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The Captor’s Redemption — Read the first chapter!

Hello all!

I believe I promised an excerpt or two, so here is your first look at The Captor’s Redemption as I share the first chapter with you! This will give you a good look at who Vincent is and what his story is about.

It’s long, so settle in first. I hope you enjoy it!

 

The Captor’s Redemption

Lani Lenore

Text © Lani Lenore 2018

All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be produced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

Hell is empty and all the devils are here.

-William Shakespeare, The Tempest

 Fallen

Rain, sharp and heavy in its masses, struck the ground, relentlessly beating it into subjection. The sheet of the above was gray and deep, and all who were beneath it trembled in the cruel jaws of the gloom that clenched them. The whole world seemed alive, nurtured beneath the wing of the vengeful darkness.

Wrapped in this same darkness, the man waited.

The rain became as tears on the worn cheeks of the angels that stood on either side of him. They wept silently past empty eyes, the beads of their sorrow running down weathered faces of stone. They wept for him no doubt. The vanity of it almost amused him. For all the hours he’d been crouched between them, he hadn’t even sent them a bitter glance of acknowledgment. Their tears meant nothing to him, and neither did the loft on which they stood, high above the city streets to look down on all of Ariah’s children. One of those, he was not—not from the day of his birth.

Vincent knelt there unmoving, perched alertly amongst the carvings of saints, hidden by the folds of night. As he balanced there on the stone ledge, with the rain pounding his shoulders and head furiously, he thought on the events that had already unfolded tonight, and on those he knew were still to come. Though he grasped what would transpire, he didn’t grieve for the future. Quite the contrary. He looked forward to it with throbbing anticipation that he felt at the tips of his fingers and even deep inside the tangles of his inner workings. Finally, after so many years of waiting and searching—and hating—things would be resolved. Though he was still unsure of his adversary’s true strengths, he was confident in his own. He would fight the fight, and every bystander would fall.

But Trevan wouldn’t have approved of these methods, he thought, blinking away some of the rainwater.

“It doesn’t have to be the physical strength that proves our worth, Vincent. I have to believe that there’s more to us than that.”

Vincent still remembered those words, even now, no matter how untrue he found them. But Trevan was gone. The mouth that had uttered such wisdom had been silenced years ago. His brother was dead, and Vincent had to remind himself of it yet again, but to ponder over this had lost its value. Perhaps Trevan wouldn’t have approved of his brother’s plans tonight—or of the things Vincent had done to get himself here—but matters had gotten too far out of hand now. Things would have to be done his way.

Forcing his concentration back to the rooftop, he brushed away those old thoughts like soil on the shoulder of his coat. The suffering of his losses would end tonight. Tonight, all debts would be repaid.

He breathed calmly now, even with such a heavy weight pressing upon his head. With his face tilted forward, he could see everything below on the wet street. He’d been watching as the great above had grown dark, fading from its previous, unnatural red glow. Slowly, people had made their way into the cathedral entrance below him. He’d almost smiled at the fact that none of those feeble humans knew what would transpire here tonight, or that walking through those doors would seal their fate.

Everyone within these stone walls will die tonight, he thought with complete satisfaction as he sat. A cool wind rushed by and dragged across his wet skin, chilling him. Death is the only thing that can be understood anymore. It’s the only worthy punishment. They’ll understand this. As the last moment of life leaves them, they’ll understand.

He understood. Vincent had resigned himself, and he’d soon have his punishment as well. But what else did he have to live for? He could lie to himself about that all he wanted. For eight years, the only vision he’d had of his future revolved around this night—this pending confrontation. Beyond tonight, there was nothing. There was no deed left undone, no desire to grow old, no home, no love, no family. He had once made the mistake of thinking his strict plan for himself could change and now he kicked himself for it, but this—once more—was not the time for self-analysis. At this moment, there were steps that he’d conceived, and it was almost time for the very first.

He knew that soon the bell high atop the stone roof of this cathedral would be ringing. A monk would have entered the tower, which Vincent had made sure was easily accessible from his chosen perch. Then, the bell would toll. He would allow the bell to sound three times, but three times only because—

Because that’s the sign, he reminded himself. It may not matter now, but that’s the sign.

The bell would ring for the final time and then he would take hold of the monk swiftly, snapping the bones in his neck as if they were merely kindling. He ran this through his mind, quite pleased, knowing that the deed would indeed be just as easy as thinking through it. After that was done, he would climb down from the tower and the next phase of his plan would begin.

This second part that he’d concocted was a bit more unpredictable, but there was no problem in that. He occasionally liked things to be volatile and complicated, but only as long as those two factors knew their place and didn’t flaunt to excess. The second phase was really much less of a plan and more of a distant goal: find the priest.

And kill anyone who gets in the way.

The dark street was growing quiet now. The last of those entering the cathedral would be inside soon. In a few short minutes, the massive front doors would lock and no one else would be entering or exiting the structure. Soon, there would be no one out on the street at all. They’d be shut in their homes or sturdy buildings in fear for their pathetic lives, praying in their own shadowy corners for Holy Ariah to reach down his mighty hand and deliver them. The people felt the ominous weight in the air. Something very unnatural was amiss, and the entire city knew it. Surely by now they all knew the truth: the beasts were on their way.

In a few short hours, all forms of ungodly creatures would be finding their way into this city, just as they had spread into the others, crawling out of the darkness and aiming to take this place for their own. All this was Vincent’s fault, indirectly and directly all the same. He hadn’t tried to stop it, but this was yet another thing that he couldn’t afford to think about. Later, these things would have no affect on him. The fate of this city was something he’d never have to concern himself with.

Later, he knew he would be dead.

As the final minutes before action came to an end, he would have said a silent prayer for his lost brother if he had known where to start—or if he’d thought he was capable of such a thing as prayer. It was always Trevan who did the praying, yet it had inevitably done him no good. It hadn’t saved his life. Thus, Vincent resolved that there would be no prayer tonight, just as there had been none on the nights before.

But don’t worry, brother. There will be justice.

The rain had slacked, but only slightly. Vincent’s hair clung to his face on each side, dripping from soaked tendrils, the strands a stark white. Water trickled steadily off the slope of his nose, ran from his hairless chin, and finally he rose from the shadows. The liquid that had made nests in the folds of his long coat spilled backward in a glittering cascade, splattering onto the stone roof.

It was time. He was beginning to hear stirring in the bell tower.

