April 19, 2020 was the day I finished my first draft of Ranger’s Odyssey. I’d dreamed of being an author for most of my life, and after so many years with the dream in the shadows, I thought it was lost forever. It was an amazing, once in a lifetime feeling to pick it back up, to actually work on it for a year, and to finish the first draft!

Ten days earlier this year, I finished the first draft of Realm of Chaos. Today, a day under a year since I finished the first draft of Ranger’s Odyssey, I finished the first round of revisions for Realm of Chaos. It’s more of a feat for a few reasons, really. First, when I was working on Ranger’s Odyssey, that was really all I was working on. Yes, I had many other things going on in my life, but that was the only writing that I was working on in the year.

This past year, half of the time was actually spent finishing up Ranger’s Odyssey rather than working on Realm of Chaos. Not only did I finish the first draft of Realm of Chaos, but I also made three rounds of revisions to Ranger’s Odyssey, completed the worldmap, completed chapter title illustrations (which ended up being unusable), recorded the audiobook, created a website, created other materials, published Ranger’s Odyssey, worked with the cover artist on two covers, and laid out all of the books in the full story arc of Ambergrove.

I’ve done so much this past year, and I’m so proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish.

Second, there’s a lot of pressure for the second book. Not only is there this fear of disappointing the readers, but there’s also this idea that I may not be able to do it again. That one book is all I’d ever be able to write. But now I’ve written a second book, I have dozens of other books planned, and I am chomping at the bit to finish my rounds of revisions for Realm of Chaos so I can get started on Wheel of Fate. So I can finish Mara’s series and move to the Hammer and Flame trilogy, which follows the events of Mara’s story.

I was concerned about this book not being as interesting as the first. I was really concerned about a lot of things relative to the first, but I am so happy with how Realm of Chaos is turning out after my revisions. This second book was the trickiest one, not just because it was the second book or the middle in a series, but because there were set events that had to happen the way they do in order for all of the other books in the Tales of Ambergrove to be possible. Even with the restrictions, I really think that this turned out to be a good story with lots of good elements, and I always have trouble tooting my own horn (part of why I don’t do marketing of any kind). I’m so happy with it, and I’m so excited to finalize it and give the readers a chance to experience it—and all the emotions that are sure to come with it!

I already have all I really wanted from the experience of being an author. All I want is for my stories to be read and enjoyed. These past few months have given me more confidence in myself and the world I’ve built that I love so much. The plan for the Tales of Ambergrove is a dream come true for me. Now that I’ve written my second book in a year, I know it can be done. I know I can write a book a year. I know I can publish a book a year. I’m so excited for the adventure, and I hope that at least some of my readers hang on until the very last book in the main arc comes out, so you can see how it all was meant to come together.

Do I hope that my books will be picked up by a traditional publishing company, so I can be an author full-time as my occupation and write more than one book a year? Absolutely! But whether that happens or not, I will be putting out Ambergrove books for decades to come. Stories I love so very much. And I hope that you love them too.

Lots more to do in the next five months before Realm of Chaos comes out, but for now I’m taking a break before my next revision and reading one of my childhood favorites—and giving my helpers a break too!

Until next time, adventurers!

Okay, so maybe the rhyme isn’t the best, but you get the idea. It’s been a few weeks since checking in, so I figured the start of NaNo was good for an update.

For the past three years, I’ve been doing the April Camp NaNo, even though I can never really make it through any of the other NaNo months. In April, I always seem to make the goal. (Knock on wood.) 2019 was 20,000 words, 2020 was 25,000 words to complete the first draft of Ranger’s Odyssey, and this year is 30,000 words to complete the first draft of Realm of Chaos (it’s projected to be longer than Ranger’s Odyssey).

I didn’t write anything the past couple days, but I made up for that this afternoon by writing a full chapter! Just about 1000 words per day this month, and the first draft of Realm of Chaos will be complete!

In other news, the typo giveaway ends in TWO WEEKS! So far, there is one entrant—an informal one—and if there are no more entrants, I’ll be reaching out to the winner after the giveaway closes April 15. I offered the giveaway because I was so upset to discover I had missed so many typos, and I was worried that the typos would negatively affect the reader experience. I’m hoping that the lack of entry means that readers either didn’t notice or didn’t care about the typos. Just one final reminder, though, if you would like to enter, you can send me any typos you found as one single list to talesofambergrove@gmail.com by the end of the day April 15 to enter.

The cover artist is back to work on the Realm of Chaos cover, but she doesn’t have any updates to share. For now, here’s another peek of the initial sketches. This time, Mara and Teddy.

This month will fly by, as it has the past couple years, but I may give some sort of update in a couple weeks when the giveaway closes. And the first draft of Realm of Chaos will be nearly complete by then!

Until next time, adventurers!

This past week to now has included quite a few little milestones with Realm of Chaos! Foremost, in the past week, I have finished a chapter and written three whole chapters, totaling over 15,000 words! My highest amount was 7,000 in a single day—way more than I’ve previously been able to write. I made full use of my new writing sanctuary, sitting with a schedule and sticking to it.

