Can This Be True?

Every so often a little news article gets passed to me and I shrug my shoulders and go on with my life but this one stumped me.

http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/15/9469981-new-e-book-pricing-scheme-a-surprising-assault-on-the-wallet

Exactly what are the big brick-n-mortar publishers thinking?  Well, obviously they are attempting to shutdown Amazon and all the indie authors.  They can't.  It's already too late and just like the financial loan disaster, this, too, is going to be a fiasco to watch.  You don't shut the barn doors after the horses have gotten out! 

Indie authors are here to stay.  Sure there are good books, fantabulous books, mediocre books and unfortunately, those of miserable consideration.  BUT, in their defense, 'real' books also fall into those categories.  Just because some celebrity or well-known person writes a book, whether it be a tell-all or some made-up memoir, it doesn't guarantee that it will be a best seller.  Sure Stephen King, Nora Robers, Ian Fleming, Michael Crichton, Dean Koontz, Harlan Ellison, Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, and John Grisham will sell millions of books but really, are we going to wait with baited breath for the memoirs of Kim Kardashian?  Sure, there are those who follow every move of the woman but, in 5 years, when she is a has-been, will her book still be a popular read?  CARRIE was released in 1974 and is still being read today... over 35 years later; not to mention the movies and musicals from it.

But I digress.

For the unknown author, the indie who has sent out hundreds of queries and submissions, only to be rejected - there is hope.  Amazon.com, Smashwords.com and several other locations on the Internet have become a boon to them as a place to get noticed and published.  Sure, some of the stuff is a little rough, a hack, needs serious editing, etc etc etc; but the bottom line is, there are great stories hidden within this great mound of ... dare I say it?  Self publishing.

Sure there are many vanity publishers who will, for the small (ha, ha, ha) to substantial amount of funds, publish your book so you, too, can have a garage full of books in boxes to hustle.  The new upstarts, such as Amazon, allow the author to get the book to the reader without the huge up-front expense or questionable storage facilities.

As I have rambled, you are probably asking "What the hell is he trying to say?"

Simple.

IF the big publishers are going to push, we, the readers and writers, need to push back.  As writers, we have done so with Amazon and other places.  As readers?  Not too much.  We embraced the Kindle, Nook, iTune, etc technology and now download ebooks to read. 

BUT, if big publishers are going to up the ante on the cost of an ebook, it is time for us, the reader, to look at the future.  SO, I can buy Stephen King's newest book for $19.95 (paperback) or the ebook version for $24.95.  Hmm?  Debating this for a moment.  NOPE!  For $19.95 I can go to my favorite ebook store and purchase TWENTY (20) ebooks at $.99 -- and for $24.95 for ONE ebook, I can get TWENTY FIVE (25) ebooks!  Sure, not Stephen King but ...

Trust me.  Somewhere in that cluster of generic chocolate of $.99 ebooks I will find a gem of Godiva chocolate to satisfy my reading fix.  I might even find 2, 3, or more gems.  Sure, there may be some 'dreck' to deal with, but for $.99, I can easily press 'Delete' and it is gone.  Imagine paying $24.95 and suddenly realizing you don't like it.  Can you return it?  I don't think so.  Can you sell it to someone else?  I don't think so.  And do you really want to 'delete' a $25 book?  I don't think so.

And why would you pay $24.95 for an ebook when you can get the paperback edition for $19.95?  Convenience of having it on your $200 ebook reader -- hmm?  Think about that a little more.  You got that reader so you could get the less expensive (God forbid I would say 'cheaper') versions of the paperback.  Now the publisher is charging you extra for that convenience.  Of course they are; they want you to buy the dead tree version -- their source of milk-and-honey.

Big brick-and-mortar publishers are in need of a reality check.  They think they can stop technology.  Just because they curmudgeoned themselves into this situation doesn't mean WE have to deal with it.

