In Which I Finally Discuss My Redheaded Stepchild AKA League of Thieves

Images all from Pinterest

Those of you who were here in the OG Days of Nicki On the Internet: The Goodreads Years probably remember LoT, but many of you probably won't since this was a pre-blogging era. So, I'm going to tell you a little story.

The year was 2018, I was a senior in high school, taking classical literature college classes on the side, I hadn't gotten a job yet, and life was good. This was one of my best writing years I've ever had. I wrote and published A Certain Sort of Madness, rewrote and published Winter Cursed. I also wrote the first drafts of Of Gold and Iron and A Winter Dark and Deadly, both of which wouldn't actually be published for a few years yet, because I wrote so many books I couldn't actually keep up with them and edit them fast enough to actually publish. (I have since gotten much faster at editing, but at that stage in my writing career it took me forever to edit anything).

The fifth and final book I wrote in 2018 was a story titled League of Thieves. It's a YA High Fantasy series set in a Middel Eastern themed world about four thieves, a mercenary, an assassin, a cocky smuggler, and a jinni all pitted against each other as they race to the legendary treasure of Amun Hadir, leaving a trail of betrayal and backstabbing in their wake. Except there is a monster hidden amongst the gold of Amun Hadir, and if these thieves aren't careful, they are going to release it onto the world...

It was a long book, clocking in at about 140,000 words long and was just such a wild ride to write. I loved this story so much, so why hasn't it been published yet? Why am I only just now discussing it at any length five years later? Why the redheaded stepchild status?

Well, to answer that for you, I have two words: traditional publishing.

You see, back in 2018 I was not 100% behind the idea of indie publishing. I still thought it would be better for my books if I got them trad-published. The self-publishing market was not quite to the place it has gotten to over these past five years, it has truly grown in leaps and bounds. And at the time, it was still my plan to be a hybrid author (which, you know, could certainly happen. It's just seeming less and less likely). So, everything that I wrote around that time, I divided into two categories. The books that I would self-pub, books that were harder to place in any one genre, that I wrote spinoffs for or multiple series in a single world (like my Amar books), and anything that didn't quite fit into the cookie cutter mold of books publishers were looking for or where I didn't want to lose the rights to the world by selling the story. And then there were the books that I called my high concept stories that I thought would do really well and have a chance out there in the cold cruel world of traditional publishing.

League of Thieves was one of those "high concept" books. As was Of Gold and Iron. Well, since OGaI was shorter and only going to be a trilogy (as opposed to the five books I originally wanted LoT to be), I decided I would start by querying that one since it would be easier to sell. Around that time, I was beginning to grow disenchanted with larger publishing houses and I was against the idea of getting an agent (I still am not entirely sold on the idea, but then I'm a cut out the middle man type person... as is probably shown by the fact that I am self-published, if I can do it myself I will) so I sent OGaI to two smaller press publishers that did not require me to have an agent to submit my book.

The querying process with OGaI was not exactly what a person would call ideal. It started off great. I got a full manuscript request from one of the presses. I really thought I was going to get accepted! And then I heard nothing. Weeks turned to months; we passed the timeframe that they said they would get a response to me by. It turns out that the company that asked for the full manuscript took a break from doing everything for half a year while they made changes to leadership or something, and decided not to tell me. The other one asked for more time to review my manuscript. I was twiddling my thumbs; I basically waited a year and a half just to get an answer from either of those companies only to have them both ultimately turn down OGaI.

I had no idea what to do with OGaI, but after much consideration I eventually decided that self-publishing it was a better option. I was tired of having a perfectly completed, perfectly good story just sit on my hard drive. So, I published it. And I haven't regretted that decision for even a single second since.

I mean... just LOOK at my beautiful baby
(also it's only $0.99 but that sale ends TODAY [11/28/22] so make sure that you snag it while it's that price)

That was my publishing journey for OGaI, as you know (or can look up on my Amazon page) I published that book in September of 2020. Until then, LoT was just sitting on the sidelines waiting to see what I would do with OGaI. After I published it, I turned my attention to LoT and tried to figure out publishing plans for it.

