Introducing my WIP

(Images Via Pinterest)

So, I know I'm in the middle of working on multiple projects for NaNoWriMo/FallFic Frenzy, but I've decided that it is high time I finally introduce you all to my secret WIP. I've kept quite about this one for an age and a half. I've pushed back this introduction post time and again because it never felt like the right time to announce it.

Honestly, I'm surprised that I've kept my mouth shut this long since we all know how terrible I am at keeping secrets. And yet here we are a whole year after I decided to start writing this story. I suppose the only reason I've managed to keep myself from announcing everything is that I've been able to keep myself busy with my other projects. I've been brainstorming this one sure, I've even written the first couple chapters, but it hasn't been my main project. That's all about to change though. I'm getting the cover done hopefully in a couple months and it's going to be one of my main projects going into 2023... so I figured I'd might as well finally introduce this story.

Once I heard the saying that, loving the hero is boring, they will always choose the right side. But loving a villain on the other hand? They'll burn down the world for you.

That coupled with my not-so-secret love and weakness for Hot Villains(TM) and this story was born. Full disclosure my villain in this is unapologetically bad and unapologetically hot.

And he's good at doing both
Image from Pinterest

He is also dramatic as heck and goes by the name Lord Grimthorne because it sounds cool.

But enough about our Grim boi. The book, I'm here to tell you about the book.

It was originally supposed to be a trilogy, but my characters (ever the troublemakers) informed me that they wanted five books instead, I think we've compromised with a four book long series but we'll see how long I hold out. These characters can be quite convincing. I plan on releasing it next year. It will be a darkly romantic series featuring enemies to lovers, illusion magic, the ties between soulmates, and doomed love. It's going to be a YA/young adult, Dark Academia Fantasy full of tower libraries, magic books, and long coats. This world is a wholly new one, not connected at all to any of my other stories. It is called Underteyrn and it is a bleak land of cliffs and fjords where the sky is eternally red and many turn to illusion magic to make their dull lives seem more interesting. The inhabitants here glamorize their appearances, their cities, and their arts until nothing that is seen can be trusted. It is the way of life and is no longer simply accepted but also expected. Better to content yourself with a mere illusion than to dabble in the dark arts of tangible magic.

Any magic other than illusions has been banned due to the unfortunate fact that the use of it is causing a giant rift to tear through the sky, merging this world with one of raw magic. A merging that no one would survive.

Grimthorne of course is an illegal magic wielder, but more than that, he's a necromancer.

My main character is named Balemila or Mila, she is a Seer who was born with the ability to see magic. An invaluable ability that helps her to be able to discern what magic is merely an illusion and what is actually tangible. She's grown up with a lot of rules. Her life is to be dedicated to her services as a Seer which means no falling in love, no growing distracted, and definitely no wielding magic of her own, not even illusion magic is permissible when it comes to Seers.

she looks like this only she has spectacles
(image from Pinterest)

The series is titled The Seer's Tapestry and it follows Mila and her epic struggle against Lord Grimthorne, the renegade Seer bent on destroying the order he left and conquering the world so he can remake everything the way he believes that it should be. And for reasons that Mila doesn't quite understand, he wants her to rule by his side.

But there's a single wrench in both Mila's and Grimthorne's plans. His name is Drake. A Seer who Grimthorne failed to kill... and who happens to be Mila's soulmate. Even though Seers are supposed to be celibate and were created without soulmates. He is a taciturn bookworm with the social graces of a cactus. Drake wants nothing to do with Mila, but the strings don't lie... do they?

here's Broody McBroody himself
(image from Pinterest)

This book has some major Pride and Prejudice vibes. Oh, and a baby imp named Scampers.

But here is what you have all been waiting for. The title and blurb!

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The Seer's Tapestry book 1

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Strings, Kings, and Dead Things

The strings say that they are soulmates

Except she serves a celibate order

And he is keeping a dark secret that could destroy the world

 

Mila is a Seer. A member of a powerful and celibate order comprised of individuals who possess the ability to see magic. In a world that has been torn apart by magical forces, all tangible magic is forbidden, and it is Mila’s duty to make certain that only the permissible illusion magic is used. She and her fellow Seers are the sole individuals who can see the strings binding casters to their magic. Gold for illusions. Black for tangible. And red for the soul magic that connects people who are fated to be together.

 

However, Mila’s world is turned upside down when a Seer named Drake arrives from a different outpost and a red string appears on her finger… binding her to Drake. Seers are forbidden from falling in in love. So how did Mila end up with a soulmate? And why would she be connected to a man like Drake who doesn’t seem to want anything to do with her?

