The Door in the Mountain: A Fantasy Novella

Some things lost should not be found, no matter what the wind tells you.

Down on his luck and out of food, Rorik is resigned to sell his only heirloom—a family ring with a mysterious symbol. When a stranger invites him to seek a dead man’s fortune, he sees his chance at last. But as his fellow treasure hunters start turning up dead, Rorik finds himself with more to fear than cliffs and ice. There’s no turning back. Not when the wind whispers of destiny.

Discover a world of enchantment and mystery with “The Door in the Mountain,” a captivating novella that will transport you to realms beyond imagination.

“The Door in the Mountain” weaves together elements of fantasy, adventure, and introspection, creating a mesmerizing narrative that will captivate readers of all ages. With lyrical prose and vivid imagery, the author paints a vivid tapestry of a world brimming with wonder and danger.

Perfect for fans of renowned authors like J.R.R. Tolkien and Neil Gaiman, this novella is a literary gem that will leave you spellbound from the first page to the last. Immerse yourself in the magic of “The Door in the Mountain” and unlock the secrets of a realm that will ignite your imagination and leave an indelible mark on your heart. Embark on this unforgettable journey today!

Writing The First Draft

REMEMBER SHADOW OF THE WICKED is available on Amazon. Read the FREE preview below and get your copy today!

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Now that Shadow Of The Wicked is complete, I have been working with my editor for my next novel, To Wield The Stars (if you remember me talking about it) to be published by OMAMPublishing. But while I was waiting, I have had the feeling to fall back into the Three Kingdoms (Shadow Of The Wicked) world and do a full featured novel and possibly series to explain a lot of the lore and history.

So on my on Instagram I posted that I have started that series. I’m not sure what the title will be but I have a grand plan for it to be epic and grim. However, writing the first draft has always been the most daunting part of writing a novel for me.

GIVEAWAY Time!

For the release of my of my debut novella, SHADOW OF THE WICKED, I’m doing a HUGE giveaway!

It’s open for everyone, internationally. There will be 2 winners. 1 for Instagram and 1 for Facebook. The details are below but if you want to be a part of it, you have to go to my social media pages and follow the rules to enter and have a chance to win a $50 AMAZON GIFT CARD!

Winners will be announced via my Youtube channel on the 1st of July, 1800 AEST. Make sure you have subscribed and turned your notifications ON!

INSTAGRAM GIVEAWAY

FACEBOOK GIVEAWAY

YOUTUBE CHANNEL

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1st PRIZE will receive:

🎁 $50 Amazon Gift Card; and 

🎁 A signed physical book!*

The next 5 winners will receive a FREE EBOOK copy of SHADOW OF THE WICKED!*

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To enter:⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

1️⃣ Follow me at @douglas.w.t.smith or @authordouglaswtsmith

2️⃣ Like this post⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

3️⃣ Comment TWO FRIENDS 

For an extra entry, tag DIFFERENT FRIENDS in a separate comment, or SHARE TO YOUR STORY AND TAG ME (@douglas.w.t.smith or @authordouglaswtsmith).

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Good luck!!

*Must be willing to give out full name, address and email to receive gifts. Not affiliated with Instagram, Facebook, Amazon or any other company.

SHADOW OF THE WICKED Pre-release Dates!

I created a Youtube channel. I’ve been pondering on the idea for a while and thought why not do it to celebrate the launch of my debut novella.

Here is my first video. Below are the links I mention in the video.

Make sure you subscribe, follow, and like my pages to keep up to date with the pre-release dates– 1st of June– and the RELEASE DATE – 1st OF JULY.

Also, subscribe to my channel to see more details of the giveaways, prizes, and Q and A’s.

Thank you! Mailing List: https://mailchi.mp/d6107b64867c/maili…

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/douglas.w.t…

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authordougla…

Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57952756-shadow-of-the-wicked

Cover Reveal and A Free Story

I’ve been extremely quiet on my blog but for good reasons.

I’m excited to announce my novella, SHADOW OF THE WICKED is READY FOR PUBLICATION!

