Honor’s Price (Fury of a Rising Dragon, book two) blurb and cover reveal

It’s that time! Here’s the cover and blurb reveal for Honor’s Price (Fury of a Rising Dragon, book two). (Launch is on schedule for the end of the month).
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When a cunning enemy enslaves the kingdom, a famed warlock-knight must survive a gauntlet of perils to save his people.

Augum Stone is only sixteen and already a legend. He heard his name chanted in the arena by tens of thousands. He vanquished a notorious tyrant and ended a war. And he revived a warlock-knight order that lay dormant for generations.

But these feats came with a price—he needs combat to feel alive, to test his limits.

As Augum struggles with restraint, a callous enemy kingdom enslaves his people. And that enemy wants more than mere control—they’re searching for an ancient weapon with which to conquer Sithesia.

Now, with the future of all the kingdoms at stake, Augum and his friends must cobble together lost historical clues to find the weapon before the enemy does. Standing in the way is a manipulative prince, a traitorous nobility, a vengeful rival . . . and Augum’s own reckless nature.

* * *

Are you as excited as I am? The book is undergoing formatting as we speak, and we’re still looking at a late September launch. You’ll hear from me again soon!

—Sever

P.S. I just sent out an email to all my subscribers which includes the first chapter (those of you with Gmail accounts may want to check your “Promotions” tab–and drag and drop them into your regular email tab, as sometimes emails get lost in the shuffle like that).

Coming December 1st . . .

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Burden’s Edge (Fury of a Rising Dragon, book 1)

When a young man chooses a forbidden calling, he must prove his worth … or watch his kingdom fall.

Sixteen-year-old Augum Stone is a warlock prodigy suffocating under the weight of expectations. Students idolize him. Nobles plot to exploit him. Commoners think he’s a miracle-maker. And with invasion looming, his already war-weakened kingdom expects him to be its champion.

But Augum doesn’t want to be a pawn in someone else’s game. He’ll forge his own path: that of the Arcaner—not a warlock or a knight, but a lethal combination of both. Legend says Arcaners once had the power to summon dragons. If true, it could change everything.

Resurrecting the Arcaner path comes with consequences, however. Scandal. Malice. Treachery. And a harrowing test of character.

He must survive.
He must prove he’s worthy of an ancient path.
And he must save the kingdom . . . before it’s too late.

* * *

Burden’s Edge (Fury of a Rising Dragon, book 1)
Honor’s price (Fury of a Rising Dragon, book 2)
Champion’s Wrath (Fury of a Rising Dragon, book 3)

* * *

Are you as excited as I am? At long last, the first installment in the trio’s next grand adventure is nearly upon us. We only have a few weeks to go. The book is 145,000 words long, which is one and a half times longer than Arcane. Expect it to launch December 1st.

I can’t wait for you to read Augum, Bridget and Leera’s next saga!

— Sever Bronny, author of The Arinthian Line.
P.S. Subscribe to my newsletter to get a notice of release.

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First draft of Burden’s Edge is complete. Here’s what my floor looks like strewn with notes for book 2.

So I finished the first draft of book 1, Burden’s Edge, from the as-yet upcoming unnamed trilogy that follows our trio’s exploits after The Arinthian Line. It clocked in at around 156,000 words (for comparison, Arcane was 98,000 or so). I’m not going to spoil the plot as it might still change in editing, not to mention I have to write a blurb for it anyhow.

In the meantime, here’s what my floor looks like in preparation for book 2 (untitled). In the upper right-hand corner is a fresh batch of tea; in the lower-right the cat, Buddha. On the small table is a slew of index cards of active characters in Burden’s Edge. These aren’t all my notes; there’s still all those manila folders-worth of plot notes I have factor in. It’s a bit of a process, but it works for me. Anyway, if you were ever wondering what my plotting structure looks like, well, here you are:

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Thank you for your patience; expect Burden’s Edge to come out late this year. And thank you so much for your amazing support of my work, and all of your beautiful letters. The Arinthian Line series has done well enough to allow me to do this full-time for nearly two years now. I only wish I was a faster writer, so that you would not have to wait as long. Though I suppose it could be worse (think of George RR Martin!).

With love,

-Sever

EDIT FOLLOW-UP:

This is what it looks like after an afternoon figuring everything out and putting all notes in the right place. This is how book 2 starts, essentially. (That open binder is full of old notes that have been archived). Note the pile of crumpled notes beside it. Having a glass of wine to celebrate finishing book 1. (Spoiler sheets have been left off photo).

