Happy belated New Year!
This is a commission by Eurephora that I had done last year. It is Faye, the protagonist of my long suffering Work In Progress (tentatively titled "Priestess", but will probably, most definitely, come up with a better title). I am being sarcastic of course; I am having fun writing it, when I actually get to work on it. I made some progress over the holidays but it's still not close enough to being published.
Last August, I participated in the #FantasyIndiesAugust challenge. Thought I'd post some of the snippets here that I shared there, in case you don't follow me on Twitter.
Sarika pulled me away gently and I leaned into her while I caught my breath and clutched my belly.“Was it worth it?” she asked.“It doesn’t have to be worth it in order to do it. It is my duty.”Sometimes I wondered if this was all my life was going to be. Pain and duty. Momentary feelings of having done good from helping someone other than the duke couldn’t keep me going forever. Indeed, I didn’t think my life would be long if things kept up like this. But I didn’t know any other way.-JOY DEMERS, PRIESTESS WIP, AUGUST 6, 2022
Candles, sconces and chandeliers were lit all around the hall. The duke’s family mingled around with wine glasses, dressed in finery and frills. The old duke himself stood in the center of the room. I could tell his pain was returning for he leaned on his left side and his twitching smile at our appearance was one that masked a grimace. Beside him, however, stood the peacock of a general, the man who’d ridden in on the crazy black stallion. The general’s gaze fell onto me and I nearly recoiled backward if Urdie hadn’t still locked her arm around my elbow. She brought me to her grandfather and the man of Valderon. I dropped my cane so Urdie would let me go. But no sooner had it hit the floor than the general leaned down to pick it up.“Heavy, for a simple walking stick,” he said, bouncing the cane in his grip as if to belie his statement.“It was a gift from my brothers and sisters at the Sanctuary.” I held my hand out for the cane. I didn’t always need it to help me walk, but I carried it with me all the time anyway. The general passed it over to me. His fingers brushed against my hand and I felt their coldness even though I wore my gloves. “Thank you.”“You are the priestess of San,” the general said. Up close, his eyes were dark, like pools of the blackest water. And though his expression was bemused, I felt those fathoms held many secrets.-JOY DEMERS, PRIESTESS WIP, AUGUST 13, 2022
So, that's about all the news I have for now. I hope next time I update, I'll have some good news :)
-Joy
Hey there,
A few weeks ago, I was interviewed by fellow indie author and super nice guy, PL Stuart. I talk about my inspirations and what I think grimdark is and a little about my WIP.
Be sure to check out his books while you are there. I read the first book in his Drowned Kingdom Saga last year, and I highly recommend it if you are into books with protagonists who fall into grey areas. I'm still not sure if Lord Othrun is a hero or full of himself.
That's about it!
Until next time,
Joy
Hey there!
First off, happy new year! It's been a while since I updated the site and I apologize for that. I only have a bit of news to share with you; The Darkness in the Midst series has gone wide!
Back in February, all four books in the series were pulled from Kindle Unlimited and made available at more retailers. (I apologize if you were reading the books for free on Kindle Unlimited - hopefully you saw my tweet that forewarned you of this and were able to get to them before they were pulled).
Please check out my Books2Read profile to see all the lovely places you can buy my books now - at least the e-book versions. Paperback remains exclusive to Amazon for now.
The current WIP seems to be stalled. Hopefully I can get out of the rut I am in and have something new for you this year. We'll have to wait and see for that.
Until next time!
-Joy
Hi,
Just wanted to pop in to say the results are in for my entry into SPFBO 7. Actually, the review was up a few days after my last update but I am only now getting around to posting the link here. The result is positive, but ultimately I didn't move on. Here's an excerpt of the review:
The book moves at a rapid pace, especially in the final third, and the first-person prose is easy to read and follow.
You can read the full review here.
That's really all I wanted to say. Still working on the WIP. I will update more on that when I get more done.
Have a nice day,
Joy
Hi!
This is an update post. Only a few things have happened since I last posted.
2. I have slowly been writing my next book. And slow is an understatement. I expected things to be farther along by now, but... stuff. I mentioned in a previous art post that it will follow a new character and it will also take place in a different part of Ledonia. If you read Daughter of Darkness, you will know that there are things happening in the south and this book is all about that. There might be appearances from certain characters... you’ll have to wait and see.
3. I made a new mailing list, because everyone says an author should have a mailing list. I don’t plan on sending out many e-mails so if you want to sign up to hear about new releases first – the sign up box is to the right (or bottom? If you’re reading this on a mobile device).
4. I have joined Instagram. I may or may not keep up with it – we’ll see. Twitter is enough for me usually and Facebook is simply there if I need it. I’ll probably end up posting pics of my cat hehe.
I updated the contact page by getting rid of the form that never worked. You can now e-mail me directly.
