He's at It Again!

As my most prolific client (and very dear friend) Tony Healey releases the latest installment of his Far From Home series, he is also working on the next step in his newer series The Fallen Crown, among other things. Therefore, I've invited him back to talk a bit about writing in installments and his current projects.

He's also got a giveaway brewing, so read down for information on that.

Spectre, #16 in the Far From Home series, is now available on Amazon

I've had phenomenal success with my sci-fi adventure series, Far From Home. I always envisioned it spanning three series, told through a mixture of serial-style episodes and short novels. And thrilling as it was to start plotting the third series out, I realised I would now have time (and energy!) to write the fantasy series I'd daydreamed about for over ten years.

My first attempt at the opening chapter fell flat and I deleted it. I started again. And again. And again. It took many attempts to get the voice right, to find my rhythm. But once it was there, boy was the book a blast to write. I took my time, enjoyed the process, and by all accounts had a real hoot writing The Bloody North. I truly believed it was my best work, and I sent it off to Laurie with my fingers crossed. Was I just deluding myself? Would the manuscript come back to me criss-crossed with furious red pen?

No.

Laurie loved it and proclaimed it the best thing I'd ever written. I have some other projects to do before I can get on to the second book, The Rising Fire. But the story is right there, at the back of my mind, bugging me. I can't wait until I can sit down and continue the story I've started, widen our view of the world in which The Fallen Crown series takes place. Introduce and explore more and more characters.

From the get-go I didn't want to be writing massive tomes, dealing with multiple characters. I wanted to tell the story in shorter chunks of 200-250 pages, each one dealing with either one main character or perhaps two to three at the same time. What I've wanted to write about for over a decade cannot be told in a simple trilogy. It will take many books, spanning many years in our characters' lives, before there's anything close to an ending. Eventually, I will be finished writing the final fifteen installments of Far From Home. The Fallen Crown will then get my full, undivided attention, and I foresee readers getting a new book every two months. But until then, I really want The Bloody North to reach as wide an audience as possible, which is why I'm asking for your assistance. In return, you could win signed goodies. All you have to do is visit my site, www.tonyhealey.com – everything you need to know is right there.

Don't get me wrong, The Bloody North is doing REALLY well, both in terms of sales and reviews. 90% of feedback is extremely positive. The Rising Fire will come out at the end of this year, and readers who have enjoyed The Bloody North will be thrilled with what's in store. Of course it will feature the same gritty action as Book 1 (that goes without saying!) and tease more of what is to come whilst, at the same time, being its own self-contained story.

I'm hijacking Laurie's blog today, to get you interested in The Bloody North because I truly believe in it. It really is my very best work so far, and I want you to read it. I want you to get a chance at owning a sexy signed paperback edition (and a chapbook of a free short story, "A Man With Purpose," that acts as a prequel). I think it's rocky ground for a writer to shout from the rooftops about his own work.

But, damn it, this one deserves the added attention.

The Bloody North is also available on Amazon

I second that. Thank you, Tony.

Happy Reading!

Survey

Hey y'all! This week's post comes from my need to settle a debate between one of my favorite authors and myself. It is 100% self-serving, and I am fully aware of that fact, so please don't leave any negative comments to chastise me. ;)

I would like to know what my readers think about my writing vs. my editing. I mean, if you didn't like my editing, you wouldn't purchase the books my clients produce, so I have some idea of what you all are looking for when it comes to putting out a piece of fiction. But this time, I'm looking for a bit of feedback regarding bylines.

Have you read Tony's FFH series yet?
This collaboration is set in the same Universe.

Some of the books I've helped produce in the past couple of years required little more than a quick proofread and feedback session; others have required a complete rewrite. In fact, I sent back one novel recently that I did completely rewrite because the author just did not seem to be "getting it."

Having said all that, I'm going to let you in on the big secret. I've teased you a bit with my latest writing project. (No, I do NOT mean my latest crochet book.) I am collaborating with Tony Healey on what will likely become a 90K-word novel, sci-fi, of course.

