J.R. Wagner's Blog

Where is Rey?


I attended my first Star Wars trivia night at a local restaurant on Saturday. It turns out, I am not the Star Wars geek I or (everyone else) thought I was.

On a scale of 1-10, 1 being I know that Star Wars exists and George Lucas can't write film dialogue to save his life and a 10 is I am a Wookieepedia frequenter and know that the Temple of Pomojema is located on Circarpous V (yes, I had to look that up), I am a solid 5.

In other words, I got my ass handed to me by real Star Wars nerds. Despite being crushed, it was quite fun.

The new Last Jedi trailer was released Monday. Here it is.



It opens with a voice-over from Snoke (I really, really hate that name.) Kylo Ren is standing at a window overlooking a hanger probably most likely brooding because that's what he is best at.

Walkers!Some super-cool looking ATAT's head toward some mountains followed by a Kylo and a group of stormtrooeper inside said mountain (at least, that's what the editors want us to think).




Vacant Expression
Enter Rey and her voice-over, handing Luke (I cringe at the sight of Mark Hammill pray he got some acting chops since 1983 but his vacant expression here makes me cautiously optimistic at best.) his lightsaber.

Luke mentions seeing raw strength like Rey's (we think) only once before and postulate that he can only be referring to Darth Vader. It cuts to a funeral pyre -no structural fire would have chopped wood stacked so neatly, that hearkens back to the pyre Luke made for Darth Vader on Endor way back in episode XI circa 1983.









THEN, a mechanical hand, virtually identical to the hand Luke has and was shown earlier taking his lightsaber from Rey, reaches out of the fire begging the question, who does that hand belong to? Did Darth Vader wake up to find himself burning alive surrounded by jubilant ewoks having been thought dead by Luke but just in some Jedi deep sleep and, because he is not a fan of burning alive (see episode III), he leaps from the fire and kills every last ewok. One can hope but hope, when it comes to the Star Wars films is fleeting at best.

The hand of Darth Vader?








Luke's Hand










Tie-esque fighter.Back to Kylo Ren flying a Tie-esque fighter (I'm sure the guys at Star Wars trivia night know exactly what it is called) among rebel ships apparently targeting the command deck of his mother's (Princess Leia/ Carrie Fisher) and ultimately killing her, because we know she dies in this episode...although this is likely another form of editorial trickery by Disney.



Stay on target...












Then we see the Millennium Falcon, Chewie (annoying enough in his own right) and this little thing:


stupid thing
Because there aren't enough stupid little comic relief characters in Star Wars already?  Rogue One got it so right and The Force Awakens so wrong. Rogue One had one funny character, K2SO, whose dark humor was well timed and never annoying. The Force Awakens had BB8, a 'character' almost as annoying as Jar-Jar or the ewoks. Now we have this little guy (probably Disney's attempt to kow tow to the younger audience (screw them, Star Wars was mine first). According to THIS article, they are called porgs (ANOTHER terrible name). Ugh.

We see Fin fighting Captain Phasma (Brienne of Tarth for us Game of Thrones fans), a snow fox looking creature (I'd just like to say that virtually every time Star Wars introduces a character with fur, they get it very, very wrong. I can't imagine this being any different.) traipsing across a snowy landscape.

snow fox with frozen ears

Then we see Snope force grabbing Rey (again, possibly just tricky editing for the trailer to lead us to make assumptions that aren't true) then Rey asking for someone to, '...show me my place in all this.' which cuts to Kylo Ren (Tricksy Disney tricks us with its tricksy editing, precious!) implying she is looking to him for guidance (not likely).

I have hope and high expectations but I must exhibit a measure of temperance as well. Force Awakens let me down, Rogue One brought me back up. Where will The Last Jedi take me? Time will tell.

P.S. if you want to see a super-nerdy and cool trailer breakdown, check THIS out.

P.P.S. All images are the sole property of Disney. Yup, they own just about everything.

