A.J. Ross's Blog
July 20, 2022
Galaxy, Diamant: Rival (Excerpt)
Braii sat on the steps gazing up into a pair of eyes with no life in them. A likeness. It stood over sixteen feet tall on a platform in the square near Grisian’s palace. She never read the plaque below it. There was nothing that it, nor anyone could tell her about the man portrayed in the statue. She knew all there was to know.
His name was Lincoln. He was a soldier in the Griician army and had given his life to protect it. He was the father of a lifeless fetus she kept in storage on the military base, and most significantly, he was her husband. Her best friend. Her joy. Her reason. His name had become the most bitter sound, and she couldn’t bear to hear or speak it.
Never being one to feel regret over any decision, all of Braii’s actions were done with full and calculated awareness. She was taught in Griician schools that lives taken in anger or in a spirit of revenge would lead to regret. Now, she understood the opposite to be true. She didn’t regret taking a life in anger, she regretted not taking it.
She had squandered her opportunity. The one chance she had to avenge her husband. Everything about that day was still clear in her mind. The rebel on his knees. The blade in her hand. She had allowed compassion to seep into her thoughts and extinguish her burning rage. She had deemed him unworthy of death. Unworthy of release from the world that created him. She let him walk free…
That decision haunted her, and the situation had grown so big it was now out of her hands. The rebel had become the Prime Minister on Kayora, and she, the Kaziik of the fiie army. This change in dynamic made the rebel virtually untouchable, at least for her. Now, her actions would be subject to scrutiny and considered through a diplomatic lens. If he gave the Griician people no provocation, she would have to live with the burden of letting the opportunity she had on Ash pass her by.
All that remained of her husband, her only keepsake, was a recording from Tsamiit. One where he’d sent his love and asked that Grisian care for her. It was just a few seconds, but she listened to it over and over again. The voice of the man who loved her across age gap, separate class, and distant planet. His love was the most powerful thing she had ever experienced, and before him, she didn’t know such purity and devotion was possible between two people who were opposite in every way. She would swear her heart was dead if not for the constant state of numbing anguish she found herself in every day.
“Kaziik.”
She turned to see Arii, one of her captains.
“Yes,” she said.
“We have a bid.”
“What grade?” She asked. All requests for support from the Fiie army were given a letter grade based on the amount they were willing to pay in order to retain their services.
“B”
“Okay,” she shrugged, wondering why Arii was bringing the news to her. Anything above a C was automatically accepted.
“Where? How many soldiers and when?”
“That’s why I’ve come to you,” she said.
Braii noticed the deep blue swirling in her chest. She stood and took a few steps toward her. “What is it?” she asked.
“Kaziik, It’s the Tigrites.”
His name was Lincoln. He was a soldier in the Griician army and had given his life to protect it. He was the father of a lifeless fetus she kept in storage on the military base, and most significantly, he was her husband. Her best friend. Her joy. Her reason. His name had become the most bitter sound, and she couldn’t bear to hear or speak it.
Never being one to feel regret over any decision, all of Braii’s actions were done with full and calculated awareness. She was taught in Griician schools that lives taken in anger or in a spirit of revenge would lead to regret. Now, she understood the opposite to be true. She didn’t regret taking a life in anger, she regretted not taking it.
She had squandered her opportunity. The one chance she had to avenge her husband. Everything about that day was still clear in her mind. The rebel on his knees. The blade in her hand. She had allowed compassion to seep into her thoughts and extinguish her burning rage. She had deemed him unworthy of death. Unworthy of release from the world that created him. She let him walk free…
That decision haunted her, and the situation had grown so big it was now out of her hands. The rebel had become the Prime Minister on Kayora, and she, the Kaziik of the fiie army. This change in dynamic made the rebel virtually untouchable, at least for her. Now, her actions would be subject to scrutiny and considered through a diplomatic lens. If he gave the Griician people no provocation, she would have to live with the burden of letting the opportunity she had on Ash pass her by.
All that remained of her husband, her only keepsake, was a recording from Tsamiit. One where he’d sent his love and asked that Grisian care for her. It was just a few seconds, but she listened to it over and over again. The voice of the man who loved her across age gap, separate class, and distant planet. His love was the most powerful thing she had ever experienced, and before him, she didn’t know such purity and devotion was possible between two people who were opposite in every way. She would swear her heart was dead if not for the constant state of numbing anguish she found herself in every day.
