Month: December 2015

A New Year, A New Chance

/ Eli Kale / 1 Comment

Friends,

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday with your family and friends!

If you’ve read my blog for some time, you know that I usually start off each post with something to the extent of “welcome to a new week – where we have a new opportunity to accomplish our goals.” I say this because I truly believe that just because you don’t achieve your idea of success one week, it doesn’t mean that it can’t be worked toward or achieved the following week. With the New Year coming this week, I figured I’d expand upon some of my thoughts for another chance at success!

First, I’ll start off by touching on my WWII historical fiction work. My new book, Imminent, is available for pre-order right now and will  release January 8. I am very excited to get this project off the ground and into the hands of readers. This book presented me with some new challenges as well as some familiar ones, and I can’t wait to see what you think of it! Also my first book, Resistant, is FREE all this week, so pick up your Kindle copy today!

With that being said, I’ll kick off 2016 by beginning the writing of the next book. I am anxious for what the year will bring for my writing, but I’m also optimistic and excited. I thoroughly enjoy writing – creating – these stories, and I don’t want to stop. I want to make it a part of my life, and a big one at that. And that’s part of the whole idea of “a new opportunity” of which I so often speak: the excitement and wonder of what lies ahead, and having the courage and passion to find out.

Second, I’d like to say that whether you’re new to writing or have been doing it for years, I hope that you’ll take this transition in time to reflect on what you’re craft is, how you approach writing, and where you see yourself taking that passion. It’s good to every once in a while sit and think about the writing, rather than write write write without a second thought.

So as the New Year approaches and begins, I encourage you to take stock of what you currently do and how you can improve it. Yes, writing is an art, and art should be partially spontaneous and free-flowing, but a portion of it must also be structured, developed, and ever improved. That is something I’m going to strive for this year.

And lastly, not having to do so much with writing, is the idea of striving to achieve success in life. I don’t mean seek out ways to become rich – that’s not what this is about, nor should it be a focus in this type of conversation. What I speak of is far more precious and valuable: the state of happiness and contentment that results from hard work and focused energy.

It’s so easy to get off-topic or become distracted in today’s world, something that makes me envy my childhood, when times were simpler. Not so much because children lack adult responsibilities, but simpler because the physical world was our oyster, not the technological one. When you think about your life in a general sense (not putting more weight toward one thing or the other), what comes to mind that would make you happy? What would bring you contentment? This answer will be different for us all, as it should be.

So as I leave you with this post, ask yourself what can be done in the New Year to help achieve your goals. Don’t think of this as a New Year’s resolution, for it should be something of an everyday thought. It just so happens that our minds make us think that a change in the year means something. In this context, it doesn’t. You are always able to strive for greatness and success; it’s just a matter of when and how you do it for yourself.

Until next time,

-Eli

Update: Imminent Release

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

The week of Christmas is here! I hope this post finds you well and in good health, as well as in the position of achieving your goals. If you’ve been thinking of implementing something new into your lifestyle or have been wanting to set goals for yourself, there’s no better time to start than within the next couple of weeks. New year, clean slate, many more opportunities! I have a few important items to discuss, so here we go…

The Faces of the War Collection

This past weekend, I completed the final edit of Imminent, which is currently available for pre-order and set to release on January 8. The final word count came in at just over 46.6K, which is almost 1,000 words less than my previous book, Unguarded. Resistant‘s word count came in at just under 38K. Just figured I’d give you a snapshot of the word count across all three books.

cover_6

In terms of the discounts and deals going on with these books in the lead-up to Imminent‘s release, there has been a little change:

Resistant will be FREE from December 28 until January 1
Unguarded will have a Kindle Countdown Deal from January 13-19

Due to the price change I made on the Unguarded ebook ($4.99 to $3.99), there can’t be any promotions made until the book has sat at its new price point for 30 days. So instead of promoting it the week before the release of Imminent, it’ll come the week after. I really wanted to relay this change in information so that you aren’t blindsided by it, and perhaps can better plan for purchasing if that’s what you were going to do!

I still have until next Monday, December 28 to submit the final version of the book file to Amazon, so I think I’ll take today and/or tomorrow to read through the manuscript one last time for good measure.

