Eric Noss - Author of the Keepers' Garden Trilogy

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T13:42:00.000-08:00

just a quick merry christmas to all you blog readers out there. again, in hyval's wake should be coming very soon.

ps sorry for the lack of capital letters and punctuation issues. cell phone blog updating is evidently not ideal.

da nossman

That's right, muthas.

2011-12-02T21:56:00.001-08:00

100%.

More news when I have news.

This feels pretty good. I imagine if I didn't have bronchitis right now, it would feel pretty freaking sweet.

Here's to my health!

-Grandmaster N

Under the Weather

2011-11-29T22:09:00.001-08:00

I've had back to back colds this month, with perhaps a two day respite in between. It's seriously getting old. For realz.

Final polish progress is moving well - I'm at about 85%. It's close!

A couple of linkies:

This fishing show guy cracks me up.

In the continuing spirit of the outdoors, how 'bout this taxidermy commercial!

Hopefully my next update will be full of stories of completion!

55%

2011-11-06T18:52:00.000-08:00

Progress, progress, progress.

I wish there was more, but work has been a little crazy.

Here's a link to the new Wordle (word cloud) of the book - it'll give you an idea as to the focus of the story.

We shall speak again soon.

-Enohessess

Final Polish Progress

2011-10-19T22:23:00.000-07:00

About 40%.

That is all. For now.

Oh, and here are some pictures of basset hounds running.

Keep 'er real,
EN, Esq.

Close. Seriously.

2011-10-04T22:06:00.000-07:00

Okay...so I know I keep saying I'm close. But this time, I really mean it. I'm doing a final pass on the book, mainly as a polish. Books are never finished, they are abandoned. And this one's about to get dropped off at the orphanage once it has a clean diaper.

Sorry...it's past midnight. That analogy made way more sense in my head.

Nearly finished
Overjoyed
Still got a bit to go
Should be done soon

Still Alive, and Making Progress

2011-09-09T14:29:00.000-07:00

Hola all -

Just a quickie post. I'm still here. :)

Editing is going really well...only a handful of chapters left to polish. The word count has also ballooned (by about 15%) during this last set of revisions, and I believe for the better. If you are reading this, you probably know my style is rather concise and direct - but these additions I think really flesh out some characters and story elements.

In Hyval's Wake should clock in a bit shorter than The Flame Within - maybe by 20 or 30 pages. There were two points I could have ended the book; I thought the shorter point made for a tighter story, and a better endpoint to lead into the third and final installment. It also means the third book may be quite a bit longer.

And sorry - no linkies for today. I promise to add some great ones soon!

By this axe I rule,
-Nohz

Editing Goes

2011-07-28T23:05:00.000-07:00

Well all, it's about half truly done. Steady progress this past week or so, hope to make more in the coming days. It's getting so close I can taste it (it being starting on book III :) )

And a couple of linkies!

1. Ah, the things to do with spare time.

2. I'm nerdy enough to want these.

Peace out!
-Abcdefghijklmnoss

A quickie

2011-06-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

Editing is going strong...I'm finished-level happy without about 20% of the book thus far. Still a ways to go. I'm thinking about getting a third party opinion on how the story flows...that can be tough to gauge when you already have all the little details in your head. Just like I had to ask my dad what he thought about the Game of Thrones series on HBO in order to truly understand how it comes off to a casual viewer.

Couple of linkies for your viewing pleasure...

1. These aquariums are super awesome!

2. Star Trek dork appreciation day.

3. Charles Barkley as Ron Burgundy.

4. Not sure what to make of this...but nice parking job!

5. I feel bad and laugh at the same time.

Keep it as real as you can,
E-N-

I have news...

2011-05-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a busy week for me. Except for today, of course. I ended up with one of those days where I practically slept the whole thing away! But onto more important news...I'll let the screen shot do the talking.

:)

A little bit of editing left, but we are very, very close here.

And a couple of linkies, just 'cause.

1. Some "before they were famous" commericals.

2. If I had a zillion dollars, I may consider buying something like this.

Keep it real, yo!
-Nssmn

EPILOGUE REMAINS

2011-05-17T19:47:00.001-07:00

That's right homies.

A couple of links for your viewing pleasure...

1. I'm worried this wouldn't taste as good as it looks.

2. Unnecessary censorship on Sesame Street.

3. Only in Japan.

Peacerino!
-Nossimo

2 Chapters Left

2011-04-15T22:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I've finished the climax of the book...something that's been living in my head for years and is now finally down on paper. Only two chapters left to go. And now everything is double backed up! :)

I'm hoping to be able to finish the book in the next week or so, and after a few editing passes (I edit during writers block, so my first draft really ends up more like a 3rd) should have it ready for release! And a couple of linkies.

1. THE BEST LION EVER.

2. Am I Electronik Supersonik?

Peace out!
-Noss

Feeling Cursed

2011-03-06T14:36:00.000-08:00

Well..I had two more hard drives die. Of course, one with the book, and one with the backup of the book. Both about 10k words behind my tertiary backup...

So going down the data recovery path...again. Also, getting myself checked for electromagnetism. Broke down and bought a laptop to end this bad run with my previous PC.

As far as release date, this does affect things. I'm probably looking at May or June now due to these unforseen complications - my apologies. I <3 computers.

With regret,
EN

80,000

2011-02-27T23:24:00.000-08:00

Getting closer :)

And a few links!

It's creepy when you catch faces in the wrong pose...

