R.M. Ridley's Blog

This will be the last posting from the blog.

I’ve enjoyed doing, and reading all your comments & thoughts. I’ve enjoyed spreading the word about indie authors new projects and sharing exposing you to new projects.

Time, I’ve realized really is a limited commodity, however. With that understanding comes another – I have to let some things go to really enjoy what I have.

I thank you for reading this – my odd thoughts.

I thank you for understanding my stepping away.

May you find you creativity in your chaos.

Filed under: Writing

Title: Deception – Deamhan Chronicles, Book Three

Author: Isaiyan Morrison

Genre: Supernatural/Paranormal

 

Synopsis:

The death of prominent Deamhan elders has left a gaping hole in their society.

Amenirdis, the Queen of Limbo and the Dark Mother of Deamhan, is now loose in the world. Her plans for total annihilation of her kind rests on the blood of Maris and the Dark Curse tablet.

News of her release has also awaken the Dorvo Coven; vampires who consider themselves the arch enemies of Deamhan. One in particular hunts for the Dark Curse tablet with a means to exterminate every Deamhan on the face of the planet. In order to do so she must collect the broken Dark Curse tablet and the blood of Maris.

However, there are some Deamhan who won’t go down without a fight.

No one is safe. Not even the supernatural baddies who hide in the shadows of their dark underworld.

 

Purchase Link: Amazon | Add to Goodreads

Deamhan, Book One: Purchase Link: Amazon | Add to Goodreads
Dark Curse, Book Two: Purchase Link: Amazon | Add to Goodreads
Deception, Book Three: Purchase Link: Amazon | Add to Goodreads

 

About The Author:

 

Isaiyan Morrison was born and raised in Minnesota. She moved to San Diego, California while in the Navy. After serving four years of active duty, she moved to Los Angeles. After a few years, she moved back to Minnesota where she started to pursue her dream to be an author. Old Farmer’s Road is her fifth published novel. She now resides in Texas with her two cats, a pit bull dog, and two guinea pigs.

Find Isiayan on these social media sites:
Author Facebook Page | Deamhan Chronicles Facebook Page | Twitter | Goodreads Author Page | Author Website | Deamhan Chronicles Website | Pinterest

 

 

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Filed under: Book Release

 

Gin Crawford, the world’s latest demon huntress, has no time to mourn her dead lover as she’s

called in to determine why a demon attack occurred at the local medical school. And not just

any demon, but the one demon that gives her demon-killing bracelet the shivers. A dead

professor, a lab full of missing anthrax, and a demon who turns good people into minions

complicate her life. Can Gin and her mentor Aidan Smythe solve the mystery of the missing

anthrax and the identity of the demon before someone else dies?

Excerpt:

The scent of sulfur hangs in the air like a demonic stink bomb. I want to slap a hand over my

nose, but no one else seems affected by the stench. Must be a demon huntress thing.

“Justitian,” Smythe mutters. “Not demon huntress.”

“If you don’t like my new title, then stay out of my mind.”

He glares. I swallow. Cross my arms. Refuse to take a step back. I’m learning not to be

intimidated by his anger. Go me.

My justitia vibrates, throwing me out of my internal battle, pulling me back to the land of

death and minions. The blob of colors pulsates, a glowing reminder of a moment of terror. The

moment the demon appeared to the grad student.

Granted, I’m still taking Demons 101, but I thought demons formed minions in private.

Usually after the human committed a crime, not before. A tryout, so to speak. And maybe that

happened, but it sure seems to me like the black blob of demon force appeared to the grad

student smack in the middle of the hallway.

Or maybe that always happens, and I just now noticed it.

The justitia’s vibration grows stronger, trembling my arm, my veins. Not its normal excited

tremor upon seeing a minion or demon. A rush of images spikes through my mind, scenes of

terror coupled with blood and death, memories of the justitia’s former wearers captured in time

by the entity in the bracelet.

I’m not the only one freaked out by the colored blob. How bad was this demon to scare a

justitia?

Links for Demon Kissed:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

 The Wild Rose Press

 iBooks

Karilyn Bentley’s love of reading stories and preference of sitting in front of a computer at home instead of in a cube, drove her to pen her own works, blending fantasy and romance mixed with a touch of funny.

Her paranormal romance novella, Werewolves in London, placed in the Got Wolf contest and started her writing career as an author of sexy heroes and lush fantasy worlds

Karilyn lives in North Texas with her own hunky hero, a crazy dog nicknamed The Kraken, and a handful of colorful saltwater fish.

