New editing for The Smiling Stallion Inn is finishing up, and so it might be ready for a November 30th release from Torrid Books, Ebook ISBN will be 978-1-68299-210-4. Fingers crossed that it won't be delayed.
I haven't really discussed the status of the sequels or the secondary series with the publisher yet, but fair warning once more, depending on response, the other self-published versions might be taken down in the near future. I will try to provide a time frame or window if it's a week or a couple of days.
October 26, 2016
June 29, 2016
The Smiling Stallion Inn is Not Available
I'm currently in the process of setting up The Smiling Stallion Inn with a new publisher and so the book is currently not available/published. I apologize for the suddenness of this change to those who were interested in reading it, but it shall be available again in the future with the new publisher.
The rest of the series and related series is currently still self-published, but may eventually go to the new publisher, depending. Just a heads up there.
Sincerely,
The Author
The rest of the series and related series is currently still self-published, but may eventually go to the new publisher, depending. Just a heads up there.
Sincerely,
The Author
April 24, 2016
Title and Cover Changes coming up
Fair warning to those who have already purchased and read my books and to those who have been interested in acquiring them--I have decided, partly as a marketing move and with the hope of gaining more casual readers to change some or most of my book titles.
I probably won't change The Legends of Arria book titles as those seem to be good enough for now.
I'm sort of leaning towards more casual or general titles, especially for the Legends of Arria 2002 series--and I'm probably going to change the name of that series as well--to attract readers who might be hesitant or uncertain about the book at first glance. I'll admit some of those titles are a bit obscure, though pertinent to the book, and maybe long winded. I'm going to stop using the Part 1 (and future Part 2) for The Kirna's Apprentice and get a more general, though pertinent, title for those books.
I hope these changes might yield a good response in future readership and I don't want to put off any former readers who come across these books with new titles and realize they are the same books. Admittedly I have been writing and rewriting a similar story for a while now, albeit with some changes in plot and characters.
But I would also hope that readers might eventually read both of the main series, (uh, the 2008 books are more of a transitional stage) because I hope to eventually...
Oops, not certain if I want to reveal that just yet. Near future.
I probably won't change The Legends of Arria book titles as those seem to be good enough for now.
I'm sort of leaning towards more casual or general titles, especially for the Legends of Arria 2002 series--and I'm probably going to change the name of that series as well--to attract readers who might be hesitant or uncertain about the book at first glance. I'll admit some of those titles are a bit obscure, though pertinent to the book, and maybe long winded. I'm going to stop using the Part 1 (and future Part 2) for The Kirna's Apprentice and get a more general, though pertinent, title for those books.
I hope these changes might yield a good response in future readership and I don't want to put off any former readers who come across these books with new titles and realize they are the same books. Admittedly I have been writing and rewriting a similar story for a while now, albeit with some changes in plot and characters.
But I would also hope that readers might eventually read both of the main series, (uh, the 2008 books are more of a transitional stage) because I hope to eventually...
Oops, not certain if I want to reveal that just yet. Near future.
April 16, 2016
Smashwords Interview Question Three
I'm on a roll here. Question Number 3 from the Smashwords Interview.
What are your five favorite books, and why?
Smashwords Interview: Question Two
Here's some more of my Smashwords interview and some new answers to this question:
Who are your favorite authors?
Who are your favorite authors?
April 2, 2016
My Smashwords Interview: Question One
I'm thinking about deleting the author interview on my Smashwords profile as, aesthetically speaking, it does take up quite a bit of space. And perhaps it is a bit wordy as well.
I'm trying to think realistically and pragmatically as a first-time reader, coming across a new author's page, might be overwhelmed by all of this text and information about a writer. They might not scroll down to see what books are available. Perhaps it is off-putting for some?
Well, in any case, I'm going to take it down.
But I would like to preserve its content as well, in case there are readers who might be interested in learning more about the author.
So here I am going to post up my Smashwords interview and share its content for any readers who might be interested. And I would also like to pose a question to readers: does knowing more or less about an author interest them in their work? Or does the book's content only matter?
Anyway, here's Question One:
What's the story behind your latest book?
