FInal Cover Reveal & a Little Story on How We Got Here

Here is the new cover for The Deliverers Book 3:  The Golden Dragon of Ang, Below, I've written about how the three new covers came about and my journey back to resuming work on the fourth and final book in the series, The Deliverers Book 4:  Sparkling Mist of Time.

Here's a link to the updated trailer for the book on YouTube.

So how did we get here? At the end of last year, the Deliverers Series was at a crossroads, although I didn't realize it. I had published book three almost nine years ago, and, while I had written about 14,000 words or so of book four, I had pretty much walked away and was trying to move on. 

Although a lot of people told me they liked the books, marketing the series was difficult and frustrating because getting the word out requires a whole lot of time and effort. As I was feverishly writing a blog post a day, writing the books, and attending fairs and craft shows on weekends, my children were growing up and I felt I was missing that. I also was starting to feel like a failure. So, I shut everything down, and I figured that was the end of it.

Still, over the years I felt like there was still some unfinished business. Periodically, I'd pull up the manuscript for book four on the computer and write a few paragraphs. I even wrote a couple of blog posts saying I was resuming work. But soon after, I would put everything back on the figurative shelf.

That is, until I had a conversation with my dad on Christmas day. He asked me (not for the first time) when I was going to finish book four. Now, my dad is a very smart man. He was an optical engineer and the companies he worked for had projects with NASA that he worked on from the 60's to the 80's. He was the last person I expected to enjoy a middle grade fantasy adventure series. However, he surprised me with his enthusiasm for the books each time I released one. It was more than just liking them because it was his son who wrote them--he really enjoyed them, and that was the best feeling.

All of this is an extremely long way of saying that my dad encouraged, well, I think told is a better description, me to finish the series. So, I decided that I would resume work on the fourth, and probably the final, book in the series. This would mean that I would have to go back out on the marketing trail and resurrect the blog, etc. 

With that in mind, I looked at everything with a view to updating what I had. I redesigned the blog a bit and got a shorter domain name---Deliverers.net. Then I looked at the books themselves. When I first started, I was very blessed to have Daniel Vogel as my illustrator. He drew the cover, map and chapter header for Sharky and the Jewel when he was just 14, and all his covers were really great. However, that first book was released back in 2011 and it seemed to me that since I was making a fresh start, it was time to do some revamping of the artwork. I mean, even J.K. Rowling has updated the art on her Harry Potter books.

That begged the question, who would do the art? Daniel was no longer an option as he had moved on to other interests. That meant I would have to find an artist. How was I going to do that? Well, I started with the Society of Children's Book Writer & Illustrators. They had a nice listing of illustrators that were willing to work with self-published (indie) authors. Listings included their portfolios and websites/contact info.

That's where I found Emily Hurst Pritchett. I loved her portfolio immediately. Her work seemed to match the spirit of the Deliverers. So I reached out and happily, we were able to strike a deal. She was great to work with and I heartily recommend her to anyone who has a project in need of illustration.

So, this year has been a whirlwind of new art, new readers, some old readers, and moving forward with book four. In October I will be making a couple of appearances (I'll have details in my next blog post), and I'm looking to add more.

Work on the fourth book has been progressing. I'm up to almost 28,000 words and have just about finished part one. I hope to have the book completed by the end of November for a potential release early in 2024. Emily has agreed to do the artwork for book four, which she'll start sometime in September. That should give me some time to get a decent way through part 2 of the book.

So, if you've been following me throughout the years, thanks for hanging in there. For all of you who are new, thank you for checking out my work and please tell your friends and neighbors! It should be a fun ride. And to my dad, thank you for never giving up on me and caring enough to get me back on track. Peace.

A Writer's Week #124: Getting There

 It’s been a while since I shared my writing progress with all of you—all the way back in May, actually. A lot has happened since then. The new cover, map and chapter header illustration for the Order of the Crystal Lion was completed by illustrator Emily Hurst Pritchett. I was able to update the Kindle and paperback versions of the book, and got a new hardcover version published on Amazon. I made a completely new book trailer in addition to a cover reveal video.

Emily has also just completed the new cover for book 3, and I should have the updated paperback and Kindle versions, as well as a new hardcover version published shortly. She and I have agreed in principle to a deal for art for the upcoming fourth and final book in the Deliverers Series. This project will be slightly more ambitious than the previous three books. I’m planning to have a prologue, part one and part two. There will be a cover and a map, but there will be two different chapter heading illustrations, one for each part of the book. There will also be a pencil drawing for the front page of part one and one for part two. Emily does great pencil drawings, and I think this touch will make book 4 truly special.

