Sean Sweeney's Blog, page 8
November 1, 2015
#SampleSunday--THE OBLOERON SAGA
A first glimpse into THE OBLOERON SAGA. I give you the opening to THE QUEST FOR THE CHALICE, my first novel and (chronologically) the fourth story in the SAGA.
***
No matter where he went in his kingdom, Radamuck Rosar had difficulty escaping the whispers. The taunting voices, all filled with sadistic vitriol, chased him throughout the realm of Lowbridge, the rock walls failing to absorb the echoes. Even a great grumble from the dwarf king’s gut, whether through his mouth or from his arse, couldn’t silence them.In the fifty long years since Radamuck returned from the seemingly ancient wars away to the south, there had been no sign of a coming heir to the great dwarven kingdom, the one he now ruled as its 24th King. He and his wife had tried desperately to produce a male child, one who would take over the kingdom once Radamuck, like his father Ricanack before him, went to the Great Void Beyond.For his part, though, Radamuck had ensured the day-to-day operations of the kingdom would continue by someone of royal blood and not a steward: upon his return, he immediately named Aidan, his nephew, as the heir presumptive to the Throne of the Golden Mug. Even so, it clearly gnawed on his nerves that he still did not have a son. He was now up there in age, and he knew that his best breeding years had passed far behind him. If I do not have an heir soon, a true heir o’ me own loins and not me dead brother’s, he thought, the blame would lie with me.Radamuck walked the corridors alone at night while the rest of the kingdom slept. It was a haunting thought, not being able to produce an heir. It attacked his nightmares and, at times when he was not busy, his daydreams. He wondered how he would solve this problem—he absolutely forbade himself to see a cleric about this; he knew their lips were a tad loose, even though the entire kingdom already knew what haunted Radamuck’s steps—when the idea struck him. The thought made the echoes that crept along his path cease, and instead the whisperings in his mind grew louder with each beat of his heart.Immortality will embrace yeh, Radamuck Rosar, he heard. He grimaced and grunted. He shook his head once as he resumed his pace.Immortality may be the answer, he thought, but it would come at a price, a sad price: I would continue living while me beautiful wife, the Lady Rosar, would perish. I would go on in this world without her. Another grunt poured from his lips, as if he tried to dull the sounds of his heart shattering against his ribcage.It was a debate, a debate that he had never given heed to before: In order to produce an heir, he needed no stress at all. He snorted.I am always under such stress, he thought. The pressures of ruling me kingdom, the pressures o’ producing an heir, all on me broad shoulders. He shook his black beard. But should me loins not do the job with which they were tasked to do in the first place…His thoughts trailed off with a tight grimace and a deep breath through his large, pockmarked nose. He made his way to his royal bedchamber, walking along the twisting passageways with his head down.Radamuck didn’t even look up as he entered.“It’s about time you got back from your stroll.”He stifled a cry even as he jumped. He looked through the darkness until a tiny burst of light appeared near his bedside. The smell of cordite lingered.“Yeh made me heart shoot into me throat. What are yeh still doin’ awake?”“I could ask you the same question, dear.” Lady Rosar’s retort was sharp.Radamuck grew silent; his left cheek twitched near the corner of his mouth.“Ah, yeh know,” he said, scrambling for the words, his eyes darting around the room and not meeting his wife’s eyes, “just the affairs o’ the day; some thin’s that be on me mind ‘bout the direction of me kingdom.”“You’re lying to me, Radamuck, and you know that I know you’re lying to me.”“I’m not lyin’ to yeh.”“You just did it again.” The stern look she gave him, he saw, was as powerful a stare as he ever gave an underling. Radamuck’s throat went suspiciously dry.“What do yeh want from me, love?” he said softly.“The truth would be a nice start.”She had said it so simply and without anger that he felt his burly, dwarven façade crumble under the weight of her words.Lady Rosar slipped out of bed and walked toward him. He was defenseless now, and he knew this. She wrapped her arms around him. He felt the tension in his body evaporate under the heat of her flesh.“What is it, my love?” she asked as she ran her hands across his back. “Tell me.”Radamuck’s grunt filled the room. His mind kept whirling, the incessant vortex of thought—the thoughts that plagued his footsteps and his day-to-day life for the last decade—not shifting aside, not even for his wife. “Don’t tell me now. Tell me later today; you need rest. Summon Aidan to you in the morning, and tell him he’s in charge of the kingdom for the day. You and I are headed out into the fields for a day of relaxation, and that means no axes,” she whispered; Radamuck slumped. “Then, you can tell me everything you need to tell me, because if you don’t tell me, I’ll hound you until you tell me.”Radamuck snorted.“OK, love. I’ll tell yeh then. Until then, I need some sleep.”“Of course you do,” she said with a smile. “Come to bed, and we’ll sleep until the sun rises.”Once in bed and his head hit the pillow, Radamuck was out.But the thoughts—oh, those thoughts. The thoughts remained entrenched in his subconscious. The nightmares filled his mind with visions of what he thought would come to pass; the disembodied view of his corpse slowly consumed by magical flames without a son to mourn him, the kingdom run by one of his steward’s bastardy as they went after, captured, and killed Aidan. Sweat poured down Radamuck’s face as every image made his flesh tingle with unseen tremors.Radamuck’s eyes eventually sprang open, the sweat dropping in and stinging them as he lurched upward with a heavy gasp. His lungs burned as he tried to suck the sweet air clinging to every crevice, every nook and cranny, even from the stone itself. He wiped his wrist across his brow; the tiny hairs were damp.
