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𐀪   𐂁

Linear B ideograms meaning “man” and “woman,” respectively.

 

As a correction to a statement I made in an earlier post, Linear B does appear to have had some diphthongs, but they are separate signs, and the script still does not represent all the sounds (such as the liquid /l/, /g/, and /h/) that the spoken language must have had.

I am slowly working on Orestes: The Outcast, the second book in the trilogy, but also trying to get the word out there about The Young Lion and Helen’s Daughter.  If you read and liked either book, please pass the word along (and let me know your thoughts, of course!).

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Orestes: The Young Lion has its first review, and it's a five-star one.  Wow!  I was having such doubts over whether people would like the book, and whether it was worth it to start the second one, but this fires me up again.

I normally don't find "the early years" parts of historical bio very interesting, but Ms. Gill makes the telling of Orestes, son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, and scion of the cursed house of Atreus, very compelling. In particular, I think the author does two things very well...


First, the author does a very good job dealing with the psychology of Orestes. Orestes reveres his absentee father, and at times, has to come to grips with the fact that Agamemnon was not a very nice man. His interactions with his mother and stepfather are also interesting from a psychological standpoint. Orestes' relationship with his tutor was also heartwarming. But the most interesting aspect, I thought, was Orestes' attempting to come to grips with his destiny, namely that he is cursed to kill his own mother.


Secondly, I was surprised at how, at least in my mind, accurately Ms. Gill was able to get into the mind of a young boy. As a dabbling writer myself, I always find it daunting to attempt to narrate from a feminine point of view, but Orestes rings true as a very compelling boy and young man, with all the emotions, impatience of youth, and flaws portrayed beautifully.


I eagerly await the second installment of this story!

Go forth and see for yourself!  Orestes: The Young Lion is available on Amazon Kindle and Smashwords.  I am already 9,000 words into the second installment, Orestes: The Outcast.

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A few weeks ago, someone asked why I had used Minoan artwork for the cover art of The Young Lion, the point being that the novel is set in the Mycenaean culture.

The lazy answer is that my stock photo choices were rather limited.  The other answer is that the lion/griffin figure on the cover actually is Mycenaean artwork.

The Mycenaeans took over Knossos in 1450 B.C., two hundred years before the Trojan War, and it was a Mycenaean king, Idomeneus, who led the second-largest contingent to Troy.  So the ruling class that commissioned the artwork you see today at the reconstructed Knossos and in the nearby Heraklion Museum was Mycenaean.

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Orestes: The Young Lion is now available through Smashwords, in a variety of e-formats.  More readers should be able to enjoy the story now.

 

Note:  I know none of my readers would engage in file-sharing or any other illegal activity, but I am obliged to mention it anyway.  I am self-published, which means 70% of the royalties go to me, not to an agent or publisher.  I worked a long time on this book, and worked very hard.  For six months, it was the equivalent of a full time job.  There is no such thing as an advance in electronic publishing, so my sales are it as far as income is concerned.  People who participate in file-sharing are engaged in theft, no matter what the reason, and thus they are depriving me of the fruits of my labor. 

If you liked the book, mention it to your friends, but don't give them free copies.  Smashwords allows readers to preview sample chapters for free.  $2.99 is a small price to pay for an ebook of 105,300 words.

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I should be finished with The Young Lion edits and formatting by Sunday, and the book might be available by Wednesday if all goes well.  It will cost about $2.75 for 104,000 words as well as a map, which is actually a pretty good price considering a paperback version would cost four times that.  Now I just need to find reviewers.

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I just submitted The Young Lion to my beta reader at 106,000 words.  We'll see what he thinks.  I am simply exhausted after 16 days of editing, and need a nap.

Meanwhile, have some artwork.  A Mycenaean woman standing outside in the courtyard seeing two men off.  You just know she's about to tell the man talking to her that, "My eyes are up here."  Unfortunately, I don't know who the artist is.

Update

Jun. 15th, 2011 07:44 pm
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I am not neglecting my journal on purpose, but am busy editing The Young Lion, which, at roughly 110k, is a very demanding job.  It still has to be beta read, and additional changes may need to be made, but you should be seeing it on Kindle within the next four weeks.

Below: a view of Mycenae from the Chavos ravine.

Genealogy

Jun. 4th, 2011 12:47 pm
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At last, a genealogical chart I can be satisfied with.  Note: the actual image is larger, and will show up clearer in the book.  (I hope).

Also, I should be finishing the rough draft of The Young Lion this evening.

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It looks like I will be releasing the first Orestes book, The Young Lion, sometime this summer, once the drafts and editing are completed.  My only concern is the readers on Fiction Press and Fanfiction.com who are waiting for more chapters, and whether they'll resent having to pay to read the edited version, plus the rest of the story.  I don't view the situation as being that mercenary, and have no intention or desire to appear cutthroat, but they might see it that way.  I have posted a note on my profile page explaining the new development.

So expect to see a cover in the coming weeks.  I'm not far from the end of Book One, but foresee having to go back and flesh things out.

Meanwhile, have some Blue Ladies from Knossos.

March 2012

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