My Patreon Page – How You Can Easily Support Me

Posted on 23/02/2021 by Hannah Steenbock
Patreon and link

It’s been a while since I created my Patreon page, but I finally decided what to do with it:

I’m giving you stories before I publish them, and I’m posting updates about what I’m working on. I tried posting what I wrote every day, and that worked only as long as I was steadily writing one novel at a time.

I’m no longer doing that. I’m jumping between stories, between chapters, between everything. Since I finished the Wolf series, my writing has become chaotic, as I’m trying to find something new to focus on. Apologies also for… some mental health breaks.

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Joanna Steenen – Writer Brain Creates New Story

Posted on 11/10/2020 by Joanna Steenen
Joanna Steenen has a new story in mind
New Story!

Here’s a clue to how I – or rather, my writer brain – work:

The past few mornings, a new story has been nudging me. It has been shifting, sorting itself, until I could start writing it. I still have no idea about the whole plot, except that it’s (once again) a story about changing an unjust regime and bringing freedom for the people.

South Rabbit is a member of a group of people destined to become sacrifices. Their death renews the realm and its protection (yes, that’s blood magic).

But something goes wrong, and South does not die as she is supposed to. This is the beginning of a series of events that will unravel a rein of terror and injustice… with South slowly discovering the world outside of her pampered existence.

New Joanna Steenen Manuscript: South Breaks

I think the series will be called “Pillars and Winds”, but I’m not sure yet. The first book is called “South Breaks”. And yes, it will be a Joanna Steenen story, because it will have a bunch of bed scenes.

So yeah. Have a little part of what I wrote this morning:

Moon never made a sound. Only at the end did his breath rattle a little. He died just as he had lived his life, quietly, gently, without a fuss.
And South’s heart broke.

Yes. It’s a dark start. It’s a dark place. But I already know that at the end, people will have a better life.

What do you think?

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“Dragon Clan” – Book 2 of the Cloud Lands Beginnings

Posted on 29/04/2020 by Hannah Steenbock
Dragon Clan Cover

About Writing Dragon Clan

“Dragon Clan” took me by surprise, in a way.

I was writing another story with dragons and characters that I love. And got bogged down.

Then, a new dragon crept into my mind: Shermin.

She flies out, fleeing an obsessive leader, determined to find freedom. In the end, she finds so much more.

The Premise of Dragon Clan

This is another tale where I explore the potential relationships between dragons and humans.

The main characters, Shermin, Drashgen and Andrysh encounter many kinds of dragons and people in this story, both good and bad. They try to do their best, help where they can, and fight when they must.

All they ever want is a good life for their Clan. And as far as they know, theirs is the only one where both dragons and humans live together. (I am planning a tale where Andrysh meets Sidren’s Clan, though. That will be fun to write.)

Dragon Clan is a rambling, entertaining adventure, the kind I like to read myself. And of course, there are many challenges, but also fun encounters and light-hearted banter.

The Main Characters

Shermin is a young dragon who prefers wearing the color blue. She grew up in Shellay’s Clan (which you might remember from “Dragon Prey”) and decides to flee the constant oppression. Her search for freedom takes her to the massive mountain range in the center of the continent, where she meets a very friendly green dragon.

Drashgen is a bachelor dragon, with no affiliation to any clan. He enjoys living on his own, doing just as he pleases. He even has managed to find and keep a cozy cave for himself. When he meets Shermin, he is instantly enchanted and does all he can to make her his mate.

Andrysh, well. He’s a bit of a rogue, a lovable, cheerful guy most happy when out exploring. His two kids are being raised by their mother in his Clan, until… sorry, that would be a spoiler. He’s kind-hearted, though, and always willing to lend a hand to help.

The Setting

“Dragon Clan” takes place roughly at the same time as “Dragon Prey”, maybe a year or two later. It’s set in my dragon world, which I call “The Cloud Lands”.

It’s also a stand-alone, not directly connected to “Dragon Prey”, which means you can read it as part of a series but you don’t have to.

Due to the disruption by the invasion of dragons/firebeasts, human civilization has dropped back to a hunter/gatherer level, with some animal husbandry left. Agriculture has practically become impossible, because of constant attacks. In fact, most human clans survive in the mountains, where they can find caves deep enough to protect them against the firebeasts. Life has become quite difficult for humans.

The Link – go get it!

Now, I hope I have made you curious enough to want to take a closer look, either through the preview or possibly Kindle Unlimited. Of course, I’d be very happy if you choose to buy the book, as well.

