tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67136765450224319492024-03-05T07:15:42.561-05:00Eternal KnightHepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.comBlogger182125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-19125077514892675912022-07-12T10:38:00.001-04:002022-07-12T10:38:15.367-04:00Green Wyvern Kindle Countdown<p> Hi everyone!</p><p>Just wanted to let everyone know that <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Green-Wyvern-One-Matt-Heppe-ebook/dp/B09WH1GB9B/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1657632960&sr=8-4">The Green Wyvern</a> is a Kindle Countdown Deal for this week. You can pick up the ebook for just $.99 on Amazon. You can also read it for free if you are a Kindle Unlimited subscriber. </p><p>I've been working on the sequel (there will be two volumes in The Green Wyvern) and another project as well. Not long ago I came up with an awesome concept for a D&D character that I just couldn't get out of my head. Well...that character's backstory led to the concept for a novel and now I'm 10,000 words in after only three days. For now, I'm going to keep working on that project (working title: Puppy). I've got great momentum and the word count is just flying. </p><p>Don't worry, I'll get back to Bull very soon!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiue60SF5AHwP5U7tGth8UXVYSWXKtMIfiPSMD96xkyh8SCTwM7V_IGy9l-3oE0F-acSEIWBtnKvFOpZPR8GC3ZQrF7anqu_zkifNN_umsGH6OrxqEZ0ih5wi3SrHLbL_CIYgkzUqyJaOdC7iX_FCPEI-vaLG4XHKjc7VwfsFKBihaSVIk8I_3ey2O2PQ/s3900/Green%20Wyvern%20One%20Art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2684" data-original-width="3900" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiue60SF5AHwP5U7tGth8UXVYSWXKtMIfiPSMD96xkyh8SCTwM7V_IGy9l-3oE0F-acSEIWBtnKvFOpZPR8GC3ZQrF7anqu_zkifNN_umsGH6OrxqEZ0ih5wi3SrHLbL_CIYgkzUqyJaOdC7iX_FCPEI-vaLG4XHKjc7VwfsFKBihaSVIk8I_3ey2O2PQ/w400-h275/Green%20Wyvern%20One%20Art.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-3687944275305553492022-04-21T21:14:00.005-04:002022-04-21T21:14:53.858-04:00Green Wyvern Publication Day<p><span style="font-family: times;">Happy birthday to <i>The Green Wyvern</i>! It's publication day!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">Here's the blurb...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><i><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Baron Theodus of Sursival arrives at the Green
Wyvern Inn to tell his life story. Each night, he returns to regale the
townspeople with tales of monsters, treasure, foes, and friends. And when his
story is done, he says he will leave his subjects, never to return.</span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
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<span style="background: white;">To most people, the baron’s name is Bull. He is
a giant of a man. They say the great warrior has never been defeated in battle,
but he will tell you those tales are lies. He has come to set the record
straight and promises to tell the whole story of his life: victories and losses
alike.</span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">Tonight, he will tell the tale of his road to
adventure. It starts with a goblin raid that leaves Bull, his sister, and his
mother as penniless refugees on a perilous journey. The trials that follow push
Bull to the very edge of human endurance.</span></span></i></span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfEzhHkL30X0UYtcj_xngVfqcrMqqQqEScehlfLpakF1DJ5-K5uxV2i90-Pnrte1czJy2KV26c92RW3mwxxVxhvIW8R7KI8dI7Ft9Kwtos4uSTJEIg8YE4fhbzYa-y66mgOU6-Bt3MZ6nB-Aj8sOnOuVXUvqTQLGp3D6-PWRGAhS19w-Iu9JRl5E4yg/s2500/Green%20Wyvern%20One%20Front%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfEzhHkL30X0UYtcj_xngVfqcrMqqQqEScehlfLpakF1DJ5-K5uxV2i90-Pnrte1czJy2KV26c92RW3mwxxVxhvIW8R7KI8dI7Ft9Kwtos4uSTJEIg8YE4fhbzYa-y66mgOU6-Bt3MZ6nB-Aj8sOnOuVXUvqTQLGp3D6-PWRGAhS19w-Iu9JRl5E4yg/w256-h400/Green%20Wyvern%20One%20Front%20Cover.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><p><i>The Green Wyvern</i> is set in the same world as the five novels of <i>The Orb</i>, however, it takes place five hundred years later. For those who haven't read <i>The Orb</i>, don't worry, you don't need to have read the previous books to thoroughly enjoy <i>The Green Wyvern</i>.</p><p><i>The Green Wyvern</i> was actually born out of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. A group of my friends joined me for a campaign in which I was the Dungeon Master. I set the game in the world of <i>The Orb</i> (which all of them had read). I thought it would be a blast to run a game in a fantasy world that I'd created. </p><p>I was right. It was awesome. </p><p>The campaign was very story-driven, and as it went on I kept a very careful journal of everything that transpired. Not only that, but my players created an awesome cast of characters. Well, when the campaign ended, I just couldn't let the story go. I had to turn it into a novel. </p><p>No, <i>The Green Wyvern</i> is not simply a log of our D&D adventures. In fact, the story is heavily modified from the campaign. The characters are as well. The way I'd put it is that the book is<i> inspired</i> by our D&D campaign. </p><p>Are there more<i> Green Wyvern</i> novels to come? </p><p>Absolutely? There will be two to three more in the series. And they should come pretty quickly. In fact, I should get back to writing right now. </p><p><br /></p>Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-2861681573393444692022-03-25T21:25:00.001-04:002022-03-25T21:25:16.897-04:00Green Wyvern Cover Art<p> Here it is! The full-color cover art for The Green Wyvern: Volume One. I'm posting it today because The Green Wyvern is now available for pre-order on Amazon. I've set the pre-order price at $.99 so that friends, family, and fans can pick it up at a low price. The ebook price will rise to $3.49 after the release date on April 21st. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingY4YnjBtUvQn9FbyZL1j8lPl1K5VF3T3w0FOhFEMTd6h4WmDO8qT3G8itOS5pblvRKDM8SBNitWmTy2uPeQ2_iVCxF70Qvt2JKFB6M2gOlLksJE0yBn0b0vOvAvKAkq35WdgiBaReMCPBtteDOa7DK3Th8XMXM9r3ZPactzxa7xpGXEg0AIQaHOtkw/s3900/cover_notype.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2684" data-original-width="3900" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingY4YnjBtUvQn9FbyZL1j8lPl1K5VF3T3w0FOhFEMTd6h4WmDO8qT3G8itOS5pblvRKDM8SBNitWmTy2uPeQ2_iVCxF70Qvt2JKFB6M2gOlLksJE0yBn0b0vOvAvKAkq35WdgiBaReMCPBtteDOa7DK3Th8XMXM9r3ZPactzxa7xpGXEg0AIQaHOtkw/w400-h275/cover_notype.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>The cover art is by Dallas Williams. He's a wonderful artist to work with. I couldn't be happier with the work he did on this cover--and all my other covers for that matter. </p><p>The Green Wyvern was my favorite novel to write so far. I really enjoyed writing in the first-person point of view. I'm looking forward to diving into the next book in the series. </p><p>Here's a link to The Green Wyvern on Amazon. I hope you enjoy it!</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09WH1GB9B/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i5" target="_blank">The Green Wyvern: Volume One</a><br /></p>Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-35530332402660847972022-03-06T21:26:00.001-05:002022-03-06T21:30:01.380-05:00Progress Report and Kindle Unlimited<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGEp_rNnGd11_3yMTgx-bFu5DkdBTE7Sowka-eYjbxTWpUxNYPWN2s9JIymvorFxfOl4p1Qn7qQtIIEW3f4So2pJEW3H5FP-K5-dAnjHlB-NdRB-TwwCeQpSKdvF_sKoiomKS5KYvaqPSYs35zg7aXoy-b1IBrIpbmcuf3u1S0NvRsFDMsySxfJVTi6A=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="1000" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGEp_rNnGd11_3yMTgx-bFu5DkdBTE7Sowka-eYjbxTWpUxNYPWN2s9JIymvorFxfOl4p1Qn7qQtIIEW3f4So2pJEW3H5FP-K5-dAnjHlB-NdRB-TwwCeQpSKdvF_sKoiomKS5KYvaqPSYs35zg7aXoy-b1IBrIpbmcuf3u1S0NvRsFDMsySxfJVTi6A=w476-h327" width="476" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div>Hello everyone!</div><div><br /></div><div>I made a big decision a while ago. Instead of publishing my "Bull" novellas as individual books, I decided to collect them together and put them out as a single novel in four parts. It will be published as <i>The Green Wyvern</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>You can see a rough draft of the cover for <i>The Green Wyvern above</i>. The artwork is by Dallas Williams, the same artist who did the work on The Orb series. He's been fantastic to work with and has knocked it out of the park again. I love his work. </div><div><br /></div><div>I've been making great progress and expect to publish <i>The Green Wyvern</i> in mid-April. I've also decided to do a publishing experiment and will join the Kindle Unlimited program. This means that my books will be available exclusively through Amazon. I'll lose all of my sales on Apple, Barnes and Noble, and Google, but the increased visibility on Amazon should result in more sales overall. That's the experiment, at least. I'll try it for six months and see what happens. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you buy my books from non-Amazon sellers, you'll have a week to pick up any books you haven't yet read. They will still be available to your e-readers even if my books aren't sold at those establishments any longer. </div><div><br /></div><div>Hope you're all doing well! All my best,</div><div>Matt</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-69321491770108378642021-06-24T12:00:00.003-04:002021-06-24T12:00:58.228-04:00Artifact Space<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CSTsbF8EA-I/YNSr_wxuhpI/AAAAAAAANUg/Z_IcHxE-u98xDACpdvGANtw_e-oulYvFwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Artifact-Space-3d-HD-v1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1293" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CSTsbF8EA-I/YNSr_wxuhpI/AAAAAAAANUg/Z_IcHxE-u98xDACpdvGANtw_e-oulYvFwCLcBGAsYHQ/w253-h400/Artifact-Space-3d-HD-v1.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">Artifact Space is one of the best science fiction novels I’ve
ever read. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’ve been a fan of Miles (Christian) Cameron for some time.