Unfortunate, but funny - great way to tell the story...

People recreating photos they took when they were kid. Kinda creepy, kinda cool, but definitely interesting...

Peace!
Nossman

Good News :)

2011-02-16T20:29:00.000-08:00

I may be out of the woods...

My data is back and intact, officially as of this evening!

And been recovering from a small medical issue...the timing couldnt be better.

Anyways, short update for now...gotta get to writing!

-Noss+data

Bad News

2011-01-22T21:40:00.000-08:00

Heya all -

Well, I'm finally back online. About a week ago, my computer completely powered down on its own. I tried to turn it back on, but it wouldn't recognize the hard drive. Hours and hours of various troubleshooting later, I find out my drive is indeed dead. So here's the situation.

Not so bad news: I last backed up In Hyval's Wake on January 3rd.

Kinda bad news: I had about 20-25 pages of progress since.

Worse news: Nothing else was backed up...including some passages for the third book, as well as my outlines, first few pages of the first draft of The Flame Within. (I was going to call Salinar Gederin by another name..."Jang Hunstrum"...blech)

Better news: Data recovery can be done on most dead drives.

Expensive news: It's expensive.

So...I'm getting quotes on data recovery right now...fun times. Lesson learned to be passed on to all of you, back up your stuff regularly!

For right now, I'm working on some of the final chapters - ones that aren't redoing the "missing" work.

And no linkies unfortuantely....haven't been able to browse the net. :)

Keep it real!
N-man

New Wordle

2010-12-28T21:02:00.000-08:00

Just a quick linkie - here's the new Wordle for In Hyval's Wake. Lets you see who the major players are, and to what degree, at least.

Happy Christmas!

2010-12-25T09:20:00.000-08:00

Just a quick hello update, loyal readers -

wishing a very merry Christmas to you and your families.

and unfortunately, i think its a foregone conclusion that i am going to miss a self imposed deadline...in hyvals wake is not going to be finished in two thousand ten. pulling a deadline out of the hat, im aiming for the end of april two thousand eleven. right now it stands at about seventy five or eighty percent complete, so im thinking this is a reasonable target.

and unfortunately, no linkines and no capital letters either...updating from a cell phone is tough

peacearoni,

nossaroni

Ugghh

2010-12-05T19:23:00.000-08:00

Peeps -

So unfortunately, not much progress on the book this past week. This weekend has been a little rough, haven't been sleeping, pulled my back, been stressed out, etc. Hopefully I'll make some progress this week.

Separately, first time in a long time I won't be watching Texas in a bowl game. Strange stuff.

And, a few linkies!

1. Check out these foreign fast food items. Yuck!

2. I really want to make these.

3. What's New Pussycat?

4. A game for the wordies out there.

Wish me luck in jury duty tomorrow!

Sincerely,
Mr. Noss III, Esquire

Big Day

2010-11-21T21:43:00.000-08:00

Well, I wrote a bunch today. Over three thousand words...haven't done that in years. Over 71K now.

Too tired of writing for linkies - promise some good ones next time. :)

-Nossinator

The Sickness

2010-11-07T15:25:00.001-08:00

Just a quick update as I'm rather under the weather. And traveling to New Orleans during the next week for work...so not looking forward to that, as I'm sure neither are the other passengers who are going to be cooped up with me.

Good news on the book front - there is light at the end of the tunnel. In Hyval's Wake has crossed into falling action... There are two major climaxes in this book, and both were exciting to write through.

And now for linkies!

1. My favorite is the shell sink.

2. So back in college (well before this skit), a group of us in a theater troupe did a skit where the movie was Top Gun, but otherwise was the same premise.

3. So I now feel WAAAY less nerdy.

4. And you thoughts some more athletic sport had the most dangerous competitions. This championship had to be shut down it was so deadly!

5. Just wow.

Wish me luck in feeling better!
-Noss

Ahoy Hoy

2010-10-03T16:49:00.000-07:00

Hi all -

Writing is going well. And starting a new job on Monday! Although I had a week off in between jobs, it was entirely chewed up by landscaping and golf. Shot a 72 one day, then went out and shot an 88 today. Thus is the nature of the game, I guess.

Linkies!

1. I must admit, I had a few of these types of ideas when I was younger.

2. Trying not to be a sissy!

3. Turn any webpage into asteroids!

4. This little web game killed 15 minutes of my time.

One for the homies,
Nossadon

Making Progress

2010-08-29T17:15:00.000-07:00

Heya all -

2k more words under my belt - equivalent of about 8 pages of a paperback - most of it from this weekend. Getting a chance to be productive, and then actually being productive, is excellent!

Also, just got to write the beginning of the "snowball rolling down hill" - a major event went from brain to fingers to MS Word about two hours ago. :)

Linky McLinkerson!

1. Actually making these tonight!

2. Pimp my rice paddy.

3. There's no way that this actually happened.

4. This review managed to capture my exact thoughts about Wendy's.

5. If only to know happiness like this.

6. Unfortunate company domain names.

7. You will not be able to unsee this.

8. I'd be this mad too if I lived in Detroit.

9. Three observations here. First...wow. Second...really? Third, I now feel older...many internet things are now about stuff only the generation younger than me knows about. If I see one more Professor Oak joke...who tf is Professor Oak?

10. That's awesome.

Keep it real, muthas!
-Nossssssssssssssssss

A short hello

2010-08-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

Heya all -

I know, I know. Long time, no post.

