So, I’ve asked Kai Stavros from War of Nytefall: Rivalry to give some tips on being a spymaster. He doesn’t really want to share his secrets or be out in public, so he gave me a list. It was written into my car with a warning that I should never ask him to do anything like this again. Here we go:
Never do public appearances unless they are on your terms . . . Just going to voice a complaint right away, huh? You know, I could have asked another of my spy characters to do this. Well, I don’t have any, but I know a few who would willing to make stuff up.
Always double-check your information. (That makes sense.) Torture is a good way to confirm . . . Really!? This is what I get for asking a vampire how this goes. In his defense, vampires regeneration, so what would be a fatal wound for a mortal isn’t a big deal for them. Still, there could be kids reading this, Stavros.
Maintains some friendships with your coworkers, but remain distant. You don’t want to get attached to those you might have to sacrifice for the sake of a mission. The exceptions are your masters or employers depending on your personal employment position. (That was bizarrely bureaucratic.)
Never fall in love because that will inevitably be used against you. If not your lover then children, so celibacy is a good idea as well. (I know of one famous spy who would really disagree on that last one. Why doesn’t that guy have kids on every continent?)
When sending messages, you must write in code to protect your secrets. It is best to have multiple code systems and randomly cycle through them. Only one person should know the locations of the scrolls needed to decipher them. It helps to put two spells on the messages as well. One is to share the information with your employer if you and the translator are dead. The other is to curse or kill anyone who manages to get even one word correct. (Wow. That’s actually a good one.)
Never agree to appear on a blog to share secrets. It doesn’t matter how much the author pathetically begs. (And we’re back to the sass.)
Uh . . . This one is in code and I don’t want to risk anything. I mean, he did give me a warning in #5. Oh, it’s just messy penmanship since I guess he was in a rush to get out of here. The tip is: Don’t bring attention to yourself, but don’t try to hide from society. You need to find something in the middle because blending in and understanding human nature are essential tools of the trade. (I think that was cursed . . . No, just the Taco Bell I ate, which is basically the same thing.)
Here’s another excerpt from War of Nytefall: Rivalry. I was looking for something that would show off Titus Winthrop a bit. He’s kind of background here, but I enjoyed writing him as the ‘little guy’ for once. Check it out! As usual, there could be spoilers below.
Joan Hall is sharing her cover art across the internet today. I hope you’ll all make her feel welcome.
Some people takesecrets to the grave…
Three years after her husband’s murder, Christine Lawrence still struggles for balance. She has a rewarding career and a close circle of friends but feels oddly unfulfilled. Worse, the close relationship she once had with her teenage daughter has grown increasingly strained.
Former FBI agent, Vince Green, is battling demons of his own—painful secrets that drove him from Driscoll Lake. Newly resettled in the small town, he makes his living as a private investigator.
When Vince and Christine cross paths, stumbling over the body of a murder victim, he’s forced to confront memories he thought long buried. The circumstances surrounding the killing are eerily similar to a victim from his past.
As the body count continues to rise, Christine finds herself…
Ciao, amici! I feel like I was just announcing the release date had been moved up (how unheard of!) and now the release day is HERE!
I’m happy to announce THE GATE is available today!
If you like Ancient Aliens, this is right up your alley. Think of it as Indiana Jones meets Falling Skies. There’s travel, mystery, lore, ancient artifacts, government agents, a nefarious cabal, and (you guessed it) aliens.
The Gate is the first of five books in the Astral Conspiracy series, part of the popular Invasion Universe. I hope you’ll celebrate with me.
So far, I’ve never attended a book fair, but will probably do so here in Greece. So, I found this guest post by Elaine Bennett of particular interest. I hope you, too, enjoy it! Elaine is a marketing specialist-turned blogger, currently writing for Bizzmark Blog.
4 Tips for a Successful Book Fair
Image: Pixabay
First off, congrats on publishing your work! In the today’s world of fast-paced digital consumption, when too many will rather opt for a quick llama video over a complex, mind-boggling selection of short stories, writing still prevails as an art form that deserves praise. Now that you’re done with the difficult part, writing the darn thing, how you approach your marketing strategy and your preparation for upcoming book fairs may make a big difference in your book’s success.
Book fairs remain very relevant for authors as well as publishers when it comes to promotion, getting…
In the War of Nytefall series, Kai Stavros is the acting spymaster working under Xavier Tempest. His job is to gather information on enemies, handle assassinations, and report on potential dangers to his master. Kai isn’t much of an infiltrator in terms of mimicking enemies, but he uses invisibility as well as various relics. There are also some animals that he has enslaved to do his bidding. Yet, he still tends to stay in the background because that’s kind of where he belongs. Spies that end up in the foreground come off less stealthy and more destructive like James Bond. Sure, they get the job done, but some of the mystery is lost. This brings up the question:
How do you write a spy, especially one for a fictional army?
