Free Book for Three Days, and Upcoming Events

Champion in the Darkness will be free for three days this week for kindle, starting today.

This is the last time in 2014 that Champion in the Darkness will be free.

After this, I'm going to take it off Kindle Select and put it back up at other vendors like Smashwords and Nook.

Why now?

Next week, Champion in Flight will officially be released! I'm hoping that a few readers will pick up Champion in the Darkness, and look for the next book right away.

Champion in Flight is completely formatted and available for pre-sale orders at Smashwords.

Release date: June 2nd!!!

Until then, the first book in The Champion Trilogy, Champion in the Darkness is free from May 27th through May 31st!

Book 1: Champion in the Darkness

Clara’s ready to become a master swordswoman. When she goes to meet with longtime mentor Dantor, Clara is told she's destined to become the Champion, a fabled hero who arises in a time of need. Confused by this claim, Clara isn't sure she's ready to be a Champion.

Whether Clara is ready or not, the evil Kalidess has wormed her way into Septily's court.

Clara is aided by another mentor, Stelia, whose knowledge of their enemy is both a bane and a blessing. As evil threatens their land, Clara and Stelia must find the strength to overcome the darkness.

Free today through May 29th for Kindle!
To help promote on twitter:
 #freekindlebooks "Fast-paced fantasy with a message!" Champion in the Darkness http://amzn.to/TTwptM

 

Book 2 Champion in Flight

A year after she won the battle for Septily, Clara feels trapped in Skycliff by the Allied Council. As the last pieces of information about the Healing Caves fall into place, Clara is attacked by an assassin. Covert Drinaii mercenaries and the Council aren’t going to stop Clara from her quest to heal her broken blade. As Champion of Aramatir, she must act.

 

Meanwhile, in the joint kingdoms of Rrysorria and Wylandria, the youngest and still cursed swan prince despairs of ever being whole again. In a moment of anger and desperation, Liam discovers a blood link between him and a dark sorceress.

 

Clara won the battle for Septily, but her battle isn’t over.

 

 Release Date: June 2nd!           Available for pre-order at Smashwords!

 

And, if you are interested, I would love to have help with promoting Champion in Flight with Flight Fest, or any release month buzz. Please either comment below or e-mail me if you are interested in helping out.

 

And for those of you who are interested in the homeschool post I hinted at last week, I apologize, but I will be postponing it until mid-June. Until then, look for Flight Fest, Celebrate, the Goals post, some news about Miss Jack Lewis Baillot's latest book, and IWSG.  (And The Sunflower Blogger)

What's on your plate for the end of May and beginning of June? Are you ready for a goals update? Have a post already written for IWSG? Know Jack? Ready for Champion in Flight?

 

 

 

 

A to Z: K

The A to Z Challenge is underway this year, thanks to the awesome hosts and minions. Special thanks to Arlee Bird for starting this amazing blogging challenge!!! For more information about this challenge, go to the website!

Primary theme: World of Aramatir (Setting for The Champion Trilogy) Glossary
Secondary Theme: World-Building Questions and Thoughts

K

Kalidess – the lead sorceress of the Dark Sisterhood

Kassa – First Princess of Rrysorria, sister to King Stephen and Princess Tessa

Kestran – a Wylandrian Prince, brother to Liam

Klyan – a griffin of Aerland, and Kryssander’s twin (also, the name of their father, Klyan the Bold)

Kryssander – a griffin of Aerland, member of the 12^th Wing, and partner to Prince Adrian, twin of Klyan

Krysta – wife of Klyan the Bold, and mother to the twins Klyan and Kryssander, a griffin of Aerland

 

World Building Thought: Similar-sounding names for twins or family groups can be a killer to manage.

 

I know I'm stretching the "K" letter here, but I just have to say it, especially when I look at this list.  

I have Klyan, Kryssander, and Krysta here - three family members with K names. I managed to swap Klyan and Kryssander's names around for an entire chapter during my second draft of Champion in Flight - and it was painful to fix. To make mattes worse, Klyan is named after his father . . . which makes it a killer to keep them separate.

