I used Grammarly to grammar check this post, because I have the imagination to write captivating stories, and the common sense to let professionals check them for me.
A big weekend
What a weekend it has been. Firstly on Saturday we had our first meet the readers event at the Kirkmichael book festival. This was my chance to meet face to face with people who are interested in The Viking's Apprentice. I had lots of interesting chats with a varied range of people. From eight to eighty they sat down and chatted with me about my book, the genre and their own interests. I wasn't sure how many paperback books to take with me, but I clearly judged it correctly as I sold out with about ten minutes to go!
I was invited to the event by a local author who was launching his book on the day. Bruce Crichton's The Rage Within is available on Amazon now. I have just started to read it and can honestly say it is excellent. Very well written and an original story. You can follow Bruce on twitter @BRCrichton. Bruce and his family also laid on a lunch before hand which was greatly appreciated after a two and a half hour drive. They even fed us afterwards!
Also at the festival was Mark Price, another great Scottish author. He was there promoting his book Metallic Dreams. I have purchased the book and it is next on my list after Bruce's. The other reason I mention Mark comes under the category of 'it's a small world'. Keep in mind I drove over one hundred miles to the festival through torrential rain, over Scotland's unique country roads. Mark was standing two stalls away from me, and it turns out we live in the same town, Hamilton, and were at one point neighbours. Mark literally lived ten feet away from me. Strange then that our first meeting was in the small town of Kirkmichael. You can follow Mark on twitter - @Metallic_Dreams
It was a successful day for all three of us, and a first festival for myself and Bruce.
School Visit
On Monday I spent most of the day at Furnace primary school with the Primary 5 -7's who have been reading my book during the term. I was both nervous and excited to learn what the children thought now they had finished the book. I had been in touch with them throughout the term through email, facebook and good old fashioned letters, but this was our first meeting.
I am pleased to report the children loved The Viking's Apprentice and had done an amazing amount of work through the term. I was presented with three projects they had put together for me. One was a book of their artwork of characters. Some excellent interpretations especially of Tanis and Graff. I was also given a folder of their opinions of the book, and one that showed their predictions for how the book would go as they progressed through the chapters.
We held a question and answer session where I was asked some wonderful questions and we had a great conversation about the book and where the children felt the next books would take the series. Hearing about my book from the age group it is aimed at was such a valuable experience. Children have imaginations that far outstrip adults, and it was great to know my book had got those imaginations going.
I have said this before on Facebook @ The Vikings Apprentice Facebook page, but one of the proudest and best moments on my journey as an author so far is being told I have inspired a child to read. One of the children in the class had shown no interest in reading until they began reading my book. The child then spent every day at school looking forward to reading time and loved working on the projects concerning The Viking's Apprentice. That is something I will never forget.
Ask the children what was their favourite part of the day and I guarantee you they all say the same thing, meeting Jake. Jake is the Jack Russell in The Viking's Apprentice who was based on my own Jack Russell, Megan. She was a big hit with the children even getting to play with them at playtime. Megan slept for ten hours after that!
Forward look
Over the next few weeks I am going to be working hard on book two, and hopefully getting it finished and put forward for editing where many authors would say the real work begins. The book is progressing well and I am very excited to see it out for sale and get the feedback from the readers. Keep following my blog, facebook, website and twitter for updates and release information.
Contact info and amazon pages
If you would like to purchase the book (thank you in advance) here are the links you require. The EBook version is now exclusive to Amazon.
UK and EU readers can purchase the kindle and paperback versions here: The Viking's Apprentice UK
Canadian readers can purchase the kindle version only here: The Viking's Apprentice Canada
USA and the rest of the world readers can purchase the kindle and paperback versions here: The Viking's Apprentice USA
The Viking's Apprentice is published by createspace, and is now available from several outlets throughout America. Please check createspace and Amazon pages for more info.
If you would like to contact me please do so at one of the following:
My website: www.kevinmcleodauthor.com
Twitter: @bannon1975
Facebook: facebook.com/thevikingsapprentice
Email @ kevinmcleodauthor@gmail.com
Goodreads: Author page
Thank you to everyone who has bought my book. I love hearing your feedback through reviews, emails or chats. I am very grateful for all the support and encouragement from all over the world.
Tuesday, 25 June 2013
Tuesday, 4 June 2013
Let's catch up featuring writing styles.
Sorry!
Firstly let me apologize for the break in blogging. I have been busy writing book 2 in The Viking's Apprentice series and doing other promotional work for book 1. The Viking's Apprentice has been out for just over two months now, and I am beginning to find my feet in the world of promoting, advertising and meeting 'fans'.
