M.L.S. Weech's Blog, page 30

Book Review: Dragon Fate by E.E. Knight

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The cover image for this book was taken from its Amazon buy page for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

Spoiler Free Summary:  Dragon Fate by E.E. Knight is the final story in the Age of Fire series. War has cost every species, and ancient magic is now being used to take the war to a new, terrible level. The age of dragon rule has become a desperate fight to avoid extinction, and now the three must unite, or everything will fall.

Character:  I think this is where a good series is separated from a great or amazing series. In Wheel of Time or Mistborn or Dragon Riders of Pern, the final books of the series culminate a growth that leads to an added level of fulfillment. I felt the three met their growth in the fourth (arguably the fifth) book. While there was a lot of great action and cool stuff going on, the characters journeys had ended. When a character’s magic dies, the story dies with it. Now that sounds like I hated this book, and that’s not true. I very clearly remember enjoying this story. It felt like bonus footage, but I don’t for the life of me remember anything that happened. That’s because I remember things (and I think most readers remember things) in relation to the characters. Oh! I couldn’t believe it when Character let go of his fear/hate/bias/ego and did that thing! This may have been much better as a visual medium (anime/movie). You see, the visuals take over, and it’s still enjoyable. However, in the written medium, the storyteller has no real power to maintain the wonder. I suppose there are some who want to read pages of fights and action. I’m just not one of those people. I love it in a movie or anime, but it’s still more powerful when the peak action aligns with the peak of the character’s arc. This is why I remember liking Age of Fire, but it’s not anywhere near my top favorite sagas.

Exposition: Again, the above section may feel like I hated it, but that’s not true. The story still flowed beautifully. There wasn’t any drag or long blocks of exposition. Knight is a real pro at balancing content with information.

Worldbuilding: Knight may be a pro with exposition, but he’s a master world builder. I will say that fans of meticulous world building and lore will love this saga even more than I do. This story completes the “history” of this world, and that gives it a value that (even if I don’t appreciate it) I have to acknowledge. In fact, if you’re a writer and you want to pursue sagas like those of Tolkien, Jordan, or Sanderson, you should definitely add this series to your list to study and emulate.

Dialogue: This is probably Knight’s weakest area. That’s not to say he doesn’t have his moments (book 3). But I don’t remember any of those charming moments or powerful conversations. The dialogue just sort of moved the story along without really impacting it. That’s good in that it didn’t drag the story down, but it’s bad because it didn’t elevate the story either.

Image by Ebert Studio taken from the Penguin Random House website bio for the author. This image was taken for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

Description: Knight is great with landscapes, scenes, and fight sequences. He provides a set and lets your imagination fill it in, which is exactly what I look for in description. He probably leaves more to the imagination than some readers would prefer, but I was more than satisfied.

Overall: As I started thinking about this series, I remember how I enjoyed it and that the ending satisfied me. I’d compare this series to a visit to my favorite fast food place. The meal wasn’t better than anything I’d ever had, but I was satisfied, and I know I can always go to it if I’m feeling the desire. While I view this as a compliment (and not even a back-handed one), I can acknowledge that it’s not the resounding praise I’d want if I wrote a six book saga. But we can’t all write Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. By comparison, a great many other stories would be found lacking or (in my opinion worse) derivative. However, on it’s own merit, there’s nothing wrong with a book series that was just “good” rather than “great.” That’s what this series is. I’d certainly recommend it to any who haven’t read it, and I’d especially recommend it to aspiring authors who want to study world building and point of view writing.

Thanks for reading

Matt

Buy The Journals of Bob Drifter

Visits From A Man Named Nobody PT 9

// // // // // // // //

Four

Oct. 17, 2024, 2:31 p.m. 

22.9 Years Ago

Jordan Bieliel lay on the grass as his nose oozed blood. Paul loomed over him with clenched fists. 

“Get up, punk!” It was an effort not to leap on the skinny kid and just whale on him. 

The scuffle quickly drew the attention of a crowd of students, who circled around the fight on the school courtyard. Adrenaline surged through Paul, who hoped Jordan would fight back. 

Instead, the younger kid looked up at Paul. “What’d I do?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know!” Paul stalked toward Jordan, who scrambled back while raising a hand to fend Paul off. “Trevor told me what you said!”