 

So, from me to you, I urge you, encourage you, plead with you - don't do family names that all start with the same letter. And the junior and senior thing should be avoided at all costs, unless there is a point to be made with it.

 

 

A to Z: J

The A to Z Challenge is underway this year, thanks to the awesome hosts and minions. Special thanks to Arlee Bird for starting this amazing blogging challenge!!! For more information about this challenge, go to the website!

Primary theme: World of Aramatir (Setting for The Champion Trilogy) Glossary
Secondary Theme: World-Building Questions and Thoughts

J

Jazeen - a Sword Apprentice with a grudge against Clara

Jennar  - a Drinaii mercenary captain who knows Stelia

Jennas – a member of the Dark Sisterhood Coven, and care-taker of the howlers, also the sister of Jennar

Jerred – the twelfth Wylandrian prince, and brother to Liam

Jordan – Master Shepherd of the Triune Halls, and representative of the Shepherds on the Triune Council

Juliay Severn – Clara’s mother, and wife to Farrald, a Sword Scout, has a secret in her past

Jyssan – Commander of the 1^st Wing of Aerland’s Wing forces

 

World Building Question: What does justice mean in the world you are building?

 

Every world or country built by authors has its own rules about justice and governance. Often, we base these on our own experiences, or we base them on what we hope for in our world. It's something to think about. What does it mean to be just in the world you are building? Who deals out "justice" and what does that look like?

 

On this list from my glossary, there are four characters who change sides in the fight between good and evil, and two characters who are responsible for dealing out justice.

A to Z: I

The A to Z Challenge is underway this year, thanks to the awesome hosts and minions. Special thanks to Arlee Bird for starting this amazing blogging challenge!!! For more information about this challenge, go to the website!

Primary theme: World of Aramatir (Setting for The Champion Trilogy) Glossary
Secondary Theme: World-Building Questions and Thoughts

I

Icewynne Mountains – A mountain range that runs down the center of the continent, separating Wylandria and Aerland from old Carpthia

Ioway – one of the governors of Septily

Isobel – a noble pranked by Clara and Salene in their training days

Ivailo (wolf) – Commander of the 10^th Wing of Aerland, gray brown hair, beard

 

World Building Question: Are interesting names distracting - especially if they have a meaning attached to them?

 

Ivailo is a name I found through a name search engine. I really liked it, and when I discovered that it meant wolf, I instantly had a better picture for this character. However, he's a minor character and although he interacts with a few of the secondary characters in book 2, I wonder if he's too distracting. I mean, I have a backstory for this guy . . . and he doesn't really need a backstory (so, of course, I don't mention it much in the book).

A to Z: H

The A to Z Challenge is underway this year, thanks to the awesome hosts and minions. Special thanks to Arlee Bird for starting this amazing blogging challenge!!! For more information about this challenge, go to the website!

Primary theme: World of Aramatir (Setting for The Champion Trilogy) Glossary
Secondary Theme: World-Building Questions and Thoughts

H

Hal Treyson – ruler of Aerland, and father of Prince Adrian and Prince Ryan

Hadarath – a griffin of Aerland

Hamneth – A Shepherd who trained under Farrald, Clara’s father

Harthan – a Sword Guard on the Sword Council

Helena – a young Shepherd apprentice, who becomes a triple apprentice to the Triune Halls

Heshani – a young griffin scout

Hest  - a former Champion of Septily

Hesten – a young sailor on Captain Gurnsey’s crew

Hestia – a Lady of Aerland, pranked by Clara and Salene in their training days

Hope – a galleon from Destiny Island

Howlers – a magically created hybrid between man and wolf, subject to the Dark Sisterhood

Huldra – a slave linked to Kalidess

Hylos – a Lord of Rrysorria who does not like Wylandrians

 

World Building Question: How do you deal with a character that steals your heart?