5. I’ve been really busy with work. I won’t go into details but
I am a little exhausted. Things should be getting back to semi-normal soon though
and hopefully, I will be able to take a long vacation and devote more time to
writing.
Well, that’s about it! I hope you’re enjoying summer so far and until next time,
Joy
I've always been amazed at how a person can take my words and make a picture - or in this case, a digital painting. I want to share with you the art I have commissioned over the years while writing The Darkness in the Midst and other works in progress. Sometimes, when I'm feeling stuck, art can keep me going. Enjoy the art and make sure to check out each artist's page.
I am just in love with this portrait of Faye! This is the more colorful version (isn't Indi nice, she gave me two versions, this one and a more muted version) and honestly, it reminds me that I am going a little less *dark* in my work in progress, at least so far (things can always take a turn). Gah! It's just so amazing. I really need to get this printed out professionally. When I received the final portraits I had a fiery urge to get writing about Faye again. So thanks, IndiCreates!
If you follow me on Twitter, then you have probably already seen this gem by Indi, aka @IndiiCreates:
Please check out Indi's website for commission info and links to her other social media sites. You will definitely want to check out her other art!
Until next time,
Joy.
I've always been amazed at how a person can take my words and make a picture - or in this case, a digital painting. I want to share with you the art I have commissioned over the years while writing The Darkness in the Midst and other works in progress. Sometimes, when I'm feeling stuck, art can keep me going. Enjoy the art and make sure to check out each artist's page.
On the left is Faye. She is the protagonist of my work in progress. On the right is Baleryn, an important supporting character. You will find out a lot more about them in the future. For now, I will just say that Faye and Baleryn are from the duchy of Malandra and their story takes place simultaneously and after Daughter of Darkness. Oh, and Faye is a priestess *of sorts*. ;)
There are many artists I had long admired on deviant art and Isbjorg is one of them. Last year, while starting work on a new story, I decided I wanted to see these characters. I saw that Isbjorg's commissions were open and the rest is history.
And now, for the first time on the blog, here are two of my new characters:
Aren't they gorgeous? Make sure to check out Isbjorg for more cool art.
Until next time,
Joy.
P.S. I have shared only the watermarked versions because the originals are for my personal use only.
I've always been amazed at how a person can take my words and make a picture - or in this case, a digital painting. I want to share with you the art I have commissioned over the years while writing The Darkness in the Midst and other works in progress. Sometimes, when I'm feeling stuck, art can keep me going. Enjoy the art and make sure to check out each artist's page.
To me, this is how Cadda would've looked in the beginning of her journey (From the Darkness Comes).
Nicole even wrote a blog post on her process for creating this portrait. You can read it here. Again, I am so intrigued by the process and amazed at the results.
Today I am sharing a commission done by Nicole Cadet. She is an Australian artist who was able to take some preliminary sketches from another artist and complete them in her own magical style. I had commissioned someone else for another portrait of Cadda, but that artist had to drop out for lack of time, but she let me keep the sketches. I have since lost those sketches, but they were basically various poses and styles done in a quick paint. Anyway, Nicole did an amazing job:
Please check out her website or her deviant art for more beautiful art and/or commission info.
Until next time,
Joy.
P.S. I have shared the watermark version because the originals are for my personal use only.
I've always been amazed at how a person can take my words and make a picture - or in this case, a digital painting. I want to share with you the art I have commissioned over the years while writing The Darkness in the Midst and other works in progress. Sometimes, when I'm feeling stuck, art can keep me going. Enjoy the art and make sure to check out each artist's page.
This was the first time I got to see Cadda through the eyes of an artist. I had my own pathetic attempts at creating her which will never see the light of day. But this one, I am proud to share. The scene is not from any particular book, but she is wearing some special armor (if you read She-Wolf on a Leash, you will know what I mean). Next to her is the one and only Matty Larkin. Don't they look awesome?
Now, take a wild guess on who this is! Yes, it's Ry Villandrando, captain of the high seas. He looks like he's up to no good, doesn't he? ;)
First up are these two gorgeous works by Tanya Anor, aka JustAnoR on deviant art.
Tanya Anor was great to work with. I don't know if she still does commissions, but she does a lot of fan art that is gorgeous as well. I once ordered an iPhone case with her drawing of Uhtred of Bebbanburg on it. It's a shame I upgraded my phone and the case no longer fit, but I still treasure it as I do these commissions.
I hope you enjoyed this post and please check out JustAnoR for more. And let me know what you think. Is this how you pictured my characters?
Until next time,
Joy.
A terse lesson on the history, religion and current structure of the kingdom of Ledonia for the foreign wanderer who finds himself in this bountiful and varied realm by Father Hal Tawndry, High Priest of Wic, Keeper of Knowledge, and written in the first glorious year of the reign of His Grace, King Esmond Seyerling.
