Indie Book Club discussion

I humbly submit this thread about Hemlock and the Wizard Tower to this wonderful new group. Mega thanks to Scott and Jeffrey for starting the group!

If anyone wants to discuss anything about the book, or the upcoming sequel(s), this is the place to do it.



How is power gained, retained and exercised; and what happens to a power structure when a young girl with magical abilities hacks and slashes her way into the very core of its apparatus?

In a magical city that travels through multiple dimensions, a young girl named Hemlock has risen from being a lowly cutpurse to discovering that she is a powerful fighter. Under the guidance of an aging freedom fighter named Safreon, Hemlock battles to keep the peace in her run-down district, while across the City the upper class Elites enjoy peace, prosperity and freedom.

The Wizard Tower looms in the center of the City, casting a long shadow over its affairs. The Wizards rule behind the scenes, dictating and controlling the use of magic. Hemlock instinctively feels that the Wizards are her enemies, but Safreon will not discuss openly opposing them, as he seeks to methodically mentor Hemlock, and advance his own cryptic plans for the City.

Hemlock makes a decision to make a bold attack on the Wizard Tower alone, convinced that she can destroy or undo whatever method the Wizards are using to control and ration magic. As the novel opens, we join Hemlock just after she has infiltrated the Wizard Tower, learning what happens through a narrative interspersed with flashbacks to events leading up to the attack.

133k words, priced at $0.99.

Hemlock and the Wizard Tower

Hey, I'll personally vouch for Hemlock and the Wizard Tower. It was a fantastic book!

And speaking of upcoming sequels... When is #2 going to come out? Do you have a title for it?

Ditto on the vouching for this one. It was one of the earlier books I read and I will be reading it again for sure.

Thanks so much for the comments! I really think I will be running with the episodic format I discussed in another thread. Each volume will technically be a novel (>=40K words), but will be shorter than Hemlock I. I could change my mind, but my current plan is to release Book II - Volume I by the end of the year.

After all the parts are complete do you plan on releasing an omnibus type book?

Do you have an official title yet? Any plot lines you'd like to hint at? Is Merit gonna usurp control and rule with an iron fist?? :)

OH went to get this and was like DANG it is only at Barnes and Noble then seconds later BAM! It showed up at Amazon.. were you reading my just woken up foggy mind? Or do my Jedi Mind Tricks work stronger if I am still half asleep? (Up playing Star Trek Online late, only 0821 here!)

K

I'm told the Jedi Mind Tricks work best with a serious caffeine buzz. Diet Pepsi Vanilla works the best for me!

They make that still? Gay Coke! (and I say that without being derogatory, because my gay friends call it that) We used to drink that with Vanilla Vodka, when I still drank.. shudder! Right now I am settling for my Aztec Hot Cocoa.. it has a HUGE caffeine additive in it, along with some human sacrifice, oh I am single again *wishful thinking due to the fact I had to make it myself and someone he regressed to being 12 again and also I ran out of space in my backwoods for burial, wonder if the neighbor will mind...*

Gay Coke? Hah!! I switched from normal Pepsi to diet Pepsi and dropped 20 pounds, I kid you not.

I don't drink, either. Well, I have before, but the problem is that I don't care for the taste of alcohol. So why bother? Expensive habit, if you ask me.

As for human sacrifice... lol Just make sure you go outside in the middle of the night dressed in a long dark trenchcoat, dragging a large black trash bag. Have a pick or two with you.

Dude, I watch way too many movies. Gotta love The 'Burbs!

I dropped another 25 just getting rid of diet everything. And I cut most of the caffeine down 75%. Oh I have not seen The 'Burbs, and you and me both, as in watching movies.. I think I will right now because he is in danger... I am in tantrum mode and it is UUUUUUGLY!

I stopped drinking because I was sick of the extra weight and I hated the effects, so why bother. Plus I loved good micro-brews and EVERYONE up here is a brewer so I kept having growlers shoved at me to taste test, hence gaining freaking 35 lbs last year, that and all the ice cream. Did you know Alaskans consume more ice cream then anywhere else in the world?

