My setup @Origins
I met some great people and other authors there. Jean Rabe, Michael Stackpole, C.S. Marks, Janine Spendlove...so many more!
Bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, Bestselling author Robert Jordan, Bestselling author Scott Lynch, Bestselling author David Eddings, New York Times Bestseller Christopher Paolini
Fantasy novel, fantasy book, high fantasy, young adult fiction, Children of the White Lions, masterful storytelling, much like Terry Goodkind and Christopher Paolini, Progeny is in league with both The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings and far better than Harry Potter, compare his writing with Brandon Sanderson, Scott Lynch, Robert Jordan and even a bit of David Eddings flavor mixed in. Brandon Sanderson, David Eddings, Scott Lynch, Robert Jordan, J.R.R. Tolkien, I found the author carefully planned out the topography, the language, the poetry, the events and the battles just like Tolkien did and I think that is partly why I loved the book so much
The Children of the White Lions
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Progeny is R.T. Kaelin’s first book released for publication by Terrene Press and the first volume in The Children of the White Lions series.
The 655-page fantasy novel is the tale of two young siblings - a brother and sister - whose home is destroyed, friends and neighbors lost, and lives are forever changed after a vicious attack on their village by a stranger. The event spurs the pair into a strange world where they discover their heritage has little to do with being the children of simple farmers. Swept up by myth and magic, they discover their destiny is much more than they could have ever imagined. 
ISBN: 978-0-615-42103-2
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Read customer reviews at Amazon.com
"I was soon swept up into a world so large, and a tale so relentless, that I could not put it down."
-Diane Kistner, FutureCycle Press
Follow R.T. Kaelin at GoodReads.com
"I would favorably compare his writing with Brandon Sanderson, Scott Lynch, Robert Jordan and even a bit of David Eddings flavor mixed in."
- C. Shadis, LuxuryReading.com
Connect with R.T. Kaelin
"For me, Progeny is in league with both The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings and far better than Harry Potter - Progeny has a wealth of depth to it that I haven't seen in many books."
- Masterful Storytelling In The High Fantasy Tradition -
Read Interview with R.T. Kaelin at Clover Hill Book Reviews
or at
Past reviews :
"Anyone who enjoys adventure stories or magical and paranormal I would suggest you give this a try. For me, Progeny is in league with both The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings and far better than Harry Potter - Progeny has a wealth of depth to it that I haven't seen in many books.
From the first chapter I was completely hooked. Progeny has many layers of stories within its pages, and I found it totally awe inspiring as a read, with each character that is developed really coming to life and adding weight to the story telling.
For all of its 650+ pages, Progeny is the biggest book I've read for a while - however it is also substantial in content and storyline. I've enjoyed it immensely from start to finish and am really looking forward to whatever happens next - it's sure to be good after the high bar R.T. Kaelin has made with Progeny. "
Check out the Terrene Chronicles
A Series of Short Stories by R.T. Kaelin, Inspired by the Critically-Acclaimed Novel, Progeny
The Terrene Chronicles is a series of short stories inspired by past events only alluded to in R.T. Kaelin’s high fantasy novel, Progeny. Reader response to the novel has prompted the author to write and publish a set of standalone short stories inspired by historical events referenced in Progeny.
Fans of the first volume in the Children of the White Lions have stated their desire to know more about the expansive world of Terrene and its rich history. The Terrene Chronicles will give old and new readers alike a chance to see what shaped the people, countries, and events of the world of Terrene.
The stories will be released here at the website as well as bundled together and sold for the Kindle and the nook.
"Cleverly conceived and expertly crafted, Kaelin demonstrates great talent as a writer with this work. "
-Lisa G., Her Book Self Book Reviews
Read Review of Progeny at Living Peacefully With Children
Rankings News!
Progeny hit #6 in Amazon's
Top Rated Epic Fantasy
and #13 in Amazon's
Top Rated Fantasy
From a recent review of R.T. Kaelin's writing:
"RT Kaelin has taken the time to think through his storyline, he has created a history and personality for each of the characters and I'm sure as the books are published we will find that each has their own individual story "behind the main story".
I found the author carefully planned out the topography, the language, the poetry, the events and the battles just like Tolkien did and I think that is partly why I loved the book so much - the nice thing about RT Kaelin's writing though is that I didn't have to concentrate as much to keep the events straight."
"Robert Jordan. George R. R. Martin. Stephen Donaldson. Brandon Sanderson. These are the masters of fantasy and readers of Progeny will be able to discover a new voice that is destined to match those authors."