I will always have a soft spot for the touchy-feely books -- and will continue to buy them but I am also moving forward with technology and embracing the ebook format.  Some books I want to curl up in a chair with a fireplace crackling, a hot cup of coffee or chocolate and read a book, turning the paper pages as I go.  Other times I just want to sit on a bus, plane, train, or mall (waiting for my wife to finish shopping) and read my ebook version.

So, if the big book publishers want to play hard ball, remember, the indie is there.  Support your local authors.

If you need a suggestion for an ebook ... maybe I suggest Three Steps: The Journeys of Ayrold or 2012: Timeline Apocalypse?  BTW, Three Steps is now on sale $.99 -- a savings of over FOUR dollars.

Until next I blog...  I wish you a Happy New Year; see you in 2012...

Short and Sweet

First an edit ... this was suppose to self post on Tuesday automatically.  It didn't.  Sorry for delay.

ON SALE: Only $.99.  Three Steps: The Journeys of Ayrold.  A fast paced Celtic novel about a young man searching for his past where reality and fantasy are opposite ends of the same stick.  With just 3 steps, Harry Corsi moves from one reality to another and which is fantasy becomes a question when he is faced with elves, leprechauns, wizards, dwarfs and a dragon.  Of course, not everything appears as it is - leprechauns are dwarfs, dwarfs are ogres and giants are leprechauns in this tale of who is who.

Welcome friends of the quill.  In the 'olde' days, you'd place an ad like the above in the newspaper to help 'hawk' your book.  I have discovered in the last few weeks a horrifying thing.  Being a writer is not an easy job -- actually, the easiest part is writing the story or novel.  The hard part?  Marketing.

Exactly what does that mean?  It means you have to really understand your genre and the competition and a whole lot more.  Contrary to the popular belief -- if you write it, they will read -- they won't.  That only works in movies with Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones.

So what is marketing?  Is it Facebook?  Twitter?  Blogging?

Sure you can use those but there is more.  You need to connect with your readers.  Touch them, get in their faces and push your book down their throats because if you don't do it -- uh, nobody else is going to.

So now I'm going to ask you... what marketing strategy do you have in place?  How do you get the word out about your book?  How do you get sales?

Share your insight.

I'm listening.

Until next I blog...

Author Interview - Elyse Salpeter

Today I'd like to introduce an author; her name is Elyse Salpeter and she has a new novel which has just been released through Cool Well Press.  She was kind enough to take a few minutes out of her hectic life and give some insights about her and the book.

Q: Can you tell me the title, genre and a little bit about your book?
A: FLYING TO THE LIGHT is a young adult spiritual thriller. The novel is about seventeen year old Michael Anderson and his deaf kid brother, Danny, who find themselves in terrible danger after their parents are kidnapped. Michael discovers Danny has a special gift -- he knows what happens after a person dies -- and now others want to know too. The brothers must outwit and outrun Samuel Herrington, a lethal biophysicist, the FBI, and even fellow Americans in a harrowing cross-country chase because whoever can get to Danny first will have the power to rule the world.

Q: So what makes your book different from others on the market? 
A: With one of the main characters being a deaf six year old boy, I believe it makes for an unlikely hero. The deaf community is seldom represented in mainstream fiction and I believe it is something people would be interested in reading about. The fact the older brother must protect his brother and the challenges he faces is compelling. The book really delves into the relationship between the two brothers and how close they are.

Q: Why did you pick that particular title - FLYING TO THE LIGHT?
A: The novel is about the afterlife and birds; I thought it was apropos.

Q: How long did it take to create this manuscript? Did it go through variations? How many?
A: I initially wrote this novel 11 years ago with lots of revisions. Then, after it was picked up by a publisher, it went through two more revisions, concentrating on "the bad guys" in the book. We finally settled on Samuel Herrington, a ruthless biophysicist.

