There are those folks who suggested that I should have attended the BookExpo America (BEA) convention in Los Angeles rather than spending three days at Wizard World Philly. I’m sure they meant well. From my perspective, however, it was too early to take the initial novel in my series - The Soulstealer War - to BEA, especially considering the travel hurdle and that I would have embarked upon such a journey without a single sample of the novel’s pending traditional print run (5,000 copies). As I write this entry, final printing is anticipated next week. Rest easy, there are no substantive changes… instead, a few typos have been erased from existence and there are featured book review quotes.

 

Yet, casting aside the practical mantle, Wizard World Philly was a blast! Even in this dismal economy, the fans arrived in throngs (many in full regalia with fan favorites Star Wars, Iron Man and assorted Cyberpunk meets Doom combos) toting funds no doubt stashed in some secret account awaiting this opportunity to be traded for a comic of rare antiquity, a prized rendering from an industry legend or other treasured collectible.

 

Sure, I did have my doubts when I learned that the Guitar Hero III stage was twenty-five feet from my booth and that my neighbors were a line-up of autograph wielding professional wrestlers – classic and current superstars. As it turns out, while making conversation tough for a few hours, Guitar Hero III was truly a crowd pleaser. The wrestlers included the likes of The Iron Sheik, Eugene, Virgil, Nikolai Volkoff and the big gun – Lou Ferrigno a/k/a The Incredible Hulk. Although the wrestlers stayed to themselves, and their fan base had less interest in my creation, it made for entertaining if not chaotic spectacle over the three-day extravaganza. I also commend Nikolai Volkoff, who epitomizes the stereotypical Russian bear, for his philosophical debate on Nietzsche, intriguing discussion on “governments gone bad,” and dedicated observations on the miracles of Ayurvedic Medicine. I am honored to have met him.

 

In fact, I am proud and grateful to have met with each and every one of you good people who lingered by my display to peruse the novel’s back cover synopsis, ogle the five-foot map of The Eastern Rim of Weir and take a chance on this relatively unknown but aspiring fantasy/sci-fi author. These conventions are a ton of work for me, but remain one of the best ways to dynamically interact with my audience, meet other people who dream of worlds beyond our shores and share my vision of a more evolved human condition.

 

Until next time…

 

W.L. Hoffman – breathe slowly, observe humbly, dream deeply and evolve.

 

WLHoffman@SoulstealerWar.com

http://www.SoulstealerWar.com

http://SoulstealerWar.WordPress.com

 

P.S.  The randomly drawn winner of the crystal globe giveaway is Karen Graham (please send me your mailing address). Congratulations!

Coming from a small publisher (effectively self-published), I am constantly battling and occasionally appeasing the gods of “Bookdom” in order to spread the word to mainstream media and to encourage readers to delve into my newly released fantasy/sci-fi novel - The First Mother’s Fire, Book One of The Soulstealer War series.

Today’s Blog entry is my twenty minute interview with Dr. Joseph Riggio host of the Intentional Performance show on WebTalkRadio.net. The Link below will take you to my interview, and on my computer, I had to click “yes” to enable an active X control to run so that the interview could play. I recommend the discussion for anyone who wants insight on how to achieve your dreams and on what trials and tribulations we authors endure… albeit willingly.

http://www.webtalkradio.net/content/view/496/33/

Enjoy with my blessing.

W.L. Hoffman
WLHoffman@SoulstealerWar.com
http://www.SoulstealerWar.com

Okay, I’ve come up for air. No, I have not yet responded to all my e-mail traffic from the New York Comic-Con weekend. I promise you that I will, but this post takes priority.

 

My first major convention was loads of fun, serious work and an amazing learning experience.  I took hours to set up my booth. It was to be the public stage for greeting fantasy/sci-fi fans of all ages and introducing The Soulstealer War in the non-virtual world. As good as a website can be, it takes a back seat to the face-to-face with folks and I wanted to put my best foot forward. There were tables, chairs, coverings, stickers, wooden chests, leather boxes, parchment signs, silk scrolls, books, lamps, candles, seven feet of armor and other accents to handle – all designed to create the right atmosphere.

