Category Archives: Upcoming Projects

RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCEMENT!

Wait! What? Is this The Knight of Iaddash’s Release Date!?

Yes it is! And the release date is April 8th, 2025!

That’s right, The Knight of Iaddash releases on April 8th, 2025!

Its a rather quick release, but it’s been years of hard work. Everything is polished and ready to go, so why wait!? My goal was April, and I’m hitting it!

What’s the Price?

There are two prices, both with different benefits!

The Paperback is priced $12.99, this one features Veronica Verratti’s epic cover art, but also has an equally stunning back cover that e-readers won’t have access to! Plus, you get that crisp new book feel as you turn every page!

The Ebook is priced at $9.99, that is three dollars cheaper than the paperback version! If you buy it digitally, you’ll be able to read it anywhere you’d like. Phone, laptop, or on your portable e-reader! ! I’ve made a lot of good memories reading on vacations, you can stuff a lot of books in one device, maybe mine will be one of yours!

Where do I order?

Paperback should be available to order on April 8th, 2025 on Amazon. In addition to that, a kindle ebook version is available for preorder now!

I have also submitted my book to ingramspark which opens up the potential for brick and mortar stores to buy and sell my book. This also includes your local library! If you think your local library needs The Knight of Iaddash, tell them all about it!

Additionally, I am working on making sure that you can read my book on other devices outside of Kindle. Please be patient with me as I work on making this book as accessible to be read in as many ways as possible!

Would I like this story?

Quite possibly!

The Knight of Iaddash is a faith-centered novel that is aimed at young adults but is fun for anyone with a love for fantasy. Sitting at 130 pages, it makes for a great weekend read that is filled with action, like-able characters, and faith-filled themes.

The themes in this book are distinctly christian, considering that is my faith. If that appeals to you, then I think you’d really like what this book offers. However, while themes of faith are at its core, I set out to write a fun story first. I don’t believe in sacrificing the story for the message. Both should build one another up!

I also had a lot of fun playing around with classic fantasy and heroes journey tropes! This book features a magic sword, and evil wizard, and a mystical entity that is beyond human. If you like that kind of stuff, you’ll probably get a kick out of this story!

What’s the Blurb?

Ultimately, the back cover blurb is going to give you the clearest idea of what this is all about!

So, here it is!:

Kahsa hates dictators, especially the one he had sworn his life to. Forcefully brought up as a solider and reduced to a mere guardsman, Kahsa wants nothing more than to leave his old life behind and find freedom far from the endless gaze of his ruthless master, Agar.

Deciding to run, Kahsa finds himself in the Glorybud Forest at the center of a prophecy given by a God he does not know. Will this God-Iaddash-be Kahsa’s ticket to freedom, or just another master to rule his life?

The only way for him to find out is to pick up the sword!

Anything else?

Just a giant thank you to so many people, friends and family who has supported me, to my editor, Heather Pruitt, who caught my grammar mistakes, to Veronica Verratti for making such an epic cover, and to Cory Rosen for helping explore the possibility of making this story even more accessible by turning it into an audio drama.

Actually, regarding the Audio Drama, Cory and I are still working on it! The casting call went well, and we’ve got a cast read through very soon! We’re gonna need some funds to make it though, so stay tuned for a kickstarter announcement!

And also, thank you all so much. Whether you know me in person, are a friendly stranger who reads my blog, or someone entirely new, your support means the world to me. If you’re able to pick up The Knight of Iaddash, I hope you have a fun time reading it! I’m so happy to be able to share my words with you!

Grace and Peace,

Kenny

Cover Reveal: The Knight of Iaddash

The time has come!

I am so happy to be able to reveal to you the final cover art of The Knight of Iaddash!

Behold! Kahsa, The Knight of Iaddash, stands front and center as green mist flows from his sword! I couldn’t be more pleased with how this turned out, and all of the credit goes to my friend and artist, Veronica Verratti!

Book Cover: The Knight of Iaddash, stands front and center as green mist flows from his sword! - Art by Veronica Verratti!

This is what Veronica had to say about the project!