The fame game
I still find it hard to believe I have fans, but slowly getting used to it. People bringing their paperbacks up to be signed is something I love. I have found being a published author very nerve wracking, but I am starting to let myself enjoy it. My twitter account now has over 900 followers which is amazing. Before I had written my book I had had my twitter account @bannon1975 for 2 years and had amassed a huge 3 followers. One was my wife and I am pretty sure the other two were fake!
Authors and fans have started to link up with me at Facebook where The Viking's Apprentice page now has over 200 likes. It's great hearing from people who have read the book and getting their thoughts and reviews. I have been very lucky so far in that every review that has been written for my book has been 5 stars. These reviews can be read on my website here Book reviews.
My writing style
I recently had a conversation with another author who had read my book and commented on my writing style. Something I had never really considered before. I tell the story from several different view points at the same time. So chapters can sometimes have view points from 4 or 5 characters. The author had praised me for my use and delivery of this omnipotent point of view as it is a style that can be confusing for both reader and writer. So why did I choose this style and why does it work in my books? The answer is this; my books are set over a short time period. A few days for each book so the action is fast and furious. This time constraint meant I had to write in a way that got the story across quickly without losing any of the flow. Switching to and from different characters points of view enables me to set a scene quickly, give it depth and allow the readers to see the full picture that some characters in the story can't see. Read The Viking's Apprentice and decide for yourself. Please come and chat to me about the book after you have read it.
Tell me about your writing style, why did you choose it? Was it an actual choice or is it just your style? I am interested so let me know!
School report
I always remember my 2nd year school report in high school. We had to take home economics (no honestly we all did!) for the first two years. My teacher wrote in my report card that I was 'a very lickable boy'. That took some explaining when I got home. I hope she was trying to say likeable but you are never sure. That story is not the point of this section. The pupils at Furnace primary school have been reading my book this term and just finished it. They have been in contact with me through email, Facebook and good old fashioned letters. It has been a wonderful experience for me to see how they found the book and I am pleased to say they all gave it 5 stars. I am going to visit the school on the 24th of June and spend some time chatting with the children and apparently they have some very good ideas for the later books in the series. I look forward to hearing all of them.
Other news
What else has been happening? Thanks for asking, let me tell you. I have been asked to appear at two book festivals one of which is on my birthday, June 22nd, (don't feel pressured to buy me gifts). I will be in Kirkmichael that day then on to the Bookmark festival in October.
My competition that I ran in an earlier blog was won and the winners were contacted and have received their prizes. The answer was... Tanis has 2 sons. More competitions and giveaways will appear in my blog and website.
A few bits of fairly big book news now. I have decided to go exclusively with Amazon for the Ebook version of The Viking's Apprentice. 90% of my sales were coming from Amazon and I prefer their author platform. The good news is that Amazon Prime members can borrow the book for free from the Amazon lending library here The Viking's Apprentice.
The Viking's Apprentice went to number 1 in it's Genre for a week in Canada. I can now proudly state I have been an international best seller. I have not shouted 'YIPEE' so loud since I was six and Santa brought me a bike for Christmas.
We have listened to our fans and decided to change the writing on the cover of the Ebook. Here is the new cover. Let me know what you think of it.
On that note I am on the look out for a new cover artist for book 2 so if you are a cover artist, graphic artist or an ebook specialist please get in touch with a sample of your work/ link to your website at kevinmcleodauthor@gmail.com
And finally
As always I want to say a big thank you to everyone who has bought the book. I love that so many of you are enjoying it and that you take the time to write reviews and get in touch with me to discuss it. My email door is always open!
You can buy the Viking's Apprentice from amazon at this link for the UK Viking UK. This one for USA, India and Southern hemisphere Viking worldwide. My Canadian fans (Thank you so much for taking me to number 1) can purchase the book here Viking Canada
Please feel free to contact me for anything book related, for advice or to ask about doing a guest blog on here. Contact me on twitter at @bannon1975 and email kevinmcleodauthor@gmail.com or respond to my blog.
Firstly let me apologize for the break in blogging. I have been busy writing book 2 in The Viking's Apprentice series and doing other promotional work for book 1. The Viking's Apprentice has been out for just over two months now, and I am beginning to find my feet in the world of promoting, advertising and meeting 'fans'.
The fame game
I still find it hard to believe I have fans, but slowly getting used to it. People bringing their paperbacks up to be signed is something I love. I have found being a published author very nerve wracking, but I am starting to let myself enjoy it. My twitter account now has over 900 followers which is amazing. Before I had written my book I had had my twitter account @bannon1975 for 2 years and had amassed a huge 3 followers. One was my wife and I am pretty sure the other two were fake!
