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Carol M. Vaughn
Fantasy and Science Fiction Author
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
The War Captain
The War Captain is now available for preorder!
You can find it at all major online retailers (amazon, ibooks, kobo, etc.).
Also, I'm beginning to take submission in developmental editing. If you've been wanting someone to read over your story and let you know what's missing, what needs more description, and how to fix things, I'm your girl! Just email me to get started!
You can find it at all major online retailers (amazon, ibooks, kobo, etc.).
Also, I'm beginning to take submission in developmental editing. If you've been wanting someone to read over your story and let you know what's missing, what needs more description, and how to fix things, I'm your girl! Just email me to get started!
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
World History Part 2
Here's where the updates on book progress!
The Singer has been sent to alpha readers!
The War Captain is still working through beta readers. The cover looks pretty awesome, though. :)
The Seer is still in vomit draft. I haven’t begun the first read through yet.
Heirs to the Throne is somewhere ambiguous…I can’t decide if it needs a bit more or if it’s finished. It’s a short story that will go out to my reader friends.
The Mage is currently on hold while I work on my other projects. It’s outlined with a few scenes fleshed in.
The Demon Hunter is also on hold. It isn’t quite outlined yet.
World History Part 2:
“In time, the twins had children of their own. Their family spread across the land for 1,000 years. At the end of that time, the Lover awoke. He roamed the land, observing the new people on it. Easily, he recognized the vibrations of his godly brother and sister in the humans now before him. And so he planned his revenge.
“Vengeance came to him unexpectedly. A young Warrior, determined to prove herself, went out hunting. She managed to kill the giant cats that roamed the plains, but the cat injured her. She would have died if the Lover had not been nearby. Using his own Voice, he healed and then seduced the young woman.
“When the daughter brought the Lover to her home, her father, the first War Chief, recognized him for what he was. Violence broke out within the family, brothers and sisters choosing one side or the other. Eventually, the War Chief and his Singer, known as the Voice, defeated the Lover, sending him back to sleep.
“Grief-stricken, the daughter left her family, bringing with her those who believed as she did. And so the family that once was united, became divided. Those who followed the War God and the Goddess chose freedom with individual responsibility. They called those who followed the daughter Anarchists. And thus was the name of the Lover changed to Anarchist among the followers of the War God and the Goddess.
“The followers of the Lover continued to name him Lover, for they saw his seduction as true love and not the evil scheme that it was. They embraced the title of Anarchists for themselves, seeking freedom through strength.
“Another 1,000 years passed. During this time, the people split into organizations: the Warriors strictly followed the War God and the Singers followed the Goddess. The Warriors set up Garrisons for their people while the Singers organized Skenes to train their people. The Anarchist woke again into this new world, but he carried the same goal. He gathered his followers and went forth to battle the Warriors and the Singers. This time, War Captain Denton and his Singer Crielle defeated him.
“By the year 3,000, the people had fractured even more, some choosing to only loosely dedicate their lives to the War God or the Goddess while others remained steadfast and loyal. Those who distanced themselves divided the land between them into four main regions, each region with another smaller four regions within it. The Anarchist arose and attacked the land of Thantos, one of the four larger regions.
“Though depleted in numbers, War Captain Myron was able to rally Warriors and common folk alike, uniting them in the face of danger. Meanwhile, War Captain Landon set up a trap. He lured the Anarchist across the river Erinnon, toward Thantos. When his forces were divided, the War Captains attacked the Anarchist’s forces from two sides and were able to defeat the larger force.
“Peace reigned for another 1,000 years. The four main regions elected High Councilors to govern them. The High Councilors appointed Councilors to govern the regions below them. Whispers carried that the Anarchist was again arising. Determined to avoid the death of the 1,000 years previous, War Captain Jude and his Singer Amorrette left for the Plains of the Anarchist. They planned to find and defeat the Anarchist before he could form his army.
“They were only partially successful. The Anarchist, when he saw defeat imminent, split his soul. His body slumbered while his spirit lingered on. He attached his spirit to Amorrette. The Singer and War Captain returned home, unaware that Amorrette was now host to their enemy.”
The Singer has been sent to alpha readers!
The War Captain is still working through beta readers. The cover looks pretty awesome, though. :)
The Seer is still in vomit draft. I haven’t begun the first read through yet.
