He flew upwards, borne by the winds. Rising ever faster as it carried him up into the sky, drawing from the world around him. Sideways and up, towards a mountain peak as he pulled immortal chi into him. At first, near the ground, near the taotei, it had been sparse.
As he ascended, it grew denser. From one part in a million perhaps to one in a hund...
2024-08-30 11:42:21 +0000 UTC View PostLet me begin this post by saying that while I have been on over three dozen panels by now (at least, I really have not counted but Dragoncon throws me on 8-10 each time I go); this is just my view. I like to think I'm a decent panelist and I've been complimented on running (when moderating) and being interesting when on panels; so... here's some of my thoughts.
Dark, ominous clouds hanging over the surroundings, shrouding the area they were within in a patch of darkness. The gaping hole, the abyssal portal lay revealed to all, the scooped out center of this reality that had once held a mountain.
Light and air and chi streamed into the portal continually, the shadows thrown by the clouds leaving the surroundings in a twilight. In the distance, th...
2024-08-27 13:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
I’m excited to give you an exclusive sneak peek of what’s coming up!
Before the official cover reveal begins next week, I wanted to share a little something special with you.
Here’s a glimpse of the cover for A Thousand Li: The Fourth Fall—I hope you love it as much as I do!
2024-08-26 17:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostAuthor's Note - Surprise! An additional chapter since I wasn't going to leave you hanging like that from the previous chapter. Granted I did wait a few hours because why not? 😉
Wu Ying had been blind, not just to his own needs but to the world around him He had missed it, his own path because he had rushed, from one fortunate encounter to the next, thinking it was ...
2024-08-23 16:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostOutside, clouds gathered.
😉
2024-08-23 13:00:31 +0000 UTC View Post
Magic Kingdom at War Volume 5 is now available for patrons, both e-book and audiobook are available as a BookFunnel download.
Both versions will be available till September 7th (Release date on Amazon/Kindle Unlimited/Audible) - if you've read any of the previous volumes p...
Worldcon Update
I’m back! Just returned from Worldcon in Glasgow after which I went for a holiday, seeing a bunch of Scotland in Oban, Mull and Iona. Oban and Mull actually show up in a LitRPG work called the Transcendent Green, and it was rather cool to see some of the places mentioned. I wonder if people who visit the Yukon and Whitehorse ever do that?
Anyway,...
2024-08-21 12:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostThe world hummed, the mountain shook, lifeblood splattering against the ground. A hand holding a knife of spiritual chi and dao, shaky with pain stilled and firmed. Understanding bloomed, as instinct became knowledge.
The winds, howling all around quietened for a moment. Anger, burning at the edges at the rejection, but also happiness as a friend gained understanding and enlightenment.&nb...
2024-08-20 13:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostThe mountain rose, ever onward. Without light, the night turned on forevermore. For the pair of cultivators, ascending the mountain was a trial, if different ones for each. For Yeye Su, the old man only sought to bear the discomfort, to preserve his chi till he reached the peak where he might then test himself against the dao and utilize the pills he had acquired.
For Wu Ying, the ascent ...
2024-08-16 11:00:15 +0000 UTC View PostOnward and upward, they walked. Wu Ying wielding his own chi like a scalpel. Shaving away portions of mind, soul and body such that immortal soul and immortal body might fit together. A sculpture of immortality and dao, slowly taking shape.
All the while, the wind roared, the ravenous taotei at the top sucked away all chi and forced him to pull his aura and body tighter. Forced him to pus...
2024-08-13 13:00:01 +0000 UTC View Post
When the end comes for Fool and Jackal, they’re going out with style.
Past plans set in motion ago are coming to a head faster than expected. The Foundation has sent Fool and Jackal to Vancouver on another easy, simple mission. It's anything but.
A mystery. A new enemy, stronger than both of them combined. Little grey aliens. Secrets revealed.
And at...
2024-08-12 20:30:01 +0000 UTC View PostThe mountain that they stood at the foot of was a shorn and desolate thing. Bare rock, dry and dusty earth and a pounding waterfall that swept away nutritious topsoil as foreboding clouds hung around the peak, throwing lightning and rolling thunder in a continual symphony of light and sound. The wind whistled and howled along numerous crags and unlike the winds of the mortal realm, cared not at...
2024-08-09 13:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post
The System Apocalypse: Australia eBooks and paperbacks are getting new covers with artwork by Vitkovskaya Art!
The eBook cover will be going live tomorrow, with the paperback following soon after. The hardcovers will remain the same.
2024-08-07 20:14:37 +0000 UTC View PostYang Mu extracted her enchanted green fan as they left the room, slipping it under her feet as it expanded to accommodate her size, allowing her to move away from the winds that Wu Ying controlled. Yeye Su pulled upon his own aura and chi and moments later, he conjured a silver stream of power beneath his feet, his boots lighting up with little wings upon them.
“Wings? How is that...
2024-08-06 13:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostThe Su family compound was in the south east corner of the city, multiple buildings structured in the traditional open courtyard style that was common throughout many of the citie...
2024-08-02 13:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostI'll tell the truth here, can't recall when the last time I wrote a writing update. I might have missed the July one, but since there was little enough to update, I figured I'd cover everything that has been going on here. There's quite a bit, so let's start:
Craig's finished his own personal project so now he's started on System Apocalyps...
2024-08-01 02:22:26 +0000 UTC View PostSo the Climbing the Ranks sequel Kickstarter campaign finished this past Monday. Figured a little transparency post was in order, since people helped promote it.
Most interesting, was the average pledge amount at $66 (pretty damn high and why we made so much with so few (relatively) backers). More breakdown coming later; but the other thing to note is how Kickstarter is claiming 64% of ou...
2024-07-31 17:12:35 +0000 UTC View PostCalling all System Apocalypse fans!
I'm planning a special edition Kickstarter for 2025 and have a question for you.
The special edition will include the first three books in the System Apocalypse series. Would you prefer...
2024-07-30 19:29:31 +0000 UTC View PostTo no ones surprise, the opera troupe left the caravan at the next major stop, begging off as the needs of the crowd. There was some truth to the matter, for they had filled the hall for all their performances – day and evening- and still the crowd clamoured for more.
However, they knew the final decision had little to do with the crowds and performers desire for adulation and coin but ...
2024-07-30 13:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Magic Kingdom at War Volume 4 is now available for patrons, both e-book and audiobook are available as a BookFunnel download.
Both versions will be available till August 7th (Release date on Amazon/Kindle Unlimited/Audible) - if you've read any of the previous volumes plea...
“Much of what I will relate, it is only taken from what I have learnt afterwards. The events are - were - long in the past, before my parents became the Platinum Sages of the Inn, before my sister and I were born.”
The pair nodded in understanding, waiting for Yang Mu to continue.
“What do you know of my mother’s background? Her past?” she said, instead.
“Not much,...
2024-07-26 13:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostOne of the things I brush upon, when building ones goals (beyond making sure your goals are SMART); and especially for overall career goals; is to work out what is (or was) most important to you. For me, I utilize a three bucket idea for writing career goals, and since I was asked to detail them, here you go.
The three writing career goals can be broken into:
- Ego
- Craft
... 2024-07-24 13:00:12 +0000 UTC View PostWu Ying had been quiet on the walk back after the opera. Lost in his thoughts, contemplative of the plays and whatever shred of enlightenment he had managed to pull from it. Perhaps a reflection of his actions during the battle, where he had sacrificed all too much for a final victory that would never benefit him. She could not read his mind, no matter how she wished to.
Yang Mu subtly ma...
2024-07-23 13:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostAutumn rains became winter snow, travel growing more difficult. Rather than aggravate Wu Ying’s injuries further, the pair chose to join a trade caravan as it headed north and east. Seated in a comfortable carriage - or as comfortable as such a contraption could be with rutted roads and uneven snow packs - the pair studied, argued, spoke and rested.
At each stop, Yang Mu would make her ...
2024-07-19 13:00:16 +0000 UTC View PostAt first, the trio fled to escape the ire of the library. Later on, at Tou He’s insistence, they made a circumnavigation along the main cities surrounding the library, spreading the tale of what had happened to those who would listen. It was at the fifth city in nearly as many days that, hearing their own tale retold - mangled and twisted as all stories had a tendency to do - from the very li...
2024-07-16 13:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post
I'm thrilled to announce my new Kickstarter for Book 2 in the Climbing the Ranks series!
Arthur has conquered the first floor of the Tower, but his journey is far from over...
With your support on Kickstarter, I can produce top-quality paperbacks and hardcovers, making this release truly special. This includes:
✨Three stunning illustrations of key scenes
✨Beautif...
Three cultivators faced an army of irate librarians as the cataclysmic release of energy in the surroundings still illuminated the surroundings. The earth threw minor quakes still, rumbling as rocks and buildings shifted and smoke spiralled into the air. Mixed smells of melted soil, burnt grass and the crisp air of a mountain realm mingled, even as the cries of injured and frightened humanity i...
2024-07-12 13:00:01 +0000 UTC View Post
If you’ve recently noticed that A Thousand Li: The First Step has disappeared from your Audible library, here’s why: my licensing contract with Tantor, the original audiobook producer, has expired, and I have now acquired the rights to the audiobook.
Due to th...
2024-07-09 19:29:31 +0000 UTC View PostYang Mu rubbed at her neck, groaning as she straightened and stretched her back. Even with the exhaustion that ran through her, a sense of accomplishment permeated her every movement. She surveyed the latest carving and formation flags she had embedded, feeling the contained energy thrum through it. Just outside the cavern she had mined out of the mountain itself, another series of formations u...
2024-07-09 13:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post