Author Guest Post: Michael Drakich - The Brotherhood Of Piaxia

Michael Drakich - The Brotherhood Of Piaxia

• Pub Date: March 15, 2012
• Publisher:  Michael Drakich
• Format: ebook, 294 pages
• Genre: Fantasy

Years have passed since the overthrow of the monarchy by the Brotherhood of Warlocks and they rule Piaxia in peaceful accord. But now forces are at work to disrupt this rule from outside the Brotherhood as well as within! Follow Tarlok, Savan and Tessia as their paths intertwine, with the Brotherhood in pursuit and the powerful merchant’s guild manipulating the populace for their own end.

Guest Post and Top Ten

by Michael Drakich

First, allow me to say thanks to Mickey at I’m A Book Shark for the opportunity to write a guest blog on her site. Currently, I write my own blog at Goodreads and figured writing one for this column would be a snap. I found it interesting how the change in perspective altered the message so. Rather than commentary about the publishing industry and the trials an author faces I find I need to dedicate more to the message as an advertisement of what and who I am and what I offer, a challenge to being modest. But when one really looks at things, all authors are expressive, else how could they produce the works they create.

What is a problem for many new authors is getting it right. The desire to speed the process for one’s work to reach the public sometimes oversteps the necessary requirements to ensure the product delivered is worthy. Though my first novel, Grave Is The Day, was traditionally published by a small publishing house, my latest venture, The Brotherhood Of Piaxia, is being offered as a self publication. One of the common perceptions of the public is that self published works are inferior in quality. When one is asked “What is the difference between perception and reality?” the answer is nothing if you believe it. It’s overcoming that stigma that has driven me to ensure this latest product is properly done. After a complete re-write and full editing job with my editor, Kate Richards, I feel confident that this work will not suffer the same interpretation that so many self publications do.

Early reviews have provided it with a measure of accolades:

“Great, well-rounded characters? Magic running rampant? A lost princess? Yes, this book has it all.”

“This is one of those high Fantasy books in which you will completely immerse yourself in.”

“If you love fantasy novels I think this is a great book for you.”

It is my hope that I have separated myself from the crowd.

Top Ten Ways to Avoid Working On My Novel

1. Facebook – There is no better online distraction than Facebook. Where else can you read about a bunch of trivial details going on in your friends lives than there. Ooh, look, Sarah posted a cute kitten. Ha, Sam posted a funny comic.

2. Workshops – Online workshops are a great tool to hone the craft of writing. The trouble is, it’s too easy to spend way too much time honing and not writing. Boy am I proud of myself, I crit three stories today. 

3. Forums – Writers love to post comments in all the different author forums about every subject under the sun. They call it networking. Hey everyone, any idea on how to market my unwritten novel?

4. New Project – There’s nothing like starting a new novel, except when you haven’t finished the old. This one’s going to be a killer! I’ll worry about the first one after this sells a million!

5. Editing – It becomes too easy to stop a project to make changes. These of course require other changes. And then there are others…and others…and others… Now where do I put that comma?

6. Distractions At Home – Let’s face it. Almost all writers work at home. Of course there’s the laundry to do, and the vacuuming, kids, meals, and our favorite program is coming on at seven. I’ll write after everything is done and the kids are in bed. Zzzzz

7. Bad Reviews – When you’re submitting your work to an online workshop or just getting the opinion of a friend, every now and then you get blasted for what others perceive as poor quality. Whether warranted or not, it’s deflating. How dare they say that about my masterpiece!

8. My Real Job – This one is pretty self explanatory. I owe, I owe, it’s off to work I go.

9. The Fear Of Failure – Impending doom that our novel will be a bust. No one’s going to like it, I just know it.

10. This Is Taking Forever – What did you think? That you could write a novel over the weekend? How do those people write a novel in three days? They gotta be cheating!

Find Michael:

goodreads | amazon usa | amazon uk | smashwords

Giveaway Alert!!

You can win an ebook copy of The Brotherhood of Piaxia!! Just comment below with a way to contact you to win. Easy peasy, right? It's an ebook, so it's international! Earn an extra entry by tweeting about it. Make that a separate comment, please. Ends 7/20/12. Thanks and good luck!!