In order to enlighten persons new to this great kingdom, I, Father Hal Tawndry, High Priest of Wic and Keeper of His Knowledge, have been tasked with committing to writing certain pertinent facts which would aid in the foreigner’s understanding of this kingdom, in order that he should not perpetrate any act of unscrupulous affront to any lords, ladies or immortals forbid, the King. In this way, harmony will be kept and there shall be no need for the foreigner to claim ignorance should he insult his host and instead shall be rooted out as the arrogant outsider most foreigners seem to be.
Gods be with you,
Father Hal Tawndry
High Priest of Wic
Keeper of His Knowledge
The Long War began in the reign of Randal Seyerling. The Delphisian king, Rolf, sent a scouting party into the Ruromanni lands, intending to absorb them into the empire he dreamed of. The Ruromanni decided not to appeal to the Ledonian king, instead the treacherous allies opted to pay tribute of gold to the Delphisian king in order to keep the peace. They should have known that would have only forestalled the inevitable. King Rolf invaded Ledonia a few years later, intending to enslave our kingdom to his greedy whims. The Ruromanni, in their decision to pay tribute to Delphis, instead funded the campaign to take over the continent.
The Ruromanni paid dearly for this mistake. They refused to aid in the invasion of our kingdom, but in doing so, their easternmost village, Igia, was utterly destroyed and razed to the ground, most of its inhabitants slaughtered mercilessly.
King Randal knew he could not defeat the Delphisians on his own so he sent his son, Prince Wolfred, to recruit the Ruromanni in the fight against their common enemy, offering them forgiveness for their earlier breach of conduct. However, the silly council of matrons, a council of old women which rules the savages to the north, refused to enter into the war they helped to start. The prince succeeded only in recruiting a few young, angry warriors from the Ruromanni, a troop of which would fight faithfully at his side throughout the war.
Meanwhile, Randal feared the Valderonans would mire themselves in the war and against Ledonia. To stop this from happening, he accepted an offer of marriage for his son to a princess of Valderon. The princess Rohese and the prince Wolfred were married in a spartan manner in between battles. It was said Wolfred was initially angry his father had set this up, but that when he laid eyes upon the princess he was smitten and therefore bolstered in battle.
A year after the marriage, King Randal was killed in battle with the Delphisians. Prince Wolfred accepted the crown in a tent filled with his supporters. Immediately after, he rode into battle with his Ruromanni auxiliaries and avenged the death of his father in a precise and deadly manner. Many soldiers swore they witnessed in him the hands of Fulke, for how else could he have wrought so much carnage.
Two years later, King Wolfred led his entire army into battle against Delphis amidst the fertile plains, hoping to push them out of his kingdom once and for all. He succeeded, but at great cost to both armies. King Rolf declared a truce after the indecisive battle. A peace treaty was negotiated. Ledonia ceded coin to Delphis and Delphis agreed to withdraw from the continent completely. Both kings were hailed as heroes. The treaty has held for over a decade now and diplomatic relations, however shaky, continue between the two kingdoms.
Hi,
I feel like I jinxed 2020 at the end of my last post. The world has gone through a lot since then and I hope everyone is taking care and staying safe. I have been busy finalizing everything to do with Daughter of Darkness, and I am excited to announce (if you haven't already seen it on Twitter), that it will be out this Friday, April 17! To celebrate the release, the rest of the series will be discounted. More on that later.
In the meantime, two covers have been redone and interiors re-vamped. Take a look at Awakening and She-Wolf on a Leash. Deranged Doctor Design really worked hard for me and I thank them for all their hard work. I know it wasn't easy with all the extreme measures taking place in their country.
The website has also had a makeover, in case you didn't notice. With that said, if you notice anything wonky, please do let me know! I am only one person and can't catch everything.
Now, onto the Kindle Countdown Deals. From April 17-24th, both From the Darkness Comes and She-Wolf on a Leash will be reduced to $1.99 at Amazon.com and £1.99 at Amazon.co.uk. Don't forget, if you have Kindle Unlimited, my books are always free to read. And look out for Awakening to be FREE around the same time. Exact dates to come.
With that said, I really do hope you are staying safe. I am currently in and out of work and self-isolating when I am not having to go to work. I am lucky to still have a day job and I must admit it gives me a sort of relief to go to work where I can escape from my worries and creeping anxiety that hits me when I am at home. I haven't done much new writing but I still have ideas and things that I do want to start working on whenever I get the will to write again. Once again, take care and stay safe.
-Joy
P.S. you can pre-order Daughter of Darkness now.
Quick Links:
Awakening: Amazon.com || Amazon.co.uk
From the Darkness Comes: Amazon.com || Amazon.co.uk
She-Wolf on a Leash: Amazon.com || Amazon.co.uk
I feel like I jinxed 2020 at the end of my last post. The world has gone through a lot since then and I hope everyone is taking care and staying safe. I have been busy finalizing everything to do with Daughter of Darkness, and I am excited to announce (if you haven't already seen it on Twitter), that it will be out this Friday, April 17! To celebrate the release, the rest of the series will be discounted. More on that later.
