Thank you everyone for your enthusiastic support of Nolyn's Audiobook. It just hit #1 in the entire store! To be honest I can't remember if I ever had a #1 title before - I know I've come close on a few times but I'm pretty sure this is a first for me.
If you haven't picked up your copy you still have about 10 hours to get it while on sale for just $4.95.
One of the biggest promotions available to audio listeners is the Audible Daily Deal. For only 24 hours, one title is deeply discounted. Well for today only, that book will be Nolyn (Book #1 in the Rise and Fall Series). What's even better is it's narrated by the amazing Tim Gerard Reynolds. Seriously, if you've never heard Tim spin a tale, it's worth $4.95, just for that reason alone!
Want some more incentive? How about these details about the book:
After more than five hundred years of exile, the heir to the empyre is wary about his sudden reassignment to active duty on the Goblin War’s front lines. His mission to rescue an outpost leads to a dead-end canyon deep inside enemy territory, and his suspicion turns to dread when he discovers the stronghold doesn't exist. But whoever went to the trouble of planning his death to look like a casualty of war didn't know he would be assigned to the Seventh Sikaria Auxiliary Squadron. In the depths of an unforgiving jungle, a legend is about to be born, and the world of Elan will never be the same.
From Michael J. Sullivan, The New York Times, USA Today, and Washington Post best-selling author, a new adventure begins with the first book in The Rise and Fall trilogy. Although this series is set in the same world as the Riyria novels and the Legends of the First Empire books, it is a standalone tale. As such, no prior knowledge of the other works is required to enjoy this tale to its fullest.
The release date has been set and the audio book page is live. So, if you read Nolyn and are excited about the next book in the series, place your pre-order now. Here's a bit about the book.
I often receive extremely touching emails from my readers. Especially during these many long months as the pandemic continues to keep us from our "normal lives." I'm honored that so many people have found comfort through the escape of my stories. That I receive emails from readers is not all that odd, after all I do encourage people to write, but to hear that my "little scribblings" have brought joy, or comfort, or a release from pain is something I never expected when I started down this windy road of writing.
Some of the letters tear at my heart. People tell me of the anguish they have experienced, and while I've spent decades penning my tales, I often find myself at a loss for words--not knowing how to express my appreciation for them reaching out and how inadequate I feel to respond.
A recent email came to me from Leslie, who shared the sad news that her younger sister will soon lose her beloved companion Haddy (named after Hadrian Blackwater). And she requested a short memorial for Haddy. Hence the purpose of this post.
Our family has suffered this pain many times, but no one experiences it quite so acutely as my loving wife Robin, who upon each passing laments the injustice of a life so short. With each passing, Robin vows to never get another dog because the pain is too great...and yet, before long she opens her heart once more, knowing the scales are more than balanced: the joy of even a short time together will far outweigh the crushing agony she experiences with each loss.
So this post is for Teresa & Elizabeth, in the hope that this tribute can bring you some comfort. I'm sharing with my readers some pictures that Leslie sent of Haddy. What a fine boy he was, I'm sure!
In closing, I'll turn to George Graham Vest (December 6, 1830 – August 9, 1904). An odd person for me to tip my hat to because there is much that he stood for that I stand against. But as with most people, there is almost always common ground to be found, and I find that we share the belief that a dog truly is man's best friend. George was, among other things, a lawyer, and in the closing arguments of a trial in October 1869 (while arguing a case seeking damages for the killing of a dog) he said the following:
"The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog. A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer. He will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounters with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings, and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens."
So, although I never met this particular Haddy, I bid you safe travels to wherever your soul will travel. Here's hoping for rich green fields and rabbits to chase until you and your loved ones can be reunited. I know you'll be dutifully waiting for that day.
The fourth book in the Riyria Chronicles is now officially out of print. As such, the marketplace retailers are price gouging their few remaining copies (currently new copies run from $43 - $60.99, and used copies are priced at $59.99). That is completely ridiculous!
The good news is we still have copies available directly from us (and they come signed and with a matching bookmark). And the better news is we aren't marking them up at all, so you can still get them for just $17.00.
If you want to buy an entire set of the chronicles before our copies run out, then we'll offer all four books at a 25% savings ($51 rather than $68 a savings of $17). That's four books for the price of three!
So when I started this whole writing thing, I hoped—but never thought it would be possible—to call myself a New York Times Bestselling Novelist. Well, lightning has now struck three times and Nolyn joins Age of War and Age of Legend on this prestigious list.
