Sleep is Over-rated

So I can't sleep. It happens. When it does, my mind tends to wander toward my writing. Tonight, it didn't land on a book, but rather on a concept; neglect.

This word brought about two very different topics within two very different books of mine. The first is Mage of Chaos, Book 1 of #ShadowGodsSeries and the characters of Dohan and Jayk. Within the pages of the novel, Dohan sees a lot of himself within the young mage, Jayk. But he also sees things he doesn't like. Things like hatred and revenge. Dohan doesn't want Jayk to follow in his footsteps so he wants Jayk's mentor to also become his friend. However, within the book I never specifically cover this and within a few moments of lying in bed staring at the wall, if figured out where I could insert this concept. Thus my night of none sleep has turned into a night of editing and writing.

The second book where the word neglect fits is in The Burden of Immortality. Now, I just finished a rewrite of the first two chapters within the book and am currently republishing, but if I had one word which describes the main character's childhood, it would be neglect. Of course, I never use that word within the book, but its fitting. In fact, to describe it best I would have to say that Drazan is like a broken toy which sits neglected in the corner and not even worth the effort of throwing away. Now take yourself and view it from Drazan's perspective. How would it feel to see your parents shun you, neglect you, dismiss you for your whole life? It would make me angry, fill me with hatred, and probably turn my attitude against myself. After all, for them to reject me would mean that there has to be something wrong with me. And this is pretty much how Drazan feels within the opening of the story.

And now that I've done my editing and writing for the night, I think it might be time to give sleep another try. Good night all. Sweet Dreams.

A New Burden

After some feedback on my novel The Burden of Immortality, I've decided to do a bit of editing/re-writing. Though the feedback was never intended for this, it made me rethink the ending of the book and how the beginning does not clearly reflect the importance the main character's parents play in his life and ultimately his selection and decision at the end. Now I don't want to give the story-line away, but the re-write (though not complete) does shift the emphasis of the first chapter on his feelings toward his childhood (which is crucial). Because that first chapter has changed completely, I now have to review and rewrite parts of the second as well as other spots throughout the book. Overall, I think it will be better for the story and, as much as I dislike editing, I'm intrigued by the possibility of expressing more feeling within the pages. Wish me luck.

On another note, I've still been working on editing Mage of Chaos of my epic fantasy series #ShadowGodsSeries as well as reaching over 30,000 words in Opal, the seventh book within the #StoneVengeanceSeries. As for the story, its about discovery, revelations, and sacrifice while providing differing views on the same. And as with most of my novels, there are hidden meaning within the word which reflect upon life (if you look for them).

What I have not been working on is Child of Need, a stand-alone book of which I'm halfway through completing. I have been considering the ending along with the next chapter(s), but I'm just not feeling the story right now. If I had more time to write, to really put time into completing one or all of my current projects, I might actually receive a sense of accomplishment. But that's not happening. Instead, I feel as if the holidays have put a damper on my true desires. Maybe in January I can make some real progress.

Until then, I want to wish everyone Happy Holidays and have an excellent New Year. Cheers!!!!

Something New

It's been a while since I posted something, but its not for lack of writing. I've actually been writing a lot. In fact, I'm 30,000 words into the next of the Stone Vengeance series, Opal. I've also been doing a little bit of writing in Valhalla and editing the first book of my Shadow Gods series. Still, I'm not as far along with the editing as I'd like to be. My mind is full of plans, but my fingers can't keep up and the holiday season does cut into what little time I do have for writing. These may be excuses, but they're truthful ones.

Now I mention Valhalla, but not the story. So here's the introduction. Enjoy the possibilities:

In the year 2028, the cost of just the prisoners on ‘death row’ rose into the hundreds of millions. Prisoners without the chance of parole brought that number into the tens of billions. And prisoners with sentences of over 25 years or more escalated the cost into the trillions. Due to this, Congress mandated the creation of Valhalla; a prisoner run facility anchored in the north Atlantic.

In all, five deep-sea oil-drilling platforms were used in the creation of Valhalla. Four platforms were anchored around a center platform and tied together by structural steel beneath the water’s surface. Also deep below the water were tidal current power generators which provided basic heat, lighting, and desalinization units for fresh water. Those mechanical components were housed in a sealed off level and are only accessible from a water level door available during low tide. Above the mechanical level were five levels of prisoner quarters. Between the four prisoner platforms, a total of 5000 prisoner could be housed.

As far as other supplies, every week helicopters flew in crates of food which were dropped on the center platform which was just like a flat table except with guide lights for visibility. Only after the supplies were dropped and the cable retrieved, were the remote-controlled retractable bridges from each of the four surrounding platforms extended allowing the prisoners to reach their food and blankets. New prisoners were also delivered to the facility in the same manner.