 

There were impressive technical displays by the major industry players, and less spectacular, but equally satisfying, sights to be found in the convention’s nether recesses. I imagine it was impossible for the fans in one weekend to find their way to every nook and alternate realm. However, I met my share. I was tucked in the Small Press community, an abode of independent risk-taking artists and publishers who seemed to be phantoms - Aisle 2200 bore neither a ceiling sign nor a “Small Press” banner - perhaps some industry handicaps will always remain. Then again, it could be that lady Fate retains her sense of humor. Heck, even the “Podcast” area had a banner sign.

 

Despite these hurdles and the seemingly endless garden of visual delights, a lot of you found your way to my table. It was simultaneously humbling, thrilling and harrowing - adding lots of java to the three day mix only hyped the surreal factor. Whether I was just

 

-       talking fantasy & sci-fi;

-         offering my tidbits on the novel and characters;

-         tracing the story-line on the five-foot map of the Eastern Rim of Weir;

-         meeting industry professionals;

-         chatting with the librarians;

-         encouraging fellow writers to complete their manuscripts;

-         scrutinizing sample materials from the supporting cast of marketing people;

-         discovering fantasy & sci-fi reviewers and bloggers;

-         waving to Stan Lee as he passed my table with a retinue at his heels

-         casting an approving glance at the costumed attendees; and

-         making a note that I need to find out where the Star Wars Stormtrooper armor and weaponry can be acquired…

 

 … it was my great pleasure and sincere honor to be counted among those present.

 

THANK YOU ALL.

 

W.L. Hoffman

 

P.S. – Congratulations to Dawn Toledo, winner of my crystal globe drawing.

 

P.P.S. - This message was copied to my e-mail database so that the update can reach those of you who are not yet tracking my Blog sites: http://SoulstealerWar.Blogspot.com and http://SoulstealerWar.WordPress.com. As always, if you want to be permanently removed from this database, please just send a reply message making that request. I will be disappointed, but will certainly respect your wishes.

 

Coming from a small publisher (effectively self-published), I am constantly battling and occasionally appeasing the gods of “Bookdom” in order to spread the word to media folks and encourage new readers to go on-line to purchase my fantasy/sci-fi Novel - The First Mother’s Fire, Book One of The Soulstealer War series. I am taking a quick break from my prior Blog entries, wherein I post professional (and reader) reviews that remain a finer testament than my urgings, to reflect upon my first Book Signing experience.

Last night, I had my first book signing sponsored by Barnes & Noble in Princeton. I was accompanied by a few of my fellow authors… each of us taking ten minutes to either chat or read to the audience. My aging parents sat smiling in the front row, beaming with pride, while my wife tended to our equally thrilled daughters. This was a landmark for all of us, and I rejoiced that my parents were alive and of sound mind (despite dad’s stroke a few years back) to share the night.I had spent the week posting flyers around our town for the event, as well as angling for local press coverage. Indeed, a small feature article by the local paper suggested that my novel and the signing event was the place to be for Thursday night. Of course, on the down side, I was competing with the NCAA Tournament and Spring Break vacations. There were at least a dozen folks who had said they were coming, but for whatever reason or just fate, never appeared. But as I am fond of pointing out, for every step back, there are more positives to compensate. In this instance, other supporters rallied.

Overall, after the author presentations, I had about an hour and a half to sell (B&N handled this aspect) and sign books. I was honored to discuss, hug and sign away with the various people purchasing my debut novel. While the store record for sales at a signing was not broken, I made a darn good run with the highest sales total of the evening. More importantly, the community manager of Barnes & Noble became a fan and supporter. No, I am not on the shelves yet… it is still a virtual reality of sales via Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com, but I’m closer to this goal. I now have a track record of strong professional reviews, five-star fan reviews, tens of thousands of unique visitors to my website, the endorsement of a Barnes & Noble manager, and I’m hoping a decent record of sales for the two and a half months that the novel has been available to purchase (I’ll have the quarter end numbers soon).  Word-of-mouth continues to spread on the Internet grapevine, and I will resubmit my novel to Barnes & Noble for shelf consideration.