So, after months of being stuck on a single chapter, petrified of disappointing the readers to the point of not writing anything at all, I wrote three full chapters in under a week! Additionally, by the end of Chapter 12 yesterday, I’d hit 150 manuscript pages and over 50,000 words!

Chapter 12 (working title “Harsh Lessons”) is one I’ve been anticipating since my initial blocking of RoC. This is the great turning point for some of the characters, and events in this chapter form the foundation for the first standalone I have planned in the Tales of Ambergrove—which in itself holds the birth of a new race, a new way of life, and a great change in the world. Without this, another destiny wouldn’t be realized. However, it is also dark. The darkest moment these characters may face—and that’s including the Ranger trial’s required loss.

It’s also a turning point within RoC, and I do believe that the rest of the chapters will go fairly smoothly from here on out. There’s definitely a lot of revision in my future, but the biggest hurdle is the first draft, and I’m expecting that to be completed by the end of next month. Then, we’ll be down to editing, revisions, and the completion of the cover. Sadly, no new updates on the cover front. The cover artist had some unforeseen obstacles and has been unable to work on the cover in over a month, but she’s hoping to get back to it soon. She didn’t start on the Ranger’s Odyssey cover until May of last year, and it was completed on time, so I’m not worried. Though I am really impatient to be able to see the characters come to life!

Speaking of completing on time, today marks just 200 days until Realm of Chaos goes to the publisher! 5 months still seems so far away, but, man, is it just around the corner! Soon, those of you who enjoyed Ranger’s Odyssey will be able to follow Mara in the second installment of her journey. My helper’s permanent reaction to my excitement while writing (and waking her from her slumber) is a fitting reaction for this as well:

So, here we are. Just a few months away. Again, I do want to give the final (or perhaps next-to-final) reminder about the Terrible Typos Tournament. This giveaway closes in about 6 weeks, so be sure to submit your entry if you plan to do so. The deadline will not be extended due to lack of participation. At this time, there is a single entrant, and this person will win a free hardback copy of Realm of Chaos by default if there are no additional entries. As a refresher, the initially posted rules:

I’ll be taking a short break this week from RoC, because my birthday is coming up and I have a few little things I’d like to do, but I’ll be back to work by the weekend. My writing sanctuary has really made a huge difference in my writing, and I’m seeing real results because of it. The ability to work on a TV screen has solved regular irritation of a chronic neck problem while also being gentle on my eyes after working at a computer all day. Additionally, no matter how hard they try to distract me, the flexibility of this setup thwarts even the princess’s most invasive attention seeking.

I’m very happy with the progress I’ve made the past week, and I’m so excited to be this much closer to bringing you Realm of Chaos!

Until next time, adventurers!

Ranger’s Odyssey has been available for four months now! It’s now available in four public libraries and two school libraries (that I know of). Additionally, there are listings all over the world!

I’m most excited about Waterstones, because I went there when I was an exchange student in Scotland. It’s unbelievable what a few months can do!

Speaking of, I wanted to take the opportunity to remind you about our first giveaway. Since we’re four months in, that means there’s just two months left of the Terrible Typos Tournament. So far, there have been no formal entries. Remember, you don’t have to find them all. If we get to the deadline (April 15) and no one has submitted them all, or there are less than five entrants, winners will be determined based on how many were submitted.

I won’t be extending the deadline due to lack of entries. If you’re interested in the prizes, please be sure to submit your entry to talesofambergrove@gmail.com by April 15 to win! Specifications copied again below:

On the topic of upgrades, I upgraded my Artisan Alcove in the past week or so, and I finished my changes over the weekend. My alcove has now been optimized as a writing sanctuary.

When we bought our house, I turned one of the rooms into an office. It was the previous owner’s daughter’s room, and it was painted a yucky light green with fairy decals and an ugly, purple mushroom painted on the wall. When I was a teacher, I just left it that way. I got a giant corner desk and I tried to have the room as a combination office and craft room. The crafting was already really on the back burner, but it did work pretty well for a couple years.

The winter after I quit teaching, I decided to make the room my own. I painted the white floor and door, and I painted over the wall with a green I liked and a Celtic knot border. But I didn’t do anything else with it. It was still an office. It still rarely was used. I got a recliner from my grandma, and I used it a little more, but not much. I called it my Artisan Alcove, but it wasn’t really that. Until now.

I sold my giant corner desk and moved a couple other big pieces to another room. Then, I rearranged what was already in there, moved the futon from my husband’s room—with his help—over to my room, constructed and painted a small cabinet, painted a sign with my library listing on it, constructed a rolling stand for my husband’s old TV so I could put it in front of my closet and easily move it (connected to my desktop computer as a third monitor), and sewed pillowcases in a cute material (squirrels, chipmunks, and bunnies reading books).

