What’s in a name? pt. 2
In my quest to delay actually starting on the final draft of my most recent novel, I give you a blog post.
Last year I received many questions about my last name, Spendlove, so I went into that (it happens to be my maiden name) along with why people choose pen names in this post.
Now I’m going to talk a bit about novel names, or more specifically why I just changed the name of my second novel in the War of the Seasons series from The Hunter to The Half-blood.
I had been debating swapping book titles between book two and book three for a while once it became clear that book two was not as focused on The Hunter as I’d previously thought it would be.
*Caution* Mild spoilers for books two and three from here on out.
When I originally came up with names for the books, I decided on “The Hunter” for book two, because it was supposed to be about saving the Hunter. I decided on The Half-Blood for book three because it was supposed to be about saving the Half-bood. I chose The Human for book one because it started with an H and sounded nice with the other two book titles. I do like alliteration, just in case you hadn’t figured that out yet. 😉
After writing The Hunter I realized swapping titles might be appropriate.
The Human is in reference not just to Story but to what the story needs – a human/someone from another world. Essentially everyone is after the human, and the human, or rather, “other-worlder” is the focal point of the story.
In book 2, the half-bood, NOT the hunter, is actually the focal point of the story. The same could be said about book three, the focal point is actually the hunter, NOT the half-blood.
My only hesitation in swapping the titles was that for the past 9 months I’ve been talking about Book 2: The Hunter. But really, that’s a small thing, and the title swap made a lot more sense.
So I suppose I’ll be writing The Hunter again, eh? Unless, of course, I find a better title for book 3. You never know, my last two books have taken unpredictable turns – there’s a good chance book 3 will as well. 😉
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Here are a couple links of interviews and podcasts I’ve been on over the last several months:
1- Not writing related, but a blog post that my friend Caitlin & I featured heavily in while running the Disney Princess 1/2 marathon (yes, that mass of curly dark hair in the first pic in the blog post is me). Why yes, we were running as Rapunzel and Mother Gothel. 😀
http://attractionsmagazine.com/blog/2012/02/26/disneys-princess-half-marathon-2012/
2- My very first interview ever from Origins 2011
3- Mormonism in Sci-Fi panel at Dragon*Con 2011
And a couple great links to other blogs and posts that I enjoyed & found quite helpful:
1- Withholding the Love, by Aaron Allston
Excerpt: A while back, it was mentioned to me that a colleague, an SF author, had said
that she did not consider self-published authors to be her peers.
As a published author, she has every right to express that opinion. She has
earned her perspective through work and effort. As a published author, I’ve earned
mine the same way, and I reject her perspective.
I’ll explain why. At length.
2- J.K. Rowling and Self-Publishing.
3- Gender assumptions in writing (Warning, there is some strong language).
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Lastly, need a copy of my books? As it happens you can buy them here.
Fiver’s Flamingos – a worthy cause!
How does one start something like this? I guess you go back to the beginning, which in this case would be Mel, AKA Fiver, and we are her Flamingos.
Back in 2007, our friend Mel (
To say that we all (Mel’s friends) felt more then a bit helpless would be an understatement. How do you fix something that can’t be fixed? The answer is, you can’t. But what you can do is take a page out of Mel’s book, slap a smile on your face, and always look on the funny side of life.
So 4 of us did something spur of the moment in 2009, when we got together to run the inaugural Disney Princess Half Marathon (13.1 miles) at Disney World. We made team jerseys with iron on letters, and dubbed ourselves “Fiver’s Flamingos” in honor of Mel, who loves both Flamingos and Disney more than anyone we know.
In 2010 we teamed up with The ALS Association of Georgia (http://www.alsaga.org/) to help raise some money to find both a cure and treatments for ALS, as we ran the Disney Princess Half Marathon again that year & 2011 with some new faces on the team.
ALS Research had a major breakthrough this year, as Northwestern University scientists discovered a common disease process for all of the types of ALS. This is a big step forward, and has helped researchers narrow down future studies in search of an effective treatment for ALS, and someday, a Cure. Your support has helped fund ALS Research projects like this, as well as directly helping the thousands of families affected by ALS in Georgia.
Right now, the ALS Association of Georgia is helping Melissa (Fiver) by providing a computer she can use just by moving her eyes.
