If you read the cool comments under my posts, you may remember a dialogue I had with author M T McGuire, where I offered her a guest post spot if she’d share her experience making her book, F…
Source: My Permafree Experience: a Guest Post by M T McGuire
Scooby and Shaggy
In Tribe of the Snow Tiger, the champions are divided into two groups. One goes with Timoran to his homeland and a smaller one goes to the southern jungle. Anyone who finished reading The Mercenary Prince knows the situation. Needless to say, it’s a bit of a mess and headache . . . for the author.
I’ve had to do balancing acts between characters before, but this one was a bit different. The smaller adventure will lead into events for Book 11 instead of closing up with the main story. Not the nicest thing to do to readers, but it was the only way to get both stories told without squishing and rushing. There was always a question about if I should hamper one tale to salvage the other or injure both. A ridiculous question that I thankfully answered with none of the above. I had to develop a few tricks that might come in handy for other authors that find themselves in a similar situation.
Now, I know this is a dangerous thing to do because there is a current hatred toward cliffhangers. Seems a lot of people don’t want to be left in suspense when it comes to stories. At least a vocal minority. That’s the risk an author has to take in a series when facing a situation like this. The alternative is to cripple one tale and clog the other or simply leave out the smaller story entirely. Personally, I’d find that second option to be awkward when you reach the events the smaller one was aiming for. You have to explain everything that happened off-camera, which can result in info dumps. In the end, a risk will be taken no matter what. Guess all I can really do is brace myself and hope the adventures are gripping.
I did really enjoy creating the Judges.
Yesterday was a big family day in that I had to go to New Jersey for a birthday party and then it was back to New York for more family time. Needless to say, I’m exhausted, which seems to work since this was the last big family event for a while. April and May are peppered with birthdays, so getting a new project done is rarely possible. I didn’t even try, which isn’t entirely true. I was going to start Book 14 in May and that never happened because of the Tribe of the Snow Tiger stuff. Should be finishing the final edits this weekend and then just need the cover art.
Life is going to be getting even odder around here. Both parents have retired, which means they’re going to be home all day. Unless they do a spontaneous trip and I have to scramble for a dinner idea. Might stock up on ‘dinner for 2’ stuff in case of emergencies like they head out and I get lazy. Good to hear that they are going to be remaining active though. Always a worry for the retiree and those around them in that regards. Need to stay physically and mentally engaged to stay healthy.
That brings us to my health and I’ve only got one doctor left to go. That cardiologist visit keeps running into roadblocks. I should have it done by this week along with a haircut. Not at the same time unless that’s a service I stumble into. The heart is okay aside from a tiny thing, but better safe than sorry. Another organ is going to need some TLC, but no diabetes, obscene cholesterol levels, or growths. Exercise and making the diet healthier are already underway. I sense that I’ve opened myself to suggestions. Excuse me while I grab a wiffle bat in preparation. Waffle bat, autocorrect?
One of the things I have to do is start looking for a new Legends of Windemere cover artist to see if I can still release Book 11 in late August/early September. The cardiologist thing might alter my timing on that because that takes precedence and my Tuesday has already been consumed. Aiming to do a phone call or email on Wednesday to the first suggestion. To say I’m nervous is an understatement. I think it’s more that I know people are going to pounce when the change happens. Something that gets forgotten is that it isn’t easy changing a cover. That takes time and means the release is delayed, especially if the person helping has a main job and the art is a side one. So the nerves are a little twitchy on this one. I’d like for the new ones not to be compared to the old, but that might be unavoidable. Big thing is for me to happy with it though. Fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly.
I’m really hoping to start a simple project instead of a novel while the family transitions into the new norm. Probably means Book 14 is pushed back to June. That or I’ll tackle the next Bedlam book around that time. Depends on my mood because Legends of Windemere has gotten heavy as it nears the end, but Bedlam will always have a level of humor that makes me smile. Like Lloyd asking a bald guy if the carpet matches the drapes or Cassidy developing her own sense of humor to counter Lloyd. She’s going to be more of a reactionary quipster than a crazy joke/reference flinger.
