2022 in Review

 It has been another year of adventure in the life of this self-published author. Let's recap...

Five books published... FitzDuncan's Enlightenment, FitzDuncan's Fortune, and FitzDuncan's Gambit, plus Pike's Progress and The Defense of the Commonwealth. 

Some awards won... Gallantry in Action (my first book) earned recognition as a B.R.A.G. Medallion winner, as a Finalist in the Independent Author Network (IAN) Awards, and as a Finalist in the Readers' Favorite Awards. Pike's Passage is currently on the "Short List" of books still eligible for the Cygnus Award.

What's in the works for 2023? Well, I just finished the first draft of the next FitzDuncan book, tentatively titled FitzDuncan's Hope. I am roughly forty percent of the way into the follow-up to The Defense of the Commonwealth, as we ride along with Perseverance Andrews. A fourth Pike book is also underway, but it has been slow going. There are at least a couple of FitzDuncan books to come, though I may end up in prequel territory.

One sad note... my dog, Gus, died unexpectedly in the middle of the night December 14/15. Gus was a "bagle hound" (beagle/basset mix) who I adopted in the spring of 2014. He was my "campus dog" as opposed to our other dogs who live with my wife in Maine year-round. Gus was the most loyal companion anyone could hope for and I miss him a hundred times every day. 

They say that the best thing to do when you're thrown out of the saddle is to climb right back on, so I have made arrangements to become the owner of a Clumber Spaniel puppy. Her name will be Aggie, short for Agrippina Minor (one of the more fascinating women in Roman history). I am looking forward to meeting her and I'm certain the students at my school will fall in love with her.

Despite the loss of Gus, it has been a fun year. I am extremely grateful that some readers have found my books and are liking them. As long as people are enjoying them, I'll keep writing.

Happy New Year to all!

JS

FitzDuncan's Gambit and reviews for The Defense of the Commonwealth

 

As you can see, the cover design for FitzDuncan's Gambit is now complete. The book is edited and nearly ready to release. I have moved the actual release date to October 31 (Halloween). Once again, Thea Magerand has provided a brilliant piece of cover art, as she did for FitzDuncan and FitzDuncan's Fortune. She will be revising the covers for FitzDuncan's Alchemy and FitxzDuncan's Enlightenment in the very near future. I can hardly wait to see what she develops.

Reviews have come in for The Defense of the Commonwealth. You can read the reviews here (https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/the-defense-of-the-commonwealth) and here (https://www.selfpublishingreview.com/2022/10/review-the-defense-of-the-commonwealth-by-john-j-spearman/).  I was slightly disappointed in the second of these and hoped for a slightly better result.

With The Defense of the Commonwealth, I am trying to open up new distribution channels, so it is not available to Kindle Unlimited members for free as part of the subscription. The book is available on apple Books, Google Play Books, and Kobo. In order to make it part of the Kindle Unlimited program, authors must give amazon an exclusive, and I wanted to see if there were sales I might be missing through these other channels. It is also available to bookstores through a company named IngramSpark. This gives them a way to buy the paperback and hardcover versions at a competitive rate without dealing with amazon. I will give the trial thirty days to see if these other channels generate any sales.  If they don't, I pull the book from them and allow it to be part of the Kindle Unlimited program like all my other books. This may have been a mistake based on some information I just received today.  If it is, I won't allow it to linger.

At the moment, none of my other projects are close to completion. I am working on sequels to The Defense of the Commonwealth, Pike's Progress, and FitzDuncan's Gambit.  I would say all three are off to a good start, but when Aristotle said, "Well begun is half done," he wasn't telling the whole truth. Progress on all of them has been slow, and I have been easily distracted. This, too, shall pass. After all, in the last twenty months, I have published nine books--three of the Pike series, five of the FitzDuncan series, and the first of the Perseverance Andrews books.

In the meantime, fall has come. The air is crisp, the leaves are changing here in New England, and football season is well underway. I survived a bout with Covid (not too challenging) and am now healthy again. I hope this finds you and yours happy and healthy as well. Until the next time...  

