Thursday, February 06, 2025

Apparently I'm A Lot Better At This Writing Thing Than I Realized

 Found out why people didn't read GW2, and maybe I should be writing horror?

 

 

I've been investigating the complete lack of sales on Ghost Warrior 2, and I think I've figured it out. Because I've seen this before - about ten years ago. So let's take a little trip down memory lane, shall we?

 

I wrote 'Wolf Killer' back in 2015, and published it the following year. Wolf Killer is the 2nd book in the Hammer Commission series and it became an immediate best seller for me. The story is about a sociopath serial killer with a number of serious mental issues.

He's also a werewolf.

A werewolf who kidnaps hot young coeds who work for him as models, who he then turns into werewolves. Who he then tortures one at a time (with the others helping). Which he films. And sells on the black market. Eventually he makes a snuff film with one of them. Oh, and he's been doing this for years and nobody knows how many women he's murdered this way.

It's quite horrific; he tortures them to death slowly. He has a woman (human) who helps him (she's a piece of work herself - former beauty queen and centerfold), and of course the other girls who help him all know that eventually, they'll end up dying the same way. There are lots of hints dropped as to just how horrific this torture is...

BUT...

But I never show ANY of it. None. All of the torture scenes take place in the reader's head.

I got a lot of hate mail. I got a lot of bad reviews. I was accused of writing the most graphic horror that some folks had ever seen. The numbers on the people who bought the next book in the scene were radically lower and now I finally understand why.

I squicked and freaked out a lot of people. They couldn't deal with what I wrote. Even though all the bad stuff happened, happened in their heads and not on the pages of the book. Maybe that's why they got so upset?

 

To be honest, I was a bit proud that I could get in their heads like that. That I hit that horror nerve dead on because it was supposed to be horrific. I wanted people to hate the bad guy, and to hate his accomplice. Apparently I just did a far better job than I realized. I'm seriously now considering going back and putting a Warning on the book.

 

And this brings us to Ghost Warrior - Serendipity, the first book in the Ghost Warrior series. I've now had two people publicly, and a few via email and other private channels, tell me that the mental disorder of the hero,(he's suffering from MPD - Multiple Personality Disorder), bothered them greatly. Enough to stop reading, or skip parts, etc. That it really bothered them. A Lot.

This was with book 1. So yeah, of course they're not going to read book 2.

I was honestly surprised to learn this. I don't know if people don't like reading about people with serious mental issues, or if I just write them in such a way that I'm getting into their heads and horrifying them. And yes, making people feel 'uneasy' and causing them to have to put the book down, or skip scenes because they're so 'troubled' by it, well I think counts as 'horrifying' them.

I had no idea people would react that way, and it wasn't my intent. So, Maybe I need another Warning tag.

 

And as I sat there thinking about all of this, I recalled a few other scenes I've written in other books, where there are scenes in which bad things happened and how some people just really lost their shit over those scenes. A lot of it suddenly stands out a lot more in my memory. I've always known that there are people who can not deal with bad things. That certain bad things really set some people off. But it's a grab bag of what sets off who, so I made the decision a long time ago that I'm not ever going to do trigger warnings.

But on those two books, I apparently struck a much larger nerve than I realized existed? I know there are a lot of people who get really upset if you even mention mental illness in public. They freak over the word 'retard'. As an aside I spent almost a year having to deal with mentally disabled and even convicted criminally insane people. I did not like it. At All. If you want to know horror, imagine driving a shuttle and it's you and a convicted criminally insane murderer in the back who is CHAINED to his wheelchair, and he spends the entire trip telling you in great detail how he's going to kill you.

Yeah. Did that. Refused to take him back. Fuck that - get somebody else or give me an armed guard.

About the only sociopath I've ever written that people liked, was Shadow. Note that I wrote him long before 'Dexter' came out. Years before. But he's very much a sociopath. Just a functioning one (and I've met several of those in my life as well - it doesn't take long to learn the signs after you've dealt with the extreme ones).

 

But I digress. Again, I don't know exactly how I squicked out all of those people and made them uncomfortable - I only know that I did. There's no 'fixing' it. The guy has MPD, and has it for logical reasons. It's key to the story. His progression in dealing with it was one of the key story lines of the continuing series and the second arc. But at least I now know why so many did NOT want to read book 2 after book one.

 

Which leads to the thought: So maybe I should start writing horror? I don't like the stuff, never have. But apparently I really know how to get into people's heads and mess with them.

I don't know if that's a good thing or not?

Saturday, February 01, 2025

Ghost Warrior : what to do with it?

 The audiobook for Ghost Warrior bk2 is up for pre-order on Audible. I have to admit I'll be curious to see how it does, because the book has had the worst sales of any book I've ever published.

It sold about a thousand copies. That was it. I effectively 'lost' money, in that after paying for editing and artwork, I about $5 an hour for my work, (before taxes). I honestly don't know why it failed, a lot of folks I know who read it, loved it, but I guess a lot of the people who read bk1 didn't? 

I don't know if it was the topic, the cover, the people in the story, if folks don't want to read a story with an American Indian in it, or I just sucked at writing it. I mean I enjoyed writing the story a lot. I do want to write more, I had a whole second 4 book arc planned. At this point, while I may still write it, it won't be getting published. I'll just put it up on Patreon for my fans. Then at least I won't have to shell out for editing and a cover. However, that means writing will be sporadic and only occasional.

I will however, be forever curious as to why people didn't buy it.

Friday, December 27, 2024

So what rewards would you like to see for the Valens Heritage Book 10 Kickstarter?

As hopefully all of you know, next week I'm going to launch yet another kickstarter - this one for book 10 in Valens Heritage. Which will close out that series.
I need reward levels for it still. I also need add-ons. (My recent substack post also mentions this).

 
I've got three rewards currently:

  • Ebook
  • Signed Paperback
  • All Ten Signed Paperbacks (not exactly cheap).

 
Two Add-ons:

  • Signed copies of all 18 Valens Legacy paperbacks plus wives tales (very not cheap)
  • Set of the 6 pinups I did of the first six wives of Sean's from Valens Legacy (limited number, not very expensive - I thought some folks might want them as I stopped selling them long ago).


And that's pretty much -IT-.
Obviously I need some more ideas and suggestions, please!

Thursday, December 26, 2024

Dan's Inferno, Book V : Dominance is Funded!

That's right! It funded yesterday on Christmas - a nice touch to be honest.

As of this post, it's got 40 minutes left and is almost $1000 past the goal.

So I need to finish Wolfhounds 5 ASAP (almost done) 

Write POI #12

Then Dan's Inferno V

Then the second book in the Wolfhounds Spin-Off trilogy (Valley of Fire

THEN write the first book in the Wolfhounds follow on series.

Oh, and I think I need to sleep in there somewhere - and write the sequel to Sometimes in the Fall.

Saturday, December 21, 2024

I'm up for an Award!

In other news I seem to have gotten nominated for an award?
It would appear that the Audiobook version of 'Force Majeure' is up for 'Best SciFi Audiobook' on the 'Discover Sci-Fi' website.
On the Second Page of the selections, 'War Child' has been nominated for 'Best Military SciFi'!

I have no idea how big the DSF awards are (The publishing company for my audiobooks contacted me, so apparently it has some standing), but I'd appreciate it, if you'd all go vote for me.  

https://discoverscifi.com/the-best-sci-fi-books-of-2024-voting-round/

Portals Of Infinity books are ON SALE now!!

 

Portals Of Infinity books One thru Seven go on Sale Today on Amazon!

Yes, my first Best-Selling Series, the one that revived Portal Fiction over a decade ago, and also helped start the current interest in Harem stories (and was considered LitRPG at first because it was based very much on tabletop – but there’s no stats or charts, just discussions on ‘rules’) is On Sale!

Starting today (at Noon, Amazon time – no I’m not sure when that is!) until the 28th, the first four books (Champion For Hire, The God Game, Temples & Trials, The Sea of Grass) will be on sale for 99 cents!

Books Five thru Seven (Demigods and Deities, Reprisal, Kaiju), will be On Sale for $1.99!

Don’t miss it! Read the stories that helped launch two of the biggest genres that you’re all reading today!

(Note: Yes, there will be more POI books, I just got delayed on writing book #12 due to life events this year – and Wolfhounds)

 

http://johnvanstry.com/PortalsofInfinity/PortalsofInfinitySeries.html

Thursday, December 19, 2024

I don't think it's going to fund (Dan's Inferno Book 5)

 It's got 6 days left to run, and still needs $6K. Less than 200 people kicked in. 

It's probably safe to say that there wasn't the interest that I was led to believe by folks.

Wednesday, December 04, 2024

Dan's Inferno Kickstarter is down to three weeks!

 Just a reminder to everyone!

The Dan's Inferno Kickstarter is down to THREE WEEKS!!
So if you want to See Book 5, time to start spreading the word around. A lot of people bought book 4, so I'm sure there's more than enough who'd like book 5, but I'm guessing that they haven't heard about it.
So spread the word! We're almost 2/3rds of the way there!
 
The only way this book will happen is if this kickstarter succeeds! So don't be shy and spread the word!
 

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

I have an eARC up for Sale at Baen Books!

 Sometimes In The Fall is currently available as an 'eARC' on Baen Books website.

What's an eARC? It's an electronic Advanced Reader's Copy. It hasn't gone to press yet and may still have a typo or three in it. But you can see it now instead of waiting until March, if you want to.

https://www.baen.com/sometimes-in-the-fall-earc.html


Thursday, November 21, 2024

Thanksgiving Day Sales!

 

Or perhaps Thanksgiving Week!

The following series are on Sale during the week of Thanksgiving in the US and UK on Amazon (I'd do more places, but Amazon's sales are limited).

 

As John Van Stry:

 

WOLFHOUNDS ($1.99) - US & UK

Stand Alone, Book 1:             11/25 to 12/1

Taking Ground, Book 2:         11/26 to 12/2

Force Majeure, Book 3:          11/27 to 12/3

War Child, Book 4:                 11/28 to 12/4

 

GHOST WARRIOR: (11/25 - 12/1) - US & UK

Serendipity :    99 cents

Necessity:        99 cents

 

As Jan Stryvant:

 

VALENS LEGACY: (11/25 to 12/1) - US & UK

Black Friday -             99 cents

Perfect Strangers -      99 cents

Over Our Heads -       $1.99

Head Down -              $1.99

When It Falls -            $1.99

 

DAN'S INFERNO - Books I & II BUNDLE: CURSED! & BEDEVILED - $2.99

THIS SALE IS IN ALL AMAZON MARKETS!

This special two book bundle will be on sale from tomorrow - 11/22 (Unless Amazon messes up) until the end of November! This is book One & Two in a bundle. The price of the two books, by themselves has not changed! To get this special price, you have to buy the bundle.

(ASIN: B08LYG5G3X)