The above might sound like too much focus on economics, but it seems to me that transcending foundations and shaking the very rafters of existence (as ascribed to me by Front Street Reviews - see my last post) only matters if I am able to reach my audience, to effect change in the way people view the human condition and our existence in this universe. Unfortunately, business still controls access, and I will not pay heed to the naysayers. Persistence and perseverance are two of the greatest qualities we possess. The book signing was part of a dream come true, and my feet have yet to touch the ground. The journey continues…

W.L. Hoffman

WLHoffman@SoulstealerWar.com

http://www.SoulstealerWar.com

Coming from a small publisher, I am constantly battling and occasionally appeasing the gods of “Bookdom” in order to spread the word to media folks and encourage new readers to go on-line to purchase my fantasy/sci-fi Novel - The First Mother’s Fire, Book One of The Soulstealer War series. Hopefully, shelf-space in the mainstream bricks & sticks bookstores will follow in the next few months. In the interim, I am posting professional (and reader) reviews that remain a finer testament than my urgings - they have been total RAVES!


Thank you,

W.L. Hoffman - breathe slowly, observe humbly, dream deeply and evolve.
WLHoffman@SoulstealerWar.com
http://www.SoulstealerWar.com

Here’s a professional review by Front Street Reviews (http://www.frontstreetreviews.com)


ISBN-13 (Paperback): 978-1598-585-391

ISBN-10 (Paperback): 1598-585-398

The First Mother’s Fire
Book I in The Soulstealer War
W.L. Hoffman

Reviewed by Araminta Matthews

We literary folk like to think that Genre fiction is sub-par to literature, often forgetting that some of the best literature has been genre fiction.  Literature is meant to break open the inner eye, allow us to reach a deeper truth within ourselves about life, the universe, and everything, so to speak.  And yet, for some reason, we have convinced ourselves this cannot happen through fantasy — that somehow, fantasy, the stuff of dreams, is an invalid platform for discussing humanity. Let us not forget that it was Mary Shelley who, with the fantastical creation of Frankenstein’s Monster, brought us the philosophical and very mortal quandary:  are men like gods?  Can we create as god creates, and if we do, what will we have left?  Or Robert Louis Stevenson who, with a sci-fi potion, brought us the case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde along with the harrowing mirror of our own very real and very human inner demons.  Or, shall we pull out the big guns, and tip our hats to William Shakespeare who brought us A Midsummer Night’s Dream which ponders the very nature of life — what if all of this, life with all of its downward slopes and upward spirals, is a dream and we “hath but slumbered here while these visions did appear”?  What if we really don’t have to take life so seriously?
 
Indeed, it is the mark of good genre fiction that it is able to transcend it’s foundations and shake the very rafters of existence.  Douglas Adams did it with his Hitchhiker’s Guide series, Tolkein did it with his Middle Earth, and now W. L. Hoffman has done it with the beginning of The Soulstealer War series.  Following the path of Kenneth McNary, perhaps a bit autobiographical of the rigid lawyer turned tale-spinning writer, this young student faces unemployment and myriad life quandaries around the nature of life.  Like any true adventurer-at-heart, McNary seeks his answers in nature by attacking the Appalachian Trail.  While traversing the Trail, he is magically transported to an alternate world, a world where humans are the minority.
 
Humans, being the only species on planet Earth to achieve supposed success — we build buildings, we create machines — and civilization, have long felt themselves powerful and superior to the world at large.  Why shouldn’t we?  Since we transcended the food chain, we haven’t had much competition.  But The Soulstealer War draws into question the nature of humanity’s alleged superiority by introducing new humanoid creatures who have a Tolkein-esque equality with the planet’s few humans (if humans on this new world have equality, that is).  H.G. Wellian creatures thrive on the flesh of the living and survive under the ground in this new world, and a rising power emerges with the mages, dark and light together.  McNary finds himself pitted against the greatest odds similar to the plight of humanity.  His situation spawns the question:  is humanity really this great power?  How should power be wielded — in other words, what is fair and just for the world, for the people?  These zombie-esque creatures could easily double as our Mr. Hydes in the world, while these great and terrible mages bow to the men of privilege and Dr. Frankensteins of the world.  How does a normal, spiritual, natural human being stack up against these polar opposites, and must he find a place within the spectrum?  Or, can he simply be?
 
