Things have been going well here in the land of THE SEVEN. The book is out, it's beautiful, and it's selling decently. It could stand to fly off shelves a little more quickly, but for the most part it is doing rather well. People are seeing it, it's getting great reviews, and my fingers are crossed for more good things.
THE SEVEN was made a featured review in the Kirkus Discoveries newsletter. This is about as high an honor as my little book has received so far. After the newsletter came out on Oct. 31, I've received a few emails from agents wishing to see a bit of the book and two different film production companies have contacted me asking for copies of the novel so that they might think about acquiring movie rights.
These are all baby steps toward the right direction, but it's hard to let myself get exciting until someone actually comes forward with a contract of some sort.
It's been hard to find time to work on the sequel and when I do have time, I find I've been working on the contempory adult fiction novel that's been simmering for quite a while. I suppose it's a little closer to my mindset lately. No fear, though. I have about 50 or 60 pages of the sequel to THE SEVEN and I'll be back to continuing the story of those little superhero escapees soon enough.
I'll be in Brainerd, Minn. on Nov. 20 and Rochester, Minn. on November 21. I'll also be holding the official book release party for THE SEVEN on December 5 at Booked For Murder in Madison, Wis. Check the website for details. Hope to see you all there.
--s
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The Kirkus Review
From Kirkus Discoveries:
Arollicking science-fiction story about mutant teens forced to battle the paramilitary army that created them.
Posey, Andy, Holly, John, Kenny, Indigo and Sarah were taken from their families when they were seven years old and kept at the Home where they were tested, operated on, observed and changed. Now, a decade older and on the brink of legal adulthood, they are ready to head into the real world to live as normally as they can. However, the group sponsoring the great experiment has other ideas. When they try to escape, the teenagers are confronted by an army of soldiers from all over the world who have one objective—final analysis and subsequent
termination of the test subjects. A few of the kids also have to contend with the sudden maturation of their powers—one of them turns into a bird, another can run so fast that her pants catch on fire and another grows powerful muscles that can withstand bullets. Their powers are a help and a hindrance as they struggle to regroup, save each other and save themselves. Little is a deft writer, seamlessly blending fast-paced action with engaging dialogue and complementary descriptions in this, his second book. He does not ask readers to jump haphazardly into a sea of pseudoscience bent to the needs of his plot, but bases his science fiction in concepts that will feel slightly familiar and wholeheartedly believable, like genetic mutation. The plot of The Seven stems organically from the characters, and no scene feels forced together for the sake of explanation. Also, the author doesn’t ignore consequences. The characters take full responsibility for killing and stop to grapple with the moral question of whether it’s alright to kill when battling for your life, or if any death is too great a loss. As such, the book works well on multiple fronts, and will appeal to young readers and adults alike.
A discussion of morality disguised as a terrific sci-fi action story.
Arollicking science-fiction story about mutant teens forced to battle the paramilitary army that created them.
Posey, Andy, Holly, John, Kenny, Indigo and Sarah were taken from their families when they were seven years old and kept at the Home where they were tested, operated on, observed and changed. Now, a decade older and on the brink of legal adulthood, they are ready to head into the real world to live as normally as they can. However, the group sponsoring the great experiment has other ideas. When they try to escape, the teenagers are confronted by an army of soldiers from all over the world who have one objective—final analysis and subsequent
termination of the test subjects. A few of the kids also have to contend with the sudden maturation of their powers—one of them turns into a bird, another can run so fast that her pants catch on fire and another grows powerful muscles that can withstand bullets. Their powers are a help and a hindrance as they struggle to regroup, save each other and save themselves. Little is a deft writer, seamlessly blending fast-paced action with engaging dialogue and complementary descriptions in this, his second book. He does not ask readers to jump haphazardly into a sea of pseudoscience bent to the needs of his plot, but bases his science fiction in concepts that will feel slightly familiar and wholeheartedly believable, like genetic mutation. The plot of The Seven stems organically from the characters, and no scene feels forced together for the sake of explanation. Also, the author doesn’t ignore consequences. The characters take full responsibility for killing and stop to grapple with the moral question of whether it’s alright to kill when battling for your life, or if any death is too great a loss. As such, the book works well on multiple fronts, and will appeal to young readers and adults alike.
A discussion of morality disguised as a terrific sci-fi action story.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
The First Official Review
The Seven
Sean Patrick Little
Dog Ear Publishing (2009)
ISBN 9781608440665
Reviewed by Maggie Desmond-O’Brien (14) for Reader Views (9/09)
Shortly before their eighteenth birthdays and legal adulthood, tensions are building among the Subjects—seven kids torn from their families to be part of a top-secret genetic experiment at age seven; they can’t help but wonder what, exactly, the experiments are supposed to prove. But when their powers suddenly manifest in horrifying ways, escape becomes a matter of life and death, love and the destruction of all that they hold dear. If only they could figure out who they are supposed to be fighting against….
