M.L.S. Weech's Blog, page 95
January 27, 2017
Caught is out!
[image error]This is truly the best feeling in the world. My second novel is finally live and out in the world.
Most of you who’ve been following me have been so amazingly supportive. Now the book is out and being delivered to all those who have preordered.
You can still purchase the ebook for just 99 cents on Amazon.
You can also purchase the paperpack through Amazon.
If you want a signed copy, you can get one through my online store.
I decided not to go with hard covers this time around. With Bob, hard covers were rarely something readers wanted, and I wanted to give readers what they want.
I also got the first review back for Caught, and it’s so kind. I want to send a special thank you to Sinisterdarksoul for the kind review!
Thank you all again, and I hope you enjoy the book. Whatever you think, please be kind enough to leave a review as they’re invaluable to authors, especially independent authors like me.
As always, thanks for reading,
Matt
January 24, 2017
Sojourn in Despair: The 1st Draft is Done!
I’ve been talking about my progress on this project since my first blog post. I was lucky enough to be invited to participate with some amazing authors in an anthology. I finished the discovery draft of Sojourn in Despair over the holidays, and I just wrapped up what I call the first draft.
What this means is it’s finished, and it’s in English. I feel very good about it, and I think the story itself is fantastic!
What’s next though is something big. I always try something different every time I write a project. I’ve always had AN alpha reader. Ben is my best friend and brother in law. He reads EVERYTHING I write (poor guy). But I expanded my alpha reader pool to a few others.
Alpha Readers to me have always been people I can go to with questions about concepts or ideas. I don’t know the first thing about a lot of things, so I find alpha readers who are knowledgable in some way about some aspect of my story. This story’s topics are: The Jewish religion, mathematics, and evolutionary theory.
That said, if there’s someone out there with a PHD in either math or evolutionary theory, I’d appreciate an email in that regard. I’d be overjoyed if someone with expertise in those areas could give this a glance and make sure I don’t look foolish on a scientific level. I have one alpha who’s looking at it for math, but no one to look at the science of this planet or its species.
As of now, I have five alpha readers. Each bring something unique and specific to the table. They’re all offering invaluable feedback that I’ll put to use in my second draft (the draft before it goes to the editor for developmental review). Two of those alphas are our very own Jenn Moss and Quintessential Editor. So if you’d head over to their sites, give them some likes, shares, and follows, I’d appreciate it as they’re REALLY helping me out.
I just wanted to share my joy at this most recently finished project before I start my next one (because that’s sort of what I do). What’s that you ask? The layout and design of The Journals of Bob Drifter so I can re-release that book at a lower price with another edit done. I’ll keep you all posted.
Thanks for checking in and all the support you’ve shown me. I hope you’ll all preorder Caught or snag a copy of it Jan. 28!
In any case, thanks for reading.
Matt
January 20, 2017
Strong Female Characters
As I write this, I’m stricken by a loss the world suffered. I won’t discuss it other than to mention the role that women can play in stories. I was basically raised in a house full of women. I had a few brothers that stayed with me on occasion, but the ratio in my house was always at least 2:1.
My mom raised me by herself for five years, and during those five years, I wasn’t very helpful to her. Because I know how strong the women in my life are, I look for female characters who are strong. There are different types of strength, and I’ll get to those, but for me, I hate any story that portrays a woman as anything other than a character who happens to be female. (For the record, I feel this way about religion, color, and ethnicity as well. Stories about race issues or religious issues are important, I’ll even write a few.) There’s a difference between a book about (in this case) women’s issues and a book that simply thinks women need men to exist.
There’s the Bechdel Test. But this only ensures the women have something to talk about. It’s a good test to put your characters through to prevent the issue I’m discussing, but I have a different challenge.
Develop your character. Determine everything you want to determine, then flip a coin to determine gender. Gender has a role in character. Men react differently in certain situations than women, but I’ve found that some stereotypes are mitigated when gender was determined after archetype and function in a story.
There are some amazing female characters in the world. Some that come to mind right away:
[image error]This image is used for critique an analysis purposes as are other images featuring these characters.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Who I may want to argue is the greatest female character of all time).
Egwene al’Vere from The Wheel of Time
Vin from Mistborn (Who may give Buffy a run for her money, but I’d still argue Buffy would win…okay…I’ll have to post a blog about that in the future).
Lessa from Dragonriders of Pern.
I could go on, but I just wanted to throw out a few things to consider.
The Bechdel Test has its limits both good and bad. Imagine a book about a woman who’s an assassin. She goes through the whole book killing bad guys and just being awesome. I’d probably love this book, but it fails the Bechdel test. There’s not even a second woman for the first to talk to.
My adaptation to this is that if you have women (or a woman) in the story, make them characters. You’ll never make everyone happy, but the first thing to do to ensure you have (we’ll call them) non-weak women in your story is to give them a role in said story.
