tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78572963382614425042024-03-06T19:35:59.907-08:00All the news from AstoriaThe official blog for The Serpent and the Unicorn series and writings various.Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.comBlogger381125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-14572456265166191262024-01-29T07:31:00.000-08:002024-01-29T07:31:22.110-08:00Your name in print<p> A decade or two ago it was a big thing to 'publish' your own book, to pay some vanity press tens of thousands of dollars for the honor of printing your tome. Now you can do the same thing for free, well all it costs you is your blood, sweat, tears, and time, and pretty much everyone has an ebook nowadays. But I will probably never succeed as an indie author, as I just don't have the heart to guilt people into buying my books, it was bad enough selling Girl Scout cookies back in the day and who doesn't love thin mints? We had a guy in town here, about 156 years old, could barely see or walk but he had ordered a few thousand books filled with his own reminiscences some decades back and spent his retirement years waddling towards random people in public venues trying to sell his book, it got to the point people would just throw $20 at him and run for it. I don't want to be that person, poor guy! Buy my books or don't (like most sane people choose to do), no pressure. I write because I have to, not because I want to be rich (but hey, that'd be okay too) but I'm too soft-hearted to guilt people into buying stuff they don't want or need (a rather poor capitalist).</p><p>But I will say I am not impressed with Amazon as a publisher. I just got done 'publishing' 8 of my titles for print on demand, apparently I get to pay printing and shipping costs out of my royalties (a 60/40 split) which leaves me with $2 on a $16 book. I don't like their non-KDP ebook options either, I can't list anything for free and get 35% royalties to boot and if you go KDP you can't publish with anyone else. I have 'published' with Smashwords for years, though their 'meat grinder' conversion system drives me batty on long books (the hyperlinks don't work), which is why I have some double published with direct2digital on my 'box sets.' I love the flexibility and options on Smashwords, draft2digital prints nice books but the interface is a little clunky, and amazon has the market reach (though I'm sure my books are priority 0 for being seen by anybody unless I pay for the privilege), so I'm stuck publishing in three different venues. I'd best stick to inoculating bovines for a living!</p><p>But I have a book, or 8, in print, yay! I'm going to purchase an author copy and I'll let you know on quality. So if you like real books, your wait is over (not that anyone likely cares!). It was kind of interesting figuring out the differences in publishing for print vs ebook, but it isn't rocket science so yes, even I can do it, maybe you too?</p><p>A note on cookbooks: I did do the cookbook hardcover, but only had 47 pages and it requires 75 minimum, so if you notice large fonts and extra front material, there you go. </p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-9517331429858408642024-01-25T15:04:00.000-08:002024-01-25T15:04:42.141-08:00Old-fashioned?<p> I'm not sure if anyone has been waiting around the past 12 years or not, but I've finally gone and done it: a paperback version of 'Of Tea...and Things,' is available on Amazon, I'll try and do a starter version for each series (except my cookbooks!), but if they are an international phenomenon I might do the whole series, but right now we'll just stick to the first books, as it is a bit of work and I'm netting $10 a year from my writing!</p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-7785702551490698252024-01-25T12:44:00.000-08:002024-01-25T12:44:04.028-08:00A mess!<p> I'm in the middle of updating covers (full disclosure, all are AI generated using Leonardo.ai) on amazon and Smashwords, as well as putting books on amazon that I hadn't yet. As usual, having trouble with the Smashwords 'meat grinder' and review process, updating as I can but they seem to randomly reject a given book or ten and I have to resubmit it. I have also made a few errors in uploading the wrong cover but hopefully have caught those as well! Amazon I still can't offer 'free' books, so if there is something you are interested in, check out the wider inter web to see if you can get it gratis. Apparently you can only add 3 titles per day on amazon as well, so I guess that will limit how many I can add there as well, since I don't have time to do this every day, it may come it fits and starts.