The king looked to his right, where his queen slept soundly, seemingly undisturbed by the fear gnawing at her husband’s insides. He took a deep breath and tried not to grumble; he didn’t want to wake his wife with troubles he felt were his and his alone. He returned his head to its soft mooring before finally falling into contented sleep.
Like what you've read? THE OBLOERON SAGA comes out TOMORROW... Monday, Nov. 2, 2015, on all ebook retailers.
Pre-order your copy for Kindle or Kobo at the links indicated and get it before everyone else!
www.seansweeneyauthor.com
***
No matter where he went in his kingdom, Radamuck Rosar had difficulty escaping the whispers. The taunting voices, all filled with sadistic vitriol, chased him throughout the realm of Lowbridge, the rock walls failing to absorb the echoes. Even a great grumble from the dwarf king’s gut, whether through his mouth or from his arse, couldn’t silence them.In the fifty long years since Radamuck returned from the seemingly ancient wars away to the south, there had been no sign of a coming heir to the great dwarven kingdom, the one he now ruled as its 24th King. He and his wife had tried desperately to produce a male child, one who would take over the kingdom once Radamuck, like his father Ricanack before him, went to the Great Void Beyond.For his part, though, Radamuck had ensured the day-to-day operations of the kingdom would continue by someone of royal blood and not a steward: upon his return, he immediately named Aidan, his nephew, as the heir presumptive to the Throne of the Golden Mug. Even so, it clearly gnawed on his nerves that he still did not have a son. He was now up there in age, and he knew that his best breeding years had passed far behind him. If I do not have an heir soon, a true heir o’ me own loins and not me dead brother’s, he thought, the blame would lie with me.Radamuck walked the corridors alone at night while the rest of the kingdom slept. It was a haunting thought, not being able to produce an heir. It attacked his nightmares and, at times when he was not busy, his daydreams. He wondered how he would solve this problem—he absolutely forbade himself to see a cleric about this; he knew their lips were a tad loose, even though the entire kingdom already knew what haunted Radamuck’s steps—when the idea struck him. The thought made the echoes that crept along his path cease, and instead the whisperings in his mind grew louder with each beat of his heart.Immortality will embrace yeh, Radamuck Rosar, he heard. He grimaced and grunted. He shook his head once as he resumed his pace.Immortality may be the answer, he thought, but it would come at a price, a sad price: I would continue living while me beautiful wife, the Lady Rosar, would perish. I would go on in this world without her. Another grunt poured from his lips, as if he tried to dull the sounds of his heart shattering against his ribcage.It was a debate, a debate that he had never given heed to before: In order to produce an heir, he needed no stress at all. He snorted.I am always under such stress, he thought. The pressures of ruling me kingdom, the pressures o’ producing an heir, all on me broad shoulders. He shook his black beard. But should me loins not do the job with which they were tasked to do in the first place…His thoughts trailed off with a tight grimace and a deep breath through his large, pockmarked nose. He made his way to his royal bedchamber, walking along the twisting passageways with his head down.Radamuck didn’t even look up as he entered.“It’s about time you got back from your stroll.”He stifled a cry even as he jumped. He looked through the darkness until a tiny burst of light appeared near his bedside. The smell of cordite lingered.“Yeh made me heart shoot into me throat. What are yeh still doin’ awake?”“I could ask you the same question, dear.” Lady Rosar’s retort was sharp.Radamuck grew silent; his left cheek twitched near the corner of his mouth.“Ah, yeh know,” he said, scrambling for the words, his eyes darting around the room and not meeting his wife’s eyes, “just the affairs o’ the day; some thin’s that be on me mind ‘bout the direction of me kingdom.”“You’re lying to me, Radamuck, and you know that I know you’re lying to me.”“I’m not lyin’ to yeh.”“You just did it again.” The stern look she gave him, he saw, was as powerful a stare as he ever gave an underling. Radamuck’s throat went suspiciously dry.“What do yeh want from me, love?” he said softly.“The truth would be a nice start.”She had said it so simply and without anger that he felt his burly, dwarven façade crumble under the weight of her words.Lady Rosar slipped out of bed and walked toward him. He was defenseless now, and he knew this. She wrapped her arms around him. He felt the tension in his body evaporate under the heat of her flesh.“What is it, my love?” she asked as she ran her hands across his back. “Tell me.”Radamuck’s grunt filled the room. His mind kept whirling, the incessant vortex of thought—the thoughts that plagued his footsteps and his day-to-day life for the last decade—not shifting aside, not even for his wife. “Don’t tell me now. Tell me later today; you need rest. Summon Aidan to you in the morning, and tell him he’s in charge of the kingdom for the day. You and I are headed out into the fields for a day of relaxation, and that means no axes,” she whispered; Radamuck slumped. “Then, you can tell me everything you need to tell me, because if you don’t tell me, I’ll hound you until you tell me.”Radamuck snorted.“OK, love. I’ll tell yeh then. Until then, I need some sleep.”“Of course you do,” she said with a smile. “Come to bed, and we’ll sleep until the sun rises.”Once in bed and his head hit the pillow, Radamuck was out.But the thoughts—oh, those thoughts. The thoughts remained entrenched in his subconscious. The nightmares filled his mind with visions of what he thought would come to pass; the disembodied view of his corpse slowly consumed by magical flames without a son to mourn him, the kingdom run by one of his steward’s bastardy as they went after, captured, and killed Aidan. Sweat poured down Radamuck’s face as every image made his flesh tingle with unseen tremors.Radamuck’s eyes eventually sprang open, the sweat dropping in and stinging them as he lurched upward with a heavy gasp. His lungs burned as he tried to suck the sweet air clinging to every crevice, every nook and cranny, even from the stone itself. He wiped his wrist across his brow; the tiny hairs were damp.
