Eternal Knight on Sale

Eternal Knight is on sale as an ebook for 99 cents. The new price is already in effect on Amazon and Smashwords. It should be in place on Barnes and Noble and Apple very soon. 

The 99 cent sale price will expire on November 1st. At that time I'll hold a Goodreads Author Q&A session that will last for one week.

I'd also like to remind you of the Goodreads Eternal Knight giveaway going on right now. There are three signed copies of Eternal Knight up for grabs.  All you have to do to enter is to click the button to the right of the page!

Spread the word!

All my best,

Matt

Book Club, Giveaway, and Great Review

Book Club

I went to my second book club meeting as a guest author last night. What a wonderful time! It reconfirmed that meeting with readers is the best part of being an author. We spent a good bit of time talking about how Eternal Knight was written and what it is like to go through the self-publishing process. It was also nice to spend some time talking about other authors and books (like The Hunger Games and Twilight) and our likes and dislikes.

One topic that came up was how The Hunger Games could affect Eternal Knight. Like The Hunger Games, Eternal Knight features a strong female protagonist who shoulders the burden of responsibility for the well being of her family. Katniss and Hadde are both strong-willed and both happen to be excellent archers. Could the huge success of The Hunger Games (both the novel and the forthcoming movie) have a halo effect on Eternal Knight? Will Katniss fans become Hadde fans? 

Many thanks to Ree McGinley for inviting me into her home and introducing me to her book club friends!

Giveaway

I’m giving away three free, signed copies of Eternal Knight on Goodreads. The contest is free and very easy to enter. Just click the button on the right of the screen. Go ahead and sign up!

I’m trying to make Goodreads a bigger part of my promotional efforts. The site is a haven for bibliophiles.

Great Review

Eternal Knight just received a terrific review from Sarah at Workaday Reads. I’ve probably mentioned this before, but despite the fact that Eternal Knight isn’t exactly raking in the dough, it gives me incredible satisfaction when I hear that somebody loves (or even just likes) my creation.

Still having fun. I could definitely do this for a living!






By the way, if you have a book club, or know of someone who has a book club, I'd be more than happy to meet them! I've had a blast doing them so far and will do everything I can to make it to a book club meeting. 

Book Review: Servant of a Dark God

The novel’s events take place in a world where the use of magic is strictly controlled by powerful magic wielders know as Divines. A rebel group, the Order, is secretly growing their organization in the hope they will one day overthrow the Divines. When one of the rebels is exposed, Talen, a young farm boy, finds himself caught in the middle of the ensuing conflict.

Characters:

The novel does not have a single protagonist, nor does it have a single point of view. The main character is Talen, the son of a prosperous farmer. He is a well-written, but sometimes irritating character who steadfastly stays true to his beliefs. I didn’t always like his thoughts or actions, but they were realistic and believable actions for him to take. The reader also spends a good bit of the book in other characters’ POV’s--for most part those of Talen’s friends and family. I will not go through all of them, but will simply say that they were distinct characters with their own interesting story lines. One of my favorite POV’s was that of Hunger, a dreadful, powerful monster.

World Building:

Good world building is extremely important for me as a reader. Without it I cannot build the willing suspension of disbelief required to become fully engaged in the novel. Having said that, John Brown has done an fabulous job at world building. The magic system is unique and interesting. There are no fireballs or spells of invisibility, instead magic-capable people steal Fire and Soul from others in an effort to multiply their own strength and longevity. The world building also includes a very realistic conflict between foreign overlords and the oppressed locals they have conquered. The cultures are creative and believable, with their own rules and rites. I’m also pleased by the fact that Brown knows his weapons and armor (as well as the tools of everyday living). Nobody tries to “load” a bow (is that longbow magazine fed, or bolt action?) and they draw their bows with a thumb-ring. Small details like these, well-placed, enhance the realism of Servants of a Dark God.

Engagement/Willing suspension of disbelief:

For most of the novel I was completely engaged in the story. The process of discovery and the ever-growing threat to the protagonists had me reading the novel as fast as I could. As the novel reached its climax there were two elements that pulled me out of the story. One was the non-stop series of disasters that befell the protagonists. It was relentlessly grim--to the point I believed only a miracle could save the day. The problem is, miracles are really unbelievable. I want the protagonists to save the day. The story got to the point where I didn’t believe they could realistically do it. This left me expecting an unrealistic ending and not fully engaged. The other aspect that pulled me out was the incredible power some of the magic wielding humans and creatures possessed. Anyone on the next “level” above you in the hierarchy of magical power was completely out of your league. You had absolutely no hope of defeating them.

These were not major flaws in the novel, but they did create some space between me and the story. They certainly did not slow the pace of my reading. I had the novel in my hands every moment I could spare.

