So, This is a Little Annoying...

Well, it actually happened.  I’m somewhere between halfway and two thirds complete with the first draft of my WIP.  Suddenly, out of nowhere—I wasn’t even trying to drop this wrench into my mind gears—I have come up with a great idea!  Why don’t I change everything I thought I was doing with this book, and make it end completely different from what I had planned?  What an amazing ending I’d discovered for this story!  It’s going to blow people’s minds!

Oh, but wait, but that means this needs to change—that whole chapter doesn’t need to be there—there needs to be a lot of extra back story here—this character needs to be included in that scene.  Uh oh.  What have I done?

The original ending that I had in mind for the book is great.  It works with what I’ve written.  It closes the story, and it certainly makes my life a little bit easier.  But why not a little shock and awe?  

Something similar to his happened when I was writing, The Gouge, but not so much to this extent.  In all honesty, in order to pull off this new ending, it may be easier to just re-write everything I have from scratch just to make sure I don’t create a plot hole something.

I’m going to need to put some thought into this.  I will figure it out.  Yes, it is a little annoying, but I’m going to turn this around and make it exciting too.  I’m not sure which way I’m going with this now, but one thing is for sure, I can’t wait to share it with both of you!

Book Review: Backstage, A Novel of Secret Agendas, Slow Burn Romance, and Imaginary Cats By: Joan Wendland

Backstage was an enjoyable take on the: “there’s secret organization running the world” angle. CC, the main character, embellishes her curiosity of this strange organization which she has stumbled into. As she gets closer, she realizes that the organization appears to be pulling the strings of the world. Using her special skillset, she finds herself solving problems for this organization, and wondering just how deep the rabbit hole goes. The diverse cast of quirky characters, though at times did seem a little full of themselves (but aren’t we all sometimes,) were engaging and fun to read. The ending felt a little bit rushed, or maybe incomplete—there are a few unanswered questions. However, I understand that there is a second book to this strange world, so happy reading! If you like secret society, behind the curtain stories like “Adjustment Bureau,” Backstage is probably right up your alley!

You can purchase Backstage HERE on Amazon!

Book Review: Choose Me By: Tess Gerritsen & Gary Braver

What a suspenseful read!  I enjoyed reading this book.  The authors did a good job of keeping me on my toes about what really brought Taryn Moore to meet her ultimate demise on the pavement five stories below her apartment.  Did she kill herself, or was she murdered?  Maybe it was an accident?  Maybe not.  The story flashes back and forth to before her fall and after, which may sound like it could make the read confusing, but it’s not.  The authors mastered these transitions perfectly.  Knowing Taryn’s ultimate fate at the beginning of the book made this book all that more suspenseful and cringe worthy—and there are plenty of cringe worthy moments.  It should be clear that none of the characters are perfect—but who is really?  The issues that are covered in this book are not popular in the eyes of the world today, but they are real.  Readers that may be sensitive to these topics may want to steer clear of this book.  With every decision that the cast made, knowing where the main character would end up, was like watching a train wreck slowly happening if front of you and not being able to do anything about it.  Yet it was somehow satisfying in the final pages the book.  If you’re ready to sit at the edge of your seat with every turn of the page and scream at the characters in your head about the decisions they make, Choose Me is probably for you!  Just my opinion.

This book came across my kindle as an Amazon First Read (which is a pretty cool deal included with a prime membership btw), but you can purchase the book HERE.  Keep Reading!

It's The Great GOUGE Paperback Book Giveaway!

Who wants a FREE Paperback copy of THE GOUGE?

So here is what happened:  

Several weeks ago I had placed an order for ten copies of The Gouge from Amazon in order to have copies on hand for any in-person sales that might arise.  Well, a funny and very strange thing happened.  The books did not arrive on time.  In fact, they were a week late.  Yeah, that's not very funny or very strange, right?  Well, how about this?  Believe it or not, Amazon decided to refund the full price of the order to me, including the shipping cost!  Pretty Awesome, right? 

When I first started writing and getting involved in writer's groups on social media, I had decided that I wanted to eventually be able to do a book giveaway like this.  Not just an ebook giveaway, but something tangible!  Unfortunately, I quickly realized that the cost was going to get up there.  But now, with these ten copies, I have a perfect opportunity to significantly cut the cost of the giveaway.  

