Writers Need People--Specifically People Like This

Hey everyone! This is a recent Facebook post from my brother, just in case you needed further proof that my family is awesome.

Story Time! Before I start I need to tell you about the awesomeness that is Quik Trip. Quik Trip is like the shopping mall of gas stations. It's huge, extravagantly designed, and has an array of food choices inside. Among them are the most amazing taquitos and the best frozen coffee I have found anywhere. The best part is, the food is cheap. It's like finding Hollister clothing at a Goodwill. It's that good!

It was 10:30 in the pm and I wanted donuts. Only problem is, nothing is open that late. I tried looking for something to good I could get around the area but found nothing. I suddenly remembered that a Quik Trip opened a little closer to where I lived. The last one was an hour away and this one was 45 minutes away. But I didn't care, I love Quik Trip and the last time I was there was a year ago. 

I left at 10:45pm and got there, bought my frozen coffee and two taquitos and proceeded to head back home. My night had been made! But, on the way back Mr. Deputy of Butts County stopped me because apparently I had a headlight out. And as every officer does, he asks where I was going and what I was doing out so late. After telling I was going home after driving 48 miles just to go to Quik Trip, he got suspicious. Mr. Deputy of Butts County couldn't believe I would drive 45 minutes just to go to a gas station. What I couldn't get him to understand was that I did not go to just any gas station. I went to THE Quik Trip. The place where the best taquitos, the best coffee, and the fastest customer service could be found.

Mr. Deputy of Butts County made it sound like I had driven 45 minutes just to get a pack of gum. You can't find the kind of frozen coffee or taquitos Quik Trip has anywhere else! He then proceeded to assume I was carrying drugs! I was offended! My appreciation for a certain kind of coffee and Mexican food was found suspicious and I was accused of carrying drugs! He didn't search my car, but he did ask if I had anything that he should know about and that if he did search the car and find anything I would be in trouble.

People can ride a unicycle through the city dressed as Gandalf playing the bagpipes, but my particular affinity for good frozen coffee and taquitos that you can ONLY find at Quik Trip is suspicious and therefore I must be carrying drugs. Thanks Mr. Deputy of Butts County.

Yep! :) This is why I'm a writer.

The Shadowmakers Are Coming! The Shadowmakers Are Coming!

So, after posting about my efforts at writing, I am actually going to post about the writing itself!

The Shadowmakers is a planned epic series following the fantasy kingdom of Ashethea--a land under the reign of a cruel tyrannical queen-- and the key characters involved in the struggle to overthrow said evil queen. I originally hoped for the series to consist of seven books, but we'll see. However long it takes to tell the full story--keyword being long.

I began writing it for my friend and editor (she's a pretty fantastic one too, I might add) whose favorite word happens to be "intrigue". Thus, this series contains quite a bit of intrigue, plenty of plot twists, and a plethora of engaging characters.

Want to know what happens when two children hire a guide who is really an assassin out to kill them? Check out the series! (When it's available...) Do you like plots that take completely different directions than what you initially thought, evoking gasps of surprise and few very-Darth-Vader-like "Nooooo"s? Check out the series! (When it's available...) Want to follow the adventures of an adventurous aspiring-hero boy, an unwanted runaway girl, a sarcastic dragon, an unnervingly calm teen, a mysterious quirky young man, and a talkative pudgy bird? Check out the series! (When it's available...)

So, OK, there's my spiel, my attempt to sell the series. In the opinion of my worst critic (Me!) it's just an OK attempt by a mediocre author. But my friends tell me it's pretty good, and I do have people shaking their heads at me because they aren't able to buy it yet. (which is entirely my fault due to how long it's taking me to finish book one.) Nothing inflates your confidence like thinking your book is a hopeless case, telling your friend about how you're feeling, and then getting that look--you know, the slight head tilt, the one narrow eye while the other eye twitches slightly--and hearing, "Yeah, whatever, your book's good. Wanna play a game?"

In any case, the story is pretty cool, and I'm doing my best to tell it right. I'll keep everyone updated every now and then on the progress of book one, which has a loose release date of Fall 2014. (I'm wincing at the reactions I just know I'll be getting from my friends on that one. I've been at this since 2011. 2011, people!) Sorry about the long wait for those interested. In the meantime, check back here for updates and news, and read all the better books out there. Happy reading until the Shadowmakers arrive!