As of today, people, Lies and Allies is ready for pre-order, plus the accompanying swag items. That phrase makes me think about Chris Farley for whatever reason. Which, in turn, makes me think of Beverly Hills Ninja. And that, consequently, just makes me sad, so let’s slap on our Vermin Supreme inspired boot hats and talk about Lies and Allies. 

I’ve been away for a few weeks, though not by choice. Getting back online took FOREVER. The first guy we hired had personal issues within his family, which meant he couldn’t finish the project as promised. The second guy, though, ended up being a blast to work with, and I found someone to keep on board long term, so it came out as a win-win.

Long story short, ta-daaaaa. You’re looking at a newly redesigned website, complete with all kinds of fun knick-knacks. So, with that out of the way, let’s get down to the brass tacks.

Side note: I just spent fifteen minutes or thereabout researching the origin of the idiom “brass tacks.” If you’re as ADD as I am, this is the link.

In the last three weeks, I went through Bourbon Street Hell, complete with a red-horned Billy Bob Thorton strolling the sidelines, twirling his mustache. I could probably create a blog solely on the debaucheries I saw and sometimes participated in, but that’s a topic for another day.

More importantly (I think), I’ve been getting some book stuff out of the way. Sitting next to me, stacked next to the stove – probably not the best place, but whatever – I have a nearly-literal ton of coffee mugs, art prints, bookmarks, and postcards. Lies and Allies is a month and a half from becoming a reality, so now is the time to catch you up.

Storytime:

A little over a year ago, I released the YA fantasy book Fallen Victors. At the time, I was happy with it. I thought it was an enjoyable read with some problems, and the reviews on Amazon and Goodreads validated that thought. However, since I really want to do this writing thing for the long-term, I decided that my best option would be to break into the Adult Fantasy World.

Thing is, Adult Fantasy is a tough nut. Fans already have their chosen favorites, and it takes forever to win them over. While you’re trying your best to batten down their walls, they’re intent on tearing you apart. To really succeed in Adult Fantasy, you need better than a good read. You need excellence. And not only excellence, but continued excellence, which starts with a strong foundation.

If you don’t know, I’m an indie author. I pay for everything myself. And, straight up, I didn’t have enough money to do everything I wanted to Fallen Victors the first time around. Consequently, the bookk had its flaws, no denying it. Is that an excuse? Maybe. But it’s the truth.

So I had two choices:

Finish the trilogy as YA and attempt to ride the wave.
Take the book, revamp it the best I could, and re-release it as an Adult Fantasy novel.

I, obviously, went with the second option.

Why? Because, simply, Fallen Victors wouldn’t cut it in the Adult Fantasy genre. Its weak points were too glaring, it was in need of a good copyedit or two, not to mention a proofreading polish, and there were plot holes that, while I could get away with them in YA, would get blasted in a more demanding genre. In short, it needed an overhaul.

So that’s what I did. I kept my original content editor, hired a new cover designer and a copyeditor, along with a third-party consultant for genre-specific details, and we went back to the drawing board. Below is what we produced.

Lies and Allies Synopsis:

Prolifia is restless. With its military disbanded, mercenaries are the only thing standing between the Kingdom and its expanding neighbors. Civilians whisper words of rebellion, and cities are no longer considered safe. As the taxes rise to meet the Crown’s demand, the peoples’ faith in their rulers falters, leaving the King and Queen vulnerable to attack.

Moved to action by a masked figure with promises of love and power, an unlikely band of misfits is gathered. A former general, who desires not only to protect the people he cares for but the kingdom itself. A disgraced Priestess, who rose from the streets and attempts to grasp power over her life at any opportunity. A mercenary, who desires the return of a much beloved friend. And a prisoner, a Blessed, who wishes only for freedom.

Their task? To kill the King and Queen, making way for the Prince to take the throne.

With the Queen’s spies at every turn and the looming shadow of the Cao Fen religion, they must learn first to work together to fulfill their mission.

But, will they be remembered as heroes, or villains?

Cool Tidbits (Aka, loot or swag):

There are a few things that you can buy with Lies and Allies. I provide a miniature description below, along with images.

Bookmarks, six in all, with a quotation from each of the main characters (Note: if you want a specific character, make sure to write that in the order notes).

Signed and dedicated book (once you order your book, it gives you the option of inputting a unique dedication, which I will follow when I’m signing everything).

