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Authors Jacob & H.P. Holo

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Holo Books

Seraphim Revival – Book Trilogy Reveal!

February 23, 2015 by holojacob 3 Comments

Bane of the Dead cover art - small

In an empire ruled by the honored dead, seraphs are the ultimate weapons. Fueled by the pilot’s very soul, these colossal humanoid war machines are unstoppable in battle. Only a few possess the gift to control such craft, and those men and women are prized above all others.

Jack Donolon is the most powerful pilot in existence, a hero of Earth with a mind fractured by his seraph. On the far side of the galaxy, he uncovers a terrible truth about the seraphs and their pilots. Now he must return on a mission no one will understand, to face and kill the people who once called him friend and comrade.

But the death he will bring is insignificant next to the destruction that will follow, should he fail …

The Seraphim Revival book trilogy is on its way!

That’s right. A whole trilogy! And it’s not like you’ll have to wait years to read the conclusion. All three books are well past the 1st draft stage. Our goal is to polish-polish-polish the entire series like crazy and then release all three books THIS YEAR!
UPDATE: Book 1 has been released!
UPDATE: Book 2 has been released!
We’re very excited about this new series. Both H.P. and I have been toiling on these manuscripts for the past several months, refining them to the level of quality you, our readers, deserve. We may be self-published here at Holo Writing, but we take the quality of our manuscripts very seriously.
As you can see, the highly talented Adam Burn has been hard at work producing gorgeous cover art for the trilogy. Here you can see one of the true stars of the books: the mighty seraphs!

What is the Seraphim Revival?

This is a story of Intense Mech Combat. The seraphs represent the absolute pinnacle of combat technology. Fueled by the pilot’s own soul, seraphs are capable of drawing upon almost limitless power. The relationship between pilot and machine is symbiotic to the point where any boundaries between them vanish. In a sense, the pilots become their seraphs. Clashes between them are brutal contests where willpower matters just as much as hardware.
This is a story of the Living Ruled by the Dead. Here is a society where the preserved minds of the deceased exercise absolute authority over the living. Seraph pilots are extremely rare, and therefore incredibly valuable. Not everyone, dead or alive, has their best interests in mind.
This is a story of Honor and Betrayal. The best way to take out a seraph is with another seraph, but the gift to command such a craft is hereditary. Many pilots share common bloodlines, and when sides are chosen, some divides fall in the worst possible places.

You mentioned a trilogy of books.

Yes I did. And they are …
Book 1 – Bane of the Dead
Book 2 – Throne of the Dead
Book 3 – Disciple of the Dead

What about Humanity Machine? Where’s that book?

Humanity Machine Front Cover - SmallI have good news and news (which is really neither good nor bad). The good news is that Humanity Machine will be released. Eventually. The novel is now a very polished 3rd draft, and it’s coming out one way or another.
I honestly wish we could publish the book now, but here comes the neither-good-nor-bad news.
How the novel will be published is a bit of an open question. Actually two open questions. I know that’s horribly vague, but to say anything more at this time would be premature. There are some potentially exciting opportunities here, and the delay comes from H.P. and I taking the time to explore them properly.
So, yes. Humanity Machine will be coming out. You can count on that.

When is the Seraphim Revival trilogy coming out?

Our goal is to release the complete trilogy this year. All seraphs launching 2015!
Subscribe to the Holo Writing Newsletter to receive updates on our current and future books.

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Bane of the Dead, Disciple of the Dead, Giant Robots, Humanity Machine, Novel, Science Fiction, Seraphim Revival, Space Opera, Throne of the Dead, Writing

Holo Writing – More Fan Art

January 20, 2015 by holojacob Leave a Comment

Here’s some fan artwork I received for The Dragons of Jupiter. Very exciting stuff. Please enjoy. 🙂

Kaneda from The Dragons of Jupiter by Phouthong Phimmarath
Ryu from The Dragons of Jupiter by Phouthong Phimmarath
Ryu from The Dragons of Jupiter by Phouthong Phimmarath
Kaneda and Ryu from The Dragons of Jupiter by Phouthong Phimmarath

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Fan Art, The Dragons of Jupiter

Humanity Machine – 2nd Draft Complete!

