At It Again

I’ve been puttering around with a few projects these past weeks. I chose cover art, both for The Tale of the Drakanox and the second Minstrels of Skaythe compilation. I also did the titles for them. The first rough layout of the compilation is done, too. I still haven’t decided which of them to publish first, but at least that part is taken care of.

I’m also back to work on a new short story. My new publisher, Wolfsinger, has an anthology open. I’m putting something together for them. Besides, it will be another short story to check off my goals. This is only my second day working on it, but it’s been fun so far.

Other parts of life have been… not so fun. First my husband’s brakes needed work. Then my car’s radiator and head gaskets gave out. The brakes were bad enough, but my car is probably not worth it to repair. And a few days after that, our oven decided that maybe it will heat up and maybe it won’t. It seems to decide on a case by case basis. At least the stovetop is reliable, so we’re able to cook meals for ourselves.

I’m trying to think of my car as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. I’ve known for a while that I shouldn’t be driving a gasoline vehicle. I’d really like an electric one. Maybe this will give me the push to do that. It just takes time to find the right deal. Meanwhile, without a good car, I’m taking a bus to work. It isn’t too bad, except the bus gets me there barely in time and the ride home leaves consecutively with me getting off duty. I also had to stand/walk in the rain for 15 minutes yesterday.

Well, now this is discouraging me. Let’s get back to that short story, shall we?

---

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or CounterSocial.

Read Full Post »

Character Balance

This is something that comes up in role playing sometimes. You’re working with a group, but one or two players seem to consistently out-power the rest of the players. That’s been happening in my group recently, but gaming isn’t what I’m here to talk about. This is my writing blog, after all.

Gaming has taught me a lot about writing, though. When you write about a group of characters, it’s important to keep a balance between them. Each character has to bring a skill set that enhances the group. And each of them needs to have equal time on the page. Not only the whole group progresses through the plot, but the individuals need to grow also. It can be hard as the group becomes bigger.

Doing this was easier in my individual Minstrels of Skaythe novellas, but it became harder with The Tale of the Drakanox. I had between four and eight characters in each novella. That added up to something like 25 named characters in Drakanox. It was hard making sure each one had time on the page.

What can I say? I did it to myself by writing the series that way. In the end, I expect it’ll be worth it.

---

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or CounterSocial.

Read Full Post »

What Next?

The website hosting has been worked out. All in all, it was pretty easy. With that handled and the second draft revisions for The Tale of the Drakanox being complete, I have time on my hands. What should I work on next?

Queen Titania’s Court is coming up and I still need more authors to participate. If you know any fantasy writers, I hope you’ll suggest it to them.

The re-release of The Seven Exalted Orders is pending, but I don’t have a firm date for that. I had planned for that to be my own feature in Queen Titania’s Court, but I may need a backup. There’s Masters of Air & Fire, which I recently re-issued. Some of you probably recall that this blog used to be completely focused on dragons. Having my character be a dragon would be very on-brand.

I could also bear down on a paperback omnibus of the fourth and fifth Minstrels of Skaythe novellas. Summer book releases are dicey, but it would allow me to then bring out The Tale of the Drakanox in November. There’s something to be said for releasing books in quick succession, especially where it completes a series.

This is where I open the floor for suggestions. Would it be better to publish The Tale of the Drakanox first, and the omnibus later? Should I publish one this May or June and one in November, or one in November and one in May of 2024? I’m interested in your ideas!

---

Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or CounterSocial.

Read Full Post »