Category Archives: EldritchTV

Agent Search

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So, the process of looking for a literary agent is stressful. I sent my stuff to one yesterday and one today after a lot of scrutiny over the text. I am prone to typos and missing small details that it takes several attempts to review and fix. Sometimes my language sucks, ask anyone around me. 

I’m scared and nervous about it. I even signed up for a seminar this week about writing the perfect query letter. And it helped, but I think she wanted to see her services pretty badly and I was not having it. Thanks, but no thanks. I will share my query letter below:

ELDRITCH CRUSADE: Tale of the Four Winds is for readers who love monsters and gothic tomes featuring supernatural beings in a story of colorful intrigue and personal growth. Ultimately it is a story about family and chosen family with a touch of death and dismemberment. It just so happens that the leads are a young witch, a necromancer, vampire, and a Nephilim. There is a climate of uneasiness and inter-species cultural and political dynamics among witches, monsters, and more, that forge alliances as they become embattled by a common enemy who we were taught are supposed to be the good guys – the angels.  I chose an unusual adversary who imposes ideologies on communities that were already established, using colonialism as the base of the story.

I hired three editors through Reedsy, in different capacities that included formatting, story development, copy editing and proofreading.

The book is 137,121 words and 431 pages long. Category: Commercial Fantasy/Fiction.

This is currently a trilogy and each book raises the stakes for our heroes, from young men to masters of their arts in magic, to defy extremely powerful forces with the odds set against them.

I am inspired by writers like Anne Rice, Dan Brown, and Steven Saylor for the way they developed unusual characters and made them interesting and admirable, even if they were killers and underdogs

Well, there it is. I changed the title to ELDRITCH CRUSADE because it seemed to fit. There is a whole universe of ideas in this world that can be used in the future. So a franchise is not out of the question. I am so excited about this and have spent 12 years making it what it is. 

Fundraising Campaign

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Heya! It’s time for me to put it out there and see if I can get backers for this book I want to self publish. Since I last made an attempt, I went into a deep dive for a bit more work on it. 12 (Twelve) years later it’s time.

I started writing a book based on Fantasy/Sci Fi ideas and as of today have completed a trilogy. Book One is ready to go to press and I am reaching out to people I know to help me achieve publication by raising at least $3k and will publish using BookBaby.Com effectively self-publishing and will get a lot of resources for that money by using this company.
Venmo: @iamscottkay

ELDRITCH CRUSADE
Tale of the Four Winds

This is an adventure in the modern world we live in with supernatural creatures that live in it from monsters, angels, and creatures of ancient origin. Our featured character is a college age member of a lost branch to a family tree of ancient witches whose powers are descended in a powerful bloodline. With the support of a chosen family that include a necromancer, vampire, and a Nephilim, the young witch grows and develops into a strong individual.

The dynamics of family, chosen and born, play out heavily for a young person who lost their close relations as a kid and finds bonds in surprising places. This is a story of adventure and figuring out self, standing against the odds of a powerful anti-hero, but also the trials of adulthood.

Of course there are elements of horror with creatures like these. This story is a steady upward climb of individual triumph and development. The lead character goes from never having been aware of mythical creatures to being a part of that culture.

In the first book you will meet: Nephilim | Angels | Vampires | Gargoyles | Zombies | Lycans | and a Pookah. Oh and witches and Djinn. Whaaat?

Want to learn more about it” Check out this link: https://www.iamscottkay.com/category/eldritchtv/
How to donate: Venmo: @iamscottkay

I’m not doing one of the fundraising sites this time because it is just a share of the money I don’t want to give away. And I don; want to have to wait thirty days and so forth.
What does this money do?

  • I will get immediate publication on Amazon.Com digitally and an ISBN
  • Print on demand access for stores all around the world and an ISBN
  • Promotional and Advertising through Book Baby (Of course I will do my own, too)
  • Copyright
  • More details: https://www.bookbaby.com/…/complete-self-publishing…

I am also open to a loan. I stand to do okay on this book and it is my challenge to get this book out there and sell it in order to make a path ahead for the next two books which are already written. I invested $4k into editors and that went on CCs, so the following year after that I bought a house and there went all my cash and credit. I’m just not willing to get more revolving debt. Hit me up with questions.

