So, what have I been up to?
Mostly nothing. Still relaxing, planning, and doing some good ol' ruminating on the books and stories I'm planning to work on in the next couple years. Pretty sure I know exactly how to start FM7 now, also came to a rather important realization on how FM9 should end once we get that far in the series. These are tiny epiphanies, but very important to the process and ones that are very hard to have when you're focused 110% on a project, and a good reason why taking a break can be the best thing you can do before diving in.
That said, I have been keeping busy with "busy" work. I've made covers for the two novellas meant to release this year, as well as a new cover for FM5.5 in the same style. Did a cover and formated King Henry Box Set One, which will be coming out in March. Basically FM1 to FM3 sold together at a lower price, so nothing you fans will need, but a good deal for newbies. I've finally formated print on demand versions for the series as well and have two of the six covers finished. Expect them soonish. I hope! A more concrete soonish than ever before at least!
I did another round on the net looking for a professional cover artist and did find one I like this time, will look into it more when I get some money from FM6's sales.
Other than that...video games, movies, TV shows.
Been sick for the last couple weeks. YAY asthma + respiratory virus!
Am planning to start in on the novellas and Gush in Feb, so hopefully those status updates start moving!
Good to hear that your recharge is going well!
ReplyDeleteMr. Raley: How does one of my favorite authors stay so successfully off the grid? No...I'm not a stalker. No, I'm not looking to propose marriage. I'm a very happily married (old) woman that now lives in Northern California, but used to live in San Luis Obispo County for 30+ years (Paso Robles.) So...reading your descriptions of Fresno and the area is so entertaining for me to read. So...I do a few (very selective, I am - or lazy?) Amazon reviews as LadyBoss Reviews. I did to a review of FM5 and it was number one last I looked. So...my original question - how you stay to successful at staying off the grid? Who is King Henry modeled after? Hmmm??? :-)
ReplyDeleteKing Henry has been carefully crafted together and has no real world equivalent. Like the vast majority of my characters. Unless you're counting a part of my personality amplified a thousand fold. Think of him as a performance piece no different from any other actor, only on the page instead of on the silver screen.
DeleteThe one novel I did use real life events from was the Betrothal. I did have a friend who got sent on a mission to Chile, I had another friend who was married pretty young, during which I was best man. Obviously I vastly exaggerated, manipulated and combined events, but some of the moments in that novel and the characters do have a basis in my life experiences. Example: the hippo did put on a show but no one was targeted in real life ;)
As for me being largely invisible, I'm of the belief that being invisible, being BORING, and letting my characters and work speak for itself is part of an author's duty. If I'm getting in the way of King Henry or T-Bone or Phin or Ullie then I'm failing. I'm disrupting my own message, the impact of my work, and harming the relationship I want my readers to build with those characters.
Other authors obviously believe differently...quite a few of them nowadays ;)