Jason Tesar's Blog, page 11
July 28, 2011
Reviews: Whose Opinion Really Matters?
Months ago, I submitted my manuscript of
The Awakened
to several online companies that offer reviews/critiques. These were not the big players, like Kirkus Reviews or the New York Times. Nevertheless, conventional wisdom says that a publicized review from an objective viewpoint, especially a review company with a reputation, can lend credibility to your work.
Well, I have a counter-conventional idea I'd like to share.
I wonder if the whole Review concept, like so many other things in the publishing world, is an artifact of the traditional publishing industry. I also wonder if it will end up going to the same place…the grave.
During the publishing process for The Awakened , I had to prioritize my time carefully. Between choosing a printing house, starting a publishing company, doing my own graphic artwork, editing my manuscript, and setting up this blog, I had way too many things to occupy my already limited free time. On top of it all, every time I read indie author blog posts about self-promotion, I ran across the concept of the highly-esteemed Review.
I researched websites of the big companies first, and quickly became discouraged by the variety of ways in which they essentially said, "If your book isn't being published by a major publishing company, don't even bother wasting our time by submitting it!"
I'm paraphrasing, of course.
So, for the sake of time-management, I followed their advice. I didn't bother. And I'm glad I didn't! Because a few weeks after publishing on Amazon for the Kindle, I began to get reviews from people whose opinions really matter—readers.
It took me a while to wake up and change my thinking, but eventually I asked myself, Am I writing to win awards? Am I writing to gain credibility from critics? As an indie author, do I care about any of that? Isn't it most important that my writing finds support from people who are reading for pleasure? After all, if my writing is going to survive, it will have to be from word-of-mouth.
That's when I realized, instead of putting quotes in the front matter like this:
"One of the best blah blah blah blah blah."—Somebody no one's heard of, Some Newspaper
…indie authors should be publicizing what readers are saying. Once I came to this realization, I jumped on it. You may have noticed that the quotes I now have on my blog are from Amazon reviewers. Many people have said some very nice things about The Awakened . None of them were obligated to do so. They chose to. And in so doing, their opinions actually influenced others to read the series, as well.
How different this is from the traditional Review concept!
This is real. This is honest. And these are the opinions that really matter!
Oh yeah. I finally heard back from one of the review companies I mentioned above. While their review was mostly positive, I only received one blog hit via their website. Hardly the impact I expected. Which leaves me thinking, how is this better than a reader review?
The answer—it's not.
Well, I have a counter-conventional idea I'd like to share.
I wonder if the whole Review concept, like so many other things in the publishing world, is an artifact of the traditional publishing industry. I also wonder if it will end up going to the same place…the grave.
During the publishing process for The Awakened , I had to prioritize my time carefully. Between choosing a printing house, starting a publishing company, doing my own graphic artwork, editing my manuscript, and setting up this blog, I had way too many things to occupy my already limited free time. On top of it all, every time I read indie author blog posts about self-promotion, I ran across the concept of the highly-esteemed Review.
I researched websites of the big companies first, and quickly became discouraged by the variety of ways in which they essentially said, "If your book isn't being published by a major publishing company, don't even bother wasting our time by submitting it!"
I'm paraphrasing, of course.
So, for the sake of time-management, I followed their advice. I didn't bother. And I'm glad I didn't! Because a few weeks after publishing on Amazon for the Kindle, I began to get reviews from people whose opinions really matter—readers.
It took me a while to wake up and change my thinking, but eventually I asked myself, Am I writing to win awards? Am I writing to gain credibility from critics? As an indie author, do I care about any of that? Isn't it most important that my writing finds support from people who are reading for pleasure? After all, if my writing is going to survive, it will have to be from word-of-mouth.
That's when I realized, instead of putting quotes in the front matter like this:
"One of the best blah blah blah blah blah."—Somebody no one's heard of, Some Newspaper
…indie authors should be publicizing what readers are saying. Once I came to this realization, I jumped on it. You may have noticed that the quotes I now have on my blog are from Amazon reviewers. Many people have said some very nice things about The Awakened . None of them were obligated to do so. They chose to. And in so doing, their opinions actually influenced others to read the series, as well.
How different this is from the traditional Review concept!
This is real. This is honest. And these are the opinions that really matter!
