Portals of Infinity Audiobooks, more coming soon!

Okay, so today I just did the deal with a new voice actor to do book #3 of the Portals of Infinity series. I'm not sure how long it will take for them to do it, right now we're thinking about two months as this is their first audiobook, and not only do they have to get the procedures down, they also have to learn the process of getting the files in the proper format for ACX (which is actually pretty involved).

I'm very happy about this, and they are too. They like the series and they want to do -all- of the remaining books in it. As they have a lot of fans from other work they've done, I'm hopeful that this means the audio books will see really good sales fairly quickly (as we get them out) so he will be more than happy to keep working on them.

Dusty Rhodes (Dustykatt) is the guy who will be doing them. We actually go way back, and when I heard he was looking for a book series to do, I asked him to do it. I'm really happy he's into it, the demo he gave me was really good and I liked it. I very much want to see the whole series done in audio, and I'm hopeful now that it will get done. It won't happen over night of course, at five more books (with another one coming) it will probably take a year to get them all done. But at least the process is going again.

Now the world can see what Governor Brown's neglect looks like

For his entire time in office, Governor Brown of California has neglected state infrastructure, especially as it applies to water resources. I actually think it's something of a fetish for him, along with his ability to fail at pretty damn near everything he does, other than run for office and play political games (i.e. tell lies). When he was attorney general for the State of California, he used his powers and the 'anti-global warming laws' to shut down many major projects, because curing concrete gives off CO2. So he used his power to do a lot of destruction.

And now we're seeing the price. One of the biggest dams in the world is about to fail. It already destroyed the spillway, because no one bothered to take care of it, and when they last did maintenance on it, they did a shoddy second rate job. Then the idiots who run the dam shut the spillway OFF for several critical days, and well now the water is flowing over the 'emergency spillway'. That's a fancy title for 'the top of the dam'. Now true, in the particular area, it was made to be the first place for the dam to breech if the water went up too high. But still, it's not supposed to be used except as a last ditch 'we hope we don't all die' kind of thing.

You see the problem is, the ground beneath that 'spillway' really isn't made to withstand the kind of flows it is now seeing and guess what? There is now a hole in the dam.

They finally opened up the spillway to the max, something the idiots in charge should have done days ago. But these people don't know math and they don't know science, and they could NOT understand that if water is coming in faster than it is going out, the water level will go up, not down. Honestly, they didn't understand that. I'm not kidding. They didn't.

Seriously, they couldn't figure that out.

If the emergency spillway fails, that means the top ten or twenty feet of the ENTIRE lake will suddenly flow out, all at once, unimpeded. What does that mean?

Well it means that Oroville will be scoured clean from the face of the earth. It means that the secondary dam will be destroyed. It means that the Feather River will massively overflow its banks. Same for the Sacramento river, so Yuba City will see serious damage, the Capitol will flood, and probably a few bridges (like I-80 and maybe I-5) will be washed away. It will do billions of dollars worth of damage (it's already done tens of millions of dollars worth of damage)and probably thousands dead. All because Moonbeam is too damn incompetent to do his job. Same for the rest of the democrats in office.

If only we'd elected responsible adults to office here in California. But responsible adults are not what the people of California want.

We have a huge storm coming in a few days. And then there is the huge snowpack that will melt come spring. If they manage to save the dam tomorrow, that is no guarantee that they will save it again next weekend.

On Audio Books

Just in case I haven't mentioned it (I think I did, but I forget), I am working with someone to try and get the audio book versions of the Portals of Infinity series restarted. No promises yet, I still have to find out if this person not only wants to do it, but can do it. Right now they're investigating it and considering it.

This would be their first audio book, but not their first bit of voice work.

We will just have to see what develops. If it doesn't work out, I have a few other things I can try next. I very much want to get more of these done, I know there are people out there who would like to buy them.

So, yesterday was busy...

And I'm sort of playing hooky by writing this instead of getting back into working on Present Tense today. Part of this is because I just ran into this huge tower that wasn't in the outline, and now I have to decide what to do with it.

Yes, these things do happen to authors. I'd always heard about it, didn't believe it, but then it started happening to me on occasion.

So like I said, yesterday was busy, because it ended up a work day. I wrote up the first three chapters (was only supposed to be two) for the proposal for an editor to see if they like it. I haven't heard back yet, so I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. If they don't like it, I think I'll just ask them what exactly do they want, and then try and see if I can deliver that or not.

I also spent an hour beating my head against the wall while trying to deal with my Credit Union's software, thankfully a phone call cleared that up this morning, but still. It wasn't fun. If it keeps up I'll go elsewhere, but I've been with them for about 25 years, so changing isn't something I'm exactly thrilled to do.

I also spent yesterday doing some set up work for the people who do my audio books currently. I had to put together some information for the next two that they're doing, to hopefully make it easier for the voice actor and producer. I'm still incredibly happy that they want to do more of my stuff. And I'm also happy that the stuff they already did is selling so well. They're good people, they deserve the sales. Plus I make money too, which is also good.