Now, as well, both diagonal walls are completely clean except for the original Ranger’s Odyssey cover art, so they’re available for the next covers to be added as they come. Up to seventeen more, if I can get the same cover artist to do that many. (She’ll be 73 when we get to that point, so I don’t expect her to still want to do them.)

I changed the background color to dark blue to deal with the brightness issue, so now I can recline on the futon or in the recliner with a wireless keyboard in my lap while I’m writing. The ambient lighting and environment have been very conducive to writing the past few days. Now I’m able to go up to my sanctuary to write, I’ve been able to make a lot of progress with Realm of Chaos. Sucessful upgrade!

In other news, we’re seven months away from the submission date for Realm of Chaos! I’m a little over a hundred pages into the first draft, and I expect things to progress much faster now. I hope to have the first draft finished by the time the typos giveaway deadline. Again, be sure to send in your entries by April 15! For now, back to work on Realm of Chaos.

Until next time, adventurers!

I recently rewatched POTC 3, which reminded me of the term (also it’s my all-time favorite blooper reel—I often tell the cats to “do something else” when they’re stomping on my organs). It is also apt: a maelstrom is, at is simplest definition, a situation or state of confused movement. It’s also a whirlpool or a situation of violent turmoil, but we’ll stick with the simple maelstrom for now.

I’ve had my own personal chaos/maelstrom the past two weeks. I had a minor oral surgery, my glasses broke and I’ve had to resort to the spare pair while I wait for the replacements, and, most recently, I finally went to get a long-standing neck issue checked out and now have a month of physical therapy and such to get be back to 100 percent. So I’ve been all over the board.

Additionally, it took me awhile to confidently get back to Realm of Chaos due to my own self-doubt. Finally, despite many attempts myself, a fellow author actually helped push me in the right direction. She reminded me that when I first created Ambergrove and began working on Ranger’s Odyssey, I was just doing it for me. I wasn’t writing the story I thought other people would like; I was writing the story I wanted to write. It just happened that so many readers enjoyed the story I wanted to write. Now that I have returned to the frame of mind that I’m just writing the story I had originally wanted to write, I’ve come back to it with new purpose. I now expect the first draft of Realm of Chaos to be completed and ready for the first round of revisions by the end of April. We’re well on our way to the October 2021 publication!

The cover artist is also hard at work on the book two cover! She’s expecting to have all her drafts completed in the next few months as well, and the final cover will be completed in the early fall. I did meet up with her this morning, and she brought one of the early tests for me to see:

The book two cover art will be done entirely on black paper. There won’t be scribbling (obviously), but there will be darkness from the paper showing through. The dark paper made our color selection a little more complicated, but the color tests are all turning out well. Without giving too much away, for those of you who haven’t finished Ranger’s Odyssey, the Realm of Chaos cover is also a snapshot of a specific point near the end of the book. (Ranger’s Odyssey‘s is from Chapter 17.) It takes place at night (hence the black paper) and features Mara and all her companions besides the one that was visible on the Ranger’s Odyssey cover. There will also be three enemies on the cover (including two gunslinger goblins).

Speaking of gunslinger goblins, I added a Realm of Chaos page (accessible from the Tales page). Now that Realm of Chaos is in full swing, and the questions are pouring in after Ranger’s Odyssey. For now, all that’s on the Realm of Chaos page is my intended back cover blurb (at least the first draft). Be sure to check that out if you have questions. However, if you have any questions you really need answered, remember that you are welcome to contact me through the website. I will be happy to answer questions as long as the answer doesn’t reveal a huge spoiler for later books. I would love to hear from you!

I’m so excited about where things are going for Realm of Chaos. I hope that the story I want to write meets your expectations after reading Ranger’s Odyssey. Know that the stories you will read are the stories I love to the depths of my being. Ambergrove is precious to me, and unfolding this world is one of my favorite adventures. (Second only to the snore monster whose delightful, slightly jarring, sleep sounds filter in from the next room.)

We all experience doubt. We all experience, well, experiences that get in the way of our plans sometimes. Push through the things that cause you to doubt yourself, and ride out the experiences that get in the way of your plans. Sometimes you’re in a lifeboat and sometimes you’re windsurfing, but you’ll make it though each thing and get to where you want to (or need to) be. Believing in yourself is hard, but the hard things make the adventure.

Until next time, adventurers!

It’s been a long time, adventurers! Ranger’s Odyssey has been out for two and a half months now. New readers are adding up as they get it for Christmas or use some of their Christmas money to get a copy. I’ll be adding more about Realm of Chaos in the coming months, once it’s been long enough to minimize the chance of spoilers. There will be a few vague updates between now and then, but first …

NaNoWriMo went down the tubes after about 15,000 words. I realized that in trying to meet the word count in such a short time (especially during an intense work time), I was compromising quality. I wrote a lot, but most of it is going to end up being rewritten. Some details were glossed over, giving me little idea of how long the actual chapter would be. Some sections included “[add details about_____]” or “[look up photos of _____]” instead of any actual description. It’s definitely going to take some work. So, instead of continuing to cause more problems, I stopped writing “just until NaNo was over.”

