Novels from Award-Winning Author Michael Selden
Characters, Stories, and Worlds That Stay With You
As of March 2024 I severed my relationship with Lightning Source / Ingram. They produced the print versions of my books. I have kept the Kindle editions, and in April 2025 moved the paperback editions to Amazon KDP. In December 2024, I dissolved Woodland Park Press, and changed the imprint for my books to simply use my name: Michael Selden
The second story is Part 2 of The Balance story, entitled: "The Wastelands and the Wilderness"
The story picks up where The Balance left off and introduces new characters, as a quest to find the last child born to the Prescient program searches for him in the Northern Wilderness, and the Council reacts to the events that took place in The Balance.
I licensed the cover image (photo) It's in low resolution form here. The cover picture matches the Northern Wilderness view (as seen from the SouthEast direction, it also matches a scene from the upcoming book.
The Wastelands are in the West, beyond the Western Mountains, and the Northern Wilderness is beyond the Great Northern River. There is a lone Volcano in the central north plain, surrounded by an area of desolation, and the Shadow Mountains are in the distant west of the north. A river (The Black River, darkened by ash and other debris) runs through the north, it's source is a body of water called Mirror Lake, but is also fed by streams from the Shadow Mountains. The combination of smoke from the volcano and fog creates Vow, and which settles in the river valley, between the hills that bound the river. To the East is a forest, where tribes of a war-like people live.
The symbols on the cover represent the balance of power between the two main organizations in The Land. The circle encompassing the three religious symbols represent The Council of God, which rules The Land, and the symbol of the philosopher's stone, right, represents the science and technology based Order.
"The Balance" was the name of an agreement made between the powers, until it was broken.
I don't expect to be finished with the book until late this year.
Click on a Book Cover Image to Read Up to 3 Sample Chapters from the Book
The Boy Who Ran—The sole survivor when his village was massacred, the boy spends his days alone in the woods, feeling more kinship with animals than with the people who took him in but never really accepted him. THE BOY WHO RAN is a middle grade novel set 6000 years ago in North America
The Boy Who Ran won the 2014 IPPY Gold Medal for Juvenile Fiction
Audiobook edition recorded by Lyssa Browne
Phoebe is the last remaining product of the Order's genetic engineering program still living under Council rule, but must hide what she is to survive in this post-apocalyptic world.
A 5-Star Clarion Book "This morally gray dystopian novel is as thought provoking as it is entertaining." —Forword Clarion Review
"Start of a probing sci-fi series that engages audiences of all ages" —Kirkus Review
I AM—Jenny Baker, physics student, discovers an asteroid on a collision course with Earth, and must learn to deal with both personal tragedy and the end of the world at the same time.
I AM is a realistic science fiction story with a twist.
A Foreword Reviews Indies Finalist in 2016 (Adult Science Fiction Category)
Bosworth is a Coming of Age Paranormal Drama
Jim and his mom moved to Bosworth NY after his father was killed in an automobile accident, but this small town has a dark history and an evil that Jim and his friends will have to face together.
Warning: Not recommended for readers under 15
Finalist for two awards: Colorado Author's League YA category, and Next Gen. Indie Book Awards
Click to Play Audio Edition Sample
THE BOY WHO RAN
Middle Grade Historic Fiction
Age 10 and Older
THE BALANCE
A Young Adult Dystopian Post Apocalyptic Story
Age 14 and Older
I AM
New Adult, A realistic Science fiction story
Age 14 and Older
BOSWORTH
A Coming of Age Paranormal Drama
Age 15 and Older
Links to the US Amazon Web Page for Each Edition
(While I don't really write for income, the books have been for sale for a while. I honestly don't care if they sell or not, but hope those people who want to read my books enjoy them)
The Boy Who Ran
The Balance
I AM
Bosworth
Click the button below to Learn More About The Boy Who Ran, including deleted chapters and theme inspiration
Click on the button below to learn more about the book The Balance, including what happened before the story
Click on the button below to learn more about the book I AM, including the orbit of the comet
Click on the button below to learn more about the book Bosworth, including a few facts about the book's writing.
Also Available on Amazon Sites in Other Countries—I apologize for not having the links for these other Amazon sites, but the number of links would grow significantly and the buttons would take over the page
All books and other content copyrighted by Michael Selden
Woodland Park, Colorado: "The City Above the Clouds"
Member: Colorado Author's League
You can find me at Pen Drop Writer's meeting Tuesdays 11:30 to 1:00 (see Colorado Springs Meet-ups)
About the Author (Click on my picture to open Biography and other Info)
I’m gradually working my way through the information that accumulated on the old web site over the past six, or so, years—cleaning out some things and rebuilding the web site, using a toolset fromthe company called ‘Beaver Builder’. I noticed that (for smaller screens) the images first adjust and then break from the 4-column format into a single stacked column. I’m not sure how it may look on your device, but hopefully it is readable.
Let me know what you think. —Thank You
I’ve begun working more diligently on The Wastelands and the Wilderness (which is the second volume of The Balance trilogy). I have about 10 rough draft chapters done. As I get more engaged in writing, I tend to spend more time at it. I took 2018 off from publishing a book, after having published 4 novels in about 5 years.
The sample draft chapter I posted (see link under the brief blurb about The Balance, above) is an intro for one of the new characters in this volume.
I really enjoyed your book “The Boy Who Ran.” It seemed to have a slight “haunting” quality that I like. Will you do others in this world?
Hello, David. I’m grateful that you enjoyed my book and for your question. To be honest, I have no plans to write more in this area, although I’d never say never. It was a fun book to write. At the time, I’d just finished the first draft of The Balance and wanted to keep writing, while I set that other book down to mature before starting revisions.
Just a note. I don’t deliberately capture data from you, although it’s possible Google or other 3rd party services I use use cookies and such.
—I don’t want your data
—I have no intention of contacting you
—This site is only to share information about my books and other aspects of my life
—This publishing activity changed from being an attempt to start a business to a kind of expensive hobby for me some years ago.
—I found that when I had a book people liked, that book was usually pirated and so I stopped having any expectations of even breaking even. For me now, writing (when I feel like doing it) is just for fun.