Procrastinating

     Procrastinating, it's just about my favorite thing to do. When it comes to editing, I do it more than ever. It makes me mad while I do it, but it's almost like an addiction. Like right now! I'm halfway through editing a chapter, but decided to tell you all about it instead. I'm also going to tell you I made bread today! The chapter is still not finished.

     I have noticed today (day 3 or 4 of editing), it's getting easier to run through it. I'm far from enjoying it, but today I don't feel like I'm just staring at the screen. Then again, I know I'm not because I'm over here, rambling and wasting my time. I'm also checking facebook and my amazon sales sheet, because the lack of numbers slightly drives me? Some days? No idea, all I know is I need to get back to editing. So while you continue to waste time on the internet, check out my books! Give me a reason to look at my amazon sales sheet!

.99c read here. Short sweet and to the point! 
If longer is more your thing, check out a mini series I did.

Now for your tidbit today. My favorite part from my reading today.

     "I don't think I have, Bob."
     "That's not my name," he said, and he finally took his eyes off me long enough to flick them towards the parking lot. 
     Shit. He was calculating how fast he'd have to run to get rid of me.
~Black Dog, Caitlin Kitteredge

My best Writing Advice.

     Don't quit your day job. Trust me. I know it will be hard, but even just going down to part time will be better than quitting. It takes time and money to build your name as an author. Even if your first book is a hit, it will take time to write, edit, and perfect, all while getting your name out there. One self publishing author I spoke too said it took her three years to earn a wage.

     Do yourself a favor, keep your day job until the checks start coming in.

~Skadia

Leora’s mother opened the seal and read the letter. By the time she reached the end she was in full blown tears. -A Paladin She'll be. Skadia Trazon 

Breaks

     Sometimes we work ourselves to our limit before we remember that we need a break from time to time. You have them at work to help keep employees "sane" and to break up the mental wear and tear on the brain. Sometimes, you need to do that in real life too.

     I love writing, I do it almost every day (if not every day!), but some days are more taxing on me than others. Days when I work on editing my work, normally after a chapter I don't even want to get a glass of water, let alone do anything else. Those days kill my productivity more than anything else. Even worse, I cannot take breaks while editing, or I won't want to go back. Some days, I need to make myself do it.

     When writing it's easy for me to set up breaks. "Write 1,000 words, then go make some lunch." Super easy and after the break I'm normally ready to jump right back into my work. Some days I mess up and let myself play video games during my breaks. While they inspire me to write, they also are a big distraction. Progress is progress.

     Even more important that a fresh mind is a working one. Some days my depression hits me hard. Like the days where I have a hard time dragging myself even out of my bed kind of hard. Days like that I use as my "off" days. Most days I try to at least do one productive thing, but on days like that, I change things up. I tell myself that I don't have to do anything, that it's my day off and that tomorrow will be better. Some days it works. Some days I even get things done and feel more proud of myself, while helping myself pull out of the negative feelings.

     It's okay to take breaks. To take some personal time for yourself. Do it. You will normally feel better and get more done!

     What are some ways you make yourself take a break from normal life?


     I also think that each post now will contain some small parts of whatever I am working on or a hit on what I have been reading as well with some tidbits from that mixed in. Keep you all on your toes.

"The great man pulled his wife off and looked her in the face. “I’ll be home soon my Zena.” He kissed her head, stooped down and picked up his children. “You ladies have to take care of your mom while I am gone, alright?” The two younger girls squealed as he planted mustache kisses on their cheeks."  -A Paladin She'll Be, Skadia Trazon

 

Book Review - Winterwood

     I just finished reading Winterwood (Rowankind book one) by Jacey Bedford. It is a book that follows a female pirate through an adventure. Jacey Bedford is a new author to me, and one that I will happily be looking out for in the future. This is the first in a series so it's a great place to start. My review here is all based on my own personal opinions and likes. I personally like fantasy novels that feature main female leads. It was one thing that really drew me into this book. It's filled with magic, romance, and adventure.

     "It's 1800 - Mad King George is on the British throne, and Bonaparte is hammering at the door. Magic is strictly controlled by the Mysterium, but despite sever penalties, not all magic users have registered. Integral to many genteel households is an uncomplaining army of rowankind bondservants, so common-place that no one recalls where they came from."


     Some things that I really liked about this book, the writing. Very few errors and if there where the story sucked me in to the point where I missed it. The twists and turns were not normal for books like this and Jacey built a world on magic on top of our own that blended the two almost seamlessly.

     The main Characters are full of life and faults. Ross Tremayne, the main character of our story and lead pirate, is a widowed cross-dressing privateer captain. Her dark secret is that she's a witch. Magic is what lead her out to the sea, but it's also what brings her back ashore. Lot's of twists and turns with this character and another main character, David. But if you want all of that, you'll have to read the book.

     I personally could not relate to many of the characters, however they each enthralled me with their own magic. As a pagan I was happy to see the "Lord and Lady of the Forrest" in there. It brought a smile to my face.

     Overall I was happy with the book as a whole. Normally I want to rewrite things, but that wasn't the case with this one. I'm just excited to read the next one.


     I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a bit of magic.

Working on something for tomorrow

Title says it all really. Not much a post today because I am working on that review of Winterwood. That way you can all have a quality post of it. Enjoy your day!

Inspration

     Sometimes you need a pick me up. Some days that comes from something as simple as coffee. Other days you need a bit more of a push to get things done. Still others nothing seems to be able to draw out the words from your soul.

     That's okay. It happens, even to the best of us. Nothing is always simple, if it was, everyone could do it.

