In this week’s episode, I celebrate the 200th episode of The Pulp Writer Show by asking readers which book of mine they read first. The episode also has a preview of the audiobook of GHOST IN THE VEILS as narrated by Hollis McCarthy.
To commemorate the occasion this coupon code will get you 25% off EVERY SINGLE ITEM at my Payhip store:
200THEPISODE
That’s right, the coupon code will get you 25% off every single ebook or audiobook on my Payhip store, and it’s good through May 20th, 2024. So if you’re looking for something to read or listen to, we’ve got you covered!
TRANSCRIPT
Audio file
Episode200.mp3
Transcript
00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates
Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 200 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is May the 10th, 2024 and today we are celebrating the 200th episode of this podcast by taking a look back at how people have found my books. We’ll also close out the show with a preview of the upcoming Ghost in the Veils audiobook.
First up, let’s do Coupon of the Week. To celebrate the 200th episode of this podcast, we’re going to have a special coupon code that will get you 25% off every single item at my Payhip store. That coupon code is 200THEPISODE, which is spelled 200THEPISODE and the coupon code and the link to my Payhip will be included in the show notes for this episode. That’s right, the coupon code will give you 25% off every single ebook or audiobook on my Payhip store and is good through May 20th, 2024. So if you’re looking for something to read or listen to, we have got you covered.
Now let’s have an update on current writing projects. The rough draft of Cloak of Titans is done, and I am about 2/3 of the way through the first editing pass. If all goes well, I am hoping to have that out before the end of May. I’ve also written a short story called Blood Walk and newsletter subscribers will get a free ebook copy of that short story when Cloak of Titans comes out. So this is an excellent time to sign up for my new release newsletter. You’ll get 3 free epic fantasy novels when you do.
Once Cloak of Titans is published, my next main project will be Shield of Darkness, which will hopefully come out towards the end of June or the start of July. I am also about 11,000 words into Half-Orc Paladin, the third Rivah book, and I will make that my main project after Shield of Darkness is done, so that book will probably come out before the end of this summer, if all goes well.
00:01:57 Main Topic/Question of the Week
And our Question of the Week is also this week’s main topic. It’s a question that I can’t answer myself, but I asked because I wanted to talk about it for this episode of the podcast, and the question is, which book of mine did you first read, and how did you come across it (since Cloak of Titans will be, I believe, my 152nd novel)? I expected a wide range of responses and we got them.
Our first response is from Roman who says: first one was Demonsouled. I looked for free books when I downloaded the Kindle app for my new iPad and have read everything you’ve written since. I guess your plan of giving away the first book for free worked on me.
That is why I give those books away for free.
Our next response is from Dave, who says: I found Child of the Ghosts on BookBub. The title was intriguing. It was also free. I now have an extensive Jonathan Moeller collection on my Kindle Library.
Our next response comes from Joachim, who says: Ghost Omnibus One and Ghost Exile Omnibus One were $0.99, so I purchased both. I continued with Ghost Exile, backfilling the Ghost stories later. You would not be able to answer your own question obviously, but would you be able to answer us the following question: what was the first fantasy book you published?
That would been Demonsouled back in 2005, when it was traditionally published and later I got the rights back and self-published it for the first time in 2011 and then later made it free.
Our next response is from Mark, who says: I found Child of the Ghosts on Kindle.
Sam says Frostborn: The Gray Knight. I was looking for a new fantasy series to read after I finished the Codex Alera. Came across it while scrolling through Amazon and thought, huh, why not? Little did I know all these years later I would have an addiction to your novels. Well, there are worse problems to have.
I agree very much.
Our next response is from Tarun who says: read Child of the Ghosts first on the Kindle web app.
Todd says: Child of the Ghosts. Caina is a great Ghost nightfighter.
Mary says: Frostborn. I forget why.
That seems entirely appropriate, because I wrote Frostborn 11 years ago now. Yes, eleven years ago now, because I wrote it in 2003, so I can barely remember writing it at this point, let alone how someone might come across it.
Our next response is from Justin: Demonsouled. Free book offer.
