Lucid Nightmares (Fantasy/Horror Novel) Release

I am alive! And I've returned with not only a new novel, but my first actual physical release, with both paperback and hardcover editions available. Getting both of those set up was a real pain in the ass, though, as the program I usually use for image editing (an ancient version of Paintshop Pro) simply couldn't process images big enough without slowing to a crawl. And even when I did seem to get the covers made properly, converting them into PDF documents didn't work as intended, as their resolution ended up being so huge that only a tiny portion of the image showed up on the cover. Apparently because I was supposed to crop the background even though the rest of it wasn't visible beyond the image borders anyway. But hey, I finally got it done and learned something for the future, so that's something, at least! And since I plan to buy a new PC sometime this year (after having used my current one for about eight years), I hopefully shouldn't have to struggle with as much performance issues in the future.

 

To make sure the actual interior of the book looks good, I also spent some money on Atticus, which makes it incredibly easy to format both physical books as well as e-books, though I still spent considerable time fine-tuning all the settings and trying out different dividers. Though I ended up going with none of them, as all of them take up too much space for my taste, especially if they show up near the beginning or end of a page. And even a two line break looks off to me, so I ended up going with a single line for every scene break instead.

 

Apart from that, my only real gripe with the program would be that it doesn't offer a fully functional offline version. Sure, you can work on your latest book while offline, but only if you signed into Atticus while you still had an internet connection. And the most important part, converting the book to pdf and epub, can only be done online. Which may not be too much of an issue in this day and age, but if the site ever went offline, it would also render Atticus useless.

 

Aside from that, I can wholeheartedly recommend it, especially since it requires only a one-time payment. Though anyone that owns a Mac might want to have a look at Vellum instead, which is also supposed to be really good and seems to work entirely offline. So it may have been a better option for me too ... if I actually owned a Mac, or ever planned to buy one. But I can't even justify buying a game console since they always end up gathering dust, so a Mac would be even worse off.

 

Anyway, as for the book itself: here's the cover, whose blurb should hopefully be all I need to say about it! The only thing it doesn't mention is that it also takes place in my Mortaevum universe. Haven't gotten any of the physical copies myself yet, since I tinkered with the cover until the very last moment, and author copies would take a while to arrive, which could be a problem since I'm supposed to move sometime in the near future. Might have to get some retail copies instead to make use of my free Prime membership before it expires.

>> You can buy Lucid Nightmares on Amazon <<

I've done more than just finish a single book, however. I actually decided to participate in NaNoWriMo last November for the very first time. And I hit the 50k goal with time to spare! Though I didn't manage to actually finish the book, which will most likely end up twice as long, at the very least. As to what it is: an indirect sequel to Lifelines, part murder mystery, part killing game, and somewhat inspired by the visual novels Zero Escape, Ever17 and Dei Gratia in the fifth day. The last two especially, since the story also takes place in the deep sea, but is supposed to offer a bit more tension than either of these visual novels, which have way too many slice of life moments. No idea when I'll manage to get the book done, however.

And since I finally released a physical book (because someone urged me to), I want to do the same for Grim Memoria and Lifelines, but that will also take some time. Partially because I might want to create new covers, but also because I want to look through them again. And also write a whole new ending for Grim Memoria, as I no longer like how vague I left it in the original release.

And that's about everything of note. So let's see if I'll manage to re-release these books and also finish that Lifelines sequel. Getting at least one of my full length Mortaevum novels out there also couldn't hurt, but will most likely require more revisions, as I plan to rewrite an entire chapter, and also make some changes to the one directly afterwards, so that something that happened early on in the book actually has a proper payoff (instead of none at all).

Lifelines (Mystery Thriller Novella) Release

Are you ready for a book release? If so, you're too late! Because the book is already out. But, as can be seen from the title, it's still not A Decaying World. And it has nothing to do with my Mortaevum Universe. It's just something that popped into my head one day, although I honestly can't remember the details anymore. And while it isn't a full-length novel, it should still keep you busy (and hopefully entertained) for a couple of hours, judging by my text-to-speech program, which I used like dozens of times until I was satisfied at last.

