On Writing … not like Stephen King – Jessica Bell @MsBessieBell

On Writing … not like Stephen King

by: Jessica Bell

There’s nothing wrong with Stephen King—in fact, in the long list of successful, commercial authors I’d love to be, he’s right up near the top. But let’s face it: there’s only ONE Stephen King.

There is something you and me have in common with him, though: a love of writing.

If you’ve read On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, you know Stephen King’s publishing journey is sautéed with trial and error, drizzled with rejection and doubt, and spiced with addiction. Any of that sound familiar? Switch out the ingredients and cooking adjectives (Burned? Charred? Flambéed?) and you’ll likely wind up with a slightly different recipe that describes every author’s individual journey of the craft.

Individual.

Journey.

Of the craft.

Stephen is first and foremost a storyteller, but sprinkled between the pages of his memoir are important notes about the tools of our trade—whether you’re an Indie author, a NY Times bestselling novelist, or just starting out in your career. We can all learn from him. The use of dialogue tags and description. Why specificity matters. The role of the Ideal Reader (IR). Self-editing advice. It’s all great stuff.

But what takes it from great to outstanding is how YOU apply it. Stephen King’s road to publishing will not be the same road you travel. Your potholes will be different than his, your obstacles unique.

After all, there is only ONE you.

Each of the authors featured in Indiedestructible have travelled their own publishing road. Along the way, they’ve dodged small press and self-publishing pitfalls, navigated sharp publishing trend curves, and eventually, crossed the finish line to publication

Even the King of Horror would concede: this industry ain’t easy.

The essays in Indiedestructible—mine included—won’t make it any easier, but hopefully, they will give you inspiration and hope, and maybe, if you take time to smell the roses along the highway, they will provide you with a unique perspective on writing, and the motivation to continue on your own individual journey of the craft.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE INDIESTRUCTIBLE

100% of proceeds will be donated to BUILDON.org, a movement which breaks the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education.

Contributing authors:

Alex J. Cavanaugh <> Angela Brown <> Anne R. Allen <> Briane Pagel <> C.S. Lakin <> Ciara Knight <> Cindy M. Hogan <> D. Robert Pease <> Dawn Ius <> Emily White <> Greg Metcalf <> Jadie Jones <> Jessica Bell <> Karen Bass <> Karen Walker <> Kristie Cook <> Laura Diamond <> Laura Pauling <> Laurel Garver <> Leigh Talbert Moore <> Lori Robinson <> Melissa Foster <> Michael Offutt <> Michelle Davidson Argyle <> Rick Daley <> Roz Morris <> S.R. Johannes <> Stephen Tremp <> Susan Kaye Quinn

About Dawn Ius:

Dawn Ius is a short story author, novelist, screenwriter, professional editor and communications specialist. She is the co-publishing editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, an active member of the International Thriller Writers (ITW) Association and the author of four educational graphic novels published by the Alberta Canola Producers Commission. Dawn also writes adult thriller and paranormal suspense, and in 2012, one of her as-yet-unpublished novels was optioned for development of a TV show. When she’s not slaying fictional monsters, she’s most likely spooking her husband, Jeff and their two mischievous dogs: Jynx and Roarke.

Dawn also writes young adult paranormal fiction under the last name DALTON. Her short story, THREAD OF THE PAST was one of 13 haunting tales in the SPIRITED anthology published by Leap Books (2012). KILLER’S INSTINCT, a paranormal YA novel co-written with Judith Graves, launches in late 2013, also from Leap Books. Check out Dawn Dalton’s blog.

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Genre –  Non-fiction

Rating – G

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Blog http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/

Kate LeDonne on Why She Chose to Write NOTHING IN PARTICULAR @originlbookgirl #Fiction

How do you write – lap top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk? 

At a desk on a desktop computer. Notes, outlines, references and calendars pinned to my bulletin board and strewn all over my desk.

How much sleep do you need to be your best? 

Between 9 and 10 hours is ideal.

Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge and thank for their support? 

My first English teacher, Mrs. Rose Mahern, for seeing potential and pushing me to write more succinctly. I always hear her voice in my head when I'm slogging through an edit. My husband, Alex, for encouraging me to go ahead and do it anyway. For reading all the first drafts, proofreading everything, and being my own personal techie. I'd like to thank Anna Maxted for being the absolute best editor ever. So patient, so thorough. She's the cat's meow!

Every writer has their own idea of what a successful career in writing is, what does success in writing look like to you? 

People getting something out of reading my books, aside from just entertainment. Success looks different for each individual, I'd imagine. I always tell people not to measure their success with someone else's yardstick.

Tell us about your new book? What’s it about and why did you write it?  

My novel is about a girl and her friends growing up in smalltown, Midwestern USA in the mid 1980's. Kiera Graves withstands horrific abuse from her family, bullying from teachers and peers all the while trying to sort out who she is, what she wants to do with the rest of her life, and figure it all out without the benefit of a supportive family. Her friends are a huge part of her world, and the rest of the time she lives in her daydreams so she can block out the nightmares. Help arrives from unlikely sources, and she is pleasantly surprised by the kindness of complete strangers. She and her friends discover that the more they explore Chicago and get farther from the ignorance of the cowtown they live in, the better things seem to get. I wrote it to tell a story that is actually fairly common, but rarely heard and/or believed.

If you could have a dinner party and invite anyone dead or alive, who would you ask?
Hmmm. Let's see. I would ask Anna Maxted, Michelle Obama, George Carlin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Abigail Adams, Toulouse Lautrec, Siouxsie, Sinead O' Connor, John Lydon, Ann Richards, my friend Andy, my friend Bryan, my Grandpa, Pappy (other grandfather), my friend Donita, my friend Lisa, and my husband.

When you are not writing, how do you like to relax? 

Doing yoga, reading or watching TV. I love Face Off on SyFy and “The Big Bang Theory”!

Do you have any tips on how writers can relax? 

Do yoga. It's my answer for everything, but that's because it works so incredibly well for so many things.

Do you have an organized process or tips for writing well? Do you have a writing schedule? 

I rarely have lots of time all in one chunk to sit down and write. I tend to scribble bits and ideas in a notebook or whatever is handy. I have a bulletin board and pushpins for relevant notes or sketches to be tacked on. I make outlines and use calendars to try and avoid gaffes.

Sometimes it’s so hard to keep at it. What keeps you going? 

My brain gets full of ideas and information. I don't really have a choice.

What do you hope people will take away from your writing? How will your words make them feel?

I hope my writing inspires people to be who they are, be genuine and never, ever, ever give up what is really important to them. I hope they feel empowered, less misunderstood, and less alone or alienated.

Fasten your seatbelts for a white-knuckled ride on the looney wagon and trip down memory lane with a band of misfit teenagers. Kiera Graves and her small posse of true blue friends plot ways to escape their cowtown; and play a game of keep away with her Machiavellian family to help her survive high school and make it to college.

Courage under fire, the closest bonds of friendship and blossoming romance keep this tale of coming of age and survival buzzing with excitement, heart, and warmth.

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Genre - General Fiction

Rating – PG-13

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Website http://kateledonne.com/

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The Howling Heart by April Bostic

Paige Donovan is an ambitious college graduate who aspires to reach the top of the corporate ladder. She’s climbing fast when she’s given the promotion of a lifetime at a prestigious fashion magazine in New York City. Her bright future comes to an unexpected halt after news of her father’s death. She inherits his old cabin in the Colorado Rockies, and just when she thinks her luck couldn’t get any worse, she has a car accident in the mountains and awakens in the small, remote community of Black River.

Soon, she’s engulfed in the mystical world of Varulv–wolves descended from 13th century Scandinavia and blessed by Norse gods with the ability to appear human. Paige is desperate to return home, but she never expects to fall for her rescuer, Riley Gray, a charming young werewolf from England who offers her an alternate future with his pack.

