Some Intentions for Writing In 2019!

In a writing sense, I hit the ground running in 2019 with a central focus on the 4th installment of my Fires in Eden Series. 

It has been some time now since Spirit of Fire (the 3rd book in the Fires in Eden series) was released.  That book, and The Undying Light (Book 4 of the Rising Dawn Saga) marked a time where I had a tremendous amount of output, content-wise, as a writer.  During the first few years after my first published novel The Exodus Gate was released (winter of 2009), I was able to get two larger novels out a year in addition to some short stories (alternating releases between the Fires in Eden Series and Rising Dawn Saga). 

As always, I never handed in anything to an editor until I had the manuscript where I wanted it. It was just a matter of being in a great groove, being able to sustain long writing sessions that were very productive, and keep on a steady pace.

Following the cancer diagnosis and passing of my mother in 2013, a time that affected me tremendously, I still continued to write and have new material published, but I leaned more heavily toward shorter formats, with a lot of short stories and smaller scale novels such as Heart of a Lion and Thunder Horizon.  I didn't have the same volume of output overall as my earlier period until 2018, when I hit a great stride with the writing of the Rayden Valkyrie and Ragnar Stormbringer novellas. 

Overall, 2018 (up to January 1, 2019) saw the release of eight novellas, two print compendiums, and a larger-scale novel.  To summarize the year:

Rayden Valkyrie Tales - (eBook-only stand-alone novellas)

Blood of a Queen

Winds of War

The Sun's Caress

Across Desert Plains

The Rayden Valkyrie Tales, Volume I (Print-only compendium, contains Blood of a Queen, Winds of War, and the Sun's Caress)

Ragnar Stormbringer Tales

Depths of Night

When the Cold Breathes

Altar of Gods

Tears in the Snow

The Ragnar Stormbringer Tales, Volume I (Print-only compendium, contains Depths of Night, When the Cold Breathes, and Altar of Gods)

Dream of the Navigator, Book One of the Faraway Saga.  

Having regained the kind of writing rhythm I had years ago, I began 2019 in a full throttle mode and have about 70,000 words of material so far for the 4th Fires in Eden novel. I have also been pouring through notes, making notes, and doing research for this book and others that I am aiming to work on this year. 

I think 2018 got me back into a great frame of mind for advancing both the Fires in Eden series and the Rising Dawn Saga.  I think part of the delay that occurred between 2013 and now was due to the fact that both series were developed and the first few installments of each were written when my mother, and father, were alive.  They were the first to read my earliest versions and both of them supported my path as a writer.  As such, they were a big part of my journey as an author in relation to these books. 

I was somehow able to maintain my ideal writing zone after my father passed in 2006, but after my mother passed I think that a shadow was cast over these two series in a creative sense, the more I look back at it.  (Thankfully, that creative shadow has finally passed)

Currently, and it may sound crazy, I am aiming to work on the following:

Book 4 of the Fires in Eden Series
Book 5 of the Rising Dawn Saga
Book 3 (the final installment) of the Dark Sun Dawn Trilogy
Book 2 of the Faraway Saga

In addition, I will be getting some more Rayden and Ragnar tales out there, and look to complete some more short stories that may result in anything from a Hellscapes, Volume 3 to a Chronicles of Ave, Volume 2, to an Annals of the Rising Dawn, Volume 1. 

No promises on those new short story collections being released, as they depend on getting a little extra time here and there, but I think there's a good shot that at least one of those can happen.

I have a real strong vision of the direction I need to go with the projected novels above, and barring any "life happens" kind of issues I think I can get most all, if not all, of my target list completed this year.  Yes, it sounds ambitious, but I am back to a higher volume of writing output and in a really good zone.  I am achieving longer writing sessions with a high level of productivity and keeping to a steady course.

Keep your fingers crossed!  2019 may see my best level of output yet!  I want to give my readers a lot to look forward to and reward them for their loyalty and support, so I will be giving it my all. :)

thank you for subscribing to my email list and keep your eyes out for much more to come!

sincerely,

Stephen
1-29-2019

Desert War eBook Short Story Now Available!

As if the new short story collections, Chronicles of Ave, Volume 1, and Hellscapes, Volume 1, were not enough for a release week, I also had a new short story addition for the Annals of the Rising Dawn Collection!  Been quite busy this past week with these releases, but wanting to make up for some lost time this summer.

