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Giving Thanks

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

I truly hope this post finds you well and in good spirits! For many of my readers, though not all by any means, this week is a week to take a moment out of our busy lives to be thankful for all that we possess. Thanksgiving is always toward the end of November, but I think it best not to allocate all our thankfulness on this one day. Giving thanks is something that should be done regularly, for we do not know when a favorite appliance may break, or when a loved one may pass, or even when our own time arrives.

My challenge to you, in this world of uncertainty, is this: when you wake up in the morning (or perhaps in the evening if you work the night shift), take a brief moment to find someone or something in your life for which you are truly and genuinely thankful. Think of what that person or thing means to you and how it shapes you, whether for better or worse, and use that to start your day off on a positive note! I can say with confidence that beginning your day in that kind of mood will help steer you farther down the road of optimism as you go about your routine. And just think what that would do in the long run, over weeks or months, or even years. I’m sure you’d be surprised.

That’s my little spiel on being thankful, so let’s dive on into the blog…

The Faces of the War Collection

At the moment, the third read-through of the Unguarded manuscript is underway. As I have said before, I am focusing on polishing up the dialogue, hoping to make it more concise, dynamic, and realistic. I am going through the text and am all the while thinking of how exciting this process is for me. I mean, this is the time when what I have worked on for many months starts coming together in what could be its final state. I am very excited to deliver this story to you when the time comes.

The word count at the moment is almost 47K, which is actually closer to my original goal word count than what I thought I’d get. The first draft came in at around 42K words, but in going through it here and there, I ended up adding enough to bring out more detail in the story. I have already clued in those of you on the mailing list as to some story details, but I will share them here as well. Before I do, I encourage you to join my mailing list if you haven’t already – it’s a great way to connect with me and get in-depth details regarding my projects before the general public hears it (usually on this blog or through Twitter). You can find the link here.

Unguarded is a story set during the Second World War, following the character of Oliver – a young college boy living in London. In this book, as opposed to Resistant, there will be an Epilogue, which has lent itself to helping expand the word count this time around. This story is very much different from Book One, yet it still captures a lot of the feeling and emotion, as well as action, experienced in the first story.

Though there is no specific release date set, I can assure you that Unguarded will be released in January 2015. Throughout this entire process, I’ve experienced a few minor setbacks that, together, have been enough to set me back in my timeline for a release in the New Year rather than before Christmas. I do hope you can bear with me as I finish this project, and I also hope that you will read it and be entertained by it.

The Short Story Collection

My first ebook of short stories, entitled Volume 1, is currently available for the Kindle for only $0.99! The next ebook, which is aptly entitled Volume 2, will be released in the spring. I will resume work on those stories after I launch Unguarded. All three stories are roughed out, with one of them actually begun. I look forward to bringing those to you!

Until next time,

-Eli

Unguarded Details

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

I hope this post finds you well and ready to face a new week! The main bit of news I have for you today is related to the publication and release of Unguarded, my upcoming WWII book, so let’s dive right in…

The Faces of the War Collection

As I’m sure you’re aware by now, the release date for Unguarded has been pushed back to its original tentative date of early January. Though I don’t yet have a specific date set for sure, I can tell you that the end of the editing process shouldn’t make publication go much later into January than the third week. That is the hope, at least. This being the first time I’ve used a professional editor, I can’t say with 100% confidence whether or not I can release the book by any given date. That is all I can give you on that aspect of things at this time.

With regard to the writing process, I have read through the entire manuscript twice thus far. When I wrote Resistant, I read through the manuscript a total of five times. I may or may not do that this time around…it just depends on how I feel about the book and the timeline of things. I am going to try and focus on polishing up the dialogue in this book, as that has been something of a common issue in feedback comments.

If you are relatively new to writing and self-publishing, let me lend you a bit of advice. In my experience, I have found that the best way to work through the writing/publishing process is to remain flexible in your mind. By this, I mean flexible in your timelines, flexible in your openness to change, and flexible in your creativity. Having taught in a classroom, I can tell you that planning ahead too far and too specifically is a waste of time and energy. Writing and self-publishing are very similar, especially if you employ the services of professional cover designers, editors, etc. You can’t expect everything to fall within your desired timeline, so you must be flexible if you want your work to come out successful on the other end.

