N.B. Austin

Author of the Civilands Series

Bonus Content for Novels

A Civilands Series Sea Shanty: “The Keagan Anthem”

The above song is based on the melody to the Wellerman (Sea Shanty). All lyrics and vocals are my own.

The inspiration to do this came from the Game Stop saga and subsequent, hilarious sea shanty meme. A few weeks after that meme released, a friend requested I re-work the lyrics for a video game contest he entered. The objective of the contest was to write an inspirational piece based on the history of a specific nation in the game. Well, the re-worked song ended up providing me so much inspiration to visit this nation (play the game), I thought it’d be cool to do this again for the Murrieta Territory, the main setting of my series Civilands.

And so, the Keagan Anthem was born. The anthem is now officially a song the Keagan brothers used to inspire their gang in the early years of their travels west over the Chorisma River and into the Murrieta Territory. It was sang in many saloons, especially by the men Clovis Keagan led following their many conquests. As a fun Easter Egg, be on the lookout for it in the final book!

The Keagan Anthem (Sea Shanty)

Sea Shanty Murrieta Map

Verse 1:

There is a land to the west, you see

Called the Murrieta Territory

It’s wild there and vast and free

Onward, Keagan gang, go!

Chorus:

Soon may the promised land come

A kingdom under the Keagan thumb

One day when the quest is done

We’ll at last be free to roam

Verse 2:

The Chorisma River was rough to cross

But the cities of the East are good and lost

So we found our gang, we found our boss

William Keagan said we’d go

Chorus

Soon may the promised land come

A kingdom under the Keagan thumb

One day when the quest is done

We’ll at last be free to roam

Verse 3:

The rumors spread of native clans

Controlling grizzlies was their brand

But we’ll focus on the task at hand

And fearlessly we’ll go

Chorus

Soon may the promised land come

A kingdom under the Keagan thumb

One day when the quest is done

We’ll at last be free to roam

Verse 4:

The V’ahani clan and the Tokali

From the north and the south, respectively

We didn’t want trouble but they won’t heed

We must protect our own

Chorus

Soon may the promised land come

A kingdom under the Keagan thumb

One day when the quest is done

We’ll at last be free to roam

Verse 5:

We found a town, Fayette its name

A settlement where our kind came

We built a mansion, some remained

To help this new place grow

Chorus

Soon may the promised land come

A kingdom under the Keagan thumb

One day when the quest is done

We’ll at last be free to roam

Verse 6:

But we’re not done the fight’s still on

Until this land has all been won

So William will makes his regular call

To encourage the gang to take it all

Final Chorus

Soon may the promised land come

A kingdom under the Keagan thumb

One day when the quest is done

We’ll at last be free to roam

Soon may the promised land come

A kingdom under the Keagan thumb

One day when the quest is done

We’ll at last be free to roam

A Jeannie Morrell (Civilands Series) Character Bio

Jeannie Morrell
Jeannie Morrell, as played by actress Gina Fox in the live action Civilands Series book trailer

The story that was to become the Civilands series did not start with a vision of natives who control animals. It did not start with a desire to build a world inspired by Manifest Destiny and the Industrial Age. Nor did it start with any thought of the greater plot of what are now 4, and ultimately 5, books.

The Civilands series, and my writing journey in general, started with nothing more than a young girl being chased through the woods by an unknown group of men and their hounds. Why was she being chased? Where was she coming from and going to? Who was she and who were her pursuers? I didn’t know the answers to any of these questions. But after weeks of attempting to figure out what kind of book I should write by formulating high level genres and concepts, suddenly I was no longer tasking myself with creating a world. Instead all I needed to be was the messenger of what happen within one, simply writing down all the questions I wanted answered about this character and her environment. The Civilands series started with Jeannie Morrell.

Who is Jeannie Morrell?

Jeannie is the thirteen year old daughter of Adonis Morrell, a prominent businessman in the chilly northern Murrieta Territory town of Harran. Harran is a Riverlands settlement of Easterners who traveled west into the Murrieta for a new life. It is one of the only places in the Territory where Easterners reside in peaceful proximity with the native clans. This is thanks solely to relationships Adonis established with the nearby V’ahani clan of the Riverlands. With influence in the region, Jeannie’s stoic father came to develop trade routes beneficial to all its inhabitants.