In Hyval's Wake currently stands at 65K. It's getting there, slowly but surely. :)

And some links!

1. The Seattle Gum Wall. Very strange.

2. Make your own origami X-wing!

3. Oregon Trail: The Movie

Peace!
-Nosso

The 2,500 word day

2010-06-20T19:25:00.001-07:00

Yo -

Really cranked it out today - over 2,500 words! I may finish this book after all :)

Some McLinkies -

1. Tetris meets Contra meets Russia

2. Speaking of Tetris (NSFW implications)

3. While we are on things that are unintentionally perverted (NSFW implications)

4. Laughter is contagious

5. This is exactly how news stories are made!

Take a left on easy street,
-Nossssssssss

The 2000 word day

2010-05-31T15:31:00.000-07:00

I just had the most productive writing day in as long as I can remember. Over 2,000 words! (Now I just need to keep this same pace every day for the next four weeks, and I'll be done! Too bad I have intereferences like work and life and such :) ) I seem to always be more productive when writing a Hyval chapter...he is the character I most relate to, which would explain the ease of those sections. And getting closer to the book's climax every day. Only a few chapters out, now.

LINKY TIME:

1. NSFW Too many of these people doing you know what with my what.

2. Creepy mugshots.

3. PLINKO

4. If you think traffic here is bad...

5. Creepy man babies.

Keep it real, or not, whichever you prefer,
-Nosso

Arrghhhh

2010-05-02T16:22:00.000-07:00

So I had one of those industrious-type weekends. First, I created a shadow box wall decoration thing out of many of my old baseball cards (gotta be good for something, huh?) After that, I finally repaired my outdoor fountain with the broken pump. Two home depot trips, a couple of hours, and several various swear words and I had a working fountain. I also began brining a Boston butt pork roast for my first try at pulled pork, as well as making dinner tonight. Plus, 500 words (not a tone, I know) on In Hyval's Wake. And then I go out to the gym, and on the way back...disaster! Well...minor disaster. My garage door opener is busted :( If it's not one thing, it's another I tell ya.

And now, for some links!

1. What happens when you remove the creme from every Oreo in the pack and make a mega Oreo?

2. Little bit of a stretch, but yes, most "popular" music does sound the same.

3. Holla back 4 Jesus!

4. Thought these jewelry pieces were unique.

5. A five year old does Cake's song "The Distance".

Peace out!
Nossarama

My Weekend

2010-04-18T16:58:00.001-07:00

In Hyval's Wake stands at 57k words.

On another note, this weekend something amazing happened...I have a new life experience that has entered my top three funniest moments of all time!

So I go to play golf this weekend on my own, and get paired up with two other random dudes - a 30-something white guy and a 60-something asian guy. Well, so I set up and hit my tee shot on the first hole. The asian guy looks at me and says, "ahh...so very powaful..."

And now for some linsk!

1. Not the reaction I expected...

2. These look dang good.

3. Even animals love trampolines!

4. Chat Roulette piano improv number 2!

Peace out,
Nossman

Small Little Distraction

2010-04-01T20:24:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post - spent the last few days playing Risk online at pogo.com. Unfortunately, no writing progress in the last few days. Coincendence? I think not. :)

-Noss

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

2010-03-21T14:40:00.000-07:00

Meh -

Well...my computer officially has an illness. Or maybe it's just showing signs of old age. Regardless, this morning's short power surge put an exquisite capper on an already amazing weekend.

(This is where the dripping sarcasm landed.)

I am indeed online, but my computer is now taking a good 15 minutes or so to get to the memory check. If there are any techno geeks out there reading this, any advice would sure be appreciated. It would mean less time pulling out ram, disconnecting hard drives, etc. (all to no avail, by the way) and more time working on In Hyval's Wake. :)

And a few links for the link-starved masses:

1. A light, funny video that is hard to classify.

2. It's BS, but still funny.

Peace!

-Nossorama

Just a Quckie

2010-03-07T16:14:00.000-08:00

Yo -

Just had a very busy weekend - worked on Saturday and also had my parents in town, visiting both my brother and I. Unfortunately, no substantive progress on In Hyval's Wake. Maybe tonight?

And some links!

1. 25 Creative Mac and Cheeses

2. So did I

3. I want this toaster

4. My eyes hurt

5. Art with staples?

6. Little craft project

Peace!
-McNoss

Time to Get Ill

2010-02-21T17:31:00.000-08:00

And no, not 1980's LL Cool J style - I've been sick for the past couple of days. Hence, no writing progress, and very little moving around at that.

On a positive note, the sample chapters accessible on the right side of the page had their 5,000th view this week! Thank you to all of you who have checked them out.

And now, links! Ill version - meaning less links. :(

1. Gottal love Eddie Izzard!

2. Funny google suggestions!

Peace ::hack hack:: out,
Noss

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T21:07:00.001-08:00

Just a quick update for Valentine's Day.

Been watching a bit of the olympics. The skills of the skiers and the skaters really fascinates me. I have neither the knees, nor the ankles, nor the temperature sensitivity for such an enterprise.

And now, some links!

1. Make your own snowflakes!

2. Hello. My neme is Suguru. I will talk about pants.

3. Pretty cool use of the apple logo on their laptops.

Out,
Nossman

1K word night

2010-02-08T22:13:00.001-08:00

Well, I just had my first thousand word night in a very, very long time. Sat down for an initial thirty minutes and ended up going for a few hours! This book will get done!

