Book 7, Elusive Prey, of The World series is now out!

8/8/2020

Book 7 is finally available for The World on Amazon. The title is called, Elusive Prey. The current link is here. https://www.amazon.com/Elusive-Prey-World-Book-7-ebook/dp/B08F9PBXQB/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1596607908&sr=1-1 The first week of getting a book uploaded is all kinds crazy. It's not properly listed under my actual author's profile, it's not linked to the rest of the series, nor is it linked to its own paperback book. It is ready for download and purchase. It is the longest book I've written yet. So long, that I had an issue with getting it out in paperback because the template Amazon uses for the physical print is only good for 828 pages. I removed the glossary and cut down some of the older names from some of the monsters and got it down to 825 pages. The Kindle version won't update with the proper page count until the paperback book is released.
Please take the time to give me your feedback and post a hopefully positive review for the new book ;) This is probably going to be how the next 100 books are generally going to look like. That's mostly due to the breadth of Star's domain and making sure you kept up to date on what's going-on in the various locations. Also, it helps fight against the inevitable IAK author attacks. They love to focus on new books coming out, so thank you in advance for everyone's feedback and support.
On a side note, I ended up having a massive heart attack on the 5th of August just after getting the book published. Probably due to my pushing the final part of the book out and thinking that I could live off of caffeine and 3 hours of sleep for two and a half weeks straight like I regularly did throughout most of my life until my late 30's. I have a stint in my heart now and strict orders to take better care of myself from my doctors, wife, and daughter, so I won't be rushing out any late deadlines again, but the series will continue to roll without fail.

Without further adieu, here is the back of the new book:

Now that Startum Ironwolf has reached Domenic’s stronghold, there are a number of obstacles to surpass if he’s going to have any hope in helping his friend escape the massive Chaos Storm Alliances army that’s camped on his friend’s doorstep. The first and foremost being his friend’s refusal to run away and fight another day.

72 Comments

Cláudio

8/14/2020 03:33:14 pm

Hi Jason! Great book! I liked the new style, it helps to keep all characters in perpective, because it's getting huge!
I like the way way the main characters keep getting new dimensions, making them more complex, after all it's all about them, and not just game mechanics.
Hope you're well now, and you have learned the lesson, no matter how franctic, take care of yourself first! Othetwise we fans won't get the hundred books you promised! (Evil grin).
Seriously, take care, man!

Jason A Cheek link

8/15/2020 12:54:23 pm

Thanks Cláudio, I#m doing much better now. Though, it's not easy sitting and relaxing. I'm used to being busy or the wifey having a honey-do list always ready for me to work on. I'm glad you're liking the story. I've always thought the interpersonal relationships make the story along with the interesting situations in the Fantasy world. I'm glad you're enjoying the ride. That whole Fylreh, Helgath, and Neysa scene was hard as hell to write and make it sound right. And bringing in the last fight scene to make it seem natural was tough as nails too ;)

Jason

Dewayne Williams

3/24/2021 11:17:06 am

Hey jason love your series the world. Trying not to be rude but was wondering when or if you intend to release book 8

Jason Cheek link

3/24/2021 12:40:37 pm

Hey Dewayne,

No problem, I'm sorry it's taking me longer to get book 8 out than normal. The massive heart attack that I had really screwed me up for a solid five months. Than it took a few more months before I could build up my endurance and start get back to my normal writing speed. The good news is that I'm nearing to the point where book 8 is going to be released. I'm somewhere within the two month mark for getting the book out and it looks like it's going to be on par with book7.

I was going to try and get three days into the story, but that would've truly made a massive book and taken too long since I'm already well past my normal six month schedule. While I was at first nervous about how good my writing was, I've now have gotten enough feedback that I know that's no problem at all. Though, there's some world building with Star at the beginning of the book, it is still an action packed story was some cool as hell stuff going on =D

Anyway, I'm working hard on getting it out sooner than later.

Jason

Julie

8/27/2020 08:38:21 am

Well I am not sure how I got here but I count it as part of my 'good karma' lol, cause I have been pulled into a new series!(happyface!)

The World: sounds complex yet user-friendly. Actually, what has really set off my radar and has me about to buy the first book in this series is the author, Mr. Cheek and.his commitment to his own series and...over 800 PAGES!? So many series are putting out the bare minimum before publishing it feels like THAT magic page number 200 is their goal and not the characters or the story being told. Here Mr. Cheek has his 200 pages done months ago and a publishing deadline where he must cut out story to make it fit! That my friend has my heart pumping to find out what these characters are up to that they need so many pages to speak through!

I am sorry to here of your troubles. Remember our bodies are like machines and get clogged up if we are not vigilant and reading what is being added or taken out of our food these days. My 16 yr old son had a triglyceride reading over 300- that opened my eyes to not trusting all the foods on the shelves. Take care if yourself Mr. Cheek and may peace be your companion.

