Plowing through December

November's writing month was a success! While I'd hoped to get to more than one project, I did at least manage to finish i9. 66,951 words spewed from my head to the the keyboard.  The rough draft of i9 clocked in at 117K. There are definitely some spots than need fleshing out so I'm guessing that will increase a bit but we'll see how the edits shake out when I get that far.

I had a goal of at least 1K a day. Other than the one day 
I was gone at a comic con for long hours, I was able to at
least touch my WIP every day. Yay!

So what's next on the agenda? Editing? Nope. That story needs to rest for a bit. More writing! Those other two projects aren't going to write themselves. Sadly.

While I take a day to ponder which project I'll be diving into next, let's get to this month's Insecure Writer's Support Group question.

If you're not familiar with 

the Insecure Writers Support 

Group, check it out here 

and find links to all the other participating writers.

Do you write cliffhangers? Are they a turn off for you as a reader?

As a writer, I endeavor not to write cliff hangers. The book needs to end. Does the main conflict need to be resolved? Yes. Do the characters need to have meaningful growth? Yes. Can there be a few unresolved tidbits floating around to tease the next book? Yes, that is acceptable.

Would I ever end a book with: to be continued? I have strong words on that topic so we'll leave it at a HARD NO (see the toned down version below).

As a reader, if I invest time and energy into a book at it ends with any version of 'tune in next time to find out', that book is flying at a high velocity into the nearest wall and I will not read that author again. For the love of all that's holy, end the damned book! If an author cannot end a book,  my faith is lost in this little contractual thing we have going on. I purchased a book. I did not purchase a book with the unwitting obligation to by two to twelve other books to find out how it all ends. There need to be 'endings for now' along the way. If the author can show me a gratifying end to a book one and I enjoyed book one, I will likely give book two a try. Leave the choice to continue in the reader's hands.

It's Writing month!

November marks my 19th foray into pouring out a novel in 30 days. 

I used the last half of October to get back into the writing groove, because I'm here to tell you, if you haven't been writing at all seriously in nine or so months, the brain gets a little rusty in that department.

To get back into the swing of things, I set a goal to write (at least) 500 words a day from Oct 14 to 31. Setting a goal lower than I know darn well I can do helped alleviate the pressure of  'having to do the thing'. While it was a rough start and there were three days early on that I wrote less or nothing at all, I did manage to grease the gears enough that my brain and fingers remembered how this noveling thing works. By the end of the month, I was hitting my usual NaNo pace of 1,800 words a day.

I used Trackbear, a nifty new to me app to help set my habit goal that I can also use to set word goals and combine word counts to meet those goals across multiple projects. This is super handy and much easier than trying to math while in writing mode. Check out this free app if your interested in setting writing goals and establishing good wordy habits.

How do I have time to hit 1800 words a day with a job, surprise kids, pets, and all the usual life things?  When I'm in full noveling mode, I write three times a day. Morning (before everyone else is up) tends to be pretty productive. A quick twenty minutes after work but before making dinner. And then whatever time I have between after dinner and before running the surprise kids around / spending time with my husband / becoming unconscious. 

Can I crank out 1,800 words in one sitting? Yes. Can I do that in an hour and half? Sure. Do I like to? No. It's mentally exhausting and hard to maintain day after day. For me, anyway. Your word mileage may vary. Breaking up the word load over the whole day is easier to handle and less stressful. And who needs stress? Save that for your characters. 

If you're not familiar with 

the Insecure Writers Support 

Group, check it out here 

and find links to all the other 

participating writers.

This month's Insecure Writer's Support Group question is: What creative activity to you engage in when you're not writing? 

I paint, doodle, go on random new craft binges, and when in the mood, do cross stitch. What do you like to do?

December updates

It's hard to believe we're back to December already. Maybe if I wasn't always on the go, time wouldn't fly by? Nah, it probably still would. 

November always flies by. Between Grand Rapids Comic Con and NaNoWriMo, its a flurry of people and words. 

Grand Rapids Comic Con went well. It was fun as always and Kay-Kay got to come to her first con. Petting a chicken sure made a lot of people happy. Lots of books found new homes and I had a great time chatting with the other guest authors each day. 

