Category Archives: My Life

AUGUST UPDATE

Well. It’s been a bit, hasn’t it.

The last post I released here was the day before releasing The Knight of Iaddash hyping up the project, and then I went radio silent. Well, not entirely, I still use my author’s instagram and facebook.

I was planning on posting more information regarding the Knight of Iaddash here after its launch, but I ended up using Instagram to do most of those things.

BEHOLD, THE KNIGHT OF IADDASH!

Since I’ve last posted, The Knight of Iaddash had released! All of the feedback I’ve heard so far has been rather positive. During the first week it reached #11 in the YA Christian Fantasy bestsellers category on Amazon!

If you’re interested in buying, feel free to buy on Amazon! You may also buy it at Barnes & Nobles! Other booksellers may pick it up as well, since it is available from IngramSpark. If you’re interested in seeing it at a local bookstore or library, you can always ask if they’d purchase it!

Also, please leave a review wherever you purchase it! It really helps the algorithms get my book to a wider audience! It doesn’t take more than a minute to give it a good rating! But also, if you take a few extra minutes to write a brief review, I’d be eternally grateful! I really want this story to be read by as many people as possible!

AUDIO DRAMA?

The Knight of Iaddash Audio Production is getting closer to being made! Cory and I are in the process of setting up the Kickstarter! Creating the rewards and the trailer is taking some time, but we’re making good progress! We’ve also been able to read through the script with the cast, which has been a pure joy! We’ve got a really good cast and I’m excited to see how they do in each of their rolls!

Also, have you noticed that cool picture of Agape at the top of the page? That’s one of the stickers that we’re planning on making available through the Kickstarter! It was designed by Megan Cerise, if you want to see more of her work you can see it at her instagram account!

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EBOOKS?

I still intend to release The Knight of Iaddash in ebook format outside of Kindle, I’ve just run into a snag. I’m a little stubborn and like to do everything individually by hand. I’ve considered uploading my ebooks via a service like Draft2Digital, which seamlessly releases your ebook across a host of digital platforms, but they also take a cut. As someone who is trying to pay off college loans, I’d rather do things by hand and put in the extra effort. I have the ebook files prepped and ready to upload, however due to certain laws across the sea, to publish on certain platforms and be released worldwide you need to put down an physical address that is public to all. I don’t think my family would appreciate me putting their address online, so I’ve decided to wait till I have extra money to potentially get a new business address. This is taking longer than expected thanks to, well, college loans.

Honestly, if I don’t have the ebook available worldwide by next year, I may just end up biting the bullet and using Draft2Digital. I’d like the story to be available in all places before the sequel is released.

INTO THE GATES OF SHEOL

Ah, yes! The sequel!

I’m really excited for book two of the Knight of Iaddash. I’m hoping to release it around April once again. If you like the first book, I really think you’ll like the second one. Kahsa had a rough time at the end of the first book didn’t he? Hopefully nothing else bad happens to him!

I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll stop here! But I am extremely happy with how this story turned out!

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?

I’ve been active. There is a lot of moving pieces in my life right now, and I’m not the best at running multiple things at once. Well, that’s not entirely true. I’m great at jumping between tasks, but usually one of them get’s put on the back burner. That’s what happened with this blog. And, mentally, it still is on the back burner. The Audio Drama prep has been taking a lot of time! I’d rather focus on that as opposed to this blog!

I’ve been doing plenty of other things however! This summer I’ve been teaching some of my friends with IDD from the Bible at a day program! It’s all volunteer now but I love doing it once a week! However, that means I need to write and prep lessons, so that does keep me busy! I don’t know how long I’ll be doing that, but while I do I want to do it well!

I’ve also been writing! I’ve written about 3/4ths of a book now. I keep hitting snags with this one, but I’m excited about most of it. I won’t release it until I’m excited about all of it though, so it may be a bit of time! I’m also working on a comic concept that’s been invigorating my imagination. I don’t know if I’ll ever pitch it to any publishers or publish it myself, but I’m having fun at least. It’s nice to have fun!

Oh! And also really enjoying getting connected with my church family again! It does take some time away from other things, but I think fellowship is important. If I’m not close to God or other Christians, then nothing I accomplish really matters.