Authors and fans have started to link up with me at Facebook where The Viking's Apprentice page now has over 200 likes. It's great hearing from people who have read the book and getting their thoughts and reviews. I have been very lucky so far in that every review that has been written for my book has been 5 stars. These reviews can be read on my website here Book reviews.
My writing style
I recently had a conversation with another author who had read my book and commented on my writing style. Something I had never really considered before. I tell the story from several different view points at the same time. So chapters can sometimes have view points from 4 or 5 characters. The author had praised me for my use and delivery of this omnipotent point of view as it is a style that can be confusing for both reader and writer. So why did I choose this style and why does it work in my books? The answer is this; my books are set over a short time period. A few days for each book so the action is fast and furious. This time constraint meant I had to write in a way that got the story across quickly without losing any of the flow. Switching to and from different characters points of view enables me to set a scene quickly, give it depth and allow the readers to see the full picture that some characters in the story can't see. Read The Viking's Apprentice and decide for yourself. Please come and chat to me about the book after you have read it.
Tell me about your writing style, why did you choose it? Was it an actual choice or is it just your style? I am interested so let me know!
School report
I always remember my 2nd year school report in high school. We had to take home economics (no honestly we all did!) for the first two years. My teacher wrote in my report card that I was 'a very lickable boy'. That took some explaining when I got home. I hope she was trying to say likeable but you are never sure. That story is not the point of this section. The pupils at Furnace primary school have been reading my book this term and just finished it. They have been in contact with me through email, Facebook and good old fashioned letters. It has been a wonderful experience for me to see how they found the book and I am pleased to say they all gave it 5 stars. I am going to visit the school on the 24th of June and spend some time chatting with the children and apparently they have some very good ideas for the later books in the series. I look forward to hearing all of them.
Other news
What else has been happening? Thanks for asking, let me tell you. I have been asked to appear at two book festivals one of which is on my birthday, June 22nd, (don't feel pressured to buy me gifts). I will be in Kirkmichael that day then on to the Bookmark festival in October.
My competition that I ran in an earlier blog was won and the winners were contacted and have received their prizes. The answer was... Tanis has 2 sons. More competitions and giveaways will appear in my blog and website.
A few bits of fairly big book news now. I have decided to go exclusively with Amazon for the Ebook version of The Viking's Apprentice. 90% of my sales were coming from Amazon and I prefer their author platform. The good news is that Amazon Prime members can borrow the book for free from the Amazon lending library here The Viking's Apprentice.
The Viking's Apprentice went to number 1 in it's Genre for a week in Canada. I can now proudly state I have been an international best seller. I have not shouted 'YIPEE' so loud since I was six and Santa brought me a bike for Christmas.
We have listened to our fans and decided to change the writing on the cover of the Ebook. Here is the new cover. Let me know what you think of it.
On that note I am on the look out for a new cover artist for book 2 so if you are a cover artist, graphic artist or an ebook specialist please get in touch with a sample of your work/ link to your website at kevinmcleodauthor@gmail.com
And finally
As always I want to say a big thank you to everyone who has bought the book. I love that so many of you are enjoying it and that you take the time to write reviews and get in touch with me to discuss it. My email door is always open!
You can buy the Viking's Apprentice from amazon at this link for the UK Viking UK. This one for USA, India and Southern hemisphere Viking worldwide. My Canadian fans (Thank you so much for taking me to number 1) can purchase the book here Viking Canada
Please feel free to contact me for anything book related, for advice or to ask about doing a guest blog on here. Contact me on twitter at @bannon1975 and email kevinmcleodauthor@gmail.com or respond to my blog.
Tuesday, 30 April 2013
Is it important to have a publisher anymore?
Is it important to have a publisher?
There was a time not so long ago when a writer was nothing without a publisher and an agent. There was no real way of getting your book out there to the public without their support.
The self publishing industry was small and those that did self publish did it to give copies to friends and family. The costs were restrictive and the avenues for distribution were small. This has all changed.
When I first wrote the The Viking's Apprentice I had no intention of releasing it in any form. It was a book for my daughters and that was that. When they were old enough they could read it and hopefully enjoy the fact their dad wrote it.
I then decided to take the chance to try and get an agent and/or a publisher. I sent the required synopsis and those important three chapters and began the waiting the process. Some responses can come in quickly, some take up to a year. Some will never appear. At the time of writing this, coming up for 9 months since those letters went out, I am still awaiting a response from roughly 50% of the publishers/agents I contacted.
