Child

The holiday season is here and I've spent more time writing then I expected, but all of it has been on Child of Need. Thankfully, I've gotten past my writing block and wrote a full 30 pages at the beginning of December when I was out of town. Best part is I figured out the ending, though how I get from where I'm at to the end is still going to be a bit of a struggle.

As far as editing my #ShadowGodsSeries, it's been put on hold for the time being, though I hope to get back into it in the New Year. Other news concerning the series: I received a sample cover and it's simple, yet elegant. Best part is that each cover will be basically the same except for coloring so they will be easy to recognize as a group.

One last thing. I spoke to my uncle about going through a publisher (possibly his publisher) just to see how they do. It's somewhat expensive, but the editing is supposed to be superb and they handle the cover art and promotion. They also have an in with the bigger publishing companies, so I might give it a try with Child of Need. Decisions, decisions.

That's it for now. Enjoy the holidays and see you next year.

Moving On

Well, not much to report lately. I've been editing Book 1-3 of #ShadowGodsSeries, but I've also dived back into Child of Need and Opal, Book 5 of the #StoneVengeanceSeries. Unfortunately, nothing is moving along that quickly and the holiday season is putting a damper on a lot of my plans. I still hope to get some of my planned work accomplished by spring, but its not looking good right now. Guess I really need to start focusing on what's important.

On a different note, I'm moving from WA to CA at the end of the year and hopefully I will be able to put some time into editing and losing a few pounds after that. This is just one of life's big changes that is going on.

Editing Madman

In a mad rush to use the few hours of solitude I had while I traveled to the other side of the country, I nearly completed the second edit of Priest of Chaos for #ShadowGodsSeries. Yet, within a day of returning to my home, I finished the task. This may be the fasted edit I've been privy too, but I wasn't quite finished. After another hour of spell check and review, I think it's ready for my first outside reading.

Now that it's done, I've moved back to Mage of Chaos and begun another review of that book with the edits I've received. So far, they're not too bad. However, I've looked ahead and know they get worse. Nevertheless, this is my choice work, my life long endeavor, and my legacy. Though I know they can never be perfect, I want them to be clean and precise. I don't want my future readers to be distracted by small errors that could be otherwise corrected. This is a daunting task I put before me. Thankfully, I love the story and am not bored with it yet even though I've read it a half dozen times.

Next is Warrior of Chaos. In that book, the blood bath begins and I can't wait to begin editing it. In a way, Mage sets the stage, Priest introduces all the parties, and Warrior starts the real war. Yet, it is a war that covers multiple fronts with multiple parties either going against each other or forming alliances. Whether those treaties remain is another story and only one god really understands the outcome of it all. Still, this is just the third book of nine, so nothing is as it seems at this point.

Then there is Opal, the next and last book in the #StoneVengeanceSeries. I've been stuck on this book for months, but I finally had a breakthrough moment last week. I didn't write anything in the novel yet, but I have an idea of where to move the story to next. Now I just need to find the time, motivation, and correct mindset to make it happen.

Reflective Interactions

As a writer, I believe in conversation. In fact, it was the driving force in my #StoneVengeanceSeries of books: Jeremiah, Limbus, Azazel, Hades, Beginnings, and The Ferryman. I used it as a tool to convey a character's personality, their logic, and their feelings. Then came Burden of Immortality. In that book, I switched to the other extreme by going into the main characters thought process, but it was different in another way also. Burden of Immortality was written in first person and that changes things, more than I initially thought. After that came A Romance Novel. In A Romance Novel, which is about an author writing a romance novel, I let his written words provide an in depth look at who he is. Again, this style presented a different scope into viewing the main character. Since I've written people in three different manors, I see the value of each.

But now I'm editing my #ShadowGodsSeries; my pride and joy. Though I starting writing these books 30+ years ago, I truly enjoy how I've written each of the characters. They are unique, focused in different ways, and have personalities all their own. Furthermore, I explore more than just one main character since I have multiple story lines going on at the same time. However, even with this head-hopping, I focus on specific characters, their words, their thoughts, and their feelings. In a way, as I read and edit the books, I see myself as every character within the room and wish I could describe each of their views within the story. Alas, I had to settle on just a few and those few change from book to book.

