Jonathan Moeller's Blog, page 200
January 18, 2018
the bestselling short story of 2017?
I did some math to see what was my bestselling short story of 2017.
By a huge margin (it sold 28% copies more than the next short story on the list), it would be SHIELD KNIGHT: THIRD’S TALE.
Honestly, it outsold some of my novels.
Given the excellent response to the story (thanks everyone!) I think future SHIELD KNIGHT stories might have to include more stories from Third’s perspective.
Meanwhile, you can read SHIELD KNIGHT: THIRD’S TALE at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Amazon CA, Amazon AU, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo, Google Play, and Smashwords.
-JM
Excerpt Thursday: THE TOWER OF ENDLESS WORLDS
It’s Excerpt Thursday! Today’s excerpt is from my very first attempt at urban fantasy, THE TOWER OF ENDLESS WORLDS, which I wrote like 16 years ago now:
Marugon watched with fascination.
“That wand,” he said. “That black wand. What is it?”
“A gun,” I said. I could not take my eyes from the dead man. Smoke still rose from the cops’ pistols.
“A gun,” said Marugon. “Tell me, is such a thing an item of technology?”
“Yeah,” I said.
“All right, everyone!” yelled one of the cops, holstering his gun. “This place is sealed off. We’re going to need depositions. No one’s leaving.”
“Come,” said Marugon. “Let us be on our way.”
“But…but the cop said…uh, what about your food?”
“Do not be absurd,” said Marugon. “I have more important matters to ponder than hunger.” He muttered a word and walked for the doors, and I followed him. He walked between the two police officers, who ignored him. I screwed up my courage and ran after him.
And once again the police ignored me.
I started to shiver a little.
“Convey me back to your domicile, peasant,” said Marugon once we had reached my car. “We have business to discuss.”
I climbed and in started the engine, still numb with fear. “Business?”
“Yes, business,” said Marugon. I pulled out into the street. “Tell me, these…guns, the weapons the city guardsmen wielded. Are they as common as cars, as the sky-scraping buildings?”
“Oh, yeah,” I said. “Hell, you could have bought a dozen shotguns at Wal-Mart, if you’d wanted.”
Marugon blinked. “You mean the lords of your world permit the sale of mighty weapons? They permit common peasants to own these guns?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Incredible. I have never seen such a potent weapon,” said Marugon. “Such power, such deadliness.”
“What are you saying?” I said.
“Power is relative,” said Marugon. “Here, guns are deadly, but not powerful. Everyone has them, do they not? Even common ruffians. Their numbers negate their power. Similarly, magic is not so powerful in my world. It is potent, yes, but too many people know how to use it. Too many people know how to stop me.” He leaned forward and grinned. “Give me one gun, and I shall kill all my enemies. Neither magic nor a sword can stop a gun. Give me twenty guns, and I shall conquer a small country. Give me a hundred guns, and I shall rule an empire. And give me five thousand guns, and I shall conquer my world.”
“I don’t understand,” I said.
Marugon laughed. “I shall provide you with funds, you shall acquire guns for me, and I shall take them back to my world.”
“Why should I do this? For gold?” I said. I was thoroughly confused.
“No,” he said. His dark eyes glimmered like collapsed stars. “Hirelings are unreliable. You possess a cunning brain, Wycliffe of Chicago. I had planned to kill you once your usefulness ended, but instead you showed me the bounty of your world. I shall make you my partner. I shall give you power.” He laughed. “Together, we shall conquer. I shall conquer my world, and you shall rule yours.”
“Power?” I said. “How can you do that?”
Marugon grinned. “I shall make you my apprentice. I will teach you magic.”
“Right,” I said. “Yeah. Sure.”
Marugon laughed.
-JM
January 17, 2018
adventures with the Surface Pro 4
Back in March, I was fortunate enough to get a Surface Pro 4 computer, and since then I’ve written at least part of every book since on it.
But would I recommend it to people? I’ve had some problems with the device, so I wrote up an article for my technology website explaining whether or not I would recommend it.