This book is absolutely one of the best books in the genre I’ve read this year, period. I always pick up a self-published book with some trepidation, but honestly I’ve found more flaws in spelling and grammar in the paperback copies of major publishing houses’ chart-topper novels than existed in this one! The formatting and presentation are flawless and the writing is (almost) beyond reproach.
To put it simply, this book is a comic book in novel form, and the author makes no secret of his inspirations. However, he takes it a step beyond shoot-em-ups and cheesy romance to bring us characters that we genuinely care about, even if right and wrong aren’t always clear, and their motives are less than admirable. Here are teens that anyone can relate to! While I occasionally struggled with the dialogue and the pace was a little uneven, this book was a truly refreshing excursion out of the norm.
Perhaps because it is self-published, this book has a sort of nonchalant freedom about it that is a joy to read. Without caring who’s reading, the author is free to make pointed statements about the true value of human (and inhuman) life, and is surprisingly philosophical for something so fun and entertaining to read. The government is especially portrayed in an unforgiving light, but it never crosses the line into angry justification or righteousness. Teens will most likely especially enjoy this book due to its anti-establishment feel, as the feelings of rejection experienced by the seven have been felt on some level by every adolescent as they struggle to metamorphose from the child they were to the adult they will become.
With “The Seven” by Sean Patrick Little, I think I have found a new favorite to pore over, and against all odds I am dying to read more!
Sean Patrick Little
Dog Ear Publishing (2009)
ISBN 9781608440665
Reviewed by Maggie Desmond-O’Brien (14) for Reader Views (9/09)
Shortly before their eighteenth birthdays and legal adulthood, tensions are building among the Subjects—seven kids torn from their families to be part of a top-secret genetic experiment at age seven; they can’t help but wonder what, exactly, the experiments are supposed to prove. But when their powers suddenly manifest in horrifying ways, escape becomes a matter of life and death, love and the destruction of all that they hold dear. If only they could figure out who they are supposed to be fighting against….
This book is absolutely one of the best books in the genre I’ve read this year, period. I always pick up a self-published book with some trepidation, but honestly I’ve found more flaws in spelling and grammar in the paperback copies of major publishing houses’ chart-topper novels than existed in this one! The formatting and presentation are flawless and the writing is (almost) beyond reproach.
To put it simply, this book is a comic book in novel form, and the author makes no secret of his inspirations. However, he takes it a step beyond shoot-em-ups and cheesy romance to bring us characters that we genuinely care about, even if right and wrong aren’t always clear, and their motives are less than admirable. Here are teens that anyone can relate to! While I occasionally struggled with the dialogue and the pace was a little uneven, this book was a truly refreshing excursion out of the norm.
Perhaps because it is self-published, this book has a sort of nonchalant freedom about it that is a joy to read. Without caring who’s reading, the author is free to make pointed statements about the true value of human (and inhuman) life, and is surprisingly philosophical for something so fun and entertaining to read. The government is especially portrayed in an unforgiving light, but it never crosses the line into angry justification or righteousness. Teens will most likely especially enjoy this book due to its anti-establishment feel, as the feelings of rejection experienced by the seven have been felt on some level by every adolescent as they struggle to metamorphose from the child they were to the adult they will become.
With “The Seven” by Sean Patrick Little, I think I have found a new favorite to pore over, and against all odds I am dying to read more!
Monday, September 14, 2009
It is Finally Here!
After what felt like years of waiting, The Seven has finally arrived. I got the boxes of books from UPS last Thursday afternoon and it's everything I hoped it would be. James's cover looks brilliant, the book is eye-catching and solid, and the interior layout is tight and clear. I'm very, very proud of this little book.
Having said that: Please feel free to purchase a copy or twenty.
I will be selling copies at the Wisconsin Regional Writer's Association Fall Conference at the Holiday Inn in Eau Claire, Wis. on September 26 from 3:30--5:00pm. I am also working at getting something together in Minnesota in October, but more on that in time. The main website (www.seanpatricklittle.com) has been updated and has a purchase link on it.
I have sent the book off to several review sites. Fingers crossed, everyone.
--Sean
Having said that: Please feel free to purchase a copy or twenty.
