From the Desk of J.M. Poole

Ok, since I want to make sure everyone has a chance to read The Hunt for Red Oskorlisk I hereby offer these hints.  You probably see the special “Spoilers” links down below.  I’ve hidden the clues under a spoiler tag so that you don’t accidentally read more than you want.  Are you ready?  If you need help with decrypting the password protected post containing the short story then click on the first spoiler for the first clue!

Hello my fellow citizens of Lentari!  As promised, I have posted my third short story, The Hunt for Red Oskorlisk, free of charge to whoever would like to read it.  Oh, what’s this?  The post is password protected?  Well, whatever might the password be?

What could it be?  Well, since everyone did such a fantastic job translating the runes to learn what the title of the next full length novel in the Tales of Lentari series will be, I hereby propose another challenge:

The password

You might recognize a few letters from the book title.  What does this word mean?   The only thing I’ll say is that this unique word shows up in one of the books.  Good luck!

Hello all you fans of Lentari!  I thank you for your patience with me as I hurry to get ToL3 released as soon as possible.  Let’s just say that I’m rapidly approaching the home stretch.  My plan is, and has always been, to release it before the end of the year.

Now, with that being said, I have an announcement to make.  It’s time to release the title!  Curious as to what the 3rd title in my Tales of Lentari series will be?  Well, wonder no more.  The title is…

Not so fast, honorary citizens of Lentari.  You didn’t think I’d make it that easy, did you?  Let’s have a little contest!  What I have here is the title of the book, written in Lentarian dwarven runes.  They were created by the multi-talented artist Brett Gable, of Brett David Gable Illustrations.  Fans of the series will remember that Brett was the one who illustrated Lost City for me.  If you haven’t already, please head over to his Facebook page using the link above and hit the Like button.  He’s a very talented artist that deserves some recognition for all his hard work.

Let’s sweeten the pot.  The first person to send me an email with the correct guess for the title will win a hand-painted print of their name, in Lentarian dwarf runes, by none other than Mr. Gable himself!

So will I give out any clues to help you out?  I will, if necessary.  If no one is able to determine what the title is then I’ll start “hiding” letters throughout the blog until someone gets the answer.  I will make an announcement if/when I do start hiding letters.  I will say that you shouldn’t forget you already know the first letter of each of the five words.  If you do happen to guess the answer, send me an email (at jmpoole (at) gmail dot come) so others won’t be dissuaded in trying to solve the puzzle.

Have fun and good luck!

ToL3 title

If you’re an Indie Author then chances are you’ve asked yourself the following questions:

• How do I go about getting my manuscript self-published?
• What do I do about the cover?
• Now that I’ve published/released my book, what now?  How do I attract a following?

I was asked (& I accepted!) to be a part of the “Marketing SFF” group spearheaded by fellow authors Lindsay Buroker and Joseph Lallo.  What we (plan to) do is interview other authors and ask them what they’ve done, or are doing, to achieve the success that they have.  What’s important to them?  How did they make their covers?  What type of marketing have they done?

Thus far we have learned about the importance of editing, selecting the right book cover, how to find an editor, how to build up a fan base, what NOT to do when finding a publisher, and so on.  My turn in the chair happened last night.  If you don’t mind hearing my boring voice drone on and on then I would encourage you to have a listen!

Yep, that’s me.  Our hope is to help our fellow indiw authors avoid our mistakes, take advantage of our advice, and release a good quality book.  For those that’d prefer to download just the audio, here’s the link:

Download mp3 audio for Jeffrey M. Poole’s interview

Disneyland certainly lives up to its tagline, doesn’t it?   And yes, I’m sure that some of you are now asking yourselves why, as a fully grown adult, am I such a fan of Disneyland?   My wife and I don’t have any kids.  This place is absolutely swarming with screaming children and exasperated parents.   Scents from every conceivable form of junk food assail the senses from all directions, from the moment you step foot in the park to the instant you leave.  So why, then, is it so appealing to me?  The answer to that is simply one word:  nostalgia.

I have visited Disneyland every couple of years or so since I was old enough to walk.  And, based on the photos my mother has shown me, even before then.    I count my lucky stars that Giliane is just as much a Disney fan than I am.  Walking around the parks (Disneyland & California Adventures) at our leisure, perusing through the plethora of shops, and riding our favorite rides.  Over and over, of course.  What does this tell you?  Yep, you guessed it.  You now know what my wife has known ever since she said I do:  I’m a big kid at heart.

Several months ago we discovered/subscribed to a YouTube channel from a group of people that call themselves “Fresh Baked Disney“.  This guy walks around the park, oftentimes with a friend or two, and documents the rides, the food he eats, the merchandise he sees, and so on.  The vast majority of the times he doesn’t have his kid with him, so this is taken from the perspective of an adult who is simply enjoying his experiences at the park.  He typically visits the park every Saturday, so did we find them yesterday?

So, with that said, who out there has been to Disneyland?  What are your favorite rides?  What are your favorite things to do here?  Here’s mine, in no particular order:

1. Pirates of the Caribbean
2. Soaring over California
3. Lunch at Blue Bayou
4. New Orleans Square (my favorite “land”)
5. Haunted Mansion
6. Splash Mountain

I hope you have a fantastic week!  Rest assured my wife and I will be.  Hmmm, I think another ride is calling my name!  Time to see if I can convince/bribe my wife into riding Grizzly River Run.  We can see it from our balcony at the Grand Californian Hotel!  You’ve never experienced the parks until you actually stay at a hotel in the MIDDLE of the park.  We have our own separate entrance to DCA!  How cool is that?   So, I will bid adieu.  We’re off to have some more fun!

