Jason Halstead's Blog, page 46

Good Things Come to Those Who've Waited – Ice Princess

It's taken years, literally, but it's finally here. The sequel to Wanted has been released and the editorial reviews it's had so far are downright outstanding! Ice Princess is yours for the reading!

Ice Princess, on Amazon

Tanya Kurkova is still wanted. The technology used to rebuild her can't be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. This time her father has sent a new hunter after her. A new hunter with the same technology plus years of experience and unlimited resources.

What he doesn't have is a clear memory of the last year of his life. The answers to his questions lie in the desolate wilderness of southeastern Utah. One way or another, she has to be brought in.

For Tanya once escape becomes impossible only one option remains: revenge.

It's on the usual places (Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and a few others as it reaches its distribution network). Or you can go to my website, http://www.booksbyjason.com, and download the free sample to see if it lives up to the hype!.

How to Advertise

Happy news, I set a new record for sales this month. Two records, actually – I sold more copies of Wanted this month than ever before and on top of that, I doubled last months sales a day before the end of the month. Ah hell, how about the hat trick – Wanted also broke the 20,000 mark in "all sold books" on Amazon. A couple more sales and it'll break 10,000 – hint, hint.

But this is about advertising. How'd I get to where I'm at? Wanted has two review on Amazon. Sure, they're both good reviews, but only two. It's got a striking cover. Not the best, but it's good. I'm tried my best to make the Amazon page appealing…but again, it's one of many. So why is it doing reasonably well?

Pricing maybe? I've got it at $.99 at the moment. Yes, that helps. But it doesn't pull people in to look at it in the first place. That's a combination of me doing my best to make it available as many places as possible, including Twitter.

Ah yes, Twitter. The marketing mecca of the 21st century. I've amassed roughly 5000 followers and I regularly send out tweets that promote my books. Not directly, typically. Usually I'm either throwing out a snippet from a review and suggesting people check it out because, damn it, I'm proud of what somebody said in that review. At other times if I think there's a particularly catchy phrase in a book I'll tweet that as well. One of the best catch phrases in Wanted, for example, is: "We're all whores, darling," he said. "I ain't judging you, I just don't care." If that's not cool I don't know what is.

And, of course, if you're going to give people a reason to check out something, give 'em a link to do so! The easier you make it for someone, the greater the chance of generating that click. I'm a reader too and if I've got to do the extra work to find something like looking it up, odds are good you just lost me as a buyer. It's not that I'm a prick, it's that I've got a lot of things going on. I'm a busy man, and while my time is not any more valuable than yours is, it is valuable nonetheless. Treat your would-be readers with the same respect you want to be treated with and you'll get a lot further.

I mentioned pride above. As in I'm proud of the reviews I've received. I don't have a massive amount, but so far I don't have a single bad review. Sure, I expect sooner or later I'm going to ruffle somebody's feathers, but it hasn't happened yet. That doesn't mean I'm the next NY Times #1 Bestseller, nor that I'm a marketing genius. It just means I'm doing okay and connecting with the right people who like what I write. This is called targeting my market. I'm no wizard at it – in fact I'd say I'm more lucky than anything, but that luck is aided by trying to find people on Twitter to follow and tweet with who share my interests. Who wants the apple at the top of the tree when there's one at the bottom that's just as good and you don't need a ladder? Pluck the low hanging fruit first!

More on pride. I'll be honest (for those who don't know me) and admit that I can be rather full of myself when it comes to a few areas. Weight lifting, in particular power lifting, is something I've excelled at (and suffered catastrophic injuries while doing). I figure that earns me the right to talk a little smack. My day job and many prior jobs and college degrees / certifications state that I'm an expert in the IT field, so I can roll my eyes with the best of them there too.

But writing? Writing is personal. Writing is pouring time and effort and life into something that comes entirely from inside. Every character has a part of me in it, and short of reality TV stars, who's comfortable baring parts of their souls to complete strangers? So a positive review, a positive rating, or even a sale is nothing short of humbling. Every time somebody reaches out to me on Twitter, Facebook, my blog, my website, or via email and says they enjoyed what I wrote I'm filled with a warm fluffy feeling.

Maybe I haven't become jaded yet, but I have a hard time seeing that ever get old. Reading a book is an investment not only in the money spent buying it but also in time. The time is generally for more valuable. Even at minimum wage a single hour would buy any of my ebooks. Reading them, on the other hand, will take considerably longer. If someone's willing to spend that much time with a little piece of my soul and then come back and say, "Hey, good job, I really liked what I read!" Well, is there a better compliment to be found?