NaNoWriMo resulted in 50,000 new words! Of my projects:

Laya's Vacation is a complete draft

One Shot At The Sphinx (a Narvan Novella) is a complete draft

I9 (a stand-alone scifi novel) is 1/3 finished.

Godmother didn't get started yet

Overall, I'm happy with the month of writing and the drafts are all workable. Hooray!

I'm taking December off, not because I want to but because work is crazy thanks to the holiday shoppers, I have a five day trip to North Carolina for work next week, and three small book events on the weekends until Christmas. Somewhere in there, I need to decorate, wrap presents, bake cookies, and host two Christmas family things. A writing break is in order.

Alrighty, let's get onward to this month's Insecure Writer's Support Group question: 

Book reviews

If you're not familiar with 

the Insecure Writers Support 

Group, check it out here 

and find links to all the other 

participating writers.

 are for the readers. When you leave a book reviews do you review for the Reader or the Author? Is it about what you liked and enjoyed about your reading experience, or do you critique the author?

The author isn't the book. I'm reading the book. Authors are people and many are like me, we write a lot of different things. We learn, we grow, our writing styles change. You may be reviewing the latest book they've written, but in the world of publishing, things move slow. That book could have been written three years ago and stuck in the publishing machine. 

Review the book. That book. Not everything else they've written that you may or may not have read. 

In a review, I will comment about what I liked or didn't like and why. I don't assume the author will ever read the review. Many don't. I rarely do. If you have something super nice or constructive criticism to offer, contact the author. The review is to help other readers decide if that book is for them.

If I don't pop on here before January, have a happy holiday season! Enjoy your family, your pet(s), or at least curl up somewhere quiet with a good book. 

Book Release and NaNoWriMo

 

It's release day for Tears of the Tyrant! 

The Narvan continues with book five:

Rumors of Tyrant Ta’set’s killing sprees have spread throughout the known universe. Or are they truths?

Vayen’s hold on his deadly Arpex abilities is slipping. If he loses control, he’ll be executed and his mission of unification and peace will die with him. Desperate to help Vayen maintain his precarious balance, Anastassia is willing to offer him a week with another woman as a diversion from his dark urges. Can she live with her decision if he wants more?

In the public spotlight by association, Daniel unwittingly ignites a political uprising when, in the spirit of love and unity, he adopts the Jalvian practice of taking a second wife. While he works with Neko to guide the debate within the Narvan, he must also work alongside his volatile, tyrannical father as they race the rumors to seek out amiable worlds for their advisory union. Daniel struggles to take on the brunt of his parent’s mission while facing his own darkness.

Spending a guilt-free week with Vayen is a dream come true for Buria. She’s had her eye on him for years. Securing a place within his inner circle could mean a serious job upgrade and notoriety. Managing Vayen’s addictions and temper will require every skill beaten into her as a slave if she is to stand a chance at coming out on top.

Is the Ta’set family, the Narvan, and the newly-formed advisory union prepared for a future where Vayen takes the one life that will send him over the edge?

Would you like to check out the first chapter for free? Download from BookFunnel.

Available in e-book and paperback today!  Amazon / B&N / Kobo

If you're not familiar with 

the Insecure Writers Support 

Group, check it out here 

and find links to all the other 

participating writers.

We've reached November, which means we're going to talk about National Novel Writing Month. This month's Insecure Writer's Support Group question asks: Have you ever participated? The short answer: Yes.

 

Want to know all about it? Let's dive in!

For year 18 of my NaNoWriMo adventures, I'll be sinking my writerly teeth into four projects as muses and time allow. I've managed to meet or exceed my goal of 50,000 words in 30 days 15 out of the 17 previous years so I'm feeling pretty good about keeping my words hopping. 

This year I'll be working on:

 A new chicken picture book - Laya's Vacation

A Narvan novella - Anastassia and Chesser's Story (title TBA)

A YA fairytale along the same vein as Spindelkin - Godmother

A sci-fi standalone - I9

We'll see how much of any or all of these I can accomplish. I know I have 3 days that nearly nothing will get done due to Grand Rapids Comic Con. I also have a 3 day work trip to St. Louis to contend with but I'm hoping to be able to write in the car (not while I'm driving, of course) and at night. Fingers cross that there are no other unexpected major interruptions.

