Lending library

You've probably heard of Amazon's Kindle Owner's Lending Library for members of Amazon Prime. Well, word on the street is that Amazon will be extending the offer to us indies to include our books very soon. Now, since readers can only borrow up to one book per month, chances are they won't use their one loan for a 99c book. In fact, when I borrowed a book, I picked one that's priced for sale at $9.99, and I don't think that will be unusual. So authors are debating whether to raise their book's price in the hopes readers will choose to borrow it. To me, this strategy doesn't make sense. If a book isn't selling at 99 cents or even $2.99, what's the logic behind thinking readers will choose it for their once-a-month loan?

I'm planning to enroll The Venom of Vipers in the lending library (and keep its current price of $2.99), and my new omnibus edition of The Kinshield Saga (priced for sale at $5.99). Folks will be able to read both The Kinshield Legacy and The Wayfarer King for their one monthly loan, and those who choose to buy the omnibus edition will get a small discount. It's a win-win!

Indie fantasy authors to watch

"There’s a new breed of author on the frontlist: the indie."

You can read the rest of the article and my most recent interview with Greg Hamerton at http://greghamerton.com/2011/11/indie-fantasy-authors-to-watch-k-c-may/.

Guest author

I'm the guest author today on Nathan Lowell Presents. Recently, most of my interviews have been about how I got my books noticed so they sell well, but this one was sort of an open format where I could pretty much just blab about whatever I wanted. So I talked about one of the ideas behind an upcoming science fiction novel (as yet untitled). Feel free to add a comment at the end!

KBR Indie Awards

The first ever Kindle Book Review Indie Book Award was announced today, and to my absolute delight, The Kinshield Legacy was selected as the second place winner! I'm thrilled and honored to have my book listed among the other winners and finalists.

Be sure to bookmark The Kindle Book Review site for your next read. Site owner Jeff Bennington says, "All books will have no less than 20 reviews with a rating of 4.0 or higher!"

Believe it... or not!

What happens when a major publisher approaches the artist to buy the artwork on the cover of this book

and the artist refuses to sell? You've got to see it to believe it! http://www.lkrigel.com/2011/08/should-i-be-upset/

New release announcement

Debra Martin of Two Ends of the Pen blog has graciously featured The Wayfarer King on her blog today as a New Release announcement. Everything you ever wanted to know about the book can be found there. :)

Not only that, but author Michael Wallace has posted an interview on his blog.

And if that wasn't enough...The Kinshield Legacy has reached new heights in the Amazon store! Here's a screenshot of it on the Movers & Shakers list. I'm almost afraid I'll wake up soon! (Now, if only I could get nook readers interested. hahaha!)

Release day success!

Yesterday was the official Release Day for The Wayfarer King. So far two book bloggers have given it 5 stars:

"This is another fantastic book by K.C. May.  I have enjoyed everything of hers that I have read and was extremely excited to get a chance to read The Wayfarer King (The Kinshield Saga)."
http://indiebookblogger.blogspot.com/2011/08/wayfarer-king-by-kc-may-review.html

"I've said before that the enjoyment factor is worth a lot when it comes to the awarding of stars, and this story was immensely enjoyable."
http://www.gracekrispy.com/review-the-wayfarer-king-by-k-c-may/

It went as high as 751 in the Kindle Store rankings, and #2 in Hot New Releases in Epic Fantasy. 

I honestly didn't expect such wonderful results on Release Day, and so I blow kisses to all of you who one-clicked. Thank you! I sincerely hope you enjoy the story!

New review from Motherlode blog

GraceKrispy at Motherlode blog has posted her review of The Wayfarer King! Check it out -- and be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy.

Announcing... The Wayfarer King

Finally, after all theses months, the book is done, formatted and uploaded to the various ebook retailers. It's available at Amazon already (early!) as well as Smashwords. Other retailers will be along soon. I'll post the URLs here and on my web site at www.kcmay.com when they're ready.