 

Then her life takes a far more deadly turn when she attracts the interest of a rogue Seer, the wanted criminal Lord Grimthorne. But this supposed madman seems to care more about Mila than her own soulmate and the very Seers who raised her, and he is telling her that the order has been lying to her to keep her powerful magic in check. Mila is going to have to figure out what is the truth… and what has been just an illusion the whole time. Her heart and the fate of the world depend on the answers she finds.

 

Underteyrn is a land where anyone can be anything—even what they are not. Enter this world of illusions and lies in a young adult fantasy series that is perfect for fans of Elise Kova, Sylvia Mercedes, and Leigh Bardugo. It will enthrall readers who love stories about forbidden magic, strong heroines, and handsome villains.

Illustrations of Mila and Drake done by Paige Coffer

Currently I'm aiming for a summer release for this. I'm hoping to do the cover reveal in February or March depending on when it is done. I'm just so excited about finally sharing about this story! Eep.

Here is the Spotify Playlist:

And the Pinterest Board:

Well, that probably wasn't the post you were expecting this fine Monday in November, but hopefully you are as excited as I am about this new series. What's your opinion when it comes to hot villains? Are they dreamy or should they be avoided at all costs because that line between good and evil should never be crossed? Comment below!

Book Cover Designers—If You're Looking For One Then You Might Want to Read This

 

There are a few reasons that I decided to do this post today. The first of which is that I've been running a fun little tournament on my Instagram for my followers to vote on their favorite covers of mine, so I thought I would share a bit more about the covers in question. I've also recently been discussing book cover designers with a friend who is considering her options and I realized that I had a lot to say on the subject.

But finally, this is a bit of a love letter to my cover designers. I appreciate all of the hard work that they put into each and every one of my covers, and into giving each of my books lovely, unique, eye-catching covers. So, if you are looking for a cover for your upcoming release, I heartily recommend these options.

This post is mostly for indie authors, but if you enjoy seeing a glimpse into how independently published books get out there then you're probably going to want to read it to.

Anyway, with all my preemptive rambling out of the way. Here are the covers.

Premades:

These covers I found on a site called The Book Cover Designer. Basically, the site is a place where a large collection of cover designers post premade covers, they have already completed, and you sort through the site until you find a cover that you think will fit your book. Then you buy it, and it is removed from sale. The nice thing about all premade covers, not just the ones on this site, is that they are available almost instantly, so if you're last second shopping you might want to check into premade covers.

There are a great many designers and covers on this site so you will get varied results from some stuff that doesn't look all that professional to stuff that looks really, really great. The price range also varies a ton. It can go from $20 bucks to $800, depending on sellers.

One of the issues with this site is that there is just so dang much to choose from and so the cover you are looking for can get buried under a lot of stuff that you aren't. They have search words and divide the books by genre, but it can still be a bit much to slough through. I've browsed hundreds of pages on that site before deciding on a cover.

But if you have the time and the patience, you're more than likely to find a cover that fits your price range and your story.

Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of this cover designer. I had the cover done when I was fifteen and it was actually my mom who emailed him and did the transaction (since when I was that age, I had no computer or internet access of my own). I need to find those old emails, but without his name we're looking for a seven-year-old email in a haystack. Still, he did a fantastic job. When I first saw this cover, the girl had black hair and a pale green dress, but I knew immediately that she was Chelsea. The rest of the cover was the same and after the colors got changed it became the cover you see today. I think I remember it being about $75.

This cover was designed by a lady by the name of BetiBup. She puts out a lot of covers on The Book Cover Designer. I'm not the biggest fan of some of her styles, but I liked this one, and she is extremely affordable (this cover cost me about $48 dollars, I think). When I first saw this cover, I can't remember what the girl's hair color was, but her dress was black. And I don't think the magic swirling around her was there, but I can't remember if that was added later or not. The one issue I had with getting this cover was that I don't think English was the designer's first language and there was a lot of confusion as we emailed back and forth, trying to get the coloring right. BetiBup was very patient and willing to make any changes that I asked for, she just sometimes didn't fully understand what those changes were due to the language barrier.

While I was mulling over the idea of releasing alternate cover editions of some of my books, I turned to The Book Cover Designer again. I flipped through the pre-made covers to see if anything would tickle my fancy and that's when I stumbled upon this one. I couldn't get the cover out of my head and eventually I reached out to the cover designer, Katharina Fisher. She was very amicable and willing to even design it as a dust jacket for my purposes. Plus, she agreed to continue with the rest of the series, having those custom made and at a discount.

Which is how I got this cover:

I definitely recommend Katharina if you are into more of an abstract look to your covers.