My NaNo secrets for success

1. The point is to write 50,000 new words in 30 days. That can be done a lot of different ways. Do what speaks to you. The pure experience would be to work on a totally new novel. You could also veer into the rebel camp and write a collection of short stories, an epic poem, multiple projects, non fiction articles, etc.

2. Don't sleep. Ok, maybe this one is just me. But I don't sleep well in general so I get up several times a night, and during November, that means I might write a couple hundred or thousand words at 2am before heading back to bed and then doing it again at 7am. Maybe grabbing another writing session after work and again just before bed. Write when you can.

3. This is writing month. That means my brain is in writing mode. I typically don't read books or watch Netflix or play on my phone during November. If I'm not working, eating, or sleeping, I'm writing. And when I'm doing those other three things, I'm thinking about what I will be writing the next time I sit down at the laptop.

4. Have fun with it. Join your local NaNo group. Attend write-ins online or in person for group support and motivation. Find a writing buddy and get competitive. Urge each other on and duel with word counts. Do word wars. You don't have to write alone. Unless you prefer to, then hey, write alone.

5. Get the words on the page and don't be afraid to suck. Rough drafts are not meant to be perfect. That could mean experimenting with a scene or chapter or a bunch of chapters that might not make it into the final novel. Sometimes you need to tinker around to see what POV works best or explore a subplot. Those words all count for NaNo purposes. If you get stuck, skip to the next scene, throw words at the page and see what sticks to get you going again. Get all stream of consciousness if you have to. Just keep moving forward. Or jump around if that's your thing. Keep writing.

My NaNo history

2006 - Sahmara was my first NaNoWriMo novel. It took 10 years between it's word birth and actual publication. Noveling isn't a race. Sometimes books need time to come together.

2007 - A YA Fantasy that has yet to come together though I've toyed around with it a couple of times. I'm not giving up on it yet.

2008 - Not Another Bard's Tale - This was my favorite NaNo book to write as far as it being fun.

2009 - A Broken Race - My first book to be published in 2015

2010 - Destiny Pills & Space Wizards - My first rebel year when I wrote short stories instead of a novel.

2011 - Chain Of Grey - Narvan books are an easy (comparatively)  because those characters just flow onto the page.

2012 - A failed attempt at a Broken Race prequel that ended up providing additional content in the second edition of ABR. While I did make it to 50K, the story didn't work.

2013 - A sci-fi novel that I'd like to revisit at some point to see if I can pull it out of it's tailspin because I really like this one.

2014 - 20K of a sci-fi novel that I don't even remember writing because it was while we were building our house. Someday I'll have to read it and see if it's worth pursuing. 

2015 - Interface, oh you poor YA sci-fi novel. I've said I would finish you so many times. Yet, you're not finished. One of these days, I'll follow through.

2016 - The Last God - After several years of novels not going anywhere, I got back in the groove. Yay.

2017 - Bound In Blue

2018 - Seeker

2019 - Spindelkin

2020 - The Minor Years

2021 - Frayed - While I didn't get to 50k on this project for NaNo because: life, I did recently finish writing it and it will be released in 2024

2022 - Everyone Dies, part of Tears of the Tyrant and Kay-Kay - a very productive year

For those keeping track, that means all my novels but Trust and Dreams of Stars and Lies started as NaNo novels. NaNo isn't for everyone, but it works for me. If you're participating, feel free to shoot me a buddy request on the NaNo site. Hello, I'm Gypsywitch and I'm a nano addict.  

October is for Getting Book Stuff Done!

September was a relaxing month as far as previous months go. I found time to sleep, edit, and format Tears of the Tyrant. I finished Frayed. Yes, really. Finally. And also started edits on Frayed. Woohoo!

I did a craft show with an author friend last weekend. It didn't go near as well as it did the year before for us. The organizer is doing too many similar shows at the same venue, which appears to tapping out the buying audience. That one is crossed off my list for next year, but we had a good time and met readers. 

