Welcome, new folks!

Hi, there. If you've joined the mailing list recently, I want to make sure you get your free Frosthelm book, Traitors Unseen. If you haven't gotten it, you can get it free here (the site will ask you to sign up for this newsletter, which you're already getting) or here from Smashwords. It's also on Apple Books, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. Please, enjoy with my compliments.

Kenai Progress

I'm deep into my revision of Kenai, and I thought I'd share a couple pictures of my editing progress. After I complete a first draft, I do a detailed read and revision on my own, fixing any issues (some that I know I've created while writing, and others I find as I read). Then, I share the book with a few early readers to get their feedback, the first of which is my wife, Christina. She likes a big paper copy, which I get printed at Office Depot, and she gives me a ton of helpful suggestions and comments, all marked with little post-it tabs. Here's what that looks like when I get it back:

After I get her feedback, and the feedback from the other readers, I go through all of it and try to address anything that confused them or didn't sit right. As I fix stuff, I end up covering my computer table leg with the post-its:

With Kenai now, I am down to a few key issues (and post-its) that are a little more complicated to fix, but I'm working on those and will get through them soon. After that, I do another full read-through to see how it flows and see if I've introduced any new problems. I make any additional changes, do a few different kinds of computer-assisted grammar and spelling checks, and then I get the book off to my proofreader/copy-editor for her comments.

Although May will be busy with my upcoming move to a new house (and a new computer desk that I won't be able to stick stuff to), I'm pretty sure I can get all of that done and the book ready for you. Here's the cover again - I'm really excited to share it with you.

Some stories to try

I'm part of several author collectives, and we share each other's work to try to help all of us reach more readers. In many cases, the books we share are are free or discounted. Sometimes, they ask that you sign up for a newsletter like this one. Here are some new books I have to share this month:

First is The Unknown Sun by Cheryl Mackey. It's an epic fantasy story about a young woman pursued by mysterious enemies in a crumbling world that has lost its elemental protectors. Great stuff! Free for KU readers.

Next, I have The Corner Job by the prolific Shane Shepherd. This tale of galactic invasion is the first in a new series of novella-length episodes about his space adventurer, Jason Rokku, and his ship.

Next up is The Eye of Aes by Ross Hughes, an epic fantasy story that includes murderous centaurs, mysterious monster eggs, battles and mysterious wizards. This is not out yet, but you have a chance to receive a free ARC (Advanced Review Copy) if you'll consider reviewing it. You'll need to sign up through Story Origin's review service, but there are plenty of free books available there to try.

Finally, I have a boxed set (well, an ebook set) of six fantasy and sci-fi novels, each part of longer series, all by members of the Association of Rhode Island Authors. Six books (2235 pages) for ten bucks is a pretty good deal! There is a good variety of stories, themes, and authors here.

Thanks

Thanks so much for being part of my small corner of the literary world. I really appreciate you reading my newsletters (and my books!). I hope you and yours are safe and happy and having a good 2023 so far.

May the Bloodmother watch over you - 

Dave