*Drum Roll*
I’m super excited to reveal the cover for Dare:
My friend Ashley did the cover for me. She’s a graphic designer and illustrator, and it’s a mark of a good friendship when she can design a cover for a picky author and still remain a friend. 🙂
Her email is ashleyjoyillustration@gmail.com if anyone is looking for a designer or illustrator.
So what do you think? Isn’t it stunning?
To participate in the blog tour for Dare, please fill out the below form before May 1:
This sign up has now closed.
A year ago, the characters and basic plot line for a three book series dumped into my head all at once. Looking back, I don’t even know if I thought of a character or the premise or the plot first. It showed up all at once and demanded to be written.
I wrote it. All three books, one after the other. They were messy drafts. Quick drafts. But special.
I edited, rewrote, edited, and rewrote book 1, Dare. When it was ready, I worked up the courage to send it to Nadine Brandes, who sent it back with a bunch more edits and helpful comments.
I’m putting on the final polish and can announce: 
After researching my options for a over year while I was writing and editing, I decided to publish Dare with my own Indie publishing label Sword & Cross Publishing. Roseanne White designed the logo, which I’m so excited to see on the spine.
About the Book
Courage could cost him everything.
Third Blade Leith Torren never questions his orders or his loyalty to King Respen until an arrow wound and a prairie blizzard drive him onto the doorstep of the girls whose family he helped destroy.
Survival depends on obedience, but freedom beckons. How far does he dare go to resist the king and his Blades?
No matter what Leith chooses, one thing is certain.
Someone will die.
Dare will be available in ebook and paperback on June 6, 2015. I’m planning to eventually add an audiobook version as well. The cover will be revealed on or after April 15. I’d also like to have a blog tour from June 2 through 16. If you’d like to participate in the blog tour, please fill out the below form before April 25:
Today, I’d like to introduce you to three of the main characters from the Bailey Baxter series by Kim Moss.
Bailey Baxter
Physical characteristics
Medium height, straight blonde hair, blue eyes, skinny but not athletic, olive skin tone
Personality
Bailey is very introspective and mature for her age. Some people might call her an old soul. She’s creative and sometimes gets lost in her own daydreams. She’s very trusting and kindhearted to her friends, and she’s full of compassion for others. She’s also adventurous and can be a risk-taker when it comes to matters of the heart.
Likes/Dislikes
She loves to climb trees. She loves to curl up with her leather-bound journal or a good book. She’s read Pride and Prejudice & Romeo and Juliet. She’s a wistful romantic, a lover of poetry and stories. Perhaps she’s a sucker for star-crossed lovers or impossible situations. She plays the guitar and writes poetry. She hates all things algebra.
Strengths/Weaknesses
Bailey’s biggest strength is her faith in God. Throughout life’s tragedies, she’s able to trust in Him. She’s optimistic and hopeful. Bailey’s also stubborn. Yet her biggest weakness is probably her indecisiveness. She’s a typical teenage girl, whimsical in her decisions. Sometimes this can be to her disadvantage, especially where her love life is concerned.
What Draws You to Bailey
She’s your typical all-American girl, which makes her very relatable to many young people. She’s not the most popular girl in school. She’s not an athlete, she’s not the captain of the cheerleaders. She’s not remotely wealthy or even all that beautiful. She’s real, just like your little sister or your best friend, and you want to root for her. Even when she makes mistakes, you cheer her on because you might have even made the same mistakes yourself.
Bryce Hall
Image courtesy: http://s1.favim.com/orig/8/boy-cute-eyes-guy-Favim.com-169605.jpg
Physical characteristics
Medium height, wears glasses sometimes, brown hair, hazel eyes, athletic build, adorable dimples and a smile that makes you weak in the knees
Personality
Bryce is a perfect gentleman. Both quick-witted and charming, he’s absolutely brilliant and makes good grades in school. He’s also very sensitive to other people’s feelings. He’s a risk-taker when it comes to extreme sports, but he guards his heart carefully. Bryce is the kind of guy that all the girls want to date (but don’t because they don’t think they meet his high standards.)