I’d planned to spend November working on NaNo and sitting with my husband while he played Assassins Creed: Valhalla. I love Celtic and Norse history and mythology. I’m not good at games, but I like them. I can really only play platformers and turn-based RPGs. But he had an extra copy of Valhalla due to odd circumstance, and after watching him a bit, I realized that there was an easy mode and the story was compelling. So I decided to play that during Thanksgiving week. I logged 97 hours in less than 2 weeks. More than I’ve played any other game. By far.

Much of the content was accurate—or at least close. To the point that when we fought the “heathens” (the Picts) at the Wall, I found some things I recognized. When I went to Scotland 9 years ago, I walked 3 miles of Hadrian’s Wall. We went from Twice-Brewed to Housesteads Roman Fort. Housesteads is in the game. On the way to Housesteads, there’s another distinct location: the Sycamore Gap. It’s been there for centuries. I ended up spending some time just going back and forth up the wall, trying to find other places that somewhat line up with my pictures. Like the Sycamore Gap.

I played some other games afterward until the bug fizzled out. At the start of Christmas break, I had 3 days at my parents’ house to work off the Ranger’s Odyssey cover. We did some cleaning and some painting, and I went out to see the animals. Roulette the cat, old and chonky, gingerly stepping around the barn. Wonder Boy the horse, also old and chonky, who did not appreciate our painstaking attempts to de-burr him and give him a brushing and a loving. And Cerridwen “Squirt” the goat, who’s older now but still nibbles. Just like her mama, who inspired a supporting character for the next two books. More on that later.

I also worked with the cover artist on Realm of Chaos. We’d talked about the design a lot in the past few weeks and tweaked some things, so I approved the final layout on the cover. It’s just a mock-up, so the figures were drawn 8×10, resized, and taped on the draft paper for position reference. We went through her supplies to select coloring for the full cover, went through references for mushrooms and other forest floor debris. rubble for a stone path, wicked trees … and made sure that the cover design didn’t include any spoilers from the book. Just like Ranger’s Odyssey, the cover snapshots one scene in the book near the end. This time, it includes all of Mara’s companions (aside from the furry one) and some baddies. Now the design is complete, the work begins on the final cover. I’ll be posting some vague pictures here and there as I receive them. Like this one:

In other news, Ranger’s Odyssey will finally be available in select libraries in Ripley County, Indiana, starting next Monday. Reviews have been posted on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble, if you want to check them out. If you’ve finished reading yourself, please consider leaving a review as well! They’re helpful for other readers, and I’d love to know what you think! Also, remember there’s a terrible typo tournament! There’s no entries yet. Remember, even if you’re not interested in the audiobooks, first and second prize are copies of Realm of Chaos!

Otherwise, I’m back to work on Realm of Chaos this week (finally). I’m leading into a big turning point for Mara in this chapter, and the time away from writing has actually helped me to work out some other stuff. Get some big things ironed out. I’m excited to finish this first draft, even if it’s going to take a few months to get there. I’m excited to see the cover completed, even if the complexity of it means that it probably won’t be completed until the fall. I’m excited for October, when Realm of Chaos comes out, because I know the process now and that I do at least have some readers who loved Ranger’s Odyssey and will be excited for the next installment.

2020 was a dumpster fire for a lot of people in a lot of ways, and there’s no sign that 2021 is going to be magically better, but there are lots of good things in the works for Ambergrove. The new year brings adventures, good and bad. Have some good ones.

Until next time, adventurers!

It’s been a couple weeks, adventurers! Ranger’s Odyssey has been out since October 12. Many Kindle or early Amazon readers are finishing up their first reads. I discovered last weekend that the AuthorHouse timeframe given was misleading, so many who ordered from AuthorHouse just received their copies last week. Hopefully November will prove to be a good reading month, and those of you who haven’t been able to start yet will delve into Ambergrove. There’s no word yet on the release at Barnes & Noble. Surely it will be any day now, since the timeframe I was given was 2-3 weeks from initial publication. I’ll post on the Facebook page when it becomes available.

Reviews

Otherwise, all that’s left for Ranger’s Odyssey is seeing how you like it (or don’t like it). I’m trying not to badger too much for reviews, but they really are the lifeblood of the readership. As a reader, I only really read books from authors I know or from authors that have positive reviews. Many of you have given me your feedback via Facebook or dm, and I’m so glad to hear from you as you read! There are many little things that I was hoping would be noticed, and I’m so glad to see that they have been! I’m glad to see many of you are bonding with the characters, appreciate Mara as a relateable protagonist, and are excited for the next installment of her story. It’s so amazing and humbling to see!

