Jack D. Albrecht Jr.'s Blog, page 2
March 26, 2012
Indie Book Collective Changes Lives!
We had the pleasure of participating in a promotion last week, ran by The Indie Book Collective. We gave it a full week before we announced our impression of the event, so that we could see how everything evened out after all the excitement had leveled off. So, here is our impression of The Indie Book Collective, and all that they stand for, all their knowledge and expertise.
To put it simply, if you are a self-published author, or even a small press publisher looking for ways to get your clients books noticed: Stop what you are doing, and go to their site, sign up for all of their classes, invest in their advertising campaigns, and DO EVERYTHING THEY TELL YOU TO DO!
Only a few weeks ago, Osric's Wand was languishing (100 -200k rank) in the slush pile of self-publishing. We were plugging away at things, seeing rising and falling ranks. We even managed to hit a bestseller list for about 5 minutes in the UK Amazon site. But, as with most of those who take the self-publishing route, we needed that "break".
I joined many of the classes that they offered, and like a sponge, I soaked up everything that they would teach me. Not only did I learn, but I also put into practice everything I could. Immediately our sales grew steadier, and our rank held firm in the 50 to 70k range. It did not stop there…
I joined the #LuckyDays #FreeParTay promotion with dozens of other authors, and we all worked our butts off for 5 days, giving away free eBooks. The FreeParTay is a tried and true promotion that the IBC has pioneered, but we still worried a bit because of our lack of experience in promoting our novel.
Hand in hand with some amazing authors, we all promoted each other's books through our social media platforms. You can read all about the success of the event on their blog here.
When the smoke cleared, and the promotion was over, Osric's Wand had found a home in three bestseller lists, in three countries. Not only did it find a place, but it has held its place in all three lists for over a week! We sell more eBooks daily than we did in a month, now! Our paperbacks have seen equally impressive gains in sales! We are not the best performer of the group, either!
These people know what they are doing! I highly recommend that everyone who is struggling in the Indie publishing scene take the classes they offer. Put them to the test as I did. They will change your life, just as they have changed ours!
To put it simply, if you are a self-published author, or even a small press publisher looking for ways to get your clients books noticed: Stop what you are doing, and go to their site, sign up for all of their classes, invest in their advertising campaigns, and DO EVERYTHING THEY TELL YOU TO DO!
Only a few weeks ago, Osric's Wand was languishing (100 -200k rank) in the slush pile of self-publishing. We were plugging away at things, seeing rising and falling ranks. We even managed to hit a bestseller list for about 5 minutes in the UK Amazon site. But, as with most of those who take the self-publishing route, we needed that "break".
I joined many of the classes that they offered, and like a sponge, I soaked up everything that they would teach me. Not only did I learn, but I also put into practice everything I could. Immediately our sales grew steadier, and our rank held firm in the 50 to 70k range. It did not stop there…
I joined the #LuckyDays #FreeParTay promotion with dozens of other authors, and we all worked our butts off for 5 days, giving away free eBooks. The FreeParTay is a tried and true promotion that the IBC has pioneered, but we still worried a bit because of our lack of experience in promoting our novel.
Hand in hand with some amazing authors, we all promoted each other's books through our social media platforms. You can read all about the success of the event on their blog here.
When the smoke cleared, and the promotion was over, Osric's Wand had found a home in three bestseller lists, in three countries. Not only did it find a place, but it has held its place in all three lists for over a week! We sell more eBooks daily than we did in a month, now! Our paperbacks have seen equally impressive gains in sales! We are not the best performer of the group, either!
These people know what they are doing! I highly recommend that everyone who is struggling in the Indie publishing scene take the classes they offer. Put them to the test as I did. They will change your life, just as they have changed ours!
March 11, 2012
Fantastic Book Giveaway!
AnnouncingLucky Days Free Par-TayMarch 14th-18th!www.freepartay.com
Discover over 40 amazing ebooks: Romances, Thrillers, Mysteries, Humor, Fantasies, and more!All FREE at Amazon.com
Fantastic ebooks, many by award-winning and best-selling authors.
There's a genre for every reader's taste.
Romance from sweet to HOT, suspense, paranormal, humorous, historical...we have an awesome range.
If Mysteries and Thrillers are your thing you can't go wrong. Police action, murderous mayhem, amateur sleuths and more.
You'll also find Horror, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Woman's Fiction.... A fantastic selection!
Got kids? We have books for elementary school age and teens alike.
Don't miss out! Soon these amazing ebooks will be back to their usual prices. Grab them while they're FREE! March 14th-18th.
Who says you can have too much of a good thing. You can never have too many great books. Load up your Kindle and tell your neighbors to do the same.
The FREE Par-Tay is a BLAST!
Some Examples of the Great Books Available
You like Romance? Find them here.
Don’t miss Mimi Barbour’s “My Cheeky Angel” or Virna DePaul’s “Chosen by Sin.” Rita Herron will make you smile with “Marry Me Maddie.” Stephanie Bond’s “I think I Love You” and Denise Domning’s “Almost Perfect” are perfect for the addicted romance reader. Debra Burroughs “Three Days in Seattle” and Nina Bruhns' “The French Detective’s Woman” add a splash of mystery and suspense to their romance.
Excited by Thrillers? Ecstatic for Mysteries? Scared by Horror? Tweaked by Sci-Fi? You're in the right place!
Ron Kierkegaard’s “The God Particle” stretches the boundaries and Michael Shean’s “Shadow of a Dark Star” will open your eyes to new worlds. Michael Paneush’s “The Stein and Candle Detective Agency” is a fantastical take on mystery and fantasy abounds Vicki Keirie’s “Worlds Burn Through.”
“Liquid Lies” By Lois Lavrisa dives into secrets, lies and murder, while Shannon Mayer will lead you through ten Horrifying stories in “Ingredients of a Caldron.” Nathan Yocum investigates a post-apocalyptic future in "The Zona" and Katherine Owen digs deep in a story of love and loss in "Seeing Julia."
And don't forget to sign up for our Newsletter. You'll automatically be entered to WIN $100 in Amazon Gift Cards.
www.freepartay.com
Fantastic Book Giveaway!
