Minas Tirith and The Shire: Parallel Problems on a Different Scale

In reviewing my highlights from my reading of The Lord of the Rings, a couple years ago I struck by some parallels between Minas Tirith and the Shire. This isn't a full treatment of the matter, but some simple observations based on fuzzy memory and haphazard highlights.

The reader gets an impression of Gondor's great city of Minas Tirith as a mighty fortress which has long held against the dark lord and his minions. It sounds both beautiful and invincible. When Frodo sees the fortress from afar, atop Amon Hen, hope leaps in his heart. It is "white-walled, many towered, proud and fair in its mountain-seat," with battlements glittering with steel. He also sees another fortress, "greater and more strong," the Tower of Barad-dur, and all hope leaves him. (Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, p. 401).

Tolkien continues to dribble details and descriptive elements which reveal that Minas Tirith is even weaker than it appears. It is a city which has allowed many of its strengths to dwindle into weakness, retreating before the darkness, and hiding its own light.

-Yet even so it was Gondor that brought about its own decay, falling by degrees into dotage... (p. 678)

-domed tombs of bygone kings (p. 752)

-falling year by year into decay; (p. 752)

-dead tree, and the falling drops dripped sadly from its barren and broken branches back into the clear water. (p. 753)

-avenue of kings long dead. (p. 754)

-‘It is a black night, and all the blacker since orders came that lights are to be dimmed within the City, and none are to shine out from the walls.' (p. 772)

-'The Darkness has begun. There will be no dawn.’(p. 772)

-comes from Mordor, lord,’ he said. ‘It began last night at sunset. From the hills in the Eastfold of your realm I saw it rise and creep across the sky, and all night as I rode it came behind eating up the stars. Now the great cloud hangs over all the land between here and the Mountains of Shadow; and it is deepening. War has already begun.’ (p. 801)

-But soon there were few left in Minas Tirith who had the heart to stand up and defy the hosts of Mordor. For yet another weapon, swifter than hunger, the Lord of the Dark Tower had: dread and despair. (p. 823)

Sauron attacks a sick and moribund opponent. Nevertheless, good prevails. Brave men and manifestations of magical--even divine--power save Minas Tirith from the first onslaught of Sauron's armies, and the destruction of the ring unmakes the evil one himself. The great city is saved and restored to glory.

But what about the Shire? The oft-overlooked end of the tale with the hobbits returning to what was formerly a garden paradise delivers a poignant message. The small heroes left to fight evil in far away places to prevent it from consuming their homes. When they return, evil has arrived before them, and their homeland has, like decaying Minas Tirith, lost, or at least forgotten its strengths. While Gondor is restored, the Shire has become a police state instead of a paradise. The gardens are destroyed. The Party Tree has been cut down. A parade of restrictions, rules, and misfortune are presented to the arriving heroes:

-It’s like a bit of the bad old times tales tell of, I say. It isn’t safe on the road and nobody goes far, and folk lock up early. We have to keep watchers all round the fence and put a lot of men on the gates at nights.’ (p. 992)

-‘I am sorry, Mr. Merry,’ said Hob, ‘but it isn’t allowed.’ ‘What isn’t allowed?’ ‘Taking in folk off-hand like, and eating extra food, and all that,’ said Hob. (p. 999)

-‘We grows a lot of food, but we don’t rightly know what becomes of it. It’s all these “gatherers” and “sharers”, I reckon, going round counting and measuring and taking off to storage. They do more gathering than sharing, and we never see most of the stuff again.’(p. 999)

-and on every wall there was a notice and a list of Rules (p. 1000)

-‘But if there are many of these ruffians,’ said Merry, ‘it will certainly mean fighting. You won’t rescue Lotho, or the Shire, just by being shocked and sad, my dear Frodo. (p. 1006)

-‘This is worse than Mordor!’ said Sam. ‘Much worse in a way. It comes home to you, as they say; because it is home, and you remember it before it was all ruined. (p. 1018)

Fortunately, the heroes are up to the task.

