Cover Reveal: Demons of Sedona 3

Death WalkerFinally! After months of edits, I’m happy to reveal the cover and description for Demons of Sedona book number 3: Death Walker. It will be released on June 16th on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords, with iBooks and Kobo coming soon thereafter. I’ve also got a very special offer for members of my mailing list, which I’ll get into below. But first, the book description!

“Beware the demons of Sedona, they’ll steal the heart right from its owner. City guarded by a wall, should the protections ever fall…”

After being chased to the edge of the world by the imperial army, Tobin and Vera finally won. They found the lost city of Sedona and the warrior civilization that still that lives nearby, uncovered a plot to dethrone the king, and defeated the relentless Leggett.

But their time in Sedona had unintended consequences, as they accidentally awoke the oldest demons in existence from a centuries-long slumber. And after being trapped behind a wall for ages, the demons are ready to be free and to feed upon the living.

 Now the entire world is in danger. To save it Tobin and Vera will have to dig deeper into the secrets of Sedona and its people. But something’s happening to Tobin at the same time, something that might be worse than death itself.

—–

Now as I said above, Death Walker will be released on June 16, but mailing list members will get an exclusive first chance to get the book early at a heavy discount. In addition to that, I’m also going to make sure that everyone is up to date on the series by giving my members a free copy of Demons of Sedona #2: From Death. If you want in on the savings, just head over to this link: bit.ly/nigelhenrybooks and sign up.

I can’t wait for you guys to get your hands on this story, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

What makes for a good villain?

I’ve been thinking about this topic a lot recently as I edit the end of the Sedona series. What makes for an entertaining and memorable villain? They’re evil, sure, but it has to be more than that, there has to be something compelling beyond the evil plan to destroy the world or kill the hero or rule the kingdom.

I think the reader has to see the villain as a character of their own right and not just a force against the hero. The villain has wants and goals and has to overcome obstacles (mainly the hero) to get to those goals. The villain has a personality, whether it’s cold and calculating or maniacal and unpredictable. Because I think part of what makes a villain great is how their goals stand against the hero’s, and what the villain is willing to do to achieve them.

I’ve been watching a lot of the Flash, Arrow and the Legend of Korra lately, and the villains that stood out to me on those shows are the Reverse Flash, Slade Wilson and Zaheer of the Red Lotus. In each of those stories we learn a lot about the villains during their arcs, and we spend enough time with them that we understand why they’re doing what they’re doing, even if we don’t agree with their choices. Part of what made the Reverse Flash so appealing was we knew he was watching Barry the whole season, and it built this sense of dread as we wondered what he was planning and why he was working to keep Barry safe.

Slade Wilson was the best villain I’d seen in a while, in part because we saw him and Oliver before, as good friends. We then saw how Shado’s death weighed heavily on him to the point that he became a bitter man, consumed by his hatred of Oliver. So it made sense that he’d go after everything Oliver held dear.

Zaheer was fascinating to watch because here was a man who followed the teaching of airbending masters, a group that’s known for their peace and non-violence, and used their powers to cause so much destruction. Be he only did it because he felt convinced that chaos was the natural order of the world. He also saw himself as a true bringer of balance, rather than Avatar Korra.

So because we understood the journey those villains took, I think we all felt their final fights were earned, because in the end it was their will vs the hero’s, and only one person would get what they wanted.

So there you have it: what I think makes a villain compelling. Now that I’ve written it down, feel free to call me on it if I don’t deliver layered villains in my stories.

Happy New Year! (And an update on Sedona 3)

I hope everyone made it through the holiday season unscathed and I’m wishing nothing but good fortune for all of you in 2015.

You’ve probably noticed that I’ve been rather silent on this blog as of late. That’s because I’ve been hard at work on the last two Sedona books. I’m happy to say that I’ve finished first drafts for both books 3 and 4 and I’ll be revising Sedona 3 throughout the month of January. I don’t want to give a set date only to miss it, but I can safely say that book 3 is on target to be released in early spring. More details will be coming soon.

I’ve got a couple of goals heading into the new year. First among them is obviously to get my books in front of more readers, but my secondary goal is to improve the way in which I interact with you guys. I think I spread myself thin last year in creating and trying to maintain a Facebook page/twitter account and a blog. So this year I’m cutting down. I’ll be getting rid of my Facebook page very soon. This blog and my email newsletter will be the way I communicate with you all. This means I’ll try to update the blog every week with something, be it a small scene from a work in progress or observations from the world of publishing.

My email newsletter is going to be even more fun. I’ll send out 1-2 updates a month during most months, and included in those emails will be giveaways. I might be giving away free books, I might be giving away exclusive stories, I might be giving away Amazon/iTunes gift cards. The only way to stay in the know is to sign up.

Why am I doing this? Because you guys are the reason any of this is possible, and I’ll be damned if I don’t go out of my way to thank you. So stay tuned.

 

NaNoWriMo Day 5

So far so good. About 7,500 words in, which means I’ll hit today’s word goal. For anyone on the fence about trying NaNo: do it. It’s challenging, but completely doable as long as you’re dedicated. It’s also a hell of a lot more fun than book marketing.

