Looking Forward

It's been awhile since I last posted on a Writer's Sojourn so I'm going to do a quick update on what's been going on and where I hope to be going.

Unfortunately I have had a bit of writing blues over the last few months and my new book has taken a hit, but fear not I believe the darkness has passed and I have been writing away once more. I've contributed to my other author blog a first chapter for a new ongoing tale in a shared universe with author Justin O' neal. It is titled, The Unwilling Package and is the first part of a three or four part tale. Please take a look and feel free to offer comments and share if you enjoy it. The more interest in it, the more likely I will feel the desire to work on that project. Here's the link The Unwilling Package, A Lorekeeper's Tale

I have had to push back the ordering of the paperback versions of Ascent of the Holy Blade due to financial reasons. Work at the factory has been reduced and heating bills have been insanely high this winter so concessions have had to been made on my part, but hopefully that will change in a month or two. Remember that the eBook from Wynwidyn Press is available from Amazon and, if you have read it please post a review. It would really help out. Thank you in advance. Again here is the link for my first (and only so far) book. Ascent of the Holy Blade eBook


That pretty much sums it up in a nutshell. Happy reading.

-EW-

A Little About Me

     Today's post is going to be a little different than my previous ones. I'm going to talk about my background, when I started to read and write, and what I have going on right now with writing and life in general.

     I would hazard a guess and say that I differ than most writers as I have had no formal education beyond high school. When I graduated back in 1991 I went straight away into the workforce, and with an exception of about five years, I have been a blue collar factory worker the entire time. Although factory work can be a bit dull and repetitious; I have found that it allows my mind to disconnect and create worlds, characters, and storylines. A few of my coworkers have thought me a bit odd at times when I have been caught acting out scenes from stories or working out a fight sequence, but that's what we are anyways-there's something a little different about writers that make them want to tell their stories.

     Reading came to me at an early age. I read The Hobbit the summer between first and second grade, and as a reward for my interest in reading I was gifted the first four books in Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Martian Tales series. To this day I still have those four books. Many hours were lost losing myself in those fantastic covers. The behaviors and manners of John Carter in those books set the ideals of what a man, husband, and father should be to me. I cried after watching that horrendous movie that came out a few years ago.

     Naturally the next step of being an avid reader was to try my hand at writing, and of course all my stories were in the realms of the fantastic. My junior year I took a creative writing class and the teacher and I butted heads on many occasions. He didn't approve of my fantasy approach to everything and on the final assignment he forbid me to do anything that involved the past- but science fiction was okay. Seems kind of odd as at one time the two were linked together. So I did a futuristic tale of a vigilante that fought gangs that were filled with ninjas and mutants (it was the late 80's after all).

     About that time I discovered the author that has influenced my style of writing the most-R. A. Salvatore. Mr. Salvatore's battle sequences and characters in his early works inspired me to finally take writing more seriously and eventually I finished  a manuscript I was happy with. Since that time I have written several short stories, one novel length manuscript and I have a handful of novels in the works. Currently I am working on the second book in The Blades of Allura series and contributing to a blog of short stories with another friend and fellow author. 

     That's me in a nutshell, along with that I have been married to my beautiful wife for eighteen years and we have five wonderful children we have raised together.

Happy Reading.

-EW-

   

Crooks, Con-artists, or as I like to call them, 2 Moon Press

A few years ago I took my manuscript to a self-publishing company and was bamboozled. The finished product was mediocre at best with a poor cover and lousy editing. Yes I had to sign off on everything, but after constantly going back and forth I realized that was as good as it was going to get.

When it came to sales I received a pittance of my royalties and that was only after I informed them I knew that in their store alone I made enough to get a check cut. As far as promoting my book as they promised..nope didn't happen.

Since then the company quickly changed hands and even quicker disappeared off the face of the earth...until now.

I have since found a new publisher and they created a book with a great cover and did a much better job on editing, all in all creating a much better final product. They posted my eBook for sale on Amazon last week with paperbacks to come later in the year.

Since the posting of my new eBook, my old publisher has listed paperbacks for sale with the old cover. I thought that all old copies of my book were to be returned, but it seems that wasn't what happened. So I am asking to please not purchase any paperbacks from 2 Moon Press, and to only purchase copies of Ascent of the Holy Blade published by Wynwidyn Press.

New and authorized copy of novel

Old cover done by 2 Moon Press

Sorry about any confusion this may cause.

Sincerely

-EW-

Ascent of the Holy Blade, first five chapters for free!!

I have posted the first five chapters of Ascent of the Holy Blade for free on Wattpad. Enjoy! Below is the link,  http://www.wattpad.com/myworks/27698372-ascent-of-the-holy-blade

Happy Reading!

-EW-

Ascent of the Holy Blade Ebook is Here!

The ebook for Ascent of the Holy Blade is now available from Amazon from Wynwidyn Press! I'm very excited about this! Without further adieu here is the link. Ascent of the Holy Blade eBook

Happy Reading

-EW-

A Couple of Things

     Just a few of things I want to talk about. First, the republishing of my first novel, Ascent of the Holy Blade is nearly complete and I am very excited about it. Wynwidyn Press has done an incredible job with the new cover and editing the book. They had me flesh out characters and the environment and polish several areas- I am so much happier with this version of my book. So we are getting closer to a release date and a product I can can feel pride in this time.

     Secondly it's November and that means NaNoWriMo- the writing of a 50,000 word novel in thirty days. I am participating for the second time and am using it to help motivate me to finish Hand of the Black Blade, the second book in the Blades of Allura series. I've started off a little slower than I had hoped but with the cold coming I have been working on winterizing the house.

     Lastly, I would like to say a quick note of praise to the author that has influenced me the most- R. A. Salvatore. Back around 1990 I found a copy of the Crystal Shard, and it had a cover done by Larry Elmore, my all time favorite fantasy artist-so I decided to give it a shot. Man was I glad I did. The series is mostly known for its hero-Drizzt Du'Orden, but for me all of the characters were equally interesting. For the last two and a half decades Mr. Salvatore has entertained me with larger than life action scenes and characters I cared about, from dark elves and rowdy dwarves to inquisitive clerics and a couple rogues (the Highwayman and the Crimson Shadow). I would definitely recommend all of his books and series for those that like their tales fast paced.

Happy Reading

-EW-

In a Rut

Like the title say, I've hit a rut with my writing ever since I finished The Last Day. I've tried sitting down and writing new stuff, transferring from paper to computer, even sketching some-hoping I break out and be able to finish something.

I wish I could blame it on my muse, but he's constantly flinging ideas at me that are, sadly, just hitting me in the face and then sliding off to lie wasting on the floor. I think I'm mostly depressed. The last couple of years have seen my family get hit by a four severe medical situations that escalated in severity as they progressed, peaking with my oldest son being diagnosed with brain cancer. We are in our six month of remission, but now my oldest daughter is sick and we are waiting for test results over the next two weeks and praying it isn't something severe.

It's always something here. My wife jokes we are cursed and if you look back at our eighteen years together- it has been one rocky sum' bitch. Anyway I'm just fumbling through my thoughts, trying to figure out why I can't finish Galen and Mellay's tale or explore one of the many other stories begging to be told from the realm of Allura. Hopefully this fog of darkness lifts soon and I can find my way back to my computer and accomplish something.

Anyway...

Happy Reading

-EW-