"No matter how terrified you may be, own your fear and take that leap anyway because whether you land on your feet or on your butt, the journey is well worth it."
-- Laurie Laliberte
"If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough."
-- Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."
-- Anais Nin

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Two Favorite Authors and a BOGO

When my two favorite authors collaborate, you know there has to be a guest blog. Take it away, Tony:

BUY ONE GET ONE DEAL: SUN HAMMER PARTS 1 AND 2

If anyone had told me a year ago that an idea I had for a sci-fi serial would be an international bestseller . . . I’d have laughed.
But that’s what happened.
Every instalment of FAR FROM HOME has hit to the Top 100 in its category without fail upon release. Its readers number in the thousands, and those numbers continue to rise.
I’m not boasting. But as an experiment in serialization, nobody can argue that the series is a resounding success.
So it was inevitable that I’d team up with another successful author, who just so happens to have his own sci-fi series.
Bernard Schaffer and I have known each other a couple of years now, and I not only view myself as a fan of his work, but as his pupil in many ways. I learn more about the craft with each book he publishes.
Seriously, the guy has not peaked yet. He’s not even half way up the mountainside. Bernard calls his writing ‘weaponized words,’ and you just can’t argue with that.
Our writing styles are completely different . . . and yet as we came to realise when we worked on this collaboration, they sort of complement one another.
I shot a suggestion across Bernard’s bow a few months ago with regards to teaming up, maybe having a two-part story that crossed from my universe to his, or vice versa. He was instantly excited by the idea, and we emailed back and forth to work out a story that would take an antagonist from the FAR FROM HOME universe to that of his GRENDEL UNIT.
We each wrote a rough draft, then shared it with one another – something neither of us ever does. As Stephen King says, “your first, rough draft is your own private domain. It happens behind a closed door.” But with this project it was essential we read where we both were and made notes, suggested changes.
We fired some more emails, then set about rewriting.
Finally, we worked with the wonderful (and hardcore) Laurie Laliberte to make the two pieces shine.
The two halves are called:
FAR FROM HOME & GRENDEL UNIT: SUN HAMMER PART 1
and
GRENDEL UNIT & FAR FROM HOME: SUN HAMMER PART 2
respectively. And as a special offer this Sunday and Monday, I am making Part 1 FREE on Kindle. This way you’re getting a TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE deal.
Hopefully you’ll enjoy it enough to grab Part 2 and see how the story ends.
This two-part collaboration is very much a stand-alone tale in each universe, meaning you don’t have to have read either of them before to enjoy it.
It’s a good old fashioned romp in space, and I swear Bernard rocked my socks off the first time he sent Part 2 for me to read.



Thank you for reading. And thank you to Laurie for letting me post here once again.

Happy Reading!

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