This week, I'm trying to straighten out my room/office so it doesn't get so cluttered. Cleaning is not one of my favorite things to do, but it has to get done. My usual method involves taking everything off my floor, putting it on my bed, vacuuming the carpet, then putting everything on the bed away. Only problem: I tend to get lazy when cleaning my room.
Unless I actually finish cleaning my room, I end up sleeping on the living room couch. Since the couch is short and narrow (ie I am a large guy), I usually wake up with a stiff neck, arm, shoulder, or some combination of those. Not good for sleep or posture.
It's almost the same thing for my novel business, which is currently based out of my bottom desk drawer. It's hard to get stuff done when everything is mixed up. There's stuff that doesn't even belong there, like bank paperwork, school magazines, and computer cables. Once I get this drawer straightened out, perhaps things will go a bit smoother.
Quick Programming Note: There will not be a Saturday post this week. I'll be on a trip with family and away from my computer. I'll be back next Tuesday!
Happy Reading!
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Project M (and other things)
Hey everybody,
The live show for the book release had a pretty dismal showing. At most, I had four viewers and two chatters. Out of the two chatters, one just shouted at me in Turkish. None of the people I invited showed up. Very disappointing.
Otherwise, Free Book Friday #1 went well. 59 people downloaded the kindle edition of The Book of Earth. Nobody has rated or reviewed either of my books... Yet.
The issue I have with generating content is knowing whether or not it's good to my readers. When I read my own books, I have a personal bias. That's why I need things like reviews and ratings. This lets me know what works and what doesn't. Here is where Project M comes in.
M of course being the Roman numeral for 1000. I want to get 1000 copies of a book (paperback and Kindle, paid or otherwise) out to the public before I release future editions. In order to make improvements, I need to know the reader's opinion.
If you downloaded a copy of The Book of Earth, you've helped toward this 1000-copy goal. When you finish reading it, please return to the Amazon page to leave a comment or a rating. It would be greatly appreciated!
Happy Reading!
The live show for the book release had a pretty dismal showing. At most, I had four viewers and two chatters. Out of the two chatters, one just shouted at me in Turkish. None of the people I invited showed up. Very disappointing.
Otherwise, Free Book Friday #1 went well. 59 people downloaded the kindle edition of The Book of Earth. Nobody has rated or reviewed either of my books... Yet.
The issue I have with generating content is knowing whether or not it's good to my readers. When I read my own books, I have a personal bias. That's why I need things like reviews and ratings. This lets me know what works and what doesn't. Here is where Project M comes in.
M of course being the Roman numeral for 1000. I want to get 1000 copies of a book (paperback and Kindle, paid or otherwise) out to the public before I release future editions. In order to make improvements, I need to know the reader's opinion.
If you downloaded a copy of The Book of Earth, you've helped toward this 1000-copy goal. When you finish reading it, please return to the Amazon page to leave a comment or a rating. It would be greatly appreciated!
Happy Reading!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Running Dreams
I've been feeling excited lately. Why? Literature and Athleticism,
Of course, tomorrow is release day for The Book of Earth. Tomorrow morning, I'll be linking up the paperback and kindle pages for Book 2, along with a discount code for paperback (good at the Createspace e-store for 25% off). The live show is still on as scheduled, and I look forward to seeing you there!
On the athletic side (I have one of those, I am surprised as well!), I've come down with the running bug. One with a goal of going to Rio in 2016. A dream of this scale comes with steps of course, as I can't run a marathon with my training to date and my weight (need to lose 70-80 pounds). Within the next few weeks, I'll run my first 5K, after which training begins for a 10K. Ramble Ramble Ramble...
tl;dr: Steps, my friends... steps.
Happy Reading!
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Online Tour Details
Hey everybody! The Book of Earth comes out on August 1st, only four days away! Here are some details on the online tour:
- Susan Kline hosted my creativity advice on her blog Motherhoot. Special thanks to her!
- The live show on BlogTV is still as scheduled, August 1st at 8PM.
- Kindle Editions of Book 2 will be available on Kindle Select, and as a result, I'll be scheduling Free Book Fridays every other week starting August 3rd.
If you would like a guest writer for your blog, I am still available! The best way to get in touch will be through Twitter. Otherwise, stay tuned for the latest update on release news!
Happy Reading!
Happy Reading!
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Eleven Days!
As the day gets closer, I am getting more excited! Just 11 days until The Book of Earth is released!
The focus for this week is maximizing exposure for my books. I finally have a book trailer up for the second volume. I still have a review planned for another book. In addition, a discount code will soon be added to the books page for those who want a paperback copy (code should also work for The Book of Fire, for those who want to start from the beginning).
