Hi folks,
So, I’m about eight months out from self-publishing my first book, Even Closer Than the Sea and Other Stories-a collection of my sci-fi and horror short stories. This was my first experience of actually putting my writing out to the public. I’ve been quite pleased with the results–I’ve had more sales than I expected, and I’ve received some nice comments and reviews from a wide range of folks–some whom I know, and some whom I don’t! It’s been a very satisfying experience, and it seems the most common comments I’ve received have been along the lines of “I really liked the worlds you created–I just wish the stories were longer so I could see more of them.”
That’s really encouraging for any aspiring writer, and along those lines, I’m currently about two-thirds through the first draft of my new full-length novel. Compared to my short stories, this one is a little less fantastical and more in the vein of historical fiction. Pursuant to my love of Hong Kong martial arts movies (particularly Shaw Brothers’ productions), and my own study of Chinese martial arts over many years, the novel is firmly in the “martial arts” genre. It’s the story of a young American who’s the son of Christian missionaries in Shanxi, China, around the year 1900. He finds himself in the midst of the historical whirlwind of the Boxer Rebellion, and after a heart-wrenching loss, he begins his own training in the Chinese martial arts. His story is tragic and uplifting at the same time, and in China he finds loyal allies, terrible adversaries, kindness, cruelty, adventure and love. I’m quite excited about the story, and I do hope it will find an enthusiastic readership. Thanks for your interest! -Kyle