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+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Science Fiction, Uncategorized, Writing

Copyright Infringement Imminent #Writing #Author #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

Hi Jim,

I don’t know what to do. I saw your blog recently and thought I’d ask here. Recently, I’ve seen some of my work appearing on a site where someone blogged it. I was planning on publishing that work on Amazon and this person appears to be giving it away for free while making AD revenue. What should I do?

Thanks,
Lillian

 

Hi Lillian,

First things first, remain calm. There is a lot here that needs to be considered. I am an attorney, so I can only give you a high-level overview here. Please don’t take what I say as legitimate legal advice.
First, do they just have your work in its entirety published on their site or are the putting snip-its of it up and doing commentary?

If its the latter, there may not be anything you can do. That may fall under fair use if they’re doing a parody or reviewing your work.

So what is fair use?

In short, per US copyright law, the doctrine of fair use allows that brief excerpts of copyright material may, under certain circumstances, be quoted verbatim for purposes such as criticism, news reporting, teaching, and research, without the need for permission from or payment to the copyright holder.

You’ll want to see if what they’ve done falls under that. If so, you can (politely) ask them to remove it. Most ethical writers will do so without argument… however they aren’t really under any obligation to. So do not be surprised if they refuse or do not respond.

Now if we’re talking about just stealing your story in its entirety and posting it, that’s something different all together. They are profiting off your work, hurting your profits, and they should not get away with that. One question I have is whether or not you have your work registered with the U.S Copyright Office?

This isn’t mandatory, but I usually tell people it is a good idea for a plethora of reasons.  Copyright protection technically exists from the moment the work is created in a tangible medium. However, registration provides a few important benefits, such as proof of ownership. Likely no court will hear your case, no will any site owner act on a claim without proof of ownership. So you’re likely going to need to do that first.

That said, before doing anything else… please, please, please, CONTACT A LAWYER!!! Get someone professional who knows the nuances of the law working for you. Do not do anything until you do. I cannot stress this enough. Any action, including contacting the perpetrator, could jeopardize your chances in court.

I hope this helps in some small way. Readers, do you have any further advice for Lillian? Let her know in the comments!

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have multiple published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

 

+

+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Opinion, Science Fiction, Writing

The Sound of Editing. #Writing #Author #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

So you all know my editing/proofing stages at this point:

  1. Getting all my thoughts down on paper.
  2. Organizing thoughts into a cohesive narrative
  3. Write out the first draft.
  4. Add details and meat to the first draft on second write through.
  5. Re-read first draft, make edits and rewrites to the plot and narrative.
  6. Begin writing second draft with new edits organized in.
  7. Re-read second draft and begin making spelling/grammar edits.
  8. Run through spell check and make edits as needed (be careful the spell check is dated software and not always the best correction software.
  9. Re-read to make sure edits make sense.
  10. Run through Grammarly. Make sure each chapter yields as few errors as possible.
  11. Pass your book off to beta readers.
  12. Make beta reader recommended changes as needed.
  13. Submit to agent for publishing or self publish.

That’s always been my recommendation. Lengthy, yes. Tedious, yes. Necessary? Absolutely. However, I’d like to add one more step which should go in before passing the book off to Beta readers.

MS Word has an awesome tool that will read your book to you. It’s not perfect, but if you choose the correct voice for you and the correct speed, you can make it sound almost human. Editing goes to a whole new level when you can hear your words read back to you. What sounds good in your head, and even reading it to yourself, doesn’t always translate well audibly. Running my most recent novels through this software before handing it off to a beta reader has greatly reduced the amount of errors that come back my way for correcting. I cannot recommend it enough.

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

+

+ Book, fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fantasy, literature, Religion, Writing

Destiny: Divinity’s Finale, Book 4, Chapter 1

by Unknown's avatar

Book 4

Dark Revelations

I

The next morning, Melisande woke up on the forecastle, once again sleeping on Baltazar’s shoulder. The last time this happened, her heart jumped and she panicked. This time, she didn’t move. She was comfortable and more relaxed. Baltazar was roused by her movements and smiled, “Good morning.”

“Good morning, though I wish it wasn’t so overcast.” she replied without moving.

Baltazar moved his legs as though he were preparing to stand up, “Forgive me, my lady… I should have put you back in the cabin last night. I’ll leave you be.”

“If you want,” Melisande replied softly, “but you don’t have to…”

Baltazar looked down at her, “You sure?”

She nodded, “I’m more relaxed right now than I have been in days. I know this has to end, but I would like it to last a little while longer… if you don’t mind of course.”

“I’m happy to oblige.” Baltazar replied. “Rest as long as you need to.”

As she nestled her head on Baltazar’s chest, she could hear the heart in his chest race when she closed her eyes. She was warm and completely at peace. It only lasted a few minutes, but it was all the time she needed.

The two were jolted awake by the grunting sounds of hung-over sailors returning from their night of debauchery. Baltazar stood up and smiled, “On deck you drunken pigs! We shove off at eight bells.”

Gilles put a hand to his head, “Please keep your voice down, Captain! My head be hurtin bad.”

Baltazar gave him a devious look, “Your ass is going to hurt a lot worse if you don’t man your station, Mr. Gilles!”

Gilles gave a sloppy salute as he headed for the helm, “Aye aye Captain…”

The rest of the men slowly boarded and headed to their posts. Baltazar shook his head, “No rest for the weary, men! All available hands to the braces, set top sails until we clear the harbor!”

The crew sluggishly came to life and got the ship moving. Within a few minutes, the cool sea breeze sobered them up and they worked like real seamen. The ship pulled out of the harbor and back into the Adriatic Sea. Baltazar nodded, “Full sail!”

He then turned to Gilles, “Thirty degrees to port, steer us north, northwest.”

Gilles nodded, “Aye sir!”

Gilles turned the wheel and the ship slowly responded by coming about. The wind hit the crimson sails hard as the ship pushed northwest. A few more hours passed as Baltazar watched Melisande up at the bow. If he didn’t have to worry about his ship, he would have been up there with her. There was an eerie silence covering the ship as they sailed closer to their destination.

Every eye on the ship was open, searching for some sign of the place they were looking for. Suddenly, the lookout called down to Baltazar from his post, “Land ho, directly ahead!”

Baltazar opened up his spyglass inspected the land that had appeared on the horizon. Papi had heard the signal and came up on deck. He saw Baltazar heading forward and followed behind, “Sir, I’ve sailed these waters before, a long time ago.”

Baltazar nodded, “Can you tell me anything about the land ahead?”

“Yes sir,” he replied, “It’s a narrow inlet, which runs all the way to the capital city. You might say it’s a barrier between the Adriatic Sea and the Laguna Veneta.”

“What do you suggest?” Baltazar asked inquisitively.

Papi took the spyglass from Baltazar and looked at the specific piece of land, “I would hold your course and pass through the barrier at the opening just south of that inlet. From there, navigate north, three degrees to starboard.”

Baltazar nodded and called to the back of the ship, “Gilles, hold your course. Get us through the pass into the Laguna Veneta.”

Gilles nodded, “Understood sir.”

Gilles held the ship steady on as she passed by the narrow inlet. Once they had cleared it and were safely into the Laguna Veneta, Baltazar looked back to Gilles, “Get us on a course, three degrees east.”

The wheel moved slowly as Gilles pushed it into position. The Black Vengeance turned and proceeded northeast. They held their course for another half an hour until the large island where the capital city was located appeared. Several small ships, mostly fishermen, could be seen on either side as they sailed into Venetian waters.

Baltazar stood next to Melisande on the forecastle and put his arm around her, “Welcome to the Kingdom of Venice.”

She smiled and was about to say something when they heard a cry from someone off the starboard bow. It appeared that one of the fishing boats was in distress. The man was calling out in Veneto, which no one onboard spoke, “You there, please, we need assistance! Please save us, our boat is taking on water.”

Baltazar shrugged, “Does anyone here speak Veneto?”

The crew all looked at each other sheepishly. Suddenly, Baltazar heard Melisande’s voice speaking it fluently, “We hear you, please be patient, we’ll come alongside!”

Both Papi and Baltazar looked at her strangely. She turned to him, “They need help. Their boat is sinking.”

Baltazar nodded, “Strike the sails, and bring us alongside.”

The Black Vengeance circled around them a few times to slow down before coming alongside the distressed fishing boat. Quickly, the crew pulled two waterlogged fishermen, including an elderly man, from the water. The first man nodded, “Thank God, you stopped. We could have drowned out here.”

