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Warrior Prince is available for preorder, plus lots more in this week's Medieval Musings. |
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As most of you know, I like wargaming, especially with miniatures. I’ve been building up an army or two (actually five) using my 3D printer, but I’m a little behind in painting them. I’ve chosen to use 15mm for the scale, making the figures very small. To offset their size, they’re mounted on bases of three figures.
Rather than just print things randomly, I planned out what armies I wanted and came up with the following:
2 Human armies, 1 Dwarf, 1 Elf, and 1 Goblin
The idea is to be able to fight out battles that occur in my books. Hmm, I suppose that means I’ll have to paint up some Temple Knights. Perhaps there’s more printing to be done!
I’ll send out pictures once they’re complete, and there may be a TikTok or Facebook Live in the future!
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Here's a little video presenting Warrior Prince!
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Four Years as a Full-Time Author
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It’s hard to believe, but I’ve been a full-time author for four years! My journey began several years before that when I worked full-time as an IT Instructor and had to write in the evenings and weekends.
These days, I have a set schedule during the weekdays, with evenings and weekends off. Of course, I say that, but other things need to be done to support my writing, so we often record videos for social media during our downtime.
However, the most rewarding part of writing full-time is getting to work with Carol. We sit beside each other in the office, giving me a chance to get instant feedback about snippets of my writing or suggestions on how a particular scene might play out. It’s also nice to occasionally sit in companionable silence. Currently, she’s working on book covers using Adobe Photoshop, so I get to see her creative side.
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The reviews are coming in!
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"Devoured it"
"Another great read"
"It actually is epic fun"
"Exciting and twisting"
"Thoroughly enjoyable"
"The Storyline-Fantastic"
"Paul has hit it out of the park again"
"The Character/World building-Awesome"
"Paul never ceases to amaze with his world-building"
"Five books in, and yet, somehow, Temple Commander is totally fresh and exciting"
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Congrats to Stephanie for winning last week's giveaway. It appears that many of you are like me and enjoy butter and syrup on your pancakes.
Answer the question below to be entered into the eBook giveaway.
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Which of my series have you read at least one book of? |
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Choose all that apply |
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Thank you |
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You are now entered to win a free ebook of your choice |
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I have a creative mind when it comes to stories, the result of running Role Playing Games for so many years. Perhaps because of this, I find it hard to think in terms of writing a single book. To me, it has to be part of a series, just like a gaming session fits into a larger narrative, what we call a campaign.
From that point of view, the Heir to the Crown series will be the longest campaign (storyline), eventually numbering fifteen books and numerous side stories (Mercerian Tales). Power Ascending will be eight books long, while The Frozen Flame, which I originally envisioned as six books, also now numbers eight.
This last change occurred when I decided that the overall arc of Athgar and Natalia’s story needed a suitable conclusion. The answer more or less came to me while writing one of the earlier books. I shan’t spoil the ending, but I think readers of that series will find it quite satisfying.
Now, back to work for me, or I’ll never finish Torrent!
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Help me welcome another book to the family!
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A new king promises peace, but old hatreds return
After defeating the insurrection, Ludwig returns home to his family, only to be ordered back to the capital. Thrust into the responsibility of being the realm's new prince, he struggles to balance his loyalty to his sovereign with his own idea of justice.
King Morgan seeks to strengthen his new rule, but the barons of Hadenfeld are a wary lot, each determined to dominate the other. Overwhelmed by the conflict at court, he is wracked by indecision, leaving him at the mercy of outside influences.
When a new voice finds the ear of the king, Ludwig falls into disfavour. Banished to the east to bring the rebel barons to heel for their disloyalty, he makes a discovery that shakes the very foundations of the Petty Kingdoms.
But only after receiving a letter from an old friend does he realizes the enemy is much closer than he ever suspected. Can he save his newly reunited kingdom, or will they fall once more into the chaos of war?
The story of an emerging leader continues in Paul J Bennett’s Warrior Prince, Book Six of the Power Ascending Series.
Hit the ground running when you pick up a copy of Warrior Prince to uncover the real power on the Continent
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Torrent currently sits at just over 23,000 words, meaning that, barring interruptions, I shall be a quarter done by the end of the day. I’ve been following my outline, but some of the scenes I wrote out in point form ended up longer than I expected, so a few scenes have been pushed down into the later chapters.
This certainly isn’t the first time my characters have taken over my writing, nor will it be the last, I’m sure, but when the words are flowing, I find it best just to sit back and let them tell the story through my fingers.