This feedback is great for me, but it would also be good to have feedback for other readers. As a reader, I would be more likely to check out or purchase a book from an author I don’t know If I’m able to learn these things about the story from reviews. How Mara is the protagonist who isn’t immediately good at everything; she has to earn her stripes. How especially the breaks between Chapter 11 & 12 and 15 & 16 end in such a way that the reader just had to continue to see what happens next, even if it was way past bedtime. How an experienced D&D player can read the game scene from the POV of the player character and know when the player is rolling for perception, rolling to hit, and rolling very low and injuring herself.

All those sorts of things, if made public statements in reviews, will get readers like young me to pick up Ranger’s Odyssey from the public library or the school library, get me to get the Kindle edition if I can’t afford a physical copy, get me to ask around to see if any of my friends have a copy I can read. Reviews make the largest difference. Please, if you would like to support me, or if you like the story and just want to get it out there (or to warn others away maybe), consider writing a review or at least leaving a rating. The AuthorHouse site doesn’t get enough traffic to be visible to readers, so I recommend reviewing on Goodreads. If you purchased from AuthorHouse, or you are borrowing from a library, from a friend, or otherwise not paying for your copy, I recommend reviewing on Goodreads. If you purchased from Amazon, you may certainly also review on Goodreads, but Amazon gets more than its share of traffic, and it is good to have reviews where you purchase, so reviewing on Amazon is fantastic as well.

Anyway, I’m not going to hound nonstop for reviews, but it would really mean a lot to me if I were able to get some. It really is the biggest support I can get—even more so than purchasing the book.

Libraries

Libraries are bridges to a thousand worlds. I discovered my favorite authors, and many of my favorite books, from the library growing up. Many from my local public library. When I was younger, I begged my mom to take me to the library as soon as I finished reading a stack of books, and when I was old enough to drive, I stopped at the library at least once a week on the way home from school. I got Ranger’s Odyssey in the libraries I could because I recognize just how valuable the library can be. I want my stories to be read and enjoyed.

So, the copies are being processed at this time, but they should be available from the public libraries within a few weeks. Right now, there are three libraries taking copies: Milan, Osgood, and Batesville public libraries in Indiana. Osgood/Milan are also talking about having events. The Osgood and Milan libraries are part of the Indiana Evergreen system. This means that once the book has been in the library for six months, it is available for inter-library loan (ILL) through any library in the Evergreen system. So, if you don’t have access to these libraries in Ripley County in Indiana, you may get Ranger’s Odyssey in May if your local library is eligible for ILL.

NaNoWriMo

This year, I am participating in November NaNo. For those of you unfamiliar with NaNo, the goal is to write 1,667 words a day of a novel, totaling 50,000 words by the end of the month. Because I am well into Realm of Chaos, this means that I should be able to have most of the first draft completed by the end of the month, and I may even be able to finish the first draft by the end of the year. It’s a tall order, but I’m excited to try. I was able to write much of Ranger’s Odyssey using the April 2019 and 2020 Camp NaNos (these have individual word count goals, so I did 20,000 the first time and 35,000 the second time). This is by far the most I will attempt, and I am working full time and attempting a few other things in addition, but I feel positive about it so far.

Today I finished a chapter, and I wrote right around the intended amount. I introduced many new concepts to Ambergrove, because, after all, we are in the realm of chaos.

Some words of wisdom …

This weekend, I was also able to have a nice little conversation with my dad, so I would like to end this blog with some life advice from my dad. I was complaining about how I wasn’t able to write as much as I wanted to last week, and that I wanted to finish the chapter I was on and start a new chapter for a clear break for NaNo. I mentioned that my employer hadn’t offered end-of-month overtime yet for Saturday, and that I wasn’t sure if I would take it if they did (I never turn down OT), because I needed to work on my book. Then, I mentioned that my dear husband had the day off Saturday so we could play Neverwinter together (D&D-based MMORPG), but we really couldn’t afford for me to turn down OT if it was offered.

My dad’s response? “Do you think I could ever afford to take time off? No, but I did it anyway, and we made it work. Sometimes what matters more is just being there.” He went on to remind me of the times when he worked nights on the weekend to make up for hours lost to be at my youth soccer games. I don’t remember a whole lot about playing soccer, but I do remember my dad always being at the sidelines right next to my mom. Now, at 25, I remember how he always took the time to be there as I grew up. He was sure to not miss it. He was sure to be supportive. Sometimes it matters more just being there. Sometimes it takes a reminder (my first “listen, Squirrel” in awhile) reorganize priorities. We’re heading into the holiday season, and my family Christmas has been cancelled like many others. Maybe we won’t have many opportunities to spend with the people we care about. Maybe there will be points to choose between earning a living, doing something we want to do, and being there for someone we love. But it’s the being there that lasts.

