Sean Gibson's Blog - Posts Tagged "prequel"
The Camelot Shadow Gets a Prequel; World Reacts with Indifference
There are a few things that the world desperately needs right now: more unity, tolerance, and empathy; more clean drinking water; a better means of protecting against catastrophic storms; and mint chocolate deodorant. (How amazing would it be to smell like the world’s most delicious flavor combination?)
Does it NEED a prequel to The Camelot Shadow, particularly if the implication of the publication of said prequel is that there may subsequently be a sequel (or sequels)?
Goodness, no.
Ah, but did it WANT one?
Well, no, not as far as I’m aware.
But, guess what, world? YOU’RE GETTING SOMETHING YOU DON’T NEED AND MAY NOT WANT! So, you’ve got that going for you, which is nice�
The Camelot Shadow was conceived as a stand-alone tale, one that, hopefully, gave readers a full story arc and a sense of closure. Shortly after I finished writing it, though, I missed the characters. (Those that survived, at least—man, that book was a bloodbath, wasn’t it? Sometimes authors can be real assholes when it comes to protecting the health and well-being of your favorite characters.)
So, I started thinking about where things might go next (or before), which resulted in the forthcoming short story prequel The Strange Task Before Me: Being an Excerpt from the Journal of William J. Upton, set to hit the (virtual) shelves in early December (exact release date to come).
If you’ve read The Camelot Shadow, you know that it was as much the story of Will Upton as it was Lord Alfred Fitzwilliam, and so what better way to continue to explore stories in The Camelot Shadow universe than by chronicling a notable incident from Will’s early days as a bookseller? Here’s the pitch:
Decades before the events of The Camelot Shadow, a young William Upton is intent on ensuring that his late father’s bookstore continues to thrive, even if that means taking a commission from a mysterious client who tasks him with finding an arcane—and possibly magical—tome. With time running out and a large reward hanging in the balance, Will chases down every possible lead, braving the macabre underground laboratory of a sadistic nobleman before embarking on a daring, late-night library break-in.
Told through Will’s own diary and with his characteristic wit, “The Strange Task Before Me� is an intense race against the clock that mixes action, humor, and a bit of magic—all while laying the groundwork for momentous events to come, expanding on the mythology of The Camelot Shadow, and introducing a key new character in the unpredictable Baron Frederickson.
Intrigued? You’re gosh darn right you are—get this story on your to-read list posthaste! Watch this space for a preview of the story in coming weeks and a giveaway closer to the release date. In the meantime, go read The Camelot Shadow—you’ll thank me. Or not.
But, at least one of us will be happy.
Does it NEED a prequel to The Camelot Shadow, particularly if the implication of the publication of said prequel is that there may subsequently be a sequel (or sequels)?
Goodness, no.
Ah, but did it WANT one?
Well, no, not as far as I’m aware.
But, guess what, world? YOU’RE GETTING SOMETHING YOU DON’T NEED AND MAY NOT WANT! So, you’ve got that going for you, which is nice�
The Camelot Shadow was conceived as a stand-alone tale, one that, hopefully, gave readers a full story arc and a sense of closure. Shortly after I finished writing it, though, I missed the characters. (Those that survived, at least—man, that book was a bloodbath, wasn’t it? Sometimes authors can be real assholes when it comes to protecting the health and well-being of your favorite characters.)
So, I started thinking about where things might go next (or before), which resulted in the forthcoming short story prequel The Strange Task Before Me: Being an Excerpt from the Journal of William J. Upton, set to hit the (virtual) shelves in early December (exact release date to come).
If you’ve read The Camelot Shadow, you know that it was as much the story of Will Upton as it was Lord Alfred Fitzwilliam, and so what better way to continue to explore stories in The Camelot Shadow universe than by chronicling a notable incident from Will’s early days as a bookseller? Here’s the pitch:
Decades before the events of The Camelot Shadow, a young William Upton is intent on ensuring that his late father’s bookstore continues to thrive, even if that means taking a commission from a mysterious client who tasks him with finding an arcane—and possibly magical—tome. With time running out and a large reward hanging in the balance, Will chases down every possible lead, braving the macabre underground laboratory of a sadistic nobleman before embarking on a daring, late-night library break-in.
Told through Will’s own diary and with his characteristic wit, “The Strange Task Before Me� is an intense race against the clock that mixes action, humor, and a bit of magic—all while laying the groundwork for momentous events to come, expanding on the mythology of The Camelot Shadow, and introducing a key new character in the unpredictable Baron Frederickson.