Well, the story behind The Legends of Arria series dates back to sixth grade, 2000, when I had the idea of a girl in a rowboat adrift on an ocean, running aground on the shore of a magical realm called Arria.
After a series of adventures, she would have found a new life for her there and tried to raise a family, until her daughter was lost and had to find her way back home.
Yet the form of the ideas changed, and Arria changed, so that by 2002, it became the story of a young man who set out on a quest on behalf of the woman he loved in The Knights of Arria 2002, which had a rather simplistic style that developed a bit more in the year or two it took to write.
This story developed over several years, going further ahead a generation or two in the sequels. But then I felt the need to go back and start reworking the beginning of the story, again and again.
The 2008 version (on Amazon) was mostly just a revamp of the 2002 version, which added some more depth and plot changes to the story, yet it wasn't enough.
I wanted to find a better angle on the story, more mature and developed with characters having real thought processes and getting into backstories and realistic character motivations a bit more.
Then I got the idea to get into Coe Baba, Basha's hometown, a bit more and really showcase his adoptive parents Habala and Geda, his sword-fighting mentor Sir Nickleby, Basha's girlfriend Jawen and her family, Oaka and his girlfriend Sisila, which then included her family and finally the Old Man, who became very important in this process.
The Old Man had been lurking in the background for a long while as an immortal storyteller, but he really had no story beyond that to latch onto. So I gave him one and created new characters, Nisa and her mother Brigga, to help him fill out his new role.
When I first came up with the idea of Nisa, I thought of her as Oaka's and Basha's sister who would narrate the story and eventually team up with the Old Man.
But being their sister didn't really work out and so the relationship was changed.
I felt the need to delve into Jawen's home life more, introduce her extended family and get her father Lapo the merchant more involved. Previously, Jawen's romances with Basha and Hastin were simplified, so I made it more complex, unpredictable, and emotional.
This also happened with Sisila. I made her the baron's daughter, Hastin became her brother, and I moved away from portraying her 'crazy/grief-stricken' phase over Oaka leaving.
Iibala became Sir Nickleby's daughter and more important as a character, more heavily involved in the action of the story, same with Sir Nickleby as well.
Habala's and Geda's roles were more enhanced as parents and their relationship changed and developed, especially with the introduction of Smidge, Geda's brother, to complicate matters.
Coe Baba as a whole had been a rather simple, unfulfilled place.
So I made the town bigger and more complex, with fully realized characters and places. It was also more mysterious and haunted, being genuinely threatened by evil outside forces.
It made the lives of the characters inhabiting this place a whole lot more interesting. All of these changes were made with the start of Basha's story in The Smiling Stallion Inn.
The consequences of these changes continue on in Servants and Followers, Power Over Death, The Tiger of Light, The Tiger Enchantment and more coming soon.
(Note: Smashwords Interview is probably a proprietary trademark of that website. I am merely using the trademark/standard questions for noncommercial purposes. Or at least...I don't know, something along those lines.)
I'm trying to think realistically and pragmatically as a first-time reader, coming across a new author's page, might be overwhelmed by all of this text and information about a writer. They might not scroll down to see what books are available. Perhaps it is off-putting for some?
Well, in any case, I'm going to take it down.
But I would like to preserve its content as well, in case there are readers who might be interested in learning more about the author.
So here I am going to post up my Smashwords interview and share its content for any readers who might be interested. And I would also like to pose a question to readers: does knowing more or less about an author interest them in their work? Or does the book's content only matter?
Anyway, here's Question One:
What's the story behind your latest book?
Well, the story behind The Legends of Arria series dates back to sixth grade, 2000, when I had the idea of a girl in a rowboat adrift on an ocean, running aground on the shore of a magical realm called Arria.
After a series of adventures, she would have found a new life for her there and tried to raise a family, until her daughter was lost and had to find her way back home.
Yet the form of the ideas changed, and Arria changed, so that by 2002, it became the story of a young man who set out on a quest on behalf of the woman he loved in The Knights of Arria 2002, which had a rather simplistic style that developed a bit more in the year or two it took to write.
