Mindee Arnett
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Choosing Your Main Character

Hello friends,

Today on Write With Intent, I discuss ways to choose your main characters. We’ll take a look at techniques for developing the character’s inner journey from Jessica Brody’s Save the Cat Writes a Novel and Michael Hauge’s Story Master.

I also want to take a moment to talk about something personal. As some of you know, I’ve struggled with vestibular issues for several years now. Well, it’s finally been diagnosed as Vestibular Migraine. One the one hand, it’s awesome to know what’s wrong. On the other, when I’m having an attack, it still sucks. In this week’s video I was struggling with a lot of dizziness. I don’t think it’s obvious from a viewer’s standpoint–except in the way I’m obviously struggling to find the right words. For example, I used the term “mental issue” when instead I wanted to say “inner issue or internal issue” or any other dozen terms for the character’s inner journey. But while I was recording, my brain simply could not find the words. It’s so frustrating to experience. Especially when I know what I’m saying is incorrect but my brain can’t make the right connection to the correct words. Please forgive me for this.

Anyway, I felt compelled to share just in case anyone notices or wonders at that struggle and to ask for forgiveness, grace if anything I say offends or strikes you wrong. It’s not intentional. When my brain misfires, I’m at its mercy. I guess you could say, I’m sharing a little of my own inner journey as a character in my life story. Funny how real life mimics art.

Until next time my mighty friends,

Musingly Yours,

Mindee

Write With Intent Video 1

Hello my writing and reading friends. I’m so thrilled to announce that the very first video in the series is live. You can find it here or visit my youtube channel through the link below. 

Have you ever had a great idea for a story but when you sat down to write, the story fizzled out? Well in today’s video I discuss ways to avoid that happening. 

I hope you enjoy it. Please keep in mind this is my very first time creating a video and it’s a little rough around the edges–especially the audio. But don’t worry. I fix that in upcoming videos. If you do like it, I’d love to hear from you, especially if there’s a subject you want me to discuss in upcoming videos.

Musingly Yours,

Mindee

Video Series for Writers Coming Soon

Hello My Writer and Reader Friends,

I’m launching a brand new how-to video designed for writers at all stages in the writing process. It’s called Write For Intent, and in each video I’m going to share all the tools, tips, and tricks about writing that I’ve learned along my publishing journey—to help you with yours.

The first video goes live March 2, 2021 on my YouTube channel. If you want to make sure you never miss a post, you can subscribe there or sign-up for my Newsletter.

Some of the upcoming topics include:

  • Where to find your ideas
  • Getting Stared Writing
  • Picking your main characters
  • How to write accurately about horses in fantasy fiction (including a mounted archery clinic!)
  • And so many more…

See you there!

Shadow & Flame Release + Habit Building

Hello My Mighty Friends,

Long time no talk, right? Or maybe long time no news? I mean, we don’t really “talk” that much in a conventional sense, although I would to change that in the future.  But I’m getting ahead of myself. In this edition we’re going to talk about awesome book news and a little about the power of habits. 

BOOK NEWS

Shadow & Flame is out! In case you missed my 4,219 posts and comments about it, the conclusion to Onyx &Ivory officially released yesterday. (I might be exaggerating, just a little). The book is available across all formats, including eBook and audio. The latter version is once again performed by the wonderful Kristine Hvam. If audio is your jam, I highly recommend anything performed by her. She’s an amazing actor and really brings books to life.

Joseph Beth Bookseller in Cincinnati hosted my book launch last night, and it was amazing. The funny and talented Kristen Simmons joined me for it, and we had a blast. Sadly, no video proof of the awesomeness exists, so you’ll have to take my word for it, but we started off with a game of Charades involving famous YA book title. If you weren’t able to come, there are signed copies of all my books available at the store. Just give them a call at (513) 396-8960. They can ship anywhere in the US.

MIGHTY FRIENDS

The last few weeks (read: months) (read: every day of my life) have been super busy. So much so that I’ve sadly let this newsletter slide despite my good intentions to post monthly. Only, that’s not exactly true. The reason why I’ve let it slide is because (1) I haven’t made the newsletter a priority yet, and (2) I’ve not implemented any habit techniques to make sure I follow through. 

For this first issue, let me just say that I plan to do some evaluating in the next couple of weeks to decide how I want to move forward with these posts. More and more I’m learning to accept the limitations of my time and energy. Writing a newsletter takes both, and I want to make sure that I’m doing it in a way that makes it worthwhile. I have to decide if the time I spend writing these would be better served writing the books. Of course, if any of you are reading this and finding it helpful then it surely is worthwhile. But if no one is reading it or caring, then maybe not. See what I mean? Some things I’m going to consider is content—should I talk more about writing? Can I combine writing talk with health / lifestyle talk? (for me they’re very intertwined). Who is my audience? And so on. I’m also considering platform. Is a blog post the best way to do this? I’m considering trying to vlog, perhaps. If you’ve got any suggestions or feedback, please let me know. You can reply to this email if you’re reading it that way, or leave a comment if you’re reading on the blog itself.

For the second issue though, I want to talk a moment about habits, and just how crucial they are in shaping our lives. For the majority of my life, my habits were an unconscious thing, which in many ways they should be. I mean, a habit is something our brain tells us to do without us having to think about it. If the brain didn’t do this, we would be a hot mess. This covers simple activities, like which sock we put on first when getting dressed (for me it’s always left then right). But there are many meaningful activities controlled by habits as well, such as the way we eat, whether or not we exercise, and in my case, how I go about getting the stories written. 

In the case of these more impactful activities, I’ve discovered that we have the power to either build a good habit or break a bad one. And the discovery has been life changing and empowering. In the case of this newsletter, I need to implement some habit activities in order to get better about posting regularly. Of course, there’s no way I can get into the extensive minutia about habits in this one little letter, so instead, let me point you to three good books I’ve listened to in the last few weeks that have really opened my eyes to these techniques. I’ve listed them in order of importance. They’re all worth reading, but if you’re going to pick just one, I recommend the first.

This book is short and to the point. There aren’t any frills or wasted space, and the advice is absolutely solid and practical. Not only has this one become a must-read for me, it’s also going to be an annual re-read. 

