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McAnally's (The Community Pub) => Author Craft => Topic started by: Wordmaker on August 24, 2012, 11:59:03 AM
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I've been gone from these forums for far too long. I used to spend most of my time hanging around the RPG boards, but today I'm back with news about the release of my first novel, available from November 6th! It'll be available in print and ebook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and regular brick & mortar booksellers.
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d133/Wordmaker/LockedWIthin_CVR.jpg)
The supernatural realm and the mundane world have existed side by side since the dawn of time. Predators walk the streets, hidden by our own ignorance. Once, the city of New York was protected, but that was another time.
Now a creature emerges from the city’s past to kill again, with no-one to hear the screams of its victims. The lost and the weak, crushed under the heels of the city’s supernatural masters, have given up hope.
But one man finds himself drawn to these deaths. Plagued by dreams of past lives, his obsession may cost him friends, loved ones, even his life. To stop this monster, he must unlock the strength he once had. He must remember the warrior he was, to become the hero he was born to be.
His name is Nathan Shepherd, and he remembers.
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ooh that sounds very intresting
*adds to the must read wile waiting for cold days list to be brote on the kindle*
witch is getting too short :)
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How often is he called Shepard? Because Mass Effect flashbacks may ruin the reading process for me. Congrats on success though.
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Congratulations Paul! Your book sounds great and the cover is sweet looking! You have accomplished what I still dream of and reach towards.
November is going to be one hell of a busy month - I'll definately pick up your book, then it's on to Trapped, Book 5 of the Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne, then COLD DAYS!
Again, congrats! And good to see you back!
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YEAH! Congrats!
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Congrats sir!!!
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Congratulations! I will definitely check it out.
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Thanks, so much, everyone! I've been dreaming of this almost all my life.
Aminar, in answer to your question, he's referred to exclusively as Nathan in the narration (it's third-person past-tense), though some characters, mostly antagonists, call him Shepherd.
Locked Within is now available for pre-order on Amazon, here (http://www.amazon.com/Locked-Within-Paul-Anthony-Shortt/dp/1937178250/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346060692&sr=1-1). Only the paperback version is listed at the moment, but my publisher will be uploading the details for the Kindle edition soon.
Edit to add: I get to share my release month with Cold Days. That's so awesome!
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Sounds very interesting! Congratulations!
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Congrats. Way to go.
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good job indeed. the cover reminds me of someone, but i dont know who....
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Thanks!
Unfortunately I have no idea who the model is for the cover art. All I know is I'm thrilled with the design my publisher chose. ;)
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I agree; that cover model is definitely somebody I've seen before.
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Congratulations! May this be the start of many more novels to come.
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At first i thought almost a young harrison ford, but that is wrong.
perhaps a young dennis quaid?
(https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTLNL-90S-smEzU0mw0zV84icLRAOopksz1sRpl1-nAPfWoB2Vm)
Again Congratulations, sorry about being kinda off topic
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Hehe, no worries! Any talking is good talking!
He does look familiar though, doesn't he?
And yes, hopefully this will be the first of many. At the moment I have two more planned to make this series a trilogy.
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Maybe Richard Dean Anderson?
(http://stargate-sg1-solutions.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/SG-1-S1-JO2.jpg)
Can't wait to read it. :) Sounds right up my alley! Huge congrats.
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Honestly, I thought he looked like an angry (or constipated) James Van Der Beek.
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I was going to pre-order Locked Within as a Nook Book but B&N doesn't have a listing for it. Too early, I guess. :(
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I'm afraid so. It'll be closer to the release date before ebook versions are available for pre-order. I'm really sorry. Keep an eye out, though. I'll be making regular updates as more versions become available.
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Hey Paul,
Firstly I just wanted to say congratulations! It's so great to see that you've achieved this level of success! The premise sounds really cool and I will definitely snag a copy as soon as it's available.
Would you mind terribly if I pester you with a few questions?
Do you feel that there are certain things that make a book "marketable" or somehow sexier in the eyes of a publishing house, and if so did you put a lot of thought into these factors when writing Locked Within?
Or did you focus on writing the best story you were able to and decide to try and sell it?