AnnouncingLucky Days Free Par-TayMarch 14th-18th!http://web.me.com/craftycmc/Free_ParTay/Free_Par-Tay_Home.html
Discover over 40 amazing ebooks: Romances, Thrillers, Mysteries, Humor, Fantasies, and more!All FREE at Amazon.com
Fantastic ebooks, many by award-winning and best-selling authors.
There's a genre for every reader's taste.
Romance from sweet to HOT, suspense, paranormal, humorous, historical...we have an awesome range.
If Mysteries and Thrillers are your thing you can't go wrong. Police action, murderous mayhem, amateur sleuths and more.
You'll also find Horror, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Woman's Fiction.... A fantastic selection!
Got kids? We have books for elementary school age and teens alike.
Don't miss out! Soon these amazing ebooks will be back to their usual prices. Grab them while they're FREE! March 14th-18th.
Who says you can have too much of a good thing. You can never have too many great books. Load up your Kindle and tell your neighbors to do the same.
The FREE Par-Tay is a BLAST!
Some Examplesof theGreat Books Available
You like Romance? Find them here.
Don't miss Mimi Barbour's "My Cheeky Angel" or Verna DePaul's "Chased by Sin." Rita Herron will make you smile with "Marry Me Maddie." Stephanie Bond's "I think I Love You" and Denise Domning's "Almost Perfect" are perfect for the addicted romance reader. Debra Burroughs "Three Days in Seattle" and Nina Bruhn's "The French Detective's Woman" add a splash of mystery and suspense to their romance.
Excited by Thrillers? Ecstatic for Mysteries? Scared by Horror? Tweaked by Sci-Fi? You're in the right place!
Ron Kierkegaard's "The God Particle" stretches the boundaries and Michael Shean's "Shadow of a Dark Star" will open your eyes to new worlds. Michael Paneush's "The Stein and Candle Detective Agency" is a fantastical take on mystery and fantasy abounds in Vicki Keirie's "Worlds Burn Through."
"Liquid Lies" By Lois Lavrisa dives into secrets, lies and murder, while Shannon Mayer will lead you through ten Horrifying stories in "Ingredients of a Caldron." Nathan Yocum investigates a post-apocalyptic future in "The Zona" and Katherine Owen digs deep in a story of love and loss in "Seeing Julia."And don't forget to sign up for our Newsletter. You'll automatically be entered to WIN $100 in Amazon Gift Cards.
http://web.me.com/craftycmc/Free_ParTay/Free_Par-Tay_Home.html
Discover over 40 amazing ebooks: Romances, Thrillers, Mysteries, Humor, Fantasies, and more!All FREE at Amazon.com
Fantastic ebooks, many by award-winning and best-selling authors.
There's a genre for every reader's taste.
Romance from sweet to HOT, suspense, paranormal, humorous, historical...we have an awesome range.
If Mysteries and Thrillers are your thing you can't go wrong. Police action, murderous mayhem, amateur sleuths and more.
You'll also find Horror, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Woman's Fiction.... A fantastic selection!
Got kids? We have books for elementary school age and teens alike.
Don't miss out! Soon these amazing ebooks will be back to their usual prices. Grab them while they're FREE! March 14th-18th.
Who says you can have too much of a good thing. You can never have too many great books. Load up your Kindle and tell your neighbors to do the same.
The FREE Par-Tay is a BLAST!
Some Examplesof theGreat Books Available
You like Romance? Find them here.
Don't miss Mimi Barbour's "My Cheeky Angel" or Verna DePaul's "Chased by Sin." Rita Herron will make you smile with "Marry Me Maddie." Stephanie Bond's "I think I Love You" and Denise Domning's "Almost Perfect" are perfect for the addicted romance reader. Debra Burroughs "Three Days in Seattle" and Nina Bruhn's "The French Detective's Woman" add a splash of mystery and suspense to their romance.
Excited by Thrillers? Ecstatic for Mysteries? Scared by Horror? Tweaked by Sci-Fi? You're in the right place!
Ron Kierkegaard's "The God Particle" stretches the boundaries and Michael Shean's "Shadow of a Dark Star" will open your eyes to new worlds. Michael Paneush's "The Stein and Candle Detective Agency" is a fantastical take on mystery and fantasy abounds in Vicki Keirie's "Worlds Burn Through."
"Liquid Lies" By Lois Lavrisa dives into secrets, lies and murder, while Shannon Mayer will lead you through ten Horrifying stories in "Ingredients of a Caldron." Nathan Yocum investigates a post-apocalyptic future in "The Zona" and Katherine Owen digs deep in a story of love and loss in "Seeing Julia."And don't forget to sign up for our Newsletter. You'll automatically be entered to WIN $100 in Amazon Gift Cards.
http://web.me.com/craftycmc/Free_ParTay/Free_Par-Tay_Home.html
March 2, 2012
Contest Winners!
Congratulations to the winners of our blog contest for paperback copies of Osric's Wand: The Wand-Maker's Debate with the new cover art! Yolanda W. and NadilaD, watch your email for information on your winning books! These two were tweeting and shouting from the rooftops (without spamming) about our book. Thank you so much for your support!
We know you are all anxiously awaiting the release of the next book in the Osric's Wand series, so don't forget that every time someone reads the book, it is easier for us to take time off work to write the sequel. Keep tweeting, blogging, facebooking, and telling friends about it! Also, please mention us on Goodreads recommendations. We will be rewarding our readers for helping us spread the word, so we will keep an eye out for random winners, but let us know what you are doing so we don't miss it. Thanks again to all our readers!
February 26, 2012
A Gesture of Gratitude
As you can see, this site has undergone an extreme makeover. In fact, our book
Osric's Wand
has a new cover design, and has gone through another round of editing as well.
Things are looking better than ever for the world of Archana. We have recently banded together with a group called The Indie Book Collective, and we cannot begin to thank them enough for all of their help. This group is geared toward helping indie publishers find success among the thousands of other new books on the market. We are incredibly excited about where Osric's Wand is headed, but today is not about our excitement.
It is a thank you to our readers!
We will be giving away two signed copies of our book with the new cover!
That's right folks, you can have the paperback copy on your bookshelf!
I know what you're thinking… What's the catch?
