The Return of COVID

Hi everyone,

First and foremost, I want to assure everyone that, at least as of right now, my wife and I are fine, and the release schedule for Sentinels 3 and Sword of Dragons 4 are still on-schedule, if barely.

But as the title suggests, Beck and I both tested positive for COVID-19 recently.  And it kicked our asses something fierce.  That is despite us being vaccinated, so I don’t even want to imagine what it would have been like without that.

This was also my second time (we think) getting it.  I originally was suspected of having COVID in early to mid 2020, before tests were widely available to confirm.  And just as I’d been reading about from the CDC and other sources, the new variants definitely had some variations in symptoms.  Especially regarding sore throats, coughing, and nausea.  Thankfully the new variant is less likely to cause loss of taste or smell, so if we had that symptom at all, it was very minor (hard to tell – was it that, or were we just plugged up so much from congestion?)

How did we get it?  Unfortunately we think we got it at Starfest 2022, the first convention we’d been to this year (and possibly the only one we’ll go to.)  No mask mandate was in effect, which wasn’t a surprise, and incubation timeline-wise, it lines up.

In any case, that’s all the time I’m going to spend on this, except to encourage all of you – get your vaccines and boosters!  Social distancing, masking – these are becoming measures that the population at large is unwilling to ‘endure,’ and the government (local, state, and federal) are unwilling to enforce, so your best defense against severe illness is vaccination!

Thanks for reading, and be sure to keep an eye out here for news about Sentinels 3 in the near future!  Not to mention some other, less expected, ever-more-exciting news.  I’ve been working on a project that I’ve kept out of the public eye, but the time to reveal it is soon at hand :D

-Jon Wasik

A Writer at Heart turns Two!

Hey everyone!

I was pleasantly surprised this morning when Facebook showed me a memory of the initial launch of my blog.  That’s right, A Writer at Heart turned two yesterday!!

This one snuck up on me, I had completely forgotten that I started writing articles in June.  Wow!

When I launched A Writer at Heart…I had no idea what I was doing.  Write a blog?  What the heck was I supposed to do with a blog?  Two years later, you want to know something funny?

….I still have no idea what I’m doing!!  Lol.  But what I do know is that I’ve had a blast writing.

There have definitely been ups and downs.  High times and times when it seemed no one wanted to read.  I’ve learned a lot, but still have so much to learn.

A Writer at Heart is by no means popular (yet).  But…wow, I just realized, over 150 follows!  When did we pass 150?!  That’s incredible!!  :D

Ahem, sorry, distracted :)

While I may not have thousands of followers, I’m happy with the progress I’ve made.  I’ve enjoyed hearing from everyone who has left comments.  I’ve enjoyed engaging in the blogging community (or as much as my busy schedule has allowed me to…)  And I’ve just plain had fun :D

A Writer At Heart’s Mission Hasn’t Changed

Why did I start A Writer at Heart?  To put it simply, I wanted to tell my story as it unfolded, and hopefully inspire or help out fellow aspiring writers.

Here we are, two years later, and I consider my mission a success.  But it is also still on-going.  I’ve written entire novels since this blog started, and shared in that adventure with all of you.  I’ve tried, and failed, to find an agent.  But I didn’t let that stop me.  And I took the leap forward and self-published, not just one, but now two novels!

The best part is, the adventure is just beginning.  I’m not where I want to be yet.  I want to live off of writing some day, and I think, somewhere, somehow, I can make that happen.  I just have to keep going.  Keep trying.  Keep working.

With your help, that future can become a reality.  The Sword of Dragons has received seven 5-star reviews on Amazon!  For a debut, self-published novel, that is incredible!

Thank you to all of you for helping me get this far.  Here’s to another two years :)

Thanks for reading!
-Jon Wasik

Ten Questions for a Fictional Character – Cardin from The Sword of Dragons

Hi everyone!

I wanted to try something new today for all of you.  Every now and then, I’ve read on other bloggers’ sites ‘interviews’ with their characters to help readers learn more about those characters, and it seemed like a really fun idea!  Most recently I read one such interview by one of the writers whose blog I follow, Justina Luther, and it sparked the desire for me to do that same thing :)

I also thought it would be a neat way to bridge books 1 and 2, a way to lead into the 2nd book through dialogue!  Please let me know whether or not you enjoy this.

