In a few more days, THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB is available.
Yay.
OK, enough celebrating....
THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB Audiobook
Yep, THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB is going to be available as an audiobook. I have the funds available to do it, and I'm currently discussing details with the voice actor. Seeing that this is the first time I've ever done this, I'm not sure how long it will take. My hope is that I will have something available by the end of May. I'll keep you posted.
I'm really, truly excited about the prospect of THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB in audio.
If you are interested in purchasing THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB - either eBook or paperback - you can find it at the links below:
The "O" Book
After weeks and weeks of saying, "I have about two or three chapters to go," I can report that the rough draft / first draft (whatever you want to call it) is done. I'll probably put it aside for a month to "rest" before I start revisions.
All in all, the final chapters were a departure from my original concept, which is something pretty standard for me. I know the ending has to be tweaked a bit but I managed to get in what I wanted.
The story itself is about a wizard's apprentice that is sent out to deliver a mysterious and potentially dangerous object to a city along the western shore of the region where most of my stories take place. He is escorted by a group of capable mercenaries. This fact, however, doesn't deter a mysterious group from stalking the apprentice, in hopes of capturing him and whatever it is he carries.
The title I've settled on is, "The Wizard Odo." While this was my working title for the project, I've come to enjoy its appropriate message. You'll understand more as you read the book.
The main character - Odo - is of Cathar extraction, which means he's dark skinned. Think "Afro-American." The Cathars and the Oncathars are a culture that I've defined in my Fantasy world, though in previous writings I have done very little with them outside of mention their existence. They show up in the third book of the Frankie Falawell stories (currently under development). Outside of that, I just never did much with them. The Hakan suffer the same fate.
This book is an attempt to bring someone from that culture forward into my writings in a significant way; not just as a background character.
I'm hoping that I can have the revisions done before June, so that my beta readers can have a crack at the story. My sincere hope is that I can have the book on the shelves before December.
Author's note: No, this story won't address issues of racism, or the Black experience in the US. It isn't really my place to discuss these issues, nor is it something that interests me. While the character does have some difficulty in these areas, as it relates to the story and the places where he travels, I don't liken his experience with that of the real world.
A Thank You to my New Subscribers
As some of you are aware, I put out a promo copy of THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB in exchange for subscriptions to my newsletter. I had quite a bit of interest, but only a few people took me up on the offer. Nonetheless, I appreciate all of you who did and I thank you for the interest in my book and any support and encouragement you've provided over the last few weeks.
In the coming weeks, I will send out another newsletter with a list of links where you can write a review for the book. I'll provide more details at a later date.
Still: thank you. I hope the book exceeded your expectations.
Miscellany
I'll be starting my next book fairly soon - maybe late March. Between then and now, I'm going to work on a bunch of short stories that I've started, but haven't yet finished. And I'm looking to clean up some of the chapters from my first attempt with Halsedric. There is some good backstory there that I'll provide, most likely for a fee.
I had a talk with my wife about my overall concept for my writing, and we did a little strategizing. I want to try and monetize the additional "cutting room floor" material from my books, as well as my short stories. My intention was to put those behind a subscription paywall, but my wife had a good point about the weakness of that concept. If I am churning out books, and short stories are a secondary priority, what is the point of a having a monthly or yearly subscription model? Why not just sell these independently on my website?
In short, without a valid roadmap for a subscription service, it very well may mean that my setup on Locals.com is pointless. So, changes in my accessibility and social media presence might be coming in the future.
And that's all for now.