This was something that I pondered for many months while I worked on all of my other projects such as writing RLtG, and continuing my Amar series, and finally editing and publishing A Winter Dark and Deadly. Of Stars and Shadows came out. I wrapped up A Certain Sort of Madness's series and LoT sat on my hard drive watching as all the books I wrote at the same time and even after it were published while I still tried to figure out if I should traditionally or self-publish it.

By this time, I was convinced that self-publishing was a better option for me than traditionally publishing ever could be. But I was not entirely able to give up on my teenage dream of being picked up by a publishing house. LoT was the story I sacrificed to that dream.

One of my biggest peeves with traditional publishers is that if book 1 doesn't do well, they can drop the whole series and leave the author and their readers high and dry (or sometimes if you are lucky they tell you that you have one book to wrap up your series and everything gets crammed into one book and it becomes super rushed, but at least it got to be finished). While I originally planned for LoT to be 5 books long, the first book was a complete story in and of itself. No cliffhangers, there's a resolution. It could technically be a standalone if worst came to worst, right?

But the problem with LoT being a book I planned on sending to a publisher is that I had a lot of books I was working on publishing that had solid deadlines, that I would make money from instead of waiting (possibly a year and a half) for any word about what the publishers were going to do with my book. So, editing LoT and polishing it up kept getting pushed back farther and farther until it just never wound up being done.

Even when I had time to work on LoT I was severely uninspired and would wind up working on something else instead. Something that "needed" to get done first. Finally, I realized the crux of the issue. LoT no longer felt like my book. I was getting it ready to sell it to someone else. That person would hold the rights to the book, decide if there would be a second one, what the cover would look like, even if it would continue to be called League of Thieves. Sure, I would get a say, but the ultimate decision would not be up to me.

And that's when I realized that I didn't want to sell League of Thieves. I didn't even want to query it to see if a publisher would pick it up. Because if they did say yes, I'd be saying no.

Because I want this book to be named League of Thieves

And while I no longer want it to be five books long, I definitely want it to be longer than one book. In fact, I've decided that it will probably be a trilogy.

And I want to release it, I'm tired of pushing it off

And the way to ascertain that all happens is to do it myself. So that's what I'll do. This story of mine, this redheaded stepchild is mine. These characters, these morally gray balls of chaos and energy, belong to me. And their story demands to be told.

I'll post more about this book and its series in the coming weeks! It is a redheaded stepchild no longer.

A Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale

 

I'm publishing on a Friday instead of a Monday this week because... it's time for the annual Black Friday Indie Book Sale. I have three books I'm running sales on. Harbinger of the End my standalone romantic fantasy about Loki and Sigyn, Of Gold and Iron my YA fae fantasy, and A Tale of Gods and Glory my horror fantasy that is full of dark humor and sweet friends to lover romance.

There's a whole bunch of books that are on sale this year. So, one you're done purchasing mine 😉I suggest you go check out the whole catalog!

Harbinger of the End is going on sale for the first time ever!!! So, if you've been eying up this tale of chaos and fidelity as it tells the story of the arranged marriage between Loki and Sigyn then now is the time to get it while it's only $0.99!

This standalone is perfect for romantic fantasy fans and readers of Emma Hamm and Sylvia Mercedes, who are looking for a new slow-burn, swoon-worthy story. It’s a sweeping tale of love, betrayal, and dragon fire set in a world of Vikings, witches, and gods.

Get your copy now: Amazon.com: Harbinger of the End: A Tale of Loki and Sigyn eBook : Chapelway, Nicki: Kindle Store

What better way to kick off the new cover than with a sale???

Join Jaye as she struggles to make her way through the Otherworlds, the home of the faeries from Irish legend. When her brother is threatened by a soul-consuming Unseele Winter Faerie, she turns to the unlikeliest allies to help her save him. Ravven Crowe is an arrogant and aggravating solitary faerie with his own vendetta against the Winter Court. Ravven agrees to help make Jaye into a Fair Assassin, a human allowed to kill fae... but every bargain comes at a price. And the one that Ravven demands might just be more than Jaye can pay.

Only $0.99 through Monday!