And the links, oh my!

1. I found this superbowl pic funnier than I probably should have.

2. What's on the other side of this car?

3. An interesting little game.

4. This needs to be done for Halloween.

Keep it real!
-Knock knock, who's there, it's Nossman

In Mourning

2010-01-10T21:30:00.000-08:00

Alas...the Texas Longhorns lost the national championship game. Colt McCoy knocked out on the 5th play...the backup freshman a fumble/a drive away from pulling a major victory...an accidental onside kick...just a strange vibe for a strange game...

In Hyval's Wake is...well...hardly more than it was before the holidays. But now that I'm back in town I should be back in stride.

And, its time for some links!

1. Hee hee hee

2. This looks really interesting! Now to find someone else to try to make it for me... :)

3. Crazy how accurate this game is!

Take it EZ,
Noss

Up For An Award

2009-12-20T22:14:00.001-08:00

The Flame Within is up for an award, yellow30scifi.com's Pluto Award!

The finalists will be announced on Wednesday - wish me and the book luck!

And one link, just for kicks...this guy's video game reviews crack me up!

Peace,
Nossarific

Booya!

2009-12-13T15:49:00.000-08:00

One thousand word weekend! That's right, folks!

Ok...maybe I am a lil' more excited about that than I shoulde be, but it's the most produtive writing stretch I've had in probably about two months. Just buckled down, bungee corded myself to the computer, set the timer, and went for several hours both yesterday and today. In Hyval's Wake now stands at ~54.5 K words.

And on with the links!

1. All I can say is...oh no...Dating Montage

2. This USB Drive is AWESOME!

3. What happens to ideas.

Keep it real, yo!
-Nossman

2009-11-15T21:42:00.000-08:00

¡sʞuı1 ǝɯıʇ-unɟ ʎddɐɥ ǝɥʇ ɹoɟ 'ʍou puɐ

.uıʇıɹʍ puɐ uıʞɔıʞ 11ıʇs - uı ʇɹodǝɹ ʞɔınb ɐ ʇsnظ ¡buıɥʇʎɹǝʌǝ ɥɔnɯ ʎʇʇǝɹd ¿ʇsod uʍop ǝpısdn uɐ ʇnoqɐ ɹǝʇʇǝq s,ʇɐɥʍ

1. First up, the text flipper! http://www.fliptext.org/

2. Christopher Walken performing "Poker Face" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2guQYivZ6w

3. For those of you who are getting older... http://www.kingofforwards.com/fake-or-real/passage-of-time-leaves-out-no-one/

Peace out!
-Noss

Timed Writing Success

2009-11-01T19:58:00.000-08:00

Heya all -

Just took a stab at a new writing strategy - timed writing. I read about this on another author's blog and it was a great piece of advice - force yourself to write for 30 minutes with a timer - if nothing happens, you've only lost 30 minutes. If you get going, don't stop until you're done! Cranked out 1,000+ words tonight with my new timer - and went well past the 30 minutes.

Also, just hit a milestone birthday - 30 - and had more people tell me how 40, 50, etc were fun, but 30 was just terrible. I easily survived - and don't understand all the fuss!

And now, happy fun-time!

1. Restaurant puns! http://foodnetworkhumor.com/2009/09/the-20-funniest-restaurant-pun-names/

2. Facebook funnies! http://www.guidespot.com/guides/facebook_status_funny_fail

Peace!
-Noss

All Tired Out

2009-09-20T22:33:00.000-07:00

Whew! Just got back from a major session at the gym - spent an hour on the elliptical and then moved to the weights. Just like with writing, sometimes when you go work out it feels right and it's hard to stop!

On another note, college football season is now in full swing and my beloved Longhorns are undefeated...yet they have issues. Going to be interesting to see if they can stand up to the Oklahomas and Oklahoma States of Div I FBS.

Writing continues at a slow but steady pace. In Hyval's Wake is at 53K words as of this writing.

And now, time for some happy fun-time links!

1. Some crazy landscapes...the world is closer to fantasy than we sometimes think... http://matadortrips.com/photo-essay-the-most-alien-landscapes-on-earth/

2. Really wish I had some kids to make these for... http://www.boingboing.net/2009/04/21/freaky-food-fun-inse.html

3. And, being about a month away from a milstone birthday, here's a list of things that tell you that you are old. http://www.avolites.org.uk/jokes/grownup.htm

Peace out!

-Nossman

Newest Update

2009-08-05T06:56:00.000-07:00

Heya all -

So, the book is at 52,000 words. It was a bit longer...but I chose to scrap most of a chapter and take a different approach to a portion of the story, and I think the book is much better for it. I'm keepin on keepin on!

And now for some links!

1. Just thought these were awesome lookin! http://www.bigredkitchen.com/2009/07/little-peach-cakes.html

2. A heck of a landlord story. http://strangerthaneviction.tumblr.com/page/1

Peace,
Nossman

Blogging...Expert Style

2009-05-20T20:51:00.001-07:00

So I just checked into the good 'ol blog here...and realized it's been exactly a month since my last post. If there 'twas a blogging championship, I would have trouble even qualifying for regionals. Good news is, less time posting means more time writing...so here we go...

Work on In Hyval's Wake continues. Right now, I'm part way through chapters 15 (Aralon's story) and 16 (Darvin and Iyennya's story). I like to keep a few in progress at a time, so if I get stuck on one story line I can always hop to another. Still hope to have it out before year end...but starting to sweat a little.

