Dan R. Arman's Blog
December 1, 2022
The next Kamatari and Minoru book is coming soon!
Who is Minoru?
Kamatari and Minoru Hates Bones and Ash is almost here and Minoru is bringing his salty chocolate balls for your enjoyment this month. No, not the balls you were probably thinking of. We’re talking about a dessert truffle made from dark chocolate, Himalayan pink salt, and agave nectar. In the book, Minoru helps make them to soothe a savage beast on his property. I made them for my family this past Thanksgiving and I’m happy to report that they were delicious. The recipe is quite simple and I’m happy to share it with you.
Currently, the editor says, in spite of some health setbacks, she is halfway through the final draft of the book and so it should be ready for release by Christmas. I’ll send a special message out to everyone once we get a firm date on its arrival.
But who is Minodu anyway, you ask, and why should I ever contemplate sampling his salty chocolate balls? (That joke is never going to get old for me, unfortunately, and I am truly sorry.)
For those unfamiliar with the Night Maiden series, Minoru is one of the two peasants who debuted in the very first chapter of the very first book, Riding a Black Horse. Minoru is a simple man, not terribly brave but with a good heart. After the original trilogy, Minnie, as he is known by his friends, is gifted with the ability to speak with animals. But while he can speak to wild creatures, that does not mean the animals like what he has to say to them. The hoof prints on his behind, the frequent teeth marks on his legs and arms, and a suspicious red mark from a goat head butt attest to that fact.
Watch for his antics in Kamatari and Minoru go to the Library and the upcoming Kamatari and Minoru Hate Bones and Ash in Their Death Stew. Oh, and here’s that recipe:
Dark Chocolate Salt Water Truffles
When hunting for the best truffles in the deep forests of Orloins, it’s best to keep a trained pig by your side. The hog’s keen senses are a true guide to finding the rarest treasure that nature has to offer. But for these easy-to-make chocolate truffles, no swine is required to locate the proper ingredients to make a tasty treat. The secret to the recipe is using only the finest and darkest of chocolates and cocoa powders produced in the warmer climates in the South.
Ingredients
1 ¾ ounces of dark chocolate
1 teaspoon of agave nectar or maple syrup
⅔ cup of water
A generous pinch of Himalayan pink salt
Cocoa powder for dusting
Directions
Break the chocolate bars into small pieces and set aside.
Heat the water and salt in a pan, once it starts to boil, remove from the heat.
Add the chocolate pieces and syrup and stir until dissolved.
Pour into a bowl and leave to cool, then leave in the fridge overnight or for at least 4 hours.
To make the truffles, pour some cocoa powder into a bowl (I used about 3 heaped tbsps) and dust some onto your hands.
Take a teaspoon of the mixture and roll in your hands to form a small ball, then place in the bowl of cocoa powder.
Repeat until you have used all the mixture.
Place the truffles back in the refrigerator for another hour or so to firm up, then your truffles will be ready to enjoy.
Happy Holidays!
Riding a Black Horse can be yours for FREE this Christmas. Keep warm with the Night Maiden by clicking the cover above. The free ebook copy is available on Nook or compatible device.
Kamatari and Minoru Hates Bones and Ash is almost here and Minoru is bringing his salty chocolate balls for your enjoyment this month. No, not the balls you were probably thinking of. We’re talking about a dessert truffle made from dark chocolate, Himalayan pink salt, and agave nectar. In the book, Minoru helps make them to soothe a savage beast on his property. I made them for my family this past Thanksgiving and I’m happy to report that they were delicious. The recipe is quite simple and I’m happy to share it with you.
Currently, the editor says, in spite of some health setbacks, she is halfway through the final draft of the book and so it should be ready for release by Christmas. I’ll send a special message out to everyone once we get a firm date on its arrival.
But who is Minodu anyway, you ask, and why should I ever contemplate sampling his salty chocolate balls? (That joke is never going to get old for me, unfortunately, and I am truly sorry.)
For those unfamiliar with the Night Maiden series, Minoru is one of the two peasants who debuted in the very first chapter of the very first book, Riding a Black Horse. Minoru is a simple man, not terribly brave but with a good heart. After the original trilogy, Minnie, as he is known by his friends, is gifted with the ability to speak with animals. But while he can speak to wild creatures, that does not mean the animals like what he has to say to them. The hoof prints on his behind, the frequent teeth marks on his legs and arms, and a suspicious red mark from a goat head butt attest to that fact.