“Trevor’s a liar!” Jordan said. “I never said anything!”

Paul stopped, staring down at Jordan. He was a head shorter and had to weigh 20 pounds less than Paul. As the years passed, Paul grew taller and stronger. He looked like a younger version of his father, and he hated himself for it. 

Paul was about to ask why someone would lie when students started scrambling away. 

“Teacher!” Someone shouted. 

Paul didn’t wait to look around. He took off running. He’d been warned about fighting the last time. He knew the risks, but he was so angry. 

He called my mom a whore! At least that’s what Trevor had told Paul Jordan said. Nobody insults my mom!

Paul comforted himself with the thought that’d he’d at least given Jordan a solid punch. Jordan didn’t even run or try to fight back. Idiot! 

Paul ducked into the school’s science building, his favorite building. It was the only place he felt like the world made sense. He skidded to a stop just outside a bathroom and darted inside. He didn’t think anyone had followed him, so maybe he’d avoid getting into trouble. 

Paul looked at his fist where a splotch of blood sat on his knuckles. He deserved it! Paul told himself as he started washing his hands.

Then his hear leapt up into his throat as he felt the temperature in the bathroom shift from normal, to freezing cold, to burning hot and back again in the blink of an eye. The mirror in front of him fractured. Something flashed behind Paul, and he spun around.

It can’t be! I imagined it! 

It had been almost three years since Nobody had visited. It had been so long that Paul had convinced himself that it was all his imagination. Even as Paul tried to cling to that thought, Nobody stepped out of the stall in front of Paul, who noted a small puddle had formed in that same stall.

Even after three years, not a thing had changed about Nobody. It was the same pea coat. The same gray slacks. He even wore the same stupid red bow tie. The opaque mask hadn’t even faded. Almost three years had passed, and it seemed as though Nobody had stepped right out of Paul’s memory. 

“You … you’re not real,” Paul whispered.

“If I’m not real, where’d that Bible in your night stand come from?” Nobody asked. “More interestingly, where’d that note in the Bible come from?

Rage filled Paul, and he charged the man. Nobody caught him in an embrace. Paul didn’t want a hug; he wanted a fight. He wanted to beat Nobody to death.

“You abandoned me!” Paul shouted. As strong as he’d become, he couldn’t free his arms from Nobody, who simply held Paul. No matter how he struggled, he couldn’t gain any leverage. 

Nobody was strong, but he was strangely gentle, only using the energy necessary to keep Paul still. Paul was easily one of the biggest kids his age, but he was still a teenager in the grip of a grown man.

“You’ve never been abandoned,” Nobody whispered. “Just because you haven’t seen me, it didn’t mean I wasn’t there.”

Tears started to fall from Paul’s eyes, and his anger faded.  “I was so angry! I was so alone!”

“We feel alone sometimes, but it doesn’t mean we are,” Nobody said. “You had your mother.”

The comment hit a nerve in Paul’s heart. He managed to shove himself away from Nobody. “But she just let it happen! I called the police! I saved us! What did she do?”

“So were alone because nobody wanted you, or were you alone because you didn’t want to forgive your mother?” Nobody asked. “How many times has she tried to talk about it?”

“Shut up!” Paul yelled.

“How many times has she asked you to forgive her?” No matter how loudly Paul shouted, Nobody’s tone didn’t raise a bit. 

The Rubber Tree Plant: The True Challenge of Being an Author Businessman

I play cards with my wife’s grandparents every Thursday. Today, the wife’s cousin (who lives there) asked m how the business was going. I told him I was happy at how it was growing. Then he asked me a question that stumped me, and I’d like to share my thoughts with those of you who wish to become authors.

He asked me what the hardest part was.

Is it the writing? I don’t think so. It certainly isn’t the hard part for me. Whatever I’m doing from day to day, I have to think I type somewhere between 1-3 thousand words a day. Now only a portion of those words are for my career as an author, but I don’t think it’s hard to write (at least not the way that I think of it). Now I don’t want to go off on a tangent about why some people may struggle with writing, but I want to establish that writing isn’t actually that difficult.

