Eagles and Dragons - The Mixed Bag Post

The last few weeks have been like prep for a military campaign into the wilds of Dacia, or some such place.

Releasing a new book can be exhausting, a logistical nightmare. But it's also exciting, especially when early input from beta readers has been so favourable. I know it has been a long time since the launch of Children of Apollo, so I am grateful that you have stuck with me. It won't take as long for the release of Book III, I can tell you.

There are a few things I wanted to update you on.



Killing the Hydra

First of all, last week I released the book trailer for Killing the Hydra - Eagles and Dragons Book II. You can watch it right here:

If you are saying to yourself that 'most of those paintings are representations of scenes from Homer', you are correct. It is not completely unrelated to the story as you will find out if you read Killing the Hydra.

Killing the Hydra will be released this coming Friday, March 7th, in e-book and paperback on both Amazon and Kobo at an introductory special. More details to come on that…


Children of Apollo 

In the run-up to the release of Book II, I've put the e-book of Children of Apollo - Eagles and Dragons Book I on special offer until March 6th.

If you haven't read it, and if your curiosity is piqued, do be sure to take advantage and download your copy.

Is is available for FREE from Kobo at the following link: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/children-of-apollo-1

Kobo e-books can be read on their own e-readers as well as iPads, iPhones, Android devices,
computers and any other tablets. You can also get the free Kobo reading apps here: http://www.kobo.com/apps?___store=ca-en&style=onestore

Children of Apollo is also discounted to .99 cents on Amazon for Kindle e-readers HERE. I should also note that I've ensured that whenever someone purchases the paperback of any of my books from Amazon, they can get the e-book version as well, for free.

I'm really proud of this series and how it is evolving. I'm also very grateful to those who have taken the time to write a review on-line, which is always very important in helping other readers to find the books.

English Historical Fiction Authors

For the blog post this week, I was invited to write a guest post for a wonderful website called English Historical Fiction Authors.

This is a site that is well worth subscribing to if you are a fan of various periods in history. They are always posting new content by a wide range of wonderful authors. So, it is definitely an honour for me to have been invited to post.

If you are curious about the research for Eagles and Dragons Book III, you'll want to read my post called From the Sands of Africa to a Hidden Frontier in Roman Britain.

In it, I discuss the research for Warriors of Epona and how the archaeology of a little-known Roman frontier in Scotland must play a part in the story. This is a sort of work-in-progress sneak peak. 

The folks at English Historical Fiction Authors have asked me back for another post in April, so I am looking forward to that too.

That's all for now. Thank you, as ever, for reading and I'll see you on the other side of launch week!

Cover Reveal! – Children of Apollo (Second Edition)

Salvete readers!

This week, I’m chuffed to be able to reveal the new cover for Children of Apollo – Eagles and Dragons Book I.

I’ve been planning this for a while and thought that it would be a good time to launch this as it’s just ahead of the Summer release of Book II in the series, Killing the Hydra.

Many thanks to book cover designer extraordinaire, Derek Murphy of Creativindie, who did a brilliant job of creating this cover and including all the elements I wanted. Inside this second edition, you will also find a new glossary of Greek and Latin words.

To go along with this cover reveal, I’ve had my first go at video. Check it out to see when I open the proof package and get my first look at the cover. I might seem sedate, but inside I’m beaming!

I also go over a few Eagles and Dragons Publishing updates. If I’m sporting that deer-in-the-headlights look, please excuse me - I’ve never been one for the camera.

However, there is a first time for everything, right?

There is a lot coming up this year from Eagles and Dragons Publishing so you’ll want to sign-up for the mailing list on the top right of the Writing the Past website. No worries. I don’t throw spam at people. You will only get notifications of new posts one or two times a week.

For those of you who do sign-up for the mailing list, there will be a bit of a surprise.

If you sign-up for e-mail updates before Sunday, June 30^th, 2013 you will be entered in a draw to win one of three signed copies of the second edition of Children of Apollo. The first place winner will also receive a wooden rudus – that’s a gladius! – so that you can practice your sword moves at home.

I’ll be daring and do another video when I pick the winners’ names in July. So, don’t waste time. Sign-up now!

To accompany this launch, and if you missed them before, here are links to a series of blog posts entitled The World of Children of Apollo. These are a sort of behind-the-scenes look at the history, people and places of the novel. I’ll be doing a similar thing with Killing the Hydra toward the end of the summer.

The World of Children of Apollo - Part I - The Desert

The World of Children of Apollo - Part II - Roman North Africa

The World of Children of Apollo - Part III - The Severans

The World of Children of Apollo - Part IV - Rome: Caput Mundi

The World of Children of Apollo - Part V - Etruria

The World of Children of Apollo - Part VI - Cumae and the Sibyl

So, I hope you like the new cover and contents for Children of Apollo. As usual, it’s available in paperback and e-book.

If you have read it and liked it, reviews on any site are welcome and helpful.

Thanks for reading, sharing and commenting.

Oh, and here’s the VIDEO.

Cheers!