In classic fairy tale style, we embark on an enchanted journey with a young blacksmith—Joran—whose only desire is to live a peaceful, uncomplicated life in his forest village, a desire shattered by the sudden and bizarre disappearance of his wife, Charris. Later, Joran is plagued by nightmares of an unimaginable sea, where Charris remains trapped in a sand castle at the whim of the Moon. The goose woman insists he will find no rest from his nightmares until he solves the riddle of three keys. She tells him to travel the treacherous journey to the house of the Moon to find the answers he seeks. Unable to ignore the urgings of his nightmares, Joran sets out north seeking the Moon. Leaving a town and family where he never felt truly at home, Joran’s journey becomes more than just a search for his wife. His path also leads inward, for he must face emotions that have tormented him his entire life—feelings of alienation and anger, of despair and hurt. Along the way he rescues a wolf—a huge, imposing creature that becomes a companion, and eventually a trusted friend. Joran has the uncanny ability to speak with animals, and learns from the wolf, Ruyah, that he can manipulate his dreams to affect the real world. With Ruyah’s humor and guidance, Joran finds the courage and fortitude to press on, despite setbacks and disappointments. With the wolf by his side he endures the darkness at the end of the world and the ravings of the lunatic Moon, who sends him off—more confused than before—to the Palace of the Sun with a seemingly useless gift. After trekking through a vast, unmerciful desert, Joran arrives at the Palace of the Sun, where he meets the Sun’s mother, Sola. She helps Joran understand part of his riddle and then sends him, with the gift of a sunstone, to the cave of the South Wind, whom, she says, will finally reveal the truth to him about his wife—if he dares hear it. He and Ruyah travel south through jungle, and finally arrive at the cave. There Joran is swept along a vision where he sees his past, and in horror, learns truths that send him into deep despair. The South Wind dismisses him with one last gift—but like the other two gifts, he has no idea what they are for or how they will help him rescue his wife. She tells him to find the sea of his dreams—far west, beyond his imagining.

The Wolf of Tebron (The Gates of Heaven Series)

Religion & Spirituality

Lakin, C.S.

Christian Books & Bibles

AMG Publishers

An ancient curse plagues the kingdom of Sherbourne, and unless it is stopped, all will fall to ruin. The King, obsessed with greed, cannot see the danger. But his teenage twin children, Aletha and Adin, know they must act. A hermit leads Adin to a magical map that will send him back in time to discover the origin of the curse. Once back, Adin must find the Keeper, who protects the Gate of Heaven, but all he has is a symbol as a clue to guide him. Unbeknown to Adin, Aletha follows her brother, but they both arrive in Sherbourne’s past at the precipice of a great war, and there is little time to discover how to counteract the curse. One unexpected disaster after another forces the twins to make difficult choices. Adin’s only hope to correct the past is to return to the future to manipulate events so his quest can succeed. Through his trials and failures, Adin learns that nothing can stop heaven from accomplishing its goal, and that all events work for the good of those who trust heaven. An epic fairy tale with surprising twists, embracing the enduring power of love and faith.

The Map Across Time (The Gates of Heaven Series)

“It is not the land that is dangerous, Callen. The danger lies in your heart. Others have lost their lives searching for the bridge. Are you certain you are prepared to pay that price?” Jadiel is twelve and things couldn’t get much worse—or could they? Not long after her mother is killed in a tragic accident, her father, Ka’rel, marries a vile and abusive woman named Huldah, but Jadiel sees how he simmers under Huldah’s intoxicating enchantment. Jadiel’s wicked stepmother means to get rid of Jadiel, and sends her off with a threat and an impossible task: bring back the leaves from the Eternal Tree by the next full moon or her father will die. Heartsick and hopeless, Jadiel sets out alone and afraid. Callen, a woodworking apprentice for Jadiel’s uncle in Wolcreek Vale, discovers some weathered drawings of an exquisitely detailed bridge made entirely of wood and embellished with mysterious symbols that appear to be ancient script. Obsessed with finding this bridge, he sets off seeking clues to its possible existence, unknowingly beginning a perilous and mystifying undertaking. On his journey, he rescues Jadiel from brigands and learns their quests are linked—as the elusive bridge Callen seeks is crafted from the rare tree Jadiel must find. The trail of clues leads them to the forbidden Land of Darkness, where they must face the greatest dangers of all—what lies in their hearts.