Intrigued? You’re gosh darn right you are—get this story on your to-read list posthaste! Watch this space for a preview of the story in coming weeks and a giveaway closer to the release date. In the meantime, go read The Camelot Shadow—you’ll thank me. Or not.
But, at least one of us will be happy.
“The Strange Task Before Me� Gets a Release Date, and Here’s a Preview!
Mark your calendars, gird your loins (ideally not in front of others because, you know, propriety), and hide your Scotch—the forthcoming The Camelot Shadow prequel short The Strange Task Before Me: Being an Excerpt from the Journal of William J. Upton is set for release on November 20. You can now, but only if you're exceptionally awesome. (For you non-Kindle readers out there, stay tuned for details on how you get your sweaty little mitts on a copy in other formats.)
“But, strange-looking man who keeps popping up in my update feed to shamelessly promote himself…will there be giveaways?�
Well, duh—what better way to shamelessly self-promote myself (hmmm…I think that’s redundant, but, hey—more me, so yay for that) than by flinging my wares out willy-nilly for all to grab? So, stay tuned for that, too!
In the meantime, here’s a brief preview of the story. Happy reading!
THE STRANGE TASK BEFORE ME
Being an Excerpt from the Journal of William J. Upton
18XX
11 June
My friend Alfie tells me that keeping a diary is all the rage in these early years of the reign of Queen Victoria, our revered paragon of moral virtue. Noble lords and shopkeepers alike are caught up in the frenzy, and so I feel compelled to set down certain facts to ensure that when they are entered into the historical record, as they undoubtedly will be, given the likelihood of my future eminence, I am portrayed in the most positive possible light. Of course, the good Lord Alfred Fitzwilliam also suggests that an intimation of intimacy directed toward a serving girl one has only just met when she placed before him a savory plate of mutton is inappropriate, and so I’m not entirely convinced of the veracity or wisdom of his counsel.
Two sentences into my inaugural entry, one written in secret but, like all others of its ilk, ultimately for the purpose of public consumption, and I’ve already suggested that I’m a lascivious cad. It’s not far from the truth, I suppose, at least insofar as my actions are considered, but it’s as representative of who I am at heart as I suspect the totality of this “private� document will be.
But, I didn’t purchase this beautiful calfskin-bound volume (from my own shop, naturally, albeit at a handsome discount extended to me by the handsome owner) to set down my innermost thoughts with respect to the scandalous (and, I confess, often unfulfilling) manner in which I behave toward the fair sex, as I find deep self-examination as comfortable and appealing as the prospect of having my leg amputated in an army field hospital. Rather, unlike the self-absorbed navel gazers or gluttonous gourmands intent on tracking their daily food intake who tend to purchase these volumes from my shop, I hope to use it with purpose. This, of course, presumes I have something worthwhile to record.
Which, at the moment, I do not. And so, surcease.
18 June
It would seem that interesting events in one’s life occur in inverse proportion to one’s desire to record them in one’s diary. One week in, the most notable thing that has happened is that I managed to snag a pair of trousers on a rather pernicious nail jutting from the door of the shop, resulting in the ruination of said trousers and a rather vigorous pounding of the offending piece of metal with the business end of a hammer.
I emerged scarred from the encounter, certainly, but victorious, and unbroken. Let us see what the next week shall bring�
25 June
I begin to question whether my diary is responsible for the recent lack of notable anecdotes in my life, or whether my life has ever been devoid of noteworthy events, and it only seemed to be filled with them because I wasn’t actually counting the days between the rare occurrences of interest. Regardless, last week’s incident with the nail begins to grow more and more epic in the retelling, having nothing to displace its pride of narrative place in my life since it transpired.
The nail will soon be a harpoon, if not a lance, by the end of the summer.
29 June
Today marks two years since Father’s passing. I feel as though I should commemorate the occasion, but I could think of no suitable way to do so other than to open the shop as normal and down an extra Scotch at the public house. Father would have appreciated that tribute, I don’t doubt, and would have been uncomfortable with anything more elaborate.
I wonder what Mother would want me to do to mark the occasion of her passing? Not that I can do so on the day it happened, of course—Father was always vague about the precise date she left us as well as the circumstances. Was it the day I was born? The following day? Weeks later? Perhaps I should simply mark her death the day on my birthday. I suppose the celebration would be the same—imbibing an ungentlemanly amount of liquor—though perhaps I’d refrain from spending the evening in the company of a member of the fair sex. I suspect Mother would disapprove.