The Soulstealer War is a fantastic story.  As a writing professor, I am often hypercritical of overwritten texts.  This story is not only well-constructed, but I might even argue it is underwritten.  By the end, I found myself craving the sequel.  And now, having finished it, I find I can’t stop thinking it.  W.L. Hoffman is a great writer and this, his first book, is evidence to that effect.  Fantasy fans of the world will enjoy this story.

Coming from a small publisher, I am constantly battling and occasionally appeasing the gods of “Bookdom” in order to spread the word to media folks and encourage new readers to go on-line to purchase my fantasy/sci-fi Novel - The First Mother’s Fire, Book One of The Soulstealer War series. Hopefully, shelf-space in the mainstream bricks & sticks bookstores will follow in the next few months. In the interim, I am posting professional (and reader) reviews that remain a finer testament than my urgings - they have been total RAVES!

Thank you,

W.L. Hoffman - breathe slowly, observe humbly, dream deeply and evolve.
WLHoffman@SoulstealerWar.com
http://www.SoulstealerWar.com

Here’s a professional review by Roundtable Reviews (http://www.roundtablereviews.com/)

Dog Ear Publishing
ISBN: 1598585398
December 2007
Fantasy
http://www.soulstealerwar.com/
 
Reviewed By Jerry Unangst

THE FIRST MOTHER’S FIRE is the first book in THE SOULSTEALER WAR series, written by W. L. Hoffman. Kenneth McNary, a recent graduate from law school, has been hiking along the Appalachian Trail when he is contacted by a powerful being named the First Mother (A goddess? Mother Nature? THE God?). She transports him to another world and tasks him with uniting the people to prepare for an upcoming war that threatens to demolish all life. In doing so, Ken finds himself imbued with magical power to aid in his quest.
The quest isn’t an easy one. The few humans on the world are treated like slaves to the Elder, a near-immortal race of beings who have lost their magic. Also, every time Ken uses his magic, it takes a toll on his life force.
Mr. Hoffman, you had me at the Boris Vallejo cover.
I kid, of course. Though I fell in love with the cover, the real treat is the story itself.
The old fish-out-of-water scenario has been a tried and true plot device in a lot of fantasy series. However, the difference here is that Ken isn’t a leper, a soldier, or a widower. In fact, he really has no personal baggage. He’s just a young intelligent man whose two main skills are surviving in the outdoors and using his brain when it counts.
I really found that unique in the typical fantasy-hero archetype. Ken spends a lot of time throughout the story contemplating how magic and science operate in the world. He strives to unite people to each other not by faith or by brute force, but by intelligent arguments using logic.
However, don’t worry dear reader…there’s plenty of action to behold.
Clocking in at fewer than three hundred pages, THE FIRST MOTHER’S FIRE is a quick read and never overstays its welcome like more than a few ponderous fantasy books tend to do. What really sets this book off from other fantasy books is that it’s a book that has ideas.
This is one of the best fantasy books I’ve read within the past couple of years and I eagerly await the second book of the series.
 

Whirlwind

February 8, 2008

My debut fantasy and sci-fi Novel has now been available for almost two weeks! That’s a milestone. I am working 27 hours a day and it’s just been a whirlwind. Time seems so be moving slower as I fill each day with myriad tasks to help ensure the Novel’s success. It seems that for every minor setback that occurs, other seeds that I have planted ripen to then bring a smile to my face. Of course, I am smiling regardless, as writing is a dream come true.

I am pleased to announce that the first professional review of the Novel (received just this week) was a total RAVE! Of course, it wasn’t from the NY Times, but it made my day nonetheless. Readers have also begun to send me thoughtful communications and I am thankful that so many have been super positive. Indeed, one of the most common asks is already weighing on my mind… “when is Book Two in the series going to be available?” Guess that’s a good problem to have on my plate. I have Book Two and Book Three fully outlined, and I have begun on the next chapters of Book Two. Still, with the marketing efforts swallowing my days right now, it’s hard to focus on the timeline for Book Two. There’s also a part of me that resists moving forward, as I want to experience as much as I can of this adventure. It’s a wild ride, the work never ends and I’m loving it.

http://www.SoulstealerWar.com

http://www.SoulstealerWar.com - Epic fantasy and sci-fi author W.L. Hoffman gives a fireside reading from his new book series of magic, metaphysics and dragons - The Soulstealer War.