July 21, 2014 by holojacob 2 Comments

Humanity Machine Front Cover - Small
 
 
Can a person manufactured for war still be human?
The second draft of Humanity Machine is now complete, and Adam Burn has finished the stellar cover art and graphic design. Oh yeah, it’s coming together!
So what is Humanity Machine?
Humanity Machine is a story of Manufactured People. Soldiers created on demand using an advanced form of 3D printing. More precisely, this is the story of one such soldier: Vance. This is her journey as she grows from just one more cog in the machine to an individual that can shape the destiny of her people.
Humanity Machine is a story of Intense Space Battles. Highly advanced, self-modifying warships slugging it out in the depths of space. Vance serves as one warship’s drone controller, commanding her squadrons of interceptors and bombers against a powerful and tenacious foe.
Humanity Machine is a story of Divided Humanity. Not by politics or ethnicities or faiths, but by technology. It’s a story about how technology molds a society, and how that technology can make its people seem very alien to an outsider. Imagine a society with no families, no children, and no gender roles. Imagine a two-tiered society of the created and the creators. What would that society be like? What would its people be like?
Subscribe to the Holo Writing Newsletter to receive updates on our current and future books.

UPDATE: Where is Humanity Machine?

I have good news and news (which is really neither good nor bad). The good news is that Humanity Machine will be released. Eventually. The novel is now a very polished 3rd draft, and it’s coming out one way or another.
I honestly wish we could publish the book now, but here comes the neither-good-nor-bad news.
How the novel will be published is a bit of an open question. Actually two open questions. I know that’s horribly vague, but to say anything more at this time would be premature. There are some potentially exciting opportunities here, and the delay comes from H.P. and I taking the time to explore them properly.
So, yes. Humanity Machine will be coming out. You can count on that.
 

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Humanity Machine, Novel, Science Fiction, Writing

Humanity Machine – Cover Work-in-Progress

May 22, 2014 by holojacob Leave a Comment

The incredibly talented Adam Burn has begun working on the cover to Humanity Machine. This is merely the first element of the composition. Here you can see the SolFleet frigate Valor taking shape, which the main character Vance serves on as its drone controller. It’ll be under attack in the final version.
Humanity Machine Cover WIP 1
Pretty cool, huh? In Adam’s own words:
“Starting first with the massive capital ship, quite rough at the moment mostly throwing down shapes and basic lighting so the final will be more refined.”
Yes, ladies and gentlemen. What we have here right now is “quite rough.” I can’t wait to see the refined version. 🙂
So what is Humanity Machine? Well, I’m glad you asked!
Humanity Machine is a story of Manufactured People. Soldiers created on demand using an advanced form of 3D printing. More precisely, this is the story of one such soldier: Vance. This is her journey as she grows from just one more cog in the machine to an individual that can shape the destiny of her people.
Humanity Machine is a story of Intense Space Battles. Highly advanced, self-modifying warships slugging it out in the depths of space. Vance serves as one warship’s drone controller, commanding her squadrons of interceptors and bombers against a powerful and tenacious foe.
Humanity Machine is a story of Divided Humanity. Not by politics or ethnicities or faiths, but by technology. It’s a story about how technology molds a society, and how that technology can make its people seem very alien to an outsider. Imagine a society with no families, no children, and no gender roles. Imagine a two-tiered society of the created and the creators. What would that society be like? What would its people be like?
And if all goes to plan, it will be out this year!
Subscribe to the Holo Writing Newsletter to receive updates on our current and future books.

