Goodreads Featured New Releases in Fantasy

It's been a good launch for Age of Legend, not only did it make several of the top bestseller lists (New York Times and USA Today), but it is also being featured in Goodread's New Fantasy releases.  Here are some of the other top titles that have recently come out!

So far 18,527 Goodreads members have shelved the book, and I'm cautiously optimistic that it'll be nominated for a Choice Award in a few months. Part of the criteria that wins a book its nomination is the number of shelvings, so thank you to everyone who has added it to their shelves!

New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Lists - again!

I was floored when Age of War hit the New York Times bestseller list. To be honest, I never thought I would ever make this amazing distinction. So, imagine my surprise when Age of Legend did so as well!

Now, that's an indication that the audiobooks sold well, but how about the print and ebooks? Well, I'm proud to say that we also made the USA Today Bestseller list (which doesn't take into account the audio sales).

Of course, this really isn't my accomplishment, it's all of you who showed so much support for the book and bought them as soon as you could get your hands on them. Robin and I greatly appreciate your support!

It's a wrap!

We have now officially finished with the Age of Legend Kickstarter, and boy did Robin and I have a good time! And based on the messages and emails we've received, it looks like others did, as well. This project was hugely successful (#2 most-backed & #5 most-funded fiction projects of all time).

Pre-ordering direct through the Kickstarter has a lot of advantages. The price is the same (or lower) than the retail copies, the physical books are signed, people get to read the story 3 months before the official release,  and they receive bonus materials such as bookmarks, short stories, screensavers, and much, much more. For us, we earn a great deal more money per purchase (retailer middlemen take 30% - 60% of the price the reader pays), and the backers make hardcover copies possible.

Here's some data on the Age of Legend project:

• 2,406 people received the ebook 3 months early (April rather than July)
• 2,748 signed hardcover copies of Legends of the First Empire books were sold
• 1,453 people received a set of 4 custom-designed bookmarks (one of which was signed)
• 2,553 people received a free full-length bonus novel
• 2,553 people received bonus material such as short stories (3), screen savers (6 designs), t-shirt graphics (3), music (10 files), graphics for posters and puzzles (12 files), video Q&A recordings (5)
• $9,100 of savings was passed onto readers (books sold at $25 or less rather than $27 - $28)

And, yes, the Age of Death Kickstarter is coming soon! Robin is working hard to get it set up, and we hope to launch next week (the week after that at the latest). The only remaining issue relates to shipping non-US packages. She's in discussions with fulfillment partners in Europe and Canada. 

And yes, people will get the story more than 3 months early (end of October rather than early February). So, if you can't wait for the next installment, please consider joining us for our next Kickstarter! 

Riyria Revelations Box Set

No, this isn't about the limited edition hardcovers, and yes those are still in the works. This post is related to Orbit's paperback boxset of the Riyria Revelations, which is coming out on September 24th. Now, I love boxsets, but I like them even more when they are signed.  So, I've ordered a bunch, and I'm taking preorders at this link, and offering more than a 20% discount. That comes out to $31 which means just $10.33 a book which is much less than the individual prices of $16 - $17 each. Once I have stock in hand, I'll be adding it to my store, but for now, the above link is the only way to get signed copies. Plus, Robin is going to make a custom-designed bookmark that I'll sign. We'll add that to the buy direct orders. Now how much would you pay! ;-)

I know it's still summer, and people are focused on back to school rather than Christmas, but for just a little more than a $28 hardcover, you can introduce a loved one to ALL of the Riyria Revelations books, and since they'll be signed, that'll make them an even more special gift. I hope you'll pick up a set! And as always, Robin and I thank you for your support.

Audio preorders are up, reserve yours now!

Has the ending of Age of Legend left you wanting to know the rest of the story?  I'm sure it has because even though I hadn't mentioned it before, the next two books are #2 and #3 in the Bestselling Epic Fantasy category for books that are coming soon. If you've already pre-ordered, thanks for the support! If you haven't, well here is a friendly reminder, and maybe we'll hit #1 sometime soon ;-)

Here is a link for Age of Death, and another for Age of Empyre.  And while it doesn't say, Tim is (and has been for months) booked for the gig, so, no worries. He'll be recording them. Originally, we had planned on recording the two books back to back, but scheduling conflicts with one of our copyeditors meant they couldn't get to Age of Empyre in time. We didn't want to lose her, so we asked Tim for his next available slot. It was a long way off, February, in fact, but that still gives the post-production people enough time to work their magic without changing the release date.

The train and our hotel are booked, so we'll be heading to New York in the middle of October. We'll both be "sitting in" with Tim during the recording and take him out for a nice dinner.

And for the non-audio listeners, we haven't forgotten about you. The Kickstarter for Age of Death will launch this month (hopefully next week).  And just like Age of Legend, those that pre-order through it will get the story before the retail release.  We'll be sending ebook copies as soon as we get out of the studio because we sometimes make minor adjustments as Tim reads.   That means you can get the book in October, more than 3 months ahead of the official retail release.

Robin has been reading my implemented changes from her comments, and deemed them "really good." So we are hoping to get the book into beta reading next week.  If you've signed up but not heard, no worries, Robin hasn't made her selections yet, but I'm sure she will be soon.

A seat at the big kids' tables

For those who have been "with me" over the years, you know that when I started out I considered myself "the little engine that might." Well, more than a decade goes by, fifteen books are released, and soon you are counting the sales in millions of copies sold rather than a few thousand. It's all quite surreal, and I have to grudgingly admit that the "might" has to change to "did."

I'll admit that when I hit the New York Times Bestsellers List, I thought that would be the peak. But there is one thing that still alluded me.  You see, even though I realize I've achieved so much, I still know that few people have heard of me or my books. Which is fine. I've reached heights that I never thought possible, and I have nothing to complain about.

But someone recently told me that my Riyria Revelation books have appeared on the 50 Best Fantasy Books of All Time List (compiled by the folks at the NerdMuch? site). I'll admit, every time one of these lists comes out I look (just to see) but year after year, list after list, there is no mention of my work. This is one of the reasons I know I'm still working my way up the ladder. But seeing my books there (especially in the company it has been added next to) makes me feel like I'm making it to the "big kids" table. I still probably won't sit down, but at least I won't feel self-conscious about standing with my tray in the same room as the others.

As always, I know this type of success is not just because of what I did, but it's due to all you generous readers who have supported me over the years. So please consider this accomplishment as a joint project, because it's by buying the books, and telling others how much you enjoyed them, that the series has such staying power. So take the time to congratulate yourself as well. Together we keep doing great things.

$5 Crown Tower Audiobook - now through Aug 4

Have you read the Riyria Revelations but not Chronicles? Or maybe you are into the Legends of the First Empire series, but haven't yet tried a Riyria tale? Well, if you are an audio-listener, now is a great time to dive into the Riyria Chronicles as The Crown Tower (Book #1 of the Riyria Chronicles is on sale for just $5)!

I hope you pick up a copy, and if you like the read, please let us know!