All final edits are complete, the cover is complete, reviewers are reviewing and the date has been set for publication. I am extremely excited to share this with you. My writing journey has been not what I expected but I have learnt a lot along the way and hopefully from what I did learn, it shows in the quality of my novella.

If you want to receive an exclusive reveal, or read it for FREE before everyone else, make sure you sign up to my mailing list–before it’s too late!

Mailing List

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In the meantime, I am also happy to announce that on the OMAM Publishing website we have three more fantasy stories available to read here on our website.

We are getting closer and closer to having capacity for a new anthology! I’ve got several more stories in my read pile as well, just need the time to get at them. If you’ve submitted to us recently, thank you. If not, what are you waiting for?

First up is a flash fiction piece by yours truly, Douglas W.T. Smith entitled “Into the Forest.”

Read here on the OMAM website or download it onto your Kindle for free!

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“After a tragedy at home, Jaeden flees into the forest. He hopes to eke out and live off nature alone, but soon comes to question his decision.“

Six Ways to Improve the First Fifteen Percent Of Your Novel

This post will dissect the Zero to Fifteen Percent of the First Act of the Three Act Structure. The first fifteen percent of your novel, I believe, is the most important. It encompasses the Hook and the Setup of the First Act. If you’re wondering what they all are, and how it is going to make your story a best-seller––read below.

The Three Act Structure, defined by Reedsy, is “It digs deep into the popular notion that a story must have a beginning, middle, and end, and goes even further, defining specific plot events that must take place at each stage.”

Reedsy.

I’m going to do a part-series on how you can apply the Three Act Structure to your story but more importantly, focusing in on the specific stages, to help you entice the reader to keep reading past chapter one.

A New Name in Fantasy

I have some very exciting news. For those that have been following my writing journey, you shall remember my deal to publish my first novel, To Wield the Stars with publisher Fiction Vortex, however, in short, it went bust from COV-19.

And just as the Phoenix

rose from the ashes,

she too will rise.

Returning from the flames,

More beautiful than before.

Shannon Heartz

As a member of the story verse with other authors, we were hung out to dry with meaningless contracts until our Head proposed an idea. To become a publisher. Thus, Of Metal and Magic Publishing was born. Keep reading below to find out how to get FREE BOOKS!

Five Tips for Editing a Manuscript Without an Editor

So you’ve completed a draft of your manuscript! Congratulations!

What’s next?

Before sending your manuscript out, you’ll want to edit it to correct your mistakes. While editing your own manuscript might seem daunting or hard to manage, it’s perfectly possible to edit all by yourself. In this article, we’ll share our five best tips for editing your manuscript… without an editor.

Novella and the Book Blurb

As I mentioned in my last post there has been quite a lot happening in our household and I’ve finally managed to finish the edits for the novella I’ve been working on, Shadow of the Wicked.

I’ve recently completed the third round of edits, synopsis and the book blurb. In the process, I have learnt a great deal in regards to story and character structure. In such a confined space of the novella, it was tough to contain my fantasy building limits but I really enjoyed it and I’ll probably continue to write novellas.

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Here is the blurb:

Five Essentials for a Successful Story

It has been way too long since my last post. In that time, I’ve had a son, Sage Garnet Smith, and I’ve been working on a novella, editing my novel, To Wield the Stars and renovating a house.

I’m in the third rounds of my novella and I should have it completed by the end of October. If you have been following my writing journey (that’s cool if you haven’t) and thinking, why am I writing a novella when I’m trying to publish my first novel, To Wield the Stars? To build an audience for when my novel is ready.

The title is yet to be confirmed for my dark fantasy novella but if you’re interested, I have a poll running on my twitter account https://twitter.com/DouglasWTSmith

In the process, I have learnt a great deal in regards to story and character structure. In such a space of the novella, it was tough but I really enjoyed it and I’ll probably continue to write novellas.

It made me reflect on my other works in, how do I know if my story goal is good enough to support the entire novel? I don’t know but I guess that’s when my beta readers and editor will tell me.

‘In nearly all good fiction, the basic – all but inescapable – plot form is this: A central character wants something, goes after it despite opposition, perhaps including his own doubts, and so arrives at a win, lose, or draw.’ ~John Gardner