Steve says: Iron Hand. If I remember right, it came up as a suggestion on the Kindle app.
Sara says: Frostborn. It was $0.99 and then after I finished that series, Child of the Ghosts on a 99 cent deal.
Thuvia says: Thief Trap-finished it on September 14th, 2016. I don’t recall how I found it, but maybe BookBub? I know the book covers amused me since they’re nothing like how Nadia dresses.
I have since changed the Cloak Games and Cloak Mage covers, but the original covers definitely did not reflect how Nadia dresses in the series.
Our next response is from William, who says: Iron Hand, which I discovered through William King’s blog when you posted your blog post on how to write and publish an ebook at no cost using free software.
I remember that blog post. That got a lot of traction, especially because I’ve written an entire book, Silent Order: Eclipse Hand, in order to prove that point.
Our next response is from Kermit, who says: the Ghost Omnibus. I was researching the next fantasy author I wanted to read because David Eddings had died. I came across your Ghosts series and decided to try it.
Ann-Marie says: Child of the Ghosts. The title caught me. It was part of Kindle’s recommendations for things I should try next. I was also getting off of a mystery genre binge so I wanted something different to dive into. I love Caina. She’s so cool. Whoops, forgot to add Goodreads says I read it back in July 2017.
Kevin says: the first books of yours were The Frostborn Omnibus One on the 21st of April 2017. I came across it on Amazon search while looking for stuff to read in the car whilst waiting for my son to come out of school. It was £0.99, so throw away money really and worth look. Since then I have, amongst others, read a further 103 books of yours to date.
So it seems that making Frostborn Omnibus One $0.99 turned out to be a really good idea.
Our next response is from Lee, who says: Frostborn the Gray Knight was the first ebook I picked up to read. I started because of the book description. Since then I have read almost every book you have published.
Perry says: Demonsouled with the original public domain cover art (the best of the covers, in my opinion) searching for books to add to my Kobo. And I stumbled across Smashwords. I searched for free fantasy books, and your books were near the top of the results. This was just shortly after you started self-publishing. I originally grabbed a whole slew of your books there. I have since purchased and continue to buy your ebooks through Kobo. I get points for being a VIP plus a free book every year from a select list. All your short stories I buy on Kobo as well. Audiobooks I get through your Payhip store.
Ah, that takes me way back because way back. In 2011 when I started self-publishing, I couldn’t afford cover art of any kind, so what I had to do was look for classic artwork scenes that were in the public domain since you can reuse public domain art freely. You do in fact see a lot of traditionally published books that have old like Renaissance or Baroque paintings, for the cover. That was the original covers Demonsouled and Child of the Ghosts, public domain artwork from the 19th century.
Our next response is from Lauren, who says: Child of the Ghosts on Smashwords, but I read primarily through Kindle these days. Nadia is my favorite, but I hope to use the Ghost and/or Demonsouled settings one day in our group’s tabletop RPGs.
Our next response is from Jesse, who says: Frostborn Omnibus One. I was sitting in an IHOP and I had just finished the last ebook in my queue. Google Books suggested it. It was a dollar for three and half books, so I figured why not? Still had half a plate of food to go. I have subsequently bought and read pretty much everything of yours is readily available and actively tracking all the series. Good stuff.
I’m glad that worked out because that is one of the better stories I’ve ever heard of what happens in an IHOP.
Our next comment is from Becca, who says: Demonsouled, when it first came out on Kindle. I can remember waiting eagerly for each book in the series. Still one of my favorites. Thank you for all the writing!
Rhion says: Demonsouled. I just finished a bunch of Quantrell and Peloquin books and it popped up under suggested reading on KU. Since then, I’ve read quite literally your entire fiction bibliography, which is just ridiculous.
Our next comment comes from Jonathan (a different Jonathan than me) and he says: first book I actually read was the Frostborn Omnibus, the first three books plus The First Quest all bundled into one. I got them on Google Play because I got a gift card for Christmas and I think the omnibus was on sale. So I couldn’t resist getting four whole books for cheap, which of course led into the rest of the series and to Sevenfold Sword and to Mallison and to Dragontiarna.