 

Helena, a young (age 9) Shepherd apprentice, stole my heart in Champion in the Darkness. I didn't expect her to. I thought she would be a minor character that came and went in two chapters. But then, she kept coming forward in my imagination, so I gave her a little more and then a little more. She hasn't had any POV chapters, but . . . it's been a close call.  

 

Minor spoiler alert: Helena is one of several characters that I'm considering giving a series of their own. In fact, with Helena, I even have a brief outline for three novella length stories: Healer's Challenge, Healer's Hope, and Healer's Purpose. (all titles subject to change, of course).

 

 

 

 

A to Z: G, Global World Building and Upcoming Giveaways!

The A to Z Challenge is underway this year, thanks to the awesome hosts and minions. Special thanks to Arlee Bird for starting this amazing blogging challenge!!! For more information about this challenge, go to the website!

Primary theme: World of Aramatir (Setting for The Champion Trilogy) Glossary
Secondary Theme: World-Building Questions and Thoughts


G

Galen- Winnifred’s older brother, and Cork’s cousin, Rrysorrian

Garson – A Drinaii mercenary in Kalidess’s personal service

Geoffrey – one of the Wylandrian princes

Gerdun – a Master Law-Giver of Septily and member of the Triune Council

Glythan – Ambassador of Aerland

Grandan River (mentioned in chapter 16 of book 1 with Mochant – and needs to be fixed)

Greymount Castle – once the seat of power in Wylandrian and the capital

Gray, Lord – one of the governors of Septily, of the Desert province, and Salene’s father

Green Hall – the legendary throne room of King Wilstorm, first king of Septily, buried under the new city of Skycliff

Gren  - a slave linked to Kalidess

Gurnsey, James – Captain of a Cog in Book 1, and a Galleon in Book 1, husband of Evalyn

 

Gwen Treyson – of Aerland, ruler of Aerland, mother of Prince Adrian and Prince Ryan

World Building Question: Do you build globally when you build the world for your book?

This is an area I struggled with for The Champion Trilogy. It all started so simply, and then I realized I needed to understand the history of the country of Septily, and then I needed to understand Septily's relationship with other countries. And after that, I felt like I needed to name the "world," although in these books, only two continents, one large island, and an island chain are the setting. Only . . . ha!

And I planned to have a giveaway today, but I seem to be having some tech issues with kindle - I tried to edit a previously planned giveaway, but I seem to be stuck on the dates previously set. Look for Dragonfold and Other Adventures on April 15th and 16th, and Champion in the Darkness in May - hopefully after my second book is out.

A to Z: F

The A to Z Challenge is underway this year, thanks to the awesome hosts and minions. Special thanks to Arlee Bird for starting this amazing blogging challenge!!! For more information about this challenge, go to the website!

Primary theme: World of Aramatir (Setting for The Champion Trilogy) Glossary
Secondary Theme: World-Building Questions and Thoughts

F

Faith – Queen of Rrysorria, and Princess of Wylandria, married to King Stephen Merdreni of Rrysorria, and sister to 13 brothers (including Liam) – all princes of Wylandria.

Far Isles – a string of islands South and West of Destiny Island in the Western Sea

Farrald Severn – Clara’s father, Shepherd Teacher

Ferris – a former Champion of Septily

 

World Building Question for the Day: How do you find place names?

 

Sadly, as you may note in my list above, the Far Isles are named for their location. They are "far" away from Septily . . . think about the distance of the Pacific Coast of the United States to Hawai'i. However, when I named them I just couldn't seem to think of a good name so they became the "Far" Isles. And I never changed it.  I keep thinking that maybe, just maybe, they will get their own name in book 3, at least if Evalyn (from yesterday's list) ever gets a say in the matter. She might just have to tell everyone that "actually, in their native language the name of the Island chain is ____" 

 

Since my first book, I have been researching place names and making lists of the ones that I like best or that I think will fit in my books. What do you do?