A Wild Blog Post Appeared!

6/2/2013

It was one year ago yesterday that I wrote the first word of the fantasy novel that ended up as House of Blades. And last night, exactly 365 days later, I uploaded the file to Amazon.

My, how time flies when you're constantly busy.

I'm really excited about this--it's an awesome feeling to look on Amazon and be able to say "Hey, that's me! I made that!" And I know I enjoy fantasy novels that I can get for three dollars or less, so I'm hoping you will too.

The book is available for $2.99 on the Amazon Kindle store, and if you don't have a Kindle, you can easily download one of Amazon's free reading apps. They work on any computer, in your browser, on your smartphone, on your tablet, and in your dreams while you sleep.

Do you have any questions about me? The book? Life in general? Your purpose? Manatees? Let me know in the comments, or if you like you can email me here. Also follow my Twitter and Facebook posts for regular updates, news, and semi-amusing commentary.

Now, a question for you: how did you get here? Did you follow the link in the back of the book? Was it one of my nifty little promotional business cards? Did someone tell you about the site? Did the heavens open up and provide you with a link?

Let me know in the comments, and thanks for reading!

44 Comments

Julie Boom Boom Davis link

6/2/2013 04:17:36 am

Does a manatee have a brain as big as ours?

Will Wight link

6/2/2013 04:28:40 am

A manatee actually has three brains. One for instinct, one for sentient thought, and one for brooding about the true, sinister nature of the universe.

That's science fact.

The Nagger

6/2/2013 09:43:13 am

I came here because someone told me to. Cool book cover.

6/2/2013 11:44:08 am

Thanks! The cover was designed by Chelsey and Caitlin Bateson. You should Google them; they're graphic designers up in Canada.

And as we all know, all the great graphic designers come from Canada.

Larry Boy

6/2/2013 09:43:26 am

When your next book comes out, will you dedicate it to your slave-driving sister again?

6/2/2013 11:47:07 am

I'd like to respond, but my sister's standing over me, reminding me that I need to get back to work.

No, Rebecca, not the whip!

doolinchick

6/5/2013 12:58:19 pm

i heard about it from your parents. and i can smell greatness from amazing distance. it's a seldom celebrated superpower.

Ruurd

6/6/2013 10:21:19 pm

In a lazy mood, leaning back in the garden chair, I read your book. Do get of your lazy ass and make me some more! Please.

6/7/2013 11:34:57 pm

Well, I'll do my best, but I do most of my best work from a sitting position :)

Bludvein

6/16/2013 01:50:43 pm

Just wanted to say I just read your book. Loved it. I like how by the end we can't really tell who the good guys are. Neither side looks all that good tbh.

I also liked the concept of earning your powers rather than just learning how to use them. It sounds very merit-based instead of just being a born winner.

6/16/2013 03:07:31 pm

That's awesome! I'm glad you enjoyed it. In Book 2, matters get even less clear; both sides are doing good things, both sides are doing bad things...it's a mess. Whoever is writing that must be a very confused person.

If you wanted to be my favorite human being, you could leave that comment as a review on Amazon. Just click on however many stars you think the book deserves, copy and paste the comment you just left, and you're done. It would really help me out.

I would give you a cookie. Not a real cookie, because I don't know where you live and it might be far away, but a dream-cookie. An ethereal cookie, made from thoughts and hopes, sent directly from my heart. It could be yours, for the low low price of one Amazon review.

6/17/2013 01:31:31 pm

I'd like to, but it wasn't my amazon account. I had a friend get it for me and just payed him in cash. I don't even have an account on there. I make so few purchases that I never bothered with it.

I did have one small problem with the book though. Did the sword really have to be 7 ft. long or whatever? That's absurdly impractical, even if we ignore the physics of swinging such a heavy blade. He can't stab downwards, can't use it indoors, and theres problems with targets at close range. 3 1/2 feet tops would've been a lot less mind boggling, even if you kept the weight the same somehow.

6/17/2013 10:20:15 pm

Hey, no problem. Glad you enjoyed the book! I'll even send you the metaphysical cookie anyway, just to show there are no hard feelings.

