Author Appleton

Writing. Fantasy. Sci-fi. Mystery

fiction

Neverqueen 2 now available on Kindle! & coming in Paperback!

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The wizard wanted a male heir, but when he saw that the boy born to him was malformed he determined to kill him.

Finally Neverqueen2 is at your fingertips! Available now on Kindle and I cannot wait for you to get into this story:

Born into a life of cruelty, Valor could easily have fallen into his father’s darkness. Instead he set out to undo the wizard’s madness by covering those around him with the Creator’s compassion and light.

The prophets are at work in the shadows, bringing forward the Neverqueen as the next prophetess whose reign will bring hope to the people of Paradon, and to her own people by the Eiderveis River. Her mysterious interactions and judgements will settle a caution and a terror in the hearts of the sorcerers and others who ignore her warnings.

Neverqueen2 on Kindle

Tomorrow I will be reviewing the first Print proof of Neverqueen2. As long as it checks out well, it will be released immediately in Paperback! Enjoy! Follow this link to find it on Amazon.

 

 

Official release date for Neverqueen2!

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You have been impatiently awaiting news on Neverqueen2. That’s understandable; I have not released a new fantasy novel since 2015! I know what you’re thinking, and yes, that’s shameful. I have, now, the official release date for Neverqueen2!

Coming in paperback and on your Kindle reader, Neverqueen2 will be available Friday November 3rd 2017. This book is finally drafted in its entirety, all that remains is to complete the editorial phases.

Teaser:

The wild forests west of the Eiderveis River harbor more mysteries than mankind knew. In the City of Paradon the highwaymen hold unconditional authority and wield it mercilessly. Only one young man, a cripple from birth, can bridge the dark present to the evil past. When finally the Neverqueen arises the Warden will be challenged.

Neverqueen (book 2) The Suffering Chalice will continue the story as begun in Neverqueen (book 1). This series directly relates to the primary series, The Sword of the Dragon, and is targeted to Young Adult and Adult readers.

In preparation for this book’s release I will be making author appearances, this Fall, at schools and other venues primarily in South Carolina. Event schedule will be released when available. If your school or other venue would like to host an event, please contact me via email: spappleton@gmail.com

Q: If you would like to help make readers aware of this book’s release, please let me know!

Destructive effects of feminism on fiction

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In the worldview of those who agree that God created a natural order of things, we understand that Adam was created first and then Eve. In the world today this is constantly challenged on many levels. From the patriarch Abraham and continuing through the New Testament it was made clear that God’s intention was that a healthy understanding of the place of the man and the place of the woman was key to the success spiritually and relationally. Looking at the move toward stories that are dominated by domineering fictional women, we see a trend and a movement away from the natural order.

This may offend some, and you should feel free to disagree. It is fun to hash out our differences of opinion. But I am a big proponent of understanding things as they were originally intended, not as we culturally want them to be. And our culture is pushing things farther and farther away from how God designed it to work.

Feminism, by definition, is: the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes.

I have often heard it argued by other Christians that men and women really are equal. But in order to believe that you have to discredit the tradition as taught by the apostles, that the man is the head of the wife and she is to be obedient to him. You must ignore Levitical law that placed men in preeminence in society and in their households. You must ignore the natural physical dominance of men. And you must discredit the fact that families where the man leads, the wife follows, and the children are in subjection, where the man is trying to lead in the Lord’s will, is the most effective kind of household there is. They are more effective at work, at play, and spiritually more satisfied because they feel secure in the order of authority God placed on the household.

When women seek equality with men (as is being proliferated throughout much of the world today) they remove themselves from their strength zone. Women are naturally more nurturing than men. The most nurturing of men is not nearly so nurturing as the most nurturing of the women. According to scripture they are the weaker vessel. Unfortunately present society instructs us that this is a horrible way to think.

They are spreading lies, and the result is confusion. Spiritual and moral confusion, as well as relational confusion.

How sad that that which is most precious and beautiful is being cast into the mud!

What is beautiful is a woman who is meek, who is a help suitable to her husband. Who is a daughter working diligently and learning under her father’s authority. Who is not independent but is dependent on her male authorities and on God.

It is well said that a man’s sinful tendencies revolve around giving up the authority God wishes him to exercise in his home. It is equally well pointed out that a woman’s sinful inclination is to manipulate that control from the man. To each gender God has given great and unique purpose. And each must beware their weakness.

Fiction writers today, especially those of us who profess Christ, must beware that our writing does not encourage feminism. Through the tale of  a strong heroine do not neglect to demonstrate virtue to the reader. When the heroine is in a position to surmount the man’s authority, let her do so only if his actions are in opposition to God’s. Demonstrate her humility as she puts herself under authority and excels in virtue so that young women will aspire to be more like that heroine. Show a woman that is kind and nurturing, wise and discreet. Make her unlike the modern woman. Show that she thrives on hard work, and show that she loves children.

