Pembroke Sinclair's Blog, page 23
February 28, 2017
Things Are Looking Up
Last week ended on a high note. I finally got another job, which I start next Monday. It’s not a stay-at-home position I was hoping for, but it will pay the bills. The boys and I have made me being in an office work before, we can certainly do it again.
I received word that Life After the Undead is a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Awards. That was pretty exciting, and it made me feel fantastic! I’m looking forward to the feedback I get from the kids. I can’t wait to see what they liked/disliked about the book. After all, readers are the reason I write.
Speaking of readers, I received the ARC copy of Humanity’s Hope over the weekend. I’m currently looking for reviewers, so if anyone is interested, please shoot me a message.
I’ve been making progress on Edge of Humanity. There’s still a lot to do, but it’s getting closer. I’ve had some ideas pop into my head for some new stories, but I told them they had to go away. I already have a list of projects I need to work on.
I’ve been struggling quite a bit these last few months, but it’s nice to feel like there’s finally a light at the end of the tunnel. I knew the bad times wouldn’t last forever, but when I was in the middle of them, they dragged me down quite a bit. My schedule is going to change, but I’ll learn to adapt.
All in all, I’m looking forward to the new adventure that will be my life. Normally, I’m a planner and I like to have things laid out in front of me, but that hasn’t seemed to be working out so well. Now, I’m just going to see where I go. There’s a sense of freedom in that decision—and a lot of fear that I’m trying to overcome. I’ll let you know how things go.
I received word that Life After the Undead is a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Awards. That was pretty exciting, and it made me feel fantastic! I’m looking forward to the feedback I get from the kids. I can’t wait to see what they liked/disliked about the book. After all, readers are the reason I write.
Speaking of readers, I received the ARC copy of Humanity’s Hope over the weekend. I’m currently looking for reviewers, so if anyone is interested, please shoot me a message.
I’ve been making progress on Edge of Humanity. There’s still a lot to do, but it’s getting closer. I’ve had some ideas pop into my head for some new stories, but I told them they had to go away. I already have a list of projects I need to work on.
I’ve been struggling quite a bit these last few months, but it’s nice to feel like there’s finally a light at the end of the tunnel. I knew the bad times wouldn’t last forever, but when I was in the middle of them, they dragged me down quite a bit. My schedule is going to change, but I’ll learn to adapt.
All in all, I’m looking forward to the new adventure that will be my life. Normally, I’m a planner and I like to have things laid out in front of me, but that hasn’t seemed to be working out so well. Now, I’m just going to see where I go. There’s a sense of freedom in that decision—and a lot of fear that I’m trying to overcome. I’ll let you know how things go.
February 22, 2017
Slowly Making Progress
Well, I finally got Edge of Humanity typed. I’m now going through and doing the next round of edits, which takes just about as long as the initial step. Since the story is still bare bones, it needs fleshed out, so there’s still a lot of writing to do.
My original plan was to do two chapters a day, but life has decided that’s not going to happen at the moment. It’s been a major struggle to do any work on the story. I’ve gotten through Chapter 5, but there’s still a lot of work to do.
Not that I have a deadline for this story. Heck, Humanity’s Hope isn’t even out yet. Telling myself that doesn’t really help with my motivation. Humanity’s Hope will be out at some point, and I prefer to have Edge of Humanity waiting in the wings, but I just can’t find the desire.
It won’t last forever. Soon, I’ll get my butt back in gear and get to work. I just need a little break right now.
If you missed the cover reveal for Humanity’s Hope, have no fear! I’ve included it in this blog post. I’m really thrilled with how it turned out. I think it look mahvelous!
My original plan was to do two chapters a day, but life has decided that’s not going to happen at the moment. It’s been a major struggle to do any work on the story. I’ve gotten through Chapter 5, but there’s still a lot of work to do.
Not that I have a deadline for this story. Heck, Humanity’s Hope isn’t even out yet. Telling myself that doesn’t really help with my motivation. Humanity’s Hope will be out at some point, and I prefer to have Edge of Humanity waiting in the wings, but I just can’t find the desire.
It won’t last forever. Soon, I’ll get my butt back in gear and get to work. I just need a little break right now.
If you missed the cover reveal for Humanity’s Hope, have no fear! I’ve included it in this blog post. I’m really thrilled with how it turned out. I think it look mahvelous!
February 14, 2017
How I Became Hooked on Hunted
I never had any intentions of watching the show Hunted on CBS. I saw the trailers, but it didn’t appeal to me.
I got sucked into the show because of my oldest son. The TV was left on CBS the night the first episode aired, and he was all into it. He had to go to bed before it was over, so he asked us to record it for him. We did, and we ended up watching the rest with him. From there, I’ve continued watching every episode.
In a nutshell, nine teams of two are sent “on the run” in a designated area in the South. They are considered “fugitives,” but they are just average Joes who are taking a chance at evading the Hunters. The Hunters are then tasked with finding these “fugitives,” and they have an arsenal of high-tech gadgets at their disposal and years of experience hunting people down.
From the beginning, my entire family has found themselves yelling at the TV for the decisions the fugitives have made and what the Hunters are doing. There’s an emotional investment in wanting the fugitives to get away but also in wanting the Hunters to make a catch. It’s so much fun to watch and so frustrating at the same time.
I think what I find most appealing about this show is that it reminds me of a horror movie. The fugitives are in a no-win situation. They don’t have the same expertise or technology at their fingertips as the Hunters do, so in a way, they are doomed to fail. As an audience member, I don’t want them to fail, I want them to succeed, but like the characters in a horror movie, they often make stupid mistakes.
