I’m extremely excited to announce that my new book, Blood Match, is enrolled in the Kindle Scout program.
What is the Kindle Scout Program?
Kindle Scout is reader-powered publishing for new, never-before-published books. … Selected books will be published by Kindle Press and receive 5-year renewable terms, an advance, royalties and featured Amazon marketing.
Why is it important?
If my book is selected for publication by Kindle Scout, it can help take my writing to the next level.
How can you help?
First and foremost, you can vote to nominate my book. The campaign goes up on September 20th at midnight and will continue through October 20th. You can vote for it and preview the opening of the book by clicking HERE.
As a blog follower, how can you really help?
Spread the word. I’ve made that easy for you using…
I’m proud to be part of this anthology with a talented collection of authors. This time the theme is all about time travel, which is a science fiction standard. How could I not say yes?
I’d never tackled the subject before, and was a bit apprehensive. The publisher didn’t put any restrictions on me as far as travelling into the future or past. As long as time travel was the basis, I was left to my own devices.
I struggled with coming up with a cowboy story, but it just never came together for me. Then the Muse visited, and I changed directions. I hope you’ll enjoy Quantum Wanderlust, and I already have my copy.
The best part for you is this is a free collection. It is available everywhere, and this Universal Link will let you choose the vendor of your choice.
This is a guest post by Sean Early, an experienced reviewer of international publications in the digital marketing and education industries. Besides his regular job, Shane is also passionate about several academic disciplines and provide top-notch blog writing services to clients from across the globe.
5 Tips to Market Your Self-Published Book in a Cost-Effective Manner
No matter how challenging it might seem to write a book, it can be relatively easy compared to book marketing! So, let’s look at some inexpensive ways of doing so.
1. Acquire book blogger reviews, but never rely too much on them
You can start your marketing odyssey by writing to book bloggers. The point is, never expect them to provide you with a proper or timely reply since they are bombarded with numerous requests on a daily basis. Even if you are meeting their requirements and have written them a nice, personalized request, they may not…
Summer here is festival season. Because many Canadians are celebrating Canada’s 150th year, this year our region of Eastern Ontario has been particularly well provided, even embroidered with concerts, weekend programmes, and festivals that provide several weeks of music. Literary and poetry festivals abound as well, and of course theatrical ones. Some of these are long established, others new.
Westben Theatre – Photo by Michel Proulx
Choosing which events to attend is the challenge, as there are so many you’d really not want to miss. My favourite summer music series, presented at the Westben Theatre (a purpose-built barn with great acoustics) in Campbellford ON, is now in its 17th year and a flourishing concern. Westben presents a wide variety of music from Bach to Broadway favourites, opera, jazz, fiddle, folk and world music. Performances range from full symphony orchestras, fully staged operas to solo banjo, flamenco guitar and…
It’s fairly common in long series for some villains to turn into heroes. At least if you have multiple villains in a tiered system. Most times this happens when the big baddie rewards loyalty with betrayal or does something that crosses a line. There’s this jolt of realization for the other villain that they’re on the wrong side. Well, not always a jolt, but they might disappear for a while go soul-searching after nearly being killed by the person they thought was an ally.
This is what happened with Trinity, but there was always a sense that she was straddling the fence. It’s revealed in Allure of the Gypsies that her people see her as a hero and they hint about her suffering. Over the course of the series, you get to see more of this and it places Trinity in the position of a pseudo-villain. She is a bad guy who hurts others and follows an evil master, but her motivation is to protect her people. Imagine if the series was told from her perspective. You would get a more heroic vibe from Trinity earlier on and maybe even side with her against Nyx at times. Readers would wonder why the champions never look into the chaos elves and recognize that they’re as much victims of the Baron as everyone else. More so since he’s been twisting and torturing them for hundreds of years. Thankfully, we have Path of the Traitors to get the chaos elf perspective on things.