I truly believe that the corruption of womanhood that we are witnessing in society will be laid bare, exposed for the farce that it is. Rather than freeing women, feminism alienates them from good responsible men and from their God-given strengths.

History shows that societies rise and fall, they change and move on. What never changes is the will of God. He created gender for a reason.

Q: What thoughts do you have on how feminism or the view of the relationships of men and women relate to writing?

“The Undervalued Gift of Laughter” by Paul Regnier (GUEST POST)

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Hi readers! This month Christian author Paul Regnier asked me to review Space Drifters: The Emerald Enigma, and he agreed to write this month’s article “The Undervalued Gift of Laughter.”
Mash together (in novel form) the Guardians of the Galaxy, a little Indiana Jones, and Disney’s The Black Hole and you’ll have an idea how The Emerald Enigma comes off. Paul Regnier surprised me with this book. I do not normally go for the humorous sort of space opera but he really pulled it off. I found myself laughing aloud on several occasions. The characters are predictable but not in an off-putting way because they are fully fleshed-out, having each their own unique charm. You will love his book.
–Scott Appleton

The Undervalued Gift of Laughter
by Paul Regnier

Don’t we all take ourselves too seriously sometimes? One of my goals as a writer is to bring more humor to stories.

There are certainly times to have serious and dramatic moments in writing and treat spiritual messages with the reverence due the subject matter but I think humor is sometimes neglected. Comedy is often viewed as “light” or “fluff” in stories as if it’s just some throwaway, cheap thrill like candy. I firmly disagree. I think humor can be just as impactful as serious drama.

I know that in my life, humor and laughter have been a huge help in going through tough times. In my darkest of days the value of humor cannot be overstated. Laughter is one of the natural healing tools God has blessed us with.

Proverbs 17:22 “A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.”

A quick web search will reveal a myriad of health benefits associated with laughter:
-Aids the healing process
-Reduces stress
-Promotes relaxation
-Boosts the immune system
-Produces pain relieving endorphins in the body

“A clown is like an aspirin, only he works twice as fast.” –Groucho Marx

When I get together with friends, laughter is always a part of our interaction. It bonds people together. It eases tension and helps to overcome the stress and worry of life. Plus, it’s a natural way to celebrate the joy of what God has given us.

Psalm 126: 1-2 “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’”

I view humor and laughter as tremendous gifts from God. When I incorporate them into stories, my hope is that the reader will be lifted up and encouraged the same way God’s gift of humor continues to do so for me.

You can find Paul Regnier on facebook

Find The Emerald Enigma on Amazon

Dealing with immorality when writing fiction

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During contract negotiations some years ago my fantasy novel Swords of the Six went before a Christian publishing house’s committee and a couple of editors raised objection with the violence in the story. I remember the acquisitions editor asked for a good response to their concerns. Back then I felt in my soul what I wanted to say, but it was difficult to put it into words. Fortunately another editor had foreseen this and I was able to satisfy their questions by showing them why I believed violence was a necessary element in that novel.

In my books and my short fiction I deal with tough subjects, darker themes. Being a Christian empowers the clarity of good versus evil, yet it presents its own set of challenges when well-meaning parents or readers object to elements of my stories’ content. Violence and romance are a couple of examples.

As a guideline I like to look at what God left us: the Bible. And what is the Bible full of? Along with good deeds it is full of violence, theft, incest, rape, murder, and all kinds of wickedness. But what the Scripture does not do is glorify the sin or the sinner.

Some have argued that those sins are shown only because they are part of history, but it’s important to note that these things are not glossed over. Rather, they are often told in great detail. As to historical context, a simple summary of an evil act or an act of violence would suffice but instead we are often given the details.

A prime example is Ehud who slew King Eglon (Judges 3:12-30). Some would consider the details of Eglon’s death gross and gratuitous. Who wants to picture stabbing someone who was fat enough that his body fat prevented Ehud from pulling the blade back out?

But because of the details we experience disgust, and those who are inclined toward wicked deeds find themselves horrified at the consequences of God’s retribution.

In past ages children were not sheltered as much as conservative Christian American children are from tales of violence and cruelty. Well-meaning parents often miss the point of showing the good along with the bad. The law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, and without a fear of God no one flees into His arms for salvation.

Christianity has the advantage in fiction because it demonstrates love and fear, wonder and evil and horrors. Without the darkness we cannot see how bright the light is.

When fiction is written to be “safe” it creates unrealistic expectations for relationships and our lives. It paints a picture in our mind of ideal people in ideal or easier circumstances.