Thank you to all my beloved readers for your ongoing support. I hope you enjoy the story!

A Teaser

Reviewer Grace Krispy posted a Teaser Tuesday sample of The Wayfarer King on her web site. Look for her full review on release day, August 4th!

Launch day festivities

In The Kinshield Legacy, Gavin is asked how he lost his eye tooth, but he never gives a straight answer. The truth will be revealed in The Wayfarer King. Select your best guess, based on your understanding of Gavin's character. If you pick correctly, your name will be entered in a drawing for a Kindle or nook and $25 gift card! If you guess incorrectly, you could still win a $10 gift card to Amazon or BN.com. Visit http://www.kcmay.com/twkcontest.html to enter before July 31.

On release day, August 4, Grace Krispy will post her review of The Wayfarer King on her blog, Motherlode. Set your bookmark and mark your calendar!

Release date set for The Wayfarer King

The sequel to The Kinshield Legacy is finally almost here! I'll be wrapping up revisions soon (maybe this weekend), and I've started the I-dotting and T-crossing phase. I plan to send the manuscript to my editor (Anne Victory at http://www.victoryediting.com/) for a final pass, and then it's off to the presses for an August 4 release! (It could become available for sale shortly before then because it takes Amazon and Barnes & Noble about 24 hrs to process a new book, but sometimes they're quicker than that.)

Will there be a third book in the series? Hahahahahahahahahahahaha no. As much as fantasy readers enjoy trilogies, this story ends with book 2.* :)

What about the cover art? I've posted an interim cover on my web site, but it's not what I ultimately want to go with. For the release, I'm planning something special -- artwork by T.M. Roy! You'll have to wait until August 4 to see it. :)

*This is not to say I won't write another book with these characters in this world. :)

Relief!

The hardest part of The Wayfarer King is written: the climactic conclusion of the main struggle. WHEW! It's one thing to know in your head how it would all come together, and quite another to write it down with all its details and have everything line up and make sense within the context of the rest of the story. That's one of the funnest parts of writing, but also the most challenging.

I have the "epilogue" left to write, and then the revision phase begins. I've been revising all along, fixing and fitting and adjusting story elements so things line up (I could never just write a story straight through without fixing stuff as I go), so revisions shouldn't take too long. Then will come the clean-up edit, and it'll be ready to go! I'm excited to finally have the story finished. :)

Estimating time to launch

For the last few months, I've been working on the sequel to The Kinshield Legacy which I'm calling The Wayfarer King. What I've learned is that sequels are much harder to write than the original book was! There are all kinds of story facts and events that have to line up. I wouldn't want to write something in The Wayfarer King that would require an event in The Kinshield Legacy to have happened differently. I have to work with what's already happened and "fit" future events around them. If you've read The Kinshield Legacy, you know that what Gavin is going through is a direct result of something that happened 200 years earlier... and a lot happened back then!

So presuming I have everything written the way I want it by the end of May (my goal date), I can get my revisions done in June and edits done in July. Somewhere in there, I hope to find a beta reader or two to keep me honest, and then hopefully, if I make all my goal dates, launch in August! I'm really excited to get this story finished and into readers' hands. I think y'all will like it. I hope you do, anyway. I'm taking a little bit of a risk with one aspect of the story, so we'll see!

Romance in fantasy

I admit, I've never been a fan of romance in fantasy, although if it fits the plot, I certainly don't mind it. Now I find myself needing to include a romantic subplot in my fantasy novel, and I'm not quite sure I know how I feel about it.

Writing the kissy, emotional scenes doesn't bother me. I don't plan to include anything R rated, so if my characters do end up in bed, it'll be behind a closed door. What makes me squirm is the need for it in the first place. For those who know the story of Gavin Kinshield, it makes perfect sense that he would need to find a wife -- and quickly (in case he croaks). In fact, omitting it altogether would be completely illogical from a story standpoint. Glossing over a subplot is, well, not who I am as a writer. If I'm going to include it, it has to be an integral part of the story. It has to pull its own weight.

