What's Going On?

I've begun to emerge from the funk that my life has been in for the last five or so months. A lot happened since the end of last year, I finished a series (Valens Legacy) that had consumed two and a half years of my life (And it's really not done, there's a possibility of a series being bandied about in Hollywood). The lawsuit got very heated and hectic and expensive during that time. It's actually now finally over after like the 6th of this month (that's when the ability for the other side to enter an appeal expired).
Then there was my mother's failing health and eventual passing. Which makes my cat getting cancer and dying the month before seem like a minor deal (even if it wasn't to me). A few other minor legal issues that I've been putting off dealing with, the need to take a vacation, a -real- vacation, but not being able to because of the current state of affairs (and also having my once a year vacation canceled and losing a lot of money on airfare when it was).

So yeah, been a few rough spots there. Thank the good lord that those are all in the past.

Going forward, I am working on a plan to get ALL of the Portals of Infinity series recorded under one artist (or perhaps a man/woman team). This won't be cheap, because it's over 70 hours long at this point (it'll probably cost around thirty grand). I need to write an addition 30K words or so to make this happen, for legal reasons.

You see, I want to combine books 1 & 2 and books 3 & 4 into two recordings instead of the current four, because they each run about 5-6 hours in length. Back when I created those audiobooks, short books were okay, Audible didn't discriminate against books under 10 hours. However now they do, they've changed the way the market works completely. But I can't just put them together because the people at ACX are assholes. And I have to go through ACX. Also their contracts are 7 years long and they do tend to play fast and loose with the contract terms. (Note above 'need to hire a lawyer' comment).

Another reason to re-record the older books is that first I'd be on the third VA (Voice Artist) for the series, and that's just not fair to the listeners. Second, I want to increase the quality of all the recordings. Some are not apparently up to the level they should be. I realize that I'll probably not make back the money on the first four books when I redo those. I may make back the money on the fifth one. The rest, as they've never been recorded I expect to make the money back on.

Portals of Infinity was the first series I ever turned into an audiobook, and it was still a new frontier when I did it. The rules have changed drastically since then and costs have gone up a lot while royalties have dropped significantly. However I've learned a lot in the process so I'm hopeful that going forward things will improve.

On the story front I actually have several things I'm working on, and there's a bit of juggling going on. I have to do the 30K words mentioned above. I have a new series under my pen name in the offing. Results of that will probably be seen in September. I have a sequel to Take Two that's being worked on, though it's been pushed to spot 'b' in my queue now. There's also a space opera thing I've been messing with for a while now. I'm debating a rewrite on it, but I need to think about that. It'd be under my name and not the pen name. At least I think it will. There's a bunch of shorts I need to write as well, for a number of different things.

I don't know if I'll be able to get these on a schedule. I used to work like that but I developed some bad habits in the last year. We'll see if I can get back to that.

Oh, and as long as Consequences does well, there will be a book #10.

So yes, a lot of work. 

Thanks to all of you for being fans.

Portals of Infinity: Book Nine is on Pre-Order for Saturday!

Portals of Infinity: Book Nine: Consequences, is available for ordering!
It will be released this Saturday, on Amazon

Link to Order POI Book #9 : Consequences

Consequences

Today's Question:

If someone sold Portals of Infinity T-Shirts, would you want them? What about other series?

(and as an update, POI #9 is at the editor, the cover art is in Progress. Take Two: Encore is in progress. 'Everyday Including Holidays' the next book in the Valens Legacy - it's going to be a bridge book of sorts - is in the concept stages with some writing done).

I'm Curious...

Okay, time for another question on things that your humble author/narrator is curious about.

What book that I have written would you want a nice (leatherbound) copy of?

Another question for everyone this week:

Who is your favorite author? (Other than me)

Kinda curious as to who else you all like to read.

More Questions!

I thought I'd post a few questions here, one every week or so, to get people's minds off of things. Originally it was just cause I figured people were bored at home. But then things got crazy the other week and I just really didn't want to get lost in that mess. Plus as I have mentioned elsewhere, my Mother passed. (It wasn't unexpected, and no it wasn't Covid either).

So now that I've put a little time between me and then I thought I'd start asking some questions, just out of curiosity. Here's this week's:

Out of the books of mine you've read, Who is your favorite character?

Just an update, because I'm getting questions.

Just an update, because I'm getting questions.

Yes, the lawsuit did eat into my time, especially at the end there. Also, after nearly two and a half years of writing about a hundred hours a week (not kidding, 9am to 1am 6 days a week, and half that on Sundays), I needed a break. It did go on a bit longer than expected however.

• Right now I'm working on the following novels: POI #9, working title: Consequences. It's over 1/4th done.
• The sequel to Take Two. Working title: Take Two - Encore.
• A short that may turn into a novella or possible a novel: Cursed.
• A 'bridge' book for the Valens Legacy to tie into a follow on series. I thought this would be a regular novel, but I'm starting to think it will be a compilation of shorts and novellas. Working Title: Everyday Including Holidays.
• There's also a book that I was working on and set aside for a while, it's the start of a short multibook series (probably around 3 to 5 books, but still not sure) working title: Wolfhounds (space opera).

