The Eye of Ebon/White Sword Saga, by P. Pherson > Likes and Comments
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Patrick, I can totally relate to the difficulty of getting reviews when you're an unknown, independent author! Your book sounds like a worthy one; I'd already added it to my "maybe" shelf, but just now I've promoted it up to "to read." However, I prefer to read in print rather than electronic format (even though I do have a Kindle app on my PC). I'll plan to buy a print copy later this year, and will try to give it as much priority as possible; but it will still be some time early next year before I can work it into my reading plans.
Thanks Werner.I would very much like for you to enjoy it. I hope it proves as worthy as all my hype leads up to ;)
If I may, I have been telling my friends to get the Paperback, but I have also been asking them to give it away to someone they know. The Hard Cover has a small amount of extra at the end, and is the nicer of the two. (I wanted to offer a little more to those who bought the more expensive one).
Truth is, I don't really like the E-copy, as the formatting for the E-readers prevents me from putting my artists eye on the final product. So...I did as much as I could for the print copies.
If it helps, I would send you free copy of the hard cover, just send me a PM.
Thank you so much, Patrick! (I've responded to your personal message just now.)
Hi all,Just a reminder, my book The Eye of Ebon is currently available to Kindle users for free.
Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/cNyVSbQ
Today only. Sale ends at Midnight PST.
Thanks
P. Pherson
Barb and I started reading this together yesterday. We're not very far into it, but I'm finding it gripping so far!
Wow, thanks.I got Barb reading too ;)
To be honest, book 1 is not getting a lot of love, as I am an unknown. So, I am grateful for anyone who reads.
I am racing towards the end of the rough for book 4, after which, I am gonna work on getting book 2 out the door. I've not spoken to the cover artist in a while, but I have her for all 5 books.
(Small piece of trivia, the cover artist used her niece as the model for the cover. I am hoping I can make her anonymously famous.)
P. wrote: "Wow, thanks. I got Barb reading too ;) "You're welcome. Patrick! (Barb and I always have a book going that I'm reading aloud to her; she likes to read by herself, but enjoys being read to, too. She likes both fantasy and action heroines, so we thought this would be worth a try as our next book.)
The lady's niece looks pretty formidable. I wouldn't be eager to fence with her. :-)
When I was very young, my Mom would read us books as we drove across the country in our station wagon with the wood paneling.I never imagined that anyone would read my book aloud to someone else. I think if my Mom had picked mine, she would have stopped on about page one or two and said no way on this one.
Some years later, which many may relate to, I was reading Elf Quest to kids I was babysitting, and then issue 17 came out... Ugh... Could not do that one.
If it helps, When I read my story to myself, I hear the voice of Mako in my head a lot.
The first couple of pages of your book are definitely a rough read, though I appreciate that you didn't make it any more graphic than it had to be.My only experience with the ElfQuest series has been the story anthology The Blood of Ten Chiefs, which I read back in the 90s but don't remember well enough to review without a reread. So I'm not familiar with issue 17. (Maybe that's just as well!)
Ah… well. Elfquest was just a fun fantasy but 17 is the orgy scene. Sex positive in todays language. I stopped after the first run. I would have continued but… i was fading on comics then.
P. wrote: "Ah… well. Elfquest was just a fun fantasy but 17 is the orgy scene. Sex positive in todays language. I stopped after the first run. I would have continued but… i was fading on comics then."That's one series that I'll definitely skip, then! Blood of Ten Chiefs is actually apparently the beginning of a spin-off series, and consists of text stories, not graphic novels. (I don't recall it having any particular sexual content.) Barb and I only read it because it was a flea market purchase, and the college library where I work doesn't stock much fantasy; but we never were interested enough to seek out any of the sequels, nor any of the original books.