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Title of book one of coming trilogy announced

Short but exciting update: the first draft of book one in the coming new series is almost complete, and it’s name is BURDEN’S EDGE.

It’s about Augum, Bridget and Leera dealing with the responsibilities of going to the Academy of Arcane Arts while navigating royal intrigues.

Unfortunately, that’s all I can say at the moment

The series title will not be announced for some time still and is expected to be a trilogy. Projected release date for book one is late this year.

In unrelated news, here’s a shot of me celebrating Clash’s admittance to the local library, which happened last Thursday.

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Lastly, I just wanted to thank my Advance Reader Team for taking the time to read and review the books prior to launch. Thank you a thousand times over :)

Hope you’re all well :)

Sever

My new (less formal) author biography

Thought I’d change it up and relax the formality of my official bio. It kind of gives a bit more insight behind why The Arinthian Line is the way it is:

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ABOUT SEVER BRONNY*

I’m a full time author living in Victoria, British Columbia. I grew up on Dragonlance and probably spent way too much time playing video and role-playing games (particularly Rifts and AD&D). My favorite sagas are Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Game of Thrones. Much of my youth was spent exploring dungeons. Now my cat likes to keep watch from a customized Lego castle near my desk.

I love to bike camp with my amazing wife, who is my biggest supporter. I play tennis, leisure chess, and once wanted to become a pilot. When I was a kid, I dreamed I could jump off the ground and fly. My head was in the clouds, and in some ways, still is.

The Arinthian Line is my first series, currently consisting of ARCANE, RIVEN, and VALOR. It was inspired by my youthful adventures spent as a boy scout. I am very fortunate in that each of the books hit #1 on Amazon in the Fantasy Coming of Age genre at one time or other. I enjoy talking to my readers very much, so email me anytime at severbronny@gmail.com

Subscribe to my newsletter to receive a notification of release of the next book in the series at http://eepurl.com/HIxzX

I only email 1-2 times a month, so you don’t have to worry about useless spam clogging your inbox.

Oh, I was also a musician at one time, having released three albums with my industrial-rock music project Tribal Machine, including the full-length concept album The Orwellian Night. One of my songs can be heard in the feature-length film The Gene Generation.

I know how lucky I am to be a full time author. I am grateful for it every day.

* — Meh, ended up tinkling with it a bit more. Latest version in the margin.

VALOR (The Arinthian Line, Book 3) released!

Fantasy book cover valor arinthian line high young adult best selling series epic warlock witch wizard augum bridget leera book 3 three third magic, adventure, quest, castles, wizards, coming of age, saga series story about like apprentice sword and sorcery warlocks witches action knights kingdom legend myth thriller tale hero mystery love youth dragon teen teenage villain lord kids telekinesis fun twelve thirteen fourteen year old fifteen childrens boys aged ages novel paperback genre kingdom third three aged ages to 11 12 13 14 15 16 Fantasy book cover valor arinthian line high young adult best selling series epic warlock witch wizard augum bridget leera book 3 three third magic, adventure, quest, castles, wizards, coming of age, saga series story about like apprentice sword and sorcery warlocks witches action knights kingdom legend myth thriller tale hero mystery love youth dragon teen teenage villain lord kids telekinesis fun twelve thirteen fourteen year old fifteen childrens boys aged ages novel paperback genre kingdom third three aged ages to 11 12 13 14 15 16 Fantasy book cover valor arinthian line high young adult best selling series epic warlock witch wizard augum bridget leera book 3 three third magic, adventure, quest, castles, wizards, coming of age, saga series story about like apprentice sword and sorcery warlocks witches action knights kingdom legend myth thriller tale hero mystery love youth dragon teen teenage villain lord kids telekinesis fun twelve thirteen fourteen year old fifteen childrens boys aged ages novel paperback genre kingdom third three aged ages to 11 12 13 14 15 16 Fantasy book cover valor arinthian line high young adult best selling series epic warlock witch wizard augum bridget leera book 3 three third magic, adventure, quest, castles, wizards, coming of age, saga series story about like apprentice sword and sorcery warlocks witches action knights kingdom legend myth thriller tale hero mystery love youth dragon teen teenage villain lord kids telekinesis fun twelve thirteen fourteen year old fifteen childrens boys aged ages novel paperback genre kingdom third three aged ages to 11 12 13 14 15 16

Apprentice warlocks Augum, Bridget and Leera have reunited with their legendary mentor, Anna Atticus Stone. But her epic battle with the diabolical Lord of the Legion has taken a toll, and now she suffers from a deadly arcane fever. To revive her, Augum will have to earn the respect of a warrior people … by facing his childhood tormentors.

