It’s finally time! Shadows of Arcturus is live!
Available for Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and paperback!
Click below to get it now!
Release Date – Shadows of Arcturus
Good news, everyone! The paperback proof for Shadows of Arcturus came in and everything is almost finalised!
As a result, it’s time to set the release date and you won’t have to wait long!
I’m happy to announce Shadows of Arcturus will be released Friday, July 31st!
The pre-order for the e-book is now live and it will also be available on Kindle Unlimited! And, if digital copies aren’t your thing, the paperback novel will be released on the same day!
Cover Reveal – Shadows of Arcturus
My next novel, Shadows of Arcturus, rapidly approaches release and that can only mean one thing!
Cover reveal!
As I’ve shared previously, a lot of work went into the different components of this cover, especially the ship itself.
The moment I started to think of the cover for Shadows of Arcturus, I immediately knew how I wanted it to look.
I was inspired by many of the sci-fi books I’ve read throughout my life and went with a classic layout.
Here it is!
The road to Arcturus: Creating the Valiant
One of the things that always bothers me with books (sci-fi especially) is when the cover doesn’t match what is inside the story!
To avoid this, I decided the best thing for me to do for my new novel was to custom design the feature ship. In Shadows of Arcturus, the UVS Valiant plays a significant role, and I wanted to ensure it was accurate to what is represented within the story.
I have prior experience with 3D modeling software and Photoshop; although those skills had become very rusty over the years! Deciding Blender was the right tool to use, I went about relearning old skills in new software.
The first thing I did was do a rough sketch of what was in my head. Growing up on sci-fi, I knew what sort of style I wanted the ship to be early on in the process. Instead of the gleaming curves of Star Trek or the battered eclecticness of Star Wars, I wanted the Valiant to really feel like the aging, low-level warship it’s supposed to be – a realistic representation of a near-future military that had seen its fair share of destructive void war.
Once I had my ideas down on paper, it was time to start building out the model in Blender. Blender’s interface took some time to get used to, but soon enough my basic 3D modeling skills started to come back to me!
Now happy with the basic structure, I started adding all kinds of details. Sci-fi model makers know this process as greebling – adding small details that make an object seem more detailed and realistic.
With the ship itself ready, my focus then moved to the texture. This is the first step to take a plastic-looking model and making it look like something that exists in the real world.
The process involves ‘unwrapping’ the 3D features of the model and turning them into a 2D image that can then be painted over in Photoshop.
Using a mixture of stock textures and custom images, adding all the detail, dirt, and grime that makes a vehicle seem as though it’s had a long, hard life in deep space took longer than modeling it in the first place!
Lighting effects were added through the build process, including things like engine illumination, windows, and navigation lights.
Now that it’s finished, the Valiant will take pride of place on the front cover for Shadows of Arcturus.
Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook or Instagram and check back soon for the cover reveal!
Things are happening!
So, it’s been a while, but I haven’t stopped writing.
My first solo novel, Shadows of Arcturus is just weeks away from heading to the editor and I’ve begun work on the cover. Stay tuned for some sneak-peaks at that soon!
On top of that, I’ve also finished the first draft of the sequel to Shadows of Arcturus. The second entry in the Syrax Wars series, it’s titled Ruins of Talamar. An exciting follow-on, it greatly expands the universe and characters established in the first book!
But that’s not all! Over the last few days, Ashley and I have begun brainstorming the outline for the sequel to The Parnassus Initiative! As yet untitled, we’re very excited to dive back into the story line of our first novel and see what happens next!
The Parnassus Initiative – Order now!
It’s finally live! Buy The Parnassus Initiative now in ebook and paperback formats!
Order now using the below links!
Amazon US: www.amazon.com/dp/B07WJ72KZB
Amazon UK: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WJ72KZB
Other retailers (Including Apple and Barnes & Noble): books2read.com/u/mKxDo5
The Parnassus Initiative preorder live!
The time has finally come!
Our final edit has been locked in and The Parnassus Initiative will be released digitally on September 5th!
You can preorder now at the below links.
Amazon US: www.amazon.com/dp/B07WJ72KZB
Amazon UK: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WJ72KZB
Other retailers (Including Apple and Barnes & Noble): books2read.com/u/mKxDo5
Not only that but to celebrate, we are releasing our short story, Raider’s Hollow, for free!
Hit the download button to receive your free copy of Raider’s Hollow in Kindle format!
Please see www.amazon.com/gp/sendtokindle/email for assistance in sending the file to your Kindle.
Cover Reveal – Raider’s Hollow
While waiting for The Parnassus Initiative to return from the editor, Ashley and I decided to write a short story! Set just before our planned sequel novel, Raider’s Hollow follows Mya Malinksy to the dusty plains of West Texas.
As we now have plans to continue the sage of Ryder, Mya and the gang, we also decided upon a name for the series. Introducing the Crystalline Earth series! Keep an eye out for announcements; we have big plans!
Along with writing Raider’s Hollow, we’ve been working on the cover in between editing The Parnassus Initiative. Quite the contrast to its predecessor, we’re pleased with how it came out. As always, click to expand!
If you like what you see, don’t forget to follow TCcraftworks or Ashley Holloway – Author on Facebook!
The Parnassus Initiative – Preview
Given that Ashley and I finally wrapped up our final manuscript and sent it off to the editor, now seems as good as time as any to release a preview section of The Parnassus Initiative! As a disclaimer, the below has only been edited by ourselves. I take no responsibility for minor grammatical errors! Turns out that perfect grammar is pretty much your last concern when trying to write a novel! Hurrying down the stairs, Ryder mentally braced himself for the impending conversation he had now psyched himself up for as he pushed on the metal bar across the door. The exit clattered open, the noise echoing off the surrounding buildings towering over him as he stumbled from the stairwell into the narrow alley behind VistaTech. Mya and two men he didn’t recognize turned towards him with wide eyes. Ryder froze a few paces from the small group but jumped when the door slammed shut behind him. Shifting from foot to foot, Mya was the first to break the silence. “Oh, great.” At her words, the burly man next to her turned his attention to a tablet. Not one of those low-range models every kid had these days, but one
The Final Stretch
So, it finally happened. Last night Ashley and I sent the final draft of The Parnassus Initiate off to the editor. Clocking in at 128,773 words, it’s taken us two and a half years of learning, confusion and procrastination to get to this point. After a few years of back-and-forth introvert speak along the lines of ‘we should write a book’, we were on vacation with family and friends, and a friend of Ashley’s had just published her first indie novel. The surprising revelation that anyone could write and publish their own book these days spurred us into saying ‘Hey, we should actually write a book’. As it turns out, writing a book is pretty damn hard. There was a lot to figure out, and a lot of things to muddle through until we got to the point we’re at today. There is so much we would do differently going forward that we just had no clue about in the beginning. I think we had several significant characters marked with *CHARACTER NAME HERE* in the manuscript for a good few months! Despite the frustration, writer’s block and months of getting side-tracked, it’s been a fantastic learning experience. Both in the creation of