Chapter heading for book 3,
The Golden Dragon of Ang

                                                                                

Book 4 is moving along slowly. I’ve almost finished part one, which has now reached over 27,000 words. I’m guessing that I’ll need another 2,000 to 3,000 words to complete it and move on to part 2. That should get the book to roughly 120 pages. Part two should be interesting to write. I’ve got a general idea as to what will happen, but I’m expecting that the characters will show me what will actually happen. Anyhow, I’m hoping (you never know for sure until it’s done) that the outcome will be successful and that the book will be a fitting conclusion to the series.

I have also signed up for two events in the beginning of October. I'll post specifics as we get closer. I'm hoping to add something in September as well, since the covers for all three of the books will have been updated well before.

That's it for now. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. I'll be back soon with my third and final (until book 4 is published!) cover reveal.

Another Cover Reveal

 Hi everybody! I hope all of you are doing well and enjoying the start of what looks like a great summer! Things have been busy here at Deliverers Publishing Headquarters, aka White Owl Manuscripts. This week, I received the final artwork and the map for book 2 in the Deliverers series, Order of the Crystal Lion. Illustrator Emily Hurst Pritchett did another fantastic job on the book, just as she did with Sharky and the Jewel.

With all the artwork complete, that meant that I had a boatload of work for myself this weekend. I am happy to report that I successfully formatted the interior and the cover for the paperback and Kindle versions as well as a brand new hardcover version of the book. The updated Kindle version is now live on Amazon (see link above), and the paperback version should be up in a few days. The hard cover will be available late next week or early next, depending on whether or not the Amazon formatting police find anything out of spec.

Oh yes, I also was able to put together a cover reveal video featuring a behind the scenes look at how Emily colors her artwork on the computer. Take a look and get an eyeful of the new cover at the same time:

In going through this book almost line by line after not having read it in many years, I've gained a new appreciation of the book. At the time it came out, all I saw were the flaws, but there are way more successes than failures in the book. I have a sneaking suspicion that I was being too hard on myself, perhaps because in my mind nothing could measure up to the first book. 

So, for those of you who want to see the cover right away, here it is (but please go back and watch the video later):

Once I have a minute, perhaps next weekend, I plan to make an updated book trailer and post it to YouTube. 

So, now it's on to Book 3. Emily is already reading the book. I have so many thoughts as to what would make a good cover that I can't pin a single one down. I think I'll see what Emily suggests. It was her idea to focus on The Machine, and it turned out great.

So, good bye for now. Please let me know what you think of the cover in the comments below.

A Writer's Week #123: Remembering & Feeling Thankful

 Hi everybody! This Memorial Day weekend, it's appropriate to remember and celebrate those who gave their lives to make, and keep, our country free. I am thankful for and grateful to them for their sacrifice. Thanks to them, we can all enjoy a way of life in which we are free to be whatever we wish. This way of life is continually evolving and while we've experienced some hiccups along the way, I am confident that we are working our way toward an even more free and tolerant society.

In addition to the holiday, I am feeling grateful for all the family and friends who have helped and continue to help and support me on my writer's journey. 

My journey is moving forward with the release of the second edition of The Deliverers:  Sharky and the Jewel. Now, artist Emily Hurst Pritchett is almost ready to send me the final draft for the cover of The Deliverers Book 2: Order of the Crystal Lion. Very excited to see that! 

She is also working on a new map for the book. Check out this Instagram link to a short video of the map in progress. Just click on the picture:

In addition to work being done on the existing books, I'm moving forward on The Deliverers Book 4: Sparkling Mists of Time. I've written another 2,200 words and have reached a very tense, exciting moment in the book. I'm looking forward to getting it all down on "paper".

In the coming weeks, I'll share chapter 5 of my work in progress and will be announcing several appearances I'll be making in the fall. I'm looking forward to seeing some of you in person then. Plus, some time in June I'll have the new cover reveal for Book 2!

Until then, have a great holiday weekend and let's make a toast to all those who have come before and given everything to keep our country free!

A Writer's Week #122: Forging Ahead

 Well, it's been a while, but I'm continuing to work on the fourth, and most likely final, book in The Deliverers Series. In the last week I've written a little over 2,000 words, bringing me to 20,250 words over 92 pages. 

Although shy of my regular goal of 2,500 words per week, I'm pretty satisfied with the output. That's because this has been a really busy week. I drove down to Georgia and back over 4 days to pick my daughter up from school. Although I did not do any writing on the trip, I was able to lock down the plot details for the first part of the book (I'm thinking of calling it Act I) as well as some ideas for the book's second act. Plus, I think artist Emily Hurst Pritchett and I have hit upon the right scene for the cover of The Deliverers 2.