Warning – If you have not read The Sword of Dragons, this interview will contain spoilers!

This first interview is with Cardin Kataar and is set 1 month after the Battle for Archanon, the climax of book 1.  A combined army from the four kingdoms has been deployed to combat the remaining orc forces, who have retreated far into the Wastelands.

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When I finally catch up to Cardin, he and several others have just come through a portal back to Archanon to report to the Allied Council.  I catch him and his team just as they pass through the gates into the outer city.

I beg for a few minutes of his time to ask a few questions, so as to accurately record his thoughts in the history books.  His unit commander, Sira, encourages him to, so long as we finish by the time we reach the castle.

Cardin: “Alright, I’ll answer your questions.”

Historian: “How fares the campaign against the orcs?”

Cardin: “We’ve won every battle, always with few casualties.  But we never thought they would have bred so many.  There are thousands and thousands.”

Historian: “I’ve heard you’ve been on the front line of every battle.  Do you still get scared?”

Cardin: “Do I still…?  No, not scared, terrified!  You never get used to it.  Or I don’t.  I don’t know.  I’m not invincible, though, if that’s what you mean.  I’ve gained amazing power from the Sword of Dragons, but I’m still human.”

Historian: “But you’re more powerful than any Mage could ever hope to be.  How do you feel about having that power now?”

Cardin: “Well, it changes.  Sometimes it’s the most exhilarating experience in the world!  And sometimes…sometimes I can’t even sleep, it scares me so much.  It’s like a giant weight is slowly crushing me, and I’m struggling to hold it up.”

Historian: “How do you cope with that fear?”

Cardin: “I wish I could say with lots of ale, but I try not to drink anymore.  I can’t afford to ever lose control, not with this kind of power.  My friends keep me strong, though.  Reis, Dalin, Sira.  I’ve been lucky enough to fight along side of them ever since this campaign started.”

Historian: “But you aren’t a member of the Warriors’ Guild.  Isn’t that frustrating, for both the commanders and for you?”

Cardin: “No, not at all.  Well…okay, for some of the leaders, yes.  Some far more than others.  But the Allied Council directly assigned me to Sira.  Maybe if I’d been ordered to follow someone else, it would have annoyed me.  But I trust her.”

Historian: “Why do you trust her so much?”

Cardin: “Because she knows me better than anyone.  She knows what I am willing to do.  And what I’m unwilling to do.”

Historian: “Is it true you two are romantically involved?”

I see Cardin and Sira exchange glances, and Cardin’s face visibly turns red.”

Cardin: “We once were.  But what we are now…  Well, I’d rather not talk about that right now.”

Historian: “Fair enough.  Just a couple more questions then.  How long until the campaign against the orcs is finished?”

Cardin: “We’re just getting started, but we’re overtaking them fast, despite their numbers.  Months, certainly.  But I’m starting to think there’s more going on here than we know.  They are too organized.  Someone or something is coordinating them.”

Historian: “A most disturbing thought.  But what of Klaralin’s pendant?  I’ve actually wondered why we haven’t used it to control the orcs ourselves.”

Cardin: “We think the Star Dragons took away its enchantment, and that’s why Klaralin lost control of the orcs.  Its dead and powerless now.”

Historian: “That is unfortunate.  Very well, last question: what do you plan to do once the campaign against the orcs is over?”

Cardin: “I don’t know.  I’m still getting used to the idea that I am the Keeper of the Sword.  I really have no idea where my life will go from here.  In and of itself a scary prospect, but also exhilarating.”

We approach the gates to the inner city now, and to the castle.

Historian: “Thank you for your time, Keeper.  Good luck!”

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Thanks for reading everyone, I hope you enjoyed this :)  Please let me know what you think of this experiment.

Are there questions you wish you could ask Cardin?  Or wish you could ask one of the other characters?  Please send them to me, I’d love to write responses to them :D

Thanks for reading,
-Jon Wasik