Rave Reviews For A New Fantasy Epic
What's the hottest thing in fantasy reading these days? If reviewers are right, it's Jon Baxley's new medieval Scottish epic, The Blackgloom Bounty, just released from Five Star and Thomson Gale.
San Antonio, TX (PRWEB) April 24, 2006 -- What's the hottest thing in fantasy reading these days? If reviewers are right, it's Jon Baxley's new medieval Scottish epic, The Blackgloom Bounty, just released from Five Star and Thomson Gale. Here are just a few snippets from reviews around the web:
From Publishers Weekly, January 30, 2006 (Starred Review):
"A fast pace, sly humor, amusing dialogue and a richly researched background lift Baxley's fantasy, the first of a new series set in medieval Britain..."
Library Journal, March 15, 2006:
"This series opener...originated as an ebook...and is a good choice for fans of epic-style sagas and Scottish history."
Harriet Klausner, Amazon's #1 Ranked Reviewer:
"This terrific medieval fantasy...will elate readers for its fast-paced, action-thrilled story line starring a strong cast."
Fantasybookspot.com Review by Tyler, February 2006:
"Taking place in Medieval Scotland, this tale of magic, adventure and love really captured my attention..."
So far, reviewers, including those at Amazon US, Amazon Canada, Amazon UK and B&N are of the same mind--they LOVE this book. Why? Simply put, magic (ala Harry Potter) is all the rage with younger readers, but that vein of literary gold has about run its course and many fantasy fans--young and old--are looking for something a bit more on the grown up level. These mature readers are looking for romance, epic adventure, mythical creatures, fast moving action and believable characters. Blackgloom has all that plus a lot more packed into a gorgeous 445 page hard cover library binding that is Thomson Gale's trademark quality.
According to Tiffany Schofield at Five Star, Blackgloom has already surpassed initial sales estimates and is scheduled for an immediate second printing, which apparently is somewhat unusual for books produced primarily for the library trade. But what about retail sales?
When asked about that aspect of the book's success, the author replied, "I've spent the last six months priming the pump with blurbs on various websites, fan clubs and other sources to build prerelease momentum. That seems to have worked, judging from the consistently low (the lower the better) sales rank at Amazon. I've also capitalized on the use of eBook technology by offering free, four chapter demo downloads to lots of prospective buyers. The demo has helped pre-sell not only the hard cover version, but the illustrated eBook version from Twilight Times as well."
So, what's next for The Blackgloom Bounty? According to Baxley, "Five different Hollywood groups are reading the book now for a potential big screen deal. I'm keeping my options open with that while I look for a good agent and try to finish the second book in the series, The Regents of Rhum." A publisher for Regents has yet to be secured.
Contact the author via email (FiveStarAuthor @ aol) or at his website, www.jonbaxley.com, for information and/or a free demo download of Blackgloom.
Copyright 2006 NMcC
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