Well, here it is, the last chapter of the Blood Moon blog series!
The final siege against Quentin Troy and his army of Omegas has come. Quentin is prepared for it, knowing that holding the new leader of the Council will draw his enemies to their deaths.
But Alec, Skylar, and Helena will not give in without a fight. Each of them has a score to settle with Quentin, and are willing to pay the price for it...
Since this series has been so long running, I wanted to go out with a bang, and include everyone in the final story. A five person POV story was hard, but luckily I was mostly just concerned with writing the end of the character arcs in a big battle. It was a lot of fun, and I think this was a good ending to what has been an interesting challenge to maintain for the last few months.
I don't know what will happen with this series, if I'll ever come back and modify it to sell widely. Maybe, though it would take a lot of work and downtime, which is something I'm currently in zero supply of.
There were huge benefits to writing the Blood Moon series. Not only did I get to play with new characters and write fun action scenes, I got to practice writing serial fiction, which will help immensely when I get back to writing more serial fiction.
I admit there were times when I struggled with this series and the pieces of it, working on so many projects in between and sorting my priorities, but I'm glad it's reached the end. It was a lot of fun, and I hope other readers enjoyed Quentin, Alec, Skylar, Helena, and Damon's adventures as much as I did.
Cheers!
Amy
Showing posts with label Blood Moon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blood Moon. Show all posts
Monday, 8 February 2016
Monday, 1 February 2016
Weekly Recap (CRIMSON SKY Releases Tomorrow!)
Don't get me wrong– I'm thrilled to have the next three days off work. I get to hang out with friends, shop, and release a new book tomorrow! I couldn't be more thrilled about that (especially that last bit)... until I look at my To Do List and the horror it has become. Last week was aIt's nightmarish how much work I have to do. While I did get some major work done, it was nowhere near the amount that I wanted:
• Format Storm Born and Damnation's Door
• Promote and release Crimson Sky (might as well cross that off now! :D)
• Write my entry for the Mocha Memoirs Steampunk Horror anthology
• Complete and edit the final Blood Moon story
• More edits for Midnight Sky
• Format Storm Born and Damnation's Door
• Promote Crimson Sky
• Write my entry for the Mocha Memoirs Steampunk Horror anthology
• Complete and edit the final Blood Moon story
Yes, I know, it's basically the same list, but I'm hoping to start a brand new list of projects by next week. I'm going to finally test Scrivener out for formatting, and hopefully it will streamline the formatting for Damnation's Door so I don't have to spend hours and hours agonizing over headers and footers in Word.
But onto the big news. Tomorrow, Crimson Sky will be released!!!
They’re always watching. They’re always waiting. They’re always starving…
Ten years ago, the sky shattered and the Hellions emerged. No one was able to keep them from destroying the city of Westraven. Now that the bloodthirsty monsters rule the skies and have forced the few remaining humans underground, Claire Abernathy lives in a nightmare. She survives by using her skills as an engineer for a ruthless tyrant connected to her mother and father’s past failure.
Then Claire’s world is torn apart when her sister Abby is kidnapped by the Hellions, and Claire herself is taken by dangerous sky pirates known as marauders. But Claire will not be intimidated by them while her sister’s life hangs by a thread, and so she strikes a deal with them: If they help rescue Abby, she will fix their ship and give them the chance to take the revenge they desperately seek.
As Claire fights for her sister’s life, she begins to realize that the Hellions are not the only dangers she’ll face. Burdensome secrets and devastating betrayals threaten her at every turn, and if she loses herself to them, it won’t just be her life that is destroyed…
***
To say I'm excited about this release is putting it mildly. I'm all but bouncing off the walls. Is it wrong to be that hyped about a book? Maybe. Am I overshooting my estimate about the amount of readers I might get and the encouraging critical response? Probably. Is that going to stop me from working on the subsequent sequels and novellas? Absolutely not. I'm hoping for all those things, but not getting them won't be the end of the world. What I'm really hoping for is time to write more and have readers check out these books as new ones come out and I figure out how to market myself as an author.
So that's what's new with me! I'll leave it here since I just did a post for my monthly goals. I've got a lot of work ahead and not much time to do it in– a critique group tonight, errands and appointments tomorrow before hanging out with friends, then another couple hangouts on Weds, before going back to the grind on Thursday. Still, I look forward to seeing where all this time will go!
Cheers!
Amy
Monthly Goals: February
Janruary is over. Already. Seriously. I spent a lot of it promoting my new book, Crimson Sky, part of my new Dark Sky series (more on that soon) with fan art and new websites that will hopefully get me a few more readers. A couple weeks ago I also received the edits for Damnation's Door, the last novel in the Cursed trilogy, and the Beta edits for Midnight Sky, the second book in the Dark Sky series. Midnight Sky still needs some work, but the release date isn't until August, which means I have loads of time.
However, February will be a very busy month. First and foremost, I have to celebrate my latest release Crimson Sky!
They’re always watching. They’re always waiting. They’re always starving…
Ten years ago, the sky shattered and the Hellions emerged. No one was able to keep them from destroying the city of Westraven. Now that the bloodthirsty monsters rule the skies and have forced the few remaining humans underground, Claire Abernathy lives in a nightmare. She survives by using her skills as an engineer for a ruthless tyrant connected to her mother and father’s past failure.
