Nicholas Forristal's Blog, page 13
September 24, 2013
Book 4 update 9/24/13
As I cannot give you a percentage for this book, I figured I would at least say I'm about 21k words into writing this piece. That's with no editing and having no idea where I'll end this one. I'm not saying that I have no plan of action, I actually have quite a bit worked out in the form of: notes, story layout, etc. The problem is that the content of this book actually extends over several books and I haven't decided where a comfortable spot is to let this one end at.
I'm currently working on fight #3 of this book and it's in the same format as the Egypt fight in book #2 (Ammit). For those of you who don't know the reference, it's a single fight, shown from three points of view (2 first person, 1 3rd). In film, this would be called a "cross-cutting" technique. There are countless examples of this in movieland, so I won't bother to name one. In literature, I don't know of any that wasn't merely a separation of content by chapter. I don't think I'm breaking new ground here, I just don't know of anything quite like this.
Personally, I like the way a fight comes out. It separates out the points of view during the fight without disturbing the flow of action. It also takes care of that pesky "well, didn't s/he show back up just in time for no reason" problem. The difficult part is establishing each of the character's voices well enough that there isn't a question of whose perspective is on display. Since I write all the chapters from different points of view anyways, this really isn't a big deal for me.
As usual, M's perspective has changed. Being the ever-evolving character of the story, I see no reason why his way of seeing the world wouldn't change, given the amount of crap he lives through. He's still crass and unpredictable, so don't worry, the humor is still there! Eventually, he'll settle into a certain manner of speaking and thinking, but he's still young....sort of.
On a side note, because of an upcoming character, I am probably adding yet another book to this series. It'll be a sidestory like "Hitori" is, but it will again tie back into the main storyline. I won't even begin the writing of this idea until this current chunk of story is complete, which will end up being 3 or 4 books, maybe more.
I'm starting to wonder where this series will end. What was 1 book, became 3, and now its at least 10. I suppose as long as the ideas keep coming and they aren't completely stupid, I'll keep going. It's a huge world I'm creating, might as well play in it as long as I can.
I'm currently working on fight #3 of this book and it's in the same format as the Egypt fight in book #2 (Ammit). For those of you who don't know the reference, it's a single fight, shown from three points of view (2 first person, 1 3rd). In film, this would be called a "cross-cutting" technique. There are countless examples of this in movieland, so I won't bother to name one. In literature, I don't know of any that wasn't merely a separation of content by chapter. I don't think I'm breaking new ground here, I just don't know of anything quite like this.
Personally, I like the way a fight comes out. It separates out the points of view during the fight without disturbing the flow of action. It also takes care of that pesky "well, didn't s/he show back up just in time for no reason" problem. The difficult part is establishing each of the character's voices well enough that there isn't a question of whose perspective is on display. Since I write all the chapters from different points of view anyways, this really isn't a big deal for me.
As usual, M's perspective has changed. Being the ever-evolving character of the story, I see no reason why his way of seeing the world wouldn't change, given the amount of crap he lives through. He's still crass and unpredictable, so don't worry, the humor is still there! Eventually, he'll settle into a certain manner of speaking and thinking, but he's still young....sort of.
On a side note, because of an upcoming character, I am probably adding yet another book to this series. It'll be a sidestory like "Hitori" is, but it will again tie back into the main storyline. I won't even begin the writing of this idea until this current chunk of story is complete, which will end up being 3 or 4 books, maybe more.
I'm starting to wonder where this series will end. What was 1 book, became 3, and now its at least 10. I suppose as long as the ideas keep coming and they aren't completely stupid, I'll keep going. It's a huge world I'm creating, might as well play in it as long as I can.
September 20, 2013
Hitori - Final, final book update
The lovely Stephanie Dagg has gotten the book back to me with corrections/changes to accept, or reject. Once I get through this (I'm about 15% in currently) I'll send it back to her for a bit of proofreading. As usual, I'm grateful for all the help she gives me.
No one should attempt this on their own. I'm not the worst writer out there and I still have a mound of commas to be added in, words changed out for the correct tense. I could look this book over a dozen times and never catch everything.
