So I’m running a Goodreads Giveaway for 100 copies of Hymn of the Ancients, If you want to enter for a chance to win a free eBook of my newest novel, sign up now for free!
As for Blood of the Demonheart, Book 2 of the Hymn of the Ancients Series, I’m nearly done with the first draft, then its on to editing and revisions. Hoping to have it out in the Spring!
Also, I’m going to giveaway some free Audiobooks for the American Rebirth Series, so keep an eye out for those emails!
So I’ve been working on my next projects (Book 2 of HotA and a few others), but nonetheless I’ve been continuing to tinker with Hymn of the Ancients, mostly just correcting grammatical errors missed in the edits. But also I UPDATED THE NEW MAP OF DEMAREST!
Man, it’s so beautiful. I LOVE MAPS.
I’ve been using this super fun mapmaking software called Wonderdraft, it took a little while to learn but it’s so much fun. Certainly gives me something fun/productive to do when I’m procrastinating writing anything.
I decided to go with the classing “paper” version of the map rather than the color one. I think it just looks classic and cleaner, and the other version came out a little dark in the paperback, so I updated that as well.
Anyway, I wanted to take a minute and thank everyone who’s been reading Hymn of the Ancients, and everyone who left a review or gave me feedback I really appreciate it! I know there were a few grammar errors that were missed in editing but I believed I’ve cleaned just about all of them up at this point. I’m really proud of this book, and it’s fun jumping into a new genre and seeing how it flies on its own like a bird leaping out of the nest.
I’ve got some more projects percolating, both fantasy and post-apoc, so stay tuned.
Launching a book is always so exciting. I love it. All that hard work come together to finally be manifest into reality.
I’ve been trying to decide on whether to pub Death In The Wastelands on all outlets or Kindle Unlimited, and after some deliberation, I’ve decided to go KU.
I think there’s just a ton of upside. Most of which involve Amazon visibility.
So if any of y’all are enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, you can now check out Death In The Wastelands for free!
I’ve got a handful of reviews so far, and I’ve got more coming down the pike. The feedback has been awesome, I think people are really enjoying this one. KU will get some more eyes on this bad boy and we can get this train rolling downhill!
I’m really tired, lol. But I am so very excited to announce this. Because I’ve worked incredibly hard on this, and I think it’s going to be everything my readers ever wanted from a origin story for the American Rebirth Series.
It follows Rob, Taylor and Whiskey from the very beginning. And good goddamn was it fun to write.
WERE BACK BABY!
It’s live on Amazon, just click the picture above. It’s live on some of my other distributors too, but it’s just taking a little while for some of them to publish it. I’ll post links to it later on when they’re all live. And the paperback should be live soon, too.
For all the readers, fans, friends and loved ones that have supported me all the way, this is for you. I appreciate you more than I can put into words.
I truly hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
So as you all may know, I finished the draft of American Rebirth, edited it once, and gave it to my Beta readers. So here’s the news:
The Bad: I just got back the book from my Beta readers, and I do need to make some changes. A bit more than I expected, maybe.
The Good: All things considered, it’s mostly tweaks and alterations, only one chapter needs to be overhauled, as far as I can tell.
The VERY Good: I have this week and next week off for Easter break. So I’m going to ballistic editing this thing. I have no doubt I can have it finished by then. I’m goin’ into grindmode, muddertruckers. Furthermore, I am really, really excited about the changes I’m making. I am very happy overall with the quality of the draft and how much my Betas enjoyed it, and I think after these edits it’s gonna be BALLIN OUTTA CONTROL.
Or at least, that’s the plan.
TL;DR The book is nearly done, I should have it completed by the end of the first week in April.
Next time you hear from me, the book should be out.
So I finished the last few touches on my first edit of AMERICAN REBIRTH, Book 3 of the American Rebirth Series, and gave it to my beta readers.
Soon, very soon, Book 3 will be live for all you wonderful maniacs to read. Depending on how much I have to edit on my second pass, it could be here within the month.
So I’m considering changing the title and cover for WHISKEY.
Truth be told, I like the cover and the title as it is… but I’m concerned it isn’t “connected” enough to HOOD so that the casual observer who sees it will recognize that it’s the sequel.
Maybe I’m overthinking things. But I’ve been toying around with covers to satisfy my meandering mind. Arguably, I’m not a digital design artist so my skills are pretty damn limited…
But I need some input from you, the reader/casual observer. Please let me know your thoughts on this matter…
Here’s the original cover:
And here’s the new one I’ve been playing with:
So, what do you think? Do you prefer the old one or the new one? Perhaps a mix of both? What do you think of the potential title change? Or the change of coloration to be more like HOOD?
