Taking A (Mental) Break + Giveaway Teaser

I rarely skip a post unless I’m on holiday. Today, however, is going to be one of those days where I skip a post because I want to. And… I sincerely apologise for the lack of a fictional escape this week.

Honestly, I’m low on creativity at this moment. The newest chapter for The Clubhouse is supposed to be out today, but I haven’t even written it yet. Why? Because I don’t know what to write. This sometimes happens, and I’ve managed to push through it before, but not this week. I’ve not gotten enough rest for the past few days and I’m just tired all the time. To try and squeeze a story out of me would result in horrible writing. So if you’re following The Clubhouse and looking forward to the next chapter, please forgive me. You’ll have to wait until next week.

Since I’m being honest, I might as well say that the past month has been very mentally draining for me. As you might have read, I’ve been campaigning heavily for The Slave Prince. This is my chance to get another book on bookshelves, and I’m really going for it! But with the recent emergence of a new book in the competition, that left me in the dust, I was forced to up my game.

HERE is the current standings of the contest, if you’re curious. The Slave Prince has had to fight to stay in the Top 3 since Sparked came into the picture. Sparked shot straight to #1 in less than a day and you have no idea how intimidating that is. I quickly learned how small I am, compared to authors with such huge influence. So in my attempts to face this giant, I’ve been networking like crazy. And thankfully, through my approaches, I’ve managed to get the support of 4 creative people. These people are willing to give out their creative works to those who pre-order The Slave Prince!

Tomorrow’s Giveaway!

I won’t be able to update you on all the giveaways on this blog, as I don’t want my blog posts to spam you daily. But if you follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or the book page itself, you’ll see what’s going to be raffled. There will be novels to give away, cash vouchers, video games, and even an album. No kidding. The sooner you pre-order The Slave Prince, the higher your chances are at taking home something extra – and believe me when I say, everybody will win at least one giveaway. For tomorrow itself, I’ll be announcing a novel giveaway. It’s not my own, but a fellow Inkshares author’s book. More details will be on social media.

Well… that’s all for today’s post. Please accept my apologies and please pre-order a copy of The Slave Prince. Hopefully, when I see you next time, I’ll have something substantial to offer. But until then, have a great week!

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Define ‘The Slave Prince’

‘State or describe exactly the nature, scope, or meaning of.’
– Result from typing ‘define’ in the Google search bar.

What is The Slave Prince? What is it about?

Imagine yourself as a child. You’re seating in the living room with your parents, and they’re talking about transferring you to a private school. From time-to-time, your mother leans over and nags about your grades. Your father, well, he’s giving you this ‘don’t worry kiddo, I’ve got your back’ look. Everything is normal.

This is your house. The dog at your feet is yours, and his name is Sam. Bob the cat is also yours. You named him Bob because he’s yours. Your brother, who’s upstairs playing an MMO, thinks Bob is a stupid name. But you don’t care, because Bob is yours.

This is your life. This is what you know. This is all you know.

Everything about this life shapes who you are. And then one day, you wake up and realise you are not you.

The couple downstairs, arguing about a dinner party, are complete strangers. The boy in the bedroom next door isn’t your brother. Sam is not your dog. You didn’t name Bob, Bob. And what you believe to be your true identity… isn’t true at all.

You don’t know who you are, and it has nothing to do with your memory. You know these people, you know the world you live in, you just don’t know… you.

This is what The Slave Prince is really about. Yes, there’s magic and adventure. But there’s also a prince who has lost himself. And in this journey of self-rediscovery, he learns that it isn’t just about choosing a side. It’s about… something else altogether.
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It has been a month since I’ve entered The Slave Prince into the Geek & Sundry Fantasy Contest. Since then, The Slave Prince has nestled in the #2 spot. And to date, it has 109 readers with 113 pre-orders. Yes, the stats are good. Being #2 in the Top 3 is good. It’s safe… but only for now.

You see, The Slave Prince needs to be in the Top 3 on November 1st to win a full publishing deal. That means there are 2 more months to go before the contest ends. And we all know, anything can happen in those 2 months.

So, if I could ask… would you, dear reader, who have read my works and know what I can bring to the table, consider pre-ordering a copy of The Slave Prince? You’ve read more of my stories than many others who’ve ordered my book. You’ve left comments and likes. You’ve sent me emails. And I’ve grown to believe that you believe in me.

There is no doubt I cannot go on this journey alone. And with your support, I can succeed. With your support I can dare to dream big. And dreaming big isn’t just placing Top 3, it is excelling. So, what do you say? Do I have your support? Just think of it as treating your favourite blogger lunch 😛 Your pre-order, whether eBook or paperback, will go a long way. And for it, I will be forever grateful.

Happy Birthday, Jeyna!

No, no, I’m not here to wish myself ‘happy birthday’. I know I kind of did, but that’s not what this post is about.

Firstly, The Clubhouse is taking a break this month. I need to ‘re-plot’ this series. Secondly, I have a special announcement to make. No, my birthday is not the special announcement. The special announcement is… *drumroll please*… my new book!

Yes, there’s going to be a new book! 

This book is titled The Slave Prince. It was written in January 2013 and for two years, I’ve been editing it… unsure on which platform I should publish it on. And then I thought, why not put it up on Inkshares? So I did. The project is now live and it’s part of the Sword & Laser Collection Contest!

So, what is the Sword & Laser Collection Contest? 

