The 2014 Book Auction Continues (Week 2 of 3)

The auction weekends continue, this time I go to the very beginning of my personal shelf and put up my earliest efforts at publishing. After completing a few horror, fantasy and one modern mystery novel, I decided to write for publication.

What resulted is a book called Fate Cycle: Sins of the Past, an ambitious effort in high fantasy. Fate Cycle: Dead of Winter is the prequel novella. Neither of which are particularly good, in my opinion, but people have still sought copies out in used book stores, and asked me for a reprinting from time to time.

I won't be producing more copies of either book, I'm moving on to better ideas in Spinward Fringe and Brightwill instead. There were 100 copies of Sins of the Past made, and only 7 of Dead of Winter. The set I'm offering are signed by me and the cover artist. Click on the auction link for more details: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Fate-Cycle-Dead-of-Winter-and-Sins-of-the-Past-Out-of-Print-Lot-6-/171484261208?pt=US_Fiction_Books&hash=item27ed422b58

The next item up for auction is a manuscript of Brightwill, a fantasy novel by Randolph Lalonde. It will come signed by Randolph Lalonde and one of his editors, Sylvie Lafontaine. The picture is a clever mock-up of what you'll be receiving, since the finished product does not exist yet. The manuscript will come with a special cover page, an interior signed page exactly like the one above, and will ship after October 14, 2014 but at least two weeks before release. Only three of these manuscripts will be made.

This, like every other unique item auction, will come with a one-of-a-kind letter thanking you, and telling you about the item you've won. In the case of this item, I'll talk about where the ideas for Brightwill came from, and about my experience writing it.


Here's the link: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Brightwill-Pre-Release-Signed-Manuscript-Lot-5-/171484096307?pt=US_Fiction_Books&hash=item27ed3fa733


And the last bit up for auction is my copy of the limited edition version of Spinward Fringe Broadcast 6: Fragments. I call it the "Shiny Vacsuit Edition" or "Sci-Fi Booty Edition" because the rear cover features a 3D rendered character (Ayan), from a scene that was cut from the book. I had 14 of these made then discontinued production, opting for a more neutral 3D rendered futuristic city scape as the final back cover. 13 out of the 14 copies were signed and sold, and this is my own copy.

I've signed it for you, and this, like every other auction item, will come with a unique letter of thanks that will also talk about the item you've won.

Here's the link: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Spinward-Fringe-Broadcast-6-Fragments-Shiny-Vacsuit-Cover-/171483922352?pt=US_Fiction_Books&hash=item27ed3cffb0

Thank you so much for spectating and participating, good luck!

From my bookshelf to yours.

Spinward Fringe Broadcasts 5 and 6 Now In Print

When Broadcast 7 becomes available, there will be two paperback editions. One will include Broadcasts 5, 6 and 7 together, the other will be a separate, stand alone book.

In preparation for that, I've finished work on releasing Broadcasts 5 and 6 in their own paperback editions through Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. These aren't signed editions. I'll have signed copies available sometime late next week.

Here are the links to the unsigned versions of Broadcasts 5 and 6 on Amazon.

Amazon.com:
Broadcast 5: http://www.amazon.com/Spinward-Fringe-Broadcast-Fracture-Volume/dp/098659427X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1352415354&sr=8-2&keywords=randolph+lalonde+broadcast+5

Broadcast 6: http://www.amazon.com/Spinward-Fringe-Broadcast-Randolph-Lalonde/dp/0986594237/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352415427&sr=1-2&keywords=randolph+lalonde+broadcast+6

Amazon.co.uk:
Broadcast 5: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spinward-Fringe-Broadcast-Randolph-Lalonde/dp/098659427X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1352415515&sr=8-2

Broadcast 6: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spinward-Fringe-Broadcast-Randolph-Lalonde/dp/0986594237/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352415543&sr=1-5

I'm actually very happy with the way these books look all the way through, which is a relief, since formatting them took the entire weekend. 

The EBook version of Spinward Fringe Broadcast 7: Framework will be released as quickly as possible, but it will still take longer to finish the EBook than it will to make the print versions available.

