Join me on WattPad!

I have recently joined the ranks of WattPad and placed several samples of work up there, including my previously released Halloween short stories, and ALL of WOTHLONDIA RISING. The book, in its entirety, can be read for FREE right there (as well as on Smashwords).

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I would ask that anyone checking this out would read, vote on my work, and possibly, if you are so kind, follow me there!

If you and yours have a WattPad account and would like me to follow you back, please list your account in the comments below and I will follow you back.

And don't forget to sign up for the FREE giveaway on Goodreads right there at the top right hand side of the page.

Thanks for all of your support and correspondence this year, everyone and I wish you all the best.

This will probably be my last post of the year, and so, I wish you all Happy Holidays, a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

See you in Wothlondia and beyond in 2014!

All Artwork and covers of my works by William J. Kenney

Visit my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE Here!

Also, Please join me and the other amazingly talented authors over @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published speculative fiction authors with much to give both now and in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2013 unless otherwise noted.

Kindle or Nook? Something Else?

Just a curious question I had the other day, talking to some friends. As an indie writer and self-publisher, I am curious if it is worth diving into the world of Nook. Would doing the Smashwords thing expose my book to more e-readers and readers alike? I initially released one of my books on the Nook and it met with limited results.

The big question: Is it worth leaving the Kindle KDP Select? I’ve heard mixed reviews…

First of all, do you have a kindle or Nook? I am assuming if you read, you have an e-reader. I personally have a kindle—just the reader, not the fire—and I do like it. And I know there are other devices out there: Kobo, iPad, tablets, etc. As a matter of fact, some might say that a tablet is even better than the kindle/Nook as they can just download the app. ID that is the case, are you doing the kindle or Nook app?

Anyway, I was toying with the idea of making my work available again for the Nook, but am wondering how many readers actually ignored the 800 pound gorilla that is the kindle to get the Nook instead? Many? Based on some numbers I had seen and forecasting, the Nook and B&N might be in some trouble. Then in other recent news, I heard that the Nook might be bought by Microsoft, so who knows? Again, that is all speculation. Another interesting tidbit is that Amazon, as of an article in March, is going to buy Goodreads. How will that affect book sales?

I am asking you, the reader, what do you use if you have the choice: Kindle or Nook?

Oh, and as a shameless self-promotion on my birthday, all books were reduced yesterday to $2.99 and under for the week. So if you wanna do me a solid, feel free to pop on over and check out my Realm of Ashenclaw, pick up an inexpensive book and enjoy some heroic, old school fantasy! Or don't...either way, we are cool! :)

Please join me and the other amazingly talented authors over @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published speculative fiction authors with much to give both now and in the future!


Visit my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Also, please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.

TEARS OF BLOOD FREE! Happy Birthday to ME?

Since my birthday is coming up, I have decided to give you a free short story again! What? Shouldn't I be receiving the gift, you say? Well, I kind of look at like this: I give you something for free, and you, in return, read my work and perhaps even post a review. Or, even better, you like it and come back to buy a few more in the series and begin your journey into the magnificent Realm of Ashenclaw. Whaddaya say? 

This is all leading up to my WIP, Secrets of the Ebonite Mines, dropping some time the end of the month, too, if all goes according to plan. I have the masterful William Kenney working on a cover that will knock your socks off and the incomparable Stephanie Dagg trying to make me once more sound as though I know what I am talking about! 

In all seriousness, nothing would make me happier than if you all simply read my work. I would love a review if you happen to read it on Amazon and Goodreads. That would certainly make me happy!

That is why I put pen to paper so to speak--a gift to you.

And just for a teaser, I will post another sample here, along with the cover again!

It will be available to download for the Amazon Kindle from Wednesday (6/6) all the way through until Sunday (6/10)! Enjoy!

“They seem to be… random in their movements. Like they are not organized. They have no leader, I think.”

Suddenly, a scout on horseback appeared in the distance. As he neared, he clumsily dismounted, stumbling to the ground. Scarr recognized the boy as one of Helzak’s children—Halton. Helzak was a fine bowman in Chansuk, and had the eyes of an eagle. Normally Helzak would be either hunting with Scarr or helping as a scout, but this day had him bedridden with sickness. That was why the boy was in his place. The young man approached with a frightened and disturbed look upon his pale, young face. His eyes were wide and he was pointing to the north as he attempted to gather himself.

“Halton, what is it?” asked Scarr as he tried to steady the boy.

“The… Greymoors,” managed the boy, gasping for air, the heat from his breath seen clearly against the cold of the morning air. “A horde…,” he continued, finally slowing his breathing. “A horde of… something… is coming this way!”

Scarr grabbed the boy by his comparably smaller arms and pulled him closer. “A horde heading where?!” demanded the barbarian chieftain.

