WIP

The Ball is Rolling.

The Ball is Rolling.

I had another pain management appointment today, and the ball is rolling. What ball? The one that involves a referral to a neurosurgeon for spinal surgery to relieve the pressure on my sciatic nerve. My pain doctor and I are in agreement — surgery is the best option for me.

Which means that I’m now on crunch time. I NEED to finish King of Swords and Six More Weeks of Witches as soon as humanly possible.

I don’t know what this is going to mean for my summer shows. It all depends on when the surgery is scheduled, and we’re not there yet. Be advised that some of the shows on my calendar will probably be going away. More on that as I know more.

I’ve put my newsletter on hiatus for the foreseeable future. I’m probably going to do the same with the blog. I’m going to hold off on putting this on the shelf until I know more and have a date. And I’ll be continuing to plan for the shows until I know for certain I can’t attend. So for my next show, I’ll be back to the Oviedo Mall on June 6th for the Summer Lovin’ book festival. After that, I just confirmed that we’ll be in the vendor pavilion at the Enchanted Knights Solstice Faire in Sanford, Florida. We’re taking over the town, folks!

More news as I find out more.

Promotions

Yearning for a New Way to Read Fantasy Romance?

Check out Yearn! Newly launched, women-owned, and backed by luminaries in the romance world.  Combines the best of Booktok, KU and Goodreads, without the toxic messes. And now available on Android!

You can find my work there — the entire Heir to the Firstborn series. The Coral Throne, and The Chronicles of John Zebedee are all part of the catalog. And if you use my referral code, you’ll get 50% off your first month!

Referral Code: Schechter50
Download the iOS app here.
Download the Android app here
International users? Sign up here to be notified!


New Cover!

Time for a new look on an older book.

When Delan stumbled into the Temple, he wasn’t expecting to be welcomed as a Temple servant. He wasn’t expecting his only duty to be to serve Lyander, cloistered son of the High Priestess. He wasn’t expecting to fall in love.

And he wasn’t expecting that he was going to have to choose: save his love, or save the world.


Now Available!

The Imperial Navy has been destroyed. Now Tarjiaan must save his kingdom. With his beloved Nika by his side and their consort Daanir at his back, he must gather his allies and defeat the traitor hiding beneath the waves. To save his people, Tarjiaan must master his newfound magic, defeat the traitors, and conquer his deepest fears.

The end of the war is in sight, but treachery runs as deep as the ocean.


Work in Progress

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

73330 / 100000 (73.33%)

Six More Weeks of Witches
(Coven Tree, book 2)

8103 / 20000 (40.52%)

Appearances

Summer Lovin’ Book Festival
June 6th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

Enchanted Knights Summer Solstice Faire
June 20th, 2026
11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Downtown Sanford, FL

***

Summer Creatives Market
July 18th, 2026
10:00AM – 3:00PM
Sanford, FL

***

Tanoshii Con
August 22nd – 23rd, 2026
Ocean Center Arena, Daytona Beach.

***

Smut Lovers Conference
September 16th – 20th, 2026
Orlando, FL

***

Page and Pen Festival
October 3rd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Posted by EASchechter in 2026 plans, a-writers-life-is-never-dull, accountability, appearances, Best laid plans, Best planned lays, Coven Tree, Healthy writer, happy writer, I really want some dull, progress, promotions, Tales from the Arena, upcoming books, upcoming work, Waiting-for-the-other-shoe, WIP, wordcount, 0 comments
Clever Headline Goes Here.

Clever Headline Goes Here.

“Clever Headline Goes Here.” Otherwise known as “this is your brain on sciatica pain.”

I thought I pulled a muscle exercising. So I did what you usually do when you pull a muscle — anti-inflammatory medication, heat and ice, gentle stretching. Then the pins-and-needles started, and I hied myself off to the orthopaedist. Ortho set me up with six weeks of physical therapy and sent me to see a pain management doctor.

I know I’ve mentioned this in the blog before, back in March when I was just about to start PT, and I was going in for an MRI. The MRI showed that my L5 disc is sitting on the sciatic nerve. To fix it? Well, a week from today, I’ll be getting an epidural injection of steroids and painkillers into my lower back.

(Yes, this is my way of telling you that there won’t be a blog post next week.)

If the injection works? Great! I can get back to being exercising, sitting comfortably, and able to sleep through the night. If it doesn’t work?