-JM
January 5, 2018
sign up for my newsletter and get a free short story
Specifically, you’ll get SHIELD KNIGHT: CALLIANDE’S TALE, a short story about Calliande’s younger days.
Here’s the description of the story:
Sixteen years old, Calliande is a new-made Magistria of the Order, a wielder of the powerful magic of the Well of Tarlion.
With the hordes of the Frostborn invading the realm of Andomhaim, every one of the Magistri is needed in battle.
But Calliande’s first battle might also be her last…
[image error]
-JM
January 4, 2018
SEVENFOLD SWORD: NECROMANCER – the last push
Starting the final push on SEVENFOLD SWORD: NECROMANCER. No more Internet until it is done!
-JM
Excerpt Thursday: FROSTBORN: THE GRAY KNIGHT
It’s Excerpt Thursday! Today we have a short excerpt from FROSTBORN: THE GRAY KNIGHT:
A shadow passed overhead, and Ridmark caught a glimpse of sunlight reflecting off something coppery.
“Down!” he hissed.
He pushed Caius against the boulder, and a drake landed a half-dozen yards away.
The serpentine creature was the size of a large dog, through its bat-like wings stretched for a dozen feet in either direction from its slender body. Gleaming copper-colored scales covered the creature from its head to its pointed tail, and talons the color of sooty iron jutted from its paws. Its narrow head rotated back and forth on the end of its long neck, and its gleaming yellow eyes regarded Ridmark with an unblinking stare.
Caius frowned. “Is that a…”
“Drake. A fire drake, yes,” said Ridmark. “Spread out your hands. Make yourself look bigger, and start moving to the side.” He spread his arms, staff in his right hand, and moved to the left while Caius moved to the right. “For God’s sake don’t run at it.”
“Small little devil,” said Caius, and his deep voice turned the drake’s attention toward him. “One good blow from my mace should crush its skull.”
“Aye,” said Ridmark, “and if you miss, you won’t get a second blow, because your head will be on fire.”
“Do you think the orcs enspelled it,” said Caius, “and sent the beast to scout?”
“Perhaps,” said Ridmark. The Magistri of the High Kingdom used their magic for defense, for knowledge, and for far-speaking, but the shamans of the pagan orcs possessed many strange powers. “There are nests of the drakes upon the Black Mountain. Occasionally bold knights will decide to make a name for themselves by slaying a few of the drakes…and usually they wind up cooked within their armor.”
The drake had still not moved, its head rotating back and forth between Caius and Ridmark.
“What is it doing?” said Caius. “Why hasn’t it attacked?”
“Because,” said Ridmark, “drakes aren’t afraid of humans, but I doubt this one has ever smelled a dwarf before. It doesn’t know what to make of you.”
“So he’s trying to decide,” said Caius, “whether or not to eat us.”
“Yes,” said Ridmark. “Keep making yourself look larger, and back away around the boulder. If it decides we’re too much trouble, it will fly off. Probably try to kill one of the Mhalekites. If it decides to eat us, we’ll have to fight it, and it will breathe fire.”
“That would be bad,” said Caius.
“Obviously,” said Ridmark. He squatted, scooped up a stone with his free hand, and kept backing away. “And if it misses, it will set those pine needles on fire. If it does, the orcs in the Tower will see the fire…”
“And come to kill us,” said Caius. “So what do we do?”
“Keep backing away,” said Ridmark. “If we can get behind the boulder, it…”
The drake scuttled forward, its jaws yawning.
“Down!” said Ridmark.
Caius threw himself to the side, and the drake spat a jet of swirling yellow-orange flame.
-JM
January 2, 2018
2018’s writing goals
Now that 2018 is upon us, it’s time to look at my writing goals for 2018!
1.) Write at least four more SEVENFOLD SWORD books.
SEVENFOLD SWORD is my bestselling series, so I’m definitely going to continue that. SEVENFOLD SWORD: NECROMANCER will come out this month if all goes well, and I’ll start on SEVENFOLD SWORD #5 once CLOAK GAMES: BLOOD CAST is done.
