#WIPSnips The word for November 14 is WEEK The Triemperal "week" is roughly the same as our world's. This snip presents an interlude between the battles behind our gang and the battle still to come. Hans enjoys a lighter moment with his friends. #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #Triempery

#NovemberWorldbuilders Childless (or worshipful) Khelds who seek the Mother's Blessing will make a pilgrimage to her Hill, where they are paired by Her priestesses to couple anonymously in dark underground chambers. Any child conceived is considered fortunate, a gift from the Mother.

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#FantasyIndiesNovember 14: Post your pets I have one pet: Penny the Poodle. She lays beside me as I write, edit, or watch TV. She's intelligent and barks to alert us to threats or noises. She's also a one man dog. If my husband is in the room, I might as well be a throw pillow. #authorpets

#WIPSnips The word for November 13 is BUILD The whole Triempery series has been about "building" things--coalitions, friendships, futures--and it's been building toward a few things also. This snip shows Emyli thinking of her late father's powerful legacy. #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #Triempery

#NovemberWorldbuilders 13: Moral authority Khelds have a central moral authority: the Old Mothers. Old Mothers form a social backbone. They operate centers of learning and administer justice both local and at the highest levels. They advise and perform truth-readings. Never cross an Old Mother!

#FantasyIndiesNovember 13: Where do I write? I have an office in my house. However while my husband was still working and pacing and talking, also in an office upstairs, I began writing downstairs in my living room and discovered I like that. Nearer to coffee!☕️

It's Book Quote Wednesday and the word is GIRL. Staubaun society is a patriarchy. This snip from THE WALLED CITY shows that patriarchy in place as Aubrey, a Kheld woman, confronts the notion that "men will be men." #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #bookqw

#NovemberWorldbuilders 12: Villain's ethics Nammuor believes the Second Creation has lost sight of its purpose. Instead of being a refuge for the high culture and bloodlines of the lost First Creation, it has become a realm of lesser men and petty goals. Nammuor is a Purist.

#WIPSnips The word for November 12 is SHIRT An ordinary word but one that fits into any surrounding. Like this battle scene (well, more of a post-battle scene) from THE RILL LORD, in which Robdan's shirt comes in handy. #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #Triempery

#FantasyIndiesNovember 12: Good / bad writing advice Good: Read effective writing. Study how it does what it does. Don't worry about making your prose "correct" until you know how to make it vital. Bad: Give up. You'll never make money anyway. (That last part is probably true but not helpful.)

#WIPSnips The word for November 11 is BURGER Seriously? The Triempery has yet to hear of "burgers" (though Hans might make a fortune should he start up chain). Instead, people rave about meat pies! This bit is from THE RILL LORD (2026). #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #Triempery

#NovemberWorldbuilders 11: MC's ethics For all his hard reputation, Dorilian has a code of honor. He respects integrity when he encounters it and rewards loyalty and competence. He also always tells the truth (though he may attempt to avoid telling it on occasion). He is also loyal himself.

#FantasyIndiesNovember 11: What genres do I write and read? I read EVERYTHING. Literary. Genre. Nonfiction. Indie and trad. News. Cereal boxes. 🤷‍♀️ I write fantasy and science fiction with the rare contemporary. Some M/M. Some erotic romance. Medical articles and interviews.

#WIPSnips The word for November 10 is LOCAL Hans and Dorilian talk about military forces in THE RILL LORD. Hans draws a lot of his from local lords and militias, and Khelds of course. Dorilian has some thoughts about that. #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #Triempery

#NovemberWorldbuilders 10: Morally grey Most of the events and people of my worlds are morally grey. Good for some; not good at all for others. Marc Frederick is a good person who does many bad things toward a goal not all would celebrate. Awakening and using the Rill is grey for many.

#FantasyIndiesNovember 10: Favorite line I've written “Shall I tell you about gods?” the Leur said to Amynas. “Vllyr turned a civilization to dust because it flickered in its consciousness. If a man would set a fire, a god would douse it with an avalanche.” From THE RILL LORD, Book 6

#FantasyIndiesNovember 9: Show off your bookshelf I have bookcases in half the rooms of my house. Here is the one with my books and, me being cluttered, some favorite books I've been reading and sharing and which have made themselves at home in my living room. 🤷‍♀️ Yes, I mix genres. And cookbooks.

