NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo 2016

C.S. Woolley, Chronicles of Celadmore, News

It has begun! Yes, the month of November is the time for writers of any ilk to pick up a pen (or sit at a laptop) and try their best to scribble down the ideas that come tumbling out of their heads.

Our boss and Mightier Than the Sword UK Overlord, C.S. Woolley takes part each year and it is through NaNoWriMo that she met one of our other authors, Steven M. Caddy!

NaNoWriMo opens all kinds of doors to writers around the world and sets up competition between writing circles as well as gives the creative people who produce tall tales of wonder like minded people to talk to about their latest work.

This year, C.S. Woolley will be working on When Darkness Falls during NaNoWriMo and you’ll be able to keep up with the book as it is produced through Smashwords – by this we mean that the first chapter has already been written, proofed and uploaded for you to get your hands on and find out what is happening next in the realm of Celadmore.

When Darkness Falls is book #7 in the Chronicles of Celadmore series.

WDF Coming

Black Friday

News

Black Friday is just around the corner and we have decided to offer 50% off our $2.99 titles through Smashwords. This means every e-reader can benefit from the discount! Using the coupon codes below when you reach the checkout will add the discount to your purchases.

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Rising Empire: Part 1 is the only exception to this as it is currently free from Smashwords as well as a few other retailers. Rising Empire: Part 1 is the first installment in the Rising Empire trilogy.

 

 

 

 

 

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Rising Empire: Part 2 is still undergoing a re-write due to C.S. Woolley and her ever-so-slightly obsessing compulsive ways. She has had some requests from readers to re-release the book, so it is currently available as a NaNoWriMo title through Smashwords. Most of the work on this book was completed during the April NaNoWriMo event and the re-write is being done during November. Those that choose to take advantage of this offer will be able to download a completed copy of Rising Empire: Part 2 from Smashwords when it is finished without having to buy the book again.

50% off with code TL82J

 

 

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Shroud of Darkness is the first book in the Shroud of Darkness trilogy in the Chronicles of Celadmore. Set 400 years after the events of the Rising Empire trilogy (Parts 1 to 3), Shroud of Darkness follows Venetia and her friends as the investigate strange occurrence that suggest and old enemy has returned.

50% off with code AG66A

 

 

 

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Lady of Fire is the second part of the Shroud of Darkness trilogy. With the enemy finally revealed, there are lots of questions to be answered, old alliances to reconstruct and traditions that must be cast aside to ensure the survival of the realm.

50% off with code WW47U

 

 

 

 

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End of Days is the third and final part of the Shroud of Darkness trilogy. With nowhere left for the great armies of Celadmore to retreat to, they must make their last stand against their enemy. But life is never straight forward. Even faced with annihilation, the mistrust between nations, that is centuries old, cannot be left aide. Trouble brews in the city of Grashindorph as the Order struggles to unite the armies and prepare those that can fight to defend themselves and those that can’t.

50% off with code VM97N

 

 

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The Shroud of Darkness trilogy boxset contains Shroud of Darkness, Lady of Fire and End of Days in a single collection. An ideal gift – which you can send via Smashwords.

50% off – just $3.50 for 3 books with code YF44U

 

 

 

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Beginnings is the first book in the Nicolette Mace: the Raven Siren series and is also the longest book. This book details the origins of the private detective, Nicolette Mace, who is better known to most as the Raven Siren.

50% off with code RU56H

 

 

 

 

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The Kevin Metis Saga was the first book to be published by Mightier Than the Sword UK and was also the first book that C.S. Woolley had published. It is set 8 years after the events of Beginnings.

50% off with code ZZ48D

 

 

 

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The Derek Long Saga is the third book in the Nicolette Mace: the Raven Siren narrative. It picks up where the Kevin Metis Saga leaves off. Unlike the previous books, the events of the Derek Long Saga take place over a few days instead of a few years.

50% off with code JQ73H

 

 

 

 

You can also get The Case of Mrs Weldon, Hunting the Priest Killer and Murder in the First from the Nicolette Mace: the Raven Siren sub-series, Filling the Afterlife from the Underworld, for free as well!

 

Camp NaNoWriMo

C.S. Woolley, Charity, NaNoWriMo, News

It’s that time of year again!

The Office of Letters and Light is warming up to open Camp NaNoWriMo on 1st April. We here at Mightier Than the Sword UK love Camp NaNoWriMo because it’s not only a great time for our authors to shut out the world and get on with writing but also it’s great for opportunity for helping a great organisation raise some much needed funds to keep their amazing projects funded around the world.

To sign up to join in Camp NaNoWriMo then visit their site here. If you want to help by raising funds for the Office of Letters and Light then please visit here to sponsor C.S. Woolley

Sunday Night Blues

Book Reviews, General Thoughts, News, Writing

Well it’s Sunday and sad to say that most of us here at Mightier Than the Sword UK haven’t had much time off at all this weekend and already Monday is looming.