He brings the same great storytelling and world-building to his science fiction
that I’ve experienced in his fantasy and historical fiction. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Cameron is a terrific storyteller. In Artifact Space, we
follow Marca Nbaro, a troubled orphan who illegally gains a commission as a
junior officer on a massive Greatship. Nbaro is a great protagonist, and
Cameron does a wonderful job with her development over the course of the novel.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When I say Greatship, think supercarrier crossed with a giant
container ship. The Greatships are massive merchant ships and are the lifeblood
of human civilization. Cameron served in the United States Navy as an intelligence
officer and crewmember of an S-3 Viking. These experiences shine through in his
realistic depiction of life on a massive spaceship. One of the things I most love
about Cameron’s books is how he brings out the details of life (clothing,
training, technology, social structure, economics, and more) without lecturing
the audience. Everything comes out organically in the story and adds tremendous
depth to the world he’s creating. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Artifact Space is a grittier, more realistic style of
science fiction. It’s not magical fantasy (Star Wars) in space. Cameron pays
attention to physics, Newtonian laws, and realistic technology (The Expanse). It
is a style I much prefer in my science fiction. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m not going to go into the details of the story. I’ll just
say that it is part spy thriller, military space epic, and space exploration
novel in one package. Cameron makes it all work together seamlessly. I give
Artifact Space my highest recommendation. <o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-4173604798441455862020-05-17T12:01:00.003-04:002020-05-17T12:01:52.959-04:00Bull and the Goblin RaidSurprise! I wrote another book!<br />
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I wasn’t planning on releasing a book so quickly after The Emerald Gate, but fate forced my hand. I’ve had Bull and the Goblin Raid ready to go for some time now, but was going to wait and give some spacing between it and The Emerald Gate. I also wanted to work on the sequel to Bull as it is a serialized novel and I want to publish on a fairly rapid pace. However, the Self Published Fantasy Blog Off just announced that they opening for entries next Saturday, and I can’t miss this opportunity. SPFBO is a fantastic writing contest for self-published authors.<br />
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I am extremely excited about Bull and the Goblin Raid. It is based in the same world as my The Orb novels, but is set 500 years later. Hadde, Ayja, Telea, Nidon, and the others are historical figures to the characters in Bull. You don’t have to have read any of my other novels in order to read Bull.<br />
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Bull and the Goblin Raid is different from how I’ve written before in a couple of ways. Bull is written in the first person. I can’t express how much I enjoyed writing in the first person. It was a fantastic, refreshing way to tell a story. The voice of Bull is unlike anything I’ve ever written. Bull and the Goblin Raid is also a short novel. It is 44,000 words long. Eternal Knight was 115,000 and The Dromost Gate was 200,000 by comparison. 40,000 words is really the minimum length you can write and still call a book a novel. By the way, Bull is only available as an ebook. Once I’ve written four Bull books, I’ll bundle them and turn them into a paperback.<br />
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The premise of the Bull novels is that an aged warrior who has come to The Green Wyvern Inn to tell the story of his life. Each night Bull will return to tell a little more of his life’s story. Each book of the series is another night of storytelling. Bull and the Goblin Raid tells the tale of his life up until Bull is seventeen and his life is turned upside down my a major life event.<br />
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The event may, or may not, be a goblin raid.<br />
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I hope you check it out. I am so excited for this book. And if you enjoy it, please leave a review on your favorite bookseller’s website. Reviews are hugely important for independent authors.<br />
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Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-9796245470913257622020-04-30T15:32:00.000-04:002020-04-30T17:41:39.646-04:00Release Day!<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="1kqub" data-offset-key="4r1se-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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Today I'm celebrating the official release of <i>The Emerald Gate. The Emerald Gate</i> is the fifth (and final) book of <i>The Orb </i>fantasy series. </div>
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To make it extra special, I've discounted the ebook of <i>Eternal Knight </i>(book one) to free and <i>Child of the Knight </i>(book two) to $.99.</div>
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It's been a long journey. I started writing <i>Eternal Knight </i>in 1988! It's an amazing, wonderful feeling to complete something that's been a part of my life for such a long time. </div>
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<i>The Orb </i>might be drawing to a close, but I have more books on the way in the very near future. If you haven't read my books, this is a perfect opportunity to start! </div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-80089989262019373502020-04-12T20:51:00.002-04:002020-04-12T20:51:50.040-04:00Emerald Gate CountdownAs the new year rolled around I decided I needed to make some changes. Writing had to take a higher priority and goofing off had to be moved down the list. It didn't hurt that I'd just started writing <i>Bull and the Goblin Raid </i>(more about that in a later post) and was loving it. Writing in the first person was a fun, refreshing change. So I said goodbye to my spaceships in <i>EVE Online </i>and said hello to <i>Scrivener </i>(writing software)<i>. </i><br />
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Part of my transformation involved getting back to my habit of tracking my work on spreadsheets.<br />
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I love my spreadsheets. They keep me motivated and on track. For this one I added an "Hours Editing" column and for my "Adjusted Average" word count calculation I counted one hour of editing, proofreading, and other book work as 500 words written. I'm trying to keep the Adjusted Average over 1,000 words per day.<br />
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A lot of my time has been spent on <i>Bull and the Iron Band, </i>book two in <i>The Green Wyvern </i>series I've just started. While I've been writing my new series, <i>The Emerald Gate </i>has been out with my beta readers and editors.<br />
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We're in the homestretch now. The final copies of <i>The Emerald Gate</i> have been sent out to the publishers and are available for pre-order now. The actual release date is April 23rd. It's just a little more than a week away.<br />
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I'm very excited for the publication of <i>The Emerald Gate. </i>It is the last book of <i>The Orb</i> and represents the end of a writing adventure that began my sophomore year in college over twenty years ago. No, not the end of <i>all </i>my writing! I have a lot of stories left to tell. It's the end of a major odyssey, though. I've written a complete, five novel, epic fantasy series. It feels good.Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-29985602921534691042019-10-17T19:04:00.000-04:002019-10-17T19:04:26.401-04:00Emerald Gate Printout<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just printed out the finished draft of The Emerald Gate! Cat tail... because cats.</div>
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I will deliver it to my mom for a first proofread before putting it into book form and sending it off to my “Alpha Readers.” This is a change from my usual process. I’m tired of sending off manuscripts I think are well proofread, only to discover they’re riddled with errors. This time, I hit it with Grammarly and am sending it to my sharp-eyed mom, before my Alphas see it.</div>
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The Alphas will give it<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;"> a good story (and writing) critique before I send it off to my Betas. The Betas will give me a “reader’s eye view” of the book, and will hopefully catch any grammar errors that have slipped through the process.</span></div>
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I’m hoping for a January 15th publication date. This is the fifth (and last) book in The Orb series!</div>
