I started this blog on August 21, 2012, with the release of my first book, Titan Encounter. Most of those posts are now in what I call the “Early Blog.” I’m gradually updating their format and bringing them into this new journal. Back then the sole purpose of the blog was to promote my books, but gradually that changed.
That’s how it started but, over the years, I’ve mused about other things that are important to me, such as my family, my farm, rural life, and occasionally about politics and country. However, I try to limit the politics in this journal. If you want to know more about my political leaning go to The Conservative Alternative.
All I can do is smile when Amazon tries to sell me one my own books.
This happens more often than you might think. Every few days I go and check each of my books to see if there are new reviews and to ensure everything on the page is correct and working.
Read MoreMarketing and publicity are part of being an author but, like most writers, I avoid them.
I’d rather stay in my office typing my next story than go to a party or even most meetings with other authors. It’s not as if I hate people. I don’t but, like most writers, I’m an introvert.
Read MoreLast night I sat at the dining room table and signed books.
Earlier, I had made a list of 39 people that would be receiving one, or more, of my novels. When all the books came from the printer on the same day I decided to just sit down, sign, and mail them all.
Read MoreI imagined the story as more than an audiobook with at least a female and male voice actor and even some sound effects. It would then be a hybrid, or as it is called in the industry, a multi-cast, more than an audiobook, but less than a full radio play.
Read MoreOne of the hardest tasks for a mid-list or indie author is just getting noticed.
In this digital age, there are more authors writing more stories than ever before. So, no matter how interesting and entertaining my stories might be, it is difficult to spread the word and find readers.
Read MoreFinal Duty has been redesigned, retitled, re-priced and re-released.
The new title is Final Duty – The Speculative Fiction Anthology. The new book contains everything the old one had, including the title novella Final Duty and the short stories Infinite Darkness and The Promise. However, I’ve added lengthy excerpts from both of my novels, Through Many Fires and Titan Encounter.
Read MoreAmazon sent me an email today.
There is nothing unusual about that. I’m a good customer. I must buy a novel or non-fiction book on something every week.
Today’s email listed novels in the science fiction genre and said, “…you might be interested in these items.” But, the books Amazon thought I might be interested in brought a smile to my face.
Read MoreToday, Final Duty - The Alien War Anthology, my second book, appeared on both the Amazon.com Kindle Science Fiction anthology and the short story bestseller lists. Final Duty has been on the anthology bestseller list for four days.
Read MoreAs a new author what I need most of all is for people to read my stories. I’m confident that if they do read my work they will spread the word and buy later novels. So, this week I have been promoting Titan Encounter and Final Duty in various ways.—and it has paid off!
Read MoreLeaving Eek during the winter is always an iffy proposition. Since we travel in small bush planes, if it is too foggy or windy we can’t fly, but, fortunately, the weather should be good on Thursday. However, the runway lights are broken at the airfield and no one seems to be able to fix them so we must leave during daylight. There isn’t a lot of daylight up here right now.
Read MoreThree stories, all separated by time, planets, and events, but tied together by war. I’ve been working on a novella and two short stories that I wrote long ago, but never released. I felt they were excellent stories, but I never knew what to do with them. In the end, I decided to publish the stories, totaling about 27,000 words, in a single volume. All are firmly set in the military science fiction subgenre. Here is a synopsis of each.
Read MoreToday, I'm rereading and editing three short stories that I wrote while in I was in the navy.
I want to release them in 2013 as an anthology. The first story in this group, The Promise, was written while I was on deployment with the USS Sterett (CG-31) in the western Pacific. I’m certain that writing this story while living in the confined grayness of a navy ship gave it an added sense of realism.
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