Oh yeah. I finally heard back from one of the review companies I mentioned above. While their review was mostly positive, I only received one blog hit via their website. Hardly the impact I expected. Which leaves me thinking, how is this better than a reader review?
The answer—it's not.
July 20, 2011
What's Next for Kael?
Last week I posted about my current writing project, the four-volume prequel series
Wandering Stars
, which will tell the story of a renegade faction of angels who shift their existence from the eternal realm into the temporal and begin their inhabitation of the earth. This story will follow Sariel, a respected warrior, who abandons his home and reputation for the love of a human woman and finds himself standing between others of his kind and those they seek to rule.
While I'm moving full-steam-ahead on Wandering Stars , I don't want you to think I've forgotten about Kael. For everyone who's asked for more books, let me say, "I'm just getting started!"
***While I'm not revealing anything new, this may be considered a SPOILER ALERT for those who haven't picked up on the clues that I dropped throughout The Awakened ***
Those of you who've made it to the end of The Awakened: Book Three know that Kael is headed for our world. You also know that waiting for him on the other side of the portal are two-thousand armed soldiers and a military compound rigged with explosives. Here are a few other thoughts and observations for you to ponder:
In Book One and Book Three, we see an eruption of water immediately preceding Rameel's release into our world. In Book One, we see the ocean levels in our world rising, causing global flooding and devastation. Where did this water come from and how is it going to affect our world?In Book Two and Book Three, we see Rameel (The All-Powerful) interact with another of his kind—Armaros. Armaros lives in our world and agrees to help Rameel get back to his world, which we see fulfilled in Book Two. But who is Armaros, and what is he doing in our world?Adair's passage into our world, and Rameel's passage back-and-forth between the two, tell us that more than one world exists in parallel to each other. Are there more?In Book One, we see Adair rescued from Armaros' soldiers by an opposing military force. Does the military force represent a government or private organization? What happens to Adair?In Book Three, Kael heads into our world and his father is already here! Will they meet up again?In Book One, Adair's passage into our world occurs when Kael is just a child, and appears to happen instantly. But when Adair arrives in our world, he sees the devastation of flooding just after Rameel was released…in Book Three. Then, we see Kael enter the portal only months after Rameel's release. How old will Adair and Kael be in relation to one another our world?I know it's somewhat cruel to get your mind thinking in this direction without having a book for you to read. But I want you to know that I'm still thinking about Kael's continuing story and where it's going…just like you!
It would seem obvious, but it's worth stating that future books in The Awakened series will move out of the genre of fantasy toward urban-fantasy, military-fiction, and science-fiction. Whereas Sariel's story takes a giant leap toward supernatural, mythical, prehistoric, high-fantasy. I don't know if this is a positive or negative for you. But for me, I'm excited to write across these genres because, if you think about it, the only thing that really changes is the setting. Whether I'm dealing with sword fights or gun battles, car chases or cavalry charges, mythical beasts or synthetic bio-mechanical armies, I'm writing about heroes and their personal/physical/emotional journeys. I'm writing about the people whose lives they touch. I'm writing about the enemies who refuse to go without a fight. And I'm writing about a conflict that rages for millennia.
When it's all said and done, you'll see how all the pieces fit together. And it's going to be a fun ride!
While I'm moving full-steam-ahead on Wandering Stars , I don't want you to think I've forgotten about Kael. For everyone who's asked for more books, let me say, "I'm just getting started!"
***While I'm not revealing anything new, this may be considered a SPOILER ALERT for those who haven't picked up on the clues that I dropped throughout The Awakened ***
Those of you who've made it to the end of The Awakened: Book Three know that Kael is headed for our world. You also know that waiting for him on the other side of the portal are two-thousand armed soldiers and a military compound rigged with explosives. Here are a few other thoughts and observations for you to ponder:
In Book One and Book Three, we see an eruption of water immediately preceding Rameel's release into our world. In Book One, we see the ocean levels in our world rising, causing global flooding and devastation. Where did this water come from and how is it going to affect our world?In Book Two and Book Three, we see Rameel (The All-Powerful) interact with another of his kind—Armaros. Armaros lives in our world and agrees to help Rameel get back to his world, which we see fulfilled in Book Two. But who is Armaros, and what is he doing in our world?Adair's passage into our world, and Rameel's passage back-and-forth between the two, tell us that more than one world exists in parallel to each other. Are there more?In Book One, we see Adair rescued from Armaros' soldiers by an opposing military force. Does the military force represent a government or private organization? What happens to Adair?In Book Three, Kael heads into our world and his father is already here! Will they meet up again?In Book One, Adair's passage into our world occurs when Kael is just a child, and appears to happen instantly. But when Adair arrives in our world, he sees the devastation of flooding just after Rameel was released…in Book Three. Then, we see Kael enter the portal only months after Rameel's release. How old will Adair and Kael be in relation to one another our world?I know it's somewhat cruel to get your mind thinking in this direction without having a book for you to read. But I want you to know that I'm still thinking about Kael's continuing story and where it's going…just like you!