The Defense of the Commonwealth and FitzDuncan's Gambit

 The Defense of the Commonwealth, the first book of a new series featuring a heroine named Perseverance Andrews, is complete and will release on October 15. The book takes place in the same universe as the Jonah Halberd series, roughly 350 years earlier. It begins with an account of how the Inter-Planetary Commonwealth formed.  From there, it shifts to the story of Perseverance Andrews and her exploits in a war between the Commonwealth and two opponents--the Rodinan Federation and the Chinese Republics. Things begin poorly for the Royal Navy, as they are set on their heels in the opening battles of the conflict. Perseverance is one of only a very few to survive the initial action and finds herself acclaimed as a hero. As with the Halberd books, politics and romance play as important a role as the battles in space.

I am also pleased to inform you that the fifth book in the FitzDuncan series, FitzDuncan's Gambit, is nearing completion. The manuscript is finished and edited. I am waiting on my talented cover artist to work her considerable magic. With any luck, FitzDuncan's Gambit will publish on or before December 1.

In the meantime, I am working on a possible new book in the Sandy Pike universe, a second Perseverance Andrews novel and yet another FitzDuncan. As I get further along, I promise to supply updates.

Gallantry in Action named in Readers' Favorite 2022 Book Awards

 I just learned moments ago that "Gallantry in Action" was named a Finalist in the Readers' Favorite 2022 Book Awards in the category of Science Fiction!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0743MGN5R

FitzDuncan's Fortune released, The Defense of the Commonwealth coming!

 FitzDuncan's Fortune was released on July 20 and reader comments and feedback have been great. Thank you! Believe it or not, I just finished writing FitzDuncan's Gambit, the next in the series. There are still quite a few steps to go in the publishing process but if you are a fan of FitzDuncan, look for it before the end of the year.

While I am excited about all the books I write, the one I just received back from my editor, The Defense of the Commonwealth, is one about which I am particularly enthused. The setting of the book is the same universe as the Halberd series but 350 years earlier. It begins with how the Inter-Planetary Commonwealth came into being. From there, the story moves to tell the story of Perseverance Andrews, one of the early heroes of the Royal Navy. Her story, like most of what I write, involves action, politics, and romance. I aam eager to see if readers like Perseverance as much as I do. 

With the start of this new series, I will be trying a new method of publishing. Instead of being solely on amazon, I will be using a company named IngramSpark that allows for broader distribution. We will see how it goes but I am hoping for the best. 

Loof for The Defense of the Commonwealth around November first. If I can get it ready sooner, I will.

FitzDuncan's Fortune at month end, Something new, the next Pike, and odds and ends.

FitzDuncan's Fortune will be released on 30 July.  The final pre-publication review came in and was positive, as were the others.  The purpose of these is to make sure the book is as good as I hoped and to mine them for "blurbs" to use on the back cover of the paperback and hardbound versions. As with the revised FitzDuncan cover, the artwork is supplied by the talented Thea Magerand. Reviews are found at: https://www.selfpublishingreview.com/2022/07/review-fitzduncans-fortune-by-john-spearman/, https://featheredquill.com/fitzduncans-fortune/, and https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/fitzduncans-fortune

In terms of writing, I just finished something new. It's set in the Halberd universe, but three hundred and fifty years earlier. The story begins with how the Inter-Planetary Commonwealth was formed. One of the more common questions/complaints I have received from readers pertains to the inability to suspend disbelief in terms of how a conglomeration of American-settled planets would end up part of a British-style governmental structure.

How this came to pass was always a part of my thinking in establishing the Halberd setting. I put it on paper after finishing the series, originally intending on sharing it in some way with readers to clear up the confusion/angst. It sat, lonely and forlorn, in my files since I had not figured out how to publish it. A couple of months ago, I took another look at it and this time it flowed into another story arc. The origin of the Commonwealth flows into a tale that concerns one of the early heroes of the Commonwealth. If it meets with the same favorable reception as the other Halberd books, there will be a sequel or two. It was great fun to write and includes something new (for me). At this point, I only want to tease, so won't share any further details.  We'll most likely be looking at a December publication.

There will be another Sandy Pike book but it will be more in the nature of a spin-off. Sandy's role will be minor and the focus will be on characters introduced in the previous three books. I am just beginning to write so this will take a bit of time.

There will be another FitzDuncan book after the upcoming release. I have some ideas of where I want to take his story but they are hazy and indistinct. By the time I set pen to paper, they may change quite a bit.

