The Slaying of the Bull now available!

The Slaying of the Bull begins the epic Tocharian Gospels Series with a bang. A mysterious man, Isa Malik, tells an unbelievable tale of his youth. The Gates of Heaven are closed, and the key to opening them lies in the Tocharian Gospels, a collection of texts as old as history itself. Isa is chosen as the guardian of these books and begins his long journey in the year 1241. It is a dark and pestilent time, and Christianity is gasping for breath. Pope Gregory IX fights a struggle against the Holy Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Jerusalem crumbles, and heresy is rife in the lands. During this time of weakness, a dark horde amasses the most fearsome army the world has ever seen on the border of the Kingdom of Hungary, threatening all of Europe. All that stands in the way of western civilization’s destruction is this lone guardian, the young orphan, Isa, and his satchel of mysterious texts. Will the books provide salvation for the Christian world, or will they shake its very foundations?

The Slaying of the Bull is rich with historical people, places, and events. Although the story is fiction, the world it sprouts from was all too real and undoubtedly terrifying. Step back to a time where God was close, the stakes high, and existence a perilous struggle.

The Slaying of the Bull is now available! Grab yourself a copy while supplies last! Ok, there are plenty of copies, but still, check it out and make sure to leave a review! I technically published it on Saturday evening (Happy Birthday mom) and is now available on Amazon in both ebook and paperback formats. I’m also trying something new and making it available on other ebook sites through Smashwords (will be available soon, currently pending review). This means the Slaying of the Bull will also be distributed through Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Overdrive, Gardners, Baker & Taylor Axis360 library platform, and others. It is a bit of an experiment. Although Amazon holds 80% of the e-publish market, I’m interested in seeing how these other markets fair, especially for those that do not have a Kindle. Although Amazon began its life in the book peddling world, I’m just not feeling the love, and I think these other sites are being more innovative.

There is a bit of a trade-off. To be able to distribute on other sites, I am not able to enroll in Amazon’s KDP select program (as it requires exclusivity). This means the Slaying of the Bull will not be available on Kindle Unlimited, and I won’t have access to some of Amazon’s marketing tools (not that they were much help with the Island of Stone). I figure that I can always take the book down from Smashwords and join KDP select if things go south.

Yesterday, I spent considerable time updating my countless profiles, promotional pages, and my website, creating short text blurbs, advertisements, and posting updates. It is basically like a full-time job, so I had to do it over the weekend. The journey continues. Once I establish a marketing plan and schedule, I will move on to the next book in the Tocharian Gospels Series, Vril (which is about 70% done). The rest of my schedule is as follows. After Vril, I will take a break from the Tocharian Gospels and write the next book in the Monuments of Stone Series, Desert of Stone (the sequel to the Island of Stone). Then it’s back to the last two books in the Tocharian Gospels (The Great Lucado and the Land In-Between), and finally the Tree of Stone, the wrap up to the Monuments of Stone series. Seven books in total. We’ll see how far I can get this summer! Make sure to follow my journey and check back often for updates (Twitter, Facebook, AllAuthor, Goodreads, Amazon, and here).

Cheers!