In the meantime, two covers have been redone and interiors re-vamped. Take a look at Awakening and She-Wolf on a Leash. Deranged Doctor Design really worked hard for me and I thank them for all their hard work. I know it wasn't easy with all the extreme measures taking place in their country.
The website has also had a makeover, in case you didn't notice. With that said, if you notice anything wonky, please do let me know! I am only one person and can't catch everything.
Now, onto the Kindle Countdown Deals. From April 17-24th, both From the Darkness Comes and She-Wolf on a Leash will be reduced to $1.99 at Amazon.com and £1.99 at Amazon.co.uk. Don't forget, if you have Kindle Unlimited, my books are always free to read. And look out for Awakening to be FREE around the same time. Exact dates to come.
With that said, I really do hope you are staying safe. I am currently in and out of work and self-isolating when I am not having to go to work. I am lucky to still have a day job and I must admit it gives me a sort of relief to go to work where I can escape from my worries and creeping anxiety that hits me when I am at home. I haven't done much new writing but I still have ideas and things that I do want to start working on whenever I get the will to write again. Once again, take care and stay safe.
-Joy
P.S. you can pre-order Daughter of Darkness now.
Quick Links:
Awakening: Amazon.com || Amazon.co.uk
From the Darkness Comes: Amazon.com || Amazon.co.uk
She-Wolf on a Leash: Amazon.com || Amazon.co.uk
Hello!
After a lot of thought, I've decided to re-vamp my not only my covers but the interior of each book. This was such a hard decision for me as I really love the artwork for what I am now calling my first editions. Leticia was able to capture so much of my vision and I will be forever grateful to her. These first editions will still be displayed proudly on my website and elsewhere (Goodreads, etc). However, I felt that I needed to do something to attract new readers. Maybe it will work out, maybe it won't, but at least I tried. And I'll have a few new covers I can be proud of. Deranged Doctor Design really came through for me!
I also said that I would be re-designing my interiors. The paperback editions will be streamlined. I hadn't noticed that my sequel's font was bigger than the first book. This resulted in higher printing costs (bigger font=more pages=$$$) and less money for me. So, I've standardized the look and feel of my series and I think they look great now. As for the kindle versions, I have also redone those entirely. They now look closer to print books in my opinion. And all my initial styling (i.e. italics) are back! It was quite a manual process sometimes (and lots of coding), but I think they look a lot better now. I don't know about you, but I hated the way paragraphs were spaced out and such. Anyway, live and learn, right?
As for Daughter of Darkness, I'm so excited to announce that it will be here soon! I know, still no date yet, but I foresee a March or April release. I want everything to be superb and polished and for that time is needed.
I have plans for another novel, but those are still in the beginning stages. And I guess I will be tinkering with my website a little bit in the upcoming months to match my new look (you might have noticed a few changes already). The new covers and interiors will be rolling out as they're ready. From the Darkness Comes will start it off this week. Here are the new covers (so far) by Deranged Doctor Design:
The year 2020 is looking great!
-Joy
After a lot of thought, I've decided to re-vamp my not only my covers but the interior of each book. This was such a hard decision for me as I really love the artwork for what I am now calling my first editions. Leticia was able to capture so much of my vision and I will be forever grateful to her. These first editions will still be displayed proudly on my website and elsewhere (Goodreads, etc). However, I felt that I needed to do something to attract new readers. Maybe it will work out, maybe it won't, but at least I tried. And I'll have a few new covers I can be proud of. Deranged Doctor Design really came through for me!
I also said that I would be re-designing my interiors. The paperback editions will be streamlined. I hadn't noticed that my sequel's font was bigger than the first book. This resulted in higher printing costs (bigger font=more pages=$$$) and less money for me. So, I've standardized the look and feel of my series and I think they look great now. As for the kindle versions, I have also redone those entirely. They now look closer to print books in my opinion. And all my initial styling (i.e. italics) are back! It was quite a manual process sometimes (and lots of coding), but I think they look a lot better now. I don't know about you, but I hated the way paragraphs were spaced out and such. Anyway, live and learn, right?
As for Daughter of Darkness, I'm so excited to announce that it will be here soon! I know, still no date yet, but I foresee a March or April release. I want everything to be superb and polished and for that time is needed.
I have plans for another novel, but those are still in the beginning stages. And I guess I will be tinkering with my website a little bit in the upcoming months to match my new look (you might have noticed a few changes already). The new covers and interiors will be rolling out as they're ready. From the Darkness Comes will start it off this week. Here are the new covers (so far) by Deranged Doctor Design:
The year 2020 is looking great!
-Joy
Hi all,
I thought by now that I would be releasing Book III in the Darkness in the Midst series, however, plans don't always work out. I haven't had much time to write. Something inevitably comes up or I just plain don't feel like writing. The struggle is real, people.