The king looked to his right, where his queen slept soundly, seemingly undisturbed by the fear gnawing at her husband’s insides. He took a deep breath and tried not to grumble; he didn’t want to wake his wife with troubles he felt were his and his alone. He returned his head to its soft mooring before finally falling into contented sleep.
Like what you've read? THE OBLOERON SAGA comes out TOMORROW... Monday, Nov. 2, 2015, on all ebook retailers.
Pre-order your copy for Kindle or Kobo at the links indicated and get it before everyone else!
www.seansweeneyauthor.com
October 30, 2015
To cut my nose off to spite my face, or no? Free book indecision.
Catchy title, is it not? It is. Oh, it is. And it can be explained in one anxiety-riddled blog post.
I've battled a demon for these last few months. The demon is a tricky one, since it has been the driving force behind my good fortune when it comes to this publishing/book sales game I've played these last few years.
Yup. It's the demon of indecision, the demon of whether or not to take Model Agent, the first book in the Jaclyn Johnson code name Snapshot/Agent series, off perma-free status and make it a paid book on Kindle and iBooks again.
Through September, readers have downloaded Model Agent in excess of 103,000 times for free, with a little less than 900 paid copies through Nook and Kobo. On iBooks, MA is still good for well over a hundred downloads a month. On Kindle, not too many. For instance, in September, MA saw 158 free downloads on Apple; in August, 197, in July, 187. Last month on Kindle, there were 79 free downloads; this month, 28. The sell-through over the last few months has not been spectacular; in September, I sold a grand total of 52 books; 26 were through Kindle, Nook, and Kobo, with another 26 through Apple. This month, I'm at 19 before the Apple numbers come through, and I'll get this month's Apple numbers in the middle of next month. I told you: not exactly great.
See my dilemma?
The theory of making a book free, especially in a series, is to sell-through the remainder of the series, and use the first book as a loss leader. The sell-through, from Model to Rogue to Double and so forth, has been decent through Double: as I've explained, I bought ENT sponsorships for the first three, and that is part in parcel of the series' draw. As I've reported, I was unable to get one for Federal Agent, which recently eclipsed the 700-copy mark; that book has been out for three years. The most recent two books, Literary (JJ5) and Travel's (JJ6) numbers aren't exceptional, and sales are down across the board. I don't know if people didn't like the first three or just don't know if there are more books since I didn't get an ad for Federal. If I'm being honest, the writing in these latter books is better than the writing in Model. Some people are buying and downloading them, yes, but are doing so in small quantities instead of the rate of purchase from a few years ago.
So what to do? It's a question that doesn't have an easy answer: If I take MA off perma-free, what will happen to my Apple sales? What will happen to my Kindle sales? They are low as it is, and if the perma-free is driving what I have for sales as it is, well... I don't want to think of what my sales would be without Model Agent being free. And if I'm being honest, I don't have another series at the moment with a first book to use as a new loss leader.
This may require a little more thought... maybe until the holiday season passes.
www.seansweeneyauthor.com
I've battled a demon for these last few months. The demon is a tricky one, since it has been the driving force behind my good fortune when it comes to this publishing/book sales game I've played these last few years.
Yup. It's the demon of indecision, the demon of whether or not to take Model Agent, the first book in the Jaclyn Johnson code name Snapshot/Agent series, off perma-free status and make it a paid book on Kindle and iBooks again.
Through September, readers have downloaded Model Agent in excess of 103,000 times for free, with a little less than 900 paid copies through Nook and Kobo. On iBooks, MA is still good for well over a hundred downloads a month. On Kindle, not too many. For instance, in September, MA saw 158 free downloads on Apple; in August, 197, in July, 187. Last month on Kindle, there were 79 free downloads; this month, 28. The sell-through over the last few months has not been spectacular; in September, I sold a grand total of 52 books; 26 were through Kindle, Nook, and Kobo, with another 26 through Apple. This month, I'm at 19 before the Apple numbers come through, and I'll get this month's Apple numbers in the middle of next month. I told you: not exactly great.