In the beginning the facility was stocked to its maximum capacity of five thousand prisoners and was continually restocked every week as prisoner gangs formed and died. Initially Valhalla was meant for only the worst criminals within the system, but after repeated studies indicated rehabilitation was unlikely to occur after twenty-five years of imprisonment, it became the home of many a repeat offender. Within the first year of operations, prisons started running out of prisoners to send to Valhalla. From that point on, the prison populations on Valhalla steadily dropped by the hundreds until approximately only five hundred prisoners remained alive.

It was then deemed supply runs to Valhalla occurred on a monthly basis instead of weekly.  That was three years ago. It was also at this point everyone started realizing there were no life sentences on Valhalla, only death sentences.

Hades is OUT!

In the middle of editing Mage of Chaos: Book 1 of the Shadow Gods series, I received the final edits on Hades. Surprisingly, there were fewer edits than I initially thought there would be. I only had to re-write two paragraphs and make a few minor corrections. Within a couple hours I had completed the edits, did a review, and then formatted for publishing. Now it's out at both Amazon and Barnes&Noble. Hades is the forth novel of the Stone Vengeance series and the sixth book in the world of Jeremiah Stone. Since the book was on my mind, I wrote some more within the next novel in the series, Opal.

The difference with Opal is that the book takes place in the future. So far I've had a great time designing what the future holds and its not a normal extension of our current existence. As always, I take a thought to an extreme and then determine how to make it plausible. Usually I do this with characters, but this time I did it with the world. It's been amazing to picture a possible future from a series of events and ensure everything fits together seamlessly. I've done a pretty good job of it so far, but there are gaps and holes I have yet to completely fill in or even think of. However, I do have the next chapter or two figured out and my word count is already around 14,000. I've also figured out an ending (of sorts), though it may change to a mid-point climax.

All this work on Opal, however, is distraction me from editing my series, but I'm moving on that also. As most writers do, I multitask my books. Right now, both Opal and Mage of Chaos are a priority and I work on the one which suits my mood. Hopefully, you will enjoy both in the near future.

You can find all my books here: http://www.amazon.com/S.-Scott-Twigg/e/B007H3TEG4/

Editing and Writing

If you're following this blog, then you know I've taken on the task of editing my big series, Shadow Gods. With over a million words in it across 9 books, its quite the undertaking. Though I've only begun, I've found it both easy and difficult. For example, a majority of the writing is well done and only needs a slight change here and there. However, there are certain paragraphs which need to be completely re-written because my writing style has changed, the context and content has changed, and I'm trying to make the entire story flow better. These small sections are taking days to fix. In a way, I've bitten off quite a bit, but I have no choice. This is my Mona Lisa, so I want it to be as good as I can get it. I also don't want to remove any of the 'Easter Eggs' which will be explained later in the series. I do love my twists.

All this editing becomes tedious at times, so I have not put away my other projects, namely Ascension and Opal (book 5 of the Stone Vengeance series). I did put them down, but not completely as I put a few pages into Opal this past weekend. The challenge I'm finding, which is also intriguing to me, is how technology in the near future might change and how society might change with it. I still haven't figured out everything, not even close, but I am getting a better feel for the story as I begin to piece together the first few chapters. Here's a sample -

The constant buzzing of flies filled the air around the grizzly, sickly red scene. To look upon the mass of bodies and scattered heads made bile rise within Lt. Brim Thomas’ throat which he choked down with effort. He wasn’t used to this, but who could be. Then, with a glance at the other policemen around, he thought maybe the forensic unit was able to detach themselves from it all, but for him the brutal loss of life was staggering. At first glance, it was hard to tell where one body ended and another began. It was nothing like he’d ever seen before and he hoped he’d never see it again. Turning away from it all, his shoes rebelled as the sticky, dying blood held him in place a little longer. Staying here, however, was something his stomach couldn’t tolerate.

Taking twenty paces at an even stride, Brim walked away while regaining his composure before reaching the one eye witness they had to the slaughter. He found it odd that this dumpy, middle-aged man was even here to begin with, let alone had survived it. However, he understood why the man was still shaking even though it’d been an hour since the massacre. Just how the man was going to live through the nightmares of this night was something Brim didn’t want to think about. He only wanted answers and this man was going to give them to him. “What’s your name?” he asked as he looked down upon the man sitting on the curb.

Lifting his trembling eyes, the man took in all of the lieutenant before answering. “Simon Garring.”

“So tell me, Simon, what happened?” Brim asked, not beating around the bush, only to see the man quiver at the thought of explaining the events which had taken place. “Just take it slow and it’ll be okay.”

The man eyes fell to the pavement as a half-hearted chuckle lifted his shoulders for a second. Then dread entered the man’s voice as he responded. “You ever have that awkward feeling of showing up to a party and everyone knows the host except you? That’s how I felt when he showed up.”

