The Adventures of Sir Edric – out now

The Adventures of Sir Edric is now available to buy at Amazon, for the frankly demented price of 99p (price will go up in the near future).

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Adventures-Edric-Hero-Hornska-Book-ebook/dp/B01DOSP9ZK/

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Edric-Hero-Hornska-Book-ebook/dp/B01DOSP9ZK/

Obviously, this is a magnificent, witty, hugely enjoyable book, and I hope you check the samples and see if it’s for you. There’s also a new review extolling the delights of Sir Edric and his assorted shenanigans:

 https://thetattooedbookgeek.wordpress.com/2016/03/31/the-adventures-of-sir-edric-a-hero-of-hornska-book-review/

Thaddeus

The Adventures of Sir Edric – first reviews

The first two reviews for my forthcoming fantasy-comedy, The Adventures of Sir Edric (releases in just under a week), have come through (several more are expected in the next couple of weeks). I’ll add these to the Reviews tab above, but as release is near I’ll also post short blog articles adverting readers to new reviews.

Quite pleased, as the current ratings are “I’m obsessed” and “9/10”. So, if you’re considering buying The Adventures of Sir Edric but are unsure if it’ll be your cup of tea, check the reviews and see what you think.

Here are the first two reviews:

"He is far from perfect and he does not strive to be perfect. However, despite all these flaws, you can’t help but root for him. Dog as well. The two play off each other perfectly. Dog has morales, but is unwavering in his service to Edric, and often does most of the fighting and saving. It makes his character as interesting and important as Edric himself."

"So overall, if you’re looking for humor, an unwholesome character, and a great adventure, I highly recommend this book."

LK Evans reveals she's obsessed with Sir Edric.

"The Adventures of Sir Edric is a well written, well-paced story, set in a colorful, well-planned world.  If you haven’t read too much comic fantasy (like me), this is a great book to start with.  But bring some tissue… you’re gonna laugh ‘til you cry!"

Cathbad gave Sir Edric, and his adventures, 9/10.

The limited edition hardback can be pre-ordered here,

[Initial release will be the hardback and e-book, but no pre-order for the e-book, as yet].

Thaddeus

Tips: Writing Comedy

With The Adventures of Sir Edric to be published on 31 March (initially as an e-book and signed limited edition hardback, which can be pre-ordered here, paperback to follow), I thought a piece about writing comedy might be apt. [I’m toying with the term mirthjape as a counterpoint to grimdark].

Consistent, But Not Repetitive

A consistent level is important. You can’t have cunning political satire one moment, and then expletive-ridden slapstick the next because readers will feel like they’ve been enjoying Yes, Minister only for the tape to be changed halfway through. At the same time, variety to the jokes will help the book feel less like a one note gong.

Why I Don’t Like F-Bombs

F-bombs, as the Yankee Doodles say, are not to my taste in writing. The problem is that the word and its various forms are so useful that you can shove them in anywhere. Personally, I prefer trying to come up with more varied and original terms. Plus, ye olde insults like rapscallion and scallywag are a bit more charming.

The Hidden Joke

I don’t do this too often, but sometimes I like to include a hidden joke (maybe once or twice a story). A hidden joke is either one that only makes sense in the context of a later event, or one that is subtle enough for a reader to miss it entirely. The advantage is that if you see it, it’s amusing, and if you don’t then you don’t miss out on anything because you don’t know it’s there. Obviously, this means they might not be visible to all readers, which is why I only do it once or twice in a story, so people who re-read might get something they didn’t see the first time.

Not Everybody Will Laugh

Along with music, comedy’s probably about as subjective as things get. And some people don’t like satire, others dislike slapstick, and so on. Not everybody will like your style. Some are very politically correct, others (who are handsome and from Yorkshire) are not. So, don’t worry about it if some people don’t like your particular style. Unless everybody hates it, of course…

Satisfy Yourself First.

It’s important to be at least slightly amused by your own stuff. If it doesn’t (the first time) make you smile, then why will anyone else enjoy it? The first person you need to satisfy is yourself. Then beta readers/editors and, finally, readers.

Get A Second Opinion (And Then A Third)

It’s all very well laughing at your own jokes [in private], but what really matters is when Other People like your stuff. Beta reader feedback is even more useful, I’d venture, for comedy than serious writing precisely because it’s so subjective. Just be sure your beta readers are brutal enough to be honest if your jokes are terrible.

So, those are a few basic suggestions for writing comedy.

