Click here to pre-order your eBook copy of C. W. Schultz’s fifth novel, Whispering of the Autumn Leaves, set to premiere on September 6. Hardcover and paperback copies will be available on Amazon on the day of release. To arrange for your copy to be signed, please visit www.cwschultz.com/contact.
Category: Upcoming release
WHISPERING OF THE AUTUMN LEAVES – Release date announced!
C. W. Schultz’s fifth novel, Whispering of the Autumn Leaves, has finally been given a release date. The author will demonstrate his skills in writing sci-fi/fantasy for the first time, while still keeping the tongue-in-cheek humor and whodunit mystery that readers of his previous releases remember him for. After six years in the making, Whispering will be Schultz’s longest book in length, as well as turnaround time to publication. Hardcover and paperback editions will be available for purchase on Tuesday, September 6, 2022; as well as an eBook edition, which is available for pre-order.
After a series of strange events, the territory of Baromany is in an uproar. Prince Zondro, heir to the throne, has suddenly vanished just days after a strange craft was spotted floating in the sky. A shipwreck in the Frigid Sea has washed up a strange foreigner, Nilly Goamrock, onto the shores of Baromany. Believing these events are all connected, the desperate kingdom turns to a group of outlaws, the Poor Protectors, for help. As the mystery unravels, the Poor Protectors realize that more chaos awaits, unless they risk their lives by defeating the evils that lurk in the haunted Royal Forest. Each criminal finds newfound purpose in their sacrifice through acceptance, self-forgiveness, glory and redemption.
January 2022 – Dearest Readers & Viewers
Dearest readers and viewers,
I hope everyone’s off to a wonderful New Year.
Some personal responsibilities came up which caused the Scream content I was planning on releasing in January to be pushed to February. I’ll be back on YouTube replying to comments and uploading videos in just a couple short weeks.
In the meantime, I’ve been able to push forward on the next Mysterious Music episode, which is expected to be released by the end of January. It’ll be a lot different than the previous episodes, similar to the Panchiko special.
Thank you for all the support. Talk soon.
Best,
C
New interview with C. W. Schultz
C. W. Schultz was interviewed by Write Publish & Impact, a writing circle of authors and editors from Japan, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Here is an excerpt of the interview from September 12, 2021.
Two new series premiering in September 2021
September 2021 will bring two new series to C. W. Schultz’s YouTube channel.
Movie Czars is a film criticism series hosted by C. W. Schultz and his friend Zak, premiering September 1. In the first episode, the two movie buffs rank each film directed by Quentin Tarantino, with a debate on the quality of Godfather 3 and The Last Jedi prefacing the main event.
The second series is Eerie Articles from Old Newspapers, in which Schultz pulls clippings that have been lost to time. In some episodes, Schultz will examine the mysteries that continue to surround these old articles to this very day; while in other episodes, Schultz narrates articles that were released just prior to an unexpected historical event, such as the Kennedy Assassination. Eerie Articles from Old Newspapers premieres on September 8.
Lots of updates – Some good news, some bad
I have some new content out. Ordinarily, I’d let my work speak for itself and that’d be the end of my post. But, because I made it a goal to post more often, and because a lot has happened since my last post, I thought I’d share more than usual, considering some of it will likely affect my work.
For starters, I know I wrote that I have a lot of projects lined up, but several of these may unfortunately never see the light of day. There was one that I got really invested in back in March; and, because I wanted to respect someone else’s request, I ended up putting this project on indefinite hold. It’s a never-say-never type of thing, so there’s hope I can share it with all of you eventually; but, for now, my project will compromise a fellow creator’s project that they’ve been working harder and longer on, so I agreed to put the brakes on mine. Without going into detail, their request is very reasonable… it’s just terrible timing. Yes, there are other projects to work on; but for this one, I was at a point of no return. So, huge bummer. Luckily, this creator is very sympathetic, supportive of my project and understands that me respecting their wishes was a huge sacrifice. When a fellow creator recognizes this, it really softens the blow. So, kudos to them.
I’m also anticipating some scheduling changes, which could interfere with my work/life balance; which, in turn, could interfere with my writing time. It’s never gotten me down before, but I thought I’d point it out just in case there are any unexpected delays.
There’s also been a tragedy in my life. Back in April, I lost a friend to suicide. I rotate through states of sadness, disbelief, and anger. Throughout the coping process, I’ve discovered that I might have a lot to say about this situation that could help others. Once a few months have gone by, maybe I’ll share something more for suicide awareness.
Another piece of bad news is that a loved one of mine got into a car accident. It could’ve been much worse; nonetheless, it’s likely going to be a recovery that I’ll be assisting with for a few months.
I’ll leave you with a piece of good news. There’s a new opportunity that could potentially be a breakthrough for literature, in a world that’s constantly distracted by cellphones, movies, social media and videogames. It’s going to take a few months to determine the success (which is partially why I’m being so vague about it), but if it is, then Whispering of the Autumn Leaves is perfect for the type of format it offers. Regardless of how it turns out, I’ll make sure to continue sending updates on the status of my fifth book’s publication.
Thank you for your continued interest and support. It’s always meant a lot, but during times like these is when it counts the most.
