Lee Stephen

The website of author Lee Stephen

Epic

By

A Difficult Year

I don’t write blog entries often. To be honest, I think most bloggers blog too much. Long ago, back in my high school days, I remember someone saying, “talk is cheap because the supply exceeds the demand.” For whatever reason, that quote stuck with me my entire life. I think most people who follow this blog realize by this point that there’ll be no such thing as a “daily dose of Lee Stephen.” I can’t help but feel it’s better that way.

I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about a release date for Epic 5: Enemy One. It’s a question that, at this moment in time, doesn’t have an answer. I would love to release book five by 2014, but if current progress is to be used as a measuring stick, 2014 might be a long shot. I’ve always been a slow writer, despite the fact that it works to my disadvantage by common “marketing/profiting” sense. I just believe in quality. I know writers who pump out thousands of words per day, every day, and release numerous novels every single year. I don’t believe quality can be forced. As a case-in-point for that, I recently attempted to hold myself to a 750-words-per-day average. This went on for about two months, so for two months, Enemy One grew by almost a thousand words per day. And after two months, I sat back, looked at what my fingers had produced, and saw that it was poor. It wasn’t what you guys have come to expect from Epic or from me. It was story progression, and that was it. It was going through the motions, and that’s never been what Epic’s been about.

I’ve really been struggling lately. In life, in existence, so yes, naturally in Epic, too. The only way I can think to describe it is just to say, flat-out, that I’m tired. In the past year, I’ve had two things happen in my life that have impacted my entire perception of what life is. I experienced the birth of my son, Levi, who is now an 11-month-old bottle of energy and my best little buddy. Watching him grow from an infant, wrapping his entire hand around my finger, into a rug-rat who’s crawling around the house, exploring every nook, cranny, and loose object we forget to pick up, has been an indescribable adventure (if you’re a parent, you know). Bringing a baby into the world changes your perception on everything. The life you live is no longer your own. You look back at your own youth and you foresee your eventual end. Your focus shifts from, “do the best that you can,” to, “do the best that you can for him.” It is the ultimate passing of the torch, and it is completely wonderful.

I was also diagnosed with cancer. After over six months of tests and chemotherapy, I am pleased (and incredibly blessed) to be able to say that I’m in remission. But the cost of this six-month war was great. Though I managed to hold onto my hair, I did lose something much more meaningful: my sense of immortality. There’s nothing quite like the rationalization of your own death to put a permanent tilt on your expectations. It has a way of making things you took for granted seem infinitely more important, while at the same time gently pushing things you once held dearly a little further back in the fridge. If you’ve ever wanted to have your entire life’s priorities rearranged, I wholeheartedly recommend having your first child and getting cancer at the same time.

I’m writing all this really to request one thing: please be understanding and patient with me. Epic has always demanded a great deal from me emotionally. I just haven’t recuperated to the point where I can give it what it deserves. I’m not going to just force out fluff for the sake of doing it. I want Epic to be special. For it to be special, I need to be in the right frame of mind, and I’m just not there yet. This year has been very, very draining. It’s been the most challenging year of my life.

But I am not going anywhere, and neither is Epic. Enemy One, and the DOD audiobook, and everything else I have in store are still coming. My fuel cells just need to recharge.

So bear with me, stick with me, and if you’re inclined, toss a prayer or two toward me. I could really use them.

I may try and blog a bit more over the coming weeks, but it may be on more miscellaneous topics than Epic or writing. Just the same, I think it’ll be beneficial for the purpose of getting myself back into gear, slowly but surely. It could only be a good thing.

Till next time,
-LS

By

The April Round-Up!

This entry’s been a long time coming! As many of you know, April was a ginormous (wow…spell-check apparently considers “ginormous” a legitimate word…what have we come to?) month for Epic. In other words, there’s a LOT to talk about.

