Saturday, December 13, 2008

Brand New Podcast in the Works!

I'm currently working on creating a brand new podcast--something I've actually secretly been working on for about a year now. Well, "working on" is an overstatement. It's been in the back of my head, and I've been mulling it over for over a year. I've even sent out marketing surveys to some of you regarding it--so for those of you wondering what happened...It's coming. It's just not going to be a blog. It's going to be a podcast.

I can't give you much information yet (because I'm annoying and I like to torture people with secrets), but I can tell you a few things:

  1. Those of you in my middle school and high school youth groups who know (and like) my teaching and speaking style will absolutely love it!
  2. It is going to be called, To Elysia and Back Again. No, it has nothing to do with The Elysian Chronicles. (Or does it? He he he.)
  3. My first podcast series will be called, The Second Birth of Davian the Great. It takes place about 200 years before A Prophecy Forgotten, which talks about Davian's experience in RSO training and kind of gives an explanation as to why he so ardently believes the Runes. A select few of you have actually already heard this series. Oh, and, um, the series isn't about the story of Davian. I'm just using the story to help me explain something...totally different.

Is that cryptic enough?

What's funny is that I haven't really taught in about four months, so I'm a bit rusty. I finished recording the series and thought, that was awful! So, I'm going to re-record it again after I do some more research--to make the series more like what I normally do. And now that the rust is gone...

Look for the podcast to start in about one to two weeks...

Saturday, December 06, 2008

On Converting A Prophecy Forgotten into a Graphic Novel

Read on and discover a few secrets about A Prophecy Forgotten (and Out of the Shadows).

I’m currently working on the graphic novel script to A Prophecy Forgotten. (Yes, I realize that this should have been done over the summer, but remember I needed to “tweak” Out of the Shadows, which took up time…)

Now the problem with turning any novel into a graphic novel is…well, there are a lot of problems. First, with a novel, the author can talk directly to the audience. Trust me, it’s a beautiful thing. If I want to let you know about some history, I can just tell you about it. (Well, to an extent. If I go too far, I’ll be violating the “show, don’t tell” principle and bore you to tears.)

A graphic novel doesn’t have much of a narrator. This means that I have to somehow communicate all the intricacies of Heaven’s Realm, cherubians, mornachts, and the relationships between RSOs and LAFs using dialog and action only—oh, and on occasion, I can use a little “caption” box. (Yippee. Dude, I’m a novelist. The little “caption box” just isn’t going to do it for me.)

But that’s not the only problem. With graphic novels and novels, you have to satisfy audience expectations. A person has one expectation of what he or she will encounter when sitting down with a novel and another, quite different expectation when sitting down with a graphic novel. (Flowery prose isn’t one of those expectations, by the way.) Graphic novels are action-oriented and fast-paced. Novels don’t revolve around action as much, and their pacing is slower, leaving the author time to let the storyline and the mystery unfold.

Oh, and graphic novels are in color, meaning each page costs much more to print. This means that I’m going to have to (eek!) cut a few scenes in order to make A Prophecy Forgotten affordable for non-CEOs.

Fortunately, I’ve already spent time at the chopping block, so I’m over the pain of cutting the scenes. But now, I’m having to reorganize the book so it will make sense and flow—quickly.

To increase pacing, I’ve begun dividing the novel into more chapters. (Shorter chapters feel faster for readers.) This means I need to create or combine chapter titles, and…well, it kind of feels fraudulent. I mean, how can I just changechapter titles? Especially when most of my chapter titles were carefully chosen for their hidden meanings. ("Mornachts and Monsters"? Lorraine is the monster, not the mornachts. "Dealing With Tigers" centers on Davian fighting with sabers and Jim fighting with Lorraine for custody of Tommy. "Poisoned Water"? Go back and read that one again. It’s not just the water carrying poison. He he he. Oh, and be prepared: Out of the Shadows is so full of hidden meanings within chapter titles I could write a novel about that alone.)

Well, I figured out the answer. I’ve unearthed some of my old A Prophecy Forgotten manuscripts (called, The Forgotten Prophecy, The Cherubian, The Third Battle For the City of Ezzer, etc.). Those manuscripts have alternative chapter titles that I cut early on.

Viola! Chapter titles I can use that will keep the A Prophecy Forgotten graphic novel authentic, and actually make the graphic novel almost required reading for Elysian Chronicles fans!

Thursday, December 04, 2008

New Events for January 2009!

I'm starting to work on my 2009 speaking, convention, and signing schedule, and I've just booked four new events:

  • 01/20/08 11:00-1:30
    Christian Chamber of Commerce--Lee County Chapter
    Speaking and Book Signing
  • 01/21/08 11:00am to 1:30pm
    Christian Chamber of Commerce--Collier County Chapter
    Speaking and Book Signing
  • 01/22/08 11:00am to 1:30pm
    Christian Chamber of Commerce--Charlotte County Chapter
    Speaking and Book Signing
  • 01/24/08 10:30am-7:00pm
    Barnes & Noble
    10:30am-12:00pm: Writing Workshop
    12:00pm-2:00pm: Book Signing
    7:00pm-9:00pm: MC For Open Mike (Be there for my famous Top 10 list!)
  • 01/30/08 11:00am to 1:30pm
    Christian Chamber of Commerce--Polk County Chapter
    Speaking and Book Signing

These are the first of many to come. If you are interested in having me come speak to your writing group or your classroom, please e-mail me at mbweston@elysianchronicles.com.

I've also got these events already scheduled for 2009:

  • 02/05/09, All Day
    Carrollwood Day School's Author's Day
    Speaker and Book Signing
  • 02/27/09 to 03/01/09
    MegaCon, Orlando, FL
    Book Signing
  • 03/27/09 to 03/29/09
    ImagiCon, Birmingham, AL
    Panelist and Book Signing

The Final Cut in Movies Will be Off Air For a Few Weeks

Ad Astra Radio is moving their equipment, so The Final Cut in Movies will be off-air for a few weeks. Don't worry, I'm still watching movies and taking good notes!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

M. B. Weston Invited to ImagiCon (Birmingham, AL) as a Guest!

Big news for those of you I met in Alabama at OmegaCon last year! ImagiCon, Birmingham's newest science fiction and fantasy convention (March 27-29, 2009), has invited me as one of its literary guests this spring. I don't have my panel schedule yet, but I'm really excited about returning to Alabama. More to come later!

M. B. Weston Joins League Entertainment

I'm pleased to announce that I have joined League Entertainment, an intellectual property development and packaging group that consists of artists, writers, screenwriters, and others within both the writing and entertainment industries.

Catch all that?

I actually call them the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (and a few women) because that's what they are.

How will this affect me and my writing. He he he. Can't reveal any of that right now... But I can tell you that you can find out more about League Entertainment at www.leagueent.com.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

M. B. Weston’s Events for the Week: 11/10/08-11/16/08

I've got family in town, so it will be a light week for blogging, but I do have a few events this weekend:

This Week’s Final Cut In Movies show (11/07/08): The Dark Crystal

Step back and time as I discuss a classic: Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal. Also, listen to me rant and rave over Hollywood's continued desire to destroy classic movies by remaking them. (And get the most current science fiction and fantasy movie news...)

The show will air from 8:00-9:00am & pm and re-air throughout the week at the same times on www.adastraradio.com. To listen to tonight's show:

Missed Saturday's edition of The Final Cut? Don’t worry, you can catch the re-runs each day from 8:00-9:00am & pm at www.adastraradio.com, or you can download the podcast at M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or by following this link on iTunes.

Friday, October 24, 2008

This Week’s Final Cut In Movies show (10/25/08): Max Payne

On this week’s show, I'll be discussing Max Payne, why it was absolutely horrific, my Hollywood Villian Cliche list, and other science fiction & fantasy news.

