Humanborn, book 1 of Shadows of Eireland, released this May. Since we’re already in the September part of 2023, I thought it was time to offer a peek into what’s going on with the series behind the scenes as I veered off my usual process. (more…)
When the main character in a story clearly reflects at least some of the author’s background, and on top of that, the book is written in the first person perspective, the question about the so-called “self-insert” seems inevitable. Did the author just write a better, more idealized version of herself? Is the main character a reflection of her imaginary self or a way to deal with some insecurities?
So how is it this time? How much of Joanna is in Kaja—or how much does Kaja resemble Joanna? (more…)
When I announced Demon Siege, the fourth book in the Pacts Arcane and Otherwise series, I called it the final one. It certainly wraps up the story arc that revolved around the demon imprisoned under the desert, leaving no major plots unresolved, so it will provide the satisfying read of a completed series. At the same time, with the world of Kinyal complex and vast, there could many more stories told, those involving Kamira and Veelk as well as other characters and other places.
With Shadows Over Kaighal, the third book in my epic fantasy adventure out, I thought it would be interesting to share the process of how the story and the setting came to be. I tried to keep it as spoiler-free as possible, but it does explain aspects of the world, so if you haven’t read By the Pact yet, and you’d like to dive into book 1 knowing as little as possible, you might save this text for later. But if you’re already a fan of the series, you don’t mind knowing more about the setting before you start, and if you’re curious on how my novel came to be and what an orc and a dark mage have to do with a book that has neither, keep reading! (more…)
Oh what a year it’s been, don’t you agree?
On one hand, I had some of my plans derailed, and things had not gone the way I thought they would. On the other, I was one of the lucky few who hadn’t been much affected by the unexpected situation that changed the way we live our lives. Yet, even for me, it was not a year of major achievements or hitting important milestones. Rather, it was a year of trying to move forward and succeed despite the odds. (more…)
“Dreams do not come true just because you dream them.” – Shonda Rhimes
Back in my youth, when I was only starting my writing journey, it always seemed clear to me that I would one day be traditionally published. But while I grew as a writer, gathering short story publications from publishers small and big, the world around me grew as well, changing in the ways I couldn’t have predicted. Traditional publishing wasn’t the only valid way anymore.
Over the years, my perspectives broadened, and my priorities shifted, leading me to realize that it was time to change my decades-old approach to my writing.
I decided to become an indie author, and here’s why.
If you’re on social media, you’ve probably seen memes about how 2020 delivers countless plot twists without being bothered with logic and structure of a story. In that vein, it delivered one to me, and though it wasn’t one of the curve balls it seems to have in an endless supply, my third quarter of the year still ended up under its heavy influence. (more…)
When I’m writing these words, it’s been only a few days after I had finished the first draft of my standalone fantasy, Memories of Sorcery and Sand. There’s still a lot of work ahead of me, but the most important bit is done: I have laid what I hope is a solid structure to probably the most challenging story I attempted to write up to date.
And to be honest, part of me still can’t believe I pulled it off.
Time is a peculiar thing. On one hand, it flies so fast that before you blink, you cross the midpoint of the year. On the other, when you look back at all that happened, it feels like it’s been ages since 2020 started. Of course, it doesn’t help that the year itself seems to be a story of a mad writer or a random plot generator… Yet, as we say in Polish, “one has to go on living” even if things didn’t exactly get back to normal during the second quarter of 2020. (more…)
When I was first making plans for this year, I was hoping to finish book 3 of my epic fantasy by the end of April. Then, my laptop broke and with the delivery date of my new computer being three weeks later, I knew I’d had to adjust the plans. I hoped for the end of May, but realistically, I set myself to finish by the end of June.
It’s almost halfway through the month, and although it still could be possible for me get to the end before July, but even if I push really hard, it’s unlikely. There are several reasons. (more…)