I’m thrilled to announce the release of my debut novel, The Broken Horn, the first book in The Story of Rain trilogy. This journey has been nothing short of an odyssey, spanning three years and thousands of hours of dedicated writing.

Crafting The Broken Horn was a labor of love, involving intricate world-building that paints a vivid backdrop for our protagonists, Djeodi and Roan. Developing these characters, each with their deep, personal struggles, was a journey in itself. Djeodi, grappling with his violent past and alcoholism, seeks redemption in a world marred by conflict. Roan, a defiant sandrunner, faces her own demons while protecting a mute girl amidst danger.

The process of plotting this novel was a complex task. I aimed to intertwine the lives of Djeodi and Roan in a narrative filled with suspense, emotional depth, and a fight for survival. Balancing the themes of redemption, love, and resilience in a dystopian setting was both challenging and immensely fulfilling.

The Broken Horn is an exploration of the human spirit against the backdrop of a harsh, unforgiving world. I invite you to dive into this journey and experience the world of Djeodi and Roan, as they navigate through their turbulent lives, each seeking something they yearn for in the depths of their souls.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Your support means the world to me. The Broken Horn is available now—I can’t wait for you to read it and join me in this adventure.

Yo!

Creating art on the scale of a novel involves a LOT of moving parts. As a fantasy book, that includes having a badass map. Well, about a month ago, my map designer fell through. That’s kind of a big deal when it comes to the book launch deadline. What did I do? I dusted off my old design chops and got to work.

The map you see above is the final version, which I created using a tool called ‘Inkarnate‘ and, of course, the old battle horse, Photoshop. I don’t know how many hours it took because the damn thing just needed to get done, but it was a lot.

Let me know what you think!

Why the hell did I set a deadline??

Because I like the pressure, and I want to get this book out now. Every author needs to find a balance between perfection and quantity. If it takes 1-2 years to write and publish a book, how many stories do I have left in me? Sounds morbid, but that’s the fact. My goal is to produce a book on average every 18-24 months. We will see…

Currently, The Broken Horn is in the proofreader’s hand. Then it’s off to the production team!

Now let’s hope Amazon doesn’t cause any delays. I don’t want to have to give Bezos a call.

Four years in the making, The Broken Horn is now available for pre-order! Please note that this is for the ebook only. Amazon does not currently allow for pre-sales of physical books.

Creating The Broken Horn has been quite a ride and the most fulfilling personal art expression I’ve ever experienced. I set out to publish my first book by the time I was 40—well, I missed it by 2 years, but hell, I’m here now!

I truly hope you enjoy this book. Several thousands of hours went into both the world and the novel itself. I’ve already started book 2 and plan to release it October 23rd of next year.

Until then, keep on reading!

Don’t judge a book by its cover. Ha! The number one reason a potential reader opens your book or looks at the back cover is the cover itself. A great looking, professional design requires excellent typography, imagery that captures the imagination, and a composition that sets both the expectations and the tone of the book. 

For fantasy and sci-fi readers, it nearly always requires custom illustration. As you already know, we want immersive worlds and compelling drama, hopefully with some violence!

And that’s merely scratching the surface of all that goes into a great design.

I’m happy to say that after half a year of careful work and a great partnership with Jeff Brown, we have a final version!

Drum roll………….

I’m thrilled for October 22nd, 2022!