“When who showed up?” Brim questioned.

“The devil,” the man replied before lifting his eyes to meet Brim’s.

In that gaze, Brim saw the depth of the man’s fear. There was no doubt within Brim’s mind that Simon wasn’t exaggerating the truth. In fact, Brim wondered if a worse word could’ve been used had the man’s vocabulary been larger. But before he could discount the man’s choice of descriptors, Simon continued.

“I was new, my first night. I wasn’t even indoctrinated yet. Maybe…maybe that’s what saved my life.”

Puzzlement filled Brim’s thoughts as he realized Simon wasn’t a bystander, but actually one of these men. He thought to question this, probe deeper, but waited as more words spilled forth from the witness.

“Or maybe because I was the only one without a gun, though that wouldn’t have helped me. It didn’t help any of my brothers,” Simon stated without turning his head toward the masses of dead.

“Your brothers?” Brim interrupted, not understanding the reference only to have Simon lift his head to meet his gaze.

“The Luminaries? From the Church of Light.”

Suddenly, the light bulb clicked on for Brim, bringing forth a hundred other questions. “You’re a priest? You were all priests?”

“Yes.”

With his brow furling, Brim continued in disbelief. “Then why the guns?”

“The church has enemies; lots of enemies.”

Of course, Brim knew this. Everyone in the world knew this. Since its inception nearly twenty years ago, the Church of Light had gone against Catholicism. In doing so, it created a backlash of terror which exposed Christianity as being intolerant and, at the very core, violent. Thousands died around the world, but in the end the Church of Light came away stronger than ever as those dedicate to His Holiness, the Pope, fell into disgrace. Since those first years, a silent war of attrition between the two factions of God had divided earth’s population. But now, the Church of Light reigned supreme whereas Christianity became a shadow of its former self.

Going back to the man’s initial statement, Brim refocused his witness. “You say the devil did this; so tell me exactly what happened?”

“We were just gathering. It was supposed to be my initiation, my Rising into the Light, when the street lights flickered. In that moment, the devil appeared in the middle of us,” Simon answered, his breathing starting to elevate as his pulse quickened. “I didn’t know who or what it was at first, but upon seeing it all my brothers took a step back. Some started to raise their guns, others screamed out warnings, but…but it was already too late. Like a lawnmower trimming grass, he swept through us. In less than a second, everyone was dead.”

And that's it for today... #ShadowGodsSeries #StoneVengeanceSeries

Exposure

Just a quick note on a few things going on.

First, I've seriously started editing my series and am about 50 pages into the first book of nine. For the most part, the editing is going well with not as many errors as I expected. However, about once a chapter I run into a paragraph which needs to be rewritten and it takes a lot longer than expected. I've also noticed my writing style is slightly different, my vocabulary has expanded, and my punctuation is improved.

Secondly, I've completely put away the other books I'm writing. So the fifth book of the Stone Vengeance series - on hold. Child of Need - on hold. Dream Savior - on hold. Ascension - on hold. As for Hades, the fourth book of the Stone Vengeance series, I'm still waiting on edits back for it. Once I get those then I will indeed edit and publish it. But, until then, my sole purpose is to get the first edit of Mage of Chaos, book 1 of Shadow Gods, completed. After that, I will print it out, edit it again, have my son read it and get some feedback, then publish. During the interim of waiting for edit, I will probably write or even start the editing of the second book of the series. My hope is to publish two books a year from the series.

Lastly, I just published my romance novel called A Romance Novel. I know, a simple, cheesy name, but what else do you call a book about a guy attempting to write a romance novel. Currently, its available on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Romance-Novel-S-Twigg-ebook/dp/B00NS61OEO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411433830&sr=8-1&keywords=Romance+Novel+Twigg)  The book is very personal to me and I probably won't promote it much, but it is out there for people to read.

Other than that, I'm pretty much involved in work, editing, and the NFL (fantasy football). For these reasons, not much gets done during this part of the year. LOL

So It Begins

For the past couple of years, ever since I published my first book, I have delays this. The task was too vast, too monumental, to even consider especially when taking into account my editing skills. Now, however, I have started it and I'm excited. What am I referring to, you might ask. Well, let me explain.

When I was seventeen, I began writing. My purpose was to produce something which countered the standard trilogy. I wanted characters which were not the norm, which were neither good not evil, but were rather just human. Character which made logical choices, hard choices, and people could relate to. In addition, I thought to write a single novel. Of course, I never realized I was so prolific. Nor did I understand the depth of the story I embarked upon. In the end, my initial forte in to writing soon expanded from one book to three to six and finally to seven complete novels over the expanse of eighteen years. 

