NobleDead.org - High/Dark Fantasy Fiction by Barb Hendee and J.C. Hendee

HW1: The Game Piece by Barb, our past first release in T·N·D·S, is now available through the Sony ReaderStore. It is also available through Inktera, Versent Books, and Diesel, though the latter reroutes ebook purchases to the Kobo ebook store. New vendor links for this title have been added at NobleDead.org

If you have not tried some of these (pseudo) independent bookstores, have a peek at your leisure. It never hurts to browse, and the old joy of stumbling upon a new corner bookstore is something missing from the online world.

All of this was accomplished through the use of an aggregator; something we have been opposed to in the past for (among other reasons) the lack of a direct contract between vendor and publisher (namely, us). An ebook aggregator is the only way to achieve access to certain vendors lacking a direct epublishing portal. Whether we continue this experiment through Smashwords has yet to be determined, as there are problems — for us and our readers…

This is an experiment, so we are starting off with our oldest title in T·N·D·S: Tales from the world of the Noble Dead Saga.

HW1: The Game Piece (by Barb) is now available at Smashwords.com in EPUB (only) format. So go get it if you do not have it yet.

We tried Smash­words­.com once in the past and quickly abandoned it for a list of reasons. In our effort to expand “tales” distribution into other markets, we will try it again.

Our primary purpose for testing it this time is two-fold: to make our ebook-only works available for the Sony eReaderStore and as an alternative distribution system for future “tales” into iTunes / iBookStore (without Apple’s proprietary nonsense in direct distribution)…

Now and again, we notice a stream of new readers have tuned into our social satellite pages or directly to news releases through NobleDead.org. So just a few catch up notices for those who might have missed them.

Barb and J.C. are engaged in more than writing the Noble Dead Saga. So whether you are catching up with the books so far, or awaiting S3B2: The Dog in the Dark, stop by the main site and have a peek at Tales from the world of the Noble Dead Saga.

The “Tales” project of short ebook only works currently contains two on-going  sequences: “Homeward” and “Bones of the Earth.” Short stories and novellas in the former are not sequential, per se; you can read them in any order. Those in the latter are sequential (so far), but we know of readers who started with either one first and did just fine. And yes, there will be new sequences debuting sometime in 2013 along with the continuation of “Bones of the Earth.”

We will not be releasing new “Tales” until something in February 2013 outside the release window of the S3B2: The Dog in the Dark and after we have a little break from finishing the draft version of next year’s volume. But there are more “Tales” to come, oh yes.

And of course, there is Barb’s coming new series, The Mist-Torn Witches, which debuts May 2013. It is set in the world of (but not linked to) the Noble Dead Saga.

And lastly… we know a lot of you expected the next news from ND.org would be about the new “Noble Dead Raffles.” Hang in there. That notice is coming late tomorrow, guaranteed!

Now, has everyone finished their list of holiday preparations? Cough, cough, ahem… we are probably in no position to talk! And we’ll be back tomorrow.

We’ve decided to give Apple another try as an additional vendor for Tales from the world of the Noble Dead Saga, though this latest re-experiment still raises some red flags. Apple’s software approach to delivering ebooks to their store is rather burdensome and convoluted; it puts this attempt at risk in a specific way, but Homeward, I: The Game Piece is now available though the iTunes store.

PURCHASE AT:

You will need to have iTunes installed on  your computer or use an iOS device for the Apple/iTunes (lower-right) link to work. Of course you can also go through your installed iTunes and search out the title in the books section. If no price wars are started across our chosen vendors, we will continue by putting up the rest of our “Tales” on the iTunes store. So, why are we concerned about a potential price war? Well…

Barb Hendee
$3.00 USD
Short story, 12.6k+ words; English Only

This fifth offering in Tales from the world of the Noble Dead Saga is now available (finally) at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and yes, KoboBooks. For more information please visit the “Tales” page at NobleDead.org.

For non-USA readers, Amazon and KoboBooks offer access and purchase from outside of the USA. For Amazon, you will need to seek the proper site by domain extension (.es, .uk, etc.); see the main Amazon.com site for assistance if you cannot find your region’s domain site. KoboBooks has affiliates in about 150 countries, though their main site (from what we understand) sells directly (with immediate access) to many countries around the world.

It may take a little more time for our privately published titles to filter through these large vendor sites to any of their non-USA subsites, but they will. We thank you for your patience with all of the technical difficulties that delayed this release.

NOTE: Along with this release, Homeward, I: The Game Piece by Barb has also (finally) become available at KoboBooks.com.

You can find the direct link for it through the “Tales” page at NobleDead.org.

While you’re at our site, you can also have a look at the previous “Tales” releases in the “Homeward” and “Bones of the Earth” sequences.

Though set in the world of the Noble Dead Saga, the “Tales” stories and sequences do not require knowledge of the saga’s books/series. You can easily pick up and read one as your first venture in this world.

You Don't Need an EReader

Apps for Windows, OS X, Android and iOS devices to purchase and read ebooks are available for free. If you later buy a device, all of your previously purchased books from the device's vendor will load to your new device as well as still being available through your vendor-based app.

• Kindle Apps (AZW/Mobi)
• Nook Apps (EPUB)
• KoboBooks Apps (EPUB)

KoboBooks.com finally opened up its e-publishing portal four days ago, and we were waiting and ready. All currently released Tales from the world of the Noble Dead Saga have been published to their online offerings and most are now popping up in their international sites. [Read on for more on this.]

You can find Kobo links on our “Tales” and “Books” pages at NobleDead.org. Oh, and of course Kobo does have free apps for all platforms; you will find links to those as well.

