S.M. Boyce's Blog: My Journal

I have some fun news to share & I’d love your help.

I started a YouTube channel to help readers find their next favorite fantasy book (and dodge the AI slop)

I’m a chronic book hoarder and someone who spends way too much time reading Amazon & Goodreads reviews. I figured I could take my industry experience & turn it into a youtube channel to help people find their next favorite read.

I just launched this YouTube channel, and here’s what I’m doing:

(1) First Looks – I dig through hundreds of reader reviews and break down who a book is actually for (and who should skip it). No spoilers, no fluff—just the intel readers need to decide if something belongs on your TBR or your “absolutely not” list.

(2) Author interviews – I sit down with the best & brightest in the industry to pick their brains. My questions focus on what readers want to know about their favorite authors.

(3) Series Overviews – I dig through series reviews and online threads to find out if a series is worth reading or not.

Here’s the thing: the publishing world is getting flooded with AI-generated content and it’s increasingly hard to find genuine, quality stories. I’m building this channel to be a human-curated filter—someone who’s read the reviews, understands the craft, and will give you both the pros & cons of a story.

Whether you’re looking for your next enemies-to-lovers obsession or a progression fantasy with a magic system that actually makes sense, I’ve got you.

Come hang out

youtube.com/@SMBoyce?sub_confirmation=1

First videos are already up. Let me know what books you want me to cover next.

 

Hey darlin’.

I have exciting news.

There’s a new book in the Blood Reaper series!

I’m relaunching the first book with all new chapters & a fresh edit. It’s the best version of Blood Reaper #1 thus far, and that’s going live on Royal Road on March 2nd.

Right now, though, you can start reading book 2 in my patreon. These chapters won’t go live for quite awhile, but you can Read now on Patreon.

Here’s a bit about the book…

Blood Reaper Book 2 Is Here — And the Crucible Is Hungry

Book 1 asked a simple question: Will you get back up?

Book 2 asks a harder one: What are you willing to sacrifice to win?

I’ve been living inside this book for a while now, and I need to tell you — it’s darker. It’s bigger. And it broke me in ways I wasn’t expecting.

WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO SACRIFICE TO WIN?

Ace survived the System’s world. He built a team. He earned a Legendary Class and clawed his way up the food chain.

Now, he’s a double agent. The sadistic god who rules this realm wants him to retrieve an artifact of unimaginable power, while the ghost of a legendary warrior guides him toward the one weapon that could break her hold entirely. Both are hidden in the same nightmare realm.

The Crucible is a shifting labyrinth that breathes, watches, and hungers. Three ancient vampire sisters rule its halls. One weaponizes beauty. One has mastered monstrous evolution. The last has spent centuries feeding on everything that enters.

And when Ace enters their domain, the hunt begins.

The deeper he goes, the more he discovers. Hidden passages. A shadow-forged sword. A conspiracy older than the System herself. Knowledge that might save him—if it doesn’t eat him alive first.

His team is fracturing. The sisters are closing in. And someone Ace trusts is already working against him.

The power he came for could make him unstoppable. Destroying it could trap the very goddess who torments him and his team. Either choice costs more than he’s willing to lose.

Kill. Evolve. Sacrifice. Repeat.

In this labyrinth of the dead, Ace will become a legend.

Blood Reaper is a military fantasy LitRPG with vampire progression, dragon shifters, a hard magic system, base building, monster evolution, chaotic characters, and unforgiving combat. This slow-burn leveling journey with no level cap delivers blood-soaked pages of dark humor, crunchy stats, epic loot, and life-altering consequences. For fans of He Who Fights with Monsters, Primal Hunter, and Dungeon Crawler Carl.

Where It Started

When I wrote Book 1, I was writing about survival. About getting knocked down and standing back up. That theme came from a very real place—2023 tried to kill me twice, and I channeled everything I had into a story about a man who refuses to stay down.

Book 2 is what happens after you stand up. You’ve got your footing. You’ve built something worth fighting for. Now the world wants to know what you’ll pay to keep it.

That question haunted me through every chapter.

The Crucible

The Crucible of Shadows is the deadliest place I’ve ever built. It’s a shifting labyrinth buried beneath a dead lake — a nightmare realm that was designed to break even the gods. The walls breathe. The architecture thinks. The darkness doesn’t just surround you—it reaches for you.

