John Schettler's Blog, page 3
November 27, 2022
Beta Readers
Recruiting Beta Readers for John's next new book!
Do you know that in the first screening of the film Pretty Woman, Vivian (Julia Roberts) and Edward (Richard Gere) did not end up together? The audience hated the ending. The producers changed it and gave us a movie loved by so many.
I would love to know your perspective as a reader before the publication of my new book. I know you are passionate about the genre of my new project – a navel, military fiction that involves clashes of two cultures and two great empires. As I am too familiar with my work, I need fresh pairs of eyes and minds to provide impartial feedback.
There are still a few spots open for Beta Readers. I invite you to sign up for the Beta Reader team. Just drop me an email. To make it easier for you, you only need to read a chapter or perhaps one three chapter section instead of the complete book. Beta readers will also have a fast track to the Advance Review (ARC) team and get a free Advance Review Copy signed by me.
Please sign up soon by just dropping me an email ( john@writingshop.ws ) to secure your spot as a beta reader. I will send you details on what I am looking for from my Beta Readers.
November 19, 2022
Readers sound off!
19 NOV 22
Reader Survey Results Are In!
Here are what my dear readers like you told me in the survey. When asked what Genres you preferred, the top categories are:
1) Time Travel
2) Naval Fiction, Historical Fiction, Science-Fiction (All tied)
3) Military Fiction
4) Fantasy.
An interesting result is that none of my readers read Romance books. Neither do I. Those who responded to the survey were all male; the majority of them are of a more mature age. Facebook and Youtube are most used for Social Media, but book selections are typically made through independent browsing on the web.
I thank you for letting me know your reading preference. My next project is going to tick off a lot of boxes from that survey. I will share more information about my new book in the next blog. Stay tuned!
Have a great Thanksgiving!
November 12, 2022
Take our Brief Reader Survey
(3 Minutes!) Tell us what you like to read!
Dear Readers,
You make or break any project a writer offers these days, and I'd love to know more about what you like. Please take 3 minutes and tell us what you like to read. I have unpublished manuscripts in Science Fiction, Military Fiction, Time Travel and other genres, and I'd like to know what you're reading and how you make your choices, so I can determine where to target my restless pen. Just click the icon above to get started, or you can click here.
Thanks Much!
John Schettler
November 5, 2022
New Beta Reader Program
Dear Readers,
The fifth volume of the Chronicles of Innisfail was just released on Nov 1, and even after four reads and edits by me, I'm willing to bet there's something in there that I missed. That's where the new Beta Reader Program comes in. My Senior editor can only handle one book at a time, and he's already quite busy. So we decided to try something new and look for 10 Beta Readers. It's like being a Beta tester for a new computer game.
A Beta Reader will be sent a random chapter from John's latest work in progress, which is a new stand-alone book involving Historical and Naval fiction--but with a twist.
When you get your chapter, just read it and note anything you think needs correction in Red Text. Send it back to John and he will will take it from there. (These will be MS Word files)
Help make the next project 100% clean and error free! (And get a sneak peek at the latest book too!)
My thanks to anyone who volunteers to help me nail down my ubiquitous typos. After 80 novels, my typing just seems to get worse and worse.
John
October 24, 2022
Coming Soon!
Announcing our updated web site. let us know what you think.
Sound off and take our Reader Survey Here Coming Soon:Chronicles of Innisfail Volume VThe Talons of Tallus
The great war is in its 3rd year and now not even the massive mountain fortress of Cartimandua is safe from attack as Luthgondriel leads an attack from below.
The Dreadlords have regrouped after their defeat at the Battle of Longwood and press a new attack led by Sonderin against Innisfail.
General Scion Cross musters the Imperial legions, and gets substantial help from the far east, including the legions of the mighty Samarkon!
Two major battles are fought as Morwenna escalates by summoning Demons, Fiends and Marauders from the Abyss. Then Sonderin wakens an ancient foe in the far north.
Duke Morgin leads the White Company in an effort to halt the enemy advance east against the empire. General Cross will send three legions in support, and now the Samarkon face down Sonderin's newly awakened Arcons--beings who strove with the Gods themselves in the ancient time before Old Mindemoya.
The series surges to a shield shattering finale here in Volume V, and then pauses while John focuses on a new Secret Project that will be annoounced soon. Take our reader survey to sound off and let John know what you like to read most.