Right now, it’s only available as eBook through Amazon. I’m working on Print, and once “Dragon Clan” comes out of KDP Select in three months, it’ll go wide and be available through all major sellers (except Google Play).

So here’s a general Amazon Link that will take you to your store: Buy “Dragon Clan”

PS: Newsletter

Also, if you never want to miss another release, and if you think you might feel entertained by cute little stories about Ember, my dragon plushie, I invite you to sign up to my newsletter.

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2 Valid Reasons for Writing in the Frantic Times of Corona Virus

Posted on 18/03/2020 by Hannah Steenbock

Writing in the times of corona virusHow can anyone be writing in the times of corona virus?

Just like you, I have followed the rise of the this virus over the last few weeks.  And it’s been a scary ride.

I’m German. I saw the virus explode in Italy, and saw it drift into our country and all the way into the city where I live. Mostly by people who had been in Italy and Austria to ski.

I’m working in Home Office now, for the day job. I was literally ordered into it by a txt message on a Sunday night. “Do not come in on Monday.”

But I’m not going to talk about that much. You can find plenty of information about the corona virus and the changes in life style required to keep it at bay.

No, I’m going to talk about writing in these times.

Writing may feel wrong these days.

Because there is a train wreck happening in slow motion, and our world is changing massively in unheard ways, there is a part in us that has a need to witness this.

But honestly, whether you sit in front of the news all the time, constantly reloading pages with the latest numbers of positive cases or not – nothing will change.

Your attention to the news has literally no influence whatsoever on the way this pandemic unfolds. Staying inside is what matters, and we authors tend to be good at that anyway.

There is no need to constantly watch the news

While things do change rapidly and sometimes literally over night, you can still catch the news every three hours and be well informed.

So the best you can do is go back to what you are doing best: Writing.

Give yourself permission to do that. There are two reasons why writing is a good idea in the times of corona virus, and I will explain them in some detail.

Reason #1 for Writing in the Times of Corona Virus – the Market

Right now, book sales are down. They are for me, and most likely for almost every author. That’s normal, because readers are watching this slow motion train wreck, just like we are. They are glued to their screens.

In 2-3 weeks, however, boredom will set in. Cabin fever will set in. And people will crave entertainment of all kinds.  Kris Rusch has a good, thoughtful article about that.

And they might have watched all the series they can stand on Netflix. They might be fed up with Disney Channel. They might go crazy with nothing to do.

And they will (re-)discover ebooks. (I kind wish they’d be mine, too.)

When readers flock back to their books, you want to be ready. You want to be able to offer your fans something new. So keep writing and getting those books out. The market will explode in a few weeks. Seriously.

Reason #2 for Writing in the Times of Corona Virus – Staying Sane

Just like our readers, we are being forced to stay home.

That’s a huge change in routine for most of us, even if we have been working from home for our writing career. But now the kids are home, the spouse is home, and the entire situation is new, confusing and scary. Or simply trying.

Adjusting to that is hard.

We need to find new systems, try out new ways of handling ourselves, the kids, the household, cooking, getting groceries and doing chores. That’s a lot of change.

And if you’re just a bit like me, the news is also scary. Maybe you are also worrying about loved ones who are in a risk group.

And to be honest, we all need to escape from that once in a while.

Writing can be your regular, familiar escape. What better way of leaving corona virus behind than by diving into your own world? Where we are in control (mostly, ahem), and where we do have influence.

And no, that’s not being a coward. That kind of creative escape actually gives us strength and energy, and we can bring that back to our family and life situation.

So if writing is your place of joy or your genius work – go for it.

Keep writing. And stay safe.

And of course, stay safe, stay healthy, and keep your head up.

This, too, will pass.

And hopefully, the world will have changed for the better at the end of this disruption.

Let’s make it so!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you liked this post, please leave a comment below. Thanks!

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Chapter 1 – Sneak-Peek from “Goblin Invasion”

Posted on 20/02/2020 by Hannah Steenbock

Wizard Orren meets a strange child in Chapter 1 of Goblin Invasion

A Strange Child

So the other day, I sat down and wrote out the first chapter of my new book “Goblin Invasion”.  Meet my wizard in this sneak preview:

Beginning of Chapter 1 of “Goblin Invasion”

Orren stretched, arching his back and gave a happy sigh. All rolls and loaves of bread were in the oven now, and he had some minutes to himself. He settled into his armchair which really didn’t see enough use and put his feet up on the stool that he had bought to go with it.

