Lewis Crow's Blog
October 4, 2024
And I thought writing was the hard part
Being an indie author is a lot like being a one-man band. You're responsible for EVERYTHING. I've spent the last month since "A Cold and Secret Death" went on sale marketing the book. As far as my limited budget will allow, I'm leaving no stone unturned in publicizing it far and wide. Marketing is about as much fun as changing dirty diapers. It's a real chore I don't enjoy. But it must be done. (Somebody needs to invent a book that sells itself.)
The worst part by far is the online scammers who attach themselves to you like a school of remoras. I've been approached by some folks who are very brazen. They actually impersonate real authors and try to "befriend" you and offer to refer you to their marketing person in Africa, who's more than willing to help at just about any price. Of course, they're as honest as your local mobster, and I suspect they and the marketing genius they refer you to are actually one and the same.
So heads up, indie authors. Watch out for "helpful" scams on Facebook, Fiverr, and probably every other social media platform. It's a jungle out there. Don't be somebody's lunch.
The worst part by far is the online scammers who attach themselves to you like a school of remoras. I've been approached by some folks who are very brazen. They actually impersonate real authors and try to "befriend" you and offer to refer you to their marketing person in Africa, who's more than willing to help at just about any price. Of course, they're as honest as your local mobster, and I suspect they and the marketing genius they refer you to are actually one and the same.
So heads up, indie authors. Watch out for "helpful" scams on Facebook, Fiverr, and probably every other social media platform. It's a jungle out there. Don't be somebody's lunch.
August 31, 2024
Child # 4
My books are my creative offspring, and number 4 is only a week away from arriving. "A Cold and Secret Death" is available for e-book preorder. Paperback arrives on Sept. 6. The official blurb:
"Mike Walden never knew his father, who died in the unexplained sinking of the US submarine Snapper two decades ago in 1968. When he asks newspaperman David Evans for help, the reporter is captivated by the mystery and agrees to probe Snapper's loss. As he learns of classified files and secret missions, what Evans doesn't know is that his investigation is on a collision course with both a KGB operation to infiltrate the US government and the FBI’s efforts to stop it. Tension gradually builds as both the Navy and the KGB try to keep Evans from uncovering their secrets, leading to a nerve-wracking superpower showdown."
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFSQ6X2K
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed working on it! If you like spies, secrets, or submarines, check it out.
"Mike Walden never knew his father, who died in the unexplained sinking of the US submarine Snapper two decades ago in 1968. When he asks newspaperman David Evans for help, the reporter is captivated by the mystery and agrees to probe Snapper's loss. As he learns of classified files and secret missions, what Evans doesn't know is that his investigation is on a collision course with both a KGB operation to infiltrate the US government and the FBI’s efforts to stop it. Tension gradually builds as both the Navy and the KGB try to keep Evans from uncovering their secrets, leading to a nerve-wracking superpower showdown."
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFSQ6X2K
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed working on it! If you like spies, secrets, or submarines, check it out.
June 1, 2024
Coming soon...?
My next novel is on the way. Soon. Maybe. I'm shooting for early July, but that's just a guess.
I'd classify it as a Cold War mystery/suspense story with espionage and military thriller elements. And nihilistic overtones.
Here's the teaser:
Persuaded by a dead naval officer's son, a reporter investigates an old submarine disaster,
which brings opposition from the US government and interest from the KGB.
"Some secrets can't be buried deep enough."
I'd classify it as a Cold War mystery/suspense story with espionage and military thriller elements. And nihilistic overtones.
Here's the teaser:
Persuaded by a dead naval officer's son, a reporter investigates an old submarine disaster,
which brings opposition from the US government and interest from the KGB.
"Some secrets can't be buried deep enough."
June 7, 2023
Alive Again
The Nemo Chronicles is now finished. Vol.3, "The Freedom Voyages," released today.
