Howdy gang,
Hey Mike
What a summer it's been. How's everyone been doing?
Not bad, you?
Good. 2024 has been a --
Hold on. Before you go on about personal stuff, you said something about a new book? And I can get a copy?
Oh, right. If you don't feel like reading the whole blog, here's the summary. My new book, Hoppelsigh, releases on Sept 10th.
If you'd like an Advance Review Copy (ARC) for the purposes of leaving early reviews, sign up at this form https://forms.gle/4zSGFvuGNXmG4cgFA
If you'd like to just buy the book, you can purchase it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFQX9ZMK
Note: There are not unlimited ARCs available so order fast
Okay on to the personal stuff, then.
The theme in the Michael James household has been change. 2024 has been a transition year for me and my gang. We moved to a new place, did some new stuff with work, met a whole bunch of new friends, joined a new writing group, the list goes on and on. It's been quite wonderful, and I find myself at the end of the transition in the exact place I want to be. I find myself holding my breath, not wanting the bubble to pop.
How's the writing going?
Glad you asked, theoretical blog reader. It's been going really well. Hoppelsigh was written without any expectation except to have fun writing it, and gang - for real, I think this is the best thing I've ever written.
Here's some early feedback I've received
"a fantastic piece of storytelling and the voice is off the charts wonderful"
and
"The dialogue is some of the best I can remember reading."
and
"I couldn't stop thinking about the characters for weeks"
Give me a taste of this writing.
Okay. Here's the first paragraph or two of Hoppelsigh
Valentine’s life in Hoppelsigh began, in truth, when she got her piccolo.
She had wandered into the courtyard to visit the tree. It stood in front of a ruined church, a building of fatally dark stone that had long ago collapsed, leaving behind only the approximate outline of a structure. The wide frame of an entrance remained, cracked and exhausted doors clinging to the brick with hope and little else.
The tree itself was likewise dead, save for one single branch that jutted out ten feet above the ground, sprouting a single green leaf. Seemingly unbothered by its demise, the tree continued upwards towards the sky, up past the imposing walls of the courtyard, gathering a freedom that Valentine herself would never know. She ached to know what lay beyond, but the world outside Hoppelsigh, if one even existed, was as far from her reach as the stars she could sometimes view when the sun had finished with its day.
What books is it comparable to?
I think the four books that influenced this book the most are:
With Malice Towards Some by Margaret Halsey
The Chronicles of Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake
If you think that sounds interesting, holy smokes do I have a book for you.
Can you summarize everything? I like lists.
You betcha.
I have a new book releasing on Sept 10th called Hoppelsigh. Here is the Amazon Link - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFQX9ZMK
YOU can be a part of the early reading team! Sign up to be an ARC reader here!
https://forms.gle/4zSGFvuGNXmG4cgFA
I don't actually have a third thing. Here is a picture of a kitten
Take care, gang! Have a happy fall and winter and I'll hopefully be back in a few months with more book news.
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