There was a leak on Friday and a problem with the electrics so it’s been so we’ve had to spend ours moving things out of harms way and waiting for tradespeople to appear to help us in our time of need. Not all the problems are fixed, but we are getting there.

We’ve also lost Goldie, one of the tropical fish in the office, a golden gourami (yes we were highly imaginative in naming her) who died after what appeared to be a fit that sent her crashing around the fish tank.

So really we haven’t had the best weekend.

But we do have some good news. We’ve got a new book review up on the site Social Wealth: How to Build Extraordinary Relationships By Transforming the Way We Live, Love, Lead and Network by Jason Treu one of the non-fiction books we’ve been asked to review. If you haven’t seen the other books we’ve had the pleasure of reading then you should check out our book reviews section which has a full list of the title.

We’re also going to be launching our very own goodreads page in the not too distant future so please feel free to connect with us there. We’ll post a link when we are happy with the profile and have got it all up and running.

Those who are still doing NaNoWriMo are cross as they have lost valuable writing time with all the drama of the weekend as well as losing valuable working time on Friday. We’re hoping that next week is going to be a quiet one but who knows what tomorrow will bring – except for probably rain.

Noise Trade & other news

Book Reviews, C.S. Woolley, News

Well it has been yet another busy and exciting week here at Mightier Than the Sword UK. We’ve seen C.S. Woolley finished her NaNoWriMo challenge and quite a few of the other members of our little family get close to their 50,000 word count goal with just 9 days to go!

We have a new author coming on board, but we will have more details about that as things unfold over the next few weeks and plans come together.

The Nicolette Mace: the Raven Siren book shorts are a go! We are really happy to announce that four shorts are due to be filmed before the end of the year and will be available for free on youtube and here when they are polished up to a gleaming shine for you. With a cast, crew, composer and many talent individuals involved in the project we couldn’t be more excited about what is going to be produced. As we get more details, photos and other goodies we shall post them here.

We also have a new book review on the site, Waters of Oblivion by David Lyon and believe us, this is one thriller that is not to be missed.

On a completely separate note, all of C.S. Woolley‘s books are available from a variety of different retails in multiple digital formats for a standard price of £1.90 (price may vary by a few pence) or $2.99 (as well as paperback, but they do cost more). But we also realize that not everyone has disposable income to be able to afford to pay luxuries such as ebooks. Some people may think we are being condescending but we like to give everyone access to what we produce which is why we love Noise Trade so much.

For those of you who don’t know what Noise Trade is, it was originally a site designed for musicians to share their music with the world and if people liked what these musicians produced they could leave a tip of any amount, so that people can decide how much to donate to support the artists who create such wonderful sounds. This has since been expanded to include digital books and it is our pleasure to say that we offer a selection of titles from C.S. Woolley and Harry Mirfin’s A Miracle of Grace on Noise Trade. You can download the books for free and if you like what you’ve read then you can leave a monetary tip that can be whatever amount you prefer (there is a suggested amount that is stated to act as guideline)

Happy Reading!

NaNoWriMo Day 21

C.S. Woolley, Writing

Well 19 grueling days of writing and I’ve reached 50,000 words! Yes that looming monstrous word count has fallen before my pen (seems very apt given the name of this company). I was even naughty enough to go through and edit as I went, mainly because it helps to keep me inspired to write and also it means that I don’t get too bogged down in the story so when it comes to the end, I’m not so sick of the story that I leave revisions for two months.

Getting to 50,000 words of any book is something to be celebrated for sure, but even starting to write and getting through the first chapter is often a huge mountain to climb – after all there is nothing so daunting as a blank piece of paper.

So for the last two days have been spent writing tiny amounts, so there has been some progress past the 50,000 word count but not as much as I would like, but what it has done is inspired me to plan further, not so much the End of Days story line since I did that already, but the wider plot arcs and other books I have on the horizon.

I do have my trusty Gollum wire mascot grimacing at me to keep me focused on working towards finishing End of Days, though it may be at a slightly slower rate than I originally thought when I was hyped up on NaNo juice.

 

New Site Updates

C.S. Woolley, Writing

Today has been an extremely productive day for everyone in the office, so productive that we’ve gone and had FRIENDS playing in the background all day to help us keep going.

Our web gremlins continue to be very busy and we’ve got some great new site updates including the Language of the Order page now live. It contains information about the language that is used by the Anaguras and Queterians in the Chronicles of Celadmore and includes the working dictionary that C.S. Woolley has created. The page is still under construction so make sure that you keep checking back for the latest updates.

We also have the End of Days front cover to show everyone, not just the background art! It’s missing the spine still but we think it looks amazing and is a great ghostly impression of the villain, Aksoth.