I also have another finished novella lying around, which once again takes place in my Mortaevum Universe. But that one needs more polishing, so I won't release it until sometime next month. Until then, I'll try to focus on A Decaying World again. Especially because I won a beta read that would otherwise have been quite pricy. No idea if it's going to be worth it, but I have to focus on the novel anyway. It's been lying around for far too long, after all. I'm not going to make any promises on when it will actually be released, though. Just that I will split the book after the first part, while also releasing a complete edition later on. And I'll try not to work on too many other projects in the meantime.

And with that out of the way, here's the link to Lifelines: A Terrifying Christmas Night ... which only has a subtitle because I noticed there are lots of Lifelines on Amazon. Damn them all! Anyway, I hope you have fun with it! And if you do, please leave a review on Amazon so others can find it too!

Lifelines is a mystery thriller about a young woman who can see when other people will die, no matter if the cause is natural or not. It's a power she despised for many years, until it made her realize that no one's destiny is set in stone. From that moment on, she has tried to save as many people as possible, particularly those with suicidal thoughts.

Unfortunately, one of these cases puts her own life in danger, for reasons she cannot understand. And it seems like the whole world conspires against her that day, as none of the options to resolve that situation are easily accessible. Will she be able to change her destiny, nonetheless? Or will she finally pay the price for interfering with the natural order?

There's only one night to find out!

A Decaying World: Final Chapter

And here's the final chapter of A Decaying World! I'm not quite sure what the next book will be called, but it will most certainly end the story that I began so many years ago. And I didn't even need to adapt the second part as it ultimately added nothing of importance, except for something that I can easily include in the story that follows. And erasing it also removes some characters that would make the sequel way too bloated. There'll be enough new characters as it is.

A Decaying World Chapter 32: The Angel of Death

And here's the penultimate chapter. Might not be as epic as the finale of the Calamity arc, but I hope it works well nonetheless.

A Decaying World Chapter 31: Point of No Return

And here's another chapter! Two more until the book is done, which means the final chapter comes out on Thursday (in case anyone is actually reading this). I originally thought of maybe including one more, to add some hints about what's to come, but it might be better to wait with that.

A Decaying World Chapter 30: The Final Barrier

A Decaying World is finished! So all the remaining chapters will follow in the next few days. And then ... I'll just have to fix it up and release it eventually. But first I'll have to focus on something else for a bit.

A Decaying World Chapter 29: The Dark Crystal

And here's yet another chapter, one of three I've written while being on vacation. Although the third of these is actually not finished, which is why Chapter 30 will only be posted when Chapter 31 is done. Afterward, there's only two more chapters till the book is finally done. So it shouldn't take too long ... hopefully. Getting all of that ready for release is a different story.

A Decaying World Chapter 28: Prisoner of Time

And here's another chapter of A Decaying World. This time one with lots of dialogue and little action, which I'm sure could be improved upon, but this is only the first draft after all. I also found a better title for this last part of the book: Exctinction! Certainly sounds less cliched than Destiny ... and allows me to keep a certain naming scheme! Not sure I can keep this going till the end of there series, however.

A Decaying World Chapter 27: Last of the Nine

And here's the final chapter of the Desolation Arc! Really liked the ending personally, although I won't spoil why. And now there's only two or maybe three chapters left until the story reaches its finale. Which might take up another two or three chapters. We'll see.

But no matter the result, the book will finally be done in the very near future (well ... the draft, at least)! A bit faster than anticipated, but my original plans would have involved taking a longer detour through the underground. Which might not have been interesting.

A Decaying World Chapter 26: The Depths of Bel Ga'nahn

And here's another chapter, this time full of riddles for the characters to solve. So exactly what the player would have done if this was still a game. It's also the second to last chapter of the Desolation arc. Not sure how the final arc will be called, although Destiny might be most fitting. It won't be anywhere as long as the previous arcs, however.