But I want to start with this:

THANK YOU. Seriously. THANK YOU. To everyone who posted reviews on Amazon, to everyone who spread the word about the promos Epic had going on, to everyone who did anything whatsoever in support of the series this month, you cannot imagine how unbelievably appreciative I am! For those unfamiliar with what’s been going on this month, here’s the 30-second summary. During the month of April, Epic ran several free promos on Amazon, two with Dawn of Destiny and one with Outlaw Trigger. All in all, over 18,000 copies of the two books were downloaded on Kindle. The goal was to introduce Epic to a wider audience and hopefully draw attention to the series as a whole, now four books strong and growing. The determining factor as to whether or not this worked was whether or not the subsequent books in the series experienced increased sales. So did it work?

Resoundingly, yes.

This month, with a day left to go, the Epic series has sold over 1,400 copies. It may even threaten the 1,500 mark. Epic has sold more copies in April 2013 than it has in any other year. During its free stretch, Dawn of Destiny reached as high as #14 on the best-selling free Kindle book list for all free eBooks in all genres in America (and seriously, is there a more appropriate number it could have hit than 14?). It also became the most downloaded, as in #1, free eBook in science-fiction. Basically, the doors of promotion were blown open.

April has been a game-changer for Epic, and honestly, for myself. Now, one month is just that, a single month. But what it’s done has shown the potential of what Epic could be. Though 1,400 copies sold in April doesn’t guarantee 100 sales in May, it shows that these kinds of numbers are possible. The goal now is to maintain. That’s the tricky part – the part no one can do for me. I have never been a promotional powerhouse. It’s just not my strong suit. But though the challenge is hard, the goal is worth it, that goal being to achieve true commercial success. For as much as Epic has been able to sustain itself, it’s never been a series I’ve profited from. The profits have always gone into the costs of production. I’ve stayed afloat. The thought of that changing in the positive is very, very enticing. After going at this for seven years, I think I’m ready.

It would be completely inappropriate of me to write all of the above but fail to mention Duolit, the self-publishing duo of Toni & Shannon who took me on as a client several months back. Saturday marked the last of our twelve weekly sessions together, during which we completely remodeled Epic’s platform. It was my “author boot camp.” The challenge with Epic has always been the total lack of marketing savvy on the part of its author, me. It doesn’t matter how sound a series is, if there’s no fuel in the promotional engine, it’s not going anywhere.

I could probably write ten pages worth of praise for what Duolit was able to do with me and the Epic series, but for the sake of keeping this all in one entry, I’ll sum it up with the following: teaming up with Duolit was the single best decision I’ve ever made as an author. In doing their job, they’ve etched themselves a chapter in Epic’s history. If I was one to label chapters, I’d call it The Turning Point. Everything that Epic has become as an online presence is because of the groundwork they laid and the direction they provided. From a redesigned website to the revival of the Epic newsletter, no stone was left unturned. They deserve all the credit in the world for this month and the two months prior. It will be a joy to share with other authors how Duolit saved this series.

So what’s next? Well, quite a bit! Those of you who signed up for the newsletter know that a major emphasis is being placed on pure writing speed, as I attempt to transform from a once-every-three-years publisher to something a bit more speedy and consistent. That’s huge right now. I’ll have some more specifics regarding that soon, but that will once again likely be a newsletter feature, as that’s more a behind-the-scenes issue than a goings-on of Epic one. But to sum it up quickly, there’s a plan being put into place for speed concerns. It’s time to start pumping out literature.

In the meantime, stay tuned. There’s a lot coming up even in the non-Epic realm, including my podcast interview with Mark Elias, the Next Big Thing cast job for Becan McCrae. Look for that to be posted this week (soon). There are also more cast jobs to be done period, so get ready for new faces in the coming months! Though the casting series isn’t my primary focus, it is something I’ll be diving into every now and then, probably in 3-4 character spurts. As always, it’ll be fun!

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TNBT Cast: Mishael Morgan (Esther Brooking)

 

Her eyes were large and brown, and they followed Scott with heightened timidity. She was tiny, and slender to match. She looked like a scout.
Her eyes were large and brown, and they followed Scott with heightened timidity. She was tiny, and slender to match. She looked like a scout.

