Stephanie and Lee touch briefly on the progress of The Glorious Becoming, then delve into the Dawn of Destiny audio book!
Many thanks to Blackberry, for making Skype calls possible when the internet fails!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Monday, October 04, 2010
Some men go to war for the glory. Some men go to war to escape.
For fans of the Epic novel series, those two sentences are familiar ones. Lee Stephen's Dawn of Destiny, the first of eight planned installments in the science-fiction series, was released in December of 2006. "When I forwent the traditional route to publish independently, I was aware of the odds for success," Stephen said. "Typically, independent books don't find a lot of it. The market's not tipped in our favor." The Louisiana native explained that, on average, independent books sell between 50-150 copies in their lifetime, noting that those statistics vary depending on the source. "Fifty was kind of the first milestone I set for myself. I said, 'if I can get past fifty, I'll be exceeding minimum expectations.' You want to be optimistic, but you also want to be realistic. So for me, success started with that number.'" With that mindset, a straightforward website, and a release limited to internet outlets like Amazon.com, Dawn of Destiny set off on its quest to exceed that goal of fifty sold copies.
By the end of 2007, he'd sold almost seven hundred.
"It was crazy. I literally had no idea who was buying those books. I'd get emails from readers asking when the next book was coming out, and all I wanted to ask was, 'where the heck did you even hear about me?'"
The culprit, it turned out, was word-of-mouth. As more readers talked, more new readers listened. Before long, a fan base had been born, complete with message board, Facebook group, and official podcast. "I love the Epic series," said Stephanie Police, podcast host. "It's a very realistic take on what lies ahead for Earth, even being science fiction. The characters are likeable and easily identified with and the storyline is thrilling and addicting. I'm not a fan of science fiction but the Epic series has been added indefinitely to my list of favorite things to read."
Up until this point, fans of the series have only been able to enjoy reading its installments. They're about to get their first chance to hear them. According to Stephen, the desire to create an audio book has been with him since Dawn of Destiny was released. In 2011, that desire will be fulfilled. With a cast of over twenty voice actors, Epic is priming to be released as a chapter-by-chapter serial. The goal? To experience Epic like never before.
"Every writer has that ultimate dream of having their work brought to the silver screen," said Stephen "That's the experience I wanted to create from an audio perspective. No one has experienced Epic like this." From adrenaline-pumping firefights to earth-shattering explosions, the audio incarnation of Dawn of Destiny will put listeners in the middle of the battle for Earth. But where the audio book truly shines, explains Stephen, is in the voice-work of the cast.
"Auditioning cast members was difficult, but fun. Every character in Epic is unique, and that needed to be reflected in the finished product. Well over two hundred actors auditioned for the project. It was such a neat experience to just close my eyes, listen to the various audition files I'd receive, and visualize the characters they were auditioning for. Not just anyone could have been Becan McCrae, or Captain Clarke, or Ignatius van Thoor." And most certainly, not Scott Remington. "Without a doubt, the casting of Scott was the most important. This is my protagonist, the guy who carries Epic. If Scott's wrong, the whole project's wrong."
Enter Stewart Cummings. A Vancouver native, Cummings' career has included improv with the Upright Citizens' Brigade in New York City, work in various incarnations of commercial media, and script writing for television and stage. But most importantly for Dawn of Destiny, he had the perfect voice for Scott Remington. "I heard Stewart, and I was blown away. He had the perfect mix of command and sincerity that had to be reflected in Scott's voice. The moment I heard his audition, I was like, 'that's the guy-that's Scott.' He made that decision very easy."
"Voicing Scott has been exciting," said Cummings. "He's a dynamic character. He's a young and inexperienced soldier, yet seems to possess the judgment and skills of a seasoned veteran. But I'd say these skills are only half of what makes him a strong character. Scott's faith is constantly being tested, and doing what's right and what's wrong isn't always clear. He is surrounded by people that aren't always fighting for the same 'good.' So he's pulled in a lot of directions that really test his spirit. I really like Scott's sense of humor, too. It plays well in several scenes and lightens the mood a lot when having the small task of saving humankind from total destruction!"