If Book 1’s world was dangerous, the Crucible is predatory. Every room has teeth. Every corridor has an agenda. I wanted a setting that wasn’t just a backdrop for the action but an active force working against the team at every turn. The kind of place where standing still is just as deadly as running.

And at the heart of it? Three ancient vampire sisters who’ve ruled this place for centuries.

The Ravenheart Sisters

Book 1 had Victor. A solid villain — dangerous, personal, and satisfying to watch Ace dismantle.

Book 2 has three.

The Ravenheart sisters are the most complex antagonists I’ve written. Each one commands a different approach to horror within the Crucible. One weaponizes beauty. One has mastered monstrous evolution. And the eldest has spent centuries feeding on everything that enters her domain.

What makes them terrifying isn’t just their power. It’s their dynamic. They’re allies on the surface, but underneath, centuries of resentment and hidden agendas are eating them alive. They scheme against each other almost as much as they scheme against Ace. Writing their scenes was some of the most fun I’ve had with this series, because every conversation operates on at least two levels.

And unlike Victor, you can’t just outfight the sisters. They require a different kind of strength.

Darker, Bigger, More Personal

I keep telling people Book 2 is darker, and I mean it.

Book 1 was about building a team. Book 2 tests whether that team can hold. The Crucible doesn’t just throw monsters at Ace and the Fang Gang—it finds the cracks between them and presses.

Hard.

Ace is carrying secrets he can’t share. Tara is fighting to be seen as more than the healer. Marcus is confronting whether he belongs on this team at all. And Olivia… well. Olivia has her own arc, and I think it’s going to surprise people.

The scope is bigger too. The EXP Solute system gets pushed further than Book 1 ever took it. Ace’s Legendary Class evolves in ways I’ve been planning since the beginning. There are ancient conspiracies, shadow magic, a weapon forged from darkness itself, and revelations about the System that reframe everything you thought you knew.

But for all the bigger set pieces and deeper lore, the core of this book is still Ace. Still his team. Still the question of what you’re willing to lose to protect what matters.

For the Readers

If you loved Book 1, Book 2 is everything you liked turned up to eleven. More loot. Crunchier stats. Bigger fights. Worse odds. The dark humor is still there, of course. Ace is still Ace. Marcus is still Marcus. Olivia is still weird as hell, and Tara is still putting up with everyone else.

If you haven’t read Book 1 yet, now’s the time. Book 2 picks up right where we left off, and you’ll want that foundation before stepping into the Crucible.

I poured everything into this book. The Crucible demanded it.

I think you’re going to love what’s waiting inside.

Stay sharp. The hunt continues.

Read now on Patreon

 

KEY LINKS:
Illumicrate Edition: https://us.illumicrate.com/products/l...
Buy the book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4ofEw0l

My Merch: boyceink.com
New releases: smboyce.com/subscribe-to-emails
Join the Discord: discord.gg/WVJ99jBJbP

Early chapter releases: patreon.com/theboyce
Published books: amazon.com/S.M.-Boyce/e/B005WL2N8O
Website: smboyce.com

(All links are/might be affiliate links. I may make a small profit if you buy something through my links.)

________________________

 

Today I’m unboxing the Illumicrate exclusive edition of Lord of Ruin by K.M. Enright—the highly anticipated sequel to Mistress of Lies. If you loved the first book’s dark political intrigue and blood magic, this second installment goes harder on every front. This Royal hardback comes with exclusive features, and I’m showing you everything that makes this edition stand out.

Lord of Ruin picks up six months after the failed coup in Mistress of Lies. Shan LeClaire struggles under her new role as Royal Blood Worker, forced to darker methods as the nation’s blood supply dwindles. Samuel is trapped in the political machine, breaking from Shan to rescue Isaac from the King’s dungeons. But Isaac’s freedom comes at a cost—dangerous magic has transformed him from man to monster, and embracing that darkness might be the only way to stand against the Eternal King.

This is vampiric blood magic, cutthroat politics, and a polyamorous romance that gets more intense in every way. The stakes are higher, the action is heavier, and the romance has serious heat. If you’re familiar with the Anne Rice comparisons from book one, this sequel leans into that darkness while adding Filipino vampiric folklore and genuinely visceral violence. This isn’t cozy fantasy—it’s adult dark fantasy that earns its content warnings.