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Cover, Humanity Machine, Novel, Science Fiction, Writing

Time Reavers – Sequel

May 22, 2014 by holojacob Leave a Comment

Time Reavers Cover Front Only BlogThis is so exciting! People have started asking about the sequel to Time Reavers!
Please allow me to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has inquired about the next book. Your feedback is a precious, wonderful thing. So, on that note, I thought I’d take a moment to talk a little bit about the sequel.
Will there be a sequel to Time Reavers?
Oh, you’d better believe there’s going to be a sequel!
What’s it called?
The working title is Mind Reavers.
What will it be about?
The hidden war between the tau guards and the reavers is about to go loud in a big way. The barrier between our worlds is crumbling. The resolve of the tau guards is failing, and seventeen-year-old Nicole Taylor, with her unique ability to speak to the reavers, may be the only one who can save the Earth.
Also, expect to learn more about the true nature of the reavers in this book. A lot more. Many of the lingering questions from Time Reavers will have light shed on them.
What will happen in it?
Oh, come on. Like I’d answer that. 🙂
When are you going to finish it?
Well, I’ve got to start it first. It’s on the short list of upcoming projects along with the sequel to The Dragons of Jupiter. Right now, I’m focused on making Humanity Machine as awesome and exciting as possible.
FINISH IT FASTER!
I’m sorry. I wish I could write faster too. 🙁
Subscribe to the Holo Writing Newsletter to receive updates on our current and future books

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Fantasy, Novel, Sequel, Time Reavers, Writing, Young Adult

Holo Writing at SC Comicon 2014!

May 21, 2014 by holojacob Leave a Comment

SCComicCon Ready for Day One
Ready for another convention!

This past weekend, H.P. and I participated in the first ever South Carolina Comic Con, organized by the very hardworking Rob Young of Borderland Comics and Games. The event lasted two days and, according to one of the staff members, drew in over six thousand people! I can believe it too. The convention center was packed. The pictures we took do not do the crowd justice because, simply put, we were so busy when the crowds really hit!
H.P. and I had a blast interacting with people at the convention. We met I.R. Harris, author of the dark epic fantasy Bound Trilogy as well as plenty of talented artists. Tons of cool people, many in costume, stopped by our table.
SCComicCon Laughing Man Cosplay
Oh no! My eyes have been hacked!

SCComicCon War Machine Cosplay
Jacob Holo strikes a pose with War Machine.

SCComicCon Impromptu Cosplay Battle
Impromptu Cosplay Battle!

SCComicCon Another Happy Customer
An excited new reader purchases Time Reavers.

SCComiCon Signing Another Book
I signed A LOT of books!

Many of those who stopped by left with our books in hand. We almost blew through our entire stock. Bear in mind, we ordered extras after the success of Tangled Web’s Free Comic Day. Even with that, we still almost ran out. It was a great weekend for us!
SCComicCon Survivors
Our last three Dragons of Jupiter copies!

To everyone who purchased our books, THANK YOU! Welcome to Holo Writing!

Filed Under: Cosplay, Holo Books Tagged With: SC Comicon, The Dragons of Jupiter, Time Reavers

Holo Writing at SpartanCon!

May 11, 2014 by holojacob 1 Comment

This past Saturday, H.P. and I hosted a table at SpartanCon. We had a lot of fun doing it. A big, warm thank you to Spartanburg County Public Libraries for extending the invitation to us and letting us host a table at their event.

Holo Writing at SpartanCon
H.P. and Jacob Holo are ready for SpartanCon

This picture was taken before things got crazy. And boy, did they get crazy! The head librarian mentioned to us that between eight hundred and a thousand people showed up. We had a wonderful day interacting with plenty of new readers. To everyone who bought our books, thank you! We hope you enjoy them!
The day was a resounding success for us. H.P. and I will definitely be participating in SpartanCon next year.
Of the people who attended SpartanCon, plenty came wearing some superb costumes. Not surprising, since the library hosted a cosplay contest with two 4-day tickets to DragonCon as the main prize. Here you can see me with the winner and her completely homemade Jawa costume.
SpartanCon Jawa Cosplay
Jacob Holo with the SpartanCon cosplay winner

Yes, there is a lovely young lady underneath all of that.
And there’s plenty more awesome cosplay where that came from. Early in the day, I had my picture taken with an Alucard cosplayer. The young gentleman stopped by our table afterwards and was so impressed with our books he brought his friends over to show them. They too left with our books in hand.
SpartanCon Alucard Cosplay
Jacob Holo vs. Alucard. I don’t stand a chance.