Please, if you don’t mind, would you donate 1$ for every mile we are running? That would be 13.1 miles for $13.10. And even if all you have is $1 total, every little bit helps. Just click here: http://projectfiver.com/support.
100% of your donation (goes to the ALS Association of Georgia. Not one penny goes towards administering this group or paying race fees, etc. http://projectfiver.com/support
Thank you so much for your support!
You can find out more about Mel here: http://www.projectfiver.com/
You can find out more about The ALS Association of Georgia here: http://www.alsaga.org/
Fiver’s Flamingos also has a Facebook FAN PAGE!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fivers-Flamingos/254829158749
Meet our Team, Fiver’s Flamingos: (This section is in progress)
Terrence is the team’s mascot, and our very best runner. Rumor has it that he may show up at the race again this year…
Janine, the team captain, has way too many hobbies. One of them is to run races; she’s run more 5K, 8K, 10K, & 10 mile races then she can count, dozens of 1/2 marathons, 2 Full Marathons (pictured here at mile 10 of the Disney World Marathon in 2011) – with 1/2 marathons being her favorite race. So, what could be more awesome than running the Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon with all her friends?
She first met Fiver at D*C ’06 at the Yule Ball. It was friendship at first sight once they realized they were both Slytherin’s at heart.
*****
Conley is proud to race with the Flamingos in Fiver’s honor for the 4th year in a row. Racing with this team kickstarted her running mojo after taking several years off; to date, she’s completed 4 half marathons, two 5Ks and a Ragnar Relay. Disney Princess remains her favorite half marathon because it’s always with wonderful friends and for a wonderful cause. Love you, Mel!
*****
Caitlin is living proof that Janine can make anything sound like fun, even running 13.1 miles. She’s caught the running bug now, though– this will be her 7th half-marathon (and she just ran her first full marathon). In real life, Caitlin is a biologist transitioning to a career as a science educator, and when she isn’t running, she can often be found sewing costumes, knitting, reading, or finding geeky stuff on the Internets.
*****
Ron is an avid runner, having run multiple full and 1/2 marathons- in fact he just set a PR at the Disney World 1/2 marathon 1:49:33. He’s also the first man to join this estrogen filled team, and is happy to be running for his friend Mel.
*****
Michelle has been running 5K races for years, but decided last year was the year to attempt the Half Marathon, and what better race to start with then the Disney Princess Half Marathon? What could be more awesome then running with friends in honor of Mel? Michelle met Mel at Dragon*con 2008, and has been impressed with her determination and high spirits. It’s an honor to run and help a wonderful organization at the same time. When Michelle isn’t running the paved trails of her home-town, she’s either knitting, watching Doctor Who, climbing mountains, or writing her Thesis.
*****
Rogue is another victim of Janine’s ability to make anything sound enjoyable. Previously, Rogue has only been motivated to run when chased, usually by something large and life-threatening, like a sharktopus or remote control Christmas pterodactyl. Now the 2012 Princess race will be his third half marathon. Despite his pleas, his knees have not forgiven him.”
*****
Christina started running again in September 2011. She has run in multiple 5Ks, 10Ks, and 1/2 marathons since, including several at Disney. In addition to running, she enjoys cheering for her friends as they run.
*****
Kelli Kelli is new to the running scene, but has already gone through 3 pairs of shoes, four 5Ks, and one very long Half-Marathon. She is living proof that overweight people can run, if they are determined. This will be her first time to run the Princess HM, and it will be her first of 6-8 half-marathons in 2012. Barring injury or the end of the world, she plans to join the ranks of Half Fanatics by the end of this year. In her “free time”, she’s the mother of the most adorable toddler, a work-at-home mom, freelance designer and editor, Sunday School teacher, and budding domestic goddess. She has never met Mel, but is proud to be running with this great team of people for such an important cause.
*****
Amber is the original running instigator who somehow convinced Janine to try this crazy thing called a 1/2 marathon. She’s completed multiple 5Ks, 15 1/2 marathons and 1 marathon (with a 13 mile warm up the day before, yes she was goofy enough to run the Goofy). Not bad for a swimmer who’s posing as a runner. She’s extremely excited to have the honor of being the Flamingo this year. Amber’s an aerospace and operational physiologist in the Navy and if she’s not running you can find her in the pool or doing geeky stuff. She met Mel for the first time in 2007 and has been inspired by her bravery and outlook on life. She considers herself lucky to say she knows such an amazing lady. She is also dedicating this run to her father who passed away in 2009. While he didn’t suffer from ALS, he bravely fought a neurological disorder years.
