Thursday, December 26, 2013

Post Christmas Post

Ahahaha, I crack myself up.
Maybe this is a little too true.

But I know, I know. If you actually made it past the goofy title and are now reading my post, you deserve a prize. Unfortunately, all I have left are free digital copies of After - Part One.

Okay, I'm sorry. I'll stop and get on with the news. Luckily for me, I actually have news to share!

First off, I now have my edited manuscript of part one, just emailed back to me earlier this week. Now it's time to reformat the eBook, reformat the paperback, redo the paperback cover, then get everything uploaded. Good times! It's a lot of checking and double checking, but at least the eBook should be uploaded by next weekend. No promises on the paperback. I still have issues when I start fooling around with the cover. It's not exactly cake for me right now, I just need a little more practice.

That being said, the preliminary ideas for the After - Part Three cover art are beginning to form! Green is the theme this time around. I'll be saving the reveal for this one until I send the manuscript off to the editor.

Not to get your hopes up too early just yet. The rewrites for After - Part Three are coming right along, but it's still way to early in the process for me to have an idea of when it will be published. I'm still shooting for 'before spring.'

Okay, one more productive day of the week, then I'm going to enjoy the weekend. Maybe finish up my Minecraft storage room, among other creative things I should be doing... ;)




Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Last Day!

As of this post, there's only 16 hours left to pick up After - Part Two on sale. Not sure when there'll be another sale, so you'll want to grab it now!

I hope everyone's holiday festivities are glorious!

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Other Worlds

Artwork by luke314pi 
Go then. There are other worlds than these.

It's been a while since I've done a review, but not for lack of reading... or - more truthfully - listening. I just haven't had time to curl up with a book lately, so my audible account (read wallet) has been getting a workout. I don't always do reviews on the mainstream books I read, they don't need them like us indie's need them, but I'd still like to talk about what I've been reading.

I've been on a huge Stephen King kick lately, as you may have guessed by the epic quote above. If you don't know what's its from, it first appeared in The Gunslinger, the first book in The Dark Tower series, and became a running theme throughout the books.

The Dark Tower series aren't the only books I've been listening too lately. I started with 11/22/63, a novel dealing with a worm hole that spit the main character out around the time of JFK's assassination, introducing the main conflict of the book. 11/22/63 was the first King book I've read in a long while. I think the one before that was Carrie a couple years back and then Rose Madder probably at least ten years ago. A very long stretch to go without reading a book from one of my 'favorite' authors.

Anyway, back to 11/22/63. I actually picked up this book at the same time a friend began her re-read, and as soon as I cracked it open (loaded it up on audible), I was drawn back in time. It was just so familiar. My friend said it best when she said, "It's like talking to an old friend."

This book really has a bold line drawn down the middle, separating it into two very distinct halves. The first half had me captivated, and I found I was listening to it every chance I could get as it built to its crescendo. It was a wild ride and gave me the story I craved. Once it was over, I still had the bulk of the book left to go and was wondering, where the hell do we go from here?

And the book changed... I lost interest for a while and didn't pick it back up for a few weeks. Final verdict, I would recommend this book for any King fan, along with those that like a good, gritty horror story thrown in with a solid time-travel backdrop... on the first half alone. It was excellent.

But here's the trap I fell into. The main character makes a visit to Derry in the last 1950s. All King fans should know what happened in Derry back in the late 1950s.

Pennywise...

So that's when I totally got sucked back into King's universe. The main character Jake actually meets a young Beverly Marsh and *beep beep* Richie Tozier. Anyone else visualizing a young Seth Green right now?

Artwork by raulman
King wasn't done blurring the lines yet. The main character actually has a run in with Pennywise's essence. It tries to bait him into the old ironworks, but Jake is having nothing of it. He nopes right the hell out of there, but the damage was already done. King had opened the closest doors inside my mind, and I was faced with my deep-seated psychological fears I thought buried long ago.

Kiddos, Stephen King corrupted an entire generation, leaving so many of us terrified of white-faced clowns. Slenderman doesn't hold a candle to Pennywise.

And then I purchased It on audible and began to listen. I had no idea how deep those claw marks in my psyche went, but after looking up old It movie clips on YouTube and reliving Georgie's excruciating death again, I was reminded why I stopped reading King. Because he friggen terrified me. Thus I was reminded why King is still one of my favorite authors. He is the master. 'Nuff said.

It segued into The Dark Tower, because this one I had left unfinished. Wasteland was the last that was published the first time I started reading the series, and many know there was a long hiatus between this book and the fourth book, Wizard and Glass, that wasn't published until six years later. I was off King by then, so never picked it back up until now.

I am thoroughly enjoying this read. I just finished up Wasteland and have finally started on Wizard and Glass and I finally know what happened with that damn train!! Ugh, talk about a cliffhanger. I was hanging for YEARS. I am aware of The Turtle mention in 11/22/63 as well as the references (origin?) of Pennywise in this series. I can't wait to get there!