Thumbnail sketches for Book 2

Hammering out some of the Book 4 plot details also helped me answer a question that I have been debating ever since I had the idea for Book 4 almost eight years ago--would the series run for five books as I'd always envisioned, or would Book 4 end it all? Originally, I thought that the material that will make up Act I would be Book 4, and that my idea for Act II would have been Book 5. The trouble is, Book 4 would have been the shortest book--probably about 170 pages. I would have ended rather abruptly, too, with book five picking up right where the previous book left off. In other words Book 4 would end in a "cliffhanger", but why? Yes, I know it might create interest for the series finale, but it seems better to move from one part, or act, right into the second.

So, that's what I've decided to do. Now, there's always the possibility that as I'm writing Act II I discover that the series is not quite done, but as of now I'm pretty confident that The Deliverers will be four books. Once it's complete I can concentrate on the next adventure. What that will be I can't say for sure, but I'm looking forward to whatever challenge awaits. Have a good week everybody. 

A Writer's Week #115: Shaking Off the Dust

Happy weekend everyone! Wow, I can't believe it's been over two years since my last blog post. Time sure does have a way of rushing by. It's been a good, if busy, two years, but all in all things have been good here. I hope you had a good couple of years as well.

When last I posted, I was working on book four in the Deliverers Series. Since then I've been busy working (new job with the same company), and watching the family grow. Christian is now a freshman in high school and Abby is in 7th grade and they're doing all sorts of thing from marching band to bowling leagues to Girl Scouts. Stephanie has been running races and is trying to run a race in all 169 towns in Connecticut (she's at 41 right now). Needless to say, things have been quite busy.

Periodically, I've entertained thoughts of getting back to my writing. I've struggled with the question of whether to finish Eric's story, or to venture out on a new path. After much internal debate, I've decided to continue Eric's journey through to the end. I'm not sure where that will lead, but right now completing his story is the goal.

I am currently in the process of reevaluating what I've written on book 4 so far. Once I've done that, I'll rewrite the parts that need to be and carry on. I don't know if I'll publish the remaining books in the series or not. I will definitely serialize them here and I may wind up publishing a Kindle version. We'll see how things go. I would dearly love and appreciate any feedback you could give as I post pieces of the story here. That would be a great help!

To kick off this next phase of my writing life, I'm making the kindle versions of books 2 & 3 available free on Amazon for the next few days. It's the first time I've made them available for free. Please download, read and write a review. Here is the link to my Amazon writer's page:

https://www.amazon.com/Gregory-S.-Slomba/e/B005PFPA64/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

That's it for now. I'll be back with another update soon.

A Writer's Week #109: The Series is a Trilogy--For Now

Things have been hopping since my last Writer's Week post. In that time, the Deliverers Series became a trilogy with the release of The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang. Of course, I won't be stopping there. I'm currently working on The Deliverers 4. For now, though, it's pretty cool to say I've written a trilogy for some reason--probably because I grew up totally in love with The Lord of the Rings.

In addition to that, I had a very successful promo. The Kindle versions of the first two books in the series (Sharky & the Jewel and Order of the Crystal Lion) were 99 cents each for a week. Thank you to everyone who have supported myself and the series so enthusiastically!

Finally, today I received the paperback copies of The Golden Dragon of Ang. I'm looking forward to getting out, enjoying some warmer weather, and seeing everyone at some shows. I've lined up a show in Madison, CT on May 17th, and I'm hoping to add more as the spring progresses.

Now that the good news is out of the way, it's time for an update on The Deliverers 4. I wrote a little bit this week, but not half as much as I wanted. I was only able to write 1,000. That brings book 4 to 12,500 words over 53 pages and 11 chapters. With things hopping both with book 3 and at work, I've been having trouble focusing on writing this past month and a half. It's been extremely frustrating to me, because I've worked hard to discipline myself to crank out at least 2,000 words a week. I'm going to have to make an effort to rededicate myself to hit my goal. We'll see how that works out. I'll update you next week!

A Writer's Week #108: Here's Proof

Things continued to move along this week. On Sunday I received the final files for The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang from layout artist Ana Vogel. That immediately triggered my countdown to the book's release on April 1st. 

I submitted the files that evening and Createspace made it available to be proofed on Monday. I ordered four copies, then sat back and waited. Today, the proof copies arrived. They checked out okay, and so everything is now ready for the release of both the paperback and the Kindle versions.