*****
Betsy
MellyMel
Doug
Maggie
Meredith
ShevaCon 2012 wrap-up
I give you my fangirl moment of the weekend: Timothy Zahn (author of Heir to the Empire and several other Star Wars novels), me, and Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett in the original Star Wars trilogy).
This past weekend was mine and Ron’s 11th anniversary and it also happened that I was scheduled to be a writer guest at ShevaCon, in Roanoke, VA. So for us, it ended up being a fun weekend away where we got to celebrate 11 wonderful years together and make many new friends in the process.
This was the first time either of us had ever attended ShevaCon, but we’re very glad we did. The staff bent over backwards to ensure the comfort and needs of each guest and attendee were met. I know the convention had designated “guests of honor,” but to be honest, it felt like we were ALL guests of honor. 🙂
The beautiful Hotel Roanoke where the convention was held.
My books for sale (and yes that is my handsome husband in the background). The CW5 sponsored the con & gave us all fantastic lanyards for our badges too.
Yes, Ron’s badge says “Alexander McFrumplepuff” (of the Boston, McFrumpluepuffs). How I love this man!
During the opening ceremonies Jeremy Bulloch was arrested by the Mando Mercs… Eek! But he took it in good humor, and I heard they took him out for dinner.
Our lovely mistress of ceremonies.
I was on SEVERAL panels this weekend (I think my final tally was 10 – it would have been 11, but we were chased away by snow). A few were on costuming, but most were on various writing subjects, and one was a writer’s workshop that Allen Wold invited me to assist him with. My fellow panelists (and in many cases, friends) throughout the convention were: David Bartell, Jim Bernheimer, Elaine Corvidae, Betty Cross, Tera Fulbright, Katherine Kurtz, Gail Z. Martin, Mike McPhail, Robin Sullivan, and Steve White. They’re all VERY talented I highly recommend you check out their work.
During one panel I was graced with Tim & Anna Zahn attending in the audience. *NO PRESSURE* 😉
But I was ready for anything…
For me, one of the most squeeworthy moments of the con was the Anti-hero panel, which I was the Moderator for, and who would sit beside me, but Jeremy Bulloch. I couldn’t help but point at him and stage whisper to the audience “You guys… YOU GUYS! Boba Fett is sitting next to me! Someone quick take a picture.” I don’t think anyone took a picture, but the panel went very well, and afterwards, as Ron & I were packing up and saying our goodbyes, Jeremy’s lovely wife approached me and said that Jeremy wanted a picture with me, and would I mind? Would I mind??? Let me think about THAT one for a second! Um, NO! I did not mind in the least, and I got my picture Jeremy, and as you saw at the start of the post, Tim jumped in the photo and I got to be the happiest Star Wars fangirl EVER!
One great discovery Ron & I made this weekend was the art of Stephen Burks & the rest of Iconograph Studios. Seriously, these guys are awesome – check them out!
We brought home some great “recruitment posters” by Stephen. You can see the Green Lantern one he did next to the Wonder Woman print on our wall by Mark dos Santos.
Stephen’s art was so fantastic that Tim Zahn commissioned a Mara Jade original from him!
My other neighbor was another artist, Travis Surber who does a very entertaining geek/southern culture web comic. He graciously gifted me a copy of his book.
Of course one of my favorite parts of every con is seeing all the wonderful geeky shirts and costumes on display by the fans:
Doctor?
It’s bigger on the inside.
A lovely Mando.
My favorite Mando, Todd B. Lacey, one of my oldest and dearest friends.
Even Mandalorians read The Human. 😀
I swear I’m not a Zombie!
Tera Fulbright giving a panel on Steam Punk costuming with a lovely attendee graciously acting as a model.
Gotta love that hat!
Winners of the Costume Contest.
Little Thor!
Little Vader already choking people…
The Zahns, the Spendloves, and the Bullochs.
Then the snow chased us away and our convention was cut short. BOO! 🙁
That said, I can’t wait for next year! Thanks to all the staff, guests, and attendees for making my first ShevaCon an absolute blast!