The Road To Broadcast 7

After an extended detour through the Expendable Few, I'm getting back to doing what I have to do in order to finish writing Spinward Fringe Broadcast 7: Framework.

The Expendable Few was all about telling a story that simply wouldn't fit in Broadcast 7. To be honest, I didn't have to write it at all. There were a pile of notes that would have served as a fine reference while I wrote Broadcast 7. I wasn't happy with that though, so I used the opportunity to show everyone what the repercussions of the First Light crew exposing Freeground to the galaxy were, and to travel to an issyrian world. There were other things I really wanted to do in Expendable Few - Clark Patterson's journey being a big part of that - but I won't discuss them because I like to avoid spoilers when possible.

After completing the Expendable Few I realized I needed to re-read Broadcasts 5 and 6 to get back into the right frame of mind for Broadcast 7. Instead of simply re-reading Broadcast 5, I thought I would take the opportunity to edit it. This book was released too quickly, and there were errors in the eBook conversion process, so it is in serious need of a revisit. I'm editing it the way I edit everything else; line by line, using UK spelling. It's worth noting that a lot of people have commented that there are a lot of spelling mistakes in my books - most of those complainers are mistaking UK spelling for errors. I'm in Canada, and the UK was the first region that fell in love with my books, so Spinward Fringe will always be edited (and spelled), by the Oxford standard, not by Chicago guide rules (the American way). I edit to my best ability within a reasonable time frame with the assistance of two fantastic editors. A couple errors do squeak through, but I draw the line between perfection and extra months added on to release dates and ultra-quick, sloppy publishing. My stuff comes out somewhere in the middle to higher quality range now, and the majority are happy with it.

The fresh edit of Broadcast 5 also takes care of a lot of over-writing, some awkward sentence work, and those pesky formatting bugs. I'm about sixty percent through it and I expect to be finished my pass next week. Is it worth a re-read? Yes. The story isn't changing, but every paragraph in the book is getting a tweak, so if you do re-read books, then it will be worth updating and re-reading Broadcast 5. My editor is already going through the book behind me, and our formatting partners at the 52 Novels  company will be performing the finishing. The update will be available for free to anyone who owns the book already, and will be easiest to obtain by Smashwords customers.

After I've finished my pass on Broadcast 5: Fracture, I only have to read Broadcast 6: Fragments since it just got a refresh late last year. My edit of Broadcast 7: Framework begins next. I have over one hundred ten thousand words written on that project right now, and they haven't been edited yet. After that edit is finished I'll be continuing the draft. My lowball estimate is that the book needs fifty thousand more words, but I suspect I'll be writing another hundred thousand words. That's the size of an average science fiction novel on its own, so it'll take a month or two.

So, if your quest is to find a release date in this bloated status update, there's good news. I can give you a guestimate with a little explanation. Here's how the timeline breaks down:

Finish editing Broadcast 5 - 1 week remaining. (Broadcast 5 updates will be out sometime in the following month).

Read and make extra notes on Broadcast 6 - 1 week.

Edit the existing portion of the Broadcast 7 Draft - 3 weeks. (My editor will start on that right behind me).

Extra writing on Broadcast 7 (can't talk about this yet) - 2 weeks.

Writing the second half of Broadcast 7 - 2 months.

Editing all of Broadcast 7's final draft - 2-3 weeks.

Formatting & testing - 2-3 weeks.

Total time estimated: 5 months, with a possible release date of August 14.
*** It is with only a little regret that I'm announcing that the release date above is not accurate. New material is being written for this project, and it is running long. Broadcast 7 will be released sometime in 2012. It will be out when it's finished, and polished to an appropriate standard. More updates will be available through the podcast: www.crewcastradio.com Complaints that appear in the comments section will be deleted. Suck it up, buttercup. ***

I have left myself a little breathing room, and an extra week to accommodate an upcoming move. I'm looking forward to having this book out in front of people, especially since I've been waiting for so long to tell this part of the story. The five month wait also doesn't mean that I'll be disappearing, or that fiction won't be appearing here and there.

