IWSG December 2024

Today is the first Wednesday of the month, which means that for me and many others, it is Insecure Writers Support Group day. This group has been going on for more than 12 years. We meet online on our own blogs by writing articles and then reading each other's articles.

All are welcome. Even if you aren't a member, you can definitely join by going to page with the list of links at the IWSG website.

Each month, several people volunteer to help out with the blog hop by checking to see if people have posted and reading posts, and commenting on posts. This month, those volunteers are: Ronel, Deniz, Pat Garcia, Olga Godim, and Cathrina Constantine! The founder, Alex J. Cavanaugh, also goes through the list and comments on various posts each month.

It's interesting to note that blog hops like this were very popular about 10 years ago. I think we are one of the rare groups that are still doing them. It's a good community.

We've helped each other build our platforms. We've helped each other build our knowledge. We've helped each other grow in our writing craft and in our business knowledge as writers. The Insecure Writers Support Group website has won awards and been named as one of the top 100 websites for writers.

Today I am skipping the optional question about cliffhangers, although if you've read my work, you probably know what my answer is to that.

Instead, I want to simply celebrate this community.

One of the keynote addresses at Author Nation this year in November focused on how writers who have a healthy professional network are 4.1 times more successful than the average author.

I talked about this in my podcast last week and went more in depth there, but mainly I want to focus on this community piece - the network we can build and how IWSG can help us build that.

There are three parts to it.

1. Building a network of peers.

That's something that the Insecure Writer Support Group has excelled at over the last 12 years. And I'm thankful for this group.

2. Building a network of mentors.

I have never entered a formal mentorship-type relationship with anyone, but I have been inspired by various members' success, their knowledge, and by their encouragement to others.

3. Building a small network of accountability partners.

While IWSG doesn't do this formally, it's possible to find accountability partners within the group, and it's possible to use our monthly blog hops as a massive sort of accountability network.

I think one of the strengths of IWSG is the way we network.

So all of this is to say, thank you, IWSG.

To all reading this, I want to wish you a Happy Holiday Season, a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

I hope your beverage of choice is exactly as you like it and your writing is strong.

I hope you have a wonderful, merry, loving, and joyful end to this year and beginning of 2025!

Stuff that I've been doing lately:

If you are looking for a new read, try Dark Blade Forged!

If you are looking for a writerly podcast, check out The Truth About Storytelling.

Looking for free reads, try Tales of Fellowship: Amazing Friendships & Found Family in Fantasy and Science Fiction

In Brief: IWSG and Fast News

 

Insecure Writer's Support Group

Hey, I need to be brief today because I'm off and about, plus, Wednesdays have been busier in general this last year. I will do my best to come around to comment.

IWSG is HERE. The awesome co-hosts for the November 6 posting of the IWSG are Diedre Knight, Lisa Buie Collard , Kim Lajevardi, and JQ Rose!

Optional November 6 question - What creative activity do you engage in when you're not writing?

Quick answers: singing, drawing, and painting.

What creativity do you engage in when you're not writing?

News

I'll be at Author Nation and Rave on November 11-15 in Las Vegas! If you're there, let's say hello. :)

I'm taking part in the November Fantasy & Scifi Freebies Bookfunnel with two books this time - Champion in the Darkness, and Dark Secrets: A Prequel Novella for The Dark Blade Trilogy.

Happy Thanksgiving Month! 

IWSG Ghost Stories and New Books

 This last year has contained some busy Wednesdays, many of which I have unintentionally "ghosted" IWSG's monthly blog hop. I love this group, so I am considering how to remedy my MIA status in the next few months, although I know November, again, I will be MIA due to a foreseen event.

This month and recently it's all been unforeseen events, like going with my dad to the ER five times.

Many thanks to all who are helping with IWSG - the admins, the monthly help for October, and for our faithful captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh. You all rock!

The awesome co-hosts for the  October 2 posting of the IWSG are Nancy Gideon, Jennifer Lane, Jacqui Murray, and Natalie Aguirre!

This month's optional question is: Ghost stories fit right in during this month. What's your favorite classic ghostly tale?

