Eddie D. Moore's Blog

The Corvid’s Key audiobook is now available! The book is narrated by Amanda Woldt, and I feel confident that you will enjoy her voice and performance. The ebook is under $2, and the audiobook is under $3. How could you go wrong?

We have completed the grammar check and audio pass on my dad’s book. Unfortunately, the ending needs to change. We are going to completely rewrite the last chapter. I still feel confident that we can get this done this month. I had an AI-generated image that I was planning to use as a book cover, but after getting some feedback from other writers, I’m going to try to work something up myself or get one of my daughters to help with the art. This will give the book a greater value for our family and make a better memory. It is after all more a labor of love than a commercial venture.

I haven’t touched the audio equipment that I bought. Instead, I’ve been working to expand my digital footprint by engaging more on social media and creating higher-quality content. So far, I have gained followers on TikTok and Facebook and increased my spam mail by 300%. It appears to be a double-edged sword. My fear is that I’m making the same mistake I’ve made in the past on this front. I’m connecting with other writers, but I need to connect with readers. So, I’m changing the way I post my links. We shall see if it makes a difference.

I’m currently trying to catch up on my reading goal for the year, and spending some time in the shop working on a few projects. I can listen to audiobooks while I work and do two things at once.

The link for this post is at the top! Grab a copy of the book and let me know what you think. I’m planning to write more novelettes and novelas in the future.

-Smoke of the Fire-

We’re currently working on the last three chapters of my dad’s book, Smoke of the Fire. I feel like we could have finished this editing phase a week ago, but my dad wasn’t feeling well for a few days, and sometimes I need a couple of days to think through what changes need to be made. I’m considering using the image below as the book cover. I’d love to hear what you think.

-The Corvid’s Key-

The ebook and paperback of my novelette, The Corvid’s Key, are available on Amazon. I approved the audiobook on ACX a few days ago. It will be available as soon as they complete the quality check. It is narrated by the talented Amanda Woldt, and I look forward to sharing the production with anyone willing to listen.

-Up Next-

I’ve been thinking about the drabble collection that I want to release next year, and I believe I’ve got a solid plan. I’ve read several drabble anthologies and listened to at least one that was produced as an audiobook. These collections always have the same problem.

A properly written drabble is a complete story boiled down to 100 words. It introduces a plot, explores the problem, and ties a neat little bow on the end with a resolution to the conflict. It takes time to process such a compact story, often more time than it took to read it, and when you read one right after the other, they blur together, or your mind will get hung up on the previous story as you try to read the next.

To help offset this problem, I’m considering writing a paragraph or two between groups of 3 to 5 drabbles to help clear the reader’s mind or prepare them for the next group of stories. I could talk about the writing process, expound on the stories they just read, and/or allude to the next group of drabbles. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I’ve already placed the required book link in this post, but here’s another one just in case you missed it! Recirculated Tales – Happy reading!

The ebook for The Corvid’s Key is available now! (Only 1.99) You can read it for free with KU. I’m currently working on the print cover and hope to see the paperback live over the weekend. Get your copy here: The Corvid’s Key.

Update on my dad’s book -Smoke of the Fire

We are making progress on my dad’s book, Smoke of the Fire. The major editing is finished! We have five more chapters to go through by ear, and that phase of editing will be complete. There is one section of the story that we plan to revisit and make a few adjustments to, and then listen to the entire story one more time. I believe we are on track to have his book published by the end of the year as planned!

Other Projects

I have a dozen woodworking projects that I’d like to work on. We’ll have to see if my resolve crumbles under the dropping temperatures. I can always lock myself in the closet and play with my audio equipment. Anyhow, let’s make it a productive day! (Right after I play a few rounds of pool online…)

Until next time.

This is mainly for my local friends, but I will be at the Book Festival with over 20 other authors tomorrow 10/18/25! If you haven’t heard about it, it will be at the Jackson Madson County Library (433 E Lafayette St, Jackson, TN). The event will start at 11am and end at 1pm. If you need more information, here is a link to the Book Fest.

I’ll have a few copies of each of my books with me if you want one. If you can’t make it or would just like to show your support, here is a link for a book! FYI… eBooks are cheap and audiobooks aren’t expensive.

I hope to see you there!

I’m working on formatting the print and ebook at this moment! Once I have the print book ready, I’ll work up the back cover, and it will be time to figure out a release date. I’d be tempted to do the audiobook myself, but I think this story will need a female voice.

What do you think?

