So last year about this time, I wrote a novel in the Gaia Nova universe. Usually when I sit down to write a novel, it falls apart about midway through the first draft, or I have some kind of a break down, or something else comes up and I have to put it on hold… Continue reading Stars of Blood and Glory coming out soon
Category: Desert Stars
Trope Tuesday: Elegant Weapon for a More Civilized Age
Before the world fell apart and the Empire took over, when there were still men of honor in the world who stood boldly against evil and fought for the weak and the downtrodden, there was this trope. The weapon of choice of a bygone age, more elegant and noble than the crass instruments of wanton destruction so common… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: Elegant Weapon for a More Civilized Age
Trope Tuesday: Came Back Strong
This trope, also kown as apotheosis, is by far my favorite part of the hero’s journey. Up to this point, the hero has faced a lot of tests and trials. Some of them he’s passed, some of them he hasn’t, but the setbacks haven’t yet been enough to stop him. Sure, the costs have been… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: Came Back Strong
Trope Tuesday: Wicked Cultured
This week’s Trope Tuesday series post is by request from a reader. Evil villains aren’t always grotesque, brutish, foaming-at-the-mouth barbarians. Quite often, they are wealthy and aristocratic, with exquisitely refined tastes and an extraordinary degree of eloquence. It isn’t just that evil is cool (though it may overlap with this), or that the barbarians have finally… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: Wicked Cultured
Back in Georgia
Hey, just a quick post to let you guys know how I’m doing. I made it out to the village yesterday, met my new host family and got more or less settled. Due to some mixups, I ended up in Sairme (WAY up in the mountains) before making it down to Baghdati, but everything worked… Continue reading Back in Georgia
Trope Tuesday: The Vamp
Also known as the temptress or the seductress, the vamp is one of the more dangerous characters the hero meets on his journey. A devastating beauty who is as evil as she is sexy, she uses her feminine wiles to exploit men’s flaws to her own advantage. If the hero falls for her, he will be destroyed.… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: The Vamp
Trope Tuesday: The Trickster
After the hero crosses the threshold of adventure and finally sets out on his journey, he passes through a long phase that Campbell called “the road of trials.” This is often where the meat of the story happens, but it doesn’t fit squarely into any one trope because of all the possible directions where the… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: The Trickster
When men cry, or in defense of damaged characters
I recently read an amazing blog post by Shannon Hale titled “Why boys don’t read girls (sometimes).” In it, she makes a number of excellent points about how our society stigmatizes boys who read “girlie books,” and why that’s harmful. Perhaps the most moving part of the post was at the end, where she described… Continue reading When men cry, or in defense of damaged characters
New print proof and an update on Star Wanderers
So the proof for Desert Stars came in the mail today, and it looks great! It’s available now from CreateSpace, if you want to pick up a copy. If you’d rather buy it on Amazon, it should go live there in a few days. And if you want to buy an autographed copy of this… Continue reading New print proof and an update on Star Wanderers
Stars of Blood and Glory 2.0 is finished!
On Tuesday, I finished the second draft of my latest writing project, Stars of Blood and Glory! Here are the basic stats: words: 78,746 pages: 372 chapters: 20, epilogue, and prologue start date: 3 July 2012 end date: 24 July 2012 Also, this is probably really dorky, but I made a logo for the title: They say to… Continue reading Stars of Blood and Glory 2.0 is finished!