He heard the first toll of the bell almost immediately and began heading back toward the belfry, sloshing through the standing water on the uneven stone. The second tolling of the heavy bell came slowly, but eventually, it too reached his ears.

He moved more swiftly now, thinking for the first time how odd it was for the cathedral to be calling at a time like this, but he already knew that the bell was not ringing to invite anyone. It was a final warning, letting everyone know that the doors of Ariah’s house were sealed and no one else would be admitted. But this was an ironic thing to the white-haired man, however; those outside would be the ones to be saved.

Vincent dropped down into the tower below the belfry when he reached it, landing on his booted feet without even having to steady himself. The monk caught sight of him immediately and released the rope that had made the bell toll the first two times. The bell had barely gotten into swing when Vincent had appeared, and it rocked back and rang itself weakly for the third time before slowly swinging on in silence to come to a rest.

The clumsy, unsuspecting monk had been startled, and he lurched back, tripping over the ends of his long, red robe as he struggled to get his distance from the intruder. It was uncertain whether he had sensed the danger, or if he had only been surprised, but if he had recognized the pending threat, he might have been better prepared. It wouldn’t have done him good, but at least he would have known what was to come.

The monk may have meant to demand an identity of the young, dripping, white-haired man before him, or perhaps he’d meant to run, but none of his would-be intentions were realized. Even if he had gotten words past his blubbering lips, the roar of the rain and wind would have hidden them, and if he had run, he would have tripped up on the stairs and Vincent would have caught him despite his efforts. But none of that mattered now. Before the monk had even opened his mouth, Vincent had gripped his neck. After a crack that was barely audible above the rain, Vincent let the limp body fall to the ground.

He shook his head to toss away some of the heavy water. Without lingering, he began down the spiraling stairs. He didn’t stop to think of how easily and emotionlessly he’d killed the monk, or about how casually he’d walked away. This was only the first of many deaths tonight, and he could dwell on none. There wasn’t much time for contemplation at all until his last foe was reached. Even then, he already knew what he had to do.

He descended, not bothering to mask his footfalls. They echoed back to him from the empty tower below. There would be guards to confront him at the bottom—soldiers disguised as monks with guns and other instruments in their robes, on the lookout for intruders who would seek to interrupt the ceremony. Like himself. Perhaps they had even anticipated his own coming. The priest was not unfamiliar with Vincent or his intentions. That sacrilegious monster must have known that no matter how long it took, Vincent would finally catch up again, and the priest would expect an attempt to be made on his life. He would be right to expect this. The priest would, no doubt, try to be certain that the attempt was unsuccessful, but the man who was hunting him relentlessly had other ideas. He would not repeat his past mistakes.

The stairs of the tower passed easily beneath Vincent’s feet. What would have been a tiring effort for most was an easy glide for him. Before too long, he was on the final steps of the winding tower stairs.

He saw the first two guards without having to put forth much effort. They were dressed in their ceremonial robes, standing on each side of the tower entrance. The two didn’t appear to be armed, but Vincent knew otherwise. If they’d been expecting him specifically, they’d be foolish not to be.

Not that it will do them good, he thought smugly as he approached from behind.

The duo would be looking for the bell-ringer to be coming back soon. They surely thought the footsteps behind them now were those of the returning monk, because they stood as still as statues as Death steadily approached.

Vincent stepped up between the two watchmen casually, forging his presence into their minds. He stood still for a short second until he was sure they had noticed him—until they’d turned their heads a tick and understood that he did not belong. He wanted them to see him before their deaths. This was his way, and it was the only way they would have their lesson.

It happened swiftly, as easily as he’d planned. One guard noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that he was an intruder. Vincent was in black, not dressed in a red robe. This guard was the first of the two to move.

Vincent lashed out with his left hand, delivering a chop to the man’s neck that snapped the bone quickly and relentlessly. The first guard fell without even managing to get a hand on his weapon.

The second watchman had been slower. He had been lost in his own thoughts when Vincent had stepped through, perhaps thinking of what he’d eat later, or of finding himself a frightened woman from the gathered number to barricade himself up with, but whatever he’d been thinking about, he’d hesitated. His partner was already dead and he’d barely managed to reach into his robe for his weapon before the man in sleek black scale slammed a fist into his head that made his spine buckle and collapse at every vertebra. The second guard fell.

Vincent left those two behind, not bothering to take their weapons. Guns—such cowardly human contraptions… He wouldn’t need them.

The hall stretched before him, long, narrow, and all his for the taking. At the moment, there were no more guards in sight. He knew that just a few more strides down the hall was a turn to the left where there would be two large, ornate doors, finely painted and inlaid with gold.

And at least two more watchmen, no doubt.

Once those two were dead, and those great, over-decorated doors were opened, chaos would ensue, but he would be right where he wanted to be. For the first time in eight years, he would stand before the priest—the man who had killed his brother—and he would look him straight in the eye, and then Vincent would kill him. No; this time he would not fail.

Before his mind even made the command, he was treading down the hall from the bell tower and on toward his next destination. Along the corridor lit only by flickering torches, he found the turn. There, he hesitated a moment behind the wall, listening. Two guards stood watch; no more. He could hear their breathing, one on either side of the door. Bored with their duty, they were quite at ease. They’d be easy to dispose of.

Holding a neutral expression, he readied himself, turned on his booted heels and swung around the corner.

The crimson-wrapped soldiers there were surprised and slow to react, trying to force clumsy hands to grasp their weapons through the slits in their robes. Perhaps against a normal human adversary their actions would have been fast enough, but Vincent was far from normal. And even farther from human. Weapons that would have been easily accessible under typical circumstances may as well have been a mile out a reach.

Charging the great doors, Vincent grabbed both guards by their throats simultaneously and, without losing a step, slammed their heads into the stone on each side of the entry. The bodies crumpled to the floor below, leaving matching bloodstains with scalp and hair clinging helplessly there.

Even from outside the chapel doors, Vincent could already hear the readings from the holy scrolls beginning, but he’d had his experience with those words. He no longer cared to hear them. Without a moment of lingering, Vincent threw open the tall doors.

When the cavernous chapel hall was opened to the rest of the cathedral, Vincent already knew what he would see. All around him there were gatherers, robed in red, holding candles as they stood aligned with the hard, wooden pews to participate in this unscrupulous worship.

Down the aisle to the front of the assembly hall, there was an ancient man holding a scroll—of equal age it seemed—gingerly with both hands. There were candelabras around that old man, each holding five slender, white candles. Other men in robes stood around him as well, and amongst them, standing out like a single, majestic tree in a dying forest, the only man aside from Vincent that was not robed in red, was the priest. He was robed in thick ebony.