Only $4.99 for
Check out guest post at Her Book Self:
Check out Progeny
- the entry volume in the Children of the White Lions series and full length, debut novel of R.T. Kaelin
Out of 43 Amazon Ueser Reviews:
33 five-star reviews
8 four-star reviews
Read the review at Lost For Words:
"Fantasy is one of my favourite genres to read, and when it is done right, it will keep me coming back for more. Progeny is absolutely done right. Kaelin has a way with words that fully immerses the reader, demanding they invest themselves in the world he has created; much like Terry Goodkind and Christopher Paolini."
Google+: gplus.to/rtkaelin
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A Letter To My Readers
Why I Rewrote Progeny, An Already Published Book
If life is a journey, my life as an author has been a meandering one full of wrong exits, unintended pit-stops, and wrong turns. I should have bought a map.
Progeny was my debut effort as a novelist. When I first released it in December 2010 as an indie author, I believed I had created a wonderful tale worthy of sharing with the world. To this day, that belief holds true. However, my ability to weave a story far outpaced my skill as a writer. I might have told a good story, but I had not written a good book.
Close to a year after I published, a series of events opened my eyes to many of my shortcomings as a writer and helped spur me to improve.
In November of 2011, I had a wonderful opportunity presented to me. Someone in the traditional publishing industry wanted to read Progeny. Someone who could make things happen for this book. Naturally, I was quite excited and off the manuscript went.
All through the holiday season, I anxiously awaited a reply. And in mid-December, I received one: a polite ‘No, thank you.’
The individual and two of his readers had read the book and had a list of concerns. While they liked much of what was there, the criticisms offered were more than legitimate. They were spot on. Things about story structure. Things about character arcs. Things about trying to jam too much into one book.
Criticism, even when it is honest and good, stings. However, I did not get angry. I trusted what they had to say. They know the business. They know what sells. And Progeny, as it was in that form, would not advance beyond the group of loyal readers I had garnered.
But I wanted more than that.
I chose to treat the rejection as another opportunity. Few writers get such great feedback from experts this early in their career. So, I thanked the person for the constructive criticism and I shared that I was planning to do a true re-evaluation and rewrite of Progeny. Not just a touch-up, but a true rip-it-apart-into-tiny-pieces-and-put-it-back-together rewrite. I would axe chunks that did not work and write new ones that did. I would fix what I needed to fix.
I sent off the email without expecting to hear a response, so I was quite surprised when I received one. The individual sent me all of the notes taken on the book and asked to read the rewrite once completed, cautioning me that this was not something typically done in the industry. Gracious, I thanked them and got to work.
Which brings me to now.
Massive changes have been made to the book. While the guts of the plot remain the same, much of the book is very, very different. Readers of the original will certainly notice the changes—some might be jarring at first—but I promise this: I have not changed what so many of you have told me you loved. In fact, I have added a bit more of that while extracting what bogged down the story.
The original 40 chapters, 308k words is now 72 chapters, but at 264k words. Chapters are shorter, crisper chunks. I ended cutting about 70k of fluff, but added about 25k of new scenes to allow better character development. I do not miss what is gone and love what is there now. There are even five new chapters sprinkled throughout the tale.
The pacing is infinitely better. No more action scenes or conversations interrupted by three pages of background history. Story structure—something that I, as a novice, never considered—was a major focus of my rewrite. Dialogue is quicker and snappier where appropriate, but slower and deliberate when it needs to be.
After having the book professionally edited, one character got a major makeover, while quite a few others had significant changes made to them as well. And I made an additional 20k words worth of cuts.
Why am I sharing this with you?
Well, I want this letter to be a ‘thank you’ to the readers who have been on this journey with me from the beginning, and I want to promise you that the new version of Progeny is every bit the book you enjoyed the first go around, and more. To new readers…well, consider this a nice “behind the curtains” look at an indie author’s journey as he tries to make a name for himself.
Anyone who has already read Progeny and would like a new ebook copy, send me an email at rtkaelin@terrene.info with your email address as well as the answer to this question: What is Nundle’s last name? If you are right, I will send you a new copy (let me know if you prefer Kindle or Nook).
I have received quite a few inquiries about the state of the second book in the series, so let me give you a short update. I have re-edited the first two bundles of the Terrene Chronicles, so all of the short stories line up with the changes in the book. And now I have moved into editing book two’s manuscript. I am about 20% of the way through, applying everything that I have recently learned.
One last note before I go.
As I was editing the re-write, I happened to glance back at the acknowledgments I wrote in the original edition. When I read the last few lines, I chuckled aloud, amused by the prophetic nature of my words.
“Thank you to anyone reading this book. I hope you enjoy reading the story as much as I did writing it. Let us see where our travels go.”
I am still traveling. Thanks for coming with me.
Good days ahead.
Read about my first year journey as an author:
Come join an ongoing Ask Me Anything at Reddit.
Read the new Prologue here at the site.
Have questions, want to chat, need an interview?
Email me at rtkaelin@terrene.info.