Take for instance Matt Sundberg and Christina Zapolski. To evade the Hunters, their plan was to get to their parents’ house and have them help hide them. They were nervous about their vehicle being spotted, so they decided to take a bus. To get the bus ticket, they used the ATM at the station, letting the Hunters know exactly where they were headed. Since they were on a bus, they were trapped and had no control over when they got there, so they were captured.
Another example is Sentra Tran and Thu Tran. They had it made. They had gone completely off the grid and were hiding in the woods, where the Hunters would never be able to find them. They made it for 14 out of 28 days undetected, then got caught because they came back into town for Taco Bell. TACO BELL! Ugh! It was so frustrating.
The list goes on and on. There are still some runners on the run, and I’m holding my breath that they will continue to make smart decisions. I get it, though, I really do. Like characters in a horror movie, the fugitives on Hunted are put into a highly stressful situation that is outside of the norm. They aren’t used to being hunted, just like characters in horror movies aren’t used to being hunted, so they are doing the best they can with the situation.
The Hunters, like a horror movie killer, are focused and patient. They aren’t stressed. They don’t have to worry about surviving; they just have to worry about finding their prey—and they are calculating and patient.
As with a horror mvoie, it’s easy for me to sit on the couch and yell at the screen and tell the fugitives that what they are doing is ridiculous—just like it’s easy to tell a character not to go into the basement in the dark by themselves. But it’s in vain because we all know they are going to do it anyway. It gives the audience a sense of empowerment and superiority because if we were in that situation, we would definitely do it differently.
But like a horror movie, we can’t ever truly say how we would react until we’re in the situation. The Hunters, like movie killers, are counting on us doing something dumb. That’s how we get caught.
As I watch the show, I can’t help but wonder if they are giving away too many secrets about how fugitives are hunted. It feels like if someone really wanted to learn how to evade law enforcement, they would get some great tips from this show. However, it’s cool to see how technology has become so ingrained into our every day that we barely notice it anymore or that it is literally recording our every move.
All in all, the show is awesome. I truly don’t believe that I would do any better than the runners on the show, and I applaud them for trying. I’m rooting for those who are left, watching with bated breath that they stay focused and smart, but I’m also hoping the Hunters get their fugitives.
It will be interesting to see if there are future seasons of Hunted. I would like to see them travel to various places around the country because each area will offer its own set of challenges for both the Hunters and the Hunted.
Has anyone else been watching the show? What are your thoughts?
This is my youngest during one episode of Hunted erasing his electronic footprint.
I got sucked into the show because of my oldest son. The TV was left on CBS the night the first episode aired, and he was all into it. He had to go to bed before it was over, so he asked us to record it for him. We did, and we ended up watching the rest with him. From there, I’ve continued watching every episode.
In a nutshell, nine teams of two are sent “on the run” in a designated area in the South. They are considered “fugitives,” but they are just average Joes who are taking a chance at evading the Hunters. The Hunters are then tasked with finding these “fugitives,” and they have an arsenal of high-tech gadgets at their disposal and years of experience hunting people down.
From the beginning, my entire family has found themselves yelling at the TV for the decisions the fugitives have made and what the Hunters are doing. There’s an emotional investment in wanting the fugitives to get away but also in wanting the Hunters to make a catch. It’s so much fun to watch and so frustrating at the same time.
I think what I find most appealing about this show is that it reminds me of a horror movie. The fugitives are in a no-win situation. They don’t have the same expertise or technology at their fingertips as the Hunters do, so in a way, they are doomed to fail. As an audience member, I don’t want them to fail, I want them to succeed, but like the characters in a horror movie, they often make stupid mistakes.
Take for instance Matt Sundberg and Christina Zapolski. To evade the Hunters, their plan was to get to their parents’ house and have them help hide them. They were nervous about their vehicle being spotted, so they decided to take a bus. To get the bus ticket, they used the ATM at the station, letting the Hunters know exactly where they were headed. Since they were on a bus, they were trapped and had no control over when they got there, so they were captured.
Another example is Sentra Tran and Thu Tran. They had it made. They had gone completely off the grid and were hiding in the woods, where the Hunters would never be able to find them. They made it for 14 out of 28 days undetected, then got caught because they came back into town for Taco Bell. TACO BELL! Ugh! It was so frustrating.
The list goes on and on. There are still some runners on the run, and I’m holding my breath that they will continue to make smart decisions. I get it, though, I really do. Like characters in a horror movie, the fugitives on Hunted are put into a highly stressful situation that is outside of the norm. They aren’t used to being hunted, just like characters in horror movies aren’t used to being hunted, so they are doing the best they can with the situation.
The Hunters, like a horror movie killer, are focused and patient. They aren’t stressed. They don’t have to worry about surviving; they just have to worry about finding their prey—and they are calculating and patient.
As with a horror mvoie, it’s easy for me to sit on the couch and yell at the screen and tell the fugitives that what they are doing is ridiculous—just like it’s easy to tell a character not to go into the basement in the dark by themselves. But it’s in vain because we all know they are going to do it anyway. It gives the audience a sense of empowerment and superiority because if we were in that situation, we would definitely do it differently.
But like a horror movie, we can’t ever truly say how we would react until we’re in the situation. The Hunters, like movie killers, are counting on us doing something dumb. That’s how we get caught.