Snowy Valentine
Sometimes, I feel like I have all the luck. Other times, nothing seems to go right. Unfortunately, this post will be detailing the latter.
By delivering the most recent Mysterious Music episode over a week early, it allowed me extra time to achieve my next goal that I planned on sharing by 03/03/2021. But, for whatever reason, despite all the hours of work (and even about a half-hour’s worth of usable material), things just aren’t lining up right. The good news is, there are a lot of ideas I’m eager to bring to life for both my bibliography and YouTube channel; the bad news is, the projects keep hitting roadblocks. Admittedly, this isn’t the first time I’ve encountered this problem. Between 2013–2015, I had three false-starts with A Book About a Film. With the house-of-cards that storytelling can be, I just couldn’t get an entire level standing without collapsing. Luckily, I eventually cracked the story of A Book About a Film, so I have no doubt that I’ll do it again with the bind I’m in right now.
It’s difficult to give details about a project that hasn’t even been fully realized (and may never be), but what I can share is that I have ideas for content on Batman, Him, Indiana Jones, sleep paralysis, The Sopranos, the Tyrion Targaryen Theory, true crime; as well as more short-stories, Mysterious Music episodes (including Panchiko’s D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L) and Scream content. Some are ideas in my head, others have made it on paper, a couple even have videos in the editing process… but, unfortunately, nothing that I feel is worth someone’s time. You can praise my work or criticize it, but you can never accuse me of making something in which I didn’t take my audience’s time into consideration. Even to those who’ve given me a bad review, I appreciate them taking a chance on something I created. So, at the end of the day, I feel okay not delivering something because I know that when I do deliver it, it’ll be without regret—not rushed and not for the sole purpose of being relevant. I know that those who were looking forward to my March 3rd release understands and supports this. For that, I thank you.
Here’s something that happened, which excellently summarizes things: During the snowy Valentine’s Day of 2021, of all the dozens of cars parked on Holden Street in West Seattle, only one had a cock-and-balls drawn on it. Of course, my car. With my luck, it probably wasn’t a finger that drew it either. Anyway, I shall continue to write on, so please check back soon. Thanks for visiting.
2021
Those who’ve read just one of my books will know, based off of my dark sense of humor, that I’m not optimistic enough to assume things are suddenly going to get better just because 2020 is over. After all, it’s called COVID-19, not COVID-20, so we’re not out of the woods yet. My writings also reveal that I firmly believe that beauty outweighs ugliness, good outweighs bad, and happiness easily outweighs the inevitable (and unavoidable) tragedies. Therefore, even if we don’t go back to normal in 2021… if we made it this far, we’re going to make it.
2020 being over also marks another year of Whispering of the Autumn Leaves being unpublished. Certainly, as my fifth novel moves closer to a release date (whenever that will be), there will be last minute changes. All-in-all, I’m satisfied enough with the manuscript to be itching to share this with the world for almost two-and-a-half years now. Unfortunately, there are more reasons not to release it. For starters, I’m just not convinced people are interested in reading anymore. Any time I point this out to writers, I’m immediately seen as a pariah. My conclusions are based on what I see; too many distractions that have quicker payoffs for entertainment than reading, such as: movies, videogames, the ability to get any song you want right away on Spotify, the concept of “binge-watching” which has turned into a common pastime. This is the world we live in now, for better or for worse. Instead of resisting and being an embittered old man about it, I’m doing my best to embrace the inevitability. Thanks to advances in technology, people can still celebrate the Holidays with their loved ones while also social-distancing by using Skype, Google, Zoom, etc. With progress, however, there are also drawbacks. At this time, due to the state of the world and the lack of demand for literature, it’d be unwise for me to take the next step in releasing Whispering of the Autumn Leaves.
To me, Whispering of the Autumn Leaves is my best work. There was so much of my blood, sweat and tears put into this book. I hope to share it with you some day. In the event I’m stubborn enough to never release it, I’ve given a copy to four people: my wife, my father, my best friend, and one of my wife’s friends. So, Whispering of the Autumn Leaves can never be taken to the grave with me, and they have my permission to publish it if I die before choosing to release it.
In an attempt to stay current, I’ve turned to YouTube as a creative outlet, and it’s honestly been nothing short of fulfilling. The encouragement I’ve received to continue making Mysterious Music episodes is inspiring, plus I’ve also had an opportunity to meet fellow horror-movie fans in response to my Scream content. So, until Whispering of the Autumn Leaves is published, anyone reading this will have plenty of Mysterious Music and Scream episodes to look forward to, as well as other YouTube content which I plan on releasing every first Wednesday of the month, from February–August 2021. As for September 2021 onward… well, that’s the start of autumn, so it might be a good time to revisit the possibility of releasing Whispering of the Autumn Leaves. We’ll see…
Lastly, you can count on more updates at www.cwschultz.com throughout the year. I even gave the website a makeover for the first time in several years. While posts will be more frequent, they’ll probably also be more lighthearted. Before, the site only got a post for something significant; for now, my motivation has shifted to stay in touch and stay writing, regardless of progress. I was partially inspired by a blog called One Day in the Life of Jerome. As of this writing, the blog has been taken over by his son Matthew, after Jerome passed away from COVID-19 in July 2020. Despite his untimely death and having never met him, I found Jerome’s love for life touching. Since you’ll probably agree that my time is better spent writing stories and making videos, I’m unable to commit to a daily blog. So, I’ll use a different line from a similarly titled Beatles song and call it… 4000 Holes.