It is my conviction that we need less “sanitized” fiction and more honest fiction. We need to stop avoiding evil in story in order that the light can reveal the darkness for what it really is. Too often conservative Christian youths enter the world and find that “Surprise! Sin is pleasurable.” But if they are taught to discern instead of avoid, they will have greater defense against temptation because they know that the pleasures of sin only last for a season.

“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for  a whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For  the one who sows to his own flesh  will from the flesh reap corruption, but  the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7,8 ESV)

Instead of interpreting what is good by how we were culturally raised, let’s learn it from how it is demonstrated in Biblical and historical narratives. Instead of worrying how culture will respond to our writing, let’s be excited to share through stories that are true to our earthly existence, even if that means we have to drag readers through darker events and wickedness.

Show the good, but show the bad too. The Biblical cannon demonstrates this repeatedly. Writing is only powerful as long as we are willing to let it take us through the muck as well as the green fields.

Q: Which subjects do you avoid when reading fiction?

Ups and downs of the book publishing world

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The first introduction I had to the world of Christian book publishing was at the Glorietta Christian Writers Conference in New Mexico. I was an eager unpublished writer with only a small following on my blog. I’d written some short stories and a few of them had been published in online magazines. The largest payment I’d received on my fiction writing was  (around) seven dollars. At that writers’ conference, I now know, I was about to step aboard the publishing roller coaster that alternates between building dreams and crushing them beneath its wheels.

Nothing will hold you through the publishing journey if you don’t have a love for writing in your soul. That must be engrained in your heart. We will fight to preserve something we love… But many people have a mere curiosity, a need for social esteem. They think “How cool would it be if I published a book?” Little do we realize a love of writing has to be in our blood because the emotional rollercoaster is going to shove our writing in the mud, and put our social life on hold.

Fortunately for me I didn’t enter the world of publishing with expectations of making a lot of money or achieving national fame. Reading and writing open the world to me and those around me. I love to write. Therefore I would write if only a few people cared to read my material. Why? Because it is worth the creative struggle to bring the world literature. By God’s blessing my books have now sold over 20,000-copies and I’ve been encouraged by each email and message I’ve received from new readers and avid fans.

The roller coaster has never stopped.

Back in 2007 I was sending new endorsements and swapping edits with the then-editor at AMG Publishers. For about two years it went back and forth, with hope of contract then the light at the end of the tunnel would dim again as someone on the publishing committee dismissed it. Eventually it was rejected.

All during the negotiation process I read and researched extensively on publishing and business. It led to my founding Flaming Pen Pres to release my first novel Swords of the Six.

To make this long story short, I went from self-published, to a contract with AMG for my first three novels, and published my last two novels under Flaming Pen Press.

In my experience working with the traditional publisher, while a thrill all its own, has been detrimental to my writing career. Do not misunderstand me, there are huge benefits also. But when I had my first novel under my own direction I knew I could keep it in circulation, keep it in front of readers, and build on its success.

Traditional publishing gave my work exposure to new markets. But looking back I realize that signing that first contract took my book out of circulation just when it was hitting a great level of success. I was forced to publish a collection of short fiction in order to appease readers who were begging for my second novel, which they couldn’t have until after the first was re-published by the publishing house.

Another challenge came when some buyers did not approve the cover art for my second novel. The publisher opted to get a different cover art and it didn’t fit the vision I had for the book originally. Again publication had to be delayed.

Sticking with growing my own publishing company would have all-but eliminated that roller coaster ride. Controlling your own business means growing it at a steady rate acceptable to you, controlling the quality and nature of your products.

Case in point are my novels Neverqueen and The Phantom’s Blade which I put under my own Flaming Pen Press. These titles look and feel how I want them to, read the way I want them to, and sales are steady and slowly growing.

With traditionally published titles marketing for them flows and then dies. Publishers move on and sometimes close down.

Moving forward I am looking to build Flaming Pen Press again and eventually publish other people’s books. Years ago I attempted to do so with Kestrel’s Midnight Song but I failed in a couple areas when making that business decision. The author worked hard, the book won an award, but having set up the book printing a more costly way we took a financial hit on returns.

What is awesome about that is that I own the company. We can learn from mistakes and evolve the business so that it makes financial and artistic sense. Books should be non-returnable so that retailers can’t carelessly order more than they need and ship back damaged product at the publisher’s expense.

A slow and steady growth in book writing, publishing, and marketing empowers the writer to establish trends, rather than following them. It’s one way of avoiding the industry’s roller coaster effect. It is not for everyone because not all writers want to learn the management of their own publishing company. But my compass points more certainly in that direction these last couple years.

Q: What hurdles have you faced in your writing?

Are sidekick characters necessary?

