A fellow writer goes all emotional on the fact that John Locke did buy reviews. The man bought hundreds reviews to pimp up his stories. Sure this is bad, very bad, and not truthful to the readers that fell for these reviews and bought his books, and especially not for those that disliked his stories, however it does not change the stories he wrote. It's still the same stories and they'll eventually have to stand on themselves. If he proves to be a hack writer he eventually will sell nothing more, but if his stories are good he'll still be selling even after this poop that did surface.
Barry Eisler had a nice comment on the blog post: "I'm sorry, but this is just too much.
Reading is a "profoundly intimate experience… sacred… [and] the ultimate act of trust"?
I
don't know. Off the top of my head, I would have voted for making love
(particularly the first time), or allowing someone to operate on my
infant child, or knowing someone has my back in battle and will die to
protect me, or choosing the person I want to be by my side when I die.
But that's just me, and I suppose these things are idiosyncratic.
"As both a writer and a reader, I find this entire thing utterly repulsive."
Not
just concerning, disturbing, ethically wrong, and such? Are you not
concerned that you'll have no superlatives left should you be called
upon to comment when, for example, a priest rapes an altar boy, or when
religious lunatics hold a rally at the funeral of a dead soldier
claiming he was killed because God Hates Fags, or when a politician lies
the country into war?"
Read the rest in the comments section.
I also did post a comment, guess which one. ;)
Friday, August 31, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Zombie Scare
Zombie Scare, a zombie short story I wrote a while ago. It was fun to write and more fun yet to see how my writing, polished by my copy editor, reads tight and packing.
It's available today August 29th at amazon.com for $0.99, however if you one of my loyal readers you will be reading this post in time to get it for free on August 30th and 31th.
Description:
Jacobs and Smith, two police officers from Maine, set a pointless roadblock to catch potential drunk drivers coming from a festival held in town.
The night is dark and long, and boredom sets in. Looking forward to return home, they spend their time chit chatting about recent events.
Though the night doesn't stay uneventful—things turns out darker for them, ending in a climax neither was expecting
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It's available today August 29th at amazon.com for $0.99, however if you one of my loyal readers you will be reading this post in time to get it for free on August 30th and 31th.
Description:
Jacobs and Smith, two police officers from Maine, set a pointless roadblock to catch potential drunk drivers coming from a festival held in town.
The night is dark and long, and boredom sets in. Looking forward to return home, they spend their time chit chatting about recent events.
Though the night doesn't stay uneventful—things turns out darker for them, ending in a climax neither was expecting
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Sunday, August 26, 2012
WIP Gone World 3
I've rewritten this short story about three times now. First two times were because I thought the beginning to be boring, so about 4k words in I started again from the beginning. I can't say I won't change it up a little more and fill it with more action. It's difficult for me to write from the Russian POV being I'm evidently not Russian and that I like my rebel characters better, but it's slowly turning up into a nice story. At least I finished the book cover.
What do you think? Nice or great? ;)
First little tweaking:
Some more tweaks:
And there I go again do some tweaking:
What do you think? Nice or great? ;)
First little tweaking:
And there I go again do some tweaking:
Thursday, August 23, 2012
What to Live For
Description:
A man loses everything: his life, his love. Pent up with hurt and regret, he makes the drastic choice to end it all. However, a strange thing happens, and he gets a second chance. Will he grab it and choose life, or is death a tempting seductress he can't deny?
Remade the cover (title is not readable in thumbzise):
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Red Impish Demon
I published Red Impish Demon on Amazon for the price of $0.99 and on 23th of august it will be available for free on Amazon.
Description:
Lance Magon, a librarian who lives his life as best as he can, is happily married.
However, things change for the worst, and he finds himself in a shady town and in a shadier building standing in front of a door to an apartment containing a nightmare.
Opening the door will change his life drastically, for the better he hopes, but since when did making a deal with the devil ever improve one's life? Maybe, just maybe, Lance will outwit the demon, but at what expense?
Monday, August 20, 2012
New cover for 'Death's Given Chance'
'Death Given Chance' is a short story I never really gave a chance, deep down I don't want people to read it because within it there is a little part of me that I put behind me but still wound in the story. So I gave it the worst book cover I could possibly make and didn't get it edited. However I decided that if I want to write and publish I should not hold back and I certainly should deliver the best I can to any potential reader, so I'll be puting this one up for editing and in the meantime I've made a new bookcover.