Jason A Cheek link

8/27/2020 12:23:06 pm

Hey Julie,

The first three books in the series is around 350 pages each and have some character sheets mixed into the story, but starting book four that all changes and the books are 700 plus pages. Even though the story starts off with a Sci-Fi into, the series is mostly a fantasy story with the character sheet information in the appendix. While LitRPG/Gamelit is more for gamers, I have a number of non-gamers who are enjoying the series. You'll have to let me know what you think of the books :)

Yeah, I pushed myself a little too hard getting this last book out. Even though I'm now fifty, I never feel fifty. I still think of myself as being 28 years old. I've always pushed myself to complete projects doing the 2 to 3 hours of sleep and living off of caffeine. My body explained to me that's no longer an option, and while I might not feel old, I do need to start treating my body better.

I hear you about the food on the shelves. I currently work overseas for the DoD and Europe doesn't have that problem so much with their foods. Also, my wife and I both are great cooks that usually cook most of what we're making from scratch. While that helps things like triglyceride, it doesn't help it if we make things with cream and butter ;)

I can read a 350 page book in 3/4 of a day and it seems like a good number of my fans can too. They love having the larger books and I try to do my best to get a 700 to 800+ page book out every six months.

Anyway, thanks for the feedback. I hope the notes on writing/self-publishing help if you're trying to write your own novel. I work with a lot of new authors, so if you have any questions with the process, feel free to ask.

Jason

Halli

10/17/2020 03:49:02 pm

I love an author with not just drive, but the organization to be counted upon by his/her reader base. Even if health challenges an outdated method of attack and completion goals; I have faith that with your work ethic (and with your family's "overwatch!"), you'll find a groove of joy, fortification and success ;-))

I truly enjoy a meaty book with invested character and world development. It seems the trend to (and reader reviews for many genres and writing styles are unfortunately pushing more authors to adapt/not apply themselves), in not weaving in settings and the senses. Even the small discussions that make characters "real" and the quirks each have (which you apply without wearing out the horse with copy & paste style), by not needing to only be about the bottom line plot that rushes everything into a skeletal work of lost society; and the true fulfilment of worlds and ideas (not to mention entertaining, engaging, rewarding, enriching and a memorable book for readers!!!).

I bought the series this week because I saw later on that the page count would raise. I liked the flow, and that the game mechanics were not only spot-on and adaptively complex to be interesting; but not an override to the story. In book six, I liked the shorter chapter layout (though I'm not against short chapters and find it's being overused by many), and the lower instance of character sheet interludes. It may have needed one or two more, actually, for those who haven't listened to the whole series straight through. The preface of game days, etc. is a nice touch. You may consider cutting repeats with really short chapters together and with the same people or local. I'd encourage time stamping. Since a book doesn't straddle multitudes of day; perhaps occasional day reminders, with the focus on time and what group, local and/or POV. Super editing bytheway! Hardly anything amiss in the continuity while I listened through your Audible format!

Thank you!

With Regard,
Halli

Jason A Cheek link

10/18/2020 04:26:50 am

Thanks, Halli, I do my best to write the story as detailed and deep as I can. I appreciate the support here and on Audible. The reviews helps the stories get out to more readers and in my fight against the published authors who do their best to cancel Indie Authors.

Jason

Scott Osmond

9/2/2020 10:37:41 pm

Jason, glad you are better. Loved the last entry. I think that the 24 hour timeframe works well especially with how action packed things are. On the admin, what happened to her? she was with them until the pass and then she just disappeared. I'm not sure if the alcahol elementals should be weakened considering the long cast time and the demonstration of what happens when the cast is interupted. The troll scene was disgustingly funny.

Jason A Cheek link

9/3/2020 07:24:47 am

Doing much better Scott and the wife is making sure I take care of myself and lose the extra weight that I need to ;) I've started my heart attack rehabilitation to learn how to deal with my new condition. Woohoo, so much fun. I was not planning to use the 24 hour time period for the last book, but after I got writing, I realized there was no way I was going to do three full days in a thousand pages ;)

Good catch on the Admin. I have a feeling she's wherever Phoenix disappeared off to, but we won't find out until book 8 =D That's going to be a tough decision with the Moonshine Elementals, but honestly, I don't see how I'm going to be able to stop it. It's just too big of a possible cheat with my group of friends. Also, I love pissing Dom off about gimping his stuff. It always sets him off.