In the past, my work with Tony (We fondly refer to them as Healiberte productions.) has received only editorial credit regardless of my level of involvement. Some pieces were super-quick and got barely a once-over because he was able to bang them together with ease; a few required much more effort on my part because I know his style, his potential, and his standards.

This latest is a true collaboration right out of the gate. It's 50/50, give or take. Now, I'm not a person who requires, or even wants, the spotlight, but I was working and thinking this morning, and I wondered which would sell better: a book bearing Tony's name as writer and mine as editor, or a book that showed both of us as co-writers.

So please, take a moment to chime in and give me your feedback below or in an email to kindleallstars at gmail dot com and let me know what you think. Are you more or less likely to purchase a book that has BOTH our names on the byline?

Happy Reading!

The Pros and Cons of Serializing

One of my favorite authors, and definitely my favorite client (but don't tell him I said that), Tony Healey, sent this to me a while back. Since he and I are possibly collaborating on a serialized novel this year, I thought it appropriate that I should finally share it with you, my fearless readers.

Also, I love to tease you all and figure I'd hold off on the shoulder strap tutorial for my latest handbag pattern until next week. That gives you plenty of time to finish the body of the bag before we get started with the strap.

So, here's Tony sharing some of what he's learned about publishing throughout 2013:

********************

The Far From Home series was about twelve months work, writing one part at a time. I'd read about Hugh Howey doing it with his Wool series, and how it'd caught people's imagination. Being new to this writing lark, I really didn't think I'd be able to write a 50,000 word novel to begin with. Now I could, but not back then. So I chose to write the parts between 10 and 20,000 words each. A reasonable amount of work to do in a month – though now my output is about 40,000 a month.

It was slow going. Tedious. I found I got half way through, reached number six, and didn't want to carry on. Why had I said it would be twelve installments?

WHY???

But I soldiered on, found my mojo again and finished it up. And you know what? It was a resounding success. Each part was a best-selling title. Aided by the fact that Part 1: Legend was made permanently free by Amazon, the series sold in droves.

Some people took umbrage to the fact they had to buy all twelve installments individually, but on the whole readers were receptive and supportive of what I was trying to do.

So should you try it?

I'd advise caution.

Firstly, yes, serializing your work is a great idea. What better way to build an audience (and necessary experience publishing on Amazon) than to do so over a twelve month period? That slow build, that gradual creation of a large piece of work seems like an uphill struggle at the time. But once you're there, you really discover you've achieved something. Not only have you written a long work of fiction, you've gained readers along the way. People emailed me, wrote messages on my site and twitter on a daily basis to tell me they liked Far From Home.

They still do.

But this leads to me second point. It's hard work. It takes discipline. You can't let them down. Once they start buying the first couple, readers expect to see it finished. And you owe them that. You're the storyteller. You can't take their hard earned cash with one hand and wave goodbye with the other.

See it through. As I said above, there was a point where I got disheartened. I didn't want to carry on. But I did. It was the only thing I could do (and the best thing I could do).

There's the financial consideration, too. You'll be making money as you're writing it. Who else gets to write a long novel and get paid by the chapter these days? Nobody. The whole year I was writing Far From Home, I made a steady income (that increased as each part was released).

Do I think you should write a novel first, then serialize it? No. Why would you want to? The whole idea is to write it as you go, bit by bit. I don't think it's fair on a reader to write the work first, then split it into chunks purely for financial benefit. Some reviewers accused me of just that. They didn't realize I was actually writing it as I went. I had a rough outline for each part and a list of characters. That's it.

However, I would recommend writing them a little in advance. Make sure you are a month ahead of where you need to be so that if you fall ill, or something else comes up, you don't let your readership down.

Have a site, let people know what's coming. Get readers involved in reading the parts before they come out. I wrote many of my readers into the series as characters. Designed catchy, branded covers that tell people in once glance what they are. As my pal Bernard says in his manifesto for independent authors, "Provide excellent value for fair cost."