The Land of Darkness (Volume 3) (The Gates of Heaven Series)

Living Ink Books

When the simple, backward village of Wentwater begins disappearing one word at a time, no one can figure out how to stop it. Not the learned men living up in the Heights nor the superstitious leaders of the village. But those who had attended the baby naming ceremony seventeen years earlier remember the words of the marsh witch, and her pronouncement that the babe would one day cause the unraveling of Wentwater. In their fear, the villagers banish the parents and set their cottage on fire, and the babe was thought to have perished in the flames. But . . . did she? Teralyn lives in the Heights and wants nothing more than to create beautiful music on her lap harp. When she comes down to the village for a festival, she falls in love with a villager named Fromer, much to the fury of Fromer’s brother, Justyn. Justyn’s jealousy moves him to make a deal with the witch, and when Wentwater vanishes due to a backfiring spell, it leaves Teralyn, the only person left in the kingdom, with a terrible choice. She must leave her life and forget Wentwater, or she can spend seven long years restoring everything back to the way it was, by spinning nettle into thread and stitching the world back . . . one word at a time. The Unraveling of Wentwater explores love, jealousy, mercy, and judgment. It spins a tale about the power and magic of words, and as the marsh witch, who keeps words in a jar, warns, “Be careful with your words, they have consequences!” Secrets and superstitions abound in the kingdom, but only a water creature who lives at the bottom of the lake and guards the sacred site knows the truth and can help Teralyn restore all. In this fourth installment of The Gates of Heaven fantasy series, readers will learn of the fourth of seven sacred sites heaven set up on earth to prevent evil from gaining a stronghold over the hearts of men. Inspired by the traditional fairy tale Sleeping Beauty, readers will be taken on a journey that will leave them, in a word . . . speechless.

The Unraveling of Wentwater (Volume 4) (The Gates of Heaven Series)

Literature & Fiction

Literary

When Pythius, the wicked young king of Paladya, learns of the hidden realm of Elysiel and the crystal scepter that protects that northern land, he journeys to kill the Keeper and steal the scepter. But his defiant act unleashes a terrible curse, and the Seer foretells his death one day at the hand of his son, now a newborn babe. To thwart the prophecy, he attempts to murder his child, but the queen escapes and sends the babe off in a trunk across the sea, where he is found and raised by a humble fisherman. Years later, Perthin, the cast-off babe now grown, hears his call of destiny, and is visited by a specter who tells him of the land of Elysiel and of the Gorgon—the evil creature fomenting war in the Northern Wastes. Perthin’s village of Tolpuddle is being ravaged by a monstrous sea beast sent by this enemy, and Perthin accepts the challenge to kill the creature by cutting off its head—although anyone who looks upon it turns to stone. Armed with magical shoes and a legendary sword, Perthin arrives in Elysiel, where the trolls lead him to the ice cavern where the sacred site made of crystal slabs awaits him to show him his future. Perthin feels a strange connection to this land, unaware that he is the heir to Elysiel’s throne. With the help of heaven’s army, Perthin bests the enemy and returns to stop the sea monster as the beast is ravaging the kingdom of Paladya. He rescues the princess, who has been set out in the harbor as a sacrifice for the beast, and then stops the sea monster by exposing it to the Gorgon’s head, yet through his heroic efforts he unknowingly fulfills the prophecy foretold by the Seer. He returns to Tolpuddle a hero, where many surprising revelations await him as to his heritage and legacy, for he learns he is not truly a fisherman’s son but a king foretold. The Crystal Scepter is an adventurous retelling of the classic story of Perseus and Medusa with a twist, as the heart of the story involves the gates of heaven—the sacred sites erected by heaven to prevent evil from taking over the world of mankind. It also has parallels to the story or Oedipus Rex, the 17th-century play by Spanish playwright Pedro Calderón de la Barca entitled Life is a Dream, and Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors.

