R.T. Kaelin's Blog, page 2
November 14, 2012
My Dad
When I was 16, my father was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. They removed it, treated it, and life went on.
When you’re 16, your worldview of most things is incomplete, including your grasp of mortality. The thing I remember most about that time? We ate less salt. Dad’s post-op treatment included taking radioactive iodine that the remnants of his thyroid would collect, effectively killing itself off. As table salt has iodine, it makes treatment less effective. Therefore, less salt at the Kaelin dinner table.
It’s been 19 years since then. I’ve had my dad around for my high school and college graduations, my wedding, the birth of my two kids. You know, life.
About four years back, he started losing his voice. It cracked at first, degraded to a rasp, and eventually got to where he could only whisper. Doctors found nodules on his vocal cord and removed them. They were cancerous, but not malignant. For the past four years, they have kept an eye on him and have done five more surgeries.
Last week, he had a very large mass removed. Worried, the doctors ordered a scan of his head, neck, and chest. Yesterday, we learned he now has a very aggressive form of cancer. Recommended treatment is the removal of the larynx along with extensive radiation and chemotherapy. If that works—IF—he’d have an artificial trachea, no sense of smell, and be mute.
The prognosis if they do nothing is not good. Yet that is what my father is doing.
He had already made his mind up that if it was going to be this bad, he would not seek treatment. The last four years have been very hard on him physically, emotionally, and psychologically. He effectively has not been able to hold a conversation with anyone unless it's in a perfectly silent room. He feels isolated and alone.
About a year ago, my dad and stepmom moved to Phoenix, hoping to enjoy the sunny, hot weather in their retirement. My family—wife and two kids, aged eight and five—was looking forward to years of visiting them out there, swimming in their pool and baking in the Arizona sun.
Instead, my wife and I are trying to convince them to come back to cold and gray Ohio to stay with us for a while. The holidays are coming and I’d like to have my dad spend some time with his grandkids. Especially Christmas morning. I want pictures.
My dad is a good man. A proud, honorable man. He’s had challenges, but pushed through them with more grace than most could manage.
When he was two, he contracted polio in his leg, just before the vaccine came to be. He had countless surgeries as a child to keep his legs the same length, yet has had a rather pronounced limp his whole life. The physical stress of that has caused lower back issues, slipped disks, etc. Yet he refused to let that stop him. He was my little league coach, heading up an absolutely horrible team. We won six games in four years. Yet the parents loved him as he made sure every kid got to play and a chance to do what they wanted.
My mother and father separated when I was about eight and I lived with him after the divorce. I know he did everything he could to make our life happy and normal, yet I remember him being sad a lot. Still, he pushed through, a strong and proud soul.
A few years after the divorce he met someone and remarried. It went from being me and dad (I’m an only child) to me, dad, my stepmother, and two step-siblings, both of whom were younger than me. It was good. We did vacations, Reds games, weekends at my grandparents in Indiana. My step-siblings ceased to be ‘step’ anything. They are my brother and sister.
He was a teacher for twenty-five plus years. Geography and American History for seventh and eighth grade. He loved teaching and was damn good at it, firm yet fair. His students loved him. I know so because I attended the school at which he taught. At the time, it seemed an awful situation. A twelve or thirteen year old going to school every day and seeing your father there? Yikes. Now, however, I love having that as a part of my past. I got to see him four or five times extra per day than most kids. And if I forgot lunch money, no problem.
He’s been incredibly supportive of me in all I do, giving advice when I ask for it and offering it when I don’t but should. He has helped guide me in my personal life as a husband, father, homeowner. He has supported me in my career as a ‘software guy,’ using me as his own personal tech support whenever something goes wrong with his PC. He has been my biggest cheerleader in my quest to change paths and become a writer.
He and I have our differences, our arguments.
He’s a Republican. I’m not.
He’s religious. I’m not.
He likes bacon on his pizza. I find that a horrid thought.
But he’s my dad. And I love him.