There are only six more chapters left to edit in my dad’s book Smoke of the Fire. As I’ve stated before, this editorial pass is fairly major and time-consuming. I plan on giving everything another quick pass with audio and adding a few tweaks to make sure that the flow sounds consistent. That pass should go fairly quick, but this pass is like pulling teeth. Hopefully, we can get a couple more chapters done before my next trip to Arizona next week. I asked Gemini to write a 250-word summary of the book, and here is what it had to say:

Smoke of the Fire (Gemini Summary)

Smoke of the Fire is a deeply moving novel that chronicles the coming-of-age of two young Native American men, Tall Trees and Small Buck, immediately after they achieve the status of “braves.”

The story begins with the inseparable friends navigating their new independence, sharing a humorous culinary failure that leads to a fateful encounter. They meet Bright Moon, a kind and resourceful woman who sparks an immediate, unspoken romance with Tall Trees. Their developing relationship provides a quiet anchor against the growing tensions of tribal life.

As the tribe prepares for its traditional winter migration to a sheltered cave, the pressures of tradition clash with personal desires. Small Buck is driven by a deep sense of protectiveness to pursue Star, seeking to rescue her from a difficult home. His choice puts him at odds with the tribe’s strict customs and his father, the shaman. Simultaneously, Tall Trees is heartbroken when Bright Moon is suddenly promised to another man through an arranged contract.

The harsh winter and confined living in the cave escalate the community’s moral and political dilemmas. When survival is threatened, the friends’ paths diverge drastically. Tall Trees is forced to assume an unexpected leadership role, embracing wisdom and duty. Small Buck’s bold choice for love leads to his marginalization by his people. The novel explores the painful truth that true maturity is found not in achievement, but in enduring hardship and loss, as both men must make sacrifices that redefine their lives, their relationships, and the future of their tribe.

Update on The Corvid’s Key

The Corvid’s Key has finally broken past the 10,000-word mark! I now have a story large enough to publish as a standalone novelette. Now it is time to work on a book cover design and make the final edits on the story. It might be a good idea to hand the story off to a beta reader. I’m not completely happy with the ending. The ending feels clipped to me, like I was writing a drabble. Maybe a reader or two will tell me differently. For those interested, here is a quick summary by Gemini AI:

The Corvid’s Key follows Ann, a woman with an unusual relationship with the local crows, who regularly leave her strange gifts.

This peculiar connection leads Ann, guided by a single, persistent corvid, into the woods to an isolated, decaying house. Inside, a chilling discovery is made, pointing to a decades-old tragedy involving the home’s last occupants.

What begins as an impulsive act of curiosity quickly escalates into a mystery as the crows continue to direct Ann to more pieces of a forgotten, violent history. The Corvid’s Key is a psychological thriller about the unsettling secrets held by the natural world and one woman’s confrontation with a long-unpunished past.

I managed to do a couple of small woodworking projects this week. Tell me what you think, and of course, buy a book!

My dad and I are slowly working on his book, Smoke of the Fire. Only eight more chapters to edit. I made an editing pass on everything except the last ten chapters on my own, but I didn’t feel comfortable enough to do the last few chapters on my own because they are rough enough to actually need a rewrite. My father’s prose is quite different than mine, and I didn’t want to change it too much, so I was stuck there. Now that we can work on it together, I feel much better about making changes. I need to start work on a book cover for it. Perhaps I can make some progress in that area there this week as well.

Since my last post, I have added a little to my novelette, The Corvid’s Key. I should be working on that now, but I decided to write this post instead. As I’ve said before, writing these updates helps me keep my mind ordered and drives progress forward. If I’m not working on it, what would there be to post about? For example, I haven’t done a single thing with my audio recording equipment. I haven’t even had the opportunity to play with it, so that’s all there is to say about that. I will have to schedule some time to work on that project.

I have spent some time working on a few wood projects in my garage. I made these bookshelves to hang beside your easy chair and hold whatever book you’re currently reading or tablet you’re using to read. In my mind, this door is your escape from reality. I’m currently trying to make one in the shape of a Hobbit door. I’ll post pictures of it next time. I thought people might like these enough to buy a few of them. So far, no one has expressed any interest in them. What do you think? Oh, and click the link and buy a book! Recirculated Tales: A Mini-Anthology

We have made some progress on my dad’s book this week. Two more chapters have been edited, and we only have ten more chapters to go. I need to spend some time working on the book cover. I’ve had a cover in mind for over a decade. In my mind, I see the silhouettes of two Native Americans sitting by a fire, with smoke rising between them. I picture the background as orange or dark red. Thoughts?

I worked up the nerve to hook up my interface and mic to my computer the other day. I downloaded Audacity and experimented with its settings. When I checked out the mic, I noticed that something was rattling around inside it that didn’t sound right, so I took it apart and found a loose component and a broken wire. Luckily, I managed to solder it back together, and it seems to work fine. Who knows if it was broken when I bought it or if it broke during shipping? I don’t guess it matters since I fixed it.