Q: Who is your favorite and least favorite character?  Why?
A: My favorite character is Michael Anderson, one of the leads. This seventeen year old boy who pretty much led a sheltered, blessed life, is suddenly faced with his worst nightmare: his parents are kidnapped, discovers secrets have been kept from him and he and his brother are in danger.  Michael must find reserves in his character he never knew he possessed, be able to open his mind to things he never knew could exist and really had to mature in order to do the things that had to be done.  By the end, he's a different person than he was only a week before.

My least favorite character is, of course, Samuel Herrington. I find his character terribly intersting with his brilliance, his OCD issues and his proclivities on the afterlife; but he's evil incarnate.  He has no morals, no human compassion and is only after what "is good for him."  It makes for an incredibly complex and ruthless bad-guy.

Q: So why do you write and how long have you been writing?
A: I "officially" started writing my first novel in college.  I write because I have these stories in my head I just must put on paper.  Ideas sit with me and I feel like there's a story I must tell.  There is a great sense of satisfaction when I finish a book.  I know it's not completed and perfect but when I write "the end" on a first draft, it's like a sigh of relief, as if I were holding my breath for a really long time until I could get the words out.

Q: What do you have planned - book related - for the future?
A: I have a lot of ideas in my head for my next book and ways to modify the novels I've already written to make them more marketable.

Q: Tell us an interesting tidbit about you on a personal note.
A: If I could, I'd be a chef. I make wicked soups and stews. I can also wiggle my ears.

Q: Interesting... a chef who can wiggle her ears... sort of a 'Bewitched' + 'Rachael Ray' theme.  So where can we find out more about you and your book?
A: You can go to my website at www.elysesalpeter.com for more information and also to my publisher's site at www.coolwellpress.com.

Q: Do you have any tips or advice to share with other writers?
A: My biggest advice is to write the story you want to write, not write because of what you think will get published.  Get the book on paper and then, when the idea sells, that's when the edits and variations will begin.  Writing is a process but the very first, most important thing in my mind, is to write the story which is in your head. This is the one that is compelling you to sit down at the computer and begging for you to help it come out.

Q: Can you give us a snippet from your book to tease us?
A: Sure, here's a little insight into Samuel Herrington.

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EXCERPT from FLYING TO THE LIGHT...

Samuel Herrington sat stiffly on the sumptuous leather chair, his bejeweled fingers tented, staring through the massive plate glass windows of his corner office and seeing nothing. The rage blinded him to everything, clouding his vision, making him shake. It was so consuming, it was all he could do not to throw something through those windows.

He quieted his mind, letting it wander back to the woman laying on her deathbed in the room down the hall. Attended by no less than a staff of six nurses who changed shifts every four hours, she had the best of everything, yet she asked for nothing.

The air conditioner hissed, so softly it sounded like a young girl sighing and the man closed his eyes. Anyone else would have been awed at the sheer beauty of the scene outside the windows before him, but to him, it was meaningless. On one side, the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean stretched out for miles in every direction. On the other stretched the village with its white walled houses and red stucco roofs adorned with flowering vines.

He stood up from his granite covered desk, counting the fifteen steps it would take to move through the ornate office, ignoring the sculptures that cost more money than ten lifetime’s of his cleaning woman’s salary. Down the hall of twenty-five steps, adorned with artwork from master painters, past the guards who strolled continuously throughout the property, there solely to protect him. He moved through two fifteen foot chambers, secretaries and messengers shuttling to and from on various errands, each nodding at him respectfully and hurrying on. He opened the door to the suite, and moved quickly the remaining eighteen feet to the bedroom. The nurse glanced at him, and then scurried out.

Samuel stood over the dying woman lying in the stark hospital bed, the white Egyptian silk sheets nearly the color of her skin. Gone was the decadent king-sized headboard with the gold detailing and thick mattress they both had shared. Monitors hummed and beeped, the breathing machine inhaling and exhaling each breath for her. He traced the woman’s fingers with his pointer, her skin so fragile he bruised it with his simple touch. Her hand was black and blue from the IV line. Slowly he pulled his hand away and moved to her face.