The show will air from 8:00-9:00am & pm and re-air throughout the week at the same times on www.adastraradio.com. To listen to tonight's show:

Missed Saturday's edition of The Final Cut? Don’t worry, you can catch the re-runs each day from 8:00-9:00am & pm at www.adastraradio.com, or you can download the podcast at M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or by following this link on iTunes.

M. B. Weston is the host of The Final Cut in Movies, an internet radio talk show about science fiction and fantasy films on Ad Astra Radio, which can also be heard as a podcast at M. B. Weston's Podcast site or on iTunes. She is also the author of The Elysian Chronicles, a fantasy series about guardian angel warfare and treason, which is being adapted into a graphic novel series by Wandering Sage Press, Inc., with Weston penning the script and KISS comic book artist, Adam Black, doing the art. . For more information on M. B. Weston, visit her website, www.mbweston.com, and her personal blog, www.mbwestonblog.com. Find out more about The Elysian Chronicles at www.elysianchronicles.com.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The Sword of the Vanir: Book III of the Elysian Chronicles Now Under Contract!

It's official! Yesterday, I signed a contract with Wandering Sage Publications for the 3rd book in the Elysian Chronicles series: The Sword of the Vanir. Currently, the manuscript is due to Wandering Sage on April 2nd, but I may push for a May date depending on how my initial research goes.

I've updated The Elysian Chronicles website a bit to include The Sword of the Vanir (click here to see the addition). Note that I don't know what color Wandering Sage will choose for the book cover, so I just picked one.

Here is the tag line I have for the story so far. Let me know what you think!

Earth is still at war;
Rebellion has torn Elysia apart;
And the mornachts, united under Ezzer's ancient enemy,
are poised to strike both fronts.
All hope for peace rests on a team of misfits
scouring Scandinavia for one lone artifact...

THE ELYSIAN CHRONICLES:
THE SWORD OF THE VANIR
by M. B. Weston

This battle will not be won with soldiers.
And this time, Davian can only watch.

He he he. Enjoy!

Fantasy novelist M. B. Weston is the author of The Elysian Chronicles, a fantasy series about guardian angel warfare and treason, which is being adapted into a graphic novel series by Wandering Sage Press, Inc., with Weston penning the script and KISS comic book artist, Adam Black, doing the art. Weston is also the host of The Final Cut, an internet radio talk show about science fiction and fantasy movies on Ad Astra Radio, which can also be heard as a podcast on M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or on iTunes. Weston speaks to children, teens, and adults about writing and the process of getting published. For more information on M. B. Weston, visit www.mbweston.com. Find out more about The Elysian Chronicles at www.elysianchronicles.com.

The Elysian Chronicle: October 2008

M. B. Weston's Author Newsletter, Volume 3, Issue 5

(If you've kept up with the blog, you already know most of this, but since I post these when I send them out, her it is.)

BREAKING NEWS

Wandering Sage Picks Up the Rights to The Elysian Chronicles!
Wandering Sage Publications, Inc. (the company who is making A Prophecy Forgotten into a graphic novel) has picked up the rights to the entire Elysian Chronicles series, which brings me to my next bit of news:

A Prophecy Forgotten is Now Available in Paperback!
Long story short: Wandering Sage has released A Prophecy Forgotten in trade paperback. I think most of you received an e-mail from me regarding that, but it’s news, so I included it here. You can purchase your copy at any bookstore (use the ISBN #1-933300-09-4) or at these links:

Here are some changes in the paperback second edition that are not in the hardcover first edition:

  • An added scene in the prologue.
  • A few changes here and there for continuity’s sake.
  • Grammar corrections (not too many, but a couple)
  • A map of Elysia

The A Prophecy Forgotten Limited Edition is Also Available…
…but only through me. Wandering Sage made a limited edition print run of A Prophecy Forgotten for DragonCon, and I’ve still got a few left. If you are interested in purchasing one (signed, of course), please e-mail me at mbweston@elysianchronicles.com.

New A Prophecy Forgotten T-Shirts are Available!
They come in black and red, and I’m starting to run out. I used some of Adam’s artwork for the back, and they are pretty sweet. They cost $15, which includes shipping. I’ve posted the pictures of the front and the back below. If you are interested, e-mail me at mbweston@elysianchronicles.com. Be sure to thank the TSME (Top Secret Military Expert) for the T-shirts, as they were his creation!

The Elysian Chronicles: Out of the Shadows Publication Timetable
A change in publishers means a change in timetables. Originally, Wandering Sage and I were thinking Out of the Shadows would come out this month (October), but I wanted to fix a few things. It…um…took me a little longer to fix things than I thought it would (but it was worth it, trust me). Long story short, we’re looking at January/February, but we might get it out by Christmas. No promises, but we are working on it. I will keep everyone posted on my blog.

If you want to receive a postcard, notifying you as soon as new books in the Elysian Chronicles series are released, click here and fill out the form!

Meet Two New Characters in Out of the Shadows!
My friend, Sandy Lender--author of Choices Meant for Gods, asked for short stories, poetry, etc. about dragons to post on her blog, Today The Dragon Wins. Because Out of the Shadows has dragons in it AND because I refer to something that happened before the Out of the Shadows begins, (a story involving one of the dragons, Kinole, and the dragons' king, Rhys—hint: See A Prophecy Forgotten's "Chapter 19: The Hero Returns" for more information on Rhys.), I decided to write the actual story for Sandy's blog. The story’s tone makes it sound more like a children’s story (I was thinking of a cherubian grandfather telling his grandchildren the story by the fire.) I also had a 1,000 word limit, so it took a lot of finagling to squeeze all of my ideas into that few words. The story gives you a slight preview to a whole new group of creatures in Out of the Shadows and a chance to get to know a few new key players in The Elysian Chronicles saga.

Kinole of the King's Guard

Kinole’s serpentine body soared through the air, and he ignored the raindrops pelting his eyes and sizzling the moment they touched his searing, blue-green scales before evaporating. His heart pounded. Would the other dragons attack him? They were only Tatsu—the smallest of the dragon races, but Kinole was the slightest even of them. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a dragon with deep plum scales gaining on him.

Kinole crashed into a tree trunk and plummeted to the ground. The purple dragon landed on top of him and climbed on his back, digging his claws into Kinole’s shoulder. “Don’t tell a soul what we’re planning, Kinole,” he growled...

For the rest of the story, click here, and be sure to leave a nice comment.

Contract Negotiations Have Begun for The Elysian Chronicles: Book III!
My agent is currently looking over the contract. We’re using The Sword of the Vanir as the working title, but that is subject to change. Keep checking my blog, http://www.mbwestonblog.com/, for up-to-date information.

Listen to A Prophecy Forgotten the way I intended it to sound.
I’m podcasting a chapter every few weeks. These are the current chapters I have uploaded so far:

Hopefully, I will get Chapter 7 out sometime this week.

AUTHOR EVENTS

  • The Final Cut Radio Program: Every Saturday from 8:00 to 9:00 am & pm, catch me on The Final Cut in Movies radio program at http://www.adastraradio.com/.
  • Saturday, November 15th, Southwest Florida Romance Writers’ Association. I’ll be on a panel there, speaking about…something… I think it’s either on character development or plot.

I don’t have that much going on this month, which is good because Wandering Sage wants the Sword of the Vanir manuscript by April 2nd. Eek! Lots to do!

