indie fantasy novels

A November 2020 Update on Sand and Smoke, the Dragon Destiny trilogy, and Dragons of Marak

Hey there! It’s been a while since I’ve provided an update about the books I’m working on. Right now, I’m working on two series–the Dragon Destiny trilogy, of which Sand and Smoke was the first book in the series, and Dragons of Marak, which is going to run a bit more than three books, I’m not sure how long it will run though. They’re both high epic fantasy, and Sand and Smoke is available on Kindle Unlimited for free and for purchase on many sites. It’s an indie novel.

By the way, in case you’re not familiar with who I am, hi. I’m Carl Cota-Robles, an indie author and self-published author on Amazon. I mostly write indie fantasy, but I also write indie children’s books with a sprinkle of science fiction. Feel free to check out my books here: https://carlcotarobles.com/books

Sand and Smoke is an indie high epic fantasy set in a world where dragon riders and cowboys co-exist. The sequel picks up where it left off, following characters like Al Hardin, Maya Samoralt, Joel Forquid, and Li Lok, and it also includes some new characters. The sequel to Sand and Smoke is going to be called Battle and Burning, and it’ll be released September 14, 2021. As of now, I’ve finished the first draft and am going to start revisions either next week or the week after. You can pre-order it. For a limited time before its release, I’ve made it available to pre-order for just $0.99. It will go up to a higher price eventually, though. Here’s the pre-order link: mybook.to/battleandburning

So, regarding my other series Dragons of Marak, it’s in a bit of disarray right now. The last month or so, I had planned to work on drafting book 3 of the series, but I wasn’t able to because I had a number of health issues come up. If you haven’t had to deal with anything like that in your life, you’re definitely lucky in at least one way. Last time I had to deal with something like this was in 2016, but it was different than what I’m going through right now. Back then, it was just a lot of pain, and I think what I needed most was rest. Right now, it’s involving a lot of doctors appointments that seem to be never ending.

So…anyway…those health issues are what has affected my plans for Dragons of Marak. Books 1 and 2 have both been drafted, and book 1 has gone through one thorough round of revisions and is now in the hand of some beta readers (sent out a few weeks before my health issues popped up). I’m hoping to squeeze in the writing of book 3 in between drafts of Battle and Burning, but I’m not sure if it’ll happen. Either way, Battle and Burning should be released by September 14, 2021. Dragons of Marak may take a bit longer than I expected.

There hasn’t been any kind of release date announced for Dragons of Marak, and I don’t have any plans to announce any release dates anytime soon. The series will go nicely with Sand and Smoke, though, because they are both young adult fantasy with dragons. While Dragons of Marak doesn’t have any dragon riders like Sand and Smoke does, it does have dragons and people who partner with dragons. The twist is that the dragons actually have special powers that allow them to equip to people as various weapons like a sword, an axe, a knife, a bow, etc. And while Sand and Smoke is told from multiple points of view, Dragons of Marak has just one point of view, and I plan to stick to that point of view throughout the series (well, right now that’s the plan anyway). There’s also a bit more romance in Dragons of Marak.

Over the next month or so, I’m probably going to be commissioning some art for the Battle and Burning and the Dragon Destiny trilogy. For a while now I’ve been dying to commission some art that’s an accurate portrayal of what a Sun dragon looks like. I go into quite a bit of detail about it in Sand and Smoke, so it’ll be really cool to get an accurate drawing made! If you want to see that art and see what a Sun dragon looks like for real, I’ll share it with you if you subscribe to my mailing list. You can subscribe at this link: www.rebrand.ly/storiesbycarl or at the link at the top of the page.

A bonus to being subscribed to my mailing list is that I let you know whenever I have marked down my books. I do this sometimes as a promotion to try and get a higher rank on Amazon and/or garner some reviews.

This is pretty much it as far as news goes at this point in time. The main new things to go down have been that the sequel to Sand and Smoke finally has a title now–it will be called Battle and Burning–and it has a release date: September 14, 2021. Like Sand and Smoke, it’ll be available on Kindle Unlimited for free and on the same retailers. I’m really excited about the artwork too! Can’t wait to get that process started and to see what a Sun dragon looks like.