Either way, we are at the end stretch of the run for this book. My cover should be completed by this weekend....so hopefully before the end of the month the book will be released. We shall see :D
Remember: This book is a standalone. If you are new to the series this book would be a fine place to start. Please understand, the tone of this book is pretty different from the main series and a lot more straight forward. The main series is far more layered and crazy that this one is. Hitori does end on a note of continuation...but no more so than someone riding off into the sunset. After all, this book takes place in 8th century Japan, the main series is modern day (for now).
Also, Hitori will be priced at $1.99, for a while. After that, it'll be $2.99. Either way, it's cheaper than seeing a movie and will take more than a couple hours to read it....unless you're a speed reader. One last thought: CoM book 1 is 99 cents until the end of the month. So you can either click the icon for it on the right of this page, or go to the Home page at the top for an ama
No one should attempt this on their own. I'm not the worst writer out there and I still have a mound of commas to be added in, words changed out for the correct tense. I could look this book over a dozen times and never catch everything.
Either way, we are at the end stretch of the run for this book. My cover should be completed by this weekend....so hopefully before the end of the month the book will be released. We shall see :D
Remember: This book is a standalone. If you are new to the series this book would be a fine place to start. Please understand, the tone of this book is pretty different from the main series and a lot more straight forward. The main series is far more layered and crazy that this one is. Hitori does end on a note of continuation...but no more so than someone riding off into the sunset. After all, this book takes place in 8th century Japan, the main series is modern day (for now).
Also, Hitori will be priced at $1.99, for a while. After that, it'll be $2.99. Either way, it's cheaper than seeing a movie and will take more than a couple hours to read it....unless you're a speed reader. One last thought: CoM book 1 is 99 cents until the end of the month. So you can either click the icon for it on the right of this page, or go to the Home page at the top for an ama
September 4, 2013
Where weird ideas come from.
The last few times I've posted about my odd ideas, I've been pretty specific about the idea and gave a rundown of how it came to be. Uhler and the 5 stages of zombiness are a good example of this. This post, however, is more on the side of the beginning of the beginning...if that makes sense.
I like to build off of mythology and existing ideas. Not for the sake of stealing them, but because in a strange way, they feel more real than something I could come up with myself. For example, vampires. Vampires are something that the majority of the world has an idea about. It's part of our culture, it's something that takes no explination and is easily digestable to whoever is reading it. It's the same idea as "sampling" in music. Take something everyone's heard, that conveys a feeling and reuse it to bring about that feeling again, but with a new layer added in...hopefully.
I like taking mythology and digging through it. Let's take the vampire example. There are dozens of origins for the vampire they all have simillar characteristics, but still vary greatly from one region to the next. Just off wikipedia, the Greek origin: "The Greeks traditionally believed that a person could become a vrykolakas after death due to a sacrilegious way of life, anexcommunication, a burial in unconsecrated ground, or eating the meat of a sheep which had been wounded by a wolf or a werewolf. Some believed that a werewolf itself could become a powerful vampire after being killed, and would retain the wolf-like fangs, hairy palms, and glowing eyes it formerly possessed." - not the usual origin we hear in the USA!
It's not so much that I pick the most interesting origin and go with it. I prefer to take a oddly logical approach to it. Assuming a vampire is real, why would there be so many different stories of their origins? Are they different subspecies? Is it a series of different curses that result in the same monster? Is it the same origin, but at different stages (as I did with Uhler)...who knows...that's the fun part. I like to take what's available and come up with the most realistic idea I can with what I have.
The most recent one, and something I'm currently writing, is the legend of the Chupacabra. Don't worry, its not a spoiler. If you follow me on Pinterest, you already know this is coming. It's not so much the origin that I'm concerned with, but how the heck it manages to be seen and yet not been seen. In this world of science, magic, mythology and craziness I've built, how can I make sense of this creature so that it works in the stories, is compelling and somehow believable enough that the reader might go "You know...that is a possibility." Something bizarre that can be made believable is what true thrills and horror is all about. I'm not looking to scare anyone, but if I can get someone to 2nd guess their belief in an obscure idea like the Chupacabra and the rest of you to keep reading, then I've done my job. It's all about you suckers....I mean readers :P
By the way, the octopus tree in book 3....that was all me and it'll be a much more awesome idea when I build into it. For now, it's just something M has seen and...well...read Hitori when it's published and you'll have a glimpse of what's to come.