The Crystal Scepter (Volume 5) (The Gates of Heaven Series)

The ancient and acclaimed land of Ethryn is dying from pervasive drought, and while the king searches to find water, a mighty tower is uncovered in the desert. King Kael hopes the scroll found near the altar will tell of water sources, but when he touches the gemstone set in the altar, he falls into a coma that transports him back five thousand years where he is a slave building the tower. Sha’kath, the wizard who oversaw the building of the tower all those centuries ago, had cast a spell that brings sand bubbling up from the ground so the workers can make bricks and complete the tower’s construction. In the past, the king, whose is a young villager named Lael, is pursued relentlessly by God, given visions and declarations that he has been chosen to be a deliverer and a prophet , but Lael keeps fleeing. Then, when the tower is completed, heaven appoints him as deliverer, and he and his companions escape and head to their villages. God directs Lael to the sacred site and makes him the Keeper, then reveals his great power as he brings down judgment upon the world, confusing languages and scattering all in rebellion and defiance. Lael is shown the beginnings of Ethryn—a fertile and prosperous land that will become a great kingdom—and then he returns home to his family, where he fully embraces his destiny and delivers those who will listen. God then destroys his village with fire, but Lael leads his contingent to the sacred site and a new beginning. At the end of his life, Lael—who has watched Ethryn grow and prosper and who has been a gifted healer—returns to the tower to place his poem in the chest and put the gemstone on the altar. Before he takes his last breath, he turns and sees a girl—who is Ra’daf of the future—and when he dies, King Kael in the future wakes from his long sleep. Upon awakening he finds Ra’daf nearly dead by his bed—for the vizier had tried to stop her from waking the king with the amaranth in the vase. Lael heals her, and the vizier flees, unable to locate his secret chamber, but intent on discovering the locations of all seven sites and destroying them all. Kael, upon reviving, now knows where the site is buried under sand and takes his people there, where he again is set up as Keeper, and now, with heaven’s blessing, water erupts from the ground and ends the drought.

The Sands of Ethryn (Volume 6) (The Gates of Heaven Series)

Six thousand years ago, Sha'kath the Destroyer set out to annihilate all the kingdoms that stood in opposition to him, but heaven set up sacred sites to thwart him. Shamara, the wizard and protector of the blessed land of Moreb, did the only think she could do when attacked - ushered the survivors through rock to safety, to a hidden kingdom underground that she fabricated and sustained. Now, those in her kingdom have no knowledge of the real world above, and her power is failing. She chooses a young girl, Meris, who has the most magic in her blood, the be her successor. But Meris does not want his appointment. The remaining wizards in the world thought the Destroyer had vanished - until the sacred sites come under attack. With warning from dreams and ghosts, the unite to find a way to stop Sha'kath from destroying these sites - for these stone structures are the last bastion keeping evil at bay and protecting humanity on the earth. An end is coming, and they must find the missing seventh site, which has never been located. They believe if they can protect this last site, they will prevent the destruction coming upon this world, and so go in search of the hidden kingdom. But what they learn about this kingdom allays their fears and gives them comfort and hope - for it is a kingdom not made by human hands.