Now, she must choose between the career she’s always wanted and the love she’s always dreamed.

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Genre – Paranormal Romance

Rating – Adult

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Connect with April Bostic on Goodreads

Website http://www.aprilbostic.com/

Finding Your Voice: Writing in First Person by Linell Jepsen @nelj8

This is an interesting phenomenon. I usually write in the third person- except for my novel, Story Time, which was written in the first person- from a number of viewpoints…whew!  http://www.amazon.com/Story-Time-ebook/dp/B0080XO25S/ref=sr_1_cc_3?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1336362295&sr=1-3-catcorr

I ran into an issue recently, however, that really gave me pause. A reviewer said I was writing in omniscient POV (the God View) in my novel, The War of Odds. I looked at it, and stared at it until my eyes crossed but I just couldn’t see it. Finally, my publisher said that there was no clear break between my character’s thoughts, words and actions- thus- the dreaded GOD-VIEW!

She literally put “Breaks” between the different characters, and now I am back to writing in the third person.

Just because YOU (the writer) know who is thinking and doing what, does not mean your reader knows. That is why it is so important to clarify and to be consistent in your point of view.

Writing in the first person POV has its share of challenges. This is where the old saying “Show don’t Tell”, really comes into play. Most people aren’t going to tell a story by saying, “I have beautiful, but troubled, blue eyes!” (lol) The protagonist will show by his or her ACTIONS that they are in trouble- maybe they observe the result of sleepless nights in the mirror and mutter, “I have GOT to get some sleep!”

There is no good way or bad way to tell a story- each has its merit. The first person narrative garners sympathy in the reader. I will give no spoilers here, but one case in point is the novel, “Gone Girl”. If you want to see a master of first person storytelling and the power of first person narrative, try that novel on for size. You will be in for a shock, and realize how vulnerable we are to really, good liars!

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Genre – Fantasy/Romance

Rating – PG13

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Connect with Linell Jeppsen on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://neljeppsen.weebly.com/

R.J. Blain's #WriteTip for How to Handle Pressure: Writing Under Deadlines @rj_blain #book #fantasy

Writing under the influence of deadlines and pressure is a fact of life for most authors. This applies whether or not they’re self or traditionally published, although traditionally published authors tend to have more deadlines than self-published authors.

Deadlines are something you’ll have to get used to, especially if you’re working with a publicity company, an editor, or any business relying on you to get your job done on time. They’re expecting you to do your work so they can plan their schedules around you.

Handling the pressure of deadlines is part time management, part stress management, and part hard work. If you want to succeed at your deadlines, there are a few habits you’ll need to make and a few you’ll probably need to break.

Procrastination

When you have a deadline, the first thing many people do is something else. It can be watch a favorite television show, decide the bathroom needs scrubbed right this instant, or some other form of procrastination. Working on a deadline can be stressful, especially when the things needing worked on are boring.

The first thing you can do to help make certain that you have no problems with deadlines is to kill your procrastination habit. Reward yourself with a television show, a movie, or something fun after you’ve reached your daily minimum.

Reward Yourself 

Rewards are an excellent motivation for a lot of people. Find a way to reward yourself when you make your deadlines. It’s a lot of hard work meeting a writing deadline. This only works if you resist the urge to reward yourself early.

Only reward yourself for successfully reaching milestones.

Break your project up into Milestones

As I mentioned in the Reward Yourself section, milestones are a critical part of any large deadline. They serve as a place to mark your progress, and let you break your big project into smaller and more manageable ones.

After all, writing a novel in three months is a lot more intimidating than finish a chapter in two days.

Pick milestones that motivate you and are within the realm of the possible. If you pick unreasonable milestones, you will feel overwhelmed, which is a recipe for disaster when it comes to meeting deadlines.

