A Writer's Week #82: Getting Back Into It

Hi all! I took a break last week to go on vacation and we had a wonderful time. I spent next to no time writing, thinking about writing, blogging, marketing--well, you get the idea. We spent a few days down in Williamsburg. The kids had a blast and so did Stephanie and I.

I took a lot of pictures to use as inspiration for book 4 of the Deliverers Series (okay, so I did think a little about writing, but it wasn't about book 3). There's going to be a little bit of time travel back to the Revolution involved, so the trip was just what the doctor ordered.

In any event, I returned ready and raring to go, and that's just what I did. I wrote 2,800 words on The Golden Dragon of Ang, bringing the word total to 56,650 over 247 pages and 58 chapters. I'm working my way through the climactic scene and then it will be on to the denouement and the first draft will be complete. You'll be hearing all about it in the coming weeks.


While on vacation, I received a photo from a young reader named Ryan--all of seven years old. He had made a Lego display of his favorite summer reading book for a contest at his local library. He chose The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel. I posted it to Facebook that day (all right, I suppose I thought about blogging and Facebook on my vacation a little bit, too). The picture is at the right. Can you guess who everyone is? Here is the lineup: front row- Hallo (short legs) with axe, Eric with torch, Kate with bow. Back row - Dwarf king with short legs and sword, Sharky, the Guardian of the Jewel.
Platform- black powder barrel, mini-scale mountain with jewel on top and Bolliwog. Quite a nice display, I think. Thank you again, Ryan!

When I returned from vacation, I stumbled across a review of the audio version of Sharky and the Jewel that I did not know was out there. It was by Martha of Martha's Bookshelf, and it was a really great review. In it she praises the storytelling of Jimm Singer, who really did a fantastic job of narrating the book. If you have not had a chance to take a listen, then you really should. The book is digital and can be dowloaded and played on your cell or e-reader or ipod, etc. You can check out a preview on Amazon HERE. Oops--the one thing I did not do over vacation was try to sell books, so I guess it's kind of backed up.

Oh well. While I'm at it, don't forget that The Deliverers 2 is out now in paperback and Kindle! Okay, enough selling. I did manage to sell a few books this week, so things are starting to move along. The new book also received a couple of great reviews on Amazon as well, so this was definitely a great week! Thanks for all your continued support, and I look forward to sharing some more news next time!

A Writer's Week #66: All Quiet on the Western Front

Contrary to what the title of this post may suggest, I am not reviewing the classic WWI novel. I just thought it would be a good way to sum up my writing week. Last week was pretty cool with some great attention being paid to the audio version of Sharky and the Jewel. My good friends over at Fairday's Blog featured audio all week, which included a nice review of the audio book and an interview with narrator Jimm Singer.

Scene from The Golden Dragon of Ang:
 Audience Hall of the Dragon's Mouth

Hmmm, what? What do you mean I told you all about that last week? Oh, sorry, I guess I did. I was kind of hoping you wouldn't notice. See, as exciting as last week was, this week was really low key by comparison.

I'm really in a holding pattern right now. School visits will not start until May (May 1st to be exact), and Order of the Crystal Lion--book 2 in The Deliverers Series--will be released around that time, too. Once the book is out I'll be making the rounds of book and craft shows which will be fun. Once all that starts to happen, things will get busy in a hurry.

One of the living sparkling stone warriors that Eric & Co.
encounter in Golden Dragon of Ang

Even though things are slow on the marketing and publishing front right now, that does not mean I've been idle. It just means that I've been able to use my precious spare time to do what I like best--write! This week has been very productive in that regard.

I was able to write 2,400 words this week, more than I've been able to in any of the last nine weeks. My total now stands at 36,100 words over 157 and 35 chapters. The Golden Dragon of Ang is coming along very nicely. If I keep writing at this rate, I'll be almost finished with The Deliverers 3 before The Deliverers 2 is released. Oh well, I've got some good ideas for The Deliverers 4, so that's fine.

That's really all I've got this week, but you never know what's going to happen from week to week. Anything is possible! Stay tuned.

A Writer's Week #65: Fun Week

I can't tell you what a fun week it's been for me! It all started on Monday when Jess and Stephanie at The Secret DMS of Fairday Morrow's blog reviewed the audio book version of Sharky and the Jewel.  Thank you so much for your kind words, Jessica and Stephanie! You're right, Jimm Singer did a fantastic job on the audio book and I'm glad you agree. Here's a sample:

In the middle part of the week, I came up with a fantastic idea for Eric and the rest of the Deliverers to get from one island to another. In the third book in the series, The Golden Dragon of Ang, they have to visit each of the five Dragon Islands and return to the first within two weeks. Their first trip by ship took about 3 days. I knew that sailing from island to island was not going to  get them back home on time. So I had to figure out a  different way to get them from place to place. This week, I figured it out, and it ties in with a huge plot element, so I was very pleased.

Today, Fairday's blog came through again with a brilliant interview with narrator Jimm Singer. I am so pleased that everyone is enjoying the audio book. Audiofile Magazine has put the audio version in its "review queue" which means that in the next couple of months they will be reviewing it online. I'll let you know when it appears. In the interview Jimm confirms that he will be narrating the audio book version of Order of the Crystal Lion, the second book in the Deliverers Series. I'm really looking forward to working with him again.

You may be wondering when you'll see the paperback and the e-book versions of book 2. Well, it looks now like it will be in early May. There has been so much going on that I've had to push the release date back. Don't worry, I can assure you that it will be worth the wait. I'm really excited for it to come out. As soon as I know more, I'll pass it on to you.