Nothing!

...hence my lack of posting

Starting a business from scratch is a rather time-consuming endeavor.  It's got nothing to do with me, the author (other than my unexplained absence and a dramatic decrease in writing time) but I certainly owe it to my readers an explanation.

So moving forward I will work hard to stay up to date. If you're interested in learning about what I've been up to, click on the cool logo below. If not, stay tuned!

As part of my Kickstarter campaign celebration, I am offering my previously published works, Exiled and Tristis Manor for FREE on Amazon Starting Thursday March 5th through Monday March 9th.


The link to Exiled is HERE
The link to Tristis Manor is HERE

Both will be available in their digital format for FREE during this time.


Booth books are Young Adult Fantasy novels and part of The Never Chronicles series.  Tristis Manor is a novella based on one of the characters from Exiled and is a darker story about how a child deals with jealousy, abuse and the aftermath of trauma. Tristis Manor may not be appropriate for younger readers without parental oversight.

Exiled Synopsis: 

Stripped of his powers and banished to The Never, James must save himself before he can save his fellow sorcerers from imminent demise. Prophesied by the greatest of all seers to be the sorcerer who would bring an end to the Epoch Terminus—the destruction of his kind—James grew up developing his powers under the watchful eye of his mentor, Akil Karanis. James’s insular world is shattered when he is found guilty of murdering Akil and exiled to The Never, a mysterious and dangerous place reserved for the worst of the worst, a land from which no one returns. Powerless and alone, James quickly learns that the land itself poses a greater threat than its inhabitants. If he is to have any chance of returning to his family, any chance of proving his innocence, any chance of saving his kind, he must survive the dangers and temptations meant to ensnare both body and mind in order to discover what no one else has been able to discover—a way home.

Tristis Manor Synopsis

Margaret lives in a constant state of fear. Fear of her mother, whose constant state of anger and unwillingness to speak of Margaret's past have long since pushed Margaret away. Fear of disappointing her father should he ever discover the events of that day. Most of all, Margaret lives in fear of her abuser's return. Margaret turns to self-harm to cope with her pain and fear. Only when her self-inflicted injuries bring her near death does she realize she has the power and the support from an unlikely place to stand up to her fears and believe in herself again. Tristis Manor is a novella from The Never Chronicles, an epic fantasy series.

Please take the time to check out my Kickstarter campaign if you haven't already.  You can pick up an ADVANCED digital copy of Evasion, book 2 in the series for just $1.00.  Click HERE to check it out.

Finally, if you are unable to contribute to my Kickstarter campaign, please consider sharing it with your friends.  I have pasted 9 easy ways to share below.

Tweet about it by clicking HEREShare it on your Facebook page by clicking HERE (my Facebook page) then click 'share'Forward this email to anyone who may be interested in supporting an author trying to break in to this crazy industry.Follow and share my blog by clicking HEREShare it on Google + by clicking HERE (my Google + page) then click the arrow at the bottom of the postFollow and share my campaign via Instagram by clicking HERE and 'like' my Kickstarter updatesFollow me on Tumblr and share my Kickstarter updates by clicking HEREShare my YouTube video about the project by copying and pasting this link http://youtu.be/SHTvmGGrrxIFinally, share my Kickstarter project page link by copying and pasting this link http://kck.st/1aAVAt9

Thank you all for your support.  I love writing. There is nothing like the feeling of speaking with someone who is as excited about my story as I am. If I can provide a much needed escape or perhaps change someones perspective about the world around them, I count that as a major success.

We are live!

My Kickstarter project has gone live.  CLICK HERE to visit the project page.

Some great reasons to support my project:


You love me (why else would you be on my blog)You love supporting great authors trying to break in to this crazy industry.You've read, and loved my books (or even liked/tolerated ha ha)There are some awesome rewards...such asAn Advanced digital copy of Evasion for only $1.00Tickets to the launch party at Wizard World Comic Con Philly


You can also check out my project video below.