As we get closer to the beginning of April, things will get even more exciting. For those of you who may not yet have acquainted themselves with The Deliverers Series, the Kindle versions of the first two books, Sharky & the Jewel and Order of the Crystal Lion, will be on sale on Amazon in the U.S. for 99 cents apiece and in the U.K. for 0.99. The sale will run from Wednesday, March 26 to Tuesday, April 1. Get caught up on the rest of the series before book 3 comes out!

Also, don't forget the contest to name the two carriage horses in The Deliverers 4. Submit two names by March 31st and I'll pick the pair I like best. The winner will receive an autographed copy of The Deliverers 3 and a special thank you printed in The Deliverers 4! You can leave the names in a comment on this post, or message me on The Deliverers Series' Facebook page. Good luck and have a great week!

A Writer's Week #96: Beginning Another Journey

Hello all. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas/holiday. Mine was great, which is why I'm so late with this post. My children have been at my parents for the last few days and my wife and I took advantage of that by going to New York City yesterday. So, here's a rundown of what's been happening.

Looked up Eloise at the Plaza, but she wasn't home.

 I met with illustrator Daniel Vogel to talk about the progress of the artwork for The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang. Well, actually, I went over to his house for a get together with his family the day before Christmas. He kept me in suspense saying he wanted to wait until the cover was colored and the effects done before I saw it, but the artwork is complete and I should see it early in January. I can't wait!

I received a lot of gift cards from Amazon foe Christmas and I took the plunge and used some of them to purchase some movie making software. I've been pondering it for a while and doing some research. Amazon was offering a fantastic discount after Christmas and that decided me. The software will give me a lot more options when making video book trailers. Once I get it installed I'll take a stab at making new trailers for Sharky and the Jewel and Order of the Crystal Lion. I like the job I did on them, but I felt constrained by Windows Movie Maker. The software will give me a wider range of options and I'll be able to layer more tracks so I'll be able to try my hand at some voiceover.

Finally, I am pleased to say that the day after Christmas I began writing The Deliverers 4. I have to tell you
that I'm still hazy on quite a lot of the details, which is both scary and exciting. As usual, my weekly writing goal will be 2,000 words. I only wrote 900 words over three pages, but the important thing is that I;ve started it. I'll keep you updated on my progress every week.

So, as we sail from 2013 into 2014, things are looking very good. As always, I thank you for your interest in and support of The Deliverers Series and I hope you all have a very safe, happy and healthy New Year. I'll have one more post in 2013, kind of a blast from the past with a new twist. Look for it tomorrow evening! See you then!

Found this great journal--this has to find its
way into The Deliverers 4!

A Writer's Week #95: Lots To Tell

Okay, where to start? This week has been just fantastic. First off, we capped off our book drive for the Salvation Army. We wound up with a grand total of 114 books! You can see a sampling of them in the picture below. On Monday and Tuesday, volunteers will be packaging the gifts and the books for the families. Distribution day will be Friday, December 20th. I'll update the blog with photos as things we move along.

A big thank you to all those who purchased copies of The Deliverers Series books. Thanks to you I will donate 67 copies. Thank you, too to my wonderful author friends who donated copies of their wonderful books. Here's a list with links to their books. Please support them. Not only did they answer my call for help, but they are very generous with donations to other worthy causes as well!

C. Lee McKenzie  Alligators Overhead               Karen Toz  Pie and Other Brilliant Ideas

Margo Dill  Finding My Place                          Kimberly Sentek  Oh Brother! A Nico and Tugger Tale

Celia Carlile  The Christmas Song

Another big thank you has to go to author Stephanie Robinson who donated a stack of books that she had purchased at her school's book fair. She and co-author Jessica Haight have written a wonderful book, The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow, that will be published by Random House/Dellacourt in the fall of 2015.

Speaking of Stephanie and Jessica, they were nice enough to feature me on their blog this week. On Wednesday they posted a wonderful review of The Deliverers 2: Order of the Crystal Lion. On Friday, they featured a nice interview with me. It was a lot of fun chatting with them about my writing and my plans for the Deliverers Series going forward. There is also a giveaway for you to enter for a chance to win a signed copy of Order of the Crystal Lion.

With all this going on, it was hard fitting in any writing. I don't think I'll begin work on The Deliverers 4 until after Christmas, but I have been busy making final edits to The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang. I should be finished with those sometime today (thank you snow!).

I was also a little surprised when I received an email from illustrator Daniel Vogel. It contained a new conceptual sketch for the cover of The Golden Dragon of Ang. I thought the original concept was fine, but apparently he wasn't satisfied. He ran it by his mother, graphic designer Ana Vogel, and she agreed. So, it was back to the drawing board--literally. He had rendered the original illustration on the computer, and as I said, I liked it. The handdrawn version was head and shoulders better than the first, though. It really blew me away. I quickly gave my approval. The good news is that we should still be on schedule for a completed cover in early January and a publication date sometime in February!

