Sunday, August 28, 2011

Characters from A Dream of Storms: The Pith!

The race of evil creatures created by Mournenhile to end all life on the side of good. Perhaps I will do a full-body drawing of them soon.

These are some of the bonus materials that I will be posting to give readers a little more insight into the world of my novels. Enjoy.

William

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Shards of S'Darin, In the Shadow of the Black Sun: Book Two

Just in case anyone out there was curious, I’ve passed the 12,000 word mark on the second book in the series. Things are progressing great. I have always done a loose outline and left enough of the story open so that I don’t get bored. Same with this story. The main characters pretty much write themselves and end up creating new possibilities that I hadn’t originally thought of. Book Two has a darker atmosphere to it, as those that have read Book One would assume. New characters will be introduced, a new quest will be undertaken and new bonds will be formed. The Dwarves of Kirkaldin will finally be introduced as well.
I greatly appreciate everyone that has given a review so far. This will help other potential readers to decide if it’s their bowl of Mossmelt porridge. Thank you.
Visit my Amazon page to read a preview and order the book in paperback or eBook format. Here is the link.
I just finished a book by Benedict Martin called Escaping Entry and gave it 5 stars. It’s a really great read and as far as I know, it’s still free to download at Smashwords. Click here to enjoy a great fantasy story.
Thanks again and prepare yourself for Book Two, tentatively titled Shards of S’Darin.
William Kenney



Sunday, August 14, 2011

35 pages into Book Two.

35 pages into Book Two. 
The paperback edition of A Dream of Storms has been available from Amazon for a week now and I’m pretty happy with the results so far. I mean, nothing insane… I’m not quitting my day job yet. But I am doing my best to market the book. Trying to let people know of its existence. It’s a difficult thing, as you other independent writers know. Any suggestions for marketing strategies would be helpful and appreciated.

I am 35 pages into Book Two as of this writing and things are coming along great. I am really liking the plot ideas that I’ve come up with. New directions for the characters and new relationships. No spoilers here, but some very interesting things are happening.

Purchase A Dream of Storms by clicking here!

Thank you for all of your support!

William

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

In the Shadow of the Black Sun: Book Two

Well, chapter one is complete. Don't worry, no spoilers but what is going on is pretty exciting. This completely sets the story off in a couple of different directions. More interesting characters, some good, some not-so-good. New and wondrous landscapes. Much more background information concerning the characters and the world in general. If you enjoyed the characters from the first book, then you will love the second.

I hope to post some artwork representing the story and a map as well. As soon as I find time, I will get those up. I always loved it when I could see that additional material and I hope you enjoy it as well.

Stay tuned and thanks for your support.

William

Sunday, August 7, 2011

A Dream of Storms in paperback

Hello everyone.
I know that a lot of people have been patiently waiting for the paperback edition of my fantasy novel to be available. I am happy to say that it is now listed on Amazon. Thank you for waiting and only occasionally bugging me about it. Lol.
I will sign copies for those that run into me in person. As always, I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy the story so far. Book Two is in the works.

If you get a chance, please leave a review on the Amazon page. It will help more people become aware of my work.


Order the paperback edition here.

William

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Waiting on the A Dream of Storms paperback to go "Live"

Hello everyone,

On Sunday night, I approved the files for the paperback. Amazon states that, once approved, the book will be available for purchase in 5 business days. That puts it at Friday. Two more days. I hate waiting. Please, if you purchase the book, consider leaving a review on Amazon. Reviews make a big difference in how people view the product. Some people will not buy a book that has no reviews, for instance.

Working on Book Two. It's coming along nicely with lots of interesting plot points. The characters have evolved after their experiences in Book One. So, enjoy the story and thank you for your support.

William

Monday, August 1, 2011

1st Author Interview

Book Title: A Dream of Storms
Publisher: Self-published
Author: William Kenney
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Kindle link: http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Storms-Shadow-Black-ebook/dp/B005D24SN0
B&N link:
Smashwords link:
Author's website OR blog URL: https://www.facebook.com/A.Dream.of.Storms, http://williamkenney.tumblr.com/, https://twitter.com/#!/WilliamJKenney

Brief summary:

    The leaves were falling in Elfwhere, but autumn had never come to the land of the Elves. It was a sign. The dark one, Mournenhile had returned, reborn into the world of Kirkaldin. He was thought destroyed years ago during the Battle of the Black Sun.
Hagan Marindel had emerged from that battle a hero, showered with praise. He had rejected it all, instead went into a drunken seclusion. He had become a hollow, wretched shell of his former self.