Just as important as visiting my page is not keeping me a secret.  If you do enjoy my work, please share this blog or the link to my Kickstarter page (below) or

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/theneverchronicles/the-launch-of-evasion-a-ya-fantasy-novel


 

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If you follow my blog closely, this post may sound familiar.  Indeed I did launch the project on February 15th but chose to cancel because I wanted to make some modifications and Kickstarter would not allow those modifications to be made while the project was live.

So, the re-launch cometh...

On Saturday, February 28th at 8am my project will go live.
I will post a link to the live project at that time.

Here is the link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/theneverchronicles/the-launch-of-evasion-a-ya-fantasy-novel

Please share and show your support (I would really, really appreciate it.)

Throughout the course of the campaign I will be offering my other publications at discounts (possibly free). Stay tuned.

So it begins. The official launch of my Kickstarter project.


Please check out the project HERE


If you don't know anything about Kickstarter, along with supporting great projects, there are great rewards to be had depending on your level of support.  I've listed a few from my project below.

Many great things will come from the successful funding of this project. Hardcover copies of all of my published works, distribution to thousands of bookstores, a once in a lifetime launch party at Comic Con Philly but the greatest thing will be your vote of confidence coupled with the ability to get out and talk to readers and hopefully provide inspiration.   Being exposed to my work and my enthusiasm about writing could have a profound impact on a reader's life -and isn't that what life is really about? Making a difference?



Rewards:
One digital copy of ExiledOne digital copy of Tristis ManorOne advanced digital copy of Evasion


One ADVANCED SIGNED copy of Evasion (softcover)


One Advanced Signed copy of Evasion (hardcover)


Signed hardcovers of Exiled, Evasion and Tristis Manor

One digital copy of ExiledOne digital copy of Tristis ManorOne advanced digital copy of Evasionsigned hardcovers of Exiled, Evasion and Tristis Manor


Your choice of the Evasion, Exiled or Tristis Manor cover printed on canvas and signed by the author. 20"x30" Thin Gallery Wrap (0.75") Image wrap; image wraps around the sides of the canvas, Standard open back; canvas back is open. Hanging Hardware is included.

Two tickets to the exclusive launch party at Comic Con Philly where you will meet and hang out with the author and receive signed hardcover copies of Evasion, Exiled and Tristis Manor


Two tickets to the exclusive launch party where you will meet and hang out with the author and receive signed hardcover copies of Evasion, Exiled and Tristis Manor. There's more! This reward includes a coach bus ride from the author's home town to the party, which will be held during the Philadelphia ComicCon on May 9th. Included are passes to ComicCon as well as a return bus trip.


A visit to your school or library. The author will travel to your school or local library (within the contiguous 48 States) as part of his nation-wide book tour, personalize and sign copies of Evasion for the classroom/library and chat with the students/patrons about writing.


I'm coming to dinner...and school, library or other venue. The author will travel to you, hang out for a day then visit a school, library or other venue of your choice (within the contiguous 48 States), personalize and sign copies of Evasion for the classroom/library and chat with the students about writing.

At long last...



The cover design of my forthcoming novel, Evasion, is here!


Evasion, the second book in The Never Chronicles series is scheduled to release on April 14, 2015.



The story continues...

In Evasion the story of James, accused of murdering his mentor and banished to The Never, a place where sorcerers are sent once convicted of committing the most terrible crimes, picks up just after the exciting conclusion of book one, Exiled.  James and his friends face a new threat as they attempt to unravel the clues that will lead to their escape.

Evasion is on Kickstarter!

The launch of the Evasion Kickstarter will be on February 15.  This is a great opportunity to get your hands on an ADVANCED signed copy.  Once the campaign goes live, I will share the link. Please check it out.

New posts from my other blog...the technical blog, Writing, Funding, Publishing Just in case you weren't aware that I've split my content...