Oh, also, I did finish moving from Lancaster. Which took some time too. It has been a blessing being with my family again, but I’ve been really focusing on paying down some of my student debt. I’m hoping to one day be debt free! Please pray that God will help me continue to be responsible and get me to that place!

That’s all from me. I hope you guys enjoyed the life update. Maybe I’ll do more of these!

Grace and Peace,

Kenny

An early doodle of Euthymeo, the dragon from The Knight of Iaddash.

April Update: Before the Knight

I’ve not done a full update for while, so I think it would be good to do a quick one for everybody at home!

The Knight of Iaddash coming on 4/8/2025!

As you likely already know, The Knight of Iaddash is coming out on Tuesday, April 8th! That’s pretty hype! This is a book that I’ve worked on for well over 6 years, from imagining it up, to outlining multiple drafts, to writing the thing, and then editing it up! I am really excited for everyone to read this story and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

The physical book can be found at on the Barnes & Noble website and on Amazon. Currently the digital edition is only available on Kindle, but I will be working to expand it to other e-readers as well. Please be patient with me as I work on this, it seems like a simple solution but there are a lot of outlets to upload it to, and a few logistics I still need to figure out.

I hope you enjoy this book. It has truly been a passion project of mine, and I am excited to share it with everyone!

The Audio Project – A Hype Update!

While I’m still on the topic of the Knight of Iaddash, I want to share with you an update on the audio drama! Previously, I revealed that Cory Rosen and I were looking for a cast, and I am pleased to announce that after going through over 40 auditions, we found a great cast and are hoping to be able to share their talent with you soon!

Just this past week or so we had our first cast read through of the script, which was really exciting! It was good to meet everyone, and read through a good chunk of the script, and, as a writer, it gave me even more confidence that I am releasing a good story! I am so please to be working on this with Cory Rosen and the entire cast!

This won’t be an easy task though. If you’d like to see The Knight of Iaddash adapted into audio, please stay tuned. We are looking to raise money for this project so that we can pay our cast! Without your support, it won’t be made! So, stay tuned for more info in the coming months!

All Things Must Change.

Regrettably, I haven’t made much sourdough as of late. Outside of Iaddash, things have been a bit hectic, and I could use some prayer. I’ve recently moved, and switched jobs, which means I now have a far longer commute to the studio we are producing The Knight of Iaddash in. It’s not really a change I wanted, but it one that felt necessary for the time. A lot of my time has thus been gobbled up by all the lovely things that go along side of switching houses and jobs. You know, boxes, paperwork, etc. But progress has been made! I’ve also been incredibly blessed by all the people around me though, both near and far, and I hope to be a blessing to others wherever I go.

I’ve also been outlining an idea for a comic book series. I’m not sure if I’ll ever get a chance to make it, but I may write the scripts for them down the line at least. It’s got a fun cast of characters and got a few great twists as well. Oh, and I’m drafting another book as well. You’ll hear about that one when you hear about that one lol!

Also, what do you guys think? Should I create a patreon to help support my writing? I’ve been thinking about it, and once The Knight of Iaddash releases, I think I’d have a lot of neat behind the scene doodles to share! As evidence, I’ve included an early sketch of Euthymeo as this post’s header image. This was a sketch from High School, and yes, I drew him on my homework. If you’d like to learn more about Euthymeo, now might be a great time to pick up The Knight of Iaddash! He’s a pretty great dragon!

Anyways, that’s all I’ve got for today. Thank you to everyone who reads this blog! If there is ever anything you’d like to see more of let me know! I’m always open to suggestions!

Grace and Peace,

Kenny

Update: Iaddash, Life, and Bread (January 2025)!

It is January! It is 2025! Which means… it’s the New Year! Woooo!

It also means Kenny needs to give you a long overdo update!

The Knight of Iaddash Update:

Every single day I become more and more excited about the potential of turning The Knight of Iaddash into an Audio Drama! If you didn’t know already, Cory Rosen and I plan on turning a book I’ve written into a full fledged audio production! We announced auditions back in November, and over 90 people signed up! We were not prepared for that many people, so we’ve made a few changes to the audition process and things are well underway! We are getting closer to finding the right voice for each of the characters and I am excited for everyone to hear the finished project!