This particular story is a stand-alone, but readers familiar with the Rising Dawn Saga and the short story "Temples Rising" will discover some very interesting things within it!  It also has a very eerie relevance to world events happening today, especially with regard to my take, represented in fantastical fashion, of elite interests who foment wars in foreign lands under the banners of things like "nation-building" and "regime change". Below is the cover and official synopsis.  Really hope you enjoy it! It is just 99 cents and is now available on Kindle, Nook, and iBookstore (with Kobo at any time, just waiting for that version to go live)  

Kindle Link: http://www.amazon.com/Desert-Annals-Rising-Dawn-ebook/dp/B00F26IOSW

 Nook Link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/desert-war-stephen-zimmer/1116861462?ean=2940148369455

iBookstore Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/desert-war/id703024646?mt=11

available shortly on Kobo


Synopsis:  “Desert War” tells the story of Saif, a man from the Order tasked with getting an ancient, powerful artifact out of Libu before those serving the Convergence can take it themselves. The nation of Libu is crumbling fast around him, as militant religious zealots backed by the political elite of the Convergence carry out the overthrow of the current regime. The insurgency is just one part of a much wider design, one that has been advancing over millennia, and the artifact must not fall into the wrong hands. With the streets of the capital filled with murderous, brutal insurgents, and being hunted by powerful enemies wielding supernatural arts, Saif has to find a way to get the priceless artifact to safe harbor. “Desert War” is a stand-alone short story that is part of the Annals of the Rising Dawn, a growing collection of tales set in the same history and world as the Rising Dawn Saga novels from Stephen Zimmer.    

The Year Behind and the Year Ahead

Of course I'm a week behind in getting up a New Year-style post, so I'll make it a good and thorough one!

So here goes...

Last year was definitely my best year yet author-wise.  It saw the release of Spirit of Fire, the third book in my Fires in Eden Series, and there were  a number of  very enjoyable and successful convention appearances ranging from Mid South Con, to ConNooga, to MystiCon and others.  I also served as the literary track director for Fandom Fest during what was a breakthrough year for the event that saw over 16,000 attendees and guest stars like Sean Astin, John-Rhys Davies, and many others.  I did my biggest ever promotional campaign for Spirit of Fire in a 48 day blog tour, which involved a number of fun posts and videos.

I made many new friends, some of whom I will be doing some close work with in the future.  In the last part of the year I was part of a Kickstarter Campaign that secured a wonderful project for Seventh Star Press called the Writers Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy, which features contributors like Neil Gaiman and Orson Scott Card.  The editor for the project, Michael Knost, is a wonderful fellow and I definitely hope we work together more in the future. I'm looking forward to working on the promotions for the release of this project very soon.

2013 looks to be extremely productive on the writing front.  A new Rising Dawn Saga book will be out sometime in the Spring, and we are hoping to squeeze in the next Fires in Eden Book before the year is out.  In addition, there will be a number of short stories released, from steampunk (latest Harvey and Solomon tale Gift of Light to appear in Dreams of Steam III), to horror (my new Hellscapes series), to epic fantasy (several new additions coming to the Chronicles of Ave), to urban fantasy (several new additions coming for the Annals of the Rising Dawn).  There is also a very good chance that the first book of a new YA cross-genre trilogy will move forward this year.

With all of the writing and commitments I have, my appearance schedule may be a little more modest than it has been in the past.  I am slated for several wonderful events, and will be returning to ConNooga, Mid South Con, MystiCon, and others, as well as doing a literary track again for Fandom Fest.

I also plan to do a little more blogging, especially with some non-fiction topics.  As those who read my Rising Dawn Saga would probably guess, I don't have the most positive of outlooks regarding the direction the world is heading in.  Along those lines, I think my home country, the US, is chugging straight for the proverbial iceberg.  Even worse, it appears that the US is accelerating towards a very disastrous situation.

While all of this gives me a great deal to think about in regards to the themes I write on, there is a frustrating side to it as well.  I've long thought that true journalism is largely dead when it comes to the mainstream media, and this is a travesty as many people are not being warned of the consequences regarding the things politicians in Washington are doing.  The whole "Fiscal Cliff" issue recently was a big charade and prime example of political theater.  It accomplished nothing, in terms of addressing the real problems.

To add insult to injury, it added a ratio of 41 dollars in spending for every 1 dollar raised in "revenue" (I despise the term revenue when it comes to taxes, as it makes it seem like the government is engaging in market-based transactions of a voluntary nature.  Let's call them what they are: Taxes.  Language has suffered enough casualties in this age of spin and sugar-coating.)