And here’s one more really cool cosplay. Why? Because it’s Dead Space. Does there need to be another reason? 🙂
SpartanCon Issac Clarke Cosplay
Jacob Holo with Isaac Clarke. I’m in good company.

Again, thank you to everyone who decided to give our books a try. You’re awesome!
Subscribe to the Holo Writing Newsletter to receive updates on our current and future books.

Filed Under: Cosplay, Holo Books Tagged With: SpartanCon, The Dragons of Jupiter, Time Reavers

Holo Writing at Tangled Web Free Comic Day!

May 4, 2014 by holojacob 2 Comments

Daniel McAbee, owner of the Tangled Web, graciously invited us to host a table during his Free Comic Day special. Both H.P. and I stayed the entire day and had an absolute blast. So many awesome people stopped by our table to hear about our books. We really enjoyed getting to interact with our fellow sci-fi/fantasy fans, and a warm thank you to all of you who decided to give our books a try.

Jacob Holo at Tangled Web
Jacob Holo at Tangled Web

We also got very good at summarizing our books quickly. H.P. did a particularly awesome job.
Fan-in-the-Making: The Dragons of Jupiter? What’s that about?
H.P. Holo: Space ninjas versus space marines!
Jacob Holo: There’s more to it than that, but yeah.
Fan-in-the-Making: Cool. And Time Reavers?
H.P. Holo: Teens with super powers versus giant interdimensional cyborg insects!
Fan-in-the-Making: Sounds interesting.
We also had free buttons and bookmarks, which were a huge hit. We actually ran out of The Dragons of Jupiter buttons. People especially loved the “I’m a Dragon” buttons with a piece of the back cover art on the button. I thought a hundred was enough for the day, but the crowd cleaned us out!
Holo Writing free buttons at Tangled Web
Free Holo Writing buttons at Tangled Web

Despite hosting the table for eight hours, the day went by in a flash. It’s a good thing we brought plenty of books, because people were in the mood to buy some action-packed sci-fi/fantasy! You can’t see them in the top picture, but there are boxes of books underneath our table. We emptied them. The books you see in the next picture are the only survivors from a fantastic day at Tangled Web (actually minus one, because we sold another shortly before we packed up).
Survivors of Tangled Web
Survivors of Tangled Web Free Comic Day

Again, both H.P. and I had a really great time at Tangled Web. Thank you to Daniel McAbee for being a truly stellar host, and thank you to all of our new readers! Welcome to Holo Writing!
Subscribe to the Holo Writing Newsletter to receive updates on our current and future books.

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Tangled Web, The Dragons of Jupiter, Time Reavers

Holo Writing – Fan Art

May 4, 2014 by holojacob 4 Comments

Here’s the first piece of fan art I’ve received! Please enjoy! 🙂

time reavers mantis birthday
The Mantis (Time Reavers) wishes Jacob Holo a happy birthday.

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Fan Art, Time Reavers

Humanity Machine – 1st Draft Complete!

April 2, 2014 by holojacob Leave a Comment

new_empire_by_adamburn-d6sqh87

artwork by the very talented Adam Burn – used with permission

The first draft of Humanity Machine is officially complete! Woohoo! Weighing in at a hefty 140,000 words, it’s a bit longer than The Dragons of Jupiter and is now my largest novel to date, though editing may change that.
I’ve already completed my first editing pass, and I have to say I’m pretty excited about this one. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still plenty of polishing that needs to be done, but the fundamentals are definitely there. I’m going to make one more editing pass, then hand it off to H.P. for her first read through. After that, I’ll do my third editing pass, then give it on to my test readers.
And from there it’s edit, edit, and edit again. Plus start talking to Adam Burn about some awesome cover art. Time to clean this manuscript up!
So what is Humanity Machine, you may be wondering. Well …
Humanity Machine is a story of Manufactured People. Soldiers created on demand using an advanced form of 3D printing. More precisely, this is the story of one such soldier: Vance. This is her journey as she grows from just one more cog in the machine to an individual that can shape the destiny of her people.
Humanity Machine is a story of Intense Space Battles. Highly advanced, self-modifying warships slugging it out in the depths of space. Vance serves as one warship’s drone controller, commanding her squadrons of interceptors and bombers against a powerful and tenacious foe.
Humanity Machine is a story of Divided Humanity. Not by politics or ethnicities or faiths, but by technology. It’s a story about how technology molds a society, and how that technology can make its people seem very alien to an outsider. Imagine a society with no families, no children, and no gender roles. Imagine a two-tiered society of the created and the creators. What would that society be like? What would its people be like?
Yeah, I’m excited about this one.
Subscribe to the Holo Writing Newsletter to receive updates on our current and future books.