-But if I may be so bold, you’ve come back changed from your travels, and you look now like folk as can deal with troubles out of hand. (p. 995)

-You must settle its affairs yourselves; that is what you have been trained for. Do you not yet understand? (p. 996)

They refuse to obey the oppressive rules, rally the good folks, and overthrow the tyrant and his minions. They throw off the yoke of tyranny largely on their own, without supernatural aid. Merry does blow the horn he had received from Eowyn, which struck fear into the hearts of enemies. It is in the restoration where the magical or divine power is manifest: Galadriel's gift to Sam, along with the hobbits' hard work, make the Shire blossom again.

It's interesting to note that we first heard the Horn-call of Buckland in the Shire to sound the alarm against the black riders in the early chapters of the story--and it had not been heard then for over a hundred years. Boromir had a horn. Aragorn was given a silver horn. A number of horns call to battle and assembly on both sides of the conflict. At one point, Merry wishes he had a horn to blow and could ride to the rescue like Eomer--and he does so in the Shire.

Both Minas Tirith and the Shire suffered from evil's attacks and their own failure to resist sufficiently when they were strongest. They allowed themselves to be weakened. They neglected their strengths, and fear and despair stole their hope. Gandalf and Aragon brought new hope and strength to Minas Tirith. Merry, Pippin, Sam, and Frodo raised the Shire to remember their strength and provided hope for success amid fear and despair.

 

Author Interview

with JA Duxbury

Author of Heart of Deception and Dark Dimensions

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress. I am currently working on a partial rewrite of a sequel and a paranormal story.

Where did you get the idea for this book or series? I got the idea of the first book from a dream I had.

Do you write in more than one genre? I do. My chosen genre is sci fi but I write from my dreams so it depends on what genre they're in.

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention. I believe that I can take people on a journey away from the daily grind and monotony to places where they can get involved with the characters and events.

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing? I really don't know. I have thought about that question but I can't pinpoint anything but our experiences do dictate what we know to be possible and impossible so I suppose my general knowledge comes to the fore.

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you? My characters rarely swear and I only touch lightly on romance. So, if you're looking for hot steamy sex scenes, you need to try someone else's writing.

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why? I would recommend Kelly Blanchard Dale and her husband Matthew. They combine a magic environment with a scientific environment in a seamless way.

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why? Oh, now that's a hard one. I like all of my books equally. If you're into military stuff, though, I'd recommend Dark Dimensions. It's about a vampire/human clan who are lost travelling dimensions and some of the dimensions they reach have battles going that they get drawn into.

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most? It was a sad event. My niece died of cancer and I took the time to re-evaluate my life, giving myself a target of 5 years after which I would concentrate on writing.

What question do you wish you would get asked more often? When is your next book coming out?

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it? Timing is everything. Because if something happened a second or so earlier or later, the outcomes could have been completely different.

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Thanks to JA for participating.

I was at a wedding this week and met several old friends. Some friends, who also used to be neighbors, told me that they had read my noir detective novel Smoke, and lavished me with praise for the novel. What can I say? It's my favorite book too. Or, maybe they felt compelled to say something nice and my personal appearance didn't do them any favors in that regard, so they chose the next available subject. I told them that I could talk all night about my books, but that I would refrain and simply accept their praise and complimented them on their excellent taste. We talked about old times for a while. It's great to see old friends and reminisce about the times we shared and how things used to be, as well as catch up on what how we've all been doing since. 

Of course, there were a couple guys I hadn't seen since high school. They had the audacity to pretend that they didn't recognize me or have a clear recollection of who I was. Neither was from my class; one was older and one was younger. They put on a really good act--I almost believed them--but I was the most memorable guy I knew in high school, so they were obviously pulling my leg.

AND if you haven't picked up a FREE COPY of my prequel to the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire, In Death Bedrenched, get it here by clicking this link.

 

Here's an essay or at least some ramble about the Declaration of Independence.