The Next step is then to give them strength. Now, all of the above characters are extremes. They’re LITERALLY strong women. They could kill people, but that’s not the only type of strength. It is one way. And if you’re working on an action fantasy story, ask yourself, “Is the only reason this character isn’t a girl because I’m a guy?” But if you’re writing science fiction and there isn’t a “magic system” of sorts, don’t worry. Other ways to make those characters strong exist.
The Mentor Archetype: I’ve recently given Supergirl a second chance. I’m glad I did. That show’s pilot was still one of the worst I’ve ever seen, and I have issues with some of the on-the-nose “cause” plots. But I submit to you this:
The strongest female character in that show is Cat Grant.
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January 19, 2017
Caught Giveaway!
Starting today, I’m doing a Goodreads giveaway. Two people will each receive a free, signed paperback edition of my new release, Caught. You can head here for details.
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Caught
by M.L.S. Weech
Giveaway ends January 27, 2017.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
January 17, 2017
Book Cover of the Month of December!
For those who didn’t see how things panned out via Brackify, it’s time to announce my Book Cover of the Month of December!
And the winner is…
[image error]This image and other associated images are used for review and critique purposes under fair use doctrine. Also, I’m trying to help this guy sell books.
Betrayer’s Bane by Michael G. Manning. For those who want to see the Facebook post that launched it all, just click here.
As I said, this image just had so much impact. The design is beautiful, the text is well placed. Everything in this cover builds off of the other. Notice the way the eyes of the older figure direct to the author’s name while the line of sign of the younger figure takes you to the title text. It’s a linear design, but the flare at the base of the title text holds the eye and keeps the viewer from wandering off. The spot color is perfect in hue. The moment is tragic. The detail in the art/design is spotless. It’s really not a mystery this cover did so well. How well? Let’s look at the stats!
Betrayer’s Bane simply dominated! It received 42 out of 144 total votes (29%). To give you some scope, it’s final opponent, A Throne of Bones (which is still an amazing cover) received just about half as many votes. (15%). It never received less than 5 votes in each round of the bracket.
[image error]That means this was a great cover, and you all were very loyal and wonderful voters. Seriously, the last round was amazing! I lost some editing time because I kept refreshing to see just how many votes this cover would get. I’m so glad I had this idea. But, enough about the voting, let’s talk about the book with the cover pretty much everyone loved!
Betrayer’s Bane is the third book (and final) in the Embers of Illeniel Series. It’s connected to Manning’s Mageborn series. Manning states in his forward to Bane that this book is closer to horror than fantasy. I don’t hold that against him. If I were just a reader, I’d have bought the entire trilogy. Alas, I have to work at some point. So I picked up my e-verson of Bane. Here’s the teaser from Amazon.
“Tyrion was a good person who had been born to a simple family and raised with love, but the world has shaped him for a different fate. Twisted by violence and torture, he is obsessed with a relentless desire for vengeance, and he has sown the seeds of wrath in his children. The She’Har have offered him the opportunity to be a great leader and usher in a new era of prosperity and peace, but despite his gentle beginnings, Tyrion is no hero.
Heroes are born to build, and while many laud the efforts of such leaders, others will work to bring them down, for all good things must come to an end. Every forest must inevitably face the flame.
Destiny has chosen Tyrion for a different path and given him the spark that will burn the world to ashes. Embracing the evil within, he will reap a harvest of hatred, and no one will find safety in the purge of fire that he brings; even the betrayer has his bane.
Will anything be left to rise from the ash?”
[image error]This is Book 1 of The Embers of Illeniel. Click here if you want to start from the beginning.
I’m not yet familiar with Mr. Manning’s work, but I’m optimistic I’ll enjoy Bane. I tend to become loyal to authors who peak my interests, so it’s possible I’ll read most of his other work.
Here’s Mr. Manning’s bio from his author page.
I’m actually trying to find out who did the cover, but I’m not having a lot of luck. I’ll keep researching, and if I find out who created this awesome sauce, I’ll update this post because if this guy is affordable, I think any author should see about his prices!
Bane is currently number 4 on my TBR list. (There’s this Sanderson guy, and that Sleeping Legion series). I’ll post my review here when I finish.
I had a ton of fun with this, so here’ my plan. I’m already going to do a bracket for January as well as the rest of the year. I may fill in the bracket with some HMs from previous brackets, but most will be from covers I found in Amazon’s New Release section for fantasy and science fiction. If you follow and like my page, you can see what covers will make the bracket. (This month is already looking amazing!) At the end of the year, I’ll do a final, winner take all (just bragging rights, I’m broke) bracket for the Book Cover of the Year. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have.
Thanks for reading
Matt
January 15, 2017
200 followers!
[image error]As I type this, I currently have 211 followers on WordPress, and that’s just amazing to me. I’ve been on this journey for a little less than two years, and the only way success is possible is with readers who are interested in the content I produce. I’ve made friends, and I’ve become a fan of some of those I follow as well. So with that in mind, I’d like to pass along that success by talking about a few bloggers I’ve become a fan of.