Fantasy novelist M. B. Weston is the author of The Elysian Chronicles, a fantasy series about guardian angel warfare and treason, which is being adapted into a graphic novel series by Wandering Sage Press, Inc., with Weston penning the script and KISS comic book artist, Adam Black, doing the art. Weston is also the host of The Final Cut, an internet radio talk show about science fiction and fantasy movies on Ad Astra Radio, which can also be heard as a podcast on M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or on iTunes. Weston speaks to children, teens, and adults about writing and the process of getting published. For more information on M. B. Weston, visit www.mbweston.com. Find out more about The Elysian Chronicles at www.elysianchronicles.com.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Meet Two New Characters in Out of the Shadows!

Hint: They both have wings, scales, and their breath can wreak havoc...

My friend, Sandy Lender--author of Choices Meant for Gods, asked for short stories, poetry, etc. about dragons to post on her blog, Today The Dragon Wins.

Oh, did I mention that Out of the Shadows, book two of The Elysian Chronicles , has dragons in it? No? Well.. (Flying napalm can always add fun twists to fantasy stories. He he he.)

Anyhow, in Out of the Shadows, I refer to something that happened before the book begins, involving one of the dragons, Kinole, and the dragons' king, Rhys. (Hint: See A Prophecy Forgotten's "Chapter 19: The Hero Returns" for more information on Rhys.) So I decided to write the actual story for Sandy's blog.

Now, I kind of had young children in mind when I wrote it. I guess I was thinking of a cherubian grandfather telling his grandchildren the story by the fire. So the tone may seem childlike, and I guess it was. I also had a 1,000 word limit, so it took a lot of finagling to squeeze all of my ideas into that few words.

The story gives you a slight preview to a whole new group of creatures in Out of the Shadows and a chance to get to know a few new key players in The Elysian Chronicles saga:

Kinole of the King's Guard

Kinole’s serpentine body soared through the air, and he ignored the raindrops pelting his eyes and sizzling the moment they touched his searing, blue-green scales before evaporating. His heart pounded. Would the other dragons attack him? They were only Tatsu—the smallest of the dragon races, but Kinole was the slightest even of them. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a dragon with deep plum scales gaining on him.

Kinole crashed into a tree trunk and plummeted to the ground. The purple dragon landed on top of him and climbed on his back, digging his claws into Kinole’s shoulder. “Don’t tell a soul what we’re planning, Kinole,” he growled...

For the rest of the story, click here to visit Sandy's blog, Today the Dragon Wins, and be sure to leave a nice comment.

Fantasy novelist M. B. Weston is the author of The Elysian Chronicles, a fantasy series about guardian angel warfare and treason, which is being adapted into a graphic novel series by Wandering Sage Press, Inc., with Weston penning the script and KISS comic book artist, Adam Black, doing the art. Weston is also the host of The Final Cut, an internet radio talk show about science fiction and fantasy movies on Ad Astra Radio, which can also be heard as a podcast on M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or on iTunes. Weston speaks to children, teens, and adults about writing and the process of getting published. For more information on M. B. Weston, visit www.mbweston.com. Find out more about The Elysian Chronicles at www.elysianchronicles.com.

The Elysian Chronicles: Book III in Contract Negotiations!

You read it right! Wandering Sage offered me a contract on the third book in The Elysian Chronicles series (that is, the sequel to A Prophecy Forgotten and Out of the Shadows, and my agent is looking over it now. We are using the working title of The Sword of the Vanir. (Those of you who want to win prizes at the Out of the Shadows inagural book signing at the Naples Barnes & Noble (date to be announced MUCH later than now) might want to remember that title.) Of course, the title is subject to change--and it probably will.

My current deadline to turn in the completed manuscript is April 2nd. That means I have a lot of writing to do, and not a lot of time to do it. And I'm trying to figure out how much loose change it will take to get me to Norway for research. Unfortunately with this economy the Weston household is short on loose change, so it might be a trip via Google Earth.

Fantasy novelist M. B. Weston is the author of The Elysian Chronicles, a fantasy series about guardian angel warfare and treason, which is being adapted into a graphic novel series by Wandering Sage Press, Inc., with Weston penning the script and KISS comic book artist, Adam Black, doing the art. Weston is also the host of The Final Cut, an internet radio talk show about science fiction and fantasy movies on Ad Astra Radio, which can also be heard as a podcast on M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or on iTunes. Weston speaks to children, teens, and adults about writing and the process of getting published. For more information on M. B. Weston, visit www.mbweston.com. Find out more about The Elysian Chronicles at www.elysianchronicles.com.

The Elysian Chronicles: A Prophecy Forgotten Now Available in Paperback!

I may have blogged on this before--I can't quite remember. If I did, you're reading it again. If I didn't, The Elysian Chronicles: A Prophecy Forgotten is now available in trade paperback! If you have not purchased a copy, do it now, as it is much cheaper than the hardcover.

Wandering Sage and I have made a few key changes in this second edition:


  • An extra scene in the prologue.(I don't have it posted on-line.)
  • Grammar corrections. (No matter how good a job you do, you'll always find more things that need correcting. We found a few and fixed them.)
  • A map of Elysia.

You can purchase the trade paperback version of A Prophecy Forgotten, ISBN 1-933300-09-4, at any bookstore. If they don't have it in stock, please ask them to order it for you. Also, you can purchase A Prophecy Forgotten at these websites:

Other versions of A Prophecy Forgotten available:

DragonCon Limited Editions
I've got a couple DragonCon Limited Editions left, as well. (There is a story on these; click here for the blog.) (The cover for them is purple instead of blue.) You can't get those from anyone but me. Send me an e-mail at mbweston@elysianchronicles.com if you are interested in a signed copy. (Note that the limited editions do not have a map of Elysia in them.)

Original First Edition Hardcovers
These are out of print, and I no longer have any (well, that I'm willing to sell). There are a couple new and a few used still available on Amazon.com. Click here to purchase the hard cover.

Also, don't forget to check out the new A Prophecy Forgotten T-shirts!

Fantasy novelist M. B. Weston is the author of The Elysian Chronicles, a fantasy series about guardian angel warfare and treason, which is being adapted into a graphic novel series by Wandering Sage Press, Inc., with Weston penning the script and KISS comic book artist, Adam Black, doing the art. Weston is also the host of The Final Cut, an internet radio talk show about science fiction and fantasy movies on Ad Astra Radio, which can also be heard as a podcast on M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or on iTunes. Weston speaks to children, teens, and adults about writing and the process of getting published. For more information on M. B. Weston, visit www.mbweston.com. Find out more about The Elysian Chronicles at www.elysianchronicles.com.

The Elysian Chronicles: Out of the Shadows Release Status...

Drum roll, please...

I have no date for Out of the Shadows' release, yet. But, I have...a possible month: January/February--maybe even Christmas! These are projected time periods, barring unforeseen circumstances such as:

  • Computer viruses (which seem to like screwing things up for me).
    My editor deciding I need to rewrite half the book. (That hasn't happened yet, but you never know.)
  • People involved in the project (my editor, my publisher, my book cover artist) having unexpected emergencies. (So far, I think we've covered all of those getting A Prophecy Forgotten ready for DragonCon, including massive floods in St. Louis, a tropical storm down here...)
  • Me falling into a coma during the editing process. (Again, that hasn't happened yet, but anything is possible.)
  • The entire world losing electricity. (Probably not going to happen, so we are safe there.)

Now, I must be honest.

I'm...um...kind of the reason for the hold up this time--not my publisher. I kind of tweaked the manuscript a little bit, and it took me longer than I had hoped. Then, well, see above regarding the flood, which kind of gave Wandering Sage a few weeks of distractions. But, Out of the Shadows is coming, it will be good, and I'm incredibly excited!

