In today's market, the novel is a hard or soft cover book (usually softcover) that has 200+ pages of text that covers any number of subjects. The genre I write in will usually publish illustrations, photographs, concepts of the world created in the novel in a separate book. I wish to change this. I don't want 'picture books' to only be for children, because adults like pictures too. If that weren't so, then we 'adults' wouldn't watch movies.
It's not enough for me to just write a good story. I want the visual images that I see while writing to coincide with the story. I believe that we, as a generation of people who've grown-up with cable, color television, now the internet, realistic computer graphics, are ready for the next generation of book, the Illustrated Novel!
The Epic of Cougran Series of Novels will be just that, illustrated stories for ages 16 and up. The reason for this is that graphic violence is integrated within the story, to purposely target older readers, and mating will be covered in later books, and those 16 year olds will be adults by then. I will also include a parental advisory on the cover, so parents and police their kids on the mating related books. However, younger teens may be able to handle the first series of books if they can deal with the graphic violence.
The first release is called Adventures in Raoolia, in paperback. There are limited illustrations in this version of the story, which was a business decision. I had to make a choice between selling the book or not. However, the trilogy of this storyline will be released in full color with graphics and illustrations in the book. One step at a time!
I believe in the freedom of speech, and I also believe that mating rituals are an essential part of a reproductive being's existance, and so therefore this issue has to be covered in some form. I also believe that with the advisory on the cover, that parents who care about what their kids read will notice and not permit their children to read the material if they so choose, which is above and beyond what most authors will do.
That being said, my target audience should be mature enough to handle the content that I will be writing about, and it is the reader's responsibility to police themselves if they should not want to read it!
To read the first adventure in The Epic of Cougran please click here: http://www.lulu.com/content/1085285. It takes 5 business days to complete and ship an order if you pick UPS or USPS Postal Priority Mail.
You may email me at eric@pjetimages.com.
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