Mandy says: I read the Frostborn prequel and found it on the freebie list on Amazon at the time. I read everything released in that universe, as well as the Demonsouled series and am now working my way through the Ghosts series.
Our next comment is from Randy, who says: Child of the Ghosts was my first. I was desperately searching for new authors and it was one of about a dozen free novels I picked up several years ago. Caina’s story was so good I finished in one sitting. After I devoured what was available at the time for the Ghost books, I moved on to Frostborn. Then I found you also wrote science fiction. I’ve read all the different series to date and I haven’t been found wanting yet. Well, not true. I’m always wanting the next book.
That’s why I’m working hard on the next book.
Our next comment is from Martin who says: I started with the Gray Knight. I instantly loved it and the rest of the series, at least what was published at the time. When I ran out of them, I looked you up and read the Demonsouled books. After that, moved on to Caina and only recently I moved on to Nadia. I also find they have a lot of readability.
Our next comment is from Lauren, who says: Child of the Ghosts, after the third book in the series was out. Found it when searching for a new read on Amazon. Was hooked from there.
Marta says: I’m sure it was a Bookbub deal. I think it was the Frostborn Omnibus.
Jacob says: The Gray Knight. Came across it after looking for a new series to read after I caught up on the Half-Orc series by David Dalglish.
Barbara says: Demonsouled or Child of the Ghosts. It’s been so long. I’m not sure which was first. Having been the one to write those books so long ago, I totally understand where she’s coming from.
Our next response is from Cheryl, who says: the first Ridmark Arban book. Can’t remember the name, may have been The Gray Knight?
That is entirely correct. It was, in fact Frostborn: The Gray Knight.
Our next response is from JKM who says: the first Ghost book and I cannot remember where I came across it.
John says Demonsouled on Kindle. Amazon suggested to me way, way back. I picked up a used printed copy I discovered at my local fantasy and science fiction store, Dark Carnival. Shortly afterwards gave it to my son, who enjoyed it as well.
That is a deep cut, because Demonsouled was originally published in 2005 in hardback and very quickly went out of print. So I’m impressed that John managed to find one of those copies still floating out there in the used book market.
Cathy says: Frostborn Omnibus One. I saw the $0.99 price and thought if I don’t like it, I’m only out a dollar. Once I finished it, I started looking for other books by you and have read almost every series you’ve written.
Michael says. I think it was Ghost in the Flames. It was early 2010s (2013 maybe?), and I just discovered the joy of self-published fantasy authors on the Kindle store. As soon as I read it, I was hooked.
Bonnie says: Frostborn omnibus. It was cheap, looked interesting, so I gave it a try. Then Tower of Endless Worlds- totally hooked and now I have all the books!
Michiel says: Demonsouled. It was free, so I gave it a go and started collecting everything you wrote since then.
Jason says: I honestly can’t remember. I think it might have been the first Caina omnibus with an Audible audiobook that I played in my car while driving to work. Then the second and I ran out of audiobooks, so I had to start reading them myself.
Phillipe says: The very first Caina book, been hooked since.
Susan says: Demonsouled. I was searching for something to read, and it sounded good. I have now read everything and am patiently waiting for more.
Melinda says Child of the Ghosts. It was free and I was broke and bored.
That is why I give away the free books: to entertain people who are broke and bored.
Our next comment is from Juliana, who says: the first Ghosts book.
Judy says: Child of the Ghosts. I was on Google Play and was recommended.
Tom says: The Frostborn Omnibus One, on sale on Amazon. The rest is history.
Justin says: The Gray Knight was a suggestion based on what I read on Apple Library.
Ashley (who I believe is in fact engaged to Justin) says: My first book was also The Gray Knight and Justin was the reason I started reading this series.
So thanks for the recommendations, Justin!
James says: Demonsouled on Kindle way back when. It was free and a good name. I mean how Demonsouled isn’t a band name yet, I have no idea. The rest, as they say, is many, many series later.
I fully understand.
Our next comment is from Juana who says: Frostborn: The Gray Knight. It was in a BookBub offering.
