Hey guys. Just wanted to give a quick update on the release of Witch’s Kurse. It should be any day now. I was going to sit down with Scrivener and get the formatting all ready to go, but a plumbing emergency has kind of moved that a little somewhat. š I was shooting for tomorrow (Friday), but that might move to Saturday or Sunday. But now that I think about it, is a book release on a weekend even a good idea? Do people keep track of that stuff?
Anyway, I’m sorry for the delay, but Jack is getting ready to bust out any time now. š As always, the eBook will be available first, followed by the print version. Maybe, if demand seems high enough, an Audible version will show up as well.
I’m not sure how many people that actually come to my site will be interested in this, as I’m guessing Jack Kursed has already been digested and read. But I’m working on getting an audiobook out of Jack Kursed, using ACX.com. I’m new to that whole process, but in the end, it will be available on Amazon and iTunes, as well as Audible.com. So, if you have friends that would rather have Jack’s unique vision of the world in their ear instead of on paper or tablet, that is in the works. š
If there’s more demand, I may work on getting the rest of my work in audio format as well.
Witch’s Kurse is in beta now. With the feedback I’ve received so far, all looks pretty good. š I have to correct the usual, missing words, wrong words, etc. After that, it’ll be out, with the print version hopefully not too far behind.
I’ve started on the next story. Many scenes have popped in my head, which is good, because this won’t be a long one. š The plus side is I’ll knock down the price, of course. I’m shooting for possibly 30K words, and I won’t charge $2.99 for 30K words.
I won’t say too much about the new idea, but it will be neat to see the reaction from readers. It’s almost two stories in one, depending on which perspective you read it from. I know that doesn’t make much sense, but it will be clear when it’s done. š
I wanted to take a quick second to thank everyone for filling out the new polls on the site. I’ve been following them closely. I’m sure I’ll tweak and add a few more over time.
Looks like Jack is the guy everyone likes to read about, but Kevin isn’t too far behind him. That’s interesting, because I actually worried Jack would crash and burn when I introduced him. Hopefully his next novel does him justice. š
I was trying to get done over the weekend, but that didn’t quite happen. I should be done either tonight or tomorrow, and then I’ll put the beta copies together for sending out. It’s turning pretty well, not many storyline changes needed. I’ll see how the conclusion pans out, and that will be it.
After this novel, I’ve got two ideas I’m kind of messing with in my head. One is a short story, which I’ve never done. The other is an Alex Teague novel.
I’m really itching to write another zombie novel, but I just don’t have ideas for one at the moment. I need to go on zombie overload.
I got done the last few words of Witch’s Kurse today. The word tally at this point is 126K words, which for me is massive. My word goal for any novel is 75K, so I hit that rather easily.
Of course, the novel isn’t “done” yet. I’ll do the standard. Take a week off or so, read a novel or two, and then get to editing. I’ll maybe toss this one out for beta readers a little early, even in a “raw” state, for story purposes. Being such a long novel, I wouldn’t mind getting story input early, to see what parts of the plot worked, which were “cool”, which weren’t, all that fun stuff. There are three stories going on with three characters, and I wouldn’t mind getting extra eyes to tell me if everything flows together nicely.
One thing I have to do is get a list of feedback questions together. That’ll be a first as well, but this novel definitely calls for it.
These are just impressions not long after finishing data entry, but I think the novel is solid. The existing characters were a lot of fun, and so was the new addition. I think the three stories intersected rather well, and the finale I thought was awesome. Even the villains got a little more time than usual, and I found I got a little attached to one of them.
So, thanks for reading, and Witch’s Kurse is definitely one step further along.
Just FYI, working on a few new additions to the site, so don’t be surprised if it acts wonky for a bit. I’m adding a few polls, just to get an idea of people’s opinions. Also changing the site layout and adding a trivia section. Hopefully it’ll all come together nicely.
The latest in Damned and Kursed now stands at 85K words. Most of my novels end at around that length, but not this one. It’s shaping up to be the longest novel I’ve written. Maybe another 20K words or so. I’m sure that will all change in editing. The reason for the long length is the fact that I’m following a few different characters, and now it’s time for all those plots to converge, something I’ve done a few times before. I’m also giving slightly more time to the “villains” in the story, a first for me. Here’s hoping it’s a hit. š
Below is an excerpt from Tara Maya’s novel, Initiate (from the Unfinished Song series). Fantasy novels are always something I’ve liked reading, but I lack the skill to write them. This is one of the first books I’m gonna check out after I’m done writing my own work in progress. I can’t resist a cool fantasy series.
