Gargoyle Scourge is ready for beta reading

Posted on February 4, 2017 (Subscribe to Blog)

Hello everyone! I'm pleased to announce that the third book in my Island of Fog Legacies series, Gargoyle Scourge, is now available for beta reading -- so if you're interested, please email me at keith@unearthlytales.com to request a copy.

GARGOYLE SCOURGE (Island of Fog Legacies #3)

Eleven-year-old Melinda Strickland is setting out on her first mission as a shapeshifter -- to save a town from unruly gargoyles.

The ugly stone creatures have been perched on the rooftops of Garlen's Well for decades, warding off evil spirits. Though known to move about at night, lately they've gotten mischievous and downright destructive. Somebody needs to talk to them, find out what's going on, and persuade them to be more respectful of private property.

That somebody is Melinda, daughter of famous shapeshifters Robbie the ogre and Lauren the harpy. But what kind of creature will she be infused with? Like her cousin Travis, her powers are likely to wear off after a few days, so it doesn't really matter what she ends up transforming into as long as she can help. As it happens, Miss Simone has something very specific in mind for her first experience as a shapeshifter.

Travis Franklin accompanies her on the trip west to Garlen's Well, though Melinda is keen to point out she's in charge, not him. He's only a dragon, after all.

Nothing ever goes as planned. What promises to be an important but generally safe mission turns into something quite deadly...

GARGOYLE SCOURGE is the third installment in the Island of Fog Legacies series.

There are a couple of "rules" if you're interesting in beta reading:

You must be able to read the book in two weeks and get back to me with feedback. Obviously I want an overall opinion and comments about anything that doesn't work or could be improved, but I'm also looking for simple typos. That said, I'm not expecting you to find things for the sake of finding things.
Assuming you like the book, you must be able and willing to offer a nice review on Amazon on launch day. This is essential to me. Reviews definitely sell books, and I would go so far as to say that a nice review and rating on launch day is actually more important than beta-reading feedback and typos. (Naturally the same review can be added to Goodreads as well, if you're a Goodreads member.)

That's all. So if you're interested, email me for a copy! I only require a certain number of beta readers, so apply early before all the slots fill up. :-)

Those of you chomping at the bit for this installment in the series might have noticed that it's a little behind schedule. This is partly because of work getting in the way of my writing, but also just because I've been taking it easy and not pushing quite so hard to get things done. I'm pretty sure everyone "burns out" on whatever they like doing the most, and it's best to ease off for a while and come back later a bit fresher. I never actually stopped writing Gargoyle Scourge, but I did slow down and recharge.

In the end, I love this third installment. Travis, the main character from the first two books, takes a back seat and allows Melinda to steal the limelight. The book is written from her point of view, which works out nicely considering what happened to Travis at the end of Sinister Roots.

I expect Book 4 will feature both Travis and Melinda again, perhaps written from alternating points of view.

That's all for now. More soon!

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