After the elation of typing, “The End,” the drudgery begins. So now, I’m up to my neck in edits and marketing plans and website updates and review requests and formatting and cover design work and writing blurbs and asking authors to write blurbs and the list goes on. To be perfectly honest, this is my least favorite part about writing self-published books.
It’s. Not. Fun. Have I ever told you about my frustrations in never being able to find appropriate black and brown images in stock photo and graphic collections? A topic for another day.
The Bonding Blade is now officially set for publication and will be released on July 1, 2019. The book is up for pre-order on Amazon.com right now. It will be available at all online retailers soon. As much as I view all that other stuff as drudgery, it hasn’t taken away from the joy of having created a real, live book. The occasional emails from those who have read it or are reading have also kept me jazzed as I plod through this necessary work.
So, while I roll up my sleeves and get back to work, life goes on. Here is a picture from my brother’s amazing house and the lake, in Minneapolis, that is already devoid of ice. We saw two juvenile bald eagles swooping around the lake a couple of days ago. Spring is officially here.
It’s been a strange couple of weeks in the Doyle clan. Some medical emergencies that are now over (praise the gods), some world traveling … my sisters have just both returned from two weeks in Africa. NO! I’m NOT jealous. I’m HAPPY for them. And then there’s me, trying my best to prepare this book for its birthday.
It’s all exciting stuff which is what you expect from springtime, right? Excitement. New beginnings. Fresh starts.
For your springtime reading, The Bonding Blade is up for pre-order on Amazon and will be available on all online retailers as of July 1. If you haven’t read The Bonding Spell, the first book in the Desert Goddess Series, you might want to consider reading it now. Here is what one reader said about The Bonding Spell: “I don’t know why I waited so long to read this! It’s a real thriller. I’m going to recommend it to …. "
Read it. I think you'll find it's not what you expect. If you take my recommendation, I'd love to hear what you think.
Now, back to work!!
Every time someone asked me when my next book was coming out my response felt like a promise. For the last year and a half I've been breaking promises. I didn't like doing that. No matter my good intentions I couldn't get the work done. I'm a writer. I'm supposed to write. It just wasn't working.
I could spew a long list of reasons. Like, that I felt intimidated by all the great work I'd been reading from others. Like, that I didn't think anything I wrote was up to the task. Or that my story, an urban fantasy based on fantastical situations, was a bit trivial for all the heavy and world changing shocks we've been hit with in our political sphere. It has been a heavy weight as he-who-will-not-be-named has hung over our heads like Sauron's Eye, emanating an hypnotic and paralyzing force. {{{{{Shudder}}}}} How could anyone effectively engage creative forces under that blanket of evil?
Maybe it was that I'd allowed the idea of retirement to settle into my brain to such an extent that writing while working full-time became harder and harder. I'd traveled a lot too, to writer's conferences, workshops and just plain old running away from it all and it was hard to get reengaged with the work after long separations.
Those are all just excuses. I was failing. I was losing the fight. Then, when I was beginning to think I'd never get it done, something clicked. It was as if I'd finally found my missing gas pedal. The acceleration was slow and steady, but this time I had enough fuel to reach the end. The real, The End.
So, finally I can keep my promise. Here's the cover for The Bonding Blade. Set for a late June or early July release. I have Advance Reader Copies available for those who would like to offer an early review (and maybe be used as a blurb for my covers). I'm considering something new for this book, so blurbs would be a great help. I'll not make a promise about when it will be ready for pre-order but I'll definitely announce that here.
Here's the blurb for the new adventure:
Can the embodiment of an ancient goddess live a balanced life in modern times?
Former Army Sergeant Hester Trueblood struggles to find the answer, seven years after fate bonded her to the ancient Sumerian Goddess, Inanna. Whether engaging in battles to the death with demons or entering fight club scraps, Hester’s life is forever subjected to Inanna’s whims and insatiable lust. It hasn’t been easy to juggle the mounting perilous challenges, or to tolerate the demands of her demi-god lover, Gilgamesh.
When her warrior Quincy is stricken with a mysterious illness, Hester thinks a supernatural blade could be the answer to save him. Or it just might destroy the world.
One thing is for sure. Nobody is immune from the painful reality of loss and suffering—not even a goddess.
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The Bonding Blade is the second book in my Desert Goddess series. The first book, The Bonding Spell, was published in 2015. It's gone through a major re-edit, thanks to the amazing Scott Bury, best selling author and the force behind The Best Selling Reads Author's Association. I have blithely offered up my babies to the world thinking they have been well edited. I was wrong. And I sincerely apologize to my readers. Seriously. I'm sorry for the wrong use of words, the commas that multiply like rabbits and the clunky sentences. I am amazed you stuck with the work while navigating that crap. Scott has put a shiny new face on The Bonding Spell. So if you haven't read it yet, now is a good time.
