Holiday Hiatus

Welcome everyone!

I hope you are having a joyous holiday season. This is one of my favorite times of year, especially since I get to see family members that live so far away from me. 

It's also the busiest time of year for me. As a result, I'll be pausing new posts on this site until after the new year. 

Don't worry, though! New Thursday Reveals and extras are coming. We're going to have a great time together in 2020.

Until then, I hope you enjoy your holidays and time off from work! I'll see ya next year :)

Peace,

-Troy

Goals for the Weekend 2019-12-20

Welcome everyone!

The holiday season is almost upon us! I, for one, am glad. I need a break. Work, writing, publishing, and everything else has certainly taken its toll on me this December. Time for some RnR.

However, that doesn't mean I'll be abandoning my books entirely. Nope. There are several things I'd like to accomplish this weekend:

• Record more chapters for the Book 2 audio book
• Start making progress on outlining Book 3
• Order the book trailer for The Huntsman and the Vampire

If I can do all that, I'll have a successful weekend. I hope you do too.

Peace,

-Troy

*Thursday Reveal* The Full Hardback Cover

Welcome everyone!

Even though The Huntsman and the Vampire is available for pre-order, we're still proceeding with a reveal every Thursday for now.

So far, I've shown you what the front, spine, and back covers look like, but to get a real appreciation for the art, you have to see the hardback cover which includes the front and back inside flaps.

I've so pleased with how it turned out this time. My cover artist is amazing. So without further ado, here it is:

I love the way the ravens extend onto the flaps. Unfortunately, we couldn't get the forests to carry across and still look right, but still, I think this is fantastic!

Let me know what you think!

Peace,

-Troy

Ordered My Proofs!

Welcome everyone!

Today, I ordered the proof copies for the paperback and hardback books of The Huntsman and the Vampire. I AM SO EXCITED!

Because of the busy holiday season, I probably won't receive them until after the new year. That's fine. I can't do much with them until then anyway.

However, you can bet that I will post a picture of myself holding them as soon as they come in. I can't wait to have them in my hands so I can really see what they look like compared to The Huntsman and the She-Wolf.

That's going to be such a rush. Can't wait :)

Peace,

-Troy

The Harrowing Experience of Putting a Book on Amazon

Welcome everyone!

The Huntsman and the Vampire marks the second time I've put up a book for sale on Amazon.com. Both times, it's been something of a hassle.

Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely grateful that such a large and wide-reaching organization allows little guys like me to sell my books there. It's a wonder democratization of the publishing process.

It is, however, irritating at times. For instance, both times my books have wound up in the weirdest categories. Currently, the Huntsman and the Vampire are in multi-cultural children's stories. That's just not right. I don't want to misrepresent the story that way. It really doesn't fit that genre.

So, now I have to go through the arcane process of getting customer service to change the categories for me. It's frustrating because sometimes they misunderstand what you want and screw it up again. So it becomes a game of submitting a request, checking for errors, submitting again, and so on.

Grumble grumble grumble heh heh. In the big picture, it's not that big of a deal. By the end of this week, it should be cleared up. Still, I wish there was an easier way to do this, especially since I have to bother customer service each time.

Anyway, happy holidays to all. I hope your weekend was successful. Welcome back to Monday :)

Peace,

-Troy

Goals for the Weekend 2019-12-13

Welcome everyone!

You your Friday the 13th was uneventful. Mine was really fantastic. The launch of pre-orders went so much better than I anticipated. The response has been amazing and so very positive. I'm thrilled that so many of you like the cover. I think it's great too.

This weekend, I need to focus on getting more chapters in the audiobook recorded. I still need to do all the editing for it. I've also begun planning a launch party for my book, which I'll have more details about in the future.

Anyway, here's what I hope to accomplish this weekend:

• Record more for the audio book
• Commission book trailer for The Huntsman and the Vampire
• Order proofs for the print versions of Book 2
• Create teaser items for Thursday Reveals that will run through February

If I can do all that, I'll have a successful weekend. I hope you do too. :)

Peace,

-Troy

*Thursday Reveal* Cover - PreOrders - Launch Date

Welcome everyone!

Today's the big day! The cover is here, AND my book is now available for PRE-ORDER!!!!

I am terribly excited to bring it to you. Right now, The Huntsman and the Vampire is available in three formats: Kindle eBook, Paperback, and Hardback. Pre-ordering now will ensure that you get your copy on the launch day, which is February 12 - just in time for St. Valentines Day! A most appropriate day to give someone a rose (a Hunter's Rose), I believe.