Likes/Dislikes
Bryce is a lover of Shakespeare and the X-Games. He spends a lot of his time at the skate park. He’s also very athletic, which makes him very good at almost anything he tries. Although he’s very athletic, his deepest love is reading and writing. He loves science fiction and poetry. He’s not a huge fan of team sports.
Strengths/Weaknesses
Bryce’s biggest strength is his likable personality. He’s a flirty, funny guy, and everyone wants to be friends with him. He’s a people pleaser, which can also be a weakness. He has a hard time making decisions, and despite his popularity and outward zeal, deep down, he’s a bit unsure of himself. Sometimes he gives up when he’s afraid he’ll fail.
What Draws You to Bryce
Bryce’s dad died when he was younger and he was raised by his single mom, so you’re immediately drawn to his sensitive side. You root for him because he’s been through a lot of the same things that Bailey is currently going through. You like it that he’s not afraid to be affectionate with those he cares about. Whether it’s giving his mom a hug or taking Bailey by the hand in English class, his boldness draws you to him. You’re always waiting to see what he’s going to do next. Despite his affectionate side, he’s never kissed a girl. He’s a romantic dreamer who saves his first kiss for someone he loves.
Max Martin
Image courtesy: http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/5433/mrhedlunddotcom1721.jpg
Physical characteristics
Tall, short blonde hair, blue eyes, boy-next-door
Personality
Max is a Southern sweetheart. Having grown up with Bailey in Louisiana, he’s known her his entire life and has a deep-rooted interest in her well-being. He’s very quiet and can be passive aggressive. He’d rather pick on Bailey than tell her he’s crazy about her. He’s not a risk-taker, which makes him very patient.
Likes/Dislikes
He loves the Baxters. He feels like they’re a part of his family. He likes to play pool and spend time with the people he cares about. Whether it’s wakeboarding or jet-skiing, Max loves getting out on the lake. He’s athletic and very good with little kids. He doesn’t like seeing Bailey get hurt, so he’s very protective of her.
Strengths/Weaknesses
Max’s biggest strength is his caring heart. He’s good with the little boys he works with at camp in My Summer Storm, and he’s very intuitive when it comes to Bailey’s feelings. However, he’s not always sure about his feelings for Bailey, so he sends her a lot of mixed messages. One minute he treats her like a little sister and the next he flirts with her like he wants more. His patience is a strength, but it could also prove to be a weakness, too.
What Draws You to Max
Max is the perfect guy to have a crush on. He’s good-looking and funny. He’s Bailey’s knight in shining armor. He’s the one who has always been there. You love it that he knew and loved her mother and shares memories with Bailey. You enjoy imagining them together as children playing in the backyard together. You look toward the future and wonder if Max could be Bailey’s “someday.” The thing you love most about Max is that he loves Bailey from a distance and seems to always have her best interest at heart.
To read more about these characters, check out Leaving Nelson and My Summer Storm:
Also, my giveaway is still running through Friday. Click on this link to enter:a Rafflecopter giveaway
As most of you know, I was a part of Jody Hedlund’s influencer team for her recent release An Uncertain Choice (an awesome book by the way!). It was a rewarding experience, especially in getting to know the other influencers. One of the influencers, Kim Moss, emailed me asking if I’d be willing to read her books and review them.
Of course I said yes. And I am super glad I did! Not only did I get to read two wonderful books, I also got to know a fellow Christian author. Before I knew it, I had two book reviews, an author interview, and character spotlights and way too much stuff for one blog post. This blog post will have my reviews and my interview with Kim. Tomorrow I’ll have character spotlights with three of her characters. And, to top it all off, I’m having a giveaway for ebooks of Leaving Nelson and My Summer Storm. Look for the Rafflecopter entry form at the bottom of this post.
So let’s get the fun started.
Leaving Nelson – Bailey Baxter Series Book 1
About the Book:
Bailey’s ninth grade year couldn’t possibly get any worse.