Surgery.

Between now and then? I’m going to be a guest on Good Day Orlando on Thursday the 30th! (7AM call! Eep!) Then on Saturday the 2nd, we’ll be at the Great Geek Gathering at the Oviedo Mall!

As for next Monday? Think some good thoughts for me, will you?

Promotions

Coming this Summer!

Looking for something for your older teens to do this summer? Are they interested in writing? Send them to write with me! I’ll be leading a Summer writing camp on Tuesday afternoons in June, hosted by the Native Home Marketplace at the Volusia Mall. The program runs for 6 weeks, and is limited to 12 participants.


Yearning for a New Way to Read Fantasy Romance?

Check out Yearn! Newly launched, women-owned, and backed by luminaries in the romance world.  Combines the best of Booktok, KU and Goodreads, without the toxic messes. And now available on Android!

You can find my work there — the entire Heir to the Firstborn series. The Coral Throne, and The Chronicles of John Zebedee are all part of the catalog. And if you use my referral code, you’ll get 50% off your first month!

Referral Code: Schechter50
Download the iOS app here.
Download the Android app here
International users? Sign up here to be notified!


Now Available!

The Imperial Navy has been destroyed. Now Tarjiaan must save his kingdom. With his beloved Nika by his side and their consort Daanir at his back, he must gather his allies and defeat the traitor hiding beneath the waves. To save his people, Tarjiaan must master his newfound magic, defeat the traitors, and conquer his deepest fears.

The end of the war is in sight, but treachery runs as deep as the ocean.


Work in Progress

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

69017 / 100000 (69.02%)

Six More Weeks of Witches
(Coven Tree, book 2)

3476 / 20000 (17.38%)

Appearances

The Great Geek Gathering
May 2nd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL

***

Summer Lovin’ Book Festival
June 6th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

Enchanted Knights Summer Solstice Faire
June 20th, 2026
11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Downtown Sanford, FL

***

Summer Creatives Market
July 18th, 2026
10:00AM – 3:00PM
Sanford, FL

***

Tanoshii Con
August 22nd – 23rd, 2026
Ocean Center Arena, Daytona Beach.

***

Smut Lovers Conference
September 16th – 20th, 2026
Orlando, FL

***

Page and Pen Festival
October 3rd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Posted by EASchechter in 2026 plans, a-writers-life-is-never-dull, accountability, appearances, Coven Tree, Healthy writer, happy writer, I really want some dull, public displays of geekery, Tales from the Arena, why-the-writing-is-slow, WIP, wordcount, 0 comments
Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes

I took a class last week, and now I have homework. I need to redo a lot of what goes on behind the scenes for my self-published titles. So over the next few weeks, I’ll be redoing many things that you probably will never notice, and one thing you might. The many things you probably won’t notice are the metadata and keywords, which help people find my books when they search online.

The one thing you might? In addition to the metadata and keywords, I’m also redoing the cover for Chains of Light, and I’m changing the form factor a little (going from a 6×9 paperback to a 5×8, which will make it more in line with the sizes of the rest of my books.)

I’m probably not going to do most of this until I finish up writing King of Swords. It’s going to take me time to get into each book and change everything, and I have to do it on two platforms. So this is my summertime project, in addition to leading a six week teen writing class and reading submissions for the Ruthven Literary Bulletin.

The what now?

I will be taking my first turn as an editor for the rebirth of the Ruthven Literary Bulletin. The Call for Submissions is below, and more information can be found at the Journal for the Fantastic in the Arts website. The call is open until June 2026.

In preparation of the relaunch the Ruthven Literary Bulletin. the Lord Ruthven Assembly welcomes papers that explore and expound on the appearance and mythology of vampires and revenants in world literature and media, including fiction/nonfiction/mass media/periodicals, as well as reviews of both academic works and fiction. Interdisciplinary approaches are welcome and encouraged, including but not limited to explorations of the vampire in non-Eurocentric settings, African/Diaspora Studies, anthropology, area studies, critical game studies, disability studies, future studies, gender studies, history, Indigenous studies, music, philosophy, political science, postcolonial studies, psychology, queer studies, religious studies, science and technology studies, and sociology.

Promotions

Kobo World Book Day!

Kobo World Book Day is coming! On April 23rd, you’ll be able to grab a copy of The Sea Prince for $1.99.