Meanwhile, I've been working away on book 3. The Golden Dragon of Ang is progressing well. With everything going on this week, I was only able to write about 1,400 words, but I'm 33,700 words into the story. That's 31 chapters and 146 pages. This book is growing fast! I'm hoping that there will be less of a gap between the release of books 2 and 3 than there has been between books 1 and 2. But come what may, I can guarantee that there will be more to come from Eric & Co. before all is said and done. I'll be back with another update next week!

A Writer's Week #64: Gotcha Day and Other Holidays

Today is Good Friday, a solemn and holy day for Christians around the world. It has always been so for me. But for my family and nine others, this particular day of the year--March 29th--is special for another reason. You see, eight years ago today we were in China to meet our daughters. Today, Stephanie and I held our daughter Abigail--all of nine months old--for the first time.

Stephanie & Abigail in China

We call this day Gotcha Day, as in "I gotcha!", and it was the culmination of a long journey. For my wife it fulfilled a dream of adopting a child that she had had since being adopted herself. For me it was the completion of a dream that I had adopted 7 or so years before when Stephanie had asked me if I'd be willing to adopt a child.

A year or so after we had our son Christian, we decided that the time was right to start the search for his little sister. Our search led us to China and Abby. After a year and a half of paperwork, social worker interviews and letters to the Chinese government promising to be good parents and to always treat our daughter as one of our own, we left 3 year old Christian with my in-laws and my parents and took off from Newark airport the day before Easter bound for Hong Kong and then on to Changsha in China. Because China is 12 hours ahead of us, by the time we landed in Hong Kong 18 hours later we had missed Easter entirely.

The entire gang on the lobby steps of the China Marriott in Guangzhou

It was worth it. Abby was the final piece in the puzzle that is our family. Now, eight years later, I can't imagine life without her. In fact from the moment I received her on Gotcha Day, it seemed like she had always been with us. Ever since I met my wife and asked her to a sunrise Easter mass, Easter has been extra special to me. Gotcha Day makes it even more so.

Christian & Abby a few years ago

Happy Gotcha Day to Paul, Deb & Clare; Marie, Tommy, Christina & Julie Rose; Roseanne, Eddie & Gianna; Marcia, Den & Mia; Claudia, Eugene & Maria Pia; Maryanne, Tom & Megan; Joanne & Jaida; Patti & Cami; and Nina, David & Julia whose Gotcha Day came a little later and through infinitely more trying circumstances. We love you guys!

I also did some writing this week. I've got things ramped up a bit and have added a bunch of action to The Golden Dragon of Ang. This week resulted in 2,200 words written, which brings the tale up to 32,300 words, 140 pages and 30 chapters. The coming week should also see some fun publicity for the audio book version of Sharky and the Jewel. I'll give you a heads up when that appears.

On a totally unrelated front. I have pulled together a collection of inspirational short stories and poems that I wrote many years ago for the high school community group that I used to advise at my local church. I'm going to publish them in time for Christmas this year. I wrote one every year for the group's annual Christmas retreat for almost 17 years. Each one was written to reflect the theme of that year's retreat and were meant to be a relaxing interlude in the middle of the retreat--a kind of modern fairy tale. Anyway, I'll keep you updated on that project as it progresses. Have a great week!

A Writer's Week #62: England's Green & Pleasant Land

It's been another quiet week here at Deliverers Publishing Headquarters. Work was hectic, and I've been fighting some form of illness that has left me tired and listless. Thoughts of Lyme disease were floating in my head until my wife came down with the same thing later in the week. While I'm sorry that she had to live my pain, I was strangely happy because it meant that what I was experiencing was just a bug.

Anyway, me being out of sorts made for a dull time on the marketing front. Narrator Jimm Singer and I are working on publicizing the audio version of Sharky and the Jewel. We've got a few reviewers listening to it, including Audiofile magazine, which has put us in their "review queue", so that's exciting. There will be more reviews on the way in the next month or so. I'll keep you all up to date when they appear.

One very nice and slightly surprising development this week were my first two overseas sales of the paperback version of Sharky and the Jewel. I check Amazon's UK store very infrequently, basically because I rarely sell anything (who knows I exist in England?). I've sold a few Kindle editions there, but I had no sales rank at all for the paperback version--that is, until I checked on Sunday. Lo and behold, I was ranked something like 525,000 or so. That meant I must have sold something! Could it be? I logged in to my CreateSpace account and sure enough, I had. In fact, I had sold not one, but two copies! I know that does not sound like much (it isn't), but it was just the idea of breaking new ground. Hopefully, I'll sell a few more going forward.

Of course after that little bit of success, I started check Amazon UK every day, hoping to see more sales. On Wednesday, I was pleased to discover that one reader had posted a 5 star review. Hey, I'm off an running. It's very exciting to have started selling at least a couple copies of my book in England, because I really regard that country as the cradle of great middle grade/YA fantasy. If I could ever manage to gain a following, even a small one, in England I would be one happy caballero.

In spite of being tired and having a couple nights of after hour events this week, I still managed to almost hit my writing goal. I wrote 1,822 words. That means The Golden Dragon of Ang stands at 27,922 words, 122 pages and 26 chapters.

To be honest, I probably would have surpassed my goal if it  had not been for a plot decision that I simply did not feel up to making. Eric and Kate are escaping from a bad situation. It became apparent that they were going to bump into someone surprising. I had to stop, because I really wasn't sure that it was the proper time to reveal that character's true nature. So, before I continue I have to sit and think about it a bit. I don't think it will be a difficult decision once I run things through my head, but it was just one decision too many for this particular week. Oh well, I'll let you know how that turns out next week! Have a good one!