In this video, I’m walking you through the Illumicrate exclusive features, the stunning cover art, and what makes this special edition worth adding to your collection if you’re already invested in The Age of Blood series.
If you’re building a dark fantasy collection or you love vampire political intrigue with trans representation and polyam romance, hit subscribe for more unboxings and fantasy deep dives. Comment if you’ve read Mistress of Lies or if you’re waiting for the full trilogy before diving in—I want to hear where you’re at with this series.

Links to Lord of Ruin:
[Illumicrate edition]
Lord of Ruin by K.M. Enright (Illumicrate Exclusive)

#LordOfRuin #IllumicrateUnboxing #KMEnright #VampireFantasy #DarkFantasy #BloodMagic #TheAgeOfBlood #MistressOfLies #PolyamRomance #AdultFantasy #SpecialEditionBooks #BookUnboxing #FantasyBooks #BookTube #Illumicrate

I know, I know. It’s been way too long since I’ve given you a real update about Book 4. Two years since Wraithblade 3 dropped, and I’ve been pretty much radio silent.

You deserve better than that, and today I’m finally ready to tell you why.

The Real Story Behind the Silence

I’ve told you a lot about this already, but I’m going to recap it in a bit more detail.

Here’s the thing—and this is going to get personal, so buckle up. I always planned to dedicate Wraithblade 4 to my ex-husband. He wasn’t just someone cheering from the sidelines; he was deeply woven into the creative DNA of this entire series.

For years, we built this world together. Late-night brainstorming sessions, heated debates about character motivations, him challenging plot holes I thought I’d cleverly hidden. His fingerprints are all over the Wraithblade universe, and Book 4 was going to celebrate that. To celebrate us.

Then life happened. Divorce happened.

When Your Heart Breaks, So Does Your Art

Every time I open that manuscript, I’m not just seeing words on a page. I’m seeing our conversations embedded in dialogue. I’m remembering the excitement in his voice when we cracked a particularly tricky plot point. I’m feeling the weight of a dedication that now feels impossible to write.

It’s like trying to finish a love letter to someone who’s no longer part of your story.

The creative paralysis has been REAL, darling. I’d sit down to write, get three paragraphs in, and suddenly I’m drowning in memories instead of crafting epic fantasy battles. Not exactly the headspace you want when you’re trying to deliver the emotional knockout punch this series deserves.

Moving Forward

I’m not giving up on this book. I’m not giving up on YOU. But I’m also learning that sometimes the most honest thing you can do is admit when you’re struggling.

I’m working through what it means to honor the collaborative spirit that built this world while also reclaiming my own creative voice. Maybe that means reworking some elements. Maybe it means completely reimagining the dedication. Maybe it means accepting that this book will be different than I originally planned—and that’s okay.

What This Means for You

I wish I could give you a set release date, but I’d rather be honest than make promises I can’t keep.

What I can promise is that I’m committed to finishing this story. You’ve invested so much in Connor’s journey, and I won’t let my personal chaos derail that.

I’m taking it one chapter at a time, one scene at a time, and I’m rebuilding my relationship with this world I love so much.

Thank You for Your Patience

Just so you know, your messages asking about Book 4 haven’t made me feel pressured—they’ve been reminders that this story matters. That these characters have found homes in your heart, too. That’s kept me going on the days when opening the manuscript felt impossible.

I’ll keep you posted as I navigate this creative maze. In the meantime, know that I’m fighting for this book just as hard as Connor fights for his world.

Much love,

Boyce

P.S. If you’ve ever had to untangle your creative work from personal relationships, you know this struggle is real. Thanks for understanding that sometimes the most important battles happen off the page.

From the Desk of S. M. Boyce

Dear Future Victim of My Imagination,

from the desk of S. M. Boyce

So here’s the deal: 2023 tried to kill me. Twice. Instead of seeking therapy like a responsible adult, I decided to create a crunchy LitRPG world where a Marine becomes a vampire and has to beat the shit out of everyone to survive.

You’re welcome.

That said, I’m not here to preach to you. 

Live your life the way you want to live it. This isn’t some emotional trauma dump or lecture hall. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Blood Reaper has only one underlying theme: if you want anything in this world, you have to fight for it. This is a tale of blood, perseverance, and the fundamental human struggle to survive. 

Which, coincidentally, is my motto for black Friday shopping.

This isn’t your cozy fantasy where the chosen one finds a magic sword and saves the day with the power of friendship or whatever. This is what happens when that chosen one gets eaten right out of the gate, and we follow the vampire who did the eating. If you’re looking for noble heroes who always do the right thing, you took a wrong turn at Narnia. This is a dark alley where the really sketchy stuff happens and good decisions go to die.

