Ask the Author: G.J. Kelly
Answered Questions (22)
G.J. Kelly
Thanks Kelly! I hope you enjoy the read, and that it's been worth the wait. New series next year!
Happy Christmas to you!
Happy Christmas to you!
G.J. Kelly
Sake, no peace for the wicked eh? Pol only went out at the end of July! : )
Hi Kelly... Glad to see you're well and weathering 'the troubles'. Christmas, maybe, or possibly the New Year, if'n we're all lucky. Book Five is inching towards the end of the first draft, and then of course there are my own re-reads/re-writes and polishing/editing on the fly before the draft wings its way over to the editing team. In all honesty, I can't say for certain, since it's not just my own time I have to guesstimate where production is concerned. Glad you liked Pol, he's not such a bad chap for a chiselling rogue! Thanks for the question, keep well! : )
Hi Kelly... Glad to see you're well and weathering 'the troubles'. Christmas, maybe, or possibly the New Year, if'n we're all lucky. Book Five is inching towards the end of the first draft, and then of course there are my own re-reads/re-writes and polishing/editing on the fly before the draft wings its way over to the editing team. In all honesty, I can't say for certain, since it's not just my own time I have to guesstimate where production is concerned. Glad you liked Pol, he's not such a bad chap for a chiselling rogue! Thanks for the question, keep well! : )
G.J. Kelly
Sorry Peta, no end in sight yet. I started writing Book 4 towards the end of January this year (2020), so it'll only be around 3 months work in progress come the end of April. Even if the first draft were to be finished today (which it certainly won't be!) there's the unknown quantity of the editing team's time to factor in. Given that everyone involved in the production process is spread across two continents and all of us under covid restrictions, I'm not even going to guess at when Book 4 will be available (though personally I'd hope for a summer release).
The wordcount for Bk4 currently stands at a shade under 150k and there's still some considerable way to go! (Could be worse though. I understand GRR Martin fans had to wait between 2 and 6 years for books in his series to come out).
The wordcount for Bk4 currently stands at a shade under 150k and there's still some considerable way to go! (Could be worse though. I understand GRR Martin fans had to wait between 2 and 6 years for books in his series to come out).
G.J. Kelly
Interesting questions!
Simplest one first: Hagai, being a dwarf, can't possess the half-Sight because the Sight is an Elven trait only. Any of the three races of Man might be born wizards, but only elves (or in Argo's and his sister's case, half-elves) may possess the Sight.
Yes, it was Sten who passed the Light of Mor Benn to Corax (and thence via Corax to the surviving wizards in the refuge at Threlland). Allazar's role in the Entikan's grand scheme of things was always to serve Gawain and Elayeen, and by standing in the Circles of Raheen with them, to imbue their children with wizardry. Yes, the circles elevated Allazar's powers and filled him with the knowledge of the Pangoricon, but his 'job' effectively ended with his teaching Argovayne the use of mystic weapons and getting him safely to his 18th birthday. The Shi'ell is 'the next generation', and thus the Light of Mor Benn is lit in Argo's friend Stentennen, not in G'wain's friend Allazar. Make sense? I hope so! :-)
Simplest one first: Hagai, being a dwarf, can't possess the half-Sight because the Sight is an Elven trait only. Any of the three races of Man might be born wizards, but only elves (or in Argo's and his sister's case, half-elves) may possess the Sight.
Yes, it was Sten who passed the Light of Mor Benn to Corax (and thence via Corax to the surviving wizards in the refuge at Threlland). Allazar's role in the Entikan's grand scheme of things was always to serve Gawain and Elayeen, and by standing in the Circles of Raheen with them, to imbue their children with wizardry. Yes, the circles elevated Allazar's powers and filled him with the knowledge of the Pangoricon, but his 'job' effectively ended with his teaching Argovayne the use of mystic weapons and getting him safely to his 18th birthday. The Shi'ell is 'the next generation', and thus the Light of Mor Benn is lit in Argo's friend Stentennen, not in G'wain's friend Allazar. Make sense? I hope so! :-)
G.J. Kelly
Thanks Peta! I hope you enjoy the rest of the series, and the follow-on, "The Shi'ell". After that there's The Six Concentrics, which'll be completed soon! :)
G.J. Kelly
Hi Kimmy, thanks for your question, and my apologies for the delay in answering you; I've been away from home visiting relatives and only returned home today.