What he means by that is give people a good deal. I published twelve installments of Far From Home at $0.99c each. When I finished the first three, I packaged them together and offered it for $1.99. I did the same with parts four, five and six. It was my way of providing a cheaper alternative as they read the series. When I had completed all twelve, I unpublished the first two volumes as they were no longer needed. I then put all twelve together as Far From Home: The Complete Series and priced it at $2.99. So to me, that's a saving to the reader of $9.

It would've cost them $12 to buy the whole thing. Now they can get it for a scratch under $3. About the same as a cup of coffee.

Fair cost.

So in short, here is my advice if you'd like to try your hand at writing and publishing a work of serial fiction.

1. Write as you go, and make each part no less than 10,000 words to provide value for money. $0.99 for 10,000 words works out at about a penny a page. I think that's fair.

2. Realize this isn't a ride you can stop once you get on. You're on for the duration, so buckle up. Don't short change people. Be resilient. Stay the course. If you've told people it's going to be in six parts, then you'd better deliver six parts that rock their socks off.

3. Experiment. I tried new things throughout Far From Home. Some of it worked, some of it didn't. I'm a better writer now than when I started with part 1; that's for sure. You learn the trade as you go. Stir things up, and always leave the reader hanging. I tried to leave things on a cliffhanger when I could, though I wasn't always able to. Carefully craft your ending so that people want to find out what's coming next.

4. Use bold, simplistic covers that communicate what the serial is. Have a brand. Have a look you've decided on, and stick with it. If the covers don't look like members of the same family, readers will find it hard picking them out of the crowd. Presentation is 99.9% of the sale. A book may not be judged by its cover, but I believe it is sold by it. Without a good cover, you're dead in the water.

5. Do not write the serial first, you're cheating the reader. And you're cheating yourself in the long run. It's a unique experience. Embrace it. Let it do it's thing.

6. Offer each part at the cheapest price possible, then when it's all complete give readers a huge discount. Remember that having an audience of people actually reading your work is more important (always) than making the maximum profit. Let everyone know you're not there to rip people off. You're there to write, and have what you've written be read and enjoyed. Don't be greedy and deny yourself the joy of having people appreciate your work and the effort it took to create it.

These are the pros and cons of serializing. In short, I believe everyone who writes should have a go. But always finish what you started. And know that it's a headache once you're doing it – though the end result is worth it. Follow my points and you won't go wrong. Be consistent, be professional, be a writer who values his or her readership, and you'll be fine.

If you're the opposite of those things, don't even attempt a serial. You're not dead in the water, you've not even left the dock yet.

********************

Tony's latest project, whose official launch is today, is Edge of Oblivion, an anthology to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

Listen to podcast interviews conducted by contributor and author, David Hulegaard, here: http://bit.ly/1dmltXh

Happy Reading!

And You All Thought He Was Done

My pal, Tony Healey, and I have been working on the Far From Home series for such a long time that it's gotten more and more difficult to leave with each installment. This novel/novella was not supposed to be written, or released, for several months, but Tony couldn't help himself. After finishing the twelve-part serial, he thought he was ready to move on to something else for a bit. [spoiler alert] That's why the initial serial had a tight ending with very few loose ends.

But I guess Jessica King and her crew kept calling his name. So here it is, the first in a trilogy set in the Far From Home Universe, and you all get first peek at the first chapter. The book's Official Launch is today although hardcore FFH fans are already buying kindle copies.

**********

1.

Starbase 6 was a welcome sight as it loomed into view. The Defiant slowed from the tremendous speeds of exiting the Jump. As it approached the huge Union space station, Lieutenant Kyle Banks handled the helm controls of the ship with consummate skill.

Feels good to come back here, Captain Jessica King thought to herself. Like coming home.

After more than a year away on a mission of exploration, they had returned to Station 6 for some much needed supplies and minor repairs. The Defiant had also been promised a few upgrades, and Jessica fully intended on making sure she got them.

The old girl could use them, she thought. And the much needed rest . . .

"Starbase control has made contact, Captain," Ensign Olivia Rayne reported from the comm. station, her hand to her earpiece.

King nodded. "Patch me through."

She waited a few seconds for the connection to be made. "Captain Jessica King, Union Starship Defiant."