The good news is that 80-85% of the book is written. And the other 15-20% is written in my head, so to speak. All in all, I'm looking at a release in the new year. I have this strange fear of Game of Thrones-ing all of it though. I feel like it will be the last book for Cadda's story and I really don't want to rush it. I want to give it the ending it deserves. Once it's written, I'll let it sit a while and see if it's ready to go. The first books were a long process of writing, editing, polishing and re-writing, but I am confident this one can be done by 2020.
Also, I got a really cool cover done for it already. My go to cover artist, Leticia G.S., has really captured the essence of Daughter of Darkness. Here is the animated version:
Awesome, right?
And because I'm nice, here's a bit of chapter 1 (raw, un-edited, and probably not the final version).
________________________________________________________________________________
[EDIT] Click here to read the complete chapter 1!
OMG what is happening? Are you excited? I am! Daughter of Darkness will be a little different from previous books because I introduce a few other point of views. You won't just be in Cadda's head anymore. Stay tuned to my blog/twitter/Facebook for further news (including a Kindle sale this month). Until then, stay safe, have fun, and remember to leave a review.
-Joy
I thought by now that I would be releasing Book III in the Darkness in the Midst series, however, plans don't always work out. I haven't had much time to write. Something inevitably comes up or I just plain don't feel like writing. The struggle is real, people.
The good news is that 80-85% of the book is written. And the other 15-20% is written in my head, so to speak. All in all, I'm looking at a release in the new year. I have this strange fear of Game of Thrones-ing all of it though. I feel like it will be the last book for Cadda's story and I really don't want to rush it. I want to give it the ending it deserves. Once it's written, I'll let it sit a while and see if it's ready to go. The first books were a long process of writing, editing, polishing and re-writing, but I am confident this one can be done by 2020.
Also, I got a really cool cover done for it already. My go to cover artist, Leticia G.S., has really captured the essence of Daughter of Darkness. Here is the animated version:
Awesome, right?
And because I'm nice, here's a bit of chapter 1 (raw, un-edited, and probably not the final version).
________________________________________________________________________________
[EDIT] Click here to read the complete chapter 1!
_________________________________________________________________________________
OMG what is happening? Are you excited? I am! Daughter of Darkness will be a little different from previous books because I introduce a few other point of views. You won't just be in Cadda's head anymore. Stay tuned to my blog/twitter/Facebook for further news (including a Kindle sale this month). Until then, stay safe, have fun, and remember to leave a review.
-Joy
A terse lesson on the history, religion and current structure of the kingdom of Ledonia for the foreign wanderer who finds himself in this bountiful and varied realm by Father Hal Tawndry, High Priest of Wic, Keeper of Knowledge, and written in the first glorious year of the reign of His Grace, King Esmond Seyerling.
In order to enlighten persons new to this great kingdom, I, Father Hal Tawndry, High Priest of Wic and Keeper of His Knowledge, have been tasked with committing to writing certain pertinent facts which would aid in the foreigner’s understanding of this kingdom, in order that he should not perpetrate any act of unscrupulous affront to any lords, ladies or immortals forbid, the King. In this way, harmony will be kept and there shall be no need for the foreigner to claim ignorance should he insult his host and instead shall be rooted out as the arrogant outsider most foreigners seem to be.
Gods be with you,
Father Hal Tawndry
High Priest of Wic
Keeper of His Knowledge
***WARNING: SMALL SPOILERS AHEAD. IF YOU HAVEN'T YET READ FROM THE DARKNESS COMES, I SUGGEST YOU LURK ELSEWHERE!***
The kingdom of Ledonia was once a disorganized, chaotic continent with warring factions and petty chieftains. Five hundred years ago, a woman named Leda Seyerling rose against the tyrannical marauders that had the run of the continent. Her husband had perished defending her and her son during a raid. With the aid of her brother-in-law, she united all the good people to destroy the rampant disorder and distress. When peace was gained, the people held her up as queen and anointed her son as the heir of the new kingdom. From then on, the title has been passed on to the firstborn son or next closest male kin.
Before Leda ceded Ledonia to her son, she divided the kingdom into eight, after the Divine Eight, and to ensure the continent would not witness such unrest as it had before unification. The four dukedoms are home to the most powerful of the landed nobility beneath the monarch.
To the north, the Duchy of Elderbrooke is held by the Unger family. Lord Tybalt, recently widowed, has only three daughters to follow him. While not unusual for women to inherit titles, especially in the north, it remains to be seen who Lord Tybalt will cede his dukedom to. Meanwhile, he fosters friendly relations with the Ruromanni of the north and there have not been any skirmishes between the two peoples for decades, mostly thanks to the late King Wolfred’s efforts at forming a mutually beneficial alliance with the Ruromanni during the Long War with Delphis.
