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Welcome to my BLOG! May 2007
Dear Readers,
I’ve always tried to keep this blog positive and upbeat, but I can no longer sit quietly while a group of individuals seeks to ruin my reputation and that of my publisher, Reagent Press. As loyal readers know, I am the award-winning, international, best-selling author of 70 books for young people and adults. I’ve been at this thing called writing since 1980; a published, award-winning author since 1991 when I won the George Washington Honor medal from the Freedom Foundation; and a bestselling author since 1995 when a little book I wrote called Electronic Publishing Unleashed "defined electronic and digital publishing for a generation of readers." I am one of the original digital publishing pioneers and I remain a strong proponent of digital publishing. I am a Gulf War veteran and the recipient of 29 medals during my 11 years of honorable military service. I received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Air Medal, and several other medals for my service in the Gulf War. For me, the words Honor, Duty, and Country have profound meaning. I served in the Gulf War because my country asked me to and because it was my duty to do so. I have supported the communities I’ve lived in all my life and frequently donated to schools, libraries, and community events. The individuals who are trying to ruin my reputation have been spreading malicious, untrue rumors about me for the past five years. For the last few years, they’ve been doing the same to my publisher. As someone who has given all his life to his country and his community, I simply do not understand this continued and prolonged harassment of me personally. Not liking a book is one thing, reaching into every corner of cyberspace to spread malicious, untrue rumors is something else entirely. To build word of mouth prior to the launch of my Ruin Mist books, my publisher gave away many thousands of copies of the books and launched major advertising campaigns including showings at dozens of book shows around the world, appearances in bookstore/library publications/events, and more. This created tremendous positive interest that was ruined by individuals who had no right to do so. Five years later these individuals are still at it. I am asking members of the book community to help stop these activities, which appear to be hate crimes against a person who has never professed his politics, religious beliefs, or war stance. There is enough intolerance in the world; there does not need to be such intolerance in the book community. For those who have been a part of these activities, if I’ve misunderstood your intent, write to me and let me know so. I am not afraid to make a correction to statements that I’ve determined to be false. I would ask the same of you as well.
Thank you for reading. God bless and take care,
Robert Stanek
November 2006
Dear Readers,
Huge thank you to the dedicated fans who continue to read my books and tell others about them. I must apologize for being so jammed up this past year that I haven’t had time to keep up with this blog. I forget sometimes that there are readers who don’t subscribe to the newsletter that I’ve faithfully published every 3 months for many years. I hope to remedy this by either reopening subscription or making the newsletter available as a part of this web site. For those who may be wondering, the newsletter began in 1996 and has been published quarterly ever since. Back then, I was writing primarily Web design and Web publishing articles and books. Because of this, many of its long-time subscribers want to hear about computers, technologies, and such. So if I am to reopen subscription or make the newsletter available as a part of this web site, there must be an understanding between us and it is this: the newsletter isn’t just about my fiction writing. The newsletter has covered and will continue to cover all my areas of interest: computers, technology, nonfiction, fiction, and web stuff. The newsletter will continue to have a regular “Strange Web Stuff” column. The newsletter will continue to have “What I’m Reading” and/or “Authors You Should Get to Know” columns that cover books from my favorite authors as well as new and upcoming authors. The authors I discuss may not necessarily be fiction authors. The authors may not necessarily be ones you’ve heard of, and that is sometimes the point. It may seem I have a preference for small press authors because I do and my discussion of an author, as always, is not necessarily meant as literary review or critique. Of course, these columns often gush with praise because I’m not discussing authors I don’t like—I’m discussing authors whose work I like and/or authors whose work you may like. Issue #45 will come out in January.
I thank you for the many letters and emails, and apologize for not being able to answer every one of them personally. I want to thank the many teachers, librarians, and parents across the U.S. and around the world who have embraced my books and made them so successful. The little book that could—and did—is still going. I couldn’t have done it without all the dedicated fans. You make all the difference, thank you. In letters and emails, the question I’m asked the most is about the upcoming Ruin Mist books and when they will be published. I’m sorry to say I don’t know the dates yet. The title of the series for adults, as fans have already discovered, is called Ruin Mist: The Lost Ages. The other questions I get the most are about specific characters. For readers who want to know if Myrial and Emel will be back, I can say both Myrial and Emel will be back, but things have been rough what with a great war sweeping the kingdoms and all, so they may have changed somewhat from the Myrial and Emel you’ve grown to love. The hints I offer are these: Myrial is ever a survivor as her dark encounter with the housemaster should have shown you, and Emel went on a journey in search of something and may find more than he bargains for. For readers who want to know about Edward and Eldrick, I can say you haven’t seen the last of Eldrick but alas, I can do nothing for Edward whom we all miss terribly.
