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It’s Finally Here! - Magic Triumphed w/ Andi Van

3/10/2019

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I am SO ready for this! If you’re just joining our program, Andi Van’s Mages Guild Trilogy is one of my favorites and the third book is finally out! PICK UP this series if you havn’t yet. Andi’s writing is witty, imaginative, and filled with characters of all types with at least one that everyone will relate to. Okay, okay, let’s get into it...
Harmony Ink
Dreamspinner Press
​Amazon
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Zaree Muna would follow her brother Tasis anywhere, but she never imagined that path to lead where it has. After Tasis and his familiar fall under a magical sleep from which no one can wake them, she and her party prepare to face the mad king of Archai without him. They don’t expect the journey to lead to the Maker herself, who predicts three deaths will occur as the battle to save their world from Archai and a jealous god nears. Two of those deaths will be loved ones, and if things go wrong, the third death could spell the end of everything.
But no one ever accused Zaree of being a coward, and as she and the others go into battle to save what Tasis has rebuilt, she is ready to laugh in the face of death. The thousand-year wait is over, and none of them will accept anything less than triumph.

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Social media info:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DefiantAndi
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/defiantandi
“Write me a story with a dragon.”
You never think that a single sentence could change things so drastically. Or at least I don’t. But in 2007, when I decided to participate in this thing I’d heard of called NaNoWriMo, that’s exactly what my grandmother told me when I called her to tell her I had no idea what kind of story to write.
So I wrote her a story with a dragon. That was in 2007, mind you, and the original iteration of Tasis’ story was only one book long and badly written in places. Especially the ending. The ending was horrible. But I was lucky enough to have a chance to fix that, to expand my fictional world into an entire universe.
And hey... I wrote a story with a dragon for you. I hope you like it.
You can follow along with the blog tour at http://andivan.com/magic-triumphed-blog-tour. Since the dragons are what started this whole mess (both in reality and in the story), it’s the dragons I’ll be talking about for most of the tour. Keep your eyes peeled for a random giveaway or two!
​I’ve talked about the Maker, now let’s talk about Death. Death is the Maker’s twin sister. She looks exactly like the Maker (Eastern-based, serpent-like dragon with a mane). But while the Maker is pure white, Death is pure black. And while the Maker’s humanoid form is a pale human, Death’s human form is extremely dark. And while their appearances, like their purposes, are on opposite sides of the same coin, their personalities are very similar. There’s a comic/story about Life sending Death countless gifts, and that’s kind of what inspired the two. The Maker and Death love each other very much, and Death is just as sweet and loving as her twin sister - unless you do something to hurt the Maker. I didn’t get to show as much of her as I would have liked. But again, it wouldn’t have fit, much like a lot of other things I wanted to squeeze in. But over the last few days I’ve been mulling another trilogy, this one starting off with Reikos, so if I decide to do another trilogy set in this world it’s quite likely Death will show up again. (Clearly I am not as done with Tasis and company as I’d thought I was.)
The excerpt I’ve included is changed slightly to prevent spoilers. :)
***
Yldost placed one of their diminutive claws atop Firea’s hand and looked up at her adoringly. “[The Maker] would like you. You understand. I hope you meet her someday.”
“Don’t we all meet her someday?” Jorget asked wryly.
Yldost gave him a confused look. “I do not understand.”
“He’s talking about death,” Zaree told them. “The assumption is that [the Maker] would also handle death.”
Yldost gave a small snort. “Oh, no. [The Maker] creates. Her twin guides the creations to the next life with love and compassion when the time comes.”
“What does happen after we die?” Jorget asked.
The dragon looked at him, head cocked to the side, one eye ridge raised in what could only be amusement. “I’m sorry, but you will have to wait and find out for yourself.”
“Another rule?” Zaree guessed as Jorget muttered something about the unfairness of it all.
“Of course,” Yldost said. “If you knew what awaited you, it would spoil all of [Death’s] fun.”
“You know, I’ve noticed that your family has an odd definition of the word fun,” Jorget pointed out grumpily.
Yldost snickered as they moved back to their plate and took another bite of their breakfast. “No,” they finally said. “I’m quite certain it’s you. Because it’s very likely that dragons invented fun.”

Andi Van is a foul-mouthed troublemaker who lives near San Diego with a baseball bat that’s forever being used for things other than baseball, and a fondness for rum and caffeine (though not necessarily together).
Andi is fluent in three languages (English, sarcasm, and profanity), and takes pride in a highly developed—if somewhat bizarre—sense of humor.
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Writing Space Tour - vlog

12/3/2018

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Hey all and welcome back for another vlog supplemental blog!

