It is strange, having an ARC out there in the wild, in reader's hands, being read (or propping up a wonky table) and reviewed.
And it does look very pretty... and feels heavy in my hands!
I know the book itself is finished, but the process is just beginning.
Netgalley, Goodreads, Twitter and Facebook - I've seen my book on them all (and been incredibly excited to do so - interacting with those who've enjoyed it has been absolute amazing experience!) and seen it being discussed, reviewed, and commented upon.
Thing is, and this I have to get my head around, the book, the story and its characters are no longer mine - they've been given to others to make of them what they will, to shift to their own views and expectations, to view them through the lens of their own experiences.
No one view is totally right or totally wrong - even me, the fellow who wrote the damn thing no longer holds a monopoly on what these characters mean to people, or how they view them. I tried to make Kyron irritating and force him to grow up.
I tried to make Bordan world-weary but with a core unshakeable sense of duty.
I tried to put them both through the "wringer" and see what came out... who would break, who would stand firm?
I loved writing Emlyn's little comments, her world views, as one who stood between the two worlds she is forced to interact with.
I tried to give all the characters a little hook, or something to make them different, give them purpose and motivations - I think I did OK, but I'm not the judge, the arbiter of good and bad in this.
That's the readers job. Good luck to you all!
Meanwhile, I'll be sailing the seas of Valheim - Land ho! (and irritating Grey Dwarves!)
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