With all that out of the way, let's get to the cover. No spoiler space this week. The book is already publicly available on Amazon HERE.

So without further ado, here it is:

The subject of the sequel is vampires and their lore in Celandine Valley. If you read the first book, then you'll remember that some Unhallowed creatures have a particular animal associated with them:

Werewolves - Wolves
Dwarves - Spiders
Sorceresses - Hounds
Warlocks - Snakes
Vampires - Ravens

Thus, a giant raven graces the cover of Book 2. Ravens also appeared at the beginning of The Huntsman and the She-Wolf, but now they will be featured much more prominently.

I'd like to take a moment to thank a few people. First, everyone who was in my beta-reading group. This book came along much more easily than the last one thanks to all your hard work. Next, I want to give a shout-out to my editor, Stephanie Eding. You were fantastic! Also, I must credit Eight Little Pages for the cover an layout. Their work is fabulous, and made even more amazing given the personal hardships they have faced. I really appreciate all you have done Claire and Chris, especially you, Claire. Finally, I want to say thank you to all my friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, and students who have encouraged me and supported me through this. There are times I've been tempted to take a break or put off writing for other things. You've kept me on track, and that has made all the difference.

Thanks to one and all for your support. I'm glad I have a chance to bring you this sequel and continue the story of Tristan DeSavoie. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

Peace,

-Troy

One More Day Until the Cover Reveal for Book 2!

Welcome everyone!

Tomorrow is a big day. You'll finally get to see the full cover of Book 2. Last Thursday, I gave you a little teaser, but this week all will be revealed.

You know, it's one thing to write a book, but something else entirely to write a sequel. For me, the sequel really validates my accomplishment. The Huntsman and the She-Wolf wasn't just a flash-in-the-pan fit of inspiration. It truly was the start of something new.

The second book proves (to me at least) that I have the chops to be a writer and to stay a writer. I take great satisfaction in that.

It also means that the odds of the series being finished increase significantly, which is terribly important to me. I want to give all my readers a worthy story that they can enjoy now and for years to come as they reflect on the people and events of the world I've created.

So, tomorrow, I take a huge step toward meeting that goal. It's going to be awesome, and I am so glad you're taking it with me.

Peace,

-Troy

Onward!

Welcome everyone!

So, I got the problem worked out with the printer. It was much easier than I expected, which is a nice surprise. When something doesn't require moving heaven and earth to accomplish it's nearly shocking nowadays.

In addition, I've pretty much got the outline done for the next book in the series. I don't want to talk about it much since I want to focus on Book 2 right now.

So next up for Book 2, I need to get to work on the book trailer as well as some teasers and previews. These will take time, so other stuff needs to be put on hold for now.

Anyway, I hope things are going well for you. I'm glad to report that things are going smoothly here. Hope to see you back on Thursday for the COVER REVEAL and maybe another surprise with it.

Peace,

-Troy

Files Uploaded! - And There's a Problem....

Welcome everyone!

Pre-release for Book 2 is nearly here! Last night I began uploading the files to the book printer. Naturally, there was a problem.

It's a mistake of my own doing, nothing to do with the cover or layout, thank the Lord. However, it will add on a few extra days to fix. Had I been more careful, I would have caught it. The problem is, though, I was just too excited!

Putting a book up for printing and publication is necessarily a complicated ordeal, but there are a lot of steps. For instance, there were 32 tasks I had to complete last night when uploading. I'm not exaggerating that number. I messed up on one, and it threw the whole thing off.

So, as soon as the current render is complete, I'll have to go in and try to adjust it. The issue may require customer support, I don't know. Never-the-less, it will be resolved soon enough, I feel. This is the part of publishing I hate the most. It's all about anticipation and small problems causing big delays.

Ah well. Life's still good!

Just as a reminder. The full front cover of the book will be revealed this Thursday! Don't forget!

Peace,

-Troy

Goals for the Weekend 2019-12-06

Welcome everyone,

I have yet another weekend filled with holiday activities and shopping. Unfortunately, I probably won't get a single free moment until Sunday evening. That means little time for writing and recording. Alas.

In that amount of time, however, I do hope to accomplish a couple things:

• Prepare all final files for upload to IngramSpark and Amazon.
• Continue outlining Book 3.

If I can do that, I'll have a good weekend. I hope you do too.

Peace,

-Troy

*SPOILER* 14th Reveal for Book 2 - Eyes on You

Welcome everyone!