The Morrell home where Jeannie grew up is located just outside of Harran. Ever since she was a little girl, she enjoyed taking trips into town with her father, mother, and older brothers, Harrison and Donovan. The people of Harran have a great affection for the entire Morrell family, but Jeannie in particular is a hit for her scrappy nature.

Jeannie has an adventurous spirit as well. Her favorite activities are any involving other people. She is an extrovert who made a habit of dragging her brothers out to explore the forest around their home, playing games and searching for anything fun they could find. While her impulsive curiosity can get her into trouble at times, her wit is usually sharp enough to help her cause.

So What’s to Come For Jeannie?

As I mentioned, we begin with a chase on a dreary morning. Before the clouds, the sky is filled with smoke pouring out of the Morrell home. Escaping out back and into the forest is Jeannie, who we follow as she is on the run from those who started the fire: the Keagan gang. But what lies ahead beyond the trees? Well, you’ll have to read the series to find out!

Live Action Book Trailer: The Civilands Series

This post is the home of the official live action book trailer for the Civilands series

Those who have been around here graciously supporting a while know this trailer isn’t brand new. However, I realized I never added a post specifically for it and decided it made sense from a logistics/SEO standpoint to do so.

Background

I never used to be a reader. The thing that got me into writing was good stories and the best stories I was exposed to were mostly in music and TV shows. Shows like Breaking Bad inspired me to take the leap into telling my own stories, but I didn’t know the technical composition of a show script. So, I decided to write a book.

Next thing I knew, I had a series on my hands. As I was crafting the chapters though, I could see the TV show influence remained in various ways. It had been a dream to envision my story playing out on a screen, gripping people the way I had been gripped. Eventually I decided I needed to test those waters. So I got together some friends/family with experience behind a camera, found an actress to play the part of Jeannie Morrell, and we got to work.

To say I am proud of the result would be an understatement. The trailer features a song from the book that I wrote/recorded, the amazing videography and acting work of those who stepped up to support me, and the epic opening of a series that’s been years in the making. When I watch it back it’s crazy to think how far it’s all come from the initial desire to just tell a story.

Now, without further ado, the book trailer

A new fight for power and control begins now in the Murrieta Territory. Whose side will you take?

** 2016-2017 BooksGoSocial Daily Book of the Year Award Finalist **

Jeannie Morrell is on the run. Chasing behind her is the expanding Keagan gang that just burned her home to the ground. Before her–through the forest of the Riverlands–is the native V’ahani clan and the grizzlies they control.

With her family now gone only months after her thirteenth birthday, young Jeannie will be thrust into an adventure of survival. Somehow she will now have to build a life all her own, in this newborn territory torn apart by greed.

Parts 1-4 of the Civilands series are available now. The final book in the series, Crevasse Colossus, is coming soon!

Hope you enjoyed! For those interested, here’s an update on my current events. 

Crevasse Colossus (Civilands #5) is barreling on toward the editing process. It’s been quite a massive undertaking wrapping up such a huge series, but I am confident I did so in the most epic possible fashion. Did I expect the absurdity of 2020 and now the Great Blizzard of ’21 situation down here in Texas to be added to the equation? Certainly not. But hey, here we are now on the other side of those things. I don’t know about you but I feel stronger for it and have been blessed throughout.

That’s it on the book updates for now. Other than that, be on the lookout for the Keagan Anthem sea shanty. So far I posted the lyrics, but I’ll also be recording and posting the song itself today. Hopefully it’s as hilarious to hear me sing a sea shanty for you as it was for me. Doing so gave me a new appreciation for comedic actors. Maintaining your composure while doing/saying funny things is no simple task.

As always, thanks so much for being a part of my Civil gang and hope you’re enjoying the ride!

The Civilands Series Map

The Civilands Series map is here!

Save it and use it as a guide as you read through the adventure. From East Duresia to the Murrieta Territory, the whole world and all relevant locations are outlined in detail.

The Civilands Series Map

The Civilands Epic Fantasy-Fiction Adventure Series

On a dreary morning in the Murrieta Territory’s Riverlands, smoke fills the sky at the home of prominent businessman Adonis Morrell. Escaping out back and into the forest is daughter Jeannie Morrell. We follow Jeannie who is on the run from those who started the fire: the Keagan gang. But what lies ahead beyond the trees is anything but expected.

The novels tie together the stories of a variety of characters and feature plenty of twists and turns along their paths through this mysterious, intriguing world. Themes of family, justice, religion, grief, and morality make this fiction series what it is. Its story is an intriguing blend of Manifest Destiny meets Game of Thrones meets Gangs of New York.