I'm just a little curious since writers are all artists. On the same hand, when a writer decides to publish a book it then becomes a product as well.
I was also curious to know a little bit about the editorial process. I believe I saw you mention in another post that you were asked to make some pretty extensive changes to the manuscript for both your first and second book.
Do you feel like you had to compromise your vision for the story when making these changes or do you feel like they helped you develop a more polished work overall?
Those were some things I was wondering about and, if you wouldn't mind, I'd love to hear any words of wisdom you might be willing to share.
Again, congratulations on your book deal. Can't wait to read it!
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Thanks!
I'm happy to answer any questions at all.
Do you feel that there are certain things that make a book "marketable" or somehow sexier in the eyes of a publishing house, and if so did you put a lot of thought into these factors when writing Locked Within?
Or did you focus on writing the best story you were able to and decide to try and sell it?
The unending debate. Should you write for yourself or for your (potential) readers?
There are most certainly things that make a book marketable and appealing to a publisher or an agent. The thing is, these people know what they're doing. They look for certain elements because they know readers want certain elements. They're what make a book sell. That said, agents and publishers are also on the lookout for books that push the boundaries just enough to be fresh and still be appealing to readers. Humans are strange creatures. We crave variety but we resist things that are too far out of our comfort zone.
Every writer is different, as is every reader. Personally, when I first decided I wanted to be a writer, I knew it was because I wanted people to enjoy my stories. So there was never really a question for me of whether to write for myself or for readers, because writing for myself was writing for readers. I love stories that use established tropes well. I'd much rather read a book or watch a movie where I could predict what would happen next and enjoy the skillful execution (much like watching a musical performance or a play), than one which tried to surprise me and ended up not quite pulling it off.
I knew from before I started Locked Within that I wanted it to sell, and to sell extremely well. I dove in, trying to tell the most entertaining story I could, using everything I knew about storytelling to do it. I definitely viewed it as a product as well as art.
I think the reality is that it doesn't matter how you get the first draft written. You just get it done. Afterwards you can worry about making it marketable.
Do you feel like you had to compromise your vision for the story when making these changes or do you feel like they helped you develop a more polished work overall?
Not in the slightest. If anything, the advice I got brought my work closer to my vision than I thought possible. I can't stress enough how invaluable a professional editor is in your work. They'll see things you've missed, figure out what you're trying to say and show you how to say it better. I've been blessed with a great team at WiDo Publishing.
But then, I went into this knowing that a lot could change between submission and publication, so perhaps I was prepared for the possibility of making big changes. It is, I feel, naive to send a query to a publisher or agent under the impression that nothing will be changed. You can certainly resist the changes your editor suggests, but I wouldn't do so without serious thought. Even so, learning that I had to cut the first 50 pages of Locked Within hit me hard and I was pretty rattled, I can tell you. I had no idea how I could do that and still make the book work.
My rule of thumb was that whenever I got an e-mail back with more edits, I wouldn't read the suggestions until the next morning. This gave me time to adjust to the idea that things needed to change. After I had read them, I would leave them and not start working on them until the next day. This let me have some time to absorb the advice and understand why I was being asked to make these changes.
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Locked Within is now available for pre-order on Amazon.
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Awesome! Pre-ordering now!
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I will be sure to pick this up and give it a read.
congrats!
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Yep, it's up on Amazon.com right now and it'll be available on other international Amazon sites closer to the release date, as well as on Kindle.
Incidentally, if anyone out there reviews books on their blog and would like review the book, I can see about sending an advance copy as a pdf or Kindle-fiendly file once I have them.
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Looks pretty interesting I may give it a try. Will be hard to keep mass effect out of my mind though if he is called Shepherd much.
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I just got confirmation that the Kindle edition will be available on Amazon.com in October, a month before the release of the paperback version. For a limited time, it'll be available at a special rate of $1.99!
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I just got confirmation that the Kindle edition will be available on Amazon.com in October, a month before the release of the paperback version. For a limited time, it'll be available at a special rate of $1.99!
That's unbelievable! I will definately be picking it up! (Would have at a higher price too!)