Want to know what this is about? Check out this blog entry! For those who want to cut to the chase and get right to the podcast, scroll all the way down. For the rest of you (and we hope all of you!), read on about Mishael’s role with Epic’s The Next Big Thing cast.

Admit it. You’ve been waiting for this one.

There are hundreds of named characters in Epic. It has more than its fair share of stars. But if you had to break everything down, if you had to name one – just one – character who transcended all of that…one superstar…you’d be hard-pressed not to consider our next entry. Yes, this is Scott Remington’s series. Yes, characters like David Jurgan, Becan McCrae, and Jayden Timmons have been there since day-one. Yes, Svetlana Voronova came onto the scene as a stalwart. But to put it simply, there is no character, in any series, in any medium, in any anything, like Esther Brooking.

If you wanted to define Esther by the book, you’d say she was a tactical observations specialist from Cambridge, England. But if you’ve read Epic, you know that nothing about Esther could remotely be described as “by the book.” Just the same, tactical observations is her role. She’s a Type-2 scout; that’s what Type-2 scouts do. While the rest of the squad is laying down suppression fire in the city streets, Esther’s the one scaling the rooftops and slinking behind enemy lines to slit a few throats and tell her sniper where to shoot. She’s black ops. And do fans love that? Absolutely. But that’s not why they love Esther.

They love Esther because of the other things she brings to the table. Attitude. Unpredictability. An insane amount of cleverness and wit. She’s biting sarcasm with a side of romantic drama and a pinch of slapstick comedy. She’s entertainment and intensity. Epic’s official little spitfire.

[stextbox id=”black” image=”null”]The American was on Esther’s side of the corner. He shouted between bursts of gunfire. “There’s no way all twenty Bakma took the same hall! I’m guessing there’s six down there, tops. We can take six if we charge.”

“What if you’re wrong?”

“I’m never wrong.”

Esther looked at his nametag. When she read it, her mouth fell. “Custer? Your last name is Custer?”

The soldier fired again. “Yeah, so what?”

Esther fell back to the wall. “We’re all going to die.”[/stextbox]

It’s no secret that Esther is one of my favorite characters. Heck, I made her Epic’s official character ambassador. She’s also, by far, the most inspired character in the series. She’s the only one with whom I regularly argue. I have planned out more scenes that you could possibly imagine, only to have Ms. Brooking show up and say, “You know that plan you thought you had? Yeah, I’m going this way instead.” She challenges me as a writer, which makes her incredibly fun to write.

I have to watch how much I say about Esther, because I know a lot of people reading this will be unfamiliar with the Epic series. The most entertaining aspects of her would definitely fall into “major spoiler” territory. But for the purpose of this entry, I can give you the basics. Esther makes her debut in the second installment of Epic, Outlaw Trigger, as a rookie scout straight out of EDEN Academy. She joins Scott Remington’s unit with high marks from her combat courses and a skill-set that ranges from extraterrestrial culture to world-class swimming, eager to prove herself a battlefield game-changer. She’s highly ambitious. She’s also never seen live combat. And that’s the best way to introduce Esther without giving away too much. But trust me when I say that her story alone is worth the price of admission. There’s a reason she’s known (by fans) as Epic’s most complex character. Some characters are scene-stealers. If it was up to Esther, she’d steal the whole series.

[stextbox id=”black” image=”null”]“For whatever reason,” Esther went on, “their captain is choosing not to respond. If there were any outward signs of a fight, not only would we have heard it on the ground, but it would have been seen from the Vindies in orbit. Even if he’s under duress from hostiles outside his transport, he should be able to relay that to us.” She paused. “I think he has a gun to his head.”

That was much more in-depth than Scott had ventured to think. He’d simply reached the conclusion that something was wrong.

The scout continued. “That tells me there are Noboats on the ground, which in turn tells me they’re waiting for something—possibly for us to approach. I think it’s an ambush. If I may make a prediction, I believe we will continue to have no communication until we’ve drawn close, literally in the Bakmas’ sights. The Bakma are extraordinarily cautious, particularly in ambush situations. They play things remarkably safe, when they can muster up the courage to gamble at all.”

