Thank you so much to "It's Raining Men" for
hosting this post and to you the reader for taking the time to read my
ramblings. My name is Isabella Carter, and I'm here to tell you a little bit
about my newest release from Less than Three, The Dragon Slayer, first book of
the Empty Crown Series, going live tonight, June 18.
One day, while I was complaining to my father about how
difficult the scene I was working on was and he stated, "I thought writing
was supposed to be fun."
"It is," I answered. "Until you've run
right into writer's block."
And we've all heard of it, the infamous writer's block
that can stop even the most skilled writer in their tracks. It turns even the
most genius of passages into shit and makes us doubt why we even thought of putting
pen to paper. Everyone's had it and we all have our own ways of toughing our
way through it. I'd like to share a couple of my favorite methods with you
today.
Reading:
I read a ton. Part of the reason I have a smart phone is
so that I can read no matter where I am whether it's hiding in a closet from my
relatives (which I'm embarrassed to say I've actually done) or waiting in
waiting rooms. When I'm blocked, I tend to forgo my favorite M/M romances
though and go straight for the Young Adult books. I love reading paranormal
romances and the Young Adult market is positively flooded with them (not all of
them necessarily good).
Gaming:
I think I've mentioned before how much I love playing
video games. They keep my hands busy while my mind tends to wander and try to
find the exact reason why I'm stuck on my current story. It was during one of
these games in fact, that I got the inspiration for Dragon Slayer in the first
place.
Dragon Slayer is a mix of some of my favorite genres: a
little bit of mystery, a lot of fantasy, and of course, romance. Ultimately, it
was the story that broke my four month drought last summer (and caused a
drought of its own earlier this year). It's very close to my heart and I'm
happy to have a chance to share it with you.
If you'd like to enter a giveaway for a chance to win an
ebook copy, please follow the link here for rules and a chance to enter.
Ingram is a coward and weakling—at least according to his
father, the king, and the royal court. He cannot use a sword, he faints at the
sight of blood, and even his brilliant abilities as a strategist are not enough
to overcome his failings. When his father loses a bet to the notorious Lord Mallory
over the matter of a dragon slaying, he pays his debt by ordering Ingram to
marry him.
Then his father reveals that he is putting Ingram to a
greater purpose, giving Ingram one last chance to prove he is not worthless.
All it requires is betraying his new husband
"If you remember," Mallory continued, "I
was promised a boon if I could bring you its head."
"I don't remember that," Roderick was quick to
declare.
"I'm not surprised. You were rather inebriated at
the time. However, your state of drunkenness does not negate our deal." He
smirked, but it flattened into a frown quickly enough that Ingram wondered if
he'd imagined it.
"For all I know, you could be making this up."
"I remember it, Your Majesty," one of the lords
spoke up. "During Lord Mallory's last visit." Roderick shot a sharp
look to the noble that had spoken up, and he choked on any words that might
have followed. Ingram didn't have to speculate over how long it would take for
the man to find himself out of favor.
"There you have it, Your Majesty. Unless you wish to
be known for an inability to keep your word?"
"I keep my word," Roderick answered tightly.
"And what boon did I promise, Lord Mallory? Money? Women?" He asked
derisively. "I'd advise you to take the former. I suspect no woman would
want to come near you."
Mallory's brow creased at the insult, making him look
even more formidable. Ingram didn't understand how his father didn't quake at
the sight of him. "The hand of one of your children in marriage."
Ingram gasped and instantly regretted it when the pungent
smell of rot and death filled his mouth and nose, and he gagged on the bile
that threatened to rise.
"My child? You think I would give you one of my
children?" Roderick demanded. "I wouldn't—"
"It seems you have no choice, Your Majesty. You must
uphold your word," Lord Griffin interrupted, the voice of reason as
always. He looked wholly amused by the situation, but seemed to be trying to
hide it, probably not wishing to invite the wrath of King Roderick, whose face
had gone red with rage.
"Don't tell me that," Roderick spat. "I
know what I must do! I am king!" His fists clenched tightly enough to
whiten his knuckles. Ingram could see the moment he came up with a plan; his
fists loosened and a small smile crossed his face. That smile sent a frisson of
instinctual fear through Ingram. "The hand of one of my children?
Correct?"
- - - - - -
Isabella has been torturing her players for years with character breaking plot twists and loving reminders of suffering to come. Now that she had retired from her illustrious career as a GM, she’s turned to making her characters suffer just as much. The time she isn’t writing she spends at her job as a computer technician wishing she was right back at home, writing.
Despite this, Isabella continues to be a self-proclaimed romantic. A childhood of Disney movies has taught her that there is no ending as satisfying as a happily ever after.
