Author Appleton

Writing. Fantasy. Sci-fi. Mystery

Backstage Pass!

Paperbacks ready for Signing & Packaging!

by Leave a Comment

My favorite Christmas memories involve unwrapping new books, then lounging on the couch to read while Christmas music played and my family laughed. Christmas is almost here, and the best way I know to celebrate is with a new book!

Among Broken Gods (The Sword of the Dragon series Book 6) already has 5 ratings/reviews on Amazon… and all of them say 5-Stars!

Ready for Signing and to be Packaged for Shipment!

Today my shipment of ABG paperbacks arrived. They look sharp on the shelf😎 Tomorrow, I will be Signing these, and my lovely wife is going to help me package them to ship out to the Kickstarter backers.

God bless you and yours!

Cover reveal! The Sword of the Dragon Series (book 6) Among Broken Gods

by 2 Comments

Today is the cover reveal for the sixth book in The Sword of the Dragon Series. As a reminder, In Search of Dragons will now be book seven in the series. Without further ado, here is the book cover!

As an added bonus for you, here is a free graphic for your computer background and social media. Thank you for being on this journey with me.

Among Broken Gods (The Sword of the Dragon Series book 6)

The Ironwing project!

by 2 Comments

Would you like to give your reaction to a new book cover? My best book ideas have not developed overnight, but over several years. The Sword of the Dragon series was one example, but I have been developing another story world that is equally epic! Ironwing will be the first novel in my steampunk fantasy series.

Here is the cover reveal! What do you think of it? ….As a bonus, here is the story premise:

Industron is a city ostensibly at peace. A few hundred years ago, the High Marshal led humanity in a war to eradicate the last dragons. He used dragons of metal and gears to kill the dragons of flesh and bone, then returned victorious to build Industron into a modern marvel. But the High Marshal has been reclusive of late, and his ministers spread rumors that he has grown insane. His inexplicably long lifespan, and the wealth he has amassed, inspires jealousy among the marshals of other distant cities. His enemies multiply amid his silence, yet some of their bodies are found hung from the high walls of their cities. Is the High Marshal behind the killings, or is someone else manipulating the cities into war?


All books now published! And new distribution announcements

by Leave a Comment

The first four books in The Sword of the Dragon series are now officially available both on Kindle and in Paperback editions! And I am expanding distribution (as promised) to other retailers and platforms.

Now available in Paperback and on Kindle (Amazon.com):
Swords of the Six
Dragon Offspring
Key of Living Fire
The Phantom’s Blade

As of today, Swords of the Six and Dragon Offspring have also been submitted for publication on the international e-reader Kobo. I hope that this reaches new readers and reacquaints some who have lost track of my writing over the years.

Also, I am in the process of setting up distribution for all of the paperback editions. You will soon be able to purchase at any retailer, online or otherwise, and the titles will also be available to your libraries. I will update you when this takes effect.

May God’s blessings be with you all!

Job layoff upside, publishing updates & audiobook preview

by 4 Comments

Despite the craziness resulting from the worldwide spread of COVID-19, this has been a wonderfully productive season for my publishing efforts… and it is going to be extra productive these next couple of weeks! Why? Because my day job has laid me off due to the virus. The doors are closed and I will be home for at least two weeks. What does this mean for my writing, audio, and publishing efforts? An influx of creative time that equals writing and recording heaven for this introvert!

It is time to update you regarding the release of the new edition of Key Of Living Fire, building of my private audio recording studio, recording Swords Of The Six audiobook, and the updated edition of The Phantom’s Blade. Not only that, but having the series all re-released with their matching covers and updated content . . . puts me in position to write the next novels!

The new edition of Key of Living Fire is being published this week. It has been slightly expanded, and of course matches the new covers! Distribution is being set up through Ingram, so you will be able to buy the book anywhere books are sold, whether online or in a brick and mortar like Barnes & Noble. Also, this is being made available on Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo, and others.

The Phantom’s Blade is being released this month as well! There is no real content change to this title, only a redesign to bring it in line with the other books in the series. Like the others, this will become widely available in the next few months, both in print and in ebook formats.