Do give The Adventures of Sir Edric a look. It’s more amusing than a mongoose wearing a fez. If you’re unsure, here are some free short stories for a taster.

Thaddeus

2016: Publishing Plans

Depending how things go, I’m hoping to have 2-3 things published this year (as it stands, off-chance I might have an extra short story or two).

Forget Me Not, a short story of mine, features in the horror anthology The Haunting of Lake Manor Hotel, published by Woodbridge Press and due out soon. I’ve beta-read a couple of the other 12 stories, and know a few of the other authors, so I’m confident this is going to be worth a look.

Probably after that, The Adventures of Sir Edric (Volume One) will be published by Tickety Boo Press. This will include both the excellent Sir Edric’s Temple novella [previously self-published], and the entirely new novella Sir Edric’s Treasure. It’ll be my first traditionally published solo work and (as the title suggests) is intended to be the first part of an ongoing series.

[Sir Edric’s Kingdom, a novel-length third story, is in the final throes of finishing, and I have vague plans for a fourth large story, with a working title of Sir Edric and the Plague].

In the second half of the year, Kingdom Asunder may be released. It’s largely done (does need a final check), but there are some other things to consider. As the first part of a trilogy, I’d prefer to avoid large gaps between publishing instalments. The second story, Traitor’s Prize, is currently undergoing an initial redraft, and I haven’t started the final part yet.

It’s also possible, as mentioned, I might have extra short story releases, either as part of anthologies or for the excellent Kraxon magazine.

Anyway, The Haunting of Lake Manor Hotel and The Adventures of Sir Edric (Volume One) should both be out within the next few months. When I have firm dates in hand, I’ll be sure to bang on about them.

Thaddeus

2015: The Plan

Last year was a bit fallow in terms of stuff I released.

There was the milestone of getting my first published short story out (Saxon & Khan, part of the Malevolence: Tales from Beyond the Veil anthology), but that was the only story of mine released in 2014.

The reason for the fallow year was just a matter of circumstance, in the same way that Journey to Altmortis and Sir Edric’s Temple were released a few months apart in 2013, and didn’t reflect any slowdown in how much I was writing (quite the reverse, to be honest). Hopefully, 2015 will be a bumper harvest.

I’m very glad to announce that the first of 12 episodes in the Zodiac Eclipse mini-series is out now at Kraxon magazine. Zodiac Eclipse tells the tale of Gertrude Jaeger, a crippled bounty hunter coerced into piracy on the infamous ship The Sun Dancer. One thousand word episode will be released each month of 2015.

I’m endeavouring to get Kingdom Asunder self-published this year. It’s hard to say when, precisely, as it’s currently being brutalised by a small army of beta readers, whose hard work beating out the weak spots is greatly appreciated. Kingdom Asunder is a fantasy novel which occurs in the Bane of Souls/Journey to Altmortis world.

Those who enjoy comedy may be pleased to know that the second edition of Sir Edric’s Temple (published by Tickety Boo Press) has been pencilled in for release in 2015. Sir Edric’s Treasure, the follow-up comedy, will also be published by Tickety Boo, possibly this year, possibly next.

I have a number of short stories in the pipeline with several anthologies. They range from sci-fi to steampunk (which was surprisingly fun to write. I’m giving serious consideration to a full-length steampunk novel). Can’t say which will be given the green light, or when precisely they’ll be out, but I’m hoping for at least one short story (within an anthology) to be released in 2015, in addition to the 12 Zodiac Eclipse episodes.

So, at the maximum extent this year could see about sixteen short stories and three solo efforts, and the minimum should be twelve short stories and one solo effort. Either way, it’s a lot more than 2014, so stay tuned for announcements on new releases.

Thaddeus

A publishing deal with Tickety Boo Press

As the incredibly subtle title may have revealed, I've got one of those publishing deal thingummyjigs with Tickety Boo Press.

In addition to the currently self-published Sir Edric's Temple, Sir Edric's Treasure (the second instalment in The Adventures of Sir Edric) will be released by Tickety Boo at some time in the future.

The books will be sold separately rather than bundled, so if you were one of the wise fellows or ladies who bought Temple already you won't have to fork out for it a second time just so you can read Treasure.

No ETA for release. I'm hoping it'll be sometime next year. The basic text for both is done, though small changes are likely (I shall not be adding the "That's about as tempting a prospect as a handjob from Edward Scissorhands" joke, though. Just too anachronistic).