Victoria Cooper Art:

Victoria Cooper is a designer I found through The Book Cover Designer. She had gorgeous premades, but none of them quite fit what I was looking for. But then I found out that she charges roughly around the same amount to make a custom cover as she charged for her premades. Most cover designers charge much more for a custom cover than a pre-made which leads to me feeling guilty and deciding to only get a premade and waiting till Kingdom Come for them to make a premade that fits exactly what I'm looking for.

I worked with Victoria Cooper a lot. She did the covers for all of my Winter Cursed books, Of Gold and Iron and Of Stars and Shadows, and a good number of my Amar books including the whole Return to Amar series.

(and while I am changing these covers, I still love the originals)

She's quick, reliable (I've never had to schedule out to have a cover made, I just emailed her whenever I needed one and she would get me a final file in a few weeks), polite, and always willing to make revisions. She won't even complain when the whole concept has to be scrapped—which has happened once or twice, oops.

But more than that, she also isn't afraid of a little experimentation inside of the parameters of your design. For Winter Cursed I wanted the picture of Elisabeth holding an apple while there are brambles with roses blooming on them circling the image.

This is what the original concept for Winter Cursed looked like:

But Victoria had the idea that it would look better if it was more of an isolated image with a simple, but eye-catching background and have the brambles wrap around a frame (I chose a mirror to match my story) and viola, we got the cover we have today.

She also, played around with the color. I liked the brown the best because that was the first one she showed me and I absolutely fell in love with it, but she also sent me a blue version and that was when I knew that needed to be the color of the second book's cover.

So yeah, I definitely recommend her.

Fantastical Ink:

Fantastical Ink is the designer of my Harbinger of the End cover.

Fantastical Ink was amazing to work with. When I ordered the cover, I didn't know the full specifications of the cover size and I had yet to write the blurb for the back cover, so they said that I could purchase the cover then and when I was ready, I would give them the specifications and they would adjust accordingly. Which was a huge help because KDP can sometimes be finicky about cover sizes and my edits can sometimes add a few thousand words so contacting them after that to have the cover size adjusted meant that I had no problems whatsoever uploading my cover.

One of the things about them is that they are a little on the pricier side. They're one of the companies I was talking about where there premades are much cheaper than custom covers. You also have to schedule pretty far out. They keep a calendar on their website for what months they are available to be booked and the months fill up so if you want to work with them, I recommend scheduling it a little bit in advance. They do, however, sometimes do 20% off premades sales. It was through one of those sales that I purchased Harbinger's cover.

Another thing of note with Fantastical Ink is that to buy a cover from them you have to sign a contract with them saying that you will have to purchase a secondary license from them if your book sells a certain number of copies and that they are the only ones who can add to the book (add dust jacket flaps, turn it into an audiobook, or give it a back and spine). I oftentimes go with someone else for all of those things if it is going to cost too much to have the original designer make a back and spine (usually if it is more than $50), but with this cover I cannot. If you don't outsource that shouldn't be a problem at all, but I've had to jump through certain hoops (such as the fact that the audiobook cover will be of the alternate hardcover version since it would cost $5 to get it converted with someone else and much more with Fantastical Ink).

Still, they make gorgeous premades and I love to check out what they come out with.

100 Covers:

So, you might not feel comfortable working just one on one with the designer and would rather do business with designers that have a company backing them. Well, then these next two designer options are probably more for you. The first of which is 100 Covers. They did the cover for Domain of the North: Awoken

100 Covers is extremely affordable (you can get a custom-made ebook cover for only $100 dollars) and they offer unlimited revisions. This is very important to me because I usually have the designer tweak one small detail at least a dozen times before I decide that I liked the first option best—I know, I'm probably a pain to work with. Which leads into the next thing, you don't talk to the designer 1-on-1 with 100 Covers. Instead, you talk to a go-between who keeps everything civil, makes sure that you are satisfied and that everything you want is passed on to the designer. This helps to avoid getting snapped at by a harried designer (not that such a thing has happened to me while getting covers done, but I did have an artist I worked with snap at me before and it can get a bit awkward after that). Revisions do take a little while to be completed, but it's worth the wait.

One of my favorite things about 100-Covers is that audiobook and Kindle Vella covers are automatically included in the cheapest option. If you order the full-wrap option (the $200 one), dust jacket flaps are also included. A lot of people do not include these features. I usually have to pay $5 per each audiobook cover I want converted, $10 for dust jacket flaps, and I paid an extra $40 dollars for a Vella Cover for my other story I'll be releasing on that platform, Savage Gods and Spellbooks.

Also, they don't charge extra to do an illustrated cover versus a photo manipulation cover. Most companies will have illustrated covers cost more, and for good reason. It takes a lot more work to create an image from scratch. But 100 Covers doesn't charge extra which is, well, it's fantastic.