This has turned into quite a long post, but I have one more piece of news. For the next week, the Kindle version of both books in the Deliverers Series will be on sale for just 99 cents on Amazon! Please stop by and purchase a copy of Sharky and the Jewel and Order of the Crystal Lion before this deal goes away! Please share this with your friends, too. Thanks and have a great week!

A Writer's Week #94: With a Little Help From My Friends

It's been a couple weeks since I've had a chance to sit down and compose a Writer's Week post, so let's get caught up. Hmmm, where to start? I had a fantastic day at the Newtown Holiday Festival last Sunday in Newtown, CT. Everybody was so friendly and a sold some books to some great kids, made some friends and hopefully some new fans. For every book I sold, I donated a matching copy to the Salvation Army for their wonderful Christmas Distribution program.

  


 

Thanks to everyone who has purchased a copy of either Sharky & the Jewel or Order of the Crystal Lion and some wonderful authors who have donated copies of their books (C. Lee McKenzie, Karen Pokras Toz, Kimberly Sentek, Margo L. Dill and Celia & Orison Carlile) I have 88 books. With a week to go, I only need 12 more books to reach my goal of 100. Help us do it by visiting my store. Thanks so much! We're almost there!

Last night I sat down with illustrator Daniel Vogel for the last of our meetings to review progress on the cover for The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang. It is really coming along. We discussed some tweaks and color/style points. I'm really pleased and excited by the way it's shaping up. I should have the final artwork to review shortly after Christmas and the finished front cover in early January, which means we're still on track for a February release. I'm really looking forward to it as I'm extremely pleased with the book.

With all this activity, I have not allocated much time to finishing the plotting of The Deliverers 4. That's okay, though. Most of the major plot points have been worked out. I think I'm ready to start writing and I'll let the characters sort out how to handle whatever crops up. That being said, I suppose I need to get on with writing the darn thing. So, my plan is to begin writing this week. I'll let you know how I make out next week.

Oh yes, this coming week will feature a couple of exciting things that you should watch for. Order of the Crystal Lion is being reviewed on Wednesday the 11th on The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow. They will also be running an interview with me on (gulp) Friday the 13th, which I hope does not prove to be unlucky for either myself or them. Jessica and Stephanie are good friends and I am grateful, as usual, for their support!

I also have one other bit of news that I will share with you next Friday. I can't say much, but if you have a Kindle, like middle grade fantasy, and like to save money you will love this announcement. Watch this space on Friday to find out what it is. Peace!

A Writer's Week #93: Making Progress

This week has been very satisfying for me. First off, my request for book donations from authors that I have been privileged to meet over the last years has been generous to say the least. Thanks to C. Lee McKenzie, Celia Carlisle, Kimberly Sentek, Karen Pokras Toz and Tracey Lynn Best for offering to donate books to the Danbury, CT Salvation Army's Christmas Distribution event. Thanks to you, a bunch of children in need will receive the gift of reading.

After a week, I've got 36 books. I need to reach at least 100 by December 13th. If you would like to help, purchase a copy of one of my Deliverers books on this site, and I will donate another copy to the kids. If you are an author and would like to donate copies of your book, leave a comment on this post or message me on Facebook and we can work out the details.

On the writing front, I've worked out the general arc of the story for The Deliverers 4. It took a while, but I'm pretty satisfied with it. I'm now filling in the details of the story line. It's looking pretty good. Things are picking up. Eric and friends will be getting to the heart of what's threatening the universe. Mix in a little historical fiction elements and I think we'll have an entertaining book!

My brain's telling me it's almost time to start writing chapter one. I'll let things stew in my head until after my

last show on December 1st and then get started. I hope to have the first draft completed by September or October. We'll see. As always, I'll be sure to keep you up to date on my progress.

The illustration for the cover of The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang is looking really good. Daniel Vogel is doing a great job. The cover should be ready by the end of the year.

Appearance Alert:  I will be at the 28th annual Holiday Festival FBO Newtown Youth and Family Services at Edmund Town Hall in Newtown, CT.

New Assignment

Hi all. Long time, no see. Sorry about skipping the last Writer's Week. The truth is, the past week was very rewarding and productive. I met with  illustrator Dan Vogel to review the progress on the cover for The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang. It's coming along great and will be complete by Christmas. I'll share it with you when it's all done.

This weekend, I had a book signing at the Barn gallery in New Fairfield. It was a beautiful day. I saw a number of old friends and made a couple new ones. To be honest, the turnout was less than I had hoped. For a while I was disappointed, but after a lot of thought and some prayer, I decided to take a big step.