A Decaying World Chapter 25: Assembly of the Dead

And here's yet another chapter of A Decaying World. Actually turned out to be a little longer again, although I still stopped earlier than originally intended. So no idea how long the following chapter will be. Still getting very close to resolving this part of the story. And then it's actually going to move toward the finale! Although there's still some events that need to be dealt with in-between.

A Decaying World Chapter 24: The Underground Network

And here's another chapter of A Decaying World! Slightly longer than the previous one, but not by much. And I see the title formatting has actually worked this time. No idea why the previous one refuses to let itself be centered...

Anyway, the ending was originally supposed to be a little different, but that might have been overkill. And also dragged things out too long. The next chapter might be a lot longer ... or maybe not. We'll see!

A Decaying World Chapter 23: Dark Omen

And here we go again after way too much time has passed. The chapter is also rather short, but that's just how it worked out. More should be following soon. And I actually found a better way to display this than by simply copying the text in here. I'm not going to update the old postings again, however, as that would mean posting my revision, which isn't even finished. So this will have to do. Especially since the drafts will most likely be removed when I finally get around to publishing the actual book.

Grim Memoria Release!

 

"Grim Memoria tells the story of a man who falls from the sky, with no idea where he came from or who he actually is. A young woman fishes him from the river and offers him a life that his previous self could never have dreamt of. But the past has a habit of catching up, no matter how long or far he tries to run. Can he find a way to escape the Wheel of Fate? Or will it shatter his one and only chance to attain a life shaped by his own free will?"

 

>> Buy the novel to find out! <<

My first full-length novel is finally available on Amazon! Might not be as long as a A Decaying World (which still hasn't been released), but I hope some of you will enjoy it nonetheless. So if you're interested in fantasy, romance or mystery, why not check it out? You can even read it for free if you have a Kindle Unlimited membership. I might also release a paperback somewhere down the road, but not right now. Mostly because I would like a unique cover instead of having to use stock photos.

Please leave a review when you're done. A few lines would be enough. It truly helps a lot, especially in terms of visibility. And it would be great if you could share the novel with friends or acquaintances who might be interested in this kind of story.

So, what happens next? Well, I planned to finally get back to A Decaying World, but after reading Grim Memoria for like a thousand times in a row, I feel a little burnt out. So I'll delay that until the new year. But then I'll try to get through the entire book (the Calamity portion anyway). Might still need more revisions afterward, but I really want to release it next year.

But I also need to finish the Desolation portion of the story, which will lead Drake and his companions into the World Below, a place full of wonders and horrors that connects all of Meceruun. So please look forward to me writing new chapters ... more than two years after the cliffhanger of Chapter 22!

Until then, have fun with Grim Memoria. And don't forget the $20 giveaway! I added new entry options today, so tell others about Grim Memoria and increase your chances to win some money!

Grim Memoria Release Date Announcement

After going through Grim Memoria multiple times, I've finally decided on a release date! While I could upload the book right now, I want to make sure that I haven't overlooked any errors, especially where missing letters are concerned. And I want to see if anyone else is interested in getting a review copy, as I've only received one reply so far. So I'll give it ten more days and will release the book around the 10th of December!

I also thought of including two short stories that are somewhat connected to the events of Grim Memoria. Then I realized I couldn't do that as both of them have already been published on other sites. And I'd really like to make use of KU for the time being. That's why everyone who signs up for my newsletter (or has already signed up) will get a free story when Grim Memoria comes out. It's nothing huge and also nothing new, but it seems to help other people getting newsletter subscribers, so I might as well give it a try.

Until then, don't forget the $20 Paypal Giveaway! You can earn additional points every day. And the more you get, the better your chances.

Grim Memoria Release Giveaway!