Give Yourself Extra Time

As someone who constantly battles deadlines, the most important thing I’ve learned about writing projects is to always expect work to take longer than I think it will take. I try to give myself at least 2-3 extra days per week of project. So, if a project should take me three weeks, I give myself four weeks. I set all of my goals and milestones anticipating three weeks, but I have a week of wiggle room when something goes wrong.

Something will ALWAYS go wrong

Expect it. Something will go wrong during a project. That chapter you thought was strong? It needs rewritten for a reason you didn’t anticipate. You thought your proofing work is good enough? Guess what, it probably isn’t. Give yourself extra time to plan around these inevitable roadblocks.

Don’t stress too much over it. It’s OK if something goes wrong – you gave yourself a little extra time to deal with it, if you’re planning your time and your milestones.

Be Courteous of Others

It may come as a surprise that part of the stress of deadlines is the sense of failure associated with the possibility of missing one. If a deadline is about to zip right past your head, talk to the people who are impacted by your deadline. Letting them know in advance lets them adjust their schedule accordingly. It’s polite, and it’ll be a huge weight off of your shoulders.

Be Kind to Yourself

Missing deadlines happens. Even the most responsible person you know has missed one in his or her life. A little guilt isn’t a bad thing, but don’t take it too hard. Chin up, face your missed deadline down, and finish the work as soon as you can.

Move on. Stress can do a lot of bad things to your health (and your ability to meet future deadlines) so accept that you missed it and try to do better next time.

Kalen’s throne is his saddle, his crown is the dirt on his brow, and his right to rule is sealed in the blood that stains his hand. Few know the truth about the one-armed Rift King, and he prefers it that way. When people get too close to him, they either betray him or die. The Rift he rules cares nothing for the weak. More often than not, even the strong fail to survive.

When he’s abducted, his disappearance threatens to destroy his home, his people, and start a hopeless and bloody war. There are many who desire his death, and few who hope for his survival. With peace in the Six Kingdoms quickly crumbling, it falls on him to try to stop the conflict swiftly taking the entire continent by storm.

But something even more terrifying than the machinations of men has returned to the lands: The skreed. They haven’t been seen for a thousand years, and even the true power of the Rift King might not be enough to save his people — and the world — from destruction.

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Genre - Fantasy

Rating – PG - 13

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Superhuman Nature by Brandon Overall #scifi #bookclub #mustread

Neil and Bryan spent a couple hours playing games together, gloating when they won, and calling the other a cheap bastard when they lost.  It was about 8 o’clock by the time Alex came home and joined in on the beer drinking.  It was only a Thursday evening, but no one had any classes until at least noon the next day, so Thursdays were officially changed to Thirsty Thursday. The rule was, if you didn’t go to bed without proving that you were drunk, you had to do the dishes for the whole weekend.  No one had broken the rule in about two months.

The three enjoyed several beers and they each partially enjoyed a glass of cheap, pre-made Long Island Iced-tea out of a jug they bought at the store.  As he drank, Neil’s tongue began to loosen. He told Bryan and Alex about the dream and about the weird things that happened to him that day.

“Holy shit Hitchenator, you’re turning into Spider-man!” Neil hated the name Hitchenator, but was too drunk to care.

“No, you idiot.  Spider-man got bit by a radioactive spider.” Exclaimed Alex, as if Bryan’s comment was meant to be taken seriously, “I think Neil would have told us if that happened.  Maybe you’re starting to get schizophrenia and you’re just imagining shit.  You should get yourself checked out.”

“I’m not crazy, seriously.  The shampoo bottle and the water fountain I was alone for, but the clock thing everyone saw.  There’s no way that part was a coincidence.  I almost felt like…like I made it happen.” Even as he said it, Neil realized how ridiculous it sounded.  How could he possibly make something like that happen?

“Haven’t you seen A Beautiful Mind?  It can seem perfectly real and still be a hallucination.  Seriously man, that’s not a good sign.  You should really talk to a doctor if you really think you somehow made all that stuff happen with your mind or something.” Alex said, and Bryan nodded in agreement.