Just a couple of mouse clicks and a quick conversation. Most books sell because of 'word of mouth' advertising, so we are asking for your help.
1.) Go to our amazon page and 'Like' the book.2.) Scroll down to the tagging section and tag it by clicking the boxes: Epic Fantasy, YA Fantasy, and Fantasy. Then hit 'agree with tags'.3.) The next time you are talking with a friend, tell them about our book.4.) Comment on this blog post and be sure to leave you email. Done! We will enter you into the drawing. There is no way for us to verify that you talked to a friend about it, but we will take your word for it.
Want more chances to win? Great!
1.) If you mention us in a forum on books, take a screen shot and share it with us, you will get an extra entry. 2.) If I catch you tweeting about #OsricsWand, another entry. (Tip: cc me on the tweet @jackdalbrechtjr so I don't miss it!)3.) Invite your friends to like our fanpage on FB, and voilà! Another entry!
This Friday we will have a random drawing of names and announce the winners, but you will only get your name in the drawing if you comment on THIS BLOG and leave us a way to contact you! We know it takes more than one person to make this thing a success, and we want to thank all of you who have helped us along the way. We greatly appreciate each one of you and all of the support you have given us.
Want More of Osric's Wand ?
We are currently building a team to read the newest edition of Osric's Wand. We need people for peer review, beta readers, and beta reviewers. Contact us at (jackdalbrechjr32 @ gmail dot com) or twitter @jackdalbrechtjr if you want the chance to read the next installment before anyone else!
You can be one of the first to see what comes next in Osric's journey!
Things are looking better than ever for the world of Archana. We have recently banded together with a group called The Indie Book Collective, and we cannot begin to thank them enough for all of their help. This group is geared toward helping indie publishers find success among the thousands of other new books on the market. We are incredibly excited about where Osric's Wand is headed, but today is not about our excitement.
It is a thank you to our readers!
We will be giving away two signed copies of our book with the new cover!
That's right folks, you can have the paperback copy on your bookshelf!
I know what you're thinking… What's the catch?
Just a couple of mouse clicks and a quick conversation. Most books sell because of 'word of mouth' advertising, so we are asking for your help.
1.) Go to our amazon page and 'Like' the book.2.) Scroll down to the tagging section and tag it by clicking the boxes: Epic Fantasy, YA Fantasy, and Fantasy. Then hit 'agree with tags'.3.) The next time you are talking with a friend, tell them about our book.4.) Comment on this blog post and be sure to leave you email. Done! We will enter you into the drawing. There is no way for us to verify that you talked to a friend about it, but we will take your word for it.
Want more chances to win? Great!
1.) If you mention us in a forum on books, take a screen shot and share it with us, you will get an extra entry. 2.) If I catch you tweeting about #OsricsWand, another entry. (Tip: cc me on the tweet @jackdalbrechtjr so I don't miss it!)3.) Invite your friends to like our fanpage on FB, and voilà! Another entry!
This Friday we will have a random drawing of names and announce the winners, but you will only get your name in the drawing if you comment on THIS BLOG and leave us a way to contact you! We know it takes more than one person to make this thing a success, and we want to thank all of you who have helped us along the way. We greatly appreciate each one of you and all of the support you have given us.
Want More of Osric's Wand ?
We are currently building a team to read the newest edition of Osric's Wand. We need people for peer review, beta readers, and beta reviewers. Contact us at (jackdalbrechjr32 @ gmail dot com) or twitter @jackdalbrechtjr if you want the chance to read the next installment before anyone else!
You can be one of the first to see what comes next in Osric's journey!
February 8, 2012
Reviews and Interviews
So recently, we've been able to secure several positive reviews of
Osric's Wand
, and several of the reviewers have become fans of the book as a result. One review blogger in particular is a BIG fan of Pebble. We were lucky enough to have had a review posted on her site write panic live, as well as an interview of both Ashley and I, separately. Then we got a crazy idea; how about we do an interview with Pebble…Fast forward to today and you will find yet another featurette about Osric's Wand titled "A Drink With Pebble" on her site. Hop on over and comment, I think you will enjoy it as much as we did. Psst, there may be a couple hints about the next book as well. Just follow the last link directly to the article for more of Osric's Wand while you wait!Enjoy!Jack
Reviews and Interviews
So recently, we've been able to secure several positive reviews of Osric's Wand , and several of the reviewers have become fans of the book as a result. One review blogger in particular is a BIG fan of Pebble. We were lucky enough to have had a review posted on her site write panic live, as well as and interview of both Ashley and I, separately. Then we got a crazy idea; how about we do an interview with Pebble…Fast forward to today and you will find yet another featurette about Osric's Wand titled "A Drink With Pebble" on her site. Hop on over and comment, I think you will enjoy it as much as we did. Psst, there may be a couple hints about the next book as well. Just follow the last link directly to the article for more of Osric's Wand while you wait!Enjoy!Jack
January 18, 2012
Time to Celebrate!
This is big news for us. Granted, the news is not extremely huge, but we felt the need to share it anyway. At 1:08am mt time, I checked the best seller lists on smashwords.com to see where our book sits. Optimist that I am, I started where anyone hoping to find their book would, at the back of the list...
Fast forward to page ten of ninety-one and I still can't find Osric's Wand anywhere on the list. So at this point I am thinking that I over-looked it somewhere, but I continued my search just in case. Page nine, eight, page seven, and there it sat! I double checked to see if I had entered the search correctly. I was in the fantasy section, and all I had clicked was the "Best Sellers" button. I counted the books per page and there was ten. Ten per page and Six full pages ahead of it, then it sat just four down. #64 Wow! I can't begin to tell you how great it felt!
Smashwords.com is a small achievement, but it is very much an achievement! Nothing against smashwords, but when you put them up against the likes of Amazon and Barnes and Noble, they don't compare to the shear number of books available. But their are literally hundreds of books published there on a daily basis, and to know that we are ranked #64 (<--check out the link!) for our genre's best sellers list, that is AMAZING!
So, what are we going to do to celebrate this occasion? Well, I put about ten seconds of thought into this. What did I come up with you may ask? I am going to give away ebook versions of Osric's Wand on smashwords.com of course! Who are we giving it away too? Anyone and everyone who wants it, and reads this blog!
