Welcome to the ongoing Writing Process Blog Hop! This week it's my turn to share a little about my writing process. First, I want to thank Isabella Norse for inviting me to participate. Make sure you go check out her blog hop post!

And now I get to talk about my writing process a little.

1)     What am I working on?
Right now, I'm getting Sarya's Song ready to publish. The release date is April 10, and I've got some proofreading to do and then the formatting.

Up after that is my six-book series, Daughter of the Wildings. It's in the initial stages of revision (the whole series at once, to get it all consistent). Once Sarya's Song is out the door, I can work on Daughter of the Wildings full time.

2)     How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I write fantasy which has a strong romantic storyline between the two main characters pretty evenly balanced with the fantasy plot. You couldn't take away either the fantasy or the romance from my novels and still have a story left; both are essential.

3)     Why do I write what I do?
I've always loved fantasy, and I've always loved a good love story, but I had trouble finding books that combined the two in a way I found satisfying. Either the fantasy or the romance was an afterthought; I like them both to be equally important to the story. So I write the kinds of books I'd love to read.

Plus, wizards in love. :D

4)     How does your writing process work?
My ideas usually come in the form of a character or two in a specific situation. I can see the characters, what they look like, what their surroundings are, what they're doing. I start exploring who they are, what sort of world do they live in, why are they in that situation and doing what they're doing, and the story develops from there.

When I start writing, I like to know who the main characters are and what they want or need to do in the story, what sort of conflicts and opposition they face, the first few scenes, at least a couple of major scenes throughout the story, and a general idea of the ending (good triumphs over evil; girl/guy gets guy/girl). The more detail I have figured out ahead of time, the happier I am, but usually the story also develops in different ways while I write it from what I planned. And some stories don't like to be planned much in advance; when that happens, I end up feeling my way through a few scenes at a time. I have to know what I'm going to write before I sit down to write, so I'm not staring helplessly at a blank screen.

When I'm writing a first draft, I aim for about 2000-2500 words a day, though I'd love to increase that. At that rate, a first draft will take a month or two to write (depending on the length of the novel and disruptions to my writing schedule). When the first draft is complete, I take it through a major revision using a method based on Holly Lisle's How To Revise Your Novel course. After that, it goes out to the test readers, then I take it through another major revision based on their feedback. Then I do a revision to refine things like description and dialogue and any plot points I'm still struggling with, then another editing pass to polish up the prose, followed by a couple of proofreading rounds. Then I format the book and put it up for sale!

Thanks for joining me this week, and be sure to check out next week's stops on the Writing Process Blog Hop:

John James Loftus is the author of Celtic Blood. He has been interested in medieval history since seeing a book with a cover detailing the battle of Agincourt. The book engaged his imagination, and drew him to the period. He has one novel to date and a co-credit as a feature film writer, Underdog's Tale. He was in the Queensland Police Service for ten years reaching the rank of senior constable. A former Karate instructor, he is a past Queensland champion. He lives in Brisbane with his wife and two children. (Writing Process post here)

Heather Heffner is an avid fan of fantasy/science fiction books, the longer the better! She is the author of the urban fantasy Changeling Sisters Series and the dark fantasy Afterlife Chronicles.

And if you still can't get enough, I came across another Writing Process blog tour post today, by Dyane Forde. Check it out!

Welcome to this week's weekend sneak peek! Here's another peek into Urdaisunia: After being sent on an errand by her village to the Royal Palace, Rashali was taken to a guest room and left to cool her heels for three days. Finally, she's summoned to meet with Prince Eruz, to find out why he's been keeping here there:

“I’m sure you’ve been wondering why I’ve kept you here.”

Rashali’s heart pounded; finally she would learn what her fate was to be. During the last two days, she had wanted only to find out, just to get it over with, but all at once she wished she could go on wondering a little longer. Delaying the knowledge wouldn’t change her fate, though; the only thing she could do was face it. “I assume that if you meant to imprison me or put me to death, I wouldn’t be in that room. Therefore it seems more likely that you mean to make me a slave or a concubine, though it would seem strange for a slave to be given such a room.”