So here's what I'm doing.  On July 10th, I am going to draw five names from a hat to determine five lucky winners to ship a FREE copy of The Gouge to.  

How do you get your name in the hat?  It's simple!  Check out my pinned tweet on Twitter, and post a comment.  That's all you need to do!  Not on twitter?  Post a comment here on my blog then.  It's that simple.  No need to follow (though I would appreciate it if you did) or make a purchase.  Just say "hi" if you want.     

On July 10th, I will reach out to the 5 lucky winners to get shipping details.  I will cover the cost of the shipping, so don't worry about that either!  I will ship the books to the winners asap. 

You might be asking, "But Mike, What about the other 5 books that you got free of charge from Amazon?"   Good question!  I have a "special" giveaway idea for those books as well.  More on that later.

Okay!  So what are you waiting for!  Post a comment and secure your chance for a free Paperback copy of my new thriller, THE GOUGE!  

Book Review: There Are No Countries By: Marshall Smith

Like most book reviews that I write, I'm going to keep this short and simple:  This was a great sci-fi read!

The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover.  The moment it came across my twitter feed—I had to stop to just soak in the vibrant colors.  I know it’s not great to judge a book by its cover, but in this case, the cover is what drew me in for a closer look.  While sci-fi isn’t my go-to genre to pick up and read (maybe 20% of what I read is sci-fi,) I certainly enjoyed this book.  The author gave a clear visual of the world that he had created and wanted me to see, and it was amazing.  This alone is an achievement, because not being able to get an understanding of the book’s setting is often where, I believe, a sci-fi book can fall short.  The story was bizarre but endearing, so much so that I found it hard to put it down.  A very well written tale with humor, romance, and a strange, yet somehow felt so real, alien world.  If you desire an interested and entertaining sci-fi read, I highly recommend There Are No Countries.

You can purchase this book on Amazon HERE.  I opted to go for the paperback edition, (because who wouldn't want this book physically on their shelves) but you can also download the book to your kindle for free if you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription.   Happy Reading!

I Have the Power!

I only just realized that it has been nearly a month since I posted here on this blog.  That’s just not going to cut it, is it?  I’m going to step up my game.

So, this week, let’s talk about why I decided to publish my books independently.  For starters, I love writing my stories.  I love creating characters and making them interact with one another.  I enjoy this thing that I do so much, that I don’t really care if it’s not read by everyone on the face of the Earth.  Sure, it would be cool if other people found the same joy in my work as I do, but this just isn’t the case for a lot of writers out there.  I’ll wait my turn. 

The foremost reason I’ve turned to independent publishing is because it’s just my nature.  I am a DIY kind of person.  I mow my own grass, I change my own oil, and I grow a small portion of the fruits and vegetables that my family eats.  If my car breaks down, I buy the parts and I fix it myself.  If I have a leaky roof on my house, I stand up a ladder and I patch it.  (Granted, I am in the business of building homes and would not recommend that you try to repair your own roof unless you have some form of knowledge and experience in roofing.) 

I have been self-employed my entire life.  I’ve been running my own business, on my own now, for about fifteen years, (and eight years before that with a partner) and so far, I’ve done surprisingly good for myself.  So, with all of this under my belt, why wouldn’t I try to take on publishing my own books also?   

Okay, some of you might be thinking that I’m a “do it yourselfer” because I’m a tight wad with my money.  That’s kind of true—but in my defense, I must be.  Yes, I have paid people to do work for me, and I will pay people for work in the future too.  But if I have the time and I’m capable, I am going to save the money and do the work myself.  That being said, I’m not trying to downplay the work that publishers do as something that anyone could do—because I don’t believe that’s entirely true.  You must have good work ethic and independent drive to do the work.  The books are not going to sell themselves.  Traditional publishers have their place with some people.  It’s just not for me.  Maybe someday I will change my mind, but for now, I’ll hold on to all the royalties that I can, thank you.    

And you know what, this whole self-publishing bit is a bit of a power thing too, isn’t it?  When I think about the idea of handing my book over to a traditional publisher to produce and sell, it just makes me feel so powerless.  When I sign that contract, they’re going to be calling all the shots from then on. 

