u/Lostpathway — reddlx

▲ 28 r/dwarves+1 crossposts

Cave Inspiration

I'm currently editing Icevein, volume 7 of the Dwarves of Ice-Cloak, and I had the opportunity to get a little dwarven inspiration by going underground the other day. It was a lot of fun to spur my imagination in a cave. Here are some pictures that include some fossils in a limestone ceiling, some schist vein in limestone, and some opened layers of limestone. Everything can go into the writing of a novel--the way the air smells and feels, the texture of stone, the way the rock gleams in the light. . .

A couple take aways.

The air was amazing and cool. Stepping back above ground into the heat wave was less pleasant. I wish I could have stayed down longer.
The world we live in is fantastic, when we have eyes to see it.
Given equivalent technology, there is no way a human is dislodging a determined dwarf from that cave.

Disclaimer: caves are dangerous. I had a guide.

u/Lostpathway — 6 days ago

▲ 40 r/dwarfposting+1 crossposts

The Mine Lord is back! Part II Announcement

Part II: Icevein

The Mine Lord: A Dwarven Survival Base-Builder

After months of labor, I’m happy to announce that The Mine Lord Part II: Icevein will begin its Royal Road release this Wednesday, May 13th, 2026.

Since the completion of The Mine Lord’s release on Royal Road, its readership has continued to grow, and I’m truly excited to share the next chapters of this tale with you all.

Blurb:

Peridot and Rightauger, the oldest children of Onyx and Chargrim, are far from alike, but both may serve a purpose for Glint. With the ürsi dispersed, Chargrim must turn his attention westward to the pressures of the human kingdoms. Dissent grows in Glint from those who wish to open trade with the humans against Chargrim’s wishes, and Peridot finds herself at the center of the dispute. Lives and loyalties hang in the balance, and the Jewel of Glint must find arbitration. Meanwhile, Rightauger puts Hobblefoot’s new invention to the test, but the brutal outlaw Icevein dogs his trail. Between vendetta, ürsi, and the many dangers of the wilds, survival is far from certain.

When does Icevein take place?

Icevein begins two years PRIOR to the end of The Mine Lord and proceeds to events after the Battle of Tonkil’s Rock. Expect to see familiar characters but from new points of view.

Completion Status:

Icevein is already drafted and complete. I am revising now, and many chapters are already available on my Patreon. If you want advance chapters, I intend to keep Patreon about 10 chapters ahead of the Royal Road release. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Release Schedule:

I will be releasing somewhat as I revise. I work full time as a nurse and write in the evenings when my kids are in bed. I am also working on another series at the moment and splitting my writing time (expect an announcement about the other series sometime this summer). I anticipate releasing two chapters of Icevein per week on a Monday/Thursday schedule (Wed/Fri for the first week), but this could vary or change.

Thank you!

A. Trae McMaken

u/Lostpathway — 2 months ago

▲ 20 r/royalroad

Do you want to write, or do you want to be known as an author?

I've been an indy author for a long time, publishing my first book in 2012. I also worked for years as a professional musician. The indy landscape has changed dramatically, both in music and publishing since I was young(er). There is a lot of distress and fear these days, what with developments in technology (even just the availability of programs for internal formatting for e-books and paperbacks), the proliferation of content, and the accessibility of platforms lowering the barrier of entry. All this makes curation and selection difficult for readers and makes it difficult for authors, but these changes also bring a lot of positives.

The question I would like to suggest we all ask ourselves is this:

Do we want to write, or do we want to be known as authors?

Do we really love the act of writing, of telling a story, so much that we would do it anyway, even if we were never known or respected?

I sometimes wonder if there are folks who want to be an author more than they want to write.

Nothing is stopping us from writing. There is no real barrier to entry.

The distress I see tends to be about audience, visibility, following, even money. None of these things are actually writing.

There are many musicians who will never be famous who make wonderful music and enrich their lives, not because anyone is gathering around them, but because they love making music.

Do we love writing like that?

Sure, it's nice to have an audience when there is one. But what if there isn't? Is it still worth it to you? Do you actually like the act of writing, itself?

reddit.com

u/Lostpathway — 2 months ago