Is it the editing? Well, I hate it, but it’s not actually hard. It’s tedious. It always feels like I’m just looking at evidence of how bad a writer I actually am. However, when I sit down and get to it (after I’m done moping), it works out.

It’s not the designing. It’s not the marketing (though I still have a long way to go).

So what, then, is the hardest part.

I realized the hardest part is the grind. I affirm I could take any hopeful writer and help that person get a book published on Amazon in less than a calendar year. I would only require that individual promise to spend at least two hours a day on said book. Outside of that, I could help anyone. But hidden in there is another example of the grind.

I’m aware of at least a dozen people who started a book. What happens though is people start out with a burst of inspiration and ambition. It’s like a person who just chugged a Red Bull. Sure, you start off hot, but you eventually burn out, and that’s my point.

The people who start a book and the people who finish writing a book are only separated by one factor: They keep going.

The people who finish a book and the people who get published are only separated by one factor: They keep going.

The people who don’t sell any books and the people who sell hundreds of books (or more) per month are again only separated by that same factor: They keep going.

I can personally attest to the first two above assertions. Several people started writing books when I had started writing my books. I kept writing, and they stopped. They had their reasons and excuses, and I’m not here judging them for those decisions. I’m only stating that, with the blessings and by permission of God, I finished my book because I kept working on it. I got it published because I kept looking for ways to make that happen.

Now, I currently only average about eight sales a month, so I’ll understand if you don’t think much of this little motivation blog I’m writing. However, when I first started selling books, I was amazed whenever I sold a book. I’d go months without selling a single copy of anything. Then I started working on my marketing. I started studying and acting on what I learned. This has lad to a small, but steady, increase of my sales per month average.

The tough part about being a writer doesn’t actually have anything to do with the difficulty of any one task. Even if one argues editing, writing, or designing is hard (even if I respectfully disagree), it’s still not that difficult. But writing every day, day after day, for years. That’s hard. The commitment it takes is ludicrous.

I’m here to tell you it still works. The effort usually reaps equivalent rewards in time. Now I’m still limited to the time God allows me to be on this Earth, but while I’m here, if I keep working toward a goal, it usually happens.

Determination, I propose, is the only real distinction between people who accomplish a goal and people who don’t. This isn’t an absolute. I can train every day for the rest of my life, and I’m not making the 49ers roster. Talent and genetics plays a role in some areas, but not writing. Over the long haul, almost anyone can do almost anything with enough time and effort.

This is my message to you all today. You can choose to give in to despair or disappointment, or you can choose to keep going. You can accept that what you were doing is no longer intrinsically motivating and decide you don’t want to do it anymore. You have that right, and I won’t mock you for it. I just don’t want you to feel like you will continue to fail just because you have failed. Indeed, you will fail if you stop trying simply because you succeeded once.

I have to finish the Oneiros Log. I have to finish Images of Truth and revise and publish a whole bunch of other novels. They can’t be purchased if I never make them available for sale. So if you’re discouraged, please consider this motivation I offer to you. If you still want that goal, keep pushing. Keep working. If you stop, you’re guaranteed to fail. But you might succeed if you just try one more time.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Book Review: Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson

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Spoiler Free Summary:  Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson is the fourth story in the Stormlight Archive series. The war on Roshar is in full bloom. Dalinar leads a desperately needed assault to take back territory the humans need. Kaladin is still struggling with his desire to fight. Shallan and Adolin must travel to Shadesmar to negotiate with spren who would rather avoid them. Navani is learning secrets about the tower that could change everything. Odium has his plans as well. Everything comes together as the contest of champions takes shape.

This cover image was taken from the book’s Amazon buy page for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

Character:  I’m happy to say that Adolin and Kaladin have my favorite arcs. A while back, I wrote a blog about things I hope RoW does, and this delivers on 1.5 of them. Sanderson has wonderful and charming characters. Interestingly, at least two (and perhaps as many as four) arcs deal with specific mental disorders. I wonder if Sanderson meant this book (and maybe this series) to parallel so many mental health issues. Regardless, these characters are all awesome. I must, however, disagree with Navani’s arc. It just felt kind of stupid to me (spoilers). Not all of it was by itself stupid, but there was a final part near the end of the book that didn’t come together for me. I get the plot point, and I understand the implications of what she did, but the way it came together felt forced. Even accepting this as what I honestly feel is a weak arc, it’s still a fantastic story. It’s only in hindsight that I consider these issues, and the most important aspect of evaluating character is in the heat of the story, not days after I’ve had time to pick it apart in my mind.