“They are heading northwest. Most of them, anyway,” cried the young man. Scarr could feel the boy shaking and fidgeting in his grip, truly frightened by whatever it was that he had witnessed.

“How far are they now, boy?” asked Scarr, plans formulating in his mind.

“Many miles still,” Halton answered, motionless in the iron grip of Scarr’s powerful hands. “I was able to spot them a great distance away, but—“

“But, what?” insisted Scarr, pulling the boy even closer. They were almost nose to nose.

Scarr pushed Halton back and released his vise-like grip, admiring the boy’s obvious talent for perception and observance of details. Just like Helzak, thought Scarr. The boy fell backward, but caught his balance and stood again, staring at the commanding barbarian before him who tugged at his braided beard thoughtfully.

“Alert the village,” Scarr ordered, specifically directing this command to Magreth. He nodded and ran off in a dead sprint. Then he turned to Rothnarr and added, “You’d better alert your people, too, if your father doesn’t know already.”

“Aye,” Rothnarr agreed and strode away with purpose.

Within moments, a crowd began to form around their leader, a wall of muscled barbarians who stood intently awaiting the words of their great chieftain.

“Barbarians of Chansuk,” Scarr began, but then hesitated, seeing his daughter amongst the group, her hair now braided and tied back in a pony tail. “We are facing an enemy unknown to us. But, whoever they are, we will send them running back in the direction from whence they came!”

A chorus of cheers went up with that declaration, a deafening roar from the hundreds of barbarians gathered. That roar slowly turned into a chant of “Chan-suk, Chan-suk!”

Join me @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a new Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published fantasy authors with much to give both now and in the future!

All of my work can be found on AMAZON -- Kindle versions here

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase my full length novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, the short stories: Wothlondia Rising, and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.

Do Writers Read?

I ask this very simple question because, a while back, I was not reading at all! I had a discussion with a friend and fellow author and we began to chat about not having time to read, with everything else happening in our lives—work, writing, editing, sports, romance, family, sleep—and the list goes on. I am sure you’ve all heard it all, right? I thought to myself: “how am I not reading!?” It was crazy! I used to read voraciously and it was what made me want to write myself so many years ago. So, I made a promise to myself to never let it happen again. So, I made time to read (and especially if you are a writer), I would hope you do, too.

One thing came up about twitter followers. Most of mine (and his for that matter), happen to be writers. He seemed to think that having writers follow you meant that they were only that: writers. I am here to say: nay! Am I right? Please say yes!

Writers should be reading! Plain and simple. It doesn’t have to be an exorbitant amount, but get it in while you can. It is quite simply a measuring stick, research, and who knows, it might teach you a thing or two! So, with that being said, I ask my audience of writers:

Do you make time to read?

Please comment and let us know what you are reading, too, if you don’t mind.

As a side note, I very much enjoy the site Goodreads and would highly recommend any and all of you to join the site! If you do, please friend me HERE!

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Photo from Stock.xchng

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase my full length novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, the short stories: Wothlondia Rising, and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.

Does Social Media Help Your Sales?

I was thinking about this the other day and am up in the air about it. I think it does help to at least get the word out, but I mean there are so many tweets and posts out there that it is difficult to find your target audience—or for them to find you. I started a twitter account last July 4th and it has steamrolled much faster than I would have imagined. I am pushing for 5k followers by this July (just a minor goal of mine). I am on Facebook and Goodreads and even joined Pinterest, which I am not quite sure about yet.

Goodreads I very much enjoy because it is about readers sharing info, reviews, opinions, etc on…well: books! Kind of cool. I did a giveaway there for my first novel and gave two books away, and it was a smashing success I believe. I would like to give more kindle versions away of my short stories, but Goodreads only allows hard copies to be given away. *sad face*

So, I joined these sites to connect with people of like mind, to share back and forth our products, services and to share stories. It is working for the most part…except for the sales, which I assume will come over time.

I have met some amazing people on social media and enjoy the company, too. With a full time job and writing as a second job, social media kind of falls by the wayside. I would love to personally interact with people one on one more than I do, but there are just not enough hours in the day, so I hope no one is offended. I see this happen especially when followers grow so quickly.

I think that the blog is one superb tool for that, where I can interact with people as they respond to posts. Twitter feed is especially tough, because the tweets go by so fast! I try to respond personally at least a few times a day when my 'tweeps' talk to me. The new interface seems easier to manage as well.

I also find myself on Facebook less and less. I liken the site to MTV. When MTV came out, they played music videos…now it is all about reality TV shows and whatnot and they have gotten away from playing music. Facebook was like this in that it was a social media site for people to share events and fun things…now it is more of a game site with all of the apps and games with occasional chatting. These are just my opinions, mind you, from my own perspective. I still maintain a presence, but find myself there maybe once a day, to wish people happy birthday and to share a site or article that I find.