By the time I completed them, they were my love. They held within their pages so much of me, so many of my wants, my thoughts, and my imagination, I could hardly contain my excitement. But then reality hit. The novels were too long and I was unpublished. In a fit of correcting both, I lengthened the series from seven to nine books by splitting them apart, reformatting them, and cutting out chapters which weren't necessary. I was my own harshest critic; and still I knew they were not ready.

Instead, I started writing Jeremiah Stone. That single book has now evolved into a series far beyond what I first believed. During those years, I also wrote a few other novels, but none of them he;d my passion, my heart. At least not as strongly as my first attempt at writing. And to set the record straight, all my writing beyond this first series has only been an exercise to establish myself as a write and author. This is not to say I do not care about my other novels, but rather to emphasize my love of my original series.

Now, I have begun the task of editing my original epic adventure. In all, these nine books contain a total of over 1,000,000 words between them. There are characters within those pages which bring tears to my eyes or anger to my heart. But most of all, I love every single one of them and I tend to root for the bad guys more often than not. My goal with all this it to publish the first book of the series by March 2015. It's a daunting task, but I have set my mind to it. Wish me luck in finishing it.

Falling Behind

It's summer and things have stagnated for me as far as writing/editing goes. Good weather seems to promote outdoor activities and I've gotten lost in a myriad of projects, some fun and some not-so-fun. However, I still have ideas floating around in my head about my ongoing writing projects so I decided I should at least put a little time into them.

First off, I've once again tackled editing on A Romance Novel. I feel like a turtle, but I also know that slow and steady often wins the race.

Second, I've put a little effort into my epic fantasy series and am looking at commissioning covers for them. It's a bit $$$, but these books are my pride and joy so no expense is to great (lol...not really).

Last, I had a few brainstorms concerning the next book in the Stone Vengeance series. The book is named Opal and here's a quickly written Prelude for the novel. Enjoy....

It’s been twenty years. For a demon, it will seem like a passing of days. For an angel, it might seem even less. For Hades, twenty years as passed in the blink of an eye. To see Opal grow from a child into a woman was both joyful and painful. In a way, this is his child and he’s taken pleasure in watching her from afar. He watched her take her first steps, kick her first ball, throw her first pitch, and find her first boyfriend. But she is not his child and he is only her protector, a burden he accepts while knowing it limits his freedom.

A week ago, he watched graduate college early with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, yet he knows this is just the first of many degrees she will get in her chosen profession. Still, she has not experienced life. She has not grown up with hardships. She has not worked for what she’s achieved because Hades has fulfilled his promise. He has ensured she was placed within a wholesome and wealthy family in a city far from her birth. As for her disappearance a day after she was born, it vanished with barely a notice. He is grateful for that as he watches her jog past on the walkway around the beach. For a few seconds, his eyes linger on her before returning to his hands which are folded in front of him.

He hates the sunlight. He hates it because it limits him despite the shadows it cast. But this is the only time he can observe her alone. Still, it blocks his abilities, makes him vulnerable, and with as many enemies as he has, Hades has to be careful. Coming out at noon like this is something no demon will suspect of him which is exactly why he does it. Unfortunately, he is finding it harder and harder to hide within the world of shadows, but it is his problem, not hers.

With a glance toward the now distance girl, he wonders if she can somehow help him with his dilemma even though the thought of bringing her into his world brings about undo risk to them both. Maybe someday, when there is no place for him to hide anymore, he will have no other choice. For now, he will simply watch her, protect her, and wait.

Finishing Touches

So I have a lot going on lately (other then writing), but here's what I've been working on. I finished Hades, first and second edits, and am in the final review process. I received the completed cover for the book, so all is set there. I've been making updates to the first book of my Shadow Gods series, so I think I'm about to really start editing that. As for my A Romance Novel, I'm getting one final review done on that and it will be finished also, though I'm going to have a new cover created for it. And I've also continued working on the story Child of Need, which I was stuck in then found inspiration only to get stuck again. One of these days I will have to really concentrate on finishing it, if I could decide how I want to finish it.

Lastly, I've been getting new banners designed. I've shown a couple here already, but those are being reworked by my graphic artist, Tyler Melhart. However, he created a new vertical banner design that I absolutely love. Here is the preview.

Ascension from the Devil's Garden

Croc stared straight across at the line of jagged green peaks not a mile from him. Strangely, through the low points of the opposing peaks, he could see another row of mountains just beyond like the jagged teeth of a dragon. He even imagined another row beyond that, and another, as the tales of his great ancestors told around the evening fire. Just how many rows of long, deep valleys and razor-like ridges were there, he didn’t know. No one knew. The furthest anyone had journeyed and returned was seven valleys; seven versions of hell just like their own. He found it impossible to even consider seven different microcosms each offering their own dangers, their own nuances for survival. He was just barely able to brave the length of the valley on his own, let alone a place wholly unfamiliar.