Baltazar looked at Melisande, “What did they say?”

She nodded, “He said thank you.”

She turned back to the fisherman, “What happened to your boat?”

“I regret,” the man replied, “Our boat has seen much neglect. The fishing around here has been somewhat poor for a while now.”

Baltazar noticed the old man staring at her oddly, “Melisande…”

When she turned her attention to him, Baltazar gestured toward the old man. Melisande noticed it and nodded. She turned back to the first fisherman, “Who is this elderly man out here with you?”

“Oh, he is my grandfather,” the fisherman replied, “His name is Venerio and he’s been out this way for years and no matter how old he gets, refuses to stop fishing.”

Melisande turned to Venerio and knelt down next to him, “Is there something wrong, good sir? Do you know me?”

Venerio looked at her with his aged brown eyes and fought out one word, “Adaline…”

Baltazar’s eyes narrowed, “Melisande, what is going on, who is Adaline?”

“These two fishermen didn’t have the money to fix their boat, which is why it was taking on water,” she replied, “and I have no idea who Adaline is…”

She turned her attention back to the old man, “Who is Adaline, good sir?”

“Forgive me,” he replied, “you look exactly like someone I knew when I was a boy.”

“Who,” she asked, “Who was it?”

The man hesitated for a moment before responding, “Just south of the capital city, there is a small fishing village, where I grew up. It was a fairly poor area, but we all got by. I remember there was this one family… beautiful people they were. Always willing to give whatever they could and then some to help those around them. The woman of the house, Adaline, she looked exactly like you. I probably wouldn’t have even remembered until I saw your eyes. She had the exact same ones.”

Baltazar had a confused look on his face, “What is he saying?”

“Shh,” Melisande responded sternly, “I think I may be on to something here.”

“Please Venerio,” she replied pleadingly, “Whoever these people are, they may hold the key to answering questions about my past. Who was this family?”

The man thought for a moment, “The family name was Patrice… no, it was Patrisi, I’m certain of it.”

Baltazar recognized the one word ‘Patrisi’ and turned to Melisande as she sat back, “Do they know them? Do they know the Patrisis?”

“Yes…” she replied, “he knows them…”

“Well that’s great,” Baltazar said, “will they help us find it?”

Melisande turned to him, “Offer a spare longboat.”

“What?” Baltazar scoffed, “That’s a high price for a seaman.”

“These people are in distress!” She insisted. “If we just bring them ashore, they won’t be able to fend for themselves.”

She looked Baltazar in the eye, “You keep saying you want to repay the damage your family has done. Please don’t disappoint me by stopping at words.”

Baltazar sighed, “Fine, make them the offer.”

Melisande’s eyes lit up and kissed him on the cheek, “Thank you!”

She then turned back to the two fishermen, “We’re prepared to offer you safe passage to land, as well as a boat in exchange for guiding us to their home.”

The two fishermen looked at each other and then back at her, “We would be fools to reject such an offer. We would have taken you there for a lot less, but we are grateful for your aid.”

The two men stood on the aft castle with Melisande and Baltazar as they guided them to the small community on the southern tip of the island. The Black Vengeance rounded a rocky cliff. On the other side, a small harbor came into view. There were multiple small personal docks, as well as a large one for the town.

The elderly man pointed to a rundown looking one far to west, “There… that is where you will find the Patrisi home…”

Melisande nodded, “Thank you… I am grateful for your help.”

Before they left, Melisande remembered one last thing, “Forgive me, but might I trouble you for a little more information?”

“Of course, milady.” The younger fisherman replied. “What do you need to know?”

“Have you ever heard of Night Island?” She asked.

Baltazar thought he recognized the words ‘Night Island’ but he wasn’t sure. The fisherman nodded, “I don’t know why you would want to go there, but it’s directly south from this cove… be wary of that place.”

“Why?” she insisted.

The fisherman hesitated for a moment, but responded, “The sun never shines on that island, hence its name. There are also rumors that an insane monster lives there.”

Melisande nodded, “Thank you for your help.”

“Farewell,” the fisherman replied, “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

The men jumped into the boat that had been readied for them as it was lowered over the side. Once, the fishermen were clear, Baltazar turned to his men, “Bring up all sails except the top sails. This is a rocky area, I don’t want us running aground.”

Melisande joined him, “They told us how to get to Night Island too. It really is good fortune that we found such helpful people.”

“Good fortune…” Baltazar sighed. “I’ve always been told to be careful of such things. Often, they turn sour very quickly.”

Melisande frowned, “Don’t be such a cynic.”

**

Once the Black Vengeance disappeared from view, the younger fisherman turned to his grandfather, “You have done well old man, and I thank you!”

Venerio buried his face in his hands and wept. The younger fisherman smiled, “Thanks to you, my friend is getting closer to her destiny. Soon there will be no turning back.”

Slowly, the man knelt down behind Venerio, “Unfortunately, you’ve outlived your usefulness…”

Quickly, the young fisherman pulled a dagger out of his jacket, grabbed Venerio by the chin and stretched out his neck. In a quick flash, the man stabbed the knife into Venerio’s neck and cut along his throat. Blood spewed out in every direction as the old man fell limp.

The younger fisherman looked up, revealing bright red eyes that glowed as he looked towards the Patrisi home, “Soon my young friend… soon.”

Without another word, he vanished in a thick cloud of smoke.

**

The Black Vengeance rounded another formation of rocks. At the center of the small port the fishermen had sent them to, was a large rock formation poking up out of the sea. To their horror, when they got closer, Baltazar pointed out what appeared to be the wreckage of a large fishing boat. The hull had been smashed against the rocks and all that remained was a portion of the aft cabin.

At seeing the wreckage, Baltazar made up his mind, “No further, I won’t risk the ship, we row in from here. Drop anchor and lower the longboat.”

The crew went to work quickly to lower both the anchor and the boat. The sails were quickly tied up and the ship slowed to a halt. The crew got the longboat in position and lowered it into the water.

Baltazar climbed down the side taking Papi, Melisande, and Morgan with him. As they shoved off, Baltazar called back to the ship, “Take over, Mr. Gilles, you’re in charge until I get back.”

Gilles nodded, “Aye Captain.”

The men rowed slowly towards the shore. Melisande watched the boat on the rocks until the shore came into view. There was an old rickety pier that looked like it would collapse any day, at the end of which stood what looked like a lot of rubble. The overcast weather added a drery tone to the scene in front of her. She felt like she knew this place. It was something familiar to her, but it was also a source of sorrow. Waves of anguish rolled over her and she couldn’t figure out why.

As the boat neared the beach, she blacked out. Images flew through her head and shot in front of her eyes the moment the world disappeared from view. There was an angel with bandages wrapped over her eyes being questioned by a group of well-dressed men who were heavily armed. The tense scene was then replaced by an elderly priest, and a second angel with black wings.

More and more images flooded her mind. Images of people, who looked familiar to her, until suddenly she saw a large house that was in exactly the same place that they were approaching, explode into flame. She could hear the screams of at least two people echo in her mind and it finally brought her out of her trance, “No!”

Melisande fell over the side of the boat into the water. Her feet barely touched the ground as she pushed herself towards the shore. Baltazar jumped in the water after her, “Melisande!”

She continued to push with her arms and legs until she emerged from the water with a big splash. Not thinking, feeling, or hearing anyone, she ran towards the rubble. The look on her face was of complete panic.

Baltazar struggled to reach the shore and get to her. He could see her running frantically around the rubble, unable to make any sense of it. Tears were falling from her eyes as though she had just seen someone she loved get cut down right in front of her eyes.

Baltazar ran out of the surf and grabbed her, “Melisande!”

She fought back, kicking and trying to beat her way out of his grasp. The look on her face was of sheer panic, “No, mama, papa… please! God… please… not this.”

She collapsed in the sand crying. Her screams of agony were unlike anything he’d experienced before. He quickly dropped to his knees and held on to her as tightly as he could.

When Melisande finally regained control of her senses, she grasped a hold of Baltazar and would not let go. Baltazar could feel her fingernails digging into his flesh, but he did not care, “What is it Melisande?”

She sobbed for a few more moments before looking up at Baltazar. Papi and Morgan pulled the boat up on the shore and then Papi ran to her side, “Messy, are you okay?”

Both Papi and Baltazar were shocked to see her eyes turning bright red, “I… I can feel myself slipping away… the darkness is taking over. Stop it… please help me!”

