I am sharing a link to my blog under CG Heandez where I post updates on books I've written under that pseudonym. Please visit and comment on any entry you wish. Thank you.
Sunday, February 22, 2026
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Chandra's Quest Excerpt: Chapter 54: All Things Must End
Chandra took her place next to Soran, as she had done when she was an Enforcer, the difference is that she is his wife now. Her Empress outfit brings to mind, the ancient clothing of Egypt. The silk white dress is crafted from Dryadian silkworms, and her sandals are made from the Critan creature native to Barunda. Her tiara glimmers with pure gold, intricately set with iridescent blue Dryadian diamonds, while the front of her dress is embellished with woven beads. A coordinating golden belt cinches her waist, a delicate veil cascades from her tiara and a slave bracelet adorns her left hand.
A week or two after Soran’s
announcement, she tried to venture below to the prohibited catacombs where Soran
hides his grotesque creations but were stopped by the guards. “You cannot go
in,” one of them said. “And why not? I am the Empress after all,” responded
Chandra with a derisive tone. Both guards fell silent and stared at her
sternly.
“Look, I was once an Enforcer I can take care
of myself,” she insisted. They did not respond but instead escorted her toward
the promenade and away from the restricted area. She bristled but understood. Another
opportunity to explore the catacombs arose when Treau appeared as a NyKarin
guard. "I wasn't able to visit the catacombs before," she explained
to him. While another guard lingered outside the room, Treau and Chandra
conversed within. Suddenly, she had a spark of inspiration and snapped her
fingers. "I have a plan. I'll send the other guard away by claiming I'm
not going out today, and you can stay outside until he departs."
“It
will work. Soran will not return until tomorrow from his visit to Comigae,”
said Treau.
“Why
is he in Comigae?” asked Chandra.
“He
is there to collect information regarding the Planetary Alliance and their
connection to them, of course Comigae is with the Planetary Alliance and will
not disclose information.”
“How
long will he stay?”
“I
believe a week,” said Treau. Treau’s information comes through sources that are
deep within the NyKarin government. There are many NyKarins who are against
Soran and have aligned themselves with the Planetary Alliance and remain
surreptitious.
“I need to get to the catacombs. The catacombs are where Soran hides his abominations, the ones that did not fend well during the transformation process in becoming an Enforcer,” she said. Chandra is wearing a fitted grey uniform jumpsuit with the NyKarin symbol on the left shoulder and her hair is tied back in a ponytail. She is not afraid to venture into the catacombs but knows there is a dark entity within them, that is stealthy and vicious. It will pursue its prey relentlessly. Even though she is an Empress, she is not allowed to roam freely anywhere in the city, in fact, Soran has guards following her when she steps out of the room. Lucky that while he is away, Treau showed up. He told her that Linnea saw a vision and in it were two outcomes to her situation but only one is the best option. He did not give her details about the vision but if Treau is there, then it is the best choice and will produce a more productive outcome.
“Well let’s go,” said
Chandra. She brought with her a pistol tucked inside her leg holster. She is an
ex-Enforcer and even though many eye her with disdain, not one of the citizens
approached her. It is not because Treau is with her, it’s because they fear
Enforcers. She made her way to one of the electric vehicles parked at a public
transport dock. The vehicles run through large clear travel tubes which are a
part of an intricate railway system that extends throughout the city. Treau and
Chandra arrived a few blocks away from the restricted zone. There are no guards
present, but a highly sensitive sensor is erected to deter curious eyes.
(This excerpt is available to listen on my YouTube channel)
Chandra's Quest available on Amazon
Sunday, February 1, 2026
The Backrooms: How Does it Work?
In my recent book, The Maze from Hell: A Backrooms Tale,
when one person escapes, another must fill their void. Aleena and Eli finally
find their way out, but they discover that their destination is not what they
had anticipated.
Aleena's sister recalls how they kept in touch for a whole
year after she left for Europe with her boyfriend. However, she then reveals to
Aleena that her messages suddenly stopped coming.
When Aleena and Eli entered an alternate reality, it’s
likely that their counterparts inadvertently found their way into the
Backrooms. Interestingly, Eli and Aleena were strangers in that world, and Eli
didn’t even exist there, which brings the focus back to Aleena, who did have a
double in that reality.
Eli was merely an accidental crossover, an extra soul who
wandered in. I think of the Backrooms as being quite like the Land of the
Lost.
How, you ask? Well, think back to the 1970s when you might
have caught the show as a child.
In "Land of the Lost," one of the characters,
Enik, explains that for someone to escape the Land of the Lost, an equal number
of newcomers must enter.
