Writing this Progress Report, I feel a bit like my character above – sitting in a dark cave, waiting for the light to come back.
Because, honestly, there is not much to put into a progress report. I’ve barely been writing, my book sales are dismal, and there is very little news – except once nice bit that might (with some luck) give me a good review. More about that below.
Winds and Pillars Progress Report
Poor Sun is still sitting in the desert, albeit in an oasis where they have food and water, as well as shelter. Not going to last, I need to write a confrontation next, because there is no rest for the wicked.
In good news, I wrote a really cool blurb for Sun, and I commissioned the cover. So there is progress. Have the blurb (the cover will take a while longer):
A power out of control. A Pillar in the hands of a Priestess. A deadly desert burning with heat.
Sun Snake’s life is coming to its sacrificial end. His best friend is already gone, and he’s ready to join Moon in death. When his Power goes rogue as the knives come out, Sun literally falls into a new life fraught with danger.
Scared and lonely, Sun struggles to control the fire that bursts from his fingers at the worst moments. He has a single ally, the Priestess who fell with him – if only he could trust her. Desperate to get out of the Holy Empire, Sun allows Laisal to guide him as they sneak across the mountains to the east. Soon they end up being hunted by Houses, driven into a vast desert, towards certain doom.
Can Sun cheat death a second time?
“Sun Burns” explores a part of the continent no other Wind or Pillar has seen yet, in a tale filled with action, magic and desperate acts.
I wish I could tell you when I can publish Sun. Sadly, that’s very much up in the air and depends on finding motivation.
Writing Progress Report
Instead of forcing myself to write, I’m playing a lot of Valheim. It’s my escape, and it’s the place my Autistic brain homes in on right now. There is so much to learn and explore and gather and hoard and build and… well, you get the point. This is my brain’s happy place right now, and nothing I do will dissuade it. Yes, it’s Autistic Hyperfocus at work. I just wish I could make my brain hyperfocus on writing. That would be much more productive.
Even so, I can give you an interview with Night Beats that I did a while ago (long enough that Sky Falls wasn’t published yet!). It went live in April, but too late for that progress report. So without further ado, here’s the link. You can read about my books, my worlds and what books I would recommend to my friends.
Behind the Scenes: Tuesday Author Interview
There is one more great bit of news: SPFBO 10
The SPFBO Progress Report
You might have heard of the Self-Publisher Fantasy Blog Off – it’s (as far as I know) the only contest for indie authors that is not a popularity contest asking for votes. Instead, 300 books will be subjected to the scrutiny of 10 different review blogs, with each of them reading and reviewing 30 books. Each will also choose three favorites, resulting in 30 books becoming finalists. They will vote for the winner after that.
This year, they had to change their process, because those 300 books were submitted within just 40 minutes last year, and the organizer decide that wasn’t fair. So this year, they kept the form open for 24h and then picked 300 books at random from the grand total.
I submitted South Breaks, and it’s actually in! I don’t know if I should be scared or excited.
Take a look at the list and see whether you know any of the other authors: Phase 1 And feel free to follow any of the blogs!
Like everyone else, I’m hoping to make the finalist list. That would give my books a much needed marketing boost.
Store Progress Report
It’s working. And every month, I run a special sale for my newsletter subscribers. (Subscribe below, if you want to take advantage of that.)
If you want to buy a real file, and not just a license from a vendor, that’s where you should go. I’m still adding books to it, but the Winds and Pillars are up, as well as most of the Wolves. Enough to get you reading, at any rate.
Check out Hannah’s store (and make me rich – I wish!).
Life Progress Report
I already mentioned Valheim. It has taken over my life, in a good way. That’s because playing it generally makes me happy. Yes, sometimes there are drawbacks, sometimes things don’t go smoothly. I just had trolls attack my base and destroy things, but fortunately that was an easy fix.
My brain is already thinking about solutions, though. I love this, coming up with ideas and plans and breaking it all down into easy steps.
Thus I am practicing project management in game – but even better, getting things solved in Valheim gives me the confidence to tackle some problems in real life, like fixing my kitchen light. That’s an old installation from halogen times, and the transformer blew a week ago. I have all components (a new transformer, new cables), and now I just need to put it all together.
So life is progressing as it should, mostly. And we’re having nice weather right now, which also really helps. Have I mentioned my lovely balcony?
The thing with Ember – NOT a Progress Report
As I’m sure you hate pop-ups as much as I do, this is what I do instead. I know it doesn’t convert as well, but I want to spare you the annoyance.
I’ve also did my best to fix this form but there is no welcome sequence for it just yet. Which means you’ll be plonked into my general subscriber group (after clicking the confirmation like MailerLite will send you) without further ado.
What’s in it for you?
Well, you’ll get my writing news, you’ll get links to curated freebie lists and sales that I hope will appeal to you if you like my books. You’ll also never miss another release and even better… you will get the Ember Tale. That is only available through my newsletter.
What in the world is the Ember Tale?
Ember is my sweet, little dragon familiar (a plushie, really) who goes on an adventure every month. It’s always cute and cozy, and it comes with a photo of her somewhere around my apartment or sometimes on vacation.
Sounds good?
Hit the form below:
