Review of Storm's Herald on Goodreads

I was delighted to have Storm's Herald, the first novel in the Stormfall Chronicles, reviewed by Gwendalyn on Goodreads. To quote from her review:

A compelling, intriguing, and well-written read right here. With three dimensional characters that are fleshed out. I felt connected with them and drawn into their lives. The narration flows perfectly and has the classical old world style that I completely enjoyed.

So glad she enjoyed the first installment in the continuing story.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3247897461?book_show_action=true

Chapters in Life

My three daughters, from a photo taken just five years ago.

Life is a series of chapters, each with their own beginnings and endings. Some are punctuated by dramatic events, others come and go with little fanfare. Sometimes we don't even realize we were living through those episodes until long after they are gone.

A little over eighteen years ago, my life began one such chapter when my first daughter came into this world. Two more daughters have followed her since, and for the succeeding decades, being Dad to those three girls has become the greatest privilege of my life.

The little moments which make up and highlight a life are oftentimes things which we never anticipated when they happened. Coming home from work, to have my infant daughter fall asleep while watching TV on my chest. The bedtime book which I read over and over because it was her favorite (and each of my daughters would develop their own favorite). Asking her about her first days at elementary school, when she would push two chairs together to take a nap in class because she was tired (and the teacher was boring). Watching her interests grow and evolve over time.

Each page of this chapter in my life has been new and amazing in its own right. Riding horses. Falling in love with her dog. Being the peacemaker between her sisters. Sharing books with her that I had grown up loving. And learning about which books and topics which had captured her imagination. Graduating from watching Barney, to Disney, to Japanese anime. Every page was new, and exciting and treasured.

My oldest daughter will be entering university this fall. My middle daughter will follow her a year later. My youngest is a few years behind. I can see this chapter in my life coming to its end. I can't deny I'm sorry to see it go.

It is of course, unavoidable. I know they will all go on to live lives of their own, and experience their own chapters in life. But I know that the greatest chapter of my life, was during these few years.

Which is why I chose to write the books which I write today. The fantasy novels for which my daughters have become my beta-readers, are one last adventure we can share, one last paragraph before the final page turns and this chapter in our lives has ended. It's why I have devoted so many spare moments into writing these novels - before this chapter concludes and the next chapter opens, both in their lives and in mine. One last opportunity, to enjoy all that we have shared together these many years. I can only hope that last paragraph will be a good one.

Status Update - Book 3: Second Draft Complete

I've finally finished editing the second draft for Book 3 of the Stormfall Chronicles. A lot of scenes needed to be added to flesh out the novel, which grew from 98,000 words at the completion of the first draft, to 122,000 words at completion of the second.

I had originally thought the third book would be a little shorter - more similar to the first book. In accomplishing everything I had intended for this story-arc, however, it definitely needed to grow. There is still a lot of editing left to perform, but there are already scenes that I'm in love with. Can't wait to polish it a little more so that my beta-readers can review it.

A Word About Art

By its very nature, art is intended to evoke a feeling, an emotional response from its audience. It is not just a static object, but one in which the audience participates.

When an artist creates a work of art, therefore, by its nature the artwork will take on a life of its own. Whatever intent the artist might have imagined behind their work, it will take up new meanings and new significance when it is interpreted and experienced by others. This is true for works of literature, no less than it is for a painting or musical score.

I know that some artists have difficulty with accepting or fathoming this. They fervently desire the audience to absorb their work precisely as they imagined it or intended it to be.

But in my experience, that interaction - between the audience and the artwork - is part of what makes art so magical in the first place. When I see readers fall in love with one character, who may not necessarily have been the same as the character I might have imagined - that is a success, not a failure. It means I have brought enough vibrance into that character to inspire the imagination of others. Similarly, when I see readers citing a particular quote or passage, it is another part of that interaction between the audience and the artwork whereby the written word takes on new meanings or significance of its own.

As a writer, that is exciting to see. For it is the independent life which our creation takes on, which makes it worthy of being described as art.

In the Hands of Readers

Always glad to see my books in the hands of readers.

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