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Thanks so much for your response! It's been very insightful. I've pre-ordered Locked Within and can't wait to check it out!
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Thanks guys. Things are starting to come together as I get ready for the launch. October's going to be a busy month of promotion.
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I got some incredible news today!
Locked Within is now available on Kindle on Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Locked-Within-ebook/dp/B009GL6XAK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1348685768&sr=8-2&keywords=locked+within) and Amazon.co.uk! (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Locked-Within-ebook/dp/B009GL6XAK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348685781&sr=8-1)
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Aaaaaand, you can also now pre-order the print edition from Amazon.co.uk (http://www.amazon.co.uk/LOCKED-WITHIN/dp/1937178250/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1348736603&sr=8-2)!
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That's awesomesauce! Wait...what the hell am I doing here?! I need to be on Amazon buying Locked Within!
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Amazon says I should have my paperback copy Oct 3rd, really looking forward to it
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I wouldn't take Amazon's word for that! :P The print edition isn't due for release until November 6th. But if you do get it before then, enjoy!
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Galvatron, was that Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk that said you'd have the book by October 3rd? I want to get my publisher to look into it so we don't get people being given the wrong information.
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Amazon.com
They sent me an email today saying the book is getting released sooner than expected and the estimated delivery date is now Oct 3rd
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well Amazon emailed me again today, telling me my booked shipped and I should have it on on the 1st
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I was talking to my publisher, and yep, it looks like Amazon does start shipping books before the actual release date once they're available from the distributor. So happy reading! :D
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Looking forward to it =)
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Congratulations, Paul! I've just bought the Kindle version and can't wait to read it. :)
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Thanks! Hope you enjoy it.
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I'm at work now, but I get out in an hour and I'm reading it on the way home. :) The sample chapter read very well and I really enjoyed it. :)
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My copy showed up yesterday, enjoying it quite a bit so far.
Hoping to get in some real reading time tonight, if the office gods are kind I will get out of work before a horribly late hour lol
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Just thought people might like to know that I'm going to be hosting a virtual launch for Locked Within using Twitter. It'll be on the 9th of November, from 10pm GMT, using the hashtag #LWTL
For more details, or to RSVP, check out the Facebook event (https://www.facebook.com/events/290779794369045/).
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I had a friend put together a trailer for Locked Within. You can check it out on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDqWgS_FKiI).
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The trailer was pretty cool man! I also finished Locked Within about a week ago and I thoroughly enjoyed it! You did a great job! I intend on leaving a review at Amazon I've just been a wee bit busy. It's on the to do list. Looking forward to book 2!
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Awesome! Thank you so much, I'm thrilled you enjoyed it! It's amazing to hear from people about what they thought.
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I enjoyed it quite a bit as well and will leave a review for it as soon as I get the time.
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Thanks so much! :D
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Ordered! I look forward to reading it and will post a review on Amazon when I finish.
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Great, thanks!
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So everyone, the virtual launch party for Locked Within starts at 5pm EST on Twitter. Just use the hashtag #LWTL to join in.
Also I'll be streaming a live reading of the first chapter using Justin.tv. A link will be posted to Twitter beforehand.
For more details, check out the Facebook event page (https://www.facebook.com/events/290779794369045/).
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In a blatantly unrelated post, my wife delivered twins last Thursday! (http://paulanthonyshortt.blogspot.ie/2012/12/my-turtledoves-erica-amy.html)
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Congratulations!!! They are absolutely beautiful!!!!
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Congratulations on your little ones.
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Congrats on the book, hope to read it. And an even bigger Congrats on the new babies!!
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Congrats again on your book! I picked up a copy on Amazon and read it as soon as I could. Loved it! Been away from the boards for awhile but just wanted to congratulate you again on your success. I can't wait for the next installment!
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Thank you!
I've started edits on the second book, things are looking good and all going according to plan, Book 2, currently titled Forgotten Cause, will be out later this year.
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Sweet!! Can't wait
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Looking forward to the next one!
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We're currently going over title revisions, but I expect to be able to announce it soon enough. Work is going well. I wish I could guess about a release date, but I can't yet. I'm hoping for around the same time as Locked Within.