January 4, 2020

"This series just gets better and better with each book. A must read! Couldn’t put it down!" - Lady J

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Abelard lies on the northern coast of the continent, sandwiched between the Kingdom of Eidolon to the west, and the Principality of Braymoor to the east. Both of these borders are formed by large rivers, giving the kingdom an easily defendable border. To the south lies the Kingdom of Lubenstahl, and though there is no river here for protection, the Kings of Abelard have used diplomacy to keep the land safe for centuries.

Founded in the chaos after the destruction of Therengia, it has thrived for generations, primarily due to its prosperous trade along the northern coast. Other kingdoms have troubled them little, but internal politics have divided the nation, leading to an uprising in 1090 SR. In that year, Tristan Marhaven, second cousin to the King Rordan, raised an army with the intent to seize the crown. The usurper's forces were soundly defeated by the royal army at the small village of Krosnicht. Since that time, Abelard has been at peace, though resentment is still felt over the king's brutal treatment of his enemies.

By 1103 SR, the kingdom had been restored to its former glory. With the death of King Rordan, his son, Rordich, assumed the crown, ushering in a new age of prosperity.

The Kingdom of Abelard features in the short story A Midwinter Murder, available now.

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

Congrats to Cindy H. who won last week's Giveaway! The most popular format for books was Amazon.

There’s a lot more to being an author than publishing a book. Sure, creating the plot and characters takes a lot of effort, as does getting the manuscript edited and ready for readers, but simply clicking on that publish button on Amazon or Kobo is only half the work. In order to garner interest, you need to do a number of things.

First, you need a cover that immediately tells the genre of the book. Many authors try to do this themselves, with some being quite successful. If you don't have a graphics background, then it is better to have your cover created for you. Depending on the cover you are are looking for, an artist can create an illustrated image, and then you hire an experienced designer to take the artwork and add the necessary typography (book title and author name), or you can use a graphic designer to create the cover from stock photos or scratch. Either option has a wide variance in the price you'll pay, but remember, experience does not come cheap. In my opinion, a cover design something you should scrimp on as it is what first draws  a reader to your books

You can also google “Book covers for sale,” which will result in many web sites that have pre-made covers, usually costing around $150.00 US or so. That’s great if you can find one you like, but chances are you’re looking for something specific, perhaps a character from your own book. Many of these sites will have links to the artists, allowing you to customize their artwork or produce completely new works, but expect this to be more expensive than the premade options. Be aware that you will need permission to use the artwork on both ebook and printed formats, and in advertising and marketing. Sometimes artists will charge more for all these options.

The last thing you’ll need before actually uploading your new book is the book description, 'blurb'. This is what your reader will see on the retailer's website. The blurb is very important, as it is the second way of grabbing a reader's attention. The artwork may bring them to your page, but it’s the description that will intrigue them enough to make a purchase.

Of course, simply putting it up online won’t guarantee sales, you need to advertise, but I’ll talk about that another time.

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The new year is upon us, and progress on Defender of the Crown is beginning to pick up again. I’ve had to spend some time doing some much-needed editing to Embers, but I’m back on track and hope to be done my rough draft by the middle of the month.

I’ve also managed to find some time to fill out some ideas on my next series, Power Ascending, which I will begin writing once Defender is finished. The plan, eventually, is to produce two books a year from each series, though I might manage more, depending on how things go. At the moment, the impetus is on Heir to the Crown and The Frozen Flame, but there are connecting threads among all the series, including the upcoming one.

In the meantime, we need to take down the Christmas decorations, as  I think we are one of the last houses on the block to still have them up. Anyone else out there still have decorations up?

Until next time, below is a little snippet of Embers, The Frozen Flame: Book Two

Happy reading!

And so it begins…

“Our job right now is to keep you safe. The search for other Therengians will have to wait. I’m sure the Gods will understand.”

She turned to face him, his arms still around her. “Do you really think the Gods take an interest in such things?”

“I suppose I do,” he remarked. “Can you say the same thing for your Saints?”

“An interesting thought,” she responded, “and one to which I’ve never given much reflection. I’ve never considered myself to be very religious. I suppose that’s common for mages.”

“So you consider us meeting a chance encounter?” he asked.

“I’d say fortuitous,” she confessed, “why? Are you suggesting your Gods brought us together?”

“I’m not saying anything, I’m just glad that we met, whatever the circumstances.”

“Me too,” she said, “but perhaps it’s time we moved on?”

“To where?” he asked. “We’re already at the edge of the known world, where else can we go?”

“I don’t know,” she replied, “perhaps nowhere is safe for long. I’m not sure what to do.”

He moved his face closer to hers, kissing her tenderly. At that precise moment, his stomach growled, and she burst into laughter.

“It appears it’s time to eat,” she said.

He blushed, “So it is!”

“Come along then,” she urged, “let’s get some clothes on and see what’s for breakfast.

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

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

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