As a writer, I constantly have ideas popping up in my head for new books, so there’s definitely been a part of me that is itching to start some other ideas. Most of these are dragon related…ha. Though, Sand and Smoke and Dragons of Marak may be it for series that involve dragons partnering with humans. The other couple of ideas I have floating around in my head involve dragons that are also part human. So it’s a different take on the whole thing, less stereotypical, and I also have some ideas about how to combine dragon-human hybrids with other mainstream genres.

Anyway, I can’t wait to dive into revisions for Battle and Burning! The draft I wrote needs some revising pretty badly, so I’ll probably be at it for a couple months before I send it to beta readers. In my opinion, revising is one of the hardest parts of writing, but I’ve learned some tricks to do it well.

PS: Here’s that link to subscribe to my mailing list again: http://www.rebrand.ly/storiesbycarl

The Six Most Interesting Questions about Djinn Tamer Bronze League, Derek Alan Siddoway, A.J. Cerna, and the Djinncyclopedia

Ultimately, I’d say, this would be a great book for those who get psyched when they think about reading a book about Pokemon.

Welcome! This post is part of my Most Interesting Questions series, which means I’ll be answering the most interesting questions I can find or think of on the Djinn Tamer series.

The Djinn Tamer series is an indie gem, written by Derek Alan Siddoway and A.J. Cerna. Djinn Tamer is exciting, action-packed, and it’s an indie fantasy and litrpg book series on Amazon. As the description on Amazon goes, it’s great for fans of Pokemon, Digimon, and Monster Rancher. It’s written by Derek Alan Siddoway and A.J. Cerna, Derek is the author behind the Teutevar Saga and the Gryphon Riders Trilogy which includes Windsworn, Windswept, and Windbreak. Both Derek and A.J. also recently released a new book called God Mode. It’s also a litrpg book. As for Djinn Tamer, the series includes three books called Djinn Tamer Starter, Djinn Tamer Rivals, and Djinn Tamer Evolution. All books are in the Djinn Tamer Bronze League trilogy, and coming up next is apparently going to be the Djinn Tamer Silver League.

By the way, if you’re wondering about who I am, I’m an author from Portland, OR. I write epic fantasy and children’s science fiction. Feel free to check out my books using the menu bar above!

Q #1) What is a Djinn Tamer? What is this book about?

A: A Djinn Tamer is basically a Pokemon trainer. Likewise, a Djinn is basically a Pokemon. In these books, Derek and A.J. have used their amazing imagination to craft a whole new set of Pokemon. The Djinn are really unique, really cool, and easy to love. The main character’s Djinn is basically like a dog or wolf that’s fiery red. Others are like jaguars or bird-like. Unlike in the video games and the cartoon, though, things are simplified a bit. There are only five types: Water, Fire, Wind, Earth, and Plain. Djinn also have stats similar to Pokemon…they don’t play a very big role in the narrative though. Since this is a litrpg book, the authors do list the stats out from time to time, so readers can track this.

Q #2) What is a djinncyclopedia, djinn encyclopedia, or djinn tamer encyclopedia?

A: The Djinncyclopedia is basically the equivalent of a Pokedex. In this series, the main character, Jackson Hunt, gets one straight away (or maybe he has one to start things off, I can’t quite remember). The Djinncyclopedia shows Djinn Tamers information about wild Djinn, their own Djinn, and other tamers’ Djinn. It lets them see stuff like their stats, a description, and the names of the various Djinn they encounter. When it comes to other tamers, though, the encyclopedia does hide some information about their Djinn, so that in the middle of a fight it can’t be used to give one tamer an edge over the other. By the way, Derek and A.J. have an online Djinncyclopedia that can be viewed by anyone who signs up for their mailing list. Here is the link: http://djinntamer.com/newsletter/

Q # 3) When is the Djinn Tamer book 4 release date?

