The Last Elf of Lanis

Testing 1,2,3...

2020-08-23T19:02:00.003-07:00

Hello,

I don't know if there's anybody out there, but I'm going to start trying to blog a little now and then.

I know I have some die hard fans who are anxious for the next book (which was due last year) but it is still being written.

I'm very happy with the way it's developing. There are a lot of elements that have surprised even me, and those are usually the best things to emerge from a literary work.

I anticipate Magic and Mathematics Book Two: Future Sorcery to be completed in about two months, and then a couple of months for editing. Look for a release probably in December 2020.

Everyone in my home is safe from the pandemic at present. I truly hope you and yours are safe as well.

Any sincere questions posted here will find a response.

cheers,

KJH

BTW

It seems for whatever reason, there may be two whole books that were released the last couple of years that you may not even know about. For some bizarre reason, the titles aren't linking to my author name. At present they are both only available on Kindle, but that will change very shortly.

The books are

The Tiger's Mouth: The Strange Journey of Ostigris Book One

and

The Serpent's Venom: The Strange Journey of Ostigris Book Two

Yes. Both books are connected to Iounelle, and she makes a cameo in both. They are actually integral to the whole Iounelle World.

Ostigris is the man with the metallic blue shirt and the close cropped blonde hair. If you remember, he was the person who appeared out of nowhere to save Iounelle when she was trapped by a herd of vyreeoten in The Archer From Kipleth. Ostigris makes several other appearances through the Wealdland Books.

Ostigris even makes an appearance in Berand Torler!

The two aforementioned books tie all of his appearances together.

Yep. It's all a great grand scheme headed somewhere very specific.

And here's the secret if you read this far. The Serpent's Venom explains everything, and I mean everything, about Deifol Hroth.

happy reading.

Berand Torler the conclusion of the Chronicles of the Elf Human Wars available now.

2017-04-25T12:36:00.002-07:00

Berand Torler the conclusion of the Chronicles of the Elf Human Wars available now.

click here to see Berand Torler on Amazon

Berand Torler update

2017-03-30T08:16:00.001-07:00

Good news. The fourth draft is in my hands and I can proceed to the fifth and then the production draft of Berand Torler. I apologize for the delay. But you and I both know you want the best possible product I can provide for you.
I also promise the wait will be worth it. With honesty I can say this is the best novel I have ever written.
The fifth and production drafts go pretty quickly. Maybe no more than a week and a half, maybe two weeks to finish.
The cover has been ready for years. So, as soon as the manuscript it ready, it's off to the publishers.
So I am going to set April 7, 2017 as the new release date for Berand Torler. I don't anticipate any delay or need to push back from that date.
I'm still setting May 2, 2017 as the release date for the new Iounelle novel - Magic and Mathematics: Book One - Ancient Science.
And let's reset to July 7, 2017 for the release of The Tiger's Mouth.
Also I am in the process of rewriting the very first book The Last Elf of Lanis and am very excited about the reissue of that novel.
The original work is pretty darn good, but I was a newbie and made a few mistakes. The reenergized manuscript for that novel will be awesome.
I might go through and groom The Archer From Kipleth and The Lord of Lightning, but I don't really anticipate those works needing much rewriting.
And as much as I LOVE Legends of Haergill and Conniker's Tale, that unique novel needs a LOT of work. So that is something I will address in the near future. Maybe look for a reissue in 2018.
Hopefully, all things being equal, You should get a FOURTH new novel this year, The Serpent's Venom, for which I am currently laying out the plot. Lucky you.
So, no books from me for over a year, and then BAM a multitude.
I know you will enjoy these works, and I'm very excited for you to read them.

Berand Torler release

2017-03-20T10:04:00.002-07:00

I am pushing back the release of Berand Torler just a couple of days. There has been a slight delay in the editorial process. I want to deliver to you the best possible novel that I can produce, so hang in there, it will only be a week or so late.

Upcoming releases

2017-02-26T11:54:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Berand Torler: the Chronicles of the Elf Human Wars, the third and last novel of the Berand trilogy will publish on March 21, 2017.

The events of the two previous books lead to open warfare between elf and human. Can Berand stop it? Does he want to stop it? And what of his dear friend Dirkdyths, the dark elf, can he be saved?

And then more exciting news. A new Iounelle novel!

Iounelle laefra!

Magic and Mathematics Book One: Ancient Science will publish on May 9, 2017

This book is very exciting and unique as the fantasy aspect of the characters will blend into real human history!

In Ancient Science, Iounelle, over a hundred thousand years old, has adventures and fights evil in Ancient Egypt during the building of the Great Pyramid, tracks her nemesis to Athens, Greece just after the death of Alexander the Great, and then struggles to break the Roman blockade of Syracuse where she meets someone very unique.

And then on July 3, 2017 the first book of the Strange Saga of Ostigris - The Tiger's Mouth will be published!
Ostigris is that human with the cropped blonde hair and the broken nose that has briefly appeared in many of the novels.