Heirs to the Throne is somewhere ambiguous…I can’t decide if it needs a bit more or if it’s finished. It’s a short story that will go out to my reader friends.
The Mage is currently on hold while I work on my other projects. It’s outlined with a few scenes fleshed in.
The Demon Hunter is also on hold. It isn’t quite outlined yet.
World History Part 2:
“In time, the twins had children of their own. Their family spread across the land for 1,000 years. At the end of that time, the Lover awoke. He roamed the land, observing the new people on it. Easily, he recognized the vibrations of his godly brother and sister in the humans now before him. And so he planned his revenge.
“Vengeance came to him unexpectedly. A young Warrior, determined to prove herself, went out hunting. She managed to kill the giant cats that roamed the plains, but the cat injured her. She would have died if the Lover had not been nearby. Using his own Voice, he healed and then seduced the young woman.
“When the daughter brought the Lover to her home, her father, the first War Chief, recognized him for what he was. Violence broke out within the family, brothers and sisters choosing one side or the other. Eventually, the War Chief and his Singer, known as the Voice, defeated the Lover, sending him back to sleep.
“Grief-stricken, the daughter left her family, bringing with her those who believed as she did. And so the family that once was united, became divided. Those who followed the War God and the Goddess chose freedom with individual responsibility. They called those who followed the daughter Anarchists. And thus was the name of the Lover changed to Anarchist among the followers of the War God and the Goddess.
“The followers of the Lover continued to name him Lover, for they saw his seduction as true love and not the evil scheme that it was. They embraced the title of Anarchists for themselves, seeking freedom through strength.
“Another 1,000 years passed. During this time, the people split into organizations: the Warriors strictly followed the War God and the Singers followed the Goddess. The Warriors set up Garrisons for their people while the Singers organized Skenes to train their people. The Anarchist woke again into this new world, but he carried the same goal. He gathered his followers and went forth to battle the Warriors and the Singers. This time, War Captain Denton and his Singer Crielle defeated him.
“By the year 3,000, the people had fractured even more, some choosing to only loosely dedicate their lives to the War God or the Goddess while others remained steadfast and loyal. Those who distanced themselves divided the land between them into four main regions, each region with another smaller four regions within it. The Anarchist arose and attacked the land of Thantos, one of the four larger regions.
“Though depleted in numbers, War Captain Myron was able to rally Warriors and common folk alike, uniting them in the face of danger. Meanwhile, War Captain Landon set up a trap. He lured the Anarchist across the river Erinnon, toward Thantos. When his forces were divided, the War Captains attacked the Anarchist’s forces from two sides and were able to defeat the larger force.
“Peace reigned for another 1,000 years. The four main regions elected High Councilors to govern them. The High Councilors appointed Councilors to govern the regions below them. Whispers carried that the Anarchist was again arising. Determined to avoid the death of the 1,000 years previous, War Captain Jude and his Singer Amorrette left for the Plains of the Anarchist. They planned to find and defeat the Anarchist before he could form his army.
“They were only partially successful. The Anarchist, when he saw defeat imminent, split his soul. His body slumbered while his spirit lingered on. He attached his spirit to Amorrette. The Singer and War Captain returned home, unaware that Amorrette was now host to their enemy.”
Thursday, February 2, 2017
World History Part 1
Let's do the could be boring/could be exciting stuff first!
Book updates: War Captain has been out to betas for a month now. I’m going to do one more pass of my own (adding in suggested changes) and then send it to an editor.
The Singer (book 2 after War Captain) is almost finished with first edits. I’ll be sending it to alpha readers this weekend.
I have outlined a short story Heirs to the Throne that will go to those on my mailing list in May.
I’ve outlined The Mage, the story of Ashtiv and have begun work on a few sections. I know it’s a bit of a spoiler, but there’s my Christmas gift for those on my mailing list. Early Merry Christmas! :)
Random book idea that is way out of my genre is outlined. It will be titled Demon Hunter. Because it’s not a normal book for me to write, it will be one that I work on every now and again (de vez en cuando, for you Spanish speakers from the Dominican Republic).
As I mentioned, my next book coming out is the War Captain. Here’s a little world history for it:
“Before time even began, the gods lived in the heavens. There were three gods in particular who have influenced the land. The War God, the Goddess, and the Lover.