Baltazar turned to Papi, “What is this, what is happening to her?”

Papi shook his head, “I don’t know… I’ve never seen her like this before.”

Melisande began to foam at the mouth as her eyes glowed brighter red. Baltazar shook his head, “She’s burning up!”

Desperate, he took off his wet shirt and dabbed her forehead to cool her down. She began shaking and the foam continued to drip from her mouth. Without thinking, Baltazar wiped her mouth and glared at her, “Melisande, stop this!”

He quickly crossed himself and kissed her. Her eyes closed and she stopped shaking. Her body temperature began to drop and her breathing returned to normal. She reached up and grasped the back of his neck, holding him in place.

Papi watched the whole thing and waiting with his heart in his throat. God…

Finally, the two released each other, allowing Melisande to take in a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, they were their original bright blue, but there were still tears falling. Baltazar took another breath and looked at her, “Are you okay?”

She grabbed a hold of Baltazar again, “I… I was born here. I saw the whole thing play out in my mind.”

“What happened?” He asked.

“Something…” She said with a shudder. “Something that can only be described as the physical embodiment of evil appeared and did this…”

Morgan looked over the rubble, “Whatever did this was thorough, ye wouldn’t be knowing this was a house just by looking at it. It be so badly demolished that no one bothered to rebuild it.”

“There was no one left to rebuild it.” Melisande replied. “It killed Mama and Papa… they were all that was left… it killed my family.”

Baltazar looked over at Papi, “Did you know anything about this?”

“No.” Papi insisted.

“Mr. Clement,” Baltazar replied sternly, “I’ll ask you one more time…”

Papi glared at him, “On my life, I had no idea that the church knew about this. I never would have kept it from her if I had. I was a simple cook at the abbey! Sister Mary never told me anything.”

“Enough,” Melisande yelled, “no one knew about this with the exception of Sister Mary and other people from the church. Most of whom are probably dead now, so there is no point in fighting about it!”

Baltazar helped Melisande to her feet, “Now there can be no doubt about it… I am the last of the Patrisis… that is my family name.”

Baltazar nodded, “Nice to meet you, Lady Patrisi.”

Melisande forced a half smile and looked up to Baltazar with a pleading look in her eyes, “I want to leave… there is nothing left for me here. I want to go and never come back…”

“Not a problem.” Baltazar replied. “Where do you want to go?”

“I… I don’t know.” She replied. “The fishermen warned me of an insane monster living on Night Island. It could be the one that killed my family. Would I be foolish to want to avenge them? Would it be wrong to risk subjecting myself to further tormet?”

“It is totally up to you.” Baltazar said in a calm tone. “If you want to go back to raiding ships, we can. If you want to go to Night Island, I will take you there, and no matter what you find, no matter what you have to confront, I will remain by your side.”

Melisande was touched by his words, “You really mean that, don’t you?”

Baltazar looked her straight in the eye and nodded, “Yes.”

Melisande threw her arms around Baltazar and kissed him. When she finally let him out of her grip, she smiled widely, “That, Baltazar, is what works for me.”

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

+

+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Opinion, Science Fiction, Writing

The Ins and Outs of Publishing, A Directory of Advice. #Writing #Author #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

Okay, so it looks like I’m still getting a lot of publishing questions. These are recurrent questions I get on a regular basis, and while I want to try to respond to everyone who reaches out to me, I don’t want my blog becoming redundant. So I think I’m going to repost this on a weekly basis from now on to help people navigate the publishing world. I don’t really see another way around it.

So if you have questions regarding publishing, PLEASE check below to see if any of this helps you before reaching out. I’m always happy to help, but I may have already answered your question.

Publishing is a tough road to navigate. Please check out the links below. These are previous posts I’ve made about the ins and outs of publishing. They should be of assistance in your journey:

Am I Ready To Publish? This is a must read BEFORE even considering starting the process. I can’t tell you how many authors burned bridges by not being ready.

Editing… There is a Cost That Must be Paid… or is There? You can skip this one if you’ve already had your writing edited (by someone other than you!). However, I’d still recommend reading.

Getting Published… the basics… In this post, we explore traditional publishing vs. self-publishing. Here you’ll get the pros on cons of each and the steps you need to go through in order to be successful in either.

Finally…

Copyrighting my Writing. Am I Protected? This isn’t required reading… however, if you’re concerned about plagiarism, or in the future may need to file a copyright claim, I recommend giving it a read.

Feeling overwhelmed yet? I’d be surprised if you didn’t. The only sage advice I can offer you other than the documents above is simple…

  1. Do not give up. A million “No’s” suddenly become irrelevant if you get that one “yes”.
  2. People will tell you that everyone and their mother wants to publish a book. You’re up against insurmountable odds and a flooded market. This is false. You’re not up against everyone and their mother. Permit me the luxury and I’ll prove this mathematically: First of all, take the entire group of people who want to get published. Now take that number and reduce it by roughly 60%. You just eliminated all the people who want to get something published, but don’t have the time, ability, drive, or inspiration to write. Next, eliminate another 20%. You’ve now taken down all the people who can put pen to paper but can’t afford the time/money to put the work into advertising and getting published. Eliminate another 10% who can’t take criticism and thus aren’t going to be able to get their writing properly edited. Now eliminate another 5% either don’t have the patience for or get discouraged by receiving a series of “No’s” from publishers.
    Now take that last 5% and eliminate all of them, except you. Why? Because they’re irrelevant. You have your writing and they have there’s. Whether or not you get published and how successful you are isn’t about other people’s writing. Yes, in the end, it’s you against one person, you. Whether or not I’ll ever get to buy your book off the shelf depends on you; how much time, effort, and funds you’re willing to put into your writing. So make it good!

Let’s open it up to the floor. Readers, do you have any publishing advice for our friend here? Let her know in the comments!

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

+

+ Book, fantasy, Fiction, News, Uncategorized, Writing

Drakin, where to buy, and what’s next? #Writing #Fantasy #SciFi

by Unknown's avatar

Hello all!

I hope everyone has enjoyed The Drakin Series!! Please don’t forget to leave me a review on Amazon once you’re done. That really helps me out a lot.

Copies of these books, as well as my others, can be purchased on Amazon by following this link:

James Harrington’s Author Page

They’re also available at Barnes and Noble, as well as many other places where books are sold!

Please feel free to like and reblog this post. Word of mouth helps us writers out a lot!

Drakin: The Story of Raiya

Book Synopsis:
‘ “Abomination, freak, monster…”  You get used to names like these when you have yellow eyes, horns, and scales, but Raiya could have really cared less.

After being forced into exile because of her appearance, Raiya’s mind has been focused on one goal; hunting down the dragon lord that killed her parents. For over thirty years, humanity has been locked in a struggle for survival against a race of dragons that had fallen from the heavens. They took everything from her and consumed the planet in a fierce war. Humanity’s numbers are quickly dwindling, leaving her few options in the way of allies.

What she doesn’t know is that her journey will strike at the very heart of the Red War and uncover truths about her past that she may not want to know. Can she finish what she started while coming to terms with the truths of her origin? ‘

Drakin: The Orphans of Haven

Book Synopsis:

The Red War may be over, but not all wounds have healed. For Sergeant Radley Zall, the nightmares never end. After years of struggling for survival, he finds himself in a dead end job, deporting wayward dragons to the Exclusion Zone. The horrors of his past have left him a broken man, slowing killing himself in a bottle of whiskey. It’s a wearying existence that many former soldiers have been subject to since the war ended, but for Radley, that is all about to change. Throughout his life, Radley’s hatred of dragons has been unmatched until one evening when a small one shows up on his doorstep. The pathetic creature is emaciated and begging for shelter. Her appearance reminds him of his younger self, compelling him to help her. That uncharacteristic decision forces him to confront his past actions— some of which may have contributed to a sinister plot to reignite the Red War and wipe out the few remaining dragons on Earth.

DRAKIN: An Empire of Ashes

 

Synopsis:

Two hundred years have passed, and the Red War has become a distant memory for most. Dragons and humans now live together in peace… but one powerful woman who has been deranged by her own history unleashes her vengeance on a helpless population.

Now, the world’s only hope for survival rests with Kaori, a naïve and wayward princess of the Eastern Empire. Having been disillusioned with her mother’s rule, she discovers a dark secret about her family that will change the course of history forever. She soon crosses paths with Nayeli and Joaquim, a pair of rogues living within her borders.

