Let us continue our celebratory countdown to Eye in the Blue Box’s one-year anniversary!
Last Sunday, I presented our new podcast episode on Tree of Eyes, so make sure to check it out if you haven’t already. We recorded episodes for Eye in the Blue Box a while back as well if you want to give them a listen too.
Today, though, I’m unveiling something I’ve been hiding for almost an entire year. I wanted to release it for a special occasion, and what better occasion is there than a birthday (or birth night)?
I give to you, my dear readers, the new, official (pretend) soundtrack for both books, Eyes of Awakening - Extended Ver. w/ Bonus Tracks!
(If the above player is not visible, you can use this direct link to access the soundtrack on Spotify.)
I previously released individual soundtracks for Eye in the Blue Box as well as Tree of Eyes, but I must confess that this extended soundtrack is my favorite out of all the soundtracks I’ve created. In fact, I’ve been listening to it on repeat for most of this past year. It’s the perfect mix of adrenaline, mystery, and heart, if I do say so myself.
If you’ve listened to our podcasts, you’ll know that Eye in the Blue Box and Tree of Eyes were originally written as one giant book titled Eyes of Awakening before I split it into the two books you see today. Thus, this Eyes of Awakening soundtrack musically represents my books in their original form, the form that I knew them as for the near decade it took to write them.
You can be sure that I didn’t choose any of the songs on this extended version (or any of the other soundtracks for that matter) flippantly. (Check out my analysis of Eye in the Blue Box’s soundtrack.) Each song carries some kind of attribute that captures a specific message, tone, character, and/or plot point. The tracks are also organized chronologically so that they follow the overall plot. Furthermore, the bonus tracks create a more complete version of each book which the shorter, separate soundtracks don’t do quite as well because I’d decided to prioritize efficiency over length with the individual soundtracks. In other words, this version creates an even more detailed, immersive musical experience that EoA fans are bound to enjoy.
For all of you guys who have been asking me for an audiobook, please listen to this soundtrack, which is the musical version of my books, for now as I keep researching how to make a proper audiobook. (And yes, you can be sure that one will be released in the future. Audiobooks cost a lot of money and time to create, though, so please be patient with me!)
I also wanted to let ya’ll know that this past year has been a whirlwind of promotional activities for Eye in the Blue Box. Some of these activities turned out to be worth every ounce of effort. Others were just a giant waste of time and money. Overall, though, through both the ups and downs, I’ve learned that there’s no real way to know if something will actually work unless you give it a try.
I also learned that I’m not as bad at learning administrative systems as I’d originally thought. I’d always been terrified of any and all systems, whether they belonged to the publishing world or to the desk jobs in my corporate life. There are so many strange intricacies and unintuitive functions that go hand-in-hand with such systems! But learning everything from basic coding to build my own website to the maze-like self-publishing platforms like Kindle Direct and IngramSpark have forced me to become adept at dissecting, analyzing, and using systems of all kinds. I’m not afraid of them now, even in my day job. It really is just a matter of giving them a whirl.
I've achieved a lot of my goals and been blessed with successes this past year, and for that, I'm grateful. However, I definitely feel like it’s time to slow down my marketing efforts. I won’t be stopping completely. It would be a total shame if I were to stop here after everything I’ve managed to build up. But I didn’t publish my books to become a publishing expert. I published my books so that others could enjoy the material I write. Marketing takes up an incredible amount of time and energy, and at the end of the day, I need to choose whether I want to spend that much of myself on pushing my promotional efforts at full throttle or on writing more books to the best of ability.
I have decided to choose the latter.
I shared in my last post that I’ll be having another author event on October 3. This will likely be my last signing/talk for a while as events like these always cost a good deal of time to plan. So, if you missed my previous event and were thinking about coming to this one, make sure to come because after October 3rd, you’ll only be able to find me deep within the recesses of my writing cave. And when you do manage to find me, I’ll promptly kick you out.
I am blessed to have been able to travel through the winding road of publishing that this past year presented. I learned and experienced so many things I never would have otherwise and was able to grow as a person as a result. But from now on, I will let the current of my desires pull me away from aggressive promotional activities and toward that which my heart desires most: writing fiction.
- SPOILER-RIDDEN Book Signing and Author Meet & Greet for the WHOLE Eyes of Awakening saga!
- When: Saturday, October 3rd @ 2:30PM
- Duration: 1 hour to 1.5 hours
- Where: Pacific Beach/Taylor Library Community Room
- What: Based on the poll from the previous event, readers would like to have this event center around both books and include all spoilers so that we can talk more in-depth. Like my previous event, this event will include an author talk and Q&A. Detailed agenda forthcoming!