Could there be a similar concept in the Backrooms? It seems
that Aleena had a double who likely stumbled into the Backrooms while Aleena
made her exit.
This concept is quite intriguing, and other writers can
definitely incorporate it into their own stories. It's important to note that
the Backrooms are not subject to copyright and are free for anyone to use.
Thursday, January 29, 2026
There's Nothing Wrong with Adding Images
Writers/Authors can add images into their works. Why not? However, I recommend including descriptions of the scene and the characters' appearances to ensure they align with the images. This helps create a cohesive experience for the reader.
If some readers are triggered by images in books—that's their problem. Personally, I have no issue with authors using images in their works. For instance, Clive Barker included images in "The Thief of Always," and Harry Harrison did the same in "West of Eden." Personally, I believe that images can enhance storytelling, and I plan to continue using them in my own books.
In addition, if you’re triggered by an author using some images in their books, then move on. It’s that simple.
Monday, January 26, 2026
When an Author Make Changes to an eBook on KDP, does it get Updated?
I asked my
son that question and he said that it’s possible that the eBook updates on
Kindle devices and the reader will have the updated version, however I searched
for the answer and found this:
An eBook updates on KDP
when an author uploads a new manuscript, but these changes generally
only apply to new purchases. Existing customers who already bought the book
keep their original, unedited version, as KDP does not automatically push
updates to previously purchased Kindle devices.
Anyone
purchasing the book after the update goes live (usually within 24-48 hours)
receives the latest version. Customers who already own the book do not get the
update automatically.
Users
can sometimes see "UPDATE AVAILABLE" on their "Manage Your
Kindle" page if it is a major update, but this is not guaranteed for minor
typos.
Technically, if a reader purchased the un-edited version and reviews the book as saying it had typos, another reader won't see the typos because they will have the updated version.
It's
unfortunate, but some authors, me included, occasionally spot typos and other
errors in their eBook manuscripts that require immediate updates, no matter how
minor. For instance, on my recent uploads, I discovered
a couple of typos that prompted me to revise the file and re-upload it to KDP.
I want to extend my apologies to those who downloaded the book before these
corrections were made. My heart sinks when I come across errors, no matter how
minor they may be. Nevertheless, it happens and all I can do is fix it. Indie authors understand what I mean.
Thursday, January 22, 2026
Update on A Time Traveler's Companion
New! I just published A Time Traveler's Companion! Please visit the link below to view details on the book. Read/Rate/Review
I will be publishing more excerpts from the book and posting them up on my other blog under CG Heandez.
Images in the eBook are not positioned the way I'd like them to be but rest assured, I will have more control over that when I start working on the paperback version.
(If you are a fan of Doctor Who and enjoy time travel stories with a spicy dark twist, and a touch of humor, you'll enjoy this novel.)
You can find excerpts from the book on this blog
(Trigger warnings: Sexual content-18 & over)
Sunday, December 28, 2025
End of the Year Updates: 2025
I recently discovered that a book sharing the same title as one of my own (Chandra’s Quest) is available at Walmart and Target. I was flabbergasted, as I had assumed that major retailers typically avoid stocking books with few or no ratings/reviews. I found out that the author used a certain website to push her book out there and I’ll be doing the same for one of my other books that I have not yet published into a paperback book yet. It’s worth mentioning that while both books (Chandra's Quest) share the same title, their content is quite different.
My Chandra’s Quest has been around for 23 years, its first edition published in 2003. The second edition published in 2013, which brought together all four books of the series into a single volume. This comprehensive edition spans 567 pages, eBook & paperback version.
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Lastly, I would like to acknowledge that "Lost in the
Backrooms: The Phoenix Files vol. 1" has achieved the highest number of
downloads this year and last. This outcome has taken me by surprise, yet I am
pleased with the success it has garnered. Though it may not have as many rates/reviews as I'd hope but I'm still pleased with what it has. Next, The Secret Diary of a Gypsy Heart is
now available in paperback, and I've made some updates to it as well.
Which of my books do I want to see at major retail stores?
Chandra’s Quest and A Time Traveler’s Companion, both titles
have a page count that exceeds over 400. However, I believe that there's no way I can make Chandra's Quest available on IngramSpark, but I will publish A Time Traveler's Companion as a paperback there.
*Currently I'm in the process of editing A Time Traveler’s Companion, giving it the last look over before releasing it as an eBook on Amazon. Page count for this book is 564.
Books under my pseudonym Cecile Garcia
Books currently available under the pseudonym CG Heandez
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Have a Happy New Year!
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