Some extra information about Broadcast 7 and part of the developing press kit:

Spinward Fringe Broadcast 7: Framework is the closing volume to the first section of the best selling Spinward Fringe Space Opera series. Weighing in at over one million words, the Spinward Fringe series has been read in twenty three countries around the world, and is gathering attention by agents and publishers who are interested in translating it into other languages. The Spinward Fringe series follows the tradition of Science Fiction Space Opera Adventure, featuring epic scale stories through the perspectives of characters ranging from charming to villainous.

Spinward Fringe Broadcast 7: Framework takes place fourteen weeks after Spinward Fringe Broadcast 6: Fragments, where Jake, Ayan, and the other characters were stranded and in great peril - again. From their position amidst the wreckage of a galaxy in decline they make every effort to take advantage of every opportunity and fit in with a culture that is trying to rebuild itself. The experiences and instincts of the Spinward Fringe crew members could just as easily pull them apart as draw them together.

Meanwhile, a new seat of power rises. The Order of Eden asserts its position in the galaxy of the conquerer of more civilized worlds than any ruling body in history. All the while, the prophets of the Order declare that a darkness approaches.

Long running plot lines come to a close, there will be losses on all sides, and a new side of the galaxy will be seen in Framework.

---

I'm happy spending more regular time blogging, popping up on Twitter (@randolphlalonde) and into the Facebook Page, so you'll be seeing me!

Now, back to work!

RL

UPDATE:

It's official! Spinward Fringe Broadcast 7: Framework has been released early thanks to the hard work of editors and the EBook formatter working on the project.

Here are the links so far!

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/256369

Amazon (US): amzn.to/SXETIQ
Amazon (UK): amzn.to/TaKorj
Amazon (FR): amzn.to/TaKmzD

There's much more info in the podcast: http://crewcastradio.com/2012/11/18/the-spinward-fringe-podcast-framework-release-special/

Editing Week - I Knew It Was Coming

Sometimes you have to take a step backwards to brace yourself for a leap forwards. Right now I'm at a point where I have to remind myself of all the details in Spinward Fringe Broadcast 6: Fragments.

Instead of simply reading the book, I'm taking the opportunity to perform another pass on it, to correct those niggling errors that have been irritating me since the book came out. Broadcast 6 suffered from growing pains, since it was released at a time when how I did things was changing even faster than I thought at the time. A year later it's easy to look back at how my writing and editing processes have taken a step or three forward. Life has changed a great deal around that time for me as well, which was a strain on Broadcast 6's release as well.

Once this pass is finished I'll have a much clearer idea of how the timeline of The Expendable Few applies to Broadcast 6, and it'll be easier to write the next section of Broadcast 7. This edit isn't so much of a chore either, it's more like visiting an old friend. I spent a year writing this book.

When it's complete it'll be uploaded to Smashwords, the retailers on their distribution network (like Barnes and Noble, the iBookstore), and to Amazon. You'll be able to update your copies for free, but beware Amazon users! There is an excellent chance that any notes or highlights you've made to your version of Broadcast 6 will be lost when the update takes place, so find a way to dump those to a file using your PC or other magic computing box.

Well, time to get to work, see you on the other side!

RL

[One more thing... There will be a preview of Broadcast 7 in the new version.]

[If you want the current version for any EReader, it can be found in its many formats here at Smashwords.]

[EDIT: This polish of Broadcast 6 will take longer than a week, and the reappearance of the book on Amazon.com will be further delayed because I am hiring a professional ebook formatting firm to make it ready for its final appearance there.]

Concentration

Today was spent on writing over 4,800 words and editing over 10,000. What I realized while working was how much I have left to do before I can hand the book over to my editor and the beta readers.

Broadcast 6 tells a broader story than Broadcast 5, and I'd have it no other way. What I'm doing now, during this preliminary editing phase, is writing in sections and cutting away others so every moment lives up to its full potential. Characters have to develop properly, the story has to be plausible and entertaining. The dialog must pop and flow. The book must feel whole. I'm adding entire chapters, and I've removed an entire perspective that was distracting and drew attention away from the important journeys taken by characters in this book.

Yes, that's a lot of work, but I'm really enjoying it and, more importantly, it must be done. This isn't a post about how this book will take longer than expected, however. No, we're finished with that. The final release date has been set, the link to it is at the end of this post.

