Hello, Spirits! Today, I'm thrilled to feature R.J. Metcalf and her debut novel, Renegade Skyfarer!
About the Book
Volume One of the Stones of Terrene Chronicles
The airship crew saved Ben's life from a dragon, of all things.
When Ben wakes up, he has no memory of his family, his home, or how he got to this strange world. All he knows is what his new crew members tell him: the magical Barrier that protects their land is weakening. Unless they find the artifact that can repair it, all of Terrene will be destroyed and enslaved by the enemies beyond.
But when Ben suspects that danger may lurk closer than dragons or sky pirates, he has to decide: stay and fight with the airship crew, or focus on regaining his lost memory? If he leaves, he risks losing his newfound friends -- but if he stays, he might never return home.
Welcome to Terrene -- where dragons exist, the past haunts, and magic is no myth.
Welcome aboard the Sapphire.
Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Goodreads
Guest Post: R.J. Metcalf on Writing
First, you must know that the entire story of the series actually originated with my brilliant husband, Mike. He'd talked about this world and these characters, and how this person would do this or that, and how it'd lead to this occurrence, and so on and so forth. I thought the world sounded amazing, and I wanted to dive into it, but we both thought writing such a thing would be an endeavor for a few decades from now. You know -- when retired, the kids are out of the house, and there's "free time."
Well. I met Jamie Foley online through her beta reading callout, and I'm sure the Lord chuckled at Mike's and my misguided concepts of waiting to write. The moment Jamie sniffed out that we had a story in our heads and hearts, she lovingly pushed as only a Texan can, and urged us to start writing. Now. Today. Ten seconds ago. (If you've never met Jamie, know that she is relentless when she knows something good is up.)
It really didn't take her long to convince us. But then came the difficult question. How to write it? Mike is the idea man. He thinks of all the big pieces that need to fit together, how one event will lead to the next, and making sure there's no plot holes to be found. He forms the skeleton, if you will. For each book, we'll discuss what needs to happen for the plot, what certain characters will or won't be doing, any unknowns (because characters have a mind of their own), and make sure we're on the same page. After we hash all that out, Mike will write a long, multi-page synopsis, then hand it over to me for the actual writing.
I'll take the synopsis and look it over, sometimes rearranging events or point-of-view chapters for better flow of the plot, and then I'll write out a list of chapters based on who's POV, what's happening in the chapter, and what direction it needs to go in. Then comes the pre-writing. Basically, it's an ugly outline for each chapter. It ranges from three to five word non-sentence idea placements, to something as obscure as "Blade haze" or "Jade argh." It's basically for the sole purpose of keeping me on track for what the direction needs to be for that chapter. I'll share all my pre-writes with Mike, so he can point out if I missed something important, or if I'm taking things in the opposite direction than he was envisioning. Which, when you have characters with minds of their own, that happens a bit more frequently than you'd think. *laughs*
Then the fun part: writing.
If I'm home, then I've got my YouTube playlist up and blasting while I have my two desk candles lit, and a hot tea or iced beverage next to me. Possibly an apple with some almonds, or a cookie if I'm being healthy. 😜 Then I sit down, review my pre-write, get the scene firmly in mind, and let my fingers flow over the keyboard. Sometimes I'll review the pre-write and realize that I need a specific emotion for that scene, and I'll spend a few minutes pacing my room, mentally getting in that character's skin, preparing for the emotional onslaught to follow. Chapters like that, I have a little sign I hang on the wall next to me as a warning to not interrupt me while I'm writing, because whatever mood I'm channeling for that chapter, that mood will either overflow onto whomever is asking me for a snack, or it'll pop like a soap bubble and be nigh impossible to just get back into.
After writing comes my review of the chapter, then I'll share it with Mike and maybe my alpha readers. Or I'll wait and send it to my alpha readers once the entire manuscript is done and it's getting sent to my amazing editor at the same time. Depends on my deadline.
And in a not-very-small nutshell, that's my writing process.
Any questions? I'd love to answer more, if desired!
During the day, Becky is a stay at home mom of two active little boys. When she has "free time," she enjoys reading, writing, baking, and sewing.
After many years of creative writing classes, writing fanfiction drabbles, and daydreaming, it was high time to start writing her husband Mike's story. She dove into the world of Terrene and hasn't looked back -- except for when she runs out of dark chocolate.
Any free time not spent in Terrene is typically expended on hosting dinner and game nights, running amok with the two little monkeys or watching nerdy movies with Mike.
Want to dive into a new world or in need of a good book? Enter to win a signed print copy of Renegade Skyfarer, a Stones of Terrene notepad and pen, writing notebook, and bracelet! (US only.)
