Jason Tesar's Blog, page 7
June 14, 2013
Seeds of Corruption: Now Available for iPad and Reader
Seeds of Corruption (the fourth book in the Awakened series), is now available for your iPad or Sony Reader.
June 11, 2013
Cliffhanger Endings
Over the past few years, numerous readers have written Amazon reviews and commented on Facebook and my blog about their love/hate relationship with my cliffhanger endings. So, I wanted to take this opportunity to explain my philosophy.
First of all, I love good endings. A comprehensive, satisfying resolution to a story can make the whole experience of reading a book or watching a movie seem worthwhile. One of my favorites is the movie version of The Shawshank Redemption—corruption is exposed, the bad guys get what’s coming to them, and the wrongly accused, unjustly convicted hero of the story finally escapes. The last scene shows him on a beach in Mexico as the camera pulls back to reveal the endless Pacific—a colorful and optimistic contrast to the drab, hopeless prison where he spent the majority of his life. By the time the credits roll, Andy Dufresne’s story has been told, and we don’t need to know anything more about him than the assurance that he will live his remaining years in a warm, tropical, leisure environment. He has certainly earned it!
For a stand-alone, self-contained story like this, I want everything to be resolved.
When I say resolved, I don’t mean that everything comes to an end. In any story, there will always be the question of “what happens next?” which could go on and on until the character dies. And even then, one could ask how the death will affect friends and family of the character. These questions are meaningless because they don’t impact the story that has just been told. “Does Andy complete the restoration of the boat? Does he start a sport fishing business for tourists? Does he get back into the banking industry in Mexico?”
Who cares? The story is over. In my mind, it is resolved.
But what about stories that aren’t stand-alone units? Consider the extended format of a TV series. Another favorite of mine is 24, with Jack Bauer running around Los Angeles, hunting for terrorists. Each episode contains an immediate challenge or subplot that is presented and resolved, all the while advancing the larger plot toward the season finale. At an even higher level, each season is part of a larger arc in terms of the nation’s politics and the lives of the main characters.
More recently, I made it through the first season of Homeland. During the final scenes, a major terrorist attempt is averted. Carrie Mathison is lying in a hospital bed about to undergo shock treatment as a last resort for her bi-polar condition. She’s the only one who really understands the truth of the larger terror plot and a critical piece of information bubbles to the surface just as she goes under a general anesthetic where the treatment is sure to destroy the clue trapped in her brain.
Awesome cliffhanger!
For each novel or episode within a series, I want some amount of resolution—if possible, resolution of the primary issue that forms the backbone of the story. If not the primary issue, then I want to see the story come to rest at a natural stopping point, perhaps before a large span of time where nothing significant occurs, or the point between two distinct periods of time in a character’s life. I want to see the major and minor plots moved forward, deepened, or complicated in some way. And I want an ending that gets me excited about the next book.
I’ll admit—from novel to novel—the first two Awakened books ( Awaken His Eyes and Paths of Destruction ) don’t have neat, tidy endings. Along with the third book, they were all written as one story and at the time I wrote them, my knowledge of story construction and my philosophy of endings were both undeveloped. But there is another type of ending I was able to accomplish at the end of Hands To Make War —an intermediate point of resolution. For those who haven’t yet read the third book in the Awakened series, I won’t spoil the details. I will point out, however, that the forces of antagonism which produce the physical conflicts in Kael’s world—and define the backbone of the story—are dealt with. The primary plot in the ancient world is resolved—the first trilogy completed. At the same time, the stage is set for the next segment of the series which jumps into our modern world. This closing of one door and opening of another is a major milestone in the larger saga, resolving the immediate matters while propelling the reader forward.
Homeland’s nail-biting season-one cliffhanger sent me searching Netflix for the second season, only to be frustrated that it’s not available yet, which brings me to my last comment. On one hand, I totally understand the irritation of a cliffhanger. Who wants to be forced to wait for the next part of the story? No one! That much I have learned already from readers who have finished the fourth book in the series (Seeds of Corruption).