Old cover (horrendous really):
New cover (much more edgy):
It's obvious which one I like the most, but you be the judge and tell me which one you like the most.
Old cover (horrendous really):
New cover (much more edgy):
It's obvious which one I like the most, but you be the judge and tell me which one you like the most.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
What got 'The WAR Z: The Survivor MMO' got to do with wrting
Warning: Unlike with any other blog post I write, with this one I will just let the words flow out without paying any mind to editing, spelling, and grammar, because how can one do different with a mind full of excitement on the prospect of soon playing the WAR Z a zombie survival MMO. Hey, real digital life the walking dead will be happening in that game.
This is one game that I hope will come out after Christmas. Don't think that this means I don't want it out now, because I really do want it in my hands right now. I want to immerse myself in the game, playing many characters, many types of good guys, bad guys, and inbetween guys. I want my Otis to my Shane, to knee cap a poor bastard and see him chowed down by a horde of stinking zombies while I limp away all serious-like, and after I'm safely back at camp I'll lie through my teeth that he tripped and them damn walking dead got him good. Though I would only do so in a game. I'm not really horrible like that in real life. I would just run faster, because a guy chubby like Otis would have no chance keeping up with me and would eventually be eaten anyway. I wouldn't even have to lie, I would say the truth, he was slow and these damn stinking walking dead got him and ate him up good while I watched and smoked a cigarette. Yeah a man need to rest if he gets a chance while running away from zombies.
Anyway I'm deviating . I want this game out after Christmas because if it happens before that it will mess up the many things I got planned to do. With this game out early it will rob me of many hours that I should be spending instead on writing. This November I'll participate in Nanowrimo and plan to write a novel in one month time and have it publish (certainly after having it edited) on Amazon and Createspace before Christmas or on Christmas. It would be swell if my new monster baby gets born on the same date baby Jesus allegedly was born.
The story of course will be about zombies, well actually about a boy and a girl trying to survive the zombie apocalypse. I wanted to write a zombie novel for a while now, but so far I've only written zombie short stories. So yeah, I can't have the distraction of a zombie game or else I'll be reliving zombie life through the game instead of writing zombie. I already had great difficulty getting myself off the DayZ IV.
I'm already working on the cover design and tried my hand in creating a zombie cover, but I'm not there yet. So far I've made this one:
I'm really not satisfied with this cover. I want to make it a little bit more surreal than real... I'll see what I can do. I might look into and compare other book covers, maybe I'll get a better idea what to do to make a great zombie cover.
September I'll be publishing-for the first time-a print book, the experience in making that one will help me for when I have to do the same with my zombie novel. It looks easy formatting a book and making a cover for a print version, but it's not. Formatting an e-book is easy, a real paper one has a steeper learning curve, but by the time my novel is ready I'll have the knowledge to format a novel for print in less than four hours.
I will be busy these coming months and will have almost no time to game, it will be work, work, work, luckily I like writing so it won't be that bad.
*For those that managed to read through this dredge of text now understand why I hire an editor to clean up my mess. ;)
This is one game that I hope will come out after Christmas. Don't think that this means I don't want it out now, because I really do want it in my hands right now. I want to immerse myself in the game, playing many characters, many types of good guys, bad guys, and inbetween guys. I want my Otis to my Shane, to knee cap a poor bastard and see him chowed down by a horde of stinking zombies while I limp away all serious-like, and after I'm safely back at camp I'll lie through my teeth that he tripped and them damn walking dead got him good. Though I would only do so in a game. I'm not really horrible like that in real life. I would just run faster, because a guy chubby like Otis would have no chance keeping up with me and would eventually be eaten anyway. I wouldn't even have to lie, I would say the truth, he was slow and these damn stinking walking dead got him and ate him up good while I watched and smoked a cigarette. Yeah a man need to rest if he gets a chance while running away from zombies.
Anyway I'm deviating . I want this game out after Christmas because if it happens before that it will mess up the many things I got planned to do. With this game out early it will rob me of many hours that I should be spending instead on writing. This November I'll participate in Nanowrimo and plan to write a novel in one month time and have it publish (certainly after having it edited) on Amazon and Createspace before Christmas or on Christmas. It would be swell if my new monster baby gets born on the same date baby Jesus allegedly was born.