As for being open to change, I stress this because I have a slight fear of complacency. With storytelling, especially in a series or collection like what I am producing, you can’t (or at least shouldn’t) expect to capture a reader’s attention over and over if you write in the same way, use the same methods, or revert to what you know every time an obstacle appears in your writing path. Embrace challenge and use those obstacles to explore the writing ability within yourself. Sure, you may want to keep some aspects similar for the sake of continuity and commonality, especially in a series or collection, but changing up other aspects of your writing lends itself to better engaging your readers.

This leads to what I mentioned about being flexible in creativity. I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but I’ll reiterate it: good writers are good readers. All that means is that as a writer, it will help expand your creative side if you read works by other writers, especially ones in your genre. For example, in my writing (mostly historical fiction) I couch my plot in historical fact, using accurate facts and known truths to support my characters and what they experience. So to accomplish that, I read historical non-fiction works from credible authors in order to give an authentic feel to my stories. It works differently for different authors in different genres, but you get the idea.

Now I’m not saying that I know everything about writing, because I don’t, but I am saying that those three aspects of the writing and publishing process are important things to consider…so I encourage you to do so!

Regarding my other projects, I can tell you that I’ve taken a small break from my Short Story collection in order to focus on delivering Unguarded to you. On the plus side, brainstorming and planning for other books and projects are underway!

If you are new to this blog, I encourage you to join my mailing list so you can receive in-depth updates directly from me regarding my projects. There is more information included there than here, so it’d be the best way to get the inside scoop on what I’m doing. And lastly, I encourage you to tell a friend about my work. One of the most powerful marketing tools for authors is word of mouth. To those who have been following along with me for some time, I thank you for all the support and encouragement you’ve given. It is truly appreciated!

Until next time,

-Eli

Bear with Me

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

Welcome to a new week with a fresh start! I hope you are faring well in all your projects, whether it be writing or reading. Remember, you should always try to write a little each day even if it is only a little bit, and reading other authors’ works helps in the creation of your own.

There has been some progress since last week, so let’s get right into it…

The Faces of the War Collection

If you have tried to purchase Resistant in print from Amazon, you will have noticed that there is no stock. That is untrue, however that is what it has to say for now. The reason for that is because I am in the process of switching everything for Resistant from WaveCloud (the company I used to distribute the book upon its release) to me. I wanted to have complete control over it, especially when it came to tracking my earnings and sales rankings. Because of this, WaveCloud had to “unpublish” the book (essentially take it down from Amazon on their end) and then send me the files to upload myself (“republishing” the book). The process can be slow at times, I’m told, so I ask that you please bear with me. Resistant will be made available in print again soon! It is available for the Kindle, so that option is open to you if you’d prefer.

As for the second book in the collection, Unguarded, it is coming along well. The first draft word count came in at just over 43K and I have since added to it while doing slight revisions. I am currently waiting to receive Part I (of III) from my editors, going back through the other two Parts in the meantime. I also mentioned before that there is an Epilogue in this book, which helped in extending the word count past Resistant’s word count of 38K. I am aiming to release the book by Christmas, which is dependent on how quickly and efficiently I can get through the editing process. If not, the book will release shortly after Christmas like I originally intended. Nothing but good news for my readers, as I am ahead of schedule.

The Short Story Collection

If you haven’t checked it out already, I have published the first volume of short stories that will contribute to my short story collection. The idea behind this project is that I would release volumes of short stories (usually containing 3-5 stories each) over time, in between my other larger projects. After a handful of volumes are released, I would have a large enough collection of short stories to offer my readers (especially new readers), which would afford them material to read aside from my WWII collection. I would like to give as much variety to my readers as I can manage, and I figured this would be a good way to it.

The second volume is underway and should be release in early 2015. That’s how it looks at this point!

Other News

Also, if you haven’t already joined my mailing list, I encourage you to do so. There is quite a bit of information that is revealed through my newsletter that comes out about every two weeks, and it contains more details than my blog does here. I’m using it as a means to connect with my readers on a more personal level, because I think it’s great when a person can interact with the author of a book they like. It makes the reading experience more meaningful, in my opinion.

