Snake65's novel "Way of the Wolf" in stores now (semi-vanity and shameless self-promotion alert)

E.E. Knight's homepage ^ | September 5, 2003 | Snake65/E.E. Knight

[Snake65]

WELCOME TO THE YEAR 2065. EARTH IS UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT.

You've known me for years on this forum as Snake65. After a lot of toil, sweat, and tears--but no blood--I've had a lifelong dream come true of having a scifi/fantasy novel published by NAL/Roc. It started going up on the shelves Tuesday in the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

Being a first time author is great, but it's a bed of roses with a lot of thorns. As I'm not a name author, some bookstores don't even have me on the shelves, so I'm hoping for a little FReeper Power to get the word out. If you, or anyone you know, likes to read science fiction and fantasy (or just plain action), please take a look at Way of the Wolf: Book One of the Vampire Earth by E.E. Knight. It's a 400 page $6.50 mass-market, which dollar costed per entertainment hour is a pretty good value.

The storyline is your basic post-apocalyptic adventure fiction, though the story arc is a little closer to Heinlien's Starship Troopers--i.e. a young man going off to war. It's H.G. Wells's War of the Worlds only the aliens have won. Imagine the United States as Eastern Europe circa 1942, substitute the Nazis for vampire-like creatures, and you pretty much have my world. The hero serves as a soldier in one of the larger partisan armies. There is no overt political content. I was raised Catholic so that's my hero's faith as well, though it's not a religious novel either.

Parents be warned, there is graphic violence, sensuality (though the sex is ridiculously mild compared to what's in vogue in "vampire" novels nowadays, but that's another story) and a little rough language. If it were a movie it would be an R rated one, I suppose.

Again, it just came out so I don't have a lot of reviews--the big guns like Publisher's Weekly and Kirkus tend to ignore mass-market originals--but the reviews and blurbs I've gotten have been positive:

• "Way of the Wolf is a winner. If you're going to read only one more post-apocalyptic novel, make it this one."
  -Fred Saberhagen, author of the Berserker series

• "Readers who enjoy vampires as romantic figures aren't going to like this one, but fans of violent adventure fiction will certainly get their money's worth."
  - Chronicle: SF, Fantasy & Horror's Monthly Trade Journal

• "Powerful...goes into hyperspeed for the final two thirds of the plot. Readers will want to finish the tale in one sitting because it is so enthralling."
  - Midwest Book Review

• "(G)reat reading. The series continues next May and I can't wait."
  - Philadelphia Weekly Press

• "Knight’s dark book of wonders is a marvel -- simultaneously hip and classic, pulpy and profound. Evocative of Richard Matheson as well as Howard Hawks, Knight’s terrifying future world is an epic canvas on which he paints a tale of human courage, heroism...and yes, even love. I really dig this hero, Valentine, and cannot wait for his next adventure."
  -Jay Bonansinga, author of The Killer's Game and Bloodhound

• "The style is compelling and skilled. E.E. Knight manages to blend battles and violence with the gentler side of his characters allowing them to develop relationships and experience a wide range of emotions...I would recommend Way of the Wolf to any fan of fantasy. Stunning! I am looking forward to the next instalment of the adventure!"
  -The Eternal Night

• "I have no doubt that E. E. Knight is going to be a household name in the genre before he's done."
  -Angela McErlain Silver Oak Book Reviews

• "Valentine is a complex and interesting character, mixing innocence with a cold-hearted willingness to kill. Knight developed Valentine into a realistic, believable character, with strengths and weaknesses and a consistency of motivation."
  -Lynn Nicole Louis SFReader.com

• "E.E. Knight has managed to create a compelling new world out of the ruins of our existing one. It's a major undertaking for a new author, and an especially ballsy move to take something like vampires, so cherished by readers around the world, and give them a completely new origin. He does it with style and grace, and I would highly recommend checking out the book as soon as you can."
  -Johnny Butane Creature Corner

• "E. E. Knight has offered up a novel that is at least the equal to anything out there now, and surpasses many other works."
  -Fraser Ronald atFantasy.com

• "The last part of the book is highly suspenseful. I read the last hundred pages in one sitting. I just couldn't put it down."
  -Mayra Calvani ebook-reviews.net

• "Knight's style made me think that if The Red Badge of Courage had been written by H.P. Lovecraft, the result would have been something like this."
  -Paul Witcover, author of Waking Beauty

• "This is one of the best books I've read in years. If you like action books (or horror or military or suspense ..) just buy it."
  -Scott Sigler, author of EarthCore.

