I’m so happy to welcome author Kai Strand back to the blog, this time to celebrate her middle grade fantasy DAY OF RECKONING (Concord Chronicles Book 1). Be sure to enter the giveaway at the end of the post and check out my 5-star Goodreads review.
To Revise or Not To Revise – Is Not Even a Question by Kai Strand
Hi Katie! Thanks for inviting me here today. I thought I’d talk about revision. It’s, quite possibly, my least favorite part of writing a book. So, why would I want to talk about it? It’s also, quite possibly, the most important step to writing a book.
Day of Reckoning was the very first book I wrote. Therefore, the first draft was absolutely abysmal. There were more info dumps in it than in my local landfill. My prose was so purple, I could have handed it a scepter and put a crown on it.
Needless to say, I had a lot of work to do. And it took me years to edit this puppy. And even after I worked on it for years, I still had more collaboration with content editors, like yourself, and a line editor to go through.
In my humble opinion, a book is never really finished, but nor is the first draft ever publishable. All these years later, I write a much cleaner first draft, but I could never publish one! It just doesn’t take me a decade to revise anymore. I love how a story, or a character expands with the help of critique partners. Or how a setting becomes more stable or even more important as I get to know my story better with each revision pass.
I have a lot of advice I could share with new authors, but this point is one I hope to make abundantly clear. Revise the heck out of your story. And then when you’re done, revise some more, but stop when all you are doing is tweaking one word here and one word there.
Do you have a favorite revision technique? I’d love for you to share!
DAY OF RECKONING
by Kai Strand
* Series: Concord Chronicles (Book 1)
* Paperback: 289 pages
* Publisher: Independently published
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 1690603372
* ISBN-13: 978-1690603375
Not only does twelve-year-old Terra learn she’s a Nature’s Spirit destined to serve the peaceful underground city of Concord, but she also finds she is named in a prophecy as the only one who can thwart the leader of the death tribe.
The Trepidus are the death janitors of the Underworld. They’re responsible for the termination and cleanup of Concord’s beings. When their leader, Blanco, learns Terra is the one who can derail his day of reckoning, he does everything he can to get rid of her. Including, dispatch a “Bringer” to complete the ultimate of death janitor duties.
Not only does Terra want to stay alive, but she hopes to complete her training and discover her Spirit talents too. So, Frank, a Spirit of Security, is assigned to protect her. Together, they undertake a secret investigation of how to defeat Blanco. But with the future of Concord and Terra’s very own life at stake, will they find the answer in time?
DAY OF RECKONING can be purchased at the following sites:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo
For those who aren’t familiar with the author, here’s a bit of background on her.
Award-winning Kai Strand, author of the action-packed Super Villain Academy series, is often found exploring hiking trails and snapping pictures of waterfalls in her Oregon hometown.latest reads as well as what they would like to see in future stories.
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Leading up to the July 14, 2020 release of my latest YA fantasy ELIXIR SAVED, sequel to the award-winning ELIXIR BOUND, I’ll be posting teasers and tidbits on Tuesdays. Feel free to share!
I haven’t shared any from Zelenka’s point-of-view yet, so this is her week. The Three River Split is also in ELIXIR BOUND (which is on sale for $0.99 if you haven’t read it yet), but I never tire of picturing it and attempting to describe it to readers. As you can probably tell from the excerpt, Zelenka never tires of this place either.
ELIXIR SAVED teaser text:
Then the tumult reached a deafening level. Poky followed the tilli around a bend in the path. Zelenka sucked in a breath as she witnessed the East Rauor River cascade over the cliff and split into three tributaries…
Three years gone without having been able to stare at this wonder of nature.
About ELIXIR SAVED:
Three lives saved by the Elixir; three lives bound by it.
The Elixir entwines the lives of those it touches. Once upon a time, Kylene, Zelenka, and Devon tasted it and escaped death. None were left without scars. Now, a shocking message from the Ice Queen–one of Mother Nature’s higher beings–sends each survivor on a quest. Kylene travels to the frozen depths of Blanchardwood, Zelenka heads back to the wilds of Faway Forest, and Devon journeys to a reclusive mountain temple. The three paths converge in a war against an ancient and tricky foe. And even the Elixir cannot save everyone. The fate of the world balances on the edge of a sword, and the outcome depends on whether the survivors will sacrifice their second chances.
Escape back into the world of the Great Peninsula in this much-anticipated sequel to the award-winning ELIXIR BOUND. Perfect for fans of the Thrones of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.
Pre-order it from Bookshop, IndieBound, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Book Depository, Kobo, Smashwords, or your favorite book retailer.
Leading up to the July 14, 2020 release of my latest YA fantasy ELIXIR SAVED, sequel to the award-winning ELIXIR BOUND, I’ll be posting teasers and tidbits on Tuesdays. Feel free to share!
It’s kind of weird to have a book with a snowy cover coming out in July, and the story mostly takes places in the fall, so that’s just one more layer of seasonal confusion to add to the mix. Still that’s the way the timing worked out for this particular book, and perhaps when we’re deep in the heat of summer, a snowy cover will be just the escape readers need. And for those in the southern hemisphere, it’ll actually be winter, so there’s that.