In this post I'm telling you that I'm dropping off the radar while I concentrate on getting this done.

Some time while I was editing I realized how often I tabbed out to another program. Whether I was checking forum posts, Twitter or Facebook, they were all needless distractions, and my work flow will go much more smoothly without them. I'll get all this done on time, and I"ll be more focused so producing work I'm happy with earlier on will be easier.

So if you're wondering why my Twitter feed is dead, or my Facebook wall is bare over the next week or two, know that I'm doing something more important: putting my finishing touches on Spinward Fringe Broadcast 6: Fragments, getting it off to my editor and beta readers. Immediately following the completion of this book, I'll be getting to work on Broadcast 7.

The only thing I'll be watching other than my word processor, is the counter on the front page of this site.

RL

See you on the other side!

Spinward Fringe Broadcast 6: Fragments - Best Update So Far!

Three drafts now, and I finally have something I feel good about. Now it's time to go back to the beginning, write a couple of chapters in and rewrite a few things that need heavy tuning. While this sounds like a lot of work, it's really only a week's worth.

This is a middle book, sitting between the first and last part of a trilogy. After working on this for about 10 months, I can say, middle books are bloody hard. They have to be interesting in their own right, but connect nicely with the first and third. I think I like the way Tolkien did it a lot more, write one long volume and cut it into three pieces. In the future I think that's what I'll end up doing if I ever do another trilogy again.

Anyway, back to the good news. The story is laid out, characters have challenges that they overcome or don't, a villain makes an appearance, and the whole crew goes through various trauma. Now that sounds like a Spinward Fringe book to me, and I know I'm going to really enjoy this last bit of writing.

When that writing is all finished, I'll be editing the book myself twice - once on screen, then on paper - making my changes and then handing it over to my editor. She'll work her magic and tell me if I actually have a good book, and where there might be problems. The necessary tuning will take place and normally I'd send it off to the distributors. Not this time, however.

No, this time I have a secret weapon! Three fantastic, qualified proof readers have accepted my request to work on this book after the normal steps have been taken. They live in three different countries, don't know each other, and have no idea who the other person is. It's a blind beta read so I can get three different opinions from three very different people. Their primary job will be to help with the polish of the book, but since they're all long time readers, their opinions about the story and character movement will have a great deal of weight too. No one will know who these Beta Readers are until they appear in the acknowledgments at the front of Broadcast 6. Even then, they may decide to use code names, prolonging the mystery.

Once they've finished and I've used their notes to improve the grammar and remove typos it'll go to the distributors. This one will appear on Smashwords first and it'll be the first Smashwords Spinward Fringe release with a full table of contents.

How long will all this take, you ask? Well, if I haven't written a great big turd, it shouldn't take longer than 4 weeks. I like what I have here though, even though the style is quite different from what you may expect, so I don't foresee a pile of problems.

I expect this book to weigh in at about 100,000 words, and it'll be priced at about a third of a new release eBook.

RL

[Thoughts? Rants? Manifestos? Go ahead and post them below!]

The Votes Keep Coming In...

It's pretty nice to hear that the majority of your readers prefer your main character. So far Jake (Jacob Valance), is the clear leader with over 40% of the votes. Lucious Wheeler, the most mentioned villain in the series, judging from what I read in emails, is the least favorite character.

Alice is in second with 21% of the votes, which is slightly surprising.

A few people have been asking why Ayan, Frost and Stephanie aren't listed in the favorite character poll. The answer is simple, really. Stephanie was a central character in Spinward Fringe Broadcast 3: Triton, and Ayan is at the center of the whole Rogue Element Trilogy (Broadcasts 5, 6 and 7). As for Frost, well, I thought about including him in the list, but I honestly don't think the world is ready for a book about Shamus Frost. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

So, what's going on with Spinward Fringe Broadcast 6: Fragments? I'm drafting towards the end quickly, my editor can't wait to dig in, and I'm hoping to be at the end of this draft by the middle of next week. Editing and proofing will most likely take a month or longer, depending on notes from my editor.

