Old Houses, New Stories

Hello, and thanks for visiting. I'm afraid time has gotten away from me again, so I have a fair amount of catching up to do. 

First, I'd like to say thanks to the good people at Readers' Favorite for all the wonderful reviews of The Cautioner's Tale, the first book in my Mary Morgan's Journal series. It received five 5-star reviews and was awarded this swanky silver seal. 

Here are a few quick quotes, but for the full reviews, please visit the Reviews page on my website:

"...an excellent tale of sabotage, deceipt, and adventure." - Patricia, Readers' Favorite reviewer

"...thought-provoking, frighteningly realistic..." - Rosie, Readers' Favorite reviewer

"...grim and gorgeous, with just a hint of hope..." - Jack, Readers' Favorite reviewer

"...an exceptional graphic novel - The Cautioner's Tale's artwork is simply stunning..." - Charles, Readers' Favorite reviewer

"...amazingly designed...the plot is engaging and thrilling..." - Kristen, Readers' Favorites reviewer

The Cautioner's Tale is available at Amazon.com

Next, I'd like to address a question I've been asked about the photos in my books - mostly by other authors who'd like to do something similar. Generally, I use public domain images that I edit in Photoshop. (Pixabay is a good source as well as Unsplash.) But, occasionally, I also use my own photos.

 In my life outside writing and drawing for my current project - Mary Morgan's Journal - I spend my time renovating houses, and my penchant for the old beauties tends to dominate my waking hours. Old houses are like traps for the curious-minded, so much so that they tend to take on lives of their own sometimes. It's hard not to wonder what could've gone on inside these walls for the past one hundred years or more, or what the view had been like while looking out through the old wood-framed windows. Dirt roads? Horse-drawn wagons? Sure, there were cars when my current project house was built in 1905, but they weren't all that common. (Link: cars introduced in 1905) These ideas are fascinating to me, along with the stories told by what's left behind in the abandoned old homes I find at auctions.
I also try to imagine how I would feel if these conditions were now the norm. What if we found ourselves in that dreaded post-apocalyptic era that so many writers (including myself) have tried to warn us of? These abanoned houses I'm drawn to are often a backdrop to the stories I convey, and I try to use them accordingly. After a quick zip through Photoshop, my scene is set.


Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the stories that accompany these images. As most people know, the outside world heavily influences my writing, and beings that there's been so much happening, I've changed my course on The Hero's Tale (the third book in the Mary Morgan's Journal series) more than once. The overall story is the same, but I've found current world events too interesting (and sometimes bewildering) to ignore for the sake of making a publication date. As a result, The Hero's Tale is a tad bit behind, but gaining ground fast. Thanks in advance for your patience. I promise it will be worth the wait.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An Extreme and Absolute Time-Sucker

Image
Hello, and thanks for joining me. I hope you've come to help because I'm in the absolute thick of it!  I've recently been working on the final edits for The Cautioner's Tale , the first book in my Mary Morgan's Journal trilogy. I was fortunate enough to have several wonderfully helpful beta readers give it a test read a few months ago, and I've since incorporated their suggestions along with the notes I made on both the story and the drawings. I think I've mentioned in a previous post that this is the first book I've created that's fully illustrated, sort of graphic-novelly, but...not. I don't use the "panels" you see in graphic novels and comic books. Instead, I use various methods and media to help get my ideas across. Weird, I know, but it's fun and interesting. But it's also an extreme and absolute time-sucker! That's where you come in... Below, I've posted the first four pages of The Cautioner'...
Read more

Calling All Cover Lovers!

Image
Hello, and thanks for visiting. Today, I'm asking for a little more help on The Cautioner's Tale . With launch day just over a month away and advance review copies being downloaded as we speak ( http://eepurl.com/c4dJ8H ), I'm very close to wrapping up work here. But, there's one last thing...well, two, actually...that I would appreciate some opinions on. Both have to do with my back cover: 1. What do you think of the blurb? 2. What's your opinion of the artwork? I'm open to any and all suggestions on both, and greatly appreciate your help.   Also, I've been floating the front cover around for several weeks now, but if you haven't had an opportunity for a closer look (as well as to voice your opinions & suggestions), then this is it: Please don't forget there's still time to receive your Advance Review Copy of The Cautioner's Tale . If you'd like to sign up for a free download, here's the link again:  http://eepurl....
Read more

The Cautioner's Tale - 5th (final) installment

Image
  This is the fifth and final installment of The Cautioner's Tale, Mary Morgan's Journal Book 1.  The ebook and paperback editions are available on Amazon.com, as is the Mary Morgan's Journal Boxed Set . More information can be found on my website:  https://www.iamrmwilburn.com . (For the first four installments, please visit my previous posts.) Note: The Cautioner's Tale was written in 2017. Originally, I had no intention of continuing the idea into a series, but in the end found that I had more to say. The process of paralleling my story line with events that took place in the real world has been a great stress-reducer, but also a fearful awakening.  Next, I'll begin serializing The Rescuer's Tale, Mary Morgan's Journal Book 2. Please stay tuned.
Read more