That’s Great, but That Guy Thinks You Suck

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First, we all know that you can’t please everybody.  That’s not what this brief post is about.

When writing a new book, I think back to critical reviews to help me refine what I’m doing.  I’m not perfect, so I need to learn from mistakes that people point out.  Yet, this can get very confusing at times.  As someone who uses a lot of dialogue in place of informational narration, I get the ‘too much unnecessary talking’ complaint a lot.  I also get people that love the character interaction and that they’re hearing about information instead of being told it by a phantom figure.  Present tense factors in here, so I can only do so much in terms of narrative information.  To me, it feels strange to read as events unfold, but take a big break from events to explain the history and culture of an area.  It splinters the flow of action and this is not what I meant to talk about.

I run into an issue of getting scared that I’m using too much dialogue.  I try to put blocks of action and inner thoughts in there, but a lot of what is going on are characters talking while trying to figure something out.  I know fantasy has a tradition of phrases like ‘they discussed it at length and agreed on this course of action’.  It’s a very clean way to avoid conversations and get right to the action, but it also leaves me wondering how that talk went.  Were there arguments, hurt feelings, or jokes?  This is my personal issue with the ‘time passes’ tool used in mid-chapter because I feel it can sometimes eliminate a chance for characters to connect.  So, it gets disconcerting when I’m writing and one of my main areas of development seems to be a hindrance.  Plague of the Present Tense?  Possibly, but I wonder if other people do this too.

Again, I know we can’t please everyone, but how do we grow when there are two opposing camps on our abilities?  Do we side with the ones that say we’re good or change what we do to satisfy the ones that have issues?  I know one has to stay try to their own style, but the human brain can get scrambled rather easily.

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Beyond Darkness: Shattered is HERE!

IT IS HERE!

Sarah M. Cradit's avatar...and then there was Sarah

The long anticipated novella sequel to The Storm and the Darkness is now available across most major online retailers!

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Coming Soon: Itunes, Sony, Diesel

Anasofiya Deschanel fled to Maine to escape her mistakes. She learned quickly, and violently, you cannot run from what’s inside you.

Following a series of unfortunate events, Ana finds herself drowning in the consequences of actions which left her heart cruelly divided between the St. Andrews brothers. Jon’s embrace of darkness soon turns to dangerous cruelty, while Finn’s kind heart offers a promise of love she does not feel she deserves. Between all three of them lies a secret with the potential to change everything.

When the truth comes crashing down, Ana is forced to face the same demons she once ran from. As she learns more about who she is, and the situation she’s created, these realizations drive her…

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Add some steam to your Heart Day

Find something steamy at Harlequin. (For my comic book friends, that’s not Harley Quinn.)

Ionia Froment's avatarreadful things blog

Whether you love or hate this Lover’s day, Harlequin has something exciting for you to read. Take a moment and browse, you might just find some spice, some romance, some entertainment:) Also check out the Valentine’s reads below.

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Trinity: Magical Rival and Queen of Pain

By Kayla Matt

By Kayla Matt

Trinity, Queen of the Chaos Elves, is the major rival for Nyx and matches her enemy in both power and cunning. The big difference is that Trinity has been through a lot more hardship than Nyx, so she has a higher pain threshold.  She also has an easier time drawing from the depths of desperation and fighting like a cornered beast.  In truth, she’s probably tougher than Nyx and willing to go further for victory, which gives her an advantage.  To this end, her themes depend a lot on her willpower and ability to take punishment.

Other Side of the Coin

It is mentioned in the third book that Trinity could have been Nyx if she was born differently.  This is an idea that she uses to mess with her rival by playing on Nyx’s more sensitive side.  Yet, it is the truth.  Nyx was fortunate enough to grow up in Rainbow Tower where she was loved and groomed to be a hero.  Trinity was born on the dark continent of Shayd where she struggled and did whatever it took to survive.  So, there is almost a mirror effect when they face each other.  Trinity sees what she could have been in Nyx, which makes her both hate and respect her.  It creates an odd dynamic when they fight because there’s a resistance to striking that final blow.  Trinity also refuses to let anyone else finish Nyx off, so one has to wonder what the final battle is going to be over and how it will work.

Defiance

A major part of Trinity’s personality is remaining defiant in the face of terrible trauma.  It will be revealed that a lot of horrible things happened as she grew up.  This is where she gets some of her strength and coldness.  As caring as she is toward certain people, Trinity finds it disturbingly easy to slip into the role of cold-hearted killer.  It’s one of the scarier things about her at times because she rarely shows guilt when she takes a life.

Queen of the Fallen

It is made clear rather quickly that the chaos elves have a deep love for Trinity and she cares deeply for her people.  In fact, the true villain of the series has the entire race under his thumb.  They live in poverty on Shayd and are seen as expendable with hints that it was actually worse before Trinity took the throne.  She is a villain because she fears that her people would be wiped out if she went against her master.  There are moments where she demands to be punished alongside or in place of her agents, which makes her the most noble and human of the villains.  It also turns her into a rather tragic character whose story I’m looking forward to flushing out as the series progresses.

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The Same Message as Last Year (You’ve Been Warned)

For anyone who joined my blog after Valentine’s Day last year, you’re probably going to be surprised by this one.  Mostly because of what it says, but a few might be annoyed that I never bothered to edit it.  So, here’s my message from last year:

Grumpy cat valentine (Yahoo Image Search)

Grumpy cat valentine (Yahoo Image Search)

(Controversial personal opinion ahead!  You’ve been warned!)