Regarding The Shi'ell series, I don't currently have any plans for a Book 6. "Cometh the Scythesman" was always intended to be the final chapter of the Longsword/Shi'ell saga, closing with everyone's destiny held firmly in their own hands. It's always possible that one day I might catch up with Argo and Kam again, but I'm currently in the middle of writing Book Four of "The Six Concentrics". If you haven't read "Hurna's Blade" yet (book one), I hope you'll be tempted!
Thanks again for your question, and for taking the time to write. All the best for 2018!
Regarding The Shi'ell series, I don't currently have any plans for a Book 6. "Cometh the Scythesman" was always intended to be the final chapter of the Longsword/Shi'ell saga, closing with everyone's destiny held firmly in their own hands. It's always possible that one day I might catch up with Argo and Kam again, but I'm currently in the middle of writing Book Four of "The Six Concentrics". If you haven't read "Hurna's Blade" yet (book one), I hope you'll be tempted!
Thanks again for your question, and for taking the time to write. All the best for 2018!
G.J. Kelly
More than three million words, twenty six novels, all that time sitting at the keyboard. I checked the online reports; no sales again today.
G.J. Kelly
Firstly, thanks for asking :)
Secondly, editing of Book 3 is progressing steadily, and I'd estimate it's about 2/3 done now. It's a big book, as were the first two in the series, and editing's not something I'd want rushed. I do get comments on the draft sent through to me almost daily, mostly it's the proofreader with typos that need correcting, but I confess I've had to rewrite some chunks of text in line with the editor's blue pencil and the power of its mystic commands.
I've not been idle in between times though, and have been pressing ahead with Book 4 while I'm not incorporating amendments on the third tome. Oops, spoiler... there will be a Book 4!
As for Ben's mantra and Hurna's lore helping you here in the real world, I'm so glad you shared that, thank you! I seldom receive feedback from readers, so it's quite astonishing to learn that my writing has had a beneficial effect beyond simple entertainment value in someone else's life. I really hope it keeps helping!
Thanks again, and I'll post a 'New Release' notice here on my Goodreads blog when Book 3 goes online. Hopefully it won't be too much longer now :)
Secondly, editing of Book 3 is progressing steadily, and I'd estimate it's about 2/3 done now. It's a big book, as were the first two in the series, and editing's not something I'd want rushed. I do get comments on the draft sent through to me almost daily, mostly it's the proofreader with typos that need correcting, but I confess I've had to rewrite some chunks of text in line with the editor's blue pencil and the power of its mystic commands.
I've not been idle in between times though, and have been pressing ahead with Book 4 while I'm not incorporating amendments on the third tome. Oops, spoiler... there will be a Book 4!
As for Ben's mantra and Hurna's lore helping you here in the real world, I'm so glad you shared that, thank you! I seldom receive feedback from readers, so it's quite astonishing to learn that my writing has had a beneficial effect beyond simple entertainment value in someone else's life. I really hope it keeps helping!
Thanks again, and I'll post a 'New Release' notice here on my Goodreads blog when Book 3 goes online. Hopefully it won't be too much longer now :)
G.J. Kelly
Hi, thanks for your question and for taking the time to write.
At the moment, the first two volumes of the Six Concentrics are enrolled in Amazon's KDP Select program, which makes them 'exclusive' to Amazon Kindle format or in paperback via Amazon (or direct from CreateSpace).
However, Hurna's Blade (Book One) is due to be taken out of the program and published for other channels and platforms on September 29th 2017.
Hurna's Hand (Book Two) must remain 'exclusive' to Amazon until October 23rd 2017.
Book Three will go into the KDP Select program at publication and will probably not be available on other channels until January of next year (2018).
I don't know what hardware platform you're using to read e-books, but I do know that Amazon provides a free 'kindle reader' app for PC, Mac, Android, and iOS, which allows people to purchase and read e-books from Amazon. (I use both an iPad and an android tablet with the Kindle App to check for any formatting issues prior to releasing a title, in addition to my old Kindle Keyboard, and the apps are pretty good).