Coming this Summer!

Looking for something for your older teens to do this summer? Are they interested in writing? Send them to write with me! I’ll be leading a Summer writing camp on Tuesday afternoons in June, hosted by the Native Home Marketplace at the Volusia Mall. The program runs for 6 weeks, and is limited to 12 participants.


Yearning for a New Way to Read Fantasy Romance?

Check out Yearn! Newly launched, women-owned, and backed by luminaries in the romance world.  Combines the best of Booktok, KU and Goodreads, without the toxic messes. And now available on Android!

You can find my work there — the entire Heir to the Firstborn series. The Coral Throne, and The Chronicles of John Zebedee are all part of the catalog. And if you use my referral code, you’ll get 50% off your first month! (But you can only use that code for the next NINE DAYS!!!)

Referral Code: Schechter50
Download the iOS app here.
Download the Android app here
International users? Sign up here to be notified!


Now Available!

The Imperial Navy has been destroyed. Now Tarjiaan must save his kingdom. With his beloved Nika by his side and their consort Daanir at his back, he must gather his allies and defeat the traitor hiding beneath the waves. To save his people, Tarjiaan must master his newfound magic, defeat the traitors, and conquer his deepest fears.

The end of the war is in sight, but treachery runs as deep as the ocean.


Work in Progress

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

66034 / 100000 (66.03%)

Six More Weeks of Witches
(Coven Tree, book 2)

1598 / 20000 (7.99%)

Appearances

The Great Geek Gathering
May 2nd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL

***

Summer Lovin’ Book Festival
June 6th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

Summer Creatives Market
July 18th, 2026
10:00Am – 3:00PM
Sanford, FL

***

Tanoshii Con
August 22nd – 23rd, 2026
Ocean Center Arena, Daytona Beach.

***

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 2026-Signing-Author-1024x1024.png

Smut Lovers Conference
September 16th – 20th, 2026
Orlando, FL

***

Page and Pen Festival
October 3rd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Posted by EASchechter in 2026 plans, a-writers-life-is-never-dull, accountability, cover art, Lord Ruthven Assembly, promotions, public displays of geekery, Tales from the Arena, to-dos, upcoming books, upcoming work, WIP, wordcount, writer on writing, 0 comments
Fun. Weird. Slightly Random. That’s Me.

Fun. Weird. Slightly Random. That’s Me.

I was writing up the description for my appearance on SFF News and Interviews this Thursday, and described it as fun, weird and slightly random. Which, I realize now, is me in a nutshell.

Not that I mind. It makes things more interesting and far more entertaining. For me, anyway.

Last week was a lot of catching up, although not nearly as much as I’d have liked. Some interesting bits in an “I could have done without this!” sort of way (No, I do not WANT to have to put a new roof on the house, thank you!) This week will be still more catching up — I’ve already made two important phone calls. There was also one very confusing call asking why my dentist thinks we have a time machine:

Dentist: “You are confirmed for this appointment that happened today, two hours ago! See you then!”
Me; “Ah… your scheduling software appears to be having a stroke. What is this?”
Dentist: “Oh… umm… oops?”

This is the second to last thing on my to-do list before I can focus completely on King of Swords. The last thing is physical therapy intake. Yes, again. Apparently the degenerating disc in my back got on some nerve’s last nerve, and what I initially thought was a pulled muscle is actually sciatica. So i start PT today, and tomorrow I get an MRI. I go back to pain management in two weeks, and we’ll see where things go from there. Which means I really do need to get this book DONE, just in case things go in weird and not-fun directions.

I very much prefer the weird and fun directions, don’t you?

Promotions

Live on SFF News and Interviews!

This Thursday night, I’ll be appearing on the SFF News and Interviews video podcast with JB Caine! Tune in and watch what’s probably going to be a fun, weird, slightly random evening!


Free with Newsletter Sign-up!

Tomorrow is the last day to download any of the Spells and Spaceships books for free (newsletter sign up required). That includes The Sea Prince! You can also enter to win a $25 gift card to the bookstore of your choice!


Yearning for a New Way to Read Fantasy Romance?

Check out Yearn! Newly launched, women-owned, and backed by luminaries in the romance world.  Combines the best of Booktok, KU and Goodreads, without the toxic messes. 

