# New World: a Frontier Fantasy... 4.2 stars & FREE



## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

This is *not* a novel set in a world filled with knights, dragons, swords & sorcery.

But what if people in a world like that discovered a *new continent* -- a distant land where the rules were very different?

​
In this land called Mira, the brutal sacking of a young colony links the fates of two opposite characters: a twelve-year-old printer's son named Simon Jones and his long-lost uncle Tiberius Bogg, one of Mira's legendary mountain men.

Simon is small, but smart; scared but determined. Bogg, with his raccoon-skin cap and smart-talking grammar abuse, is fast as a splintercat and stealthy as a hidebehind. Together, they turn the tables and pursue their attackers (a cruel knight and his soldiers from the old country) through a wilderness full of extraordinary creatures -- jackelopes and thunderbirds, fur-bearing trout and four-legged hills -- all culled from American tall tales, Indian legends, and backwoods folklore.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Welcome to KindleBoards, Steven, and congratulations on your book! 

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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Thanks, Ann!

Here is an excerpt from New World, as Simon and Bogg begin on horseback together:

===

They were fairly deep in the sticks. The narrow trail they followed weren't used by much other than deer, mountain men like Bogg, and the occasional lost soul and the hidebehind that et him. "Hey, pup."

"Yes sir?"

"You ever heard of a hidebehind?" This story, Bogg reckoned, might help send Simon packing home.

"No, sir. Is it a kind of shelter?"

So the lad was thinking of stopping for the night after all. "No, it's a kind of critter. Only I can't tell you what it looks like, because nobody's ever seen one."

"Not even you?"

D*mn the boy's sass. "Not even me. Folks get to walking lost out in the woods. Out of food, out of courage. Walking on, not knowing the way. The fear, it changes them. Changes their tread, you see. Changes their breathing, changes the kind of noises they make. Probably changes their smell. The hidebehind gets wind of that and starts following."

Bogg let that image take root, as the horses picked their way along. "The hidebehind makes noise, but only on purpose. It'll snap a twig, rustle a leaf, to let the feller know it's there. Feller looks around, but sees nothing, because the hidebehind ducked back of a tree or suchlike cover. Wicked fast, you see. The feller scoots on, more scared, and the hidebehind stays on him. Every time he looks back, he don't see it. But he hears it all the time. Pretty soon, he panics and runs himself ragged. And when he's got no more strength, the hidebehind saunters up and eats his entrails."

Bogg waited for a reply from the lad. He was quiet a long time.

===


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Fans have noticed that the mountain man, Bogg, has a way with words.  For example, when his thirsty mare comes to a ravine with water too low to be reached, he says:

"Poor horse.  Must be like smelling whiskey through a jailhouse winder."


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## UnicornEmily (Jul 2, 2011)

Sounds interesting.  How does the magic come into it?


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Hi Emily!

Unlike the old country, spells do not work in Mira. But the ecosystem is magical -- the skin of a splintercat is invulnerable, and Bogg wears such a skin as a protective cloak. The flesh of a fur-bearing trout has an effect on Simon that I'll not describe here. There are seldom-seen beings in the deep woods -- vivets -- and no one knows if they are magical or not.

Now, a Boggism for the week:

"I'd as soon shin up a thorn tree with an armload of eels!"

New World: a Frontier Fantasy Novel


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## acellis (Oct 10, 2011)

This looks like fun! And at that price, why not give it a try?


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Thanks! Yep, that $0.99 price won't go anywhere but up. But not for the time being.

I can't resist... just one more. Bogg, on resourcefulness:

"This world is a goose, and them that do not pluck will get no feathers."

New World


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

There are some wild creatures from Native American folklore in New World as well, such as the chenoo, more commonly called the wendigo.

Not to mention four-legged hills.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Nice bump in sales happening this weekend, for this book and not my other.  I haven't discovered why yet.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

American folklore is a rich source for fantasy. One of my favorite creatures in New World is the splintercat. According to Wikipedia:

"The splintercat (Felynx arbordiffisus) is a legend and fictional animal in the United States... a nocturnal feline animal of great ferocity. It flies through the air with terrific speed and when it hits a large tree, it knocks the branches off, withers the trunk and leaves it standing like a silvery ghost..."