Lots of insight here in how our environments influence our behaviors. 

This one is good but a little redundant over all. I still enjoyed it, but if you don’t want to take the time to read it, the most salient point here is that it’s not talent or inborn ability that makes someone successful at an activity. Instead, it has to do with “deliberate practice.” The author goes into great detail about what makes a certain type of practice deliberate, but I think that some of it is self-explanatory. It has to do with being mindful about you’re doing. Not just doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, but attempting new things. Challenging yourself, and so on. Anyway, I hope you find these useful, and be sure to chime in if you feel so inclined.

Happy reading!

Musingly yours,

Mindee

Shadow & Flame Preorder Giveaway

Good news friends!

If you live in the United States and would like a signed and personalized copy of Shadow & Flame, all you need to do is order it from Joseph Beth Cincinnati by June 4, 2019. I’m also having a book launch that evening at 7:00 in the store if you live nearby. In order to support the bookstore, the giveaway is only applicable to copies orders here.

But, as an added, bonus, everyone who preorders from Joseph Beth will also receive a complete set of character cards, including the new Dal card. Oh, and if you’re coming to the signing, no need to enter. All attendees will receive a character card set.

For my international friends, if you preorder a copy of the book from any seller, you will receive a set of character cards as well AND a signed bookplate. I’m so sorry I don’t have a way to send signed books to you at this time, but I hope this will be a nice consolation. Thanks to everyone who’s supported the series and continue to do so. You all are the best!

Details:

For US Readers:

  • Call the Joseph Beth Cincinnati store to order the book and get your voucher: 513-396-8960
  • Then to receive your character cards submit your contact information here.

For International Readers:

  • Preorder the book from a seller of your choice.
  • Submit your contact information here.

Be Mighty!

Mindee

Shadow & Flame Quotes

We’re one month away from Shadow & Flame, and I’ve decided to share some of my favorite quotes from the book. These are given with no context and no specific ordering, i.e. the first one listed doesn’t necessarily come first in the book and so on. I hope you find these exciting and that you’ll check out the book in just a few weeks.

SHADOW & FLAME – Sneak Peek

Prologue

Kate

No one dared approach the gate of the prison—not by choice, at any rate. Even the guards preparing for their watches regarded the Mistfold with wariness, like conscripts heading into battle. Not their first one, but their fifth or sixth, enough experience to make them fully aware of the hardships in store and the likelihood of death.

Kate Brighton couldn’t blame them for it. The fortress was as foreboding as any she’d seen. Its red mudbrick wall, the color of dirt mixed with blood, stood more than thirty feet high, the top hidden by the thick, undulating mist that gave the prison its name. That mist was as vast and imposing as the sea, obscuring everything beyond it, even sunlight. Not that there was much of that to be seen yet, only a vague brightening from black to gray. Another dawn was here, and yet again Kate hadn’t sensed it, her magic, once stirring to life with the rising of the sun, dead inside her. She pushed away the reminder and the wave of homesickness it brought.

Almost time, she thought, raising one hand to touch the revolver belted at her right side. A sword hung from her left, hidden by her long cloak. It was a heavier, more impressive weapon at a glance, but far less deadly. If fighting broke out, the revolver was all she would need. Whenit broke out. Despite their planning, violence seemed inevitable. There was too much they didn’t know about what awaited them beyond the wall and beneath that unnatural mist. The only thing she knew for certain was that her little brother was being held in there, along with dozens of her fellow wilders.

“It’s almost time.” Corwin spoke from beside her, and hearing him echo her thoughts sent a trickle of warmth through her, easing the tight knot in her chest.

Craving a glimpse of his face, Kate turned to him, only to be met with disappointment. Although the voice was Corwin’s, the face staring at her from the shadows belonged to a stranger. It was a plain face with features so unremarkable that Kate’s brain was incapable of remembering it. But that had been the point when Harue fashioned the disguise. The magestone she’d made was perched in Corwin’s left ear, the telltale glow of its magic hidden behind a gold plate. Fortunately, Harue had the foresight to create it before they’d left Rime a few weeks ago. The very next morning after setting sail for this gods-forsaken country, her magic had vanished, same as Kate’s and the others’. It stopped Harue from making new magestones, but at least the ones she’d already made had retained their normal level of power and duration. An advantage of magist magic over wilders’, it seemed.

“Yes,” Kate replied, glancing away from that unfamiliar face. She wished Harue were a little less skillful at her craft. The magist might’ve left some trace of Corwin in the masklike glamour. Then again, such precautions were warranted. Corwin Tormane, high prince of Rime, was a wanted man. Both at home, where his older brother had labeled him traitor, and especially here, in Seva, the longstanding enemy of Rime. King Magnar Fane of Seva would sacrifice six of his seven sons to capture him.

“You hate this face, don’t you?” Corwin said, a tease in his voice.

Despite herself, Kate smiled. Here was her Corwin, for certain—the one who could always see her hidden truths. “Not at all. It’s better than your regular face, honestly.”

“Well, in that case, I will make sure Harue remains in my employ indefinitely so that I might wear it for you each night.” 

“Moderation, my love.” She patted his check. “Once a week at most, otherwise I’ll surely grow bored with it.”

“Is that so?” He arched an eyebrow, or at least tried to, but this face wasn’t made for the gesture and so both brows rose, making him look surprised instead of playful. “Does that mean you’ll grow bored of me as well?”

A smirk lifted one half of her mouth. “Let’s survive this rescue first and discuss the rest of our lives later.”

Corwin grinned back at her, a hint of himself flashing in those false, dark eyes. “Tonight then. Soon as we’re on the ship for home.”

Home. Kate longed for it. Despite the troubles waiting for them in Rime, she missed the land itself with a physical ache. The rolling hills of Norgard, covered in lush green grass and everweep flowers, the towering trees of Aldervale, the blue skies over gray mountains in Farhold, and the crystalline waters of the Penlaurel River. The life and color of Rime made Seva seem a withering wasteland by comparison. And her magic, of course. She missed that most of all. Even though she’d always heard that magic didn’t exist outside of Rime, it had been a shock to discover her abilities were so conditional to her location.

