It’s that time of year! We’ve already given our recommendations for gifts for the storytellers in your life, and the gifts for the TTRPG players in your life. A lot has been added in the world of Thread of Souls gifts across this year. Here’s our recommendations!
For the Readers
Thread of Souls is an epic fantasy book series. This is not a children’s gift, but is suitable for 16+ depending on the maturity of the adolescent. There is a good deal of profanity and adult themes and situations, but nothing too graphic. The books are available in paperback and ebook. Phantom Five is currently the only hardcover, and the Phantom Five audiobook is in the final editing stages. You can easily find all the books on Amazon, but Barnes and Nobles’ website as well as other online book retailers have them for sale. We have zero control over what goes on the shelves in brick and mortar stores, so we can’t say if they are available at your local bookshop or not.
In the Thread of Souls “Spider Octology”, ten adventurers are caught in a web of deadly secrets, warring cults, and untrusting alliances when they meet a cult runaway seeking freedom. They must overcome their differences in order to stop a god’s release from an abyssal prison.
Thread of Souls is an award-winning eight-book epic fantasy series based off a TTRPG campaign. These stories weave a world of deep history, cultures, and lore with a fascinating pantheon of good and evil gods. Adventure across the vast world of Corventos while diving right into the heart and soul of a diverse and colorful cast of characters whose passions, strengths, and failures drive the story.
Thread of Souls is a must-read fantasy epic that blends swords and sorcery, dragons and mythical creatures, and fully realized locations that take your breath away. From the desert wastelands of the Expanse, down the twisting caverns of the Deep Hollows, through the beautiful streets of the lakeside capital city, and all the way to the icy tundra home of the Citadel.
Thread of Souls series summary
For the Comfy Shirt Lovers
Our Redbubble shop features plenty of fun t-shirts inspired by Thread of Souls. We currently have a Thread of Souls logo shirt, a Jade shirt, and a Blessed Brew shirt. Many of these comes in various types, such as long sleeve, fitted, or tank top, so be sure to explore your options!
For Those Who Like Free Gifts
Give the gift of music! Our Thread of Souls soundtrack is available all places that music is streamed. Depending on what streaming service you use, you don’t even have to pay! Enjoy songs such as “Chill Tavern”, “The Utterer”, and “Jade’s Theme”.
We give our recommendations for the best gifts for the TTRPG players in your life!
As TTRPG players ourselves and people who have friends that enjoy these role-playing games, we thought it fitting to write a gift guide. Whether you play D&D, Pathfinder, Call of Cthulhu, the Lord of the Rings RPG, or indie games, there is something for everyone who enjoys rolling dice.
The Dice Dragon
It’s hard to find a TTRPG player that will turn down a new set of dice. But if they already have so many sets, what do you get them? A typical game store in town won’t be the place to go. We recommend going online to Etsy and finding dice makers. These creators have a variety of interesting, unique, and whimsical products in their shops. Some even give you the option to customize, adding personalization to your gift.
The Cosplayer
By asking some questions, you can get to know about the character your friend plays. While you don’t need to buy them a full cosplay set, there are some things you can do to let them wear their character while playing their game.
A customized t-shirt with their character name on it
A necklace with a symbol related to their character (if their character wields a war hammer have it be a war hammer)
A hat that their character wears (if they play a pirate, get them a pirate hat)
An accessory that their character wears (a pair of white gloves, a flower crown, a red scarf, steampunk goggles)
A customized dice mat or box with colors or designs related to their character
The Game Master
Most Game Master’s always have need of fun, new accessories for their games. Be mindful how big of a playing space your friend has. If they have an entire room and storage devoted to gaming, you can go big. But if they just have a re-purposed small space, give them something easy to store away.
High-quality terrain from Dwarven Forge
“Condition” rings that show if characters are currently Paralyzed, Poisoned, Charmed, etc
A set of dry erase 2D maps for a variety of locations
A Bluetooth speaker to play music through
A fun dice tower to roll large amounts of dice with
We talk about what are the best holiday gifts for the writers in your life!
Giving meaningful gifts makes an impact on people. It shows you understand them and care about their interests. If you have a writer in your life you want to give a gift to, this post will help you out! Or if you are a writer, feel free to send this post to your friends and family as a “suggestion”.
