Friday, November 19, 2010 Audiobook Finished! See You At The Live Chat!

Last night I put the finishing touches on the "Spirit Blade" enhanced audiobook and plan to make it available on Monday! I'm also recording a pseudo-commentary in which I highlight some portions of the audiobook and talk about the choices I made for the book as well as the reasons for many of the significant chnages from book to script. This feature will also be available in the same Archive Disc with the enhanced audiobook.

This post also serves as your last notice for the "Spirit Blade: Special Edition" Live Chat I'll be hosting tomorrow. Click the link for some more details. I'll provide the link for logging in about 30-60 minutes before the chat begins. I hope to see you there!

Wish I had more to update you on, but it's been crazy busy here the last two days and I just BARELY squeezed in a Harry Potter review for the podcast, which I need to go and post right now!

Have a great weekend!

-Paeter Frandsen

Wednesday, November 17, 2010 Live Chat Prep and Finishing The Audiobook

Every time I try something new with technology, it usually involves lots of troubleshooting and hair pulling. So looking ahead to the "Spirit Blade: Special Edition" Live Chat on Saturday has been intimidating. Thankfully, one of my online friends at the Spirit Blade Forums found a solution for me! I just tested it out today and everything looks good to go for this Saturday! (Whew!) Thanks, Chad!

I'm also getting very close to finishing the enhanced auidobook of the Spirit Blade Novella. I realized this last week that I have been in "deadline mode" for almost two years straight now, and the sense of self-imposed deadline pressure has only gotten stronger in the last 6-9 months. So I'm VERY much looking forward to being done with the audiobook and back to square one, outlining and writing the script for Spirit Blade 3, with no deadlines in sight! (At least for a few months.)

-Paeter Frandsen

Friday, November 12, 2010 Audiobook Coming And Chat Reminder

Since getting back in the saddle I've been hard at work on the "Spirit Blade" enhanced audio book, and it is just a few work days from completion!

My plan is to release it for free in the spring in some form on various places around the web. But before then, it will be organized as an archive disc , where it will be available in just a couple of weeks in an exlusively high quality audio format that will never be available anywhere else! Stay tuned for the announcement of its release very soon!

Also, don't forget to grab your copy of "Spirit Blade: Special Edition" from our online store for participation in the Special Edition live chat a week from now on Saturday, November 20th at 6pm Mountain Standard time! More details will be coming soon here and at www.spiritblade.net/chat ! Don't miss out!

-Paeter Frandsen

Wednesday, November 10, 2010 Get Ready For The Live Chat!

At long last I'm back in the saddle! And before anything else I want to remind you about the live chat coming up for anyone who has the "Spirit Blade: Special Edition"!

I'll have more details next week, but mark your calendar for Saturday November 20th and be sure to grab your copy of the Special Edition if you haven't already.

And for those getting CDs instead of downloads, you still have time to get yours in the mail before the live chat! Shipping typically takes three days or less in the US and it's always FREE when you buy from our online store!

Don't miss out on the first opportunity ever available to chat it up with me and other fans as we all listen to the story that started it all!

Talk to you soon!

-Paeter Frandsen

Thursday, November 4, 2010 Ebony Had A Baby!

Last Saturday my wife gave birth to our second child (and second boy), Titus Lassell Frandsen. Even Ebony as the Sheidan Assassin has nothing on the real deal. Holly labored for 7 and 1/2 hours and delivered with zero medication (not even an I.V.) and Titus came out with only 5 minutes of pushing. (Three contractions.)

She began feeling contractions before 8am. We went to the hospital at 11 and Titus was born at 3:18.

I know there are more amazing birth stories out there, but this was an incredible thing to watch. Every time a contraction came, Holly would go still and breath deeply with her eyes closed, like some kind of jedi master prepping to crack the moon in half. Don't know how she did it, but she is the freakin' Champion!

We're currently adjusting to having an infant AND simultaneously potty training our three year old (yay.), so I'm not quite back on the radar yet, but thought I'd pop in and let you guys know what's up.

Thanks so much to all who prayed for us! We're doing very well and I'm hoping to be back in the saddle sometime next week!

-Paeter Frandsen

Thursday, October 28, 2010 Out Till November 9th

Hey Folks!