As I watch the show, I can’t help but wonder if they are giving away too many secrets about how fugitives are hunted. It feels like if someone really wanted to learn how to evade law enforcement, they would get some great tips from this show. However, it’s cool to see how technology has become so ingrained into our every day that we barely notice it anymore or that it is literally recording our every move.
All in all, the show is awesome. I truly don’t believe that I would do any better than the runners on the show, and I applaud them for trying. I’m rooting for those who are left, watching with bated breath that they stay focused and smart, but I’m also hoping the Hunters get their fugitives.
It will be interesting to see if there are future seasons of Hunted. I would like to see them travel to various places around the country because each area will offer its own set of challenges for both the Hunters and the Hunted.
Has anyone else been watching the show? What are your thoughts?
This is my youngest during one episode of Hunted erasing his electronic footprint.
February 7, 2017
My Books’ Worth
How do you decide what a book is worth? How do you put a value on the time, blood, sweat, and tears that went into your work? It seems impossible.
I’ve been incredibly lucky to work with some amazing publishers and to have the honor of having several books in the world. When the publisher had my books, I never had to worry about how much they cost. I left that up to the publisher to decide. Do I know how they did it? Nope. And I never asked. I figured they knew what they were doing.
I’m sure there’s a whole science behind deciding how to price a book. I’m sure it’s based on what other books in the genre are going for and what readers are willing to pay, in addition to how much it costs to produce.
When it came down to self-publishing my books, I had to figure out how to price them. And trust me, I had no idea what I was doing. Sure, I could have calculated how much I spent for editing and covers and figured out what the best return would be. Thankfully, Amazon has a handy dandy calculator that helps me figure out how much the book costs to produce, so it gives me a base for what I should charge for each book, then it breaks down how much royalty I’ll get for each price. I can make my book as cheap or as expensive as I want.
Of course, the other aspect of this equation—the unknown part—is how many books will actually sell. You can do all the equations in the world to figure out the optimum price for a book, but if nobody buys it, you’re left with nothing.
A few weeks ago, I talked to my grandfather-in-law, who told me about all the people who had bought his book and told him how much they enjoyed it. He told me I needed to charge more for the book so I could make more money. Currently, it’s priced at $8.00. I told him I wanted everyone to be able to have access to it, so I didn’t want to charge an overly large amount. He agreed with that, but he also thought I should be compensated for my time and effort. I agreed with that, but then it goes back to the question of how do you figure out what that is worth?
Royalties are nice. It’s nice to get paid for all the effort that went into writing my books. And I could absolutely charge a lot for them—as much as I wanted. Would readers pay it? Maybe. But when I was pricing my books, I wanted to make them accessible to everyone.
The vast majority of my books are young adult. And if teens are like me when I was younger, I didn’t have a whole lot of money. Often, I had to decide between gas and fun stuff, and gas for the vehicle usually won. Dang me needing to get various places!
When I was figuring out how to price my books, I took into consideration Amazon’s calculation of how much it costs to produce, then I priced it so it was still affordable. Does that hurt my royalties? Probably. But I had to make the decision of what was more important: money or readers. I picked readers.
I honestly can’t tell you how others decide how to price their books; I’ve never asked. However, if there are any authors/publishers out there who would like to share their process, I’d love to hear it.
In the end, I did what I felt was right for me and my books. I know it isn’t what everyone will decide, and that’s totally fine. It’s not easy deciding what a book is worth.
I’ve been incredibly lucky to work with some amazing publishers and to have the honor of having several books in the world. When the publisher had my books, I never had to worry about how much they cost. I left that up to the publisher to decide. Do I know how they did it? Nope. And I never asked. I figured they knew what they were doing.
I’m sure there’s a whole science behind deciding how to price a book. I’m sure it’s based on what other books in the genre are going for and what readers are willing to pay, in addition to how much it costs to produce.
When it came down to self-publishing my books, I had to figure out how to price them. And trust me, I had no idea what I was doing. Sure, I could have calculated how much I spent for editing and covers and figured out what the best return would be. Thankfully, Amazon has a handy dandy calculator that helps me figure out how much the book costs to produce, so it gives me a base for what I should charge for each book, then it breaks down how much royalty I’ll get for each price. I can make my book as cheap or as expensive as I want.
Of course, the other aspect of this equation—the unknown part—is how many books will actually sell. You can do all the equations in the world to figure out the optimum price for a book, but if nobody buys it, you’re left with nothing.
A few weeks ago, I talked to my grandfather-in-law, who told me about all the people who had bought his book and told him how much they enjoyed it. He told me I needed to charge more for the book so I could make more money. Currently, it’s priced at $8.00. I told him I wanted everyone to be able to have access to it, so I didn’t want to charge an overly large amount. He agreed with that, but he also thought I should be compensated for my time and effort. I agreed with that, but then it goes back to the question of how do you figure out what that is worth?
Royalties are nice. It’s nice to get paid for all the effort that went into writing my books. And I could absolutely charge a lot for them—as much as I wanted. Would readers pay it? Maybe. But when I was pricing my books, I wanted to make them accessible to everyone.
The vast majority of my books are young adult. And if teens are like me when I was younger, I didn’t have a whole lot of money. Often, I had to decide between gas and fun stuff, and gas for the vehicle usually won. Dang me needing to get various places!
When I was figuring out how to price my books, I took into consideration Amazon’s calculation of how much it costs to produce, then I priced it so it was still affordable. Does that hurt my royalties? Probably. But I had to make the decision of what was more important: money or readers. I picked readers.
I honestly can’t tell you how others decide how to price their books; I’ve never asked. However, if there are any authors/publishers out there who would like to share their process, I’d love to hear it.
