Author Appleton

Writing. Fantasy. Sci-fi. Mystery

the sword of the dragon series

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!

Key Of Living Fire special edition now available!

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Book three in my primary fantasy series, The Sword of the Dragon, is finally available both in paperback and on Kindle! Check out the three-book-collection and get ready for next week’s release of book four to match!

You can now purchase the original three books in my series. Next I am going to delve into the writing of book five, In Search Of Dragons.

Amazon has added a series page to help readers navigate the order of my fantasy novels. You can find my series’ pages here:
The Sword of the Dragon series’ page
The Neverqueen Saga’s page

Purchase the new edition of Key Of Living Fire here:
Key Of Living Fire (paperback)
Key Of Living Fire (kindle)

Job layoff upside, publishing updates & audiobook preview

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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

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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!

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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

Announcement: The Sword of the Dragon series rebrand!

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For over a decade now I have been writing and publishing fantasy novels and what a rewarding thing it is! My first novel was originally self-published, then sold to a traditional publishing company. This change carried with it some positives and some unforeseen negatives. By releasing my rights to AMG Publishers I lost marketing control and, starting a few years ago, that company suffered some setbacks and my first three novels have hung in limbo ever since. The result? My writing career took a big stumble that was beyond my power to fix. But the good news is: all of that turned around this week!

I have often said that I think the biggest mistake I made in my writer career was to sell my first novel to a big publisher. But I was young and flattered by the recognition, and eager to let others shoulder some of the burden of marketing and selling my work. At the time of the sale to AMG my first novel, Swords of the Six, was rocketing to success. My wife and I were full-time on the road and I was selling to bookstores and schools in several states. The momentum was building just as I’d hoped it would. But when I signed the contract I had to stop production on my first novel (until the publisher could re-release it). I had to get off of the road and settle into a regular job while waiting for the book to be published again.

This week I have acquired the rights to my first three novels from AMG and I am so excited for what this means! Total creative control is now back in my hands and I can market and sell the books wherever the opportunity presents itself.

Swords of the Six, Offspring, and Key of Living Fire will be published with new designs and the stories themselves will receive fresh edits! Each sequential book in the series will be published with the new design as well.

Swords of the Six (special edition)

The e-book editions were overpriced through the other publisher. With Flaming Pen Press we will grow the digital reader audience and drop the price to a competitive level. This is a market that I feel my books have largely ignored and in which I see a lot of opportunity.

Print editions will now include both a paperback and a hardcover option. I love a nice hardcover edition! Which I know many of you collectors out there will appreciate.

Audiobooks will come last. I know I have been promising audiobooks for a couple of years now, and tying the new design to e-book, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook will make everything easier to find in search engines and sites.

When AMG published my second novel their buyers objected to the cover art that I had commissioned for it. It was absolutely stunning. A depiction of Oganna kneeling in the cave when she lifts her sword Avenger and her blade boomerang out of the stone floor. Now, at last, I can release the Offspring cover as I wanted you to see it with that artwork! Offspring will also be retitled Dragon Offspring. A subtle but important title change.

Over the next couple of months I will start releasing these new editions, beginning with Swords of the Six. For you, my readers, this means my novels will become unavailable for a little while. During this transition the new editions of The Sword of the Dragon novels will be designed and prepped for publication. Big things are in store! Let’s bring this epic fantasy journey into fresh territory.

Q: Which part of this change interests you the most? 

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

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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.

Cover reveal: The Phantom’s Blade (The Sword of the Dragon Book 4)

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In preparation for the release this Fall of The Phantom’s Blade (The Sword of the Dragon book 4) I commissioned the same artist who did the new edition for the Neverqueen cover. Here is the final cover:

Novel plot tease:

From across the sea the Maiden Voyage has failed to return to the Hemmed Land, leaving Ilfedo to wonder at the fate of his beloved Warrioresses . . .

The Hemmed Land is in political confusion thanks to Vortain’s dissidence. As mayor of Ilfedo’s chief city Vortain holds great political sway. He openly opposes Ilfedo’s proposal to form a rescue expedition to bring the people of Dresdyn to the Hemmed Land, and regards the young woman Ilfedo brought back from the Hidden Realm with deep suspicion. Even more strong is his opposition to Lord Ilfedo’s declaration that, as the albino long ago prophecied, the entire population must seek a new homeland.

Holding himself to a promise Ilfedo will not be swayed from seeking the people of Dresdyn. His allies are strong now. Few in the land hold the wisdom of Brother Hersis, and fewer still command the same respect in the military as Lord Ombre, and none have risen so high in the esteem of the people as Oganna.

An expedition launches to seek out the people beneath the desert sands, and only Ilfedo truly recognizes the nature of the enemy they face.