Their fight for survival takes an unexpected turn as a shadow of from the past reveals that the situation is more dangerous than they know. The fate of billions of lives rests on these three unlikely companions putting aside their differences to stand against the world.

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

+

+ Book, fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fantasy, literature, Religion, Writing

Destiny: Divinity’s Finale, Book 3, Chapter 5

by Unknown's avatar

V

 

Melisande woke up the next morning in the cabin of the Black Vengeance. There was another set of clothes waiting for her. A new blouse, vest, and trousers sat folded on the edge of the bed. While these weren’t as fashionable as the ones Baltazar left for her before, they would allow her to be feminine while at the same time functional. She quickly changed into the lighter clothes and made her way on to the deck.

To her amazement, the ship looked almost totally different. The hull had been painted black with a brown trim, and was now equipped with red sails. The name on the side and the back was painted in gold. The helm had been replaced with a brand new one with a shiny finish on it and the cannons had been polished. The crews were finishing up the deck repairs and moving on to the lower hull damage.

Baltazar walked up next to her as she emerged from the cabin, “How do you like the Black Vengeance?”

Melisande shook her head, “It’s like a whole new ship…”

“Don’t worry,” Baltazar replied, “it’s still the same one, I assure you.”

“So why all the changes,” Melisande asked. “She seemed functional as she was.”

Baltazar frowned, “Well for one, we’ve got two major powers coming after us, and for two, Jaspart was a rather cheap man. This ship was in desperate need of updating to more than just her armament.”

Melisande looked around with her eyes open wide, “Well I’d say you’ve done a splendid job, the ship looks completely different.”

“Well thank you,” Baltazar replied, “I’m glad she meets with your approval.”

Melisande’s face turned serious, “Baltazar… listen… about last night…”

“Yes?” Baltazar asked as he gave her his complete attention.

“What you did for me…” she replied hesitantly, “It was really sweet. You made me feel like I belong here.”

Baltazar smiled, “You’re one of us. You do belong here.”

“I know that now,” she replied, “and I appreciate all of you and your crew’s help.”

Suddenly, a panicked cry came from the yardarm, “Sail ho!”

Baltazar’s eyes narrowed, “What…?”

He looked up at the crow’s nest with an annoyed expression, “Lookout, of course you’re seeing sails, you’re in a harbor for God’s sake!”

The lookout nodded, “Sorry sir, should have been more specific… it’s the galleass sir, coming in directly astern.”

Melisande followed Baltazar as he franticly scrambled to the aft castle. He grabbed the spyglass as Morgan joined them. He looked through and saw the ship coming in, “This can’t be… we shook them off in the fog.”

He turned to Morgan, “What’s the status of the repairs?”

“All the external damage has been repaired,” Morgan replied, “We’re just replacing a few of the braces below deck.”

“Anything we can’t repair at sea?” Baltazar asked.

“No sir.” He replied. “The crew is all back aboard and we’re fully resupplied. The support isn’t a crucial one either. Replacing it will be easy.”

“Then release the mooring lines and get us underway.” Baltazar ordered. “I want full sail. Make it happen and make it happen now.”

Melisande looked at him worried, “But Baltazar, wouldn’t they be able to blow us out of the water the moment we passed through the harbor entrance?”

“They could, yes.” He replied. “That’s why we need to hope that all the work we did on our ship wasn’t for nothing.”

Baltazar turned to another nearby crewman, “Make sure the name on the back and sides are covered. I doubt they saw either, but you never know.”

The new sails came down quickly as the crew struggled to get the ship moving. Melisande looked in awe at the beautiful crimson color that now adorned the masts. The ship pulled away from the dock and moved out into the harbor.

Baltazar ran over and grabbed the helm from Gilles, “Go and help get this ship moving.”

Gilles nodded and disappeared into the chaos on deck. Melisande watched as Baltazar placed his hands on the helm gently as though saying, ‘It’s okay, I’m here now.’

The ship began to pull away from the dock as the wind caught her sails. Melisande grabbed on to the hand rail to prevent falling backwards as the ship picked up speed. As the last mooring lines were cast off, the Black Vengeance made her way out into the harbor. Melisande watched from the back of the boat as the beautiful city slowly grew smaller. Someday, she thought, I would love to come back here.

The Black Vengeance reached the cove where the harbor met the open ocean. Here, they came face to face with their pursuers. They got so close that they could see the name on the side Le Terrible. Baltazar and Melisande ducked down to get out of sight. They could hear the groans of condemned men rowing the opposing ship as they passed. The sounds seemed to pain Melisande as they passed by. The two crews eyed each other suspiciously as the Black Vengeance exited the harbor.

Jaspart looked at the ship suspiciously. It looked like his ship, but it couldn’t possibly be. It looked almost completely different and the idea that a pirate would waste so much time and money to alter a ship that much was ludicrous. Not wanting to alarm his already suspicious host with possibly false information, Jaspart kept it to himself.

Once they were in open water, Baltazar nodded and handed the helm over to Gilles, “Well now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“Aye Captain,” Gilles replied, “but how could they have found us so quickly?”

Baltazar shrugged, “Sheer luck, or maybe their captain is a better tracker than I gave him credit. Either way, we’ve evaded them again, so I wouldn’t think too hard on it.”

Gilles nodded, “Not a bad idea, Captain.”

“Capitaine!” A voice cried out from the deck.

Batlazar turned to see that it was one of the original crewmen of the Black Vengeance, “What it is mate?”

“Monsieur, I can’t be certain, but I thought I saw our old capitaine over there.” He replied nervously.

Baltazar’s blood ran cold, “That’s impossible, I ran him through with my sword. I saw him fall over the side! He’s dead.”

The man shrugged, “I’m sorry, mon Capitaine, I’m just telling you what I saw.”

“I see…” Baltazar replied. “If it was him, that will complicate things.”

He thought about it for a minute before returning his attention to the crewman, “Thank you, crewman, back to your duties.”

The crewman nodded, “Oui, Capitaine.”

Gilles shook his head, “If Jaspart be on us, we’d best be putting some distance between us and them. I think I can coax a little more wind out of the sails.”

As he headed for the deck, Baltazar turned to Melisande who hadn’t moved since they passed by the Le Terrible. He came up behind her and looked out onto the ocean, “From here it should be about a weeklong voyage, weather permitting of course, but we should arrive in Venice before too long.”

When Melisande didn’t respond, Baltazar placed his hand on her shoulder and turned her around to face him, “Are you okay?”

Her face revealed an angered expression and tears in her eyes. Baltazar pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped the tears away, “What is it?”

“The Le Terrible…”she replied, “where do they get the men to row that ship?”

Baltazar’s lips twisted as he responded, “They’re usually condemned criminals, but they can also be captured enemy sailors and slaves.”

Melisande didn’t know how to react. She was teetering between rage and despair and both were easily seen on her face, “There must be at least a hundred people over there!”

“Aye,” Baltazar replied softly, “with replacements and such, I would think considerably more than that.”

“What a horrible thing to do!” She shouted, “What kind of a country would do that?”

“Pretty much any significant naval power,” Baltazar responded calmly, “Spain and France have done it on several of their ships. The thought is that it’s a much better way to get cheap, or in this case, free labor. Since most of those men were condemned to death, some would view this as merciful.”

Melisande shook her head, “A short time rowing might change their minds.”

“Probably,” Baltazar agreed, “but keep in mind, many of these men are there for a justified reason. Many of them are murderers and rapists who, in my opinion at least, belong there.”

She thought about it for a moment and nodded, “I suppose, but that doesn’t make it any easier to listen to.”

“No it doesn’t,” Baltazar nodded, “but there is very little we can do about it. Why are you so concerned for them, if I may ask?”

Melisande was about to respond when she stopped dead in her tracks. She had no idea why it bothered her so much. She’d read about the suffering of others, but it never impacted her like this, “I… I don’t know. I’ve never been like this before. Stories of atrocities never gripped me like this… Maybe it’s actually seeing it up close…”

“Or maybe you’re changing.” Baltazar added. “Whatever you did on the Specter may be affecting you in more ways than you know.”

“Maybe.” Melisande replied.

She quickly turned back to face the ocean and leaned back onto Baltazar’s chest for support, “I’m afraid, Baltazar… this is becoming dangerous.”

“What frightens you?” he asked.

She lowered her eyes, “Many things… If anything wer to happen to all of you, I don’t think I could forgive myself. You’ve all become dear to me in the short time that we’ve known each other. What am I risking just to find out what may be better off left a secret?”