See my dilemma?
The theory of making a book free, especially in a series, is to sell-through the remainder of the series, and use the first book as a loss leader. The sell-through, from Model to Rogue to Double and so forth, has been decent through Double: as I've explained, I bought ENT sponsorships for the first three, and that is part in parcel of the series' draw. As I've reported, I was unable to get one for Federal Agent, which recently eclipsed the 700-copy mark; that book has been out for three years. The most recent two books, Literary (JJ5) and Travel's (JJ6) numbers aren't exceptional, and sales are down across the board. I don't know if people didn't like the first three or just don't know if there are more books since I didn't get an ad for Federal. If I'm being honest, the writing in these latter books is better than the writing in Model. Some people are buying and downloading them, yes, but are doing so in small quantities instead of the rate of purchase from a few years ago.
So what to do? It's a question that doesn't have an easy answer: If I take MA off perma-free, what will happen to my Apple sales? What will happen to my Kindle sales? They are low as it is, and if the perma-free is driving what I have for sales as it is, well... I don't want to think of what my sales would be without Model Agent being free. And if I'm being honest, I don't have another series at the moment with a first book to use as a new loss leader.
This may require a little more thought... maybe until the holiday season passes.
www.seansweeneyauthor.com
October 27, 2015
Kobo doing it again with a 50 percent off sale
I've mentioned before how we authors are a pretty obsessive bunch, especially when it comes to our book sales. I won't re-hash it, but you can find my obsessive-compulsiveness in my archives.
This weekend, coupled with the release of THE OBLOERON SAGA and the need to increase the pre-orders in the days prior to Monday's release, the good folks over at Kobo are going to have me and many other authors doing a frantic F5 every waking minute over the next six days or so: they are running another 50 percent off sale on all books published through Kobo Writing Life, and thankfully, I'm one of those authors who do this, and only use Smashwords for iBooks and other reading entities; I upload to Kindle, Nook, and Kobo separately.
This means that for you Kobo users out there--you can pre-order THE OBLOERON SAGA and get it for something like 48 cents.
Read that line again.
Really? Six books plus three short stories for only 48 cents?! Seriously? My other books from $1.50-$2 each? I have two words for that, ladies and gents, and that is LEGAL THIEVERY.
And I love it.
So go on, Kobo readers, go on and do it. STEAL MY BOX SET. I double dare you to. Do so for half the price this weekend, using these coupon codes at checkout:
Canada users, from Oct. 28-Oct 31: CA50SALE
United States/Australia/New Zealand users, from Oct. 28-Oct 30: GET50SALE
United Kingdom users, from Oct. 30-Nov. 2 (RELEASE DAY!): UK50SALE
Here's the link to all of my books on Kobo. HAVE AT IT!
www.seansweeneyauthor.com
This weekend, coupled with the release of THE OBLOERON SAGA and the need to increase the pre-orders in the days prior to Monday's release, the good folks over at Kobo are going to have me and many other authors doing a frantic F5 every waking minute over the next six days or so: they are running another 50 percent off sale on all books published through Kobo Writing Life, and thankfully, I'm one of those authors who do this, and only use Smashwords for iBooks and other reading entities; I upload to Kindle, Nook, and Kobo separately.
This means that for you Kobo users out there--you can pre-order THE OBLOERON SAGA and get it for something like 48 cents.
Read that line again.
Really? Six books plus three short stories for only 48 cents?! Seriously? My other books from $1.50-$2 each? I have two words for that, ladies and gents, and that is LEGAL THIEVERY.
And I love it.
So go on, Kobo readers, go on and do it. STEAL MY BOX SET. I double dare you to. Do so for half the price this weekend, using these coupon codes at checkout:
Canada users, from Oct. 28-Oct 31: CA50SALE
United States/Australia/New Zealand users, from Oct. 28-Oct 30: GET50SALE
United Kingdom users, from Oct. 30-Nov. 2 (RELEASE DAY!): UK50SALE
Here's the link to all of my books on Kobo. HAVE AT IT!
www.seansweeneyauthor.com
October 26, 2015
Have you pre-ordered THE OBLOERON SAGA yet?
We're just under a week away until the triumphant return of THE OBLOERON SAGA to all eTailer shelves, and I just have one question--have you pre-ordered your copy yet?
You haven't? Oy, vey, what am I going to do with you lot?
Yup, you guessed it. I'm going to inundate you with a bunch of links.
For those of you with Kindle, click here and simply fix the URL to your particular country/Amazon shop. For those of you with Kobo, click here. I don't have a link for Nook's placement yet, but you can always sideload on Nov. 2 through Smashwords, or you can wait for Nook's placement to pop up; in related news, Nook should allow for pre-orders. It will only cost you a measly--A MEASLY--.99 cents for six books, plus three short stories which tell you the full story of the goings-on on Obloeron.