You might say that I took a new Assignment from the Gatekeeper. The Gatekeeper is the guy in my books that gives different missions--Assignments--to Eric and the other Deliverers. For a little over a year now, I've toyed with thoughts of how I could use my books to help others. I say toyed with because I kept running up against a, "I can't give stuff away, I have to make money" roadblock in my head.

This weekend changed all that. I now realize that the most important thing is that I write books and that I share them with as many kids as possible. Not only that, but I should be looking to get books to kids that don't have many--or in some cases, any.

With that in mind, I will be donating books to the Salvation Army to be distributed to children in need. I'm going to start in my own backyard and hopefully expand over time. My local Salvation Army collects new toys for children whose parents can't afford presents at Christmas. There are about 500 families that have registered this year. Not all of these families have children of reading age, but most of them do.

I am hoping to donate books, my books and those of any children's authors who would like to donate, to as many of these families as possible. I will pay  for a bunch myself using money that I've made from previous shows this month. From now on, when I sell a Deliverers book face to face or on this website, I will donate a second Deliverers book to the Salvation Army.

That's my mission and my Assignment this holiday season. I've posted it at the top of my blog, along with a donation button. If you would like to donate some cash to the cause, please do. The Deliverers 1 costs about $4 and the Deliverers 2 costs about $5 to produce, if you need a donation guideline. All funds donated (after Paypal's small processing fee) will go towards the purchase of books for kids in need. If you'd like a great book in the bargain, then go to my Store, buy a copy of book 1 or book 2 (or both), and I'll deliver a second copy to the Salvation Army. I'll personalize it with a book plate that tells the recipient it was donated by whomever you name.

I'm going to start small, but hopefully this will grow over time. I'd love to be able to offer a range of titles. If you are a children's author, please consider donating 5, 10, 25, however many copies you can. I promise they will find good homes. Email me at gregslomba@hotmail.com and we can work out the details. Thanks!

A Writer's Week #92: Plotting Along

Appearance Alert:  I will be holding a book signing on November 16th from 1:00 to 3:00 at the Barn Gallery in New Fairfield, CT. If you're in the area, stop by, I'd love to see you.

This has been a busy couple of weeks. Last weekend, I was the featured author at the CT Society of Santas' 4th annual arts and crafts festival. It was a two day event, which was a first for me. I was a little apprehensive, but also excited. After I arrived and set up, I took a stroll to check out the other vendors. I was really impressed with the quality.

The foot traffic the first day was disappointing. It was a beautiful day with temperatures pushing 70 degrees. Most people were out and doing things. I had a lot of fun, despite slow sales. My college roommate, Bill Bossert, and his wife Meg stopped by to chat and pick up a copy of Order of the Crystal Lion. It was great to see them.

After the slow traffic on Saturday, I approached Sunday with a mixture of hope and trepidation. Thankfully,

Sunday was a much better day from a sales perspective. I was visited by friends Lauren and Keegan Shaw and their adorable twins. All in all, I had a decent show. Sales were what I normally have in a one day show, but I made a lot of new friends, met a bunch of kids, and reconnected with some old friends. You can't ask for any more than that. I will definitely be back next year.

Meanwhile, on the writing front, I've been plotting along. I've been wrestling with the plot outline for The Deliverers 4 for a while now. This morning on my walk I think I hit upon the solution to the big sticking point. Someone is trying to change history. Eric and the Deliverers have to go back in time to stop this someone from trying to change history. They go back to the time of the revolution to a couple days before a battle that was fought in Eric's hometown. My problem was that I could not figure out how this individual manifests himself. This morning, I figured it out. Hopefully, the rest of the plotting will go smoothly and quickly! I'd like to start writing by the end of this month. I'll let you know how it's going next week.

A Writer's Week #91: A Golden Day

A lot of exciting things happened this writer's week. I worked out a big chunk of the plot and background information for The Deliverers 4. I met with illustrator Daniel Vogel to work out the concept for the cover of The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang. I'm preparing for a great show next weekend (see Appearance Alert at the bottom of this post). But all of that pale in comparison to what's going on today.

Today is my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. It's hard for me to believe. We held an anniversary party for them at the beginning of August. We did that for two reasons. Number one was because we wanted it to be a surprise (it was). Number two because with children coming from as far away as Vermont, Florida and Montana, the logistics worked better in the summer than late fall, and we wanted all five children to be there. We're so far flung that the last time we were all together was almost ten years ago. I'm so glad we were able to pull it off.