After Imminent releases, I plan on beginning the process for the next book. As far as my plans are at this point, it will release sometime in 2017. For now, I’m planning on writing the fifth and final book of the collection simultaneously, bouncing back and forth between the two projects for the writing and editing parts of the process. It’s something I want to try with regard to my writing process and style, and in an effort to test my boundaries. I have the stories pretty much planned – I just need to iron out the details then begin the actual writing!

YouTube

For this week’s video, I plan on posting it on Thursday. It will be brief, because I want my readers and followers to enjoy time together with their families and friends, not stuck glued to a TV or phone screen. The following week’s video will probably be more along the lines of a normal video. If you haven’t subscribed to my channel (where I talk about my writing and teaching lives, as well as travel and other things), you can click the link above or search Eli Kale in YouTube.

I think that will about do it for this post. I want to wish you a Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, or whatever you prefer – I just hope that wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, that you’re with family and friends. I am excited for the coming weeks and the prospect of new goals to be conquered, as I hope you are too. Take care and be safe this week!

Until next time,

-Eli

Imminent Cover Reveal

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

Welcome to a new blog post, a new week, and a new opportunity to achieve the goals you set out for yourself! Today’s post has some awesome content, so let’s get right to it…

The Faces of the War Collection

Imminent, the third book in my WWII historical fiction collection, has been the longest in the making between the three books. This writing experience has proven to be different than the last, just as that was different than its predecessor. Writing, for me, has been quite an exciting journey, and I’m glad it has brought me to this point – where I can release yet another piece of my inner creativity and passion. So without further ado, here is the cover:

cover_6

After a handful of revised versions, this is the cover I landed on. Before I explain parts of it, I’ll give you the story’s synopsis:

“Hans, a captain in the German army, finds himself questioning his beliefs and perception of the Nazi Party and its agenda for the army in the middle of the war. As he and his men face the overwhelming tide of the Allied advance, will he hold true to his roots and effectively order his men to their deaths, or will he choose a more dangerous road, the destination of which is unknown?”

As with previous covers in this collection, the layout and feel is the same. I wanted to go for a gritty, familiar look, yet showcase the type of character we’ll get to know in the story and something of a glimpse into what that story might hold.

This story was fun yet a little challenging to write. I did quite a bit of research behind what the plot came to involve, and tried to develop the main character in a unique yet familiar way, in some form congruent with my first two MCs. This story is a bit of a different look into themes and motifs many of  us know and understand, and as always I hope to bring some degree of education to the table for any and all readers.

So, you’re probably wondering, “Now that we’ve seen the cover, what about the release details?” To which I say, “Read on…”

Imminent will be released January 8, 2016. A pre-order has begun on Amazon, which means you can purchase the book now and have it automatically delivered on the release date! On your Kindle (or through your computer to set it up for your Kindle), all you have to do is go to the Amazon sales page and make the purchase accordingly. The price is $2.99. The pre-order is only for the Kindle version of the book. The print version will release on or around the same date, depending on how quickly it gets processed by Createspace once I make the final submission.

While you’re at it, I encourage you to check out my social media pages, my YouTube channel, and my website in general – especially if you aren’t familiar with my previous work. Also, I’d love to connect through my mailing list, so joining that would be much appreciated too. I’ll send you a newsletter once a month beginning in January, detailing my projects and how my writing life is going. There are also other tidbits and fun facts included as well.

In addition to the release of Imminent, there are a few other bits of news…

The Kindle prices for my previous two books in this collection are GOING DOWN!

Resistant is going from $4.99 to $0.99 and Unguarded is going from $4.99 to $3.99 (if they haven’t already). If you haven’t picked these ebooks up yet, now is the time to get them!

Oh wait, I almost forgot…I’m running a promotion for both books in the lead up to Imminent‘s release! Here’s what’s goin’ on:

Two weeks from now, on December 28, Resistant will be FREE on the Kindle. This promotion will last from the 28th until January 2.

Then from January 3-7, Unguarded will go through a Kindle Countdown Deal. This basically means that it starts off at a low sales point, then gradually increases over the period of the promotion, until it reaches its normal list price on the final day. So, act fast and pick my books up while they’re discounted. You can’t beat it!