"Please state your prefix number," an artificial voice said.

"T.U. zero-one-one-three-eight," Jessica said.

There was a brief delay, then the voice announced that they were cleared to dock. "Docking bay three. Please do not exceed standard thruster speed."

"Close channel," King said.

Just like old times . . .

She looked ahead at the large, circular space station. Tall centrifuge at the centre, spokes extending out at the middle to form a wide outer ring. Along the ring were enough docking bays to accommodate up to twenty vessels, with many of the bays currently occupied.

Lieutenant Banks brought the Defiant – an old but well-kept Archon class battleship – to a relative crawl and lined up the port side with the slowly rotating docking ring. At one time, Archon class vessels had been the backbone of the fleet. Now they were little more than relics. While the Draxx war raged, they still had a purpose. But now, in this newfound era of interstellar peace, the Archons were slowly being taken out of service.

Decommissioned. Scrapped. Thankfully, there were no such plans for the Defiant.

Yet.

The thought of her being dismantled, ending up as salvage, made Jessica shudder.

"Aligning to dock," Banks reported, his voice taut with effort as he concentrated on the task at hand. Starbases were not designed to accommodate simple and easy docking manoeuvres.

"Keep her steady, Lieutenant. You know the drill."

"Aye," Banks said. His hands flitted over the controls, the Defiant edging to the left to butt up against the station. "I could do this with my eyes closed."

Jessica smiled. "Well, please refrain from doing so on this occasion, Banks. I'd like my ship kept in one piece for the time being. It'd be a shame to crash just before we park."

"Yes Ma'am," he said with a chuckle.

"Less than two metres clearance," Commander Chang reported from the science and tactical station to the Captain's right. The Defiant nestled up to the dock with a slight bump a moment later.

"Good job Mister Banks. Commander Chang, activate all moorings and equalize atmospheres," King ordered. She got up from the captain's chair. The Defiant was now under the momentum of the station itself, like a very heavy passenger on a merry-go-round. "Power down all non-essential systems. Commander, observe standard protocol."

"Yes Captain," Commander Greene said as he relayed her orders to the rest of the ship. Every department would shut down those systems that weren't needed while the Defiant underwent any repairs and refurbishments that had been scheduled for her.

"When the bridge is cleared, come and find me," Jessica told him.

The Commander nodded. Jessica ran her eyes over her team – Kyle Banks at the helm, Olivia Rayne at the comm. station, Lisa Chang at the science and tactical station, and Del Greene by her side as her second in command – and all she could feel was pride at having the fortune of serving with such a fine group of men and women.

"I'll be in my quarters," Jessica said as she left the bridge. "Well done everyone."

Click here to find Enigma on Amazon.com

**********

Huh. I thought the first chapter revealed a bit more than that. I suppose you'll just have to check out the book while you're waiting in those long lines at the mall.

By now, you all know Tony's bio. He's from England. So please, stop asking him to fire me because I don't catch his spelling errors. He writes in the Queen's English. They spell funny over there. ;)

Happy Reading!

It's All Over Now But the Tears . . .

It's really difficult for me to believe, but this serial that Tony and I began working on about fourteen months ago is finally done. Originally, it was to be released in twelve parts over the course of sixteen months, but I think Tony got restless to work on other projects, so he wrote, then had me edit, the last three segments in one go. Your benefit? No more waiting to see how it all ends. No more teasing. No more . . . just, no more. I'll miss working with Captain Jessica King and her crew, but I doubt it's the last any of us has seen of her, or them.

That said, I figured now would be a great time to revisit Chapter One of the first segment. Oh, if you want more, Far From Home 1: Legend is free on Amazon, as always. You'll also find Far From Home: The Complete Series finally gathered in one book which amounts to about 700 pages. If you're looking to grab the paperback rather than the Kindle, Tony was making a couple of corrections to the formatting and it should be available any day now.

If you haven't been following the series, but waiting for it in one whack, grab it now. If you HAVE been following, you are in for an ending that surprised even me. But I'll shut up before I spoil it and just let you start here:

Far From Home 1: Legend

Chapter One

Battered and bruised, the Defiant slowed on its approach to Starbase 6.

