Fresh Start

I keep track of my writing details in a simple spreadsheet. Usually I do the one for the new month a few days ahead of time. Today I sat down to sign in and realized it’s a new month. Not just any month. The start of the second half of the year—the mid-year reboot.

Numbers don’t usually make me philosophical. Honestly, sometimes they make me itch, especially when combined with letters. Algebra was never my friend. I do like empirical data, though, and I have kept spreadsheets like this for several years. It’s useful to look back from time to time and see where I can improve my productivity. So far, it looks like Missouri is good for my work, but that might be because my calendar was swept clean twice already. Time will tell if that’s the reason.

What about you? What does the rest of your year look like? Is there something you need to track or reboot?

Balphrahn Critters: Grimalkin

Our next stop in the Balphrahn Zoo is the Grimalkin. You knew I had to have a cat, right?

Based on the Sunda Clouded Leopard, grimalkins are relatively small for big cats and average 50 pounds. They can sense magic like a drug dog sniffs out a hidden stash. They are uncommon in Slan but are bred in Dorchada and Aramach. They work well with humans as long as they're well treated. If they're not, they're more likely to escape than attack. Once they escape, they're almost impossible to catch if they don't want to be caught. 

Chugging Along

I had a chat with my friend, Stephen, last week. 

Stephen has opinions. Strong ones. And brilliant ideas.

More importantly, he knows good writing and is always looking for something to read.

I sent him my latest draft, and while it's not up to snuff in anyone's opinion, he did have some really good ideas for increasing the tension in the saggy spots that will carry into the next book. For someone who has a hard time plotting much in advance, that's huge. I've never worked on a project when the next book was coming into focus while I edited the current one.
 

Behind The Scenes

Things are chugging along toward the release of Awakening In The Dark. In addition to the edit, we have to start looking at things like cover design and marketing. The days when authors could write a book, hand it off, and make money on it are long gone. 

You can help by letting your friends know about this blog. People need to know who I am before they become readers.

I also have a free newsletter that goes out once a week. You can find that at tinyletter.com/wendyblanton.

Full disclosure: It has a lot of the same info you find here, but it goes out sooner. Usually what I post here went out to the newsletter a couple weeks before. It also gets exclusive content that won’t be here, like the prequel short stories I’ll be working on after the novel edits are done.


Until next time, enjoy your coffee!

Fire And Water: Print version

My publisher decided to do a print version of Fire And Water for Amazon. We weren't going to, but several people have asked for it. 

Full disclosure: Amazon controls the pricing. The e-book is more affordable, but I know some of you want the paper in your hands, so now you have the option. If you order it, please let me know what you think!

Until next time, enjoy your coffee!

Balphrahn Critters: Cudion

One of the animal helpers I've made is a guard dog to help patrol borders. 

Cudions (koo-DEE-ons) are large, standing 30-40" at the shoulder and weighing 65-85 pounds. While they are most often used for patrolling borders, they are also used for herding other animals, making them a mash-up of German Shepard and Sheep Dog. Their coat is short and mottled, giving them good camouflage in the woods. They are hard working and protective, but gentle with the people in their pack. They live 15-20 years.

They were inspired by the Belgian Malinois and the African Painted Dog. Photo(shop) credit goes to Elizabeth Smith Designs.
 

Balphrahn Critters: Royal Messenger Bird

One of the coolest things about writing Balphrahn is hearing how it's inspired others. It's great to hear from strangers and friends, but it goes to a whole new level when it's your mom. I got my artist gene from her, but in the past few years she's made less art and channeled her creativity into gardening. When she came to help us pack for our move last November, I showed her some critters I'm basing new animals on, and she started drawing them for me. I'll be sharing her drawings here (with her permission).

First up is the Royal Messenger Bird. As the name (which will likely change as the story evolves) implies, it's used by the kings of Aramach and Commain to send important messages. He can communicate telepathically with the bird, rather like the Wybrens and dragons. Since the bird's brain is much smaller than a dragon's, it can carry complex messages, but does not have the higher reasoning capability. The king can also invoke a spell to allow him to see through the bird's eyes, effectively making it a surveillance drone.

It's based on the harpy eagle, a tropical bird found in Central and South America, mainly in Brazil.


Until next time, enjoy your coffee!

How you say?