The Civilands novels are serialized and would be most enjoyed in order:

#1 Crimson River

#2 Crystal Eyes

#3 Crescent Heart

#4 Cryptic Kingdom

#5 Crevasse Colossus (Series finale: expected 2020)

The following is a preview of chapter 1 of the series:

Chapter 1 – The River White (Pt. 1 of 4)

Jeannie Morrell stumbled through the thicket that morning more than she ever had previously. Though her thirteenth birthday had only come and gone about a month before, she was far more familiar with the forests of the Riverlands than most. Still, whether out of fear or fatigue, her short, lean legs continued to fail her. With each misstep, she felt the men drawing closer in their pursuit.

Weaving meticulously left and right through the towering, snow-covered trees, she pressed on. She could hear the hounds just behind her; they crashed through the forest, chasing her as the men at their backs cheered them on, yelling obscenities with a drunken furor. The group was so loud and vile that it was nearly impossible for her to tell the men apart from the barking dogs. With each wide trunk she passed, she considered stopping to try and hide, but she knew there would be no hiding.

Her pale, frostbitten cheeks stung with the same fiery bite of the flames that had engulfed her home earlier that morning. The scent of the smoke remained with her. As painful as those reminders were, she promised herself that they would stay with her and fuel her revenge.

As the voices began to grow clearer, she suddenly burst through the tree line and emerged upon the banks of the River White. Though she had never crossed the river at this time of year, she plunged ahead, willing to do anything to escape the men behind her. Her first step into the freezing water was slow and excruciating, but she knew the consequences would be far worse otherwise. With the white caps of the current crashing upon her, Jeannie furiously swam her way across the river.

Once she exited the water, the winter air produced a chill she could no longer ignore. She swiped at her short, brown hair, which was plastered to her wet face, and gathered the skirt of her soaked, baggy dress, ready to launch into another sprint.

“There’s only one way this ends child,” a man shouted across the river.

They were upon her.

Jeannie whipped around, her dress throwing droplets of water around her in the process. She quickly counted eight men and four hounds staring at her across the bank. The group was standing behind a tall, thin man who was clearly the leader. The men continued to holler at her, the dogs echoing them by barking viciously in her direction. While those behind the leader appeared to be nothing more than filthy farmers, the leader was dressed quite elegantly. There was, however, no disguising that underneath that thin veneer of wealth he was one of them—the ugliness of his face and his lack of hygiene matched that of his men.

Jeannie stood frozen as her mind gathered all these details, ready to continue running but too horrified to make the first move. The leader silenced his eleven beasts, a dark grin on his face.

“You don’t have to meet the same fate as the rest of your Morrell horde, my dear,” he continued through tobacco-stained teeth. “You see, my family shows graciousness to those who surrender without too much trouble; crossing this here stream though? Now that’s something I’d consider to be far too much trouble. Why don’t you come back on over here and we can discuss said graciousness?”

Smoke rose in the distance above the trees from where the Morrell home once stood. Shivering, teeth chattering, Jeannie tried to ignore the tears that began to fill her eyes.

“There was no graciousness shown to my family, and I know there will be none shown to me,” she cried. “Why should I trust any member of the Keagan Gang after what you monsters have done?”

The leader took a step forward and looked down at the bloodstained double barrel that he cradled like a child in his arms.

“My dear, sweet, little bird!” he shouted back. “I’m not entirely sure you know who you’re speaking to. I’m not just a member of the Keagan Gang. I’m Keagan blood. My name is Walter Keagan, first cousin of the William Keagan, and if there is any fish big enough in our humble little pond that might keep his word it is I. That mess back there at your home, it was just a misunderstanding. But you better believe that I would not intentionally harm a precious little lady like yourself.”

“Well, Mr. Walter Keagan, my name is Jeannie Morrell, daughter of Adonis Morrell, and you’ll have to carry me kicking and screaming back across this river if William Keagan ever wants to see me!” she declared, surprising herself.

She never knew she had such courage in her until that moment, but she didn’t have time to think on it as she turned and ran.

As she darted into the trees on the other side, she heard Walter Keagan’s parting shot: “Can’t say I’m completely upset with that response, little bird! Now, boys, let’s hunt!”

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If you love an exciting fiction series with strong characters, start Civilands now!