A Writer's Week #61: Calm Before the Storm

Winter is limping to its bitter end this week. We just had what I hope is the final snowstorm of the season. I am so over snow right now. We did not have too many storms this year, but the ones we had were big. So, bring on the sunshine, I'm ready for it!

This writer's week was rather slow and dull, unfortunately. There was not much going on except for some writing. On that front, I was not as prolific as I would have liked to have been. I've been fighting a cold, which has made me a little sluggish. Because of that, although things flowed really well when I did write, I didn't spend as much time as I could have writing. I guess I should relish this slow period, because I'm getting poised for a flurry of activity in the next few months. More on that a little later.

I wound up writing 2,000 words, which has been about my average for the last three or four weeks.. I really wish I could write 3,000 words a week, which is what I had been doing earlier on. Still, right now The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang is at 26,100 words over 24 chapters and 114 pages. It's coming along really nicely, and I'm generally pleased with the way the story is progressing.

I do have one concern, though. In the book, the Deliverers are visiting a place called the Dragon Islands. These are five islands that resemble parts of a dragon. Their adventure takes them to all five of the islands. That's fine, but here's the problem. I'm 114 pages into it and they're only on the second island. If I keep up this pace, this book is going to be even longer than book 2, which I think will wind up being about 270 pages. The way it stands now, book 3 could be over 300 pages easily. That's pretty long for a middle grade novel, unless your name is Rowling.

My wife has read it and says the pace seems to be okay. I have not read it all the way through, but I guess I should. If the pace is indeed all right, then I suppose I can live with whatever length it winds up being. If it does drag, then I can always cut, although for me that's hard.

I'm also a little worried that there is less action than in book 2 so far. Golden Dragon is more like Sharky and the Jewel in that there's a little more mystery to it. Like the first book, the characters have more distance to travel. Oh well, I still think it's good, it's just different. Each of the books seems to be its own animal. While they all have similarities, they are all radically different, and that's a good thing.

So, what's on the horizon? Well, more writing, obviously. Aside from that, narrator Jimm Singer and I are lining up reviewers for the audio version of Sharky and the Jewel so I should be sharing those with you starting this month. If you haven't checked it out you should--the link is at the top of this page. I should finally be getting a glimpse of the cover for book 2--I'll share it with you when I do. School visits will be starting soon and once Order of the Crystal Lion is out, I'll be appearing at some shows. I'll let you know the details as things are set up. Have a great week!

A Writer's Week #56: A Host of Possibilities

Hello. My apologies for not posting last night, but I was at a big Lion's club function to kick off the Connecticut Lion's Mid-Winter Conference. It's a big to-do, so I went and checked it out. Lots of fun stuff going on including a fantastic performance by the National Theater of the Deaf.

This week was one of unexpected possibilities. On the one hand, sales of the audio book continue to be slow and winter is a hard time to try and sell anything as shows and other venues are few and far between. On the other hand, I've got one great blog that's agreed to review the audio book in the near future, and I am going to be asking a few other bloggers to review it as well. If anyone blogs about books, please consider reviewing the audio version of The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel. Please leave a comment or send me a message on Facebook.

I am also getting ready to crank up the school visit caravan. I've got three class visits lined up so far, with more on the horizon. I'll keep you updated on how that goes. I'm even more excited than usual about these visits this year, because I'm planning to add a little more multimedia. I'm still figuring it out, but I want to use the audio book and the blog. I've used the blog before, but to have an audio book available to get the kids interested should be helpful--especially when I visit younger classrooms. I've designed an interactive map of Calendria that will be a nice tool to use, too. It's going to be posted on my new author's website. More on that in a bit.

I also spoke with Sharron Lavatori, a good friend of mine and a learning design professional, who is going to help me design a little curriculum based on The Deliverers and this blog. Apparently, I've managed to incorporate a lot of varied learning elements into my blog. Who knew? I was just trying to make it fun and interesting for kids. So I'm really excited about the possibilities.

With the help of a professional like Sharron, I hope to one day be able to offer a more robust curriculum. That way, in addition to my standard informal chats about writing and what students can do to write for fun on their own, I will also be able to offer a more formal program that I could present to an entire grade. We'll see what happens with that.

On the writing front, The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang has hit its first snag. I've been breezing along without a care in the world for weeks now. I managed to write 2,400 words, which brings me to 14,400 words, 64 pages, and 13 chapters, but I ended the week feeling a little disappointed. I was sure I was going to make 15,000 words, but I think I lost my way a little.

Here's what got me. Eric and Kate met someone who was supposed to be real fierce and tough. Everybody is afraid of this guy. Even his name is tough--the Fang. He's really threatening them and giving them a hard time. Then, somewhere along the line he does a 180, starts treating them better, and now I think he might wind up being an ally of sorts. I always say that characters have a life of their own, and sometimes they do things that surprise me. This is one of the few times though where I've said, "No! This should not be happening! He's got to be a mean guy."

So, I'm going to have to take some time and evaluate what I've got. Is he really mean and evil, is he their friend, or is he playing his own game? I'm thinking I know the answer even as I type this, but I have to figure out how to work it all out. Stay tuned.

Oh, one last thing. I'm putting the finishing touches on my author website. In a week or two, I'll be transitioning most of my weekly posts over to that site. Now, don't worry, this blog will still be around. I plan to use it as a base for information about the worlds in my books. Here you'll see in depth info about Calendria and the Lands Beyond, Vynistra City (from The Deliverers 2) and eventually the Dragon Islands (from The Deliverers 3). I'll let you know when the change takes place, and give you a tour. Have a great week!