One would think having Trinity and the champions go from hated enemies to trusted allies would be the toughest part. Long ago, I feared it would be stretched. That was before Trinity began showing a more sensitive side. At some point in the series, she becomes fairly confused about her feelings towards Nyx. It began as a playful challenge and then blossomed into full hate, but they ended up gaining respect for each other. Neither could tell what was going on and they found that their fights could be easily disrupted. It was almost like they were looking for an excuse to stop battling and part ways. Mostly, this was by me to help draw out their rivalry and make it a grey area. I didn’t know what Trinity’s fate would be until I started writing The Mercenary Prince. Keep in mind that this was a late addition to the series and done because Delvin didn’t get much of the spotlight. Imagine my surprise when it pushed Trinity into the spot I think she was always meant to be.
There’s still some tension, but I unintentionally did the right thing by making Trinity a tortured character. Not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. She repeatedly showed signs of having a good heart and directed this at her enemies at times. These moments of her giving into her kind nature helped lay the groundwork for Path of the Traitors where she needs to help those she’s tried to kill. Not to mention that the champions now have to trust her and her companions. It’s more Trinity than her friends though because she’s expected to be the one in charge. Regardless of her past actions, it is fairly easy to put some faith in her because she is a leader and used to working with true villains. That and she’s a channeler like Nyx.
Speaking of Nyx again, I did like how she’s the one that opened her heart to Trinity before most of the others. Sari did it first only because she wasn’t a champion at the time and didn’t know what was going on. Nyx and Trinity are the most powerful channelers in Windemere, which means they’re the keys to their people’s resurrection. This creates a bond between them, which is another reason they seemed to hesitate in using their full strength until their final battle. A facet of this part is that it means Trinity has two cultures and people depending on her for survival. It makes her an expert in a way and that draws Nyx into being a friend and ally. One could even say a sister, which makes sense considering Nyx gives nearly everyone a sibling name. I’m actually happy with how their relationship has evolved since it was the big one.
Another big step in the transition from enemy to ally is that somebody has to give the villain a chance at redemption. For Trinity, this came from Timoran Wrath in Tribe of the Snow Tiger. This is the opening that she needed to change her life and make a decision that she always dreamed of making. Much like her channeler bond with Nyx, this has actually created a connection to Timoran. His actions made her and the other chaos elves feel like there’s a chance that they will be accepted by the rest of Windemere if the Baron is defeated. It’s a big incentive for them to join the good guys and those are what you need to help a character switch sides.
Can you think of any villains that eventually sided with the heroes? What was it about the switch that made it work for you?
Don Massenzio This week, I have the pleasure of featuring Author Kathleen Jowitt for this edition of A Perfect 10. Hurricane Irma stopped me from running this interview a week ago as scheduled. Please enjoy this week’s installment of A … Continue reading →
Hated and distrusted, Queen Trinity must leave the shadows and reach for redemption.
With their final battle on the horizon, the champions are faced with a long-lost piece of the prophecy. Unable to search for the crests that are rumored to be the key to survival, they must turn to a band of their former enemies for help. Sinister desires and hopes for redemption collide as Queen Trinity of the Chaos Elves leads the hunt and struggles to keep her companions on the path of heroism. Monsters, traps, mysteries, and their own pasts will rise up to stand in the way of these people who have spent their entire lives committing sins. Throughout it all, another old enemy is lurking in the shadows and determined to claim her own delicious prize.
By the end of their journey, those who survive will learn that being a hero is more than simply stepping into the light.
A gurgling causes the two women to pause and look into the pit where the shadows are swirling among the jagged stones. Two black tentacles lance out of the ground and wrap around Yola’s waist, the ooze-dripping projections turning silver at the taste of her magic. Attracted to the stronger energy, the aura syphon yanks the immortal into its slime-covered maw and becomes a metallic beast. With its armored skin, the camouflaged predator is now visible and resembles a sea anemone with the body of a beetle. The jagged rocks are fused to the animal’s exoskeleton and there are six jointed legs that help it scurry out of the pit. Standing over Trinity, the creature opens a faint crease on its body to reveal a bulbous eye with a star-shaped pupil. It pauses to shove a few tentacles into its mouth and hit Yola with pulses of electricity to stop her from struggling. It changes from silver to gold when she attempts to break free, her efforts being quickly drained by the monster.