That is, assuming the finished project is made. Here is the deal, if we’re gonna get this thing to happen, we’re gonna need some support! Cory and I are currently thinking through fundraising and finding sponsors to help fund this project! We believe that it’s very important to pay our actors. If you’d like to support us, and also some really good local talent, keep your eyes and ears peeled!

The book is still coming out by the way! I am planning on releasing it early this year! I released an update on the project back in November, and not much has changed. Aside from the cover, an ebook version, and putting up the amazon listing, it’s all ready to go! I am so excited for you all to read it! I’ve had these characters in my head since high school. It’s a dream come true to know that others will finally be able to enjoy the adventures of Kahsa, Agape, and Stratia!

Any Other Writing?

It’s probably no secret that I struggle with writing blog posts. I’d love to figure out why and write some more, but I’d rather just keep creating new characters and worlds. And so, I have done just that. There’s a book I’ve been trying to map out for a few years now that has given me literal headaches. It’s way too early to reveal what it is, but I’ve been able to actually write some of it this past year! I’ve set up some goals for me to hit each week. 20 pages! It’s a lot, and honestly I’ve failed a lot, but I’ve also succeed quite a number of times too. Since it’s a new year I think it’s time to access how much writing I can actually get done in conjunction with work, rest, and our audio project. It may slow down, but I don’t want writing to stop!

Oh, I’m also mapping some comic book stories out. Pretty hyped about some of it. I have no idea if it will see the light of day, but maybe someday in the future. I’m always open to a good creative challenge!

Okay, Enough of this Writer Talk!

How a I doing outside of writing? Honestly, this past year was, well…. a lot. A lot of excitement as well as a lot of disappointment. I managed to get a new job that I enjoy, but the finances have been a bit too tight thanks to that unforgiving post-college problem called ‘student loans.’ The job is stressful, but it is also good and I’m doing something that really matters! I get to work with people who have disabilities and teach everyone about Jesus! It’s a lot of fun, but a guy’s also got to be financially sustainable too.

There’s been a few other big emotional disappointments, aside from the job hunt which is driving me crazy, but God has continued to be good through them all. I’ve been able to really jump into the Bible again! I’m loving the book of Romans right now, I like to draw lines between different words and verses to help me better understand Paul’s arguments. Honestly, doing that has really got me wanting to making a devotional someday about all the things God teaches me in his word!

Oh, also, BREAD!

Yeah, some of my coworkers at work kept bringing in sourdough bread and I’ve been determined to learn how to make some. So, over the past few weeks I’ve made a sourdough starter out of potatoes, flour, and water, and I’ve also made a few bread recipes with it. Have you ever had sourdough pancakes? OH MY GOODNESS IT IS SO GOOD! A buddy of mine joked that I’d make a great housewife someday. I thought that was pretty funny. I find a girl, I’m gonna bring home the bread and bake it too! Or at least some of it lol. Nobody can quench this creative spirit!

I also, really, truly, do love eating.

Long story short, find some hobbies you enjoy and have fun! Life is stressful, we all need some healthy outlets from time to time! And for me, homemade sourdough seems to be one of them!

That’s about all for this update! I hope you guys found some encouragement or laughter while reading it! I’m looking forward to sharing more about The Knight of Iaddash in the coming months!

Also, PS I guess. But I hope you all enjoy the green website back ground. That was like the sole result of my ‘big’ website overhaul. I’ll let you know if I ever decide to learn web design!

Grace and Peace,

Kenny

A Brief Update (September)

A bright-eyed, blog bored writer, once wrote, “I’m going to blog again. “

Aside from one very simple update, he did not.

That writer is me.

What happened?

So, What happened?

Simply put. I forgot. I got a little distracted by life and decided to focus on other things. And then, just as I felt my life was turning a lovely little corner, BOOM, everything came crashing down all at once. Life got rough.

And it still kind of is. Prayers are always appreciated.