Here's what Scott Bury had to say about The Bonding Spell:
This book explores the feelings of being possessed by an ancient force of nature, and the reaction of a 21st-century woman to men who literally get down on one knee and pledge eternal devotion to her every desire.
Whenever the mood gets too gloomy, the author brightens the scene with the touching devotion of Inanna’s servants. And the appearance of the antagonist is truly entertaining, while pushing the story forward at a critical point. That’s the true sign of a great writer.
Deep, moving, original and entertaining. What more can you ask for in a book?
You can read the whole review here. What more could I ask for in a review? I can't wait for readers to get their hands on The Bonding Blade. I'm truly happy with it and thankful that my promises kept me motivated to finally get it done. Sorry it took so long, but I hope you'll agree it was worth it.
A wise young NCO once said to me, "change is never good or bad. Change is just change."
While in uniform I tended to agree with that philosophy. In the military, change usually meant you had to do it wrong the first, second and third time before you got it right. Change meant classroom training, hours of standing around while someone explained this bold, new change and more hours of everyone complaining that the new change didn't make any sense and then some old been-there-done-that guy explaining in great detail why we should just keep doing things the old way. Sound familiar?
As a civilian working for the Army I can truthfully tell you that the reaction to change hasn't changed much.
BUT, when it comes to this blog ... or more importantly, this website, where I continue to write about women in combat boots, change was necessary. Change was critical. Change had been on my mind for a long, long time and with the help of the lovely Natasha Wilson, change is finally here! (more…)
***Apologies!!***
If you're getting this post for the second time, it's because ... well, there's some new stuff going on here and when the new stuff happened, this post was lost. Now it's found. Notice anything, ahem ... a bit different? More to follow on that.
Meanwhile, back to the blog post.
I lived in Korea for a couple of years, living in downtown Seoul in an ultra-modern apartment, everything high tech and brand spanking new. Heated floors, heated toilet seats and push button custom bidet streams, for Pete’s sake.
To get to the subway, I’d walk by several small shops, often times places where the family lived in their place of business. I could see families sitting on the floor, gathered around a hibachi, eating noodles out of bowls held under their chins, or sleeping the way many Koreans do, curled up on thin mats on the floor. But that was Seoul. Ultra-modern next to traditional. High tech office buildings next to one of the ancient temples or palace walls scattered around the city.
For a long while, I didn’t have any English language TV channels. I quickly learned that, 24/7, you could always find a period show -- people in traditional Korean garb, intrigue in the royal palace, peasants starving and barely scrapping by and subject to cruelties from the ruling classes. There always seemed to be a love interest made impossible due to class or royal family. Like American soap operas, depending on the story line, people would discuss the shows, wonder what was going to happen next. It was clear the popularity of them was never going away no matter how many pop boy bands might emerge from the country.
It’s January and the start of a brand spanking new year. I’ve searched Roku for free fitness channels and loaded them up. I’ve packed my refrigerator with tons of leafy greens with the focused goal of not letting any of them go to waste. I have a couple of large garbage bags full of clothes and shoes I didn’t wear in the last 365 days, and I’ve tossed out all the old shampoos, conditioners, lotions, makeup and beautifying products I acquired over the last year thinking they would somehow improve my life.
I spent money on all that crap and now I’m getting rid of it. As regretful as I may be for having purchased things I shouldn’t have, it feels good to start a new year with a lighter load.
Just as we all make resolutions at the beginning of a new year, writer’s set goals for the words they will produce and this year, mine are a bit ambitious.
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For the last couple of years, I’ve been working on the second book in my Desert Goddess Series. The Bonding Spell, released in 2015, was one of the most enjoyable books I’d ever written. Staff Sergeant Hester Trueblood picks up a shiny, gold coin while on duty in Iraq and her life is forever changed. As the new embodiment of the Mesopotamian goddess Inanna, Hester returns to her home in Minneapolis, and tries to come to terms with her changed circumstances and the bitchy goddess voice in her head.
It’s a wild, Jim Butcher-style, urban fantasy romp that is funny, sexy and filled with mystery. I couldn’t wait to dig into the sequel, but had no idea when I started it, just how much more story there was to tell. “The Bonding Blade” has opened my eyes to more of Hester and Inanna’s world, the warriors dedicated to fighting and sacrificing for them, and the demi-god, Gilgamesh who is devoted, by destiny, to love them, no matter what they do.