The Hidden Kingdom (Volume 7) (The Gates of Heaven Series)

Finally! A grammar guide specifically designed for fiction writers! Introducing the second edition, with more than fifty new entries!
WRITING CORRECTLY DOESN’T HAVE TO BE HARD
Great writers write well. Grammatical errors mark a manuscript as unprofessional and the author as sloppy or an amateur. But you don’t have to memorize the myriad of grammar, punctuation, and usage rules to have a well-written book. If you’re a novelist or write creative nonfiction, this handy guide is essential—giving you the most common and applicable rules and tips to make your book shine—minus the pain!
Inside you’ll find
<ul>
<li>Short, concise, and often humorous explanations of important grammar, punctuation, and word usage rules as featured on the award-winning blog Live Write Thrive.</li>
<li>Bonus fiction-writing tips to help you tighten your prose and say what you mean in fewer, more appropriate words.</li>
<li>Easy-to-navigate sections and a comprehensive index so you can find the answer to your grammar question right away.</li>
</ul>
Whether you’re a novice or experienced writer, you’ll benefit from these clear and helpful explanations of grammar and usage based on The Chicago Manual of Style—the US book publishing industry’s authoritative reference guide. You no longer need to search the web or thumb through a stack of grammar books to find simple answers to your grammar questions. With Say What? at your fingertips, you’ll spend less time fretting over grammar and more time writing. And you’ll become a better writer in the process!
Here's what writing instructors say about this handy grammar book:“Good, concise and easily accessible reference books on grammar and usage is hard to find. I mean, are hard to find. This is one of them.”—James Scott Bell, bestselling novelist, writing coach, and author of Revision and Self-Editing for Publication
“This handy, user-friendly reference book, presented with style and humor, is a must for any writer serious about honing their craft and garnering respect for their works. An essential resource, the e-book will save you time with all its quick links to the short, snappy topics, and the print version is small enough to stay within reach beside your computer, so I highly recommend getting both. Respected editor and writer Susanne Lakin succeeds in making a dry topic interesting and meaningful! And using this book will also help you reduce your editing costs.”—Jodie Renner, editor and author of Style That Sizzles
“As a self-professed grammar nerd, let me just say this: The world needs more grammar nerds. Editor Lakin is doing her part to make this happen with her pithy, fun, and supremely useful guide to the everyday writing mistakes most of us don't even realize we're making. Her book is conversational and approachable enough to make for enjoyable reading. But its true value is in its ‘lookupability.’ This is the perfect guide to keep on your desk, next to your computer, for those moments when you're just not sure which word is right.”—K. M. Weiland, author of Structuring Your Novel and Outlining Your Novel

Say What?: The Fiction Writer's Handy Guide to Grammar, Punctuation, and Word Usage (The Writer's Toolbox Series)