I am cutting pop starting today but I bought powder caffeine so I can make my own supplements and I just add some to crystal light or something to cut the withdrawal. Today begins a weight loss challenge between the wife and I so things will be interesting around here.

It always helps when losing weight that both husband and wife are on board. My wife and I did that two years ago. I lost close to 60 pounds (and kept it off!) and she lost about 45.

We essentially stopped eating fast food, or else the really really bad fast food. I switched to diet soda (can't taste the difference between the two), started walking my dog every morning, and working with free weights. During the summer (now), I'm on the treadmill once the sun comes up. Works great!

I might be able to get a cheap elliptical from work this weekend. I love weights but time is tough with an infant.

We did something like this before we knew about the baby and both of us did very well but getting married moving 200 miles and having a baby threw everything off.

Very nice! I did it for sanity reasons, eating better keeps the voices from talking to loud *snicker* that & I have more skinny jeans then fat jeans, haha! GOOD LUCK!

I actually did not bother with dieting, I was to damn lazy, hence the gaining of weight. So I stopped buying all processed food. Did not eat out, preparing each meal from scratch. I do not watch calories, but I do watch portions. And I make my lovely man eat what I make too, he keeps wanting to eat bad foods so he doesn't eat to much of "my food" so I control the portions! We eat tons of foods that are high in good amino acids, and every meat is lean and also from local butchers so NO hormones! No milk, but cheese & eggs, and almond butter make me happy! PLUS no soda anymore! LOTS AND LOTS of WATER!

I humbly apologizing for high jacking this with my antics and dieting and off topic'ness! I bought the book, does that help ease the irritation? Man I feel bad about being such a crazy person this morning! Mania has a time and place! haha

Lol!

Trust me, you'll love the book!

Kriss: thanks for getting the book! I hope that you like it. I'd love to hear any feedback that you may have...

The working title for Hemlock Book II is "Hemlock and the Dangerous Depths". And I do plan on an "omnibus" combined edition once Vols 1-3 are released.

I can't divulge anything about the plot yet, but it's not for lack of wanting to! There is going to be some new ground covered in the tale of Merit though, rest assured. I can't wait to release this thing! I hope to have the first draft done this month and then the editing fun can begin...

Sounds like I'll be able to relax with Bakkian II during editing breaks. :)

If you need help with editing/a semi experienced beta reader I know of one named me. Resume available upon request (not recommended) lol.

No, pick me! Pick me!!

You both are amazingly generous to offer that! Let me see how things are looking with the draft.
It may sound weird, but since you both are among the most vocal supporters of the story, I feel like I want you guys to see the finished product instead of a rougher copy. And (brace yourself for a truly naive and foolish statement) I think this draft is a lot cleaner than Hemlock I was, so the editing period should be shorter...

Seeing a "rougher" copy allows me to possibly have a tiny contribution to the story though. I can look at a finished copy and say on page 57 this word was spelled wrong, but I caught it and got it fixed.

Since I don't write myself I get my kicks from having a tiny hand in helping present a quality product (hopefully).

Also keep in mind that Arizonians don't understand the Pennsylvanian dialect like someone who lived there for a couple years. Things could be lost in translation you know. lol

Scott wrote: "Also keep in mind that Arizonians don't understand the Pennsylvanian dialect like someone who lived there for a couple years. Things could be lost in translation you know. lol"

Lolololololololololololololololol

Scott, I understand now! In that case I'll definitely get you a pre-release copy. Jeffrey, I'll send you one too if you are still interested.
Yous guys should point out any east coast dialect that you spot too!
I am up at 4am checking on my sump pump (endless rain) and cleaning up cat vomit. Good times...

Sump pump working ok? My moms basement floods when there is a lot of rain it has destroyed her carpet.

It's awesome to be getting an advance copy! I'll do my best to help with editing.

I would love to see an advanced copy of Hemlock 2 as well!

Anything we can do to help out, just let us know!

