Time Traveled Tales Kickstarter Launches!

I have collaborated with Silence in the Library Publishing, Kickstarter, and a host of renowned authors including names like Aaron Allston, Michael A. Stackpole, Timothy Zahn, Bradley P. Beaulieu in the hopes of making the Time Traveled Tales Anthology available to a wider audience.

Originally released as a convention exclusive at the 2012 Origins Game Fair and limited to 500 copies sold only at the convention, Time Traveled Tales is a who's who of your favorite science fiction and fantasy authors writing about time travel, the future, and contact with strange and wonderful beings.

My story in it is a tie-in to the Children of the White Lions series and follows many people’s favorite characters, Nundle, when he first stumbles upon the fact that he can use magic. And here’s a hint for those of you waiting for book 3 in the series: one of the characters in this short will have a prominent role in the book.

In this Kickstarter limited edition, each story is beautifully illustrated by renowned artist Matt Slay. Best known for his work for IDW's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Image Comics and several Upper Deck Marvel projects (most recently Iron Man 3), Matt brings a realism and emotional context to his illustrations that captures the spirit of each of the 19 stories in the anthology.

In addition to illustrating every story in the anthology, it has an amazing new cover that will look incredible on your bookshelf. 

The cover and illustrations are only a small portion of the exciting surprises that are waiting for you when you visit the Time Traveled Tales Kickstarter project page. Please join us and become a part of the Time Traveled Tales journey by visiting the Kickstarter page and contributing today!

Is This Character the Turkey or the Cranberry Sauce?

When you read the words “Thanksgiving dinner,” what’s the first thing you think of?

Assuming you like your family and the day does not involve silly spats or longstanding feuds then your answer most likely is “turkey.”

Now, picture your Thanksgiving Day platter. What’s on it besides a giant pile of roasted bird? Mashed potatoes, maybe, with or without gravy. Stuffing, of course. Cranberries (gel, sauce, or whole). Green beans. Corn. Sweet potato casserole. Bread and butter.

Hungry, now? Yeah, sorry about that. Me, too. Doing your best to ignore the grumbling in your stomach, read on and I promise this will all make sense soon. 

There is a trend today in fantasy whereby the point of view (POV) shifts between characters, most often at chapter breaks. Chapter 1 is from Bob’s POV, Chapter 2 is from Betty’s, Chapter 3 is Susie’s, and by Chapter 4 we might get back around to Bob again.

Some people don’t like books like that, preferring instead a single POV from beginning to end. I am not one of those people. I enjoy getting into different characters’ heads, seeing and experiencing things as they do. It’s why I write novels that have shifting POV.

Now, to do this successfully, one must consider a couple things:

Ensure that your main protagonists own the book.

In other words, in a 50-chapter book, don’t have only 10 from your primary character(s) POV.

Keep the breaks between your main protagonists short.

Don’t have Chapters 1 and 2 with Bob’s POV then not circle back to him again until chapter 10. The reader will either lose connection with the character or have to work to get back into the character’s mindset.

Some characters should never have a POV chapter.

Why, you ask? For some characters, it just does not work. I wish I had a bit of sage wisdom on how to tell when a character is not a good fit, but I don’t.

It’s that third point that prompted this post.

I’m in the midst of editing book three in the Children of the White Lions series, and by midst, I mean I just started. I’m around the 10% mark.

While planning out the book, I thought that I wanted to write a few chapters from the POV of a character I introduced in Prophecy. I had really come to enjoy writing scenes in which that character participated and wanted to stretch his legs a little. So, when outlining, I identified which scenes would belong to him like I do with all the characters in advance.

I started writing the first draft and eventually got to his first chapter. I was excited to start, leapt right in and…promptly struggled through the whole dang thing. I just could not get a feel for him now that I was in his head. Once I finished the chapter, I did two things. First, I went to the top of it and put the following bullet point:

• Change POV to [different character]

Then, I went back and revised my outline, reassigning that character’s POV to other characters.

I guess my point is this: some characters make excellent side dishes, adding some variety to the meal, a change of pace to the star of the platter. But they aren’t the turkey and no matter what you do, they will never be the turkey. So, let them do what they do best—compliment the main dish—and enjoy the meal as a whole.

That’s it.

I want a sandwich now.

How I Handle Reviews of My Stuff

While I have an agent now—with whom I am quite happy—I presently remain an indie author. Among other things, this means the vast majority of readers out there have absolutely no idea who I am. This translates into brand new reviews of by debut novel, Progeny, coming out now, two years past the book’s publication date.

The latest one from Indigo Quill is a good one. Here’s a snippet:

“Progeny is one of those books you see made into a movie. It's a story that captures the reader and doesn't let them go, not even at the final page. If you enjoyed the Chronicles of Narnia or the works of Paolini then you will most definitely enjoy Progeny.

I loved this book. I loved the magic, the drama, the characters, the twists and the mystery. It has all of those elements in one. Usually when I start a book I have to keep telling myself, "just get through the first few chapters, they always get better after that." Not here. I loved that you hit the ground running on the very first page.”

Authors, of course, love getting reviews like these. Yet as I read this one, it reminded me of an exchange I once had with another author. A genuinely nice guy and very talented (and successful) author, he told me that he never reads any reviews of his work. His reasoning was sound—not wanting to get too high or too low on himself—but I left the conversation wondering if he was not missing a big part of the creative process.

Let me see if I can explain.

I read every review of my work that comes in, good or bad. The good ones—here’s a big surprise—brighten my day and bring a smile to my face. Everyone like to be appreciated for something into which they have put so much effort. Want proof? Next Thanksgiving, after your mom/dad/husband/wife spends two days cooking prior to the big meal, offer them a grateful “Awesome job, mom/dad/dear!” Then, sit back and watch them beam.

People crave validation for a job well done. Anyone who says they don’t is lying.

There is a flip side, of course. Anything that might garner praise is also fair game for criticism, which is not something everyone can take.

First off, let me say this: I have no tolerance for mean-spirited critiques. We all know someone in our life who is overly critical of everything, constantly pointing out flaws in everything and everyone. In my opinion, this says more about the person themselves than the target of their ire.

However, in my experience, most people who offer criticism do so in the spirit of being helpful.

Honest critique can be incredibly useful, even if it stings. Sort of like a vaccination shot: it hurts for a little bit, but it makes you better in the end.

Question: if every Thanksgiving, your mother/father/ husband/wife consistently undercooked the au gratin potatoes, would you point that out? Granted, this is a family member, so a certain amount of tact is required. But if you hold your tongue, you are doing a disservice to them...and you will be eating crunchy potatoes with melted cheese every November. They—hopefully—take pride in the meal they prepare and want to do it right. They might even thank you for your criticism.

I believe creative sorts—authors, artists, chefs, whatever—should never dwell on any review, be it good or bad.

Personally, when a good review comes in for one of my books, I read it, pat myself on the back (just a little bit), and then I move on.   

When a bad one comes in, I see if I can learn anything from it. If so, great. I incorporate the feedback and I move on. If not, I shrug my shoulders and—guess what?—I move on.

In other words, I don’t get too high on myself, and I don’t get too low, which, if you recall, is the same reason that other author never reads any reviews.

Is my way better? Don’t know. But it’s my way and it works for me.