A Moment to Reflect
Readers and Friends,
The key to keeping a positive outlook on my prospects as an independent novelist has been to set realistic, yet ambitious goals and celebrate the milestones I reach during the course of this journey. Part of the benefit of moments like these, when I bask in the fleeting glow of some small, yet measurable achievement, is that I can reassess my priorities, reflect on what has been working well for me and refocus my efforts to take greater advantage of my strengths.
Last week, I reached such a milestone:
STORMSEND Audiobook Edition - Audible Sample
Releasing the Audiobook Edition of STORMSEND was a big deal to me. When I began focusing on my writing back in 2020, I could never have anticipated anything like this... a professionally produced, expertly performed audible performance of stories I have had jumbling around in my head for over a decade. This is a taste of victory, of validation and of vindication.
If I find myself wondering, 'can I do this?' I can always look back upon that moment in May of 2022 and, with renewed self-assurance, answer, 'If I did it once... I can do it again!'
Full speed ahead on the release of VAGABOND on Amazon. I am locked in to release BASTION, the third book, in similar fashion, making it an Amazon exclusive print and digital release (June 30 and Sept 30, respectively) with associated Audiobook editions planned for release approximately two months after the books (Aug 31 and Nov 30). After that, though, the future of the Saga of the Freewilds is a bit more fluid and unsettled.
I wrote these three books in a single volume, initially, after all. STORMSEND, VAGABOND, and BASTION are all essentially Acts One, Two, and Three of my debut (now unpublished) novel, Freewilds: The Cult & the Constable. So, I have decisions to make.
Do I continue writing future installments in Three-Act format and split them up into individual releases, in keeping with the way this initial trilogy turned out? On the plus side, I think that would make the whole series, as it reaches a conclusion after Book 12 or so, flow more consistently. Then again, look at J.K.Rowling's Harry Potter books. The first one was so small, and the later volumes became far more epic in size and scope.
So, would it be better, then, that I focus on one book at a time? The books may vary wildly in scale, should I do so, but each would probably stand better on its own if I took that approach. After all, the only reason I split my original release up was due to its prodigious size, which some folks described as 'intimidating.' Knowing now what I didn't then, wouldn't it be better to write each story keeping that in mind than I would retreading the same methods that led me here?
Like I said, earlier... during moments like these, when I have a little moment to reflect after reaching a milestone like the Audiobook Edition of STORMSEND, I am hoping to capitalize upon a renewed sense of where I am and what my strengths are.
What do you think, readers and friends?
Regards, Michael Paul Scott - Author MPSAuthor@freewilds.net TheFreewilds on Facebook
Official Book Trailer for STORMSEND
This is part of a series of newsletters that I will be providing both as an e-mail to readers who subscribe and as posts to the blog on my website: freewilds.net
Have you had a chance to read STORMSEND - Saga of the Freewilds, Book One, yet? If not, please consider picking up a copy for yourself! It is available now on Amazon.com in Paperback, Hardcover, and Kindle eBook formats!
The Audiobook Edition of STORMSEND is also now available! Narrated by Peter Wicks & Frankie Porter, you can buy this Audiobook on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes!
VAGABOND is the continuation of the adventures of disgraced former Detective Constable Lukarde Alfans as he makes his way south to the beleaguered coastal city of Westport in the forbidden region of the world known as the Freewilds. It is available to Preorder NOW in Kindle eBook format, with a scheduled official release date of June 30, 2022!
If you are interested in a free Special Preview Edition of VAGABOND, you are in luck! You can download it now in PDF, ePub, & MOBI formats. This exclusive free offer includes the Prologue, as well as Chapters One and Two.
...and if you like what you've read and decide you'd like to read the rest, and wouldn't mind giving me an honest (and fingers crossed, positive) review between now and the official launch date of June 30th, 2022, you can sign up to be an Advanced Review Copy reader and get the whole book for free, just for your promise to provide me an honest review before the deadline!
The Advanced Review Copy of VAGABOND is also available through the following giveaway event:
ALL GENRES REVIEW COPIES: a Collection. Get these books fast! This promotion ends June 30th!
The Kindle eBook Edition of STORMSEND is included in the following collection of Kindle Unlimited novels, as well:
WHEN THE SUN SETS: a Collection. Get these books fast! This promotion ends June 30th!
Recommended Reading
Adam Johnson's "Entanglement"
Love...
It’s a most curious thing.
I’ve watched as Galaxies sprung from dust. I’ve had a front-row seat to the stars, bringing life to the cosmos. I have held the most powerful forces known to us in my hands and yet, I never suspected something so simple—so delicate, could unravel the entire universe.
“Sir, you have to come. There might be survivors.”
Three years ago...
Their parents died in a brutal attack. A stroke of bad luck. That’s what they’ve been told. But on the night of Archie’s fifteenth birthday, and the anniversary of their parents’ death, their house is attacked by dreadful creatures, part man, part owl. And a strange man with a sword comes to their rescue.
That was the day Iris and Archie Pender met their destiny.
In the Outer Islands, gods and magic rule the ocean.
Rafe is the God of Souls. His sister, Manume, is the Goddess of the Moon. Their battle will decide the fate of the living and the dead.
Banished from his ancestral home for showing favour to mortals, Rafe sails the seas as the captain of the Celestial Jewel. Caught between two worlds, the mortals and the gods, he exists as a wayward saviour collecting the ghosts of drowned sailors before they can be devoured by malicious sea monsters.
An insane Manume wreaks havoc from the Isle of Bones, sending her monster children out into the world to unleash destruction. Heedless of the consequences, she now seeks greater revenge, and her violent actions put everyone in peril.
To end his sister’s madness, and protect the mortal realm, Rafe must confront his past and his estranged family. He must persuade them to help, convince them that the Goddess of the Moon is a true threat. For Manume has become more powerful than anyone could have predicted, and he's not sure he can stop her. And if Rafe can't, the entirety of existence could be destroyed.
Ghosts of the Sea Moon is the first rousing epic fantasy novel in the Saga of the Outer Islands series. If you like dashing ship captains, high seas magical adventure, and vengeful gods, then you’ll love this harrowing tale of ghosts, gods, and sea monsters.
Buy Ghosts of the Sea Moon to sail into the realm of gods today.
Michael Paul Scott - Author