Then Claire’s world is torn apart when her sister Abby is kidnapped by the Hellions, and Claire herself is taken by dangerous sky pirates known as marauders. But Claire will not be intimidated by them while her sister’s life hangs by a thread, and so she strikes a deal with them: If they help rescue Abby, she will fix their ship and give them the chance to take the revenge they desperately seek.
As Claire fights for her sister’s life, she begins to realize that the Hellions are not the only dangers she’ll face. Burdensome secrets and devastating betrayals threaten her at every turn, and if she loses herself to them, it won’t just be her life that is destroyed…
***
A full set of links will go up tomorrow when the book is released in paperback and ebook, but you still have a chance to pre-order it on Kindle, Kobo, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads. This month will mostly revolve around promotion, and I already have a couple spotlights on websites like Princess of the Light and One Book Two. I'll also have a bunch of giveaways spread out over the next month or two, starting with one on Goodreads, so be on the lookout for those.
While Crimson Sky will be my primary focus over the next month, it'll by no means be the only one. The edits for Damnation's Door are completed, which means I'll have to do the formatting next. I also want to finish the Beta edits for Midnight Sky, which I want to have done so I can send them to my editor once she returns my standalone novel, Storm Born, to me. I like to have a steady work pace when it comes to writing.
As far as new work goes, my next project will be a short Dark Sky prequel for the Mocha Memoirs Steampunk Horror anthology. I have a pretty fun idea and can't wait to test it out.
Speaking of ideas to test out, I might have just come up with the solution to my Areios Brothers problem, meaning I know how to change the series enough that it works as a narrative without re-writing the whole series again and pulling out my hair in the process. That will mean a few massive re-writes of course, but it's better than starting everything all over again. Hence, why Derek and Liam's adventures are at the bottom of this month's list.
So yeah, February's going to be crazy. I want to say that all my free time will be nothing but new words and editing... but Deadpool comes out next week, and I can't say no to Deadpool.
So that's my month! I hope everyone has a good one, and that you have a wonderful Valentine's Day with your special someone (if you celebrate that kind of thing). Stay tuned for more!
Amy
However, February will be a very busy month. First and foremost, I have to celebrate my latest release Crimson Sky!
They’re always watching. They’re always waiting. They’re always starving…
Ten years ago, the sky shattered and the Hellions emerged. No one was able to keep them from destroying the city of Westraven. Now that the bloodthirsty monsters rule the skies and have forced the few remaining humans underground, Claire Abernathy lives in a nightmare. She survives by using her skills as an engineer for a ruthless tyrant connected to her mother and father’s past failure.
Then Claire’s world is torn apart when her sister Abby is kidnapped by the Hellions, and Claire herself is taken by dangerous sky pirates known as marauders. But Claire will not be intimidated by them while her sister’s life hangs by a thread, and so she strikes a deal with them: If they help rescue Abby, she will fix their ship and give them the chance to take the revenge they desperately seek.
As Claire fights for her sister’s life, she begins to realize that the Hellions are not the only dangers she’ll face. Burdensome secrets and devastating betrayals threaten her at every turn, and if she loses herself to them, it won’t just be her life that is destroyed…
***
A full set of links will go up tomorrow when the book is released in paperback and ebook, but you still have a chance to pre-order it on Kindle, Kobo, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads. This month will mostly revolve around promotion, and I already have a couple spotlights on websites like Princess of the Light and One Book Two. I'll also have a bunch of giveaways spread out over the next month or two, starting with one on Goodreads, so be on the lookout for those.
 |
| You know you want one! |
While Crimson Sky will be my primary focus over the next month, it'll by no means be the only one. The edits for Damnation's Door are completed, which means I'll have to do the formatting next. I also want to finish the Beta edits for Midnight Sky, which I want to have done so I can send them to my editor once she returns my standalone novel, Storm Born, to me. I like to have a steady work pace when it comes to writing.
As far as new work goes, my next project will be a short Dark Sky prequel for the Mocha Memoirs Steampunk Horror anthology. I have a pretty fun idea and can't wait to test it out.
Speaking of ideas to test out, I might have just come up with the solution to my Areios Brothers problem, meaning I know how to change the series enough that it works as a narrative without re-writing the whole series again and pulling out my hair in the process. That will mean a few massive re-writes of course, but it's better than starting everything all over again. Hence, why Derek and Liam's adventures are at the bottom of this month's list.
So yeah, February's going to be crazy. I want to say that all my free time will be nothing but new words and editing... but Deadpool comes out next week, and I can't say no to Deadpool.
So that's my month! I hope everyone has a good one, and that you have a wonderful Valentine's Day with your special someone (if you celebrate that kind of thing). Stay tuned for more!
Amy
Thursday, 28 January 2016
Progress Report (Less Than A Week Until CRIMSON SKY!)
Things have been moving along at a steady pace this week. I'm happy to announce that I finished and sent back the latest edits for Damnation's Door, the first and final Cursed novel due for release in early June. I've also done a little work on the sequel to Crimson Sky, which is going to be out in just six days!
They’re always watching. They’re always waiting. They’re always starving…
Ten years ago, the sky shattered and the Hellions emerged. No one was able to keep them from destroying the city of Westraven. Now that the bloodthirsty monsters rule the skies and have forced the few remaining humans underground, Claire Abernathy lives in a nightmare. She survives by using her skills as an engineer for a ruthless tyrant connected to her mother and father’s past failure.
