Grayson Bell's Blog, page 5

My Struggle with Sci-Fi Names and Naming Conventions

Since I wrote the first draft of Artifact of the Dawn back in 2015, the biggest struggle I’ve had is with names and a consistent naming convention for my characters and place names. The place names have been the hardest and I’ve changed them a dozen times already. Part of my problem is that I keep overthinking them and have tried to give the place names translatable meanings.

I am finally letting go of the need to have all the names have meanings. I’ve found it leads to awkward names that ar...

“Artifact of the Dawn” Cover Art Reveal

While I am still busy with edits and revisions to this novel, I’ve already worked with an artist to bring one pivotal scene of the novel to life for the cover. If you’ve followed me on my long journey with this novel, you may have seen an earlier art rendition that I had done by another artist, J. Pearson, who also did the cover art of three of my other books, “Coffee-to-Go,” “Mark my Soul,” and “Sweet & Dark.” Sadly, they couldn’t finish the final changes to the piece, although I still love the...

Paperback Release and WIP News

My latest three books, “Transcendent,” “Sweet & Dark,” and “Suddenly, Omega” are now available in paperback form. While I hadn’t initially released them in paperback, I had always intended to. The process to format the interior of each, along with designing a full cover, always takes more time than the ebook version. I wanted to take my time and do it right, instead of rushing something that may not have been as polished.

My upcoming sci-fi series is well underway now. I am hoping to give...

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Another Valentine’s Day is upon us. For those of us with a partner—or more—in our lives, it can be a fun day, filled with romance. For the rest of us, it’s either a painful reminder of what we’ve lost, what we don’t have, or simply another day.

As a widower myself, I know this isn’t the best of days for many. However, I still enjoy reading and writing about love, romance, and some hot, steamy sex! So, this year I’ve released my latest novel on Valentine’s Day, for all of those out there that...

“Suddenly, Omega” Available for Pre-Order

My latest novel, “Suddenly, Omega” is now available for pre-order, at a special discounted price of $0.99. (In the US. Check your regional Amazon for your local discounted price).

Pete Grainger grew up believing he was a beta. After his parents die in a tragic car accident, he falls deathly ill and winds up in the emergency room, where the truth of his biology unravels. Dr. Ryan Walsh, an alpha, works to save the young man’s life and helps him through his first heat.

“Suddenly, Omega” is a...

Official Merchandise Available

After publishing for several years, I’ve commissioned a few beautiful pieces of art for the covers of my novels. In collaboration with the artist J. Pearson, I’ve launched an official merchandise store featuring these works of art.

There will be a variety of offerings, from apparel, drinkware, homeware, and accessories available. If you see a design that you like that isn’t offered in an item you would prefer, please leave a comment on this blog post, or contact me directly. If it’s somethin...

What’s Next?

As is often said around this time, new year, new me. Maybe not quite, but I am shifting things a bit with my writing. I haven’t made it much of a secret that Grayson Bell is my pen name. When I first came up with this persona, my intention was to keep all my queer erotic romance writing under this name, and everything else under my other pen name, G. L. Balend.

However, as my writing has evolved and my readership has grown, I find there would be a space for the science fiction novel, Artifac...

New Releases (December 2021)

It’s December already, and I can’t believe how this year has flown by. I know this wasn’t the best year for many people, with the ongoing pandemic, global supply chain shortages, and other various challenges.

However, I took advantage of my continued sequestration from the world to work on a variety of stories. Besides the story, “Transcendent,” that I launched in July and on Kindle Vella and later reworked into a novella for Amazon KDP, I have been working on two other projects.

The firs...

Turning Fifty

As I write this, my fiftieth birthday is fast approaching. In two short weeks, I will have reached the milestone of having lived for a half-century. It’s odd how it feels simultaneously long and far too short.

My life’s been an interesting journey so far, and I hope I get to be around to see the next fifty years. I’ve watched as computers went from large mainframes to devices that fit inside the palm of my hand, merging with the camera, television, and a half-dozen other devices along the wa...

One Down, One to Go, One to Write

My latest book, “Transcendent” is now available on Amazon Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. The launch went well and I’m proud that it broke into the top twenty-five of new releases of transgender erotica.

Next up is my collection of short stories, “Sweet & Dark.” That book releases on my fiftieth birthday, December 2nd. Keep an eye out for that pre-release announcement coming soon. The book is ready to go, but I want to spend the first week of November focused on NaNoWriMo.

That brings m...