Sean Gibson's Blog - Posts Tagged "the-chronicle-of-heloise-grimple"
The Camelot Shadow Hits a Milestone…and a New Story in the Works?!
I may not be the sharpest marshmallow-toasting stick in the campground, but I know two inalienable truths: 1) ketchup is not an optimal condiment for cinnamon and sugar Pop Tarts, and 2) no one wants to read self-congratulatory blog posts.
Still, there’s an auspicious occasion that calls for celebration, and writing about it in ketchup on a Pop Tart seems like an ineffective way to get the word out. So, a self-congratulatory blog post it is, but rather than patting myself on the back (an exercise that requires contortions my body can only barely manage), I’d like to take a moment to thank you, Goodreaders, for your support. (Goodreadsers? Goodreadi? What’s the proper plural here?)
The Camelot Shadow recently notched its 100th rating on Goodreads, and while that’s an admittedly arbitrary number to celebrate and a far smaller number than any legitimately good book can claim (you think you’re sooooo awesome with your 4.7 million ratings, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, don’t you?), it’s mind-boggling to me that a hundred people have been interested enough to not only read something I wrote (a not short and stylistically ornate something, I might add), but to take a moment to let their fellow readers know whether they liked it (and, in many cases, to take extra time to write thoughtful reviews explaining why they did (or didn’t) like it).
That’s an incredible thing for any author to experience, but it’s particularly amazing for an independent author. Authors who say they write solely for themselves are full of surplus fecal matter, because if that’s what they were really doing, they would never publish anything. No, writers want—maybe even need—to be read, because they feel like they have something to say, a story to share with the world, one that readers will learn or glean insight from, or simply take heart from or be entertained by.
I think the most exciting part about this modest milestone is that we’re just getting started. Thanks to you all, word is spreading and enthusiasm is growing, and I can’t wait to introduce even more people to The Camelot Shadow (or The Chronicle of Heloise & Grimple, if comedic fantasy is more your speed).
For those of you who have already sampled The Camelot Shadow’s fruits and found them to your liking (where am I going with this metaphor?), I have exciting news—I’m hard at work on a short story featuring a prominent character from The Camelot Shadow, set several decades before the book takes place. No spoilers yet, but let’s just say that if you’re a fan of arch, devil-may-care booksellers, you WILL like this story.
(I’m very good at subtle hints.)
If all goes according to plan, the story should be released sometime late in the fall—watch this space for more details and a preview of coming attractions. Plus, I have a feeling we’ll find a way to get the story into the hands of loyal Camelotians before the release date. (“Camelotians” is a really terrible nickname, and it sounds a little bit like “Cameltoeans”…I may need to rethink that one.)
Thank you to each and every person who has read the book, shared the book, said a kind word about the book, or otherwise just been a generally encouraging supporter of my storytelling efforts. I have a tendency toward sarcasm—(*gasp*) a shocking revelation, I know—but let me swap snark for sincerity for a moment to say that I am so incredibly grateful for all of you, and constantly humbled by the kindness of total strangers whose love of stories and open-mindedness both makes me happy and gives me hope for the world.
I promise you that things are only going to get better from here (pipe down in the back there, with your “how can it get any worse?” commentary)—so stick around and let’s have some adventures together.
Still, there’s an auspicious occasion that calls for celebration, and writing about it in ketchup on a Pop Tart seems like an ineffective way to get the word out. So, a self-congratulatory blog post it is, but rather than patting myself on the back (an exercise that requires contortions my body can only barely manage), I’d like to take a moment to thank you, Goodreaders, for your support. (Goodreadsers? Goodreadi? What’s the proper plural here?)
The Camelot Shadow recently notched its 100th rating on Goodreads, and while that’s an admittedly arbitrary number to celebrate and a far smaller number than any legitimately good book can claim (you think you’re sooooo awesome with your 4.7 million ratings, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, don’t you?), it’s mind-boggling to me that a hundred people have been interested enough to not only read something I wrote (a not short and stylistically ornate something, I might add), but to take a moment to let their fellow readers know whether they liked it (and, in many cases, to take extra time to write thoughtful reviews explaining why they did (or didn’t) like it).
That’s an incredible thing for any author to experience, but it’s particularly amazing for an independent author. Authors who say they write solely for themselves are full of surplus fecal matter, because if that’s what they were really doing, they would never publish anything. No, writers want—maybe even need—to be read, because they feel like they have something to say, a story to share with the world, one that readers will learn or glean insight from, or simply take heart from or be entertained by.
I think the most exciting part about this modest milestone is that we’re just getting started. Thanks to you all, word is spreading and enthusiasm is growing, and I can’t wait to introduce even more people to The Camelot Shadow (or The Chronicle of Heloise & Grimple, if comedic fantasy is more your speed).
For those of you who have already sampled The Camelot Shadow’s fruits and found them to your liking (where am I going with this metaphor?), I have exciting news—I’m hard at work on a short story featuring a prominent character from The Camelot Shadow, set several decades before the book takes place. No spoilers yet, but let’s just say that if you’re a fan of arch, devil-may-care booksellers, you WILL like this story.