Commander Jessica King occupied the captain's chair. She’d hoped that one day she would get to sit in such a chair as Captain of her own vessel. She never once thought that the privilege of doing so would come at such a cost. It filled her with no joy to carry out her role as Acting-Captain in Andrew Singh’s absence, especially so considering he was lying on a mortuary slab two decks under her feet.

"Starbase has made contact, sir," Ensign Boi reported from the comm. station.

King nodded. "Okay Ensign. Patch me through."

She waited a few seconds for the connection to be made. "This is Commander Jessica King, Acting-Captain of the Union Starship Defiant."

"Please state your prefix number," a mechanical-sounding voice said on the other end.

"T.U. zero-one-one-three-eight," she said.

There was a brief delay, and then the voice announced that they were cleared to dock. "Docking bay three. Please do not exceed standard thruster speed."

"Close channel," King said.

She looked ahead at the large circular space station. It was a tall centrifuge at the centre, with spokes extending to a wide outer ring. Along the ring were enough docking bays to accommodate up to twenty vessels. There were several ships already docked, all much larger than the Defiant. That wasn’t to say the Defiant was a small ship.

But she was old.

At one time the Archon Class vessels had been the backbone of the fleet. Now they were relics twenty years past their sell-by date. If the system-wide war between the Union and the Draxx didn’t still rage on, they’d have been decommissioned and retired already.

Still didn’t stop us holding our own in a fight, did it? King thought. She might be old, but she’s got it where it counts.

"Banks, I think I can leave the parking in your capable hands?" King asked as she got up from the captain's chair.

Lieutenant Kyle Banks swiftly worked the controls across the front helm console.

"I’ve got it covered," he said.

"Good. Then I will be below decks," she said.

The bridge crew looked up from their stations, but when she looked around at them they hurried back to their assigned duties.

King walked toward the exit. Insulation and wiring had erupted from the ceiling during the battle and hung like copper intestines in places. She ducked beneath it on her way out, her feet crunching on bits of broken plastic and glass.

On her way to her quarters she passed the scorched carcasses of burned-out conduits, pipes that were still dripping onto the deck plating from leaks that hadn’t yet been attended to.

The ship had taken a beating, it was true. She was proud of the crew, and of the ship itself, for pulling through. They hadn’t run away from the battle like cowards. They faced the danger and hit back with what they had.

Several crew saluted as she strode past them. She quickly saluted back.

It lifted her spirits, despite all that had happened, to see the crew still going about their duty as they were meant to. The men and women she passed looked tired, dirty, some of them injured. But they carried on with grim determination and a sense of duty. King walked with a determined gait, showing the pride she felt for her crew.

When Jess got to her quarters she headed straight for the shower to freshen up quickly before her debriefing. She knew that Admiral Grimshaw would want to hear the full account of what had gone on despite having a copy of her report already on his desk. He would demand to hear it first-hand from someone who was knee deep in it all. The fleet had lost a brilliant Captain, and there were questions that must be answered.

In her quarters, she got out of her dirty uniform. Standing in front of the mirror in her tiny bathroom she looked tired, beaten.

Her temple carried a long cut from when a Draxx missile had hit the side of the Defiant, sending her flying against a bulkhead. Dr. Clayton had yet to treat it properly.

Her eyes were red, ringed with dark, puffy circles. During the journey to Starbase 6 King had done her fair share of grieving for Captain Singh. But she knew there would be more to come at some point. That loss was an open wound. Over time it might heal a bit, but never enough so you didn’t know it was there.

She stepped into the shower and tried to wash the difficulties of the last week away. But they were in there with her. She stood under the stream of the water, bowed her head, her hands up against the tiles. She started to sob. In the shower no-one could see her. No-one could hear her. In the shower she had privacy to give freedom to the grief.

King could still see him lying there on the deck, dying in her arms. She could still hear his final words . . . 

The mangled mess of his legs. The blood pooling from his mid-section. His face grey, washed-out. Tears streamed down her face.

