tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66302391501330350192024-03-13T13:15:40.316-07:00THE MAGI SERIESA YA Fantasy/Adventure Series by Kevin M. TurnerKevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-47041882069929970482012-11-29T17:20:00.001-08:002012-11-29T17:20:43.894-08:00kevinmturner.com is Now LIVE!This will be the final post on this page because it has moved to <a href="http://kevinmturner.com/">kevinmturner.com</a> .<br />
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If you are a follower and would still like email updates, swing by <a href="http://kevinmturner.com/">kevinmturner.com</a> and subscribe by email or the R.S.S. feed. I still would love to hear from you!<br />
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Check it out and let me know what you think! Clike <a href="http://kevinmturner.com/" target="_blank">here</a> to visit the new site!Kevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-50280508178257785342012-11-24T23:15:00.003-08:002012-11-24T23:15:47.739-08:00Moved to kevinmturner.comThis site has been moved to <a href="http://kevinmturner.com/">kevinmturner.com</a> . The site is currently under construction but should be live shortly. Thank you for your patience.Kevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-74751973237539787652012-09-17T06:35:00.004-07:002012-09-17T06:58:00.246-07:00Site Under ConstructionThe site is getting a new look! A few months ago (sadly, only about two blogs ago), I posted that I would really like to move kevinmturner.com from a blog to an actual website. Well, my wish has been granted. From time to time, kevinmturner.com will not be available due to website construction in preparation for the new website. Check back for updates.<br />
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Kevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-25343264785261755412012-04-09T21:26:00.000-07:002012-04-09T21:26:37.060-07:00UpdateI need to consider a website since the point of a blog is an active writing engagement, and as you may have noticed, I am not active. But until then, here are a few updates since my last post:<br />
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The Sphere is not coming along nearly as quickly as The Magi did, but then again, I'm not sure anything by me will ever be written that quickly. The good news is that it is coming along, just slowly.<br />
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I'm probably about a quarter of the way finished with where I believe the story to be at this point. I'm a little unique in that I write from beginning to end instead of writing a scene here and a scene there and piecing it together, so sometimes the story expands or shrinks as I write. I still hope to have it completed by late summer.<br />
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The other reason The Sphere is taking a bit longer is that I've put a little bit of time into another story (much shorter and less time-consuming). I wanted to take a little time to write something completely different than The Magi in order to explore different voices. It's different in almost every area except that it's also written for young adults. It's a contemporary story written in the first person, which I find is much easier to write than the third. I have no time frame on completion, and I've found that it's actually making me miss writing The Magi Series more than I thought, so it may never get finished.<br />
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The Magi has actually been doing much better at this point than I anticipated. It is still in the top 20 on Amazon's Top Rated for Action Adventure, peaking at one point at #4. I haven't been pushing for more reviews since I've been a tad busy, but it's still been doing quite well. In fact, sales have been more steady than I would have thought six months after I released The Magi, especially for a self-published title.<br />
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The agent hunt so far has been unsuccessful, but I have to admit, I haven't exactly been putting all my efforts into it. I still am hoping for the traditional publishing route, so at some point I will need to restart the hunt, but for now, I'm just enjoying writing.<br />
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I hope that's enough to update you all on my status. Until next time...Kevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-91773478182742586942012-01-25T16:56:00.000-08:002012-01-25T16:56:06.027-08:00Busy Writing The SphereAs you may have noticed, I have not posted in a while. There's a reason. I took a little vacation from the blog for the holidays, and have since been hard a work writing The Sphere, the second book in The Magi Series. It took a little longer than expected to get fully into the swing of writing again, but I have since found my groove and the writing is coming along nicely. I'm still a little behind my pacing goal to get the book out by late summer, but I hope to play catch-up soon.<br />
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I hope that answers the question why I've been absent lately. Keep checking back for some quick hitters and writing progress of The Sphere.<br />
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KevinKevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-77290764530131425242011-12-25T21:30:00.000-08:002011-12-25T21:30:02.515-08:00The Magi in Paperback is Here!Well, that didn't take long!<br />
