Dear Reader,

My psychic powers tell me that this page is important to you, so I’d like to update you with more current news than what was on this page originally. To keep things straightforward, I’m going to date the updates so you’re aware of the chronology.

September 2010

Since I last updated this page, there has been a lot going on here at VioletWar.com. Here’s a list of the activity related to this setting and the stories set in this world:

• Site Re-launch – Ended up re-launching the site with a more streamlined look and feel.

• Revisions – Due to a very time-consuming day job, I ended up sitting on my manuscript for a while to focus on paid assignments and my career. Now that I’m writing full-time, I’m revising the second draft of the manuscript and hope to offer it to a few beta readers before going the agent route.
• Free Fiction – Although I’m no longer offering the entire novel for free, I am a firm believer that the way to your heart is through a story. It’s important for me to share free fiction with you, so you can see whether or not you like this world or my writing. Here is a link to some free fiction
• Release of THE QUEEN OF CROWS – One of my concerns, is that in order to grab readers and offer people a way to support my work, I needed to have a story to sell. The Queen of Crows is the story that started me on this path to creating an entire world. However, I wanted to offer you more than just a story, so I tapped into some other people’s talents and created an enhanced e-book. It’s one of the first, if not “the” first pieces of work that includes extra content and artwork for you. (And yeah, I kept the price pretty low. It’s only $4.99, but the reviewers have said the price is too low!
• Release of THE QUEEN OF CROWS trailer – To help spread the word, I collaborated with a professional composer for THE QUEEN OF CROWS e-book trailer. Have a listen if you can. The music is completely original and was composed specifically for the trailer.

That’s all for now, but I promise to keep you in the loop. There’s some other pitches and whatnot going on, but it’s too soon to tell you anything.

February 2009

Over the past two months, I’ve been really working hard behind-the-scenes to ensure that I can offer you a full draft of the first novel, Argentum, by the end of April. From clearing up old projects off my plate to getting organized, I’ve got a full plate through September. Here’s a little bit about what I’ve been working on:

• Short story for a horror anthology called “Buried Tales of Pinebox, Texas” (Tentative publication date June 2009)
• Essay for Family Games 100 book (Tentative publication date August 2009)
• Judging for the Origins Awards
• Articles for a new fantasy magazine by Polymancer Studios
• Content consulting for businesses
• Reviews for Flames Rising
• Scheduling three convention appearances and panels in April, May and August.
• Changes to my blog and this site to make it more reader-friendly.
• Working with an artist on images for Violet War

The image that is included in this post is a sneak preview of “things to come.” You can download the image and use it as your wallpaper if you want to. Once things get rocking here I’m going to add a page for the artwork and share with you more about this talented designer.

This weekend I am going through over ninety pages of text to look at what characters I’ve introduced and ensure that the story is on track. I’m re-charting the outline to prepare for later revisions and to look at any pacing issues. You see, I may know where this book needs to go to prepare for the next one in the series, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you do.