Fantasy novelist M. B. Weston is the author of The Elysian Chronicles, a fantasy series about guardian angel warfare and treason, which is being adapted into a graphic novel series by Wandering Sage Press, Inc., with Weston penning the script and KISS comic book artist, Adam Black, doing the art. Weston is also the host of The Final Cut, an internet radio talk show about science fiction and fantasy movies on Ad Astra Radio, which can also be heard as a podcast on M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or on iTunes. Weston speaks to children, teens, and adults about writing and the process of getting published. For more information on M. B. Weston, visit www.mbweston.com. Find out more about The Elysian Chronicles at www.elysianchronicles.com.

That's right! We've got new A Prophecy Forgotten T-shirts, and these feature the art of Adam Black, the artist who will be drawing the A Prophecy Forgotten graphic novel! The shirts come in black or red--and we have one cornflower blue in XL, too.

Here is the front:



(It's actually much straighter than that. I scanned the shirt into my computer, and it wrinkled.)


The back looks like this:



Underneath the picture are the words "A Prophecy Forgotten by M. B. Weston" and the website, "www.elysianchronicles.com." (I couldn't fit all of it into my scanner.) Below is the original artwork, by the way. (Doesn't Adam just rock?)


Davianfight

The shirts cost $15 (which includes shipping), and they are going fast. If you are interested in a T-shirt, please e-mail me at mbweston@elysianchronicles.com.

Oh, and if you like red, here it is:

Also, I can't take much credit for the "Got Demons?" idea (or the "Got Wings?" buttons idea). Both of those ideas were purely from the brain of the TSME (Top Secret Military Expert). So thank him when you see him. (Except you won't. After all, that's why there is an E in TSME.)

Fantasy novelist M. B. Weston is the author of The Elysian Chronicles, a fantasy series about guardian angel warfare and treason, which is being adapted into a graphic novel series by Wandering Sage Press, Inc., with Weston penning the script and KISS comic book artist, Adam Black, doing the art. Weston is also the host of The Final Cut, an internet radio talk show about science fiction and fantasy movies on Ad Astra Radio, which can also be heard as a podcast on M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or on iTunes. Weston speaks to children, teens, and adults about writing and the process of getting published. For more information on M. B. Weston, visit www.mbweston.com. Find out more about The Elysian Chronicles at www.elysianchronicles.com.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

DragonCon Limited Edition Version of A Prophecy Forgotten Now Available!

APF Trade For DragonCon, my publisher (Wandering Sage Publications) decide to create a limited edition trade paperback of A Prophecy Forgotten. We set to work immediately, knowing time was of essence.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly until the week before DragonCon. Wandering Sage called, saying the proof they had gotten back from the printer was not working. Something was horribly wrong.

To make an incredibly long story short, the horrible thing that went wrong was a computer virus--practically untraceable. The result? Wandering Sage had to re-upload all their files, re-format the entire book, and send it back to the printer, hoping everything worked--in about 6 hours.

They shipped the books overnightto DragonCon (on their dollar--not mine) where they arrived at the hotel on Saturday.

Ladies and gentlemen, I want to take a moment to applaud Dave Barlow and Wandering Sage for the work they put into getting the limited editions to Atlanta in time for me to sell them. I've never been in this situation with other publishers, so I don't know how they might have reacted, but I know that Wandering Sage really went above and beyond on this one. They could have just given up and left me at DragonCon with my last 15 copies of my hardcover. I know personally that Dave lost a lot of sleep to come through on this, and he deserves a big THANK YOU!

I still have a few of the limited editions left. You can't get them in stores; you have to buy them directly from me (meaning they'll be signed)! They are $20, which includes shipping charges. If you are interested in purchasing one, please send me an e-mail at mbweston@elysianchronicles.com.

Like the regular version of the trade paperback, the limited edition has:

  • An added scene in the prologue.
    A few changes here and there--most of them due to the watchful eye of the TSME.
  • Grammar corrections. (This is not to say that my original publisher did a poor job in editing. I think they did a fine job, but creating a perfectly-edited novel is a statistical impossibility. A few people were so kind as to point out a few grammar mistakes in the first edition, which we fixed in this edition.)

Unlike the regular paperback, there are only about 150 copies of the limited edition, making it extremely rare. (How can you tell the difference? The limited edition's cover is purple instead of blue.)

A quick note: due to the virus, there are a few formating errors in the limited edition. (Personally, I think they make it that much more valuable.) A font change was the main culprit, making the book take up more pages than planned, which threw the Table of Contents off track. But the words are exactly the same. I've found that most people choose the limited edition when they can.

Fantasy novelist M. B. Weston is the author of The Elysian Chronicles, a fantasy series about guardian angel warfare and treason, which is being adapted into a graphic novel series by Wandering Sage Press, Inc., with Weston penning the script and KISS comic book artist, Adam Black, doing the art. Weston is also the host of The Final Cut, an internet radio talk show about science fiction and fantasy movies on Ad Astra Radio, which can also be heard as a podcast on M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or on iTunes. Weston speaks to children, teens, and adults about writing and the process of getting published. For more information on M. B. Weston, visit www.mbweston.com. Find out more about The Elysian Chronicles at www.elysianchronicles.com.

Friday, October 17, 2008

This Week’s Final Cut In Movies show (10/18/08): The City of Ember

On this week’s show, I'll be discussing The City of Ember, rules to follow if you ever find yourself caught in a science fiction or fantasy movie, the the evils of communist dictatorships, and other science fiction & fantasy news.

The show will air from 8:00-9:00am & pm and re-air throughout the week at the same times on http://www.adastraradio.com/. To listen to tonight's show:

Missed Saturday's edition of The Final Cut? Don’t worry, you can catch the re-runs each day from 8:00-9:00am & pm at http://www.adastraradio.com/, or you can download the podcast at M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or by following this link on iTunes.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

I'm Back! (mostly...)

Wow, it's been a long time since I've blogged! My apologies to everyone! I had a mild crisis that took me a while to fix--that I'm still in the process of fixing, by the way--and I let blogging slide.

I have good and bad news for everyone, so...I'll start with the bad news first.

Bad News: (Hold your breath, here. It's big.) I've got a lot of news, so that means a lotof blogs between now and this weekend. For those of you who are subscribed to my blog, I'm so sorry about that. You're about to get totally slammed with blogs. Also, many of the blogs are major news, so you have to actually read them. (See, that wasn't so bad, now, was it. Not like the April Fool's joke I pulled. He he he.)

Good News: I've got news! But, again, I'll be posting it between now and over the weekend, so you'll just have to wait. Between now and midnight, I've got to work on my radio show, and then I might be able to start them all.

So thanks for your patience with my lack of info, and stay tuned...

Saturday, October 11, 2008

This Week’s Final Cut In Movies show (10/11/08): Eagle Eye

On this week’s show, I'll be discussing Eagle Eye, the beauty of science fiction, and other science fiction & fantasy news.

The show will air from 8:00-9:00am & pm and re-air throughout the week at the same times on http://www.adastraradio.com/. To listen to tonight's show:

Missed Saturday's edition of The Final Cut? Don’t worry, you can catch the re-runs each day from 8:00-9:00am & pm at http://www.adastraradio.com/, or you can download the podcast at M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or by following this link on iTunes.

Saturday, October 04, 2008

This Week’s Final Cut In Movies show (10/04/08): The Princess Bride

On this week’s show, I'll be discussing the classic fairytale movie, The Princess Bride, and other science fiction & fantasy news.

The show will air from 8:00-9:00am & pm and re-air throughout the week at the same times on http://www.adastraradio.com/. To listen to tonight's show:

Missed Saturday's edition of The Final Cut? Don’t worry, you can catch the re-runs each day from 8:00-9:00am & pm at http://www.adastraradio.com/, or you can download the podcast at M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or by following this link on iTunes.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

This Week’s Final Cut In Movies show (09/27/08): Ghost Town

On this week’s show, I'll be discussing Ghost Hunters, why Hollywood needs to lighten up, and other science fiction & fantasy news.