When I started creating Balphrahn, I wanted to base it on the Celtic cultures. To keep it all consistent, I took my names from the various Celtic languages. The trouble with Gaelic and Welsh is the aren’t pronounced with English rules. They have letter combinations that don’t sound like we think they’re supposed to, so of course the names are tricky.

Hindsight being what it is, I’d love to go back and maybe choose easier names, but the first book is out, so we’re in for a penny, in for a pound. When we decided to do the second edition to add the map, we figured it might make reading easier to have a pronunciation guide.

I’ll be compiling these resources as we go along on a separate page here on the website, but since I haven’t yet coordinated with my lovely and talented webmistress, I’ll post it here.

PEOPLE

Ailin—Ae-lyn
Aengus--Angus
Aithne—EYE-th-na
Arwyne—AR-win
Briant—Brian-t
Ceann—Shawn
Cruthadair—Crew-ha-dare
Dermod—DER-mod
Dougal—Doo-gal
Elan—EE-lan
Hamish—Hay-mish
Lassair—Lass-air
Laoch—LAY-ock
Maccha--Maka
Magda—Mahg-da
Moira—Moy-ra
Murine—Mern
Murchad—Mer-kawd
Raya—Ray-a
Ruan—RU-an
Sine—Sheen
Siril—Seeril, sort of like cereal but without the a

DRAGONS

Aegon—Ay-gon
Gautier—Go-tee-ay
Oriel—Oh-ree-el
Peio—Pay-o
Saphir—Safeer
Tiemer—Teemer
Vieux—Veeyuh

PLACES

Balphran—Bal-fran
Mevan—Mee-van

JOBS

Raca—RAH-ka
Wreiddon—RIDE-on
Wybren—WHY-bren

CURSES

Galla—gah-la
Uffern—OO-furn

Back in Balphrahn

Hello again!

I’ve barely posted about Balphrahn lately. Who am I kidding? I’ve barely posted at all! That’s changing as I gear up for marketing later this year. Awakening In The Dark has begun the edit phase and will be out later this year, Lord willing and the creek don’t rise. I started writing Red Sky In Mourning while I waited for edits to come back. All in all, I’m pleased with the progress and will be sharing bits and pieces as I go.

I mentioned in early February that we’ve added a map to Dawn Before The Dark, and then I never shared it here. So I’ll start with that.

Until next time, enjoy your coffee!

How are you?

Hello, all! How is everyone holding up? I hope you're all healthy and finding ways to keep busy. Not too busy, though. This is a good time for rest.

We are all currently healthy. My kids work for essential businesses, so they're still working. While I'm glad they still have income, it's a little worrisome to have them out and about. Two of them are able to work from home part of the time, so that helps. 

Awakening In The Dark is done and in the publisher’s hands. Next comes several rounds of edits. I have a couple short stories to write for my writing group anthology, and then I’ll get started on book 3 (Red Sky In Mourning).

When I haven't been writing, here's what I've been doing. There's actually a lot packed into this. I've been crocheting through my yarn stash and unpacking. Coffee drinking is a given. I'm also checking in on extroverts and playing with new hair styles for our son's scaled back wedding later this month. Also cooking, baking, yoga, and watching Blue Bloods and Downton Abbey reruns.

My response to COVID-19

Hello again! Hopefully the blog title didn’t send it to the spam filter. I’ve been getting a lot of those lately.

I do have a response, though: Stillness. My calendar has emptied for the second time this year. Quarantine has had unexpected benefits in the last few months. Air quality in China is the best it’s been for a long time, and the Venice canals are clearing enough for fish to be visible. People are hearing birds again, and while Im sure it’s disquieting to those who have been urban dwellers their entire lives, the earth itself is getting a chance to recover a bit.

We can do that, too. There are a lot of things you can do beyond a long TV binge. Turn off the podcasts and music and cook a meal to eat with your family. If it’s sunny, go sit outside and listen to the sounds in your neighborhood. Learn a new skill. Read a good book.

Above all, be kind to one another. Check on your neighbors if you can and for pity’s sake, share your toilet paper.

If you need new reading material, I'm having a Quarantine Book Sale. This applies only to the stock I have on hand while supplies last. I will sign and ship free. All books are $10, and I have Dawn Before The Dark; the Blackbirds anthologies (all three; the second and third have the original Balphrahn short stories); and Prosateurs: Tales and Truth. If you're really desperate for new reading material, I also have copies of my first novels, The Dragon's Lady and Rogue Pawn for $5.00 each. You can email orders to me at shininglight17@gmail.com.