Turning his head to the north before rotating it back to the south, he could almost see the entire length of the valley if not for the mist which constantly shrouded the southern end. The south end held the low point of the valley which collected the daily rainfall forming a swamp. In the stories of the ancients, tales of lakes, open bodies of water not shrouded by dense foliage could be found. This was not the case in their valley which struggled to find fresh, non-stagnated pools of water. Therefore, he couldn’t believe these lakes existed because no one in the past hundred years who had left the valley and returned told of one. To Croc, lakes were the closest thing to a myth he could imagine.

Swiveling his head back around, careful to limit his movements, he took pleasure in this privilege. After all, this was the first time he was allowed to journey above the tree line to view the world outside the Devil’s Garden, the name of this thin valley which was his home. Being in the open as he was, however, was not something his clan did. It was dangerous to expose one’s self to the sky where all sorts of deadly creatures roamed. Because of that, he sought out a stand where the rocks were still bigger than himself and offered some protection, some camouflage. Twenty yards further up, the rocks thinned to small boulders then gravel for a few hundred more yards. Above that openness extended a sheer, rough-hewn wall of rock another quarter of a mile up. With a slow turn to the north, he could see where the wall of rock dipped down to just above the tree line, but there was still too much open area to chance an ascent without being viewed. And being seen in the Devil’s Garden almost always meant death.

Looking up to the sky wary of its predators, he saw the oncoming clouds of the night’s rainfall. They were dark puffy entities which rolled over the peaks like a dragon’s claw as the sun cast its last rays of life on the neighboring chasm. Seeing this, Croc knew he had to start his journey down to safely where he could use the common fluorescent moss to light his way to the path. Once found, it was less than a mile to his village, a series of caves near the valley’s floor. No one, however, spent time on the valley’s floor if they wanted to live. That’s because there was no ground, just sludge. This slurry could suck a man under within minutes if what existed in the murk didn’t kill a person first.

No, the Devil’s Garden wasn’t a place for the incautious. It was a place where alertness was mandatory and recklessness killed without mercy. In his youth, Croc had learned that the hard way. It had been his first experience with Geyser, a gray dragon inhabiting the tall peak at the north end of the valley.

An Excerpt from Hades

Lucifer's Promises:

“That’s your problem, Alastair, I am smarter than you. I realize Lucifer’s treachery whereas you still pine for his favor.”

At his words, Limbus watched Alastair pause in contemplation as well as recognizing the superiority in Hades’ tone. His friend was about to explain Alastair’s fallacy and Limbus was intrigued at what might be revealed.

“What carrot did he dangle before your nose to have to go against what you hate, to enlist humans to your cause when they are what you despise the most? What promise did he make that you now must share the accomplishment of your glorious plan with the likes of Balam and Gaap? To think that if you don’t kill me than your success will be spread even thinner across Avnas, Ukobach, and Caim. Which one of those three will receive the glory of my death in his eyes? Will you even be considered victorious within his mind? Or would you just be a stepping stone to another’s success?” Hades questioned, pausing to let his words sink in. Then, with sly confidence, he continued. “Did you truly consider his words, Alastair, or did they blind you like they blinded us before? So what did Lucifer truly say? Or did you not listen beyond what he promised you? Was it a seat at his side?” Hades scoffed. “Are you to become his favorite?” Hades paused as the demon across from him became thoughtful. “You forget, Alastair, Lucifer lies! That is his talent. That is the gift HE gave him. That is the gift Lucifer shared with us once we became his. Yest you forget, he breathes deception with every breath. He knows nothing else. He is its master whereas we are mere students,” Hades clarified in detail. “You will never become his favorite for more than what you see within your own hopes. You have been tricked by him once again, as we all have. But at least I now choose to avoid his offers of power whereas you still cling to his broken promises. That is your mistake, Alastair. You still trust where trust has been broken.”

Long Time

It's been a while since I've posted on here, but it's not for lack of writing. In reality, I've been working on several projects (Dream Savior, Child of Need, Hades, etc...) and updating Facebook with posts (www.facebook.com/pages/S-Scott-Twigg), but they are only snippets of what I've been working on. This entry, however, I hope will contain more.

First off, I'm still disappointed I didn't make ECCC (Emerald City Comic Convention 2014). Somehow, my application got lost and I didn't get a table/booth. Next year: Certified Mail!!! Hopefully by then I'll have a few more books out, genre's for every reader, and that will make the convention even more exciting and successful for me.

Along those lines of publishing, I'm getting near the end of Hades which will put the final exclamation point on the Stone Vengeance series (maybe). I might leave it open for something more, but right now I highly doubt it will get written even if I can think of a suitable story line.

In addition to Hades, I have A Romance Novel almost ready for publication. I just need a final review and cover done, then it'll hit Amazon. For this book, I'm thinking of going Amazon Direct which means I can play with pricing a bit more and even offer special discounts.