I sent the first letters out in August 2012 and began to get a steady trickle of replies by email and the occasional postal response. Always polite, always encouraging, some positive and some not. Within two weeks I had my first definite offer of a contract. The publisher (no agent involved) wanted a 6 year deal for an ebook version and I would get 50% of the money they received for the book. Being a new author I was delighted, a publisher wants the book, they like it enough to back it. Then my wife asked a very simple question 'What do they do that you can't do yourself?'
This got me thinking, what exactly would they do that I could not achieve myself. So I called them and I emailed them and we started a discussion about how going with them would be easier for me and take the hassle out of publishing.
They went through one by one each thing they would do for me.
They would set up the book on Amazon, Ibook, nook, Lulu, kobo etc etc. All something you can do yourself with a bit of effort. That effort equates to over 70% royalties coming direct to the author (amazon ebook figure). Let's think about that. If I went with the publisher I would get 50% of the 70% so half what I would get going it alone.
My next question, how would they advertise my book? Simple answer, they wouldn't, not really. The larger publishing houses would advertise for new authors, but smaller houses wouldn't do much. The advertising plan they showed me I could do myself. Twitter, facebook, blogs, postcards etc. It's not expensive and it's not difficult. It takes time and if you have taken the time to write something you love, you will take the time to tell other people about it.
My final question to them was simple. What about paperbacks, actual print copies? Not something they do, there is not enough money in it anymore. Think about that for a minute..... Paper books would not make this publisher enough money to make it worthwhile. I checked some of their other authors and true enough they all were in ebooks but not in print. Some were doing very well and there was still no sign of a paperback.
So I looked in to it. If you want paperback versions it can be done for no up front costs with reputable companies with a good percentage share coming back to the author.
You are probably guessing that I went for self publishing in the end and indeed I did. The Viking's Apprentice is doing very well in ebook format in both amazon.co.uk and amazon.com. Yesterday the paperback was released with the help of createspace and went straight into the top 100 in it's genre in under 10 hours.
As traditional book shops die out (something that saddens me) the roll of the publisher become less and less important.You can do everything they can do at no cost to yourself with some effort and some research. I used to go into Glasgow and go to Borders, Waterstones, the few wee independent book shops and loved walking around seeing all the books. Now there's only a small Waterstones left.
There is a great article on self publishing that everyone should read Self publishing is the future
The future of books is changing and if publishers and agents remain stuck in the ways of the past they could get left behind. More and more authors are seeing a chance to go it alone, to not be restricted by the view of one person at one agency. As a result some excellent work that would otherwise of gone unpublished is out there being enjoyed by readers all over the world.
My story as an author is in it's infancy, but by deciding to go it alone at least that story has begun. My book has received rave reviews from all over the world. I am delighted to say that every one of those reviews has been 5 stars on amazon, goodreads, blogs and anywhere else you can think of.
If you are looking to self publish and would like any advice (free of charge!) then contact me through the blog or any of the other avenues listed below. If you would like to buy a copy of the book in ebook or paperback (thank you in advance) and the links are below.
For the UK and European paperback follow the link to buy The Viking's Apprentice paperback
For the UK and European Ebook version follow this link to buy The Viking's Apprentice Kindle version
For USA and the rest of the world paperback follow this link to buy The Viking's Apprentice paperback
For USA and the rest of the world Ebook follow this link The Viking's Apprentice kindle version
If you want to contact me you can use any of these channels.
my website www.kevinmcleodauthor.com
my email kevinmcleodauthor@gmail.com
facebook www.facebook.com/thevikingsapprentice
Twitter @bannon1975
Goodreads Kevin McLeod's author page
In the next few weeks I hope to have some guest posts by some excellent self published authors. watch this space.
There was a time not so long ago when a writer was nothing without a publisher and an agent. There was no real way of getting your book out there to the public without their support.
The self publishing industry was small and those that did self publish did it to give copies to friends and family. The costs were restrictive and the avenues for distribution were small. This has all changed.
When I first wrote the The Viking's Apprentice I had no intention of releasing it in any form. It was a book for my daughters and that was that. When they were old enough they could read it and hopefully enjoy the fact their dad wrote it.
I then decided to take the chance to try and get an agent and/or a publisher. I sent the required synopsis and those important three chapters and began the waiting the process. Some responses can come in quickly, some take up to a year. Some will never appear. At the time of writing this, coming up for 9 months since those letters went out, I am still awaiting a response from roughly 50% of the publishers/agents I contacted.
