To all who read (and I hope loved) Gods on the Mountain, I have excellent news: 2016 will be the year of the release of the sequel to my first fantasy work!
It will feature Edmund the Enchanter and Diane the Dagger Maiden in a new adventure. A few characters from Gods will appear as well, including Celia and Fulk (Celia especially will get a much larger role).
The title of the sequel is The Merchant Rebellion.
The exact release date isn't decided upon yet. I hope to do it mid-to-late year. I still need to finish it, but I have perhaps 20-25% of it done already. Keep posted here and on my Twitter account for updates. Plot description and further details will likewise be posted at a future date.
Showing posts with label Gods on the Mountain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gods on the Mountain. Show all posts
Monday, January 4, 2016
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Featured: The Inspired Writers
Gods on the Mountain was featured by Merrie Housdon on her blog The Inspired Writers. She's running a genre theme each month, which happens to be fantasy for June. Check it out!
Also check out the rest of her blog. She does a lot to promote indie authors and their work.
Also check out the rest of her blog. She does a lot to promote indie authors and their work.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Expanding a Character's Role: Or, How My Wife Influences My Writing
In Gods on the Mountain, there's a character known as Celia, who works as a tavern girl in the desolate city of Dubris. Without giving too much away, she eventually becomes the love muse, and romantic interest, of another character. Originally, she had a much more minor role. In fact, I don't think I even named her. She was simply going to be a brief source of temptation for the protagonist to want to quit the mission and stay in the city, only to continue on out of a sense of duty.
Then I started reading the incomplete first draft to my wife. You must understand that my wife is a hopeless romantic, and believes if a character deserves true love, they should receive it. In this situation, she started wanting me to write that Celia and the protagonist ended up together. I fought with the idea in my head, trying to think if I could make it work, or if it would be worth the long-term character development. Eventually, I decided to go forward with it, and started writing with this in mind. By the end, Celia became a character who will more than likely pop up in any sequels.
Herein lies the importance of beta readers, and why they can be helpful in catching things you don't. Two of my beta readers complained that the relationship between Celia and the protagonist, after they first part ways, felt disjointed. One said that it felt like they were separated lovers, when their first contact was awkward and brief. I had to laugh at this, because Celia was, after all, written as a character who wasn't supposed to be relevant to the story, hence the disjointed feeling. I went back and rewrote the scene between her and the protagonist, making it longer, more fleshed out, and with a more developed bond between them. I sent the rewritten scenes to the beta readers, and they both agreed it was an improvement.
This entire episode was an example of how an author should be flexible with how he sees characters progressing in a story, and whether or not there's room for change. It's also a fine example of why you should reread and review your work if you make any serious changes to the story.
Then I started reading the incomplete first draft to my wife. You must understand that my wife is a hopeless romantic, and believes if a character deserves true love, they should receive it. In this situation, she started wanting me to write that Celia and the protagonist ended up together. I fought with the idea in my head, trying to think if I could make it work, or if it would be worth the long-term character development. Eventually, I decided to go forward with it, and started writing with this in mind. By the end, Celia became a character who will more than likely pop up in any sequels.
Herein lies the importance of beta readers, and why they can be helpful in catching things you don't. Two of my beta readers complained that the relationship between Celia and the protagonist, after they first part ways, felt disjointed. One said that it felt like they were separated lovers, when their first contact was awkward and brief. I had to laugh at this, because Celia was, after all, written as a character who wasn't supposed to be relevant to the story, hence the disjointed feeling. I went back and rewrote the scene between her and the protagonist, making it longer, more fleshed out, and with a more developed bond between them. I sent the rewritten scenes to the beta readers, and they both agreed it was an improvement.
This entire episode was an example of how an author should be flexible with how he sees characters progressing in a story, and whether or not there's room for change. It's also a fine example of why you should reread and review your work if you make any serious changes to the story.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
"Gods on the Mountain" Now Available!