Now that I've moved from the first book of the series, Mage of Chaos, to the second, Priest of Chaos, I'm beginning to really enjoy the mix of styles. I don't just use conversation or writing or internalization as a way of describing the characters, but all three. In a way, it presents a fuller picture of who the characters truly are. And it shows as I move from chapter to chapter. This is not to say I'm going back and re-writing my previous novels, but rather that my initial foray into writing a book so long ago was actually my best work. I felt it was (because I really love the series as a whole), but now I'm confirming it. However, without writing all those other books, I never would've realized this.

I guess reflection is good.

My Writing Voice

I love writing. I mean I really love it. I may not be good at it, but it drives me. It allows me to express myself in dozens of ways. I can become a character. I can direct a situation toward my goals. I can control the outcome and every facet of it both before and after its occurence. It makes me invincible. It makes me a god.

Yet, it also makes me vulnerable.

Writing exposes the soul. It's personal. It opens up your hopes and fears for someone else to view them. It allows people to see a part of you that you might want to keep hidden. It provides people, people you don't even know, a view of your inner self. It's frightening because it shows everyone a piece of your heart.

But will I stop writing? NEVER!!!

Writing is who I am, what I am, and what I wish to become. It pushes me from one day to the next in a manner nothing else can. It is the one part of me I willingly share with everyone willing to listen, yet I hope no one pays close enough attention to discover my secrets. It is my dream, my heart, and my soul. It is me.

I only say this because I'm editing a section of Priest of Chaos I truly love. It's about a man in turmoil, driven by forces outside his control, but still in touch with what's happening around him enough to know that he doesn't like what he's doing. In a way, this is my life; many of our lives. We fight. We struggle. We want more, want better, but we succumb to our existence. We survive just as he's doing. We wish we could change it, change the world, but we know one voice hardly makes a difference.

What each of us has to remember is that change usually starts with just one voice. Tomorrow, make that voice yours.

#ShadowGodsSeries

Priest Rocks

I've been really on my game lately and am already 1/2 way through editing Priest of Chaos. What is even better is that I'm thoroughly enjoying the story. At times I have to remember I'm supposed to be editing because I'm so engrossed with what's going on. The story line is entralling. The characters begin to unfold. And the intrigue begins on a whole other level. As for the characters in Mage of Chaos, some of them take a back seat in this book whereas others are pushed into the forefront. One of the best parts is how my favorite character comes into being. Though introduced in book one, Chalas takes on a primary role in this second novel. In a way, its a prelude into her character and how she becomes the anchor of the story all the way through til the end. This is why I love my #ShadowGodsSeries.

Priest of Chaos

It's been less than a week and I'm already 1/3 of the way through editing Priest of Chaos, book 2 of the #ShadowGodsSeries. This book is much more driven, more focused, and begins right where Mage of Chaos left off. In a way, Mage of Chaos is more than just the beginning of the series, It sets the stage for book 2. What started as an introduction to the world and the main characters evolves within the pages of Priest of Chaos. Personalities, interactions, and drive now begin to define everyone involved. New characters spoken of in Mage of Chaos come alive in book 2. In a way, my #ShadowGodsSeries has multiple plot lines just like the Lord of the Rings series. And just like in that series, this series begins with a few main characters and soon expands to encompass the entire world. The difference is that in my #ShadowGodsSeries, there are nuances, hints, and foreshadowing that the reader should pick up on (if the reader pays attention). I've done the same in nearly every novel I've written and it is even more prevalent here. The best part is that by the end of Priest of Chaos the characters change enough for you to ponder where the story is leading. That, I hope, is the draw.

Mage of Chaos

Though it has taken longer than I anticipated, editing of Mage of Chaos, book one of my #ShadowGodsSeries, is now complete.

Steve: I will forward you a copy.

For any others, you'll have to wait. Sorry, but this is still a work in progress. The good part is I can begin to work on final version of the novel along with book two of the series, Priest of Chaos. Hopefully, editing that book will go more quickly.