On the other hand, I wouldn’t want it any other way. If the story isn’t done, I don’t want resolution. I want an ending that makes me feel like it’s the most important thing in the world to find out what happens next. If I have to wait, sure, I’ll be disappointed that the next episode isn’t available. But I’ll also enjoy the in-between period of delayed gratification, when I can reflect on the story, think about the characters and plot, and try to figure out where it’s going.
For me, it deepens the imaginative experience and makes the joy of reading or watching only that much better!
If you don’t agree and are thinking, just hurry up and write the next one, I want to assure you that I’m working as fast as I can. Trust me; no one wants to see this series completed more than I do. But I don’t want to compromise the quality of the stories by writing junk. So, I’ll make this commitment:
I’ll release the next book as soon as possible, but not a moment too soon!
As always, I am grateful for all the readers who have chosen to come along with me on this journey. My goal is to demonstrate my respect for your time by producing something worth the wait.
First of all, I love good endings. A comprehensive, satisfying resolution to a story can make the whole experience of reading a book or watching a movie seem worthwhile. One of my favorites is the movie version of The Shawshank Redemption—corruption is exposed, the bad guys get what’s coming to them, and the wrongly accused, unjustly convicted hero of the story finally escapes. The last scene shows him on a beach in Mexico as the camera pulls back to reveal the endless Pacific—a colorful and optimistic contrast to the drab, hopeless prison where he spent the majority of his life. By the time the credits roll, Andy Dufresne’s story has been told, and we don’t need to know anything more about him than the assurance that he will live his remaining years in a warm, tropical, leisure environment. He has certainly earned it!
For a stand-alone, self-contained story like this, I want everything to be resolved.
When I say resolved, I don’t mean that everything comes to an end. In any story, there will always be the question of “what happens next?” which could go on and on until the character dies. And even then, one could ask how the death will affect friends and family of the character. These questions are meaningless because they don’t impact the story that has just been told. “Does Andy complete the restoration of the boat? Does he start a sport fishing business for tourists? Does he get back into the banking industry in Mexico?”
Who cares? The story is over. In my mind, it is resolved.
But what about stories that aren’t stand-alone units? Consider the extended format of a TV series. Another favorite of mine is 24, with Jack Bauer running around Los Angeles, hunting for terrorists. Each episode contains an immediate challenge or subplot that is presented and resolved, all the while advancing the larger plot toward the season finale. At an even higher level, each season is part of a larger arc in terms of the nation’s politics and the lives of the main characters.
More recently, I made it through the first season of Homeland. During the final scenes, a major terrorist attempt is averted. Carrie Mathison is lying in a hospital bed about to undergo shock treatment as a last resort for her bi-polar condition. She’s the only one who really understands the truth of the larger terror plot and a critical piece of information bubbles to the surface just as she goes under a general anesthetic where the treatment is sure to destroy the clue trapped in her brain.
Awesome cliffhanger!
For each novel or episode within a series, I want some amount of resolution—if possible, resolution of the primary issue that forms the backbone of the story. If not the primary issue, then I want to see the story come to rest at a natural stopping point, perhaps before a large span of time where nothing significant occurs, or the point between two distinct periods of time in a character’s life. I want to see the major and minor plots moved forward, deepened, or complicated in some way. And I want an ending that gets me excited about the next book.
I’ll admit—from novel to novel—the first two Awakened books ( Awaken His Eyes and Paths of Destruction ) don’t have neat, tidy endings. Along with the third book, they were all written as one story and at the time I wrote them, my knowledge of story construction and my philosophy of endings were both undeveloped. But there is another type of ending I was able to accomplish at the end of Hands To Make War —an intermediate point of resolution. For those who haven’t yet read the third book in the Awakened series, I won’t spoil the details. I will point out, however, that the forces of antagonism which produce the physical conflicts in Kael’s world—and define the backbone of the story—are dealt with. The primary plot in the ancient world is resolved—the first trilogy completed. At the same time, the stage is set for the next segment of the series which jumps into our modern world. This closing of one door and opening of another is a major milestone in the larger saga, resolving the immediate matters while propelling the reader forward.
Homeland’s nail-biting season-one cliffhanger sent me searching Netflix for the second season, only to be frustrated that it’s not available yet, which brings me to my last comment. On one hand, I totally understand the irritation of a cliffhanger. Who wants to be forced to wait for the next part of the story? No one! That much I have learned already from readers who have finished the fourth book in the series (Seeds of Corruption).
On the other hand, I wouldn’t want it any other way. If the story isn’t done, I don’t want resolution. I want an ending that makes me feel like it’s the most important thing in the world to find out what happens next. If I have to wait, sure, I’ll be disappointed that the next episode isn’t available. But I’ll also enjoy the in-between period of delayed gratification, when I can reflect on the story, think about the characters and plot, and try to figure out where it’s going.
For me, it deepens the imaginative experience and makes the joy of reading or watching only that much better!
If you don’t agree and are thinking, just hurry up and write the next one, I want to assure you that I’m working as fast as I can. Trust me; no one wants to see this series completed more than I do. But I don’t want to compromise the quality of the stories by writing junk. So, I’ll make this commitment:
I’ll release the next book as soon as possible, but not a moment too soon!
As always, I am grateful for all the readers who have chosen to come along with me on this journey. My goal is to demonstrate my respect for your time by producing something worth the wait.
May 24, 2013
Seeds of Corruption: The Awakened Book Four is now available at Smashwords
Seeds of Corruption: The Awakened Book Four is now available at Smashwords. Click here to visit the product page and download the book.
May 23, 2013
Seeds of Corruption: The Awakened Book Four is now available for Nook
For all you Nook readers, Seeds of Corruption: The Awakened Book Four is now available at Barnes & Noble.com. Download your copy today!
Seeds of Corruption: The Awakened Book Four is now available for Kindle
Seeds of Corruption: The Awakened Book Four is now available for your Kindle on Amazon! Over the next few days and weeks, it will become available in other ebook formats and print as well. Download your copy today and find out what your favorite characters have been up to since the battle in Orud.
The All Powerful is dead, but the scars of his influence remain, haunting Kael’s memories and coloring his outlook. Seeking closure, Kael retraces the steps of his past. When he discovers that his father may still be alive, the course of his life once again takes an unexpected turn. Determined to answer the most profound questions of his childhood, Kael ventures across the fractured physical dimension. What awaits him is an advanced civilization of private armies and foreign weaponry, and only one path leads to his goal. Entering a covert war of intelligence and paramilitary operations, Kael must adapt to this new world and confront the possibility that his own destiny is just beginning.
The seeds of corruption have taken root, but the Awakened has come.
In book four of the Amazon bestselling series, Jason Tesar’s epic saga weaves through the jungles of South America to the industrial cityscapes of Scandinavia, taking readers on an action-packed journey that fuses the genres of sci-fantasy and military fiction.
Download the latest installment of the bestselling Awakened series today!
The All Powerful is dead, but the scars of his influence remain, haunting Kael’s memories and coloring his outlook. Seeking closure, Kael retraces the steps of his past. When he discovers that his father may still be alive, the course of his life once again takes an unexpected turn. Determined to answer the most profound questions of his childhood, Kael ventures across the fractured physical dimension. What awaits him is an advanced civilization of private armies and foreign weaponry, and only one path leads to his goal. Entering a covert war of intelligence and paramilitary operations, Kael must adapt to this new world and confront the possibility that his own destiny is just beginning.
The seeds of corruption have taken root, but the Awakened has come.
In book four of the Amazon bestselling series, Jason Tesar’s epic saga weaves through the jungles of South America to the industrial cityscapes of Scandinavia, taking readers on an action-packed journey that fuses the genres of sci-fantasy and military fiction.
Download the latest installment of the bestselling Awakened series today!
