Sounds like a soap opera, doesn’t it? Well, my old nemesis of a malady has crept back to me, quieter than the proverbial cat-footed fog. That’s life. One day you’re up and one day you’re down. If you’re going to be thankful for the ups, you might as well have patience through the downs. I suppose the ups don’t seem all the nice without the downs as bookends, no?
Anyway, I’m off work for a month and confined to bed. The plan is to sleep a great deal, mend, cautiously eat minute amounts of food, and generally let the world spin on by. I suppose I can still fiddle around on the computer and get a little writing done, but I imagine I’m going to end up reading more books than writing. Already, in the last three days I’ve read seven books and I’ve just started my eighth: Ellis Peters’ Dead Man’s Ransom–one of her Brother Cadfael mysteries. I’ve read all the Cadfael books before, of course, but there’s nothing like sitting down for a chat with a trusted old friend.
In happier news, I just received print proofs for A Storm in Tormay. It’s come out rather nice, but, good grief, the book is gigantic. I had to bind it in the 7×10 size, otherwise the page count went above what Createspace can physically print. It ended up at 748 pages and weighs 3.5 lbs. It can either be read, used as a doorstop, or catapulted in lieu of large round stones. I’m afraid it also hideously expensive ($24.99), but that’s unavoidable, due to Createspace’s base cost of $22-something. C’est la vie. I’m not planning on selling a lot of these. What I am planning on doing is sending them out to select reviewers and for presents, as I’m allowed to buy them a whole lot cheaper.
hah! it looks AWESOME!! and your price isn’t hideous! Perhaps more people will purchase it. sometimes free is equated with not good enough. i had read a blurb about The Hawk and His Boy a long time ago and put it on my wishlist. somehow i came across it again (i never check my wishlists as i equate those with tantalising dreams that will probably never materialize…) a couple of months ago and it was free so i downloaded it, started reading it and fell in love within the first couple of pages and purchased the other two even before i was a quarter of the way through it.
I just want you to know that I have been praying a LOT for you lately. i had read about you losing a lot of weight… then i read your blog on The Wicked Day… I’m really sorry you’re not well.
I really appreciate the prayers. They help. I figure a couple more weeks of bed-rest, chicken broth and prayer will get me out of this. Thankfully, I have a very patient doctor who shares my aversion of hospitals, so we’ve agreed to keep me out of there.
I’m very excited to see this in print. Especially with the new cover art.
I really was lucky to find that artist (Alex Aparin). Any new Tormay books will definitely have his art (if I can afford it). Hopefully, the three individual books of the trilogy will be rolled out in about a week or so.
First of all, get well. The world needs you.
I plan to buy your book for several wrong reasons.
A) We need to get you to 63,820 books sold. It’s a lonely job. Someone has to do it. What better cause?
B) I don’t write in your genre. THIS is very important. In the middle of writing my new novel, “Vinegarone,” I read a Sandra Brown novel. As soon as I began writing again, my storyline took a left turn, and began to look like a Sandra Brown novel. I like her, but I don’t want to write like her. It left an indelible mark on my new novel despite my attempt to purge all Brownian content. I am hoping your story is far enough away from what I would write that it would be unlikely we would mix literary DNA. BTW – I, too, just received my proof copy last week. Our books may have been on the press at the same time. If your book has a page with a character named Jeep, mail it to me. BTW2 – I am very impressed, once again, with Createspace.
C) Once I have “Vinegarone” on the shelves and e-whatevers, I begin work on my 208,000 word manuscript I wrote many years ago. From an earlier blog entry, you may recall I will likely turn this one into a serial. Two parts would be done, I’d finish the 3rd and final installment. Having said that, if I am able to choke down your bookstop (your words, not mine), I may just clean it up and go with it as it stands. If you don’t mind telling me, what is the word count of “A Storm in Tormay.”
One more thing, your novels are age appropriate for…?
Again, all the best.
Hi Doug, I’d say the “Tormay” books are a good read for anyone who would read “Lord of the Rings”. So pretty much 8 years to senior citizen, if the 8-yo or 80-yo can handle that kind of reading level and likes stories about boys and hawks and men and women and old mages and mythical creatures and magic.
Doug, I sure hope you don’t buy that book just because I’m sick! Plus, I would hate to be responsible for sending your current project off the rails and into fairytale land. I could never live with myself.
Yeah, I’m pretty impressed with Createspace too. I’ve seen a lot of people complain about the process being slow, but it has been lightning fast (so far) for me. The quality of the proofs has been good as well. Crisp, even printing. Binding looks good.
The word count for Storm is 394,205. The original manuscript was something a bit more than 450,000, but I chopped out a lot of it.
Not to contradict Angelika (I think it would have to be a rather precocious 8-year-old to tackle Storm), but I’d say the story is good for 10 and up. It’s somewhere in between Narnia and Lord of the Rings in terms of seriousness and feel. There are a few slightly scary parts in it, but I’ve had junior highers quite happily read it, and then I’ve had an adult or two say it scared them. Shrug.
I am devoid of compassion, therefore I am NOT buying the book because you are sick. Nor am I mercenary. I thought my explanation make it clear what a thoroughly selfish person I am.
I’m impressed that you cut 15% of your word content!
I submitted my manuscipt to CS at about 11pm on a Thursday night. When I checked at 9am the next Friday morning they had checked it. I hit the GO button. That afternoon I had a UPS tracking number for the book. It arrived on schedule the following Wednesday. No expediting. $18 and change for two proofs plus shipping. Don’t get no better.
Okay, maybe I have a little compassion…
Amazingly quick! I have no complaints with CS and have difficulty understanding the woes of other people who have had bad experiences. I have four proof books waiting for me down at the post office. I’m hoping my wife will have time to pick them up today.
You? Selfish. Ha. Despite the internet buffer, I’ve already figured that one out.
I am recommending it to my 6/7 grade students …
Thank you!
how are you feeling? i’m still praying diligently for your return to excellent health. plus, i remember somewhere your wife was due this month? i pray for her, too, that all goes well!
Hanging in there. It’s an inch-by-inch process. Thank you for the prayers. Yes, my wife is due at the end of the month. That’s stressful enough as it is for her. I should have scheduled falling ill for a different time of the year!