“A concubine, then. Is that what I should do with you?”

Her face burned, and she found herself shaking; whether more from anger or fear, she couldn’t tell. “I’d rather die than be made a harlot.”

“Would you really?”

She didn’t want to die, but there was no other possible answer when being given such a choice. Her heart pounded harder, and she swallowed as she tried to gather her courage to say yes.

Urdaisunia
$3.99 ebook/$10.99 trade paperback
Available from:
Amazon | AmazonUK | AmazonCA |  Barnes & Noble | Apple
Smashwords | CreateSpace | OmniLit

For more Sneak Peeks, visit the Sneak Peek Sunday blog. #SPeekSunday on Facebook and Twitter.

It's time to unveil the cover art for City of Mages, book 5 of Daughter of the Wildings! Help yourself to some virtual cookies and punch from the refreshment table, and have a look. (And a big thank you to Mominur Rahman (me-illuminated) for the wonderful art!) And don't forget to enter the giveaway down at the bottom of the post for a signed paperback copy of Urdaisunia or an ebook Estelend 2-pack of Chosen of Azara and The Warrior and The Holy Man!

And now for City of Mages:

First, here's the full wrap-around version, for the paperback:

And the ebook version:

If Silas looks like he's been through a rough time, that's because he has. Poor guy. I'm so mean.

I'm working on putting the lettering on, for the official book covers, but I also wanted to show off the pretty art without any lettering in the way (except for the watermarks).

Congratulations to the winners of the giveaway, Tambra and Rowena!
Winners have been notified by email.

Scriber, by Ben S. Dobson
* * * * * (5 stars)

I have a soft spot for books about disgraced scholars and lost or forbidden knowledge, so Scriber was right up my alley. Scriber is the story of historian Dennon Lark who, several years after a terrible accident in the course of his search for the lost knowledge of Kingsland, is living in obscurity in self-imposed exile and only wants to be left alone. All that changes when Bryndine Errynson and her band of female warriors (considered sacriligious in Kingsland) come charging into his life with a band of mysterious Burner rebels hot (ha!) on their heels. Dennon is caught up in events he wants nothing to do with, but, unfortunately for him, he learns he holds the key to saving the kingdom from the Burners and to restoring the knowledge that was banished and destroyed centuries ago.

I really liked Dennon. I have a preference for adult characters who have settled into their lives and then have those lives disrupted (as opposed to young, coming-of-age characters). He's a thorough curmudgeon who uses his crustiness to hide his intense guilt over the lives that were lost and the priceless treasures that were destroyed in the accident. He only wants to be left alone so he can keep from doing any more harm to anyone, and finds comfort in wallowing in his own self-pity and self-recriminations. But when it comes down to it, when lives and the continued existence of Kingsland are depending on him, he finds his inner hero and does what has to be done, no matter how scared he is or how much he doubts his abilities.

We also meet a number of the women in Bryndine's company. Each of them have a unique personality, background, and goals - they aren't just cardboard-cutout Female Warriors (tm), but they all hold to their ideals and try to do the right thing even in the face of scorn and disapproval from the very people they're trying to save.

The world is rich in history and lore, and it's fun to discover its long-hidden secrets alongside Dennon.

The book is well-written, and Dennon's unique voice comes through clearly and memorably. There's lots of exciting action to go along with the scholarly mystery, and even just a touch of romance, which I always enjoy. (But it's a light touch, so if you're not so much into romantic storylines, don't let that put you off.)

Highly recommended, especially if you like stories about unconventional heroes, strong heroines, and mysteries of the past.

So, time for a progress report. Mondays seem like a good day for regular progress reports, but don't hold me to that. :P ;)

Sarya's Song: I'm on the final polishing round of edits. After this I'll put it through a few proofreading rounds, then format and release. I'm looking at an official release date of April 10. It'll be coming out at a special limited-time low introductory price, so to make sure you don't miss out, sign up for my email alerts.