There seemed to be a fantastic aura emitting from him, and Vincent was sure he wasn’t the only one who felt it, despite all his enhanced senses. These men were two parts of the same now—kindred—but one didn’t need abilities like theirs to feel the tension.

The men saw each other across the long room, and for a moment, time seemed to freeze. All others vanished. Their eyes burned into each other—hatred in one pair, greed and loathing in the other. There was no more running; both of them knew it. Tonight, there was going to be Death.

The priest stood there behind followers that were undoubtedly prepared to give their lives for him at a moment’s notice. Vincent had no such aid beside him now.

She’s just as gone as Trevan is, he thought suddenly, but ignored it just the same.

The man before him with the long hair and piercing, green eyes under a pale brow stood firmly, unwilling to retreat. Then Vincent watched as that priest—was holding Trevan’s pulsating heart in one bloody hand, holding a jagged dagger in the other, marveling at how easy the kill had been and knowing that all he had to do to get that power was drink the blood from that heart and new life would unfold within him—smiled self-righteously.

Smile while you can, Vincent thought, finding an arrogant smile of his own. The opportunity will pass soon enough.

Engaging the priest in battle was still some distance away, however. The full length of the room stood between them. First, everyone else in this grand hall would die, and when the priest was the last man standing, he and Vincent would have bloody combat. Beyond that rested Victory.

He let the word run across his mind once more, imagining the sweetness and satisfaction it might bring, even if it only lasted a few moments before his own death found him.

Victory.

Those few seconds that he stared down the man he’d sought for nearly ten years had only seemed like an eternity. In actual fact, as soon as he’d pushed open those loud, angry doors, the reaction inside was immediate. All the gatherers in the candle-lit chapel had turned to look at him, all curious as to why this strange man, soaking wet, had interrupted the ceremony unannounced and not even in proper dress. The scroll reading had abruptly stopped, and then Vincent had heard several small clicks throughout the crowd. Guns. This was not unexpected.

At first glance, it was hard to tell who was armed and who was simply gathered for the ceremony, but then, almost as a whole, the crowd began to shift before his eyes. Those with guns seemed to appear as if the crowd was a raging sea and the gunmen were the whitecaps. He saw the gunmen when they made motions toward their weapons—even as he stared at the priest—and when others in the crowd began to see the guns emerging, it made it all the more obvious as the sea began to part and dissipate into branching tributaries.

Vincent didn’t need to see where the gunmen were; neither did he care where the bullets would be coming from. Before any of the robed gunmen had a chance to fire, he was on the ground. He’d dropped down on his hands and knees, and in the time it took for the men to reach their guns, draw, click, and aim, the thing rising up from the floor before them was no longer a man.

Vincent had made his draw, and the Hell-beast had awakened.

The thing that rose up now in Vincent’s stead was a demon, without question. It was one like the writings spoke of, and it could be a sure bet that no one else in that great hall—other than the priest—had seen a beast quite like this.

The creature stood upright on short, stout legs. The torso was akin to a man’s, quite broad and muscular across the shoulders. The back rose up into a high, arcing neck. There was a muzzle on the beast, bearing sharp teeth, and atop its head sat two long, twisted horns, not identical but just seeming to curve and grow however they liked. All this was intimidating, but the real danger of this monstrosity was its long arms and large hands that parted to form bony, claw-like fingers. It must have been over ten-feet tall, and yet it had emerged from a mere man, half past six feet, within seconds. It resembled something the gathered people might have only seen in their nightmares.

The beast’s man-given name was Woldrath, but no one in that crowd would have been educated enough to know it. Vincent had allowed the beast to come forward at this time, take control of his cells, shift his muscles, stretch and deform his skin, and mutate his bones. For the moment, he was Woldrath. His thoughts were Woldrath’s thoughts, and Woldrath was motivated by only one thing: the need to slaughter.

Woldrath looked over a sea of red, squirming, pathetic movement. The color made the demon’s heart pump faster, exciting and enraging it all at once. The creature didn’t like the color, and if Woldrath had been any lesser beast, it might have been inclined to slink away from the thick, blinding hue. Instead, this sea of red rekindled anger deep inside the demon. Anger against humans. Had they thought that a dark cave could keep Woldrath forever? In a way, Vincent had freed the demon from that prison, though Vincent himself was a prison. If not for the Captor though, Woldrath wouldn’t be standing here now with so much fresh blood before it.

It remembered the humans. They wore red on the day the demon had been taken captive, and the beast’s eyes were burned by it. Woldrath remembered, and it was time for Revenge.

The hall was lit only by candles, but it was of no consequence. Woldrath could see clearly in the dimness. The demon had finally been brought forth out of this Captor again after a tedious while of waiting. Vincent was fulfilling his promise now, and Woldrath was pleased.

The emergence of the demon was unanticipated by everyone in the hall other than the priest. When it stood up before them, those who were still holding candles dropped them immediately. A few even managed to light their own robes on fire as they ran screaming toward the exit. Some that had been holding guns dropped those as well. Other gunmen faltered a few moments, but then decided to re-aim with trembling hands. A few gatherers were simply too frozen with fear to move at all. The greater percentage though, crying, screaming, and fearing for their lives, had begun to scatter.

And if there was one thing that Woldrath hated above all else, it was when prey tried to escape.

The demon roared in rage, bearing its teeth, its head tilted to the side involuntarily—for one horn had quite outgrown the other—and the beast raised one massive arm. It swung, scooping up everyone who had rushed for the door behind it, and in a single motion sent them flying back toward the far end of the room. Several bodies crashed into the pews, snapping instantly. A few more slammed into other fleeing bodies, crushing several bones to bits. The room that was once filled with screams of fear was now being taken by cries of agony.

This was music to Woldrath’s ears.

The beast felt something hitting against it then, pelting its skin like sharp rocks and digging into the thick flesh. The demon whirled angrily, searching for the culprits responsible. It saw them instantly with its yellow eyes, seeing that they held small metal objects in their shaking hands. This would stop. Yes, this would stop now.

Woldrath grabbed up the nearest human and squeezed him to bloody mush between its fingers. That, for the greater part, stopped the small, stinging pellets from striking Woldrath, but now there were more people running and scrambling about clumsily. The beast grabbed up the last of the stone-shooters and gave them the same reward as the first. Then the demon set to work on the rest of the escaping crowd.