After losing her mother to cancer, her father decides to move the family back to his hometown in Tennessee. Leaving Nelson, the only home she’s ever known, is the icing on the cake. Uprooted from the familiar, with wounds left unhealed, Bailey attempts to hide in the shadows of strangers. However, as the daughter of Fulton’s hometown hero, she catches the attention of many—foiling her plan to simply blend in. Worst of all, the biggest jerk in school has decided to make her his special project. Then Bailey runs into the cute, shy boy from her English class. His charm and lopsided grin give Bailey a reason to smile again even in the midst of her pain. Could he be the one putting poetry in her locker? As new friendships take shape, Bailey’s bitterness and resentment begin to slowly melt away. Just as her faith is restored, a secret is discovered. A painting of a young girl that dates back years before her birth now threatens to ravish the relationships with those she has grown to love.On a quest to reveal the truth, Bailey discovers that, though she had a difficult time leaving Nelson, what she finds in Fulton may just be what she has been searching for all along.
My Review
The beauty of this book is not in its fast-paced action scenes or heart-thumping danger. Normally, that is the type of book I pick up. Leaving Nelson is the story of an ordinary, fourteen-year-old girl, Bailey Baxter, who has lost her mother and forced to move several states away from the place where she has grown up. She has to start over with new friends in a new place while trying to heal from the pain of losing her mother. The writing drew me in until I couldn’t put the book down while I held my breath over Bailey’s inner growth and freshmen in high school drama.
The thing that impressed me most about this book was the characters. The characters sounded like fourteen and fifteen year olds in high school. They had drama and bursts and anger and irrational decisions, but it all felt natural to the characters. It is hard to write fourteen-year-olds that don’t sound too young or too old.
I felt like the beginning of this book spent a little too much time on back story and revealed some of the early information in infodumps that could have been worked into the story better. Once I got past the first couple chapter, the rest of the story flew by so fast that the beginning didn’t detract too much from the rest of the book.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All comments in my review are my own.
My Summer Storm – Bailey Baxter Series Book 2
About the Book
Nestled deep in the breathtaking mountains of Virginia, Camp Golden Meadows is the ideal place for summer romance.
At least that’s what 17-year-old Bailey Baxter thinks when she makes the trip with her childhood friend, Max Martin. A summer away is the perfect escape from her father’s budding romance, and it just might be her chance to kindle a romantic fire of her own with Max. Bailey packs all of her hopes and wishes for summer love in her suitcase next to a photo from her past. But when an unexpected turn of events bring old feelings to life, jealousy and betrayal unpack their bags. At odds with one of her roommates and haunted by feelings she can’t ignore, the summer isn’t turning out the way Bailey had planned. In the mountains, where storms are intense and often unpredictable, Bailey learns that love often behaves the same way—with great power and the potential to cause damage. Will Bailey find happiness in the midst of this perfect storm, or will it drown out the fire between her and Max?
My Review
I loved My Summer Storm even more than Leaving Nelson. The writing of this book is even better than the first book. In this book, Bailey is now seventeen. Once again, the characters sound their age. Bailey sounds like a seventeen-year-old. Her decisions are more thought-out. Her faith plays more of a role in this book than book 1. In book 1, Bailey was just beginning to grasp what faith means for her. In this book, she depends on her faith to help make decisions in her life.
Although this book covers an entire summer, I never got bored. Once again, the ups and downs of Bailey’s life were written in a compelling manner that kept me reading.
In the interest of full disclosure, I bought this book myself since I loved the first book so much. All my comments are my own.
About the Author
You can connect with her on her website kimmosswrites.com
Interview
What inspired you to write Leaving Nelson? What about My Summer Storm?
Leaving Nelson was inspired by the death of my mother when I was fifteen-years-old. She was an incredible woman, just like Bailey’s mom. She always wanted to write a book about surviving cancer, but she never got the chance. I feel like God gave me this story to write for kids out there who may have lost a loved one. It’s for them to see that He can use both the good and the bad things in our lives for a bigger purpose.
My Summer Storm was written because a few of my beta readers begged me to write a sequel after reading Leaving Nelson. They wanted to read more about Bailey’s budding romance with Bryce and her confusing feelings for Max. I chose to send Bailey to summer camp because (let’s face it) summer camp is the perfect place to fall in love! I spent several summers as a camper and as a camp counselor, and many of my favorite memories were made on the shores of a lake in the hot summer sun. I also wanted to write a true love story, one that’s not just focused on romance, but on how God ultimately brings two people together who value each other and His plan for purity.