Yet, I hesitate. When I ask myself why, the only answer that comes to mind is that "romance doesn't belong in fantasy." I know, I know. It's a subjective preference, one that many other fantasy readers share. Will they forgive me this one indulgence? Will I forgive myself?

Game of Thrones

All I can say is WOW! Even if you're not particularly fond of fantasy, this series on HBO is definitely worth watching. Based on the book A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, it's more a story of kings and wars and back-stabbing and manipulation than the typical fantasy with magic. You won't find any fairies or unicorns or elves in this story. It's raw and gritty (intended for mature audiences) and very well done!

Anyone who appreciates excellent prose and an epic story should consider reading the series, called A Song of Ice and Fire (of which A Game of Thrones is book 1). I found myself completely immersed in the story such that I don't notice the writing. As an author, that's my goal -- to make the writing disappear and have the story take shape within the reader's mind as he reads. Mr. Martin is a master!

I'm betting the HBO series shoots his books to the top of the sales charts (again?) as new readers discover his amazing talent for storytelling. I've read the first three books in the series, and now I'm eager to start on book four, especially knowing that the conclusion of the story, A Dance With Dragons, is due to hit store shelves July 12.

Another 99c sale

This time, The Kinshield Legacy (ebook) will be on sale for the month of April at all online vendors:

  Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XT5IYI
  Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/18996
  B&N: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/product.aspx?ean=2940011837036

A mysterious stone tablet with five magical gems has sat abandoned in a cave for two hundred years. The kingdom is in ruins, with only warrant knights to keep the peace. But then, the gems in the tablet, one by one, disappear.

Warrant knight Gavin Kinshield is a man of many secrets. He's the one deciphering the runes in the tablet. Unless he can find a suitable replacement, he'll be Thendylath's next king. All he really wants is the letter written by his ancestor Ronor Kinshield, king's champion and the last man to see King Arek alive... a letter he must earn by tracking down a common thief.

But when Gavin saves a woman's life, what should have been a simple task draws him face-to-face with his nightmarish past... and the truth of King Arek's demise.

If you like heroic fantasy tales, check out the free sample. Reviewers have given it 4.7/5.0 stars at Amazon (28 ratings), 4.5/5.0 stars at Barnes & Noble (6 ratings), 4.6/5.0 stars at Smashwords (10 reviews), and 4.23/5.0 stars at Goodreads. You might enjoy it, too!

All good things must end

That includes sale prices. During the entire month of March, The Venom of Vipers was on sale for 99 cents. I did it partly to put the book into more readers' hands, and partly to see if it showed any signs of taking off like some other books did, like Victorine Lieske's Not What She Seems (which made both the NYT and USA Today's bestseller lists). Alas, my little science fiction story didn't quite make it, though it did hover in 4-digit rankings on Amazon for the month. Still, the sales weren't enough to justify keeping the price that low forever. So starting April 1, I plan to raise the price back to $2.99. If you've had your eye on this book, now's a good time to snatch it up!

Another sale for The Venom of Vipers!

I'd put The Venom of Vipers on sale for 99c at Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and Smashwords last week when it was featured on DailyCheapReads.com. After the sale, it went back to $2.99, but Kobobooks received the updated price from Smashwords and dropped the price for it to 99c. Yesterday, Amazon's price-matching bots found it and automatically matched the price.

So... for a limited time (how limited, I don't know), The Venom of Vipers is on sale at Amazon for 99 cents! If you like a little thriller with your sci-fi, check it out! Currently it's rated 4.8/5.0 with 11/12 5-star reviews.

"The Venom of Vipers is insightful, creative and just such an incredible piece of fiction, highly recommended."
--Antony at  SF Book Reviews

Celebrating the tenth 5-star review

In celebration of Midwest Book Review's 5-star review of The Venom of Vipers on Amazon (bringing the total to 10/11 5-star reviews), I've marked it down to $2.99 until Sunday, Feb 20.