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Amazon has now listed The Magi as a paperback option. I'm still working on merging the two versions (Kindle and Paperback) onto one customer page, but if you would like to purchase The Magi for paperback, you can click <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Magi-1-Kevin-M-Turner/dp/1467964344/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324876721&sr=1-2" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Merry Christmas! Kevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-5786991669713646282011-12-24T11:23:00.000-08:002011-12-24T11:23:28.874-08:00Merry Christmas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AyQI1i90w28/TvYmiiqrH0I/AAAAAAAAAKA/uHwnTVowXTs/s1600/THE+MAGI+TITLE+PAGE+DARK.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AyQI1i90w28/TvYmiiqrH0I/AAAAAAAAAKA/uHwnTVowXTs/s320/THE+MAGI+TITLE+PAGE+DARK.png" width="213" /></a></div>Last week, I said that an announcement was coming and should happen in the next few days. Well, that didn't happen, so for Christmas, I will explain my post.<br />
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The Magi will soon be available in print through Amazon. I will certainly make an announcement when it becomes available, but for the time being, just know that it's coming. It takes a few days to go through processing to be available at the amazon store, so it should be any day now.<br />
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In any case, if you wanted to read The Magi but didn't have an e-reader (or didn't want to read it off your computer), then your print option will soon be available. Just keep checking Amazon!<br />
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Merry Christmas Everyone! Kevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-81758612782063109212011-12-06T20:19:00.000-08:002011-12-06T20:19:49.033-08:00Review from Xpresso ReadsThe Magi is starting to generate just the tiniest buzz...if you listen closely. As faint as "a wasp walking on a window pane." (Ten points if you can come up with the source of that quote). <br />
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Xpresso Reads is a blog from which I have been dying to get a review for a while, and the review just came in a couple of days ago. I'm not exactly sure what to say after reading this review (and the comments that follow), so if you have any ideas, let me know because I'm speechless.<br />
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Read the full review at .<a href="http://xpressoreads.blogspot.com/2011/12/review-magi-by-kevin-m-turner.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Xpresso Reads</span></a> here. <br />
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Kevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-4532004892345813962011-11-27T14:37:00.000-08:002011-11-27T14:37:22.856-08:00Presents for a Ladies' Book Club<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kXgzUuY3QBA/TtK651UCokI/AAAAAAAAAJU/gc9l5zraYtI/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kXgzUuY3QBA/TtK651UCokI/AAAAAAAAAJU/gc9l5zraYtI/s320/004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EeM2bNjMqIA/TtK6YsczLUI/AAAAAAAAAJE/BizJjZGbZ0M/s1600/016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EeM2bNjMqIA/TtK6YsczLUI/AAAAAAAAAJE/BizJjZGbZ0M/s320/016.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4dnZYxNFnhU/TtK6ldHHnYI/AAAAAAAAAJM/iv9AJv_KhrU/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4dnZYxNFnhU/TtK6ldHHnYI/AAAAAAAAAJM/iv9AJv_KhrU/s320/010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Just got these in the mail! A local book club (local for me in California) has decided to read and discuss The Magi for their January club meeting, for which I am very honored! So for their convenience, I had these printed. I'm still working on trying to find ways to get The Magi printed for general sale since many people don't have e-readers yet (although Christmas is around the corner) and have asked. <br />
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The problem is the price and quality equation. If I can get the price down and still keep the quality high, I will gladly release The Magi in print. But for now, this is it. Fingers crossed as I research!<br />
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Ladies, I'm excited to hear what you all think!<br />
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Kevin<br />
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</div>Kevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-68343266995696160122011-11-19T07:16:00.000-08:002011-11-19T07:16:05.359-08:00Ending the Blog Blitz, Starting the Word of Mouth BlitzOnce more, I thank everyone who participated in The Magi Blitz. For a debut author and the first book in a series, I think we all did well. The Magi is sitting on a highest rated list on Amazon (I will post about that later today...and it's on the ticker above), and sales have been steady. With basically no word of mouth spreading yet (have to give those who purchased it time to read it), sales have done well. <br />
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I would still love to hear from those of you that are either in the middle of reading The Magi or it's on your to-do list and hear what your thoughts were. <br />