My fast answer: Ghostbusters. Way back when I was in junior high, our local small town theater (a single screen place with history that had been purchased by small business owners who renovated over time), had a free Halloween movie night. My friends and I sat in a crowded theater, a seat broke, popcorn was thrown, everyone laughed, oohed and aahed together during the movie, and that kind of experience is why I love going to the movies, and why Ghostbusters is my favorite ghost story. :)

This month, there are many new books out - including one of my own. All the info about Dark Blade Forged can be found on this page: Dark Blade Forged and I'll add a bit at the end, but first I want to mention Sherry Ellis and the Fifth Book in her Bubba and Squirt Series:

Bubba and Squirt’s Legend of the Lost Pearls
By Sherry Ellis

Journey to the past!
Bubba and Squirt embark on their most dangerous quest yet. Whisked away through the vortex to Japan, they must find two fabled pearls that hold the key to saving their father.
To top it off, they must go back and change the events of the past. As they race against time, the fate of their father, and their own lives, hang in the balance.
Will they outwit the cunning creatures that stand in their way or face their own demise trying to save their father?

Release date – October 1, 2024
Print ISBN 9798988625124 $8.95/ eBook ISBN 9798988625131 $3.99
eBook $3.99 in all formats
Juvenile Fiction - Action Adventure / Fantasy & Magic / Legends, Myths, Fables – Asian

Sherry Ellis’ Bubba and Squirt’s Big Dig to China won the Reader’s Favorites Silver Medal for the Children's Grades 4-6 category.

Sherry Ellis is an award-winning author and professional musician who plays and teaches the violin, viola, and piano. When she is not writing or engaged in musical activities, she can be found doing household chores, hiking, or exploring the world. Ellis lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
https://www.sherryellis.org/
https://www.bubbaandsquirt.org/
https://www.facebook.com/sherryellisbooksandmusic
https://twitter.com/513sherrye

Links:
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTWN8PSS
iTunes - https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id6477321103
Barnes & Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940167677777
Kobo - https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search?Query=9798988625131
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/206994546-bubba-and-squirt-s-legend-of-the-lost-pearls

Congratulations to Sherry!

Meanwhile, I released a book that's been in my files and on my shelves in some way or another since 2016. Dark Blade Forged is a Christian Fantasy novel set in the same world as The Champion Trilogy, and is a sort-of prequel about Dan Torren, one of Clara's mentors in The Champion Trilogy. When I finished that trilogy, I realized I really wanted to write his backstory, about how he received his strange, obsidian blade of power, and why he said he was an angry young man when he picked it up. This is that story.

An ancient blade buried deep within an abandoned tower of the Watch Guard calls for its next wielder.

In a world where ancient powers stir and darkness threatens, Dan Torren seeks to escape his noble family's corruption by joining the mysterious Watch Guard. As Dan and his allies uncover a sinister plot involving the Red Hand, an organization trafficking in human lives, Dan will need to confront his own inner desire for vengeance.

Dark Blade Forged Buy Links:

Books 2 Read Universal Link Updated

Dark Blade Forged is out today!

 Started as a project back in 2016, Dark Blade Forged is the first book in The Dark Blade Trilogy!

This series takes place in the World of Aramatir, the same world as The Champion Trilogy. In The Dark Blade Trilogy, we see how Mastor Dantor started as Dan Torren, a Junior Lord of Septily who seeks freedom from the political corruption of his family by joining the Watch Guard, an interkingdom agency tasked with keeping the borders safe and protecting ancient weapons between the rise of Champions.

Dark Blade Forged

Author: Tyrean Martinson

Genre: Sword Fantasy/Christian Fantasy

Series: The Dark Blade Trilogy, Vol. 1

Publication Date: October 1, 2024

ISBN: 979-8-9870648-6-3

ASIN: 979-8-9870648-4-9

Number of Pages: 330

Word Count: 93k

An ancient blade buried deep within an abandoned tower of the Watch Guard calls for its next wielder.