The Unfinished Song (Book 1): Initiate by Tara Maya
BLURB
DEADLY INITIATION
A DETERMINED GIRL…
Dindi can’t do anything right, maybe because she spends more time dancing with pixies than doing her chores. Her clan hopes to marry her off and settle her down, but she dreams of becoming a Tavaedi, one of the powerful warrior-dancers whose secret magics are revealed only to those who pass a mysterious Test during the Initiation ceremony. The problem? No-one in Dindi’s clan has ever passed the Test. Her grandmother died trying. But Dindi has a plan.
AN EXILED WARRIOR…
Kavio is the most powerful warrior-dancer in Faearth, but when he is exiled from the tribehold for a crime he didn’t commit, he decides to shed his old life. If roving cannibals and hexers don’t kill him first, this is his chance to escape the shadow of his father’s wars and his mother’s curse. But when he rescues a young Initiate girl, he finds himself drawn into as deadly a plot as any he left behind. He must decide whether to walk away or fight for her… assuming she would even accept the help of an exile.
EXCERPT
Blue-skinned rusalki grappled Dindi under the churning surface of the river. She could feel their claws dig into her arms. Their riverweed-like hair entangled her legs when she tried to kick back to the surface. She only managed to gulp a few breaths of air before they pulled her under again.
She hadn’t appreciated how fast and deep the river was. On her second gasp for air, she saw that the current was already dragging her out of sight of the screaming girls on the bank. A whirlpool of froth and fae roiled between two large rocks in the middle of the river. The rusalka and her sisters tugged Dindi toward it. Other water fae joined the rusalki. Long snouted pookas, turtle-like kappas and hairy-armed gwyllions all swam around her, leading her to the whirlpool, where even more fae swirled in the whitewater.
“Join our circle, Dindi!” the fae voices gurgled under the water. “Dance with us forever!”
“No!” She kicked and swam and stole another gasp for air before they snagged her again. There were so many of them now, all pulling her down, all singing to the tune of the rushing river. She tried to shout, “Dispel!” but swallowed water instead. Her head hit a rock, disorienting her. She sank, this time sure she wouldn’t be coming up again.
“Dispel!” It was a man’s voice.
Strong arms encircled her and lifted her until her arms and head broke the surface. Her rescuer swam with her toward the shore. He overpowered the current, he shrugged aside the hands of the water faeries stroking his hair and arms. When he reached the shallows, he scooped Dindi into his arms and carried her the rest of the way to the grassy bank. He set her down gently.
She coughed out some water while he supported her back.
“Better?” he asked.
She nodded. He was young–only a few years older than she. The aura of confidence and competence he radiated made him seem older. Without knowing quite why, she was certain he was a Tavaedi.
“Good.” He had a gorgeous smile. A wisp of his dark bangs dangled over one eye. He brushed his dripping hair back over his head.
Dindi’s hand touched skin–he was not wearing any shirt. Both of them were sopping wet. On him, that meant trickles of water coursed over a bedrock of muscle. As for her, the thin white wrap clung transparently to her body like a wet leaf. She blushed.
“It might have been easier to swim if you had let go of that,” he teased. He touched her hand, which was closed around something. “What were you holding onto so tightly that it mattered more than drowning?
Still typing, typing, typing. At the 60K words mark now. One of my worst traits as a writer is that I tend to focus on word count way too much. I’m honestly not sure what a decent word count is. Other writers always tell me “it’s however many words tells the story”. š I try to stick to that, but I want to give a lot of content to the reader, too, and I worry I’m not giving enough. I’m not sure how many words this one will be when it’s all done. I’ve barely scratched the surface with my third character yet, and I’ve got quite a few fun scenes planned for him.
I’d say this novel has been tougher to write than Demon’s Doorway. As always, Jack is the biggest problem, and that fine line I have him walk. Since this novel is mostly him, it just increases the problems. He’s definitely been fun to explore. Tiffany has changed him, and he’s a completely different person around her than other people. There are moments in the novel where he is at his absolute worst, and in the next scene he’s tucking Tiffany into bed.
Definitely a hard balance. š
I still haven’t got this novel listed under “Coming Soon”, only because I haven’t written the back cover yet. I’ll try to tackle that soon.
Hey guys. Just wanted to give a quick update on the release of Witch’s Kurse. It should be any day now. I was going to sit down with Scrivener and get the formatting all ready to go, but a plumbing emergency has kind of moved that a little somewhat. š I was shooting for tomorrow (Friday), but that might move to Saturday or Sunday. But now that I think about it, is a book release on a weekend even a good idea? Do people keep track of that stuff?