A Writer's Week #55: The Road Less Traveled

One of the harsh realities of being an independent author (aka Indie) is that it's tough to make a go of it on your own. When I set out on this journey over a year ago, I knew this full well. I chose the path I have taken and I accept it. I could have gone the regular route, tried to get an agent to look at my work, waited to hear from them, then once I've secured said agent, waited for them to cast about for a publisher.

Photo by Jody S. Cipot. Check out all his photos
 at  Photography By Jody

Unfortunately, that's not me. For better or for worse, I'm just not patient enough. I'd rather be moving forward than standing around waiting, even if I wind up getting no further in the end. My favorite analogy is I'd rather drive the back roads than be sitting around waiting in traffic, even if I wind up getting there later. It feels like I'm doing something.

I also can't sit back and trust that things will work out in the end, leaving things in someone else's hands. I've got to be in control. Control freak and impatient--bad combination. Still, I think in the long run, I'll be happy with the choice I've made.

I've learned a lot along the road, and met many fantastic people. I think I'm better able to multi-task. Before, I would have stopped at one book and worked to get published. I needed that closure before starting another project. Now, I've published one book, have an audio book that was just released, a second book in final editing and production, and a third book that's almost a quarter done. Wow, tires me out just typing that!

The fact is, I never would have grown so much if I'd decided to take the traditional route. I may have been more successful monetarily, but then again, maybe not. All I know is I am enjoying the ride, although sometimes I still doubt myself. After all, it's hard to do any kind of marketing with little or no money, but I do the best I can. Sometimes when sales are slow (i.e. after Christmas) it bothers me that I don't have the marketing power of a publisher behind me, but thanks to the support of people like you, I know that the next sales run is just around the corner.

I wonder if there's a door in this drainpipe...photo by Jody S. Cipot

In the meantime, I'll keep moving forward with all my projects. Let me tell you, it's never dull. That's the reason why I love it so much. Thanks again for all your support. I can't begin to express how much it means to me.

Now, on to the weekly writing update. I hit my goal of 2,000 words this week. The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang, now stands at 12,000 words, 55 pages, and 11 chapters. The Deliverers 2: Order of the Crystal Lion is still waiting for a cover. I'm also waiting for the last of my test readers to give me their opinions/suggestions. I was gratified to hear from one this week that said book 2 is "amazing", and that it kept her guessing all the way through, and all of her guesses turned out to be wrong! I love that.

Sales of the audio book in its first week of release have been a little slower than anticipated. I had hoped that the audio book listening community at Audible and Amazon would have checked it out. I think it suffered a little due to the fact that the category Audible originally placed it in was Teens 11-13  scifi/fantasy. I've had a word with them, and just yesterday they moved it to Kids 8-10 scifi/fantasy, which I think is more appropriate both from a story and a performance standpoint. We'll see how that works out. I'll update you again next week!

A Writer's Week #54: Another Nice Week

Hi everyone, how are you? I hope you've had a great week. For me, this has been a fantastic writer's week. The cover of The Deliverers 2: Order of the Crystal Lion is progressing, and I hope to have something to review soon. The writing of The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang is going so smoothly, that I have to wonder if it's not going too smoothly. More on that in a bit.

My biggest thrill, though, had to do with my first book, The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel. That's because the audio book version was released on Wednesday on Audible.com, and yesterday on Amazon. It will be available on iTunes shortly, too. What a great feeling! Narrator Jimm Singer worked long and hard on the production, and it shows. It's a great sounding book, if I do say so myself. Here's a video I made of the audio book sample. Blogger does not have an easy way to display audio files (if anyone knows of one, please comment below!), so I produced a video. Take a listen and leave a comment.

As I mentioned earlier, The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang, is really moving along quickly. I have not found myself getting bogged down with plot questions. This week, I wrote 3,200 words, bringing me to 10,000, which works out to 10 chapters and 46 pages. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it continues.

I think one of the reasons that it's going so well is that I really planned this one out from the start. It's not that I did not do that for the first two, it's just that I spent more time on it this time around. The vision was there from the start, and I think I'm wiser now and more experienced. Will I ever get to the point where I'll be so inspired that I can write a book in a few weeks? Maybe one day. But even if I do, where would I find three uninterrupted weeks to do it? Right now, I'm just glad that I'm on pace to finished the first draft by the end of June rather than the end of August. Will I be able to keep up the pace? I'll update you again next week. 

The Deliverers Sounds Great

I'm writing today with good news. The audio version of The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel was released today on Audible.com! It's been a long process which began in the middle of September, but along the way, but I've learned a lot and made a great friend in narrator Jimm Singer.

The audio book is currently available at Audible.com. In the next few days, it will also be released on Amazon and iTunes. The cost is $19.95 for the 5 hour 17 minute production. Please check it out and tell your friends.

A Writer's Week #53: Trying to Make My Goal

This week was another typical one for me, one I'm sure that you experience rather frequently as well--busy. There wasn't a whole lot of time for me to do the things I really needed to do writing-wise. Naturally, I was worried that I would not be able to hit my weekly writing goal of 2,000 words.

Now if you think about it, that is not a very aggressive goal. It's less than 300 words a day. But it's really all I can realistically hope for on average these days with everything else I've got going on in my life. Some weeks, I find myself scrambling to reach it. Like this week.

The weekend was busy, so no writing was done there. Then on Monday, I figured I'd get to work setting up my author blog. Cyber dunce that I am, I wasted a lot of time on a technical glitch (that I'm still waiting for blogger to clear up--sigh), which resulted in me using two evenings that could have been spent writing trying to figure things out. Oh well. Although the domain issues have not been hammered out, I have made great strides in setting up the new site and it's looking pretty good. 