Ostigris is a man who knows he's not in the right time who wakes up with no memory of how he was attacked or by whom. As he tries to stay alive in the Roman Republic, he has to wonder if any of his Time Traveling companions has tried to kill him, and most importantly WHY.

If all goes well, you might get another Ostigris book before the end of the year - The Serpent's Venom. Let's say Dec.21, 2017 to keep me motivated.

Then in 2018 you'll get the last Ostigris book, the Eagle's Talon, (July 3, 2018?)
and the second Magic and Mathematics book - Future Sorcery. (Dec. 21, 2018?)

2019 should see the last two Magic and Mathematics books: Present Horizons, and A Cold Night in Oslo and other Unverified Gossip.

That will wrap up most of the story lines for a really awesome direction for the remaining characters publishing in 2020. But that's getting, way, way (like 200 years 😏) ahead of things.

Along the way I'm planning to rewrite the first two Wealdland books as they are a little clunky. I was only just learning how to write!

Thanks for reading,
cheers,

K.J. Hargan

Map of Wealdland bumped to top of queue

2015-04-09T12:22:00.000-07:00

Berand Brave

2015-04-07T18:17:00.004-07:00

Berand Brave book two of the Chronicles of the Elf Human Wars is now available

click here for Amazon page

Berand Brave tease

2014-12-11T15:26:00.000-08:00

I am very, very close to completing the first draft of Berand Brave. And, it is a corker. (that means it's really good). Here's a tease:

Chapter Fifty-Three

Glothau dae Fellananthau

(Demons and Messengers)

Dirkdyths stood amidst the wildly whipping grass of the featureless meadowland. He still gripped his black sword and long knife. The night sky was overcast and dull. The wind moved in patterns across the dark sea of green blades. There was no glow of the moon burning through the thick clouds, and not even a hint of star shine. There were no trees, no animals, nothing. If he closed his eyes, all he heard was the low, pained growl of the wind. He could imagine he was nowhere, untethered, less than alive, uncreated.

cheers,

Kurt

Which is which?

2014-10-30T11:30:00.000-07:00

I've been reading my favorite author's blog.

If you haven't read anything by Ursula K. Le Guin, you must at least read the Earthsea trilogy: A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, and The Farthest Shore.

Some have criticized the three later books, Tehanu, Tales of Earthsea, and The Other Wind, but I find that they added wonderfully to a deep, resonant, connected epic. Read all six books without pause or diversion and I think you will agree with me. (not all at once, you ninny)

anyway...

She posits in one of her blogs that Homer, of old Hellenic literature, not Mr. Simpson, was the first fantasist and it's hard not to disagree. Having read both the Iliad and the Odyssey, you can't help but smile when the gods take an active role in the narrative.

Ms. Le Guin in her blog breaks down the differences between these first two genre literary works as (my simplification here) The Record, and the Journey. Neither is better, nor worse. Both are just different forms.

And I had to pause.

I certainly didn't mean to, because I had no outward, conscience attempt to make my work so grand, but I realized I have approached my books similarly.

Simply put, without asking you to guess, The Wealdland Stories are analogous to The Iliad. It is a description of a war, a Record, with the paths of many, varied characters intersecting.

The Chronicles of the Elf Human Wars, featuring Berand, is my Odyssey, The Journey, the story of one individual above all others. Funny that Berand's story is titled 'Wars' when the whole narrative is mostly about his personal journey of self discovery, much like Odysseus'.

That's it. That's all I have to say.

Kurt

Ursula K. Le Guin's blog: click here

.

milestone

2014-10-26T16:46:00.003-07:00

Today my blog went over ten thousand views.

Thank you to those of you interested and curious.

I realize probably fully a third of those clicks were spambots or webcrawlers.

But, still. It's something.

cheers,

Kurt

.

A collection of Ricky Gervais' hit

2014-10-10T18:04:00.005-07:00

Ricky Gervais was in a band in the 80's.

You're welcome in advance:

Seona Dancing Bitter Heart

Battling the Ham with Tapestry

2014-09-29T16:31:00.004-07:00

There is a D-list actor that has moved in across the way. I live in a quaint (meaning old) apartment building in Los Angeles County.

I like to have the windows open to get fresh air while I work.

The D-list actor moved in about four months ago, and man has this guy got the MOST annoying voice in the history of speaking humans. Is this how to get acting work? Because, his list of jobs is pretty extensive, although not impressive. I'm not going to tell you his name, because actors thrive on notoriety, good or bad, and I want this ham sandwich to wilt, and blow away.

Because of the structure of the building, our living room windows are about six feet apart. He lives right across the walkway. And Mr. Sandwich has nothing in his unit to soften his shrill, obnoxious, nasal voice. So, it ECHOES like he's got the reverb Elvis used.

And best of all, he has set up his home office, with desk and chair, where he can bellow at agents and producers for his late royalty checks right at his window. So it sounds as if he is screaming right in my living room, and usually at my shoulder.

Now I shouldn't have to close my windows. But, when I have, it has made no difference.

Yet...