In the end, I did what I felt was right for me and my books. I know it isn’t what everyone will decide, and that’s totally fine. It’s not easy deciding what a book is worth.
February 3, 2017
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January 31, 2017
The Second Book in the Saving Humanity Series is DONE!
Last week, I finished handwriting the second book in my latest young adult zombie novel series. Yes, you read that correctly: handwriting. I handwrite the vast majority of my books. There’s just something magical about putting a pen to paper. I really enjoy writing that way.
However, on the negative side, it does have a tendency to make my wrist hurt. But, at the same time, typing can do the same thing. I guess it is just destiny that writers will end up with carpal tunnel. Hazard of the profession, I suppose.
When I transfer the story to the computer, it’s an editing step. I usually add and delete as I type the story out. Each chapter gets its own file, which is then printed out. I edit those chapters, then combine the chapter all together. Then, there’s another editing step—or several. I would like to tell you how many editing steps it goes through, but it honestly depends on the story and what it needs.
It can be tedious and time consuming. However, the hard part has been done. The bones of the story have been put on the page, and editing is my chance to flesh the story out.
I can’t tell you how incredibly excited I am to have this story done. To be honest, I didn’t think I’d ever get it written. My life had taken such a crazy turn for a while there, I didn’t know if I’d have time to work on it. Then, I didn’t feel like writing. There were times I literally forced myself to pick up my pen and write. It sucked, but then after a few minutes, I got into my groove. That felt really, really good. I didn’t realize how much I needed to escape into my fantasy world. It helped put my real world into perspective.
I’m sure you’re wondering what the title of my new work is. Well, if you’re subscribed to my newsletter, you already know (speaking of my newsletter, if you haven’t signed up, you should. I’m doing a special offer for subscribers for the month of February). If you don’t subscribe, you’ll just be learning it now. Are you ready for it? The second book in the series is called Edge of Humanity.
The first book is Humanity’s Hope. Here’s the blurb for it.
Caleb, a 17-year-old boy, survived the zombie uprising, but he didn’t come out of the ordeal unscathed. He’s been scarred—both mentally and physically. The rest of humanity is trying to rebuild, to make the world normal again. Caleb is trying to return to a normal life also, but after all he’s seen, after the loss of his family and friends, the transition is difficult. The darkness that led him down a path of self-doubt and self-harm keeps trying to creep back into his mind.
Things only become worse when he discovers he’s immune to whatever makes a zombie a zombie. Fighting zombies was predictable. He knew what to expect. Fighting humans is volatile. They are malicious and treacherous. They won’t stop to get what they want, and Caleb has to figure out exactly what that is.
*Trigger warning: attempted suicide
Humanity’s Hope should be coming out any time in the next few months. I don’t have a definite date yet, but I’m not worried. It’s going to happen, and it’s going to be amazing! I’m having a cover reveal on the 17th, and I can’t wait for you to see what it looks like. I really, really like it.
And speaking of covers, I promised to let you know when Finding Eden’s new cover was done. Well, it’s finished. I really like this one too.
It has been another great week related to writing. I like it when that happens. It inspires me. It makes me look forward to editing Edge of Humanity. It’s going to be fun.
However, on the negative side, it does have a tendency to make my wrist hurt. But, at the same time, typing can do the same thing. I guess it is just destiny that writers will end up with carpal tunnel. Hazard of the profession, I suppose.
When I transfer the story to the computer, it’s an editing step. I usually add and delete as I type the story out. Each chapter gets its own file, which is then printed out. I edit those chapters, then combine the chapter all together. Then, there’s another editing step—or several. I would like to tell you how many editing steps it goes through, but it honestly depends on the story and what it needs.
It can be tedious and time consuming. However, the hard part has been done. The bones of the story have been put on the page, and editing is my chance to flesh the story out.
I can’t tell you how incredibly excited I am to have this story done. To be honest, I didn’t think I’d ever get it written. My life had taken such a crazy turn for a while there, I didn’t know if I’d have time to work on it. Then, I didn’t feel like writing. There were times I literally forced myself to pick up my pen and write. It sucked, but then after a few minutes, I got into my groove. That felt really, really good. I didn’t realize how much I needed to escape into my fantasy world. It helped put my real world into perspective.
I’m sure you’re wondering what the title of my new work is. Well, if you’re subscribed to my newsletter, you already know (speaking of my newsletter, if you haven’t signed up, you should. I’m doing a special offer for subscribers for the month of February). If you don’t subscribe, you’ll just be learning it now. Are you ready for it? The second book in the series is called Edge of Humanity.
The first book is Humanity’s Hope. Here’s the blurb for it.
Caleb, a 17-year-old boy, survived the zombie uprising, but he didn’t come out of the ordeal unscathed. He’s been scarred—both mentally and physically. The rest of humanity is trying to rebuild, to make the world normal again. Caleb is trying to return to a normal life also, but after all he’s seen, after the loss of his family and friends, the transition is difficult. The darkness that led him down a path of self-doubt and self-harm keeps trying to creep back into his mind.
Things only become worse when he discovers he’s immune to whatever makes a zombie a zombie. Fighting zombies was predictable. He knew what to expect. Fighting humans is volatile. They are malicious and treacherous. They won’t stop to get what they want, and Caleb has to figure out exactly what that is.
*Trigger warning: attempted suicide
Humanity’s Hope should be coming out any time in the next few months. I don’t have a definite date yet, but I’m not worried. It’s going to happen, and it’s going to be amazing! I’m having a cover reveal on the 17th, and I can’t wait for you to see what it looks like. I really, really like it.