Not only that, but remember--the prose has seen a bit of an upheaval, too. I've embedded two other short stories into the existing prose to beef up the story a bit, to give a little more additional context to it. You may have read the TRILOGY before. You may have read the first two books in the prequels.
You don't know the entire story.
In one week--Monday, November 2, 2015--you totally, totally will. It's almost here. Pre-order today.
www.seansweeneyauthor.com
You haven't? Oy, vey, what am I going to do with you lot?
Yup, you guessed it. I'm going to inundate you with a bunch of links.
For those of you with Kindle, click here and simply fix the URL to your particular country/Amazon shop. For those of you with Kobo, click here. I don't have a link for Nook's placement yet, but you can always sideload on Nov. 2 through Smashwords, or you can wait for Nook's placement to pop up; in related news, Nook should allow for pre-orders. It will only cost you a measly--A MEASLY--.99 cents for six books, plus three short stories which tell you the full story of the goings-on on Obloeron.
Not only that, but remember--the prose has seen a bit of an upheaval, too. I've embedded two other short stories into the existing prose to beef up the story a bit, to give a little more additional context to it. You may have read the TRILOGY before. You may have read the first two books in the prequels.
You don't know the entire story.
In one week--Monday, November 2, 2015--you totally, totally will. It's almost here. Pre-order today.
www.seansweeneyauthor.com
October 13, 2015
COMING SOON--THE OBLOERON SAGA
When one man puts aside a great destiny, it falls on another to pick it up.
This is the full, six-book THE OBLOERON SAGA bundle, which first appeared in 2009 under my old pseudonym, John Fitch V. The first five fantasy novels were published before 2013, and now the series comes together with the previously unreleased third novel, KRAMPEL'S REVENGE.
In addition, there is previously unseen prose in the form of three short stories the author has weaved into the tale, and gives the full look at some previously unanswered questions from the original three novels.
Starting with the short story The Creation of Flad-rul, the SAGA tells of Krampel Paddymeyer’s journey from that of slave to bounty hunter, from bounty hunter to war hero. Then the original trilogy picks up with Krampel’s grandson, Grumpet, his heir, as well as the tale of Radamuck Rosar’s journey with these two great men. Add in a halfling with a warrior complex, a bit of love, and plenty of orcs, and you have a fantasy story set to stand the test of time.
The Saga includes:
The Creation of Flad-rul (short story/prologue)The Rise of the Dark Falcon (prequel one)The Shadow Looms (prequel two)Krampel’s Revenge (prequel three, previously unreleased)Krampel’s Flight to Kayiko (short story/interstitial)The Quest for the Chalice (original one)The Return to Lowbridge (original two)The Fall of Myrindar (original three)
Grumpet’s First Day (short story/epilogue)
Coming SOON to an eTailer near you! Join my mailing list (the form is at the top of the blog) to find out when it's available!
www.seansweeneyauthor.com
This is the full, six-book THE OBLOERON SAGA bundle, which first appeared in 2009 under my old pseudonym, John Fitch V. The first five fantasy novels were published before 2013, and now the series comes together with the previously unreleased third novel, KRAMPEL'S REVENGE.
In addition, there is previously unseen prose in the form of three short stories the author has weaved into the tale, and gives the full look at some previously unanswered questions from the original three novels.
Starting with the short story The Creation of Flad-rul, the SAGA tells of Krampel Paddymeyer’s journey from that of slave to bounty hunter, from bounty hunter to war hero. Then the original trilogy picks up with Krampel’s grandson, Grumpet, his heir, as well as the tale of Radamuck Rosar’s journey with these two great men. Add in a halfling with a warrior complex, a bit of love, and plenty of orcs, and you have a fantasy story set to stand the test of time.
The Saga includes:
The Creation of Flad-rul (short story/prologue)The Rise of the Dark Falcon (prequel one)The Shadow Looms (prequel two)Krampel’s Revenge (prequel three, previously unreleased)Krampel’s Flight to Kayiko (short story/interstitial)The Quest for the Chalice (original one)The Return to Lowbridge (original two)The Fall of Myrindar (original three)
Grumpet’s First Day (short story/epilogue)
Coming SOON to an eTailer near you! Join my mailing list (the form is at the top of the blog) to find out when it's available!
www.seansweeneyauthor.com
September 11, 2015
The Obloeron Re-writes: Dark Falcon done, on to The Shadow Looms
The last third of The Rise of the Dark Falcon took me about three hours to read through and fix Thursday morning; there was a little bit to fix, and when it was all said and done, I had removed about 2,000 words--needless words--from that book. I feel the book is better now.
(*gulp* I hope.)
After a little bit of a break and some errands, I started work on The Shadow Looms, the middle book in the prequel series and the second book in the series proper. I did a little re-writing in the opening page, as I felt that it didn't flow properly.
Of course, why didn't I realize this three years ago?
I really don't have an answer. Consider this as author-ly maturity on my part. Really.