Though, how would I know, having never met the woman? Or, at least, having not known her at an age at which I was capable of forming memories�
“But, strange-looking man who keeps popping up in my update feed to shamelessly promote himself…will there be giveaways?�
Well, duh—what better way to shamelessly self-promote myself (hmmm…I think that’s redundant, but, hey—more me, so yay for that) than by flinging my wares out willy-nilly for all to grab? So, stay tuned for that, too!
In the meantime, here’s a brief preview of the story. Happy reading!
THE STRANGE TASK BEFORE ME
Being an Excerpt from the Journal of William J. Upton
18XX
11 June
My friend Alfie tells me that keeping a diary is all the rage in these early years of the reign of Queen Victoria, our revered paragon of moral virtue. Noble lords and shopkeepers alike are caught up in the frenzy, and so I feel compelled to set down certain facts to ensure that when they are entered into the historical record, as they undoubtedly will be, given the likelihood of my future eminence, I am portrayed in the most positive possible light. Of course, the good Lord Alfred Fitzwilliam also suggests that an intimation of intimacy directed toward a serving girl one has only just met when she placed before him a savory plate of mutton is inappropriate, and so I’m not entirely convinced of the veracity or wisdom of his counsel.
Two sentences into my inaugural entry, one written in secret but, like all others of its ilk, ultimately for the purpose of public consumption, and I’ve already suggested that I’m a lascivious cad. It’s not far from the truth, I suppose, at least insofar as my actions are considered, but it’s as representative of who I am at heart as I suspect the totality of this “private� document will be.
But, I didn’t purchase this beautiful calfskin-bound volume (from my own shop, naturally, albeit at a handsome discount extended to me by the handsome owner) to set down my innermost thoughts with respect to the scandalous (and, I confess, often unfulfilling) manner in which I behave toward the fair sex, as I find deep self-examination as comfortable and appealing as the prospect of having my leg amputated in an army field hospital. Rather, unlike the self-absorbed navel gazers or gluttonous gourmands intent on tracking their daily food intake who tend to purchase these volumes from my shop, I hope to use it with purpose. This, of course, presumes I have something worthwhile to record.
Which, at the moment, I do not. And so, surcease.
18 June
It would seem that interesting events in one’s life occur in inverse proportion to one’s desire to record them in one’s diary. One week in, the most notable thing that has happened is that I managed to snag a pair of trousers on a rather pernicious nail jutting from the door of the shop, resulting in the ruination of said trousers and a rather vigorous pounding of the offending piece of metal with the business end of a hammer.
I emerged scarred from the encounter, certainly, but victorious, and unbroken. Let us see what the next week shall bring�
25 June
I begin to question whether my diary is responsible for the recent lack of notable anecdotes in my life, or whether my life has ever been devoid of noteworthy events, and it only seemed to be filled with them because I wasn’t actually counting the days between the rare occurrences of interest. Regardless, last week’s incident with the nail begins to grow more and more epic in the retelling, having nothing to displace its pride of narrative place in my life since it transpired.
The nail will soon be a harpoon, if not a lance, by the end of the summer.
29 June
Today marks two years since Father’s passing. I feel as though I should commemorate the occasion, but I could think of no suitable way to do so other than to open the shop as normal and down an extra Scotch at the public house. Father would have appreciated that tribute, I don’t doubt, and would have been uncomfortable with anything more elaborate.
I wonder what Mother would want me to do to mark the occasion of her passing? Not that I can do so on the day it happened, of course—Father was always vague about the precise date she left us as well as the circumstances. Was it the day I was born? The following day? Weeks later? Perhaps I should simply mark her death the day on my birthday. I suppose the celebration would be the same—imbibing an ungentlemanly amount of liquor—though perhaps I’d refrain from spending the evening in the company of a member of the fair sex. I suspect Mother would disapprove.
Though, how would I know, having never met the woman? Or, at least, having not known her at an age at which I was capable of forming memories�
Celebrate the Release of The Strange Task Before Me with FREE Copies! (And, relatedly, let’s make the world a better place�)
Yelling “free books!� on ŷ is a little bit like yelling “free greasepaint and giant shoes!� at a clown convention; before you know it, you’ve got some very colorful people swarming all over you.