</p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-82753643443649546162024-01-17T07:09:00.000-08:002024-01-17T07:09:02.908-08:00The great graham cracker travesty!<p> Yeah, so I just updated my various cooking-type books, apparently there is an omission in the graham cracker recipe, you need to add 1/2 cup brown sugar with the moist ingredients, and if you are using psyllium husk, it will be a pliable dough, not a semi-liquid. Also check out the new AI covers on the cooking type books, will be hopefully updating the single volume books as well, but it may take a while as life is currently in session!</p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-66707918303610212202023-12-16T08:15:00.000-08:002023-12-16T08:15:48.089-08:00Requisite Christmas Hymnody post!<p> So someone else beat me to the punch this year, but happily he didn't write about the musicality of the season. Check out his article on the storied ghosts of Christmas <a href="https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/ghosts-of-christmas" target="_blank">here</a>, much recommended! I know Charlie Brown really tried to get the true meaning of Christmas, but it's depressing. I know the Grinch hinted at it, but the roast beast just doesn't cut it. Even my local Christian radio station seems to be missing the boat, literally playing things like "Let it snow' and "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" endlessly but ignoring the many great sacred classics save an occasional instrumental nod from the Trans-Siberian Light Orchestra, at least there's no Santa Baby, that's a plus, right? It sounds more like a seasonal mall sound track than anything else, especially a Christian station at Christmas! While I don't mind that stuff, sadly, like Charlie Brown, I am more than a little frustrated with our whole culture focusing on the tinsel and the glitz and ignoring the glaring ache that this season entails for many. It seems we can either be insipidly happy or alone in our grief which often manifests as anger towards the season in its entirety.</p><p>But if you hate Christmas because you hurt, you aren't alone! It is a problem native to all humanity, not just the modern post-christian west, our problem is the same as the ancient pre-christian east or even the insipidly pseudo-christian America of our nostalgic recollection. While Charlie Brown thinks he hankers after that nostalgic, idyllic ghost of Christmases past, there is no such history, no such reality, because that has never been what Christmas has been about nor is it the ache that haunts his heart like Marley in Ebenezor's bed chamber.</p><p>Many of the secular Christmas haters are happy to proclaim that Jesus wasn't really born on December 25th and that we're simply recycling an old pagan holiday, and I'm most happy to agree with them, and their point is? Men have always been religious, keenly interested and much afeared of the supernatural, at least until our materialistic modern age with its electric lights to forever drive off the dark of superstition and the utter night of ignorance, thinking we are quite something, as if we invented the physics behind the phenomenon, content in our assumption that it 'just happened,' and never questioning the Light behind our light and little realizing that by blinding their own eyes thereby, they are now the ignorant! That is why we demand a Light in the darkness, and celebrate its coming at the darkest time of the year, not because we know Jesus was born on that particular day but rather that His coming at the appointed time relieved the spiritual darkness in which the whole world languished and we celebrate the fact as his first coming at the darkest time of the year.</p><p>But our problem is we forget why we celebrate His coming, yay a baby, a light of the world, but why is that significant? His birth, while miraculous and marvelous and bright, is nothing, does nothing, rather it is His sinless life, His atoning death, and His conquering of death and darkness and sin forever by rising again to new life that we can sing and rejoice and make merry this time of year and all the year long! But we'd rather sit with our glitz and jingle, aching inside, making merry without, and wondering why we can't be happy when everybody else seems to be as well.