It would seem obvious, but it's worth stating that future books in The Awakened series will move out of the genre of fantasy toward urban-fantasy, military-fiction, and science-fiction. Whereas Sariel's story takes a giant leap toward supernatural, mythical, prehistoric, high-fantasy. I don't know if this is a positive or negative for you. But for me, I'm excited to write across these genres because, if you think about it, the only thing that really changes is the setting. Whether I'm dealing with sword fights or gun battles, car chases or cavalry charges, mythical beasts or synthetic bio-mechanical armies, I'm writing about heroes and their personal/physical/emotional journeys. I'm writing about the people whose lives they touch. I'm writing about the enemies who refuse to go without a fight. And I'm writing about a conflict that rages for millennia.
When it's all said and done, you'll see how all the pieces fit together. And it's going to be a fun ride!
July 13, 2011
What's Next for The Awakened Series?
I've received quite a few messages lately (via this blog, Facebook, email, or comments on Amazon) about the continuation of
The Awakened
series. Readers want to know what happens to Kael. Some have asked about Adair. The majority just want something else to read.
First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone for the kind words, encouragement, and for giving me hope that this "hobby" of mine could possibly be something more someday. Secondly, I wanted to explain where I'm headed with the series, and why.
In a letter to his editor published in The Silmarillion (Second Edition), J. R. R. Tolkien writes of the way in which his imagination worked on disparate topics that interested him (history, language, mythology, etc.). Over time, his imaginings began to put down roots and reach out to each other, eventually becoming one organism—the world of Middle Earth. This foundation, if it can be called such, wasn't in place at the time he wrote The Hobbit. Rather, it attached itself to those characters and storyline, grew around it, and enveloped it.
I understand now the challenges of storyline consistency and editing Tolkien admits to struggling with during that time. As readers, we'd like to start at the beginning of a story and work our way to the end. As a writer, I'm experiencing the reality that the imagination doesn't always work in such a linear, logical fashion. Not mine, anyway!
When I was roughly sixteen years old, I ran across a passage of scripture that intrigued me:
"And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they [were] fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose… There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare [children] to them, the same [became] mighty men which [were] of old, men of renown. (Gen 6:1-2 & 4; KJV)"
Ever since then, my imagination has been working overtime. Who were the Sons of God? How did they produce giants as their offspring?
This curiosity turned into research, which led me to a historical writing called the Book of Enoch. Though not considered Scripture, it is still an interesting writing which tells the story of the Watchers (angels) who abandoned heaven in order to act on their lust for women. Their offspring—the Nephilim (giants)—consumed all the resources of mankind and eventually turned against humans, corrupting the earth. In this account, the Nephilim are cursed to war against each other and eventually die out as a race, while their fathers watch helplessly. Then, God sends angels to imprison the Watchers within the earth until the Day of Judgment. All of this is what required a global flood to cleanse the earth and give humanity a fresh start.
While the story seemed to be wrapped up into a nice temporary conclusion, I still had several questions:
If this timeframe was immediately preceding a global flood, then how were there "giants in the earth in those days; and also after that"? Did they survive the flood? Or were there Sons of God on the earth after the flood, producing more giants? What if they're still here, but we just don't know it? What would beings of such power be involved in if they have indeed been on the earth for all these millennia? How would God choose to deal with that? Would He send more angels to fix the problem? Or would He, with a sense of poetic justice, raise up one of those oppressed by the angelic intrusion, to complete this task? …a human being.
