Victoria A. Jeffrey's authorly doings. . .

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Books in Print!

I have finally done it. I had Schisms printed up on paperback. It should be out on Amazon in paperback in a couple of weeks. I have three printed paperbacks (in the photo below) of the book already and they look beautiful. Good quality from Createspace, I must say. Some people have been grumbling that Createspace doesn't print up good quality paperbacks. Well, upon seeing my books I'm not sure what they mean. Mine look very nice and they seem and feel very durable. I have plenty of traditionally published books on my bookshelf and my proofs stack up well against them. They have glossy covers - which I like and I feel that really has nothing to do with quality and everything to do with personal preference - and I opted for cream-colored paper as it is thicker and more durable, in my opinion, than the white paper. After all, my favorite books by Umberto Eco have glossy covers and cream-colored paper they look beautiful.


I ran into a snafu the first time so I am now waiting on my second shipment of proofs. The first time around though the books turned out nice in most respects I forgot that my manuscript does not have page numbers. After all, page numbers do not matter so much when getting a manuscript ready for an ereader but they do matter for printed books. So I had to go back and insert page numbers into the reformatted manuscript and then have them redo the measurements for the spine of the cover. The second batch of proofs will only be 200 page books. The ones I have now that you see in the photo are 280 pages each because the manuscript I used for it is formatted differently. Anyway, I am very pleased so far. I hope the second batch of proofs that arrive will look just as nice, only this time they will have page numbers!

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Story edits and a new poem!

My new short story, The Prototype is now on sale at Amazon and B&N and Smashwords! It's been edited one last time over the weekend. It's $0.99! (It's also in the side bar!) ----->

I am also working on a fourth poetry collection. I don't have a title for it yet but I do have  a poem that is nearly complete and I will post it here. It is copyrighted. All rights reserved.


The Trees of Lincoln Street
I remember the trees of Lincoln street.
Beneath their leaves I would sit.
A green isle of deep shade
on the merciless days of summer.

How grand they seemed
stretching from 4th to 1st avenue
like god-hands their branches were covering;
a refuge from a scorching sun.

But one day I came tripping by
and they'd all been chopped down.
Not even a mean stump remains.
Only rods, concrete and cones
and tracts of stinking mud.

No soft, green ivy underneath,
no place for the fluttering moths at night.
Nowhere at all to take in the breeze,
no place to sit and take one's ease.

The trees that were tall and great,
old and standing since forever,
they are gone with nothing left but dead land.
There is no shade from the heat on gray concrete,
which is why I no longer go down Lincoln street.

This poem was inspired by my experiences going down S.W. Lincoln St. in downtown Portland. I once hada white van and the engine blew a gasket so I had to walk to work in the mornings. This was when I had a schedule that required me to be at work before the buses were running. I would pass down Lincoln and see mice (and rats) running under this vast isle of trees down the middle of the street. There would also be moths that would flutter around these trees as well. During the summer, when I had to go back to work in the afternoons (I work split-shift) and the temperature would be in the 90's or hotter, those trees gave wonderful shade. I and many other people would sit on the benches near the isle and the trees were so big that they would shade the entire street on both sides from their isle in the middle of the street. Sometimes, walking down that stretch of Lincoln was like walking into a magical forested place; a different place. It really was magical. But progress demanded that they all be cut down. every last one. Progress, funny enough, demanded by the organization I work for - which shall remain nameless. But it really saddens me that progress and nature cannot seem to exist side by side.
Nature seems to always lose. In the short run, anyway.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