Book 4 is complete, so, I am going to be pushing ahead to get book 2 out there, and maybe try to get a handle on who to best market book 1. So far, its been a lot spent and not a lot love. What can you do? One book left to write. I am highly motivated to finish it. Maybe it will find a home ;)
Hang in there, Patrick! Being an independent author in today's highly calcified and stratified publishing industry and glutted indie market is almost inevitably to spend a lot of time and effort (and sometimes money) for very little return in reader love; there's just no way to generate a lot of attention for your work no matter how good it is. (Sigh!) But if it's some small consolation, Barb and I are into Part 4 of The Eye of Ebon and liking it! As far as I'm concerned, it's shaping up to get five stars from me.
Thanks. I'd be very pleased to win such a rating. Sadly, it is very hard to break through so I appreciate anyone who reads. But...I cant really talk about it without spoiling it, so....
I will say, of the four written so far, book 2 a little better than book 1, and I am very proud of book 3. I think it came out really good.
Book 4 was always going to be the hard one, and I am so happy it is written now, cause...when it was a blank slate and a long way to go, I just did not know how it would work out. But...I am doing the coarse adjustment reading right now. I am surprised how little I am editing along the way. (I am actually so bad with typos and missing words (words I swear are there, but actually are not) that I have no trust in my own brain anymore to see them).
But....I put a lot of things on hold to get book 4 completed. I'm gonna have to catch up on stuff for a while...specially my day job ;)
Book 1, I wrote almost 20 years ago. But the series was on hold for a very long time cause I kids, and got distracted and all that life stuff. I think maybe it was good, cause I gained a more mature brain over the years. I am not sure I could have written it the same without it.
Thanks for reading it. I means a lot that you did.
You're very welcome, Patrick; and we'll definitely follow the series!
P. Pherson wrote: "Hi All,I am expanding and playing around a bit with Amazon's tools. Really, I am looking for readers because, if you don't know, books that have less the 25 ratings and reviews are very hard to g..."
Thank you, P. Pherson. I have added this book.
Here's my five-star review of The Eye of Ebon: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... . It has my wholehearted recommendation for action heroine and epic fantasy fans!
Thank you Werner. Honestly, I am just happy someone came back and left a review. That it came from you, who writes such informative and thought out reviews, is just an honor. I am pleased to have earned five stars.
Looking ahead, I do think book 2, the Promise of Eternity, is a little stronger than book 1 (out later this year...if the cover artist gets busy). And book 3 is my fav of the group. I just did my first test read of book 4, and...it rocks (My opinion). I hope the whole series is equally as worthy.
If any would like to read this, I am more interested in readers than making a commercial success. If you need a copy, send me a PM. I'd love to have more Action Heroine Fans enjoying it.
Patrick, congratulations on the impending publication of
The Promise of Eternity! (I took the liberty of editing this thread title, to include the rest of the series as it expands.) Give us (me!) a heads-up when the paper edition becomes available.
Oh wow, someone noticed :)I've been holding fire on this, cause I am waiting on amazon to send me some copies i can send out. Amazon is sooooo slow.... I am being very patient. I hope to have some soon, and mail them to people. You are on my list :)
But...I dont have them in hand ATM. I have some Proof copies, and I had to fix something on the cover, so it delayed me a little.
I have been putting off doing a lot for this, as I am directing my energy to writing book 5, and my work has actually gotten busy enough that I cant a long slow period. (Also, for whatever reason, my wife's schedule has changed, and it is affecting my writing time at home.)
Stuff i will over come.
Book 2 is out, but...its not getting a lot of love. I am not sure how to really advertise it. Should I buy ads for book 2, or should i push book 1 harder... I dont know. Whose going to want a book 2 if they have not read book 1?
Anyway...the joys of self publishing.
Thanks for noticing.
(Amazon must have put it up, cause I had not added it to Good Reads yet.)
P. Pherson wrote: " I hope to have some soon, and mail them to people. You are on my list :) "Aww, Patrick, thanks! Actually, though, I've already bought a copy, and gave it to Barb as an anniversary present. We're planning to start reading it together after we finish the duology we're reading now --probably no later than around the end of this year, but hopefully sooner.
Did you? Wow. I appreciate it. But, you probably have one that is lacking book two written on the cover anywhere. Maybe one day it will be a super rare collectors item ;).I want you to have a complete set. You are one on my autograph list. I gonna have to send it.
