The best laid plans of mice and men... and overworked writers who bite off more than they can chew

Posted on July 16, 2019 (Subscribe to Blog)

Well, hello!

I expect (and hope!) you've been wondering where I've been these past few months. The truth is, quite a few things have got in the way of my writerly life. Projects have been delayed, blogging has been at a standstill, sales have been up and down, and so on.

Here's a quick recap on stuff...

Sleep Writer

In my last post (back in May!), I was excited about serializing my Sleep Writer series. Now, a few months later, I've unpublished those episodes.

Why? Various reasons, but mainly because I started to realize how hard it would be to get reviews on each short novella, and what a mammoth task it would be to promote the serial at the same time as the main series of novels. Basically, I figured out I was diluting my time, reviews, and even my sales rank by offering two different ways to buy the books.

So that project is over. But it was fun while it lasted, and I loved coming up with the covers and titles. It was actually a pretty rewarding experience in a lot of ways. A huge thanks to all those who bought the mini-books or downloaded via Kindle Unlimited. And never fear -- you'll get to continue the series with the newest book due out soon.

Speaking of which...

Aliens Undead (Sleep Writer 5), was originally due out August 16 (ie. tomorrow). Note that I said was. I'm afraid that won't be happening now. About two thirds of the book are completely finished and proofread, but the last third is not done, and the book won't be fully ready until mid-September. I feel bad about it, but (sigh) time has just gotten away from me this year.

It'll be worth the wait, though. Fans of the series will understand when I say that Liam, Ant, and Madison can't keep their alien events secret forever, and the proverbial poop hits the fan in this latest installment. Aliens Undead features giant bugs and, perhaps not surprisingly, zombie aliens.

I actually have Book 6 mapped out too, though this one will be an early-2020 project.

Island of Fog

Journey of Magic (Island of Fog 11) is due out later this year. I've written a few chapters already and am very excited about it. It features a bizarre island at the edge of the world full of creatures inspired by folklore from East Asia. I thought my books already contained all the popular mythical creatures, but when you look to the horizon, there's a long, long list of monsters I haven't even touched on yet. In Japan, most of the supernatural creatures that pop up in myth and urban legend are known as yokai, a sort of umbrella term that encompasses them all. And what a menagerie of ghouls they have!

I can't wait to explore the land Hal and his friends visit. As I said, I've written a few chapters already, and the shapeshifting gang has already sailed over the edge of the world with a crew of goblins. That's where the journey of magic starts.

Space novel rattling around in my head

Since I have so much time on my hands (because a website design job, a bit of construction work when I can fit it in, proofreading, editing, and writing my own books isn't quite enough, and sleeping is overrated anyway) I have plans to write a comedy space romp. I think it'll be a novella, and if it works out, I'll expand it into a series of some kind.

I have partial ideas. One involves an annoying time loop, and another a visit to a skyscraper where time travel is needed just to get around the building.

All my books are in Kindle Unlimited now!

Yes, that's right. Sales on other platforms like Nook, Kobo, and Apple have been okay this past decade, but these days it's just so... meh. So I decided to take all my books off those platforms for a few months and try Kindle Select, which means going exclusive with Amazon and allowing my books to be borrowed for free (with a Kindle Unlimited subscription).

So, this is big news indeed. Is it good news? That depends on you. Not everyone likes Amazon, and I get that. But this is something I have to try.

Next Chapter Con

I'll post more about this later, but an author friend is hosting a convention! After going to numerous sci-fi and fantasy conventions, Kenyon T Henry got the idea in his head to host a convention of his own, only this one would be geared mainly toward authors. It's being held at the Colonnade Center in Ringgold, GA, on September 7, and we currently have 40 authors along with a voice-over artist, cover artist, and more.

I say "we" because I somehow volunteered to help. At first I was reluctant, knowing it would take a lot of time. But I couldn't resist offering to help out with things like the website, ad graphics, and so on.

The buzz is buzzing, and it should be a really good first event. If you happen to be local to the area or passing through Georgia early September, come on by and see us. It's only $5 for entry. I'll be there with my books along with many others.

Check out the website at Next Chapter Con.

I'll post again soon, I promise.

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