Then Claire’s world is torn apart when her sister Abby is kidnapped by the Hellions, and Claire herself is taken by dangerous sky pirates known as marauders. But Claire will not be intimidated by them while her sister’s life hangs by a thread, and so she strikes a deal with them: If they help rescue Abby, she will fix their ship and give them the chance to take the revenge they desperately seek.
As Claire fights for her sister’s life, she begins to realize that the Hellions are not the only dangers she’ll face. Burdensome secrets and devastating betrayals threaten her at every turn, and if she loses herself to them, it won’t just be her life that is destroyed…
Preorder on: Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Goodreads |
I'm still working on submitting Crimson Sky to various promotion websites. It's tedious and I'm not sure how well it's going to work in the long run, but all I can do is keep going, right (I read an article about 25 hard truths about writing and publishing, which doesn't exactly put a spring in ones step, but is at least realistic)?
This week is also the first week of a new writing/critique group I've started with a couple friends. It's been a while since I've done one of these and never in with a group of physical people, but it'll be nice to brainstorm and study a little more. I was in charge of the first week's project, and I admit I'm a little behind on it since I'm trying to wrap up the last chapter of the Blood Moon series, but I have an idea and should be jumping into it tomorrow.
And that's all for now! Have a good night! :)
Amy
They’re always watching. They’re always waiting. They’re always starving…
Ten years ago, the sky shattered and the Hellions emerged. No one was able to keep them from destroying the city of Westraven. Now that the bloodthirsty monsters rule the skies and have forced the few remaining humans underground, Claire Abernathy lives in a nightmare. She survives by using her skills as an engineer for a ruthless tyrant connected to her mother and father’s past failure.
Then Claire’s world is torn apart when her sister Abby is kidnapped by the Hellions, and Claire herself is taken by dangerous sky pirates known as marauders. But Claire will not be intimidated by them while her sister’s life hangs by a thread, and so she strikes a deal with them: If they help rescue Abby, she will fix their ship and give them the chance to take the revenge they desperately seek.
As Claire fights for her sister’s life, she begins to realize that the Hellions are not the only dangers she’ll face. Burdensome secrets and devastating betrayals threaten her at every turn, and if she loses herself to them, it won’t just be her life that is destroyed…
Preorder on: Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Goodreads |
I'm still working on submitting Crimson Sky to various promotion websites. It's tedious and I'm not sure how well it's going to work in the long run, but all I can do is keep going, right (I read an article about 25 hard truths about writing and publishing, which doesn't exactly put a spring in ones step, but is at least realistic)?
This week is also the first week of a new writing/critique group I've started with a couple friends. It's been a while since I've done one of these and never in with a group of physical people, but it'll be nice to brainstorm and study a little more. I was in charge of the first week's project, and I admit I'm a little behind on it since I'm trying to wrap up the last chapter of the Blood Moon series, but I have an idea and should be jumping into it tomorrow.
And that's all for now! Have a good night! :)
Amy
Monday, 18 January 2016
Weekly Recap
Looks like I accomplished more than expected! Admittedly, I didn't want to do any kind of formatting, but I just purchased a discounted copy of Scrivener as part of one of my NaNoWriMo gifts, so I'm going to give that a try and see if it will save me from the stress of formatting. Last week I was also treated to reviewing a truly fantastic book, and received some Crimson Sky fan art from my best friend! Definitely a good week to achieve all of these:
• Format Storm Born and Damnation's Door
• Complete Storm of the Gods
• Format Storm Born and Damnation's Door
• Promote Crimson Sky
• Plan my entry for the Mocha Memoirs Steampunk Horror anthology
• Write and edit the final Blood Moon story
I do think I need to take a short break and focus on Blood Moon and my short story for Mocha Memoirs Steampunk Horror anthology. I had a hard time thinking of what to write, but I think I'm going to go with a short prequel set in the Dark Sky universe. I feel like it would help a lot with promoting my new series, and I have a pretty fun idea I want to try out.
So that's my plan for the next week! I'm having a bit of a slow morning, but hopefully I'll be able to pull myself out of it and get started on some real word counts. With that in mind, I think I should be wrapping up this blog post and getting to work! I hope everyone has a great week!
Cheers!
Amy
Thursday, 7 January 2016
Blood Moon: Broken Dynasty
I know, I know, it's late again, but being swamped with deadlines at the end of the year and preparing for a while new year of projects kind of messes with the routine. Nonetheless, I got it done! So here you are, the latest chapter in the Blood Moon series!
The mission to rescue the civilians of Black Hawk, Colorado and eliminate Quentin Troy from his brutal siege, has gone horribly wrong. Separated from his father and his strike team, an exhausted Damon Ironwood must struggle forward to locate them and construct a new plan to defeat the sadistic Alpha.
But Damon isn't the only wolf with a plot to dismantle. Quentin Troy knows exactly how to goad his enemies, and use their weaknesses against them. Damon will soon find himself at an inescapable crossroads, with one path that could lead to his death, and another leading to the death of someone he loves...
I've been thinking about this story for a while. It didn't take a lot of time to plan, though I did have to do a fair bit of planning to make sure I had my setting right. Originally, I was going to go with the plan of Damon staying human throughout the full fight, but after the shocking event at the end, I decided that I couldn't just leave him like that. I wanted him to fight Quentin as a wolf, despite the amount of pain and exhaustion he was enduring.