“There is always that risk.” Baltazar replied. “In the end you simply have to decide what is easier to live with; the unknown, or knowing something bad.”

Melisande turned back to face him, “What about you?” She asked. “Would you be better off not knowing your connection to the House of Habsburg?”

Baltazar sucked in a deep breath and thought about it for a moment. Finally, he smiled and shook his head, “No, I would not be better off not knowing, because that knowledge made me what I am. I’m happy that I know who my father is, because if I didn’t, I couldn’t defy him. Knowing where I come from enables me to do what I think is right. I may be related to the Habsburgs, but they are not who I am. It’s because of that knowledge that I now stand before you in command of a mighty ship.”

“That’s true,” Melisande said thoughtfully, “and actually makes a lot of sense. Knowing who you are prompted you to choose the life you did. You realized that you didn’t have to be like the rest of them. You chose a life that you find fulfilling and makes you happy.”

“Exactly,” Baltazar replied, “a Habsburg may be what I am, but it’s not who I am, and in the end, what you are, isn’t nearly as important as who you are.”

Melisande nodded thoughtfully, “Yes… yes, that is very true! Thank you Baltazar, you are absolutely right.”

“Glad I could be of use.” Baltazar said cheerfully. “So the question now is what do you want to do? If you want, I can turn the Black Vengeance around and we can go back to raiding Spanish ships.”

“No,” Melisande replied adamantly, “if it’s okay with you and the crew… I would like to continue. Sister Mary and the good people at the abbey died to keep my secret safe. It would be a disservice to them to turn back now.”

“Good,” Baltazar said confidently, “I already spoke to the crew; they are all onboard with this so you don’t need to worry about that.”

“Thank you.” She replied. “Thank you all.”

*

The next week passed by uneventfully for the most part. There was no sign of the Le Terrible, and most of the crew assumed that she was still patrolling the waters around Spain and France. The Black Vengeance kept to the coast as they sailed. The last bit of land they would see for days came into view when they passed through the Strait of Gibraltar.

Baltazar smiled as the land disappeared behind them, “Goodbye Spain.”

Within a few short hours, they broke loose into the Alboran Sea. By the next day’s end, they were in the Balearic Sea. By the third day, the crew sited Sardinia.

Melisande couldn’t escape the feeling that she had been this way before. The feeling grew stronger as they passed through the Tyrrhenian Sea and passed by Messina. There was some discussion about stopping, but they still had enough supplies to go on and decided against it.

By the fifth day, the crew was growing restless. Baltazar could see it in their eyes. They would never say such a thing out loud as they were men of honor and were loyal to Baltazar, but they were in need of a break. They hadn’t touched land in quite a while and most weren’t used to long voyages.

Less than a day away from Venice, Baltazar ordered his ship to put about in Ravenna to give his men a break. He divided up one of his shares from a previous voyage and sent the men on their way.  Gilles and Morgan departed together.

Baltazar stopped them at the walkway, “Don’t you two get yourselves into any trouble now, I want you back here tomorrow at high noon.”

Gilles smiled, “Aye Captain, don’t worry, I’ll get this old bastard back in one piece.”

“Like hell,” Morgan replied, “don’t be assuming that just because ye be younger then I that ye’ll be drinking me under the table!”

Gilles laughed, “Hey captain, why don’t ye come have a drink with us, like old times!”

Baltazar looked back to see Melisande staring off into the northern sky. She was alone and deep in though. It almost seemed like something was reaching out to her from the north.

Baltazar decided that it was probably not a good idea to leave her alone and shook his head, “Next time.”

Both men saluted as they left the ship. Baltazar shook his head and smiled as he walked the length of his deserted ship and joined Melisande on the forecastle, “Are you okay?”

She glanced back at him with a faint smile and nodded, “I can feel it… the land to the north of here, it calls to me. The answers I’m looking for are waiting for me there.”

Baltazar placed his hand on her arms just below her shoulders and gently squeezed. She looked down to see them and raised her right hand to touch his left, “I’m sorry Baltazar, I probably won’t be good company tonight. You probably should go with you men and have some fun at the taverns.”

From the ship, they could hear the sounds of loud, drunken, laughter. Baltazar shook his head, “No thank you… I’ve had my fill of tavern girls.”

“If you are sure,” she replied, “I know you enjoy spending time with your men.”

“Aye, they’re a fun group,” Baltazar nodded, “but right now, this feels like where I should be. It’s where I want to be.”

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

+

+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Opinion, Science Fiction, Writing

The Ins and Outs of Publishing, A Directory of Advice. #Writing #Author #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

Okay, so it looks like I’m still getting a lot of publishing questions. These are recurrent questions I get on a regular basis, and while I want to try to respond to everyone who reaches out to me, I don’t want my blog becoming redundant. So I think I’m going to repost this on a weekly basis from now on to help people navigate the publishing world. I don’t really see another way around it.

So if you have questions regarding publishing, PLEASE check below to see if any of this helps you before reaching out. I’m always happy to help, but I may have already answered your question.

Publishing is a tough road to navigate. Please check out the links below. These are previous posts I’ve made about the ins and outs of publishing. They should be of assistance in your journey:

Am I Ready To Publish? This is a must read BEFORE even considering starting the process. I can’t tell you how many authors burned bridges by not being ready.

Editing… There is a Cost That Must be Paid… or is There? You can skip this one if you’ve already had your writing edited (by someone other than you!). However, I’d still recommend reading.

Getting Published… the basics… In this post, we explore traditional publishing vs. self-publishing. Here you’ll get the pros on cons of each and the steps you need to go through in order to be successful in either.

Finally…

Copyrighting my Writing. Am I Protected? This isn’t required reading… however, if you’re concerned about plagiarism, or in the future may need to file a copyright claim, I recommend giving it a read.

Feeling overwhelmed yet? I’d be surprised if you didn’t. The only sage advice I can offer you other than the documents above is simple…

  1. Do not give up. A million “No’s” suddenly become irrelevant if you get that one “yes”.
  2. People will tell you that everyone and their mother wants to publish a book. You’re up against insurmountable odds and a flooded market. This is false. You’re not up against everyone and their mother. Permit me the luxury and I’ll prove this mathematically: First of all, take the entire group of people who want to get published. Now take that number and reduce it by roughly 60%. You just eliminated all the people who want to get something published, but don’t have the time, ability, drive, or inspiration to write. Next, eliminate another 20%. You’ve now taken down all the people who can put pen to paper but can’t afford the time/money to put the work into advertising and getting published. Eliminate another 10% who can’t take criticism and thus aren’t going to be able to get their writing properly edited. Now eliminate another 5% either don’t have the patience for or get discouraged by receiving a series of “No’s” from publishers.
    Now take that last 5% and eliminate all of them, except you. Why? Because they’re irrelevant. You have your writing and they have there’s. Whether or not you get published and how successful you are isn’t about other people’s writing. Yes, in the end, it’s you against one person, you. Whether or not I’ll ever get to buy your book off the shelf depends on you; how much time, effort, and funds you’re willing to put into your writing. So make it good!

Let’s open it up to the floor. Readers, do you have any publishing advice for our friend here? Let her know in the comments!

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

+

+ Book, fantasy, Fiction, News, Uncategorized, Writing

Drakin, where to buy, and what’s next? #Writing #Fantasy #SciFi

by Unknown's avatar

Hello all!

I hope everyone has enjoyed The Drakin Series!! Please don’t forget to leave me a review on Amazon once you’re done. That really helps me out a lot.

Copies of these books, as well as my others, can be purchased on Amazon by following this link:

James Harrington’s Author Page

They’re also available at Barnes and Noble, as well as many other places where books are sold!

Please feel free to like and reblog this post. Word of mouth helps us writers out a lot!

Drakin: The Story of Raiya

Book Synopsis:
‘ “Abomination, freak, monster…”  You get used to names like these when you have yellow eyes, horns, and scales, but Raiya could have really cared less.

After being forced into exile because of her appearance, Raiya’s mind has been focused on one goal; hunting down the dragon lord that killed her parents. For over thirty years, humanity has been locked in a struggle for survival against a race of dragons that had fallen from the heavens. They took everything from her and consumed the planet in a fierce war. Humanity’s numbers are quickly dwindling, leaving her few options in the way of allies.