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The link to The Magi Blitz will be taken off soon, so remember, purchasing, reviewing, and clicking on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and following the blog are on my wish list. Christmas is just around the corner!<br />
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Speaking of Christmas, if any of you are interested in free stuff (book related), I am participating in a Blog Hop on December 2-6. The idea of a hop is that starting on my site (or others), you will see a graphic like this:<br />
<a href="http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/2011/10/book-lovers-holiday-giveaway-hop.html"><img src="http://i1228.photobucket.com/albums/ee448/toobusyreading/booklovers2small.jpg" /></a><br />
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Directly under the graphic will be a HUGE list of blogs that are giving away book-related stuff (usually free books). During that time, all you will have to do is follow the instructions of each blog to enter the giveaway, then click the next link under the blog you just visited. There are hundreds you can go to! <br />
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Thank you all and I hope you enjoy or enjoyed or will enjoy The Magi. Now it's time for me to do some much needed writing on the sequel (The Sphere). It's coming along, but I've gotten behind. Tell a friend!<br />
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KevinKevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-16930197335906971122011-11-18T17:11:00.000-08:002011-11-18T17:11:35.323-08:00The Magi #64 on Amazon's Highest Rated List!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KZym0G3wxmU/TscCJP9YczI/AAAAAAAAAI4/1qAa2WCjWmc/s1600/Amazon+%252364+enlarged.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KZym0G3wxmU/TscCJP9YczI/AAAAAAAAAI4/1qAa2WCjWmc/s320/Amazon+%252364+enlarged.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>With such great reviews, The Magi hit #64 on Amazon's Children's Action/Adventure highest rated list. To all of you that have read and given The Magi a rating on Amazon (both US and UK), I say THANK YOU! <br />
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Along with Action/Adventure, The Magi also hit #81 on Amazon's Children's Fantasy highest rated list. If you have read The Magi and haven't reviewed it, I hope it's not too much to ask for a rating on Amazon. Keep watch on the list to see how high it can go! There were some fantastic titles that The Magi is rated higher than.<br />
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Regarding the Bestseller List, The Magi has gotten up to #84 on Smashwords' list. It still has yet to hit Amazon's list, but here's hoping...<br />
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Stay tuned for a closing post (maybe tomorrow despite the blitz technically being over tonight). Thank you again!<br />
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KevinKevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-34522858647594094252011-11-17T16:56:00.000-08:002011-11-17T16:56:19.232-08:00Stats and Answers from WednesdayAs I mentioned above on the ticker, The Magi has been on a few bestseller's lists:<br />
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It has hit #91 on Smashwords' list<br />
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#99 on Amazon.co.uk's list for Children's Action/Adventure books. Thank you all very much. <br />
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<strong>Answers from yesterday's post</strong>:<br />
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From Goodreads:<br />
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Q: How many books have you written? How many books do you plan for the Magi series? :) Thanks for the post! -Valette<br />
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A: The Magi is my first. The Magi series is planned for 5 books. When I outlined the whole series, it fit nicely with 5 separate plots (with, of course, multiple sub-plots woven throughout).<br />
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From the blog:<br />
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Q: First let me say thank you for a wonderful read and fine adventure. As long as you're asking... when will the next book be out? -Cathy<br />
A: You're welcome! I'm very glad you liked it. I hope the others will be just as intriguing. The next book will depend on a few things. Hopefully, I will have a publisher that will want The Magi by the time the next book (called The Sphere) is ready to come out. In that case, the publisher will have a little more to say about release. However, as far as being ready to share, I am currently working on The Sphere and my goal is to have it out in a year (Summer 2012). <br />
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Q: I was going to ask the same thing as Cathy... I can't wait til the next book is out! :) Also, how long have you had the idea for this story/ these characters? Did it just come to you all of a sudden and you started writing, or is it something you've been thinking about for a long time? <br />
