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Tuesday, February 8, 2011

THE BEAR WITH TWO SHADOWS_MY FIRST eBOOK at AMAZON


I have published my first eBook :

THE BEAR WITH TWO SHADOWS.

He waits to show his world at

Link :

http://www.amazon.com/BEAR-TWO-SHADOWS-ebook/dp/B004MDLWD0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1297221020&sr=1-1

My great good friend, Michael Di Gesu, set the design and the text of my cover.

Let's all give him a cyber applause for being one of the best of the good guys!

As I stepped outside tonight and shivered, I felt warmed. Odd you say.

Not really. Not if you knew of the winter I almost died of pneumonia ... and of my mother's tales told to me as I lay coughing in the cold darkness.

My mother was half Lakota Sioux and half Irish. She learned young the harsh truth that sometimes nightmares invade our waking hours to swallow our world.

I, too, learned it early in my childhood. My mother and I found ourselves living in a basement apartment during one of the worst winters in Detroit's memory.

Money was scarse. Food, too. Warmth even more so. Then, the power went out.

For days.

To keep my mind off the numbing cold and my worsening cough, my mother told me tales spun from the legends of the twin worlds of her own youth.

As I lay shivering under my blankets in the darkness, a magical world slowly took shape within my mind. And I was lost in wonder.

Souix legends contested with the fae and foe of Irish myth.

And the cold became only the chill embrace of Estanatlehi, the ghostly Turquoise Woman. Mother told me that while Estanatlehi's touch was cold, her heart was warm.

So the colder I got, the more it made me feel loved, for I knew that an unseen someone was only hugging me closer. And within the shadows at the far corner of my bedroom, I could almost make out the hulking form of the guardian of all hurting children,

Hibbs, the bear with two shadows.

My mother taught me to love winter. It is a season when you feel the bones of the landscape - the loneliness, the solitude of it. Something waits beneath winter --

the whole story doesn't show -- much like the strangers you meet.

And to tell the tale my mother whispered to me in the cold shadows is why I wrote the 80,000 word Native American/Celtic children's fable, THE BEAR WITH TWO SHADOWS.

His world is one that you cannot reach by car. The mind is the only vehicle that will take you there. The only fuels you need are imagination and the ability to still dream.
***

39 comments:

  1. Congrats, Roland... I'd always knew you would get published. I am so happy for you. You deserve it and am sure, many, many more in the near future.

    Wow, 80,000 words.

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  2. Thanks, Imagery Imagined. THE BEAR WITH 2 SHADOWS is a Native American LORD OF THE RINGS in a nutshell. And so far, Hibbs' tale is an eBook only. But maybe if enough people spread the word about my philosopher/adventurer bear, I can get a print version of his tale out there. I can only hope. Thanks for the confidence in me, Roland

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  3. Why Roland, you sly dog you. Congratulations. I have already purchased the book and am looking forward to reading it.

    I'm very close to taking the self-publishing route myself. You'll have to let me know how difficult it was.

    I'm very, very happy for you.

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  4. Wendy : With Michael De Gesu to help me with the cover and Amazon Kindle Support Help, it wasn't difficult at all. The formatting of your novel is bit of a rubbing your belly while slapping the top of your head, but it can be done.

    I would suggest it for one of your books that agents seem not to have an easy pigeon hole to fit it into.

    Thanks so much for purchasing my book. Amazon takes the lion's share of the money, but at least your name and your work are out there.

    Thanks again, Roland

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  5. That's amazing, Roland! Congratulations...I love your tales.
    Edge of Your Seat Romance

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  6. Thanks, Raquel. Because of the origin of Hibbs, the bear with 2 shadows -- his adventures are special to me. Have a great Wednesday, Roland

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  7. Blushing.....

    I was my pleasure to create the cover... Thankfully you figured out how to download it to kindle.

    I wish you much success with it Roland. You deserve it!

    The tales sound fascinating. A mix of American Indian and Irish folklore. How fantastic.