I loved the troll scene and hoped people would enjoy the disgusting humor. I was dry heaving the entire two days I was writing that scene. It's awesome to hear people are appreciating the humor. The handful of people who don't like it, I figure by now will just flip past at the worst part. Don't think Mike isn't going to get caught out by his friends and I'm curious to see how some of the mobs react to his new pheromones ;)

Jason

Brennok

9/8/2020 08:45:56 pm

Came here also to find out if I missed Rani disappearing or leaving the group somehow. I was hoping the post scene would be her reports or at least notes to herself for the day.

Actually her notes might work as a good prologue since as the series goes on it would work as a nice one or two page refresher with everything that was going on. It took me a bit to remember who Orion and Minny were at the very beginning and I binged all 7 books this past few days. With the Kindle it isn't the easiest to jump to the character listing. I wish Amazon allowed you to create links to the index listing for the character or the ability to create a custom dictionary so you could just highlight the name to get the brief summary. It might also be helpful to also post the index on your site unless it is already here and I am missing it.

Micheal

10/1/2020 11:29:17 am

So i havent read any into elusive prey yet, but your comment about setting off dom seems to hint at you having other personalities helping with the books. As far as their characters go. I love that idea.

Scott Osmond

9/3/2020 08:53:16 am

It's Dom's own fault for not taking the hint and shutting up. Pheremones? That's just evil. Plenty of room for entertainment with that twist. Some monsters will run. Some might get interested. I can see plenty of fun to come.

matthew

9/4/2020 03:12:06 pm

Look jason you made another great book. And thank you for finally adding nut shots well...neutering..damn did you have to do the dirty vag?! I literally almost puked when I read that. And tone it down on star give more time to level so he ain't always running by the seat of his pants and it seems like 80 percent of all the players are chaos..tone them down..i know people can be dickheads or down right evil or stupid insane. And what hefe did should have been kicked out of the book. If star allows him to stay any longer its gonna stab him in the back again. Hefe to me is just a egotistical douchebag who needs to go. I am surprised star hasn't a mental breakdown from all the pain and fuck ups he has had to endure. Its still an amazing story! Don't get me wrong. Your books need to be bigger dude. I am serious, your gonna be a real big author. I get the pvp scenes but his equipment is really weak and he needs alot of upgrades to even match is current level. Alot of things to consider. I loved the book but I was tired of him going through all that without doing some real adventuring and doing what he needs. It seems to be something going on behind the scenes. And the admin that you put i got two words "annoying B***H'. keep up the good work dood. And yes I put this on amazon.

Jason A Cheek link

9/6/2020 12:15:12 pm

Hey Matthew, glad to hear you enjoyed the story. I myself was dry heaving for two days writing the troll part. My goal was to make you want to puke and love it =D I kept the cottage cheese texture out that Eric wanted to put in. I got a lot planned for Star and while he's on this side quest, but he's going to be behind the eight ball until he gets back to his fortress and gets some shit made up ;) I also have some real adventuring planned too, but I'm kind of stuck in this story arc to a point. Book 8 will tie a lot of things up and book 9 will open the story up somewhat.

Jason

Nathan

9/4/2020 04:14:10 pm

Do ya know when we can see a audible version yet

Jason A Cheek link

9/6/2020 12:10:32 pm

Jason Hill is hopefully already working on it, so it should be out a lot sooner than later!

Halli

10/17/2020 03:53:13 pm

Can't wait!!!

Chris arteaga

9/21/2020 11:11:11 am

Hey brother I am sorry to hear that you had a heart attack working on the series. I hope that you recovery is going well, but to the point I absolutely love your books they are insanely good. For all of those people harassing you just shrug it all off they are just jealous. Jealousy makes people crazy and its not your fault that you are killing the game with your books. I've been an avid reader of these kinds of books for about 2 years now and what I will say is you capture the fantasy and adventure genre to a T. I hope you read this and know that this message comes from my heart and the love of your creativity. With all that being said enjoy the beauty of your successes and have a wonderful day

Jason A Cheek link

9/22/2020 03:32:27 am

Hey Chris,

That makes my day hearing that you're enjoying the series so much. Also, thank you for the support. Whenever my books are doing good and theirs are not, I get some whiny attacks against my books. By now, you'd think that they'd have given up, but that's not the case. Thankfully fans reviews allow me to simply focus on getting the next book out and not worry about their drama.

Otherwise, outpatient rehab is finished and I'm slowly getting back on track writing. It's taken me a little bit longer to get back at it, but I guess that's to be expected. Luckily, I now know what to do to hopefully avert future problems and losing the weight is never a bad thing ;)

Thanks again for the support,

Jason

Nathan

10/2/2020 10:23:05 am

Any updates on the audible version

Micheal Carolus

10/2/2020 03:56:03 pm

The narrator, Jason Hill, is from what i have seen in earlier blog posts (please correct me if i am wrong) is a healthcare professional. It may take a bit with covid and obviously scheduling. I am excited for it too though.

