Sayge Blessed is currently in the editing stage and will be released on November 13th. If you’re ready to catch an un-edited sneak-peek of chapter one, keep reading. This chapter contains spoilers. If you have not yet read Fae Cursed, you won’t want to read this. It’s not quite the final version of this chapter, but it gives you a peek at where my first chapter starts out. Click “more” below to read the first draft of chapter one. Enjoy!
Fae Cursed, Book One of the Legacy of Magic Series is available now on Amazon. It’s a fun mash up between Urban Fantasy and Fairy Tale retelling. This book came about in a very different way than my past books. I’m usually an outliner. I have to at least have 8-10 plot points that I want to hit as I make my way through a book. Fae Cursed was totally different.
For this book, my friend L.A. Johnson, and I deceded we’d do a “secret project”. Our rules were simple: write something for fun, something we weren’t going to worry about fitting into the popular genres, something crazy. We didn’t tell anyone what we were working on. Nobody saw the first few chapters of our work, not even each other. After a week or two of writing, we started to share some of our craziness, but not as much as we usually would. No critique group, no spouses, no friends, just a writer and a computer.
It was freeing, really. I had this crazy idea for a Beauty and the Beast retelling with a circus. When I started to resarch the history of circuses, I found that they didn’t exist in medieval times, which was my typical go-to for world building. So I had to move it forward in time. I don’t know enough about Victorian times to build a world in there, so I pushed it even more modern. My setting was inspried by that transition time from the 90’s to the 2000’s. So my circus became a rave with circus performers.
For a while, I had no idea where I was going with this crazy story. In fact, a lot of the early versions of what I wrote got cut and re-arranged, but in the end, it turned out to be a fun way for me to explore my voice.
If it hadn’t been for this project, I would not have discovered how much fun it is to write in a contemporay setting. With magic, of course. Becuase let’s face it, I don’t think I could write a book without magic. It’s just too much fun.
What’s next? Sayge Blessed, Book Two of the series, will be out in November. It’s likely that book will wrap up the current story but I’m a sucker for cliff-hangers. As a reader I love them. As a writer, they are so much fun to write. I’m going to do my best to tie it up in a neat little bow for you, but no promises.
One of the most important things about being a writer is making time to read. Most of the writers I know love to read. It’s probably why many of us started writing in the first place. So in the interest of keeping up with reading ficiton and doing more regular blog posts, I’m going to try to post about a new book I’m reading every week. I typically read a book a week when I’m in the writing stage of a work. When I’m editing, I’m often reading my own work and don’t get to read other people’s work as often. But I’m going to aim for a post every week.
First up, Fugitive of Magic by Linsey Hall. This book is a quick, action-filled urban fantasy book mixed with mystery. It’s part of a larger world, but it’s the first I’ve read.
Book Description from Amazon:
To the world, I’m a just a Conjurer. To my closest friends, I’m a FireSoul–a dangerous Magica with forbidden powers and a dragon’s soul. The downside? If anyone discovers what I am, I’m dead. So I lay low, kicking butt with my weapons, not my magic.
Things get ugly when I witness the murder of a powerful vampire ally and become the key suspect. Soon, I’m hunted by the sexiest, strongest supernatural I’ve ever met. Ares is an unheard of vampire hybrid, and it’s hard to say if he wants to kiss me or kill me.
I’ve got three days to catch the real killer. The bad news? It will take my forbidden magic to succeed. But can I control it, much less keep my secret with Ares watching my every move? Especially when the stakes get ever higher?
I’m used to protecting others…now I have to protect myself.
What I liked about this book:
The pacing was awesome. I’m not a fan of books that take a long time to get from point A to point B. This one gave us the magic right off the bat, then threw us into the mysetery that the main character has to solve or she could end up dead. The stakes are clear and they are as high as they get: life or death (probably). Throw in a handsome half-vampire to help her solve the mystery and things get even better. The heroine is strong, snarky, and has some pretty kick-ass magical abilities. I LOVE the world building and magic system she created. It was a lot of fun.
Other thoughts:
The book moves pretty fast and while it has a mystery, I never really felt like the character was in danger. She solves things quickly and moves on to the next clue right away. This isn’t a deal-breaker, though. It’s a candy read. The kind of book that you know is going to satisfy your reading sweet-tooth, keeping you entertained without having to participate in much deep thinking. That is exactly what I look for in a book during the school year when I choose a fiction read. I save my deep thinking for non-fiction books.