You’ll be able to find my work there — the entire Heir to the Firstborn series. The Coral Throne, and The Chronicles of John Zebedee are all part of the catalog. And if you use my referral code, you’ll get 50% off your first month! That’s good even if you have to wait for the Android release — put the code in when you join the waitlist, and you’ll still get 50% off your first month. 

Referral Code: Schechter50
Download the iOS app here.
Android users (like me?) Sign up for the waitlist here.


Now Available!

The Imperial Navy has been destroyed. Now Tarjiaan must save his kingdom. With his beloved Nika by his side and their consort Daanir at his back, he must gather his allies and defeat the traitor hiding beneath the waves. To save his people, Tarjiaan must master his newfound magic, defeat the traitors, and conquer his deepest fears.

The end of the war is in sight, but treachery runs as deep as the ocean.


Work in Progress

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

56437 / 100000 (56.44%)

Appearances

Storyteller Summit
April 11th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

The Great Geek Gathering
May 2nd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL

***

Summer Lovin’ Book Festival
June 6th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

Summer Creatives Market
July 18th, 2026
10:00Am – 3:00PM
Sanford, FL

***

Tanoshii Con
August 22nd – 23rd, 2026
Ocean Center Arena, Daytona Beach.

***

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 2026-Signing-Author-1024x1024.png

Smut Lovers Conference
September 16th – 20th, 2026
Orlando, FL

***

Page and Pen Festival
October 3rd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Posted by EASchechter in 2026 plans, a-writers-life-is-never-dull, accountability, appearances, author chat, I really want some dull, promotions, public displays of geekery, Tales from the Arena, upcoming books, upcoming work, why-the-writing-is-slow, WIP, wordcount, 0 comments
I Am Not To Be Trusted With a Bubble Shooter

I Am Not To Be Trusted With a Bubble Shooter

I got home from ICFA yesterday, and promptly fell over. The afterparty was amazing, there was unfiltered sake, and I learned a thing — I am not to be trusted with a bubble shooter.

I have NO idea who handed this to me — it was dark on the pool deck, for all that everyone was wearing glowy flower crowns. But I reverted to the relative age of five, and there was much giggling and many, MANY bubbles.

It was a good conference. And not just because of the bubbles. I got some amazing news on Wednesady, had an excellent reading on Thursday, moderated a panel on Friday that featured some amazing stories. Friday night was the Lord Ruthven Assembly meeting, where I got to share my amazing news. Then Saturday night was the banquet, where I got to give out the 2025 Lord Ruthven Awards. They were:

Fiction: Hungerstone, by Kat Dunn (Zando)

Media: Sinners. Written and Directed by Ryan Coogler (Warner Brothers, Proximity Media)

Non-Fiction: Killing the Dead: Vampire Epidemics from Mesopotamia to the New World, by John Blair (Princeton University Press)

Periodicals: Dracula Beyond Stoker Issue 7: Mina Harker. Tucker Christine(editor), Tyler Kitchenman, Mark Oxbrow, Vince Stadon, Henry Herz, Bill Cozza, R.S. Tiemstra, Dennis K. Crosby, Macoy Greco, Doris V. Sutherland, Lindy Ryan, Gwendolyn Kiste, Cynthia Ward, James S. Dorr (DBS Press)

I’ll be contacting the winners later this week so I can arrange for delivery of awards (and checking in with past winners to see if they ever got THEIR awards. There was some question about if previous awards went out…)

Then came the afterparty and bubbles. Oh, and for the record? Bubble happened BEFORE sake did. I was that giddy and giggly all on my own, thank you very much.

I always say I’m going to get work done in my downtime at ICFA, completely forgetting that I rarely have downtime at ICFA. There’s so much to do and so many people to talk with. I did have the best of intentions, though, taking my laptop out to poolside to try and write, only to almost fall asleep in the sun. I decided a nap was the better course of action.

Now I’m home, back to work, and trying to catch up.

Promotions

Free with Newsletter Sign-up!

You only have a short time left to download any of the Spells and Spaceships books for free (newsletter sign up required). That includes The Sea Prince! You can also enter to win a $25 gift card to the bookstore of your choice!


Yearning for a New Way to Read Fantasy Romance?

Check out Yearn! Newly launched, women-owned, and backed by luminaries in the romance world.  Combines the best of Booktok, KU and Goodreads, without the toxic messes. 