What she doesn’t know is that her journey will strike at the very heart of the Red War and uncover truths about her past that she may not want to know. Can she finish what she started while coming to terms with the truths of her origin? ‘

Drakin: The Orphans of Haven

Book Synopsis:

The Red War may be over, but not all wounds have healed. For Sergeant Radley Zall, the nightmares never end. After years of struggling for survival, he finds himself in a dead end job, deporting wayward dragons to the Exclusion Zone. The horrors of his past have left him a broken man, slowing killing himself in a bottle of whiskey. It’s a wearying existence that many former soldiers have been subject to since the war ended, but for Radley, that is all about to change. Throughout his life, Radley’s hatred of dragons has been unmatched until one evening when a small one shows up on his doorstep. The pathetic creature is emaciated and begging for shelter. Her appearance reminds him of his younger self, compelling him to help her. That uncharacteristic decision forces him to confront his past actions— some of which may have contributed to a sinister plot to reignite the Red War and wipe out the few remaining dragons on Earth.

DRAKIN: An Empire of Ashes

 

Synopsis:

Two hundred years have passed, and the Red War has become a distant memory for most. Dragons and humans now live together in peace… but one powerful woman who has been deranged by her own history unleashes her vengeance on a helpless population.

Now, the world’s only hope for survival rests with Kaori, a naïve and wayward princess of the Eastern Empire. Having been disillusioned with her mother’s rule, she discovers a dark secret about her family that will change the course of history forever. She soon crosses paths with Nayeli and Joaquim, a pair of rogues living within her borders.

Their fight for survival takes an unexpected turn as a shadow of from the past reveals that the situation is more dangerous than they know. The fate of billions of lives rests on these three unlikely companions putting aside their differences to stand against the world.

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

+

+ Book, fantasy, Fiction, News, Uncategorized, Writing

Favorite Piece? #Writing #Fantasy #SciFi

by Unknown's avatar

Hello all!

I actually got a question recently, asking which of my books is my favorite. For the longest time, I always said Gravestalker because… well, it was the most fun to write out of all of them. It was the conclusion to my first successful series and I do go back to reread it every now and then. The Magnifica series was a fun story that was little more than romp through a traditional fantasy world made modern. 

10488089_813005665398863_7863809846744532663_n

However, that really changed in the last few years. When I began writing the Drakin series, I had an idea and a direction I wanted to take it… Sadly, to get from Point A to Point C, I required a Point B… and I really didn’t have a plan for that. Honestly, my weak point was always doing mid-point stories that were coherent and more than a placeholder. So I started working on a filler story to put in the middle… and had no enthusiasm for it whatsoever. It was a throwaway and nothing more.

The idea would be a simple story of a broken-down soldier that’s lost his way. He finds a reason to keep on going in a damsel in distress. His life regains his meaning as he once again has something to fight for. That damsel was a young dragoness named Nylie.

I feel that I should reiterate that I had no enthusiasm for this book, nor the characters in it. They were archetypes that I’d worked on for other stories. They weren’t fleshed out, and they didn’t really have much in the way of appealing traits. 
Radley was an alcoholic and a speciesist (racism for different species, yes I know I just made up a word). Albeit, he had a reason for his hatred that, if nothing else, was understandable.
Nylie was little more than cartoon damsel in distress. She had no real personality other than being someone for the hero to protect and win over through great deeds.

Then… something happened. The characters slowly began to grow and take on a life of their own with intertwined destinies. Their stories became more developed and personalities grew where there previously hadn’t been any.
The biggest changes were made to the damsel. I eventually changed her name from Nylie to Qira and… in addition, she grew into something more than just a simple damsel in distress. Instead of just being something for him to fight for, she became the cornerstone of his transformation into a new man. Not only that, but her character really took center stage in the primary conflict. She also grew, changed, and became stronger for knowing Radley. You can actually make the case that she eventually replaces Radley as the main character… or at least shares the stage with him.

Since then, she’s made appearances in each of the novels that followed. She’s kind of become the mascot of the series, and I actually still get fan mail about her from that book, which is definitely something I didn’t expect.

So honestly… yeah, The Orphans of Haven is probably the best novel I wrote, which is amazing when you think about how it started. Nothing about how this novel turned out was originally what I had intended or thought would happen, but I couldn’t be happier with the result. 

drakin-orphans-of-haven-poster-final

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

+

+ Book, fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fantasy, literature, Religion, Writing

Destiny: Divinity’s Finale, Book 3, Chapter 4

by Unknown's avatar

IV

 

Time went by slowly on the Black Vengeance as Baltazar counted it. When the hour finally came to a close, Papi came back up on deck, “Bad news Captain.”

Baltazar nodded, “Well I expected we’d have more than our fair share of it. What’s the matter?”

“It looks like Jaspart was scraping the bottom of his holds in order to catch us.” Papi replied. “We’ve enough left for maybe two days.”

“I see.” Baltazar replied while deep in thought. “We’ll have to put about then. That’ll also give us time to repair the damage this ship took from the Specter’s guns.”

Gilles turned to Baltazar with a nervous expression, “Put about sir? We’re sailing through Spanish waters, if we put in to a port along the coast…”

“I know,” Baltazar interrupted, “we’re being hunted by two major powers in the area… fortunately Portugal isn’t one of them.”

Morgan smiled, “Viana do Castelo is it?”

Baltazar returned his smile with a nod, “Aye, Viana do Castelo. I spent some time there when I was younger. It’s a large port city where a lot of adventurers sail from. Their merchants and dock masters don’t ask a lot of questions, so we should be fine.”

He then turned back to Gilles, “The hour is up, turn hard to port and steer us a course south, southeast.”

Gilles nodded and brought the ship around. The Black Vengeance listed slightly to port as they turned sharply. Once Baltazar was certain that they were going the right way, he turned back to Gilles, “Rudder amidships.”

The Black Vengeance quickly righted herself and began her voyage south. Baltazar looked behind him. He couldn’t see the French ship, but he could hear thundering explosions off in the distance.

Morgan turned his attention to the noise, “They’re firing at us?”

“They must think we’re not very smart.” Baltazar replied. “They’re firing blindly either hoping against hope to hit us or scare us into doing something stupid.”

He shook his head as he turned back to Gilles, “Amateurs… hold your course Mr. Gilles.”

Gilles nodded, “Aye Captain!”

Once Baltazar was satisfied that they were safe, he turned his attention away from their French pursuers. Though it was hard to see anything, he was able to pick out Melisande standing at the bow of the ship. Her face appeared to be directed downward toward some of the battle damage. A shot from the Specter had ripped up part of the aft railing on the forecastle of the ship.

Baltazar made his way down the starboard walkway to the forecastle. It was a bit of a squeeze getting around the deck guns Jaspart had added, but he managed to do so without running into anyone. The extra cannon limited the Black Vengeance’s cargo space. At one point, this ship would have only carried three cannons on either side, but the hull had been modified by a skilled shipyard to carry double the armaments on the gun deck, as well as three deck cannons on either side. Muzzle loading swivel guns had also been added to fore and aft castles.

This extra armament gave the Black Vengeance a rather cluttered feel. In addition, she also had to give up significant cargo space for the powder magazine. It was a hefty price for the extra protection, but Baltazar still considered it a fair trade as she still had far more cargo space then the Specter.

Baltazar climbed the small stairway to the deck of the forecastle. He made his way over to Melisande, when he noticed that she had a look of despair on her face. Once he was close enough, he placed his hand on her back and caressed her gently, “Everything okay?”

“No,” she replied, “everything is far from okay.”

Baltazar turned to face her, “What is it?”

“What is it?” She yelled. “Are you jesting? All the people I know and love with the exception of Papi, are dead. There is a chance that my home is far away from here, and that is where we are heading. It also appears that some inhuman creature is after me… I would think ‘what is wrong’ would be obvious, even to a ruffian like you!”

The moment the words left her lips, she regretted them. She was under a lot of stress, but Baltazar was only trying to help and didn’t deserve it. She lowered her eyes and calmed her voice as she spoke, “I’m sorry… I… I didn’t mean that.”

“It’s okay.” Baltazar replied. “Look, I know it’s not Mont Saint Michel, but you do have a home here with us. You will always be welcomed aboard the Black Vengeance.”

Melisande nodded, “I know… and to be honest, it’s what I’ve wanted since I was a child, reading about the discoveries of others, but I didn’t think my freedom would come at such a high price.”

“You can’t blame yourself.” Baltazar insisted. “You had no knowledge of whom or what you are. Perhaps if the people in the abbey had not hidden the truth from you for so long, things might have turned out different. Perhaps then you could have come up with a more careful plan to gain your freedom.”

“Maybe,” she said softly, “we’ll never know.”