She returned her attention to the gate where the change of guard was just finishing. Although she admired Corwin’s absolute certainty about the outcome of this rescue, she didn’t share it. Too much of their plan relied on luck and chance, both in short supply. If only she were able to use her ability to influence the minds of others; then they could get in and out of the prison with relative ease. Without it they were forced to rely on stealth and tricks like ordinary bandits.

Remembering those tricks, Kate reached into her pocket and pulled out two small pieces of cork, which she gently slid into her nostrils.

“Good luck.” Corwin handed her a small glass vial.

She accepted it with a quick nod, hiding its smoky contents from view with her clasped fingers. Then, stepping out from the alley, she approached the two guards standing by the gate.

The one on the left looked up at the sound of her footsteps and raised a hand to the hilt of his sword. “What goes here?”

Kate smiled warmly, counting on these men misjudging her based on her size and sex. “Pardon me, but I seem to have lost my way.” Her voice sounded strange with the cork in her nose, but neither guard seemed to notice. “Would you be able to tell me how to get to Merum?”

At the mention of the nearby pleasure district, both men’s expressions shifted, and Kate seized her chance. Before either could respond, she took a quick step forward, squeezing her mouth shut as she flicked off the stopper on the glass vial, setting its smoky contents loose. The poison rose up in a thick cloud, enveloping the guards. The one on the left tried to cry out, but the smoke filled his mouth, rendering him silent. A moment later, they both fell to the ground, unconscious.

Kate dispersed the remnants with her hand, then beckoned behind her. Corwin and the others appeared in the courtyard, stepping out from their hiding places in the alleys surrounding the Mistfold. The prison was located on the farthest northern point of Luxana, the capital city of Seva. A strange place for a prison, although rumor claimed it had been a temple long ago.

There were eight of them in all, counting herself and Corwin, a small but deadly band. Dallin Thorne and Tira Salomon appeared first, both of them former mercenaries: Dal from the legendary company known as the Shieldhawks and Tira from their sister unit, the Shieldcrows. Dal flashed a grin at Kate, teeth bared in his eagerness for battle. The cavernous scars on the left side of his face gave the expression a sinister edge. Next to him, Tira yawned broadly, as if bored. Kate supposed she might well be. In the four months Kate had known the woman, she’d never seen anything faze her. She greeted every danger with the same unflappable indifference. 

Walking a few steps behind them, Tom Bonner appeared more subdued and somehow far more dangerous than either of the mercenaries. Given his ability to manipulate metal, there wasn’t any doubt of his potential for deadliness, at least when they were at home, but still Kate didn’t like thinking of him that way. His countenance these days made her more uncomfortable than Corwin with his stranger’s mask. She missed the old Bonner, gentle and optimistic, but that version of her friend seemed to have died along with his father, the elder Bonner murdered nearly half a year ago now by the same man responsible for putting the prisoners inside these walls. 

The remaining three were wilders, too: Yvonne, an aerist, with control over air; Vander, a pyrist, with control over fire; and Francis, another earthist like Bonner. Only unlike him, Francis had a greater affinity for stone than metal. If he’d had access to his magic, Francis could’ve torn a hole in the Mistfold’s wall and given them entry that way. 

Remembering her own weakened state, Kate brought her focus back to the task at hand and stooped toward the nearest guard, relieving him of the ring of keys belted at his waist. Then she turned to the manway door off to the side of the gate and unlocked it. Dal and Tira headed in first, weapons drawn, while Bonner and Francis picked up the sleeping guards and hauled them inside.

Corwin, Yvonne, and Vander followed with Kate coming last, shutting the door behind her. She turned in time to see Tira bend toward the guards and slit their throats, one after the other, as easy as if she were harvesting wheat with a scythe.

“Dammit, Tira,” Kate said. “What’s the point of putting them to sleep if you’re just going to kill them?”

Corwin touched her shoulder. “They are our enemies, Kate, and we couldn’t be certain how long the sleep would last.”

She shrugged him off and turned away, trying to regain her composure. Corwin was right, of course. These were Sevan soldiers, oath-bound to a king who’d been trying to conquer Rime for years and was now closer than ever to accomplishing that goal—that could be the only reason why he’d been imprisoning wilders, to use them against Rime in some way, magic or no. Though surely their magic would return once they came home. Yvonne, who had visited Seva as a child, claimed it would. And these people are holding Kiran prisoner.The thought of her little brother was all it took for Kate to steel herself against the guilt. 

Quickly, the group discarded their cloaks, revealing the Sevan uniforms beneath, each one painstakingly acquired these last few weeks. Kate freed the helmet from the strap on her back and slid it over her head. The nose guard and cheek pieces hung too low, half obscuring her vision from all sides, but at least they would hide her face from onlookers. She was less certain about the uniform. The last time she’d tried to pass herself off as a man, it hadn’t gone well. 

“Yvonne,” Corwin said, inclining his stranger’s face toward the aerist, “you stay here and silence anyone who comes this way.”

“With pleasure,” Yvonne replied, her eyes bright with anticipation. She was one of the few wilders with them who didn’t have a loved one caged somewhere here, but her mother had been killed by Gold Robes, the magist order that had secretly been kidnapping wilders and sending them to Seva. Rescuing those wilders was Yvonne’s chosen method of vengeance. Kate often wondered what kind of person Yvonne would’ve been if it had never happened. She seemed born to be an assassin. Even without her magic, which she could use to squeeze the breath from a man’s lungs with a single, silent thought, she was just as deadly, her knives more like extensions of her hands. 

Corwin addressed the others. “The rest of us will move on in groups, staggering our approach. Try to blend in as much as possible. Our goal is to free as many wilders as we can without discovery.” He turned and headed down the corridor searching for the nearest exit out of the gatehouse and into the prison itself. They’d been able to gather ample information about the gatehouse, but little about what lay beyond it, other than that the wilders were being housed in an area called “the pit.” The dreadful name had kept Kate up late at night, especially the thought that her six-year-old brother was imprisoned there. No—Kiran would be seven by now. She clenched her jaw at the realization. 