Will I continue in the Series?
I will likely go back to the beginning of this world. I want to learn more about the magic systems and the world she built. This didn’t pull me in to the point where I felt like I had to read the next one, but honestly, that is rare for me anymore. Part of that is that I have the biggest TBR list ever and I want to read them all. So I tend to stick to first in the series for now and save my sequel reading for summer break when I (in theory) have more time.
Tomorrow is the day! Battle of Illaria will be out in the world!
It’s a pretty great feeling when you launch a new work into the world. Especially when you finish it early and get to bump your release date up by nearly two weeks! Of course, there’s the fear that you missed something, the questioning of yourself as an artist, and all the doubt that goes into letting strangers read and evaluate your work, but let’s face it, it’s mostly a celebration. This book is even more of a celebration than my others in some ways, because it is my favorite (so far). This was the second book I ever wrote…remember how I took that random detour and decided I needed a book in the middle? Yeah, I don’t recommend that, but I wouldn’t change it because I was able to set up a lot of things in book 2 that I wanted to cover in book 3.
Here’s a few random facts about Battle of Illaria:
And, because you still have one more day to wait and you might not want to wait that long, I’ve included the first chapter of Battle of Illaria below. Please note – the first chapter for this book contains spoilers. If you have not yet read the first two books, you may want to skip this part. (more…)
I have a million story ideas in my head and I want to write them all. The problem is, there are only so many hours in a day and I have to do things like sleep occasionally. Instead of waiting to start a brand new story until I finish editing my other finished works, I decided I’d reward myself with time to write new words on the side. I created a brand new story on Wattpad that I will be adding to exclusively there. Unlike Rose Circus, this story hasn’t been written yet. You will be seeing a true first draft in all it’s imperfect glory. Curious what my process is like? This is your chance to follow along as I create something new. I’ll post a new scene or chapter 2-3 times per week and will work on creating a regular posting schedule as the story evolves. This is a fun story that I wanted to play around with and I’m excited to get it out there. It gives me a break from my other work (including editing).
I have found that there are people who are interested in the process an author takes when creating a work. While every author is different, I thought it would be fun to share with you how I do things. I will post updates on that as I work on this story.
Process Update 1: All of my works usually start with a simple idea or a what-if. I LOVE fairy tales and I love when they are adapted in new, fun ways. I have also read my share of Vampire books and come from the school of thought that Vampires are supposed to be scary. But this story was actually triggered by the picture of the girl in the mask. When I saw that picture, I thought it would make a great cover for a Cinderella story. So I added it to my stock photo list and figured I’d go back to it when I had a better idea for it. A few days later, the image was still nagging at me and I went back to look at it. I started to think about how Cinderella could be modernized. Why would she put up with the mental and emotional abuse of an evil stepmother? Then, the wheels started turning and the idea came together. So I made a quick cover and wrote a description for Wattpad.
Story Description: After a tragic accident costs Ella’s father his life, she spends the next ten years living under the rules of her terrible stepmother. Forced to do the housework and living in the damp basement of her family’s home, Ella can’t wait for the day she turns 18 so she can leave it all behind. Everything changes when she discovers her father’s secret study and her family’s past. That’s when she realizes, her father’s death wasn’t an accident, he was killed by the very thing he hunted: Vampires. Now, Ella wants revenge against her father’s killer. Drawn into a world of magic, wealth, and superstition, Ella learns that the world wasn’t what she thought it was. The deeper she gets, the more dangerous it becomes. Can Ella learn how to fight against the creatures her father gave his life to hunt? Or will she become the hunted?
Usually, I outline stories before I write them. This time, I am starting with just the description. I’ll keep you posted as to where I go next!
I’m trying something a little different with the first book of my newest series. I’m publishing it on Wattpad a chapter at a time before I start editing it. This freaks me out a little bit, but I figure it’s good to try things that scare you.
The first draft is finished, but there are a couple of little story changes I’ll be making as I post. I’m excited to share this new book in this format before I publish it later this summer or early fall.
You can follow the link here to read it on Wattpad.
Make sure you follow me on Wattpad so you get updates about new chapters!
It’s editing time again!
Editing is my least favorite part of writing, which makes sense. I’m guessing most writers write to create new worlds and live in new stories. When you stop to edit, you aren’t creating anything new. I even took a break from Illaria, thinking I’d finish one more new book in a different series before I started editing. However, the completed Illaria book is calling to me.