October is for cramming in as much as possible before writing month takes over. I have one event this weekend, a new to me outdoor Halloween show. We'll see how it goes. Crossing my fingers for nice weather. 

What's on the to-do list for October?

• Getting Tears of the Tyrant ready for release on Nov. 1

• Getting as much wrapped up on edits of Frayed as possible

• Finalizing my plan of attack for NaNoWriMo year 17

• Applying for events for 2024 as applications go live

• Seeing if I can sneak in time to work on Interface (YA sci-fi)

• Getting panels written/finalized for Grand Rapids Comic Con

If you're not familiar with 

the Insecure Writers Support 

Group, check it out here 

and find links to all the other 

participating writers.

This month's Insecure Writer's Support Group question is about generative AI uses in writing. Will it assist or replace writers? 

I'm not a fan of AI for writing or artwork. Is it useful? I'm sure it is. Will I be jumping onboard at this time? No. Paranoid me has seen this movie. I've read variations of this book. I will not be assisting in training our AI overlords. No thank you. #TeamHuman.

Seriously though, yes, it's a tool. I'm sure it has it's uses. At the moment, my muses are chatting it up so I don't feel the need to ask AI for ideas or sketch out scenes or plots. I've got this.

Have I toyed with AI for cover concepts, sure. But in the end, I went an entirely different direction. I've avoided purchasing AI generated art elements for my covers from my stock art source.

Will I change my mind later? Possibly. But today is not that day. Oh, and in case they're watching, all hail our supreme and benevolent overlords.

Thank Goodness It's December!

 I lived through another November! Whew! Deep cleansing breath.

Let's see what was on my list for the crazy times:

Yard work: Pond goldfish moved indoors, stuff put away, and chicken coop winterized. DONE

Day job: Still going crazy, but hey, bills are getting paid. SURVIVED

Comic Con: It was a loooong three days, but I met so many new readers and had good turn outs at both of my panels. And people asked questions. We love when you ask questions! Can't wait to do it all again in 2023. SURVIVED

NaNoWriMo: I wrote several short stories for my collection, mostly wrapped up the personal project, wrote the rough draft for my children's chicken book, and made progress on Frayed. WON

In other winning news... Spindelkin is a Fantasy novel finalist in the 2022 American Writing Awards.

If you're not familiar with 

the Insecure Writers Support 

Group, check it out here 

and find links to all the other 

participating writers.

What's on the agenda for December? Funny you should ask, since that's this month's Insecure Writer's Support Group question:

Are the holidays a time to catch up or fall behind on writer goals?

I think the trick there is setting workable goals fit your holiday schedule, but to answer the question...

Mid-December things start to slow down (typically, knocking on wood) at my day job so I have more time and energy to devote to editing or completing NaNo projects. I also only have one book event in December so that will leave some weekends free to enjoy my comfy writing chair. I suppose that means I will be "catching up". Which is good, because I need to work on getting books ready to publish for 2023. 

Happy Holidays!

November: The Crazy Times

And so we again arrive at November, AKA The Crazy Times. 

Why so? 

1. November is the busiest time of the year for all aspects of my day job so, yay...overtime. 

2. It's NaNoWriMo - 50,000 words in 30 days

3. It's Comic Con month - meaning there are 4-5 days I will likely not have any time or energy to write and also work will be piling up at the day job while I'm off signing books at cons. 

4. It's prep for Winter month. In addition to everything above, I'll have to find time to winterize the pond, hopefully pull out the goldfish that have survived the ducks and set up a tank inside for them, get the plastic up on the chicken run, and put all the yard stuff away before snow starts to stick around. 

Can she do it all? Tune in next month to find out.

You can find me this month at:

Nov 11-13 Grand Rapids Comic Con where I'll be doing two panels

Nov 19 - Fantasticon 

Nov 26 - The Bluestocking Bookshop

Which leads neatly to this month's Insecure Writer's Support Group Question: 

Have you ever participated in NaNoWriMo?

If you're not familiar with 

the Insecure Writers Support 

Group, check it out here 

and find links to all the other 

participating writers.

This will be year 17 of NaNo for me. So a resounding YES on participation.

