A monster had been unleashed and he felt it would return soon. 

It’s Monday, Ghosts and Guardians!

For those of you who follow multiple books on Inkshares, this may be just one of many updates in your email. I promise it’s a good one. For those of you who follow only me, thanks for sticking with me. ;-)

This week I want to introduce you to Will, who appears in Chapter 5 "A Wolf in Man’s Clothing". Will is the character that has changed the most since his inception over fifteen years ago. His name and his lycanthropy are the only two constants about him over the years. Initially, he was the plucky comic relief (a la Wash from Firefly) but he has become a somber, spiritually centered young man whose morality is at constant odds with his nature. In one draft, Will served as the "everyman" (despite his werewolf-ness) and to an extant, he still serves in that role here, although he is introduced much later in the story. 

(More trivia: Maninder/Frank was the original "everyman", the first to be introduced. Now he is the last to be introduced, and, arguably, the hardest to empathize with.)

So, let’s get to it. Who is Will?

Man 

Werewolf 

Catholic 

Writer 

Alone 

Quiet 

Novice Chef 

Empathetic 

Diplomatic 

Anxious 

Inhibited 

Gracious 

Forsaken Son 

Adopted Brother 

Noble Friend 

Shepherd of Devotion 

Neutral Good 

Champion 

Salutations Ghosts and Guardians!

My campaign is still going strong with 46 readers, 29 pre-orders, and more comments and recommendations coming in. I have added a short (5-minute) excerpt from Chapter 16 "Afterimage". This is an exchange between Kara and the cold-hearted vampire Monique. I added this chapter last year while editing, and I am very proud of the dialogue and characterization that resulted. Please check it out for a glimpse of the awesomeness of Monique.

This week, I’ve been consuming some great stories. I’m still reading Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson, which I started earlier this year. It’s very good, with a lot of diversity that I love, but I’ve been taking a lot of breaks to read lighter fair. On Inkshares I’ve enjoyed The Last Faoii by Tahani Nelson, The Axiom by Jesse Swinson, Raven and Bone by Allison C Waechter, and The Living God by Kaytalin Platt. Finally, on recommendation, I’ve started the mature television comedy You’re the Worst and I pass on that recommendation to you.

Keep reading! Keep commenting! Keep recommending, sharing, and tweeting! I’ll see you on the other side!

Ryan

Hey all!

I swear I’m not trying to flood your email with updates, but I wanted to welcome my new readers and ask both new and old to keep spreading the word about A Tale of Ghosts and Guardians. Please let those in your networks know what you like about the story, not just what you like about me. :-)

I came up with some taglines that I think are quirky and fun. Hopefully they will pique some interest. Feel free to use them or come up with some of your own.

What if Casper the Friendly Ghost dreamed of being Marshal Dillon?  

What if Imhotep was a former jock with survivor’s guilt? 

What if Hermione Granger was a chain-smoking fashionista with a gambling debt? 

What if the Wolf Man was a devout Catholic teenager hiding from society? 

What if the Living Dead devoured comic books and binged on television? 

What if Dracula was a half-Arab, half-French party girl with attachment issues? 

What if Frankenstein’s monster studied to become a doctor and practiced Hinduism?

And if you like the classic Hollywood monsters theme, you can always go with Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man and the Mummy and Dracula and the Living Dead and the Ghost and the Witch

Keep reading! Keep commenting! Keep recommending!

And thank you! Thank you! Thank you! 

Good Monday Morning!

It’s Labor Day here in America, and I am planning to get some reading done before I go back to work tomorrow. I finished the sample chapters of The Slave Prince by Jeyna Grace and recommend you check them out, too.

Also, check out Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 of A Tale of Ghosts and Guardians which introduce Beth Winter and her multitude of abilities and problems.

Beth has been one of the harder characters for me to pin down. I could never fully decide if she was cynical or insecure, sarcastic or quick-witted, unmotivated or easily satisfied. I have spent a lot of time with her and she is the character I’ve enjoyed watching grow the most. I hope you do too.

Who is Beth Winter?

Woman 

Witch 

Gambler 

Bold 

Cheat 

Rum and Coke Connoisseur 

Guitar Dabbler 

Insecure Fashionista 

Renter 

Slacker 

Witty 

Clever 

Resentful Daughter 

Absentminded Sister 

Incredulous Friend 

Reluctant Student 

Summoner of Audacity 

Chaotic Neutral 

Hero

Any witch worth her weight in charms should be able to perform a spell without the use of words, and you, despite your size, have no charm.

Chapter 3 introduces Beth Winter and her smoking, drinking, gambling, magical pursuits. In this chapter and Chapter 4, Beth faces two adversaries who can only be defeated with charm, and as the quote suggests, it proves a challenge.

Her first adversary is Patrick Jacobs, a man with so much power and knowledge, he only shows Beth a tiny portion when they meet. I imagine Patrick as an older, debonair gentleman, much like John Slattery.

Then Beth is brought to a meeting with Deirdre Hansard, a woman with a different style of power. She has great influence over society and public perception. Deirdre is younger than Patrick and has an energetic elegance about her. Jasika Nicole is who I picture when I write Deirdre. 

Check out those chapters and let me know what you think!

It feels good to be working hard. All other problems seem to disappear.

In the past few days I have been reaching out to more people individually, and seen my preorders go up as a result. It’s a chore, but damn if it isn’t invigorating. I’ve also been increasing my use of Twitter (@cookerlives) and Tumblr (cooker lives.tumblr.com).

Last night I cranked out about 10 query emails to literary agents. I am not giving up on my Inkshares campaign, but I refuse to ignore a perfectly good avenue. For my writing followers, if you don’t frequent the Literary Agent blog at Writer’s Digest, I suggest you make it over there at least once a week. Two recent posts contained lists of nearly 20 unique agents looking for fantasy and science fiction. Those lists are why I was able to send out so many queries. 

As always, please let me know you are out there by commenting on and recommending A Tale of Ghosts and Guardians.

When A Tale of Ghosts and Guardians begins, Hardy plays the steadfast hero. But when he faces monsters and certain death every day, how long can stay on the right path?

Greetings all!

I hope your weekend is going well. I have chosen to spend the weekends of my pre-order campaign seeking out other writers and their books and offering them my support. A little bit of good karma always helps.

This morning I pre ordered Witherfist by J. Graham Jones, an epic fantasy of empires, magic, dragons, and demons. It has excellent world-building, and the voices are enchanting.

This afternoon I caught up on Fae Child by Jane-Holly Meissner and got hooked by Chapter 3. It begins as a story of a young girl who travels to another world much like Lucy Pevensie or Alice, but Chapter 3 opens a whole new arena.

Since you have already given me your support, please consider giving them a pre-order, recommendation, and follow. And, by all means, let me know what you’ve been reading so I can check it out too!

- Ryan

20 Pre-Orders, 30 Followers, and 3 Recommendations is a cause for celebration! I want to thank you, thank you, thank you all for your support, and for getting the word out about my campaign.

It is Friday, so it’s a good time to remind you that I have posted 5 chapters on my campaign page. If you haven’t read any of the samples or need to catch up, this weekend would be a great time. Each chapter only takes about 10 minutes. Your comments and recommendations would be supremely helpful.

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Value (and Danger) of Comments

NPR recently closed down the comment option for its online news articles, due to the cannibalistic cesspool that all comment sections inevitably become. “Don’t Read the Comments” is the unofficial Golden Rule of the Internet. 

But comments are not all bad. There is a tipping-point to be sure, but before that point, comments are, in fact, the sweetest currency on the internet...