And I made Azura so long for two reasons: one, I thought it would be fun to write. Two, I see swords like that in video games and comics and I think, "Wow, that's cool. But totally impractical." So I wanted to be able to write the impracticality of using a weapon like that, even if you did have the strength and skill to wield it.

In some weird way, it appealed to my sense of humor.

Indormi

6/18/2013 11:59:47 pm

I found this jewel in a rather odd way, I followed a signature link on the HEXTCG forums. If I'm not mistaken he is (self-described) a guy shamelessly advertasing his friend novel.

6/19/2013 12:08:11 am

Hahaha, yeah...that guy is a good friend of mine, and very enthusiastic about the novel. We both backed the Hex KickStarter at the Pro Player tier, and are waiting anxiously for it to come out.

That's one reason I set the release date for The Crimson Vault as August 10th: so that I could have it finished before Hex came out. Therefore I'll have plenty of time to play Hex.

6/19/2013 12:21:49 am

Oh, thats a really really good reason to set the release date. It will also give the readers time to finish it before alpha. I'm terrified though, this is a trilogy and after the second book, Hex would probably have already launched...if Hex is as good as it seems I see the third book really really far away ;P

PS: I backed at GK myself, I use the same nick on the Hex forums, Will the 2 and 3 novel have feudal bloodthirsty bunnies in any of territories? xD

6/20/2013 12:30:09 am

Indormi, apparently I can't reply to your reply. I guess they don't want us having long comment conversations.

And I can neither confirm not deny the existence of Shin'Hare Travelers, who wear purple and green and summon swarms of bloodthirsty bunnies.

But I can tell you this: the Mushwocky is always hungry.

Bill

6/19/2013 01:04:07 pm

I came by link at the end of the book. I purchased and read the book this week and must say well done!

I enjoyed the make your own fate element of the book, the theme "earned is better than given", the dolls (really funny twist". Hope book two opens with the actual canyon battle. Enjoyed very much, thanks!

6/20/2013 12:25:30 am

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Quaza

6/22/2013 02:33:20 pm

I, like Indormi, blame your extremely enthusiastic for my mildly obsessive reaction to your book on your friend on the HEXTCG site. So book two is another thing I'll be pining for all summer.

6/22/2013 02:35:12 pm

I can't type. **blame my ... on your extremely enthusiastic friend**. Words all jumbled up and no edit button with which to cover it up.

6/23/2013 03:07:15 pm

Quaza,

Your words fill me with joy as an Oreo is filled with delicious cream filling.

Thanks for checking the book out! And thanks for encouraging Zarien's efforts; he's a tireless proponent of my book, and frankly an awesome friend.

I would also like to thank you for your insight, weird as that sounds. In your Amazon review, you pointed out that the writing style changes as the character's mindset changes. I definitely intended that, and it really encouraged me that you would notice and point it out.

So thanks!

Tiffy

6/24/2013 07:35:38 pm

I love, love, LOVE your book. That I googled your name to tell you this is proof enough. I like it's slightly tongue-in-cheek nature and the way you poke fun at the prophesied "hero". Simon is seriously awesome, the last time I loved a fantasy character this much was Patrick Rothfuss' Kvothe. I can't wait to read the rest of the series so I can actually find out who the bad guys are, so write fast.

6/25/2013 04:11:53 am

I'm really glad to hear that! It's an honor to have my work compared to the Kingkiller Chronicle, even though Rothfuss can write circles around me with one hand tied behind his back.

And I'm writing as hard as I can! I'm actually on a retreat-sort-of-thing for the next few days, in which I plan to do nothing but write (and, apparently, check this blog). Wish me luck!

Jeremy

6/25/2013 01:46:22 am

This is an excellent first novel, Will. I'm halfway through it, and I see a lot of links between the Barrows/Realms of Steve Erickson and your Territories. Are you going to create an appendix that demonstrates the various powers and inhabitants of each realm as they progress?

6/25/2013 09:25:20 am

I probably will do that, yeah. It's a lot to keep track of otherwise, and there's no way I'm going to get to elaborate on all eleven Territories in the course of the trilogy's plotline.

And I agree with your comparison: the core idea of the Territories is very similar to the Malazan Warrens. I'm a huge fan of Erikson's magic system, and while I didn't directly intend the parallel, I'm sure he was a big influence.