    Michael

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  8. Thanks, Michael. Hibbs never would have blazed a trail to Amazon territory without your help. Thanks is too small a word for what you did.

    I hope others find pleasure in the mix of Native American Legend and Celtic myth. Have a great mid-week, Roland!

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  9. Many congratulations Roland, fantastic news! I love the sound of your book and shall buy a copy. Michael, the artwork is wonderful, I can really feel that fur.

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  10. Congratulations, Roland! Michael did amazing with the cover art.

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  11. This is wonderful. Congratulations, Roland. I hope your first foray into publishing is very successful!

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  12. Thanks, Misha. I hope so, too. And success with your publication dreams, too.

    Margo : Much thanks for buying my book. Hibbs appreciates it, too. Michael is a great artist in his own right. On my cover he cleverly carved out an image from a public domain picture and put the Native American font in just the right place.

    Go to his special page on his blog to see his own artwork for his YA fantasy, AMBER AND THE WHISPERING WILLOWS :
    http://writing-art-and-design.blogspot.com/p/ambers-illustrations.html

    Cherie : Yes, Michael did a fantastic job. He is a great artist and a better friend!

    Stephanie : Thanks. It's an uphill battle for an unknown writer like myself. Have a great Wednesday

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  13. What a lovely post Roland. Both my parents entertained us with stories. My mom read them to us, Dad made them up. As the eldest, I told stories to my sibs and sometimes we acted them out.

    I love stories that touch on old legends. I've always loved mythology.

    Sounds like the man with two shadows would understand well a Bear with two. :-)

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  14. Roland! This is fantastic news! I think I will post all about this next week, as I'm cornered with Blogfests this week. But yes, You deserve to get some show out here.

    Michael! You did a super fantastically fairy good job with the cover!

    Congratulations to both of you!

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  15. Sia : Sounds like you had great storytellers for parents. Like you, I've always loved stories containing old legends and wisps of mythology clinging to them. Have a lovely Wednesday, Roland

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  16. Summer : Isn't Michael a great friend? Thanks for the shout-out to come. Right now, Hibbs, the bear with two shadows, is at the bottom of the sales mountain. But Impossible only gives birth to legends, right? Thank you again for the kind words. Have a lovely week, Roland

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  17. Roland, come blog with me with your book in March. It's history is one worth hearing.

    siamckye(at)gmail(dot)com

    I'd love to get Michael as a guest too. The vision of art fascinates me especially in cover art. :-)

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  18. Congratulations Roland! I am thrilled for you. Bualadh Bos!

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  19. Roland this is wonderful. Congrats, anything I can do to help please drop me a line/comment and I will do it :)
    Jules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow

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  20. Congrats, Roland! I'll be sure to help you plug it! :o)

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  21. Congratulations! I love the cover and I know it's going to be amazing. Unfortunately I don't have an ereader. :( But I'd be happy to spread the word about it for you!

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  22. COngrats, Roland! And I didn't know you were part Indian.
    Where I grew up, people declared their Indian heritage with pride. Sad to think so many of those stories and customs will one day be lost.

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  23. Yay for your e-book, and Michael did a great job on the cover. Congrats and good job to both of ya! Looks like an intriguing read. :)

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  24. Congrats for putting yourself out there. I will definitely check it out.
    BTW, I gave you a blog award :)
    http://courtlyromance.blogspot.com/2011/02/on-blogging-and-new-award.html

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  25. Congrats!! Sounds like a great story:-) I found your blog through Rach Writes. Oh, and I love the Calvin & Hobbes pics! Favorite comic!

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  26. OH my gosh, you've described exactly why I loved winter all my life! Though, I'm not liking the cold as much lately....

    Wow, congratulations on the publish! And kudos to Michael!!! Sweet that amazon has kindle for pc's!!!! Gonna get it this weekend. Yay!!!!! My first Roland book. Yep, I said it. My FIRST.

    Got an idea. Gotta run! Congrats again!!!!