Another year is almost over and I haven't really accomplished what I would have liked to accomplish. Partially due to being depressed for way too long, but also due to being lazy. And because I got a couple of beta reading offers, but those seem to have dried up for now.

Additionally, I'm turning 29 today and have no one to celebrate it with. Not that there's a reason to celebrate after everything that's happened (or hasn't happened) in the last year. I don't plan to go into any details, so here's two things I'd like to announce today:

• Grim Memoria is gonna be released either this month or the next. I'm not entirely sure yet, as I still have to finish up a side-project before I can check the story two or three more times. I also expected another project to keep me busy for a week or two, but I guess the one asking for it has simply dropped out. So that might not happen. 

• As the title already implies, there's gonna be a giveaway! Nothing huge, just something to hopefully get the word out. Certainly better than just throwing the book out there. It's gonna end on the 24th of December. Too late to buy some Christmas presents, but it gives me more than enough time to get the book ready and up on Amazon. And for people to actually find the giveaway!

What can you win? $20 in Paypal cash. All you need to do is sign into the Gleam widget and participate in at least one activity. Afterwards you can get a free bonus entry every day. Everything else is entirely optional but gives you better chances to win. I might add some options when the book is ready, so come back every day to make sure you don't miss out! So good luck! And if anyone is interested in fantasy, why not check out my book after its release? It's only going to cost $2,99!

Grim Memoria Giveaway

Artworks, beta reading, and plans for the rest of the year

Time for another update, I guess. I haven't gotten much done these last few weeks, partially due to a vacation and also because I didn't feel well mentally. Again. The last year just kinda sucked, even if it's mostly my fault. I also started a new story some days ago, but I'm just not feeling it. Might be okay for the game I planned to use it in. Not sure how well it translates into a book.

So I'll put it aside for now and will focus entirely on Grim Memoria. Which has been done for a while, by the way (at 43K words). Just need to put on the finishing touches. Afterwards, I'll finally get back to Loop. It's been dormant for way too long despite being a relatively short story. I'll have to start from the beginning, though, as the original was written in 3rd person while 1st person would make a lot more sense.

And when I'm done with that, as well as some side projects, I'll try to finish the first part of A Decaying World. Just need to hope that I can keep my perfectionism in check. And that my mood doesn't hit rock bottom again, which might very well happen in 2 1/2 months...

There's also been a couple of changes, as you might have noticed. The first would be the artworks section, which I finally have actual content for! All thanks to a browser game I don't even like. Seems to be all the rage amongst women, but all I care about is earning ingame currency which other people accept as payment for artworks. Might sound annoying, but I can easily watch a movie or a tv show while farming the game. So if you can't afford to pay for artworks, why not have a look?

The other change would be me offering beta reading in exchange for a relatively small fee. I know it's frowned upon, but I think it makes more sense than giving your manuscript to a total stranger and hoping for some feedback, which most people might not deliver, as I've experienced myself. And if I'm going to spend hours reading and commenting on someone else's story, I might as well ask for something in return.

I don't expect much to come of it, but my bank account would certainly be happy about a few gigs once in a while. And who knows, maybe I'll get more customers if I manage to build an actual portfolio. To achieve that, I'll also look around for short stories to critique.

Still alive ... and writing!

Hey guys, sorry for the absence, but there wasn't much to say about my writing projects. Which doesn't mean I stopped writing, but most of it had nothing to do with the my Jack de Nileth pen name. And while I'm trying to get back in the grove, the last year wasn't easy. And there are still days when I don't feel motivated to write anything. The summer heat doesn't help in that regard. Really wish I had some window shades...

But hey, I finally got rid of my student loan some weeks ago! Takes a bit of pressure off. Which doesn't mean I can focus 100% on my projects, as I have others running that need to be finished. The Way of Darkness should be one of them, but I don't feel like focusing on a serial for now. Which is why I started adapting another of my games: Grim Memoria. And man, the dialogue was awful. The written version should hopefully be an improvement. I'm about 20K words in but have no idea how much is left. Maybe another 20K, but I know my writing can get a bit excessive.