Woldrath chomped down on their heads with sharp teeth. It used its wicked horns to smash them to paste against the walls. It swung its arms to crush them and used its claws to slice them to fleshy ribbons. There were possibly not even enough of the flimsy, human gatherers to satisfy Woldrath’s lust for blood, because after all was still and the blood was staining the assembly hall, the demon’s brain insisted that there was more destruction to be done.

But there was a voice in the back—that small, firm voice that harnessed the beast and pulled it away, telling it that all was done for the time. Granted, Woldrath didn’t always agree with this little voice, but no matter how hard it tried to fight, it found itself being pulled back nonetheless. Eventually, the demon was forced to retreat into the darkness for a time.

Before this though, Woldrath had seen the priest. The demon felt the immeasurable hatred deep inside that it had felt throughout its life inside the Captor. The demon knew this priest was the target. It also felt a familiarity with Vincent’s enemy, and that—like had only happened once before—frightened Woldrath.

The beast began to walk toward the front of the cathedral, and as it walked, Woldrath was pulled away. Vincent once again emerged, the bones coming back into place and even the thick, blue-black-colored skin slimmed down to the suit of dark scale and human flesh. The horns retracted, and the white hair emerged. The yellow eyes became blue, and there he was again finally—just Vincent, the priest, and the blood-splattered walls—and it was indeed time.

Vincent approached his foe on steady feet. Behind him, a fire was enveloping a section of pews and dead bodies, raising a stench that was quite unpleasant to his sensitive nose. He was exhausted after the creature within him had been pulled away, but there was long-held fury fueling him. He’d not be stopped by a little fatigue.

He walked on, standing below the priest now, about ten paces from him. They stared at each other for several moments, both unspeaking because, Vincent thought, there was nothing to be said. Both of them knew why they were here and that fate had brought them back to this point once more. All things were going to be resolved.

Aside from that, Vincent’s time was dwindling. He didn’t have a moment for chatting.

Then the priest did something that Vincent hadn’t expected. He spoke.

His enemy spoke, and when he had opened his mouth and the words had spilled out, realization hit Vincent. It was hard and sharp in his mind, causing his brain to pound and mock him, and the hunter could do nothing but stare. He stood a moment in complete shock, and then finally the answer was clear—the true meaning of the words he’d been pondering since he’d heard them.

The girl had spoken those things to him.

The girl from the train.

So, there was deeper meaning to the words after all. He could still hear her speaking even now, her voice so clear, and at the moment every word had seemed profound. The words she spoke, among many others, were these:

“Let what’s dead, stay dead. Stop this now.”

The priest turned and walked away from him then, and the hunter was suddenly unable to hold himself. Beneath him his knees gave way, followed by the rest of his body and he fell face-forward onto the floor. Nothing moved.

It was eight o’clock.

[End of preview]

*I hope you enjoyed it! Was that enough to get you started? If you got through it and know it’s for you, then don’t forget you can preorder now, just visit the Books tab for options!

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I finally have a Mailing List! And more!

Over and over again I’ve seen it written: ‘if you want to be successful as an indie writer, you need a mailing list. It is your most important tool‘. Or something. Now, I finally have one.

You’ve probably already seen it pop up on the blog! (I hope you did, anyway. It was supposed to.) So this is me asking everyone to sign up for it.

I’m hoping this will solve the problem I’ve had of not being able to let all of my fans know when I release a new book. I try to get the word out — on the blog, on social media (did you know you could follow me on Amazon, and Facebook, and Goodreads?)– but then months later someone pops up to say that they didn’t know that I’d released another book. It makes me sad.

The Captor’s Redemption – A Man and his Demons

Last week I announced my new book, The Captor’s Redemption, a 155,000 word original dark fantasy novel which will be released on August 8, 2018.

I mentioned that it was listed for preorder, but here are those links again, plus an extra:

Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Kobo,  and iBooks (do a search).

But first, a general update.

Writing/Publishing Schedule

I finally did it! I made a plan for my future publishing endeavors based on a 3-6 month schedule. I worked out what I wanted to release and made a working schedule for what I want to be writing/editing at what times.

I worked through it all the way to the end of 2020! Then I just sat back and looked at it like ‘wow, I’m going to be so busy!’. And I’ll have to keep planning as time goes on, but I think I’m going to love it.

My lifetime aspiration is to write as many books as possible, so this ought to be a good way to do it.

I’m still editing at this point and finalizing the layout of The Captor’s Redemption, but I hope to have that done by the end of this month. But basically I need to stay busy or I’ll go crazy. So, there’s that!

Anyway, I see it as a challenge and I’m pretty excited.

I’m currently making great progress on a new book that I hope to release in January 2019, but I have another book planned in between, so I have to keep at it!

I’m going to need your support if I’m going to make this happen, so please stick with me and give me some feedback every once in a while.

The Captor’s Redemption – Release Date and Pre-order Confirmed!

I’m excited to announce my first release this year! I’m going to publish a book that’s very special to me. I’ve said that about several of my works, (The Nutcracker Bleeds, The Needle’s Eye) but this one is even more special than that. I suppose you could say that this one is my “trunk novel” – the one I’ve been holding onto for a long time and saving for a rainy day.

I wrote The Captor’s Redemption back in the early 2000s. I was 21 or 22 years old, and it was the first novel that I truly set myself to completing. It was probably the first fully fleshed-out storyline that I’d come up with. I worked on it for a year. Every day. After I had finished it, I rewrote it until I felt it was perfect. I’d say that this book brought me to find true satisfaction as a writer.

Writing this book honed my skill, and since then, I’ve been able to manage my works and finish them. But until writing The Captor’s Redemption, I couldn’t do that.

A long time ago, when I was hopeful of being traditionally published, I sent the book to several publishers and agents, only to be met with rejection. After that, I put it aside, but I think it’s finally time to let it go.

I need to let it go so that I have room to create another masterpiece.

Some of you may have read this one before. I had posted it online in the past, but I don’t think it was never on Wattpad, so for those of you who are newer fans, this will be a completely new story for you!

The Story:

The Captor’s Redemption is a dark fantasy in the true sense. It’s set in a hellish world that has been abandoned by its god. There are only eight remaining cities and the rest of the world is wilderness – all the way until it reaches the edge of the world, which crumbles off into the Hell-realm.

This world is overrun by monsters and demons. The people of the wilderness, the clansmen, struggle to learn the ways of the monsters in order to fight them off. The demons are a bit different. When they crawl into the world from the Hell-realm, they create an inspired appearance for themselves. Unlike the monsters, the demons are one of a kind, and they seek to make this world their own.