I sent the first letters out in August 2012 and began to get a steady trickle of replies by email and the occasional postal response. Always polite, always encouraging, some positive and some not. Within two weeks I had my first definite offer of a contract. The publisher (no agent involved) wanted a 6 year deal for an ebook version and I would get 50% of the money they received for the book. Being a new author I was delighted, a publisher wants the book, they like it enough to back it. Then my wife asked a very simple question 'What do they do that you can't do yourself?'
This got me thinking, what exactly would they do that I could not achieve myself. So I called them and I emailed them and we started a discussion about how going with them would be easier for me and take the hassle out of publishing.
They went through one by one each thing they would do for me.
They would set up the book on Amazon, Ibook, nook, Lulu, kobo etc etc. All something you can do yourself with a bit of effort. That effort equates to over 70% royalties coming direct to the author (amazon ebook figure). Let's think about that. If I went with the publisher I would get 50% of the 70% so half what I would get going it alone.
My next question, how would they advertise my book? Simple answer, they wouldn't, not really. The larger publishing houses would advertise for new authors, but smaller houses wouldn't do much. The advertising plan they showed me I could do myself. Twitter, facebook, blogs, postcards etc. It's not expensive and it's not difficult. It takes time and if you have taken the time to write something you love, you will take the time to tell other people about it.
My final question to them was simple. What about paperbacks, actual print copies? Not something they do, there is not enough money in it anymore. Think about that for a minute..... Paper books would not make this publisher enough money to make it worthwhile. I checked some of their other authors and true enough they all were in ebooks but not in print. Some were doing very well and there was still no sign of a paperback.
So I looked in to it. If you want paperback versions it can be done for no up front costs with reputable companies with a good percentage share coming back to the author.
You are probably guessing that I went for self publishing in the end and indeed I did. The Viking's Apprentice is doing very well in ebook format in both amazon.co.uk and amazon.com. Yesterday the paperback was released with the help of createspace and went straight into the top 100 in it's genre in under 10 hours.
As traditional book shops die out (something that saddens me) the roll of the publisher become less and less important.You can do everything they can do at no cost to yourself with some effort and some research. I used to go into Glasgow and go to Borders, Waterstones, the few wee independent book shops and loved walking around seeing all the books. Now there's only a small Waterstones left.
There is a great article on self publishing that everyone should read Self publishing is the future
The future of books is changing and if publishers and agents remain stuck in the ways of the past they could get left behind. More and more authors are seeing a chance to go it alone, to not be restricted by the view of one person at one agency. As a result some excellent work that would otherwise of gone unpublished is out there being enjoyed by readers all over the world.
My story as an author is in it's infancy, but by deciding to go it alone at least that story has begun. My book has received rave reviews from all over the world. I am delighted to say that every one of those reviews has been 5 stars on amazon, goodreads, blogs and anywhere else you can think of.
If you are looking to self publish and would like any advice (free of charge!) then contact me through the blog or any of the other avenues listed below. If you would like to buy a copy of the book in ebook or paperback (thank you in advance) and the links are below.
For the UK and European paperback follow the link to buy The Viking's Apprentice paperback
For the UK and European Ebook version follow this link to buy The Viking's Apprentice Kindle version
For USA and the rest of the world paperback follow this link to buy The Viking's Apprentice paperback
For USA and the rest of the world Ebook follow this link The Viking's Apprentice kindle version
If you want to contact me you can use any of these channels.
my website www.kevinmcleodauthor.com
my email kevinmcleodauthor@gmail.com
facebook www.facebook.com/thevikingsapprentice
Twitter @bannon1975
Goodreads Kevin McLeod's author page
In the next few weeks I hope to have some guest posts by some excellent self published authors. watch this space.
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
First chapter of The Viking's Apprentice for free
For those of you who didn't know you can read the first chapter of my book The Viking's Apprentice free on Amazon with their innovative look inside feature. You can, if you prefer, have a sample sent direct to your kindle. Click on the book page and look to the right hand side. Click on 'send sample now' and enjoy.
For those of you without Amazon or a kindle you can read the first chapter for free on Wattpad by following this link Free chapter which will take you straight too it. If you like what you read and would like to buy The Viking's Apprentice here is the info.
For UK and European customers - Buy The Viking's Apprentice on Amazon
For customers from the USA and India - Buy The Viking's Apprentice on Amazon
For Kobo owners - Buy The Viking's Apprentice on Kobo
For Ibook customers - Buy The Viking's Apprentice on Ibooks
For Lulu customers - Buy the Viking's Apprentice on Lulu
Thank you to everyone who has bought the book so far and thank you for all the amazing feedback. As always you can contact me through the following channels.
www.kevinmcleodauthor.com , email: kevinmcleodauthor@gmail.com twitter: @bannon1975 facebook The Viking's Apprentice, wattpad: wattpad author page, goodreads: author page, authorsDB author page on ADB
For those of you without Amazon or a kindle you can read the first chapter for free on Wattpad by following this link Free chapter which will take you straight too it. If you like what you read and would like to buy The Viking's Apprentice here is the info.