Neil started to feel frustrated.  Of course he wasn’t crazy.  Why wouldn’t they agree with him?  His temper started to rise at the thought of his best friends not believing what he was saying.  If they wouldn’t believe him, who would?  All of that talk, and perhaps all of the alcohol, was starting to give him a headache.  He thought back to that dream again, the one that felt so real…

“I said I’m NOT CRAZY!”  Neil slammed his beer bottle down on the coffee table, and as he did, he was startled by a deafening sound in front of him.  He looked up, and saw the source of the noise.  The screen on the TV in front of him was completely shattered, and smoke rose from the back of the set.

Superhuman Nature is Brandon Overall's first novel. It was written and published during his first deployment to Afghanistan as a 2nd Lieutenant in late 2013.

Neil Hitchens was a senior ROTC Cadet in college. He was just weeks away from graduating and becoming an Officer in the United States Army, until a strange dream set off a chain of events that would twist his life into something he could have never prepared for.

In the days following his dream, several strange happenings occurred that he began to suspect were the result of his own actions. Before long, he discovered that he had the ability to control the world around him with his mind.

What started out as an unpredictable ability quickly evolved into an extraordinary power that had the capacity to change the world. It didn't take long for the government to find out what Neil could do.

They knew having such limitless potential on the side of the US Military could give them limitless political influence, and they would stop at nothing to get Neil to do their bidding. They would find out what happens when you back a dangerous animal into a corner.

Neil spent his whole life believing he would amount to greatness, but he never expected how greatness could corrupt even the most innocent of minds.

Buy @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre – Science Fiction

Rating – PG-13

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Michael J. Bowler – What makes a good book cover? @BradleyWallaceM

Self-publishing vs. traditional publishing

by Michael J Bowler

Self-publishing or traditional publisher – which is better for you? That’s a question I’ve been asked and have asked myself, and since I’ve done both I thought I’d share my experiences. My first two books, A Boy and His Dragon and A Matter of Time, were self-published, but by different companies. My latest book, Children of the Knight, was picked up and released by a “real” publisher, Harmony Ink Press.

With A Boy and His Dragon, which I had initially written years ago and which failed to interest a “real” publisher, I decided to go with Amazon’s Createspace to finally release it in 2011. Createspace is relatively inexpensive to use, especially if, like me, you can create your own cover art. That in itself can run you some money unless you take all the photos yourself, but if you do and own those photos, programs like Photoshop make creating the cover fun and easy. If not, there are tons of stock photos sites you can go to for images. Createspace will give you the template for your cover that will fit your eventual book size (if you want a paperback release.) Obviously, eBooks are much simpler to format. Again, Createspace makes that process rather painless.

My main problem with formatting Dragon was Microsoft Word, which always seems to have a mind of its own (and the mind of a psychopath, at that. Ha!) Createspace gave me a template to download for my book size that would double-side the pages, etc, and all I had to do was cut and paste my Word document into that template. Except, it didn’t work. Word would change fonts and font sizes all through the entire book and I eventually had to copy-paste the manuscript one chapter at a time and check over each chapter for Word changes that I didn’t want. Very annoying and time consuming. However, once I had it right the finished product looked beautiful and very professional. Being an Amazon company, the book was made available in Kindle format, but not Nook (if that is of concern to anyone.) The paperback version is available on the Barnes and Noble website, however.

I decided for A Matter of Time (which I wanted released by April of 2012 to coincide with the 100^th anniversary of Titanic’s sinking) to go with a “package deal” from Outskirts press, which I’d read about and which seemed good for a number of reasons. As I was working a lot and didn’t have as much available free time, this option fit my schedule because they pretty much did everything for me. I designed my own cover and uploaded it, but they formatted the book and got everything set and converted it to epub and mobi formats and prepared the paperback from the bottom up.