She turned to face Baltazar and threw her arms around him, “Thank you for everything you’ve done. For a scoundrel, you’re pretty wonderful.”

Normally, Baltazar shied away from affections like this. He didn’t like anything that resulted in the formation of attachments, however something was different with Mel. When she touched him, it was as though something was obstructing his breathing. Within seconds, he could feel his lungs aching as he struggled to focus his breathing. His heart was racing and a warm feeling came over his skin.

Slowly, his arms went around her and his hands pressed on her back, “Don’t mention it.”

When Melisande finally released him, she looked out into the pale gray fog, “So we’re heading to Venice then to look for this Patrisi?”

“Eventually.” Baltazar replied. “We need to resupply first, so we’re going to put in at a Portuguese port. It may take a day or two to fix everything.”

Melisande nodded, “I’ve waited my whole life to find answers to the questions of my existence. I can wait a few more days.”

Baltazar smiled, “Good.”

*

The fog cleared around the Black Vengeance as she sailed south. The sun began its descent behind the horizon. The sky turned from blue to purple as the clouds turned from white to red. Almost ten hours had passed since they evaded the French galleass and, to the relief of the crew, Viana do Castelo came into view.

Baltazar stood with Morgan and Melisande on the forecastle. He kept a tight grip on his spyglass as he spoke, “It’s truly a sweet feeling whenever we make port. The men are restless, the goods are plentiful, the tavern wenches…”

Suddenly, he remembered Melisande was standing behind him, “Uh…”

“The tavern wenches… what?” Melisande asked with an evil grin. “Go on, finish the sentence.”

“The tavern wenches… are…” Baltazar stammered, trying to find the right words, “are ready to engage us in stimulating conversation!”

“Is that so?” Melisande asked musingly. “Very interesting, considering I’ve yet to meet a so-called ‘tavern wench’ capable of such conversation. Most of the time they’re just going on about how drunk you’ve gotten them.”

Baltazar shrugged, “Well you have met…”

“Save it.” She interrupted as she turned and left the forecastle.

Baltazar watched as she disappeared into the cabin. He turned back to see Morgan with a wide grin on his face. Baltazar glared at him, “All right, all right, wipe that grin off your face and get back to work!”

Morgan shook his head as he turned and walked to the aft castle. He worked on some of the rigging as they prepared to bring their ship in. Gilles looked over at him from the helm, “I’ve been noticing lately, the captain be acting a bit strange.”

“Aye.” Morgan replied. “It be the young lass. He looks at her differently than any of the innkeepers’ daughters he’s bedded over the years. She’s gotten her hooks into him.”

“He’s smitten!” Gilles realized. “That does not bode well for him at all.”

“Nay…” Morgan agreed. “Where once there be a man who could smooth talk his way up any lass’ dress, there now be a stammering idiot.”

Melisande slammed the door as she entered the cabin. Again she was biting her lower lip. Tears formed in her eyes as she put her back against the door and sat down. Really, she shouldn’t be surprised by Baltazar’s habits. Such is the lifestyle of an adventurer, she thought, but that doesn’t mean that he couldn’t show a little more tact.

A moment later, Melisande stood up and walked over to the starboard window. She leaned out and watched as the city grew larger in the distance. She could see the large buildings adorned with yellow and black flags bearing the city’s coat of arms. If she got a chance, hopefully she would get some time to go exploring. Her lust for adventure would have to wait as it would most likely still be some time before they docked. She turned back and lay down on the bed. Within moments, the rocking of the ship put her to sleep.

**

Melisande slept through the ship docking at port. It wasn’t until she heard a loud thud above her head that she came out of it. She opened her eyes to see that someone had covered her over with a blanket and left something for her at the end of the bed. She sat up and saw that it was a white and blue dress. She gasped as she looked it over. The stitching was the most intricate she’d ever seen and presumably more expensive than her entire wardrobe back at the abbey.

There was a note attached to the dress, “A mysterious stranger requests the honor of your company on deck. Please dress for the occasion.”

Melisande rolled her eyes, but decided to oblige her ‘mysterious stranger.’ She stripped out of the worn out, torn, clothing, and stepped into the dress. She then brought the white undergarments up first and pulled on the blue outerwear. After stitching the dress, she looked at herself in the mirror and carefully pulled the straps tight.

Once she was decent, Melisande did the best she could to straighten up her hair and wash her face. Her strict attention to detail caused her some frustration as she fiddled with a knot in her hair. It took her a moment, but she finally freed it. When she was finished, she stood in front of the mirror again and let out a long sigh as she was finally presentable.

The light from the sun still shined through the window as it was now half way set over the horizon. Melisande sucked in a deep breath and then opened the door. The moment it creaked open, she could hear the bustle of carpenters, painters, and dock workers running around the ship.

Baltazar was standing on deck with a man holding red cloth, “So how long will it take you to have these new sails installed?”

Melisande realized that the man was a sail maker that no doubt Baltazar had hired to replace the Black Vengeance’s ragged sails. The sail maker smiled, “We’ve got the sails already made. You’re ship type is somewhat out of date so sails like yours aren’t in high demand. It should only take a day to get them rigged. We can start tomorrow morning.”

Baltazar nodded, “Sounds good, now about these sails… you have a reputation for making sails that last forever.”

The sail maker laughed, “I don’t know about forever, but barring being hit by cannon fire, it’s unlikely that your ship will outlast these sails.”

“Would that be because of the sails or the way I run my ship?” Baltazar asked with a smile.

The sail maker laughed, “You will be very satisfied with these. Now, are you sure you want the red ones, they will cost extra you know?”

“Aye,” Baltazar replied adamantly, “we’re looking to alter our appearance as much as possible.”

“Running from someone?” He asked.

“It’s probably better that you don’t know.” Baltazar replied. “I trust you understand that this transaction never took place?”

The sail maker nodded, “As long as I get paid, I don’t care who I make sails for.”

Melisande cleared her throat as she came out on deck. Every eye on the ship looked at her as though a bright aura had suddenly appeared on deck. Baltazar’s eyes widened as he noticed her coming towards him. He nodded at the sail maker, “That will be fine, you’ll get your pay and a bonus for your silence. Get to it.”

The sail maker nodded as he surveyed the ship. Once he was out of the way, Baltazar slowly made his way toward her. She bit her lower lip as her eyes met his. Baltazar took her hand and kissed her right between the knuckles, “My lady, I humbly request you company tonight.”

Melisande smiled, “And where would we be going on this fine night?”

“That’s a secret,” Baltazar replied, “but I promise it’ll be worth your time.”

“I see,” Melisande replied, “well then I accept your invitation, good sir.”

Baltazar extended his elbow to her and she rested her arm gently on his. He escorted her off the ship to a carriage that had been waiting for them. She was shocked to see the extent that he was going to impress her, “How did you manage all this?”

Baltazar smiled, “I divided up the shares of the goods from the Black Vengeance’s hold. My shares were more than enough to pay for all of this.”

“I didn’t know there was anything onboard that could be sold.” Melisande said surprised.

“Aye.” Baltazar nodded, “Good old Jaspart horded everything away hoping for a big payday.”

The carriage stopped just outside of a large building on the city outskirts. Baltazar stepped out first and then extended his head to her, “This way, my lady.”

Melisande took Baltazar’s hand as he guided her out of the carriage and up two flights of stairs. They reached the roof where some of Baltazar’s men had apparently set up a table with chairs and an impressive meal for the both of them.

Gilles pulled out Melisande’s chair for her, “If you would take your seat, milady?”

Melisande nodded, “How kind of you.”

Behind them, a violin began to play and a voice started singing. Melisande’s eyes narrowed as she recognized the voice, “Papi?”

She turned to see him next to another member of the crew. He sang beautifully as the other man played. Melisande shook her head, “You are too much. I find it hard to believe that you had a part in this.”

Baltazar smiled as she turned back toward him, “Does this meet with your approval, my lady?”

She narrowed her eyes and shook her head, “Whatever magic you used to win over Papi won’t work on me.”

“I have no magic, my lady,” he replied, “I can only be who I am.”

“And what would that be,” she asked, “a ruthless scoundrel, an honorable theif, a wayward royal, or something else?”

Baltazar shrugged, “The man who managed to convince you to attend dinner tonight, who is interested in unraveling the mystery that is Melisande.”

Melisande nodded, “You know, flashy clothes, lavish dinners and…”

She looked out at the city as the last glimmer of sunlight disappeared, “… beautiful scenery… won’t win me over. I’m not some local tavern girl.”