This book was finished in November. That’s right. It’s been sitting there, waiting since November. When I started writing a short story from Max’s point of view, I ended up down a rabbit hole that became Oracle of Illaria. Now, I’m in the position where I need to make sure the second book I wrote – which is now book 3 in the series – fits with the world. Thankfully, this book started 2 months after Heir of Illaria ended so there was room in between.
So where does that leave me now? Starting the editing process for Book 3.
Everyone has a different process and I’ve found it interesting to see how other authors go about this stage. So I figured I’d share what I do. Here’s how it goes down:
Note: I didn’t create a step for my procrastination blog post….looking back, I’ve noticed that I write a lot more blog posts while editing. So, I suppose that’s part of my process, too!
I wanted to share a scene from Oracle with you all as we prepare for its release next week. I’m so excited about this book! It was tough to choose a favorite scene that wasn’t too much of a spoiler. The scene I’m sharing with you is one of my favorite in the whole book. When I wrote the last line, I got chills. That’s one of the amazing things about writing. When it is going well, there’s nothing like it. I hope you enjoy the scene and I can’t wait for the book’s release! Less than 1 week!
The silence was deafening and goosebumps rose on my arms. Thousands of people had gathered. All of them were quiet. I’d never seen a crowd this large before and couldn’t figure out how they all unified enough to wait for me to speak.
Say something, Etta. Swallowing back my fear, I stepped toward to the front of the platform. I lifted my chin and pushed my shoulders back. I needed to feel in control somehow.
“The king is hunting me. You’ve seen my face on the posters.” I waited a moment, expecting the crowd to react. Instead, they stayed silent. “The king is afraid of me. And he should be.” When nobody spoke, I continued. “Because I am the true heir to the throne. Rightful Queen of Illaria. And I will reclaim my throne. We will have peace again in Illaria. You have my word.”
I stared out at the crowd, feeling defiant, powerful, strong. “He can come for me, but I will fight.”
The crowd erupted in applause and cheers. I took a deep breath, trying to make the knots in my stomach subside. It was not easy to speak in front of people but I knew it was part of the job. And I’d accepted the position the night I sent Max away.
Movement in the back of the crowd drew my eye and I strained to see over the heads of the gathered people. A large group of King’s Guards were pushing their way through.
“Etta!” Celeste was behind me, a sword in her hand. I took it from her and stood my ground, waiting for the guards to come to us.
They never drew nearer, though. The crowd was pressing in on them, pushing them away from the platform. A murmur rose and grew to a chant. “Down with the king, down with the king.”
I lowered my sword and watched in awe as the people of Campari fought back against the guards. They outnumbered them and the guards were fleeing the square. Another cheer rose through the crowd and I joined in, fist in the air, crying out in unison with the crowd.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. The people were turning. Down with the king.
For some reason, writing the second book in the Illaria series has been harder than anything else I’ve written. Keep in mind book three is already written and stands at 100k words (it may be getting some cuts). That might be why it was so tough. I had to fit this story in-between two already existing works. I’m also feeling a bit of pressure because I want this book to be just as exciting and fun to read as my first book in the series. Second books are tough to write!
But, I prevailed!
The first two drafts are finished and now it’s time to move on to draft 3. In this part of the process, I use the feedback and notes provided by my editor. Her notes are tough for this book. At least they feel that way. It could be that this book scares me a bit because it’s been such a challenge to write. But whatever the cause, it’s time to get over that and move on.
After a week away from writing, I opened her notes so I can begin the next round of editing. Draft 3 will officially be underway this evening! Then, it will head to the editor again for a second round and I’ll do it all over again. Editing is my least favorite part of writing a book. To help motivate me and get me through it, I set up a pre-order for it before edits were finished. By doing this, I created a hard deadline. My first book took 4 months to edit and much of that was procrastination. I know I can do it faster. So cheers to the process. The sooner I finish, the sooner I can get back to doing the fun part – writing a new story!
It has a cover! It has a title! Book 2 of the Illaria Series has officially launched for pre-order! It will be released on May 30, 2017 and I am so excited to share the next book in the saga with you all. This book has been the most difficult one for me to write so far and I’m very excited that it’s in the final editing stages. Then, I get to tackle book 3 – but that’s another post.
I’m celebrating with a few giveaways – check out TeacherofYA’s Book Blog for details!
dyanchick.com 