Jason A Cheek link

10/3/2020 02:30:55 am

You've got that right, Michael. Jason Hill's day-time job is a nurse which has kept him quite busy throughout the pandemic. Still, it sounds like he's on track to hit the timeline for completing book 7 by the end of this month. Even more difficult, I'm sure, is how long the book is. It is the longest book I've ever written to date.

Jason

Jason A Cheek link

10/3/2020 02:28:56 am

Hey Nathan, the date for finishing book 7 is the end of this month. If Jason Hill is able to hit that date, then we'll just have to go through the fun of uploading and getting the audible approved which is usually another two weeks if nothing's wrong.

Jason

Basil Legg

10/3/2020 07:48:52 am

Was just wondering on what the time table is for book 8 and 9? I have read each book of this series pretty much on the first night it drops on Amazon.

Jason A Cheek link

10/4/2020 02:25:46 am

Hey Basil,

Its hard to say. I'm working on getting the books out asap. Usually I get them out in six months or less. Having some issues after the heart attack, but I'm getting myself back on track.

Jason

Harsh

10/15/2020 07:37:50 pm

Awesome book thanks a lot. I wish you all the best and quick recovery.

Jason A Cheek link

10/16/2020 11:30:16 am

Thanks Harsh!

ryan s cook

11/18/2020 06:43:05 pm

Do ya know when we can see a audible version yet. lol biting at the bits. if you still don't no that cool just fig i ask. hope your taken better care of your self man.

Jason A Cheek link

11/24/2020 03:16:30 am

Hey Ryan,

I finally got a response back from Jason Hill. He says that he's only half way through the audible book. He should've been finished by the beginning of November, but he's missing that deadline by a long shot. Sorry for the bad news, but know that he's working on it.

Jason

Nick Keller

11/24/2020 10:16:23 pm

You hear that? ( sounds of something shattering and tinkling as it hits the floor) that is my heart breaking lol I cant wait for book 7 I got a feeling its gonna be really good

Matt Dade

12/2/2020 06:54:59 am

I just wanted to stop in to let you know that I stumbled onto this series on audible and devoured them, then got the kindle version to read this one.

THANK YOU FOR NOT MAKING YOUR CHARACTORS DUMB!

So many of the books in the LITRPG genre say that they are gamers then fumble around the entire series like they have no idea how games work. You can tell you have played many a mmorpg over the years and know we gamers are always looking for broken mechanics and ways to combo abilities and its so damn refreshing!

Keep up the great work and I'm really excited for this book series to continue, the world building has set up an amazing foundation for any type of story to be told!

thanks,
Big fan!

Jason A Cheek link

12/3/2020 12:43:56 am

Thanks Matt, I appreciate the good word. I hate stupid heroes that have no strategic, adaptability, or gaming sense. It really ruins the story for me ... well that and having them befriend gods who just fix everything for them too.

Nathan

12/2/2020 07:55:58 pm

Haha this book series is epic just got done relistening to it all. if this series continues the way it's going I could see it being made into a set of movies or tv series or something that's refreshing to watch instead of the same old boring stuff you see being remade

Jason A Cheek link

12/3/2020 12:51:12 am

Thanks Nathan, glad to hear you're enjoying the series. I think it could be a fun series if they didn't try to dumb it down or make Star into someone more "socially acceptable" ;) It annoys me when authors think you have to make the main character a medical cripple to make them want to live a life of gaming. Most of us would love to play in a MMO like The World or be sent to another dimension ... because I know I'm the only one that feels that way =D

I agree with you a hundred percent about the current shows and movies available. It's like having a list of the same'o socially careful shit. For some reason, having real, competent people seems to be against the rules. Even worse, is that many books are going in that same direction, so finding something enjoyable to read is hard to find.

Nathan

12/14/2020 09:20:00 pm

Yeah what I've read recently makes it seem like all the other litrpgs start out good and like there suppose to.Then the guy or girl enters game world and does some quests. Then boom you got either the creator of the game doing shady stuff or some admin gone power crazy . Then the whole reason the main character entered the game becomes a mute point due to him fighting aginst whomever. It just feels like the story got away from the reason the main person started the game. With your books it's all stright forward and has the makings of a great adventure because theres no almighty being flaunting there power over everyone. It's just new players playing a new game. That is relatable to all the gamers out there that has ever been on the kickstarter for new mmorpgs

Jason A Cheek link

12/15/2020 02:45:10 am

Thanks Nathan! One of my pet peeves in LitRPG/Gamelit are stories where the whole god, admin, AI, or whatever gives the MC amazing powers above and beyond everyone else. That, or when the MC is a god or a son of god or the child of the developer who gives them special powers to beat everyone else. It completely ruins the story for me. So hearing that you appreciate that difference is awesome.

