Nikolas Lee's Blog: It's Okay--I'm an Author, page 2

She tis live!!

Wow, haven’t been on here in forever. I’ve always found blogs to be a hard thing to keep up, most especially when, as a writer, you could honestly be spending all that time writing your next novel. Which brings me to the point of this entry…

THE IRON-JAWED BOY AND THE HAND OF THE MOON IS HERE!! And look at the cover! Isn’t it pretty!?!???!?!?!

Ooooooooh! SO PRETTY!

Anywho, I’m so glad to have gotten this second installment out so quickly. I usually don’t like to rush, but I agreed form the start that this book would be shorter and more concise than the first. It’s a LOT of action and political intrigue into these pages. LOTS. And I’m uber proud of it. Also can’t wait to send out reviewer copies, starting tonight

Want to give a shoutout to my badass editor, Melissa Jackson, who’s not only an agented writer, but honestly the best editor I could have ever hoped for. For any writer out there contemplating the indie route, or wanting a great edit before they send out to agents, this is the girl to go to. Here’s the link to her new, fancy website: http://www.goodgirlediting.com/

Now back to biznass. The paperback for this second installment is hopefully going to debut within the next couple weeks (gods willing) so also be on the lookout for that. Otherwise, please enjoy my new shiny ebook!

To purchase on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Jawed-Hand-Moon-Guardian-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00IDNITGI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392169938&sr=8-1&keywords=the+iron-jawed+boy+and+the+hand+of+the+moon

Nik

IJB Only 1.99!

For just ONE day, The Iron-Jawed Boy is dropping down to $1.99  Woot! Tomorrow it rises to 2.99 and 3.99 the day after. Get it before the second book comes out in December…

The Iron-Jawed Boy (Sky Guardian Chronicles)

Moving Again!

I know. I’m like a gypsy of sorts.

It’s amazing how no matter how hard you try you somehow just end up being exactly like your parents. Mine were rather keen on moving from place to place. I’m 23, yet in the 20 years I lived with my mom and dad, we lived in about 25 different places. In one apartment complex alone in Indiana, we lived in FOUR different apartments…it was crazy.

I think for that reason alone, I never feel truly settled in one place, and thus, the title of this post. Moving to Irvine next month, and just in time, because Vegas weather is about to get reeeeeeal cold reeeeeeeeal quick. And because I loathe winter in its entirety, I’m uber happy about this news, lol.

In writing news, I’m working on my book synopsis, and it’s just about the most difficult thing about writing a book. Crushing 50,000 words into three paragraphs is just as difficult as it sounds. I, however, pride myself on my persistence, so I think I’ve got it on lockdown. Well, in the future at least…why do you think I’m writing a blog post about it instead of actually working on it?

Hoping everyone is having an amazing week!

Nik

The Iron-Jawed Boy and the Hand of the Moon

Wow, haven’t posted in a while, which I knew would eventually happen, haha.

But anywho, the second book is nearing the completion of its second draft, which means TWO more drafts and it’ll be done. Yes, yes–you are allowed to be this excited…

Expecting it out in December …Queue happy dance, which looks rather similar to this:

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand, to top it all off, the first book is getting a completely new cover to coincide with the second one! Ahhh…it’s the little things that warm’s a dude-guy’s heart.

Rough Draft Complete!

IT HAS BEEN DONE! The rough draft for the second book in the Sky Guardian Chronicles has been completed!

It shall be entitled The Iron-Jawed Boy and the Hand of the Moon, and at this pace, it shall be released early 2014

I’m so excited with the direction this story has gone. It’s going a bit darker, where confusion and uncertainty plague IOn’s thoughts on the daily. He’s going to really start questioning where his life is going and who his allies and enemies are. The lines, he discovers, are not so clear-cut.

The next month or so is going to go by rather quickly. Going to be starting the revisions for the first draft on Monday, I believe, and possibly finish by the end of October. Wish me luck!

ONTO BATTLE/WRITING!

All right, so it’s 11:00 A.M. here in Vegas, and by the end of the day (12 A.M.) I need to have reached my goal of 35,000 words total for this second manuscript. So, that’s about 8,000 words I’m gonna need to write in a day. The most I think I’ve ever written is 6,000, so today will also be a record breaker for me, at least if this goes as planned. It is only a rough draft, so minor details that usually hang you up can be overlooked for the greater good of just laying out the essentials.