You’ll be able to find my work there — the entire Heir to the Firstborn series. The Coral Throne, and The Chronicles of John Zebedee will all be part of the catalog. And if you use my referral code, you’ll get 50% off your first month! That’s good even if you have to wait for the Android release — put the code in when you join the waitlist, and you’ll still get 50% off your first month. 

Referral Code: Schechter50
Download the iOS app here.
Android users (like me?) Sign up for the waitlist here.


Now Available!

The Imperial Navy has been destroyed. Now Tarjiaan must save his kingdom. With his beloved Nika by his side and their consort Daanir at his back, he must gather his allies and defeat the traitor hiding beneath the waves. To save his people, Tarjiaan must master his newfound magic, defeat the traitors, and conquer his deepest fears.

The end of the war is in sight, but treachery runs as deep as the ocean.


Work in Progress

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

54214 / 100000 (54.21%)

Appearances

Storyteller Summit
April 11th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

The Great Geek Gathering
May 2nd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL

***

Summer Lovin’ Book Festival
June 6th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

Summer Creatives Market
July 18th, 2026
10:00Am – 3:00PM
Sanford, FL

***

Tanoshii Con
August 22nd – 23rd, 2026
Ocean Center Arena, Daytona Beach.

***

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 2026-Signing-Author-1024x1024.png

Smut Lovers Conference
September 16th – 20th, 2026
Orlando, FL

***

Page and Pen Festival
October 3rd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

Posted by EASchechter in a-writers-life-is-never-dull, accountability, appearances, conventions, heeheeheehee, ICFA, public displays of geekery, why-the-writing-is-slow, WIP, wordcount, 0 comments
Caffeine Levels Insufficient

Caffeine Levels Insufficient

My brain, right now: “Event complete. Commence prep for ICFA. Warning. Caffeine levels insufficient.”

We just finished our weekend Renaissance Faire at the Oviedo Mall, and now I have two days to do everything that needs to be done in order to pack for ICFA, then a morning to actually PACK and get on the road. Now, it’s not far from my house to ICFA, so getting there isn’t a problem. My problem is getting ready so I can leave to get there.

I did my show wrap up, and ordered things I’m low on from stock and swag. I’m almost done with laundry. I’ve printed off everything that needs printing off (I think). I’m updating and charging my tablet so I’m ready for my reading (I’ll be reading from Have Yourself a Merry Little Witchmas.) I still have to pull books for the book room, and I have to pack my laptop. I’m not doing that today — I haven’t put any words into King of Swords since Friday, and that needs to happen. I did do some notebook writing at the Faire, and that needs to get moved into the manuscript.

And it doesn’t help that we’re right now having a ridiculous storm, and there’s a chance at any moment that I might have to go run and hide in a closet because tornadoes. Ah, springtime in Florida.

Okay. Off to keep on keeping on.

Promotions

Free with Newsletter Sign-up!

For the entire month of March, you can download any of the Spells and Spaceships books for free (newsletter sign up required). That includes The Sea Prince! You can also enter to win a $25 gift card to the bookstore of your choice!


Yearning for a New Way to Read Fantasy Romance?

Check out Yearn! Newly launched, women-owned, and backed by luminaries in the romance world.  Combines the best of Booktok, KU and Goodreads, without the toxic messes. 

You’ll be able to find my work there — the entire Heir to the Firstborn series. The Coral Throne, and The Chronicles of John Zebedee will all be part of the catalog. And if you use my referral code, you’ll get 50% off your first month! That’s good even if you have to wait for the Android release — put the code in when you join the waitlist, and you’ll still get 50% off your first month. 

Referral Code: Schechter50
Download the iOS app here.
Android users (like me?) Sign up for the waitlist here.


Now Available!

The Imperial Navy has been destroyed. Now Tarjiaan must save his kingdom. With his beloved Nika by his side and their consort Daanir at his back, he must gather his allies and defeat the traitor hiding beneath the waves. To save his people, Tarjiaan must master his newfound magic, defeat the traitors, and conquer his deepest fears.

The end of the war is in sight, but treachery runs as deep as the ocean.