Some "authors" like to try to bash my story for having people who are playing simply because they're gamers that enjoy playing. Like it's some unbelievable thing that a gamer would play 16+ hours a day without having some severe injury that otherwise ruins their life. It's like these writers can't believe people would chose a "gamer" lifestyle.

Anyway, thank you for the support and I ask that you leave a positive review for the series if you can. It helps against the published author groups that like to bash on indie authors like me.

Jason

Luke

12/15/2020 06:09:23 am

I was wondering if you have any updates on the audible release?

Jason A Cheek link

12/15/2020 09:14:12 am

Hey Luke,

Looks like it's not going to be until January if we're lucky. Jason Hill was only halfway finished the middle of November and it should've been finished November 3rd. Wish I had better news, but that's all the information I was able to get from Jason Hill about his current place on the audible book.

Since everyone loves his voice and he's been doing the whole series, I'm stuck with his schedule.

Jason

Luke

12/15/2020 10:11:46 am

Thanks for the update. Yea I agree the series wouldn't be the same with out Jason Hill's voice. I also get the delay with him being a front line worker. My wife is an RN and it's been tough on her with all this mess going around this year.

Jason A Cheek link

12/15/2020 12:22:27 pm

I hear you. Jason in an RN so I'm sure he's busy. He does the audio on the side. I work in Europe for the DoD. Be safe with everything going on. I'm doing a lot better now after the heart attack and I'm back to writing book 8 now :)

Jason

Benjamin Conklin

12/28/2020 10:29:06 am

Is book seven going to be on audible? If so when will it be released?

Jason A Cheek link

12/29/2020 02:20:21 pm

Hey Benjamin,

Jason Hill is nearly four months late on his contractual deadline for the book. After your message, I've asked him for an update on a date for when he expects to be finished. Unfortunately, I'm not holding my breath. Four months late is crazy but I'm not sure what all I can do. It's not an easy thing to change voices for readers.

Sorry I don't have better news.

Jason

Ricardo G.

1/14/2021 12:55:06 am

Hey there,
Im from Germany and started "First Login" yesterday and im about to finish the second book. Im just searching for the Info when they release the following parts in german? I would give the english version a try if my english would be better :)
Thank you Jason for some great hours reading your books.

Jason A Cheek link

1/14/2021 01:21:07 am

Hey Ricardo,

I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the series. The good news is that book 3 is going to be out within a month to month and a half. It's pretty action packed and the story gets out of the "training mode" and starts to take off. Though, book 4 and the proceeding books are where the series really becomes unique in its adventures.

Once book 3 is released, my wife and I were planning to see how the books sells in the German market. We also have Bastian Scheibe, an movie and voice actor, doing the Audible version, which should help expand the series. I

f we can earn the cost for translating the next book back, we'll proceed with the process of getting book 4 translated and continue with each book after that in the same way, so there will be a pause of several months and then whatever time it takes for the translation/editing to be completed. The biggest hold-up is how big book 4 is. In total size it is nearly as large as the first three books combined.

Right now, the series seems to be doing quite well with German fans, so my family is quite excited. More so for my wife and daughter since up till now they couldn't read the series in English. They've definitely have had a blast sharing the German version with their friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, and fellow university students.

Just a thought, you might try the audiobooks. Jason Hill does a great job on the voices and, in my experience, listening to a foreign language is easier, to a point, than reading ;)

Anyway, that's the plan for the series. I hope we'll be able to get out all the books in German!

Jason

François D

1/15/2021 05:41:04 am

Great book like always though I'm not a fan of the 24h timeline of the last books. While it's action packed, it feels hopeless to get an end to the story. I favor a quicker pace. Though not too fast as well. In my opinion what you were doing before those two books was alright on this aspect.
All in all I can't wait for the next Book because the story and characters are great with good development and evolution. I won't bother you asking for an ETA. Just take care of yourself and publish it when it's ready. No need to rush :)

Jason A Cheek link

1/15/2021 05:56:39 am

Thanks for the feedback Francois. I wasn't planning on going for the 24 hour day in book 7. It just happened to work out that way. There is a size limit on the template I can use for books and also what the audio voice actor will happily do for a story. I realized I'd hit 828 pages (or there around) and I'd only hit 24 hours. The only choice I really had was to go ahead and print the book. At the same time, I honestly think the story stands on its own. I've always believed the story is more about the relationships between the characters and their adventures more than anything else. I could've bypassed some of their stories, but why? There's no end currently planned for the series, it's Star's and friends adventures in The World. As long as everyone is enjoying the ride, expect The World to continue building in complexity and depth.

On a positive note, book 8 should be 3 full days, so that should make you happy =D In truth though, books 5 through 8 is one story arc that was planned as a single book. As I wrote the story, it just grew into the monstrosity that it is ;)

Thanks for understanding the late book 8. While I like to do a book every six months, the massive heart attack and on-going recovery really did throw me for a loop. Thankfully, things are going much better now and I'm back to writing.