Sump pumps... That would suggest excess water lying around and that ain't happening here! :)

111 today... *sigh*

I've had enough of the heat (even our comparatively wimpy 90-100 degree version of it), but with this remnant of a tropical storm and the recent memory of Irene, I am officially sick of rain now!

My sump pump is working well, but I'm not sure how old it is (was here when we moved in a few years back). I've never needed it much until this year!

Yeah this summer has been a bit rougher than normal around here. Luckily the wife and I moved into a house with central air last year so we haven't had an overheated super angry baby.

Yeah this summer has been a bit rougher than normal around here. Luckily the wife and I moved into a house with central air last year so we haven't had an overheated super angry baby.

Aahhhh... AC. Whoever invented that needs to win the Nobel for sheer genius. :)

OK am starting the book! I stupidly read a VERY disturbing horror, good but disturbing, and finished it at it is 3 AM so i need something lighter! No class tomorrow so I will have time! Those reading journals have all weekend to be read haha!

Kriss, I've had times when I had to stop reading horror at night because of the ensuing nightmares. This has mostly only happened with H.P. Lovecraft books, but there was one embarrasing incident where my wife lent me one of those chick-lit vampire books and this one scene gave me a wicked nightmare. I actually stopped reading it. And, no, it wasn't Twilight. ;-)
Hemlock should be lighter than horror--although I'd probably classify it as a medium...

I got a free copy of Hemlock a while ago via Scott's blog, but I haven't gotten to reading it yet. That's the problem with ebooks. Ever since I got my nook, my queue grows a lot faster than I can trim it down.

Lol. I hear that.

You'll like Hemlock. And I'm positive you'll like Merit, too! :)

Merit for President!! of something...

Mr. Scott and Mr. Jeffrey, I am very honored to receive another mention from you both. Rest assured that I am as fond of you both as you are of me. My recent studies have enabled me to reach out briefly and communicate with you on this plane. I don't think Miss Hemlock would ever understand... Thanks again, and I will try to relay my latest account of recent events in the City once it is completed. Your friend, Merit

To be fair to the book so no one misunderstands Hemlock is a great character and I enjoyed Safreon (I think I spelled that somewhat correct) a lot as well. Merit just is such a unique circumstance and I can't help rooting for such an underdog kind of guy.

I finished it a couple of days ago! I love Merit as well! He could have a whole spin off story! I hope this becomes a huge series, it really has that potential! Like Piers Anthony's Ummm whatever series Spell For Chameleon begins! Or Terry Brooks Magic Kingdom for sale (need to remember to add this to my shelves) anyway it has so many different aspects that can be a whole new book! The Witches of the Crag! And Merit! And if course The First Wizard! Plus we have know what is up w/ the city! You only gave us enough to go hmm mm mm??" ahhhhh it was so much fun! More please!!!

I definitely think there could easily be a prequel and have the story of Merit and how he came to be.

I'd totally buy that!

Kriss, I'm so pumped that you enjoyed it!
I'll quote the great Robert Plant from the song "Kashmir": "All will be revealed..."
I think you and Jeffrey will both be pleased with the next installment, although some of the story threads will take longer to reveal than others... :)

HAHA I like you even more with you quoting Robert Plant! Of course now I feel old again, haha. I am sure I will be thrilled. It really does feel like the start of an awesome series.. a START so ya hehe looking forward to more!

Bill -

Can you drop any hints as to what the next story entails? Any hints at all????? :)

Kriss:Zeppelin is timeless... I think savvy teenagers even appreciate it (although the modern indie rock scene is pretty vibrant too).
Jeffrey, the next book opens directly after the end of the last one. Hemlock has to deal with the repurcussions of all of the change that she has brought to the City. Let's just say that she is quite relieved when a noble purpose to leave the City presents itself. But not everyone in the City is on board with her new vision for it; when the cat's away, the mice will play. And when a new and mysterious enemy emerges, Hemlock realizes that the dark secrets of the City's past may yet hold sway over its future.

Sounds really cool! Can't wait to read it!!