Crown of Ravens Unleashed!!!

It took some time, but at long last, I can finally announce that the second book in The Heart of Light Trilogy, Crown of Ravens, is published! Links are below description for any of you to order from Amazon.

***

In a world of proud elves, haughty kings, mythical beasts and terrifying nightmares, the power of evil has never been more deadly. Only the Azmaril, symbol of Elosha's Light, stands as a silent beacon to give hope to the hopeless.

Elaine has lost everything she cherished and loved. Her home is in ruins, her family lies cold in their graves, and the man she loves has disappeared and could possibly never return. Battling both despair and grief, Elaine is forced to put aside her own inner turmoil and rally for the sake of her country and the entire realm. As the power of the Azmordan is unleashed and darkness begins to spread across the skies, Elaine looks to the tales behind the Crown of Ravens and the source that gave rise to the legend. With little hope of success or guidance and trying desperately to hold onto her faith, she and her friends begin a dangerous journey into the accursed Shadow Forest—a journey Zar’ul himself is determined to stop. 

Darvir has faced more than any man can endure. He’s survived the Death Circles, slavery and mental torture under Ruval, The Brotherhood of Hallomon, and even a deadly hound of the Shadow. But separated from Elaine and faced with the possibility of never returning to her could be the breaking point. Journeying to the homeland of his father, he is confronted with the decision to either accept his destiny and the One behind it or allow himself to fall into the Darkness waiting to engulf him.

Faith and forgiveness, love and death, all weave together in a tapestry that enfolds two people whose choices will either save their world or doom it to eternal dominion under the Shadow.

CROWN OF RAVENS

The Saga Continues....

And the writing process begins once more. Or finishes up, actually. With a lot less stress and definitely more enthusiasm, God and I have put out what I think to be the next best chapter in The Heart of Light saga. Currently the book is in the process of being edited, two thirds of which is already done, and I have not only gotten the artwork and cover design done for it, but also revamped the design of The Dark Wolf and created new art for it as well. 

As for the story of Crown of Ravens, I don’t want to give away spoilers (hard though it is) so I’ll just say that everything in it is darker, deeper, and more emotional than the previous installment. Redemption, hope, and learning to trust even when it looks darkest are elements that are explored in depth in the story.

New characters will be introduced, and mysteries left unsolved in The Dark Wolf are revealed in Crown of Ravens while a few more are introduced. 

I’m really excited about the characters and the direction of the story, and I can’t wait until all of you can share in it. If you want detailed stats on the book’s progress towards publication as well as art clippings I post (some of which are experiments that may or may not make you wince), feel free to drop by and visit my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/JM-Christian/1413797125535009?ref=hl

Chapter One Preview: Part Three

And here is the last part of the first chapter I'll be posting. To read the full chapter, you access it here: The Dark Wolf

***

Through a spell he kept on Darvir's mind, Ruval created a painful sensation throughout his body. It was not strong enough to incapacitate him, but it would certainly remind Darvir of his power and the additional punishment Ruval could give him if he chose to rebel.

For a few seconds, Darvir held his ground before breaking eye contact and turning away. “One day you will no longer be able to hold me with that, and when that day comes, you will have no choice but to face me.” Darvir stalked away, slamming the door behind him.

Ruval swore and tightened his fist on the goblet, crushing it in his grasp before tossing it into the fire. He had withdrawn his presence from Darvir's mind, but it was an effort not to inflict him with more than just a simple ache for his little show of defiance. He still required Darvir to complete this mission, but something needed to be done with him after this was over. Darvir was starting to become a bother and not worth the effort to control. It might just be time to get rid of him. Permanently.

Chapter One Preview: Part Two

And here is a second part. Third and last part I will be posting later. Enjoy. :)

***

Ruval turned his gaze towards the hearth and did not look as the door opened quietly and soft footsteps came towards him. “What took you so long?” Ruval demanded. “Almost fifteen minutes passed before you showed.”

“I apologize for the delay,” a deep voice answered. “I was outside when I got your summons and came as quickly as I could.”
“So you say,” Ruval said wryly. “I‟m sure you spared no time in getting here, assuming you made the effort.”

There was no answer from the speaker. Ruval sighed and waved him forward. “Stop lurking in the background, Darvir, and get over here. I have a task that needs immediate attention.”

A tall brooding man dressed in the same black attire from head to toe came into view. Thick dark hair fell around a face as hard and unreadable as flint, and eyes as blue as the ocean stared at Ruval with a cold light. “What is it?” he asked evenly.

Ruval ignored the undercurrent of irritation he sensed in Darvir‟s voice and leaned back in his chair. “I need you to leave for the Farrand Hills today. You know where that is, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Good. You have maybe two days to get there before a band of riders pass through and join a larger force. I want the smaller band eliminated—every single one of them before they reach the other group. When you are finished, check the saddlebags of a white horse with brown patches on its front legs. You should find a small wooden chest with silver engraved on it. Take nothing else but that, and bring it to me.”