And for some funtime internet destinations!

1. Some great answers to exam questions...not quite totally safe for all eyes, but nothing too bad. http://www.scribd.com/doc/5107/They-didnt-study

2. Japanese subway. Yikes! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlNyCHlLt1Y

3. A great Louis C.K. bit on Conan. http://www.maniacworld.com/everything-is-amazing-nobody-is-happy.html

PEACE OUT!
-Nossman

Wordle

2009-04-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

Heya all -

Just a quick post - I created a Wordle (an image that shows the frequency of word use in a document, and shows the words used most frequently as larger) of The Flame Within and of In Hyval's Wake (thus far). Lets you see where the focus of the story is in book one, and how it spreads in book two!

Book 1: http://www.wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/765712/The_Flame_Within_%28Keepers_Garden_Trilogy%2C_author_Eric_Noss%29

Book 2: http://www.wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/765721/In_Hyval%27s_Wake_%28Keepers%27_Garden_Trilogy%2C_Book_2_author_Eric_Noss%29

Some new names there in Book 2, eh? :) Still a big-ass Aralon, though. (and Kiyana too) ;)

Keep it real,
-Nossman

Update and New Review

2009-04-09T19:35:00.001-07:00

Heya all -

In Hyval's Wake has crossed the 50k barrier! Doing 50 thousand of anything is pretty tough...

Also, there is now another review of The Flame Within! It's short though...and not very descriptive. Not a negative review mind you, but just a couple of sentences in Midwest Book Review's "Reviewers Bookwatch". You can check it out here: http://www.midwestbookreview.com/rbw/apr_09.htm#logan

And some internet links!

1. 1 GB in 1970 vs today's 1 GB of computer memory. Wow! http://www.millionface.com/l/1gb-computer-memory-physical-size-in-1980-and-2009/

2. Some REALLY close calls. Not for the faint of heart. http://laughlines.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/03/as-luck-would-have-it/

Peace out!
Nossman

A Few Updates

2009-03-14T20:54:00.000-07:00

Hola all -

Been crazy busy lately, which is why it has been a month since my last update.

In Hyval's Wake now stands at 48k words. The middle section of this book has honestly been much tougher for me than I imagined it would be. Not that it's a struggle, mind you, but it really starts the beginning of the end of the trilogy and accordingly I am being very particular with word choice, sequencing, and a myriad of other details. I'm very excited with what I've got, but it's the getting it that's a bit slow. :) I still do plan to have the book out before the end of the year ::knock on wood::.

On a lighter note, here's some happy, fun-time internet links! Enjoy!

1. A world sunlight map! http://www.opentopia.com/sunlightmaprect.html

2. Make your own kaleidoscope! http://www.zefrank.com/byokal/kal2.html

3. A classic 911 call! (Profanity included, so NSFW) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJfr35gXEoc&feature=related

-Nossman

Long Time, No Post

2009-02-16T23:47:00.001-08:00

Hello all -

Sorry for the delay between posts...my mind has just been elsewhere these past couple of weeks.

Update on In Hyval's Wake - the story now stands at 47k. Again, progress, but not as much as I would have liked over the last month. Making sure the story is told right can be very time consuming.

And, one item for your enjoyment, trash shadow scultpures. Thought these were really cool. http://www.slightlywarped.com/crapfactory/curiosities/onemanstrash.htm

-Noss

Newest Review

2009-01-09T22:25:00.001-08:00

Heya all -

Just wanted to share a new review from ReaderViews - and it has very positive things to say about The Flame Within!

http://www.readerviews.com/ReviewNossTheFlameWithin.html

Please continue to share information about Keepers' Garden and The Flame Within with others; hearing about people enjoying the books is a big motivator, and helps me push out a few more words each day on In Hyval's Wake, which by the way now stands at 45k words. I've had a few people ask as to how far exactly that is, and...well...it depends on where I end the book. There are two climaxes I could use to close out the book, but they'll probably be a good 75 pages in between. So, I'd have to say I'm anywhere from 33% to 45%, depending on where the story ends.

And right now I'm about to write about a world-changing event in book two, one that changes so much that I've been on hold for a few days - not ready for it quite yet. This weekend though, I'm feelin' it.

And keep the feedback coming about the Mauruten!

-Noss

Traffic

2009-01-04T18:58:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to thank y'all for the web traffic - the sample chapters have just received their 1,000th hit! Please continue to share them with any fantasy fan you know.

Peace out -
Nossman

Kindle

2008-12-28T20:39:00.001-08:00

Just a quick aside, The Flame Within is now available for the Kindle reader.

http://www.amazon.com/Flame-Within-Keepers-Garden-Trilogy/dp/B001OI1Y1G/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230525466&sr=8-2

Now I can get away from formatting a whole book in HTML, and back to writing!

Hope y'all had a Merry Christmas. And if I don't post beforehand, have a Happy New Year!

Next year, yo -
-EN

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-22T20:34:00.000-08:00

Heya all -

A few days early on this, but I've also got an early Christmas present for you - another sample chapter from In Hyval's Wake! I chose Chapter 3 as it introduces a new set of characters that carry one of the storylines of the second book - the Mauruten. I mentioned them previously in the POV entry from a few months back.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/9359241/IHWChap3

Also, The Flame Within should be available for the Kindle reader sometime in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

I'll be off from work and from writing for a few days for the holidays.