Exposition: Since everything really is coming to a head, there isn’t a lot of exposition here. I imagine people reading that book before others might feel lost, but I never understood reading a book in the middle of a series. I kind of think that’s on the reader. This story is huge (about 1,200 pages), but it reads fast. The last two hundred pages flies by! There are some parts that drag as Sanderson expands on his magic system (another demerit to Navani’s arc), but all epic fantasy has some deep exposition to go over the magic system.

Worldbuilding: This has been and remains where Sanderson shines. This book expands on Roshar and, more interestingly, the Cosmere. Everything in this story is vivid and immersive, and it just gets better and better with every book. I can’t say this story hits a home run, but I can absolutely say that anyone who’s been waiting as long as I had been for this book was (at worst) satisfied with it’s arrival. This book puts the larger arc in context. For those who don’t already know, the ten books that comprise this series are actually two, five-book arcs.

Dialogue: This is actually better than I’ve come to expect. The dialogue in this story is on par with Oathbringer (or better) for the same reasons. The relationship between Dalinar and Taravangian harken to Xavier and Magneto. It’s a wonderful arc that I hope continues in this vain. This is amplified (a credit to Navani’s arc) in Navani’s story. There’s some beautiful dramatic prose delivered via dialogue that kept even the exposition meaningful and interesting.  

Description: This has all the wonderful traits of any Sanderson novel: expansive worlds, immersive scenes, and awesome fight sequences. If you like any Sanderson book, this one delivers as always.

This image of Mr. Sanderson was taken from his website for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

Overall: I’d probably argue this is the second best book in the series so far (Words of Radiance). This book delivers on a few promises it has made early in the series, and it provides a thrilling plot twist that completely shocked me (in a good way). This book already has me chomping at the bit to get to Book 5!

Thanks for reading

Matt

Buy The Journals of Bob Drifter

Visits From A Man Named Nobody PT 8

// // // // // // //

“Maybe the verse inspired me to do what I’ve wanted to do all along, but that’s still just me,” Paul argued.

Nobody remained silent and still for a few moments before eventually bowing his head and taking in a deep breath. “I’d like you to consider what you read over the next few books of the Bible. Could you ask yourself what happened every time the Israelites looked to their own strength?”

“Why is it so important to you that I read the Bible?” Paul asked.

Nobody turned his head in Paul’s direction. “I gave you the Bible. I will ask you questions about what you read, but I’m not making you read it.”

“That doesn’t mean you don’t want me to.”

Nobody nodded his head. “When I first spoke to you, you were hurt, and you were looking for answers.  I want you to read the Bible because I know the real answers you’re looking for are there. Sure, I expect you’ll read everything you can get your hands on that the world has to offer to understand how I visit you, but even if that does eventually help you understand how I move from where I was to here, it won’t tell you why you were beaten. It won’t tell you how you should act. It won’t tell you why your mom stopped coming in to comfort you.”

“And the Bible will?” Paul didn’t even try to hide the scorn in his voice. 

“To be honest, you’ve already read the reason, but you haven’t yet read the explanation,” Nobody said. “You have half the answer, but it’s not one any person appreciates hearing. That’s why you need to wait for the other half. You have half of an equation, and you won’t even be ready to consider the truth until you find the rest.”

That didn’t make any sense to Paul. He wasn’t even close to being halfway through the Bible, and he didn’t have any answers on why his dad was the way he was. 

“I thought it would be over,” Paul whispered. 

“How so?” Nobody asked. 

“You can read my mind, so why are you asking?” Paul asked.

“Because you get annoyed when I tell you what you’re thinking, and I really don’t want to annoy you any more than I have to.”

Paul cocked his head. Nobody didn’t admit he was a mind reader, not in so many words, but the man did admit he knew what Paul was thinking.