If you have a tablet, laptop, or read e-books on a phone, you might consider installing the free Kindle App to give you access to Kindle content? Obviously that won't be appropriate if you're using an e-reader like a Nook or a Kobo.
I'm sorry if the recent Kindle 'exclusivity' was frustrating for you, but to be perfectly honest I do make a few extra pennies from the 'borrow' of a book in the KDP Select program than I do from an outright sale; there's only so much "suffering for one's art" a fellow can do before a diet of boiled rice and tomato ketchup results in a form of writer's block best not mentioned in polite company...
Hope this helps!
At the moment, the first two volumes of the Six Concentrics are enrolled in Amazon's KDP Select program, which makes them 'exclusive' to Amazon Kindle format or in paperback via Amazon (or direct from CreateSpace).
However, Hurna's Blade (Book One) is due to be taken out of the program and published for other channels and platforms on September 29th 2017.
Hurna's Hand (Book Two) must remain 'exclusive' to Amazon until October 23rd 2017.
Book Three will go into the KDP Select program at publication and will probably not be available on other channels until January of next year (2018).
I don't know what hardware platform you're using to read e-books, but I do know that Amazon provides a free 'kindle reader' app for PC, Mac, Android, and iOS, which allows people to purchase and read e-books from Amazon. (I use both an iPad and an android tablet with the Kindle App to check for any formatting issues prior to releasing a title, in addition to my old Kindle Keyboard, and the apps are pretty good).
If you have a tablet, laptop, or read e-books on a phone, you might consider installing the free Kindle App to give you access to Kindle content? Obviously that won't be appropriate if you're using an e-reader like a Nook or a Kobo.
I'm sorry if the recent Kindle 'exclusivity' was frustrating for you, but to be perfectly honest I do make a few extra pennies from the 'borrow' of a book in the KDP Select program than I do from an outright sale; there's only so much "suffering for one's art" a fellow can do before a diet of boiled rice and tomato ketchup results in a form of writer's block best not mentioned in polite company...
Hope this helps!
G.J. Kelly
Hi Adrian, thanks for your question and for taking the time to post it.
Book 2 of the Six Concentrics was released on April 26th this year, a little less than seven weeks ago. It's too early to say when Book 3 will be released, but I'm hoping it'll be well before Christmas. At this very early stage in the book's development, it really is impossible for me to be any more precise. (I'm just about to start writing Chapter 27, if that's any help!). Thanks again, hope you'll think it's worth the wait when it's finally ready!
Book 2 of the Six Concentrics was released on April 26th this year, a little less than seven weeks ago. It's too early to say when Book 3 will be released, but I'm hoping it'll be well before Christmas. At this very early stage in the book's development, it really is impossible for me to be any more precise. (I'm just about to start writing Chapter 27, if that's any help!). Thanks again, hope you'll think it's worth the wait when it's finally ready!
G.J. Kelly
Nick and Nora Charles, as epitomised by William Powell and Myrna Loy in the 'The Thin Man' movie (an adaptation of a Dashiell Hammet novel).
They simply sparkled together. if you haven't seen 'The Thin Man', do; they are truly wonderful together, and there's a reason they went on to make 14 movies together (including the six films in 'The Thin Man' franchise).
They simply sparkled together. if you haven't seen 'The Thin Man', do; they are truly wonderful together, and there's a reason they went on to make 14 movies together (including the six films in 'The Thin Man' franchise).
G.J. Kelly
Thanks! Yes I do understand that coming to the end of a series is something of a wrench; probably worse for me as their 'father' or 'creator'. Personally I like to think Argo is still sharing pies and pints with his friends there at that table in The Orb's Ending, the assembled company listening agog to tales of their adventures. They all deserve their rest, after all.
As for Ben and Paj, I fear they're still suffering and will continue so to do for some time yet. I'm about halfway through the first draft of the second book (as a rough estimate). Then of course there'll be the editing... I'll try to give an estimate of release date nearer the time, here or on my blog/author page. The author page on Amazon is http://amazon.com/author/gjk and any new blog posts should appear there as well as here.