I didn’t notice at the time that, I suppose as a way to compress the number of pages, they removed all my transitions and ran those paragraphs together, which some readers complained about because it made the flow of the story confusing, especially if the scene shifted from one time period to another. I recommend to every writer, no matter how you publish, to put several non-letters or numeric characters (like ***) in between important transitions – don’t just leave extra space. Otherwise, you might find yours all run together, too. Overall, however, the finished product looked good. What wasn’t good were their marketing services (which cost extra, of course.) I wouldn’t recommend any of these because you’d likely get more results doing all the marketing yourself and you can save money in the process.

My newest book, Children of the Knight, was released by a real YA publisher, Harmony Ink Press, and it’s been an amazingly positive and joyful experience. These people have been fantastic and creative and incredibly helpful all along the way, from the executive director to the art department to the cover artist to the editors and I can’t say enough good things about the company or the people. I happened to find them through another writer on Goodreads. I read his book and thought it outstanding. I reviewed the book and then he and I got to chatting on Goodreads about his experience with Harmony Ink. He said they were amazing to work with so I checked out their requirements for YA submissions and my manuscript seemed to fit those requirements, so I submitted it. The rest is, as they say, history.

You can make more money self-publishing because all the royalties come back to you since there is no “publisher” that needs to make its money back. In that regard, Createspace is the cheapest way to go for you as an author as you lay out the least amount of money up front. The value of a real publisher, at least in the case of Harmony Ink, is not only did I not spend any of my own money but they actually paid me an advance! Sure, I get no royalties until the amount of the advance has been exceeded, but it’s still cool to know that someone thinks your work is good enough to pay you money (which means they have confidence it will earn them money.) Again, the people at Harmony Ink were so amazing and affirming I may be spoiled to find other publishers aren’t like them. Still, there are some smaller publishing houses like this one that will read books not submitted by an agent, so I recommend checking them out.

So here’s the bottom line, even with Harmony Ink: most of the promotion is up to you. A real publisher like Harmony Ink generally has more access to media outlets and can have your name on a list of “new books,” but I’ve found that unless your book is noted for being controversial or otherwise worthy of notice, it’s just another title. As the author, on all of these books it’s been me generating most of the reviews and pushing the books on Facebook, Twitter, by email and on Goodreads. Goodreads, which put me onto Harmony Ink, is a great place to interact with other authors and most of us are willing to let our brains be picked for insights or experience. There are also many subgroups for virtually every genre and subgenre out there, and you can promote your work there. I haven’t seen tangible results yet from Goodreads, but time will tell. It appears a lot of people may add your book too their “wants to read” shelf, but never actually buy it. Offering free copies in exchange for reviews is a good way for people to review your book and share those reviews with potential readers.

Well, that’s it. My publishing journey so far. If you’d prefer a “real” publisher and don’t mind smaller royalties, see if your specific book meets the submission requirements for small publishing houses that don’t expect you to pay anything. If you want complete control and all the returns, I’d say go with Createspace and avoid the vanity publishers – they may cost you more than you’ll ever get back.

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Genre – Edgy Young Adult

Rating – PG13

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Website http://michaeljbowler.com/

Eternal Night by Jade Kerrion @JadeKerrion

EXCERPT

Ashra pushed past the blackness at the start of his memories, expecting deeper darkness. Instead, the colors shifted into shades of ochre and gray. Memories, older than his body, resided in his soul; memories of an Earth long since lost to them—a planet surrounded and nourished by water; images of tall buildings glistening beneath a benevolent sun, and of thriving cities filled with the bustle of humans; memories of quiet and intimate conversations beneath a silver moon, the same silver moon that now graced Malum Turris with its light, though a thousand years older and viewed only from beneath the protection of the dome.

She saw herself as he must have seen her, a much-younger icrathari, still hopeful for the future, never realizing that the Earth they had all known and loved was irretrievably lost. Had she ever looked that vulnerable? Had her smile ever been so beautiful, so filled with love as she looked upon—

“Rohkeus?” Oh, blessed Creator, was that stricken whisper her voice?

