Backstage Pass! Does “Neverqueen” need a new cover?

AuthorAppleton on June 30, 2014

Last week I signed books at a homeschool conference in Ohio. It was my first opportunity to sell print copies of Neverqueen, my newest release. One thing I noticed: people did not “fall in love” with that book when they looked at the cover… And that is the first time that has happened for me with ANY of my books.

It turns out that many people just don’t love the cover (my wife and my mother among them). Some people at the conference even thought it looked creepy and evil! Obviously this is not the mood of the story and not the impression I want to leave with prospective buyers. This is an epic fantasy tale with a bit of a mystery, too.

For that reason (and so that it will tie in better with the style of The Sword of the Dragon covers) I am seriously considering commissioning a new piece of art to completely change the look and feel of this work. I love the story and I know readers will, too, but we need a cover people want to set on their book shelves.

I do not want to be one of those authors who cannot take criticism and learn from it, even change things to improve them. This cover is one alteration that I think is needed.

Question: Do you love the Neverqueen cover? Does it draw you in? How does it compare to the other covers in The Sword of the Dragon series?

Book Look! Pilgrim’s Progress

AuthorAppleton on June 23, 2014

Pilgrim’s Progress. I must have read that book three times when I was growing up and what an impression it left on me. John Bunyan’s classic allegory for many years was the best-selling book next only to the Bible. Even today its popularity is evidenced by the many various revisions and editions it has populated.

But why does this allegory resonate so well with people?

I think it has to do with the character of Christian and how he changes during the course of the story. After his conviction he follows the narrow way and each challenge along the path brings him closer to Paradise. Through a fantasy-type setting we can relate to Christian’s victories and his failings. We desire the same thing he did: victory over the Evil One and Eternal Life. We must struggle with faith in a physical world populated with individuals who deny God’s very existence or scoff at the necessity of repentance and a following after good works.

This book is timeless and powerful, encouraging us to be the men and women of God-granted potential.

Question: Have you read The Pilgrim’s Progress? Did it inspire you?

3 Fantasy Lands You Should NOT Visit

AuthorAppleton on June 16, 2014

Oh, this will be fun! Almost like a poll, let’s see what dark places of fantasy worlds are top of our do-not-visit list.

The Land of Mordor

If I ask the question: What are three fantasy lands that you would not want to visit? What comes to mind?

My top three at the moment would be:

  1. The Land of Mordor
    The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien
    What is more unlikeable than a nest of unwashed orcs, volcanic mountains, and a sky that sees no sun?
  2. Hades’ Underworld
    Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan
    Whether in Riordan’s series or in mythology, I want no part of that place.
  3. The Valley of Death
    The Sword of the Dragon by Your’s Truly(-;
    There is precious little in my first three books about this place, but when I built Letrias a lair I made it a place I would not want to be. And you’ll learn more about it in the forthcoming books in that series.

So now that you know the three at the top of my list, here’s my question for you:

Which Fantasy Lands/Places are You Least Inclined to Visit?

Backstage Pass! My Writing Machine

AuthorAppleton on June 9, 2014

My father was fond of two sayings: 1) Life isn’t fair, and 2) You get what you pay for!

I’ve owned my share of laptops and I work them hard. I think my laptops average seven hours of operation per day. My first was a Dell Inspiron which I purchased for $700 back in 2002. I wrote my first complete manuscript on that laptop. The manuscript was titled The Lore of Etina, that I later renamed The Sword of the Dragon, which of course became the source material for my first novel series. In 2006 I upgraded to a Toshiba. I cannot remember the model but it was a good machine and I paid about $1,400 for it. That one lasted about three years and I replaced it with a cheap Toshiba from Walmart. I will never do that again. The keyboard was not very responsive, the screen had poor resolution, and the hard drive died within a month!

I had been researching Toshiba’s gaming laptop line and I decided to take the plunge. I invested about $1,600 in a Toshiba Qosmio and that is my writing machine! The keyboard is responsive, the screen resolution is fantastic, the encasement is aluminum, and I upgraded it with a Solid State Drive to optimize its processing power. This laptop is big. And I know I am in the minority nowadays, but I do like a large machine.

Question: What is your Writing Machine?

Counter Culture: We Have No Mother Earth

AuthorAppleton on June 2, 2014

On a recent drive to work I stopped at a traffic light behind this silver jeep adorned in all sorts of bumper stickers. One in particular caught my eye: THE EARTH DOES NOT BELONG TO US, WE BELONG TO THE EARTH and beside the text was a sketch of Jesus.

Really now, this has become a popular way of thinking of the Earth. It seems that the 1960’s have not fully been dispensed with. Let’s see what Scripture says about the Earth.

Who does the earth belong to?

The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. -Psalm 24:1

Who does the earth belong to? It was a gift to mankind.

And God said, “Let us make man in our image… and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing upon the earth.” -Genesis 1:26

Amazing how that bumper sticker reverses everything. First off, it is true the earth does not belong to us, but we are masters of it. Secondly, we do not belong to the earth. We belong to the Lord God and He has given us dominion over the Earth. This is an important distinction. The earth and its resources are a blessing given us by God. We are certainly responsible for being good stewards of that gift, but we have no mother earth.

Question for you: What are some of the other false views society puts forth concerning this topic? How do you view the Earth?

Backstage Pass! Why I Killed Dantress

AuthorAppleton on May 26, 2014

There are 3 elements that are key to a great story. Those elements are love, honor, and sacrifice. If you ask me “Why did Dantress have to die in Swords of the Six?” I will tell you that the scenario met all of those criteria.

This is very hard as a writer. It is always a challenge to create a story and spend time creating a character you love… and then be willing to kill that character off. Dantress had to die, for the good of the story. The consequence of giving birth would be that she must give up her life blood to the child in order for the child to live. What better way to endear Dantress to those around her? She became the epitome of self-sacrifice in the story. She was willing to give up her new life with her husband in order that her daughter could live.

From the perspective of the hero, Ilfedo, his wife was his dearest treasure. But because of the sweet gift of his daughter, his earthly purpose continued.

You have to have love, honor, and sacrifice. Eliminate any of these elements and the story suffer.

Question: What stories stand out in your mind because of one character’s selfless sacrifice? Does it endear the story to you and make it more memorable?

Welcome to the AuthorAppleton blog!

AuthorAppleton on May 26, 2014

As a Christian author of fantasy and science fiction, I have been blogging for a number of years now and one thing has become apparent: As my audience grows it becomes more difficult to maintain consistency across multiple media platforms. It is necessary to have One place on the web where I can focus my energies to encourage, enlighten, and enliven my audience.

Initially the goal of this website is to be a consistent source of new content and engage my readers. Here is the plan:

  1. A Weekly blog post every Monday
  2. New PDF books available through AuthorAppleton.com
  3. In the next couple years I plan to add a Podcast

It is my hope that you come to appreciate my candid approach to family-friendly fantasy and science-fiction. You may not always agree with my perspective but I hope that you will enjoy the discussion my perspective starts.

Welcome to my blog!

Site Introductory Posts Scheduled!

AuthorAppleton on May 22, 2014

Thank you for coming by! On Monday, May 26th the introductory posts for AuthorAppleton.com will be released, and a new post will release every Monday thereafter.

Keep your eye out for great fantasy and science-fiction reads and always consider what you read. Consider what is good, honorable, and right; be cautious of how fiction shapes your worldview! I pray God’s blessing on what I write here and on what you read here.