The Breath of Aoles released
I'm glad to announce the release of Ardalia's first volume: The Breath of Aoles. I've strived to write the best novel possible, but it wasn't until Kristine Kathryn Rusch helped me to meet the author Stephen Harmon (from Utah) that the project could really take shape. Steve helped me to make the novel much smoother, and more than 180 emails later, here we are...
The Breath of Aoles, a 120,000 words science-fantasy novel is on sale on Amazon, Kobo and Smashwords at $0.99 for a period of one month (until march, 27). At the same time, I also make available exclusively on Amazon A brief story of Ardalia, a short story which describes in a few pages the genesis of the four great civilizations of Ardalia and the most significant events preceding the Ardalia trilogy. It is free until the fourth of February.
By outsourcing some of the work on this first volume, I've already spent $7015 ($4000 went to Stephen Harmon, who entirely deserves it, and he will get an additional $2000 if the novel sells enough within the first three years). So, for the novel and the short story to begin to bring me money, they have to sell at least 30,000 copies on the first month of exploitation.
On march, 27, The Breath of Aoles' price will be raised to $2.99, so at that time, 9000 paid downloads would be enough for me to give his entire bonus to Stephen, and to begin to make money with the novel. There will also be a Createspace version (paper book) of the novel. I'm working on it.
So, it may not be entirely reasonable to set the price so low, but for me, it's a matter of discoverability. Nobody owes me anything. I chose to spend that money, not you. I'm perfectly conscious I'm a no-name guy, and the reader, by picking my book, takes two chances: for her money and for her time. Her time is for me the most valuable, so I wouldn't want that experience to cost her too much money.
Now, to the heart of the matter:
Ardalia, volume one: The Breath of Aoles
The hevelens are children of Aoles, god of the wind
Pelmen hates being a tanner, but that’s all he would ever be, thanks to the rigid caste system amongst his people, the hevelens. Then he meets Master Galn Boisencroix and his family. The master carpenter opens up the world of archery to young Pelmen, who excels at his newfound skill. But Pelmen’s intractable father would have none of it, and tries to force Pelmen to stay in the tannery.
One day, however, Pelmen’s best friend and Master Galn's son, Teleg, disappears. Lured away by the prospect of untold riches through mining amberrock, the most precious substance in the world, Teleg finds himself a prisoner of the Nylevs, fierce fire-wielding worshippers of the god of destruction.
Now Pelmen must leave all he knows behind, overcome his fears and travel across the land, in search of his childhood friend. Along the way, he will ally himself with strange and fantastic beings: a shaman who controls the Breath of Aoles, or the power of the wind, a krongos, a creature of the mineral realm who can become living rock, and a malian, adept at water magic.
Why would I buy this book?
You should, because:
- as for the Harry Potter series, it's an initiatory quest, where the main character evolves through the three books: the young reader grows with him, Pelmen becomes a companion
- the main character is not a superhero: he has his fails, he makes mistakes, but he is endearing
- it's a great story about friendship
- the plot become more and more complex, with twists and turns (the book is designed for YA and adults)
- there are strong female characters
- it's an entirely new world, fun to discover
- it can remind The Lord of the Rings, but in a prehistoric world, with four people each linked to one element: wind, water, earth and fire
- there's a ptat
A brief story of Ardalia
This mythological, not to say cosmogonic, story describes in a few pages the genesis of the four great civilizations of Ardalia and the most significant events preceding the Ardalia trilogy. For those who have read The Breath of Aoles, Turquoise Water and The Flames of the Immolated, it offers an interesting adjustment of perspective. For others, it permits an easy introduction to the details of the universe while furnishing a complete synoptic history benefiting from a different viewpoint.
As a bonus: the five first chapters of The Breath of Aoles.
I'm always seeking to improve, so I would be glad for commentaries and reviews.