The real fiscal cliff is crossing the 17 trillion bridge and soaring higher.  It baffles me why so few people put the same urgency and focus on this monstrosity that they did on the political theater version of the "Fiscal Cliff".  We are heading right towards inflation, downgrading of our national credit rating, devaluation of the dollar, and a whole lot more while we are on this entirely unsustainable path.

The economy is worsening.  Make no mistake about that.  As I've mentioned before, every small business person I deal with is closing, consolidating, and downsizing.  I rarely see startups and almost never encounter a small business expanding.  Small businesses are the engine of employment in the USA, and when you have the small business world in decline nothing good is going to come out of it.

Further, when economies are in decline and hardship spreads, crime begins to rise fast.  This is the untold story across the US.  Also, residents of many cities are facing a fast-rising nemesis in the form of gangs.  Common estimates are that there are well over 1.4 million gang members in the USA and their numbers are increasing fast and will continue to rise with widespread unemployment among young adults.  Gangs are behind the bulk of gun related murders in cities like Chicago.

So what kind of discussion are we having here in the USA right now?   Disarming law-abiding citizens aka gun control.  I always find it disturbing that the actions of a crazy individual inevitably turns into an outcry to take rights away from law abiding individuals.  Do you really think that the gangs and criminals are going to be disarmed?  Laws have worked so well in keeping illegal drugs out of their hands (heavy sarcasm intended).

This debate has also put on display an appalling lack of knowledge in the American public about the 2nd Amendment and why it was placed in the Bill of Rights.  I plan on doing a major post about this in the hopes that people will research this for themselves, but the 2nd Amendment is not about sporting or hunting, or just home defense.  It is a unique recognition of the right of free people to have the means to defend themselves against a government gone tyrannical.  This reality of the basis for the 2nd Amendment has largely been ignored in the mainstream media.  In my opinion this is because it does not fit their agenda to advance gun control legislation.

If the 2nd Amendment rendered worthless, the way is clear to roll over any other right that is inconvenient at a given time.  There is also a terrible side effect of this gun control agenda.  The efforts to disarm law-abiding citizens are successful, it will give rise to countless tragedies as people who otherwise might have had a chance to defend themselves and their families are going to be subjected to home invasions, burglaries, assaults, and rapes, all of which are going to rise greatly in number with the lethal combination of a terrible economy and disarmed, soft targets everywhere.

Of course, the Feinstein and Bloomberg types out there who believe they know best how you should live your life will not take any responsibility for the proliferation of tragedies in the wake of their draconian gun control agendas.  Also take particular note that these kinds of elites are always protected by armed guards, and send their children to schools that have armed guards.  They just don't want the masses to have the same kinds of protections for their kids or themselves. This hypocrisy is mind-boggling to those who are willing to see it for what it is.

To put it simply, the bad guys are not going to cease what they do.  If anything, a disarmed US populace is a criminal's dream situation.

There are times when I stop and think of the kind of fiber in the leaders at the foundation of this country and the clowns we have in Washington today.  It is debilitating to think we've gone from individuals such as George Washington, Ben Franklin, John Adams, Patrick Henry, George Mason, Thomas Paine, and the like to those such as Nancy Pelosi, John Boehner, Harry Reid, Chris Christie, Chuck Schumer, Dianne Feinstein, and Eric Cantor.

The contrast between the two groups couldn't be more stark, and it would be laughable if it wasn't both sad and distressing to see how the quality of leadership has sunk so very far  One set in motion a nation that embraced individual freedom like no other an history, the latter illustrate Franklin's warning when asked what kind of government had been formed.  He had responded, "a republic, if you can keep it."

Well, we are well on the way to losing it, and we are also facing another of Franklin's declarations, namely that those who "can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."

So I hold to the thoughts I expressed after the election, in that we are going to see a major military conflict in the near future, continued economic erosion, and nothing being done to address the fundamental problems.  I know this sounds gloomy, but how can you expect anything different when you make no changes in foreign policy, in economic policy, and double-down on the things choking entrepreneurship and small businesses like rising taxes and unnecessary regulations.

Our inane foreign policy continues.  On one hand we are told relentlessly that intrusive surveillance and heavy-handed security presences are there to "protect us" from Islamic militants, and in the next breath the US aids and assist the very same kind of Islamic militants in taking over Libya, and gives the same support to the same kind of militants in Syria.  From Tunisia, to Egypt, to Libya, to Syria, and all across this region government authority is falling under a united and much more extreme ideology that is not going to lead to anything good for he world.  Yet even after the Benghazi incident most people still can't see what's going on or who's coming to power across the region.

