If you’ve been following my journey, you might notice something different about The Novice of Thanatos. Yes—I changed the cover! It was not a decision I made lightly. I’ve been promoting the book with the old cover for almost two months. When I first released the book on March 7th, the dark, medieval-inspired design wasContinue reading “A New Look for “The Novice of Thanatos””
Author Archives: scottatirrell
A Gentle Invitation to Something Brutal and Beautiful
I don’t love selling. Never have. I’d rather write for weeks in the dark than shove a book into someone’s hand and say, “Hey, buy this. Please.” But I also didn’t spend years building Lucardia to watch it get buried beneath a mountain of AI-generated fantasy and flavor-of-the-month Kindle reads. So here I am, breakingContinue reading “A Gentle Invitation to Something Brutal and Beautiful”
Five Years Later: A Thank You, A Reflection, and a Celebration
Five years ago, I hit “publish” on a story I wasn’t sure anyone would read. It was called the Island of Stone, a quiet horror tale set deep in the woods where shadows whisper and the past never really dies. It wasn’t flashy. It didn’t come with a marketing team or a big budget. ItContinue reading “Five Years Later: A Thank You, A Reflection, and a Celebration”
Sample chapter, but first…
An Author’s Note What follows is a rough draft of the opening chapter of my current work-in-progress—a dark fantasy tale that offers Jezelle’s backstory. For those who haven’t yet stepped into Absolution of the Morning Star (AMS), Jezelle is one of its core viewpoint characters. In Dawn of the Lightbearer, she hints at her traumaticContinue reading “Sample chapter, but first…”
Another Dark Journey Begins
I was speeding along writing The Monk of Thanatos, book 2 of my Order of Thanatos series, when another project tapped me on the shoulder, and went, ahem. I’ve been doing this long enough to know that when this happens, you pay attention. So, I paused The Monk of Thanatos and listened to what theContinue reading “Another Dark Journey Begins”
Can Indie Authors Make Money with Amazon Ads?
If you’re an indie author, you’ve inevitably hit that lull and dove into the pit of sage advice trying to find that nugget that will change everything. For me, I don’t think my low sales have to do with my writing. I’ve been at it for a long time, and although I am not atContinue reading “Can Indie Authors Make Money with Amazon Ads?”
The Novice of Thanatos Is Out Now—A School Unlike Any Other
A boy. A journey. A school unlike any other. The Novice of Thanatos is finally here, inviting you into a world where the lessons are written in bone and silence, and the dead are never far behind. Think Harry Potter, but for adults—where magic is replaced by the cold, uncompromising study of death itself. MishalContinue reading “The Novice of Thanatos Is Out Now—A School Unlike Any Other”
The Novice of Thanatos – A Dark Journey Begins March 7th, 2025
In just a few days, the gates will open. The dead will call, the past will stir, and a young novice will take his first steps into the dark corridors of a world few dare to tread. On March 7th, The Novice of Thanatos releases, and with it, a descent into the shadowed halls ofContinue reading “The Novice of Thanatos – A Dark Journey Begins March 7th, 2025”
The Boldest Decision I Ever Made (And How It Made Me a Writer)
Twenty years ago, I made a wild, out-of-character decision: I moved to China to teach English. I was a kid with a passport and a loose plan, stepping into a world as unfamiliar as it was exhilarating. That leap opened countless doors for me, but the one that matters most for this space is this:Continue reading “The Boldest Decision I Ever Made (And How It Made Me a Writer)”
The Novice of Thanatos and the Red Cloths
The Red Cloths, with their red cowls and branded foreheads, are not merely rebels or cultists within the shadowed world of The Novice of Thanatos—they are zealots who know something of the mysteries beyond the Threshold. Known formally as the Followers of Eosphorus, these mysterious figures began as mere observers in my Lucardia world. However,Continue reading “The Novice of Thanatos and the Red Cloths”
