King’s Dark Tidings Book 3 is currently in editing. The ebook is scheduled for release in September!
Podium Publishing will begin audiobook prep-work in September for recording with the amazing Nick Podehl in October. Podium is estimating release of the audiobook in January.
Thank you for your patience, and good reading!
Kel
Hello Everyone,
I appreciate the encouragement and support I’ve received from so many of you. I haven’t been able to respond to everyone because I’ve been busy writing.
I’ll be finishing the draft of Book 3 in the next few weeks, and then it will be on to review and editing.
I’ll let you know when I have a better idea of the release dates.
Good reading!
Kel
Dear Readers,
I’ve been asked to provide an update, if for no other reason than to let you know I’m still alive. I am. Yeay! I’m also still writing. Double yeay! (No, that’s not an April Fool’s prank.)
While I am now writing full-time, I am currently working on several projects, not just KDT. I know, I know. You’re all screaming, “Just give us the third book!” Here’s some of what’s happening.
A number of years ago, I started working on a Ph.D. in geosciences. I spent countless hours in coursework, research, and laboratories. Summer and winter breaks were not spent lounging on the beach or binge watching Game of Thrones (which I still haven’t had the chance to watch/read, so no spoilers!). No, I was in the field far, far away from civilization, almost completely cut off from society for weeks at a time. Yes, there are still places on this planet without internet or cell phone coverage!😲
I endured the physical and emotional rigors of traveling both domestically and internationally, not only to perform said research, but also to stand beside posters and at podiums presenting to rooms full of scientists with far more experience. These were exciting times but also stressful, and I had to swallow the pain of spending much of it away from my child. All of my degree requirements were completed except for the dissertation. Five years and a combined $100K in student debt later, I ran out of funding and was left without a job. Sorry, no Ph.D. for you!
Did I mention I’m a single parent? Financial woes. Two years worth of job searches yielded only a bit of part-time teaching at college. A masters degree in geosciences means little when the market is saturated with job seekers laid off by a struggling oil industry.
I could not sit idly, though. I began writing to fill the time and perhaps to escape for a while from my unproductive despair. I was nearly finished with the first installment of a story when someone started nagging me for attention. He was relentless. He was fantastic, brutal, brilliant, and utterly clueless. The others were silly and made me laugh. I had to write them down before they disappeared forever. Far from the path of my derailed dreams emerged King’s Dark Tidings.
While I am still working diligently on KDT, thanks to your support and appreciation of this series, I can afford to finish my doctoral program before time runs out and all my hard work (and money!) is wasted. Some of you may be frustrated that I cannot focus on KDT 100% of the time. You’ll have to trust me when I say it’s better this way. I am far more productive when I reach a balance between my analytical/logical mind and my creative one. I am capable of working on multiple projects at once.
I may be providing you with an entertaining story, but your readership is helping me to achieve my dreams.
Sincerely,
Kel
❤️ Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤️
In honor of this love-sharing day, I thought I might come out of my cave to give you guys a much-requested update. Some of you ask, “Kel, have you even started the book?” Yes, yes, I have. I’ve written over 400 pages of KDT goodness (or darkness—however you want to look at it). But, it’s not finished, and I prefer not to guess at a release date because you will undoubtedly be upset if I don’t meet it. Honestly, I work better when I don’t feel the pressure of an impending due date.
I am often asked which other books I like that are like KDT. In lieu of releasing Book 3, I have prepared a list of fantasy books by other authors that you might enjoy. You can find this list under the new “Suggested Reading” tab on my website. The list is far from complete, but I could probably go on for days. (Disclaimer: For most of these, I’ve fallen behind in the series and haven’t read all the books. I’ve been busy. 😎)
Please feel free to comment and add your favorites to the list!
(Remember to mark posts containing spoilers with **SPOILER** before the rest of the comment.)
Audible released its list of Highest Rated Audiobooks of 2016. The list includes audiobooks across all genres. Guess who made the list at #3!
Thank you to all the listeners/readers who expressed their appreciation and enthusiasm for the series by leaving an Audible or Amazon review and/or rating. (If you haven’t done so, it would still be greatly appreciated!)
Special thanks to Nick Podehl for his amazing performance, Chris McGrath for the stunning cover art, and Podium Publishing for producing an excellent product!
I’m sorry that I will be unable to release Book 3 this month. I think most of you agree that you would prefer a good book rather than one that is quickly written. Book 3 is going to be a bit longer than expected, but I think few will complain. Hopefully, you will find it to be just as exciting and intriguing as the first two.
(If you commence cabbage throwing, please toss in a bit of corned beef and soda bread so I can make a meal of it.)
Frequently Asked Questions:
Question: How soon will the audiobook be released after the ebook?
Answer: I try to release the ebook as soon as it is ready. This means that I will send it to the audiobook publisher (Podium Publishing) for recording at the same time, and hopefully it will meet with their scheduling. I expect the audiobook will be released within a few months of the ebook.
Question: When will the books be available in print?
Answer: I have been unsatisfied with the self-publishing options that I have researched to date. I am still considering the best options to bring the series to print, including traditional publishing.
Do you want Rezkin on your wall? How about a Rezkin greeting card? Nothing says Happy Holidays like the Raven.
Cover artist Chris McGrath has professional prints of Free the Darkness (KDT Book 1: Cover Image) available for purchase online. Click here to check it out.
KDT is growing in popularity, but unfortunately, it’s not so widespread that all of your neighbors and co-workers will get your KDT-inspired humor. Do you have a desire to talk to other KDT fans about the books? There are places to do that! Here are a few that I know of, and you guys are welcome to let me know if you find or create others.
Please enjoy talking to each other, and try to drag as many of your neighbors and co-workers into the discussions as you can. (Maybe not during work hours, though, unless your job is to discuss books.)
When is Book 3 coming out? That is the question. Everyone wants to know. If they don’t, then you haven’t convinced them to read KDT yet. That’s my hope anyway, because the alternative is sad.
Here is the news:
As always, I enjoy hearing from you guys! Keep reading and listening!
The Free the Darkness audiobook is doing well! My thanks to those of you who have rated it so highly, and particularly to those who have taken the time to leave reviews. Podium Publishing and I both appreciate your feedback, and your words help to entice other listeners/readers into our KDT world. The Raven approves.
To be honest, I’ve only listened to a few audiobooks on long road trips, so I didn’t have many expectations. Podium’s production and Nick Podehl’s performance, though, are fantastic! For those of you who have never listened to an audiobook of this quality, he doesn’t just read the text like you might be imagining. He actually acts out every scene with different voices and accents for the various characters. If you’ve never listened to an audiobook, I would highly suggest trying this one (and not just because it’s my book :D). You can download it for free from Audible with a trial membership. We all can dream about one day seeng KDT on TV or in the movies, but until then, we have Nick and his admirable talent.
Many of you have been asking about the Reign of Madness audiobook. It is scheduled for release on October 4th. It should be available for pre-order in the next few weeks. I’ll keep you posted.
I’ve updated the e-books with the new cover art by Chris McGrath. I, personally, love Chris’s work. There has been discussion on my Amazon forum that some of you prefer the old covers. I’m flattered since I made those myself (no clip-art included). Maybe I’ll make those available for you to purchase in print so you can hang them on your wall and admire them all day. What do you think?
Also, the professionally edited e-book version of Book 1 is now available. Those of you who have already purchased the book should be able to download the updated version through Amazon. If not, please let me know, so I can encourage them to make that available.
As always, I love hearing from you guys, so keep reading and keep chatting.