This is my already-exhausted-by-this-idea face:

And this is a Kristen Wiig gif to remind me of how exciting this is going to be!

 

IJB Review!

Here’s another review of The Iron-Jawed Boy from MirandaJae of Goodreads

“Both Ionikus Reaves and his story are as original and movie-worthy as those of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson! The author was very descriptive (which I LOVED) I could envision every unique character as well as their surroundings (whether indoors or outdoors) and even the strange foods they ate. (Who knew gods loved macaroons?) Nikolas Lee’s descriptions made me want to pick up a pencil and put the incredible images forming in my head on to paper! (And I loved that too.) ^_^

I envy those of you that won the print copies of this book, it would be so great to have on my bookshelf! (I might just have to buy a copy for myself when I’m no longer broke.) ;D”

Ooooooooooooooooooh, sounds so fancy, right? lol

Here’s a link: http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Jawed-Boy-Guardian-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00DSEDXWC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1376504075

The ebook is now only 2.99!

Ugh

lol about that title, but it’s sort of EXACTLY how I feelz right now.

I’ve moved back to Vegas, and am trying to “get my life” as they say. Well, “getting” one’s life is actually more difficult than you’d imagine, especially when you’re suffering from a severe case of “Everything Makes Me Want To Cry” Syndrome. I mean, I guess feeling human emotion is normal and expected, or whatever, but it’s like…how bout can I just be numb for a bit in order to get over my ridiculousness? Life’s answer: No, fool, now go eat a donut.

I’m just so conflicted on so many levels. First of all, I’m in a city tainted with the bad memories of my childhood, yet alive with possibilities of my future and the laughs and smiles of all the past experiences I did enjoy. Secondly, I just got out of a relationship that lasted two years, which we ended peacefully. And sidenote: I’ve never missed anyone so much in my life, except this cupcake I ate yesterday, but most people wouldn’t count that or whatever cuz it’s not an actual thing (though, some people {me} would disagree with that statement).

This video is the only thing that has been helping me feel better. lol

Somehow, however, I have found time to write…like 7,000 words this past week. It’s not a lot, at least for my standards, but at least I’m doing something -_-

20,000 Word Milestone!

Woot! Just hit 20,000 words in my newest manuscript, and this is what I feel like:

Btw, aren’t shihtzus the cutest freakn god?! Besides, of course, french bulldogs.

Anywho, not only have I hit the 20,000 word mark, but IJB has made it onto 3 separate bestseller lists this morning! Aaaaaand it’s only 3.99 (in ebook form). OH! And I just had an idea! You should buy it! OMG, or better yet buy it for someone else

Click Here!

 

 

Exclusive IJB Read!

Here’s an excerpt from my bestselling middle grade novel, The Iron-Jawed Boy. This is yet another scene where I really got to play with visuals. And spiders.

…

And then he saw it…something…multiple somethings…long and leathery arms creeping out a hole in the middle of the ceiling. They slithered down the walls, into the reach of the moonlight, and Ion gasped. They weren’t arms. They were vines—fat, green vines veiled in bulbous, throbbing zits.

Ion took to the middle of his bed, somewhere in between panic and utter confusion.

More vines spilled down the walls, until the walls could no longer be seen.

Ion focused and as the hairs on his arms rose, out from their tips whipped thin bolts of electricity. The vines washed down onto the floor, and Ion tightened his fists, the electricity growing thicker.

The hissing came from all around, and then, pop, pop, pop like the violent death of a balloon bouquet. Ion could only watch now as the throbbing zits on the vines exploded with green juices…and hairy, black spiders.

He screamed as spiders sprayed through the air, landing on his bed, his tunic, and a few on his face. Ion fired lightning in every which direction, but with each bolt and crack of thunder that came, so followed more pops and more spiders. When the vines coiled around the legs of his bed, the spiders gathered at the end of Ion’s mattress, right there on the sheets, climbing on top of one another, until a great tower of black, hairy legs and fangs stood before him. He fell back in horror, and the spiders fell away to the floor, leaving in their wake a teenage girl with blazingly red hair, and green eyes that burned with a vengeance.

 

…

Get your 3.99 ebook copy or 9.00 paperback copy here!