Meanwhile, Augum and Leera’s feelings for each other are complicated by the upcoming Star Feast, a magical midnight dance to mark Endyear. Their revelry will have to be short-lived, however, for a perilous quest beckons—the trio must infiltrate an ancient castle that will pit them against enemies old and new, while testing every ounce of their skill and courage

KINDLE    |   PAPERBACK

Thank you all so much for your patience and support. If you’re a fan of the series, consider sharing this post on Facebook / Twitter / other social media. Thank you so much :)

All my best,

Sever

Sneak peek ;)

Coming soon …

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The Arinthian Line Book 3 (title TBA)

Title: To be announced, (The Arinthian Line, Book 3)
Cover and blurb reveal date: To be announced (subscribe to get a notice of release as well as a 24 hour window to purchase book 3 at a steep discount)
Release date: To be announced

Arcane (The Arinthian Line, Book 1)
Riven (The Arinthian Line, Book 2)

Author’s thoughts: Who releases a book with a winter cover in the middle of summer? I know, crazy, but I figure you’d want it sooner than later. This one is packed with adventure; Augum, Bridget and Leera are tested unlike ever before. I’m ultra excited, and I really can’t wait to get it to you. Not long to wait now!

Thank you to each and every single one of you for your amazing support. It means so much to me :)

All my best to you and those you love,

– Sever
Want to get involved? Join my Advance Review team

Three quick notes regarding Riven (The Arinthian Line, book 2)

1) First off, thank you to everyone who bought Arcane (The Arinthian Line, book 1), it’s done extremely well, better than I ever hoped, and continues to be a top 10 Amazon bestseller in its fantasy genre.

2) I’m accepting applications to my Advance Review Team, details here. Spots are limited, but if you get in, there’s some cool bonuses (read the new releases before everyone else does, get them for free, even score some limited edition, personalized swag).

3) Riven (The Arinthian Line, book 2) is scheduled to be released sometime at the end of this month, but only subscribers to my mailing list will get the 24 hour “soft launch” window, when the book will be 99 cents. You can subscribe here.

The Arinthian Line fantasy series book one cover reveal! #fantasy #rpg

At long last, after over three years of work, I can reveal the cover to Arcane: The Arinthian Line, book 1.

Arcane cover. The Arinthian Line series, book 1. Fantasy adventure.
Arcane print book cover. The Arinthian Line Series, book 1.

Warlocks before their time…

Fourteen-year-old Augum and friends Bridget and Leera dream of becoming warlocks. But with a kingdom in total chaos, it will take courage, sacrifice, and an iron will to make that dream come true.

The Lord of the Legion, a vicious tyrant, has overthrown the king in a relentless and murderous quest for seven mythic artifacts—and Augum’s mentor, the legendary Anna Atticus Stone, possesses one. While Augum struggles with demons from a painful childhood, a betrayal puts him, his friends, and his mentor through a harrowing ordeal that threatens to destroy them all … and change the course of history.

Arcane, the debut novel in the fantasy adventure series The Arinthian Line, follows three friends as they navigate an ancient abandoned castle, endure grueling training, challenge old mysteries, and learn that a bond forged in tragedy might just be the only thing to save them from a ruthless enemy.

97,000 words. Approximately 275  pages on electronic media, 409 on print.

The book will be released sometime this month. To receive an email of release and how to get yourself a copy, sign up here.

If you would like a free pre-release advanced copy in exchange for a fair review, email me at severbronny[insert at symbol here]gmail.com

Thank you kindly for your support, your advice, your friendship.

With warm regards,

Sever

On Becoming a Self-published Author from Scratch — Goals and Checklists

Greetings!

This is my first blog post for an entirely new endeavour: becoming an author. I’m starting completely fresh, though some of you may already know me from my other project, Tribal Machine. So allow me to introduce myself with a …

SUPER BRIEF HISTORY

For many years I pursued music as my only career. It surpassed all my expectations — I made the record of my dreams, “mastered” by the best in the world; I had my music placed in a full-length feature film (The Gene Generation); I independently (and laboriously) accumulated half a million plays on Myspace; I went on live radio; I had my ego stroked and destroyed numerous times; I had mind-blowing moments on stage (as well as some horribly embarrassing ones); I met and recorded with some amazing people, and I got to play on the road.

Except I lost all interest in touring, which is a minor complication if you want to have a successful band in the digital age. But it doesn’t matter — eventually I’ll take up music again. I’ve just been doing it for so long (and life is really short) I want to pursue some other dreams of mine — like writing.