They reached the exit without incident, and Corwin opened the door and stepped outside onto a dusty, sunlit field encircled by the prison’s walls. Kate blinked, her eyes slow to adjust to the sudden change. She hadn’t expected this. From outside the mist seemed to enfold the entire prison like a dome, but glancing up she saw clear sky. The mist was still there, but it went no deeper than the wall itself. Magic.Only, Kate couldn’t see how it was possible. No wilder could do this, not in Seva.

Lowering her gaze, she scanned the rest of the field, searching for prison barracks, but there were no structures in view. Instead, a massive hole sat in the middle of the field. The pit.

Kate and Corwin approached it quickly, hoping they appeared like nothing more than two guards going about their duty with the others following some distance behind. But when they reached the edge, Kate forgot her role completely.

“How?” she gasped, eyes drawn downward into the pit.

This place couldn’t be. It was like looking through a window that opened onto another world. The bottom lay several hundred feet below, over a sheer vertical edge. Grass so green it was almost blue covered the pit floor, even though Seva was an arid place, water scarce and the flora rough and colorless.

But the grass wasn’t the only thing that didn’t belong. There were everweeps, too, thousands of them scattered across the floor thick as a garden. The sight of those flowers, with their perpetually dew-drenched petals of every color, sent an ache of homesickness through Kate, as if Rime itself waited for her below. “What is this?” Kate said. It didn’t look like a prison at all, despite the presence of several structures down below. There were few walls and even fewer guards.

Corwin shook the question off. “Come on. There’s a stairway down.” He hurried toward it, and Kate followed half a beat later.

She swept her gaze over the pit as they descended the steep, narrow steps carved into the cliff’s side, still trying to make sense of it all. More than a dozen long, low-ceilinged buildings squatted in a pentagonal formation in the middle of the circular pit. At their center was an arena-like structure formed by a short, crumbling wall. It might’ve been the ruins of an amphitheater. Or a temple, Kate thought, as her mind at last made sense of the most startling object in the pit, one so incongruous that her eyes had at first slid right over it.

A massive stone face lay in the center of the arena, the head of some long-decapitated statue. The statue rested on its side, part of it buried in the grass so that only a single eye and ear remained visible. That and half of the crown encircling its brow, fashioned in the shape of a serpent or perhaps a dragon. Kate supposed if the statue had a body to go with it, it would’ve reached the top of the pit and then some.

Although they descended the stairs as quickly as they could, it still took several long minutes to reach the bottom. Kate did her best not to think of how hard the climb back out would be. At least she wasn’t tired. Just the opposite. She felt more awake, more alive, than she had in days.

Given the early hour, there was little activity in the pit, only a handful of guards walking scattered patrols. When one of the nearest spotted them, Kate instinctively reached out with her magic. Go away, she thought. You don’t see us.

To her surprise, she sensed the man’s mind clearly, and the sudden desire he had to turn back around again. Her magic. It was back! She nearly swayed on her feet at the realization.

“What happened?” Corwin grabbed her arm, steadying her.

“My magic. I can use it again.”

“How?”

“I don’t know.” She peered around, prickles running down her skin. Some of it from the joy of having her magic again, but more of it from fear. Fear of this unnatural place, and the certainty that if she could access her magic again, so could everyone else. Including all the wilders imprisoned here. What was Magnar doing with them? 

“There’s no time to speculate,” Corwin said. “Come on. Let’s count our blessings while they come.” He made for the nearest building, testing the door and finding it locked.

Kate reached for the keys, which she’d belted at her waist, but Corwin stopped her. “There’s no need for that.” He turned and waved to Bonner and Francis, who’d been following closest behind them. “Is your magic back, too?” Corwin asked Bonner.

Bonner started to frown, then stopped, a shocked look spreading across his face. “It is. I don’t understand how—”

Corwin cut him off. “Can you take care of this lock?”

Pressing his lips together, Bonner raised his hand toward the look, melting it open with his magic. Corwin clapped him once on the back, then stepped inside.

Kate followed, the smell of too many bodies in too small a place enveloping her. She peered around at the murky darkness, her eyes making out the human shapes covering the floor. For a second, she thought they were dead, but a simple sweep of her magic told her they were only sleeping—and that Kiran wasn’t among them.

She and Corwin began waking them one by one, soon helped by the others joining them. Sluggishly, the wilders stirred. Although they looked well fed, and there was no visible sign of abuse, they remained dazed long after waking, men, women, and children alike staring up at their would-be saviors with expressionless gazes.

Kate motioned Bonner over to her. “Can you remove this woman’s collar?” She indicated the nearest wilder, who’d managed to sit up but hadn’t yet tried to stand. She wore a collar studded with glowing magestones designed to stop a wilder from using their magic. Bonner waved his hand at the woman’s neck, and the metal melted away like ice.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Kate said, encouraged by how easily he’d performed the magic.

“I know. I feel nearly myself again,” Bonner replied, unsmiling.

If only that were true, Kate thought, watching as he removed the next collar, and the next.

She turned back to the woman. “Can you use your magic?”

“Magic?” The woman stumbled over the word, as if Kate had spoken in a foreign language. But then she glanced down at her palm, and water appeared as if she cupped a miniature fountain in her hand.

“Good, you’re going to need it.” Kate closed the woman’s fingers, and the water disappeared. “How long have you been here?”

She blinked slowly. “How . . . long?”

Dismayed, Kate plunged into the woman’s mind. A small, quiet voice in the back of her head admonished her for the invasive act. Once, not long ago, she never would’ve combed through someone’s mind like this, as if she had a right to these memories, these thoughts and feelings. But there was no time to consider the morality of what she was doing—her desperate need to find Kiran outweighed everything.

The woman’s thoughts were dull and hazy, as if she’d been drinking. The effect was so powerful that for a second, Kate nearly forgot herself. Then she pushed through the haze to find what she needed. This woman had only been here some four weeks, and she hadn’t been out of this room much at all. She hadn’t seen any young boys who looked like Kiran. Kate withdrew, impatient to move on with her search.

Corwin approached her. “Everyone’s free of the collars, but we’re having a hard time making them understand what they need to do. They must be drugged or something. Can you help?”