Nolyn is #11 on the Audio Fiction Bestselling List - which is a difficult list to land because it compiles data for an entire month whereas the print/ebook list just has to sell well for a single week.
My thanks go to Tim Gerard Reynolds (my long-time narrator, Kristin Lang (my acquisitions editor), and Esther Bochner (Senior Director, Content Marketing) for all their faith, talent, and hard work to make this possible.
If you haven't picked up your copy yet, you can get them here: Audio | ebook | Hardcover
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It's been two and a half weeks since Nolyn hit the retail shelves and the rollout continues with its strong momentum. Today I took a look on Amazon and was pleased to find it's been selected as an Editor's Pick. But what is even more important is what readers think about the release. Here are the current recent stats:
In other news, finishing up Esrahaddon is going well. I have a long runway for this book (releasing in the summer of 2023), so that lack of pressure really helps me to take my time and wrap this series up in a really spectacular way. I'm up to 155,000 words and still have a ways to go, so it's likely to end up being my longest book yet.
So, Nolyn has officially hit the street, and we knew it was going well, but we didn't realize just how well until the Associated Press announced the Audiobook Best Seller List for August 6th. Nolyn landed on it, and at #3! Here are all ten titles that made the list.
So, two days ago Nolyn "hit the street." As you might imagine, I was anxious to see how it would do. When the audiobook made it into the Top 10 Bestseller list, I was thrilled. But this morning I woke up to this:
Number 2? Is that really number freaking two? And how can I possibly be sitting next to a new Stephen King book that was released on the same day? That's beyond Surreal. I know I express my gratitude all the time, but my thanks to everyone picking up a copy CANNOT be overstated. I do hope you'll all enjoy the listen.
Well, we are now at release day + 1 and the launch of Nolyn went VERY well. Here are some of the positive signs we noticed. It was one of ten Science Fiction and Fantasy books picked by Amazon editors as the best of August 2021.
Currently, the audiobook is #10 in the ENTIRE Amazon store for bestselling titles:
And that Top 10 ranking puts it #1 in fantasy - step aside Harry Potter!
But the even harder bestselling list to get on is is the one that takes into account all book formats: audio, kindle, hardcovers, paperbacks. And Nolyn is #1 in fantasy there as well!
This type of added exposure is a direct result of so many people pre-ordering and buying the book on release day, so our eternal thanks go out to everyone who jumped on the Nolyn bandwagon so quickly! Robin and I thank you for your continued support!
It's finally arrived!
So I started this book on April 11, 2017 and today given the August 3rd release date that's 1,573 days (more than 4 years in the making). I can't wait to hear what people think about the first book in this new series, so if you do give it a read, please consider telling me what you thought about it at this link.
While getting exact numbers is difficult the best intelligence we have is that 16,400+ have purchased the book so far. That includes:
After more than five hundred years of exile, the heir to the empyre is wary about his sudden reassignment to active duty on the Goblin War’s front lines. His mission to rescue an outpost leads to a dead-end canyon deep inside enemy territory, and his suspicion turns to dread when he discovers the stronghold doesn't exist. But whoever went to the trouble of planning his death to look like a casualty of war didn't know he would be assigned to the Seventh Sikaria Auxiliary Squadron. In the depths of an unforgiving jungle, a legend is about to be born, and the world of Elan will never be the same.
I hope you'll give it a try!
Look what's #1 on the "Coming Soon" list for Science Fiction and Fantasy. Yep, it's Nolyn. I'm so pleased that so many people are excited enough about the new release that they are pre-ordering. This ensures you'll have the audiobook waiting for you on August 3rd.
If you haven't picked up your copy yet, you can do so here. And the first chapter and the Author's Note is already posted there so you can listen to them now!
Robin and I thank you for your continued support, and we'll do our best to keep the stories coming.
We are a bit less than 2 weeks away from the retail release of Nolyn. Are you excited? I know Robin and I are. It looks like some other people are as well because the rank is rising massively. So much in fact, that Nolyn is #6 on Amazon's Movers and Shakers list (which is updated hourly and shows the biggest change in rank over the past 24 hours. It won't be long now!
Petrik at Novel Notions just completed his top 10 Fantasy Picks for January - June 2021, and I'm thrilled, honored, and thankful to have a book on his list: The Crown Tower. For those that don't know, this is the first book in the Riyria Chronicle and it details how Royce and Hadrian met and the first job they did as a team (later to be known by Riyria). Here are all ten titles.