NOTE: Homeward, I: The Game Piece by Barb has yet to complete the publishing shunt to the Kobo catalog after four days. We are looking into any problems and will update when glitches get worked out. Since the Homeward sequence stories are autonomous, this should not be a problem. You can always pick up the The Game Piece later if you are a Kobo customer.

For Our International Readers…

Like Amazon’s AZW/MOBI format, Kobo sells internationally in the EPUB format, the true industry standard for e-publications. This is a bit of relief, as we have heard from some frustrated fans abroad who want access to our privately published works. So if you are outside the US territories, and you use something other than a Kindle app/device, you can now get your hands on our “Tales” at KoboBooks.com

Homeward, III: The Sapphire

Barb Hendee
$3.00 USD
Short story, 12k+ words; English Only

This fourth offering in Tales from the world of the Noble Dead Saga should (again) please our fans of the undead. For more information please visit the “Tales” page at NobleDead.org or the product pages at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. [Also available at all international Amazon outlets.]

NOTE: This story has been published as well to Barnes & Noble but has not yet appeared for sale in their listings. Keep an eye out for it if you are a Nook or Nook app user; we will also post notice ourselves when it appears there.

While you’re at our site, you can also have a look at the previous “Tales” releases in the “Homeward” and “Bones of the Earth” sequences.

Though set in the world of the Noble Dead Saga, the “Tales” stories and sequences do not require knowledge of the saga’s books/series. You can easily pick up and read one as your first venture in this world.

You Don't Need an EReader

Apps for Windows, OS X, Android and iOS devices to purchase and read ebooks are available for free. If you later buy a device, all of your previously purchased books from the device's vendor will load to your new device as well as still being available through your vendor-based app.

• Kindle Apps (AZW/Mobi)
• Nook Apps (EPUB)

It has been a little while since we posted an update of any kind. Work has been that busy between outlining the next volume in the Noble Dead Saga for 2014 (yes we work that far ahead), writing and prepping more “tales,” researching ways to streamline our e-publishing process, and, well, just daily life stuff. So time to catch up on a number of things…

With the recent release of the first stories in “Tales from the world of the Noble Dead Saga,” inevitable questions came up. So far, “Tales” has been a fun but sometimes confusing side venture. We did expect some puzzlement from fans and readers as well, so it’s time to share those concerns on both sides…

Charles Shumaker wins the signed hardbound first edition of S3B1: Between Their Worlds.

Delivery instructions have been forwarded to the publisher’s publicity department. Charles’ prize should be shipped by early Tuesday and arrive within ten business days. This concludes the last of the current series of bi-weekly raffles for signed volumes from the Noble Dead Saga.

Don’t be sad, for we’ll have more online events like this in the future. For now, it is time for us to settle into a busy summer schedule of planning for S3B3 [untitled], waiting to see copyedits for S3B2: The Dog in the Dark… oh, and another entry in “Tales from the world of the Noble Dead Saga”…

COMING SOON!

Yes, indeed, watch for a notice later this week about the (early) release of the first entry in the “Bones of the Earth” sequence, Karras the Kitten. Anyone up for a little dwarven adventure? Also coming sometime in June (maybe earlier) will be the second entry in the “Homeward” sequence called The Feral Path. Of course, this means J.C. has to also find time to do the publishing side. In the meantime, for those who missed it, stop by the “Tales” page at NobleDead.org to check out Homeward, I: The Game Piece, already available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble online.

That’s enough of a teaser for now. And most of all, thank you to everyone who joined in on the fun with the raffles.

We’ve been holding off on this (for the most part) until it was at least 90% ready. Barb and J.C. have engaged upon a private project for both new and current readers called…

“Tales from the world of the Noble Dead Saga”

These are shorter works (short stories to novellas) independent of the saga. They will center upon third and fourth tier characters, places, and events encountered throughout the saga’s volumes. Some will be authored independently by Barb or J.C. while others will be collaborations, like the saga. "Tales" on the whole are built in what we call “sequences” based on theme rather than plot (in most cases). Some works in a sequence may chain together, plot-wise, while others will not, BUT….

No knowledge of the Noble Dead Saga or its books is necessary to enjoy any "Tale." Readers who’ve never read any of our work can dive right in.

For those who have read part or all of the saga to date, you may learn more about the world, cultures, times and places, and revelations concerning favorite minor characters left behind. In other words, these are little treats straight from us to tide you over in a year's wait until the next volume in the Noble Dead Saga is released from our publisher, Roc (Penguin/Putnam).

We will release four to six “Tales” per year outside of the two-plus month window of a new volume in the Noble Dead Saga.

All “Tales” will be in ebook form only, starting with AZW/Kindle through Amazon and EPUB through Barnes & Noble. 

A new page at NobleDead.org will soon open for this new direct series of works, so the readers can track present and future releases. Please help out if you wish by spreading the word, including sharing this press release as a whole. And so, for our first “Tale” in the “Homeward” sequence…

Homeward, I:
The Game Piece
Barb Hendee

English only; ~14k Words.
$2.00 USD; Available through non-USA Amazon stores at equivalent regional currency prices.

In his youth, Loni never felt that he fit in anywhere, even among his family or his people, the Lhoin’na, or the elves of the central continent. As he dwells on tales told to him by a doting grandmother, he begins to believe he might have been born in the wrong time.

One scant tale of a past age hints that the legendary Sorhkafâré led some of Loni’s people to the east at the end of the great mythical war. Loni dreams of those forgotten Departed ones, wondering if their descendants still exist. The answer may be more and less than he hoped in his quest to find where he belongs.