Well. I met Jamie Foley online through her beta reading callout, and I'm sure the Lord chuckled at Mike's and my misguided concepts of waiting to write. The moment Jamie sniffed out that we had a story in our heads and hearts, she lovingly pushed as only a Texan can, and urged us to start writing. Now. Today. Ten seconds ago. (If you've never met Jamie, know that she is relentless when she knows something good is up.)
It really didn't take her long to convince us. But then came the difficult question. How to write it? Mike is the idea man. He thinks of all the big pieces that need to fit together, how one event will lead to the next, and making sure there's no plot holes to be found. He forms the skeleton, if you will. For each book, we'll discuss what needs to happen for the plot, what certain characters will or won't be doing, any unknowns (because characters have a mind of their own), and make sure we're on the same page. After we hash all that out, Mike will write a long, multi-page synopsis, then hand it over to me for the actual writing.
I'll take the synopsis and look it over, sometimes rearranging events or point-of-view chapters for better flow of the plot, and then I'll write out a list of chapters based on who's POV, what's happening in the chapter, and what direction it needs to go in. Then comes the pre-writing. Basically, it's an ugly outline for each chapter. It ranges from three to five word non-sentence idea placements, to something as obscure as "Blade haze" or "Jade argh." It's basically for the sole purpose of keeping me on track for what the direction needs to be for that chapter. I'll share all my pre-writes with Mike, so he can point out if I missed something important, or if I'm taking things in the opposite direction than he was envisioning. Which, when you have characters with minds of their own, that happens a bit more frequently than you'd think. *laughs*
Then the fun part: writing.
If I'm home, then I've got my YouTube playlist up and blasting while I have my two desk candles lit, and a hot tea or iced beverage next to me. Possibly an apple with some almonds, or a cookie if I'm being healthy. 😜 Then I sit down, review my pre-write, get the scene firmly in mind, and let my fingers flow over the keyboard. Sometimes I'll review the pre-write and realize that I need a specific emotion for that scene, and I'll spend a few minutes pacing my room, mentally getting in that character's skin, preparing for the emotional onslaught to follow. Chapters like that, I have a little sign I hang on the wall next to me as a warning to not interrupt me while I'm writing, because whatever mood I'm channeling for that chapter, that mood will either overflow onto whomever is asking me for a snack, or it'll pop like a soap bubble and be nigh impossible to just get back into.
After writing comes my review of the chapter, then I'll share it with Mike and maybe my alpha readers. Or I'll wait and send it to my alpha readers once the entire manuscript is done and it's getting sent to my amazing editor at the same time. Depends on my deadline.
And in a not-very-small nutshell, that's my writing process.
Any questions? I'd love to answer more, if desired!
About the Author
During the day, Becky is a stay at home mom of two active little boys. When she has "free time," she enjoys reading, writing, baking, and sewing.
After many years of creative writing classes, writing fanfiction drabbles, and daydreaming, it was high time to start writing her husband Mike's story. She dove into the world of Terrene and hasn't looked back -- except for when she runs out of dark chocolate.
Any free time not spent in Terrene is typically expended on hosting dinner and game nights, running amok with the two little monkeys or watching nerdy movies with Mike.
Website // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Amazon
Giveaway
Want to dive into a new world or in need of a good book? Enter to win a signed print copy of Renegade Skyfarer, a Stones of Terrene notepad and pen, writing notebook, and bracelet! (US only.)
Tour Schedule
Monday, July 2nd
Author Interview – Dragonpen Press
Tuesday, July 3rd
Guest Post – Jannette Fuller
Review – COBonham
Wednesday, July 4th
Interview – Little Novelist
Guest Post – Author Anthony Avina's Blog
Thursday, July 5th
Interview – Jamie Foley
Friday, July 6th
Review & Interview – Reality Reflected
Review – One Servant's Heart
Renegade Skyfarer Facebook Launch Party
Saturday, July 7th
Guest Post – The Book Sprite
Interview – Quills & Inkblotts
Monday, July 9th
Visual Post – Jebraun Clifford
Tuesday, July 10th
Guest Post – Damaged Pages
Wednesday, July 11th
Interview – Read. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.
Thursday, July 12th
Interview – Unicorn Quester
Friday, July 13th
Interview – Lands Uncharted
Saturday, July 14th
Review – Story Storming
Monday, July 16th
Blog Tour Wrap-Up – Unicorn Quester
Thanks for reading! ❤
~Serethiel
I love her writing process! Thanks so much for sharing!
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