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Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-90102418255725703052019-07-09T14:24:00.000-04:002019-07-09T14:24:09.068-04:00New Mulan Movie<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="2lobk" data-offset-key="e1gi6-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<span data-offset-key="e1gi6-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">The teaser trailer for Mulan looks great! I love that they're not going to a 100% remake of the animated movie (like they did for Beauty and the Beast) and are instead trying to stay true(r) to the original Mulan legend. That means no Mushu the Dragon or song and dance routines. I know some people are upset about those changes, but if you want them, just watch the original animated movie. So far, I'm really looking forward to the movie. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="7qtb6-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Here's my one small complaint... and it's one I have with almost any movie that includes archery. Why can they NEVER get archery right? Bows strung backwards, incorrect technique, shooting three arrows at a time, ridiculous results... the archer in my cringes at what I see. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="544kb-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">In my novels I try very hard to maintain the willing suspension of disbelief for my readers. That means keeping things realistic. WHAT? REALISTIC? BUT YOU WRITE FANTASY NOVELS! </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="6gvva-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">The willing suspension of disbelief mean creating a world that follows rules. Yes, there are magic and monsters in my world. And I worked very hard to explain their existence and to give them a realistic framework they must operate under in that world. Breaking the framework (the "rules of the world") means losing that willing suspension of disbelief in the reader. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="1om8u-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Not only do I try to be "realistic" in my creation of fantasy elements of the story, but I try my best to be realistic in my depiction of the non-fantasy elements. Things like technology, weapons, fighting styles, economics, politics, and the climate. In order to keep a reader of viewer absorbed in your story, you have to keep everything within the story consistent with the rules of the universe the story is set in. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="es5u-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">When I started writing Eternal Knight I knew a lot about archery, but I didn't know everything I needed to know. So I started doing research. That research led to me taking up archery and even bow making. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="ccq57-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">The problem is that every time I see bows depicted in movies or books, I can help but to become an instant critic. This pulls me out of the moment and I lose my willing suspension of disbelief. I'm no longer absorbed in the story because my mind is cringing at what I'm looking at. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="9uq0j-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">So what's wrong with Mulan's archery? (And, by the way, the most famous Hunger Games promo photo is far worse). 1) She's using a Mediterranean/European draw (drawing the string with her fingers) instead of an Asiatic draw (drawing with her thumb/thumb ring). 2) The Mediterranean draw only uses three fingers and you don't wrap your knuckles around the entire string. 3) The Mediterranean draw places the arrow on the other side of the bow. 4) Bad form. Raise that elbow! </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="2intb-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">I guess it's just not worth the expense to get archery right in movies. They figure that the number of people who will notice is not worth the effort of getting it right. But how much effort would it take to get it right? An hour of instruction with your actors would make a huge difference. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="8ouli-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">In conclusion:</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="1412f-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">1) I'm really looking forward to the movie.</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="9q4og-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">2) I'm very happy with the changes from the animated movie. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="fmupg-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">3) The willing suspension of disbelief is really important to me.</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="8bh9c-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">4) Mulan (and every other movie) gets archery wrong. (Please tell me of a book or movie where they get it right). </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="77clj-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">5) I'll just cringe my way through the archery, because the movie looks like it's going to be great. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="1luu2-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Wow, that really escalated! I thought I was going to write a paragraph about the new Mulan movie. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="1luu2-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Have a great day!</span></div>
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Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-24142775084244973582019-06-08T11:44:00.001-04:002019-06-08T11:44:12.255-04:00Bad Blogger!Wow! I'm a bad blogger!<br />
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What have I been up to?<br />
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I've been editing <i>The Emerald Gate, </i>which has involved some chapter rewrites as inspiration has required. I'm very happy with the book, but somewhat unhappy with the pace of progress. I find editing harder to do on a consistent basis, unlike writing. With writing I can sit down at a set time every day and make progress. Editing... is different. Editing is done in fits and starts and can be much more difficult as you work to improve what you've already done.<br />
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I've also been playing a lot of <i>Dungeons and Dragons. </i>By "a lot" I mean once a week for three hours. But as Dungeon Master there's a lot of prep work that goes into it. The good news is that my turn as DM is coming to a close and my buddy Mike is about to take over. Time to pull out my character sheet and become reacquainted with my elf Paladin/Bard, Keldan Faesuun.<br />
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I've also been doing teacher stuff, dad stuff, husband stuff, and homeowner stuff. I'm seriously going to have no problem being a retired person (someday). There's always something to do. There's always so much I want to do. I need more hours in my day.<br />
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When will <i>The Emerald Gate </i>be published? I'm wary to give a date as I'm so often wrong. This fall seems like a good answer. With the school year coming to an end and Amelia heading off to climbing camp, I'm going to have a lot more writing time available to me in the near future. I'm looking forward to digging into the book and making some real progress.Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-45101909416445777552019-01-07T19:47:00.003-05:002019-01-07T19:49:42.383-05:00The Dromost Gate arrives in Ten Days!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm very excited to announce that <i>The Dromost Gate</i> will be published in ten days! It is currently available for pre-order on most online ebook retailers for $.99. It is not available for pre-order on Amazon or Google, but will be sold at the reduced price for the first 48 hours after release.<br />
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A huge shout-out to my critique partner, beta-readers, and proofreaders! I couldn't have done it without you.Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-24888089250762880442018-12-31T17:02:00.001-05:002018-12-31T18:14:12.883-05:00My Best Books of 2018 ListI didn't read a lot of books this year, but the ones I did read were excellent. Many of them are series and I'm looking forward for more to come from those authors. And here we go...<br />
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I actually haven't finished this one yet. I'm half way done and won't manage to finish by midnight. That's OK. I've read enough to know that it's one of the best books I've read this year. Great world building, cool characters, and... assassins.<br />
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Again, great world building, great characters, and this one has mech armor! Don't get me wrong, it is a pseudo-medieval world, but it includes clockwork technology that you wouldn't find in the Middle Ages. My only complaint is that the book was too short!<br />
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Christian Cameron is one of my all-time favorite authors. He writes historical fiction under his own name and fantasy as Miles Cameron. He has an incredible talent to paint a vivid world that really captures your imagination. I love his medieval historical fiction series that starts with <i>The Ill-Made Knight</i> and continues with the latest book, <i>Sword of Justice. </i>If you like your fiction set in ancient Greece, I highly recommend <i>Killer of Men. </i>It is one of my favorite books. <i>Fall of Dragons </i>is the final book in the EPIC <i>Traitor Son</i> series. <i>Cold Iron </i>is a fantastic start to an entirely new fantasy series.<br />
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Mark Lawrence puts the grim in grimdark. I read the entire <i>Broken Empire </i>series this year. I'll be honest - I almost didn't get through the first few chapters of the first book. It was really grim. The protagonist was really unlikable. I stuck with it and was richly rewarded. There's a reason why the protagonist is so dark. The more you read the more you get pulled into the character's backstory and the more you want to find out what's to come.<br />
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Wow! Loved this book. It's like reading the best Dungeons and Dragons adventure you can imagine. The world building, like that in the rest of the books I've listed is great. Unlike the others, <i>Kings of the Wyld </i>doesn't take itself too seriously. This is a very funny, action-packed book. Despite the humor it has its serious, tender, and even tear-jerking moments.<br />
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This, and its sequel, <i>Arm of the Sphinx, </i>were my favorite books of 2018. Terrific, unique setting combined with an unusual protagonist, <i>Senlin Ascends </i>was a refreshing surprise. It isn't epic my usual epic fantasy. It has a steampunk/<i>Gulliver's Travels </i>feel that made it a really unique read. I can't recommend it enough!<br />
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What I'm really excited about is the fact that all of the above authors have more books for me to read. Well... almost. I have to wait a month for Bancroft's <i>The Hod King </i>and I've read everything that Cameron has published. The good thing about Cameron is that he's a prolific author - which means I won't have to wait long for something of his to appear.<br />