Where to find Karilyn

Website: http://www.karilynbentley.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarilynBentleyAuthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/karilynbentley1

Blog: http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4051943.Karilyn_Bentley

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/karilynbentley

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/ba_0Rf

Filed under: Book Release

 

 

 

What is your writing drive? 

My brain is full of story ideas and it hurts when I don’t let them out. Writing isn’t a choice, it’s a compulsion.

 

Please provide some insight into or a secret or two about your story.

Revolt is not just about the physical fight against what the Representative is trying to do to the population of Kingdom City, it’s also about the internal revolt of the characters against their internal natures. Paul is torn between leading the revolt and forsaking everything to save his family. There are also several characters that are dealing with internal conflicts that aren’t apparent at first. Through a careful reading, I think you’ll be able to figure out who is hiding something.

What was the most surprising part of writing this book?

I was most surprised by how dark it was. I was always fascinated by things that were a little dark and gritty, so I set out to create something edgy. Once I was done and I reread the book, I was taken aback by how dark it had actually become. Reading the first chapter again after not seeing it for several months made me think ‘oh gee, I wrote that?’ I think darkness in art is important to help us see the light and good in life. Though I believe some authors take that too far. RR Martin is a prime example. I feel that artists that write darkness simply because it’s “realistic” miss the point of art.

What are some of your other published works?

Kingdom City: Resurrection (Kingdom City Book 1) http://amzn.to/202KFQE

And two short stories. Kissed a Snake in A Dash of Madness anthology http://amzn.to/23rKi1f, and Fairykin in Moments in Millennia http://amzn.to/23rKopBfiller

What’s up next for you?

Kingdom City part3. Working title is Retribution. The original working title was Redemption, but that sounded way too optimistic for Kingdom City.  

Filed under: Book Release

Filed under: Writing

How did you come up with the concept of your story?

In 2004 I had a very vivid dream that, afterward, wouldn’t leave me alone. Said dream basically detailed out one scene

from the story, something so different and captivating for me that it stuck. Now, it must be noted that I was not writing at

that time, nor did I intend to write in any professional capacity. But as this one nugget of an idea would not let me be, I

started to form a story around it – Why were these people doing what they were doing? Who were they?

I think that working in the Preservation Dept of the campus library system had bled into my subconscious and that is

where the magick system that rules The Bookminder developed.

How did you come up with the title?

Haha, well, I had to actually do a bit of research to check my brain on this as, over time, there have been several

incarnations, besides the working title of Wizard’s Librarian. As a (former(?)) librarian, I was really hoping to keep the

working title, as homage to my career and the work that had sparked the initial idea. But then we wanted to go with

something simpler, brighter, and more “fantasy”.

The ‘research’ I allude to above? I just unearthed a Facebook exchange between a librarian friend and I from last March.

In it she says she quite likes the new title and then asks “Who came up with that?”

My answer? “Honestly I don’t remember . . . might have been my editor. We just started throwing things together.” Words

that felt book-binder-y but not quite so literal. Things like “Spellbinder / Spellbound” seemed a bit too on the nose.

 

 

Please provide some insight into or a secret or two about your story.

The locations in Bookminder are real. Parentino truly did fall to ruins, while its twin fortification flourished. And while the

town known as Dvigrad in the story did have another name, Moncastello, in keeping with the attitude of the characters in

the story, I dropped the name from their fortification and merely called it Dvigrad. Call it a decision of character politics, if

you will.

The tales of what actually happened to Dvigrad are a little muddled but history has the town mixed up in the middle of the

Venice and Austrian conflict of the sixteenth century. And the town truly was abandoned due to plague—though history

has that date at 1630 and Bookminder has it coming some 50-odd years later.

What was the most surprising part of writing this book?

The more I write (and this is, by far, the most writing I have yet done) the more I have come to realize that stories like to

take on a life of their own. I used to hear that and scoff. But, in penning Bookminder, I found that sometimes an element

would sneak into the narrative and then prove to be a stroke of brilliance in how it either foreshadowed a thing, or simply

played a symbolic role. I kept looking at how things turned out going “but I’m not that smart!” or maybe “I’ve gotta just be

lucky . . .” or “ . . . the story is asserting itself!” So I’m a convert to that philosophy, now.

We’re celebrating the release of THE BOOKMINDER by M. K. Wiseman with a blog tour and Rafflecopter give-away! Visit each blog each day for more chances to win lots of great prizes. If you like epic fantasy, you’ll love this coming-of-age tale of magic and wizards set in the Renaissance era.

