As we enter the Thanksgiving holiday, which, if I’m honest, is my favorite holiday behind Christmas, I thought I’d give a few updates to what’s been going on and what to expect.
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On November 20, 2019, the audiobook, Scar of the Downers, was released on Audible. It’s definitely different listening to your own book through someone else’s voice. Scar of the Downers is being read by someone very talented named Stephanie Richardson. I encourage everyone to download it and listen. Of course, I would, right? It does cost money, but you have a chance to win a FREE promo code if you enter the giveaway below. Read the rules below the rafflecopter.

Note: To be eligible for the giveaway, you must click on "Leave a blog post comment," answer the question posted, and leave an email address to receive the promo code. Once you do that, click on the "I Commented" button to enter the giveaway. 

​This brings me to another subject.

REVIEWS!

They are the lifeblood of authors. You see, it is a wonderful thing if someone reads your book and likes it. It is even more wonderful if they share the love of the book with the world. That way, other people can decide whether to purchase and read your book.

This isn't about money. Authors make very little money when a book is purchased. This is about future books. Reviews are the only way publishers and agents can see if your work is being read. It sort of stinks, but there really is no other system at the moment. 

Coming up next week is a blog tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours. You will be able to follow me next week as I and my book make the virtual rounds. So, stay tuned!
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On another note, I am working on finishing my fourth novel. It is called The Society of the Watchers. I am really excited to be working on something else. I do not have any other information on it other than what I will post below.

When the beasts came, the world we knew had ended. Now, 150-years later mankind has found refuge inside the walled villages, where life continues just as it always had before the beasts came. For Jarvis Graye that means his days are filled with all the normal things of a 12-year old boy: school, friends, dreaded homework, and his new internship as courier.

However, when someone attacks the animals and people inside the village, Jarvis’ tranquil routine is upended. Not to mention that he suspects his neighbor, founder of the strange group called The Society of the Watchers, is the one behind the attacks. With his life and the safety of the village on the line, Jarvis goes to great lengths to find the culprit.
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Spurred on by his irritable best friend, Aron, and the new girl, Nan, Jarvis and his friends embark on a mystery that will expose the danger that prowls around Kilhaven. It may also answer the question: Do the beasts still lurk beyond the walls?

So, that is a brief summary of what's been happening in my little world of writing.

As a quick reminder, if you'd like a chance to win a FREE audiobook of Scar of the Downers, don't forget to follow the rules to enter the giveaway.

Click on "Leave a blog post comment" and answer the question posted. Then click on the "I Commented" button to enter the giveaway.

And in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to say, "Thank you to all those who have left reviews, liked my Facebook page, and continue to support me through this novel adventure.
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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!​

​On October 25th, I was invited to speak to the students of Sackets Harbor Central School about my third book, War of the Downer King, which was released in July of this year. I was also asked if I could speak about perspective and understanding others. This did get me thinking about the idea of perspective and how it relates to my book. 
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The following is an adaptation of the speech I gave on perspective and the case for it in the Scar of the Downers Series.)

First, here is some background.

The Scar of the Downers series centers on a group of slaves that are in desperate fight for their freedom. The books follow several people. One is Crik, a Downer, a slave, and the other is Durgan Gryndek, Captain of the City’s Watch, a non-slave, a freeman. These are two people with vastly different perspectives, which is an idea every author must embrace. To write from a different perspective, you must see it first.

This is the scenario.
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Crik, one of my protagonists, along with several other Downers, attempt to escape from the dark city of Ungstah. This is the plot for the first book. The result of this is that the city descends into chaos, and Durgan Gryndek is one of the characters that reaps these consequences. He loses his family, his job, and his freedom.

Why did this occur? Well, in Durgan’s mind, it’s because of what Crik and the Downers did – they tried to escape with no thought of the repercussions. They openly defied a king in an effort to leave their life of slavery to pursue a life of freedom. This in turn created devastation in their wake.
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Because of this, Durgan is reluctant to join the cause of the Downers. He holds them responsible for the situation in which he finds himself. You see – there are two differing perspectives at odds within this moment. You have the perspective of the slave and that of the freeman. In this case, the freeman, Durgan, cannot fathom the perspective of the Downer. He does not understand, nor does he care about, the situation of the Downer.

