10 Things
Hearts of Iron has been out a little more than a week, and in my entirely biased opinion is doing very well. Sales are good, international readers are starting to discover the book, and I thought I’d take the time to go over some of what I consider are the more important points to cover when you’re talking it up to your friends.
While this is not a comprehensive list of questions, it covers parts of almost every conversation I’ve had about the book int he last two months, and is chock-full of helpful links to more information.
WHAT IT IS: An adventure story. There’s some mystery and intrigue, but the book is primarily about people of action who live in an uncompromising world.
WHAT IT IS NOT: A full length novel. While I have written several books of that size, Hearts of Iron was conceived and executed as a novella of around 29K words. Foreworld SideQuests are meant as a quick jumping-on point to the overall fictional universe, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t great stories in their own rights!
CAN I GET IT ON MY…: If you’re asking or considering this question, the word you’re looking for is likely not Kindle. The Foreworld Saga (and by extension, Hearts of Iron) is published by 47North, an imprint of Amazon.com. You can read the book on any device capable of running a Kindle reading app, including the web browser on which you’re reading this article!
IS THIS PART OF The Mongoliad: Not directly, although events and characters in Hearts of Iron have strong links to those in that book. More on this in a bit.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT: I’m glad I asked that. This book is about three brothers, sons of a Norman knight trying to make a name for themselves and their family. They have a well-deserved reputation as problem solvers, and use their particular skills to affect change in the world around them. Although they are intelligent and well-educated, first and foremost they are fighting men, and their swords get as much use as their minds when they are tasked with recovering an object of great value.
IS THIS PART OF A SERIES: Yes and No. Hearts of Iron is a stand-alone story in the larger Foreworld Saga, which as of this writing also contains three very full volumes of The Mongoliad and eight other SideQuests. The Mongoliad should be read start to finish (pack a lunch. And dinner. And Breakfast. And another lunch…), but the SideQuests cover a wide range of settings and time periods, and can be read in any order. As a Marketing ™ guy, my stated preference is that you pick up the entire series, and then convince your friends to do the same.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST: As mentioned above, this book is a short piece, and not a full novel. As such, Amazon.com has set the price low enough to both give you value for your money and entice you to make a purchase in the first place. It may seem like I’m obfuscating here, but I am neither the publisher or storefront you’re giving money to, and have no guarantee as to when you’ll read these words. Please visit the product links above to buy this and other titles in the Foreworld Saga.
HAVE YOU WRITTEN ANYTHING ELSE: Yes. As mentioned above, I’ve written several full length novels and many game products, though as of this writing the former have yet to see print and most of the latter are out of circulation. I’ve also been maintaining this web site since 2004, so there are a whole bunch of words by me out in the digital world.
WILL YOU BE WRITING MORE ABOUT THESE CHARACTERS: I’d certainly like to. William de Hauteville (one of the brothers mentioned above) is also known as William Iron Arm, and was a central figure in establishing the Norman presence in Italy. Researching his life (and death, lest I be thought coy) started many stories in my head, and I hope someday to share them with you.
WILL YOU GIVE ME A COPY FOR FREE: No, but if you want to sample my book before purchasing it I’m happy to tell you how. You can read the first chapter online at Shelfari.com, and if you are an Amazon Prime member, Hearts of Iron is available for free through the Kindle lending library. I wholeheartedly support both platforms, and hope that you’ll make use of them.
I hope these answers helped you, and if you think of any more non-spoilery questions, please leave me a comment and I’ll answer them as best I can. Until then, here’s the opening line of Hearts of Iron to get you in the mood.