Category: Publishing

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My First Fantasy Book Magic Arrives Progress Update

My First Fantasy Book Magic Arrives – I just made progress on Magic Arrives! Read how I’m writing it and get a free book below. I give a complete status update for you below.

How to Get a Free Book From Me

Life After Life Chronicles March Fourth Fun Videos
Enjoy all four novels in audiobook, paperback, or Kindle format!

One way is to simply give me ideas for my fantasy book, Magic Arrives. Should I have dragons? Elves? Trolls? Dwarves? (Or dwarrows, for those in the know.) Click here to give me a piece of your mind. If I use your idea, I’ll give you your choice of my books.

Another way to get free books from me is to click here. I give away eight free books of mine with every newsletter. But you’ve got to join first. Plus, I tell you about events, I give you free short stories, and more. The newsletter comes out twice a month, but you can reduce that to monthly or even bimonthly.

My First Fantasy Book Magic Arrives – The Snowflake Method

My First Fantasy Book

I rediscovered the Book Progress app in Word Press and I decided to use it to report on the progress of my first fantasy book, with the working title, Magic Arrives. The app asked me about my writing method and I decided the Snowflake method is the closest to my process. I work on multiple parts at a time. Here’s the overall structure:

  • Story Structure – Done!
  • Characters – Done!
  • Scene List – Done!
  • First Draft – Done!
  • Editing – In progress
  • Proofing – To do

My First Fantasy Book Magic Arrives – Story Structure

My First Fantasy Book

So far I’m 100% complete on the Story Structure phase. I’ve captured my plot for this book, and the next two books in the triology.

Have a preview of the spines of the trilogy here.

My First Fantasy Book Magic Arrives – Characters

I just made progress on Magic Arrives! So far I’m 100% complete on the Characters phase. I’ve got about 71 characters so far, including magical dragons, talking dogs, gorillas, and intelligent dolls.

Magic Arrives Progress – Scene List

I just made progress on Magic Arrives! So far I’m 6% complete on the Scene List phase. That’s 6 out of 100 scenes.

Progress – First Draft Words

I’m done with the first draft of Magic Arrives! I’m 100% complete. That’s roughly 112,00 words out of my goal of 100,000. Oops. Overshot.

What remains to be done

I’m done with the self-edit. I sent it to my editor, Dori Harrell. She did the line editing. I’m going through that NOW. Then Dori will do the final proofing.

I’ll created the front cover, back cover and spine with my illustrator, Sean “Fuzzy” Flanagan.

Here are the covers:

2026 Future Predictions My First Fantasy Book
Front and back Cover of Magic Arrives

Then there’s the small matter of uploading it to Amazon and publishing it there. Finally, I order paperback copies so you can get your copy here, directly from me, as less than Amazon.

Get Your Free Books By Clicking Here!

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Jesus Was Born-What Happened Next? 3rd Day of Christmas

Gospel Medley Writer's Block: My Experience

Jesus Was Born-What Happened Next? For the 3rd Day of Christmas, you’ll enjoy this Christmasy excerpt from my non-fiction book, The Gospel Medley.

What happened between the shepherds’ visit to the manger and the wise men’s visit to the house? Read on, you’ll find out! Plus, you’ll read another momentous prophecy and testimony about Jesus soon after His birth.

That’s not all–my other twenty-five gifts are below for your reading pleasure, not just this one gift! You don’t have to unwrap them–just click on them.

Let me know what you think by clicking here or emailing me at [email protected]. As always, everyone who responds with a comment or email will get a free book from me.

My past gifts to you are here:

Gospel Medley cover spread

Half of Your Gifts! – Jesus Was Born

If you want to keep track of all my blog posts and get free books you can subscribe to my newsletter by clicking here.

What Happened After Jesus Was Born? From The Gospel Medley

Your Twenty-Fourth Literary Gift What Happened After Jesus Was Born?
The Gospel Medley back cover

 (After Simeon’s prophecy in the previous post)

36 There was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher (she was of a great age, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity, 37 and she had been a widow for about eighty-four years), who didn’t depart from the temple, worshiping with fastings and petitions night and day. 38 Coming up at that very hour, she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem. 39 When they [Joseph and Mary had accomplished all things that were according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.[1].

[1] Joseph and Mary eventually returned to Nazareth but moved to a house in Bethlehem by the time the wise men visited. Since Herod died in March of 4 BC, this episode had to take place before then but after Jesus’s birth. “All these things” included the circumcision (nine days) and the purification (thirty days) plus at least three days for travel and three days back. At least two months passed before they fled to Egypt. We know the wise men visited them while they resided in Bethlehem. After their flight to Egypt, they returned to Nazareth.