Beyond those two, there's my book Dream Savior which I'm now co-authoring. So far, it's much better due to this new perspective. Unfortunately, agreeing on the direction of the story seems to be an issue we both have to overcome. Nevertheless, I hope to continue to work on it and have it out sometime 2015.

On a down note, Child of Need has stagnated. I'm lost as to where to go next. For a while, the story was great then I got stuck, worked it out, but got stuck again. That's where it sits and its not moving. I'm disappointed in myself for not planning it out better, but eventually I'll get the groove back on and complete it.

Now for the best news (though I may of mentioned it before). My Shadow Gods series had an issue at the very beginning of Book 1 - too many characters introduced. I have sense re-read and re-written the offending chapter and surrounding gaps caused by the change. Now the book is ready for some serious editing. As soon as I get Hades and A Romance Novel published, it's next on the list. Of course I will work on other things, but this series is my baby. It's the reason I've written all these other books: experience!!! Now, with a half-dozen books under my belt, I feel as if I can now do the series justice. Seriously, it's my pride and joy.

I guess that's it for now. If anyone wants a snippet of any of my novels, just message me or leave a comment and I'll be happy to send you an out-take or answer any questions. Thanks and happy days to everyone.

Banners and Writing

Just a quick note because I have a couple things on my mind. The first is I'm having a new banner designed for both my blog and my booth. These will be done by Tyler Melhart, who has done all my graphics for my Stone Vengeance series and for The Burden of Immortality. He's done a great job of turning my vision into reality and his work on the banner is more than I imagined. Here's a preview (first draft).

Tyler has also worked on the cover for Hades, the fourth novel of my Stone Vengeance series, which I've just surpassed writing 50,000 words in. Hopefully, within a month or two, I'll be complete with the book, have it edited, and getting it published. Here is a preview of the upcoming cover which is still in draft form.

Beyond these things, I've had some disappointing news. For some reason, my application for Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle didn't go through and I do not see my name listed as one of the authors in Author's Avenue. It's disappointing because I submitted my request back in September and have heard nothing back from them, even after followup emails. Maybe next year.

Well, that's it for now, though I want to give another thank you to Tyler and everyone who's helped me with my writing and publishing.

Preview of Hades

Limbus wasn't able to move his head, but strained his eyes toward the ground to see his pants were removed while his feet were resting in a tub of water. Lifting his eyes up slowly, he realized this was the demon from the funeral, the one who controlled water. That was the only logical explanation for this. The other thing Limbus immediately concluded was any screech on his part would cause the demon to let go of the ropes thereby placing three more deaths on Limbus’ conscience. These two things meant the demon wanted something from Limbus, not his death. At least, not yet. So, at this point, the most Limbus could do was stall until an idea came to him or Hades found him. “If I may, could you be Gaap?”

“Now that is impressive,” Gaap nodded. “So what does that tell you, boy?”

“That you likely have the same powers as Hades, yet over water,” Limbus guessed.

“Indeed I do,” Gaap admitted. “I can travel through it, control it, create illusions from it, and even inflict pain through it.”

On the last, a spike of white hot fire shot up through Limbus’ legs instantly causing him to tense against his bounds which tore into his skin. A second later the pain vanished, leaving him gasping as his eyes found focus once again. Coughing air into his lungs to refill them, Limbus looked back to the floor and found it slick with wetness. In fact, on further observation, the entire place was dank. Gathering his thoughts, he lifted his eyes up. “But every gift HE gave has a weakness. Every power has a limit. So what’s yours?”

“Again, the clever human tries to gain knowledge to glean a strategy,” Gaap nodded. “But enough of your questions and time for some of my own.”

“I won’t answer you,” Limbus stated bluntly.

“Really…oops,” Gaap said wickedly with a tilt of his head as a single rope slipped from his grasp.

“Stop,” Limbus yelled as Tom Rice started to fall, the rope streaming across the floor like a rabid snake, though Gaap didn't move a muscle. Instead, the demon watched Limbus intently as Limbus watched, petrified at what he was witnessing. As if in slow motion, he saw Tom Rice’s head splattered across the floor in a deafening smack before the agent’s body crumpled on top of it.

Revulsion, hatred, endless hurt all overcame Limbus a moment later as he realized his friend’s death. He wanted to break through his constraints and strangle the demon, to break the demon smug look, to conquer the demon’s will, but none were possible. Even a screech wasn't possible unless he wanted to be responsible for two more deaths. And those were two more deaths he was unwilling to pay for.

Gritting back his tempered emotions, he asked between clinched teeth, “What do you want?”

Dedications

So over the past few years I've written a few dedications and posted them in the front of my books. Some I've liked, some I haven't, but in reality there are just too many people to list, too many people who have encouraged me in one way or another that to list any means I'm possibly leaving out someone who is just as important. I mean, realistically, nearly everyone in my life presently has been an inspiration.

