Stuart Jaffe's Blog, page 8

The Bluesman #5 Released!

The title says it all, really.  The latest Bluesman story is now available. I won’t re-post the cover since it was in the last post.  This is a big turn of events in the story, so be sure to check it out.  It’s available just about everywhere ebooks are sold.  Here are some links to the big ones:

Kindle – US

Kindle – UK

Nook

Kobo

Cover Reveal! The Bluesman #5: Sacrifice

Timing is everything, and it’s a good time for a cover reveal!  The Bluesman #5: Sacrifice will be coming out very shortly.  Here’s the cover:

 

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This time out is going to be a tough one for Scotch, Fuller, and Dee.  One they won’t ever forget.  And neither will you.  This is the one that shapes a lot of what is to come, so you don’t want to miss it!  And if you haven’t read #1-4, they are cheap, fun, and exciting ereads, so hop on and enjoy!  Don’t have an ereader?  Hang in there.  A paperback version is planned for later this year.

I’m Back…Almost

Happy New Year Folks!

So, it’s been awhile and I actually have plenty to tell you about — new covers to show, new books to release, lots of fun with the Blues and Anime and movies and plenty more.  Plus I’m working on getting some video up — behind the scenes kind of stuff of what it’s like to put a book together.  It’s all coming soon.  I had hoped to be fully running by today but in addition to all the usual hassles of life, my computer crashed for good.  So, it’s taking awhile to get this new one all customized to my needs.  Still, all excuses aside, I plan to get back to more frequent posting and I hope you’ll come back too.

In case of future catastrophic computer failure, or in case you just want to stay abreast of my latest releases, news, and fun — I recommend you sign up for the monthly newsletter.  They’re short, only once-a-month, and they give you the first look at everything from covers to news to chances for free books and, if things go well, I’ll be sending newsletter subscribers exclusive stories, too!  Interested? Just click here or up in the top right corner.

That’s all for now.  Have a great year and I’ll see you next week.

 

I know, I know. What’s been going on here? Well, a lot re...

I know, I know. What’s been going on here? Well, a lot really. I’ve been working hard on writing, doing some appearances, traveling, and trying to keep all my online stuff up-to-date. And I just thought to myself, do people truly want me to blog when I’ve got nothing to say this week? I know I don’t like reading my favorite blogs when it’s just blah blah blah. I want the information or entertainment I came for.

So, I decided to skip the weeks I don’t have much to offer.

I’ve also been working on doing video. I love what affordable video production and YouTube have accomplished on the internet. Though I’m still in the beginning stages of the learning curve, my intention is to bring video to this blog. Of course, I might have a lot more to say (I tend to think aloud much to my wife’s chagrin), but I suppose that’s part of what editing is for.

Anyway, I simply wanted to tell you all that I’m not dropping the blog. As long as there’s an audience for it, I’ll do it. I won’t waste our time, though. And finally, for those of you who don’t follow me on Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter (and if you don’t, what’s up with that?), I want to announce that The Bluesman #3: Death House Jam Session is now available in most online formats.  Enjoy!  Here’s the cover:

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Now Available: Kindle | Nook | Kobo

Southern Charm RELEASED!

That’s right, folks.  Southern Charm, the next book in the Max Porter paranormal-mystery series, is now officially out there for your pleasure.

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When Max and the gang are hired by an art forging ghost to find a lost painting, Max thinks it’ll be easy money. But villains old and new come out, and the race is on for the painting and the secrets it contains. A race that will lead Max into a mess of magic spells, haunted houses, ancient curses, and even Blackbeard the Pirate.

Click here to sample or purchase Southern Charm.

What we really need in publishing right now

I skipped last week’s post because I was angry at the publishing industry and worried I might write something I’d later regret.  So, I took the week off.  What had me so ticked?  Was it the news that some people were offering bulk reviews for sale?  Was it that indie-published wonder John Locke paid for 300 reviews?  Was it that traditionally-published crime writer RJ Ellory admitted to posting fake reviews for his own books and trashing other authors?

Nope, none of that.

What really got me was how quickly both sides jumped on the other over these bits of news.  They pointed their fingers and said how the other side is worthless due to these transgressions.  But here’s the thing — as has been true in life forever, it is still true (even on the internet) that the majority of people are good-natured, kind-hearted, and play by the rules.  Those same people slip up, screw up, and otherwise, but they’ll admit their mistakes and try to do better.  It’s also true that there are schmucks everywhere, cheats and liars, and downright thieves who will tarnish everything around them without care as long as it gets them ahead.