For UK and European customers - Buy The Viking's Apprentice on Amazon
For customers from the USA and India - Buy The Viking's Apprentice on Amazon
For Kobo owners - Buy The Viking's Apprentice on Kobo
For Ibook customers - Buy The Viking's Apprentice on Ibooks
For Lulu customers - Buy the Viking's Apprentice on Lulu
Thank you to everyone who has bought the book so far and thank you for all the amazing feedback. As always you can contact me through the following channels.
www.kevinmcleodauthor.com , email: kevinmcleodauthor@gmail.com twitter: @bannon1975 facebook The Viking's Apprentice, wattpad: wattpad author page, goodreads: author page, authorsDB author page on ADB
Sunday, 14 April 2013
Book update featuring how to fall down the stairs (now with photo!)
It has been a busy weekend in the McLeod household. First of all The Viking's Apprentice landed on Ibooks. If you are one of the people who has been waiting on the IBook version please click here The Viking's Apprentice to download your copy.
I have had some communications from my followers in the USA (my stats tell me more people in the US read my blog than anywhere else) that the link I give for the book does not allow them to buy it. The link I have been giving out is for UK Amazon so let me fix that right now. If you are in the USA or India and want to purchase The Viking's Apprentice follow this link:
The Viking's Apprentice USA
For those of you who have already bought the book in America thank you for making it rise to Number 8 in it's genre. I appreciate every purchase and I am grateful to all of you. Enjoy reading :)
After the successful launch on IBook the first paperback copies of the book arrived. These are very special copies especially for Furnace primary school. For those of you who have read my earlier blogs you will know that the town of Furnace was the inspiration behind my story setting. A quiet sleepy village on the water, secluded and surrounded by hills and forests. The school ordered the copies after learning that I had used their town as my inspiration. These copies have been given to the school free of charge. They inspired me maybe I can inspire them. The book is to be used as their reading book for next term and beyond!
Here is a photo of the first signed book, just because really!
So, IBook go live done, paperback copies arrived and first book signing all achieved this weekend.
Now for my tip of the day!
Do not attempt to answer your tweets while walking down the stairs in your home. Especially if your two dogs are coming down the stairs with you. As I lost my footing and began to fall I was faced with a choice, do I use my arms to slow me down when I hit the stairs or my butt? I opted for arms and now have very attractive burns down my right arm. My HTC tumbled out of my hands hitting the stairs and then the hall floor quickly followed by me and my chocolate Lab Ted. My Jack Russell, Megan, had the sense to head up the stairs as I was falling down them.
Some of you have asked how badly I hurt my arm, well here is the proof! Ouch!!
Competition reminder:
I launched The Viking's Apprentice competition in my last blog and here is the question again.
How many sons does Tanis have? Answers by email to Email Kevin prizes, closing dates and rules were in my last blog so check it out and good luck.
As always here are my contact details for anyone wanting to get in touch.
website: www.kevinmcleodauthor.com twitter @bannon1975 email kevinmcleodauthor@gmail.com Facebook The Viking's Apprentice FB
Enjoy your Sunday and feel free to get in touch. I answer all emails, tweets, Fb's etc personally.
I have had some communications from my followers in the USA (my stats tell me more people in the US read my blog than anywhere else) that the link I give for the book does not allow them to buy it. The link I have been giving out is for UK Amazon so let me fix that right now. If you are in the USA or India and want to purchase The Viking's Apprentice follow this link:
The Viking's Apprentice USA
For those of you who have already bought the book in America thank you for making it rise to Number 8 in it's genre. I appreciate every purchase and I am grateful to all of you. Enjoy reading :)
After the successful launch on IBook the first paperback copies of the book arrived. These are very special copies especially for Furnace primary school. For those of you who have read my earlier blogs you will know that the town of Furnace was the inspiration behind my story setting. A quiet sleepy village on the water, secluded and surrounded by hills and forests. The school ordered the copies after learning that I had used their town as my inspiration. These copies have been given to the school free of charge. They inspired me maybe I can inspire them. The book is to be used as their reading book for next term and beyond!
Here is a photo of the first signed book, just because really!
So, IBook go live done, paperback copies arrived and first book signing all achieved this weekend.
Now for my tip of the day!