How to add an ISBN to your book or other published work

How to add a barcode to your book or other published work

Interview with author T. M Brenner about his successful KickStarter campaign.

After much consideration, I have decided that launching my next book, Evasion via crowdfunding through Kickstarter is the best way I can give my readers what they want.  



Why Kickstarter?  Why Crowdfunding?
Several reasons.  1. I am not a full-time writer (and my wife won’t let me tap into our kid’s college fund)2. I don’t have a publisher willing to shell out thousands of dollars on a proper book launch (which includes a print run and associated marketing campaign).3. It gives me complete control of the project which means the ability to give you, the reader, more of what you want.Hardcover (wasn’t available for Exiled or Tristis Manor)Softcover (wasn’t available for Tristis Manor)EbookEven the possibility of an Ebook that allows the reader to chose how they want to read the story. (more later)A proper launch party enabling my supporters the opportunity to attendA book tour (length and breadth contingent upon the success of the campaign, of course)


What is Kickstarter anyway? Kickstarter is kind enough to have a page dedicated to that very question.  Click HERE to view it. https://www.kickstarter.com/hello  In summary, 



Kickstarter is a new way to fund creative projects.Each project is independently created.Together, creators and backers make projects happen.Creators keep 100% ownership of their work.Creative works were funded this way for centuries.Backing a project is more than just giving someone money.Our mission is to help bring creative projects to life.

I have created a campaign that will launch on February 15 and run until March 15. During that time, anyone interested in supporting my campaign can visit my campaign page and become a backer.  There are different rewards for different backer levels.  How does an ADVANCED digital copy of Evasion for $1 sound?

As the campaign progresses, I will update everyone on the campaign status.  There may be booster rewards for reaching certain funding goals.  Booster rewards benefit everyone who has contributed up until the goal is reached and usually means extra goodies for all.
The official release date of Evasion will be April 14th so everyone who backs my project will receive an advanced copy of the book. 

February 1st the cover for Evasion will be revealed. More details and information will follow.  Feel free to sign up for my newsletter below and stay in the loop! 



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Sky Child -T. M. Brenner



If you have read my top ten YA reads for 2014 you would know that Sky Child received honorable mention.  As a fan of supporting other authors trying to  ‘make it’ I often troll crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter searching for writers bold enough to have a go at putting the power of publishing in the hands of supporters.  Not an easy thing for a writer to do by any stretch of the imagination.  Your book is your baby and to toss it out there to the fate of others is a terrifying notion -but that’s exactly what T.M. Brenner did with Sky Child. 
The book sounded promising and when the project funded, I received a signed copy.  It took me under a week to get through Sky Child. It can certainly be considered dystopian but dystopian on a level that thrusts the readers back to the stone age.  The story follows Sam through a series of circumstances that thrust Sam (unwillingly) into a leadership role among the hunters of The Crag (the system of caves where all the survivors live -the only people on earth for all they know). It is a very human story dealing with survival, politics (among the cave dwellers), love, loss and self-discovery.  Sam has adopted two ‘brothers’ and raises them as if they were his/her own children -a unique spin on the typically independent dystopian protagonist. Not only the attachment and vulnerability that comes along with it but the ambiguousness of the sex of the main character, Sam.  It is an easy, quick read with a satisfying conclusion. If you haven’t heard of T.M. Brenner, you will.  Sky Child is well worth a read.

Check out my interview with T.M. Brenner about his Kickstarter campaign HERE

Here is my interview with T. M. Brenner



What were the circumstances surrounding the evolution of Sky Child from idea to novel?
I've been keenly interested in writing a YA Dystopian for some time, and I wanted to write something that would stand out and have meaning. Maybe open some eyes. So I chose a setting that I hadn't been used much before, which was inside a cave. I wanted to avoid revealing the gender of the main character, to open people's eyes to the fact that what's important about the story is the human experience regardless of gender, orientation, etc.
How was writing Sky Child different than Luminaries?
Luminaries was very research intensive. I also spent more time writing it. From start to finish, Luminaries took me two years to finish. Sky Child took me about nine months. Luminaries still needs some major revisions, and I didn't have as much help with it. I was very fortunate to have about a dozen beta readers for Sky Child, and the quality of the final book is in large part due to their efforts. I owe them a huge debt of gratitude. For other authors out there, I highly recommend utilizing as many beta readers as you can.
What books/authors would you consider main influencers when it comes to your writing?