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  27. ...my apologies Roland, for I've been at the end of my employer's whip and just now read of your accomplishment. You've made this evening worth remembering:) ...congratulations, my friend. The journey's begun... I'll be linking over to Amazon shortly.

    EL

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  28. I am just dragging in from driving in the blinding cold rain and filtering more blood than I ever want to see again (which is why I had no time to respond as I would have liked at work.)

    Sia : I would be glad to do your blog sometime in March. I just passed on your invitation to Michael. Thanks so much.

    Ann : Thanks for the good wishes. Perhaps this is the year for us all?

    Jules : Thanks for the offer. Any mention of my book on your blog would be appreciated. Hibbs, the bear with two shadows, is pretty much at the bottom of the sales totem pole, and that's for sure!

    Jessica : Thanks for helping out. It means a lot to a publishing rookie like me. I'm a man of high hopes and low tech!

    Heather : Amazon offers the "Kindle for PC" application for free. Which means you can both get it and download the free sample chapter of my book, too. In my case, it will be the first three chapters. How cool is that? Thanks for helping me.

    Thank you, Wendy!

    L. Diane : If you download the free "Kindle for PC" application, you will be able to read many of the Sioux teaching stories that The Turquoise Woman tells Hibbs, when he was the cub with no clue instead of the bear with 2 shadows.

    So if THE BEAR WITH 2 SHADOWS does well enough to merit a print version, those Sioux teaching tales (which my mother actually told me) will not be totally lost.

    Thanks, Carol. Didn't Michael do a great job? Hope you check out my free three chapters.

    Tessa : You are a sweetheart for devoting a whole post to my book. You were my champion today! Thanks -- it's too small a word for what you did.

    Erin : Thanks so much for the award. As soon as I finish here and take some more cough medicine, I will visit your blog and say HI. And thanks for going to check out THE BEAR WITH 2 SHADOWS!

    Welcome, Amanda! Glad to have you visit. Isn't CALVIN & HOBBES wonderful to go back to read over and over again?

    I hope you can download the free "Kindle for PC" application from Amazon and read the free first chapters of my book for yourself. Thanks so much for following, too!

    Monica : Thanks for the congrats. I hope this New Year brings some of your dreams true as well.

    Words Crafter : You are one super-special lady for devoting your entire post to my book. And the great things you said about my writing made me blush. I am humbled by your great generosity of spirit, even though you are still sick with that terrible cold. Gypsy gives you a High Four (only 4 pads to her paw. LOL)

    Thank you, everyone. Now, I'm off for some cough medicine to try to choke off this cough before it chokes me!

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  29. Elliot : I know what you mean a bit by the employer's whip. I sometimes wear my Indiana Jones hat and leather jacket for warmth. My supervisor calls me Louisiana Smith, since in his office he gets to hold the whip! LOL.

    Thanks for linking to Amazon to check me out. I hope you can get the free download "Kindle for PC" and read my free first chapters. I think you will enjoy them.

    May your job ease up a bit on you. Always rooting for you, Roland

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  30. I'm running late, but CONGRATULATIONS Roland. What wonderful news. Love the cover. Wishing you much success.

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress

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  31. Thanks, Mason. Drop by Amazon and pick up the free App for the free Kindle for PC, then get the free first three chapters of my book. See if you like it. I also wish you much luck, Roland

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  32. Oh Roland, this is so wonderful. Congratulations!! I have been so out of the loop lately that I see nothing, know nothing. Happy, happy, Happy!!!!

    Your absent friend, that rebel, Olivia

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  33. CONGRATULATIONS!!! What a brilliant cover, design and oh the story sounds fabulous!! Yay for you!! GOOD LUCK and all the best with this!! Yay!! Take care
    x

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  34. What fabulous news! Congratulations, Roland! Your post gave me chills; I'm not sure if it was what you wrote or simply that you wrote about the cold. Now I must break down and get myself a Kindle, so I can read your wonderful novel. :D

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