I think it's turning out well, and things are looking good for Broadcast 7, even though whole chunks of that book have found their way into Broadcast 6. I'm really enjoying this final draft, and I can't wait to make it available. We're all working at a good pace to make that happen in June.

Until then, I hope the votes keep coming in, and there's another poll ready for when this one ends.

RL

[EDIT: My deadline for my first edit of this book has been pushed up to May 28. That means I have to have it in my editor's hands on that day. More info on that in a post this weekend.]

New Survey: Who is your favorite Spinward Fringe character?

As I close in on writing the last few chapters of the last draft of Spinward Fringe Broadcast 6: Fragments, more and more readers are starting the series and catching up. People who enjoy the First Light Chronicles Omnibus tend to finish the rest of the books in about a week.

I can read the average novel in an afternoon or two, and I realize the Broadcasts are relatively short, but I'm still surprised every time someone emails or leaves a comment telling me that they finished everything in a few days. Recently I got a laugh when someone told me they spent a weekend in "an eBook coma" while reading the First Light Chronicles Omnibus. A few readers have read all the books several times over, in fact.

I think this is the right time to ask a question that I hope people are interested in answering. Who is your favorite Spinward Fringe character?

I'll be writing a Spinward Fringe book centering around that character after I've finished with my concrete plans. By now everyone knows I'm going to be wrapping up most of the ongoing plot lines in the Rogue Element Trilogy (Broadcasts 5, 6 and 7), so this gives me a unique opportunity to give the readers a chance to choose.

So, it's time for you to decide which character I'll be putting at the center of one of the future books. I'm looking for a clear leader, so conspiracies and collusion are strictly encouraged.

Thank you for your emails, comments, votes and for reading. Real progress is being made towards finishing Broadcasts 6 and 7.

RL

Now go click your favourite!

Spinward Fringe Broadcast 6: Fragments - What's Taking So Long?

That's what people are asking, and considering how long it's been since Broadcast 5 was released, it's the right question. Not many authors give people the the nitty gritty details on how a book is written, and in the next couple paragraphs you'll probably learn why.

Fragments has been the most challenging work I've ever engaged in. Before November, 2009 I scrapped the first half of the book, then I tried to start over during National Novel Writing Month. I did fairly well, completing more than half of the book again, but after much reworking and editing, I've scrapped that as well, keeping two concepts that are the core of what I'm doing now.

Why scrap the drafts? The first draft delivered something I feel has been seen in film, in this series already, and some of it felt like filler even though it wasn't. There wasn't a story worth telling there, it didn't have the punch and drive that I try to maintain in my work and it didn't even come close to surpassing the previous book.

The second draft has been scrapped for a broad variety of reasons, but something good happened while I was working on it, something important to the story and I'm carrying a few very important ideas forward. If I didn't do the work this book wouldn't be as well developed as it is now.

The mad thing about this is that the process I'm outlining here is something that happens all the time. Most books go through multiple drafts. Ideas get tossed aside while small details get brought to the foreground. What makes Fracture even more challenging is that it's the middle act of a trilogy and part of a major turning point in the entire series. Setting the stage for Broadcast 7 is important, but Fracture also has to have its own story, it has to be a worthwhile read on its own, and the version I'm working on now provides that, finally.

While hearing that I've scrapped two versions of this book is discouraging, I'm sure, there is a silver lining. The third version of this book, the one I'm working on now, is worth reading. It's the tense middle act of a three act play that presents drama on multiple levels, an interesting point of view, growth for more than one character, the products of over a year of geographical, government and warfare research. It's in there, and I finally feel like all these things fit together.

I'm writing the last 12 or so chapters and editing with hopes that I blow my editor's mind, then get it to all of you sometime before June. I'm not going to say for sure when this book will arrive simply because I've learned what happens when you rush a book out with the previous Broadcasts in the series. I'd rather take extra time and do it right the first time instead of being left with something I have to revise later because it needs polishing.

Thank you very much for hanging in there, if you liked what's come before, you're going to love this.

RL

The Rumors Of My Disappearance Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

Well, maybe not, actually. My twitter stream has been reduced to a trickle, my facebook page sees more traffic from visitors than it does from yours truly, and my blog has been pretty slow as well, I know. There's a good reason for that.