Probably my largest influence is the Ender's Game series of books. I do not agree with many of the author's personal viewpoints, but he has admittedly crafted some of the best stories I've ever read. I will have some similar thematic elements in the Sky Child series, but I am doing my best to make sure that my story is vastly different from the Ender's Game books, even though they are roughly in the same genre.
Who was your favorite character to write?
I really enjoyed writing many characters for different reasons. Helm for his wisdom, Flot for his innocence and Jet for his strength. Ebb for her bravery, and Chaff for his evilness.

Who was your least favorite character to write? (Not necessarily because you disliked the character but because you struggled to write for them -to get in their head, if you know what I mean.)
Sam was by far the most challenging to write. It's very, very difficult, at least for me, to constantly be aware of the fact that I can't reveal Sam's gender. I have a very clear picture in my head of what gender Sam actually is, but to make sure that information doesn't consciously or subconsciously leak out is very difficult. The other thing that made writing Sam so challenging was the limited vocabulary that Sam had access to. Since the Crag only had a dictionary as its source of information, and the people living in the Crag had been removed from civilization for many generations, the language had to be stripped down. I hope readers understand that when they read the book, that there's a reason the language is terse. It's deliberate, and necessary.
How often do you write?
Multiple times a day, generally. I spend time in the morning before work (I also have a day job currently), during lunch breaks, sometimes before bed. Sometimes for longer stretches during the weekends. I thankfully love writing, and it's very easy for me to be motivated to keep at it.
How many revisions did Sky Child go through before you were ready to publish?
I had my first draft that I went over on my own with a fine tooth comb. Unfortunately some of the teeth were bent. Then I handed it off to my editor/fiancee, and she had a few qualms with the story, specifically the ending. So I completely re-worked the ending, and I think it is now the best part of the story. I can point to it as the thing I think most readers will find interesting and enjoy. Once I got her suggestions back and implemented them, I sent it off to a dozen beta readers. Their feedback was invaluable as well. I made their suggested changes then sent it back to my fiancee for final cleanup. Sky Child honestly wouldn't be currently sitting at 5-stars on Amazon right now if it wasn't for the efforts of those amazing people.
Why self publish?
Finding an agent is a lot like dating. You have to find one that is not only right for you, but you have to find one where you're right for them. I've only queried a handful of agents, but I haven't found the right one yet. They were all wonderful agents, but for one reason or another, I haven't made that connection yet. I'm hoping to eventually move into traditional publishing, but for the time being, the important thing is getting my name out there. Self-publishing has been wonderful for that, as I can put just about any story I want to tell out there, and have readers enjoy what I've worked hard to craft. I have complete control, which is wonderful, and no set deadlines.
What other genres interest you from a writing perspective?
Murder mysteries, paranormal, steam punk, detective/noir. Pretty much anything clever that really makes me think.
What do you read?
I don't often get to read, sadly. Part of it is that I enjoy writing so much that I spend my free time writing instead of reading. Recently though I've read the Maze Runner books, Hunger Games series, and the first few books in the Kim Harrison/Rachel Morgan series. Traditionally I read a lot of Dean Koontz, Ender's Game books, some Stephen King, Hemingway, and up until a few years ago I read a lot of comic books.
Craziest thing that’s ever happened to you.
A relative won a sizable jackpot in the lottery. Can't say who it was or how much though. Either that, or meeting Bruce Campbell in person. It was pretty surreal.
Any unusual talents?
I play a mean kazoo. I can do about 100 impressions, 50 of which you can actually tell who they're supposed to be, and about 5 that really genuinely sound like who they're imitating. I can also balance 16 quarters on my elbow, and in one swift motion drop them and catch them in mid-air with my hand. Other than that, I pretty much just have usual talents.