Have I told you about my sound system? It's AWESOME. Theatre quality sound. Dolby surround, with an amplifier. heh heh heh.

When he first moved in, I cranked that baby until he shut his windows and it smelled like victory.

But my son, being the good person he is, and not wanting to endure the Norse-god like power of our system said I should go talk to him.

So I did. Bringing him along to show that I was willing to compromise and be a good human being.

Well, what do you know. It worked. He toned down his voice and we all got along. For a while...

He's an actor and so oblivious to other people. His whole world exists in his tiny, bellowing mind, and he started to get progressively louder over the ensuing weeks, until today he was right back to his old volume.

That is when Carole King came to my rescue. I have always liked Tapestry. It is one of those albums that everyone should own. Today as the music filled my home, and drowned out the Ham Sandwich (he got the message) I really took note of King's soulful singing. I mean she sounds like she is tearing those notes right out of the core of her being. And yet, the music jumps and grooves. She sings some old standards that I had never realized she authored. The whole album is really beautifully crafted with the list of songs wonderfully moving from one theme to the next.

I looked down at the cover of the CD and was curious about the cat. Call me a dope. I just wanted to know. So three clicks later, I found this pretty good article: Carole King Interview

The cat's name was Telemachus. cool.

So. That's it. Tapestry saved my sanity today. If you haven't heard the album here it is: Tapestry

But you really should own a copy.

cheers,

Kurt

.

What I'm reading right now - 9/25/14

2014-09-25T21:19:00.003-07:00

To say that I'm on an Ursula K. Le Guin kick right now is laughable. I am spellbound, entranced, enchanted, enthralled.

Let me back up...

I was between writing Ancient Science and Berand Brave and thought I would pick out something to read from my personal library.

I am a sucker for book sales, library sell offs, you name it. At yard sales I immediately go for the book boxes. Thrift stores are all about the shelves of books in the back for me. So you could say I got a few books at home...

About a year ago I picked up a reissue of the first paperback publishing of A Wizard of Earthsea with the subsequent books in the trilogy. The cover art, by Yvonne Gilbert (whose art absolutely delights me) that interlocks between the three books is what attracted me to the series initially. And so I got the chance to buy the editions I loved as a teen.

I first read the trilogy back in High School in the 1970's. I thought it was great, but all that resided in my memory banks from thirty years back was the cheesy, awful television series based on the books. So, with trepidation I picked up the first one.

I devoured it.

I had forgotten how nuanced and deep the book was. With pleasure I dove into the remaining two of the trilogy. I had just started writing Berand Brave, but wanted to continue to read at night. I had put reading for pleasure aside in favor of reading for research for Ancient Science. (You'll understand when you read it. I tried to make the ancient world come authentically alive, but with entertainment and color.)

So after I had licked my chops, finishing the Earthsea trilogy I looked at The Left Hand of Darkness by Ms. Le Guin sitting up on my shelf. The copy I owned had been up there for over a decade. I just couldn't bring myself to read it. Something about the cover and all the awards just turned me off.

Now here's something about me: I'm a contrarian. If everybody loves it, I probably won't. If something is a limping, orphaned mutant, I will probably adore it.

The Left Hand of Darkness swept the Hugos and Nebulas when it was published. People raved. People recommended. I hesitated.

But I had just gone face first like a feeding hog into the Earthsea books, finding things I had missed before, style and form that meant so much more to me. A mature, studied, yet easy structure that resonated like a Beethoven symphony. Just beauty, sheer beauty.

So... I opened up the book.

...oh my gosh...

To say I was blown away would be an understatement. The book is darn near perfect. The author creates a full, truly alien world set against a Terran sensibility. The plot points and twists were so refreshing and gripping. The characters textured and heartbreaking. I came away from The Left Hand of Darkness changed.

But more than that...

Now. Please forgive me, this is going to sound egotistical, but I saw a similarity between my writing and Ms. Le Guin's. I have never compared my style and work with anybody else before, so this is something. Of course I don't assert that I am at her level, but the desire to write a certain way is shared between us. And, something opened up in my mind.

I tell you, Ancient Science is good, if not great, and I'm trying to be utterly objective. But, after diving into Ursula's work and the effect it has had, I am now hyper-aware of the shape and flow of my writing as never before. Her work has opened doors for me that I never knew were always there. You know, I will take the flak and criticism, but I think Berand Brave, because of this epiphany, is shaping up to be something really, really special.

And I owe it all, and really mean it, to Ursula K. Le Guin.

I have since gone on to read The Word For World is Forest in Harlen Ellison's excellent anthology Again Dangerous Visions vol. 1. And then, Rocannon's World. All of these books by Ms. Le Guin in less than a month...

I am hooked in the worst way.

If you had asked me who was the best living SciFi/Fantasy writer two months ago, I would have said without hesitation: William Gibson, whom I still love and eagerly await his pending book The Peripheral (due Nov. 2014).

But today I will shout from the rooftops that the title of The Best belongs to Ms. Le Guin.