In all, I did about 16 pages--the first two chapters in this book--before I called it a day and settled in for the Patriots game. Back at it this morning? You bet. I figure that I'll get a third of the way through the novel (about 45 2/3 pages, so about 29 pages today) by the time I have to eat and leave for my football game--high school football coverage starts tonight; on Saturday, I may get in a couple of hours work done in the late morning as I have a soccer game to cover in the afternoon, as well as a hay and grain run before that. Ponies have to eat, too.
Sunday, though... Sunday I should get quite a bit done, maybe to the two-thirds mark, while I have soccer on in the background before I settle in and watch football. I figure that I'll finish up The Shadow Looms before I head to my afternoon soccer game on Monday, which means I'll be a third of the way through The Obloeron Saga in just less than a week.
Exciting stuff over here.
www.seansweeneyauthor.com
(*gulp* I hope.)
After a little bit of a break and some errands, I started work on The Shadow Looms, the middle book in the prequel series and the second book in the series proper. I did a little re-writing in the opening page, as I felt that it didn't flow properly.
Of course, why didn't I realize this three years ago?
I really don't have an answer. Consider this as author-ly maturity on my part. Really.
In all, I did about 16 pages--the first two chapters in this book--before I called it a day and settled in for the Patriots game. Back at it this morning? You bet. I figure that I'll get a third of the way through the novel (about 45 2/3 pages, so about 29 pages today) by the time I have to eat and leave for my football game--high school football coverage starts tonight; on Saturday, I may get in a couple of hours work done in the late morning as I have a soccer game to cover in the afternoon, as well as a hay and grain run before that. Ponies have to eat, too.
Sunday, though... Sunday I should get quite a bit done, maybe to the two-thirds mark, while I have soccer on in the background before I settle in and watch football. I figure that I'll finish up The Shadow Looms before I head to my afternoon soccer game on Monday, which means I'll be a third of the way through The Obloeron Saga in just less than a week.
Exciting stuff over here.
www.seansweeneyauthor.com
September 10, 2015
The Obloeron Re-Writes: Finishing up Dark Falcon
This morning, I plan to get started on the final third of The Rise of the Dark Falcon. It's a wicked big deal, folks.
So far, I've spent the last two days removing passive voice I had missed during the last edit, as well as tightening certain sections and deleting extraneous phrasing that, as I see it now, is either redundant or unnecessary to the story.
The hope is that by 1 p.m. this afternoon, I will be done with Dark Falcon and can move on to The Shadow Looms.
At least that's my plan.
Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Moving right along.
www.seansweeneyauthor.com
So far, I've spent the last two days removing passive voice I had missed during the last edit, as well as tightening certain sections and deleting extraneous phrasing that, as I see it now, is either redundant or unnecessary to the story.
The hope is that by 1 p.m. this afternoon, I will be done with Dark Falcon and can move on to The Shadow Looms.
At least that's my plan.
Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Moving right along.
www.seansweeneyauthor.com
September 9, 2015
The Obloeron Re-Writes: The best laid plans, they need a-changing
I think the title of today's blog says it all.
*looks up*
OK, maybe not. I'll explain.
As you read Tuesday, my whole plan was to get started on the final read of The Obloeron Saga. I was pumped and ready to curl up with my Kindle and get reading, all to make sure that the entirety of the book is ready to go in time for its Nov. 2 re-release. Reading it in September means I have a month to fix it if it isn't ready.
However, not everything goes to plan, and my second emotion from yesterday reared its ugly head.
As I laid in bed reading in the air conditioning--yes, it is friggin' hot here in Massachusetts--I had a legal pad next to me as I jotted down some notes regarding changes for the first chapter in The Rise of the Dark Falcon. I got through the chapter relatively unscathed, until I found some dreaded passive voice lingering in the tail end of the chapter.
Wait, what? Didn't I take care of that this summer? Apparently, I missed a bit--and yes, this time, it's on me. I'm a little upset and a little frustrated, but I'm persevering as I put my nose to the ol' grindstone.
In addition, as I sit here a third of the way through yet another draft--what is this now, draft No. 10?--I had to clear up some befuddled sentences in the next few chapters. I chose to speak some parts aloud to make sure they make sense. Again, I hope that with this full look-see is done, all 811 pages or thereabouts, it will be DONE. Complete. Finito.
I also realized something yesterday. Obloeron is, without a doubt, my personal Dark Tower series, ladies and gents. Much like King, you'll find that this is the defining series of my early career, and it will, I'm sure, read like an early career series. My hope is that when it is all said and done, you will feel a mishmash of early and now as you read it.
More reading on tap for today, another forty pages or so. Can't you feel my excitement?
www.seansweeneyauthor.com
*looks up*
OK, maybe not. I'll explain.
As you read Tuesday, my whole plan was to get started on the final read of The Obloeron Saga. I was pumped and ready to curl up with my Kindle and get reading, all to make sure that the entirety of the book is ready to go in time for its Nov. 2 re-release. Reading it in September means I have a month to fix it if it isn't ready.
However, not everything goes to plan, and my second emotion from yesterday reared its ugly head.
