Done!

So David, the amazing force behind www.fullspectrumarts.com came through in style today!

I am ecstatic to announce that The Third Key of Kalijor is 'in the can', to use the vernacular. The cover art came in today, and looks phenomenal! I was able to get all of the files updated and uploaded, and copies ordered. It looks like, if everything in the printing and shipping process takes the maximum amount of time, we will have copies available the day before StarFest.

It's close, but I'll take it! I was pretty worried there for a little bit, but I kept calm (albeit with plenty of venting upon friends and loved ones, thank you all for your understanding), and collected. So here we go everybody, round three, with only two more to go for this story to be wrapped up (don't worry, there're plenty more tales from Kalijor after the keys have been handled)!

I've been receiving plenty of emails and notes form folks excited to see the new book, and I am very pleased to say that we are really working hard at outdoing ourselves on these as we go forward. We keep learning from industry insiders, and fans alike, and there are big plans for the future of the series, as well as the world of Kalijor.

Some insight into what's in the works:
-Second editions of the first and second keys (fixing some issues with text and punctuation, etc, inside the books, plus refreshing the cover art of the first book to bring it in line with the others), these will include new formatting to bring the books' interiors in line with the new style of the third key, and I think you are all going to love it!

-Re-releasing the digital editions! All of the digital editions of the Kalijor books will be re-released after StarFest. These new editions will have much better, tighter formatting, and take better advantage of all the benefits of digital publishing, including tables of contents, and a significant reduction in white space and empty pages.

-Repricing of digital editions! As part of the above revamp, there will be a huge change (for the better) in pricing on the digital editions of the books (if you haven't bought one yet, and you can wait a month or so, then you should do so. Or, buy a hard copy and send proof that you have it, and I'll send you the digital copy of your choice)!

-A new iOS app is in the works that will allow you to enjoy not just my own prosaic musings on a regular basis, but those of other, equally crazy, folks as well! Look for a preview at StarFest. I have it in my hands now, and it looks amazing!

-The first ever Kalijor COnvention short story book will be on hand at StarFest. It's a short story that will only be available at conventions (until we have enough of them to publish a short story collection, but that will have different cover art).

-The first Kalijor graphic novel is still in production. If we can have it in time for Nan Desu Kan, then we will be there, but we aren't rushing this one, because we want it to be amazing, so we'll see.

-Plenty more, that I can't talk about yet, so stay tuned!

Riana=Mary-Sue? Maybe, read and find out!

Just to pass the time. A Mary-Sue test for Riana, the main character in the Kalijor Novels. If you don't know what Mary-Sue means, note me and I'll give you the low-down.

[ ] They are possessed by an angel
[ ] They are possessed by a demon
[ ] They are a werewolf/vampire/faerie
[x] They are physically strong.
[x] They have a rare hair/fur color
[x] Their eyes are an unusual color
[ ] This happens to be red
[ ] Their eyes change color
[ ] They have wings
[ ] They can grow extra body parts/shapeshift
[ ] They are immortal (This is unconfirmed and still, as yet, undecided, so I'm not checking it.)
[ ] (if a female) they have large boobs (I've never really specified, so I'm not checking this one either. I leave it in the hands of the individual reader.)
[ ] (if a male) they are very muscular
[x] They are very attractive to the opposite gender. (Probably true. Although she's actually kind of creepy too. She's perfectly symmetrical, which people just aren't meant to be... Checking it just in case.)
[ ] They are telekinetic/pyrokinetic/etc
[ ] They have sixth sense/can mind-read/etc
[x] They have an object of some sort that gives them powers (The artifacts she is collecting give her powers, yes, but none of them are really all that amazing yet.)
[x] They have a special ability/power, but they don't know about it yet (This is a 'kind-of'. Checking it just to be safe.)
[ ] They were bestowed/cursed with these powers
[ ] They are a healer
[ ] They are from a very rich/royal family (Technically, yes, but it really has nothing what-so-ever to do with the story, so not checking it.)
[ ] They don't know that they are from a very rich/royal background
[x] They have lost one/both of their parents
[ ] They ran away from home
[ ] Their parents are cruel, uncaring, abusive etc.
[ ] They witnessed one/both of their parent's death
[ ] They are part angel/demon/faerie/some other mythical creature
[ ] They never knew their parents (Never knew one of them, but they're getting to know one another now, so it's all good. Not checking this one.)
[ ] They were abused/spoiled as a child
[x] They are very attractive to the same gender (at least in one case, thus far. And the same creepiness is likely to apply here as to the opposite gender one. Checking it just to be safe.)
[ ] They have lots of friends/no friends
[ ] They are emo/cutesy
[ ] They look much younger/older than they really are. (She's an elf and a cyborg, so does this really apply? Both are very long lived and remain physically young forever... Not checking this one as it's by race, not some special feature...)
[x] They are currently in a relationship (Yes, but I'm not sure why this applies to this particular case study...)
[ ] They have lots if morals and state them a fair bit for example: 'I would rather be with my friends than with my boyfriend/girlfriend' 'Nothing matters more to me than my friends/family' 'I wouldn't hesitate to die in place of a friend' etc. It's fine if your OC has these beliefs/values, but if they constantly say them out loud/preach them to others, then we have a problem.
[ ] They have a mental disorder
[ ] They have an emotional disorder
[ ] They struggle to stay sane
[ ] They are a psycho
[ ] They have multiple personalities
[x] They are very intelligent (I guess, technically. She has a computer-aided brain. So, yes, she's smart. But she's also very, very dumb..... Checking it, just in case....)
[ ] They have hallucinations (She thinks she has visions, but they aren't. Not checking this one...)
[ ] They can summon spirits/demons/angels etc.
[ ] They have an unusual/unrealistic pet
[ ] They have a guardian spirit
[ ] They have a 'special type' of soul
[ ] Their soul is not the same as them
[ ] They can talk to spirits/ghosts
[ ] Some part of their body glows (only when casting spells... Not checking this one....)
[ ] They have a rare/unusual name
[ ] They were born on an important date, such as New Year's Eve, Midsummers Night, The Winter Solstace etc.
[ ] They have a twin/sibling that they were separated from at birth/a young age
[ ] They are connected with a certain element
[ ] They are connected with a certain animal
[ ] They always dress like a certain 'label'
[ ] They look quite a bit like a character from a popular anime/manga
[ ] They are a race/species that is discriminated against/misunderstood
[ ] They have a certain power that is misunderstood/feared
[ ] They live/lived on the streets at some point in their lives
[ ] They are hiding from someone/something
[ ] They have a rare blood type
[ ] They cry blood
[ ] Certain noises/smells/situations/etc make their powers activate/give them a nervous breakdown
[ ] They are from a different country to where they live
[ ] They are very mysterious/dark
[ ] They are very lively/happy
[x] Their mood changes a lot/very quickly (She is a drama queen at times, yes... Just to be safe...)
[ ] They are very patient
[ ] They are from a long line of (insert profession/power here)
[ ] They have a piece of jewelry/clothing that they always wear
[ ] They have amnesia
[ ] They have some sort of permanent medical condition
[ ] The have a curse upon them
[x] They are involved in some sort of prophecy (Aren't we all though? *Looks hopeful*)
[x] They are 'the chosen one' (Again, nobody knows for sure... Can I half-check one? No? Alright, I'll check it.....)
[ ] They have insomnia (She doesn't have insomnia, she just doesn't need as much sleep as most other people! I'm not checking this one, as insomnia is indicative of a disorder, which she does not have.)