Go get some and see for yourself.

cheers.

Kurt

http://www.yvonnegilbert.com/

.

Berand Brave Chapter Two Hótei (Returner)

2014-09-02T15:26:00.000-07:00

Chapter Two

Hótei

(Returner)

The word had gone ahead of him.

Birds sang of him, breathlessly from every treetop, darting on the wing, perching on eaves, knowing the People of Light craved to know if and when he would return. Sentries ran all day, skipping across rivers on light boats, and then more tireless sprinting to the capital. Refusing water, the messengers pushed their way into the Yel Rakinne to tell, before the council, between gasps for air, of the news of his return.

They told how a corsair ship, with three enormous red sails, coming from the west of the Mere Lanis, had pulled into the narrow bight made by the Flume of Rith. The leethan soldiers at Gillalliath, protecting the gigantic battleships being built there, had warned the corsair vessel to sail away with loud shouts using the Voice and waving their spears and swords.

A single individual dropped over the side of the ship with the billowing red sails. As he swam for the port, Merebroder had played about him, leaping and sporting in the water, blowing happy spouts from the holes in the tops of their sleek heads. The swimmer seemed to be clutching a long staff as he thrashed the water towards the pier of Gillalliath.

The corsair ship came about and pulled out onto the shimmering horizon of the Mere, disappearing into the glare of the golden, setting sun.

“And then? And then?” The eldest of the leethan council asked, clutching his white beard.

“It was him.”

The elders of the Yel Rakinne fell together furiously whispering until a tall leethan wearing a large sword at his side entered the chamber. He strode to the messengers.

“It is true?”

“He has returned.”

The tall leeth put his strong hand to his mouth and quietly thought, and then he looked up. Was that a tear in his eye that he would not let fall? “Let no one hinder the progress of Berand Brave,” said Kelasael, first general of the leethan armies.

Late Summer in the Land of the Drought

2014-08-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

I read reviews. It's ridiculous not to. You should know how your work is both received and perceived. The trick is to not let the inconsistent and unintelligent reviews get to you.

I once went off on a passive-aggressive review which opened the door for charges of being 'thin-skinned' (code words for 'why won't you let us unjustly kick you without you responding?). The passive-aggressive review said in essence 'this book is good for fantasy, which I never read, which is not really literature'. So you could see how that got me wound up.

I have learned since then to not feed the trolls.

But...

There is an interesting trend in recent reviews of my novels. And, I'm going to share my insights as well as explain something that that insight informs.

First let me confess: My first novel, The Last Elf of Lanis needs some work. Not a lot of work. But some. It was my first novel and came from a place of desperation in my soul.

That being said, I assert that it is damn good, even with its faults.

...which brings us to my insight into the majority of recent reviews. There seems to be a consensus that The Last Elf of Lanis is a novel every fan of fantasy should read. I don't advertise and yet I still sell a lot of books every day. So people are talking about it. Many people love the book. And why not? It has important themes set in an entertaining world with high emotional stakes.

So the majority of recent reviews are either 5 stars-love it, or a begrudging four stars. "Yes, it's good, but I don't really like it."

HA!

That of course is okay. Nobody has to like anything. The real humor comes when a four star reviewer really reaches to find something to express their dissatisfaction with the novel. One said the book 'had too many commas' !

aghahahahaha. *cough cough* Sorry.

The four star reviews are usually of the vein "I know I should like this book. All my friends like this book. But, I don't, and I can't coherently tell you why."

Yes. Well. First let me say. It was my first book and I am the first to admit that it is a little clunky. I was still learning to write. Should I have put it out for general consumption by the reading community? Probably not. But I did, as I said before, because of a desperate need to express myself in some kind- any kind of forum.

And here is where I made a pretty huge mistake...

I wasn't writing to please the fantasy-literature consuming public. I didn't even consider that there was some kind of generally accepted form. I wrote the kind of novel I wanted to read: Complex narrative structure, bursting full of characters, challenging in perspective, fun with lots of action, filled with difficult emotions, in a completely immersible, fictitious world.

Readers who read genres other than fantasy have expressed surprise that I didn't follow the general formula for fantasy (although there are plenty of the elements, the poor boy/king, the hidden sword, heck, let's be honest, I borrowed heavily from Arthurian mythology).

But, mostly The Last Elf of Lanis is structured like something you might read from the syllabus of a Lit 101 course, and not the average fantasy novel that gluts the market.

And, the readers expecting something like everything else have been disappointed. So why did I write a book so divergent from the accepted, expected mainstream of fantasy literature?

Because I like complex, challenging books, and initially I was writing only for me!

Does that mean I should have kept it to myself? No way, judging by some of the passionate fans of the series. Should I have kept it back until it was perfect? Maybe, but as I mentioned before, I was in a place where, after nearly a lifetime of being denied entry, I had to express something- anything.

Will I keep it as it is with its few flaws? No. I am going to rewrite the novel and make it shine like a glittering diamond, specially now that I have some pretty awesome writing skills, but not this year. Maybe not even next year. A massive structure of interlocking novels is bursting to come out of my head, and, judging by sales, the readers want that more than me polishing my slightly flawed first gem.