The reason I’m focusing on the army part is because I’ve read a lot of stories and watched a lot of shows where intel gathering is glossed over. Sometimes, the leaders just find out through a message that happens to show up. Other times you get a traitorous enemy or a person who happened to see something. You also see a lot of scouts getting used, which makes sense when you’re on the march. It isn’t very common where a fictional army gets information from a spy. Typically, this is what will come in prior to taking action, but many writers kind of start with the soldiers already moving. They happen to know what they’re up against too.
Again, we find a small issue here. The spy needs to be a focal point in order for the character to have any impact. You can get away with noting that they exist and then just have intel show up, which is an easy way to do it. Yet, this can lead to several convenient plot actions or the dread Deus Ex Machina. On the other hand, you can’t expose the spy too much or they lose something. For example, Kai is called a spymaster, which shows that he orders the other spies around. This gives him a little more leeway, but he’s rarely entered actual combat. He has lost something since he isn’t a shadowy figure who shows up. I’ve tried to minimize this by having him be sneaky and not always share what he’s up to. Making him a character with a secret plan up his sleeve helps to retain some level of mystery and cunning.
Now, one could argue that this type of character is not necessary. I would agree. You can find many other explanations for the uncovering of information. Spies are very complicated to write because people have expectations. Many readers will want them to be cunning, charming, manipulative people who will kill either from the shadows or without letting their enemies make a sound. Ninjas, hitmen, and assassins tend to be lumped in with the spy category to the point where people don’t really think beyond these three. So, what can you do?
Well, that’s when I’m going to open it to the floor. What do you think about writing spies and how important are they? What about having them involved in fictional military systems?
We live in a society where you are judged by how much money you make.
Yeah, that’s a brutal way to start this off, but I don’t really think I’m wrong. For 5 years, I was a stay-at-home parent while saying my career was author. That’s 5 years of being asked how much money I make more often than how my son is doing or what my books are about. Sometimes this question came from the people who were supposed to be the center of my support system. Call me cynical . . . because you’re probably right. The whole thing really made me frustrated since I wanted to be judged by what I created instead of the money it made. You can have the greatest book in the world and fail because you suck at marketing. You can have the worst book in the world and succeed because you know how to market yourself. Is this always how it goes? No, but it does feel like victory goes to the ones who can afford the better marketing.
Over the years, I’ve tried various promotions that are both free and paid. The free ones don’t do anything these days. The paid ones aren’t much better. I’ve seen that there are authors who will dominate a platform until it’s more their personal promo machine instead of something to help multiple authors. A few years back, I saw a trend where indies would rush to their own corners instead of helping others. It forced others to do the same because we couldn’t figure out where to find the mutual back-scratching congregations. Is this underhanded? No. It’s actually how business works since the system is designed for competition more than camaraderie.
I’m always told to follow the big name authors and help them promote their books in the hopes that I’ll get a few scraps of attention. Sorry, but I have so little time for my own stuff that using it for someone else and letting my own projects die doesn’t sound like a good idea. It isn’t even for a sure thing, but the possibility of attention. Other suggestions are to write what is popular to get enough money to support my real projects. Yet, how will the other projects work out if people see you as the author of something different? I’ve noticed that audiences really don’t follow an author from genre to genre like they used to. It’s no longer ‘I love this author’, but ‘I love these characters’ or ‘I love these books’. Once those two things are done, the audience goes off to find something similar. Then, you have to either cling to the successful series for dear life or accept that you’re about to have a drop in income/respect. After all, people are judged by the amount of money they make.
This post is becoming a pretty big rant that went off the rails fast. The reason for this is because I’ve always been more author than businessman. I really just want to sit around and write my stories then publish them. Once I get to the business side, I start stumbling because I don’t have the mind for it. It isn’t even comfort zone. I just don’t know what to do and I lack the money (there’s that word again) to attempt any of the big things like Amazon promo packages or billboards. I’m definitely someone who needs a promoter or publicist because my head is too high in the clouds at times. Ask me to write a scene that pits a caster against three dragons and I’ll pounce on it. Ask me to do a fun author interview and I’ll jump in. Ask me to create a business plan . . . Can I go back to the dragons?
I’ve met many authors who are great at the business side of things. Maybe I could be like that if I had more confidence and time, but those are lacking. Thought I had it down years ago when opportunities for indie authors were more plentiful. As soon as things fell apart, I couldn’t hold on and that’s when things went south. I was judged a lot on the money I wasn’t making and angrily told what I should be doing by people who had no idea what was going on. Being ordered around by those who are looking in from the outside and ignoring me saying ‘that takes money’ or ‘I tried that already’ made me want to retreat more towards the art. That’s the person I am. My writing is where I’m happy and it’s comforting, so that’s where I run to when things are tough. I don’t go to the business side of things when it gets stressful. That’s where the horrors are. I’m actually thinking of deleting that ‘Book Advertising Sites’ page I have here because I don’t think many of those exist any more. So much has changed and I don’t think it’s for the better if you’re more author/artist than moneymaker.
Anyway, this was a rant that needed to happen. I’ve been struggling with the balancing act for years. The judging continues even with me being a TA. Always asked where I’m going next and when I’ll get my teaching certificate. It’s like people don’t want you to enjoy the moment and demand that you only look forward. Isn’t that how people tend to accidentally step in dog shit? You’re looking up and ahead, but never at where you’re stepping at that moment. Gross analogy, but it works for me. Seems like the best way to end it too.
