Happy New Year!

2019 is here!

The last year went fast for me with all the changes in my life, particularly in my health. Better health also brought more writing.

The results of that will come to fruition in this year. As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I have three books ready for the beginning of this year--a boxed set of the Legend of the White Dragon: The Complete Series and the first two books of the new series, Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds.

Throughout 2019, I hope to release three more Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds books, provided my writing pace on these holds out.

I also have the third book outlined. That came to me on a drive out to my parents to check on Buddy.

About Buddy--He's huddling with his little herd out in the pasture around a bale. I took some free-feeding supplement tubs out for the herd, mostly so that Buddy gets the nutrients he's lacking, which I've been trying to supplement (but can only give once a week). However, my family is not a horse family. They are a cattle family who understands little about horses. I'm amazed that none of the horses in my lifetime have ever colicked with the winter situation in the pasture. Yet I know of very nice boarding barns where they get colic cases and have all the amenities a person could want for their horse. I guess it goes to prove that horses in a natural state fare much better. We also never had any cases of RAO or COPD in our horses while horses in boarding situations always seem to have issues, and Buddy's hooves are much healthier out at the farm too. I'm the one who dislikes the lack of amenities (insulated barn with high ceiling and wide aisles, wash area, etc.), and the distance. (ps--yes, I'm complaining but trying to make the most of my current horsekeeping situation, but only because I know better than I did when I was younger.)

Although I have a drive to the farm (100 miles roundtrip), I get a lot accomplished while doing nothing. It gives me a LOT of time to just think. I clear my head of nonsense and focus on my writing. On this latest visit, I worked on the third SA:FW book. By the time I arrived at my destination, I had to make some notes. Then, I took the kids out to the snowy pasture with their sleds. While they burned off energy, I sat in the pickup and opened a document on my phone. The creativity soared, and in the hour that the kids exhausted themselves physically, I exhausted myself creatively with a full outline for book 3, tentatively titled Vault of the Celestials.

This year, I will be working exclusively on Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds. It's a fun series that takes my love of science fiction to where I always wanted to go. I've set up a world in which I can take all my unpublished ideas and incorporate them. This is very satisfying for me. I feel like I am fulfilling my dream with this series. And writing, for me, is about the pleasure of story-telling and challenging myself first and foremost. If other people enjoy going into my imagination as much as I do, that's icing on the cake.

I plan to enjoy 2019 with new adventures in real life and in my imagination. I hope you'll stay with me through it all and HAVE A GREAT YEAR!

Book 2 is drafted

The Rule of Yonder has a first draft that came in around 39,000 words. That's just the first draft, which will need some major rewriting, especially in the second half. Something feels off in the second part, but it wasn't off enough to cause writer's block. That means there are good things there but not written with the clarity I needed to really keep it on track. From my experience with this issue, I will likely add another 500-1,000 words. (Also from my experience with writer's block, it only comes when I've taken a completely wrong turn. This "off" feeling isn't quite that extreme but means some work to correct.)

At least I have a first draft. I have something to work from rather than simply notes or, worse, nothing.

Now that the first draft of Book 2 in the Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds is finished, I will do some rewriting on that and Book 1, A New Beginning, before starting the first draft of Book 3.

I'll get around to publishing these, but I want the wrinkles thoroughly ironed out, especially since this is a new branch of an old series. I have established rules that I have to be sure are consistent as well as new characters, settings, technologies, etc. that have been molded and need to harden. I'll be playing in this universe for a while, so keeping it fresh will be a challenge but I think I can manage that with the format of this series

Establishing a series is a daunting task, but after a few series, I've learned that there are certain things that always work best. Rule number one is always get the first two books written before publishing anything. The first book is a lot of inspiration and world-building. After that, keeping up an interesting storyline may mean tweaking facts established in book one, and that means going back and tweaking the world-building, so it's best to finish the second book before releasing the first. By the end of a second book, I generally have things pretty well established and feel comfortable with the universe I've created. Rule two is to make each book have its own three-part story, even if it is just a cog in a larger machine. I haven't really thought of any other rules to follow. Most everything else is fluid, but I may be missing something.

When I'm comfortable with the rewriting of the first two books, I'll start cover announcements and set up pre-orders. Watch for those in the next month.

I have a title

I have been writing lately with a passion that I haven't felt in a very long time. Some books just flow like a torrent, and this latest series is doing just that. It. Feels. AWESOME!