I think I may make another post later today about the fact that I write stories primarily aimed at men (unlike just about everyone else these days) and how I don't feel guilty about it, and I don't like it when people think I should.

Hammer Commission #1 and #3 (Loose Ends) are now in Audio Production!

Yes! That's right, the first book in the series 'The Hammer Commission' and book 3 'Loose Ends' which was just released last month are both now going to be made into Audio Books! I've got the same producer (Gregg Savage) and the same voice actor / narrator (Doug Tisdale Jr.) working on them!

Yes, I am very happy, (if you haven't noticed). The books are targeted to come out in the middle of March. I don't know if I'll get them at the same time, or one before the other. I'm just happy that they're going to be done.

So for those of you who said you wanted to wait until Book 1 was done before you'd listen to the series, it's coming!

-John

I really need to do this more...

I really do need to start posting here at least twice a week. If nothing else, so you all know I'm still alive and still writing!

So, I'm back on writing 'Present Tense' the sequel to 'Past Tense' which is the first book in the 'Days of Future Past' trilogy. Audio book sales on that have really been amazing, over a hundred copies sold in less than a month. I hope the sales keep up strong, because I want to see the sequel made into an audio book as soon as I publish. The folks I work with work on a royalty split, because I'm not rich enough to pay upfront :-(  So, it has to sell a certain number of copies before they'll do another one.

At this point, I'm about 16K words into the book, a lot of things came up last week, and as I've mentioned in the past, this is a rough time of the year for me. At least that seems to have moved on.

As for coming attractions, well I finally plotted out the submission to Castalia house. I need to now write the first chapter of that story (the second chapter is already done, because this is an idea I'd been camping on for years). I'm hoping they like it, and that they decide to buy it. We'll just have to see where that goes. I've put enough time into it at this point, that if they don't sign it, I'll probably end up writing it anyway.

Once I finish with 'Present Tense' I will start writing Portals of Infinity #8. I have a good deal of it already worked out in my head. I just need to tweak a few plot points and that will get done. I do want to write #9 this year as well, so we will just have to see how my year goes.

I also want to write a sequel to "The King of Las Vegas' as well as the next book in the Hammer Commission series as well as the last book in the DOFP trilogy.

Oh, and as if that wasn't enough work already, I'm going to start on the sequel to 'Interregnum' at the end of the month. HOWEVER that is going to be done differently than how I usually do my writing. I will post one chapter a month of the story to my Patreon page, visible to anyone and everyone who contributes at least a dollar or more. That does mean it will be slow going, however at least it will get written. Sadly my Children of Steel series doesn't sell very well. And I get it, 'Furries' don't read scifi, and being branded as a 'Furry' story tends to kill most things if it's not all about sex (and it isn't at all). However I wrote the original book before I even knew such a thing as 'furry' existed. And I'm a bit attached to the story. So I'm going to try and wrap up that story arc.

If enough people sign up for it that is.

So, right now I'm looking at another five to six books I want to write this year, after this one comes out. Hopefully my sales will do better than last year, they were okay, but I have some expenses coming up this year, plus I suspect I'm going to owe the government more than I expected (don't we always? Self employment tax sucks - that you have to PAY extra to be self-employed is stupid).

Oh, anybody going to see 'The Musical Box' in SF on the 23rd of Feb? Thinking of going to see them again. Yeah, it means driving into SF, but they really do put on a great show, if you like classic Genesis.

So, just things in General

I'm thinking I'm going to start posting here a little more often, at least for the upcoming month. January and early February are always a bit rough for me, not as bad now as when I lived further north, but SADD (or whatever it's spelt like) does effect me, and while December is always busy with family and holidays and such, January isn't. So things do set in.

Probably the biggest side effect for me in this is that it really slows down my writing and my productivity at creative pursuits. So starting a new book at the beginning of the year is a difficult task. Add to that, that I am always slow in the first few chapters and it's been a bit rough getting started. I'm barely through chapter two in the new book, but at least I've got a lot of the later chapters already scripted in my head.

Now I just have to get there.

On the other side of things, it does bother me that the sequel to Interregnum isn't going anywhere. It's low priority simply because I know I'm going to lose money on it. It's more of a 'passion' book than a money maker, and when all of your work needs to bring in a decent return, it's hard to justify something that you know you will be losing money on.

However, I may have hit on a way to make it pay. Simply put, I'm thinking that I will write about a chapter a month in that story, and I'll put it on my patreon page. I'll make it available to everyone who pays at least a dollar a month to read. Yes, that means that it will probably take close to two years to write, but at least it gets written and people get to read it. Then, when it's done I'll just put it up for sale on Amazon for everyone else who might be interested.

I would of course still be making my weekly posts of my current projects, this would be something separate. Anyway, it's an idea that I'm thinking about. I'll float it by a few places and see what people think.