So to tie that back into the advertising aspect, do little things like this. Share with the world just how damned appreciative and amazed I am that they like what I'm doing. As Lady Gaga figured out, nothing is possible in this type of market with the fans. So for anybody who's read one of my books or one day plans on it, my door's open and, so long as you're not a stalker who wants to wear a bodysuit made out of my skin, I'm always happy to talk.

And now another chance to check out Wanted because, well, it's a fun book with a main character who reminds us all of how we'd like to act if only we could get away with it. Well, for the most part, Carl can! And when you've finished Wanted and have questions, head on back to find the sequel, Ice Princess!

Wanted, on Amazon





Ice Princess, on Amazon

Ahh Karma! (Review on Human Nature)

I review a book, somebody reviews a book for me. Pretty darn good trade I'd say! Read on for a bit on the review done for Human Nature over at "Love on the Bookshelf".

This book had me at post-apocalyptic. I admit, I'm a sucker for post-apocalyptic stories whether they're books, movies, or just a good yarn. Now, Human Nature didn't have Kevin Costner, but it was still a really good story. Dawn Vincent, aka the Doctor, is one of a handful of people left on Earth that survived an alien attack. (I know! There are aliens!) Most of the aliens have left, deeming Earth unworthy of their attention, but they left a few stragglers that are causing trouble. You know, like killing and eating the humans. And not necessarily in that order.

The real theme in this book is growth. The human race is growing stronger against the aliens. As she works on patching people up, Dawn grows

more confident in herself and her skills – both as a doctor and as a leader. And, an unexpected love grows between Dawn and ________. Well, I can't give it away, can I?

Read the rest of the review here.

Or click on the image to read the book itself!

Review: A Previous Engagement

I read and reviewed a book. I don't have time to do it often, but I gave it a go as a favor to a fellow writer. The book is called A Previous Engagement and it's a romance. Not the smutty (read: fun) kind of romance either. It's something that would merit a PG-13 rating in a theater. But who wants to read something on a screen that big? (sorry, bad joke)

So, without wasting anymore poor humor, here's the review:

Either because of my testicles or because I'm just that way, I avoid romances. They seem to only be possible when incredibly stupid people are the characters. The main character in A Previous Engagement (a clever title, by the way), fits the category perfectly. I thought the male paramour did as well until I was most of the way through the book. Then I realized he wasn't suffering from a series of major concussion, he was just overly sentimental and emotional for a man. Definitely not a man's man, but perhaps he fits with the modern metrosexual kind of guy that's become so popular. I prefer the 80′s action movie hero kind of guy. Or The Duke.

One other thing bothered me – the book leaves the impression that it's unfavorable for a woman to have a successful career. The main character strives to do so, but she's not complete without a partner and family in her life. I find that a flawed lesson. Why should a person be required to have a family to be complete?

That's the bad, here comes the good.

The book was very well written. The main character amused me time and again (when she wasn't aggravating me by being oblivious), thanks to the author's skill with putting words together. I faintly remember one chapter starting with a sentence that was too long and made no sense, but I was able to move past it easily and find no other flaws. Coming from another writer, that's a major success.

I read the book in a matter of hours, another feather in Stephanie's hat. I abhor the genre yet she kept me reading. I wanted to reach in and strangle the characters because they seemed to be inexplicably stupid from the very beginning, but still I read on. I say 'inexplicably stupid' but that does not mean they are without precedent. Virtually any romance movie available or even some distant relatives of mine have displayed similar or near exact levels of ignorance and dumbassery. So yes, I thought they were dumb but it's a dumb that I've seen many times before in fiction and in fact.

For someone who enjoys the genre, I recommend the book highly.

You can find Stephanie's book here: A Previous Engagement.

Out on a Ledge

1.5 Miles up some rough hills in high desert heat to Delicate Arch in Moab, Utah

Simmer down, nobody's jumping. In fact, the ledge isn't what you think it is. It's a geological formation that, for the life of me, I didn't expect to see within a hundred miles of me.

I grew up in Michigan about fifteen – twenty miles from a place called Grand Ledge. Contained within Grand Ledge, along the Grand River, was a natural formation of rocks called the Ledges. Great to hike amongst and climb on. Great beginner climbing opportunities.