Get your copy: Amazon.com: Of Gold and Iron eBook : Chapelway, Nicki: Kindle Store

The name of Lord Taliz the Champion of Coldhaven is one that almost everyone has heard... but the story? Well, the story is less well known. Now I don’t mean the tale that is sung in every tavern across Ruskhazar. I'm talking about what really happened.

To many people Taliz is a hero, a legend, perhaps a figure made up by the bards. Some believe that he never existed at all. Oh, his home Coldhaven was certainly real enough, but how could someone like Taliz have lived and still be considered a mortal?

But I’m here to tell you, Taliz is real, he existed, and he is not the hero you believe him to be. Yes, he did the things the bards claim. He charmed monsters, rose in status, saved Coldhaven, and then burned it all to the ground. But there was nothing exceptional about him. So, you may ask how did an ordinary man—a foreigner no less—come to be revered as the champion of the very city he destroyed? Well, I suppose if you trust the bard's accounts it’s because there was a worse fate than the fire, but if you ask me... the bards got it all wrong.

Get this adult horror fantasy about werewolves and creatures that hunt werewolves, loyalty and betrayal, and a hero who is also a destroyer named Taliz. It's absolutely FREE through Monday!

Get your copy now: A Tale of Gods and Glory: A Legend of Ruskhazar - Kindle edition by Chapelway, Nicki. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

An Apprentice of Death Cover Reveal

 So...a little while ago I announced this book and then I said next to nothing about it. 😅 What a typically me thing to do.

Whelp, I actually wrote it a few months ago. Yup, it is a fully written novel, it has a release date and everything, and today I'm revealing the cover, the interior illustrations, the blurb, and the release date (as well as pre-order links) to help make up for my pervious negligence in not telling you about this story...

So, with that said, let's get scrolling.

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Here's an art of our main character Wraith done by Kalynne. It will be an interior illustration in the book.

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Halfway there...

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And here's Mr. Handsome himself 😍 Dirk also done by Kalynne, he will be the other interior illustration in this dual POV novel

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I know I'm making you scroll a ton, but I promise it's totally worth the suspense
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The Cover!
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She has no name; he doesn’t remember his past.

Together they might have ruled the world.

If only she hadn’t been sent to kill him.

 

As one of the last living Death Elves, Wraith was born with a powerful gift. She possesses the ability to evade her patron goddess—Death herself. It comes only at the cost of the life of the last person she touched. For as long as she can remember, Wraith has been trained to do one thing: harness her ability to kill for the House of Castrele.

As an orphan, Dirk has not been afforded many opportunities. Kidnapped and raised to become a living weapon, his purpose is to serve the House of Balvlin as an honored elite guard. But still he wonders what his life would have been had fate been kinder.

When the deadly assassin and cocky warrior meet, sparks and daggers fly. Despite the fact that they serve warring houses, Dirk and Wraith find themselves unmistakably drawn to each other, until they learn that they have both been sent to take part in the peace talks between their two houses. Peace talks where Dirk is supposed to find and exploit the weaknesses of his house’s enemies. And Wraith has been ordered to kill those attending.

Enter the world of Varelis, a land that has no king, where the eleven houses wage wars in the names of their gods, and magic exists that can kill with a single touch. If you enjoy kick-butt heroines, swoony heroes, and sizzling slow-burn enemies to lovers romance, discover An Apprentice of Death, a new romantic YA fantasy series perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Sylvia Mercedes, and Elise Kova.

Coming February 13th, 2023

Pre-Order Now

Oh my GOODNESS! Isn't it just the prettiest book cover you have ever seen? It was designed by Moorbooks and I. Am. In. Love.

This book is so, so special to me. It was the first high fantasy I ever came up with all the way back in 2015, and I can think of no other cover I would want to represent my stabby girl and Dirk, the cocky mercenary who is sometimes her ally, sometimes her enemy, and always complicated, than this one.

Eeep! I can't believe that it is finally releasing. February 13th. Mark your calendars and pre-order your copies. The world of Varelis awaits...

Know the Novel Part Two: Within the WIP//A Book Has Released Into The World//A Cover Reveal//I Have Too Much Going On

 1. How’s the writing going overall?

It could be going better... it could be going worse.