I’m not saying don’t work or do the things you love. I still got some OT in, just not on Saturday. I still got some writing in, just not on Saturday. When you have the opportunity to be there, sometimes it matters more to be there. To listen to your husband singing the area music off-tune and off-key as you play games together. To sleep in for once, planning nothing but waking up and spending the day having fun together. To go to your daughter’s youth soccer games. To go to your daughter’s band concerts. To spend the week camping at the county fair every year, making meals in a cast iron pot and attending every show. To answer the phone on your lunch at work, or in the middle of something else important, when your daughter is 20, 22, 25, listening to her, giving her advice, and saying “love you, Squirrel” before hanging up.

These things matter. When Mara loses her connection to all she knew from Earth, these are the sorts of things she remembers. Be the loved one the main character would remember being there. The one they would miss because of how they were always there. I took some time, after having this talk with my dad, to really look around at my home and the memories in it and appreciate just being here. And being here with my perfect husband who will never realize how perfect he is. I don’t specifically remember the times I read or wrote on the couch while he played a game (like today), but I remember how I feel every time he absently reaches over to pat my leg and ask me one question or another in an animated tone. Being there. Spending time with the people you love. Showing up. It’s not just the measure of a good mentor figure in a book or movie. You don’t have to be Uncle Iroh (or Uncle Teddy), but everyone needs to be sure to be there when it matters. Or even just the little times that don’t really seem to matter. Often, those are the ones that actually do.

Anyway, this is surely my longest blog by far. Little off-topic in there but sometimes you feel the feels, and dad wisdom should always be shared (in the times that it’s wise-dom and not wise-crack). Treasure your library, review my books, empathize with the crazy people participating in NaNo this month, and be sure to be there for the people you love, especially when it matters most. And sometimes just to be there. That’s part of the greatest adventure—building a life full of memories you want to live again and have again for the rest of your life, even if they don’t seem significant in the moment. You’re living the adventure right now; don’t miss it.

Until next time, adventurers!

What a whirlwind week it’s been! I realized that everything I thought about the publishing process was wrong, and even the information I was given has been constantly disproven. I don’t know anything about anything anymore.

Well, I know a little bit. The newest news, although a couple days ago I was told the ebook would take 4-6 weeks, it became available from AuthorHouse last night and from Amazon this morning. The Kindle edition is currently being read!

Kindle/ebook:

I am a little bit disappointed in the way the ebook turned out, but looking back at other ebooks I have that are duplicates of physical copies, the ebook is always stripped to bare bones.

I do recommend the ebook for affordability and ease-of-access. It’s $3.99 ($4.27 after tax), and it does allow you to change the font or font size to something easier to read, and you can download the Kindle app for free on your phone. If you aren’t concerned with the experience a physical book gives, the ebook is a solid option.

What doesn’t it have? Well, it doesn’t have the spacing that a book typically does. It doesn’t have the cool font of the chapter titles. It doesn’t have the triskele accent image. The physical books look like this:

But it does have the map and the other important image, though the map is a bit hard to read. You can come to the website to view the map if it’s too small to read. It does have the full text in a format that makes sense. It does allow you to read the full book from the convenience of your phone, on-the-go, wherever you are.

Hardback/paperback:

These are currently available from AuthorHouse and Amazon. They should be available from Barnes & Noble within the next couple weeks. Some of this has been covered already, so I’ll just say that I’m chomping at the bit waiting for my author copies to show up. I cannot wait to hold them in my hands, and the final design was beautiful. Those who ordered them when they went live should be receiving their copies very soon!

Audiobook:

As a resource for the formats, I’ll reiterate. I recorded the audiobook myself last weekend. I have a decent recording device, so there’s not your standard background noise, though at times my helper can be heard crying in the distance. I think it’s adorable, so whereas I could have edited it out, I decided to keep it in.

I also have a tendency to raise my voice when I tell a story. (My former students probably remember how ridiculously forceful my voice sometimes got when I was reading out loud.) So, sometimes the audio is great, and sometimes I’m a little too loud a little too close to the mic. I do funny voices, just because I do an old lady voice and various man voices that do not come off as they probably should. Sometimes I flub my words.

What I’m doing this week is editing the audio. Mostly I’m just taking out coughing and hiccups, or places where I very clearly say “asses” instead of “axes” or something like that because I’m talking too fast to enunciate. It’s not perfect, and it won’t be perfect. What it will be is the full story, read by the author, for those of you who read better with audio or who listen to audiobooks in the car or something because you don’t have time to read. For me, Christmas music radio time is always audiobook time.

It will be available only from my website, and it will be an mp3 download I will send to you directly. I need to charge at least the amount of the ebook for various reasons, so that’s what it is. I just made it a rounded $4 (mostly so I didn’t have to mess with numbers at all). I should be able to finish my editing this weekend, so I intend to have the audiobook available by Sunday. There is a sample on the Ranger’s Odyssey page to give you an idea of what you’d be getting.

Again, sometimes too loud voice, flubbing words, crying cat, funny voices. Still an entertaining listen. Worth $4, but not worth the price of a standard audiobook by any means. I do believe some of you will enjoy it.

Purchase links:

AuthorHouse—hardback, paperback, and ebook are all available.