As I laid in bed reading in the air conditioning--yes, it is friggin' hot here in Massachusetts--I had a legal pad next to me as I jotted down some notes regarding changes for the first chapter in The Rise of the Dark Falcon. I got through the chapter relatively unscathed, until I found some dreaded passive voice lingering in the tail end of the chapter.
Wait, what? Didn't I take care of that this summer? Apparently, I missed a bit--and yes, this time, it's on me. I'm a little upset and a little frustrated, but I'm persevering as I put my nose to the ol' grindstone.
In addition, as I sit here a third of the way through yet another draft--what is this now, draft No. 10?--I had to clear up some befuddled sentences in the next few chapters. I chose to speak some parts aloud to make sure they make sense. Again, I hope that with this full look-see is done, all 811 pages or thereabouts, it will be DONE. Complete. Finito.
I also realized something yesterday. Obloeron is, without a doubt, my personal Dark Tower series, ladies and gents. Much like King, you'll find that this is the defining series of my early career, and it will, I'm sure, read like an early career series. My hope is that when it is all said and done, you will feel a mishmash of early and now as you read it.
More reading on tap for today, another forty pages or so. Can't you feel my excitement?
www.seansweeneyauthor.com
September 8, 2015
The Obloeron Re-writes: Time to read
The day I've waited for has arrived: the day I start my final re-read of THE OBLOERON SAGA. Today, I'll curl up with my Kindle and just read. Read and drink coffee. Drink coffee and read. With nowhere to go today, my hope is that I'll get most of THE RISE OF THE DARK FALCON read; I'll probably only get half of it read, which isn't a bad thing. I want to pace myself. I read the lead-in short on Sunday night, and it needed a little tweaking; I took care of that yesterday. Now, I jump into the saga proper. I'll take notes if anything jumps out at me.
I'm going through several different emotions here. The first, of course, is that I really can't contain my excitement. I'm uber-excited, shall we say, to dive into the series and look at it as one entire story, not just as six individual parts. I believe that the story is so much better for the work I've already put in since last December, and I believe you'll feel the same.
The second feeling is that I'm nervous that there is still loads more to do, a fear that I have forgotten to do something over these last ten months. My hope is that I have not forgotten anything, and that the read is relatively smooth. Cross your fingers for me!
If there is any edits that need doing, they'll get taken care of before I finalize the project and move on to CHEMICAL AGENT's first read-thru and edit.
I'm seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, gang.
I can't wait to get there.
www.seansweeneyauthor.com
I'm going through several different emotions here. The first, of course, is that I really can't contain my excitement. I'm uber-excited, shall we say, to dive into the series and look at it as one entire story, not just as six individual parts. I believe that the story is so much better for the work I've already put in since last December, and I believe you'll feel the same.
The second feeling is that I'm nervous that there is still loads more to do, a fear that I have forgotten to do something over these last ten months. My hope is that I have not forgotten anything, and that the read is relatively smooth. Cross your fingers for me!
If there is any edits that need doing, they'll get taken care of before I finalize the project and move on to CHEMICAL AGENT's first read-thru and edit.
I'm seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, gang.
I can't wait to get there.
www.seansweeneyauthor.com
August 11, 2015
The next twelve months or so for this author
Even though I’m under no obligation to do so as an indie, I like to set goals and—even more importantly, from my point of view—deadlines for my work. It’s something that not only keeps me sane, but also keeps me focused on the writing.
With the Summer of Edit finally in the rear view mirror, it’s time to take a look at the projects I’m working on over the course of the next twelve months or so. Be careful: your eyes may spin by this somewhat absurd, breakneck pace. Keep in mind, these dates are all tentative, and are subject to change without notice. Publishing dates, though... we'll do our best to hit those.
Mid-August to Oct. 1—Beach Blanket Bloodshed: An Alex Bourque Mystery.
I haven’t decided if this will be a novel or a novella; I'm kind of writing this one from the seat of my pants. I have some ideas of how this story will go, but no idea as to the length. Much like Cold Altar and Voir Dire, I will tell it in first person. The hope is that I can have a full first draft done by Oct. 1; if it’s a novella or a short novel, then that date is no problem. Anything longer than 60,000 words may push it, but we’ll see.
In addition, I’ll brainstorm a project later in the fall, as well as the subplot for Chemical Agent.
Oct. 1 to Oct. 21 or so—Final read of The Obloeron Saga.
This will be the final time I ever read this series before I re-upload it. I’ll read it on my Kindle, and my hope is that if there is anything wrong—misspelled words, passive voice—that the change in font will point it out to me for correction. Then I’ll format and get it ready for publishing.
Oct. 22 to Oct. 27—First read/edit of Chemical Agent: A Thriller.
Oct. 19 will mark four months since I completed the first draft of the seventh Jaclyn Johnson novel, so I’m hoping that I’m fully free of the story by then. That way, I’ll see any problems and correct them. In addition, I’m going to add a few thousand words to the existing story as I work on the subplot.