So if you’re doing the math through all of this, here’s what you could get all three books for: Resistant for FREE, Unguarded for $0.99, and Imminent for $2.99, totaling $3.98. Three books for $4 sounds pretty good to me!

So if you get Amazon gift cards for Christmas, or you’re looking for some new books to populate your Kindle, I have the perfect solution for you. And if you do purchase my books, I welcome ratings and reviews on Amazon from my readers. They act as a good method of connection and communication – I want to know what you, my readers, think of the work I create, and how I can improve my craft. I value your commitment to my books, and your opinion of them.

I think this has turned out to be quite the lengthy post, so I’ll go ahead and wrap it up. As always, I thank you for reading my blog and for supporting me in my passion, whether this is your first read or your 100th. I hope to see the same support next month when Imminent hits the shelves, both digital and physical!

Until next time,

-Eli

Details All Around

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

I’d like to start off today’s post by remembering the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on this day in 1941. It’s the event that acted as our catalyst for war, resulting in our involvement in both the Pacific and European theaters of the war. Without our entry, things may have turned out very differently. So please, take a moment and think about how this day 74 years ago changed the course of history, and be grateful for the victorious outcome our country achieved in its aftermath.

~ * ~

I’d like to thank you for reading this post, and to welcome you to my blog. If this is your first time reading, you’ll find information in my blog posts related to my writing projects, as well as to other things going on in my life such as teaching and traveling. If you’re not new, then you already know! Let’s get into this week’s content…

The Faces of the War Collection

In my WWII historical fiction collection, I’ve made some good progress on my third book, titled “Imminent.” At the moment, I have about 13K words remaining in the manuscript that still need edited and placed into the final draft file, so things are progressively coming to a close. I got a good chunk of work done yesterday, and I’ll continue to chip away at it over the coming weeks. A reminder from last week’s blog post: the new release date (more than tentative but not 100%) is January 8. If not then, it will be around that time (like the following Monday the 11th, for example). I am wrapping up communication with my cover designer this week, so you can expect to see a reveal next week. There will be other book/story details given at that time as well, so keep your eyes open!

If you haven’t yet checked out my first two books, you can find them on Amazon in both Kindle and print formats: Resistant and Unguarded.

Writing Tip: A piece of advice I was once given stated that when writing, don’t be too liberal with the exclamation point. The person said, “If the character isn’t on fire, don’t use it.” If used too much, it can take away some of the urgency or emotion in the dialogue, which can negatively affect the story.

The Short Story Collection

I’ve said recently that I plan on developing the next volume of short stories simultaneously with the fourth book (writing begins in January), and that I hope for a summer release. I currently have the three story ideas in place; I just need to plan them out in detail. From there, the writing could take anywhere from 2-6 months. My focus, however, will be on my WWII projects, so the short stories will be tended to here and there.

If you haven’t yet checked out my first two volumes, you can find them available for the Kindle on Amazon: Volume 1 and Volume 2.

Writing Tip: When writing story text (dialogue or otherwise), don’t include too many commas in any one sentence. In most cases, those lengthy sentences can be broken down. Having too many commas can lend to reader confusion. 

YouTube

I’d like to thank those who have subscribed to my YouTube channel and who’ve watched my videos. I make these videos to document my life – writing, teaching, traveling, and personal – because I want to share my experiences with those who will listen. We all grow in our own way, but having a part of that growth be in the form of connecting through an amazing platform as YouTube is pretty awesome, and I want you to join me on the journey!

You can subscribe to my channel here, where you’ll find weekly videos posted about my writing projects, my teaching life, my travels, and certain aspects of my personal life. And if you’d like a more detailed look into my work, as well as to connect with me and fellow readers, I encourage you to join my mailing list. You can email me at elikale.author@gmail.com with a quick “hello” letting me know you’d like to be added to the list. I welcome anyone and everyone!

That will do it for this week’s blog post. Be sure to check out next week’s post where I’ll reveal the book cover for Imminent and detail book/story details.

Until next time,

-Eli