“Kaziik.”
She turned to see Arii, one of her captains.
“Yes,” she said.
“We have a bid.”
“What grade?” She asked. All requests for support from the Fiie army were given a letter grade based on the amount they were willing to pay in order to retain their services.
“B”
“Okay,” she shrugged, wondering why Arii was bringing the news to her. Anything above a C was automatically accepted.
“Where? How many soldiers and when?”
“That’s why I’ve come to you,” she said.
Braii noticed the deep blue swirling in her chest. She stood and took a few steps toward her. “What is it?” she asked.
“Kaziik, It’s the Tigrites.”
June 21, 2022
Galaxy, Diamant: A Rival
Over the last few months I've been writing like crazy. Bouncing between three different projects. But then I was inundated with ideas and unfinished business unraveling in the Diamant Galaxy.
So... In September, I plan to release the first book of a trilogy in continuation of the Sword Nation Saga! It actually feels nice because the pressure of executing the original is gone, and now I can just do some crazy stuff. (Like I wasn't already.)
I have the trilogy plot playing clearly in my mind. I hurt some feelings at the end of Hero Path, but I think I know how to make amends. Every element I need is already there, but the execution is a different matter entirely. I guess we'll find out together.
For those who've read the Saga, thanks!
Galaxy, Diamant: A Rival (September)
Galaxy, Diamant: Occupant (Release TBD)
Galaxy, Diamant: Traveler (Release TBD)
So... In September, I plan to release the first book of a trilogy in continuation of the Sword Nation Saga! It actually feels nice because the pressure of executing the original is gone, and now I can just do some crazy stuff. (Like I wasn't already.)
I have the trilogy plot playing clearly in my mind. I hurt some feelings at the end of Hero Path, but I think I know how to make amends. Every element I need is already there, but the execution is a different matter entirely. I guess we'll find out together.
For those who've read the Saga, thanks!
Galaxy, Diamant: A Rival (September)
Galaxy, Diamant: Occupant (Release TBD)
Galaxy, Diamant: Traveler (Release TBD)
December 3, 2021
Hero Path
Hero Path is the final book in the Sword Nation Saga, and writing it has been full of challenges. I feel that I dig deeper with each book. Each completed work represents months and months of emotional labor, and through my characters, I learn to express myself. To diagnose myself. Get to the core of my own interactions and perceptions of the world around me. Through their eyes, I'm able to examine concepts like morality outside of societal imposition. In the world I've created in these books, there's more truth. More justice. More dignity.
This isn't the last though. I've actually got a couple of other projects I'm working on, and I can't wait to share them. Inspiration comes few and far in-between, so I've learned to go all in every time it hits.
July 24, 2021
New Kindle Vella Series
A couple months ago, I was at my parents house watching "The Emperors New Groove." (A Disney classic, right?) Anyway, there are a couple parts where Kronk has a conversation with his Shoulder Angels, trying to decide to do the right thing, or the wrong.
Then I had a lightbulb moment!
I decided to create a character who lets her thoughts play out between herself and her Shoulder Angels. The main character Nya is a variant, so instead of the red on one shoulder, and the white on the other, she has a red and a black. Her choices aren't between good and bad behaviors, but between bad and worse. Kind of a "Bad Seed" type situation.
Here's the blurb:
We all have two sides - a good one and a bad one. Nya Ellis is different. One side is bad, the other is worse. With the mischievous Ruby on one shoulder and the ominous Onyx on the other, she navigates life after release from prison for arson. After meeting another red/black variant, she gets involved with a criminal organization set on the annihilation of pedophilia. Purpose at last! But more importantly, she is finally free to fall into darkness and listen to the voices on her shoulders.
Check out the series here: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/p...
Then I had a lightbulb moment!
I decided to create a character who lets her thoughts play out between herself and her Shoulder Angels. The main character Nya is a variant, so instead of the red on one shoulder, and the white on the other, she has a red and a black. Her choices aren't between good and bad behaviors, but between bad and worse. Kind of a "Bad Seed" type situation.
Here's the blurb:
We all have two sides - a good one and a bad one. Nya Ellis is different. One side is bad, the other is worse. With the mischievous Ruby on one shoulder and the ominous Onyx on the other, she navigates life after release from prison for arson. After meeting another red/black variant, she gets involved with a criminal organization set on the annihilation of pedophilia. Purpose at last! But more importantly, she is finally free to fall into darkness and listen to the voices on her shoulders.