Finally, I traveled to my old hometown of Hudson, Ohio for a book signing at The Learned Owl bookstore.  The folks at The Learned Owl are as nice as can be.  Traffic was not what I hoped but it was a gorgeous day--not necessarily a shopping day. I signed and sold some books, so ended the day better than I started. I also was able to eat at Swenson's Drive-In while in the area--the best cheeseburgers in the entire world. The rest of the story is that my windshield got dinged and I got stuck behind a massive double accident for two hours on the way there. Leaving for home, I discovered my car battery was dead. AAA came and gave me a jump but when I needed to stop for gas, I needed another. My dad always said, "Experience is what you get when you were hoping for something else." I'll chalk this journey up to "experience."

FitzDuncan's Fortune--first review

I just received the first review of FitzDuncan's Fortune, due to release on July 30.  Here it is, from Maria Victoria Beltran for Readers’ Favorite:

In The FitzDuncan Series Book 4, FitzDuncan's Fortune by John Spearman, the amazing adventures of Casimir FitzDuncan, the illegitimate son of the Earl of the Eastern March, continue. In less than three months, he is getting married to the beautiful and mysterious Lucy in a double wedding celebration with his aristocratic friends Freddy and Greta, and it promises to be a grand celebration. This does not stop him from taking on a new case, however, to protect the inheritance of Tom Gibson. The king of Aquileia also requests him to go on a treacherous expedition to the Southern Continent with the royal assassin and this has almost caused him to miss his own wedding. An unforeseen development at home also promises to change his life as he is confronted with sensitive personal matters.

John Spearman’s FitzDuncan's Fortune does not disappoint his readers. This time, the fascinating adventures of Casimir Duncan take us to exotic places with equally captivating characters. The author’s use of effective and descriptive mood and language is quite consistent and the story flows smoothly. Well structured, the plot runs fluidly and it allows the enigma to be revealed in a logical way. This is a book that engages readers in trying to piece together the threads of the narrative; so much so that it becomes an extremely delightful and easy read, even without knowing the previous stories. I look forward to the next book in this series to follow the breathtaking exploits of Casimir FitzDuncan!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1GPWNBM

Pike's Progress released; FitzDuncan's Fortune coming soon.

 Pike's Progress was released on May 31. The pre-publication reviews have been positive. You can find them here: https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/pikes-progress, https://www.selfpublishingreview.com/2022/05/review-pikes-progress-by-john-j-spearman/,  and https://indiereader.com/book_review/pikes-progress/

Readers' Favorite granted it five stars, Self-Publishing Review four and a half, and IndieReader (the toughest critics) a rating of 3.9. 

I hope you enjoy the book!

FitzDuncan's Fortune is with my editor. I am aiming for a release on July 30. It is the longest of the FitzDuncan books at just under 90,000 words. I enjoy writing the FitzDuncan stories so much but for some reason, the readership of these lags far behind my science fiction works. That indicates to me that I have not found the correct marketing niche for them. That will be something I investigate this summer.

This summer's first project will be my continuing quest for a literary agent.  So far, this has felt like pushing on a rope. It will only take one, though--I just need to find the one. 

Coming Soon: Pike's Progress

I'm pleased to say that the manuscript for Pike's Progress, the third book in the Sandy Pike series, is now written and in the hands of my editor.  Sadly, that does not mean the book is finished.  There is more to the publishing of a book than just the writing, I have learned.

My editor will review it and suggest changes.  Generally, these changes are minor.  There's always the chance he discovers a larger problem, though, that would need significant revising.  I hope that's not the case, but that's why I have an editor.

Cover design is another step.  The cover artists I have used for the Pike books have been very good at adapting my concepts but they move in their own time.  I'm not the only project they have.  Once they get started, it's usually pretty quick, but waiting for them to get to me is always a test of my patience.

Finally, once I have a front cover design and the book has been edited, I will send it for pre-publication reviews.  These, we hope, will be the source of enticing nuggets (blurbs, as they are known) that I can use on amazon and the back cover of the paperback and hardcover versions to convince people to buy and read the book.  

What this all means is that the publication of the book will be mid-May at the earliest, and more likely, toward the end of the month.  While that might be disappointing, at least these final processes have begun, now that the writing is complete (as long as my editor agrees).  I am as eager and excited to get these things done as anyone.

After this, I turn my attention to the next book in the FitzDuncan series.  There are other concepts I have been noodling as well.  The one that has the most meat on its bones is a prequel to the Halberd series that covers the formation of the Commonwealth and its early years.

As always, I appreciate your readership, your interest and your support.  I enjoy writing these books and having interested readers provides extra motivation.  Until the next time, 

JS