I want to thank you for my first donation, getting me on the road anyway. As time progresses if this is successful I will def thank everyone involved in my appreciation in the book. Asking people for money to support my art is not such a strange thing in the world, but I am also realizing it feels very uncomfortable. We have asked for donations in the past for art projects, theme camps, and other burning man things, but this time the work is done and ready to meet the world. It feels like, and it is, asking for a handout. There is a chance this could start a new and potent direction for me that I always thought was in the cards for my future. Thank you for being a part of that.

Eldritch Crusade

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Book 1: I took in a lot of feedback and went into a deep dive with an edit that allowed me to collapse some superfluous story strings and clear up some things that were not needed for the content. I have worked on Book 1 so much that I know the whole thing almost by memory. Crazy, right. Well, I couldn’t quote the whole book but as I write I don’t need to reference the original material a whole lot. It also give me a chance to add subtle details that sharpen the focus and give a sense of foreshadowing and story line support. 

Now I am working on a new campaign to help get this thing published. I am so close now. But, what if this book is not seen? I am convinced I have an excellent story here. But, there is always room for improvement. I think I have finally reached the place I need to be in with this. Check this out. 

DRAFT – – – – – – start – – – – – – 

Fundraising Campaign

I started writing a book based on Fantasy/Sci Fi ideas about twelve years ago and as of today have completed a trilogy. Book One is ready to go to press and I am reaching out to people I know to help me achieve publication by raising at least $3k and will publish using BookBaby.Com effectively self-publishing and will get a lot of resources for that money by using this company. 

Venmo: @iamscottkay  

ELDRITCH CRUSADE

Tale of the Four Winds

This is an adventure in the modern world we live in with supernatural creatures that live in it from monsters, angels, and creatures of ancient origin. Our featured character is a college age member of a lost branch to a family tree of ancient witches whose powers are descended in a powerful bloodline. With the support of a chosen family that include a necromancer, vampire, and a Nephilim, the young witch grows and develops into a strong individual.

The dynamics of family, chosen and born, play out heavily for a young person who lost their close relations as a kid and finds bonds in surprising places. This is a story of adventure and figuring out self, standing against the odds of a powerful anti-hero, but also the trials of becoming an adult. 

Of course there are elements of horror with creatures like these. This story is a steady upward climb of individual triumph and development. The lead character goes from never having been aware of mythical creatures to being a part of that culture. 

Want to learn more about it” Check out this link: https://www.iamscottkay.com/category/eldritchtv/

How to donate: Venmo: @iamscottkay  

I’m not doing one of the fundraising sites this time because it is just a share of the money I don’t want to give away. 

What does this money do?

I will get immediate publication on Amazon.Com digitally and an ISBN

  • Print on demand access for stores all around the world and an ISBN
  • Promotional and Advertising through Book Baby (Of course I will do my own, too)
  • Copyright

More details: https://www.bookbaby.com/book-printing/complete-self-publishing-package

 

Update: Eldritch

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I am writing about my writing again. A few months ago I tried to raise some money to get my book published, but the universe said “no”. Which is fine, maybe it is not my time yet. But, then again, maybe I needed to put some more work in what I wrote. I knew there were some details in the story arch as well as some feedback I got from editors I needed to address, and I think I am.

I did not create this image. I found it randomly on a google search. “Nephilim”

As of today, I am halfway through a re-write I started in December or November. I am simultaneously putting it into a screen-play format on a 10 episode arch. Doing it this way has allowed me to finetune and focus. It has also allowed me to use tidbits from the next two books that are relevant to this part of the story. Essentially I am installing some Easter Eggs that have more meaning later on and help move the story forward. Also, taking out some of the garbage that did not need to be there. 

I see that things I write as if a movie is playing in my head anyway, which makes writing kinda cool because I get to apply those images into a story as if it already existed. 