If you have two copies, maybe give one away.
PS: I know you mentioned that Barb likes cozier fantasies than I write. Many people call mine Dark Fantasy, but I dont really think of it as such. Dark things happen, but that is necessary I feel to make the good shine better by contrast. Book 2 is not the one where things brighten up. I dont think its as rough as the opening of book 1, but I don't write happy stories. I write struggles. I came across the terms Noblebright and NobleDark as variations of Fantasy. I think I am more likely one of those.
Anyway, if its not Barb's thing, I apologize. I promise book 3 is a little more in the line of the Good side pushing back.
I'd also say, book 2 took way longer to produce than I wanted. Scott really went at it with the editing, and my cover artist took way longer than I wanted to get it done. In all, its out about a year later than I wanted, and I fear for book 3 cause its like twice as long.
I am probably not going to produce it until book 5 is either written or is written to the point that I know it has its legs and I will get it finished. I am thinking book 5 is the last, and I am shooting for 200K words. We'll see how it goes.
Once book 5 is done, I will put a lot more energy into getting the rest of them edited, cover arted, and out the door.
I am not sure when I will take a strong approach to marketing. I feel it will also be after book 5 is written. I'm gonna say, about 120-170 people read book 1. Very few left comments on it. I need to do better at something to get it out there. I am just not sure what.
Also, on a personal note, of the four that are written so far, I think book 2 is my favorite. I super struggled in writing it (it languished incomplete for about 15 years), but in the end, I just like the events and character stuff in it the most.
P. Pherson wrote: "I want you to have a complete set. You are one on my autograph list. I gonna have to send it.If you have two copies, maybe give one away."
Thanks, Patrick (you're sweet!). And thanks for your helpful reflections about the book/series and its writing; those are not only interesting to me, but I'm sure to other readers as well.
When I give Barb a book as a gift, I always write an inscription (with x's and o's :-) ); it's a tradition, which she appreciates. So we want to keep that copy. But if you send an autographed copy of Book 2, I'll donate it to the BU library for our Fantasy and Supernatural Fiction special collection (which we're trying to beef up anyway), and will order a copy of the first book as well so that our library patrons can read it first. (I'm in charge of selecting and ordering our print books.) That will put your books in the OCLC system, which a LOT of libraries use for interlibrary loan, plus putting them on a library shelf for some folks to (hopefully!) see.
Oh...would it be useful to have a matching autographed copy of the first then?
I also forgot to add the effect cancer had on me and the books release. The first time I had cancer, I was home from work for six or so weeks. I decided then to go back and see if I could fire up the coals on book 2, which got stuck on hold indefinitely due to Kids and life and stuff. But...My PC blew up instead, and I lost most of my writing. I had to use a lot of my forensics knowledge to get anything recovered, and thankfully, the early part of Book 2 was in it.Picking up where it left off, I fired out the rest of book 2 in a fairly short time span. The story never changed, but I had gotten older. My dad had recently died, and that influenced some of it as well.
I finished book 4 about a year or two years ago, and decided to get book 2 out the door. But then...Cancer again. It also really slowed me down. The drugs made me mostly non-functional. I think the biggest delay was the cover artist though. I think she was tired of looking at it. I will say, at first, I was not greatly enthused with the cover, but it did grow on me. I hope she does not take as long for the next one...but given that that the art folds over the spine, I have to get her the dimensions first, and I wont know that till the editing is done.
Which is all to say, writing, and producing the physical book are different skill sets. I can do those. Marketing is a third, I am not good at that. I may have to hire out. $$$... I will never make it back at this point. Not with just 200 sales. But...I will finish it before I die. If nothing else, I am leaving this story behind.
After that, I do have a lot of thoughts on a scifi one, but I wonder if I have enough life span left to write it. Guess we'll see.
And PS: I don't know Barb. But the way you write about her, I love her already ;)
P. Pherson wrote: "Oh...would it be useful to have a matching autographed copy of the first then?"Yes, Patrick, that would be wonderfully useful (and would save the library money :-) ). Thank you so much for your kindness!