My parents are really fantastic. They raised five children without any of us being seriously damaged. My father, Albert Slomba, is brilliant. As an optical engineer, he was a leader in his field and worked on many important projects including the Hubble Space Telescope. My mother is equally brilliant, but made the decision to stay home and raise her five rambunctious children. She did an outstanding job and even managed to find time volunteer frequently and spent several year as the Director of Religious Education for our parish.

I can only imagine the trials of raising five children. My wife and I have two and the challenges of that are

The entire brood

huge enough to me. I couldn't imagine having five. Still, my parents managed to pull it off and made it look easy (to us). Along the way there were challenges, both mundane and extraordinary.

They had a son (me) who was so hyperactive that he danced on the desks of his first grade class when his mother came to visit. They bore the weight of a daughter who was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of six (she made it through with flying colors). They had a three year old son (not me) who decided to run around the neighborhood naked. This does not even cover the usual cuts, bruises, stitches and teenage angst that all parents deal with.

Through it all, they kept their cool and were always loving and supportive. They made it look so easy to us that we took what they did for granted. I was probably the most guilty of this. As the oldest, it was all just business as usual to me. I didn't appreciate it until I had children of my own. I try to follow my parents' and my in-laws' example (they've been married 51 years), but I am not always successful.

Whatever I do in life, through all my successes and failures, my parents have always been my yardstick. They set such a great example. Now that we're all grown and out of the house, it's nice to go over and see how much they enjoy just being together. They truly are best friends and that is the key, I think. All of us kids own our parents so much. Thanks,Mom and Dad for always being there and always being supportive. We love you and hope God blesses you with many more years of happy marriage!

Appearance Alert:  My next show will be November 2 & 3 at the Santa's Arts & Crafts Festival at the Coco Key Resort in Waterbury, CT.

A Writer's Week #90: Fun Times

Another fun week has come and gone, but not before leaving me with a great feeling. First off, I had a very nice interview published on the New Fairfield Hamlethub. Kate Mattiace was such a pleasure to talk to. That's one of the cool things about being an author--I get to meet so many nice people.

All set and raring to go

That was never more evident than today when I exhibited at the St. Mary's Harvest Tag Sale and Craft Show in Stamford, CT. I met a lot of great kids and had a chance to chat a bit with most and quite a lot with a Couple who were really interested in finding out what it's like to be an author. Then, I was fortunate to be placed next to some lovely ladies who were a pleasure to talk to. Anyone who has spent seven hours sitting at a show knows that it can be pretty tedious if the people in the space next to you aren't too friendly. Thanks for helping the day roll by, ladies!

Another nice thing that happened to me today was a surprise visit from a very old friend of mine--Mike Argenio. We went to high school together and he lives and teaches in Stamford. He brought his daughter, Emma, to meet me  right after her soccer team scored an impressive 4-2 victory. I'm looking forward to possibly visiting his 6th grade class sometime after the holidays.

On the writing front, I did not have much chance to work out any more of the plat for book 4, but I did submit the completed manuscript of The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang to layout artist, Ana Vogel. I hope to meet with artist Daniel Vogel next week to check out the initial concept for the cover and discuss next steps. I'll let you know how things are going next week.

Appearance Alert:  My next show will be November 2 & 3 at the Santa's Arts & Crafts Festival at the Coco Key Resort in Waterbury, CT.

A Writer's Week #89: New Paths

Things were jumping all over this week. At work I found out my department is switching locations to a nearby town. This will entail re-configuring offices ad training space to fit the new location. This is both a daunting task and a wonderful opportunity. My hope is that we can design a space that will better serve our department's role and personnel. Our bank is now bigger and having some extra training space all in one location will be ideal. I'm looking forward to the challenge.

On the writing front, the rewriting and editing of The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang is complete. I will now send it over to layout designer Ana Vogel. Artwork will take a few months, but illustrator Daniel Vogel will work it in between his schoolwork. At this point, we're still on schedule for a February release.

I have begun mapping out the story line for The Deliverers 4. There is one thing that is disturbing me about

the plot for this book. I pretty much know how it will go--at least the basics of the story. The problem is with the villain--I don't know who he is. I introduced him, or the idea of him, at the end of book 3, but I really don't know who he--or she--is. I know what they're supposed to do and why, but that's it. I have a feeling that I amm going to find out the particulars along with the characters. This always winds up leading to the best results, but it's nerve-wracking.

Finally, I have formatted an ebook version of Sharky and the Jewel that has been published on Smashwords. I had fiddled around with Smashwords last summer, but became a little frustrated with the process. This month, however, I dropped my exclusivity agreement with Amazon and decided to tackle it again. I now have versions that are compatible with Kindle, Nook, and other Epub formats such as iBooks, and Kobo. I'm not totally satisfied with the layout on the Epub version, so I'll probably tinker with it a little more. Once I get it set, I'll tackle the formatting of Order of the Crystal Lion. 