The show will air from 8:00-9:00am & pm and re-air throughout the week at the same times on http://www.adastraradio.com/. To listen to tonight's show:

Missed Saturday's edition of The Final Cut? Don’t worry, you can catch the re-runs each day from 8:00-9:00am & pm at www.adastraradio.com/, or you can download the podcast at M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or by following this link on iTunes.

This Week’s Final Cut In Movies show (09/12/08): Star Wars: The Clone Wars

On this week’s show (Actually, it was from a few weeks ago--I've been bad with my blog posting), I'll be discussing Star Wars: The Clone Wars, why Jedi Knight George Lucas needs to be banished to the Degoba System, and other science fiction & fantasy news.

The show will air from 8:00-9:00am & pm and re-air throughout the week at the same times on http://www.adastraradio.com/. To listen to tonight's show:

Missed Saturday's edition of The Final Cut? Don’t worry, you can catch the re-runs each day from 8:00-9:00am & pm at http://www.adastraradio.com/, or you can download the podcast at M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or by following this link on iTunes.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Book Signing Tonight! Barnes & Noble (Naples) From 9-12!

Watch Me Squirm While Wearing My Gabriella Costume!

Hey everyone! I'll be doing a book signing tonight at Barnes & Noble (Naples) from 9-12. At 12:01am (actually early tomorrow morning), Brisingr--the latest in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance series, will be released. Barnes & Noble, Naples, is having the most elaborate party in southwest Florida. (I didn't say it--the News Press did.) The community relations managers have great events set up for tonight's bash, including trivia games, scavenger hunts, Celtic dancers, and your's truly signing books. They've got a Renaissance theme going, and they'll be in costume.

Here's the catch. Felicia managed to find my MySpace pictures of me dressed as Gabriella last year at DragonCon (to the top left), and decided since they were dressing up, I needed to dress up, too. Being the pushover that I am--let's just say I'm really, really nervous about tonight.

So, if you want to see me in fake wings, boots, a kilt, and a four-hour blush on my face, get over to Barnes & Noble tonight and buy an inaugural paperback of A Prophecy Forgotten! (It has a new, never-read-before scene in the Prologue!)

Oh, and I'll be giving away free "got wings?" pins!

I've also got them in teal, light blue, and purple to match the cover!

Monday, September 08, 2008

Listen to Chapter 6 of A Prophecy Forgotten: Book I of the Elysian Chronicles

Hear A Prophecy Forgotten the way I intended it to be read!

As all of us wait for Out of the Shadows: Book II of the Elysian Chronicles, I've decideed to entertain you with a few podcasts (i.e. a FREE downloadable audio versions of my novel in mp3 format so you can listen to it on your computer, your iPod, or burn a CD) of A Prophecy Forgotten: Book I of the Elysian Chronicles. For those of you who cannot afford the cost of the hard-cover version of A Prophecy Forgotten, this is a good way to test it out for free. (And stay tuned for more information on the upcoming paperback version.) I will continue posting new chapters every few weeks, so please continue to check the blog.

Click to read my latest installment: "Chapter Six: Scars for Life."

Also, if you missed previous chapters, please click on the links below:

Friday, September 05, 2008

This Week’s Final Cut In Movies show (09/05/08): Babylon AD

On this week’s show, I'll be discussing Babylon AD, the sad end of science fiction and fantasy summer movie magic, and other science fiction & fantasy news.

The show will air from 8:00-9:00am & pm and re-air throughout the week at the same times on http://www.adastraradio.com/. To listen to tonight's show:

Missed Saturday's edition of The Final Cut? Don’t worry, you can catch the re-runs each day from 8:00-9:00am & pm at http://www.adastraradio.com/, or you can download the podcast at M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or by following this link on iTunes.

Thursday, September 04, 2008

(Last) Week’s Final Cut In Movies show (08/16/08): Tropic Thunder

First, I apologize for not uploading this sooner. Tropical Storm Fay went straight over my house, and I had a few account issues, book issues, and DragonCon issues that I had to deal with.

On (last) week’s show, I'll be discussing Tropic Thunder and why it was so sidesplittingly hilarious. I'll also be discussing just what it takes for me to consider a guy hot (I know all of you have been secretly wondering that very thing)--and it might surprise you. Matthew McConaghey vs. Ewan McGregor? Barack Obama vs. John McCain? Orlando Bloom vs. my husband? Tune in and find out my requirements for male hotness. This week should be fun!

The show will air from 8:00-9:00am & pm and re-air throughout the week at the same times on http://www.adastraradio.com/. To listen to tonight's show:

Missed Saturday's edition of The Final Cut? Don’t worry, you can catch the re-runs each day from 8:00-9:00am & pm at www.adastraradio.com, or you can download the podcast at M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or by following this link on iTunes.

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Back From DragonCon!

Ready to resume normal operations--tomorrow...

I finally returned home from DragonCon last night! I had a blast, made some connections, reconnected with dear friends, and got to hold the A Prophecy Forgotten paperback in my hands for the first time. I'll be blogging about it all week, so stay tuned!

The Elysian Chronicles: A Prophecy Forgotten Paperback Now Available on Amazon.Com!

The Elysian Chronicles: A Prophecy Forgotten paperback is now available on Amazon.com! It will be available in bookstores in about 1 to 2 weeks. You can click here to purchase it off Amazon.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

A Prophecy Forgotten Now Available As An E-Book!

For those of you who enjoy reading e-books (aka glass books) on your e-book readers, The Elysian Chronicles: A Prophecy Forgotten is now available for download at Books on Board. I'm excited about this because making the e-book available through regularly accepted e-book channels enlarges The Elysian Chronicles' audience.

If you wish to download the e-book version of the second edition of A Prophecy Forgotten, click here.

A Prophecy Forgotten Paperback Cover!

When I originally signed with Wandering Sage Publications, we planned to create a temporary Elysian Chronicles: A Prophecy Forgotten cover for DragonCon and let an artist create the real cover. Our chosen artist was Dan Harding--his stuff is amazing--who has created paintings for author Shane Moore. (Check out this picture Dan painted for Shane!)

Before poor Dan, who had diligently worked on some preliminary sketches for us, could start the project, Wandering Sage and I realized that A Prophecy Forgotten appeals not only to a fantasy audience but also to an audience that won't necessarily pick up a book with a fantasy illustrated cover (and might even avoid such a book). We decided to stick with the DragonCon cover, but we updated it just a tad, including lightening it to make the details stand out. So here it is, the A Prophecy Forgotten trade paperback cover:

Now that I know what the book cover looks like, I've adjusted my website to reflect it: http://www.elysianchronicles.com/. (I'm working on adjusting my MySpace profile, but MySpace changed how that works, so I'm going to have to relearn everything.)

The A Prophecy Forgotten paperback will be available within a matter of weeks, and it has a new scene added to the prologue! (It may even have a map of Elysia, but the map is giving the printer some trouble right now.) Keep checking the blog for more updates!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

A Little Hurricane Poem...

I wrote this during Hurricane Charlie, the last category 3 that we will ever stick around for.

Hurricane

Wind: blowing, howling, throwing,
Raging through the tender trees.
Rain: slashing, crashing, thrashing,
Bullets piercing dry land's knees.

Water: surging, rushing, purging,
Angry punches from the sea.
Sky: falling, darkening, calling,
"Seek for shelter or face me!"

Rip! Tear! Creak! Scare!
Trees attacking! Branches hacking!
Pop! Boom! Bang! Doom!
Glass exploding! Roofs imploding!

CALM!

Eye: shining, peaceful, lying,
Sniper hiding in the reeds.
Storm: brewing, waits, renewing,
Pounds at those already weak.