You got that from…
When I attended GMXv3 last October something horrible happened. No, the convention was not horrible – it was amazing. Something that happened there was horrible: when I was in the dealer’s room I saw a t-shirt with the slogan “Winter is coming” emblazoned across the front. I was both excited & confused, then quite worried, because it’s a big theme/tagline in my War of Seasons novels.
I knew my books weren’t anywhere close enough to warrant seeing random shirts popping up at vendor’s booths yet, so I had a very sinking feeling that this same line was big in another series…
Well, come to find out, it’s a huge theme/tag line in the George R.R. Martin, Game of Throne books. In fact, I’ve been seeing t-shirts all over the place with it now.
I’ve never read the Game of Throne series (or watched the show, which came well after I’d written my first WotS novel), so I obviously didn’t copy the line. In fact, I thought I was being a bit clever when I wrote it, “Winter is coming,” and that it was a good foreboding line in my books (key to the overall plot of the 3 books). Unfortunately for me, several years ago George R. R. Martin thought the same thing (granted Winter is both a different type of “thing” in our books and poses a different “threat”).
So my question was this: Do I remove the line from my forthcoming books (it’s already in The Human, released June 2011) and instead use something that sounds not nearly as good (like “winter approaches”)? Or do I leave it in, and if people want to think I copied Game of Thrones they can?
I’ve found that people already tell me after reading my books “Oh, you got that part from Lord of the rings” or “You got that part from Harry Potter,” which if it seems that way, I can say it was never done purposely. I scour my books for “lifts” or anything that sounds too much like something else (i.e., I really wanted a faerie character of mine to sparkle, but due to a certain popular series with another sparkly main character, I felt quite constrained) and when I come across them, I excise them. Here’s the thing – there are no new stories out there – it’s all how we tell them. No matter what I do, something I write will strike someone else as “from Narnia” or “from OZ.”
So I wondered if it was worth removing the line? It worked really well, and I really liked it, a lot. I polled a couple friends of mine for their advice, especially in that they’d been writing/published for decades now.
I was essentially told that there will always be a set of readers that simply don’t understand the creative process and that parallel stories/ideas happen all the time. That those readers will constantly assume that they know where you got your ideas from or flat out accuse you of “copying” or “lifting” an idea. They both related stories of coming up with stories for novels & realizing that friends of theirs who write in the same genre had come up with almost the same story – parallel ideas do happen all the time. I was then told to get use to it, that from the moment I published my first story “you got that from” would become a part of my life.
Ultimately they both told me not to fret over it, and gave me some suggestions of how to deal with the problem.
So what did I decide? It’s too late to change The Human, nor do I wish to (“Winter is coming” is only in there once), but I ended up giving each race in my book a different way of saying “Winter is coming” specific to their culture – “Winter is nearing, Winter approaches, etc.” Not as powerful, but it works, and is uniquely mine.
Heh.
who am I kidding? Probably not – but at least it’s not “Winter is coming.” 😉
*****
My apologies for being so quiet online – I have been busy working on Book 2, and of course, the holidays…
At any rate, here are a couple links of interviews and podcasts I’ve been on over the last several months:
My very first interview ever from Origins 2011
Mormonism in Sci-Fi panel at Dragon*Con 2011
And a couple great links to other blogs and posts that I enjoyed & found quite helpful:
1,000 books sold, success in indie publishing
Reviews are love
Even bad ones, because that means people are reading my book. Though, the worst review I’ve seen thus far was 3 our of 5 stars for The Human, and their chief complaint was that Story acted like a 25 year old, not a 17 year old. Hey, I’ll be the first to admit I wrote Story as more mature than a typical 17 year old, so it’s a fair complaint. But that’s not the point, the point is, eventually I’m going to encounter someone who hated my book (soon to be books) and that’s okay! I know my writing’s not for everyone.
That said, I am just glowing over this review on BigShinyRobot. My favorite bit:
The Human is a very fun read, very much in the vein of the Chronicles of Narnia or The Hunger Games. It has a very strong female lead, an incredibly well-developed world, a fiendish villain you just love to hate, and above all: a love story that doesn’t actually make you want to gag.
But you can go read the whole thing for yourself on the website. 🙂
p.s.