So, thanks to Tickety Boo for the opportunity, to my beta readers for pointing out the many flaws in my writing, and, most of all the readers, who will hopefully buy Temple and Treasure in enormous numbers to help me walk a little further along the road from struggling artist to obscenely successful writer.

Thaddeus

This was originally posted on my site, at http://thaddeuswhite.weebly.com/writing-blog/a-publishing-deal-with-tickety-boo-press

Meet My Character Blog Tour

I was invited by the lovely Alexandra Butcher onto this blog tour thingummyjig (my first one). She's the author of The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles, and her blog can be found here.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6430414.A_L_Butcher
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarkFantasyBeyondTheStorm
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alexandra-Butcher/e/B008BQFCC6/

What is the name of your character? Is he/she fictional or a historic person?

Sir Edric Greenlock, the Hero of Hornska. He's a fictional knight replete with vices but not overly burdened with virtues.

When and where is the story set?

Sir Edric's Temple covers quite a lot of ground between the city of Awyndel and the Unholy Temple of the title, a once sacred religious site more recently feared and avoided due its numerous dangers. The world Sir Edric lives in is packed with magic and strange creatures, such as the Ursk, red skinned giants who consider humans to be a sort of edible currency.

What should we know about him/her?

He's getting on a little bit and is in the awkward transition between youthful vigour and wrinkly dotage. Although generally self-absorbed, he does have genuine fondness for his horses, and some grudging respect for his trusty manservant Dog, even though he is a peasant.

What is the main conflict? What messes up his/her life?

After the royal treasures are stolen Sir Edric is charged by the King to recover them, hurrying ahead of the ransom to the Temple to try and steal them back. Unfortunately, his attempt to run away before embarking upon the potentially fatal mission is thwarted when the King sends the elven sorceress Lysandra to guard him on his journey ('guard' in this instance meaning 'stop from running away').

What is the personal goal of the character?

Sir Edric's goal, as is often the case in his life, is primarily to avoid ending up dead in the near future. He's also keen to loot whatever can, claim whatever glory is his by right (or wrong) and get revenge on his enemies.

Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?

Sir Edric's Temple is the title, and it's available from all good retailers.

When can we expect the book to be published?

It was published towards the end of 2013, with a sequel (Sir Edric's Treasure) hopefully out this year.

Links:

My home page - thaddeuswhite.weebly.com

Twitter - MorrisF1

Amazon (UK) - Sir Edric's Temple

Amazon (US) - Sir Edric's Temple

There are three delightful authors following me in the blog tour (putting up their own pieces in about a week). They are:

LK Evans, author of Keepers of Arden:

Website: http://booksbylkevans.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/booksbylkevans

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/LK-Evans/331938033600576

Google: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+LKEvans/posts

Book links:

http://booksbylkevans.com/my-books/

http://www.amazon.com/Keepers-Arden-The-Brothers-Volume-ebook/dp/B00DOLNVPI

Bio:

I was born in Phoenix, AZ where I still reside, despite the horrendous summer months. I live with my husband, two dogs, two cats, and three newts (I love love love animals).

At first, my writing started out as a secret; a side hobby, a release, an escape. But one day, my husband came home early from work and caught me. Instead of allowing me to continue on in secrecy, he planted a seed of publishing in my mind and writing blossomed into a dream I never bothered to dream. So here I am.

Jo Zebedee, a fellow contributor to the forthcoming Malevolence: Tales from Beyond the Veil trilogy and author of Abendau's Child (due out in Autumn):

Website: www.jozebedee.com
Twitter: joz1812

Jo's agency author page: http://www.thebentagency.com/author.php?id=93&name=Jo_Zebedee, which includes a little bio.
Blog: http://jozebwrites.blogspot.co.uk

Duane Vore, author of various sci-fi/fantasy stories including Korvoros:
www.duanevore.com
Twitter: @DuaneVore
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DuaneVore
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Duane-Vore/e/B009KMQX8M/
Independent Author Network: www.duanevore.com/redir/ian/

Book link: www.duanevore.com/qr/hierarchy

Bio: Duane Vore (1953- ) has been writing for as long as he can remember. One of his most prized Christmas presents was, at the age of 13, a typewriter. It wore out. His first concerted effort to write a novel came about ten years later: The Seal of Inheritance, which is unfortunately lost, as was that second typewriter upon which it was written. Since then, his imagination has spanned millions of years, thousands of galaxies, and fantasy worlds by the dozen, and the ideas never stop coming. Gradually, his backlog of completed works is at last making it into the public eye.
When not writing, he functions satisfactorily as a software engineer, electronics engineer, web developer, and physical chemist, three out of those four offering fodder for science fiction stories.