For the many readers who want to know more about when my books are coming to their country, I have some great news. Three new translations: Korean, Russian, and Bulgarian. Thanks to one of my most dedicated fans, I have copies of the Bulgarian covers to share and a copy of a promo page.
My publisher has created several new destination sites featuring the books, including http://books.reagentpress.com, http://audio.reagentpress.com, http://kids.reagentpress.com, http://teens.reagentpress.com, and http://schools.reagentpress.com. I don't have any new news on Battle for Ruin Mist: The Roleplaying Game. As soon as there's an update, it'll be available at http://www.reagentpress.com/roleplay.htm.
Thank you for reading and believing. God bless and take care,
Robert Stanek
December 2005 Dear Readers,
Thank you for an amazing 2005 and for helping to take The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches all the way to #1. Teachers, librarians, and parents across the U.S. and around the world have embraced the book so much that it is becoming known as "the little book that could—and did." Like the little engine that could—and did—The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches has carried on year after year with steady sales to become one of the most successful books ever produced by an independent small publisher. I couldn’t have done it without all the dedicated fans.
An update on the Blue Ribbon award for my audio books—this is no longer a maybe. My audio books have won multiple awards, which will be announced in 2006. Keep your fingers crossed for the 2006 Grammy awards and 2006 Audie awards, which appear to be sure things.
To the dozens of fans writing to me about Hayao Miyazaki directing an animated version of The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches. This is speculation and absolutely not true. No director has been selected for Into the Beyond.
Lastly, I hope you’ll say a prayer for me as I begin chemo. A 30% chance is better than zero.
Thank you for reading and believing. God bless and take care,
Robert Stanek
October, 2005
Dear Readers,
Huge thank you to the dedicated fans who continue to read my books and tell others about them. Back in early September, I promised fans big news for October and a few answers too.
Ruin Mist and Magic Lands movies seem to be the news everyone wanted. Unfortunately, I can’t deliver anything new. DreamWorks and others did express interest in 2002. Valhalla Motion Pictures and others did express interest in 2004. Nothing else to report.
Translation and rights news continues to be good. Currently, my publisher is in discussions with publishers in Brazil, Germany, Spain, France, Portugal, China, Taiwan, Japan, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and elsewhere. Translations of the books are underway in Spanish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, and several other languages. Scholastic is considering publishing paperback editions.
My publisher has created several new destination sites featuring the books, including http://www.themagiclands.com and http://www.reagentpress.com in addition to http://www.robertstanek.com and http://www.ruinmist.com.
For those wondering about Grammy and Audie news: no Grammy, no nomination. The Blue Ribbon award as I understand it is for “Audiobook that has made the biggest impact on audio publishing for the year.”
I’ve completed work on Battle for Ruin Mist: The Roleplaying Game. Details can be found at http://www.reagentpress.com/roleplay.htm.
The secrets of the praise that appears at the beginning of the Ruin Mist books? These quotes are from editors at major publishers who read and liked my books but ultimately decided not to publish them, including Susan Allison, Betsy Mitchell, and Carolyn Reidy. As far as fiction agents that I have worked with, they include Richard Curtis and Al Zuckerman.
Thank you for reading and believing. God bless and take care,
Robert Stanek
June, 2005 Dear Readers,
Thank you to all the fans who email and write!! Summer is fast approaching, and I finally have free time to update the blog. Wondering what I've been doing that's been keeping me with my nose to the grindstone for so many months? The best news I have to share is the publication of the new Ruin Mist books:
In the Service of Dragons, published in April 2005 In the Service of Dragons II, published in May 2005 In the Service of Dragons III, published in June 2005 In the Service of Dragons IV, published in October 2005
In the Service of Dragons #1 to #4 complete the current story arc, and I hope deliver a satisfying conclusion to all the previous books. The deluxe editions of The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches are out as well. They have the same ISBN/price as the previous edition and include expansive maps, a guide to the people of Ruin Mist, and more. The final Ruin Mist Chronicles has been published as well:
Fields of Honor, published in May 2005 Fields of Honor Deluxe Edition, published in June 2005 Mark of the Dragon, published November 2005 Mark of the Dragon Deluxe Edition, published January 2006
In addition to Deluxe Editions, my publisher has released (or is releasing) audio editions of the books. Of the many translations in the works, there are two initial books: the Spanish and Turkish language versions of The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches. I love the cover of the Turkish edition and will try to post it here. Hope it comes out.