As those who follow me on Twitter know, my new fantasy book, "Gods on the Mountain", was released yesterday on print and Kindle, and is available for purchase.
In the mountains of Calambria, the dwarf tribes have disappeared, and merchants have been expelled. Two are assigned to investigate this mystery: Edmund, a human and Magi, gifted with the ability to utilize the elements; and Diane, an elf and Dagger Maiden, who excels in close combat. As they attempt to uncover what has happened, they unearth betrayal and secrets not only from outside the continent, but from within as well. Soon they will discover a plot with dangers that go well beyond the mountains.
Monday, April 20, 2015
"Gods on the Mountain" Sample Chapter
The following is Chapter 1 from my upcoming fantasy novel Gods on the Mountain, set to be released on April 29, 2015.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Monday, April 13, 2015
Rules of Magic in Calambria
Last month, I came across an article by Eve Jacob on how to write magical powers. It was a good read that basically emphasized having a system, limitations, rules that can be understood and broken, etc. I've had a lot of questions from the beta-readers for my upcoming book Gods on the Mountain, regarding specifically the use of magic. Because of this, I thought I would take a moment to explain what role magic plays in the book, and within Calambria (the continent on which my book takes place) at large.
The word "magic" is rarely used in regards to special powers, and when it is, it is almost treated by other characters as a kind of slur. The powers themselves involve a manipulation and utilization of natural elements found within the world. This can include the dirt in the ground, or the flame from a fire, but it can also include clothing or metal armor. This is done by either manipulating the elements from their current state, or channeling those elements through your body. The important part here is that elements cannot be created ex nihilo from the caster themselves - it must already exist. Hence, an adapt user of "magic" must be ready to use whatever is available to them at that moment.
Two things should be kept in mind in regards to this: skill level and physical endurance. A magic user cannot simply do whatever he wants, but rather must harness and focus his skill, in the same manner that a juggler needs to practice to keep up (and advance) his abilities. Likewise, a weak magic user is not going to have enough endurance for what he needs to do, whereas a stronger magic user will be able to cast for long periods of time (and as a result, most magic users tend to be physically fit).
One final, and very important, factor to consider is that, in Calambria, magic and spirituality are connected. Magic is not earned through bloodline, nor through simple training (though training to lower levels is possible); rather, the Almighty (Calambria's monotheistic deity) grants "magic" to whom he wills. It is not inherited, but gifted. The major school of magic in the book, the Order of Magi, recruits by seeking out those who have shown, either at an early age or as a young adult, those who exhibit these powers. Of course, what a person chooses to do with these powers is up to them, and can ostracize them from the magic-using community at large, or grant them greater renown. Those outside the Magi who have exhibited powers for good tend to be seen as saints or holy people, while those who exhibited them for evil were seen as morally corrupt. All of this plays an important factor in the main plot for Gods on the Mountain.
The word "magic" is rarely used in regards to special powers, and when it is, it is almost treated by other characters as a kind of slur. The powers themselves involve a manipulation and utilization of natural elements found within the world. This can include the dirt in the ground, or the flame from a fire, but it can also include clothing or metal armor. This is done by either manipulating the elements from their current state, or channeling those elements through your body. The important part here is that elements cannot be created ex nihilo from the caster themselves - it must already exist. Hence, an adapt user of "magic" must be ready to use whatever is available to them at that moment.
Two things should be kept in mind in regards to this: skill level and physical endurance. A magic user cannot simply do whatever he wants, but rather must harness and focus his skill, in the same manner that a juggler needs to practice to keep up (and advance) his abilities. Likewise, a weak magic user is not going to have enough endurance for what he needs to do, whereas a stronger magic user will be able to cast for long periods of time (and as a result, most magic users tend to be physically fit).
