RICHARD H. STEPHENS, FANTASY AUTHOR. - Excerpts and Blog

From Idea to Kindle…

24/1/2019

kudos to...

As I am wrapping up the third book of the Epic Fantasy series, Soul Forge, I am humbled by the many people who come together to bring my fantasy books to publication. I also wonder how I actually find the time to write with all the other tasks I need to attend to. That’s where my team comes in. A team that I am so fortunate and grateful for.

At age 51, the decision to leave my position in the police sector for a full-time writing career was not easy. The pay, the pension, the health benefits, the vacation time was all great, but the stress was killing me. I’m grateful for the opportunity to follow my dream and passion for writing and now this is my full-time job. No pay, no pension, no health benefits, I work at least 12 hour days and can’t afford a vacation!

But I am happy.

Reflecting on this as I take a break from polishing the suggested edits, I realize just how much people power it takes to put a book out there.

Here it is! Sneak peek to a breaking new fantasy series!

12/1/2019

Reecah's Flight
Legends of the Lurker Book One

An excerpt...

Several days had passed since Poppa departed dressed much differently than normal, a rope over his shoulders, his old sword buckled to his belt and a black quarterstaff in hand.
Reecah watched Grammy sitting before her loom in the flickering candlelight, never once pushing down on the foot pedal to operate the cumbersome machine. Grammy’s faraway gaze told Reecah her mind was elsewhere.
   “Where’s Poppa?”
   Grammy looked up from her idle loom and blinked a couple of times, a grim smile fluttering amongst her wrinkles. “He’s off hunting with the villagers.”
   Reecah frowned. Poppa often hunted for food, but he usually took his bow. “He’s been gone a long time.”
   “Come here, flower bud.”
   Grammy held her arms out for Reecah to climb into her lap.
   “Remember when we told you about the seasons?”
   Reecah put a finger to her lips in thought, her big, hazel eyes searching Grammy’s face. “I think so.”
   Grammy kissed Reecah’s forehead and gave her a patient smile. “Let me remind you. Every three years around this time, we must be extra careful with the dragons. Fishmonger Bay has the biggest population of the beasts anywhere.”
   “Why Grammy? What happens?”
   “Hmm. I’m not sure how to explain it so that you’ll understand. You see, every creature, be they mice or people or dragons, find someone to love. When a couple loves each other, they become close and, um, well, they mate. And then they have babies.”
   Reecah frowned deeper. “What does mate mean?”
   “Well, heh, let’s just say they snuggle close.”
   Grammy’s face reddened. Reecah turned her head sideways, having no idea what snuggling close meant. She wrapped her arms around Grammy’s thin body and hugged her tight. “You mean like this?”
   “Yes, something like that.” Grammy cleared her throat. “But that’s not what’s important here. The point I’m trying to make is that during the dragon mating season, the beasts become overly protective of their territory. Fishmonger Bay lies within dragon territory and that means other animals, including people, must be extra careful.”
   “Is Poppa hunting dragons?”
   Grammy didn’t respond right away. “Poppa is with a bunch of men trying to keep the dragons from encroaching on our lands.”
   Reecah nodded, not really knowing what that meant. She did, however, understand Grammy’s serious tone. “Is Poppa going to die?”
   Grammy pushed Reecah to arms length. “Gosh, child, no. Don’t you ever think that.”
   Reecah smiled and snuggled back in to Grammy’s bosom. “I like when we mate, Grammy.”
   She felt Grammy stiffen and begin to stutter, but the sound of boots clomping on the new porch had them gaping at the door in anticipation.
   Reecah flew off her lap as the door banged open and Poppa stomped inside.
   Poppa’s glum face brightened when Reecah jumped into his arms. He lifted her off her feet in a tight embrace.
   “Poppa’s back!” Reecah kissed him several times all over the face before she leaned back and studied him. “You’re stinky, Poppa.”
   “Hah!” Poppa put her on the floor and hugged Grammy who had walked up behind them.

Lying awake in the dark cabin, Reecah hugged her wooden dragon, stroking its scaly spine and listening to snatches of her grandparents’ conversation from their pallet on the far side of the hut.
   Grammy’s voice sounded sad. “Why must you go back out again? I thought you showed them where to go?”
   “Aye, but Jonas is afraid there’ll be trouble. He wants as many swords as possible.”
   “He can’t be serious. If he provokes them, he’ll risk bringing the entire dragon community down on us.”
   “I agree, but you know Jonas. You can’t tell him that.”
   Silence settled over the hut. Reecah’s thoughts drifted. She wasn’t sure she dreamed her grandparents next words or not.
   “I don’t like it, Vili. What would we ever do without you?”
   “Shh, it’ll be okay Lizzy. I won’t let that happen. I promise.”