Her eyes were half open in a drug-induced stupor, yellowed from her poisoned liver seeping its disease into her being. Her scalp showed through her sparse hair, now just wisps of blonde. More strands lay on her pillow. He remembered once when her hair was so thick he couldn’t run his fingers through it.

He squinted his eyes and the rage started to build again. He had money. He had power. He had means, yet he had no way to save this woman. At least not on this earth. But maybe he could save her soul.

He turned and fled back to his office, forgetting to count, and picked up the phone, dialing the all too familiar number. He waited mere seconds, then spoke, his voice hard.

“Don’t make me ask again. Find me the boy, now.”

He hung up the phone and stared at the window again, this time glancing to the island off shore where soon his men were bringing the couple. The couple he had nurtured in his beliefs, set up with everything they ever wanted, allowed to have the best of everything as long as they followed his agenda. But they had lied to him.

His rage clouded his vision as he remembered the call.

"Samuel, the Anderson's have been keeping secrets from you. They discovered what happens to you when you die. Their boy knows. It all has to do with the birds that encircle their house. We've got hundreds of photographs proving the connection. They've deceived you."

“Get them here now,” he demanded. “And get the kids. Bring them all here.”

No one lied to Samuel Herrington.

No one who lived, that was.

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The novel is available at Amazon.com in both ebook and paperback.

I'd like to thank Elyse for taking the time to allow me the interview and I hope you will support her by purchasing a copy of her book ... which by the way, is very good.

Until next I blog...

Pre-Year End Evaluation

Today is the last day of November. Tomorrow is December 1st.  In a mere 31 days, not only will December be gone, but also the year 2011.  Where did it go?

Rather than focus on the "where" of the year, let's focus on the "what" of the year. 

WHAT did you accomplish?

There are 365 days in a year and in my working days (retired now) I would say that each new day was a whole new chance to screw up.  Sort of a lame excuse to face a new day, wouldn't you say?

I'm retired and each day I now realize that I'm moving closer to my final reward but until that day, I want to make the days actually mean something.  So again, there are 365 days and how did I use them?

In November I used 30 days to write a whole new novel.  Yes, I participated in National Novel Writing Month and wrote 50 thousand words in 30 days.  Well, actually I wrote over 53k words and have at my fingertips a great story with absolutely crappy writing.  I will let it rest until after the New Year and then decide to address the poor grammar, spelling, plot, etc. and edit the project.

Only 335 days more to cover.  I can't be accurate since I didn't timecard myself during the year but I know I spent time editing a book to publish and got "Three Steps: The Journeys of Ayrold" done in both paperback and ebook format.  Between edits and learning curve on Amazon's Kindle and CreateSpace, I figure I spent at least 4 to 5 months on that.  I also did some editing on another novel which I hope to release after the first of the year -- "The Legend of Pangea" which took another 2 months.

There!  That is definitely a half year squandered.  Only another 155 days left to go.

All work and no play makes for a boring life.  I mowed the yard, worked a garden, weeded flower beds, traveled to Texas for Mardi Gras, went camping a couple of weeks, did some days of gambling at the casinos and visited with family.

And during that time, three anthologies that I'd submitted to got published -- "Shadow Street," "Guide to Writing Paranormal Novels," and "Mother Goose Is Dead."  

Oh, wow, I forgot I also e-published a short story in book format entitled "Coleen" which is a little ditty about how Ayrold and Queen Arienne met and introduces some of the main characters from my novel "Three Steps: The Journeys of Ayrold."  That endeavor took about a month.

I also wrote stories for other anthologies which weren't released this year (yet) and might be coming out right after the first of the year -- a zombie anthology, a forsaken anthology, and a how-to-write horror book.

There, the year wasn't wasted and I think it had a pretty good return. So, overall, I'd say it was a pretty good year and seems to have the beginnings of a new year already being processed.

In case you didn't realize it yet - I love writing.

Until next I blog...

NaNoWriMo and How History Works

First I apologize to all my readers for skipping out last week.  To be quite honest, last week was NOT a good week: too much chaos, not enough quiet.

