Mar 31
All is chaos. The Wee Horde rampages. Wee Dave has discovered an arcane and eldritch tongue, and casts incantations from grimoire for the amusement of Wee-er Dave, who delights at the mind-warping illusions created therefrom. Plants grow with no soil, and flesh is devoured uncooked. The natural laws are in abeyance for the duration. Water flows uphill, and burns. All is chaos, and there is no time. No time. No time. Read more
Mar 31
I hope everyone is coping all right with all the “changes” we’re seeing right now. Yes, the world has gone insane. There are those overreacting and thinking Covid-19 is going to lead to the end of the world as we know it. Others are overreacting and seeing conspiracies behind every statement and action. For this introvert, I spend an awful lot of my day simply shaking my head as I watch too many folks running around with their heads on fire. I’ll even admit to being a bit miffed (okay, it’s more than a bit and certainly more than miffed) that some folks I thought of as friends haven’t reached out to check on us after learning Mom may have been exposed to Covid-19 at church. Fortunately, so far, she is symptom free and we only have a couple more days until she’s in the clear (me too, since we live together).
I can’t speak for every blogger here or every writer out there, but I am seeing a positive trend from Covid-19. With more people home, they are looking for things to do. That means a number of them are looking for books to read. A number of authors, and even a few traditional publishers, have put their works on sale or listed them as part of Kindle Unlimited.
This is the first time I’ve dropped the price of pretty much my entire library. When I’ve done sales before, I have seen a day or two and then it flattened out. For the week or so my novels have been on sale, the numbers have continued to be fairly steady. While it would be nice to have these sales at full price, it is giving me some state points to look at and consider before pricing the next novel out.
So here’s the first set of questions for you. As a writer, have you put your work on sale to help readers fight boredom and not worry about their pocketbook at a time when they might be out of work?
Second question, as a reader stuck at home, are you looking for new books or new authors? How much are you willing to pay for someone you haven’t read before to get that first “taste”?
Now for a quick announcement. I have a new short story out today. Nocturnal Prey takes place after Nocturnal Revelations and will be one of several stories bridging the books already out in the series and the next story arc. I’m still working on the nuts and bolts of the background for the next arc. I hadn’t actually planned on writing Nocturnal Prey, but you know what my muse is like. She’s called Myrtle the Evil Muse for a reason.
Three years ago, Mackenzie Santos’ nightmare became reality. The world learned shapeshifters really do exist. Since then, Mac has worked hard to do her duty as a cop, as an alpha and as a mother. Now those duties all come spiraling together as she becomes the hunted. If she isn’t careful, not only will her life be forfeit but so will the lives of her daughter and all those she cares for.
Until later!
We also serve Martians!
We welcome free-spending apocalyptical looters and overlords with green skins. Come in and get a little something for the lovely tentacle-haired one in your life and your little bloodthirsty spawnlings, so you can go next time again! Tasteful multi-armed T shirts in many charming garish colors inscribed with ‘Martian, go home’ in several now-extinct earth languages. Well-tuned decorative nose-flutes, with a full range of delightful nails-on-blackboard shriek tones. The spawnlings will love them. Models of artistically dismembered of earth-native life-forms, commemorative ray guns and other humorous nick-nacks like the ever-popular exploding Sydney Opera House.
Please leave your war-machine outside. Anything you incinerate or vaporize, consider it bought by you. Read more
Mar 29
All stories have a conflict in them. Man vs. Man, Man vs. Nature, Man vs Himself . . . there are lots of possibilities. Some conflicts are universe-shaking, others are far quieter. The English have a sub-genre of domestic dramas nicknamed “Aga Sagas” after the Aga stoves found in many homes, which gives you a sense that the stories are not about saving the planet from invading alien hordes.
Which leads to a question about your conflict? Do you have an antagonist or a villain? The two are not mutually exclusive, but you do not have to have a villain in every story. Some don’t call for it. Read more
I’m doing something a little dangerous. I’m going to be making mistakes in public. I should probably wait, do all this privately, and then report back when I’m done, but… This is what I’m working on as a writer and an artist this weekend. You’re stuck with it. And, truthfully I’m going to give you more links to the resources I am pulling from than I am of my work itself this week. I’m simply not far enough along in this project to show my work. Although it shouldn’t take me long once I get plugging and playing with Affinity Publisher. Read more
I was very interested to read how bookstores are coping with the challenges of a coronavirus-hit economy. The BBC writes about “How bookshops are helping with isolation“. I’m going to quote from their article at some length, to illustrate how innovation and enthusiasm can compensate for other problems.
Mar 26
I think the best possible description of the current status is the song of the same name from the musical Jekyll and Hyde.
Yes, it’s remarkably gothic and angsty, but at the same time, oh so very accurate right now. Read more
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