Today I Started Writing Another Book

And here’s the thing… I haven’t written a single word of it since I woke up.

No, stories don’t begin when you start typing them. Stories begin when pieces of the plot fall from the sky one-by-one like meteorites with trajectories all directed at a single target. But they are imperfectly directed. And in that imperfection there is beauty. Because they will mold the subject of their strike into something new.

Three books in, they’ve beaten me to a bloody pulp before. And to be honest with you, I love the pain. It’s an addiction I have no desire to kick. What it’s shown me is that when you change in a positive way, you influence everyone around you in a positive way.

Which brings me to today.

The difference between the start of the book 4 writing process and any of the other three is that my own heart is whole today.

When I started writing two years ago I was in search of myself. I am elated to the point of nirvana to say that somewhere along the way I found what I was looking for. It’s taken me until now though to see my writing and dedication to it for the impact it has had on people other than myself.

So I want to thank you.

If you’re reading this now and/or have read anything I’ve written in the past. Thank you. If you’ve never read anything I’ve written and are just one of the people who have told me that what I’ve been doing has inspired you. Thank you. If you’re doing what you love and I don’t even know you. Thank you.

It is my sincere hope that you will share with me how your own journey develops. If you do I swear I will be your biggest fan (or second biggest behind your mom). Either way though, I’m going to keep writing both for me and for you and I’m not ever going to stop.
Image result for here we go gif

And. Here. We. Go!

This is going to be the best book I’ve written so far, and certainly the best I can imagine myself writing at this moment. So buckle the fuck up, my friends. The next leg of this road has bigger twists, turns, vengeance, violence, family, love, pain, and happiness than ever before, all delivered as fast and furious as you can handle.

And I’ll keep you posted along the way but if you want to know how it feels to be at the beginning of this amazing process, here it is… My blood is warm. My insides are boiling. There is a raging fire there and a ferocious tenacity rattling my bones. I’ve said it before: I will write a story that’s adapted into a TV series. You will see my show on Netflix or HBO. I’m going to keep saying it until it comes true. This is just the next rung in the ladder. I’ll see you when we reach the top. 🙂

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QOTD: Won’t you join me?

Thank you for reading and for everyone’s continued support for the Civilands series. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, feel free to subscribe for more blog updates, and click here for free book giveaways, including best-sellers!

Book 3 is Here! And What This One Means to Me

Today I am proud to unleash Crescent Heart, book 3 in my first series, upon the world! The Murrieta Territory in which it takes place is unraveling, as the various groups continue their fight for control. I’ve provided links below so you can find out who wins that fight. But in the meantime I wanted to talk a little about what it means to be publishing this particular book today.

The Dedication

This book is dedicated to my grandparents. Though two of the four are no longer with us, all their teachings live on and inspire so many of the themes in my writing. The most interesting thing they seem to have inspired though is the genre itself.

When my grandpa found out about the dedication, he sent me a beautiful poem he had written for his late father, Nicholas. I happen to be named after Nicholas, which made it that much more special to see this tribute. However, what really struck me was how aligned his path in life was to my own, and how much that has translated to the page.

Nicholas was a Greek man who came to America to achieve his dreams, the way so many others did. Despite the obstacles along the way, he worked hard to get to where he wanted to be. Though the specific destination changed over time, his compass always led him in the same direction: west.

There is an aura about the west. A mystique that promises us something better. What we find through the trials and tribulations though is much more significant than any wealth we seek. What we find is ourselves. Our true selves. We figure out who we are and why we’re making the choices we make. For Nicholas, the importance of family became clear in that time.

For obvious reasons, I’m grateful for that. But now more than ever I’m also grateful for my namesake. Though I never met the man, his story is like a mirror and there is a comfort in that. Without Crescent Heart I might have never discovered this.

The Milestone

It remains strange to say out loud I’ve written any books, yet now there are three I can hold in my hand. From the third I’ve learned three major things.

  1. Improvement – novel writing isn’t something I’ve done my entire life. This means when I first started there was certainly ground to be gained. Now in my third installment, I can see some of those gains being made. Crescent Heart is a more tightly written story and the first draft was probably the most telling in how my writing itself has developed.
  2. Inspiration – I have received a consistent message of being inspired from others who have observed my progress. Whether they read the books or not, whether they are writers or have some other hobby, several people have said it makes them want to do more. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to hear. The lesson I’ve gleaned from it is clear: more doing, less planning. Balance of the two is important, but I plan on maintaining something like 80/20.
  3. Balance – this has become the new most important word in my entire life. Maybe it stemmed from creating two contrasting, yet complementary, religions. Maybe it was because I was working on this book and a trailer during the same time period. Whatever it was, I realized how important the balance of passion and practicality is. In all things though, it seems ideal to never be too far to any extreme.