People: shaking, crying, raking,
Searching through the vast debris.
Lives: shattered, beaten, battered,
Pushing on resiliently.

M. B. Weston
Friday, August 13, 2004

You Know You've Weathered Too Many Hurricanes When...

Tropical Storm Fey Update: My husband and I went through the eye of Tropical Storm Fey this morning, and we now have a lake in our tiny backyard. We lost power for a while, but other than a few pine cones landing on our roof--no major damage.

I did, however, decide to entertain everyone with a little list of ways that you can know you have weathered too many hurricanes, and I've even named the hurricane, when applicable.

You Know You've Weathered Too Many Hurricanes When...

  • You know the Weather Channel anchors and reporters on a first name basis, and you feel as though they are personal friends--even though you've never met them.
  • You've actually driven to the site where the Weather Channel reporter (Jim Cantore) is filming...gotten his autograph...on your foul weather gear jacket...next to the autograph of the guy who was here two years ago for Hurricane Wilma (Anderson Cooper). (Uh-hem, Sasha....)
  • You have said, "It's only a Category 1 hurricane. I might bring in my wind chimes." (Uh-hem, Mom! Actually, my mom left the wind chimes out through this one.)
  • You can tell what direction it is by looking at which way the trees are listing from the last hurricane. (Since Hurricane Wilma, all of our trees point slightly south. I'm not joking.)
  • You keep 5 gallons of water in your garage through the summer to save yourself a trip to the store.
  • You once stockpiled canned goods and other non-perishable items before each hurricane. Now you buy a loaf of bread, peanut butter, and jelly. (Uh-hem, Jill...)
  • Names like Wilma, Charlie, Ivan, Rita, Hugo, Katrina, and Andrew leave a bad taste in your mouth. (Don't say Donna does, or you'll reveal your age!)
  • You have, at one time or another, planned to evacuate from an oncoming hurricane to your friend's house 3 hours north, only to have the storm change direction and entertain those same friends at your house.
  • You still keep your old, battery-powered boom box around so you can hear the radio when your electric goes out.
  • You know that the easiest way to find out if your power has been turned back on (if you've evacuated) is to call your house and see if your answering machine picks up.
  • You stopped boarding up your house after Hurricane Andrew (or Wilma) when you watched the wind rip the boards off your windows and turn those boards into projectiles. (Uh-hem, Gretchen...)
  • You have held a street-wide barbecue to get rid of your meat before it rots in your non-working refrigerator.
  • You know that "sustained winds" don't mean anything. "Gusts" and "micro bursts" will kill you.
  • You've watched your bedroom window explode OUTWARDS because of the low pressure outside. (Me, Hurricane Andrew--not fun.)
  • Hurricane parties excite you.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Why I Haven't Blogged in a While

I know I haven’t posted many blogs and updates lately. Sorry about that. My friend, Sasha, always gets onto me when I blog too much because she knows it’s because I’m not writing enough. And she’s right. Fortunately for everyone I’ve been in “blog hiding” because I’m adjusting Out of the Shadows just a bit before I turn the manuscript in to Wandering Sage Publications. I’m working on two main “tweaks.”

“Background Music”
Out of the Shadows takes place 10 years after A Prophecy Forgotten. (No real giveaway there.) During this time, I mess with world politics. (Tee hee. Makes me feel powerful.) Most scenes in the Earth section of OOTS focus on Tommy, but I need to add tension, and I need to foreshadow Book III. That’s where world politics issues come in. They add tension and foreshadowing but they really are just “background music.” That means all the research, etc. I’m doing to create the background music will equal about 3,000 words worth of adjustments. Will it be worth it? Yep. It's not even a question.

My first attempt at messing with world politics and the military was just that, an attempt that lacked plausibility. It’s one of those things that I knew I could do better, but I wasn’t really sure how. That’s where the TSME came in. (Top Secret Military Expert.) There’s nothing like running a few ideas past a person who has been in the military for a while--and actually teaches the stuff--to get the creative juices flowing. The TSME not only gave me ideas but also worked with my ideas to make them more “plausible.” Also, the beautiful thing about the TSME is his own creative streak, and he allowed me to steal a few of his ideas—including using secret societies—for OOTS and Book III.

Want to know what is funny. Now that Russia is attacking Georgia...let’s just say that the TSME and I make a good (and quite prophetic) team. (Remember, everything you read in OOTS was decided on before Russia attacked Georgia. Now you’ll have to read it!)

So, I’m currently fine tuning my “background music.” Then I will give the TSME the final Earth sections so he can comb through them for plausibility issues.

Showing Character
Every author has weaknesses, and I certainly am no exception. I’ve only got one novel published and two completed, so I know that I can use improvement. That’s why I have my advance readers and the TSME—so they can point out my errors before my story goes into print. One of my advance readers, Jill, pointed out to me way back last August that she thought I didn’t give depth to my characters. I took her comment under advisement, but I really didn’t know how to fix it. The thought went into storage.

Later, the TSME mentioned the same thing, saying, “You don’t get into the psychology of the characters.”

Hmmm. Twice now. Two different people who have never met each other. Two different genders. And both of them like bestselling fiction. I want to be a bestselling author, so….

A day later, the CEO of Wandering Sage made some corrections to the Prologue of APF, and his corrections indicated he saw the same weaknesses in my writing.

Hmmm.

I decided to investigate. I asked some of the kids in my youth group what they thought about my characters and such. Most of the responses were positive, but Sarajane—an avid reader who held A Prophecy Forgotten up to my original publisher and said, “This is better than Harry Potter,” (I love Sarajane.), said, “I just wish I knew Gabriella more. Is she fiery? Is she not fiery? I feel like I don’t know her.”

Weakness confirmed.

But how to fix it? After reading the CEO’s suggestions and some suggestions from the TSME something clicked. I realized that I really excel at using sensory details to describe the scenery, but I rarely apply those same sensory details to my characters. If my character is pensive, I usually opt to describe his body movements, i.e. “He crossed his arms.” (Jill had actually pointed out that I used “He crossed his arms” once every 3 pages in the original OOTS manuscript.) I think I do that because I think in terms of screenplays and stage directions. Big picture stuff. What I need to do is draw out some sensory details. What does his face look like? Are their wrinkles around his eyes that show? What about his hands? Does he make any grunts or funny noises? And if he is a POV (point of view) character, what does his body feel like when he is “pensive”? Questions to consider, and I think that is what I’m missing. What’s funny is that Jill had pointed this out to me all along. It just took about four other people for me to get it.

The moral of the story: Always seek advice, and be willing to take criticism. And sometimes, you might have to hear something three to four times from different sources in order to “get it.”

So now I’ve got to come through all 130,000 words of OOTS and add in a few emotion details to my characters. So, I might not be blogging much for another week. But I really think it will be worth it in the end. And I think the best thing is that I will become a better writer because of it. That’s the most exciting part!

Thursday, August 07, 2008

This Week’s Final Cut In Movies show (08/09/08): The Mummy-Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

On this week’s show, I'll be discussing The Mummy: Toom of the Dragon Emperor, what they could have done with this installment of The Mummy to actually make it good, and other science fiction & fantasy news.

The show will air from 8:00-9:00am & pm and re-air throughout the week at the same times on http://www.adastraradio.com/. To listen to tonight's show:

Missed Saturday's edition of The Final Cut? Don’t worry, you can catch the re-runs each day from 8:00-9:00am & pm at http://www.adastraradio.com/, or you can download the podcast at M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or by following this link on iTunes.

Saturday, August 02, 2008

Check out the DragonCon Limited Edition book cover for A Prophecy Forgotten!