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I hope you all have a wonderful 2019! Happy New Year!<br />
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<br />Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-35858874661056573072018-06-28T21:46:00.000-04:002018-06-28T21:46:29.611-04:00Another One DoneThe Rough Draft of <i>The Emerald Gate </i>is done!<br />
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Well, it's been done for a week, but I'm just getting around to blogging about it.<br />
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In fact I'm about 50% done the first run through on its way to becoming the First Draft. It looks like this book will require two rounds of edits and a trip through the grammar checker/spell checker before its fit to be called a First Draft. Let's say another week....<br />
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How did I get here? Let me show you...<br />
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The rough draft took 97 days to write. This was a record for me. I started as soon as I sent <i>The Dromost Gate </i>off to my critique partner and just didn't stop. I wrote every single day and averaged 1,532 words per day.<br />
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Is that a lot of words per day? Well... it depends. With a full time job and a busy kid it is. If I was a full time author I'd hope to double that number (at least). For someone writing on evenings, weekends, and days off, it's a pretty good number.<br />
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Right now <i>The Emerald Gate </i>weighs in at 148,650 words. This makes it the second longest book in the series. <i>The Dromost Gate </i>(First Draft) is a hefty 204,000, but will lose some weight in editing.<br />
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What's next? 1) Get Book 4 back from my critique partner and start working on the Second Draft. 2) Put Book 5 into the hands of my critique partner.<br />
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When will you see a book? September? Maybe? That's what I'm hoping for.<br />
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I'm super pleased with how well the writing went with <i>The Emerald Gate. </i>It has me very excited for my future writing projects -- of which I have many!<br />
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<br />Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-68414964891338604902018-04-29T20:41:00.000-04:002018-04-29T20:41:26.101-04:00Emerald Gate Progress ReportWhat's this? A progress report on Book Five before Book Four has been published?<br />
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That's right. That's exactly what you're getting.<br />
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With each of my previous novels I've waited until after the novel has been published before starting the next novel. With <i>Eternal Knight</i> I was waiting for the massive success of my international bestselling novel to motivate me to write a second novel. After all, I'd put years of effort into a first novel. Why would I write a second if the first wasn't a huge success?<br />
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I didn't know much about publishing back then. Especially indie publishing. I didn't know that having a hugely successful first novel was about as likely as getting hit by lightning AND an meteorite on the same day.<br />
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Well, I sort of knew it. I was still hoping it would happen to me. The huge success part. Not the lightning and meteor.<br />
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The path to success is writing good books and following them with more good books. And you need to do this as quickly as possible. Indie readers don't want to wait around for a next book. They want it YESTERDAY.<br />
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It has taken a little while for this to sink in. However, I think I have the message now.<br />
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I finished writing <i>The Dromost Gate </i>forty-two days ago. I'm forty-two days into writing <i>The Emerald Gate. </i>Forty-two of the most productive days I've ever had as a writer.<br />
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I've once again gone back to my practice of keeping a spreadsheet of my writing. I find it highly motivational. The "start" and "end" numbers are my daily word count for <i>The Emerald Gate. </i>As of today I'm 63,481 words into a planned 120,000 word novel. Just yesterday I passed the halfway mark and my critique partner is still reading the first draft of <i>The Dromost Gate. </i></div>
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It is very likely I'll have finished writing the rough draft of <i>The Emerald Gate </i>before <i>The Dromost Gate </i>is published. I think this is very exciting. It means <i>The Emerald Gate </i>will be published just months after the previous novel. </div>
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What will I do the day after I've finished the rough draft of <i>The Emerald Gate? </i>I'll start writing my next series. That will have to wait for another blog post. </div>
Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-49368235261605379132018-02-20T12:24:00.000-05:002018-02-20T13:34:24.509-05:00Three Book Reviews<div class="MsoNormal">
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<i><br /></i><i><br /></i><i>The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble’s Braids</i></h3>
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By Michael McClung<o:p></o:p></div>
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4.5/5 stars<o:p></o:p></div>
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This was a super entertaining fast-paced novel. Part
fantasy, part murder mystery, the entire novel is set in a single city. I found
Amra to be a great protagonist – she’s a thief with a code. A cat burglar
rather than a killer, she still very good in a fight. There are demons, magic,
and a very cool wizard sidekick as well. I thought the writing was very good.
It never bogged down and moved along at a nice clip. I will say that the first
half of the novel was stronger than the second half. The first half the novel
blew me away. Still, it was an excellent read and I highly recommend it. I
think fans of The Lies of Locke Lamora would really enjoy this novel.</div>
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<i>Prince of Thorns </i></h3>
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By Mark Lawrence<o:p></o:p></div>
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5/5 stars<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’d never read a Mark Lawrence novel before and thought I’d
give this one a shot. I was very confused when I started the book. I thought it
was supposed to be about a prince trying to recover his throne. However as I
read the first chapter it seemed to be about a murderer and rapist. I thought
that maybe I was getting a chapter from the antagonist’s point of view. Then I
started chapter two and it was the same POV from the same villain. I stopped
reading part way through chapter two when the protagonist described a rape he’d
participated in. I thought to myself that there was no way I was going to read
300 pages about this @#$# @#$%$. <o:p></o:p></div>
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If it had been an unknown author, I probably would have
stopped at that point. However, Lawrence as a terrific reputation as an author,
he’s hugely supportive of other authors, and I’d just spent money on a book and
was ticked off that I’d only read a chapter and a half. So I kept reading. <o:p></o:p></div>
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And it kept getting better. And better. And better. As it
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The writing is excellent. The story is engrossing. The world
building is intriguing. Lawrence writes terrific action scenes to top it off. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Be forewarned, the book is very grim and very dark. If you
can get past that, I think you’ll love the novel. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Senlin Ascends </i></h3>
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5/5 stars</div>
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Wonderful. Start to finish a terrific book. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A steampunk fantasy set in an unknown era, the novel follows
bookish Thomas Senlin as he attempts to locate his missing wife in the Tower of
Babel. Each level of the tower is its own unique world that poses new
challenges to the completely ill prepared Senlin. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Senlin Ascends is a super-unique, super-creative work of
fiction. I loved the characters, the writing, and the world. Buy it. It’s
fantastic. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-377595539021306332017-12-29T10:50:00.001-05:002017-12-29T10:50:19.087-05:00No longer exclusive<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "SF Optimized", system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
I've made a big change. A few years ago I made the decision to have my books sold exclusively on Amazon. There were some financial incentives. In return for exclusivity, Amazon entered me into their Kindle Unlimited program. However, the exclusivity side of things always irked me.</div>
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Not any longer. I've "gone wide." All of my novels are now available at Barnes and Noble, Apple, Google Play, Kobo, Smashwords, Scribd, and others.</div>
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<i>Eternal Knight </i>is on sale for $.99. <i>Child of the </i><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;"><i>Knight</i> and <i>Shadow of the Knight</i> cost between $3.49 and $3.99 depending on the retailer.</span></div>
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What a relief! I've felt like I've had my arm twisted behind my back. (I did it to myself!) I'm very happy that my books are now available to anyone who wants to buy them, no matter what the platform.</div>