I like to build off of mythology and existing ideas. Not for the sake of stealing them, but because in a strange way, they feel more real than something I could come up with myself. For example, vampires. Vampires are something that the majority of the world has an idea about. It's part of our culture, it's something that takes no explination and is easily digestable to whoever is reading it. It's the same idea as "sampling" in music. Take something everyone's heard, that conveys a feeling and reuse it to bring about that feeling again, but with a new layer added in...hopefully.
I like taking mythology and digging through it. Let's take the vampire example. There are dozens of origins for the vampire they all have simillar characteristics, but still vary greatly from one region to the next. Just off wikipedia, the Greek origin: "The Greeks traditionally believed that a person could become a vrykolakas after death due to a sacrilegious way of life, anexcommunication, a burial in unconsecrated ground, or eating the meat of a sheep which had been wounded by a wolf or a werewolf. Some believed that a werewolf itself could become a powerful vampire after being killed, and would retain the wolf-like fangs, hairy palms, and glowing eyes it formerly possessed." - not the usual origin we hear in the USA!
It's not so much that I pick the most interesting origin and go with it. I prefer to take a oddly logical approach to it. Assuming a vampire is real, why would there be so many different stories of their origins? Are they different subspecies? Is it a series of different curses that result in the same monster? Is it the same origin, but at different stages (as I did with Uhler)...who knows...that's the fun part. I like to take what's available and come up with the most realistic idea I can with what I have.
The most recent one, and something I'm currently writing, is the legend of the Chupacabra. Don't worry, its not a spoiler. If you follow me on Pinterest, you already know this is coming. It's not so much the origin that I'm concerned with, but how the heck it manages to be seen and yet not been seen. In this world of science, magic, mythology and craziness I've built, how can I make sense of this creature so that it works in the stories, is compelling and somehow believable enough that the reader might go "You know...that is a possibility." Something bizarre that can be made believable is what true thrills and horror is all about. I'm not looking to scare anyone, but if I can get someone to 2nd guess their belief in an obscure idea like the Chupacabra and the rest of you to keep reading, then I've done my job. It's all about you suckers....I mean readers :P
By the way, the octopus tree in book 3....that was all me and it'll be a much more awesome idea when I build into it. For now, it's just something M has seen and...well...read Hitori when it's published and you'll have a glimpse of what's to come.
September 3, 2013
I have imaginary friends, or I'm losing my mind.
As I sit here, writing away, I realize I may have mental problems. I'm working on one of the usual meetings that the team (Thomas, M, Uhler, etc) has. At the moment they are waiting for someone to show up that's joining the group (don't ask, I'm not telling). Without a thought, or a premade plan, I went into a very silly, character bashing conversation between the characters that would only happen amongst old friends. The sort of thing that wouldn't be terribly funny unless you knew all the people for a while. That's not to say it'll be over the reader's head and it's an oddly self-appreciating, inside joke that I alone get. I'm betting anyone who reads it will appreciate it on some level, more so if you've followed the previous books in the series. This is not why I'm crazy.
I'm crazy because, after having written out this dialogue and giving it no thought whatsoever, I realized that these characters have become MY imaginary friends. I know these characters like I know my best friends. I know what one of them would say and how the next would reply. It's an odd thing to realize and accept. I have to wonder if it's because I'm the author and that's simply the way it works, or is it because the characters breath so much life within the pages that they have become real on some level? I've read countless books where the main character(s) became more than words on a page, I think we've all been there before, so there's no point in saying more. My only question is whether I have tapped into something like that, or is this just an author thing that I'm only now acknowledging fully? Perhaps an MRI scan is in order. :P
I'm crazy because, after having written out this dialogue and giving it no thought whatsoever, I realized that these characters have become MY imaginary friends. I know these characters like I know my best friends. I know what one of them would say and how the next would reply. It's an odd thing to realize and accept. I have to wonder if it's because I'm the author and that's simply the way it works, or is it because the characters breath so much life within the pages that they have become real on some level? I've read countless books where the main character(s) became more than words on a page, I think we've all been there before, so there's no point in saying more. My only question is whether I have tapped into something like that, or is this just an author thing that I'm only now acknowledging fully? Perhaps an MRI scan is in order. :P
September 1, 2013
Book 4 Update 9/3/13
As "Hitori" is shelved, while I wait for a book cover to be completed and my editor to have a free moment to do her thing, I've decided to jump straight into Book 4 of the main series. Normally, I would give a percentage of completion, but I won't. Not this time. This time I'm playing it by ear. Not because I'm ill prepared, but because I keep finding things I want to explore in more depth than I had previously prepared for.