But my God is good! He’s been teaching me a lot. A lot about myself. A lot about others. and even more about him.

What happens next? I’m trying to figure a lot of that out.

There are a few things that, Lord willing, I’m fairly certain of.

The Knight of Iaddash

The Knight of Iaddash will release. I have a time period in my mind, but I’m not quite ready to share when that is just yet. However, things are coming along beautifully! The book is complete and fully edited! I’m mostly just waiting for the cover art. AND LET ME TELL YOU, THE COVER ART IS 1000x BETTER THAN I EXPECTED! And I expected a lot! I can’t wait to share this book with you! It’ll literally be a dream come true!

If you want to learn a little bit more about this project, check out this blog post where I share a snippet from the story! There is also a preview of at the end of Poems for the Redeemed Heart, a book of poems I’ve published a few years back! You can buy it on Amazon if you’d like! That book is full of Jesus! Lol.

Anything else?

Is there anything else I’m working on?

Heck yea! However all of it is in early concept and planning stages, and if I ever choose to turn them into reality, I’m sure they would take literal years. These past few month I’ve really had my creative juices running!

I’m also trying to learn some SEO skills as well. Have you noticed that this blog post has some links that leads to other blog posts?!

Here is another link you can click!

Let be honest, my dreams of being a full time writer floating on down the Susquehanna river on a yacht made of chocolate will likely never come to fruition. That’ll never happen (prolly for the best), but I’d like to at least be more self-sufficient. So, I’m trying to learn skills to maybe try a new career. And if it doesn’t fit me, then I’ll try again with something else. Honestly, learning is kinda fun!

With that said. There is a rather good chance your buddy here is going to try to fix this website and make it more functional, as I learn of course. Especially as I inch closer to potentially releasing The Knight of Iaddash. Could be a fun challenge! It’ll be the true test of skill!

Are you done blabbering bro?

Actually, yes I am.

Once again, I just want to thank everyone for their patience. I hope that one day I’ll be able to foster a community of people who can enjoy the hard work I put into my future projects, and that I’d be a creator who can show my readers love and respect! Many prayers have gone into The Knight of Iaddash. I believe that God will establish the work of my hands. If my book is able to encourage one person who needs it, then I choose to believe it was worth my time. Stay tuned friends!

Grace and Peace,

Kenny

Anything New?

Heyo! Kenny B here! I figured I’d give you a brief update of some of the things I’ve been doing! I may do this occasionally. I’m planning on prioritizing updates on the things I’m writing, but I’ll prolly share a bit more of my life from time to time as well!

Any Writing Updates?

What’s that? Did you say writing updates? Well, the answer is YES!

A while ago I’ve shared a snippet of my upcoming book ‘The Knight of Iaddash.’ I’ve been working on this book since before 2020, and I can finally say… that IT IS COMPLETELY DONE! That’s right, it’s been professionally edited, and it should be formatted. And what’s more?! I’ve got a friend with a killer art style working on its cover! I’m very excited to see how it turns out! You can expect more info about it’s release timeframe in the coming months!

Not only that, but I’m also working on a very unique audio version of this story with a talented friend of mine. We are in the beginning stages of its production, but progress is being made. It will more than likely be released after the book itself, but I believe it will be well worth the wait!

What’s up in your life?

Honestly, quite a bit. It’s been a weird time for me. There’s been a lot of new experiences, emotions, and challenges I’ve been facing, but God has helped me work through all of them (and still is) and I think I’m finally starting to see myself grow!

I’ve also quit my job as a janitor. It was kinda bitter sweet, I was tired of a lot of it, but the things I learned and the people I worked alongside of … man, those are memories and people I’ll cherish forever. In its place, I’ve taken up a job working with individuals who have various disabilities. I feel out of my depth, but I’m learning a lot from them, and from my coworkers. Please be praying for me in this new area of work. I don’t see it as a forever job, but I’m enjoying a lot of it!

What’s been fun!?

Also, as an added bonus, here are some of my video games that I’ve been playing over the past year (and also why my writing has slowed down, whoops)!