Your mom sounds like she was a wonderful person. Your emotion over your mom comes through in the books. I’ll admit, I cried a couple of times in Leaving Nelson when Bailey described her mom.
You mentioned these books are part of a four book series. When is the next book coming out?
I’m so excited about Chasing Secrets. It is the third book in the series, and it is set to release late this summer. It picks up right after camp, so those of you who are waiting to know what happens next with Bailey and her friends will not have to wait much longer.
Including me! I’m counting down the days until summer!
You’re an indie published author. What made you decide to pursue indie publishing?
It was a very hard decision. I guess it all boils down to creative control. I honestly didn’t want anyone to change Bailey’s story in Leaving Nelson. It was such a personal project for me. I’m not opposed to traditional publishing in the future. I would eventually like to find an agent and have my next series (written in the perspective of one of Bailey’s friends) published through a Christian publishing house.
You did a great job! Best wishes with whatever route you go in the future!
What is the hardest part of indie publishing?
Marketing. Hands down. It’s hard to get the word out without “selling yourself” all the time. That’s my biggest problem as an indie publisher. It’s hard for me to tell people, “Oh yeah, read my book!” without feeling awkward. I’m just not that kind of person. My hope is that people will read about Bailey and her friends and spread the word—that people will want to introduce these lovable characters to their friends, students, and family members. That’s been my biggest reward so far. It’s been really neat to see how readers have responded to these characters.
I’m glad I could help get the word out!
One last question: Chronicles of Narnia or Lord of the Rings?
Chronicles of Narnia
I say that simply because I’ve read them several times with my students. I teach elementary school, and we love spending our fantasy unit with C.S. Lewis. I must admit, though, I’m currently reading The Hobbit with some of my advanced readers.
I was in elementary school when I first read The Chronicles of Narnia. It is an experiences that sticks with a person.
Thank-you so much for spending some time on my blog, Kim!
Giveaway!
To help get the word out about Leaving Nelson and My Summer Storm, I’m giving away ebooks of both books to one person. Follow this link to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway:a Rafflecopter giveaway
Check back tomorrow for character spotlights on three of the characters from Leaving Nelson and My Summer Storm!
Authors do a lot of things to get their book out there. They write blogs, hang out on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and any other social media site they can think of. They host giveaways. They beg for reviews of their book. While a lot of those things help, the single best way to get the word out there still is…
Word of Mouth.
Yep. Something the author has no control over except for writing an awesome book that readers will want to talk about.
That puts the real power behind marketing a book on you, the readers. You are the ones who make or break an author’s career. If you love an author’s book, then you are the one who can support them so they can write more books. This doesn’t have to be hard. Reviews are super helpful. Emails to the author are nice to let them know how much you liked the book.
But, if you can’t do anything else, the best thing you can do is simply tell one person. Just one. But tell them and tell them until they read it. Tell them to pass the word along. Beg them to tell just one person.
I found Jill Williamson’s Safelands trilogy a while ago and loved it. I told my sister-in-law about them and kept telling her until she read them. She loved the books so much that she passed them along to her sister and mom. She was so excited about the books she posted about them on a mom group on Facebook.
All because I told one person.
What about you? Who is going to be your one person? Can we start a trend going? #telloneperson Let’s see how many people we can reach if we simply tell one person and they tell one person and they tell one person.
Got a favorite author? What book are you going to tell a friend about today?
An Uncertain Choice, a medieval YA novel by Jody Hedlund, releases today! Head over to her blog where she is hosting a giveaway for this book. I was so excited when I learned that Jody Hedlund, one of my favorite authors, was writing a YA book. I was even more excited when I had the opportunity to be on her influencer team. I feel sorry for all of you who had to wait until today to buy and read the book, because it is as awesome as I thought it would be!