P. Pherson wrote: "And PS: I don't know Barb. But the way you write about her, I love her already ;) "
Thanks, Patrick; you're sweet! :-)
You've been through the mill with challenges to your writing project, and you have my fullest sympathy (and admiration for your dedication and tenacity!) Hang in there! I don't really have any good advice when it comes to marketing (I'm terrible at that myself, and for the last several years haven't really done any), except that I agree that it's best to concentrate on marketing the series opener. (Since the saga needs to be read in order, the first book is the factor that will sell the subsequent ones.)
Mr. Werner, book is on the way.I just cant get a break these days. I have gone from being very unbusy at work to being one of the busiest in the company. Its becoming hard to keep up with stuff, and...my book 5 is languishing.
Onward though...
I hope you enjoy. I hope Barb does too.
Thank you, Patrick (I'm sure we will!). Hang in there!
Patrick, both books arrived safe and sound a couple of days ago. (I've kept forgetting to tell you so at any time when I was actually logged in. :-( ) Thanks again! We'll get these cataloged and processed for shelving as soon as we can.
Sweet, I hope you enjoy.So far, next to no one has read POE. Its funny, but I put all this effort into getting it out, and then once people have it, I feel the need to apologize cause I don't really write happy.
One of the PPl in my bible study group said he was interested and would give it to his daughter, and I thought...Hmmm...how old is the daughter? Cause, I am kind of in or near the R rating at times.
But then I feel silly, there are a lot worse books than mine.
I wrote these books for a lot of reasons. I wanted something that reached bigger than self-empowerment, and spoke to matters of faith beyond what I see in most of our media. I also wanted an alternative narrative to the way much of our secular culture would weigh in on most issues. While it does not tackle directly any real world hot button issue, it does present a faith matters approach, and looks into both the importance and the cost of it.
Ultimately, I would call the books a story of spiritual warfare in the backdrop of a real actual war going on. With high stakes, and harsh realities. And a journey of growth for all of the characters.
POE is my own personal favorite of the bunch, but that probably means it will be the least well received ;)
I fear it has been too long, how do I add this book to the bookshelf?
P. Pherson wrote: "I fear it has been too long, how do I add this book to the bookshelf?"Patrick, good question! Click on "Bookshelf" in the embedded links at the top of this page. At the bookshelf, just under the group name and logo, you'll see a search box labeled "add books." Use the search function to bring up your book. (If you search for "promise of eternity green," your book will be the only hit.) Next to it, you'll see a button that says "Add to group." Click it, and the actual addition will be self-explanatory. (Don't forget to use the "choose shelves" function, and to click "save group book" when you're done!)
I am expanding and playing around a bit with Amazon's tools. Really, I am looking for readers because, if you don't know, books that have less the 25 ratings and reviews are very hard to get off the ground.
As a result, I am offering my book for free on Kindle, this Sunday, the 29th.
My Book, The Eye of Ebon is a story about faith and trust in a rough world. It is a fantasy adventure that features two women navigating in a harsh land and with many enemies trying to stop them. Both women face difficult ordeals and wrestle with issues of trust, duty, honor, anger and of course..faith.
For those familiar with the many books posted on this group, I think this book is most similar to the Deed of Paksenarrion. If you are a fan of that story, I think you will enjoy this one as well.
The Blurb is below
A young Samiare lies dying in the snow, in her hand, a sword of legend, and now the whole world is changed. For Ruegette, hero of Tierinor, the girl marks the earliest stages of a new war against the Shadow, and a new struggle to keep safe what has been hidden for more than an age--The Eye of Ebon.
Pulled into a conflict greater than nations and Gods, both Ruegette, and the girl she rescues, try to survive in a land full of threats against brutal foes that will show them no mercy. Can Samiare find the strength to overcome her torments, and can the White Sword be enough to push back the dark? --Or will a sinister creature reclaim its prize...
The Shadow is rising...
...It seeks back its eye...
...It won't be stopped.
If you don't have a kindle, but would still like a free copy, please send me a PM.
Otherwise, it will be available this Sunday.
Thanks and Enjoy,
P. Pherson