Tell me about your family.
I'm really fortunate to have the family that I do. Wonderful, caring and generous people. I owe a lot to them, and their love and support.
Did you go to school to become a writer?
Writing fiction was about as different from what I studied as you can get. I have a degree in Computer Science, believe it or not. I started out as a double-major, art being the second one, but I figured it'd be difficult making a living at it. I'm also sort of glad that I wasn't an English major, because I think I might have burnt out on the writing experience if all I did was focus on writing. The other thing was I didn't really discover how much I loved writing until I'd been out of college for five or six years.
What do you do to pay the bills?
I'm a software developer for a really great company that produces safety software. It matters a lot to me that the software I work on helps protect people and save lives. I'm fortunate that I've been able to work there as long as I have.
Favorite fictional character?
That's a tough one. I'd say Stephen Colbert's fake persona on the Colbert Report, Ender from Ender's game, Darth Vader, or Red from the Shawshank Redemption movie. I know that's an insane mashup of very different characters, but they all resonate with me for different reasons.
Mac or PC?
Definitely PC. I respect Macs for the things they're good at, but I prefer PC.
Are you a fan of The Walking Dead?
I enjoyed the first episode, but didn't end up getting into it. I enjoy zomedies, like Zombieland, Shaun of the Dead and Warm Bodies a bit more than hardcore zombie stories.Will JJ Abrams salvage the floundering Star Wars franchise or send it into a death spiral?
I think he's got a very good shot at making them memorable. He did a brilliant job with Star Trek, and I guess the biggest thing he'll need to accomplish is to make Star Wars stand out from Star Trek, so that they feel like two different universes. He definitely has a signature style, which I think will work wonderfully with Star Wars. He has one of the most difficult jobs on the planet, as there are so many people that loved the original trilogy and will settle for nothing less than brilliance. If he doesn't succeed, he could alienate a lot of his fans.
John Snow or Jamie Lanister?
Snow. The whole sister thing puts me off my kibble.
With the uprise of self-publishing Where is the role of ‘traditional’ publishing headed? Will literary agents be around in ten years?
I think that you'll see a balance eventually happen. Traditional publishing helps filter out a lot of the difficult-to-market stories, stories that might not have mass appeal, and provides the casual reader with a smaller set of stories to choose from. There's quite a few casual readers out there. For the people that devour books like they were Crispy Cremes, it's wonderful that they can read self-published stories that can be just as good as their traditionally published counterparts, but may not have the mass appeal that the industry views as marketable. So I feel that both traditional and self-publishing will continue existing, and hopefully thriving.
Is self publishing good or bad for the industry? Why?
I think it's changing the industry, for better or worse. I think it's allowed a number of very talented authors to get their books out there, who otherwise wouldn't have a voice. I think that's important; that people can share their stories with the world. Competition is almost always a positive, as it forces us to work harder to achieve our goals.
What, if anything, are you writing at the moment?
I'm hard at work on the sequel to Sky Child, which I'm tentatively titling 'Sky Machine'. It's a bit of a departure from the first one, and I'm interested to see people's reaction to finding out what's really going on in the world that Sam lives in. I'm trying to let readers make assumptions, and then hopefully show them that what they believed may not be right.
Where can we find you online?
I have a blog at www.tmbrenner.com and a list of all the people that have helped out with Sky Child. I call them my 'Sky Children', and I hope to add many more people to the list.


Where can we purchase Sky Child?

Through Amazon as a Kindle eBook HERE

Through Barnes & Noble as a Nook eBook HERE

And as a Paperback through Amazon HERE