Lani Lenore's Blog, page 7

Jack and Jill – Now on Kindle

Jack and Jill go up the hill to fetch a pail of water.

Jack’s a preacher’s handsome son and Jill’s a drunkard’s daughter…

Jill is a melancholy girl, strange to most; cursed to others. Her home is an isolated village where old superstitions are the key to normality. She is shunned by the townspeople because she is different–because she was born with an unusual birthmark. No one will associate with Jill outside her family, and even they treat her as something that ought to be condemned.

And then there is Jack.

Jack is the blessed sort–the son of Minister Hilton. He accompanies Jill to the well every day to draw water for the sanctuary. They are not friends, yet he is the only one who has ever been kind to her.

There is something about Jack that Jill cannot seem to wrap her mind around. He is different from the rest of them but she can’t say how. She tries to keep herself from wondering about him, telling herself that his secrets can’t matter to her. They can never be close. But as time passes and the town grows more hostile toward her, any kind of friend– even an unacknowledged one–could prove valuable.

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In celebrating the Kindle release of Jack and Jill on Tuesday Sept. 9, 2014, I’ve decided to delve into the past and talk about the history of this little story of mine. I could go back a long way to the very beginnings of my writing efforts in grade school, to the beginning of my interest in horror, but I won’t do that for now. Instead, I’m just going to focus on this one.

In a way, I’d like to say that Jack and Jill was the story that started it all, but that’s not quite true. I’m fairly certain that I started Neverland (Forsaken Dreamscape) first, but while that may be so, Jack and Jill is the first of my fairytale retellings that I ever completed. Perhaps this is owing to the fact that this story is very short in comparison to my others. It’s only 9 chapters, and weighs in at only 26k. Maybe it’s because I had a clear path for this story and it was just easy to write. It’s straightforward without complications or subplots.

It’s possible that I owe as many of my early fans to Jack and Jill as I do to Neverland, and even to this day, it still gets a lot of attention.

I think I wrote it in 2002. I was 19.

The idea: I had already been working on Behind Sanity (American McGee’s Alice fiction) and on Neverland, so my attention was already on fairytales. I had decided that I couldn’t do just one, but that it was my calling – no, my duty – to bring otherwise innocent tales to a more mature level and to get at the darkness hidden within.

At that point in my life, I wasn’t even interested in thinking about what other writers might have already created. I was only focused on what my mind could do. I’m still a bit like that, but back then I wouldn’t even lend thought to making something no one else had done. Writing wasn’t complicated by those thins. If I had an idea, I went with it.

One day, while walking though Hot Topic, I saw a shirt (I think. It may have been a sticker, that for the life of me I cannot find a reference pic of). It had a drawing of a cartoonish goth girl holding a bucket. Over the top it said ‘Jack and Jill’. At the bottom it said: Jill pushed Jack.

(By the way, that’s not quite how my story goes, for those of you who haven’t read it. Wouldn’t want to spoil anything.) But at seeing that, I hadn’t even left the store before I could already see them in my mind, going up the hill beneath a cloudy sky, on a dreary day promising rain. Jill – a sad and shunned girl with dark hair in braids, and Jack – a tall and handsome preacher. They were contrasted, very different, but they were together. And when they got to the top, I already knew what would happen there.

I think it only took me a few weeks to write Jack and Jill, and since then I’ve edited it over and over again trying to fix the mistakes of my youth. Long ago, I’d had a few ideas for additional chapters and plot points to help the story make more sense, but in reading it this time around, I decided not to change it much from it’s original version. I did tweak it just a bit, but I ultimately felt that changing it too much would alter the entire feeling of the story, and I didn’t want to do that. By making it too supernatural, I felt it would take away from the emotional level of this story, which is really what it’s about, after all. I didn’t want to take away from what makes this story so human.

So, finally, I’m releasing Jack and Jill, to be enjoyed by all once again.

Jack and Jill will only be available in ebook form for now, but I may eventually set it up for print. Get it on Kindle today.

Jack and Jill on Goodreads.

Dark Depths by Lani Lenore is coming to Wattpad! Free to read as I write!

Fairy tales are are popular right now. Twisted ones are even better. Mine are as twisted as they come. Yes, I am a writer who rewrites fairy tales – like so many others who have begun to pop up lately. But I’m telling you right now: I’m different. (At least I think I am.)

While I don’t want people to think that rewriting fairy tales is ALL I can do, one must strike while the iron is hot, as they say. Rewriting fairy tales is my claim to fame among my fans, and while I love to work on original stories as well, I have quite a few twisted tales to my name, and they deserve to be set free into the world.

So, on that note, let me introduce you to my twisted version of The Little Mermaid. It’s called Dark Depths, and it’s not your typical retelling.

Dark Depths is a dark fantasy novel, a unique mix of horror and romance, fantasy and erotica. And don’t forget the drama and overall mystery. Like my other books, it is written from multiple POVs, from at least 4 major characters and a few minor ones. The different characters are explored fully, and through them, two worlds are discovered: the human kingdom above, and the domain of the deep sea nymphs below. Vastly different, these realms do have a few things in common – not the least of which is a deep-rooted hatred for each other.

As is the beauty of fairy tale retellings, at least the premise of this story should be familiar to you. If you’ve read the original tale or seen any version of the movie, you know at least a few of the base ideas: A young mermaid falls in love with a human whom she saves from drowning, and through a deal with a sea witch, she is able to join the human world to gain his love – without a voice, of course.

There are other details, but we won’t discuss those. My aim is to take some of those familiar ideas, as well as some obscure ones from the original story, and give them new life – same words, different tune sort of thing.