I don’t really know why I’m writing this. I don’t think I have a point. I sat down and this post just fell out of me. Writing helps.
Why is it here? Hell, I don’t know. I guess because I wanted to share my dad with the world.
I suppose this is the definition of catharsis…
These next couple of months will be difficult for my family and me. I know that. This is just the first step of a crummy journey, but one in which I am going to consciously pay as much attention to the good and happy while trying to not dwell on the sad.
That’s it. I’m done now.
One last thing: my dad’s name is Tom.
When you’re 16, your worldview of most things is incomplete, including your grasp of mortality. The thing I remember most about that time? We ate less salt. Dad’s post-op treatment included taking radioactive iodine that the remnants of his thyroid would collect, effectively killing itself off. As table salt has iodine, it makes treatment less effective. Therefore, less salt at the Kaelin dinner table.
It’s been 19 years since then. I’ve had my dad around for my high school and college graduations, my wedding, the birth of my two kids. You know, life.
About four years back, he started losing his voice. It cracked at first, degraded to a rasp, and eventually got to where he could only whisper. Doctors found nodules on his vocal cord and removed them. They were cancerous, but not malignant. For the past four years, they have kept an eye on him and have done five more surgeries.
Last week, he had a very large mass removed. Worried, the doctors ordered a scan of his head, neck, and chest. Yesterday, we learned he now has a very aggressive form of cancer. Recommended treatment is the removal of the larynx along with extensive radiation and chemotherapy. If that works—IF—he’d have an artificial trachea, no sense of smell, and be mute.
The prognosis if they do nothing is not good. Yet that is what my father is doing.
He had already made his mind up that if it was going to be this bad, he would not seek treatment. The last four years have been very hard on him physically, emotionally, and psychologically. He effectively has not been able to hold a conversation with anyone unless it's in a perfectly silent room. He feels isolated and alone.
About a year ago, my dad and stepmom moved to Phoenix, hoping to enjoy the sunny, hot weather in their retirement. My family—wife and two kids, aged eight and five—was looking forward to years of visiting them out there, swimming in their pool and baking in the Arizona sun.
Instead, my wife and I are trying to convince them to come back to cold and gray Ohio to stay with us for a while. The holidays are coming and I’d like to have my dad spend some time with his grandkids. Especially Christmas morning. I want pictures.
My dad is a good man. A proud, honorable man. He’s had challenges, but pushed through them with more grace than most could manage.
When he was two, he contracted polio in his leg, just before the vaccine came to be. He had countless surgeries as a child to keep his legs the same length, yet has had a rather pronounced limp his whole life. The physical stress of that has caused lower back issues, slipped disks, etc. Yet he refused to let that stop him. He was my little league coach, heading up an absolutely horrible team. We won six games in four years. Yet the parents loved him as he made sure every kid got to play and a chance to do what they wanted.
My mother and father separated when I was about eight and I lived with him after the divorce. I know he did everything he could to make our life happy and normal, yet I remember him being sad a lot. Still, he pushed through, a strong and proud soul.
A few years after the divorce he met someone and remarried. It went from being me and dad (I’m an only child) to me, dad, my stepmother, and two step-siblings, both of whom were younger than me. It was good. We did vacations, Reds games, weekends at my grandparents in Indiana. My step-siblings ceased to be ‘step’ anything. They are my brother and sister.
He was a teacher for twenty-five plus years. Geography and American History for seventh and eighth grade. He loved teaching and was damn good at it, firm yet fair. His students loved him. I know so because I attended the school at which he taught. At the time, it seemed an awful situation. A twelve or thirteen year old going to school every day and seeing your father there? Yikes. Now, however, I love having that as a part of my past. I got to see him four or five times extra per day than most kids. And if I forgot lunch money, no problem.
He’s been incredibly supportive of me in all I do, giving advice when I ask for it and offering it when I don’t but should. He has helped guide me in my personal life as a husband, father, homeowner. He has supported me in my career as a ‘software guy,’ using me as his own personal tech support whenever something goes wrong with his PC. He has been my biggest cheerleader in my quest to change paths and become a writer.