To the north and west of the continent is an island that lies between the Ruromanni lands and the island kingdom of Delphis. This is the Duchy of Hildun and held by the Berger family. The late Lord Charle solidified his place in the kingdom during the Long War by marrying Wolfred Seyerling’s younger sister, the Lady Maeve Seyerling. There had been whispers he was ready to turn traitor to his king and pledge allegiance instead to the Delphisian king, but all that was quieted with his marriage into the royal family. Lord Charle and Lady Maeve had one son, our current king, His Grace Esmond Berger-Seyerling.
To the south and hugging most of the central coast lies the Duchy of Amaranta, held by the Dorsile family. The late duke, Lord Kenric Dorsile was a close adviser to the king and spent most of his time in the capital. His young wife, Lady Elinor Toers-Dorsile, gave him only a daughter, Lady Hawise, before the duke was murdered. Many of Lord Kenric’s peers believed he vied for the title of Grand Duke, a title as of yet nonexistent. The king has so far made no decisions regarding the ceding of the title and for the moment Lady Elinor holds the duchy in trust for her reclusive young daughter. No doubt, many nobles seek a betrothal with the girl, for the duchy is a rich and fertile land and built mostly on slave labour, a practice the late King Wolfred considered abolishing and a consideration which died with him and his sons.
Further south and resting along the northern border of the Kingdom of Valderon is the Duchy of Malandra, ruled by the Verret family. Through a series of unfortunate deaths, the old Lord Shamus is left with only one viable heir, his nephew Lord Emrys, a young man who cares more for horse racing and bedding women than ruling a dukedom. Because of the king’s marriage to a princess of Valderon, the border remains peaceful. Lord Shamus however, must contend with the occasional raid into the woodland country of the west by the Giscarians, a race of barbarous, loathsome men from the Giscar Mountains, a mountain chain that borders the entire west of Ledonia.
North of Malandra and to the east of the Giscar Mountains is an area known as the Marches. These border areas are plagued by the Giscarians and other barbarians wishing to come into Ledonian territory. Two noble families have been charged with guarding this large area: the Toers take charge of the Rockston territory, and the Stratemakers take charge of the far north, called the High Hills.
Lord Baldwyn Toers, Marquis of Rockston is a great general of the Ledonian Army and successfully pushed back an army of barbarians and mammoths from the border. However, he remains a widower and his only living child is a daughter, the same Lady Elinor mentioned earlier. The lord was a great and trusted friend to the late King Wolfred and is beloved of the soldiers under his command.
The Marchioness Lady Sibba Stratemaker rules the High Hills, unmarried and childless. She is said to lead her men out to battle and to drink and carouse with them. The Lady is able to get away with this unbecoming behavior only because she is so far away from her peers in the northwest corner of the kingdom. And ever more scandalous, the king is amused by powerful women and never reprimands her or appoints one of her few male relatives as marquis.
The Midlands of Ledonia are overseen by a count. The Speer family has long held this title. Lord Valamer is rarely seen by his peers and never travels to the capital to meet with the king. Some say he plots, others say he is crazy, and still others say he is busy dealing with the roving bands of marauders and deserters of the Ledonian Army. Whatever the truth, he does not suffer from lack of heirs; it is said he has eight sons and five daughters, all legitimate, and a bevy of bastards to boot. Many of his daughters are married into other noble families. Most notable are the Lady Anna and Lady Pernella, both married into the Verret family.
Finally, the Fertile Plains are ruled by a baron appointed by the king. There is no succession for this land, for the area provides much of the riches of Ledonia. In the past, the barony has rebelled and it is a fact that much of the few rebellions against the crown have started in this barony. Therefore, the king grants it to whoever is currently in his favour. At the moment, the Lord Lastur Kern retains the title of Baron of the Fertile Plains. It is said he is easily manipulated and possesses no further ambition than what he has already gained.
There are other minor nobles without land: the viscounts, most often an empty title given to soldiers for their exceptional service; the baronets, nobility who remain within the capital for no reason other than they have no land and wish to pay court to the king; and the knights, those mounted warriors in service to nobility, made noble themselves through their courageous deeds.
Of course, the king of Ledonia is the absolute and final power, though he may consult with the nobles or the priests for any number of decisions or in matters of lawmaking. The king is always a member of the Seyerling family and it is said that Leda’s husband, whose name is lost to history, was a descendant of the god of the sky himself, Seinar, and therefore every king since her son Blayve took the throne possessed the blood of a god.
Unfortunately, this does not prevent tragedy from befalling the royal family, as witnessed by the murder of the late King Wolfred, his wife Rohese, and their three sons, Wolfred, Sid, and Rhodri by his own elite bodyguards, the Blayvian Guard. Praise be to the gods that Esmond survived, for Ledonia would surely have fallen into a dark age had he not ascended to the throne.
