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"He has done it again. If you have read any of his books you will love this one too"-Ian W
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Did you miss a past newsletter? Click here to go to the newsletter archives.
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This weekend saw us taking a trip to the dog park. Tilly and Daisy both love going there, but the presence of so many other dogs usually leads to an unexpected result, as it did this time. Daisy, being part Basset Hound, loves to sniff, but when her nose gets the better of her, she begins to drool. By the end of the visit, her mouth was covered in the stuff. Luckily, we had plenty of water for her and she managed to look quite presentable by the time we made our next stop.
With the dogs having received their treat, we then went for ours, a local bakery. Now loaded up with some tasty desserts, we made our way home for lunch. The dogs had a nap, and we watched some TV, though truth be told, I may have fallen asleep for a rest myself.
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TEMPERED STEEL IS COMING!
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What drives a warrior to fight?
Some take up arms to protect their homeland, while others seek glory and riches. For Charlaine and Ludwig, it's the result of a love that can never be!
Charlaine deShandria has never questioned what her future holds. For years, she's been training to take over her father's smithy, spending her every waking hour toiling at the forge.
Ludwig Altenburg loathes his role as the baron's son. Always dreaming of fighting battles, he must now surrender himself to the inevitability of his future.
Duty is all they've known, but when they meet, they begin to question if there is more to life. Before they can even make a choice, they find themselves surrounded by those who are determined to tear them apart.
Lives are changed forever when family secrets are revealed in this clash of classes that propels two people towards their destiny!
Travel back to the origins of these soon to be mighty warriors in Tempered Steel, the prequel of Paul J Bennett's newest epic fantasy series, Power Ascending.
Seize your copy of Tempered Steel and learn Charlaine's story today!
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A Typical Day in the Life of This Full-Time Writer
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You may well ask, what does a full-time writer do all day? The obvious answer to that question is write, but the process is more involved than just sitting down and putting words on paper. At least it is in my case, as I'm a plotter. I always want to know where my stories are going, but as a writer of multiple connected series, I have to be aware of where the entire world's history is headed. I also treat writing as a job by working most weekdays (except holidays), while taking weekends off, though admittedly, I have been known to jot down a note or two on a Saturday or Sunday.
My writing day usually begins around 9:00 am, but depends on when we have finished our morning routine. When I start a book, I first work out plot points, outline sub-plots, and the like, but once I start the actual writing process, I will typically get in anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 words a day. This writing is not continuous but is usually broken up by small breaks, during which I make us a cup of tea. This allows me time to think things over plot points or work through dialog in order to better frame the story. If I've written something the day before, I'll start off the day by reading over it, making small adjustments to fix obvious typos or change lines that don't flow.
We break for lunch anytime between 12:00 and 1:00 pm and include a short walk for the dogs, weather permitting. By 3:00 pm, I usually need a light snack to keep my brain working, then wrap up between 4:30 and 5:00. During the entire day, Carol and I sit side by side, me writing while she edits, does marketing, or works on the many other things that make this career possible.
Of course, some days are more productive, and, like many authors, sometimes the words just don't flow. When this happens, I usually end up working on another outline or doing research on a wide variety of topics that might prove useful. On a really unproductive day, I will watch a documentary, or, if Carol joins me, we will watch one of our series.
So that's it. The working day of a full-time author. Does anyone else do this?
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Have you ever heard of Bookbub?
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If you have never head of Bookbub, it is a great place to find your next exciting read, and learn of some great deals on ebooks. You can also review your favourite books, and check out what other readers are enjoying.
Readers can also follow their favourite authors on the platform, and will receive updates about new releases, and if their books are on promotion.
I would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to follow me on Bookbub, and post a review or two on your favourite books in the series!
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A Look Back at Heart of the Crown
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In September of 2018, I released the third book in the Heir to the Crown series. Heart of the Crown tells a far different tale from that of the first two books, focusing on the relationship between Anna and Prince Alric of Weldwyn. The books in this series reveal Anna’s rise to power, but never through her eyes. Instead, it is done from the point of view of those around her.
This proved particularly difficult in this installment, and I had to resort to at least one scene where Anna experiences a vision or dream. Right from the beginning, I challenged myself to do less ‘telling’ and more ‘showing’, which is reflected in the opening scene where you learn all about the royal family of Weldwyn without any exposition at all.
Of course, there is more to Heart than just the story of these two young people. The other characters you have come to love each get their own moment to shine. Lady Aubrey Brandon, who appeared, albeit briefly, in Sword of the Crown, reappears. It was during the writing of Sword that I changed her from simply another noble to Beverly’s cousin, a theme which is expanded upon in Heart of the Crown. She will go on to become one of the queen’s closest advisers.
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Just in case you haven't read this one yet!
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Heart of the Crown: For as long as he can remember, Alric dreamed of being a hero; of defeating a dragon and saving the princess, but his royal position would never allow it, until…
The arrival of the Mercerian Emissaries demands a princely escort, and being neither the heir, nor the spare, he is the perfect choice.
Used to a lifetime of comfort and ease, he expects this duty to be as tiresome as all the others. His tranquil life is upended from the beginning, as havoc seems to follow these dignitaries everywhere, causing him all sorts of grief.
From fighting unknown creatures to defending the life of a royal, he discovers that becoming a hero is much more dangerous than he ever imagined. No matter what the outcome, his life will never be the same.