“The War God and the Lover battled for the affections of the Goddess. It was a dark, brutal time. Some say that it was during this time that the world was formed, the clash of the blades giving light to darkness, the chip of a mace falling and spinning to become the world, the tears of the Goddess, creating the seas, and each drop of blood and sweat mingling to become beast or plant.
“The war lasted for unnumbered years. Perhaps it would have ended sooner had the Goddess chosen one of the gods to love. The problem is that she loved them both. The War God devoted his body to her, the Lover devoted his skill, even going so far as to become most like her of the two gods. Because of this, she could not bring herself to choose one over the other.
“At long last, the Lover gained dominance over the War God. He threw the other down, holding him pinned beneath his foot. The war had twisted the Lover, his soul changing into something unrecognizable. But, because a Soul is hidden within the body, neither the Goddess nor the War God at first recognized the change.
“The War God, for the first time in eons, looked directly into the Lover’s eyes and knew. He knew that his brother was no longer the same man and he knew that he would not be satisfied until the War God was no more. Seeing his fate, he turned his gaze one last time upon the Goddess. “Please,” he begged. “Let me die hearing your voice.”
“The Lover laughed. He raised his mace high, eyes glowing blue as the lightning behind him. “You shall never hear her again,” he mocked. “I will be the last thing you hear!” And then he raised his voice in Song, hideous and painful to hear.
“The Goddess looked upon the Lover, finally seeing him as the twisted creature that he had become. Her gaze shifted to the War God. He still did not look upon the Lover, nor his fate, but stared faithfully at her. Once again, she looked to the Lover. “Stop,” she ordered.
“The Lover’s lips sneered. “You are now mine,” he said. “You must obey my orders.” The force of his Song altered, ever so slightly, and the Goddess fell to her knees in pain.
“The War God roared in fury, twisting to get out from under the Lover, but his struggles were in vain. He was too weak to protect the Goddess.
“A pure, golden sound cut through the cacophony of the Lover. For the first time, the Goddess raised her voice in battle and her power struck true.
“The Lover staggered back, his Song fading away as he gasped for breath.
“With renewed strength, the War God leapt to his feet. With the Song of the Goddess aiding him, he threw the Lover from the heavens.
“As he fell, his body caught fire. He blazed to the new earth below them, landing with a mighty crash. Some say the fire was holy fire from the Goddess, that it robbed the Lover of his godhood. All that is truly known is that the Lover had fallen from his Standing as a god and now wandered the earth, immortal and thirsty for vengeance.
“Meanwhile, the War God and the Goddess found themselves with a world and each other. Together, they explored the plants and animals, altering them into more refined creations that the world knows today. During their time on the planet, the Goddess conceived and gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl.
“Because the children were born on earth, they were unable to return to the heavens with their parents. Instead, the War God taught his son to fight and the Goddess taught her daughter to Sing and care for the plants she had placed there. And then they left, giving their children the world as a gift.”
End of Part 1. Next month, I'll outline what these two kids and their children got up to. :)
Book updates: War Captain has been out to betas for a month now. I’m going to do one more pass of my own (adding in suggested changes) and then send it to an editor.
The Singer (book 2 after War Captain) is almost finished with first edits. I’ll be sending it to alpha readers this weekend.
I have outlined a short story Heirs to the Throne that will go to those on my mailing list in May.
I’ve outlined The Mage, the story of Ashtiv and have begun work on a few sections. I know it’s a bit of a spoiler, but there’s my Christmas gift for those on my mailing list. Early Merry Christmas! :)
Random book idea that is way out of my genre is outlined. It will be titled Demon Hunter. Because it’s not a normal book for me to write, it will be one that I work on every now and again (de vez en cuando, for you Spanish speakers from the Dominican Republic).
As I mentioned, my next book coming out is the War Captain. Here’s a little world history for it:
“Before time even began, the gods lived in the heavens. There were three gods in particular who have influenced the land. The War God, the Goddess, and the Lover.
“The War God and the Lover battled for the affections of the Goddess. It was a dark, brutal time. Some say that it was during this time that the world was formed, the clash of the blades giving light to darkness, the chip of a mace falling and spinning to become the world, the tears of the Goddess, creating the seas, and each drop of blood and sweat mingling to become beast or plant.