Okay, so that's how I feel after writing all that I can in a session. I give ideas a chance to stew for most of each day. By the time I sit down, I can't not write and end up with a lot written with a sense that I could do more, which leaves me with a sort of writing high.

By the way, that book is almost done. The second in the Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds series will be titled The Rule of Yonder. I have a cover for it done but I can't reveal that yet.

And I now have pieces of many books for this series. It's epic in short episodes. I think that's why it's so much fun--it's easier than one big long epic. I can focus on pieces. I like this length-- around 40,000 words. So far, the first book was only 38,000 words, technically a novella. The second book looks like it will be between 35-40K also. I'm purposely keeping them short, because that's all these stories need. They're meant to be episodic, but there are hints at the overarching plot tying everything together. All my epic long stories with the occasional shorter stories has set me up with exactly the skills I need to make this work.

Of course, I have to keep a bible of sorts because it will span such a long series. This helps me keep track of alien species (too many to keep straight!), cultures, world environments, technologies, government systems, religious beliefs, etc. I'd be lost if I didn't have a quick reference that I could look up rather than having to search through the story narrative to find the answers. The latter takes too much time and can take me out of writing.

I'm working to finish this first draft of The Rule of Yonder by the last day of this month/year. I will then read through the first two books for consistencies, but I feel that I've ironed out the rules and setting of this new old universe. Then I'll feel more comfortable starting the third book. I'm pretty sure of the title for that one, but just in case something unexpected happens to turn the story into something else, I will hold off on revealing that.

Before I publish these books (hopefully the first in April 2019), I will be releasing another, a boxed set. The artist who made the covers for the Legend of the White Dragon is currently working on both 2D and 3D boxed set covers for that five book series. I hope to release the boxed set next month. It's too long overdue.

I have decided that all of these books will be released widely. I'll update purchase links on this blog and also at www.melanienilles.com when they become available.

COVER REVEALS COMING IN JANUARY 2019!

Upcoming 2019 titles known at this time (3):

LEGEND OF THE WHITE DRAGON: THE COMPLETE SERIES (Prophecy, Legends, Fireblood, Legacies, Destiny)

A NEW BEGINNING (Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds 1)
THE RULE OF YONDER (Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds 2)

More to come in 2019!

Gravity check--a Christmas story

Oh, Jack, you Christmas humbug.

I sat at the counter in the kitchen watching from behind as he sent Santa diving from his perch. I guess the jolly old style Saint Nickolas offended our kitty, or Jack was just in a particularly mischievous mood. I saw the paw shove the decoration, then heard Santa's bell jingling on his way down and as he bounced off the sofa and landed on the floor.

As I sit and shake my head, I can't help but want to laugh at the antics of cats. I love them, but sometimes they can be downright a--holes! Luckily, Santa survived. He's just cheap plastic and nothing broke.

Jack is either proud of making sure gravity still works
or... Nope. He's proud, like a typical cat.

The beard's a little messed up, but otherwise he's ready to go back on the wall with the snowmen.

Like most of our decorations, he was a Christmas gift many years ago. He will live on for another Christmas season, despite the cats.

update on writing projects

I'm now working on the second book of Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds. It's not quite what I was initially planning, but inspiration took me around a different turn.

I'm absolutely loving writing this series. They're short novels and can be written and edited in less time than the long novels I've done. Also, they're just plain FUN! These stories are meant to be like episodes you'd watch for a tv series. Keeping them short, focused, and fast-paced doesn't mean I don't struggle. It just means that it keeps my attention better.

And I keep getting more and more ideas! I have ideas now for at least eight books but am sure that I could come up with many more, if all goes well. I know what needs to happen and will have "filler" episodes that don't necessarily add anything to the main story arc but which do explore the different characters and add to the fun, which is where this second book falls. They build the world in which the story takes place. Once I get going, I hope the full series beats start to fall into place. However, I know that while I can plan a story one way, I have to be flexible. The outline always changes as I write a single story, much less an entire series. It's more like a guideline than an outline, I guess you could say.

I did struggle with getting the second book going. In fact, for the second book, I actually deleted the first two chapters and started over, or at least started over after the first thousand words. There's a certain rhythm to a story that has to be found and it took a little bit of exploring to figure that out, although less than it did with the first book. I'm hoping it continues much more easily now that I have the story. This has turned out to be slightly different than what I had originally intended.

