Book 1 is now available. Books two and three are due in 2020
Good news for fans of post-apocalyptic fiction, because Book 1, Edge of The Apocalypse is now available on Amazon in paperback and eBook editions. https://tinyurl.com/y89w5rwg
I titled the new series, The Edge of Time and it includes two other books, Epic Apocalypse, Book 2, and Beyond The Apocalypse for Book 3, which will include time-travel events.
I'm very excited about this new series and although I never set out to write about the apocalypse, it turns out that this is topic I really enjoy writing. I got the idea several years ago while developing the Millennium board game (Andrea's Journal) and one thing has led to another and here I am, writing my second book in the series.
So, as if I didn't have enough on my plate already, I've set out to finish two more books. Funny thing is that as daunting as that sounds, I find it very satisfying and a lot of fun to do, so it's not a chore, but a joy for me to accomplish, hopefully in a year or so.
The board game is all but finished and I hope to launch it this September 11 without a hitch. I can't wait for that because Millennium has evolved in amazing ways that I had never thought of when I started designing it back in 2016. It pays to be patient and to sleep on ideas until they are ready to be shared.
These new books are part of the evolution of the board game and writing them is the only option for me. I must write these books and hopefully many more in this genre, not only because the time is right, but because right now this is where my heart and soul is and I'm seizing the moment.
It's going to be a whole new world of exploration in this genre, both post apocalyptic fiction as well as the YA and millennial category of readers.
Lots to learn and a lot to do as things move along towards the year 2020. Here's the link to the new blog,The Edge of Time series of books. I'll also be talking about the book cover designs for all the new books and anything related to the genre.
As an aside, I started watching the post-apocalyptic thriller, Bird Box, a Netflix favorite. I bailed out of it after 20 minutes or so, but I plan to give it another chance this weekend. I didn't get the blindfolding idea. Seemed like a gimmick to me but I'm open to anything so let's see if I can finish watching it this time around.
I did enjoy the opening scenes with Sandra Bullock and her sister, played by Sarah Paulson. Nice tension and dialog.
The movie is actually based on the debut novel Bird Box by Josh Malerman. Rotten Tomatoes has given it a mixed 3-star review and also says that the film lacks tension but has solid performances.
Too early to tell, but we'll see how it ends. That's the true test for any story and I'll post my review and rating in my next post. Stay tuned for much more!
Wise words this author now lives by because I have a good feeling about this amazing new series of books.
What is amazing to me is how this story has seized my mind and soul to the point where I think of very little else except to immerse myself into this apocalyptic world and go along for the ride of a lifetime because writing this series is the most fun I've ever had professionally. What more can one ask for?
I'm constantly taking mental notes, taking notes on my phone, notes on napkins, I'll scribble scene ideas wherever I can at any given time. I often wake up in the middle of the night or early morning to jot down plot events or chapter headings. I am totally obsessed with this story and that's a good thing because I'll have to live with it for a good while until I finish it.
The idea for the book(s) came to me as soon as I thought of including a journal for Andrea's character for the Millennium board game. Nice touch for the game, I thought as I proceeded to outline Andrea's journal. But in the back of my mind, all I could think of was; this could make a good novel or a series of books. Who am I kidding? I barely have time to breathe just trying to finish the board game.
But as the months went by, the journal kept growing and ideas just kept flowing and I couldn't stop writing. Still can't.
Long story, short.
I wrote the first draft of book one in about a week and started outlining and writing the second book as I went along. Before long I had the concept for the series locked-in and hope to publish the two remaining books by early next year.
None of this was planned. It just evolved out of the journal and I am so grateful that I've seized the moment and I've run with it. Best part is that I'm enjoying and savoring every word and every scene as if I was there.
And I am.
I hope you will be too.
Join me on this extraordinary odyssey of words, events, and short stories that I believe can brighten our outlook of the future and add meaning to our days.
Happy New Year, people! We've made it to another amazing year and I'm wishing you a prosperous new year and an exciting and inspiring time reaching your dreams.
For me, there's no better way to start the new year than with new and fresh business plans and ideas. If you're not growing and learning new and exciting things every day, life becomes a monotonous series of daily events. And so with that frame of mind, I'm committed to venture into unknown territory with no fear, no apprehension, and certainly high expectations as I hope you are too.
