Keensight Travels the Human World Safely

As many know, I am working on the final book of this series.  I may republish them as a trilogy in the future, combining Outcast and the Blackguard as well as Bloodmines and Pseudo-dragon.  To go over this possibility and the final book, I traveled to Minneapolis to meet with my editor and one of the illustrators I work with for children's books. So that many of you know what is delaying, I have been battling stage four cancer.  The chemo has worked to remove all but one tumor on my liver.  I will be having surgery on August 4th.  The upside is that I will not be able to travel and so will have time to write.  The downside, it will probably be a week or so before I feel well enough to be creative.

While I was in Minnapolois, Becky Hunt, the illustrator, went to a great deal of work to create an avatar that Keensight could occupy so that he could travel with me around the country without concerns of getting shot or mobbed.  She gave it to me when I arrived.

Rebecca Hunt and Cheryl Matthynssens with Keensight

Cheryl Matthynssens - Author update!

Wow, so much has happened since I started this blog so let me see if I can catch you up!

Health wise:  I have my last dose of chemo on March 17th- 19th.  It looks like I am kicking it into remission.  I will be glad not to be sick every other week as this major impacts everything I do including writing and publicity.

Since starting chemo, I have still been able to put out two novels and one children book.  Magic Scorned (very adult), The Bloodmines and Once Upon a...Wait!  I can't wait to see what I can do full time when I am not having chemo.  Hopefully this thing will stay in remission.

Bloodmines - Update!

To those of you that write, you will know what I mean when I say that this novel took on a life of its own.  It is turning out to be much longer than I wanted, and yet I and the editor agree that what I have written needs to remain.  I guess that just means the series will be a bit longer than the four books I had originally mapped out.

I posted in October that I was taking input from readers on what they would like to see in the next book. I am pleased to say that some of the readers will be getting free copies of this novel as I did incorporate some of the requests and ideas.  I may still incorporate more of them in the next novel.
I have loved my reader interactions through email, Twitter, Goodreads and here.  It makes writing so much more fun to have the feedback, even the negative feedback.

As many of you now know, I had quit my job to write full-time.  Excited by the huge sales, great feedback and reader interaction; I gave my notice at work.  But things did not go as planned and so I had to back-step.  A diagnosis of cancer led to almost immediate surgery, followed by some unforeseen complications.

 I am my own publicist and so I lost momentum and sales, despite good reviews, began to drop.  I was unable to put Bloodmines out when I had originally planned as I lost almost six weeks to just being very ill.  I do not share this for sympathy.   I am six doses into chemo.  I have continued to write despite days were the cold cramps ones hands into claws.  (A strange side effect of the chemo I am on)  Today, I finished Bloodmines.  I am proud to have written this novel in the face of severe sickness, travel, and many telling me to just give up and deal with cancer only.  I also achieved the 50k goal for NaNoWriMo2014.  A goal I was determined to make.

I think that giving in and being "sick" is the worst thing I could have done.  It would have been easy to lay in bed doing nothing and watching T.V. or sleeping.  Don't get me wrong, there have been many days in bed, but with my laptop and hand warming.  I want to beat cancer as badly as Alador wants to complete his geas.

Book 3 is now in edit! It is written.  When the editors get done with their red pens, we will proof and release!

Some things to expect in book 3 without giving too much away:
Dragons in person - not in dreams!
Better explanation of the Geas Stone as requested by readers
Magic

Anything more would give to much away. I hate spoilers.

I love you all! You make each day at my computer a joy.
Cheri

Author Update

I have really loved interacting with those of you who write me or post on the blog.  I find it a complete joy that others are enjoying the world I created and the story within it.  I know many are anxiously waiting for Bloodmines and I am making progress on it.  I hope to complete it during the November writing challenge and my editing team is hot on my heels ripping apart each chapter.  The goal is to try to have it out before Christmas.

I had hoped to get more feedback on Magic Scorned but I think many don't want to publically post their opinions of a book with erotic content.  I may not continue that series if I do not hear more.  It was fun to write and I enjoyed the journey with Jaxon and Cassie.  I am still working on a paperback version of this kindle story.

I recently released a third children's book called Once Upon a...Wait!  It is based on my daughter when she was young.  There were always at least "two" waits at story time. I am really proud of Rebecca's growth in illustrations and she continues to create dragons that are not scary to small children.  

The dragonologists.com website launched and is doing very well.  There are more stories on that blog along with contests and other such items.  I found the tasteful article on dragon mating very helpful. The black bar on the side is a menu bar.  Some have missed that.  

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Once Upon a...Wait

by Cheryl Matthynssens

Giveaway ends November 30, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Currently, I am offering a signed giveaway of the new children's book to get some basic reviews and to promote an adorable book.  

Thank you to everyone that has encouraged me to keep writing.  I am loving every minute of it and have realized this is what I have always wanted to do.   Remember, independent writers have no publicity office behind the scene.  You can help these writers by: continue to write to them, post reviews and tell others about them.  It helps them to stay motivated to write.  I have read more than one independent writer whose work I would have never looked at if a friend or another author hadn't pointed them out.