Pens and Other Answers

Thought I might as well answer some of the questions from my previous post with a new post because the comment sections tend to get messy with ads. 

First off, it has been mentioned that I am working on a new trilogy I tentatively entitled the Rise and Fall. The three novels are entitled: Nolyn, Farilane, & Esrahaddon, and they encompass the span of time that connects the Legends of the First Empire to…well not Riyria exactly, but to the fall of the Novronian Empire. Um…spoiler alert? Sorry, I guess. And ahh…sure the picture in my previous post has clues to..ahh…who Yolric is. Sure, why not. 

Second, Robin is fine. After recovering she got a test to see if she had Corvid-19 in order to see if she can give blood, or plasma. She has universal blood and usually donates regularly as a result, and now if she had antibodies that can fight the virus she defiantly wanted to give, but it turned out she was negative. Just a really nasty flu, I guess. So while she is healthy she isn't fine. Robin is disappointed that she can’t travel. For years we always wanted to travel, but we were either too busy or poor. This was the big year. We had tickets and reservations to Paris and Hamilton, and we just bought a teardrop camper to spend the summer exploring the west and hopefully visit readers on the way. But…well…you know. So Robin works in her new camper in the driveway on kickstarter fulfillment. She doesn’t say it because so many others have it so much worse, but I’m certain she’s disappointed. We're the lucky ones, but I do feel bad for her. She's never asked for much and was so excited. 

I’m a writer so I’m immune. Not to the virus but the lockdown effects. My heaven is staying home surrounded by fountain pens & Moleskines, old typewriters with fresh ribbons, an Apple running Scrivener, a cup of Pour-Over coffee in an Ember mug, and an new novel to write. Now I have a legitimate excuse to stay home and do what I love. 

This brings me to Three: the pen collection. I’m not an expert on fountain pens, which translates to: I don’t think I have found My Pen, but I’m working on it. I started with a few Watermans. Then my brother bought me a Lamy Studio, which I was impressed by. Lamy tends to be very modern in their design, which turned me off, but wow the pen is wonderful. Two years, never cleaned it, never needed to—crazy. 

A reader named Sylvia who for some reason lavishes Robin and I with wonderful gifts that we love, bought me a Conklin Empire Blue Stardust. Conklin is the pen Mark Twain used and the company he endorsed. The business went out of business in the forties, but the pen is still made. Sylvia also bought me a rare Japanese Oak-aged Glendalough Irish Whiskey, which I am saving for special occasions. 

Now whenever I go to Manhattan, (usually on publishing business) I always buy myself a new hat because New York has a great old fashion hat store called JJ Hat Company—the only pure hat store in the city I think—and also when I start a new novel I get a new notebook and pen. This time as I started “Esrahaddon”, I got two. One for brown ink and one for blue.

I ordered the Lamy 2000 (which has yet to arrive) because I like the Studio so much and—I mean the 2000 is on permanent display in a MoMA. The thing is a classic. But I also got a PILOT Custom 823, Amber Barrel. What I love about the 823 is the ink-fill mechanism. The piston vacuum fills the barrel of the pen is an instant, and the reservoir is massive. It’s great. It is also the first 14K gold, platinum-coated nib I’ve ever used. Very smooth. Rumor has it, this is the pen Neil Gaiman used to sign all those books that caused him to ice his arm. Now I am tempted to try using it to sign the Age of Empyre books when they come in this week. Usually I use a Sharpie Marker, but they run out of ink so quickly I go through boxes of them. 

Now to the fourth and final comment…

That dagger in the photo isn’t just a dagger. It is a Reddit Stabby Award—but I do use it for opening mail and packages. In fact, I used it today to open a new Moleskine where I plan to put notes for another novel I’m thinking about writing. I think I’ll entitle it Drumindor. 

Esrahaddon Notebook 4th page—no spoilers

The Author's Desk

Just reminded me of one of those wallpapers showing the work space of someone. This was taken last night as I was doing research for Esrahaddon, the novel.

