Six days until "The Chronicles of Fu Xi Book III: The Bastard Gods" hits the shelves. I'm still waiting on KDP approval for the eBook. While that's happening, writing presses on.
The Chronicles of Fu Xi, Book IV, has already passed a very rough 20K words. Most of that are scraps dating back to as far as 2011. I've gone back and scrubbed material left on the cutting room floor from the previous three books. It really amazes me how well the plot has held together over four books that I can pick up decade-old material and so easily use it. From beginning to end, book series often transform so radically they are almost unrecognizable from the original concept. I'm not big on plot outlining, either. My stories are a combination of rough concept and spontaneity resulting from characters evolving and reacting naturally. It encourages me that I've remained true to my original concept. The story and characters are sound and have held together. That could be one reason I've been able to press ahead without getting frustrated and giving up. I've got good story material to work with. Like I said, I'm not a big story outliner, but since this is the final installment in The Chronicle of Fu Xi series, I seem to be relying on it more this time. I know where this is going to end, I only have to get it there. I've had the final scene in the saga in my head since 2011. Finally, I see the day coming I can finally write it. Thanks for checking in. Time to put the keyboard up, and head off to my day job.
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A red tail hawk surveys they valley west of Mount Cheaha. Mount Cheaha is the crown jewel of the Alabama State Park system, one of the best in the US.
It's all over except the waiting. The eBook and paperback are submitted and awaiting KDP/Createspace approval. I've ordered my proofs, and they should arrive by Tuesday. I'm hoping the Kindle version will be available for pre-order tomorrow. So now I'm drinking coffee and doing a bit of recreational writing. Yes, recreational writing. Hence, a new blog entry to burn off some nervous energy. I spent a good part of yesterday outside cleaning up the yard. Funny how you use muscles in the yard you don't use at the gym. I'm sore. I'm also tired. Exhausted, actually. So today I'm holed up in the house, taking a day of rest on this beautiful Sabbath. I feel the strong urge to recharge my batteries. I'm feeling that typical edginess before I release a novel, the urge to isolate and wait. I ask the question all authors do when they let go of a manuscript and hand it over to the public: Is it any good? Ah, the doubts. Whether it's any good or not is irrelevant now. It is what it is )haven't we all said that way too much lately?) Regardless, in eight short days it will be in your hands, and you can decide. This book release feels different from my last one in 2016, and those that came before. First, I've lost a great deal of my support network. This is the first release without my platform Underground Book Reviews. My business partner, Amy Biddle, and I closed that endeavor down several years ago for various reasons. It was nice to have a large platform to announce new books. I am no longer a part of Deadpixel Publications, either. That author community (which I enjoyed immensely) evaporated not long before UBR went under. I also suffered a beta-reader loss due to five years between my books. This book release is very solitary endeavor. I'm expecting only a few initial sales, and then the sales will likely fall into line with the Tears of the Dead. By that, I mean when I sell a Black Sea Gods, it is usually matched soon after by a Tears of the Dead. As a writer, that's a metric of success. At least for me, platforming often detracts from writing. I have very little spare time in my life. If I'm going to write, I need to WRITE. The objective of finishing this series is finishing this series, and finishing it well. It will find the readership it is destined to find. Nothing more, nothing less. Speaking of readership, the Chronicles of Fu Xi seems to have had a streak of good luck in the UK lately. For those new readers across the pond, thank you and I hope you enjoy the series. Please leave a review on Amazon UK or Goodreads if you enjoyed it. I'm plowing forward on The Chronicles of Fu Xi Book IV. What you're going to find in these next two books? Character pivots, lots of them. You'll find more emphasis Atamoda, Okta and Nuwa. Why? Because that's where the story is taking me. Atamoda has changed. She's become very real to me, with great depth. With only a few plot twists her story opened up and she's been a joy to write. Nuwa will be a star in the final novel, and all her secrets, especially those regarding The Black Dragon, will be revealed. Okta is also one of those characters that opened up. In many ways, and he is central to the entire series. In novel 3, you're going to get to know minor characters from Book 2 much better, including the scholar Amiran, and the two children Elda and Ercole. You're also going to learn A LOT more about Leviathan. Oh, and of course there is plenty of storyline about Fu Xi and Aizarg. There's a lot of action in this upcoming novel, too. Lots. Spoiler - some characters aren't going to make it. If you haven't read the series prequel, The Golden Princess, it might be a good time to pick it up. There will be reference to events that happened before Black Sea Gods that impact the plot. Once again, if you haven't listened to the audiobook, you're missing out. It's excellent. Some upcoming projects: I'm going to make a new cover for the Golden Princess. The current cover is a good cover, but it needs more. I'm working with a excellent