Check out the series here: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/p...
June 5, 2021
Picture This!
Sword Nation Saga Setting:
Earth had enough and turned against them, ravaging society with hunger, plague, and endless disaster.
After the Mars colony failed, astronauts set out on a mission to find a planet with an atmosphere that could support human life. The Diamont Galaxy had three. Graiis. Delu. And Kayora; inhabited respectively by the Griicians, Deluvians, and the Kayorians. Each planet had its own conditions for the immigrants.
Delu carried off the Youth.
If they’re ten and under, send them here.
Graiis harvested the talent.
No sponges. Give us the talented and intelligent to preserve Earth's cultures.
And Kayora became home to the wealthy.
We leave it up to you. Send whoever you want.
Based on the setting alone, there are infinite social complications, and several questions arise. For Example:
What would the world be like if it were made up of only our brightest and best?
What would the world be like with a generation of young men and women who developed to maturity without parental guidance, and societal impositions?
If the world’s governments could choose who from our planet would be spared an environmental apocalypse, what do you think would get first dibs?
Check out House of Rahilius and Rebel Path on Amazon! You can follow Lincoln, Erwin, and Braii as they navigate this complex world and move between these three planets on a mission to restore peace in the Galaxy.
Earth had enough and turned against them, ravaging society with hunger, plague, and endless disaster.
After the Mars colony failed, astronauts set out on a mission to find a planet with an atmosphere that could support human life. The Diamont Galaxy had three. Graiis. Delu. And Kayora; inhabited respectively by the Griicians, Deluvians, and the Kayorians. Each planet had its own conditions for the immigrants.
Delu carried off the Youth.
If they’re ten and under, send them here.
Graiis harvested the talent.
No sponges. Give us the talented and intelligent to preserve Earth's cultures.
And Kayora became home to the wealthy.
We leave it up to you. Send whoever you want.
Based on the setting alone, there are infinite social complications, and several questions arise. For Example:
What would the world be like if it were made up of only our brightest and best?
What would the world be like with a generation of young men and women who developed to maturity without parental guidance, and societal impositions?
If the world’s governments could choose who from our planet would be spared an environmental apocalypse, what do you think would get first dibs?
Check out House of Rahilius and Rebel Path on Amazon! You can follow Lincoln, Erwin, and Braii as they navigate this complex world and move between these three planets on a mission to restore peace in the Galaxy.
March 21, 2021
The "Self-Publisher's" Pleasure
You enter this crowded space. There are thousands - no, hundreds of thousands who look like you. Submitting the same resume. Working for the same prize. Naturally the pressure to succeed can be overwhelming, and extremely discouraging.
I started the Sword Nation project almost six years ago, but shelved it, because I knew it was too good to self-publish. If I couldn't give it the grand entrance it deserved, then I wouldn't publish it at all.
As time moved on, the story evolved, and took on a life of its own. I realized, the series would probably never get traditionally published, because it isn't traditionally written. From book to book the mood of the world changes, and it always feels like something new. Something to discover. Something completely out of left field, but in the most delightful ways.
According to my reviews, I think I may have created a new writing style: "Books that read like movies." This phrasing used repeatedly by readers in reference to my first book, has filled me with a sense of pride. Knowing I've managed to combine two of my favorite things. Books and Movies. As the world changes, and attention spans shorten, finding a new way to engage the reader is invaluable. I'm grateful to be able to tell the stories I want to tell, and in a way that is true to the world I've created, and the characters who now live and breathe in it.
In the words of Captain planet, "The Power is Yours! If you can learn the marketing aspect of Self-publishing, you can do even better than some authors who choose the traditional route. But more importantly, you have the pleasure of shaping a project that is authentically you, and any accolades that spring from it are exclusively yours.
If you haven't already, check out: House of Rahilius, book 1 of the Sword Nation Saga. Book 2 will be here at the end of May, and trust me, it will blow you away. Happy reading!
I started the Sword Nation project almost six years ago, but shelved it, because I knew it was too good to self-publish. If I couldn't give it the grand entrance it deserved, then I wouldn't publish it at all.