Even while I was making music, I knew that one brave day I was going to write. That day came three years ago, though I’ve kept very quiet about it — only a few people knew I was writing, even fewer that I was writing fantasy. I’ve written three books in a series, the first spanning 100,000 words, the second close to 200,000, and the third as yet undetermined (still editing). For reference, the first Harry Potter book, The Philosopher’s Stone, is 76,944.

About ten years ago, I began writing a dream novel. I was about 20,000 words in when the computer crashed, garbling my beloved manuscript (my preciousssssss).
I was crushed, though I learned a harsh lesson: always backup your data. It wasn’t a total loss, however — that idea went on to become The Orwellian Night, a full length industrial-rock concept album.

NEW BEGINNINGS

It’s absolutely terrifying and exciting to impart on another new adventure, especially one that, when muttered in private company, draws knowing nods or skeptical looks (or the infamous “Look over there!” distraction escape method). Even the words “self-publishing” have an arrogant flair to them, as if the wannabe author dares to presume himself worthy of joining a most prestigious and elite club.

That said, there are plenty of authors nowadays that choose the self-publishing route over the traditional one (here are six stories of success — but there are many more). There are also a great number of guides and message boards dedicated to the subject. Generally, the community of self-published authors is open and giving, sharing their numbers, successes and failures. I hope to continue that fine tradition.

So, what’s going to be the focus of this blog? Simply put, I’m going to share my exploits in self-publishing from the perspective of a learn-as-I-go newbie.

All right, I’m not a total “noob”. Prior to this blog post, I’ve read numerous books on how to self-publish, edit, etc. The one I’m currently reading is David Gaughran’s Let’s Get DigitalI’ve also done a lot of forum reading. Nonetheless, I haven’t actually put any of this knowledge into practice.

So let us begin with …

THE PLAN

– Self-publish multiple fantasy books in series (3-7 books or more per series)
– Learn
– Interact, share, blog about the process
– Write a lot
– Learn some more.

DESIRED OUTCOME

– A dual career in writing / music (though at this time, I am strictly concentrating on authorship).

LONG TERM GOAL FROM WRITING

– Earn at least $1000 a month through writing

WRITING SUCCESSES

Finished two books already, third nearing completion.
Best average: 5000 words a day.
Best day: 9000 words.
Best month: wrote 100,000 words.

THE SELF-PUBLISHING RELEASE CHECKLIST
Please visit HERE for a frequently updated version of this list

– Finish a book (done: finished three)
– Edit at least three rounds per book (done: 8 / 4 / 2 respectively)
– Domain registration (done)
– WordPress blog (done)
– Twitter account setup & sync (done)
– Mailchimp setup & sync for both Tribal Machine and Sever Bronny (done)
– Register blog with google (done by default)
– Read 20 recommended books on publishing and self-publishing (done)
– Discover 50 great bloggers
– Establish a regular blog schedule and number of blogs / month
– Print custom new business cards with book info
– Announce release date (shooting for sometime in December for book 1; books 2 and 3 every two months thereafter)
– Final beta read
– Final read through
– Final professional edit book 1
– Final professional edit book 2
– Final professional edit book 3
– Officially name series
– Officially name book 1
– Officially name book 2
– Officially name book 3
– Blurb
– Start an indie publishing company
– Hire cover designer
– Format for publication
– Smashwords registration
– Amazon registration
– Create Author Central account
– Create Goodreads account and link blog
– Pricing strategy
– EVENT: blog posting announcing release
– EVENT: Release party (optional)
– Update blog widget sidebar with all relevant info about book (cover, price, retailers, etc)
– Social media pre-release (see marketing campaign)
– Link to first chapter(s)
– Update links to book in all forum avatars
– RELEASE FIRST BOOK IN SERIES
– Implement Marketing plan
– Establish 75% / 25% writing to marketing ratio after first release
– Write at least 2000 words per day post release of first book
– Develop a deeper understanding of the blogosphere
– Blog tour
– Release book two in series
– Release book three in series
– Write and release 2-4 books per year
– Learn how to conduct a successful independent marketing campaign
– Respectfully solicit reviews on Amazon

Phew — that was tough to assemble. Anyway, the above checklist is ongoing and will be available in the “Checklist” link above. It will be updated as I go.

Now I realize I have zero subscribers on this thing (it is, after all, only day 1), but should you, dear reader, come across this post at some unknown pre-apocalyptic future date, I’d love to read about your goals and checklists :D

Also, for anyone interested in my fantasy-adventure series, you can subscribe to get an email of release here (I will only email when I have a release – no damn spam!).