It has been said that the world will be delivered through repentance, and so society is based very strongly on religious principles and almost everyone claims some religious affiliation – except our main character, Vincent. He has turned his back on all of that.

Vincent is not quite human. He has superhuman strength and speed, and with that comes the ability to fight the demons. But not only that. He can take their essence into himself, then draw them out at will. He is a kind of shapeshifter. He is a Captor, his body itself is a prison for the demons, but to say that he is the only one of his kind would be false. There is one other now, and that other is Vincent’s sworn enemy. Though Vincent possesses abilities that could allow him to save the world, he only cares about his personal vendetta.

This is a tale of bloody revenge, and Vincent is a true anti-hero. He is cruel and relentless, stopping at nothing to achieve his goal of killing the man he calls the Priest. He is seeking his own redemption through this deed.

I’m going to share a bit more detailed information about this book in other posts leading up to the release.

Release Details:

The Captor’s Redemption ebook is live now as a preorder on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, and Smashwords. It will be released on 8.8.18. (Links at the bottom of the page.)

The book is approximately 155,000 words, and is written in third person multiple pov, but unlike some of my other works, it focuses on fewer characters. There is less jumping around. The focus is on the main character, Vincent, and his companion and romantic interest, Eden, with sections from the pov of the demons he holds inside.

For now I have plans to release it as a wide distribution ebook, and I want it to be in print as well, but I don’t know if it will be in print right away. Probably. But so far I haven’t worked on the layout. I’m still doing a quick edit, but rest assured that the final version will be ready by the release date. (That’s the nice thing about preorders. I still have time to finish it up in the meantime.)

Here’s the cover!

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The world is infested with monsters – demons that spawned from the darkness at the world’s edge, from the Hell Realm that it fell into centuries ago. The people pray to the One God, Ariah, for a day when they won’t have to fear for their lives, and the clansmen of the wilderness fight until their last breaths to gain control of the monsters.

But there is hope.

There is one who might deliver the world – one who has power over demons and an ability to trap them inside himself, adding their power to his own. Though the deliverance of the world has been promised through diligent repentance, the condition of the land and its people only seem to be declining as the years pass. Yet the one man that might be humanity’s last hope doesn’t seem to care.

Vincent has his own agenda, and the thought of only one thing drives him: revenge.

PREORDER TODAY!

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Smashwords

iBooks (no link, just look me up!)

Are you excited? I am! I’m always excited to bring a new work to the public, but this one feels a bit like a rebirth for me, as if I’m starting my journey anew. I’ve been publishing for over 5 years now but I finally feel like I have a path ahead of me, and it’s wonderful!

More news soon!

New News – Wide Distribution and Future Plans

[image error]In between binge watching The Closer and doing some long-neglected work around the house, I’ve been getting some serious author-type work done.

I’ve been trying to write at least 1000 words a day, which isn’t a lot, but there’s always the option to do more than that. I’ve been prepping my next release, sorting through book cover options, and making plans for my work load over the next several months.

In the meantime, I’ve finally brought some of my other works to wide distribution. I’ve released three more books through Smashwords, which will eventually be made available through other channels such as Barnes and Noble and iBooks. These are The Needle’s Eye, Dark Depths, and the new version of The Nutcracker Bleeds. I could not release The Hallowed because it’s still under KDP contract until August. Because of that though, The Hallowed is free this weekend, Saturday and Sunday (June 2 and 3) only. Get your copy while you can, and if you’d be willing to leave a review, I’d really appreciate it! (That one doesn’t have any reviews on Amazon yet.

Full-time Writer Status!

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Just last week I embarked upon a new life-changing decision: I quit my job and decided to become a full-time writer!

This is something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time – as many others do – and this is what I’ve always felt like I was meant to do. Nothing else has ever satisfied me. Still, the decision did not come easily, and so the truth of it is that I’m going to work for myself for a while and try to get serious about building my business. (Plus, my day job was driving me crazy, so I felt like it was a good time to call it quits.)

So far, I highly recommend it! The two weeks leading up to it and the first week of being at home was a little weird because I have a strong sense of responsibility, and to be “unemployed” brought on a lot of mixed feelings, but this second week has been much better. (Following a month where I was crying almost every day. Yeah, something just wasn’t right in my life.) I like to stay busy, so I’m at least able to turn my energy to my creative pursuits.

I know it seems like bragging… Not everyone can make this a reality. For the record, I honestly have no idea what I’m doing. I like to plan everything and be sure of everything, so this is a big leap for me. But I’m so much happier, at least for now. It may not last, but while it is, I’m planning not only to enjoy it, but to work hard.

So! I’m busy writing and it feels amazing! I’ve been writing every day, back to projects I always meant to work on, but my mind wasn’t clear enough to focus. My mind feels open in a way that it hasn’t been in a long time. While I’m busy writing something new, I have to decide what I want to do next.

Since I’ve reached this goal, I have to set another, and that’s to up my game and get myself on a publishing schedule that works.

My plan is to get myself on a 3-6 month publishing schedule. I would like to do 3 months, but 6 months might be more doable. There will be many benefits to this, I feel. I can publish more and hold myself to a schedule. When I publish a book, I’ll immediately have another up for preorder with a definite release date. In order for me to do this, I have to be a little bit ahead of myself, but I still have a couple of works on reserve, so I plan to start there.

Something old, something new

While I’m working on this new project (the Weird Western I mentioned back around NaNo time last year), I have an old one on deck that I need to prepare.

It’s likely that you’ll soon get an announcement from me about a new release!

But when you hear about it, it likely won’t be released for 3 months. But then, once it is available, there will be a link to the next preorder and news about my next release immediately. I think that will help readers know what to expect from me and always know when a new project will be ready. Also that I WILL have another book to release instead of leaving it up in the air as to when or IF I will publish anything else.

It’s an experiment, as always, but I’ll have to see how it works.

My other books are still available!

I’m about to start preparing all my books for wide distribution. As of now, only some of my books are available through Barnes and Noble and iBooks, for example. Most are on Kindle, but I’m going to put more effort into getting this done. It just takes a different type of formatting to send the books through Smashwords (and it’s kind of a nightmare).

I reduced the prices on some of my titles a while ago on Amazon, so check them out if there are any you haven’t snagged yet.

I’ll be back soon!