Anyway, I think I’ll use my current dark mood to my advantage. Dawn Addison will be returning in a new story come October. I know it’s odd to put a 31 part book on a blog, but I’m simply not confident enough in the genre to charge money. Maybe far down the road, I’ll take the Raven books off the blog and sell them as a bundle. Think the most I can do with this series is 4, but it will always feel like an experiment to me. Not the best endorsement from the author, but I have so many high pressure projects that making Dawn and Ichabod more laid back might be better for my health. Both could end up getting compilations in a few years, but that’s a bridge I haven’t built yet. Right now, Dawn can claim October and Ichabod can show up whenever I have a story for him.
So, what’s the plan for the week?
I am giving away eBook copies of my short story collection, Random Tales, on Amazon. You can pick up a copy by clicking HERE.
Crazy you say? Well maybe. I wanted to give potential readers a way to sample my writing without a huge investment. The cover for the collection is clickable and is shown below:
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00054]](https://legendsofwindemere.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/front-cover-random-tales2.jpg?w=189&h=300)
Here is a description of each of the stories:
The short story, Heal Thyself, holds a special place in my heart. It was the result of my first serious attempt at writing. It was the first short story that I completed and had published. I remember when I heard back from ‘Down In The Dirt’ magazine that they wanted to publish my…
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Skull Island from King Kong
Surprisingly, I’ve never had the champions go to the jungle region of Ralian. This biome is more common in the Cerascent region, but there is a big one on the southwestern section of Ralian. It has the desert on one border, the forest on another, and the oceans on the others. To be honest, this place will be more important in Book 11, but some heroes will be exploring in Tribe of the Snow Tiger. I’ll get more into how to write divided groups of heroes in the next post. This is all about the jungles.
Trading happens along the coast, which is difficult to penetrate due to the dense trees and the river mouths being too narrow for large ships. So there are coastal towns for this as well as locals that will take their small boats out to the traders. It’s never for money, but supplies that they can’t find in the jungle. A lot of the local economy involves fishing and tropical fruits, but there are a few tribes that barter in furs and meat. The food from the jungle is considered a delicacy and tends to be reserved for nobles.
There is no cohesive government in the southern jungle because it is divided up by several tribes. Scent markers, warning signs, and other clear markers are arranged around the borders. Some tribes have treaties and will cross over to do business or share in a holiday to solidify the peace. Others are always trying to find ways to take over the region, but they rarely take action beyond a few border raids. A big reason for this is that there are various beings that step in whenever one group gets too strong. Some people believe they are fairies while others think they are ghosts. Either way, it makes the tribes rein in their ambition and settle for a few steps here and there. Scattered temples to these guardians and neutral towns have been established to retain some level of civility.
Beyond the tribe system, there isn’t much else to tell about the southern jungle. It’s humid, filled with dangerous beasts, hides a network of rivers, and tends to be isolated from most global events. The big wars have passed it by as well as any advances in technology and magic. Only the borders have been influenced slightly by outsiders, but not enough to change the society. The locals simply have no interest in changing because of their environment. To them, a gnome-made machine will damage the trees or get stuck in the vines and heavy armor would be useless in the year-long humidity. Perhaps the only thing they indulge in are foreign foods, drinks, and jewelry. Beyond that, the tribes are content to live their simple lives.
You may have noticed that this region is simply called the southern jungle. Since the region isn’t claimed by a kingdom or single tribe, it doesn’t have a solid name. Most of the tribes will call the jungle by their name or some version of ‘home’. They are more concerned with territory than the overall region and outsiders have taken to simply calling it ‘the southern jungle’. Not an original name since it’s the only jungle region on Ralian and it’s in the south. Still, not many have bothered to change it. Those that have were conquering warlords who discovered that the local wildlife aren’t friendly to the blindly ambitious.
I am giving away eBook copies of my short story collection, Random Tales, on Amazon. You can pick up a copy by clicking HERE.
Crazy you say? Well maybe. I wanted to give potential readers a way to sample my writing without a huge investment. The cover for the collection is clickable and is shown below:
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00054]](https://legendsofwindemere.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/front-cover-random-tales1.jpg?w=189&h=300)
Here is a description of each of the stories:
The short story, Heal Thyself, holds a special place in my heart. It was the result of my first serious attempt at writing. It was the first short story that I completed and had published. I remember when I heard back from ‘Down In The Dirt’ magazine that they wanted to publish my story. I received no money…
View original post 919 more words
The Newsman from The Muppet Show
So, I’ve been dancing around this little tidbit and wondering when I should mention what’s going on. After all, it’s been a while since I released a Legends of Windemere book and I keep doing my ‘hope to release’ statement. At this point, I’m just going to say it’ll be released when it does and hope anyone who volunteers to help with the promo is still willing to. Feel free to volunteer, drop out, or whatever it is you need to do in the comments.