Persona 5 Royal

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom

The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap

Spider-Man 2 (PS5)

Jedi Survior

Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Xenoblade X

Xenosaga: Episode I

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder Revenge

The Stanley Parable

The Untitled Goose Game

Stray

I hope you enjoyed a glimpse of my life!

Hang on tight for some future updates!

– K. A. Bechtel

I don’t really use my blog.

Hello.

I have a blog. I do not use my blog.

Honestly, I haven’t really felt like using it. I didn’t really know what I wanted this blog to be if I’m honest. I still don’t. But I’m gonna force myself to use it anyways.

Here’s the thing. I’m an author, right? So I’m SUPPOSED to be super professional and build a following, right? I’m supposed to do that through websites, blogs, social media, etc. Basically, I’m supposed to be an advertiser. A seller! A dealer of fine literature who sings the siren’s song to lull you into buying my books!

I don’t quite like doing that.

Cause at the end of the day, I’m Kenny! I just want to write, have fun, and be happy.

But, I also want people to read the things I put a lot of hard work into. Its quite a conundrum!

So I’m gonna blog again.

But this time, I’m just gonna try to be me. Unlike my books, I’m not going to pour too much time into this. I’m not sure what I’ll do. I think the next one might be an update on what I’ve been working on, and maybe life in general?

Welp. See you soon!

Grace and Peace,

K.A. Bechtel

PS. I have written this update in under 10 minutes. This was the easiest blog I’ve ever created. I feel like I can actually do this lol.

Sighs of a Discouraged Writer

I am discouraged.

There, I said it. I am discouraged. Lets be real. Writing is not for the feint of heart, and even if my heart is feinter than most my mere stubbornness and sense of calling practically forbids me to stop. There are somedays where I absolutely love writing, I find it refreshing for both the mind and the soul. But there are other days where I just want to throw in the towel, throw my hands up, and say I’m done.

Sometimes I look at an hour or two of work… and just sigh.

Maybe you’re a writer and you feel the same way. If you are not but still work and dream of doing something creative, there is a good chance you are often disappointed by your own work. I suppose it is a flaw of our broken world. God created us to get pleasure from our work, and yet often it leaves us drained. And I can say, one month after writing my initial draft of this article, the drain only gets harder when you have a full time job. Writing has been sparse over the past few months for me, both time and disappointment can really hold you back.

Today I would like to share with you three reasons I typically get disappointed. Maybe you can relate.

Continue reading →

Available Now: Poems for the Redeemed Heart

Cover Art
Front Cover Created By David Brandt

My latest book, Poems for the Redeemed Heart is out now! As I mentioned in a previous post, this project is very near and dear to me. It collects poems I wrote throughout both High School and College, most of which I never was really intending to publish. I hope you consider purchasing a copy. I think you will find it highly enjoyable!

What exactly is the book about? Here is an a description from the book’s back cover

This book is for redeemed hearts! It is for those who have been brought from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light! In short, it is a book for Christians and perhaps anyone interested in learning more about who Jesus is from a creative point of view.

Contained within are over sixty poems meant to stir your heart towards encouragement and genuine worship through theologically packed poetry that seeks to exalt Jesus Christ and edify the soul.

May the Lord use the words contained in this book to direct your heart towards him, the great redeemer of all who call upon his name!

Poems for the Redeemed Heart is 177 pages. And is currently selling on Amazon.com for $11.99!

Find it here!

How Faith Helps My Fear (4 Lessons from Psalm 23)

Covid19. It has turned our lives upside down. One moment I’m enjoying my senior year at Lancaster Bible College, and the next I’m going home because I am no longer able to work or learn alongside of friends. There were so many people I was hoping to spend the rest of my senior year with. And I treasure the fun that I had. But with the universities closing and classes being moved online, things will have to change.

This isn’t your usual blog post from me. This isn’t about a movie I watched or a book I am writing. It’s about fear. Its about living in world that’s constantly changing, the threat of sickness and death, and how we respond to it. Many of you might not be afraid of this Corona Virus, younger people have only mild symptoms, you may think it isn’t your issue. But it has become all of our issue. The rhythms of life in America have been halted, the new normal reigns supreme, and in this time of uncertainty, we are very prone to fear.

Continue reading →