“I thought I’d call the police, and my dad would get thrown in jail, and that would be it,” Paul said.

“Life is a journey,” Nobody said. “I’ve come to think of it like a testing ground in a way. Trials come to test you. But there are good times, too.”

Paul’s lip trembled. It wasn’t the words Nobody used. It was the hope they implied. Paul couldn’t remember being happy. He wondered if he ever was. The last twelve years of his life seemed filled by nothing but pain and sadness. Was he ever going to have those good times.

Nobody stood. “I promise you that one day, you will see the reason for all of this. I promise you, God has a plan, and it is good.”

“How is getting beat my whole life any good?!” Paul kept shouting even as Nobody calmly walked out of the room. Paul’s rage fueled him even more. “How is my mom and I nearly dying a good thing?! What possible good can come of me being hated by my own father?!””

The temperature swung back and forth, just like it always did when Nobody came or left. A part of Paul noted that the effect wasn’t so easy to feel this time, maybe because Nobody was farther away? He didn’t see the flash of light, but he did hear that strange sort of electrical surge. All of those things registered in Paul’s mind even as he shouted.

“Why did it have to happen?! Does your stupid book say that?!” Tears were streaming down his face. It hurt. It hurt so bad, and that jerk told him it was good! “Why did it have to happen to me? What did I do?”

A nurse, a scrawny stick of man wearing deep blue hospital scrubs, came scurrying into the room. “It’s ok!” The nurse’s voice was gentile, but urgent. “You’re safe now! You’re in a hospital. No one’s going to hurt you.”

The nurse must have thought Paul had woken from a nightmare. The man slowly wrapped an arm around Paul, trying to comfort him. Paul just kept crying. He didn’t understand, and he didn’t think he ever would. 

The end of Chapter 3.

Some wonderful reviews to share!

Greetings all,

I’m (as always) happy to report I have some reviews to share with you. Feedback is always appreciated, and it’s all the more awesome when they’re positive.

All of these reviews were based on audiobooks, but most of the reviewers were so cool, they posted those reviews on multiple platforms (Goodreads and Amazon).

Let’s start with this four-star review for Sojourn in Captivity published by Margaret:

Interested in listening to more

This is the second book I have read/listened to by this author and I would listen to another. I like how there is a creature that is their God but he is not benevolent and his status as a God is sketchy. To evolve, her species- the seferam, transform into violent creatures. I did not quite catch the reason behind this. Either I missed it or it’s just not properly explained because this is a novella. I definitely look forward to listening to more in the series——- This is the first book I have listened to by this narrator ( Courtney Sanello ). I find her voice is an excellent match to the story since the Seferam seem to be similar to our conventional concept of winged fairies like Tinker Bell. Her voice is unique and has a very fluid, smooth, yet high quality to it. Despite this, she still does the male characters quite well.——- There are no explicit sex scenes, excessive violence, or swearing. ——- I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review. Please feel free to comment on whether you found my review helpful.

I always love hearing that on of my books (or, in this case, two) has left someone open to more of my work. I hope Margaret does decide to try more of my work.

The other three reviews are for The Power of Words. They are all four or five star reviews. The reviewers also shared those reviews on other platforms.

One can also be seen on Amazon here.

The other two were shared on Goodreads, and you can read them here and here.

As always, I humbly ask that you consider leaving a review on Amazon, Audible, Goodreads, or all three if you’ve read any of my work. It’s always helpful. I offer my thanks to all of these reviewers for not only taking the time to read my work, but also taking the time to rate and review it. No one is obligated to do such a thing, so I’m honored they gave of their time to discuss my work. I’m sure the other authors for The Power of Words feel the same.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Book Review: Dragon Rule by E.E. Knight

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Spoiler Free Summary:  Dragon Rule by E.E. Knight is the fifth story in the Age of Fire series. Dragons have taken dominion over the upper world. Three sibling dragons have three very different views on how humans should be dealt with. One brother would ignore them. The other brother would isolate from them. Only the sister sees a third option. Can she help humans and dragons coexist?

[image error]

Character:  This book handles a lot of the same tones of the last book. In fairness, it continues to develop the new relationships that began when the three siblings reunited. This book is harder for me to remember than others. I think it’s because the book was building to a climax. I didn’t mind the anticipation so much because I was already in love with the characters.