Yes, I’m still writing my little heart out! Though I don’t think I’ll make my NaNoWriMo Goal… oh well!
Geek Media Expo V.3 wrap up!
Last weekend I had the great opportunity to attend Geek Media Expo V.3 (GMXv3) as a writer guest. To say it was a LOT of fun would be an understatement!
I think most of my weekend was spent with me fangirling over one thing or another. You would have been hard pressed to differentiate me from the attendees for sure – and I’m ok with that! I’m a geek at heart, and when I’m not a writer guest at a convention, I’m quite happily, a paying attendee!
I will say that I went to the convention with some trepidation. You see, I didn’t really know anyone! I’m not exactly what you would call shy, but I’m so used to my husband, a friend, or a co-worker going with me on my trips that to go completely alone was odd & a bit daunting.
I needn’t have worried – within about 30 seconds of arriving in the Green Room to pick up my badge & schedule I was immediately befriended by the wonderful & talented Patricia Alice Albrecht (the voice of Pizzazz from Jem, among many things). She basically took me under her wing for the entire convention. She & her wonderful husband Bruce and son Forest, took me out to dinner on Friday night & then spent the rest of the weekend hanging out with me & giving me some great tips & advice on things. I also have some potentially AWESOME news, but more on that later if it comes to fruition.
I’d also like to mention that Jennifer Byrd, the guest relations coordinator was AWESOME. I arrived at GMX, was ushered up to the green room & there she was with my badge and a folder detailing my full schedule for the weekend so that there would be no confusion as to where & when I was needed. Plus, she made a point of checking on me, making sure I had everything I needed all weekend. She is a true pro & made my entire experience smooth & seamless. THANK YOU JENNIFER!
Opening ceremonies on Friday were great & I really loved the sweet tribute they had for Ryan Jones – I never had a chance to meet him, but was saddened none the less by his passing. He seems like he was a really amazing/great guy. 🙁
Following opening ceremonies I set up my table in the dealer’s room & discovered that I was next to the very talented comic book artist Mark Dos Santos. We hit it off immediately (which is a good thing when you’re stuck sitting next to each other for hours at a time!) and had a great weekend overall. I ended up taking home quite a bit of his artwork & my daughter was more than a bit excited over her 9th Doctor print. 🙂
The remainder of my evening was spent at Samantha Newark’s (AKA the voice of Jem) CD release party (she’s really awesome BTW) & then the kickin’ 80s party up on the 10th floor (great view of the city, BTW). I wish I’d remembered to bring my leg warmers…
I went to bed early because I knew bright and early was going to be Saturday Morning cartoons. I wore my Star Wars PJs & settled in to eat some breakfast & watch my very first episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers – it was TERRIBLE… A pumpkin head rapper whose evil super power is confusing the Power Rangers with mad rhymes??? Really???. Also, if you had told me when I was 8 years old that I would someday be watching Saturday morning cartoons sitting next Pizzazz and Jem I would not have believed you – total fangirl moment for me!
Later that morning I had to change into my Princess Buttercup costume to be the White Queen for the Human Chess match. My king was the fantastic author Jamie Chambers – We had a great time & even though I was killed early on in the game (the other queen, Sara M. Harvey was also killed off early too) my sacrifice was not in vain – WE WON! WOOHOO! 🙂
We were very concerned about our lack of protection… I died soon after. 😉
I had to go straight to the Orion slave charity auction where I was being sold originally to teach a knitting class. Not surprisingly no one was really interested in that – but as soon as I jokingly said “I’ll tell war stories” the bidding commenced. A very nice man named “Driver John” won me and we had a great lunch together where he actually did most of the talking (those of you who know me, stop acting so surprised! I am capable of actually listening to people). It was nice to have made another new friend & to help benefit a the Nashville Oasis center).
I do need to mention another fangirl moment for me that happened at the Orion Slave Charity Auction – While waiting to be auctioned I somehow found myself in conversation with Tiffany, yes, THAT Tiffany. If that wasn’t crazy enough (I kept thinking, YOUR CONCERT AT KNOTTS BERRY FARM WAS THE FIRST CONCERT I EVER WENT TO!) at the end of our conversation she hugged me several times and told me I was amazing. I have no idea what I said in response… I felt so tongue tied! Like I said, Fangirl moment!