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A: Regarding how long I had the idea, it just sort of came to me. I originally wanted to write just a good ol' fashioned adventure story with buried treasure and breaking codes and such. However, when I started to look into the specifics (I really wanted a story that was really out of this world, but still believable), I modified and changed things and soon it began to create itself. I can't say I'd been thinking about it for a long time, but it did take on a life of its own. <br />
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Q: Well, I was going to ask the same as Cathy and Kelli. When is the next book coming out? I'm hooked. -ed <br />
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A: My goal is Summer 2012. How quickly I can publicize The Magi will have an influence on that, though.Kevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-3415821700558279702011-11-16T17:56:00.000-08:002011-11-17T07:19:48.307-08:00Quick mid-blitz Stats and LinksHello friends!<br />
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Since we're mid-way through the blitz, I thought I'd give an honest share where The Magi is in terms of sales and reviews.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Reviews: The reviews I've been getting have been GREAT! The three places to look are Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes and Noble for the reviews. Click on the icons below to see the reviews page of The Magi. (B&N is not included below because while there are 3 ratings...all 5-star...there are no reviews yet) </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Magi-ebook/product-reviews/B005TZ72NO/ref=cm_cr_pr_top_helpful?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ORysEar4MS0/TsBF2In5mYI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/JexCcvCQ1ag/s1600/amazon.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12861008-the-magi" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ne8R1igd2Oc/TsBGQ7cb5uI/AAAAAAAAAIg/649nnMdRFZg/s1600/goodreads.jpg" /></a> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">At Amazon, The Magi is averaging 4.93 stars out of 5. On Goodreads, it's averaging 4.86 stars out of 5. Woohoo! It may literally be one 5-star review away on Amazon to get on their "highest-rated" list. (Those lists update daily, so whenever it updates, it may be up...check Amazon tomorrow). I've been seeing books with less reviews and less star averages that are on the list, so either The Magi will be up tomorrow, or their algorithm is odd. </div><br />
SALES: If you're a nerd like me, it's fascinating how the "Bestseller" list works. <br />
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Right now, the Magi is sitting around a #15,000 rank, which is a little down from earlier today, but up from yesterday. Each copy sold sees a significant spike in the rankings (especially in the morning). <br />
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<h1 id="zg_listTitle"><img alt="" class="rg_hi" data-height="37" data-width="128" height="37" id="rg_hi" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRe7SEZSFsI_kQV1wMhK3feDJoy4kIIqdrqrYnr1kcMGgXhkSuoWQ" style="height: 37px; width: 128px;" width="128" /></h1>The first Bestseller list I'm trying to get on is the Children's Fantasy/Magic list. Currently at #100 (the last place) is a book that is sitting at rank #3,500 or so. That may literally be 5 copies of The Magi away from making the list. Then again, in order to maintain position in striking distance of the TOP 100, The Magi has to sell enough sporatic copies throughout the day (no spike necessary). Fascinating! So, if you're wondering what you can do, it seems that just buying the book at your convenience is best. If it spikes, it spikes. If not, you're helping the base sales keep in striking distance of the TOP 100 so if there is a spike, The Magi will crack in. And if it cracks in, the publicity is HUGE! Wow, that was confusing. <br />
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So a big thank you to all who have helped mid week. Remember to keep plugging away if you feel so inclined. I've been so grateful for such wonderful friends and family that have worked to make The Magi successful. I love you all!<br />
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Kevin<br />
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<span style="color: red;">Update: As of the morning of November 17, The Magi has hit two bestseller's lists. Amazon.co.uk has The Magi sitting at #99 in the Children's Action Adventure category. Smashwords has The Magi currently at #94 in the bestseller's rankings. Thank you all!</span>Kevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-61330315432013141442011-11-16T00:00:00.000-08:002011-11-16T00:00:00.720-08:00THE MAGI BLITZ (Day 3)We're halfway through the blitz. Thank you all for your help this week in publicizing The Magi. I hope you enjoy The Magi.<br />
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QUESTION AND ANSWER:<br />
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I know this may sound unbelievably pompous of me, but someone recommended doing a Q&A for the blitz, and I thought that might be fun. I'm well aware that since The Magi is no bestseller, there might not be a whole lot to ask yet. However, I did write a book, and quite a few people have read it or have at least heard about it. So, I would like to open today up for my readers to ask questions. I will post answers on tomorrow's post and Friday's (assuming I get questions...most of my visitors have been quite shy). The floor is open and I will do my best to answer honestly. It can be as simple as a question about myself or about the book or the series. So ask away...<br />