Does anyone have any different opinions about social media? Do you feel that promoting your material works? Have you met any people with which you have connected? I’d love to hear everyone’s opinions, so have at it!

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

Photo from Stock.xchng.

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2011 unless otherwise noted. 

Goodreads Giveaway Winners!

I am happy to say that 458 people requested the 2 signed copies for my Goodreads giveaway! I wanted to thank everyone who signed up. I would also like to thank anyone who is going to read the book or marked it 'to read' lately as well. I will probably be doing another giveaway for Covenant of the Faceless Knights again in the near future, so keep your Eye on Ashenclaw and the other on Goodreads to see when!

The lucky winners are:

Fred Hughes and Vicky Boutin! Both are from Canada! (Is that a coincidence?)

Congratulations to the both of you!

I will be signing your books this morning and getting them in the mail either later today or tomorrow, so you should be receiving them shortly. 

As mentioned on Goodreads, you are not required to review the book, but I would certainly appreciate your feedback if you wouldn't mind!

I'll certainly be seeing both Fred and Vicky in Wothlondia very shortly and cannot wait until many more of you join in on the fun!

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase my full length novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, the short stories: Wothlondia Rising, and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

Cover art on Distant Familiarity provided by William Kenney!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.
 

Orngoth excerpt! Part of Chapter 14

I have been getting quite a few of the people clamoring for Orngoth excerpts...so, once more on twitter's #SampleSunday, I give you a portion of Chapter 14 of Covenant of the Faceless Knights! Enjoy you soon-to-be-favorite Half-ogre Barbarian!

Orngoth Artwork by the incomparable William J. Kenney!

There were four undead mockeries of once-humanoid creatures with rotting, discolored flesh hanging from their semi-exposed skeletons. It was the foulest sight Forgulnak had ever witnessed. The creatures fed on the now lifeless husk of their fellow goblinoid.

“Ghouls!” Forgulnak uttered loudly. The red of their eyes reflected in the torchlight as they were drawn toward the scent of fresh blood, turning to regard them. He could see their gray rotting flesh as well as their clawed hands now tearing goblin flesh from the bone and devouring it.

The goblinoids collectively stood appalled by the scene, nauseated and frozen, trying to move. They could not. It was too late. The four undead creatures advanced with speed unparalleled on their newest prey that had foolishly entered their lair. The ghouls leapt at them, knocking them to the blood-stained, slick ground. The goblinoids remained paralyzed in shock, helpless and nauseated by the sight and smell of the devastation.

Forgulnak finally realized the true horror of their situation. He tried to make his legs move, but was unable. Whether it was fear or something else that paralyzed him, he could not tell, as he felt the flesh being torn from his bones.

The undead overran them and began to feast, completely consumed by their hunger…until one of them was suddenly crushed by the bulk of a gargantuan club.

Orngoth heard the shuffling and smelled a foul odor emitting from the alcove. He heard a goblin scream harshly as some terrible fate must have befallen it, but he could not see as it was beyond his line of sight. The other goblinoids made their way into the opening and disappeared around the corner, too.

Several more screams followed. Something bad was happening, but he did not know what. He did know one thing, and that was that he had to get free of his manacles.

He strained once more against the chains that bound his arms and hands. Again a few of the metal links weakened and began to buckle further. Another tug from his mighty arms bent the links once more. His muscles continued expanding and contracting in succession against the metal, his veins becoming more pronounced beneath the flesh of his arms. The metal groaned with protest under his might as the links twisted and reshaped themselves to conform to the half-ogre’s will, eventually giving in to his remarkable strength with several loud pops. He was suddenly free of his bonds and retrieved his massive club.

It took Orngoth quite some time to squeeze his large frame through the alcove, but he managed, leaving the top layers of his flesh behind on the stone. The screams had died down, but the sickening odor remained. He saw them as he entered in the flickering torchlight.

Ghouls!

The undead creatures were so focused on their newest feast that Orngoth’s entrance had gone completely unnoticed.

He fought back the disgusting aroma and did not succumb to its accompanying nausea as he smashed the first undead creature into mush with a mighty downward swing of his club. The three remaining anathemas moved quickly toward him. Orngoth’s fierce blue eyes had already run red with rage, revolted and angered by the sight of this purest of evils. Orngoth allowed the bloodlust to overtake him, not even trying to resist.

His huge club came up over his head and he timed the next blow perfectly, almost knocking the ram-horned helm from atop his own head as he swung his club with ferocity borne of rage unbound and connected. The blow was so powerful that he simply crushed the ghoul beneath the impact, spraying bone and gore everywhere.