So, when I began writing The Awakened , I began with Kael's story. I set it in a culture similar to the late Greek and early Roman empire, and envisioned a character who would chase the enemy into modern times. Eventually, the story would culminate in a post-apocalyptic future, hopefully giving me the genre-spanning satisfaction that I had hoped for, but was unable to find on bookstore shelves.
After writing The Awakened , but before its publication, I began to think more in-depth about the hints that I had worked into the storyline, pointing into the past. What is the altar in the Temple of the Kaliel? Who built it, and who built the temple? Why or how does the altar act as a portal between worlds? What is the significance of Kael's crystalline sword and Saba's staff, and why do they seem to interact with the altar? Is the altar a time-travel device? What is the explanation for the parallel worlds? How did the Watchers and/or Nephilim survive the flood? Which ones are still here on the earth? What is Sariel's involvement in all of this?
And this is how my imaginings about the history led me to the future. What I realized was Kael's story represents the pivotal moment in an epic struggle that has lasted for thousands of years, and is not yet finished. Even the tiniest decision about what happened in the past will have enormous impact on how the future plays out. How can I possibly write the ending if I haven't even taken the time to sit down and fully flesh out the beginning? How can I do justice to Kael's continuing story if I haven't examined the significance of what the Awakened is destined to accomplish? Not just for readers, but for my own sake!
I realize it may be a little bizarre for me to feel a sense of responsibility to characters that I created out of thin air. But I do. I have to take them seriously as people, or you won't either. I feel obligated to Kael to properly set the stage for the coming confrontation. If the foundation had been fully in-place, I would have started at the beginning. But it wasn't.
So…
To everyone out there who's read The Awakened , I apologize for making you wait to hear the continuation of Kael's story. Hopefully you'll understand my desire to make the actual story as grand as the one in my head. Hopefully you'll understand my need to deliver my very best effort, and not settle for anything less by rushing into the future without knowing the past. I can assure you that I am more excited than anyone to see this epic come to life.
Wandering Stars is a four-volume prequel series that will tell Sariel's story and take readers from the time of the angelic invasion to the start of The Awakened . It's going to be a prehistoric, mythical, fantasy adventure in the same style as The Awakened , bringing together personal struggles (emotional and physical), clashing cultures, and technological advancement amidst moral decline. There will be lots of action, lots of suspense, and answers to most of the questions I've heard from readers so far. I think you're really going to enjoy the journey that I have planned. If you're curious about my progress, check out the Wandering Stars page on this blog.
If you want to know how to help me write quicker, tell everyone you know about The Awakened . I can't make a living as an author yet, so my time is divided. You're the only one who can change that.
First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone for the kind words, encouragement, and for giving me hope that this "hobby" of mine could possibly be something more someday. Secondly, I wanted to explain where I'm headed with the series, and why.
In a letter to his editor published in The Silmarillion (Second Edition), J. R. R. Tolkien writes of the way in which his imagination worked on disparate topics that interested him (history, language, mythology, etc.). Over time, his imaginings began to put down roots and reach out to each other, eventually becoming one organism—the world of Middle Earth. This foundation, if it can be called such, wasn't in place at the time he wrote The Hobbit. Rather, it attached itself to those characters and storyline, grew around it, and enveloped it.
I understand now the challenges of storyline consistency and editing Tolkien admits to struggling with during that time. As readers, we'd like to start at the beginning of a story and work our way to the end. As a writer, I'm experiencing the reality that the imagination doesn't always work in such a linear, logical fashion. Not mine, anyway!
When I was roughly sixteen years old, I ran across a passage of scripture that intrigued me:
"And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they [were] fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose… There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare [children] to them, the same [became] mighty men which [were] of old, men of renown. (Gen 6:1-2 & 4; KJV)"
Ever since then, my imagination has been working overtime. Who were the Sons of God? How did they produce giants as their offspring?
This curiosity turned into research, which led me to a historical writing called the Book of Enoch. Though not considered Scripture, it is still an interesting writing which tells the story of the Watchers (angels) who abandoned heaven in order to act on their lust for women. Their offspring—the Nephilim (giants)—consumed all the resources of mankind and eventually turned against humans, corrupting the earth. In this account, the Nephilim are cursed to war against each other and eventually die out as a race, while their fathers watch helplessly. Then, God sends angels to imprison the Watchers within the earth until the Day of Judgment. All of this is what required a global flood to cleanse the earth and give humanity a fresh start.