So, with that all in mind, to those who want to denigrate the traditional publishers, I remind you that amongst the individual editors, copy-editors, PR people, art directors, etc, etc, are that same mix.  The majority want to see the books they work on succeed.  They love books and truly want to help shape the culture they live in through these books.  They are excited by ebooks and all the opportunities (even if some mourn the loss of paper).  They hate breaking the hearts of new authors and love helping us rise towards success.  Yes, there are lazy people and jealous people, snarky people and unscrupulous people working at the Big 6 as well, but for the most part, they are good, hard-working people.

What writers need to understand is that all these people with all their good intentions still work for a corporation.  And despite what some politicians want to be the case, corporations are not human beings.  They are run by humans, but they are a Frankenstein unleashed.  It is the desire to save one’s job by feeding that monster which often leads to the horrors that are so frequently discussed concerning traditional publishing — draconian contracts, horrible treatment of writers, and breaking contract terms from the outset, amongst others.

On the other side, and with all of this in mind, to those who want to denigrate the indie-publishers, I remind you that amongst the individual writers, editors, copy-editors, beta testers, freelance artists, etc, etc, are that same mix.  The majority want to see the books they work on succeed.  They love books and truly want to help shape the culture they live in through these books.  They are excited by ebooks and all the opportunities (even if some mourn the loss of paper).  They hate breaking the hearts of new readers and love helping their fellow writers rise towards success.  Yes, there are lazy people and jealous people, snarky people and unscrupulous people working in the indie market as well, but for the most part, they are good, hard-working people.

What traditional publishing needs to understand is that all these people with all their good intentions still work for themselves, and that brings with it great struggle.  They are shoestring operations, run by heart, and it is the desire to turn this passion into a way to feed one’s family which often leads to the horrors that are so frequently discussed concerning the indie-publishing sector — unprofessional behavior, books that aren’t ready put out too soon, over-tweeting and over-marketing one self, amongst others.

Look, folks.  The honest truth is that we all are trying to do the same thing from different angles.  Nobody really benefits from all the vitriol.  Don’t believe me — just look at what a bang-up job it’s doing for the US government.  So, please, can we tone it down a notch?  Especially because all of us in this business recognize that in the end, the traditional press will still exist and so will the indie press.  Both will have changed drastically from what they are right now.  Many people will discover wonderful ways to make a living, and sadly, many people will no longer be able to survive in the way they had become accustomed.  That’s change, folks.  Sucks for some, great for others.

No matter how much trash you talk, it won’t save your job if your job is now obsolete.

No matter how much hatred you spew, it won’t make your book sell any better if it’s crap.

Do good work, be a good person, and stop trying to manipulate what you can’t control. There’s nothing wrong with reporting and sharing information, but there’s no need for all the “in your face” attitude.  There’s no need to cheer joyously at the short-comings of the other side.  Because the truth is — you can’t control any of this.  Doesn’t matter if you’re a newbie writer or if you’re Rupert Murdoch.  You may think you can control things, but you can’t.

So, for those of us who are still sane after these last few tumultuous years — let’s return to civility.  Discuss the issues.  Debate the answers.  Question each other’s practices.  But don’t salt the other’s wounds.  There will be plenty more wounds before this is all over, and some of them just might be yours.

Official Release – The Bluesman #2: Tattoo Magic Showdown

It’s here, folks! The next Bluesman story, continuing the adventures of the Bluesman Fuller and his snarky sidekick, Scotch. This time an investigation of some animal mutilations leads to a confrontation with a vicious pack of beasties (konapols for you Malja fans) and a surprise that scares Fuller to the bone – a magician from his own world.

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The story is only $.99 until I write and release #3, then it goes up to the full $2.99 price.  The Bluesman #1: Killer of Monsters is now at the full price, though last time I checked, Amazon still discounted it back to $.99 so you might be able to sneak in under the wire.