Nice catch with Ben's name, by the way, and yes indeed, our master hunter isn't the same 'Benmello Glimmerwit' from the ballad sung by Melany-Gwynne o' the Hearth (though lately he rather wishes he was!) :)
As for Ben and Paj, I fear they're still suffering and will continue so to do for some time yet. I'm about halfway through the first draft of the second book (as a rough estimate). Then of course there'll be the editing... I'll try to give an estimate of release date nearer the time, here or on my blog/author page. The author page on Amazon is http://amazon.com/author/gjk and any new blog posts should appear there as well as here.
Nice catch with Ben's name, by the way, and yes indeed, our master hunter isn't the same 'Benmello Glimmerwit' from the ballad sung by Melany-Gwynne o' the Hearth (though lately he rather wishes he was!) :)
G.J. Kelly
Hi Piotr, and thanks for the question. You're not the only one to have asked about a continuation of the Shi'ell series; here's what I said in answer to the last query concerning "Cometh The Scythesman" and the Shi'ell:
"Alas, it was always intended to be the final chapter of the Longsword/Shi'ell saga; I don't have any current plans to continue the story 'in the darkness beyond which none can see'. Everyone's destiny is now in their own hands, and like Tales of Wonder, Wit and Wisdom, it's nice to think that by keeping the book closed, the characters can go about their lives in relative peace. :) But who's to say that one day I might not catch up with Argovayne et al again? For now, though, I've already begun work on a new book, with new characters, set in an entirely different 'world' to the Longsword/Shi'ell series."
I've already released "Hurna's Blade", and I'm currently about halfway through the first draft of the second part of that story (I took a break from writing at Christmas but have picked up the pen again now!). If you haven't read "Hurna's Blade" I hope you might be tempted so to do!
Thanks again for the question, and all the best for the New Year.
"Alas, it was always intended to be the final chapter of the Longsword/Shi'ell saga; I don't have any current plans to continue the story 'in the darkness beyond which none can see'. Everyone's destiny is now in their own hands, and like Tales of Wonder, Wit and Wisdom, it's nice to think that by keeping the book closed, the characters can go about their lives in relative peace. :) But who's to say that one day I might not catch up with Argovayne et al again? For now, though, I've already begun work on a new book, with new characters, set in an entirely different 'world' to the Longsword/Shi'ell series."
I've already released "Hurna's Blade", and I'm currently about halfway through the first draft of the second part of that story (I took a break from writing at Christmas but have picked up the pen again now!). If you haven't read "Hurna's Blade" I hope you might be tempted so to do!
Thanks again for the question, and all the best for the New Year.
G.J. Kelly
Hi Kelly, thank you for your kind words about 'Cometh The Scythesman'. Alas, it was always intended to be the final chapter of the Longsword/Shi'ell saga; I don't have any current plans to continue the story 'in the darkness beyond which none can see'. Everyone's destiny is now in their own hands, and like Tales of Wonder, Wit and Wisdom, it's nice to think that by keeping the book closed, the characters can go about their lives in relative peace. :) But who's to say that one day I might not catch up with Argovayne et al again? For now, though, I've already begun work on a new book, with new characters, set in an entirely different 'world' to the Longsword/Shi'ell series.
As for Sten's age, it's true I've been deliberately vague concerning ages of the D'ith and the Viell. In King of Ashes, for example, Allazar declares to Gawain on Tarn Point: "You cannot possibly know how old I truly am." He also says that even he is considered 'young' by the senior brethren at the Hallencloister. Much is deliberately left to the reader's imagination, for that's where stories truly come alive, and where characters live out their lives. In my own mind, Sten is younger than Allazar, but older than Met Corax; Sten is a Master of Sek after all. When all's said and done, the vision you have of Stentennen in your imagination is as true as mine or anyone else's :)
Y'know, age is a relative quality past a certain point; I still think of myself as a dashing young fellow until I bend over to tie a shoelace, and then the full horror of the passage of time makes itself keenly felt!
As for Sten's age, it's true I've been deliberately vague concerning ages of the D'ith and the Viell. In King of Ashes, for example, Allazar declares to Gawain on Tarn Point: "You cannot possibly know how old I truly am." He also says that even he is considered 'young' by the senior brethren at the Hallencloister. Much is deliberately left to the reader's imagination, for that's where stories truly come alive, and where characters live out their lives. In my own mind, Sten is younger than Allazar, but older than Met Corax; Sten is a Master of Sek after all. When all's said and done, the vision you have of Stentennen in your imagination is as true as mine or anyone else's :)
Y'know, age is a relative quality past a certain point; I still think of myself as a dashing young fellow until I bend over to tie a shoelace, and then the full horror of the passage of time makes itself keenly felt!