So all you have to do to get it is sign up on smashwords.com (takes about a minute), find Osric's Wand , click the "Add to Cart" button and enter the code in the "coupon code" spot. Then, just download it in the form you want to read in. Every e-reader has it's own instructions for how to move a file from your computer to the reader, so I will leave that to you. Now, all you need is the code...
At this point I am tempted to drone on about how my college life has been going, or how I feel about my daughter turning nine years old. But I have a feeling that you will just scroll down to the bottom of the page and steal the code without reading any further, I know I would! So at long last, here is your code.
NG52Y <--- Good through the end of the January 2012, enjoy!
Send all of your friends who love to read fantasy here! Spread the word, and we will update you all on how many we give away at the first of February. Oh, my update for #WIP500... got a bit behind because we have set up over twenty blog review of Osric's Wand this week, but we did make some progress. The next book in the series sits at 14,130 words so far. This one hasn't been named yet, but looks to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 100k when complete.
Fast forward to page ten of ninety-one and I still can't find Osric's Wand anywhere on the list. So at this point I am thinking that I over-looked it somewhere, but I continued my search just in case. Page nine, eight, page seven, and there it sat! I double checked to see if I had entered the search correctly. I was in the fantasy section, and all I had clicked was the "Best Sellers" button. I counted the books per page and there was ten. Ten per page and Six full pages ahead of it, then it sat just four down. #64 Wow! I can't begin to tell you how great it felt!
Smashwords.com is a small achievement, but it is very much an achievement! Nothing against smashwords, but when you put them up against the likes of Amazon and Barnes and Noble, they don't compare to the shear number of books available. But their are literally hundreds of books published there on a daily basis, and to know that we are ranked #64 (<--check out the link!) for our genre's best sellers list, that is AMAZING!
So, what are we going to do to celebrate this occasion? Well, I put about ten seconds of thought into this. What did I come up with you may ask? I am going to give away ebook versions of Osric's Wand on smashwords.com of course! Who are we giving it away too? Anyone and everyone who wants it, and reads this blog!
So all you have to do to get it is sign up on smashwords.com (takes about a minute), find Osric's Wand , click the "Add to Cart" button and enter the code in the "coupon code" spot. Then, just download it in the form you want to read in. Every e-reader has it's own instructions for how to move a file from your computer to the reader, so I will leave that to you. Now, all you need is the code...
At this point I am tempted to drone on about how my college life has been going, or how I feel about my daughter turning nine years old. But I have a feeling that you will just scroll down to the bottom of the page and steal the code without reading any further, I know I would! So at long last, here is your code.
NG52Y <--- Good through the end of the January 2012, enjoy!
Send all of your friends who love to read fantasy here! Spread the word, and we will update you all on how many we give away at the first of February. Oh, my update for #WIP500... got a bit behind because we have set up over twenty blog review of Osric's Wand this week, but we did make some progress. The next book in the series sits at 14,130 words so far. This one hasn't been named yet, but looks to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 100k when complete.
December 16, 2011
Chapter 3
This has been our strongest start of a month of sales yet. We are lowering the cost of the ebook version to $0.99 on Amazon, Barnes and Noble as well as Smashwords. We may choose to keep the prices there if interest is high enough. For those of you who havn't bought a copy yet, we are here, today to let you read chapter 3, and you can read the other chapter 1 and chapter 2 on our blog as well. So without any further delay, here is chapter 3.
Chapter 3Rude Awakening This is not what I expected, Osric thought to himself as he lay motionless, his head pounding in rhythm with his heart beat. He could hear voices, but they sounded muffled and far away. This feels more like waking up than dying. He was certainly in enough pain to be dying. He had always imagined that death was a release from pain and suffering, but every muscle in his body ached as he strained to breathe. Breathe? Do the dead breathe? Osric reached up to rub his temples in an attempt to ease his headache and grazed his knuckles on stone. His eyes jerked open but in the dark he could not perceive anything to determine his surroundings. Dust, I smell dust! He tried to call out, but his throat was dry from the cloying dust and he managed very little sound. I survived? I can't believe I survived!What could have happened? Osric was mystified. As he moved his hands along the ground beside him, he felt debris scattered on the smooth marble floor he lay upon. How could he have lived through the explosion. He had no wand. He was so close to the source; he knew there was no way he could have survived such a blast. Yet there he was, still on Archana, or at least he thought he was.He thought through the events leading up to the explosion, and the two pulls of his gift had him baffled. He had never experienced his Portentist gift triggering for two simultaneous events. Thoughts continued to cycle through his head as he tried to unravel what had caused it, but he had no information except for the crowd looking behind him with excitement. Whatever they had seen, they did not seem to fear it. He had felt, with his gift, that what was happening behind him was momentous, but it had not felt threatening. Perhaps he could learn more later; right then he needed to focus on where he was and how to get out. He seemed to have a fair bit of room on each side of him. Above was another story. When he tried to reach up, his hands encountered stone within a hand's length above his waist. He pressed against it with as much strength as his could at the awkward angle, but it did not budge. His sword was still at his side, secured in its scabbard. He could hear movement near his feet but he couldn't see anything. Without his wand, he could not move the stone that trapped him on his own. Hopefully, what he was hearing was an attempt to find survivors and they would be able to free him. If not, it could be days before he died of dehydration. As the worst parts of that death started to cycle their way through his mind, he felt a sharp pinch at his calf."Ow!" Osric yelled, as he instinctively kicked his leg. He felt his leg connect with something just below his knee and assumed it was the creature that had bitten him. Getting eaten alive by rats had not even crossed his mind; he was sure that would be worse than dehydration. He tried to pull out his short sword, but the hem of his tunic got caught on the guard and he tugged it halfway up his chest trying to get the blade free. However, there was no room to swing it if he needed to, so it would be useless against rats in the enclosed space."Thats was rude!" A young voice cried out, "I am's just checkin' for survivors. What'd you's kick me for's?" "Well, you could have