And speaking of covers, I promised to let you know when Finding Eden’s new cover was done. Well, it’s finished. I really like this one too.
It has been another great week related to writing. I like it when that happens. It inspires me. It makes me look forward to editing Edge of Humanity. It’s going to be fun.
January 24, 2017
A Great Week Related to Writing
Friends, it’s only Wednesday, but I have to say this has been a great week related to writing. So many magical and wonderful things have happened. I’m giddy with excitement!
First on the list is getting new covers. It has been raining covers in my world this week. The only one I can share with you at the moment is the new cover for Coming from Nowhere.
I’ve also re-released this book, so if you are interested, you can find it on Amazon. This is some of the other exciting news for this week. I’m also re-releasing Finding Eden. It’s a long story why I’m self-publishing these books, but I’m really excited to be able to have control. I like having control.
Finding Eden will also be getting a new cover, but it hasn’t been finalized yet, so I can’t share it with you. Don’t worry, you’ll know when it’s done.
I also received the cover for Humanity’s Hope. However, we’re planning a cover reveal, so I can’t share that with you yet either. I know, I know. It’s not nice to tease. I want to share it now too. It’s freaking amazing!
My friend (hi, Tamara!) and I are going to be co-authoring a work together. We met about it yesterday, and we’re both excited to get started on the project. All I can really tell you right now is that it’s going to be sci fi. I’m not trying to be obtuse, we just don’t have all the details worked out yet. We both love this genre, so we thought it would be the most fun to create a story in. I’m finishing some things up, then I’ll get to work.
So, speaking of finishing things up, I’ve been making a lot of progress on the sequel to Humanity’s Hope. I’m hoping to be done with the very rough draft by the end of the week. It’ll still take a lot of editing, but at least I’ll have something to edit. It feels so good to be making progress on this project.
Humanity’s Hope is getting closer to publication. As I said, I have the cover, and the text is going to the next stage of editing. I don’t know how long it will take, but I’m still hoping for an early 2017 release. Again, you’ll know when it comes out.
I’ve also received some amazing reviews for my work. One of them was for A Rancher and a Warrior , but Amazon took it down. Here’s what is said:
Intertwining history and a family saga, this book informs and delights. A man of many talents, Dale has survived WWII, although not unscathed, and goes on to flourish as a rancher and consultant. Well documented, the book focuses on Dale's contributions to the cattle industry and the state of Wyoming. Filled with archival gems, this book celebrates and honors a rancher and a warrior.
The other two were for Wucaii . If you’re inclined to check them out, you can find them here and here.
All of these amazing developments have got me jazzed. I’m riding the wave of creative excitement and can’t wait to see where the rest of the year takes me.
First on the list is getting new covers. It has been raining covers in my world this week. The only one I can share with you at the moment is the new cover for Coming from Nowhere.
I’ve also re-released this book, so if you are interested, you can find it on Amazon. This is some of the other exciting news for this week. I’m also re-releasing Finding Eden. It’s a long story why I’m self-publishing these books, but I’m really excited to be able to have control. I like having control.
Finding Eden will also be getting a new cover, but it hasn’t been finalized yet, so I can’t share it with you. Don’t worry, you’ll know when it’s done.
I also received the cover for Humanity’s Hope. However, we’re planning a cover reveal, so I can’t share that with you yet either. I know, I know. It’s not nice to tease. I want to share it now too. It’s freaking amazing!
My friend (hi, Tamara!) and I are going to be co-authoring a work together. We met about it yesterday, and we’re both excited to get started on the project. All I can really tell you right now is that it’s going to be sci fi. I’m not trying to be obtuse, we just don’t have all the details worked out yet. We both love this genre, so we thought it would be the most fun to create a story in. I’m finishing some things up, then I’ll get to work.
So, speaking of finishing things up, I’ve been making a lot of progress on the sequel to Humanity’s Hope. I’m hoping to be done with the very rough draft by the end of the week. It’ll still take a lot of editing, but at least I’ll have something to edit. It feels so good to be making progress on this project.
Humanity’s Hope is getting closer to publication. As I said, I have the cover, and the text is going to the next stage of editing. I don’t know how long it will take, but I’m still hoping for an early 2017 release. Again, you’ll know when it comes out.
I’ve also received some amazing reviews for my work. One of them was for A Rancher and a Warrior , but Amazon took it down. Here’s what is said:
Intertwining history and a family saga, this book informs and delights. A man of many talents, Dale has survived WWII, although not unscathed, and goes on to flourish as a rancher and consultant. Well documented, the book focuses on Dale's contributions to the cattle industry and the state of Wyoming. Filled with archival gems, this book celebrates and honors a rancher and a warrior.
The other two were for Wucaii . If you’re inclined to check them out, you can find them here and here.
All of these amazing developments have got me jazzed. I’m riding the wave of creative excitement and can’t wait to see where the rest of the year takes me.
January 17, 2017
Seriously, Zombies Are Fun
Lately, I’ve been working on the sequel to Humanity’s Hope. I’ve been making some really good progress. As of this blog post, I’m ready to start Chapter 15. At one point, I wasn’t exactly sure where the story was going, but after some brainstorming in the shower, I figured it out. I’m super excited where it’s headed.
There are so many fabulous things about zombies, but I think my favorite is the fact that they are fictional. This is great in many aspects, including the fact that we don’t have to fight them off on a daily basis. But the other point of this is that I can make them be anything I want. And that’s exactly what I’m doing in my book.