G.J. Kelly
To be honest, I grew up on a diet of sci-fi for the most part, and this continued in school where you simply had to be seen reading Asimov, and of course Frank Herbert's Dune. If you were reading Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, Aldous Huxley, or John Wyndham you weren't quite so in with the in-crowd, but not altogether 'out with the plebs' either, until Charrière's 'Papillon' came out; for some bizarre reason that book was de rigueur after the movie was released. Not my cup of tea though.
My first foray into fantasy was Terry Brooks' "The Sword of Shannara" which I stole from my brother; he's older than me and had more pocket money to spend on books than I did in those days so I read his when he'd finished. Alas he ventured off into horror and the occult with Dennis Wheatley's books, which didn't do much for me.
These days I don't read a great deal of modern fiction and I try to steer clear of reading other fantasy writers' work, in hopes that my style or stories won't be influenced by theirs (subconsciously or otherwise). Plus, I'm usually too busy writing or researching, and my tastes are rather more eclectic now than once they were (age, y'know). By way of example:
The last book I read on my Kindle was "A Journal of the Plague Year" by Daniel Defoe, which I found a little disturbing given how easy it is to imagine such events (and reactions to them) happening today. Prior to that, I read Conan-Doyle's complete Sherlock Holmes, 'Stradivarius' by Toby Faber, and 'Adventures in the Rifle Brigade' by Captain J.Kincaid.
I know this is probably not the answer you expected or perhaps were hoping for! My advice, for what it's worth, is to keep your horizons broad, and don't be afraid to venture down those less-travelled paths and alleyways; sometimes gems are to be found there in amongst the broken bottles and doggy-dollops. :)
My first foray into fantasy was Terry Brooks' "The Sword of Shannara" which I stole from my brother; he's older than me and had more pocket money to spend on books than I did in those days so I read his when he'd finished. Alas he ventured off into horror and the occult with Dennis Wheatley's books, which didn't do much for me.
These days I don't read a great deal of modern fiction and I try to steer clear of reading other fantasy writers' work, in hopes that my style or stories won't be influenced by theirs (subconsciously or otherwise). Plus, I'm usually too busy writing or researching, and my tastes are rather more eclectic now than once they were (age, y'know). By way of example:
The last book I read on my Kindle was "A Journal of the Plague Year" by Daniel Defoe, which I found a little disturbing given how easy it is to imagine such events (and reactions to them) happening today. Prior to that, I read Conan-Doyle's complete Sherlock Holmes, 'Stradivarius' by Toby Faber, and 'Adventures in the Rifle Brigade' by Captain J.Kincaid.
I know this is probably not the answer you expected or perhaps were hoping for! My advice, for what it's worth, is to keep your horizons broad, and don't be afraid to venture down those less-travelled paths and alleyways; sometimes gems are to be found there in amongst the broken bottles and doggy-dollops. :)
G.J. Kelly
With patience and many hammers, even the Teeth may be breached. :)
I can't say much about Book 5 other than the first draft is now up to Chapter 40, and there's still some way to go before it gets sent off for editing.
I do understand why readers may find the ending to TDA frustrating and emotive, and I do confess I find readers' impatience waiting for Book 5 a little flattering, since it suggests I might've done a good job with the previous books in the series.
I hope you'll trust me when I say it all makes perfect sense in the grand scheme of things, and that you'll think Book 5 worth the wait when it's released.
You've no idea how much of a struggle it is not to say any more, but knowing that if I do I might 'spoil' it for others, I shan't. And as Hagai might say: there, I didn't.
I can't say much about Book 5 other than the first draft is now up to Chapter 40, and there's still some way to go before it gets sent off for editing.
I do understand why readers may find the ending to TDA frustrating and emotive, and I do confess I find readers' impatience waiting for Book 5 a little flattering, since it suggests I might've done a good job with the previous books in the series.
I hope you'll trust me when I say it all makes perfect sense in the grand scheme of things, and that you'll think Book 5 worth the wait when it's released.