It's bittersweet, saying goodbye to Nemo and his crew after 5+ years of venturing around the world in their company. It's been fun, but it's time to move on. Now working on a near-future mildly sci-fi novella and a retro Cold War novel. One of them will be out later this year. Just not sure which. Enjoy "The Freedom Voyages," which takes place between "The Nautilus Legacy" and "The Lone Captain." It's a bit different than the other two, being more episodic and focused on characters Nemo encounters.
If I'm going to do this blog, I need to post more often, right? Right. Meanwhile, back to promoting my latest....
It's bittersweet, saying goodbye to Nemo and his crew after 5+ years of venturing around the world in their company. It's been fun, but it's time to move on. Now working on a near-future mildly sci-fi novella and a retro Cold War novel. One of them will be out later this year. Just not sure which. Enjoy "The Freedom Voyages," which takes place between "The Nautilus Legacy" and "The Lone Captain." It's a bit different than the other two, being more episodic and focused on characters Nemo encounters.
If I'm going to do this blog, I need to post more often, right? Right. Meanwhile, back to promoting my latest....
September 5, 2021
Time the Avenger
August was a better sales month. Guess these things fluctuate.
My (next) mission is to get my novella to my editor. I've had a few weeks to do so and yet haven't done it. Nor have I started in earnest on book 3 of the Nemo Chronicles, to be titled The Freedom Voyages. What have I been doing? Stuff. Some of it worthy, some not. And time marches on....
Time can be a friend or an enemy. Life is like a football game played without any visible clock. You never know how much time is left in the game. Make every minute count. (Self, are you paying attention?)
Even when you limit your time to worthwhile activities, you still can't do everything, so you have to prioritize. And that's the big challenge. What is worthier? What is worthiest?
I need to spend more time writing this month. And I don't mean this blog. :-)
My (next) mission is to get my novella to my editor. I've had a few weeks to do so and yet haven't done it. Nor have I started in earnest on book 3 of the Nemo Chronicles, to be titled The Freedom Voyages. What have I been doing? Stuff. Some of it worthy, some not. And time marches on....
Time can be a friend or an enemy. Life is like a football game played without any visible clock. You never know how much time is left in the game. Make every minute count. (Self, are you paying attention?)
Even when you limit your time to worthwhile activities, you still can't do everything, so you have to prioritize. And that's the big challenge. What is worthier? What is worthiest?
I need to spend more time writing this month. And I don't mean this blog. :-)
August 3, 2021
Now What?
It's been almost two months since "The Lone Captain" went on sale. I've done everything I can think of to promote it (even more than I did for "The Nautilus Legacy"), and sales so far are...not what I had hoped. Oh, well....
Now what?
I've been rewriting/editing a novella that dates from the mid/late 1980s. I'm hoping to get it out for sale before Christmas. It's *very* different from The Nemo Chronicles. Instead of the past, this one is set in the future. No submarines, but a spaceship in a few scenes. One extreme to the other. That's me.
What was my inspiration? A NASA photograph. Two, actually. Combined.
I'll leave you with that teaser. It'll be clearer when you see the cover art. ;-)
Now what?
I've been rewriting/editing a novella that dates from the mid/late 1980s. I'm hoping to get it out for sale before Christmas. It's *very* different from The Nemo Chronicles. Instead of the past, this one is set in the future. No submarines, but a spaceship in a few scenes. One extreme to the other. That's me.
What was my inspiration? A NASA photograph. Two, actually. Combined.
I'll leave you with that teaser. It'll be clearer when you see the cover art. ;-)
June 8, 2021
Finally!
Two years behind (my intended) schedule, "The Lone Captain"
is now available to read.
Except for the delay, I truly enjoyed working on this story, and I hope you enjoy it, too!
is now available to read.
Except for the delay, I truly enjoyed working on this story, and I hope you enjoy it, too!
May 4, 2021
It's Like Launching a Baby Teenager....
The release of "The Lone Captain" is getting closer now. And I thought, what is releasing a new book like? Well, it's like launching a ship, when this grand project becomes a real entity. But it's also like birthing your newest child. And yet it's also like when your teenager leaves home and goes out into the world. You don't know if they will meet with success...or get into trouble.