I'll be off the radar until November 9th as my wife and I welcome our second child into the world. He hasn't arrived yet and is about a week overdue. If he doesn't come on his own, the doctors will begin throwing tear gas canisters into my wife on Friday or Monday.

As I said before, CD and download orders will still be processed normally. Although I'll have to rely on your patience and "undeserved favor" (grace) regarding responding to e-mails and things.

See you on the other side!

-Paeter Frandsen

Wednesday, October 27, 2010 Spirit Blade: Special Edition Live Chat!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 20th at 6pm Mountain Standard Time! (That should be 5pm West Coast and 8pm East Coast, but I'd suggest you double check.)

I will be hosting a live online chat for all those who have the Spirit Blade: Special Edition audio drama! While everyone listens to their own copy of the project simultaneously, we'll chat about the differences from the original version and you'll have the chance to get instant answers to any questions you might have about the project!

I've never done anything like this before and I can't wait to hang out and listen with you all!

Specific details for the chat will be announced as we get closer to the event, so stay tuned right here!

Shipping is free for CD sets and only takes about three days to reach anywhere in the US! (And of course downloads arrive much more quickly.) So don't miss out! Get your copy of "Spirit Blade: Special Edition" today and mark your calendar for the live chat on Saturday, November 20th!

-Paeter Frandsen

Friday, October 22, 2010 Going Off The Radar

It's been a good week and I've enjoyed the progress I've been able to make on the Audiobook of Spirit Blade. Even the marketing side of things has been bearable.

But for those who aren't aware, I will probably be dropping off the radar soon for about a week or two. My wife is expecting to deliver our second child any day now.

I don't anticipate any interruption of services for those who purchase from our online store, but I will likely be dropping nearly everything else I do here for a little while as our world get's turned upside down for a little bit.

The podcast should be released as normal tonight or tomorrow, though I'm not sure if there will be one next week.

No signs of labor yet, but if I suddenly seem to "vanish" in the coming days, you'll know why.

Have a great weekend!

-Paeter Frandsen

Wednesday, October 20, 2010 “Marketing Madness” and FREE “Spirit Blade” Downloads!

Well, now that the “Spirit Blade: Special Edition” has launched, I head into what is possibly my least favorite part of my work: The “Marketing Phase”.

Granted, I always have marketing on the back burner and have to keep it going. But after the launch of a product I usually spend at least a few weeks doing almost nothing but writing and sending e-mails, trying to set up interviews and other types of correspondence.

The one difference this time around is that because of the “special edition” I am now proud of EVERY product in our library and feel much more confident in presenting the Spirit Blade series to people.

Which reminds me! I am offering a free download of “Spirit Blade: Special Edition” to anyone who will agree to review it (or interview me) on their podcast before the end of November! I am also offering free downloads to writers of established review (or appropriately themed) blogs that agree to review “Spirit Blade: Special Edition” on their blog before the end of November. If you fit either of these categories and want a free download of the project, be sure to let me know!

And for those of you who haven’t purchased a copy yet, I’ve added a new feature to the online store: Combos! Specifically, CD/Download combos. If you’ve ever been torn between getting a physical CD and enjoying one of our audio dramas right away, now you can do both! For both Spirit Blade: Special Edition and Spirit Blade: Dark Ritual, you can now buy the CD sets AND get the digital downloads for just $2.99 more!

Likewise, if you just want the download for yourself but would also like to give a CD as a gift, this is a REALLY cost effective way to do both at once!

You can check out your options at www.spiritblade.net. 

Blah blablah blablah. (Sigh.) See, I told you I’d entered the “marketing phase”.


-Paeter Frandsen

Friday, October 15, 2010 "Spirit Blade: Special Edition" Is Available Now!

I am thrilled to announce that the “Spirit Blade: Special Edition” is available now at www.spiritblade.net!

I’ve looked forward to this moment for a long time and I’m so glad to finally be able to share this story with you. And if you think you’ve heard it before, guess again! The phrase “special edition” doesn’t do justice to the complete overhaul this project has received. 

From now until November 21st, you’ll also get a free copy of the first (and very different!) draft of the script for Spirit Blade with your purchase of the Spirit Blade: Special Edition CD Set or Digital Download! For more information, visit the online store at www.spiritblade.net.