January 9-16, 2016



Saturday, 01-09
Bookwhizz


Sunday, 01-10
M. K. Wiseman


Monday, 01-11
Perpetual Chaos of a Wandering Mind


Tuesday, 01-12
Are You Afraid of the Dark?


Wednesday, 01-13
Belart’s Book Reviews


Thursday, 01-14
Dreams to Become


Semi-short Chic


Friday, 01.15
JD Spero


Books in the Spotlight


Saturday, 01-16
Creativity from Chaos


Rambling Reviews



Don’t forget to enter our blog tour Rafflecopter give-away below,
on the blogs above, on our Facebook page, or on Rafflecopter,
with daily chances to win!

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Filed under: Book Release, Publishing Tagged: M. K. Wiseman, novel, The Bookminder, world building, writer, Xchyler Publishing

Yup – it is the season

The season of pushing to get all the chapters edited.

My editor has decided she must get all the remaining chapters in, ‘Binding & Spines’, the second White Dragon Black novel, edited before Christmas – so she can enjoy the Holiday guilt free. I will help her achieve this because, although I am not the source of her guilt, I like to make my editor happy and her life easier.

Of course, actually enjoying editing helps too. I don’t mind pushing tiny speakers into my ears, starting up my ‘White Dragon Black’ playlist, and delving into the creative process of manipulating words and idea’s, to spin gold from straw.

My other projects – the ones for the SCA – can wait. There’s no dead line, there’s nobody waiting for them – technically. The only person feeling guilty if they are not completed by some random time line is me. I can live with the self inflicted pseudo guilt to push out these last few chapters.

So my editor – in her push to finish asked for all of the remaining chapters. We have been going ten at a time. I went and opened the file folders, going chapter by chapter and added them to the email, until… 

Until I came to chapter 40 and found the file folder empty.

This was perplexing.

It was more perplexing when I found that chapters 41 – 45, the last chapters, were also empty.

I know these chapters were done. I wrote them, I edited them, and I was rather certain I had saved them in these folders where they belonged. Apparently I was wrong about that last part.

Maybe I was wrong about all three and the whole end of the novel is one massive hallucination…. rather hoping that’s not the case.

So this afternoon, I’m going to go looking at all the other multitude of places it might be saved.

I hope I find them quickly.

Filed under: Book Release, Writing Tagged: Bindings & Spines, crazy, current work in progress, editor, edits, Jonathan Alvey, novel, paranormal, paranormal private investigator, publish, Urban Fantasy, White Dragon Black Series, Xchyler Publishing

“I’m not fat – I’m short legged’

“I’m beautiful just the way I am! Hey! – Look into my eyes when I’m talking to you!”

“See how big I am?  I’m big enough to go outside with the dog now – right? Right?”

“This obsession with the dog is just embarrassing to all cats”

“Did someone say DOG! I’m a DOG!”

“No they said Duck – I’m sure they said duck.”

“I wish they had said Dog.”

“I can’t believe she fell for that.”

Filed under: MIscellaneous

I just did what I wouldn’t have dreamed of trying, even six months ago. I soldered one piece of brass to another that already had pieces soldered to it… pieces that if they became unsoldered, and shifted even a fraction of a millimeter, would have potential to completely ruin the piece of jewelry.

I decided to trust my ability to pull of what I knew was theoretically possible – and I succeeded.

I wouldn’t have been able to do it had I not been using my mini torch. A small butane fueled flame that reaches high temperatures. The flame is small enough to really have could control and the ability to focus it. It is roughly a quarter of the width of a plumbers torch, and that makes a huge difference when working on small jewelry connections.

So it was my trust in my own abilities, a certain willingness to take risk, and proper tools, that allowed me to succeed. The same formula can be applied to other aspects of life.

First off – if you don’t take some risk, you will never get a true level of satisfaction. Now I’m not talking bungie jumping of bridge, or telling off your boss, I’m talking about a certain willingness to put yourself out there, to push a little beyond your comfort zone. You also have to be willing to accept that you could fail. having never done it before that is always a possibility.

Fear of failure is simply stupid. Failure is what we learn from. Would I have been distraught if I had messed up this soldering job? Hell yeah! But I would have been able to analyze where it went wrong. I could have called on those who had done it before and ask for tips. I would know better for the next time I wanted to do it.