Cummings joins a varied cast, ranging from industry veterans to fresh new talent. According to Stephen, each and every one of them went above and beyond. "This project is going to blow your mind. The level at which these guys went at it is amazing. At one moment you've got guys screaming at the top of their lungs in the middle of a firefight, and at the next you have quiet moments that rip your heart out. I couldn't have asked for a better crew."
Fans can expect the Dawn of Destiny audio book in 2011, though a more specific time period may be announced soon. "Before The Glorious Becoming," said Stephen, referring to Epic's as-of-yet unreleased fourth installment. "Hopefully this will give fans something to enjoy while they wait for the next book. I know it's been a long wait! It'll be worth it."
Check out http://www.epicuniverse.com/audio.html for more information on the audio book, including audio samples and interviews with the cast.
For fans of the Epic novel series, those two sentences are familiar ones. Lee Stephen's Dawn of Destiny, the first of eight planned installments in the science-fiction series, was released in December of 2006. "When I forwent the traditional route to publish independently, I was aware of the odds for success," Stephen said. "Typically, independent books don't find a lot of it. The market's not tipped in our favor." The Louisiana native explained that, on average, independent books sell between 50-150 copies in their lifetime, noting that those statistics vary depending on the source. "Fifty was kind of the first milestone I set for myself. I said, 'if I can get past fifty, I'll be exceeding minimum expectations.' You want to be optimistic, but you also want to be realistic. So for me, success started with that number.'" With that mindset, a straightforward website, and a release limited to internet outlets like Amazon.com, Dawn of Destiny set off on its quest to exceed that goal of fifty sold copies.
By the end of 2007, he'd sold almost seven hundred.
"It was crazy. I literally had no idea who was buying those books. I'd get emails from readers asking when the next book was coming out, and all I wanted to ask was, 'where the heck did you even hear about me?'"
The culprit, it turned out, was word-of-mouth. As more readers talked, more new readers listened. Before long, a fan base had been born, complete with message board, Facebook group, and official podcast. "I love the Epic series," said Stephanie Police, podcast host. "It's a very realistic take on what lies ahead for Earth, even being science fiction. The characters are likeable and easily identified with and the storyline is thrilling and addicting. I'm not a fan of science fiction but the Epic series has been added indefinitely to my list of favorite things to read."
Up until this point, fans of the series have only been able to enjoy reading its installments. They're about to get their first chance to hear them. According to Stephen, the desire to create an audio book has been with him since Dawn of Destiny was released. In 2011, that desire will be fulfilled. With a cast of over twenty voice actors, Epic is priming to be released as a chapter-by-chapter serial. The goal? To experience Epic like never before.
"Every writer has that ultimate dream of having their work brought to the silver screen," said Stephen "That's the experience I wanted to create from an audio perspective. No one has experienced Epic like this." From adrenaline-pumping firefights to earth-shattering explosions, the audio incarnation of Dawn of Destiny will put listeners in the middle of the battle for Earth. But where the audio book truly shines, explains Stephen, is in the voice-work of the cast.
"Auditioning cast members was difficult, but fun. Every character in Epic is unique, and that needed to be reflected in the finished product. Well over two hundred actors auditioned for the project. It was such a neat experience to just close my eyes, listen to the various audition files I'd receive, and visualize the characters they were auditioning for. Not just anyone could have been Becan McCrae, or Captain Clarke, or Ignatius van Thoor." And most certainly, not Scott Remington. "Without a doubt, the casting of Scott was the most important. This is my protagonist, the guy who carries Epic. If Scott's wrong, the whole project's wrong."
Enter Stewart Cummings. A Vancouver native, Cummings' career has included improv with the Upright Citizens' Brigade in New York City, work in various incarnations of commercial media, and script writing for television and stage. But most importantly for Dawn of Destiny, he had the perfect voice for Scott Remington. "I heard Stewart, and I was blown away. He had the perfect mix of command and sincerity that had to be reflected in Scott's voice. The moment I heard his audition, I was like, 'that's the guy-that's Scott.' He made that decision very easy."
