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. 

The Deliverers 4: Chapter 4 - 1777

Eric felt like he was in a dream as he walked down the dusty road with his friends past places that were familiar but foreign. Many of the houses he was used to seeing were not there. Others were, but they were different—newer looking and less worn, and also less modern. He felt like someone who had been out of town for a long time. It was the same place, but it had changed.

As they walked, they encountered some of the townspeople going about their business—a farmer on a wagon pulled by a team of oxen, a middle aged woman in a long homespun dress and shawl shepherding a couple of children in linen shirts and patched breeches. Everyone they met wished them a good day, but it seemed to Eric that they eyed them strangely and perhaps a bit distrustfully. Eric guessed that the sight of two unfamiliar children and a dwarf being followed by a snowy owl in flight was the cause of their consternation.

They continued along the road toward the center of town. But it took longer to reach than Eric thought. The town center was much smaller in 1777 than in the present day. It seemed alien to him. There were no supermarkets or shopping centers, just houses and a few shops. Eric’s stream, which had followed the road widened out into a mill pond that powered a grist mill, the rushing water turning a large wheel to grind corn and wheat into flour.

                                        

“My town is really different,” he said.

“I think it’s nice,” Kate said.

“Yeah, you said that, but to me it’s like being in a museum. It’s also freaky to think that no one I know will be born for, like, 200 years or more.”

“That’s gotta be strange, sure enough,” Hallo agreed. “But it’s also somethin’ that few if any have had a chance t’ do.”

“What do you mean, Hallo?” Eric asked.

“Well I know I’d love t’ go back t’ the foundin’ of the Dwarf Kingdom, don’t ya know. It’d be great t’ see King Orvis I settin’ up the Kingdom and diggin’ the first mine. It’d be a chance t’ see hist’ry.”

A chance to see history. Eric had not thought about it like that. He might even get to witness the real Battle of Candlewood Corners. That would be cool.

They were passing by the town blacksmith’s shed. When he heard the clang, clang of a hammer ringing on iron, Eric realized how quiet it had been. In the 21st century he was used to hearing the constant rumble of traffic and the occasional jet or helicopter flying overhead. Here in the 18th century bird calls, the hum of insects and the mooing of cattle were the dominant sounds.

In the center of town, only a few things were recognizable. Just about everything was different. In the heart of the village, King’s Highway intersected the road they were traveling on. Directly ahead of them, Eric recognized the old Congregational church which would one day be converted into the town library.

When they reached the King’s Highway intersection, Eric looked to his left and gasped. There stood Keller Tavern. What had surprised him was that it looked almost exactly like it did in his time.

“Wow, I guess some things never change,” he murmured.

“What was that, my boy?” Stig asked as he landed beside him.

“The tavern—It looks the same. The people in my town treat it almost like a shrine.”

“Why’s that?” Hallo wondered.

“There was, or will be, a battle here,” Eric explained. “The British came up this road looking for stores and ammunition collected by the colonists here in town. The local militia mustered under and around that tree,” Eric pointed to a large oak across the street from the tavern. Eric noted it was a lot smaller than it was in his day. “It’s called the Liberty Tree, or that’s what it will be called someday. The militia stood against the British troops. In the fighting, the tavern was hit by several cannonballs. One even lodged in the wall. In my time, it’s a museum and the cannonball is still stuck in the wall.”

A Writer's Week #118: Progress

 This week has been busy, but good. I was able to make my weekly writing goal. I wrote almost 2,200 words, and the book is moving along. I'm at over 18,000 words and things are beginning to get interesting. I know that the plot will take an interesting twist shortly, but I'm not exactly sure how everything will progress from that point. I have a general idea of the direction I will be taking, but nothing concretely mapped out. Hopefully, I will be able to sort things out smoothly as I go. We shall see.

On the series rebrand front, my illustrator has done a bunch of thumbnail sketches for the first book cover. I find the creative process fascinating. Each person seems to have their own fairly unique approach. She'll use those thumbnails to narrow down her ideas to two or three cover sketches. She should have those ready sometime this week, then I'll get a chance to give my feedback. I'm really excited to see what she comes up with. Some of the thumbnails were quite intriguing.

As I contemplate what the cover might look like, it reminds me that I'm going to have to do quite a bit of work re-doing my marketing materials. I'm going to do new book trailers for all three books. At this point I'm not sure if I'll keep what I have and just replace the visuals, or if I'll rework them all from scratch. I'm thinking it will have to be the latter, but I won't know until the artwork and cover designs are complete.