He and I have our differences, our arguments.
He’s a Republican. I’m not.
He’s religious. I’m not.
He likes bacon on his pizza. I find that a horrid thought.
But he’s my dad. And I love him.
I don’t really know why I’m writing this. I don’t think I have a point. I sat down and this post just fell out of me. Writing helps.
Why is it here? Hell, I don’t know. I guess because I wanted to share my dad with the world.
I suppose this is the definition of catharsis…
These next couple of months will be difficult for my family and me. I know that. This is just the first step of a crummy journey, but one in which I am going to consciously pay as much attention to the good and happy while trying to not dwell on the sad.
That’s it. I’m done now.
One last thing: my dad’s name is Tom.
November 9, 2012
Cover for Triumph Over Tragedy Anthology
A little over a week ago, I wrote a blog post here titled "Anthology for Victims of Sandy."
The idea was a simple one. See if we could get some authors to write and donate some stories for an anthology, sell it, and donate all the money to the American Red Cross to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy (many of whom STILL do not have power).
The response was astounding.
The author list as of this moment:
• Robert Silverberg (Hugo and Nebular Award winner)
• Marion Zimmer Bradley (Locus Award winner) (donated by the MZB Literary Trust)
• Elizabeth Bear
• Michael A. Stackpole
• Timothy Zahn
• Tobias Buckell
• Bradley P. Beaulieu
• Philip Athans
• Stephen D. Sullivan
• Rick Novy
• Jean Rabe
• Mark Lawerence
• Maxwell Alexander Drake
• SM Blooding
• Erik Scott de Bie
• Alex Bledsoe
• R.T. Kaelin
• Ari Marmell
• Jaym Gates
• Pamela Turner
• C.S. Marks
• C.J. Henderson
• Marian Allen
• Bryan Young
• Donald Bingle
• Janine Spendlove
• T.L. Gray
• Steven Saus
• Addie King
• Vicki Johnson-Steger
• Tracy Chowdhury
• Doris Stever
If you are an author looking to contribute a story, feel free to contact me at rtkaelin@terrene.info. Or send me a message via Twitter @AuthorRTKaelin. Anthology details: 3-5k words in length (after all, we want to get this together quickly), genre independent, appropriate for all ages. As this will be an ebook only, total length of book will not matter. I'm guess we'll be pushing 200k when all is said and done.
If you wish to buy/contribute, visit the anthology's site at IndieGoGo.com
The donation page has only been up for a couple days and we've hit almost $500.
You can find the book here at Goodreads: Triumph Over Tragedy: an anthology for the victims of Hurricane Sandy
Now, as to the cover reveal for the anthology (which I had to get together quickly as the SFWA Bulletin is doing a write up of this in the December issue:
The idea was a simple one. See if we could get some authors to write and donate some stories for an anthology, sell it, and donate all the money to the American Red Cross to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy (many of whom STILL do not have power).
The response was astounding.
The author list as of this moment:
• Robert Silverberg (Hugo and Nebular Award winner)
• Marion Zimmer Bradley (Locus Award winner) (donated by the MZB Literary Trust)
• Elizabeth Bear
• Michael A. Stackpole
• Timothy Zahn
• Tobias Buckell
• Bradley P. Beaulieu
• Philip Athans
• Stephen D. Sullivan
• Rick Novy
• Jean Rabe
• Mark Lawerence
• Maxwell Alexander Drake
• SM Blooding
• Erik Scott de Bie
• Alex Bledsoe
• R.T. Kaelin
• Ari Marmell
• Jaym Gates
• Pamela Turner
• C.S. Marks
• C.J. Henderson
• Marian Allen
• Bryan Young
• Donald Bingle
• Janine Spendlove
• T.L. Gray
• Steven Saus
• Addie King
• Vicki Johnson-Steger
• Tracy Chowdhury
• Doris Stever
If you are an author looking to contribute a story, feel free to contact me at rtkaelin@terrene.info. Or send me a message via Twitter @AuthorRTKaelin. Anthology details: 3-5k words in length (after all, we want to get this together quickly), genre independent, appropriate for all ages. As this will be an ebook only, total length of book will not matter. I'm guess we'll be pushing 200k when all is said and done.