I’m halfway through chapter eight now, and there’s a bit of a reveal going on. Of course, I can’t give you any details without spoiling the plot, but it’s been fun for me to put the characters into these scenes.
Having said that, I’m looking forward to getting into the second act, where the situation grows even more dire!
~~~~~
Here's another peek at Temple Commander:
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"Very well," said the Halvarian captain. "We'll leave, but sooner or later, you'll go back to Lidenbach, and we'll simply return."
"You're welcome to try," said Charlaine, "but you'll need to do so quickly. Upon my return to the capital, I shall send a permanent garrison here."
His face betrayed his shock.
"Shall we ferry you across the river now?" offered Danica.
"It will be a cold day in the Underworld before we accept the charity of a Temple Knight. We have our own boat."
"Then I suggest you get aboard it with all haste."
"Commander Charlaine gave us till nightfall."
"She did, but the river is my domain, and if I find your boat on this side of the river after midday, I shall be forced to impound it."
"You wouldn't dare!"
Danica looked at her companion. "He seems to like that expression."
"I was going to give you the rest of the day," said Charlaine, "but the admiral has made an excellent point. Now, shall you go down to your boat peacefully, or do we take you there by force?"
"We're going," he grumbled, taking one last look at the Valiant before spitting on the ground, the sneer on his face revealing his revulsion. They then walked down the dock to where they’d tied up their small skiff.
"Keep an eye out for the skrill," called out Danica.
Charlaine chuckled. "Was that entirely necessary?"
"No," she replied, "but it was immensely satisfying."
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Done Temple Commander already?
Why not give one of these authors a try!
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Swords, sorcery, & sarcasm.
Glolindir thought he knew all about magic until he came face to face with his very first monster. He only survived thanks to his new friends: a gallant warrior as talented as he is reckless, a mysterious halfling whose knives are nearly as sharp as his tongue, and a saintly gnome whose very touch can heal.
Unfortunately, that was just the beginning of their troubles. Strange things have been happening around the little town of Ravenford. Before they know it, they are up to their necks in monsters and worse.
From eerie ruins to underground caves to a ghostly forest devoid of life, they encounter the forces of darkness. Can they overcome their faults and work together to save the town, or will they die trying?
Enter a world of magic and adventure in this fun tale of heroes in the making. Perfect for fans of Lord of the Rings and Dungeons & Dragons.
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A dawning darkness…
Months after Kalindra survives her sham trial exposing the demidrake Ulfaren as a fraud and revealing the horror of the newly born voidragons to her fellow Dracomancers, the threat they face has become clear: beyond the growing power of Albrecht Therin, worse than the political strife in Tar’Derel and other gean enclaves, the Sightless Cabal is making strides in fully bringing the Blackness Beyond to the world.
A new order…
As Kalindra assumes the mantle of leader of the new Order of Dracomancy, seeking to unify the scattered Dracomancers, she realizes her brethren have been reduced to barely a thousand. Worse, they discover that a large number of Dracomancers, having allied with the Seeders of the Matron, have slain their dragons and, instead, have become voidragon riders, wielding dreadful incantations, terrible magic, and sowing terror upon those considered enemies by the Alliance.
The time has come, Kalindra realizes, to strike directly at the root of Parthenis’ turmoil–the Sightless Cabal.
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Live like a beast, or die like a man.
Masolon is determined to prove himself worthy of being the coming Chief of the most powerful clan in Ogono. Unfortunately, the young heir faces one of the hardest times Ogono has ever witnessed.
As the unstoppable wrath of the Light reduces Ogono to scorched, cursed grounds, men turn into beasts, and mercy becomes a sin. If Masolon wants to rule his people one day, he has to show everybody he is one of them.
A beast.
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“When a Chaos mage fights, only blood and scorched earth remain.”
Some victories are more costly than others, and Ina was the one that paid the price.
Determined to rescue her dragon, the newly appointed royal witch embarks on a gruelling journey through the wintery Grey Mountains. The weather is not her only obstacle, as the enemy forces gathered in the kobold mines have only one goal.
To capture the Chaos mage and deliver her to the heart of the mountain.
With the help of Sa’Ren, Ina arrives at Castle Liath almost unscathed, but her joy is short-lived, as its granite walls hide a shocking revelation.
With blossoming love shattered by a possessive dragon’s claim and an impossible mission to fulfil, will the mysterious Blessing of the Mountain help or hinder her efforts to protect Cornovii?
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Here are some great stories just for you!
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Extra Book Deals & Giveaways
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"Every review I receive inspires me to write more!" |
Paul J Bennett,
Author of Epic Fantasy.
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