The story of course will be about zombies, well actually about a boy and a girl trying to survive the zombie apocalypse. I wanted to write a zombie novel for a while now, but so far I've only written zombie short stories. So yeah, I can't have the distraction of a zombie game or else I'll be reliving zombie life through the game instead of writing zombie. I already had great difficulty getting myself off the DayZ IV.
I'm already working on the cover design and tried my hand in creating a zombie cover, but I'm not there yet. So far I've made this one:
I'm really not satisfied with this cover. I want to make it a little bit more surreal than real... I'll see what I can do. I might look into and compare other book covers, maybe I'll get a better idea what to do to make a great zombie cover.
September I'll be publishing-for the first time-a print book, the experience in making that one will help me for when I have to do the same with my zombie novel. It looks easy formatting a book and making a cover for a print version, but it's not. Formatting an e-book is easy, a real paper one has a steeper learning curve, but by the time my novel is ready I'll have the knowledge to format a novel for print in less than four hours.
I will be busy these coming months and will have almost no time to game, it will be work, work, work, luckily I like writing so it won't be that bad.
*For those that managed to read through this dredge of text now understand why I hire an editor to clean up my mess. ;)
Friday, August 17, 2012
Bad Zombie, BAD!
My poor attempt making a zombie book cover for a novel I plan to write. I've ample time improving the book cover before the novel is finished, but I really want an epic design, something surreal. It will be a challenge, a challenge almost as big as writing the novel itself.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Another cover update
Reading Dean Wesley Smith's last post about print publishing short stories got me thinking and excited to do the same. I did already want to publish in print but only short story collections and novels, which I actually planned to do this November or early December, but now I think I'll do it sooner and for a single short story.
I'll be working this month in getting a print version out for 'F.C.F. That Within' it's my highest reviewed story and one that sold best out of the bunch I published second only to 'Gone World' that ironicly is one of my worst reviewed stories. :D.
It will be a learning curve to get it all formatted and to create the jacket for the book. So far I only finished the front cover. It took me hours to create and almost burned down my computer, it's the first time I worked in gimp with a file almost 300 MB in size. It was crazy, my old PC was complaining and stuttering like the old thing it actually was, but I succeeded, or it did succeed because I just clicked some buttons while the machine really did all the heavy lifting.
I might still change a few thing, but for now my machine needs its rest.
*(I might have it copy edited once more before sending it to the printer)
I'll be working this month in getting a print version out for 'F.C.F. That Within' it's my highest reviewed story and one that sold best out of the bunch I published second only to 'Gone World' that ironicly is one of my worst reviewed stories. :D.
It will be a learning curve to get it all formatted and to create the jacket for the book. So far I only finished the front cover. It took me hours to create and almost burned down my computer, it's the first time I worked in gimp with a file almost 300 MB in size. It was crazy, my old PC was complaining and stuttering like the old thing it actually was, but I succeeded, or it did succeed because I just clicked some buttons while the machine really did all the heavy lifting.
I might still change a few thing, but for now my machine needs its rest.
*(I might have it copy edited once more before sending it to the printer)
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
On a whim
On kindleboards, while reading this post I got the whim to make a book cover and took the opportunity to just do that purely based on some selfish fun. The stock art is just a sample, for this ever to be used commercially a license needs to be bought from this artist at deviantart. The work I've done is free of charge.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Another Book Cover update
Making a new cover for one story I couldn't stop myself making another one for another story.
Old "Don't believe what they say" bookcover:
New cover:
Did some adjustments in font type for name, the current one I had to stretch the font which makes it look a little off.
Old "Don't believe what they say" bookcover:
New cover:
Did some adjustments in font type for name, the current one I had to stretch the font which makes it look a little off.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Book Covers
Having made many book covers I can now say that I'm getting there where I feel I'm getting proficient at it. With this knowledge I've decided to make a new cover for an e-book I released a long time ago. The current one wasn't doing it for me, nor was it generating much sales. I can't only fault the cover for this because the blurb is also atrocious. I'll have to renew that one too.
I think a good book cover can attract readers to your book and in doing so generate more sales. If after seeing the terrific cover the reader still did not buy your book, then it's left to the blurb to tempt them into pressing the buy button. If after your wonderful cover and blurb the reader still hesitates then it's the sample that will sway them to buy.
Reading the story is often the last step a reader makes before buying a book. That is why it's important to have a stunning cover, so you get the chance that a reader will contemplate your story.
