C.J. Milbrandt's Blog, page 89

Countdown: 5 Weeks. We’re counting down to the release the first of the Byways books, which is my new children’s series. Each Thursday, I’ll bring out sketches, excerpts, and explanations of the adventure ahead. Today, I’ll give you a peek at the story’s setting, a land called Liberty.

A vast continent.Mountains to the north, which are bounded by a frigid sea. A cross-country railroad connects coast to coast in this forested part of the country. Open plains and plateaus through the midland. Pe...

Countdown: 6 Weeks. We’re counting down to the release the first of the Byways books, my new children’s series. Each week, I’ll bring out sketches, excerpts, and explanations of the adventure ahead. Today, I’ve added a Byways page to the website. Look for the tab and see where it leads. More pages will be added in the weeks ahead! And … it’s also my pleasure to introduce the Johns family’s middle son—Zane.

Zane Johns has a short temper, a love for excitement, and a surprisingly noble ancestry...

Countdown: 7 Weeks. We’re counting down to the release the first of the Byways books, my new children’s series. Each week, there’ll be sketches, excerpts, and explanations. Today, it’s my pleasure to introduce the Johns’ family’s eldest son—Ewan.

Ewan Johns is a slow and steady young man—law-abiding, honorable, and polite. He works as a bookkeeper in his father’s company and is called boring by his youngest brother.

■ Ewan inherited his father’s looks—tall and slender, with a beaky nose. He al...

Countdown: 8 Weeks. In two months, I’ll release Book #1 in my new children’s series. Since I’m more than a little excited to share, I’ll be counting down with Thursday posts that focus on the Byways books. Each week, there’ll be sketches, excerpts, and explanations. But today, I bring an introduction. The youngest of Ian’s three sons volunteered to go first, so please meet Ganix!

Ganix Johns is a little too curious for his own good. He’s a born mischief-maker with a talent for getting into tro...

Countdown: 8 Weeks. In two months, I’ll release Book #1 in my new children’s series. Since I’m more than a little excited to share, I’ll be counting down with Thursday posts that focus on the Byways books. Each week, there’ll be sketches, excerpts, and explanations. But today, I bring an introduction. The youngest of Ian’s three sons volunteered to go first, so please meet Ganix!

Ganix Johns is a little too curious for his own good. He’s a born mischief-maker with a talent for getting into tro...

New Series. Those of you who subscribe to my newsletter have already heard a little bit about my new series. The first of the Byways books will release in July, less then two months from today, so it’s time to start introducing you to the Johns family and the world in which they live.

Over the next several weeks, we’ll count down to the July 4 release of Book 1: On Your Marks with sneak peeks of everything from cast portraits to cover art. Beginning with today’s unveiling the header that appe...

He was mostly made of brownstone, just like the griffin upstairs, and Tupper couldn’t resist reaching up to touch the statue’s broad chest. Richly hued stone the color of bark suited the man quite well, for there was no mistaking his claws and long, wild hair. “He’s Pred!” Tupper exclaimed.

“Aye. His name is Haimish.”

Circling the brown statue, Tupper paid attention to every detail. Haimish was as tall as Freydolf, but not as broad in the shoulder. In a way, he looked like a younger version of...

Galleries of Stone, Book 2: Harrow is now available from Amazon (Kindle), Barnes & Noble (nook), and Kobo. You’ll also find the story listed on GoodReads. Please do take the time to rate and review the story … and “like” my author profiles wherever you may find them. This helps get the word out about Freydolf, Tupper, Aurelius, Brand, and all the other folks from the trilogy. ♥

Available now: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Available now: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Also, if you don’t hav...

April 8, 2014 is release day (the book birthday) for Harrow, Book 2 in the Galleries of Stone trilogy. After hitting “publish” yesterday, Amazon was the first to make the book available for purchase. The story approaches the Epic category (400+ pages), and there are illustrations throughout. Cost is set at $5.99, and it’ll download to your computer or e-reader in minutes.

• You can read the first few chapters thanks to Amazon’s ‘Look Inside’ feature. Check it out.

• Don’t have an e-reader? Ther...

One week from today, Harrow will pick up two years after Meadowsweet left off. The second book in the Galleries of Stone trilogy brings back familiar faces, most notably Aurelius Harrow, the merchant who acts as Master Freydolf’s agent. His return to the gray mountain will complicate Tupper Meadowsweet’s quiet days in brand new ways.

Newsletter subscribers received the entirety of Harrow‘s first chapter yesterday. (Not a subscriber? Join the list here.) In an effort to further pique your inter...