P.S.
Special thanks to everyone who has written to me about winning Best New Voice In Fantasy 2005 award. I am honored that my work is so highly regarded.
January, 2005 Dear Readers,
Thank you for all the kind messages over these pasts months. A VERY late Happy New Year to all.
I'm pleased to be able to share with you some major news. First of all, the new ruinmist.com site is completed. I hope you'll agree ruinmst.com is a truly excellent site for the books. There's even a hidden quiz.
More good news? If the current schedule holds In the Service of Dragons #1 will come out in March and In the Service of Dragons #2 will come out in May. In May, Fields Of Honor will also be published.
Best, and thank you as ever,
Robert Stanek November, 2004
Dear Readers,
Happy holidays, I hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday season and a joyous new year—and I really mean it! Once again, I want to thank the many readers (the true fans) for helping to spread the word about my books, the many teachers who have taken the books under their wings and are using the books in the classroom, and all the people who are now hard at work on international and illustrated editions of my books.
The most exciting news I have to share with fans is the work on international and illustrated editions of my books. RP Books is working with many talented teams of international publishers, artists and translators to bring my books to new readers all over the world. These and other editions are or will soon be available in the U.S., Canada, UK, Spain, Belgium, Greece, Korea, Russia, Turkey, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere.
Other big news is about the covers for the new books. I’ve finally finished the covers for Fields of Honor and Mark of the Dragon, and I’m very excited to be able to provide you with a preview on this site. The covers are In the Service of Dragons #1 and #2 are also available, and in the next few weeks, I will be able to post the covers for In the Service of Dragons #3 and #4. These books complete the adult and young adult story arc for the Ruin Mist Chronicles. As I’ve finished the writing, these books are in editorial so the 2005 publication dates should hold steady.
Stay tuned for a new look for the RobertStanek.com web site and news on the next Ruin Mist series. I’ll soon be able to reveal the name of the series and the titles of the three books in the series.
God bless and take care,
Robert Stanek
September, 2004
Many thanks to the fans who overwhelmed my publisher with email, letters and faxes… Over 1,500 emails, letters and faxes in the past month! The devil in me wants to say keep the emails, letters and faxes (FAXES???) coming until my publisher cries uncle. Because Wow! that’s the most correspondence I’ve ever received. I feel truly appreciated as a writer. Sigh…
Okay, okay... Before things get out of hand, the angel in me wants to set the record straight. So here goes…
Several film production companies, including Dream Works and Valhalla Motion Pictures, have “expressed interest” in the Ruin Mist books and other books I’ve written. There is, however, no definitive deal or agreement, and I likely wouldn’t have signed an agreement at this time either. Since the Ruin Mist books were first published, I have turned down two major publishers who wanted to purchase Worldwide Rights to the Ruin Mist books. The timing of those early deals wasn’t right.
In contrast to Stephen King who has said “Grab the money and run” with regards to movie rights and the popular “Take the money and run” song by the Steve Miller Band I believe it is more important to make the right deals for the right reasons than to take the money and run. So I’m still looking for the right deals and when they come, I will let fans know as soon as possible right here on this web site.
Okay, so where is the world of Ruin Mist going next? In good old indie style, my publisher is still doing the solo chicken dance. The next Ruin Mist book for adults is Fields of Honor, due out in May 2005. The next Ruin Mist book for children is In the Service of Dragons (Keeper Martin’s Tales #5), also due out in May 2005. Work is also starting on:
There are opportunities for writers, players, and readers who are interested in helping out as freelancers. Sales of the books in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom continue to be strong. Translation news hasn’t changed much since last month, with translations in the works or in discussion for Chinese, Korean, Russian, Turkish, Japanese, Finnish, Danish, Spanish, German, Greek, and Italian. The publisher has decided to do the audio edition of the Ruin Mist books in-house and is contacting several well-known voice actors/narrators including Jim Dale, the popular reader for the Harry Potter books. My choice would be my good friend John Goodman (nope not that one), but we’ll see how it goes.
