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.

A new story of magic and mystery

I'm really happy to share that I have my first story in an anthology. The book is From The Arcane: Relics of Legend and Lore, with fourteen fantasy stories all related to magical objects and artifacts by authors active in the Indie Fantasy Addicts Facebook group. My story, Talon's Shadow, is about Penelope, an apprentice in a magic shop. The shop sells gear to those brave enough to challenge the dragon Ankaregis, who lives on a nearby mountaintop. The shop owner, though cruel, is teaching Pen a little about magic. You can get a copy of the ebook for only $0.99, which is seven cents a story. I hope you'll consider giving it a read if it sounds like your kind of thing.

Kenai is on sale until the end of today

Speaking of things that are $0.99, Kenai is on sale for the rest of today for only $0.99. Also, Kenai has reached the quarterfinals of the SPSFC indie sci-fi competition, which is great. The cut from six quarterfinalists to two semifinalists from my group is coming up, and it's sure to be a nail-biter, for me at least. If you haven't had a chance to catch the adventures of Jess Amiko, former space marine, I hope you'll give it a try for hardly any money.

NaNoWriMo update

I'm steaming along with a new project for NaNoWriMo, the national novel writing month event which I'm doing for the fifth time this year. The goal of the event is to write 50,000 words in the 30 days of November, which for me isn't exactly a whole novel - mine tend to be closer to 100,000. Even so, I've made some great progress on four books in previous NaNoWriMos, even starting and finishing the first draft of Got Trouble back in 2021.

This year, I'm returning to comedic fantasy with a story of a heroic knight and her squire, wandering the world in self-imposed exile from their homeland. This is probably the silliest book I've tried to write. I hope you'll enjoy it when it's ready. I'd love to get it released in time for SPFBO next summer. If I can keep up my current pace (40,000 words in 14 days!) I should have no trouble meeting that goal.

Here are graphs (I love graphs!) of this year (top) and previous years.

A glimpse of work to do

My second thriller, What Grows From the Dead, is coming along! I have a whole host of comments from Reader Number One (my wife, Christina). I won't have time to get into those until I'm done with NaNoWriMo, but I hope to start getting the book revised and edited in December and released in January.

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, I have a LitRPG fantasy, Tower of Ruin, by Wolfe Locke (that can't be their real name, can it?). This book is currently *FREE* on Amazon. Locke is a prolific LitRPG author, a genre that reads a bit like a game and which has grown in popularity in recent years.

Next, I have Cave of Time by Fox and Lowberry, more great author names. This free shorter work is an introduction to their writing, and it has druids, mystical places, and of course, the rise of a great evil. Neat stuff!

Next, I have a set of 33 free fantasy books appropriate both for adult audiences and young adults. There is a wide range of genres and stories here. Have a look and see if there's something that you'd like to try for zero money.

Finally, I have another set of 97 (!) fantasy and sci fi stories and series, all *FREE* and available for you to check out. There's a huge variety of books here from various subgenres. Wherever your tastes lie, I'm sure there's something to try!

Thanks

Thanks so much for signing up for my newsletter. I'm so excited to be working on some new books to share, and it won't be long now. If you've read one of my books and wouldn't mind leaving a review anywhere (Amazon, Goodreads, Bookbub, LibraryThing) I'd really appreciate it! Each review helps me reach more readers. 

I hope you and your friends and family are having a safe and rewarding 2023!

May the Bloodmother watch over you - 

Dave