Way of the Wolf is well stocked in most Barnes & Noble booksellers. Borders has more spotty shelf placement (though of course you can order it, Borders does have some copies in their warehouses). With eighty science fiction and fantasy titles published in September, they don't always put new authors in the stores. Or there's always the internet: Amazon and Barnes and Noble both are running free shipping promotions if you're going to be getting some other books anyway.

You can see my cool cover art and find out a lot more about the work at my website for the series, Vampire Earth.

[Snake65]

Shameless self-promotion, I know, but it's tough getting started as an author. Just this morning I got a piece of fan mail from an ex-serviceman who liked my style:

"I just finished Way of the Wolf. I loved it. I have never so identified with the way an author wrote. I read the book cover to cover in about 30 hours. I even went without sleep prior to work ( I'm a paramedic) which I have not done in years."

Thanks to John the paramedic and all of you who took the time to look at this post. We'll now return you to your regular schedule of FReeping.

[balrog666]

Good luck!

[Rabid Dog]

Good luck! My son is a sci-fi buff and will be most interested in reading your book.

[Snake65]

Bootless - you've read this, tell the folks at home and in the stands what you think.

Jeff and Travis - fellow freeper author ping.

PJ-Comix - could I get a Freeper Reading Club ping, please?

ecurbh - how about a Ring ping for the fantasy fans?

[Glenn]

bttt

Best of luck to you. The reviews are pretty compelling!

[Billthedrill]

Equally shameless BTT. If you really want great reviews, send out complimentary copies to everybody at FR. It'll only take about 50,000 or so...

[Chad Fairbanks]

Good luck! I read the occasional Sci-fi/Fantasy novel, so maybe next time I get the hankerin' I'll just say to heck with it and support a fellow FReeper... :0)

[billbears]

bump to remind me to go buy this book this weekend!! Sounds good. Now I see we have book one. Where are books two and three? I hate to read the first in a series and wait a long time for the next one to come out. ;)

[firewalk]

bttt

[quack]

So,how do I get my autographed copy?Congratulations,btw!

[Snake65]

Wow, this thread is getting a great response. Thanks!

"Where are books two and three? I hate to read the first in a series and wait a long time for the next one to come out. ;)"

#2 will be out next May. #3's release date is not carved in stone, I'm hoping for Christmas season 2004, but that's primo scheduling, and again, new author syndrome.

Like the Hornblower novels (with the possible exception of Ship of the Line and Flying Colours) each does stand alone as a self-contained story.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Count me in! Been a sci-fi fan for ages.

[Trampled by Lambs]

A good blurb by Saberhagen will always cause me to take notice. I'll pick it up. As a wanna-be SF/Fantasy writer myself (still unpublished :)) I can only imagine your excitement. Good luck!

[EggsAckley]

bump!!

[Paradox]

Sweet! Nice plug by Saberhagen, one of my favorites!

EEKnight

I always thought Freeper guys were the rugged type.

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

Don't know if this is the case in your area, or if you're even interested in anything this small, but our Books A Million here will hold book signings for local authors and even promote the event.

Goldfinch, another aspiring author. (My husband does not understand that being published is as difficult as winning the lottery. Congratulations on winning the lottery!!)

[egarvue]

Congratulations on your first novel, I'm going to go out and buy it soon (always support a fellow FReeper!). Writing a novel has always been a dream of mine, and maybe you'll inspire me to finally get around to doing it!

[Snake65]

Nice plug by Saberhagen, one of my favorites

He's a true gentleman, and astonishingly, remembers what it was like to be a first-time author. His wife is lovely too. I met them at a convention in 2001. I hope that if I become a grand old man of the genre, as he is, I'll be able to "pay it forward," as Heinlein put it, someday.

I remember Saberhagen's "Goodlife" as being the first sci-fi story I read that really moved me. I was about 10 at the time and found anything without spaceships blowing each other up kind of boring. But "Goodlife" got to me.

[ecurbh]

Ring Ping!!

There and Back Again: The Journeys of Flat Frodo

Anyone wishing to be added to or removed from the Ring-Ping list, please don't hesitate to let me know.

[Jeff Head]

Snake...the quote by Saberhagen is tremendous! His Empire of the East was one of my favorite all time novels.

I'll get one of yours ASAP (like today) and will spread the word.

Best of luck to you and congratulations and major kudos on breaking into the big time. Hope your deal is advantagous and that you make more than enough to meet your needs and to enable you to write full time.

God bless!

Jeff