First, there's Audible.com. They selected Nolyn as one of only a handful of titles to get their Most Anticipated Books of the summer approval.
As for the other list, we've just received an email from our book distributor that Canda's Largest Bookstore is adding Nolyn to its Most Anticipated Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books list. This is especially good news because it comes with great savings. From July 5th to the 11th Canadian book buyers can receive Nolyn at 30% off the list price.
So if you are in Canada, wait a few more days and pick up your deeply discounted copy here.
Another positive sign that people are interested in Nolyn is the larger number of people who has entered our Goodreads Giveaway.
If you are a NetGalley Professional Reader, then please request your free copy.
Here are some comments from early NetGalley reviewers
"Nolyn was a beautiful story that broke my heart and made me grin in equal measures. I will think about these characters long after having put the novel down, and I look forward to seeing what's next in the series."
"I have always felt that Sullivan's books have great climaxes/conclusions and this book was no exception. I really loved how all the storylines tied together towards the end and the little clues and hints from throughout coming together. I also felt like this was really satisfying to read as a standalone, and felt like an end for the characters we are following whilst still managing to have some subtle setup for the other two books in the trilogy - and it's safe to say I am very excited for those!!"
"I am sure that anyone who has read Sullivan’s works before probably won’t be surprised by how good this book was. I am a first-time reader and I loved it! Sullivan has written a top-notch story and I for one will be diving into his previous works so I can get some more!"
It's a bit difficult to know "exactly" how the sales are going (especially when there is a third party between me and the data (which is the case with print copies and audiobooks), but it's encouraging to see that Nolyn is on Amazon's 100 Best-selling New Releases in Epic Fantasy list.
We'll be watching the data over the next few weeks and hope to see that rise even higher! As always, Robin and I thank you for your support.
It's about 6 weeks until the retail release of Nolyn, which is great timing because there is a sitewide sale going on at Audible.com. They priced the book at 50% off which puts it about 17% lower than the price of a credit.
Well, we are dangerously close to having the presses roll for the printing of Nolyn. All the interior files are approved, I'm waiting on just three minor changes to the dust jackets, and the foil stamps for the limited edition copies were approved a few hours ago.
If you are anything like me, knowing how the books will look when lined up on the shelves is an important aspect, so I thought I would share with you the spines for this series. We wanted to do all the covers up "first" so that we could ensure a consistent "look" across the three titles. So here they are:
As soon as we get the three minor changes in for the dust jacket, we'll share the front and back for Nolyn as well.
So, it's a little less than 3 months until Nolyn will be released through the retail chain, and I was interested in seeing how the pre-orders for the audiobooks are going. So, I set my filter for "coming soon" and navigated to the "epic fantasy section. Here's what I found:
Nolyn is #3, and I'm very pleased about that. But what I found most fascinating is the books that are doing even better are all self-published titles. It wasn't all that long ago that people were saying "You can't make any money in publishing if you're not with a traditional publisher. Well, these three titles buck that conventional wisdom. And I'm so glad to see that indie authors continue to do so well. There are many viable paths to publishing these days. If you want your stories "out there" then there has never been a better time than now for those that self-publish.
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Hey all, Nolyn will be hitting the press in less than a month, and one of the cool perks of being an early supporter of the project is having your name included in the acknowledgments. You can also use a loved one's name, and we even have one person who has a marriage proposal in their entry! But you can't have your name included unless you finish your PledgeBox survey (which is how we know what you want to be listed. Today was the "cut-off" day for answering your survey, and while almost 3,000 people already have, we still have 827 who are either (a) In progress or (b) haven't started.
So, we're extending the survey deadline to Monday, March 22nd. If you can't find the email with your survey invitation, you can find it by doing the following:
I'm honored that BookNest has nominated Age of Death for their shortlist of best fantasy awards of 2020! We've been so busy here that we missed the "compilation of nominees" phase - but I guess enough of you did know about it that we made it to the shortlist.
Now, what I'm about to ask may sound a bit unusual, but here goes. First, I should say that Robin and I already know you love the books - your emails, reviews, and comments prove that. So, I'm asking you to DO NOT VOTE for us in the final round. Why?
Well, now that we have moved back to self-publishing, the book is in the "Best Self-Published Novel" category and since I've been at this whole publishing game for a long time (and published through two of the biggest publishers in the world) I'm kinda a big fish that could easily take attention away from many authors who need more attention than I do. So to. have one of the other worthy nominees get this award will give them a significant boost to their careers, and I don't want to deprive them of that.
