Fantasy Month ends today, though there are plenty of blog posts in the link-up to catch up on if you haven't read them all yet, and I'm sure I'll be playing catch-up for a while still, trying to make sure I got to everyone's comments. Thank you all so much for making this the best Fantasy Month ever (and please don't stop leaving me comments now that I'm not rewarding you with giveaway entries for it!) hahaha.

Speaking of giveaways... today we find out who are the winners of our awesome prizes... later on in this post.

But first, although my first book has been out for 8 years, because I chose to release it on Leap Day, today is only King's Warrior's SECOND official birthday!

"For some ridiculous reason, to which, however, I've no desire to be disloyal,

Some person in authority, I don't know who, very likely the Astronomer Royal,

Has decided that, although for such a beastly month as February,

twenty-eight days as a rule are plenty,

One year in every four his days shall be reckoned as nine and twenty."~Pirates of Penzance

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXhJKzI1u48[/embedyt]

I thought some of you might enjoy a few interesting stats on this debut novel of mine.

In the eight years since it has been released:

~2 editions (1st edition had white pages, 2nd had cream colored pages and I fixed all the typos)

~18,558 e-copies have been downloaded on various free days

~616 ebooks have been bought at 99 cents or full price

~over 300 paperback copies have been bought either through Amazon or at in-person events

~295,939 pages read (I was really hoping that would add up to 300,000... but oh well... it's still a pretty big number and... if we assume that people are reading the whole book, estimates out to it having been read by 450 people through KU).

EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT

As part of the celebration of the end of Fantasy Month, and as part of the King's Warrior Birthday Celebration, today I am revealing some exciting news!!! (I've been hinting at it over on my Author Facebook Page, referring to it as my "super secret project") and today you get to find out about it first.......................................................Are you curious?............................................................................................................ Is the suspense killing you yet?............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

King's Warrior is going to be an AUDIO BOOK!!!!

That's right! I've found an amazing narrator who is excited to work on this project in spite of its length and massive cast list and ridiculous pronunciations (really, I'm not sure he really knows what he's getting into... um... I hope he doesn't run away when he finds out what the scope of this project really is...)After years of dreaming about producing King's Warrior in audio-book format, and secretly dreaming that I might be able to do the narration myself, I have come to realize something very important.In order to record an audio book, you need some very key things:1. Good equipment2. Time3. Quiet4. A particular set of skillsI can buy the first... but the other two are things that sort of escape me with four tiny hobbits running around. AND... after recording the audio version of 'Twas an Evening in Bethlehem (which, in spite of taking only 4 minutes to record, took approximately 3-4 hours to produce!) I started to realize that doing the recordings myself was unrealistic. And... while I am quite good at reading books out loud, I honestly don't have the necessary skill to be an audiobook narrator.Thankfully, Benjamin Fife DOES have that skill. We are super excited to work with him on this project, not just to turn King's Warrior into an audio book, but also the rest of the series!

And now, for our Giveaway Winners!

Marlene S - Five Poisoned Apples

Diamond K - Story Peddler/Story Raider

Katrina D - Orphan's Song

Deborah O - King's Warrior Keychain

Liv - Choice of one J.L. Mbewe paperback

Rhellerecorder - Paws, Claws, and Magic Tales

Mackenzie - Paperback set of Minstrel's Song books

Sarah P - Castle Magnet

Christine S - Tote bag

Chelsea - Mythical Doorways

Dynal R - Cursed Flame ebook

Nancy P - Minstrel's Song ebooks

Abigail H - Horseman audio book

Beth D - Bookmark bundle

Wyn O - Cursed Flame bookmarks

Thank you all so much for entering the giveaway, I hope you are pleased with your prizes. For those who told me what they were eyeing I did try to match you up with the prizes you were hoping for!I (and the other prize donators) will be contacting you shortly about shipping information so that we can tell the dragons which direction to fly!Thanks again! That's all for Fantasy Month (until next year). It might be a little quiet around here for a while, I need to focus on editing Turrim Archive and there's a plan in place to update this little website of mine, so there may be some "UNDER CONSTRUCTION" signs posted at some point, but don't worry! I'll still be around, and there are some other exciting things we're gearing up for that I'll tell you more about later.But for now, we bid another #FantasyMonth "adieu...."Oh... yeah... it still hurts.

Giveaway Winners and Birthday Celebrations and a Special Announcement

But first, although my first book has been out for 8 years, because I chose to release it on Leap Day, today is only King's Warrior's SECOND official birthday!

EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT

King's Warrior is going to be an AUDIO BOOK!!!!

And now, for our Giveaway Winners!