If you wish to buy/contribute, visit the anthology's site at IndieGoGo.com
The donation page has only been up for a couple days and we've hit almost $500.
You can find the book here at Goodreads: Triumph Over Tragedy: an anthology for the victims of Hurricane Sandy
Now, as to the cover reveal for the anthology (which I had to get together quickly as the SFWA Bulletin is doing a write up of this in the December issue:
October 30, 2012
Anthology for Victims of Sandy
So, like most of you over the past few days, I’ve been watching the terror that was Sandy rip through the northeast. The images coming out from the region are astounding.
In past tragedies, I’ve donated some money to the Red Cross, but I’ve always felt like it was inadequate.
“Hey, you lost your home? Man, that stinks. Here’s fifty bucks. I gotta hop in my car now, get a cup of coffee and go off to work. What’s that? Your car and job are gone? Ooohh…”
This time, I’d like to do something more.
So, fellow authors. I’d like to put together an anthology of donated short stories, sell them via eBook, and donate 100% of the proceeds to the Red Cross for relief efforts. Granted, this will take time to put together, but I'll bet you people will still be struggling with things a couple months from now.
I’m reaching out to the few folks I’ve come into contact with in the past few years, but would love to hear from anyone interested. Share this post.
The theme of the anthology is simple: triumph over tragedy. Fantasy (traditional or urban), sci-fi, mystery, pulp, romance, action…I don’t much care. The more variety, the better. I would love for this to appeal to a wide fan base to get as much money as possible for the victims of Sandy.
If interested in donating a story, 3-5k words in length (after all, we want to get this together quickly), contact me at rtkaelin@terrene.info. Or send me a message via Twitter @AuthorRTKaelin
Good days ahead.
--R.T.
If you wish to buy/contribute, visit the anthology's site at IndieGoGo.com
In past tragedies, I’ve donated some money to the Red Cross, but I’ve always felt like it was inadequate.
“Hey, you lost your home? Man, that stinks. Here’s fifty bucks. I gotta hop in my car now, get a cup of coffee and go off to work. What’s that? Your car and job are gone? Ooohh…”
This time, I’d like to do something more.
So, fellow authors. I’d like to put together an anthology of donated short stories, sell them via eBook, and donate 100% of the proceeds to the Red Cross for relief efforts. Granted, this will take time to put together, but I'll bet you people will still be struggling with things a couple months from now.
I’m reaching out to the few folks I’ve come into contact with in the past few years, but would love to hear from anyone interested. Share this post.
The theme of the anthology is simple: triumph over tragedy. Fantasy (traditional or urban), sci-fi, mystery, pulp, romance, action…I don’t much care. The more variety, the better. I would love for this to appeal to a wide fan base to get as much money as possible for the victims of Sandy.
If interested in donating a story, 3-5k words in length (after all, we want to get this together quickly), contact me at rtkaelin@terrene.info. Or send me a message via Twitter @AuthorRTKaelin
Good days ahead.
--R.T.
If you wish to buy/contribute, visit the anthology's site at IndieGoGo.com
****UPDATE****
We're up to 31 authors saying they're in for sure. 4 more are tentative. The 31for sure are listed here:
• Robert Silverberg
• Michael J. Sullivan
• Bradley Beaulieu
• Rick Novy
• Phillip Athans
• Stephen Sullivan
• Jean Rabe
• Maxwell Alexander Drake
• Erik Scott de Bie
• Alex Bledsoe
• Matthew Wayne Selznick
• R.T. Kaelin
• Ari Marmell
• Jaym Gates
• C.S. Marks
• C.J. Henderson
• Marian Allen
• Bryan Young
• Donald Bingle
• Janine Spendlove
• T.L. Gray
• Miya Kressin
• Steven Saus
• Addie King
• Rob Knipe
• Vicki Johnson-Steger
• Tracy Chowdhury
• Doris Stever
• Gregory Wilson
The more, the merrier, though. Spread the word.