Also we've started to look for a new house. California is really too expensive for a writer to live, and while the increasingly 'hard on gun owners soft on criminal' laws have been pissing me off (along with the ever increasing tax burden) the whole 'banning' of all shopping bags really just put it over the top. There were no reasons to do that, well no scientific or logical ones, and it just proves that morons are running the show here, and it's time to go before they ban toilet paper (you laugh, but it's coming, that or something equally stupid, trust me. The power hungry never are satisfied and once they start with the stupid shit, it always goes downhill fast).

Nevada is looking promising. I'd like to go further east, but there are reasons to not go so far (namely my other half has been told that their employer will continue to employ them if they move to a particular area in Nevada). Plus we like to go to the air races every September and there are a few other things we go to Nevada for as well (and no, not gambling).

However, I really hate moving. Selling and buying houses is a nightmare, and I honestly hope I never have to do it again. I also am really tired of moving. I have moved a lot since I left college, and I have lived all over the country, and I've had to travel a lot for work. Part of why I was happy to quit my day job and go to full time writing. I got tired of spending weeks at a time away from home.

Back on the work front, I'm trying to learn how to do marketing. Most of my sales success had little to do with my appalling lack of marketing ability. So now, I'm trying to expand my readership and reach new people by actually engaging in advertising. The problem is, I really don't know where to do it, or how to best reach my target audience. Hopefully I'll learn. I'm also trying to push the audiobooks, because I've been told that they won't do another one until sales hit a certain level. And the people who did them did such a nice job, I want them to make money too.

I really need to learn how to market better :-)

And for all of those who have responded to me, either here or by email, on the cover question, thank you!

Cover Questions

I'm thinking of redoing a few of the earlier covers for the Portals of Infinity series. Primarily books 1, 2 and 4. But I'm really not sure of how to change them. I like #1, because I think it gives a good clue to the series, but others have said that the quality of my covers needs to improve. #2 I've grown a little unhappy with, and I've had a lot of people neg on #4. I do like #3, but if I change the others I may change that one as well.

As for the style, especially the style of #1 and #2, I was aiming for the 'forgotten realms' vibe when I commissioned them, that rough kind of artwork that they used to use. And it seemed to work very well for me.

But the question I have is: If I redo the cover early covers, which ones should I do?
Should I go for a similar style, just a more refined version?
And what do you think the covers should show?

I've got some ideas on all of this, but I don't want to put them up, I'd rather hear from my readers first. I won't be changing them anytime soon (end of February would be soonest, I have quarterly taxes do this month, and those will be eating up nearly all of my royalties), so you can give it some thought if you want. But I would like to hear any comments you have on the covers, positive, negative, what you liked or didn't like, and any suggestions for better scenes to put on them.

Thanks everyone!
-John

Review copies of my Audio Books, would you like one?

If you would, please do the following: Open an account on Audible, if you don't already have one. Then tell me which book you would like a copy of, and send me your email address that the audible account is linked to (I need that to send you the book via Audible).

I have a limited number of free copies I can give away, and would like to give away the more recent books (Days of Future Past - book 1, and Wolf Killer) over the older Portals of Infinity (Books 1 and 2) but I do have some codes left for those two books as well, if you are more interested in them.

All I ask is you consider giving me an honest review. I don't expect reviews from everyone, just hopefully enough to be helpful.

Thanks!

Days of Future Past, book 1, Past Tense is now available on Audible: http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Days-of-Future-Past-Audiobook/B01MZ6FI3I/

Audio Books, Days of Future Past, book 1 coming out in Audio version soon

So, book one - Past Tense of Days of Future Past, is coming out in audio format on ACX/Audible here in the next few days. Along with that I get a number of free copies to give away for the purpose of reviews. So if anyone wants a free copy of any of my audio books, in exchange for an honest review, please drop me a line (vanstry@gmail.com) and I'll send them out.
I don't get a lot of these, so please only ask for one if you will listen to it and write a review. I want to keep my current voice actor and studio happy, so they continue to do books for me! It will also help with my quest to get VA's for book 3 and on for the POI series.

Thanks,
-John

Where do I find audio book customers?

So, I was talking to the man who is currently doing my audio books today, as they'd just finished Past Tense, book 1 in the Days of Future Past trilogy (look for it on Audible in about a week, unless Christmas slows them down) and I wondered:

Where do I find people who like audio books?

I wonder about this, because I want to try and go and advertise there. I want the audio books to do well, because I want the people who are making them to make money. So they'll make more of them. Which is a nice simple logic. The problem is, I don't know much about the audio book business. I don't listen to them, and I really don't have any friends who do. So I don't know how to go about finding audio book customers.

So if you know of a good place for me to go and advertise, please let me know!

Oh, and here is the link for the Wolf Killer audio book on Audible:
http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Wolf-Killer-Audiobook/B01N07TDK2/
It can be found on Amazon and iTunes as well.

Thanks!
-John