Words of the Ages 

Who doesn’t enjoy reading a book, novella, or short story for free? I teamed up with other authors of various genres to share our work with readers out there who wish to explore new worlds or give new authors a try without spending a penny. There are quite a few options to choose from: literary fiction, romance, suspense, paranormal, science fiction, fantasy–even several non-fiction books. Free book promotion link: https://books.bookfunnel.com/wordsoftheage1/o2npj2g6e7. My fantasy short story “Wyldling Hope” is available for download–in case you missed the last freebie.

This promotion starts on November 1, 2022 and runs through November 30, 2022. You have a month to nab these fine tales before they’re no longer available. To get your books, all you have to do is sign up for the author’s newsletter email list, free of charge. Fair warning: From the half-undressed characters on the covers, it appears several of the romance books are geared toward a mature audience looking for some spicy pepper action.

Is there such a thing as a negative spicy pepper rating? If not, then my short story, “Wyldling Hope,” has a zero spicy peppers rating and is suitable for a general audience regarding sensuality, harsh language, and violence. Perhaps I should mention, the spicy pepper rating doesn’t apply here because this is not a romance. The story takes place roughly fourteen years before the events in Wyldling Snare. Unlike the full-length novel, where the main characters are teenagers, the short story is told from the perspective of a middle-aged woman struggling to protect her children in a war-torn city. The tale provides a bit more history about a particular battle mentioned in the book. 

For those who prefer to be surprised about things, I suggest reading “Wyldling Hope” after you’ve read Wyldling Snare. I tried not to spoil anything, though, so perhaps it’s a moot point. Everything seems glaringly obvious to me because I am intimately familiar with how the entire story unfolds, all the characters’ backgrounds, and every machination going on behind the scenes. This is part of what I call the “Author’s Burden;” we have a hard time stepping outside the box and viewing our work with naïve eyes. Personally, I find it impossible, or nearly so.

Curious about whether the short story spoils the book? You’ll have to read both Wyldling Snare and “Wyldling Hope” to find out! 

Wyldling Trials

One of these days, I’m going to put progress bars on this website–like I’ve seen other authors do (*cough* Brandon Sanderson). Then I’ll regularly update them and you’ll know the status of various books I’m drafting, writing, revising, and formatting. However, because of my technological challenges, I haven’t quite figured out how to do that yet. Until that magical day comes, you’ll have to put up with my rambling updates in newsletter form. So, here goes…

Wyldling Trials–book two of the Wyldling Dream Series, if you’re new to this site–is already available for pre-order on Amazon. The cover shown on the sales page is just a mock-up I threw together on Canva and not the final cover, in case you were wondering why the quality is… lacking. I’m a writer, not a graphic designer. Although I do enjoy creating memes, book covers, and flyers. Canva is so much fun!

The book itself is coming along like a child just learning to walk. Sometimes, it cruises along fine; other times, it falls flat on its face. And lies there, kicking and screaming. But worry not; I’m well past the three-quarter mark for the 90,000 word count goal. God-willing, I’ll have that baby completed well before its release date next autumn. I’ve even set a deadline for myself. The current draft must be finished by the end of November. Thank you, NaNoWriMo, for providing that incentive.

Part of my problem is the time that elapses between my writing sessions. Often, I don’t write during the work week and save most of it for the weekend, when I have large chunks of time free from other commitments. I’ve known for a while that it’s best to develop a habit of writing regularly and consistently–preferably every day–but have a difficult time putting it into practice. However, with NaNoWriMo, I very much need to do just that. It’s all part of my plan to become a more prolific writer… and eventually be a full-time author.

The question remains: will Wyldling Trials be done when I reach 90,000 words? Probably not. Given the current rate, it’ll be more like 95,000 words. Maybe even 100,000 words. Wyldling Snare was 112,000 words before I trimmed it. The point of this “first” draft is to write everything down and craft all the scenes making up the story. I’ll begin the culling process once it’s finished. No revising while I’m still writing the manuscript!

If you looked at the picture of my progress, you probably noticed I’m already close to reaching that 90,000 word goal… and it’s not even November yet. The word count goal for NaNoWriMo is 50,000. So, what gives? How can I write 30,000 extra words in Wyldling Trials when I’ve already set the cap for 90,000 words? Well, I won’t do that. I’ll simply start writing the third book, tentatively titled Wyldling Armor. Originally, the events in Trials and Armor were combined in one book to begin with–which is how I justify calling it a single project in NaNoWriMo. 

The timing isn’t the greatest, I’ll admit, but I can’t begin an entirely “novel” project from scratch right now. I need to concentrate on finishing the Wyldling Dream Series. Despite all the ideas for new projects slaloming and clamoring in my brain like children in bumper cars. I’ve taken down notes, so I don’t forget about them, and then returned to my Wyldlings. It’s what a writer must do. No chasing after the shiny new ideas when you have half-finished work on your desk. Discipline, discipline, discipline! It’s the secret to success.

Have a blessed week, friend!