</p><p>This is where the great sacred Christmas hymns come in, look past the first well known verse or chorus or the haunting instrumental and delve into the depth, the mystery, the sorrow, the joy, the meaning of this babe's incarnation, the very word made flesh. Only therein can we find meaning and true joy in this paradoxical season of utmost joy and aching loneliness and unrelenting sorrow, only in Him can all find their true 'comfort and joy.' Santa and Grinches are fine and fun, but let us not forget the true meaning behind it all!</p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-47127911249173050892023-07-10T07:33:00.001-07:002023-07-10T07:33:13.664-07:00Full disclosure!<p> So I'm learning to play with ai art generators, Leonardo.ai in particular but I'm also using canva.com and the previewer on Mac to mess around with the resulting images. I've updated a few of my book covers just for the fun of it, though the smashwords editions might not be approved as the metadata and the cover wording aren't exactly the same. I haven't gotten around to adding a note in each book about the cover source (formerly my own photographs) but I will get there someday, until then, this post will have to suffice. And as far as creative content goes, I would say it is as difficult to get a good ai book cover as it is to take a decent photograph, it requires patience, time, a learning curve, and a little innate skill, but that's just my opinion, maybe I'm just not proving to be a child prodigy but as far as I can tell, to get a good image takes a bit of work and time and luck and a good eye.</p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-72814598300727199982023-07-03T10:35:00.001-07:002023-07-03T10:35:33.841-07:00AI book covers?<p> I finally got around to playing with an AI image generator. I've long wanted to see what all the hype is about and if it will really put human artists out of business. I don't think all you content creators out there have anything to worry about, rather you have yet another tool to incorporate into your craft. If you insist on handwriting your manuscripts even after the advent of the typewriter, then yes, you will become obsolete, but for everybody else, it is a pretty neat tool, but still a tool: it needs human input and creativity and taste to make it meaningful. It also requires time and talent and creativity, you can't just push a button and there it is.</p><p>I played with an image generator and read a couple articles, one an interview with an author who uses AI to help brainstorm and organize his books but found he had the same problems with print as I did with the images: they don't necessarily make a lot of sense! The human touch was still needed to edit, refine, select, hone, and direct. The computer can spit out a boundless array of images or text but to make it truly creative and artistic, someone needs to direct it. I also found several articles on copyright law concerning computer generated stuff and it agrees that to be copyrightable, the computer's junk must be organized and edited and changed significantly by a human person.</p><p>It is a ton of fun if you like this sort of stuff but unless you are interested in editing the resulting images, I'm not sure it is a great option for indy ebook covers. Here are a couple examples:</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrY-Ox8f5-3jMq-Gt7fcuGlSIK2K6a6UrISjsWKVRhNDCuoNs4yT-xgwl9dupWW5AWzXltf8_FfW2YPpRCapYXTtDRC-3SeLwdDDvBlWh9hgXlmI2L6U_l3gAubmEsTarZj8kd_V4yYg2WREUL_01-z-WgmouDj6fjm_i-QdUBOytEJw46U41_cn_XXBw3/s1024/Leonardo_Signature_silhouette_of_a_unicorn_in_a_misty_wood_wit_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrY-Ox8f5-3jMq-Gt7fcuGlSIK2K6a6UrISjsWKVRhNDCuoNs4yT-xgwl9dupWW5AWzXltf8_FfW2YPpRCapYXTtDRC-3SeLwdDDvBlWh9hgXlmI2L6U_l3gAubmEsTarZj8kd_V4yYg2WREUL_01-z-WgmouDj6fjm_i-QdUBOytEJw46U41_cn_XXBw3/s320/Leonardo_Signature_silhouette_of_a_unicorn_in_a_misty_wood_wit_2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Robotic sci-fi unicorn on steroids in a post apocalyptic landscape?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79QKfpmVbMO_mO2yfI8BvY-h2tQbJehxSgjGjMc-FuDceRRsuGCk5hbbLJKnc672R6fTeZkEQtAUsXotE5ugaoYVfmCV_zambDMelGDjP1Ia0-qg7YNIMIqoC90D7JClruwUW_4NJXEquEjlDdQ91rFNbtvIq4jEcBrIDiXMlxFGH-dkryYwIUX-OddsV/s832/DreamShaper_v5_a_unicorn_with_four_legs_silhouetted_against_a_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="832" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79QKfpmVbMO_mO2yfI8BvY-h2tQbJehxSgjGjMc-FuDceRRsuGCk5hbbLJKnc672R6fTeZkEQtAUsXotE5ugaoYVfmCV_zambDMelGDjP1Ia0-qg7YNIMIqoC90D7JClruwUW_4NJXEquEjlDdQ91rFNbtvIq4jEcBrIDiXMlxFGH-dkryYwIUX-OddsV/s320/DreamShaper_v5_a_unicorn_with_four_legs_silhouetted_against_a_1.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Three legs and two moons?