Category: Book Updates

Wahoo! Here Comes the Book

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His Mercy Endureth Forever

Huzzah! (Can’t say “wahoo” twice.) I’ve just received my author’s copies of Bell Mountain No. 12, His Mercy Endureth Forever. Now I can mail Watchman and Ina their comment contest prizes.

Dig that cover by Kirk DouPonce! Is that cool, or what? That’s Ellayne being attacked by the giant Ice Age hyena–and if you want to know what happens, you’ve got to read the book. The prehistoric hyena was an awesome predator that mostly ate rhinos. The horse is Dulayl, who’s been with us since Book 1.

I haven’t yet gotten the sign to start writing Book No. 14, and meanwhile No. 13, The Wind from Heaven, has to be edited; and we have to dream up a cover for it. Busy, busy, busy! But it’s the kind of busy I like.

Soon (I hope) His Mercy will be available via amazon.com and other outlets; but for the time being, you can order it from The Chalcedon Foundation/Storehouse Books at http://www.chalcedon.edu/store/ . Support award-winning Christian fantasy! Support me. End of commercial.

And now I’ve got to go see what Joe Collidge has gotten up to.

Hot Off the Press! ‘His Mercy Endureth Forever’

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Well, it took long enough to get printed, but it’s finally ready to go–the 12th book of my Bell Mountain series, His Mercy Endureth Forever.

It’s not on amazon or Barnes & Noble yet, but you can order it directly from the publisher at https://chalcedon.edu/store/ . I admit the paperback costs $18. But heck, how much does a movie cost, that turns out to be a real turkey? And as long as we’re all under The Great Quarantine, what better time to catch up on your reading?

Please, don’t be like the guy who said, when I told him one of my books had just been published, “So when’s it gonna be a TV movie?” Cheap, cheap, cheap! And it probably won’t ever be turned into a video game, either. Although that could be kind of cool… Certainly way cooler than a TV movie.

(Stop it, Lee! You’re starting to sound like Byron the Quokka.)

Come on, now–how many books have you seen with an Ice Age hyena on the cover, attacking a girl on horseback? Yeah, that incident is in the book–along with plenty more excitement where that came from. (Now I sound like I’m trying to sell a book.)

And if you really, really like this book… Well, there are a dozen more in the series!

Just Missed!

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Thanks to a an Easter Sunday eruption of enthusiasm, this April set a new record for views of this blog in a month–11,817.

But oooh! Look how close we came to our first-ever month with 12,000 views. Missed it by only 183 views–one more day would’ve done it easily. But you don’t get one more in April.

Meanwhile, I’m still waiting for His Mercy Endureth Forever to be printed: seems to be taking a strangely long time. But then an awful lot of business has slowed down, thanks to the Chinese Communist Wuhan Death Virus From China.

Hint: What better time to catch up on your reading? And you can order my books from right here! Just go to the home page and click “Books.” You can order them either from amazon.com or from the publisher. (Sorry, but there’s no one here but me to do the commercials.)

Waiting for the ‘Hi’ Sign

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Traffic light with green light on, signal open to go ahead Stock ...

I would love to start writing another book, but the weather’s been against me–rain every other day, cold, high winds. Can’t sit outside and write.

But even with good weather, I’m still waiting for whatever the Lord will give me to start a new book. Sometimes it’s a scene: like Gurun in the rowboat in the storm (The Glass Bridge), or King Ryons watching his city catch fire (The Thunder King). Or it might be a title (His Mercy Endureth Forever)–a title is a great start.

A new character? A couple of newbies were introduced in The Wind from Heaven, and now they’ll need a lot of scope to play their parts. Mustn’t overdo it.

The thing is, I just don’t know what He’ll give me to get started. It’s always a surprise. All I know is that I have to wait.

Incidentally, His Mercy Endureth Forever is being printed as we speak, so that should be available very soon. I know, I keep saying that.

This is like waiting for Christmas when you don’t know the date because it’s different every year. No way around it. But I’ll let you know when I finally get the go-ahead.

‘Bell Mountain’: 10th Anniversary

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Has it really been ten years since Bell Mountain was first published? (“I’m afraid it has, kid…”) Winner of a bronze medal in the Global E-Book competition; but of course it’s in hardcover, too. I wish I knew how many people have read it.

What to say? It started with a dream I had, of a boy standing on a grassy riverbank and looking up at the mountains; and one of the mountains was singing to him. Ten sequels in print so far, with another due to be published any day now: I would’ve been surprised, ten years ago, had anyone told me I’d still be writing sequels ten years later.

I wanted to write a fantasy/adventure novel grounded on a Biblical worldview. There aren’t many books like that. It turned out to be the beginning of a history, which is why it had to keep going. I hope to start writing another one as soon as the weather warms up. But I rely on the Lord to give me the story, and I can’t start work until He does.

I decided early on that my fantasy would not include hocus-pocus: spells, flying broomsticks, great and terrible wizards, super-powers (I hate super-powers)–it had to be more imaginative than that. So I would allow nothing that couldn’t be found in the Bible. This still left me with a lot of scope. Good and evil. Miracles. Wars, treasons, heroism, villainy, prophesy, exotic animals, exotic peoples, hair-raising adventures.

