Friday Notes - And Pre-Order Link! 3/22/19

I can't decide if Friday feels early, or overdue this week, but it's here regardless, and I hope it's lovely for all of you.

The big news today is: Dragon Slayer is available for pre-order!! 

You can go grab it here. The book is priced at $3.99 while it's up for pre-order, but the price will go up to the full $4.99 after its release, which will be April 30th. Mark your calendars. 

I've also reduced the first two books in the series, White Wolf and Red Rooster to $3.99 for this period as well. The prices will go back up after the 30th, so this would be a great time to start the series if you haven't yet. 

I know the $4.99 price point is a little higher than some of my other books, but this series is a much larger undertaking. (DS took two years of research, and a year of writing). The research alone has been, while interesting, and even fun, a not-inexpensive and lengthy affair. So the higher price is a reflection of all the effort that's gone into the books. And, hey, it's still less expensive than anything being put out by one of the major publishing houses. 

As soon as I get the final word from my beta, I'll be ordering print ARCs to send to the lovely readers who've helped me spread the love for the series so far. I'll be putting the official list for that together soon, but spots will be limited. 

On a reading front: please know that I spent forty minutes wandering around Barnes & Noble yesterday, and I didn't buy anything. I don't...quite know how that's possible. Maybe common sense finally got the best of me and the big stack of unread books by my bed reminded me that it exists and doesn't need to get any bigger. 

I'm still reading Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles; up to book three, The Disorderly Knights. I'm also reading Caesar by Adrian Goldsworthy for SoR research. I read a passage this morning which struck me. To paraphrase, Goldsworthy says that the only visual records we have of Romans are cold marble busts and carvings, a few faces stamped onto coins, and that, while these might be accurate, written accounts of appearances vary, and lack a basis of what was seen as "normal" in ancient times, in regards to height and build, and so forth. What ends up standing out, the biggest impression left upon modern audiences, is of the figure's force of personality. It isn't Caesar's face that strikes us, and keeps us talking about the man still today, but rather who he was. As a general, as a consul, as a dictator. 

This lesson can be applied to fiction writing: a character can look however you want him to, but it's his personality that strikes the reader and leaves a lasting impression. When I write, I find myself wanting readers to know my characters; and when I read non-fiction, I find that I want to know these historical figures. Not their stats and accomplishments, but their minds and hearts. 

Alright, I'm off to write about our young tsarevich making more terrible decisions. I've got a busy weekend ahead, so if I'm unable to check back in, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. 

Until next time.