What Happened After Jesus Was Born? The Next Episode in Jesus’s Life

Your Twenty-Fourth Literary Gift What Happened After Jesus Was Born?
The four icons of the four gospels

The Flight to Egypt

Matthew 2:13–23 

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise and take the young child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy Him.”

14 He arose and took the young child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod;

that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”[1]

Herod’s Slaughter

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and sent out, and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two years old and under, according to the exact time which he had learned from the wise men. 17 Then that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying,

18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; she wouldn’t be comforted, because they are no more.”[2]

19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, 20 “Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the young child’s life are dead.”

21 He arose and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in the place of his father, Herod, he was afraid to go there. Being warned in a dream, he withdrew into the region of Galilee, 23 and came and lived in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Footnotes from This Section

Your Twenty-Fourth Literary Gift What Happened After Jesus Was Born?
Back cover detail

[1] Hosea 11:1 – “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.”

[2] Jeremiah 31:15 – Yahweh says: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.

What Happened After Jesus Was Born? Conclusion

What do you think of your third day of Christmas gift? Let me know right here. Don’t forget, I’ll give you a free book after I get your email.

If you like The Gospel Medley, you can subscribe to my newsletter here to see all my blog posts and get free books every month. Or you can just stay at my blog, checking back every day until Christmas.

Get your autographed copy of The Gospel Medley by clicking here.

Psst! Audible lets you listen freely to my books. Click here right now to find out how.

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Jesus Life Story for You – On Sale

Gospel Medley Writer's Block: My Experience

Jesus Life Story for You. You’ll enjoy this excerpt from The Gospel Medley. The Gospel Medley contains the gospels in time order. Here’s an excerpt from my non-fiction book, The Gospel Medley below. It’s on sale from September 21-28, 2025.

What happened between the shepherds’ visit to the manger and the wise men’s visit to the house? In this last of a two-part series, you’ll find out! Plus, you’ll read another momentous prophecy and testimony about Jesus soon after His birth.

Let me know what you think by clicking here or emailing me at [email protected]. As always, everyone who responds with a comment or email will get a free book from me.

Jesus Life Story for You – Is here:

Gospel Medley cover spread Jesus Life Story for You

If you want to keep track of all my blog posts and get free books, then… Subscribe to my newsletter by clicking here.

What Happened After Jesus Was Born? From The Gospel Medley

Your Twenty-Fourth Literary Gift What Happened After Jesus Was Born? Jesus Life Story for You
The Gospel Medley back cover

 (After Simeon’s prophecy in the previous post)

36 There was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher (she was of a great age, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity, 37 and she had been a widow for about eighty-four years), who didn’t depart from the temple, worshiping with fastings and petitions night and day. 38 Coming up at that very hour, she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem. 39 When they [Joseph and Mary had accomplished all things that were according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.[1].

[1] Joseph and Mary eventually returned to Nazareth but moved to a house in Bethlehem by the time the wise men visited. Since Herod died in March of 4 BC, this episode had to take place before then but after Jesus’s birth. “All these things” included the circumcision (nine days) and the purification (thirty days) plus at least three days for travel and three days back. At least two months passed before they fled to Egypt. We know the wise men visited them while they resided in Bethlehem. After their flight to Egypt, they returned to Nazareth.

What Happened After Jesus Was Born? The Next Episode in Jesus’s Life

Your Twenty-Fourth Literary Gift What Happened After Jesus Was Born?
The four icons of the four gospels

The Flight to Egypt

Matthew 2:13–23 

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise and take the young child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy Him.”

14 He arose and took the young child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod;

that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”[1]

Herod’s Slaughter

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and sent out, and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two years old and under, according to the exact time which he had learned from the wise men. 17 Then that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying,

18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; she wouldn’t be comforted, because they are no more.”[2]

19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, 20 “Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the young child’s life are dead.”

21 He arose and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in the place of his father, Herod, he was afraid to go there. Being warned in a dream, he withdrew into the region of Galilee, 23 and came and lived in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Footnotes from This Section

Your Twenty-Fourth Literary Gift What Happened After Jesus Was Born?
Back cover detail

[1] Hosea 11:1 – “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.”

[2] Jeremiah 31:15 – Yahweh says: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.

Jesus Life Story for You – On Sale Conclusion

What do you think of your free excerpt? Let me know right here. Don’t forget I’ll give you a free book after I get your email. It’s on sale from September 21-28, 2025.

If you like The Gospel Medley you can subscribe to my newsletter here . You’ll get to see all my blog posts and get free books every month. Or you can just stay at my blog, checking back every day until Christmas.

Get your autographed copy of The Gospel Medley by clicking here.