Work in Progress

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

53550 / 100000 (53.55%)

Appearances

ICFA
March 18-21th, 2026
Orlando, FL

***

Storyteller Summit
April 11th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

The Great Geek Gathering
May 2nd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL

***

Summer Lovin’ Book Festival
June 6th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

Summer Creatives Market
July 18th, 2026
10:00Am – 3:00PM
Sanford, FL

***

Tanoshii Con
August 22nd – 23rd, 2026
Ocean Center Arena, Daytona Beach.

***

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 2026-Signing-Author-1024x1024.png

Smut Lovers Conference
September 16th – 20th, 2026
Orlando, FL

***

Page and Pen Festival
October 3rd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

Posted by EASchechter in 2026 plans, a-writers-life-is-never-dull, accountability, Coven Tree, ICFA, progress, public displays of geekery, Ta-da, Tales from the Arena, to-dos, WIP, Witchmas, wordcount, Writer on the Go!, 0 comments
Do NOT Pinch Me!

Do NOT Pinch Me!

It hasn’t been a week yet, and I swear that I’m still dreaming. If I am, do NOT pinch me!

Let me explain. The 11th annual Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off has started. This is my third time entering SPFBO, and I honestly had no expectations other than possibly getting some new reviews. I entered Written in Water three years ago, and Counsel of the Wicked two years ago. This year, I entered The Sea Prince.

The blog that was assigned The Sea Prince has one of the strictest judging criteria in the contest, They read the first 10% of each entrant, and decide which of those are strong enough to want to read more. They started their eliminations last week, and promised to update on every Wednesday.

Yesterday, I saw the Discord notification that they had released this week’s eliminations and their second semi-finalist. I clicked the notification and saw the graphic included The Sea Prince.

Then I saw the first response — “Congrats @Liz Schechter – The Sea Prince !! It was a great book and you deserve it!”

WAIT, WHAT????

The Sea Prince is a SPFBO 11 Semi-finalist!!!

To say that I’m shocked is like saying that Everest is a little tall.

The contest is only a month in, and it will take months before the winner is named. The field will get smaller, and the competition that much greater. The books will all be amazing… and I’m a part of that.

I’m dreaming.

Don’t pinch me.

(if you’re a newsletter subscriber, yes. This is the same as the intro to this month’s newsletter. I couldn’t think of a better way to say it! If you’re not a newsletter subscriber, click through Spells and Spaceships below, and you can grab a free copy of The Sea Prince.)

Promotions

Free with Newsletter Sign-up!

For the entire month of March, you can download any of the Spells and Spaceships books for free (newsletter sign up required). That includes The Sea Prince! You can also enter to win a $25 gift card to the bookstore of your choice!


Yearning for a New Way to Read Fantasy Romance?

Check out Yearn! Newly launched, women-owned, and backed by luminaries in the romance world.  Combines the best of Booktok, KU and Goodreads, without the toxic messes. 

You’ll be able to find my work there soon — the entire Heir to the Firstborn series. The Coral Throne, and The Chronicles of John Zebedee will all be part of the catalog. And if you use my referral code, you’ll get 50% off your first month! That’s good even if you have to wait for the Android release — put the code in when you join the waitlist, and you’ll still get 50% off your first month. 

Referral Code: Schechter50
Download the iOS app here.
Android users (like me?) Sign up for the waitlist here.


Now Available!

The Imperial Navy has been destroyed. Now Tarjiaan must save his kingdom. With his beloved Nika by his side and their consort Daanir at his back, he must gather his allies and defeat the traitor hiding beneath the waves. To save his people, Tarjiaan must master his newfound magic, defeat the traitors, and conquer his deepest fears.

The end of the war is in sight, but treachery runs as deep as the ocean.


Work in Progress

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

51394 / 100000 (51.39%)

Appearances

Enchanted Knights Fairytales and Fables
March 14-15th, 2026
Oviedo, FL

***

ICFA
March 18-21th, 2026
Orlando, FL

***

Storyteller Summit
April 11th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

The Great Geek Gathering
May 2nd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL

***

Summer Lovin’ Book Festival
June 6th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

Summer Creatives Market
July 18th, 2026
10:00Am – 3:00PM
Sanford, FL

***

Tanoshii Con
August 22nd – 23rd, 2026
Ocean Center Arena, Daytona Beach.

