III Hours went by as Melisande contemplated her situation. She wanted to rejoin the crew, but she knew that Baltazar would never allow it. Still she was out at sea on her adventure and she still wanted to find out about her family. She at least still had that. Her thoughts were cut off by a signal from the deck, “Sail ho!” She … Read More Destiny: Divinity’s Finale, Book 2, Chapter 3
Book 2 The Pirate Heroes I The next two days were spent refitting the Specter for its next journey. Melisande worked hard to make sure that she won the acceptance of the crew. She served the meals promptlyand then helped clean below decks. She made sure to help out anywhere that she could, but made sure that no mug was empty when in the … Read More Destiny: Divinity’s Finale, Book 2, Chapter 1
IV The cart had been travelling for over an hour and despite the bumpy ride, Melisande had managed to fall asleep in the back. She was roused when she realized that the cart was slowing down. The sounds of activity all around her were a good indication that she’d arrived in Granville. She raised her head and smiled when she realized that her … Read More Destiny: Divinity’s Finale, Chapter 4
Book 1 A Simple Dream I Normandy 1601 The sound of loud church bells drove Melisande from her bed in the residence cells of Mont Saint Michel. She stood up, slid her feet into her wooden sandals and opened her window to let the sun in. This day was special for her as it was one of the few really warm days in Northern … Read More Destiny: Divinity’s Finale Chapter 1
Hi Jim, Congrats on the new Novel! So I was wondering about historical characters. You mentioned that much of your work is historical fiction and I’m currently working on a story like that myself. I was wondering what difficulties you faced, if any, when you used a historical figure as a character in your writing? Many thanks, Liam. Hi Liam, Great question, and honestly … Read More Bringing History to Life
I There was a cold breeze in the air as Michael stood at the podium. In front of him, the Choirs of Angels filed into the main meeting hall little by little. The bitter chill complimented the rather dismal scene in front of him. The general of the Most High’s armies had seen worse over the years and did the best he could … Read More Damnation Preview Chapter
“Hi Jim, I’ve been reading your blog for quite a while now, and am hoping that you can offer me some advice. I am working on a piece of historical fiction and want to write in some historical characters. These characters would mostly be supporting roles, but I might make one of them a lead. The issue is that some of their family members … Read More Fictional Story, Non-fictional People
V Alex got into his car and drove down the road in the opposite direction from the one he came. He turned on to Smithfield Road and a moment later, turned on to Pleasant Hill Road. He kept his eyes open for any sign of Tersa. Chills ran down his spine as he had a feeling that her time was running out. Cleaning … Read More Beneath the Surface: An Abandoned Story Chapter 5
Nothing anyone does with their own two hands is EVER a waste of time. This is especially true when it comes to writing. Too often I have heard people write out a few chapters then look up, sigh, and say that they’re wasting their time. Their story makes no sense, the characters suck, and the progression isn’t… progressing. That’s not a waste of time, … Read More Author’s Advice Pt. 18
Don’t be afraid to mix and merge. So you have a fairly successful series going, but now you’re experiencing writers block. You have fragments of two or three sequels written, but don’t know where to take them. You’ve even considered starting on a third, but haven’t gotten anywhere with it. You really like the first two and would love to continue one of them, … Read More Author’s Advice Pt. 11
So you’ve written your story. Your characters are beloved, not only to you, but also your reading audience. Well now you’re writing the next part in your series and are ready to do the unthinkable… You’re going to have one of the characters turn on the others. One of your main good guys is now to become a villain and not just a villain, … Read More The Traitorous Main Character
Can I just ask… what the heck happened? When I first published my work, I got a lot of comments from readers, both positive and negative. Divinity in particular got positive and negative comments from die-hard Christians and atheists, and I don’t understand the negativity. I certainly can’t speak for the rest of the world, so if it’s different outside of the U.S. PLEASE … Read More Free Exchange of Ideas…