Unfortunately I had to go to NY last week for a week (Family issues) those issues are by no means resolved, though I don't think they're going to go on for much longer. I don't know if I'll have to go back or not.

So, yes, there's a lot in the pipeline and I'm trying to get myself back into a 5 to 10 thousand words a day habit, so I can start getting those things out. I'd like to thank all of you for your patience in waiting for more books, I appreciate it very much. Your support has meant a lot to me. It's just been a rough year, but clear skies are on the horizon. It's just a matter of them getting here.

Thanks,

-John Van Stry, May 22nd 2020

Another Question:

What is your favorite scene, out of everything I have written?

A Question for ya.

Would you rather get a short story that is exclusive to people who sign up for my email list, or a short novel that is available to buy somewhere else?

This is of course, for people signing up for my email list. Basically the choices are: A short story that you can only get from being on the list, or a free copy of a shorter work that is also for sale.

About that lawsuit I've been involved in for the last year...

The lawsuit is over, and we won.

There has been a lot said about me, and this lawsuit, by people who don't know the full story, or who think it's perfectly okay to profit off of the stolen labor of others. I couldn't address any of that, because of the ongoing suit, but now that it's over I'd like to address a few things.

First off, I hesitate to label the other party as some kind of ethical or moral pillar, because he's not. He never was. He wasn't doing this to fight copyrights or help people; he was doing this for MONEY. Plain and simple. By his own account, he was making in excess of three hundred THOUSAND dollars a year off of his website.

Got that? He was stealing my work, and the work of other authors to make money, lots of money, with which he bought two airplanes and lived a pretty good life. He now claims that he's broke and living out of a conversion van (aren't those expensive?). I don't know if that's true or not, and I don't care.

The primary goal of this lawsuit was always to get an injunction and stop him from stealing my works and the works of other authors. I didn't even know his site existed until I was told my works were on it by some fans and other authors. I sent a C&D, my lawyers sent a C&D, and my lawyers even sent the appropriate DMCA notices. BTW, DMCA did NOT apply to his website. He was NEVER protected by its 'safe harbor' rules. Seriously folks, stop trying to practice law and talk to a real lawyer. The things my critics think are true and legal are bizarre.

Oh, and for all of those saying I should have settled out of court? We tried. Three times. The first time? Mr. McCrea sent US the settlement offer. One that was a hell of a lot better than what he was hit with today. He asked us to write it up for him (because of course he didn't have a lawyer - right). So I paid my attorney's to write it up exactly like he sent it to us.

And he never signed it.

Twice more we sent it to him, at the judge's (subtle) urging. He didn't respond to the first of those and was a bit rude on the last time. Again, it would have left him in a far better position than the ruling that came out today. So when the crocodile tears start to flow, don't pay them no mind. He was given three chances to get out of this for a lot less money, a LOT less.

But he refused.

My reasons, again, for this lawsuit.

• First is that he was making money off of the stolen work of me and other authors, and bragging about it.
• Second, he was claiming that by stealing my works (and the works of other authors) he was 'helping us'. If he was 'helping us' why did he post more than say the first book in any of our series? Or more than one or two?
• Third, he claimed 'he had permission'. Which of course, he didn't.
• Fourth, he never complied with any take-down requests. Oh, I know he claimed he did, and I was told by one author that any books taken down (in the few instances he appeared to do that) were back up again in days.
• Fifth, he was destroying the retirement of many authors, who rely on the royalties they get from their backlogs to pay their bills. This is a real thing! People were being financially hurt! This wasn't some small pirate site that maybe a couple of dozen people go to. The site was getting over a million hits per month, by his own account. Millions of books were being downloaded. Books are not like songs where you listen to them again and again. You read a book once, that's it. People who steal books don't come back and buy them later. Claiming that they do is a myth.
• Sixth, he was destroying the ability of new authors to enter the market. If your book only sells a few copies on Amazon, but it's the 'book of the week' on his website, with people downloading thousands of copies. Do you think that author is ever going to write again? It takes thousands of hours to write a book. It takes money to get cover art and editing services. If you don't get paid for your hard work, you find another job.
• Seventh, though it would be wrong, because the availability of my books on eBook.Bike was beyond my control, I was worried that Amazon might pull my books and punish me, for them being on his website. After all, he was claiming he had permission for them to be there. Other authors were highly concerned with this as well.
• Eighth, he was not only impacting my sales, but he was impacting my sales ranking and my marketing. The secondary impact of this theft is a lot harder to estimate, but it was there, and I felt it. Again, other authors felt it too.

Mr. McCrea survived only because lawsuits are expensive. He knew this, hence his challenge 'just sue me!' He knew most authors can't afford it. Well unfortunately for him, I could. I saw authors whom I'm a long time fan of complaining about the damage, I saw reflected in my own sales damage. I've been very successful as an author, I'm very thankful to all my fans, and all of the authors who have gone before me.

So I saw this as an opportunity to pay them back, to give something back to the writing community. To take down someone who was stealing, who was profiting from that theft. Someone who was so self-entitled that he was laughing at the rest of us and just challenging us to sue him while bragging about the money he was making.