In addition to the release of the Special Edition, I’ve launched a new line of products that you “special features junkies” will love! The Spirit Blade Productions Archives take you deeper into the development of our projects than ever before. And the first volume alone contains over 8 ½ hours of audio content, as well as more than 130 pages of documents exploring nearly every facet of Spirit Blade’s evolution. For more information, visit www.spiritblade.net/archives! (Volume 1 of the Archives is also included in the “Spirit Blade: Special Edition Collector’s Set!)

And to celebrate the release of the Special Edition of Spirit Blade, we’ve also lowered the price of the song bundles for Spirit Blade and Spirit Blade: Dark Ritual! Get them both now exclusively in our online store for just $5.99 each!

Welcome to the rebirth of Spirit Blade Productions!

-Paeter Frandsen

Wednesday, October 13, 2010 CDs Almost Here!

I checked my tracking number today and the CDs for "Spirit Blade: Special Edition" should be arriving tomorrow!

Meanwhile, I'm still scrambling to get the website ready to go. It's pretty close, but there are still a few odds and ends to straighten out and a product page to put together for the "Archive" CDs.

The weekend promises to be busy as I send CDs out to cast members and try to get song bundle updates out to customers who bought them before the updates were made. (Oops! I haven't talked about that yet, have I? Well, if you've purchased either song bundle, you should be hearing from me soon!)

Not to mention my wife is pregnant with our second son and about 10 days from her due date! (Hopefully the baby will see fit to at least wait until the weekend is over.)

Oh, that reminds me. If I seem to suddenly drop off the radar, that would be why. (Though I or someone else will still at least be filling CD orders of course!)

But for today, I think my work is done. There is a comic book store with my name on it. (That's actually somewhat literally true. They have a box with my name on it holding my comics for the week.) And that car won't scoop me up and drive me there itself.

See ya!

-Paeter Frandsen

2 comments:

1. Nathan J. NormanOctober 14, 2010 at 2:32 AM

   Wow! Great Post! Congratulations on the almost newest edition to the Frandsen clan!
   And . . . to be selfish . . . as a purchaser of the song bundles I'm excited about whatever you're talking about . . . and super-excited about the Special Edition!
   When it rains it pours!

2. PaeterOctober 14, 2010 at 4:10 AM

   Thanks, Nathan! And I couldn't have said it better myself. It's like monsoon season around here!

Monday, October 11, 2010 Prepping The "Spirit Blade Productions Archive"

I FINALLY managed to corner Michael Tully (Raan Galvaanik) for our "Special Edition" interview and had a blast asking him your questions and goofing off in general.

The combined Special Edition interviews with Randy Hesson(Vincent Craft) and Michael Tully will be featured on the bonus "Archive" disc included with the "Collectors Set" of Spirit Blade and will also be available for purchase separately.

I've been having a lot of fun digging through my files to create what I hope will be the first of many "archive" discs. This disc will include hours of audio material and documents tracking the development of Spirit Blade, starting from just before the presentation of the live show and leading up to the Special Edition. It's been a long journey and much of it is chronicled in this archive.

More details on the specific contents of the archive disc will be available when "Spirit Blade: Special Edition" goes on sale. The CDs should be arriving any day now, so hopefully the big launch will happen sometime this week!

Stay tuned!

-Paeter Frandsen

Friday, October 8, 2010 Audiobook Progress and Special Edition Preview

While waiting for the CDs for the Spirit Blade: Special Edition to arrive, I'm keeping busy devloping promotional content and the long-promised audiobook of the Spirit Blade novel that the audio dramas are based on.

I recorded the entire book last year around this time but put production off to go straight into developing the Special Edition first. Although the final product will be several hours long (I'm estimating five or more) the production process is moving much more quickly because of the simpler nature of the project.

It's like mixing Spirit Blade at superspeed. Drop in my reading and edit where needed. Drop in ambient sound effects and finish with some music here and there and voila! In about 2-3 hours I've completed a 30 minute chapter!

I'm hoping to have the entire audiobook finished sometime in November, or earlier if at all possible.

Also, if you've been itching to hear some of the Special Edition of Spirit Blade, tonight is your chance! In place of a regular podcast episode, I will be airing the first 30 minutes of the Spirit Blade: Special Edition! The audio quality will be significantly lower than the actual product, but still plenty of fun! Don't miss out!

-Paeter Frandsen

Wednesday, October 6, 2010 Promotional Content

The proofs have been approved and the CDs are due at my doorstep sometime next week! I've also delivered the digital files to my "web-tech guy" to get the downloads ready to go.