I had my first panel that day – Stories with friends. My fellow panelists (M.M. Buckner, Sara M. Harvey, John Patrick Lowrie, & Robert J. Schwalb) and I, along with the rest of the audience were given prompts and we went around the room taking turns telling a short story. They were hilarious, if a bit surreal – the first one took place in a unisex convention bathroom with a toilet dwarf stuck in the u-bend. The second one took place in the Fortress of Solitude and featured the cleaning crew & talking jello. As I’m sure you can tell, the stories were anything but normal, but also a lot of fun to come up with.
That evening was the USO dance and while I didn’t stay long, I did enjoy the opportunity to wear one of my vintage dresses – specifically my red “Agent Carter” (from Captain America) dress. While I’m sure most people thought it was just a costume, as you saw from my previous post, I have a thing for collecting (and wearing) vintage dresses. 🙂
Which brings us to the last day of the con – while I was very sad to see it end, I was anxious to get back home to my husband and daughter. Hopefully they can accompany me next year.
I had my final panel – “How to write a fantasy novel” and to my surprise it was standing room only! Of course I didn’t mind a bit, and over all I think it was received well. In fact, I think we could have easily gone for another hour or two!
After the panel I said goodbye to all my new friends (mostly mentioned above, but I also can’t forget Ellen McLain (the voice of GLadOS from Portal) , Sonya Thompson (from Walking dead) , Rodney Cox (fellow Marine, HOORAH!), Dan Carroll, Bob & Carl (SciFi Janitors) , the great podcast WeRinCtrl, and… I’m certain I’ve forgotten someone so I’ll mod this post when I remember).
Me with Bob & Carl
Me with Ellen McLain and John Patrick Lowrie
Before I left I got one last fangirl moment – John Wesely Shipp (The Flash & Dawson’s dad) took a picture with me & I was inwardly jumping around. YAY! 🙂
Anyways, all in all it was a good productive trip (I sold out of my books!) my travel was seamless & the convention itself is a fun, young, convention.
If you are within driving distance of Nashville (or you could be like me & fly!) GO TO GMXv4 next year! You’ll be glad you did. 🙂
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Cool Shirts… eek! I think I only took a photo of one this time, but it was a GREAT one!
Also, SQUEE!!!
One cool costume at the 80s dance!
Vintage dresses!
I know I know, NOT a writing post, but hey, let’s shake things up a bit (BTW, I DID finish the 1st draft of The Hunter).
I was asked by several people on Facebook to post some pics of my vintage dresses (I have a bit of a passion for collecting and wearing them on a regular basis). So I uploaded an album there of them. CLICK HERE TO SEE THEM.
This one, from the late 1930s is my very fav of all… click above to see the rest!
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Don’t forget, physical copies of Songs of the Seasons: Girl are now available.
Physical copies of Songs of the Seasons: Girl available now
I was only going to have physical copies of Songs of the Seasons: Girl (a companion story to War of the Seasons: The Human) available for purchase in person at conventions I’m a guest at. Due to demand, I’ve got a limited run availble for purchase now for $4.99. Click on the button below to buy:
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Oh yes, and in case you don’t follow my Twitter (WHY DON’T YOU???), I finished the first draft for The Hunter last night! Y’all, it’s going to be good! 😀
Win a copy of War of the Seasons: The Human!
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Also, don’t forget that “Girl” is available for download as well:
Milt knew better than to go spelunking alone in his favorite caving system. If anything happened to him, like falling down a deep shaft and breaking his leg, he’d probably die before anyone found him, and that suited him just fine. He expected to be thrilled, and he expected to have a great time. What he didn’t expect was to encounter a naked, half-drowned, red-headed woman making her way up to the main cavern entrance.
For those of you who need to read something from the War of the Seasons world to hold you over until The Hunter comes out in June, this is just for you.
You can download it for $1.99 on your Nook here and on your Kindle here. iBook version will be forthcoming, as will a limited run of signed pamphlet hard copies.
Also, the release date couldn’t be more perfect (you’ll see what I mean when you read it).
Happy Columbus Day everyone! Be careful if you decide to go spelunking… especially if you meet up with mythological creatures along the way… 😉
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War of the Seasons: the Human now has a book trailer:
