If you’re not comfortable or able to buy anything, why not consider reviewing the books you’ve already read? Review them on the site you bought them and/or GoodReads.
It’s easy to look back on your life and think, “AHHHHHH. I’ve accomplished nothing!!!” But that’s your insecurity speaking. At the very least you’ve done something that a lot of others haven’t; you’ve survived.
Surviving is good. I’ve been lucky enough to not only survive but do a few things that, I think, are awesome: (no particular order)
Graduated University
Had 3 books published
Written 7 novels and part of two novels
Made sure there was constant content on this blog since 2014
Been married for 9 years to my best friend (Although that’s mostly her being patient and a little luck)
I’m super proud of Baby Dragon
Wrote and developed an RPG (Can’t wait for FADDS to be available to all)
I’ve spent my life feeling average. I’m not the smartest, hardest working, most handsome, etc. So it’s nice to have things I’m proud of and that I feel I’ve done well. Yes, I realize there’s nothing on that list that hasn’t been done before, or that hasn’t been done better before. But I’m proud and consider myself lucky.
Who knows what I’ll be able to accomplish in the next 35-50 years.
The best way to help an author is to leave a short review of their work on Amazon or Goodreads. Even anonymous reviews count towards something. Write what you liked and what you didn’t or just a line of what you thought.
The more a book is reviewed the more it’ll show up on recommendations and the more people will see it.
If you didn’t know I have three books out that you can review:
I’ve known about Renaissance Press for five years. I met them at Can-Con in 2013 when they only had a handful of books.
I pitched my first novel to them. They liked it, but it needed some serious re-writes that they weren’t able to take care of, so they told me to re-submit. In the end we got A Study in Aether, and its sequel is coming out this year.
If you like my books or any of the other fantastic novels from Renaissance Press, why don’t you let them know and you could win $40 worth of awesome stuff.
With luck my next novel, The Sign of Faust will be ready and launched at the 5 year celebration.
To Renaissance: Thank you for believing in my stories.
It’s weird, silly, irreverent, and absolutely wonderful. Warning that it is a little gory and there’s lots of death. It was everything I loved about the novel and a little more. I highly recommend it.
One of the main themes of Dirk Gently is that everything is connected. It means the show throws a whole lot of disjointed weirdness and then manages to put it all together in the end.
Interconnectedness
I got a great email from a reader this weekend and I have to say it made a particularly tough weekend so much better.
The email was praising Parasomnia (Available on Amazon and from Renaissance Press). I had mentioned to this reader that Parasomnia and A Study in Aether exist in the same world and they asked for clarification and if we’d see more of that in the future.
A Study in Aether
Parasomnia
I have a plan to connect all my novels. It’s not going to be necessary to have read all of them to follow, but those that do will get an extra treat and information about certain characters.
It won’t be soon; it’ll come to fruition after years of novels but I have plans…. Mhuhahahaa!
Stay tuned and you’ll get all kinds of interconnectedness.
Wow. We’re already in February. This year has been going really fast. Lots going on. See updates below.
Elizabeth Investigates: The Sign of Faust (A Baker City Mystery)
This book has gone through 2 editors and is currently with a third. It’ll be released by Renaissance Press this year. The exact date depends on how edits go and how their production schedule looks. This is a direct sequel to A Study in Aether and picks up a few weeks into Elizabeth, Jackie, and Angela’s second semester of grade nine.
I have pitched Everdome as the setting for a super secret project and it was accepted. I don’t have a contract in hand so it could change, but I’m really excited about this. Not only does it mean that the world will be used and expanded, but that the book will find a good home.
I’ll let you know more when I do.
Four Attribute Duel Dodecahedron System (FADDS)
I’ve been working on a role playing system for the better part of eight years. I’m at the final play-testing stage before I do a deep edit of the wording and text. After that it can all be submitted to a publisher.
If all goes well with the super secret Everdome project, I might be able to pitch it as the main FADDS fantasy setting.
Devices of Desire: Serial Story
I’ve written the first installment and will be adding another soon. I can’t admit that comments can and will affect the story but…
Elizabeth Investigates: The Mystery of the Dancing Lights (A Baker City Mystery)
This book will be the fourth Elizabeth Investigates and I’m currently at the fifth mark or 20% into the book. At this pace I should hopefully be done by November. That’s a great pace for me and I’d happily write one book a year.
If you need something to read I recommend checking out my Story Archive.
On Monday I’ll be turning 34. It’s not old for our modern world but it’s kinda terrifying for someone who has had both parents die before they reached sixty. I’m considering a midlife crisis… maybe buying a couple of DVD boxsets or some more books.
Since I’m turning 34, I’d like you all to give me a gift. Please!
Once you’ve read it please go review it on Goodreads and/or Amazon (You can even copy paste your review from one to the other)
Reviews on those sites help bring the profile of the book up and have both sites recommend it to others. It helps with sales, name recognition, and building a readership.
I’m not asking you to give it a good review, be honest and write what you feel.
Allow me to be completely shameless. This year I have a book, a short story, and a few projects that are eligible for the Aurora Awards.
Aurora Awards
The Aurora Awards are awards, “for excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy works and activities.” They are administered by the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association.
It’s a fan voted award in the vein of the Hugo’s, but with way more awesome people.
You’ll have to join the CSFFA for a pittance of $10 before you can nominate anyone. Once you’ve paid, you can nominate 5 works in each category. You can nominate works from now until May 6th.
The extra bonus of joining the CSFFA is you’ll get a voters package that includes most of the works that make the ballot. That’s 8-10 novels plus a bunch of other awesome stuff.
When I told someone I was going to take paternity leave, they jokingly said, “Wow! A nine month vacation. Lucky you.” At least I think they were joking. This isn’t a vacation.
Don’t get me wrong. I love the time I’m getting with Dragon. She makes me smile and ache with love every day, but she’s a lot of work. I have no idea how one parent handles a baby on their own.
It might be easier if Jen and I weren’t both freelancers. Working from home takes twice as long with a baby. All of which to say we’ve been really busy both with work and enjoying the little Dragon.
That means there are a few things that I haven’t told you, so it’s update time! WOO!
Darthdad from Vaders Little Princess by Jeffrey Brown. Click the image to go to the link.
Coffee
I’ve been working hard on research and development for new flavours to join JenEric Coffee’s roster. I’ve settled on one flavour that will be debuted at Geek Market at the end of March.
I have another 4 flavours that I’m asking people to test. If you’re interested, check out our Coffee Testers Page.
Writing
I have unfortunately not been writing as much as I should have. Other then the blog, I’ve written half a story and a few thousand words in Copper Tarnish. It’s going to be shorter than my average book, but I’m still only a third of the way through.
I’ve talked to my publisher and they’re considering covers for Parasomnia. I’m really excited to get the next round of edits on this one.
A Study in Aether is eligible for both the Nebulas and the Auroras. Both are fan voted awards. If you feel like nominated it, I’d be very happy.
The Ed Greenwood Group
If you don’t know about TEGG, let me tell you. It’s a new publishing company for games, role playing games, genre novels, and general awesome.
If you’ve played the Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons setting, you’re familiar with the breadth of creativity that Mr. Greenwood has shown over the past thirty years.
What he’s done is bring together many amazing creative types to create new games, settings, and stories.
I have the honour of working with them on the book formatting side of things. I’ve been given the title of Print Production Manager, fancy term for layout artist. It’s a freelance thing and I’m really excited to be working with such amazing people.
And Jen, whom I’ve often referred to as “the weditor”, has been given the title of Lead Editor for the Hellmaw line of novels. She is just as honoured and excited to be working with this awesome group.
Secrets
I have two other pieces of news, but I don’t have permission to divulge one, and the other will be a surprise. You should know both next week.