On the NaNoWriMo front -- November means NaNo -- things aren't looking good there.  Because of last week, my count is waaaaay down.  I am hoping by forcing myself to more than double my 1700 daily word count, I will be caught back up in a week.  It really shouldn't be too difficult.  When a writer is creating a new piece, s/he must mentally get the image or thought clearly before putting it to words.  For me this is an easy thing since much of it is already imprinted there from my youth.  I'm not saying this is a real story but there are truths being woven into the fiction.  As such, very little imagination usage.  This year the parts that make me stop and think are the Amish aspects.  I remember a lot of the civil rights issues, Vietnam War and I most certainly remember my high school days.  BUT, how does an Amish person cope with the realities of high school.  A friend said just to write it and don't sweat the Amish aspect too much.  Huh?  Exactly how many Amish boys have you seen running around in white t-shirts and shorts for phys-ed, not to mention a jock strap?  That was a slow down point.  And God forbid... shirts and no-shirts football.

Yes, I remember the Civil Rights of the early 60s but having attended and living in a rural all-white area, it was a distant issue.  Not until 1965 when I joined the military did I actually get into and see the pulse of the movement.

Do you remember the language of the period?  What was a slang of 1961?  Everybody remembers the 60s as the era of the hippies BUT they really didn't come into the spotlight until the latter half of the 60s.  Everyone remembers "Laugh-In" with Rowan and Martin but they forget that wasn't until the very late 60s.  The early 60s -- 1961 through 1965 -- were the quieter, less hippified years.  There was some turmoil but it was played down.  Even the Beatles didn't really hit the scene until 1963 and in 1964 they made their Ed Sullivan debut.  Until then, rock was very sublime with Ray Orbison's "Only the Lonely" (1960) and "Pretty Woman" (1964).  OK, we still had the renegade Elvis in the early 60s but by then we were pretty much jaded by the hip shaking. In fact, the kids were doing all sorts of strange dances like The Twist.  The 1965 calm ended with The Righteous Brothers singing "Unchained Melody" which was in major contrast to "What's New Pussycat" by Tom Jones which I heard for the first time while in boot camp getting my 'summer' haircut.  Thank God they made me wear a hat when outside or I'd have burned straight down to the brain.  (And yes, the verdict is still out on that!)

Anyway, it is amazing how some things are blurred and remembered. An intriguing aspect is how we seem to romanticize our memories.  I was forced into mess hall duty for 3 whole months.  It was the pits and I wanted to just crawl away and hide I was so miserable.  Today, a few years later (about 40+) it all seems to quaint and I remember the fun things about it.  Of course, at the moment I was experiencing that 'fun' it really didn't seem such.  Even bad moments in a life can get a little bling or silver lining added.

So, if you're doing NaNoWriMo, how are you hanging in there?  According to my calendar, today is Tuesday, November 15 and right off hand I'd say that is obviously the half-way mark so you should have at least 25k, or if using my cheat-sheet I offered, 25.5k, before midnight tonight.

I am still working on interviewing.  I have a couple of authors and one publisher lined up.  Just need to get the interview done.  My fault if anyone is into finger pointing.

For the readers in my group -- my book (yes, the feely-touchy kind) is available at Amazon now.  Go buy your copy of "Three Steps: The Journeys of Ayrold" ... and while you're out there, check out "Shadow Street" and "The Complete Guide to Writing Paranormal Novels: Vol 1" which were also released in book form in the last week to 10 days.
 
Until next I blog...

NaNoWriMo...

Are you in or just watching the panic from a safe distance?

Me?  I'm in.  Today is day one of the thirty day marathon.  I have participated ... counting this time ... a total of 11 yrs.  I did it the 2nd year of existence on a lark with a friend and there was 8 of us in the group.  Since there was only something like 140 people participating that year -- that makes us more than 5% of the participants.  Wow.  Our group was basically me, in Ohio and them in parts of Oregon and California.