A: As far as I know, there’s no news right now on a Djinn Tamer book 4 release date. One might assume that news of it will be emailed to those signed up for their mailing list. Of course, book 4 will be part of the Djinn Tamer Silver League, given that Bronze League is finished. In the meantime, interested readers will have to check out other books while they wait for Djinn Tamer book 4’s release date. I am an author myself who writes in the same genre and who writes books that are similar in feel to Djinn Tamer. I’d like to shamelessly plug my book Sand and Smoke and my upcoming series Dragons of Marak to anyone who’s looking for a new, exciting read! They aren’t litrpg but they are fantasy with action scenes. Check out Sand and Smoke here: https://rebrand.ly/sandandsmoke.

Q #4) Is there a Djinn Tamer wiki out there?

A: I really think there should be a Djinn Tamer wiki. It’s definitely a series that deserves it. It would be great to have a place to look up information quickly about the different Djinns, and see what they look like. Sadly, I haven’t been able to find a wiki page online for it. Perhaps one will appear in the future. In the meantime, the Djinncyclopedia is probably the closest thing to it, that’s my guess.

Q #5) Is Djinn Tamer a ripoff of Pokemon?

A: This question actually comes from the Amazon reviews. There’s a lot of reviews on Amazon that state this series is a rip-off of Pokemon. It’s easy to see why, after having read the books. The story is super similar, down to a main character who mirrors Ash Ketchum in many ways and a world that resembles Pokemon in almost all aspects; there’s just different names for things. This, I believe, is mostly by design from the authors. It’s definitely not a book for anyone who wants to read something unique, that hasn’t been thought of before! There are books out there like that, books that take something familiar, and put a new spin on it. I usually try to do that with my books. Djinn Tamer instead is for anyone who loves Pokemon and wants to read Pokemon. It excels in bringing that old-timey Pokemon (weird that I’m calling Pokemon old-timey) feel to literature. It doesn’t necessarily bring something new to the table, rather, it delivers something that many people around the world remember fondly to them in a new format, as a book.

Q #6): Who is the main character?

A: Jackson Hunt is the main character. He’s a Djinn Tamer from a small town, just like Ash Ketchum! In fact, Jackson Hunt is a spitting image of Ash Ketchum in many ways. He’s definitely not for everyone. He’s got a lot of teen angst, but on the other hand he does seem to have a good heart. He wants, more than anything, to be a Djinn Tamer in the pro leagues. Ultimately, I’d say, this would be a great book for those who get psyched when they think about reading a book about Pokemon, but for others there are probably better options out there. Overall, it does serve a niche, quite nicely I think, because there aren’t many books out there that evoke that old-timey Pokemon feel like Djinn Tamer does.

Thanks for reading! Now I invite you to check out more MIQ posts below, or my book Sand and Smoke, which is also fantasy, with lots of action and lovable characters. It has dragons, a ragtag criminal crew, and a devastating weapon that must be stopped.

Dragons of Marak, Sand and Smoke’s Sequel, and Writing While Social Distancing

Welcome! This is an update on my author blog. If you find yourself here, unsure who I am, let me introduce myself. My name is Carl and I’m an author from Portland, OR. I write epic fantasy and children’s science fiction.

I’ve reached the doldrums of my writing year recently so things are pretty quiet. But I’ll update you with what I have been working on.

While the start of this year was jam-packed for me, I’ve recently been slowing down, as I take things a little more methodically from here on out.

At the start of 2020, I published Middle School Robots. I sent out ARCs, ran a few promotions. I also wrote the first draft of the second book in my upcoming Dragon of Marak series. The series was also called Dragon Monsters Equip until recently, so if you’ve heard me say that in the past it’s the same thing.

I’m not gonna lie, the whole COVID thing kinda set me back. Mostly because it was so shocking. Even for an author like me it disrupted my writing flow. It didn’t inhibit my ability to write, obviously, but it was a struggle at first to keep up the motivation. And a major tool I used before COVID for getting writing done was going out to a coffee shop to do it. Now I can’t do that anymore so I have to find other ways to tune out the distractions at home.

