Mike Shelton's Blog

Four years ago this month I published my first book, The Path of Destiny. What a life-time dream come true that was for me. I remember when the first paperback proof copy was delivered and I opened it up. I couldn't believe that I had actually written an entire book. That first book (actually the first two) were written in some parts, revised, and edited over a 20+ years time frame. Then I finally got serious and did it. I published a book!Now I just released my 16th book, with 2 more planned for this year. It goes to show that no matter what your dreams are, you can achieve it. I have scraps of stories and books all the way back to the third grade. And I never gave up on the dream. Now I'm still trying to make full-time income on it, and haven't been able to make enough to replace my corporate finance job yet, but it's definitely made some money, been fun, and opened my eyes to a lot of other great authors and books that I wouldn't have found without being part of some great author groups.Now I will admit, I love coming up with the stories--young people fighting against insurmountable odds, lots of magic, dragons and other creatures, and good vs. evil, but I really don't like the tedious task of editing, or the sometime complex and time consuming marketing. But all in all its been great! And I couldn't have done it without the support and encouragement of my wife, family, friends, and of course my wonderful readers (from age 8 to 80+).Don't ever give up on what you want to do!CHECK THEM ALL OUT ON MY WEBSITE OR ON AMAZON.THE CREMELINO PROPHECY SERIESThe Path of DestinyThe Path of DecisionsThe Path of PeaceThe Blade and the Bow (prequel novella)--free when you sign up on my websiteTHE ALARIS CHRONICLES SERIESThe Dragon OrbThe Dragon RiderThe Dragon KingProphecy of the Dragon (prequel novella)--free when you sign up on my websiteTHE DRAGON ARTIFACTS SERIES (follow on to The Alaris Chronicles)The Golden DragonThe Golden ScepterThe Golden EmpireTRUTHSEER SERIESTruthStoneTruthSpellTruthSeerStones of Power (prequel novella)--free when you sign up on my websiteTHE WIZARD ACADEMIES SERIESMark of the MedallionSearch for the Medallion(april)Power of the Medallion (june)

What if dragons read fantasy books about humans living in our world. What would they find interesting or even magical? Freeways of fast moving metal objects full of humans (and a few animals)? Telling your home smart device to turn on the heat? Watching a video from around the world--or a live stream as an event unfolds? Elevators? Microwaves? Grocery Stores? ...And the list could go on and on. We live in quite a fantasy world compared to the past and even compared to some that are alive today. So why do we, or I specifically like to read fantasy when our own world has so many magical things already? For me it's because I enjoy the wonder and power that comes with magic and its consequences. It's something I don't quite understand how it works, but really wish it did. My favorite fantasy books include lots of magic, young people overcoming great odds ans struggling to know who they are, hope, a bit of humor, and a few fantastic or magical creatures. Of course it doesn't hurt to have it set in a well-described world with powerful kings, Queens, and wizards--and a few magical battles of immense power. I don't mind a few deaths, mistakes, or even sadness along the way, but in the end I want to see good triumph over evil!Reading fantasy leaves me entertained, full of hope and wonder, and ready to conquer the world myself.....if only I had a bit of magic, too!

Out hiking last Saturday I ran across this little spot and my imagination went wild with possibilities. Wouldn't this be a great place for a secret meeting of wizards, or maybe a nice spot to rest while traveling from kingdom to kingdom? Or maybe fairies live deep inside the forest there. Whatever it is, the possibilities are endless!Those are the types of things I think about when I go hiking. It looked so nice and beautiful and serene. But for the travelers in my books (or any book of fantasy) the trek may not be as pleasant as stroll as it was for us. We were able to drive 35 miles to get there, and bring a few water bottles, beef jerky, and candy with us. I had a gps on my phone and a paper map from the kiosk. I also didn't have to worry about wild animals. And I was hope for dinner!My books have lots of epic journeys in them. Whether it's the Superstition Mountains in the Cremelino Prophecy, the Elvyn Forest in The Alaris Chronicles, or traipsing across Wayland in The TruthSeer Archives, you'll lvoe the travels, magic, struggles, and triumphs in my books!

I have people from time to time ask me where the ideas or inspiration for my stories come from. I will say much of it is just constantly rolling around in my head somewhere. An idea will pop into my mind with usually a great beginning and an ending and then I have to figure out the journey of how to get from "here" to "there". Many of my books include a physical journey from one kingdom or place to another, but others also include mental or emotional journeys like learning to accept who we are, overcoming prejudices, accepting help from others, and realizing that no one is all powerful. However, I have found something that seems to help free up my mind in order to be able to create and write these stories. And that is nature! Life for all of us can get hectic at times. I know between family life, church obligations, work, and finding time for personal mental, physical, and spiritual growth that many times my brain just feels full and I need to relax. It is at these times that I go hiking/walking somewhere out in nature. Seeing the majesty of a waterfall, the sun dappling through the forest, or a field of flowers helps me to breathe a bit deeper, realize how blessed my life is, and to think more clearly. I then realize what's truly important in life - my family and my relationship with God. And then that rejuvenation helps me to think with more clarity, do more with my life, and come up with new fun and adventurous books!Here are a few pictures that have inspired me?What inspires you?

