Jonathan Moeller's Blog, page 42

SEVENFOLD SWORD ONLINE retitled to STEALTH & SPELLS ONLINE

I have decided to rename the SEVENFOLD SWORD ONLINE series to the STEALTH & SPELLS ONLINE series.

The motivation for this decision came from the many emails I received asking where SEVENFOLD SWORD ONLINE fit in between DRAGONTIARNA or SEVENFOLD SWORD, or if the Calliande NPC in the books would turn out to be the real Calliande from FROSTBORN. And the answer to all these questions is no, of course not. SEVENFOLD SWORD ONLINE is something totally different than the FROSTBORN epic fantasy series. It’s a LitRPG series with many science fiction elements. The premise is that seven hundred years in the future an evil corporation made a virtual reality MMORPG game based on my FROSTBORN books, and a former developer sets out to expose the evil corporation from within by playing the game. It’s not part of the FROSTBORN or the other Andomhaim series.

But the confusion is my fault. By naming it SEVENFOLD SWORD ONLINE, I think I set the table wrong, so to speak.

What do I mean by that?

Imagine you sit down to a meal. The tablecloth is the red-and-white pattern traditionally associated with Italian restaurants. On the table you see a shaker of garlic salt, and another of parmesan cheese. Next to your plate is a pizza cutter, and in front of it is a basket of garlic breadsticks. Your beverage is in one of those red plastic cups that Pizza Hut had back in the 90s.

Naturally you’re expecting the waiter to bring out a pizza.

Instead, the waiter brings out a plate with carne asada tacos and lime & jalapeno tortilla chips. You’re going to be very confused. Why is there a pizza cutter next to your plate if you’re having tacos? I mean, they could potentially be the best tacos in the history of Mexican cuisine, but it’s still weird because you sat down and everything indicated that you were about to get a pizza.

So by naming the LitRPG series SEVENFOLD SWORD ONLINE, I think I set the table wrong and created incorrect expectations that it was actually part of the main FROSTBORN/SEVENFOLD SWORD/DRAGONTIARNA/DRAGONSKULL/THE SHIELD WAR series. It probably also kneecapped sales for the series, since people assumed it was part of SEVENFOLD SWORD.

Therefore, SEVENFOLD SWORD ONLINE has been renamed to the STEALTH & SPELLS ONLINE series. Hopefully this will be better indicator of what kind of book it really is.

And after typing this post I really want some tacos.

-JM

Question of the week: favorite video game

For last week we talked a little bit about computer game soundtracks, which begs the obvious question.

What is your all-time favorite video game? Like the one you keep coming back to play again and again. No wrong answers, obviously.

For me, I think it comes down to a toss-up between two. The oldest one is MASTER OF MAGIC from 1994, though I think the remake from 2022 is a worthy successor. Admittedly the 2022 remake took a bunch of patches to get there, but the original version from 1994 also required many patches, so it’s just continuing the original game’s legacy. The newer one is SKYRIM, which I have been playing on and off since 2011, and even though I (finally) beat the main campaign during COVID in 2020, I still keep coming back to it.

-JM

10k word day!

The weather today was so bad that I didn’t even try to go to the gym, so instead I stayed home and wrote 10,000 words of WIZARD-THIEF. My 3rd 10k word day of the year!

This is also a good time to mention that I have now started writing WIZARD-THIEF, the sequel to HALF-ELVEN THIEF from back in December. I’m about three-quarters of the way through it, and if all goes well it will be out sometime in April.

After WIZARD-THIEF, the next two books I plan to write are CLOAK OF TITANS and SHIELD OF DARKNESS.

-JM

The Pulp Writer Show, Episode 193: Unsatisfying Book Endings

In this week’s episode, we take a look at what makes a book’s ending disappointing or unsatisfying, and offer tips and tricks on how to avoid that. You can listen to the entire episode with transcript at the official Pulp Writer Show podcast site.

-JM

GHOST IN THE VEILS now available!

I am very pleased to report that GHOST IN THE VEILS is now available at all platforms!

You can get the book at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Amazon CA, Amazon AU, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, Payhip, and Smashwords.

 

When the truth is hidden, unveiling it can be deadly.

Caina faces a new enemy – the insidious serpent men and their mysterious Cult of Rhadamathar. Already they are working to incite war and spread chaos, both within and without the Empire.

So when the ruler of Istarinmul asks Caina to discover why the Cult tried to assassinate his pregnant wife, Caina has no choice but to agree.

But the serpent men have been working in the shadows for centuries…and they have prepared lethal traps for those who seek out their mysteries…

-JM

Coupon of the Week, 3/25/2024

Once again it is time for Coupon of the Week!

This week’s coupon is for the audiobook of GHOST IN THE WINDS as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy. You can get the audiobook of GHOST IN THE WINDS for 50% off at my Payhip store with this coupon code:

SPRINGWINDS

The coupon code is valid through April 12th, 2024, so if you find yourself needing an audiobook to leap into spring, you can listen to the epic conclusion of the GHOST EXILE series!

-JM

GHOST IN THE VEILS table of contents!

We are far enough along to see the Table of Contents for GHOST IN THE VEILS, which should be visible below!

If all goes well, the book will be out next week.

-JM

Question of the Week: The Soundtrack

While editing GHOST IN THE VEILS, I’ve been listening to the soundtracks from PICARD SEASON 3 and BALDUR’S GATE III. Which is amusing because I have yet to play BG3, but I did buy the game on GOG just so I could get the soundtrack.

Anyway! This segues neatly into the Question of the Week: what apps do you use to listen to music? No wrong answers.

For myself, I use iTunes for PC, and I prefer to buy MP3 files of music whenever possible. Since I work on my PC most of the day, that’s what I usually use for listening to music. When away from my computer I’ll use an iPod Touch I got in 2021, and when that little device finally dies I’m going to be very disappointed since Apple doesn’t make them any more. I have played with Spotify on my phone a bit, but I still prefer having the actual files.

-JM

GHOST IN THE VEILS brief excerpt

Making good progress on editing GHOST IN THE VEILS today, so time to share a brief, spoiler-free excerpt!

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Kalliope’s jaw dropped. “Kylon was a gladiator? A gladiator?”

“Anyway, that’s not the point.” Morgant paused. “What was the point?”

“It’s all right if you don’t remember,” said Sophia in a gentle voice. “The physicians at the Towers of Lore say it gets harder to remember things as one gets older, and as you’ve said, you’re deserving of respect because you’re older than anyone.”

“A gladiator?” said Kalliope again, aghast.

“He made quite a lot of money from it,” said Caina.

“Oh, yes, that was my point,” said Morgant.

“The money?” said Kalliope.

“No, not the money,” said Morgant. “Our mighty valikarion knight here is much cleverer when Lord Kylon isn’t around, since her overwhelming lust for him clouds her thinking.”

“I also don’t have Kylon around to save my life when I get into trouble,” said Caina.

“But you wouldn’t get into trouble if he wasn’t here, which means that he wouldn’t need to save you since he wouldn’t be here,” said Morgant.

“Well-reasoned indeed. I see why you’re a painter, not a logician,” said Caina. “Ready to get to work?”

“Following the Balarigar on a fool’s errand across Istarinmul,” said Morgant. “It will be just like the good old days.”

-JM

The Pulp Writer Show, Episode 192: Winter 2024 Movie Roundup

In this week’s episode, I rate the movies and TV shows I shaw in Winter 2024. You can listen to the episode with transcript at the official Pulp Writer Show podcast site.

-JM