While the story seemed to be wrapped up into a nice temporary conclusion, I still had several questions:
If this timeframe was immediately preceding a global flood, then how were there "giants in the earth in those days; and also after that"? Did they survive the flood? Or were there Sons of God on the earth after the flood, producing more giants? What if they're still here, but we just don't know it? What would beings of such power be involved in if they have indeed been on the earth for all these millennia? How would God choose to deal with that? Would He send more angels to fix the problem? Or would He, with a sense of poetic justice, raise up one of those oppressed by the angelic intrusion, to complete this task? …a human being.
So, when I began writing The Awakened , I began with Kael's story. I set it in a culture similar to the late Greek and early Roman empire, and envisioned a character who would chase the enemy into modern times. Eventually, the story would culminate in a post-apocalyptic future, hopefully giving me the genre-spanning satisfaction that I had hoped for, but was unable to find on bookstore shelves.
After writing The Awakened , but before its publication, I began to think more in-depth about the hints that I had worked into the storyline, pointing into the past. What is the altar in the Temple of the Kaliel? Who built it, and who built the temple? Why or how does the altar act as a portal between worlds? What is the significance of Kael's crystalline sword and Saba's staff, and why do they seem to interact with the altar? Is the altar a time-travel device? What is the explanation for the parallel worlds? How did the Watchers and/or Nephilim survive the flood? Which ones are still here on the earth? What is Sariel's involvement in all of this?
And this is how my imaginings about the history led me to the future. What I realized was Kael's story represents the pivotal moment in an epic struggle that has lasted for thousands of years, and is not yet finished. Even the tiniest decision about what happened in the past will have enormous impact on how the future plays out. How can I possibly write the ending if I haven't even taken the time to sit down and fully flesh out the beginning? How can I do justice to Kael's continuing story if I haven't examined the significance of what the Awakened is destined to accomplish? Not just for readers, but for my own sake!
I realize it may be a little bizarre for me to feel a sense of responsibility to characters that I created out of thin air. But I do. I have to take them seriously as people, or you won't either. I feel obligated to Kael to properly set the stage for the coming confrontation. If the foundation had been fully in-place, I would have started at the beginning. But it wasn't.
So…
To everyone out there who's read The Awakened , I apologize for making you wait to hear the continuation of Kael's story. Hopefully you'll understand my desire to make the actual story as grand as the one in my head. Hopefully you'll understand my need to deliver my very best effort, and not settle for anything less by rushing into the future without knowing the past. I can assure you that I am more excited than anyone to see this epic come to life.
Wandering Stars is a four-volume prequel series that will tell Sariel's story and take readers from the time of the angelic invasion to the start of The Awakened . It's going to be a prehistoric, mythical, fantasy adventure in the same style as The Awakened , bringing together personal struggles (emotional and physical), clashing cultures, and technological advancement amidst moral decline. There will be lots of action, lots of suspense, and answers to most of the questions I've heard from readers so far. I think you're really going to enjoy the journey that I have planned. If you're curious about my progress, check out the Wandering Stars page on this blog.
If you want to know how to help me write quicker, tell everyone you know about The Awakened . I can't make a living as an author yet, so my time is divided. You're the only one who can change that.
June 24, 2011
Amazon Rankings for The Awakened
Four weeks ago, The Awakened: Book One hit #1 on Amazon for epic fatasy on the Kindle. Shortly afterward, it hit #1 in the UK as well. With the hourly ups and downs of Amazon ranking, Book One has somehow managed to stay near the top of the bestsellers lists—and Book Two & Three are doing well also.
Here are the current rankings:
The Awakened: Book One (US)
#7 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
The Awakened: Book One (UK)
#4 in Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
#6 in Books > Fiction > Science Fiction > Military
#8 in Books > Fantasy > Epic
The Awakened: Book Two (US)
#59 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
#84 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Epic
The Awakened: Book Two (UK)
#10 in Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
#15 in Books > Fantasy > Epic
#15 in Books > Fiction > Science Fiction > Military
The Awakened: Book Three (US)
#66 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
#95 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Epic
The Awakened: Book Three (UK)
#26 in Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
#29 in Books > Fiction > Science Fiction > Military
#34 in Books > Fantasy > Epic
Many thanks to all the readers for your support, encouragement, and kind words!