  • HOME RECORDING STUDIO

The other bit of news is no less exciting. After many hours of careful planning and hard work, I have finally built an audio recording booth. It is tucked in the closet in my office, which makes it easy to record away from the busyness of home life. After all, I have five kids from the ages of two to nine. The recording booth allows me to shut out exterior sounds, keeping the audio clear of interference. It is a simple setup. Just a folding chair and a Blue Yeti microphone on the shelf made for it. Of course, you can see that I have a pop filter set up as well. My greatest challenge is keeping my kids out of it when they are supposed to. They think this is the biggest thing since dark chocolate!

While I am on the subject of audio recording, I have the first three chapters of Swords Of The Six recorded. I thought it would be nice to provide you with a sample, so here it is!

“The Beginning of Things” from SWORDS OF THE SIX

What’s next? With the original novels in The Sword of the Dragon series back in circulation, it is time for me to buckle down and write book five, In Search of Dragons. There are a couple of other writing projects I cannot wait to dig into, including the standalone fantasy novel The Dragon’s Eye Diamond . . .. But I am getting ahead of myself and the first project is In Search of Dragons.

Expect updates from me more frequently this month.

Due to my being home for a couple of weeks (maybe longer) I will be applying many extra hours to 1) publishing Key of Living Fire 2) publishing The Phantom’s Blade 3) recording Swords of the Six audiobook, and 4) finally delving fully into writing In Search of Dragons (The Sword of the Dragon book 5).

Q: Which project are you most looking forward to?

I need your input for Swords of the Six special edition

by 15 Comments

As the details come together for the special edition release of Swords of the Six I would highly value some feedback at some options I am looking over! I thought of doing this as a poll, but for some reason I can’t find that function at this time. Yep, my technical know-how just went brain dead. So instead you can just comment with your preferences on these options:

  1. Hardcover or Paperback?
  2. 6 x 9-inches, or 5.5 x 8.5-inches?
  3. Author introduction, or not?
  4. Should I include a glossary of names and places with a pronunciation guide?
  5. Chapter titles, or simple numbering?
  6. Should I incorporate my map drawings (same look and style as in Neverqueen)?
  7. Audiobook: dramatized reading, or read by the author?
  8. Any additional ideas? I’d love to hear them!

Promo materials for Special Editions!

by 5 Comments

I am excited to share with you a glimpse at the promo materials being created for the release of the Special Editions of The Sword of the Dragon series! Easy handouts are invaluable, thus a new business card is in order. Simply a showcasing of what is to come… and “to come” is coming quickly.

Business card face:

new business card reverse

Card reverse:

new business card front

An ultra portable writing device

by Leave a Comment

Having the right tools makes any job a lot easier and more enjoyable. I was reminded of this over the past couple of weeks because I got a new writing machine. It is the ultraportable Microsoft Surface Go and it goes (pun intended) everywhere with me.

Up until now I have lugged my gaming laptop, a Toshiba Qosmio, whenever I want to write away from home. Although it is a fantastic machine, being so heavy and large I cannot easily pull it out and put it away again for short writing sessions. It has suffered more than a few drops as a result of getting left on my bed or being carted around.

Two years’ worth of researching various devices narrowed my choices to the iPad with keyboard, a cheap 11-inch laptop, or the Surface Go with typepad. I settled on the Surface Go because of its premium build and full Windows capability. Full Windows capability is essential because I already own MS Word and I don’t want to pay subscription for Office 365. Also, I prefer working offline.

I’m a bit of a minimalist. I don’t like a complicated setup for writing. The fewer distractions on the device the better.

The impact on my writing of having this portability has been greater than I’d anticipated. In every spare moment that inspiration strikes I am able to set the device up and type immediately. It adjusts easily on my lap, a table, or even in bed. Fantastic! Also, the battery is sufficiently efficient allowing a full day’s use (for my limited purposes) without worrying about looking for a power outlet.

I have been stuck in my writing for a couple of years. Time, I thought, was my great enemy. Truth is, distractions were my greatest obstacle. Legitimate and good distractions. I have never mastered maximizing small bits of time to accomplish large projects, but with this device I have.

Swords of the Six is taking new shape, expanding and becoming a much better novel than I first wrote a decade ago. We learn a lot when we study our craft for years, and I am loving the process of improving the original.

If you are stuck in your creative process, consider what tools you need. I wish I had acquired a Surface Go a couple of years ago.