Introducing a new sci-fi adventure: The Elynx Saga

[Nicola]

Hello everyone :)

I'd like to introduce myself and my book series.
I'm Nicola Bagalà. I'm an Italian expat living in Finland, and I have recently decided to turn my writing hobby into a full-time occupation.
I've been working on The Elynx Saga, my science fiction series, for several years now, and in February 2016 I self-published its first instalment, The Fall of the Gods .



When new graduate Yuki Kashizawa moves to London for her PhD, she is certainly not expecting to be dragged into a mystery. At the Deverex Tower, an ultra-modern skyscraper and her new home, Yuki bumps into the extravagant Rupert Howards. He involves her in his personal investigation on the building’s former owner, Edwin Deverex, a brilliant scientist who vanished into thin air years before.

The prime suspect, Ayleen Marker, hides more than one secret, and the connection between the enigmatic past told in her dreams and Deverex’s disappearance is unlike anything Yuki and Rupert could ever imagine. The investigation takes an alarming turn when Rupert discovers that the Deverex Tower’s hidden technological wonders have fallen into the wrong hands…

The book (like all the others in the series) was originally written in Italian, but I translated it into English myself—a fun experience, I promise you!—and thanks to the help of a professional, English native speaker editor, it is now out there on Amazon, waiting for many Kindle owners eager to read it!

My potential eager readers may wish to try before they buy, and that's alright.
A free preview in PDF is available here: The Fall of the Gods - Free preview.

However, if you're intrigued already, you can find my book on Amazon US, UK, DE, IT, ES, FR, NL, JP, AU, CA, IN, MX, and BR.

The book's current price is 2.99$, but I do have 0.99$ and free promos from time to time, and fear not, I'll be sure to let Goodreads know when I do. :)

At the moment, The Fall of the Gods is enrolled in Amazon's Select programme, and thus it is available only on Amazon. It will be available also in EPUB format on several more retailers' websites in early June. If you're interested, keep an eye on The Fall of the Gods' page on my website for updates about new releases, promotions, and more! :)

I welcome all kind of feedback, so if you have any, please do not hesitate to get in touch, either here on Goodreads or via any other available channels!

Thanks for your attention, and happy reading :)
Nicola

[Lucille]

HI Nicola,
I love science fiction, so I will take a look at the sample. Well done for translating - that must have been a challenge. I have often thought of doing the same with my book since I am half French, but I'm too scared to try!
Best wishes for success
Lucille

[Nicola]

Lucille wrote: "HI Nicola,
I love science fiction, so I will take a look at the sample. Well done for translating - that must have been a challenge. I have often thought of doing the same with my book since I am h..."

Thank you, Lucille! I wish I could offer a longer sample, but since the book is enrolled in Amazon's Select programme, for now I need to stick with a sample the same size as that on Amazon. The normal sample size I used to give before Select was 8 chapters, and it will be again once Select is over :D

Yes, translating the book was a bit of a challenge, but it was great fun, and I'm looking forward to doing it again! Presently, I'm working on the Italian version of my second novel, and once it's done, it's translation time!

I think you should give it a go too. If your French is reasonably strong, with the help of the Internet and of a native speaker editor, you'll be good to go. Leave fears behind :)

Best,
Nicola

[Lucille]

Yes, food for thought. My book is a novel about the life of Leonardo da Vinci, (Gioconda) and it was published by Granta in 2011. My agent tried to sell to an Italian publishing house but they didn't take it. Neither did the French! Only the Spanish, Serbs and Chinese did, which was strange, since I would have thought that France and Italy were the obvious markets. Just goes to show you can never tell. But I think you are pretty safe with science fiction in the UK and US. Plus the cover looks good.

[Nicola]

Lucille wrote: "Yes, food for thought. My book is a novel about the life of Leonardo da Vinci, (Gioconda) and it was published by Granta in 2011. My agent tried to sell to an Italian publishing house but they didn..."

Strange indeed. Did you also publish in e-book format, or only paper?

May I ask, how did you find an agent? I am not really thinking about traditional publishing yet, and if I did, it would be printing on-demand, but just in case... You never know :)

Thanks for complimenting my cover. :)

[Lucille]

Both formats were published. It was not easy finding an agent though. In the end I found out which agent published work about Leonardo da Vinci (you could look for similar genres) and approached them. They put me in touch with the fiction department and I sent the first three chapters.
I think it is a question of really finding an agent who has clients producing similar work to you, because that agent will have the right contacts and will be more likely to take you on - since she/he will find it easier to sell your work

[Nicola]

Lucille wrote: "Both formats were published. It was not easy finding an agent though. In the end I found out which agent published work about Leonardo da Vinci (you could look for similar genres) and approached th..."

Thanks for the tips :)

[Lucille]

You're welcome. Any questions, ask away!