November

Which means it’s almost time for NaNoWriMo. Otherwise known as: it’s time to lock myself in front of a computer every day until I’ve got a first draft finished.

This is my third year taking part in NaNo. I started in 2012 and came up with the first draft of the book that eventually became From Death. Last year I wrote a draft of the next book in the Demons of Sedona series, Death Walker. This year I’ll be wrapping up the series with the finale: Day Walker.

I’ve petered out at about 50,000 words each of the first two years. I’m aiming for a higher number this year just because I’m not a rookie and I already know how and were the story goes. Should be fun. I’ll post a little writing-progress widget in the sidebar to give updates on my progress.

Behind the Scenes: Camia Map Sketch

One of the questions I’ve been asked most often since I released The Healer’s Pact is: “What does the fictional world look like?” It’s a great question, and one that I’d love to put to rest with some cartography software. Unfortunately that stuff is expensive, so I’ll have to sell many, many, many books first.

Still, here’s a basic overview of the world of Camia, and then, after the jump I’ll include a sketch of Camia I made over two years ago.

***SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t read From Death, the map contains a pretty crucial plot twist. Go read the book and then come back. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.*** Continue reading “Behind the Scenes: Camia Map Sketch”

August Update

Today was a good day. Today, after over a year-and-a-half of writing and revising, my first full-length novel “From Death” is available. So of course the next question is: what’s next?

Well, this is really where I kick things into gear. Visitors to this site will probably notice that the last time I posted was in March, after The Healer’s Pact came out. That’s been semi-on purpose. I’ve taken the tact that nothing has been more important than finishing From Death. Now that it’s done I’ll start blogging more to build up this site and answer any questions readers may have after the first two books. I’ll be experimenting with advertising and other ways of promoting my books, and I’ll update you here on the progress. (I’ve already taken the first step: The Healer’s Pact has been priced at free on Smashwords, Kobo and iBooks. Hopefully Amazon and Barnes and Noble will price-match soon.)

Of course I’m going to keep writing. I’ve already got a draft of Death Walker, the next book in the series, and it won’t be long before I have to start plotting out the fourth book.

I’m pulling my head out of my manuscripts now. It should be a fun ride.

From Death: Now Available

From Death Book CoverIt took me a while (and by a while I mean over almost two years!) but From Death is now finished and available for your reading pleasure. You can pick it up for $2.99 at AmazonBarnes and Noble and Smashwords. Kobo and iBooks editions are coming soon.

From Death takes places two years after the events of The Healer’s Pact and follows a changed Tobin North and Vera Corliss as they struggle with the aftermath of their deadly encounter in Miner’s Quarry. They must also deal with a new threat when their village is denied a new batch of encircling crystals.

Here’s the book description:

Every year Tobin North and his father make the months-long trek to Miner’s Quarry on behalf of their village. They always return home with a fresh supply of encircling crystals, the one item that can protect humans from the undead demons that swarm outside their doors every night. But this year is different, because this year Tobin and his father were told they aren’t getting a new batch of crystals. To make matters worse, their old supply is running low, which means their village is on borrowed time.  

And time’s almost up, because families are starting to die.

Curious for more? Here’s the first chapter for your reading pleasure, absolutely free.

The Healer’s Pact: Now Available on Amazon

HP-Cover-FinalI’m so ridiculously excited today to announce that my first story, “The Healer’s Pact” is now live on Amazon. I’ve spent so much time working on this story and I can’t believe it’s finally out in the world for purchase.

For new readers (which would be everyone, I guess!), The Healer’s Pact is a short story that will introduce you to the demon-ridden land of Camia, where long-departed spirits return to torment and torture the living night after night. It’s your first chance to meet the hero and heroine of the world, Tobin North and Vera Corliss, and it’s the start of the adventure that will shape their world.

Here’s the Amazon description:

The blood-stained house that 18-year-old sweethearts Tobin North and Vera Corliss stumble across while trying to enjoy their alone time has all the hallmarks of a typically-unfortunate Camian demon attack, right down to the severed hand in the common room and the half-eaten body in the washroom.

But since when do demons only partially devour their prey? And where was the home’s encircling crystal, which would have protected the family inside the house from the undead in the first place? Demon attacks usually occur when crystals burn out, but this one was missing entirely. No one is suicidal enough to not use a crystal, right?

Things get more confusing when Tobin and Vera learn that this isn’t the first strange demon attack to take place recently in Miner’s Quarry. Which means that either the village is dealing with a new, smarter breed of demon, or someone is using the undead to hide a string of murders.

Want to learn more? Click here to read the first 1,000 words of The Healer’s Pact for free.

Many thanks to my team of crash-test readers and to Limelight Book Covers, which made the amazing cover. You can pick up the book for 99 cents by clicking this link right here. It’ll make its way over to the Nook, iBook and Kobo stores in the coming weeks. I hope you enjoy it.

 

Hello world!

Hello world! My name’s Nigel. I’m a writer from New York City that’s looking to break into the exciting work of epic fantasy novel writing. I don’t have much to my name right now, just two manuscripts that I’ve spent most of 2013 working on. I’m about to embark on my third story for NaNoWriMo 2013, and here’s where I’ll update my readers on my progress.

There’s not much here yet, but that’ll change in the future as I share what I learn on this journey.