I haven’t worked on The Corvid’s Key this week, but I did write a couple of drabbles. The urge to write something longer is definitely burning within me. Hopefully, it builds up pressure and explodes onto the page soon. The only excuse I can offer for not writing more is that I’m lazy. I need to learn to write a little here and there when I have the opportunity and make it a habit. The drabbles give me a sense of accomplishment or help me feel like I have completed something, but I know that I need to do something more substantial.

We only have 104 days left in this year! It’s time to get things done. Let’s go!

Here, read a book: Recirculated Tales

I’m going to finish writing The Corvid’s Key and then change gears in my writing. As much as I love writing stories with a dark twist or dark tone, it would probably help my mental state to lighten things up a bit. I came across a story this morning, maybe I should say headline, of a woman who slit her five-year-old daughter’s throat and put a trash bag over her head. Apparently, she was acquitted for mental reasons. I’ve seen enough evil, horror, and sad stories in the news and real life lately that I think we could all use a change.

The next story I write will be either fantasy or science fiction pulp. I want to create something that will make people smile and leave them with a good feeling at the end of the story. I don’t usually write what I’d consider happy endings, but if I feel the need for it, surely others do as well.

I have a couple of stories that I started writing that I intended to be fun and witty. Maybe I’ll revisit one of those and finish it. When I was a kid, I’d make a random line on a sheet of paper and then try to draw a spaceship using that line. I like doing the same thing when I’m writing. Sometimes I’ll write an odd sentence with a random thought just to see where it takes me.

What do you think? Are you ready to escape reality with me? Where should we flee? Science fiction or fantasy? Let me know.

It took a few days for me to process my thoughts and feelings after the assassination of Charlie Kirk. I was scrolling through TikTok that night before bed, and I swiped the screen to watch one last video. That was a mistake. It turned out to be the video of Charlie getting shot. It was uncensored and close enough to put you in the front row. It was after one in the morning before I was able to sleep.

Like many others, I wondered why it affected me so deeply. I’d seen several videos of Charlie Kirk, but I never made it a point to follow him. After giving it some thought, I can think of three reasons.

The first is that being a parent was not just a position for me or a role I filled. It became my entire identity. Hi, I’m Dad! When my kids became adults, it nearly triggered an identity crisis for me. Lucky for me, I soon became a grandfather, and though my role may have shifted, I still have a purpose in life. Hi, I’m Grandpa!

I’ve seen videos of Charlie Kirk spending time with his family, and it drives a stake in my heart knowing that his kids were robbed of their father. Knowing that they were present when it happened twists my stomach in knots. I definitely have an emotional connection to the situation as a parent and family man myself.

I became a Christian nearly thirty years ago, and to me, it was all or nothing. So, I went all in. I wore out two Bibles reading and studying. I loved discussing what I was learning with like-minded people. I believed that a person should know what they believed and why they believed it. Once I had a firm understanding of the Bible, I began studying other religions and different denominations because I wanted to know what and why other people believed differently. I thought that one day I might get into apologetics, write books, and take the stage to debate other people. So, that brings me to the second connection. Charlie did what, at one time, I wanted to do… And they killed him for it.

The main road I took in my study of apologetics was young Earth creation. I followed people like Kent Hovind, Dr. Carl Baugh, and Ken Ham. When I researched many of the things Kent Hovind presented as proof of a young Earth, I found dead ends and fraud. I met him twice before he went to prison for tax evasion. I met Dr. Carl Baugh when at church when he spoke one Wednesday night. Let’s just say the energy-infused water he was selling reminded me of snake oil salesmen in old western movies. He claimed to know of human footprints in the same rock layer as dinosaur prints. I found out later that they no longer exist. (How convenient) Lastly, I’ll just say Ken Ham lost his debate with Bill Nye, and I found his creation museum to be a walk-through PowerPoint presentation. The Ark is a cool place to visit regardless.

Wow, that last paragraph went off the tracks of the train of thought, but I had to say it to explain why I let go of apologetics. Remember, I said I was an all-or-nothing kind of person. I still have faith, but I no longer believe that it is black and white like I once did. Maybe I’ll look up some videos of Charlie defending young Earth creation and see how he defended the subject.

I think the final connection is one we all have in common. I think the shared grief that everyone is talking about is from a shared source. Could it be that we all felt that way because it grieved the spirit of God himself? People around the world have stated that they don’t understand why his death has affected them so much. Perhaps, we’re sharing that grief for a spiritual reason. Thoughts?