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Humanity Machine, Novel, Science Fiction, Writing

Writing Techniques – Character Sheets

March 3, 2014 by holojacob 4 Comments

The Dragons of Jupiter Christmas
Today, I would like to discuss one of my favorite writing tools: the character sheet.
Characters form the heart and soul of a story. They can breathe life and energy into an otherwise dry tale. So, naturally, their creation is a very important skill for a writer to learn. I suspect there are as many methods for generating new characters as there are writers. Who’s to say one method is better than the other?
Not me, that’s for sure. But I have developed a method that works for me. Here’s what I do.
When an idea for a story begins to take form, I determine what roles I will need. How many characters are required to tell the story? Where are their places within the story?  What functions need to be filled?
I divide the roles into two categories: Technical and Personal. For example, if I’m writing a story about an elite military squad, a Technical list might look like this:

  • Squad Leader
  • Sniper
  • Demolition Specialist
  • Tech Expert

And a Personal list might resemble this:

  • Main Character
  • Love Interest
  • Dependable Cohort
  • New Guy/Gal

I can then combine the two lists, mixing and matching, looking for holes as I go. The result might look something like this:

  • Squad Leader – Main Character
  • Sniper – Love Interest
  • Demolition Specialist – Dependable Cohort
  • Tech Expert – New Guy/Gal

This list will go through many revisions as the story evolves from a crude sketch to a more robust outline. For me, it’s easy to mix and match the Personal and Technical roles. Some characters may have multiples of one type or even both. This can be especially true for major characters. Roles can, of course, change as a story progresses, but that is something I save for the plot outline itself.
These roles form the basic building blocks for the characters. Once I’m happy with the roles I’ve listed, I begin to add details and depth to each character. In order to do this, I use a character sheet.
My character sheets vary a little from novel to novel, but they’re mostly the same. Basically, it’s one big list of characteristics that I fill in order to gain a better feel for the character. Character sheets also serve as excellent references when I’ve forgotten the cool details I had planned.
This is one of the reasons I outline so heavily. I forget stuff.
So, what do these character sheets look like? Well, they look like this, actually:

  • Character Description
  • Age
  • Gender
  • Weight
  • Height
  • Health
  • IQ
  • Appearance
  • Occupation
  • Goals
  • Morals
  • Poignant Memories
  • Past Traumas
  • Hobbies
  • Likes
  • Dislikes
  • Confidence
  • Fears
  • Sense of Humor
  • Family
  • Flaws
  • Skills
  • Charisma
  • Speech Pattern

And yes, I fill in each line for almost every character I write about. Does all of that make it into the novel? Is all of that even relevant? Do I need to do this? No, of course not. But filling in all of that stuff helps me develop each character into an individual, unique voice. It’s a tool I use, nothing more. If it helps me write the character, then the tool has done its job.
It may not be the best way to craft characters, and it certainly won’t work for everyone, but it’s a method that has served me well for many years.
Subscribe to the Holo Writing Newsletter to receive updates on our current and future books.

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Character Sheets, Novel, Writing, Writing Techniques

The Dragons of Jupiter – Book Trailer

February 11, 2014 by holojacob 3 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n24DP_Cu72s]

Filed Under: Holo Books Tagged With: Book Trailer, Novel, Science Fiction, The Dragons of Jupiter, Trailer, Writing

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