That left just Wednesday and Thursday evening for me to get some writing done. Suddenly my 300 words a night had shot to 1,000. Oh boy, now I was in trouble. Luckily, I have a very understanding wife who let me hole myself up in our room for two nights to write. Then again, after hearing me growl at my computer for two nights while I struggled with the site, maybe she was happy to be rid of me...

Anyway, in spite of things, I managed to write 2,100 words. The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang now stands at a little over 6,900 words, which is five chapters and 30 pages. It's coming along very nicely, I must say.

My other projects are still in their holding patterns. I had been hoping that the audio book version of The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel would have been released by now. However, it has to go through a stringent review process before ACX releases it, and my book is not the only one they're getting ready to release, so that makes for a longish wait. I'll let you know as soon as it's released. Who knows, maybe that will be next week! I hope you have a great one.

A Writer's Week #52: Getting Ready to Soar

Let's see, where to start? This has been a very productive week. First off, I was able to donate $100 to  my local Salvation Army. If you remember in November I pledged to donate 50 cents for every book I sold online and a dollar for every book I sold in person during the last two months of the year. Thank you to everyone who purchased a book for Christmas and holiday gifts! The funds I donated were used to help bring Christmas gifts to needy children.

This week, I also launched my own publishing imprint. All of my future books will be published by White Owl Manuscripts, not Createspace. Createspace will act as printer and distributor. White Owl is now listed as publisher of the Kindle version of The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel. With that in mind, I have designed my own logo. You can see it at the left.

Now that White Owl Manuscripts is off the ground, and with the upcoming release later this year of my second book, I'm going to be assessing this blog. I'm thinking about renaming it and switching the domain to my own name. This would give me more flexibility the more titles I release and if (when) I start writing other genres.

Okay, enough of the business stuff. This was also a great week for writing. I left my weekly writing goal of 2,000 words far behind. I wound up writing 3,100 words. The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang is progressing nicely. I'm at 4,800 words, which gets me up to 22 pages and into chapter 4. At this point of the story, Eric and company have been given their Assignment and been sent through the door to yet another world that needs their help. Eric has also had a chat with the Gatekeeper, who has some troublesome information for him.

As for the other projects I've got going on, there's nothing to report on the audio book front. Jimm and I are still waiting for ACX to complete their review process. I'm guessing they'll release it sometime next week, but don't know for sure.

As for The Deliverers 2: Order of the Crystal Lion, I'm waiting on my test readers and my art department (a/k/a Daniel Vogel) before I can move forward. I'm champing at the bit, but know that patience is a virtue, so I'll keep smiling and waiting. I'll let you know what happens next week!

A Writer's Week #51: Looking Behind and Ahead

So here we are at the end of another year. All in all I'd say it's been a good one. On the writing side, I've accomplished a lot. 

Happy New Year from Stig!

• The Deliverers, while not setting the world on fire, has sold okay. More importantly, I have received enthusiastic feedback from readers, which has been very encouraging and much appreciated.
• I made a lot of school visits and met a bunch of great students and teachers. 
• I was also able to write the second book, The Deliverers 2: Order of the Crystal Lion. It is currently in the hands of test readers and will be out by next spring.
• The audio book version of The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel featuring Jimm Singer is complete and will be out in January.

The new year will soon be upon us, and that means that it's time to write another book. This week, I began writing the third book in the Deliverers series, The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang. I spent over a month mapping out and refining the plot. 

Christmas a few years ago--Christian & Abby

I have set a goal of 2,000 words a week. Now, I only wrote a little over 1,700 words this week, but I have to say that I'm satisfied with that. For me, starting a book is the hardest part. After all, I rewrote the first chapter of both my previous books. I think this time, I got the first chapter right (although it's not quite finished yet). Time will tell.

With the coming of the new year, I think I'm off to a great start. I'm looking forward to seeing this book grow and develop. As always, I'll bring you along for the ride every week. Happy New Year!

A Writer's Week #50: It's a Wrap

This week was both satisfying and frustrating. It was satisfying because production has finally wrapped on the audio book version of The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel. Narrator Jimm Singer had delivered the final chapter to me early last week, and I've been spending the time since then listening and relistening to the entire production looking for any audio typos--missed words or phrases.

Meanwhile, Jimm was conducting some quality of his own, making sure the audio quality was consistent throughout, and that the chapter headings and the spacing at the end of each chapter was consistent with ACX's guidelines. Jimm even went so far as to rerecord some parts of both the beginning and the end of the book that he was not satisfied with, even though they sounded fine to me. He was right--the end result was even better!

In the end, I think the extra time we took on the book will be well worth it. I can't stress Jimm's professionalism and talent enough. He was a pleasure to work with, and I recommend him to any of you out there who have a book and are looking for someone to bring it to life as an audio book--especially if you have a lot of different characters. I'm looking forward to working with him on the audio version of The Deliverers 2: Order of the Crystal Lion when the book is published.

Now, the book is in ACX's hands. It will take two to three weeks for them to do a final quality control check, process it, and release it on Audible.com, Amazon, and iTunes. I'll be sure to let you all know when it's out.

Meanwhile, my test readers are looking over the next book, The Deliverers 2: Order of the Crystal Lion. I've already received some valuable feedback, and am looking forward to more by the end of the month. After that, I'll make whatever changes are in order and then send it over to Ana Vogel to be laid out.

Ana's son, Daniel, is working on the cover, the map and one or two other illustrations as we speak. I'm hoping he'll get the cover squared away while he's on Christmas break. Right now, I'm still on track for a March release date, but we'll have to see. Ana's pregnant and due in February, so that might have an impact on when the book is ready to go.