(I’m very good at subtle hints.)
If all goes according to plan, the story should be released sometime late in the fall—watch this space for more details and a preview of coming attractions. Plus, I have a feeling we’ll find a way to get the story into the hands of loyal Camelotians before the release date. (“Camelotians” is a really terrible nickname, and it sounds a little bit like “Cameltoeans”…I may need to rethink that one.)
Thank you to each and every person who has read the book, shared the book, said a kind word about the book, or otherwise just been a generally encouraging supporter of my storytelling efforts. I have a tendency toward sarcasm—(*gasp*) a shocking revelation, I know—but let me swap snark for sincerity for a moment to say that I am so incredibly grateful for all of you, and constantly humbled by the kindness of total strangers whose love of stories and open-mindedness both makes me happy and gives me hope for the world.
I promise you that things are only going to get better from here (pipe down in the back there, with your “how can it get any worse?” commentary)—so stick around and let’s have some adventures together.
Giving Tuesday: It’s Not Just for Enemas (Anymore)
And now that I’ve got your attention…
I feel about Giving Tuesday a little bit like how I feel about Valentine’s Day: you shouldn’t have to pick a day to help other people, just as you shouldn’t have to pick a day to say I love you and be nice to your significant other, because the implication is that it’s okay to NOT do those things the rest of the year. (On the plus side, Giving Tuesday doesn’t involve the giving or receiving of bad chocolate—that’s what kills me most about Valentine’s Day; the chocolate is terrible, and every time you eat bad chocolate, and angel gets stabbed in the earhole by a devil.)
That said, I’m all in favor of something that gets people thinking about how they can be a force for good in the world, and if Giving Tuesday is the mechanism that makes that happen, then I’ll, um, mechanic it up (I have no idea what that means).
For reasons detailed here, I like to donate a portion of the (meager) proceedings from my books to worthy causes. In the case of The Camelot Shadow and The Strange Task Before Me: Being an Excerpt from the Journal of William J. Upton, it’s Surgicorps.org (for reasons described in the link above), and in the case of The Chronicle of Heloise & Grimple, it’s ProLiteracy (for reasons that should be obvious to anyone on Goodreads).
HELP ME GIVE MORE!
In an effort to augment my usual annual donation to those groups and the book proceeds, I’m going to donate an extra dollar to each cause for every copy of my books sold between now and Friday. Is that going to enable both organizations to completely fulfill their missions and close up shop? Of course not. But, maybe we can throw a little extra good their way and, in the process, provide essential medical care to those in need and help some people learn to read (and gain all of the power (and great responsibility) that knowing how to do that entails).
If you want to participate, just pick up a copy of one of the books (or multiples—they make great gifts) and let me know that you made a purchase, either in the comments below or by messaging me directly; I’ll make the donation on Saturday.
Regardless of what causes you support and how you do that (sometimes money is tight, but time, old clothes, food, and other commodities can always help), thanks to all of my GR peeps for being rays of light in an increasingly dark world.
Happy Holidays to all!
I feel about Giving Tuesday a little bit like how I feel about Valentine’s Day: you shouldn’t have to pick a day to help other people, just as you shouldn’t have to pick a day to say I love you and be nice to your significant other, because the implication is that it’s okay to NOT do those things the rest of the year. (On the plus side, Giving Tuesday doesn’t involve the giving or receiving of bad chocolate—that’s what kills me most about Valentine’s Day; the chocolate is terrible, and every time you eat bad chocolate, and angel gets stabbed in the earhole by a devil.)
That said, I’m all in favor of something that gets people thinking about how they can be a force for good in the world, and if Giving Tuesday is the mechanism that makes that happen, then I’ll, um, mechanic it up (I have no idea what that means).
For reasons detailed here, I like to donate a portion of the (meager) proceedings from my books to worthy causes. In the case of The Camelot Shadow and The Strange Task Before Me: Being an Excerpt from the Journal of William J. Upton, it’s Surgicorps.org (for reasons described in the link above), and in the case of The Chronicle of Heloise & Grimple, it’s ProLiteracy (for reasons that should be obvious to anyone on Goodreads).
HELP ME GIVE MORE!
In an effort to augment my usual annual donation to those groups and the book proceeds, I’m going to donate an extra dollar to each cause for every copy of my books sold between now and Friday. Is that going to enable both organizations to completely fulfill their missions and close up shop? Of course not. But, maybe we can throw a little extra good their way and, in the process, provide essential medical care to those in need and help some people learn to read (and gain all of the power (and great responsibility) that knowing how to do that entails).
If you want to participate, just pick up a copy of one of the books (or multiples—they make great gifts) and let me know that you made a purchase, either in the comments below or by messaging me directly; I’ll make the donation on Saturday.
Regardless of what causes you support and how you do that (sometimes money is tight, but time, old clothes, food, and other commodities can always help), thanks to all of my GR peeps for being rays of light in an increasingly dark world.
Happy Holidays to all!