Early the next morning, Grammy hugged Poppa by the door, tighter and longer than usual, her face damp.
   “What’s the matter Grammy?” Reecah pulled on Grammy’s apron.
   Grammy let Poppa go and smiled, sniffing. “Nothing, child. Just saying good-bye to Poppa.”
   Reecah looked from Grammy to Poppa, confused. When her eyes met Poppa’s, his face broke into a wide grin.
   “Come here, poppet. Give Poppa a big hug.”
   Reecah held out her arms and was whisked off her feet in Poppa’s loving embrace. He opened the door and walked outside into the cool morning air with Reecah proudly sitting in his arms. Without looking back, he strolled down the path
   “Viliyam.” Grammy called after them.
   Poppa said loudly, “It’s okay. I’ll send her back when we reach the trail.
   Reecah watched Grammy over Poppa’s shoulder—her grandmother didn’t look pleased.
   At the end of the trail Poppa put Reecah down and reached inside his tunic to pull out a walnut sized, crimson gemstone Reecah had never seen before. He crouched down to her level.
   “Wow.” Reecah accepted it in her small palm. “For me?”
   Poppa smiled. “That was your mother’s. I need you to take care of it for me until I come back. Can you do that?”
   Reecah nodded.
   “Promise me you won’t tell anyone else about it.”
   “Not even Grammy?”
   Poppa’s response surprised her. “Especially not Grammy.”
   Reecah turned the multi-faceted stone over in her hands, running a finger along its one flat side. “What’s it do?”
   Poppa swallowed, his eyes on the verge of tears. “There’s no time to explain it to you now. When the time comes, it’ll all become clear, okay?”
   She nodded.
   “Promise me. No one.”
   “I promise, Poppa.”
   Viliyam knelt on one knee. “Good, now give me a hug. It’s time I was going.”
   Reecah hugged him around the neck, so hard she heard him gasp. “When are you coming back, Poppa?”
   She felt him tense, but his soft voice calmed her.
   “I will always be in your heart, little poppet. Don’t ever forget that.” He held a hand over her chest. “As long as I’m here, it’ll be like I never left.”

Coming May 2019!

On Writing Fantasy: An Imaginary World

10/1/2019

It occurred to me today that as a fantasy author, one of the reasons I love to write this genre is to experience the journey of the characters and see what is around the next corner. To experience their world through their eyes is truly remarkable.

My full-time job writing is such a joy and, if I’m honest, it’s an escape from the world today! Creating stories for readers to enjoy and take pleasure from is a privilege.

For me, writing is a form of therapy, a calming passage of time that I truly get lost in as the characters, places, scenes, beasts, dragons and magic transport me to another realm.

When I write, I listen to music through a headset. I am completely immersed in the sounds and everything else around me is lost. Music fuels my creativity and passion and with each vision, step and moment in time, I lose myself in a fantasy story of epic proportions.

I feel grateful to be able to write full-time, following my passion to craft stories for fantasy enthusiasts. As an insatiable reader myself, it truly is a fantastical honour.

Into the Madness (Book 3) - coming soon!

12/12/2018

Knowing now what they did of their heritage, Melody found herself full of unanswered questions about her mother. Why hadn’t their mother told them of her lineage? If the Grimward could be trusted, and she saw no reason why the old spirit would lie, Mase Storms End descended from a long line of magic users. Sure, her mother would’ve been discreet with that knowledge. Had she been found out, she would’ve been hunted and killed by the ignorant, idol worshipping, peasantry.
   Melody sniffled, wiping her wet cheeks on her robe. In the end, what difference did it make? Death at the hands of the people, or being murdered by Helleden’s minions? Either way, her parents were dead. They had lived a lonely life in exile from their own people.
   “It’s not fair.”
   Silurian stopped clearing the unmarked graves and looked her in the eyes. “No, it’s not, but I’m damn well going to make someone answer for their deaths. Mom and dad were quiet, unassuming, caring people who never did anybody wrong. Mom’s only crime was being born a Storms End. Dad’s only fault was loving her.”
   Melody put her arm around his shoulders and pulled him in close. His words sparked a feeling deep inside her she hadn’t known herself capable of. Revenge.

Don't think about it, just do it.

19/11/2018

For me, the process of writing a story is an adventure. As a writer of epic fantasy, people often ask, “How do you world build? How do you establish plot lines? How do you create characters? How do you build magic systems?” To each and every one of those questions the answer is simple. I don't.

So many people devote countless hours (some take years!) building a fantastical world. They spend days and weeks fretting over magic systems. They agonize until the sun comes up about plot. I get it. There are a lot of people who require structure. Hey, if that works for them, great, but I don't have the patience, nor the time to devote to these things when I could be writing instead. I don’t need to stress over things my characters are going to sort out for themselves anyway.