This week, I asked The Boy and The Prince for a topic idea and they suggested “snowflake.” The amazing artist Susan Tait Porcaro provided this iteration of the cover art, and I thought it was the perfect backdrop for this quote.
ELIXIR SAVED teaser text:
Kristalis seemed to appear out of nowhere. One minute Kylene and her companions were trudging through deep snow, surrounded by evergreens and swirling snowflakes. The next minute the trees parted and the snowfall cleared just enough for the sun to peek through the clouds. Light bounced off crystal towers in the distance, a shower of prisms glittering from the turrets. Kylene’s breath caught.
About ELIXIR SAVED:
Three lives saved by the Elixir; three lives bound by it.
The Elixir entwines the lives of those it touches. Once upon a time, Kylene, Zelenka, and Devon tasted it and escaped death. None were left without scars. Now, a shocking message from the Ice Queen–one of Mother Nature’s higher beings–sends each survivor on a quest. Kylene travels to the frozen depths of Blanchardwood, Zelenka heads back to the wilds of Faway Forest, and Devon journeys to a reclusive mountain temple. The three paths converge in a war against an ancient and tricky foe. And even the Elixir cannot save everyone. The fate of the world balances on the edge of a sword, and the outcome depends on whether the survivors will sacrifice their second chances.
Escape back into the world of the Great Peninsula in this much-anticipated sequel to the award-winning ELIXIR BOUND. Perfect for fans of the Thrones of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.
Pre-order it from Bookshop, IndieBound, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Book Depository, Kobo, Smashwords, or your favorite book retailer.
Leading up to the July 14, 2020 release of my latest YA fantasy ELIXIR SAVED, sequel to the award-winning ELIXIR BOUND, I’ll be posting teasers and tidbits on Tuesdays. Feel free to share!
For inspiration for today’s quote , I looked up what obscure holidays are celebrated on April 21st. Turns out it’s British National Tea Day . Since tea is my drink of choice while I’m writing, I thought it fitting to find a quote to match.
ELIXIR SAVED teaser text:
Katora tended the fire, and Kylene sipped her tea—that’s what they called the boiled water seasoned with rosemary and lavender. It helped warm the chill away, at least until Katora settled down next to her and spoke again. “I think it’s Fyren.”
Kylene choked on the tea. “What?”
“I think he’s the one making it so cold. It might be a message or maybe a rallying call to our enemies. Whatever it is, it’s tainted with dark magic. I can feel it to my core.”
About ELIXIR SAVED:
Three lives saved by the Elixir; three lives bound by it.
The Elixir entwines the lives of those it touches. Once upon a time, Kylene, Zelenka, and Devon tasted it and escaped death. None were left without scars. Now, a shocking message from the Ice Queen–one of Mother Nature’s higher beings–sends each survivor on a quest. Kylene travels to the frozen depths of Blanchardwood, Zelenka heads back to the wilds of Faway Forest, and Devon journeys to a reclusive mountain temple. The three paths converge in a war against an ancient and tricky foe. And even the Elixir cannot save everyone. The fate of the world balances on the edge of a sword, and the outcome depends on whether the survivors will sacrifice their second chances.
Escape back into the world of the Great Peninsula in this much-anticipated sequel to the award-winning ELIXIR BOUND. Perfect for fans of the Thrones of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.
Pre-order it from Bookshop, IndieBound, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Book Depository, Kobo, Smashwords, or your favorite book retailer.
Leading up to the July 14, 2020 release of my latest YA fantasy ELIXIR SAVED, sequel to the award-winning ELIXIR BOUND, I’ll be posting teasers and tidbits on Tuesdays. Feel free to share!
Today’s teaser image is from chapter 19, which is from Devon’s point-of-view. His grandfather, Pop Pop, is explaining a little bit about how Mother Nature views the world of the Great Peninsula.
ELIXIR SAVED teaser text:
“Mother Nature sees and understands things we don’t. A perk of being
the mother of all things I suppose. Think of it like a mess of vines,
twining all around each other.” Pop Pop wove his fingers together in a
two-handed fist and held it out as if in offering. “It’s much more
complicated than you can imagine. Some vines began growing a
long time ago and have an end; others are just beginning and won’t
stop for some time. The Great Mother sees the connections of all
things past, present, and future. One simple act affects all others
that come after it.”
About ELIXIR SAVED:
Three lives saved by the Elixir; three lives bound by it.
The Elixir entwines the lives of those it touches. Once upon a time, Kylene, Zelenka, and Devon tasted it and escaped death. None were left without scars. Now, a shocking message from the Ice Queen–one of Mother Nature’s higher beings–sends each survivor on a quest. Kylene travels to the frozen depths of Blanchardwood, Zelenka heads back to the wilds of Faway Forest, and Devon journeys to a reclusive mountain temple. The three paths converge in a war against an ancient and tricky foe. And even the Elixir cannot save everyone. The fate of the world balances on the edge of a sword, and the outcome depends on whether the survivors will sacrifice their second chances.
Escape back into the world of the Great Peninsula in this much-anticipated sequel to the award-winning ELIXIR BOUND. Perfect for fans of the Thrones of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.
Pre-order it from Bookshop, IndieBound, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Book Depository, Kobo, Smashwords, or your favorite book retailer.