Today, I posted a quick video of my refreshed writing space in my office (and cute Ciri clips) to share with you. The video goes through some of my favorite authors on my shelf (spoilers: Lewis Carroll, Kate Forsyth, JR Ward, and Sherrilyn Kenyon are just a few), my PC set up, and a quick look at how I store my work digitally.

Make sure to swing past my Patreon to check out the postcard offer I have running right now and to say thank you to my patrons, they are making this month's vlogs and blogs possible!
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​Happy Gift-mas Patrons!

11/25/2018

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As promised, I have uploaded and scheduled a new short story themed around winter, Christmas, and Hanukkah to release every Saturday in December. These are PATREON ONLY posts and will not be released to non-Patrons through my feed. Schedule of titles and a one-line synopsis at the end of this post.
The holidays and winter in general is one of my favorite settings to write in. There's so much joy, warmth, and mischief to be had, but on the flip-side, anything dark becomes darker in contrast. 

I hope you enjoy these stories and I will see you in the new year!
Safe holidays!
Eliza

12/1: One Last Christmas (A woman's musing in the aftermath of a family holiday)
12/8: A Snowy Hanukkah (A quiet moment between a granddaughter and her grandpa)
12/15: Bran and Jannelle (Two siblings find they way back to each other after years apart)
12/22: Light, Fluffy, Cold (A delightful winter-themed poem) 
12/29: Cocoa or Tea? (An unexpected encounter with a sibling's lab partner)

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Happy Thanksgiving! - vlog

11/24/2018

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Happy holiday season everyone!
It's been a LONG time since I have posted a vlog, but there's now one up on my YouTube channel! This blog post is a supplemental post for the video with the highlights and links inline. If you've watched the video... there won't be a ton new here, but feel free to stick around anyway. <3
  • I have re-done my office and I will be releasing a vlog for both the craft side and the writing side in the coming weeks.
  • I put up a holiday Patreon gift poll and 'blog/vlog' and 'weekly holiday short' tied. So... I'm giving BOTH!
    • If you want to read those shorts, make sure to become a patron! *Correction from the video, even the $1 tier will get the shorts for December.
    • I've also added Paper Adventures rewards and content to the tiers instead of having two Patreons. 
  • Everyday Adventures Part 1, Part 2, and the Full Collection are for sale on Amazon! Watch the video or check out the Library to see the beautiful new covers.
    • Check out Oliviaprodesign on Fivrr! She made my covers and I'm obsessed.
  • So is the short story, Combustion!
  • I have not been writing a ton in the past six months, most of what I've been doing is admin, marketing, business work. I'm going to get back to actual writing no later than January!
  • I have been diagnosed with Narcolepsy and am working through the medication changes, vlog going deeper into that coming soon.
  • The giveaway for Everyday Adventures digital codes has ended, to the three below, claim your copies before December or I'll re-pick winners. A new giveaway is coming in the new year.
    • Winner 1: @cmh9952
    • Winner 2: @sosoverytired
    • Winner 3: @jstonecity
  • 4 The Words has been updated and it's AMAZING! I can't wait to get back into it. (Not sponsored)
  • Both journals and paperback books are for sale in my Etsy shop; PaperAdventures3 AND there's free shipping on select items for the holiday!
  • There was a Combustion giveaway at the end of the video... so lets also put one here. The first person to comment on this blog post and tell me what you're looking forward to in 2019, I will send you a download code for Combustion.
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imPROMPTu - Ep. 6

9/29/2018

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impromptu-0006.mp3
File Size: 17639 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

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Everyday Adventures - Giveaway

9/15/2018

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Today, Everyday Adventures Part 2 was released on Amazon! *cheering*
This is the second half of the full Channillo series, now readable offline and (coming soon) in paperback. 
Since this is such a momentous occasion, I wanted to celebrate with a giveaway. 
Share this post with your friends and social media to help spread the Everyday Adventure love!
-E
If you're ready to buy the ebook now, here's the link. The Paperback version will be available within a few days. 
'Everyday Adventures' eBook giveaway
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Welcome Andi Van! - Magic Wept

9/15/2018

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IT'S FINALLY HERE!
I am SO excited to announce that 'Magic Wept' by Andi Van is ready for my eyes to feast! This is book 2 in the 'Mages' Guild Trilogy' and I have been waiting SO LONG. No more waiting, let's let Andi get into it! Let's start with a synopsis.