One final, and very important, factor to consider is that, in Calambria, magic and spirituality are connected. Magic is not earned through bloodline, nor through simple training (though training to lower levels is possible); rather, the Almighty (Calambria's monotheistic deity) grants "magic" to whom he wills. It is not inherited, but gifted. The major school of magic in the book, the Order of Magi, recruits by seeking out those who have shown, either at an early age or as a young adult, those who exhibit these powers. Of course, what a person chooses to do with these powers is up to them, and can ostracize them from the magic-using community at large, or grant them greater renown. Those outside the Magi who have exhibited powers for good tend to be seen as saints or holy people, while those who exhibited them for evil were seen as morally corrupt. All of this plays an important factor in the main plot for Gods on the Mountain.
Friday, April 10, 2015
Book Trailer: Gods on the Mountain
I know I had previously posted the book teaser, but here now is the book trailer for my upcoming fantasy novel, Gods on the Mountain.
Artwork used in the trailer comes from the book cover itself, which was done by the wonderful artist Mari. Check out her Twitter account and her website! She's a marvelously talented artist!
Artwork used in the trailer comes from the book cover itself, which was done by the wonderful artist Mari. Check out her Twitter account and her website! She's a marvelously talented artist!
Monday, March 23, 2015
Cover Reveal: Gods on the Mountains
Here is the front cover design for my upcoming fantasy book Gods on the Mountains, with a new release date of April 29.
The artwork itself was done by the awesome Mari, who can be found on her Twitter account, as well as her website. I highly suggest checking out her work; it is simply amazing. It was great working with her, and as any author knows, it's fascinating to see how other people interpret your characters. I'd like to thank her for the great work she did on the cover.
The artwork itself was done by the awesome Mari, who can be found on her Twitter account, as well as her website. I highly suggest checking out her work; it is simply amazing. It was great working with her, and as any author knows, it's fascinating to see how other people interpret your characters. I'd like to thank her for the great work she did on the cover.
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Book Teaser - Gods on the Mountain
Below is the book teaser for my upcoming fantasy book "Gods on the Mountain."
Monday, March 16, 2015
"Gods on the Mountain" Update
This post is an update on my fantasy novel Gods on the Mountain. Just a reminder of the plot:
In the mountains of Calambria, the dwarf tribes have disappeared, and merchants have been expelled. Two are assigned to investigate this mystery: Edmund, a human from the Order of Magi, who are gifted with the ability to utilize the elements; and Diane, an elf from the Sisterhood of Dagger Maidens, who excel in close combat. As they attempt to uncover what has happened, they discover betrayal and secrets not only from outside the continent, but from within as well. Soon they uncover a plot with dangers that will go well beyond the mountains.At the moment, I'm done editing it, and have sent it to some beta readers to receive feedback from them. If anyone would like to volunteer to fill in the last beta reader position, feel free to contact me. The due date is still tentatively set to April 2.
The cover art is being designed by Mari Trini Morales, and should be done by March 22. There should be a cover art reveal soon after that. Mari's website can be found here - I highly suggest checking her out, as she's an amazing artist.
Other bits of information and fun things will be posted on my Twitter account. Follow to find out more, hear the latest updates, or just correspond with me (I don't bite, I promise).
Monday, March 2, 2015
Title Reveal
Revealed the title for my fantasy work-in-progress today on Twitter. I included the graphic seen at the top of this post. As you can see, the title is Gods on the Mountain, and is tentatively scheduled to be released on April 2. Admittedly this might change if problems develop, however my followers will be notified, and it might at most be pushed back another month or so.
The original title I suggested on Twitter was "Gods of the Mountain." A lot of people liked it, but others didn't. I appreciated the feedback from the latter group, and tried to get my brain to think of alternate titles. All the ones I thought of were equally disliked by others, or just didn't seem to fit the story. I kept returning to my original idea (which I know is generally a creativity no-no), because it seemed to fit the storyline (which I gave a synopsis of here). Without giving too much away, a major point of the story is the role of three gods: one real, one fake, and one supposed. Likewise, this element takes place around events in the mountains of Calambria, the continent where this story takes place.
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