But most importantly still, 100 Covers offers a series discount (!!!!) 50% off each subsequent book in the series, so if you order the ebook option all the books after that will be only $50 and if you order the paperback option each book after that will be only $100.

Mibl Art and its Sub-Categories:

This one is quickly becoming some of my favorite designers to work with simply because they offer so dang much. I first found them through their sub-group GetCovers, which is their budget-friendly covers option. You can get a cover for $10, $20, or $35 depending on how many stock images you want (I always go with the $35 option). Don't worry, if you think that there's no way you can get an excellent quality cover for that cheap, then rest assured I've worked with them extensively and you can judge their cover work based on the covers I have listed here:

Also they offer 100% money back guaranteed if you are not pleased with their work

They have a very quick turn-around, so if you're in a hurry know that you'll get your cover in time.

On top of designing super cheap and amazing looking covers, GetCovers offers a whole range of other services. I used to have someone on Fiverr convert my audiobook covers, but Fiverr charges fees so a cost of $5 goes up to $7. GetCovers charges no fees, so it is only $5. They are also who I go to for dust jacket flaps (it costs $10), or if I want a back and spine done for a cheaper option than the designer I am currently working with offers (unless of course I signed a contract like I did with Fantastical Ink). It costs $10 for a basic spine, $20 if you want something a little fancier.

The $10 option

Something fancier I got for $20

Considering that a lot of designers charge AT LEAST $50 more for a full-wrap this is an amazing deal. (as an example, I went with the $100 option for 100 Covers which means that I don't get the full wrap, but rather than paying an extra $100 dollars for a full-wrap and dust jacket, I can get that from GetCovers for $20-30 dollars). They also did the typography for my Harbinger of the End hardcover since the artist who illustrated it didn't work with fonts.

MiblArt offers higher-end cover design for a somewhat more expensive rate. Their covers are $150 for ebook and $200 if you want the wrap-around addition. It's much more expensive that GetCovers, but I think the quality of their work speaks for itself. The designed my The Gods Created Monsters cover and tbh I still can't get over how perfect that cover is and how it so perfectly matches everything I was going for.

Mibl also does cover redesigns, for the same price as a regular cover, but they'll take an older cover and spruce it up, keeping a lot of the same elements but just making it shnazzier. This is actually what I'm doing with my OGaI and OSaS having them redesigned to better fit their genre and while I can't share the new covers just yet, I'm in love with what we have so far.

GetPremades is the final sub-group and I think its name is self-explanatory. It offers some of the best quality premade covers I've come across. Its price is comparable with MiblArt so you won't get too much of a discount with them, but sometimes you come across a cover you just can't live without and would never have thought of designing yourself like what happened with me.

GetPremades also offers custom premades in that you can order a specific style pre-made, they will make it. Like Victoria Cooper, it costs as much to make a custom cover as a premade so you're at your leisure to choose what cover would work for your story best. They will then offer you the first opportunity to buy the pre-made. If you decide against it, they will put it up for sale. It's a good option if you want to see how a cover design would work out with minimal commitment since you don't actually have to buy the cover when they are through (although I've loved the designs they've come up with for me and haven't been able to resist). This is what I did for the Era of Evil and Winter Cursed Omnibus covers.

With MiblArt and GetPremades Custom Covers, you do not pay until you are satisfied with the final version of the cover. Those two also offer a 10% series discount so every book after the first in a series will be 10% off. (GetPremades offers series continuation on all their pre-made covers so you don't have to order a custom cover to be able to have your books all match in a series)

MiblArt and GetPremades also include a free Title Page in your purchase, you have to pay $5 extra for a title page from GetCovers.

All three options have unlimited revisions, and they get them done fast, within a matter of days. They do the same thing that 100 Covers does and have you speak to a representative rather than the designer themselves. Also, they offer regular discounts, just join their newsletters and they'll keep you appraised of whenever they are running a sale.

I use MiblArt and its subcategories so much, there's rarely a release that goes by that I don't use them in some way or the other. Whether as an alternate cover, to make my audiobook cover, or get a spine and back.

Illustrated Covers:

Or perhaps you want a fine art illustration cover on your book. I can't say I blame you, it's one of my favorite cover styles. If you're wondering how to get a lovely, illustrated cover I'll tell you where I found my own. I stalk the artists on Instagram, lol. I probably follow hundreds of artists over there to keep an eye on what their art styles are, their pricing, and if their commissions are open or not.

For most of the illustrated covers I've gotten, I contact an artist not a cover designer. I discuss their rates for what the cover would cost, some have specific prices for covers while others calculate it depending on how many characters and what type of background it is. Another thing that I make certain of is that I'm purchasing an illustration I can use for commercial reasons or if that is automatically included in the price.