(Fortunately, I have a thing for being underneath a pile of sweaty clowns (don’t ask), so I’m okay with what I’m about to do.)
*Clears throat*
FREE BOOKS!
Or, at least, free virtual books. Though I won’t guarantee they’re good ones. And you need to do something to earn them. Skip to the “Here’s How You Get the Free Books� part below if you’re impatient and don’t want to read my blather on the way to finding out how to get ‘em.
On November 20, The Strange Task Before Me: Being an Excerpt from the Journal of William J. Upton, a short prequel to The Camelot Shadow, will be released. I would love nothing more than to put this story into the seltzer bottle-filled hands of a bunch of sweaty clowns—except maybe to put this story AND its predecessor/descendant (that’s a weird combo) into their hands as well.
“All right, Gibson, we’ll bite, even though we resent being called sweaty clowns, except for those of us who are actually sweaty clowns—we’re not convinced your drivel is worth our time, but, let’s say we were really bored one day and wanted to give it a go; how would we get our white-gloved hands on these stories?�
Lately, I’ve gotten increasingly frustrated with the divisive state of the world and the fact that, at least if the news and social media is to be believed, 1) everyone hates everyone else and only horrible things ever happen; 2) no one can accept or gracefully deal with the fact that others might have a different point of view on a controversial topic (and one worth understanding, even if you don’t agree with it); and 3) we will forever be judged and defined solely by the worst thing we’ve ever done in our lives, with no hope of forgiveness, change, or redemption.
Now, I don’t believe all three of those things are true—at least, I hope they’re not, because that’s not a world I want to live in, and it’s certainly not a world I want my kiddos to inherit. But, I could use a little restoration of my faith in humanity.
HERE’S HOW YOU GET THE FREE BOOKS
So, in order to score free copies of BOTH "The Strange Task Before Me" and The Camelot Shadow, I’m asking you to do three simple things between now and November 17:
1) Add both books to your GR TBR if you haven’t already (just so your friends know that you have quality taste in stories, not that they doubted you);
2) In the comment section below, share one instance you’ve seen in the past few weeks of someone doing something nice for someone else for no particular reason other than it was the right thing to do, being empathetic toward someone with a different point of view, or otherwise just acting like, you know, a human being toward another human being; and
3) Share this blog post on GR, Twitter, Facebook, or your social media platform of choice to encourage others to come share their stories. (After you’ve done that, I’ll send you a message to ask about format/email/etc.)
Honestly, I don’t even care if you don’t want to read the books (I get that not everyone is that cool)—just share your stories. Generate some collective love, hope, and peace. Help remind me, to paraphrase the redoubtable Samwise Gamgee in The Two Towers, that there’s some good in this world—and it’s worth fighting for.
I’ll give you one good example to get the ball rolling: a couple of weeks ago, when I picked up my son from daycare, he was grinning from ear to ear. Before I could even ask him why he was so happy, he held up a little action figure. Naturally, I expressed my surprise that he would be in possession of something so cool and asked him how he got it. It turns out that one of his teachers had given it to him for doing such a good job helping the teachers clean up while the other kids ran around like crazy people (as kids do, mine generally included). What’s remarkable about this story isn’t that a kid got rewarded at daycare for good behavior; what’s remarkable is that, as I later found out, the teacher supplied the toy herself, and she routinely brings in little toys for similar purposes.
So, here’s a woman who’s hardly being adequately compensated for doing what is, for me, the single most important thing imaginable—taking care of my kids—spending her own money to help reinforce my son’s good behavior. I was simultaneously proud as a dad—my son didn’t help clean up for the promise of a reward, because he had no idea it was coming; he just did it because he saw that his teachers needed help—and so incredibly touched as a person that his teacher would do that.
One small act of kindness can’t undo the horror of a mass shooting. It can’t allay fears of nuclear war. It can’t protect the rights of all people and ensure that they get a fair shake in life regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, or sexual identity.
But, damn it, we’ve got to start somewhere. I’m tired of seeing people tear each other down. I’m sick of seeing the worst of humanity.
Share your story today—or, even better, go out and make your own story. Be kind. Do something nice for someone, no matter how small. Instead of spewing vitriol at someone you disagree with, take a breath and try to empathize and understand. When you hear about something horrible someone did, condemn the act but be open to the possibility that they can learn and grow and change and be a force for good in the world eventually.
And then go read "The Strange Task Before Me." You’ll like it—and you’ll have earned it.