 

Author Interview with 

Isra Sravenheart 

Author of The Dark Spell Series

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

I am currently working on a spin off to my up and coming Dark Spell series that will be completed in Feb/ March 2022. I won’t be revealing too much just yet but it does feature some of our main characters and some of the more unknown ones that have played a part in the prequels respectively when we do a time jump to when Isra was aged 17 onwards.

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

I didn’t specifically get it from any particular place or outlet but at the time I was in a bit of rut with my own life having been ghosted by a former partner and having already been interested in fairytales that type of genre for many years, I just started typing one September evening and that was the beginning fragments of what is now “Her Dark Soul”

Do you write in more than one genre?

Yes but mainly dark fantasy. However my first PNR “Forbidden Rendezvous with the Devil “ comes out in May 2022

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

I’ve written a very prolific series with characters that readers love and are invested in where it’s been taken to all kinds of extremes. Themes include: Dark versus light, the darkness within oneself, own personal demons, forbidden love, tragic loss, heartbreak and has still remained popular.

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

Probably my own self-reliance. 

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

I like coffee and cats. A lot. I also have a sense of humor. I don’t talk book land shop all day either. I am very partial to a good fantasy film or even a binge-worthy series on Netflix. 

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

My publicist Michael Evan is extremely prolific and churns out a lot of great work. He does more writing than me and is very disciplined while still producing quality. 

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

Kissing Darkness. Dark Spell #5, it’s the climatic novel out of the prequels and I would say the most deep one in terms of our four main characters, Isra, Astrid, Everilda and Samuel.

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

The best decision I made that has benefited my writing was self publishing via a vanity publisher the first time around because I learned so much about the industry that I may not have done without doing that. 

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

Why aren’t there enough cats in the world? Cats are cool.

Do you have a catchphrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

It is what it is. Simple but punchy. Let things go, move on. Don’t allow yourself to be dragged down by negativity. Sometimes we have things happen that aren’t so great but we can choose not to be dragged down by those circumstances to a point whereby we may not be happy at all and constantly stewing in that mindset. And another I like, if it’s meant to be it will be. Don’t sweat it.

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Thanks to Isra for participating.

Before I go any further, here's where you can get a free copy of In Death Bedrenched, the prequel to the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series -- On StoryOrigin.

Or, if you prefer--On BookCave.

This wasn't a week for an author interview. That was supposed to be next week, but I forgot--and I wasn't prepared to churn out a witty or thought-provoking piece.

With In Death Bedrenched launched--and one of my advance readers has already posted a review on Amazon--I've been free to resume writing book 5 of the series. It's a pleasure to get back to my friends in the series. Charles and Antonio are in adventures on land and sea; Alex and Lucette face serious difficulties and intrigue on multiple fronts; Atu and Iago have sought out former acquaintances which bring them new complications; and the dragon hunters must grapple with the corrupting influence of unbridled power in their midst.

Author Interview 

with Frederick Key 

Author of: McMann & Duck: Private Investigators, 

Larry and the Mascots, Cobalt Agonistes, and more

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

Last year I completed a mystery novel entitled McMann & Duck: Private Investigators. It takes place in 1951 in a small Texas town. As I write this I am polishing up the outline for a sequel that takes place eight years later. I became so interested in the main character, a World War II army vet, that I envisioned a series of mystery novels about him because I enjoyed his company so much, and much about him remains secret. We don’t have much in common, however, although we are both usually polite.

As to whether he will survive these books, well, that remains to be seen.

 

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

A boring meeting. I am an inveterate doodler. I doodled my way through school. I had college notebooks that looked like the walls of pyramid chamber. One day I was in a dull meeting and I started to sketch, and a man in a suit and fedora looked back at me, smoking a cigarette. By his side was a duck. I wondered who they were, and off I went. C. S. Lewis famously started Narnia with a vision of the lamppost and a faun under it in the snow, and this kind of struck me the same way.

 

Do you write in more than one genre?