This story developed over several years, going further ahead a generation or two in the sequels. But then I felt the need to go back and start reworking the beginning of the story, again and again.
The 2008 version (on Amazon) was mostly just a revamp of the 2002 version, which added some more depth and plot changes to the story, yet it wasn't enough.
I wanted to find a better angle on the story, more mature and developed with characters having real thought processes and getting into backstories and realistic character motivations a bit more.
Then I got the idea to get into Coe Baba, Basha's hometown, a bit more and really showcase his adoptive parents Habala and Geda, his sword-fighting mentor Sir Nickleby, Basha's girlfriend Jawen and her family, Oaka and his girlfriend Sisila, which then included her family and finally the Old Man, who became very important in this process.
The Old Man had been lurking in the background for a long while as an immortal storyteller, but he really had no story beyond that to latch onto. So I gave him one and created new characters, Nisa and her mother Brigga, to help him fill out his new role.
When I first came up with the idea of Nisa, I thought of her as Oaka's and Basha's sister who would narrate the story and eventually team up with the Old Man.
But being their sister didn't really work out and so the relationship was changed.
I felt the need to delve into Jawen's home life more, introduce her extended family and get her father Lapo the merchant more involved. Previously, Jawen's romances with Basha and Hastin were simplified, so I made it more complex, unpredictable, and emotional.
This also happened with Sisila. I made her the baron's daughter, Hastin became her brother, and I moved away from portraying her 'crazy/grief-stricken' phase over Oaka leaving.
Iibala became Sir Nickleby's daughter and more important as a character, more heavily involved in the action of the story, same with Sir Nickleby as well.
Habala's and Geda's roles were more enhanced as parents and their relationship changed and developed, especially with the introduction of Smidge, Geda's brother, to complicate matters.
Coe Baba as a whole had been a rather simple, unfulfilled place.
So I made the town bigger and more complex, with fully realized characters and places. It was also more mysterious and haunted, being genuinely threatened by evil outside forces.
It made the lives of the characters inhabiting this place a whole lot more interesting. All of these changes were made with the start of Basha's story in The Smiling Stallion Inn.
The consequences of these changes continue on in Servants and Followers, Power Over Death, The Tiger of Light, The Tiger Enchantment and more coming soon.
(Note: Smashwords Interview is probably a proprietary trademark of that website. I am merely using the trademark/standard questions for noncommercial purposes. Or at least...I don't know, something along those lines.)
March 4, 2016
Wattpad: SmilingStallionInn
Couple of years ago, I set up a Wattpad account, but I've only recently started to make use of it, posting up snippets of my original fiction that I'm developing, including the sequel to The Kirna's Apprentice Part One.
I am also going to post some of my fanfiction that I've written over the years under my other pen name. Mostly Doctor Who related, though there is a Doctor Who/Sherlock crossover.
Here's some info on my original stories:
https://www.wattpad.com/user/SmilingStallionInn
Here's some info on my original stories:
The Kirna's Apprentice Part Two: The Desert Trek
(Title may be subject to change)
Paka, his friends, and family now head for the Za Desert, attempting to beat Mun D'hia to the Windbow tribe and warn Basha of the impending attack. Meanwhile, a devastating loss forces Wonan to take action. The Kirna's Apprentice Part 1: The Lost Family is available on Amazon.Tarn and Beck
Beck has led a miserable life in the city of Dosile. When a bit of luck or misfortune falls into his path, he leaves the city behind him-only to be held up by highwaymen. And then Tarn shows up and turns Beck's life upside down. A bit of a fantasy comedy.The Rascal and the Wizard
Though Rachel enjoys her life as a con artist, traveling with her friends and outwitting others, they also hide deep, dark secrets from each other. When she stumbles upon an injured young man in a field, their lives take an unexpected turn as they are pursued by a ruthless enemy who will stop at nothing to defeat them. Can Rachel and her friends stand up together against this foe?
These original stories are in preliminary, first draft stages, of course, subject to change. I will attempt to update them as much as possible, depending on the progress of writing them. That's all for now, I think.
December 6, 2015
Test for Author Central blog feed
Hello, Courtney Bowen here. Reposting a former notice so that it might show up on Author Central.
