There’s a lot of meat in the writing updates this newsletter, so I’m skipping the family updates. Sorry, mom. Everyone’s still alive. Of course, that's what I'd say if I were trying to hide something too, so feel free to call your grandkids to check.

This is the final newsletter before Mother of Trees hits the market. It’s a big deal for me because I put a lot more thought and effort into the release process. I hope it makes a difference in growing my audience and increasing sales. (I’m a bit of a Negative Nellie, but I’m not going to put my doubts in virtual ink for the Universe to read. Marla will be proud.)

Updated Blurb

Here's the updated blurb for Mother of Trees after working with a company that creates these to help authors sell books.

A mythical deity. A hidden prophecy. Will fighting her destiny herald death for everyone she loves?

Elliah knows she shouldn’t be alive. A youthful wood elf bereft of magic, she’s spent her long-lived childhood drifting from town to town as her mother conceals her from those who believe she needs to be culled. Sick of feeling like an outcast, she’s intrigued when she meets a young half-breed who encourages her to view her odd nature as a gift instead of a flaw.

When a misstep draws undue attention, Elliah and her mother quickly leave the village in the company of her new companion and his dragon-hunted father. But even as her confidence grows, her world shatters when she discovers she’s been lied to about her heritage… and it could change the future of their entire race.

Stubbornly resisting her fate, can she keep a nation from falling into the dark?

Mother of Trees is the spellbinding first book in the Thaumatropic Roots epic fantasy series. If you like clever humor, relatable characters, and clean storytelling, then you’ll love Steven J. Morris’s thrilling adventure.

Buy Mother of Trees to expose deep-rooted secrets today!

Thoughts? I like it. It took several revisions, where I first nitpicked concepts, then did the same with specific words. Some of the stuff they fought me on helped me understand the work of blurb-writing better.

Release Party

I realized, belatedly, that I'd set up the release party in the only format I'm vaguely familiar with, which is a book signing. That's not really what I wanted--I'd hoped it to be more of a celebration. So I'm now thinking I will give away copies of my book (signed), and have a cake & cookies. I've invited friends and local book clubs that I'm tightly or loosely associated with. It'll be more of a party, and I like that. I do wish I could have beer though. :) [Next time, somewhere I can serve beer.]

It'll be at Bat City Comics & Games, on Feb 3 @ noon. (That's in Austin, TX, for those of you looking for any excuse to abandon your igloos.)

Book 2… and beyond

I don't know why I'm including this section, except perhaps to make Brittany M send me more guesses. Here's the book line-up for Thaumatropic Roots

Bones of Cenaedth (possibly Fires of Cenaedth)
Secrets of Deara
Shepherds of Truth ... or possibly ... Shadows of Magic ... or ... Cages of Shadow ... (yeah, not coming together)
[No working title... Cages of Shadow would also work for this one, which maybe helps me pick the title for the last one... meh]
Father of Stones

I've written through Secrets of Deara, but the pace is totally wrong. Started over. There's good meat on the bones, but some of the skeleton is missing, which is a kinda gross but accurate metaphor. And we all know how the story has to end, b/c it feeds into the Guardian League, so I know where I'm going with the books I haven't sketched out yet.

The Guardian League

I joined a local writing group, and one of their members was kicking off an effort to collect short stories from the writers based on a monthly prompt. January’s prompt was ‘garnet’. The dragons of serendipity clawed their way in—Garnet Hernandez is Red’s given name. So I wrote a little story about Red as a child, and I’ll attach it here. Since I appear to be the only fantasy writer in the group, I’m not sure my work will fit in with the others, but I still think the little story is good. Hopefully, you enjoy it. Send the author an NFT if you enjoy it. 😉It's the first story in the collection I've attached, called Sharpened. Most of you should have seen the rest of the stories in the collection already. But this side-effort might kick out a few more Guardian League based short stories.

Guardian League Outtakes.epub

Guardian League Outtakes.mobi

Guardian League Outtakes.pdf

Indie Author Showcase

**This is a new type of campaign for me -- it targets people who will leave reviews. Free ebooks in exchange for reviews!**

The Ring Keeper

Caught between twin brothers, one courting demons and sorcery, the other the ruler of an empire protected by magic, Ana bears a ring of unknown powers, her legacy from a mother she never knew.

Discovering the ring’s ability makes her both a valuable member of the emperor’s court and a target for abduction by his jealous brother. Soon Ana finds herself betrayed and kidnapped, ultimately held at the mercy of the emperor’s twin and his dark secrets.

The ring exposes a web of love, hatred and unimaginable betrayal. Though its power drains her life force, the fate of the empire depends on her ability to unlock the ring’s secrets. She must find the will and strength to use it, for its magic can save the lives of everyone Ana has come to love. Or it can destroy them completely…

For fans of Annette Marie’s Taming Demons for Beginners.

Pure Power

I can heal anyone…
But not if they’re already dead.

I’ve been a magical healer of Heiligslicht, the top healing guild in Hope City, ever since they saved me from the streets of this darkness infested hellscape. That was eleven years ago.

In all that time, you’d think I would have gotten used to losing a few patients. But I never did.

Now, after losing the most important man in the world to me, I’ve had enough. It’s time to take the fight to the demon who took him from me.

But demon hunting isn’t easy. I’m going to need a mentor. And a team. And who better than a hotter than hell pyromancer and his band of misfits to teach me the ropes?

I don’t know if I have what it takes to make it as a monster hunter. But I’m sure as hell going to give it my best shot.

Or die trying…