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Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-60163277391757504692017-10-29T15:33:00.000-04:002017-10-29T15:33:09.442-04:00I have a demonI have a demon.<br />
<br />
My demon's name is Procrastination.<br />
<br />
There are some of you out there who share this demon with me. Others of you just don't get the mind of the procrastinator.<br />
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If you haven't already seen this, please take a few moments and do so. It is worth it.<br />
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Really, watch the video. It's great.<br />
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Procrastination is something I've been dealing with for my entire life. My <i>instant gratification monkey</i> is very powerful. I'm very lucky <i>World of Warcraft </i>didn't exist when I was in college. I shudder to think what it would have done to my GPA.<br />
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Of course, I blame the game when it really is all on my shoulders.<br />
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You'd think procrastination would be more enjoyable. Isn't skipping your work to play games (or read a book or watch a movie...) a lot of fun? It isn't. Deep in your mind, you know that you're doing something you shouldn't be doing. The guilt from this knowledge makes the procrastinating less fun.<br />
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Why not do your work first? Just do the work and reward yourself with a game? It's the responsible thing to do.<br />
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I KNOW IT'S THE RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO!<br />
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I just can't stop myself. Pretty pathetic, huh?<br />
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One of the most powerful messages in Tim Urban's Ted Talk is that procrastination is at its worst when there are no deadlines. As he says, deadlines wake up the <i>panic monster. </i>A looming deadline forces the procrastinator to GET WORK DONE. Is the work as good as it would have been if you hadn't procrastinated in the first place? Of course not. But it gets done.<br />
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What if there's no deadline? Well, if there's no deadline panic never takes over and the work never gets done.<br />
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What kind of activities don't have a deadline?<br />
<br />
Learning to play an instrument.<br />
Learning a foreign language.<br />
Learning to be an artist.<br />
Getting a degree.<br />
Getting in shape.<br />
WRITING A NOVEL.<br />
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Why isn't my fourth novel done yet? Trust me... it could have been finished a long time ago. Over a year ago (at least). Why isn't it done? Instant gratification.<br />
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Unfortunately for the readers waiting for my next book, I don't feed myself with book royalties. If I did it would have an instant impact on my writing output. There would be a DEADLINE: Don't write and you don't eat. Don't write and you lose your car. Don't write and you get evicted.<br />
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I have a day job that I love. This means there is no writing deadline for me. I can take as long as I want to get my next book done.<br />
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I want TO HAVE FINISHED writing my novel. It's the finishing it that's getting in the way.<br />
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One of Tim Urban's visuals is what he calls a Life Calendar. He projected an image that showed one block per week of a ninety year life. It really wasn't a lot of blocks. That image fascinated me. You don't think there's a deadline to accomplish the things you want to do in your life? Our Life Calendar is an inescapable deadline.<br />
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I took his lifeline to heart and made one of my own.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7D_szGcK3WVuR8u_ngnaG0O3lZS1VwFpgLChUxh9a84eewlVSPw2D6EDXEV0J37RniH34yH7lmsPkCvtIJ6xBb474YtJJ29rU_Ut1ddoa1HqGJgTObEib675W-luVtJzSxWHr-cLcmkY/s1600/Life.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7D_szGcK3WVuR8u_ngnaG0O3lZS1VwFpgLChUxh9a84eewlVSPw2D6EDXEV0J37RniH34yH7lmsPkCvtIJ6xBb474YtJJ29rU_Ut1ddoa1HqGJgTObEib675W-luVtJzSxWHr-cLcmkY/s400/Life.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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I'm a positive thinker, so I made mine 100 years long. Each block is one week of a one hundred year life. I took things a little further than Tim Urban and then went and put a hash through each of the blocks I've already used.<br />
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The paper is at a slight angle. It doesn't look like it, but once I finish the current line I'm half way through my blocks.<br />
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I made a motto to go with my Life Calendar:<br />
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AFTER TODAY I HAVE ONE LESS DAY TO LIVE.<br />
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Is this depressing? I don't think so. I think it's inspiring. What am I going to do with this day? Am I going to waste it or am I going to make something of it?<br />
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Once it's gone I can never have this day back again.<br />
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<i>After today I have one less day to live. </i><br />
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For the past three weeks it has been my motto as I've awakened each morning at 4:55 AM to run my morning 5K. <i>If I don't run today I've missed that chance forever.</i> That day is gone. It is also my motto when I sit in front of the computer to work on my book after a day of being a teacher and a father and a husband.<br />
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What do I do when it's 9:00 PM and my <i>instant gratification monkey</i> is saying, "How about a game of <i>World of Tanks</i>? Won't it be fun?"<br />
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For the past three weeks I've looked at my Life Calendar and said, "F@#$ off, Monkey. I've got a book to write and after today I have one less day to live."<br />
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<br />Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-29661460976478339392017-08-01T09:58:00.000-04:002017-08-01T10:01:20.368-04:00Dromost Gate Progress Report<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover art by the awesome Dallas Williams</td></tr>
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Just finished writing the rough draft of <i>The Dromost Gate </i>last night. At 192,000 words it is my longest novel yet. It will probably lose some weight in editing, but for comparison...<br />
<br />
<i>Eternal Knight</i>: 117,000<br />
<i>Child of the Knight</i>: 125,000<br />
<i>Shadow of the Knight</i>: 145,000<br />
<i>The Dromost Gate</i>: 192,000<br />
<br />
Looks like I have joined the fantasy writers club. That's the club where every novel is fatter than the previous one.<br />
<br />
I wrote 75% of <i>The Dromost Gate</i> using Dragon Dictation software. Instead of sitting at the computer banging away at the keyboard, I put on a headset and dictated the words onto the page. I liked it, but never achieved the big increase in word counts that other authors have. I think I think too much as I write! Big dictation word counts require you to keep spilling it out.<br />
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Dictation is faster. It is also more relaxing. I found myself less fatigued after dictating for a few hours compared to the same amount of time typing.<br />
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<i>Fatigued? Give me a break! Try a day of landscaping. </i><br />
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Yeah, I've done both. It's definitely a different type of fatigued. Personally I like both. Whether I've gotten a lot done with my hands or with my brain, both types of tired feel good at the end of the day.<br />
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What's next?<br />
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1) A lot of editing. The rough draft becomes the first draft. Dictation might be faster, but it also produces more mistakes. It's a net gain, but it means that there's still a lot of work to be done.<br />
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2) Critique. I give the first draft to my critique partner for story feedback.<br />
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3) More editing. The first draft is modified based on the critique. Spelling, punctuation, and grammar get more thorough attention. The first draft becomes the second draft.<br />
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4) Alpha readers. A few alpha readers take a look at the manuscript. I'm looking for both story and writing advice.<br />
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5) More editing. The manuscript is becoming more refined. I can call it a novel now.<br />
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6) Beta readers. A larger audience of beta readers looks at the novel. I want to know what works and what doesn't. Have I made any glaring mistakes? Have any typos slipped through.<br />
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7) Editing is fun! It should be easier now, right? We've caught all the mistakes, right?<br />
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9) Proofreading. Last chance before the world gets to see all the dumb stuff you let slip through.<br />
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10) Publication! Fame! Glory! Fortune! You know - all that good stuff.<br />
<br />
When will <i>The Dromost Gate </i>arrive in stores? This winter. (I'll have a better date for you in two months.)<br />