I'll also have to redesign the blog, rework the interiors of the books, and numerous other small things. I plan to do book launches for each of the three as if they were being published for the first time. Really, they are going to be brand new. Again, I'm really excited.

Once I have some working sketches to share, I will also reveal the talented artist's name and show you some of her previous work. Hopefully, that will be next time. See you then!

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 #106: After a Slow Week--Contest!

This week was really slow. so slow, in fact that I almost decided not to write a post this week. But, the main point of the Writer's Week posts when I started writing them over two years ago was to share all the ups and downs in a writer's life. It's always fun to share the highs, but not so much when I have to share the lows.

The fact is, I've been feeling really uninspired for the past couple of weeks. There's no progress to report on the final files for The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang. The Vogels have run into a major bout of the flu, which means that I won't be able to submit the book cover and interior for a while yet.

Meanwhile, I was only able to write about 250 words on the Deliverers 4. I ran into a little sticking point in the plot that took a little bit of thought. That slowed me down big time. The weather was also bitterly cold. Come on folks, it's March, we should be done with temperatures in the single digits for goodness sake!

Anyhow, things they are a changin'. I think the coming week will be much better and I'll be able to get back on track. For one thing, Ana has informed me that things have improved greatly over their way and I should have the final files soon. I also hit upon a possible solution to my plot question, so I should be back to writing my usual 2,000+ words per week (don't quote me on that!). Finally, today the temperature hit 50 degrees. Yes, I definitely think things are turning around.

So, what's the best way to pick up a slow week? With a contest of course. Part of my plot solution included the introduction of two horses that will come in handy to help the Deliverers and their new friend Mathias Keller, or Matty, spy on the British. That's great, but they need names. That's where the contest comes in. I need you to help me name the horses. They pull a carriage at the colonial tavern that Matty's parents own.

To submit the names, go over to the Deliverers Series Facebook page, like the page and private message me with the names of the horses. At the end of March, I'll pick the names that I like the best. The winner will receive a signed paperback copy of The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang, and a thank you for naming the horses in The Deliverers 4! Put your thinking caps on, I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

A Writer's Week #105: Lights, Camera, Action

This was a very productive Writer's Week. The thing is, I did absolutely no writing. Now how could that be? Well, while I did next to no work on The Deliverers 4, I got a lot done in preparation for the launch of The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang. 

Last week I received the interior layout of the book. This week was spent reviewing it and making changes. It's always amazing to me that with all the eyes that look at a manuscript there are always a number of errors that slide through unnoticed. It was the same way at the magazine I used to work for. We had everyone in the office rereading the magazine before going off to the printer and there were still one or two typos that would appear when we received the finished product.

It's one reason why I never read any of my books after they're in print. I know I'll find a couple of typos and it will drive me nuts. I also tend to second guess myself. I'm not the same writer now that I was when I wrote Sharky and the Jewel. I like to think I've improved. If I were to go back and read that book, I know there would be spots where I would think that I could have worded things better, or where I repeated the same word three or four times over a couple of paragraphs, or spots where i could have inserted a little more action and less back story--you get the idea.

Anyway, I should be receiving the "final" interior layout shortly. I'll review it to make sure the changes look okay, then I can upload it to Createspace. Once the interior is set, layout artist Ana Vogel will be able to set the spine width on the cover and I'll be able to upload that. Then I can order a few proof copies and we should be in business.

My other major project for the week was the writing and production of the book trailer for The Golden Dragon of Ang. I had already done a storyboard and a script, but it was long--almost two minutes. That's still an acceptable length for a book trailer, but only just. The thing was, instead of titles, I wanted the video to be narrated. Because of this, I tried to force too much information into the video. I completed a cut with a lot of pictures and some lengthy narration. It was okay, but I wasn't really happy with it.



I did some cutting and edited down the narration. The final version is a minute and twenty one seconds, which coincidentally is the same length as the Deliverers 2 trailer. It moves along nicely now. I like having narration rather than titles that the viewer has to read--it makes it more like a movie trailer.