The common folk are a varied people, most prolific the rabble of peasants who serve their betters in the fields. Slaves are bought and sold for those with the coin to afford them and thus are resented by the free folk for stealing their jobs. In the cities, there are other types of commoners too numerous to list. The priesthoods of the various gods recruit both commoners and nobility, although the nobility tend to possess the highest ranks.
Now available, She-Wolf on a Leash: The Darkness in the Midst Book II.
E-book is live on Amazon and the paperback is available within 72 hours. You can read chapter 1 for free here on the blog. I hope you’ll enjoy the continuing saga of Cadda!
-Joy
E-book is live on Amazon and the paperback is available within 72 hours. You can read chapter 1 for free here on the blog. I hope you’ll enjoy the continuing saga of Cadda!
-Joy
Hello!
How is everyone? I hope everything is well. I have some exciting news to share with you all. The next book in the Darkness in the Midst Series will be out at the end of the month. June 28th, to be exact. I can't wait for you to read it.
As the days go along, I will be updating the site, adding a page for the new book, She-Wolf on a Leash. I will also be posting the next part in Father Hal Tawndry's Guide to Ledonia. This part is about the hierarchy of the land.
Until then, you can find She-Wolf on a Leash available for pre-order at Amazon, right now. The paperback version will be available around the same time, but unfortunately no pre-orders available for that.
So, until the next update, stay safe, be well, and support an indie author by leaving a review! Seriously, it helps us a lot.
-Joy
How is everyone? I hope everything is well. I have some exciting news to share with you all. The next book in the Darkness in the Midst Series will be out at the end of the month. June 28th, to be exact. I can't wait for you to read it.
As the days go along, I will be updating the site, adding a page for the new book, She-Wolf on a Leash. I will also be posting the next part in Father Hal Tawndry's Guide to Ledonia. This part is about the hierarchy of the land.
Until then, you can find She-Wolf on a Leash available for pre-order at Amazon, right now. The paperback version will be available around the same time, but unfortunately no pre-orders available for that.
So, until the next update, stay safe, be well, and support an indie author by leaving a review! Seriously, it helps us a lot.
-Joy
The same dilemma occurs when you self-publish a book. If you look at Amazon, most e-books by indie authors are selling for $0.99-2.99, including my own. Are the measly royalties earned at those price points worth all the time and hard work you put into writing the novel?
No.
Not even close.
So why do we allow this? It took me years to get to a point where I was ready to hit the submit button on self-publishing. Hundreds of hours where I could have been doing a million other things but instead I worked on my novels. Most likely, I’ll never even earn the price I paid for the covers.
Which begs the question, are pictures really worth more than a thousand words? Yes, artists are super talented and deserve to be paid hundreds of dollars (or more) for their work. They have costs too - digital software and tech equipment if they’re digital artists, and old fashioned paint and canvas if they’re traditional. And their time. It takes time to bring a vision to life. So why do writers get the short end of the stick? We have costs too. We have hours upon hours put into our novels. And yet, for some reason it’s okay and even forced upon us to sell our novels for cents.
I would love to charge what traditional publishers charge for their books. Most trade paperbacks go for about $20 now. E-books by traditionally published books can go for $10. Maybe indie publishers get a bad rep? Maybe no one wants to pay that much for a self-published book? Maybe they’re scared it will be full of typos or horrible writing or whatever? Truth is, most self-published writers make sure their books are in 100% shape before publishing. Certainly I do, though of course I can’t speak for everyone. Since I am self-published I felt like I had to go with the flow and charge $0.99 for my novella. I price my novel at $2.99 because it is longer. I also had days where I gave them away for free. I’ve had more copies given away for free than sold.
I’m not complaining, not really. My dream was to hold my books in my hands and I made it come true. I always knew I’d never make a fortune. In fact, I’m in the red. In the end, it doesn’t matter to me because I have a full time job. But what about those who don’t? Why would you give them pennies when you’d give a traditionally published author dollars? Maybe that traditionally published author will never earn back his/her advance, but at least they got an advance.
I don’t know what the point of this post was. Food for thought I guess. I didn’t really think much about this until I saw a thread on Twitter.
What are your thoughts? How did you decide to price your books? How much is your time worth?
A terse lesson on the history, religion and current structure of the kingdom of Ledonia for the foreign wanderer who finds himself in this bountiful and varied realm by Father Hal Tawndry, High Priest of Wic, Keeper of Knowledge, and written in the first glorious year of the reign of His Grace, King Esmond Seyerling.
In order to enlighten persons new to this great kingdom, I, Father Hal Tawndry, High Priest of Wic and Keeper of His Knowledge, have been tasked with committing to writing certain pertinent facts which would aid in the foreigner’s understanding of this kingdom, in order that he should not perpetrate any act of unscrupulous affront to any lords, ladies or immortals forbid, the King. In this way, harmony will be kept and there shall be no need for the foreigner to claim ignorance should he insult his host and instead shall be rooted out as the arrogant outsider most foreigners seem to be.
