewers and to all of my supporters on r/Fantasy. Without all of you to help spread the word about my books, I probably wouldn't have sold more than three copies. Thank you so much to everyone who took a chance on my work and found something new to enjoy and promote. Leaving a few stars or a few words of a review may not seem like much, but they mean the world to indie authors like me.

As a small token of my appreciation, the Mage-Born Anthology ebook is on sale for 99c/99p on Amazon this weekend, so if you haven't already pick one up today!

And as always, Happy Reading!

Works in Progress Report

In case you were wondering what I'm currently working on...

Great Mage Hunt Book One
The first draft has been reviewed by my alpha team and requires some work in regards to characters, timelines, and plot. My plan is to begin revising this work by mid-June and hopefully have the second draft completed before the end of summer.

Mistress Mage audiobook
Scott R Smith, the narrator of Sorcerous Rivalry, has agreed to narrate Mistress Mage! Production should begin by the end of this month and hopefully have this title available on Audible by mid-summer!

Mage-Born Chronicles #3
Yes! It's happening! Another Reshi/Kestral book! I'm about halfway through the rough draft right now and hope to have a completed draft to present to my alpha team in the first week of June. If you read the anthology, you may have a small hint of what's in store for book three!

Different but the Same

A few years ago, I had an interaction with a stranger and it's always stayed with me, so today I'd like to share it.

I use to live in Twin Falls, ID, which, as you might guess by its name, is famous for its twin waterfalls. My family was visiting and we were all at the falls, but my dog refused to go down the metal stairs to the platform that gives the best photo opportunity, so I waited for my family near the top of the stairs. I noticed a man staring at my dog very intently (this was not uncommon; there are few greyhounds in Idaho, it seems) so I asked him if he'd like to pet her. The gentleman didn't speak or even nod, but he came over and reached out to touch her. Instead of patting her head, or petting her back, he reached under her and put his hand beneath her chest. My dog didn't seem concerned, so I didn't say anything, I just told him my dog's name and that she was a retired racer from Caliente, Mexico, just kind of chatting and being friendly. He didn't really acknowledge me at all, just kept his hand on her chest.

After a while, the gentleman's group noticed he was no longer with them and someone came to get him. His companion thanked me for letting him pet my dog and then explained "He likes to feel dogs' heartbeats."

This very simple notion just about left me stunned and I think about it still today. How often do we, as humans, look at each other and see only what is different? Whether that's gender or race, height or weight, education or experience, I feel like most of us see what is different first. Yet this amazing human looked at a dog and saw only what was the same.

We all have a heartbeat.

We are all the same.

When Do You Reread a Book?

I love rereading books. To me, it feels like catching up with an old friend and remembering youthful shenanigans together. Especially physical copies of books (don't get me wrong, I LOVE e-books!) but when I reread a physical book, I'll see a dog-eared page and remember I got caught reading under the dinner table, or I'll see a stain and remember that I was eating chips and guacamole the last time I read it. Rereading isn't just about the book for me, but about my journey since the last time I read it.

My favorite reason to reread a book is for comfort. Yes, the first read through is always exciting--you don't know what twists and turns are coming, or even if the "good guys" will win the day. But rereading something doesn't really take that excitement away for me. I love picking up the hints I missed the first time through, or stopping to note particularly beautiful prose. I think the books I've reread the most times are the Harry Potter books and the Tortall series by Tamora Pierce. Honestly, I don't know how the pages of The Lionness Quartet even still have ink on them for how many times I've reread them.

The other reason I reread books is because a sequel is coming out and I want to go into it already in the mindset of the world. Currently, the series I do this the most for is Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archives. Each book is huge and packed full of blink-and-you-miss-it details. So whenever the new Stormlight book is coming out, I set aside time to refresh myself on the universe and remind myself what all the characters have been up to.

There are so many amazing books coming out each month, it's difficult to find the time to read all of them, but even so, I think rereading old favorites or freshening up on a series is something most readers take the time to do. I hope you'll take the time to reread one of your old favorites the next time the mood strikes you!