I will be selling copies at the Wisconsin Regional Writer's Association Fall Conference at the Holiday Inn in Eau Claire, Wis. on September 26 from 3:30--5:00pm. I am also working at getting something together in Minnesota in October, but more on that in time. The main website (www.seanpatricklittle.com) has been updated and has a purchase link on it.
I have sent the book off to several review sites. Fingers crossed, everyone.
--Sean
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Done and Gone!
THE SEVEN is away. The final proof has been approved for press, the cover is done and submitted, and all that is left to do is to wait for the hard copies and press materials to print, ship, and arrive. I set the retail price at $15.95. I'm taking a hit at the profit-per-book, but I'm hoping that it will help me sell a lot more.
It's been a long wait. It's been nearly a year since I finished the first rough draft of THE SEVEN. The edits, the submission processes, the choosing of Dog Ear, the submitting and waiting--it's a long, arduous task to self-publish. Let's hope this opens some doors for me.
When the book does arrive, I anticipate finding some place to have a book launch party--even if I have to do it on my own deck.
Sean
It's been a long wait. It's been nearly a year since I finished the first rough draft of THE SEVEN. The edits, the submission processes, the choosing of Dog Ear, the submitting and waiting--it's a long, arduous task to self-publish. Let's hope this opens some doors for me.
When the book does arrive, I anticipate finding some place to have a book launch party--even if I have to do it on my own deck.
Sean
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Updates a-plenty
Well, I haven't written in a while because there just wasn't anything to write about. But, in lieu of actually posting something good, I'll just slap up a few updates.
1) THE SEVEN moves closer and closer to publication. I've received, reviewed, and sent back the initial proof. I should be getting the second proof today. Once I review that and okay it, the book will be ready to be published just as soon as...
2) Jamesy assures me the cover is almost finished. Jamesy has a workload that would gag a camel and he's always been a workaholic, so he's fitting in work on the cover when he can. He's shown me bits of it and it's amazing. The cover is wonderful. Once it's done the book will be ready for...
3) The Book Release party will be a go as soon as I find a venue for it. Once I'm more aware of when the actual press date will be, I'll intensify the search and find a place to do it--even if I have to set up a lean-to in a local park.
4) Writing has been going slowly as of late. On July 11 I tore a part of my rotator cuff. Rehab has been slow and holding my hands out in front of me to type is a still a little painful. When I can write, however, I am hacking away at the sequel to THE SEVEN.
5) The Brewers have been falling further away from first place as of late. July has been a cruel month. Let's hope they can pick it up in August.
6) The Packers start training camp on Saturday. Gads, I miss football.
7) I have been out of work for three weeks while waiting for my shoulder to heal a bit. So...if anyone has any winning lottery numbers they want to wing my way, good on you.
1) THE SEVEN moves closer and closer to publication. I've received, reviewed, and sent back the initial proof. I should be getting the second proof today. Once I review that and okay it, the book will be ready to be published just as soon as...
2) Jamesy assures me the cover is almost finished. Jamesy has a workload that would gag a camel and he's always been a workaholic, so he's fitting in work on the cover when he can. He's shown me bits of it and it's amazing. The cover is wonderful. Once it's done the book will be ready for...
3) The Book Release party will be a go as soon as I find a venue for it. Once I'm more aware of when the actual press date will be, I'll intensify the search and find a place to do it--even if I have to set up a lean-to in a local park.
4) Writing has been going slowly as of late. On July 11 I tore a part of my rotator cuff. Rehab has been slow and holding my hands out in front of me to type is a still a little painful. When I can write, however, I am hacking away at the sequel to THE SEVEN.
5) The Brewers have been falling further away from first place as of late. July has been a cruel month. Let's hope they can pick it up in August.
6) The Packers start training camp on Saturday. Gads, I miss football.
7) I have been out of work for three weeks while waiting for my shoulder to heal a bit. So...if anyone has any winning lottery numbers they want to wing my way, good on you.
Friday, June 12, 2009
A Small Cover Sample
Because people have been asking for it, here is a tiny sample from the cover rough James McGee is doing up for The Seven. It's a bit of two characters from the book. (For those of you who have read it: It's John and Kenny.)
It's very rough, but it gives a sense of James's style. He's gifted with computers so it'll be all cel-shaded and pretty w
hen he's done.
hen he's done.He's the man.
I received confirmation from the publisher yesterday that I should see the interior proof roughs by next Friday. Once I review those, it will be short order until The Seven is good to go.
I am starting the arduous process of promotion. If anyone knows any book stores or book clubs that would like to host a signing or a speaker, have them get in touch with me: sean@seanpatricklittle.com. Also, if anyone knows of a venue in which to hold a book release party later this summer, please let me know.
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