And here's a few points of internet interest:

1. This game is a good hour of fun - it's called auditorium. Long story short, you are trying to get the waves into the audio bars using your, for lack of a better term, redirectors. Check it out! http://www.playauditorium.com/

2. Some of you may already be familair with the time travel dude, but for those who aren't, and are looking for an adventure, you may want to answer his ad. Safety is not guaranteed.
http://www.myconfinedspace.com/2007/02/08/time-travel-advertisement/
http://hardsafety.ytmnd.com/

3. And if only you could pay with a spider...
http://www.geekologie.com/2008/11/good_idea_man_submits_drawing.php

Happy Holidays, yo -
-EN

Happy (belated) Turkey Day!

2008-11-28T15:00:00.000-08:00

So I've been out of town for the last few days and have not been working on In Hyval's Wake. Last count, it stood at 44k words. The story is really coming together - I'm a chapter or two away from the first of two climaxes in the book - and I hope to be able to post a final version of another sample chapter some time soon.

And for fun - though it is debateable, the man with the largest mouth in the world: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OJw_F40IOU

One for my homies,
-EN

Newest Review

2008-11-10T19:08:00.000-08:00

Heya all -

Breaking from my normal updates again to share another review - this one from Yellow30 Sci-Fi. They also have very positive things to say about The Flame Within and summarize the plot better than I ever could. I encourage you to check it out!

http://www.yellow30scifi.com/FlameWithinREV.html

Later, yo -

-EN

Ugh

2008-11-02T22:20:00.000-08:00

So the Longhorns dropped a close one to Texas Tech this weekend. A few folks got to watch me screaming at the TV on the Longhorns' last TD drive - "SLOW DOWN! SLOW DOWN!" - as the team kept refusing to drain the clock. They had Tech on their heels, and seemed to be destined to score, yet they left over 20 seconds on the play clock on the TD run on 1st and goal. Ugh.

In Hyval's Wake is at 42k words. Slow but steady.

As for a link or two this week, a few Rick Rolls.
Mario Paint - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uZr3JWYdy8
The "Chocolate Rain" Guy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0719DxMOUY&feature=related

Hook 'em!

2008-10-18T23:12:00.000-07:00

Greetings, all!

Work has been absolutely crazy for the last couple of weeks, so the last few days were the first in some time that I've been able to sit down and write. Accordingly, In Hyval's Wake is (only) up to 41k words.

Also, for those of you who have yet to buy The Flame Within, the cheapest source ($11) is one of Amazon.com's marketplace sellers, which I've linked to here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0595505716/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new

A couple of points of interest on the road of life:

1) This picture from the 3rd presidential debate cracks me up every time I see it: http://backseatcuddler.com/2008/10/16/john-mccain-tries-to-grab-barack-obamas-butt/

2) I'm a former Texas Longhorn, and also a huge Longhorn football fan. Seeing them succeed this year (so far) in a season that I was pretty worried about up front is just awesome. So, do Colt McCoy (the Longhorn QB) a favor and vote for him for the Davey O'Brien award (best college QB) http://www.daveyobrien.org/fan/login.asp

3) If you're on the fence about voting for McCoy, check out this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvhVXk7IZEc

Talk at you later -

-EN

Newest Review

2008-10-04T13:56:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all (yes, y'all - welcome to Texas) -

Breaking out of my biweekly update patterns for a moment. For those of you who need structure and regularity, I promise I'll return to a normal frequency post haste. :)

The Flame Within just received a review from The Beezer Review, a website dedicated to thorough and objective reviews of fantasy books. BeezerMN himself keeps up a reading and writing pace based on his 3+ years of reviews that is quite staggering. Each of his reviews are well thought out and are written for fantasy readers rather than as "OMG this book RoXorS!!!" promotional pieces for publishers.

For those of you on the fence about buying the book, I encourage you to check out the review: http://beezermn.laethyn.com/book_review.php?book_Title=The%20Flame%20Within.

-EN

New Point of Views (POVs)

2008-09-28T22:46:00.000-07:00

Heya all -

Figured it was time for a bi-weekly update.

The Flame Within primarily followed Aralon with a few chapters focused on the other characters. In Hyval's Wake features a number of new point of view characters (POVs). The main story lines - 1) Aralon, Kiyana, and Jinn; 2) Darvin and Iyennya; 3) Hyval; 4) Andrin; 5)and a new bunch, a set of Mauruten who are introduced within the first few chapters.

The story of all three books has been (roughly) mapped out from the beginning, so these POVs are planned, but going through and writing the prose makes me understand how many fantasy authors have trouble keeping a leash on the main story. Just tonight, I found myself working on an Andrin chapter and writing several pages of her back story. I looked back at what I had written and it was all good stuff, but I realized how quickly a story of this size and scope can, for lack of a better term, boil over (ala Robert Jordan, and what now also seems like George RR Martin. Even Paolini turned a trilogy into at least a 4-book series.) I could have written a whole book on the events I just spent a couple of pages running through. Letting go of the reins on a story seems like it could be very easy if one loses focus.

Right now, In Hyval's Wake is 40k words.

And for some entertainment, check out a couple of bands who have remade classic video game music into rock songs. The Minibosses http://www.minibosses.com/ and The Black Mages http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_Mages.

Take it easy, yo -

-EN

Hurricane Ike

2008-09-17T22:05:00.000-07:00

Heya all -

For those of you who aren't aware, I live in Houston - which recently became the blazing pathway of hurricane Ike.