I've won 15 times so far. The only year I didn't (2014), I was in the middle of building our current house, as in doing the general contracting, installing cabinets, helping with wiring, and doing a lot of tilework. I was kinda busy, but I did manage to get 25K in on a project I haven't touched since. Someday, I'll get back to it.

10 of those NaNo projects have gone on to be published.

Knowing this is crazy times, do I intend to win again this year? Yes, unless something major gets in the way. 

What will I be working on? I'm spreading my 50,000 new words over several ongoing projects and one new one. Last year's half finished Urban Fantasy, a horror themed short story collection, the mysterious personal Narvan project, and a children's book centered around my tiny handicapped chicken.

This is Kaykay. She fits in one hand.

Tips for NaNo success:

Write something everyday. On days you have more time, write 2K instead of 1,667. 

Build a buffer in the first week while your ambition is high so when life gets in the way, you can squeak by with a few 500 word days and still be on track.

Know that you can pound out 10K (or more) a day if you really put your mind to it so if you fall behind, all is not lost.

Realize that the middle of the novel is often a slog for first drafts. Allow yourself to make notes in slow sections and jump ahead to where you're motivated to make words happen.

Don't have two or three consecutive hours a day to write? Write in 15 minute bursts scattered throughout the day. I often find this my most productive way of writing.

Do most of your writing NOT AT THE KEYBOARD. When you're washing dishes, taking a shower, are doing something mindless at work, in the bathroom, driving, or eating lunch, think about your next scene. Then, when you have a chance, sit down and write it. Get back up and go for walk, give the kids a bath, ride a bike, fold the laundry, and think of the next scene. Repeat = novel.

Get involved with your local region or, if you don't have one, connect with others doing NaNo and support/encourage each other. This is one of those times when peer pressure is a good thing. 

Good luck to those participating this year! Go make words happen!

Falling Into New Projects

Things are finally slowing down this month. More of a catch my breath before November hits sort of quiet than anything, really. Only two single-day book signings this month and an actual vacation! It's been a few years since I've had a real vacation and here's the big one, my husband and I haven't had a vacation with just the two of us since before we were married. That was twenty-five years ago as of this Halloween. We figured we were due for an anniversary trip. Okay, overdue. Looong overdue. We'll be heading off to the Smoky Mountains later this month.

On another fun note, since I'm semi-prepping for NaNo, I'm considering an idea for a book that might require the need to dust off my long neglected painting skills. I've been spending the occasional evening doing watercolor lessons for a refresher. 

If you are looking for books, I'll be at the Geeky Experience Comic Con in Holland this weekend but then I'll be off until November. Hooray!

I got to hang out with author Vera West in Kalamazoo last weekend.

Projects on the agenda for NaNoWriMo this year include:

    1. Actually, for really really sure this time, working on Frayed

    2. A horror short story collection

    3. A children's book

    4. Being entirely unproductive publishing-wise but working on my personal project if all else fails.

November's book signing schedule:

    Nov 11-13 Grand Rapids Comic Con

    Nov 19 Fantasticon 

    Nov 26 Bluestocking Bookshop Indie Author Day

If you're not familiar with 

the Insecure Writers Support 

Group, check it out here 

and find links to all the other 

participating writers.

And that brings us to this month's Insecure Writer's Support Group Question: What do you consider the best characteristics of your favorite genre?

Answering for Speculative Fiction because I'm kind of an umbrella term author, the best part is the freedom of imagination. Followed closely by being able to write whoever and whatever best serves the story without being tied to real world rules or expectations. Spec fic allows us to shine lights on all kinds of real world issues, but through a more distant lens that often makes those topics more palatable and easier to digest. Getting out of our world and into an entirely new one is also a great escape from daily life, a vacation in book pages. 

 

Goodbye July, Hello August

 I spent July traveling across Michigan meeting readers. From Lansing, to Lake Orion, and then back to Grand Haven in West Michigan. Whew! It was a fun filled month of books, dragons, presenting writing panels, and even superhero wedding! 