Ten Tips for Writing (and Finishing) Your Book

[image error]Last week, I received a comment interested in getting some writing tips from me. I wrote a few posts like this in the past, but haven’t made one in a while, for whatever reason. I’ve thought about writing a book on writing, but yet there are already so many, and I don’t have many great successes to boast, so I haven’t moved forward with that. I’m completely self-taught (other than any English skills I may have learned) but as far as creative writing, that’s all me. I’ve just developed a feel for it and I’ve looked at what others have done and learned from that.

Since I find myself needing to reconnect with some of this myself, I started thinking about what works for me and how I finish my own books. This is what I came up with.

Ten Tips for Writing (and Finishing) Your Book

1.) Know where your story is going – Even if you are a spontaneous kind of writer in some respects, you should at least know some things about your book. What’s the main thing you want to accomplish by writing your book? What makes you excited about your story? Focus on that. Is the romance the main aspect even though it has a fantasy theme? Stick to the romance and let it carry you through. Is there a major conflict that needs to be resolved? Know what you’re writing toward. For me, I need to know that I’m writing toward something that needs to be resolved: a mystery that I need to reveal, a romance that needs to come to fruition, or a conflict that greatly needs a resolution. Find the point you’re working toward and go for it. I usually find that the rest will fill itself in.

2.) Love your idea. – If you don’t love your idea – and I mean LOVE it – then you probably aren’t going to finish it. Think about it for a few days before you decide to write it. Try to figure out if it’s really something that you’re excited about or that you’re going to finish. If not, save the idea for later. You may be able to use it again for something else! I do this all the time. I have ideas that I think are swell but I don’t know how to make it work as a stand-alone story. What do I do? I write it down , and I might find a way to use it along with another idea I have later. I truly believe that some ideas can bloom, but we’re just not ready to write them yet. Either we don’t have the skill to figure out how to make it work (happens to me often) or the idea is just not solid yet (happens to me alllll the time).

Example, late last year I was excited about writing a weird western, but when I sat down to write it, I wasn’t happy with how it was going. I think it just wasn’t the right time, and I’m okay with that. Eventually, the time will be right.The idea is still there.

If you find yourself in this position, just go back to the drawing board and search for something that gives you a true feeling of love.

3.) Keep inspiration close at hand – This can mean many things. Have a ritual if you need one. Wear a decorative pair of open-finger gloves. Always have a cup of coffee in a mug that says #1 Writer, or whatever. Do what you have to do. For example, when I was writing Nevermor, I had this cheap little plastic ball that was filled with water and glitter, and when I wasn’t busy typing, I would sit there and throw it up in the air, or just shake it up and watch the glitter inside it. It sounds like a waste of time, but you have to do what you have to do! I’ve done things like that in the past, but it usually varies from one book to the next. There are, however, a few things that I always do.

One thing I always do when I’m working on something is find some music that inspires me to think. I listen to it often and just zone out while listening. I’ll clean up, exercise, listen to it while I commute, and use it as the soundtrack for whatever I’m working on. While I’m listening, I’m watching my characters. I may not always hear what they’re saying, but I see what’s going on. I develop a vision and then I put that vision to words, like watching a music video. Sometimes the words of the songs come through to me and that gives me an idea as well. I usually choose my songs based on the sound of the music, and then the words come through. I even choose songs that I don’t really know as long as the sound seems right, and then I connect with something new. (Spotify is really good for building playlists.)

Another good thing to do is search for character/setting inspiration online. Spend some time looking at pictures. Choose an actor to represent your character. This usually works pretty well for me. Assigning a face helps me to visualize everything a bit better, and looking at art gives me some nice ideas for visualization while my characters are moving around in my head.

4.) Take time to think. This is the part that has been getting me down lately. It’s not that I don’t have time to write, it’s that I don’t take the time to think about what I want to write. What I mean by that is that I get so distracted by so many other things. It’s not just work or real world stuff; it’s even what I do for entertainment. If you are constantly letting other people entertain you (with their books, their movies, and their games) how are you supposed to have your own ideas? Not that you can’t do those things too – inspiration can come from anywhere and that’s very important – but take some time to meditate on your own ideas. It’s not about just taking time to write or making a schedule or trying to write everyday. Choosing to sit down at your computer for an hour does not equal writing time. Trust me. Even if I start out with a word document, sometimes I’ll just stop and pull up Facebook, or the game I’m currently playing, or I think I’m going to watch Youtube while I write. No. No, it just doesn’t work. Unplug if you have to – like I’ve begun to do. Find a connection with your project that makes you want to write, not just for an hour a day, but ALL day.

5.) Read something that inspires you – Do you remember the last book that you read and loved? Or do you have a favorite author whose words are phenomenal? You think: “I wish I could write like that or create something like that.” Read a paragraph from their book. Read the first page and REALLY read it. Look at how the words carry you away and then look at what words and sentences are actually being used. Think about what the author did in a technical way. Sometimes, when I can’t find inspiration, I’ll grab one of those books off my shelf – one that I know I loved and enjoyed – and I’ll open it up (sometimes to the first page and sometimes to a random spot in the middle) and I’ll read a few paragraphs. I’ll then think about what I just read and compare it to what I’m writing. If you’ll do this, you’ll probably find the same thing that I usually do – you’re doing fine and they’re just words after all. There is nothing magical about them, and they are probably just like yours. If you find that they’re not, think about why. What is different? Think about those things and learn from them.

6.) Edit as you need to, but remember that you can fix it later – Some tipsters might tell you to ‘save the editing for later’ and to ‘just get the words on the page’, but my advice is a little different. Here’s the thing: I read the beginning of my book more often than anything. If my first few paragraphs are crap, I get really annoyed. So, I’ll often spend a lot of time polishing the first bit of my book, just so that when I read it again later, it inspires me all over again. This assures me that the whole project is not garbage. If you need to do that for every chapter that you finish to make yourself feel good about going forward, do it. Do what feels right to you. Sometimes, I still like the manuscript to have a bit of polish before I go forward. It helps me to really get in touch with the words and to remember what I was doing and what still needs to be done.

Don’t drive yourself crazy though. As you’re working on this, don’t forget that you can fix it. And you will. If you’re like me, you’ll never ever stop fixing it, and it will never be perfect even after you publish it. I have to make myself stop. If I don’t, it would go on forever because nothing is ever good enough unless I’m working on something else. Once the work is complete, you’ll be able to look at it as a whole and see it for what it is. Then you can alter it so it all goes together.

So in that respect, yes, just get the words on the page.

