Sunday, September 17, 2017
A Light from the Fire: a re-imagined fairy tale with a ghostly twist.
I have recently completed a project that is fairly new for me.
I was walking and thinking about a few of the fairy tales I remembered from childhood.
One of them kept popping into my mind. I downloaded a podcast of the original on my i phone and listened while I worked.
What followed was a seven page, hastily hand-written, rough draft of my completely different retelling of that original fairy tale.
Then I wrote another hand written second draft to clean up the story and get it fleshed out once I had time to spend.
That draft was around 13 pages hand written. After sharing it with a couple of people I decided it was worth moving forward with and a third draft typed 11 page rough draft came from a five hour highly focused editing session.
I am pretty happy with what is now my rewritten version of "The Tinderbox" originally from Hans Christian Anderson.
My version, VERY different from Anderson's vision, is titled "A Light From the Fire".
It really doesn't resemble the original in many ways but it is worth reading or listening to Anderson's version. You can download the story as a podcast on I phone for free in the Podcasts app. It is read by a British presenter and serves as a decent version of Anderson's tale.
I hated the ending and several aspects of "The Tinderbox" but loved portions of it so much I had to take a stab at my own version.
If you read the fairy tale version by Anderson and my story I think you will easily see the vast changes in tone and how the ending is much more just and fair.
As far as fairy tales go, I know they are not all Aesop's fables. They are not all supposed to be just or teach a lesson but many attempt to.
The result for my story is somewhere in between. Like a cautionary tale.
The final version is set to release in a week on Kindle and Nook as well as a paper back version releasing shortly after.
The short tale is worth taking a look at and I believe, if you like ghost stories, fairy tales, or fables of any kind, you will really enjoy this re-imagining of a very old story like "The Tinderbox".
I hope you all like it. Let me know what you think of it.
Friday, April 14, 2017
New Goodreads.com giveaway ending July 15 2017
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Atlas Down
by Scott Alexander Baker
Giveaway ends July 15, 2017.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Thursday, December 1, 2016
2016 is almost done----- New Projects Galore
Hope everyone is having a great holiday season!
I am ready for 2016 to be gone and ring in a fresh start with 2017.
I had major surgery a little over a month ago and am finally back in the swing of things.
With that being said, I am ready to talk projects.
In the coming year we would are planning to launch multiple projects and release several long planned books.
Starting with a big project with a great illustrator from California.
I think it is going to be a ton of fun to finally see this project come to fruition.
I have been pushing to get this project done for over a year and by pure luck found a perfect
partner to complete this with.
The book is "My Magic Penpal" featuring the tooth fairy and a lot of fun for young readers.
The final project is shaping up to be around 36 pages and full color illustration will bring it to life just right.
On the side of other children's books. I hope that "Busy Bunny's Night of Wonder" will finally be completed and see publication. And there are ten other large books and projects just in chapter books and young readers alone. One such project is a great little adventure called "Dogfeathers".
More on that book series later.
I am reworking Sacrificial Eclipse (part 3) and moving forward with the fourth part of the Everlasting Night Series as well.
There are three other books for adult aged readers as well. Two of said books are mysteries and full of suspense and twists as well as great historical information related to the plots.
I can't wait to get some of these done and share them with everyone. For one such project, the biggest passion I have had since first trying to write down a story, "The First Adventure of Lily Ithica has a book jacket design that I am using to begin finalizing the project. When it releases it will be the biggest single work and most unnerving one I have ever worked on.
The series it belongs to has been something I really am crazy about and driven crazy by but I know it needs to be finished because it is a great story that I really believe in.
The Enchanted Lands of Bisclona Series is a massive scale project that has already seen two children's books (Darby's First Christmas in Bisclona and Darby and the Dewberry Fairies) and has fifteen other chapter book length books in the works. However this first full length novel represents the heart of it all and has been something I have worked on for over ten years. At times I am lost in the potential of the world of Bisclona. So I need to see this book out in the world so I can get back to daydreaming about the rest of the world in the series.
Finally, I am reworking the Dreamcatcher project and am happy to say that it is back on track. over 30 images by 30 illustrators and 30 short stories. I have hopes that it will be scary and nightmare inducing as well as the genre bending book that it was planned to be.
Here is hoping 2017 will be the fruitful year for us all that i think it will be!
Below is an image of the template work being done on "My Magic Penpal"
I am ready for 2016 to be gone and ring in a fresh start with 2017.
I had major surgery a little over a month ago and am finally back in the swing of things.
With that being said, I am ready to talk projects.
In the coming year we would are planning to launch multiple projects and release several long planned books.