Iraq is still highly violent and unstable, the Taliban is alive and well in Afghanistan, and at the end of the day one has to ask why so many good men and women are dying at the behest of the politicians who do not even have the decency to follow the Constitution and declare war.

I could go on and on, but seeing all this insanity at home and abroad can be pretty frustrating, especially in the light of history.  Great lessons are there to be learned, and what they have to teach bodes very ill for the United States.  One can only hope that the Liberty Movement continues to educate and gain steam, and that sovereignty is pulled back to local levels, that individual liberties are defended, that people regain self-determination, and much more.  A stop can be put to the ills that plague us and the things that made us strong  can be restored.  It just takes people with willpower to make it happen.

As for me, I will move forward, and do my best in everything I do.  Nobody can say for certain what the future holds, but at the end of the day it is about what you choose to do, not what others choose to do.

I do hope that success, peace and happiness finds everyone this year, but I think a time of struggle is ahead.  Yet sometimes hardship brings out the best in men and women, and many heroes will rise to the occasion.  Hang in there, keep your head up, and continue to pursue your dreams!

Contest and Some Writing Updates

Getting ready for another week of adventures, involving things with me and with the rest of my SSP family.  RJ Sullivan's new book Haunted Obsession gets announced Monday, so I'll be heavily involved with the outreach on that one, including the announcement of his blog tour, reveals of the cover art, his limited hardcover offer and more.  I always love the energy of book launches, and I think it is really cool that SSP has a a paranormal thriller in the catalog too.  RJ's a really excellent writer, so give this one a look for sure.

As for me, watch out for my very first contest.  Yes, that's right, a big giveaway, with a very nice grand prize.     I will be using a system where you can get extra entries for liking/adding some authors who are participating along with me, so you'll have a chance to accumulate a few more entries.  

I'm continuing work on the new SSP site as well as my own, and expect those to get fully shored up in the next several days.  In the meantime, if you wanted to pick up some books, or posters and t-shirts featuring some of the artwork, head on over to: http://www.seventhstarpress.com/ssp-store/

I've been writing a lot this past week, making more good progress on the 4th Rising Dawn Saga book.  Was working on a Gregory section, one for Dagian, and another for Jovan earlier today, in fact.  Going to be some big surprises in this one for sure.  

Short-story wise, I'm polishing some of the stories in the new horror series I've mentioned before, as well as a few intended for the Chronicles of Ave and the Annals of the Rising Dawn.  I think we are very, very close to seeing a number of these ready.    Beyond that, I've been fleshing out some ideas for a new YA urban fantasy/paranormal series that I've been envisioning.  I'll keep everyone posted on that front.

Also would like to thank everyone for the kind notes and words of encouragement about my mother, who is making progress following the surgery she had two weeks ago.  She's largely back to her usual self, though her vision will take awhile to improve due to the nature of the surgery.  

So that's it for the moment!   I'll be sure to let everyone know the details about the contest when it is ready early in the week!

WonderFest This Weekend, and podcast of my visit with Malice Cooper

Have had a good week tweaking things out on the last parts of the 3rd Rising Dawn Saga book, as well as working hard on the support phase of Jackie Gamber's Redheart Campaign and some other tasks.

I am getting ready to head to Wonderfest in Lousiville this weekend. Should be a lot of fun. Mainly a modeling/toy convention, the core genres present here include Sci-fi, fantasy, horror, etc, so I think it will be worth the visit as an author. Out of 2,000 attendees, there should be 3 or 4 readers in the crowd, LOL. I'm looking forward to a nice, short range trip with the gas prices as they are. I will also get to hang out with Ken and Myra, the heads of Fandom Fest/Fright Night Film Festival. It will be good to visit with them as I just handed in the Literary Track grid on Monday for the event.

If anyone reading this will be at Wonderfest, come on by my booth and say hi. I'll be there both Saturday and Sunday.

I also had one link to pass along, regarding my appearance last night on Malice Cooper's rock show out of Canada. She put up a podcast archive of my interview, which can be found here:

http://malicecooper.podomatic.com/entry/2011-05-11T17_34_03-07_00

It was a great experience, getting to talk about conventions, comparing the writing process for books to that of music, talking bands, and much more. Malice was a great host and I hope to return to her show later this summer when the 3rd RDS book is released.

That's about it for the moment! I'll be reporting on Wonderfest, and anything else that comes up in the next day or so!

Titles now up for those with Sony eReaders and other devices.

Just a couple of days after the announcement that the Rising Dawn Saga is available in the iBookstore (and Crown of Vengeance will be there shortly), I am happy to say that both The Rising Dawn Saga and Fires in Eden series titles are now available at several online eBook retailers for users of Sony eReaders and other reading devices that accept the ePub file format.