Vacationed in various places with bigger and better rocks – mostly near Marquette, Michigan. So, naturally, I climbed em. Hey, I was a boy. Still am, I just don't get up as quick when I fall down. Northern Michigan at any time of the year is beautiful. Harsh in the winter, but no less beautiful. Climbing in the winter, incidentally, is a bad idea. As is hiking too late in the evening and having the sun go down on you while you've still got two hours through nearly pitch black woods with very scant trails to follow. Not that I know anyone that's happened to….

So from Michigan I moved to southeastern Utah. Moab, to be precise. Moab, a place visited by people from all over the world for its hiking and climbing opportunities. It's another absolutely beautiful place. Most of Utah is, with northern Utah reminding me of Michigan UP. There are many things I can say about my time spent out there but of them not a one is a complaint as to the scenery.

Next we moved to eastern Ohio. What's Ohio got for me? Lots of civilization and a good job until the writing thing takes off enough to take over. At this rate it'll end up being something for my retirement. Regardless, Ohio is considered, by me, to be a flat and geographically boring state. Sure, a couple of decent rivers, and some good hills in the southeastern portion of it, but that's about it.

My wife heard of a place called Nelson Ledges from a friend of hers. We looked it up and decided to risk it. We went there today and I was all but blown away by it. Nothing too tall, although we did find one cross in a fenced off area where someone had slipped and fallen to their death. A couple of smaller waterfalls and a lot of niches, crevices and caves. We tromped around there, occasionally having to carry and assist our kids through the more difficult spots, for a few hours. All in all, it was a blast.

I was reminded of a cross between Utah, with the ledges and crevices, and Michigan Upper Peninsula with the greenery and pleasant temperatures. A perfect blend, in my opinion. We plan on heading back again and doing more exploring. The moral of the story was to not judge a book by its cover. Sure it Ohio and sure it's flat like the chest of a thirteen year old boy, but it's got some hidden surprises if you look hard enough.

Am I Smarter than a Kindegartner?

This is a short but highly amusing story from just last night. I arrived home and was engulfed in the usual excited banter from young kids happy to see me. Surviving that, we soon moved on to dinner (whole wheat spaghetti, for those curious). During dinner my daughter, who's five years old, asked if I knew something that one of her classmates had said in school that day. Also if I knew it was that classmates birthday.

Not to be outdone, I asked her if she knew about neutrino's being measured at CERN during a three year study that showed them arriving 60 nanoseconds quicker than the speed of light allowed. She claimed that yes, she did know that, then went on to share some other bit of fascinating trivia with me. I felt like was having a Jerry Maguire moment.

My wife then trumped both of us by saying,"Hey Lexie, did you know Daddy's only one millimeter away from wearing a pocket protector?"

I'm pretty sure my daughter confirmed that yes, she knew that too.

So You Want to be a Beta Reader…

Random thoughts bounce around in my head. Sometimes it happens so quickly it can be dizzying. Other times great ideas occur, but they're gone before I even realize the potential behind them. Not so with the idea that whacked me in the back of the noggin last night. I turned it around, looked at it, sniffed it, and then even tasted it. Through it all I avoided any thing distasteful to my palate. Having passed the sniff and taste test, the idea has to be golden, right? Well I'm going to find out.

I am hereby putting out a call to my loyal readers, blog or books. I'm looking for a few good beta readers. No editing skills are required. No writing skills are required. Heck, if you can read you're potentially qualified! Some stipulations apply of course (confidentiality and whatnot), but we can discuss those if you decide your serious about it.

So what's in it for you? An early (and free) pre-release version of whatever book I'm working on – and I write a lot of books! I've got several queued up for release as we speak in fact, and I'm always working on more. Did I mention the books are free?

'That's great,' you're thinking, 'but what's it in it for him?' Glad you asked! I'm after more reviews to be put on my books when they're released. Honest reviews too, not just blowing smoke and claiming it's an instant 5 out of 5 simply because you got it for free. If you've got a blog and want to mention it there too, that'd be great as well, but that's a secondary consideration for me. And of course I'm also seeking feedback on anything you did or didn't like about it. What worked, what didn't, etc..

So if you think you've got what it takes and are interested in getting your hands on some science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, and occasional other genre books at no cost to you aside from a paragraph of words, let me know! Email me here: jason@booksbyjason.com.

Fickle is Lady Luck

For example, you clicked on this expecting to read something inspiring or educational. Ha! Fooled you! This is more of a smorgasbord of current events and thoughts, but to keep it real there is some writing related ramblings to be found.

