Happy New Year Fantasy lovers!
I skipped January’s Newsletter to get out and promote, rally up some events, and most importantly, create!!
ARTWORK
As many of you know, I do most of my own artwork and designing. What many don’t know, is I’ve been working on the cover and title for Gwyn’s Kingdom Book 2 since July! It’s undergone quite a few redesigns, but I believe it’s finally done!
Wanna see it??? I’ll be revealing it tonight in a podcast! But since you’re a part of this newsletter, I’ll be releasing it here first!!!
The Hardcover Dust Jacket (far right and left panels will not show on Paperback Covers)
Blurb is still in-process. For now, I’ve included the last few sentences from the last chapter of Book 1
—- Not gonna lie, the title was a challenge this time. How do you compete with “The Electric Moon”? I prayed and pondered on it for weeks and it finally hit me last night: “Flame in the Emerald Shadows”.
So let’s talk about plans for Book 2 of Gwyn’s Kingdom:
The plan is to release it in two volumes.
— The second volume of Book 2 is anticipated to hit late this year (hopefully the Halloween season).
VOLUMES 1 & 2
-SO, let’s talk volume 1. I plan to submit the manuscript to my editor soon. If things go long the book should still hit in the Summer, but I really want it to drop before then.
-If I do my job right, by the end of year we’ll see Volume 2 drop. The release of Volume 2 will also bring a full book 2 release. That’s right! When volume 2 drops, the full book 2 will become available for purchase.
-Last but not least, depending on how well the sequel is received when split into two volumes, Volume 1 will likely be discontinued at the end of the year since book 2 will be available in full book form at that time.
-Why discontinue volume 1?
This might get proven wrong, but with vol 2 releasing at the same time as the full book, I expect future readers to opt for a full book over volumes.
I want to give back to the readers quicker than it would take me to flesh out the full book, but also provide a chance to own a rare version of the story. Similar to what Tolkien originally did with Lord of the Rings (yes, it was originally split into 6 books).
I’m taking a risk doing it this way, but the demand for book 2 has been so high I believe this will help show my readers I’m serious about taking this series all the way to the end.
First of all, things do get a bit darker and a little grittier in book 2, so I’ve increased the recommended age to 13+. Language is still mild and the story is still Gwyn’s Kingdom but I feel like a slight age recommendation increase is necessary for this book.
I’ve had 2 beta readers finish so far and expect another 1 or 2 more soon. So far they’re
PODCAST!
For those who want to join I’ll post the link below. It’ll be hosted by the lovely Jessica Barberi. I cannot promise others will have all-audience language approved for this interview, as I’ll be sharing the stage with 2 other authors, however, I always try to keep my own appropriate.
Signings
For those in Oklahoma I have a signing at Bookish OKC February 28th! Would love to see some familiar faces if anyone has a chance to stop by. They have a neat little café and a ton of books!
Last but not least, I’ll be at venues The Knight’s Nook, The Guthrie Ren Fair, and a few other locations in the coming months.
Have an awesome weekend everybody!
Brian H