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Also, I've received a note that there have been some problems with being able to comment. If this is the case, please shoot me a quick email (kevinmturner1@gmail.com) and let me know so I can fix the problem. I may have to email google. <br />
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Look forward to hearing from you!!!Kevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-72728207805416735252011-11-15T00:00:00.000-08:002011-11-15T21:15:55.012-08:00THE MAGI BLITZ (Day 2)Welcome Back!<br />
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For those of you that have read the book, if you'd like to find out which element you would control, take the quiz below!<br />
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For the rest of you, let me briefly explain the quiz:<br />
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The Magi world has a power that allows them to control the four elements: fire, water, wind, earth. A good portion of the story deals with the main character, Elijah Hawk, figuring out how these elements relate to him and which speak to him the most. With the help of my friends Corey and David, I have put together a quick 10-question quiz will tell you which element you would be more likely to control if you were trained at Savenridge. <br />
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So what would you study?Kevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-75546195535252264742011-11-14T19:21:00.000-08:002011-11-14T19:21:19.594-08:00The Magi Buzz...Ttoria.blogspot.com has graciously been publicizing The Magi this week for the blitz. Ttoria is an independent reviewer from the UK and has an interview with me up <a href="http://ttoria.blogspot.com/2011/11/author-interview_14.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Check back tomorrow for her review of The Magi (I actually haven't read it yet). <br />
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Thanks Viktoria!<br />
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<a href="http://www.ttoria.blogspot.com/">http://www.ttoria.blogspot.com/</a>Kevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-19585195107613830522011-11-14T00:00:00.000-08:002011-11-14T00:00:05.087-08:00THE MAGI BLITZ (DAY 1)1. PURCHASE 2. REVIEW 3. CLICK CLICK CLICK 4. SHARE<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">For those like me who need quick, simple directions without a lot of information, I've composed a list of bullet points to explain what I need. If you are just here to check out the site because you're not sure what this is all about yet, click on THE MAGI BLITZ link at the top.</div><br />
Please, NO OBLIGATIONS!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ORysEar4MS0/TsBF2In5mYI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/JexCcvCQ1ag/s1600/amazon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ORysEar4MS0/TsBF2In5mYI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/JexCcvCQ1ag/s1600/amazon.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cEHtPltTF10/TsBF6OA58aI/AAAAAAAAAIY/ZO_IwnP87qI/s1600/barnes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cEHtPltTF10/TsBF6OA58aI/AAAAAAAAAIY/ZO_IwnP87qI/s1600/barnes.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MpX7YRITMkE/TsBGWZpGFiI/AAAAAAAAAIo/xqg9Ofize2c/s1600/ibooks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MpX7YRITMkE/TsBGWZpGFiI/AAAAAAAAAIo/xqg9Ofize2c/s1600/ibooks.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ne8R1igd2Oc/TsBGQ7cb5uI/AAAAAAAAAIg/649nnMdRFZg/s1600/goodreads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ne8R1igd2Oc/TsBGQ7cb5uI/AAAAAAAAAIg/649nnMdRFZg/s1600/goodreads.jpg" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">AVAILABLE TO ALL E-READERS </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><br />
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1. PURCHASE ($2.99)<br />
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-If you have a KINDLE, purchase <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Magi-ebook/dp/B005TZ72NO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1321222108&sr=8-2" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
-If you have a NOOK, purchase <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-magi-kevin-m-turner/1106913540?ean=2940032803515&itm=2&usri=the%252bmagi" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
-If you have an iPad or iPhone, go to ibooks (or iTunes) and type in THE MAGI.<br />
-If you have another e-reader or phone that handles books not listed above, purchase <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94989" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
-If you want a print copy, please <a href="http://themagiseries.blogspot.com/p/contact.html" target="_blank">contact me</a>.<br />
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2. REVIEW (You can copy and paste a review to all of these places for free. The more reviews, the better)<br />
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-Goodreads (most important) Click <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12861008-the-magi" target="_blank">here</a> to review, add to books, or rate.<br />