“I know you’re not.” Baltazar replied. “I never would have put this much effort into winning the heart of a tavern girl.”

Baltazar looked out at the city. Lamp lights and torches lit up the night sky as the darkness took over. Melisande looked up at the massive church on the top of the hill, “What church is that?” She asked. “I’ve never seen one so big. Not even in Mont Saint Michel is that intricate.”

He nodded, “It is impressive, isn’t it? The Basilica of Santa Luzia was built there long ago.”

“It’s beautiful,” she replied, “truly beautiful…”

“It has one major flaw though.” Baltazar said softly.

Melisande looked back at him, knowing full well what he was about to say, “And what would that be?”

“It pales in comparison to your beauty.” He casually replied.

She rolled her eyes, “Flattery doesn’t work either, and especially not when it’s so predictable.”

Baltazar placed his elbows on the table, folded his hands, and rested his chin on top of them, “Then tell me, milady, what does work?”

She smiled slyly, “That depends on your intentions, if they are the right kind, you’ll figure out what will work sooner or later.”

Baltazar nodded, “I see…”

“And if not,” she continued, “then you can go to hell.”

“Understood,” Baltazar replied, “well in the face of eternal damnation, I would say that honorable intentions seem to be the best way to go at this point.”

Melisande’s smile disappeared, “You really mean that?”

“Aye,” Baltazar said softly, “I know I come off as a scoundrel and… lord knows it’s a reputation I’ve earned many times over, but with you… something’s different. I don’t feel the same way around you that I have around other women. With others, I’ve been able to talk my way in and out of everything. With you, I stumble over words, and at times, can barely breathe. I cannot explain it, and that annoys me terribly. You are unlike any other woman I have met. You spent your life sheltered in an abbey, yet here you are with more intelligence and knowledge of the world then most people could get in a lifetime. It’s… almost mystic.”

She smiled, “You are not the first person to say that to me. I can’t explain why I am this way. Most who have heard my life story would think I was some sheltered, naive girl. I guess in some ways that’s true, but since I was little, I feel like I’ve had someone watching over me, helping me make decisions.”

When Baltazar didn’t respond, she reached out her hand and touched his, “Sister Mary once told me that the things most worthwhile in the world are the things that test you. Those are the things you have to fight for, and the things that you will appreciate the most, once they are yours.”

“So I am to fight for you then is it?” Baltazar asked with a smile.

“If you wish to,” she replied nervously, “if it’s what you want. You have my attention. The rest is up to you.”

Baltazar sighed, “What about you, what do you want?”

She frowned, “To find the answers that have eluded me. I want to know who am I before I start thinking about what I’ll do.”

“I’ll do what I can to help you with that.” He said adamantly.

Melisande nodded, “I know you will. Thank you.”

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

+

+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Opinion, Science Fiction, Writing

The Ins and Outs of Publishing, A Directory of Advice. #Writing #Author #Advice

by Unknown's avatar

Okay, so it looks like I’m still getting a lot of publishing questions. These are recurrent questions I get on a regular basis, and while I want to try to respond to everyone who reaches out to me, I don’t want my blog becoming redundant. So I think I’m going to repost this on a weekly basis from now on to help people navigate the publishing world. I don’t really see another way around it.

So if you have questions regarding publishing, PLEASE check below to see if any of this helps you before reaching out. I’m always happy to help, but I may have already answered your question.

Publishing is a tough road to navigate. Please check out the links below. These are previous posts I’ve made about the ins and outs of publishing. They should be of assistance in your journey:

Am I Ready To Publish? This is a must read BEFORE even considering starting the process. I can’t tell you how many authors burned bridges by not being ready.

Editing… There is a Cost That Must be Paid… or is There? You can skip this one if you’ve already had your writing edited (by someone other than you!). However, I’d still recommend reading.

Getting Published… the basics… In this post, we explore traditional publishing vs. self-publishing. Here you’ll get the pros on cons of each and the steps you need to go through in order to be successful in either.

Finally…

Copyrighting my Writing. Am I Protected? This isn’t required reading… however, if you’re concerned about plagiarism, or in the future may need to file a copyright claim, I recommend giving it a read.

Feeling overwhelmed yet? I’d be surprised if you didn’t. The only sage advice I can offer you other than the documents above is simple…

  1. Do not give up. A million “No’s” suddenly become irrelevant if you get that one “yes”.
  2. People will tell you that everyone and their mother wants to publish a book. You’re up against insurmountable odds and a flooded market. This is false. You’re not up against everyone and their mother. Permit me the luxury and I’ll prove this mathematically: First of all, take the entire group of people who want to get published. Now take that number and reduce it by roughly 60%. You just eliminated all the people who want to get something published, but don’t have the time, ability, drive, or inspiration to write. Next, eliminate another 20%. You’ve now taken down all the people who can put pen to paper but can’t afford the time/money to put the work into advertising and getting published. Eliminate another 10% who can’t take criticism and thus aren’t going to be able to get their writing properly edited. Now eliminate another 5% either don’t have the patience for or get discouraged by receiving a series of “No’s” from publishers.
    Now take that last 5% and eliminate all of them, except you. Why? Because they’re irrelevant. You have your writing and they have there’s. Whether or not you get published and how successful you are isn’t about other people’s writing. Yes, in the end, it’s you against one person, you. Whether or not I’ll ever get to buy your book off the shelf depends on you; how much time, effort, and funds you’re willing to put into your writing. So make it good!

Let’s open it up to the floor. Readers, do you have any publishing advice for our friend here? Let her know in the comments!

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

+

+ Book, fantasy, Fiction, News, Uncategorized, Writing

Drakin, where to buy, and what’s next? #Writing #Fantasy #SciFi

by Unknown's avatar

Hello all!

I hope everyone has enjoyed The Drakin Series!! Please don’t forget to leave me a review on Amazon once you’re done. That really helps me out a lot.

Copies of these books, as well as my others, can be purchased on Amazon by following this link:

James Harrington’s Author Page

They’re also available at Barnes and Noble, as well as many other places where books are sold!

Please feel free to like and reblog this post. Word of mouth helps us writers out a lot!

Drakin: The Story of Raiya

Book Synopsis:
‘ “Abomination, freak, monster…”  You get used to names like these when you have yellow eyes, horns, and scales, but Raiya could have really cared less.

After being forced into exile because of her appearance, Raiya’s mind has been focused on one goal; hunting down the dragon lord that killed her parents. For over thirty years, humanity has been locked in a struggle for survival against a race of dragons that had fallen from the heavens. They took everything from her and consumed the planet in a fierce war. Humanity’s numbers are quickly dwindling, leaving her few options in the way of allies.

What she doesn’t know is that her journey will strike at the very heart of the Red War and uncover truths about her past that she may not want to know. Can she finish what she started while coming to terms with the truths of her origin? ‘

Drakin: The Orphans of Haven

Book Synopsis:

The Red War may be over, but not all wounds have healed. For Sergeant Radley Zall, the nightmares never end. After years of struggling for survival, he finds himself in a dead end job, deporting wayward dragons to the Exclusion Zone. The horrors of his past have left him a broken man, slowing killing himself in a bottle of whiskey. It’s a wearying existence that many former soldiers have been subject to since the war ended, but for Radley, that is all about to change. Throughout his life, Radley’s hatred of dragons has been unmatched until one evening when a small one shows up on his doorstep. The pathetic creature is emaciated and begging for shelter. Her appearance reminds him of his younger self, compelling him to help her. That uncharacteristic decision forces him to confront his past actions— some of which may have contributed to a sinister plot to reignite the Red War and wipe out the few remaining dragons on Earth.

DRAKIN: An Empire of Ashes

 

Synopsis:

Two hundred years have passed, and the Red War has become a distant memory for most. Dragons and humans now live together in peace… but one powerful woman who has been deranged by her own history unleashes her vengeance on a helpless population.

Now, the world’s only hope for survival rests with Kaori, a naïve and wayward princess of the Eastern Empire. Having been disillusioned with her mother’s rule, she discovers a dark secret about her family that will change the course of history forever. She soon crosses paths with Nayeli and Joaquim, a pair of rogues living within her borders.

Their fight for survival takes an unexpected turn as a shadow of from the past reveals that the situation is more dangerous than they know. The fate of billions of lives rests on these three unlikely companions putting aside their differences to stand against the world.

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.

jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com

I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.

Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!

Thanks friends!

Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

A WordPress.com Website.