Book Launch made news

At the Book Launch of The Unhewn Stone print book, the Lake Times newspaper sent their photographer to take a photo, and the editor wrote  this nice article which appeared on Wednesday, 27th August 2014. For the actual article click here.

The Unhewn Stone is now available in print from the Amazon stores in all countries, MuseItUp Publishing,     Barnes &Noble , the Book Depository UK, Fishpond au, Angus & Robertson au. and  Holistic Page in Newcastle, NSW.

Also available to order from bookstores in Sweden, Finland, South Africa and Russia  (in English language).The Russian site has The Unhewn Stone priced at  $577aud so you mightn't want to buy it from there. :)

 Published by MuseitUp Publishing. Also available as an ebook.

Anticipating the arrival of The Unhewn Stone

My first copy of the paperback version of The Unhewn Stone has been shipped by Amazon and is expected to arrive on 16th July. Ironically this is the birthday of Peter, my late baby brother. So, if the book does arrive then, the date will have huge significance for me.

 

 

Cover Designer: Tiger Matthews

 

I'm also waiting for the pack of books from my publisher so I'll have them for sale and display at my exhibition/book launch in August.

 

This is a three-day, one-man showing, in the gallery organized by the City Council. So much planning and expense is required. I had no idea what I'd let myself in for when I registered, but I'm getting excited now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm trying to create a medieval world with a combination of music, some bought and some written by my son; a continuous widget of Swiss landscapes and medieval photos on one wall; wall posters,  a table display of items used in the book;  a medieval costume to be  worn  by my granddaughter on one of the days; an outside sandwich board. Door prizes, and the books to be signed, of course.

 

If I can organize to have a friend bake the Swiss cookies from the book, then they will be there as well.

 

No doubt more ideas will come to mind. I need plenty of items to create the genuine medieval atmosphere and interest, in this new take on the Wilhelm Tell legend, set in the Switzerland of 1307AD, seen through the eyes of a modern day time traveller.

 

Writing the Media Kit and Press Release for the book is underway but...that isn't easy. e.g. 'add a quote that is not a testimonial.' Just a small point among the many more difficult ones, for me.

Exciting but nerve-wracking. Oh well, at last this Aussie author is at work.

 

Amazon

FINALIST IN 2013 IDA CONTEST

 

The Unhewn Stone
placed 3rd in the Young Adult category of the International Digital Awards Contest for 2013.

 Available from    Amazon,     Barnes & Noble,    MuseItUp

This novel for older teens  reinvents the legend of Wilhelm Tell through the eyes of a Swiss time traveller who belongs to the tyrant Governor Gessler's family.

On a mission to prevent the legend from happening and restore his family honour, Stefan Gessler enters the 14th century as a stubborn, proud, arrogant, pacifist unaware of the dangers he will face and the difficult lessons he will learn.

Tour modern and medieval Switzerland. Experience life in the Middle Ages, first hand. Encounter fascinating characters while you live by your wits and maybe, like Stefan, reinvent yourself. Does Stefan make the right choices?  You be the judge

Excerpt from a review of The Unhewn Stone by Great Historicals:

This novel is suspenseful, yet humorous at times. It is a coming of age story. From its likeable protagonist to its detestable antagonist, and the plentiful adventures and suspense in between, this is a wonderful novel to savor. Luscious prose that is simple and uncomplicated, allows the reader to slip easily into the story. Can the hero alter the past to improve the future for others? That is one of the main premises in this fascinating tale.

Climbing the Amazon Graph

It's still on sale for only $1.99 Amazon Kindle The Unhewn Stone

Thanks to whoever bought The Unhewn Stone in the last couple of days the Amazon graph looks healthier. No longer down near the million mark it's climbed to just under 129,000.

That's a massive jump for one or 2 sales.

I wonder what would happen if just one more person bought it.

It would be so good to get below the 100,000 while there's still a chance.

The window of opportunity is so short as we all know.

Cover Designer: Tiger Matthews

 

 

Fighting legends in the Middle Ages is a dangerous game, even for the modern young magician known as the Chosen One.

By means of a magic orb, an opportunity presents for Stefan to travel back to 1307, the era of the Wilhelm Tell legend. His grandfather urges him to go. He wants Stefan to restore family honour by preventing the events of the legend from happening. You see, in the very town where Wilhelm Tell is revered above all others, Stefan is an outsider. He is a Gessler, descended from the tyrant governor who forced Tell to shoot and arrow through the apple on his son’s head. Stefan’s family still bear the stigma after 700 years.