-Amazon - Click <a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/create-review/ref=cm_cr_dp_wr_but_bottom?ie=UTF8&nodeID=133140011&asin=B005TZ72NO&store=digital-text" target="_blank">here</a> to review<br />
-Barnes and Noble - Click <a href="http://my.barnesandnoble.com/communityportal/WriteReview.aspx?EAN=2940032803515" target="_blank">here</a> to review.<br />
-iTunes (no site, but you can review on the app)<br />
-Smashwords (can only review if you purchase from Smashwords) Click <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94989" target="_blank">here</a> to review.<br />
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3. CLICK CLICK CLICK<br />
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For all of the above sites, the more clicks the better.<br />
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-LIKE everything that is a good review. <br />
-CLICK on good reviews as "helpful". <br />
-COMMENT when possible.<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">-VISIT the sites where some reviews came from (some sites are already listed above on THE MAGI REVIEWS). </div><div style="text-align: left;">-FOLLOW the blog, facebook, goodreads, twitter (all links are listed on the sidebars)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">4. SHARE </div>Kevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-70359744693252803642011-11-11T10:00:00.000-08:002011-11-11T10:00:00.333-08:00Guest Post for The Slowest BookwormYou may have heard a version of this story before, but if you'd like to read my guest post on The Slowest Bookworm's blog, click <a href="http://www.theslowestbookworm.com/2011/11/author-post-kevin-turner-on-magi.html">here</a>. Also, click back to the main page and scroll down to read her review of The Magi, which is also linked on The Magi Reviews at the top of the page.Kevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-80586241151579100042011-11-09T16:39:00.000-08:002011-11-09T16:57:40.653-08:00Stats for The MagiWhile these stats are very modest, I am a goal-oriented person, so I like knowing where things stand so I know if there's improvement. It will be fun to check back next week to see how things go. Here are some interesting trends lately regarding The Magi:<br />
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1. Amazon - Go to Amazon and type in The Magi, and my book comes up as the second choice. Last week it wasn't even on the first two pages.<br />
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2. Amazon - While this will hopefully increase steadily as I'm actually telling all of you to NOT buy my book now and wait until the 14, The Magi is ranked #49,525 in all Kindle books sold. Now there's an uphill climb! I'll update you all on those stats next week.<br />
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3. Google - I'm not sure how much of Google's search pages have to do with some sort of algorithm from each individual computer, but from multiple computers, typing in The Magi will allude to the book two different places (both reviews) on the first page. Type in The Magi series, and the whole page is filled with allusions. It's starting to pop up thanks to all of your help! <br />
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Looking for those stats to improve next week. Thank you all and I hope to see you around the blog next week too.<br />
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KevinKevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-64092466232864164242011-11-07T16:00:00.000-08:002011-11-07T16:00:01.307-08:00The Magi CoverFor those of you who have been following for a while, I should have titled it "The NEW Magi Cover" as I technically had another cover. I had that one for advanced copies sent to reviewers and for my students to read at the beginning of the year. However, I'm sure you'll agree (if you scroll down and see the other cover), that this one is much more professional. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xtnYfkwMKLU/TrdRRv63WDI/AAAAAAAAAIA/uStodx8j4vo/s1600/TheMagi_BookCover+v5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" ida="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xtnYfkwMKLU/TrdRRv63WDI/AAAAAAAAAIA/uStodx8j4vo/s320/TheMagi_BookCover+v5.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> -Cover and artwork/design by Jordan Harris-</div><br />
This is the book's jacket for the (hopeful) hardcover edition. I say hopeful because while I can finance a handful of printed copies on my own, part of the reason for all the publicity requesting is to get publishers' notice so these editions will become easily available. <br />
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I'd like to take part of this post to thank Jordan Harris for all the work he put into designing the cover for The Magi. First of all, it's amazing as you can see! But he was extremely easy to work with and basically took my scrambled thoughts and put them down almost exactly as I imagined it (better than, actually). If any of you need graphic design or artwork in the computer graphic field, I HIGHLY recommend Jordan! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NGK8as11olM/TrdTBFcEt3I/AAAAAAAAAII/Hpuaqf2AJSc/s1600/THE+MAGI+TITLE+PAGE+DARK+%2528jpeg%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ida="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NGK8as11olM/TrdTBFcEt3I/AAAAAAAAAII/Hpuaqf2AJSc/s320/THE+MAGI+TITLE+PAGE+DARK+%2528jpeg%2529.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
