Hey there Word Lovers,

How'd you like to help an author out? This October, I've been editing like a madwoman, cutting superfluous words and phrases (how many times can you write "there was" or "there were" before you realize it's totally unnecessary?) and adding things based on the feedback of my incredible Beta readers. (You ladies know who you are, and I'm totally handing out gold stars all around!)

But in the midst of this process, I've reached a dilemma. I'm planning to release this behemoth of a story as a three-part serial. So basically, I'm dividing it into three books (think Lord of the Rings) to make it more palatable, but I'll be releasing them quickly (which means no twiddling your thumbs after a cliffhanger). What this also means is that I need not one, but THREE! titles.

I think I've mostly settled on my options, however, I have a question for you all to help me answer. Should I go with the infinitive (To Break Triviality) or opt for the gerund (Breaking Triviality)? Both give it a slightly different feel, but I'm asking you to tell me which one compels you the most and feels most relevant.

Here's a tiny bit about the story, pretty much spoiler free, but feel free to skip it if you like to enter a story cold: this book sets the stage for the main event - Time Travel to Rotterdam in the Netherlands during the bombing of the city on May 14th, 1940. In book one, you meet the main characters living life in their own times. On one side is Marit, a seventeen-year-old on the trip of a lifetime in 2015 with her brother to meet her role model/crush Cas Jansen, a nineteen-year-old YouTuber who explores abandoned buildings (aka Urban Exploring or Urbex). On the other side, you meet seventeen-year-old Annelies, an upperclass girl suffering the harsh reality that all of their servants have been sent home and soldiers have taken up residence in their place to keep an eye on the encroaching German army. Lots of things transpire.

Now it's your turn to pick a side. Reply to this email and let me know which title you prefer. To be? or Ing? I'll be eternally grateful for your help!

With the start of school, our lives have also switched to fewer opportunities to wander the countryside, but we did go on a few adventures. Here I am posing with one of the resident animals at our favorite farm/petting zoo.

At the end of September we drove out to a palace to enjoy a fairytale forest walk. The six-year-old had to complete a series of tasks given by different fairytale creatures. The grounds are just lovely and we enjoyed the views.

A couple of weeks before the end of September, I realized that five years had flown by and our daughter's passport needed to be renewed. That meant a trip to the US Embassy in Prague. It was a long day, but we got to walk past this fabulous garden with a statue of Saint George killing the dragon. He was really busy in this part of the world. Check out Bohemian Dragon Awakening for more about the story ;) (I'd put a fancy little link here, except for some reason Amazon hates me today and won't open...)

We also walked behind the Old Town Square and I was taken by this angle of the Old Tyn Church.

October has made autumn quite official. While I cringe at the thought of months of rain and gray, God does an amazing job of spicing up the forest during this time of year. I've been basking in the beauty every chance I get.

From dog walks around our house (bonus points if you can spot my little buddy in the picture above) to our favorite nearby nature preserve, this season has not disappointed.

That's pretty much all I've got this time around. Read on for news about this month's featured author, and don't forget that the newest book in the Games of Greed and Ruin series (Of Masquerades and Fame) releases at the end of the month! You won't want to miss out. I can't wait to get my own copy of this beautiful and super fun book!

Thanks for hanging out on this journey with me,

Sarah

AMBER GABRIEL: 

BOOK TITLE: The Lost Bride of Verda - A Novella in The Edge of the Sword Series

BIO:Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved to read. One of the first books I remember reading was a Wonder Book version of Cinderella. It was in the reading station in my kindergarten class, and I loved the illustrations. I would pick that book out every time, so my teacher finally removed it from the shelf to force me to expand my horizons. Now I have my own copy.

Another book that influenced me very early on was Richard Scarry’s Busy, Busy World. It told a story of two creative painters who painted a mural of a large sun inside someone’s house. I thought the idea was genius, so I drew a large sunshine on my wall with crayon. It was scrubbed off, but I continued to have a desire to express myself artistically.

In middle school, I enjoyed writing, and my English teacher told me I would write a book someday. I loved to read, sometimes reading late into the night. When I was not reading, I was making up stories in my head for my own amusement, but I never wrote them down. I was more interested in drawing and painting than writing. I have since painted numerous works of art, including some very large outdoor murals. You can see some of them if you do an internet search of Paint by Amber.

Over the years, I have had a lot of trouble with insomnia. I had heard that if you write down your ideas, it will help you to be able to go to sleep. That didn’t help, but I did end up writing some complete novels. Recently, I was diagnosed with narcolepsy, and understanding my sleep patterns, along with scheduling at least one nap during the day, has greatly improved my quality of life. The line between dreaming and wakefulness for me is sometimes blurred, and some of my ideas come straight from my dreams. Others are worked out while I’m lying in bed unable to sleep. It was fun to type them out, and I am planning to continue writing. My goal as an author is to write the type of books that I would like to read. My favorite genre is fantasy fiction, and I read and write books that tackle difficult issues but resolve themselves into a happy ending. I hope you enjoy my stories and characters as much as I do. If you search my name and the word 'author,' you should be able to find my social media site. I look forward to hearing from you!

TAGLINE: Cast from the waves into each other's hearts.

BOOK BLURB: Clean & Wholesome Level 1. Mild peril, including a sword fight, a brief reference to a serious war crime using euphemisms, and discussion of battle-related trauma. Mild innuendo. No swearing, though it is mentioned that a character curses internally.

When a ship wrecks upon his kingdom's shore, Prince Kalin throws himself into the surf to save a survivor, a strange foreign princess who refuses to speak. Kalin dutifully takes her under his care and begins to unravel the complexities of her unfamiliar culture. With his mind troubled by the threat of war, Kalin soon finds his heart besieged as well.

Princess Valanaithalianum carries a secret that could start a war. On her way to marry a foreign prince, she instead finds herself stranded alone in a rival kingdom. Rescued from the waves by the kind, keen-eyed Prince Kalin, the princess must preserve her dignity and guard her true purpose. However, when rumors of her intended husband's cruelty circle the court, she begins to doubt her people are allying with the right kingdom.

As affection grows between Kalin and Valanai, the weight of her hidden mission weighs heavily upon her. Will Valanai choose to trust the man who saved her or will her duty tie her to one whispered to be a monster?

BOOK LINKS:

Good Reads: 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Bride-Verda-Novella-Sword-ebook/dp/B0DP7SV6WW

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ambergabrielauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amber_gabriel/

Website: https://authorambergabriel.com/

LINK FOR NEWSLETTER JOINING: Read The Lost Bride of Verda

- Includes a