Another change I made was to the amount of energy Damon had. At first, I wanted him to be at full strength so he could fight head-on with Quentin. I would be lying if I said I didn't want Quentin to take more than a hit or two. But then I was realistic (as much as that term can apply to a story about werewolves), and I knew that with the timeline I used in the previous two stories, I couldn't have Damon running around at full speed. He would be exhausted, hunted, too tired to sleep. So that's what I made him. I know that previous stories have ended with him incapacitated, but he hasn't been this exerted before. It was fun to push Damon this far, and it will be even more fun to see what he does when he goes over the edge.
Speaking of, this is going to be the second last Blood Moon story I'll write. I can't see anywhere for the story to go after the next one, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to wrap it up so I could move onto my larger projects. Four full length books and two novellas will certainly eat up a lot of my time, not to mention the series I want to finish and the next one I want to plan, and as fun as it is to write werewolf fights, I need to focus on what will really help my writing career.
So next month will be the longer, but final installment of the Blood Moon series. I hope you enjoyed this one, and would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Amy
The mission to rescue the civilians of Black Hawk, Colorado and eliminate Quentin Troy from his brutal siege, has gone horribly wrong. Separated from his father and his strike team, an exhausted Damon Ironwood must struggle forward to locate them and construct a new plan to defeat the sadistic Alpha.
But Damon isn't the only wolf with a plot to dismantle. Quentin Troy knows exactly how to goad his enemies, and use their weaknesses against them. Damon will soon find himself at an inescapable crossroads, with one path that could lead to his death, and another leading to the death of someone he loves...
I've been thinking about this story for a while. It didn't take a lot of time to plan, though I did have to do a fair bit of planning to make sure I had my setting right. Originally, I was going to go with the plan of Damon staying human throughout the full fight, but after the shocking event at the end, I decided that I couldn't just leave him like that. I wanted him to fight Quentin as a wolf, despite the amount of pain and exhaustion he was enduring.
Another change I made was to the amount of energy Damon had. At first, I wanted him to be at full strength so he could fight head-on with Quentin. I would be lying if I said I didn't want Quentin to take more than a hit or two. But then I was realistic (as much as that term can apply to a story about werewolves), and I knew that with the timeline I used in the previous two stories, I couldn't have Damon running around at full speed. He would be exhausted, hunted, too tired to sleep. So that's what I made him. I know that previous stories have ended with him incapacitated, but he hasn't been this exerted before. It was fun to push Damon this far, and it will be even more fun to see what he does when he goes over the edge.
Speaking of, this is going to be the second last Blood Moon story I'll write. I can't see anywhere for the story to go after the next one, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to wrap it up so I could move onto my larger projects. Four full length books and two novellas will certainly eat up a lot of my time, not to mention the series I want to finish and the next one I want to plan, and as fun as it is to write werewolf fights, I need to focus on what will really help my writing career.
So next month will be the longer, but final installment of the Blood Moon series. I hope you enjoyed this one, and would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Amy
Monday, 4 January 2016
Weekly Recap
Well, I got more than I intended accomplished, though to be fair, most of it was last minute yesterday. But that still counts, right?:
• Finish editing Damnation's Door
• Start promoting Crimson Sky
• Write and complete the next Blood Moon chapter
Now that I'm settling back into a normal work week, I'm hoping to get a lot more of the little things done. You know how they say that the little things add up in the end? Well, it's totally true, especially since I'm still putting everything together for Crimson Sky, which has a release date less than a month away:
• Continue writing Storm of the Gods
• Finish editing Damnation's Door and send it to editor
• Format Storm Born and Damnation's Door
• Crimson Sky media kit
• Start promoting Crimson Sky
• Complete and post the next Blood Moon chapter
I can already tell that my schedule is going to fill up reeeally fast, especially since I'm already thinking ahead about the second Dark Sky book and what I need to do for it. I'm definitely trying to be better at planning ahead, and hopefully by the end of the year I'll have a solid routine.
So this week is mostly editing and formatting. Crimson Sky will have its media kit up by the end of the week, and hopefully on Thursday I'll have the 20th Blood Moon chapter posted. Can't believe I wrote 20 of those! The latest edits for Damnation's Door should get sent out later today, since all I have to do right now is tweak the ending and make sure there are no spelling errors.
Which means that's the end of this recap, and it's crunch time! Hope everyone has a great week. Cheers!
Amy
Wednesday, 30 December 2015
Years In Review: 2015 Vs 2016
Well, 2015 is now behind us, and 2016 is taking it's place. I was extremely fortunate in my career last year. In addition to dozens of spotlights, blog hops, and interviews, I had short stories released and featured in various horror and steampunk anthologies:
Secret Suicide in That Hoodoo, Voodoo, That You Do
Survivalism in The Dead Walk: Volume 2
Lost Sky in Avast, Ye Airships!
Dismantle in The Steam Chronicles
Hell To Pay in Legends of Sleepy Hollow: Original Tales of Terror From America's Spookiest Village
I was thrilled to be part of each one of these anthologies, and while I do have a couple more short stories that will be published by the hard workers at April Moon Books, it will now be very rare that I submit short stories to publishing companies. I discovered early on in the year that while I enjoy completing short works and the excitement on having them accepted, my true passion is writing full length novels on my own. That passion was apparent when I released my first full length novel, Path of the Horseman, back in March.
The Four Horseman are trapped in the world they desolated. Their only purpose now is to exist amongst the ruins. All of that changes with a small group of survivors...