Illustrated covers take a while to complete, it takes at least a month to finish a cover of this style. Not to mention that the artists have other commissions/take hiatuses and are not always available all the time so when I want a cover done, I schedule it several months—sometimes half a year or more—in advance.

Hannah Rogers did the covers for A Tale of Gods and Glory, and my Rage Like the Gods books.

She's lovely to work with, and really works on the cover until she can get every detail just right. She only does the front image, so I have to find someone else to do the back and spine if I want it to be more than an ebook, but she does do her own typography.

Kae did the cover for the alternate hardcover of Harbinger of the End

Kae does do the back and spine, she even did the dustjacket flaps. However, she doesn't do typography.

I have several other artists reserved for other book covers, although I haven't had a cover done by them yet, I look forward to working with them, and I'll be able to share more about them after I have (perhaps I'll do a part two of this blog post sometime in the future when I've hired out more designers...)

Honestly, with illustrated covers the choice for me comes down to what sort of style I like the most, and think would work best for the cover. Who you hire largely depends on whether you want a more realistic image or something more stylized. And what fits in your price range.

It's also possible to purchase illustrated covers from a cover design company, although with that you can't actually pick what sort of art style you want since you have to work with the designers they have hired.

100 Covers has illustrated covers, as I mentioned above since, well, my cover with them is illustrated. And as I stated before, it doesn't cost any more than a regular cover does, so, if you're in a bit of a pinch for money, this is probably the cheapest option for an illustrated cover. However, they are quite stylized so if you're looking for something more realistic this might not be the best option for you.

MiblArt also does illustrated covers, their basic design pack for this kind of cover is $380, but it will cost extra if you want more than two characters on the cover. I have yet to get an illustrated cover from them, but their portfolio is amazing, and compared to what some artists charge $380 is not actually bad for a cover with at least two people on it. They claim to have the cover to you in 30 business days and honestly if I ever have a designer fall through and am incapable of finding another one (since I have to schedule so far out for artists), this one is my backup plan.

Moorbooks Design:

I'm finally getting a cover by Moorbooks and I honestly couldn't be more excited. To see why I'm so hyped check out their portfolio. They also do premade covers if their price is a little too much for you. The cover reveal for the book I'm getting done with them is at the end of next month if you want to see if it was worth the hype.

If you want stellar lighting and a high-quality cover for a still-reasonable price I'd recommend checking out Moorbooks. One thing I'll note is that they do charge extra if you want more than two characters on the cover. MiblArt does not which is why they're doing my The Gods Created Monsters books. Also, since Moors is very popular, I'd recommend reaching out to them a couple of months before you want the cover done because they get booked quickly.

So, all cover designers have their ups and downs. Ultimately it is up to you on what company or designer you decide to go with. I've had pleasant experiences working with all of them, and I personally love all of my covers. Hopefully, this post has helped you pin down a designer you would like to work with if you were on the market, and if not... well, it's something to refer to when you are.

The Worlds of Nicki Chapelway: Part Four Ruskhazar

Okay, I will try not to show my clear favoritism and turn this into a beast of a post while I discuss today's world Ruskhazar.

Ruskhazar is the world in which 30 books of mine are set in. The tally is currently seven series and one standalone. Every time I turn around, I get a new story to add to the vast lore of this world.

This land is the harsh and beautiful home of elves and men, it has existed for three eras, but according to the gods if the prophesied end of the world is not stopped then this will be the final era.

All of the books set in this world have "gods" somewhere in the title since I wanted a clear indicator that they are all a part of the same world. (my books set in Amar all have the name of the world in their series title—I like to make it easy to know what books are connected or not).

 

Climate and Terrain: Despite everything that happens in this world, Ruskhazar itself is not overly large. It is a peninsula that has been nearly entirely circled by mountains. The climate is a little on the frosty side although those in the valley in the center of Ruskhazar can enjoy all of the seasons.

For the most part, Ruskhazar is a rocky, highly forested land, and the people living there wouldn't have it any other way.

There are a few islands around Ruskhazar. Einan, the largest of these islands has been settled by elves trying to get away from the other races. The Spice Isles are used as a prison/labor camp. The smaller islands are used as burial grounds or private homes of wealthy and powerful individuals.

Creatures and Monsters: Ruskhazar is the home of men and elves, both of which can be divided into two clans each.