#WIPSnips The word for November 9 is PICTURE Hans came to a World breaking apart into pieces; he's been putting those pieces together again ever since. Here in THE RILL LORD Hans talks with Levyathan at a crucial juncture--about a song yet to be written. #WritingCommuniy #WriteSky #Triempery

#NovemberWorldbuilders 9: Villains in the World's past Vllyr is an entity opposing Leur (Life/Time/Change). Vllyr wants nothing anywhere in the Universe to change. Ever. Evil? Maybe not. But a problem. The Deus Aryati sought to become a god. It took gods to thwart/kill him. Vllyr's still around.

I'm working on a new section of my website which covers how you can best support authors [coughs... Patreon... coughs...]. So I'd be interested to know, fellow authors, what do you think are the most helpful things people can do to help your literary career?

#WIPSnips The word for November 8 is LITTLE This word is small but mighty. In this snip from THE RILL LORD, the conversation is momentous. Marenthro, Hans and a room full of officers and nobles prepared for war. For Hans, a "little" thing puts it in context. #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #Triempery

#NovemberWorldbuilders 8: Famous heroes in a world's past The most famous heroes are Amynas and Leur -- the man and the god who together defeated the Aryati tyrants, liberated the Exiles, and also fathered the Three (the founding gods of the Triempery) and the Highborn race. 🔥

#FantasyIndiesNovember 8: Saturday Snippet Dorilian is a bit of a drama king, but if anyone has a right to be it's him. In this snip from THE SECOND STONE he reminds his Entity's "guardians" that he's the one with a connection to their god. 🤔

In celebration of the fourth birthday of the first book in the Triempery Revelations series, I've put the first two chapters of SORDANEON on my website for readers to explore and, I hope, enjoy. Link to Chapter 2 in comment. ⬇️ #Triempery #Sordaneon www.triempery.com/post/sordane...

#WIPSnips The word for November 7th is MOVEMENT There's lots of "movement" in THE RILL LORD! I particularly like this bit in a conversation between Hans and the Dog Man Cortogh, which makes its point simply and sharply. #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #Triempery

#NovemberWorldbuilders 7: BLACK Deep in the Sordaneon Serat there is a room called the Void. The Hierarchs use it for secret conversations or to interrogate enemies. The walls and floors are black with veins of green. In the center sit a single black throne. And the room is utterly soundproof.

#FantasyIndiesNovember 7: What helps me relax? Forget doing housework. (No way is that relaxing.) And though I like taking long beautiful walks, doing so can leave me sweaty or winded. So mostly I relax by painting board game miniatures. Creative, non-sweaty, and fun. #miniaturepainting

#WIPSnips The word for November 6 is PENULTIMATE Yet another word that doesn't appear in the series, but I think this use of "final" suits the meaning. After all, the next to last thing to the end of the World would be the means that leads to it. 🤷‍♀️ #WritingCommunity #WriteSky

#NovemberWorldbuilders 6: WHITE White often delivers coldness or serenity, as in this scene wherein a child is with his mother's corpse. "He held his free hand into the Rill light, toward her. Between bloodstains, his hand shone as white as hers had, ghostly, drained of living brightness."

#FantasyIndiesNovember 6: Helpful writing tools 1. Notebooks. Wonderful for scribbling notes, drawings, ideas, bits of dialogue I think of when taking a shower. 2. A good dictionary. I use the Oxford English Dictionary. Gives not only definitions of words but useful etymology. #WritingCommunity

#FantasyIndiesNovember Day 5: Last, current and next reads Last: Austringer's Wrath – @lyonspen.bsky.social Current: Serpentus – @ajcalvin.bsky.social Next: Unlucky Evans, Cursed Odds – @williamjadams3.bsky.social and I really want to get to Daughters of Tith by @jpatriciaanderson.bsky.social

Here's a quote from The Many Shades of Midnight for the #bookqw prompt 'colour' A plague is turning people into monsters, and it's spreading. #writingcommunity #writesky 📚🪐💙

#WIPSnips 4 November 'steel' In The Many Shades of Midnight, Alyas has a matching sword and dagger made from Isyr steel, an extremely valuable metal. If weapons were characters, these blades could be my MC. They cause so much trouble. #writingcommunity #writesky #writingfantasy

