Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Virginia Early Voting

 

If you are like me and Robin, our "Voting Plan" was developed such that we don't have to physically show up to our polling place in November.  Long lines and possible exposure just made that seem like something to be avoided.  

So we voted absentee...but if you do that, make sure your vote has been received.  Most states have tracking information. For instance, in Virginia, you can check the status of your absentee ballot at this link.

Robin dropped her ballot off by hand when she had to do an errand "in town." But they wouldn't let her deposit mine, so she stuck it in the mailbox instead. 


Robin's got in a few days sooner:



But at least we know that both of them are safe and sound. We even put on our stickers, even though only each of us are the only ones seeing them ;-)


Sunday, September 27, 2020

50% off Hurt Hardcover Sale

 
A short while ago, we were cleaning out the Ingram warehouses of every Age of Legend book we could get our hands on (because we sold out the first printing, and the second printing wasn't yet off the presses). In doing so, we were shipped two pallets of books, much more than we were expecting. What we received were "hurt sales" of not only my books but a number of anthologies created by Grim Oak Press. Since these are currently taking up space in my garage, it's time for a HUGE SALE to clear them out.


What's a "hurt book"?  Well, when bookstores order copies that aren't eventually sold, the books are returned to the warehouse. All of these books are new (meaning they've never been read by anyone and won't have any marks or highlighting), but because they have gone back and forth to bookstores (and sat on shelves for some period of time), they have been handled a lot so there may be some minor dents in the cardboard covers or scuffs on the dust jackets. That said, some of the copies I have looked at are 100% pristine, and you don't even know they've been around the block a few times.  

Another type of returned book is a remainder.  Like hurt books, they also may have a little wear, and they've never been read by others. There is a small dot placed on the edge of the pages to indicate they aren't available for returns from bookstores. When Del Rey remaindered a few hundred Age of Myth books we picked them up cheaply. Some of them are first editions, but it's the luck of the draw whether you'll get one of those or not. 

Because these books are "gently used" we are selling them at a huge discount. All hurt books are priced at 50% off and include FREE US shipping!  We don't have any "hurts" for Age of War or Age of Empyre, but I added them to the sale at 20% off so people can buy a complete set while getting the other bargain-priced books in the series.

Now, I recently mailed out my newsletter and told people about this sale, so we sold out of all the Unfettered and Unfettered II books we had. But there are still copies available for Unbound and Unfettered III. These are massive tomes (500 and 650 pages respectively), and each is just $15!

These anthologies contain some of the biggest names in fantasy

  • Unbound has 23 short stories by Michael J. Sullivan • Terry Brooks • Joe Abercrombie • Mark Lawrence • Jim Butcher • Brian McClellan • Rachel Caine • Seanan McGuire • Anthony Ryan • Brian Staveley • Mary Robinette Kowal • Peter Orullian • Sam Sykes • David Anthony Durham • and many more.

  • Unfettered III has 38 stories by Robert Jordon & Brandon Sanderson • Terry Brooks • Robin Hobb • Lev Grossman • Tad Williams • Mark Lawrence • Naomi Novik • Seanan McGuire • John Gwynne • Peter Orullian • Carrie Vaughn • Robert V. S. Redick • David Anthony Durham  • Carrie Vaughn • Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson • Ken Scholes • Delilah S. Dawson • and many more.

You won't find better fantasy talent than that at these prices. Quantities are limited, so if you are interested, pick up your copies right away.


Saturday, September 26, 2020

Age of Myth ebook Sale - Save 80%.


For a limited time (ending October 4th), Age of Myth will be on sale for just $1.99. That's an 80% savings off the $9.99 regular price. This book has only been on sale four times since its debut in 2016, so if you are thinking of digging into my latest series, now is an excellent time to do so. 


Why put the book on sale now? Well, we recently released the last book, and we know some people don't start an incomplete series. Now that all the books are out, people can binge-read through the entire tale While based in Elan, no prior knowledge of the Riyria tales is required to enjoy this series to its fullest, but for those people who have read Riyria, you'll learn I've lied to you about a great many things regarding various historical figures and the origin of the gods. Through the Legends books, you'll discover the truth that lies in myths.


The series has done remarkably well.  Here are just a few of its accomplishments:
  • 2 Books were New York Times Bestsellers
  • 3 Books were USA Today Bestsellers
  • 3 Boos were Washington Post Hardcover Bestsellers
  • 4 Books (all that have been eligible) were Goodreads Choice Award Nominees
Here is a bit about Age of Myth (from the back of the book copy)

Michael J. Sullivan's trailblazing career began with the breakout success of his Riyria series: full-bodied, spellbinding fantasy adventures whose imaginative scope and sympathetic characters won a devoted readership and comparisons to fantasy masters Brandon Sanderson, Scott Lynch, and J.R.R. Tolkien himself. Now Age of Myth inaugurates an original six-book series.

Since time immemorial, humans have worshipped the gods they call Fhrey, truly a race apart: invincible in battle, masters of magic, and seemingly immortal. But when a god falls to a human blade, the balance of power between humans and those they thought were gods changes forever. Now only a few stand between humankind and annihilation: Raithe, reluctant to embrace his destiny as the God Killer; Suri, a young seer burdened by signs of impending doom; and Persephone, who must overcome personal tragedy to lead her people. The Age of Myth is over. The time of rebellion has begun.



I think the sale is only available to US customers, although you should check your local online stores because I may be wrong about that. Here are links where you can pick up your copies:



If you haven't started the series, I hope you'll give it a try. I'm very proud of how it came out, and I'd love for you to join in the adventure!

Friday, September 25, 2020

Last night I was a guest on the Keystroke Media's Podcast "The Writer's Journey" to talk about various paths to publishing and what it takes to "make it" in this whole writing game. Near the end, Robin even did a "drop in" to discuss some contract issues to look out for.



Our thanks go out to Lauren Moore and Kalene Williams for hosting what became a marathon session.

Friday, September 4, 2020

Questions and Answers!

 I must admit, I enjoy doing interviews.  Oftentimes it gives me a chance to reflect on things I never thought on without someone posing a question.  

Recently, fellow author A.C. Cobble (who I know as Andrew), did an interview with me and today it went live on his site. I've had Andrew out to my house and we often talk about "the business." He's a sharp guy and an excellent writer, and I'm proud to have played some part in helping to make his path to publication just a little bit easier.  That said, I'm sure what I contributed is NOTHING compared to all his hard work, but I was still honored by his introduction to the interview...

"In addition to being the best-selling author that I know, Michael and his wife Robin, are amongst the most generous people I have ever met. There is no manual on how to achieve success in the publishing game, and when someone says there is, it’s because they’re a charlatan trying to sell you a course. Instead, we have something better, we have Michael and Robin. They are always open to sharing what they’ve learned in the industry, and for a legion of Indie authors, they are our insiders and can tell us how it REALLY works."

So if you want to learn a bit about my past, how Robin and I work together, and what's coming down the pike,  drop by Andrew's blog and read the interview here.


Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Nolyn Sneak Peak

 

So, after a marathon session of intensive weekend editing, Robin and finally agreed on the content for the first section of the first chapter of Nolyn.  Yes, it took us 2 days to edit 8 pages, but we finally got something that we are willing to show others. So, how about a sneak peek?

Here for your reading enjoyment is the first paragraph.  I hope you like it!