For the Old-Fashioned Writer
For writers that enjoy that old-fashioned aesthetic, some of the best holiday gifts are ones that invoke that sense of nostalgia. The ones that tie the writer in with all the authors that came before. You don’t have to go antique shopping. Online shops and places like Etsy will have everything you need for that vintage look.
A typewriter
A quill and ink pot
An old journal for notetaking
Printed poems and passages from famous, or not-so famous, writers
A scarf that has a poem or book passage printed on it
For the Digital Age Writer
Some writers love technology and how it has improved writing efficiency and outreach. Whether they are published authors that prefer to type, or writers who like to post stories online, there are many options to get them the perfect gift.
A subscription to an online note-taking or worldbuilding software such as Evernote or Inkarnate
A new mouse or keyboard
A writer-themed mousepad
An e-reader
A voice-to-text system for the computer
For Those That Like Personalized Gifts
Taking the time to give a personalized product is very sweet. Writers love their work, their characters, and what they do. Shops like Etsy and Shutterfly offer personalized options for a variety of products.
A mug with their book or story cover art on it
Christmas ornaments that say the names of their characters
Notebooks with the cover labeled “Next Story Ideas”
Customized t-shirts for writers from shops like Etsy
A set of writing dice
Themed jewelry such as quill tip earrings
What are your picks for the best holiday gifts for writers? Share with us!
We take a look at our favorite free resources for creators we use in our projects.
Whether you are a writer, an artist, a TTRPG player or game master, or anything else in the wonderful world of creativity, having a good set of resources is a must. We’re talking about tools you use, software you rely on, and a go-to’s to generate ideas. This is a list of our favorite resources.
For Naming Characters
Sometimes you think for a long time to come up with the perfect character name. Other times, you just need something fast. Our free resource go-to is a site called Baby Names. The reason why we like this so much is its Advanced Search option. Here you can search for names on a global scale by letters, by syllables, and even by their meaning. I particularly love to look up meanings to get ideas. For example, I may want a name that means “hope” or “light” and I’ll get a huge list based off of only that.
For World-Building
Whether you need a battle map for a TTRPG game, a city map for reference, or an entire world map, we are big fans of Inkarnate. We use it both in our games and for our book series. Having a map to reference is invaluable, and even Inkarnate’s free option has a huge array of possibilities. We recently reviewed Inkarnate and its features.
Map of the Oasis in Berenzia created by us on Inkarnate
For Note Keeping
Note: as of December 2023 Evernote raised its price from $60 a year to $130. We no longer recommend this app given the value for the money and no longer use it ourselves.
We are in the middle of writing an eight-book epic fantasy series based off our TTRPG game. There is a lot to keep track of! What designs were in this god’s temples? Did that library have a name? Have these two crossed paths before? It can easily get overwhelming. Evernote has been a game-changer for us. It’s our top pick as a free resource for creators that need to keep track of details. It does have a free option, though we used paid so we can share it across two computers. You download it on your computer and can organize notes through tags and categories to make them more searchable.
For Designs & Mood Boards
I always love Pinterest when it comes to mood boards and ideas, however, if you want to customize things, we love to use Canva. The one drawback is that its free version is limited in options. We pay for it simply because we use it for so many things. But for a long time, we only used free and still enjoyed it. You can do graphic design, choose from photos, search gifs and videos, and much more! We’ve used it to design city symbols and banners, to create pantheon sigils, and for in-game digital handouts.
Symbol of Sunspire created by us on Canva
Do you have any free resources for creators that aren’t on this list? Share below!
This is an autobiographical post. The names of people and places may be changed.
We decided to write autobiographical posts about the colorful life we have lived. There will be tales of sleeping in a campervan on the beach, of defending a bird’s nest from a snake, and of running away from wolves while sick with bronchitis. There will be tales of diagnosis with PTSD and ADHD and how it changed our lives, of meeting biological family, and of job loss. It’s a tale of overcoming challenges, of finding out who we are, of love, hope, cats, and of a marriage that’s gotten stronger through it all.
