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Top Ten Reasons to Buy Bron & Calea Volume 1

By Nick Hayden
September 11, 2014

As you may know, Bron & Calea Volume 1, our print collection of the first three stories in the Bron & Calea saga, is now available on Amazon. If you’re uncertain about the necessity of purchasing the volume for your private collection, let me convince you. Here are TEN REASONS you need to buy Bron & Calea Volume 1 immediately.

10. Because when you support a starving artist, an angel gets its wings.

Seriously, read the reviews of these bears if you haven’t.

9. Because you need to add one more item to your cart to qualify for free shipping, and it’s either Bron & Calea or a five-pound bag of Haribo Sugar Free Gummy Bears.

8. Because Nyasha’s by far your favorite companion, even better than Rose, and certainly better than that loud…wait, what? You mean she’s not that Doctor’s assistant?

7. Because there’s nothing like reading The Well’s Orphan to make your bad day seem not quite so bad.

6. Because you’ve been meaning to read Children of the Wells for the last year, but things just keep getting in the way. Like doing your taxes. And having your second child. And spending those four months in the nunnery. But now–now–you have time to finally….just a second, the phone’s ringing…and the drying just beeped…and there’s some unwatched shows on the DVR….

5. Because you want to be a fan in reality, and not just in Thyrion. (Groan.) (more…)

September 11, 2014 - Tags: , , , , Posted in: Blogs

Back to the Grind

By Nick Hayden
August 14, 2014

Honestly, I almost forgot to write this blog.

The last two weeks of July consisted of leading 18 youth at a youth conference, followed by a family vacation. Both were enjoyable–but one thing I purposely do when away, especially on vacation, is sever myself from my usual concerns and duties. So I read and played with the kids and generally relaxed.

Then I returned to real life. Last week was catch-up week.

But, you know, I enjoyed that, too. I was ready to get back to work. I wanted to get my desk cleaned up, wanted to begin again on all those projects I’d put on pause. Among which was finalizing this little thing:

Bron-vol1-final

You can get it on Amazon now. It collects The Select’s Bodyguard, The Doctor’s Assistant, and The Wells’ Orphan in a nice, stylish paperback. I have always preferred print books to ebooks, so I’m excited to have a copy of this sitting near me as I type.

Oh, and there was a bit of a crunch getting some freshly printed copies to Nathan at GenCon, but we’ve figured it out now. I think.

So, anyway, that’s why I almost forgot to write this blog. But now I’m ready to push forward. The next Jaysynn novel, New Wells Rising, is this close to being done. The sequel to The Well’s Orphan is on its way. And I’m ready to start cracking the whip again.

Thank my two weeks off–and go buy a copy of Bron & Calea, Volume 1, while you’re at it.

August 14, 2014 - Tags: , , , , Posted in: Blogs

Children of the Wells Round Table!

Derailed Trains logo v3By Nick Hayden
July 17, 2014

At our last Children of the Wells meeting, we decided to record a special round-table discussion. It’s not very often we have so many of the writers, editors, and idea people behind Children of the Wells in one place, and we had a lot of fun discussing storytelling pet peeves, what kind of stories we gravitate toward, and our own views of the CotW characters.

Also, if you like what you hear, Timothy and Nick produce a monthly podcast on storytelling that you can find at derailedtrainsofthought.blogspot.com or on iTunes,

Listen in to Nick, Tim, Aaron, Nathan, Laura, and Greg below:

Children of the Wells Round Table Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
July 17, 2014 - Tags: , , , , , , Posted in: Blogs

Drinking the Dandelion Wine

By Nick Hayden
June 13, 2014

Dandelion_wineAs you may have noticed, the site has been a little, shall we say, “dead,” because on the Internet, if you aren’t posting articles and tweets and tumblr thingies faster than the government spends money, you’re not truly alive.

Of course, on the back end, there’s quite a bit happening. The first draft sequel to The Rules Change is nearly complete, and the sequel to The Well’s Orphan is on its way. (Have you read Destinies Entwined yet?)

And, plus, it’s summer! It’s warm! Who wants to be on the Internet all day?

I just recently convinced my sister to read Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury, which is the most wonderfully nostalgic book I’ve ever read. It chronicles the summer of 12-year-old Doug Spaulding–it captures all those moments of being alive and young and full of endless days of sunlight. Days of running for no reason, nights of porches and ice cream. If you haven’t read it, you really should. (more…)

June 13, 2014 - Tags: , , Posted in: Blogs

Why Break the Wheel?