We lost Savage Gods and Spellbooks somewhere on the wayside, now I'm only focusing on ODaF and TGCM. So, a moment of silence for our fallen comrade 😞

Like, as far as the FFF challenge I'm doing dismally, I didn't write very much of my projects at all in October (so for half the challenge I have been a slacker), but for NaNoWriMo I'm actually doing really well? I've managed to get a few thousand words in almost daily because honestly nothing trumps a NaNo writing haze.

2. What’s been the most fun aspect about writing this novel so far?

Image from Pinterest

These two. They are adorable, your honor. Like, where I'm at, they're still in the awkwardly sweet crushing on each other stage where she adores him but is still too hurt to truly trust her feelings. And he's too nervous to really make any moves even though he has fallen and hard. And they're just trying so hard to respect each other's feelings, Alya not making any sudden moves around Conan who is just such a nervous bumbling mess when it comes to matters of the heart and him trying not to make any moves so soon after she lost her family which just leads to them Pining(TM) like crazy because neither of them will make the first move for fear of it being too soon.

They are just so sweet and wholesome and adorable. And I just I can't.

Meanwhile Jaye and Ravven (ODAF) are over here and haven't said a single civil thing to each other this whole book.

Not that I'm not eating up the delicious tension between them. Because I am. I definitely am.

3. What do you think of your characters at this point? Who’s your favorite to write about?

Individually my characters from TGCM are smart, together they have one braincell and one moral compass to split between them and Conan is usually the one who keeps charge of both.

I love their chaotic family who hates each other energy though. Especially Alya and the elf boys who are constantly at each others' throats while Conan stands in the background holding up a picture he drew of them all holding hands like 🥺

Conan is without a doubt my favorite to write about, he's just so sweet. I don't think I've ever written a character so pure and he does literally anything and I'm just like STAWP, you're too pure to be in this world or any world.

And Jaye and Ravven? I am mad at and feeling bad for them equally. Like they are both idiots and both have screwed up and are both too stubborn to admit that to each other and I'm just in background beside Conan holding a picture I drew of them holding hands like 🥺why can't you see that you matter to each other? Stop being so grumpy and kissssss.

Ravven is probably my favorite character to write about in ODAF. For the complete opposite reason of Conan. Ravven is one of my more morally ambiguous heroes and I love writing his dynamics because he thinks he is so right even though he is so morally wrong.

4. Has your novel surprised you in any way?

TGCM is surprising me in the fact that it isn't done yet. It was supposed to be done by the end of July! Which clearly didn't happen. I'm loving writing this, but also I need to get it done, ahh it publishes in February!

I guess I'm kind of surprised by the fact that I'm actually writing ODaF, like, I wrote book one back in 2018, it's wild to finally be at the finish line with this series. I think a part of me was convinced we never would make it to this point *cue an intense panic when I realize that I actually have to realize how I want to end Jaye and Ravven's story.*

So once again these stories are opposites, because one should be done by now and the other I can't believe I'm actually finishing.

5. Have you come across any problem areas?

Writing. In general. Just like the whole ordeal has been a problem area 😅

Particularly because I only want to write Strings, Kings, and Dead Things,, which was originally going to be my NaNo project until I realized that I needed to write ODaF first (since it publishes a few months before SKDT) and my brain has been throwing a hissy fit since I switched gears.

Also, while I can't write projects at the same time that are too similar, I'm having a bit of a hard time moving between these two projects because they are so different.

6. What’s been your biggest victory with writing this novel at this point?

Writing. In general. Just like the whole of it. Just getting words on paper feels like a huge win. Becuase I'm doing this even though it is a struggle to switch between these two projects and I would rather be writing a different book instead. And I am having a good time, just like a grudgingly good time.

7. If you were transported into your novel and became any one of the characters, which one do you think you’d be? Would you take any different actions than they have?