Overall points: 12

Take points off your OCs overall score if they fit any of the following statements:

[ ] They smoke
[ ] They are an alcoholic
[ ] They are overweight
[ ] They are addicted to drugs
[x] They have a short temper (Yep! She flies off the handle at a moment's notice. Actually, she may be a bit bi-polar...)
[ ] They enjoy bullying others
[ ] They do not care much about others
[ ] They are emotionless

Point Reductions: 1

Final score: 11
Results: Balanced Character (actually a bit of a surprise. I always thought Riana was a bit Mary-Sue. I should find another dozen assessments and average the results to get a better sample.... I'll uh.... get right on that, and get back to y'all...)


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< 5 Anti-Sue
Your character may be a bit on the boring side. Of course, this does depend, but generally if they are scoring that low, it wouldn't hurt to 'spice them up' a bit ^^


6-15 Balanced Character
If your OC scored around here, then they are probably quite a well-balanced and interesting character. Those scoring in the higher end of this category may be a bit too much though.


16-25 Borderline Mary-Sue
We have a problem. You need to tone your character down. They are most likely a bit annoying to others, too.

26 < Mary-Sue

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Okay, I think that's about it, so I'll leave you with this.

StarFest: April 15-17
GenCon Indianapolis: August 4-7
Mile Hi Con: October 21-23

Catch us there!

End of Line...

Things are moving along...

So, the Con Book is done and ready for copies to be ordered. It's only 30 pages, so I had to get it stapled, rather than perfect bound (or square bound, depending upon where you're from), but that has the added benefit (or is that an undocumented feature) of keeping the price down. Now all I need to take a wild guess at, is how many to print for StarFest......

On the subject of the Third Key of Kalijor, the typesetting and layout is all done. The ISBN is in and the bar code is in the hands of the artist, who is in New York for a week... *deep breath*

It should all be good though. He's sent along what he has so far, and it looks amazing. I think you will all be very happy with it, I know I am. The timeline is going to be tight, but we will definitely have the book available beginning at StarFest, on April 15th. It just may not be available in stores until May some time, but that's okay, it just means that convention-goers get an exclusive preview!

In other news, we are kicking around some ideas for a Kalijor (and other worlds) periodical, which we hope to get off the ground this summer. Plus, the graphic novel is still in production, and I will be speaking with someone directly about licensing the RPG engine I want to use for the Kalijor RPG during my trip out east in August. With any luck, we could have a Kalijor RPG main book available for the holiday season. *crosses fingers*

Lastly (I think, anyway, I do tend to ramble at times), I have just entered into an agreement with Apple to distribute directly through iBooks. I know the books are already available there, but I am not at all happy with the formatting, so I've decided to do it myself, so I can have much better control and oversight. I am currently involved in revising the first and second keys (mostly reformatting to save space/paper), and intend to re-release those, as well as launch the Third Key in the iBooks store in May after things calm down from StarFest a bit. I'll let you know when it happens. :) Interestingly, that will be the first time anyone will have access to the second editions. Landing in digital book stores before print. Also, expect huge news about pricing when this all comes to pass. *grins*

Okay, I think that's about it, so I'll leave you with this.

StarFest: April 15-17
GenCon Indianapolis: August 4-7
Mile Hi Con: October 21-23

Catch us there!

Working hard, I swear!!

Doing final edits and typesetting on the Third Key. Just put in for the ISBN so it can go to book stores the world around. :) all we need is that, and the cover art, which is nearing completion.

Also, the convention short story book for 2011 is also set to publish, it just needs the title image and it can go live.

We are, at this point, still on track for a StarFest (April 15) launch of both books!