My Recommendation An Uncertain Choice is a delightful romance, but with enough action and mystery to keep it from being sappy or boring. Rosemarie is a wonderful heroine. She is weak and vulnerable, but she has a strong core that keeps her from being helpless. While she needs to be rescued, she also rescues herself at times. Her strength comes from her faith in God, and she has a compassionate heart. A good example of how a young Christian lady should be. The three knights are also well-rounded characters. The book could easily have turned awkward, but it is handled well. The other knights beside the one meant for Rosemarie could have turned into flat characters, but I liked each of them. While I had a favorite for Rosemarie, I loved all three of them and can’t wait to read about their happy endings in the rest of the series. Once again, a great book by Jody Hedlund and one I’ll be sure to read over and over again!
About the Book Due to her parents’ promise at her birth, Lady Rosemarie has been prepared to become a nun on the day she turns eighteen. Then, shortly before her birthday, a friend of her father’s enters the kingdom and proclaims her parents’ will left a second choice—if Rosemarie can marry before the eve of her eighteenth year, she will be exempt from the ancient vow.
Before long, Rosemarie is presented with the three most handsome and brave knights in the land. But when the knights’ arrival results in a series of attacks within her land, she begins to wonder if the convent is the best place after all. If only one of the knights—the one who appears the most guilty—had not already captured her heart.
This book also also has a prequel novella, The Vow. The Vow contains the backstory for An Uncertain Choice, and I recommend reading The Vow first. It makes her decision in the beginning of An Uncertain Choice more poignant. 
About the Book In this historical romance novella by Jody Hedlund, young Rosemarie finds herself drawn to Thomas, the son of the nearby baron. But just as her feelings begin to grow, a man carrying the Plague interrupts their hunting party. While in forced isolation, Rosemarie begins to contemplate her future—could it include Thomas? Could he be the perfect man to one day rule beside her and oversee her parents’ lands? Then Rosemarie is summoned back to her castle in haste. The disease has spread, and her family is threatened. And the secret she discovers when she returns could change her future forever. Q&A with the Author! After writing for the adult market, why did you decide to transition to young adult books? I have five children and three of them are now teens. That means that over the past few years I’ve ended up reading a lot of books in the Young Adult genre not only to stay abreast of what my kids are reading, but also to have discussions about the topics and world views within the books. All that to say, I’ve fallen in love with reading YA books! Naturally, as I’ve fallen in love with reading them, I had to consider the possibility of writing them. And while I have a lot of other things going on my publishing career, I decided I wanted to make this move into YA now while I still had teens at home to read my books (and give me feedback!). How is your approach to writing Young Adult novels different than your Historical Romance novels? My approach is different in a couple of ways. First, my adult historical romances are mostly set in the 1800’s in America (due in part to that setting being considered the “sweet spot” for adult historical fiction). But my YA is medieval times which is allowing me to jump into a time period that I’m crazy about! I’ve had lots of fun writing about knights, castles, and daring damsels! A second difference in my YA and adult fiction is in how I’m approaching the heroine and the romance. Obviously the heroine is a young adult (under 18 or on the cusp of turning 18), and so this is more of a coming of age story where the heroine must grapple with some “growing up” issues. She’s also just beginning to explore relationship issues and must wrestle through timeless questions about how to know who’s the right one, what qualities to look for in a relationship, and how to know when you’re really in love. What’s the story about and who are the main characters? The heroine is a beautiful and wealthy young woman named Lady Rosemarie. She’s on the cusp of her eighteenth birthday and knows her destiny is to fulfill a vow made by her parents. In light of their infertility, her parents had promised to give their firstborn back to God for a life of service and celibacy when she turned eighteen. Now with only one month before her birthday, Lady Rosemarie receives the news that there is an exception to the Ancient Vow–if she finds true love and is married by her birthday, then she’s exempt from having to become a nun. Faced with a growing loneliness and the possibility of losing control over the people she rules with compassion, Lady Rosemarie questions whether life in a cloister is really the best choice for her life. She agrees to allow the three handsomest and noblest knights in the land the chance to win her heart in one month. Enter on stage, the three heart throbs! Sir Collin, Sir Bennet, and Sir Derrick. Each one is completely honorable and noble in his own way. Lady Rosemarie will have a tough choice ahead of her. Now you’ll have to read the book to find out who she chooses and why! Are you working on the next book in the series? Yes! I’m excited about the second book in the series. It’s already written and I’m in the process of getting ready to turn it in to my editor in order to get her expertise feedback. As I mentioned it will involve another one of the three knights. But of course, I won’t give away which of the knights until closer to the release of the book! (How’s that for a tease!) In An Uncertain Choice, Rosemarie has to choose between three knights: 
Sir Bennet – Charming and Handsome Sir Collin – Funny and Sincere Sir Derrick – Brooding and Compassionate If you were Rosemarie, which knight would you choose?