That said, if when you’re reading over your book and you run across a section that absolutely bores you to tears, you can’t be bothered to read it let alone edit it, then it might be a good idea to think about cutting it – or rewriting it. If you’re bored reading it, someone else might be too.

7.) Don’t be afraid to skip ahead – When I first started writing, like so many others, I would write in a straight line from one chapter to the next, mostly because I was posting online and I couldn’t go on to the next part until I had finished the one before it. I don’t write like that anymore. If I’m having trouble writing a section but I know what happens directly after it, then I’ll jump ahead to write the next section. Then I’ll take some time to think about it and come back later to work on the part that I was having trouble with. I usually just fill those spaces in later. If I still can’t fill in that spot, then I need to go back to number 4 and take some time to think and visualize.

One reason this might not work is if you don’t know how to begin a story. That bothers me, personally. Like I mentioned above, when the beginning isn’t solid, it bugs me. It may not bother you that way. So, if you can deal with skipping the beginning, by all means, skip it and come back to it later.

8.) Change how/where you’re writing – In the past, I’ve had some of my best writing success by printing out what I had and sitting down with the printout and a notebook to add sections where needed and to edit. I would read over it and make it better as I went. Though that may be a waste of paper and computers are just so much faster for getting words on the page, sometimes it’s not as good, I feel. I think there’s a real difference when you put a lot of time and focus into something. So! If you sit down at the computer and you feel blank, grab a notebook. Type something up on your phone. Or maybe you need a change of scenery. Change the room you are writing in. Go outside. Go to a coffee shop (if that’s your thing). Figure out what works for you. Sometimes it really is as simple as that.

9.) Write a layout – Even if the layout is vague; even if you don’t have a full layout yet, make one. It will help you gather your ideas and remind you of what you know and what you don’t know yet. When you write one chapter, then you can look over and have a reminder of what you need to happen next in the story. It can change at any time, and when it does, alter the layout. This will help you keep it all together, and if there comes a time when you see the whole thing set out before you, Eureka!

Though I always have an idea of where my story is going, I like my story and characters to grow a bit as I progress. I don’t like the idea that everything has to be set in stone, because things change, and I enjoy it when that happens. Remember, your characters are not just words on paper – they are alive inside your mind. Get in touch with them.

Sometimes, your layout for a chapter might be one sentence. ‘Character A and Character B have a fight’. Oh…that isn’t very much detail. Well, if you can write yourself up to that chapter, chances are you’re going to have a better understanding of your characters and what is going on in the story in order to progress and get things done. By that, I mean set things up and reveal the information that your reader needs to know. ‘Character A finds out the big secret’. By this point, I hope you know what it is!

If all you know is the basic description of your story, write that down. Write character descriptions if you need to. Write about the world. Essentially, you’re writing about what you’re going to write, and that will help.

10.) Just write. Anyone who has ever written anything successfully is going to tell you this. But how?? How do you write when you can’t write?? I know, I know. I didn’t know how to take this one either until it actually happened to me, and then I finally understood. Here’s what you do. Don’t think about writing. Don’t think about what you’re going to build. Don’t think about who your characters are or what they’re doing. Just open up a fresh word doc, sit down and write the first sentence that comes to you. Look outside and write what you see, poetically or otherwise – whatever your style is. Write about what your cat is doing. Look up a writing prompt and try a short story. Write a piece of fanfiction if you need to. Just do something with it until you feel good about writing again. Then, when you’re ready, stop doing that and work on the real project that you have your heart set on. Sometimes these fake projects turn into real ones, or you can use pieces of it for something else. Find something that inspires you – anything! – and write about it.

Writing is just like any other skill. The more time you spend doing it and thinking about it, the better you will become. It grows with time, like how to know your sentences are good, that the flow is right, and that the characters have done what they needed to do. Get to know your own writing.

For example, I can now think of my current work and have an estimate on my word count and also when I will finish it. I know how many words it will take to get me through a plot point, and how many words I need per chapter – therefore, I know how many chapters the book will have. I’m pretty sure that I couldn’t do that for a long time, but I know what I’m capable of and I can know what a story needs to get it to the end.

The main things, I believe, are 1.) your mind needs to be clear and 2.) the STORY is LIFE. That means that when it’s right, it’s right, and you’re thinking about it 24-7 until it’s done. That’s the good kind of writing.

I hope you all liked this post! It felt pretty good to write it, so I hope it was helpful. Sitting down to think about these things helped me too! I’ve been doing a bit more writing lately and that has been really nice. Again, I’m not sure where I’m headed right now, but I’m enjoying this simplicity as far as not worrying about getting work out there just to make money. I definitely need to reconnect with writing for the love of it, and I think I may be on the right track.

Like I mentioned at the beginning, I do have a few older posts that give some writing advice, so here are the links to those.

Editing 101

Dialogue for Dummies

Character Building with Lani

Let me know if this post gave you some new ideas! Is there anything else you would like me to write about in the future? I’ll give it a shot!

Time to Think

Last week, my computer decided that it wasn’t going to work. This concerned me, because I didn’t want to loose any of my files in case the cold metal box never breathed again, and also because I’ve known for a while that I’m simply addicted to my computer.

I sit at the screen, even when I’m not actively doing anything, expecting it to entertain me when I’m bored and hoping that its endless streams of information will educate me, and so on. Doing anything away from my computer for entertainment simply does not occur to me very often.

After researching what was wrong with the computer, I was able to assure myself that it would indeed work again and I wouldn’t lose anything. I would just have to wait a week for it to be fixed.

A week. I went a week without my computer (but not without internet, because I do have my phone and Kindle.) Here’s what I found:

It was actually…very freeing! Not that being on the computer doesn’t also equal the best way to write, but I found that I could think more clearly. I read three books! I went outside and took a walk in the snow! I did several things around the house. I started feeling like I could write again. And I did! I fired up an extremely old laptop that is so slow it’s good for absolutely nothing except writing – and that’s what I did. In fact, it might be my new writing device. There is basically no way I could be distracted by using it.

Years ago, I was able to write so much because my internet was soooo sloooow that it wouldn’t even play a video. There were fewer things to be distracted by. No Netflix, no Youtube, no endless articles about writing or cute puppies and kittens. The struggle is real, and I am so easily distracted.

My PC is fixed now, but I’m trying not to go back to my old ways so quickly. Yes, I’ve still been using it a bit, but I’m also giving myself more time to completely turn it off, or to not even turn it on when I don’t have to use it. My goal is to read more and think more.