What starts off as a minor idea to nudge the plot in a specific direction, ends up compelling enough to expand into more. I don't want to get into details, it'll ruin the fun of the book. What I am getting at is that this book may end up longer than I had originally planned. It may also turn into another book. As this set/trilogy was supposed to be about the battle against the Lords and foreshadowing the next set of books, I can see ths easily being much longer than three books. The question that keeps poking me in the side is: How far do I go?
How many books are too much for one major point? Is it determined by if the subplots remain interesting and on point, or is there simply a time where no matter what you do, no matter how good the subplots are, there is just too much time spent on a major piece of the puzzle? So far, I don't have an answer to that.
What starts off as a minor idea to nudge the plot in a specific direction, ends up compelling enough to expand into more. I don't want to get into details, it'll ruin the fun of the book. What I am getting at is that this book may end up longer than I had originally planned. It may also turn into another book. As this set/trilogy was supposed to be about the battle against the Lords and foreshadowing the next set of books, I can see ths easily being much longer than three books. The question that keeps poking me in the side is: How far do I go?
How many books are too much for one major point? Is it determined by if the subplots remain interesting and on point, or is there simply a time where no matter what you do, no matter how good the subplots are, there is just too much time spent on a major piece of the puzzle? So far, I don't have an answer to that.
August 29, 2013
Myselves and alternate realities.
As I'm working on book 4 of the man series, I've been recapping a lot of the info from the previous trilogy. At the moment I'm going over M's ability to step out of time and talk to, what I call, himselves. Basically, it's the versions of M in alternate realities, places created by the choices he didn't make. This is a fairly normal topic in science fiction that usually doesn't get too detailed, or even explained and I find that to be sort of disappointing, usually.
Writers like to bring up big ideas and glaze over them enough to get the reader/view by. Sometimes it's done to keep the mystery and make it interesting (The Force). Other times, it's explained and then it loses its appeal, making it almost laughable (Again, The Foce - midichlorians).
In the case of M's ability, I feel it's at least semi-important to understand how it works. It isn't evident right now why it's important, but as the story progresses and M figures out more and more about his powers (at the same time the reader does) and certain events take place, his/your understanding of this "out of time" ability will be more important. To me, it's more fun that way. It's not as though I'm citing things prior to the books and giving the reader a slow trickle of info that I could have given from the first sentence, I'm giving it to you as the character figures it out. His experiences in the books are what demonstrate and build his understanding of his power. Sometimes accurately, sometimes not.
I'm not giving you every little detail with this blog posting, that would defeat the purpose of writing the way I am and take the fun away from you. I will give you the basic theory from the wiki and that will at least give you an idea of what us science fiction folk have been basing off of. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Many-worlds_interpretation
I will say that the way I'm handling this topic is only shallowly based on this theory, but it's sill an interesting read that all of us know on some level because it's been used so much in books, tv, movies, etc.
Someday I should give my bs theory a name so that someone can post a wiki of it. :P
Writers like to bring up big ideas and glaze over them enough to get the reader/view by. Sometimes it's done to keep the mystery and make it interesting (The Force). Other times, it's explained and then it loses its appeal, making it almost laughable (Again, The Foce - midichlorians).
In the case of M's ability, I feel it's at least semi-important to understand how it works. It isn't evident right now why it's important, but as the story progresses and M figures out more and more about his powers (at the same time the reader does) and certain events take place, his/your understanding of this "out of time" ability will be more important. To me, it's more fun that way. It's not as though I'm citing things prior to the books and giving the reader a slow trickle of info that I could have given from the first sentence, I'm giving it to you as the character figures it out. His experiences in the books are what demonstrate and build his understanding of his power. Sometimes accurately, sometimes not.
I'm not giving you every little detail with this blog posting, that would defeat the purpose of writing the way I am and take the fun away from you. I will give you the basic theory from the wiki and that will at least give you an idea of what us science fiction folk have been basing off of. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Many-worlds_interpretation
I will say that the way I'm handling this topic is only shallowly based on this theory, but it's sill an interesting read that all of us know on some level because it's been used so much in books, tv, movies, etc.