Please keep reading, keep writing reviews, keep rating the books, and keep checking back to see how I'm progressing on the prequels to The Awakened.
Here are the current rankings:
The Awakened: Book One (US)
#7 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
The Awakened: Book One (UK)
#4 in Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
#6 in Books > Fiction > Science Fiction > Military
#8 in Books > Fantasy > Epic
The Awakened: Book Two (US)
#59 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
#84 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Epic
The Awakened: Book Two (UK)
#10 in Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
#15 in Books > Fantasy > Epic
#15 in Books > Fiction > Science Fiction > Military
The Awakened: Book Three (US)
#66 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
#95 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Epic
The Awakened: Book Three (UK)
#26 in Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
#29 in Books > Fiction > Science Fiction > Military
#34 in Books > Fantasy > Epic
Many thanks to all the readers for your support, encouragement, and kind words!
Please keep reading, keep writing reviews, keep rating the books, and keep checking back to see how I'm progressing on the prequels to The Awakened.
Four weeks ago, The Awakened: Book One hit #1 on Amazon f...
Four weeks ago, The Awakened: Book One hit #1 on Amazon for epic fatasy on the Kindle. Shortly afterward, it hit #1 in the UK as well. With the hourly ups and downs of Amazon ranking, Book One has somehow managed to stay near the top of the bestsellers lists—and Book Two & Three are doing well also.
Here are the current rankings:
The Awakened: Book One (US)
#7 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
The Awakened: Book One (UK)
#4 in Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
#6 in Books > Fiction > Science Fiction > Military
#8 in Books > Fantasy > Epic
The Awakened: Book Two (US)
#59 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
#84 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Epic
The Awakened: Book Two (UK)
#10 in Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
#15 in Books > Fantasy > Epic
#15 in Books > Fiction > Science Fiction > Military
The Awakened: Book Three (US)
#66 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
#95 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Epic
The Awakened: Book Three (UK)
#26 in Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
#29 in Books > Fiction > Science Fiction > Military
#34 in Books > Fantasy > Epic
Many thanks to all the readers for your support, encouragement, and kind words!
Please keep reading, keep writing reviews, keep rating the books, and keep checking back to see how I'm progressing on the prequels to The Awakened.
Here are the current rankings:
The Awakened: Book One (US)
#7 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
The Awakened: Book One (UK)
#4 in Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
#6 in Books > Fiction > Science Fiction > Military
#8 in Books > Fantasy > Epic
The Awakened: Book Two (US)
#59 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
#84 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Epic
The Awakened: Book Two (UK)
#10 in Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
#15 in Books > Fantasy > Epic
#15 in Books > Fiction > Science Fiction > Military
The Awakened: Book Three (US)
#66 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
#95 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Epic
The Awakened: Book Three (UK)
#26 in Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Fantasy > Epic
#29 in Books > Fiction > Science Fiction > Military
#34 in Books > Fantasy > Epic
Many thanks to all the readers for your support, encouragement, and kind words!
Please keep reading, keep writing reviews, keep rating the books, and keep checking back to see how I'm progressing on the prequels to The Awakened.
June 14, 2011
Pronunciation Guide for The Awakened
Last week, a reader asked about a pronunciation guide for The Awakened. With all the characters and places involved, I thought it was a great idea for a blog post. So, here is a mostly-alphabetical list. If you are currently reading the series and run across a name that's not on the list, just let me know and I'll update this post. If you haven't started reading yet, don't let the quantity of names turn you away! Where possible, I tried to introduce characters and places in a measured way so as not to overwhelm readers. Hopefully I succeeded.