Oh, and if you haven't heard already: I have a website now! Visit it for information on my WIPs, short stories and to join my mailing list! Just visit: KayleighNicol.com or follow this link!

Celebrating Indie April

To celebrate Indie April, I've decided to share some of my favorite independently published books. I hope you'll support some of these amazing authors and maybe find a new favorite!

First up:

The Wolf of Oren-Yaro and The Ikessar Falcon by K.S. Villoso

These books had a lot of elements I don't see often in fantasy: historic Asian setting, a warrior-queen protagonist and a series of twists I can't talk about without giving away too much of the plot. Queen Talyien's struggles feel real, not just the physical challenges of her journey, but also the emotional one. How does one balance the ruling of a kingdom against an absent husband while raising a child? I am currently anxiously awaiting the third book in this series.

Next up:

Sufficiently Advanced Magic and On the Shoulders of Titans by Andrew Rowe

For someone who grew up on anime and video games, these books are like a magical blending of the two. The characters are fun and relatable while also powerful and intriguing. The magic system is reminiscent of a Final Fantasy game. And the towers that bestow magic upon the people that climb them are like every Zelda dungeon you've ever cursed. It's an adventure mixed with an academic setting and so much fun to get lost in.

In keeping with the LitRPG theme:

Death March by Phil Tucker

Virtual reality has advanced to the point that you can literally die in real life if you die in this game. But if you survive, supposedly the rewards are well worth the risk. Reading this brought me back to my World of Warcraft days and the main character's struggles were akin to a level one player getting dropped in the middle of the Western Plaguelands. If that gives you the same heart-stopping fear it gives me, then I think you'll enjoy this one!

On the other end of the fantasy spectrum:

Kings of Paradise by Richard Nell

I haven't gotten to the sequel of this one yet (which is Kings of Ash) but I can say the first one was unlike anything I had ever read before. The narrative is told in two different settings, one a cold, barren wasteland governed by an ancient, restrictive religion, while the other is a near paradise on the ocean. It's a balance of grimdark and noblebright, almost, and while the two main characters don't meet in the first book, I'm really hoping they do in book two. (Also hoping my favorite character isn't dead. You hear me, Nell??)

And one more for the road:

Kingshold and Tales of Kingshold by D.P. Woolliscroft

This is the story of how a kingdom goes from being a monarchy into a democracy almost overnight (more like a month, if I remember correctly). It's told from varying perspectives, which is interesting because it shows the reader how the change in leadership affects the nobility as well as the merchants, commoners, foreign countries and even pirates. While I feel like there are a few identifiable "main" characters, I could almost say that the city of Kingshold itself is the true protagonist. The follow-up book, notated as book 1.5 in the series, is a series of short stories featuring the characters we met in Kingshold and allows the reader to see different parts of the realm in more detail, as well as give a bit of detail to some of the character's pasts. If you enjoy a story with a lot of political intrigue, you're going to enjoy these!

Have any favorite books by indie authors? Let me know in the comments!

Celebrating One Year as an Indie Author!

It's hard to believe, but I published my first book only one year ago! Since then, I've released three books--Sorcerous Rivalry, Mistress Mage, and The Mage-Born Anthology--and produced an audio book! I've participated in contests, met a TON of great people and learned SO MUCH along this journey!

To help celebrate one year as an author, I've shared a tiny little short story below, which takes place shortly after the end of Mistress Mage.

NOTE: This story contains spoilers for Mistress Mage!

Dual Farewells

Two riders reined their horses to a halt at the top of a gently sloping knoll overlooking an empty grass plain. Wind tossed the hair of the rider wearing battle-tested leather armor and tugged playfully at the raven-dark tail of the slighter, golden-eyed rider. Both looked solemn despite their peaceful surroundings.

"You're sure this is the spot?" The black-cloaked rider looked doubtful, fidgeting with his reins. "I don't remember it looking so pretty the last time we were here."

"It was a battlefield the last time we were here, Reshi," the battle-hardened rider replied, voice even, steady. "It's been a year since then."