Synopsis

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Harmony Ink Press
Dreamspinner Press
Amazon
Jorget has no surname, no blood kin, and no hope of using his magical ability while he remains at Archai Castle, where the mad king reigns. With magic still outlawed, every experiment he performs could cost him his life. So when his mentor, the royal priest Denekk, is ordered to send Jorget on a journey to find a magical weapon, the young man jumps at the chance to prove himself. What he doesn’t realize is that things are never as simple as they seem.
Kelwin Tiovolk has settled into life in the Mages’ Guild of the Dragon’s Claw with his beloved, guild leader Tasis Kadara. But when word arrives that the king is searching for something to destroy the guild, he knows he has to leave behind the comfort of his new home to save what Tasis worked so hard to rebuild.
With enemies around every corner, Jorget and Kelwin need to pull off a miracle in order to save the guild. Luckily, they’re more than ready to stand strong together and keep what’s precious to them safe.
Someone get me a fainting couch, honestly. I'm so ready for this book! If anyone wants to do a read-along on release day, yeah. let's do it! Back to Andi, it's time for the Master behind the mind.

A little bit about Andi Van

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twitter @DefiantAndi
​Facebook /defiantandi
Andi Van is a foul-mouthed troublemaker who lives near San Diego with a baseball bat that’s forever being used for things other than baseball, and a fondness for rum and caffeine (though not necessarily together).
Andi is fluent in three languages (English, sarcasm, and profanity), and takes pride in a highly developed—if somewhat bizarre—sense of humor.
Okay okay, stop teasing me. Tell me more about Magic Wept! I want details, how did these characters come to be, where did the idea for the story come from. Most importantly... GIVE ME SOMETHING TO READ!

A History of Magic

Once upon a time (the early 1990s), before the dawn of the internet as we know it, there was a BBS (that's "Bulletin Board System", and we had to use actual phone lines to dial into them via modem) in which I ran a role-playing group set in a mages' guild. My character's name was Trivintaie, and she was a redheaded mage with a penchant for mischief.
 
Yes, she was THAT Triv. The same Triv that starts off the whole Mages' Guild Trilogy.
 
When I decided to revive her and write the trilogy, I knew I couldn't make her the main character. Her time had passed, and too many other people had taken part in creating her guild for it to really be mine. So I set the trilogy a thousand years in the future and gave her world a new hero.
 
What I didn't expect was that I'd pack it with such a diverse set of characters, most of which reflecting some part of the rainbow. It was completely unintentional, but once I realized it was happening, I was thrilled. One of my goals was to give young adults—and adults not quite so young—characters that maybe they could identify with in a way they might not have been able to before.
 
So I'd like to introduce you all to some of the new characters in the second book of the trilogy, Magic Wept.

But before that, I wanted to let you all know that there is indeed a giveaway. I will be randomly generating three winners on September 30th, all of whom will receive a plush purple cat (because nothing says magic like a K'yerin plushie—Tasis' familiar is just full of himself enough to agree with that sentiment) and an ebook copy of Magic Wept. You can enter the giveaway HERE!

And now, on to the characters!

Gisik isn’t seen much in Magic Wept, but he’s definitely talked about. While we already have an antagonist in the form of the mad king of Archai, Gisik, if we want to put it in gamer terms, is the boss. He’s the big bad guy. And while he doesn’t represent a portion of the rainbow like so many of the other characters, he does represent evil in the ultimate good-versus-evil scenario.

Gisik is a dragon. The other dragons seem to want to do good things and be good to people. Gisik…well, not so much for him.

This doesn’t make him less important than the good guys. He is in fact just as important, if only because his twisted personality gives the rest of their world a scale in which to measure against. There’s long been a question on whether we would know what ‘good’ actually was if we didn’t have ‘evil’ to show us the opposite side of the coin.

I’ll admit it. There’s something really liberating about writing an evil, twisted character.

And with that disturbing thought, let’s move on to the excerpt.

​“Your uncle, then,” Emlynn mused with a nod. “And he is—was—the black dragon?”