So far, so good for Age of Empyre's release day

So, today Age of Empyre was released in audio and ebook (the hardcover is still on the press. And even though it has been less than a day, it's pre-orders and early sales have sent the audiobook racing up the charts. The only Sci-Fi & Fantasy audiobooks that are selling better than it are Tolkien's first two books, and they are also part of the 2 for 1 sale. If the sale wasn't ongoing, there's a chance we could have hit #1.  Given that Tolkien inspired me to write, it's pretty surreal to see one of my books side by side with his from a selling perspective.  Here is the full list of bestsellers.

As is usually the case, these big jumps on release day can be quite short-lived. But for now, I can feel a sense of satisfaction on the conclusion of this series, and Robin and I want to thank everyone who pre-ordered or picked up the book when they heard it came out today.

Ordering Age of Empyre

The final book in the Legends of the First Empire is at hand.

•  Ebooks are already available through our site & live at online stores on May 5th.
• The audiobooks will download to devices on May 5th.
• The hardcovers will come off the presses on May 20th (we'll be shipping books ordered from our site on May 21st, but I'm not 100% sure when the online bookstores will have copies in their hands as the books have to first go to Ingram's warehouses, and then ship out to the distribution centers at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the like. I doubt books are being shipped to any brick and mortar stores right now and I'm not sure when they will. 
• For people looking for mass-market paperbacks, we don't yet have a ship date for them, but they will be produced and will likely start selling around the time that the hardcover sales fall off.

If you've been waiting for the final book, now is the best time to get your copies. This page will provide links to all the various retailer sites.

Buy Direct
US ebook
Audible
Hardcovers

If you are not in the US, Book Depository (the blue book icon between BAM and IndieBound) offers free shipping worldwide. In addition, here are links to various Amazon sites for various countries.

Age of Empyre #1 Bestseller and Most on the Most Anticipated List

So Audible came out with its Most-Anticipated List for Spring, and I'm thrilled to announce that Age of Empyre was one of the 50 titles they picked.  We are less than 2 weeks from the May 5th release date and pre-orders are strong.  In fact, It's #1 in Sword and Sorcery - and Age of Death is #7

If we get enough pre-orders in, there is a good chance we'll hit the New York Times Bestseller list again (both Age of War and Age of Legend made it).  If you have been waiting for the end of the series, and want to hear Tim Gerard Reynolds knock the narration out of the park, please consider picking up a copy.  As always, Robin and I thank you for your support.

Breaking Chains

Hey all, Robin here. For those that don't know, I'm Michael's wife and I do some of the administrative tasks related to the work. Presently, I'm doing a proofing of the audiobook by reviewing "the dailies" as Tim Gerard Reynolds records each day.  I listen to Tim as I follow along in the book.

Anyway, for those who have read Legends of the First Empire, you know that each chapter starts with an entry from the famed "Book of Brin." I just hit Chapter 9, and it made me reflect on our current situation -- even though Michael wrote this years ago, and it has nothing to do with what is going on these days. We've not said much about Covid-19 -- what more is there to say that hasn't been said? But I thought I would share this with all of you.

Extended trips are the most frightening to begin, sheer cliffs the most difficult to climb, long falls the most painful to endure, but it is invisible chains that are the hardest to break.

— The Book of Brin

A few days ago, our governor extended the Stay-At-Home restrictions in Virginia until June 10th. I can't even begin to imagine what hardships that will cause to people in our state, but I also know that desperate times call for desperate measure.  So, I have faith that we, too, can break the invisible chains that Covid-19 has shackled us to. Stay safe. Stay strong. We'll get through this together.

Theft of Swords on sale for $2.99

I didn't know this was happening, and I'm not sure how long it will be this way but I found out that Theft of Swords (a 2-book omnibus that includes The Crown Conspiracy and Avemparta) is on sale for $2.99.

In other news, the recording has started for Age of Empyre (the last book in the Legends of the First Empire series). Obviously, we aren't able to be in New York (which we normally are during recording) but we are getting the "dailies" and finding ways to "work around." More on this as the work continues.