Exposition: Since I don’t remember much about the book, it means that not a lot of really great things happened, but it also means the exposition was fine. I absolute remember boring books. Knowing the end and knowing the first three books more familiarly, I think this book was set up, so it falls short of the books around it. What made this book easy to read was the relationship between these characters.

Worldbuilding: Just when one thinks Knight couldn’t be more imaginative, he takes a rich world full of creatures and characters and flips it around, writing a story that is much more about the new dynamics and polities of a new empire. This keeps the worldbuilding (the most awesome aspect of this series) fresh.

Dialogue: I’d be lying if I said I remembered any one conversation. What I can say is I remember how the conversations made me root for reconciliation and peace between the siblings. There’s no doubt how much each character had grown, so I found myself wanting to see that in their growth, they found some way to come together.  

[image error]Image by Ebert Studio taken from the Penguin Random House website bio for the author. This image was taken for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

Description: The vague memories I have of this book dwell on the political themes, which doesn’t leave a lot of room for vivid descriptions in action, which I tend to prefer in my stories. However, I know that I fondly remember the series as a whole for having simply amazing detail intricately woven into solid prose.

Overall: I remember this book least, which I suppose makes it my least favorite in a series, but in this case being my least favorite is like getting Chips Ahoy! when I wanted homemade cookies. It was still pretty great; it just doesn’t compare well with others in the series. Take that with a grain of salt, though. If you like political intrigue and drama, you’ll love this book. I don’t actually like either of these, but I still liked this book.

Thanks for reading

Matt

Buy The Journals of Bob Drifter

Visits From A Man Named Nobody PT 7

// // // // //

Three

May 1, 2021, 9:31 p.m. 

26.5 Years Ago

Paul woke up in a hospital bed. His leg and arm each had a cast. Despite his grogginess his eyes darted around for his mother. Instead, they found Nobody, sitting in a plastic chair next to his bed. 

“Your mother is fine,” he said. “Or at least, she will be.”

He was dressed exactly the same as he was moths ago. The same gray slacks. The same black pea-coat. As messy as Nobody’s black hair was, Paul wasn’t sure a single strand had moved from when he’d last seen him. The opaque mask Nobody wore still made it hard to see any details in his face.

“So dad stopped?” Paul’s father had come close to killing him twice, and the man nearly killed his mother at least three times. They’d get rushed to the hospital and treated for what was always somehow described as an “accident.” They’d move after the “accident” to be sure the hospital didn’t have an accurate record of how many times the family had visited.

“No,” Nobody answered. “The police showed up. By the grace of God there was an officer near the house when you called. Your father is in holding. He’s been charged with domestic abuse, assault, and attempted murder.”

“I don’t think he was really trying to kill me,” Paul said. He was confused just an instant after he asked the question. Why was he defending the man who’d just beat him and his mother to within an inch of their lives?

“He had a knife on him when the police entered your home,” Nobody said. “Apparently, he saw the phone you used. One might debate if he really intended to use it or not. Even your father claimed he had the knife to attempt suicide.”

Paul’s father had done that five times that he knew of. His mom would threaten to leave, and he’d pull out a knife and threaten to kill himself. A part of Paul truly wanted that to be the truth. It was one thing for his father to pull one of his typical self-threatening displays, but another part of Paul knew that the knife was meant for him. 

“How do you know all this?” Paul asked.

“The same way I know everything else.” Nobody said it as if it were an actual explanation. 

“And you didn’t do a damn thing!” Paul yelled.

“Please don’t use that language around me,” Nobody said.

“Fuck off!” Paul shouted. “You appear in my bedroom and hand me a Bible when you could have knocked on the door with a police man.”
“The language you use is a reflection of your own heart,” Nobody said. “And you’re trying to make me angry and defensive. It won’t work. Tell me honestly what would have happened if I had shown up with a cop? If you hadn’t had called the police and your father didn’t actually kill you, what would  have happened?”

Paul opened his mouth, but no words came out.

“I imagine, if he hand’t killed you, he would have taken you to get patched up. He’d have claimed there was an accident. Then you’d move.”