Kate nodded, knowing at once what he wanted her to do. A few moments before, it would’ve been impossible, but now her magic swelled inside her, making her feel both full and light and complete all at once. Closing her eyes, she stretched out with her sway, pulling all the minds toward her like kites on a string. In an instant she conveyed the plan—that they were all to wait here, silent and still, and when the time came to leave they needed to be ready to use their magic on the guards.

She withdrew a moment later. “It’s done.”

Leaving Tira and Dal to stay with this group, Corwin and the rest moved on to the next house. Instead of a single, large room, this one held a long hallway lined with doors on each side, locked and windowless. Individual cells, Kate guessed. They wasted no time opening the first few doors, Bonner using his magic with careless ease.

When one of the doors opened to reveal Kiran inside, Kate couldn’t stop the shout of joy that escaped her throat. She dashed into the room, reaching for him.

With a startled look, Kiran jumped back from her, fists raised to defend himself. Then recognition lit his face. “Kate!”

She pulled him into her arms, hugging him so tight he gave a grunt. Her mind reeled from the shock of how different he looked, how much older, bigger.

“Come on,” Kate said, loosening her grip. “We’ve got to get out of here.”

“No,” said a voice from the other side of the room. Kate looked up to see Vianne, Kiran’s mother, standing in the far corner and watching Kate with blood-shot eyes. Her face was bruised with fatigue.

“What do you mean, no? We’re getting all of you out of here.”

Biting his lip, Kiran took a step back from Kate and shook his head.

“We can’t leave, Kate,” Vianne said. “You don’t understand—”

She broke off at the sound of a commotion outside, voices raised in anger. Kate turned to the door as Francis stepped through it, dragging a woman behind him—Anise, one of the wilders captured at the same time as Vianne and Kiran.

“Kate!” Francis said through gritted teeth. “Make her stop fighting me. Make her come.”

“Let go of me, Francis.” Anise tried to jerk free of his grasp, her face purpled with anger. “I’m staying. Let go!”

Kate gaped, confused that Anise, Vianne, and Kiran would refuse to be saved. What was going on?She began to ask, only to be silenced by the sound of gunfire. She and Francis exchanged a startled look. It could only be one of their people—revolvers were as rare as magic outside of Rime.

“Let’s go.” Kate grabbed her brother by the arm. He pulled back, but Kate didn’t let go. Not until Vianne stepped forward and sunk her nails into Kate’s forearm.

Anger cut through her disbelief, and without a second thought, Kate reached into Vianne’s mind, grabbed hold of her thoughts, and forced her will into submission. A moment later she did the same to Kiran and Anise. She didn’t understand what made them want to stay, but she wasn’t going to wait around to find out with armed guards on the way.

Kate stepped out into the hallway, dragging her wards behind her. She felt them fighting against her at each step, their minds like eels, slippery in the hands of her magic.

Corwin dashed down the hallway toward them. “Go . . . go . . . go!”

“What about the rest?” Kate ran her gaze over all the open doors.

“They won’t come,” Bonner said, joining them. “Can you make them?”

Kate reached toward the other wilders, sensing them, but the moment she tried to engage, she almost lost her grip on Kiran, Vianne, and Anise. They fought her so relentlessly it took all her concentration and strength to hold them. She shook her head.

“Watch out,” Corwin said, as several Sevan guards came through the doorway. He pulled out his revolver, but before he could fire, Bonner crushed the guards’ swords with his magic, rendering them useless. Then he and Corwin mowed them down.

Turning away from the carnage, Kate moved toward the exit with her captives in tow. Outside, Tira and Dal were leading the first set of prisoners out of the house. As before, the wilders remained sluggish and dull-witted, only a couple of them using their magic against the attacking guards.

The entire prison was aware of their presence by now. Still, with the help of their revolvers, they were able to keep the danger at bay until they reached the steps. Dal led the way up with the wilders following behind him. Vander went next with Tira quick on his heels. Behind her, Francis dragged Anise along by the arm. Reaching the steps, Kate sent Vianne and Kiran up first. Corwin and Bonner brought up the rear behind her. Bonner paused several feet up the stairs and turned around long enough to destroy the stone steps with his magic, preventing the guards from following that way.

They climbed as fast as they could, the stairs steep and treacherous. On the ground below, a dozen Sevan guardsmen had formed a line, bows in hand. They nocked arrows and drew back to fire.

“Bonner!” Kate shouted. “Stop them!”

Bonner raised his hand as the guards loosed the arrows. They took flight, only to be halted by Bonner’s magic. But already the bowmen were drawing again, even as more guards swelled their numbers. It seemed if they couldn’t prevent the prisoners from escaping, they would kill them instead.

“I can’t stop them all!” Bonner shouted, his face contorted from the effort.

A loud crack echoed over Kate’s head, the sound like lightning striking the ground. She looked up to see a huge chunk of the pit wall being wrenched away. Another glance showed her it was Francis, his arms outstretched as he guided it, his face strained with the same effort Bonner had shown. The huge slab of stone hovered beside them as a shield.

“Keep going,” Francis yelled through gritted teeth.

They charged onward, their steps punctuated by the sound of arrows bouncing harmlessly off the stone. Kate’s legs began to burn, and her breathing grew labored. The top loomed far above them, an eternity away. But they only needed to get out of reach of the arrows.

“Kate,” Tira called from ahead of her. “You’ve got to kill those guards before they kill us.”

“I can’t!” She didn’t have the breath to explain how Kiran, Anise, and Vianne struggled against her even now, worse than before. Kate could feel their panic—their terror—at leaving the pit. If she let go, she didn’t know what they would do.

“Please, Kate,” Francis said, his face purpled from the effort of holding the stone.

Glancing down at the guards below, she knew she could kill them with her sway, easily and quickly, and likely not risk losing the wilders’ minds completely. But she didn’t want to. She’d killed that way only once before and it haunted her still. She could just put them to sleep instead, but that would take longer. Indecision taunted her. They are our enemies, she heard Corwin saying to her once again.