Kogan Con - Grand Haven, MI

Michigan Medieval Faire - Lake Orion, MI

Capital City Comic Con - Lansing, MI

July was also Camp Nano, in which I plugged away at a book I'm writing for me at this point, wherein *spoiler alert* I'm killing people, crying about it, and processing the fact that they are dead. In theory, this may free me up to delve into other non-Narvan stand-alone books...like the pile of them on my hard drive glaring at me to be finished. As of the end of the month, I added 40,000 new words to the novel. Since my original goal was to add 20K, I'm calling that a definite win. Yes, Seeker is still the last book of the core series. If this tragic tale eventually gets to your eyes, it will be a companion novel like Minor Years.  

Oh, and dammit, I already have ideas where I could go after this. But no! No! Must, concentrate on stand-alone books for a while! 

I'm also still percolating on the last 2/3 of Frayed, which is slowly making its way through my local writing group chapter by chapter and finishing it is currently slated to be my project for NaNo 2022 unless I can make this Narvan book shut up and work on it before then. 

After such a busy July, I'll be spending August resting. Right? Ha. You're funny.

You can find me:

August 6 - Holland Art in the Park

August 13&14 - South Haven Blueberry Festival

August 27 & 28 Michiana Renaissance Faire 

If you're not familiar with 

the Insecure Writers Support 

Group, check it out here 

and find links to all the other 

participating writers.

That brings us to this month's Insecure Writer's Support Group question:  When you set out to write a story, do you try to be more original or do you try to give readers what they want?

The first draft of everything I write is for me. Sorry, readers. But hey, I'm a reader too and I have to wait for the words to leech out of my fingers onto the page to enjoy them. Trust me, you're getting the far better end of the deal here. Once the story gets to you, it's a smooth ride (hopefully) and far more coherent (definitely). 

Readers get much more consideration once a draft enters editing. I often move things around or cut bits entirely to make the story flow better, faster, or be more engaging for everyone who is not in my twisted head.

As far as being original, I would think that's something we all strive for. Originality comes with adding your own voice to any story. All the plots may have been done before, but its what you do with them that makes them unique.  

Book Release, IWSG, and NaNo!

First, the exciting news... The Minor Years is now available in paperback from your favorite online retailers. 

On idyllic Veria Minor, Anastassia struggles to fit into a life she never wanted. She’s lost everything she’s worked so hard for.

According to her cover story, she’s now an acolyte Seeker, a mother, and wife of Isnar Ka’turoc. In reality, the Council’s torture has left her with only a whisper of her telepathy, she doesn’t know the first thing about raising a kid, and the man she’s stuck with is the same one who ruined her life. If she wants to stay among the living, she must learn to forgive and adapt.

When the Narvan unexpectedly falls into Jey and Merkief’s hands, the one thing on both of their minds is revenge. Kess killed Anastassia and Vayen, but he now has the High Council’s protection. To make things worse, he’s been awarded the advisory position for the Narvan’s neighboring system, including control over the wealthy planet of Merchess, which had provided much of the Narvan’s funding.

Strapped for credits, at each other’s throats, and attempting to meet the High Council’s demands, Jey and Merkief wage a covert battle with Kess. If the violence explodes, everyone will suffer.

Available at all your favorite online retailers or visit me at Grand Rapids Comic Con Nov 12-14 or at the Bluestocking Bookshop in Holland on Nov 27.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Minor-Years-Jean-Davis/dp/B09JV9SMMR

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/.../the-minor.../1140385885

Direct from me: https://link.waveapps.com/h6pd82-z9s9y9

Ebook links are coming soon.

If you're not familiar with 

the Insecure Writers Support 

Group, check it out here 

and find links to all the other 

participating writers.

Next up is this month's Insecure Writer's Support Group question: What is harder to do, coming up
with the book title or writing the blurb?

While titles take their sweet time coming to me, I'm going to have to go with writing the blurb. Having to stare at the entire novel and figure out what bits create the most enticing blurb without giving too much away but also providing enough detail is challenging. The two things (now that I've done a bunch of them) are:

1. Focus on what happens in the first few chapters rather than the whole book. The stakes obviously have to draw from the main plot, but the characters and what they generally face are often laid out at the beginning.