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Merry and Pippin fumbling across Middle Earth. Donkey jabbering his way out of trouble with Shrek. Sidekicks abound in fiction. With their success has come an unwritten expectation that great fantasy (and fiction in general) requires sidekicks. Modern culture prizes comedians above serious thinkers, adding to the problem.

While we can relate to the reasons a sidekick can sometimes empower a story, there are also drawbacks we must recognize. Sidekicks provide an easy release of tension in emotionally uncomfortable or charged situations. Their primary function is (often) to provide comic relief in situations that the protagonists are sweating over.

What is the drawback to this? We need to be fully absorbed in the story’s moments, especially with their most uncomfortable moments of tension. We need to sweat with the protagonist, not have some other character insert a distracting jab that attempts to lighten the mood. Surely there is a time and place for that, but often the humor is better left out.

Story is a powerful conductor of thoughts, ideas that motivate, and convictions that make the reader want to change or improve themselves. Humor distracts, makes light of, and de-emphasizes truths that build good character. I have spoken before about not modeling ourselves after the villain… but it is also imperative that we not look to comedians and sidekicks as our role models. Humor is a gift to be used sparingly. Deep thought and consideration of how humble and small we are beneath God should be our focus. Meditation and reflection are more beneficial to our souls than the funniest jokes.

Sidekick characters have trouble taking things seriously. They see humor in every moment. They get so caught up in jesting that they are either slow to mature or miss the opportunity to mature altogether. There is great wisdom in keeping silence. There is vast spiritual reward in learning to think, live, and act in sobriety.  “Be sober, be vigilant, for your adversary the Devil walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.” (quote from 1 Peter 5:8 The Bible).

It is easier to be foolish than it is to be sober. It is easy to jest especially when it has become the cultural norm. When I look back at some of the great fiction I loved I realize they did not use sidekick characters. Pilgrim’s Progress, Robinson Crusoe, etc.

I do believe sidekick characters serve necessary purposes in some stories, but I do think they are overused. The focus of story most often should be a sober consideration so that we can benefit from the tale we read. The trick when writing in sidekick characters is to not think of them as sidekicks. Let the story guide the character’s evolution so that you (the writer) begin to know their personality. As your understanding of the character deepens you may find opportunity to throw in a little humor, but the beauty of humor is in its spontaneity. Therefore let the sidekick characters be spontaneous and do not drown their story segments in predictable foolishness.

Humor is a gift from God, if used wisely. But used frequently it creates endless foolishness and leads to spiritual decay.

Q: How do you view sidekicks in fiction?

 

Focusing on reaching Christian readers

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Thank you to all who participated in my 2016 Reader Survey! I learned some valuable things that have helped me make some important decisions for moving forward with my website and writing. Finally I have enough data to move forward knowing who is being blessed and responding best to my writing. Before I get into the fun stuff (for the changes I’m instituting for this year) let me share with you some of the survey results:

The vast majority of my readers are devout Christian singles under 26-years-old. They are most interested in getting more novels in The Sword of the Dragon series (including the Neverqueen saga). On my blog they prefer to read about Reinforcing Christian Values through Writing Fiction.

Writing a weekly post for my blog has become all-consuming of my writing time of late, especially with my other commitments. To be candid I am writing far too little fiction and making far too little progress in continuing the novels and stories you all have asked me for. So to free up my creativity I am going to assign my blog posts to the first Monday of each month, no longer putting out a weekly article. Every now and then I plan to throw in an extra writing tip or glimpse into what I am writing. This will allow me to focus on the best content for the website but also to focus on the fiction writing.

I am spread too thin and my energies have been less effective as a result. It is my hope that this will empower my writing to get back on track with the fiction writing, putting my mind back in the story creation process. I have so many good stories to tell and I so badly want to finish writing them. But all in good time!

The second change I am making is a big one for me. My novels have had broad market appeal, reaching people from many different political and religious persuasions. But the people who disagreed with my stances prove time and again that I cannot “straddle the fence” so to speak. Some who despise my Christian values have gone so far as to attack by calling me names or reaching assumptions that were not true. I know in Whom I have believed and I believe He is able to bring all to a knowledge of repentance and that all must repent of sin and turn to God. This message resonates with the readers who are my kindred spirits and I fully intend that my focus will now be on writing chiefly as a Christian author. Christian readers most appreciate where I am coming from, they know me best. They rally behind the right things and call out the things that are wrong.

We are in a spiritual battle, and the way I am gifted to fight the spiritual is to lead hearts and minds through powerful writing that convicts, uplifts, and strengthens the faithful as I grow in my walk with the Lord. It is time to narrow my focus to the Christian readership because there my writing is having the right impact on people’s lives. Please pray for me as I move forward with these changes. Some will not be happy with my decision, but I know that ultimately God will bless it.

Q: How does your faith impact your creative pursuits?