After kicking some ideas back and forth, and writing a notebook full of notes, I believe I am almost ready to start writing the third book. I really like the idea. Eric, Stig, Kate and Hallo are sent on an Assignment in an island world, called the Dragon Islands. They have to help get things back on track there, and they're also alerted to a problem in the Hallway of Worlds which is hinted at in the second book.

The working title for the third book is The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang. It's funny that it took me almost a year to come up with the title of the second book, but that the title for the third came upon me soon after I had the idea for the book. Anyway, I plan to start writing next week. I don't know if I'll get 2,000 words in next week with Christmas and all, but that will be my weekly goal going forward.

While we're on the subject, and since I'm not planning to post again until the 26th, I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and/or happy holiday. My you be blessed with peace and joy both now and in the coming year. Count your blessings, and take time to tell those in your life that you love them. God bless, and I'll let you know how things are coming along next week!

A Writer's Week #48: The Plot Thickens

This was not a week for those who lack patience, such as myself. I've said in the past that patience is not my strong suit. I think that over this last year, I've learned to be a little more patient, though. However, this week I found myself being tested on three fronts.

First off, I've been anxious to begin writing The Deliverers 3. I've been mapping out the plot for the book over the past couple of weeks, and I'm happy to report that it's starting to come together. But it's not coming together fast enough to suit me, of course. I must say that I really like what I've come up with so far, it's just that I have to come up with the rest of it. Oh well, once I do, then I'll be able to start writing. I hope it comes quickly.

Early cover sketch for Order of the Crystal Lion

Secondly, I've sent The Deliverers 2: Order of the Crystal Lion out to some test readers, both adults and youngsters. I've already received some very enthusiastic feedback, which is encouraging. I still think there is some editing left to do. My test readers should give me an idea of just how much.

Daniel Vogel continues to work on the artwork. It is coming along--slowly. Great art cannot be rushed, I know, but I'm really getting excited to see how the cover turns out. See? Impatient as usual.

I really can't wait for this book to be ready. I think it's as good as Sharky and the Jewel, and maybe, just maybe, better. Oh well, I'll have a better idea of that after the test readers get through with it.

Audio book cover

Last but not least, the audio book version of The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel is nearing completion. In fact, narrator Jimm Singer has finished the final three chapters. I received Chapter 27 yesterday. He is now tweaking some things that he is not satisfied with. Once that's done, hopefully by the end of the weekend, I'll give the book a final listen, approve it, and submit it to ACX. From there, it takes about two weeks for them to release it on Audible.com and iTunes. That means it will be available by the end of the year, but probably not before Christmas.

The book is a couple minutes shy of five hours long. I'm really looking forward (as I think I've said about 100 times before) to its release. Jimm is just so great with the narrative and all the voices. As I sit and listen to him read the book, I find myself thinking, "Wow, did I write that?" It sounds so good. You are all going to love it, I promise.

So, I've got three projects going on. Two are starting to wind down (hurry!) and one is just cranking up. I've really enjoyed sharing the journey with you thus far, and I look forward to sharing what is yet to come!

A Writer's Week #47: The Kindness of Strangers

Well, it's been yet another busy week here at The Deliverers Publishing Headquarters. So many things have been going on, where to start? I attended another show this week--Ladies Day Out in Danbury, CT. It was a great success for all involved. My wife and children helped me out by gift wrapping copies of The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel. We had a great time and it was fun hanging out with the other vendors. 

The biggest thrill of the day, however, did not result from the sale of any books. I've mentioned before that I am donating 50 cents of each online purchase and $1.00 of each in person purchase of The Deliverers until the end of the year to the Salvation Army. At the show we were gift wrapping books and asking for a donation to the Salvation Army. A woman walked up to our table, and started writing out a check. Then, she dropped it into our tip jar. When we got home and opened the jar, we found she'd written a check for $50 to the Salvation Army. So, than you so much Janice Lelsey Moore for your generous donation! All in all, I've collected $94.50 for the Salvation Army. Please help support the cause by buying The Deliverers for the children in your lives. It's a great book that they will love.

All right, enough with the sales pitch. The Deliverers 2: Order of the Crystal Lion is shaping up. I've spent the last week making some tweaks. It's mostly ready. There are still a couple things I found that I need to fix. I've sent advance copies of the manuscript out to a few children and adults for a test read. I hope they like it. 

I also was able to reach an agreement with Mother Goose Toys in Litchfield, CT to stock copies of The Deliverers. Thank you Susan, Stephanie and I had a great time visiting with you. So, now there are three spots in Connecticut where you can pick up a copy of the book: Mother Goose Toys in Litchfield; The Barn Gallery in New Fairfield; and Byrd's Books in Bethel. I think I'm going to concentrate on increasing the number of stores stocking my books in the coming year. It's an aspect that I've neglected up to now.

Artist Daniel Vogel sent me a mock up of the cover for The Deliverers 2: Order of the Crystal Lion yesterday. It's looking really good. We had to work out the background and the overall color. I think we figured it out, I just have to see how it actually looks before I'm sure. I hope to be able to unveil the cover sometime before Christmas. Exciting stuff!

The audio book version of The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel is nearing completion. My hope is that it will be available in the middle of December. It really sounds terrific. I used my Kindle Fire to play a bunch of videos at the show including the book trailer, my YouTube interviews, and two sample chapters from the audio book. I received a lot of great feedback on the audio chapters. I'll let you know the minute it's available.

I also got a lot of work done on the plot outline for The Deliverers 3. I had hoped to begin writing, but there are still some plot points that I nneed to get settled before I begin. It won't be too much longer, though--either next week or the week after. I'll let you know how things are going next week.