“K.A. Bechtel has crafted a world that’s as exciting as it is beautiful. It has been a privilege to help bring this adventure to life”  

It has been such a joy working with Veronica! She has such a unique style that lends well to the heroic nature of Kahsa’s story! When I asked her to do the cover art, I knew it would be good, but she exceeded every expectation! Not only did she do the front cover, but the spine and the back cover as well!

If you want to see more from Veronica and show her your support, you can find her on Instagram at The Hallowed Ink!

And lastly, the book is on track for releasing this year. Stay tuned for more updates on The Knight of Iaddash, including the back cover & synopsis! More to come very soon!

Glory to the Glorybuds!

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

THE KNIGHT OF IADDASH – AUDIO DRAMA TRYOUTS

Earlier today I released a brief update on The Knight of Iaddash, however, there is one more major thing that I’ve yet to talk about!

The Knight of Iaddash will also be an audio production!

I am happy to announce that I have been working with the award-winning composer Cory Rosen to turn The Knight of Iaddash into an audio production. We are only auditioning locals in and around the Lancaster/York area PA, so a number of you may be out of luck for this one. But if you live in one of these area and got some voice acting chops, give it a shot! Actors will be compensated for their work.

Feel free to sign up here: The Knight of Iaddash – Tryout Sheet

Oh, one more thing. We’ve got a poster.

You want to see it? Here it is!

A Casting Call for an Audio Drama: Looking for 3 male leads, 2 female lead, 6 male supporting and 4 female supporting.

Isn’t the frame stunning? That frame is actually the back cover art of the book, which is illustrated by the very talented Veronica Verratti, and should be finally launching next year! The back cover isn’t complete just yet, so consider this sneak preview. Check out more of Veronica work on her Instagram page: The Hallowed Ink. I’ll do a full fledged front cover reveal at some point in the future! I’m super hyped for that as well!

Anyways, that’s all for today, maybe I’ll see you at tryouts? And if not, hopefully we’ll have your ears!

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

Special Preview: The Knight of Iaddash

Howdy! It’s been awhile hasn’t it? While I’ve not been blogging I’ve been hard at work on an exciting new series that I am currently in the process of editing. It will likely be some time before this story is ready to be released but I wanted to share a special preview with you all.

The series is called “The Knight of Iaddash” and it revolves around a young man named Kahsa who is called by a God to kill his old master Agar. The only problem is… Agar cannot die. The series is a two part saga with room for expansion that explores themes such as friendship, spirituality, and the quest for both freedom and strength.

If this has peaked your interest, here’s a chapter from the first book I’ve been working on. Enjoy!

Continue reading →

Introducing My First Book: Mud & Daisies!

If you’ve been following my blog then you may know that I have a little project that I’ve been working on and am very excited about. The idea for this story was first conceptualized around two years ago, I don’t know how exactly it came about but I when I sat down to write it I was in part inspired by the creepiness of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things as well at Spielberg’s lovable little alien E.T. But this little book is neither of those, rather it’s something fantastical, it’s a modern day fairytale with just as much heart.

What is this book? Well, without any further adieu, I would like to introduce you to my first book, a short story called MUD & DAISIES!

Here is a brief description:

“The two woke up in a dark cavern; the walls twisted with slime and gook. It felt like blood was rushing towards their head, no, not blood… mud.”

Mud & Daisies is a simple fairytale with a lot of heart. The eerie mud creatures have struck again, this time stealing away two children, Andrew and Shelby, with plans to transform them into mindless icky living mud. But when all hope is lost, ‘The Mud Lady’ appears! Who is this unforeseen friend? Will Andrew and Shelby be safe in her gooey hands?

I’m very excited for you all to come on this adventure with me! If you want a bigger preview to this story, I posted an excerpt a few months back. You can find that preview here!

Logo Time!

This is going to be a super short blog post! But, I am excited to announce that the Story Bunk now has a new logo! Feel free to check it out below (or above since it should now appear at the top of every page)! Special thanks goes to my friend Kayla for getting this put together!

I’m excited this summer to be able to work on some stories I’ve really been itching to tell. One story in particular, I am super excited about. You won’t hear about that one any time soon though but I’ve been able to make some good progress on it already! Just a little update on what I am doing.

Also, I’ve got one finished story that I’m hoping to publish by the end of the summer! If you read my previous blog post you can get a quick preview of it… expect a title announcement very soon!