I’m super excited to get the words on the page and get this first draft done. Sometimes I lament not being able to write faster or that I can’t hook the computer up to my brain and think the story, having the words magically appear on the screen. Sigh. One day, maybe. Until then, I’ll just keep doing it the old fashion way.
Humanity’s Hope should be out some time in the beginning of the year. I’ll let you know for sure. Until then, I’ll give you a little teaser of what you can expect. Enjoy!
One Nation Under Zombies
Caleb sprinted across the dirt road. His leg muscles burned. He was barely able to get his feet off the ground. The backpack slammed into his lower back with every step—the straps dug into his shoulders. As he approached the low wall, he slid into a crouch, turning so his back would contact the stones first. The pressure of the backpack pressed into his ribcage—squeezing the air out of his lungs. He pressed his lips together and let the stream flow out of his nose. He tried his best to keep it silent—a task that proved difficult with every pant. His lungs screamed for air. He wanted to draw in large, gasping breaths, but they would be too loud and attract unwanted attention. The undead were just on the other side of the wall, unaware of his presence, and he intended to keep it that way.
Caleb’s gaze drifted back to the road and fell on his sister, Nina, and Len, his chemistry partner from school. They ran toward him as fast as they could with their heavy backpacks that hunched them over. Or perhaps it was an attempt to make themselves smaller, so they were less noticeable—Caleb couldn’t tell. They slid up to the wall on either side of Caleb and attempted to control their breathing.
This was a terrible place to hide—they all knew it. It was too open, too exposed, but there weren’t any other choices. The squat wall was right at the edge of a fallow field, across the dirt road they had been traversing in the hopes of finding civilization. They found the wall in a vast, rural landscape. The three of them were lucky there was something. They had come around a bend in the road and up a small hill, and there they were—zombies—shuffling aimlessly through the countryside. Caleb had to suppress his shocked gasp. They came out here because the urban areas had become too dangerous. There were too many zombies. The supplies had either been pillaged or were too difficult to get to. The country was supposed to be their hope, their salvation. So far, it wasn’t. The farmhouse was still ways away, about 50 yards. At least that was what Caleb assumed. He was horrible at judging distances. It didn’t matter anyway. With the zombies in front of them, the house was as accessible as another planet. But they couldn’t stay out in the open, either.
The look on Len’s face reflected the turmoil Caleb felt inside. His eyes were wide, his face red from exertion. His head was cocked to the side, his jaw muscles tight. The look asked: “What do we do now?” Caleb had no answer.
When they set out that morning to look for food, they had told themselves the zombies had been confined to the cities. Why? Because they had to believe something. They had to think there was still a chance.
Caleb lowered his gaze to the ground. There was no way to respond to Len’s silent question. They just had to wait it out—make their move when they got the opportunity. Caleb glanced over his shoulder at his sister. She slumped against the wall, her legs sprawled out in front of her, her chin resting on her chest. His stomach tightened as he took in her pose. She wasn’t going to be able to move quickly from that position. She needed to be ready. Yet, he felt for her. What was the point of being ready if it meant they had to keep running? His legs shook underneath him as he held his crouch. It would have been such a relief to plop onto his butt and take the weight off his legs. He could’ve placed his arms around Nina’s shoulders and pulled her close. They could have relaxed in their misery. Instead, he gently backhanded her arm. When she looked at him, he thrust his thumb into the air. With an eye roll and deliberate movements, Nina moved into a crouch, removing the gun from the back of her waistband.
Caleb focused on the weapon in his hands. It was there so often, it was like an appendage. He rarely noticed it anymore. But neither of the guns would do them much good; there weren’t enough bullets to take out the threat. Even if they fired their remaining rounds, all it would do was draw more zombies to their location.
Caleb turned his attention away from his gun and stretched up to look over the wall. As soon as his eyes broke the surface, he scanned the area before sinking back down. His heart pounded against his ribs, his throat tightened. An undead lumbered close to the wall—too close. One wrong move or sound and they were spotted. He licked his lips and felt the sweat slide down his spine. If they stayed quiet, the zombies would keep moving. They just had to wait it out.
A low, soft grumbling filled the air. At first, Caleb wasn’t convinced he’d heard it. It was so low, he could have imagined it. He had hoped he’d imagined it. But then Len wrapped his arms around his midsection and squeezed. The rumbling grew louder. It was hard to hide the sounds of hunger. Caleb’s eyes grew wide. He shifted his stance so he could explode onto his feet.
The rotted hand reached over the wall and swiped the air between Caleb and Len. There were no other options. All of them sprang to their feet. The crowd of rotting flesh was converging on their position. Caleb extended his arms and lined up his sights. The crack of the gun echoed loudly in the country air; the corpse slumped onto the wall. All three of them jumped over the wall and ran toward the house. The path took them directly toward the zombies; they had to be fast enough to get by them.
Caleb’s extremities tingled with adrenaline, his footsteps thumped rhythmically on the hard, dry ground. He sucked in long gasps of air, but his lungs still burned for oxygen. He caught glimpses of the other two out of the corner of his eyes. The undead drew nearer. Their arms outstretched, waiting to snag their prey. Caleb zig-zagged across the field. He ducked under a pair of arms, then shouldered a zombie out of the way. Its bones crunched against his shoulder, teeth gnashed close to his ear, driving him forward with more urgency. The house grew larger with every step he took. Almost there.