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

There are monsters in the woods...


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Now and then, a quote appears from Simon's book:
_
The land of Mira was discovered, it is believed by most reputable historians, in the twenty-third year of the reign of Lord Barriyour, the Bold. It first appears in the testimony of a convicted privateer named Usrigoth, during his trial for crimes against Lord Barriyour's marine estates. Usrigoth spoke during his trial of his many methods of eluding capture, one of which was to 'fly on, fly on, when the Bold's navy is hot for you, fly on, and you'll reach the edge of the world. And what's there, you'll find, when your hold is dry, and your beams are shrinking, and your teeth are loosening, is a new world, a miraculous land where you can hide, that will save you from the navy, but kill you, kill you in its own way.'

In the decades that followed, other reports of a distant land beyond the great ocean could be heard, and its rough coast began to appear on the charts of pirates and other rogues. Later, the name 'Mira Land' or simply 'Mira' appeared as well._

Excerpt from the Introduction to _Survival in the Miran Wilds_

by Dugan Wisefoot


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

"For those who like to read adventure stories, this one is unusual..."

(From a review on this book's B&N page.)


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

"A fun fantasy with interesting creatures and nasty evil villains..."

New World: a Frontier Fantasy Novel


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

My previous cover, which I still sort of like:


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

"One of the new brilliant creators in fiction." - Author Doniella Boaz, re: _New World_

"Just the right amount of tension and action." - Barry North, re: _Turing's Revenge and Other Stories
_
"Obviously has a great knowledge of both history and science." - Author Kevin E. Lake, re: _Outrageous Fortunes_

"Fun adventure... a delight to read." - Alternate History Weekly Update, re: _Outrageous Fortunes_


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

At this moment, New World: a Frontier Fantasy Novel is:

#862 Free in Kindle Store

#8 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Fantasy > Historical


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

New World: a Frontier Fantasy Novel is still free.

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #811 Free in Kindle Store

*#4* in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Fantasy > Historical


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

"Brilliant pace and raw description... gritty and exciting." - Christian Parker, Barnes & Noble

New World: a Frontier Fantasy Novel


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

​
Across the sea lies a newly discovered continent, a world whose forests and beasts are unknown to the recorded memory of elves, dwarves, or men.

In this land called Mira, the brutal sacking of a young colony links the fates of two opposite characters: a twelve-year-old printer's son named Simon Jones and his long-lost uncle Tiberius Bogg, one of Mira's legendary mountain men.

Simon is small, but smart; scared but determined. Bogg, with his raccoon-skin cap and smart-talking grammar abuse, is fast as a splintercat and stealthy as a hidebehind. Together, they turn the tables and pursue their attackers (a cruel knight and his soldiers from the old country) through a wilderness full of extraordinary creatures - jackelopes and thunderbirds, fur-bearing trout and four-legged hills - all culled from American tall tales, Indian legends, and backwoods folklore.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

New World: a Frontier Fantasy Novel is still a free download.

A reader asked this evocative question in a five-star review yesterday: "What if Lewis and Clark stumbled into this version of the West?"


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

There are ninety and nine secrets to riding a four-legged hill... and only the Walking Man knows the hundredth.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

The latest B&N review for New World: a Frontier Fantasy Novel begins:

"Amazing, people!"

 And the novel is still free.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Here's the readout today:

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #372 Free in Kindle Store

    #3 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Fantasy > Historical
    #14 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Action & Adventure

(It hit #112 on Wednesday, a record, thanks to Ereader News Today.)


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Hey, it's still free.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

A snip from the latest review:

"It is truly delightful when one of the *'free downloads'* end up being one of my *5-star* reviews and I have another author to put on my 'look for' lists."


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

We're all familiar with the elves and gnomes of folktales across the pond.  But there is a rich menagerie of extraordinary beings found in American tall tales, too.  And hardly anyone has written about those.

Splintercats and hidebehinds and wendigos, oh my!


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

New World: a Frontier Fantasy Novel. 4.8 stars on Amazon. Still free.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

There are monsters in these woods...