More than "The Nautilus Legacy," the second volume of the trilogy contains a subtle blend of fact and fiction, with an esoteric Easter Egg thrown in. Readers will meet at least one real historical figure and a character based on a certain singer. I hope the seams where fact and fiction meet will be invisible. I have enjoyed prepping this volume for release, and I desire for it to be received at least as well as the first one was.
Counting the days until my baby teen hits the water!
More than "The Nautilus Legacy," the second volume of the trilogy contains a subtle blend of fact and fiction, with an esoteric Easter Egg thrown in. Readers will meet at least one real historical figure and a character based on a certain singer. I hope the seams where fact and fiction meet will be invisible. I have enjoyed prepping this volume for release, and I desire for it to be received at least as well as the first one was.
Counting the days until my baby teen hits the water!
April 16, 2021
The Year From Hell
It's been a year since I wrote anything here. Good grief. In rereading my last post, I see some things have changed, while others, sadly, have not.
However, I am on the mend emotionally, psychologically, and--most importantly--creatively. After an awful two-year delay, the sequel to "The Nautilus Legacy" is in the completion stages. Look for "The Lone Captain" later this spring. I hate to use clichés, but it will be worth the wait. Like "Nautilus," it was originally written nearly 30 years ago. Talk about a long delay....
More to come when the book releases. I have so much to say....
However, I am on the mend emotionally, psychologically, and--most importantly--creatively. After an awful two-year delay, the sequel to "The Nautilus Legacy" is in the completion stages. Look for "The Lone Captain" later this spring. I hate to use clichés, but it will be worth the wait. Like "Nautilus," it was originally written nearly 30 years ago. Talk about a long delay....
More to come when the book releases. I have so much to say....
April 2, 2020
Staying Alive
Yeah, it's been a long time. Too long. Life has a way of throwing curveballs, sliders, and change-ups, sometimes all at once. But this isn't about baseball metaphors. It's about life, circa April 2020.
Name a song that mentions toilet paper in the lyrics. Go ahead, I'll wait.
I only know of one. Neil Young's "Rockin' In the Free World" has sort of become the de facto anthem of my life under stay-at-home guidelines. This brilliant screed about perception-vs-reality life in 1989 seems strangely appropriate to life now.
"Got department stores and toilet paper."
Well, one's closed down and the other's in short supply.
"There's colors on the street / Red, white and blue / People shufflin' their feet / People sleepin' in their shoes / But there's a warnin' sign on the road ahead /There's a lot of people sayin' we'd be better off dead."
Eerie, huh? That warning sign reads COVID-19.
You've seen the news. I don't need to detail how badly government at all levels has bungled this catastrophe, how overwhelmed hospitals are, and how much pain and suffering there are in people's lives. I should be spending my time writing, but I can't. Not while history is happening and I'm trying to survive it.
"Got fuel to burn / got roads to drive."
Gas is cheap, but there's nowhere to go. So I guess I'll "keep on rockin' in the free world" in between trips to the grocery store and Jack In the Box. Lord, I hate 2020.
Name a song that mentions toilet paper in the lyrics. Go ahead, I'll wait.
I only know of one. Neil Young's "Rockin' In the Free World" has sort of become the de facto anthem of my life under stay-at-home guidelines. This brilliant screed about perception-vs-reality life in 1989 seems strangely appropriate to life now.
"Got department stores and toilet paper."
Well, one's closed down and the other's in short supply.
"There's colors on the street / Red, white and blue / People shufflin' their feet / People sleepin' in their shoes / But there's a warnin' sign on the road ahead /There's a lot of people sayin' we'd be better off dead."
Eerie, huh? That warning sign reads COVID-19.
You've seen the news. I don't need to detail how badly government at all levels has bungled this catastrophe, how overwhelmed hospitals are, and how much pain and suffering there are in people's lives. I should be spending my time writing, but I can't. Not while history is happening and I'm trying to survive it.
"Got fuel to burn / got roads to drive."
Gas is cheap, but there's nowhere to go. So I guess I'll "keep on rockin' in the free world" in between trips to the grocery store and Jack In the Box. Lord, I hate 2020.
