Palon’s novella is ready for more beta readers! I’m still sending it through my writing critique group due to too many busy weekends, but I’ve addressed most of the large scale changes and strengthened the core of the story. If you’d like to be one of the first readers and have your feedback incorporated into the finished product, feel free to sign up for beta reading!
You don’t need any previous experience with beta reading or with my novels, since this is designed to introduce readers to Windward’s world (and, by association, the world of the Children of the Nexus series). All you need is some time to read about 100 pages or so, and to let me know your honest thoughts on how the reading experience was for you. I’ll have questions for readers to fill out at the end so I know what to improve.
If you’d like to beta read, sign up here! I’ll send out emails within the next week or two with a secure download link for you to grab a copy in the format of your choice. If you signed up to beta read last time but something came up and you never had a chance to grab your copy, you can sign up again this time!
I spent last weekend at WriteHive‘s annual writing convention, and it was absolutely packed full of learning as usual! It helped me figure out an issue I was grappling with in thinking about Book Four and so I’m really excited to begin my re-draft of it (WIP name Songs). I know where I’m going now for Books Four and Five– how it’ll change from the first draft of both of those books.
For those of you who are writers, we announced at WriteHive a new mentorship program! If you have been interested in mentorship (either as a mentor or a mentee), check it out.
And for readers and writers alike, WriteHive will also be holding the first annual Indie Ink Awards as a collaborative project with Inked In Gray Publishing and Indie Story Geek. More details will be released soon with the first phase of the contest starting on IndieStoryGeek.com at the beginning of July.
Newsletter freebie
This month’s freebie is some more information on a worldbuilding detail that appears in Books Two and Three of the Children of the Nexus epic fantasy series:
The birds and butterflies of the Rinaran elves
The pacifist elves protect their homes (Stands) with a network of birds and butterflies who are specially engineered and trained for this purpose.
The elves wear leather circlets on their heads from which dangle elf charms, and when they send others into the forest for any reason, they will loan them a head circlet, though they won’t say why. The circlet is a sign to the birds and butterflies that this person may pass without harm. Any Rinaryn can walk toward the elves (it’s more complicated for other peoples), though they will certainly encounter flocks of birds and kaleidoscopes (or flights, if you prefer) of butterflies (all presenting no harm) as they approach. However, only those wearing the circlet or in the company of an elf of that Stand can walk outward from a Stand without the birds and butterflies pecking at them.
Rinaryn people who are sick or injured can come to the elves for care, but must give up some number of years of their life in service in return. Those who try to run will encounter the birds and butterflies, who will peck and slash at them with razor-sharp wings. These injuries won’t severly injure them, but the wounds tend to get infected and leave white-lined red scars, marking them as oathbreakers to the rest of their people. Many communities will endeavor to convince them to return to the elves for the sake of honor (and so future generations of Rinaryn may have the option of going to the elves), and if that doesn’t work, they may shun the oathbreaker.
This has let to the Rinaryn children’s song, well known among all Rinaryn communities:
“Pierces and slashes, pierces and slashes
White points marked with red rashes
Oathbreakers far, oathbreakers near
Run as you wish, you’re marked all your days”
Looking for more to read?
Winged Creatures Promo
This promo contains a collection of books featuring creatures with wings, obviously, in paranormal or fantasy genres. They might be faeries or angels or dragons or something else entirely. Some of these are romance with high heat levels, while others (like Windward) are no/low heat novels not centering a romantic aspect.
Dragons, Fantasy Riders, and Epic Adventures Promo
If you’re like me and there’s just no such thing as too many dragons, check out this promo. This one is all dragons, dragon riders, or riders of other fantasy creatures in epic/high fantasy or sword & sorcery genres. None of these books focus on romance, though it might be there in the background.