We have 4 volunteer editors now, too. And perhaps an illustrator.
September 27, 2012
Why I Write, Part...Oh, I Don't Know
I’ve written a couple of these in the past, but it’s been a while, and this is some of the first feedback I have received on Prophecy from people outside my trusted circle of beta-readers and the like.Got a nice message from a young lady who bought Prophecy on release day and is in the midst of reading it now.
One thing I love about this book is the numerous story lines that we follow in different places. At some point no doubt they will all converge at the end, each bringing with them a small piece of the big puzzle.
I was doing laundry a while ago and thinking about the book. I was thinking about the characters and story line, when I realized the what it must have taken to write this book. Its so complex.
And small little things that happened in the last book are big things in this book. Did you plant those things in the last to use in the next? Right now Nundle has a rock in his pocket that gives water. It was a line from the first book, but since he put it in his pocket I'm sure it will pop up again. I love it! This book is way better than the first and the first one was off the hook.
You are truly a gifted writer and I had the good fortune to stumble across your path before you made it big. WTG RT!
I have to admit, getting emails like this make a writer blush.
Readers are awesome.
You can get Prophecy here (Kindle), here (print), or here (Nook).
Good days ahead.
--R.T.
September 25, 2012
PROPHECY RELEASE DAY!
The day is finally here! Prophecy, Volume II in The Children of the White Lions series, is available for purchase in print, on kindle, and nook. Well, as soon as the nook folks push the thing through.
Amazon is working on combining the print/kindle edition pages, but until that goes through, here is the kindle link:
http://www.amazon.com/Prophecy-Childr...
And here is the print link:
http://www.amazon.com/Prophecy-Childr...
I'll add the nook link when I have it.
If you want to read some reviews, they’re all on the print edition so far. Here’s a snippet of on, though:
Prophecy is more complex than Progeny was in so many ways. The stage has shifted from a single duchy to all of them and more. Our heroes we fell in love with in Progeny are all back with a couple new ones thrown in for good measure. Within Prophecy, a clever reader is made more aware of what motivates the "evil" gods of the Cabal and their plans to return. We also become cognizant of the ulterior motives of the "good" and neutral gods and begin to question everyone's goals. There are even a few new races we meet throughout the adventures within Prophecy's pages. And for Kaelin's biggest fans, Prophecy is loaded with references to the short stories Ryan has written and given away for free on his website.
Prophecy was a lot of fun to read and continues the epic tale set forth by Progeny. One of the things I loved about both Progeny and Prophecy was that none of the characters were predefined by the sides they belong to or their races - there were even parts in Prophecy where I came to sympathize with the ultimate bad guy. For you romantics, you will watch as a couple relationships blossom within Prophecy and a couple others come to an end. The slow buildup approach Ryan takes leaves the tale believable and the amount of backstory is enough to give any epic fantasy reader the sense that his (or her) money was well spent. But mostly it is Ryan's characters that make both Progeny and Prophecy such great books.
For those who haven't read Progeny, of all the fantasy series I've read (more than a few) Progeny and Prophecy remind me most of the Inheritance Cycle (Eragon) by Christopher Paolini. They are not the same tales, but the elegances found in those books are found in these ones too. The cleanliness of the worlds and the use of typical fantasy tropes in original ways make both worlds comfortable and fresh to any reader, new or old.
I am pleased to give this book five stars and I look forward to reading the next novel in this epic fantasy series. Ryan is destined for greatness, so do yourself a favor and pick up both Progeny and Prophecy now so you can look back one day and say "I knew him when ...".
Get your copy today!
And write a review when you’re done reading! They really help.
Good days ahead.
--R.T.