EDIT: Deleted and re-posted this comment to avoid annoyingly repetitive sentences.

Shanna

8/22/2013 07:01:34 am

How did I get here? The author bio on Amazon. I haven't had the chance to read the book yet, but that's because I just found out about it from Ms. Tomko when I visited her this morning and had to wait until I was done with work to look it up.

I am incredibly excited to read this, and not just because we knew each other in the dark age of school field trips.

8/23/2013 01:46:32 am

That's great, Shanna! Ms. Tomko is a hero, and also possibly a tireless android dedicated to the betterment of mankind.

What have you been up to in the past...some number of years?

8/27/2013 12:13:28 am

I absolutely have to second your theory on Ms. Tomko, particularly since she saved me from being knocked out of my wheelchair back in 8th grade when people were caring more about glow sticks than knocking someone over. Also: isn't it odd that so many of her students write(published or otherwise)?

As for what I've been up to... I started college, finished college, started making a name for myself with the touring shows that have come back to the auditorium with the same people, finished NaNoWriMo four times out of eight (and only one was fanfiction) and actually did a major edit on the most recent one.

Right now the box office ladies are realizing how useful I am and are teaching me the ticketing system in between editing just about every printed item leaving the building this season, and I'm designing the lights for a musical at the Flagler Playhouse. I also applied to work on a touring show that would have me traveling all over the place for a month, give or take.

Completely unrelated to productive things, I've also been amassing interest in so many fandoms it's a wonder I'm keeping up with any of them.

8/27/2013 12:20:35 am

Also, I may have posted a link to the Amazon page with your book on it to my Facebook. One of my college friends (the one that helped with my editing so far) said she wants to read the book based solely on your author bio.

Ethan L.

4/13/2014 12:20:12 am

I have a question about House of Blades. I know this is an old post, but I am not sure of where to post this. I have bought City of Light, started reading, but felt as if I needed to re-read the first two books. I started reading House of Blades and in the beginning, where the travellers kill Simon's parents, then where Indirial is bringing Simon back to Myria, Simon says, "Why did they hurt us?" Indirial replies, "Nothing you did." I did catch that the travellers were looking for a Valinhall traveller, but why? That is my question.

Simon link

11/23/2016 05:28:46 pm

Indirial is the Overlord protecting the Valinhall Hanging Tree. They were after the Hanging Tree, not Indirial, and I don't think they were hoping to meet Indirial as you know what he soon did to them.

11/23/2016 05:32:19 pm

The travelers killed Simon's parents as they did not want witnesses. It was really interesting to read and its interesting that one of the traveler's was a grandaughter I think to Grandmaster Naraka. When Indirial tells Simon it was nothing he did, he is indicating the conflict between Enosh and Damasca over the Hanging Trees.

Cool PERson

3/28/2019 04:24:13 pm

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Cool Person

3/28/2019 04:23:02 pm

Aha! After many minutes of searching, I have reached the oldest post! I can put anything I want here and no one will know! mwahahahahah

Simon

3/28/2019 04:26:14 pm

Wow so cool! You are a lucky cool person!

Eithan Arelius

10/31/2019 04:43:15 pm

That's exactly what I did! Also I wanted to see how differently WIll posted back then...here...now...way back when he was still under 1,000 sales. Seems crazy that in 2019 he is so much more popular!

10/31/2019 04:55:51 pm

listen well young children for I come from the distant future where will has occasionally become number 1 best seller on amazon.com!!! Also he has two other series out, Cradle and Elder Empire (He also published Crimson Vault and City of Light). If you want to know more you must reply on this blog post asking me a question of the plot, characters, or magic system...

But Beware! The future knowledge I hold may haunt you....................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Will link

11/1/2019 04:38:09 pm

Hahaha you really did go back in time to my first blog post.

Well played.

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12/16/2020 01:42:11 pm

What... did I just read?

No one

2/2/2021 08:44:29 am

I wonder how often Will looks at this thread.

Also No One

2/22/2021 02:59:38 pm

Hopefully frequently.

Bonk

2/27/2021 03:31:34 am

Cant wait until its a decade old

In which we ramble on.
And by we, I mean me.