6 Days Later

The fourth book, A New World: Taken is finally out – well, it was published last Friday but it’s been a hectic schedule updating everything.  I would really like to thank everyone who has messaged and/or written reviews.  I have to admit I was a little worried about this book seeing most of it focused on a single event.  The worry was whether it was too detailed and therefore tedious.  I am more than happy to see it well-received so far.  Thank you!!!

I’ll be starting on the next book most likely next Monday.  I have to compile my notes and sort through them seeing some of them were supposed to be in this book.  I do have some great ideas on the story line on have to see how to organize them and how to integrate them into the story.  At this point, I am envisioning anywhere from four to six more books to tell the story although that could change at any point in time.  I’ll just have to see where the story wants to take me.

Again, I appreciate all of the great reviews and feel humbled by the kind words.  I hope the evening and week are treating everyone well!

John

A New World: Taken

Well, the draft and first lengthy edit is complete.  I am sending out the draft to the editing group tomorrow to get their take on it.  Then it’s just a few more quick run-through’s and the fourth book will be out.  Tomorrow will encompass writing the back cover description and coming up with a catchy tagline.  The cover still has to be designed but SM Reine is working her magic on that one.  I am hoping to have a publication date set shortly and looking to have it out within the next couple of weeks.  We’ll see how that pans out.  I wanted to have the draft and editing finished by now but my fingers would only operate at their own speed.

Seeing the story that was supposed to be told in this book didn’t seem to make it in, I will be starting on the next right away as the story is still fresh in my mind.  Yes, I’m throwing a small spoiler out.  I’m only the conduit for the story to be told through and this one took off on a tangent I hadn’t imagined.  What was only supposed to be a small part of the book ended up being most of it but I’m pleased with the result and hoping everyone else will be as well.

Okay, my mind is fried but I wanted to get this out.  I hope everyone’s evening was a pleasant one and I’m off to silence the incessant calling of my pillows.  Have a fun and enjoyable day wherever you may find yourself!

 

John

An Interesting Ride

Well, as the title states, writing this fourth book is and has been an interesting ride.  Once again, the story has taken off on its own and I’m just along for the ride.  What was supposed to be just a small part of the beginning has now turned out to be over half of the book.  And that part isn’t finished as yet.  I’m guessing, and yes, I can only guess at this point, that it will encompass about a two-thirds of the book.  I am thinking about re-titling the book A New World: Taken.  Awakening will have to be the next one.

I apologize to those that were expecting the Awakening story – I know I was.  I’m hoping to have this current one finished and published close to the middle of March.  Hopefully earlier but who knows.  Not to worry though, the awakening story will be told.  Oh please let that be so.

I want to thank all everyone who has written.  Your kind words make my day.  As a side note, if anyone knows or reads this who has the Amazon username pineapple67, I have a question I would like to ask.  I hope everyone has a fantastic day and upcoming weekend!

 

John

Slowly But Surely

Hello everyone,

I apologize for once again taking so long to post anything.  I will endeavor to correct this behavior.  I have been focused to a large extent on the fourth book in the series.  I started on a companion novel dealing with Jack’s past but have shelved that for the moment to continue on with the main story.  It would be very cruel and unsportsmanlike to leave the last book with that ending and not endeavor to continue on.

As always, this book seems to have taken a life of its own.  What was going to be a relatively short part has grown into half of the book.  I’m not sure if this is a good thing or not but it’s what it is.  I have no control over it apparently.  Sometimes I don’t even know why I bother with a story line at all.  The good news is that I am about half of the way through the draft/story having reached 42,000 words tonight.  That’s not too bad considering I was only at 17,000 at the beginning of the week.  I guess the good news would really be that I was finished so perhaps it’s only half good news.  Which, on second thought, would just make this news.

I have to say I’m a little perturbed at the Underworld movies stealing my title.  I had this book title planned for quite some time in the sequence of things and here I see my title displayed on the movie theaters.  I’ll have to see if I stick with the title A New World: Awakening.  I certainly don’t want to seem to be a copycat or riding a coat tail.  We’ll see.

Another bright note has been to see A New World: Return sit at #6 in Amazon’s top rated horror list (the kindle version) for a little while with A New World: Sanctuary climbing to #9 as of today.  Thank you so much for all of your great reviews.  I appreciate each and every one of them.  As I appreciate everyone who writes and lets me know they are enjoying the story and books.  Thank you!!!  I also want to send a thank you out to each and every reader.  You are absolutely the best.  There are so many great authors out there and I feel so privileged and humbled to see my name even remotely close to theirs.

I’m taking a few days off to rest my weary fingers and then I’ll be back at it with gusto.  I am hoping to finish the draft by the  end of the month – yeah, we’ll see about that one – and then that editing thing.  I am having a tremendous amount of fun writing this one, yes, I did the others as well, and hope it can match the others.

I hope everyone has a very pleasant day/evening and enjoy your weekend!

John

At it again!

Well, it’s been a while since I posted last and my apologies for staying in the dark so long.  I’ve recently changed the direction of the next book.  Whereas I was going to write about Jack’s early beginnings before the dreaded flu and subsequent vaccine, I decided to continue on with the story.  I had written a bit into the beginnings and will continue along with it but at a later point.  I had a friend write that part of the fun is the mystique and mystery of what Jack did before which adds to the story.  I realized that if I defined Jack, then that would lock him down.  Plus, we all have out vision of Jack and to define him might ruin that image.  I will write that companion novel but now it will more than likely come out after the story is told.