The Story

Much like books 1 and 2, there continues to be familial themes. The struggle to find and protect home remains as well. What I most wanted to further expand upon in this one though are the dynamics of brotherhood, the religious/fantasy elements, and the politics of developing societies.

The Keagan brothers have each had their own distinct revelations to this point in the series. Will what they find clash or bring them closer together at a time when they most need to be aligned? With their vast control, the stability of the trinity has a huge impact on the Murrieta. But stability is hard to come by in this world.

There is also depth to be discovered in that we don’t yet know all there is to know about the natives. What is the true scope of their abilities and of their deity, the Mother? Also, how does religion influence the decisions of the Easterners they clash with? Something I wanted to look at there was the rivalry-type nature different religions end up taking on. There is an innate conflict in believing. You are not only choosing to believe in your god, you are choosing to not believe in another. This book explores that struggle both internally and externally.

The final theme is the politics of developing societies. While the Murrieta is still a very raw place, the city of New Berkeley back east is in a state of constant industrial expansion. How will political ideologies seek to either speed or tame its growth?

What’s Next

Book 4, more screenwriting, and back to regular posting.

My main focus is going to be book 4 though. With the working title, Cryptic Kingdom, this installment is all the twists and turns coming to a head. All the secrets and the meaning in this world will be revealed in this book, before the fifth brings it all to a roller coaster of an end. And believe me, some of what is to come should make for gasps and forehead slaps… In fact, they already have when I described what’s next to my editor!

It’s bitter-sweet being this close to finished with my first series. The emotions I’m feeling around that reality really came to a head over the course of writing/plotting Crescent Heart. What I’m finding is that I don’t want it to end. I don’t want the twists and turns to stop. The experiences of creating them has been one of the single most fulfilling things in my life. It is everything I dreamed it would be and more.

But despite the sadness, I know this is not the end because there will be no end. There will always be another story to tell. I can’t wait for the next surprises to reveal themselves and hope you’re with me when they do!

Buy in e-book and paperback: here.

Or sign-up and get all the e-books free: here.

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QOTD: What’s your latest accomplishment? Tell me about it below!

Thank you for reading and for everyone’s continued support for the Civilands series. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, feel free to subscribe for more blog updates, and click here for free book giveaways, including best-sellers!

A Still Winter in the Mountains (Novel Excerpt Short)

Image source: Pixabay.

Passage from Crescent Heart (Civilands #3), Chapter 9: Painted

Looking down at the empty glass in his hand, he decided this time to place it down on the ground beside him as it was. “I can’t let her go. I’m sorry. I won’t.”

“I understand.”

“She was . . . a still winter in the mountains. On a morning when the air is flavored with pine so crisp you can relish the taste as much as the smell. Its breeze goes far beyond filling your lungs though. It enriches your entire soul.”

A smile crept across his face as his heart increased its pace and intensity. “But somehow — somehow she’s more than that, too. Right at the moment you were starting to think there couldn’t possibly be more, there is. Because she’s also a storm. A hurricane others might try to steer clear of, but not you. No. You truly know her — her path and every bit of her form. So you run straight for the eye, straight through the bolts of lightning and crackling thunder, to her center and watch as she tears through the plains without a care in the world of what’s left behind. And you love every minute of it because as much as that winter air is a part of her, so too is the storm. And you wouldn’t have her any other way. Because all of it exists within you, and it feels like it always has until you become one. But then . . . then you lose it all.”

Staring ahead with the back of his head against the door, his breathing slowed before he started to break down, as he had so many times before.

“I . . . I need her back, Nova. I can’t go on without her. This is the only way.”

Not a reply or sound came.

“Nova? Are you still there?”

The silence only stretched.

William stood and tore open the door to find an empty bar. Gently closing it again, he returned to his seat and wept.

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QOTD: Ever feel this for someone? Tell me about it below!

Thank you for reading and for everyone’s continued support for the Civilands series. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, feel free to subscribe for more blog updates, and click here for free book giveaways, including best-sellers!