October 15, 2022
Volume IV in the Innisfail Series
ABOUT NIGHTFALL
Duke Morgin Grenfell fights two battles in defense of the West while the Dreadlord Sonderin recruits the Khazars and musters to assault the Raedwall. Morgin receives unexpected help from the High Mage Cedrin Woodwise in the Ravenswood. Soon Morwenna and Luth march to join Sonderin, but only after they have first gone to Dark Mornaland to release a terrible Demon, a Nightshade who can devour all light.
As deep night falls on the Alderenh, hope fades in the darkness until the Sons of Old Mindemoya answer a desperate appeal from General Scion Cross and sail for Rammath-Innis. But the Black Sails stand in their way, and the Imperial Navy sorties to challenge them in a great naval battle. When the Nightshade comes east into Innisfail, Archmage Vortigern leads the Order of Donn Rhy to stand against it in a deadly confrontation of Black Magic vs White. Then the Samarkon stand with General Cross to face down Luth and his Legion of Shadows--the Dharmans.
The Chronicles of Innisfail
Volume IV, Nightfall
By
John Schettler
Part I – Deep West
Part II – Charlendar Pass
Part III – Ravenswood
Part IV – The Gathering Storm
Part V – The Fields of Gwimalden
Part VI – The Luntmorgen
Part VII – A Council of Five
Part VIII – Band of Brothers
Part IX – Twist of Fate
Part X– The Raedwall
Part XI – Night Falls
Part XII – Longwood
July 31, 2022
Volume III in the Chronicles of Innisfail
The Fate of Empire
Kindle File: $4.99Volume III in John Schettler's new Epic military fantasy series.
Available Now!
In a desperate effort to break the siege of Rammath-Innis, Duke Morgin arrives with a strong contingent of the Western Outlords, to confront the Shadows. He is soon reinforced by Lord Frey, marching all the way from Irondale with the clans of his people. They will also be joined by the Host of Delling, coming by sea and landing to the east on the coast of Innisfail. Together these forces confront the Dreadlords, but when Lord Hornbori falls in battle, the Dwarrowkin clans withdraw, and Duke Morgin also lies abed, with a dire wound from his encounter with the Dreadlord Luth.
The Dreadlords now turn their combined might on the city and Sonderin uses his new weapon to undermine the walls. General Scion Cross had concentrated the entire Army of Innisfail inside the outer Ramparts of Rammath-Innis. Will it be enough? Then the Navy comes forward with a massive fleet offering one last hope, and an alternative for the survival of the proud people of Innisfail.
Not since Starfall has there been such a dramatic crisis, and when Vortigern the Seer comes to Ramath-Innis, he and the other High Mages strive to hold the dark magic of the Dreadlords at bay. Yet there is hope to the east, and General Cross now make a fateful decision to evacuate the people of Innisfail to safer lands to the east. The Great Migration proceeds, and finds lands and worlds that no one ever knew existed. There General Cross strives to find and secure powerful new allies for a great crusade. He parlays with the leader of a powerful tribe, the Samarkon, the Spartans of this new world, and soon plans a Great Crusade to return to the West and reclaim lands and titles lost to the Dreadlords. Can they defeat the combined might of the Gorgessen and Khazari hordes, and then roll back the deepening shadow now falling over the Alderenh? Or is it the fate of Empire to suffer a tragic fall into that impending dark age on the horizon.
All titles available now on Amazon for Kindle or quality Trade paperback
July 14, 2022
Duel at Sea!
Oh My... Where did Ivan Volkov get that Battleship?
That's the question Karpov asked himself when he first learned about the challenge. Volkov! He was back again, from some other Meridian, and intent on putting an end to the one Fedorov and Karpov had fought so long to defend.
But Volkov just made a very big mistake. Was it hubris, blind ambition, or simply rabid hatred that led him to boldly challenge Karpov and Kirov to one final battle at sea, a duel to settle their long vendetta once and for all.
Vladimir Karpov was a happy man the day he received that challenge, and he said so.
"Come and get it!" Volkov taunted. "You come too, Fedorov, you sniveling toad. I’m going to enjoy chopping Kirovup and putting you both in the water. Then I’ll sail up, hook the two of you and drag your asses all the way back to my home port at Sevastopol. So what do you say? Are you game for a nice little showdown at sea?”
“You’ve got it, Asshole,” said Karpov. He didn’t hesitate a second.
“The one thing I did not get to do was to put you in a grave. It will be my pleasure. When we heard you had passed, I was very disappointed. Killing you and whatever monstrosity of a ship you’ve built, will be a supreme joy.”