A short yip followed by a grunt sounded behind him. He risked a glance over his shoulder. Len stumbled then fell. Caleb’s heart leapt into his throat. He skidded to a stop, turning to help his friend. Caleb was about to step toward Len, but he was stopped in his tracks. The action caused him to lose his balance. His arms flailed through the air to keep Caleb from falling over. An incessant, strong tugging kept him from moving forward. He turned to see Nina jerking on his backpack. Her eyes were wide and glistening with tears. She bit her bottom lip and shook her head violently. Caleb glanced again at Len, who reached for Caleb, his mouth open in a silent plea, tears running down his cheeks. Caleb reached toward him. Len’s plea turned into a scream as a zombie bit into his calf. A dark ring of blood stained his jeans and grew larger. Another zombie latched onto the fingers of his extended hand. The crunch as it bit through his bones rattled in Caleb’s skull. He pulled his hand into his chest.
Caleb turned at that point. There was nothing more he could do. His sister grabbed his wrist, and they ran into the house. They took the stairs two at a time and headed into a bedroom on the right. After closing the door, they scanned the area, checking under the bed and in the closet. Clear. His sister collapsed face first onto the bed. From the way her body shook, Caleb could tell she was crying. He leaned back until his pack connected with the door. His legs gave out, and he slid to the floor. Pulling his knees to his chest, he wrapped his arms around his head and tried to disappear into himself.
And then there were two.
There are so many fabulous things about zombies, but I think my favorite is the fact that they are fictional. This is great in many aspects, including the fact that we don’t have to fight them off on a daily basis. But the other point of this is that I can make them be anything I want. And that’s exactly what I’m doing in my book.
I’m super excited to get the words on the page and get this first draft done. Sometimes I lament not being able to write faster or that I can’t hook the computer up to my brain and think the story, having the words magically appear on the screen. Sigh. One day, maybe. Until then, I’ll just keep doing it the old fashion way.
Humanity’s Hope should be out some time in the beginning of the year. I’ll let you know for sure. Until then, I’ll give you a little teaser of what you can expect. Enjoy!
One Nation Under Zombies
Caleb sprinted across the dirt road. His leg muscles burned. He was barely able to get his feet off the ground. The backpack slammed into his lower back with every step—the straps dug into his shoulders. As he approached the low wall, he slid into a crouch, turning so his back would contact the stones first. The pressure of the backpack pressed into his ribcage—squeezing the air out of his lungs. He pressed his lips together and let the stream flow out of his nose. He tried his best to keep it silent—a task that proved difficult with every pant. His lungs screamed for air. He wanted to draw in large, gasping breaths, but they would be too loud and attract unwanted attention. The undead were just on the other side of the wall, unaware of his presence, and he intended to keep it that way.
Caleb’s gaze drifted back to the road and fell on his sister, Nina, and Len, his chemistry partner from school. They ran toward him as fast as they could with their heavy backpacks that hunched them over. Or perhaps it was an attempt to make themselves smaller, so they were less noticeable—Caleb couldn’t tell. They slid up to the wall on either side of Caleb and attempted to control their breathing.
This was a terrible place to hide—they all knew it. It was too open, too exposed, but there weren’t any other choices. The squat wall was right at the edge of a fallow field, across the dirt road they had been traversing in the hopes of finding civilization. They found the wall in a vast, rural landscape. The three of them were lucky there was something. They had come around a bend in the road and up a small hill, and there they were—zombies—shuffling aimlessly through the countryside. Caleb had to suppress his shocked gasp. They came out here because the urban areas had become too dangerous. There were too many zombies. The supplies had either been pillaged or were too difficult to get to. The country was supposed to be their hope, their salvation. So far, it wasn’t. The farmhouse was still ways away, about 50 yards. At least that was what Caleb assumed. He was horrible at judging distances. It didn’t matter anyway. With the zombies in front of them, the house was as accessible as another planet. But they couldn’t stay out in the open, either.
The look on Len’s face reflected the turmoil Caleb felt inside. His eyes were wide, his face red from exertion. His head was cocked to the side, his jaw muscles tight. The look asked: “What do we do now?” Caleb had no answer.
When they set out that morning to look for food, they had told themselves the zombies had been confined to the cities. Why? Because they had to believe something. They had to think there was still a chance.
Caleb lowered his gaze to the ground. There was no way to respond to Len’s silent question. They just had to wait it out—make their move when they got the opportunity. Caleb glanced over his shoulder at his sister. She slumped against the wall, her legs sprawled out in front of her, her chin resting on her chest. His stomach tightened as he took in her pose. She wasn’t going to be able to move quickly from that position. She needed to be ready. Yet, he felt for her. What was the point of being ready if it meant they had to keep running? His legs shook underneath him as he held his crouch. It would have been such a relief to plop onto his butt and take the weight off his legs. He could’ve placed his arms around Nina’s shoulders and pulled her close. They could have relaxed in their misery. Instead, he gently backhanded her arm. When she looked at him, he thrust his thumb into the air. With an eye roll and deliberate movements, Nina moved into a crouch, removing the gun from the back of her waistband.
Caleb focused on the weapon in his hands. It was there so often, it was like an appendage. He rarely noticed it anymore. But neither of the guns would do them much good; there weren’t enough bullets to take out the threat. Even if they fired their remaining rounds, all it would do was draw more zombies to their location.
Caleb turned his attention away from his gun and stretched up to look over the wall. As soon as his eyes broke the surface, he scanned the area before sinking back down. His heart pounded against his ribs, his throat tightened. An undead lumbered close to the wall—too close. One wrong move or sound and they were spotted. He licked his lips and felt the sweat slide down his spine. If they stayed quiet, the zombies would keep moving. They just had to wait it out.