A Writer's Week #46: On To Phase 3

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving filled with food, football, and even shopping if that floats your boat! I had a great holiday with the family, including a fun hike and pic-nic today.

This holiday week was also a very productive writer's week for me. I set up my table at the Run For the Turkeys this past Sunday, and had a really great time. I sold some books, got to meet a bunch of great people, and in the process raised a few dollars for the Salvation Army. So far, my donation total stands at $20. Remember, for every copy of The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel that I sell between now and the end of the year, I'll donate 50 cents to the Salvation Army.

This Sunday, November 25th, I'll be at Ladies Day Out in Danbury, CT from 11 to 4 at the PAL Building. If you're in the area and want to get some holiday shopping done, there's going to be a wide array of vendors, many of whom will be selling locally handcrafted items. Come on down and say hello.

On the writing front, I have concluded all the major rewriting, otherwise known as editing Phase 2. This means that all that remains is to send The Deliverers 2: Order of the Crystal Lion out to an editor to have her review. Hopefully, I haven't missed anything, or overlooked some critical plot point. If I have, though, my editor will catch it.

The audio book version of The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel is moving along. Narrator Jimm Singer has completed 24 chapters, and only three remain. I'm hoping he'll be finished shortly, but the holiday week has slowed things down a bit. I'm trying to be patient, but now that we're so close to the end I'm really starting to get excited. It sounds really great, and I think you're all going to love it. I'll let you know when it's out.

I am currently roughing out the idea that I've been working on for The Deliverers 3. I am hoping that I'll be able to start writing next week. The idea is a good one, I think, but I still have a lot of things to work out. A lot of the details usually iron themselves out as I write and the characters put their two cents in, but I still have some of the major ideas/themes to hammer out before I start writing. If I can do that this weekend, then I should have a green light to write. I'll let you know how it went next week!

A Writer's Week #45: Heading Into the Holidays With a Thankful Heart

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is now less than a week away, and we'll soon be (if we haven't been already) launched into the holiday season. I don't know where the year has gone, but I do know that I have a whole lot to be thankful for--a healthy, happy family; good friends; a good job that I enjoy; and lots of good news on the writing front.

With that in mind, I've decided to give 50 cents for every copy of The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel sold online between now and the end of the year to the Salvation Army. I will also donate $1.00 for every copy of the book that I sell in person. So far, I'll be donating $6 at the end of the year. I'd love to be able to donate at least $50. The Deliverers makes a great gift for the young readers in your life, so pick up a copy or two and help support a great organization at the same time.

Production continues on the audio book version of Sharky and the Jewel. Narrator Jimm Singer says recording could be finished by the end of this weekend, then I'll be giving the whole book a final listen. After I give my approval, ACX will prep it for release on Audible.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes. If all goes according to plan, it could be out as early as the first week in December. I'll keep you updated.

The editing of The Deliverers 2: Order of the Crystal Lion is moving along. I've edited 195 of 265 pages. Once I get done with the first editing pass, I'll go back and make the bigger changes--fixing or deleting scenes that don't work, and any other large changes that I think may be needed. So far, I've identified only two or three areas that need to be shored up, which is great. I was worried there would be more. We'll see how the last 70 pages go.

Artwork for The Deliverers 2 is progressing as well. Daniel Vogel has sent me a rough layout of the cover, and is working on a drawing of the crystal lion. I think the cover concept is good, and I'm looking forward to a final rough with some color.

All this means that I'm on track for an end of February, beginning of March release. I'll be off work for the last week of November, so I'm looking forward to being able to devote a lot of time to these projects. I'll let you know how I'm getting on next week. Until then, may you and your family and friends have a happy, safe Thanksgiving!

A Writer's Week #44: Irons in the Fire

The activity at The Deliverers Publishing Headquarters continued at a fevered pitch this week. There's so much going on that I'm not sure where to start. First off, I was looking around for a way to talk up my two appearances in Connecticut later this month, and reached out to Carolyn Mueller at the Danbury News Times. She has always been very supportive and did a nice interview with me when The Deliverers was released last November.

Anyway, not only is she putting a promo in her Book Notes feature a week from Sunday, but she also wrote a nice article that is already up on both the NewsTimes.com, but also CTPost.com. I believe it will also run in either this or next Sunday's paper. You can check out the article HERE.  Not only did she talk up my appearances on the 18th and 25th, but she also gave a nice recap of the book, and a plug for The Deliverers blog. She even gave the upcoming the audio book and The Deliverers 2: Order of the Crystal Lion a mention! I don't think I could have asked for a better article. Thank you Carolyn for being so supportive!

I spent a good deal of time editing The Deliverers: Order of the Crystal Lion. I find that it's starting to go a little more slowly, mostly because I'm just getting tired of editing. I'd much rather be writing, but this is something that has to be done, so it's becoming more of a chore than anything else. I think I've said before that I am impatient by nature, and I'm chomping at the bit to get on with this and get the book published. But I know that a little bit of patience now will mean a better book later, so I'm soldiering on.

One reason that my patience is wearing thin on the editing front is that I am anxious to start work on the next book. I have to finish one book before starting another--I just can't concentrate on two at once. However, this week I did sketch out a very rough outline for The Deliverers 3. I even came up with a title, which is something new. I usually can't think of titles until I'm almost done with the book. I don't know if  starting with a title this time around is good or bad, but it was inspiring. I'm not going to reveal the title in case it changes along the way, but I like the idea it sparked and the outline so far. I can't wait to refine it and actually start writing!

The audio book version of The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel continues to move ahead. It should be completed in two or three weeks, depending on how narrator Jimm Singer's schedule shakes out. I still can't get over how great it sounds. Hearing someone else's interpretation of the book is allowing me to step back and view it with some objectivity. I'm finding that it's holding up to my scrutiny quite well. There are a couple lines here or there that make me cringe, but I'm finding that there are many more that make me think, "Hey, cool!"