As he started to pull his club from the remains, he was struck simultaneously by the two remaining ghouls. Biting and clawing at his already scarred and fairly tough hide, the ghouls pressed their assault. Orngoth howled in pain as the anger surged within him.

Small pieces of his flesh were torn open by the fiends, but Orngoth didn’t even take notice now as his bloodlust peaked, driving him to acts of heroic proportions.

He reached out and pulled the first of the two off by its neck and propelled it through the air to land hard against the stone wall. It hit with a dreadful thud. He watched as it attempted to slowly right itself, swaying considerably as it did.

Orngoth grabbed the second one by its arm, nearly tearing it from its socket in the process, and threw it in the same direction as the first, with similar results. He roared fiercely, consumed by his fury, ignoring sense and sensibilities, wanting only to destroy his foe!

The two undead charged him once more. He slid on the slick surface as he took a step, but regained his footing and dropped into a lower, wider stance. 

They closed the distance as Orngoth gripped the base of his weapon with both hands and swung hard. The timing of his spectacular swing connected with one ghoul solidly, crushing its ribs and liquefying them straight away. Then there was a loud crash that immediately followed the first.  His swing had continued its momentum, crushing the second creature’s skull, hitting it with so much force, that it partially removed the head from the body.

Nothing else moved as Orngoth stood victorious over the immobile creatures, blood-stained and angry. He roared in victory before remaining still for a time, allowing the bloodlust to fade.

Eventually, exhaustion set in. He fell to one knee before squeezing out of the tiny opening once more and slumping to his rear on the hard stone. Breathing more slowly now, he contemplated what to do next, until sleep claimed him.

Please join me and the other amazingly talented authors over @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published speculative fiction authors with much to give both now and in the future!

All Artwork and covers by William J. Kenney

Visit my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Also, please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.

What Price is the Right Price for a Book?

I am seeing a bit of disparity in the price
of books, especially eBooks. I see prices that range from $30.00+ for a hardcover down to .99 cents for an eBook.

I am wondering what is the best price point for a novel and at what point will you not 'break the bank' for a book? I don't think that $10.00 is asking too much for a book that I want to read, regardless of whether or not it in print or an eBook, but what the heck do I know!?

With books so easy to obtain via downloads to the Nook, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, Android phones, etc., does that change your mind, too? I know Amazon and the eBook changed the publishing and writing game forever.

I looked recently on the top kindle book and every single one was $2.99 and under. Some of them were even free! I am not sure how they count ‘free’ as sales, but I am sure it is possible. I know many bloggers and authors have discussed this, but I wanted to see what my audience thinks. Reason being is that I have many more books in the works!

I feel that my publishing company may have mislead me indirectly or perhaps I wasn’t clear enough with my expectations—maybe it was simply my own delusions of grandeur that pushed my own ego into thinking that I could make a good push with sales all by myself…meh. While I think that I am doing a fairly good job of marketing using the social media sites, I feel like sometimes I am beating a dead horse…especially on Facebook. I am having some success with twitter, my website and with the blog in driving visitors to each using the other. At some point or another, I feel that I am going to need either to spend some of my own money for a media blitz or try to find an agent to net me a publisher.

Who was happy? This guy!

Circling back to the first published book, I went with the ‘let’s try to see how far I can push this while competing against known authors’ route in my price point. While I don’t say that it is wrong, I think that I may have put the cart before the horse.

I am currently working on a prequel: an anthology that includes the story of what happened to my retired heroes prior to the prologue in Covenant of the Faceless Knights. I am also working on short stories of Elec, Saeunn, Rose and Garius. I am also planning on doing another full length novel for the second in the ‘Beginnings’ series (sequel). I am still debating whether or not to include a story about Orngoth in the anthology (prequel)…I will see if anyone clamors for one here!

Also, I am planning on releasing the anthology sometime next year with the price point of .99 cents up to $2.99. Any advice from the pro’s out there? I am not quite sure what to do yet for the full length novel and am debating whether or not to bother with the interior art again. I liked it, but am not sure if it is worth the added expense.

I know that some people only charge the $2.99 price, but are they mostly novellas, short stories or what? My novel was 304 pages and I spent a lot of hard work in editing, presenting and writing it. I am not saying that anyone else hasn't, merely presenting the facts from my side for anyone who hasn't written a book yet! Does that mean anything or not when compared to the rest of the field?

My questions to you are:

1. What do you charge or what would you pay for a full length novel?

2. What do you expect content-wise and editorial-wise for the .99 cent to $2.99 price point?

3. Do you want to see a sixth short story in the anthology that centers on the half-ogre barbarian Orngoth?


See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit my home page to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

(Photos from Kozzi and me!)


All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios, LLC 2011 unless otherwise noted.