NEWS
Reader Appreciation
First, let me say… The Alchemist’s Flame has had a great release week! It jumped up as high as #5 on Amazon’s dark fantasy list, and into the 40s on the much more competitive paranormal & urban list. And this is all because of my awesome fans! I haven’t done any advertising, yet. (I’m adding excerpts to the other books and wanted to wait until that was done.) To further illustrate the awesomeness of my fans, I even had a couple of folks tell me that they would wait until the book went off sale to buy it. What a sweet thought, but as I...
read moreNew Release in the Final Formula Series
Release Day! (Okay, it’s more like Release Night for me.) The Alchemist’s Flame, book 3 in my Final Formula Series, has been uploaded in all the usual places. It’s already live on Smashwords and Amazon, but look for it to show up everywhere in the next few days. (I hope.) Also, I have a special release week sale. For the rest of the week, The Alchemist’s Flame will be only $2.99! Don’t miss out. After this weekend, it goes up to its regular price of $4.99. If you would like to read the first three chapters,...
read moreThe Alchemist’s Flame
Cover Reveal and Excerpt It’s time for another cover reveal! Here is the blurb and cover for the third full-length novel in the Final Formula Series… Now that the local hospital is using her burn salve, master alchemist Addie Daulton has become a celebrity. The positive press will go a long way in helping her redeem alchemy’s reputation, but Addie wishes the media would stop calling her the Flame Lord’s alchemist. She doesn’t need his sanction to validate her skills. Besides, having the name of the city’s premier Element tied to...
read moreTitle Reveal and Sale
The wait is nearly over. FF3 will be released soon. I don’t have a date yet, but the book is currently with my editor, Shelley Holloway, and cover artist, Streetlight Graphics. So it won’t be long now! The title of this new story is… The Alchemist’s Flame. I’ll post again when I have a date and/or a cover to reveal. Meanwhile, I have a sale going on. If you’ve fallen behind on The Final Formula story, now is your chance to catch up. For a limited time, the last title in the series, The Necromancer’s...
read moreThe End – Finally
The end. I love writing those two words. Finishing that first draft is one of the best feelings in the world, in my opinion. It doesn’t matter how crappy it is, or how much editing it will take to make it readable. I made it to the end—an accomplishment that frequently seems impossible from mid book. Last week, I got to write those two words again. Yes, I finally finished FF3. It’s off with beta readers now. I’m afraid I won’t make a December release date as I was hoping, but it goes for editing in early January, and cover art...
read moreSpeaking English – Kinda
I sometimes joke that I don’t speak English; I speak Appalachian. Most folks don’t think Appalachia when they think Ohio, but the rolling hills in the southern part of the state are actually the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. I tend to use words like y’all and reckon (as in, I reckon I’ll go write a blog post now), though I try to keep a handle on it when I write. Last weekend, I hosted a writing retreat. My beta buddies Kendra and Lindsay joined me for three glories days of writing, but at one point, we did laugh about my accent....
read moreThe Series So Far Giveaway
Since it’s going to be a few more months before the next book releases (I’m still shooting for December), I wanted to do something to keep my name out there. So I’m giving away an autographed set of the first four titles in the series. This is a Goodreads Giveaway so you’ll need to enter over there. You can find the entry page here. This giveaway is open to everyone, no matter where you live. (Yep, I’ll even spring for international postage.) Unfortunately, I only have one set to give away. Don’t wait...
read moreMaking My First Book Trailer
I’ve wanted to make a book trailer for a while now, so for The Final Formula’s first birthday (publication birthday), I decided to give it a go. I ended up having a lot of fun with this project, but there was a learning curve. When I started, I knew nothing about trailer making–or any kind of video editing. After studying some of the other trailers out there, I wrote a short script, then went in search of the imagery. I dug through loads of stock photos and footage–what a time sink that was–and finally found...
read moreShattering Illusions, One Beaker at a Time
The covered crucible rattled against the glowing red support ring. When it took a little hop, I stepped back. No need to risk my eyebrows. Again. The opening scene in The Final Formula is based on a real event. It wasn’t quite as dramatic, nor did it happen to me, but I’m pretty sure the stain is still on the ceiling. Fortunately, no eyebrows were lost. When I tell someone that I’m a chemist, I usually get an enthusiastic response of, “That’s cool!” I suspect they imagine a white lab coat, flasks of mysterious liquids, and explosions. I’m...
read moreThe Method to My Madness
I admit, the title is a bit misleading. This isn’t so much a post about what’s involved in my writing process; it’s more the story of my ongoing quest to find one. I’ve always been a seat-of-my-pants writer. (For those of you unfamiliar with the term, that’s a writer who grabs a pen, or a keyboard, and just starts writing. No outlines, no plans—just a desire to get the story down.) In hindsight, it makes sense that I would approach writing this way. For most of my life, writing was a hobby. I would write a novel, slap it in a ring binder, and...
read moreNew Release
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Smashwords | Apple
The Final Formula Series
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Smashwords | Apple