Daughter of the Wildings has been waiting patiently while I get Sarya's Song finished up. Still doing a little prep work for the big revision. I do have the preview files for the covers for books 5 and 6, so watch for some cover art reveals coming up soon! These two covers are some of my favorites in the series (though I love them all!). I also expect to receive the final high-resolution versions soon, so I can start making the actual covers. Got some cool fonts in mind for the lettering. And I'll be announcing some more exciting cover news soon!

Those two projects are taking up all my time and attention for now. Once Sarya's Song is out, I'll be able to start planning some new stories and novels.

Next week, I'm participating in the ongoing Writing Process Blog Tour. Should be fun! Check out this week's post at Isabella Norse, Romance Author.

Finally, on the health front, I had another ultrasound of my heart last week, and the report from the cardiologist was that it showed normal heart function and a significant decrease in the amount of fluid around my heart. So that was very good news, that I'm very thankful for. And now I just need to remember all the good resolutions I was making when I was a lot more scared and worried about exercising and watching what I eat!

Time for another weekend sneak peek. Here, in Chosen of Azara, Lucie finally meets the man of her dreams, and finds out he isn't exactly what she expected:

“Azara gave me her life, so that I would not die before my vow was fulfilled. I figure I’m close to four hundred years old.” He smiled again, a faint shadow of a grin that was quickly gone. “I’ve lost track of a few years here and there.”

Everything he was saying was pure nonsense. It had to be. Her fantasies of what it would be like to meet him crumbled away, leaving a hollow disappointment behind. Either he was playing a stupid, cruel joke on her—and there was nothing in his manner to suggest this, only absolute sincerity—or he was only a madman, a wandering beggar lost in dreams and tales of long ago and, for some reason, obsessed with her pendant.

If he was indeed mad, she realized, he might be dangerous if she refused to give him what he wanted. With a pang at giving up the gift her mother had given her, she unclasped the slender chain with the crystal vial from around her neck and held it out for him. “Here. If all you want is my pendant, you can have it. You don’t have to make up these stories to get me to give it to you. Just take it and leave.”

He took her hand in his, laid the crystal pendant on her palm, and gently closed her fingers around it. He held her closed hand for a moment—why did she have to like the feel of him holding her hand so much?—then released it. “That won’t work,” he said. “The power in that token can only be used by a daughter of Juzeva’s blood. I need you to come back to Savaru with me and use that power to restore Savaru to life.”

The outrageous request left her stunned—she wasn’t sure she could have possibly heard him correctly. “Excuse me?” she finally managed to say. “You want me to go away with you?”

“Yes.”

Chosen of Azara is available at
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple |
Smashwords | CreateSpace | All Romance eBooks

For more Sneak Peeks, visit the Sneak Peek Sunday blog. #SPeekSunday on Twitter and Facebook.

Introducing paranormal-suspense author Jamie Eubanks and her novel Hidden Doors, Secret Rooms:

1. Tell us a little about yourself.
In addition to writing, I'm a licensed private investigator and run a private investigations company. One of my all time favorite activities is Martial arts training. So it's not uncommon for me to be at my favorite dojo, working with weapons or engaging in open-hand kata, or sparring. 

2. When did you start writing, and why?
Even as a child, I made up stories as a form of self entertainment. But what finally set it in motion was when I worked as an entertainer - singer and bass player - in various night clubs. While my creative side loved making the music, I never quite adjusted to being on stage and in the spotlight, as I'm a fairly low key kind of person, and am more comfortable spending a quiet evening alone with a book. Then one day, as I'd done so many times in the past, I picked up a paranormal suspense novel. It was my first exposure to Dean Koontz, and I totally fell in love with the characters. When I finished that book - LIGHTNING was the title - I started tearing through the genre, one after another. I had to find everything that was Dean Koontz, then I discovered Stephen King and off I went again, reading one after another, unable to get my fill. From that time on, I'd toyed with the idea of writing. And one day, I picked up a note pad and started.