The story is good, but it needs another editor and then can publish. I cannot afford to pay another editor out of pocket… so we will see. I think I really, really have it this time. 

Eldritch: What defines family?

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I think that one of the things about these stories is the balance between chosen and biological families. As young people come into the world on their own, like Joshua and Caleb, depicted in the ELDRITCH Tales, there is a community that builds with people we feel safe with and might have life long lasting relationships. That, in itself, can become a whirlwind while a young adult tries to figure out the depths and turns of interpersonal relationships and how far they can stretch. 

ELDRITCH: TALE OF THE FOUR WINDS

To help finance and get this book into stores around the world with my self publishing mission click here

Joshua Sean Daugherty

Biologically speaking, Joshua comes from a very dysfunctional space. This is how the book starts off. He basically lost both his parents, but is taken in by a family friend. While Book 1 and 2 dive into the relationship somewhat, it has a tremendous impact on Joshua. Meanwhile, Caleb had a similar origin as well, but dealt with it in a very different vein. Biological relationships are tricky, scary, and are sometimes uncertain. Friends and people surviving beside you make amazing allies.

Caleb Obidemi

Chosen family, like friends from school, or maybe your neighbors, exist in the flow of your life and have to be people you can trust because so much relies on your own personal safety around them. Joshua and Caleb are healthy young men finding their place in the world and become extremely close. Their friendship is platonic and supportive, without the unnecessary intimacy of physicality. It does come into question at a certain point, as Joshua is discovering who he is in his life as a young man. For Caleb, it is never a question, because he has a better sense of self that Joshua is still exploring. 

As the author of this story, part of my background is that I came from a horribly dysfunctional set of parents and a childhood where my memories of my biological family were very dark. I think this reflects in the book, especially in Joshua’s relationship with his dad, who is released from prison near the beginning of the story. Paternal figures here seem to take quite a beating, but that is often the nature of a father-son relationship in my opinion. 

And sexuality really has nothing to do with the story, but I keep in mind that Joshua would probably identify as either asexual or even pansexual. Which means he is not really sex-driven, but more of a romantic mindset. And, he seems to really gravitate toward people he trusts. Coming from his background where his parental relationships were so unreliable it is understandable. His friendships and that trusted circle is the most important thing in the world to him. 

Joshua has to start is biological family relationships all over, including his dad’s reemergence, and meeting surprising relatives that he intersects with in very unsettling ways. He really grows through the three books. 

Raising Money to publish: ELDRITCH Book

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My name is Scott Kraske, but I go by Scott Kay, and I have been writing most of my life. ELDRITCH: Tale of the Four Winds is the first book that I have taken to a fully finished place and is ready to go to print. This is more than 10 years of work with a fully fleshed-out idea ready to be shared with the world.

It’s funny how much of my story went into this take on the lives of some amazing characters like these. In this first book, we meet Joshua and Caleb who are in their last year of college and discovering amazing things about themselves and the world they lived in. Imagine, being in a world where monsters and ancient beings coexist.

Business

I have found a partner in Bok Baby (bookbaby.com) to get my book into a downloadable digital format and a Print On Demand format that can be accessed by bookstores all over the world both retail and wholesale.

$3000.00 sees me setup with Book Baby and start getting my book out on the first level.
> I get 100 printed books for use in promoting the book
> Starts getting the book into a system to get them into stores
$1000.00 goes to my own marketing and promotions for books sales
This does not include the debt I took on to hire three editors through Reedsy. I would like to pay those off because they are on credit cards. I am willing to do what I can to make this work successful.

What’s so special about Trinity Church?

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Trinity Church circa 1920

Check out https://trinitywallstreet.org/ to get the history and details of this great site. What makes this church so special? Well, it is one of the oldest churches in the United States and is the home of a few very famous names from American history. One of whom is Andrew Jackson. 

Well, we know Andrew Jackson is a famous, yet problematic figure, from the core of U.S. history. 

