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N.B. Austin

Author of the Civilands Series

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Civilands Updates

The Civilands Series Map

August 23, 2019

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

May 5, 2018

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

April 26, 2018

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)

April 2, 2018

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!

Wilder, Freer Adventures: My New Book Giveaway Club

March 1, 2018

Longing for Exciting, Adventurous Reads? Want to Earn Every Book I Release for Free While Also Increasing Your Chances to Win a Bi-Monthly Best-Seller Giveaway Sweepstakes?

Yes, you read that right. Every other month I’ll be giving away paperback copies of both Crescent Heart (Civilands #3) AND a recommended best-seller, which I too will be reading with you and discussing as part of a new podcast.

This month’s best-seller giveaway (winner announced April 15th):
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott LynchFree Book Giveaways

So how do I sign up? Anyone interested can join here!

And how can I increase my chances to win? Those who sign up for my email list will be part of a points system. Points will serve as raffle entries for the sweepstakes. You can also earn ALL of my books in e-book for free, by reaching specific milestones. Points can be accumulated in two ways once you sign up:

  1. Social media shares (1 point)
  2. Getting others to sign up using your own, custom share link (4 points)

What if I have a request for the next giveaway book? Great! Tell me about it in the poll below!

So I hope you’ll join me in a new club where we’ll to dive into some exciting new reads. If you do, just remember one thing: ABR (Always Be Reviewing)!

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QOTD: Have you read The Lies of Locke Lamora? If so, what did you think? Also, whether you have or haven’t, please let me know any recommendations/requests you might have in the poll above!

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!

Crescent Heart Blurb (The Civilands Series #3)

January 8, 2018

With only about a month-and-a-half left until release, I am excited to present the Crescent Heart (Civilands #3) blurb! The third installation in the Civilands series picks up where book 2 left off. With the Murrieta Territory approaching a breaking point, which of our favorite characters will rise? Which will fall? The final wild-card point-of-view in this book is Henry Abigale, who’s story presents an interesting new wrinkle as well. Hope you enjoy and excited to publish this wild ride!

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An ultimatum goes unfulfilled. War is coming to the Murrieta Territory.

Crescent Heart Blurb. The Civilands Series #3
Working cover for Crescent Heart

The negotiations with the natives of the Riverlands have failed as Clovis Keagan heads north.

However, the truth will finally be revealed to Daniel Keagan about the fire at the Morrell home. How will he maintain the order he seeks in the Riverlands? At the same time, Jeannie, Dominic, and Harrison make their return to Harran. Will their presence and the coming threat of Hanzah’s vengeance-hungry V’ahani impact Daniel’s goals?

In Fayette, William and Henry must cope with a devastating loss. On the other hand, further south, Latera must strike while the iron’s hot after a successful escape. She’s already come so far, but could her journey just be getting started?

The third book of the Civilands series, Crescent Heart provides edge-of-your-seat tension, with no shortage of surprise or excitement as it sets a grand stage for the penultimate installment of the series.

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Thanks for reading and hope you’re enjoying 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!

World Building the Western That Wasn’t

December 11, 2017

World building in the Civilands series was an interesting process. The story didn’t begin with the continent of Duresia or the Murrieta Territory within it. It started only with Jeannie Morrell and a chase through the woods. So how did it expand as a function of my own experience? And how will it relate to you?

World building the Civilands series.

The Western That Wasn’t

In book 1, Crimson River, the focus is on the Murrieta Territory. The power struggle which occurs there is also the major point of conflict in the series. Its story develops from an interest in nature, manifest destiny, and the west.

However, I’m not from the west, nor am I ready to abandon my roots altogether just yet. The big city is a part of my non-fiction story as much as it is this fictional world. So, starting in book 2, Crystal Eyes, we start to see more of Duresia’s east and its sprawling cities. This is where it all began for many of the main characters like Jeannie and the members of the Keagan gang. Their transition to what are literally greener pastures is a major theme throughout.

And thus, from the country-convert that isn’t yet, comes the western that wasn’t!

How World Building Will Be Familiar to Readers

Whether you’re the type to start east and go west or do it the other way around, the transition to the unfamiliar will be familiar. Supplanting ourselves into new environments shapes the way we see the world. If you’ve experienced this in any capacity, the following concepts should be all too familiar and presented in exciting ways. If you haven’t yet, the journey will be more enlightening! 🙂

1. Personal Growth Through Change

When you leave home you observe a new way of living. When you do return though, you get to see the contrast in-depth. In Crystal Eyes, William Keagan goes through this during his trip back home to the city of New Berkeley. Along the way he’ll come to discover more about the place he left and whether his decision to leave was the right one.

2. Figuring Out Where You Belong

Not a fan of westerns? Good–industry is on the rise in New Berkeley. Do you prefer the more natural west? Good–let’s go to the Murrieta for a wild ride. Not sure which is for you yet? Even better to find out the hard way! And you will not be alone. Some of the characters also have these same questions to answer for themselves.

3. Sociological Impact

If you’re one of the less selfish among us, you’ll get to see how these budding societies will either come together or fall apart. Will responsible governments develop or will power be controlled by the few? Also, how will new relationships impact connections with longtime family and friends? Will you change too much while you’re away for their liking?

Find the answers and more in Civilands and thank you for reading with me thus far! Let me know in the comments about a time you changed environments. How did it impact you either positively or negatively? Which place did you prefer and why? If you do share, I’ll tell you which character you’d most relate to in the series 🙂

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