Her voice cracked as she spoke. "Please don’t go, please."

Captain Singh shook his head slowly. Smiled. "Jess . . . We each have our time. My own is at an end . . ."

"No . . ." she managed to say.

Singh reached up, stroked the side of her face. "Now it is your turn to do as much as you can with the time you have . . ."

He smiled again, then his eyes seemed focus on something far away. The light in them faded. Singh’s hand fell away from hers and the sound of his last breath issued slowly from between his lips.

"No . . ."

She felt the thud of the ship as it jutted up against the docking bay. She came back to reality, regained her composure and set about washing herself, then got out of the shower.

She walked to the comm. unit on the wall, pressed the button that opened a direct line to the bridge.

"Bridge," she said. "Equalise the pressure seals and reduce all systems to idle status. I’ll meet all senior crew members at airlock four in fifteen minutes, so be sure to have your stations locked down. Please inform Chief Gunn and Dr. Clayton to be there also."

"Aye aye sir," a voice reported back to her. It was Lieutenant Banks.

Jessica closed the channel. Again she stood in front of the mirror.

Now she looked better. Not great, but better. Less tired and dishevelled. More like a woman. It felt good to be washed, wearing a clean uniform.

"Let’s get this over with," she told her reflection.

**********

Tony Healey is a born and bred Brightonian. He is married and has three daughters. 

For the latest on Tony's various projects, visit his site www.tonyhealey.com

Happy Reading!

Two Favorite Authors and a BOGO

When my two favorite authors collaborate, you know there has to be a guest blog. Take it away, Tony:

BUY ONE GET ONE DEAL: SUN HAMMER PARTS 1 AND 2

If anyone had told me a year ago that an idea I had for a sci-fi serial would be an international bestseller . . . I’d have laughed.

But that’s what happened.

Every instalment of FAR FROM HOME has hit to the Top 100 in its category without fail upon release. Its readers number in the thousands, and those numbers continue to rise.

I’m not boasting. But as an experiment in serialization, nobody can argue that the series is a resounding success.

So it was inevitable that I’d team up with another successful author, who just so happens to have his own sci-fi series.

Bernard Schaffer and I have known each other a couple of years now, and I not only view myself as a fan of his work, but as his pupil in many ways. I learn more about the craft with each book he publishes.

Seriously, the guy has not peaked yet. He’s not even half way up the mountainside. Bernard calls his writing ‘weaponized words,’ and you just can’t argue with that.

Our writing styles are completely different . . . and yet as we came to realise when we worked on this collaboration, they sort of complement one another.

I shot a suggestion across Bernard’s bow a few months ago with regards to teaming up, maybe having a two-part story that crossed from my universe to his, or vice versa. He was instantly excited by the idea, and we emailed back and forth to work out a story that would take an antagonist from the FAR FROM HOME universe to that of his GRENDEL UNIT.

We each wrote a rough draft, then shared it with one another – something neither of us ever does. As Stephen King says, “your first, rough draft is your own private domain. It happens behind a closed door.” But with this project it was essential we read where we both were and made notes, suggested changes.

We fired some more emails, then set about rewriting.

Finally, we worked with the wonderful (and hardcore) Laurie Laliberte to make the two pieces shine.

The two halves are called:

FAR FROM HOME & GRENDEL UNIT: SUN HAMMER PART 1

and

GRENDEL UNIT & FAR FROM HOME: SUN HAMMER PART 2

respectively. And as a special offer this Sunday and Monday, I am making Part 1 FREE on Kindle. This way you’re getting a TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE deal.

Hopefully you’ll enjoy it enough to grab Part 2 and see how the story ends.

This two-part collaboration is very much a stand-alone tale in each universe, meaning you don’t have to have read either of them before to enjoy it.

It’s a good old fashioned romp in space, and I swear Bernard rocked my socks off the first time he sent Part 2 for me to read.

Grab SUN HAMMER PART 1 for FREE in US.

OR grab SUN HAMMER PART 1 for FREE in UK.

And why not get SUN HAMMER PART 2 for ONLY $0.99 in US?