Someday I should give my bs theory a name so that someone can post a wiki of it. :P
August 10, 2013
Hitori - Final update
Man, oh man it's been a while since I had the time to do this. I really wanted this book out a couple months ago, but life has gotten in the way and unfortunately business comes before pleasure. That being said, let me tell you where I am with this.
The book is done. Written, self-edited a couple times and ready to go out to the real editor. The issue there is that she is booked until the beginning of next month. Not really a big deal, it's only another month and it gives me time to start writing book #4 of the CoM series and deal with another problem I currently have.
I had asked a local author to draw up a book cover me...in May. Thus far I have no seen even a sketch. No harm there in that I clearly wasn't ready myself and I realize he's got a lot on his plate: full time job, multiple projects already going on, life..etc. All that means is that I'll either have to find someone else to do it, or I make it myself. Again, no biggie.
I hope (and I highly doubt that it did) that this didn't come off as a rant. This blog has primarily been about the behind-the-scenes of writing and I wanted to share this part of it as well. It isn't the most interesting part of the whole experience, but it's a constant reminder that nothing is set in stone, not everyone can be at your side 100% of the time and that you have to learn to roll with the punches.
The book is done. Written, self-edited a couple times and ready to go out to the real editor. The issue there is that she is booked until the beginning of next month. Not really a big deal, it's only another month and it gives me time to start writing book #4 of the CoM series and deal with another problem I currently have.
I had asked a local author to draw up a book cover me...in May. Thus far I have no seen even a sketch. No harm there in that I clearly wasn't ready myself and I realize he's got a lot on his plate: full time job, multiple projects already going on, life..etc. All that means is that I'll either have to find someone else to do it, or I make it myself. Again, no biggie.
I hope (and I highly doubt that it did) that this didn't come off as a rant. This blog has primarily been about the behind-the-scenes of writing and I wanted to share this part of it as well. It isn't the most interesting part of the whole experience, but it's a constant reminder that nothing is set in stone, not everyone can be at your side 100% of the time and that you have to learn to roll with the punches.
June 24, 2013
Superman: An example of people getting upset over nothing.
I have been idling on facebook a great deal lately, so I happen to catch most of the posts that come my way. This isn't necessarily a good thing. A lot of redundancies happen because different like-groups talk/post like things. One that I've noticed over the past few weeks (and really tried to ignore it) is the discussions about Superman's outfit. Where's his red undies, it's the wrong blue, the S is different, etc.
Here's the thing: this isn't something new. Every movie, comic, new iteration of any media franchise does this, mostly when it changes hands. The Spider man in the Sam Raimi movies is different from the Marc Webb version, Batman's suit was different in ALL those movies.
I'm sure someone will say, "Well, that's not how he looks in the comics." - I hate to tell you this, but it changes a lot there too. Here's a good list (why make one when it already exists) http://screenrant.com/superman-man-of-steel-suit-costume-history-versions/
Costumes change with the times and it's sometimes hard to remember that we, the older people in the audience, aren't always the reason things are made. For every one of us old enough to remember the Christopher Reeve movies I barely made that cut), there are just as many young adults/children out there who are seeing this all for the first time. They are who these movies are made for, they are the ones who will buy the games, the toys, the comics. We might, but I'm going to guess it's a far smaller percentage.
Here's the thing: this isn't something new. Every movie, comic, new iteration of any media franchise does this, mostly when it changes hands. The Spider man in the Sam Raimi movies is different from the Marc Webb version, Batman's suit was different in ALL those movies.
I'm sure someone will say, "Well, that's not how he looks in the comics." - I hate to tell you this, but it changes a lot there too. Here's a good list (why make one when it already exists) http://screenrant.com/superman-man-of-steel-suit-costume-history-versions/
Costumes change with the times and it's sometimes hard to remember that we, the older people in the audience, aren't always the reason things are made. For every one of us old enough to remember the Christopher Reeve movies I barely made that cut), there are just as many young adults/children out there who are seeing this all for the first time. They are who these movies are made for, they are the ones who will buy the games, the toys, the comics. We might, but I'm going to guess it's a far smaller percentage.
June 16, 2013
Hitori Update 6/16
It's been a while since I did one of these, so I figured it was time. With roughly a chapter left to do, the writing is just about done. I've been pretty heavily editing as I go, but there's still a bit to do on that end and honestly it may not really need to be done at all.