Baking and cooking were the most satisfying tasks he could imagine. Turning flour or vegetables into foods that made people happy was the best work in the world. Yes, it was a lot work running his bakery along with the tavern, but he didn’t mind.

He closed his eyes and just rested for a moment. His nights were always short, but he didn’t dare fall asleep. The rolls would have to come out of the oven first, and very soon.

Soft footsteps approached, and he knew a child was coming up to him, probably drawn by the scent of baking bread.

One of the best scents in the world, even if he thought so himself.

Smiling, he opened his eyes.

He had never seen a child like this, but he recognized the hungry look in its eyes.

Yes, he doesn’t look much like a wizard, does he? That’s because he doesn’t really know himself how much power he actually has. Never needed it, after all.

And of course, this is not a child, either, as he’ll find out soon.

I wrote Chapter 2 this morning, so there’s more to come.

UPDATE for “Goblin Invasion”, February 2020:

The series will be called “The Blood Wars”. I finished writing “Goblin Invasion” in January, I have edited it, and I have a cover creation slot for April. I’m hoping for a release date in May.

I’m already writing the sequel, called “Druid’s Choice”. And guess what? A dragon has appeared in it. I knew there were dragons in this world, but I didn’t expect to see one this soon…

Don’t want to miss the release of “Goblin Invasion”?
Sign up to my newsletter!

Want to read another one of my books before I can release this one?
Start with “Dorelle’s Journey”, the first book of my dragon series The Cloud Lands Saga.

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Coming Home for Christmas – a Heartwarming Flash Fiction Tale

Posted on 24/12/2019 by Hannah Steenbock

“Coming Home for Christmas” is a little flash fiction piece I wrote for today’s blog event on Turning the Pages Books. They provided this picture as a photo prompt. Alas, I do not know who to credit for it. At any rate, it made me think of ghosts, and thus, Peter came to life. Or… not.

I love this little story. And I like to pull it up around Christmas, simply because it embodies what Christmas means for me: Love and family.

Coming Home for Christmas photo prompt

Image used as photo prompt.

Coming home for Christmas

   Peter lingered at the hedge surrounding the garden.

   It had been a long, long journey back from the Continent. And it hadn’t been easy. It had taken months alone to cross the Channel, to find a boat where he could stow away unseen. The crossing itself had been surprisingly easy, despite the sea. He hadn’t even gotten seasick, quite different from the journey out with his regiment.

   Then he had to make his way across country, to come back home. And that had been difficult and confusing as well, since he couldn’t use the trains. Also he had to travel mostly at night, which made it harder to use landmarks.

   Finally, he had made it back here, back where he had grown up.

   Landrow House. His home.

   Yet Peter lingered.

   So much had happened that he didn’t even feel like himself anymore.

   They said that war would change anyone. And it was true. He had discovered good sides in himself as well as bad sides. He had wet his pants more than one time, and also surprised himself with courage.

   Some would say he had grown up in the trenches of France.

  Others would say they had destroyed him.

   Peter sighed and decided to put it all behind him.

  Gently, he glided up to the old house, made of solid rock, built to last. The large main wing, with the round door top, the big windows reaching all the way to the ground. The two side wings, slightly smaller, slightly set back. His bedroom had been in the right annex, up under the attic. Idly he wondered if another child would be sleeping there now.

   Sudden longing filled him.

   Longing for the carefree times he had known as a boy, the long rambles through the countryside, riding his pony, wheedling sweets from cook.

   All gone now.

   There was a bunch of holly on the door, along with a twig of mistletoe. He stared up at it. Mother would never have allowed it, but she was dead from the flu, he had found out that much.

   He could hear sounds in the house, children laughing.

   Peter slipped around to the left annex, where the dining room was. There he stared through the tall windows.

   A Christmas tree sat in the corner, with the candles blazing. John was carving a turkey, and he was sure that the pots on the table held parsnips, roast potatoes and cranberry sauce. His mouth watered despite himself. He watched the children, little Peter and Sophie sit straight and well behaved, while John’s wife Elizabeth was smiling proudly.

   Peter pressed closer to the window, drinking in the sight.

   Suddenly, words reached his ears.

   “I wish Uncle Peter was here”, little Peter said. “I’m sure he would love the dinner.”

  At this moment, Peter floated through the glass and stood inside the dining room, invisible. Obviously, that innocent comment had been enough of an invitation. Quietly, unseen, he settled into an armchair in a corner.