3. What do you write, and why? What do you enjoy about what you write?
As a child, the family would go on these cross-country drives, and believe me when I say it can get very boring, in a maddening kind of way, for a child to share the backseat of a car with two other children for 8 hours or more, every day for a couple of weeks. To keep from going insane, I decided to find a way to occupy my mind. As we drove down the road, I'd pick out a house, and I'd make up scenarios in my head, invent an entire family to reside in that house, and let my imagination conjure up personalities, conflicts, giving the characters not only a present, but a history, and try to picture what they did with their days, how they lived their lives. Writing is a natural progression of that.

As for why I enjoy paranormal suspense? Most genres have certain rules that are pretty much written in stone - the rules of nature as we know it. With paranormal suspense, the writer has more leeway, has the opportunity to create his/her own rules, to create worlds would could only live in the imagination.

4. What is your latest book or series? Any forthcoming books?
HIDDEN DOORS, SECRET ROOMS is my debut novel. I'm presently working on another paranormal suspense tentatively titled ONE LAST TIME, as well as an untitled novel in its first stages. There are several others, as well - all in rough draft form. And all of them paranormal suspense.

5. "Welcome To My Worlds": Tell us a little about the world of your latest book or series.
HIDDEN DOORS, SECRET ROOMS is a paranormal suspense about a woman who, through no fault of her own, becomes the object of a search and kill mission. Thrust from her comfortable lifestyle, Jillian Braedon finds herself living a nightmare of threats against her life, homelessness, and being at the complete mercy of a stranger, as she and her young daughter attempt to evade those who wish them dead.

6. Introduce us to some of your characters. What do you like about them?
Jillian Braedon, prior to the beginning of the story, lived a very comfortable lifestyle as the young wife of a prominent psychiatrist and, more recently, mother to little Valerie. For as long as Jillian could remember, everything she could want was all but handed to her. This was a tradition she assumed would be passed down to her own little girl. Then, illness struck in the form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, followed by a procedure that made her and little Valerie a target for death. Coming from such a background, Jillian needed to toughen up and quickly, or die. Instead of becoming bitter and giving up, though on occasion the anger and frustration shows through, Jillian handles the situation with determination, mostly because her little girl's life depends upon every action Jillian takes.

John Mills is a retired musician who, after the deaths of his wife and son, moved to an isolated desert area where he'd hoped to live out the rest of his days in solitude. He was angry at the world, angry at himself, as he shouldered the blame for the deaths of his family. Although John would just as soon remain in his self-imposed exile forever, when little Valerie shows up at his door during a blizzard, and begs for help, John's protective instincts kick in.

7. A fun fact you would like your readers to know about you or your book.
John Mills character came from my love of music. When I wrote "Yesterday's Dreaming of You" - the song John sang in Chapter 9 - I knew I had to write something that his character would create, and not a song I, Jamie Eubanks, would write. I'd never written lyrics from someone else's perspective before. Dialogue is easy. If you know your character, you know what he'll say. But lyrics? If you can imagine climbing into the head of a fictional character in order to pull words out of his heart, that pretty much sums up what it felt like.

8. Blog/site link, and where your book is available.
Please feel free to stop by and say hello at: www.facebook.com/JAEubanks1
HIDDEN DOORS, SECRET ROOMS is available in paperback and Kindle at Amazon.com
Amazon US | Amazon UK

Find the author on:
Facebook | Goodreads

Praise for Hidden Doors, Secret Rooms:
"This is a phenomenal first novel; an excellent read for anyone who
loves mystery, and would-be writers who want to learn exactly how it's
done." - KIRKUS REVIEWS

"This brisk and original cat-and-mouse thriller exceeds expectations
with unpredictable results...Fans of mysteries and thrillers will find that
this book exceeds any expectations they may have had going in, primarily
due to its unconventional plot line." - CLARION REVIEW

Introducing multi-genre author John Reinhard Dizon.