2. Write a synopsis. Somewhere about book seven or eight, those vile things started coming to me before I even write the book. I credit that to the agony of having to write seven or eight of them from the whole novel after the fact. My brain apparently said, ok, enough of that! Let's just start there and then write the book. So while I still claim to mostly be a pantser, I guess this edges me toward planster territory. Staring at one to three pages of the synopsis is much easier to digest for blurb purposes than trying to analyze the whole novel.

And that brings us to National Novel Writing Month.

I'm launching into an Urban Fantasy this year for something different. That's been on my list of Speculative Fiction subgenres to try for a while now. After spending so much time on YA books Spindelkin and The Traveling Circus and The Skeleton Key last year, I'm having to make a conscious effort to drag myself back into writing for the adult market.

Don't get me started on the title. I don't have one. Currently, the project is known as "Witty Title". I usually find the actual title as I write. Since I'm only on chapter two, it will likely be a while before that happens. So far things are moving along smoothly thanks to my handy synopsis.

If you're participating in NaNoWriMo and want to be buddies, I'm Gypsywitch on the NaNo site.

And now I better get back to writing because sadly, this blog post doesn't apply toward my daily word count.

Release day: Not Another Bard's Tale

Not Another Bard's Tale sprang to life during NaNoWriMo in 2008. The story languished on my hard drive for several years without a middle and then for many years after it was finally complete due to the lack of time to devote to applying the finishing touches and editing. Guess what? It turns out a pandemic that causes pretty much everything to be canceled for a year offers a writer a lot of unplanned 'free' time.

Look for a lot of new books in 2021. Authors have been busy typing away in their socially distanced writing caves. Not Another Bard's Tale is the second of five books on my schedule to release this year.

Inspired by my teen-love for Monty Python's Holy Grail, and later enjoyment of John Moore's book Heroics for Beginner's, Not Another Bard's Tale leans heavily into the fantasy parody genre. 

Bruce Gawain has been between knightly quests for longer than he’d like to admit. In the town of Holden, he meets a seer who tells him where he can finally find his destiny. All he has to do is travel to the distant Wall of Nok in Gambreland. With only three coins to his name, Bruce isn’t getting much further than a barstool at the town’s inn.

As luck would have it, the innkeeper’s beautiful daughter Svetlana and her flock of troublesome god-gifted sheep need an escort to Gambreland. With a paying job, everything seems to fall into place for Bruce’s quest… except for Svetlana’s killjoy bodyguard sister, an evil overlord with looming prophecy issues, and a dragon threatening to eat the townspeople until its stolen treasure is returned.

Bruce sets out with his pan-wielding companion Mydeara and the negligibly talented bard, Harold to seek out the Wall of Nok. Will they find Bruce’s destiny, return Svetlana safely home, and save the people of Holden from the vengeful dragon?

Available in Paperback on Amazon and Ebook: Amazon / Smashwords / B&N / Kobo / Scribd

Excerpt: 

Bruce glanced toward the docks where several ships were moored, their masts bobbing madly as a sudden rush of heavy wind buffeted the sea-side market. Horse-drawn carts raced by and shouting came from the next street over. He gripped the rough wood of the stall and squinted against the blowing dirt to read the poorly painted sign: Holden’s famous Herman! The great seer of the West!

A hunched man in a faded blue robe adorned with what may have been golden stars and moons bared his scant teeth. “I see an auspicious future for you, knight.” He held out an age-spotted hand. “But the details require payment.”

His past hadn’t been all too profitable and presently Bruce was in a state he preferred to call ‘between quests’. If a single coin could give him a push in a better direction it would be well spent. He dug into the coin purse he wore under his armor. He placed a chipped copper disc with a hole in the middle onto the seer’s palm. “That’s one of my last. You better tell me something worthwhile.”

“You listen to old Herman now, my visions always be true.”

People hurried past, glancing over their shoulders. “Get on with it then. The day’s almost done and I need to find the inn.”

Herman cleared his throat with a great hacking cough, followed by a hesitant wheeze and another cough, slightly less phlegm-filled than the last. “Show me your palm.”