   “Yes, I wish he knew we’re keeping his old bedroom for him,” Sophie chimed in. “So he has a place to stay, always. And he should be home for Christmas, don’t you think?”

   Elizabeth’s smile deepened. “Thank you children, for remembering your uncle, especially today. I have a feeling he’s not very far at all.”

   Her eyes met her husband’s with a sad, little nod.

   In his corner, Peter smiled the faded smile of a ghost. Peace and love filled his heart, where only emptiness and longing had been.

   He was home now, home forever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Genre: Fantasy/Horror
Author: Hannah Steenbock (which is a pen name)
eBook: Yes
Dedication: May all the fallen find peace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Feel free to leave any comments below. (Did I mention I love comments?)

And if you enjoy short stories, I have an entire collection of fantasy short stories to offer you,  Here be Dragons

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Help me name my characters!

Posted on 03/09/2019 by Hannah Steenbock

Help me namy my fantasy characters

Help me name my party!

The other night, I woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep.

Because I was thinking about my books. And how it’s so hard to get them noticed.

Which made me think about writing a fairly mainstream epic fantasy story. The kind I usually find boring.

But what if I could make it fun?

What if I could make it so much fun that I really, really want to write this stuff?

Writer brain took up the challenge. I should have known… it really isn’t as if I need more story ideas. But I do need fun stuff.

So now I have five new characters, four of which still need a name.

Before I list them, let me explain: I’m a bit particular about names in my fantasy tales. I want them to be different from “Earth” names. No “Johns” and “Margrets” in my stories – unless they are Urban Fantasy set somewhere on this planet.

And somehow, the sound of the name needs to resonate with me, or I cannot get into the character’s head. Which means that any suggestions that I don’t pick are not “wrong”, they just may not resonate with me. And that is absolutely the fault of writer brain.

Okay?

So here are the four people I’m searching names for. I have my wizard already, so I’m keeping him as a surprise for you. Yes, this is a classic quest party. This is classic, epic fantasy, after all. With a twist.

1) Middle-aged Female Fighter

xxx is the sheriff of the village where we start out. She’s blond, finally could grow her hair out, and she’s a no-nonsense kind of woman. She still keeps fit, working out daily, despite creaks and groans. She commands the respect of the villagers, and has driven off a few cheats and robbers. She’s content in her retirement, but when she sees injustice, she has to act.

2) The Lesbian Bard

Yes, she’s cliche. Yes, I will keep her.

xxx is a lively, funny, snarky person who finds magic in any song. Or turns any song into magic. She loves traveling, meeting new people and sadly, falls somewhat in love with the arrogant young druid snip you will meet next. Of course, she’s a redhead.

3) The Arrogant, Young Druid/Ranger Girl

xxx is full of herself. Yes, she’s powerful, and she can whisper-magic almost every animal around. But she’s also brash and arrogant and won’t listen to advice at all. More than once, she’ll ruin a plan, simply because she thinks she knows better. And if it weren’t for her familiar, Magpie xxx, the group would have ditched her long ago. Well, and of course, my wizard loves her as if she were his own grandchild…

4) The dark-skinned, young Assassin/Rogue

xxx doesn’t look like he could hide in a crowd, considering his dark skin. But he does so fabulously well. Of course, he has no idea of his unusual parents (I know but I won’t tell you right now) which is how he comes into his considerable powers during the course of the series. Yet even as a simple assassin, he’s extremely helpful to the group. And since the fighter saved his life once, his loyalty is to her.

Now, I will ask this question in my FB fan group, as well (Hannah’s Dragonriders) so you can post there, or simply comment below. I’ll compile a list and let you know in three days what I chose.

Help me name my characters!

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The Watchbeasts on the Ceiling – An Intriguing Riddle for You

Posted on 03/08/2019 by Hannah Steenbock

Meep - the Watchbeasts on the Ceiling

Watchbeasts

Let me tell you a little story – and a riddle – about watchbeasts on the ceiling. Yes, that did happen to me.

The Watchbeasts on the Ceiling

I have watchbeasts on my ceiling. Everyone here does.

They guard our safety, and they do so quietly and without a fuss for years on end.

Until they get hungry.

That happened the other night. It always happens at night, by the way.

I was woken from a strange dream by a loud chirp. Groping my way to awareness, I wondered how a grasshopper could manage to get into my bedroom. I live in town, we don’t really get grasshoppers, let alone the kind that can produce such a loud noise.

Chirp.

Then I realized it must be a watchbeast.

Of course.