Thaddeus

New reviews

Ahem, I’ve been a bit lax updating ye olde review list. So, I shall fix this now.

Journey to Altmortis:

Kyra Halland - Four Stars

Duane Vore - (The review does not include a rating, but ispositive)

Sir Edric’s Temple:

Boom Baby - Four Blazing Balls of Fire

This very day a new review of Sir Edric’s Temple has been posted by Jo Michaels, giving it a score of 5/5. Here’s a brief excerpt:

“I can't tell you how many times I laughed while reading this book. Sir Edric's inner monologue will have you rolling on the floor while understanding this is probably what 9/10 of the male population is thinking at any given point in time.”

Incidentally, the above sites are all good sources for regular reviews, and (as mentioned in the review), Jo Michaels’ blog will have reviews of many independent authors you might not otherwise have stumbled across. This is a very good initiative and will hopefully help authors (including me) get a higher profile, as well as helping readers find good but lesser known writers.

Right now I’m working on Kingdom Asunder (set in the Bane of Souls/Journey to Altmortis world) and have some vague ideas of more misadventures for Sir Edric and Dog in the future.

So, if you got some money/Amazon codes for Christmas, why not give Journey to Altmortis and Sir Edric’s Temple a try?

Thaddeus

Sir Edric’s Temple, now in glorious physical format!

Good news!

Sir Edric’s Temple has been granted premium status at Smashwords, which means it’s now available from Barnes & Noble, Diesel and Apple. It should also become available at Kobo in due course.

In perhaps even more exciting news, Sir Edric’s Temple is now available in ye olde physical format (via Lulu). It will eventually (after 8 weeks or so) ship to Amazon, but do not wait for that. Not only will it take about 2 months, the cost (because of the discounting I’ve set up) will be about £2 more. It’ll cost £6.97 at Amazon, but is just £4.88 at Lulu (Lulu does charge for shipping, which negates much of the difference, but I’ll still make more per copy with Lulu than I will from Amazon).

So, if you were having difficulty deciding what to buy someone (or even yourself) for Christmas, worry no more and enjoy this rollicking tale of cowardice, adultery, and treachery!

Thaddeus

Sir Edric's Temple is out now!

Sir Edric's Temple, my first comedy, is out now at Smashwords for the modest sum of $2.99!

Even better, loyal readers of my blog, site and Twitter feed can benefit from a two-thirds discount (until 7 November) using the code KF49K.

It's in the pipeline to appear on Amazon and will hopefully be up tomorrow, and will, over time, be distributed to most other online retailers.

So, if you want to give yourself a treat this Halloween, buy Sir Edric's Temple and enjoy the knight's misadventures!

Update: it's been put on sale at Amazon this very evening. Huzzah! 

Thaddeus 

Radio silence

Apologies for the prolonged gap between the last post and this mini-post. Shockingly, I’ve actually been busy trying to finish off Sir Edric’s Temple. The proofreading approach I take is rather lengthy, but it worked well in Journey to Altmortis. If I can, I’ll release Sir Edric’s Temple later this month.

It’ll be my first comedy, although Bane of Souls had some comedy moments (Altmortis had a few but was a shade darker). It’s also what I’d call a short story, but as it’s around 36,000 words I think the slightly pretentious term ‘novella’ is technically the most accurate description. That might sound pretty small, but it's roughly the same size as The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

It’ll also be the first book I try and put into physical format. The electronic versions will come first (and I plan to have a first week discount code, as I did for Journey to Altmortis). Not sure quite how long or difficult/easy it will be to make the physical version but the necessary delay (I’ll need to actually check and see the cover and so forth works well in the flesh) means I’m not going for a simultaneous release.

It’s a stand-alone book, and I hope to write more of Sir Edric’s misadventures in the future. When it comes out I’ll be sure to bang on about it here, as well as posting the code and a link to make use of the early discount.

Thaddeus

Competition for a free copy of Sir Edric’s Temple

In my limitless benevolence I’ve decided to try a free giveaway for Sir Edric’s Temple. All you need do is click here, and guess the mortality rate in Bane of Souls to one decimal place. (NB do read the guidelines. They’re pretty simple but should help you guess a bit more accurately).

                     

Thaddeus