In retrospect, I've also read a few dedications in other books which are either amazingly poetic or astoundingly simple. There's rambling and there's succinctness, but done well. Unfortunately, I'm not poetic. Nor can I spew words which invoke the kind of emotion I truly feel, emotions these people I want to thank will understand and appreciate. This leaves me in quite the quandary.

So,while having a few moments to think, I wrote a more deserving dedication which I will place at the front of A ROMANCE NOVEL, my newest book which should hit the market soon enough. (Too soon to my liking) Anyway, here is it:

Dedication: Thirty years of vividly imagining worlds, of toiling at a keyboard, and of learning that criticism only makes my writing better has pushed me toward accomplishing a lifetime goal. It’s a goal I could not have accomplished on my own, though at times it seemed that way. Yet, for every twisted phrase or tweaked paragraph, for every painful rewrite or gleeful summation, and for every frustrated moment leading toward exhaustive exultation, I have had someone urging me to become more than I was before. In the beginning, I only had thoughts of what could be; the beginnings of an idea. Now, I have fully written and published stories I never would've conceived myself writing. However, this is not a testament to myself or my perseverance, but rather to those behind me pushing me forward, telling me they have read my words and want to read more, who have encouraged me to continue on instead of finding a shelf on which to park my expressive nature. This dedication is for them; for those who never lost hope even when I discouraged. To you I say; thank you. I could not have done this without every single one of you and, now more than ever, I need you to lift my chin and tell me to forge on; that this is worth it. And it’s for you that I will.

Writing Mistakes

As a habit, when I start writing from where I left off, I usually read the last few chapters so I can regain the story within my thoughts. Most of the time when I do this I find a few mistakes in my writing and make corrections. The thing is that I only read a few paragraphs, but I find mistakes in just those few words. I correct them, but it makes me think of how many other errors are within the pages I haven't yet reviewed. Because of this, editing becomes all the more important in the later stages. And like I always say, getting words onto paper should be the first priority, everything else comes later. Knowing this, living this, means I need to analyze my most common mistakes and search for them when the time for editing comes. So here are the things I get wrong, search for, and inevitably change:

Towards – Toward

Backwards – Backward

Afterwards – Afterward

Forwards – Forward

He said jokingly – he joked.

Than and then – Work on not confusing them.

To, too, and two – Don’t confuse

Don’t overuse the word “that” – eliminate as many as you can….

Contractions:

Is not – isn’t

Are not – aren’t

They are – they’re

He is/he has – he’s

She is/she has - she’s

There is – there’s

I am – I’m

I have – I’ve

They have – They’ve

And …..

Point of view is the voice of the person telling the story. In a novel length work, it is preferable to have one point of view per chapter, if not, one per scene is acceptable.

No Table of Contents

No underline - Bold chapter titles, but no underline.

No ‘’ – use italics, same with titles of movie or reference to other items.

Prologue and Epilogue, Overview is for the back cover…

Delete content that is irrelevant or doesn’t drive the story forward.

Delete points of view unless absolutely necessary.

Don’t interrupt flow by adding ‘he said’ in the middle of a point or conversation.

Thesaurus – Use it more…

Then and Now

Now for a little story which began 30 years ago which is when I started writing my first book. Back then, writing was not my passion, I just thought I had a story to tell and a reason to tell it. For 20 years I toiled with that story off and on as my expectations changed along with my life. During that time, however, the one simple book became the beginning of a series I believed I could stretch into three novels. As far as that goes, I'd finished the first two and was about half way through the third with no end in sight. Yes, this means it took me 20 years to write 2 1/2 books. Shameful, but back then writing was still not a passion. Nor was publishing, though it was on my bucket list.

Then a strange thing happened, I went to my 20th High School Reunion and bump into a similar heart. For the entire night we talked of writing. From that point on I had gained a passion for writing. Before I knew it I'd finished the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th book of the series. It was complete, it was epic, and I was proud. Best of all, I was inspired and I owe it all to her because she lit the fire under my ass and gave my purpose.

Its been just over 8 years since that reunion and in that time I've written 14+ books (17 total) and am currently writing two at this time. But beyond that, I have published 6 books and have a seventh coming out shortly. These books, however, aren't even the ones she tortured me to complete; my original series which I reformatted into 9 books. She also introduced me to her son, Tyler, who is currently doing/redoing the graphics for my Stone Vengeance series covers, my Burden of Immortality book, and banners for my display booth at comicon events. He has been a godsend since I have very little artistic talent.

