Know The Novel Take #2: oh, The Lamented and a late Cover Reveal!

So... I was supposed to share the covers for the whole Oh, The Brave series yesterday... Honestly? The day got away from me, I forgot the date, and had a blast with a friend so this was pushed to the side. But I am here now with the covers for the full series!

As you've seen in the past here are the already revealed covers for Oh, The Fallen, my debut novella, Oh, The Lamented which is the debut novel coming next year, hopefully, and a hand full of short stories.

Now, I really didn't ever expect this series to be so big so when I made the covers, I wasn't sure that they would be what I used in the end for the series. Once all of the stories started to come together though, man, I found out that my favorite covers in the world were perfect for my books!

So, yeah, I loved the covers and didn't have stories until I did!

Now, I'm so happy to share the covers with you all at once!

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You ready to see them?

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You sure?

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Really really sure?!

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One hundred percent sure?

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All right...

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Here they are!

Ahhh, just look at my boys all together!! Aren't they great together?! I really cannot wait to hold them all together one day. For now, I'll be content to write them and hope that you're as excited for them as I am!

What do you think? Do you love the covers or no?

Add Oh, The Brave to Goodreads!

I said I'd share the covers, and that is done... But I do not want to miss sharing more about Oh, The Lamented so here's my second post for the Know the Novel blog tag!

1. How’s the writing going overall?

Well, that's a loaded question... When I'm actually writing?! Wonderful! At all other times? Yeah, no... That's when it's "what is Oh, The Lamented? Never heard of it before!!!" (fun, right?) But I'm not really trying to write a lot yet, I'm doing that the second half of this month as I have other focuses this first half. That was what I originally wrote for this post, however, a week later... Three days after I hoped to seriously start writing I've got a second cold for the month and writing is kinda not going... We'll see how it keeps "going" and I still hope to hit my goal!

2. What’s been the most fun aspect about writing this novel so far?

The brothers! Really, I just love the bond between the blood brothers and the brothers-in-arms. It's just so much fun to write the guys together!

3. What do you think of your characters at this point? Who’s your favorite to write about?

That I know them more... I am so glad that I didn't hurry to finish and publish this year as I have flushed out so much back story for Memphis, Trina, and Frisco, not counting other characters who will now have a larger part in my novel. My favorite to write? Memphis, he is just, ummm, he's such a good guy and I love doing the brotherly/fatherly take with Frisco and Trina and as a friend to the other guys. I also really love writing Trina... She's just so much (painful, like so painful, but...) fun to write.

4. Has your novel surprised you in any way?

The length, seriously, I had not expected this book to make it to even 30,000 words easily. Now? I'm at just over 50,000 words and only about a quarter to halfway finished writing the third/second to last draft. At least, I hope I'm that finished, I'm not sure yet as I'm still writing, of course. But a friend and my sisters have all informed me that they only saw this being a longggggg novel and that I should get to it. So, this is me... Getting to it! ;)

5. Have you come across any problem areas?

So many! All of the problems have been little, like super little, problems so it hasn't been easy especially when one of those little things becomes huge due to the plot points it ties into.

6. What’s been your biggest victory with writing this novel at this point?

That I hit 50,000 words in it! I've never done that before in a story that isn't just the first chapter rewritten 5 times. So, yes, I hit 50,000 words for the FIRST time EVER in a story!!! I'm so happy about it!

7. If you were transported into your novel and became any one of the characters, which one do you think you’d be? Would you take any different actions than they have?

Huh, I would likely be Trina. Or Paris, actually neither but a mix of both as Trina has some of my worst and best characteristics just as Paris has some of the humor side that I have in private with good friends and family.

8. Give us the first sentence or paragraph then 2 (or 3!) more favorite snippets!

#1: Retired Army SGT Mitchell “Frisco” Francisco felt like kissing the ground when his plane finally landed on his home soil of Chapel Creek, Tenneesse.

He had often shipped out and returned to his hometown and he found that this time was no different in reality, yet he felt that it was so different and his hometown was changed at the same time.

Running a hand over his high and tight dark hair, he remembered the first time he had left town–a young man at only seventeen-years of age and long ago lost to the rough ways of life with the lack of true family in his childhood. He’d found the family he was missing in the Army and had been proud of it even when he met, dated, and later married Trina Grey. He had expected to give his whole life to the Army, the only thing he truly loved in his life until he came to Christ.

#2: The only one he truly trusted before getting saved was Tyler. The one brother who he hadn't pushed away all those years ago. The one he hadn’t even known until he thought he was broken and without family outside of Trina.

#3: A moment later his phone rang and he answered chuckling, “I said don't worry. I’m not going to do anything stupid.”

The soft yet rough voice on the other phone sighed, “Man, I don’t stop worrying just because you say so. What are you thinking?”

#4: Thoughts of Matthew still hurt, but he knew he’d be seeing his brother-in-arms again one day when his earthly life was over and his race ran to the finish.

9. Share an interesting tidbit about the writing process so far! (For example: Have you made any hilarious typos? Derailed from your outline? Killed off a character? Changed projects entirely? Anything you want to share!)

Killing a main character... Okay, I'm not saying who, so if you know do not say anything! But man, it has been a struggle! It is right and needed that this character die. but I have been going back and forth so much trying to find a way NOT to kill him. It's been interesting to say the least to find a way out of it... Sadly, due to the plot of the novel, the series, and even other future books there is no saving this character.

10. Take us on a tour of what a normal writing day for this novel looks like. Where do you write? What time of day? Alone or with others? Is a lot of coffee (or some other drink) consumed? Do you light candles? Play music? Get distracted by social media (*cough, cough*)? Tell all!

I really don't have a normal way of writing for the day. However, my favorite time to write is when I get up at 4-6 am, ready for the day, have breakfast, then sit down to write with my second cup of coffee and the playlist for the story I'm working on. After an hour or so of writing, I'll check my email, social media, work on a few blogging things, and just normal check ins before going back to writing till about 8 am when everyone else is beginning to wake. If I can't write then or I'm not getting up until 8 am I like to write outside in the summer/spring/fall and or in the winter I just like doing it whenever it's quietest in the house. No matter what, I nearly always have coffee no matter the time and a playlist running in the background.

Wow, okay, I've written this blog post in so many parts... I hope it makes sense. I just haven't sat down and finished it until now... Two weeks later than I was supposed to finish. Fun... *facedesk*

Anyway, this is all, booknerds, see ya later!

Abigail