As time moved on, the story evolved, and took on a life of its own. I realized, the series would probably never get traditionally published, because it isn't traditionally written. From book to book the mood of the world changes, and it always feels like something new. Something to discover. Something completely out of left field, but in the most delightful ways.
According to my reviews, I think I may have created a new writing style: "Books that read like movies." This phrasing used repeatedly by readers in reference to my first book, has filled me with a sense of pride. Knowing I've managed to combine two of my favorite things. Books and Movies. As the world changes, and attention spans shorten, finding a new way to engage the reader is invaluable. I'm grateful to be able to tell the stories I want to tell, and in a way that is true to the world I've created, and the characters who now live and breathe in it.
In the words of Captain planet, "The Power is Yours! If you can learn the marketing aspect of Self-publishing, you can do even better than some authors who choose the traditional route. But more importantly, you have the pleasure of shaping a project that is authentically you, and any accolades that spring from it are exclusively yours.
If you haven't already, check out: House of Rahilius, book 1 of the Sword Nation Saga. Book 2 will be here at the end of May, and trust me, it will blow you away. Happy reading!
March 8, 2021
Rebel Path exerpt
Here is a bit of mood from Book 2 in the Sword Nation Saga!
Pyotr’s eyes were downcast in front of him as he walked, and Erwin felt a genuine awareness of the burden he had placed on his shoulders.
He sighed, glancing over at Pyotr. “We are an evil,” he said, “but necessary, and temporary.” He knew his words would not take away the pain and guilt Pyotr most likely felt, but they were words he believed. In fact, he didn’t regret what they had done at all, he only regretted that it was necessary.
“And the princess?” he asked gruffly.
“Gone,” Pyotr replied. “She bought it.”
Erwin nodded, his face unchanged by the news that he would never again see the woman he had fallen in love with. He felt a lightness knowing she was safe; and forced himself to focus on the lightness, rather than the deep sadness he felt in equal proportion. She had probably returned to her palace and was well on her way to marrying the young man who had come to “rescue” her from their planet just days ago.
He knew it was for the best. He couldn’t risk entangling her in the civil war he and his rebel army were starting. Besides, her presence in itself was threatening. Her sense of morality against his desire to please her would do nothing but dull his future decisions.
He had already sacrificed one man’s life to protect her, now he needed to prove himself worthy of that sacrifice and many others that were sure to come.
Pyotr’s eyes were downcast in front of him as he walked, and Erwin felt a genuine awareness of the burden he had placed on his shoulders.
He sighed, glancing over at Pyotr. “We are an evil,” he said, “but necessary, and temporary.” He knew his words would not take away the pain and guilt Pyotr most likely felt, but they were words he believed. In fact, he didn’t regret what they had done at all, he only regretted that it was necessary.
“And the princess?” he asked gruffly.
“Gone,” Pyotr replied. “She bought it.”
Erwin nodded, his face unchanged by the news that he would never again see the woman he had fallen in love with. He felt a lightness knowing she was safe; and forced himself to focus on the lightness, rather than the deep sadness he felt in equal proportion. She had probably returned to her palace and was well on her way to marrying the young man who had come to “rescue” her from their planet just days ago.
He knew it was for the best. He couldn’t risk entangling her in the civil war he and his rebel army were starting. Besides, her presence in itself was threatening. Her sense of morality against his desire to please her would do nothing but dull his future decisions.
He had already sacrificed one man’s life to protect her, now he needed to prove himself worthy of that sacrifice and many others that were sure to come.
February 24, 2021
The Sword Nation Saga
Hi! My name is A.J., but you may call me Ms Ross. I am a true Detroit woman. Tough as nails and twice as smart. I am a teacher and recovering bookworm turned author. I've always been moved by truth, whether good or bad, and I try to share that same truth when I write.
I'm not into the tropes, though I will use them as bait to lure a reader in, then switch it up. What can I say? I'm a schemer. House of Rahilius is not my first novel, but definitely the one I'm most proud of, and it serves as the hard start to my Sword Nation Saga.
This book introduces each of the main characters in the series, and kicks off the convoluted plot in the simplest way possible. If you love anything Shonda Rhimes (...and don't lie to me, you know you do) you'll love the twists and turns, complex romances, and tense circumstances that put House of Rahilius in a league of its own.
If you decide to check it out, I'd love to hear your opinion!
