Wheels Rolling

So far, my Sunday has been going well. I weighed in this morning, and despite having the center of balance of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, I lost 3.5 pounds. I also got to drive the family car for the first time. We went to the next town over and got some coffee and pastries.

I feel as though the metaphorical wheels are starting to turn for me. I had a job interview on Friday with a company that seems like a great place to work for with management that seems very accommodating. Should I get the job, I can make a budget for a car and other things I need/want. Then things will take of from there. I am very excited about my future, and I feel it's going to start soon.

However, there are some "cars" that need a push. The Book of Fire is one of them. I may take an hour a day to reformat the Kindle edition, plug Viribia into the story, tweak the grammar, all to have it back up by the middle of next month. I also have a book review to do, which should be done withing the next week.

Once I get "fueled up" I can start making some progress. *Drinks Coffee*

Happy Reading!

Putting Out the "Fire"

As you can see from the books page, The Book of Fire is currently unavailable. There are multiple reasons for this. First, it needs quite a few tweaks such as a few misplaced apostrophes a few wrong words that need fixing. Second, it needs a world name: Viribia. I introduced this world in The Book of Earth, but I need to go back to the first volume and put it in.

Finally (and most importantly) I am pitching my novel to publishers. I feel that getting my novel into an established publisher's hands will get me better access to an editor and a cover artist. Both of these will give the curb appeal I'm looking for with my novels.

If you wish to buy a copy of The Book of Earth, both formats are still available on the books page. It will be for sale until I am done tweaking Fire or until my Kindle Promotions run out for Earth, whichever happens first. Either way, that's at least a month or two away. Just more polish for my gems in the rough.

Happy Reading!

Games (Maybe?)

Lately I've been thinking of a way to give my novels a better reach. I need to find a way to connect my readers to the reading. So I am looking deeper into the subject matter of fantasy worlds and perhaps developing a game.

That's right: a game.

If I start making something, it will more than likely be a pen-and-paper-and-dice game. My books pretty much have an outline for such a thing already. I have plenty of roles already: light mages, dark mages, seamstresses, etc. etc. I would also need races. Thus far, I have humans, demons (major - no minions yet), and a cameo by a troll in The Book of Earth.

I haven't quite worked out the dynamics of the game yet, add to that not much experience playing those games. Once I think of more roles, I'll develop some benefits for picking one role over another (more Notes for soldiers, more magic points for mages, etc.). Then I'll work out a battle system.

As far as publishing this, I'll probably wait until I make a complete-saga volume of the series. That won't be for another few years at least. Just an idea to share for now.

Happy Reading!

Streamlining

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!

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!