asked if I was alive. You did not have to bite me!" Osric was not in the mood to apologize to his assailant."Well, you's did not move when I came's in here, so's I thought you's were dead." Osric did feel a little bad for kicking a child, the voice could not belong to anyone over the age of six. "Was bitin' you's so's I could wake you's if you's was just sleepin'.""I can't see in here. I thought you were a rat!" Osric slid the half drawn sword back into the scabbard. The guard was cold on his skin but there was not enough room to pull his tunic down."You's shoulda lit your wand.""I lost my wand before the explosion." Osric was growing tired of explaining himself. "Look, are you going to help me, or question me all night?""Night?" He giggled. "It's is mid'day already. This is my second time through's the bottoms of the piles.""And am I going to be rescued or what?!" Osric was tired of the word play. He needed to get out and start an investigation into who had caused the explosion, but to do that, first he needed a wand."Oh, yes, I hope's so. I gotsta wait for the go go so's I know nobody will be smooshed when I lifts this wall off of you's. It could makes another guy go smoosh if I do's it now." He said, as he lit the tip of his very short wand.Finally, seeing he was talking to a prairie dog pup, he stopped thinking about being eaten alive. Osric guessed him to be about seven inches tall, and very plump. His fur was mostly dark brown, but it lightened to tan on his belly and paws."How many survived?" Osric asked, looking around in the poor light. He could barely make out a pair of legs to his right, the rest of the man was doubtless pinned beneath tons of stone wall and ceiling. Osric looked away, not wanting to see what could have been his fate. It was a gruesome sight. He tried to focus on the conversation instead."So's far, just you's.""How old are you?" Osric asked, letting the annoyed tone in his voice die. After all, if he had to wait until help actually could come, he could at least be polite company. The young prairie dog jumped down to flat ground behind Osric's head, and linked wands to communicate with someone outside the palace. Light emanated from the diaphanous image hovering over his small wand, but Osric could not see from his pinned position on the floor who he was conversing with."I found a live one Pa, I'll wait for you's to tell me it's a'right, I'm's puttin' up a marker so's you know where I am." Then he sent a bright blue light with his wand through the stone above them after the image had disappeared. He answered as he turned back to face Osric, "I's four, but my Pa says if I keeps practicing, I can be making wands better'n Eni in a couple years!"Osric held in his laugh. He had owned an Eni wand. There were very few Wand-Makers that could boast to be able to make one better."And what's your name?" Osric asked, to keep the conversation going."Pebble," He said, slightly ashamed, "but when you's have two hundred pups, you's run out of names to think up!" "Well, I guess you would." Osric thought it strange that a prairie dog could live long enough to have that many children. He had hunted prairie dogs, and they were not difficult prey. "Who is your Pa?""You's don't knows my Pa?" Pebble spoke in astonishment, his small mouth dropping open and eyes going wide."Well, I only just met you, so I am not sure how I would." Osric thought it was cute that the pup thought the whole world would know his father. He hoped one day to have a child that thought that much of him."Yeah, but, but everyone knows my Pa." Pebble sounded a bit more serious.Osric could only think of one famous prairie dog in Stanton, "Is your father," he was doubtful, but he asked anyway, "Gus?" "So you's do know's him!" Pebble jumped up and down, thrilled to have his faith in his father restored. "I knew you's did. You's a silly fooler!" Pebble laughed, and the lit tip of his wand flickered with the sound of his giggle."Well, I have never actually met him," Osric stated with a smile. He could not help thinking that if he could meet Gus, perhaps he could replace his missing wand. Here he was, sharing a confined space with the son of the world's greatest Wand-Maker, he wished for just a moment that the rescue scenario was the other way around, "but I do know of him, that's for sure.""Well, duh!" Pebble giggled again, Osric laughing with him."Yes, I know, and I would love to be able to buy one of his wands someday, just like everyone else." Pebble gasped and scampered back into the rubble near Osric's feet."I's sorry." He was making his way back, dragging something behind him over the broken pieces of stone "Pa said if someone's can't find their's wand, I's supposed to give's 'em one." He pulled a wand, longer than himself, over the debris to reach Osric's hand. "Really?" Osric could not believe his luck as he tried to get his arm in a position to take the wand. He wanted to jump for joy, but there was no room. Everyone wanted a Gus wand, and anybody who had one had paid dearly for it. They were the finest wands ever made. An inexpensive Gus wand would have cost him a year of his pay, and it was just being handed to him. "I's supposed to say that they's is not pretty yet 'cause Pa made 'em on his way here," Osric ran his fingers over the length of his new wand, "but it work's really good! Pa had me checks 'em first!" He said with pride, and puffed his chest out."Thank you." Osric was genuinely grateful, and his excitement was clear in his voice. He was still caressing the wand, though it was nothing special to look at; just a stick the length of his forearm, probably broken from a tree in a recent storm. The bark was rough under his fingers, and he was afraid the wood would splinter where a knot ran through it if he wasn't careful. He would have to seal it when he got out of there, or maybe Gus would finish it for him if he got the chance to thank him. It didn't even have Gus' lightning bolt signature carved in it, but if Gus had made it then it was surely a great wand. The first spell with a new wand was a learning experience. It needed to be something simple, as you and the wand had to be introduced. It had to feel your power, and you feel its resistance. It was called a power lock, because you could not disengage yourself from it. It was usually brief, but the more powerful the wand, the longer it lasted. Lighting the tip with the Eni wand had taken almost ten breaths, compared to the two breaths or so it had taken with his first wand. It was pleasurable if done correctly, but could be painful if done wrong. Focus wasn't possible during a power lock, and Osric was hesitant to engage with the wand for the first time in the restricted space."Well?" Pebble said impatiently, rolling his eyes playfully at Osric, "If you's gonna help me wit' the wall, you's gotsta lit the tip now." His childish sarcasm at the oversight of the common power lock spell made Osric grin.I'm going to like this pup, he thought to himself. He had spent a little too much time admiring the amazing gift. Most would have initiated the power lock immediately."Thanks, Pebble. It has been a rough day so far." Osric's Portentist gift ignited with a singular intensity, peaceful but nonetheless important. He drew a breath, closed his eyes, and attempted to relax. Holding the wand in both hands on his chest, he lit the tip.The intensity of the pleasure he felt at the lighting of the wand was incredible. It was, by far, above and beyond anything he had ever experienced