1. Tell us a little about yourself.  
Here's my bio: John Reinhard Dizon was born and raised in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn, NY. He participated in local and high school sports at Bishop Loughlin MHS, and was a key figure on the Brooklyn rock scene during the Punk Revolution of the 70's. Relocating to San Antonio TX in the 80's, he moonlighted as a pro wrestler before pursuing a BA at UTSA and degrees in Korean martial arts during the 90's. He currently lives in KC MO where he is studying for his MA in English at UMKC. Mr. Dizon has been studying and writing about American and European society and culture for over twenty-five years.  

2. When did you start writing, and why?  
I started writing dialogue for my stick-figure cartoons shortly after getting out of diapers. I've always had a good story to tell.  

3. What do you write, and why? What do you enjoy about what you write? 
I've always had something to say, I consider myself intellectual, fluent with current events, and a history scholar. Although my ideas are highly controversial, rarely are they disrespected.  

4. What is your latest book or series? Any forthcoming books?  
Transplant is a tale of murder and mayhem that unfolds as a missing athlete turns up at a NYC brownstone described by police investigators as ‘an indescribable pit of hell’. A missing supermodel found in the streets of NYC leads the police to the residence, where four renowned neurosurgeons are trapped in a basement under siege by NBA superstar Jerome Browne and a victim of horrific experiments known as Combo. Victims of ghastly transplant operations rescued from the building lead police to believe that the doctors are responsible for the demonic experiments. Yet the doctors’ alibi proves airtight as they assign blame to a mysterious Dr. Cyclops who lured them to the brownstone and framed them for the frightening atrocities. Homicide Detectives Tommy Jackson and Orrin Rampersad are being pushed to their limits in solving the case, coming across ever greater abominations as the truth is gradually revealed.  They are faced the choice of indicting four doctors considered pioneers in their field, or a phantasmal surgeon no one can prove actually exists.

The launch date for Transplant is May 7th, my Dad's birthday!

5. "Welcome To My Worlds": Tell us a little about the world of your latest book or series.  
Culturally it's a narrative on three social levels. The 'Mad Doctors' live in an upper-class environment, four yuppie Jewish doctors. Tommy and Orrin are trying to raise their families in Lower Manhattan's middle-class sector. The underground lab is in the high-crime areas of East Harlem. The detectives are symbolically and literally establishing the link between the disparate societies that the Doctors are involved in.  

6. Introduce us to some of your characters. What do you like about them? 
Adam Rauch is the major antagonist, having sacrificed everything in pursuit of knowledge. He cuts a deal with drug lord Django Tamsulosin to have fresh subjects provided for his projects. Yet he sincerely believes that his bionic limbs and transgenetic skin grafts will revolutionize the medical industry. He personifies the ideal of 'the ends justifying the means'.  

Tommy and Orrin are a righteous version of HBO's True Detective. Tommy is a two-fisted, hard-drinking cop, but would never cheat on his wife.  Orrin is the laid-back voice of reason but is absolutely fearless. They would probably prefer a violent arrest but end up with time as their major enemy.  

7. A fun fact you would like your readers to know about you or your book. 
My publisher is an innovative marketer and provided a seminar on how to succeed in selling the book. One of my ideas was to provide a Taste of Harlem book signing in a black restaurant. I'm just wondering if the cover shot of a bloodied Terminator limb won't put them off their collard greens.

8. Blog/site link, and where your book is available.  
PLEASE feel free to check out all my other great novels at: http://www.amazon.com/John-Reinhard-Dizon/e/B00DU9JNUQ

Iron Bloom (Legend of the Iron Flower, book 1) by Billy Wong
* * * * (4 stars)

Iron Bloom is the tale of a young woman, Rose, blessed (or cursed) with extraordinary size, strength, and endurance. She discovers that the thing she's best at is fighting, and sets about trying to put her gifts to good use in the world, only to learn what terrible things there are in the world.