Yes. I’ve written mostly mysteries, but also contemporary fantasy novels. Larry and the Mascots, where a college student meets a crew of living advertising mascots, and I’ve Got This, a middle-grade book about a boy with an unusual superpower, fall into that category.  Cobalt Agonistes, which is half-drama, half-comic book story, runs along those lines as well.

My two MacFinster books are comedies, but they have elements of crime fiction because crime is a great plot driver. It’s why so many of Wodehouse’s stories have (usually comical) felons about.

 

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

To my personal credit and professional detriment, I have never been able to go along with the zeitgeist. Often it’s just my own orneriness; the music I hated in college, for example, I like now, because now it is painted it over with nostalgia. On the other hand, it has saved me from following more people off intellectual and artistic cliffs. A thousand people doing a stupid thing doesn’t make it a smart thing. Doing something of worth (as I hope readers will find in my work) means I didn’t go off a cliff following the fads and formulas I see elsewhere.

 

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

I struggled with a lot of things in my early adulthood that had to be discarded down the line—paganism, atheism, alcohol abuse. I can’t say I was born again in the common sense, only because to me that always meant a lightning-bolt like experience—if only! I still struggle with faith, because I was not raised in a religious home and it’s always a second language to me. I also think that like all Christians, the faith itself is like a second language—who wants to be humble, who wants to forgive those who hate you? I hope that my actions and thoughts are informed by my faith today.

Of course my personal experience features in one way or another in all my writing, but in a practical sense, I think my attempts at humility get me to try to be more concise. Brevity is the soul of wit, after all, and I never want to be a dull writer. The reader’s interest is paramount.

You wouldn’t know concision was important to me based on my answers to your questions, however.

 

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

Like most writers, I became a dedicated reader from childhood—big fan of comic books and the Hardy Boys mysteries, later classic pulp fiction characters like the Shadow and the Avenger—and my entire professional career came from that. I’ve worked behind the scenes for decades at book and magazine publishers. I grew up in the friendly confines of New York City—from my bedroom window I could see cars go by on the highway all day and all night. I have two enormously hairy dogs who have confounded the best vacuum cleaners money can buy. And I blog daily at vitaminfred.blogspot.com.

While I hope readers will visit my blog, I mention it here because it began as a discipline, to make sure I wrote or drew something creative every day. As they say, writers write; they don’t sit around talking about writing. Putting the onus on myself to produce something I hope people will enjoy every day, be it writing or a cartoon, is a great motivator.

 

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

In high school I discovered a huge book of the short stories of Henry Kuttner, a science fiction writer in the 1950s who died much too young. Kuttner was incredibly inventive and prolific. There are few books I have ever enjoyed as much as that one. Science fiction dates terribly, and its stars fade quickly, which is a shame.

 

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

Like most authors, the book I think is my best is whatever I just finished. So as of today it would be McMann & Duck.

 

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

I mentioned earlier that I was a fan of the Hardy Boys books when I was a child. The first one I got was in a Christmas grab bag event, and I was hugely disappointed. Tried to swap it with something else, anything else—a Slinky, a pack of gum, whatever—but there were no takers. So one day I just sat down and read the damn thing.

It sounds stupid, but my whole love of reading, and thus wanting to write, came from that incident—that some parent was boring enough to put a book in a school gift grab bag. Go figure.

 

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

“May I pay you fifty million dollars for the rights to make your book into a movie?” would be a pretty good one. Failing that, I would like to be asked, “How much of what you write comes from reality?” because I would like to say “None of it, and all of it,” because it sounds pithy and Wildean. So no one ever asks me that.

 

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

Today it is “A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” C. S. Lewis again.

It reminds me that pride is the king of the sins, and most to be avoided. All the other sins come from telling myself that I Know Best and I Deserve More.

If you ask me that question tomorrow, I would probably have a different quote. This is why I can never get a tattoo.

Thank you for asking me to participate in your authors’ profile series! 

_______________________

You're Welcome Fred.