    Until now.

    The Stone Troll, Gorin, was sent to retrieve Hagan and return him to Harquinn, where the mages rule.

    Reluctantly, Hagan is pulled back into the life he had vowed to forget. This time, he has his younger, inexperienced brother D'Pharin to protect and a small group of companions: Windenn, the Woodwarden, Vasparian, Wood Elven General and Shindire, arrogant High Elf from across the Sleeping Sea.


Excerpt:
     D’Pharin was pulled toward the ancient city like a child to a willowisp. It dragged him forward with wide eyes and thumping chest. Clouds drowned most of the moonlight and he had to pick his way carefully. Soon, he stood atop a high, grass-covered hill that overlooked what was once the entry garden. Tall walls, now mostly fallen, had surrounded the cobbled walkways and shrubbery. From here, he could see that the iron gate had been nearly blown off of its great hinges. He could see the dark forms of what he assumed were statues beyond the fallen gate.
    And beyond that-the towers.
    Three of the foremost still stood. Leafless now and blackened by long dead flame, but somehow still majestic. Reaching nearly to the clouds themselves, he could not make out their tops. The darkness of their bark was dotted at regular intervals with windows even darker still. Scattered remnants of wooden scaffolding and catwalks littered the ground beneath, only a handful still attached to their original moorings.
    Some such dangling pieces swayed in the night breeze producing a steady knocking noise from above, a hollow sound that served to remind D’Pharin of the utter emptiness of this place.
Directly below the hill on which he stood there stretched a flat field. Several hundred yards of level ground dotted with many large low-lying stones. He would have to carefully pass through these to finally reach the gates. With a deep breath, he began to descend, sword in hand. A touch of fear crept in as he reached the base of the hill. The boulders resembled large flat tombstones, he thought, the moon beginning to show its face from above.
    As he made his way around the first, he halted. He scanned the ground in front of him and then looked to the boulder directly to his right.
    Was that a helmet? A rounded shoulder and arm? He jumped back, gasping.
    What ... ?
    He knelt and reached out with the tip of his sword. It was stone, not flesh. He breathed easier and moved close.
    Wind ...
    As he leaned over the rocky shape, the moonlight caught the chiseled features.
    It was the body of a Troll.


THE INTERVIEW:

Question: Why did you write this book?
    In school, many teachers complimented me on my writing and suggested that I continue doing so on my own. I've always enjoyed storytelling and thought it was time to do something substantial. I have many outlines for different stories, but I wanted to finish my epic fantasy story first.

Question: How did you come up with the title?
    The title comes straight out of the book. The characters are discussing their dreams and nightmares. One character describes how every dream she has involves rolling thunder and ominous clouds.

Question: How did you choose your genre?
    Since childhood, I've loved fantasy. At around age eleven, I read The Hobbit and that sealed my fate. I searched out new fantasy stories at the bookstore every weekend. With fantasy, you can create an entirely new world and all of its inhabitants. This gives you a lot of freedom to be as creative as you like.

Question: What inspired you to be a writer?
    Probably the writings of Tolkien, Terry Brooks, Michael Moorcock, etc.The worlds that they created were so vast and amazing, I wanted to have my own.

Question: Who do you think your book(s) would appeal to?
    Those who want an epic story in which several characters from different cultures and backgrounds come together to achieve a common goal. Readers who want to explore a world where unbelievable magic exists and unimaginable horror. Most importantly, those who believe the characters and their development are the true heart of a story.

Question: What kind of information can readers find on your website or blog?
    Updates on the next book in the series: Shards of S'Darin, In the Shadow of the Black Sun - Book Two. I am also an artist, so I will be posting maps and sketches of the prominent characters on one or more of my websites. I think readers would be very interested to see what these characters and places look like. I always try to respond to any comments or questions that I receive. I want people to feel like they are part of this story as well.