Scott stared at her in silence. He had no idea how to respond.

“Bakmanese Tactics and Customs.” The scout smirked. “It’s a 300 course.”

Scott looked ahead once again. “Well, there we go.”[/stextbox]

Esther grabbed Svetlana’s pistol from the floor and jammed it hard into her hand. “Do you know what this is?” “Of course—” “Then next time, use it.”
“This is like my dream role.” – Mishael Morgan on Esther.

Normally, this is the part where I’d tell you something interesting about Mishael Morgan, the actress cast for Esther’s role in The Next Big Thing. But I don’t need to. Not this time. We’re upping the stakes here at Epic HQ, brazenly going where no series has gone before!

Get ready for fifty minutes of awesome. That’s right. Fifty minutes. It’s like Inside the Actors’ Studio meets Late Night, as Mishael joined me in cyberspace to talk about everything from her life as an actress to whether or not a dwarf planet still counts as a planet (for the record, I say no), the latter of which became a topic for debate in the Lightning Round, where Mishael experiened the joy of trying to answer ten random trivia questions in sixty seconds. Trust me – this alone is worth the listen. I won’t tell you what she scored, but, well…let’s just say her law background came in handy. Needless to say, Mishael Morgan is currently #1 on the Lightning Round leader board. By default. Will anyone top her? You’ll just have to wait and see.

Enough of this sodding chin-wagging!

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE.
Be sure to follow Mishael on Twitter! You can also check out her official site and her profile on IMDb. Also, if you’re a working actor in the Toronto area, be sure to check out Mishael’s page for TAG!

Want to be a guest on this podcast? Send me an email or tweet me on Twitter!

By

Contest Alert! It’s ReviewQuest 2013!

So as those of you who follow Epic on Facebook know, I’ve begun beating the bushes of the fan base in the past week for some assistance from the Epic faithful. What kind of assistance? Assistance that Epic desperately needs right now: Amazon reviews. Now, Amazon reviews are always important, particularly for indie series. That’s how the world gets to find out that books are worth checking out. But right now, more than ever, they’re critical for Epic. Why?

As I’ve mentioned before in this blog, I’m currently working extensively with Duolit on revamping Epic’s entire platform and online presence. Love the new Epic website? You can thank them for that. Well, the work we’re doing goes far beyond just the website. We’re getting word of Epic out there by various means, one of which is via promotion. And have we got a promotion on the way…

During the days of April 2-4, Dawn of Destiny will be free on Amazon Kindle. Not free with a subscription to something, not free with another purchase. Just straight-up free. Word of this is going out to more online eBook news outlets than I ever knew existed. Literally (yes, literally), multiple tens of thousands of eBook readers will discover that DOD is out there and available. That means multiple tens of thousands of eBook readers will be going to Amazon to see what DOD – and the other books in the series – are about. And yes, multiple tens of thousands of eBook readers will be looking at the series’ reviews. Now you understand why reviews on Amazon are so critically important right now. These tens of thousands of eBook readers need to know that this series is worth it.

Now I’ve thought about how to approach this, as the prospect of asking for reviews is always something that’s made me uncomfortable, essentially because I know that authors abuse the review process. They snag every person they’ve ever known and basically coerce as many 5-star reviews as they can. It’s because of this reason that over the six years that Epic’s been out there, I’ve probably asked fewer people to review the books than I’d need two hands’ worth of fingers to count. And it’s because of that reason that Epic has never had as many reviews as some other books on the market. But if there was ever a time for that to change, this is it.

Epic is on the cusp. I cannot stress how incredibly huge these three days in April are. This is Epic’s moment. This is when Epic needs your help.

If you’ve read Epic and are willing to share your experience with it in the form of an Amazon review, the series could truly, truly use it. In fact, as you’ll read below, I’m going to give you some crazy-cool incentives to get some reviews out there. It’s that important. And so is this next part.