“The war lasted for unnumbered years. Perhaps it would have ended sooner had the Goddess chosen one of the gods to love. The problem is that she loved them both. The War God devoted his body to her, the Lover devoted his skill, even going so far as to become most like her of the two gods. Because of this, she could not bring herself to choose one over the other.
“At long last, the Lover gained dominance over the War God. He threw the other down, holding him pinned beneath his foot. The war had twisted the Lover, his soul changing into something unrecognizable. But, because a Soul is hidden within the body, neither the Goddess nor the War God at first recognized the change.
“The War God, for the first time in eons, looked directly into the Lover’s eyes and knew. He knew that his brother was no longer the same man and he knew that he would not be satisfied until the War God was no more. Seeing his fate, he turned his gaze one last time upon the Goddess. “Please,” he begged. “Let me die hearing your voice.”
“The Lover laughed. He raised his mace high, eyes glowing blue as the lightning behind him. “You shall never hear her again,” he mocked. “I will be the last thing you hear!” And then he raised his voice in Song, hideous and painful to hear.
“The Goddess looked upon the Lover, finally seeing him as the twisted creature that he had become. Her gaze shifted to the War God. He still did not look upon the Lover, nor his fate, but stared faithfully at her. Once again, she looked to the Lover. “Stop,” she ordered.
“The Lover’s lips sneered. “You are now mine,” he said. “You must obey my orders.” The force of his Song altered, ever so slightly, and the Goddess fell to her knees in pain.
“The War God roared in fury, twisting to get out from under the Lover, but his struggles were in vain. He was too weak to protect the Goddess.
“A pure, golden sound cut through the cacophony of the Lover. For the first time, the Goddess raised her voice in battle and her power struck true.
“The Lover staggered back, his Song fading away as he gasped for breath.
“With renewed strength, the War God leapt to his feet. With the Song of the Goddess aiding him, he threw the Lover from the heavens.
“As he fell, his body caught fire. He blazed to the new earth below them, landing with a mighty crash. Some say the fire was holy fire from the Goddess, that it robbed the Lover of his godhood. All that is truly known is that the Lover had fallen from his Standing as a god and now wandered the earth, immortal and thirsty for vengeance.
“Meanwhile, the War God and the Goddess found themselves with a world and each other. Together, they explored the plants and animals, altering them into more refined creations that the world knows today. During their time on the planet, the Goddess conceived and gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl.
“Because the children were born on earth, they were unable to return to the heavens with their parents. Instead, the War God taught his son to fight and the Goddess taught her daughter to Sing and care for the plants she had placed there. And then they left, giving their children the world as a gift.”
End of Part 1. Next month, I'll outline what these two kids and their children got up to. :)
Sunday, January 1, 2017
New Year Resolutions
I’ve been thinking lately about where I want to take my authorship. I love writing and I plan to keep writing. That’s not the problem. My problem is what to do with my writing once it’s done. I love sharing it, so I’m making some New Year’s Resolutions with that in mind.
1. I want to release three books this year. Yes, three. They’re already written in vomit draft, I just need to finish editing them. (Okay, maybe four. But who’s counting?)
2. I want to send those on my newsletter complimentary short story or two. I haven’t outlined them yet, but I have a pretty good idea of what they’ll be. Eventually, they will be made available to the public, but those on my list will get first crack at them.
3. I want to give those on my newsletter a Christmas present! Considering I’m an author, you can probably bet it will be a free story of some sort. ;) (Okay, I’m totally planning to write Ashtiv’s story. Hope you don’t mind me ruining the surprise.)
4. I want to purchase 25 bags from Together We Rise to donate to my local foster care agency. This is only possible because of all of you. So that donation is as much from you as me. If you want to see what they’re all about, you can find them at togetherwerise.org. It’s a non-profit organization.
5. I want to send out monthly newsletters and write monthly blog posts to keep you informed of what’s going on. Those who have signed up for my newsletter will be privy to insider information (like sales or freebies from me and other authors) while the blog will cover more general news or random thoughts.
6. I want to revamp my web page, which means that I may move it in the near future. Purchase my own domain name and everything. :) It makes me nervous, but I think it would be more professional. And I want to offer professional quality to my readers.
7. I want to divide my time using the 80/20 rule. This means I have to figure out how often I’m going to write each day so that I have a known number to work with. Then I want to devote 80% of that time to writing and 20% to marketing, newsletters, and blog posts.