Just found this quote, which is probably controversial. I see the point though:
Personally, I figure money has to go to both. Yet, I can see how there’s a sour taste in the mouth if most of the budget goes to advertising than the artists. It makes one wonder if the artist is talented or simply well-promoted. We can all think of someone famous who we don’t see as talented, but they’re everywhere.
I went back to work this week and my body truly didn’t enjoy waking up at 5:30 AM again. So much that it got me up at 4:30 AM to make things worse. Seriously, I’m still averaging 5-6 hours of sleep. This is probably why my evenings have been very low key. I’ll get into that in a bit.
Has it been a bit? This is why I don’t have a ton to say here that would interest people. I get home, get ready for my son to come home, help him with homework, off to his nightly activity, and then I put him to bed with a slight fight. By the time it’s all done, I’m at 8:30 PM and knowing that I can’t get any writing in. Too tired and I can’t risk staying up too late. So, I’ve been trying to prepare blog posts for June instead. This hasn’t gone smoothly either because it was busy at the school. I only wrote 4 posts and one of them is for tomorrow as a rant. This brings up the question of what I’m doing.
First, I’m losing Monday nights to the final 6 episodes (last one Monday) of ‘Into the Badlands’. I’ve noticed that a lot of my shows are ending like that one, Big Bang Theory, and Elemenatry. Lucifer comes back on Netflix, so I can watch that at my leisure. I’ll probably hit that once I get through the final episode of ‘The Defenders’.
This isn’t to say that I’m only watching TV. I’m also working on puzzles and tackled this one:
Sorry for the small picture. This is actually a tough one because it’s a lot of black, brown, and green. So, I can’t really pick out one section with ease to filter out the needed pieces. I tried with Darth Vader’s lightsaber and it didn’t work. The browns are different shades too and many of them have lines. I’m okay if I can get 20 pieces set in a sitting, but this is going to take a while. I should have started with the one I got of the Millenium Falcon. I can’t even touch the 2,000 piece puzzle because I don’t have a table big enough for the finished product. I did complete a 300 piece Pokemon one for my son and a 550 piece Hyrule map. They just need frames since I glued them.
Doesn’t really feel like an author’s blog here, does it? I really wish I could be more author than ‘this is my life’. I can’t even talk about the life stuff until the legal things are settled. I know people are tired of hearing this, but I’m really scared that this mess and me not being able to talk about it has killed my traffic. People were trying to give me advice and positive energy, but it was hard to take since we’re talking about the last 20 years of my life being pulverized. I’ve been trying to continue, but it’s so hard. Yet, taking any longer of a break makes me feel like the last 5 years of work will be undone. It’s clear that going away and coming back hurts. Not everyone returns to a blog, which is why I’m trying to keep it active. Nothing else on social media works since I’ve seen that high or low activity on Twitter get the same results of nada. The blog doesn’t get any sales, but it’s better interaction when I can get a conversation going.
And that’s the other issue I’ve been having. I’m up and running with only my iPhone to keep up with blogs. WordPress for the last month has been a nightmare when used on my phone. I’m either not logged in, can’t log in, or am logged in, but not really. I have to go through the app and that isn’t a guarantee. No way to reblog. I tried on Tuesday to leave all of the blog emails alone until I got home from everything, but then I was faced with well over 100. Much of what I end up seeing are reblogs too. There are other times where it simply won’t let me comment. This happens even on my own blog unless I go through the app’s notification and pray to at least 3 deities. It’s another strike to the heart of what I’ve tried to build.
I can write this and next weekend. I’ve been getting together with friends from work a bit more often, but I dig in for the actual weekends. I’ve got 5 chapters to go with War of Nytefall: Eradication and I might be able to finish it by the end of the month. I can get 1.5 done this weekend and 2 the next. I’ll tinker at nights for the following two weekends because those are son times. That might clear the rest. Need to make sure the June posts are ready too. Thankfully, my work schedule got changed a bit and I can do a little notebook work. I actually picked this up for my special project set up and I’ve got enough room to make a few notes on other series:
Next Sunday might be a post about an idea I want to play with, but I’m scared to do something like that. It feels like a promise when I can barely keep my current projects going. Bedlam and Ichabod Brooks are on pause for a long time. The summer job is going to be even busier and more time-consuming, so I’ll be using the nights and weekends to work on the blog and the special project. That’s the hope anyway because I’m seeing how things never go as I had hoped. Really wish I could catch some kind of break in some aspect of my life. Being the universe’s personal chew toy gets tiring after a while.
So, what are the goals for this week?
Son time.
Finish chapters 10 and 11 for War of Nytefall: Eradication.
Finish at least 4 June blog posts.
Work more on special project. I think I’ll mention it on Memorial Day weekend as a Sunday post.
Try to get a bit more sleep.
Move the bike into a spot where I can use it. I’ll get back on it some day.
Legends of Windemere 