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdR1F7-GUMFHJ8w-6qSO2YfgVeMJBihaPjiejoHYKn1PGXra6asBLM69eNCDONS9K9BuKK1xEHQ28P_wvLGcbJkJ-ndjAhhqipvkECzncbLH9LizL1AoTBVtxEO67-DFkQAY5TMvAi3zF6rOG5xzbx0t5eFrzFpVUpRs9bgeg5vObCK6eAhdc_7Ilo7gsW/s832/DreamShaper_v5_a_unicorn_with_four_legs_silhouetted_against_a_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="832" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdR1F7-GUMFHJ8w-6qSO2YfgVeMJBihaPjiejoHYKn1PGXra6asBLM69eNCDONS9K9BuKK1xEHQ28P_wvLGcbJkJ-ndjAhhqipvkECzncbLH9LizL1AoTBVtxEO67-DFkQAY5TMvAi3zF6rOG5xzbx0t5eFrzFpVUpRs9bgeg5vObCK6eAhdc_7Ilo7gsW/s320/DreamShaper_v5_a_unicorn_with_four_legs_silhouetted_against_a_0.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Five legs and a donkey in the moon?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2DENH5v5ueZF6t5xWgYoB-VjDR3-UOoXDXa5dWdjeF_nFzFrZ-8KNqQahfZHDzaWvHyLqi5J-xIlrRQWA3UL-hI3xxb1S7--YO9KCtfrXH3s9fbQ761QTcE35IVEeTDF73xWteBLMRfMukZvmIVIexFPVoBbDRW_pjCjKkvGvfiI0mEkYKfDW1Xji63Y/s800/Untitled%20design.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2DENH5v5ueZF6t5xWgYoB-VjDR3-UOoXDXa5dWdjeF_nFzFrZ-8KNqQahfZHDzaWvHyLqi5J-xIlrRQWA3UL-hI3xxb1S7--YO9KCtfrXH3s9fbQ761QTcE35IVEeTDF73xWteBLMRfMukZvmIVIexFPVoBbDRW_pjCjKkvGvfiI0mEkYKfDW1Xji63Y/s320/Untitled%20design.png" width="205" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is a decent image but took editing and learning what prompts to use, of 200+ images, about 3 were usable!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So there is definitely promise here, but like any other tool, technique, or creation it requires time, patience, and the human touch!</div><p><br /></p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-30528828581916616702023-06-28T10:34:00.003-07:002023-06-28T10:34:38.918-07:00Recipe mayhem!<p> If you are using the 'Haphazard GF Baking Guide,' there was a horrendous mistake, namely the raised donuts in the psyllium section needs 1/2 cup water to function. I'll be updating it shortly along with a sugar cookie and molasses cookie recipe, drool in anticipation!</p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-86520060833287807822023-05-20T15:31:00.002-07:002023-05-20T15:31:19.571-07:00Update<p> Just updated the Haphazard Guide to Gluten Free Baking with a psyllium husk section and two new recipes: naan and raised donuts. Not sure if smashwords is going to pass the updated manuscript but the D2D and amazon version should be fine. Navigation may be wonky in the smashwords version as well.</p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-25282148000544120292023-04-19T12:27:00.003-07:002023-04-19T13:31:06.144-07:00A Publishing Win?<p> I have just released (and done a few minor updates on) the complete box sets of In Shadow, On Eagles Wings, the Tea Books, and the Greylands on draft2digital. I've struggled for years with smashwords' 'meatgrinder' conversion system, especially with insanely large volumes like these box sets (saving tea perhaps). I can't figure anything out on my end and d2d's system seems to be a bit less persnickety. The weird part is the two companies are merging, smashwords isn't taking any new authors as of now and the two will conglomerate sometime this year. I'm not going to bother updating anything on the smashwords system until that happens but thought I'd get some long overdue overhauls done on the boxed sets. Namely I'm hoping the table of contents actually works! I added a few extra short stories to eagles and the Greylands is now truly complete in one volume. I hope this works!</p><p>Also, the amazon versions have been updated.</p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-48741493696940430372022-12-31T07:51:00.002-08:002022-12-31T07:51:28.884-08:00Team not going to the Super Bowl?<p> Good news if your team isn't going to the super bowl, more time for reading! And just in time too, because I have totally revised and updated Book III of the Serpent and the Unicorn and am in process of revamping the last two as well, enjoy! </p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-25777902099911209242022-12-01T13:08:00.000-08:002022-12-01T13:08:22.910-08:00Get ye to the classics!<p> I recently delved into modern (clean and quasi-christian) romance novels, and my only advice is to stick with the classics, be it traditional Christmas music or literature. Expand your horizons, invite adventure into your life and purpose and meaning into your heart by leaving this shallow and insipid modernity behind and embracing the wisdom and fun of ages past, or rather, 'troll the ancient Yuletide carol' as the old tune has it, and no it does not mean to post nasty comments online any more than the line, 'don we now our gay apparel' has anything to do with sexual orientation and its fashion dictates, it merely means bright, colorful, cheerful, fun. This is precisely why you need a classic education, ugh!