Reaching the limits of his magic, Francis let out a strangled cry and stumbled to his knees, arms dropping to his sides. The stone slab fell as he did and struck the side of the steps with a noise like a mountain being rent in two. Below, the guardsmen seized their chance, bows raised for another volley. At once, Kate reached out with her magic to subdue them, but she was slowed by the strain of holding Kiran, Vianne, and Anise. Before she could reach them all, one guard let loose an arrow. It flew toward Kate, so fast it was almost invisible. A heartbeat later, she felt the pain tear through her mind, realizing too late that it wasn’t her pain.

But Kiran’s.

Turning, Kate saw the arrow protruding from his chest, his features already slackening, his body going limp.

“NO!” She reached for him, but her hands found only air as he slid off the edge. It was over in a moment, his body crashing to the floor below. Before Kate could even scream, she watched another body plummeting to the ground after Kiran. In Kate’s distraction she’d let go of her other wards, and Vianne had jumped, compelled both by her son and whatever force had been working so hard to draw her back to the pit. With a sickening lurch in her stomach, Kate turned to see that Anise too was trying to leap off the edge, held back only by Francis’s tight grip on her.

“Stop her, Kate.” The muscles in his arms rippled from the effort to hold her. 

Kate grabbed Anise’s mind with her magic. As before, the woman fought her, but Kate wrestled her under control. All the while the terrible truth beat in her brain—Kiran is dead. Kiran is dead.She hadn’t saved him. She’d hesitated and he’d fallen. Oh gods.

“Move!” Corwin shouted from below Kate. His voice cut through her thoughts, reminding her there were other lives at stake. Staving off her grief, she renewed the climb with the others.

They didn’t make it far before there was another crack like lightning hitting ground. A violent tremble rocked the stairs, throwing Kate forward onto her hands and knees. The crack sounded again, louder and nearer than before. She glanced behind her toward the source of the noise and saw Corwin and Bonner were on their knees as well, but farther away then they’d been. A rift had appeared in the steps, dividing her from them.

“Corwin! Bonner!” she screamed. “Jump!”

Corwin scrambled to his feet, but before he could make the leap, there was a third crack, and this time the rest of the stairs beneath Corwin and Bonner fell away, a landslide of stone and dirt that dragged them both down, slowly at first, then faster, until they both plummeted toward the ground as Kiran and Vianne had done moments before.

Kate lost sight of them in the cloud of dust and didn’t know where they’d fallen. But she didn’t need to. She’d seen Kiran’s. It was a fall no one could survive, and the truth of it made the world shatter around her, her heart seizing in her chest.

“Come on, Kate.” Hands grabbed her shoulders, pulling her up, forcing her to stand.

“No,” she said, reaching for her love and her friend, as if she could will them alive by her mind alone. She stretched out with her magic as far as she could, but she couldn’t sense either Corwin or Bonner down below.

Dal knelt beside her, mouth to her ear. “They’re gone, Kate, but Corwin would want you to survive.” Dal’s voice was like steel, hiding his own pain beneath it. Corwin had been his best friend for years, same as Bonner had been hers.

Dead dead dead. The truth filled her mind, overwhelming her until nothing else existed.

“Come on,” Dal said, hauling her forward now. “You can’t give up, Kate. Signe is counting on us.”

At the sound of her name, Signe’s face appeared in Kate’s mind, through the black of her despair. Signe, another close friend, someone she loved. If Kate died here, Signe would feel the same pain Kate felt now. Dal was right. They needed to escape, alive.

Blinded by tears, Kate finished the climb. Once up, they crossed the field back to the wall and out into the city, sneaking their way down alleys and side streets until they reached the harbor where Signe waited on the ship to carry them back to Rime.

Home. Just as Corwin had promised.

Only he’d been wrong. He wasn’t there to tease her with his stranger’s face as she lay down for sleep that night. She was alone. And when the ship reached Rime’s shores at last, she stepped onto her home soil feeling like a person rent in two. For a part of her remained in Seva, lying dead in that pit with Kiran, Bonner, and Corwin. Three parts of her heart, torn asunder.

Book Stats and Refilling the Creative Well

Hello Friends,

It’s March 4, which means we’re exactly 3 months away from the launch of Shadow & Flame. Sadly, it’s bitter cold and snowy here in Ohio, which makes it seems like June 4 is forever away, but in reality it’s practically here. To skew things even further, I only just turned in the final pre-print edit on the book (aka first pass pages) last week. Still, it’s a major milestone, and I thought I’d share some fun stats about the book below.

Book News

Shadow & Flame Stats

  • Page count: 480 
  • Chapter count: 35 + prologue
  • Points of view: 2
  • Section (aka “parts”): 2 – first one titled The Prisoner and the Wilder Queen
  • Number of apparent deaths of significant characters (aka characters introduced in book 1 and given names): 10, approximately
  • Number of kisses: 3, approximately

There will be more teasers coming in the following weeks, but just in case you’re wondering, this is very much the end of the story started in Onyx & Ivory. I have left a door open for a possible spinoff for one of the characters, but I’ve no idea if I’ll ever actually write that book. In all honestly it depends entirely on how well this duology performs and how much readers embrace it. 

Upcoming Events

  • March 5 (online), ARC giveaway. I’ve got a few old arcs from previous books that I’ll be giving away online starting tomorrow. The details will be on the blog with links across all my media accounts
  • March 9: YA Unbound Northern Kentucky Lit
  • April 27: Ohioana Book Festival

Mighty Friends

Today, I want to talk a little about my fitness journey and how it relates to my writing. If you’ve been following me for any length of time, then you might know that I’ve gone through a pretty big transformation over the last year, which all started with my Meniere’s diagnosis last April. There’s a lot to talk about here, as far as what changes I made, what routines I follow, what habits I replaced, but in keeping with the theme of the newsletter, I’ll share some stats. If you’re interested in details about my routines and whatnot, let me know. I can always share those in a future letter.

First, here is a before photo. This was taken May 13, 2018, and my weight was approximately 175 lbs. I’m only 5’1’’ (generously) so that’s significantly high. 


And here’s some after photos. The first is from November and the second is from this past Saturday (yes I got to meet Emily Andzilus from the Titan Games and she was totally amazing is such an inspiration!) I’m down to 136 lbs–almost to my goal weight (or more specifically my goal body fat percentage) but still a bit to go.