The seal was broken, and Hell was unleashed. Pestilence, Famine, War, and Death rode over the earth, creating a super-virus that turned humans into bloodthirsty monsters, opening a path for demons, decimating nearly all natural life, causing chaos and death throughout the world.
Now that their duties have been preformed, the Four Horsemen have disbanded, reduced to human bodies and trapped in the world they destroyed. No longer the Horseman Pestilence, Avery wanders through the waste he created, slaying any undead monsters and demons that cross his path. But when Avery comes across a group of survivors looking for a safe haven, his priorities begin to change. Not that the demons are going to let him stand in the way of their plans.
Avery ended the world once, and he refuses to see the demons end it again. But to protect the last of the living, he must seek the help of his brothers, all of whom are content with sitting back and watching the world burn…
I remember how nervous I was, submitting the book to different reviewers and hoping that the feedback would be positive. I mean, I thought I had written a good book, but how was I to know for sure? Thankfully, Path of the Horseman was well received, and I heard some truly amazing things about it.
Of course, I had another release in June: Demon's Daughter, the first novel in my very first series, Cursed.
Wanted by law enforcement. Chased by drug cartels. Hunted by demons...
Constance Ramirez has more than her share of problems when it comes to protecting her adopted sister, Andromeda. Especially since Andromeda isn’t fully human, and her strange powers are dangerous and out of control.
But Constance will do anything to keep her safe, which won’t be easy with bounty hunters hired by the drug cartel she betrayed looking to capture her, and savage monsters seeking to take Andromeda for their own dark purposes.
Being a big sister has never been so hard... Or so deadly.
If I was nervous about Path of the Horseman, my anxiety was tenfold for Demon's Daughter. It was a story that had been with me for years, and I wasn't sure if it would be as loved as Path of the Horseman. But I quickly learned that I was getting anxious over nothing. Readers will love what they love, and dislike what they dislike. I gained a little more confidence when I accepted that, and wasn't so anxious in December when I released the second novel in the Cursed trilogy, Dark Divinity.
Hell has risen. Heaven is descending. Sacrifices are made...
I'm still kind of reeling with the fact that I released three full length books and five short stories in 2015. I mean... Wow. During the year, I learned a lot about myself as a writer, tendencies that I had and how to correct them, how to self-promote and establish good relationships with reviewers and designers, how to use social media and the benefits of giveaways, and how to plan out my year in terms of writing and releasing a novel.
I've planned almost all of 2016, and it will be a big year. Next month, I'll be releasing the first novel in my new steampunk horror series, Dark Sky.
They’re always watching. They’re always waiting. They’re always starving…
Ten years ago, the sky shattered and the Hellions emerged. No one was able to keep them from destroying the city of Westraven. Now that the bloodthirsty monsters rule the skies and have forced the few remaining humans underground, Claire Abernathy lives in a nightmare. She survives by using her skills as an engineer for a ruthless tyrant connected to her mother and father’s past failure.
Then Claire’s world is torn apart when her sister Abby is kidnapped by the Hellions, and Claire herself is taken by dangerous sky pirates known as marauders. But Claire will not be intimidated by them while her sister’s life hangs by a thread, and so she strikes a deal with them: If they help rescue Abby, she will fix their ship and give them the chance to take the revenge they desperately seek.
As Claire fights for her sister’s life, she begins to realize that the Hellions are not the only dangers she’ll face. Burdensome secrets and devastating betrayals threaten her at every turn, and if she loses herself to them, it won’t just be her life that is destroyed…
Crimson Sky is actually the idea I used for Lost Sky, and has been widely received so far. It's currently on pre-order on Kindle, Kobo, Goodreads, and Smashwords, and I'll be starting promotions and giveaways this month.
But that's not the only project I have to be released this year. In May, I plan to release another standalone novel, Storm Born, which I wrote for 2015's NaNoWriMo. I'm excited to see what readers and reviewers will think of this bold novel, which has massive weather storms, supernatural warriors, and a wild mythology, so I hope the idea catches attention.
Right on the heels of Storm Born, in June, will be Damnation's Door, the final Cursed novel. I'm currently in the editing phase, and I hope that long time readers will enjoy the last book as much as I enjoyed writing it. It'll be a little strange to have an entire book series over and complete, but by the time it happens, Dark Sky will have a lot more of my attention, as the second novel in the Dark Sky series, Midnight Sky, will be set for release in August, with two prequel novellas to follow in October and December.
Releases aside, I'll be completing my Blood Moon series for the blog in a few months. I've had a lot of fun writing it, but I don't want to drag the series out when I have so much more going on. I'll be working on my Areios Brothers series, and likely preparing the first novel for a 2017 release. By the middle of this year, I'm hoping to return to another series that I love and has been changed over time, Agents of Limbo. I have no idea what I'll be doing for NaNoWriMo 2016, so I'll leave it open until then.
So yes, I'll be busy this year. I'm hoping for more spotlights and a farther reach, which I think I can do since I've learned a lot about promoting, organizing, and marketing. It's a lot of work and I can't say that I love it, but writing is literally my life. I can't even begin to explain how much I love it and if I have to suffer through sending tons of emails and losing my mind over how to market properly, then I'll do it.
And those are my plans for 2016. Yup, it'll be a busy one, and honestly, I can't wait to get started.
Amy
Secret Suicide in That Hoodoo, Voodoo, That You Do
Survivalism in The Dead Walk: Volume 2
Lost Sky in Avast, Ye Airships!