Starting off, my world is quite a bit different. And my characters are always a little rough around the edges.

This story is told – first – through a young man named Nathan who, in a quest to be ‘free’ decides to turn his life and loyalty over to pirates. He is the main protagonist of this story instead of the mermaid princess – who is certainly not a princess at all. Instead she is a slave: an imperfect in an all-female society of monsters, hated because she is human-like and beautiful.

I started writing this in 2007, I think. I wrote at least half of it before stopping, because I lost sight of where it was going. It wasn’t that I didn’t know where I wanted it to go, but I had plot points that I just couldn’t seem to put in order. I also realized that I didn’t have a good grasp on some of the character motives that were needed in order to build the plot further, but now I have a layout to go by, so I’m feeling pretty sure of myself this time. I always did like this story though. One of my favorite things about it is how the characters’ lives all tangle up together, and while writing about that, I was always aware of their relationships and feelings toward each other. That’s always been very important – and maybe even something I’ve forgotten – so I’m glad I’ve decided to get back into this.

-Short Description: Mermaids are soulless, flesh-eating monsters of the sea, wicked in all ways – but some are born with a much more human side. The near death of a young pirate and his rescue by one such beautiful creature invites him to know a world he was certain did not exist, full of horrors he never imagined.

Long Description:

Mermaids are soulless, flesh-eating monsters of the sea, wicked in all ways. With their hypnotic songs, they lure ships to crash and then feast on those aboard, stealing the seed from a man’s loins while drinking down his blood. They are monsters – but some are born with a much more human side.

Nathaniel Thomas believes in monsters. He’s seen his share since joining the notorious pirate crew of the Blood-Red Siren. Tales are rampant, but the young man has learned not to believe in anything he hasn’t seen with his own eyes.

All that seems foolish when he witnesses hideous, scaly-skinned abominations peeling the flesh from his shipmates, but Nathan manages to avoid death. He is rescued by a similar creature, and though he is wary of her, he soon finds that she is nothing like her kin. She is beautiful beyond anything he’s ever seen, in body and in spirit.

He calls her his Treasure, and he’s convinced she is different from the rest. There is goodness in her, unlike her sisters. He is entranced by her beauty, but knows they are from different worlds. They do not belong together, and he understands this, even if she does not.

Nathan’s life takes a turn he never expected, and he is introduced to truths he never would have believed, to a love he never thought possible, and to a war that he never anticipated. There are secrets and horrors in the dark depths, and he is out to uncover them, even if the truth costs him his soul.

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As noted in the title of this post, Dark Depths will be exclusively on Wattpad for now (maybe other fiction sites as well) as I write it, free to read by anyone who’s interested. By doing this, I hope to draw in more readers, including more attention to my other works. Chapters will be updated as I go. I hope to post weekly, but I haven’t given myself a deadline on this story, and it will probably span out over a couple of months. Currently, there are 15 chapters completed, all of good length at 3k – 4k each.

Once again, this story is intended for mature audiences and I have rated it R on Wattpad. R-rated stories don’t get very much attention on the site, so I’m hoping to rely on shares and social media to let potential readers know that it exists. And of course, you.

In fact, you can get started right now: Dark Depths on Wattpad

If you’re not already a member of Wattpad, you can sign up for free, and even get an App to read this book on your phone. Let me know what you think by commenting. I love to hear from readers!

Project Nevermor: Second Anniversary – What’s Next?

And so, I’ve now been here with the blog for 2 years as I work my way through this book project. Started in September 2012, and here we are in 2014. It’s exciting on some days, very heavy on others, but all in all, it’s been a lot of fun and completely worth it.

After a 2 month hiatus, I’m feeling zealous about writing again. Because of that, I’ve been doing some thinking about what remains for my books in the last portion of this year. I’ve made some decisions, and here’s what’s going down:

1. I’m taking a break from Shadow Sun. (don’t freak out)

2. I’m coming back to Wattpad! (sort of)

3. I’m going to start working toward finishing one of my older, unfinished works. (which one, I wonder…)

4. I’m going to publish a new book soon! (which is also one of my older books, actually) And then another one after that!

Here’s the full explanation: If you’ve been following the blog, you know I’ve been struggling a bit with writing Shadow Sun, and to say that also means I’ve been struggling with writing in general. Then, one day, I simply snapped out of it and I’m obsessed with writing right now! (Yay!) This is excellent, but it doesn’t fully solve my issues with Shadow Sun, so I’ve decided that what’s best is to take my mind off it for a bit and focus on something else. I need time to meditate on it – or maybe a break from meditating on it, not sure.

Lately I’ve been pushing myself to have a look at some of my older works – to edit them and get them ready for release. So far, that seems to be helping with my writer’s block, and within 2  weeks I’ve been jumping back and forth between several stories, making progress! So, at that, let me say that I’m pleased to announce the upcoming release of the fan-favorite, Jack and Jill.

I promised this a while ago, but didn’t follow through, even though I did begin editing it several months ago. Since it is one of my older stories, of course I wasn’t very happy with it, and I was thinking I might rewrite it a little, but in the end, I wound up keeping it mostly the same. Mostly. There are a few differences, and I think I added at least one new scene, but I decided not to make it more than it is. As many of you know, this story is not very long, and so I’m not sure about it being in print right now, but it will be available as an ebook (at least through Kindle) on September 9th, 2014. (less than a week!)