Today I welcome Jaye L. Knight as part of her blog tour for The King’s Scrolls, book two in the Ilyon Chronicles. Ever since I read Resistance, Jaye has become one of my favorite Christian Fantasy writers. Today is the last day of the blog tour, but you can find the rest of the posts on the tour here.
About the Author
Jaye L. Knight is a homeschool graduated indie author with a passion for writing Christian fantasy and clean new adult fiction. Armed with an active imagination and love for adventure, Jaye weaves stories of truth, faith, and courage with the message that even in the deepest darkness, God’s love shines as a light to offer hope. She has been penning stories since the age of eight and resides in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.
You can connect with Jaye on her website, blog, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and Etsy.
Hi, Jaye! Welcome to The Pen of a Ready Writer. Let’s get things started with a fun question: Chronicles of Narnia or Lord of the Rings?
I’m a Lord of the Rings girl, most definitely. I adore the trilogy and The Hobbit (books and movies). I probably wouldn’t be writing fantasy if I had not gotten into LOTR. I’ve read a couple of the Narnia books, but I just never really got into them. *hides from Narnia fans* I do like the movies though . . .
*Gasp* The Narnian in me is heading off to cry in a corner…
Lord of the Rings girl. The Ilyon Chronicles is a huge series. Six epic fantasy novels! What gave you the idea for such an ambitious project?
Well, it sort of forced itself on me and demanded to be written. It started out as only three novels, but quickly outgrew them. The initial idea came while I was reading DragonQuest by Donita K. Paul. I had just read a scene where you discover one of the main characters is a half-blood. This wasn’t a new topic for me since I’d written about half-elves before, but they were always accepted by society. DragonQuest got me thinking, what if I wrote about a half-blood who wasn’t accepted by society? And taking that a step further, what if one half of his blood was a race everyone considered monsters and soulless? Talk about conflict. That’s how my character Jace came to be. The rest of the series grew around him. I have to give all the credit to God for that. I really have no idea how it morphed from one character into such an involved series of books.
I absolutely adore Jace! I wanted to give him a hug so badly in Resistance.
You dealt with a lot of weighty themes in Resistance: treatment of those who are different, persecution, forgiveness. Does The King’s Scrolls continue those themes or develop a few of its own?
I’d say those themes continue, though some aren’t as much a focus as they were in Resistance. Persecution is definitely still a major theme, though. Trust is a big part of The King’s Scrolls, specifically trusting God even when things don’t make sense and it seems like everything is going wrong. I’d say that is the central theme of this book—learning to trust that He has a plan even when it is impossible to understand.
I love how the theme plays out in the book!
One thing that really impressed me about Resistance and The King’s Scrolls is the quality of the writing, editing, and formatting. It is even more impressive because you’re an indie author who did all of that yourself! What made you decide to pursue indie publishing?
Well . . . impatience? *sheepish look* I was young and impatient to have my book in my hands when I first decided to self-publish. Plus, I had absolutely no idea how I’d get published otherwise, and wasn’t anywhere near ready for such a thing. But now, with the way indie publishing has exploded since then, I’ve come to love it. There are so many more resources available now than there were when 18-year-old me decided to first pursue it. I would have a hard time being convinced to try traditional publishing now.
Sounds like something a lot of us young writers can relate to! What is the hardest part of indie publishing?
Having to do absolutely everything. It’s a TON of work. Many times, I don’t even have enough time to write. It’s kind of hard to be an author if you’re not actually writing. 😛 It would be nice to have others doing certain work like formatting. Now, I could hire someone to do that, but I prefer to save the money and do it myself. The sheer amount of work can be overwhelming sometimes, but, in the end, it’s worth it.