I can't let this pass without mention: As I write this I am polishing up the outline for a sequel that takes place eight years later. I became so interested in the main character, a World War II army vet, that I envisioned a series of mystery novels about him because I enjoyed his company so much, and much about him remains secret.

Bizarre coincidence, the protagonist in my noir detective novel SMOKE is a WWII veteran. I enjoyed writing the book because I enjoyed the character. My wife and other readers want another book featuring him and his assistant Pip. In the last few weeks I came up with scraps of his backstory about what he was doing in the war. Naturally, the character and I have some common interests, so I'll include at least one in his story -- I included this about the matter in my most recent newsletter: If the path I'm following works out, I should be able to do a series of stories about his war experiences. I'll try to outline a few different stories before I step into that harness and begin plowing lines of text.

In other writing news, I've completed In Death Bedrenched, the prequel to the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series. A free ecopy is available here simply for signing up for my newsletter.

And also here if you prefer to checkout BookCave.

I should have the paperback available on Amazon by the end of the week.

My advance readers gave me great feedback. They really contributed to making it a better novella, and have taken it upon themselves to read on in the series. Here's what they've shared with me:

"I'm currently reading 'Threading the Rude Eye' and thoroughly enjoying it...I'm glad you chose to write 'In Death Bedrenched' as I now see how it sets the scene for the rest of your series by introducing and providing background for certain characters... I'm so loving Threading the Rude Eye that I'll have to get straight into the next one as soon as this is finished ! (How quickly can you write as once I latch on to a series I will read it all..."

"Love the Gryphon Jousting in "Power To Hurt" - fantastic!"

_________________

I had been getting the run-around on a new clutch cable for the f650. The cable was supposed to be here 2 weeks ago, allegedly coming out of California. Fortunately, the local motorcycle repair guy knew another local guy with a couple f650s who was willing to let me borrow a cable until the new one arrives. I did the temporary replacement yesterday and made a quick test drive. SWEET!

Happy Father's Day!

 A picture is worth a thousand words, so here's a picture:

It may have nothing to do with what I'm about to write, but at least you've got the thousand words you came for.  Then again, it could have everything to do with the where this post is going. I don't know.

______________

“When a population is dependent on a machine, they are hostages of the men who tend the machines." -- Heinlein

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I'm pleased to announce that In Death Bedrenched has been thoroughly slashed, hammered, bent, welded, and formed into a presentable novella. A crack team of readers has completed the attack upon the early iteration, and it has come away stronger, faster, better than before--and it didn't cost six million dollars. I still have a cover to complete and some minor interior matters to address before it becomes available in paperback for the general public, and as a free ebook for my newsletter subscribers. The time draws near. 

I'm particularly pleased with the way some of the back story developed. I wrote this prequel to the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series primarily to address how the commander acquired his mysterious power and how Lucette came to possess the map to Cartier's cache. I got to delve into the commander's history and the native legends concerning the dragon stones. Lucette's background included more information about her father and what she did before coming to America. I enjoyed her story more, even though it's a terribly sad affair with a high body count. Of course, with a title like In Death Bedrenched, one must expect a casualty or twelve.

Lucette's method of obtaining the map challenged me. I think readers will enjoy the puzzle and chase aspect of her story. Her intelligence and courage prevail in ways that add to and are consistent with the character as she develops in the rest of the series.

The final chapter of the novella is unrelated to the immediate story of Lucette and the commander, and introduces two exciting characters of critical importance to the story. It's a teaser for the exhilarating adventure to come.

I had wanted to call the prequel "Crimson Tempest" based on a line from Shakespeare's Richard II. At least one other book had already taken that title, so I took "bedrenched" from the same line, and added the less poetic "In Death." Astute readers may note that the commander quotes other parts of that line at different times in the novella. One of my advance readers wanted to correct Shakespeare's line, but I decided to let the bard's words remain in all their iambic glory.  Another reader offered special kudos for one of the usages.

