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So, this is a bit of a breakthrough. Doubtless thanks to JJ Abrams and my constant John Harrison/Khan Noonien Singh Star Trek Into Darkness posts this blog has broke 406 unique visitors – TODAY.
Sure, I average about 100 unique hits a day, but never up like this.
That’s how they tell you to build a platform – Talk about what you like and know.
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Among Bright Stars… (Neo-human #2)
Humanity’s future, isn’t human…
Nadia Korelia, Falcanian queen, has spent the last three years assembling together her sibling Morningstars. Artificial people, who are in every way stronger, smarter and more beautiful. Among these Morningstars are Temujin Sardur, a Mongolian buccaneer, who raided pleasure boats in the Andaman Sea, Guillaume LaSalle, a Gascony spaceship Commander, who participated in bringing alien life to Earth, and Darius Noorani, the 12th Imam foretold by Islamic religion. Can Nadia unite her fellow Morningstars, even as the Falcanians use war, to broker for peace?
It’s finally here, Neo-human book 2!
A few thoughts. The book here is very different from the draft I began with, though the plot is largely the same, how it gets to where its going is somewhat different. Many of the changes came about because these first three Neo-human books were written as a single unit, not unlike LoTR, and the second book behaved too much like “the middle” of the novel than a story on its own. To be sure, the larger story arc needed to be, and is served here, though I made a point to connect the grander arc to the micro focus on Mornngstars and what they are. In fact doing so added another layer of meaning which I didn’t intend to touch on until further down the road in the series.
If “Starblade” was the story of Frederika learning about who, and what she is, then “Among Bright Stars…” is Nadia‘s story exploring she and Frederika‘s common Morningstar origins.
I’m going to forewarn you, there’s a little something for everyone to HATE in this book. It could be the whole Muslim messiah presented as both a Robot and a fierce Westernizer/reformer. After Benghazi, I made a special effort to tick up that plot a bit… Or, it could end up being Princess Sitara‘s life choice – Which will only seem radical depending upon your point of view on the matter – Though its sure to annoy some contingent who think science fiction‘s job is to support one particular party line. On that same note, I’m sure the whole Annunaki riff will grate a few people the wrong way as well. But, I don’t try to please everyone, or anyone but myself first and foremost when I write.
*A sharp eye will note, the Table of Contents (TOC) is different in the Amazon version compared to the Smashwords (aka all other retailers) TOC. That couldn’t be avoided. Kindle was being a pain and wouldn’t read the Table of Contents as it was formatted for Smashwords (which was odd as it had every other time) so I needed to build it a different way. Which is why the epigraph is displayed as it is on the Amazon book.
Hey, Lets Get Us Some New Gatekeepers…
St. Louis GateKeepers (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I am going to refrain from linking to it, or naming it, as I am pretty sure, it’s a bad idea.
I just ran across a link to a website on Facebook, in my newsfeed, which claims to ‘endorse, and vet Indie books’. Look I know on paper, that might seem like a very good idea, but it’s not – for all sorts of reasons. To begin with, a monster like that, is sure to become entrenched within the independent book community, even come to demand of itself to be seen as the beginning and end of what is considered ‘the standard’ for what should be allowed to be published. Secondly, I think the presumption does a disservice to would be writers, or up and coming authors, end up boxing them out, just in the same manner Big Six NY publishers have done.
Its easy enough to see such a group begin to demand that sites like Smashwords, Lulu… or Amazon insist that their published works begin to carry their vetting sites mark of approval. Actually, I don’t think Mark Coker at Smashwords would ever allow such a thing to take place, Amazon however – they already have lots of power, and seem to sway toward being control freaks.
Trust me, if these ’standards’ existed before, there never would be any rising indie authors. Most, if not all would fall short and be discouraged. The beauty, the power of indie authorship, is in its Wild West nature.
No one vets, or seems to seek to vet, indie music, movies, or painters – those artists are allowed to put forward their work with no (or very little) feeling of guilt for doing so, sometimes even praise for daring to do it provides their work more value. But a book! how dare a writer dare to walk about beyond the gatekeepers. Even among our own, we keep pushing the impulse to regulate, as if a bad book someway kills us all. Trust me, it won’t. There’s no reason the same sort of openness among graphic artists, and indie bands should not me allowed to go forward among indie authors. Well, unless we foolishly begin to regulate ourselves – as if what we turn out has an impact on the health and safety of our fellow human beings. Bad writing, or novels won’t scar anyone, sometimes even ‘classics’ emerge from out of total cheese.
I just see the seed being planted, to replace the old system, with exactly what the new one came along to rip down. And it makes no sense to me whatsoever.
Araboth…
Araboth? What’s Araboth? Well its my new site. Why did I build it? Mostly so I can use my versatile (not to mention, hit generating…) Nabble gallery, and forum, which WordPress won’t let me embedded here.