Unfortunately I didn't complete it that year due to my father passing away in October.  I thought it would be a good thing to help me think about other stuff but my mom was in need of help.  PLUS, of all the things to attempt to write -- a cookbook?  Really?  I got so wrapped up with formatting recipes and making sure it looked right and well...  Okay, I got over 35k written on my pecan cookbook and it has languished in cyberspace ever since.  Really should pull that puppy out -- it has some super great recipes.  Something to consider in 2012...

Anyway, I skipped  2001 and then was sucked back into it in 2002 with a totally different friend who was local.  Needless to say, I completed the marathon and had a complete, but rough, novel.  I've been doing it every year since, always saying I won't do it again and yet finding a story screaming inside my head and wanting to be free.  So I relent and jump on the chaotic merry-go-round of National Novel Writing Month.  I'm really psyched about this year's story.  You can read the first chapter and what my novel is about at http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/lore/novels/the-voice

So, how many of you are attempting it?  Share with me your anguish, your sorrow, your fears, your joy, your tears and anything you think will help all of us finish this craziness we've joined.

Hmm?  Wonder if I can count this as part of my 50k?  Probably not, so I'll keep it short.

Be sure to share and by all means, let me know if you cross the finish line with 50k whether you're done with the novel or not.  My one buddy usually does upwards of 100k... I think last year he did even more.  He's such an overachiever. LOL.

Until next I ramble on...

I Am A Writer But Also...

Years ago when I was delirious and thought I'd become a full-time writer ... I was soon awakened to reality that only the cream de la cream get to be full-timers while the rest of us struggle with a real job and hopes of claiming the elusive ring on the merry-go-round of life.

I wanted one of the Big Five publishing companies to notice my work and sky-rocket me to fame where I could hob-nob on talk shows like Oprah, Jay Leno, Ellen Degeneres, Rachel, David Letterman and the rest.  Realtiy: You have to have an agent.  Grim reality: No takers.

Then along came Vanity Press rearing its ugly head to take your money and allow you to think you were a published author.  The person writing the local club newsletter was doing a better job of getting in print than those who bought into Vanity.  At least the newsletters usually have subscribers and people who wanted to read it.  Vanity Press?  Beyond Mom and your three best friends, you now have only a mere 996 more books to sell.  I have a friend who still has several boxes of his first book sitting in his garage.  Yes, he languishes in the shadows of the unknown authors.

Soon, Small Publishers came into existence.  They were a God-send; they allowed us to dream the possible dream... but alas, unless you had a super fantastic marketing strategy or know-how, going beyond the ever-present book-signing at the local bookstores, you languished in the shadows with your fellow Vanity authors.

The sun arose on a new day. Amazon came to be and ebooks were given life as well as CreateSpace to publish in book form.  [insert chorus of "Oh Happy Day"]  The author had a new chance and even marketing potential through a huge company.  Now the fledgling author could safely play the five-fingered nose flute at the Big Five publishing companies who rejected unknown submissions or screamed you needed an agent to make you viable. 

But wait.  Not all is happy in Amazon-land.  The author has written a book, even had it edited by a teacher and read by three or four good friends... and of course, Mom, too.  What could possibly go wrong?

You didn't write your book in Microsoft Word.  You don't have Adobe Creator.  You haven't ever used a graphic program and have no idea what RGB vs CMYK.  You didn't even know there were that many different shades of black!

You, the author, are about to embark on a journey of huge proportions and mind-expanding learning experiences.  The truly easy part was writing the composition.  Now you need to format it for publishing which means deciding on a variety of page sizes, page layouts, fonts, paper types ... and the list goes on and on. Plus you have to decide on what graphic you will use on the front cover... your own, a purchased image or one from their stockpile.

Amazon has streamlined the process somewhat ... IF you think of it sort of like reading a which-way book.  You read the page and at the bottom you make a decision.  That decision takes you to another reading and selection.  Finally, through this process, you will create your book.