This is the cover for the e-books that are available now (but wait until the 14th if you can!). It will make more sense once you read the story, but a good portion of The Magi has to do with the four elements, and this is their symbol (at least, in the world of the Magi). Each element is represented by a different color (just like the story), but when they unite, it looks like this. Again, once you get to about chapter 7, this may make more sense and help with the visualization of the elemental symbols. <br />
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Jordan Harris, you're amazing! Kevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-5618086676088677652011-11-06T15:25:00.000-08:002011-11-06T17:00:41.046-08:00A Big Thank You!As I'm a day away from announcing The Magi Blitz and a week away from releasing the Magi, I would like to say thank you to all the Blog Reviewers that have been willing to review The Magi. I know it's not much, but you have all been so wonderful to take on work by an unknown author and publicize my book for your readers, and it's hard to express the gratitude I have for that. <br />
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For those of you that may not know, many of these reviewers have to read multiple books a week just to get through their to-do stack, so taking on an extra book that has no buzz, written by a debut author, and is relatively unknown is a huge sacrifice and risk on their part. <br />
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I hope that the time you spend on The Magi will be time well-spent, and if there's anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask. Once again: Thank you!<br />
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KevinKevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-21618212437238587802011-11-02T20:25:00.000-07:002011-11-02T21:59:20.720-07:00Profiling The Magi - Elijah Hawk<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Elijah Hawk:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Main character</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Age:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>13<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">First of all, let’s start with the name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While The Magi is not a religious story, there are many religious references throughout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure there are some I’m not even aware of yet, but some are obvious starting with the names of the main characters (children only).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elijah, along with most of the other children in the story, is a biblical name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found it more difficult than I imagined picking the name for my protagonist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted it unique yet subtle, and Elijah just stuck out to me for some reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The purpose of the name Hawk I can’t give away at this point because it has significance beyond just a last name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you read the story, you’ll probably be able to figure it out, especially at the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I also like the sound of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would say that about 90% of all the names in the series have significance to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some are named after loved ones, and some are just named after people that have inspired me during my life, and Elijah is on that list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">In many ways, Elijah takes on the role of the common teenager.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More than anything, I wanted to create a character that we can relate to (yes, “we” meaning everyone, not just teenagers—but teenagers especially).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think we can all relate to Elijah’s insecurity with his physical appearance at some point in our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s rare to find someone who accepts who they are from the get-go (especially at 13), living their life completely secure with their appearance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re out there, but it’s rare!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, Elijah finds out that he has superior abilities (I won’t give these all away now) and others more than accept him for those strengths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t pretend to have figured out all the truths about life, but I firmly believe that people are attracted to strength, and I also believe that we all have strength somewhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, when used and cultivated, our strengths can overshadow our insecurities, which is one of the themes I tried to bring out when writing The Magi, and Elijah in particular.