These are my New Year’s Resolutions. I hereby resolve to get these things done in 2017! I understand that resolutions don’t always happen, which is why some people don’t like to make them. What’s the point when you always fail? I don’t see making and attempting and failing resolutions as failure, I see it as progress. If I can improve myself a little bit today, even if I don’t make the big improvement that I wanted, then I’ll be that much better than yesterday.
*You'll notice a lot of good things are geared toward those on my newsletter list. That's because they took the time to sign up for my newsletter, so I want to make sure to treat them right. They've made a commitment with me and I want to show them I appreciate that. Anyone can sign up for the list. ;)
1. I want to release three books this year. Yes, three. They’re already written in vomit draft, I just need to finish editing them. (Okay, maybe four. But who’s counting?)
2. I want to send those on my newsletter complimentary short story or two. I haven’t outlined them yet, but I have a pretty good idea of what they’ll be. Eventually, they will be made available to the public, but those on my list will get first crack at them.
3. I want to give those on my newsletter a Christmas present! Considering I’m an author, you can probably bet it will be a free story of some sort. ;) (Okay, I’m totally planning to write Ashtiv’s story. Hope you don’t mind me ruining the surprise.)
4. I want to purchase 25 bags from Together We Rise to donate to my local foster care agency. This is only possible because of all of you. So that donation is as much from you as me. If you want to see what they’re all about, you can find them at togetherwerise.org. It’s a non-profit organization.
5. I want to send out monthly newsletters and write monthly blog posts to keep you informed of what’s going on. Those who have signed up for my newsletter will be privy to insider information (like sales or freebies from me and other authors) while the blog will cover more general news or random thoughts.
6. I want to revamp my web page, which means that I may move it in the near future. Purchase my own domain name and everything. :) It makes me nervous, but I think it would be more professional. And I want to offer professional quality to my readers.
7. I want to divide my time using the 80/20 rule. This means I have to figure out how often I’m going to write each day so that I have a known number to work with. Then I want to devote 80% of that time to writing and 20% to marketing, newsletters, and blog posts.
These are my New Year’s Resolutions. I hereby resolve to get these things done in 2017! I understand that resolutions don’t always happen, which is why some people don’t like to make them. What’s the point when you always fail? I don’t see making and attempting and failing resolutions as failure, I see it as progress. If I can improve myself a little bit today, even if I don’t make the big improvement that I wanted, then I’ll be that much better than yesterday.
*You'll notice a lot of good things are geared toward those on my newsletter list. That's because they took the time to sign up for my newsletter, so I want to make sure to treat them right. They've made a commitment with me and I want to show them I appreciate that. Anyone can sign up for the list. ;)
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Thursday, December 15, 2016
June??
Was the last blog post really in June? That's nuts! So much has happened since then! I could have sworn I posted when Totems 3 came out in November. Hmmm....Life has been crazy.
Fear not! I am still here! And I hope to make 2017 better than 2016 has been. :) I've got big plans for next year, all of which will be included in my next blog post.
Until then, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Carol
Fear not! I am still here! And I hope to make 2017 better than 2016 has been. :) I've got big plans for next year, all of which will be included in my next blog post.
Until then, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Carol
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Updates
This is how you know I'm busy working on the story: the blog suffers! As I mentioned earlier, I had to rewrite about 50% of the story. There are still a few tweaks and additions that need to happen, but I am on the first read through before sending it to Betas. :D
Once I send the book to betas, I'll contact my cover designer and get a cover going. When you see that posted on my facebook page, you'll know that things are getting close.
I appreciate your patience and the time you've spent reading these books. I have enjoyed getting to know Rael, Arianwyn, and those who surround them better as well. It's an amazing thing to have snippets of imagination come alive on a page. Thank you everyone!
I should say, I'm about 1/3 of the way through the read through, so next week I plan on sending the book to betas.
Once I send the book to betas, I'll contact my cover designer and get a cover going. When you see that posted on my facebook page, you'll know that things are getting close.
I appreciate your patience and the time you've spent reading these books. I have enjoyed getting to know Rael, Arianwyn, and those who surround them better as well. It's an amazing thing to have snippets of imagination come alive on a page. Thank you everyone!
I should say, I'm about 1/3 of the way through the read through, so next week I plan on sending the book to betas.
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