I’m super happy with the physical differences, of course, but in truth, I’m more grateful for the internal ones. These days I have boundless energy, few aches and pains, and a foundation of joy and contentment that makes it easier to get through the bad days, like when my Meniere’s symptoms flare up. Even better is that my new happy, healthy self is proving infectious. Things are better at home, my kids happier and my husband, too. The family unit is so important, especially in the way we fuel and feed off one another. I’m learning that the best way to make change of any kind is to start with yourself and let the rest follow. 

Another great benefit is that my writing life is once again joyful and fun, and although writing is never easy, it’s definitely a lot easier with a healthy body and mind. I often describe my ability to create as a well, one that holds a finite amount of water per day. When the water or creative energy runs out, I have to wait for the next day for the well to refill. 

It’s an accurate metaphor, but what I’m learning is that my mental, physical, and spiritual health are the support structures for the well itself. They make up the walls, in other words. When I was sick and unhealthy, it was like having cracks and fractures throughout the walls, allowing the creative waters to run out so much faster or to sometimes not replenish at all. But by getting back to a healthy state, I’ve repaired those cracks, allowing the well to fill and stay filled longer. 

It makes the sacrifice of time and effort that goes into my daily devotions, exercising, and healthy eating worth it. By spending time taking care of the support structure, I end up with more creative energy each day and am able to continuously write and produce those stories.  My point here is that even when I feel the pressure of a deadline or the need to produce or else, taking care of my health must be a non-negotiable. It’s the only way to a successful and longstanding creative life.  Happy writing!

Musingly yours,

Mindee

WriteOnCon and Rightly Ordered Love

Hello my Mighty Friends,

Welcome to February. Or should I say thank goodness for February, because that means January is behind us, and we’re that much closer to spring. It’s even a springlike day here, in the 50s and muddy–which for horse people is synonymous with spring (and fall, but let’s not go there).

Same as last time, I’ve broken this post up into two parts. The first is all things books, the second is all things life and writing. I hope you enjoy!

Books News

First up, we’re only four months away from the release of Shadow & Flame. Can you believe it? To be honest, I’m struggling to put my mind around it. It feels like I wrote the book forever ago, mostly because so much has happened and changed in my life since then. But I absolutely can’t wait to see it in real book form. Here’s a little taste of what’s that going to be like:

Street Team Sign-ups

In other books news, sign-ups for the Shadow & Flame street team are officially open until March 4. Just head on over to the Onyx & Ivory tumblr for details, including a peak at the grand prize. To all Relay Riders who complete the missions, I’m giving away swag, including a brand new character card. But who is it??? Well, that reveal will be coming next month.

WriteOnCon

Once again, I’ve been given the opportunity to present at WriteOnCon, an absolutely wonderful online writing conference, that’s super affordable and full of awesome resources. This year, I’ve contributed a blog post titled Writing For Emotional Impact. But to be honest, this is more like–Mindee’s most mind-blowing writing lessons she’s ever learned herself and is now sharing with you. Trust me, you don’t want to miss it.

I’m also participating in a live panel about Managing Mental Health, a subject near and dear to my heart, and which I’m going to dive into a little below in the MIGHTY section. That’s happening on Sunday, February 10 at 4:00 EST. There are also pitch opportunities with agents and critique partner hook-ups, and so much more. Be sure to check it out.

MIGHTY Friends

If you’re still reading this, thank you for being here and braving this part of the post with me. It’s scary to be putting myself so much out there in this way, but also important. I want to be accountable. As I said last time, the purpose of this section is to discuss this life journey I’m on as I try to live by my Be M.I.G.H.T.Y personal mission statement.

It’s been a long, crazy month full of a lot of ups and downs in my physical health. I started the month running a 5k and then spent the next week unable to do much moving around due to dizzy symptoms. And then just last Sunday, I had a small vertigo attack. It only lasted a few seconds, but it trigged a lot of panic and fear. I’m feeling better now, more solid, but every day is a chance for good or bad as far as my physical health is concerned.

Fortunately, though, my physical struggles have led to some break throughs in my mental and spiritual health. Specifically, I’m finally starting to understand that the biggest cause of my troubles is that I’ve been living my life with my loves out of order. It’s a concept that St. Augustine wrote about at length, this idea that we get in trouble when the priorities of our love are misaligned.

For me, I’ve always loved achievement more than anything else. Even more than my family, than God. Specifically, I was in love with the idea of being published and the achievement–the identity–that doing so would give me. This meant that if it came between choosing between a movie night with my family or getting the word count done for the day, I would either pick the writing, or I would spend the family time thinking about the writing and fretting about not getting it done. Same goes if the choice was between exercising and taking the time to prepare a healthy meal.

This was wrong. So so wrong. It was only after I achieved the publishing dream that I realized the fulfillment and sense of purpose I’d been longing for and striving after wasn’t to be found there. Finding an agent, publishing a book, none of that fulfilled me. The happiness it brought, while awesome, was fleeting. It didn’t give me a foundation of identity or security. This realization led to a slow but steady decline into depression. One so severe that I’m certain it contributed significantly to my meniere’s diagnosis and all the struggles and complications I’ve been dealing with since.

But you know what? The publishing was never going to do the things I had dreamed it would. Even if I’d been a huge best seller and had all the film deals and everything else, it still would’ve been fleeting. Why? Because it was never meant to a first love, first priority. I had my loves out of order. I was living my life wrong.

To put it another way, I was guilty of “worshipping” the writing and publishing. It’s like David Wallace Foster once said: “There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship.” 

That’s right. What we worship, what we serve and love is a choice. It’s one that will either make us or destroy us, that will either give us hope or despair. The despair comes from worshipping something that can let you down. What happens if you love your spouse or partner the most and they cheat on you? What if you love and worship your children the most and you lose them? What if it’s your career but it tanks? It’s a tough, tough question. And the only answer is to love and worship something immutable. Something that cannot change or be taken away.

For me, that means living my life with my faith as the first love and priority. Next is family, (my husband first and then my kids). After that is fitness (exercise + diet), and then maybe comes the writing and career. We’ll call it fiction. That way, it’s easy to remember. Makes is snappy. So here it is, my new, properly aligned, Core Values.

