Jeffrey Michael's Blog, page 3
March 23, 2012
My GoodReads rant
OK people, I feel that I have to speak up. It's about those of you who think GoodReads is a great place to find a date for Friday night. This is NOT a dating site but a place where people come to meet new friends who like to read some of the same books. I'm constantly looking for new friends that have similar tastes in reading. I want them to be my friend in order to find new reading material. Something they've read and liked and can suggest to me.
Putting up a profile with lots of salacious pictures, no books but tons of friends is not what I’d call a material for a GoodReads profile. Now I’m as hormone driven as the next guy and enjoy a nice cleavage shot but I’m not looking for a date, just friends. I understand some of the newer people just getting on the site and have yet to get all their reading material into their profile. I understand people who aren’t voracious readers or are just so busy that they can’t read a book a month.
A profile with more pictures of scantily clad people than books is getting to be a bit too much even for a hormone driven male such as myself. Please keep your dating profiles on such places as FaceBook or FridayNightHook-Ups, GoodReads really isn’t the place for such stuff. NUFF SAID! :)
Putting up a profile with lots of salacious pictures, no books but tons of friends is not what I’d call a material for a GoodReads profile. Now I’m as hormone driven as the next guy and enjoy a nice cleavage shot but I’m not looking for a date, just friends. I understand some of the newer people just getting on the site and have yet to get all their reading material into their profile. I understand people who aren’t voracious readers or are just so busy that they can’t read a book a month.
A profile with more pictures of scantily clad people than books is getting to be a bit too much even for a hormone driven male such as myself. Please keep your dating profiles on such places as FaceBook or FridayNightHook-Ups, GoodReads really isn’t the place for such stuff. NUFF SAID! :)
March 22, 2012
Giveaway Mania!
OK, here's a second post in two days. Can you believe it?!
Well I'm kind of excited. I wasn't sure about this giveaway thing and had some issues with the GoodReads database with regards to the printed version ISBN. But I wanted to give away some books so I set up an event and invited everybody in my friends list at the time. I only got a few people to say they were interested in a free signed copy. I didn't want to have two different giveaways so when I finally got things straightened out with the database it was around Tuesday last week and I set up a standard Giveaway with the same end date as the event I'd set up a couple of weeks earlier.
To say that I was surprised at the amount of interest would be an understatement. Nearly 800 entries were in the pool in a bit over 7 days. I've contacted each of the winners to see how they'd like the salutation addressed. The event I set up ends tonight (miscue on my part) and I'll be contacting each of those winners as well.
I'm flattered and surprised at all the attention this has given my first effort. But now instead of just writing, I have to also look at marketing, promotions, distribution, etc. Oh yeah, I also have those two books in process I talked about yesterday too. Of course this all has to happen in my spare time because I have a day job that pays very well and I can't afford to just concentrate on my writing. lol Yep a busy me but I've always liked challenges.
Well I'm kind of excited. I wasn't sure about this giveaway thing and had some issues with the GoodReads database with regards to the printed version ISBN. But I wanted to give away some books so I set up an event and invited everybody in my friends list at the time. I only got a few people to say they were interested in a free signed copy. I didn't want to have two different giveaways so when I finally got things straightened out with the database it was around Tuesday last week and I set up a standard Giveaway with the same end date as the event I'd set up a couple of weeks earlier.
To say that I was surprised at the amount of interest would be an understatement. Nearly 800 entries were in the pool in a bit over 7 days. I've contacted each of the winners to see how they'd like the salutation addressed. The event I set up ends tonight (miscue on my part) and I'll be contacting each of those winners as well.
I'm flattered and surprised at all the attention this has given my first effort. But now instead of just writing, I have to also look at marketing, promotions, distribution, etc. Oh yeah, I also have those two books in process I talked about yesterday too. Of course this all has to happen in my spare time because I have a day job that pays very well and I can't afford to just concentrate on my writing. lol Yep a busy me but I've always liked challenges.
March 20, 2012
Spring is getting closer!
Sorry about the delay in posting to my blog but things are hopping around here. I've got two books in the works and the weather is starting to turn towards spring. That means that I'm having a hard time staying inside while my yard needs work or some days it's just my bicycle calling to me to go riding. :) I've even slowed down on my reading to make more room for outdoor activities.