Anyway, I think I’ve mostly figured it out by now. Since publishing Middle School Robots, I’ve shifted gears into a few TV projects, and I’ve also begun a thorough revising of Dragons of Marak book 1. It’s a really good book! Like REALLY good. I’m surprised how much I still love it as I go back and work on it. It’s soothing just to read through it and make some changes.

I recently sent an excerpt from the book to my mailing list. You can sign up for that list at this link: www.rebrand.ly/storiesbycarl. And you’ll receive offers of giveaways, free books, and maybe some more excerpts in the future.

Here’s a little teaser about Dragons of Marak:

Ana Perez comes from wealth and power. But her father, a business tycoon in the land of Marak, hates dragons. That makes things a little complicated when she runs into a water cobra dragon named Cee, and bonds with him. Still, she would not give him up for anything. Marak is a land where the dragons exist in all shapes and sizes. Cee is blue, snake-like, and wet. Others are stony, with turtle shells and dragonfly wings. A few have crimson scales, fur, and long limbs. Some are as large as a carriage, others twice that size, and others as small as a gartner snake. Cee is overconfident, dogged, and charismatic. Ana is smart, good-hearted, and stylish. They form an unbreakable bond. Partners for life. The dragons of Marak can equip to their partners as weapons, armor, or wings. But Cee is more than just an object to Ana. He’s a friend. As she spends time with him, she grows. But there are secrets in Marak. Not everyone sees dragons as friends. Ana’s naive. The wealth and power among her country’s industrialists is a front for small hearts and stubborn men. But Cee’s a rare kind of dragon. And Ana can’t stay blind forever.

So, that’s what I’m engrossed in at the moment.

Even though revisions are taking longer than I expected, I’m planning to start another book soon. I think I will be working on Sand and Smoke‘s sequel. To me, that makes the most sense. And I also have a short that I started work on. It’s a dystopian short, and it’ll definitely be available somewhere when I finish it. If you subscribe to my mailing list, I’ll keep you posted.

But anyway, regarding Sand and Smoke: I always intended for it to be the first book in a trilogy. So I’m thinking that I will make writing the sequel to Sand and Smoke my next big priority.

If you’re a fan of Sand and Smoke, then you might be wondering about how long it will take me to complete the sequel. Well, it’s too early to float any dates, but I will say that the first book took me one year to write, revise, and edit. I started writing it in October of 2018 and published on October 17, 2019. So…maybe the second book will follow a similar timeline? That’s my best guess at this moment in time. But whenever I finish the first draft, I’ll have a much better idea.

In the meantime, there is actually a free short story available, set in the same universe as Sand and Smoke. You can get it by subscribing to my mailing list: www.rebrand.ly/ingridrising. If you’re already subscribed to my list and you don’t have it, just reply to any of the emails I’ve sent you and I’ll send it over!

Another perk of being on my mailing list is that I’m currently planning another giveaway. It’s going to happen this summer sometime, and it’s going to be dragon-themed! I’m sifting through some ideas for amazing dragon books that I want to include. I’m thinking I will include around 3-4 books in the giveaway, and one person who enters will win them all. You’ll be able to enter even if you aren’t on my mailing list…but if you join my list, you’ll get an email as soon as the giveaway starts, and you can also share suggestions for books that you’d like to be included in the giveaway, just by responding to one of my emails.

In the past, I’ve run giveaways successfully for an Amazon gift card, Christopher Paolini’s The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm, and a trio of books including The Secret Lake, a Magic Tree House book, and The Infinity Ring. Depending on some factors, this giveaway may be US-only, or I may be able to make it international and include some other countries. I’m hoping and crossing my fingers I will be able to make it international…but the only way I’ve found to do so thus far, without requesting personal information from the winner, is to give away an Amazon gift card instead of the books. So I’ll have to see. Anyway, it’s probably going to happen in June or July, just to let you know.

So yeah, I’ve mentioned my mailing list a lot in this post. But if you’re not sure about subscribing yet, it’s okay too. That’s pretty much it for now!