We're getting very close to launching the pre-orders for The Huntsman and the Vampire. Honestly, it will be a relief.

But until then, we get to build up the anticipation some more. If you recall, prior to launching The Huntsman and the She-Wolf, I posted this teaser image:

This week, I'll be doing the same, only for the sequel!

The glowing red eye will become a signature for this series. I hope to continue that motif until the last book is finished. I really want to credit my fantastic cover-artist, Claire. She's amazing and nails exactly what I want each time. Her hard work is greatly appreciated.

So, as always, last warning before spoilers!
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And here it is!

What a haunting image, eh? From what is there, you might be able to infer what creature will grace the cover of Book 2. It's pretty rad, and next week, you'll get to see all of it!

So come back then, for both the reveal and perhaps a bit of a surprise. Take care of each other :)

Peace,

-Troy

The Plan for Pre-Release

Welcome everyone!

I've finalized how I will be launching Book 2, and I'm very excited to share that with you today. In the very near future, the eBook will go up on Amazon for pre-order. The paperback and hardback should follow closely thereafter. The audio book, though, can't be put on Audible for pre-orders, so we'll just have to wait on that one.

The pre-order period will last several weeks. Most authors suggest 3-6 months. Mine won't be that long. I couldn't stand waiting half a year to get a book I wanted to read. I won't make you wait that long either ;)

During the pre-order period I will still have reveals each week. I will be posting teaser videos, sample chapters to read, and the first chapter or two from the audio book.

All of this will lead up to release day which will be a very appropriate day for The Hunter's Rose series.

Anyway, we're coming close to the end of this part of the journey! I can't wait for you see what I've created. And don't forget, tomorrow will be a new reveal for the exterior of Book 2. See you then!

Peace,

-Troy

The Public Domain and You!

Welcome Everyone!

This year (2019) marked the first year in ages when authors and their works entered the Public Domain. In the 1990's Disney along with a bunch of other media companies convinced Congress to favor them over the common citizenry and extend copyright protections another 20 years.

Now, thanks to even more powerful (but not more likable) tech companies and a strong grass-roots movement, Congress refrained from extending those protections further.

As a result, several dozen authors' and artists' work entered the public domain allowing anyone so inclined to use their work however they pleased without a license. Most of them were people you've probably never heard of, but this coming January will be different.

On January 1st, 2020, Richard Connell and Margaret Mitchell will enter the Public Domain. You probably know them better by their works: The Most Dangerous Game and Gone With the Wind respectively.

Yes, starting in January, General Zaroff and Scarlet O'Hara will be available for authors and artists to add in their stories and expound without fear of lawsuits. Now, these are just for the written works, not the film adaptations - so be careful about that.

Connell and Mitchell are just the tip of the iceberg, though. Here's a list of other authors and the years when their works will be Public Domain:

2020	Richard Connell	Margaret Mitchell
2021	George Orwell	George Bernard Shaw	Olaf Stapleton	Edgar Rice Burroughs	Edgar Lee Masters
2022	Sinclair Lewis	Algernon Blackwood
2023	---------------------
2024	Eugene O'Neal
2025	---------------------
2026	Thomas Mann
2027	---------------------
2028	Laura Ingles Wilder	Dorothy Sayers
2029	---------------------
2030	---------------------
2031	Albert Camus
2032	Earnest Hemmingway
2033	William Faulkner	EE Cummings
2034	Robert Frost	Sylvia Plath	William Carlos Williams	Aldous Huxley	C.S. Lewis
2035	Flannery O'Connor	Ian Flemming
2044	JRR Tolkien

Some of the big ones are George Orwell (Animal Farm, 1984), Laura Ingles Wilder (Little House on the Prairie), Aldous Huxley (Brave New World), C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia), Ian Flemming (James Bond), and J.R.R. Tolkien (The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings). Also, in 2024, Steamboat Willie enters the Public Domain.

Granted, some of those names are more than two decades out, but just imagine a budding writer sitting in a High School English class today. When that student becomes my age, a huge chunk of Tolkien's works will be freely available to all. Keep in Mind, Amazon paid a quarter billion dollars for those rights just last year.

This is a massive win for small-time authors. It's an even bigger deal for independent movie-makers. Each year, some of the greatest works ever written will become available for screenwriters to use in low-budget films.

The next 10-20 years will see a massive influx of new takes on old works. I, for one, cannot wait to see what people do.

Peace,

-Troy