a — sad, apple
ä — father, bother
ā — may, ache
ai — air, dare
e — empty, trend
ë — early, word
ē — bleach, pizza
i — bliss, pyramid
ī — sight, blind
o — awesome, frost
ō — open, close
u — put, book
ŭ — under, tug
ū — stew, blue
ŕ — ariba, rojo
Adair Lorus [ŭ-dair lō-ŕŭs]
Adussk [a-dŭsk]
Aelia [ā-lē-ŭ]
Ajani [ä-jä-nē]
Ampur [am-pūr]
Arden [är-den]
Aulus Sentiun [o-lŭs sen-tē-ŭn]
Bahari [bŭ-hä-ŕē]
Bastul [bŭ-stūl]
Berit [ber-it]
Calvus [kal-vŭs]
Cerrar [se-rär]
Coen [kō-en]
Dacien [dā-sē-en]
Donagh [don-ag]
Durio [dëŕ-ē-ō]
Ebnisha [eb-ni-shŭ]
Equitus [e-kwi-tŭs]
Garust [gair-ŭst]
Grumio [grū-mē-ō]
Gryllus [gril-is]
Gursha [ger-shŭ]
Horace [hō-ris]
Jorn [yōŕn]
Kael [kāl]
Kaliel [ka-lēl]
Korgan [kōr-gen], Korg [kōrg]
Lemus [lē-mŭs]
Leoran [lē-ō-rŭn]
Maeryn [maiŕ-ŭn]
Magnus Calidon [mag-nŭs kal-i-don]
Matsuri [mat-sū-rē]
Narian [nair-ē-ŭn]
Noster [nä-stër]
Quartus [kwōr-tŭs]
Rainer [rā-nër]
Saba [sä-bŭ]
Soren [sō-ren]
Suriku [sū-rē-kū]
Syvak [si-vŭk], Syvaku [si-vŭ-kū]
Thaddius [tha-dē-ŭs]
Trenus [tren- ŭs]
Trupo [trū-pō]
Ukiru [ū-ki-rū]
Zula [zū-lŭ]
These next names are mentioned at the end of Book Three, and are subject to change with future books. In the course my research I've found various spellings and several places in historical texts where two different names may actually refer to the same being.
The Wandering Stars
Ananel [a-nŭ-nel]
Arakiba [ŭ-rä-kē-bä]
Armaros [äŕ-mä-ŕōs]
Asael [az-ā-el]
Baraqujal [bä-ŕä-kwi-yäl]
Batarel [bä-täŕ-el]
Danel [dan-el]
Ezeqeel [e-ze-kēl]
Jomajael [jō-mä-yā-el]
Kokabiel [kō-kä-bē-el]
Rameel [rŭ-mēl]
Ramiel [rä-mē-el]
Samsapeel [sam-sä-pēl]
Sariel [sä-rē-el]
Satarel [sä-täŕ-el]
a — sad, apple
ä — father, bother
ā — may, ache
ai — air, dare
e — empty, trend
ë — early, word
ē — bleach, pizza
i — bliss, pyramid
ī — sight, blind
o — awesome, frost
ō — open, close
u — put, book
ŭ — under, tug
ū — stew, blue
ŕ — ariba, rojo
Adair Lorus [ŭ-dair lō-ŕŭs]
Adussk [a-dŭsk]
Aelia [ā-lē-ŭ]
Ajani [ä-jä-nē]
Ampur [am-pūr]
Arden [är-den]
Aulus Sentiun [o-lŭs sen-tē-ŭn]
Bahari [bŭ-hä-ŕē]
Bastul [bŭ-stūl]
Berit [ber-it]
Calvus [kal-vŭs]
Cerrar [se-rär]
Coen [kō-en]
Dacien [dā-sē-en]
Donagh [don-ag]
Durio [dëŕ-ē-ō]
Ebnisha [eb-ni-shŭ]
Equitus [e-kwi-tŭs]
Garust [gair-ŭst]
Grumio [grū-mē-ō]
Gryllus [gril-is]
Gursha [ger-shŭ]
Horace [hō-ris]
Jorn [yōŕn]
Kael [kāl]
Kaliel [ka-lēl]
Korgan [kōr-gen], Korg [kōrg]
Lemus [lē-mŭs]
Leoran [lē-ō-rŭn]
Maeryn [maiŕ-ŭn]
Magnus Calidon [mag-nŭs kal-i-don]
Matsuri [mat-sū-rē]
Narian [nair-ē-ŭn]
Noster [nä-stër]
Quartus [kwōr-tŭs]
Rainer [rā-nër]
Saba [sä-bŭ]
Soren [sō-ren]
Suriku [sū-rē-kū]
Syvak [si-vŭk], Syvaku [si-vŭ-kū]
Thaddius [tha-dē-ŭs]
Trenus [tren- ŭs]
Trupo [trū-pō]
Ukiru [ū-ki-rū]
Zula [zū-lŭ]
These next names are mentioned at the end of Book Three, and are subject to change with future books. In the course my research I've found various spellings and several places in historical texts where two different names may actually refer to the same being.