I spend a lot of time “off the grid” anyway as far as social media inactivity, but the truth is that my brain just can’t handle it. I need to learn how to write for love again and enjoy simpler things.

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This all leads me to think about what I want to accomplish this year, and the main thing I want to do is to write. I don’t know how much I’ll publish, but that’s usually how it goes for me. I spend the first part of the year kicking back, and then I suddenly realize I’ve done nothing and I really need to write/publish something.

In my downtime, I realized that there are 4-5 projects that I really want to work on this year, and I may wind up doing that. It would be nice if I could finish at least one completely new work, but more than that is also welcome. I’d feel proud of myself if I could complete something new without getting distracted by something else. As far as what I’ve just been working on, I’m not sure if it will turn out to be a real project or if I’m just messing around, but either way it feels good to record a few words.

After I finish this post, I’ll be shutting down again and will hopefully take that time to reflect and be productive.

Also, as a side note, Nevermor is now priced at 2.99 on Amazon. I’m not sure how long it will stay that way, but I was wanting to run an ad and see how it goes at the new price. It’s still my bestseller, and maybe it would help me get more attention if I put more time and effort into the books I already have out.

Once again, thank you for all the support!

A Good Year – A Good Ending/Beginning

Looks like I’ve missed posting for a couple of weeks. I hope everyone had a great holiday season! It’s a new year!

Does it feel like a new year to you? Somehow, I don’t feel it. All of the holidays have blurred together and I don’t quite feel that refreshing feeling that is often felt when the year changes. It’s odd. It likely has to do with work and not getting much of a break for the holidays. Nevertheless, it is a new year, and with that must come new plans!

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The books I’ve released this year! (forgive the shoddy picture)

Here we are now at another year’s end, and looking back,  I’m pleased with what I’ve accomplished. I released several titles (I won’t say new titles) I’ve gained knowledge, I’ve gained more time to dedicate to my projects, and I feel that I’ve grown as a person and as an author.

I was able to team up with 2 different book boxes – one for Nevermor this last July, and one upcoming next year with Indie Book Connect (I’m not allowed to share details for that one yet). I joined a great Facebook writing group called 20BooksTo50k which has a ton of information about indie publishing and is a link to many successful indie writers. There is so much information there and I have barely begun to scratch the surface, but that info will certainly help me as I go into the new writing/publishing year.

If you missed any of my releases this year, you can get them HERE!

I don’t know what next year holds, but I do know that I want to write more. That’s something that has been missing in my life, even as I work on my . I need to figure out how to make that a priority again. It is so so difficult to find that place where the only thing that matters is the idea. I’m still stuck in the “I must earn money; I must produce product” limbo, and that’s not a good place for the creative mind to be.

I must claw my way out of this place!

What have I been doing lately? I did begin double-checking Nevermor for editing issues and I’ve changed the design inside. That will be updated when I’m finished, and then I can move on to the next work. Mostly though, I admit, I’ve been playing videogames and merely dreaming about writing instead of doing it. However, as I’m going along through my new edits, I’m also going to branch out to wide distribution again for some of the works that are not currently listed, so that will be a big help to those of you who use other devices to read on.

Thank you all again for being interested in my work! I feel blessed to have a following at all. I know I say this a lot and yet not enough: Thank you all for supporting me!

Vacation and Mid-December Lull

Hi everyone! It’s December, wow. I guess you’ve noticed that I haven’t written a post in a couple of weeks. I’ve been busy and yet not very busy at all, haha.

Last weekend, I took a trip to Chicago. It was the first vacation I’ve been on in quite a long time, and it was much needed. But there is something about vacation that is also exhausting. Now that I’m back home, I think I’m still recovering from the hectic travel, but the city was certainly a sight. I was so happy to see some snow! (Though it waited until we were getting back on the train to snow like crazy.)

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Even though I prefer to ignore the idea, getting out in the world and having experiences is a valuable tool in creative writing, and I saw a few things on this trip that could definitely help to inspire me for something in the future.

Goodreads Giveaways

I got an email last week about how Goodreads is changing their giveaway listings. While offering more features and options for promotion, the giveaways are also no longer free to post. Instead of only paying for the cost of the book and for shipping, there is now a large charge for this service from Goodreads. They are within their rights to do what they want, but this upset me a bit. I considered the giveaways a nice way to let people know about my books, and now I feel I won’t be able to do that anymore. Unlike many self published authors, I simply don’t make enough money to fund too much promotion. So as of now, there will be no more Goodreads Giveaways from me.

Book box deal

On a much better note, I recently made another deal with an indie book box! Yes! This one is several months away, but I’m stoked! This one is for The Hallowed and promises to be for more copies than the last one I did — all of which I have to sign. But that’s great! It’s such a thrill to have more of my printed books out in the world and in the hands of readers.

What’s next?

I recently released The Hallowed and The Nutcracker Bleeds, and now I’m going to take some time to read and think about what needs to happen next in my publishing journey. I need to decide on a plan of action before I go forward. I’ve been doing a lot of research as far as book marketing, so before I make a move with another book, I’m going to have a plan. I’ve already published most of my written works, but I do have a couple more to go.

The main work that I have on my mind is The Mark of Thorn saga, which is planned for five books. I’ve already written two of them and started on the third, but I think that before I publish that one, I’m going to complete the saga. If you’re unfamiliar with this one, it’s a fairy tale mashup that I started years ago featuring a dark fantasy world where many fairy tales exist together. The fairy tales in this book do not (currently) include any of those used in my other books. This one is it’s own thing and so far the lore does not cross. For this one, I was able to look at some of the lesser known, more gruesome tales and add those into a larger story that I’ve always been very excited about. I think about this story from time to time and I’d love to get back into it. I just haven’t found the right time yet. Hopefully that will come soon.

My idea for now is that I’m going to finish all of these books before I begin to publish them, because I want the story to be complete and know that it all goes together, even though I already have a pretty strong vision for the main events. Then, based on what I’ve read about marketing, I may release the volumes in quick succession. Otherwise, I’ll have a year between books like with Nevermor, and I don’t want to do that again. I want to have a sound plan for success!

I’m not sure when this is going to happen, but I’ll definitely keep you updated.

For now, I think I’m going to take a break from publishing to read more and to make this plan. As I mentioned before, I’ll also be reviewing my previously published works to check for errors.

Thank you all once again for the support! I’m so amazed to see readers purchasing copies of my books for the holiday season, even though many of them have been out for years. I appreciate you!