Pursue what's possible and everything will fall into place. Trust what you know and follow your passion to wherever it takes you and beyond. You'll be surprised how far you can get on a whim.
So along with the new year, comes a new box for the Millennium board game. Yes, this game is alive and well and just about to hit the shelves this coming September 11, 2019, with its companion book, The Edge of The Apocalypse.
The book (available in three formats) will be published sooner but the official launch for both products is 9.11.2019.
New Book Cover
In case you missed it, here's the new cover for the book. As you can see, I've added a pier and Andrea's dog, Apollo. I resolved the problem with the missing feet and so the book should trim close to how this one looks. I think I'll keep these colors and not try to match the book cover to the board game cover.
Although, the more I think about it, the more I'm inclined to tone down the colors on the book cover to almost black and gray, mostly because when you pair these products in one shot they should match in some way. I don't think that will make or break the presentation either way but I'll juxtapose a gray version of the book cover to see how they look together.
There are subtle differences to the game box too. I switched out the main font for the Millennium name because the Montalban font is more distinctive and looks more futuristic. I also toned down the grunge filter so the name stands out a bit more.
About The New Box
The big difference with this new box is the style of the box itself. This is Game Crafter's 9x12 Large Retail Box. At first glance it's a bit unusual because the sides (from the top of the cover) don't reach the bottom of the box. The top and bottom of the box halves (each 1" deep) meet half way to the middle and that's why it looks split. See the Game Crafter video to see how they explain the reason for this kind of box. They claim it's stronger and more durable when folded this way.
I'm sure it is a sturdier box but I'm not so sure it's a great idea for the sides because it limits the width (2 inches) of the space for images, but I do think it looks different and eye-catching enough that buyers might be inclined to pick up the box off a shelf just out of curiosity.
One can also try to match the bottom of the box to the top of the box to create a seamless image on the 2 inch sides but I doubt these images will match up because the first prototype box top was off by almost half an inch! I'm not sure what happened with their registration marks but the cover was way off, with the name too close to the edge on the top of the box. I'll be sure to comment about that when they print this next 9x12 prototype. Either that or I'll be more careful to position the cover image exactly how I want it t appear.
We are all born with great intuition and natural instincts.
These qualities are all we need to survive in life.
Thriving is just a matter of details.
I never fussed about it because these are only prototypes, but I hope this next box looks a lot better than the first. Another concern was how dark most of the images printed. I've made adjustments to the artwork by increasing the brightness about 20% on Photoshop so when the PNG files upload and you enable the color filter, the artwork will not appear or print as dark as it did before. This box is also big enough to fit the 6-fold game board that I'm using so I can fit the entire U. S. map as opposed to just the east coast as in the first game.
Millennium has evolved in so many ways and my advice to game designers is to start with a solid core concept and develop the game from that concept outward until you reach a conclusion that satisfies the players.
You must have a clear event or incident that sets the game off and leads to both short-term and long-term goals leading up to the game's conclusion and the big finale; the ultimate strategy and final goal that makes the game worth playing from start to finish.
Millennium's Concept
In Millennium's case, a nuclear explosion in Austin, Texas, sets the game off in a big way and triggers apocalyptic events revealing the attacker's Manifesto with their warnings and taunting demands. As explosions randomly ripple across the land, you solve clues and anagrams to stay clear and avoid the next bomb.
You can also rescue survivors for extra points as you try to avoid a variety of obstacles and pitfalls along the way. You can find different modes of transportation, such as electric cars, scooters, and even an Amtrak train.
If you reach Brooklyn, NY, you can travel back in time via a time portal at the Meridian line via Coney Island's Astroland Amusement Park. Each of these events and cities have card decks to help you get there and accumulate points as you go.
In short, it's an interesting and fun American history lesson as you make your way across the map to your nearest safe haven.
There's much more to the game, including video links, a Rule eBooklet with all the game rules and game play you need to know, right on your phone or tablet. They are minimal because the game is designed intuitively since events happen sequentially as they might in real life.
As the day of publication nears, I'll post more details about how to play the game. The rule book is only about 15 pages long and the game is very easy to learn. In addition, all card decks provide plenty of information on your next move so it's a quick game to learn as you play.