Blood Reaper clawed its way out of my brain like a vengeful phoenix with anger management issues and access to the nuclear launch codes. There’s blood. There’s gore. There’s enough cursing to make Gordon Ramsay say “Maybe tone it down a bit?” And if I stub my toe, your favorite character might have an unfortunate encounter with gravity. Or dragons. Or gravity AND dragons. 

My morning coffee has more plot armor than these people.

To my loyal readers: Remember how I normally write? Yeah, this is… not that. This is what happens when I let my inner chaos gremlin have the keyboard.

Welcome to Blood Reaper, where an isekai’d Marine learns that becoming a vampire isn’t covered by VA benefits. Therapy is expensive but violence is free, and this is what happens when character development requires a body count.

With love from my suspiciously unsupervised imagination,

Boyce

P.S. In all seriousness, it’s an honor to be your storyteller. Enjoy.

Blood Reaper

YOU BECOME WHAT YOU KILL.

When US Marine Master Sergeant Logan “Ace” Blackwell dies in the heat of battle, he awakens as a vampire in a brutal world of monsters, dragons, and powerful dark magic. 

This place is governed by the System—a psychotic 12-year-old girl who delights in tormenting her summoned “heroes.”

In this grimdark LitRPG realm, killing doesn’t just earn EXP—it rewrites his DNA. Every slaughtered monster, human, vampire, or dragon permanently alters what Ace is becoming. Each kill reshapes his body and warps his mind as he evolves through a unique “EXP Solute” progression system where prey becomes predator, and where reckless predators can easily become prey.

Though he starts at the bottom of the food chain, Ace earns a Legendary Class that evolves as he does. Seven vast Floors await—each an entire consumed world with its own horrors and secrets. To survive, Ace must master metallurgy, crafting, and shadow magic while leading a found family of ragtag misfits through the most dangerous landscape he’s ever seen. 

Death games, labyrinthine dungeons, and quest-driven adventures test this Marine as he battles through this vamp-eat-vamp world.

But as the numbers go up and the loot piles high, Ace uncovers an ancient mystery that threatens everything he is becoming. The corrupting influence of power, the battle against his growing inner darkness, and the consequences of his every choice shape his evolution from reluctant hero to something far more terrifying.

Kill. Evolve. Conquer. Repeat. In this new life, Ace is going to thrive.

Blood Reaper is a military fantasy isekai LitRPG with vampire progression, dragon shifters, a hard magic system, base building, monster evolution, chaotic characters, and unforgiving combat. This slow-burn leveling journey with no level cap delivers blood-soaked pages of dark humor, crunchy stats, epic loot, and life-altering consequences. For fans of He Who Fights with Monsters, Defiance of the Fall, and Dungeon Crawler Carl. 

Clicky, clicky. Your next addiction has begun.

Posting Schedule: 2x per day for the 1st month.

What to expect:

unique “become what you kill” evolution mechanicthe System is a cheerfully sadistic 12-year old a LOT of vamp-on-vamp violenceweak to overpowered MCheavy LitRPG with no level capdeath games, dungeons, quests, and more 

Read Chapter 1 for FREE

Here’s a little peek into what I’ve been working on…

Hello darling,

from the desk of S. M. Boyce

Today marks a moment I’ve been anticipating for months—Blood Reaper is finally live on Royal Road!

As I sit at my desk, watching the first 6 chapters go public, I’m filled with a mixture of excitement and vulnerability that comes with sharing something so personal with the world.

This story has lived in my mind for so long—a dark, blood-soaked journey where every kill reshapes the hunter. Where a Marine reborn as a vampire must navigate a world ruled by a psychotic 12-year-old “System” with a penchant for tormenting her summoned heroes. Where power comes at a cost that alters not just your abilities, but your very essence.

What began as a simple “what if” question has blossomed into a grimdark LitRPG with a progression system I haven’t seen elsewhere—one where you literally become what you kill. Every slain monster, human, vampire, or dragon permanently rewrites Logan “Ace” Blackwell’s DNA, reshaping his body and warping his mind in ways both wondrous and terrible.

I’m publishing two chapters daily throughout April, and I invite you to join this journey from the beginning. The raw connection between author and reader during a serial release is unlike anything else—your reactions shape the story in real-time as it unfolds.