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This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 2026-Signing-Author-1024x1024.png

Smut Lovers Conference
September 16th – 20th, 2026
Orlando, FL

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Page and Pen Festival
October 3rd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

Posted by EASchechter in a-writers-life-is-never-dull, accountability, appearances, awards, KermitArms, kvelling, never-in-million-years, promotions, SPFBO, The Sea Prince, upcoming work, WIP, wordcount, 0 comments
Happy Book Day Eve!

Happy Book Day Eve!

Happy Book Day Eve to those who celebrate. I certainly do! Tomorrow is release day for The Coral Throne, which brings to a close a story that is old enough to drive in the state of Florida.

I’ve told this story before — in 2009, I woke up with this character in my head. His name was Tarjiaan, and he would not shut up. In the 45 minute drive to Ikea, I had most of the worldbuilding, and I actually ditched my family for about half an hour once we got there to go sit in the restaurant with a cup of coffee and write everything down. Then I shared the information with a writer friend, and we started writing what would become The Sea Prince. However, Tarjiaan stopped talking to me. Dead stop, do not pass go, do not collect $200. So things got put to the side.

Flash forward to 2023. I pulled the manuscript out from under the virtual bed, reread it (which I’d done probably about six times over the years), and realized where it was broken and how to fix it. What I felt on finishing The Sea Prince was, I imagine, the writing equivalent of summiting Mount Everest… except then I had to do it again because the story wasn’t done. I had to wrap things up and bring it all home. I had rewritten the synopsis for the second part, and I knew where it was going, but there were still some surprises (does anyone ever plan for the cat?) The transition felt rushed, and I had to rework that because there was not enough material for a third book.

Stop laughing. Even I can say that once.

And then it was done. And tomorrow, you all finally get to see the finished work.

Promotions

Release tomorrow!!!

The Imperial Navy has been destroyed. Now Tarjiaan must save his kingdom. With his beloved Nika by his side and their consort Daanir at his back, he must gather his allies and defeat the traitor hiding beneath the waves. To save his people, Tarjiaan must master his newfound magic, defeat the traitors, and conquer his deepest fears.

The end of the war is in sight, but treachery runs as deep as the ocean.


Work in Progress

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

44687 / 100000 (44.69%)

Appearances

Enchanted Knights Fairytales and Fables
March 14-15th, 2026
Oviedo, FL

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ICFA
March 18-21th, 2026
Orlando, FL

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Storyteller Summit
April 11th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

The Great Geek Gathering
May 2nd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL

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Summer Lovin’ Book Festival
June 6th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

Summer Creatives Market
July 18th, 2026
10:00Am – 3:00PM
Sanford, FL

***

Tanoshii Con
August 22nd – 23rd, 2026
Ocean Center Arena, Daytona Beach.

***

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 2026-Signing-Author-1024x1024.png

Smut Lovers Conference
September 16th – 20th, 2026
Orlando, FL

***

Page and Pen Festival
October 3rd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

Posted by EASchechter in 2026 plans, a-writers-life-is-never-dull, accountability, forthcoming works, Happy Book Day, happy-happy- joy- joy, kvelling, new books, The Coral Throne, The Sea Prince, upcoming books, upcoming work, WIP, wordcount, 0 comments
That Wore Off Quickly.

That Wore Off Quickly.

Today is that one day of the year when I can’t see for most of a day. Yes, it’s time for my annual retinal exam, when I get dilated enough to see through the veil and wave to the Fae. Fun times. Usually, I take a nap after and sleep it off. Today, though? I could see much sooner than I expected. So that wore off quickly.

This is a good thing — it let me get back to work sooner than I would normally. I had a lot to do today. Since my author proof of The Coral Throne hasn’t come in yet, I had to go and approve the digital proof of the paperback so it would be ready in time for release day next week. I had to collate the votes for the Lord Ruthven Award and send the winners on to the ICFA program editor. I had my regular Monday paperwork. And now I’m here, writing to you.

I still haven’t written a word on King of Swords. But before I get into that, I have to go back through Dead Man’s Hand and update it on a detail that the characters only JUST told me Friday. I hope I’ll get all my words in before bed, but I also need to make sure the worldbuilding is consistent.

(insert three hour break for dinner and cleanup…)

And so, having disposed of the monster dirty dishes, exit our hero to the keyboard stage left…

Promotions

Preorder now!

