Shh…You’ll Wake the Writer
Sorry I’ve been silent so long, guys. I’m touched at the number of “Just making sure YOU are okay” responses.
I’m definitely okay. 🙂 And as you can tell from some of the site changes, things are happening, too.
Sorry I’ve been silent so long, guys. I’m touched at the number of “Just making sure YOU are okay” responses.
I’m definitely okay. 🙂 And as you can tell from some of the site changes, things are happening, too.
Still working on the as-of-yet untitled next entry to the Damned and Cursed series. Here’s a sample. 🙂
First part of Chapter 1, so it’s a little raw. But here you go.
Hey everyone. Time for a short little update on where everything is. I’m about 48K into the new novel. About half done, I’d say. I’ve hit a bit of a lull, but it’s actually welcome. I can go back, work on the series bible, while I hammer a few ideas out. Tomorrow, I think I’ll write up a post talking about the characters in this one.
Just wanted to let everyone know that I’m still writing. Don’t worry. 🙂
Jack wouldn’t let me stop writing.
Witch Trial is done, in the books. Hopefully a million people have read it, and it has made a kajillion zillion dollars. I haven’t checked many reviews out, but favorable comments have slid my way through Facebook and this site. I’m about 20K words into the next novel, a very solid start. It’s funny that I don’t have “back of the book” text in mind, nor do I have any ideas yet for a title or cover. Those items have eluded me thus far.
I hope people liked the direction Witch Trial went, because many plot threads that began in that novel will be carrying over into the next work. Now, saying all that, check out the sample for the as-of-now untitled next entry in the Damned and Cursed series below. Keep in mind, this is still fresh, may get rewritten a time or two before it’s all said and done.
Edit to add: I forgot to mention, this excerpt isn’t the beginning of the novel, so it might seem out of place, not make much sense. At a later date I’ll talk about the cast, go into some more detail. But at least you’ll get a glimpse of where we’re going in this one.
The series bible is coming along nicely. Not that many care about my progress on that, but after that’s done, the next novel will get underway. I imagine that is what readers want to hear. 🙂
Just finished Jack Kursed. I forgot what a fun novel that was. There are, of course, some things I’d do differently now, looking back. Jack Kursed, for me, is where it started to feel like a true series. By the end of the novel, I’d knew there would be many more, with characters popping up all over the place.
Let’s talk about Witch Trial for a second. Stop reading now, if you haven’t happened to finish it yet. Don’t want to SPOIL anything.
Another Kevin Mishnar story has come and gone. I’ll never claim to be a great mystery / suspense writer, but hopefully I had readers wondering about the direction. Would Kevin and Leese stay a couple? Would they agree that while caring for each other, separation was best?
It’s ironic that one of the characters that grows isn’t even granted a point of view. Alex Teague. I’ve had a few readers tell me he was a jerk in this novel. I didn’t mean for him to come off as such. In a way, he is right about certain things. Kevin is a magnet for trouble, at times. But Alex is put in place by the end, when he realizes he’s not immune to unwanted attention, either.
That’s another mystery that may or may not have had the punch I wanted, but was still a good element. I was trying to paint that Kevin was the target of the villain, and hopefully I got a few Ohs went the truth came out. But again, not a great mystery writer 🙂
I like the subtle changes Kevin goes through, which he’s done throughout the series. He’s young, but puts a lot of thought into his magic. I love the idea of a central place, where he stores everything and make potions. I like that he’s broken down different magic for fighting different things, and uses a variety of belts, depending on what’s needed. Almost anal-retentive to me, but somehow, it fits. 🙂
Okay, the direction of the next novel. The cast is pretty much set, I think. I’ve even got a few scenes done. Some threads will continue off Witch Trial, there are even a few hints. 🙂 I will say I think this might the closet gap in time, in terms of story. I’m purposely vague about time between stories, leaving it up to the reader. But this novel will probably only be a few weeks after Witch Trial.
A lot of little news updates for this post.
As I’m sure anyone who is reading this by now knows, Witch Trial is out. Hopefully, it’s a worthy addition to the series. As always, I’m trying to avoid reviews on Amazon. They aren’t meant for the author, and I want to avoid the “sting” that comes with seeing those 1 and 2 star ratings out there. 🙂
I don’t want to talk about the novel too much yet, for those still reading. Just want to let everyone know what’s upcoming.