Appearance Alert:  I will be appearing at St. Mary's Harvest Craft and Tag Sale in Stamford, CT on Saturday, October 19th from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Please stop by and visit is you are in the area. I would love to see you!

A Writer's Week #88: Fall Cleaning?

I've never hear of fall cleaning, but that's what I wound up doing this week here on the Deliverers Blog. There were a few pages that needed some serious tidying up, and I noticed that there were a couple that could be combined. Then I thought of a couple new pages to add. Before I knew it the row of page buttons at the top of the sight was looking a whole lot different.

The main reason I thought to look at them in the first place is that I have confirmed a few appearances over the next couple of months. So, there is now an Appearances button. Please check it out, and if you happen to be in the area on any of those date, stop by and say hello! It is my intention to be appearing somewhere at least once a month whenever possible. Let's see how that works out! :)

Next, I decided to add a Reviews page. I have been receiving a lot of fantastic feedback on both books, so five-star review from Readers' Favorite for The Deliverers: Sharky  & the Jewel. This is a great organization that reviews books for authors for free. If the book is worthy of a four or five star review, then they start a book page on their site for it. If the book receives three stars or less, the review is not published, but the author is given an objective critique to help them improve their book. Thank you to fellow author Karen Pokras Toz for telling me about Readers' Favorite!
I figured I'd feature a nice sampling. I received one of the most exciting reviews just this week. It was a wonderful

Some of the other pages have received face lifts. I combined the Calendria and Dwarf Kingdom pages. It is now called Calendria & the Kingdom. I also redid the picture layout on the Characters page so that readers can have easier access to the actual interviews. Some of the less popular pages have gone bye-bye, such as the Maproom and Doorways. I have some ideas for a couple of new pages based on Order of the Crystal Lion and The Golden Dragon of Ang, those are projects for another week.

Some sparkling mist for you

On the writing/editing front, editing continues on The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang. It should
be ready to go by the end of next week. Daniel Vogel has done a rough sketch of the cover, based on conversations we've had regarding subject matter. I have not seen it yet, but I know it will be great. He is currently working on a group shot of the Deliverers that I plan on using as the header for the blog and as a banner for shows. That should be complete in another couple of weeks.

So, thing are definitely moving forward. If you have a moment, feel free to tour the blog and let me know what you think of thee updates. If you have any suggestions on improvements you'd like to see, please let me know. Thanks and have a great week.

A Writer's Week #87: Holiday Planning

Trees in our yard a few autumns ago

Fall is here and the leaves in my neck of the woods are starting to change. I always love this time of the year when the nights get cool, but the says are clear and bright. The sky seems so much more blue when it is framed by red and gold leaves for some reason. Anyhow, I was brought up short earlier this week when I read that there were less than 90 days until Christmas. Man, that isn't very long from now is it?

This is the time of year when I start booking appearances at craft fairs and holiday festivals. I always enjoy appearing at them, because I always wind up making some new friends. Meeting thee children and seeing them get excited about my stories is always tonic for my soul. Hopefully, they get a little more excited about reading as a result.

I've booked two appearances so far--one in mid-October, and a book signing in mid-November. I have two
more that I'm waiting for confirmation on that would take place in early November and early December. That's about all I'll have time for between all the activities my children have lined up. Still, it will be double the number I had during last year's holiday season. Hopefully, I'll have everything firmed up by the end of next week. If so, I'll provide a full listing of dates and times next Friday.

This week, I also updated the logo for White Owl Manuscripts. I used the font from the covers of the Deliverers Series books and changed the picture of the owl. It turned out rather nicely. It's got a bookish feel to it. What do you think?

I also completed the first round of rewrites and edits of The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang. My wife has read it all the way through and proclaimed it the best book yet. That's high praise. She's read all my books and is always brutally honest about what she feels needs to be rewritten. She's almost always right, too. I'll be rereading it one more time. There's a little part that she feels could be changed, and I agree. There are also a couple other parts that I think could be developed more. It looks like editing should be complete within the next week or so!

Finally, this week ended on a high note as I just found out today that The Barn Gallery here in New Fairfield has sold out its stock of The Deliverers 2: Order of the Crystal Lion. I found out because someone who had purchased the last three wound up on my doorstep looking for one more. Needless to say, I hightailed it over to replenish their stock--who knows what Saturday will bring?

Have a great week, and I'll talk to you soon!