Lowlanders— humans that dwell in the valley, these individuals are born with the ability to use magic

Highlanders— humans that come from the mountains, they are entirely immune to magic

Lower Elves— tall, golden skinned elves of the valley, they have dark hair and eyes, and are virtually immortal and usually quite snobbish

Higher Elves— short "stone elves" with gray-blue skin, white hair and pale luminescent eyes, they originally dwelt in the mountains but after their people were nearly wiped out and their homes destroyed they now exist alongside everyone else, these elves age much slower than humans and many are not fully developed adults until they are in their forties

On top of that, there are also outsiders, exiles from the deserts of the south. These people cannot control magic, nor are they immune to it.

Then there are two types of monsters that an individual can become

Vampires—considered a curse given to the followers of The Lady of Night, these creatures cannot bear the sun's rays and must drink blood every few days or risk falling into a deep sleep; however, they are granted virtual immortality and do not age. Their characteristics include pale skin, red eyes, and fangs

Werewolves— considered a blessing granted on the followers of Neltruna, these creatures can choose to take on the more powerful form of a great wolf, their only noticeable characteristics is that those who are wolf-kissed have silver eyes.

For the most part, other than vampires and werewolves (which can blend into the general population and use them to grow their numbers), all of the monsters of old have been wiped out, hunted to extinction by the Highlander's ancestors. These old monsters were dragons, krakens, shapeshifters, and many other deadly beasts that Ruskhazar is better without...

The dead don't always remain that way and are often used as puppets by necromancers. Spirits who have died violently and lost their way to Skyhold can also occasionally be spotted.

Political Atmosphere: Ruskhazar is united under a dual kingship. The Greater King is a Lower Elf who has been in power since the forming of Ruskhazar, he is largely a figurehead and is rarely even seen. Most of the state affairs are handled by the Lesser King, a Lowlander. Many Highlanders are upset by this fact, that they are forced to subject themselves to a Lower Elf and a Lowlander rather than being ruled by one of their own, many of them would rather be their own separate kingdom.

Higher Elves for the most part are too scattered to form a collective opinion. Their civilization was destroyed when Ruskhazar was founded and now they exist on the outskirts of society as criminals, servants, or addicts.

Another thing of note are the criminal underworlds, one in particular run by an elf by the name of Elwis the Eel operates as an entirely separate kingdom, one where he is the king. There are few criminal organizations that would dare to oppose him, but The Order of the Bloody Hand—an honorific assassin guild who don't keep their killings a secret— and the Queen of Thieves—a vampire who a thousand years ago ran a criminal kingdom much like Elwis's before she fell out of favor and is now trying to rebuild her organization—do attempt to hold their own against him.

Likewise, werewolf packs, vampire hoards, and sorcerer cults tend to stick to themselves and ignore the politics of Ruskhazar as a whole.

Magic: The Academy of Magickers lies near the heart of Ruskhazar, a free opportunity for any magic-wielding individual to study there and become magickers.

So, in other words, magic is very important to the culture of Ruskhazar. The majority of the population (Lowlanders, Higher Elves, Lower Elves) are born capable of wielding the substance and while not everyone chooses to tap into their potential, many do.

Highlanders are entirely immune to magic, and this is a mystery that has yet to be unlocked.

However, there is also the art of sorcery, a partnership with a demigod to wield a portion of their power. Since magic is believed to stem from the goddess of magic, to turn to another source is considered perverse and sorcery is illegal, but that doesn't stop its practitioners.

Religion: There are five deities worshiped by the people of Ruskhazar.

Thyre—the head god, the guardian of time, seasons, and the underworld

Neltruna—his wife, the goddess of monsters, the dark, and all things unknown

Eirik—the god of humanity and the rival of Thyre, he also has dominion over life and death and the harvest

Meruna—the bride of Eirik, she is the goddess of magic, love, and the virtues

Dagmy— the goddess of beauty, lies, and carnal beasts

There were two other gods, the twins who created the elves, but they hated each other so much that they fought each other even unto death

Finally, there are the demigods, the children of the gods, these individuals were killed by their godly parents, but their essence lives on. Worship of them is considered a heresy.

Okay, I'll stop myself there. If you want to find out more about Ruskhazar then you can get the novella Between Gods and Demigods for free. You can also snag yourself a copy of A Tale of Gods and Glory or pre-order Rage Like the Gods and The Gods Created Monsters. Savage Gods and Spellbooks will be releasing next year on Kindle Vella (I told you that there were a lot of stories set in this world)

Know the Novel Part One Part Two

So, here we are again.

I'm unsure if it can really be counted as a writing project if I don't make at least one change to my plans... 

Or I suppose this could technically just be called an adjustment in plans, since I'm changing nothing about what I said about my first two projects. I'm just adding a third project into the mix. The Gods Created Monsters.