Dismantle in The Steam Chronicles
Hell To Pay in Legends of Sleepy Hollow: Original Tales of Terror From America's Spookiest Village
I was thrilled to be part of each one of these anthologies, and while I do have a couple more short stories that will be published by the hard workers at April Moon Books, it will now be very rare that I submit short stories to publishing companies. I discovered early on in the year that while I enjoy completing short works and the excitement on having them accepted, my true passion is writing full length novels on my own. That passion was apparent when I released my first full length novel, Path of the Horseman, back in March.
The Four Horseman are trapped in the world they desolated. Their only purpose now is to exist amongst the ruins. All of that changes with a small group of survivors...
The seal was broken, and Hell was unleashed. Pestilence, Famine, War, and Death rode over the earth, creating a super-virus that turned humans into bloodthirsty monsters, opening a path for demons, decimating nearly all natural life, causing chaos and death throughout the world.
Now that their duties have been preformed, the Four Horsemen have disbanded, reduced to human bodies and trapped in the world they destroyed. No longer the Horseman Pestilence, Avery wanders through the waste he created, slaying any undead monsters and demons that cross his path. But when Avery comes across a group of survivors looking for a safe haven, his priorities begin to change. Not that the demons are going to let him stand in the way of their plans.
Avery ended the world once, and he refuses to see the demons end it again. But to protect the last of the living, he must seek the help of his brothers, all of whom are content with sitting back and watching the world burn…
I remember how nervous I was, submitting the book to different reviewers and hoping that the feedback would be positive. I mean, I thought I had written a good book, but how was I to know for sure? Thankfully, Path of the Horseman was well received, and I heard some truly amazing things about it.
Of course, I had another release in June: Demon's Daughter, the first novel in my very first series, Cursed.
Wanted by law enforcement. Chased by drug cartels. Hunted by demons...
Constance Ramirez has more than her share of problems when it comes to protecting her adopted sister, Andromeda. Especially since Andromeda isn’t fully human, and her strange powers are dangerous and out of control.
But Constance will do anything to keep her safe, which won’t be easy with bounty hunters hired by the drug cartel she betrayed looking to capture her, and savage monsters seeking to take Andromeda for their own dark purposes.
Being a big sister has never been so hard... Or so deadly.
If I was nervous about Path of the Horseman, my anxiety was tenfold for Demon's Daughter. It was a story that had been with me for years, and I wasn't sure if it would be as loved as Path of the Horseman. But I quickly learned that I was getting anxious over nothing. Readers will love what they love, and dislike what they dislike. I gained a little more confidence when I accepted that, and wasn't so anxious in December when I released the second novel in the Cursed trilogy, Dark Divinity.
Hell has risen. Heaven is descending. Sacrifices are made...
It’s been two months since Constance Ramirez’s adopted sister Andromeda was used as the Key to opening the Gates of Heaven and Hell. They escaped with their lives, but made countless enemies as a result.
Now that demons are beginning to weave into ordinary lives, their only hope is to find a way to close the Gates of Heaven and Hell before the angels and demons begin a war. Something that becomes only harder as one of Constance’s deadliest enemies resurfaces.
But as they struggle to stay alive and find the Gates, they learn that a huge sacrifice will be required if they succeed, and this time, Constance isn’t sure the cost will outweigh the reward...
I'm still kind of reeling with the fact that I released three full length books and five short stories in 2015. I mean... Wow. During the year, I learned a lot about myself as a writer, tendencies that I had and how to correct them, how to self-promote and establish good relationships with reviewers and designers, how to use social media and the benefits of giveaways, and how to plan out my year in terms of writing and releasing a novel.
I've planned almost all of 2016, and it will be a big year. Next month, I'll be releasing the first novel in my new steampunk horror series, Dark Sky.
They’re always watching. They’re always waiting. They’re always starving…
Ten years ago, the sky shattered and the Hellions emerged. No one was able to keep them from destroying the city of Westraven. Now that the bloodthirsty monsters rule the skies and have forced the few remaining humans underground, Claire Abernathy lives in a nightmare. She survives by using her skills as an engineer for a ruthless tyrant connected to her mother and father’s past failure.
Then Claire’s world is torn apart when her sister Abby is kidnapped by the Hellions, and Claire herself is taken by dangerous sky pirates known as marauders. But Claire will not be intimidated by them while her sister’s life hangs by a thread, and so she strikes a deal with them: If they help rescue Abby, she will fix their ship and give them the chance to take the revenge they desperately seek.
As Claire fights for her sister’s life, she begins to realize that the Hellions are not the only dangers she’ll face. Burdensome secrets and devastating betrayals threaten her at every turn, and if she loses herself to them, it won’t just be her life that is destroyed…
Crimson Sky is actually the idea I used for Lost Sky, and has been widely received so far. It's currently on pre-order on Kindle, Kobo, Goodreads, and Smashwords, and I'll be starting promotions and giveaways this month.
But that's not the only project I have to be released this year. In May, I plan to release another standalone novel, Storm Born, which I wrote for 2015's NaNoWriMo. I'm excited to see what readers and reviewers will think of this bold novel, which has massive weather storms, supernatural warriors, and a wild mythology, so I hope the idea catches attention.