“Let the crazy woman go before you get killed,” Trinity whispers to the aura syphon. She creates a fireball in the hopes of getting its mouth open, but her spell is ignored. “No reason to have a snack when you have an eternal meal in your belly. Maybe we can have a trade. Can’t believe I’m trying to bargain with this thing. Well, I gave you a chance, so I’m going to blow you up before things get worse. Hope you heard that Yola and are bracing yourself.”
The beast gurgles before releasing a blast of sticky strands that lock Trinity in place. Instead of going after the trapped chaos elf, the creature turns its attention to the helpless army. Having had its fill of magic, the aura syphon is ready to gorge on fresh meat and opens a second mouth that is filled with knife-like teeth. Heading for Sir Harbiss, it is stopped when a chunk of earth erupts beneath it and flips it back into the pit. Unsure of where the attack came from, the aura syphon leaps out and reveals several eye stalks that search for an unseen enemy. A cutting wind lops off half of the projections, but Yola’s potent energy revives them and protects the crystalline armor plates. When the spell comes back around, it bounces off the new defense and bursts against a hill. Blasts of fire strike the beast from behind, so it sprouts a fan-shaped tail of water that douses the flames.
Looking around, the aura syphon stops when it sees that Trinity is nowhere to be seen and there is a hole where she once stood. Spikes grow from the predator’s belly and it slams against the ground in the hopes of impaling the chaos elf. The hiss of escaping gas is heard an instant before an explosion sends the shrieking animal into the sky. Careening towards a solitary cloud that is very low to the ground, the beast catches the scent of an aura that revives the one currently in its gut. Passing through the cloud, it finds its legs caught in a net that runs down to where Trinity is hiding behind a hill. With enhanced strength, the channeler slams the aura syphon into the ground and delivers a leaping stomp to its soft upper body. Instead of ejecting Yola, the creature opens its skin to swallow the chaos elf’s leg up the knee.
“Fine. Backup plan it is,” Trinity mutters, synching her aura to that of the imprisoned immortal.
Releasing as much magic as she can without killing herself, the channeler creates a power surge within the aura syphon. Unable to absorb or redirect so much energy at once, the predator tries to reject the grinning chaos elf. Plunging her fingers into its flesh, Trinity refuses to be thrown off and continues her assault. Blisters appear on the hard exoskeleton and the metallic color flakes off to reveal the natural black of the tentacles. Without warning, the gold returns and the animal explodes with enough force to collapse the ground. Before she can escape, the channeler falls into the pit and is buried beneath the icy dirt.
Need to catch Legends of Windemere from the beginning? Then click on the picture below! First book, ‘Beginning of a Hero’ is free!
Charles Yallowitz was born and raised on Long Island, NY, but he has spent most of his life wandering his own imagination in a blissful haze. Occasionally, he would return from this world for the necessities such as food, showers, and Saturday morning cartoons. One day he returned from his imagination and decided he would share his stories with the world. After his wife decided that she was tired of hearing the same stories repeatedly, she convinced him that it would make more sense to follow his dream of being a fantasy author. So, locked within the house under orders to shut up and get to work, Charles brings you Legends of Windemere. He looks forward to sharing all of his stories with you, and his wife is happy he finally has someone else to play with.
First, I keep forgetting to mention this in regards to my son. We’ve been trying to get him into listening to music in a way that he pays attention. He began declaring that he loved Rock music, but only because Ash the porcupine did it in ‘Sing’ and she is his favorite. So, we took this as a jumping point to get him into rock music. The only bands that have stuck are Queen and Guns ‘N Roses, but not the ballad stuff. He’s really into Queen since he had me explain Freddie Mercury. Made a little headway into Billy Joel, Aerosmith, and The Who, but it’s still a battle. If it isn’t loud with a lot of guitar or Freddie Mercury singing then he complains a lot.
Now, off to what happened and what’s about to happen:
Legends of Windemere; Path of Traitors
The book is edited, the cover art is in, and the blurbs are ready. I will be hitting publish later today then announcing it tomorrow. Anyone who volunteered to promote will get an email tonight with notes on posting time. With this book published, it means I have nothing else to focus on except the ending and it’s becoming a doozy. All Jason has told me is that he plans on the final cover being epic and I’m racking up guest posts instead of doing a generic ‘Book is Live’. Which means:
Let me know if you want to host me for a December Guest post!
With so much attention being put on the finale, I didn’t really think of much to do for Path of the Traitors. Partially because they’re close release dates and my promotion funds are getting low. I want to save enough to go out with a bang in December, which means I’m skipping some of the pay-for sites that didn’t make an impact with Ritual of the Lost Lamb. Fingers crossed that this opens the door at least. Hard to tell since I know a lot of people are simply waiting for the final book before touching the series. Still, I hope this book finds a Top 100 list like the previous 13 even though I’m not battling scammers along with legitimate authors.
Protecting Bedlam and Raven’s Dawn
This is a fairly minor point, but Protecting Bedlamwill have its final entry on Thursday. Once that’s done, you’ll have to wait and see if I publish something next year with Cassidy and Lloyd. People seemed to like the blog story and it got some sales near the beginning, but the summer slump killed that momentum. With money being low, I’m left wondering what to do here. I could edit and publish Derailing Bedlam next February with barely any promoting or going only for free stuff. I could also push it back a year since I’ll be just coming off the exhaustion of finishing Legends of Windemere. Guess I have time to figure things out.
On the heels of this story comes the third volume of the Raven Series, which I’ve done throughout October since 2015. This is a horror story that I never had the confidence to publish, but people liked me using October to do a day-by-day chapter section until the whole thing was done. It fits the Halloween theme and people have enjoyed it so far. As usual, it will run from October 1st to October 31st and it will be raw instead of edited.
October Posts
Monster Maker has been set up, so thank you to the volunteers. Same goes for the Windemere Monster poll with Eusu, Calicos, Undead, and Chimeras winning the four Wednesday slots. This leaves me with Monday, which I considered leaving alone because of the Raven story. Then I tried to think of a way to promote Path of the Traitors with a Halloween twist and came up with nothing. After that, I realized that I had something planned for mid-November that depended on October Mondays being open. So, while it isn’t Halloween-y, I will be posting a ‘Question Request’ post for 6 Mondays in a row in order to set up the kick-off to the Legends finale hype. This will be an interview with each of the six champions, so I hope people will get involved.
War of Nytefall
Even though it’s my new project, Clyde’s first adventure is coming in low on the list. I wrote up 4 of the 18 chapters and am getting a feel for the characters. Mab is a little happier and playful than she is in The Mercenary Prince, which means something bad is going to happen. The action is bloody and violent, but not to the point of Bedlam. I would place it in the middle. Although, there are points where the gore is done in a comedic way that doesn’t even kill a character. Spoiler there if you couldn’t guess. My worry that Clyde wouldn’t come out right is dwindling. He isn’t the cold-hearted and cruel bastard I imagined. He’s friendly and loyal to his friends, which I did plan. He cracks more jokes and uses sarcasm more than I expected. Clyde and Mab also have some ‘former flame’ squabbles, which is proving that I can’t do anything without adding humor into it. I’m curious to see how it all turns out, but it’s going to be slow going.
Life
The gradual progress is primarily because things happen. My parents came back from Spain this week, so the noise levels are back up. I’m driven back into my room or I risk interruptions at the dining room table. Hopefully, the chaos is only this week and things will settle down next week. Except that my son gets Thursday and Friday off for Rosh Hashana. On the plus side, Path of the Traitors will be published and the promos will be out by then. Very good since I’ll be away tomorrow with a family gathering. Given the tradition of me either getting sick or hurt after a debut, I’m worried about what will happen. It’s apple picking, which makes me think a tree will fall on me. That or I’ll eat one with the juiciest worm I’ve ever seen.
Goals for the week?
Publish and promote Path of the Traitors
Write more of War of Nytefall: Loyalty
Prepare the Question Request posts for the champion interviews
Bring son to martial arts
Family time
Cook dinners without falling asleep on stove
Read more One Piece
Stop forgetting that this is basically a 3-day work week for me
Shake fist at squirrels that keep dropping acorns on my car
You’re among the first to know about this
Westben Theatre – Photo by Michel Proulx
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