Now for the big news:
I was going to mention this during a cover reveal, but I don’t think it can wait. Legends of Windemere: Tribe of the Snow Tiger (Book 10 of the series) will be the last cover from Jason. His schedule is too busy with his tattoo job, which is his main job. We tried to get things to work, it didn’t, and he contacted me saying that he has to bow out once this next cover is done. Fully understand because the main job comes first. Happy and really appreciate that he made it to the double digits and looking forward to the final work. The scene he talked to me about sounds epic.
What does this mean for Books 11-15?
Obviously, a new cover artist will have to be found and I’m going to be trying to contact one suggestion next week. Jason has been doing the covers since the beginning, so I’m going to have a challenge ahead of me. Changing a cover style confuses people because they think it’s a different series. Remember when the cover style changed between Allure of the Gypsies and Family of the Tri-Rune?
Yeah. That caused people to think it was a new series. So Book 11 is going to have an interesting debut. This is another reason I have to be careful in picking someone to make the new covers. Nobody can copy Jason and I wouldn’t want that. Yet, I probably should find somebody who is similar in style and vision. I know that I’m a lot more flexible than some readers when it comes to this. I want the cover to look good and be eye-catching, which doesn’t always match between me and readers. With 5 books to go, we’ll have to see what happens.
Anyway, that’s the situation right now. This and other 2016 events have caused the delay, which I do apologize for. Let’s end on another important note:
Cover Art by Jason Pedersen
3D Conversion by Bestt_graphics
Code of Chivalry
Luke Callindor– Not really sure what I’m reading here. Some of these things make sense, but . . . What does it mean by ‘Arts are the food of the chivalrous?’
Nyx– I think it means to enjoy the arts. This seems like a code of conduct for noblemen or warriors.
Sari– Guess that means I don’t have to listen to it. Three cheers for thief types! Woo!
Nyx– Put the booze down, little sister. We should get to that question at the top. I think honor is very important for adventurers. Though it seems to be defined differently for each person.
Delvin Cunningham– Good point. Being a mercenary, honor isn’t always part of the job unless you’re in a position to being picky. That takes a while and maintaining any sense of honor is tough at the start.
Luke– Even if you come from Selenia’s school?
Delvin– That helps, but it doesn’t mean you get to act spoiled and turn your nose up at jobs from the beginning. At least being an adventurer, you get to maintain a constant sense of honor.
Timoran Wrath– That is not always the case. An adventurer’s lack of affiliation means that they can get hired for more despicable jobs. For example, hiring one to be an assassin would leave less of an organizational trail than if you hired a mercenary or guild thief. You cannot lock down a wandering adventurer.
Sari– You really think there’s a lot of honor among thieves? Not really. It’s very fluid in that world. Sure, gypsies are loyal to family, but we’ll turn on an outsider if they tried to turn us against our loved ones.
Nyx– That’s more common than you think. Honor seems so fragile at times. You develop it without realizing it, but one misstep can shatter your code.
Luke– Not everyone is like that. Some people have to work really hard to be honorable, so it isn’t as hard-wired as you think. Also, it’s definitely possible to recover broken honor through acts of redemption.
Timoran– Very true, my friend. My people have various trials for those who wish to regain their honor. Though certain crimes result in execution or exile.
Delvin– Being from a warrior culture, I’m sure honor is very important. The code you follow becomes intertwined with loyalty, which is needed on the battlefield. I hate to admit it, but I don’t really think about honor too often. I do what I feel is right for myself and my friends.
Sari– So, are you saying that people are inherently honorable or dishonorable?
Timoran– I hate to say yes, but that is the case with some people. The concept of honor is dependent on instinct, culture, upbringing, and so many factors that one cannot put more than a personal definition to it. Some pieces will carry over from one explanation to another, but the nuances will be different.
Luke– Guess this discussion could go around until we pass out.
Timoran– This is why my people have such discussions over food and drink. Eventually, we agree to disagree and enjoy the company.
Nyx– I think I’m really going to like being in Stonehelm.