Well, you’ve done a great job of it, and I can’t wait to read your next book! (Hint, hint! Please hurry!)
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions!
About the Book
Following the harrowing events that brought them to Landale Forest, Jace and Kyrin have settled comfortably into their new lives and the mission of protecting those under the emperor’s persecution. The fast approach of winter brings with it the anticipation of a quiet few months ahead. That is until the arrival of four mysterious, dragon-riding cretes who seek aid in a mission of great importance—not only to their own people, but to all followers of Elôm.
Hidden in the vast mining valley north of Valcré, a faithful crete has spent years sharing his knowledge with the destitute miners and their families and is known to possess what may be Arcacia’s last surviving copies of the King’s Scrolls—the Word of Elôm. Joining the cretes, those in Landale must find the crete teacher and bring him to safety, but it is a race against time. Should Daican’s men find him first, execution and the destruction of the Scrolls is certain.
When disaster strikes, all seems lost. Could Elôm have a plan even in the enemy’s triumph?
Available on Amazon!
My Recommendation
READ THIS BOOK! Seriously! Read it!
The King’s Scrolls pick up where Resistance left off, but it also introduces several new characters. I adored Timothy and the other crete characters. The Altair family dynamics play a much bigger role in this book, and we finally get to meet all of Kyrin and Kaden’s brothers. Liam is so sweet and Marcus…well, there’s nothing like the conflict of duty and family to tear a person apart. All the characters are well-crafted, which makes the events in the book more poignant.
I’ll admit it. I cried. There is one part of the book…but I can’t give that away. My advice is keep a box of Kleenex handy.
New characters, new tests, new adventures, and dragons! A book doesn’t get better than this!
To top off all the excitement, Jaye is giving away this awesome prize!
Prize pack includes an autographed copy of The King’s Scrolls, a CD by Future World Music (some of Jaye’s favorite writing music), a dragon bookmark, a stone hawk pendant (much like the ones mentioned in the book), and a few packages of Twining’s Winter Spice tea to sip while you read! (Giveaway is open to US residents only. Cannot be shipped internationally.)
This is your last day to enter!
Click here to enter!
So you’ve decided you need a fight scene in your book. You’ve researched fighting techniques and weapons. You’ve done your homework on war wounds. And you’ve come to the conclusion that a) the scene has to be told from the POV of an experienced fighter and b) it needs to be detailed.
This is where fight scenes can get tricky. A one-on-one fight scene between two skilled characters needs to balance your level of research and your readers’ expectations. Your research tells you a fight scenes should be short. But it falls as the climax of your book and your readers expect some sort of payoff for waiting for 200+ pages for this fight. Too short and they’ll walk away disappointed. Your research tells you all the moves that a fighter can or cannot do, but your readers’ expect to be able to follow the fight without a lot of jargon. Yet they want it detailed.
Are you thumping your forehead on the table yet?
This is where you take a page out of Hollywood’s fight scene textbook and choreograph your scene.
Every fight scene in a movie is choreographed to give the illusion of reality (though the level of success can be debatable). The illusion of reality is what you’re striving for. Perhaps the fight extends longer than it would in real life. Perhaps the movements are played as if in slow motion so the reader can follow along. But, the reader will be so caught up in reading the scene that those things won’t matter. The fight scene will still feel real.
So how do you set about choreographing a fight scene in a book?
1. Work Backwards. I’ve heard this tip given for everything from editing to outlining, and it works really well for fight scenes. Figure out how you want the fight to end first. How is the opponent disarmed? Are they killed? Wounded? Do they get away? Or perhaps win? Once you know how the fight has to end, you can work backwards to bring the fight to that point.
2. Whole Body Motion. In a fight scene, your character isn’t just moving their hands. They are moving their feet, twisting their bodies, setting themselves up for the next move. For each move your character makes, you need to figure out where it puts their body. If they just did a wide swing to their left, they will have to move differently depending on if they want to follow up with a back stroke, downward stroke, or upward stroke.
3. The opponent wants to win too. The opponent wants to win just as much as your POV character. He/she won’t simply react to what your POV character does. Your POV character will be just fighting a statue if that were the case. Have the opponent throw your POV character off balance and do things your POV character did not expect.