I messed up the numbering scheme (again). I went back to Amazon and corrected. I forgot that Broken Home, while a “series” piece, isn’t numbered. So Witch Trial is officially entry number 8. I’ll correct the list at the back of Witch Trial (which I always wonder how many people read) this evening.
Before I truly dive into the next novel, I’m working on putting together a guide or “bible” for myself. I’ve got notes scattered everywhere, but no true place I can go to look up how to make an invisibility potion. 🙂 I want to put all that in place before starting the new novel. This means basically doing a quick-read of the entire series. I thought it would be crazy at first, but I’m already done Demonspawn, and two-thirds of the way through A Witch To Live. It’s hard at spots, because my mind keeps going “Ah, I could have written this better.” But it is good to do, as there are many little character details I’ve forgotten along the way (some of which are actually pretty good 🙂 )
It was during this process that I realized I somehow forgot to buy A Witch To Live for myself. So I did, and everything was double spaced! I have no idea how this happened. I KNOW I tested the novel format on release, but there it was. Anyway, I corrected this, and uploaded a new copy.
Now, what am I writing next? Another Damned and Cursed entry. There are a few threads I intentionally left hanging in Witch Trial, that will pick back up. I’ve got most of the cast in place, but I’ll leave that a mystery for now.
I’ve got bad news everyone. I’ve decided not to release Witch Trial.
Hahhhaa just kidding. It’s out now. Here is the link.
Tell all your family and friends. Tell your dog. Have them buy it just for the cover (I love the cover). I’ll update the main Witch Trial page later today with the link as well. If you like it (or if you don’t) leave a review. Even just a review saying “Kevin is a witch!” is welcome.
In case the title didn’t give it away, Witch Trial centers around our favorite witch, Kevin Mishnar. Alicia Teague plays a central role as well, with some small roles from other supernatural beings. 🙂
There are a lot more posts coming up in the next few days, but for now, we’ll leave it at that. Let me know what you think. We can talk here on the site, in the forums, on Twitter, or Facebook. I’m a regular social media expert now (at least when my wife helps me).
I’m working on putting a “series bible” together, so I’m pouring through the old novels. It turns out I didn’t have A Witch To Live. I somehow missed buying this book. And it’s my book! 🙂
I buy it, fire up the Kindle, and the formatting is all wrong! Everything is double spaced. I know it wasn’t like this fifty years ago when I released it. Unreal. So now, I’m dumping the old manuscript into Scrivener for a re-format. I can’t believe that happened somehow. Along the way, I’ll edit a few words I see that are wrong.
Just thought I’d share. For anyone that has bought A Witch To Live recently, is it “weird” for you, too?
First off, very soon on Witch Trial. Waiting on a bit more feedback, and then off it runs. Won’t take long to create the file. I’ll post the announcement.
Second part of this post…
I could have announced the above with a simple Twitter post. 🙂 So that’s what I’m going to start doing on small stuff. And please, if someone sees me doing anything wrong on this social media stuff, please let me know. 🙂
So, if you have a Twitter account, follow me for what I’m hoping turns out to be even more updates.
And what exactly do you use Instagram for, as a writer? I don’t plan on taking any pictures of my keyboard.
Okay, first off, update. Editing Witch Trial, on Chapter 27 now. Then it’s the Epilogue, and the novel is finished. After beta, it’s release time. 🙂
This past weekend, I re-read Shapeless, my last novel. I don’t typically re-read my own work. I end up critiquing more than enjoying. “I should have used this phrase here, or change that word there.” That type of thing. My standalone novels don’t get as much attention as Damned and Cursed, but that novel is still pretty good. 🙂 I didn’t talk much about it after release, as I jumped right into Witch Trial. But Shapeless has some fun characters, neat powers, with a different slant than most of my stuff. I loved being behind the eyes of a guy who thinks he’s an alien, but not sure. 🙂
Some trivia, I’m similar to Brady when it comes to conspiracy theories. 🙂 I didn’t have to do much research there. I’m into all that stuff. Not saying I think aliens built the pyramids, but it still fascinates me.
On a boring afternoon, check out Shapeless. It’s a pretty fast read, things fly fast in that novel.