On Writing--What's Happening?

No, this isn't another post about a retro TV show.

It's been a while since I put up a writing-related update, so today I figured I'd just riff on what's been going on book-wise with me lately.  I don't blog that often about writing, but today I'm in the mood to do it, so what the hell.

Now that it's July, we're just under four months away from the release of THE FOREVER KNIGHT.  I kind of can't believe it.  I finished writing TFK a long, long, time ago, and have been waiting for its release ever since.  There were plenty of times when I thought it would never come out, but now that the day is getting close I'm obviously very excited about it.
One thing I love to do when one of my books comes out is to take a ride to Barnes and Noble on the release date and pick up a copy of it.  I still have the copy of THE JACKAL OF NAR that I bought on the day it was released, with the receipt still stuck inside the book. Every once in a while I pull out that book to check the date on the receipt (March, 1999) just to feel flabbergasted at how much time has gone by.  I'm sure I'm not alone in this ritual.  I'm sure there are lots of writers who pick up a copy of their own book.  It might seem a bit narcissistic but it's fun.  More importantly, it marks a milestone.  No matter how well or poorly a book does sales-wise, at least it's out and on the shelves.


I've been putting some marketing plans into place in anticipation for the release.  I know authors go crazy with this kind of stuff, and the truth is you never know what actually works, so you try everything in the hopes of getting the word out.  I'll be booking a blog tour soon for the week the book comes out, and that's something I'm really looking forward to.  I'll be guest blogging, maybe doing interviews, and waiting to see what kind of reaction I get to the book from reviewers.  That part I'm not all that crazy about :)  I've had some great reviews, but I've also had some stinkers.  Frankly, reading the crappy reviews never gets easier.

By the way, I always need reviews, so if you have a book review site and want to review THE FOREVER KNIGHT, please let me know.  You'll love it.  No, really, you will.  Hopefully.

Meanwhile, I have two on-going projects on my plate.  As I mentioned about a month ago, I'm in the process of re-reading THE BLACK MIRROR, a manuscript I turned into my publisher years ago.  It's too much to get into here again, but you can read the old post to find out about it if you're interested.  So far, I'm liking a lot of what I'm reading, which I suppose makes sense since I wouldn't have written it in the first place if I didn't think it would make a good story.  One way or another, I'm reasonably determined to see THE BLACK MIRROR in print one day, even if that means publishing it myself.  So stay tuned on that front for updates.

My other project, THE BLOODY CHORUS, is also coming along, albeit slower than I'd prefer.  I'm enjoying writing it but it's a big, epic story with a lot of characters and situations, so it's challenging.  If you're a fan of the Tyrants and Kings book, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy THE BLOODY CHORUS, and I'm working hard to get it out to you all.

That's pretty much it from me, but stay tuned next week when we'll have our next Indie Spotlight.  Fantasy author Steve Montano has written a very good piece about his experiences as an independent author.  Definitely something you writers out there will want to read.