      Sometimes pulling yourself out of a funk can be hard. A few things I do to keep things moving, I'll share with you today.

*Read a book. Really, go pick up your favorite and start reading. Find what about that book makes it good to you. Learn from that.

*Start Free Writing. Free writing is a good thing to do to just keep your brain moving and your writing going forward. Just type whatever is in your mind. It can be as simple as I don't know what to write so I'm just going to tell you about my dog.... It doesn't have to be productive, it just needs to be done.

*Go back and Edit. Take a few steps back and go back and work on editing if you are stuck. At one point you had the story in your head, going back can sometimes job your memory.

*Write a different part. That simple, stuck on one part, write another! You can always go back and write between them.

Find what works best for you and work with it! Sometimes even writing prompts can get your words flowing.

Happy Writing!
~Skadia

Rise from the Grave - Magic the Gathering Fanfiction

(Just a quick fanfiction that I slapped together. If you like it, let me know, I'd love to do more.)




 The Litch rose up before the woman, his crown of ice framing his dead skull. His armor creaked with each step he took towards her, and the cold rolled off of his frame in waves, chilling the air around him and freezing anything he came into contact with. The tip of his frozen blade dug a thin trench through the earth as he moved forward. The ice king’s horde roared behind him, and as their maws opened a blue glow illuminated the sky.

    The age-old Litch stopped. Both feet squared and with a single hand he raised his two handed ice blade to the sky. Behind his helmet his eyes glowed as the waves of chill turned into waves of magic. The undead leader roared into the sky and a rumble followed his call.

    Miles away the earth split in half, ice and rock crumbling and shattering as the magic took effect. From under the earth rose a beast. In its glory day it was a great dragon, but now after time and death had ate away most of the flesh the creature was more bone that anything. The magic wrapped around the bones and pulled the beast up from the ground. Its wings stretched wide for the first time since its demise, and its skeletal body took to the sky the beauty and grace of a dragon still in the very essence of its bones. With a few beat of its wings the miles of ground rushed by.

    Liliana sucked in a cold, deep breath. The Litch was sucking the life out of everything around her, and while she had worked with them in the past, she had never really gotten used to that. She watched as her enemies lined up and looked to the sky. She had heard the earth rip itself apart. She stood there, terrified as what was once a dragon rose up before her. What started as a small speck in the sky turned out to be a monster from before the ice age. And it was hungry. She swallowed hard and clenched her fist.

    Liliana stood there, a small glow around her. She was battered from her trials. Parts of her clothing was charred from a fire bolt spell. Other parts were still soaked with muck from the swamp lands. She had bruises all over and more than half of her legion had fallen. It was looking hopeless for her, but she would be damned if she gave up now. Liliana Vess did not just give up when things got hard, she normally rode them out. She pulled herself together and faced the sky, her head held high and her eyes honing in on the skeletal dragon.  “This ends today Nevinyrral!” Her purple magic spiraled around her.

    “Oh does it now? Pretty lady, you think you can just come in here, steal my horde of treasure?” The Litch laughed at her efforts to intimidate him. He had armies, and a treasure trove of resources. “But you are right, it will end today.” He pulled a device out of his robes and smiled. The Litch took one more step toward her, and with that step, disappeared into thin air. His army however, and the hovering dragon still watched her every move, their mouths glowing an eerie blue. 

    “Strike!” She summoned and pushed her hand forward. Her personal horde of undead lurched toward the enemy as her magic pulled them. The beasts and creatures drug themselves and hobbled with a speed that was unnatural. A few that were a little more together dropped to all fours and charged the enemy, running half of the beasts own team in the process but no one seemed to notice or care. It was chaos to say the least.

    The skeletal forces charged each other, clashing in the center. Liliana worked her magic and threw spells left and right, making the skeletons crumble before her. The bones piled up around her and mixed with her own forces at her feet. A sick grin crossed her face—they could be replaced. A shrug followed the thought, as they were also already dead. The skeletal dragon hovered above and circled the battle that unfolded before it. Liliana looked up to the sky. The beast was dead.

    The Litch might have control over this creature, but in the end, it was still dead, and she was a necromancer. Liliana sucked in a deep breath and took a few steps back. Her own warriors flew forward into the throws of the battle to keep their mistress safe. The necromancer steadied her breathing and pulled the energy around her. Her hands twisted and turned, cupping the flowing energy and drawing it all into her. This would be the biggest thing she had ever done so far.

    She threw her hands toward the beast that was munching on both allies and enemies. The magic rushed from her and flowed around the dragon. “You will obey me.” Her purple magic flowed around the beast’s glowing bones and slowly took over the blue light, smothering it under its own purple hues. “Death is no excuse for disobedience.” She called to the sky and the creature withered and pulled against itself, the two magics fighting and tearing it apart.

    The skeletal dragon plummeted to the ground, its massive body crashing into its own ranks. The blue glow of the undead was snuffed out under the creature. Liliana pulled and heaved, her will curving and flexing the magic that controlled the dragon like a puppet. It stood up, now a deep purple glow in its eyes. It lashed out and grabbed the nearest Litch knight. With one bite the blue glow stopped and the two halves of the body fell to the ground. The dragon roared and the forces around it stopped mid battle.

    The ground trembled below. It was just like before when the Litch awoke the dragon, but it was different. A smell of sulfur was in the air this time along with the stench of death. Liliana looked to the horizon and saw a massive cloud of smoke rising from the tip of a mountain. There was a scream from the Litch king’s forces. The skeletons cried as they fell apart, the blue glow going with them. Within a moment the world seemed to stand still. Even the dragon’s bones did not creek in the wind. 

    “What just happened?” The necromancer whispered to herself.