But in addition to just my writing and publishing, she also gave me purpose. Back then I survived from day to day without those awe-inspiring moments which makes life meaningful. Now I have goals. Now I have aspirations. Now I have a life with meaning. For that, I want to thank you, Kathleen (Stoner) Melhart. You are a compatriot of passion and one day we shall publish something together which will stall the world. Without her I'd be trudging through life still in search of direction.

I can't thank you enough for being the constant push I need.

My Worth

Another piece of new writing. Yea, part of a theme lately: What have we become? What destination have you taken me? Is it a trip I still want to endure? These are the questions I ask myself as you turn away. Before that, however, I saw your head nod in agreement though your body language held contempt. I felt the sweetness of your smile as you shrugged me away in dismissal. I heard the encouragement in your voice yet you didn't listen to a spoken word from my mouth. I smelt the rapture of your screams fade away quickly as another entered your thoughts. If only you could have understood my plea from love from the words I wrote, but you were on a different chapter in another book, so my voice fell on deaf ears. Therefore, I cannot cling to hope anymore nor can I understand my worth within your eyes. Where I once saw passion, I now see nothingness. I used to see so many things within your grace, but what I never saw were the tears you shed when I was gone. So what does it mean when love only exist when I stand in front of you? It means nothing right now except a silent heartache, a painful tears, and a memory which will never fade. And in the darkness I evaluate my worth and find I was only a single day away from being forgotten. It's hardly worth the effort to write this, but it's my only way of accounting for my thoughts, your actions. -- A day. One solitary day. And I'm gone. Such a disgrace.

On a lighter note, I got the newest cover for Azazel: Book 3 of my Stone Vengeance series. Looks awesome. Love it!!!

I Remember

A new piece of writing:

I remember the first time I saw you. I was intrigued by your beauty. I was captivated by your intelligence. I was slayed by your wit. I was heart-broken by your rejection. And all this within the first day.

From that point on, my passion only grew. 

You became my inspiration. You became the smile etching my face. You became the wings lifting me to heights previously unknown. You became the dream.

Then I melted within you.

You were the frog in my throat. You were tingling in my limbs. You were the sun upon my face. You were the grin of never ending joy. You were the giggle of a baby to my soul. You were the warmth within my heart. 

Then we parted. 

Yet, even half a world away, you were still my everything. You drowned my every thought. You stopped my heart with every text. You stayed me with the sound of your voice. You were the light at the end of the tunnel, the temptation to continue on.

Then began the decline.

Doubt entered, though I know it was always there. But when the door cracked open, years of insecurities piled in. I could not contain my fears. I could not temper my heart. I could not silence the memories which haunt me. I could not quell my loss of love.

Finally time torn us asunder.

I became desperate for hints of meaning. I searched for what we once had. I dreamed of the day I meant something, anything, more than just an echo of my own words. And the more I needed, the less I received.

In the end, I ripped us apart. 

I became a shadow of myself clinging to something so precious, so dear, I couldn't see the forest through the trees. I couldn't stand what I'd become as my temperament fluctuated like the weather. But I tried. I tried too hard to maintain something that could no longer be sustained until all that remained with a burning ache in the center of my chest.

Now I have nothing but a memory.

But it's been a time of discovery. First off, I shall never love like this again. Secondly, I shall never want to love like this again. Both are too painful. Both bring me to near tears. Both can never end well. Both leave me dying. Now nobody knows my troubles but God. I wonder if he cares.

You were my dream.

Probably Crazy

I'm not a romance novelist, yet I've written and will soon publish a romance novel. Does this mean I'm crazy...probably. But I have had a few good influences in my life and I have a personality trait which is now part of a dying breed: I'm a hopeless romantic. Yea, and I'm a guy. So what's that mean? It means I always see the best of every relationship I've ever been in. I cling to the dream of love. I hurt when it fails. And I shed a tear from time to time. But it doesn't make me soft. It only means that I care while I'm stapling my wounds together because I'm not one to give up. I persevere. I step back in the ring. I endure a little more punishment for the sake of another smile, another hug, another kiss with the knowledge being a romantic at times counters logic.

One of the other influences I have is a close friend of mine who writes some amazingly emotional poetry. Today I read this line from something she'd written: You feel like home to me. Somehow, that single line conveys more emotion then the entirety of my novel. And as I've stated before, I'm not a romance novelist so don't expect things like this in my book. On the other hand, I'm a realist in my writing. I tell a story. I convey thoughts, not emotions, which reflect most guys. That's why I wrote the book from a perspective I'm familiar with. A perspective I truly understand...my own.

Now this may not work for some, may not work for most, but it is what it is. It's what I wrote and one day I'll be proud of it. That day isn't today...nor tomorrow. But one day I will see it on my shelf and I'll be proud I had the courage to bare my soul.

There is one other thing I'm going to leave you with and that is that one day I hope all of you have the pleasure of experiencing the writing of my friend. It is truly amazing.

And that's it from me today.