Right on the heels of Storm Born, in June, will be Damnation's Door, the final Cursed novel. I'm currently in the editing phase, and I hope that long time readers will enjoy the last book as much as I enjoyed writing it. It'll be a little strange to have an entire book series over and complete, but by the time it happens, Dark Sky will have a lot more of my attention, as the second novel in the Dark Sky series, Midnight Sky, will be set for release in August, with two prequel novellas to follow in October and December.
Releases aside, I'll be completing my Blood Moon series for the blog in a few months. I've had a lot of fun writing it, but I don't want to drag the series out when I have so much more going on. I'll be working on my Areios Brothers series, and likely preparing the first novel for a 2017 release. By the middle of this year, I'm hoping to return to another series that I love and has been changed over time, Agents of Limbo. I have no idea what I'll be doing for NaNoWriMo 2016, so I'll leave it open until then.
So yes, I'll be busy this year. I'm hoping for more spotlights and a farther reach, which I think I can do since I've learned a lot about promoting, organizing, and marketing. It's a lot of work and I can't say that I love it, but writing is literally my life. I can't even begin to explain how much I love it and if I have to suffer through sending tons of emails and losing my mind over how to market properly, then I'll do it.
And those are my plans for 2016. Yup, it'll be a busy one, and honestly, I can't wait to get started.
Amy
Monday, 28 December 2015
Weekly Recap (Last One For 2015!)
And we're back! I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and holiday season. I know I did. Vampire encyclopedias, chocolate, sleep, new books, family and friends, action movies, promotional art, pre-orders, and writing. Oh, yes. I definitely made this most of all this time off. Shame that this is my last day before going back to the grind for six days in a row. Still, I'm super proud of everything I managed to accomplish, including:
• Set up pre-orders and proof copies for Crimson Sky
• Continue writing Storm of the Gods
• First round of edits for Storm Born
• Read over and do minor edits for Damnation's Door
Amy
I have to say that I killed it with editing recently, though Storm Born will still need a bit more work. I've already contacted my editor and cover artists, and hopefully I'll be getting some Beta readers interested in the book before it comes out. If you happen to be a Beta reader and are interested in storms/X-Men/sexy knights, email me at amybraunauthor (at) gmail (dot) com.
This week will be a little tricking since I have to go back to the Real Job and set up new goals for the new year, but here's what I'm hoping to do this week:
• Continue writing Storm of the Gods
• Send out edits for Storm Born
• Finish editing Damnation's Door
• Start promoting Crimson Sky
• Write and complete the next Blood Moon chapter
I think that's all I can fit in for this week. It's going to be a challenging one, but doesn't everybody cram things at the end of the year? I know that I should be going through my old clothes and finding things I can donate, but I'm going to hold off on that until next week.
I'm very excited to start promoting Crimson Sky. I've already set up the pre-orders on Kindle, Kobo, Goodreads, and Smashwords, and will be working on using the fantastic promo art from Deranged Doctor Design as best as I can.
This has been a crazy year for me, and I can't believe it's almost over. I've got tons of plans for the new year, and I'll share them all on Thursday's blog post. Until then, keep enjoying your holidays!
Amy
Thursday, 10 December 2015
Blood Moon: Moonlit Run
Over a week late, but I finally got the next chapter in the Blood Moon series done!
With a shaky alliance formed between the Council and the Vigilias, Helena, Alec, Nate, and Skylar lead a strike force to eliminate Quentin Troy's secondary base of operations, an effort to cut off any attempted retreat he might take.
But the Vigilias and their new allies aren't the only ones taking precautions, and a sudden, unexpected attack will put the truce to the test...
Being sick had me struggling with this one, but I think I came up with some fun action scenes and added a lot to Helena's character. She's definitely grown through the series and is going to be one of the ones I miss the most when the Blood Moon series is over. I think there will only be two more stories after this one, so enjoy them while you can!
Cheers!
Amy
With a shaky alliance formed between the Council and the Vigilias, Helena, Alec, Nate, and Skylar lead a strike force to eliminate Quentin Troy's secondary base of operations, an effort to cut off any attempted retreat he might take.
But the Vigilias and their new allies aren't the only ones taking precautions, and a sudden, unexpected attack will put the truce to the test...
Being sick had me struggling with this one, but I think I came up with some fun action scenes and added a lot to Helena's character. She's definitely grown through the series and is going to be one of the ones I miss the most when the Blood Moon series is over. I think there will only be two more stories after this one, so enjoy them while you can!
Cheers!
Amy
Monday, 7 December 2015
Weekly Recap (And Giveaways Galore!)
Okay, so I only got two things crossed off my list this week. But to be fair, having a cold for the first time in nearly five years has really drained my energy. Though I'm very happy to say that I'm on the mend. Another couple days, and it will be like it never happened. So while I didn't get anything but the most important items on my list completed, I did work on everything else!
• More promotion/review requests for Crimson Sky
• Complete my entry for the Stephen King The Bazaar of Bad Dreams contest
This week I'm going to focus on the goals that I didn't manage to get completed last week:
• More promotion/review requests for Crimson Sky
• Complete my entry for the Stephen King The Bazaar of Bad Dreams contest
Hopefully I'll be able to add a new set of goals next week. This week, I'll be working on more promotion for Dark Divinity, which currently has two giveaways going on! The first one is being held by the lovely reviewers of One Book Two, and the second is happening on Goodreads. I've got a couple more giveaways and spotlights to be had in the next few weeks, but I think I'm getting the hang of this whole self-promotion thing.