Impact:

Despite the small complaints, I highly recommend this book. It was a great adventure in a wonderfully realized world. The richly textured world and unique magic system are still with me days after finishing the novel. I look forward to what the author will bring us in his next novel. 

Workaday Reads Interview

I was interviewed on Workaday Reads. The topic of the interview was polishing your manuscript. Sarah is doing an entire month on Small and Self-Publishers. Stop by and take a look at the interview!

I am also still looking for actors to play the parts in the Eternal Knight movie. Make your suggestions in the comments section of my last post if you'd like to play. Anyone who participates gets a free Smashwords copy of Eternal Knight.

Casting Call Part Two

Thanks to everyone who participated in Part One of the Eternal Knight Casting Call. In part one we looked for actors and actresses to play the parts of Hadde, Arno, and Waltas.

For Waltas I especially liked the suggestions of Cilian Murphy and Alan Rickman. Both would be superb choices. Waltas is a scheming bastard, but he also has to be believable as a knight and a Saladoran nobleman. I suppose we'll leave it to the director whether or not he or she wants an older or younger version of Waltas.

My favorite Arno suggestions were Ken Watanabe and John Rhys-Davies. Although they are not specifically described as being Asian in appearance, the Landomeri are described as black haired and "exotic" (in Waltas' words). Maret also comments on how Hadde looks different than the Saladorans. I think it would be great if the director chose to use Asian actors and actresses for the Landomeri, in which case Ken Watanabe would be perfect for Hadde's father. John Rhys-Davies could definitely pull off Arno's gruff humor. A personal top pick for me would be Nathan Fillion. He was great in Firefly and Serenity and would make a fantastic Arno.

Now, the most important role of them all... Hadde. I loved all of the Hadde suggestions: Thandie Newton, Grace Park, Hailee Steinfeld (she'll be old enough to play the role in a few years), Natalie Portman, and Jennifer Lawrence (although she'll need to have black hair). My favorites from this list would probably be Grace Park and Natalie Portman. I loved Grace Park in Battlestar Galactica and I certainly think she could pull off a great Hadde. Natalie Portman would be a superstar draw for the film. I've added Your Highness to my Netflix queue and I'll soon see how she does in a fantasy role (as an archer to boot). I am not as familiar with the other actresses, but now that I have read up on them I want to see some of their movies. (I just put True Grit [Hailee Steinfeld] on my Netflix queue as well.)

Years ago, as I was just getting into writing Eternal Knight, I imagined Angelina Jolie as Hadde. I later also considered Natalie Portman. My two recent top choices for the role have been Maggie Q and Summer Glau. Although less famous than Angelina Jolie and Natalie Portman, I can see Hadde in my head when I look at both Maggie Q and Summer Glau. Maggie Q came to my attention when I saw her in Live Free or Die Hard. Summer Glau is best known for the TV series Firefly and the movie Serenity. The Hadde role requires an actress who can handle a tough, physical role and who can display a fiery spirit. Based on what I have seen in their prior roles, both of these women would be great for the lead role.

Now on to the next batch of characters:

Morin (Age 25) The tall, handsome Prince of Salador. He is the second only to Champion Nidon as a swordsman, and second only to his brother Boradin as an elementar. A bold leader of men and smooth charmer with the ladies.

Enna (Age 42) Hadde's mother. Religious, practical, and tough. She loves Hadde more than anything in the world. Lame in one leg due to an old wound, she is fiercely protective of Long Meadow and not one for foreign adventures.

Astor (Age 27) Prince Morin's best friend and brother-in-arms. Many think he looks more like Morin's brother than Morin's real brother does. He worships (and envies) Morin. He is Morin-lite, and knows  he will never be Morin's equal.

Put your suggestions in the comments section. I look forward to hearing from you!

Fourth Month (August) Numbers

My three month charity period ended last month, but I'll keep posting my sales numbers just for the heck of it.


August (July, June, May)
12 (38,60,125) Paperbacks sold in person. 
5 (12,6,28) Paperbacks sold on Amazon
8 (3,5,15) Kindle ebooks
0 (0,0,1) Smashwords ebooks
0 (0,0,4) Apple ebooks
0 (0,5,2) Nook ebooks


Total books sold in four months: 329


Paperbacks sold in person dropped off a lot because I didn't do any book signings in August. The numbers will go up in September because I am back in school and Eternal Knight will be on sale in our school library (with all profits going to charity).



I picked up several new reviews (both from readers and book bloggers). Eternal Knight is currently the 10th best reviewed epic fantasy (and 21st for all fantasy) on the Kindle Top Rated list.


I am expecting good things for September. I have a review from a book blogger with a very large following coming out later in the month. I also have an interview coming out on September 12th on Workaday Reads. Saving my favorite for last... I will be visiting a book club on September 21st. My first book club meeting was a blast and I can't wait to meet this group!

September is already off to a good start with nine Kindle sales in the first six days. 


And I'm sill having fun!