The manuscript of my latest SciFi/Fantasy novel, Merlin & Arthur: The Awakening is done. It is over 162,000 words and has thirty-four chapters, plus a Prologue.
I began the research for this novel, which I originally entitled "M", in March of 2016. After three months of preparation, I actually started writing it in June of 2016, and just finished it yesterday, August 26, 2019.
It has been an unbelievable journey that has included some wonderful characters such as Merlin and Arthur, of course, but also many, many others. The plot takes place across the globe in such places as Carmarthen Wales, Glastonbury England, many cities and villages across Russia, and in Alaska. It has magic as well as science fiction, real places mixed with fictional scenes, humor, great sorrow and pain, international intrigue, love, joy, adventure, and events based on current politics, history, legend, and imagination.
I am extremely proud of all the hard work, sweat, tears, and dreams that have gone into this, and I hope to be able to share it with you in the not-too-distant future. But my approach with publishing this book will be different than with my others. I just sent it off to be edited, and in the meantime, I'm leaving on a trip to Europe where I'll be gone for a year. We'll get the manuscript into its final form, and then I'll send it off to as many agents as I can. Then while I'm in Europe, I'll attempt to meet with some agents and publishers there, as well as enter it in some writing competitions.
If I can find a publisher or an agent, I will go that route to publish the book. If not, I'll publish it independently as I have my others.
While I'm in Europe, I've also decided to step away from writing prose for a time and work on my poetry. Many of you have read some of my poems on the blog. I'd love to write more and publish a book of poetry. It was my first love after leaving the music business. Now I'm anxious to get back into it.
Just yesterday, I noticed that my blog is now being read in 70 countries, and I wanted to thank all of you for your interest and support of my work. When I started all this, my goal was to share my struggles as well as my writing. I didn't want to merely try to impress; I wanted to be real and honest.
I'm looking forward to improving everyday, gaining more readers, and producing work that I can continue to be proud of. If you want to read any of my other books, you can get a printed copy or download it onto your Kindle through any of Amazon's websites around the world. Just do a search on Amazon with my name in quotes: "Bob Stegner". I wish my books were written in other languages, but for now they're only in English.
So...keep watching my blog. I'll let you know what's going on with my writing, what's happening with Merlin & Arthur: The Awakening, and when it will be available. I'll also be publishing some of my new poetry on my blog, so keep an eye out for that.
Thanks for taking this journey with me!
Bob Stegner