In TGCM I would be Alya, and not just because she is the only girl in this book (it's a balance from RLtG where all of my main characters but one were female. In this one all my main characters but one are male). But it means that I'll also get Conan as a potential boyfriend, a pet cat, and a truck load of trauma so yay! I wouldn't do too many things differently from her because I understand where this girl is coming from and she has every reason to rage against the world. But... I would maybe make my feelings for Conan more clear. A perfect time may never actually turn up and then where will that leave me and the most amazing man who ever walked Ruskhazar? I'll tell you where it would leave is. As not a couple.

And if I were in ODAF I would definitely be Jaye, after two books in this girl's head I can confidently say that we have our similarities. Although, if I were her I would definitely do things differently. I can't say much because book 3 is basically just one huge spoiler... but I would introduce the forgive and forget method in my life. And maybe actually give Ravven more than just one kiss per book. Because he is handsome and he deserves it.

8. Give us the first sentence or paragraph then 2 (or 3!) more favorite snippets!

The opening line of TGCM:

I wipe the blood off of my face and turn to face Father. “What? Can’t a girl have a little fun every now and again?”

And then here are some more TGCM snippets:

Mother chuckles. “It’s never too early when my grandchildren are the subject.” She shakes her head with a tsk at the appalled look on my face. “By rights we should have them already but Ivan is…well, Ivan is incapable of settling down.”

“So, it falls on me? How is this any sort of incentive to be the well-behaved child?”

Now it is father’s turn to choke on his food.

I narrow my eyes on him while he coughs into his napkin. “What?”

“You have never been well behaved, dear heart,” he says, his deep voice rumbling. He reaches up wiping at his eyes. “But we love you all the same.”

I turn, pressing my back against the windowsill as I force a smile and a calm demeanor. “Do you trust me to get us out of this situation alive?”

Conan sets one of the chairs down against the wardrobe that’s in front of the door. Further barricading us in. “Isn’t it my job to get you out of this alive? Not the other way around.”

“Either way, I’m afraid you aren’t going to like this part.”

I cannot for the life of me figure out why Sergei thinks that any of these three have anything to add to the group. Naturally, I understand why he wanted me. I’m the foremost in the knowledge of spells. I know more about Spellcraft than any other living being in Ruskhazar.

But a grumpy noble lady, a guardsman who it seems only possesses the talent of cooking up a watery stew, and a criminal sorcerer?

What exactly are they doing here? It isn’t as if they bring anything. As much as I would rather not have to do any of this, I still would have been better off is Sergei had sent me on my own. These three will only slow me down. And that cat makes my nose ich which only adds minor discomfort to insult.

Alya pulls a dagger out, which will be better in these closed confines than the sword Conan is currently reaching for, but they’re mad if they think that can go up against a corpse with a blade. Since they are already dead, stabbing them cannot stop them. You cannot re-kill a dead person. No, you must destroy the body completely.

Incineration is the quickest way.

Hacking it to pieces is the messiest. 

I will be sharing no snippets from ODaF save for the opening line, because I wasn't kidding when I said this book was a massive spoiler.

"The thing about immortality is that it is irreversible. One cannot return it with a gift receipt and say that it wasn’t a good fit."

- Of Dawn and Fire, Nicki Chapelway

9. Share an interesting tidbit about the writing process so far! (For example: Have you made any hilarious typos? Derailed from your outline? Killed off a character? Changed projects entirely? Anything you want to share!)

I probably have made some pretty hilarious typos, but I never keep track of them. When I catch them, I just change them and then pat myself on the back congratulating myself for catching it.

The Gods Created Monsters had perhaps one of the saddest character deaths I've ever written. So, yeah, there is that.

And I didn't change projects per say but I did kick Savage Gods to the curb (RIP) and... okay so I did change projects from SKDT to ODAF but that was long before NaNo began so I don't really count that.

10. Take us on a tour of what a normal writing day for this novel looks like. Where do you write? What time of day? Alone or with others? Is a lot of coffee (or some other drink) consumed? Do you light candles? Play music? Get distracted by social media (*cough, cough*)? Tell all!

I wake up, get coffee, go to write. Don't write. Spend the rest of the day not writing, realize around 7 that I'm in big trouble and then write (preferably with the help of writing sprints) till 12 with brief breaks in between and somehow wind up with a few thousand words and call it a day...