Or get SUN HAMMER PART 2 for ONLY £1.01 in UK.

Thank you for reading. And thank you to Laurie for letting me post here once again.

Happy Reading!

Freefall by Tony Healey

Gale of water

Air

He plummets,

Down, down, down,

Pulled

Freefalling.

Stepping from the ledge

Of the plane,

Is the same,

As falling back from the edge

Of a boat.

Aerodynamics

Rate of fall

They are the same

It’s slower under water

The ocean gets darker,

So too does the sky,

As the ground rushes up beneath.

He sinks and sinks,

Colder, darker,

The fall is slow, gradual,

A dive.

A fall, a dive

Different names for the same thing

An act of faith

Something he would do

In the state he is in

A man who no longer fears anything

A man on the edge, on the ledge,

Falling, diving, sinking,

A man in Freefall

Find out more about Tony at http://tonyhealey.com/

#amediting #amwriting #amforgetful

Wow. The past few weeks have been a flurry of activity. Even more than usual.

I moved...again...into what I hoped would be a more permanent location. Wrong. (I'll be moving once more pretty soon.)

I've been editing like a demon with my butt on fire. I think I've published five books in the past three weeks as I also try to work on another project that is so sorely behind I think the author is going to skewer me.

I'm looking at ghost writing three novels/novellas myself this year. Yeah, about that: I've never wanted the spotlight, so finding an opportunity to ghost write under an already-established pen name allows me to flex my writing muscles without having to claim credit. Perfect!

I'm also exploring the possibility of doing more developmental editing work. That would mean I'd be much more involved in the plotting and planning of the book. You see, I personally lack that discipline that a really great novel requires of its writer, but the quality of my writing (IMHO) is top notch. So I can bring to the table a voice, while a writing partner can bring the story and flow.

So when I come to you with my tail between my legs and humbly beg your forgiveness for forgetting to write a post, please remember this one and follow this link so you may see what I've been up to. It will take you to Amazon where you can see a (partial) list of my projects, both as a writer and as an editor.

Happy Reading!

Please remember that Carnival of Cryptids is live.
All proceeds will be donated to the National Center for  Missing and Exploited Children.

The Next Big Thing

So we all know I'm not a huge fan of these chain blog things, but my pal Toni Dwiggins rarely asks me for anything, so when she does, there's a 99.999% chance that I'm going to say yes.

That said, this Next Big Thing thing is actually kind of a fun idea. The deal is that I send you back to the blog of the person who tagged me (she's awesome, so read all about her book, the latest in her forensic geology series); then I answer a few questions about my latest book (I can do that); then I send you forward to a group of my friends.

Problem is, I was apparently not persuasive enough to get five of my writer buddies to participate. Oh well.

Here's the link to Toni's blog: http://tonidwiggins.com/page3.php

And here's my series of questions:

What is the title of your next book?

I actually don't yet have a "next book" in the works yet. I've floated ideas back and forth with a co-writer, but nothing strong enough to even talk about has materialized yet. Therefore I'll answer the remaining questions based on the one book I do have out there, Strange Kisses, which is a collection of shorts.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

A friend suggested I should write some erotica. So I did.

What genre does your book fall under?

Some people would call it erotica, some romance, I fondly refer to it as "straight-up porn."

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

Heh, I have a feeling it would be a direct-to-video release. I never intended for my characters to be specific people, so they don't really have physical descriptions. The intention was to allow the reader to imagine whomever they wanted in each role.

What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

It's a quick, fun read designed to get your blood pumping, but there's a depth the average reader doesn't see.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I self-published it, more as a challenge to myself than anything else.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

The short story that sparked the whole thing hung around for years, but when I decided to pull together an anthology, start to finish, maybe about three months. Because I'm primarily an editor, my own writing tends to get stuck on a back burner while I'm busy working everyone else's writing. (But I'm not complaining. I love editing.)