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Elijah is also an inquisitive character—something I believe I subconsciously took from my own personality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In high school, I can remember being laughed at for asking so many questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure it was annoying to my friends and especially, although I never picked up on it, my teachers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found that Elijah was just as inquisitive, and I actually find that one of his most endearing qualities (hm…I wonder why?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can even read some of his inquisitive nature in the first few chapters that are posted on the blog.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Finally, in taking on the role of the common teenager, I wanted Elijah to be found in the middle of the crowd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s not a natural leader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He shies away from attention that he cannot control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s intelligent, but not brilliant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, what makes Elijah so special is his compassion, which is a total antithesis of his enemies, the Maliphists, and is one of the few human qualities that is a choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I wrote Elijah not to represent the common teenager.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wrote him to be a model.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s not perfect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has his flaws (who doesn’t?), but he truly wants to do good and has real empathy for all he comes in contact with (including his enemies).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope that for all who read The Magi, I will have succeeded in creating this model.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>Kevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-44019779718290038992011-11-01T17:00:00.000-07:002011-11-01T17:00:07.713-07:00Author InterviewCheck out my small interview <a href="http://remarkablereads-sandra.blogspot.com/2011/11/interview-with-kevin-m-turner.html">here</a> at www.remarkablereads-sandra.blogspot.com<br />
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Also click back for upcoming reviews and release information.Kevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-43507496707631035062011-10-27T18:22:00.000-07:002011-10-27T18:22:58.851-07:00Halloween HopI'm a little early, but I won't be around over the weekend, so I wanted to get this up. <br />
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Favorite monster movie/book? <br />
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I'm not a huge fan of horror movies. I never saw many growing up so the desensitization that happens to young lads at an early age never happened to me. I guess it's like never being exposed to germs at a young age making you more likely to get sick.<br />
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Anyway, I think The Shining would be up there, but I'm not sure that's a monster movie. Just a good horror flick.<br />
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Check out the sites below for more blogger Halloween favorites!<br />
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Grab this button<br />
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<a href="http://jeremybatesbooks.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" /><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-t8oXlUpgZx8/TpfvBDOYkgI/AAAAAAAACGE/Uf_ilcMhc68/s320/halloween%252520hop.jpg" style="height: 200px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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<script src="http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=111448" type="text/javascript">
</script>Kevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6630239150133035019.post-46754676086242358282011-10-22T11:49:00.000-07:002011-10-22T11:49:44.205-07:00Blog Update...Under ConstructionHello Friends,<br />
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If you visit The Savenridge Archives with any kind of consistency, you'll probably notice that I haven't posted in a while. There's a reason! <br />
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I'm getting ready to handle a larger amount of traffic that will hopefully be coming soon as I have a few reviews and publicity lined up during the next few months. Plus, I'm planning and working on a sort of blitz where I will try to get as many people as I can get to purchase and read The Magi during a short period in order to kickstart the promotion of my book. Kind of like a cyber release party of sorts. <br />
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In doing all of that, I have been hard at work trying to manage everything and one of those things is the blog layout itself. I'm not perfectly happy with the layout as it is so I will be working on trying to fix that in the coming weeks. So don't freak out on me if you see frequent changes. I still plan on posting profiles of The Magi and other such things I promised, but it may be a small bit. Thank you for your patience. <br />
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Also, be on the lookout for word being spread on The Magi Blitz!<br />
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KevinKevin Turnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13117377016066220618noreply@blogger.com1