Ashra pulled back and stared at the human. Her mouth dropped open. Her heart pounded in her chest, its beat erratic. It couldn’t be. It simply couldn’t be—

She looked up at Tera. The other icrathari nodded.

Rohkeus’s soul reborn…in a human.

Ashra threw her head back and laughed, a despairing sound.

Elsker stepped forward. The sole male icrathari was slightly taller than the female icrathari, and dressed in a black silk shirt and linen pants. His silver hair was cropped short, and his light blue eyes were wide. “Rohkeus reborn? That’s impossible.”

Siri shrugged, her red gown shifting around her curvaceous frame. Her silver hair, cut short, framed her face. “Stranger things have happened.” Her pale violet gaze raked over the human. “At least he had the good sense to choose a pretty body.”

Ashra shook her head, the movement jolting her out of her daze. Her prince, her love, reduced to a human? Her slender fingers coiled into fists. Her golden eyes glittering, she pushed away from him, though her body trembled from the loss of his warmth. No, the human was not Rohkeus; he could never be Rohkeus.

Steeling herself against the gasp of pain that escaped from his lips as the anesthetizing effect of her kiss faded, Ashra rose to her feet with sinuous grace. “He is not one of us. Not anymore.” Nothing had been more devastating than losing Rohkeus to a human assassin. To see his soul reborn in that contemptible and weak race was an insult to the person Rohkeus had been.

“Should we turn him into a vampire?” Tera asked.

“Kill him. Set Rohkeus’s soul free.”

Siri seized Ashra’s hand before she could turn away. Siri’s lips, painted the same provocative color as her dress, shaped an O. “You’re not serious. How many people are offered a second chance at the love of a lifetime?”

A second chance? Her traitorous pulse raced even as her lips curled with disgust. “He’s human.”

“We can make him immortal—a vampire.”

Ashra swallowed hard. “But not an icrathari.”

Siri’s gaze fell. “No, of course not.”

“Kill him.”

“You can’t.” Siri stepped forward, placing herself between Ashra and the barely conscious human. “This is amazing. It’s never happened before—a soul reborn.”

“Rohkeus is dead, and I rule Aeternae Noctis.” She turned to Tera. “I told you to kill him.”

Tera hesitated for a fraction of a second, and then she shook her head. “I won’t do it, and neither will Siri or Elsker. If you want him dead, you’ll have to do it yourself.”

E-books available at Amazon / Amazon UK / Apple / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Smashwords

Paperbacks available at Amazon / Amazon UK / Barnes & Noble / Book Depository

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jade Kerrion developed a loyal reader base with her fan fiction series based on the MMORPG Guild Wars. She was accused of keeping her readers up at night, distracting them from work, housework, homework, and (far worse), from actually playing Guild Wars. And then she wondered why just screw up the time management skills of gamers? Why not aspire to screw everyone else up too?

So here she is, writing books that aspire to keep you from doing anything else useful with your time.

Her debut novel, Perfection Unleashed, spawned the Double Helix series which has won a total of seven science fiction awards, including first place in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2012 and the gold medal in Readers Favorites Awards 2013. She is also the author of Earth-Sim and When the Silence Ends, which placed first and second respectively in the 2013 Royal Palm Literary Awards, Young Adults category.

She lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with her wonderfully supportive husband and her two young sons, Saint and Angel, (no, those aren’t their real names, but they are like saints and angels, except when they’re not.)

Connect with Jade: Website / Facebook / Twitter

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre - Fantasy, Paranormal

Rating – PG-13

More details about the author and the book

Connect with Jade Kerrion on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.jadekerrion.com

"Once upon a time I hated reading AND writing" says @rj_Blain #amreading #amwriting #fantasy

Tell us a bit about your family.

I have a husband, four cats, and a warrior fish. I’ve been married for over ten years now (yikes!), and at least two of our kitties have been with us most of our marriage. The other two are recent adoptees to the family. Tsu Dhi, the Warrior Fish, observes his domain from his bowl in our kitchen.