In the book, Rise of the Branded, Durgan is confronted by another character about his lack of understanding regarding the Downers’ plight.
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​Perspective allows you to see things in different ways, and as an author it is imperative to be able to put yourself in other people’s shoes. You must be able to relate to the characters that you create, but more than that, we must be able to relate to the people we meet.
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You see, in the book, it wasn’t until Durgan was brought face-to-face with the life of a Downer, with the reality of their situation, that he began to change. Now that he was branded a Downer, he saw the world through a different set of eyes. It was then, and only then, that their cause became his cause.
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In Scar of the Downers, Crik gets beaten, loses his home, loses his best friend, Jak, and is always searching for food and fighting for survival. For most of his life he has viewed his life as a series of hardships, filled of encounters with people who cared little about him. But as he moves through the Rise of the Branded and War of the Downer King, he discovers that events in his life that appeared dark, hopeless, and meaningless, were actually necessary in his struggle for freedom. The moment that began this transformation was his encounter with Aniel in the first book, Scar of the Downers.
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After discovering that Aniel, his newfound friend, had been watching him and Jak for ten years, doubt creeps in. He asks Aniel.
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If you had watched us for ten years, why didn’t you free us then? You could’ve saved us a lot of pain.”
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"Even if I freed you back then, you still had the mind of a slave. You still thought you belonged to Kilvar. What you don’t understand is that you have to want freedom. I can offer it to you. I can even hand it to you. But freedom is nothing if you don’t take it with your bare hands.
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Crik viewed his hardships one way, but as we see him proceed along his journey, his perspective begins to change. What he thought was dark, brought him light, what he thought meaningless, gave him purpose, and what he thought was hopeless, was the very thing that made hope possible.

Why?
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Because his perspective had changed. You see, perspective is not only related to how we view others, but it is also related to how we view ourselves, and our circumstances.
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​I will give you an example of a personal nature. I worked at a full-time job temporarily, hoping I would be hired full-time. When the time came, I was passed over and the job went to someone else. At the time, I was disappointed. I felt rejected, upset, even cheated. But when my wife was diagnosed with cancer a few months later, it was only then did I understand how hard a new job would’ve been for my family at a time of crisis. That is perspective, and time has a way of changing it. 
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​I will end this blog post with a quote from War of the Downer King. Aniel, one of the people who fought alongside the Downers, was explaining to Crik why she chose him to be the leader of the Downers. It was all because he was able to see the world through someone else’s eyes. He walked in a young boy’s shoes and rescued (Jak) him. This is what Aniel said.
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​The end of the journey is approaching. The seed of the story that formed in my head over 14 years ago is in the process of being finalized. Since I started formulating these characters and their journey, many things have changed: my family has grown in number (from 2 to 6), we experienced many blessings, and we faced many challenges. Through it all I’ve always known Crik; I’ve always known these characters. In a sense, they were with me at the beginning of my marriage, and I will be putting their story to rest for now, and perhaps, forever.
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​I know it doesn’t seem like much to others, but this is huge for me. I remember watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy and experiencing the sense of “sadness” when the credits rolled for the Return of the King. But this, as strange as it may sound, runs deeper than that moment. I can’t recall all the conversations I’ve had with Liz (my wife) about the Downers, about their journey and the turmoil they encountered. There have been too many. I’ve breathed and dreamed about these characters. I’ve experienced heartbreak, anger, joy, surprise, sadness, disappointment all in the name of these made-up people.

They are fictional, yes. They inhabit a fantastical world, which many people “don’t understand.” But they have been a part of me and, in many ways, they are me. I see myself in some of these characters: the hesitation in Crik; the fear in Durgan; and the hope that clings in Aniel.

This story, despite its fantastical setting, is my story. I’ve always seen myself as a Downer; I’ve always felt that feeling of desperation, that deep desire of freedom. 

From what?
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From everything that has enslaved me. In truth, we all bear those scars. We all have them. They may not be on our flesh, but they are engraved in our hearts. 

For those who have read this story, I’m so glad that you’ve joined me in this part of my life. I hope that as the story comes to a conclusion you, in time, will feel the same about these characters as I do. So, now that this part of my life is coming to an end, I want to share with you the cover and title to the final book of my Scar of the Downer Series set to be released in July 2019 by WiDo Publishing. 
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The third and final book of my Scar of the Downer Series will soon be released! I have finished with all major edits and the manuscript is off to the copy editor. In preparation of its release, I have been working on a trailer for the series. 

(On a side note, HookSounds has some great music that you can use for projects that are quite reasonable. They are very helpful as well!)

I wanted the trailer to encapsulate the feeling of the series while not giving any of the plot away. Feel free to share the video (you'd be doing me a favor)! It was quite time consuming, but fun to make. I do like to edit video in my spare time. So, please enjoy the trailer and keep a look out for my upcoming book that will be released by WiDo Publishing.
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