So, here’s a picture of my cat in a box on the couch. My wife and I wanted to snuggle with her on the couch, but Snowpuff refused to leave her box that was on the floor; so, I instead moved the box to the couch with her in it, and she still refused to leave.
Anyway, we’ll see how long this nonsense lasts. Until next time, stay safe and thanks for visiting www.cwschultz.com!
Sample Chapter of upcoming fifth novel
Today marks the 1,209th day since A Book About a Film was released. 1,209 days represents the longest I’ve ever gone without releasing a novel. Since I feel like I owe you guys one for your continued patience, I decided to not only release a sample chapter of the forthcoming Whispering of the Autumn Leaves, but also make a video of it. Unfortunately, still no release date. Whispering of the Autumn Leaves is very long and complex, and deals with a lot of stories intertwining through multiple dimensions, so there’s a lot of planning needed to avoid knots and ensure the reading experience isn’t too much of a maze.
Thank you for maintaining your interest after such long gaps. Rest assured, I’m doing everything in my power to make it worth the wait. To be continued…
Chapter 3 – The Andles A
A public service article published in the 1231 issue, titled “The Psalterist and the Shawmist”
Monsters have always lurked in the Royal Forest, a vast wooded area crossing into the regions of Denland, Everdirk and Wist Vondorian. It was a story to teach children not to wander far, or help them visualize the unknown evils of the world. Now, however, it appears some of the monsters have emerged from the Royal Forest to kidnap the children.
Within the last few cycles, the amount of missing children has increased. Reports stretch from the Royal Forest’s nearby farmlands like Naidney, all the way into the northern side of Denregal, particularly the Roachill district. Some believe there are hexminors turning children into red-crested jays, the black bird with a flame-red crest. However, these birds aren’t seen nearly as frequently as the rate of disappearing children, thus debunking this theory.
Two men were spotted emerging out of the Royal Forest. One was described as fat and balding, while the other was said to be thin and covered in locks of blond hair. The former cradles the bulky harp instrument of a psaltery; while the other carries the slender flute instrument of a shawm. They’ve been dubbed the Psalterist and the Shawmist. Both tall in stature, their footsteps make for long strides, explaining why witnesses have had difficulty chasing them down when they see a child in their company.
The sound of music can be heard as the Shawmist leads the child back into the Royal Forest’s border of black pine trees, which are so tall, they reach into the clouds on a rainy day. The Psalterist waddles behind his partner-in-crime and their young captive, ensuring the child doesn’t escape the musical trance.
Days later, the child is found in the farmlands, identified only by the clothes he or she was last seen wearing. All that is left is a dry skeleton, as if the child had been dead for decades. Skin and all organs are completely gone, and the bone is as clean as polished ivory.
People believe a witch lives in the Royal Forest, and they named her Ryla Bao. The name comes from the Mirean language the villagers in Naidney use, which is directly translated to Evil-Eyed Lady; “ryl-” meaning “eye”, “-a” meaning feminine, and “bao” meaning “evil”. They say she’s centuries old, and uses black magic to allow the children’s skin and organs to prolong her youth. The younger the child is, the longer it takes her to age again. The Psalterist and the Shawmist are her warlocks, commanded to retrieve her sacrifices.
Many expeditions have been organized in an attempt to save children seen leaving with the warlocks. However, these same expeditions are usually soon abandoned, with the child’s skeleton always turning up days later. While in the Royal Forest, people who have survived the expedition claim to experience spirits speaking to them, as well as strange disorientations that causes nausea and euphoria at the same time. These disorientations greatly affect the sense of direction, resulting in parties traveling in complete circles; as well as a sense of time being paralyzed, with nights seeming to last as quickly as a few minutes or as long as several days. Beasts in the Royal Forest also show signs of ravenousness, with bears, unisaurs and wolves oft attacking and killing members of the search party. The probability of being attacked by an exceptionally aggressive beast has led many to conclude that entry to the Royal Forest is equal to certain death. When King Three of Johnamas Hollied introduced the punishment of Banishment to the Royal Forest back in 978, he had heard the stories of these aggressive animals. Now, with a witch and two warlocks emerging from the haunted woods, the probability of survival lessens and the punishment of Banishment to the Royal Forest is ever crueler.
Because the child’s body usually turns up in the farmlands while the expedition is still in place, horrific bewilderment arises by how the body is discarded without the Psalterist and the Shawmist’s reemergence being noticed. Theories have included an invisibility spell, teleportation or that the children are being led into the Royal Forest and exited through a different path as a diversion. If the entrance to the Royal Forest is just an elaborate distraction, there are plenty of barns and small castles between Naidney and Denregal that the children can be easily taken to. In other words, the Psalterist and the Shawmist might not be just warlocks, they could your neighbor.
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