Midwest Book Review has been around for about 35 years and has established a reputation of writing quality book reviews. There are several different review departments. The one in which my book was reviewed was The MBR Bookwatch. Here's how they describe it:

The MBR Bookwatch is a monthly online book review publication that will showcase the reviews and commentaries of those Midwest Book Review editors and specialized reviewers who have demonstrated expertise and mastery of their particular fields, responsibilities, and interests. The MBR Bookwatch will also feature author interviews, as well editorial observations of various aspects of publishing world, by knowledgeable and articulate participants.

The review of The Venom of Vipers can be found here.

Two new reviews make my day!

I found out about a week ago that my fantasy novel, The Kinshield Legacy, was chosen as the February read for the UK Kindle User's forum book club. Imagine how excited I was... and how scared! What if they all hate it? What if it's just "eh?" Eeep! Well, I figured I wouldn't find out until March when the book club members discuss the book they read during February. But then... I happened to go to my book's page on the Amazon UK site, and there I saw a new review posted by one of the book club members. You can read it here.

My favorite part: "I can't wait for the next installment." :)

Then, Google Alerts sent me an email to let me know that a book review of The Venom of Vipers was posted at sfbook.com. You can read it here.

My favorite part: "The Venom of Vipers is insightful, creative and just such an incredible piece of fiction, highly recommended."

"The second half really sucks"

Whenever a new review of my books is posted, I get both excited and apprehensive. Did the reviewer like it? hate it? love it? In particular, reviews of The Venom of Vipers are always scary when the reviewer identifies himself or herself as a scientist because, well, I'm not. So when I saw that a review had been posted on Goodreads for it, I eagerly and warily began reading. And I came upon this phrase:

"Science aside, the first half of the book was interesting and entertaining character development and backstory. The second half really sucks you in and becomes exciting and suspenseful."

On reading the first part of that second sentence, "The second half really sucks," my heart fell just about to my feet. My tear ducts sat up and said, "Hello!" I actually had to read it again to realize the reviewer liked it.

We writers are such an emotional lot, aren't we?

Another giveaway for The Venom of Vipers

Ryder wants to be more than a lab rat; he wants to be free. 
Katie wants him to save the world. 
Purists want him dead.

A supervirus threatens to wipe out the human population.

The only hope for the future is a cure hidden inside Ryder Stone. Created in a lab and brutalized, betrayed and hated by humans, Ryder yearns for freedom. On the outside, a group of human genetic purists want him dead.

When Katie Marsh, a brilliant young geneticist, discovers his secret, she must fight to protect Ryder, gain his trust...and convince him to save humanity before the purists destroy them both.

~

I'm giving away a free copy of my latest novel, science fiction thriller The Venom of Vipers, every day until I decide not to do it anymore. :) To enter the drawing:

1. Add The Venom of Vipers ebook to your Amazon wish list.* 
2. Open your Wish List on Amazon.com and click the Share with Friends button near the top. There'll be a short URL that looks something like this: http://amzn.com/w/1AB23CDEF45G6. Copy that and email it to me -- or just plop my email address (k . c . may @ live . com) into the To: box. If The Venom of Vipers is on your wish list when I do the drawing sometime in the evening (EST), you might be selected as the winner!
3. If you are the winner, I'll send you either an Amazon gifted copy or a Smashwords coupon.

*If you don't own a Kindle, that's okay -- add it anyway and let me know in the email that you prefer a Smashwords coupon. If you win, you can download the book from www.smashwords.com in whatever format suits you.

If you don't win today, just leave The Venom of Vipers in your wish list and you'll be automatically entered into tomorrow's drawing! Pssst -- tell your friends!

The Kinshield Legacy receives another great new review

Darkiss, on his review blog Darkiss reads, wrote this about The Kinshield Legacy:

"Well written and highly entertaining, you are taken on an adrenalin fuelled roller-coaster ride of excitement and exhilaration. K.C. May is well worth adding to your fantasy collection and will sit comfortably beside David Eddings, Raymond E. Feist and Stephen Donaldson."