Here’s a look at it.

An art print, created to be framed and hung on a wall

And a 13oz coffee mug, bigger than life and twice as sweet.

All of these things you can get from our online store. And, because I love you, most of them are free. For instance, all you’re paying for if you buy the coffee mug, book, and bookmark (package #2, The Jitterbug) is the actual book, plus shipping and handling. Pretty sweet deal, I think.

Take a look at everything. Hopefully you find something up your alley.

Bonus: Free Chapters:

Just for giggles, the first five chapters of Lies and Allies are available for free in PDF format. If you’re unsure whether or not you want to spend the money on me, give those a read first. That link can be found on the home page.

Changes to Lies and Allies:

Lies and Allies is a revamping of Fallen Victors. We’ve already cleared that up. But how, specifically, is it different? Below is a conveniently bulleted list of differences between the two books. They are, in a word, significant.

Fallen Victors was 89,000 words (ish). Lies and Allies is a little over 110,000 words (again, ish). So right there, you have a 21,000 word increase, which is something like 24% or thereabout. Basically, you get lengthier chapters along with additional, never-before-read chapters.
Lies and Allies is heavily copyedited. If you read a few of the reviews for Fallen Victors on Amazon, you’ll note one or two mentioning grammatical/metaphorical errors. They were right. To address that, I hired a great copyeditor to go through Lies and Allies, the old chapters and the new, so there is no more of that distracting nonsense.
New cover. This may seem obvious, but the cover of Lies and Allies is completely different from its predecessor. We hired an actual artist to do our book designing rather than a graphic designer, and it resulted in something both unconventional and, I think, rather fetching.
New back cover blurb. This might seem small, but this new one does a better job of capturing the central concept of Lies and Allies while still giving a nod to its character-based origins.
Swag items and loot. We now have a coffee mug, bookmarks, and art prints that were created by our artist. These are all entirely new and original.
More and different people die than the original, although some stay the same, which heavily affects the plots and writings of books two and three.
The Blessed and Cao Fen mythologies are both beefed up, giving you more insights into two of Prolifia’s major organizations/people.

There were a few more changes, but I can’t reveal them without revealing overly much about the book itself.

Those Who Read Fallen Victors:

First of all, thank for still being here. I write because I love it, but what’s a writer without readers? Second of all, I appreciate you buying my first book. The fact that you supported me means the world. And I know it’s frustrating that I’m rereleasing Fallen Victors as another book. I get it. You were expecting and waiting for Book Two.

However, as I described in the previous sub-section, Lies and Allies is signinficantly different and longer than its predecessor. To really understand the rest of the trilogy, you’ll need to reread it.

At the same time, though, I don’t expect you to buy the book again. Now, if you want to, then yeah! Do it. But I don’t expect it.

So here’s how I’m getting around it. There is an app called Wattpad. Beginning today, I’m going to be posting one chapter a week to Wattpad. By April 1st, the release date of Lies and Allies, I’ll be introducing two chapters a week. If you’re still with me, that means I’m going to have the entirety of Lies and Allies on Wattpad, completely free for your reading.

That’s the best I can do. I hope it’s enough. Again, if you want to buy it, go ahead. I would obviously love that. The cover is different. The interior is different. And there is a ton of loot to go with it, like the art print and the coffee mug. But I don’t expect it. If you’re tight on money but want to read Lies and Allies, download Wattpad and keep up with it there. Free of charge. And thanks for still being here.

Called to Thrall: Book Two of the Blessed Trilogy:

With alllll that out of the way, I suppose you want to know when the second book will be out. No promises on my end (stuff pops up constantly, almost like a bloody war zone back here), but we’re looking at the end of 2016 or the first few months of 2017 for its release. I’m just finishing up the first draft. No more surprises. At least, none of this degree.

Is that all? Is that it? You’ve probably got enough “me” action from this post, so I promise not to use the first person singular for quite a while.

Did I achieve excellence with Lies and Allies? Meh. That’s not my decision. But did I strive for excellence? Without a doubt. And I’m going into this genre with my head held high. I want you to buy my book, but more so, I want you to love it.

If I’ve convinced you through the course of this less-clever-Shakespearian-monologue, here’s the link for the pre-ordering of Lies and Allies. If you read it, drop a review to me on Goodreads or Amazon. If you end up reading both, then let me know how they differed. I love feedback, good or bad.

Jonathan

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