The Imperial Navy has been destroyed. Now Tarjiaan must save his kingdom. With his beloved Nika by his side and their consort Daanir at his back, he must gather his allies and defeat the traitor hiding beneath the waves. To save his people, Tarjiaan must master his newfound magic, defeat the traitors, and conquer his deepest fears.

The end of the war is in sight, but treachery runs as deep as the ocean.

Ebook preorders are live, and paperback preorders should be popping up at any moment.

Release date is February 24th, 2026!


Work in Progress

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

41961 / 100000 (41.96%)

Appearances

Enchanted Knights Fairytales and Fables
March 14-15th, 2026
Oviedo, FL

***

ICFA
March 18-21th, 2026
Orlando, FL

***

Storyteller Summit
April 11th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

The Great Geek Gathering
May 2nd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL

***

Summer Lovin’ Book Festival
June 6th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

Summer Creatives Market
July 18th, 2026
10:00Am – 3:00PM
Sanford, FL

***

Tanoshii Con
August 22nd – 23rd, 2026
Ocean Center Arena, Daytona Beach.

***

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 2026-Signing-Author-1024x1024.png

Smut Lovers Conference
September 16th – 20th, 2026
Orlando, FL

***

Page and Pen Festival
October 3rd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

Posted by EASchechter in 2026 plans, accountability, Best laid plans, Best planned lays, Healthy writer, happy writer, ICFA, plot bunnies, silly, Tales from the Arena, WIP, wordcount, Worldbuilding, 0 comments
Beating My Head Against Code

Beating My Head Against Code

This weekend, there was time spent beating my head against code. This is otherwise known as updating my website. There was a WordPress plugin that I used on my book pages that had a major security flaw. The creators of that plugin appear to have abandoned it, so I needed to update my plugins and pull all my books over to the new database, then get the database to display the published works and the series pages.

Beating my head against code.

I will admit that once I got the hang of it, things went very smoothly. The largest part of the job was getting the books moved over. The old plugin data didn’t download cleanly, so I couldn’t upload it to the new plugin no matter how I tried. So I had to enter each book individually. Now, this let me fix some broken links that I didn’t know were broken, so I’m not going to complain too much. (Which doesn’t mean I won’t complain at all.)

Now? I’m really pleased with the results. Here’s the published work page, and if you go to the menu at the top, you’ll find all the series pages in the dropdown menu, as well as a new page that amuses me.

See, when I set up my books at events, I have the Schechter Scoville Scale, where the books get hotter as you go across the table. Since I added the tags “mild,” “medium,” “spicy,” and “extra spicy/dark” to the metadata, I can now sort by those tags… and display them with the new plugin. So behold! The Schechter Scoville Scale!

I am all sorts of ridiculously pleased with how it turned out.

Now it’s time to stop beating my head against code and time to start beating my head against keyboard. Back to words!

Promotions

Preorder now!

The Imperial Navy has been destroyed. Now Tarjiaan must save his kingdom. With his beloved Nika by his side and their consort Daanir at his back, he must gather his allies and defeat the traitor hiding beneath the waves. To save his people, Tarjiaan must master his newfound magic, defeat the traitors, and conquer his deepest fears.

The end of the war is in sight, but treachery runs as deep as the ocean.

Ebook preorders are coming, and paperback preorders are coming. Release date is February 24th, 2026!


Work in Progress

Tales from the Arena: King of Swords
(Tales from the Arena, book 4)

39965 / 100000 (39.97%)

Appearances

Enchanted Knights Fairytales and Fables
March 14-15th, 2026
Oviedo, FL

***

ICFA
March 18-21th, 2026
Orlando, FL

***

Storyteller Summit
April 11th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

The Great Geek Gathering
May 2nd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL

***

Summer Lovin’ Book Festival
June 6th, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Oviedo, FL.

***

Summer Creatives Market
July 18th, 2026
10:00Am – 3:00PM
Sanford, FL

***

Tanoshii Con
August 22nd – 23rd, 2026
Ocean Center Arena, Daytona Beach.

***

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 2026-Signing-Author-1024x1024.png

Smut Lovers Conference
September 16th – 20th, 2026
Orlando, FL

***

Page and Pen Festival
October 3rd, 2026
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Posted by EASchechter in 2026 plans, a-writers-life-is-never-dull, accountability, happy-happy- joy- joy, progress, public displays of geekery, The Coral Throne, upcoming work, WIP, wordcount, 0 comments