Universal Warrior: Atherean Defenders To Be Published By Journalstone Publishing
April 29, 2011
I am very pleased to announce that Universal Warrior: Atherean Defenders will be published by JournalStone Publishing, an independent publishing house based in San Mateo, California. The publisher primarily focuses on science fiction, fantasy, and horror titles, and Universal Warrior: Atherean Defenders will be one of JournalStone’s first fantasy books.
About Universal Warrior: Atherean Defenders
Combining aspects of modern and ancient religion with real-world events, Universal Warrior is set in a fictional world in which mankind ultimately decides its own fate. Part one of a three-part series, Universal Warrior: Atherean Defenders chronicles the first battle in the war between Heaven and Hell.
At the beginning of time, when Earth and the Universe were in their infancies, before the Devil, before war and chaos nearly ripped the Universe apart, a dissension between Heaven’s two rulers sparked a conflict that would rage for millennia. Here, at the aftermath of this conflict, referred to as the Great Divide, the story begins.
One morning, four children go playing in the Atherean, Heaven’s largest body of water. Only one comes home alive.
The child’s last words speak of monstrous creatures that have overtaken the water, igniting fear and panic in the Angels, whose need for vengeance clashes with their most sacred commandments. To quell an uprising before it begins, four Angels are dispatched in secret with one objective; bring the responsible party to justice.
But upon entering the water, they will find much more than the Atherean has been taken from them. They will discover the true nature of the unexplored Southern Lands, a realm which will become synonymous with pain and suffering. They will discover secrets that should’ve remained buried and former Angels willing to do whatever it takes to reclaim their homeland.
The war will begin.
JournalStone
JournalStone is an independent publisher specializing in science fiction, horror, and most recently, fantasy. The label has produced the well-received JournalStone: 2010 Warped Words For Twisted Minds, (which the author of Atherean Defenders worked as a contributor on) and Duncan’s Diary: Birth of A Serial Killer. Most recently they released Any Witch Way by Annastaysia Savage. Universal Warrior: Atherean Defenders will be among their first titles based in pure fantasy.
Working With JournalStone
When I first announced Atherean Defenders nearly 18 months ago, I was so disillusioned by stories of writers who had been repeatedly rejected by big publishing houses that I had no intention of even pursuing the option. Besides, I’m a relatively unknown author. I didn’t see the point in asking people to give their hard earned money to someone they’d never heard of for something they weren’t even sure they’d like. I figured I knew enough about marketing and self-promotion that I could go it alone.
I met the head of JournalStone about a year ago on Facebook. We shared mutual interests, and he’s from my hometown, so we hit it off. From the outset, I thought he was an excellent writer and strong self-promoter. He pushed his novel harder than I had seen anyone do before or since. I respected his work ethic and passion for the craft. Eventually, we got onto the subject of my own writing, and he asked me to send over the first two chapters of my novel. Reluctantly, I did.
He was so impressed with the writing that he immediately offered to publish the novel. I was hesitant, but interested; my primary concern was retaining creative control over my intellectual property.
Over the next few weeks, he practically bent over backwards to ensure a mutually satisfactory arrangement. The contract was refined at least 10 times, and in the end, he allowed me to retain full creative control, as well as merchandising and rights to distribute through other mediums. I’ve only been in this business for a few years, but I’ve never worked with anyone who was this passionate and driven about the craft. And, so I signed.
So…What Does This Mean?
Universal Warrior: Atherean Defenders will be released through JournalStone and be available in softcover, hardcover, and e-formats. While online distribution is planned, no arrangement has been finalized yet to release the novel in actual bookstores.
A second draft of the manuscript is due to be turned over by June 1, 2011. Tentative release for the novel is Christmas 2011.
This also means that those of you reading can be first in line to win some of the limited edition gear we’ll be handing out as we ramp up to the release. This gear includes specially engraved iPod Shuffles, limited edition posters, and the graphic novel Four Before Red Morning, which is a series of short stories revolving around Atherean Defenders’ key characters at pivotal moments in their lives, before the tragedy of Red Morning.
Stay tuned to see how you can get a jump start on this stuff, and keep following for updates!
(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC
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