"Voicing Scott has been exciting," said Cummings. "He's a dynamic character. He's a young and inexperienced soldier, yet seems to possess the judgment and skills of a seasoned veteran. But I'd say these skills are only half of what makes him a strong character. Scott's faith is constantly being tested, and doing what's right and what's wrong isn't always clear. He is surrounded by people that aren't always fighting for the same 'good.' So he's pulled in a lot of directions that really test his spirit. I really like Scott's sense of humor, too. It plays well in several scenes and lightens the mood a lot when having the small task of saving humankind from total destruction!"
Cummings joins a varied cast, ranging from industry veterans to fresh new talent. According to Stephen, each and every one of them went above and beyond. "This project is going to blow your mind. The level at which these guys went at it is amazing. At one moment you've got guys screaming at the top of their lungs in the middle of a firefight, and at the next you have quiet moments that rip your heart out. I couldn't have asked for a better crew."
Fans can expect the Dawn of Destiny audio book in 2011, though a more specific time period may be announced soon. "Before The Glorious Becoming," said Stephen, referring to Epic's as-of-yet unreleased fourth installment. "Hopefully this will give fans something to enjoy while they wait for the next book. I know it's been a long wait! It'll be worth it."
Check out http://www.epicuniverse.com/audio.html for more information on the audio book, including audio samples and interviews with the cast.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
The Glorious Becoming - UPDATE
1 year, 4 months, 20 days.
That's how long its been since Epic 3: Hero was officially published. That's almost how long its taken for me to feel like writing again.
I've gotten a couple questions about the progress of book four, and without doing what most companies do by sugarcoating everything, I'll be completely honest in confessing that TGB's writing process has not gone well up until this point. It's not that the story isn't good - it is. It's not that I'm at a plot crossroads - the direction of Epic is still for the most part on course. The simple truth is that Hero was the single most draining piece of literature that I've ever written. It was the kind of "draining" that left me wanting to call it a career. The book was necessary. I feel it was done well. It just cost me my love for writing. Call it the effects of a lot of life changes, call it the result of pumping out three books in three years, call it what you will. I just know that when Hero was done, I didn't want to do this anymore.
Over the past 1 year and 4 months, I've officially "pumped out" 40,000 words of book four, which is slightly less than half of Outlaw Trigger (the smallest book in the series). You'll notice I left out the 20 days, there. And that's the good part.
In the past 20 days, I've written over 20,000 words.
I cannot remember being this excited to write. I can't remember loving to write this much. What was only recently a frustrating obligation has reignited itself as a passion. Maybe time worked its healing magic; maybe life started to settle down. But for whatever reason, I've recaptured what I've been missing for so long.
So enough about that, right? What about book four? Well, I've already explained that I'm not the sugarcoating type of guy. So I won't sugarcoat this next part, either:
Epic 4: The Glorious Becoming is going to be the most thrilling, shocking, revealing, and captivating book you have ever read.
Teasers for book four will be few and far between, as much like Outlaw Trigger, to know anything in advance is to deprive you of something that needs to be experienced firsthand. But this one's going to be fun. So get ready, Epic Universe. This is what you've been waiting for.
In closing, I leave you with a quote - a pace-setter for the rest of this series. In the words of Tauthinilaas, captive of Novosibirsk:
"We were but the thunder."
-Lee Stephen
That's how long its been since Epic 3: Hero was officially published. That's almost how long its taken for me to feel like writing again.
I've gotten a couple questions about the progress of book four, and without doing what most companies do by sugarcoating everything, I'll be completely honest in confessing that TGB's writing process has not gone well up until this point. It's not that the story isn't good - it is. It's not that I'm at a plot crossroads - the direction of Epic is still for the most part on course. The simple truth is that Hero was the single most draining piece of literature that I've ever written. It was the kind of "draining" that left me wanting to call it a career. The book was necessary. I feel it was done well. It just cost me my love for writing. Call it the effects of a lot of life changes, call it the result of pumping out three books in three years, call it what you will. I just know that when Hero was done, I didn't want to do this anymore.
Over the past 1 year and 4 months, I've officially "pumped out" 40,000 words of book four, which is slightly less than half of Outlaw Trigger (the smallest book in the series). You'll notice I left out the 20 days, there. And that's the good part.
In the past 20 days, I've written over 20,000 words.
I cannot remember being this excited to write. I can't remember loving to write this much. What was only recently a frustrating obligation has reignited itself as a passion. Maybe time worked its healing magic; maybe life started to settle down. But for whatever reason, I've recaptured what I've been missing for so long.