This contest runs on Inkshares from now till January 15th, 2016. The top 3 books with the most unique reader pre-orders will be published by Inkshares and will possibly be added to the Sword & Laser Collection. It is basically a race to get the most orders in a month’s time. I’ve worked with Inkshares before on The Battle for Oz, and I’m hoping for a chance to work with them again.

This means, I need your help.

You can read all about the book HERE, check out the prologue of the book, then consider pre-ordering an e-book copy (at $10) to help kickstart the project. I know I cannot succeed in this project without your help, but I don’t want to hustle for money either. The crowd-funded publishing industry is a tough platform to break into, but I believe it is a platform that gives hope to all authors – no matter who you are or where you come from. So please, please do consider sparing me your $10.

Succeeding a second time on a crowd-funded publishing platform would mean a lot to me. The first round itself was a Christmas miracle, and I’m praying for another Christmas miracle this year too 🙂 Would you help me make it happen? I really hope so.

*If I’m not mistaken, you get a $5 store credit upon signing up on Inkshares. That’s 50% off the e-book price of my book. Good deal, eh? Go check it out! 

**On a separate note, the cover above is a temporary cover. There’ll be a better one soon.

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Well, that’s my announcement! Thank you for giving it a read and thank you for being a part of my writing journey. I’ll have a year end update soon to share my blogging plans for 2016. For now, I’ll just leave you with this.

By the way, don’t you just love the snow that comes around every December on WordPress? I definitely love it. Ironically, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Oddly, it gives me hope too. Wow, who knew digital snowflakes could leave such an impression.

P.S. Inkshares is having a Buy-1-Free-1 offer on The Battle for Oz. So if you have no idea what to get for a bookish friend this Christmas, do check it out!

Winner of ‘Finding The Dreamer Contest’

Think of me when you’re out, when you’re out there.

I’ll beg you nice on my knees.

The day had started so well. Emily had put on her new outfit, the one she bought just the day before. In her new skirt, her sexy top and her new high heeled boots, she felt pretty for the first time  since long. She smiled. She would go to Harry’s today, and surprise him. After all, it had been almost two months since she last saw him.

When the world treats you way too fairly,

It’s a shame I’m a dream.

Arriving at Harry’s place, she entered through the back door. Her surprise would be ruined if she went to ring the bell now. Entering the living room, she couldn’t believe her eyes. On the couch, there was Harry. But he wasn’t alone. Not at all. Locked in his embrace, with her lips plastered to his, was Alice, her daily tormentor, and his ex-girlfriend.

Without another thought, Emily turned around and left. Tears ran down her cheeks, ruining her make-up she spent so much time on.

All I wanted was you

All I wanted was you

Back at her apartment, Emily went to her room immediately, lay down on her bed, and let her sorrow out. All she could think of, was how happy Harry had made her, how amazing it felt to be with him. Without realizing, she drifted off to sleep.

I think I’ll pace my apartment a few times,

and fall asleep on the couch.

When she woke up, she didn’t know where she was, until she saw herself in the mirror. Pale face, ruined make-up, tear streaked cheeks. The image of Harry and Alice came back to her mind.

And wake up early to black and white re-runs,

that escaped from my mouth.

Suddenly, Emily knew what to do.

She reached under her bed, pulled out a suitcase, and opened it. Looking at her, calling for her, were dozens of sharp objects.

Without even looking at any of the others, she took out a dagger, the one almost identical to the one Harry had as an ornament on his desk.

All I wanted was you

All I wanted was you

All I wanted was you

All I wanted was you

Putting the dagger behind the border of her skirt, she left her apartment, and she went towards one of her favorite places, the roof of an abandoned building.

I could follow you to the beginning, just to relive the start. And maybe then we’d remember to slow down, at all of our favorite parts.

Climbing the stairs, Emily thought of when she met Harry. The stuff they did together, their first date, many of their other dates, the gifts he bought her, their first kiss… She felt new tears wet her cheeks. That was all over now. When she reached the roof, she went to her regular spot, sat with her back to the wall of the stair house, took out the dagger, and brought it to her wrist.

All I wanted was you.

The first cut felt so heavenly, so blissful. Quickly, she made more cuts, enjoying the increasing flow of blood on her arms. When she was satisfied with the amount of flowing blood, she put the dagger aside, gathered some blood on her finger, and wrote her final goodbye. In blood red letters there was now the message:

Harry,

All I wanted was you.

This is your fault. You made me do this.

Farewell. Emily.

Next, Emily lay down, took up the dagger again, and brought it to her throat. She swallowed, wiped away her tears for the last time, and made the cut. Harry was all she wanted. Without him, life wasn’t worth living.

All I wanted was you

All I wanted was you

All I wanted was you

All I wanted was you.

With a start, Emily woke up. The sight of Harry lying next to her made her relax. It was only a dream. He would never cheat on her. Turning on her side, she watched him sleep.

Her dream might have been very realistic, but she knew her Harry would never cheat on her, and definitely not with Alice.

For that, he loved her too much. Like she loved him.

There was no single trace of doubt  her dream would come true if she ever lost him.

Suddenly, Harry stirred and opened his eyes.

“Em? Why aren’t you sleeping?” he asked drowsily.

“I had a bad dream. That’s all.”

Harry looked at her. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Emily shook her head.

“You know you can tell me anything, right?”

“I dreamt about you and Alice.”

Harry took her in his arms. “Emily, you are all I wanted. Ever.”

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This harry potter fan fiction was written by Caroline Guisson from Belgium. Thank you for participating Caro 🙂