2.) Finish the CLOAK GAMES series.
There are three books left in the CLOAK GAMES series, and I’m 35,000 words into CLOAK GAMES: BLOOD CAST. The plan is to alternate between SEVENFOLD SWORD and CLOAK GAMES until the CLOAK GAMES series is finished. That should be sometime this summer.
3.) Continue the GHOST NIGHT series once CLOAK GAMES is done.
Once CLOAK GAMES is finished, I’m going to alternate between SEVENFOLD SWORD and GHOST NIGHT. I hope to get at least two more GHOST NIGHT books out in 2018, but I’ll settle for one.
4.) Write two more SILENT ORDER books.
I spent all of 2017 writing SILENT ORDER in gaps in my schedule, so I think I’ll try that again this year. Hopefully I can get two more SILENT ORDER books out.
5.) Bring all newly released books out in print.
This one will be easy, since I now use Vellum to prepare print books, which really automates the process and makes it a lot easier than it used to be.
6.) Write a million new words of fiction.
If I write the books I’ve planned above, that should let me hit a million words of new fiction.
7.) Audiobooks?
This one is more of a stretch goal, really, but I might have something new to announce with audiobooks in 2018.
-JM
January 1, 2018
SEVENFOLD SWORD: NECROMANCER table of contents
Happy New Year! Let’s start out the New Year with a look at the Table of Contents for SEVENFOLD SWORD: NECROMANCER:
[image error]
-JM
December 31, 2017
SEVENFOLD SWORD: NECROMANCER book description
The last post of 2017! Let’s see the book description for SEVENFOLD SWORD: NECROMANCER!
The quest of the Seven Swords has put terrible power in the hands of madmen.
The Necromancer of Trojas wields the Sword of Death, and with it he has summoned a vast host of the undead. Unless Ridmark Arban can stop him, the undead horde will conquer all the realm of Owyllain.
But the city of Trojas holds other secrets.
And one of those secrets might kill Ridmark and destroy Owyllain…
The book should be out in January 2018!
-JM
December 30, 2017
did I meet 2017’s writing goals?
Now that 2018 is almost upon us, it’s time to look back and see if I met my writing goals from 2017!
Let’s look at my writing goals for 2017 one-by-one:
1.) Finish the FROSTBORN series.
Success! The FROSTBORN series concluded in May with FROSTBORN: THE SHADOW PRISON, which was my longest (and best-reviewed) book of 2017.
2.) Start the GHOST NIGHT series.
Success! GHOST IN THE RING came out in June, and GHOST IN THE GLASS in December. Both sold really well.
3.) Start a new epic fantasy series once FROSTBORN is done.
Success! I started the SEVENFOLD SWORD series, and published SEVENFOLD SWORD: CHAMPION, SEVENFOLD SWORD: SWORDBEARER. and SEVENFOLD SWORD: WARLORD.
4.) Publish three new CLOAK GAMES books.
Success! I published CLOAK GAMES: TRUTH CHAIN, CLOAK GAMES: TOMB HOWL, and CLOAK GAMES: HAMMER BREAK.
5.) Produce more print books.
Success! In 2016 37 of my books were available in paperback, but as of right now 63 of them are available in paperback. Given that I have 73 published novels, that’s a good ratio.
6.) Publish one new book every month.
I almost did this. I published something new every month except April, since I spent most of March and all of April writing FROSTBORN: THE SHADOW PRISON.
I don’t think I will repeat this goal for 2018. It would be nice to have a new book come out every month, but if anything goes wrong in the process of or anything unexpected comes up in Real Life, then the schedule is shot. So instead of “every month”, a more realistic goal is “as often as feasible.”
7.) Secret Goal: publish three books in one month.
Not only a success, a runaway success! This was for my SILENT ORDER science fiction series. The original plan was to write a trilogy of them. Instead, I wound up writing five, and I published the first one in September and the remaining four in October.
And then I wrote one more, for a total of six!
So it looks like it was a successful year, writing-wise. In a couple of days I’ll lay out my writing goals for 2018.
-JM