Sinister Dark Soul: He has this haunting prose that has the ability to stretch you. Content warning. He goes to places you might not be ready for. The trick is how he eases you into those places. His “Clocktower” series is definitely worth a read. His prose style makes his posts quick to read.
J.R. Handley: It’s cool to see people I know become successful. His books The Legion Awakes and Fortress Beta City are doing very well. It’s all the sweeter because my good friend Quintessential Editor edited those books. J.R.’s blog is evolving, and I like where it’s going. It has interviews, world building tips and some marketing advice.
J.J. Azar: J.J. has been one of my biggest supporters of late. His blog has a charm and class that just jumps off the page. He posts update on his projects and even did a Q & A that was fun to watch.
Red String Papercuts: Steve over at that blog has become such a valued mentor to me. His posts on marketing are invaluable. I can’t tell you how helpful they are. Factor in Jessie’s prose and poetry and you have a dynamic site worth visiting.
Rough and Ready Fiction: Jenn Moss is a wonderful person. I read and reviewed her book “The Horned Gate.” Her web serials are fun to read. She also does tarot card posts that are fascinating.
[image error]I really could go on all day. I try to visit at least three of these (or a few others) each day, rotating to try and stay up to date (Got to give a shout out to Idiot in Tin Foil). They’re just fantastic and incredibly supportive. I’m grateful to all of you followers. I hope to continue to provide you with posts that motivate, inform, and educate you.
With that said, I’d like to ask your thoughts. What do you look for most from my posts? What do you want to see more of?
Thanks for reading,
Matt
January 13, 2017
Book Cover of the Month Finals!
It’s been a fun experiment, one I’m glad I thought of. I know I’ll be doing one for January. We’ll see how this thing grows. I like competition and things like that, so I’ll give this some time, and hopefully it’ll take off.
With that said, voting for the finals for the month of December are officially ongoing! It’s been fun seeing how things have progressed. We started with 16 nice covers, and I can really get behind the two remaining books.
Your finalists for the month of December are:
A Throne of Bones by Vox Day and Betrayer’s Bane by Michael G. Manning. Both are beautiful covers.
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(NOTE: Both covers provided to assist in voting and review purposes under fair use)
You can see the whole bracket and vote here. But thanks to J.R., I noticed some devices have trouble loading the actual matchup, so if you just want to vote and see larger versions, you can do that here. (Also, I have the books above for your full viewing enjoyment.
Voting lasts until Jan. 17 at midnight (so it’s over the first minute of Jan. 18). I’ll post the winner on my blog the following day. I’ll also buy that book and add it to my TBR pile.
Thanks for reading
Matt
Caught Preview! Chapter 2!
[image error]C.L. Schneider was kind enough allow me to make a guest post on her blog. I decided to unveil Chapter 2 of Caught. You can see the post here.
Remember, preorders for Caught are still ongoing. Just head over here and pick up your e-book for just 99 cents. That price only holds up until Feb. 2, a week after it’s official release.
Thanks for reading,
Matt
January 12, 2017
Book Cover of the Month Final Four!
I just wanted to update you all on the progress of the Book Cover of the Month bracket. We’re into the Final Four. The bracket is going along well. You can vote in the next round right here. Voting on this round only last for two days, so vote now while you have the chance!
Thanks for reading,
Matt
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January 11, 2017
Book Review: Afghanistan, A Sailor in a Soldier’s World by John Allen Collins
[image error]This book is an autobiography from John Collins. It follows his journey from the flight to training all the way to his return. My usual formula, I feel, is inappropriate with this book because it is an autobiography and because John is a friend of mine.
This isn’t a novel. It’s not structured or written in the manner those who enjoy fiction would expect. It’s told in chronological order, and it’s primary function is to show how combat affected John. It’s important. Those who haven’t experienced combat sometimes have trouble understanding why their loved ones who do see combat change to varying degrees.
I’ve never actually been in combat. I was lucky. Two combat tours. More missions than I can remember or count, and I just had the pure luck to never end up in a firefight. What I can say is that there’s a scene in John’s book that resonates even with me. The constant fear that “This time, it’ll happen” has an effect on a person. John does a great job of describing that feeling.
This book’s strength is its honesty. Readers will see John at his best and worst. The kind of courage it takes to to openly show yourself to the world can’t be measured.
I’m not one who normally reads combat biographies. Most of my friends have seen combat. I’ve been on combat tours. While I never saw combat, I have seen things I don’t think I’ll forget. I frankly need the buffer of “fiction.” I read this book because John is a friend, and I’m glad I did.
[image error]This book is mostly for those who’ve seen combat. I’d even go so far to say its for those who saw a type of combat they didn’t expect to see. The earliest premise of this book discusses how exactly a person trained to operate from a ship dozens or hundreds of miles off the coast of a country ends up smack dab in the middle of a firefight. Of all the things I took from this book, I valued John’s courage the most. No matter how afraid he was, he never faltered to do what his country and leaders asked him to do. I love fiction, but if you’re looking for a story that shows you what heroes do, look no further.