If that’s not good enough news, I also have plans to release The Nutcracker Bleeds in November, but I haven’t set a date yet because I’m not done editing. As you know, it’s one of my personal favorites, and I want to do it right, but I do want it to be released before Christmas, and this one will very likely be in print as well at the same time.

Okay, so beyond all that good news, I mentioned two other things: that I’m coming back to Wattpad and that I’m going to be working on one of my older stories that I never finished. Those two things go together.

Let it be noted that I’m not putting my other stories back on Wattpad. Those will remain as previews, but I’m going to add one new story which I will post as I write. It will be free to read, like in the old days, and when it’s finished, I will have it printed and for sale. There are a few things I hope to accomplish by this, but I think it will be good and fun for all of us. I will give you more definite details soon, because I plan for this to be on the way shortly.

Which story might I be talking about, you ask? Those who already know of it will recognize the title, but for those who don’t, I think this image ought to give you a pretty good idea:

 

 

Enough said.

 

Writing Book 3: Trials and Tribulations

I’ve been a bad blogger. Well, an unfaithful one, at least. Also, I’ve not been doing so well with writing book 3, Shadow Sun. I can’t say that I haven’t made any progress at all, but I’m merely inching along. I’m certainly not as near to the ending as I’d like to be.

Writing is not easy. In fact, it takes a very long time. If you’re a writer as well, you know this. (And if you’re a writer and you think it’s easy, then I wonder about you.) I’m back and forth with this project, one day thinking it’s good and the next wondering if I’ve ruined everything. I’m trying to let the words come naturally, but at the same time practically whipping myself to finish while I have the free time to do so.

Here’s the bottom line: I’m afraid of this book. I’m afraid of what readers will think of it, and I’m nervous – perhaps unjustly – about ruining a perfectly good series with a lousy final book.

But those are normal concerns, right? Sure they are…I think.

When I wrote Nevermor, I purposely wrote it as quickly as possible, trying not to give myself enough time to get attached to it, lest I should have second thoughts about publishing. I tend to get a little selfish with my works, and when I love it, I only want the best for it, and to settle for (for example) not having the book backed by a major publisher makes me feel like the book is not reaching it’s potential, and all the effort I put into it was for nothing. Also, when I start thinking about it too hard, I start to get too involved with all the things that are wrong with it – even if I made those things up.This is the third book, year three: it was bound to have caught up to me by now. What can I say? I’m a fickle creature.

But since publishing Nevermor, I’ve felt a sense of freedom from that which I once feared. Rejection, invisibility, humiliation…those things we all dread. Nevermor has done decently, and new readers keep finding it, making the series live anew. I hope I can still say that in five years. And who knows? Sometimes it takes a while for news to spread.

Now, this brings me back to Shadow Sun. I’ve managed 95k out of my projected 150k, which is not bad, but I have trouble sticking with it. I’ve written sections all over the place, and find myself with so many concerns over how it’s going. Is it interesting enough? Exciting enough? Is the story really what it needs to be to end it all? It’s hard to tell. I guess, really, the only ones who can tell me that are my readers.

A few posts ago, I mentioned an idea for early access to Shadow Sun. I took a poll and didn’t get many responses, but just getting a few positive responses was encouraging. I still have not decided what I want to do about that. I haven’t been giving much thought to my next step lately. I was letting other forces of life creep in on me, but I’m tired of that.

I’m ready to get back to work! This is all I’ve ever wanted to do, after all.

So, that’s basically what I’ve got for you today. Mostly this is just a ‘I know you haven’t heard from me in a while, but I’m still alive’ post. After a bit of depression and general sluggishness, I think my brain is working again and I’m ready to pull myself out of this rut and get to work with my writing again!

Just a reminder and request: if you have read Nevermor and Forsaken Dreamscape, please consider leaving reviews or Amazon or Goodreads or other sites. Doesn’t have to be much, but every little bit helps me get the word out. That’s still important, even two years into this project. It’s not too late!

Nevermor is now on Authorgraph!

I’d heard of ebook signing before, but I wasn’t quite sure how it worked or how I could do it myself. Then I found out about Authorgraph.

Authorgraph is a service where readers can request a digital autograph featuring the author’s book, a personalized message, and a hand-signed signature. This isn’t a copy of script, it’s actually the writer’s signature. It’s animated, and you can watch the signature being made on the page!

As you might have guessed (and judging by the title of the post) Nevermor (Book 1) is now on Authorgraph. My other books are not – not yet, anyway.

You might be wondering a few things about this, so let me address it further:

Is this actually a signing of my ebook copy? No, it’s not. It’s actually more like a digital card. It’s a separate document from the ebook which can be downloaded to your reading device. And looks something like this:

http://www.authorgraph.com/requests/6f39114c  (This is not my signature, and the appearance of the writing is much smoother than this now. I think this is the old version of the program.)

Do you have to own the book before you can get an autograph? No, you don’t have to own the book at all. It’s a separate file to download.

Does it cost anything? Nope! Nothing at all!

Do you benefit from this, Lani? No, not really. Though, if people share their authorgraphs online through Twitter or other means, it will help draw attention to the book. This is mostly for you!

Okay, maybe I’ve covered the basics. Here is the link to my Author Page on Authorgraph: https://www.authorgraph.com/authors/MissLenore

Just click the ‘Request Authorgraph’ button, and you’ll be on your way! You can even write me a  message if you want. I’ll get to them as I’m able.

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In other news, I haven’t been able to find much reason to post since my last update, though I wanted to. I just couldn’t quite find anything to mention. I don’t have any teaser material for Shadow Sun ready yet, I haven’t had time to finish any other books to review, and I haven’t yet decided what to do about early access. So, what you get instead is this.

