My debut novella, Ice and Snow, is included in one of today’s Deals of the Day from DriveThruRPG! Pick up the e-book edition of The Great Clans of Rokugan Vol 1 for only $8.97! The deal expires on Saturday, July 16, at 10:00 Central Daylight time, so don’t delay!

Deals of the Day! Save up to 50% today only! #TTRPGs
The Great Clans of Rokugan – the Collected Novellas vol 1 https://t.co/Ll18b9T89a
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I recently had the opportunity to appear as a guest on the 80th episode of The Last Province Podcast, which features a behind-the-scenes look at my novella, Ice and Snow. I talked with hosts Daniel Tickle, George Maney, and Robert Denton about my writing process and how the idea for Doji Hotaru’s coming-of-age story came about. We also discuss the centrality of romance to the plot, the challenges of writing fight scenes, and why I felt it was so important for “the Crane Clan novella” to feature the other Great Clans. You can listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or on the web.

Today my debut novella Ice and Snow has been published as part of the first volume of The Great Clans of Rokugan! This story of political intrigue and swashbuckling romance follows the heir to a samurai clan as her skills as a diplomat and duelist are put to the test. For those of you familiar with Legend of the Five Rings, this tale is set five years before the Living Card Game storyline and offers an early glimpse into the star-crossed relationship between Doji Hotaru and Bayushi Kachiko.

Doji Hotaru’s reputation is tarnished by the fact that she did not compete in the Topaz Championship—the illustrious dueling tournament put on by her own teacher and his dueling academy. The Emperor’s illustrious Winter Court would be the perfect place to restore her stature and prove her worth to her clan, but she is forced to stay behind, serving as the acting lord of her clan’s ancestral palace instead. But when the Mantis Clan launches a surprise attack against on of her clan’s island keeps, it falls to Hotaru to keep the peace and avoid a war at all costs.

As Hotaru runs out of diplomatic solutions, the Emperor sends the infamous and alluring Scorpion Clan courtier, Bayushi Kachiko, as his emissary to arbitrate the dispute. But what secrets does Kachiko hide behind her mask, and will Hotaru be able to win Kachiko to her side?

You can read the first two chapters of the story on the Aconyte Books web site (make sure to click the cover under the Read For Free Now section) and order your copy in ebook or trade paperback format from these booksellers in the US (and many more). The UK release will be February 17, 2022.

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Legend of the Five Rings

The realm of Rokugan is a land of samurai, courtiers, and mystics—dragons, magic, and divine beings. Here, the seven Great Clans have defended and served the Emperor for over a thousand years, in battle and in the imperial court. Yet while conflict and political intrigue divide the clans, the true threat awaits in the darkness of the Shadowlands. Originally created in 1995, the Emerald Empire has been explored through Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game, Battle for Rokugan, the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game, Adventures in Rokugan, and Legend of the Five Rings Fiction.

One of the biggest mistakes I made when I first started writing was to equate the word “editing” with merely correcting grammar and spelling. Although that is certainly an integral part of the editing process, it is by no means the only one. It wasn’t until I started working in publishing that I realized there were names for the multiple stages of editing that a published work of writing undergoes, along with a recommended order of doing them. In the fanfiction community especially (where I got my start as a writer), “beta readers” will often edit multiple levels at the same time, but for writers who are considering selling their work, it can make sense to go through the more formal editorial process.

First comes developmental editing, then copyediting, and finally—just before the piece is published—proofreading. Aspiring authors can help critiquers by signaling what kind of editing they’re looking for, i.e., saying whether one is willing to rewrite entire sections of a piece, or whether one wants to keep the bulk of the text intact but just have it polished. By using the jargon associated with the different levels of editing, authors can communicate their needs quickly and also begin to learn the language of professional publishing.

Coming this fall to a bookstore near you is Ice and Snow, my debut novella set in the world of Legend of the Five Rings and featuring the elegant and artistic Crane Clan. The story will be published as part of the omnibus The Great Clans of Rokugan Vol. 1 alongside three other fantastic novellas that center on the Phoenix, Scorpion, and Unicorn Clans. The book releases in trade paperback and ebook edition on November 16, 2021, from Aconyte Books.

I look forward to sharing more about Ice and Snow’s heroine and the challenges she faces in the coming months. If you’re a fan of romantic fantasy with swashbuckling action and courtly intrigue, I hope you’ll consider pre-ordering it at your favorite bookstore. You can read the full announcement on the Aconyte Books home page.

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