Andrew Jackson, was one of the most influential people of his time. His strong-willed attitude and cruel ambition toward perfecting the American government, in his presidency from 1829 to 1837, created a powerful stance for Jackson and the opinions about him. – edubirdie

Andrew Jackson is no longer very popular, and many of his values are no longer ours. His vision of the “people” had no room for people of color. Some of his attacks on eastern financial elites were a continuation of the Jeffersonian attacks on urban, nationalist, Hamiltonian principles. Jackson’s populism was thus a Trojan horse for pro-slavery, pro-states- rights interests. He was a wealthy slaveholder himself, with no qualms about African-American bondage and deep hostility to abolitionism. – SmithsonianMag

Why focus on Andrew in the scope of this awesome church? Well, there is a huge shadow plucked from history when it came to how African Americans backs were used to build so much of the country, but the history of this church in New York City was a part of that story. 

In New York City, where as much as 20% of its population was once enslaved, the original street of Broadway, the wall that gave Wall Street its name, historic restaurant and bar Fraunces Tavern and Trinity Church were all built using slave labor. – Reuters

“All of the original built environment in New York basically was built with the labor of enslaved people,” said Louise Mirrer, the head of the New York Historical Society. – Reuters

Why Trinity?

Trinity Church of New York was an important site during the American Revolution and the founding era of the United States of America. Originally founded under the charter of King William III of England in 1697, the church has Dutch roots preceding this date, when New York was still known as New Amsterdam. (source MountVernon.Org) 

Trinity Church, consecrated on Ascension Day 1846, is considered one of the first and finest examples of Neo-Gothic architecture in the United States. With a 281-foot high steeple, Trinity was the tallest building in New York City until 1890. – TrinityWallstreet.Org

It is an amazing space with a rich history and a troubled origin as noted above. Today tourist can visit the site and participate in frequent services. But what drew me to it for ELDRITCH was the visual side of it, but the compelling history was too rich to use a different church. No, even though one of the characters in my story is the Catholic Church/Vatican, Trinity has nothing to do with them. It works in the story giving the Vatican deniability in harboring of a dirty secret hiding in the basement of the ancient church. 

Those problematic notes and the majesty of this location are background to some intrigue that plays out throughout the book. None of it is preachy by any means, but it is a mirror of modern society and how far we have come. And how far we have not come. 

A Critical Moment: Meet Maggie

Margaret Sue-Ellen Jackson was visiting from North Carolina, on a tour of Americas great churches in the Northeast. She is a woman dedicated to her Baptist Church’s celebration of of her Christian beliefs. She was a very special woman who was sensitive to the pain of other people. She discovered the dirty secret hiding in the basement of the Trinity, just past the crypts below, setting something loose on the world that was game changing. 

(Margaret Sue-Ellen Jackson is a fictional character a the basement of the Trinity Church is a fascinating space, but I took some creative license with what is actually down there.) 

Writer Update

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I am so blessed that my latest editor got me back my book completed with all copyediting and proofreading. His comments were inspiring and I made sure I thanked him in the acknowledgements of the book. I also wrote a new synopsis that rocks and James (the Editor) gave me some excelled feedback on it and as of last night I reached out to 2 literary agents hoping to start marking my road forward. 

The book is called ELDRITCH: Tale of the Four Winds. I completed writing the full trilogy this last week. Book Two is done. Book Three is in first draft. My goal was to be able to put a pen cap on the series, but in truth I have 2 more book ideas from it that can go somewhere someday.

One is short stories based on the trilogy. Because there are all kinds of side stories and character histories worth exploring. 

One is a time jump to the future and see what happens fifty or a hundred years later. 

The story arch is amazing. I may put out more on this, but for now I am sticking with this. I put some bits here in my creativity section. Check it out if you like.

Over time I hired 3 editors. One flaked on me half way through the project, but he still gave me some valuable help. I paid him for this time, but I learned to check on people more in the future. The second editor was all about story and flow. A paid reader as it were who gave me suggestions for flow. And lastly, James, a star in heaven who was tough and gave me the feedback I needed and did an amazing job at copywriting and editing. I am thrilled. 

And one more thing. I came across this entry from 2013 when I first started to pen this project and am stunned how far it came along. Sunned!