And I have a cover for the second book already with a tentative title. I can't wait to show you, but I have to wait until I am ready to set the pre-order for the first book. Only when they're ready for pre-orders will I be able to reveal the covers. The covers are perfect for the feel of these stories.

And I've been reading about some KDP issues that make me wonder if that's really the right path to take. I'll have to see what I learn when the time comes. I do just as well on Apple as I do on Amazon, so maybe I need to reconsider the plan of trying KDP Select.

I have time to get things in place. My plan is to finish book 2, then give the first draft a run-through edit for major fixes. I'll give book 1 another editing pass for major story fixes, especially since in writing the second book, I may have some things that I want to change in the first. I hope not, but inevitably, there is something that I need to tweak because a rule or fact established for one situation gets in the way of others so I have to find a middle ground and make appropriate adjustments. Usually by the second book, I have a solid feel of a new writing world.

Once book two is done and both of the first two books have been edited again, I'll start writing book 3. When that first draft is done, I'll hit edits on book one with full steam and go into editing rounds on books two and three. After book one is as good as it can get, I'll make that available, then focus on book two edits and make that available about 4-6 weeks after book one. Then, I'll start writing book 4. After the first draft of four, I'll edit book 3 and get that published. Then it'll be a matter of final edits on one book after writing the following book. It's a pattern that works well for me. Then I always have something coming up for publishing when I'm just finishing writing the next.

I would estimate releasing "A New Beginning" in late March to early April. The next will be about four weeks after that and then about every three months.

That's my plan, but I have to be flexible. I do live with a chronic illness that can make life difficult (such as not being able to focus on writing), and I have other obligations in my life. I appreciate your patience. It's hard enough for me--I can't wait to share these!

Starting Buddy on cows

Yesterday, I started Buddy on cows, and I see a lot of promise as a cowhorse.

On my family's farm, he's seen them up close in the last couple of months but has still been hesitant about being close. So, yesterday he got immersed in over a hundred cow/calf pairs. He helped us sort (in-hand with me doing the actual work), splitting them and effectively weaning the calves.

So, I took it easy with Buddy. I was going out to just see him--it was cold but I had bundled up--and saw that my sister, brother-in-law, and stepdad were still sorting when I arrived. I asked my sister if she minded me helping with Buddy in hand. She didn't and took some pics for us to share. (I think she was just glad for an extra hand with the work.)

At first, Buddy was dancing and carrying on, in his listen-to-your-handler way. He's good that way--his ground manners are great after all the natural horsemanship we've done. (You can't tell in the pictures below.) But he didn't like being away from his herdmates and being surrounded by bellowing bovines. After two hours, he was running alongside me to separate the stragglers who refused to cooperate and even started running ahead on the leadrope towards a cow I was heading towards at one point, rather than trying to get back to his herd. If we were standing back, he'd get impatient and paw and whinny, but towards the end, his eyes were more on the cows than his herd. It got to be that he got very focused on chasing cows as he realized they moved away from him and that we were doing a job.

This was a very good introduction to cows for him and very positive. It was also a safe way for me--on the ground with him rather than on his back. He was able to follow my lead and see that I wasn't afraid. I believe he gained a lot of confidence.

I've learned the hard way that horses that aren't introduced to cows in a good way can freak out about them. It's made me appreciate just how good my horses were when I was growing up on the farm. Boarding my horses at facilities closer to where I live as an adult has been a convenience in many ways, but it also limited the experiences of my last few horses.

Paul Harvey - So God Made A Farmer

Classic!

I don't do email lists

I know few people who enjoy receiving email spam, and that's what I consider most lists to be. They're invasive and often oozing with a great deal of "buy my books!"

Blech!

Not for me, at least not shoving it in your face. If you come here freely, this is my space, my home, if you will, and you expect to see something about me. The door is open here for you to look around into my life and books.

I hope you don't mind that I don't do email lists for readers. I even quit most social media. None of it really suited me, or at least it doesn't suit the present me.

I'm so much more comfortable being able to sit down and "chat" alone, talking to myself and an imagined audience, as I do while writing. Well, okay, while writing that's just having fun seeing where my imagination takes me. There really isn't any consideration of an audience of more than one... me.

But newsletters I've never been good at, at least not about myself. I put out a quarterly newsletter at work, but that's about other topics. I've never been good at self-promotion. I'd rather just write my stories and pay advertisers to send out the emails, tweets, and posts. Life is easier that way.