Gods be with you,
Father Hal Tawndry
High Priest of Wic
Keeper of His Knowledge
As with everything, all must begin with the Immortals. There exist eight gods, eight for the symbol of their divine infiniteness and the eight finest virtues all Ledonians strive to emulate in their lives: order, dignity, solidarity, generosity, courage, duty, wisdom and fidelity.
A loose hierarchy exists among the gods; however, all agree that first among them is Seinar, the god of the sky and all it entails. He is king among his kind and stands for law, order and justice; just as our own king stands for the same in the realm of mortals.
The goddess Mara is prayed to in matters of love, beauty and desire. Those hoping for marriage and family will light a candle to Mara.
Likewise, the goddess Grainne is invoked in matters of fertility in women and the earth. It is she who decrees the seasons, the harvest, the hunt and all other matters of the earth. Those involved in the healing arts often invoke Grainne, for she is the one who provides them with the herbs necessary for their art.
The domain of oceans, seas, rivers, lakes and ponds belongs to the goddess Thrella. She is a favourite invocation of sailors and fishermen. In fact, many seamen invoke her name in a rather vile way. It is best to ignore these men and not repeat what they blaspheme.
For all Ledonians chasing after philosophical truths and wisdom, seeking reason and strategy, my god Wic receives their devotion.
Others who seek more than what stands before them pray to the goddess San, who reigns over light, prophecy and poetry. If the occult is involved, San is sure to have a hand in it.
Of all the immortals, Calen is the least virtuous. The twin brother of San, he is the messenger of the gods. Thieves, merchants and liars pray to him. But he is also the god of strong drink and celebration and thus many Ledonians will offer a toast to him. Being a messenger, he also has a soft spot for travelers and the lost. But beware his tricks, for as I said, he is the least virtuous of the gods and often has no honor to speak of, a fact not blasphemous to mention.
The last of the gods, Fulke, the god of fire, is the least liked among his kind for he brings war, violence, and bloodshed. He is the immortal soldier and watches over his earthly comrades in battle. Blacksmiths as well pray to Fulke, for his blessing on their weapons is a boon many hope to possess.
I would be remiss in failing to mention the Dark Gods. These are not separate divine beings, but the shadowy, secondary essences of the infinite gods, captured and held prisoner in the underworld, a place called Hell. This chaotic domain is ruled by a shadowy being with no name or face, but often referred to by Ledonians as “The Sorrower”. At various points in time, this being gives the essences of the gods corporeal bodies often termed “demons” by Ledonians, and releases them into the world to wreak havoc and misery. It is said by some that the Dark Gods and the Sorrower are one and the same and are simply a manifestation of all the vices of the gods. But these are arguments for which no foreigner needs to hear of.
I am pleased to announce that Book I of the Darkness in the Midst Series will be released this coming week (February18-22) in both e-book and paperback formats! From the Darkness Comes continues the story of Cadda and her search for answers regarding many questions. It is not necessary to have read the prequel, Awakening, however, it does help.
To celebrate, the first post in the Get to Know Ledonia series will also be posted in the coming week. This three part series focuses on, well, getting to know Ledonia through the eyes of an ornery old priest, Father Hal Tawndry.
I hope you'll enjoy both and remember, support an indie author and leave a review!
Follow me on Twitter for instant updates in the meantime.
Have a great weekend,
Joy
To celebrate, the first post in the Get to Know Ledonia series will also be posted in the coming week. This three part series focuses on, well, getting to know Ledonia through the eyes of an ornery old priest, Father Hal Tawndry.
I hope you'll enjoy both and remember, support an indie author and leave a review!
Follow me on Twitter for instant updates in the meantime.
Have a great weekend,
Joy
Hey everyone!
I am pleased to announce that Awakening is now available exclusively on Amazon! If you are enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, you can read it for free. But starting this Monday, to celebrate the release, Awakening will be free! This limited time offer will last for only 5 days, so get it quickly!
After that, the price goes back to the a measly $1.00 US. Oh and if you prefer reading real books, the beautiful paperback is available for $5.00 US.
I hope you will enjoy the book and if you do get to read it, please leave a review on Amazon. I would love to know what you think!
Book I of the Darkness in the Midst will be out sometime in February. Follow my blog or twitter if you would like to stay up to date.
Stay safe,
Joy
I am pleased to announce that Awakening is now available exclusively on Amazon! If you are enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, you can read it for free. But starting this Monday, to celebrate the release, Awakening will be free! This limited time offer will last for only 5 days, so get it quickly!
After that, the price goes back to the a measly $1.00 US. Oh and if you prefer reading real books, the beautiful paperback is available for $5.00 US.
I hope you will enjoy the book and if you do get to read it, please leave a review on Amazon. I would love to know what you think!
Book I of the Darkness in the Midst will be out sometime in February. Follow my blog or twitter if you would like to stay up to date.
Stay safe,
Joy
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