Why did I name it Araboth – ‘Seventh Heaven’? I wanted to choose a word that I didn’t make up, or require anyone who stumbled upon the site to be familiar with my work, well that is until after they took a look around the site that is. Araboth is a nice enigmatic, but powerful word, though, it does connect in a very broad sense to my Falcanian novels… if you wonder how, just go read Light & Fire offered above in the free reads.
Anyway, feel free to stop on over, look at the galleries, which contain lots and lots of goodies. Not all of it directly related to anything I’ve written. Much of it is whatever strikes my fancy, or whim. And if you’re really adventures join the BBS. To me, the site is intended to be a crossroads, as you can see by the menu bar that links to this blog and other pages related to me, or my writing. Right now its kind of basic, but it will grow.
The URL is really simple, and is indeed a word I created. I’m sure you’ve seen it here before.
http://falcanian.weebly.com/index.html
And You’re No Amanda Hocking…
Amazon Kindle (Photo credit: agirregabiria)
You know, I don’t want to sound like a curmudgeon, and contrarian… but I really hope to never read that phrase ever again. Usually it’s offered up by other writers trying to give well-meaning (but not always, and I think often with ulterior motives) advice on self-publishing/indie authorship. They do so regarding matters of editing, and proof reading, as if they hold the keys to the kingdom and what they’re telling writers is some sort of big secret, when, well it’s not at all, but regurgitated truisms. And I also notice, those who are very quick to nod their head and tell other authors how to go about their work, aren’t so much invested in the indie author community so much as using it to gain a leg up in Big 6 publishing.
Can we get this straight? Amanda Hocking didn’t sell a bunch of books because she was a great grammarian, or editor. She herself says as much. However she did make a point to say, when she suddenly found herself in a whirlwind of fame that she targeted a specific niche, and wrote what she thought would appeal to that market. That I think is her actual secret to success, nothing more, nothing less. It was not about dotting ‘I’s, or the placement of question marks.
You know what? I do not want to be the next Amanda Hocking. I want to be me, with my own style, and writing quirks. Firstly, I enjoy the freedom of being an indie author. Part of that freedom is an editorial one. I would lose that were I to sign up with a big publisher. Somehow I am doubtful Miss Hocking still gets a final say on her work. Other writers, unless I invite them in, do not, and should not have a say in my writing, or publishing process. To presume to lecture, is to presume to tell a painter what brushstrokes they are allowed to make.
To me writing is an art, not a science. Don’t grind it down, and turn it into a lifeless, bland paste.
What set this post off? Well I stumbled on a blog post, which presumes to give just such advice. It might be well-meaning, it might have other purposes. The trigger however was, when in the comments, I see someone remark that ‘self-publishing seems like a nightmare’. Wait, what? That has not been my experience, overall I’ve enjoyed Amazon Kindle, and Smashwords. I take umbrage that this blogger, who does not seem invested in the indie author community, but as a means to get a big contract, which is fine if that’s what you think your brass ring is. Me, I think its overrated — is presenting a misrepresentation of indie authorship. The behemoths which are the Big 6 publishers, are imploding as an industry, vast sinking ships, not knowing how to deal with a sudden lack of gatekeepers. Why would anyone want to jump on that ship? Why would a writer volunteer to act as gatekeeper for a broken system. I can only assume it’s not about artistic integrity.
Ironically, were such rigorous views in place before hand, there never would have been an Amanda Hocking to begin with.
Related, I highly recommend Lin Robinson’s Rules, over at Indies Unlimited. He often says, the only rules one needs worry about satisfying are the body of published work which are filled with all the things you’re not allowed to do as a writer. They’re not nearly as stringent as one might think.
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New Release: The First Technomancer
Born of a demon, intended to be a messiah, only later to become a madman of the forest glen, the enigmatic figure history recalls as Merlin Emrys is not who, or what you think he is. With his faithful owl Vrroch, Merlin wanders high, and low. Ever seeking, always learning. His magic, and meddling can make empires rise or fall.
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I am very pleased with this book. For me, The First Technomancer is a foundational book, meaning it lays the metaphysical background for my entire shared universe. You’ll notice that on Amazon this book is listed as being part of The Imogen Drake Series – Even though, as yet there are really no Imogen Drake books. Well I felt it fit better there, plus what better way to launch that series but with Merlin!
I decided this will be part of a miniseries, the Caliburn Cycle, which might be a duology.
Ahem… the majority of this book deals with Merlin, or rather, “who he really is”, while the last part essentially begins The Arthurian Cycle. I’ve every intention to pick the story up where it leaves off. You’ll also find many nods to Merlin media throughout. I was going to include An Author’s Note in the back, but then I figured, that’s what this blog is for.
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