September 17, 2012
While Prophecy is out next week, Progeny is free for three days.
Yup.
From Tuesday, September 18th - Thursday, September 20th, Progeny is free on Kindle.
If you haven't had a chance to get it, now is your chance. The second book in The Children of the White Lions series comes out on September 25th.
Here are some blurbs on Progeny:
“R.T. teaches a master class in world-building. Rich in characters and details, he pulls you through a breathtaking tale that surpasses good versus evil.”
~Jean Rabe, USA Today bestselling author
“R.T. Kaelin is one of those few new authors who understand both the importance of immersing the reader in the story and how to accomplish it. From the first word, he grabs you and holds you captive throughout. I enjoyed reading Progeny and look forward to more books from R.T. Kaelin.”
~Maxwell Alexander Drake, Author of Genesis of Oblivion Saga
"Anyone who enjoys adventure stories or magical and paranormal I would suggest you give this a try. For me, Progeny is in league with both The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings and far better than Harry Potter - Progeny has a wealth of depth to it that I haven't seen in many books..”
~Clover Hill Book Reviews
"Overall, I would favorably compare his writing with Brandon Sanderson, Scott Lynch, (early) Robert Jordan and even a bit of David Eddings flavor mixed in. I really enjoyed this book and my biggest disappointment is going to be waiting for the next installment."
~LuxuryReading.com
“The best word I have to describe this book is ‘wow.’ This book was so good and so action packed I got into the book on the first page. I am certain that this series is going to win some awards.”
-BookGateway.com
"Robert Jordan. George R. R. Martin. Stephen Donaldson. Brandon Sanderson. These are the masters of fantasy and readers of Progeny will be able to discover a new voice that is destined to match those authors."
~BooksieBlog.com
And here's an early preview review of Prophecy:
"I am pleased to give this book five stars and I look forward to reading the next novel in this epic fantasy series. Ryan is destined for greatness, so do yourself a favor and pick up both Progeny and Prophecy now so you can look back one day and say “I knew him when …"
Read the whole review here:
http://zcreed.wordpress.com/?p=390&am...
From Tuesday, September 18th - Thursday, September 20th, Progeny is free on Kindle.
If you haven't had a chance to get it, now is your chance. The second book in The Children of the White Lions series comes out on September 25th.
Here are some blurbs on Progeny:
“R.T. teaches a master class in world-building. Rich in characters and details, he pulls you through a breathtaking tale that surpasses good versus evil.”
~Jean Rabe, USA Today bestselling author
“R.T. Kaelin is one of those few new authors who understand both the importance of immersing the reader in the story and how to accomplish it. From the first word, he grabs you and holds you captive throughout. I enjoyed reading Progeny and look forward to more books from R.T. Kaelin.”
~Maxwell Alexander Drake, Author of Genesis of Oblivion Saga
"Anyone who enjoys adventure stories or magical and paranormal I would suggest you give this a try. For me, Progeny is in league with both The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings and far better than Harry Potter - Progeny has a wealth of depth to it that I haven't seen in many books..”
~Clover Hill Book Reviews
"Overall, I would favorably compare his writing with Brandon Sanderson, Scott Lynch, (early) Robert Jordan and even a bit of David Eddings flavor mixed in. I really enjoyed this book and my biggest disappointment is going to be waiting for the next installment."
~LuxuryReading.com
“The best word I have to describe this book is ‘wow.’ This book was so good and so action packed I got into the book on the first page. I am certain that this series is going to win some awards.”
-BookGateway.com
"Robert Jordan. George R. R. Martin. Stephen Donaldson. Brandon Sanderson. These are the masters of fantasy and readers of Progeny will be able to discover a new voice that is destined to match those authors."
~BooksieBlog.com
And here's an early preview review of Prophecy:
"I am pleased to give this book five stars and I look forward to reading the next novel in this epic fantasy series. Ryan is destined for greatness, so do yourself a favor and pick up both Progeny and Prophecy now so you can look back one day and say “I knew him when …"
Read the whole review here:
http://zcreed.wordpress.com/?p=390&am...
