STAKED Sequels

So… Let’s recap. My book comes out soon (March 11th). I’ve got an author debut party coming up on the release date, OmegaCon the weekend after the release, and then the beginning of book signings. I even have cool new business cards.

I’ve been going through the "final" draft of the proposed sequel one last time before sending it to my agent. I’m also prewriting on a third Eric book a bit while mostly concentrating on two other urban fantasy novels that are also set in Void City, but with different characters. One of them involves a member of the Mage Guild and the other… well, let’s just say that it involves Lucifer, Satan, and Beelzebub. Boy is that misleading. ;)

The Epic Fantasy Project is on hold for the time being. I’m still working on it, but I want to finish all three books of the trilogy before I lock myself in on a final version of the map. I’m also thinking that it needs a stronger opening and less exposition. At least a few of the “holy crap” moments that make it really different need to come out earlier in the first book. Also, I understand that the epic fantasy market is on the decline.

Still… onward!

STAKED will be here soon and before the release date… AUTHOR COPIES!!!

J

Amazon rankings

So, like any other obsessive compulsive person with a book coming out, I check my Amazon.com listing almost every day. Earlier in the week, I noticed something… I had a ranking all of a sudden (one million and something). I sent out an email, and none of the likely suspects had bought their copies of the book yet… which means *gasp* someone I don’t know pre-ordered a copy of STAKED. How cool is that?!?

You can preorder a copy here and it will ship as soon as the book comes out. :)

Book Review!

Every few weeks since the Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) of STAKED went out, I've been doing a Google search for "j f lewis" "staked" and "review". A few days ago, my search turned up my first book review! :)

"certainly impressive for a debut. The plot is reminiscent of the early, and best, of the Anita Blake novels." - Don D'Ammassa, Hugo nominated editor and author of multiple novels and short stories. To read the whole review, visit Don's Critical Mass website here.

I will say that this sort of thing is the most surreal part about getting published. When you're just getting started (like me), you get paid way less than minimum wage, with the hope that you might one day make more. When you get good feedback from folks who don't know you through anything but your words and they like it and they post about it... when you see your book showing up on people's wish lists or see it mentioned in their blogs... it really does feel like magic.

J

SFWA and the Art of Volunteering

Volunteering.

I don't know why, but I feel the need to help out over at the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. I think I've found a volunteer position that's both beneficial to them and a good fit for me. Somewhere in the middle of December, I took over the job of undating the SFWA Pressbook. (Okay, so that should be *updating* but the typo was so funny I just had to leave it.)

If you haven't visited the SFWA's Pressbook pages, I suggest that you check them out here. Basically, SFWA members can send in their press releases, which are edited and then posted on the site, where they are available both in HTML format and as an RSS feed.

As usual, I can't take much of the credit. Vonda McIntyre, the previous SFWA Pressbook guru (and an excellent writer) has been loads of help, as has my wife (who also does my website). In a very real way, Vonda taught Janet how to maintain the Pressbook site and now Janet is teaching me.

More later,

J