Like I said, I’m not sure about the early access for Shadow Sun that I mentioned in my last post. When I took the poll, I only had 5 people respond, and only 4 positively. Not that this will keep me from doing it. In my opinion, 4 people isn’t bad. I couldn’t probably use the beta readers. I’ve been continuing my writing lately, but what I’ve put down is a bit rough, and certainly not ready to be looked at. That doesn’t mean I won’t have time for editing before the chapter would be released, so I’m not letting go of my early access idea.

I’ve decided to join Camp NaNo this month to see if I can make progress, and so far I’ve been doing pretty well. I intend to up my word count to 120k by the end of the month, and I’ve already increased it to 88k, so I’m feeling pretty good. It’s pretty rough, but it’s something to start with, and I can build on it later.

I did finish an outline of the chapters for Shadow Sun, and the length is looking pretty much like I expected. I think I have it currently planned for 36 ‘chapters’, a few of which are at the risk of being split once I actually write them because of them length of content. Then I have 5 titled sections that are not quite chapters, but are lengthy as well. Sooo counting those, I’ll have at least 40, if not a couple more. So, at that rate, I imagine the book will be at least as long as the others, which is what I was going for.

Hm, I think that’s all I have for now. I’m still going strong with the Nevermor trilogy, but I haven’t forgotten about my other books. I just don’t want to release those others until I have a chance to really edit them (aka, dig in and rip them apart. It’s a process.)

Anyway, once again, thank you to everyone who is following my blog and keeping up with all my news! I really appreciate you!

Shadow Sun: Possible Early Access

As you may have noticed, in the title of this post, I mentioned the magic words ‘Early Access’. Lately, I’ve been thinking about what it means to be an indie writer, and what an indie writer can give that others (those owned by a publisher) can’t. I started this self-publishing project with the decision that I needed to make money from my writing if I was to continue doing it, and while I’m not fully supporting myself by it, I’ve certainly felt better about the time I’ve put into writing books now that I’m being compensated. But I also know that I earned most of my fans because of all those years I spent posting for free online, drawing in readers one chapter at a time, and building an audience that was ultimately willing to buy my work.

So, I’ve been thinking about those things, and long story short, I had an idea…

Here’s what I propose, and I’m posting this because I want to know how many people would actually be interested in it. My idea is to open a subscription through Gumroad, where you buy the book (Shadow Sun) in advance, and in return, you get to read the chapters as I write (and edit) them (just like Wattpad). Then at the end, I’ll email you a digital copy of the full manuscript for free (format of your choice, because you already paid for it). You’d be buying the book in advance and reading as I go, then you’ll get the final draft later on once it’s completed and fully edited. (details may vary)

With the subscription, you’d automatically get all updates when I post them, and you can read the chapters one at a time, or else let them add up and read them at once, up until the finish. Then I’ll go further into editing in order to publish by the deadline (Feb 2015, hopefully). Currently, I have around 20 chapters completed (with quite a bit of editing), so that would give a good jump start into assuring that you’re going to get something to read straight away.

And Gumroad supports Paypal exchanges from over 40 countries, so most of you can be included. (On that note, those of you who were not able to get Nevermor because of unavailability, can get a Kindle compatible file through Gumroad.)

Considering the length of Shadow Sun and the amount of time I have to work on it, I anticipate around 40 chapters (maybe; could be more or less) So at that rate, and depending when I start, you’d probably get up to 2 chapters a week. Considering that I can pull it off, the book will be completely posted in 5 months, and that will leave me with some time to edit and rewrite what I need to. And then voila! On release day, you get a copy of the final version without lifting a finger.

If I do this, I don’t know when it will start. I still have to think on it a bit, and I have a few things that are going to occupy my time soon, so this might start in August. July possibly, but I don’t know yet.

This project would be good in a lot of ways, I think.

1.) You get to see it early, as I write it, like in the old days, chapter per chapter. (I will try to have the chapters in ‘good to great’ shape by the time I post them, so it’ll still be good quality, though it may still go through some tweaking before I publish it to get everything lined up better.)

2.) I can get input from the outside as I write, and if it’s really going downhill or ends poorly, I have people to tell me so before I release it, and I can rewrite if I have to. (This has been a heavy thought on my mind about this book. I really don’t want it to be terrible and ruin the whole trilogy. Writing a series is stressful…)

3.) I can stay in touch with my fans, which is something that I have missed since deciding to publish. I like to know what people are thinking as they read, and readers no longer comment like they used to. In a way, they can’t, so there’s no blame.

4) Knowing that I have to keep up with posting will push me to keep going, because I have to be honest – I’ve really been dragging my feet with this one.  I keep getting stuck, but if I have fans praising me as I go along, I’ll be more excited about it. (I’m fickle, I know. Sometimes I need a good kick.)

5) Perhaps some readers might write early reviews that can be ready to post before the book comes out, to help drum up interest in the series as a whole.

6) In addition to the chapters, you’ll likely be privy to some of my personal thoughts on the different parts of the story, my concerns, so on. I will probably ask for input at times. So in a way, it’s like you’re getting super secret commentary as I go along.

So, who likes this idea, and who would be interested in participating if I decide to offer it? Of course, you need to have read books 1 and 2 first. Some of you may think it’s a better idea to wait until the book is done before you read it, and that’s fine as well. I’m interested in hearing what you think. This is as much of an experiment as it is a way to reconnect with my fans, and just to do something different from other writers out there who have no control over their books.

So, just click below and tell me what you think, and feel free to comment!!

Take Our Poll

Forsaken Dreamscape Deluxe Release and Book 3 Announcement

And so, Forsaken Dreamscape: Deluxe Edition is now available to purchase in ebook and print formats! If it’s not yet available through your favorite online retailer, just keep an eye out and it should be soon. But remember, the print version is only available through Amazon and Createspace for now because of pricing issues.  This version includes the original Peter Pan version, Neverland: Forsaken Dreamscape, as a bonus. The book also features the amazing new art you see posted all over the blog, by Omri Koresh.

(US versions; if you want to run your own search, try to looking up ‘Lani Lenore’ to see the listing for all my books)

Amazon (Kindle version)

Amazon (print)

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Smashwords

CreateSpace (print)

Since that business is out of the way, it’s time to move on to the next thing. Even though I’ve already been talking about it a bit, I want to make it official:

Nevermor Book 3 is in the works, and it will be titled Shadow Sun.

This isn’t a surprise to many of you, I know. You’ve already seen the title at the end of book 2 or the beginning of book 1, and if you have the print version you’ve even seen a glimpse of the cover art. But I’m not going to show the full version to you yet. You’ll just have to wait!

I decided on this title a while ago, even before I knew what the book would actually be about – maybe even before I finished Book 1. I’ve always had a general idea, of course, but writing is a work in progress (often even once the story is complete; I mean, take this whole project into account) and sometimes the best details don’t reveal themselves until you’re in the thick of it. So as you might expect, this book might have something to do with shadows…and maybe the sun…and maybe both. But who knows… It could just be wordplay that I thought would sound intriguing. :p

If you’ve read the other Nevermor books, you know that I’ve mentioned the sun quite a few times. It’s not as if the people of Nevermor have a god (unless Rifter counts) but if there is a ‘greater power’ in the world, I certainly implicated the sun. As for other details about the book, well, I’ll be giving out some of those as I go along. Just keep up with the blog to find out. ;)

So how far along is Shadow Sun, and when can you expect to read it? Well, I released the other two books in February (2013 and 2014) and I aim for the same thing with this book. However, if I feel like the story is not up to my standards by then, not finished or otherwise not good enough, I’m not going to hold myself to February, but may give myself an extra month or two to sort it out. That’s further beauty in self-publishing. I don’t have a deadline except what I make for myself. There’s no one standing in line to make money off me, no pressure to get it on the page even if it’s crap.

But it’s not going to be crap, because I’m going to make sure it’s not. So, the people who really matter will win, and that’s you and me.

I’m over 70k into Shadow Sun, and at this point, I can’t say exactly how long it will be, though I estimate it will be around the same as the other two, landing somewhere around the 150k mark. Or more. Or less. Can’t say, really. I’ve recently been working on an outline of events, and once that’s completed, I’ll have a better idea of how many chapters are left and what the word count might be.

There’s a lot to do, and I want this series to go out with a bang (as I’m sure we all do).

In my last post, I mentioned a new idea for sharing Shadow Sun with you, and while I’m still thinking about it, I’ll probably address this soon. Look forward to finding that out in the future. I think it’ll be interesting.

For now: Deluxe Edition! Yay! Go relive that Peter Pan story you loved so much, or read it for the first time and see how it compares. :)

Project Nevermor Reviews: Tigerheart by Peter David

**Not long ago, I started getting the urge to read more, and that urge grew into a desire to explore other works based on Peter Pan (which I said I wouldn’t do until I was done with my own trilogy.) However! since I pretty much know where that’s going, I decided to give in to my desire to read other variations of Peter Pan or anything with a connection, such as what my own series is. So I finally broke down and ordered several different Peter Pan-related books that I’m going to read and give my impressions of on the blog.  I’m limiting my reading to only published works, books and graphic novels (indie works, yes – stories on Wattpad and such, no). Probably will contain *some* spoilers, but I tried to limit that as I could. So, this sort of post might show up periodically, because I have quite a few volumes waiting in line.**

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For my second review along the way through other Peter Pan-related works is Tigerheart by Peter David. Why this one? Well, I was going out of town one weekend and this one was a nice size to carry around with me.

Relationship to the Peter Pan Story:

This is clearly a re-imagining of the Peter Pan tale – a continuation, even (almost) – but instead, the entire story is re-explained so that you don’t have to rely on Barrie’s version – however, if you have read the original book, it will actually enhance your experience. There are subtleties (and downright character-trait villainy), but it’s all in good fun, and if it at least makes you laugh and roll your eyes a little bit, I think this book set out to do what it meant to.

I feel that the author, Peter David, was thinking along the same lines that I was when I wrote Nevermor. In order to make this story his own (or perhaps avoid copyright infringement, which he denies in an interview at the end, orrrr for whatever reason) there is no mention of Peter or Tinkerbell or any others in this story – but everything is turned around. The characters are there, but renamed. Peter is referred to only as ‘The Boy’. Likewise, Neverland is called ‘Anyplace’ and is located from ‘the third star on the left’ (yeah). Wendy is ‘Gwenny’ Tinkerbell is ‘Fiddlefix’ and (probably the most ridiculous) Capt. Hook is ‘Capt. Hack’ with a hatchet for a hand. But everything is there, and everything has a place. It is a parody, a pastiche, which goes so far as to even mimic Barrie’s writing style.

 First Impression:

When I first began, I found myself thinking that if David was simply going to re-imagine the base story and change the names, but keep even most of the story and character details (such as the third star on the left, the sea creature swallowing a clock, and so on), and likewise write it in the style of Barrie… Why did he write this? I was just not sure why he felt the need. But after the first chapter, I could see a difference, and as he went on, expounding upon the characters that Barrie already created while, yes, making them his own, I began to appreciate this book more – even more, perhaps, than if he had used the original names, which would have just made it kinda dull.

And I found myself wondering (privately to myself and now openly here) if this had previously been a story written as a candidate for the official Peter Pan sequel contest that was held back in 2006, of which Peter Pan in Scarlet was the winner. But as far as I know, that’s only my personal theory and has not been confirmed.

Story

In Tigerheart, a boy named Paul Dear takes center stage – an original character inserted into a world that is different, but familiar. Paul is enchanted by the story of ‘The Boy’, and dreams of becoming like The Boy himself. His father told him stories of The Boy, which his mother always frowned upon, and though the stories of The Boy remain, no one seems to know where he is now. Paul sees The Boy in his reflection, and wonders exactly where The Boy is, if Paul is not actually The Boy, himself. (confusing)

The story, within the first couple of chapters, takes on a few serious issues that affect Paul’s life and mindset: the death of his baby sister, the decline of his parents’ marriage and his father’s eventual departure, Paul’s visits to a psychiatrist who puts him on medication, and the failing of his mother’s love for him. So while the book is written in a simplistic style like a children’s story, and is even funny at times, the subject matter is a bit deeper than that, though it’s glossed over by the style.

All of this leads Paul to seek out the Anyplace with the intention of finding a new baby for his mother among those who become lost. He only wants her to be happy, and by the way he sees it, this is the only thing that will make her happy again. He finds a petrified fairy in a curio shop, and soon enough, Paul is flying off to the Anyplace, meeting The Boy and taking on pirates. Adventures ensue, dangers are met, and eventually the truth is revealed to Paul and he finds what he has been seeking – and maybe teaches The Boy a thing or two along the way.

Writing

Tigerheart is written in a style similar to how Barrie wrote the original Peter Pan, and I feel a bit torn… Because while I’d like to deduct points from the review because the author didn’t even write in his own voice, I can’t quite imagine the book to be written differently. I really enjoyed reading it this way, and the story wasn’t such that it could be told through, for example, the voice I would normally write something in. Tigerheart is what it is, and while I usually search for stories that are written a bit differently than this one, I can’t see how this might have been improved by a change in perspective.

Another thing that I noticed is that while it’s written in a style that might have been meant for children, David is clearly playing to the adults. This is a story, written for adults, who want to relive a story they loved in their youth, but with a different twist. Adults reading this can understand what’s going on, in the same way that we, as children, didn’t understand themes in some of our beloved stories.  By the end (and throughout) David is certainly not hating on those of us who chose to grow up instead of staying in the Anyplace. Instead, there’s glory in realizing that one has to eventually grow up.

Verdict

In considering the rating, I have to evaluate the book not only for how much I liked it, but for what it is. So, in judging how the story was told, how it was put together, how it was written, and how the plot played out (even though I rolled my eyes a few times at the extent to which the author used EVERY detail from Peter Pan) , this is my verdict:

I couldn’t really see a reason to hate on it too much. It just worked somehow. I give it four stars, easily. I can’t give it 5 because I can’t say it’s among the best I’ve read as far as my personal taste, but I did enjoy it. This book was fun to read, funny, reminded me of the original Peter Pan and even The Princess Bride a bit, which is one of my favorite books. It had good messages, many quotes I liked, and was somehow original in the same way that it was completely not.

In this book, I did find a kindred spirit of sorts, and while some things might seem similar to Nevermor in ways (details based on ideas from the original, of course, or even the very idea of changing the character names) I want to be clear that I did not even know about this book until recently, and have only read it just now, so I was not inspired by this volume in any way when I was working on my own twist.

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So now I finally get to update my own status!

Forsaken Dreamscape: Deluxe Edition is less than a week away! That’s June 17th, by the way. Everything is ready, I just have to hit the button when the time comes. :) After that happens, I can FINALLY start talking about book 3, and I’ve been having some thoughts on a new method I’m considering in sharing that book with you, which I may talk about soon, if I decide to do it…

Also, the title of the deluxe edition has been changed, and if you start looking for it, the book is going to be called Forsaken Dreamscape: Deluxe Edition, instead of ‘Deluxe Peter Pan Edition’, because I chose not to put that on the cover, and the rules are that I have to name it what is says on the cover. Makes sense.

That’s all for now. On to the next project!

Project Nevermor Reviews: Grimm Fairy Tales Presents: Neverland

**Not long ago, I started getting the urge to read more, and that urge grew into a desire to explore other works based on Peter Pan (which I said I wouldn’t do until I was done with my own trilogy.) However! since I pretty much know where that’s going, I decided to give in to my desire to read other variations of Peter Pan or anything with a connection, such as what my own series is. So I finally broke down and ordered several different Peter Pan-related books that I’m going to read and give my impressions of on the blog.  I’m limiting my reading to only published works, books and graphic novels (indie works, yes – stories on Wattpad and such, no). My reviews probably will contain *some* spoilers, but I tried to limit that as I could. So, this sort of post might show up periodically, because I have quite a few volumes waiting in line.**

Okay, let’s get started!

In choosing which Peter Pan-related work I would read and review first, I chose a very simple method. I decided to start with the first one that arrived at my door: the graphic novel, Grimm Fairy Tales Presents: Neverland.

Relationship to the Peter Pan story:

This seems to be more of a retelling, as if the Peter and Wendy never happened. The story is set in modern times and does link back to the original Peter Pan story, but is told as if it is happening for the first time, with characters of different circumstances.

First Impression:

I knew this volume existed before I even considered reading it. I know that Zenescope releases a lot of these, and I had seen some of the artwork, as many of you may have as well – which mostly consists of a lot of overly sexy ladies in very little clothing. Be that as it may, I can handle a certain amount of that sort of thing, so I decided, despite the possible racy or erotic nature of this volume, I couldn’t exclude it from my list. Okay so I had prepared myself to see, every few pages, an image of some exaggerated female with her ass in my face. *ahem* I figured I’d snicker and move on, and then I’d review based on how laughable it was.

Guess what… Despite the images that are used in conjunction to advertise this comic series and serve as cover art…there was no nudity and no sex involved in the story at all! There are a few cover images from the comic shown in the book, and those have the half-naked women on them, but as far as this only being a T&A fest, it’s just not so.

Story:

This story sort of teeters between the modern day real world and Neverland – sort of in the vein of Fables and Once Upon A Time. The main characters are Nathan Cross (also called Hook) and Wendy. Nathan is a down-on-his-luck man with a prosthetic hand, who suffers from psychological issues and regularly sees a therapist. Wendy is a grown woman with two nephews living with her, named John and Michael. Circumstances lead them to cross paths, and their adventures in a nightmarish Neverland ensue.

Peter Pan is a grown man (once a boy, who found Neverland and decided to stay). He took control of it, and Neverland has gradually become his world of nightmares. *ahem* He maintains his immortality by feeding on the souls of children that he snatches from the real world, but he doesn’t do it in order to stay youthful, only to stay alive (and for meanness).

Cross has a recurring dream where he’s on an island running for his life, a monstrous reptile chasing him. He can’t seem to shake it throughout his adult life. Turns out Nathan was the only one to survive Neverland – ever – but not without losing his hand to the crocodile beast that was chasing him. And that isn’t all he lost. His brother, Timmy, was not so lucky, and those things haunt him. Wendy, on the other hand, is only there by circumstance when her nephews are abducted by Pan, and he afterward fixates on her (for some reason) and decides he wants to seize her later and make her his queen (lame).

So, the basis of the plot has Cross facing his past as he helps Wendy try to rescue her nephews.

Other characters are featured, such as Tinker Bell and Tiger Lily, but honestly, they don’t do a lot. The crocodile also serves as a horrific foe. There are natives, mermaids, and some zombie-type Lost Boys. There are some guys on a ship…not sure if they were supposed to be pirates…

Art:

Since this is a graphic novel, I’m also going to give my impression of the artwork, which is equally important to me. The artwork was alright, full color and certainly nice as far as that goes. I’m kinda picky and pretty much expect everything to be amazing… which is certainly not always the case in graphic novels, but if the art is prettier, I can accept a weaker storyline. This one didn’t quite do it for me. It’s not something I want to open up and look at, even without reading, just to see how pretty it is.

Verdict:

Three stars… maybe.

The story was actually pretty poor, I felt. I was interested in the concept, but it let me down. The motives of some of the characters were often absent or fell flat, and it simply could have been more exciting. The plot was extremely simple (though I think there is another spin-off or continuation of this series, which I will probably not delve into because this one didn’t impress me enough.) It didn’t blow my mind, but it was certainly along horror lines, and I appreciated the effort.

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Bonus review: Aladdin: Legacy of the Lost

Not Peter Pan related, but I’d been ogling this volume for a while, and finally decided to go for it. This is a graphic novel, dark fantasy retelling of Aladdin with a hint of Sinbad, influenced by 1001 Nights.

First Impression:

I can’t quite remember how I first came across this, but I’m sure it was based on something else I had looked at on Amazon and then came up as a recommendation. Once I saw the cover, I was drawn to it immediately, even though I know that sometimes the cover art for graphic novels is so much better than what is actually inside. But anyway, I started looking at it. It was sort of furtive in the beginning. I’d look at it in passing and think, ehhh maybe next time. I started looking into it a little deeper, reading reviews and seeing praise for it, so finally I decided to go for it. Basically, if you tell me it’s dark, you’re going to get my attention, so that’s what happened here. Also it’s fairytale related, so yay.

I’d never really considered doing a retelling of Aladdin myself, but just seeing this got my brain working and I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. In the end, I couldn’t say no, and I’m glad that I didn’t.

Story

Like you might expect, Aladdin is a young thief who attracts the interest of a man needing to get his hands on a lamp. Qassim’s interest in Aladdin does not stop there, however. There is something else about the youth that is important. His blood, to be more specific, but the story is told in a way that the secrets unfold slowly, leaving you to wonder exactly what is in store around the corner. Anyway, of course Aladdin fetches the lamp and manages to avoid death while keeping the lamp to himself, accidentally rubs it, summons a djinn and uses wishes to make himself a prince. He uses his power to do what he wants, also caters to the poor, and later attempts to impress the princess.

Okay so here’s where things take a turn, an almost Prince of Persia turn, or perhaps that all came from the Aladdin story to begin with… Aladdin is exposed by Qassim, who the youth didn’t know was associated with the sultan (isn’t that how it always goes). He is said to be a thief, and after a flurry of events, finds himself on the run after the king winds up dead.

Aladdin then meets up with Sinbad, who had previously been observing him, and they set off together to save the world and whatnot. Or at least rescue the princess. The story becomes somewhat of it’s own after that (or perhaps not, since I don’t exactly know the story of Sinbad), but I also couldn’t help thinking of Pirates of the Caribbean. There is a Krakken-type monster and also the idea of jilted lovers with great powers. Instead of one Djinn, there are 2, and they are married, but circumstances find them opposed.  But things are woven well and there are many forces at work, making for a richer storyline than what Neverland offered me, which was pretty straightforward.