This rounds out eBook availability, with the ePub versions for numerous reading devices being added to the Kindle and iBookstore versions.

Here is the post from the SSP site and blog, which I copied over to my website's home page:


>>

Pricing is consistent with the Kindle and iBookstore pricing, with the retail price for The Storm Guardians at $3.99 and Crown of Vengeance at $2.99. The Exodus Gate will have a retail price of $2.99 on October 2, 2010 (it is listed at its previous pricing of $7.99 until that date, when the new pricing goes into effect)

Here are some sites where the 3 titles can be found.

USA:
http://www.diesel-ebooks.com
http://www.booksonboard.com
http://www.powells.com
http://www.ebookpie.com
http://www.cyberread.com

South Africa:
http://www.ebookshop.co.za

Ireland:
http://www.directebooks.com

Location visits, the new book, and more...

Been a very busy week, as I have been attending to the final polishes of the new Fires in Eden Book, while keeping up with Swordbearer tasks, and attending to my tasks as a technical director for the broadcast of the very prominent Keeneland Thoroughbred September Sales going on right now in Lexington.

It is kind of a surreal climate, when you begin to regard a $250,000 sale as being "run of the mill", lol. We've seen a 4 million dollar sale and another for over 2 million, and overall it seems to be going fairly well. The horse industry has taken a real pounding in the last couple of years, and I am really hoping that this sale goes well as Keeneland is a first class place that has been outstanding to work with. They take great care of those who come in to work with them. The dynamics of the sale is fun to observe. It is a massive undertaking with hundreds upon hundreds of horses being housed and moved on a daily basis. By the end we will have seen a few thousand thoroughbreds with prime pedigrees move through the arena, and the sales totals will exceed a couple hundred million dollars.

I must say that it would be nice to bounce into someone who was wanting to get a movie going as much as they want to get a horse!

Swordbearer preparations are falling into place. We have the big scene on the 25th in Frankfort KY, involving the sword fight between Al Snow and Benjamin Wood. We will then have our final two shoots on October 4 and 5 in Bourbon County Kentucky. I don't think it will be all that long until we have at least a teaser trailer to show.

I am really excited about the new Fires in Eden book. Similar to the situation with the release of The Storm Guardians in the Rising Dawn Saga, this is the second book in the series. With the foundation and parameters set in book one, book 2 can really accelerate with events and action. It contains some huge revelations for the series, and has loads of high-octane action and an absolutely epic battle in it. I cannot wait to get this one out.

Matt will be very immersed in the artwork for this one shortly, and I have no doubts that it will turn out amazing, as all of his work has been in the past. Once the artwork is finished, we will also be rather speedy in getting the first book trailer up for this new release. (and if you haven't seen the trailers for the other three books, they are all up on YouTube or watchable on my own site at stephenzimmer.com )

This week also saw The Exodus Gate and The Storm Guardians pop up in Apple's iBookstore. The price for the eBooks is the same as the Kindle titles, $2.99 for The Exodus Gate and $3.99 for The Storm Guardians. Crown of Vengeance should be available any day now, and the three titles will be appearing the new prices in a slew of other eBook outlets.

I hope to have more soon regarding the new announcement involving an ongoing writing project that I will be doing. I think fans of Fires in Eden and The Rising Dawn Saga will be very pleased with what this project is, hint, hint...

anyhow, that's it for the moment. time to get back to business, and get ready for going to visit the location we are using for the 4th and 5th of October. I'm heading that way later today!

and on a personal note, my mom is doing much better healthwise. At least she's maintained a fairly steady blood pressure since coming back from the hospital. I hope that the new medication approach helps to keep it managed, but we will be watching her closely. The doctors cannot explain why she had the severe spike in blood pressure prior to being taken to the emergency room. I really appreciate all of the kind emails and messages that I received, and I did pass on all the well wishes to mom, which she was very touched by.

Storm Guardian Limited Edition dedicated pre-ordering page is up!

Hey everyone, a little note to let you know that a pre-order page is dedicated to the Limited Edition Hardcover sets of The Storm Guardians....and you can get a softcover pre-ordered if you like.

You should check out the hardcover sets though. we've put EVERYTHING we possibly can into this set. It is about six dollars more than the last Limited set, but that's because we've added a t-shirt, with designs from the new book, into this one! Some very sharp stuff in the package.

here's the addy:

http://www.risingdawnsaga.com/documents/30.html