Living Legend

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It’s my birthday and I’m giving away books!

Posted on by J.W. Martin

When a hobbit has a birthday, it’s more common for that hobbit to GIVE gifts than to receive.

I am far too tall to be a hobbit, but in the hobbit-spirit, I have a gift for everyone.

A few years ago, I self-published a book. It’s a literary fiction (I think, I’m bad with genres) and tells the tale of two men battling over the search for the Loch Ness Monster. One wants to find Nessie, the other wants to protect her.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Rory Stewart and Harvey Chase are the first two men to go to war over the Loch Ness Monster. 

Rory has lived the last 30 years along the shore of Loch Ness. He stands vigilant as the self-appointed protector of a creature he can’t even be sure he’s ever seen. 

Harvey is a man of considerable wealth and resources, whose favourite hobby is hunting down creatures of legend. 

Having dealt with tourists, scientists and would-be hunters for three decades, Rory will have to use every trick he’s learned to protect the legend he loves when the fame-seeking Harvey Chase turns his attention on the fabled “Nessie”. If Rory loses it could mean the capture of a monster, or worse yet, proof that she never existed at all.

So, please, go check out Living Legend on Amazon. Download it. Read it. And tell everyone you know who likes a free book. Because who doesn’t like a free book, right?

Fun fact about this post: Living Legend will also be free all day Monday for those that miss this post today.
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Legendary Contest

Posted on by J.W. Martin

With the release of Living Legend approaching (September 19th) we’re getting into all kinds of preparation for the launch party. All of our efforts have been to make it something fun and entertaining for those who come out to support. This launch isn’t just for me. I want it to be for everyone.

The only thing I want for me is for people to show up and read the book.

For everyone else, we’ve been looking into snacks, drinks, entertainment, and prizes. We always seem to be looking for more. One more thing to add. One more reason to come out. One more thing to make this launch really cool. And I just recently came up with possibly the most unique one, and I needed to share.

Anyone who signs up for my mailing list at jwmartin.com will automatically be entered in a draw. The winner of the draw gets to name a character in an upcoming novel. You can use your own name, the name of a loved one, or just a name you really, really like.

This is NOT limited to those who come to the physical launch party. You can take part no matter where you are in the world. All you need is to access jwmartin.com.

The contest will run retroactively (so if you’ve already signed up, you’re already entered) and the draw will take place on Sunday, September 27th.

Good luck everyone!

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Official Release Date & Cover Reveal

Posted on by J.W. Martin

It’s finally here. Or at least it will be within a month.

Living Legend has received fairly consistent work for years. The original draft was started back in 2011. To be fair, it sat for a bit after that and wasn’t picked up again until 2013.

Even so, 2 years of waiting has been tough. Several drafts, alpha readers, more drafts, beta readers, another draft, hiring an editor, final changes, cover design, book layout, proofing, and it still doesn’t seem like my work is done, but it does feel like the book is ready; the best that it can be.

September 19, 2015 is the official date, and I couldn’t be more excited.

Those of you who follow my Facebook page may have already seen the book’s cover, but if you haven’t, this post mark’s the official reveal:

LL_digicover_HR

 

It’s nerve-wracking and will grow more and more so as the date approaches. This little project that I’ve been working on for so long, and love so much, is getting closer to being out in the world where people can say things like, “It sucks” and “I didn’t even bother finishing it.”

I’m not delusional. I know there are people who will say things like that, and worse. There’s a protective side we authors have that tries to come out at negative reactions. To the average reviewer, it’s just another book. To the author, it’s almost as precious as a family pet. It’s not just some words on a page, it’s a piece of me out there. People will be insulting a piece of me.

There are two solaces I can take in the situation. One is that I’ve heard/read that even the biggest authors in the industry still share this very same anxiety when their latest work is about to go on the market. With that being the case, these feelings can be filed under ‘natural’ and not given too much time and attention.

The second is that there will be other people who can’t stop raving about the book. They’ll write a great review and tell their friends about this great book they read. And those are the reactions writers live for.

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Legendary Draft

Posted on by J.W. Martin

With NaNoWriMo just over a month away I’ve gone into overdrive on finishing my work-in-progress by October. That’ll give me a month to plan out my NaNo book, write some short stories that have been on my mind, spend a little more time on this mess of a website and just take a few days of down time.

“What am I working on,” no one asked. Excellent question.

I’m nearing the end of the second draft of upcoming book, Living Legend. Since it hasn’t been talked about on this site yet, here’s a little about it:

Rory Stewart and Harvey Chase are at war.

 

Rory has lived the last 30 years of his life along the southwestern shore of Loch Ness. He stands vigilant as the self-appointed protector of a creature he can’t even be sure he’s ever seen.

 

Harvey is a man of considerable wealth and resources, whose favourite hobby is hunting down creatures of legend and myth.

 

Having dealt with tourists, scientists and would-be hunters over the past 3 decades, Rory will have to be at his  best when Harvey, an unequaled adversary, sets his sights on the fabled “Nessie”.

 

Rory will have to use every trick and wit at his disposal to protect the legend he loves from the fame-seeking Harvey Chase. If Rory loses it could mean the capture of a legend, or worse yet, proof that she never existed at all.

It’s pretty exciting to be nearly done draft two. I have my beta readers really and salivating for the manuscript. There have been many big changes between draft one and two. Assuming the feedback from my readers is mostly positive, it’ll just a need a few more drafts for proofing. Then I’ll be faced with the soul-ripping decision of trying to get it published traditionally or self-publishing.

There’s a lot to that debate, but it’ll have to wait for another post.