About Rise of the Red King, Alchemy, New Lands and Poetry

I'm almost done with the outline to Rise of the Red King. There will be quite a few new characters introduced into this book. Some of the characters that you may be familiar with if you've read Cryptic Tongues will be traversing the Martian globe to other lands!
Lands and Peoples
New lands are being introduced such as Pallinona (the inspiration for this land in the Red World is Italy) and Dyrland (inspiration for this land is ancient Germany. The peoples that live in this land, and one of them you may recognize from Schisms - Uwain - are inspired by the Germanic tribes, specifically the Teutons and the Franks. There will be some serious conflicts between these two tribes, and other tribes such as a race of giants. Several, in fact. :o)
Some things I am exploring and attempting to write about in this current book:
Alchemy
In this particular book I focus more on the work and study of alchemy, the issue of slavery, kingship and authority and gods and prophecy.
In these books alchemy is science and scientific endeavor. For most it is the investigation and examination of the physical constitution of matter and life through the applications of the states of birth, death and resurrection - alchemical endeavor, if you will. For some it is also a spiritual work, the seeking of perfection, either physical or spiritual. I do not go into the spiritual side of it or the occultic side except as it pertains to Black Alchemy, which is evil. You may have already noticed slight refernces to alchemical sayings and meanings in the book such as: As Above, So Below. I don't go too deeply into these as the book is not about alchemy how I protray it in the story is not true Hermetic Alchemy.
I have divided alchemy into three disciplines: White Alchemy, which is the study of practical and to a limited extent, spiritual alchemy to heal the human body and attain vital health and knowledge of the body and of the plants and other forms that can heal it, through herbal remedies, distillations, fermentations and concoctions or even surgery and primitive pharmacology. There is a sub-discipline that they share with Black Alchemy. These are the physicians and nurses. The scions in their own way study this, in part. They call it herbalism but they do not go in for pharmacology or surgery except to sew up already open wounds. The miraculous healing powers of the scions that do not come from herbs or other plants come from a Divine Source. Because of this, White Alchemists often see the scions' work as the pinnacle of what they want to achieve in White Alchemy. Other women in other cultures who do the herbal work and have the knowledge of herbs and plants that the scions do and have in the Red World are considered Wise Women.
Then we have Gold Alchemy. This is the purely practical art of making tinkering machines, making technological advances, studying energy and motion and gravity and other natural forces and how to harness them, as well as turning as turning base metals into higher metals. From this metallurgy and blacksmithing and swordsmithing and many other crafts dealing with metals or chemicals and dyes have come. These alchemists tend to be very well off and highly talented in making new discoveries fo the world around them or making beautiful and useful things for society.
Then there is Black Alchemy. This is the darkest of dark arts and there is a practical and a spiritual side to it. The spiritual side is the most important. It is the study of power over others and many arts are employed to achieve this end. Those who study it are often worshipers of the unnamed one and from him they derive their power. The unnamed one in the real world (our world) would be the devil.
In Cryptic Tongues I explain in the glossary the two sub-disciplines in Black Alchemy. White Alchemists study one of them but for purely medical reasons. Only the most evil people study this discipline because it is specifically studied to learn how to trick, harm and hurt others and exert pressure and power over those who will not bend naturally to one's will. The widespread practice of Black Alchemy during the decadent age before the fall of Assenna is why it was eventually banned in Hybron - along with all Alchemy. But this goes too far in the other extreme. Because of this Hybron went through a dark age. Alchemy, or science as I am using it in the books, is the study of knowledge around you of matter and life. What you do with it and how you practice it is what matters, not the discipline itself. And isn't that true of many things in real life?
After all, just because someone uses something or has knowledge of it for evil ends does not always mean that that thing is evil in and of itself.
Machines
Wondeful machines will be explained. You may have noticed one of these machines showing up in theSecret Doorway Tales as well as a reference to an old sage too. I like to plagiarize myself. I'm kind of like Sting when it comes to that. :o) The chilyabe or chilyabium makes a serious comeback as well as the special starmap or book of constellations that Rapheth took from the All Library in Rhuctium. Turns out that he's going to need it!
Anyway, I will be giving updates on things I'm writing about in this third book. I also want to mention this for the poetry lovers out there: I have five poems already written. Whether or not this new book will have ten poems, I don't know yet. It may only have nine or eight. I haven't slacked off from that. Look for the poetry book later this fall. Don't forget that I have a new sci-fi short story out, The Prototype. Download it now while it is free. I will be trimming and making one more editing pass before next week. Next week it will be available at the usual outlets for $0.99! Also, don't forget the newest episode of theblueshifters is out.
That's all for now folks, have a great day!

Friday, September 13, 2013

The Prototype

My new short story, The Prototype is still available for free in this blog post. ;o) It is $0.99 everywhere else.

Download link: The Prototype


Description: A lowly quality assurance employee befriends an android who by accident  uncovers a mysterious plot at the behemoth corporation where he works, Vartan Industries.( science fiction short story)

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

New SciFi Short Story - The Prototype

My new short story is in editing phase right now. It's called The Prototype. The Prototype is set about hundred years into the future. In this future the U.S. is about to launch an epic and vast space frontier program - basically exploring and colonizing the solar system and a big corporation with gleaming towers called Vartan Industries. The protagonist is a humble Quality Assurance employee, named Bob, who takes on a mentorship role for - the prototype, a humanoid, life-like android named Will. This android is one of Vartan Industries's greatest achievements. And guess what? Something goes terribly wrong. But I won't tell you anymore. You'll have to read it for yourself.
For readers - those of you who are on the mailing list will automatically get it for free. For all others. The Prototype will be free for a few days.

