by Candy Crum
Things were action-packed back then when it came to my hectic schedule, and I hadn’t considered doing anything except write, print, and bind those chapters every week for my friends, but eventually, I got brave enough to publish a few chapters online back in 2010, and my entire world changed.
People were constantly asking for more, so I wrote more and more and posted a lot until I stumbled upon other people doing even more than that. I made a few friends and then…
I learned a few things.
The next couple of years I spent writing The Eternal Series, and the characters inside became my fictional children. The universe was so big that it allowed me to create so many wonderful characters—vampires, werewolves, immortals, succubi, and more—full of rich pasts and trials of their own.
Every one of them powerful in their own way, and every one of them near and dear to me. Later, I’d realize just how fun it was to expand on the universe.
Now, eight years later, here I am. I’m one husband lighter, fifteen books heavier, and the with the absolute best group of writers (now friends, whether we’ve met in person or not—totally sounds creepy) that I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.
Eight months ago, because of an amazing author and friend—Bonnie R. Paulson—I stumbled upon Michael and all the amazing people that I now have the joy of working with.
On top of learning a shit-ton of amazing things, I go through every day with at least a couple of dick jokes, more if I’m editing for Chris and Lee, and isn’t that what makes the world go ‘round?
I certainly think it helps at times.
[Edit - add by Michael - Absolutely!]
My boys are now nine and eleven, and my youngest, Matthew, just finished his first children’s book—which he wrote on my laptop sitting next to me while I sat at my desktop—which is very sweetly named The Legendary Kitten Adventures. No clue when it will finally be published, but we are working on it together, and it’s so much fun.
I had to force that child to read (the book I chose was The War of the Worlds), and once he finished it, he was hooked. While I found it very amusing, given that very same thing happened to me, only with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, I couldn’t have been prouder of him.
Now, being a full-time author, I get to watch him grow every day. I get to watch him grow his imagination and develop his stories.
My oldest son, Brandon, has an imagination that I’m convinced is bigger than that of anyone I know, but he isn’t the book writing type—though, I’m still working on it. Anyone that can create over a hundred unique monsters in a single year with each one having their own unique name and super power needs to tell stories! So, I’m hopeful, but he’s welcome to keep it to drawing if he likes.
He’s a sweet boy with an evil genius mind for stories, and I love it. Maybe one of these days, my boys will grow up and be able to write in the Eternal Universe and create creatures of their own.
How awesome would that be?
For right now, my goal is to continue to inspire them as I have been. It’s every parent’s dream to be an inspiration to their kids, and I’ve achieved that. They think I’m cool—because they’re weird and are still too young to know better, but I hope that never fades.
They are my life and to have the opportunity to not miss out on their lives is a blessing. My goal in publishing has always been one thing: make a life for my family. And now, because of Michael Anderle, his genius brain, this amazing Universe, and all the crazy awesome fans, I stand a chance of doing that. So, again, thank you! Because this is absolutely a dream come true.
There is another person that I owe a big thank you to. Several, actually, but I want to start with Michael York. I’ve had several jobs and several employers/superiors, and I never learned a thing from any of them except how not to treat people.
I started working for Mike about six months after my divorce, and I’d never had anyone push me quite so hard. He never let me give up or take no for an answer, and he pushed me to realize that I was a much different person than I thought I was. I was stronger and more capable than I’d ever thought possible of doing anything in the world that I wanted.
Because of his initial pushing and my ever-growing desire to succeed, I made goals every day at work, and I smashed them. It made me so motivated inside of work that it carried over to my home life, and I began writing more and more all the time. Instead of telling me to focus more on my job (a Sales Rep at an authorized Verizon retailer), he let me write my books in my down time and always asked what he could do to help.
I doubt many people take the time to stop and thank him—because I’m well aware I’m not the only person he’s tried to inspire with his positive attitude and hilarious yet wildly inappropriate sense of humor—so I wanted to make sure that he knew. Friends like that don’t come around often.
I’d also like take time to thank Scott Paul (author T.S. Paul) for being a badass and believing in me and helping me along my journey. Michael Anderle—you are my hero, even if you don’t wanna take credit because you’re an awesome guy. You’re the shit, and I’ll always be grateful to you for letting me write in your world. Chris and Lee—you guys are the best and helped this entire project grow into something amazing. It’s hard to believe this all started with editing a few awesome books (the Age of Magic books) and turned into this.
The time is finally here! Cheers!
As I’m writing this, I’m sitting on the first third of the words finished in the second book, and it has even more action and fun things to look forward to. The next book is full of madness, so as excited as I am to write it, I hope you guys are just as excited to read it.