September 16, 2012
Want a signed copy?
I've had a few people ask if they can buy a physical copy directly from me that I will sign and ship.
I had not expected this. But, I have a solution.
Send me an email at rtkaelin@terrene.info and I will send you a PayPal request for the cost of the book. Once that's paid, I'll sign a copy and ship it.
Or you can take your chances and enter to win one of four copies I'm giving away here.
http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...
Release day is almost here!
-R.T.
I had not expected this. But, I have a solution.
Send me an email at rtkaelin@terrene.info and I will send you a PayPal request for the cost of the book. Once that's paid, I'll sign a copy and ship it.
Or you can take your chances and enter to win one of four copies I'm giving away here.
http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...
Release day is almost here!
-R.T.
September 12, 2012
September 25th: Prophecy's Release Date
Not much more to say than that.
In less than two weeks, you can get your copy of Prophecy, the sequel to Progeny, the #7 top-rated historical fantasy and #23 top-rated epic fantasy at Amazon.
While a large portion of my sales are ebook, I still invested in getting a print edition put together. So, on Tuesday, September 25th, you will be able to get Progeny in print, on the Kindle, and on the Nook.
I have a little smile on my face as I write this. I am as anxious to get the book out to you all as hopefully most of you are to read it. That and I got something in the mail today.
It's the proof copy and, I have to say, it looks pretty darn spiffy.
Here it is next to its big brother:
I'm pretty excited.
In less than two weeks, you can get your copy of Prophecy, the sequel to Progeny, the #7 top-rated historical fantasy and #23 top-rated epic fantasy at Amazon.
While a large portion of my sales are ebook, I still invested in getting a print edition put together. So, on Tuesday, September 25th, you will be able to get Progeny in print, on the Kindle, and on the Nook.
I have a little smile on my face as I write this. I am as anxious to get the book out to you all as hopefully most of you are to read it. That and I got something in the mail today.
It's the proof copy and, I have to say, it looks pretty darn spiffy.
Here it is next to its big brother:
I'm pretty excited.
August 31, 2012
And the cover of Prophecy looks like...
So, back in July, when I announced the name to the second installment in The Children of the White Lions series, I promised to reveal the cover soon.
Does a month-plus count as soon?
It’s been a busy time for me. For many reasons, most all of them good.
My search for an agent to represent me is going well. Very well. I have a number of offers of representation, but have not chosen one yet as I am waiting for responses from all the agencies that have Progeny under consideration. A couple late entries into the game have made me push the decision back a little, but that’s actually a good thing. Those late entries are considering Progeny AND Prophecy.
I am continuing with my plan to self-publish Prophecy now unless whichever agent I choose begs me to not. And as my target for release is end of September…well, the clock is ticking.
My proofreaders are 100% done. The manuscript is complete. And, as I type this, the wonderful woman who did the bookplate (inside) layout as well as the cover (outside, of course) layout is working on those for me. I sent out ARCs (advanced release copies) of Prophecy a while back in order to get blurbs for the cover (and inside the ebook) and they are rolling in. Even got a great one from a USA Today bestselling author.
Now. The cover.
As much as I’d like to explain the thought behind it before you see it, I’m guessing that is not possible. Webpages are not conducive to covering something with a sheet, ripping it off, and exclaiming, “Ta-da!”
So, go ahead, look and I’ll meet you below the image and share my thoughts about it.
When I did Progeny’s cover, the thought was to be very different from other books in the fantasy genre. Stark, simple, high contrast, not busy. For Prophecy, I wanted to change things up a little. Keep the same, simple look and theme, but add just a touch more complexity. In many ways, it is a reflection of the growing, evolving story within.
I chose the colors with care and intent. Black, gold, silver, and white. If you’re reading this, you probably read Progeny and have a good idea what those represent: Void, Will, Soul, and Air. When you read the book, you’ll understand.