before. Pebble's giggling seemed to transcend into the sound of water trickling along the smooth stones of a brook, the cold floor against his skin was like the caress of the water after diving into a mountain lake. The smell of the dust in the air intensified and became the sweet cloying scent of lilacs in full bloom. The feel of his tongue in his mouth, his teeth, his hands on his chest, the way that the guard of his short sword felt against his side, every single part of his body was in ecstasy. He shook with the power of it. The wand had so much more resistance than it should, and it was taking a lot longer than normal for his power to sync with it.Colors of reds, blues, and greens intertwined with each other, flashing before his eyes in a spectacular display. Breathing became difficult as the feeling built. He could not hear, see or feel anymore, and he lost sensation in his entire body. As time went on, his head jerked back and forth. Sweat rolled off of his body, and every nerve suddenly came alive, making him want to cry out with rapture. He could not take a breath, or withdraw his power. He was certain that the strength of the power lock would kill him if his own power did not conquer the wand soon, but he felt no fear.Just when he thought his heart would beat out of his chest, the power lock stopped, and Osric lay panting on the cold marble floor. "Wow!" Pebble shouted, amazed, as Osric focused on breathing. "That's was awesome!" He was dancing around in circles with excitement. "It didn't do's that for me. Try this one! Do's it again," offering him a second wand."No." Osric wheezed, struggling to catch his breath. "As much as I would love to experience that again someday, now is not the time." His whole body throbbed. Muscles that only moments before had reveled in pleasure, were screaming in objection to the tiniest movement. His head ached worse than ever, from his gift or from the power lock, he did not know. The frequency with which his Portentist gift was activating troubled him. He could not recall ever feeling it trigger twice in a week, and now he was losing track of the number of events which had set it off over the course of two days.He wondered if that intense of a power lock was what everyone experienced with a Gus wand. There were still remnants of colored light dancing before his closed eyes."Are you alright, sir?" The voice came from above him. His ears were still ringing, but it seemed the stone which trapped him was speaking. He cracked one eye open, too tired to focus, to reassure himself that someone had, indeed, called out to him. Sunlight greeted him as he looked up, glaringly bright after the darkness of his entombment. He saw the silhouettes of several men standing at the top of the slanted slab of stone that was once the ceiling of the throne room. Finally! Someone had come to get him out of there."Thank Archana!" He exclaimed out loud.Pebble bounded over to his side and looked up."He's a'right. I told him to's lit the tip, not burn's a hole in the roofs. It's not my fault!" Then he looked at Osric. "Got so's bright in here you's sword look'd bright too!"This makes no sense. I burned this hole? Osric's thoughts raced as the bright light made his head pound even harder."You did this, didn't you?" Osric asked the men standing above him."No, sir." Osric recognized the voice of the recruit, Dru. "We came rushing as fast as we could when we saw the bright light shoot into the sky. The section of stone that is gone from here is just dust, scattered all over out there now." He said, motioning behind his head. "We thought you must be dying, and so you did this to get help in a panic."Osric's mind reeled as he tried to process all that had happened. Too many unexplained magical events had taken place lately. He sat up slowly, feeling each muscle protest in agony."Did Kenneth survive?" Osric suddenly had a terrifying vision of his best friend being crushed by the walls of the palace. "Was he thrown far enough away to avoid falling debris?""Thrown free, sir?" Dru sounded as confused as Osric felt."Of the explosion!" He shouted. "What do you think caused this?" He indicated the rubble surrounding himself and Pebble."We don't know, sir." He stated in apologetic defensiveness. "Kenneth said nothing about an explosion, sir. Neither did James. They said they were just standing there," parting his hands in explanation, "when four unicorn's came running up. Three stopped at the door and the other one ran inside." He hesitated before continuing. "Then, moments later, the entire palace just collapsed in on itself."
Chapter 3Rude Awakening This is not what I expected, Osric thought to himself as he lay motionless, his head pounding in rhythm with his heart beat. He could hear voices, but they sounded muffled and far away. This feels more like waking up than dying. He was certainly in enough pain to be dying. He had always imagined that death was a release from pain and suffering, but every muscle in his body ached as he strained to breathe. Breathe? Do the dead breathe? Osric reached up to rub his temples in an attempt to ease his headache and grazed his knuckles on stone. His eyes jerked open but in the dark he could not perceive anything to determine his surroundings. Dust, I smell dust! He tried to call out, but his throat was dry from the cloying dust and he managed very little sound. I survived? I can't believe I survived!What could have happened? Osric was mystified. As he moved his hands along the ground beside him, he felt debris scattered on the smooth marble floor he lay upon. How could he have lived through the explosion. He had no wand. He was so close to the source; he knew there was no way he could have survived such a blast. Yet there he was, still on Archana, or at least he thought he was.He thought through the events leading up to the explosion, and the two pulls of his gift had him baffled. He had never experienced his Portentist gift triggering for two simultaneous events. Thoughts continued to cycle through his head as he tried to unravel what had caused it, but he had no information except for the crowd looking behind him with excitement. Whatever they had seen, they did not seem to fear it. He had felt, with his gift, that what was happening behind him was momentous, but it had not felt threatening. Perhaps he could learn more later; right then he needed to focus on where he was and how to get out. He seemed to have a fair bit of room on each side of him. Above was another story. When he tried to reach up, his hands encountered stone within a hand's length above his waist. He pressed against it with as much strength as his could at the awkward angle, but it did not budge. His sword was still at his side, secured in its scabbard. He could hear movement near his feet but he couldn't see anything. Without his wand, he could not move the stone that trapped him on his own. Hopefully, what he was hearing was an attempt to find survivors and they would be able to free him. If not, it could be days before he died of dehydration. As the worst parts of that death started to cycle their way through his mind, he felt a sharp pinch at his calf."Ow!" Osric yelled, as he instinctively kicked his leg. He felt his leg connect with something just below his knee and assumed it was the creature that had bitten him. Getting eaten alive by rats had not even crossed his mind; he was sure that would be worse than dehydration. He tried to pull out his short sword, but the hem of his tunic got