Jason

Marcus M.

1/17/2021 11:28:43 am

Hey Jason,

another german fan here. Just wanted to thank you for so many hours of joy.

I started with the first ones in german and couldn't wait for the other books to be translated, So i read the english ones - which I usually don't do since i am not an native speaker and probably missing some things - until I finsihed book 7 today.

Love your work and can't wait till the next one is released...

Jason A Cheek link

1/18/2021 12:33:43 am

Hey Marcus,

Thanks for the letting me know you're enjoying the series. There's lots more books on the way ;) I almost wonder if the audiobooks wouldn't have been easier. After moving to Germany and teaching myself German, reading for me is a lot harder than hearing the words spoken.

Book 3 will be coming out shortly and then I was going to wait for enough money to be earned back to continue with the translation. Mainly, that's because all the books, after book 3, are individually so long. Also, I'm not sure you noticed it or not, but all the books after five have a Post Credit scene at the very end of the books ;)

Thanks again for letting me know how much you enjoyed the series,

Jason

ryan s cook

1/21/2021 05:38:30 pm

sup man. any update on book 7 on the audible?

Jason A Cheek link

1/21/2021 11:25:28 pm

Hey Ryan,

So I talked with Jason Hill and he said that he started the book in November and didn't realize the deadline was October. This book is also the longest yet, so I don't expect it to be finished quickly since Xmas was also going on. That said, we are probably looking at February. That is only a guess in on my part. Though, in all honesty, it doesn't look like he started until January, sigh.

I could go after him for a breech of contract and for the next book I will make sure he fully agrees to the time line and then I will implement it if the expected date goes beyond it. That sucks, because it could ruin my relationship with Jason Hill and everyone loves his voice. So, it's hard to know how best to handle the situation.

What's your opinion? Would you be okay if the voice actor was different starting book 9 or 10?

Jason

ryan s cook

3/7/2021 08:37:17 pm

Ah I don't matter to me really. I'm dyslexic. So it's just hard for me to read the books. Wish I could. You do what you think is best man. We rush through life too much I believe. Take care of your self man.

Nathan

1/22/2021 11:12:29 am

I can't speak for the rest of the listeners that use audible but in my opinion we are human and make mistakes and the best route i think would to be to continue to use him as a voice for the characters and dialog. I've listened to other authors that use the gamelit rpg style and have noticed differences when a voice is changed and in my opinion its not the same as it was when it catches your attention I do agree that it is disappointing but whats done is done all we can do is allow for mistakes to be fixed and precautions be made so things like these don't happen

Jason A Cheek link

1/23/2021 01:12:49 am

Hey Nathan,

Thanks for the feedback. This has ultimately been my decision the entire time when it comes to Jason Hill. People love his voice. He's done a great job on the series. Simply, we have to wait until his schedule is open enough to actually complete the new books as they come out in the series.

I asked because it's frustrating to me too. I get so many fans asking when will the new audiobook come out. I give the approximate date for the agreed completion and then its months later when it actually comes out. As long as the fans understands what's going on, that I'm doing my best to get the books out, and that to keep the voice everyone wants this is what is required, then it's no issue.

Jason

Wes

1/24/2021 09:48:47 am

Jason,
Really enjoying your books. One thing that really jumps out at me is the way you have crafted the the interactions between the players. The aspect that most of them while willing to help still see the world as a “game” where Jay/Dom are treating it much like a real world drives me nuts while making perfect sense. At some point are the going to realize the reason Jay gets all these secret quests is because of the level of immersion he is putting himself into the game?

Side note: not to spoil anything but there was a glaring flaw in the the battle in book 7 against the Orges. It seemed that almost the entire group forgot about their ability that Mike gave them which would have helped mitigate the damage they were getting massively in that fight. Mike showed exactly how much when his group battled the trolls. I thought that was either an oversight or they all just forgot most of them had it which would go against Jay’s persona up until that point. Aside from that thought every other fight was awesome! The only real negative I have is that I found your books before more were written. Read all 7 and jonesing for more.

Jason A Cheek link

1/24/2021 10:37:05 am

Hey Wes,

Thanks for letting me know you're loving the series. (side note, I just deleted a massive reply I had for you, hopefully I'll be able to recreate it again)

I'm glad you caught the concept as to why Star is getting all of these special quests. I think a lot of readers missed that. Though, there were a few complaints as to why Star was the only one that seemed to treat the NPCs as people. The reason for that, is that I think it would be a difficult thing for most experienced players to do after playing so many MMOs. I am slowly showing Domenic, the Devil Dogs, and everyone else slowly understanding the concept and "getting it" but most people still have a ways to go. I think the women in Star's LAN group will have the most problem with that, because they want him dating women in the real world and not in-game. It also shows how to humanize people, which I think is missing on many levels in today's online social media society.