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Ever heard of a four-legged hill?

From a distance, that's really what it looks like. Up close... you're dead.

New World: a Frontier Fantasy Novel.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

A recent review:  "The author takes elements of the American frontier, mixes well with intriguing elements of a fantasy world and comes up with a quirky, fun read."


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Part of a recent Goodreads review: "This was a fast paced enjoyable story. It was fun to watch Simon grow and find his strengths."

New World: a Frontier Fantasy Novel​


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

"Brilliant pace and raw description... gritty and exciting." - Christian Parker, Barnes & Noble

New World: a Frontier Fantasy Novel


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Still free.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

We're all familiar with the elves and gnomes of folktales across the pond.  But there is a rich menagerie of extraordinary beings found in American tall tales, too.  And hardly anyone has written about those.

Splintercats and hidebehinds and wendigos, oh my!


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

New World: a Frontier Fantasy Novel. 4.8 stars on Amazon. Still free.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Latest Amazon review:  "a unique approach to fantasy novels... a good read."


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

This unusual little novel has been price-matched to free for a few months. But I've got a new title coming out that will shake things up... so this one's free days may be numbered.

Grab it while you can.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Ever heard of a four-legged hill?
From a distance, that's really what it looks like. 
Up close... you're dead.

New World: a Frontier Fantasy Novel.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

​
Across the sea lies a newly discovered continent, a world whose forests and beasts are unknown to the recorded memory of elves, dwarves, or men.

In this land called Mira, the brutal sacking of a young colony links the fates of two opposite characters: a twelve-year-old printer's son named Simon Jones and his long-lost uncle Tiberius Bogg, one of Mira's legendary mountain men.

Simon is small, but smart; scared but determined. Bogg, with his raccoon-skin cap and smart-talking grammar abuse, is fast as a splintercat and stealthy as a hidebehind. Together, they turn the tables and pursue their attackers (a cruel knight and his soldiers from the old country) through a wilderness full of extraordinary creatures - jackelopes and thunderbirds, fur-bearing trout and four-legged hills - all culled from American tall tales, Indian legends, and backwoods folklore.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

_New World_ is my highest-ranked novel. Just picked up another review, bringing the average to an absurd *4.9 stars.*


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

"Difficult to put down," said that reviewer.  

If you want a new kind of fantasy adventure, take a look.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

New World: a Frontier Fantasy Novel. 4.9 stars on Amazon. Still free.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

"A fun fantasy with interesting creatures and nasty evil villains..."

New World: a Frontier Fantasy Novel​


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

We're all familiar with the elves and gnomes of folktales across the pond.  But there is a rich menagerie of extraordinary beings found in American tall tales, too.  And hardly anyone has written about those.

Splintercats and hidebehinds and wendigos, oh my!


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

New World just received my favorite review ever: a five-star written in the unique voice of Bogg, one of the main characters. Wow. Does that count as fan fiction?


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

11th review, in part:  "I couldn't put it down. I love that it was different than a lot of fiction out there."


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Time to bite the bullet and get started on a sequel.  This one will be known as Book I of the Chronicles of Mira.

(Or something like that.)


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Here is Wikipedia's picture of a hidebehind. It's an artist's conjecture, since no one has ever seen this animal and lived to tell about it.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

The latest reviewer called it "flavorful" (I like that), and said:

"I was surprised by how much I loved this book. It's not my typical read."


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Ever heard of a *four-legged hill*? From a distance, that's really what it looks like. Up close... you're dead.

New World: a Frontier Fantasy Novel.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

I wrote the first draft of _New World_ back in 2006, and spent years editing it. Now, I'm working on the sequel, and returning to Mira feels so familiar. I remember these woods...

...and the fearsome critters within.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

New World: a Frontier Fantasy Novel. 4.6 stars on Amazon. Still free.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Latest review says, "A fantasy novel with a twist. The author's somehow combined a frontier (almost western) novel with a pre-history fantasy story and has done it VERY well."