Understand that I did NOT want to do this. But if not me, then who? If not now, then when? Sometimes, you just have to stand up for what is right. This lawsuit hurt me, considerably, and not just because of the money that came out of my pocket. Rarely did a day go by that I wasn't thinking about it, and rarely did a week go by when I wasn't having to deal with my attorneys. But it wasn't just about me, it never was.

I'm glad this is over. I'm happy we won, and I'm happy with this ruling. I will look and see if I can find a place to post it so that others may read it. I'm sure the usual sites that have been following this will post copies, I'm sure they'll completely mis-interpret the legalities involved, and I'm sure I'll once again be harangued and liabled in the comments.

To all of you who contributed, thank you very much! I appreciate your hard-earned dollars, and I appreciate your words of support. I'll be shutting down my gofundme soon, the final cost of this lawsuit will come out to be somewhere between seventy to eighty thousand dollars. Yes, going to court is not cheap. However a precedent has now been set, so things will be cheaper and easier for those who come after.

Last of all I'd like to thank my attorneys. They were highly professional and are both incredibly experienced and smart. They helped me through the hard times and I would recommend them to anyone who finds themselves in the same or similar position. Their staffs are also very professional and put in some long hours on my behalf. Joshua and Gary, I couldn't have done it without you, thank you both very much.

-John Van Stry

(yes comments are off, sorry.)

So my Cat Died

I ran out to the store to post a letter and get a few things. When I came back, I decided I should go in my office to spend some time with her. Since she's been sick she's pretty much been quarantined to the office, because it's 'her' room, and the dogs can be kept out. As she hasn't been able to jump the gate since she got ill, it kept her in there too.

I checked her, she was under the low coffee table, which has always been one of her favorite spots (as no one can bug here there). She was a little unresponsive at first, but then lifted her head and looked at me. About five minutes later, while I was checking a few things she let out a yowl and didn't stop. I had to move a bunch of stuff so I could move the table out of the way, but she was convulsing.

So I kept her company and petted her and talked to her, as it got less and less. She was obviously having a hard time breathing (which was the reason for the yowls) and they got softer and longer between and eventually she just stopped. I waited a good long while to be sure, but she had gone.

I went out and dug a grave in the backyard, in the rain. I put it inside the fence-line. I don't want coyotes digging her up. I also put about 50 or 70 pounds of large rocks on top. Don't want my dogs digging at it either, though she's about two feet down. I hate digging in Texas gumbo.

I'm going to miss her. I got her back in 2007, her primary domain has always been my office. She would sit in my lap or on my desk when I was working. She would also sit in my lap when I watched tv, or was sitting on the couch working in the living room. She also would come and sit with me whenever I played bass. Guitar, not so much, but she really liked the bass.

She went downhill fast when she got cancer. It only took a few days until it became obvious she was having problems. Took her to the vet and they told me she had less than two weeks. That was ten days ago. Yesterday was her 'last hurrah'. She was much more engaged and wanted attention and was eating treats and paying attention. Last night she parked herself and didn't move much until this morning. By this afternoon it became clear that she didn't have much time left.

So yes, I'll miss her. I don't think I'll be getting anymore cats. Her name, was Mia.

So my cat is dying

Took my cat to the vet on the 18th because she wasn't doing well and after keeping her a few days they told me she has cancer and is dying and won't last two weeks.

So yeah, she's definitely sick. She's lost almost all of her muscle tone, I'd say she's skin and bones, but unfortunately her belly is bloated, from the problems associated with the cancer. She drinks a little, only eats treats (in small amounts) really only moves around occasionally and mostly just lies around.

But she's aware and she seems relatively content. Of course she doesn't groom herself anymore, she hasn't got the energy, and I think I may have to wash her soon (not something I'm looking forward to). The thing is, the vet told me she had 'two weeks left, at best'. Well it's almost a week and a half now and at times she seems to be doing better (if only she would eat more).

It's rough being on a death watch. It's rougher still when you have to make a lot of changes to make sure the cat is taken care of, kept away from the dogs (Who won't understand why she doesn't want to play anymore), and because she can't come out and spend time with me anymore, (she used to either lie on my lap or on my desk while I worked) I have to go spend time with her. Every morning you get up and go check on her to see if she's still alive. Every time you go out for a while, you have to check on her again. She can barely make any noise, so you never know for sure where she is, so you constantly have to check before moving a chair back or something. And she's confined to the floor now. All of the things she used to sleep on, she can't get to anymore.

So with all the other BS going on these days, it's just another added difficulty. I wonder just how much longer it'll go on. When one of our dogs died a few years back, we spent a week taking special care of him (and a 120 lb dog needs a lot of care). When he started to act normal again, we thought he'd pull through, then he died that night while we were sleeping. Not a pleasant discovery, but at least he didn't suffer and it was over quickly.

This isn't going quickly, and while she's not suffering now, I don't know that won't change. And if worse comes to worse, will there even be a vet open to take her to? Yeah, not a pleasant thought.