This was exciting and a lot of fun. I liked Rose; she never takes her gifts and abilities for granted. She wonders why she has such strength and amazing ability to heal; some people call her God-Touched or even a Warrior Goddess, but to her it's more of a curse and she can't help wondering when her luck is going to run out. Even when she thinks she's done for, though, she still finds the will to try one more time to strike down whatever enemy she's fighting. (I hope that the question of where her superhuman strength and constitution came from is addressed in later books; I'm curious.)

And even though it's what she's best at, she doesn't enjoy fighting and killing. But even worse to her is to see innocent people suffering and not try to do anything about it. She also has a tender heart; she wants to love and be loved and have a family of her own someday. I enjoyed reading a kickass female character who still has this tender, feminine side to her.

The book is fast-paced; maybe a little too fast. There were spots where I would have liked it to slow down and spread out a bit, to let me catch my breath. But I'll take charging straight ahead non-stop over pages of pointless meandering.

There are a lot of intersting things going on in this world - a lost history of magic, a golden hero-prince who I have to wonder if maybe he's too good to be true, and an evil death-worshipping barbarian warrior who doesn't care about conquering, just about killing. I'm looking forward to seeing more of these threads developed, and to following Rose's story, in the other books in this series.

For this weekend's sneak peek, here's the opening of Sarya's Song (still not the final version, but getting closer!):

On a small rise on the gently rolling prairie, Sarya sat with her battered lute in her arms, picking out the new melody that she could hear in the wind. The breeze was sharp with coming winter, and the grass was dry and brown.  With the cold weather coming on, it was time to head south again. She hadn't done as well in the northeastern prairies as she had hoped; the region's rich farming and herding had suffered from the last several years of increasingly long and harsh winters, and though it wasn't as poverty-stricken as the bleak and destitute Burnt Hills, where she had grown up, there was still little paying work for a traveling minstrel.

She turned her mind away from the grim mining town of her childhood and the poor prospects ahead of her, back to the haunting music that teased at her mind. She had always been able to hear music no one else could hear, but it wasn't until she had come to the Skola at Sucevita when she was fourteen that she had learned that these melodies, called tropes, were part of the natural world, and, when sung as chants, they could be used to control the world and all things in it.

The last several years, she had begun to hear music that couldn't be found in any of the collections of the known naturally-occurring tropes. Over time, she had come to realize that the new tropes she was hearing seemed to herald disasters like none ever before known: long, dry, scorching summers and harsh, bitterly cold winters unaffected by any of the the weather-control chants; great shakings of the earth; exchanges of bloodthirsty hostilities between nations that until then had always been peaceful. When none of the natural tropes succeeded in controlling these catastrophes, new chants had been Composed, to no avail.

And then there was the last wedding ritual Sarya had Arranged. A chant intended to protect against tragedy had not only failed utterly, it seemed to have brought about the very calamity it was supposed to prevent.

Sarya could only conclude that the chants were failing, or else there were new forces at work in the world that were beyond their influence. But both were impossible. The music that controlled the world, both naturally-occurring and Composed, was a gift from Eshalarian the Creator himself, which He had given to mankind before moving on to new worlds and new creations. As a gift from the God, this music was perfect and eternal and couldn't fail. And unless Eshalarian had returned His attention to this world, no new forces could come into existence. Surely, if the kind and generous Creator did return to His work here, He wouldn't do so by bringing death and destruction.

A gust of icy wind rushed across the prairie, blowing strands of wheat-gold hair into Sarya's eyes. She lifted her hand to push the hair away from her face. As she did so, the wind rippled across the lute strings, bringing forth the melody she had been hearing in the wind in its fullness. Her breath caught at the beauty of the music even as it chilled her heart with fear.

Sarya's Song, coming in April 2014. (Or maybe late March.) For release news and to make sure you don't miss out on the special low introductory price, sign up for my email alerts!

For more Sneak Peeks, check out the Sunday Sneak Peek blog! #SPeekSunday on Twitter and Facebook.