Shandy says: I was in a book hangover and saw your Frostborn series on sale on Google Play Books. Omnibus got me and like 100 plus books later, safe to say I’m a fan.
Beverly says: Demonsouled. It’s been so long. I don’t know what led me to get it. Most likely just window shopping for next read and I thought it’d be something I would enjoy.
Andrew says Frostborn series. Suggested by Kindle. I’ve read most of what you’ve written since. Just can’t get into Demonsouled, so don’t know why. I’ve got those books. Just doesn’t click.
Christopher says: Demonsouled. I got the first book free on my Nook, like I found most of my favorite authors. I also read another one of the first book free ones at the same time, but I didn’t like it. I don’t remember something about a tower and magic. Then I read the Frostborn series. You were far enough into it that by the time I started I was playing catch up as you released books. I may have had to wait a week or two for the last book to come out. Then I started Cloak Games. That is still in my top three favorite series of all time. Probably top two with Spinward Fringe by Randolph Lalonde. I have read pretty much everything you’ve written by now.
David says: Thief Trap. Found via Facebook ad.
Venus says: Thief Trap. Found it doing a search for free urban fantasy on my Nook.
So those are some of the first books of mine that people have read and the ways in which they found them. I think we can safely say that giving away the first book in your series for free turned out to be a very good idea. I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who has read any of my books as, as you probably guessed, have been doing this for a long time. Demonsouled was first published in April 2011 (for self-published, rather); it was initially published in hardback way back in May 2005.
So I clearly have been doing this for a long time and I am very grateful to everyone who has read a book or listened to an audiobook or come along for the ride. I’m also very grateful to everyone who has listened to this podcast over 200 episodes. And here’s to more interesting episodes in the future. So that is it for this week.
Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes with transcripts (transcripts are available from Episode 140 onwards) on https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe. Stay healthy and see you all next week.
And now let’s close out the show with a preview of the audio book of Ghost in the Veils, as excellently read by Hollis McCarthy:
Caina gazed at the wrapped bundle in the back of the wagon. Thankfully, no blood had leaked from it. Though perhaps she shouldn’t have worried. Only a few people in Malarae would have recognized the dark green liquid as blood.
The wagon itself was nothing remarkable. A bit old and worn, though none of the planks had rotted and the wheels were in mostly good shape. A pair of placid draft horses pulled the vehicle, the animals well-accustomed to the noises and smells of the Imperial capital.
The only thing unusual was the bundle resting in the back.It was almost the precise size and shape of the corpse of a grown man. To be fair, it was a corpse.
Just not of a grown man. Or a grown woman.
Or indeed anything human.
Caina didn’t know what it was, but she intended to find out.
“Will there be anything else, Countess?” said her seneschal, a Saddaic man named Talzain. He wore the formal black clothes of a Nighmarian servant. Combined with his wan complexion, the outfit always made him look a bit corpselike.
“No, thank you,” said Caina. “I should be back in time for dinner with Lord Kylon and Lady Kalliope.”
“Yes,” said Talzain. He cleared his throat. “That ought to be…interesting.”
“You have a gift for understatement,” said Caina.
Kylon and Kalliope had their own errands in the city. When Kalliope had fled New Kyre with her children ahead of the Cult of Rhadamathar, she had taken some money and baggage with them, but she had been forced to leave it behind at the Wrecked Warship near the ocean harbor of Malarae. Fortunately, the innkeeper had kept all of Kalliope’s baggage on hand. Partly because Anastasios was an honest man and partly because he feared the vengeance of Kalliope’s father.
Lysikas Stormblade had a formidable reputation, even among the Kyracians living in Malarae.
So Kalliope had gone with some of Caina’s servants to retrieve her baggage and buy such things as Nikarion and Zoe might need. Kylon himself was keeping watch over the twins. Caina suggested that he take them riding to see the city, and he agreed. The children, in awe of the father they had never known they had, had made no protest.
Ardakh, Sethroza, and the other Cultists were still out there, but if they tried to attack the children in Kylon’s presence, they would regret it bitterly.