Paul’s mouth remained open in shock. It was almost exactly what Paul thought his father would have done.

“Did God just magically teleport the Israelites out of Egypt?” Nobody asked.

Paul jerked his head. The question felt like it came out of nowhere. On moment, we’re talking about my dad, and the next moment he’s asking about Exodus? 

“Moses led them out of Egypt,” Paul said. “I’ve been reading like you asked.”

“Why?” Nobody asked.

“Why what?” Paul asked. Why did Moses lead the Israelites out of Egypt?

“Why have you been reading?” Nobody slowly rubbed his hands against one another. It seemed like a habit. The room wasn’t particularly cold.

“I don’t really know,” Paul admitted. “I mean you asked me to, but a part of me was just curious.”

“And your other reading? Any luck finding out how I do it?” Even through the mask, Paul heard Nobody’s amusement.  

“I think you found some way to teleport,” Paul said. 

“Have you considered perhaps that God moves me?” Nobody asked.

“No,” Paul said. “What you’re doing is real.”

“And the Bible isn’t real?” Nobody asked.

“No,” Paul replied. “Science has proven there isn’t a God.”

“Really?” Nobody cocked his head. “I should like to see that scientific evidence.”

“The world wasn’t made in six days,” Paul said. “We didn’t descend from just two people. There aren’t miracles.”

“There aren’t miracles?” Nobody asked. “How then, do you explain the fact that you’re alive right now?”

“I’m alive because I called the police,” Paul said. 

“And what were you thinking when you made this call? What was the last thought you had right before you pressed that emergency button?” 

It was unnerving looking at the man’s opaque mask. Paul couldn’t really see the man’s eyes even if they were as intense as Paul felt they had to be. More strangely unnerving was the last question Nobody asked. 

I asked for help.  

“And who were you asking for help from, Paul?” Nobody asked as if Paul had spoken out loud. “After you asked, who helped you?” 

“I did it myself!” Paul said angrily. No all-powerful being gave him the strength to press a button. He’d pressed buttons all the time. There was nothing supernatural about a phone call.

“And what about every other time you could have done it?” Nobody asked. “Why this time? Why did you gain the strength and courage this time?”

He emphasized the words, implying he knew exactly what verse was running through Paul’s mind when he made the call.

… to be continued …

Marketing Journal Dec. 4, 2020

Greetings all,

Since it’s been a few months since my last update, I thought today would be as good a day as any to provide you an update.

[image error]My actual report for the last 90 days.

I’m still working the plan I have. I don’t actually know if it’s a good or a bad plan; it’s just my plan. I’d ask anyone with clear, actionable information to please comment below.

The plan is simple: Generate new campaigns based on previous keywords that result in sales, clicks, or a high number of impressions (more than 100 a month).

When I last updated you all, I was averaging four sales a month and spending around (I think) $60 a month. A loss, but my sales were still up. After letting my most recent string of campaigns work for a while, here’s what’s happened since.

I had four print/e sales in September. I also had 822 pages read. That was during what I call an implement month. I had campaigns running, and I used them to track data. Then, near the end of the month and during the beginning of October, I generated a new list of campaigns based on the data provided above.

October looked awesome! I had nine print/e sales and 1,719 pages read!

Even better, I’ve been seeing follow on sales. September and October were both months in which I actually earned a profit. I genuinely think they were my first two months ever.

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Oddly, those sales still are strangely hard to identify. I spent $144 in September, selling $11.97 (total not profit) and $177.74 in October, selling $24.94 (total, not profit). So again, I had more sales, but not all of those sales tie directly to the new campaigns.

Regardless, the more I work on this, the more sales I get. I don’t know that there’s anything more to do than continue forward, hoping my conversion rate will eventually improve as my number of sales increases.

So with nine print and e sales in October, the question is, was that just a good month, or is my monthly average actually increasing? Let’s have a look at November.

I had another eight print and e sales and a whopping 4,686 pages read. Yet again, my Amazon Marketing only directly accounts for three of the orders and about half of the pages read. My theory is that I’m gaining follow on sales. It’s just a theory, but it’s the only hypothesis that fits. I did lose money in November. You see, other campaigns on Audible really helped pull the weight and earn the profit, and my Audible royalties weren’t enough to beat the $173 (ish) I spent on marketing this time around. But at my stage of development, I’m just happy to see sales going up. I’m especially encouraged by the pages read.