Your feedback is the lifeblood of this creative process. More than ratings (though those help tremendously with visibility), your reviews provide insights that help me grow as a storyteller. What characters resonate with you? Which moments made you pause? What aspects of the “EXP Solute” system intrigue you most? These questions keep me awake at night, eager to know how the story lands in your imagination.

If you enjoy military fantasy isekai with vampire progression, dragon shifters, base building, and unforgiving combat—if you’re drawn to stories where every choice has consequences and power always demands its price—I believe Blood Reaper might find a home in your reading library.

For fans of He Who Fights with Monsters, Defiance of the Fall, and Dungeon Crawler Carl, I’ve crafted something that I hope honors what makes those stories great while carving its own bloody path.

The first chapters await you on Royal Road.

With gratitude and anticipation,

Boyce

P.S. Those reviews truly mean everything. Even a few thoughtful sentences about your reading experience help more than you know—both for visibility and for my growth as a writer crafting this world for you.

Blood Reaper

YOU BECOME WHAT YOU KILL.

When US Marine Master Sergeant Logan “Ace” Blackwell dies in the heat of battle, he awakens as a vampire in a brutal world of monsters, dragons, and powerful dark magic. 

This place is governed by the System—a psychotic 12-year-old girl who delights in tormenting her summoned “heroes.”

In this grimdark LitRPG realm, killing doesn’t just earn EXP—it rewrites his DNA. Every slaughtered monster, human, vampire, or dragon permanently alters what Ace is becoming. Each kill reshapes his body and warps his mind as he evolves through a unique “EXP Solute” progression system where prey becomes predator, and where reckless predators can easily become prey.

Though he starts at the bottom of the food chain, Ace earns a Legendary Class that evolves as he does. Seven vast Floors await—each an entire consumed world with its own horrors and secrets. To survive, Ace must master metallurgy, crafting, and shadow magic while leading a found family of ragtag misfits through the most dangerous landscape he’s ever seen. 

Death games, labyrinthine dungeons, and quest-driven adventures test this Marine as he battles through this vamp-eat-vamp world.

But as the numbers go up and the loot piles high, Ace uncovers an ancient mystery that threatens everything he is becoming. The corrupting influence of power, the battle against his growing inner darkness, and the consequences of his every choice shape his evolution from reluctant hero to something far more terrifying.

Kill. Evolve. Conquer. Repeat. In this new life, Ace is going to thrive.

Blood Reaper is a military fantasy isekai LitRPG with vampire progression, dragon shifters, a hard magic system, base building, monster evolution, chaotic characters, and unforgiving combat. This slow-burn leveling journey with no level cap delivers blood-soaked pages of dark humor, crunchy stats, epic loot, and life-altering consequences. For fans of He Who Fights with Monsters, Defiance of the Fall, and Dungeon Crawler Carl. 

Clicky, clicky. Your next addiction has begun.

Posting Schedule: 2x per day for the 1st month.

What to expect:

unique “become what you kill” evolution mechanicthe System is a cheerfully sadistic 12-year old a LOT of vamp-on-vamp violenceweak to overpowered MCheavy LitRPG with no level capdeath games, dungeons, quests, and more 

Read Chapter 1 for FREE

A little peek into what I’ve been working on…

Oakthorn

embrace the chaos!

Kai Stormhollow will become a god-king.

That wasn’t the plan, of course. He’s just a thief who wanted loot, but the heist went wrong. He was betrayed, chaos ensued, and he ended up fused to a piece of a long-dead goddess.

Oops.

Now, Kai is brimming with pure destruction magic—unrivaled power no one has seen in millennia. To survive, he must do what he does best: pull off an even bigger heist. With his fiercely loyal crew by his side, Kai enters the notorious Tournament of Life in an effort to replace what he stole. As the deadly tournament claims more and more lives, Kai’s ever-growing abilities are put to the test. His core is evolving quickly, and if he doesn’t keep up with its insanely powerful growth, it could kill him. 

In a world where gods meddle in mortal affairs and traitors want him dead, Kai will need every ounce of cunning and grit to survive.

The gods think he’s just a lucky thief. They’re wrong, and Kai will show them what true power looks like.

Embrace the chaos! Oakthorn is a cultivation, progression, power-fantasy set in an epic fantasy world full of heists, humor, witty banter, deadly trials, and a team that’s equal parts chaos and camaraderie. Grab some popcorn and get comfortable, because you’re not going to be able to put this book down.

