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!

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

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.

Short Story - Haunted

This version is outdated.

Please buy Aedis Tenebrum to support me.

 

Haunted

My first encounter with the supernatural were visions of the future hidden within my dreams. I didn't foresee any world-shattering events, just places that I had never seen and conversation that I never could have had, but that's beside the point. The fact that I was able to see anything at all should be evidence enough that there's more to this world than meets the eye.
If that doesn't convince you then please read on, because something far more sinister awaited me in the future―something that I couldn't foresee as my gift has mostly faded away. It only rears its head once a year, if at all.

Short Story - Shadow of Jhola

This version is outdated.

Please buy Aedis Tenebrum to support me.

 

Shadow of Jhola

-My first entry-

Dear Diary, my name is Erik Ocild and I'm 38 years old. I serve in the army of Pagan and this might be my last week on earth as the hordes of Golgotha are drawing ever closer to our marvelous city. Most of my friends have died in an offensive which was supposed to stop those monsters once and for all but it failed miserably. All I have left is my wife, who is waiting desperately for me in the small village of Jhola. If Pagan falls so will our home. Perhaps it would have been best to remain there and await our end together.

-The beginning of the end-

Pagan is one of the most beautiful cities in all of Meceruun, as its buildings and walls are made out of white marble which glitters in the sunlight. And thanks to being build by dwarves it's near impenetrable, at least it should have been but the walls have fallen and the hordes have entered the city. Fires rage, buildings crumble, corpses litter the streets...I suppose this is the end. It's only a matter of time till the king gives us his final order: protect the city and its inhabitants at all costs!

-Death-

The city lies in ruins as most districts have been destroyed. There's only one more wall left before the castle itself falls. We've received our order now and will stop them or die trying. I don't expect to write another entry.

Goodbye Lissana.

Don't Play With Slenderman - Release!

After countless hours of editing, which have taught me to use functions I've never even cared about, I've finally published my first story! It hasn't reached all platforms yet but that's only a matter of time. I'll set up a page with all purchase options after I'm done writing this article. Of course it wouldn't make sense to post none yet so here you go!

Amazon.com - Amazon.de - Barnes & Noble - Kobo - Payhip - Smashwords and well, bascially every other Amazon store you can find. Don't know when it will hit the remaining stores but I would prefer it if you'd buy from Payhip as they only take a 5% cut. It's entirely up to you though. I'll begin writing my next story in the coming days but I've done barely anything else lately but edit so I'll take a short "vacation"!

Before I go: here's a book trailer I created for Don't Play With Slenderman! Yes, I had nothing better to do!