What do I mean by that? Well, in some circles, I am called a ‘pantser.’ I had never heard of this term until a few months ago. It means I fly by the seat of my pants. Truth be told, I like to think I fly by the seat of my character's pants.

Wizard of the North Book Blurbs

14/11/2018

Opening scene:

  A storm was imminent. It promised to be a bad one. It would rain hard, and with the rain would come death.
   Within a grotto, high atop an active volcano, a wizard hunkered over a vision within the flames of a modest campfire, holding back long wisps of golden hair.
   Something strange was occurring hundreds of leagues south of the cave. Something catastrophic. Tears dripped from the tip of the wizard’s nose. The omens foretold the return of a devastating power. A power that had annihilated the unspoiled tracts of the Innerworld a few moon cycles earlier. The same power that had besieged Quarrnaine Svelte and her expedition four years ago, but this time it was different. This time, the signs pointed to an absolute apocalypse—a total annihilation of Zephyr, and there was nothing the wizard could do to prevent it.
   A cold wind swirled ash into the wizard’s face, burning small holes in the silken robes fluttering about the magic user’s slight frame.
   Ignoring the acrid smoke, the wizard leaned closer to the flames, willing the vision to reveal a deeper understanding. Helleden Misenthorpe was at the root of this storm, of that there was little doubt, but there were other participants involved this time. One bigger than the malign sorcerer himself. If this magical storm of doom wasn’t strange enough, there was also something familiar about it. Something that shook the wizard to the core.

Soul Forge Book Blurbs!

15/10/2018

Scene: Pictured above: Treacher's Gorge.

The rain had found them, waiting until they stepped onto the goat path, and proceeded to assault them mercilessly for the remainder of that first day away from Redfire.
   It took them four days to reach Treacher’s Gorge, a deep divide between several abutting mountains where the Spine intersected the Land’s End of the Undying Wall. The crumbling ledge they traversed, curved around the latter’s windswept peak, circling its southwest face, where the trail fell away fourteen thousand feet into the gorge.
   If not for the bridge, Silurian would have believed they were the only people ever to witness this sight, so desolate was the area. He had stood upon this brink twice before, but the sheer depth of the yawning abyss still rendered him breathless.
   Before them, a rickety wood and rope bridge stretched away to the center of the gap between four jagged peaks where it was bisected by a platform. From the platform, the bridge had originally split off in three directions, but they could see that the segment on the left had collapsed and a large piece of it was still attached, swirling about below the platform. Hopefully no one was on it when it fell.

Of Trolls and Evil Things Book Blurbs!

12/9/2018

OF TROLLS AND EVIL THINGS is a stand-alone prequel to the SOUL FORGE saga trilogy. OF TROLLS AND EVIL THINGS depicts the main characters, Melody and Silurian when they were young teenagers.

Pictured below is Mount Gloom in the daytime. Imagine running through here in the dark, trying to escape from a maniac bent on killing you...or worse! Ask Silurian and Melody what that's like.

Scene: Silurian sits dejected in the marketplace

   Silurian hung his head between his knees in despair, his arms slumped between his legs. How long he sat there he didn’t know, but the squeak of a young girl’s voice broke through his melancholy. A grimy-faced girl, no more than eight, clad in a simple, tattered, brown tunic cinched about her tiny waist with a frayed length of filthy twine stood before the farmer’s table. He smiled at her pretty face hidden with dirt as she shyly placed her order.
   The merchant gave her a skeptical look.
   The girl produced a tiny burlap pouch bound by another piece of twine. Plunking it proudly upon the table, her face beaming, she proclaimed, “I have money.”
   The merchant grunted, turning to his cart to assemble her order.
   While the farmer’s back was to the table, a huge man approached. He bumped into the girl, almost knocking her to the ground. The girl shrank away from the malodorous man. Silurian could smell the putrid stench of sweat from where he sat.
   The farmer glanced over his shoulder, surprised to find the large man where the girl had been. Raising his eyebrows at the large man, the farmer placed part of the girl’s order on the table, gave the newcomer a slight nod, and turned back to assemble the rest of the order.
   While the farmer worked away, Silurian watched the man sneak the girl’s order into his pockets, and walk away.

The Royal Tournament Book Blurbs!

15/8/2018

Scene: Jebadiah Milford, and his son, Javen, return to their homestead after a busy day at the tournament.