And as for the scroll contained within the dual, cutout circles…well, the book is called Prophecy.
So. There it is. Hope you like it. I’m looking forward to seeing it sitting on the bookshelf next to Progeny.
One last thing: When I announced the title back in July, I posted the first half of Prophecy’s prologue and made the promise to share the remainder when I revealed the cover. So, without further ado: the full prologue to Prophecy can be found here.
Enjoy.
Good days ahead.
--R.T.
Does a month-plus count as soon?
It’s been a busy time for me. For many reasons, most all of them good.
My search for an agent to represent me is going well. Very well. I have a number of offers of representation, but have not chosen one yet as I am waiting for responses from all the agencies that have Progeny under consideration. A couple late entries into the game have made me push the decision back a little, but that’s actually a good thing. Those late entries are considering Progeny AND Prophecy.
I am continuing with my plan to self-publish Prophecy now unless whichever agent I choose begs me to not. And as my target for release is end of September…well, the clock is ticking.
My proofreaders are 100% done. The manuscript is complete. And, as I type this, the wonderful woman who did the bookplate (inside) layout as well as the cover (outside, of course) layout is working on those for me. I sent out ARCs (advanced release copies) of Prophecy a while back in order to get blurbs for the cover (and inside the ebook) and they are rolling in. Even got a great one from a USA Today bestselling author.
Now. The cover.
As much as I’d like to explain the thought behind it before you see it, I’m guessing that is not possible. Webpages are not conducive to covering something with a sheet, ripping it off, and exclaiming, “Ta-da!”
So, go ahead, look and I’ll meet you below the image and share my thoughts about it.
When I did Progeny’s cover, the thought was to be very different from other books in the fantasy genre. Stark, simple, high contrast, not busy. For Prophecy, I wanted to change things up a little. Keep the same, simple look and theme, but add just a touch more complexity. In many ways, it is a reflection of the growing, evolving story within.
I chose the colors with care and intent. Black, gold, silver, and white. If you’re reading this, you probably read Progeny and have a good idea what those represent: Void, Will, Soul, and Air. When you read the book, you’ll understand.
And as for the scroll contained within the dual, cutout circles…well, the book is called Prophecy.
So. There it is. Hope you like it. I’m looking forward to seeing it sitting on the bookshelf next to Progeny.
One last thing: When I announced the title back in July, I posted the first half of Prophecy’s prologue and made the promise to share the remainder when I revealed the cover. So, without further ado: the full prologue to Prophecy can be found here.
Enjoy.
Good days ahead.
--R.T.
July 27, 2012
Fun with Numbers: Progeny vs. Prophecy
As we get closer to the release of Prophecy (this fall), I thought I'd put up a few fun number facts about the two books.
Read the opening of Prophecy’s prologue here: http://rtkaelin.com/book2-prologue.html
Good days ahead.
Progeny had 264,223 words over 74 chapters, Prophecy has 265,459 words over 62 chapters.
Events in Progeny (excluding prologue) took place over 42 days, the duration of Prophecy (also excluding prologue) is 74 days.
Prophecy's prologue takes place 7 years after Progeny’s prologue. Both take place 250 years before either book.
Chapter 1 of Prophecy starts 27 days after the Epilogue of Progeny.
Number of Kenders point-of-view chapters in Progeny: 12 In Prophecy: 10
Number of Nikalys point-of-view chapters in Progeny: 12 In Prophecy: 8
Number of Jak point-of-view chapters in Progeny: 8 In Prophecy: 7
Number of Characters-not-in-Progeny-but-new-to-Prophecy point-of-view Chapters in Prophecy: 17
Number of soldiers in Progeny: ~400. Number of soldiers in Prophecy: A lot.
Number of mongrels in Progeny: 0. Number of soldiers in Prophecy: Also, a lot.
Number of White Lions in Progeny: 1. Number of White Lions in Prophecy: More than 1. :)
Read the opening of Prophecy’s prologue here: http://rtkaelin.com/book2-prologue.html
Good days ahead.