Things are pretty tough on millions of people down here right now. Personally, I didn't get hit nearly so bad. The eye passed near us, but we were far enough inland to not have the water issues that alot of the coastal areas had. We had minor damage to landscape, but the homes are packed in so tight that we were shielded from most of the wind. Just got power back yesterday.

Don't know how y'all are seeing this on the national level, but the infrastructure down here is pretty shot. The flooding in the coastal areas is very serious. Roads are back up in Houston, but power's out for still about half the city. Downtown is an absolute mess. The winds were much higher speed higher up, so the skyscrapers really took it. One good thing is that the spirit of people in the city is really top notch. Most people aren't waiting for government handouts, we're just getting out in our neighborhoods and cleaning stuff up where it's possible.

And on book 2, it's at 39k. Writing without power is pretty dang near impossible. :)

Peace out -

EN

Heya All

2008-09-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I know it's been a while since my last post.

Update on In Hyval's Wake - the story currently stands at 38k. The good news is that the first 1/3 of the book is pretty much in final draft form. It's the other 2/3rds I have to worry about. :)

And a couple of links, I know it's been a while.

1. Garfield minus Garfield is a site where the daily Garfield comic strip is edited so that Garfield is not present. Makes John look even lonlier and creepier. http://garfieldminusgarfield.net/

2. Read this the other day, and I don't know what cracked me up more - the article, or the comments from the people who didn't understand. http://www.cracked.com/article_15739_50-reasons-lord-rings-sucks.html

3. And a fun game! Eat the fish smaller than you, avoid the fish bigger than you. It's fishy!
http://www.learn4good.com/games/online/play_fishy_online.htm

First Look at "In Hyval's Wake"

2008-08-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, what you see in the subject is true - the first sample chapter of In Hyval's Wake has been posted!

NOTE: There's a couple of pretty major spoilers if you have not read The Flame Within, so proceed with caution.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/4537693/In-Hyvals-Wake-Sample-Chapters-Prologue-and-Chap-1

Enjoy! And I'd love to hear what you think.

Keep it real, yo -

Nossman

2008-07-27T22:57:00.000-07:00

Hey all - just a quick update this time.

In Hyval's Wake is slightly over 36k. I've been polishing existing chapters rather than writing new material, adding detail here and there. My super-secret editing team is reviewing the prologue + first 10 chapters as I write this, so I should have samples up soon.

On a Youtube note, here's a couple new points of interest for ya -

1. What happens when you give spiders drugs? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHzdsFiBbFc

2. And in case you haven't seen the laughing baby... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P6UU6m3cqk

Peace out, yo -

-EN

Updates

2008-07-15T22:12:00.000-07:00

In Hyval's Wake is a bit over 35k as of this post. I've been spending the last few weeks "polishing" the first act and it is very close to complete. My next step is to get feedback from my super-secret review team and make any necessary changes. I should be posting a sample chapter or two soon. I find myself hesitating on starting the second act a bit because I know that characters are going to start to die. Good or evil, it's tough to put your finger on the trigger, aimed at a character you've worked with for years - even if you knew it was coming all along.

And don't worry, it's not Kiyana.

Also, for those of you who have yet to purchase the book - I've updated the sample chapters of The Flame Within at scribd.com. They are now the final .pdf version of the book rather than my Word document before the final edit. I encourage you to check them out; they're linked below.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/2725048/Sample-Chapter-Prologue-and-Chap-1

http://www.scribd.com/doc/2721006/Sample-Chapter-2

Finally, on the music front, I've got a new band added to my writing playlist - Kamelot. Yes, it's another symphonic metal band. I wish I could explain why I got on this kick, but I can't. If you're into unique sounds, check 'em out.

Peace out,
-EN

Book 2

2008-07-01T21:48:00.000-07:00

So progress continues on In Hyval's Wake, at a steady but slow pace. The book is at 34k words as of this post.

I'm hoping to post a sample chapter within the next two weeks.

On another note, there is a sequel to Half Life: Full Life Consequences. Not quite as good as the original, and I'm not sure if the story is legit, but still entertaining none the less. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8yHguvYYyQ

Peace Out,
-EN

A Smattering of Things

2008-06-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

Update: In Hyval's Wake is now at 32,000 words...slower going since my last update than I had hoped. As always, there's reasons (aka excuses) - things have been busy at work and the like. Good news is that I got over a slight speedbump in the story (had to finally determine the specifics of how *exactly* the Mists function) and so it should be smoother sailing for a while.

For those of you who have already finished The Flame Within, I would really appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to leave a review on http://www.amazon.com/ and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. Every piece of feedback helps possible future readers determine whether or not to buy. For those of you who post a review, drop me a line @ ericgnos@gmail.com to let me know and I'll send you an advance look at the beginning of "In Hyval's Wake." And I'll give you the choice between two awesome mentions inside of the book. Thank you in advance!

And go forward, I'll be taking a question each entry. Send in your questions to ericgnos@gmail.com. This time, I'll speak to a question I've already had from many readers.

Q&A - "How do you come up with all the names?"