The Wandering Stars
Ananel [a-nŭ-nel]
Arakiba [ŭ-rä-kē-bä]
Armaros [äŕ-mä-ŕōs]
Asael [az-ā-el]
Baraqujal [bä-ŕä-kwi-yäl]
Batarel [bä-täŕ-el]
Danel [dan-el]
Ezeqeel [e-ze-kēl]
Jomajael [jō-mä-yā-el]
Kokabiel [kō-kä-bē-el]
Rameel [rŭ-mēl]
Ramiel [rä-mē-el]
Samsapeel [sam-sä-pēl]
Sariel [sä-rē-el]
Satarel [sä-täŕ-el]
May 30, 2011
Illustrations for The Awakened
Recently, a reader requested that I post the illustrations for The Awakened here on my blog, because they can be difficult to view on small eReader screens. So, I thought I'd take this opportunity to give a little background on how the images came to be.
I used to work at a furniture manufacturing facility. One day I snapped a few photos of a crumbling section of the concrete floor. I scanned them into Photoshop and isolated the main shapes that would later become the Orudan Empire. Then, I bought a floor tile from Home Depot that had some great textures and colors, like a satellite image of a continent with mountain ranges. I scanned this in as well, then merged the two images. I included the resulting map in earlier versions of my manuscript when I was seeking literary representation or having some editing done.
This version eventually morphed into the map that I included in the print verison of The Awakened. I ultimately decided to give it more of an "illustration on canvas" feel to be more compatible with the time period involved:
I used to work at a furniture manufacturing facility. One day I snapped a few photos of a crumbling section of the concrete floor. I scanned them into Photoshop and isolated the main shapes that would later become the Orudan Empire. Then, I bought a floor tile from Home Depot that had some great textures and colors, like a satellite image of a continent with mountain ranges. I scanned this in as well, then merged the two images. I included the resulting map in earlier versions of my manuscript when I was seeking literary representation or having some editing done.
This version eventually morphed into the map that I included in the print verison of The Awakened. I ultimately decided to give it more of an "illustration on canvas" feel to be more compatible with the time period involved:
Book One of The Awakened hits #1 on Amazon Kindle
Yesterday, The Awakened: Book One hit #1 on Amazon for epic fantasy on the Kindle. And to keep the momentum going, I have a promotional idea that you can help with.
I need reviews for Book One, Book Two, and Book Three. So, download your FREE copy of Book One from any major online retailer. In exchange for a review (at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, preferably all of them), I'll send you a coupon code to download Book Two for FREE. Diddo for the rest of the series.
When you've posted a review, just send me a link at jasontesar@yahoo.com with Coupon Code as the message title. I'll return your email with a code that can be entered at Smashwords.com (during checkout) to make the next book FREE. If you're unfamiliar with Smashwords, they have a variety of electronic file formats that are compatible with just about every reader type.
Happy Reading!
I need reviews for Book One, Book Two, and Book Three. So, download your FREE copy of Book One from any major online retailer. In exchange for a review (at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, preferably all of them), I'll send you a coupon code to download Book Two for FREE. Diddo for the rest of the series.
When you've posted a review, just send me a link at jasontesar@yahoo.com with Coupon Code as the message title. I'll return your email with a code that can be entered at Smashwords.com (during checkout) to make the next book FREE. If you're unfamiliar with Smashwords, they have a variety of electronic file formats that are compatible with just about every reader type.
Happy Reading!
May 23, 2011
All versions of The Awakened are now available for the iPad
All versions of The Awakened are now available for the Apple iPad. Click the links below to get your copies today.
The Awakened: Book One (FREE)
The Awakened: Book Two ($1.99)
The Awakened: Book Three ($3.99)
The Awakened: A Wandering Stars Novel (all three books in a single edition for $4.99)
The Awakened: Book One (FREE)
The Awakened: Book Two ($1.99)
The Awakened: Book Three ($3.99)
The Awakened: A Wandering Stars Novel (all three books in a single edition for $4.99)
May 18, 2011
The Awakened: Books One through Three are now available for the Kindle
Books One through Three of The Awakened are now available for the Kindle at Amazon.com. Click here to get your copies today.