Sarcasm to follow~~

So to those frustrated in understanding why you don't like the book, but give it four stars because you think you should: Don't. Be brave. Don't follow the herd of readers with more taste and intelligence than you.

The fact that you don't want to put on your big-boy pants and read something a little more advanced than a Jr. High School level novel is okay. Be yourself.

~~ Sarcasm end.

No, but really. It's okay if you don't like my book. Not everyone will. If there is a book that everyone likes, it's probably not very interesting.

So the obvious question is: If you wanted to write a novel that is full of advanced structure and ideas, why did you pick the fantasy genre? To which I respond: Why not? Why does a fantasy novel have to be simplistic, with shallow characters who follow a flat (boring) linear narrative path?

My answer is that the readers of fantasy are smarter than the market supposes. And I know this because The Last Elf of Lanis, without any kind of marketing or advertising continues to sell well every day.

***

Lastly, a thought about the complaint about the names I used. I think the initial complaint is generally when someone can't put their finger on the fact that they had to think a little and were challenged while reading a fantasy novel. "Oh, it's the names! That's why I didn't like this! The names!"

...yeah... No.

I wanted names that were unique. And I scoured the internet to make sure they were. But here's the thing, they really are not that unique. Most of the names come from European history. Most of the names I use are amalgams of very common historical names. I appropriated some of the names right out of Beowulf, just like Tolkien did when he grabbed a bunch of names out of the very first fantasy novel ever written.

Kellabald - Kell uh bald... really? that's hard?

Arnwylf - Arn wylf (wolf) ...Arn wolf ... that's hard to read?

Wynnfrith - win frith

Alrhett - all ret

Yulenth - you lenth

Ronenth - ro nenth

hard?

No. ...lazy reader who wants Jim, Bob, or Mary.

I will admit that Haerreth and Haergill were confusing. I shouldn't have used two such similar names. But look:

Haergill - Haer gill - higher gill.

Haerreth - Haer reth - higher reth

It looks very simplistic actually. The names are mostly old norse, old germanic, the root cultures of fantasy literature. And I wanted a feeling of distance in time and space. Get over the complaint about the names. They are easy and wonderful.

The elf names - well I had to create something alien. You really only have to deal with Iounelle for most of the series.

Iounelle - Eye un el

now a cool person will put a little 'ou' in that, but don't worry about it.

Enough about names. If your main complaint is about the names, I think we all know that you just wanted a simpler book to read. Check the YA section next time.

ok.

That's it.

I don't blog much because I think my time is best served writing novels and not writing blogs.

Oh.

I am nearing a final, polished draft of Magic and Mathematics Book One: Ancient Science.

This new book starts a new series that I am very excited about. And this new novel has turned out to be nothing short of wonderful.

In this book, Iounelle travels through Egypt as the Great Pyramid is being built; chases a psychopath through Hellenistic Athens; and is witness to the Roman siege of Sicilian Syracuse. It's a pretty kick-ass book. Just as deep as anything I have ever written, probably deeper. It's pretty damn outstanding, if I do say so myself.

I promise that once you have read it, you will be grabbing friends by the collar, saying 'you must read this!' It's that good.

It's coming soon.

so.

That's it.

That's all I had to say.

Starting September 1st, 2014 I will begin writing Berand Brave, the sequel to Berand Fool. and maaaann.... Berand Brave is going to be soooo good.

so.

Lot's to look forward to.

cheers,

Kurt

.

pending release from K. J. Hargan

2014-07-29T18:14:00.001-07:00

If you haven't heard yet from my twitter or facebook feed...

The first draft of Magic and Mathematics Book One: Ancient Science is completed today!

Iounelle Wendralorn, the last elf of lanis is back. Her pursuit of The Two, the seeming immortal Mót and his strange protégé, takes her to Egypt as the great Pyramid nears completion, then to Athens at the height of the Hellenistic period, and finally to the last days of Syracuse under the Roman siege by Marcellus.

A novel spanning two thousand years of history becomes a battleground for secret cults and dark magics as the wonders of human science and technology are on the rise.

Don't miss this exciting, new adventure.

Iounelle lives!

cheers,

Kurt

.

You smart ones.

2014-07-24T18:31:00.001-07:00

It's made my heart quite happy to see an uptick in folks who are buying the fourth book of the Wealdland Stories.

Those who have read Legends of Haergill and Conniker's Tale will appreciate the upcoming release so much more than those who have not.

There are patterns in the soon to be released Magic and Mathematics Book One: Ancient Science that will only be apparent to readers of Legends of Haergill...

There are things I have set up since the first book that are paid off in Ancient Science. I'm a chapter and a half from a first draft and I am very excited to get the book to you.

The conclusion of the whole network of books will be years off, but until then we will explore the adventure together.

cheers

Kurt
.

Coming up

2014-06-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

I don't blog nearly enough.