Back Cover

Been working on the back cover text for my #ShadowGodsSeries which features the main character Dohan and his need for control. Let me know what you think:

Reality is not always what is seems. Some try to manipulate it, some contemplate it from time to time, and some let it pass by never giving it a thought. Dohan, on the other hand, controls it. He’s been the man behind the curtain for nearly a thousand years, but now his reality appears to be slipping away from him; completely and irreversibly out of his control. Just how this is happening, he doesn’t know, but he’s desperate to find the reason behind it. So as he takes center stage in this fight for humanity, he never suspects there to be a curtain behind his own. But finding its opening seems impossible since it’s so meticulously constructed he can barely fathom its width and breadth. There is, however, one thing he does know; a young boy named Jayk is the key to discovering who works his own puppet strings.

Of course, within the #ShadowGodsSeries, Dohan is more than he seems. He is a man with a dreadful past. In that past, he took the blame for thousands of deaths. He took the blame from the breaking of the world. He took the blame for the death of the one person he loved. Now he embraces his solitude until he feels the waves of change. Departing from his self-exile, he tries to regain some perspective by mentoring Jayk; a boy with some extraordinary skills. He only hopes he can curb the boy's thirst for vengeance before time catches up to them both.

With less than a 100 pages to edit, I feel pleased with the changes, the intrigue, and the crumbs I have spread throughout the book. I think all I have to do now is add some urgency to the final scene...the pivotal battle within this first of nine books.

Aggression

Aggression

when my thoughts must feed
and hunger takes the lead
there's nothing you can do, nothing that can stop me

veins ripple, clinched teeth
blood pounding waiting for release
red splatter on broken stone, this is my inner beast

falling corpses over bended knee
bent and bloody piled at my feet
no words spoken, nothing said, my mind is finally free

witness scurry, running fear, my standing creed
this isn't sane though understand I only kill out of need

Just playing around with some ravage thoughts the past few nights so I threw this together. And when I mean threw, I mean its a very rough draft of nothing in particular.

In other news, I edited seven more pages today which puts me at nearly halfway complete on #ShadowGodsSeries.

Ascension, Opal, and Shadow Gods

For the past couple of weeks, I've contemplated my books. I've had blocks is some and inspirations in other, but tonight I actually acted upon those thoughts. Tonight, I opened all three and did a bit of reading, editing, and writing. It felt good.

To begin with, I edited more of Mage of Chaos, #ShadowGodsSeries, and found that I'm making many more changes to the book than I thought would be necessary for the second edit. It makes progress trickle by, but I have to console myself that its for the good.

Then I popped open Ascension and read through a portion. In reading it, I made a few edits and remembered where I left off. In a few days, I may pick it up again as I think about where I'm going with the story. And, as usual, I'm changing the ending, though I'm sure it will change again before publishing.

After that brief escapade, I went through the last part of Opal and added the bit I wrote and posted on here. With a few more changed and addition, it fit in well where I left off and positions me for the future.

In all, a good night of writing.

Opal

Azazel had gotten to her. His thirst for vengeance was palatable. She could feel it; sense it on a personal level. And it scared her. But everything scared her lately. It was a plain and simple fact. She was not who she thought she was from just a few weeks ago. She was different; special. Given a gift she never wanted. A gift which she could only describe as a burden. Even now she could feel the weight of it upon her shoulders. Could she bear it? She didn't know, though it was plainly obvious that her family had struggled with the same burdens during their lives. Was she less than them? Was she as strong as she thought she was? She would've said yes a week ago. Now she didn't know.

Looking up, she saw the black of Hades. Even now, in this dark, dank tunnel, he was a shadow of hate. She could feel that also. But where Azazel sneered at her, Hades offered his hand. Dare she accept it, dare she take the chance? It was obvious her father had at one point in time. He had given his life for the demon. Or so Hades had said. But maybe Hades had lied. Maybe he had stolen it. Maybe...

There were always maybes. The real question was could she trust him? He was a demon, an advocate of Satan, a minion of Lucifer, and a dredge upon this earth. He admitted to lies, to killing, to act against humanity. Yet, according to Eric, he was an ally to her grand-father and the protector of her father. Now, he swore he was her protector. But could he protect her from what lay outside these walls. By Hades admittance, the whole of the government was against them. They were searching for them in an effort to get to her; to kill her.

Could she be that important?