J.

I apologize for not posting as much as I should.  No excuses!  My vacation is literally just around the corner and I cannot wait for it to begin!  My wife & I are Disney fanatics, so we’re heading to Disneyland.  We just became annual passholders, too!  Woo-hoo!

I would like to announce that my 3rd short story is just about finished.  Once it is, and I have it checked, of course, I’ll post it online here on the blog as a treat for the fans of the series.  Then, after I’m sure everyone has had a chance to read it, I’ll pull it and publish it through the typical channels.  What’s it about?  Well, let me give you a brief synopsis!

The Hunt for Red Oskorlisk is a fun, witty tale of two friends trying to win a wager.  What friends?  That would be Steve and Pryllan.  What’s the wager?  Well, it has been suggested that a dragon who carries a rider is much more effective than one who doesn’t.  How would a winner be determined?  By a contest, of course!   Be the first to tag the oskorlisk, or great sea serpent, during the Great Hunt and reap all the accolades that comes with it.  Be fortunate enough to tag the elusive and very rare red serpent and the contest is over.

Let the Hunt for Red Oskorlisk commence!

I was fortunate enough to warrant an invitation from Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, to put together a box set with some other authors and submit it to be included in a worldwide promotion Apple will be holding.   This promotion is slated to start today and last through October 14th.  Only 100 box sets will participate and of those, only 40 were coming from Smashwords.  Of those, there will only be 7 or 8 from each genre.

I was thrilled to death to be included.  I hurriedly contact several other author friends of mine and invited them to participate.  In less than 2 weeks Fantasy 101 was born.  Each of us submitted the first book in one of our series in the hopes that it will attract more readers to us.  I submitted Lost City.  Ms. Lindsay Buroker, of Emperor’s Edge fame, contributed Encrypted, Bill Ainsworth contributed Hemlock and the Wizard Tower, and Steve Thomas submitted his first Klondaeg novel, Klondaeg the Monster Hunter.

I just checked iBooks.  We’re holding at the #2 spot!!!!  If you go to the Bundled Books section under “Featured”, you see the different genres laid out before you.  Second row down.  Fantasy.  See it?  Makes me smile every time I do!!

Now, care to help a group of indie authors out?  Help spread the word.  Share with whatever media outlet you have at your disposal.  Let’s see if we can get Fantasy 101 to break into a few best seller lists, ok?

Thank you!  I hope you have a great day!

Direct iBooks link:  Fantasy 101 (SFF Box Set

iTunes link (opens in iTunes):  Fantasy 101 (SFF Box Set)

TGIF, people!  Everyone looking forward to the weekend just as much as I am?  Any fun plans?  My wife & I are finalizing our vacation plans this year.  We’re heading off next month so we’re lining up pet sitters, dog boarding, house sitters, etc.

What’s new with me, you ask?  Well, as the title of this entry suggests, I’ve teamed up with three other fantasy authors to come up with the appropriately labeled
“Fantasy 101” box set.  Myself and three others contributed the first book in one of our series in the effort to attract new readers.  Trust me, this ebook is well worth the piddly .99 cents we’re charging.  Why so little?  Let’s just say it was a requirement to participate in a rather large promo coming up in the middle of the month.  I was invited to join, and let’s just say that I jumped at the chance.  So three other friends of mine are coming along for the ride.

Many of you have probably read their stories, too.  I keep recommending them at the end of my books.  First up is a very talented author who introduced me to “steampunk”.  She has several series of books out that are expertly written.   Perhaps you’ve heard of her?  Ms. Lindsay Buroker.  The Emperor’s Edge is one of her series of books.  She’s contributed Encrypted, the first book in a new series of hers.  Well worth the time to check them out.

Also joining us is the author of the Maker’s Fire series.  Bill Ainsworth, writing under “B Throwsnaill”, has written Hemlock and the Wizard Tower.  Again, just trust me.  Read it.  You’ll enjoy it.  Merit for President – 2016!!  Better yet, buy our box set and help us hit the best sellers list!

Finally, we have Steve Thomas, author of the Klondaeg series.  His story, Klondaeg the Monster Hunter, joins the other three and completes our box set.  Humor, sarcasm, and a split personality talking battle axe.

As for me, I’ve included Lost City, the first story in my Tales of Lentari series.  I thought about submitting Prophecy (Bakkian Chronicles #1) but I think Lost City is written better.

Fantasy 101 will be officially released on September 14th, 2014.  Preorder it and help a bunch of us indie authors out!  You won’t regret it

Here’s the link on iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/fantasy-101/id915895127?mt=11

Thanks for all of your support!

J.

Ok, this next batch of questions could come from any of the 700+ movies on the bookshelves behind me.  So put on ye olde thinking caps!  Let’s see how good you people really are!

Question 1:
What was the name of Lt. John Dunbar’s love interest in the movie Dances With Wolves?

Question 2:
What is the name of the boat Lt. Cmdr Tom Dodge is given in Up Periscoope?

Question 3:
In the Hunt for Red October, what was the name of the nearly silent propulsion unit that allowed the Russian sub to run virtually undectable?

Get this one right and you’ll seriously impress me.  Here’s the uber-hard question:
How did Quigley respond for an advertisement for sharpshooters in Australia and why was Elliot Marston interested?   Extra credit:  how much was Quigley paid for just showing up?

Good luck to all!  Have a great weekend!