This week's Book Quote Wednesday word is "color," so here's a snippet from Lorelei and Gerard's first meeting in my fantasy rom-com Enchanting the Fae Queen, which you can preorder now: stephanieburgis.com/books/enchanting-the-fae-queen Less than 12 weeks to wait!!! ✨💖✨ #romancelandia #bookqw

It's Book Quote Wednesday, and today the word is "colour" (or "color", if you prefer). Because it's only 13 days until The Dead Man is out, let's have a quote from that, and we're talking about how mages perceive magic in the Mennik Thorn series. books2read.com/thedeadman #BookQW #Booksky

Pinned post! If you like your epic fantasy with deeply personal stakes... If you need to read about the private lives of mercenaries... If you like your worlds intricate and dark... Check out my Eterean Empire series! 🦾 books2read.com/fortunesfool books2read.com/foolspromise #BookSky #booksky💙📚

It's Book Quote Wednesday and the word is COLOR. Today's quote is from THE RILL LORD, my WIP, that does not yet have a cover. It will be published in April. Because of the scene's setting I'm using an image of Sordan. Things are... not going well. #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #bookqw

#WIPSnips The word for November 5 is TRAIL There are some quite ordinary uses of "trail" in THE RILL LORD but I don't often get to show off the Rill up close. So I chose this one. No context. It stands on its own. #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #Triempery

#NovemberWorldbuilders 5: Purple Purple in the Triempery is a rich color often used by royalty and the wealthy; it's use is not restricted but the dyes involved are expensive. Purple in mourning signifies kinship with the deceased, as in this snip from SORDANEON. 💜

#FantasyIndiesNovember 5: Past, current, and next reads The Caein Legacy series of A.J. Calvin is a favorite past read. My current read is The Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts (her series may become my next). Planned next is the Sun Eater series by Christopher Ruocchio.

#WIPSnips The word for November 4th is STEEL I looked for a use with "steel" for "steel will" because so many of my characters have that. This snip from THE RILL LORD shows "steel" referring to the metal. And steel wills. #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #Triempery

“How could writers not have any influence?” My brother I cannot count the number of times I’ve been hired for: hey we fully designed and animated this level, it has no story or dialogue, and playtesters hate it. Could you slap some words on it to make it feel less pointless? That kind of thing

#WIPSnips The word for November 4th is STEEL I looked for a use with "steel" for "steel will" because so many of my characters have that. This snip from THE RILL LORD shows "steel" referring to the metal. And steel wills. #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #Triempery

#NovemberWorldbuilders 4: Something GREEN In the Triempery the color green is associated with the Sordaneons, because of the artifact known as the Rill Stone (pic below). Only the Hierarch wears it. Legend says the green gem was fashioned from the god Derlon's eye. Art by @margawart.bsky.social.

#FantasyIndiesNovember 4: Inspiring authors Many authors have inspired me. One has been @jannywurts.bsky.social. We are of similar age and she recently published the final novel of her life work series. We both come from similar fantasy roots. I've watched her career from afar for decades.

Talia: Heir to the Fairy Realm What if Aurora was Maleficent's daughter? 🌙 Sleeping Beauty retelling ☀️ Epic fantasy adventure with strong dialogue 🌙 Powerful female characters ☀️ Bi/Pan women 🌙 Tele-pathy, - kinesis, & - portation ☀️ Found families www.amazon.com/dp/B08HLVPF7D

#NovemberWorldbuilders 3 Something 🍊 A #snippet from ... 🗡️🗡️CLOAKS & DAGGERS 🗡️🗡️ ... that's scented with orange blossoms 🧡 #romance #histfic #adventure #ComingSoon to #KindleUnlimited #Booksky

It's November already! But that means there are more new books coming your way 😁 The indie SF/F/H new release list is live on my blog (you can check out the full list of titles there: ajcalvin.net/the-indie-au...) #booksky #bookreleases #indiebooks

#WIPSnips The word for November 3 is NICE I missed a week of snips but I'm back at this! There's only one "nice" in THE RILL LORD, which surprised me. And Nalf is not being nice in delivering it. In this snip he confronts Aubrey about Dorilian. #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #Triempery