And that is a very long update on my reading life right now, and a small tribute for this man that has created an entire universe that has webbed through all of his books and so many of his readers lives. It's awe inspiring. Words just can't describe the admiration I have for this man and his ability to put all his stories on paper.

Cheers, Mr King! Your story telling is truly exceptional and I am so thankful you have shared it with the world.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Only 2 Days Left!

Only two days left to pick up a digital copy of After - Part Two for only 99 cents!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I'll be back tomorrow with a real update.

Friday, December 20, 2013

Sale!




Is everyone excited and ready for the holidays? I'm definitely ready to sit down and relax a bit with the family. I hope everyone's plans for the holiday season are going well!


I'd also like to tell everyone that After - Part Two will be on sale through the week for only $.99. Don't wait! Grab it today! Remember you can always gift a copy to anyone as long as you have a valid email address for them.



On Sale Now!

Also, if you're new to the series, After - Part One is currently free with no end in sight! -- Although I do not think it will stay free if you 'gift' it, so watch out on that one.

If you're a paperback reader, After - Part Two is ready for purchase in print AND the matchbook feature of Amazon should allow you to download the ebook for free after you purchase the paperback. I haven't tested this out myself yet, so not sure how it works exactly.

That's all for today! Have a splendid weekend!


Thursday, December 12, 2013

The paperback has released!

Woohoo!

Get the paperback today!
Just in time! After - Part Two has been released in paperback. I just got my proof yesterday and approved it for the masses. I ordered mine in the matte finish, and have to say I didn't much care for it. Going back to the good ol' glossy and I have a few on order for Christmas gifts. Crazy good news, right?

I did opt in for the matchbook program for part two, but was informed it would take 2 to 5 days for it to link up, so for those of you who already purchased the ebook and was waiting to get an awesome deal on the paperback, sorry. Just a few more days to wait on that.

After - Part Three is going to be... fun... So much has changed since I wrote the first draft so I'm having to correct time lines and other fun things.

Did you know Ali had a bow at one point during the creative process? She never used it (Katniss she is not) and she only carried it around with her to for kicks. Freaks don't care much for fashion, so the whole idea got kicked to the curb. Let's face it, we are ALL better off that way.

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season! I still have some shopping to do. What the heck was I thinking playing reddit Secret Santa? I have no idea what to buy a complete stranger that lives halfway across the country. :(

Idea's anyone?

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

It's Live!

The professionally edited copy of After - Part Two (ebook) is now live! Woohoo!

I'm very pleased with how it turned out, so if you haven't grabbed your digital copy yet, it's all ready for you!

I know this is just a quick post, but I wanted to get the news out ASAP.

Monday, December 2, 2013

So Many Things

Can I breathe yet?

*gasp*

November was nothing but a blur. The publishing of After - Part Two, the surgery, the new job, selling the old house, moving into the new, Thanksgiving and NANO! It was all just too much. I'm surprised I didn't pass out from exhaustion at some point.

But now NaNoWriMo is behind us for another year! All of us wrimos have a fresh pile of jumbled words that we get to shake and wring out to see what will become of it. My regret was that I didn't get to participate in the NaNo festivities AT ALL this year. Pretty much if it wasn't house, job, or sleep related, I was typing (or, at times, speaking). It's the only way I could make it happen.

This year, I finished on the.. 28th? I can't even remember. Like I said, blur... but I know for the past couple of days I've taken the time to relax. Played some games with the family, watched some shows, and just let my brain dissolve into mush. Actually, I don't think I had much control over that last action. My brain pretty much checked out on me on its own. Like, I'm having one of those pull up to a stop-sign and sit there while waiting for the light to turn green kinda days.

So, what now?

Well, I have a few goodies to reveal. I think I've already mentioned this but I'll say it again. I have an editor! Not sure how excited everyone else is about it, but I am totally ecstatic. The really good news is that she's already finished with the part two edits, and you can expect them to be live on Amazon by this weekend. If you've already purchased the book, that's okay. I'll be requesting a push from Amazon to update all the other downloads, but I have been warned that it may take up to a month for this to actually go through.

Now that I have my professionally edited manuscript, formatting will begin on the paperback this week. I am hoping that I can have this available so that orders can make it to their destination by Christmas. Don't you know someone who would just love a paperback of After - Part Two as a stocking stuffer? *cheesy grin*

One last thing before I vamoose. If the editing news wasn't exciting enough, then hopefully this will leave you bouncing with anticipation. After - Part Three has now been compiled and is begging for the rewrites to get underway. You may have noticed the availability date being pushed out to the Spring of 2014. Remember, that is a tentative date, and I am going to do my best to get the third installment of After to you before then!

Toodles everyone! I'll be back to my regular schedule soon!