As to the fight, I was worried for a moment I missed something big. Let me tell you, it was really hard to make each invulnerable monster fight unique, but after going over Star's Character Sheet, I don't think I missed anything. Star's currently has:

Shadow Magic:
Slip Into Shadow (200 Mana/50 Agility/25 Spirit/25 Intelligence) – Instant cast – Allows caster to enter Stealth when being observed. Does not function if under attack. Three second cool down between casts. Requires Shadow magic skill level 0. Range is self only.

Unlike Mike, he doesn't have "Shadow Step – Allows user to make short jumps through shadows within a radius of ten yards. 40, 3 sec cooldown. Level 40" which would've greatly changed the fight with the Ogres, though his weapons still wouldn't have done much of any damage. Getting his Shadow Magic skilled up enough to reach the higher level abilities in the Shadow magic tree is going to be hard for Star because they come with a correspondingly high agility requirement, unlike the Intelligence requirement that Dark magic has. Meaning, Mike won't be able to easily have many zombie pets or, if Star wants the ability, it would reduce his pet slots due to needing an Agility that is as high as his current Intelligence (more or less). I was trying to have some magic trees have additional requirements so one person wouldn't be too powerful. Not sure how well I've pulled that off, but so far it seems to be working. With that said, if I've still missed something, please let me know ;)

Lastly, I'm doubly sorry for the last part. I'm trying my best to get more books out for the series =D Unfortunately, book 8 is going to take much longer to get out due to the massive heart attack I had. On a good note, I'm doing everything that I need to so that doesn't happen again. Also, I'm well into book 8 and boy is it going to be a huge story. I'm probably going to easily break a thousand pages in this one. If you're interested, I do have a Patreon page which you can find here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=23281087&fan_landing=true I started it due to fans asking for sneak peeks for the new books.

Also, just in case you missed it, book 5 and after have Post Credit scenes. Anyway, it was great hearing from you.

Jason

Wes

1/24/2021 01:19:37 pm

Jason,

Thanks for the reply! And yes! You actually made that very clear in the book now that you mentioned it was not shadow step I was thinking they used as a group in the Dom keep defense against the stealth raid.

As for health I am glad you are on the right track! IRL will kick your ass if you are not careful so take care of yourself first for sure. You are crafting an awesome world, and I will be happy to wait for the next installment.

Daniel Fowler

2/3/2021 06:47:42 pm

Hello Jason, sorry to hear you siffered a heart attack. I have only just now checked into updates on the series as I am waiting for the audiobook version zo come out since I listen whiöe I drive for work now, when I am not bisy with EMT studies or my duties in Firefighting.

Please do take care of yourself brother, it's not like the days while we served in the military and would put in insain hours on just little food and lots of energy drinks lol. Keep it up brother and looked forward to the next release.

Jason A Cheek link

2/4/2021 01:34:43 am

Hey Daniel,

Thanks for the feedback. I'm doing what I need to do to keep myself healthy and am working down the amount of medicine I'm taking for my HBP by working out regularly. I'm down from 32 mg to 8 mg and might be approaching 4 mg soon. It's hard to say, my blood pressure was down to 106 or 63 (which is super low) but it's back up somewhat after my dog had knee surgery and I was up for most of the night caring for him.

Yeah, I hear you about being in the military. I used to run long-haul from K-16 airbase to Taegu army base six days a week when I was a soldier. I usually was on the road by 4 AM and back around 11 PM with no heater in my five and a half ton tractor trailer. It sucked in the winters until the engine heated up enough to keep the cabin somewhat warm. It also sucked in the summers if you got behind a chicken truck heading to market in a traffic jam upon returning to Sol. Ugh, those were the days ;) Then I compounded those long hours by gaming, working and going to college.

Anyway, I'm just waiting for Jason Hill to get the book out. He should be nearly finished, but bugging him isn't going to help anything but drive him crazy and hurt our relationship. Trust me, as soon as he's finished, I'll be uploading it to Audible asap.

Thanks for being patient and checking in.

Jason

ryan s cook

4/3/2021 12:45:25 pm

Sup man how your health going hope well. is there a way to have audible to send us a heads up. When the book hits. Or just needs to keep checking in? Fig we will be waiting a bit more for it just wanted a heads up so I don't miss it. Lol

Jason A Cheek link

4/3/2021 01:17:25 pm

Hey Ryan,

Send me your email address to [email protected] and I'll add you to the mailing list.