Stefan’s mission is to stop Tell from killing Governor Gessler and thus prevent Tell from becoming the Swiss National Hero of Liberty. After all, Tell is a killer, so is there really any difference between freedom fighters and terrorists? Stefan’s grandfather suggests that while Stefan is in medieval Switzerland he should try to discover the alchemist’s secret of changing metal into gold. If Stefan can do this, his grandfather promises, he’ll lose his complex and get his heart’s desire. For Stefan that means the love of the cool beauty Ursula. Pursued by a shape shifting sibyl and an evil knight, and mistrusted by his distant family, Stefan is trapped inside the legend with no hope of escape.

The Unhewn Stone is reduced for today

If you'd like to lose yourself inside a medieval legend for a few hours, The Unhewn Stone can take you there. This ebook is on a Super Duper Sale  today at MuseItUp publishing on Amazon Kindle and also at Smashwords   ONLY $1.99 - use coupon code KZ84U at Smashwords' checkout.

When Stefan Gessler goes back to 1307 AD to prevent the Wilhelm Tell legend from happening and restore honour to his family name, he expects to be awed as the hero from the 21st century. He's in for the shock of his life. Not only does Wilhelm Tell trap him in the 14th century but a shape shifting sibyl and an evil knight are determined to keep him there, dead or alive.

Stefan is accepted by most of his distant family, especially the young nobleman Rolf, his cousin, but he belongs to the wrong side of the feud against Tell. His ancestor is the the tyrant governor Gessler who won't listen to Stefan's wise advice, not even to save his own life. 

This is a hero's journey, a coming of age novel with a difference. Stefan hides behind masks while trying to find his true identity in the fascinating and often frightening world of the new Switzerland, in the Middle Ages.

Alchemist or modern man, hero or fool,  and does he really need to pursue the elusive Ursula even on the other side of time? That's for Stefan and the reader to decide.

Christmas In July Fun HUNT. Win ebooks from MIU

Christmas in July Contest at MuseItUp. Fun and Easy. Read all about it! Muse Bookstore on 9th-23rd.
 Ebooks to win in fun hunt, including the medieval adventure The Unhewn Stone and 14 others in a wonderful variety of genres.

 You can be a Winner! Just find the 15 Christmas trees located somewhere in the links found beneath the book covers listed at Muse Bookstore.

But wait...there's more...

From the Publisher --
We want to thank everyone who continue to support our authors by adding a little something to say THANK YOU.
Everyone who participates will walk away with a prize.
Located in our Muse bookstore (only on July 9 so don't start searching now) are 10 christmas trees. Find one of them and you win that ebook.
Only one free THANK YOU ebook per person. So if you want to locate all ten and pick and choose which ebook to win, go right ahead.
Send me the title of your free ebook to: publisher AT museituppublishing DOT com and I'll send you your prize at the end of the month.

NOT TO BE MISSED FUN HUNT.

The Unhewn Stone cover is up for the October award.

I'm excited that The Unhewn Stone is nominated for the October Cover awards at Alternative-Read at
                          http://tjbook-list.blogspot.com


The cover shows a rather cheeky magician with 2 masks. Tiger Matthews from MuseItUp Publishing is the cover artist. It is # 5. Voting has another 17 days to go. I'd love to win if you could spare a vote. Thank you.

The Unhewn Stone.

Here is the video of the book trailer, which my son created.  He wrote the haunting soundtrack, too. Thank you Mark and Ryan for performing the music.

Writing the Novel

I wasn't sure if there had ever been a monastery at the site of my fictional town which is a real town in real life so I had to be cautious and when I had the chance I checked the details.

My fictional St. Gabriel's monastery was built about 1000 AD, made of wood. That way when it fell into ruin sometime after 1307 AD there would be no trace of it in the modern world as there would be from a stone one. Plus timber (a wattle and daub structure) would more easily burn if I needed it to.
I imagined in the Eastern Arcade salt and grain would be stored at the near end of the promenade.
The time in Switzerland proved to be necessary. I discovered that a monastery does dominate the town of Altdorf. It has been there since the 1580's. In the book I had Stefan wonder if there'd ever been one, so I had to make a quick adjustment during the final edit, to counteract that major error. While in Switzerland, I found it fascinating to discover here is little difference from the Uri Bull emblem seen in Altdorf today and the one common in 1315 AD.