And now back to my cover; this is the current one:
And this is the new one:
As you can see I increased the size of my name. The idea is to brand my name and make it recognizable, the more people see it the more likely it will stick in their head, and if someone happen to like my writing they'll much easier find my other work .I also changed to a more apt font for the genre. And I used a picture that depicts the story a little better.
Now I'm curious if the changes indeed will get me more sales, time will tell.
*Did some more additional tiny adjustments.
I think a good book cover can attract readers to your book and in doing so generate more sales. If after seeing the terrific cover the reader still did not buy your book, then it's left to the blurb to tempt them into pressing the buy button. If after your wonderful cover and blurb the reader still hesitates then it's the sample that will sway them to buy.
Reading the story is often the last step a reader makes before buying a book. That is why it's important to have a stunning cover, so you get the chance that a reader will contemplate your story.
And now back to my cover; this is the current one:
As you can see I increased the size of my name. The idea is to brand my name and make it recognizable, the more people see it the more likely it will stick in their head, and if someone happen to like my writing they'll much easier find my other work .I also changed to a more apt font for the genre. And I used a picture that depicts the story a little better.
Now I'm curious if the changes indeed will get me more sales, time will tell.
*Did some more additional tiny adjustments.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Maiden-At-Arms
My newest addition and again you can get a for free at Smashword for a limited time
Retail price: $2.99
Promotional price: $0.00
Coupon Code: UH32JExpires: August 16, 2012
Lyna D'Ang, a lady, daughter of Lord Robert, lives a sheltered and privileged life at castle Perring along with her siblings. This quickly ends when darkness descends upon the castle.
Death comes knocking in a familiar form that rips her world apart. She is cast out to the lions to face the world alone.
Wounded, shamed, betrayed, she fights the darkness set upon her life. Enduring all thrown at her, she struggles to come out on top, but will she ever get her life back? Will she even survive?
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Gone World Episode Two: The Third Party
Thinking about making a new cover, let me know what you think.
Description:
War still rages as opposing parties vie for supremacy over the world.
U.S. Army sergeant Brick Johnson fought the war from the beginning. On a major push against the Russians, his unit gets ambushed. While fleeing, he stumbles upon an unknown combatant near a Russian-occupied city, and things get deadly.
With his brigade shattered, his unit annihilated, and the fate of the war unknown, Brick has to decide if he will go on with the fight or lay down his arms.
Available at (for $0.99):
Amazon
Kobo
Barnes & Noble
iBooks
Smashword
Also available:
Escape (Gone World #1)
Revenge (Gone World #3)
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Description:
War still rages as opposing parties vie for supremacy over the world.
U.S. Army sergeant Brick Johnson fought the war from the beginning. On a major push against the Russians, his unit gets ambushed. While fleeing, he stumbles upon an unknown combatant near a Russian-occupied city, and things get deadly.
With his brigade shattered, his unit annihilated, and the fate of the war unknown, Brick has to decide if he will go on with the fight or lay down his arms.
Available at (for $0.99):
Amazon
Kobo
Barnes & Noble
iBooks
Smashword
Also available:
Escape (Gone World #1)
Revenge (Gone World #3)
To be the first to hear about new releases, sign up for the newsletter.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
New release: Man-at-Arms
Man-At-Arms, a short story collection:
AMBOS THRONE
Ambos Thorne, a renowned warrior who fought many battles, saw atrocities committed in a war waged in the name of the king and glory, and stared death in the face many times, gets the menial task of escorting Lady Christine.
Faced with superstitious beliefs and orders that make little sense to him, he comes to a cross roads in his life. Follow through with his orders based on superstition or save the life of an innocent woman.
What will he choose and will he regret it?
JAMES FARMER
Tired and desperate, James, a farmhand, is chasing a heavily armed group transporting a woman.
Night is closing in fast and the trail is getting cold.
Will he catch up with them? And if he does, will he be in time to exact the revenge that threatens to burn him alive?
THE DARK WANDERER
In a time that traveling is dangerous, especially for a woman alone, two knights escort a young woman through a forest known for its wild beasts.
Man fears nature, the beasts that roam the world, but sometimes it's not these that fills us with fear. Sometimes, it’s that from beyond the things we know that brings terror to us.
Robert, a young knight, will soon find this out.
On smashwords for free for a limited time.
Retail Price: $2.99
Promotional price: $0.00
Coupon Code: PF63K
Expires: August 6, 2012
Also available at Amazon and Kobo
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