Well, I'm back again, mostly to post a link to a new Kindle Scout campaign for 'The Tiger Enchantment: The Legends of Arria: Volume 5'!
The Tiger Enchantment: The Legends of Arria, Volume 5 on Kindle Scout
Yay! After all this time, I finally finished the book. It's around 311 pages long, depending. I had to move some of the material around to a later volume, which probably won't see the light of day for a while. Here's a preview of the cover (I took my name off here, just because):
I have also decided that, for a limited time, most of my books will be Kindle Select and Kindle Unlimited, which means that currently, ebook editions of my books will only be available on Amazon. I'm just doing a trial run. I might eventually return to other ebook retailers, but it will be different. I apologize for that.
So Kindle Scout campaign is ongoing until January 2nd 2016 and here's a plot synopsis:
What comes after the final battle?
After the final battle against Doomba, Basha, his friends, and family try to rally their forces to face Goga, who has taken their country’s capital. Yet when a setback devastates them, can they recover their former strength? Especially when two powerful sorceresses pit themselves against them?
And if you want to check out the first 15 pages of my new, upcoming novel in The Legends of Arria series, click the Kindle Scout link! And maybe nominate it for publication by Kindle Press if you enjoyed it? I thank you very much.
Sincerely, Courtney Bowen
December 2, 2015
New Kindle Scout campaign and Cover
Well, I'm back again, mostly to post a link to a new Kindle Scout campaign for 'The Tiger Enchantment: The Legends of Arria: Volume 5'!
The Tiger Enchantment: The Legends of Arria, Volume 5 on Kindle Scout
Yay! After all this time, I finally finished the book. It's around 311 pages long, depending. I had to move some of the material around to a later volume, which probably won't see the light of day for a while. Here's a preview of the cover (I took my name off here, just because):
Looks pretty cool, huh? I found the cover image on Fotolia, paid the extended license to get it. I must admit in the past I've had a difficult time designing covers or at least picking out a commercial-style cover. In recent years, book covers, even fantasy, have changed to a more realistic style with models more often than not. I wasn't as aware of the change or at least I was resistant to it, I must admit.
I didn't know where I could go to find the right stock images to design a cover. I certainly can't draw or use a computer illustrator/photo manipulation software to any great degree. I was also resistant to relying on a cover designer, not certain about what the result might be. So I was leaning more towards public domain free artwork that was sort of aesthetically pleasing and might match my material at least a little bit.
However, in the past month or two, I started to realize the value of a good cover photo that matches the current commercial style, even if I have been resistant to it, so...I did a search, discovered Fotolia, and here we are! Yay! I am quite satisfied with this cover photo and the other one I chose for The Smiling Stallion Inn: The Legends of Arria, Volume One. I plan on gradually changing all of my Kindle covers to the new style and, once I figure out the space requirements, I will change my print books as well.
I have also decided that, for a limited time, most of my books will be Kindle Select and Kindle Unlimited, which means that currently, ebook editions of my books will only be available on Amazon. I'm just doing a trial run. I was hoping the Marketing Services might pay off, and you can only use that for Kindle Select books. I will eventually return to Smashwords and other ebook retailers, but it will be different. I apologize for that.
So Kindle Scout campaign runs from today, December 3rd, until January 2nd 2016 and here's a plot synopsis:
What comes after the final battle?
And if you want to check out the first 15 pages of my new, upcoming novel in The Legends of Arria series, click the Kindle Scout link! And maybe nominate it for publication by Kindle Press if you enjoyed it? I thank you very much.
The Tiger Enchantment: The Legends of Arria: Volume 5 on Kindle Scout
The Tiger Enchantment: The Legends of Arria, Volume 5 on Kindle Scout
Yay! After all this time, I finally finished the book. It's around 311 pages long, depending. I had to move some of the material around to a later volume, which probably won't see the light of day for a while. Here's a preview of the cover (I took my name off here, just because):
Looks pretty cool, huh? I found the cover image on Fotolia, paid the extended license to get it. I must admit in the past I've had a difficult time designing covers or at least picking out a commercial-style cover. In recent years, book covers, even fantasy, have changed to a more realistic style with models more often than not. I wasn't as aware of the change or at least I was resistant to it, I must admit.