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For those wondering, 2,357 pages read accounted for $10.70 in royalties, which is what AMS tells me tie directly to my campaigns. No, I’m not quitting my day job anytime soon, but I’m moving in an upward trajectory, and that’s something.

It’s my hope that Betrayed will be more successful (still trying to get that out in the spring of 21), but only time will tell.

Interestingly, November fell off a tad, but it was an implement month. I’ve just started creating campaigns based on the data from November. If my hypothesis is correct, I should expect to see another increase in December. I might have to temper that expectation with COVID and government shutdowns, but I’m still hoping.

Regardless, the facts are that I have quadrupled (from two per month to eight per month) my monthly sales average and completely hit a new level in pages read since initiating this plan, and that is positive from any point of view.

I’ll post updates like this every two or three months to track the data. Yes, there is a point where spending hundreds for clicks for only a few sales is going to be unfeasible. Some may feel I’m already there. I don’t. I think I can do other things to improve my conversion rate, and I still think reviews are a part of it. I think as I get more sales and reviews, my conversion rate will naturally increase. I won’t be able to really analyze that until I have a title with more than 25 reviews.

For now, I’ll take some satisfaction knowing I’m selling more books and having more pages read than I ever have, and that glory goes to God first above all, and then you, the readers kind enough to give my work a try.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Book Review: Dragon Strike by E.E. Knight

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Spoiler Free Summary:  Dragon Strike by E.E. Knight is the fourth story in the Age of Fire series. Three dragons separated shortly after hatching are reunited as the coming human war causes them to pick sides. Once more the copper finds himself at odds with his siblings, but is he really on the wrong side this time, or are they?

Character:  This book probably won’t make any sense before reading at least one of the previous three. You see, the brilliance of writing three individual timelines is now balanced in that this story is strongest when one has read the three previous books. Only by doing so can one truly appreciate the growth and development of these characters. I happened to have read all the other books first, so this book felt like a fulfilled promise to me. I highly advise new readers to do the same. This book picks up expecting readers to have connected with each dragon, and that’s a disadvantage. At this point, I was particularly interested to see how far the dragons would take their childhood rivalry. More interestingly is the other biases these dragons developed as they grew. Each had become a main character in their own book, but when their values are put at odds with those of their siblings and the world in which they live, things get interesting.

[image error]Cover image for this title was taken from the book’s Amazon buy page for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

Exposition: A part of me feels like this book needed a bit more exposition. I only say that because I feel this book depends on readers having enjoyed at least one of the other books. A touch of exposition would have absolutely slowed the pace of the book down, but it would have given new readers more context. I can’t necessarily say it was a bad thing; I only affirm that I even I, someone who hates exposition, would have understood a bit more exposition in this book.

Worldbuilding: What knight loses in his exposition and character, he regains in his worldbuilding. Again, this book felt like a fulfilled promise. We’ve spent three books watching these dragons grow and find some sort of path, and Knight then puts them right back at odds with each other just as the world is in a terrible state of it’s own. It really was cool to see everything come together.

Dialogue: I’d say Knight finds a consistent rhythm in this book. It’s still not as good as the dialogue in book 2, but it is good. Each dragon has a distinct voice (even other characters). So while I know there’s better work from Knight out there in this regard, the quality of this story’s dialogue is still entertaining and informative.  

[image error]Image by Ebert Studio taken from the Penguin Random House website bio for the author. This image was taken for review purposes under Fair Use doctrine.

Description: When we have a book with more action, this tends to pick up as well. This is true of this book. Strike is a set up story, but even in that regard the description comes to life in a way that captures the imagination.

Overall: I still say the third book is best, but that doesn’t make this book bad. I just think the reason I love this book so much is because of the job Knight did in book 3. This story gave me everything I wanted it too, so it holds a special place in my heart because Knight used this book to fulfill all the potential the first three books offered. Again, if you love coming of age stories and dragons, you’ll absolutely love this story about dragons coming of age.

Thanks for reading

Matt

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