Watch for his antics in Kamatari and Minoru go to the Library and the upcoming Kamatari and Minoru Hate Bones and Ash in Their Death Stew. Oh, and here’s that recipe:
Dark Chocolate Salt Water Truffles
When hunting for the best truffles in the deep forests of Orloins, it’s best to keep a trained pig by your side. The hog’s keen senses are a true guide to finding the rarest treasure that nature has to offer. But for these easy-to-make chocolate truffles, no swine is required to locate the proper ingredients to make a tasty treat. The secret to the recipe is using only the finest and darkest of chocolates and cocoa powders produced in the warmer climates in the South.
Ingredients
1 ¾ ounces of dark chocolate
1 teaspoon of agave nectar or maple syrup
⅔ cup of water
A generous pinch of Himalayan pink salt
Cocoa powder for dusting
Directions
Break the chocolate bars into small pieces and set aside.
Heat the water and salt in a pan, once it starts to boil, remove from the heat.
Add the chocolate pieces and syrup and stir until dissolved.
Pour into a bowl and leave to cool, then leave in the fridge overnight or for at least 4 hours.
To make the truffles, pour some cocoa powder into a bowl (I used about 3 heaped tbsps) and dust some onto your hands.
Take a teaspoon of the mixture and roll in your hands to form a small ball, then place in the bowl of cocoa powder.
Repeat until you have used all the mixture.
Place the truffles back in the refrigerator for another hour or so to firm up, then your truffles will be ready to enjoy.
Happy Holidays!
Riding a Black Horse can be yours for FREE this Christmas. Keep warm with the Night Maiden by clicking the cover above. The free ebook copy is available on Nook or compatible device.
January 2, 2022
The Maiden's Thorn is 99 cents today!
Happy new year!
My latest release is 99 cents today on Amazon kindle.
Copy the link below:
https://storyoriginapp.com/universalb...
My latest release is 99 cents today on Amazon kindle.
Copy the link below:
https://storyoriginapp.com/universalb...
October 27, 2021
September 30, 2021
September 12, 2021
Book Barbarian
Kamatari and Minoru go to the Library is one of the featured books on Book Barbarian today! Check it out at:
https://bookbarbarian.com/your-scienc...
Lots of good deals on reads to be had there.
https://bookbarbarian.com/your-scienc...
Lots of good deals on reads to be had there.
May 23, 2021
New Night Maiden book out now!
My new short story anthology and fourth book published in the Night Maiden series just dropped and I couldn't be more excited to share it with you.
Here's the pitch:
Into every generation, there is a Chosen One, an individual with special powers destined to save the world from ultimate destruction. He is a champion that will face down evil with skill and bravery, defying all odds against him.
Kamatari is NOT that man. Yet, he may be the best hope Orloins has to avert disaster.
Follow your favorite characters, Kamatari and Minoru, in this new collection of epic fantasy adventures.
Kamatari and Minoru have accepted a contract, and this could be the one to end them all. In the wreckage of an enemy city lies a book that tells of the end of the world. They must find it and use what's inside on a dangerous trek to save all of Orloins once again.
Now let me answer a few questions about it that readers will likely have:
Q: Ummm... wasn't the Night Maiden a trilogy? So why is there a fourth book? Can you not count?
A: My math is fine, thanks. The Night Maiden was conceived to be a trilogy with three books, following the story of Pucelle the Maiden, a necromancer inspired by Joan of Arc's life. But Kamatari and Minoru wanted their own book so badly and I realized an opportunity to give them their own unique tales within the world I had built. Readers who've read the first three will recognize that while this book follows the events of the previous three, it's a bit different in tone and structure to the other books. I always like to try new things.
Q: This book sounds fun, but I haven't read the Night Maiden trilogy yet. Do I have to read that before or can I dive right into this book?
A: While there are a few spoilers for the original trilogy in these stories, K&M is its own thing. I've been careful to put enough background so even new readers of the Night Maiden universe can pick this up and read it without needing the other books. Think of this as a tip of the hat to the recent influence the Grishaverse and Witcher series has had. There are multiple entry points into those series as well and, in fact, I skipped the Shadow and Bone trilogy and read the Six of Crows duology first and didn't feel like I missed a beat or enjoyed it less if I had read the other books first. If I write more books in the series they too will be separate from the trilogy, so long as I have a compelling reason to write them.
