H.S. Stone's Blog, page 5

NaNoWriMo 2022 recap

We've reached the end of November, which means the end of another NaNoWriMo. In my last post, I mentioned that I wanted to write more than 20,000 words this month because I'm behind in the first draft of my WIP. Well, it didn't happen. :-( I only managed a little over 15,000 words. Between an extremely busy day job schedule and a very welcomed vacation over Thanksgiving week, I had less time to write this November compared to previous Novembers.

While my word count wasn't what I hoped it'd be, Na...

Playing catch up, a.k.a. NaNoWriMo

In 2020 and 2021, when I wrote the first drafts of the first two books in the After Z-Day series, I had written at least 20,000 words by the end of October, used NaNoWriMo to add another 20,000 words, and wrapped up the first drafts by the last day of December. That was my plan this year as well.

Except that I've written less than 10,000 words of book 3 so far. I still have a few days left in October to make progress, but realistically, I'll be starting November with a little over 10,000 words wr...

Changing reading tastes

 

If you're a long-time follower of my blog, you know that I've been a fan of YA books for many years (despite growing out of my "young adult" phase in life long ago). YA is the predominant genre I write in because I also love reading YA. When I came up with my favorite series, for example, 7 out of the top ten fell in the YA category.

This year, however, I found my reading tastes changing. I've read more books for adults than for young adults in 2022 so far. The top two categories are thrillers a...

Hopeless is free this weekend!

For a limited time, Hopeless, the first book in the After Z-Day series, is free! Download the e-book from Amazon here.

If you enjoy it, try the sequel, Relentless, which is free to read for Kindle Unlimited members.

Release announcement: Relentless

I'm happy to announce the release of Relentless, the second book in the After Z-Day series and the sequel to Hopeless. 

Just in time to celebrate the 4th of July, Relentless is currently available in e-book or paperback format on Amazon. For members of the Kindle Unlimited program, you can read the e-book for free! If you're looking for an action-packed story this holiday, check out Relentless!

Description: 

Seventeen-year-old Sara Sanders survived the initial days following Z-Day, when zombies too...

Cover reveal: Relentless

Relentless, the sequel to Hopeless, will be released soon! In the meantime, I'm excited to reveal the cover and description for this second book in the After Z-Day series. Look for the new book next month! 

Description: 

Seventeen-year-old Sara Sanders survived the initial days following Z-Day, when zombies took over the world. She also reunited with her brother, whom she first feared was dead.

Preparing to face life in a new world on their own, she and her fellow survivors overhear a broadcast fro...

Very late book anniversary

Thank goodness I'm not as bad at remembering my wedding anniversary as I am with my book anniversaries. I recently realized that I've been an author for more than ten years (how did that happen??), and when I looked back at the publishing date for my first novel, George and the Galactic Games, I confirmed it to be true since it was released on November 10, 2011. 

Before George and the Galactic Games, I had written short stories here and there and made a few attempts at writing a novel, but none o...

A writing update

I haven't provided an update on my writing progress since my 2021 NaNoWriMo recap, so it's time to let my readers know that things have indeed been moving on that front since November. For starters, I accomplished my goal of finishing the first draft of the sequel to Hopeless by the end of 2021. I just made it by the skin of my teeth, wrapping it up on the last day of the year. 

Since then, I've been editing the manuscript. After a two-week break, I spent the remainder of January and all of Febru...

Thoughts on Brandon Sanderson's Kickstarter

 

One of the topics receiving attention in the author community this week is Brandon Sanderson's record-breaking Kickstarter campaign. For those who haven't heard, fantasy author Brandon Sanderson wrote four new novels in the past two years that he wants to get into the hands of his fans, and he launched a Kickstarter campaign to do so. (This video does a far better job of explaining what the campaign offers and the reason for it than I ever could.) Halfway through the month-long campaign, it's a...

Are fantasy movies/shows better than the books they're based on?

 

Image courtesy of IMDB

 

It's often said that books are better than their film and TV adaptations, and for the most part, I agree. However, I've noticed one genre where adaptations are as good as or even better than the books they're based on: fantasy.

Consider some of the most popular fantasy movies and TV shows since the start of the millennium:

Harry PotterPeter Jackson's The Lord of the RingsGame of ThronesThe WitcherThe Wheel of Time

Aside from the Harry Potter series, where the books are hard ...