Well I spent some time this past week on the sequel to A New Age Begins and the working title is Crossings. The first four chapters (about 100 pages) are now in manuscript form. Somehow I've lost my outline and many of my book notes so I have to go recreate them in order to really get going again.
The other book I'm working on is based on a true story. This one just kind of landed in my lap but I'm very excited about this project. It's a story about a woman who joined the Navy in WWII, followed up with an assignment to the newly elected S. Korean president Syngman Rhee as his secretary through the start of the Korean Conflict. She has documents, maps, pictures, letters home (saved by her dad) and so much more that it makes my head swim. At one point she was imprisoned by the invading N. Koreans for a short time but still had to endure physical torture. Quite an amazing woman that I'm coming to know better and better years after her death.
Of course my day job is keeping me busy too! There's a big test that starts in about a month which is demanding a lot of attention from engineering through the program managment office. Thank goodness that it's only a 3 week test!
Well until next time, take care.
Well I spent some time this past week on the sequel to A New Age Begins and the working title is Crossings. The first four chapters (about 100 pages) are now in manuscript form. Somehow I've lost my outline and many of my book notes so I have to go recreate them in order to really get going again.
The other book I'm working on is based on a true story. This one just kind of landed in my lap but I'm very excited about this project. It's a story about a woman who joined the Navy in WWII, followed up with an assignment to the newly elected S. Korean president Syngman Rhee as his secretary through the start of the Korean Conflict. She has documents, maps, pictures, letters home (saved by her dad) and so much more that it makes my head swim. At one point she was imprisoned by the invading N. Koreans for a short time but still had to endure physical torture. Quite an amazing woman that I'm coming to know better and better years after her death.
Of course my day job is keeping me busy too! There's a big test that starts in about a month which is demanding a lot of attention from engineering through the program managment office. Thank goodness that it's only a 3 week test!
Well until next time, take care.
March 6, 2012
KDP Select listing ends today!
Yes, my KDP Select exclusivity contract ends today. While it was a great learning experience and showed me the value of proper marketing, it also hindered me in not allowing me to place my e-book for sale on other sites. Well while that was going on, I got my book published in paperback form and now it's ready to be distributed. I approved the proof last week and my first shipment of books were waiting for me on my doorstep when I got home last night.
Starting tomorrow I'm going to post my e-book both here on Goodreads and other sites. I'm really excited about the whole thing! Now that the first volume is starting to roll I'll be going back to my outline and start on the next volume of AS&M with the intent of having it completed no later than early fall next year. I'm hoping that my friends at DreamScape covers will have the time to create my next cover. The one for the first volume was awesome so I'll look to them for the next cover as well.
Starting tomorrow I'm going to post my e-book both here on Goodreads and other sites. I'm really excited about the whole thing! Now that the first volume is starting to roll I'll be going back to my outline and start on the next volume of AS&M with the intent of having it completed no later than early fall next year. I'm hoping that my friends at DreamScape covers will have the time to create my next cover. The one for the first volume was awesome so I'll look to them for the next cover as well.
March 1, 2012
A bird in the hand ...
is worth a lot more than two in the bush! :)
OK, I'm speaking figuratively here with regards to having the printed copy of my book in hand. I never realized just how excited I'd be to finally have a printed book in my hand with MY name on the cover. Now I'm anxious to move forward with the promotions and other things to market my book. I’m hoping to get all that going so I can concentrate more on the new books I’m writing, one of which is the second in the AS&M series.
I’ve had the ISBN assigned to this book since well before the holidays but when I try to enter it into the ‘give away’ tab on Goodreads, it says that my ISBN isn’t in their database. I don’t know if it’s part of the whole change to accessing multiple databases or what but I’m not going to wait. So I’m going to post an announcement both here and in all the forums that I’m a member of about a giveaway.
Yes, that’s right I’m giving away 5 signed copies of my book between today, March 1st, and March 16th. So everybody who sends me an e-mail will have their name thrown into a hat and I’ll pull 5 random winners from the pool. I’ll contact each person individually to get a mailing address and find out how they’d like me to sign their respective copies. Shipping is on me!