professional digital artist. On a related note, when Book 4 is complete, I'm considering making new covers for the entire series, and pulling in The Golden Princess from prequel to actual Book 1. Thoughts? Let me know in the comments. will also be making a new cover for my short story compilation The Illusion Exotic, and issuing it in paperback, too. I guess that's about it. Its time to go back to writing. Thanks for dropping by. #books #epic #fantasy #writing #chroniclesoffuxi #blackseagods #grahamhancock #youngerdryas #bookseries #author #authorblog #bookrelease #KDP I'm still tracking for the 16 August release date. I've spent the last three evenings trying to format the 538-page paperback for publication. In the past I paid Createspace to format my novels. Now it's up to me. The effort is all but done, and should be complete tonight. This leg of the journey is almost over. I've been remiss in providing the promised samples from the novel. Here's an excerpt from the upcoming novel "The Bastard Gods", book III in the Chronicles of Fu Xi series. 30. The Rebellion of Owls. “Gods spring from Poseidon’s loins to wield power. That is thy purpose. The road to power is paved with mortal subjugation. That is their purpose.” – The Fifth Lesson of the God Poseidon to his children, from the Ancient of Ancients. - The Chronicle of Fu Xi. *** The enlightened men embraced the darkness, wrapping it tightly about them like the linens swaddling the surrounding mummies. The rigid dead rested against the wall, seemingly begging for a drink. Amiran sympathized. Only cobwebs and rats’ nests filled the empty wine nooks, and Amiran found that somewhat depressing, especially now that his head had begun to ache. While not the deepest corridor in the limestone labyrinth below the Imperial Academy, it was perhaps the most remote; only a genius or a god could pick their way through the maze to reach it. Over the years, these four men had ample practice finding this lost wine cellar. They gathered around the rough-hewn table. Fresh air and dappled sunlight’s scent still clung to their bleach-white togas. The red and purple stripes embroidered down their outer hems declared them Master Scholars, leaders of their respective colleges. Amiran not only chaired the College of Engineering and Metallurgy, but an additional gold stripe signified his role as Grand Master of Colleges, High Scholar of the Imperial Academy, and First Slave to Poseidon. A half-melted candle illuminated faces that considered Amiran with a mix of pity and trepidation. His mind raced with countless possibilities, none of them good. In fearful tones, the worried intellectuals questioned him. “But why is he sending you?” Olorun pressed. “It’s unheard of. You’re too old and valuable to be a common Expedition Scholar.” “What will we do in your absence?” queried Kalisto, Master of Astrology, as he chewed his fingernails. “Who will take your place, and what does this mean for the cause?” asked Theron, Master of Physicians. Amiran raised his hands. “You know everything I do. We must limit ourselves to the facts at hand, and wait for our brothers to arrive.” Amiran looked around the table. We are soft men, Amiran thought. A lifetime wearing the white toga has made us this way. Perhaps our lofty spirits ask too much from weak flesh. Sandaled feet approached beyond the chamber’s archway. Two forms emerged from the blackness and solidified in the dingy candlelight, one tall and gangly, the other shorter and dressed in a plain traveling tunic and cloak. Amiran sighed in relief. Master Gremis and Master Alec’s arrival completed the conspiracy. *** I hope you enjoyed the sample. If you haven't read the first two books in The Chronicle of Fu Xi series, I invite you to check them out here. #chroniclesoffuxi #blackseagods #grahamhancock #randallcarlson #fantasy #youngerdryas #epic #books #fiction #mythology That's right, sixteen more days until the release of "The Bastard Gods", the third installment in "The Chronicles of Fu Xi" epic historical fantasy series. For those who've followed me for a while, you know I'm a lousy blogger. My day job (which I love), my family (which I also love), writing (love that, too) and photography (yep, you guessed it) keep me pretty busy. There is little time left for blogging. I do, however, want to use it as a tool to keep people informed. I'm trying to reduce my time online to maximize my time on projects. Speaking of projects... Two chapters are now written and nine chapters outlined for the final book in the Chronicles of Fu Xi series. I'm trying to arrange a writing retreat for the fall to complete a significant portion of the book. I want to finish it soon and finish it right. I have several other works in progress for the day when the Chronicles of Fu Xi is behind me. I'm starting to organize and prioritize the workflow for those projects. I do look forward to a time when this monster epic is behind me. Its consumed a decade of my life. I'm excited about moving on to fresh stories. I like breaking new ground. I won't give too much away on the projects, but one is a urban fantasy set in the 1990s, another is a sci-fi story about a convenience store clerk, and another is military thriller/comedy novel that spans from Vietnam War to right before 9/11. I can't wait to get to these projects, but I have to make sure I take my time and finish this epic fantasy with the quality and care it deserves. So, back to map making. I'll try to blog more often as "The Bastard Gods" publication draws near. New to this blog? Please explore my books here. #blackseagods #chroniclesoffuxi #tearsofthedead #epic #epicfantasy #historicalfantasy |
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