I was really hoping to have this one done before the FallFicFrenzy started, but then I got back the edits from Rage Like the Gods and I've spent the past several weeks consumed with working on the final draft of that. Which really wouldn't be that hard, since I'm only really reading through it to make certain that it all sounds good and fits with continuity, except this book is like 900 pages long.

So, anyway, I have not been able to get this story finished up. Which is why I am now adding it to my FallFicFrenzy challenge, because, yeah, I need to finish this. After RLtG, this is the next book that I'm releasing. I'm already 38,000 words into it so hopefully that puts me at about halfway done. My current goal is to focus on finishing TGCM and starting Of Dawn and Fire in October and then in November I would like to finish Of Dawn and Fire and get at least halfway through Savage Gods and Spellbooks.

With all of that said, let's get to know this novel.

1. What first sparked the idea for this novel?

Once again, this story was inspired by a video game. It's set in Ruskhazar after all. This one is actually not at all influenced by Skyrim though. It's actually inspired by the game Dragon Age: Origins

If you've never played it then all you really know is that it is a messy complicated game about doomed heroes trying to save the world and it has my favorite fictional boyfriend Alistair Therin

he is the perfect man
(also image from Pinterest)

... and this game basically sets you up to NOT get a happy ending with Alistair unless you're willing to do a lot of really, really, really, really sketchy things. So anyway, your girl needed a happy ending so she decided to write it herself.

And that's how this story was born.

2. Share a blurb (or just an overall summary)!

The gods created the monsters…now it is up to the mortals to kill them.

Alya has always dreamed of adventure, but as a noble lady she knows that the only thing her future holds in store for her is marriage. However, when her engagement to the crown prince leads to her family’s murder, Alya loses herself to her need for revenge. She wants the future king dead and she is willing to do whatever she must to ensure his doom. Even if it means becoming a commissioned monster hunter and slaying as many undead as it takes to forestall the end of the world.

She is joined in her quest by the disillusioned guardsman who saved her life, a criminal who doesn’t want to do penance, a disgraced magicker who just wants everything to go back to the way was, and her cat. If they want to survive the dangerous duty of holding the line against the monsters then these outcasts are going to have to learn how to trust each other, ignore their selfish impulses, and do something right for a change. Because the world is ending and alone, they are not powerful enough to stop it.

Slay the monsters, defend the innocents, find the source of the rising dead… and don’t kill each other in the process. It shouldn’t be too difficult, right?

A band of novice monster slayers go up against creatures that have not been seen for a thousand years in this adult high fantasy series set in the world of Ruskhazar. It is perfect for fans of Michael J. Sullivan, J.R.R. Tolkien, and the Witcher Saga.

3. Where does the story take place? What are some of your favorite aspects of the setting?

As I already mentioned, this story is set in the world of Ruskhazar, my high fantasy world home of men and elves, sorcerers and magickers, vampires and werewolves, the living and the dead... I have a ton of books set in this world (the current tally is 30 novels and novellas all divided into seven series and a single standalone). So, one of my favorite aspects of Ruskhazar is just how vast it is. There are so many moving parts and chaotic characters and events that it needs 30 books, seven series, and one standalone just to be able to tell its story. At this point, Ruskhazar almost feels like a character all its own and while each of the series (and standalone) can be read alone, in order to get the whole of Ruskhazar itself's story all of these books are necessary to unfold the drama.

Some of the aspects of Ruskhazar that this book explores that the others don't as much are...

The royalty, my other books set in this world are about regular townsfolk: the poor, the rich, and the criminal. But this book has a lot about at least the Lesser King line the Vadimovas (there are two kings in Ruskhazar, but the High King is a figurehead and doesn't do much). Only one other book in all the 30 set in Ruskhazar has a focus on the Vadimovas and that book is set two hundred years before this one and tells the story of how they came into power.

Monster hunting. I have monster hunters in other books ste in Ruskhazar, but they are oftentimes only temporarily monster hunters, villains, or both. And with Ruskhazar in the unique situation that it is (meaning that it is going to be destroyed by the undead) monster hunters are sort of a very important part of society. One that is oftentimes overlooked both by me and by the people of Ruskhazar themselves. So, I thought it would be nice to write a story about these unsung heroes.

The connection between the classes and clans. Ruskhazar is comprised of two clans of men and two clans of elves and none of them really get along due to the kingdom's sordid history. This is a key part of all the Ruskazar books, but one of the things that I decided to do in writing this book was have each member of the monster hunting band be from a different one of these clans. Two separate types of elves, and two separate types of humans.

4. Tell us about your protagonist(s).

I have four protagonists in TGCM. Alya, Zarynn, Conan, and Ikor.