It’s a wild, Jim Butcher-style, urban fantasy romp that is funny, sexy and filled with mystery.
As the New Year begins, my greatest goal is to publish “The Bonding Blade” with as much perfection as I can bring to it. I’m aiming for a late June or early July publication date.
While “The Bonding Blade” is going through final edits, reviews and promotions, I’ll be rewriting a couple of stories that were originally published in Amazon Kindle Worlds. Kindle Worlds have gone away, so the rights to these novellas have returned to me and I’m going to make full use of them.
In the first novella, Archimedes Ford is an FBI agent who has slogged through life carrying a heavy secret. His latest case brings him face to face with someone who will make it impossible for him to keep hiding any longer. Major Corey Turner spent his entire career with secrets too, until the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy finally ended. Archie Ford has difficulty concentrating on solving his complicated case, but he soon learns he’s not just saving the life of a young girl, but also saving his own.
“Archimedes and The Soldier,” is the first of two Archimedes Ford novellas which will both become spinoffs of The Master Sergeant Harper three-book mystery series already in existence.
And if that’s not enough, I plan to at least outline a forth book in the Master Sergeant Harper series. All I know is that Harper will be going to the Sergeant Major’s academy in El Paso, Texas. It’s a huge leap in her career and one she’s been aiming for, ever since she put on an Army uniform. But the academy is a tough school. Not everyone passes and British Sergeant Major Harry Fogg isn’t making it any easier for her.
They say, if you make New Year’s resolutions you should write them down or tell others so you have some tangible proof of your goals and a need to hold yourself accountable. Well, I’ve done it now. I’ll check back this time next year to see how close I am to meeting them.
Win a copy of The Bonding Spell, either by commenting here or on social media. One winner will be selected by random draw.
Like most people who write, I read a lot. I mean, a crazy amount. There's rarely a moment in my day when I’m not reading something. I also listen to audio books, which means I “read” almost twice as much as I ever have before, driving, cooking, walking, shopping, getting ready for work and everything in between. These days I’ll read one book in the traditional way, while listening to a different book throughout the day. Depending on the book, I’ll switch back and forth between the two versions. Since the audio version can often feel like watching a movie or play, I’ve also been known to read the entire book then listen to the audio version. Taking in a story in two different ways always reveals something new. Since audio books can be crazy expensive, I borrow them from the library which helps satisfy my endless craving for more.
Bottom line is, my consumption has risen this year, which makes choosing the best more difficult. I’m going to list ten, but they are in no particular order.
This damn book ruined me for other books for a long while. I downloaded it, read the first page and that was all it took. Not only did the story consume me completely until I finished, it clung to me like tar; sticky, dark and impossible to wipe off. A twelve-year-old slave, George Washington Black, is on a cruel sugar plantation that makes short lives of its chattel. The brother of Washington Black’s vicious master, Christopher, takes a liking to Washington Black, but we soon learn Christopher’s privilege is just as damaging as the master’s whip. Globetrotting adventures, hope, heartbreak and writing that leaves you in awe. I’m going to read everything Edugyan has ever written. One of her books will surely end up on my 2019 best of list.
I picked up Silver Sparrow because I’d been blown away by An American Marriage, the book Oprah has optioned for a movie and the one which has rocketed Jones to writing stardom. I’ve been Facebook friends with Jones since Silver Sparrow first came out but hadn’t gotten around to reading it. I’ve sort of lurked around her posts, watching as her recognition has grown and grown and grown. She’s had one hell of a year and I’m so happy for her.
In Silver Sparrow, an African American teenage girl learns her mother is, “the other woman.” The man who is her father, who comes and goes in the stretch limousine he drives for a living, is married to someone else. She becomes obsessed with her father’s other daughter and orchestrates occasions for their paths to cross. Jones demonstrates her skill in telling a story from multiple, sympathetic points of view, each one richly drawn and absorbing.
I am embarrassed to say I met Jones at the Decatur Book Festival this summer for the first time, face to face and was as tongue tied and senseless as a Beatles groupie. She was beautiful, calm and patient. I hope she forgets me so if I run into her again I can get a second chance at a first impression!
It’s the story for those of us who have wondered what life would be like if you could do it all over again knowing what you know now. Harry August, and a bunch of other people, discover they are immortal by living the same life over and over again. If you think this means they eventually get it right, consider there is a secret cabal who find their unusual lives threatening. North's writing is as incredibly interesting as this unusual story. I listened to the audio version and Peter Kinney’s characterizations of so many different voices was completely engrossing.
I’ve read many mixed reviews of this book. Often people say they try to slog through hoping it will get better. Others says it’s too confusing, yada yada yada. I suggest saving 15 Lives for a long weekend, or a vacation where you will have several uninterrupted hours to really dig into it. A little extra effort pays off in the end.