Autobiography Post 12
When we lived in our rural house, wildlife was aplenty. A week didn’t go by without the sight of a spider, a scorpion, or a snake. We hated it. But there was a benefit. Each year in the spring two birds would return to the nest they’d built on our vaulted front porch and raise their babies. It was fun to watch every year, and the birds never bothered us.
One spring I was in the restroom down the hall. Dorian was going to take out the trash. I heard the front door open and him shout in alarm. It was followed by the sound of intense bird screeching. The door immediately slammed shut.
What was that? I thought. Did the birds almost get inside?
I came out to find my husband by the front door. He looked at me with wide eyes.
“There is a snake on the front porch, and it almost got inside.”
“A snake?!” I was shocked. At this point, we’d only seen snakes on the neighborhood roads and not yet on our own property.
“Yes, come look!”
I looked out the window that was on our front door. A large, eight-foot black snake was halfway up the brick wall right next to our door. As we looked at it, we realized it wasn’t focused on us. It wanted the nest. The two birds were going crazy, flying around and screeching.
We banged on the door a few times, hoping to scare the snake off. To this day we’re not sure if our presence deterred it, or if it decided the nest was too high up. But a few minutes later it slithered back down and away.
We had two other encounters with snakes around the house in the time we lived there. One time another black snake (perhaps the same one as it happened not long after) was on our back porch near our patio furniture. We chased it away by spraying vinegar at it. The last time was one attempting to get into our garage while our cat was hanging out in there. That gave us a small heart attack, but her anger and us banging on the garage door scared it off.
As we look ahead to have some days off together for the holidays, we reflect on all we are thankful for across these past 12 months. It’s been a huge time of change for us. We moved twice, were unemployed, started new jobs, began a business, explored, and took on new adventures! It can be easy to be overwhelmed by the difficulties in life, especially when you have CPTSD as I do, but it’s important to also take time to be thankful for things.
Family & Friends
One highlight from the last years was meeting my biological family. This included my grandfather, Lonnie. Just after I met him he was diagnosed with ALS, a terminal illness. I am so thankful for the time I got to spend with him. We lost him last year just before Christmas.
The Cats
We are thankful for our two kitties, Danaerys and Gamora. Dany’s super relaxed attitude, friendliness when you’re laying down, and clumsiness when she climbs is always endearing. Gamora’s high energy, outspokenness, and constant desire to be held always brings a smile to our face, even when she trips us during zoomies.
Our New Home
We are thankful for our new home and all the adventures it has provided. We’ve never lived in this region of the country before, and we’ll have plenty to explore for years to come! I also love being less than 30 minutes from the beach and right next to Chicago. It’s given us so much to see and to do, our wanderlust is very satisfied right now.
Our Jobs
You never know how thankful you are to have a job until you don’t have one. We made it through the ups and downs of finding a new job together, and are very thankful to have steady income once again. Our jobs have also given us great opportunities! Dorian got to interview WWE superstar Zoey Stark this week, which was such an exciting opportunity.
Our Marriage
We love each other more every year, and have gotten through every challenge hand-in-hand. This past year has presented unique challenges, but we’re both glad to have had on another’s backs. And most importantly, been there to hold one another when we felt weak. We are so excited for what is to come.
We talk about the mystery dice bags offered by MysteryDiceGoblins on Etsy.
We got our hands on three mystery dice bags from the creative Etsy shop, MysteryDiceGoblins. This shop has everything a Dungeons & Dragons fan could want, including digital battlemap tokens, themed cards for celebrations, character sheets, pins, mats, trays, jewelry, and more. We got a first-hand look at one of the products they offer, the Mystery Dice. You can order these to have specific types of dice, such as only D20s or a full set. It is a surprise what is inside, though you can let the seller know if you have a color preference.
The Packaging
Given how affordable these bags are, we were pleasantly surprised at how cute the packaging is. They come in branded bags that are excellent quality. They are durable and travel well. The shop is located in the United Kingdom, and despite being shipped all the way to the U.S. and taken to the beach with us, the bags were in perfect condition.
The Dice
We loved all three sets we got. There was a lovely amber-colored set that caught the sunlight just right. A very pretty aqua and white set, and a detailed runic set with hard edges. They are all beautiful, high-quality dice. We already divided them up and are eager to start rolling!