If I started listing my favorite characters in the series, I’d be doing it all day. Suffice it to say that the main characters in Bell Mountain are still around, twelve books later (No. 13, The Wind from Heaven, is not yet in production): Jack and Ellayne, the children who must climb the mountain and ring the bell placed there in ancient times by King Ozias; their protector, Wytt, a squirrel-sized, manlike creature; the assassin, Martis; the hermit, Obst; and Helki, the wild man of Lintum Forest.

Now, if you’d like to read these books, they’re very easy to obtain. Just click “Books.” You can order them right here from amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, or directly from the publisher, Storehouse Press.

You can also get it in Portuguese.

 

 

Coming Soon! ‘His Mercy Endureth Forever’

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

HisMercy

It’s official! Chalcedon has announced the any-day-now publication of Book No. 12 of my Bell Mountain series, His Mercy Endureth Forever.

https://chalcedon.edu/resources/articles/reprints-revisions-and-a-new-release

It’s moving in good company–two reprints of theological works by R.J. Rushdoony: Salvation and Godly Rule (1983) and his monumental Institutes of Biblical Law, Vol. 1. I know how long and hard Susan worked, editing and indexing the latter. It’s quite an amazing book, consistently applicable to current events today.

“His Mercy Endureth Forever” is the anthem sung by King Ryons’ formerly Heathen army, now servants of God, sung in a dozen languages at once wherever the army’s on the march.

Can Ellayne and Jack safely escort First Prester Orth all the way back to Obann City, in time for him to call its people to repentance? Can they avoid the barbarian horde invading from the south? To say nothing of oversized hyenas! All this, and so much more–the adventure continues.

Shout-out to “Watchman”–I’ll mail your autographed copy of the book as soon as I receive my author’s copies. You won it in our last comment contest; and someone else (probably) will win it in our current comment contest.

As long as we’re all under quarantine, we might as well read. If you’re looking for three worthwhile books–well, you’ve found them!

I’ll let you all know when they’re released for sale.

‘A Helpful Hint for Writers’ (2013)

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Just the other day Chagadai, the captain of King Ryons’ Ghols, his bodyguard, walked into the Bell Mountain movie I’m going to make someday, when my ship comes in. I recognized him immediately as Burt Kwok, who played Mr. Entwhistle in Last of the Summer Wine.

Image result for images of burt kwouk

A Helpful Hint for Writers

This little game helps me to see and write about my fictional characters as if they were real people. I know, I know–movies and TV? You think that’s real? But I’m writing fantasies, not accident reports.

One of these days I’d like to try writing up a character who’s incompetent, foolish, scared of his own shadow, and worth absolutely nothing in a crisis.

On second thought…

Back to Work!

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HisMercy

Just in case the world doesn’t end anytime soon, I’ve got to get back to work today.

Update: Bell Mountain No. 12, His Mercy Endureth Forever, is about ready to be published–any day, now. (Note to Watchman: I haven’t forgotten! I’ll send you your copy of the book as soon as I get mine.) Editing has begun on No. 13, The Wind from Heaven. And as for No. 14–well, it isn’t written yet, I don’t have a title… but the Lord has provided me with an insight that I think will drive the book, once I start writing it.

Meanwhile, I’ve got to write this week’s Newswithviews column. Note to WhiteRabbit: I’ve decided to follow your suggestion. Patty thought it was a great idea.

And here’s an idea that just hit me–completely unrelated to anything else that’s going on here: True friendship is doing something you don’t like for someone whom you like.

I was going to cover the Democrat debate today, but never mind. I can’t think of anyone who really wants me to.

Boy am I Tired!

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

HisMercy

It’s cold, it’s rainy, it’s windy, dreary, and grey–and I’m so tired, I could just about plotz.

Some of you have been asking me when Bell Mountain No. 12, His Mercy Endureth Forever, will become available. I don’t know, but it’s just about all ready, so it ought to be out there pretty soon. Surely before Easter.

We’re doing one last round of editing, and I’ve just finished my part of that. I’ve got to tell you, and I’m not bragging, that there are scenes in this book that do make me feel I haven’t lived my life in vain. I give God the glory for that, who has guided me all the way through the writing of this book and all the others.

And now I think I’ll go plotz. Direct further inquiries to Byron the Quokka.

Byron: the Next Comment Contest

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G’day! Byron the Quokka here. Cousin Jupe and me once found a whole package of Big Burger Taste just left there for anyone who might want it. There’s a lesson to be learned from that! And if I ever find out what it is, I’ll tell you.

So I’ve been talkin’ to the Big Mango here–oh, all right! he doesn’t like that nickname–I mean, talkin’ to Lee, and finally got him to let me run another comment contest.

Just now we have 54,602 comments, so the goal for this contest will be 56,000. Whoever posts Comment No. 56,000 will win an autographed copy of Bell Mountain No. 12, His Mercy Endureth Forever, when it comes out sometime early this year. I’ve read some of it already–wow!

He still won’t let me offer a bicycle as the prize. Sometimes the poor chap has no vision.