“Oh, you can try, but Orenburg is no pushover, Karpov. I designed it to be my flagship for the new Orenburg Federation I’ll build here after I get rid of the two of you, and that damn ship of yours. Good to at least see you aren’t the cowards I thought you were. I’m going to enjoy carving your precious battlecruiser up.”
“Be careful what you wish for, Volkov. You talk tough, but you’ve got no experience at sea. You won’t last ten minutes in naval combat with me. I’ll box your ears so hard you’ll be deaf for a year, and I’m going to enjoy every goddamn minute of it. You can bet on that.”
“That may be true for the little ships you preyed upon in the last war, but not mine. I won’t be in a Chinese Corvette, Karpov.”
“But you will be dead just the same.”
So where did Volkov get a ship good enough to challenge Karpov on Kirov?
Come and see!
Don't miss Encore, an all new book in the Kirov series. Available Now on Amazon!
BUY NOW
June 30, 2022
Kirov Series serves up an Encore!
Surprise Volume #65 in the Kirov Series is Available now!
Encore
OK... It's an Encore, and author John Schettler has put together an all new mission handed to Karpov and Fedorov by Director Kamenski. The result is everything you ever liked about the Kirov series. There's mystery, Troyak and the Marines deploy for some ass kicking. The Ice Men Skeletals are back, there's airships, haunting landscapes in the polar regions and lost deserts of the world. Kirov goes to sea when a variation ends the war in 2025-26 differently, and removes a key trump card from the Allied hand. Karpov wants to set things right. Volkov shows up with a big surprise or two, and the vendetta between Volkov and Karpov finally gets its proper resolution. A few plot holes are filled, and a few loose ends tied off. And best of all, its out now for kindle!
While the author isn't promising this will happen all that often, he was just too restless, like Karpov, and Kirov just had to get back on stage for one more swansong. Here it is. 36 more life saving chapters!
Kirov Series Encore: $6.99 for Kindle version
Quality Trade Paperback: $19.99
May 5, 2022
The Shadows are Coming!
Duke Morgin Grenfell has rushed west into Rhaingoll with his knights to stand a nervous watch on the eves of Ravenswood as The Dreadlord Luth marches his Dharman Legion into the Valley of Soregor. Will he strike south towards Rhaingoll's main city at Dinorwick? Luth has a surprise in store when the action shifts to the Tower of Aberlemno.
Reaching Irondale to confer with Lord Frey, Morgin meets a strange yet amiable man with a most interesting weapon. He immediately seeks to recruit him to his cause.
Morgin then joins with Lord Frey and characters from the Kaspar's company on the Starseed to undertake a dangerous quest into the Underworld. As Morwenna has led her army aloft, the Duke sees this as perhaps the only chance he will have to recover the body of his friend, Lord Rachlin. A party of nine intrepid souls open the Undergate below 3rd Deep in Cartimandua, and struggle to make their way to the dread Bone Fortress. There they must face and defeat the Guardians Morwenna has left in place to watch the many entrances to her dark realm. Not everyone will get out alive...
Meanwhile, events above ground are getting very dark. The great war that started in Volume I has now reached a decisive phase, when all three of the series Dreadlords, Luth, Sonderin, and Morwenna, lead their armies into Innisfail to lay siege to the capital at Rammath-Innis. Among them come the dread Dharman, shadow warriors who live on the tenuous boundary between this world and the ethereal realm called the Reach. This sets up a do or die battle for the city, where the fate of the Empire rides in the balance.
New characters are introduced, most notably, the Archmage Vortigern, who has come looking for his missing Starseed Gemsword. He is instrumental in mustering the strength of the West and urging them to ride east to Innisfail. There in the capital, all four High Mages strive to oppose the dark magic of the three Dreadlords.
The Outlords answer the call yet again, and ride east to Innisfail. They are joined by both hosts of the Dwarrowkin, Lord Frey's and those of Lord Hornbori. A major battle on the fields of North Innis results as they try to break the siege of Rammath-Innis. But with the Khazars and Gorgessens looming on the southern frontier of the Outlands, the Outlords must decide whether to stand for Innisfail or return West to defend their homelands.
It's out now for kindle with the paperback a day or so behind. This book will also be distributed to Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and other online retailers. And John says Volume III is already underway.
Kindle edition: regular $6.99 now at $4.99Trade Paperback: $19.99
Help keep the story rolling!
