-
Joy in the Midst of Tragedy
Every day it happens; folks lose loved ones unexpectedly. But until you’ve experienced it, the reality doesn’t impact you as deeply. If anything, the daily news only makes us more desensitized to it. But last Monday it happened to my family. My beautiful sister-in-law, my brother’s wife, suddenly passed away after complications that unexpectedly arose
-
Work on AWAKENING’s Cover is Underway!
The time for AWAKENING’s book launch and cover reveal is drawing ever closer. As I type, Jeff Brown is busy doing what he does best, designing an epic book cover. Even the first design concepts were incredible to behold. After much discussion, there were two options we landed on, but in the end, one specific
-
Bittersweet Goodbyes
Tomorrow, my son officially leaves the nest. When you become a mother, your whole life changes in multiple ways, one of which is gaining a new perspective. An infant is depending on you for its very survival, and with that level of responsibility, you begin to see the world differently. Your sense of what your
-
Book Two Editing Begins
5amwritersclub, Alignment, amediting, Appalachia, Awakening, books, Christopher Ruocchio, epic fantasy, fantasy, Jeff Brown, science-fiction, Shadows Upon Time Release Gala, The Stone Key Chronicles, The Sun Eater Series, TSKCAlignment, TSKCawakening, western North Carolina, writing, writing community, Writing ProcessI’m back from a lovely week spent in the mountains of western North Carolina, one of the most beautiful places in the world. It was about 10 degrees cooler there than in the Raleigh area, a welcome change, and that slight difference also meant the foliage was at its peak. We took many hikes and
-
First Official Trailer for AWAKENING
The first ever trailer for Awakening is here! My own hand-drawn art makes a debut in the video too. A professional video editor, I am not, but I found the project an enjoyable challenge to take on. If you have a moment, check it out and let me know what you think. Make sure to
-
Website Facelift with Hand-drawn Art
You may have noticed my website has had a little bit of a facelift. During its last version, I kept things very bland because I wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to go with. The only thing I did know for sure is that when Jeff Brown finishes the cover art for Awakening, I want
-
A Ray of Hope
Quite a few dark events have transpired lately, not just here in the US, but around the globe. Behind the scenes I had been feeling it, like an oppressive weight hanging over me. I’d shove it aside and go through my day ignoring it as much as I could. Then the last few days happened,
-
Book II’s First Draft Complete!
It feels a bit surreal saying I’ve now written two epic fantasy novels. Nevertheless, it’s true! I finished Alignment, Book II yesterday afternoon after a writing session resulting in over 4,500 words in one sitting. The total word count for Book II is over 102,000 at the moment, however, that will expand to around 110,000
-
ARCs and Drafts: An End of Summer Update
With the end of August fast approaching, I felt it a good idea to post a roundup of progress made and review what I am currently working on. While the school year and all the activities that come with it have begun again, I’ve kept on task for both books thus far and will continue
-
Coming this Winter: Series World Map Poster
I love fantasy maps. Specifically, I like ones that look real, like they were drawn by someone from the world the map illustrates, rather than ones generated by generic map creation apps. There’s just something magical about ancient and mythical maps! I know it’s not for everyone, but at least Bilbo Baggins is a kindred
Arwen McCain 