Hey guys. Just a little update: the arctic is amazing. It’s cold (but surprisingly warm), it’s beautiful, it’s quiet, and it’s just overall fantastic. (I’m not overly fond of the midnight sun, but ah well.)

Of course, I miss my wife. A lot. She misses me too, but overall we’re doing pretty good. It’s different this time (we’ve lived apart before), and we’re handling it awesomely. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not a bit rough some days.

When I’m not talking to her, I’m working, working out, or writing. I plan to spend a lot of time outdoors, both through work and on my free time, but right now it’s mud season, and I haven’t had my rifle training yet. (Yes, that’s a thing, there’s polar bears here – you’re not allowed to leave town without at least one rifle in your party.)

So while I’m waiting for the…

I’ve been a fan of Stephen King since before I started writing, almost since as long as I’ve been reading, even though I only recently started to read his stuff (I know, it’s weird). All of his great books, albeit in movie form, scared the shit out of me when I was younger, and I’m loving the remakes.

So far the only King books I’ve read are The Dark Tower series. Even though I feel like I’ve been a fan of King for ages, I’ve never read any of his stuff. I think I started IT ages ago, but I was daunted by how freakishly long it is, and put it away (I’ve bought a new copy and it’s just sitting here, waiting its turn).

But yeah, I read The Dark Tower and I realized I’m a fan of King’s writing as well. Other than the fact that I think…

After the death of King Grifo and the fall of the Avaelian kingdom, former solider Elstan now makes his living as a mercenary. Accompanied by his friend Venutius, they rack up coin by taking care of the occasional Minotaur, ogre, wolf, troll, or vampire. But when a stranger in a small town gives Elstan a gold coin to meet with an elven noble for a secret mission, Elstan’s life is turned upside down.

Straight out the gate I was really gripped by this book. The writing is intricate and beautiful, but concise and to the point. The best of both worlds. Woodrow’s writing will excite you, but never bore. The pacing is also really good, I hate drawn-out books, but this moves with purpose and intent, while still stopping long enough to smell the flowers. Immediately I was reminded of The Witcher series, the lone mercenary, wandering around living off…

A week ago I got my work back from my editor (finally!) after three-four weeks of waiting. I could have kept my work for longer myself, but I sent it to them as soon as I was ready, happy to have it off my hands for a while. I spent the time reading and relaxing, writing casually on some other projects, and that time has been absolutely gold. But I knew I was getting close to my editor getting back to me, so I was getting anxious.

Let me just say this: I’m an indie author, meaning I’m self-published and that I pay for my editor out of my own pocket. I know a lot of indie authors don’t work with editors, and many people can’t afford it which I understand, but I absolutely recommend it.

So I get the email. At this point I’ve already decided that I’m going…

Some people plot, meaning they plan their novels before they write them (also called outlining). On the other hand, some people (like me), don’t. We pants (meaning someone who ‘flies by the seat of their pants’) and have no plan at all, or at least not to the same degree as a plotter. This is also called discovery writing, (which is what I used to call it long before I heard of the pantsing term).

So I don’t plot. Or well I do. I don’t make an outline though. Or well kind of. I make an overview. One single document, detailing the basic plot, some of the characters, what’s going to happen and maybe why. This document might have notes to myself, ideas about names for characters, or big underlined warnings (DON’T DO THIS!). I hesitate to call it an outline because I don’t really use it when I write…

Sakura Spark is—as the cover tells us—a thriller about Jago Hale, investigative journalist and ex-military man. And it’s absolutely amazing.

Jago lives a lavish life after having left his secretive past behind. He writes articles, spends time doing what he likes, and tries to forget. That’s until a break-in at his house pulls him back in, forcing him to return to his old habits. Not really wanting anything to do with it, but at the same time finding himself at the center of it all, Jago has no choice but to follow the breadcrumbs hoping they’ll lead to some answers. If he’s lucky, maybe even about his wife’s death.

Cobb’s writing is sharp and detailed, clear and fast-paced (just the way I like it), but at the same time beautiful and well-composed. This book doesn’t waste time on intricate backstories, instead utilizing small drips of information…