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About CrissyMoss

I've been writing as long as I can remember.

Hello Seattle!

I’m out and about in the world again.
Yesterday morning we boarded a plane from Houston to Seattle. It started off with almost being late. Not us, the plane. We were there, in the waiting area, looking at the plane at the entryway waiting for us to board, but apparently it was having some technical issues. First they announced a delay, then they came back and said the plane was being decommissioned for the day and they are looking for a new plane for us. Then finally they said “never mind, the plane is fine, we’ll be using this one, we just had a lot of paperwork to do so load up everyone.”
Ya, that was interesting.
Both Gregg and I were really tired since we hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, so we dozed in and out on the flight. It was only 4 hours, which is a fantastic length for a flight. Much longer than that and I start getting antsy to just get up and move.
Also on the flight I had my trusty writing laptop. By that I mean my kindle fire and a blue toothed keyboard so that I could write on the go. It’s fantastic in this sort of situation because it doesn’t take up much room, and there isn’t much else I can do on the Fire without internet, and there isn’t any internet at 10,000 feet in the air.
I had been working on The Half Blood Sorceress book 2 for the past two months, but I ran into some plotting issues with timelines, so work on that has been slowed down a bit. For this trip I decided I needed something I could just write and enjoy since I would be gone for a week, and writing all week. And that’s what I did. I choose a random file on my tablet and just got to work.
It’s amazing how much writing you can get done when there is absolutely no pressure. This is a stand alone story, it is pretty straight forward, and it has some fun characters. It’s just fun to write. So even though I was a little tired, and on a cramped plane flying over the middle of the USA. I had no distractions since I couldn’t see out the window. Just writing, and the soft snores of my boyfriend as he tried to get a little rest.
Speaking of my boyfriend, Bjorn. If you follow Guild Wars at all you may have watched the stream where they announced heir new expansion. If you did then you would have seen Bjorn at the end of the stream, all dressed to the 9’s in his Norn cosplay. That is why we came to Seattle, though I tagged along because I missed our family.

He is almost done with it all, packing up his cosplay as I write this, while I get a little writing in at the hotel. Once we are done with all of that then it is off to spend some time with my kids, his parents, and a lot of friends we left back in Seattle.
I’ve missed Seattle. It’s a lovely town, and the weather is so much nicer (read that cooler) than Texas. Don’t get me wrong, Texas has its perks too, but Seattle is the home of my heart. Mostly because it is overcast most of the time, and I don’t feel like my eyes are bleeding every time I step out of the door.
On that note, I’m going to go enjoy the last hour alone in the hotel room before Bjorn gets back from the cosplay show. Then it’s off to family and friends. I hope your weekend is going just as awesome!

Two sides of the same author.

A long time ago I had a silly idea about a self fulfilling prophecy. I wrote Prophecy By Barlight soon afterward, and it’s still one of my favorite stories. This little touch of comedy has a different feel than the rest of my books, but that’s why I find it so charming.

On the opposite end of my writing you’ll find the thiller-esk type of story. The things that go bump in the night, or chase you in your nightmares. But Footprints isn’t really about the monsters outside. Instead it’s about the demons inside of us.

Both short stories are free this weekend. They are short reads, but I hope you find them to be interesting.

Productive.

This week has been really productive.

I spent most of the weekend painting a project for Bjorn. I forgot how physically demanding painting can be. I can’t wait to show pictures of the thing I painted in a couple weeks. I’m really kind of proud of how it turned out.

The rest of the weekend I finished writing my first article for fiverr. I’m trying to start doing a few commissions here and there and make a little extra besides the book sales. I think it will help build my confidence too.

The last couple of days I finished some art work, uploaded it to redbubble and spoonflower, and was pretty happy with that. A few birds, mostly.

I’ve been toying with the idea of a booth at a con, but I don’t think I have anything to really set me apart yet. But I’m working on it. Maybe my fabric, but I’m not sure how to present that.

I have a few designs for resin molding that I want to try, and that could be an interesting direction to go. I just need something to make people come take a look, and some things they might want to buy.

Today I finished a set of bugs. I know, sounds weird, but they’re cute.

And they were fun to draw. It was a nice break from other things.

Tomorrow is back to the novel. I’m half way through the first round of edits, and I’d like to get most of it done by the end of the month. Let’s see how that goes.

Of Gods and Goddesses

In school I was fascinated by Greek and Roman mythology. I tried finding, and reading, as many as I could. From Zeus and his escapades with women, to Persephone trapped in Hades. Because of those myths I love fantasy. So it wasn’t unusual that one of my first novels would be a book based on old myths.

This weekend you can get Forgotten Ones free. They thought the gods were dead, but they were wrong. An intricate blending of science fiction, fantasy, and mythology.

This is my urban fantasy series. If you like it please review it. I have several others planned, but it is on the back burner for now. I would love to dive into it further, and if you really want to see another book in this series reviews are the best way to encourage that.

Till then, keep reading!

Crissy Moss

Tales that go bump in the night.

It has been seven years since I published my first book. It was an anthology of short stories that I finally finished, polished up, and shared with all of you. I didn’t know what I was doing back then, and in all honesty I still am winging it most of the time. But that’s what life is about, isn’t it? We do our best, fumble a bit, fall down, and get back up and try again.

This weekend I’m giving that first anthology away for free. Twilight Tales.
I am also giving away the second book I published, just six months after the first. My first fantasy novella. Flight of the Griffins.