Yeah, here is Jason's apology that he sent me:

The book is moving along though unfortunately, the reflux disease I am being treated for makes me susceptible to ‘irritation laryngitis’ and that’s what happened last week so I have to wait that out. Otherwise, the treatment is working and I don’t expect this to hold me up for more than a few more days. I still think I can finish it before the end of March.

If these delays are creating a financial burden on your family as it is on mine (it’s wrecking my life) I understand and will withdraw from the project if you so wish it. I am, however, confident that my full recovery is imminent.

If anybody asks, here is a statement you can give them. If you have a social media page or group I can post this on, I would be happy to do so:

To esteemed readers and listeners

I personally apologies for the delays in the release of ‘Elusive Prey: Book 7 of The World’ Audio book.

2020 was particularly hard on healthcare workers, of whom I am one, and the stress of that period caused me to develop a condition wherein various stimuli, many of which took months to identify, inflict swelling and irritation to my vocal cords and cause me intense headaches.

Jason has been very understanding about this and equally generous with deadlines.

I am undergoing treatment for this condition, which is correcting the issue, and slowly withdrawing from the field of nursing to focus on my love of story telling, but I am still suffering from periodic laryngitis. Now that the issue is identified, I anticipate a swift recovery and that the book will completed very soon.

Thank you all for your continued support of this series and your understanding in this matter.

Jason

Sigh, I talked with him and he sounded rough but thought he'd be getting better. You could definitely hear the laryngitis in his voice. Even if he got it done tomorrow, Audible would be another two weeks at the minimum.

For me, I'm doing quite well. Working on everything that I should be doing to lose weight and get/stay healthy. The writing for book 8 is going awesome and the story is right along the same lines as 7 .. maybe even better. I hope to be done soon and then I'll start on Jason for book 8 =D

Thanks for checking in and sorry for the wait.

Jason

ryan s cook

4/3/2021 02:39:10 pm

good to hear. you both take care of your self. life is short. i take care of my grand mother and work. so i get the thing of not thinking on your self but you needs to. if it was not for my friends making me take time for my self i prob run my self into the ground. but take time for your self man. latter

Paul Cooper

6/18/2021 07:49:20 am

Love the series! Take care of your health, we need you! Any word on getting this latest title in audiobook format?

Paul Cooper

6/18/2021 07:52:39 am

Oops, sorry, there were so many comments that I didn't read the update you already gave. I'm looking forward to the audio release!

Jason A Cheek link

6/18/2021 08:17:57 am

Hey Paul,

Thanks man, I'm doing much better. Jason Hill says he'll get book 7's audio out hopefully by the end of this month. He's still sick but getting better. Once he manages that, I'll upload it to Audible and that'll take two weeks.

I asked Jason if he wanted me to send him book 8 as soon as it was completed and he agreed. Hopefully, that means book 8 will happen sooner rather than later. I'm expecting to have book 8 released July 1st =D

Jason

ryan s cook

7/23/2021 12:01:23 pm

Any updates bro.

Jason Andrew Cheek link

7/23/2021 02:07:47 pm

Hey Ryan,

I just asked Jason Hill when he thought that book 7 would be finished and he said that he was shooting for the end of this month. No clue if he'll make it or not, but my fingers are crossed.

Jason

Daryl Hall

8/10/2021 03:33:48 pm

Jason,

Love the series! Listened to it twice now and am just starting on a 3rd time through (I do this whenever a new book gets added). Great writing and a real stand out for the mechanics of the game compared to other titles in the genre (which I seem to be addicted to) that I have locked on to. Here's hoping Mr. Hill has that next book done and out by the time I get this session run through. If not, well, I'll just have to do it again, won't I?

Here's hoping your recovery from your ailment has gone well and keep writing, my friend!

D.

Jason A Cheek link

8/11/2021 03:25:34 pm

Daryl,

Sigh, I had a long talk with Jason Hill. He's 90% finished with book 7. The problem is that he's still very sick and when whatever is wrong with him acts up, he is in agony whenever he tried to do his voice for the audiobooks. He keeps trying to push himself, but he can't go any faster than he is. It doesn't help that book 7 is the longest book that I've written to date. So, that's where we're at. Everyone wants Jason's voice and he's nearly finished, but he does some of the recordings and then heals up. He's working with three doctors to find out what is causing his problems and I hope that they'll be able to find out what it is and fix it.

Wish I had better news but from everyone's feedback, they'd rather wait for Jason Hill than go with another voice actor.

Jason

ryan s cook

9/12/2021 03:45:33 am

Any up dates?

Jason A Cheek link

9/12/2021 04:49:59 am

Hey Ryan,

Good news, I just approved book 7. If everything is approved like normal, book 7's audio should post in two weeks!

Just preparing the updates now.

Jason

ryan s cook

9/12/2021 10:01:14 am

Awesome 👍

Book 7, Elusive Prey, of The World series is now out!

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