According to Hades, she was. Even Eric's words seem to back the demon's. But she was not her father or her grand-father. She wasn't as strong as them. She didn't understand the world as they did. She didn't believe as they did. Her faith wasn't as strong. And she was beginning to believe that Faith had everything to do with her surviving this.

In all, she felt lost.

Back to Editing

I took a break from writing/editing far longer than I expected, but now that I'm back on the road I'm at it again. Right now I'm still working on Mage of Chaos from my #ShadowGodsSeries. Again, even after editing it once, I'm finding far more mistakes than I'd like on the second go-round. This is both good and bad. Good because the edits are needed and I'm able to tailor my words to reach a more common thread with my readers. Bad because it takes so long to correct things. I wish it weren't so, but wishes get you nowhere unless you act upon them. In all, this only means I'll have to do another read-through before sending it out to beta-readers.

On the other side, I'm still stuck on my other novels. Opal is stagnant. Dream savior I haven't even opened up. And Ascension has gone nowhere. I guess I really need to get past this mental block and move on...

Better luck tomorrow, I hope...

Great American Novel

For years, decades, I've contemplated something better than what I write. I've read Twain and his poetic phrases. I've read Poe and tried to mimic his darkness. I've read Pratchet and laughed at his genius. But what I really want to do is write; write something worth reading. I doubt I have it within me. And doubt is a killer.

I have dreamed of rainbow spiderwebs and vampire mists which ensnare my ideas and drain my thoughts until there is nothing left. I ponder their value. I contemplate their worth. Yet, I still produce ideas which inspire. I still see stories galore. I still jot down these tidbits of thoughts. All of them, turn my mind toward what I could do; write the next Great American Novel.

One such tidbit:

Trapped in the corner of his mind, Captain Jenkins pondered the futility of the future. He thought to step out of the darkness of his consciousness, take a tepid stride towards freedom, but the possibility of death held him still. He was opposed to death. He was afraid of the vast emptiness which signaled the end of life because only fools embraced it. He was not a fool, nor was he reckless in his actions. But for him, the future held any number of questions. His questions hinged on the fact that the future was not set in stone, at least as far as he could grasp it. This belief went against the current trend of society. It brandished him a rebel. He disliked the label, but it fit him well. He was different. He was part of a dying breed. Only that realization kept him from killing himself. He had to survive. He had to forge on. He had to prove his worth. He had to…had to discover the truth.

In sickness and in health...

I shall edit. Not necessarily the words many expect, but they reflect the truth. I shall always write, always edit, and always explore my imagination. This week has been worse than others because I have been sick. I've been laid up in bed, napping for hours, and fighting a dreadful cough, but my mind still lingers on the pages within my mind.

For starters, I've been thinking about Opal, my latest adventure of the #StoneVengeanceSeries, and where the story is heading. Though I've made very little progress in the written word, I have explored how I want the story to end. That ending has changed slightly since I'm writing about the four horseman and the apocalypse. It is an end-of-the-world story and probably the last book within the series, so I need to not only close it out, but tie it off. I also don't want it to simple end. It has to be thought provoking and meaningful. To that end, I think I've settled on a final scene or two, but getting there from here now become the major task to which I have no answer.

My second thoughts are on the book Child of Need. I set this book aside months ago, but have since returned to it within my thoughts. I do know where I want it to end, but again getting there is where I'm stuck. I am, however, about to introduce a new character, Shamus, based on a conversation I had in a bar about an old uncle the man I spoke to had. Hopefully Shamus gives the main character the ah-ha moment on how to deal with her situation.

Lastly, I continue to edit #ShadowGodsSeries. This evening I finished editing 216 of 317 pages. With about 100 pages to go, I know I'm getting close for my first full read through and review. Though I've done massive re-writing, I still love the 30+ year old story. Best of all, I'm getting to the point where all hell breaks lose as the storyline splits for the first time. It is all from there that the books become nearly impossible to put down as characters, actions, and events become intertwined at a pace which doesn't end for 4 books. That's when we step into the past and truly begin to grasp the scope of what is going on before once again skipping up to the present for the final two books. It's taken me a long time to reach this point, but the work I've done before this has all been a step toward what I'm accomplishing now.