 My goals for the coming week are to format the Kindle version of the book. I have all the elements I need to do that, I just have to add the changes that I specified in the pdf layout to the Word document that I'll be converting. I have Daniel Vogel's final artwork and maps. I'm toying with the idea of releasing the Kindle version ahead of the paperback, but I haven't made up my mind. I should also be able to resume writing book 4 at some point next week. I'll let you know how that goes. Here's the video. Peace.

A Writer's Week #104: "What's Cookin'?"

The title of this post is something I'd imagine Hallo Tosis the dwarf to be asking right about now. Since he asked, I'll update both you and him. The Deliverers have recently finished up an Assignment, number three to be precise, that I'll be sharing with you all in just a few short weeks. They are currently on Assignment number four.

Lots of exciting things have been happening in connection to Assignment three--The Golden Dragon of Ang. Illustrator Daniel Vogel has completed his work on the pictures and the maps, and brilliant stuff it is. Layout designer Ana Vogel sent me the completed front cover on Sunday. On Thursday she sent me the interior of the book. Now all that remains is for me to give it one more review, send it back to Ana to make any final revisions, then submit it to the publisher. That means everything should be in place in about two weeks! Exciting stuff.

This weekend, production will start on the book trailer. I've been experimenting with a couple of different techniques and I think I'll try my hand at some narration rather than the narrative tiles that I used in the first two trailers. I'm hoping things will work out, if not it will be back to the

Title Page

drawing board.

In light of all the production developments related to book three, The Deliverers 4 was a little neglected this week. I wound up writing 1,250 words, which brings the total up to 11,250 over 11 chapters and 49 pages. It's coming along, but writing will be on the back burner this weekend for sure and perhaps for the entire week. We'll see.

I'm still on the fence about whether this will be book four of five or the final book in the series. Things are still zipping along. The pace seems to be okay to me, it's just that their task is a little more straightforward than usual, so instead of the cliffhanger at the end of the book, I might make that part one while what I had envisioned as book five may wind up being part two of book four. Once again, we'll see how it goes. Have a great week!

A Writer's Week #103: What a Difference a Week Makes

A week ago I was really struggling with the writing of The Deliverers 4. Things were just not gelling in my head and I was finding it tough to focus. The result was a mere 1,000 words written, only half of my weekly goal. As this week got underway, I was determined to catch up by writing 3,000 words. But after the week I had that goal seemed a stretch.

I'm happy to say that I did far better than I hoped. I wrote a total of 4,000 words this week, one of my best writing weeks ever. Book four now stands at 10,000 words over nine chapters and 44 pages. The writing was easy this week and I hope to keep that up in the coming week.

Now, while I'm really pleased with the story as it's progressed so far, I'm a little worried about the speed at which the plot is progressing. That's been a concern since the very beginning when I first started plotting out this book. If I get things wrapped up too quickly, then I think I'll keep writing right to the end of the series and The Deliverers Series will wind up being four books. The other possibility is that something unexpected happens that will add an unexpected twist and give me enough for a complete book.

Either way will be okay. It's kind of exciting not knowing for sure which way it's going to go--almost like I'm a reader rather than the author. It will be interesting to see which way things will go. As I've mentioned before, either the end of book four will be a cliffhanger, or it will wind up being the segway to the second half
of the book, which would have been book five.

This week was also special because I received the preliminary drawing for the chapter header for The Golden Dragon of Ang. It's a picture of a Chinese dragon, and it looks really cool. I can't wait until the book is ready. It won't be long now. When the cover is all set, I'll share it with you here. Have a great week!

A Writer's Week #102: Tough Going

Howdy folks. Boy, I hope your week went more smoothly than mine. First off, two snowstorms dumped over a foot of snow on my little corner of New England, making travel difficult. This forced me to cancel one of my training classes at work. That meant I had to reschedule two make-up classes for next week while my department will be packing up to move to another town on Friday.

 All of this must have put a damper on my creativity this week, because I was not able to do much on the writing front. I only managed to write 1,000 words on the Deliverers 4. This book has been giving me problems from the start. It was easy to come up with the idea--and it was a good one--but it took me longer than usual to iron out the details of the plot.

I have to admit that the part I was writing this week was not the most thrilling section. In it, Eric and the other Deliverers are walking into town. All the time, Eric is learning how different his town is in 1777. I managed to get them into the center of town and they have made a decision on how they are going to proceed, so I am anticipating that things will start to move from here.

