Archive for the ‘Updates’ Category
June 1st
The review of Crossing Mother’s Grave will be released from Portland Book Review (I will link the moment I know it’s live.)
June 15th
9am to 11am, I will be signing at Hillsboro Farmer’s Market with other great authors brought together by Jacobsen’s Books,
http://jacobsensbooks.com/jake-elliot (I’ll post more information as news becomes available)
June 28th
7-9pm at the NIWA’s Bards and Brews event, I’ll be reading alongside four other Portland area authors at Primrose and Tumbleweeds, working in conjunction with Jacobsen’s Books
http://www.meetup.com/Bards-Brews-Hillsboro-Last-Friday-Author-Readings/
(I’ll post more information as news becomes available)
July 11th
7pm I’ll read at St. John’s Booksellers in St. John’s district of Portland
http://www.stjohnsbooks.com/contact-info-and-directions
(I’ll post more information as news becomes available)
Oct 3-6
I have rented table space to meet everyone who goes and to sign for fans at Portland’s Literacy festival known as Wordstock.
http://www.wordstockfestival.com/about/missionhistory/
This is an author’s insight into my first novel, The Wrong Way Down. The Wrong Way Down is a fantastically imaginative story, and it was not my first book, but the first to ever make it into print. (I did not self-publish. I may eventually do so with future books, but I have not self-published my first two novels.)
The Wrong Way Down is a fantasy story set in a dangerous world, and written with an edgy darkness, intended for a 16+ audience. The tale is about a fledgling priestess who makes decisions based on good intentions, but she reaps contradictory results. Mind you, this is a fantasy story, so holy power is vastly different in this imagined world than it is in our world. Priestess Popalia is a true faith healer, and as she grows as a character, so shall her divine gifts.
The antagonists in this first installment are a gang of thieves. Two members from this gang murder a priest in a remote pilgrimage temple where Popalia resides. They’ve stolen a relic of tremendous power, but one thief is caught as the other escapes. Popalia is ordered by the high priest to escort the captured thief to the nearest military garrison for inquisition, but along the way the thief escapes. Young Popalia, accompanied by an elven wilderness guide, decides to pursue the thief rather than accept their failure. This is where things begin to twist. This is the road to perdition—the wrong way down.
As the critics have noted, there are some editing issues in this first story. What the critics have not said is the worst of them are in the prologue. Once beyond the prologue, the story straightens out and the editing glitches are greatly decreased. I have asked my publisher to fix these issues since The Wrong Way Down was released; they continuously tell me it is too expensive to do an edit at this time and they’ll do a re-dub once my contract has expired. With my second in series, Crossing Mother’s Grave, I ensure the edits of my books are top-notch.
If you have come to this site based on recent reviews, the critics have all agreed that this is a fun book despite its shortcoming. The feedback I’ve received from readers thus far has been great.
(Click on the book to link to Amazon)
When the year is over, I like to reflect upon the successes and failures of the past year. I try to assess damages I’ve done, as well as be proud of my victories. But I’m not sharing those things here.
Among the things I was most proud of accomplishing this year was interviewing several talented writers. Among them was screenwriter/ novelist Edward M. Erdelac, author of the book, Merkabah Rider; Tales of a High Plains Drifter.
This links to publisher’s page.
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Merkabah Rider; Tales of a High Plains Drifter, was a book I greatly enjoyed. The complexity of this weave is outstanding and I learned a few things about writing by reading this book.
The Rider hunts down demons for God, but that is only his side job. He’s been searching the American wild-west for his betraying teacher who’d murdered his enclave of Jewish mystics. This collection of stories is about a spiritual gunslinger, trail-blazing and gun-smokin’ for God. It is power to behold. How can anyone not like that character?
There are four novellas here. Loosely, they each connect with the first and the last. It was alpha and omega. Read it and see coolness appear before your eyes.
This is not a churchy book, but it does have a great message of good over evil.
I appreciated the first story for its incredibly complex layering. Artistically, Mr. Erdelac panned the deep dimensions of The Rider’s spiritual battleground with a relatively quick dissection. It’s only a few pages and before we know it, we’re quickly immersed in astral space and find ourselves standing before the altar to the demon lord Moloch. Very soon, a little girl’s soul will be fed to Moloch unless the Rider can alter the outcome through means of astral travelling.
Each story is better than the one before.
Shortly inside the second story there is a highly-suspenseful card game between the Rider and two rough looking banditos. Not like the poker games on TV—here with the Rider, the stakes are life and death. Having arrived in a town that is suffering a perpetual windstorm, also overtaken by a bandit gang. The Rider swiftly discovers something more is happening here. Evil is certainly afoot.
In the third story, the gun-slinging rabbi and a Baptist Christian team up to stop a famous demon Jesus needed to face down. Will it be the Word of God, or the Son of Abraham to stop Legion and his loyal swine?
The fourth story was my favorite in the book, and a very fitting end to an incredibly enjoyable read. I would rather say nothing about this one. It is so well done, I want for you to experience it for yourself.
I do recommend purchasing the paperback over buying the e-book. There is a much needed glossary at the end of this book. Unless, of course, you know the difference between a Poyo and a Tzitzit, or a Lili from a Mazzik, you might want to use the glossary.
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This link is to Ed Erdelac’s Interview
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