You've no idea how much of a struggle it is not to say any more, but knowing that if I do I might 'spoil' it for others, I shan't. And as Hagai might say: there, I didn't.
G.J. Kelly
Hi Kelly, thanks for the question!
Alas, pretty much the only answer I can give for now is that I'm hoping Book 5 of The Shi'ell will be released this side of the darkness beyond which none can see...
If it's any help, I'm about halfway through the first draft of Chapter 11 at the moment. I'll come back and update this question in the weeks to come if you like, but not even the D'ith Vaticinator or Shitheen Issilene could give you an accurate publishing forecast at this early stage in the book's development. Sorry! Glad you're still so engaged with the series though, and thanks again for asking. :)
Alas, pretty much the only answer I can give for now is that I'm hoping Book 5 of The Shi'ell will be released this side of the darkness beyond which none can see...
If it's any help, I'm about halfway through the first draft of Chapter 11 at the moment. I'll come back and update this question in the weeks to come if you like, but not even the D'ith Vaticinator or Shitheen Issilene could give you an accurate publishing forecast at this early stage in the book's development. Sorry! Glad you're still so engaged with the series though, and thanks again for asking. :)
G.J. Kelly
Hi Raymonne, thanks for taking the time to comment and for asking a question. I'm glad you enjoyed the Longsword Chronicles; it's really something of a compliment that you've read the series several times, and I appreciate it. I hope you do decide to continue the saga with The Shi'ell, there were many 'loose ends' left undone at the conclusion of "Worms' Ending' after all.
Alas, there've been a number of issues with the Google Play bookstore (not the least of which is it being closed to 'new registrations' at the time of writing), and historically the system for submitting ebooks to that platform was problematic, complicated, and time-consuming (in my experience anyway).
My books are available on the other major platforms as you probably already know, but if you're specifically looking for the .pdf or epub format (which I believe are still Google Play's output formats) you might wish to try Smashwords, where those formats (and others) are also available for purchase and download for multiple devices.
Sorry about Google Play. Hope this answers your question, and thanks again for asking.
Alas, there've been a number of issues with the Google Play bookstore (not the least of which is it being closed to 'new registrations' at the time of writing), and historically the system for submitting ebooks to that platform was problematic, complicated, and time-consuming (in my experience anyway).
My books are available on the other major platforms as you probably already know, but if you're specifically looking for the .pdf or epub format (which I believe are still Google Play's output formats) you might wish to try Smashwords, where those formats (and others) are also available for purchase and download for multiple devices.
Sorry about Google Play. Hope this answers your question, and thanks again for asking.
G.J. Kelly
Thanks for the question, and for taking the time to write! :)
Travak is mentioned by name in a passing reference in Chapter 14, Book 1 of The Shi'ell, the inference being that he's no stranger to Last Ridings. Great that you picked up on it!
I'm always keenly aware that other readers may have only just started out on King of Ashes, and for that reason I try not to give much away, even this far ahead in the series, so I'm not going to say 'arr' or 'narr' at this juncture. Sorry!
On the plus side, files for Book 4 of The Shi'ell are set to go up on Amazon tomorrow (December 1st), and I'm hoping that the book will be 'live' by the end of the day. Hope you enjoy it!
Travak is mentioned by name in a passing reference in Chapter 14, Book 1 of The Shi'ell, the inference being that he's no stranger to Last Ridings. Great that you picked up on it!
I'm always keenly aware that other readers may have only just started out on King of Ashes, and for that reason I try not to give much away, even this far ahead in the series, so I'm not going to say 'arr' or 'narr' at this juncture. Sorry!
On the plus side, files for Book 4 of The Shi'ell are set to go up on Amazon tomorrow (December 1st), and I'm hoping that the book will be 'live' by the end of the day. Hope you enjoy it!
G.J. Kelly
Hi Piotr,
Thanks for the question, and for your interest in the series. I've planned for a December 2015 release for Book 4, but as it stands at the moment it's possible that publication might slip to January. Hope that helps!
Thanks for the question, and for your interest in the series. I've planned for a December 2015 release for Book 4, but as it stands at the moment it's possible that publication might slip to January. Hope that helps!
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