Reshi shuddered, thinking about the blood and bones that must be hidden beneath the waves of wind-blown grass. "You like this spot, then, Kestral?"

Slowly, thoughtfully, Kestral nodded. "This is a good spot."

The riders dismounted in tandem, Kestral untying a long, canvas-wrapped parcel from behind his saddle while Reshi dug through a saddle bag for two smaller wrapped items. The horses stood still, either by training or by magical command, as per the nature of their riders. Kestral unwrapped his parcel as he walked to the edge of the bluff, pausing between two knee-high leafy shrubs.

"I wonder if she'd think it too pretty here," Reshi commented, looking around at the trees, leaves just starting to turn to their fall colors. Off to the west, he could make out a wide, slow moving river, marking the border between the realms of Zarapheth and Viaparaiso. "I feel like we should find a proper battlefield."

"We might be at peace now, but when we go to war with Viaparaiso again, this is where the battle will occur." Kestral removed the last bit of canvas tied around a heavy bastard sword. He raised his eyes to look down from the knoll. "This will always be a battlefield."

"Niko signed a treaty and is making reparations to Viaparaiso, though," Reshi reminded him, holding small, wrapped parcels in each hand. "He says it's time for Zarapheth to rebuild, not fight."

"Your brother is an idealist," Kestral replied, glancing back over his shoulder. "He might hold the peace for a time, but war will come again. It's human nature."

Reshi shrugged. "I don't know about that, but it certainly was Kila's nature."

A smile played on Kestral's face. "Yes. It was."

Reshi stepped up beside Kestral at the edge of the knoll, giving him enough room to turn the bastard sword point-down and drive it deeply into the earth. Reaching inside himself for the well of golden light that was his magic, Reshi hardened the clay-mixed earth into stone so that it gripped the blade of the sword. It would be impossible to free the blade without the use of magic. For a moment, they simply stared at the grounded sword framed by the two emerald-leafed bushes, each lost in their own thoughts. Then, Kestral held his hand out to Reshi.

Reshi placed one of the wrapped packages in Kestral's hand, then began peeling back the canvas on the one he'd kept. Beside him, Kestral did the same. Each revealed a carved five-pointed star, Kestral's practiced with sharp edges, Reshi's a bit rougher, but more stylized in its shape.

Kestral looked to Reshi, who shook his head, usually laughing eyes shadowed, somber. With a breath, Kestral knelt, leaning his wooden star against the sword to prop it up.

"For Kila." Kestral's voice was rough. He stayed on one knee as he spoke. "A great warrior, but a better friend."

He'd meant to say more, planned to say more, but his throat suddenly felt full of grit and talking became painful. Instead, he lowered his chin and let his eyes fall shut, finishing the rest of the eulogy in his heart.

Reshi shuffled, then knelt, placing his roughly carved star beside of the first. "For Laki," he said, tone steady. "We never got to lay you to rest properly, brother, but I hope you found your way to your star." He frowned, seemingly uncomfortable. "Seems a shame to remember you by such a poor carving, especially as you were a master carver. But I made it myself, so I guess that'll have to do."

"I think he'd appreciate the effort," Kestral offered.

Reshi shrugged. "I didn't know him well enough to believe that."

Kestral fell silent for a moment, staring at the two stars set against the bastard sword. "We knew him well enough to know he'd like to be remembered alongside his twin."

Reshi nodded, nearly smiling for a moment. "It's what Kila would have wanted, too."

They held their silence for long moments, remaining on a bent knee and staring at the sword and its two stars. Finally, Kestral climbed back to his feet and offered a hand down to Reshi.

"Think that'll satisfy them?" Kestral asked.

"Who knows?" Reshi brushed dirt from his breeches. "If they really do share twin stars, then I bet they're too busy arguing to have noticed us."

Kestral huffed a laugh. His eyes swept the grass covered battlefield once more. "Where to now?"

"I don't know." Reshi stretched, face ponderous. "Are we closer to the southern cities or the northern oceans?"