 Art:

The art is absolutely gorgeous!! Full color and really beautiful. The coloring job is excellent, each image looking like a painting all to itself. The pictures are worth looking at, even without following the storyline. The artists did get a bit lazy at times, and that’s always disappointing, but for the most part, very well done and consistent throughout.

Verdict:

Gorgeous to look at, this story is a bit dark, bloody and excellent. There is originality here, though not all the ideas are entirely fresh, the story wove through nicely, the dialogue was mostly good, and once again the art was freaking awesome. I was very impressed.

There were a few things that didn’t quite impress me though, one of which was the pacing. But I know that it’s different with graphic novels. Also since the beginning was basically as you’d expect Aladdin to be, it wasn’t all that exciting, because of course events are going to lead us to the lamp and while there seemed to be a lot of effort to get there, I mean, we knew it would happen. There wasn’t much originality added to that part.

The attempt at a love connection also annoyed me.There was no reason at all for Aladdin to pursue the princess other than the fact that she was the princess and very beautiful, which is fine and makes sense in a way. Why do men go after women anyway? But there was never much growing of that, other than the fact that she’s the best girl around. On the other side of things, it makes more sense to me to see the princess’s return interest in him. She had merit as a character, but their connection seemed weak.

Anyway, I recommend this one! It was a gem.

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As for a Nevermor update, I’ve had a lot more creative energy lately and am slowly cutting my way through Book 3 with around, oh, 70k by now. And steadily growing! I had to start working on the chapters individually and later I’ll go back and make sure they fit together like I want. First drafts, you know – equivalent to rough sketches. Needs a lot more work, but just getting the framework down is a big step.

The Forsaken Dreamscape: Deluxe Peter Pan Edition is pretty much ready to go when the time comes, and is up for preorder on Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, and the iTunes store.

Oddly, I just checked, and the Deluxe Edition is actually up for preorder on KOBO, even though the other version of Forsaken Dreamscape was never posted there.. Hm. Perhaps it is time I contacted them about it. Anywho, Kobo users, rejoice! It’s finally your turn!

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/forsaken-dreamscape-deluxe-peter-pan-edition

For now, I think that’s all. Hope you enjoyed the reviews! I’ll be working on more.

Forsaken Dreamscape Deluxe Peter Pan Edition Order Details

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, in this post I’m going to show off the print book as well as give some details about the book release. As you can see: awesome! Even though my camera is terrible, the book still manages to look excellent.  Here it is in all its glory at 583 pages, Forsaken Dreamscape: Deluxe Peter Pan Edition!

As you can see, the spine is thicker so the fairy is a little bigger on this volume, also raised up a bit, but I think it works. She’s also lit up a bit more with a circle of light. :) It looks nice between the other two books (even considering that the book on the other side of it will be book 3.)

RELEASE INFORMATION:

The release date for this Deluxe Edition will be TUESDAY, JUNE 17th! I was going to wait until July or August, but I changed my mind. It’s pretty much ready, after all; I’ve already announced it, so why wait? It’s currently listed on Goodreads, so add it to your reading list, and it’ll be up for ebook preorder soon. The print version will be available (hopefully) on the day of release as well, but not for preorder.

There’s a catch: while the ebook will be available through the usual channels (aside from backlogged Kobo), the print version will only be available through CreateSpace and Amazon. The reason for that is because I can only set one price for the book, which translates across all channels. Once it goes through extended distribution, that price will be stretched so thin that I’ll actually lose money. So in order to keep the price somewhat reasonable, this is what has to be. I’m sorry if this inconveniences anyone. It’ll be available on Amazon Europe as well.

The price of the ebook will be $7.99. The print edition will be $18.99 (12.99 GPB and 15.49 EUR). (Amazon usually discounts by a dollar or so.) I know that’s pretty steep for a paperback, but if you have seen any of my other books, you know how nice they are. The book is 6×9, glossy cover, a sturdy book with nice pages and heft. It’s not some flimsy book that you’re going to tear up. It’s pretty solid. The spine also matches the other books, so if you choose this one instead of the regular version, it should still go along and look nice in the middle. It’ll also look perfectly fine beside the other edition of Forsaken Dreamscape if you have it already.

 

 

 

 

 

To repeat myself if anyone missed it before, this Deluxe Edition includes Neverland: Forsaken Dreamscape as well as the Nevermor version. This bonus version is essentially the same story as Nevermor #2, but it is a little different. It’s the story as I wrote it before changing it to Nevermor, with the original characters from Peter Pan. This version has been loved by fans and I realized we all hated to see it go, so I included it in this Deluxe volume.

Neverland: Forsaken Dreamscape Version Info

After reading through it and doing a bit of editing, I’ve decided that the version included is going to be, essentially, the somewhat edited Wattpad version. That means it’s a bit cleaner than what some of you might have read in the past before I moved my stories to Wattpad. There is still plenty of cursing and the text is mostly the same, but I had cleaned it up a bit for Wattpad (which basically means no graphic sex scenes or talk thereof). I decided to do this in keeping with the sort of YA theme I was going for, and I didn’t want something vastly different to go into the hands of someone who didn’t want it.

PRE-ORDER INFO

The ebook is currently listed for preorder on Smashwords, through iBooks, and Nook.

Other mediums and the print version will be available to order on June 17th (again, except Kobo. Sorry.)