The thing about this book and why it's taking longer to write than the last 3 is due to its style change. Where most writers (at least those that I've spoken to) find it difficult to write from a first person perspective, I do not. I enjoy it quite a bit. It's more psychological, less flashy, more to the point and if done correctly, it'll give the reader a much better understandig of the character(s). After all, you're seeing it through their eyes.
For me, third person narrative seems to be harder to do. It requires a heavier dosage of metaphor, anaology, etc... to be enjoyable, but not so heavy as to come out poetic. That's not an easy line to find and from what I gather, it changes with the audience, the writer and even the story.
Oddly enough, I'm finding this more challenging than flipping perspectives during a fight scene (something I did in book 2 and a little in 3). I think it might be that I don't generally write in this fashion and I'm probably being more critical of myself than I should be. Honestly, it feels a lot like writing my first book all over again. The best comparison I can give you would be starting a new job (one you actually want). Those first few days you don't want to mess up, you double/triple check everything you're doing....it's stressful. That's how this feels. I think once I get some beta readers to check it out and get some feedback I'll calm back down and not worry about it so much. Until then, the going is a little slow. On the bright side, at least you know I care and don't think everything I do is gold!
The thing about this book and why it's taking longer to write than the last 3 is due to its style change. Where most writers (at least those that I've spoken to) find it difficult to write from a first person perspective, I do not. I enjoy it quite a bit. It's more psychological, less flashy, more to the point and if done correctly, it'll give the reader a much better understandig of the character(s). After all, you're seeing it through their eyes.
For me, third person narrative seems to be harder to do. It requires a heavier dosage of metaphor, anaology, etc... to be enjoyable, but not so heavy as to come out poetic. That's not an easy line to find and from what I gather, it changes with the audience, the writer and even the story.
Oddly enough, I'm finding this more challenging than flipping perspectives during a fight scene (something I did in book 2 and a little in 3). I think it might be that I don't generally write in this fashion and I'm probably being more critical of myself than I should be. Honestly, it feels a lot like writing my first book all over again. The best comparison I can give you would be starting a new job (one you actually want). Those first few days you don't want to mess up, you double/triple check everything you're doing....it's stressful. That's how this feels. I think once I get some beta readers to check it out and get some feedback I'll calm back down and not worry about it so much. Until then, the going is a little slow. On the bright side, at least you know I care and don't think everything I do is gold!
June 2, 2013
Amazon Summer Sale
For the month of June, Chronicles of M - Book 1, will be $.99 cents on Amazon and the equivalent on each of the other Amazon sites. Plenty of reviews on Amazon to give you an idea of what you're getting in to. I will say the description of the first book is vague. I don't like books being ruined by their "blurb" and I wanted my books to come off with a lot of unexpected things happening, it makes it a tad difficult to write a description. The reviews fill in some of those holes. Besides, it's 99 cents, you care barely get a candy bar for that now.
One last comment. About 1/2 way through the book a subplot picks up and takes over for a little while. Don't confuse it for the main plot. Everything in this first book is a small part of a much bigger story and it's going to take me at least 9 books to cover it all. Also, when you get to that subplot and start to roll your eyes and think "oh no, it's one of those books" it's not. Once you've read the chapter "Uhler" you'll have a better idea of what direction I'm going in. Even more so at the end of the book.
I know that was terribly vague, but anyone who's read the books knows exactly what I'm talking about and if you give this a chance, so will you. Here's some links to the book. Remember, books 2 and 3 are also out right now.
http://ow.ly/fB5SN - Amazon.com
http://ow.ly/fNvnB - Amazon.co.uk
One last comment. About 1/2 way through the book a subplot picks up and takes over for a little while. Don't confuse it for the main plot. Everything in this first book is a small part of a much bigger story and it's going to take me at least 9 books to cover it all. Also, when you get to that subplot and start to roll your eyes and think "oh no, it's one of those books" it's not. Once you've read the chapter "Uhler" you'll have a better idea of what direction I'm going in. Even more so at the end of the book.
I know that was terribly vague, but anyone who's read the books knows exactly what I'm talking about and if you give this a chance, so will you. Here's some links to the book. Remember, books 2 and 3 are also out right now.
http://ow.ly/fB5SN - Amazon.com
http://ow.ly/fNvnB - Amazon.co.uk