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<br />Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-27946561586577745262017-01-16T11:39:00.000-05:002017-01-23T22:13:47.221-05:00Bows in Dungeons and Dragons<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Hello Readers,</div>
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Sorry I haven't been around in a while. What have I been up to? Writing. And playing <i>Dungeons and Dragons.</i> </div>
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On writing: Book four is coming along very well. Still months away... but it is coming.</div>
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On D+D: Our group is on its third year together and it is going great. The campaign is based on the world of my novels, set 300 years after the events of the (not yet published) fifth novel. </div>
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I recently saw a post on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/DnD5th/" target="_blank">Facebook Dungeons and Dragons 5e</a> forum asking if a longbow could be shot from horseback. </div>
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There were a lot of replies. Some were good. Some were bad. Clearly there was a lot of confusion about bows and archery. <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">I thought that I'd take the time to write a short post about bows and clear up some of the confusion. </span></div>
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I became interested in archery and bowmaking (bowyering) while writing my first fantasy novel over ten years ago. The research I did motivated me to make my own bows and it is a still a hobby of mine today. (<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Besides being a bowyer, I also wrote and taught a course in Military History. I also [used to be] a very active historical miniatures wargamer.)</span></div>
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<i>Hadde the Landomeri wielding a heavy recurved composite short bow. Did you notice that she's using a thumb draw and that the arrow is on the right side of the bow? This is a horse-archer's draw. Most European cultures used a three finger Mediterranean draw and placed the arrow on the left side of the bow. Do you need this level of detail in your D+D adventures? Nope.</i></div>
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<b>What does the D+D Player's Handbook have to say about bows?</b></div>
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There is a "shortbow." It is a "simple ranged weapon." It costs 25gp, does d6 piercing damage, and has a maximum short range of 80 feet and a maximum long range of 320 feet. </div>
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There is a "longbow." It is a "martial ranged weapon." It costs 50gp, does d8 piercing damage, and has a maximum short range of 150 feet and a maximum long range of 600 feet. </div>
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What is wrong with the D+D bow? Nothing, and everything. </div>
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<i>How can it be both?</i></div>
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Well, nothing is wrong with the way D+D archery works if you want super-simplified archery. Is that ok? Absolutely! How much complexity do you want in your game? How slow and complicated do you want each round of combat to be? It is a fantasy role-playing game after all. It isn't a complex military simulation. </div>
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However... with just a few changes, we can make bows in D+D much more interesting and realistic.</div>
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Let's talk about bows for just a few moments. The simplest form of bow is the "self bow." A self bow is made from a single piece of wood - and a string. That's it. Nothing fancy. How long is a self bow stave? It could be very short - just a few feet long - or up to seven feet long. A <i>self bow</i> can be a "shortbow" or a "longbow."</div>
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<i>So what's the difference?</i> Draw weight and draw length. A very short self bow cannot have either the same draw weight or draw length as a long self bow. What do draw weight and draw length do? Draw weight (the pounds of force needed to draw the bow to full draw) imparts greater initial velocity to the arrow. Draw length allows the arrow to be on the string longer - allowing for a longer period of acceleration imparted by the string. </div>
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It is (basically) the thickness of the bowstave that gives greater draw weight. Why can't a short self bow have the same draw weight as a long self bow? Because a short, thick stave will break instead of bending. </div>
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<i>How should this affect the game?</i> Well, self-bows come in many flavors. I'd propose three categories of self bow.</div>
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<b>Light Self Bow (short or long): cost 20gp, d4 piercing damage, range 40/160, no minimum strength to use. (Less than 40 pounds real world draw weight.)</b></div>
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<b>Medium Self Bow (long): cost 25gp, d6 piercing damage, range 80/320, minimum strength 10 to use. (40 to 80lbs real world draw weight). </b></div>
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<b>Heavy Self Bow (long): cost 30gp, d8 piercing damage, range 150/600, minimum strength 14 to use. (Greater than 80lbs draw weight). </b></div>
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Personally, I'd allow for Warbows of >100 lbs draw weight to do +1 or more damage for exceptionally strong archers. </div>
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<i>Why are the costs so close? </i>Speaking from experience, there is little difference in the effort to make a "light" self bow compared to the effort to make a "heavy" self bow. The tools and materials are identical. It is, however, more challenging to manufacture the heavy bow and there should be some higher cost involved.</div>
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<i>The above image is of my @4' tall daughter shooting a light (short) self bow I made for her. The draw weight is under 20 pounds. It is so light I'd only let it do 1-2 points of D+D damage. [Halloween a few years ago.]</i></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/BEFFsbNOgX4J_FEQ5jlsf6EbVorc-0GDiKeHTrzjjApJ2PtxQlw9bK2AoPmk06n5CSe4U-zLXeMfnvOreUuYq1KsuA4CqwBhiXGtbGoQGnhBK04By-4mP6KPoea9OjbKJ9u-GKXRBIq1SDZm7vzxzkOxyIljMB6WGrUKh7OHtRGhAsFFDIFxecItdMoF9kwD_NViYrSeq8hF9Qnv7cFvqr3xC5xofpjf0BcVfMjcWtMyv3B2puiBdYf5IuJ7Cn0Ok5VwO8haIJF-eaYALBBXFirLwEJkwpT4ztlR3NyBBhRXx32yxnPjqKq4TX3L8o_eIzYhS38q-uArPDMfaV1W-hQigXcrDLIl0eISsEWJ_KYio1c4w0DdMZQIS2q76lniUXKWnkbUyRPt0_-6YF5CzarnRXR5mgJ25pEMBu4XaLB5MgSW_rID60Ns64gIgj4d49dGUvvD3slj_xrgYelRqfQx6inOH3i3haxZGiJ57q2gG9IsSm5cnnlFwQpH9Ati92M6_GwQxNURIFRkx4eQFgh_prCPpnDhs3lCLj3AtcvzUco-F-1ZCvppP-cHNW5wpnGLIuP0T4Q1JwB1cPlgicBPoclSGoWy1p1gnA0H_8pFibif9z4P=w1163-h872-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/BEFFsbNOgX4J_FEQ5jlsf6EbVorc-0GDiKeHTrzjjApJ2PtxQlw9bK2AoPmk06n5CSe4U-zLXeMfnvOreUuYq1KsuA4CqwBhiXGtbGoQGnhBK04By-4mP6KPoea9OjbKJ9u-GKXRBIq1SDZm7vzxzkOxyIljMB6WGrUKh7OHtRGhAsFFDIFxecItdMoF9kwD_NViYrSeq8hF9Qnv7cFvqr3xC5xofpjf0BcVfMjcWtMyv3B2puiBdYf5IuJ7Cn0Ok5VwO8haIJF-eaYALBBXFirLwEJkwpT4ztlR3NyBBhRXx32yxnPjqKq4TX3L8o_eIzYhS38q-uArPDMfaV1W-hQigXcrDLIl0eISsEWJ_KYio1c4w0DdMZQIS2q76lniUXKWnkbUyRPt0_-6YF5CzarnRXR5mgJ25pEMBu4XaLB5MgSW_rID60Ns64gIgj4d49dGUvvD3slj_xrgYelRqfQx6inOH3i3haxZGiJ57q2gG9IsSm5cnnlFwQpH9Ati92M6_GwQxNURIFRkx4eQFgh_prCPpnDhs3lCLj3AtcvzUco-F-1ZCvppP-cHNW5wpnGLIuP0T4Q1JwB1cPlgicBPoclSGoWy1p1gnA0H_8pFibif9z4P=w1163-h872-no" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>The above image is of me shooting a medium weight (long) self bow I made. It is a 6'6" English longbow (Ash wood) that draws 50#. [The Red Knight's Deed of Arms - @4 years ago.]</i></div>
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<i>Can you shoot a longbow from horseback?</i> No! At least not at full draw. The draw length and size of the bow make it extremely difficult to draw and loose an arrow from horseback. It isn't (and wasn't in history) effective. English mounted longbowmen rode their horses to battle, but dismounted to fight. </div>
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<i>But I saw a guy do it on Youtube.</i> Yeah, I saw the video. He isn't drawing the bow anything close to full draw. Look, it's your D+D campaign. If you want longbow horse archery, haflings to wear human sized plate, and for characters to eat mud pies for sustenance... go right ahead. Longbow horse archery isn't a thing.</div>
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<i>What about Japanese Yumi longbows?</i> Yes, the Japanese practiced longbow archery from horseback. However, a Yumi bow is held 1/3 of the way from the bottom - not half way like you would an English longbow. If your D+D culture allows for Yumi bows, go ahead and allow them. However, make sure they aren't allowed to be used inside. The bow tip will hit the ceiling. Look how high above my head the tip of the English longbow rises. The Yumi bow would be even higher. </div>
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<i>What about heavier short bows? Didn't the Mongols use very powerful bows? Didn't they shoot them from horseback?</i></div>
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You can make a very short bow very powerful. How do you do that? </div>
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1) You can make a recurved bow. Using dry heat, steam, boiling, or by adding glued on siyahs, you can curve the tips of a bow forward. This makes the bow more efficient and adds velocity to the arrow being loosed. However... this can also stress the bow and can require the following at heavy draw weights....</div>
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2) You can add animal sinew to the "back" (forward facing) part of the bowstave. The flexible sinew stretches as the bow is drawn, adding greater draw weight to the bow. It also allows a short bow to be drawn much further without breaking the bow. The glued on sinew actually holds the bow together. </div>