I want to thank everyone for the wonderful messages and reviews!  And, for sharing your thoughts and ideas.  They are all great and I enjoy getting and reading them.  Please keep that up!

For now, it’s on with the story.  I have the plot line figured out, but like the previous books, that goes out of the window when I actually start down the path.  I like to have it handy though.  I started the fourth book, A New World: Awakening, last night after carefully tucking Jack’s story away and managed to get a little more than 1,500 words into it.  More today.  I am hoping that I can be finished by the end of February but we’ll see how that goes.  Starting a whole new  part of the story is daunting.  But once started, the story takes over and it just flows – well, mostly.

I wish everyone a very happy and wonderful day!

 

John

Question for A New World?

I am looking ahead past the new year to begin the process of beginning the next writing session, creating the plot line, warming up the fingers, and so on, but have a question with what everyone would like to see.  I am contemplating a companion novel to the series depicting Jack’s early years focusing primarily around his military career.  I am thinking this would be the ideal time to introduce that or would you prefer to have the next book out be a continuation of the series.  Feel free to post on FB or on the web site if you have an opinion.  I mean on the next book 🙂

I have several interesting ideas on some of the story line.  My son and I have been up late the last couple of nights hashing over various plot lines – some good laughs were had in several of them.  One of the larger plot lines that was running through this vacuum between my ears took a missile on the wing and went down in a flaming wreck – or so he thinks.  Bwahaha.  The phoenix may raise its head again.  On the whole, I think it should be an interesting series of events and such coming up.  Of course, once I begin typing on the story, it takes a mind of its own and so I’ll be interested as well to see what happens.

I wish everyone a Happy New Year!  Please, stay safe, make the right choices, and I’ll see you in 2012!

John

A New World: Sanctuary Finished!

At last!  It’s finished, scrambling my mind in the process.  I have literally spent all of my waking hours on trying to finish it and get it out by Christmas – which I managed only by an hour or two.  I had only hours to spare.  For the moment, It is on Amazon and Smashwords in eBook format which should propagate out to the other sites within the next couple of weeks.  In the meantime, I will be getting it ready for print which should be available sometime in the first part of January.

Thank you all for your patience!  I know it was supposed to be out a few days ago but, well, that just didn’t happen.  I hope everyone enjoy this next phase of the story!  Now to get some sleep!

Happy Holidays!

John

Not quite there yet!

I apologize that the book isn’t through the editing phase as yet.  It will be just a couple more days before it’s ready for publication.  I just received some looks for the cover from SM Reine and she has done her magic once again.  I am working through the last bit of editing for the book and striving to have it out by Christmas.  Once again, I apologize to all who were looking for the book to be out by now but I want to make sure it’s ready.

I’ll make this short as there’s a lot to get finished.  I wish everyone a very happy Tuesday!

John

A New World: Sanctuary Finished!

Okay, it’s only the draft that is finished and now begins the process of editing.  Oh, fun times in store with that.  I’m pretty excited to be finished with this part of the story of Jack and the group.  It was a little harder to write as the arena opened up somewhat with them landing and having to find and build a place of haven.  It was still fun to write although there were times I had to pound my head on the keyboard.

The plan is to have the editing finished and the cover finished by the 18th of this month and publish it that night.  That means is should show up on Amazon by midnight of the 19th/20th.  I also released the first two books in print to Amazon and they should be showing up within the next few days.  I received the proof copies and I have to admit they look pretty good.

I have received a few nice reviews lately and I want to thank each and every one of you for making this series a success.  Like I’ve said in previous posts, the series has far exceeded any expectations I had.  I enjoy writing the books and it thrills me that they are being enjoyed.  Thank you everyone!

Enjoy your day!

John

It’s Been A Little While!

I haven’t posted in a little while and I apologize to everyone for that.  Had a bit of a bug come visit for a while and am glad to see it out of the door.  It truly overstayed its welcome.    And so, with that now on its way elsewhere, the writing is picking up once again.  I have been able to put a word here and there throughout and even string a sentence together from time to time.  The third book is coming along although quite slowly but I’m getting pretty close to finishing the draft.

When I first started the book, I didn’t think I would have enough with the story and plot continuation to fill the book.  Now I’m finding that I have had to move a part of the story to the fourth book.  That’s a good thing I think.  I would say this third book is about 80% complete.  I was hoping to have it finished by the end of the month but, unless the words just pour out today, that’s just not going to happen.  I do hope to have it finished by this coming weekend.

As a side note, the print proof of the second book, A New World: Return, came in the mail yesterday and I’m hoping the Chaos book shows up today.  The proof looks good so far and, if the same is true with the other, then both books should be out in print within the next week.  They look pretty sharp and I want to thank SM Reine once again for the fantastic covers.

The flow of writing with this third book hasn’t been the 5,000 to 8,000 words a day that the first books had.  There have been a lot of things that have had to happen in different areas and it was a little slow pulling them together into a cohesive fashion.  With the first two, the track was fairly linear – go here and this happens, then continue – but with this third book, the scope has broadened to an extent.  Plus the aspect of trying to build a sanctuary and keep it exciting without making it seem like watching paint dry.

Well, off to the story!  I wish everyone a wonderful and fun day!