... and now I start writing book 13, Temple Knight! View in browser

January 18, 2020

"I inhaled this book as though I were starved for air. I read it without putting in down!" - Anna D

Did you miss a past newsletter? Click here to go to the newsletter archives.

On the Homefront

This week really seemed to fly by. I think it was because Defender of the Crown haunted me a bit. I had the final couple of chapters all outlined, but then it just wasn't coming together like I wanted it to.

After taking two days to do some outlining for my new series, I came back to it. Thankfully, the words just flowed onto the page and it was done before I knew it.

Daisy helped me celebrate with a victory dance in the living room. TIlly simply laid on the couch and watched us, wondering what on earth we were doing!  

To trope or not to Trope

A trope, in this case, refers to a literary device that is common and is often seen as cliché. As a relatively new author, I have spent my fair share of time watching YouTube videos and reading articles by people expounding on what a writer should and should not be doing. One of the things that people seem to stress is to not use certain tropes. These include the idea of the ‘chosen one’ as well as the ‘young farmhand from a backward village who becomes a hero'.

Personally, I tell stories that I feel are within me, that is to say, I have stories to tell, and I often don’t worry about such things as tropes. I try to make my books more about people, so don’t expect a mighty warrior to be naturally gifted. A lot of hard training and years of practice goes into those abilities. Magic, on the other hand, is something which I’ve defined as being hereditary, so there is the ability of someone to be born ‘with great power’, even if they are untrained.

As to races? Many authors go out of their way to develop new and interesting races for their stories, but if it detracts from the tale, is it really worth it? I like to use the traditional races (Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, etc.) and then play with them. Because these are prevalent in many fantasy books, readers will have already formed opinions about what they’re like, this allows me to change things up a little and, perhaps, make some surprising changes. It also allows me, as an author, to explore concepts like racism and politics, without involving the real world.

How do you feel about fantasy tropes? Is there one you particularly dislike?

... and the Orcs have returned!!!
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds

As Laruhk drew back the bow, he felt the strain of his shoulder muscles stretching with the effort. Holding the arrow by his ear, he waited a moment, then let loose, watching as it flew through the air to impact a tree trunk. He moved up, satisfaction written on his Orcish features.

“A good shot,” said Durgash.

“Easy enough to hit a tree,” replied Laruhk, “but I am curious to see how deep it went.”

Durgash jogged forward, watching intently as his companion tried to pull the arrow from the bark. Orc muscles tensed, and then he heard Laruhk cursing. Durgash chuckled. “Having trouble?” he asked. “Maybe next time you should not draw back so far.”

Laruhk turned to face his companion. “The whole point of this is to see if we can penetrate Human armour.”

“How?” asked Durgash. “By shooting at trees?”

Laruhk pulled a knife from his belt and began digging at the trunk. “I will get this arrow back if it takes all day,” he grumbled.

Immerse yourself in a land steeped in magic and mystery as Paul J Bennett's The Frozen Flame series continues in his newest tale, Embers!

Pre-order Embers today!

Win a FREE eBook! To enter, all you need to do is answer Daisy & Tilly's question below.

Congrats to Jenny who won last week's Giveaway. Star Wars won over Star Trek, but not by much!

Character Inspiration - Sister Cordelia

My new novel, Embers, will be released soon. As a follow up to Ashes, it continues the adventures of Athgar and Natalia, a pair of mages who have been brought together by happenstance. They met Brother Cyric, a Temple Knight of Saint Mathew, in the first book in the series, and in this latest installment, another Temple Knight, this time Sister Cordelia of Saint Agnes, assists them.

The Church of the Saints is a large organization and is meant to be just that, an organization. Within that group, individual people can be good or evil, just as they can in any institution around the world. For what was to transpire in Embers, I needed someone who would represent the good side of the Church of the Saints. Sister Cordelia is not a zealot, but a passionate believer in the teachings of the Church. I could have filled that role with anyone, but instead, I chose a character that already has an interesting back story, one that will come to light in the newest series I’m working on.

This Spring, I will be launching a new series called Power Ascending, which tells the story of two individuals who climb to power, one within the Church, and the other among the nobility of the Petty Kingdoms. Sister Charlaine deShandria is the main character of the first book, and Cordelia is part of that story. Events in her past are alluded to in Embers, but the more details will emerge in Temple Knight, Book One of the new series.

Every other Monday at 5:30 PM EST (-4UTC)
Next Session - January  27
  - Learn all about my Favourite Historical Movies - had too many TV shows last time, so i had to save movies for this episode!

Did you miss my last Facebook Live Video about my favourite historical TV shows?  

Check it out here on Youtube!

Work in Progress Update

Wow! Looking back on this past year, I just realized that I have been a full-time author for ten months now! During that time, I have managed to maintain a steady word count and as of yesterday, I have just completed my twelfth book, Defender of the Crown. It feels good to look at my catalogue of stories, and I have such a real sense of accomplishment that it drives me to keep writing.

And on that note, rather than taking time off to celebrate,  I’ll be diving right into my newest series by writing an origin story called Tempered Steel. I had initially planned on it being only a short story, perhaps 5,000 or so words, but something tells me it will end up being longer.

The outline is already prepared, but as I move forward, I think I'll be expanding upon the details, so it will inevitably grow larger. How large? At this point, I have absolutely no idea, but characters often have a way of working themselves into a grander story, so I'll have to let you know in a couple of weeks when I am finished.

Until next time, Happy reading!

Author Spotlight!

Check out these featured books that are free, discounted, or new releases.
These authors are returning the favour by sharing my books with their readers.

Urchin's Gambit: To get out alive, Aelya has to go from prime suspect to lead investigator. When Aelya woke up this morning, she thought she was going to pick up the score of blackmarket yura (a magic-inducing drug) her gang needed to escape the streets. Instead she finds her dealer dead, and in the next instant gets arrested as the prime suspect in his death...

Knight Chosen: In a Cosmos of five celestial creators who show their creations no loyalty, or mercy... What loyalty do those creations owe in return? For so long I’ve stood between my maker and the commoners of Vinnr and the ignorance in their hearts. Now I want only to be one of them again, to grow old before my daughter does, rather than endure...

The Wizard and the Warrior: It's knight versus mage when a queen's fiancé is kidnapped! When Rouke, a young member of the fierce Black Knights of Arynhaar, is spotted by the Queen of Ravenshear, she pleads for him to rescue her kidnapped fiancé. Crossing into enemy territory he finds more than he bargained for as the abductor is no mere kidnapper...

Coven of Secrets:  Emma was a normal teenage girl before her twin nearly burned her to death. When Emma and her brother discover they have magic, they are visited by an archmage of a school for mages. They embark on a journey, but it becomes fraught with peril as a deranged cult captures them. Using every trick in their book, and with the help of unexpected allies...

Book Deals & Giveaways

While you wait for the release of my next book, here are some great stories for your TBR pile!

Did you miss any past Giveaways & Deals?

, welcome to the end of my newsletter. I only email those who have given permission by signing up to receive my newsletter. As always, if you have changed your mind or are no longer interested in receiving these, please click the unsubscribe link below.

Do you like the newsletter? Share it!
Paul J Bennett

Paul@pauljbennettauthor.com

You received this email because you signed up on my website or gave me permission to email you through a book giveaway.

Unsubscribe
MailerLite