The Experience
As any TTRPG player knows, collecting dice is easily addicting. Even when you play on a digital map with digital character sheets, there is something about rolling physical dice that is good fun.
The excitement about mystery dice is, well, the mystery! It’s like opening a birthday present. Or seeing Amazon drop off your package. A little burst of excitement about opening up a gift for yourself.
Conclusion
The Mystery Dice bags and the shop itself puts other, more expensive shops to shame. The attention to detail, the high quality, and the fun makes this an excellent purchase for all DnD fans.
We give our thoughts on Inkarnate, a digital map-building software!
Inkarnate is popular in the world of online content creators. It boasts a digital map-building software with a particular focus on fantasy. You can create massive world maps, or highly detailed maps of building interiors. With various styles, effects, and features, Inkarnate continues to grow and expand every year.
Note that every map in this article was built by us in Inkarnate so you can see first-hand what an average person (and not a paid map designer) can create.
Made with Inkarnate.com
What Are the Features?
When you begin to create a new map, you already get many options to choose from. A Fantasy World Map, a Parchment World Map, a Fantasy Regional Map, a Watercolor Battlemap, and a Watercolor City Map. Of course, no matter what you choose when you actually get into the editing stage, you can do whatever you want. But this helps streamline the process if you have a particular project in mind.
After that, you can choose the size of map you want based on how many tiles it has. This can be customized to your exact dimensions. Once you enter the creation mode, the choices feel endless! Here is just an overview of what you can add:
A backdrop effect such as water, snow, tile, or lava.
The ability to shape your terrain with a variety of brushes.
“Stamps” that let you fill it in that are both 2D, 3D, or old-school map icons.
Stamps include mountains, hills, rivers, ground cracks, furniture, gravestones, lights, buildings, boats, plants, monsters, people, ruins, crops, weapons, and much more!
You can add Text and stylize it.
You can draw paths on your map.
You can add, remove, and alter grids.
You can add special overlays and effects.
Is it User-Friendly?
There is definitely a learning curve with Inkarnate. It was more difficult in the past, but it’s become much more user-friendly across the years. That being said, some patience is involved as you figure out how to fill in your map. Once you learn it, though, it feels very easy and simple.
How Much Does it Cost?
The awesome thing is Inkarnate is free! Anyone can sit down and use it. You can also pay for Inkarnate Pro which is $25 a year. Pro gives you more robust options for map creation, but most importantly it allows you commercial use of the maps you create.
Why Do I Need Inkarnate?
Almost any fantasy-fan creator can get good use from Inkarnate. We use it for maps that we publish in our books. We also use it for our own TTRPG game. If you enjoy playing digitally and don’t want to build a hands-on map, or if you just want a map to reference, Inkarnate has just what you need.
Conclusion
Inkarnate is a fun, fantasy-centered map creator that is perfect for TTRPG roleplayers, authors, and anyone that needs to bring their fantasy world to life. Despite the learning curve, Inkarnate really is versatile and you can easily spend hours entertaining yourself with it. And you don’t often find that with free programs!
We get asked a lot by friends, family, and strangers on how we became writers.
“Did you go to school for that?”
“Do you make good money?”
We’ve had our hands in many types of writing. We are published authors, we’ve written many non-fiction pieces across digital and print publications, we’ve done creative writing for a video game, and we’ve written for TV and social media. I teach a course at a university on academic and research writing. I also volunteer as a mentor to aspiring writers through a non-profit website.
So, how do you become a writer?
This will be the first in a series of articles exploring this very question. Perhaps you are an aspiring writer reading this. Or maybe you are seasoned and looking to expand your knowledge of the field, or are just roaming the interwebs. This first post is an overview of what to expect coming up, as well as the types of writer you can be.
What topics will be covered in upcoming blogs?
What education or training you can pursue.
How to find your first job.
Information on writing careers including freelance, contract, and full-time.
What employers look for on a resume.
And more!
What Type of Writer Should I Be?
If you’re reading this, you are most likely interested in creative writing and being a book author. But we are involved in various types of writing, and you can be, too. This is not a comprehensive list, but here’s an overview of different types of writing you can specialize in.