4. Picture the fight. This can be tricky to do depending on how your imagination works. What works best for me is closing my eyes and running the fight scene through my head like a movie in slow motion. I tweak the positions of the characters’ hands and feet. Sometimes (when I’m by myself in my room), I’ll close my eyes and pretend I’m one of the characters. I’ve heard some people like drawing stick figures. Whatever method you use, it should be something that lets you test your choreographing until it flows smoothly.
5. Write it. Once you have a clear picture in your mind, write out the fight scene. Once it is written, you can go back in editing and decide what movements are necessary for the readers’ understanding and what are implied. When you have the movement pared down to the essentials, the fight scene will flow quickly, even if it takes a page or more to tell.
These are things that work for me. Any fight scene tips that work for you?
I ran across this blog post today, and it made me think about the fight scenes in my own book. In the post, Lisa Voisin addresses 8 things that writers forget about when writing fight scenes.
I’m not going to claim to be an expert, but here’s some things I’ve discovered that help you remember to put in the 8 things she lists:
1. Think about your POV character. Someone who knows nothing about fighting will describe the fight with vague details. This can be a good thing for you as the writer. I had a fight scene in a book that I was worried about. It involved several characters in different places in a room all fighting different people. It seemed like a lot to fit into a small space on the page, until I realized that my POV character was watching the fight and would only focus on the parts of it at a time.
If your POV character is knowledgeable about fighting, lack of details or technical fight language isn’t a bad thing either. You are in the character’s head. They’re too busy fighting to be worried about what type of punch was thrown or the fancy name for that maneuver.
2. It is a good idea to get some knowledge about bodily injuries. In a fight, the odds are high that one of your characters is going to get injured in some way. I have the advantage of having a mom with a medical degree. It saves a lot of awkward Google searches when I can ask her, “Where can I stab someone here without killing them?” or “What happens if you grab a sword and it slices your hand to the bone?” If you don’t have someone you can ask in person, Google with caution. The pictures you’ll pull up can be a little graphic (talking from experience here).
3. Show some detail, but not too much. I’m not a guts spilling on the ground type of person. I’m okay with blood gushing in a few places, but I’ve put books down before when they start describing entrails flopping around. I don’t like gore for the purpose of gore, and I usually hold back on making my fight and battle scenes as gory as they’d be in real life. In this case, I think a little can go a long way. I usually show some blood, a touch of gruesomeness, then pull back into how the character feels about seeing it. Trust your readers’ imaginations with this one. Give them a small glimpse and their imaginations will fill in the rest of the description without you needing to go into detail.
4. Don’t chatter in battle. Let’s try an experiment here. Go outside and grab stick. Start swinging it around for several minutes. Pretend you’re sword fighting. Now try to talk. Notice how it is suddenly a lot harder to breathe? And your movements become jerkier because you are trying to focus on swinging your stick AND talking?
That’s why your characters shouldn’t talk and fight at the same time either. If you have some witty banter to be exchanged, have them do it before. Get the talking out of the way, then fight.
5. Keep skill levels realistic. It’s hard to pick up a sword and even swing it right, much less fight with it. Give your characters time to train before you ask them to save the world.
6. Battles are ugly affairs. Remember that your characters will have to react to the things they are seeing. Maybe not in the moment, but it will have an effect. If this is your character’s first fight, it will hit them differently than if it is their seventh or eighth. Show your character dealing with it.
7. Keep it short. Most battles don’t last long. A minute is a long time for a one on one battle. It should last only seconds. So how do you balance a short battle with the need to make it tense and climatic? Too short and it will feel anticlimactic. I usually err on the side of short sentences and short words to create quick actions. To make a longer scene, break up the fighting with something else, like one character trying to get away or some other kind of interruption.
8. Train yourself. While I have never taken a martial arts class, I have researched sword-fighting. There are a lot of sword fighting manuals out there. Look for one written by a medieval martial arts teacher. Same thing if you need to know about archery or fist fighting. You should know more about your type of fighting than ever makes it into your book.
So how do you make your fight scenes realistic? What bothers you when you read fight scenes in books?
Tricia Mingerink 
