Book Discussion – Des M. Astor

HAPPY HALLOWEEN – AND BOOK RELEASE DAY!

My book, “Claws of Midgard”, has released today! It’s got a twist on Norse Mythology and is in an urban setting. The book is not a ‘hidden world’, so magic is out in the open. Vampires & Werewolves are also twisted, and there’s LGBTQ+ romantic subplots with spice at the end! Bear in mind toContinue reading “HAPPY HALLOWEEN – AND BOOK RELEASE DAY!”

Why I Twist Myth & Monsters in my Stories

Hey everyone! My favorite thing about writing is how we, as authors, can twist and craft things into our own world. Some people keep the traditional lore of a monster, which can be fun, but I like to rip that to shreds and build my own stuff. That is especially the case with common paranormalContinue reading “Why I Twist Myth & Monsters in my Stories”

Over 50 rejections, but I’m publishing anyway!

Ouch. To be honest, agents really do not like my story, and I will not lie and say all these rejections didn’t hurt. I tried very hard to push my story, but in the end, agents said no. That’s okay. Self-publishing is my choice, and while feedback on my story has been mixed so far,Continue reading “Over 50 rejections, but I’m publishing anyway!”

Many Perspective, First Person – How I do it, and Mistakes I’ve Made.

I pretty much started out with first person when writing via Red Viper. The book started out on Wattpad, its first iteration, anyway. I admit, nowadays I do regret not writing it in third person, but perspective hopping is a lot of fun and has worked out for the series pretty well. Plus, it’s goingContinue reading “Many Perspective, First Person – How I do it, and Mistakes I’ve Made.”

Romance – Are my “Ships” too obvious? Hm… nah.

Well, maybe they are. But that’s okay. It’s intentional. You see, I have a ‘hot’ take that’s quite hot, if you know what I mean. It’s okay for ships to be obvious. Sure, the payout might not be as strong as the ‘resolved love triangle’ (A trope I hate, by the way), but if youContinue reading “Romance – Are my “Ships” too obvious? Hm… nah.”

I made an audiobook! Here’s what I learned.

I am SUPER excited to announce that The Dancing Crow now has an audiobook! It was pretty expensive but incredibly worth it. I’m excited to see where it goes, because it allows so many other folks to actually experience my story. Plus, my narrator, Rein, for the book is badass! He sounds exactly like IContinue reading “I made an audiobook! Here’s what I learned.”

How I write Deities in my Works

The Gods are a hot topic in many works, whether they’re present as a singular god, multiple, or not there at all. Religion is one of the most important aspects of society, and it tends to change over time. I think progression in a religion is a very good thing, after all. Some ideologies shouldContinue reading “How I write Deities in my Works”

Happy Birthday to me, but more importantly to “The Dancing Crow”!

It’s The Dancing Crow‘s birthday (and mine but this is more important)! I adore this book, and while it doesn’t have the typical romance I blend with my paranormal/urban fantasy stuff, it is just as valid as any of my other works. It sets up important relationship dynamics for the characters in the sequel, HuntsmasterContinue reading “Happy Birthday to me, but more importantly to “The Dancing Crow”!”

BOOK BIRTHDAY! Red Viper: My Thoughts

Happy Birthday Red Viper, and Happy Birthday to the first book I ever self published that has remained on the market. Boy is my relationship with this book complicated, given I continue to promote the other version, The Dancing Crow, over this one. I’ll talk about the things I would have done differently with thisContinue reading “BOOK BIRTHDAY! Red Viper: My Thoughts”