“I see,” Darvir said coldly, his blue eyes flashing with barely suppressed anger. “Another trinket to add to your collection. Why can't I just steal it when they stop to camp for the night?”

Ruval clenched his fist tighter around the goblet. The boy was definitely growing bolder to question his orders. Ordinarily, he would have given Darvir a sharp reprimand to remind him of whom he was dealing with, but Ruval did not care to waste precious time waiting for Darvir to recover when he had such an important task waiting for him to take care of.
Ruval held his temper in check and took another sip of his wine. “I have been monitoring their pace, and seeing as they have not stopped for more than a couple of hours at the most when night comes, I sincerely doubt they will change now, especially when they are so close to their destination. It will be easier to obtain the chest once they arrive at the Farrand Hills.”

“And after I deliver this chest to you, then what?”

“Then you do what you have always done. Wait until I have something else to use you for.”

“What if I don't want to be used anymore?”
Ruval glanced up sharply at Darvir. “That is hardly my concern. Now stop wasting time and get moving.”

“No.”

Ruval froze, unsure if he had heard him correctly. “What did you say?”

“I said, no,” Darvir repeated grimly. His face was set determinedly, and Ruval could see the open defiance in his gaze.

“I don't care about your schemes,” Darvir continued, “and I'm tired of being your personal hound that you set loose on whomever you feel like.”

Ruval was on his feet in an instant, the sudden movement spilling his wine and knocking the chair to the floor. “I don't care what you want, nor am I interested in your feelings,” he snarled. He glared at Darvir with disgust. “Look at you. The power and skill you possess is beyond what any man or even an elf could attain, yet you not only do not care, you would not even use it if I didn't make you.”

“It is something I never wanted.”

“Yes,” Ruval sneered. “I know what it is that you desire. A family, friends—things that only weak, sentimental fools crave.”

“Then I am one of those fools,” Darvir said harshly. “They certainly possess more and live a better life than I do. At least they are free to choose their destiny instead of being bound to serve one man's will.”

Ruval felt his face beginning to grow hot from the rage seething inside him, and he struggled to control himself from physically lashing out at Darvir. “You have wasted enough of my time for today. Now get going and bring me the chest.”

“And if I refuse?” Darvir‟s hands were clenched into tight fists, and he stood there boldly, almost as if daring Ruval to make a move against him. Even though he would not have minded thrashing the boy for his insolence, Ruval could not let anger dictate his actions when so much was at stake.

“If you wish to try rebelling again, I will have to give you another lesson in obedience,” Ruval growled. “I am your master and whether you like it or not, you are mine to command, and you will obey me.”

Chapter One Preview: Part One

I was determined to not miss posting this month, and I succeeded. In this one, I'm giving all of you a look at the first chapter of my book, The Dark Wolf, to read and enjoy. Feel free to leave your opinions and views below. I will post a second part of the chapter later on.

***

Shadows danced around in a room lit only by dying flames that sputtered weakly in the hearth of a massive fireplace. For several moments, they struggled to keep aflame, but slowly they began to fade until only smoldering embers glinted faintly in the ashes, leaving the room in darkness.

A small red light bloomed to life a few paces away from the hearth, chasing away some of the darkness. It flickered twice before its glow steadied and grew stronger.

The darkness before it parted as a shadow detached itself, gradually morphing into a tall man-shaped figure. It approached the source of the red light—a dark red orb as large as a child‟s toy and set in a niche atop a stone hewn stand—and watched multi-colored pinpricks of light dance across the orb's glassy surface, gradually coalescing into the forms of mounted soldiers.

There were seven of them, each wearing black armor and a dark red cloak with the insignia of a black eagle on their shoulder. They were coated with grime and appeared exhausted, but they rode without pause through a curtain of rain.

The orb continued to show their progress for several minutes more before the scene faded and the light in the orb slowly dimmed, leaving the room in pitch darkness once more.

It fled as drapes along the wall were pulled back, allowing the fading afternoon light to stream in through the beveled window panes and upon the man called Ruval.

He was clothed in a plain black tunic and pants. Thick blond hair edged with grey at the temples was brushed back, revealing a broad face etched with deep, cruel lines. Cold blue eyes watched the dark clouds in the sky that were growing larger.

Ruval eyed the clouds with a frown and turned away, not perturbed by the sight. It would be a little while yet before the storm arrived, but it mattered not. The weather would not hinder his plans from going forward.

At last, it will be mine, he thought eagerly. It had taken many years of waiting and searching, but now everything was coming together exactly as he had planned.