I guess now would be a good time to mention that there is a difference in publishing an ebook vs a paper book.  Also, with Amazon, the ebook version will be solely in 'mobi' ala Kindle format.  If you go to Smashwords.com to create your ebook, you have the option of several formats that pretty much cover the gamut of mobile device possibilities.

You are no longer just a Writer... but you are also a Graphics Artist, Editor, Publisher, Marketing Guru and Sales Agent setting the price(s) for the book.

So now you want to write your next book... good luck finding time.

Until next I decide to ramble...

What's Your Opinion? Suggestions?

Very short blog this week.  As I said, I hope to do this on a weekly type basis and been trying to figure out which day.  I decided on Tuesday since it is right after Monday and everyone is harried on a Monday because it is the first day back to work, etc.  And well, Wednesday most people are already starting to consider the half way mark and on Thursday they've decided the weekend is coming and they need to plan what to do next.  And forget Friday ... I mean, who does any real work on a Friday?  Plus Saturday and Sunday are a loss for people to spend time on the Internet.  So, Tuesday it is.

Now what I need your opinion on.  I have decided, amongst my ramblings I will interview various authors and publishers to get their viewpoints for the readership to glean any possible knowledge from.  In other words, maybe get a chance to learn about a trick or two to make your writing angst a little easier.  Do you think that is a good idea?  Let me know, yea or nay.

So, what do I want?  I need some suggestions for possible authors and publishers.  If you will give me names and contacts (their email addy) and your real name so I can reference back to you, I'm going to be gutsy enough to contact them.  What's the worst they can do?  Say no?  If I don't interview them, the result is the same. LOL.  But don't go putting a lot of email addresses on this blog ... let's be a little discreet about this ... send to me using my email addy of   bob AT bobnailor DOT com.  I'm quite sure you know to replace the AT with a @ and to replace the DOT with a period but I decided I better state that for the newbies on the Internet.  Be sure to put "Interview Applicant" in the subject so I don't just delete your email as spam.

As to what I've been up to the last few days ... I was asked to submit a short story to an anthology with no guarantee of acceptance; but, hey, that is pretty cool.  AND I worked on getting a book format for my latest release "Three Steps: The Journeys of Ayrold" out via CreateSpace.  I'm just waiting for a response back from Amazon saying the format was acceptable.  A lot of work getting that all done.  I thought it would be easier but they expect you to write the story THEN become a savvy publisher and graphic artist.  I'm glad I knew a little bit of what they were talking about.  More later as it comes up.

Enough rambling.  Give me your opinions and your suggestions.  I look forward to them.

And Then He Blogged

Here it is, the first blog of my ramblings.  I plan to keep it light, helpful, informative and maybe even ... dare I say it?  Interesting.
First, I'm not just any idiot, I'm the idiot with 2 books out.  I have "2012: Timeline Apocalypse" and "Three Steps: The Journeys of Ayrold" ... oh, and a short story in book format entitled "Coleen" just to keep you on your toes.  In addition to that I am in ten anthologies (aka collections) such as Mother Goose is Dead from Damnation Books, Guide to Writing Paranormal Novels, Guide to Writing Science Fiction Vol I, Guide to Writing Fantasy Vol 2, Firestorm of Dragons all from Dragon Moon Press, and Dead Set, Nights of Blood 2, Spirits of Blue & Gray, The Archives of Arrissia, 13 Nights of Blood all from 23 House Publishing. 

Plus I'm told I will be included in Shadow Street from Cool Well Press, Guide to Writing Horror from Dragon Moon Press, The Forsaken from 23 House Publishing and 2012 Doomsday from Black Sails Press. These are suppose to be out in the next six months.

While I'm patting myself on the back I might as well mention that for 5 yrs I was associated with The Emporium Gazette which was an online writers magazine with all kinds of helpful tips to get the newbie and the well-published get noticed. 

Well, I won't bore you too much longer.  Next time I won't be so much fluffing my feathers.  Okay, I might preen a little.