Afterwards, I'll finish some other projects and maybe then I can focus on getting the first Mortaevum book released. And then I'll see about the second half. Can't make any promises, though. I just hope my motivation doesn't take a nosedive again. Being depressed sucks.

I also made a cover for Grim Memoria, by the way. An artwork made specifically for the story would have been nicer, but this one has to do for now, even though it doesn't totally fit the character it's meant to portray.

The Way of Darkness Vol.2 - Beyond the Mist

The second volume of The Way of Darkness has been released ... some days ago. Sorry for not writing a post back then, but I'm still too busy with lots of other stuff, which also prevents me from going through the last two chapters of A Decaying World. No idea how long it's going to take, but at the current rate, I'll expect a few more months, as I need to repay some student loans. Or rather I'm forced to do so, for the second time now, as I've suddenly never been eligible to receive them in the first place ... right~

Anyway, I wanted to release the second volume about a month ago, but then I got stuck when going through it again, went on vacation, got depressed, had to focus on working on the loans again ... so yeah, kinda annoying, especially with all those ideas floating through my head. Haven't even started the third volume yet. Would make more sense for a serial, but I simply can't spare the time till the loan-story is out of the world.

Beyond the Mist was supposed to be a rather simple continuation to the first volume. But then it got bigger. And more epic. Might seem out of the place so soon into the story, but that's simply how it went. The third might be a little more down to earth. Or maybe not ... who knows? I certainly don't, as all I've planned are some of the more important facts. Everything else is a surprise even to me. Mortaevum is similar, but has a lot more cornerstones. Mostly because it was a game before it became a novel.

And that's about everything I wanted to talk about. So if you're interested in the second volume, click on the following image. And if you'd rather wait till it's complete: be my guest. I don't like having to wait either.

Distractions and stupid payment changes

Hello guys! After remodeling my blog and not posting anything for months, an update surely couldn't hurt. So here's one! Unfortunately, I cannot claim to have finished the revision of A Decaying World. Why? Because I haven't touched it in a month. Instead, I decided to work on other projects instead, some of which you can see in the sidebar now. All of these (except for Spam Up your Life) can be found on Kindle Unlimited ... which might not be worth it anymore. It's certainly better than selling nothing, but if the payment actually turns out to be $0.005/page, then it's simply a joke.

Sure, it means long form writers can potentially earn more (while everyone else gets peanuts), but that's assuming readers get through enough of the book. If they don't, you're also going to lose out. Having to get through 10% was a lot better in that regard. The payments might not have been sustainable, but Amazon should have come up with a better system. Like paying a flat rate for every borrow and then adding bonuses for a certain amount of pages or whatever. Would certainly be better than the stupid system they've got now.

Despite all that, I'll keep my serials exclusive to Amazon right now. Death Zone of Dheygar still needs a lot of stories before I can even think of creating a bundle anyway. The Way of Darkness might be easier in that regard, especially since I've changed my rhythm to allow for 3000-4000 words a day. No idea how long the second volume is going to be, though.

Sadly, I've already forgotten where the idea for Death Zones of Dheygar came from. Shouldn't have waited so long to post something about it. The Way of Darkness, on the other hand, has been inspired by a game I've played some time ago. It didn't have much in terms of plot, so all I took was the basic premise—a world consumed by darkness.

Since someone will surely claim I stole the protagonist's weapons from Wolverine: nope. Sure, they're almost identical, but I didn't even think of that. All I wanted was an unsual weapon, especially since most of my characters use swords.

So if you're interested in horror, why not check out Death Zones of Dheygar? And if you want more fantasy instead, The Way of Darkness will hopefully deliver! I'll try to focus on the latter now, with occasional glances at A Decaying World. So it might still take a while for the first book in the Mortaevum series to be released. But hey, it's my first actual book. One where I had to change a lot during the last two revisions. So having the release pushed back might not be such a bad thing.