Paksworld

As I close in on having Book Two ready to send to my agent & editor,  and approaching the six-months-to-release date for Oath of Fealty, I’m seeking some help from you folks…

1. Title ideas.  So far Book Two has not given me any hints about a title.  This may be because I’m not through with the revisions, or it may be because I’m not sure how many volumes will be in this story arc, or it may be that my brain is fried.  But I need something to put on the title page even if my editor hates it.   Unfortunately, with Oath of Fealty not out yet, I can’t publicize a synopsis or anything.   I can say that we’re *still* not a year out from the end of Oath of Gold by the end of Book Two (the first one got us to Midsummer of that year; Book Two will get us to Midwinter Feast.)   The whole story arc–that I want to do–will include finding out what happened to Old Aare, whether it can be healed (and if so, how and by whom), what happened to turn the elfane taig to the banast taig, what happens with the sleeping warriors in Kolobia, etc.   On the immediate side, the three main POV characters each have challenges specific to Book Two and two secondary POV characters grow in importance.   So–the title of Two needs to connect backwards and forwards–it’s not a final title (though if someone has a great final title, let me know–it’ll be needed down the line if it still fits) but it needs to have “pull.”     If your title is used (and that’s not entirely my decision; agents and editors and Marketing get involved), I will mention you in the Acknowledgments.   We may do a poll on suggested titles to see what more of you think.

2.  Artwork.  Some of you are talented amateur artists and/or cartographers.   I’m looking for some artwork for the Paksworld website (and have realized that I just don’t have time to do what I originally planned–draw it myself.)    If you are willing to donate sketches that fit the tone and also my internal “feel” for characters and places, let me know.  For any such use, I will need written permission to post the work on the site; you will of course hold the copyright, and you will be identified on the site as the artist and copyright holder for that image.  (And obviously, it has to be your own work…)    I can’t promise to use everything (or anything–your vision of a character may be too different from mine for me to be happy with it on the site, even though it’s good art.)    There may be some professional art on the site later, as well, but I’d really like to include some done by passionate readers.    Among the categories I’d like to see are character sketches (faces, done in a sketchy-pencil style),  botanical sketches (pencil or pen & ink–like something out of a herbal–something I like to do and had planned to do, drat it!),  landscape sketches (the Dwarfmounts, farmland, etc.),  anything that gives a flavor of the Paksenarrion universe and would help the new readers feel their way in.

3.  One of my alpha readers is on the cusp of getting published, and is likely to have less time to do alpha-reading for me.  So I’m looking for another and could actually use more than one (people move; people get sick; people get busy.)   With all due respect, this is a situation for which I have to interview.   What it takes: an experienced reader–someone who reads a lot and is able to analyze Story at several levels, as requested.   Someone with the available time to read and respond fairly quickly.  Someone who can take some direction (sometimes I need structural feedback only; sometimes I’m looking for nitpicking surface details only…wastes my time to get the wrong kind of feedback for the level at which I’m revising.)    And most of all, to keep me out of trouble with my publisher, someone who is absolutely discreet and will not share the text with anyone–not even a snippet.    Anyone interested, email me.   I’ll send you a sample chapter or so and see how you deal with it.  You may be the perfect alpha/beta reader for another writer, but not for me, and vice versa.

And now, I dive back into revision of Book Two, hoping that y’all can help me out one way or another in the coming months.