“Yes,” the dragon said. They shoved the last of the apple slice they’d been holding into their mouth and began to lick at their fingers. “He was not kind. Mean. Greedy. He was angry our mother did not want him. He started a war to try to force her to his side.” Yldost sighed and shook their head. “He tried that before. His tricks were never the same but the results always were. He destroys. He is… chaos.”
“What do you mean?” Kelwin asked, reaching out with his fork to spear a slice of apple, though instead of eating it he offered it to Yldost. The dragon trilled and pulled it free of the tines, munching happily. Jorget was pretty sure he’d never seen such an adorable thing in his entire life.
Yldost chewed, but from the way the ridges above their eyes drew together, they were probably thinking. “Vashk is the sea,” they finally said. “I am the sky. Gisik is chaos.”
“Wait, I think I get it,” Jorget said suddenly, unable to keep the excitement from his voice. “It’s kind of like the dragons are elementals. Vashk is the sea, specifically the Western Sea. I’m assuming you’re the Western Sky.”
“The fault in your logic is that chaos does not have a location,” Emlynn pointed out softly. “It is intangible.”
“Our siblings are like Vashk and I,” Yldost interjected. “Specific things. It is different for our elders. Our father is the void. Our mother is… life?” They thought about it for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, life. The elders… they are things that must be for magic to exist. Even chaos is necessary, but Gisik had grown warped.”
“And what happens if he’s dead?” Tasis asked, moving to rest his chin in his hands as he watched the dragon step into the pie itself to find another large slice of apple. “Also, you should be eating all of the pie, not just the apples in the filling.”
“The apples are the best part,” Yldost informed him. “And if Gisik did die, he will be reborn. Perhaps in the same form. Perhaps in another. That is how it works. The elders do not stay dead. They only change.”
“That sounds familiar,” Kelwin murmured, and Jorget nodded in agreement. That sounded like what Vashk did to the guild members who’d been killed.
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Okay, so other than dancing in my seat, I'M READY TO READ! Who's with me?! Alright, reality time here. Go support this brilliant author with a fantastic series. I can't wait to see you back here and chat it over. Let's discuss in the comments below and on all other social media. 
Happy reading!
-E

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Combustion is published!

9/6/2018

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A long and heart-felt thank you to all of my Patrons, followers, and friends and family! Combustion (or as you know it, The Society) is now live on Amazon for purchase. You can pick up the edited/formatted/kick-ass covered ebook for $.99 today.

If you did read the story in the past and wouldn't mind leaving a review on Amazon or GoodReads, you'd rock my world. You can also find a direct link to the story in the Library.

Also... random trivia for you. As of me writing this, Combustion is ranked both #96,804 and #24 in the Amazon shop. Silly metrics. ;-)

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Update on the rest of the summer

8/7/2018

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Howdy folks!
It's E here, and I wanted to stop by and give a quick update on some of the stuff that will be closing out the summer. I am also putting together something special for all of my Patrons and I hope to be able to share that soon. Let's get right into it!
  • First, Steamposium 2018 is around the corner! (October) 
    • I will be busting my little behind to get Everyday Adventures Part 2 ready and printed along with Part 1 and the complete anthology to bring with me to the event. 
    • I will also be bringing my handmade journals from my Etsy shop to sell and take custom order as well.
  • Secondly, I just placed my order with a book cover designer for The Society short story! I'm so excited! This is the first cover I have not designed myself, but I didn't feel I could do this one justice and wanted to make sure it was perfect.
  • Thirdly, my Etsy shop is getting a make over in the coming weeks with new products, new banners, and a few design tweaks. Stay tuned!
  • Fourth, 'Paper Adventures' as my Esty shop is called, will be joining ImaginaryAdventures.me with its very own blog! I can't wait to share my process, learning, and finished goodies with you all.
  • Lastly, I wanted to give an update on the Keepers series. Keeper's 1 is in query mode still, Keepers 2 is in a holding pattern while I give my brain a break from it after I finished draft 1, and the side novel I began writing is in progress!
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Weird Side of Famous Writers - Blog

4/1/2018

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Today's blog is from a special guest, Jack Milgram! Welcome Jack!
World famous writers deserve all the praise and admiration for a reason. They can create fictional worlds that immerse thousands and millions of readers, stories that keep everyone interested and excited, characters, in which everyone is able to find a part of themselves.
But sometimes it’s not only the literary talent that can make people talk about an author. Some writers are known to have quite curious or sometimes even completely strange habits.
That’s what the infographic below is going to tell you about. We’ve collected information about 20 famous writers that have interesting quirks. Some of those weird habits are connected to their craft, while the others are just things those authors did.
And it’s up to you to decide whether all those strange habits are real, or if some of them are just another piece of fiction the author made us believe in.
​Jack Milgram
Writer & Blogger
w: CW blog                      e:milgram.jack@yahoo.com
t: @Jack__Milgram 
f: Jack.Milgram
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