But imagine what I would be capable of if I didn't spend most of the day not writing 👀

As for where I write, I write in the Living Room on the couch, usually snuggled by a dog or two because I am a creature of comfort. I ALWAYS listen to music and have water beside me while writing.

Okay, so that's the end of this month's know the noveling, but this blog post isn't over yet because...

Rage Like the Gods is now available!!!

Hurry, go and grab your copy of this epic high fantasy adventure that is perfect for fans of Tolkien, Michael J. Sullivan, or if you enjoyed Game of Thrones but always wished it had less incest and smut...

The end that was foretold has come.

The gods selected five heroes to save everything.

They chose poorly.

Ruskhazar is a land of mountains and magic; men and elves. Built atop a fallen civilization, the bodies of demigods, and the tombs of the old monsters it knows a tenuous peace. However, there are those that believe that not all that is buried should remain so. A powerful cult of necromancers is bent on bringing about the prophesied end of the world. To forestall this end, the gods have chosen mortal champions.


A bandit turned assassin.
A bard turned thief.
A noble turned student.
A mercenary turned vampire.

These are the would-be heroes of Ruskhazar.

One will go on to be a killer of kings. One will discover the darkest secrets of the Academy of Magickers. One will serve a queen of thieves. And another will always remain a monster. Together, they can save Ruskhazar. But that is only if they choose to accept their fates.

Unfortunately, these champions are just strangers on their separate paths, unaware of each other’s presence. And unwilling to save a world that never had any place for them. Perhaps destiny had lofty plans for them, but they are determined to write their own stories. Forget the gods, forget necromancers, forget the mad sorceress determined to unite them no matter the cost— this isn’t their story. This is the tale of the heroes who never were.

Welcome to the world of Ruskhazar where men and elves live under the illusion of peace, magic is a mysterious entity of its own, and the dead never remain that way for long. Gods and men clash in this romantic high fantasy series that is perfect for fans of Michael J. Sullivan, J.R.R. Tolkien, and those that always wanted a cleaner Game of Thrones.

Get Your Copy Now

Rage Like the Gods

Break Your Destiny

And Watch the World End

And now, because I truly do have too much going on...

Here's the cover reveal for Of Gold and Iron I figured it's fitting to reveal its cover in this post since I spent a good chunk of the time talking about its book three. My cover designer already has the OSaS cover in the works with hopefully an early December reveal for that.

With all that said and no further ado... the new cover!

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“Swear on something else. Swear on your humanity.”

I suddenly find it very hard to swallow. My humanity? With a jolt I realize that there are far greater things at risk here than just my life. I’m in the faerie world, anything could happen. Even immortality.

The Otherworld is the home of the faeries, deceitful, decadent, and deadly. As the next in line to be-come Guardians, Jaye and her brother Thomas are tasked with defending the human world from all things magical. But when a routine scouting mission ends with them trapped in the Otherworld, it becomes pain-fully clear that someone doesn’t want them to leave the world of the faeries. Determined to not become an immortal’s pawn, Jaye kidnaps Ravven Crowe, an arrogant solitary faerie, so that he can guide them safely home. But things quickly go from bad to worse when they are captured by the Winter Court and embroiled in a plot to start a faerie civil war. Thomas is enslaved by an Unseelie faerie, and it seems that the only way to save her brother and avoid a war is for Jaye to ally herself with Ravven.

The faeries are governed by a set of strict laws. For their own safety, the Guardians have their own rules. But with Thomas’s life hanging in the balance there is only one way to save him that does not include breaking the faerie’s Fair Law, a crime that ends in death. Together Jaye and Ravven must compete in a series of deadly tests given by the faerie courts in order to earn Jaye the right to be named the Fair Assassin and wield the Blade of Gold and Iron. As the Fair Assassin she will be permitted to kill any faerie she so chooses, but first she has to live long enough. Walking a fine line between destruction and further entanglement with Crowe, Jaye is going to have to break her own rules if she wants to win. She must trust a faerie. Her life and humanity depend on it.

Cover design was done by MiblArt.

And the best part? This book is already out! You can get it today.

Begin the series, Enter the Otherworlds...