Reference

Words, Language & Grammar

Ubiquitous Press

Don't fall victim to the 12 fatal flaws of fiction writing
Fiction writers often struggle to improve their craft
And the biggest challenge comes from the inability to see what isn’t working. The prose feels off. The scene isn’t gelling. The dialogue sounds stilted or clunky. But they don’t know why or how to fix it.
This book lays it all out
5 Editors Tackle the Twelve Fatal Flaws of Fiction Writing demonstrates the deadly dozen pitfalls on the road to a strong story, along with revisions that show writers exactly how to avoid novel failure.
No other writing craft book offers such detailed instruction in how to spot and remedy the major flaws of fiction writing.What makes this book an important addition to a writer’s bookshelf?<ul>
<li>More than 60 Before and After passages showcase each of the twelve fatal flaws, which are then picked apart and examined to help writers spot these flaws in their own writing and fix them.</li>
<li>Five editors with extensive background in both editing fiction and writing novels bring a wealth of insights, examples, and solutions to these flaws, using various genre styles and POVs.</li>
<li>Each chapter ends with a checklist to help writers seek and destroy these fatal flaws in their manuscript, followed by bonus Before and After passages to help them test what they’ve learned.</li>
</ul>
This in-depth guide to self-editing is an invaluable resource for any writer of any genre. It shows, not just tells, how to write better fiction. Using it, you’ll be armed with the tools and skills you need to conquer the twelve fatal flaws of fiction writing.Here are some of the 12 fatal flaws:<ul>
<li>Overwriting—the most egregious and common flaw in fiction writing.</li>
<li>Nothin’ Happenin’—Too many stories take too long to get going. Learn what it means to start in medias res.</li>
<li>Weak Construction—It sneaks in at the level of words and sentences, and rears up in up in the form of passive voice, ing verbs, and misplaced modifiers.</li>
<li>Too Much Backstory—the bane of many manuscripts. Backstory has its place, but too often it serves as an info dump and bogs down pacing.</li>
<li>POV Violations—Head hopping, characters knowing things they can’t know, and foreshadowing are just some of the many POV violations explored.</li>
<li>Telling instead of Showing—Writers have heard this admonition, but there’s a lot to understanding how and when to show instead of tell.</li>
<li>Lack of Pacing and Tension—Many factors affect pacing and tension: clunky passages, mundane dialogue, unimportant information, and so much more.</li>
<li>Flawed Dialogue Construction—Writers need to learn to balance speech and narrative tags and avoid “on the nose” speech.</li>
<li>“Underwriting”—just as fatal as overwriting. Too often scenes are lacking the necessary actions, descriptions, and details needed to bring them to life.</li>
<li>Description Deficiencies and Excesses—Learning how to balance description is challenging, and writers need to choose wisely just what to describe and in what way.</li>
</ul>
Don’t be left in the dark. Learn what causes these flaws and apply the fixes in your own stories.
No one need suffer novel failure. You don’t have to be brilliant or talented to write strong fiction. You just need to be forewarned and forearmed to be able to tackle these culprits. And this book will give you all the weapons and knowledge you need.
“This book should be on every writer’s bookshelf.” —Cheryl Kaye Tardif, international best-selling author

5 Editors Tackle the 12 Fatal Flaws of Fiction Writing (The Writer's Toolbox Series)

Thomson, Rachel Starr

Patchen, Robin

Clare, Linda S.

Distler, Christy

Writing, Research & Publishing Guides

Want to become a successful author? If so, you’re going to have to crank out books. And not mediocre books but high-quality ones.Why? Because that’s what readers expect and want.
Regardless of whether you write fiction or nonfiction, if you want to get established as an author, you need to be productive. Highly productive.
You can’t just write one terrific book and call it good, expecting that singular work to carry you atop the wave of success for years to come.
Studies show readers want 3-4 books a year from their favorite authors. And to build traction and a growing audience, authors need to deliver.
But how many writers have the time to write that many books?
In today’s busy world, amid distractions and demands, it’s hard to carve out time to write even one book a year.
But plenty of super-busy people find time to crank out numerous high-quality books. And in this in-depth look on the topic, you’ll learn the strategies that help them—and will help you—be super productive.
If you want to grow your readership, you need to write the best books you can—and that means strategizing to optimize every factor that impacts your writing.
Here are some of the things you’ll learn in Crank it Out!:
<ul>
<li>How to dig deep into the Productivity ABCs—attitude, biology, and choices—and analyze yourself to prepare to make the needed adjustments to be super productive</li>
<li>How to spot destructive attitudes and rewire them to allow you to break through to success</li>
<li>How to determine your biological prime time and identify your peak hours to write in order to get the most out of your writing time</li>
<li>How to hack around your excuses, bad habits, and distractions that are blocking your way</li>
<li>How to alter your sleeping, eating, and other behaviors to ensure peak performance</li>
<li>How to thwart self-sabotage and perfectionism, which prevent you from becoming the super-productive writer you long to be</li>
</ul>
Plenty of people who work full-time, have heavy family responsibilities, or deal daily with chronic health issues or physical challenges find ways to crank out books. They do so because writing is important to them.
How badly do you want it?
Now’s the time to stop making excuses and start becoming proactive. Instead of complaining you have no time to write, take the challenge this book presents.
There’s a surefire way to becoming a super-productive writer, and it’s as simple as ABC.

Crank It Out!: The Surefire Way to Become a Super-Productive Writer (The Writer's Toolbox Series)

Self-Help

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