Win a $25 Gift Card: The Writer's View by E.M. Thomas

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For me, a writer’s workspace needs to be one thing above all else: as minimally distracting as possible. For better or worse, I am not one of those writers that can sit in a noisy Starbucks or any other bustling setting and be productive. Tried it, just doesn’t work for me. I need a silent spot with hardly any visual stimulation. Sounds exciting, I know.

So what’s the view inside my writing space? At its core, it’s remote and windowless, populated by just a chair, an ottoman, and a pillow for my laptop. A TV hangs tantalizingly on the wall, begging to be turned on; most times I resist, but it’s a constant struggle. Likewise, I have a love/hate relationship with my internet connection, which is my No. 1 time-thief when trying to work on my novels. While it’s utterly invaluable for being able to quickly look up relevant historical facts (in the case of my Ancient Greek historical fiction, for instance) or other bits and pieces relevant to the story, it’s so easily a rabbit hole down which hours can be lost; when you’re trying to balance writing with a job, fatherhood, and a million other obligations, those hours are not easily replaced.

Beyond that, it’s quiet in my writing room – or as quiet as reasonably possible with my adorable 1-year-old son crawling around (although realistically, I never write outside of his sleep times unless my lovely wife happens to have him out and about). In addition to them, a faithful bearded dragon named Leo used to be my fellow ward, watching me through scaly eyes for hours as I annoyed him with my keyboard clicks; sadly, he recently passed on to the great Australian desert in the sky. I’m not sure he’ll be replaced any time soon, but they are such intelligent, entertaining little creatures, it’s hard not to get the itch to start over with a new one.

So that’s it! One day perhaps I’ll have a lavish study, replete with leather-bound books and shelves made of rich mahogany, but for now, I like my workspaces as spartan as I can make them.

As clouds of civil war gather over a dying empire, two friends and generals find themselves on opposite sides of the factional divide. Now, they must sacrifice everything to save themselves from their realm and their realm from itself.

Enjoy an Excerpt:

Ten years, two months and this morning, Kyrus thought, blinking away drops of sweat. Yet still… still it’s not any easier.

For the thousandth time, his hand slid to a blade’s hilt, body braced against a gust ripping through the sweltering berry thicket. Wide eyes scanned the crush of steamy greenery all around him, ears hearing only his own short breaths and a heart that pounded like a drum. Even as the wind petered out, his anxiety held firm, held him frozen in place.

Ten bloody years of this… a wonder I’ve any wits left about me at all. He grunted. Or do I have any?

He’d grayed since then, since his first days in Valogar. Wrinkled too. Bones ached from the constant marching, mind frayed from the perpetual fear of knowing they were out there, somewhere, always itching to add another Rokhish scalp to their belts…

About the Author:

E.M. Thomas is the author of two novels - an epic fantasy (The Bulls of War) and a historical fiction set in Ancient Greece (Fortress of the Sun).

E.M. Thomas was born and raised on the East Coast of the United States but is a world traveler at heart. He caught the writing bug early on and has a passion for all good fiction, but especially that of the fantasy and historical variety. One of his favorite moments thus far in his young career was writing a chapter of his latest book about the great battle of Corinth - while sitting amidst the ruins of ancient Corinth.


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