caught on the guard and he tugged it halfway up his chest trying to get the blade free. However, there was no room to swing it if he needed to, so it would be useless against rats in the enclosed space."Thats was rude!" A young voice cried out, "I am's just checkin' for survivors. What'd you's kick me for's?" "Well, you could have asked if I was alive. You did not have to bite me!" Osric was not in the mood to apologize to his assailant."Well, you's did not move when I came's in here, so's I thought you's were dead." Osric did feel a little bad for kicking a child, the voice could not belong to anyone over the age of six. "Was bitin' you's so's I could wake you's if you's was just sleepin'.""I can't see in here. I thought you were a rat!" Osric slid the half drawn sword back into the scabbard. The guard was cold on his skin but there was not enough room to pull his tunic down."You's shoulda lit your wand.""I lost my wand before the explosion." Osric was growing tired of explaining himself. "Look, are you going to help me, or question me all night?""Night?" He giggled. "It's is mid'day already. This is my second time through's the bottoms of the piles.""And am I going to be rescued or what?!" Osric was tired of the word play. He needed to get out and start an investigation into who had caused the explosion, but to do that, first he needed a wand."Oh, yes, I hope's so. I gotsta wait for the go go so's I know nobody will be smooshed when I lifts this wall off of you's. It could makes another guy go smoosh if I do's it now." He said, as he lit the tip of his very short wand.Finally, seeing he was talking to a prairie dog pup, he stopped thinking about being eaten alive. Osric guessed him to be about seven inches tall, and very plump. His fur was mostly dark brown, but it lightened to tan on his belly and paws."How many survived?" Osric asked, looking around in the poor light. He could barely make out a pair of legs to his right, the rest of the man was doubtless pinned beneath tons of stone wall and ceiling. Osric looked away, not wanting to see what could have been his fate. It was a gruesome sight. He tried to focus on the conversation instead."So's far, just you's.""How old are you?" Osric asked, letting the annoyed tone in his voice die. After all, if he had to wait until help actually could come, he could at least be polite company. The young prairie dog jumped down to flat ground behind Osric's head, and linked wands to communicate with someone outside the palace. Light emanated from the diaphanous image hovering over his small wand, but Osric could not see from his pinned position on the floor who he was conversing with."I found a live one Pa, I'll wait for you's to tell me it's a'right, I'm's puttin' up a marker so's you know where I am." Then he sent a bright blue light with his wand through the stone above them after the image had disappeared. He answered as he turned back to face Osric, "I's four, but my Pa says if I keeps practicing, I can be making wands better'n Eni in a couple years!"Osric held in his laugh. He had owned an Eni wand. There were very few Wand-Makers that could boast to be able to make one better."And what's your name?" Osric asked, to keep the conversation going."Pebble," He said, slightly ashamed, "but when you's have two hundred pups, you's run out of names to think up!" "Well, I guess you would." Osric thought it strange that a prairie dog could live long enough to have that many children. He had hunted prairie dogs, and they were not difficult prey. "Who is your Pa?""You's don't knows my Pa?" Pebble spoke in astonishment, his small mouth dropping open and eyes going wide."Well, I only just met you, so I am not sure how I would." Osric thought it was cute that the pup thought the whole world would know his father. He hoped one day to have a child that thought that much of him."Yeah, but, but everyone knows my Pa." Pebble sounded a bit more serious.Osric could only think of one famous prairie dog in Stanton, "Is your father," he was doubtful, but he asked anyway, "Gus?" "So you's do know's him!" Pebble jumped up and down, thrilled to have his faith in his father restored. "I knew you's did. You's a silly fooler!" Pebble laughed, and the lit tip of his wand flickered with the sound of his giggle."Well, I have never actually met him," Osric stated with a smile. He could not help thinking that if he could meet Gus, perhaps he could replace his missing wand. Here he was, sharing a confined space with the son of the world's greatest Wand-Maker, he wished for just a moment that the rescue scenario was the other way around, "but I do know of him, that's for sure.""Well, duh!" Pebble giggled again, Osric laughing with him."Yes, I know, and I would love to be able to buy one of his wands someday, just like everyone else." Pebble gasped and scampered back into the rubble near Osric's feet."I's sorry." He was making his way back, dragging something behind him over the broken pieces of stone "Pa said if someone's can't find their's wand, I's supposed to give's 'em one." He pulled a wand, longer than himself, over the debris to reach Osric's hand. "Really?" Osric could not believe his luck as he tried to get his arm in a position to take the wand. He wanted to jump for joy, but there was no room. Everyone wanted a Gus wand, and anybody who had one had paid dearly for it. They were the finest wands ever made. An inexpensive Gus wand would have cost him a year of his pay, and it was just being handed to him. "I's supposed to say that they's is not pretty yet 'cause Pa made 'em on his way here," Osric ran his fingers over the length of his new wand, "but it work's really good! Pa had me checks 'em first!" He said with pride, and puffed his chest out."Thank you." Osric was genuinely grateful, and his excitement was clear in his voice. He was still caressing the wand, though it was nothing special to look at; just a stick the length of his forearm, probably broken from a tree in a recent storm. The bark was rough under his fingers, and he was afraid the wood would splinter where a knot ran through it if he wasn't careful. He would have to seal it when he got out of there, or maybe Gus would finish it for him if he got the chance to thank him. It didn't even have Gus' lightning bolt signature carved in it, but if Gus had made it then it was surely a great wand. The first spell with a new wand was a learning experience. It needed to be something simple, as you and the wand had to be introduced. It had to feel your power, and you feel its resistance. It was called a power lock, because you could not disengage yourself from it. It was usually brief, but the more powerful the wand, the longer it lasted. Lighting the tip with the Eni wand had taken almost ten breaths, compared to the two breaths or so it had taken with his first wand. It was pleasurable if done correctly, but could be painful if done wrong. Focus wasn't possible during a power lock, and Osric was hesitant to engage with the wand for the first time in the restricted space."Well?" Pebble said impatiently, rolling his eyes playfully at Osric, "If you's gonna help me wit' the wall, you's gotsta lit the tip now." His childish sarcasm at the oversight of the common power lock spell made Osric grin.I'm going to like this pup, he thought to himself. He had spent a little too much time admiring the amazing gift. Most would have initiated the power lock immediately."Thanks, Pebble. It has been a rough day so far." Osric's Portentist gift ignited