AT LONG LAST!!

Days went by; I labored long. Weeks became months; still I labored. Months stacked into years; I labored the quicker.

   Now at last, at long, long last, I have done it. I have finished it. I HAVE DELIVERED.

TOILS OF THE VALIANT

BOOK TWO OF THE CHRONICLES OF VRANDALIN

The epic conclusion to the widely-loved adventure of Strife of the Mighty! 

DOOM COMES. FAITH WAVERS. HOPE HANGS IN THE BALANCE. 

The battle for Darfrandor is over, but there is neither time nor mood for celebration. Having received word of the approaching power of the Dread Palace, time is yet again in short supply for Brandegan, Allon, and Merch—and all of Vrandalin with them. 

Heeding lessons learned from before and during the battle with the Morkathleam, Brandegan decides to leave Darfrandor without delay. Though he renders a stark warning to the people of the capital that there can be no victory in the fight against Ezirg Haur without the intervention of the Ayestærè, he begins to feel in his heart that the Vellneranians will never again have faith. Urging them to flee south on a desperate journey to Krandarmain Ilse, he leaves them to their choice. Yet the journey south will present Brandegan himself with hard choices to grapple, and force the silver-haired man to confront not only perils of the future, but burdens of the past. 

For Allon Bracken, the way forward seems both clear and clouded. His will knows that he is not the same man that fled Varalel, yet his heart will soon discover that some wounds remain tender long. He must come to terms with both shortly, for in this time of final deeds, the hurting and the lost, the fearful and the hopeless, commoner and noble alike, will need someone to lead them. 

As for Merch Provender, his difficulties come in many forms. From the worry over his home village, to the increasingly constant necessity to kill or be killed…to the often withheld thoughts and feelings of a new traveling companion. Yet all these difficulties must be overcome, for the clock is counting, and ale won’t last forever. 

But for Parma the healer, leagues to the south in the proud city of Mariz, darkness has already arrived. Only newly loosening the grip of cold policies enacted against the southeasterners by Governor Parfidy, she is forced to push back against the malice of mysterious bandits who threaten the lives of those she protects. But in doing so she discovers a sinister plot against Mariz itself, and soon finds herself fighting the ghosts and foes from a past wrought with heartache. It will cost her bitterly. 

Sacrifices are made, bonds are broken, and the powers of the realm are shaken in this kingdom-rending conclusion to the tale that began in Strife of the Mighty. Let the faithful keep strong.

*Sniffle* It's so beautiful....

   You guys have waited long for this one, and so have I! As promised, the tale that began in Strife of the Mighty concludes here...whether in good or evil. I did not split up the story into a trilogy. To celebrate this momentous occasion, I'm putting the Kindle versions of both Toils of the Valiant and Strife of the Mighty on sale for $0.99! To grab your copy of Toils of the Valiant click here! (Or here, if you prefer paperback.) To grab Strife of the Mighty, click here! (Here for paperback.)

   Thank you all for bearing with me through all of this. I strove extra hard to make the story extra gripping, extra meaningful, and extra awesome! Tell me what you think! 

Oh, almost forgot: I've released a new design in the Lael Marketplace!  Check out A Wilder Shape! This particular design was wrought especially for Toils of the Valiant. (And yes, it comes in men's styles, too.) I'm working very hard for you guys (really). 

Happy reading! Happy wearing!

Keep Strong!

Surprise! (And a contest!)

Ahoy, ahoy! Right, so, if folks have been paying attention to some of my previous posts and tweets (wait, you haven't?.....) then they'll know that I've been saying that I'd have some surprises for everyone early this year. Well, I'm here to deliver them! I'll get right to it:

   #1.   Book two of the Chronicles of Vrandalin is finished and as we speak going through editing. Things were pretty tight with this one, so that shouldn't be too long a process. I know that its completion was later than expected (I'm sorry, alright!), but believe me when I say that I have gone above and beyond to tell (and conclude) an engaging, heart-pulling, originally designed story. The wait is nearly over.

   #2.   This one's a biggie. (Well, to me it is.) Here goes-- I have just opened *drum-roll* my very own T-shirt shop! Yup. Complete with totally original and eye-catching designs wrought with Vrandalin (and the world of Lael) in mind! I'm rather proud of this achievement, and I hope that you guys will drop by and give it a look here (in case you missed the first link).  Now, there are a couple things to note: Right now, if you drop by and order a shirt, you'll get FREE shipping with the code FS18. The free shipping promotion only lasts for a few short days, so if you're interested now's the time! The other thing to note is.... Well, that fits into my other surprise. But first, here're a couple pictures of a couple of my designs!