Q: So are you saying there will be more Night Maiden books?
A: Yes, I am strongly hinting at that, because the more I try to put these characters away and work on something new, the more they call out to me with bigger and better stories to tell. I love these characters and I think a few other people do too. Teuta sees some significant action in K&M and suddenly a book for her is taking shape. It's in the drafting stages just yet, but I can say that it'll be titled The Maiden's Thorn and will feature her growth from my earliest notes on the original trilogy, when I just knew her as the woman who disguised herself as a man to become a soldier. Needless to say, she's had an interesting and difficult life. I just want to give her a hug right now and tell her it'll all be alright, but then she'd know I was lying.
So, let me know if you have questions I didn't address or think of. Also, if you read K&M, leave me a review. I enjoy communicating with readers and I miss that interaction since COVID shut down all our conventions and usual events.
Look forward to hearing from you and have a great read!
Sincerely,
Dan R. Arman
Here's the pitch:
Into every generation, there is a Chosen One, an individual with special powers destined to save the world from ultimate destruction. He is a champion that will face down evil with skill and bravery, defying all odds against him.
Kamatari is NOT that man. Yet, he may be the best hope Orloins has to avert disaster.
Follow your favorite characters, Kamatari and Minoru, in this new collection of epic fantasy adventures.
Kamatari and Minoru have accepted a contract, and this could be the one to end them all. In the wreckage of an enemy city lies a book that tells of the end of the world. They must find it and use what's inside on a dangerous trek to save all of Orloins once again.
Now let me answer a few questions about it that readers will likely have:
Q: Ummm... wasn't the Night Maiden a trilogy? So why is there a fourth book? Can you not count?
A: My math is fine, thanks. The Night Maiden was conceived to be a trilogy with three books, following the story of Pucelle the Maiden, a necromancer inspired by Joan of Arc's life. But Kamatari and Minoru wanted their own book so badly and I realized an opportunity to give them their own unique tales within the world I had built. Readers who've read the first three will recognize that while this book follows the events of the previous three, it's a bit different in tone and structure to the other books. I always like to try new things.
Q: This book sounds fun, but I haven't read the Night Maiden trilogy yet. Do I have to read that before or can I dive right into this book?
A: While there are a few spoilers for the original trilogy in these stories, K&M is its own thing. I've been careful to put enough background so even new readers of the Night Maiden universe can pick this up and read it without needing the other books. Think of this as a tip of the hat to the recent influence the Grishaverse and Witcher series has had. There are multiple entry points into those series as well and, in fact, I skipped the Shadow and Bone trilogy and read the Six of Crows duology first and didn't feel like I missed a beat or enjoyed it less if I had read the other books first. If I write more books in the series they too will be separate from the trilogy, so long as I have a compelling reason to write them.
Q: So are you saying there will be more Night Maiden books?
A: Yes, I am strongly hinting at that, because the more I try to put these characters away and work on something new, the more they call out to me with bigger and better stories to tell. I love these characters and I think a few other people do too. Teuta sees some significant action in K&M and suddenly a book for her is taking shape. It's in the drafting stages just yet, but I can say that it'll be titled The Maiden's Thorn and will feature her growth from my earliest notes on the original trilogy, when I just knew her as the woman who disguised herself as a man to become a soldier. Needless to say, she's had an interesting and difficult life. I just want to give her a hug right now and tell her it'll all be alright, but then she'd know I was lying.
So, let me know if you have questions I didn't address or think of. Also, if you read K&M, leave me a review. I enjoy communicating with readers and I miss that interaction since COVID shut down all our conventions and usual events.
Look forward to hearing from you and have a great read!
Sincerely,
Dan R. Arman
May 1, 2021
Where can I get a free sample of your work?
My Night Maiden trilogy is complete and available at bookstores online and a few local ones in the Akron, Ohio area where I'm from but that is hardly the end of the Night Maiden series.
I've got a standalone anthology of stories set in the same world coming out soon and if your interested you can snap up a free story from Story Origin. Just use the like below to get to it:
https://storyoriginapp.com/giveaways/...
Enjoy!
I've got a standalone anthology of stories set in the same world coming out soon and if your interested you can snap up a free story from Story Origin. Just use the like below to get to it:
https://storyoriginapp.com/giveaways/...
Enjoy!