Do not attempt to answer your tweets while walking down the stairs in your home. Especially if your two dogs are coming down the stairs with you. As I lost my footing and began to fall I was faced with a choice, do I use my arms to slow me down when I hit the stairs or my butt? I opted for arms and now have very attractive burns down my right arm. My HTC tumbled out of my hands hitting the stairs and then the hall floor quickly followed by me and my chocolate Lab Ted. My Jack Russell, Megan, had the sense to head up the stairs as I was falling down them.
Some of you have asked how badly I hurt my arm, well here is the proof! Ouch!!
Competition reminder:
I launched The Viking's Apprentice competition in my last blog and here is the question again.
How many sons does Tanis have? Answers by email to Email Kevin prizes, closing dates and rules were in my last blog so check it out and good luck.
As always here are my contact details for anyone wanting to get in touch.
website: www.kevinmcleodauthor.com twitter @bannon1975 email kevinmcleodauthor@gmail.com Facebook The Viking's Apprentice FB
Enjoy your Sunday and feel free to get in touch. I answer all emails, tweets, Fb's etc personally.
Wednesday, 10 April 2013
Competition ideas and now competition question!
This is a blog post that I want to open up to all of you. I am thinking of running a competition where a lucky winner will receive either a signed poster of the cover art, a signed print edition of the book (out soon) or both!
So my questions for all of you are which prizes would you like? Should there be three prizes IE First prize is signed cover art and a signed book. Second Prize would be the signed book and third prize would be the signed cover art.
For the questions themselves would you like a single question, a single question with multiple choice or 3 questions?
Please email me your preferences @ kevinmcleodauthor@gmail.com and we will go with whatever most people decide. I will update this blog post in 24 hours with the most popular choice.
In order to enter you will have to know The Viking's Apprentice click on this link to take you to the amazon purchase page. The deadline for entries will be set to give people time to read the book if they haven't already!
Thank you to everyone who has purchased the book, followed the blog and been in touch. Your support is very much appreciated. Just to remind you here is the cover art you will win as part of the prize. It will be signed by myself and the artist. Good luck and I look forward to receiving your suggestions.
Competition Vote results and question
The Votes are in and you all voted for 3 prizes. Top prize is a signed book and poster. 2nd prize is a signed copy of the book and 3rd prize is a signed poster.
Here is the question..... In the Viking's Apprentice how many sons does Tanis have?
Answers to my email address kevinmcleodauthor@gmail.com or by Direct message on twitter @bannon1975
The winners will be selected at random by my daughters! The closing date is May 30th. Good luck.
So my questions for all of you are which prizes would you like? Should there be three prizes IE First prize is signed cover art and a signed book. Second Prize would be the signed book and third prize would be the signed cover art.
For the questions themselves would you like a single question, a single question with multiple choice or 3 questions?
Please email me your preferences @ kevinmcleodauthor@gmail.com and we will go with whatever most people decide. I will update this blog post in 24 hours with the most popular choice.
In order to enter you will have to know The Viking's Apprentice click on this link to take you to the amazon purchase page. The deadline for entries will be set to give people time to read the book if they haven't already!
Thank you to everyone who has purchased the book, followed the blog and been in touch. Your support is very much appreciated. Just to remind you here is the cover art you will win as part of the prize. It will be signed by myself and the artist. Good luck and I look forward to receiving your suggestions.
Competition Vote results and question
The Votes are in and you all voted for 3 prizes. Top prize is a signed book and poster. 2nd prize is a signed copy of the book and 3rd prize is a signed poster.
Here is the question..... In the Viking's Apprentice how many sons does Tanis have?
Answers to my email address kevinmcleodauthor@gmail.com or by Direct message on twitter @bannon1975
The winners will be selected at random by my daughters! The closing date is May 30th. Good luck.
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
The book reviews
The Viking's Apprentice has been on sale for 10 days and is already attracting a lot of reviews. I can't tell you how happy I am to say that they are all 5 star reviews. One is from an independent reviewer from Worldpress and two are from teachers. The teaching reviews are important to me as my book is aimed at that age group from perhaps Primary 6 upwards. The others are from happy readers, which of course I greatly appreciate.
I am thankful for every reader who takes the time to write a review and I am glad that The Viking's Apprentice connected with them in a way that made them want to write a review.
You can purchase your copy of the book here for £2.99 UK and $2.99 USA Buy The Viking's Apprentice
Here are the reviews so far. Thank you to everyone who has written a review and to everyone who has purchased the book.
So, what did I think? Well it seemed a little strange, the book opens with vikings and then the next thing you know you're in a school at the end of term. I figured it'd be some little boy's wild imagination or a school project. Peter, our main character is going to spend the summer at his grandad's house in Campbell's Cove. Then the book really gets going! This is a story like none I've ever read, it's got everything from kids to vikings to witches, trolls and talking bears!