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Surprisingly, my influences don't necessarily come from my genre. There's Safe With Me by Shaina Richmond, but our styles aren't that similar. My biggest influences come from the writers for whom I edit. William Vitka and Tony Healey both affected the way I string sentences these days and they both write sci-fi/horror/pulp.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Aaron Bloom gave me the nudge I needed. He sort of planted the seed that got me thinking I should just go ahead and do it.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

It's absolutely filthy, like, Fifty Shades filthy, but the difference is that I know better than to release a book without having it properly edited first.

Now, visit a few of my buddies:

Joshua Unruh

Tony Healey (Yeah, Toni D. got to him first so this is a total cheat.)

William Vitka

If anyone else gets back to me, I'll update. Until then, pretend I can't count to five. I'm an editor, not a mathematician.

Happy Reading!

Far From Home

For more details about the Far From Home
series, including a timetable for upcoming
releases, visit Tony's website.

You're all used to this by now. I post a quick little story about a book I've worked on, then tell you to go buy it. In this case, I'm going to tell you to go download it for free.

Tony Healey's latest project is a ship-based sci-fi adventure that he and I (okay, more me than him) are having way too much fun with. It's camp. It's pulp. It's a bit old school. It's a lot of homage to the numerous TV series that influenced both of us as kids. It's the many Star Treks, Star Wars, Buck Rogers, and Battlestar Galacticas. It's a fun romp through 1970s and 1980s television (and movies) with just a touch of the 1990s thrown in for good measure.

The first volume, Legend, is free on Amazon and Smashwords. The second, Commander, is available in both locations for a mere $1.99. The third, Hero, is currently in the works and should be hitting my desk any day now in time to be edited for its October release. The remaining nine installments will be spread across the next thirteen months, then the entire saga will be released in December 2013 as one large volume.

That's the plan anyway.

Follow us as we travel, won't you? But be prepared. We'll be straying Far From Home.

Happy Reading!

(By the way, as a personal favor, once you've read this terrific adventure, please consider leaving a review on Amazon and/or Smashwords. Reviews are like gold to indie authors. Good reviews are like platinum.)

Boldly Going... and Going... and Going...

I really had no intention of doing this all so quickly, but I finished another project this week that's near and dear to my heart. Therefore I must share. My buddy Tony Healey is getting to be a permanent fixture around here, with good reason. I love the way he writes. Even if he didn't pay me to read his work, I would. Editing him is simply a bonus associated with my awesome job.

So I am filled with pride to be able to say that we've completed another project together. This one, unlike the rest, is actually the first in a twelve part series entitled Far From Home. Installment number one, Legend, went live on Smashwords and Amazon on Friday, August 10, a full ten days ahead of schedule.

Far From Home is set in the same literary universe as his previous novel The Stars My Redemption, but it's not a sequel. I'm not privy to all of the plans Tony has for the series, nor do I want to be. I prefer to experience a first read of an author's work the same way most readers do: ignorant of any writerly intent. That said, I can't wait to see Volume 2: Commander.

I've gushed enough. If you'd like to see what all the fuss is about, take a run over to Smashwords and download a FREE copy of Legend. And if you're so inclined, Tony and I would be eternally grateful if you would inform Amazon that you got it cheaper elsewhere. (Due to contractual obligations, writers must charge at least .99 per copy for books unless they are part of Amazon's KDP Select program.) By informing them, you'll help us to ensure that this volume will be available for free there as well.

THEN pop over to Tony's website for news and information about the series including updates regarding availability of future volumes.

While you're at it, we'd also love to have you post a review.

What? You'd like to read my review? It's right below the cover art, just scroll down.

I know it's bad form for someone who's directly involved with a book to write review, but I assure you, I am an editor, not a ghost writer.

I'm also already quite attached to its characters. I love that the main character is female. That she's strong but vulnerable. That she's got a depth of which we catch glimpses and discover bit by bit.

While it's intended to be the stage-setter for a continuing saga, this book is so much more than that. Legend begins in battle and carries you through the toughest few days this crew has ever faced. It's fast paced, emotional, full of surprises, and very well written.

Most important: it's squeaky clean. Created for an intelligent reader from teen to infinity, this book, and I expect this series, is wholly satisfying on multiple levels.

Happy Reading!