Thank you again for all the warm comments and reviews. All this is still unreal to me, and I’m just damned happy to be part of it.
Candy
Author Notes - Michael Anderle
July 19th, 2017
It is always something special for me to write this first paragraph of the Author Notes. Which goes like this… THANK YOU! Not only did you read the whole story, but NOW, you are reading the Author Notes as well.
I just got finished reading (and editing) Candy’s author notes. I’d like to say I didn’t edit much, but I did take out a few exclamation points.
Why? Because when Candy gets excited, and emotional, she whips out those “!’s” and she flings them throughout the author notes like she was giving out candy at Halloween.
So, I HAVE to tell you just how much you guys mean to her. I know she tried (through the aforementioned incredibly excessive use of exclamation points) to try to express her appreciation, and I think she accomplished it so well. She is a sweet woman who has been a huge help in the 20BooksTo50k group and then got yanked into the Kurtherian Group (LMBPN Publishing) due to her association with CM (Chris) Raymond and LE (Lee) Barbant.
So, she was editing their stories, and when it came time for Chris and Lee and myself to open up the opportunity to write for you, they asked her if she would enjoy writing a series?
And, it just isn’t easy to do this.
For one, she had to be willing to review, re-read, and decide if moving to a Kurtherian voice was something she would be willing to do? (Some authors say they will, but when it comes time to make it happen, aren’t willing to do it.)
She said yes.
Then, the rubber hit the road and the writing, and re-writing, and ‘oh holy crap, I have to rip ALL of that out of the story?’ happens.
Then the whole episodes of working with our cover artist, and the challenges that come along with it (have to grow up, grasshopper) happens. Here in LMBPN, we are a family, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t ….mmmm…. not demanding really, but very focused on providing stories that marry our collaborators voices with mine and provide the entertainment, and just kick-assery of characters we all grow and love.
It causes a few of our authors to step into a whole new world, and Candy jumped into the pool with both feet and came up bubbling with laughter. She is SUCH a hoot in the
group (and really, she does love those jokes from Chris and Lee.) Here is a secret I’ve mentioned a few times lately. I think most female authors are WAY less concerned about things being PC (or correct in any way) than a lot of ladies I see played on TV.
It seems I’m the one who has been embarrassed when I’ve had to suggest anything sexually clarifying in our conversations.
For example, on the cover for Quest For Magic with Martha Carr (July 31st, 2017 - the new Oriceran Universe) I had to tell her that the cover artist had not done something … correct … with our main characters breasts.
Martha had to suffer through me stammering out that Leira’s left breast seemed to be squished over to the middle of her chest. My face was FLAMING red as I stuttered through that. Then, Martha had to take that information and talk with the artist (another guy) and work with him to fix the issue.
Apparently, I think their original clarification took less time for me to explain to Martha my concerns.
Then, I related that story to Sarah Boyce (another Oriceran group writer) and she agreed. Indie Female Publishers were VERY pragmatic and generally didn’t care about things that I stumble over explaining. Hell, Ell Leigh Clarke is the one who makes sure the covers for her books sizzle.
So, when Candy Crum (which is her real name, not a pen name) is speaking about the joking around with Chris and Lee, I get it. Sense of humor is a wonderful thing, and girls can be just as humored as guys about stuff I’d be embarrassed to say at times.
Yeah, this is coming from me, right? With some of the stuff I put into the Bethany Anne stories I can only imagine some of you are thinking ‘WTF?’ I curse like a sailor in real life, I don’t share too much other stuff IRL (in real life) as I put into my stories.
Damn, these author notes are freaking rambling.
Once upon a time, we had just one female author writing in The Kurtherian Gambit (Natalie Grey). Now, LMPBN Publishing (The Kurtherian Gambit, The Oriceran Universe and minority partner on Allazar Universe) will have the following ladie’s stories out or coming soon and I couldn’t be happier.
