Author Appleton

Writing. Fantasy. Sci-fi. Mystery

book release

Cover reveal: Sword of Tears

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After a well-fought contest amongst several worthy artists, I am pleased to present the final cover for Sword of Tears!

Sword of Tears (The Sword of the Dragon book 5) will release this Summer 2021, and is the direct sequel to The Phantom’s Blade.

The Sword of the Dragon series (book 5) Sword of Tears

Book teaser:
When Caritha left the Hemmed Land, she imparted a gift to Ombre. He vowed not to open the letter, believing it would mean that he had given up on ever finding her alive. But is the letter more than a letter, and can the gift of a dragon’s daughter make him more of a warrior than he was? Love strengthens even over a vast distance and Ombre’s optimism may be the candle that keeps the darkness at bay.

Note: please feel free to plaster this book cover on all of your social media and blogs! 😎 Coming Summer 2021!

My intention with “The Phantom’s Blade”

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I do not write stories simply to tell them. I do not look for the stories to merely entertain. I want them to have staying power and so they reflect the moments of my life. My next story explores the grim reality of loneliness and the hope of companionship. It shapes a future that is ever brighter because we must place our hope not in ourselves, but in the strength we find in doing good. Enter The Phantom’s Blade (The Sword of the Dragon book 4).

November 6th is the date! Finally it’s time to continue The Sword of the Dragon series and see what happens next with Ilfedo, Oganna, and Ombre.

I am so excited for this! It’s been a few years that I’ve been working on the material for this novel. The hardest part for me when writing Key of Living Fire was to leave a slew of newly-found characters in the underground city of Dresdyn. There are elements of the Hemmed Land’s history that have long hinted that they came from a land long lost. A history where technology was far in advance of what Ilfedo’s people currently understand as they exist in a near-medieval condition.

This book was written with sweat and tears… almost literally 😉 as I struggled to balance the many things going on in my life. Family, work, illness, moving to South Carolina, my fourth child being born, and now moving into our first house. It’s an exciting time as God has opened the doors so that now I can build a home business of writing, speaking, and editing. When your read my novels you are reading a reflection of what has happened and is happening in my life. My confusion, my revelations, my times of pain and of joy. The characters are put through much so that I can continue to evolve as a writer. So that my writing is not merely the telling of stories, but rather the sharing of visions striven for and attained.

Stories change hearts. Stories make a difference in our lives and in our culture.

So be sure to mark your calendar and warm a spot on your bookshelf for The Phantom’s Blade (The Sword of the Dragon book 4). Available on November 6th 2015.