So enough about that, right? What about book four? Well, I've already explained that I'm not the sugarcoating type of guy. So I won't sugarcoat this next part, either:
Epic 4: The Glorious Becoming is going to be the most thrilling, shocking, revealing, and captivating book you have ever read.
Teasers for book four will be few and far between, as much like Outlaw Trigger, to know anything in advance is to deprive you of something that needs to be experienced firsthand. But this one's going to be fun. So get ready, Epic Universe. This is what you've been waiting for.
In closing, I leave you with a quote - a pace-setter for the rest of this series. In the words of Tauthinilaas, captive of Novosibirsk:
"We were but the thunder."
-Lee Stephen
Thursday, February 18, 2010
February Update
Had a chance to sit down with Lee and talk about what's been going on in his life.
What are you up to?
Lindsey and I are in the midst of a bathroom renovation right now, and I think that might be the tone-setter of 2010 for us. We bought our first house last year and are excited about making some improvements this year. Life is in full swing!
I've also been doing a lot of amateur astronomy lately, as one of my Christmas gifts from Lindsey was a Celestron Omni XLT 120mm Refractor. It could be the best present I have ever received, as I've wanted a telescope my whole life! So far I've gotten great looks at Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and the Moon. As the seasons change, I should get better opportunities to see the other planets, though Mercury, Uranus, and Neptune will be challenges. Venus will be really viewable in June, and I'm looking forward to that, too. Of course there are other things I'm aiming to get up-close-and-personal with, including galaxies and nebulae. I do hope to get into astrophotography at some point, so if that happens, I'll definitely post pictures!
How is The Glorious Becoming coming along?
TGB has been a very frustrating process for me, and I think there's still a little bit of that hangover from Hero lingering. As it stands at the time I'm writing this, I'm just under 40,000 words into the story, which is about 25%. A full year after Hero, can you can see how slow a process this has been.
Does that mean I haven't been working? Not at all. In fact, a good deal of that 25% has been written twice. An unexpected new character entered the story, forcing me to go back and adjust the story to include him. Obviously I won't get into that now, but once TGB is out I'm sure I'll touch on the new character's impact (and it's a considerable one) at some point or another. I can summarize it by saying that TGB will be better with him in it.
No one should worry over the slow pace of TGB so far. My rough target is still 2011, which is very doable. In fact, I'm hitting a stride right now with the story, so there's an excellent chance that it'll hit its major turning point very soon, at which point I'll get a solid second wind of energy. The arc and story of TGB will be amazing, but it's a very, very draining story to write. It's very intense and very different from what fans have experienced so far. I can tease it best by saying that no one will see TGB coming. It's going to be great!
What are you reading at the moment?
Prior to our engagement, Lindsey and I went through 101 Questions to Ask Before you get Engaged. It was a great experience, and we've both found ourselves missing a book to read together. This Valentine's Day, she bought The Love Dare for us to start going through together again. I'm really looking forward to it. I think a lot of people look at relationship books such as those as reserved for troubled relationships only, but it's really not the case at all. There doesn't have to be anything wrong in a relationship or marriage for it to be strengthened. Heck, I hope my Saints get stronger in 2010, and they just won the Super Bowl!
What are you listening to?
E.S. Posthumus' third album, Makara, is amazing! This has definitely given me some recent energy for scenes in TGB. It's just an awesome, action-packed listen from start to finish.
What are you watching?
Right now, the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. I'm just as excited for Canada as I am for the USA! There are so many Canadians I work with for Epic, and it's great to see them winning gold medals for their home country.
Looking forward to curling and women's and couples' figure skating - those are always my favorites.
Prior to the Olympics, I was all Saints, all the time. You can't imagine the euphoria that the black and gold winning the Super Bowl caused here. I'm not sure that anyone outside of the New Orleans area can fully appreciate it.
Here's another fun fact for you...the Saints won the Super Bowl on February 7th. Scott Remington's birthday. :) How's that for Epic?
What are you up to?
Lindsey and I are in the midst of a bathroom renovation right now, and I think that might be the tone-setter of 2010 for us. We bought our first house last year and are excited about making some improvements this year. Life is in full swing!