Bruce held out his hand, wondering what the old man hoped to see in the fading light. He probably had his prophetic line of mysterious words already on his tongue; the palm was all for show. He scowled, already wishing he’d spent his coin on dinner or a pint of ale.

“All right then.” Herman traced the lines on his palm with thin, wrinkled fingers. “What you seek lies at the Wall of Nok. You must travel far and the way will not be easy.”

A shadow passed overhead, like a brief sampling of nightfall, but then it was gone. Something crashed at the other end of the marketplace. The ground shook. Screams filled the air.

What a load of dung. Bruce yanked his hand away. The evening air grew warm, almost unbearably so within his armor.

The shaking of the ground became more intense. The wooden stalls creaked. A host of people ran by. Shopkeepers watched them. Several abandoned their wares and joined the running crowd. Herman eyed the coin with determination as it bounced about on the quaking counter of the stall.

Bruce made a grab for his coin.

The surprisingly spry seer snatched it up. “When you reach the wall, you will find—”

A giant, green-scaled head atop a long neck lined with wicked black spikes loomed over the booth. Two great golden eyes surveyed Bruce and then locked on to the old man. The dragon’s jaws gaped open to reveal two wicked rows of teeth.

Bruce screamed like a little girl.

The dragon snatched up the seer and chewed with what appeared to be great satisfaction. It swallowed and then picked at one of his dagger-length teeth with a claw. The copper coin fell onto the counter.

The dragon’s rancid, hot breath blasted over Bruce. “You wouldn’t happen to know where the nearest lake is, do you? I always find mystics a bit dry.”

Bruce pointed to the far end of town with a shaking hand.

“Thank you.” The dragon flapped its wings, knocking flat the booth and all of those surrounding it, sending the goods flying in all directions.

As the dragon lifted into the sky Bruce’s reflexes finally kicked in. He drew his sword. Another rush of people, scattered in their efforts to pick a direction in which to flee, flooded through the decimated market.

A young man stopped, gazing up at the dragon and then following its line of ascent to Bruce and his sword. “You scared the dragon off! You saved us all!”

“I don’t know about...” Bruce glanced at the sword in his hand. If he meant to change his fortune, he was going to have to up his advertising game. “Yes. Yes, I did. Fearsome beast, but no match for a knight like me.”

“Behold, our savior!” the man called to all who passed by. 

IWSG April: Upcoming Release - Not Another Bard's Tale

It's April, the weather is awesome. It's finally warm! And there is sunshine! Why am I inside??? Oh yes,  must work to pay the bills. 

Spring is busy doing it's springy thing around here. there are flowers, I've got the itch to finish out my flock with a few new chicks and my ducks are now a year old and are busy being happy ducks. I've also been writing. Well, editing, mostly, but that still counts.

April also marks the upcoming arrival of my next book, Not Another Bard's Tale. NABT was first drafted in 2008 as my third NaNoWriMo novel. It's gone through some significant revisions over the years and sat in the cold dark of my hard drive for long spans until finally Covid shut everything down for a year (and then some) and hey, I had far more 'free' time than usual. So I was productive and did a lot of writing as well as editing to get several books ready to release this year. 

Not Another Bard's Tale is a comedic fantasy novel following Bruce, the not-so-esteemed knight, his plucky side kick Mydeara, and the negligibly talented bard Harold as they journey to a far off land to find Bruce's destiny. Along the way they face an evil overlord with looming prophecy issues, a hungry dragon, and a love-sick troll. This adventure through fantasy tropes will be out at the end of the month! 

If you're not familiar with 

the Insecure Writers Support 

Group, check it out here 

and find links to all the other 

participating writers.

Funny that this months' IWSG question is: Are you a risk-taker when writing? Do you try something radically different in style/POV/etc. or add controversial topics to your work?

Because yes, I do like to experiment with different things with my novels. That's the nice thing about doing stand alone novels and short stories, they're far easier to try out new POVs and styles than delving into an entire series. 

Not Another Bard's Tale is different than many books as it's told through a progression of POVs. Each of the characters get to carry the adventure for a chapter. Some of the core characters repeat in the second half of the book, other do not. The chapter lengths also vary greatly, but are geared toward giving everyone the part that best conveys their character's part of the story.