So post in my blog, send me an e-mail through Goodreads, send a carrier pigeon, hire a sky-writer, phone a friend … no, wait, that won’t work but you get the gist. Get your name to me with a way to get you a book.
OK, I'm speaking figuratively here with regards to having the printed copy of my book in hand. I never realized just how excited I'd be to finally have a printed book in my hand with MY name on the cover. Now I'm anxious to move forward with the promotions and other things to market my book. I’m hoping to get all that going so I can concentrate more on the new books I’m writing, one of which is the second in the AS&M series.
I’ve had the ISBN assigned to this book since well before the holidays but when I try to enter it into the ‘give away’ tab on Goodreads, it says that my ISBN isn’t in their database. I don’t know if it’s part of the whole change to accessing multiple databases or what but I’m not going to wait. So I’m going to post an announcement both here and in all the forums that I’m a member of about a giveaway.
Yes, that’s right I’m giving away 5 signed copies of my book between today, March 1st, and March 16th. So everybody who sends me an e-mail will have their name thrown into a hat and I’ll pull 5 random winners from the pool. I’ll contact each person individually to get a mailing address and find out how they’d like me to sign their respective copies. Shipping is on me!
So post in my blog, send me an e-mail through Goodreads, send a carrier pigeon, hire a sky-writer, phone a friend … no, wait, that won’t work but you get the gist. Get your name to me with a way to get you a book.
February 29, 2012
It has arrived!
Yes, I finally got a proof that I'm happy with and have authorized distribution of the print version of my novel Alchemy, Sorcery & Magic: A New Age Begins. I'm so happy with this final version and many thanks go out to my cover creator, Dreamscape Covers (J.D. Stroude). The design is awesome. J.D. is a wealth of knowledge because not only is she an artist, she's also an author and has a lot of good advice.
I've already ordered some printed books that should be arriving in the next week or so. That being said, if you're interested I'll be running a contest through the first couple of weeks of March to give away some free copies of the book.
I've already ordered some printed books that should be arriving in the next week or so. That being said, if you're interested I'll be running a contest through the first couple of weeks of March to give away some free copies of the book.
February 16, 2012
Book idea
OK, I promised to upload an excerpt from a book idea that I have. It's a kind of semi-autobiographical/humerous retrospect of my life.
Living with Deformities, My Mathlete Life
A humorous outlook on how numbers rule my life.
When most people hear me say ‘mathlete’ they naturally assume that I meant athlete. They’re wrong though I don’t always correct them. Looking at my overweight body and considering my age, if they want to believe that I’m an athlete, who am I to deny them? OK, so maybe they just think I’m crazy but what the heck!
I’ve had an affinity and aptitude for numbers since I was young. Back as far as I can remember, numbers have ruled my life. Yes I said as far as I can remember. Remembering back to my younger days is much easier than remembering back to last week. Age hasn’t just caught up to me, it’s actually caught up, beat me severely about the head and shoulders, ran on, only to come back and beat me again because it was soooo much fun the first time. I find myself constantly looking at someone at work and thinking to myself ‘what the heck is his name?’ But I digress. *** That was my obligatory 25 cent word. I have to throw one of those in every so often to prove how smart I am. ***
Now where was I? Ah yes, numbers. I love working with numbers though it seems that when age beat me up, it beat some of my ability to perform simpler math. This is because keeping a balanced checkbook seems a bit beyond me at times while much more exotic math just seems like a walk in the park. But where did it all begin? Let’s see now …
Back in my younger days the number 4 was a prime motivator. It was the first of the squared numbers (if you don’t count 1 which is an odd number and doesn’t count anyhow). I did things in fours, bought things in fours, ate in fours (four bites, four pieces of candy, etc). Yes 4 was the ultimate lucky number. Yep, the number 4 was the ruler of the mathematical universe … until I gave it a bit more thought and logically concluded that if the square of the prime square was good, then the square of the square of the prime square would be just that much better! Yeah, the number 16 now ruled my universe and all luck was derived from that number. So now I did things in 16. Bought things in groups of 16, which was getting a bit expensive even though all I was buying at the time was penny candy and comic books. Yes, penny candy was only a penny when I was young so sue me if I’m old. Eating and chewing in multiples of 16 is what lead to me being just a BIT overweight when I was young.