I’ve come a long way, and changed so much. My writing has gotten stronger. But it’s always good to go back to those original stories and remind myself where I came from. I hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane with me.

And please, if you read the stories I would love to get a review.

 

 

 

 

The Birds Have It

This week I’ve been working on a lot of art work. Drawing, cleaning it up, and even posting a few things on Red bubble. I also learned that Red Bubble has a few new items, so I had to go through and edit most of my pictures that are already there. Like a throw for your bed or couch. I think I’m going to have to order one of those.

If you’d like to see some of the art I’ve been doing you can follow me on instagram. I try to do a couple of posts a week, but it depends on what else is happening. I’m currently working on editing book two of my Half Blood Sorceress series so I can get that out soon.

I’ve also been setting up some free promos for books over the next couple of months, and planning some more drawings. I still want to do some sort of figurine, but I’m still designing something. Right now the books take priority.

But I’m exhausted so I’m off to bed now. If you’re interested in taking a look at the new designs please check them out here. And look forward to the free book promos in the coming weeks.

 

A beautiful day

Today the sun is shining, the wind is just a light breeze, and it isn’t ungodly hot. It’s just a beautiful summer day.

Since moving to Texas Bjorn and I have had to adjust to the weather. I admit, we didn’t go outside a lot before but we go out even less now. The humidity just isn’t fun. You’re not supposed to feel like you’ve got your head underwater when you try to breath.

Today is the first day in a few weeks were it actually feels wonderful to be outside, so I am out in the backyard reading a new book. The Crafter’s Dungeon. It’s a unique take on dungeon core mechanics and I’m really enjoying it.

It strikes me that there is so much LIFE here in Texas. Right now I can hear four different kinds of bird calls, a couple of insects, squirrels, and something else I can’t identify. It’s just everywhere! From the squirrels playing in the trees, and on our roof, to the possums crossing the road at night, and even the deer we saw a couple of days ago. I haven’t seen/heard this much wild life since I lived in rural California.

As for the writing, I am about half way into my new litRPG book. This one is taking a little longer because I’m doing a lot more character growth in it. As I discover the story it keeps growing and becoming more. Cas is having an amazing adventure, disguising a new world, and entirely new game mechanics. But sometimes when you have those amazing experiences you learn something incredible about yourself. I’m pretty sure she’s going to learn a lot.

I’ve also been working on editing book two of my Half Blood Sorceress series. I have been stuck in this one for a while trying to decide if it was all necessary, or if some of it should be cut, and instead I decided it just needed some better connections between a few characters. Fleshing them out more and finding out what they wanted as well as the main character. What once felt like unconnected story points now is starting to feel like a whole living city.

These last few months have been incredible. I’ve written more than I have ever written before, my sales are slowly picking up, and I’m getting faster at writing every day. I’m not sure how much longer I get to do the full time author life, but I cherish every moment of it. Even when I’m stuck on a story bit and feeling like I can’t go anywhere with it, at least I have this chance. I am not stressed out by a job that makes me unhappy, or yelled at by customers who blame me for things out of my control.

On the contrary, if something goes wrong the only person I can blame is me. Was I writing or playing games? Researching or goofing off? It’s all on me. It’s a lot of pressure, but it’s worth it.

Some part of me thinks that if I have to go back to a day job this experience will help me stick with the writing, and keep going, no matter what happens. I want to be an author. And authors write.

Kindle Unlimited for FREE for 3 months!

Amazon Prime day was just last weekend, but they didn’t stop everything. I just found out today that they are giving away three months of Kindle Unlimited for absolutely free for three months. You have to cancel after the three months or get charged $10, but there is no obligation to keep your subscription after the three months.

If you have a phone, tablet, computer, or any other Android or Apple device, you can read kindle books wherever you are. And the authors still get paid, so it’s great for everyone involved.

Also, my books are in KU so if there is one you’ve been thinking about reading the next three months have you covered. From litRPG to fantasy, and all the short stories in between.

It doesn’t matter how much or how little you read, this is your chance to check out what is available in KU, and get your summer reading. Here are some suggestions:
The Hollow Series by Kim Harrison (A little like a female Dresden, but with her own twists.)
Ascend Online by Luke Chmilenko is one of the best litRPG adventures I’ve ever read.
Life Reset by Shemer Kuznits where a player gets trapped playing a monster and the only way out is to get stronger.
The Fallen Empire series by Lindsay Buroker. Think Firefly, cowboys in space, with a new flare.
The Baine Chronicals by Jasmine Walt. A young shifter in a world of mages. Fantasy with a touch of steam punk and political intrigue.

Happy Reading!

Crissy

Ghosts and Magic

This weeks free short stories might be an odd combination, but I love both of these tales.

Costume Shop. A story about a young girl on halloween, and the witch that tries to make everyone into a monster.

Ghostly Intentions. Elves, mages, ghostly companions, and a haunted house.

Both are free for this weekend. If you haven’t downloaded them then now is the perfect time to get your hands on a copy.

Happy reading.

Imagination is sometimes scarier than reality.

I always loved stories about the things that go bump in the night. That gurgling noise, or the tapping in the darkness that your imagination makes much worse than reality.

This weekend I have two short stories out for free. Both with that spooky feel.

Footprints: The demons inside are sometimes worse than those outside.
The Camera: This cursed item has blood in its gears. A Tales from the Crypt style short.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And if you love fantasy adventure, and or RPG games, don’t forget to check out The Hub World series.