Listed in order that they appear in this image:

Alya is a Lowlander noblewoman. Her family was killed by her betrothed the crown prince and now she wants his head. Preferably no longer attached to his body. She is angry and focused and untrusting and quite frankly has lost too much. All she has left are her cat, a brother that she has no idea where he is, and a guardsman who saved her life.

Zarynn is a Higher Elf sorcerer, a flirt, and a hothead. He bears brands on his face, one that identifies him as a sorcerer and one that he gave himself in anger so that no one would be able to ever brand him again. Except when a sorcerer is twice branded, they are executed. And he starts out this story in jail waiting for his death sentence to be fulfilled when he's offered a pardon.

Conan is a Highlander and former guardsman, however he was designated to die defending Alya so that it would look like the crown prince, the very man he has sworn to protect with his life, wasn't the one responsible for the assassination of his fiancé. Fortunately for Conan and Alya, he managed to get them both to safety, but she lost her parents to the attack and he lost many of his former guards and friends. Now he is left wondering at his purpose and if there really is an inherent good in people.

Ikor is a Lower Elf magicker and was once the Scholar of Spells, the person responsible for chronicling every known spell. Unfortunately, he killed someone two hundred years ago to be able to get this position and the truth of his dark deeds has just come out. He has now been removed from his position and cast back into the real world. But he has quite the adjustment to make after existing in a world of academics and books for the past two centuries.

Fluff, Alya's cat also bears mentioning. He is very much like his owner. Grumpy, violent, and fiercely loyal to few.

5. Who (or what) is the antagonist?

While he isn't in it much, the crown prince of the lesser kingly line is quite villainous. He did kill my protagonist's parents after all and try to kill her and Conan as well. However, the main villain of this book is actually a whole town. I don't want to get into too much detail because of spoilers, but essentially, they are villains. And their leader is a very powerful, very creepy vampire lord.

6. What excites you the most about this novel

Found family!

My main characters are all so messed up. I'm looking forward to them being able to find identity and security with each other while they heal from the scars of the past. Especially Alya who is very angry and very hurt and I look forward to her being able to recover enough to start caring again.

This is only the beginning of these four together, but I can't wait until they can go from the strangers who couldn't care less if any of these others live or die to being like "touch my family and you die". It's going to be a long journey and very convoluted, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Also, I would be lying if I didn't admit that I can't wait to delve further into the relationship between Alya and Conan. It's sunshine and the grump only where she is the grump and he the sunshine. But Conan is just so pure! And Alya is so much like a wounded animal. She doesn't care about morality or doing sketchy things and she certainly doesn't care if people get hurt so long as she ends up with what she wants, but Conan does and she cares about him. So, I'm really going to enjoy writing how she goes from the angry stabby person to someone who thinks twice and tries to find a more peaceful solution all because the guy she likes is squeamish when it comes to blood.

Actually, tbh Conan does this to the whole group. I put a Cinnamon Roll in the middle of a group of misfit criminals and murderers and watch him sweeten everything around him.

7. Is this going to be a series? standalone? something else?

It's a four book series, this is book one.

8. Are you plotting? pantsing? plansting?

Plansting. I know a good deal of what needs to happen, but there's definitely some gray area, especially in the middle where I'm currently writing that I'm still trying to figure out.

9. Name a few unique elements in this story.

I don't know if this is unique per se, but the fact that this book is about monster hunters. I know that other stories have done monster hunters, but I personally haven't really written about them myself. Not to the extent that I've wanted to. So, I'm really excited to focus on a book about killing monsters and butt-kickery.

Like there is killing monsters and then there is the death of monsters being your primary goal. Where you actually set out to hunt them down and end their existence. And to me that's an important distinction.

One thing that sets this book apart from my other Ruskhazar books is that it is a large cast of characters who are actually in a group and stick together. For the most part in Ruskhazar, if I have multiple main characters then they are all sort of on their separate paths with some underlying part of the plot connecting them. But they don't really know the other main characters in their books. And they don't necessarily get along. I have some main characters who are literally enemies of each other.

One exception is my main characters in Savage Gods, but I only have two so I don't really consider that a large cast.

But TGCM has four main characters, and the main part of the book is the connection between them as they become allies. And that forced proximity is not something a lot of my other main characters in Ruskhazar books deal with. They are all loners, but the characters in this book are a family.

10. Share some fun “extras” of the story (a song or full playlist, some aesthetics, a collage, a Pinterest board, a map you’ve made, a special theme you’re going to incorporate, ANYTHING you want to share!).

So, here's the map of Ruskhazar again

And here's the cover of the book

I already shared a sketch of my four main characters above, but here is one of Alya and Conan as well

The pre-order link!

And here's the playlist

And Pinterest board