I suspect that I'll have to do some rewriting of this section eventually, but this week it was just a case of

Eric & friends are now under the Liberty Tree

trying to power through and getting it written down. So I'm now at 6,000 words in 27 pages and three chapters. I am hoping to write a lot this week, but that may bee difficult as there is a lot going on once again.

I am also hoping that sometime this week I'll receive the completed front cover for The Golden Dragon of Ang. If so, I'll be sure to share that with you next week. Have a great one!

A Writer's Week #101: Visions--Past & Present

This week had a lot to do with visions. No, I was not hallucinating, but I did see a lot of interesting things. First of all, I received the almost completed cover illustration for The Deliverers 3: The Golden Dragon of Ang. That was really cool. Illustrator Daniel Vogel and his mother, graphic designer Ana Vogel, have done a

fantastic job as usual. I've been looking at it all week and just marveling at the depth.

It's a big change from the original pencil sketch that Dan sent for my approval a couple of months ago. Since then, I've watched it evolve into what I received this week. All it needs is a little sparkle added to the mist and it will be complete. Once it's done, Ana will add the titles and the cover will be set. I'm getting excited! I can't show you the whole thing yet, but I will share just a bit. I added the Deliverers Series title, but that's not the way it will be on the final cover.

This week I also had to envision the past. I'm at the point in the Deliverers 4 where Eric and the others are sent back in time by the Gatekeeper. It was more challenging than I anticipated because Eric's hometown of Candlewood Corners, CT is loosely based on a combination of the town where I live and the town where I grew up, which was the site of the only battle of the Revolution fought in Connecticut. It was difficult trying to envision what the towns must have looked like

during the time of the American Revolution. Talk about a brain exercise! Seeing the colonial Candlewood Corners through Eric's eyes was very interesting. When this book is done, I don't think I'll ever look at my town the same way.

I got a lot of writing done. I wrote over 2,700 words, which brings the total for book four to more than 5,000 words over three chapters and 24 pages. In the coming week, I hope to receive the finished cover art for book three and to continue work on book four. Once I get the final cover, I'll start work on the book trailer. I've got a couple ideas for that, but I still have to sit down and do the storyboard. I'll let you know how that goes next week!

A Writer's Week #100: Doing What I Love Best

Boy, I really feel good this week. Finally, after months of preparation, research and one false start I was able to get back to doing what I love best--write. The Deliverers 4 is now well and truly underway. This week, I wrote the first 2,336 words of the latest installment of the Deliverers Series. That's the prologue and most of chapter one in 11 pages.

I had originally started with Eric having a dream, which I've done in two of the first three books, but it just did not feel right. Instead, I used a scene I'd envisioned as chapter three as a prologue and it worked really well to set things up. It also made it easier for me to introduce other background elements in the first chapter.

So, all in all I'm really pleased with the way things have begun and I'm really feeling energized. I'm looking forward to getting Eric into the Hallway of Worlds and sending him and Stig, Kate and Hallo back in time to the American Revolution. Now that I've found the right angle, I'm excited.

During my research I discovered a plausible motivation for the British General who commanded the forces
that marched inland into Connecticut in 1777 to take things a step further than he actually did. It was a little eerie, actually, but it convinced me I was on the right track. More on this next week.

Things remain status quo for The Golden Dragon of Ang. Waiting for artwork and layout is always tough, but I know from experience that artist Daniel Vogel and layout wizard Ana Vogel will come through with a fantastically designed and illustrated finished product. Waiting--not my strongest trait.  We're on track for the book to be released in a little over a month! Hopefully I'll have an update for you shortly!

A Writer's Week #99: Book Four, Take Two

We're getting closer to the release of The Golden Dragon of Ang. Work is progressing on the cover and other artwork. The maps are complete. Illustrator Daniel Vogel and layout designer Ana Vogel are on
schedule to everything complete by the end of February. It's really exciting.

Earlier this week, I posted the first part of chapter one, then the blurb for the back cover. Soon, I'll be releasing some interviews with characters from the book. As I've said before, I'm really looking forward to the release of this book. It was a lot of fun to write.

The Deliverers 4, however, is another story-no pun intended. I've been going back and forth on the plot. I worked hard on it this week and I came up with some really good stuff. There are still a few plot points that have yet to resolve themselves, but I think I am ready to begin writing for a second time. The unfortunate part is that I don't think I'll be able to use the original beginning that I wrote right after Christmas. The good part is that I think the new beginning will be better than version one.