If you review the Epic series on Amazon, do so honestly. I mentioned those authors earlier who cheat the system by recruiting everyone they’ve ever known to 5-star their books. I am not one of them. I do not want you to rush over to Amazon and give the Epic books 5-star reviews. I want you to give them honest reviews. Maybe that is five stars for you. Maybe it’s three. Maybe it’s one. What’s most important to me is that reviews are honest. That’s why this is called “ReviewQuest” and not “5-StarQuest.” What matters is that opinions are being shared. Obviously, I’d love 5-star reviews. I mean, what author wouldn’t? I just don’t want them at the cost of integrity. The Epic fan base is hugely disproportionate to the number of reviews the books have on Amazon, particularly for the later books. The goal of this is just to remedy that.

All right, now the fun part for you, and what I hope is all the incentive in the world to get you over to Amazon and reviewing. It’s contest time! The floodgates of Epic goodness are about to be opened.

By posting a review for the Epic series on Amazon, you will be eligible to win one of several Epic prizes, including a truly epic grand prize. For each review you post on Amazon (and obviously there’s a max of four here, since only four installments are out there), you get your name on a ticket. This means that you can have your name on up to four tickets. Why do you want your name on these tickets? Because on April 4th at 7:00 pm CST, I will be doing a live Skypecast drawing in Epic’s new official Skype hangout, through which fans can win one of several available prizes, including but not limited to:

– a 24″x15″ movie-style poster of one of the Epic books

– a Battering Ram license plate

– Epic merchandise from the official store

– a digital copy of Crimson Dagger, the novella I wrote for Goldhawk Interactive’s game Xenonauts

– a grand prize consisting of a 24″x15″ “Wrong Side of Heaven” poster (featuring Esther Brooking from TGB), a license plate, a digital copy of Crimson Dagger, plus a CD containing Chapters 0-5 of the upcoming Dawn of Destiny audiobook…over two hours of fully-produced Epic audio!

That’s right – you could actually win almost a quarter of the entire audiobook before it ever sees the light of day. All you have to do is this: after you’ve put up reviews–and if you’ve put them up in the past, they still count–email info@epicuniverse.com with the subject heading REVIEWQUEST and let me know how many of the four books you reviewed. Be able to provide links! Your tickets will go in the hat for the prize drawings.

But haaaaang on. It gets a little crazier.

Want to get more than four tickets in the drawing? Well, there’s a way. If you get someone new into the series this month, and they write up a review (even if they thought it stunk), both you and them will get an extra ticket in the hat. Think of it like a little Epic finder’s fee. All you have to do is have both you and them email me with the subject “REVIEWQUEST – XTRA.” Unless you both email me, it doesn’t count! There is no limit to how many extra tickets you can earn, nor is there a limit to how many prizes you can win. If you get drawn for one, you can get drawn for another.

And that’s the contest. Think of it as a little way of saying thank-you for taking the time to review Epic on Amazon. The lead-up to those free days is huge to me. I want to make it special for you guys, too. Big things are a comin’. This could be the year that–for Epic–everything changes.

Get excited, folks! It’s going to be a wild 2013.

By

The Next Big Thing Cast: Tammy Felice (Natalie Rockwell)

Her expression was stern, no-nonsense. Like the CEO of a corporation.
Her expression was stern, no-nonsense. Like the CEO of a corporation.

(for those wanting to know more about this casting series, check out this link)

Honesty. Integrity. The desire to make the world a better place.These are the traits that highlight the best aspects of humanity, a species mired in sordidness since the fall of man. We recognize them immediately—they stand out as beacons of hope in an otherwise self-serving world.

It is difficult to write about Natalie Rockwell without venturing into spoiler-laden territory. She doesn’t appear until the fourth installment of Epic, The Glorious Becoming. Aspects of her introduction alone could be construed as revealing to the plot. There’s just so much about her story that would be damaging to the enjoyment of the uninitiated. But one thing I can say about the woman whose begrudging moniker is Venus is this: few characters, if any, have prompted such immediate emotional responses from the fan base. Natalie instantly endeared.

