Our Featured Book for June 2025
Watching Jesh's staff return to his hand, its crystal glowing as though an unbridled star, Seunadair dared to hope for an end to his imprisonment. For the first time, he saw a wizard reach across not only two realms but all seven, pulling energy from each to accomplish the retrieval of his stolen treasure. The disembodied wizard held a dream spanning hundreds of years. He had tied realization of this dream to an infant bathed in dragon's blood. Now, it appeared the enchanter's dream, his ultimate freedom, was within Jesh's abilities.
Story behind the book
If you have ever met me or looked into my writing habits, this background story will come as no surprise. In January, 2005 I came up with a story. The Wizard's Conundrum. A nice short story about a wizard who was nearing the end of his time and needed, or wanted, a successor. He also had a friend who happened to be a dragon, a Dragon Empress. I always felt like this story was the end of a great saga, a greater story about this wizard and this dragon. So, having finished Vrenessbith with the writers' group, I picked up this story of a wizard and dragon in November, 2015. I started the full story over ten years, almost eleven, after writing the end. That group of loyal fellow writers stuck with this journey for five years, and then some. The book was then reread, re-edited, and finally published in April, 2021 - six years and three months after discovering this wondrous story.
A quote from the story:
Understanding and Knowledge, are Brothers.
Together they can lead to Wisdom.
Only Embodied Wisdom unlocks portals to Hidden Truths.
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Note: When we feature a book we also offer it at a "feature price." From Thursday, June 19 through Sunday, June 22 you can get the Kindle version for $0.99 by clicking on the Amazon link above during those days OR you can order the print version directly from Speurach Press for $14.49 (more than $10 off the $24.95 list price) by clicking HERE. These special prices are good only from June 19 - 22. Thank you for your support.
Other conjurings from this old author
I am going to really step outside the box this month and share a concept with you. This is a story that I am considering and have done very little work on, so your comments could really shape this one. The concept title is "Checkerboard."
Every large city has one, as do most other municipalities. A community built by a developer in an efficient style providing historic retrospective and the most modern conveniences in middle class - upper-middle class living. Very few are truly unique, however ours . . . well, that is to be the story of Magnolia Meadows. A look at the original development with its parks and wondrous houses, all laid out in a perfect checkerbaord pattern, and its gruadual decay over six decades - no, not six decades of story but how is Magnolia Meadows today? The families, the great Magnolia Mansion (which used to be the holder of the acreage that became the "Meadows." Why the this family (only one member still in residence in the Manor) sell this beautiful property? And how do the lives of the families in the 384 homes interact? A bit of mystery. A bit of "Peyton Place." And more than likely a lot of "what are you thinking and where is all this going?" Well, maybe more than a bit of mystery as unexplainable things begin to happen. If you have an idea I can plug into this story, when I get to it, drop me an email - the link is below.
What are you working on?
Beyond Books -
Here is one you can laugh at. It falls under the "best made plans" category. When my Dad died, I inherited his record collection - hundreds of vinyl LPs. Before moving to Martinsville, we had this collection, as well as the LPs my wife had collected and the LPs I had collected, all in a vertical bookcase. Nice. Easy to browse. I am not sure what happened to that bookcase in the move, may be in my bride's "office," but we have needed a way to browse these seven or eight boxes of LPs. Our house in Martinsville once had a closet in the den with a wine cooler. The previous owner took the cooler, so we have an empty closet, sort of. Picture the empty space that once held a ... So, more than two years ago I did a rough design on a rack of four drawers to hold all these records. Ordered extra heavy duty drawer slides, but never went to work. Finally, some six months ago I went to work. Retirement is busy. And the drawer slides were too long. Fortunately, the manufacturer - TCH Hardware - did a swap with me. Finally got the rack built, not enough vertical room for the records. Did I tell you how many hours I spent designing this thing? ... Carefully considering every angle, every depth, every ... well, everything. Set the rack up. Too short to hold the records, by 3/4 inch. Made adjustments, reinstalled the rack. Loaded records - three boxes, so far - everything is working great. Went to put the doors back on this great cabinet and now the drawers won't pull out. Doors won't open flat, they are bumped out by the trim around the door. I am now working on finding a hinge that will work -- I have an idea but haven't gone in yet with the rulers and such.
Why share this nonsense with you? As a writer I do my best to consider all aspects of the story as I write it. Then, all published, I find I missed something. So far it has always been something minor, but just like that cabinet door - if the drawers won't pull out, or the plot don't play - you gotta go back and fix it. That is why you measure twice before cutting, design critically six times before building, and edit edit edit edit before publishing. And STILL ...
Tidbits of lost information
This month's featured title, Treasured Adversaries is published by Speurach Press, an imprint of The Silver Wreath. When you read Treasured Adversaries you will quickly learn there are seven realms of Wizarding Enlightenment. Seven areas of study. The sixth realm is Speurach - ethereal; not of this world; all things magical not yet understood. I'm not sure I deal with "ethereal" that much, just a touch when I do (stop laughing), but I do enjoy "all things magical not yet understood." When I am publishing faith or Christmas oriented work, I use The Silver Wreath. Now that I am working more with adventure, mystery, almost 'thriller,' and such, Speurach Press is growing.
Next month's featured book: The Woodsman's Tale
www.woodsmanstories.com
Comments or questions - send me an email:
Copyright 2025 by E. Gale Buck
May 28,2025