I’m going to keep this first and foremost in my mind. Remind myself of it everything. And each day I’m going to Be MIGHTY. What about you?

Musingly Yours,

Mindee

Be M.I.G.H.T.Y

Hello Friends,

Welcome to 2019! If you follow me on social media, then you’ve got a bit of an idea about what’s coming. But if not, let me catch you up. 2018 was a tough, tough year for me. It started off with a diagnosis of a chronic illness in February, followed by eight months of recovering, changing my nutrition, and basically transforming my life.

After going through all of that, I’ve been compelled to start sharing the things I’ve learned with everyone I can. Now, don’t fret. If you’re just here for book news, I promise to share that first and foremost. My posts and newsletter will now be divided into a Book News section and a Mighty Friends section. Sound good?

Book News

Obviously, the biggest book news of 2019 is that Shadow & Flame is out this year, on June 4th! That’s only 154 days away! That might sound like a lot, but it’ll be here so soon. Sadly, there won’t be any arcs for it, but I do have some fun and easy activities planned as we get closer to release. If you want exclusive, early content, be sure to sign up to be a Relay Rider.

In other book news, I have to give a shoutout to some of my favorite reads of 2018. My absolute fav was Spinning Silver by Naomi Novick. I also loved The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert, Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor, Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon, and Pacifica by Kristen Simmons.

MIGHTY Friends

As mentioned above, 2018 was a heckuva year. There’s so much I want to tell you about, but I don’t want to overwhelm you. Instead, I’ve decided to start by explaining what the acronym Be M.I.G.H.T.Y. means. This is my personal mission statement, the principles that I aspire toward everyday. As part of my journey of change this year, I’ve learned the importance of living a value (or principle) based life. My core values include my family, my health (physical, mental, and spiritual), my communities (church, Crossfit, horses), my career, and my creative life. If you want to know more about value-centered living, then I highly recommend reading The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People by Stephen R. Covey. I’m sure I’ll do a segment on this on a later date as well.

But for now, you’ll find a quick summation of the acronym for my personal mission statement below, followed by detailed explanations.

  • Be Meek
  • Be Informed
  • Be Grateful
  • Be Humble
  • Be Tenacious
  • Be Yourself

Be Meek

Now, I don’t mean weak or even gentle here, but meekness in the biblical sense. This has to do with how we handle a conflict or situation in which we have no ability to control or influence. According to biblestudytools.com, meekness is “an active and deliberate acceptance of undesirable circumstances that are wisely seen by the individual as only part of a larger picture.” It is “the patient and hopeful endurance of undesirable circumstances.” As any writer will tell you, writers have little to no ability to influence what happens to our books what we’ve written/sold them, and for me, this reality was a huge source of strife in my life these past few years, leading to depression, anxiety, and ultimately playing a huge part in my diagnosis with Meniere’s Disease. Of course, the need for me to be meek goes way beyond the books and into all avenues of my life.

Be Informed

After being diagnosed with an incurable disease, I was at first devastated. It felt like the end. For days and months and weeks everything seemed hopeless. Especially after all the doctor did for me was to “diagnose and dose.” They put me on some medication and told me to wish for the best. Instead, I said screw to that and dove headfirst into educating myself about the disease, which is considered an autoimmune issue. This led me to learn about the crucial role of nutrition in inflammation. I realized I had taken for granted that the foods available for purchase in the US were, if not healthy, at least not harmful. WRONG. I was so so wrong. So uniformed and naive. Never again will I embrace such things without question. I’ve come to realize that if I want to protect my health and wellbeing, and that of my family, that I have to actively seek out information in an attempt to learn the truth. I have to question all the paradigms I’ve long held, such as the ability of modern medicine to cure disease, the accuracy of the food pyramid, the safety of mutual funds, and so on. It’s overwhelming at times, but empowering. G.I. Joe was right–knowing is half the battle.

Be Grateful

Every day, every waking moment, I want to express my gratitude for the life I’ve been given. Even when it’s hard, when it’s bad–and sometimes with this disease it gets real bad, like I-would-rather-die-than-go-through–but even still, I am blessed and loved. And I want to pay that love and blessing forward.

Be Humble

One of my friends and I regularly joke about how the publishing business is a daily practice in eating humble pie. And while that is true in a cynical sense, it’s not what I mean by humility. Instead, I’ve come to realize that humility is a choice, an acknowledgment and acceptance in my heart that I’m no better than anyone else, and that I am in fact, probably worse than most, if only for all the times I believed otherwise. Even more than that, humility is realizing how much I don’t know and how much I still have to learn. Every day, every encounter with every human being, is a chance to grow and serve and become more.

Be Tenacious

Never give up. It’s that simple. I could’ve given up many times, especially after that diagnosis, but I decided to holdfast instead. To fight. To move forward despite the odds. To be honest, This is a core value I’ve always had. It’s probably the number one quality you need if you want to publish a book. But I’ve never had my tenacity challenged more greatly than in this last year. I have to be tenacious in everything I believe am and chasing. For me, this value is about pursuing excellence in all things.

Be Yourself

I know this one sounds cheesy, but I’m being sincere. I spent a lot of years not knowing myself. Not examining my choices, my dreams, my desires. Instead, I lived my life by walking the path set before me. Go to school, get a degree, get a job, get married, have kids. I never once stopped to question those decisions. I just did what was expected without ever stopping to get to know myself first. Have you ever known someone whose personality and interests would change based on who they started dating or hanging around with? Well…that was me. I’m ashamed to admit it. Truly ashamed, but it’s true. It was never intentional. I didn’t consciously try and change myself to match someone’s ideal version, but I did. It’s one of my biggest regrets. But again, never again. I want to be myself, and that starts with spending time getting to knowing myself, through deep and intentional introspection.

And there you have it. Sorry for the length of this one, but I had to share. I promise, shorter, more focused segments in the future. The most important thing I’ve learned so far is that change is possible. True change. The kind that impacts the lives of others and the world at large. But that change starts from within, not without. If you want change in your life, you have to go first. You have to lead the way. Do that, and the rest will follow. I promise.

Stay Mighty,

Mindee