rlfj: Blog

I uploaded the final version of Vikings to bookapy yesterday. You should be able to download it now. I also uploaded it to lulu, which is how I get my stories out on Amazon, Nook, and other sites. Unfortunately, I do not know how long it takes to update stories through lulu. I know that some people prefer buying books through Amazon, et al. However, for those who care about the authors, bookapy pays us considerably higher royalties, so on behalf of all writers, buy through bookapy.

I will begin posting a new collection of short stories and novellas in another week or two. For those curious, according to the International Association of Professional Writers & Editors, short stories have a word count of up to 7,500 words, novelettes from 7,500 to 17,500, novellas from 17,500 to 40,000, and novels are over 40,000 words. I had to look it up.

I received a few typos & errors I needed to fix & uploaded them today. I have not yet put the final version on bookapy. If anybody finds some errors, let me know ASAP. I plan to do the final edits by this Friday. Many thanks to all those who found my screwups! I can't do this by myself.

Sorry about the delay from my regular posting schedule, but life gets in the way at times.

At least one reader pointed out that the various North Sea ferries don't just handle traffic between England, Scotland, Norway, Holland, Sweden, Denmark, and Germany. Other North Sea destinations include Iceland, the Faroes, the Hebrides, and Ireland. Technically not every location might be the North Sea but that is a little nitpicky for my taste.

In any case, Vikings ends with the Epilogue. I hope everybody enjoyed it. For those who purchased a copy, I will be posting the final corrections and edits over the next week or so. At that time, I will upload a corrected final version to bookapy and elsewhere. I will post when this is finished so you can download a final version.

We are getting to the end of the story. The Vikings are heading to England. Can we say 'culture shock!'

For those curious, the MV Sudreyjar was modeled as a sister ship to the MV Hjaltland and MV Hrossey. These two ships are active interisland ferries that service the Shetlands, the Orkneys, and Scotland. They have cabins, lounges, and deluxe accommodations. It is not a stretch to envision a ship like this being chartered for a special run. Additionally, several other ferries crisscross the North Sea traveling between England, Scotland, Norway, Holland, Sweden, Denmark, and Germany. Some of them seem quite nice.

I don't know many of the details of the British bureaucracy. My British editors made several suggestions about the National Health Service and Revenues and Customs; they seemed satisfied with what I ended up writing. If there is a problem, it is my fault, not theirs.

Enjoy!

I learned that it's not 'wrinkle out' but 'winkle out.' This was in two chapters, so I uploaded a fix to both. Thanks.

It was pointed out to me that the British king never really beat the Scottish king. "I don't know what your Scottish readers will say to your comment that the King of England beat the King of Scotland in battle :-) The reality was James VI inherited the crown on the death of Elizabeth I and became James I of England and united the Crowns, but not the Kingdoms, it was the last of the Stuarts, Anne that did that, with the Act of Union."

Technically, I specified, "Each land had their own king, and they battled often. England's king won." At the time of the Vikings, England was carved up into many small kingdoms. At the beginning of the Viking period, the sack of Lindisfarne in 793, there were seven kingdoms, known as the Heptarchy. Over the next few hundred years, the number declined, some by submission to other English kings and some by submission to the Vikings. Eventually they ended up with just one English king.

I think this one is a touch nit-picky, but you're allowed to disagree. Thanks for reading!