I want the power! 

I want to make the decisions on where to promote and how to promote.  I want to choose the cover texture, and the page thickness.  Yeah, I’m going to make some mistakes along the way, but I learn quickly.  As I figure this indie publishing scheme out, I will adjust my plan and keep moving.  Besides, now days, it seems like the world of publishing is an ever-changing monster—I’ll need to stay on my toes! 

Plus, anyone that is self-publishing their own book will probably agree with me—doing this is a lot of fun.  The joy of holding your finished product in your hands, and watching the little sales graph do its thing—that joy is all the more satisfying when you know that you had a hand in every decision of making that book. 

Keep reading everyone—and read my book too, by the way!

What Accent?

I have a friend, Bret, that lives out on the east coast.  Before I released my book, THE GOUGE, I sent him an advance copy to read.  He’s been exceptionally reliable with honest feedback about my writing, and I’ve always appreciated his opinion.  

So, Bret read the book, and then called me up to tell me what he thought.  He had a ton of good things to say about The Gouge, and some critiques, but one comment stood out to me more than the rest for some reason.  

“I couldn’t help but hear your country boy accent in Carson’s voice, as I was reading it,” Bret said.

Okay, it took me a long time to acknowledge it, but admittedly, I do have what most people would call a “country boy” accent.  I can’t help it.  I was raised in the sticks of the Midwest around farmers and hillbillies.  It’s something that I picked up without even realizing it.  I think everyone experiences this growing up, and some of us adapt and grow out of it—I guess I never did.    

Let me be clear that I am not embarrassed or ashamed by my upbringing or the way that it resulted in my voice being the way that it is—nor should anyone else that has been blessed with this twang in their tongue.  But I used to be embarrassed.   That embarrassment was only a result of others making fun of it.   

It’s funny how long I went without realizing other people took notice of this accent.  When someone did spot the accent, or mocked me for it, I tried to hide it.  I would either limit my speaking, or I would try to articulate each syllable to the point that the accent was the least of my problems.  

What’s worse than having a noticeable country boy accent?  Trying to cover it up with anything else.  It took me a while, but I finally decided that I sound like I sound, and I’m not going to go out of my way to change it to suit someone who has no problem making fun of me.

Here’s a funny story though—a few years back, I was invited to be a guest on a podcast to talk about comic books.  Those that know me know that I love reading and collecting comic books.  (Yep, nerd with a country boy accent, that’s me!)  Anyway, the podcast host was based in Massachusetts where, as most may know, many of the locals have their own accent.  Not that this was something I had thought about beforehand, but the host did have a pretty rich Boston dialect.  There were two other guests on the show—one from New York, and the other was from San Diego.  Again, I hadn’t put a single thought into the way we stressed our “R’s” before the show—all of this just makes it all that more humorous when I think about what happened. 

The podcast was going great.  We were nearly an hour into the podcast, and the four of us had gotten pretty comfortable with one another—we were all joking and poking fun—just having a good time.  None of us had met or spoken to one another before the show, except through email, so it was a really fun conversation with strangers.  

Suddenly, the hosts says, “You really have an interesting accent.  Where are you from?”

I didn’t say anything.  It wasn’t because I was embarrassed—I was over all of that by the time of the podcast—I just didn’t think that the host was addressing me with this comment.  Funny enough, I was clearly the only one who was confused.  There was no less than five seconds of dead air with everyone waiting for me to answer before the host said my name to make sure my mic was still on.

“What?  Me?  What accent?” I finally said.

We all laughed it off.  I’ll admit, I was a little embarrassed, but I got over it quickly.  It was just an interested scenario.  

So, when my friend, Bret, said that my writing sounds like my voice, I wondered if I’d finally found my voice in writing.  A lot of famous people have their own sound.  Maybe this is mine?   

Is that a thing?  Writing like you sound?  I guess we’ll make it a thing.  

Well, if you happen to pick up The Gouge, and you hear some country boy twang in some of the character’s speech, it was put there unintentionally, but hey, I can’t help it.  It's the way I am, and the way I most likely always will be.

That’s all for now.  Keep reading, and support Indie Authors!