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3) You can add horn to the belly (the part that faces the archer) of the bow. Horn resists compression and adds draw weight to the bow. (There are some bows - some extremely short - that were made entirely from horn.)</div>
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By doing all of the above you have manufactured a composite bow. </div>
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<i>The above image shows the glued on siyahs on an unfinished bow I am currently working on. I will eventually add sinew and the bow should come in at a 65 pound draw weight.</i> </div>
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<i>Great! I want a really short, really powerful bow! What's the problem?</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Well, your really short, really powerful bow is going to be very expensive. Bending the tips/adding siyahs, gluing on sinew, and gluing on horn is very difficult and </span><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">very</b><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> time consuming. </span></div>
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I'd propose the following:</div>
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<b>Medium Composite Bow (short, sinew backed wood): cost 100gp, d6 piercing damage, range 80/320, minimum strength 10 to use. (40 to 80lbs real world draw weight). </b></div>
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<b>Heavy Composite Bow (short, sinew-wood-horn): cost 150gp, d8 piercing damage, range 150/600, minimum strength 14 to use. (Greater than 80lbs draw weight). </b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Again, I'd allow for a super heavy composite. </span></div>
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<i>What about a composite longbow? Can't I make a SUPER powerful bow for my characters with 20 points in strength?</i> Sorry, adding sinew and horn to a longbow just doesn't work. The added mass slows down the tips of the bow and you lose arrow velocity. </div>
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<i>In the above image I am shooting a Skythian composite short bow. [The bow is pretending to be a Turkish bow at this event.] The bow draws 50# - the same weight as the longbow above. However, due to superior construction, the bow looses an arrow at a much higher velocity. Note the size difference between the two bows. This bow is made for horse archery. It's small size allows for amazing trick shots and versatility of use. </i></div>
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<i>This image shows me ATTEMPTING to draw a Korean composite bow to full draw. The draw weight of this bow is 85 pounds at 28" draw length! It is a proper war-strength bow. At 33" this bow draws over 100 pounds! It is the same size as both the Skythian bow in the picture above it and the self bow I made for my daughter. This bow was an extremely generous gift given to me by a reader - Chris Verwijmeren.</i></div>
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<i>What about proficiency rules?</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">I'd make all of the medium and light bows "simple ranged weapons" and all of the heavy bows "martial" ranged weapons. Why? Because there's more to drawing and loosing a heavy bow than just pure strength. There is a lot of technique required as well. </span></div>
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Do you need to do any of the above? NOPE! It's just what we do in our campaign. Hopefully it was informative and helpful for you. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!</div>
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Further reading - I blogged about <a href="http://mattheppe.blogspot.com/2013/05/writing-archery-donts.html" target="_blank">Archery Writing Don'ts</a> a while ago. It might add some more realism to your campaign. (Or it will just be a buzzkill when you realize just how unrealistic some of the things you've been doing are.)</div>
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All my best,</div>
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Matt</div>
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Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-80843215333450478622016-04-02T11:38:00.002-04:002016-04-07T16:15:09.724-04:00On Writing GoalsMy dad works hard. Really, really hard.<br />
<br />
He worked hard as a student. (Ha, ha, that part isn't true. He wasn't a very good student.)<br />
<br />
He worked hard for his father doing construction work.<br />
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He worked hard as a baseball player.<br />
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He worked hard as a teacher.<br />
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He worked hard as a coach. (He's in the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame as a wrestling coach.)<br />
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And when he left teaching to become a financial planner... you guessed it... he worked hard.<br />
<br />
When he made that switch (from teacher to financial planner), it was a REALLY big move. He was going from something very safe and secure to a job where his family would depend on his production alone. His income would be entirely based on sales.<br />
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My father read a lot of books to prepare him for this transition. Many of these books were self-help and motivational business books. I was only fifteen at the time, but my father would pass some of these books on to me and I would read them.<br />
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One of these books was <i>Rhinoceros Success, </i>by Scott Alexander.<br />
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In <i>Rhinoceros Success, </i>Alexander teaches you to charge after your goals like... you guessed it... a rhinoceros.<br />
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The book is cheesy. Parts of it are silly. There are religious elements to it.<br />
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When I was in ninth grade I loved it.<br />
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One of the best elements of the book was the lesson in goal-setting. Alexander tells you to write your goals on a 3x5 card (one goal per card) and place them on the night stand next to your bed. You write your goals as if they have already been accomplished and every night and every morning the first and last thing you do is to read your goals and visualize them.<br />
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The visualization part is really important. You have to picture yourself already accomplishing your goal. So I did it. I wrote a goal out and put it by my bed and started visualizing success.<br />
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I had just finished reading the book, so only had one week to visualize my goal before the first track meet of the season. It was the spring of my ninth grade year at Unami Junior High School. I decided that my goal was to break the 5 minute barrier in the mile run (1600 meters for you modern types).<br />
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To make my visualizations more specific, I wrote out my quarter mile splits for the four laps.<br />
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1:08<br />
2:25<br />
3:42<br />
4:54<br />
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And what happened when race day arrived?<br />
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First quarter - hit my split.<br />
Second quarter - one second slow.<br />
Third quarter - one second fast.<br />
Fourth quarter - well, check out what my dad wrote in the bottom corner of my goal card...<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-45bhCKvxfNA/VwWf5t5PO6I/AAAAAAAALMw/ISUE44uhEmA2Q4T6WIq_ZVOgAclQqLj_w/s1600/Record%2BGoals.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-45bhCKvxfNA/VwWf5t5PO6I/AAAAAAAALMw/ISUE44uhEmA2Q4T6WIq_ZVOgAclQqLj_w/s400/Record%2BGoals.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I hit my goal on the nose. I ran 4:54 and broke the school record for the mile! Here I am doing it...<br />
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By the end of of the season I'd run a 4:45 mile and took second place in the league championships!<br />
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Why am I sharing this with you? Because it's time for me to become more goal oriented with my writing. If I want to be a successful author, I need to first define what success is, and then I need to set the goals to make it happen.<br />
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Wanting to be successful is different from doing the things necessary to make it happen.<br />
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Signing off. I need to get a 3x5 card.<br />