Read Chapter 1 for FREE

I got this message on reddit recently.

re: Alive?

I haven’t seen you post anything on reddit for awhile. I hope the medical issues haven’t flared up and kept you down.

 

I love you people.

Seriously. You’re amazing.

To answer: yes, still here.

Proof that I’m still truckin’

 

Woman, where the hell have you been??

Calm down, sugarcube. Let me explain.

I know I’ve been quiet for a while. I haven’t told you why, or where I’ve gone, or what happened. I’ve been waiting to record this as a video so that I can talk to you directly, but there haven’t been many days when I can get my shit together long enough to do it.

No point in making you wait longer.

Thus: journal entry.

 

The short of it is this: These past 6 months have been the worst months of my life.

 

The fucked-up highlights:

I had heart surgeryI nearly died in the hospitalI ended up hemorrhaging in the ER shortly afterwardI was diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression (turns out it’s been a several-year thing, yay)A brutal family tragedy sent me into a downward spiral that has been excruciating to claw my way back fromI have PTSD from the tragedy, and that’s a heaping pile of fucking delight to deal with every day.

 

I usually hate sharing personal stuff like this. I don’t want pity. Hate it, honestly, and I’m not trying to milk this. I’m sharing because I’m in the process of recovery & finally feel well enough to talk about it. Frankly, all of this broke me. Just straight-up shattered my soul. It upended everything I thought I knew about my life and made me re-examine every fucking thing I believe.

Yay.

My life inverted, flipped, and fractured. All this time, I’ve simply had nothing to give.

So that’s some context for the hellstorm I’ve been dealing with.

It’s been rough.

…holy shit.

Yeah, pretty much.

I’m slowly coming back now, which feels good. I still have bad days but I’m getting back on track, thank god, and I’m finally able to work again.

Have you been writing?

Yes, but the mental blocks around my published works have been truly gruesome. I’ll touch on that below.

It got so bad that at one point, I would just stare at the screen every time I tried to sit down and write Wraithblade 4. I knew what to write. I knew what was going to happen…. I just couldn’t do it. It takes the wall of awful concept to a new level, and it was more like a “holy fucking shit is this quicksand” feeling.

But as I stared blankly at the screen each day, another story started singing to me. After a while, I knew I wouldn’t be able to do anything else until I wrote it.

So, I listened.

To heal, I wrote a parable about my journey. (I guess that’s not too surprising, given what I do for a living.) A parable is a story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, and mine has stretched into a multi-chapter novella.

It’s called a winter of the soul.

I wrote it for me, which isn’t something I normally do. I usually keep you in mind while I write, in my effort to ensure you’re given riveting and heartfelt stories, but this one is diving deep into my soul. It’s helping me work through the worst of my pain, and I’ve found it intensely cathartic. I built something of a framework, I suppose, to traverse life’s darker moments, and I designed it to guide me through future injury as well as this one.

And you, if it suits you.

I shared this with my close circle as I wrote, and to my surprise, every single person identified with it. One of my closest friends even said it healed something in her she didn’t know was wounded, and I have to admit, that made my heart happy.

That’s why I do this, after all. To spark something within those who read what I write. That’s magic, to me, and it’s special.

Find out more about winter in this post.

Right now, it’s only available on my patreon. Maybe I’ll publish it someday. Maybe I won’t. If you get a chance to read it, I hope you find something meaningful in this work. I hope it touches a part of your soul that might need a bit of healing, or love, or care.

What are you working on now?

Loads, thank goodness. It’s a good distraction. When I’m at the office, I can’t think about the bullshit going on outside. I get to focus on magic, mayhem, and escapism.

Is that healthy?

Maybe not.

Do I care?

….no.

 

Here’s what I’ve been working on:

I started publishing new stories on Royal Road (for free)I started releasing a new dark fantasy series called Angels of Death (read more here)I started a litRPG I’ll be releasing soon, but more on that later (sign up to get email alerts when I’m ready to launch it)I finished a winter of the soul  I’m narrating the audiobook for a winter of the soul, which has been a treatI’m also designing a companion workbook for a winter of the soul, to help others process the symbolism and apply it to whatever they’re going through

 

Silly little hobbies I’ve started to heal/distract myself:

making stickersmaking gold foil stickers (they’re so funnnnnnnn!)diamond paintingMy latest diamond art masterpiece.

 

When will you release Wraithblade 4?