I've also been doing a lot of amateur astronomy lately, as one of my Christmas gifts from Lindsey was a Celestron Omni XLT 120mm Refractor. It could be the best present I have ever received, as I've wanted a telescope my whole life! So far I've gotten great looks at Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and the Moon. As the seasons change, I should get better opportunities to see the other planets, though Mercury, Uranus, and Neptune will be challenges. Venus will be really viewable in June, and I'm looking forward to that, too. Of course there are other things I'm aiming to get up-close-and-personal with, including galaxies and nebulae. I do hope to get into astrophotography at some point, so if that happens, I'll definitely post pictures!
How is The Glorious Becoming coming along?
TGB has been a very frustrating process for me, and I think there's still a little bit of that hangover from Hero lingering. As it stands at the time I'm writing this, I'm just under 40,000 words into the story, which is about 25%. A full year after Hero, can you can see how slow a process this has been.
Does that mean I haven't been working? Not at all. In fact, a good deal of that 25% has been written twice. An unexpected new character entered the story, forcing me to go back and adjust the story to include him. Obviously I won't get into that now, but once TGB is out I'm sure I'll touch on the new character's impact (and it's a considerable one) at some point or another. I can summarize it by saying that TGB will be better with him in it.
No one should worry over the slow pace of TGB so far. My rough target is still 2011, which is very doable. In fact, I'm hitting a stride right now with the story, so there's an excellent chance that it'll hit its major turning point very soon, at which point I'll get a solid second wind of energy. The arc and story of TGB will be amazing, but it's a very, very draining story to write. It's very intense and very different from what fans have experienced so far. I can tease it best by saying that no one will see TGB coming. It's going to be great!
What are you reading at the moment?
Prior to our engagement, Lindsey and I went through 101 Questions to Ask Before you get Engaged. It was a great experience, and we've both found ourselves missing a book to read together. This Valentine's Day, she bought The Love Dare for us to start going through together again. I'm really looking forward to it. I think a lot of people look at relationship books such as those as reserved for troubled relationships only, but it's really not the case at all. There doesn't have to be anything wrong in a relationship or marriage for it to be strengthened. Heck, I hope my Saints get stronger in 2010, and they just won the Super Bowl!
What are you listening to?
E.S. Posthumus' third album, Makara, is amazing! This has definitely given me some recent energy for scenes in TGB. It's just an awesome, action-packed listen from start to finish.
What are you watching?
Right now, the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. I'm just as excited for Canada as I am for the USA! There are so many Canadians I work with for Epic, and it's great to see them winning gold medals for their home country.
Looking forward to curling and women's and couples' figure skating - those are always my favorites.
Prior to the Olympics, I was all Saints, all the time. You can't imagine the euphoria that the black and gold winning the Super Bowl caused here. I'm not sure that anyone outside of the New Orleans area can fully appreciate it.
Here's another fun fact for you...the Saints won the Super Bowl on February 7th. Scott Remington's birthday. :) How's that for Epic?
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Hi!
Hey everyone!
Wow Lee, those pictures were awesome. I'm jealous that you got to go somewhere with such meaning! Also, the songs that you listed for the characters? Dead on. Especially Hillbilly Deluxe for Jayden!! :):)
~takes deep breath~
Hey Epicnauts!!! Believe or not I am alive! And so are my co-hosts! The podcast had to go on a brief hiatus for a little while due to our lives being picked up and shaken around like snow globes. However do not despair!
Lee and I have a podcast planned soon that is a little different from the other ones we have done so make sure you check in! It's gonna be a hoot!!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Stephanie
Wow Lee, those pictures were awesome. I'm jealous that you got to go somewhere with such meaning! Also, the songs that you listed for the characters? Dead on. Especially Hillbilly Deluxe for Jayden!! :):)
~takes deep breath~
Hey Epicnauts!!! Believe or not I am alive! And so are my co-hosts! The podcast had to go on a brief hiatus for a little while due to our lives being picked up and shaken around like snow globes. However do not despair!
Lee and I have a podcast planned soon that is a little different from the other ones we have done so make sure you check in! It's gonna be a hoot!!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Stephanie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
