Jonathan Moeller's Blog, page 284
August 26, 2014
information on FROSTBORN: THE DARK WARDEN
It is funny how events tend to cluster, and today I got a bunch of emails and Facebook messages asking when the next FROSTBORN book would come out.
Well, the next FROSTBORN book will be FROSTBORN: THE DARK WARDEN, and I am currently on Chapter 4 of 24 for the rough draft. Usually I don’t release the book description until later in the process, but since I wrote the outline for THE DARK WARDEN the better part of a year and a half ago, (and since BIG THINGS will happen in the book!) it seems a good time to share!
RIDMARK ARBAN is the Gray Knight, questing to stop the return of the terrible Frostborn to the High King’s realm. For years he has sought the secret of the Frostborn, and now the answer is at hand within the walls of the cursed citadel of Urd Morlemoch.
For the Warden of Urd Morlemoch knows the secret.
CALLIANDE seeks for her past, her memory lost in fog. She seeks to stop the return of the Frostborn, a secret trapped within her damaged memory. The truth of her past awaits within the walls of Urd Morlemoch.
For the Warden of Urd Morlemoch knows who she really is.
THE WARDEN has been imprisoned within Urd Morlemoch for centuries beyond count, his potent magic chained behind its walls.
But his final game is almost complete.
And worlds beyond count shall tremble before his power…
-JM
August 22, 2014
love stories
I read a review of GHOST IN THE STORM that caused a moment of reflection.
I used to detest writing anything even vaguely romantic. This is why neither GHOST IN THE FLAMES nor GHOST IN THE BLOOD have no romantic subplots whatsoever, the closest being a retired veteran’s long quest to save his kidnapped wife from slave traders.
Later, it occurred to me that that I was like a baker attempting to make cakes without sugar. It is, of course, possible to make a tasty cake without sugar, if you use enough spices and the right ingredients. It is also possible to ruin a cake with too much sugar.
However, it is nonetheless much easier to bake a cake with sugar than without.
So it is with romance. It really is a vital part of the writers’ toolkit. It can provide character motivations, subplots, and character development. It is a remarkably versatile storytelling tool.
But one thing is clear: if two characters have a romantic relationship, the story is all the better if they suffer for it, if they have to work for it.
A thought which occurs to me as I look at the outline for future GHOST EXILE and FROSTBORN books. 
-JM
August 21, 2014
GHOST IN THE HUNT table of contents
The table of contents for GHOST IN THE HUNT. I always enjoy thinking up the chapter titles.
Chapter 1 – Shadow Knives
Chapter 2 – Voices
Chapter 3 – Thieves
Chapter 4 – The Lord Ambassador’s Wife
Chapter 5 – The Umbarian Order
Chapter 6 – Poems
Chapter 7 – Embassies
Chapter 8 – Huntress
Chapter 9 – Masks
Chapter 10 – Refuge
Chapter 11 – Pilgrims
Chapter 12 – The Old Religion
Chapter 13 – The Headman
Chapter 14 – Confessions
Chapter 15 – Balarigar
Chapter 16 – Friends and Allies
Chapter 17 – Silent Ash Temple
Chapter 18 – Promises
Chapter 19 – At The End
Chapter 20 – Huntress and Prey
Chapter 21 – Wider Circles
Chapter 22 – The Loremaster
Epilogue
-JM
August 20, 2014
Who should play Caina Amalas, part II
Between Facebook, this website, Goodreads, and Twitter, we had fifteen different nominations for our unofficial “who should play Caina Amalas” poll. You can pick your top two choices below, and next week we’ll announce the winner and the runner up!
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.
August 19, 2014
August 18, 2014
Who should play Caina Amalas?
One of the most common questions I get concerns who I think should play Caina Amalas in any (purely hypothetical, alas) movie or TV adaptation of THE GHOSTS.
My usual response to this question is “Umm…” because my knowledge of contemporary pop culture is, alas, rather lacking. I customarily say that I think Caina looks like Trinity from the first MATRIX movie, but the first MATRIX movie came out in 1999, which was probably the last time my knowledge of pop culture was anything approaching current.
So let’s open it up to nominations! Suggest who you think should play Caina in a movie or TV adaptation, and in a few days we’ll run a poll to decide the winner.
-JM
August 15, 2014
FROSTBORN: THE GRAY KNIGHT offer for Kobo users
Kobo is doing a special sale for 30% off on select books ending Monday 8/18, and FROSTBORN: THE GRAY KNIGHT (the first book in the FROSTBORN series), is one of those books. So if you’re a Kobo user and you want to give the FROSTBORN series a try, now is an excellent chance!
Follow the link below, and use the coupon code ROMANCE30.
-JM
August 14, 2014
GHOST IN THE HUNT update
Looks like GHOST IN THE HUNT will land at about 96,000 words long, which puts it at approximately 4700 Kindle locations. That makes it the longest GHOSTS book since GHOST IN THE MASK, and the third-longest of the entire series behind CHILD OF THE GHOSTS and GHOST IN THE MASK.
If all goes well I’ll post a sample chapter next week.
-JM
August 13, 2014
a snippet from GHOST IN THE HUNT
I like this bit from GHOST IN THE HUNT:
“For the gods’ sake,” said Caina, her temper slipping a bit. “Have you only shown up to say you cannot help me? Why bother at all then? If I happen to starve to death, are you going to appear with a bowl of rice and eat it while saying that you are forbidden from feeding me?”
“Of course not,” said Samnirdamnus. “I am an immortal spirit of the netherworld. I do not require material sustenance.”
-JM
August 9, 2014
ebook sales breakdown for July 2014
After I mentioned that FROSTBORN: THE IRON TOWER sold more copies on Amazon UK than on Amazon US, a few people wanted to know where I sold the most books. That seemed like an interesting question, so here is the percentage breakdown of where I sold books in July.
Amazon US = 45%
Amazon UK = 31%
Barnes & Noble = 10%
Apple iBooks = 5%
Google Play = 2.5%
Amazon Australia = 1.3%
Kobo = 1.1%
Other (Scribd/Oyster/etc) = 1.1%
Amazon Germany = 0.8%
So Amazon is the big fish with about 80% of the total, but I did have quite a bit of growth in Google Play from earlier in the year. Google Play sells in a lot of different countries, so it is interesting to see where people buy books. It has been an educational experience – prior to Google Play, I did not know that the national currency of Vietnam was the “dong”, but I do now!
-JM