I'm writing a middle novel. That's a book that takes place between two others in a set trilogy, and I've never knowingly done that before. I knew that the middle act in a play is perhaps the most important. It's where characters are more well developed, struggles gain more importance, plots begin to thicken and we start to get the feeling that not everyone is going to make it to the end of the play, or the act alive. More than anything, the middle book is supposed to get everyone primed for the end.

As it is my outtakes folder measures 37,043 words, and to most of that discarded work I can say; "good riddance." No one will see that material for several reasons. It slowed the story down too much, there wasn't enough character development, and it read much like a few scenes that you can already find in the First Light Chronicles: Starfree Port (book three in the Omnibus), and I hate repeating myself. Writing all that wasn't a waste of time, however. It pointed the main storyline of the book in the right direction and led to the right starting place for Broadcast 6: Fragments. The unfortunate thing is that the right beginning happened at the end of those 37,043 words.

So, I did what many online and offline friends have seen me do before. I cut deep, got over it (which took a couple weeks and the writing of most of a fantasy novel), and changed my thinking. I've also withdrawn from anything that involves the discussion of writing. I find that when I talk about writing I actually write much less, so I've been missing from my writing group, the Kindleboards, Mobileread and Twitter. When I sat back down at the keys it felt like I was writing a Spinward Fringe novel again, with a clearer head and the ambition to finish.

In February I had a decision to make. I could either rush the book to completion and get it out by the end of the quarter, increasing what I'd be living on during the second quarter, or keep working carefully so I could write a better book and release later. The second option meant I would have to have some faith that I could sell enough books so I could afford to keep writing full time from the natural growth of my readership alone. Everyone knows which option I took. I didn't rush Broadcast 6: Fragments, the release deadline passed and sadly, the book was no where to be seen.

It's almost the end of March, and thanks to a growing reader base I can just barely afford to keep writing full time for the next three months. I couldn't be happier. I make a living on my writing, but I don't do it to get rich. I do it so I can entertain people, and the better my work is, the more people I get to entertain, the longer I get to keep doing it full time. It's a cycle.

I am sorry the book isn't out already, and that the last one in the Rogue Element Trilogy isn't finished, but Spinward Fringe Broadcast 6: Fragments is easily four times the quality it would have been if I didn't cut the dead weight and write something completely different for a while to clear my head. So far it's looking like it won't be an extremely long book, rather a more interesting middle part including the ending of more than one shorter plot line and much more character development. It's a better book and I'm going to be much happier to present it to everyone when it's finished.

So, don't panic of things seem quiet on my end. The less you see me cavorting online the more I'm working on Spinward Fringe Broadcast 6: Fragments.

RL

Thank you for sticking around, your patience will be rewarded.

Spinward Fringe Fragments Release Delayed

The big announcement today is that, purely for creative reasons, Spinward Fringe Fragments (Broadcast 6), will be late. In its current inception I don't believe I'm giving you enough story in one book to call it finished, so I'm moving ahead and including the majority of what I had planned for Spinward Fringe Broadcast 7.

I know you're waiting, this isn't the news most of you want to hear, but I have to take the release date off the table. The good news is that, even with the expansion of the novel, I'm still more than half finished. To be honest, I'm disappointed as well, I really wanted Spinward Fringe Fragments out before March, but I just don't like the idea of releasing what I have, since it reads short regardless of its actual physical length. Right now it's longer than Spinward Fringe Fracture, but there are too many incomplete journeys, and three cliff hangers that make the ending seem just lazy, even though it is the middle of a trilogy.

The good news is that the book is getting better, and it had a strong foundation to start with so I'm pretty pleased with it so far. With a few extra loose ends tied up and a greater distance for characters to travel, I believe this will be more than just the middle chapter in a trilogy, it'll be one of the books I compare future work to when it's time to ask myself; "is my work getting better?"

Again, I apologize for the extended wait, but at this point I'd rather do something properly and be late with it than struggle and get an unsatisfactory bit of fiction into people's hands.

RL

Note to self: Work on estimating completion dates more accurately...