In a world where ancient powers stir and darkness threatens, Dan Torren seeks to escape his noble family's corruption by joining the mysterious Watch Guard. As Dan and his allies uncover a sinister plot involving the Red Hand, an organization trafficking in human lives, Dan will need to confront his own inner desire for vengeance.

When he discovers a legendary and strangely shadowy blade, he's thrust into a destiny greater than he ever imagined. Alongside his friends—Alex, a conflicted prince, and Farrald, a would-be Shepherd—Dan must navigate political intrigue, confront dark forces, and face his own family's twisted legacy.

Dan's journey will challenge everything he believes about justice, power, and his own identity. With the fate of Septily hanging in the balance, can Dan forge a new path for justice?

Dark Blade Forged is a gripping Christian Fantasy tale of friendship, betrayal, and the price of power in a world where the lines between good and evil blur with every choice. 

Dark Blade Forged is book one of The Dark Blade Trilogy! Perfect for fans of the faith themes of The Book of the Infinite Series by RJ Larson, the action adventure of The Staff and the Sword by Patrick W. Carr.

  Excerpt:

  The tug brought Dan to a door carved with several figures. The tautness of the pull intensified again him as he swept away the dirt over the carving. The figures on the door were old Champions. He could tell by the familiarity of some likenesses found in some places in Skycliff, although others weren’t as familiar to him. The group of Champions surrounded a single box in which a shattered blade rested. The carving was intricate, and Dan ran his fingers over the shattered blade, and then opened the door.

Inside, he could see the box from the carving. It was an iron trunk with a strange padlock. The grooves of a handprint lay over the top of the lock. Sand, dust, and mist swirled around the trunk, but Dan moved toward it.

Behind Dan, Terese murmured something, but he did not make out the words. Consumed now by the need to open that box, he placed his hand over the handprint. A rational part of his brain wanted him to stop, but the compulsion moved him forward, despite the unlikelihood of his hand fitting the handprint.

His hand fit perfectly in the grooves. A glow emanated around his fingers, but it was not a glow of light, but of textured shadow, a shimmering black that seemed deeper than even the dark shadows of the chamber beyond the light from Terese’s blade.

An audible click resonated through his hand, his chest, and the chamber, and the lock fell open. With trembling hands, Dan opened the lid of the iron box and gazed down at the broken blade within. It was shimmering obsidian, alive with power from within each of the seven, jagged pieces. Dan ran his fingers carefully over the tip of the top piece of the glowing shards, feeling a sensation of warmth and power running from his hands to his heart. He couldn't let this blade lay here unused any longer. He touched each of the seven shards, traced his hands over the engravings on the cross guard, and then reached for the hilt.

As his fingers came around the leather-wrapped grip, a heavy, warm wave rushed through him, from somewhere within his fingertips to the hilt, and somehow, resonated in ripples through the shattered pieces of the sword which began to melt and reshape.

In the deepest recesses of his mind, Dan wanted to let go of the blade, but he did not. He held fast as it took shape in front of him, perfectly balanced for his hand, for the extension of his arm. It was a part of him and it was hungry for justice, for vengeance, for righteousness against those who would do harm to his people, and peace for those who would live with kindness. It opened up parts of him he had closed off, even from his own thoughts, and he felt as if a part of him had been hollowed out and refilled, then hollowed and filled again.

Short Social Blurb with hashtags: Dan seeks to avoid politics by joining the Watch Guard, an interkingdom agency protecting ancient knowledge, as the Red Hand attempts to corrupt the world of Aramatir. Dark Blade Forged. #christianfantasy #swordfantasy #epicfantasy https://books2read.com/u/4AM5nK

Buy Links: Books2Read Universal Link

Amazon Universal Link with Books 2 Read

Book Tour: Bloodstone

 Congratulations to H.R. Sinclair for the publication of her novel Bloodstone! This is the first book in the Lost Witch series, and it is coming out on September 22nd, in paperback and eBook!