Only two stories in and I’ve got to say, this series has been such a blast to write.  I keep bubbling up with ideas for more and more that can happen to these two guys that I often don’t want to work on the novels that are queued up (don’t worry, I’m working on them too) because I’m too excited to see how things are going to play out with these shorts.  So, barring anything outside of writing getting in the way, I should be able to maintain getting a new Bluesman story out every other month at the least.

As always, if you keep reading them, I’ll keep writing them!

Inspiration for various parts of the series comes from blues songs and lyrics (of course), The Malja Chronicles (of course), but also from less obvious sources.North Carolina, for one.  I live out in the country on a small farm and it’s beautiful.  It’s also quiet in a way I’ve never experienced before.  So, the countryside played a small part in Bluesman #2.  I think Scotch is inspired by aspects of myself that I don’t often share in my prose.  In the past, my fiction was serious and often dark.  But with The Bluesman, I’ve finally tapped into my humorous side — a part of me that people who see me off the page get to know (sometimes too well).

I also enjoy writing this series because it marries a lot of the sub-genres I write in.  Blending the Bluesman, who comes from the same post-apocalyptic nightmare world of The Malja Chronicles, with a modern-day North Carolina similar to what I write about in the Max Porter paranormal-mysteries, lets me indulge in both at the same time.  Hopefully, my writing indulgence is your reading pleasure.

Anyway, here are the links:

Kindle | Nook | Smashwords | Kobo is taking its merry ol’ time uploading but it is in their queue, so keep checking

 

The Blue Series — Howlin’ Wolf

I’ll be releasing the second Bluesman story very soon and thought that made a perfect excuse to spotlight another of the great blues legends: Howlin’ Wolf.

Chester Arthur Burnett, named after the US President, started a troubled and influential life in 1910.  He lived with his mother and his abusive uncle in West Station, Mississippi until, at the age of 13, he ran away to the Delta to live with his father, half-sister, and step-siblings.  With a love of music from early on, he called upon a neighbor to teach him to play guitar.  That neighbor — blues legend Charley Patton. Around the same time he picked up on blues harp from another great, Sonny Boy Williamson II

His distinctive voice — a deep, gravelly sound that earned him his stage name — and his imposing stature — 6′ 3″ and 275 lbs — led him to be a memorable figure when giving a performance.  As he grew up and became a reliable musician, he traveled the Delta, playing blues with such greats as Robert Johnson, Son House, and Willie Brown.

Drafted in 1941, his army career ended with a nervous breakdown and several years of aimless wandering.  But by 1948, he emerged with a band, and a few years later, he was recording some early hits.  By 1953, he was on the Chess Records label along with Muddy Waters and the two men became friends and rivals at the same time.  They both carved out the Chicago blues sound.  Though Wolf recorded numerous great songs, many of which became blues standards that then went on to became rock standards, he never reached the heights of public acceptance that Muddy did.  He was a bluesman’s bluesman, but for those of us who know and love his music, he’s so much more.

Some of those classics you might know from covers by Jimi Hendrix, Cream, The Doors and others: Smokestack Lightning, Sitting on Top of the World, Killing Floor, Spoonful, Little Red Rooster, Evil, Back Door Man, and I Ain’t Superstitious.

Wolf’s longtime guitarist was the great Hubert Sumlin who died just recently.  Sumlin’s unique bare-fingered style of striking the strings hard and crisp was the perfect accompaniment to Wolf’s voice.  Sumlin’s strong riffs and stronger playing went on to inspire numerous rock legends including Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

The fact is that like a lot of the blues, most of the pop and rock music of today would not exist today if not for people like Howlin’ Wolf.  Here’s a video of both Howlin’ Wolf and his guitarist, Hubert Sumlin, in action.

 

Gaining Distance in Writing (and maybe Life)

I just moved.  Spent the last month packing up a house after eight years in one place and moved.  Eight years of accumulated crap that had to be sorted through, boxed up, and taken to a new home.  Now I’ve got boxes upon boxes littering every corner of my new home as I begin the arduous task of unpacking.  As a result of all this mayhem, I’ve done little writing (and for awhile, no writing).

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Beginning writers are often told how they have to write everyday, and there’s a good reason they are told that.  Too often, wannabe writers never sit down and actually write.  They never learn the self-discipline it takes to begin and then actually finish a novel.  But once you develop that skill, it can be a good thing to step away from the daily writing regimen for a little bit.