I'm planning to begin writing this weekend and I hope to have the first draft completed by Labor Day. At this point, I'm a little nervous about that goal. I can see the end of this book going two ways-either it will end in a cliffhanger, or I'll wind up combining book 4 with book 5 and having one long book. The latter option will happen only if I don't have enough material for the fourth book. As I said, I'm still sketchy on some of the details of the book, so if it winds up being 150 pages or so, I'll ditch the cliffhanger and go right into what would have been the fifth book. So, book four could be 400 pages and the final book in the series. We'll see what happens.

Finally, today the Character Book Club is holding its monthly meeting on Fairday's blog. I'm pleased to tell you that Fairday, Lizzy and Marcus of the Detective Mystery Squad interviewed Kate and Hallo. They had a blast. If you'd like to read what they had to say, click the link here. Have a great week!

A Writer's Week #98: Deliverers 4 Update

Well it's been a long Writer's Week. As I reported last Friday, I had to stop writing book 4 in the Deliverers series almost before I began. The problem was the plot, there just did not seem to be a lot of it--or at least enough of it to make a full book. So, I set out this week to figure out the next step.

That process wound up taking the entire week. First, I turned it over to my subconscious during the weekend and let things percolate in my head. Then, I spent a couple of days trying to work out a new plot idea based on an idea that I had discarded when writing book 2. That did not work out, but it did reinforce the fact that my original plot premise was the best course, it just needed to be tackled from a different angle.

Reassured that I was on the right track, I spent the next day puzzling over just how to make it different. You see, Eric and the other Deliverers are sent back in time by the Gatekeeper to the American Revolution. The big bad guy (Mendolent) whose existence is revealed in book 3, is trying to change history. I really liked that idea, but I had pictured a scenario like Lexington and Concord, where colonists are defending a town, the British march in, they have a skirmish and the British return whence they came, harried all the way by the colonists who fire at them from behind stone walls.

Not terribly innovative or exciting. Books like April Morning, My Brother Sam is Dead and Johnny Tremain all do something like this. That was my problem. Then I had a mini breakthrough. I had to change my way of thinking. Instead of fitting my plot into the constraints of a historical novel, I had to turn that genre on its ear and write a book that was a fantasy novel set in the time of the revolution. If I followed that train of thought, then Mendolent should change history by helping the British do things that they did not do. He had to help them win by getting them to avoid the mistakes they made.

At that point, I knew I would be able to write the book. I started to pile up ideas based on this new viewpoint, and they camee pretty easily. Now all that remains (I hope) is to update the plot outline and I'll be able to resume writing. So, while I don't think I'll start writing next week, I think I should be ready the week after. I'll keep you up to date.

The art for the cover of the third book, The Golden Dragon of Ang, is almost set. It looks like we're still on track to have everything put together by the end of February, so the book will be available soon after that. Over the next month, I'll be featuring one or two sample chapters and some character interviews on the blog. As the art is finished, I'll be revealing bits and pieces as well. It will all lead up to the cover reveal next month. So there's some neat stuff happening shortly. I'm looking forward to sharing it all with you!

A Writer's Week #97: Bad & Good

This has been an up and down week--some bad, some good. Last week I was excited to report that I had begun writing The Deliverers 4. I started right after Christmas and I got off to a good start. The opening dream sequence was just right and I felt that everything was going well. Then, something strange happened. Try as I might, I just could not muster the enthusiasm to continue.

It took me a little while to figure out what was going on. There are elements of the story that I still need to hammer out. There's a new villain who's manipulating the sparkling mist. I know a little bit about him and what his motivation is, but I now realize that I have to learn more before I can get deeper into this new tale. Once I do, I'll be able to get back to writing. I just have do a little more planning.

That's okay, though, because I still some exciting things happening with the prep work for The Golden Dragon of Ang. This week I received the colorized version of the front cover. It looks really great. Once the  titling and the final effects are added, it's going to be fantastic. Once that's done, all that remains is the chapter illustration and layout and the book will be ready to go!

I'm really excited about getting the third installment of the Deliverers series published. I know you're all going to enjoy it. I'm also really looking forward to ironing out the plot kinks in book 4 and continuing that. I'll let you know how things are progressing next 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!