All of the links needed to check out my upcoming books, as well as to join my mailing list, are located on this website by using the tabs at the top of the page. So please take a moment to browse my site–it is laid out very practically and can be easily navigated and accessed.

That is all I have for now. I hope to get to work on some more revisions this week and planning ahead for my upcoming projects after Unguarded is released. If you want the real scoop on it, join my mailing list!

Until next time,

-Eli

Much News!

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

It is a brand new start to a brand new week. I truly hope there is much good in store for you today! There is much going on in the Eli Kale community this week, part of it due to a change in things regarding my current works in progress. 

Faces of the War: Unguarded

Much progress was made this past week on my upcoming book, Unguarded, which is the second in a collection of historical fiction stories set during the Second World War. Up to this point, The writing completed on Friday put me a little past the halfway mark of the number of words which I would like this book to have – 49K. After completing the remaining 3K or so words left in Part II today, I will be well on my way to writing Part III and the Epilogue, edging closer and closer to my goal word count.

I have recharged my writing and creative batteries, and I must say that the past few work days have been a blast! I am really enjoying getting into the character, much like I did with the main character in my first book. I’ve mentioned before that some aspects of the first book carry over into the second book, while the stories themselves will be completely different and unrelated. 

I have also picked up a second editor for Book Two, mostly because my primary editor has taken on more work in her schedule. So to still bring you a quality story, I am working with two editors this time around. I am truly looking forward to this new part of the experience.

As for the overall time frame, I am actually ahead of schedule a bit. The tentative release date is still sometime shortly after New Year’s. I will have more on that in the coming months.

The Short Story Collection: Volume I

If you haven’t read it or heard me say it before, I am aiming to release short stories through Amazon KDP periodically throughout the coming months and years in the form of three-story volumes. The first volume will release sometime this week, barring any unforeseen setbacks. 

This is what I alluded to in the beginning of the post. I had asked a friend if they’d like to edit the short stories for me, and they said they would. However, with their internship on the West Coast getting underway, which makes the person very busy, they were unable to get around to the editing. With the understanding from the get-go that they were to put their work and priorities first, I decided to edit the stories myself. 

After considering it all, I concluded that this is actually a good thing because it makes the stories more personal. You as a reader can be a little bit closer to me as a writer, because what you’re reading is truly mine. I really enjoyed writing these first three stories, and I hope you will enjoy reading them. 

This being my first time using Amazon KDP, I can’t state an exact time and date for when the book will release. I’ll have to get the hang of it first. I can say that it should be live by the end of the week (my goal, at least). It will be either $0.99 or $1.99, depending on the file size and such. 

The reason I am doing these short stories is to vary up the writing that I do on my larger projects, like the books in the “Faces of the War” collection. Not only does it provide me with a break from the time period, style, settings, etc. of my other projects, but it gives you something new and fresh to read as well. So if you’re a fan of short stories, I encourage you to check it out after its release!

Mailing List

A few more people have added themselves to my mailing list, but there is always room for more! I use email newsletters to directly reach those in the Eli Kale community who wish to receive early details and updates about me and my work. I also would like to encourage you to join the mailing list because it will allow you to step inside my world as I journey through my writing. There are also things in the e-newsletters (which I send out bi-weekly) that don’t show up in the regular blog here: fun facts, Q&A sessions, special giveaways, and much more. It also affords you the opportunity to interact with me, which is important to me because I like to be a presence in the community of my readership, not an absent author whose social media posts are the only semblance of life that you see of him. And the best part is that I don’t write long newsletters, so you can read them over your morning coffee or in the evening as you settle into bed.

I would love to have you join me as I create these stories of which I am very passionate. All you have to do is go to the link in the previous paragraph, then input your name, email, and a comment saying that you’d like to be placed on the list, and that’s it! 

So to end today’s information-filled post, here is one of my favorite cartoons by the artist Gary Larson. Have a wonderful day!

farside1

Until next time,

-Eli

A Little Bit of Everything

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

I hope this blog finds you in good health, and that you are fairing well in whatever project you might be working on!

This past weekend, I forwarded the first part of Unguarded (roughly one-third of the book) to my editor, and writing has continued on the second part. I am getting very excited to see where the next couple of weeks take me in my writing. I am even more excited to see what you, my readers, think when you first journey through the story.