Amazon—hardback, paperback, and Kindle edition are available. They’re all separate listings for some reason, but you can find them by searching.

Tales of Ambergrove site—audiobook available soon. Please allow 24 hours for me to send you the audiobook after it’s available and you place your order.

Goodreads/rating:

If you use Goodreads, my book is listed there and I have an author account as well. Personally, I haven’t used Goodreads all that much, but there are many merits to it. My suggestion pertains to ratings and possible FAQs. I would love to have you rate my book where you purchased it. I want to hear what you have to say about my stories—good and bad. Goodreads allows you to rate my book no matter where you purchased it—or even if you borrowed it from the library or a friend instead of purchasing. Ratings bring people in, even the negative ones. I’m excited for my story to spread and spread, and ratings are good for me and good for other readers to decide if my book is worth purchasing. I, personally, don’t buy a book unless I can read reviews or I know the author already.

Another draw of Goodreads is public questions. You are welcome to contact me with questions, either by the contact function on the website, by emailing, or by messaging on the Facebook page. However, if you have a question that others might share, you can ask it on Goodreads and I can answer it for everyone. Surely there are those as awkward as me who really want to ask a question and are too nervous to do it. Your question could help them too.

If you would like to rate or review, or if you have a question, please use whatever platform is best for you. I’d love to hear from you.

I’m sure I’ll have a new update very soon. Until next time, adventurers!

*Na na na na na na na I’m gonna start a fight.*

Ranger’s Odyssey has been officially delayed. It will be available direct from the AuthorHouse website by 10.15.20 (Thursday). The time I was just given for Amazon and Barnes & Noble is 2-3 weeks, so it will be available in their stores by the end of the month.

I apologize for the delay. This is my first time going through the publishing process, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Then, something was entered wrong in the system, so the computer showed that I requested a hold on the account. They were waiting for me to tell them to go ahead, and I was waiting for them to do it on the date they told me. But things are moving now, and I’ve been assured that it will be available for purchase on their site within 48 hours.

Again, I will update the Ranger’s Odyssey page on the website and the Facebook page as soon as I know something.

I’m trying not to dwell on it too much, because it does upset me, so that’s where I’ll leave that for now. But I do sincerely apologize for unintentionally misleading you all.

In other news, while I was panicking about the book over the weekend, I spent 10 hours cooped up in my alcove recording an audiobook version. I have a decent recording device from my college days (we had some pretty strict regulations for our final videos from student teaching), so the audio quality is decent, but this is by no means a professional piece.

The idea is that the audiobook will be available for those who don’t have time to sit and read, instead listening to audiobooks while driving or doing chores of some kind, or for those who have trouble following the words or comprehending the text unless it’s read out loud. Some may also just find it funny or like the idea of the author reading the book to them (or their former teacher reading a book to them again).

My “helper” was very upset to be shut out of my alcove while I recorded, and the microphone is good enough to occasionally pick up her pitiful baby meows from the other side of the door. The first one is in Chapter Three. Just one sad, little meow. I think they’re adorable, and they add character to the audiobook.

That’s the thing with this audiobook. It’s not professional. My old lady voice is hilarious to me. The attempts at deep, “man” voices are even worse. But it’s entertaining. It’s a cute, little thing, and I enjoyed making it. The lightly edited audiobook will be available for purchase through my website only, and it will be up this weekend (once I’ve finished taking out the coughing … it’s been a long time since I’ve talked that long, and my voice did not like it).

Because it is just a homemade audiobook, I’m just charging the same price as the ebook ($4) so you aren’t encouraged to skip the book for the audiobook instead. But it’s $4 when the lowest full-size audiobooks are $15 and most are $25—so that should give you a comparison. I know it sounds like I’m trying to get you to not buy the audiobook, but that’s really not my intent. I just would feel bad if someone expected something Audible quality. This is not that. But I do think it’s worth $4, and it’s good for a few laughs and an effortless ride through the story. There’s a sample available on the Ranger’s Odyssey page on the website (link above).

In other other news, I did one more thing this weekend that’s book related, and that I think deserves a little recognition. It is worth noting first that the Ambergrove logo is my design, but I didn’t design the symbol for my logo. I designed it for my very first tattoo. I got it when I was 18, and I love it. I have many reasons for getting it, but I don’t really want to share my reasons for all my tattoos (I have two others—a horseshoe dreamcatcher and cat pawprints). I just want to share the new one.

All of my tattoos have a meaning, and the middle two have painful meanings. This new one is the opposite. I’ve wanted to be an author since I was 10 years old. Obstacle after obstacle stood in my way. Some I could have prevented, and some I couldn’t. However, after 15 years, and 10 years on the same series, I was finally able to do it. To say I’m an author. To see my book in stores.

Well, that was the idea anyway, when I made my appointment for yesterday.