Character Interview: Stigidae Ghostwing

Okay, since I've been working on the plot for The Deliverers 4, which involves a bit of time travel, I thought I'd go back in time two years or so to my first character interview. Back then, I conducted a survey of the dozen or so readers I had at the time to determine which of the characters from The Deliverers: Sharky & the Jewel I should interview first. The winner was Stigadae Ghostwing the owl--Stig for short.

As I read this interview, it's interesting to see what was said when everything was fresh and new. For those of you who had not yet discovered this blog when this interview appeared right before Thanksgiving 2011, it may prove mildly amusing. Enjoy.

Editor:  Welcome to the Deliverers Publishing Headquarters, Stig. Thanks for taking the time to, um, perch with us.

Stig:  It’s my pleasure entirely, I assure you. I say, your headquarters is really quite impressive.

Ed.:  Oh, how so?

Stig:  Well, the sheer size of the place for one thing, and the fine art and furnishings, to say nothing of all the awards and autographed political and celebrity photographs. I mean, who knew this was such an accomplished organization!

Ed.:  Stop, I’m blushing. But this isn’t about us. We want to hear about you. What was your childhood like?  Were you an only owl?

Stig:  I was an only child. It was rather difficult. You see, my childhood lasted for about 150 years. Most of that time was spent in school. Owls are nothing if not educated. When I wasn’t in school I was with my parents hunting for mice, moles, and the occasional rabbit.

Mother was kindly and very understanding of my youthful foibles. My father was a most respectable business owl, and did not go in for any “carrying on” whatsoever. This led to some friction between us when I entered my adolescent years. I must confide that, just between you and I, I was quite the hellion back in those days. Eventually, I settled down and became somewhat respectable myself, but the entire process was rather painful.

Ed.:  What is your world like?

Stig:  Oh, much like any other, I suppose. Owls are the predominant species. We’ve developed a very learned society, known for our universities. A nice place altogether, but not really my cup of tea. I don’t spend much time there these days, what with my Assignments and all.

Ed.:  How did you first get sent on an Assignment?

Stig:  I first stumbled upon the Hallway of Worlds when I chanced upon a doorway while exploring a cave on my world. This was, let me see, over 100 years ago when I was around 320 or so. I can’t begin to describe my amazement when I found myself in the Hallway.

Then, the Gatekeeper appeared. He seemed to have been expecting me. Naturally, I was skeptical when he told me he needed my help, but I could not deny that I was not in the cave that I had entered, so I agreed to help him as best I could.

That was the first of many Assignments in my service to the Gatekeeper. It took a long time until I was chosen to lead an Assignment.

Ed.:  Let me guess, that was this last mission with Eric, right?

Stig:  Mmmm…Yes. Apparently, the Gatekeeper had his eye on Eric for some time. He asked me to approach him with an Assignment. Mind you, I wasn’t sure Eric would accept. He was going through an extremely rough patch, and had quite a large chip on his shoulder. Thankfully, I was able to convince him, which worked out to everyone’s benefit.

Ed.:  What do you like to do in your spare time?

Stig:  Well, I don’t have much of it, I can tell you. I teach a class at university on my home world every other semester. I enjoy it—it’s a real hoot.

Ed.:  Did you know Hedwig, Harry Potter’s owl?

Stig:  Oh, not that well. We flew in different circles. The few times I did meet her, she didn’t have much to say. Bad show what happened to her, but she died bravely. For me, it underscored just how unpredictable life can be.

Ed.:  How has the release of the book impacted your life?

Stig:  I’ve worked in virtual anonymity for over 100 years, so it was a trifle disconcerting to have the bright light of the media turned upon my work. All in all, though, I must say that it has been surprisingly satisfying. For one thing, it was an excellent Assignment. For another, it gave me a chance to work as part of a team, which was a most singular experience.

Eric, Kate, and Hallo were fun to work with, although a trifle exasperating at times. Each brings their own expertise to an Assignment, and I think we play well off each other. I’m looking forward to working with them again in future.

Ed.:  So, do you think you will all take part in future Assignments?

Stig:  From what the Gatekeeper says, I would think it stands to reason. There are thousands of worlds out there, and more than a few are encountering difficulties, so I would think you could count on it.

Ed.:  Well, thank you for your time Stig. I look forward to reading about The Deliverers’ future Assignments.

Stig:  You’re quite welcome. The pleasure has been all mine. Now, do you think you could help me find my way out of the building? All the passages are quite confusing, and I can’t make head or tail out of the map you gave me.

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.

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.