Another year is coming to a close and it’s been a busy one, although because of a mid-year move I wasn’t able to do quite as much promo for SHADOW OF THE LION as I’d like to have. I did a couple of readings in Vancouver and for some suburban writing groups but for next year I’m hoping to get more readings/workshops lined up.
The book promo highlight of the year was the trip I made to Athens in late September/October – a short trip this time but it gave me a chance to do some readings there which I always enjoy. Shortly after I arrived in Athens I went for a three-day trip to my favorite camp site on Naxos, and then on to Crete to visit the Minoan site of Knossos. While in Iraklion I had the pleasure of meeting one of my writing mentors for the first time in person. Dr. Jack Dempsey and I have been on-line friends for several years and as he has now moved to Iraklion from the US I was able to meet him. We spent a pleasant afternoon at a seafood restaurant by the Venetian Harbor talking about archaeology and our books.
The first reading was at the Canadian Institute to a good sized audience of interested people, many academics as well as some friends, and a nice reception afterwards. I read mainly from SHADOW OF THE LION: THE FIELDS OF HADES
The second reading I was at the Athens American School. I’ve visited there a couple of times in the past and always enjoy reading to the kids there. This time it was a class of 50 grade nine students and later a smaller class of older students where I presented a writer’s workshop which included readings from SHADOW OF THE LION (both volumes)
The following week I was invited to read at the Athens Centre. I titled this presentation “In Alexander’s Footsteps”. This was also a large audience with many academics attending and, as with the others, included a question/answer discussion and a reception later in the courtyard.
You may note that I have now a new website dedicated strictly to my published works which focuses on SHADOW OF THE LION. You can find it at www.inalexandersfootsteps.com
Once back home and settled into my cozy new bachelor suite I have been back at my writing, working on another novel titled DRAGONS IN THE SKY which I began long before writing SHADOW. In this novel, a Celtic tale in first person, I introduce Alexander as a youth.
My plan for 2018 is to focus on putting SHADOW OF THE LION into an ebook. I have hoped the publisher would reprint both volumes in soft cover for better marketing but that may not happen. Neither will the hoped-for translation. This means I’ll have to be diligent with my marketing and I have sent out requests to as many writer’s groups and organizations as I can find Province-wide to do readings and workshops. Hopefully this will up the sales. Remember, both volumes SHADOW OF THE LION: BLOOD ON THE MOON and SHADOW OF THE LION: THE FIELDS OF HADES are available on Amazon.com and the Book Depository.
