March is the month before book release. In addition to preparing advance reviewer copies and inquiries to reviewers, I have submitted some existing works to the group projects that we call Itch.io bundles.
So far, I have two uniquely themed bundles to share with you. I have included Pt. 1 in the title of this post because there could be a third bundle featuring my work this month. I will announce it when it happens.
Here are the bundles of March, in the order of which went live first…
War March (February 28th – April 1st)
When I saw the signup for this bundle, I wondered which of my books wouldn’t qualify. This is not a brag so much as the long-term influence of my reading material, whether it’s the Chronicles of Prydain or Narnia, The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings, and even much of the New Wave SFF I would go on to read as an adult.
That said, I do not take warfare lightly. I tend toward guidelines when depicting battles, including but not limited to:
- Protagonists are defending something, or attacking an aggressor who had initiated the conflict. They would often rather be doing anything else with their lives, but they feel the necessity of their righteous struggle.
- The human cost is considered and/or shown. It’s not only who suffers on the field of battle, it’s who needs to flee their homes with all they can carry.
- Antagonists have grand visions of how their war of aggression will make the world better. The anticipated cost gives them no pause; given their positions of power, they expect to be the last ones who would ever pay.
My contribution to this bundle is The Redemption of Jarek, where someone who lived a nefarious and warlike life attempts to turn away from that in favour of responsibly managing his land. Unfortunately, his commitment to doing better has no bearing on the choices of an aspiring emperor who forces every battle in the book to occur. Jarek will rely on the skills acquired in his past life and the commitment of an inner circle of commanders who carry over from that time.
The fighting itself tends toward the individual experiences of point-of-view characters. I aim to show the visceral, portraying the pain, fear, and uncertainty of a grim ordeal.
You can find the War March bundle here.
Hidden Gems All-Canadian (March 1st – 15th)
Canada has produced many popular and critically acclaimed artists, but there are always many of us flying under the radar, plugging away at our craft and hoping for a breakthrough.
There is not, however, any special guideline or consideration for how I ensure my work is properly Canadian. None is required, for I am Canadian and that is enough.
My first note about this bundle is the inclusion not only of Prince Ewald the Brave, but Moonshadow’s Guardian by Dianna Gunn who helped me edit PEtB. This is not the first/only shared bundle appearance, and I suspect not the last, but I am confident in what we offer each time.
My second is to reflect on the social adventure I had while promoting this bundle before it even went live. Promoting has been a great challenge for me in the past ten years, and one aspect I appreciate about these bundles is that other authors with better reach and understanding can help provide the rising tide that lifts all our ships. We shared in efforts to raise awareness not just on the World Wide Web in general, but in our local communities.
On that note, I have some novellas to distribute to another ten little free libraries in a nearby neighbourhood.
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