Got my proof copy of “Suriax” today! There really is nothing like holding a copy of your book in your hands. I can’t wait to read through it so I can make it available to order in paperback.
If you want to order it as an eBook, check it out here, on Smashwords.
A.D. McLain/Amanda Young
I just self-published my first book. In many ways, it feels more rewarding than publishing the traditional route. I published two books through publishers. That was an exercise in disappointment. I had little to no help with marketing. You can’t sell a book if no one knows it exists. I’ve been writing since I was 12 years old. I always thought writing the books was the hard part. Once I found a publisher to take a chance on me, I would have it made. Ah, the naiveté of youth.
So I decided to forgo that with this book and do it myself. I’m doing all of the work anyway. Why not get a bigger chunk of the rewards? Having complete control over when and how it is published, what the cover looks like, how much it costs, having the freedom to run promotions or give out free copies at my discretion, is exhilarating and frightening. With no one to approve or finalize my work, it’s all on me. I am the final say. If there are problems, I have no one to blame but myself. Of course, there is still the matter of that darn marketing beast. How do you find readers in a world of virtual bookshelves? Will I ever walk into a bookstore and see my book on the shelves? It is a little disappointing to think I may not.
I still remember (back before the internet was used for everything short of breathing) printing out hard copies of my books, standing in long lines at the post office to send certified letters to publishers and then waiting months for the rejection letters to start coming in. It sucked, but that was what being a writer and trying to get published used to be. That was what you expected. It may take ten years or more, but keep trying and eventually you will get your break. If I had known then what I know now, I’d have spent a whole lot more time just writing. Instead of writing one book and waiting to publish it, I would have immediately started the next and built up my body of work. Of course, my life experiences have shaped who I am and have shaped my writing. So I am content with my past mistakes and stumbles. I know now, and that is what matters. Now I am only limited by myself and my own ideas.
So I will keep writing. I will not fall into the same trap of write and wait. I may not get publicity or become well-known on this book or the next. but, like finding that first publisher, it will happen eventually. And when it does, I don’t want to look back and wish I had written more. I put out “Suriax” six months after I started it. Now let’s see if I can do even better with the next one. I’ve got a lot of stories to tell. Time to get them out there.
-A.D. McLain/Amanda Young
Suriax
by Amanda Young and Raymond Young Jr.
If it was legal to kill, would you?
Suriax and Aleria were sister cities, separated by the Therion River. Both were founded on a strict observance of the law, but they could not have been more different. For King Veritan founded Suriax on the teachings of Venerith, the Corruptor, a god of laws devoid of morality. In Suriax there is no “right” or “wrong.” There is only “legal” or “illegal.”
Kern was an assassin for the Flame Guard, mercenaries dedicated to Venerith. He never questioned his life until the day he learned the truth about his past.
Pursued by a queen willing to do anything to keep her throne, Kern must face an uncertain future and a bargain that will change the people of Suriax forever.
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Buy the eBook on Smashwords for $3.99 here
-A.D. McLain (writing as Amanda Young)
Well, I am now 43,000 words into a book I thought was done at 35,000 words. Suriax is a joint venture fantasy novel I am working on with my husband. After my first draft was done, I printed it out for him to read and he came back with edits, things he wanted me to expand on or thought needed more detail. A couple weeks later, I’ve added almost 10,000 words and feel really good about where this story is going. This is my first foray into fantasy, as I usually write paranormal romances. I’ve learned a lot and challenged myself to write about things that aren’t my forte. I just finished working on a fight scene I struggled on for over a week. I had to stop and start a lot to get it done. I am so glad I did the Nano challenege in November. It has taught me to write without interruption. When a scene gets me stuck I skip to another. I do a lot of jumping back and forth, but it keeps me writing and that is an incredible feeling. Never before have I cranked out so many words in such a short amount of time. I can’t wait until I finish the last edit and get to share this book with the world.
-A.D. McLain
So, I finished my cover for my fantasy novelette, “Suriax.” You can take a look at it on my website, www.wotpast.com. Now, while I am waiting for my husband to finish his edits so I can go through it one last time to make my own final edits, I found myself in between projects and decided to go ahead and get a head start on my next book, “Wolf of the Future.” This will be book three in my Spirit of the Wolf series. I began typing yesterday and am almost to 3,000 words. I am hoping to have a rough draft done by the end of March. For those of you familiar with the series, this story will focus in on Mara and her past. You will also learn the truth about who Durante is. If all goes well, I should finish this book much sooner than anticipated. Here’s to a busy year of writing.
–A.D. McLain
If it was legal to kill, would you?
Suriax and Aleria were sister cities, separated by the Therion River. Both were founded on a strict observance of the law, but they could not have been more different. For King Veritan founded Suriax on the teachings of Venerith, the Corruptor, a god of laws devoid of morality. In Suriax there is no “right” or “wrong.” There is only “legal” or “illegal.”
Kern was an assassin for the Flame Guard, mercenaries dedicated to Venerith. He never questioned his life until the day he learned the truth about his past.
Pursued by a queen willing to do anything to keep her throne, Kern must face an uncertain future and a bargain that will change the people of Suriax forever.
*******************
Author’s notes:
I’m getting closer to publishing my next book. I am self-publishing my next story on Smashwords and just spent the past two days going through the formatting guidelines. I also completed a short blurb/description about the book (see above). Still working on a title and need a cover, though. This story is a departure from my normal genre, paranormal romance, so I will be writing under the name Amanda Young. It is a fantasy novel with elves, gnomes and magic. This story is a joint venture with my husband, Raymond Young Jr. He came up with the original concept and helped me sound out a lot of my ideas throughout the writing process. He is currently editing the book, as well. I also plan to publish through CreateSpace so I can make it available in print. This story is currently 35,000 words.
Current ideas for the title are “Suriax” or “Night of Blue Flame.”
-A.D. McLain