[stextbox id=”black” image=”null”]Natalie smiled. “I’ll be honest…I never dreamed I’d end up here. This place is full of scientists, not soldiers. And the soldiers who are here would barely pass muster at a traditional facility.” She looked ahead again. “I don’t know how you ended up on my list, but I’m thankful to have you. We really have a chance to make a difference in a place that desperately needs it.”[/stextbox]

Those familiar with Epic know it has no shortage of strong female characters. From Svetlana’s courage to Esther’s cleverness, the women of Epic are never afraid to get down and dirty with the boys when push comes to shove. But Natalie’s a different flavor. Talented, tactical, and driven to lead, she becomes an instant force to be reckoned with on and off the battlefield. She’s not there to offer motivational support. She’s there to grab a gun and tell you what to do with yours.

Inheriting a much-maligned military unit, Natalie finds herself in the unenviable role of turning a squad of EDEN rejects into a force to be reckoned with. And no, don’t think this plays out like a Disney movie. This is a hard, hard task, one in which success is anything but guaranteed. With the help of long-time comrade and friend Logan Marshall, Natalie sets off to do what most deem impossible. With a mindset of “hard work pays off,” she begins a training regimen that’s both necessarily brutal and uniquely innovative. But alas, not all of the cards are stacked in her favor. There are forces at play that threaten to derail Natalie’s quest right out of the gate, some close to her heart. In the midst of Natalie’s mission, some of the very people she trusts most are sabotaging her efforts–and her career. Her story is told behind a backdrop of betrayal. Will she fall victim, or will she overcome?

[stextbox id=”black” image=”null”]

Skidding around a dilapidated car, Natalie shouldered her assault rifle and fired a volley. A Bakma fell before she ducked back. Looking across the street, she found Logan and adjusted her comm to a direct connection. “I want you with Broll.”

“I’d rather stay with you, ma’am.”

“I’d rather you listen.”

The Australian grunted and moved toward Auric’s team.

Edging around the corner again, Natalie aimed quickly. A precision shot downed another alien. “Welcome to Earth,” she said as she ducked back again.[/stextbox]

Once again, I wish there was more I could share about Natalie for the purpose of this entry, but I mean it when I say there are a slew of plot points and turns that would get diminished by further elaboration. Those who have gotten through The Glorious Becoming know what I’m talking about. Just get to her. That’s the best thing that can be said. Just get to her.

"I’m honored you would think of me for Natalie—I would surely give her my best." - Tammy Felice
“I’m honored you would think of me for Natalie—I would surely give her my best.” – Tammy Felice

So enough about fiction! Let’s talk Felice. That would be Tammy Felice, the actress who was gracious enough to be down with this little shindig called The Next Big Thing. There is zero chance you have not seen Tammy on television, as she’s been in some pretty memorable commercials aired in the past few years (including the best concept for a wedding ever, at least from a man’s perspective). Check out her latest demo reel:

[youtube]http://youtu.be/crqDseAr36o[/youtube]

 So for every one of these entries, I try to take my time to find something interesting. I never go into it thinking, “okay, I’m looking for this certain type of information to write about.” I’m open – anything interesting goes. And yes, I found many an interesting tidbit about Tammy in my research. But I’m only going to share one thing in particular. I’m not sure if it requires explanation or not, but if it does, I’m not going to give it to you. I think it speaks best for itself as-is. I am not making this up, nor will I judge. I’m just giving you the facts. So here it goes, in one simple sentence:

Tammy Felice was a security guard for the Pittsburgh Steelers, where her job was to hide in trees.

I really can’t think of a better note to end this on. There’s just nothing more to say.

Tammy, you’re awesome – thank you so much for being a part of this. For those wanting to keep up with Tammy’s work, check out her IMDb page here and her acting website here! She’s been working hard for 2013’s pilot season, so wish her luck during this crazy-hectic time for all actors.

And thus concludes entry number two in Epic’s The Next Big Thing casting series. I mean it when I say that there could not possibly be a better month than March for the third installment. I mean, c’mon. Seriously. Seriously. Sometimes, things just work out. I’m not even going to drop a hint. Just go eat at–ahh, you know what? Even that hint’s too much. Just figure it out.

YOU CAN DO THIS.