For those of you going to DragonCon, Wandering Sage Publications has a special surprise for you. For DragonCon only, they are producing a limited edition trade paperback of A Prophecy Forgotten. We just completed the cover for this edition, and here it is:

I realize it may be just a little bit dark, but...let's just say that A Prophecy Forgotten is actually the beginning of a period of darkness that falls on Elysia. (A little hint about Out of the Shadows for you.) We've got a cover artist working on the trade paperback cover right now, and I'll get that up as soon as he is done.

If you are going to DragonCon, find me in the Dealer Room, table A-17!

This Week’s Final Cut In Movies show (08/02/08): X-Files: I Want to Believe

On this week’s show, I'll be discussing X-Files: I Want to Believe (the crime drama pretending to be a science fiction movie), new information on why Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull disappointed (hint: it doesn't start with Steve), and other science fiction & fantasy news.

The show will air from 8:00-9:00am & pm and re-air throughout the week at the same times on http://www.adastraradio.com/. To listen to tonight's show:

Missed Saturday's edition of The Final Cut? Don’t worry, you can catch the re-runs each day from 8:00-9:00am & pm at http://www.adastraradio.com/, or you can download the podcast at M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or by following this link on iTunes.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Creating a Graphic Novel: Writing the Script

My job in this whole graphic novel thing (besides providing description of the major characters and, well, writing the story to begin with) is to write the script for the graphic novel--and I don't have much time. Once my artist, Adam Black, gets done with the concept art (that's another blog), he's going to want to get started on the graphic novel.

As I stated in my blog on choosing an artist, I've never written a graphic novel script, but I have written a screenplay, and that's pretty close. I grabbed The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creating a Graphic Novel, read a few of the "greats," and got started.

First, I needed to divide A Prophecy Forgotten into panels. As I explained in an earlier blog, panels are the little boxes on the comic book pages with the pictures. Most comic books have about 6-7 panels on a page. Now, here's the tricky part. Graphic novels are published in color. Color is expensive. The more pages in a graphic novel, the more expensive it gets. Put too many pages in your graphic novel, and buyers will ignore it because of the cost. Therefore, panel count is important. (This is why we've divided A Prophecy Forgotten into two books. It keeps the cost for each book low, and allows me to preserve more of the content.)

Converting a novel into a graphic novel on some levels is easy.

  • The story is already created.
  • The characters are already developed.
  • So are all those little visual details that I spent hours honing when I was writing the novel.
  • Etc.

However, there are still some problems I've had to deal with.

  • Prose. All those little paragraphs that explain how mornachts explode when they die? Paragraphs like that don't work in a graphic novel. Somehow, I have to show all of my mythology instead of tell it. (I dumbed down Josephi and made him ask a lot of questions so I could get the mythology out in the open through dialogue.)
  • Scenes that are just "talking heads." Conversations where nothing is going on in books don't work well in graphic novels. Therefore, I had to shorten a lot of conversations or eliminate them.
  • Dialogue. It all has to be shortened. The dialogue bubbles are only so big, and I've still got to leave room for the picture. (I've been told that artists don't like dialogue infringing on their territory. Mr. Black suggests 40 words per panel as an average.)


  • Cutting out portions of the novel. This is always the hardest part, but it's got to be done. Unfortunately, it's not enough just to shorten the dialogue. I had to cut out a few subplots, including the possibility of Tommy hardening.

When I first started writing the script, I felt like I was cutting a lot of the things that I felt like made A Prophecy Forgotten good. That, and because I'm not a comic book reader, I don't really know what makes comic book readers go "ooh!" (I can push the buttons of a fantasy reader. I have no idea what buttons to push for a graphic novel reader.) I got incredibly nervous about my panels, and that's when decided to follow my mantra: When you don't know what you're doing, find someone who does. I turned to...

...My TOP SECRET Military Expert (the TSME), who happens to be a comic book fan and collector. (No, I will not divulge his name. He is too imperative to Out of the Shadows and Book III. And no, I will not share. Go find your own TSME!) He looked through my skeleton of a script and gave me some invaluable advice on things such a dialogue, flow, panel condensing, and even a few military terms here and there. (I think the most exciting part about it was that he didn't make that many corrections. He made a few, but not the amount I was expecting.)

Once I inputed the TSME's feedback, I then had to take all my panels and divide them into boards or pages. That is the hardest part. Each page is kind of it's own little entity, so a writer needs to keep the ideas from overlapping.

Now, I'm working on writing description for each panel so Mr. Black knows exactly what I want him to draw. For instance, in the first panel of the graphic novel, one of my villains is trying to get Gabriella to join his group of evil dudes. (Like the anti-spoiler description?) My description for Mr. Black:

INTERIOR, NIGHT. GABRIELLA, holding her helmet, is backed against the wall. Looking over the back of [A VILLAIN] wearing an LAF uniform holding a sword. Don’t show his face. It’s darkened, so I’m thinking a lot of blue, here. Let’s put a window here somewhere so the audience will know what she is flying out of. Show the beginnings of stars through the window, and maybe make the sun almost set. (Like the orange-purple thing instead of lots of orange.)


Like a screenplay, I am capitalizing each character the first time he or she appears. Because only Mr. Black is going to be reading it, I can carry on like a conversation. Since this is the first panel, the audience needs to know where it is and what's going on. I'm going to use two tools for that: Captions and dialogue. Captions are usually in a rectangle box in comics. Then there's dialogue, which is represented by the character's name and is in the dialogue bubbles all of us are familiar with. So here we go:

CAPTION: Heaven’s Realm, The City of Ezzer, Elysia.

CAPTION: Graduation is complete. Elysia’s newest female guard retrieves helmet from the shower house, but finds something more sinister lurking inside.

[A VILLAIN]: I’ll make this simple for a new runt like you, Gabriella. You will join us, or you will die.


You'll notice that I've changed the beginning a bit from the novel version of A Prophecy Forgotten, which begins in a hospital room. They say you should begin graphic novels with a bang!

Writing A Graphic Novel: Concept Art

Want to Know What Mornachts Look Like?

My graphic novel artist, Adam Black, and I are currently in the "concept art" stage of creating the A Prophecy Forgotten graphic novel. Before Mr. Black begins to draw a whole bunch of panels, it's important that he and I agree on what the characters look like. The process:

  1. I sent Mr. Black a description of each major character, including height, build, eye color, hair color, and in my case, wing color. I also gave him a short description of each character so he can give the characters, well, character. I also tried to give pictures of actors and actresses that I thought looked like my characters.
  2. Mr. Black asked me for quotes from my characters to better nail their personalities. I gave him the quotes, including some quotes in Out of the Shadows, as my characters develop and change through the series.
  3. Mr. Black draws up a few quick sketches, sends them to me, and we discuss any changes that may be needed. Our priorities are Davian, mornachts, Gabriella, and Tommy. (Then probably Marcus, Eric, Snead, Josephi, Salla, and Zephor.)
  4. Once we get the concept art done, Mr. Black starts drawing the graphic novel, meaning I have to get the graphic novel finished ASAP. (Can you say "lattes" and "late nights"?

Mr. Black and I are still working on Davian. His hair is giving us some trouble. But his first sketch of a mornacht was nearly perfect! Although, I must admit that these mornachts are really scary. It's going to make writing the scenes with mornachts in them just a bit more heart pounding for me...

Here's the first concept art picture of a mornacht. Now Mr. Black is working on the armor.

BabelCon 08: Watch Me "Getting Knotted" on Video!

My friend, Rachel, is a member of Cast Aways Open Theatre Troupe. They aid various charities with their work, and at BabelCon, they aided McMain's Charity for Children, based in Baton Rouge. They dress up as--well I think it was Renaissance--courtiers. Each of them has a made-up name with that last name being Knot, such as Slip Knot. It's really funny. (I suggested the names Waste Knot and Want Knot...) My friend, Rachel, is the court jester (Wench Knot), and my friend, Damian, is Plunge Knot (but explaining that story would take to long).