In this case, of course, I had no choice.  My life is too consumed by moving right now to have much time for anything else (man, I can’t wait to eat something home-cooked again).  Still, time off is time off, and it can be inspiring in a way we often forget.

I’m talking about distance.

Now, I don’t know about you, but for me, oftentimes a little distance from a problem will help me discover a solution far better than hours of consciously mulling it over.  It’s one of the main reasons writers give the advice to put a finished manuscript in a drawer (virtual or otherwise) and ignore it for a month before trying to revise.  Distance is important. So, I had a few “a-ha!” moments while away from my writing, in which I figured out how to fix some issues with the latest Max Porter mystery.  Not only does this solve the issue, but now I’m excited to get back to work because I have a plan of attack that should prevail.

Distance also provides us with a rejuvenating break.  That’s a big part of what vacation is all about.  Get away from the daily grind, the stress producing life, and relax.  Let your body and mind just check out for a little.  Then, when you return to your work environment, you’re ready to go with a fresh (hopefully positive) attitude.

Writing is no different here.  Yes, I love getting up and creating stories, but it’s still work.  It’s not back-breaking work but it is mind-taxing and, since I need to sell books in order to do a few simple things like eat, there’s always a layer of stress hanging on my shoulders.  Being forced to take a break and shift my stress from writing to moving has been helpful in that it was like a mini-vacation.  Not as relaxing as a trip to the mountains but a good change of pace, change of scenery, and change of routine that’s reawakened my excitement to be back at my desk typing away the day.

Even though I’m still living out of boxes, my mind is percolating with ideas.  Some of which I’ll be sharing with you over the coming months.  Some will have to simmer for a lot longer before I can figure out what to do with them.

So, the next time life interferes with you and you can’t get to the thing you love to do, don’t let it get you down.  Often that time away is just what you need!

Introducing The Bluesman

Inspiration can strike us at the oddest times.  When I finished The Way of the Brother Gods, the final book (for now) in The Malja Chronicles, I decided to take a long break from that world.  I had been in it for a long time and I needed a rest.

But while I didn’t dive into another Malja novel, I kept thinking about the Bluesmen — the group of blues musicians who are also highly-skilled assassins.  They can conjure spells with song and even form portals into parallel worlds.  I just kept wondering about them.  What had happened to those who survived the events of The Way of the Black Beast?  What do they think of the life they lead?  And though they don’t suffer racism or slavery or any of the hardships the bluesmen of the past suffered, they do suffer (we all do, that’s why the blues continues to thrive as a music genre).  What drew them to the blues in the first place?

Around this same time, several readers of the series remarked on how much they liked The Bluesmen and hoped to see more of those guys in later books (btw, we do see them again in The Way of the Brother Gods).  I agreed.  I liked them a lot.  After Malja, Tommy and Fawbry, the Bluesmen are my favorite characters in that series.  Add to this my love of blues music and my desire to incorporate more of it in my writing, and well, you get this:

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This is the first in a series of short stories that I’ll be releasing over the course of this year.  Here’s what it’s about:

The Bluesman – musician, magician, lethal killer. Thrown into our world from a parallel universe, the Bluesman seeks to save the Earth from being overrun by the horrid, mutated creatures that came with him. Armed with magic, skill, and his companion, Scotch, he faces these monsters hoping to create a peaceful world for all.

The tone is very different from Malja’s stories.  Her stories are often dark as is her world.  Though Fuller the Bluesman comes from that same world, he’s stuck in ours, which is positively joyous compared to the post-apocalyptic nightmare of Corlin.  Also, I write the story from the perspective of Scotch, the sidekick — sort of how Watson tells the story of Holmes, only with monsters and guns.  Scotch is a light-hearted, easy-going kind of guy and so is his story-telling style.

If I do my job right, the Bluesman stories will be fun, funny, action-packed adventures with magic and monsters and mayhem set in our modern world.  They are certainly a lot of fun to write.  I suppose that’s been part of the inspiration, too.  Some stories are written because of the challenge.  There is a difficulty in the set up that makes me want to attempt the writing.  Some stories are an exploration of an idea.  But some, oftentimes the best, are written simply because they are fun.

How many I write will be up to you.  If you read ‘em, I’ll write ‘em! And I guarantee one thing, we’ll all have an adventure!

So check it out! Here’s some links:  Kindle  |  Nook  |  Kobo