There are only two ways to silence such a watchbeast when it gets hungry:

You either feed it, or you remove the food bowl. The problem is that removing the food bowl rendes them inoperable.

Chirp.

At that time of the day, or rather night, I had no other option but to remove the food bowl.

Which meant hauling up the ladder, climbing up to the ceiling and stealing that bowl.

Eeekeek.

That was a final sound of protest after removing the food bowl.

I like my watchbeasts, though, and I value their service, so I went out the next day and bought food for the two I keep in my apartment.

And in the afternoon, I fed both of them. They are back into watch mode, making sure I’m safe, being stealthily quiet and unobtrusive.

All is well.

Do you know what those watchbeasts are?

And if you can guess what in the world I’m talking about, post a comment. *grins*

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Bravery Comes in All Shapes – Flash Fiction

Posted on 24/06/2019 by Hannah Steenbock

Starting the Flash of Magic posts today – I plan to write a tiny little flash fiction story every week, following writing prompts. And since I love fantasy, those tales might have a bit of magic in them.

Today’s flash fiction prompt: bravery, eagle, fox

Little Eagle and Quick Fox were walking along the river’s edge. It was spring, the salmon were running, and catching a few would feed their clan for a day or three.

Of course, the bears were also there and had already taken the best spots to catch salmon navigating the rapids.

Little Eagle sighed. “I don’t know how we can get any, with the bears there.”

Quick Fox shrugged. “They are all well fed. I think we’ll be okay. I’m going to walk out there and get our salmon.”

“Are you crazy? I’m staying here.” Little Eagle sat down on a log to demonstrate his point.

Quick Fox just smiled. With slow, careful steps she walked out into the river, where the water boiled over the rapids. She picked a spot between two bears and simple got her net ready. The bears ignored her.

Soon, she had caught her first salmon and put it into her backpack.

Little Eagle felt sheepish. Wasn’t he supposed to be the brave one? And now his sister stood among those bears and was catching salmon looking as cool as a cucumber.

He took a deep breath and stepped out into the river himself. Holding his head high, he tried to hide his fear and demonstrate that he was just as good at catching salmon.

His foot twisted on a rock in the river and he fell, grunting and splashing.

One of the bears looked at him and growled.

Little Eagle got up, lost his balance again and flailed his arms.

“Go back, brother,” Quick Fox called to him in a very calm, cheerful voice. “You’re upsetting the bears.”

Two of them were now looking at him, and one was posing.

“Go back, brother,” Quick Fox said again. “I’m almost done and we can go home.”

No,  he thought, how can I do that? He took one more step towards the bears.

One of them dashed towards him.

How was it able to run that fast in a river with lots of rocks?

Little Eagle knew he couldn’t run. Knew he wouldn’t be able to fight. He could barely move.

The bear stopped right in front of him and growled again.

“It’s… it’s all right,” he heard himself say in soothing voice.

The bear stood up on its hind legs, towering over Little Eagle.

“Oh, Brother Bear,” he said, his voice trembling. “I’m already leaving. Please go back to your salmon.”

The bear dropped back down. Once more, it growled at him, before it left.

It took a while before Little Eagle could move again. Then he turned and made his way back to the bank of the river on unsteady legs.

Just as he stepped out of the water, the cheerful voice of Quick Fox reached him. He looked, and she was almost next to him already.

“That was well done, Little Eagle,” she said. “Quite brave of you to stay there and talk down the bear.”

He straightened his shoulders. If she said he was brave, then maybe he had been. Even though he felt like a loser when he had caught nothing.

“But you got the salmon,” he protested.

“I did. By making myself small and unthreatening.” She smiled at him. “Bravery comes in all shapes.”

What do you think?

Did you like this little tale? Please leave a comment.

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The Egg

Posted on 23/04/2019 by Hannah Steenbock

You see, here’s this egg.

It’s a strange one.

It’s not like a bird egg. It’s all craggy and wrinkly and rough.

I’ve seen and handled enough bird eggs to know this is not one.

And yet, it’s an egg. Quite clearly.

Well, maybe it’s just a rock. It’s cold and heavy, too.

But something… something tells me it an egg, not just an egg-shaped rock.

So I took it home, and now I’m showing it to you.

You don’t think it’s an egg?

You think it’s just an old rock, worn down by the elements?

Maybe an old volcanic bomb?

Hmmm. Quite possible.

But you know what?

I’ll just keep it on my desk for now.

Because maybe, just maybe…

it’s a dragon.

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