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<br />Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-89660079229309910732016-02-06T11:13:00.000-05:002016-02-06T11:13:39.343-05:00Promo Campaign<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;">Today is day one of something I've never attempted before: a promotional campaign!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;">Last month (as most of you already know), I released <i>Shadow of the Knight,</i> the third novel in my epic fantasy series </span><em style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;"><em>The Orb</em></em><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;">. Now it's time to kick the tires and light the fires and get this series airborne. </span><br style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;" /><br style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;">For the next week books one and two (</span><em style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;">Eternal Knight</em><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;"> and </span><em style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;">Child of the Knight</em><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;">) will be on sale for $.99. </span><br style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;" /><br style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;">I have the following promoters lined up:</span><br style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;" /><br style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;">Today: me. Blog post, Facebook post, tweet.</span><br style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;">Sunday: Book Barbarian (uh oh, Superbowl Sunday! Hope it doesn't burn me.)</span><br style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;">Monday: Bargain Booksy</span><br style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;">Tuesday: Ereader News Today</span><br style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;">Wednesday: Books Butterfly</span><br style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;">Thursday: BKnights</span><br style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;">Friday: Open</span><br style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;">Saturday: Open</span><br style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;">Monday: Robin Reads</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;">Hopefully the campaign will raise the visibility of <i>The Orb </i>and generate a lot of excitement for my novels. I'm very proud of my novels, and very happy with how they've done, but a guy can dream, can't he?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;">If you've enjoyed my novels please take a moment to let others know about the promotion. The $.99 price for the first two novels will only last for a week. And don't forget to review. Reviews are hugely helpful!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;">Here's a little bonus for you loyal blog readers... the original artwork for book four:</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_L8A1t0BvtWLk8imU2irCZ116h7KMlTraUv5jvw0oGL7p214Tev_3N88fJhBVfdwR51Ph3goMYjQm5Zlot3_GkZWAMV7FhzVzg0zHNedlQIlX9-X7ab_MzBXjpT2LGBkboRoNgOSBDjsCig4Qfo3CvA_YiVW_MKyyqrz0E8RayQzLUTpUM5tIWgvvU7kMwn-2s3RjxcVT5RjiFDdDDe6QD1cip8t0iU75_uaRwwSLrM3Fg-C_Ajd8aqLqkJY_unBrZ-R0_4HgpNDPrP6sRqGpF_P6pMrjyCuve9pgDcPpy0OSJ2-ucLHrFD4c3_1SwroxAGDCbjfdzt5te9b85RvO4SplNHDvAXqhtPZ2MttNdyb7YX--Co6UyWbFSAedTq117U4U8PK3PYGt7bf92eHWiN8XHjg6Ez6FyZ5PmMFoj3Q_UdlQzY5-q1Kjsz6hNtGrDy2mlEVTWrnhmFomsDAlOsql8kcPvHFPuRoTLzbyp8dOKcdhIWKDW9IIiR_1bHaOecqDl0o7lEO5ilpbHVQJy012NmAzeEkI-0DjflvfJTGNjj8ym2TC4A7ZoTq1gO84bdc=w621-h440-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_L8A1t0BvtWLk8imU2irCZ116h7KMlTraUv5jvw0oGL7p214Tev_3N88fJhBVfdwR51Ph3goMYjQm5Zlot3_GkZWAMV7FhzVzg0zHNedlQIlX9-X7ab_MzBXjpT2LGBkboRoNgOSBDjsCig4Qfo3CvA_YiVW_MKyyqrz0E8RayQzLUTpUM5tIWgvvU7kMwn-2s3RjxcVT5RjiFDdDDe6QD1cip8t0iU75_uaRwwSLrM3Fg-C_Ajd8aqLqkJY_unBrZ-R0_4HgpNDPrP6sRqGpF_P6pMrjyCuve9pgDcPpy0OSJ2-ucLHrFD4c3_1SwroxAGDCbjfdzt5te9b85RvO4SplNHDvAXqhtPZ2MttNdyb7YX--Co6UyWbFSAedTq117U4U8PK3PYGt7bf92eHWiN8XHjg6Ez6FyZ5PmMFoj3Q_UdlQzY5-q1Kjsz6hNtGrDy2mlEVTWrnhmFomsDAlOsql8kcPvHFPuRoTLzbyp8dOKcdhIWKDW9IIiR_1bHaOecqDl0o7lEO5ilpbHVQJy012NmAzeEkI-0DjflvfJTGNjj8ym2TC4A7ZoTq1gO84bdc=w621-h440-no" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.7279996871948px; line-height: 19.2192001342773px;"><br /></span></span>Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-3172180935769528142015-12-30T12:14:00.000-05:002015-12-30T12:14:14.622-05:00And off we go!Well, I made it! <i>Shadow of the Knight</i> was published in 2015! Late in 2015...but still in 2015.<br />
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The ebook went live yesterday, but I didn't start screaming it from the hilltops because I wanted to make certain that it was glitch free. I also wanted to wait until the paperback was available.<br />
<br />
All of my books are currently only available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Matt-Heppe/e/B004XM3BC0/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1">Amazon.com</a>. If you want to know why, just check out <a href="http://mattheppe.blogspot.com/2015/11/on-going-exclusive.html" target="_blank">this post</a> I recently wrote.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O3apU0wfy38/VoQPeXQ6DxI/AAAAAAAAK9M/2iKH9LTodSI/s1600/redo3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O3apU0wfy38/VoQPeXQ6DxI/AAAAAAAAK9M/2iKH9LTodSI/s400/redo3.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
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It's impossible for me to judge my own work, but my beta-readers think this is the best book in the series so far. I hope you agree with them.<br />
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And look at that artwork! Dallas Williams did a great job.<br />
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Please consider leaving a review on Amazon. It makes a big difference. I'd also love to hear from you, so shoot me a message or post a comment below.<br />
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Best,<br />
<br />
MattHepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-36214940327507996522015-12-19T11:25:00.001-05:002015-12-19T11:26:15.415-05:00Final CountdownWell, just days to go before I push the send button and <i>Shadow of the Knight</i> goes live.<br />
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Here's a look at the full cover...<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UA3QXllf1Es/VnWDw_aT5MI/AAAAAAAAK6w/5EOS_ybseQM/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-12-19%2Bat%2B11.19.23%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UA3QXllf1Es/VnWDw_aT5MI/AAAAAAAAK6w/5EOS_ybseQM/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-12-19%2Bat%2B11.19.23%2BAM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Today's the day for final edits and proofreading. It will be a marathon, but hopefully, by late this evening, I'll have the final manuscript ready to go. I'll hold off for a couple of days as I have a couple of Advanced Reader Copies out there and would like to hear back from the readers before I publish.<br />
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I have high hopes for this book. So far everyone who has read it has said that it's their favorite book yet.<br />
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This is a short post, but I have to get back to work!Hepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6713676545022431949.post-40383487816548283482015-11-04T20:33:00.000-05:002015-11-04T20:33:57.619-05:00On Going ExclusiveBefore I get to the main topic of this post, I thought I'd share the new <i>Child of the Knight</i> cover with you...<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5o4cq1HZbis/VjqqMLabmhI/AAAAAAAAK1Q/hc50FVCYTcQ/s1600/Full%2BCover%2BTwo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5o4cq1HZbis/VjqqMLabmhI/AAAAAAAAK1Q/hc50FVCYTcQ/s400/Full%2BCover%2BTwo.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The artist, Dallas Williams, once again did a standout job creating this cover. Next post I'll reveal the <i>Shadow of the Knight</i> cover.<br />
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Now on to the main topic of this post... going exclusive.<br />
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A few weeks ago I made the decision to exclusively distribute my books through Amazon.com. Now I know that Amazon brings out very strong (and mixed) emotions in people. For me, as an independent author, Amazon has been an incredible, positive force. I'll go as far as to say that I wouldn't be an author without Amazon.<br />
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It was Amazon that happily opened their doors to the independent author, democratizing the publishing process and allowing a whole new legion of writers to become published authors. With the gatekeepers bypassed, anyone who wanted to could publish their work. Now, to be honest, some of that work was awful. And the market place punished those authors. However, some of the work (passed over by agents and publishers) turned out to be wonderful. And the market rewarded them.<br />
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Having said this, I didn't go exclusive in order to reward Amazon for the opportunity they provided me. I'm doing it as a business decision.<br />
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By going exclusive my ebooks are now available to people who have signed up for the Kindle Unlimited program. It's a program that allows subscribers who pay $10 a month to borrow unlimited numbers of books enrolled in the KU program. I get paid for each of those borrowed books.<br />
<br />
More importantly, each of those borrows counts as a sale towards my Amazon rankings. And this is REALLY important. Just as with any other best seller list, being higher on the list gets you noticed, and when you get noticed, your books are more likely to get purchased.<br />
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If you're really lucky, you become so big people start buying your book just because other people are buying your book.<br />
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There's a second benefit to going exclusive. By concentrating all of my sales in one market, I further push my way up the Amazon rankings. If people split their purchases of my books between Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and others, I gain little traction in each of those markets. By focusing all of my sales in one market (the biggest bookseller in the world) I further boost my visibility.<br />
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Do I fear that I'll lose sales because I'm not in the other markets? Not particularly. Just about any device can load a Kindle app, allowing people to shop for my books on Amazon. If you really want a Matt Heppe book, you'll be able to get one.<br />
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Will I stay exclusive? I'll give the economist's answer: it depends. The more successful I become the less likely it is that I'll stay exclusive. If I'm generating enough sales to sustain myself on the top 100 lists for my sub-genres, I'll "go wide." Until then I imagine I'll stay with Amazon.<br />
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Enough business talk. There's more editing to be done on <i>Shadow of the Knight</i>. I'm also deep into the outlining of book four, <i>The Dromost Gate</i>.<br />
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See you soon,<br />
<br />
MattHepiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15454133938753758390noreply@blogger.com0