Fiction Author – You publish books or short stories with fictional people and situations. You can either self-publish or traditional-publish. A great imagination, a good eye for editing, and time management are key.
Non-Fiction Author – You publish books such as biographies and memoirs for clients, academic pieces, self-help, special topic books, and more. Good research skills and having an open mind to learn are essential.
Narrative Designer – You write for the gaming industry including narrative stories, character creation, dialogue, and world building. You need to have a huge imagination, and the ability to collaborate as part of a large team.
Journalist / Content Writer – You cover everything from local news, global news, product reviews, lifestyle articles, and op-eds. This field is centered on meeting deadlines and adhering to each business’ unique style of writing.
Technical Writer – You apply your writing skills to professional documents. This might be training manuals, resumes for clients, grant applications, and more. Specialized knowledge of a certain industry will carry you far in this role.
Copywriter – You write marketing communications to get people to buy products and services. These might be social media posts, newsletters, slogans, and information on product landing pages. The ability to be creative and think outside the box will set you apart.
Script Writer – This is adjacent to being an author, but it is its own specialized niche. You write scripts for TV shows, podcasts, or movies. You must be a good editor and able to take a lot of feedback from others.
Stay on the lookout for future posts as we talk more about how to become a writer!
Excerpt of the upcoming fifth book of the Thread of Souls series!
We’ve been working on the fifth book in our Thread of Souls fantasy series since early this year. We expect it to be released in spring of 2024. As we draw ever-closer to its publication, we want to give you an excerpt from an early chapter as a preview! While this has been edited, it is still not in its final form and may be edited more.
Enjoy!
RUUDA
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Ruuda kept her head down and hood up as she trudged through the rainy Eleste’si streets. Flanked by Jasita, Wash, and Unolé with Teshuva, the group tried to move as quickly as possible without drawing the attention of the Thornguard.
Something else has drawn their attention, anyway, she thought sourly.
Even in the dark of the night, a glow lingered in the direction of the docks, framing the graceful silhouettes of buildings. And from it, a thick cloud of smoke. Ruuda knew what it was. The remains of the ship that was set ablaze. The trap sprung to catch Taliesin, and kill her.
But she was still alive. She had Jasita to thank for that. The healing elixir the crystalmancer had brought along saved her life.
“Where are we going?” Unolé asked. The tips of her horns, adorned with gold, stuck out from her hood.
“To talk to a smuggler,” Ruuda replied. “It’s the same woman that got Taliesin and I out of the city when we first left the Deep Hollows. She’s near the southern border wall. Her name is Zayra, and she’s not friendly.”
“We don’t need her to be friendly,” Wash said, “we just need her to get us underground.”
Wash had been all-business since the attack had happened, his usual dry humor and teasing gone. While Ruuda and Taliesin had been away at the docks, the rest of the group had been attacked by assassins of the cult of Aranese. They’d survived, though Unolé had been badly injured. With Taliesin gone, Ruuda knew the burden fell on her to guide the others. They’d never been to the Deep Hollows before, they’d need her knowledge and skills to survive and find their friend.
I’d be faster on my own, Ruuda reasoned. But she knew she couldn’t leave them behind. Taliesin had asked her not to.
Once they had recovered enough from their wounds, the group had packed as lightly as possible and left the Sanguine Vestibule. Ruuda had left her barrel behind. It would only slow her down. They had quickly spoken to Hwalla privately, away from his children, explaining that Taliesin had been kidnapped and they were going to rescue him. The dark gnome had been deeply worried, and wished them all the best. Ruuda felt sorry for Hwalla. His entire life had been uprooted because of Aranese’s influence.
Damn that goddess. I hate her.
As they hurried through an open town square, they passed a large and ornate stone fountain. Built atop it was a statue of a high elf with her hand on a mirror wreathed in ivy and leaves. There was something about it that made Ruuda sad.
“What does it mean?” Unolé asked Jasita, gesturing to the statue.
Jasita’s fair, angular face peered up against the rain to take in the fountain. “It is a symbol for passage into the Wilds. It’s in mourning of what was lost when the high elves were cut off from that plane of existence.”