I feel that if I'm going to write something, it should be whatever I'm working on. so...

Currently, the novel I am very close to completing the first draft of is Magic and Mathematics - Book One: Ancient Science.

Yeah. What a mouthful. But. I'll tell you what. I really think this is the finest thing I've ever written. This book approaches actually literature, transcending the fantasy genre. It's that good.

What's it about?

Iounelle!

Yep. That's right. It's the last elf. We really get into her head and what it's like to be the last of your kind and how her mind and life has evolved as she has chased Mót and his protégé across the centuries. (You'll understand what that means if you've read Legends of Haergill and Conniker's Tale. Ancient Science picks up where that book left off.)

Here's the thing... I am very close to that first draft... like days away. I'll go into second and third drafts right away, and a trusted friend gets to read the early drafts as my second set of eyes.

Normally, you'd then get the book once I'd got some cover art together that I like.

But.

A real honest-to-god publisher has said they want to look at it once it's ready.

Exciting? Yeeeeah. But here's the reality: They will accept the draft I feel is the best I can do, and then they will sit on it for probably months.

Not because they are awful people. Quite the contrary, they are wonderful people who have said they would like to consider publishing the book.

Why the delay? Several people at the publishing house will have to read the book and then give it a yea or nay. And let's face it, they almost certainly have a mountain of other books to read and evaluate.

Will it get published by this professional publishing house? Maybe. Maybe not.

What does that mean? I'm a realist. It means that they may actually read it, and it may be the best book in the world, but because of convergent circumstances, they won't publish it.

That's okay. Once I get the rejection slip, that means I can release the book on my own right away, as I have with all my other books up until now.

What does all this mean to you?

It means a delay. It means we all get to wait until I get the thumbs up or thumbs down.

What if the book gets the thumbs up? It will still have to go through their edits and marketing procedures, which means even more delay.

And hey, maybe Ancient Science will get that thumbs up. I'm confident enough to feel that it is a distinct possibility. But when everything is said and done, it all adds up to a delay for you.

I had hoped to have the book out by July 2014, but now it appears as if the earliest you can have it is sometime in the late autumn of 2014. Maybe later if they want to publish it.

I'm sorry. I know. And, I can't release it on my own while they are considering publishing it. If I do that, this publisher will reject it immediately. They've liked my other books, but since I've released those myself, they are scratched off their publication list.

Why? That's not up to me, and I respect that's how they do business.

Who is this mysterious publishing house? I'd rather not say. This way, if things don't work out between us, you won't have to worry about having any hard feelings about them.

so...

I am sorry. Truly sorry. Ancient Science will make the perfect beach book, but it looks like if it is going to be read on the beach, it's going to be in 2015.

cheers,

Kurt

.

March 2014

2014-03-26T21:10:00.000-07:00

Hello.

I'm still working and I'm about half finished with Ancient Science: Book One of Mathematics and Magic.

I am really, really happy with how the novel is coming along. It may be my finest writing to date, and I know you're going to enjoy it very much.

This novel is the return of Iounelle and it is really shaping up to be a kind of wonderful.

When will it be ready? You know the drill. I should be done with a first draft mid-April. It then takes a month each for a second and third draft, and a couple of weeks for a polish.

So let's say, between June and July, look for Ancient Science to be available. Just in time for Summer reading season.

Then I will start immediately on Berand Brave, which should be ready by the end of the year.

Possibly, sometime in the Autumn, The Tiger's Mouth may be released. I worked on that novel last year, writing about half of the first draft. I hit a wall, And realized that I had to write these other books, before I could get to that one.

You will understand why when you read Ancient Science.

Anyhoo.

I'm working. Good stuff is coming.

Kurt

.

Berand Fool

2013-06-24T20:45:00.001-07:00

Well, the book is out there, going through processing and soon will be available on all publishing platforms.

I have to say that I am feeling very emotional right now. I had no idea how deeply attached to this book I was.

I feel like I'm sending out my baby for you to take into your home.

I am very proud of this novel. It was an immense joy to write. It really meant quite a lot to me.

My wife had said that she thinks that I have written myself into the character of Berand. I don't disagree. A little of me is in every character I create. How could it be otherwise? But, maybe a little more of me is in Berand than any other character.

This book started off as a question I asked myself. Why did Berand Torler create the Sun and Moon swords? Combined with the Lhalíi and the Ar, the four objects create the Heaven's Key, a machine of almost limitless power. Why did he do it?

The story began to form in my mind and I took a little notebook with me wherever I went. You can ask Annette, I would stop in the middle of the grocery aisle, whip out my pocket sized notebook and start scribbling notes.

Organizing the outline was simple. The story, by the time I had jotted down all my notes, was obvious.

The thing that surprised me was the writing. Characters leapt off the page, and did things that surprised even me! Every day I was filled with an eagerness to get to work and write what I began to suspect was quite a special novel.

Close to five hundred pages of the first draft were completed in only three months! This novel burst out of me. And the time spent writing it was like a limbo. I would sit down in the morning, look up after what seemed like only five minutes, to find it was nearly time for dinner!