1) Natalie Grey (The Kurtherian Gambit - Trials and Tribulation Series - Paranormal / Sci-fi)
2) Ell Leigh Clarke (The Kurtherian Gambit - The Ascension Myth Series - Age of Expansion)
3) Candy Crum (The Kurtherian Gambit - Tales of the Feisty Druid series - Age of Magic)
4) Martha Carr (The Oriceran Universe (Co-Creator) - The Leira Chronicles - Urban Fantasy)
5) Sarah (SM) Boyce - (The Oriceran Universe - The Fairhaven Chronicles - Urban Fantasy)
6) Amy Hopkins (The Kurtherian Gambit - A New Dawn - Age of Magic)
7) Amy DuBoff (The Kurtherian Gambit - Uprise Saga - Age of Expansion)
8) Abby-Lynn Knorr (The Oriceran Universe - The Kacy Chronicles - Urban Fantasy)
9) JL Hendricks (The Kurtherian Gambit - Series to be Named - Age of Expansion)
10) Holly Dodd (The Kurtherian Gambit - Chronicles of the Queen’s Rangers - TKG)
11) Sarah Noffke (The Oriceran Universe - Soul Stone Mage Series - Urban Fantasy)
12) Hayley Lawson (The Kurtherian Gambit - Series to be Named - Age of Madness)
Chrishaun Keller-Hanna Publisher / Author (Tales of Allazar among MANY others)
Candy Crum
For a chance to see ALL of Candy’s different Book Series
Check out her website below!
Website: http://www.candycrumbooks.com
Michael Anderle Social
Website: http://kurtherianbooks.com/
Email List: http://kurtherianbooks.com/email-list/
Facebook Here: https://www.facebook.com/TheKurtherianGambitBooks/
Michael Anderle
Kurtherian Gambit Series Titles Include:
First Arc
Death Becomes Her (01) - Queen Bitch (02) - Love Lost (03) - Bite This (04)
Never Forsaken (05) - Under My Heel (06) - Kneel Or Die (07)
Second Arc
We Will Build (08) - It’s Hell To Choose (09) - Release The Dogs of War (10)
Sued For Peace (11) - We Have Contact (12) - My Ride is a Bitch (13)
Don’t Cross This Line (14)
Third Arc (2017)
Never Submit (15) - Never Surrender (16) - Forever Defend (17)
Might Makes Right (18) - Ahead Full (19) - Capture Death (20)
Life Goes On (21)
**New Series**
The Second Dark Ages
The Dark Messiah (01)
The Darkest Night (02)
The Boris Chronicles
* With Paul C. Middleton *
Evacuation
Retaliation
Revelation
Restitution 2017
Reclaiming Honor
* With JUSTIN SLOAN *
Justice Is Calling (01)
Claimed By Honor (02)
Judgement Has Fallen (03)
Angel of Reckoning (04)
Born Into Flames (05)
The Etheric Academy
* With TS PAUL *
ALPHA CLASS (01)
ALPHA CLASS - Engineering (02)
ALPHA CLASS (03) Coming soon
Terry Henry “TH” Walton Chronicles
* With CRAIG MARTELLE *
Nomad Found (01)
Nomad Redeemed (02)
Nomad Unleashed (03)
Nomad Supreme (04)
Nomad’s Fury (05)
Nomad’s Justice (06)
Nomad Avenged (07)
Nomad Mortis (08)
Trials and Tribulations
* With Natalie Grey *
Risk Be Damned (01)
Damned to Hell (02)
Hell’s Worst Nightmare (03) coming soon
The Ascension Myth
* With Ell Leigh Clarke *
Awakened (01)
Activated (02)
Called (03)
Sanctioned (04)
The Age of Magic
The Rise of Magic
* With CM Raymond / LE Barbant *
Restriction (01)
Reawakening (02)
Rebellion (03)
Revolution (04)
The Hidden Magic Chronicles
* With Justin Sloan *
Shades of Light (01)
Shades of Dark (02)
Storms of Magic
*With PT Hylton*
Storms Raiders (01)
Tales of the Feisty Druid
*With Candy Crum*
The Arcadian Druid (01)
SHORT STORIES
Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 01 (7.5)
You Don’t Mess with John’s Cousin
Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 02 (9.5)
Bitch’s Night Out
Bellatrix: Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 03 (13.25)
With Natalie Grey
AudioBooks
CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL LMBPN BOOKS ON AUDIBLE
Available at Audible.com and iTunes
The Kurtherian Gambit
Death Becomes Her - Available Now
Queen Bitch – Available Now
Love Lost – Available Now
Bite This - Available Now
Never Forsaken - Available Now
Under My Heel - Available Now
Kneel or Die - Available Now
Reclaiming Honor Series
Justice Is Calling
Claimed By Honor
Judgment Has Fallen
Angel of Reckoning
Terry Henry “TH” Walton Chronicles
Nomad Found
Nomad Redeemed
Nomad Unleashed
Nomad Supreme
Nomad’s Fury
The Etheric Academy
Alpha Class
Alpha Class 2
Anthologies
Glimpse
Honor in Death
(Michael’s First Few Days)
Beyond the Stars: At Galaxy's Edge
Tabitha’s Vacation
&nbs
p;