My short review:

In this intriguing paranormal fantasy, hidden magics are unveiled as Katelyn unexpectedly discovers she’s inherited an estate, a place in a family lineage, and possibly some kind of treasure. While she thinks she’s having some kind of panic attack induced visions, the truth is far stranger as she unpacks her bags and cleans out musty corners in her Aunt’s house. With new friends, unexpected enemies, and a strange affinity for her new house, Katelyn has a short time to figure out where she fits. This paranormal fantasy has all the elements of a cozy mystery mixed with urban paranormal fantasy with attempted murders, magical objects, and an interesting community. This book contains some fun twists and excellent worldbuilding.

Katelyn Grey is a gardener in Southern California. She’s content with pruning shrubs and looking after her step-mom, the only family she has left. That is, until a lawyer shows up and tells her that her long-lost aunt died, leaving her the family home on the other side of the country.

Though Katelyn hates to travel, a weird clause in her aunt’s will forces her to visit a quaint New England seaside town. Her world changes when she discovers she’s inherited a haunted brownstone, fickle magic, and a hidden key that someone else wants. And they’re willing to kill for it.

Now, she must learn how to use magic, find the key, and figure out what it’s for before she ends up like her long-lost aunt. Dead.

Excerpt:

Small colored flecks danced in the sunlight. They darted back and forth. They rushed me, encircling me, round and round, faster and faster, creating a whirlwind of color that made me woozy. I began swaying before the flecks scattered. They swooped and gathered in front of me, coalescing into the shape of a small, translucent woman. She hovered several feet off the ground, sparkling like multicolored glitter and moving like an ethereal ballerina.

When she spoke, it echoed a thousand voices speaking in harmony. “Fáilte. Welcome. We are the Breena. You are of Andraste.”

“I’m Katie.” Wariness crept into my voice. The family books read Andraste. “Yeah, I think I’m Andraste.”

“Yes. You wear the Taith, a gift of the Breena.” She gestured to the traveling boots. “We are pleased to see them in this form. It has been long since the clan Andraste has visited. Tell us, what has become of sweet Clara and her quest?”

She—they—knew Clara? “I’m sorry, she died.”

“That is unfortunate. We liked Clara. You are taking up the quest?”

My stomach dropped. They may have said it as a question, but it sounded like a statement. “I ... I didn’t know my Aunt Clara, and I don’t know anything about a quest. I’m not the right person to talk to.”

“Yes, she was given the quest. As she is no longer, the task falls to the next in line.”

“Is this an optional type of quest?”

“It is your charge.”

“Well, I’m not the next in line. That’s probably my uncle. I’ll put him in touch with you.”

The Breena moved closer to me. One of the little flecks zipped from one side of her face to the other. “You are next in line. You wear the blessing. You are of Andraste, Keepers of Secrets, Guardians of Mamwlada. You are the Legacy. Protector of the Light. You will take up the quest. Find the Oubusch. Find the Others before the gates open. Stop the disciples of Morus.”

“Find what now?”

“Find the Oubusch. Find the Others before the gates open. Stop the disciples of Morus before they break the lock.” The Breena’s voice reverberated off my skin.

I swallowed. “Who’s Morus? What gate? What others? What’s an Oubusch, and how do I find it?”

“The Oubusch will lead you to the Others. Find the Stone, find the Others.”

“But how?”

“Open the box. Use the sundial.” The words rhythmic like a song. Her essence oscillated, and her form began to melt away.

“Wait, what box?”

“What is there is here, what is here is not there. You must hurry, time is ending.” With that, the flecks disbursed, and she was gone.

“Wait, please, I don’t understand.” No one answered.

Buy Links:

Amazon: amazon.com/dp/B0CTHQJJTF

Apple: books.apple.com/us/book/bloodstone/id6587574545

Kobo: kobo.com/us/en/ebook/bloodstone-42

B&N: barnesandnoble.com/w/bloodstone-h-r-sinclair/1146070561

Books2Read: books2read.com/lostwitch

H. R. Sinclair

author • artist • dreamer

H. R. Sinclair is a left-handed hermit prepping for the squirrel apocalypse. She was born and raised in Southern California, but now lives and works in New England. She writes fantastical stories and visits cemeteries for inspiration.

Website: iamhrsinclair.com