I didn’t have to in this case – because I had the tools and trusted my skill.

I trusted in my ability – if you do nothing but doubt yourself, or tell yourself you can’t … you never will. This isn’t ‘new age bull crap’ this is logic. If you tell yourself you cannot do something then you will simply never truly try. Even if forced to try you never give it your full effort – because you’ve already convinced yourself you can’t. There are, of course, limits to this…

 No – You Can NOT Fly. On that one, you Are Right!

Proper tools – well now that is very important. Be it a small flame mini torch, a proper understanding of grammar, or a calculator – you needs to have the right tools to accomplish whatever job you are taking on. Sometimes it is as simple as saving up a few dollars and going and buying the tool – or book to study. Sometimes it is taking a loan and finishing up the last of your degree. Whatever the tools you need – You need them. Find a way. The best way YOU can to get them, and do what you want in life.

And remember – there is more than one way to do anything. If you can’t see the answer from where your standing, perhaps you need to step to the side and look again.

Filed under: MIscellaneous

I had heard Woody Allen’s quote as a kid – who hadn’t?

I was fond of spouting it. I’m not sure if I ever truly believed it – not the first half at any rate …the second half on the other hand? Well, let’s just say I was never fond about running in gym shorts trying to hit a ball – or not get hit by a ball.

As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to realize just how hard teaching can be. I’ve never tried to train a pack of semi-feral, sixth graders to do anything but I have tried to impart my knowledge,and skill, to those not familiar with doing the things that I am familiar with. One of the first things I learned was – it doesn’t matter how well you know your stuff. It’s true, you can be a master with a lifetime of work and knowledge behind you, but if you don’t know how to impart that knowledge to others, you will never be a good teacher.

Being a good teacher is about knowing how to get others to understand at least the key elements that you do, to perform the task. I’ve been told I have this skill. I’m honestly not sure, but every time I have tried to teach I, A) feel like a bumbling fool, who has no communication skills, & B) Get positive feed back from the people in the ‘class’. As long as my ‘students’ are happy – I guess I’m doing something right.

Maybe it’s in the genes. My mother was a teacher – and still continues to teach in some ways. She just finished teaching a young man who couldn’t read, to do so. I know that at least the students I knew, were quite pleased with her. So maybe I caught the talent from her.

She loves to teach – me on the other hand? Well, that part of the gene must have been clipped off as the ‘male pattern baldness leapt onto the gene chain.

With-in the SCA teaching is a large part of what we do; be it how to fight safely, how to develop a persona, or how to set a bezel – teaching, learning, and researching is an integral part of the society. Not that every minute, of every event, is a bunch of studious bowed heads digesting the latest finds on ink used in the monasteries of upper Germany in 1167.Not at all!

But there are classes being offered at many events, for those who wish to attend. One such event, is a weekend camping event lovingly called Fool. The official name is Fruits of our Labour – and it is a weekend that is heavy in the A&S. Classes are on going everywhere, in all possible fields of study. We were only able to go for a day last year – but what a day!

This year we are going to be there for the whole of the weekend…. and somehow – I’m teaching a class.

I am making the seahorse shaped, toothpick pomander for my lady – and part of that is setting a cabochon in a bezel on the front of the pendant. I posted a picture of the bezel I am making.

Shortly there after, my ‘Boss’ -the Kingdom level Minister of Arts & Sciences- asked if I would teach a class in this at Fool.  I said I would because…well, I know nailing down classes can be tough, and I know the wider the verity of them the better, and there is that whole – I’m an A&S officer, so encouraging, and spreading knowledge is kinda in the job description. I also said yes because she admitted she wanted me to teach the class, because she wants to learn how to set the cameos she’s hand carving from shell….but you know – no pressure!

Now the event is at the end of May – still a good long way away. I see this as a very good thing. A very good thing indeed, because of this one small detail…. I haven’t set a bezel yet in my life.

Not this sort, in this way. I have done a more difficult way, using some of the same techniques, but actually soldering the outer wall to a base, then putting in the stone and then…..

Well, I’m just going to say I’ve rearranged my plans slightly to include making a few bezel set cabochons between now and May. This might mean, that when I feel like a bumbling fool, who has no communication skills – its just a feeling and not the actual truth….

Maybe

Filed under: Jewelry, SCA Tagged: Arts & Sciences, bezel, cabochans, class, dodgeball, event, Fruits of our Labour, MoAS, Mother, shell cameo, Society for Creative Anachronism, teaching