I didn't know where I could go to find the right stock images to design a cover. I certainly can't draw or use a computer illustrator/photo manipulation software to any great degree. I was also resistant to relying on a cover designer, not certain about what the result might be. So I was leaning more towards public domain free artwork that was sort of aesthetically pleasing and might match my material at least a little bit.
However, in the past month or two, I started to realize the value of a good cover photo that matches the current commercial style, even if I have been resistant to it, so...I did a search, discovered Fotolia, and here we are! Yay! I am quite satisfied with this cover photo and the other one I chose for The Smiling Stallion Inn: The Legends of Arria, Volume One. I plan on gradually changing all of my Kindle covers to the new style and, once I figure out the space requirements, I will change my print books as well.
I have also decided that, for a limited time, most of my books will be Kindle Select and Kindle Unlimited, which means that currently, ebook editions of my books will only be available on Amazon. I'm just doing a trial run. I was hoping the Marketing Services might pay off, and you can only use that for Kindle Select books. I will eventually return to Smashwords and other ebook retailers, but it will be different. I apologize for that.
So Kindle Scout campaign runs from today, December 3rd, until January 2nd 2016 and here's a plot synopsis:
What comes after the final battle?
After the final battle against Doomba, Basha, his friends, and family try to rally their forces to face Goga, who has taken their country’s capital. Yet when a setback devastates them, can they recover their former strength? Especially when two powerful sorceresses pit themselves against them?
And if you want to check out the first 15 pages of my new, upcoming novel in The Legends of Arria series, click the Kindle Scout link! And maybe nominate it for publication by Kindle Press if you enjoyed it? I thank you very much.
The Tiger Enchantment: The Legends of Arria: Volume 5 on Kindle Scout
September 12, 2015
Kirna's Apprentice Part 1 on Kindle Scout
Well, I've fixed things up enough with the Kirna's Apprentice that I'm able to release Part One: The Lost Family, but I've decided to introduce it first on Kindle Scout in the hope of drawing attention to it. If you are interested in reading the first 15 pages or so as an excerpt, here is the link:
Kirna's Apprentice Part 1 on Kindle Scout
The nomination campaign will run until October 9th. At this time, I'm still working on Part 2 of this story to release later and also working on the fifth volume in the Legends of Arria series, which I may also split in a similar manner to introduce on Kindle Scout. Hopefully sooner rather than later, once this campaign has run its course. That's all for now, please check out my excerpt and nominate if you enjoyed it.
Kirna's Apprentice Part 1 on Kindle Scout
The nomination campaign will run until October 9th. At this time, I'm still working on Part 2 of this story to release later and also working on the fifth volume in the Legends of Arria series, which I may also split in a similar manner to introduce on Kindle Scout. Hopefully sooner rather than later, once this campaign has run its course. That's all for now, please check out my excerpt and nominate if you enjoyed it.
July 19, 2015
Tell me, tell me...(as The Contours sang)
It has been awhile since I posted on here, I know, and maybe I should reconsider being more proactive in blogging and perhaps sharing some of my thoughts and feelings on writing and other matters. I haven't really given this blog a fair try and perhaps I have ignored it when it might be what I need to support my work, for lack of a better term. Admittedly there are secondary motivations sometimes to writing a blog, but perhaps such secondary motivations aren't the core of the matter here.
I have tried in the past to find ways of encouraging and supporting my writing, or to put it a bit more bluntly, present my writing to readers, and after some forays and attempts in these areas, I usually abandon such efforts. It might not be sincere or earnest in those regards and so it is with the blog at times, but perhaps I could be more earnest and sincere with the blog than via other means and methods.
I don't know how to present myself at times and I don't know how other readers might find out about my writing, but other readers have found my work, mostly through Smashwords, and I wonder if these are accidental discoveries, if they stumbled upon my work while searching through Smashwords archives, or if they might read the blog or come to via other means. I can't tell sometimes, and I am curious to find out the truth of the matter here.