He lets us live, under the strict condition we don’t forget to feed him and clean his water.

How do you work through self-doubts and fear?

This is a hard question for me. There are a lot of things I doubt and fear, but I just put my butt down in my chair, brace myself, and do what needs done. If I can’t solve it, I ignore it. If I can solve it, I address it. Then I move on. But some self-doubts never go away, especially when dealing with book sales and reviews. I just smile, wince, and carry on.

What scares you the most?

Spiders. Oh, without a doubt, spiders scare me the most. As do heights. And my husband getting into a car accident on his way home from work. Does this list have a limit? I don’t have to just pick one, do I? There are lots of things I fear, though I try not to let them get to me too much.

What makes you happiest?

Writing, Reading, and playing computer games with my husband. I love seeing what I can put characters through when I write. It’s a whole new world I get to explore day after day. Reading is for when I just want to escape, but I don’t want to be the one who has to put in the heavy lifting. I may be a writer (and freelance editor) by day, but I’m backstabbing rogue at night! Gaming is definitely how I unwind and just enjoy myself without having to think too hard.

What’s your greatest character strength?

I’ve been told by a multitude of trustworthy sources that I have the patience of a saint, so I’m going to go with that one. I like trying to give everyone a chance to prove themselves and become better – especially at writing. I think giving someone the gift of my patience is the only way I can really help another writer or person do what they want to do.

What’s your weakest character trait?

Hyperactivity. When I’m really having fun, I get particularly energetic and hyperactive. This can involve bouncing, squealing, and other disruptive reactions. I usually try to save this bundled up energy for home, but sometimes it slips out in public…

… especially if I spot a horse. I love horses.

Why do you write?

I love writing. When I first started to write, I think it was because I wanted to escape the real world for a while. Now, I just write because I like bringing these worlds to life for other people. I really enjoy the entire process. My favorite thing, however, is when I feel like I brought an interesting character to life on the page for others to enjoy. That really makes all of the work and effort worthwhile.

Have you always enjoyed writing?

No. Once upon a time, I hated reading and writing. Most of my elementary school career I spent dodging language altogether. I enjoyed science experiments. Most of all, I enjoyed sports and playing outside. I had no use for general education and English until fourth grade. Then I had a teacher who gave me a copy of A Wrinkle in Time. I learned to love writing shortly thereafter.

What motivates you to write?

A lot of things motivate me to write, but most of all, writing was something I decided I wanted to do. It’s very much a focal point of my daily life, and it’s gotten to a point I feel bereft if I’m not writing in one way or another – even if I’m editing something I’ve already written. Once upon a time, however, I was love in with the idea of seeing my book on a shelf. Now I’m just in love with writing. I think that shift is what let me actually want to turn my writing into a career.

What writing are you most proud of?

Storm Without End is definitely the piece of writing I’m most proud of. I started trying to build this book some six years ago, went through as many complete rewrites, but I finally managed to capture the essence of the Requiem world like I wanted, and managed to give these characters real lives of their own.

Kalen’s throne is his saddle, his crown is the dirt on his brow, and his right to rule is sealed in the blood that stains his hand. Few know the truth about the one-armed Rift King, and he prefers it that way. When people get too close to him, they either betray him or die. The Rift he rules cares nothing for the weak. More often than not, even the strong fail to survive.

When he’s abducted, his disappearance threatens to destroy his home, his people, and start a hopeless and bloody war. There are many who desire his death, and few who hope for his survival. With peace in the Six Kingdoms quickly crumbling, it falls on him to try to stop the conflict swiftly taking the entire continent by storm.

But something even more terrifying than the machinations of men has returned to the lands: The skreed. They haven’t been seen for a thousand years, and even the true power of the Rift King might not be enough to save his people — and the world — from destruction.

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Genre - Fantasy

Rating – PG - 13

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