That's all I want to post for now, since I don't want to set unrealistic expectations for myself yet. Hopefully in the next little bit, I'll be able to get back to editing/writing major projects. Hope everyone has a great week! Cheers!
Amy
Monday, 30 November 2015
Weekly Recap (DARK DIVINITY releases tomorrow!)
Most important thing I got done last week was finish Storm Born and NaNoWriMo! The rough draft clocked in at over 98,000 words, a number that will likely increase when I get back to editing it (shouldn't be a long delay, but I need a break from it first). I didn't get all my goals completed, but I still count these as accomplishments:
• More promotion/review requests for Crimson Sky
• Set up blog tour dates for Dark Divinity
• Write and edit the next Blood Moon chapter
This week will have some smaller goals, most of which I think I can get done within the next few days.
• Release Dark Divinity!
• More promotion/review requests for Crimson Sky
• Set up blog tour dates for Dark Divinity
• Complete my entry for the Stephen King The Bazaar of Bad Dreams contest
I'm super excited to have another book coming out tomorrow! I'm excited to start the giveaways and promos, and simply add another book to my bibliography!
That's the news! I've done all the legwork so I'll be taking it easy on my release date tomorrow, especially since I think I'm getting a cold. Bleah. Anyway, I've been busy all morning with blogging/uploading, so now I'm finally going to start working on that list of mine. Hope everyone enjoys their week!
Amy
Monthly Goals: December
November was a busy month because of NaNoWriMo, which I spent writing my next standalone novel, Storm Born. In between writing the novel, I was able to do some self-promotion, which included an author spotlight, mailed review copies, and printed postcards and bookmarks!
Now that Storm Born is done it's first draft, I'll be returning to my editing phase... but not before I release Dark Divinity!
Hell has risen. Heaven is descending. Sacrifices are made...
It’s been two months since Constance Ramirez’s adopted sister Andromeda was used as the Key to opening the Gates of Heaven and Hell. They escaped with their lives, but made countless enemies as a result.
Now that demons are beginning to weave into ordinary lives, their only hope is to find a way to close the Gates of Heaven and Hell before the angels and demons begin a war. Something that becomes only harder as one of Constance’s deadliest enemies resurfaces.
But as they struggle to stay alive and find the Gates, they learn that a huge sacrifice will be required if they succeed, and this time, Constance isn’t sure the cost will outweigh the reward...
The book will be available tomorrow in paper and ebook format. A list of sites where you can purchase a copy of the book can be found on my novel page. Over the next month I'll be giving away signed copies of the book (you can also request a signed ebook on Authorgraph) and hopefully be featured in a few more spotlights.
I'll also be working on promotional work for the first novel in my new steampunk/fantasy/horror series, Crimson Sky. I should be getting the cover art in a couple weeks, and I'm very excited to see how it will look. Hopefully by the time its February release comes around, I'll have more of an actual, organized blog tour set up. I've gotten a few dates booked on various blogs, but it's tricky to schedule. Though to be fair, this is the first time I've done anything like this, so I'm still in the learning curve.
As far as actual writing, I've got a few projects on the go. I'm behind on writing the next Blood Moon chapter because of NaNoWriMo, but I should have it done tomorrow or the next day. I'm also working on my entry for Stephen King's The Bazaar of Bad Dreams contest. I'll be returning to my Areios Brother novels, both to edit and write, and of course Storm Born will be going through its first round of edits. I've got plenty to keep me busy until the new year, and I'm looking forward to all of it.
Hope you have a great holiday season! Cheers!
Amy
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Now that Storm Born is done it's first draft, I'll be returning to my editing phase... but not before I release Dark Divinity!
Hell has risen. Heaven is descending. Sacrifices are made...
It’s been two months since Constance Ramirez’s adopted sister Andromeda was used as the Key to opening the Gates of Heaven and Hell. They escaped with their lives, but made countless enemies as a result.
Now that demons are beginning to weave into ordinary lives, their only hope is to find a way to close the Gates of Heaven and Hell before the angels and demons begin a war. Something that becomes only harder as one of Constance’s deadliest enemies resurfaces.
But as they struggle to stay alive and find the Gates, they learn that a huge sacrifice will be required if they succeed, and this time, Constance isn’t sure the cost will outweigh the reward...
The book will be available tomorrow in paper and ebook format. A list of sites where you can purchase a copy of the book can be found on my novel page. Over the next month I'll be giving away signed copies of the book (you can also request a signed ebook on Authorgraph) and hopefully be featured in a few more spotlights.
I'll also be working on promotional work for the first novel in my new steampunk/fantasy/horror series, Crimson Sky. I should be getting the cover art in a couple weeks, and I'm very excited to see how it will look. Hopefully by the time its February release comes around, I'll have more of an actual, organized blog tour set up. I've gotten a few dates booked on various blogs, but it's tricky to schedule. Though to be fair, this is the first time I've done anything like this, so I'm still in the learning curve.
As far as actual writing, I've got a few projects on the go. I'm behind on writing the next Blood Moon chapter because of NaNoWriMo, but I should have it done tomorrow or the next day. I'm also working on my entry for Stephen King's The Bazaar of Bad Dreams contest. I'll be returning to my Areios Brother novels, both to edit and write, and of course Storm Born will be going through its first round of edits. I've got plenty to keep me busy until the new year, and I'm looking forward to all of it.
Hope you have a great holiday season! Cheers!
Amy
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