(Fortunately, I have a thing for being underneath a pile of sweaty clowns (don’t ask), so I’m okay with what I’m about to do.)
*Clears throat*
FREE BOOKS!
Or, at least, free virtual books. Though I won’t guarantee they’re good ones. And you need to do something to earn them. Skip to the “Here’s How You Get the Free Books� part below if you’re impatient and don’t want to read my blather on the way to finding out how to get ‘em.
On November 20, The Strange Task Before Me: Being an Excerpt from the Journal of William J. Upton, a short prequel to The Camelot Shadow, will be released. I would love nothing more than to put this story into the seltzer bottle-filled hands of a bunch of sweaty clowns—except maybe to put this story AND its predecessor/descendant (that’s a weird combo) into their hands as well.
“All right, Gibson, we’ll bite, even though we resent being called sweaty clowns, except for those of us who are actually sweaty clowns—we’re not convinced your drivel is worth our time, but, let’s say we were really bored one day and wanted to give it a go; how would we get our white-gloved hands on these stories?�
Lately, I’ve gotten increasingly frustrated with the divisive state of the world and the fact that, at least if the news and social media is to be believed, 1) everyone hates everyone else and only horrible things ever happen; 2) no one can accept or gracefully deal with the fact that others might have a different point of view on a controversial topic (and one worth understanding, even if you don’t agree with it); and 3) we will forever be judged and defined solely by the worst thing we’ve ever done in our lives, with no hope of forgiveness, change, or redemption.
Now, I don’t believe all three of those things are true—at least, I hope they’re not, because that’s not a world I want to live in, and it’s certainly not a world I want my kiddos to inherit. But, I could use a little restoration of my faith in humanity.
HERE’S HOW YOU GET THE FREE BOOKS
So, in order to score free copies of BOTH "The Strange Task Before Me" and The Camelot Shadow, I’m asking you to do three simple things between now and November 17:
1) Add both books to your GR TBR if you haven’t already (just so your friends know that you have quality taste in stories, not that they doubted you);
2) In the comment section below, share one instance you’ve seen in the past few weeks of someone doing something nice for someone else for no particular reason other than it was the right thing to do, being empathetic toward someone with a different point of view, or otherwise just acting like, you know, a human being toward another human being; and
3) Share this blog post on GR, Twitter, Facebook, or your social media platform of choice to encourage others to come share their stories. (After you’ve done that, I’ll send you a message to ask about format/email/etc.)
Honestly, I don’t even care if you don’t want to read the books (I get that not everyone is that cool)—just share your stories. Generate some collective love, hope, and peace. Help remind me, to paraphrase the redoubtable Samwise Gamgee in The Two Towers, that there’s some good in this world—and it’s worth fighting for.
I’ll give you one good example to get the ball rolling: a couple of weeks ago, when I picked up my son from daycare, he was grinning from ear to ear. Before I could even ask him why he was so happy, he held up a little action figure. Naturally, I expressed my surprise that he would be in possession of something so cool and asked him how he got it. It turns out that one of his teachers had given it to him for doing such a good job helping the teachers clean up while the other kids ran around like crazy people (as kids do, mine generally included). What’s remarkable about this story isn’t that a kid got rewarded at daycare for good behavior; what’s remarkable is that, as I later found out, the teacher supplied the toy herself, and she routinely brings in little toys for similar purposes.
So, here’s a woman who’s hardly being adequately compensated for doing what is, for me, the single most important thing imaginable—taking care of my kids—spending her own money to help reinforce my son’s good behavior. I was simultaneously proud as a dad—my son didn’t help clean up for the promise of a reward, because he had no idea it was coming; he just did it because he saw that his teachers needed help—and so incredibly touched as a person that his teacher would do that.
One small act of kindness can’t undo the horror of a mass shooting. It can’t allay fears of nuclear war. It can’t protect the rights of all people and ensure that they get a fair shake in life regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, or sexual identity.
But, damn it, we’ve got to start somewhere. I’m tired of seeing people tear each other down. I’m sick of seeing the worst of humanity.
Share your story today—or, even better, go out and make your own story. Be kind. Do something nice for someone, no matter how small. Instead of spewing vitriol at someone you disagree with, take a breath and try to empathize and understand. When you hear about something horrible someone did, condemn the act but be open to the possibility that they can learn and grow and change and be a force for good in the world eventually.
And then go read "The Strange Task Before Me." You’ll like it—and you’ll have earned it.