Case in point: my last post was about Voidhawk hitting a bestseller list on Amazon for a few hours (maybe several hours, I was asleep for most of it). Since I celebrated that I've not had a single sale on it. Shame on you, my loyal followers. Yes you, and the guy behind you. Both of you should have rushed out and bought it to help it reach greater heights. That would prove that some random putz like me (and, presumably, you as well) can rise above mediocrity to grasp at greatness.

Of course I am kidding 100% about giving anyone a hard time. I'm not a Catholic priest in the dark ages demanding belief in my books or death by fire on a stake. If you're not interested or don't have the time / money, don't go there. If you do, or feel like being charitable, well that's a different story…

Okay, enough pandering, back to the randomness. So sales dropped off sharply after that one peak of a day. Not just for Voidhawk, but across the board. Still getting a few trickling in but I'd dared to hope I had somehow climbed to a new tier. No such luck I fear. My fellow struggling writers the moral is this: we will struggle and we will fight tooth and nail for every foot we climb up the hill. And, apparently, we shall slide back a few feet on occasion as well. That's no reason to not keep on climbing!

Now for a shout out to my wife and her new soy candle business she's officially launched! We expected to go live with the website on October 1st but I was over-productive in designing it and our testers performed quickly and admirably (and without failures in the code). So it's alive and well and waiting for you, my loyal readers (yes, both of you again) to head over and check it out. http://www.aflickerintime.com. After all, what better way to enjoy a book (preferably on a Kindle or a Nook) than while burning a soothing scented candle nearby? Fall's coming on strong and she's got the seasonal scents wafting through our house. Mmm, pumpkin pie…cinnamon…peppermint…pine trees…. Okay, I'm pandering again. Sorry.

A Flicker in Time - premium soy candle manufacturer / retailer

Finally I just found out the last person on Earth I expected to read my blog is, indeed, reading my blog. Well no, that's not true. I expect somebody like Mel Brooks or Chaz Bono to be the last people on earth to read this. I digress. The point is: Hi mom!

What Makes a Bestseller?

Every morning I wake up and do my morning rituals. Those consist of normal routine items and then I head downstairs, where I prepare 3 – 4 meals for myself throughout the day (not including dinner). Then, like a good little addict, I go to my computer and load up that Amazon publishing page to check out how my books did overnight. Secretly I'm hoping for that thrill of a a few additional sales, versus the letdown of no activity at all. Lately that thrill has been there more and more often. I read in a blog somewhere that someone described it as not so different from sitting at a slot machine pulling a lever and hoping for a score.

Well this morning I was shocked to see my sales had jumped a bit. I beat my previous record (set last month) and still have nine days to go in this month. Giddy with that rush of endorphins, I took the extra time to look at every book page I've got, curious as to their rankings. I was impressed. Not floating on air, mind you, but impressed. Then I got to the last window and had to reboot my brain. One of my books had climbed onto one of Amazon's top 100 lists. As I understand it (I double checked to be sure), that's a bestselling list. One of my books, a bestseller!

The book is Voidhawk, a blend of fantasy and science fiction (space opera or space fantasy, really). Voidhawk is the first in a series. I've got three of them written thus far and many more to come. In my opinion, each book is better than the one before it, but that's just because of the things I learn as a writer every step of the way. Voidhawk was my first book I ever published back in 2009, though I retained full rights to it.

The secret? Beats the hell out of me! I'm blogging and writing it down as I go but until I can see if this persists I'm not going to mislead anyone. It could be an algorithmic fluke on Amazon's part, or random luck on mine. I'll take either, of course! When the dust settles if it continues to rise you can be sure I'll be analyzing the data and sharing it.

Until then, why not go check out Voidhawk and see why people like it enough to elevate it to the top 100 list? (nudge, nudge, wink, wink)

Voidhawk - the book that started it all

Fresh on the Shelves – Ice Princess!

Okay, it's not on the shelves yet…a few more days, but I've got the finished draft of the cover art on hand and here's a sneak peak of it!

Ice Princess, the second book in the Wanted series

Oh yeah, it'll be on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, Smashwords, Kobo, iBook, and anywhere else I can think to put it. Help a starving artist out and pick up your copy as soon as it's available – a good day of sales can push it into one of Amazon's top selling lists and that'll help me save towards becoming eccentric in my old age!

By the way, the cover art is by A.J McLain, and every sale sends a little something his way too. Just think, for less than a cup of premium coffee you can help out two people AND be entertained longer than that cup of coffee would last you.

Okay, cheesy sales pitch over, pardon me for my excitement at seeing this book getting close to its release.