Robert Stanek
August, 2004
Thank you to everyone who has sent letters and emails over the past many months. I enjoy hearing from readers but it is getting harder and harder to respond. I will try to provide more news and information through robertstanek.com but also through the Robert Stanek Message Board. The biggest news is publication dates have been set for the next Ruin Mist books. Many readers already noticed this so I won't try to post a list of dates. These dates may change in the future any how.
Other big news has to do with the artwork I created for the Ruin Mist books. Several distributors have picked up the poster catalog line. This means the Ruin Mist art prints and posters will soon be more widely available.
In school and library news, The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches has landed on many schools lists as "recommended" summer reading. This success is due in large part to the many teachers and librarians who have championed the books. To celebrate, I have 10 copies of the Student's Classroom Guide to Ruin Mist which I will give away to the next 10 teachers or librarians who email me.
Again, translation and rights news continues to grow. Audio editions of two books should be available starting Fall 2005. The growing list of translations in progress or in discussion now includes: Chinese, Korean, Russian, Turkish, Japanese, Finnish, Danish, Spanish, German, and Italian.
Thanks again for all your support!
Robert Stanek
June, 2004
2004 continues to be a terrific year for my books and I owe it all to fans and their support. I'm pleased to report my books have won a number of small press awards including:
Best Children's Book of the Year for 2003 - The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches
Best Fantasy Book of the Year for 2003 - Kingdom Alliance
These and the other awards mean so much to me because they come from fans and from the small press community. Equally as rewarding is seeing the books used in classrooms. Over 250 schools in the U.S. have started using the books and I continue to thank all the educators who have taken the books under their wings.
Translation and rights news continues to grow. My book Magic Lands: Journey Beyond the Beyond is being considered for adaptation as a feature animation. I should have more details on this in the coming months. Translations of my books are in progress or in discussion for the following languages: Chinese, Korean, Russian, Bulgarian, Japanese, Finnish, Danish, Spanish and German.
The discussion at the message board continues to grow. The number of messages has doubled in the past few months going from 5,000 posts to well over 10,000 posts. I started a second interactive chat with fans in May. Please stop by the discussion board and join in the fun.
Thanks again for all your support! It is truly a pleasure to hear from excited readers and learn about how the books have touched their lives.
Robert Stanek
April, 2004
2004 is proving to be a great year for my books and I want to thank all the fans for their support. Over 250 schools in the U.S. have started using the books in the classroom. I want to thank all the educators who have taken the books under their wings and continue to support my work. I hear from excited readers every day about how the books have changed their lives and helped them rediscover a love of reading.
I want to thank all the international fans as well. Thanks to your support translations are in progress or in discussion for the following languages: Chinese, Korean, Russian, Bulgarian, Japanese, Finnish and Danish.
In other news, the discussion at the message board continues to grow. There are over 5,000 posts since October 2003. I plan to have another interactive chat beginning in May. Please stop by the discussion board and join in the fun.
Robert Stanek
February 2004
It’s been a tough start to the new year. My wife has been in the hospital and had to have surgery. One week of hospital time and six weeks in recovery. I haven’t had any free time to make updates on the site so I wanted to make a quick update while I had a moment. I want to thank everyone who participated in the interactive chat on the message boards. It was a pleasure to speak with fans. I hope to start another interactive chat in the spring.
Robert Stanek
December 2003
Happy Holidays! Thanks to all the dedicated readers who continue to read and support my books. Believe me, it’s not easy to make it as a small press author, and the dedication of fans is truly appreciated. For those who’ve written to me about troubles they’ve had finding the books, I completely understand your frustration but you have to remember there are over 2.5 million books in print and most bookstores carry about 50,000 titles. Out of these 50,000 titles the majority are from major publishers.
The good news is that RP Books, the publisher, has inked several new distribution deals which should improve availability of the books in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and Asian markets. I also want to thank the many teachers, librarians and other educators who have taken the books under their wings and help to support the books in schools and libraries.
If you’d like to write me send email to robertstanek@robertstanek.com. I hope to hear from you!
Robert Stanek
November 2003
RS.com went live in November 2003. This is my first BLOG post.
Currently, I’m working on the new editions of The Kingdoms and the Elves books. The books have a new design and I’m very excited about the cover art, which I designed. I hope to see more readers at the discussion forums. I do hope to make regular postings there and how to start an interactive Q&A thread soon. Thanks to all the readers who have written and asked about the books.
I will be working through the holidays on a deadline to complete the next book. If you’d like to write me send email to robertstanek@robertstanek.com. I hope to hear from you!
Robert Stanek
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