I probably shouldn't poke or ask questions about how I got my readers. I am glad to have some readers. But I just want to know if there is anyone who has stumbled across this blog, who read my work, and if the blog helped them to learn about it.
Please comment on this post or in any of the other posts and tell me if this blog has been successful in a certain regard. Or write a review of my work on Smashwords and other sites if you've had a chance to look at it. I am very interested in such comments and reviews, positive, negative, or neutral, and I thank you in any case for writing such a comment or review.
Now progress report, because I haven't been keeping up this blog in over half a year: I've edited 120 pages on the Kirna's Apprentice 2002 with over 200 pages left to go. I hired a editor to look over the sequel, whose title I'm not ready to reveal yet, and while they did a fairly thorough edit, I'm going back in to change some stuff and I've gone about 120 pages to editing/rewriting some of that material as well.
In the end, I might drop the 2002 from the titles, because of all the editing and rewriting I've done with both of these books that have changed the style and tone from my more youthful writing in 2002. But both of these books will still remain in the Legends of Arria 2002 series because, at this point, it's going to be difficult to insert them into the main Legends of Arria series. I cannot do that because I'm not certain how some of the older characters will play out, change, or if they might even exist in that other continuity. And I do have some crazy ideas for parallel universes and crossovers between the two series with the different standards and characteristics between them, but that's another story.
As to the 5th volume in the Legends of Arria series, still not quite keen on what title to use, I've written approximately 260 pages, up about 120 pages in the last 6 months or so. I have a fairly good framework for what the story might be, I just have to set it up some more and stitch it together, literally in some cases.
I've kind of veered off and considered an interest in other mediums of writing, but I will try to get back on track with novel writing and dive deeper into that. Thanks again for your consideration.
I have tried in the past to find ways of encouraging and supporting my writing, or to put it a bit more bluntly, present my writing to readers, and after some forays and attempts in these areas, I usually abandon such efforts. It might not be sincere or earnest in those regards and so it is with the blog at times, but perhaps I could be more earnest and sincere with the blog than via other means and methods.
I don't know how to present myself at times and I don't know how other readers might find out about my writing, but other readers have found my work, mostly through Smashwords, and I wonder if these are accidental discoveries, if they stumbled upon my work while searching through Smashwords archives, or if they might read the blog or come to via other means. I can't tell sometimes, and I am curious to find out the truth of the matter here.
I probably shouldn't poke or ask questions about how I got my readers. I am glad to have some readers. But I just want to know if there is anyone who has stumbled across this blog, who read my work, and if the blog helped them to learn about it.
Please comment on this post or in any of the other posts and tell me if this blog has been successful in a certain regard. Or write a review of my work on Smashwords and other sites if you've had a chance to look at it. I am very interested in such comments and reviews, positive, negative, or neutral, and I thank you in any case for writing such a comment or review.
Now progress report, because I haven't been keeping up this blog in over half a year: I've edited 120 pages on the Kirna's Apprentice 2002 with over 200 pages left to go. I hired a editor to look over the sequel, whose title I'm not ready to reveal yet, and while they did a fairly thorough edit, I'm going back in to change some stuff and I've gone about 120 pages to editing/rewriting some of that material as well.
In the end, I might drop the 2002 from the titles, because of all the editing and rewriting I've done with both of these books that have changed the style and tone from my more youthful writing in 2002. But both of these books will still remain in the Legends of Arria 2002 series because, at this point, it's going to be difficult to insert them into the main Legends of Arria series. I cannot do that because I'm not certain how some of the older characters will play out, change, or if they might even exist in that other continuity. And I do have some crazy ideas for parallel universes and crossovers between the two series with the different standards and characteristics between them, but that's another story.
As to the 5th volume in the Legends of Arria series, still not quite keen on what title to use, I've written approximately 260 pages, up about 120 pages in the last 6 months or so. I have a fairly good framework for what the story might be, I just have to set it up some more and stitch it together, literally in some cases.
I've kind of veered off and considered an interest in other mediums of writing, but I will try to get back on track with novel writing and dive deeper into that. Thanks again for your consideration.
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