On the way back to the homestead that night, Javen was unusually quiet. Jebadiah tried many times to draw his son out of the shell he had retreated into, asking him questions about the tournament, and commenting in general upon other tilts he had observed from the vantage point of the crowd. To all of his remarks, he received only distracted grunts. He frowned. Javen’s silence was out of character.
It wasn’t until they had tended the horses and were closing the barn doors that Javen spoke, his question catching Jebadiah off guard.
“Papa, why do people hate black men?”

Words to cut from your manuscript

11/7/2018

Source: Diana Urban
43 Words to delete from your writing now!

Really, very. These are useless modifiers. You should be able to find stronger verbs or adjectives for whatever you’re trying to enhance. For example, “He ran very quickly along the really long field.” can be, “He sprinted across the vast field.”
That. If a sentence still makes sense after removing “that,” delete it. For example, “This is the most amazing blog post that I’ve ever read.” can be, “This is the most amazing blog post I’ve ever read.”
Just. I have a hard time removing “just,” especially in dialogue. But for the most part, you don’t need it, and too many can make your dialogue or prose repetitive.
Then. When showing a sequence of events, either remove “then” or try using “and” instead of “then.” Using “then” frequently sounds repetitive and even juvenile. “I shut the car door, then tripped over the sidewalk. Then Bob pointed and laughed, and then my cheeks flushed.” sounds better as, “I shut the car door and tripped over the sidewalk. My cheeks flushed as Bob pointed and laughed.”
Totally, completely, absolutely, literally. These words don’t add information to a sentence. For example, “The box was completely full of clothes.” reads the same as, “The box was full of clothes.” or better yet, “The box was stuffed with clothes.”
Definitely, certainly, probably, actually, basically, virtually. Again, these words don’t add information. If the sentence makes sense without these words, remove them.
Start, begin, began, begun. These words are unnecessary unless an interruption to the action soon occurs. But for the most part, you can remove these words.
Rather, quite, somewhat, somehow. A movie doesn’t have to be “rather dull,” it can just be “dull.” Delete!
Said, replied, asked, and any other dialogue tag.
Down, up. Usually, these words are unnecessary and you can remove them. For example, “I sat down on the floor.” could be, “I sat on the floor.” and “I stood up.” could be, “I stood.”
Wonder, ponder, think, thought, feel, felt, understand, realize. When you add any of these terms, you’re removing readers from the introspection and adding useless words. For example, “I wondered whether Johnny was the murderer.” could be, “Was Johnny the murderer?” If the narrator questions, “Was Johnny the murderer?” it’s self-explanatory that the narrator is wondering it. This also helps readers feel closer to your narrator, and more involved in the speculation.
Breathe, breathe, inhale, exhale. These are far too commonly used by many authors to describe character internals, including me! Instead of deleting, you’ll have to find an alternative way to describe how a character is reacting to whatever has made them breathe quickly, exhale sharply, or “Let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.” Ick! I highly recommend The Emotion Thesaurus in paperback, not digital, so you can skim through any time.
Shrug, nod, reach. Every author has her own quirks, and over time, you should become familiar with your own. These are a few of mine — in my first drafts, I have characters shrug, nod, and reach for things way too often — and I know a lot of other writers include these, too. Always have second readers, whether you’re writing a novel or blog post. They’ll be able to point out actions that happen too frequently better than you can, because you’ll usually be too close to your own writing to notice.
How to find these words in your writing
If you’re using Word, it’s easy to find these useless words. First, make sure to select a highlight color from the toolbar besides white.

Click Edit > Find > Advanced Find and Replace. Click Replace and the little down arrow.

Enter the word you’re seeking in both the Find what: and Replace with: fields. When your cursor is still in the Replace with: field, click Format > Highlight.

Click Replace All. Repeat this process for every word you want to find in your document. Then you can scroll through your writing and easily spot these words, and decide if you want to delete them. Doing a Find/Replace to delete these words isn’t a good option because there will be some instances when simply removing the word muddles the meaning of your sentence. Sometimes a sentence will need to be reworked.

Author note

Immerse yourself in a few "snippets" from my books! I hope you find them exciting enough to want to read the whole book!

If you enjoy my stories, please take a moment to leave your review on Amazon or send me a note to include your testimonial on my website.

Thank you for visiting today!

Richard H. Stephens

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Credit for the amazing SOUL FORGE custom cover designs and interior artwork for Richard H. Stephens goes to
MARCO PENNACCHIETTI.
To learn more about Marco or to connect with him, please visit the links below.

MARCO's ARTWORK

pennacchietti23marco@gmail.com

In addition, credit for most of the interior artwork from WIZARD OF THE NORTH for Richard H. Stephens goes to the multi-talented,
IAN BRISTOW.
To learn more about Ian or to connect with him, Please visit the links below.

bristowpublishing@gmail.com

All maps designed by RICHARD H. STEPHENS

© 2019 Richard H. Stephens