I never really got into this holiday even when I got a girlfriend/wife.  Prior to the girlfriend/wife, I simply didn’t care. After the girlfriend/wife entered the scene, I realized something: I STILL didn’t care.  I didn’t need a day to tell me to be romantic because I liked being spontaneous.  For a few years, we exchanged video games on this day, but that stopped when she figured out that I was playing them more than her.  Nowadays, we do the cards and whatever else we feel like doing, but it’s really just another day to me.  Also, I have this to say to Valentine’s Day:

STOP MAKING MY SINGLE FRIENDS SAD!

I spend a lot of time consoling them on this day because the truth is that this day isn’t only about the loved one that will let you see her/him naked.  Correction: see and do things to them when naked.  Remember when we were kids and you brought a Valentine’s Day card for everyone in the class?  That’s what this damn holiday should be, but greedy bastards corrupted it into this Hallmark holiday.  It’s rather sickening (hence why I’m listening to Disturbed Theory of a Deadman in 2014) and is downright mean at times.  I know many people who are single are going to say that I can talk because I ‘have somebody’ and some taken people are going to be angry that I’m stomping on their only chance to get free chocolate.  So, here’s a message to each group:

To My Single Friends

Don’t feel bad on this day because it’s really nothing special.  We’re made to think it’s special by corporations that want to make money.  Think about it and you’ll realize that you’re not really alone.  You have friends, family, pets, internet friends, and any number of people who care about you.  This ‘holiday’ is about treasuring all of your relationships and I’m using the term ‘holiday’ very loosely.  If you want to be someone’s Valentine then I’ll do the job because I hate how this ‘holiday’ makes people depressed.

Besides, you don’t have to struggle to find the perfect card and waste money on a gift that will never see enough use to make it worth the price.  Look at the crap we have to buy on this holiday: cards that get tossed by the end of the month, chocolates that get eaten within in a week, flowers that die a slow death, and jewelry that is so insanely priced that you have to cry in the bathroom before giving it to her.  This is all for a single day of saying ‘I care about you’.  It’s cheaper to say it.  So, you guys really aren’t missing anything, no matter what the commercials and your friends tell you.  They’re fucking wrong on this one.  Enjoy your ability to save money on a pathetic holiday while it lasts and realize that you really aren’t alone.

To My Taken Friends

If you desperately need this one day to say ‘I love you’ then you should evaluate your relationship.  This is a day that takes advantage of you because it assumes you aren’t romantic at any other point in the year. You’re tricked into thinking this is a day to focus entirely on your loved one because this is the day of love.  Honestly, it’s a holiday were a Greek God (or is Eros the Greek version?) is used in conjunction with a Saint.  That should tell you something isn’t kosher with this.  I’m not saying you should ignore the holiday, but don’t treat it like the be all, end all of romance.  Save your money and romantic ideas for birthdays, anniversaries, and days where your loved one has no fucking clue it’s coming.  Unless he/she has a bad heart then you might want to avoid that last option and sex altogether.

I get that you’re happy and you want to spread your happiness, but some people have to be careful how you do it on this day.  There is a fine line between declaring your love for someone and rubbing it in someone else’s face.  This line becomes very thin on Valentine’s Day and it’s really bad thanks to the internet.  If you have to send a public Facebook message of love to a person you’re going to see later that day then you’re not really being romantic.  You’re being kind of a dick to everyone else who has to see it.  Yeah, I’m getting a little angry here, but I’m tired of feeling like a spectator to other people’s declarations.

I’m pretty sure I’m pissing people off with this, but I really, really hate this pointless holiday.  If you only say ‘I love you’ to your loved ones on Valentine’s Day then you’re an asshole who needs to be smacked every other day of the year.  You love and care about the people around you beyond this day.  Again, I remember when I was a kid and the true spirit of Valentine’s Day was celebrated because we had yet to be corrupted.  We appreciated every classmate and friend, regardless of gender and closeness.  So,

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY TO EVERY FUCKING PERSON THAT I HAVE EVER FUCKING MET!  *holds up his beer to the screen and chugs*

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Red Clay and Roses for Less Than a Dollar!

Take advantage of a 2 week sale of ‘Red Clay & Roses’! On sale now for 99 CENTS!!!

S.K. Nicholls's avatarS.K. Nicholls

There is a fancy word for S.K. Nicholls’ novel; “Red Clay and Roses” is a roman à clef. (pronounced romanaclay) This is what I refer to as Faction, or a fictionalized true story. If you have been curious about this impressive literary work, gather up your pennies and head on over to Amazon or Smashwordsand buy your copy today for 99 cents for the full sized novel.

That’s right, 99 pennies!

Never before offered at this easily affordable price,

“Red Clay and Roses” is now on sale!

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A kickoff for a two week long sale, the novel will be featured on Ereader News Today in the category of literary fiction starting tomorrow.

Unique in that it crosses genres of Historical Fiction and Literary Fiction we decided to promote in the Literary Fiction category for this sale and hope to sell a few books.

Actually,

Our hope is…

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Letting Go is LIVE!

Live and just in time for Valentine’s Day!

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Fear of Life

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No risk
Every shaking step
Along the narrow path
Full of comfort
Where you feel you survive
Yet something dies
The inner heat
A desire to reach high
Smothered
As time marches on
And not a chance is taken

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Fear of Death

Grim Reaper from Castlevania

Grim Reaper from Castlevania

Our feared companion
Always by our side
Driving humanity to greatness

We attempt to thwart him
Extending our breath
To keep his scythe at bay

A constant chill
When we imagine our legacy
Worried what we leave behind

Will we be remembered great
Or a failure of our kind
That is if we are known at all

Death strikes fear in our hearts
Not only for our loss of life
But for the end of all our dreams

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Fear

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The darkest depths of the mind are my playgrounds

I am omnipotent

Spiders, heights, and death are my faithful minions

I am everlasting

Both strong and weak fall before me

I am destructive

My power will consume the cosmos

I am unbeatable

This world would be nothing without me

I AM FEAR

 

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