with a singular intensity, peaceful but nonetheless important. He drew a breath, closed his eyes, and attempted to relax. Holding the wand in both hands on his chest, he lit the tip.The intensity of the pleasure he felt at the lighting of the wand was incredible. It was, by far, above and beyond anything he had ever experienced before. Pebble's giggling seemed to transcend into the sound of water trickling along the smooth stones of a brook, the cold floor against his skin was like the caress of the water after diving into a mountain lake. The smell of the dust in the air intensified and became the sweet cloying scent of lilacs in full bloom. The feel of his tongue in his mouth, his teeth, his hands on his chest, the way that the guard of his short sword felt against his side, every single part of his body was in ecstasy. He shook with the power of it. The wand had so much more resistance than it should, and it was taking a lot longer than normal for his power to sync with it.Colors of reds, blues, and greens intertwined with each other, flashing before his eyes in a spectacular display. Breathing became difficult as the feeling built. He could not hear, see or feel anymore, and he lost sensation in his entire body. As time went on, his head jerked back and forth. Sweat rolled off of his body, and every nerve suddenly came alive, making him want to cry out with rapture. He could not take a breath, or withdraw his power. He was certain that the strength of the power lock would kill him if his own power did not conquer the wand soon, but he felt no fear.Just when he thought his heart would beat out of his chest, the power lock stopped, and Osric lay panting on the cold marble floor. "Wow!" Pebble shouted, amazed, as Osric focused on breathing. "That's was awesome!" He was dancing around in circles with excitement. "It didn't do's that for me. Try this one! Do's it again," offering him a second wand."No." Osric wheezed, struggling to catch his breath. "As much as I would love to experience that again someday, now is not the time." His whole body throbbed. Muscles that only moments before had reveled in pleasure, were screaming in objection to the tiniest movement. His head ached worse than ever, from his gift or from the power lock, he did not know. The frequency with which his Portentist gift was activating troubled him. He could not recall ever feeling it trigger twice in a week, and now he was losing track of the number of events which had set it off over the course of two days.He wondered if that intense of a power lock was what everyone experienced with a Gus wand. There were still remnants of colored light dancing before his closed eyes."Are you alright, sir?" The voice came from above him. His ears were still ringing, but it seemed the stone which trapped him was speaking. He cracked one eye open, too tired to focus, to reassure himself that someone had, indeed, called out to him. Sunlight greeted him as he looked up, glaringly bright after the darkness of his entombment. He saw the silhouettes of several men standing at the top of the slanted slab of stone that was once the ceiling of the throne room. Finally! Someone had come to get him out of there."Thank Archana!" He exclaimed out loud.Pebble bounded over to his side and looked up."He's a'right. I told him to's lit the tip, not burn's a hole in the roofs. It's not my fault!" Then he looked at Osric. "Got so's bright in here you's sword look'd bright too!"This makes no sense. I burned this hole? Osric's thoughts raced as the bright light made his head pound even harder."You did this, didn't you?" Osric asked the men standing above him."No, sir." Osric recognized the voice of the recruit, Dru. "We came rushing as fast as we could when we saw the bright light shoot into the sky. The section of stone that is gone from here is just dust, scattered all over out there now." He said, motioning behind his head. "We thought you must be dying, and so you did this to get help in a panic."Osric's mind reeled as he tried to process all that had happened. Too many unexplained magical events had taken place lately. He sat up slowly, feeling each muscle protest in agony."Did Kenneth survive?" Osric suddenly had a terrifying vision of his best friend being crushed by the walls of the palace. "Was he thrown far enough away to avoid falling debris?""Thrown free, sir?" Dru sounded as confused as Osric felt."Of the explosion!" He shouted. "What do you think caused this?" He indicated the rubble surrounding himself and Pebble."We don't know, sir." He stated in apologetic defensiveness. "Kenneth said nothing about an explosion, sir. Neither did James. They said they were just standing there," parting his hands in explanation, "when four unicorn's came running up. Three stopped at the door and the other one ran inside." He hesitated before continuing. "Then, moments later, the entire palace just collapsed in on itself."
September 21, 2011
99 for 9!
We are happy to announce that Osric's Wand: The Wand-Maker's Debate is officially available in paperback, as well as the e-book format. We reviewed the proof this afternoon, and Ashley had the honor of clicking the 'approve' button! What a great feeling!
We appreciate everyone's patience and encouragement as we learned how the process of publishing a novel really works. Whew! It has been quite a journey. We are excited to celebrate each new success, and it is such a thrill to know that people are reading the words we have written. It is every author's goal to reach new readers, and that has inspired us to make the following announcement…
Through the rest of September, the e-book version is on sale! That's right, for the next nine days, you can purchase the book for only $.99! This is a celebration and an experiment. If you like e-books at lower prices, spread the word. If we see that sales are climbing, we may just have to extend the sale! So fantasy readers, tweet, facebook, +1, stumbleupon, and paste the announcement on every social network. This is where you can get your copy: Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/84801 , Amazon http://tinyurl.com/3kn9zgz , Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/osric-s-wand for $.99 each, or just $8.99 for the paperback at Createspace https://www.createspace.com/3651303. At this price, you can get a few for your friends too!
We appreciate everyone's patience and encouragement as we learned how the process of publishing a novel really works. Whew! It has been quite a journey. We are excited to celebrate each new success, and it is such a thrill to know that people are reading the words we have written. It is every author's goal to reach new readers, and that has inspired us to make the following announcement…
Through the rest of September, the e-book version is on sale! That's right, for the next nine days, you can purchase the book for only $.99! This is a celebration and an experiment. If you like e-books at lower prices, spread the word. If we see that sales are climbing, we may just have to extend the sale! So fantasy readers, tweet, facebook, +1, stumbleupon, and paste the announcement on every social network. This is where you can get your copy: Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/84801 , Amazon http://tinyurl.com/3kn9zgz , Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/osric-s-wand for $.99 each, or just $8.99 for the paperback at Createspace https://www.createspace.com/3651303. At this price, you can get a few for your friends too!