</p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-91265658867610865142022-09-28T15:07:00.002-07:002022-09-28T15:07:30.788-07:00Draft to digital publishing<p> I just publish 'The Haphazard Guide to Gluten Free Baking' on draft2digital, and strangely the links all work. I will probably be moving my bigger boxsets over there as well as Smashwords can't seem to get the links working and trying to update or publish a large work is a disaster with their editing process. The two companies are merging so hopefully they'll use D2D's ebook converter rather than my old nemesis the 'meat grinder!'</p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-6596453778117239782022-09-26T13:57:00.002-07:002022-09-26T13:57:36.478-07:00Technology, ugh!<p> I've just updated my Gluten Free Baking Book, but the internal navigation is still screwy (as it is for most of my box sets). Some links work and others don't, all I can figure out is that maybe I have too many links for the Smashwords system to process? They work fine on the word document and I've checked, changed, reformatted a dozen times but can't find the bug on my end. I'm hoping as they merge with draft to digital maybe the bugs on their end will get worked out? Just use the search function to find the desired recipe/story, annoying but it works. I'll keep hammering away on my end, but so far it has been hopeless, but I added a pretzel/bagel recipe, updated a few recipes, fixed a few typos, and overall hope it is improved, enjoy a gluten free croissant if you can't enjoy the navigation!</p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-11479465970188161452022-09-19T08:06:00.000-07:002022-09-19T08:06:25.536-07:00A terrible way to die MLXIII (Announcements, announcements, a terrible way to talk to death, a terrible way to die!)<p> Be watching oh world, be watching in trembling anticipation and bated breath, for there are two new Greylands books brewing, one with a modern twist.</p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-32701088601040315712022-08-29T10:59:00.002-07:002022-08-29T10:59:08.772-07:00Updated Book<p> There are a few new tales in the short story section of the 'box set' of 'On Eagles Wings' but otherwise it has been an insane summer, so sorry, devoted fan, even though you don't exist, you won't have much new to read for the time being!</p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-79495588567770337672022-03-21T08:38:00.001-07:002022-03-21T08:38:24.236-07:00Revisions<p> I keep updating the cookbook, finally found a tortilla recipe that works and tastes good and isn't hard along with some updates to the artisan bread (found a better recipe!) and donuts/fry bread (better technique). I'll need to revisit croissants and see how letting them rise after shaping affects them. Some of the links aren't working, I still don't know what the problem is, they work fine on my end but after running it through the Smashwords 'meat grinder' it seems like after a certain number in your book, the rest are deactivated? I've tried several things to correct it all to no avail, I'm hoping with this merger with direct2digital that it will improve things, but I have the same issue in some of my box sets. Using the search feature to navigate (ie. type in croissants or chapter 2) works pretty well until I can get it rectified.</p><p>There are a few more short stories in the works for the Eagles Wings series and about two dozen unfinished greylands stories I'm working on but who knows if I shall ever finish!</p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-58169733358505721362022-02-08T15:03:00.003-08:002022-09-19T08:06:55.194-07:00Out on a limb?<p> Yeah, I just published a bit of nonfiction, believe it or not! Talk about a whole other genre, and I thought writing something in a modern setting was astounding. Go find my new gluten free baking cookbook over at Smashwords or your favorite retailer!</p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-49074015302117019972022-01-27T08:03:00.005-08:002022-01-27T08:03:59.650-08:00What a time to be alive?<p> Yes, I know, I know, the only reason you live is for the next installment of my ridiculous fiction, so rejoice and be glad, for I just updated the 'On Eagles Wings' box set with a few more short stories (available exclusively in the box set), so hurry on over to your favorite retailer and get yours before they run out...or not, whatever, enjoy!