Heart of the Crown is Book Three in the Heir to the Crown series. If you like dramatic fight scenes, compelling characters and a captivating story, then you will love Paul J Bennett's tale of a prince who desires greatness.
Grab your copy of Heart of the Crown, and witness the dream become a reality.
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Congrats to Robb for winning last week's eBook Giveaway! New cover for your perusal this week!
Remember, all you need to do answer the question below, then you will automatically be entered into the Giveaway to win your choice of any of my ebooks, even the upcoming Temple Knight!
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| Which cover do you prefer? |
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| You have now entered the Giveaway! Good Luck! |
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We did another update to the first 4 books in the series. Let us know what you think!
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From the perspective of word count, this week was not all that productive, but words are not everything. Thanks to some invaluable feedback from Carol, I reworked several sections of Fury of the Crown, enabling me to develop what I consider to be a very interesting sub-plot.
It was something I had in mind for some time, and yet the details were eluding me. Once Carol read through what I had written, she brought up a section that was not quite working. This required me to put some extra work in, developing a new character, but I'm quite pleased with the result. Unfortunately, I can't reveal more, but next week should see me getting back to my regular word count. Oh, and I did manage to add two extra chapters to the book that I had not initially planned on, so this may end up being longer than I thought.
Fury starts off with lots of action, a battle to be precise, but if you've read Defender of the Crown, you should know why. There are a number of other battles scattered throughout the story, ranging from small skirmishes to large scale assaults. But, like other books in the series, I've kept the focus on the individuals while ensuring each battle is unique as possible.
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Until next time, enjoy a passage from Flames, Book Three in The Frozen Flames series.
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"Did you understand any of that?" he asked.
"A little," she replied. "I take it he's going to bring the shamaness?"
"Yes. Hopefully, she can verify our story. The Orcs can communicate over long distances, can't they? Do you think she can contact Shaluhk?"
"I wouldn't count on it," said Natalia. "The tribe is likely on the move."
"That won't matter."
"It won't? Isn't a moving target harder to find?"
"No," said Athgar. "My understanding is that Spirit Magic works regardless of range or position. It has more to do with how familiar the caster is with the recipient."
"But how would this Laghul be familiar with Shaluhk if they've never met?"
"I have no idea, but they learned of things across the Sea of Storms, so they must have some way of doing it. Unless you're suggesting they can travel great distances by magic?"
"Don't be ridiculous," said Natalia. "You'd need a magic circle for that."
"A magic circle?"
"Yes, aren't you familiar with them as a Fire Mage?"
"I can't say I am. The Orcs don't use them as far as I'm aware."
"Not even circles of stone?"
The blank look on Athgar's face told her all she needed to know. "Never mind. Perhaps it's beyond their understanding."
"They are an intelligent race," said Athgar, growing defensive, "and they've used magic far longer than Humans."
"I meant no offence, but their history is an oral one, isn't it? I would imagine the complexities of using a magic circle would be hard to pass down in such a manner."
"Can you use such powers?"
"No, I was never taught the spell of recall. They reserve those types of things for the more experienced mages in the family."
"I can see why," he mused.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Such a spell would be particularly powerful. It could be used to get into all sorts of mischief."
"We're talking about experienced mages here," she added, "not children."
"Is there a difference? We've both seen first-hand how power can corrupt people."
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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.
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The Empty Crown: Ana is running for her life. And she has dragged Captain Drayton along, or did he drag her? Either way they are fleeing across the kingdom from visions, a nasty mage and an apathetic lord.
The young Ed Forest is also running. He doesn’t know if he is running from what he knows he can’t be, or towards help to be the man his parents had hoped he would become.
Something has drawn them all to an old man in the mountains. He ran away long ago, and he may not be the willing help that they need him to be... MORE
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The Keeper Chronicles: When Mallon the Undying threatened the land years ago, the elves stopped him - and then disappeared.
Now Mallon's followers seek to bring him back to finish what he started. Only the Keepers - storytellers, historians, and magic-wielders - are left to stand against them.
Alaric, who betrayed everything he believed to save his wife - and still failed. Will, a storyteller who’s convinced his weak magic makes him useless. And Sini, a former slave girl with unimaginable power but no way to wield it... MORE
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Dragon Academy: They say the name maketh the man. Or in my case, the woman. My life is as wild as you would expect for a girl named Kaos. When the dragon I stole bonds with me, I'm forced to enroll in the Dragon Academy to save myself from execution.
Nestled in the heart of a volcano, the Dragon Academy is a brutal training school where the country's best dragon tamers are forged by fire—aka gruelling combat training and cutthroat competitions. The only things that make this place tolerable are a swoon-worthy lieutenant that's got a soft spot for me, my mis-matched pair of friends, a sweet old alchemist, and my majestic dragon, Ignimitra... MORE
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The Carnelian Fox: Monsters don’t exist. At least, they didn’t until we created them.
Maiyamon was once merely a game. Now it's a global reality. After dozens of hit monster collecting games raked in billions of credits per year, it was inevitable someone would create real ones. Unfortunately, it wasn’t so obvious how many people would dump them in the wild…
Sam Wentworth grew up with nothing. She’s worked tirelessly just to get through college and earn her first monster. Bankrupt and exhausted, she sets her sights on fame and fortune in Maiyamon arenas. Instead... MORE
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Featured Book Deals & Giveaways
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While you wait for the release of my next book, here are some great stories for your TBR pile!
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Extra Book Deals & Giveaways
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