Mike Carss

@akascrubber @drpaladin is absolutely right. Our burly fellow will make his appearance very soon. 😁

He's no good with a sword, which is why he didn't keep it. Luckily he managed to retrieve his stuff, including his dagger which he's much more proficient with.

Nathan woke, finding himself in the same position with his face to the ground. Slowly picking himself up, he spied faint torchlight in the passageway. Deep shadows danced on the craggy rock walls. His mouth was dry and he coughed, causing his head to throb violently. “Thought you were dead,” a deep voice spoke from the dark cell opposite his. Frightened and still disoriented, Nathan instinctively scampered away from the voice until he hit the back wall, smacking his head. “Sorr

Written documents or invitations can be forged. A signet ring is much more difficult to reproduce. And in this case, the ring has an extra purpose -- revealed in chapter three.

Maybe Nathan's not the pro he thinks he is. 😉

This is revealed in a future chapter.

Haha! Great example, however be careful with your punctuation in this case. A person can't speak by nodding, however using a comma after "He is," implies it. But yeah, the examples in your first post pretty much mirror my own pet peeves. While I've not edited other author's work, I've read enough stories with impossible to pronounce names. Proofreading is a hell all its own. It's amazing how our brains always seem to miss those small errors. 🤪 For my last novel, I used https://quillbot.com/grammar-check on my final draft to catch any remaining goofs, and it found a handful I'd missed.

The guard, Tarn, explains why everyone at the keep is acting very proper around Nathan. It's all due to the signet ring he was given and told to wear. Magic does exist in this world, but it's not a common thing, so it's not something people will immediately attribute to if something seems weird.

Golden morning light streamed through the windows of Nathan’s quarters. After the luxurious bath the night before, he had slept soundly. Though he was awake now, he decided doze awhile longer on the downy bed, listening to distant birdsong. After all the recent travel, it was nice to take it easy. After a long stretch, he rolled out of bed, only then realizing he was naked and without his clothes. After his bath, he’d come back wearing only a bathrobe. The maid, whose name he managed to pry

Yeah, Nathan is kind of clueless in these early chapters. 😅 Admittedly, his smugness attitude is a little out of character when compared to the rest of the novel and its sequel (which'll be posted here as well). When I started writing this back in 2011, I went in with no idea where it'd lead, and I was still discovering who Nathan was. My only aim at this point was I wanted to tell a story from a "bad guys" POV. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! ❤️ The answer will be revealed in chapter seven. 😬

In my opinion, the best creative art out there is when the person is creating it solely for themselves. Sharing something personal with the world. The passion and emotion comes through so clearly. In contrast, pandering to a specific audience will often result in a lifeless piece of art because the creator's heart wasn't fully committed. We don't know each other so this may come off as insincere, but when I hear of someone finding any kind of solace in the process of creating something, it brings a smile to my face. Some people create for the simple joy of it, but browsing your body of work, I get the impression you've done it mostly for survival. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Circling back to your original message: if your story is marked Mature and people still complain about the content, don't waste your time on them. And definitely don't let it stop you from creating what you want.

Nathan, angry with himself for being caught off-guard, had already planned three ways to kill his attacker. However, as soon as the man had spoken, he knew it wouldn’t be necessary. “Danny, you drunken fool. It’s me.” The man wasn’t about to give up what he thought was the upper hand. “I don’t know you! Gimme a reason I shoun’t slit yer throat from ear to ear.” “It’s Nathan,” he said plainly. “Wha—” The man quickly spun Nathan around and pulled back his hood to reveal an

You're not the first person to comment on the editing, so I'll take that as a win. Thanks! 😄 I hope you enjoy the story.

I'll be adding chapters as quickly as they can be approved, so you shouldn't have to wait long to find out. 😅 Thanks for reading.

Faded hues of twilight painted the sky, casting its dim light over a well-travelled road that cut through open grasslands. A hooded traveller urged his galloping horse west, and in the distance, the small farming village of Summerton came into view. The Willow Inn, a sizable building in comparison to the rest of the village, sat on the outskirts. Journey’s end in sight, he slowed his frothing, tired horse. He’d pushed the beast hard over the past four days, yet it’d stayed the course without com

Nathan—a man who lives life in shadow and solitude—finds himself hunted due to an old assignment. While awaiting his execution, he crosses paths with a towering brute, forming a powerful bond of friendship, loyalty, and love. Alone, they struggle to stay ahead of their fate, but together find the strength to escape the deeds of their past.

Great. I've PM'd Cia. Thanks for the speedy replies. 😄 - Mike

I've written and self-published two novels (2013 and 2023) that I would like to freely share on this site permanently. The novels are currently available as an ebook on all major retailers, as well as paperback on Amazon. Of course, those novels have been lost amid the sea of content out there. I wrote and published for the fun and enjoyment of it -- making money was never the goal. But I realize all I really care about is to find readers who will enjoy my work. Having it behind what is essentially a paywall is hindering that. So, before I proceed in submitting them, I would like to make sure that GA accepts existing self-published works. I'd also like to include a link to the ebooks at the end of each story, but in reading the FAQ, that seems to be fine. Thanks for your help. - Mike