</p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-50570896691278957682021-12-02T11:23:00.005-08:002021-12-02T11:23:56.980-08:00Christmas Sale<p> Most of my 'box sets' are on sale, check out Smashwords for 67% off or even free titles. Merry Christmas!</p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-61189050009121282152021-11-22T11:09:00.006-08:002021-11-22T11:09:56.934-08:00I find your lack of formatting disturbing...!<p> I just spent the better part of the morning reformatting the entire 'In Shadow' box set, trying to get the table of contents working, but it was a no go. Nothing like a million word compilation with no navigation?! I'm not sure what the smashwords 'meat grinder' has against certain of my books, but so far it is winning. It works great in the word format but the epub is wonky, maybe I'll try again someday, but I'm giving my editing staff (me!) the week off for the holidays. Hope yours is great too!</p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-46834511558761775142021-11-08T16:09:00.001-08:002021-11-08T16:09:15.063-08:00The book that just won't go away!<p> So I finished the series, but apparently it wasn't finished with me! I've added five short stories (one's a novella but still...) to the 'On Eagles Wings' box set, I won't publish them separately as you need to read the whole series for them to make much sense, enjoy!</p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-55773120218943899832021-10-02T12:01:00.001-07:002021-10-02T12:01:21.611-07:00Series finished and published!<p> My new series is out as individual books and a box set (On Eagles Wings) and for never having intended to write it or ever having written a 'modern' epic, I think it is pretty good, though it still ends up in Fairyland, at least they have cell phones...?! It needs a good editing, there are a few glaring spelling or grammatical errors I missed, but I'll get that next time through, until then, please forgive me and enjoy!</p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-56052990120214755912021-09-07T07:19:00.000-07:002021-09-07T07:19:08.696-07:00How to write good: a guide to killing your characters?<p>First read <a href="https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-death-of-gandalf" target="_blank">this</a>. And now I can talk about my own experience as a writer with the conundrum of when you know you have to kill off or otherwise cause your favorite characters distress, and then I ran across <a href="https://www.desiringgod.org" target="_blank">this article</a> which seemed to tie in most excellently as well. I'm in the middle of the fourth 'On Eagles Wings' book, a series I never planned to write in the first place, but something that pretty much demands me to write it (and you thought authors wrote books when actually it is the books forcing the authors to write them?), and in it, I had to put a favorite character through something rather dreadful, and I really struggled with that, why Lord? For his good and Your glory, ah! Remember the cross? Ever watch The Passion, yeah it isn't a pretty or easy story, but where would we be without it? And why is it surprising all lesser works shouldn't echo just that? I really struggled with this when I first started writing back in 2007, I had a main character I really liked and I knew I had to kill him off. If I hadn't I'm pretty sure my creative train would have derailed then and there and I would have given up writing for good in frustration, but in doing as I knew the story demanded, I not only 'received back my dead' but I also ended up writing a ton more stuff, far more than I ever dreamed possible. And as life is a story, His story, don't be surprised when disasters happen, but hang in there and remember it truly is for your good!</p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7857296338261442504.post-73609381915578464212021-08-23T09:57:00.003-07:002021-08-23T09:57:38.882-07:00Series in progress...<p> The first book is out (Where Eagles Gather), the second is in proofreading (Things Unseen), and the third is about a third finished (Strong As Death). I'm still not sure what genre the series belongs in, but it is a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to knowing how it ends, it sort of has a life of its own and is as novel to me as it is to you! Enjoy:)</p>Susan Skylarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11119634839869080793noreply@blogger.com0