Throughout BabelCon, the members of Cast Aways paraded around holding court, and they are hilarious. On the last day, Cast Aways made me an honorary member of their troupe, dubbing me...Publish Knot. (It was Rachel's idea.)

Here is a link to the video of me getting totally embarrassed. It's only about a minute long. Thanks to Keith for taking the video and posting it on-line!

Friday, July 25, 2008

Listen to Chapter 5 of A Prophecy Forgotten: Book II of the Elysian Chronicles

Hear A Prophecy Forgotten the way I intended it to be read!

As all of us wait for Out of the Shadows: Book II of the Elysian Chronicles, I've decideed to entertain you with a few podcasts (i.e. a FREE downloadable audio versions of my novel in mp3 format so you can listen to it on your computer, your iPod, or burn a CD) of A Prophecy Forgotten: Book I of the Elysian Chronicles. For those of you who cannot afford the cost of the hard-cover version of A Prophecy Forgotten, this is a good way to test it out for free. (And stay tuned for more information on the upcoming paperback version.) I will continue posting new chapters every few weeks, so please continue to check the blog.

Click to read my latest installment: "Chapter 5: Poisoned Water." (The title of this chapter actually has a double meaning...)

Also, if you missed previous chapters, please click on the links below:

This Week’s Final Cut In Movies show (07/26/08): The Dark Knight

On this week’s show, I'll be discussing The Dark Night, how to create terror in an audience without any blood, what to do after you kick the thug holding a knife at you, and other science fiction & fantasy news.

The show will air from 8:00-9:00am & pm and re-air throughout the week at the same times on http://www.adastraradio.com/. To listen to tonight's show:

Missed Saturday's edition of The Final Cut? Don’t worry, you can catch the re-runs each day from 8:00-9:00am & pm at http://www.adastraradio.com/, or you can download the podcast at M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or by following this link on iTunes.

Last Week’s Final Cut In Movies show (07/20/08): Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Sorry everyone. I forgot to post this last week.

On this week’s show, I'll be discussing Hellboy, renewing my vows against movie critics, and other science fiction & fantasy news.

The show will air from 8:00-9:00am & pm and re-air throughout the week at the same times on http://www.adastraradio.com/. To listen to tonight's show:

Missed Saturday's edition of The Final Cut? Don’t worry, you can catch the re-runs each day from 8:00-9:00am & pm at http://www.adastraradio.com/, or you can download the podcast at M. B. Weston's Podcasts site or by following this link on iTunes.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Interview Questions...

I just filled out an interview for Suspense Magazine, and I figured I'd share it with all of you!

  1. Who would you say has been your biggest inspiration?
    I would say that C. S. Lewis has been my biggest inspiration, followed by JRR Tolkien.
  2. What is your all-time favorite book?
    Probably The Lord of the Rings. I could read that over and over again.
  3. How long do you normally take to research your book?
    Depends. The bulk of the research of A Prophecy Forgotten wasn’t really research. It was more the development of the world of Heaven’s Realm (my little fantasy dimension). Because A Prophecy Forgotten is fantasy, I can basically just make stuff up and get away with it. I did, however, do a lot of research in warfare—especially Special Ops such as Navy SEALs, Green Berets, and Delta Force. Out of the Shadows, the sequel to A Prophecy Forgotten, required more research and less world development. I had already developed the world, so that was easy. However, the Earth part of Out of the Shadows takes place at the Naval Academy. That required a trip to Annapolis, extensive interviews, books, etc. Never write you novel in a real place unless you’ve lived there.
  4. What is on your iPod now?
    A whole bunch of stuff. What’s funny is that the bulk of it is classical, but I really don’t listen to classical that much. (Although “Morning” by Grieg is my favorite piece of music.) I’ve got a lot of Sinatra, some Nat King Cole, some Whitney Houston and Seline Dion. I’ve also got some Brian Setzer and a few sound tracks, as well as a lot of Beatles and Oldies. (I love Oldies.) Really, anything that I can sing to. I would like a lot more songs, but songs cost money, and I’d rather spend my money promoting my writing than purchasing Fruity-licious, or Bubblelicious, or whatever Beyonce and Fergie are singing right now.
  5. Do you have any superstitions when you write, little quirks, etc?
    No real superstitions or quirks, but I like my desk and the area around me to be clean and free of “visual clutter,” and I like to do my editing near a window. I have no clue why. I think it’s because I would rather be outside than inside, but I live in South Florida and being outside without sweating is only possible in the winter.
  6. If you could solve any mystery for yourself, what would it be?
    Where in the world is Osama Bin Ladin? Just kidding. Well, not really. Any mystery for myself…? This is a toughie. I was first thinking about how the Aztecs were able to lift those huge pieces of rock, but I’m going back to my original answer. There are a lot of innocent people dying in the world today because of terrorists, and that includes the peaceful Muslims living under extremist-led regimes, innocent civilians who died here in America on 9-11, our soldiers, and even the civilian casualties of war in Iraq who were never targets to begin with. War sucks, even when it’s necessary. (Just ask those who lived in London during World War II.) The mystery I would like to solve is 1) where are the terrorist leaders, and 2) who is funding them. That would lower the world’s death toll—for a while anyway.
  7. If you could talk to any person, Alive or Dead, for one hour, who would it be?
    Stephen King, so I could beg him to blurb my books. Him or Osama Bin Ladin. My first question: Can you please give me your exact coordinates? Tee hee.
  8. I love to hear stories from authors about their first published book, how did you get it done?
    I was in the process of preparing to send out my manuscript. I had a list of agents ready to go, and I attended the Naples Press Club Writer’s Conference back in 2006. I noticed that they were allowing us to sign up for a free pitch session with ArcheBooks Publishing. My thoughts were, “Well, I’ll never make it anyway, but it will be good practice for when I start to try to find a publisher for this thing.” The night before, I prepared everything that the ArcheBooks website said to send (just in case the editor asked me to “send him something.” Then I’d have it right there and skip that step.) The list included the first 50 pages, a 1 page synopsis, a 5 page synopsis, and a marketing plan. I was up until 4:00am! I only got 2 hours of sleep that night, so that morning I had 2 Starbucks Double Shots, a coffee chaser, and a jelly dough-nut. I started shaking from nerves, sugar, and caffeine, and I continued to shake for literally 4 hours before my pitch session. When the editor asked me what my book was about, I gave him a blank stare. Brilliant, huh? Then, he asked me who my main character was, and my brain clicked in. 6 weeks later, I had a contract.
  9. What future plans can you tell us about?
    A Prophecy Forgotten is being turned into a graphic novel so I’m currently working on the graphic novel script. Ad Astra Radio, an Internet radio company that I do a talk show for, is also planning on pitching an Elysian Chronicles radio program to the guys who do Dr. Who in England, or something like that. (Radio is not my expertise.) Also, Out of the Shadows, the sequel to A Prophecy Forgotten should be available sometime in October or early November.
  10. When you are not writing, what do you like to do for fun?
    Hmm. When I’m not writing, promoting, planning future promotions, recording my radio program, working on my graphic novel script, or staring numbly into my computer screen during moments when my brain checks out, what is it that I do? Well, I jog and I work out. I also spend time with my family, mainly on Sundays. I honestly don’t have much time to do anything. I think that’s why I’m so stressed. I’ve been asking God to make the days 36 hours instead of just 24, but He hasn’t granted my request, yet. If I do have spare time, right now I’ll watch a Yankees game, like I did today. They won, too! (Although I was putting new ISBN stickers on all of my bookmarks while I watched. A little multi-tasking is a good thing.)