I was wondering the other day why many of us are obsessed with dragons and other mythical creatures. Dragons differ by regions, size, intelligence, powers, colors, wingspan, and area of origin. Evidence of dragons in ancient civilization go back to Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the far and near East thousands of years ago. Other Mythical creatures include unicorns, horses, the phoenix, Centaur, werewolf, Griffin, Gryphon, and many more. Some books even include shifters--those with an ability to shift between human and creature form.Some of the times these creatures are good, sometimes evil. Many times they have special powers or abilities associated with them. For me, I love writing and reading about these mythical creatures. They exhibit an exotic and powerful nature that makes them larger than life. I love the idea that they might exists and with that existence the ability to have powers that are on a grand scale. Fire breathing dragons, quick horses, centaurs that talk and communicate, werewolves that can shift; each of these abilities places them on a higher plane than just mere animals. And by virtue of having these powers or skills they can interact--for good or evil with mankind. In modern day there are so many great books with dragons and other creatures in them. Christopher Paolini and his Eragon series, many of the DragonLance books by Weis and Hickman, Anne Mcaffrey's Pern and other series, and of course Tolkien are a few of the classic dragon books. Some of the newer authors that I have enjoyed with dragons are Marc Secchia, K.N. Lee, Sarah K.L. Wilson, Derek Alan Siddoway (Gryphons), D.K. Holmberg, and of course there are many more. If you like dragons and other mythical creatures check out many of my series. The Cremelino Prophecy series has mythical horses, The Alaris Chronicles has dragons, and my next series The Dragon Artifacts has dragons, with a bit of Cremelino, and in the last book you might just find a Phoenix. sign-up on my website and receive Prophecy of the Dragon (a prequel novella to The Alaris Chronicles) for FREE.What creatures do you like and why?

I am excited to announce the 2nd edition of my first series - The Cremelino Prophecy! The story line is the same, but some minor differences have been changed to make the book even more engaging and action-driven. Recently I also updated the first cover - The Path Of Destiny - to be more in line with the look of the other two covers. The story of Darius, Christine, and Kelln is set about 15 years before my popular series, The Alaris Chronicles. It takes place a few kingdoms to the north in the Realm. It's no pre-order now. The Path Of Destiny will come out on Sept 23rd, with the next two books a few weeks later. If you haven't had a chance to read this series yet, don't miss out.ORDER YOURS NOW!A Prophecy. A Powerful Sword. A Reluctant Wizard. Darius San Williams, son of one of King Edward's councilors, cares little for his father's politics and vows to leave the city of Anikari to protect and bring glory to the Realm. When a new-found and ancient magic emerges within him, he and his friends Christine and Kelln are faced with decisions that could shatter or fulfill the prophecy and the lives of all those they know. Wizards and magic have long been looked down upon in the Realm, but Darius learns that no matter where he goes, prophecy and destiny are waiting to find him.If you love magic, sword & Sorcery and wizards read this first book in The Cremelino Prophecy to find out what destiny awaits Darius.

A Prophecy. A Powerful Sword. A Reluctant Wizard.A new cover forTHE PATH OF DESTINYI am really excited to reveal a new cover for the very first book I wrote. This book took twenty years of writing and editing off and on before I finally published it in early 2016. This and the two follow on books in The Cremelino Prophecy - The Path Of Decisions and The Path Of Peace follow the adventures of Darius and his friends Kelln and Christine as they are thrust to the forefront of maintaining peace in the Realm and its surrounding kingdoms. (a little tidbit: They also show up briefly in The Dragon King (last book in The Alaris Chronicles) 15 years later.

I'm happy to announce that I am part of a wonderful new fantasy box-set coming April 24th - the premise of each story is a hero with a disability (physical, social, emotional). I think its a great way to see that people are not defined by their disability, but despite their disability they can rise up and still be a hero!Check out the authors and the book here!* * * * * * * * A Clean EPIC and URBAN FANTASY CollectionPerfection is overrated.From sweeping kingdoms to modern cities, a different kind of hero emerges. This hero must contend with dastardly villains, nefarious plots, and a harsher reality: disability.-A musician with magic music … who has lost her sense of hearing -A merman born without gills, who can’t walk on land or breathe underwater -A 63-year-old sleuth with chronic memory lapses -An Valkyrie warrior with severely limited sight -An epileptic mage struggling with PTSDThese heroes and more await you in this exciting collection of eleven clean EPIC and URBAN fantasy stories featuring heroes with disabilities. Laugh, cheer, and cry along with our daring heroes as they defeat the villain and save the day.

What if every lie you heard or told caused you physical pain? If you like fantasy, magic, and wizards read this now - because everyone lies... TRUTHSPELL - Releases March 19th, 2018!Start The TruthSeer Archives with TruthStone, then TruthSpell, then TruthSeer. "...well written, exciting novel that I could not put down. Young adults and adults alike can enjoy the adventure..." - TruthStone"TruthSpell uproots you from your reality and compels you to follow the author's imagination." - TruthSpell

Excited to announce that the cover for book 3, TruthSeer is complete. I love how it came out! Don't miss reading TruthStone (out now), TruthSpell (out march 19th) before reading TruthSeer (now on pre-order)One little lie won’t hurt, will it? What if every lie you heard or told caused you immense physical pain? Shaeleen must choose: Reveal the truth and stop the pain – or sacrifice her own well-being to protect her kingdom. Shaeleen was given a rare TruthStone. As she struggles to control her new power and curb the pain, she learns a powerful truth that could thrust an entire continent into civil war. For two hundred years the five kingdoms of Wayland have been protected by the stones of power. Now those stones are failing and a darker power is trying to take control. With the help of her brother, Cole and a newfound friend, Orin, Shaeleen sets out to gather and restore the power of all the stones. But will she succeed before the endless lies destroy her? For lovers of fantasy, magic, and far away kingdoms read the first book in the TruthSeer Archives and find out what a lie can do.