I would like to encourage you to subscribe to my mailing list, if you haven’t already. I send out a newsletter twice a month via email that includes book-related information and behind-the-scenes details of my upcoming projects. Not only would you receive the information before “everyone else” in the Eli Kale community, but it is more detailed information tailored to a VIP-type of audience. I want to really have a personable relationship with my readers!

Here’s how you can subscribe:

1. Go to this link: https://elikaleauthor.wordpress.com/mailing-list/

2. Input your name and email address, and include a little note to me stating that you wish to be added to the Mailing List. 

3. You’ll receive the newsletter that is next in line to be published. If your subscription is close enough to a recently sent out newsletter, I’ll send a late copy of it to you personally!

And that’s all it takes! There is already some good information coming out through these newsletters regarding my upcoming book, Unguarded, which is the second book of the “Faces of the War” collection. You can find sales links and reviews for the first book, Resistant, here. The next issue of the newsletter will be posted this week, so sign up today!

Here is a new review for Resistant from Amazon:

“The book is a fictional story of a woman’s journey as a resistance fighter during WW2 in France. Something I noticed at times was a grammatical error or interesting sentence structure, which is okay since the book is self-published, and at the same time I thought it was brilliant if it was intended. The reason I think it would be brilliant if it was intended is because the narrator is a French woman by the name of Rienne. It is written in a way as if she is talking to you telling you the story. I pictured her as an old French lady with a French accent, so it would only be natural that she might have an error or two as she speaks since English wouldn’t be her first language. It made me appreciate the story even more and relate to her character.

The best part of the book was the description of the battle scenes. The author strikes an amazing balance between carefully detailing the scenes without hitting you over the head with details so you know exactly what is going on and can picture it in your head. The main character was also very likable, which is a huge plus. I recommend that you check it out.”

I hope that you too will leave a review and star rating for Resistant on Amazon if you have already read it or plan to read it. I would greatly appreciate it!

I would like to leave you with a quote I really like:

“We are all inventors, each sailing out on a voyage of discovery, guided each by a private chart, of which there is no duplicate. The world is all gates, all opportunities.”                                                                              –Ralph Waldo Emerson

Until next time!

-Eli

Cherish Your Friends

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

I hope this blog finds you well and in good working spirits! I am ready to get back to work after an eventful weekend. I traveled to my hometown to play in my high school’s alumni soccer game (which the alumni won 5-2, one of the goals contributed by yours truly). Afterward, my wife and I went out to lunch with some of my very good, longtime friends and their significant others. If I can say one thing, it would be this: I encourage you to never forget your roots and to always cherish your friends.

revampedalumnigame

 

I am on the right

Back to the Grind

Today, I am revisiting Part I of my second book, Unguarded, to add about 2,000 words to what I had already typed. Here is why…

For my first book, Resistant, the final word count totaled just shy of 38K. For the story I was telling, that word count seemed appropriate. As an author, you don’t want to throw words on the page just to reach a certain word count and risk sacrificing the story’s quality. However, many reviews of that book called for a longer story. 

So, I am planning ahead for subsequent books in the “Faces of the War” collection to be in the upper 40K range for word count. Because of this, I want to go back and expand the story in Part I of Unguarded so all of the parts in the book are relatively similar in size to the first book (at least proportionately speaking). I think you’ll understand better when you pick up the book. 

Cover_front

I am getting really excited to see how Unguarded will develop. It started out as a skeleton structure when I began writing a few weeks ago, and it is really beginning to take shape. And the best part is that I’m actually ahead of the original schedule that I laid out when I started this project. That is something really satisfying, and it makes me want to do more!

Mailing List & Newsletter

I wanted to include a little tidbit in today’s blog about KaleMail, the newsletter I send out two times per month to my mailing list subscribers. The list is growing, and the first issue of the newsletter was sent out last week. I surprisingly didn’t have any subscribers throughout the whole process of production for Resistant, but now it’s finally starting to pick up. The idea behind KaleMail is that subscribers in essence become VIP members of the Eli Kale community, receiving details and information on me, my projects, and my currently published books before the rest of the community hears about it. So if you want to get that kind of information as soon as possible, please subscribe. The process is really simple!

