Martin Hengst's Blog, page 3

The Last Swordmage – Three Years Later…

As the Grateful Dead would say, what a long strange trip it’s been…

On December 19th of 2012 I pressed the “Publish Now” button on Amazon’s KDP platform. I was putting up my first novel, The Last Swordmage, with little idea of what to expect and no way to anticipate how that action would change my life.

I expected a few friends and family to read it. I never expected more than a hundred people to read it. I never dreamed of a thousand, and I was dumbfounded by more than ten thousand people reading each new volume that came out.

I’m not delusional… I know my books aren’t exactly the fine wine of the literary world, but they somehow have managed to do exactly what I wanted to do all my life… Tell a story that transports people to another world and let’s them go on an adventure there. While I’m grateful for the royalties I’ve earned on the Solendrea series, the notes and emails I’ve gotten from readers who have enjoyed the books mean so much more.

In August of 2013, I was able to quit my day job and commit to writing full time. It was a dream I had had since childhood that only grew stronger as I progressed through high school and started writing in earnest. If only that budding writer could have known what was waiting in his future.

There have been so many milestones that you, the readers, have helped me achieve. I’ve been on Amazon’s best selling authors list several times. I was partnered with Trident Media for a time and, perhaps foolishly, decided to stick with my indie roots. I’ve gotten email from all over the world asking when Tiadaria will go on her next adventure.

None of that would have happened without you. So thanks, you guys, for being awesome and coming along with me on this adventure.

I know it’s been awhile since I have put anything new out. I also know that many of you are waiting (im)patiently for word of the next Solendrea adventure.

As I’ve posted before, and many of you already know, I had to make the difficult decision earlier this year to go back to work full time, which has thrown a spanner into the works of my writing. To be honest, I just haven’t been in the right place to start writing again.

The good news is that lately, the writing bug has been biting me again. I’m looking forward to seeing what the new year brings for Tiadaria, Faxon, and all the others. I’m very interested to see what the new year brings.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you if you have enjoyed Tiadaria’s adventures so far. Please leave a comment below, or post to my Facebook page with your favorite moment from the books.

I’ll do my part by getting back to work.

Have a great holiday season and a fantastic new year.

Best Wishes,

Martin Hengst

The Last Swordmage – Free til 10/15/15

If you’ve been wanting to jump into the world of Solendrea but you’ve been waiting for the right time, wait no longer! The Last Swordmage is FREE until 10/15/15. Grab your copy now, and be sure to tell your friends and family.

FREE: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AR187RA

Please Ignore This Post

This post has nothing to do with writing. Nothing to do with anything, really, other than as a test for a project I’m working on. I promise to post something substantial soon.

http://z1p.pw

Please Pardon the Dust!

Major changes are afoot here. I’m reworking some thing about the website, moving some things around, and getting ready to announce a new project.

I know it’s been kind of stale here for the last little bit. The changes I’m making will breathe new life into the blog and hopefully reach some new fans of the genres I love so much.

Stop back soon to see what develops!

~MFHengst

 

#LoveIsLove – Solendrea Proudly Supports the SCOTUS Decision

 

As the official spokesperson for the world of Solendrea, I’m happy to say on behalf of Tiadaria, Faxon, Maera, and the other power players in Blackbeach and beyond, that we’re all thrilled with the SCOTUS decision to let love rule the day. #LoveIsLove

~MFHengst

Time Flies!

I realize that it’s been quite some time since I last updated my blog…or Twitter…or really anything. I am here to assure you that the rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated!

Over the past few months, I’ve been adapting to once again being a full-time employee. In so doing, I’ve had to prioritize time among my various interests, including writing. I’ll even admit that I took a bit of a much needed break to recharge the old gray matter.

Now it’s time to get back to work. Personally, I needed some time away from the world of Solendrea. As much as I love Tiadaria, Faxon, and all the rest, I needed to take a break from their conflicts and conquests and work on something different.

I’ve decided to do a bit of work on a pet project that’s been calling to me for some time. It’s a dystopian version of our world, set in the not so distant future. It explores what has happened to the northeast United States once the dead start roaming the earth.

I know zombies have been done and done again, but I’d like to think that there will be enough in my world to keep it interesting, if not fresh (pun fully intended), for one more go around.

I hope to have something new for Beta Reading in the next month or so. Keep an eye on this space for more information as it becomes available.

Stay cool out there!

~MFHengst

Transitions and Changes

I’ve always been very open and honest in regards to my journey as a writer. As I begin another phase of my professional career, I thought it only fitting to share these new challenges as I always have.

On Monday morning, I’ll be going back to a full time job for the first time in almost two years. As much as I have loved living the dream I’ve had since I was in High School, it’s no longer economically feasible to support my family on the royalties from my books. I had to make the very difficult decision to abandon my life as a professional writer and do what’s best for my family.

That being said, the last two years have been an amazing experience, and I want to thank every single person who has read my books. You’ve enabled me to fulfill a lifelong dream.  How many people can say they’ve been able to live their dreams? I’m incredibly lucky and so, so thankful that I’ve been able to do this. It’s something that will remain with me for the rest of my life.

So what does that mean for the future of Solendrea and the rest of the stories I have to tell? Not much. I wrote Swordmage, Darkest Hour, and Pegasus while holding down a full time job. I can handle new books with the same aplomb.

Obviously, writing will take longer and new books will take longer to be published, but I hope that you will find them worth the wait. In the meantime please recommend the current books to anyone you think might enjoy them. It would be a huge help.

Thanks for your support, both past and future.

Best Wishes,

Martin F. Hengst

Pathfinder Winner Drawn!

Congratulations to Matt S. for winning the Pathfinder fantasy roleplaying pack sweepstakes.

Thanks to everyone who participated!

~MFHengst

10 Hours Left! Enter Now! $100 Pathfinder Roleplaying Sweepstakes

Just a quick heads up: we’re down to the last 10 hours remaining to enter to win more than $100 in Pathfinder roleplaying products. If you’re interested in roleplaying games, or know someone who is, be sure you enter and share your lucky link with your friends. Each time someone uses your link to sign up, you get more chances to win.

Enter here: http://martinfhengst.com/giveaways/pathfinder-fantasy-roleplaying/

Pathfinder Roleplaying Pack Sweepstakes

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you probably already know that I’m an avid gamer as well as an author. I love games of all sorts…cards, board, roleplaying…but I especially love games that have some sort of magical element to them.

In that respect, some of my favorite games are the fantasy-based roleplaying games and card games like Magic the Gathering.

So when I decided that I wanted to do another giveaway, I thought about the kind of people I wanted to gear it toward and it made the most sense to aim it at people just like me…people who love fantasy and games and magic.

So here we go. Until March 20th, you have an opportunity to win my largest giveaway yet. A set of three Pathfinder roleplaying books. Enter below…and be sure to use your special link to refer your friends. The more people you refer, the more chances you earn to win.

Click here to enter: http://martinfhengst.com/giveaways/pathfinder-fantasy-roleplaying/

~MFHengst

Enter to win $100 in Pathfinder products. #rp #roleplay #giveaway http://mfh.link/pfrpsweeps
Click To Tweet