I’ve spent so much time in Ambergrove. I love it. And I feel so accomplished knowing that these stories are all going to be told. So I wanted to get an author tattoo. Not just any author tattoo, but one that would build as the story became more complete. Yesterday, I got the base: “Ambergrove” in an amber-orange. The tales of Ambergrove in the main story consist of a series of series and a few standalones. I’ve planned out each already, and I’ve named the main characters for each series.

All the names in order have a letter in them that will help to spell out “Ambergrove.” As the final book in each series is published, I’m going to add the main character’s name to the puzzle. Mara just had to be the M, so I started with someone whose story isn’t told until way later—so we will end at the beginning. Fitting in more ways than one.

Is it silly to have this as a tattoo? Probably. Do I absolutely adore it anyway and feel proud of myself every time I look at it and realize that 10-year-old me has achieved a fantastic dream? Absolutely. Am I excited to add onto it as the years go by and see my story unfold on my skin? %@!* yes.

The past few days have not gone as they should, but what things in life do? All we can do is immortalize the triumphs and press on until the next big, magical thing happens to renew our faith in ourselves and our love of, well everything and everyone important. Some things are remembered forever. In 10 years, I won’t remember how I cried for an hour when I finally realized by book would not be out on Saturday. I won’t remember how frustrated I was to find out that the delay was due to a preventable error. I won’t remember the feeling of dread, thinking that meant no one would want to read my books because they thought I was a fraud. Or the thought that I actually was a fraud.

No, I’ll remember how readers asked me where the book was, just because they were excited to get it. I will remember how I asked my husband to bring home something chocolate, and he arrived with a variety of chocolatey, sweet, and cheesy foods (mac & cheese is my best friend). I’ll remember how I laughed recording my audiobook. I’ll remember how I remembered young me, and what she would think if she’d known what was to come.

On that note, take heart, adventurers. Ranger’s Odyssey will be available soon, and you can join Mara on her adventure. Until then, enjoy your own adventures.

Today, due to a miscommunication with the publisher, it seems Ranger’s Odyssey may be available for purchase sooner than expected. The official release date is 10/10/2020 (next Saturday), but it may be available between now and then instead.

Since we’re nearing the final release, you may find the final covers below!

Paperback, hardback, and ebook will be available direct from AuthorHouse, from Amazon, and online from Barnes & Noble.

Before I comment on that more, I want to tell a little story. When I was 10 years old, in my 6th grade Careers class, my first choice for the rest of my life was to be an author. Why? I was the kid who found solace in books. I delved so deeply into every story, I blocked out everything around me. I could read while people were throwing wads of paper over my head. I could read over the din of the obnoxious trumpets in middle school band. There was nothing but me and the book.

The only time I ever got dragged out to the hallway in school was when I decided to lie to my math teacher about having finished my homework, just so I had the chance to finish my book. Growing up, the stories were everything to me. That’s why, when the teacher asked us what we wanted to be, that’s all I wanted. I wanted to write stories that would transport the reader to a new and wonderful land. I wanted the reader to be affected by the characters in my stories—to see some of themselves in the characters, and to learn wholesome life lessons by accident, just by living the story.

Now, after 15 years and many diversions, I’m realizing one of my oldest dreams. My one goal in being a published author is to have at least one reader who falls into my stories and is excited when the next one comes out. To love the world and the characters so much they never want to leave. I want my books to be read.

The disappointing thing about this entire process is that the author doesn’t really get a say in the retail price. The publisher tells the author what the price will be, and retailers have the option to hike the price up if they want to. Please know, when you see my book(s) available for purchase, that I’m not trying to gouge money out of you. I’m not writing for the money; I’m writing for the love of it, and for the enrichment I want to give my readers.

The royalties are pretty much even across the board, so I earn the same amount no matter which version you choose to purchase. If you are wanting to support my endeavor, thank you so very much. Please don’t think you have to spend a bunch of money to do so. Although, as an avid reader, I’ve always felt that hardcovers are better (for various reasons), I understand that not all readers are collectors, and I understand that not all readers can afford to pay much for a single book.

If you are interested in the story, but you cannot afford the cost of the physical book, all you need to read the ebook is a screen. It’s not the best experience, but you can read it on your phone. I’m also hoping to get copies in libraries—because I found my favorite authors in libraries—but I don’t expect libraries to just stock a random book by an author they don’t know.

So, down to the prices. AuthorHouse has a suggested retail price, which they will use for the listing on their website. Due to the likelihood of retailers hiking up the prices, it will likely be the most cost-effective to purchase direct from the publisher’s website/at the suggested retail price at these prices: (ebook) $3.99; (paperback) $13.99; (hardback) $26.99. Though, again, it will also be available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. At this time, I don’t know what their prices will be.

I hope you aren’t deterred by the prices, and, if you are, I hope you will get the ebook, find the book in a library, or borrow from a friend. I hope you decide to delve into the world of Ambergrove, and I hope you’re sad when you’ve finished the final page. I hope you love it like I do.

Until next time, adventurers. Maybe you’ll have met Mara by then!