The story of a character who finds courage and direction is timeless. This is my contribution.

Please go and enjoy.

cheers,

Kurt

.

How it happened

2013-06-19T09:50:00.002-07:00

When I wrote the first novel, The Last Elf of Lanis, it was purely for me.
I wrote for my own pleasure and distraction. I wrote to satisfy a burning need to express myself both artistically and emotionally.
The book has some flaws, and the structure may be a little more complex than it needs to be. But, I wrote what I like. This is what I enjoy when I am reading: stories with characters that are emotionally invested; story lines that unfold and fold back on themselves; and fantastical, fully realized realms.

The Archer From Kipleth was for you. I was so surprised by the overwhelming acceptance of the The Last Elf that I knew I had to complete the series. So the Archer was written wholly with the reader in mind.
That is probably why it is my favorite book. Everything about it is selfless. From page one to the last page, every word was written with a conscious consideration of the reader.

I wrote the third book, The Lord of Lightning, to compete the task. I knew how the very last scene of the battle would unfold and I knew I had to get it out there. Actual thousands of readers had uploaded the first and second book, and I wrote with an awareness of my responsibility to complete the story for them.

The fourth book, Legends of Haergill and Conniker's Tale, I wrote for my sanity. As I was completing the first three books, many other stories, related to the principle narrative, came into my mind and needed to be written. Then, the whole began to take shape as a novel of interlocking stories.
The ideas were like a haunting. I knew I wouldn't sleep at night unless I exorcised these stories from my mind. Then, when it made up a good novel, I was happily surprised. So in one sense, the fourth novel was similar to the first in that I wrote primarily for myself, but not for pleasure.

The fifth and soon to be released novel, Berand Fool, is more like the first in every sense. I wrote purely for my own pleasure. But, now I had the framework of a complex world all ready for me. I wrote the rather lengthy novel in just four months because it was such a joy to write.
I would get ready at my office at 9am, and then when I looked up, it would be 4pm. I had written thirty pages and it seemed to me that no time at all had elapsed. It was total immersion.
The difference with Berand Fool from the first four novels is the narrative structure. The plot primarily follows Berand Wendralorn. I wanted to do something different from the other books which split off many character lines. There are one or two chapters that follow other characters in Berand Fool, but the preponderance of the narrative is Berand's.
It was not a chore to follow this character. I have to tell you, I love Berand. I love everything about him, the way he sees the world, how he reacts, what he does. I truly wish I could hang out with him every day. And, he changes, he grows, he resolves conflicts in his mind and soul. So many characters in books, film and TV are one note, played over and over. Not this guy. I am very excited for you to meet him.

cheers

Kurt

.

meaning

2013-05-19T12:52:00.001-07:00

I don't blog nearly enough. But, as we all would agree, my time is best served actually writing my novels. So...

I'm very close to finishing my fifth novel Berand Fool. I am very pleased with it. In many ways I think of it as my first novel. With this book, I have been in control of every aspect, and at the height of my skills. With the first notion: "Why the heck did he make those dangerous swords?"; through months and months of notes; to shaping up the structure; to the fevered months of writing, and then the months of rewarding rewriting, I have arrived with something I feel very happy about.

As some of you may know, I am a pretty good poet. I would go so far as to say that I am a better poet than a novelist. But, what with poetry paying less than actual debt, I don't spend much time at the feet of Erato or Calliope. When fledging poets hear me read, they almost all ask the inevitable "How do I get good at writing poetry?" or the wiser "How can I become better?"

The simple answer is 'work'. No one seems to like that answer, but there it is. The second answer and the one that seems more appealing, but is deceptively much more difficult to master is 'meaning'.

When an artist infuses a work with meaning, it makes all the difference. Often we, as consumers, may not even comprehend the artist's meaning. I could go round and round with the most scholarly about the meaning flooding from Van Gogh's paintings, and both of us could be way off. But it is there. You can't help but feel it.

Meaning is something the human mind senses, even when it doesn't comprehend it. It is like a smell. We know it is there, and we love it when it is something that we savor and need, like the scent of baking bread, it sets us to salivating.

Rather than go too deeply into an examination of meaning in art, I'd like to pull back the curtain and simply tell you what was my intention, what was my 'meaning' when I wrote my books.

I think a novelist has an obligation to be clear, much more than any other type of artist. I have been such an adherent of this maxim that the ignorant has constantly accused my writing of being simple. One public reviewer called my work suitable for middle schoolers. Well, okay, but I'm sure that the reviewer meant it as a slight. I don't care.

Clarity is vital to me. Those who know have called me the Hemingway of Fantasy. That tickles me, because I write the least macho characters imaginable, but I think the notion is apt because of the sparseness of the prose. And I accept that idea as highest praise.

So. The meaning, the clear intention behind my novels is as follows:

The Last Elf of Lanis was about the heart-breaking maturity that comes with loss. I think that is pretty obvious to anyone that didn't just scan the novel.