In the meantime, I'm cooking up some (what I hope will be) cool promotional content to give you guys significantly more bang for your buck.

I've pretty well locked in what the bonus content will be, though I'm not sure of the delivery method yet. It may be a mix of download links for digital purchases and CD-Rs for Disc purchases. I'm still working out the kinks and trying to find the best (and most economical) solution.

At the latest, you'll hear an announcement at the time of release, and maybe before if I can get my ducks in row fast enough.

-Paeter Frandsen

Friday, October 1, 2010 Trailers Are Up!

Two trailers have been posted for the Spirit Blade: Special Edition! You can download them at spiritblade.net/freestuff or listen to them in the media players on the right side of the page at spiritblade.net/blog !

Enjoy!

-Paeter Frandsen

Wednesday, September 29, 2010 The Package Is Away!

No, that's not code regarding my ingenious "bombing plot". The package really is away!

I just returned from delivering the Spirit Blade: Special Edition master CDs, artwork and payment to the post office, where it will start a three day journey to the manufacturers on the East Coast.

A VERY big load off of my shoulders, though the race isn't over yet. While the package is travelling, printing and travelling back, I have one or two trailers to put together and some prep work to do to have the website ready for launch. Not quite as time sensitive as sending off the project, but still stuff that has a clock ticking on it.

I'm already more than halfway finished with the main trailer, so stay tuned! I may have something for you to hear very soon!

-Paeter Frandsen

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 Final Test Listening!

Last night I began what may be the final round of test listening for the Spirit Blade Special Edition. This basically involves me listening to a single mix of the entire project on 3 or 4 different audio sources. (And yeah, if you do the math, it takes awhile.)

At this point it's nearly ready to go out to the manufacturer. After this round of test listening I will make any final tweaks and create the final version. Then I'll give it one last listen and send it out the door!

Once it's out the door, I'll have a few other things to do while I wait for it to come back, such as working with the Tech Admin for the website to get the digital downoads ready to go. I'll also be making a couple of trailers.

This weekend I'll be going camping with my family, in keeping with my unintended tradition of going on vacation during my busiest periods of work. But I'm convinced I need it and my family needs it (and needs me to have it!).You can still plan on the podcast, though. I hope to post it this Thursday night.

My aim is to have the Special Edition available no later than October 15th, but James 4:13-15 cautions me by saying,

Come now, you who say "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." 

Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that."

So with that in mind, we'll see what God wills! If he wants it, I'll keep pumping blood and have this in your ears very soon!

-Paeter Frandsen

Monday, September 20, 2010 Finishing Bloopers

In Search Of Truth is being bumped to later this week again, but I can still update you on the Special Edition.

I've finished making some minor adjustments to the overall dialogue EQ and am now going through the recording sessions done specifically for the special edition to see if there are any bloopers worth adding to the original blooper reel.

My graphic designer got in touch with me yesterday to confirm forward motion on the changes to the CD case.

Once I've finished polishing the mix, I'll put together two different trailers for the project. One regular trailer and one that showcases the updates a little bit.

Stay tuned!

-Paeter Frandsen

Friday, September 17, 2010 Randy Records For The Special Edition!

Just had Randy Hesson over last night to record the end credits, one line change and some promo stuff for the Special Edition. Still always fun to see "Vincent" wearing spectacles to read.

We had a good time catching up, too. I so wish you guys could see Randy onstage in his dramatic work so you could appreciate how honored I am that he continues to be willing to be in my strange little sci-fi stories.

In October, Randy and his wife will be celebrating 25 years of marriage. Congratulations, Hessons! A rare and beautiful accomplishment these days.

Well, the crunch in my timetable for this release is not letting up a bit, so I better get back to it!

Have a great weekend!

-Paeter Frandsen

Monday, September 13, 2010 Squeezing In Progress

After another surprise day of subbing I ran out of time for "In Search Of Truth". Currently, I'm trying to fit in finalizing the updated credits for the Special Edition to send over to my Graphic Designer for the new CD case.

I've also started listening to all the voice recording sessions for Spirit Blade to see if there are any "bloopers" I want to add to the reel this time.

Not much to update you on, so this is a short post. But it's just as well, 'cuz I'm short on time!

See ya!

-Paeter Frandsen