Ack, I've been productive again! Met all my goals for August and everything. August Wrap-Up I completed another 15k words in Steel Shadows, bringing me to 30k done! That's definitely over one-third of the book, and while I often have trouble slogging through the middle, this story has been a hell of a roller coaster … Continue reading August Wrap-Up & September Goals
LEGO Build: NASA Apollo Saturn V
I'm pretty sure I've said this here multiple times (and at some point I should post the blog I wrote about it), but once upon a time I was totally going to be an astronaut. In the past two years, I've also become completely, hopelessly addicted to LEGOs, so it was only natural that I … Continue reading LEGO Build: NASA Apollo Saturn V
Con Report: Confluence 2017
I was thrilled to once again be invited to Confluence, the annual SF/F literary convention hosted by Parsec. I have a ton of fun, and this year was no exception. FRIDAY Road trip company is the best, and this year a friend drove to my place outside of Baltimore on Friday night to join me … Continue reading Con Report: Confluence 2017
July Wrap-Up & August Goals
We are officially at two months in a row where I manage to accomplish everything on my list of goals (sort of). Obviously the biggest accomplishment this month was the publication and launch of my third novel, book 3 in the Steel Empires series. If you haven't yet gotten your copy of Steel Blood, it's available … Continue reading July Wrap-Up & August Goals
Book excerpt: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #14
It's been a whirlwind two weeks, but today is the last stop of the Steel Blood blog tour! If you missed any stops along the way, you can find the full roster at my Guest Blog page. For our final stop, author Weston Kindcade was kind enough to discuss his thoughts about Steel Empires Book 1: … Continue reading Book excerpt: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #14
Not your typical vampire: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #13
Author Jennifer Loring asking me the ever-important question about writing in the fantasy genre. What makes my vampires and other supernatural creatures stand out from the crowd? How did I put my own spin on the mythology while still making my characters recognizable? Take a quick look: My vampires fit the mold in that they’re … Continue reading Not your typical vampire: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #13
Author Interview: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #12
The weather is spectacularly stormy here in my corner of Maryland today. I can only assume that the star of Steel Magic, storm-mage Toria Connor, is perturbed that all the attention has been on Victory lately as the main character in Steel Blood. Too bad for both of them, though, because today the focus is on me! … Continue reading Author Interview: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #12
But I’m not a horror writer!: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #11
Yesterday, we got a look at the more "human" side of my main character, the vampire Victory (over here, if you missed it). And while I love that scene, it's not unique -- being a vampire is just part of who Victory is, which also includes being a partner, a mother, a politician, a mercenary, … Continue reading But I’m not a horror writer!: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #11
Tell Me: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #9
Author and editor Jennifer Brozek (currently living the live I sometimes envision for myself) was kind enough to host me on her regular blog feature: Tell Me. So, I told her all about how I was inspired to make up some new rules (and then break them) as I started the process of writing Steel Blood. … Continue reading Tell Me: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #9
Sunday inspirational interview at the Tower of the Archmage: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #7
One of my life goals is to eventually see the Steel Empires series adapted into a table-top RPG. A lot of my history and passion for gaming has gone into this series, which the Tower of Archmage captures nicely in it's Sunday Inspirational post, featuring an interview with me! A quick look: Let’s jump right … Continue reading Sunday inspirational interview at the Tower of the Archmage: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #7
Writing strong female characters with Rhonda Mason: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #6
I have kind of a love/hate relationship with the "strong female character" trope. Today, with author Rhonda Mason, I talk about the ways the main character of my series falls into this particular urban fantasy stereotype -- and how I break the stereotype. A quick look: I’ve only been participating in programming at conventions for … Continue reading Writing strong female characters with Rhonda Mason: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #6
(Other) Excellent urban fantasy authors with Sara Dobie Bauer: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #5
There are honestly too many awesome urban fantasy writers in the genre to name right now, but fellow author Sara Dobie Bauer asked me to write about my top 5 favorite and most influential. Instead of a sneak peak at the text, I'll just show you a picture of a bookshelf in my living room. … Continue reading (Other) Excellent urban fantasy authors with Sara Dobie Bauer: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #5
The history of Limani with A.M. Justice: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #4
For the next stop on the Steel Blood blog tour, I couldn't miss a visit with my internet doppelganger, author A.M. Justice! We share a love of world-building in our fantasy novels, so she asked me to write a bit about how the city of Limani came to be. A quick look: But while the … Continue reading The history of Limani with A.M. Justice: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #4
Spotlight Round-Up: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #3.5
As expected, someone left a toothbrush behind before we started the road trip (we'll blame the gray cat currently purring in my lap, trying to look innocent). So, we had to swing back around to Speculative Chic for a book spotlight and short interview. Thanks so much to everyone who spread the word on social … Continue reading Spotlight Round-Up: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #3.5
New Book Excerpt: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #3
Happy book birthday to the third book in the Steel Empires series! Steel Blood features the continuing adventures of Victory and Mikelos, who couldn't quite manage to stay safe at home while their kids were off having adventures in Steel Magic. Today, the book is now officially available in hardcopy and ebook form from the following retailers: … Continue reading New Book Excerpt: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #3
State of the Empires at Raw Dog Screaming Press: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #2
For day 2 of the Steel Blood blog tour, I visited the Raw Dog Screaming Press blog for the first annual State of the Empires! Here's a short excerpt: In the past few months, since the official announcement of Steel Blood, people keep congratulating me on finishing my book trilogy. While many fantasy series do typically come … Continue reading State of the Empires at Raw Dog Screaming Press: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #2
My Favorite Things at Speculative Chic: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #1
On stop #1 of the Steel Blood blog tour, head over to my second home on the internet, Speculative Chic, to learn about some of my very favorite things. Here's a sneak peak: Traditional space ships are cool and all, but there’s just something more magical and special about a strange blue box. Though I … Continue reading My Favorite Things at Speculative Chic: STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Stop #1
STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Schedule!
Next week is the big week! To celebrate the launch of Steel Empires Book 3: Steel Blood, I've organized an awesome tour through the Internet with blog posts, author and character interviews, and short excerpts from the new book. Below is the official schedule, and I hope you pack a snack and join me for the … Continue reading STEEL BLOOD Blog Tour Schedule!
Cara Recommends…me!
Today, my books were highlighted in a monthly feature by author Cara McKinnon, where she recommends other works that her readers might enjoy. I'm incredibly honored to be in such company as Martha Wells. Cara talks a little bit about what she enjoys about my books, and provides lovely little summaries about each book in … Continue reading Cara Recommends…me!
June Wrap-Up & July Goals
Every once in a while, I'm totally allowed to have a month where I not only complete EVERYTHING on my list of goals, but also exceed it! (Mostly because sometimes I forget things when I'm writing up the list of goals, but I'm going to take the win anyway.) June Wrap-Up Steel Time was officially … Continue reading June Wrap-Up & July Goals