Truth be told, things like title, cover art… these are just marketing tools. And I want BOOK 2 to feel as much like a spiritual successor to HOOD as possible.
Well, you know. Complete in the sense that I have finished writing all the chapters. Now comes the editing process, and then formatting, and then BAM! Soon it shall be in the Amazon book forest and I can’t wait to get it into the hands of readers. GAH I WANT TO PUBLISH IT TODAY!
Behold, the might of Stormwind. I mean– the glorious green bars of Scrivener target goals.
It blows my mind that just three months ago or less I was staring at 5k or 10k words thinking “man, so much farther to go.”
But you just keep writing every day and that shit adds up.
Considering I didn’t really write at all in May–after I finished my semester I took the weeks thereafter to storyboard and outline–it only took me about 2.5 months to write the first draft.
75,000+ words in about 75 days. 1,000 words/day (no calc needed), that’s not too shabby if I do say so myself.
Hold tight, readers of HOOD. The second installment is just upon the horizon!
I don’t think I’ll have it published by the end of this month like I’d hoped. I’ll probably have edits done, but I’ll still need to do Kindle formatting along with everything else that goes into getting it as polished as I’d like. If it all goes well I should have it out by January.
I can live with that. I’m varying between anxious and excited about being on the home stretch. I don’t think it will feel real until I’m staring at it on Amazon.
It’s been joyous, exciting, painful, growth-inducing, and humbling writing and re-writing this book. I’m glad to say some early version readers have had some very positive things to say about it. Any writer will tell you, that means the world and beyond.
My goal has always been to make an entertaining, enjoyable, page turning story. I think I’ve come a long way to doing that. For all you reading this, I hope you give my story a shot when it’s done.
And with that, here’s the excerpt. Fittingly, I’m ending with the beginning–it’s the opening to the book. Enjoy!
–Evan Pickering
The iron sights of Hood’s AK-47 lined up perfectly between each other, trained on the dark-haired man in the muted blue of predawn light. Hood’s heart picked up speed, his chest rising and falling with hasty breaths. The Kaiser knows we’re here. The purposefulness of the man’s search was proof enough. A lone wastelander would’ve kept his distance from their camp. How many more are coming? The image of a host of the Kaiser’s soldiers waiting in the dark mountain woods set his mind ablaze. Focus. The man hustled to the next tree and crouched down behind it, leaning over to peer around the mossy bark towards the campfire up the hill. No one else followed behind him. Maybe he’s just a scout.
The man’s chest rose and fell quickly as he closed his eyes, pistol in hand. He switched hands on his pistol as he wiped his palms on his pants. He doesn’t want this.He’s just like you. The thought surged into his mind unabated. Hood tried to cast it out, focusing on keeping his aim true. Just turn around and go back, Hood pleaded. He had a perfect shot from his flanking position up in the tree, but his finger stayed still on the trigger.
If you don’t shoot him, he will kill someone you love.
Hood chewed on the salty pull string of his well-worn hoodie, breathing in deeply and holding the air in his lungs as he squeezed the trigger on his rifle nearly to the firing point, keeping the sights steady.
Writing, like in life, you’ve got to be able to laugh at yourself–Not take everything so seriously. As writers, we usually take our writing pretty damn seriously. It means all that and a bag of chips and salsa to us.
But at the end of the day, we do it because we love it. Because it’s fun to create. Because we were the kids that loved to play pretend in the backyard. Because we love storytelling, we love stories, we love new worlds and experiences, and we want to share our own with the world.
Me, I know I’m obsessed with storytelling. Reading books, watching movies, playing video games, writing stories. Maybe too much so 🙂
It’s a long, long road. With writing and with life. You’ve got to be able to enjoy the process. If find myself recently (both in writing and life)getting so caught up in the goal that I’m not enjoying the process.
New Cover!
I’ve been fixated on finally publishing my novel. I keep saying “after this edit, it will be done!” But I’m still learning, I’m still improving. I know the work I’m doing in the editing process is making it a more complete, better story. I have to honor that. I told myself I’d have this thing published by the end of the year.
It was my new years resolution, if I remember correctly.
I hope to be able to do that. But if I can’t, to hell with the resolution. I’d rather tell my story right then hit an arbitrary deadline. After all, I’m working for myself.
It’s fun in a sick way, working on editing a book. There will be a day when I look back on this experience with this book fondly.
So take a deep breath, wherever you are in your life or in your writing, accept there’s a long road to be traveled yet. Enjoy it.
Evan Pickering - Author 