Here's the description of In Death Bedrenched:

Ulf Thorsen and Lucette Lagardere are set upon a collision course. The descendant of Viking settlers in the New World, Ulf has grasped unfettered power and found that he likes the feel of bending men to his will. His path to preeminence takes him to France in search of Cartier's map to a secret cache of power -- of magic. Lucette is a girl whose land is under attack from all sides. Her family may possess one part of a secret that could be the key to her country's deliverance. Driven from her home, she struggles to solve the mystery while fighting the English invaders. Can she find the map before the dark commander seizes it? Their journeys will leave a crimson trail across the green fields of France, and lead them in death bedrenched to the opening pages of the exciting Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series.

It is such crimson tempest should bedrehe fresh green lap of fair King Richard’s land,
My stooping duty tenderly shall show.
Go signify as much while here we march
Upon the grassy carpet of this plain.There were other books that had already taken that title, so 

 

Author Interview with 

Tahani Nelson 

Author of The Faoii Chronicles 

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

I’m currently working on polishing an omnibus for the Faoii Chronicles. It’ll be really nice to finally provide the entire series in a single ebook file for readers!

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

The Faoii Chronicles originally started out as a dream. I woke up one night at 2 a.m., wrote what has since become the first three chapters of book 1, and went back to sleep. The next day, the story still called to me, so I kept going. I never would have guessed in those early days how far it would go, or how many people would love it. It’s been an amazing journey.

Do you write in more than one genre?

So far I’ve mostly stuck to fantasy, but I have a science fiction short story called “Honeysuckle Sky” available that’s won several accolades. Now that the Faoii Chronicles are finished, I have a lot of freedom. I think I’ll try my hand at horror in the future.

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

I started out writing all the heroines that young me searched for and couldn’t find. I wanted women leading armies and wearing armor that covered all of their body parts and whose entire identity or aspirations didn’t change when they met a guy halfway through act two. And, as it turns out, I wasn’t the only person looking for that. The Faoii Chronicles offer a lot to the fantasy genre, and I’ve built an entire army of people who were looking for something worthy.

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

While never intentional, my readers have pointed out many times that politics and societal issues make their ways into my novels, and that the things I stand for in real life are often things that my protagonists stand for in their respective worlds. It’s never the main part of the story, and like I said, it’s never intentional, but I think the things that are important to us always bleed into the things we create, as well.

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

I wear armor to all of my signings, readings, and events. So even if you never read my books, chances are you’re going to remember seeing me.

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

Kaytalin Platt is a phenomenal fantasy author who I respect greatly. Definitely check out her series The Equitas if you haven’t already.

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

While all of the books can technically be read as standalones, I think The Last Faoii does a wonderful job of introducing the world and people of Imeriel, and the war fought there affects every other story. Also, I’ll always be a fan of reading series in order.

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

There have been several. I had a 1-star review go viral in a way that I never would have expected and that really put me in the front of a lot of readers. I also had an armor photoshoot go viral under similar circumstances and that gave me a chance to stand unapologetically in front of the entire world, which became the cornerstone of the Faoii brand. Also, having Sara Morsey as my audiobook narrator has opened so many doors in the audiobook community. I can’t really point to one single thing that led to my success. I’m incredibly lucky and grateful for every person or falling puzzle piece that got me this far.

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

I created an entire language for the Faoii Chronicles and then only ended up using 6 words in the books themselves. I don’t regret making that decision, because it’s better for my readers overall, but sometime I wish that other language nerds would sit down with me so we can really talk about how much fun that entire project was.

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

I end all of my messages or posts to the Faoii Army with “Shields Up!” I don’t even really know where it started, but it’s become our battle cry. Everyone in my circles uses it now, and it really makes us feel like something real. Nothing is more inspiring than when you’re having a bad day and someone ends their message with that little “Shields Up!” we all use to support each other now.

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Thanks to Tahani for participating in the interview. You can find her books on Amazon.

I am currently about a third of the way through, or less, on the final (or nearly final) edit of In Death Bedrenched. My team of Skirmishers has advanced into the fray with suggestions and criticisms that will make the book even better.