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## anna_masters (Feb 14, 2013)

I've just read this comment on the book that said "What if Lewis and Clark stumbled into this version of the West?" - Author Penn Wallace, re: New World and I found it very convincing. That and the fact that the book is free. This sounds like a really enjoyable book. Thanks!


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Hi, Anna.

The more research I do for the sequel, the more excited I get. This is going to be fun!

New World: a Frontier Fantasy Novel. 4.6 stars on Amazon. Still free.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

New World just its 19th review. A five-star.

Here is a not-terribly-accurate picture of a splintercat. They are faster than a cheetah, and more massive. Bogg, the main character, wears a coat made of splintercat skin. He describes them as black and deadly, racing over the landscape "like a thunderbird shadow."


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

We're all familiar with the elves and gnomes of folktales across the pond. But there is a rich menagerie of extraordinary beings found in American tall tales, too. And hardly anyone has written about those.

Splintercats and hidebehinds and wendigos, oh my!


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

New World's 20th review brought it back up to 4.7 stars.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

I just wrapped up Week 1 of drafting the sequel.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

New World: a Frontier Fantasy Novel, unlike any other. Still free.


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## Vaalingrade (Feb 19, 2013)

I just saw this thread and it's very cool that you're using Fearsome Critters.


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## Shane Ward (Jan 25, 2013)

Looks like a detailed and well thought through book. Everyone needs a little fantasy now and then to get away from the daily lives...


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Thanks, you two. New World is surging mysteriously on the free lists this week:

#20 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy > Historical
#95 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

The 22nd review says "Quirky..."

Yep.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

The sequel is putting up a fight, but I've got 14,000 words and I shall be victorious!  Just 50,000+ to go.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

The new cover is up at Smashwords, with a design that will match the coming sequels (found the images at Shutterstock):


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Plugging away on the sequel.    Due out later this year.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Just broke 30K words on the sequel this morning.  

Hoopsnakes.  That is all.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Someone titled her review *Best Adventure Book Ever!*

Wow. New World: a Frontier Fantasy Novel. Still free.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

We're all familiar with the elves and gnomes of folktales across the pond. But there is a rich menagerie of extraordinary beings found in American tall tales, too. And hardly anyone has written about those.

Splintercats and hidebehinds and wendigos, oh my!


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Took a few months off there. But I'm back to say that the new cover has this novel on the edge of a 1000 free downloads this month. I've never hit 4 figures before. Eleven to go...


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Just blew past 50 reviews.  And the sequel is its second round of editing.  Closer... closer...


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Sequel's out!


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

40 five-star reviews -- the latest says "I was spellbound."


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

The sequel got its first review. 5 stars. I was worried. As an author, you never know. 
Meanwhile, NEW WORLD is still out there, still free, and still full of monsters.

​


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

49 five-star reviews (87 total).
At 50, I'm having a beer.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Someone on the intertubes is promoting my book, but I don't know who! It was downloaded for free 177 times yesterday. 
So thanks, whoever you are, for giving me a pretty green spike on Amazon.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

New World: a Frontier Fantasy Novel, still free.
Got that 50th five-star review. Had that beer. 
This week, I'm formatting the sequel for Createspace.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Here is the sequel:


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

The sequel's got 22 reviews now.  And NEW WORLD has 167. And some fans started a forum chat about book 3 on my Amazon author page!


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

I've got some work from this series due to appear in a collection with three other authors. That's exciting! It's in the "medieval western" genre, which is apparently an actual thing.  I remember coining "frontier fantasy" in an effort to describe what this stuff is like.


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## MelodieRochelle (Jan 4, 2016)

Looks intriguing.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Thanks, Melodie!
SWORDS FOR HIRE should come out next week, with the fantasy of Derek Alan Siddoway, James Downe, Chris Adams, and yours truly.
I'll put a link for it here.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

_Swords for Hire_ is out! This anthology has an excerpt from _New World_, as well as a story, "Goldseeker," that takes place in Mira ten years before the events of _New World_.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

A Boggism from "Goldseeker":

"Outlanders who get themselves into woods this far and snakey ought to be bored for the simples."

(Bored for the simples is an actual Ozark expression. It meant drilling a hole in your head to let the stupid out.   )


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