This science fiction tale is told completely through interviews of the people participating in a crazy, secret project that results in consequences no one anticipated. It starts with the discovery of a gigantic, steel hand, about the size of a house, buried deep beneath the earth. I haven’t read the other two books in this three part series, but I intend to. Not only is the story unexpected and filled with surprises, the interview format is a curious writing device. The subjects aren’t always reliable, sometimes holding back information, other times providing too much. I applaud Neuvel for sticking to the restrictive format no matter what. The story is made more fascinating for it.
I smile when I think of this book. I almost forgot it since I read it in January. I remember thinking I'd started the year right with a great read. It belongs on this list since this is by far, the most unusual accidental sleuth I’ve ever read. Dr. Theo Cray is a computational biologist.
A computational what now?
This dude sees patterns and details everyone else misses. When he tries to use scientific conclusions to help solve a murder, he is dismissed and forced to do things on his own. For such a super intelligent guy, there are times when you want to kick him in the pants for doing stupid stuff, but you’re also amazed at how he pulls the facts together.
Mayne is a magician as well as a writer and you can see his sleight of hand at work here. There is a second book in the mystery series out now Looking Glass, and Murder Theory is slated for a March 2019 release. I’m adding both to my reading and listening list.
I’ve been black all my life and all my life I’ve struggled to explain things to people who aren’t black Americans. How do you explain the issues about race in this country? How did we get to this point? Why didn’t having a black president make racism go away? And what about slavery? This link to a Youtube talk Oluo gives, is just a taste of what you will find in her book. Oluo speaks to white people in these pages, but it is for people of all colors and races. I learned so much from her. Her wisdom and simple, nonjudgmental explanations were magical to me.
In the world we live in today, when white nationalism and hate crimes are on the rise and, well … Trump, this book was like a buoy that helped keep me afloat. A white woman friend suggested it to me and now I recommend it to anyone who will listen. Thanks again Jerri Bell!
I sat in on Oluo’s interview during the Decatur Book Festival as well this year. It was well worth the hour of my time, just as reading the book is worth every word consumed.
Simply put, if you liked The Girl With All The Gifts, you’ll enjoy The Boy On The Bridge. It’s a different world, a different set of characters, a different reason for the end of the world and a different point in time, but Carey tells us the story with all the same skill and depth as the first book. I was sucked in from the beginning and had the same desperate desire to see what happens next. I enjoyed it just as much as the first book.
This is a delicious, absorbing read that bounces back and forth between modern day historians studying the centuries old writings of a rabbi, and the life of that rabbi in the 1660s. The story mirrors the relationships between the self-absorbed graduate student and the senior history expert struggling with her failing health, and the ailing rabbi and his young scribe who worries she will be persecuted if it is discovered she is doing what is forbidden for a woman – writing. Kadish expertly switches storylines and points of view seamlessly so you are unaware you're reading two separate books artfully melded together.
Ugh. I hate this cover but it is what it is.
This aptly titled book is just one of many that will be written about this period in our history. Woodward wrote this based on the administration’s first year. Think about that. Just one year. So much happens.
The fear comes in as you realize how well the stage is set for the second year. An out of control White House bouncing off the walls with policies that force us to remember we are Americans ... jailed children, teargassed refugees, a midterm that shifted power and the looming results of investigation after investigation. This story isn’t over. Hopefully we all come out okay in the end.
It’s hard to believe I’ve been reading this zombie apocalypse series through more than 25 books…a couple of days in the series carry over through more than one book and there are a couple of companion novels. No matter how many hundreds of thousands of words Haywood writes in this series, readers continue to beg for more. It’s funny, heartbreaking, fast paced and thoroughly enjoyable. I’ve read the entire series more than once and listened to it more than once and the funny parts still make me laugh. If you start from Day One, just know that was Haywood’s very first book. It takes him up to about Day Four before his mastery with characterization comes through. I can’t have a “best of” list without having at least one Haywood story included. By the way, Haywood’s Extracted series has been optioned for a movie. We’re still waiting for some smart producer to pick up The Undead world so we can enjoy it on the small screen.
That’s it. Those are my top ten selections out of the scores of books I read this year and it’s only November. I figure I can get a few more in before 2019 is here.
Read my recommendations along with those of a bunch of other authors in The Military Spouse Book Review blog. The lovely Andria Williams pulls this together each year featuring different authors in multiple posts. Keep checking in and sign up for updates. I get many of my reading list additions from TMSBR blog.
What were your favorite books this year? Suggestions and links are much appreciated!