A Bard’s Folktale is a novel series I’m currently writing.
The first book, Roaming Cadenza, was published in April of 2011 and you can find more information on it here.
The series follows Kody Lehane, a recent high school graduate with notebooks of bad poetry, and some close friends as they take a road trip across the US.
Though they only plan to get away for a nice summer break, life is life, and getting home might end up being the least of their concerns.
Dustland Requiem, the second book, was published in June 2013 and more information can be found here.
The story follows Kody’s travels after the fallout of Roaming Cadenza, and how he and his friends try to put their lives back together.
As if their troubles weren’t enough, a family of vigilantes in gangland Mexico is dealing with far greater problems–including catching the ire of a local warlord–not unrelated to to those of Kody and his friends.
It’s no longer an issue of simply trying to get home, but surviving long enough to realize if that’s even what they want.
Why I Wrote It
I originally started writing A Bard’s Folktalke several years ago, drafting it back when I was in high school myself.
However, taking care of my family, working, and the extensive process of revisions that come along with writing pretty much anything resulted in a far longer production cycle than I would’ve guessed.
The reason I wanted to write it, however, was that I found there to be a lack of everyday life in the books I read.
Everything was always vampires fighting zombies, with magical powers and long-forgotten lore.
I wanted to read something practical, that I could relate to in a very real sense.
So, as the old saying goes, “If what you want to read doesn’t exist (or you can’t find it), write it,” and that’s what I did.
Summary
In short, A Bard’s Folktale is a series about life, and the complications of it.
It’s about people trying to get by with one another, learning to live with the mistakes we make, and staying alive long enough to die of old age.
If you have some time, check out the sample chapters of Roaming Cadenza and Dustland Requiem.
If you want to know more about the series, you can read an interview I did with Romance at Heart Magazine.