Starting with a big project with a great illustrator from California.
I think it is going to be a ton of fun to finally see this project come to fruition.
I have been pushing to get this project done for over a year and by pure luck found a perfect
partner to complete this with.
The book is "My Magic Penpal" featuring the tooth fairy and a lot of fun for young readers.
The final project is shaping up to be around 36 pages and full color illustration will bring it to life just right.
On the side of other children's books. I hope that "Busy Bunny's Night of Wonder" will finally be completed and see publication. And there are ten other large books and projects just in chapter books and young readers alone. One such project is a great little adventure called "Dogfeathers".
More on that book series later.
I am reworking Sacrificial Eclipse (part 3) and moving forward with the fourth part of the Everlasting Night Series as well.
There are three other books for adult aged readers as well. Two of said books are mysteries and full of suspense and twists as well as great historical information related to the plots.
I can't wait to get some of these done and share them with everyone. For one such project, the biggest passion I have had since first trying to write down a story, "The First Adventure of Lily Ithica has a book jacket design that I am using to begin finalizing the project. When it releases it will be the biggest single work and most unnerving one I have ever worked on.
The series it belongs to has been something I really am crazy about and driven crazy by but I know it needs to be finished because it is a great story that I really believe in.
The Enchanted Lands of Bisclona Series is a massive scale project that has already seen two children's books (Darby's First Christmas in Bisclona and Darby and the Dewberry Fairies) and has fifteen other chapter book length books in the works. However this first full length novel represents the heart of it all and has been something I have worked on for over ten years. At times I am lost in the potential of the world of Bisclona. So I need to see this book out in the world so I can get back to daydreaming about the rest of the world in the series.
Finally, I am reworking the Dreamcatcher project and am happy to say that it is back on track. over 30 images by 30 illustrators and 30 short stories. I have hopes that it will be scary and nightmare inducing as well as the genre bending book that it was planned to be.
Here is hoping 2017 will be the fruitful year for us all that i think it will be!
Below is an image of the template work being done on "My Magic Penpal"
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Free Atlas Down book giveaway promotion on Amazon.com
Yeah, that is what I said. Free!
Atlas Down will be given away as a free book in a Christmas promotion I am doing with Amazon.com. From December 22, 2013, to December 26, 2013, the book is absolutely free to buy.
So if your interested, here is a free Sci-fi thriller on me and Amazon.
Check it out!
Thursday, July 18, 2013
First Book Teaser Trailer for Atlas Down
Book Blurb Description of Atlas Down
An ordinary man, Dan Lepsky, an awkward extrovert with high hopes but not much to offer, winds up on a wild adventure.
Dan faces advanced science, nature, and worst of all, a vendetta which he can't quite wrap his mind around. Atlas Down tells the story of the Atlas Research Institute's over reaching policies and violent cover-ups, all the while explaining the involvement of Dan Lepsky, a truly unlucky and unlikely hero.
A twisting, jarring tale that is packed with great plot twists and a journey to the United Kingdom that a fool hardy American like Dan would never have imagined possible.
Unlike Scott's previous works, series like the Everlasting Night and Enchanted Lands of Bisclona, Atlas Down is a stand-alone adventure.
Youtube link to my first book teaser trailer for Atlas Down, releasing September 7th 2013.
Here's to hoping that 2013 is going to be a successful one.
I have a ton of projects launching this year, and early 2014.
Beginning with Atlas Down on September 7th, 2013 followed by
Dream Catcher, a collection of short stories, 24 in fact, that combine to tell a wild tale of nightmares and stolen dreams. It will feature 24 illustrations by artists all over the world.
Then there should be my next children's chapter book Busy Bunny's Night of Wonder.
Sometime in early 2014, Sacrificial Eclipse, my third book in the Everlasting Night Series of vampire and werewolf books, and finally, my greatest love in book form. The first Adventure of Lily Ithica. (From the Enchanted Lands of Bisclona series of chapter books, this is the first full length novel.)
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Wolf Queen Reviewed by Beach Bound Books
Wolf Queen was just reviewed by Stacie Theis over at BeachBoundBooks.com.
She gave a great taste of the book's initial plot and reviews how she thinks the series has progressed.
Thanks Stacie.
To read her review follow the link below.
http://www.beachboundbooks.com/2/post/2013/01/wolf-queen-review.html
She gave a great taste of the book's initial plot and reviews how she thinks the series has progressed.
Thanks Stacie.
To read her review follow the link below.
http://www.beachboundbooks.com/2/post/2013/01/wolf-queen-review.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)