Cover reveal: Daniel and the Sun Sword

AuthorAppleton on May 30, 2015

Introducing debut novels is a great pleasure when I know that the novelists share my passion for great fiction and for the Lord. Nathan Lumbatis hired me a couple years back to do an editorial review of his manuscript and he’s been working hard on it ever since! The story stood out to me for its uniqueness as it pits young protagonists against Peruvian ‘gods.’

Daniel and the Sun Sword CoverThirteen-year-old Daniel is about to be adopted. But when he learns his new family wants him as a slave, he runs away with the help of his new neighbors, the naïve and cowardly Ben, and Raylin, a mysterious girl with a shady past. He begins to second-guess his decision, however, when the cave they hide in transports them to the ruins of Machu Picchu, where they find themselves embroiled in a battle between ancient gods of Life and Death. To top things off, the God of Life draws Daniel into the fray by adopting him as his son and setting him on a quest to complete a broken, mystical sword, a task that will pit him against the god of the underworld.

Now, Daniel and his friends have just one weekend to find the shards before a hoard of supernatural enemies catch up. But that’s not all they face. A trap has been set that even Daniel wouldn’t expect, and he just took the bait. Will the power of his Heavenly Father be enough to save them?

Daniel and the Sun Sword will be published by Ellechor Media in JULY 2015.

Nathan Lumbatis

Nathan Lumbatis grew up in the woods of Alabama, where he spent his time exploring, hiking, and dreaming up stories. Now, as a child/adolescent therapist and author, he’s teaching kids and teens how to redeem their stories using Biblical principles. He counsels at Dothan Behavioral Medicine Clinic and is a member of First Presbyterian Church. He still lives in Alabama, where you will find him with his wife and three kids every chance he gets.

Be sure to check out Nathan Lumbatis on his Website!

The Ghost of A. Chantz and Clever fiction titles

AuthorAppleton on May 25, 2015

If you have read Key of Living Fire you will not be surprised that I enjoy spooky stories. One such story comes from none other than The Dick Van Dyke Show.

I love watching old television shows with my wife and kids. I’m a bit of a return-to-the-old-ways kind of guy. The Andy Griffith Show, Leave it to Beaver, I Love Lucy, and also The Dick Van Dyke Show. These shows are timeless, bringing us back to a simpler time when traditional family values were still pre-eminent in America. There is a lot to be learned on an artistic level by studying these episodes.

This week I wanted to do something different for you. I am going to recommend you watch a particular episode of Dick Van Dyke. If you don’t have the DVDs you can find it on Netflix. If you have already watched this episode please share what you thought of it

This episode was pure genius, showcasing one of the cast’s best performances. The title alone is such a clever play on words. When I am writing I often find the titles of chapters and of the book… come slow. When I see creative titles I study them in order to understand the process so that I can, hopefully, replicate that success in my own work. I want my readers to experience the same curiosity good titles have brought to me.

Dick Van Dyke: season 4 episode 2 “The Ghost of A. Chantz”

Question: What did you think of “The Ghost of A. Chantz”? (-:

A good first draft?

AuthorAppleton on May 18, 2015

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard an editor, a writer, or an agent make this absolute statement: “There is no such thing as a good first draft!” While I understand the point they are trying to make, I disagree with this all-inclusive judgment on all manuscripts we writers write.

When I wrote my first novel Swords of the Six it was far different from the final draft. I wrote the first draft, polished it, sent it to my editor, chopped it in two and rewrote large sections, etc. The process was long and arduous. By the time I was done I had no desire to touch a page of it again. Then, when I wrote my second novel I worked only a few drafts before sending it to my editor.

But when I wrote Key of Living Fire it was my first draft. Ignoring the don’t-send-your-first-draft rule-of-thumb I sent in the manuscript. The edits that came back were simple, occupying a mere couple pages.

What made the difference? I did not rush the writing of that manuscript. I let my creative flow lead me. If an element of the story did not move me emotionally I did not write it. If a plot element did not fire my imagination I paused to consider how to exchange that idea for another. Also, when it came to basic elements such as grammar I did not ignore a correction.

Hammering out the first draft quickly can sound appealing. But writers are artists, stories are the masterpieces. Think of it like a painting and get those brush strokes right the first time! In practice this is not always possible. Often your first draft will not be your last. But by aiming for quality over quantity we improve our first efforts. Do not underestimate what you can create with your first draft.

Question: What do you think of a writer’s first draft?

Finishing The Phantom’s Blade (in the midst of my busy life)

AuthorAppleton on May 11, 2015

For the past two years my readers have been asking, “When is the next book in The Sword of the Dragon series coming out?” This fourth installment is titled The Phantom’s Blade.

This writing project has been my most difficult yet. Why? Because I am juggling family, a full-time day job, and writing projects. This hasn’t been easy but at last I have found a “schedule” that is allowing me to get The Phantom’s Blade completed.

I work during the day, return home, and my kids are going to bed about 8 o’clock. Most nights I don’t get home until after 8 if not 9. I tried getting onto a morning schedule but so far without success. The challenge of that is that the kids can often get up in the middle of the night, so my level of energy and motivation in the morning varies greatly.

Up until I was seventeen I spent most nights stargazing with my telescopes (I’ve always loved astronomy). Often I stayed up until 3 or even 4 in the morning. The night hours have, ever since, remained my most productive time.

The Phantom’s Blade is passed 77,000-words now. I have been writing it late at night. Coffee has been the ticket to getting me passed midnight at which time my brain usually gets a second creative wind. The story has turned out really well. Many characters that readers of Swords of the Six, Offspring, and Key of Living Fire will recognize return for further development. I anticipate this book finishing at 90,000-words…

Expect The Phantom’s Blade to be available in paperback this Fall 2015.

How my dad inspired my fascination with trees in fantasy

AuthorAppleton on May 4, 2015

My dad is a talented artist. I remember when I was a kid (we were homeschooled) my mother did not have the artistic leaning, so my dad told us he was going to draw an apple. When he said “draw” he meant create a piece of art. The apple seemed to “grow” off the paper.

My dad did another thing I found fascinating. He showed me how to draw trees. The way he drew them he would “grow” the tree, starting with the trunk, designing branches that shot off of it. Maybe I just don’t remember but it seems to me he never added the leaves unless it was a panoramic sketch.

For an unknown reason trees have always fascinated me. Perhaps it is their strength and their fortitude in a storm . . .. A better explanation might be that my dad brought them to life for me in a magical way.

I am not a great artist. My sketches are simple. Maps I can do but other things take me hours to accomplish. Yet, I do know how to write.

Through fantasy stories I bring trees to life in much the way my dad did on paper. In Key of Living Fire I had the opportunity to introduce a living tree. Ancient and deep in shadow, this is a carnivorous tree, full of evil intent. It works with its benefactor, this crazy woods guide.

If trees were alive? Is it a question? Not to me. My dad brought them to life on paper, and now I bring them to life in my novels. This is just one more reason to love what I do.

Question: What things do you like to see ‘brought to life’ in Fantasy?