A low, soft grumbling filled the air. At first, Caleb wasn’t convinced he’d heard it. It was so low, he could have imagined it. He had hoped he’d imagined it. But then Len wrapped his arms around his midsection and squeezed. The rumbling grew louder. It was hard to hide the sounds of hunger. Caleb’s eyes grew wide. He shifted his stance so he could explode onto his feet.
The rotted hand reached over the wall and swiped the air between Caleb and Len. There were no other options. All of them sprang to their feet. The crowd of rotting flesh was converging on their position. Caleb extended his arms and lined up his sights. The crack of the gun echoed loudly in the country air; the corpse slumped onto the wall. All three of them jumped over the wall and ran toward the house. The path took them directly toward the zombies; they had to be fast enough to get by them.
Caleb’s extremities tingled with adrenaline, his footsteps thumped rhythmically on the hard, dry ground. He sucked in long gasps of air, but his lungs still burned for oxygen. He caught glimpses of the other two out of the corner of his eyes. The undead drew nearer. Their arms outstretched, waiting to snag their prey. Caleb zig-zagged across the field. He ducked under a pair of arms, then shouldered a zombie out of the way. Its bones crunched against his shoulder, teeth gnashed close to his ear, driving him forward with more urgency. The house grew larger with every step he took. Almost there.
A short yip followed by a grunt sounded behind him. He risked a glance over his shoulder. Len stumbled then fell. Caleb’s heart leapt into his throat. He skidded to a stop, turning to help his friend. Caleb was about to step toward Len, but he was stopped in his tracks. The action caused him to lose his balance. His arms flailed through the air to keep Caleb from falling over. An incessant, strong tugging kept him from moving forward. He turned to see Nina jerking on his backpack. Her eyes were wide and glistening with tears. She bit her bottom lip and shook her head violently. Caleb glanced again at Len, who reached for Caleb, his mouth open in a silent plea, tears running down his cheeks. Caleb reached toward him. Len’s plea turned into a scream as a zombie bit into his calf. A dark ring of blood stained his jeans and grew larger. Another zombie latched onto the fingers of his extended hand. The crunch as it bit through his bones rattled in Caleb’s skull. He pulled his hand into his chest.
Caleb turned at that point. There was nothing more he could do. His sister grabbed his wrist, and they ran into the house. They took the stairs two at a time and headed into a bedroom on the right. After closing the door, they scanned the area, checking under the bed and in the closet. Clear. His sister collapsed face first onto the bed. From the way her body shook, Caleb could tell she was crying. He leaned back until his pack connected with the door. His legs gave out, and he slid to the floor. Pulling his knees to his chest, he wrapped his arms around his head and tried to disappear into himself.
And then there were two.
January 16, 2017
And the Winner Is...
The winner of my giveaway, a signed paperback copy of Wucaii , is Holly Biggs.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Comfy Cozy Reading Weather Giveaway Hop. I enjoyed reading what you're looking forward to the most in 2017. I hope all of it happens for you and you have a fantastic year!
January 10, 2017
The Bio is Finally Done!
I haven’t done a formal blog post announcing this, so here it is!
The biography that I wrote for my grandfather-in-law is finished and now available for sale. You can find it on Amazon. It was an honor and a pleasure to be able to write this for him.
Lance Dale Robinson dreamed of one day owning his own ranch. Born and raised in a small town in Wyoming, ranching was all he’d ever known and it was all he ever wanted to do. But on his way to achieving that dream, WWII got in the way.
He was a heavy machine gunner for Company H of the 313th Infantry. He landed on Normandy Beach 6 days after D-Day, and tells a story of wading through bodies like seaweed to get onto land. He was part of the Battle of the Bulge, where he was almost court-martialed for thinking his sergeant’s life was more important than his weapon. He received a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, and a British Military Medal.
When he returned home after his service, he went back into ranching. During his career, Dale worked with the University of Wyoming and Colorado State University to improve artificial insemination of cows. He traveled and lectured about the impacts that were being made in the process, and he helped advance science and ranching.
This is the story of Dale's life in Wyoming and in WWII.
I’m also looking for reviewers, so if anyone is interested, please send an email to pembrokesinclar @ hotmail . com (remove the spaces) and let me know if you prefer mobi (for Kindle) or a pdf.
The biography that I wrote for my grandfather-in-law is finished and now available for sale. You can find it on Amazon. It was an honor and a pleasure to be able to write this for him.
Lance Dale Robinson dreamed of one day owning his own ranch. Born and raised in a small town in Wyoming, ranching was all he’d ever known and it was all he ever wanted to do. But on his way to achieving that dream, WWII got in the way.
He was a heavy machine gunner for Company H of the 313th Infantry. He landed on Normandy Beach 6 days after D-Day, and tells a story of wading through bodies like seaweed to get onto land. He was part of the Battle of the Bulge, where he was almost court-martialed for thinking his sergeant’s life was more important than his weapon. He received a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, and a British Military Medal.
When he returned home after his service, he went back into ranching. During his career, Dale worked with the University of Wyoming and Colorado State University to improve artificial insemination of cows. He traveled and lectured about the impacts that were being made in the process, and he helped advance science and ranching.
This is the story of Dale's life in Wyoming and in WWII.
I’m also looking for reviewers, so if anyone is interested, please send an email to pembrokesinclar @ hotmail . com (remove the spaces) and let me know if you prefer mobi (for Kindle) or a pdf.