The Archer From Kipleth is about accepting your situation and doing something about it. Again, simply clear for anyone who bothered to do more than turn the pages.

The Lord of Lightning is a little more complex. This novel is about LOVE. LOVE in capital letters. What does it mean? What are you willing to sacrifice for love? Are you willing to give your life for love? How much love is enough love? All those big ideas. I think I came pretty close to doing a damn good job with that one.

Legends of Haergill and Conniker's Tale is much more difficult to explain. My intention with this novel was to explore the ideas behind cause and effect. A bloodless thesis I admit, unless you approach it under the structure of family, genealogy, and the rise and fall of nations. I personally think I did a fine job with a very elaborate concept that is fraught with many traps. We see where character's lives came from and where they were going. It was a difficult novel to construct and execute, but I am happy with the results

Now, my upcoming novel:

Berand Fool is about authority, obedience, rebellion and personal responsibility. A really tough concept to write about in fantasy. But, then why should it be? I've had a couple of reviews on Amazon where the reviewer looks down her nose sniffing, "Oh, your books are okay, for fantasy." As if Fantasy Literature was any less a collection of fabrications than plain 'ol Literature with a lonely capital 'L'. Hey lady, all lies are equal.

Or are they?

Fiction rises and falls with the depth of meaning. What do you take away from this novel? I will admit that much of Fantasy Literature is sword clanging, magic spewing gallantry. Simple diversion from everyday life can be very satisfying, and sometimes necessary. We call it a guilty pleasure as if we somehow should not be reading such shallow fiction.

But, even 'genre' fiction can be much more. Any book can ultimately become a work that changes your life. I have read a few of those kinds of books. I love those kinds of books. I aspire to write those kinds of books. And, I think I have moved ever closer to that kind of book with Berand Fool.

I hope you agree.

cheers,

Kurt

The Last Elf - How many books in the series?

2013-01-09T12:35:00.002-08:00

The statistics here at Blogger show the search strings, so I know that someone looked up "The Last Elf - how many books in the series?"

Let me break it down for you.

The Wealdland Stories - this is where it all began for me as a writer.

Book One - The Last Elf of Lanis
Book Two - The Archer From Kipleth
Book Three - The Lord of Lightning
Book Four - Legends of Haergill and Conniker's Tale

now quite honestly, you don't have to read book four. The story of the war for the Heaven's Key wraps up in book three. If that's where you want to leave it, good for you.

But...

Legends of Haergill and Conniker's Tale answers a lot of questions that the reader may have once they've finished The Lord of Lightning.

And...

You will understand much better what is going on once the next series begins, which is -

Mathematics and Magic - this series (yet to be written) follows Iounelle, the last elf, into human history.

Book One - Ancient Science (I hope to have this ready around December 2013)
Book Two - Future Magic
Book Three - Present Horizons
Book Four - A Cold Night in Oslo and Other Unverified Gossip (in which Iounelle takes down Hitler!)

Meanwhile...

The Berand series, also called The Chroncle of the Elf Human Wars, will begin shortly and it is going to be AMAZING, if I do say so myself. In this story the reader will understand how Wealdland came to be as it stands at the beginning of the Last Elf of Lanis.

The Chronicle of the Elf Human Wars - this takes place three thousand years before Iounelle.

Book One - Berand the Fool (I'm working on this one, and hope to have it ready by April 1, 2013)
Book Two - Berand the Brave
Book Three - Berand Torler

In addition...

In the middle of 2013 you will, if all goes well, begin to get the Ostigris Saga. The story of that strange time traveller who shows up in The Lord of Lightning and Conniker's Tale.

The Travels of Ostigris -

Book One - The Tiger's Mouth
Book Two - The Serpent's Venom
Book Three - The Eagle's Talon

On top of all that...

All the story lines and characters will be tied neatly together in a science fiction series I guarantee will be unlike any science fiction you have ever read before, because it is going to blend fantasy with historical fiction. Weird right? I cannot wait to write this series.

The Planets -

Book One - Mars
Book Two - Venus (remember Holdang and Carond?)
Book Three - Mercury
Book Four - The Sun In All Its Glory - this will include many stories from many timelines and take us to Iounelle's eventual departure from this mortal coil.

So eighteen books in all. Four have been written. Hopefully you'll get three a year until the whole intertwined narrative concludes sometime in 2017.

Cripes. I better get to work!

Cheers,

Kurt.

2500 year old tattoos

2013-01-07T14:03:00.002-08:00

A mummified Siberian Princess was found with strange tattoos.

But the animals aren't strange to readers of the Wealdland Stories.

It sure looks like she's got a stauer on her wrist and a kaprik-uushuu on her shoulder, maybe Josr, the female!

click here to read the story.

cheers,

Kurt

Kindle version of Legends of Haergill and Conniker's Tale is available!

2012-12-28T21:03:00.001-08:00

Here's the link for the Amazon / Kindle version of the fourth book in the Wealdland series.

click here for Kindle link to Legends of Haergill and Conniker's Tale