Full review can be read at http://www.darkissreads.com/2011/01/kinshield-legacy-by-k-c-may.html

Yes, yes I did just about fall out of my chair!

The Venom of Vipers gets a face-lift

After reading a lot of forum discussions lately about cover designs and taking a long, hard look at the cover for The Venom of Vipers, I decided it needed a change. It needed to be interesting. And I needed the help of someone who designs book covers, not just an artist, so I contacted Carl Graves of Extended Imagery.

Not only did Carl "see into" my book based on what little description I gave him, he picked out the most interesting tidbits and put together a cover that also matches the layout of my other covers. If you've read the book, you know how well this new one fits the story!

Hopefully this new cover will spark a little more interest than the old one. :)

Top four of 2010!

My debut novel, epic/heroic fantasy The Kinshield Legacy, was named as one of the top four reads of 2010 on DailyCheapReads.com by Grace Krispy!

What a fabulous honor it is to be selected. I can't begin to describe what a great feeling and wonderful sense of accomplishment it is to know my books are being enjoyed.

Goodreads giveaway

I started another Goodreads giveaway for the paperback edition of The Venom of Vipers. If you're a Goodreads member (or want to sign up to be one), head over to http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/7494-the-venom-of-vipers to enter the giveaway. It ends Jan 11.

Writing software

I love books on writing. I have over 70 of them on my shelf right now. Books on plotting and characterization, self-editing and setting, description and prose style -- they're all there. For a while, maybe 8-10 years ago, I started looking for writing software. I bought Dramatica and WritePro and Power Structure. I tried yWriter and WriteWay and Who Knows What Else. And then I went back to good ol' Word.

Don't get me wrong. Word drives me as crazy as the next person. But I know it, and it doesn't get in my way. My dad (rest his soul) was fond of saying, "The best piece of software is the one you know how to use." But a recent discussion on the Kindleboards opened my eyes to another program for authors: WriteItNow. It's simple yet elegant, giving me ways not just to write my scenes and chapters but to organize my notes about events and characters, too. No more txt files called Notes1 and Notes2! I can keep everything all nice and tidy together, easily accessible while I'm writing.

To be fair, yWriter did that as well, but what I particularly like about WriteItNow is that it has a feature to gather all my scenes into a single RTF file in a manuscript format. Plus, its internal editor is super easy to use, and it has additional features like storyboarding and daily word count targets. The only "problem" with the word count target was that it didn't count my words accurately.

I was writing along for an hour or so and checked my progress. 818 words. Oh. Hm. Okay, I thought it would be more than that. I wrote for another 15 minutes. 823 words. Now wait a minute! That can't be right. I typed the word test and checked again. 824. Okay, maybe it is working. But how could I have only added 5 words in 15 minutes? Maybe I misread the first number. So I wrote for another hour. 830 words. WHAT? No freaking way. I selected all the words in the scene I was working on and used the regular word count feature: 1864. Hahaha! I see what it was doing there: getting me to exceed my daily goal. BY CHEATING. Ah well, I can't complain. I'm ahead of schedule now!

Since I'm on the subject of writing software, I have to give a shout out to Serenity Editor for Writers. That's one powerful piece of editing genius. It's not a magic button to turn a dull story into a work of art, but it will help find places where I've written the same 3-word phrase repeatedly, such as "shook his head." It's funny how many times a writer will write something like that without realizing it. I don't know about other writers, but I find that kind of assistance very helpful.

The Kinshield Legacy receives a great new review

It never ceases to thrill me when a reader enjoys my book, especially those who step out of their comfort zone to try a new author in a genre they don't typically read. I feel like I've done my part to represent indie authors and fantasy writers in a good light. In this case, the reviewer writes, "The plot was interesting and entertaining, a mystery and a quest, and moved along at a quick pace." She then calls it an "Excellent debut fantasy." Thank you, Ms. Evans! I'm so glad you enjoyed the story!