May 8, 2013
Brush-Up On Your Awakened Knowledge
Seeds of Corruption, the fourth book in the Awakened series, will be released in the next month or so. Many readers will be happy to discover that Adair has a prominent role in this next installment. To ensure the best reader-experience, it is critical that you understand Adair's transition between the ancient and modern worlds, described in scenes scattered throughout the first three books.
However, if you read the first three books prior to November of 2012, you might have missed the updated content published with the second editions. I posted here about how to update the content on your Kindle. To make it even easier, I also posted the new chapters for Book One here, for Book Two here, and Book Three here.
If you haven't already done so, now is a great time to brush-up on your Awakened knowledge and dive back into the experience by rereading the first three books.
If you haven't read the first book of the prequel series, pick up a copy of Incarnation and immerse yourself in the backstory to gain a deeper understanding of what Kael is up against.
For those loyal readers who've already done all these things, and are waiting impatiently for Seeds of Corruption: The Awakened Book Four, hold on tight--it's going to be a bumpy ride!
However, if you read the first three books prior to November of 2012, you might have missed the updated content published with the second editions. I posted here about how to update the content on your Kindle. To make it even easier, I also posted the new chapters for Book One here, for Book Two here, and Book Three here.
If you haven't already done so, now is a great time to brush-up on your Awakened knowledge and dive back into the experience by rereading the first three books.
If you haven't read the first book of the prequel series, pick up a copy of Incarnation and immerse yourself in the backstory to gain a deeper understanding of what Kael is up against.
For those loyal readers who've already done all these things, and are waiting impatiently for Seeds of Corruption: The Awakened Book Four, hold on tight--it's going to be a bumpy ride!
April 22, 2013
Title and Cover Art for The Awakened: Book Four
In my last post I revealed the new cover artwork for The Awakened series.
Today, I am following up that announcement with two more...
1. Book four of the Awakened series is entitled Seeds of Corruption
2. Here is the cover art for Seeds of Corruption: The Awakened Book Four
April 19, 2013
New Cover Art for The Awakened Series
A week ago, I announced on my Facebook page that I was working on new cover art for The Awakened Series. Well, it's time to reveal what I've been doing...
Though we've all been told not to judge a book by its cover, everyone does it anyway...even if only at a subconscious level. As a publisher, I'm continually looking for ways to broaden the audience for my novels. Updating the cover artwork allows at least the possibility of reaching a new group of readers who might not have noticed these books before.
Now, let's hope it works!
Though we've all been told not to judge a book by its cover, everyone does it anyway...even if only at a subconscious level. As a publisher, I'm continually looking for ways to broaden the audience for my novels. Updating the cover artwork allows at least the possibility of reaching a new group of readers who might not have noticed these books before.
Now, let's hope it works!
April 8, 2013
Need an Editor?
I just finished updating my manuscript for Book 4 with inputs from an editor whom I've worked with since last year. Ronda Swolley applied her skills to Incarnation, as well as the second editions of the first three Awakened books. Her editing encompasses everything from spelling, punctuation, and grammar to the occasional high-level observation of logical inconsistency.
If you are in need of an editor, or know someone who is, I encourage you to contact Ronda.
Ronda Swolley
Mystic Memories
mysticmemories@mchsi.com
March 28, 2013
Giveaway: Free Copy of Book 4
With Book 4 of the Awakened series releasing in June (or sooner if I can manage it), I’d like to get the promotional ball rolling now.
I’m offering an autographed, edit copy of Book 4 (coil-bound, printed, with annotations) to whoever “Shares” my Facebook page and gets the most new “Likes” between now and the book’s release. I’m also making the same offer for recommendations on my Twitter profile.
There are some nifty ways of tracking referrals, but they involve adding code to websites and other things that I don’t have time for at the moment. So, if you’ll just let me know (through a post or a message) at the end of the contest which friends you referred, I’ll tally the results.
If you don’t know how to recommend someone on Twitter, here is a good video tutorial. If you don’t know how to “Share” a page on Facebook, here are some instructions.
Good luck and thanks for your help!