I enjoy interaction, but I've learned that I really prefer quiet time and letting people come to me. I don't like to be intrusive. It just feels rude, and that goes against everything I was taught about being polite.

I appreciate that you've visited and hope you find something interesting here. Thanks for stopping by, neighbor ;)

horsing around at home

My view from the saddle is
awesome!

I've been enjoying having Buddy at my family's farm. He's enjoying it too, maybe a little too much. He's so enamored of my sister's little herd of horses that he doesn't like me taking him away!

Last week, we rode out in one of the pastures that had cows in during the summer, but they were moved, so the pasture is empty for us. (This is one of my favorite pastures to ride in, but I rode all over growing up and they're all fun, really.) We had company last week, my brother-in-law on one of my sister's horses. And that's not the sister he's married to, just to confuse you. (I have two sisters, one with no horses--that's the one he's married to. The other sister has the horses.) Buddy was anxious about being in unfamiliar territory, but with one of his friends along, he wasn't too bad.

This week, I didn't have any choice but to ride alone. I had to "cowgirl up" with riding like I did when I was growing up there. It was like riding a young colt all over again. We had a lot of issues and him screaming for his herd every five minutes. But he didn't act up too badly; as soon as he tried anything, I corrected him. The acting up decreased throughout our ride.

Tuff likes to go out with riders

We rode up and down hills, through washouts along the dried creek path, and even rode some trot circles and serpentines on the way back in which he remembered his dressage training. We did everything today. And we had a wet saddle pad at the end, and a sweaty horse. I didn't think he worked that hard walking and a little trotting, but apparently he did.

He needed that. He needs a LOT of that--he's gotten fat besides, so he can stand to lose some weight as well. And he's going to get that training, and more, over the next eight to nine months. He's already been introduced to cattle in his pasture and that had him freaked out initially but he got used to seeing them. Only the bull scares me, because he's not afraid of me. I don't like bulls. They get ornery and mean. We'll start riding with the cows when there's no bull.

Otherwise, we did have one companion--Tuff, the BIL's and no-horse sister's dog. Buddy didn't mind him this time like he did last week, just like he wasn't afraid of the washouts this week. He's a fast learner.

Lastly, wind energy seems like a great thing, but the turbines are eye-sores and loud. I grew up not seeing them and now they ruin the horizon with their ugliness.

Buddy's herdmates aka sister's horses

selfie time!
I'm not sure how he scraped his face, but the hair will grow back.

New series coming in 2019!

I have just finished the first draft of book 1 of a new series and feel like making an announcement. I'm so excited for this. It's something that I wanted to do for years but kept getting distracted--ooh, shiny!--by other ideas or by health problems (now managed).

Now, my idea has come to fruition, or at least the first book has. The cover and title are all ready with a series logo that I designed myself.

I will draft book 2 before releasing the first, perhaps even a third book before the first book is released. However, they don't take long to write. These are long novellas/short novels. The first draft of book 1 ended at  36,000 words and feels exactly as it should, like the pilot episode of a new science fiction series.

That's how I'm treating this--not like a book series but like a 90's science fiction series. Fast-paced, streamlined plot with lots of eye (imagination) candy.

If you're still with me, that's good. You'll learn the name of this new series soon enough, and there will be many books in it, especially since I plan to keep them at the shorter length. I already have five books outlined and plan on much more, as I will be treating this like a series with a composite cast and all the multi-faceted aspects that brings to the possible situations in a different galaxy.

I'm giddy just thinking about it!

So, here it is. The name of the series will be Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds. Book 1 is titled A New Beginning. The title was meant to be a place-marker but ended up being one of the themes of what the main character goes through and because this is a new beginning to the Starfire Angels series that I began almost ten years ago. In fact, this will released in the 10th anniversary year of the book that became the series namesake--Starfire Angels. However, this series is for serious science fiction lovers; A New Beginning is not romantic. It is as its title describes, a new beginning to the franchise, and an exciting one at that!

I am thinking that initially, this will be in KDP Select, so only available to Amazon Kindle customers, at least for the first three months. I'm not sure when I will release it elsewhere, but be sure to watch my website and this blog. I'll post purchase links as they become available.

I'll also post when the pre-release is available on Amazon.

Watch for a full cover release sometime after the first of the year.