New Blog Posts

I also wanted to reiterate my idea about adding another scheduled blog post to the week, probably on Thursdays, that will feature information and tips from me on writing and publishing. But if I were to do this, I’d really like to hear from YOU, my readers, with regards to questions or issues you may have related to these topics. That will give me some material to work with, thus making the posts more interesting and relatable. Please consider commenting or emailing me feedback so we can get this started together!

Until next time,

-Eli

Part II Update & Mailing List Info

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

Today marks the beginning of a new week, which means another chance to sit down and work at something I truly enjoy. I hope you seize any opportunity presented to you to do something you love. That is, in my opinion, part of the meaning of life!

I believe you all will be happy to know that I am moving right along with Part II of my WIP (“work in progress,” if you didn’t know), UNGUARDED. It is the second book of the “Faces of the War” collection. You can see my first book, RESISTANT, on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, among other places.

book2part2

As I have said before, I am aiming for a New Year 2015 release, probably in late January. If for some reason I am delayed during the process, it will be pushed back to February…but I don’t foresee that happening! Things are very much on schedule on my end.

Keep an eye out for details over the next few months, as I will release bits of information about the book a little at a time in the buildup to its release. There is one thing you can do to make sure you hear the information first: join my mailing list!

I would really love to see my readership grow, and I think an expanding mailing list is a great way to do it. As a member of the mailing list, you would receive updates and details before I post them on this site. So if you think about it, it’s kind of like a VIP sort of thing. Pretty cool, huh?!

I think so, and that’s why I’d love for you to join the Eli Kale community! Here’s what you have to do:

     1. Go to this page here.

     2. In the field boxes, type in your Name and Email (just delete my example Name and Email).

     3. Leave a comment saying something like “I’d like to be added to the mailing list!” 

After that, I will add your email to the mailing list, and you will be part of the Eli Kale community! I really want to make this something YOU can benefit from and enjoy, so please let me know if something doesn’t look right in the emails you’ll receive from me, or if there’s something in particular you’d like me to include in subsequent emails. I really want to make this a close-knit thing, not a scheduled post that seems like it was made by a drone.

I encourage you to pass the word along to a friend. You never know who might like the stuff I write or the things I talk about! It is very much appreciated on my end.

Until next time,

-Eli

Chuggin’ Along

/ Eli Kale / Leave a comment

Friends,

I am excited to share with you a few things. First off, the book I’m currently working on, which is also my first, is coming along very well. Since beginning the writing process around Thanksgiving of last year, I have written over 30,000 words and divided the book into three parts. It has been a fun and enriching experience to write this story, especially since it falls into my area of personal interest in terms of history. I will have a better idea on a possible release date for the book in the coming weeks. Also, getting acquainted with the self-publishing process through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and CreateSpace has been a somewhat daunting yet rewarding experience thus far. It is truly an encouraging notion that self-publishing is fairly simple and straightforward, not difficult like many make it out to be. I work with anticipation for what is still in store for me and the readership I hope to develop.

Secondly, I have just recently built up my various profiles that I will use to get the word out about my book and to maintain communication with my readers. If you have an account on the following websites and would like to look me up, here’s what you can search for:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/elikaleauthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Eli_Kale

I would like to point out that this WordPress blog will be the primary tool I will use when communicating with my readers. Sure, there will be updates and other important information on Facebook and Twitter, but this is where my major activity will be. Facebook and Twitter will be used like this…

Facebook will serve as a platform from which readers can glean information about the books I have written, am currently writing, and about books that are still to come. The other main feature of my Eli Kale page on Facebook is the mailing list signup form on the tab titled, “Subscribe for Updates.” Here, readers can subscribe to a mailing list to receive (via e-mail) important updates and other information, usually before that information hits the social media sites. So it’s essentially a VIP list, if you think about it.

Twitter will serve as a platform from which readers can get important and up-to-date information on the book currently in development, as well as books previously published. There will also be videos, links, and pictures that will pop up from time to time about my books or things related to them. And sometimes, I may just post something that I find interesting or intriguing.

I will keep you informed on developments as they happen.

-Eli