Aimed at older children and young adults, it's fun for a wide range of people including those who are fans of the genre, it's well written with good description but still allowing that bit of artistic license for the reader. It's easy to read and I could not put this book down, by mid way through I was completely hooked and excited to see what would happen next.
I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone but any of you guys with young teens? Get this book to them!
9/10
Kevin's next book is in the works now and I for one, cannot wait to read it!
It's without a doubt aimed at older children with active imaginations (8 onwards) with memorable characters you are taken to places with each chapter that just feeds to your excitement. Has left me guessing about the next book which is what a good book is all about.
It's a must buy when it's out on paper back for my house hold for my son and I can't wait for the next book to be released.
I am thankful for every reader who takes the time to write a review and I am glad that The Viking's Apprentice connected with them in a way that made them want to write a review.
You can purchase your copy of the book here for £2.99 UK and $2.99 USA Buy The Viking's Apprentice
Here are the reviews so far. Thank you to everyone who has written a review and to everyone who has purchased the book.
Fantastic, 31 Mar 2013
Amazon Verified Purchase(What is this?)
This review is from: The Viking's Apprentice (Kindle Edition)
I'll be honest. I wasn't expecting much from this book. It's really not my thing and not a genre I tend to read, the artwork on the cover is nice. I found this author when I opened up my Rebbie Reviews twitter account and thought I'd give it a whirl.So, what did I think? Well it seemed a little strange, the book opens with vikings and then the next thing you know you're in a school at the end of term. I figured it'd be some little boy's wild imagination or a school project. Peter, our main character is going to spend the summer at his grandad's house in Campbell's Cove. Then the book really gets going! This is a story like none I've ever read, it's got everything from kids to vikings to witches, trolls and talking bears!
Aimed at older children and young adults, it's fun for a wide range of people including those who are fans of the genre, it's well written with good description but still allowing that bit of artistic license for the reader. It's easy to read and I could not put this book down, by mid way through I was completely hooked and excited to see what would happen next.
I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone but any of you guys with young teens? Get this book to them!
9/10
Kevin's next book is in the works now and I for one, cannot wait to read it!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Excellent read with plenty to get a kids imagination going,,8 April 2013
Amazon Verified Purchase(What is this?)
This review is from: The Viking's Apprentice (Kindle Edition)
Not my normal kind of read,however it turned out to be a real page turner.It's without a doubt aimed at older children with active imaginations (8 onwards) with memorable characters you are taken to places with each chapter that just feeds to your excitement. Has left me guessing about the next book which is what a good book is all about.
It's a must buy when it's out on paper back for my house hold for my son and I can't wait for the next book to be released.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Amazing!, 8 April 2013
Amazon Verified Purchase(What is this?)
This review is from: The Viking's Apprentice (Kindle Edition)
Everyone should download this book! The story is amazing and extremely well written. The characters are excellent and very believable. If you want to spend an enjoyable few hours of reading.This is the book for you!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Fabulous, 7 April 2013
This review is from: The Viking's Apprentice (Kindle Edition)
I loved this book. I'm a primary teacher and am sure the pupils in my class would enjoy it too! It would really help ignite their imaginations, it is a true adventure story with the setting, characters and plot needed to keep you thoroughly engaged. It reminds me of the fun adventures I used to read and reenact when I was younger. The Viking's Apprentice is certainly more fast paced and thrilling than some of the more traditional adventure series. It does however give you the warm feeling of comradery which children relate to and often refer to when using their own imaginations. I feel this successful combination makes it suitable for both boys and girls to enjoy- oh and adults of course too!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Definitely worth reading!, 4 April 2013
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What is this?)
This review is from: The Viking's Apprentice (Kindle Edition)
This story is aimed at older children/young adults. It moved along at a good pace. The characters were engaging with the "goodies" appearing real and likeable and the "baddies" bad enough that you definitely wanted them sorted out. I felt a real sense of involvement in the plot and read it in 2 sittings - would have been one if I hadn't had a previous engagement! This will appeal to readers who enjoy books along the lines of Harry Potter or Artemis Fowl and could be enjoyed equally by boys or girls. Definitely one worth having on the bookshelf.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Five Stars., 1 April 2013
This review is from: The Viking's Apprentice (Kindle Edition)
Absolutely fantastic. I can't wait to read the next instalment. This book will appeal to all age groups and I am looking forward to reading it to my youngest so I can immerse myself in the story once more. Well done Kevin.
kevinmcleodauthor@gmail.com
twitter @bannon1975
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