…uhhm…

…so, about that…

(sigh)

Alright, I need to be real with you here.

Connor as a character is tied to a very important member of my family, and—due to the family tragedy I mentioned earlier, coupled with that goddam PTSD—writing anything in the Wraithblade world is bringing up nonstop painful memories. Whenever I sit down to write about Connor, I relive the trauma I’m trying to heal from. Whenever I try to even design a new part of the story, I feel that devastating pain come back. I keep hitting wall after wall every time I try.

I don’t know when I’ll be able to finish Wraithblade 4. I will. I can assure you of that. I just don’t know when it will happen.

Time heals all wounds, and I hope that this will be no different. I’m trying to write a little bit at a time, but it’s sloooooow.

You will see me publishing other things, in the meantime, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about Wraithblade. 

Quite the opposite, in fact. Getting back into writing has been a crucial part of my healing. Getting back into my stories, my characters, the magic of these worlds… it’s what I need to get back in the saddle.

I ask for patience, compassion, and understanding around the currently unknown Wraithblade 4 release date. You don’t have to give it, obviously, but I’ll ask for it anyway.

Do you have a support system to help you right now?

You truly are a darling. Thank you for asking.

Yes. My inner circle is incredible, and I honestly would not have been able to make it through this without them. They’ve endured a lot to scrape me up off the floor, and I’m blessed to have the friends & family who love me. I’m definitely a lucky ducky.

I also want to thank my publisher. He has been so gracious, kind, and understanding through all of this. Delaying my deadlines made my recovery possible, and I will be forever grateful.

How can I support you right now?Find ways to be happy.Look for the little things in life that add sunshine to your world.Read a great book. (Doesn’t have to be any of mine, but I won’t be mad if it is.)Be gentle with yourself.Treat yourself to something nice today.Drink your water.Take your meds.Tell someone how much you love them. Tell them what they mean to you, and why they make your life better. Cherish them & hold them tight. Like, really tight. Make it hurt a little. Their ribs can take it.And most of all, be you. ‘Cuz fuck anyone who doesn’t like you as you are. You don’t owe anyone anything.

 

 

I’m so gorram grateful to have you on my writing journey with me.

Chat soon.

Boyce

via GIPHY

If you haven’t read my post Yes, I’m still alive, you should probably start there to understand why this story is significant.

An Angel’s Hellfire

an angels of death short story

Mori has lived her whole life as prey… and now she finally has a chance to become the hunter.

Mortals have murdered her kind for centuries, all because they fear the hellfire burning in every angel of death’s veins. The dark fae kings, the shifter alphas, even the siren queens across the sea — they’ve convinced themselves that angels are the real monsters in this realm the gods abandoned.

They’re not wrong.

Until recently, Mori thought only she and her two sisters were left. Refusing to give up hope that more of their kind had survived, the three of them chase a rumor of the sort of carnage and bloodshed only an angel can leave behind. And, in the aftermath of a massacre, they finally discover another of their kind. 

Mori’s long-lost sister Ava, however, knows what it truly means to be an angel of death. She, unlike Mori, has earned her wings. Ava can harness power the others have only dreamed of, and though it comes at a devastating cost, the temptation is difficult to ignore. Before long, Mori and her sisters have to make a choice: join Ava, or go up in flames.

Every family has its dysfunction. Mori’s is just a little more… fiery.

Read it for FREE on Royal Road

If you haven’t read my post Yes, I’m still alive, you should probably start there to understand why this story is significant.

 

a winter of the soul

a powerful novella about grief, healing, and the art of living

In this spellbinding parable, Boyce lays bare the agonizing path toward healing that comes after an intense and heartbreaking trauma.

Follow a fierce warrior queen as she attempts to heal from the betrayal that nearly killed her. With her fortress burning and her body broken, she descends into the depths of an enchanted mountainside—to the land of goddesses, darkness, and magic.

When she steps into the mountain, she’s after a legendary weapon that’s said to defeat any foe. In the darkness, however, she finds something much more powerful.

Boyce wrote this deeply symbolic novella as a means to heal from her own life-shattering pain. She shares it with you now in the hopes that you, too, may find your way back to the sunlight… and to your own starlit summer.

 

Right now, this story is only available on my patreon.

Maybe I’ll publish it someday. Maybe I won’t. If you get a chance to read it, I hope you find something meaningful in this work. I hope it touches a part of your soul that might need a bit of healing, or love, or care.