Huh! Huh! First off, I just want you all to know that these models were hard to get a hold of. They were all booked up till summer, and I had to call in a favor. Professionalism and good looks are in high demand! Secondly, these are only three of my designs, but there are more to choose from, and the shirts are available in multiple different styles and colors, long-sleeved or hoodie, so yeah. Now, for my last announcement.

#3.   I'm hosting a contest! Yes, sir (or ma'am) a contest! Here's what's up for grabs: One first place winner will receive a signed, paperback copy of both Strife of the Mighty, and the soon to be released sequel thereof! One second place winner will receive a mystery t-shirt, the design of which was wrought especially for the second book! And one third place winner will receive an ebook copy of the sequel to Strife of the Mighty. Sounds good? (Wait, did you just say no?) Okay, here's what you have to do to enter: Drop by my t-shirt shop and grab yourself a shirt sporting your favorite of the designs listed (remember, shipping is free for the next few days with the code FS18). When your shirt arrives, snap a photo of you (or it can even be of a friend if you're camera shy) wearing your new garb, and send the photo to juliusb333@gmail.com. What I'll need from you in the email is the following:

   #1. Name of entrant (and state of residence, if you want).

   #2. Permission to post and/or feature your photo on this blog, my Twitter, and/or Facebook.

   #3. Your shirt size.

   That's it! If you're a winner, you'll receive an email of congratulations, along with a request for the address you would like your books or shirt to be shipped to. The most important thing with this contest is to have fun and be creative! Entries will be judged based on their artistic expression. If your photo doesn't show your face that's fine. If you're doing a hand-stand, that's fine. If you're sipping coffee in front of a wall made of noodles, that's fine. Snap with your own artistic eye. And have fun with it! The contest is open today, and submissions will be accepted through 4/29/18. Winners will be announced by 5/7/18.

   Well, that's all for now.

Keep Strong!

New Things To Come.

My. How time flies.

   

It seems such a short time ago that I was posting about the Thanksgiving of the previous year. Now, we're about to hit 2018. And I do mean “hit it.” *Sigh* I wish time would slow. I mean, literally every year that passes is a year closer to the grave. I don’t like the grave. 2017 was…some year, wouldn’t you say? So much happened here and around the world, it’s almost enough to make one’s head spin. Through it all, I have remained observant, and I will tell you that I have learned more this year than perhaps any other year of my life (2016 is close, though). How was your year? Did you learn anything? (Hey, you better have! A year’s a long time!)

   *Ahem* As most of you likely guessed some time ago, the sequel to Strife of the Mighty will, unfortunately, not be making it to publication this year as planned. (I weep even now.) I know that some of you will be disappointed, and many of you may even now despise me (I’m sorry?) but, as I said, 2017 was some year. I wanted so badly to release the sequel this year, which, as promised, will conclude the story; no trilogy for this one. But (there’s that word again) numerous, dastardly circumstances would not see it done. And so, it’s release will now have to be early (early, I say!) 2018. And I shall release it. You have my word. As I said, the cover is done, the designs of the story are at their completion, and the book is being edited. It is about a third longer than Strife of the Mighty, so the editing is going to take a little longer than the first book, but hear me when I tell you that the story only gets better.

   I know that I have been gone for a while, and for that I apologize (did I mention that 2017 was some year?). However, I intend to make it up to you guys. First off, I have some surprises in store for you guys this year! I can’t release all the details just yet, but it’s a project that I am working on and partnering with a few designers to complete. I will post about it here when it’s ready (which should also be some time early next year.) Secondly, I am going to have a no-strings-attached giveaway when book two comes out. I will be giving away two (count ‘em) two paperback copies of the sequel to Strife of the Mighty. I am looking for ways to make it fun for people though (y’know, like maybe guessing something about what happens in the second book, and the first two to guess right wins. Something like that,) so if any of you have any ideas, do let me know! (Seriously, do!)

   Well, that’s all that I have to say in this post. With the turning over of the year I shall be taking up posting on a more regular basis (I know; the torture of my words). Expect them to range from any number of things (what, you weren’t already?). I’ve watched some pretty good (and not so good) movies lately, so I might rant or rave on them a bit. I may lament over the fact that I still haven’t found a decent hat that screams me or I may go into a deep thesis on how Batman is so much better than Superman. We’ll see. But for now, I shall leave it with a simple message:

Happy New Year!