Ruval stepped towards a heavy table, darkened with age, on which stood a tall pitcher and a plain bronze goblet. He poured some wine into the goblet before striding over to the fireplace to grab a chunk of wood and toss it into the hearth.

Ruval stirred the ashes with a poker, sending a torrent of sparks flying upward in a lazy spiral almost hypnotizing in their ascent as they glowed brightly for a brief second before winking out. Eventually a small flame flickered weakly and soon grew in strength as it hungrily devoured the wood.

Ruval set the poker back in its place at the hearth‟s side before sitting down in a large black chair. He glanced impatiently at the doors to his left. What was taking the boy so long? He had mind-called him before leaving his study, which would have given him plenty of time to arrive about now if he hurried.

Ruval sipped his wine and drummed the fingers of his right hand irritably on the chair's armrest. Of all the times to dawdle, the boy had to choose today. He used to be more punctual when he had first arrived, fear keeping him from doing anything that might displease him, but over the years, Ruval had watched that fear slowly abate. It was something he was not pleased to see.

After several minutes had passed, a firm knock echoed outside the chamber‟s door, causing Ruval to glance at it crossly. Finally, it had taken him long enough. “Enter,” he commanded.

Ready to rock once more

As those of you who have been following my blog know, I was forced to take down the e-book of my book, The Dark Wolf, due to multiple formatting errors. After a few days of tinkering with it, I got it back up and running a couple days ago, this time error free. I will admit, this whole thing has been a huge learning process and MORE than a good bit of work. But the pain in my eyeballs from staring at the screen too long, and the general frustration when I saw another snag that needed to be corrected was worth it to finally have this DONE. Now, due to the formatting I used, when you go to Amazon and press the 'Click to View Inside' it won't show any page breaks. This is not due to any formatting errors on my part. I recently learned that this feature Amazon has carries a few bugs, so unless you have really complex formatting, the page breaks won't show. Seeing as how I'm not into making things harder than they need to, I opted to go with the simpler formatting that still delivers great results.
Those page breaks are there and will show with the e-book itself when you purchase it, so don't worry. I checked with several authors to be sure of this, and each one verified it. If you wish to be sure, just download the free sample Amazon provides which is located to the right of the page.
So anyway, here's the link, (again) and when you buy the book, please consider leaving a review on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HSTAVIM


And on a sidenote, for my next post, I will leave a few helpful tips on how to format your own e-book. God knows, after what I went through, I want to make sure you guys have enough info so you can avoid the pitfalls. 

The Dark Wolf's first review and e-book update

I am happy to announce that my book, The Dark Wolf, has received its first review, courtesy of a friend of mine who promised to write an honest opinion on it! You can read the review on her blog::   http://kyanalightwing.blogspot.com/2014/01/review-dark-wolf.html

And an update on the e-book version of my book. I am sorry to say, that I have temporarily removed it due to Amazon messing up the formatting. Apparently, their online previewer has some bugs in it which threw me off from noticing any errors, and I wasn't aware of it until I went to Amazon itself to look inside the e-book. Fortunately, I know what to do and will have the e-book up and running again shortly, this time error free. I do apologize for this, and like I said, I should have the e-book available again very soon. 

E-book available.

Great news, everyone. I finally have my book up and available as an e-book. It took a little longer than I thought, mostly because I didn't have the time to get to it. But at last, it is done, and now I can relax and rest my brains from fretting over it. :)  For a limited time, I am currently selling the book for only a $1.99. And for those of you gracious enough to purchase the book, please consider taking a couple minutes to leave an honest review of it on Amazon. It is something I would greatly appreciate. :)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HSTAVIM

THE DARK WOLF

At long last, I finally got some time to write up another post on here. My book, The Dark Wolf, recently got published and made available for sale! After many months of rewrites and editing, I am so happy that all the work is finally done!
Currently, I am working on getting the e-book version ready, which I am happy to say has been formatted perfectly and will be up soon in a few days. If you're interested in looking inside the book, just head on over to Amazon. As soon as the e-book is available, I will post the link on here.

THE DARK WOLF

Journey to the land of Elser—a realm of men, elves, and dellfins. Despite the old hostility between men and elves, an uneasy peace has reigned for over a century. But now all that is about to change.

Darvir is a man without a past, family, or friends. Exploited by those who use his strange abilities for their own gain, all Darvir has ever known is a life of slavery and bloodshed. 

Elaine is intelligent, beautiful—a daughter of kings, yet she is an embarrassment and disgrace to her family for going against tradition and wanting to know the truth. Exiled to a remote part of the kingdom, she languishes there in seclusion until a deadly menace forces her to flee. 

When the paths of these two people cross, they are thrust into a web of peril and sorcery against impossible odds. As Darvir and Elaine both struggle to survive the myriad of dangers before them, an ancient evil is stirring and preparing to unleash a power against which neither man, elf, or dellfin can hope to prevail.