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We’re not announcing a publishing date just yet as though C.S. Woolley is powering ahead with it during NaNoWriMo, no one has dared to spoil her creative flow by asking to read it! We’re all positive it is going to be as gripping as Shroud of Darkness and Lady of Fire as it is the final installment in the story arc and can’t wait to see what she has done with it all.

Day 16 NaNoWriMo

C.S. Woolley, Writing

The halfway mark has just passed for all those who are beavering away at the NaNoWriMo challenge and it amazes me each year how many new people take up the challenge.

The thing is, NaNoWriMo doesn’t just have to be a month long event – it reaches far beyond that. For those who live in the Nottingham area at least, the meets are all year round so you can have support in your writing and make some lifelong friends who share a knowledge of something that so many people really don’t understand. That is just how hard it is to write.

For those who have chosen writing as a career it also gives you a very helpful sounding board and creative influence that really is invaluable.

As Mightier Than the Sword UK’s bloggers have reported, my NaNo writing has taken a sudden productive turn. 16 days in and I have just passed the 45,000 word mark and don’t show any signs of slowing down. I was originally writing the ballad of Grendel’s Mother, an experiment in writing an old epic poem and using my degree in English and Dead Languages but found that inspiration wasn’t in it. I have the first fifty lines but it’s definitely something I will have to come back to after I have refreshed myself on Beowulf.

Instead it is the Chronicles of Celadmore that I have fallen back in love with, and yes I am perfectly willing to admit that I love the books I write and the characters I create. If I didn’t then I am not sure that I would still be writing them after all this time. So it is End of Days that I am working on and it seems to be going really well. I’ve written the beginning and the end so now it’s just filling in everything that comes in between. For once this book isn’t just a journey of discovery, I have all the plot points that need to be resolved by the end of this book all planned out and the new characters that are being introduced have all got back stories in place. It is possibly the most organised I have ever been when it comes to writing a book.

Well it’s nearly Christmas!

Book Reviews, C.S. Woolley, News

Well the number of shopping days that are left until Christmas are quickly dwindling away and before we know it the last posting date for Christmas cards will be upon us. There are some very smug people in the office who have finished with the rush of Christmas for the most part and merely have some items to finishing knitting before they are all prepared. Others amongst are number are still saying there is plenty of time left to go shopping.

So with that in mind we thought it appropriate to announce our latest book review is now up on the site, The Return of Knecht Ruprecht by Olivia Black and what a seasonal treat it is! Something that brings a fresh twist to Christmas and may even get those of you who are struggling to find their Christmas spirit to get in the mood before December even arrives.

NaNoWriMo continues to march on and there isn’t a day that goes by when it isn’t mentioned to some degree, mostly, we must admit, with a large amount of frustration, though there seems to have been a break through and the 50,000 word count target seems to be rapidly approaching for most.

It does mean that End of Days from the Chronicles of Celadmore may well be coming to all good retailers a lot sooner than we all hoped – watch this space for more news as it arrives and just to tempt your literary tastebuds we give you the teaser back blurb from End of Days:

The end is here. Aksoth’s forces roam unchecked across the plains of Celadmore, the Allied Spirit have been forced to retreat to the fallen city of Grashindorph. Within the city there is trouble. Leaders of each of the countries of Celadmore seek to control the city. Scheming and corruption distract the people from preparing to stand against Aksoth in one final battle. Revolution stirs amongst the poorest of the people, Venetia seeks to restore Gruagadon to his rightful place on the throne of Grashindorph. In this final bastion, they must find victory or Aksoth will purge the realm of light of all life.

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After Halloween and Bonfire Night

News

Well the celebrations of halloween and bonfire night are both past and with everyone returning to the offices here at Mightier Than the Sword UK, we are finally back to getting on top of everything.

We’re really proud to be able to announce that C.S. Woolley has reviewed Soul Skin by Jan Porter and the review is now up in our Book Reviews section. It’s a great book and we all really wish Jan all the success in the world with it.

We’re having a belated halloween and bonfire party this weekend to celebrate the two events and to welcome back all our wonderful globe trotters.

As NaNoWriMo marches on, C.S. Woolley is struggling with her word count but the web gremlins who have taken on the challenge are miles ahead (clearly we need to find more work for them to do)

And finally we’d like to make mention of the poppy appeal, Remembrance Sunday and the Royal British Legion. Every year the poppy appeal is run by the Royal British Legion in the UK in order to raise money for the soldiers that have fought for the UK and their families. This year marks the 100 year anniversary of the start of the First World War and there have been many events being held around the country to remember those who lived through the First World War and all of those that died. This Sunday (9th November) is Remembrance Sunday and there will be church services held around the country as well as parades and the televised commemoration where the Queen, Prime Minister and dignitaries from throughout the Commonwealth. We would like to encourage everyone to wear their poppies with pride and if you can afford to there are some beautiful poppy pins available from the Royal British Legion as well as the traditional paper poppies.

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