Nick Hayden
May 9, 2014

leo

Who doesn’t wish he could play as Leo just a little longer? There’s a NPC worth exploring.
From here

Now that all 10 stories of The Wheel is Broken are available for your enjoyment, you may (not) be asking: “Why bother writing a collection of flash fiction about random characters we’ll never meet again? Give us more Bron! Give us more Jaysynn! Even more Calea, if it comes to that!”

Well, I’m glad you asked.

Answer: I felt like it.

Expanded Answer: It seems that most of what I write (or want to write) are reiterations of ideas I’ve had for a long time. You might even call them themes. (more…)

May 9, 2014 - Tags: , , , Posted in: Blogs

Updates: Orphan ebook, More The Wheel Is Broken

By Nick Hayden
April 12, 2014

All right, dear readers, it’s time for an update-filled post.

First, if you haven’t read, we’re undergoing some changes here at Children of the Wells. The biggest change is we’re going to start releasing books only when they’re completed, instead of serializing them. For some explanation of the reasons, check out Natasha’s blog from last week.

Second, we’re busy preparing a collection of short stories as an anniversary gift for you all. We’ve about all the stories in. You should see it sometime near the end of the month, if everything goes as planned.

Third, since The Well’s Orphan is finished, we’ve compiled it as an ebook. Download it as an epub, mobi, or PDF and read it at your convenience–or share it with others.

Fourth, and finally, since we have a bit of dead space as we finish up our short story collection, I thought it would be nice to release the rest of The Wheel Is Broken here on the site. (more…)

April 11, 2014 - Tags: , , , Posted in: Blogs

Oh, That Depressing Thing

by Nick Hayden
March 28, 2014

Take my hand

Calea’s lost arm?
Ben Andreas Harding via Compfight

When we–the writing collective that is Children of the Wells–discuss The Well’s Orphan, it’s usually referenced as “that depressing thing,” or by some equivalent phrase. Fellow writer Nathan Marchand accused me of being “downright nihilistic” in the story.

What’s interesting about these (playful) insults is that in person I’m an optimistic, glass half-full sort of guy most of the time. I have my deep philosophical funks, certainly, but they’re over quickly. In my writing, however, I tend to probe the spiritual dimensions of man. That’s the center of conflict, to me–how a person understands his place in the world and his relationship with God. (more…)

March 28, 2014 - Tags: , , , Posted in: Blogs

A Lament for the Arrogant

By Nick Hayden
February 7

Next week, we’ll be premiering our third Bron & Calea novella–The Well’s Orphan. The story so far has been largely personal, detailing how Bron, Calea, and their new companion Nyasha deal with the effects of the Cataclysm. The Well’s Orphan is no exception. In fact, it is the most personal story yet.

The Well's OrphanI wrote The Select’s Bodyguard and I had not planned to return so soon to write on the same storyline, but after Laura delivered Calea a crushing blow at the end of The Doctor’s Assistant, I felt compelled to return. Because, you see, I care about Calea. (more…)

February 7, 2014 - Tags: , , , Posted in: Blogs

Left Hand, Meet Right Hand

by Nick Hayden
December 6, 2013

I wanna hold your hand

Josep Ma. Rosell via Compfight – Creative Commons

One thing we here at Children of the Wells looked forward to doing when we started this world was exploring several different plotlines at once. Back in the planning stages, when all was bright colors and lollipops and rainbows, we wanted to have three parallel storylines proceeding simultaneously.

That turned out to be too many for us to manage. It’s hard enough running a continuing story if there’s only one person involved. When you have a half dozen authors, each with his own ideas and each with his own day job, well…you can imagine.

But even with a measly two parallel plotlines, we’re experimenting with ways to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts. (more…)

December 6, 2013 - Tags: , , , Posted in: Blogs

Watching the Rules Change

by Nick Hayden
November 8, 2013

Absolutely Nothing is Allowed Here

Not these rules…
Vicki & Chuck Rogers via Compfight

I hope you’re enjoying the beginning of The Rules Change. I certainly enjoyed it first time I opened the document on my computer. (I still  think the opening chapter is wonderful at setting the stage.)

While our new author, John Bahler, is busy finishing up future chapters, I’d like to focus on one particular aspect of this novella that really stands out in my mind. (more…)

November 8, 2013 - Tags: , , Posted in: Blogs

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