Joshua P. Simon - The Accidental Author

Steel and Sorrow officially has a cover!

Steel and Sorrow is the second book in the Blood and Tears Trilogy following the events in Rise and Fall.

Below is the current description (Warning: some spoilers to those who haven’t read Rise and Fall yet):

A Warleader proves his worth, a High Mage seeks revenge, a Commander overcomes his past, and a Queen solidifies her rule.

On the continent of Hesh, Tobin has finally gained the two things that have always been out of his reach—the respect of his clan and a woman’s love. Now, he seeks to finish what his father started. Tobin is left questioning not only his ability to rule, but also his sanity when he faces an enemy he never knew to suspect.

A High Mage has been humbled, but he has not been defeated. After spending his time devouring the history of Hesh, he’s discovered a way to return home and reclaim what was once his. But before he can exact revenge on his enemies, he must fulfill one last obligation to the only friend he has.

In the aftermath of great tragedy, Kaz has taken the role of commander, and with it, a mountain of headaches. He expected threats from his enemies. He did not expect the largest headaches to from within his own ranks. To make matters worse, the faded memories of Kaz’s previous life are returning and what he sees haunts him.

Queen Elyse’s kingdom faces collapse at the hands of a civil war. While her army has been organizing to secure the crown against traitorous lords, she has worked at her role as queen. Suspicion of traitors among the ranks of her council threatens to undermine Elyse's authority when a chance for peace presents itself.

A year after the events of Rise and Fall, Steel and Sorrow is the second book in the Blood and Tears Trilogy.

Right now, I’m hoping for an early September release.

Check out the cover and leave a comment on your thoughts!



Credit once again goes to Brooke White of Sprout Studio in Houston, Texas.

If you’re interested in procuring her services, please contact her at the following:
Brooke White
Sprout Studio (in Houston, TX)
www.sproutstudio.us
brooke@sproutstudio.us

One thing I haven’t done on my blog yet is discuss why I chose to independently publish my work. I never submitted Rise and Fall to agents or publishers. I’m not ready to get into all the ins and outs behind how I reached my decision, but I wanted to share some thoughts on the common view that traditional publishers know talent.

“Publishers can spot a good story better than anyone else.”

“If your story has been rejected, it’s because you can’t write.”

“Independent authors just don’t put as much effort into a book as traditionally published do.”

“Traditional publishers know what kind of books readers will enjoy.”

Contrary to popular belief, traditional plublisher cannot pick the next big bestseller any more than you or I can. They get it wrong much more than people assume they do.

Have you ever heard of any of these books? Harry Potter? Peter Rabbit? Twilight? Carrie? Animal Farm? The Hunt for Red October? These titles were initially rejected by traditional publishers. Many times more than once! Click here for a list of 40 famous manuscripts and you’ll be appalled at some of the big name books and classics that were turned down repeatedly before someone took a chance on the manuscript.

So what does this mean? It means that traditional publishers make a lot of mistakes and they aren’t always the best judges of talent. Trust me, I’ve read plenty of AWFUL traditionally published work. Traditional publishers can simply tell if a manuscript is right for them.