Immediately after that until the end of January—Working on the first draft of a project I don’t believe I’m allowed to speak of just yet. I’ve been invited into a shared world, and that’s about all I can say on this for now.
Nov. 2—Publishing The Obloeron Saga.
Self-explanatory. A reminder that the entire saga includes the as-yet unreleased third book of the prequels, Krampel's Revenge, along with never-before-seen prose..
Christmas Week—Second read of Chemical Agent.
It would have been about two months or so since I had finished the first round of edits by the week of Christmas. I’ll look at it again at about this time, changing the font on the manuscript to see if anything sticks out. Then, the hope is to send it off for a proofing by Christmas morning. That is if everything goes well. Cross your fingers.
End of January—Final read-through of Chemical Agent, start brainstorming the eighth Jaclyn novel, first read-through/edit of Beach Blanket Bloodshed.
Feb. 1-May 3—Working on the first draft of a D.L. Boyd romance novel/novella involving a sportswriter.
End of February-early March—Publishing Chemical Agent.
End of March--Second read/edit of Beach Blanket Bloodshed, send to editor.
May 4—First read-through of secret project? Then start the first draft of JJ8, which should take me up through the end of July.
Memorial Day—Publishing Beach Blanket Bloodshed. Timely.
Early August—First read-through of the D.L. Boyd romance, then start brainstorming Cedar Junction, a standalone thriller that I will write in the fall of 2016. The romance will be published around Thanksgiving, maybe Christmas.
The hope is that I'll stick to the schedule. Of course, if I finish anything early, I’ll get to work on the next thing right away. Lather, rinse, repeat. And again, everything is tentative, and I reserve the right to make changes if necessary.
Stay tuned. It's going to be a great year.
www.seansweeneyauthor.com
With the Summer of Edit finally in the rear view mirror, it’s time to take a look at the projects I’m working on over the course of the next twelve months or so. Be careful: your eyes may spin by this somewhat absurd, breakneck pace. Keep in mind, these dates are all tentative, and are subject to change without notice. Publishing dates, though... we'll do our best to hit those.
Mid-August to Oct. 1—Beach Blanket Bloodshed: An Alex Bourque Mystery.
I haven’t decided if this will be a novel or a novella; I'm kind of writing this one from the seat of my pants. I have some ideas of how this story will go, but no idea as to the length. Much like Cold Altar and Voir Dire, I will tell it in first person. The hope is that I can have a full first draft done by Oct. 1; if it’s a novella or a short novel, then that date is no problem. Anything longer than 60,000 words may push it, but we’ll see.
In addition, I’ll brainstorm a project later in the fall, as well as the subplot for Chemical Agent.
Oct. 1 to Oct. 21 or so—Final read of The Obloeron Saga.
This will be the final time I ever read this series before I re-upload it. I’ll read it on my Kindle, and my hope is that if there is anything wrong—misspelled words, passive voice—that the change in font will point it out to me for correction. Then I’ll format and get it ready for publishing.
Oct. 22 to Oct. 27—First read/edit of Chemical Agent: A Thriller.
Oct. 19 will mark four months since I completed the first draft of the seventh Jaclyn Johnson novel, so I’m hoping that I’m fully free of the story by then. That way, I’ll see any problems and correct them. In addition, I’m going to add a few thousand words to the existing story as I work on the subplot.
Immediately after that until the end of January—Working on the first draft of a project I don’t believe I’m allowed to speak of just yet. I’ve been invited into a shared world, and that’s about all I can say on this for now.
Nov. 2—Publishing The Obloeron Saga.
Self-explanatory. A reminder that the entire saga includes the as-yet unreleased third book of the prequels, Krampel's Revenge, along with never-before-seen prose..
Christmas Week—Second read of Chemical Agent.
It would have been about two months or so since I had finished the first round of edits by the week of Christmas. I’ll look at it again at about this time, changing the font on the manuscript to see if anything sticks out. Then, the hope is to send it off for a proofing by Christmas morning. That is if everything goes well. Cross your fingers.
End of January—Final read-through of Chemical Agent, start brainstorming the eighth Jaclyn novel, first read-through/edit of Beach Blanket Bloodshed.
Feb. 1-May 3—Working on the first draft of a D.L. Boyd romance novel/novella involving a sportswriter.
End of February-early March—Publishing Chemical Agent.
End of March--Second read/edit of Beach Blanket Bloodshed, send to editor.
May 4—First read-through of secret project? Then start the first draft of JJ8, which should take me up through the end of July.
Memorial Day—Publishing Beach Blanket Bloodshed. Timely.
Early August—First read-through of the D.L. Boyd romance, then start brainstorming Cedar Junction, a standalone thriller that I will write in the fall of 2016. The romance will be published around Thanksgiving, maybe Christmas.
The hope is that I'll stick to the schedule. Of course, if I finish anything early, I’ll get to work on the next thing right away. Lather, rinse, repeat. And again, everything is tentative, and I reserve the right to make changes if necessary.
Stay tuned. It's going to be a great year.
www.seansweeneyauthor.com