As for release day, I am planning a release show on BlogTV. You can chat with me live on August 1st at 8PM Eastern. I should be available for at least two hours, but I'll stick around longer if the audience is there!
If you have a blog and would like a guest writer, I am available to write. I specialize in the topics of creative writing and speed writing.
See you at the show, and happy reading!
The focus for this week is maximizing exposure for my books. I finally have a book trailer up for the second volume. I still have a review planned for another book. In addition, a discount code will soon be added to the books page for those who want a paperback copy (code should also work for The Book of Fire, for those who want to start from the beginning).
As for release day, I am planning a release show on BlogTV. You can chat with me live on August 1st at 8PM Eastern. I should be available for at least two hours, but I'll stick around longer if the audience is there!
If you have a blog and would like a guest writer, I am available to write. I specialize in the topics of creative writing and speed writing.
See you at the show, and happy reading!
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Change of Pace?
We've had a stretch of hot and humid weather here in New England. I have to make adjustments to my routine to account for the heat. For example, if I wake up late and it's too warm for my daily run, I opt to stay in the AC and play a console fitness game. Even my family's small dog can't take too much of the heat, so I bring her out in the backyard so she can do her cough "business" instead of taking her for a long walk.
Other things have changed as well. I am no longer working at the chain store (for reasons I won't go into here). In the short term, I am focusing on my novels, the second of which is slated for release on August 1st. In the longer term, I am focusing on finding a job that goes with my degree.
I need a change of pace so I can blog effectively ahead of release day. First, I will be posting blogs on Tuesdays and Saturdays. I won't necessarily be writing them on those days, but they will be stacked for posting. Two, I already have a live show planned for August 1st, and hopefully I will have a book trailer up before then. Finally, I have a vacation weekend coming up, so I need to make sure that blog is stacked before I head out.
Lots of important details to get through over the next two weeks!
Question to Readers: What important things do you have coming up? How is your schedule changing because of them? Leave your responses in the comments below.
Happy Reading!
Other things have changed as well. I am no longer working at the chain store (for reasons I won't go into here). In the short term, I am focusing on my novels, the second of which is slated for release on August 1st. In the longer term, I am focusing on finding a job that goes with my degree.
I need a change of pace so I can blog effectively ahead of release day. First, I will be posting blogs on Tuesdays and Saturdays. I won't necessarily be writing them on those days, but they will be stacked for posting. Two, I already have a live show planned for August 1st, and hopefully I will have a book trailer up before then. Finally, I have a vacation weekend coming up, so I need to make sure that blog is stacked before I head out.
Lots of important details to get through over the next two weeks!
Question to Readers: What important things do you have coming up? How is your schedule changing because of them? Leave your responses in the comments below.
Happy Reading!
Monday, July 9, 2012
American Chain Store Christmas
The past seven days have been a strain on my body, but for good reason.
I got a temporary job with a chain store opening a store locally.The shifts are long (10 hours, not counting breaks), and there's a lot of heavy lifting involved, not to mention a demanding schedule in which the store needs to be built, stocked, and cleaned in a matter of 10 days.
The past three days have been somewhat of a chain store Christmas. It's been consecutive days of waking up, having barely enough time to have breakfast and assemble lunch and break snacks, and unloading a tractor trailer. A "mom" (manager) has all the"kids" (employees) get to the "car" (tractor trailer) to unload "gifts" (probably not the most accurate term for items).
Once the tractor trailer leaves, the kids open the gifts. In a bout of reversal, the opened gifts are placed under the metal trees, waiting for their true giftee to arrive. Mind you, with four days until the grand opening, there are already people showing up to the store, eagerly awaiting their time to enter.
But until then, there will be more products to put on shelves, more carts to push, and more double-digit-hour days. When my time there is up and I get paid, I hope I'll have my own American chain store Christmas.
I got a temporary job with a chain store opening a store locally.The shifts are long (10 hours, not counting breaks), and there's a lot of heavy lifting involved, not to mention a demanding schedule in which the store needs to be built, stocked, and cleaned in a matter of 10 days.
The past three days have been somewhat of a chain store Christmas. It's been consecutive days of waking up, having barely enough time to have breakfast and assemble lunch and break snacks, and unloading a tractor trailer. A "mom" (manager) has all the"kids" (employees) get to the "car" (tractor trailer) to unload "gifts" (probably not the most accurate term for items).
Once the tractor trailer leaves, the kids open the gifts. In a bout of reversal, the opened gifts are placed under the metal trees, waiting for their true giftee to arrive. Mind you, with four days until the grand opening, there are already people showing up to the store, eagerly awaiting their time to enter.
But until then, there will be more products to put on shelves, more carts to push, and more double-digit-hour days. When my time there is up and I get paid, I hope I'll have my own American chain store Christmas.
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