"We're exactly in the middle," Kestral said. Then he considered. "Journeying to the south would be faster, though. The roads are in better condition and we might arrive in time for the Feast of Spoils."

Reshi's golden eyes glowed. "Isn't that the wine drinking festival?"

"That's not entirely what it's about." Kestral had to smile at Reshi's suddenly cheery disposition. "But yes, it is."

"Let's go there!" Reshi reached for the reins of his horse, then stopped and turned. He offered a final bow to Kila's sword and the twin stars. "We'll pour one out for you at the festival," he promised before swinging up into the saddle.

Kestral turned and bowed as well. "We'll pour out two."

Epic Fantasy Fanatics Award Nominations

Sorcerous Rivalry has been entered into the annual Epic Fantasy Fanatics contest! But it needs your help!

Awards are a great way for books to find new readers and Epic Fantasy Fanatics are all about connecting readers with great high fantasy novels! If you have read and enjoyed Sorcerous Rivalry you can vote for it to win a prestigious Effy award. There are some AMAZING books up for this award and you can only vote for two, so I hope you cast a vote for Sorcerous Rivalry.

You can cast your vote here!

Thank you so much for your support!

Mind How You Go

I can't say everything I'd like to say because everything about this is hidden through a veil of lies and legality and betrayal. But if I could just say one thing about all of it, it would be this: All actions have consequences. Be careful of whom you might affect with yours.

Sometimes an action can have positive consequences. Someone praises a piece of art and the creator goes on to take art classes to perfect and hone their passion. Others see their new creation and are inspired to become artists themselves. This is a beautiful consequence of a very simple action, one we could all take part in.

Sometimes an action is meant to be harmful. Maybe someone feels slighted by another person, so they spread rumors or lies about them. The slighted person can't know how those lies will grow and distort, possibly affecting more people than they originally intended to harm, but the harm is done all the same.

Sometimes an action is done with the best of intentions, but causes harm as a byproduct. Someone sees a young child running into traffic and they do the most logical thing: take the child by the arm to stop it. But the child has brittle bone disease and the action causes the child's arm to break. Now that person, who only meant to help, is facing charges of abuse and assault by the child's parents. Even if the law were to find them in the right, the person receives threatening messages from people who don't know the full story--or don't care to know the full story. That person lives with the fact that they broke a child's arm--even though it was never their intent. That person begins to wonder: Should I ever have stopped that child from running into traffic in the first place?

We all must live with the consequences of our actions. Hopefully those consequences are positive. And I hope that one negative consequence following an action done with the best of intentions isn't enough to ruin a life spent lifting others towards the light. But it seems it is and that, my friends, is tragedy in its truest form.

Mind how you go.

The Mage-Born Anthology Available on Amazon!

The Mage-Born Anthology is HERE!!!

I'm so excited to finally share this collection of stories with everyone! If you wondered how Reina studied magic with the fae or how Velyn got his shark-tooth necklace, these stories hold the answers! While I can't pick a favorite (because they're all my favorites!) I can say that Eagan's story was the quickest, easiest story for me to write while Laki's story was the one that took the most time and went through the most changes as I worked on it. Each story has it's own unique voice and shows a different part of the kingdom of Zarapheth. Let me know which one is your favorite!

In other news, the first draft of book one of the Great Mage Hunt is inches away from completion. This has turned into a much bigger undertaking than initially I thought it would be and although it needs a lot of work and rework, I think it's going to shape up into another fun, magical adventure. I've hidden a few characters and hints for the Great Mage Hunt series within the anthology--let me know if you spot any of them!

Keep Calm and Read On...

Okay everyone, remain calm--because I can't!!

The Mage-Born Anthology ebook goes on sale this coming Thursday!!! The paperback edition may be a little behind the launch of the ebook due to formatting and editing, but have no fear, it will be available shortly!

In addition to that exciting news, the audio book of Sorcerous Rivalry has been completed and will be available on Amazon, Audible and iTunes later this month.

March is looking to be a pretty eventful month so far--now if only it would stop snowing!!