Very good question. And since I've had to come up with scores more for book two, an extremely relevant one for me at this point in time. The answer is, it depends. As for major characters, many are the products of simply playing around until something sounded right. Aralon Mittel has always been himself, as has Hyval, Kiyana Irhan, and Darvin Hegg. Salinar Gederin started life as "Jang Hunstrum" and went through a legal name change around draft two or three. I can't even tell you what Iyennya started as, since she went through so many iterations. Dregus Antonesius remained unnamed through the first draft. His name just emerged from his character. As for minor names, I keep a list. As names I like come to mind, I note them and use as needed. I try to keep names consistent to their regions; Litherian names always sound like someone dropped a ton of bricks, names from Almach Tur and Yas Amin are more traditional "High Fantasy," and ancient names (Mist Elves, cities like Yas Amin and Almach Tur) are very vowel intensive and should slide off the tongue.

And for those of you asking about pronunciation, I'm not a stickler for it. But if you *must* know how I pronounce the names, I've listed a few of the majors below. Let me know if you have a question on pronunciation on someone or somewhere specific.

Aralon Mittel (Air-ah-lahn Mit-tell)
Hyval Mittel (Hih-vahl Mit-tell)
Dregus Antonesius (Dray-guss An-tow-ness-shus)
Kiyana Irhan (Key-ah-na Er-han)
Iyennya Farin (Ee-yen-ya Fa-reen)

And finally, last but not least, by request from crelmToothpaste, here's the answer to your other buring question: "How is babby formed?" http://www.somethingawful.com/flash/shmorky/babby.swf

Peace Out,
-EN

Odds and Ends

2008-06-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

"In Hyval's Wake" hit the 30k word mark this weekend. Progress, progress, progress.

There are some characters that I cannot wait for you to meet. The book follows four major storylines (One takes place in Maurutar. Yes, that Maurutar!) Each of the perspectives smash together for a last third of the book that promises to be a longer and more intense burn than the end of "The Flame Within." I'll share more details and start posting sample chapters as the process moves along.

On a separate note, some YouTube links that you may find entertaining.

1. Someone modded Super Mario Brothers to create two ridiculously hard levels. That alone is entertaining, but the narrator is possibly the biggest douche on the planet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C1BSbq5aB0&feature=related

2. Take a half-life fan fiction written by an 11 year old kid and combine that with the unmerciful animation done by some dude who lives in his mother's basement and you have "Half Life: Full Life Consequences." Pure gold, especially if you're having a rough day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHxyZaZlaOs

3. I'm on a very different music kick the past couple of weeks; symphonic metal. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I'm posting a music video for one of the better bands in the genre.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsz6bOIuKJc

Peace out, yo -

-EN

Map o' the Garden

2008-05-18T00:30:00.000-07:00

All -

Had a few requests for a map so I tossed one together. I am by no means an artist, but it should show you where each of the series' major locations are in relation to one another.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/3008653/Map-of-Keepers-Garden

Peace out -

EN

Spare Time

2008-05-13T16:28:00.000-07:00

Hi all -

For those of you who don't know, I'm a closet avid gamer - when I'm not doing something else and I'm slacking off on book 2 (I know, I know) you can likely find me at my main haunt online, "The Brewery", a Counterstrike Source, Call of Duty 4, and various other games community. You can check them out at http://www.breweryservers.com/index.php

P.S. ask for Beauregard Mortimer Rechard III

Update on Book 2

2008-05-09T23:27:00.001-07:00

So The Flame Within topped out at 120 thousand words, and this after a substantial number of edits.

The good news is that book 2 of the Keepers' Garden Trilogy, In Hyval's Wake, is in progress and is already at 26 thousand words. The bad news is, most of those words are in second or third draft form, and that the book looks like it will end up longer than the first.

I'm very excited about the progression of the story - it's like a snowball rolling downhill, and each chapter is full of important events. And this is all for now, I've got to get back to writing about Aralon's visit to the Mists...

-Eric

Just got my copies!

2008-05-06T20:27:00.000-07:00

Hi all -

Came home from work today and there were my copies of "The Flame Within," waiting on my doorstep! I'm very happy with the simple cover design and also pleased with the quality of the print job.

Couple of places you can make the purchase :

Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?r=1&ISBN=9780595505715&ourl=The%2DFlame%2DWithin%2FEric%2DNoss

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Flame-Within-Keepers-Garden-Trilogy/dp/0595505716/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210400653&sr=8-1

More updates to come as this blog begins its life -

-Eric

Eric Noss - Author of the Keepers' Garden Trilogy

Merry Christmas!

That's right, muthas.

Under the Weather

55%

Final Polish Progress

Close. Seriously.

Still Alive, and Making Progress

Editing Goes

A quickie

I have news...

EPILOGUE REMAINS

2 Chapters Left

Feeling Cursed

80,000

Good News :)

Bad News

New Wordle

Happy Christmas!

Ugghh

Big Day

The Sickness

Ahoy Hoy

Making Progress

A short hello

The *2,500* word day

The 2000 word day

Arrghhhh

My Weekend

Small Little Distraction

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Just a Quckie

Time to Get Ill

Happy Valentine's Day!

1K word night

In Mourning

Up For An Award

Booya!

Timed Writing Success

All Tired Out

Newest Update

Blogging...Expert Style

Wordle

Update and New Review

A Few Updates

Long Time, No Post

Newest Review

Traffic

Kindle

Merry Christmas!

Happy (belated) Turkey Day!

Newest Review

Ugh

Hook 'em!

Newest Review

New Point of Views (POVs)

Hurricane Ike

Heya All

First Look at "In Hyval's Wake"

Updates

Book 2

A Smattering of Things

Odds and Ends

Map o' the Garden

Spare Time

Update on Book 2

Just got my copies!

The 2,500 word day