It kind of makes me wish I could have someone record the unedited version of The Deliverers 2. Listening to a book is a great way to make sure there's a natural flow going on. If you write a mangled sentence, it really stands out when you hear it read aloud. Hmmm, I've got a digital recorder, maybe I should give it a try...Oh well, enough speculating, time to get back to the editing. I'll fill you in on how things go next week!

Interview Special: The Deliverers Group Interview

Today is a special anniversary for me. The paperback version of my first novel, The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel was published a year ago today! When I first published the book, I never thought that I'd be able to do the things that I have this past year. For one thing, I've made a ton of friends through this blog. I've been lucky enough to visit many classrooms and talk to student (and parents) of all ages. I've written a sequel and have mapped out a third book.

This last year has been so great, that it makes me wonder what the next 12 months has in store. Right now I have an idea, but who knows how it will actually turn out? Here's what I'm envisioning: the release in the next month of the audio book version of The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel; beginning to write The Deliverers 3; the release early next year of The Deliverers 2: Order of the Crystal Lion; more classroom visits; continuing to grow and improve this blog. Wow, it looks like the coming year will be as busy as the last!

Since this is such a special day, I wanted to do something a little bit different. Normally, I interview someone from a classic children's book or fairy tale. Today, I was able to get all four of The Deliverers here to give us their thoughts on what the past year has been like for them, what they've been doing, and what their future plans are. So, without further ado, I give you Eric Scott, Stig the owl, Kate Endria, and Hallo Tosis the dwarf.

Greg:  Well, thank you all for coming and happy anniversary! I must say that you're all looking well.

Stig:  Thank you. It's quite good of you to say so. Happy anniversary to you as well. A most auspicious occasion if I do say so myself.

Eric:  Yeah, it's pretty cool. Thanks for having us.

Kate:  Yes, it's very exciting. I love anniversaries and birthdays and things like that. They're always such fun!

Hallo:  Yes siree, I love a good party, m'self. M' Pappy always said, work hard, play hard. Thank'ee for havin' us here t' celebrate, don't ya know.

Greg:  What has the last year been like for all of you?

Hallo:  It's been like a ride on a dragon's back, don't ya know. Lotsa comin's an' goin's. Everybody sayin' hey, really like the tale, whatcha doin' for an encore. We've also been enjoyin' visits from a large number o' Big Folk. It's a big change from the old days, don't ya know.

Eric:  It's been really exciting. Lots of people have told me they really like the book. I don't think a lot of people at school really believe that it actually happened. They think you just used my name. That's okay, though, because everyone thinks that's cool, so I don't mind. If they really believed I did those things, it would make me feel kind of, like, weird and they might treat me differently. So I'm happy with things as they are. There's an election coming up tomorrow, so everyone's, like, excited. 

Stig:  Things have been rather quiet in my neck of the woods. We owls tend to take things in our stride, and don't get all a twitter about our deeds. To be honest, most owls tend to lead rather exciting lives, so in some respects it's rather old hat back home. I've been doing a little bit of lecturing at university in my spare time.

Kate:  Calendria is still buzzing about everything that happened, but to tell you the truth, I think I can speak for all of us in saying that we really haven't had too much time to rest on our laurels. I've been working with Papa. He's been showing me what I'll have to do when he retires and I become the first Lady Mayor of Calendria. The audio book is coming out soon, and we all spent some time with Jimm Singer, the nice man who's narrating it, so that he could get our voices sounding as realistic as possible. 

Eric:  Yeah, he did a really great job. It was kind of freaky, because he'd be talking to me and it was like listening to me talking to me.

Greg:  So, how has that process been?

Stig:  Quite fascinating, really. It is really quite remarkable how well he's been able to capture the tone of my voice. Mind you, it is extremely difficult for a human to capture all the nuances of the owlish accent, but he has done much better than I had expected.

Hallo:  Aye, he's a fine lad is ol' Jimm. He's got m' way o' speakin' down pat. M' Pappy heard a recordin' an' thought it was me talkin'. Wouldn't believe it weren't until Jimm done it for him in person, then Pap about keeled over he were so amazed.

Kate:  It's going to be a wonderful production. I can't wait for everyone to hear it. Everyone in Calendria is really excited about it. You should hear Jimm do Sharky--it's like he was right there in the same room with us. It was quite scary.

Eric:  It's really cool. My friends are so jealous that I'm going to be in an audio book. They think it's my voice, but they still don't believe that I actually did the things in the book. Maybe they will after they read about our next Assignment. Oh well, I still find it hard to believe myself! 

Greg:  Can you tell us a little bit about the next Assignment?

Kate:  Well, we really can't tell you too much, we wouldn't want to spoil anything. But we can say that it was really exciting, and a little scary.

Eric:  Yeah, we have to stop this civil war. These people called the Vynistri and their leader, Chancellor Trelango take the DNA of lions and combines them with humans to form a warrior class called the Chazum. Anyway, they're fighting to be free and equal. It's different from the first Assignment.

Stig:  Thet's the way it is with Assignments, you see. They are all different. You never know what might happen. That's what keeps things interesting.

Eric:  Yeah, it was scary there for a while, but it was cool, too. I learned that I could do more than I thought I could.

Hallo:  Aye, I think we all learned some hard lessons on this here Assignment. It were a tough one, don't ya know.

Greg:  Well, thanks for taking some time to fill us in on what's been going on this past year. It looks like the coming year will be just as exciting, so please stay in touch.