Unolé paused for a moment, then said, “You work for the people who did this, but you’re a high elf.”
“The people who did this are long dead.”
They continued swiftly and silently through the streets until Ruuda recognized the area where she’d first met Zayra. Tall stone walls bordered them, and the alleys ran narrow and dark. The usual design of the city, all cherry blossoms and pinks and blues, was less present here.
Ruuda turned to her companions. “Stay in this alley. I’ll go forward and talk to her privately.”
“I can help if you need me to,” Jasita offered, fingering the moonstone ring along her finger.
“I know. But I’ve got this.”
Ruuda stepped out alone and pulled back her hood. Her wild hair, dyed all the colors of fire, hung drenched past her shoulders. She knew the roots were coming in white now. It had been a very long time since she’d dyed her hair with the enchanted dyes of her people.
White just like Taliesin’s hair.
Ruuda glanced around, steeled herself, and said aloud, “Zayra! I’ve come with a job.”
A long moment passed, and then a dagger flashed through the air. It sped by Ruuda and embedded itself in the wall near Wash’s head. The soldier flinched, and Jasita squealed in surprise.
A dark shadow dropped from a rooftop before Ruuda. A lithe woman in a dark cloak. Pulling back the cloak revealed the dark elf smuggler, Zayra. She looked just as Ruuda remembered, though it had been nearly two years. She was almost six feet tall, with her white hair tied back into a bun and scars marking her gray skin.
“I count four of you,” Zayra spat with her arms crossed. “Are there any more hiding?”
Ruuda sighed in exasperation and motioned for her companions to join her. “Just the four of us.”
Wash and Unolé strode boldly out and Jasita shuffled less confidently after them. Zayra’s red eyes took them all in. Ruuda noticed a barely perceptible frown pass Zayra’s face as she noticed the stained blood on their clothes and patched-up injuries.
“What services do you need from me?” the smuggler demanded.
“We need to be taken to the Deep Hollows. Unnoticed,” Ruuda answered.
Zayra tilted her head to one side. “I understand you going back home, little dark dwarf, but why would these Surface-dwellers wish to go underground?”
Wash was quick to answer. “We’re all adventurers seeking to hunt monsters and earn some gold.”
A scoff escaped Zayra. “The Deep Hollows is a dangerous place. You won’t return alive. Especially someone as petite as you, half-fiend.”
Unolé’s purple eyes narrowed. “I’ve fought plenty of monsters in the last year. I am not afraid.”
“You should be. I’m not keen to smuggle idiots, much less Surface-dwellers, down into my home.”
Ruuda felt hot, angry tears bite at her eyes. Taliesin could be suffering at his moment, and she was here wasting her time in negotiations. But before a furious retort could fly off her tongue, Unolé stepped forward and held up a pack that jingled with gold coins.
“How does one thousand gold per person sound to you?” Unolé asked in a tone that implied she already knew the answer.
Everyone looked to Unolé in surprise.
Zayra fumbled with her words a moment before asking, “Is that your money, or did you steal it?”
“Why would it matter to you?”
“I don’t want trouble coming my way.”
Unolé’s eyes narrowed further. “And we don’t want you to bring us into any trouble. We want to get safely and quietly down to the Deep Hollows.”
Wash spoke up, his arms crossed over his chest. “Why are you arguing with us about this? Isn’t your whole job smuggling?”
“I don’t like speaking to a man,” Zayra sneered.
“Enough!” Ruuda stepped forward, holding her hands out. She turned a fiery glare to Zayra. “A dark elf male was taken by another dark elf tonight at the docks. Do you have any information about this?”
For the first time a smile crossed Zayra’s face. “I might. If you up the price to five thousand gold, I’ll tell you what I saw.”
Ruuda leaned in toward the other woman. Despite the substantial height difference, Ruuda’s strong build was imposing and her expression like a roaring wild fire. Zayra leaned slightly back, hand hovering by the dagger at her hip.
Ruuda growled, “For five thousand you tell us what you know, and you get us to the Deep Hollows without trouble. Understood?”
Zayra’s tone had lost much of its bravado as she replied. “Agreed.”
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