Rise of the Red King - I am already halfway through my outline. This book is going to be even bigger than Cryptic Tongues. Or at least it's looks that way. I think I might be giving Robert Jordan a run for his money when it comes to giant tomes. There are a lot of cool things that will be happening in this book. So stay tuned, as I will be putting up a blog about it some time next week - blogging about returning characters, new characters that might surface, themes developing and action set pieces and even strange new Martian (Chialisian) foods.

I also did a podcast interview with Simon Whistler of the Rocking Self-Publishing podcast. Great interview. You can listen to it here: Rocking Self-Publishing Podcast.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

blueshift – Episode #5!

Alright folks! Another blueshift episode is up. You know what? I might have episode #6 up sometime next week. The newest episode, or chapter is called “Sensing Things”. Each episode has its own chapter title. If you would like to see this series be turned into a podcast or audiocast/book email me at epistlepublishing@gmail.com and let me know.
In the future I am thinking about turning this into a series of printed comics with art work and also maybe an audio book. But that’s into the future. For now, I’m taking it one episode at a time. It’s turning out to be interesting. I never thought that free-writing would work for me after my terrible bouts with Writer’s Block when I was young. We’ll see where it goes. It seems to be headed in a good direction. I like it.
Check it out here! Oh and by the way, my new short story will be coming out by next weekend. So look for The Prototype then! :)

Friday, September 6, 2013

Free Extra Content: from The Red World, a new short story and a new blueshifters episode all coming soon!

Well summer is nearing its end (boo!) and I've had quite a bit of promotion to do. That's winding down. The MG Blog Tour was great and a lot of fun, thanks Crystal! I really loved the Other Realms promotion tour as well and I want to give a shout out to Willo for organizing that over on Kboards. I hope to do something like that again some time. Really cool. Check it out because there is so much great content over there! Those of us writing scifi and fantasy who are indie authors have ultimate control over our stories adn we can tell them how we want to.

That's what Tolkien did. He wrote the kinds of stories he liked to read. We all have that power now and I like it. That's a very good thing.
Speaking on that, sometimes when you do promotions and other projects you create extra content, content that can't be found elsewhere. This is what I did for the Other Realms promotion and the MG Blog Tour and I think this is cool content that people reading the blog would like so I am going to post it (the extra Red World content) here and also send it out to the mailing list. Some of these are merely excerpts from the latest Red World novel but some of it is new. The new red world content can be downloaded from the link at the end of this post! I call it the Chialis Travelogue.

Other new content - it's time to get back into the swing of things and I've done so and I'm excited! I am currently editing a new short story called The Prototype. That shoud be out by the end of this month and it will be free for a short time. If you are subscribed to the mailing list it will most certainly be free for a long time. If not, it will be made free for a short time. It may become a space opera sci-fi series in the future. Who knows?

Also, the big one! I am gearing up to begin work on the last book of the Red World trilogy, Rise of the Red King. I will be starting the outline of this novel this weekend so I will be quite busy this month. Also, I have another episode over at blueshift fiction that I will post this month. Look for that at the end of September. There is also the new poetry book that I was talking about. Still working on it, haven't forgotten it. That may come out in October.
Anyway, thought I would give you a few things to start off the fall year (where I am the new year has "started" because school is newly in session) because after September I will not be posting an awful lot until I can get a break from writing. I will be busy so this is to let you know there will be some free content up here and at my other blogging spaces.

Content is always good. Especially free stuff.  :)
Download and enjoy! ---> Chialis Travelogue

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Rafflecopter Giveaway Extravaganza

I've entered J.S. Cooper's (indie author) Rafflecopter Giveaway Extravaganza with a bunch of other indie authors! Lots of great books, gift cards and other prizes to win and read. Just enter the Rafflecopter at this link here. Below are all t he great books in the giveaway by a great bunch of awesome authors! These are besides the other prizes so enter now! (My ebook, Schisms, is right smack-dab in the middle! :)

Here's the rafflecopter link! - http://jscooperauthor.com/2013/09/j-s-cooper-5000-likes-giveaway/