By then, we will be at most a month away from the release date for EOLYN. So at last, all of you who have been waiting faithfully, reading my blog and accompanying me on this journey to publication, will be able to read the novel about which I have spoken so much. Hadley Rille Books will release EOLYN in hardback, paperback, and electronic format, including for the Kindle and the Nook. There is also the possibility of an audio version, but that will be a little further down the road.
(Just this past week, by the way, Hadley Rille released nook versions of several of its existing titles, for just $5 a piece. There is something for everyone on this list -- science fiction, fantasy and historical fiction, including some of my personal favorites, like THE SONG AND THE SORCERESS by Kimberly Vandervort, THE PRIESTESS AND THE SLAVE by Jenny Blackford, FINDER by Terri-Lynne DeFino, and TRANSCENDENCE by Chris McKitterick. To see what all is available, visit editor Eric T. Reynold's blog by clicking HERE.)
I have been proofing the ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of EOLYN this last week, and while I've found a fair number of small edits I would like to make before we go to print, I must say that I believe this will be a wonderful story for you to read. Eolyn's journey is a tale that touches the heart, engaging from beginning to end. That is, of course, my biased opinion, but I'm confident that you will agree when the time comes for you to get to know this admirable protagonist and all the characters that populate her world. This story is for you, and I truly hope that you enjoy it.
It's hard to believe we are really approaching the final stretch here. Lately I've been reflecting on the experience of writing in general, and of writing EOLYN in particular, and the old saying it's not the destination that matters, but the journey keeps returning to my thoughts. I am delighted with the destination I'm seeing on the horizon, but in looking back I realize what gives that destination meaning is the journey that has brought me here. The emergence of the need to write this story, the discovery of my own creative power, the revelation of every aspect of Eolyn and her world, the exploration of the craft of writing and especially fantasy writing. Most of all, the many colleagues and friends that I would not have met if this novel had not brought us together in one way or another.
So, I'm finishing February in a nostalgic mood, and looking forward to a month of thanksgiving in March. And soon, oh so soon, after that we will have the biggest celebration of the year (if I may say so myself), with EOLYN's release on May 6, followed by the launch party on May 7. If you're in Kansas City around that time, please come to join us. We'll be at the Writers Place. The fun starts at 2:00pm.