I’d gained more weight than I care to admit before I came to the conclusion that 4 truly was the ruler of the mathematical universe since you needed 4 times 4 to create 16. See the logic? No? Well maybe it was just me, as I said, I am/was a mathlete and things like this only seem to make sense to other mathletes … or maybe just to me in my own twisted little mathematical universe of Jeff.
Now by the time I’d reverted to the number 4 ruling the universe I was in Junior High School and was introduced to algebra! OMG, new ways to play with numbers?! Yep, I went there, internet shorthand is the greatest invention ever but I’ll get back to that later.
Anyway, in Junior High I attended a math competition at another school. Actually it was at a nearby Community College or something (the details are a bit fuzzy) but I had a great time. The math was fun but at the time I grew bored with it as my eyes were opened to science. It didn’t hurt that my uncle was an engineer for JPL back in the early days of space travel. Yes, math was the foundation for most science so it couldn’t be bad could it?
Well ask my mom about that. You see I saw a perfectly logical connection between math and chemistry! Yep, chemical formulae were mathematically derived allowing you to create a totally new substance when you combine two or more ingredients. Yes, if you combine just the right ingredients you could make things like ink or a foaming volcano or small explosions! Yes chemistry was a bit of mathematical fun. Remember when I told you that you should ask my mom about it? Well I had this Uncle Ed who was the one who always listened when I told mom what I wanted for my birthday or Christmas. She’d just shake her head saying ‘that’s too dangerous’ or the ever ready fall back ‘we can’t afford that’. Now we all know that ‘we can’t afford that’ is usually mom-speak for ‘I don’t care what you say, I’m not getting you that. You’ll put your eye out’.
Uncle Ed, being the rebel that he was and only a few years older than I am, would find a way to get it for me. You should have seen mom’s face the Christmas he got me a real bow and arrow set. Yep, Uncle Ed was my surrogate father figure after my dad died. Now to get to the point about ‘ask mom’. One Christmas I asked for a Chemistry set that I had seen down at the local 5 and Dime (old time word for department store). I got the usual response from mom on request like that, but Uncle Ed heard me ask and, come Christmas morning in the town of Bryan, Ohio, I was the proud owner of a fantastic Chemistry set and a book full of experiments. I was ecstatic! I’m sure that mom gave Uncle Ed the stink eye when she saw him but a gift is a gift and I had it in my hot grubby mitts. So a table was set up in the basement where I could start my career as a mad scientist and, of course, not destroy mom’s light blue wall-to-wall light blue carpeting.
Alas, my career as a mad scientist/budding chemist came to an abrupt halt. It was all because I was performing an experiment that involved small amounts of baking soda and vinegar to emulate a small volcano. Well the number 4 came to mind. Wait, what if I quadrupled the quantities, would that make the volcano spew more? Well if 4 times the amount would be awesome then 16 times would be unbelievably better.
Yes, you guessed it, I had a bubbling mess spewing all over the table and onto the floor in no time at all. Not to mention that I had used up all the baking soda and vinegar in the house at the time. Mom wasn’t as impressed as I was with the way it just kind of grew like an alien from outer space coming into contact with out atmosphere for the first time.
Yes, my engineering Uncle at JPL had an influence in expanding my imagination too ...
Living with Deformities, My Mathlete Life
A humorous outlook on how numbers rule my life.
When most people hear me say ‘mathlete’ they naturally assume that I meant athlete. They’re wrong though I don’t always correct them. Looking at my overweight body and considering my age, if they want to believe that I’m an athlete, who am I to deny them? OK, so maybe they just think I’m crazy but what the heck!
I’ve had an affinity and aptitude for numbers since I was young. Back as far as I can remember, numbers have ruled my life. Yes I said as far as I can remember. Remembering back to my younger days is much easier than remembering back to last week. Age hasn’t just caught up to me, it’s actually caught up, beat me severely about the head and shoulders, ran on, only to come back and beat me again because it was soooo much fun the first time. I find myself constantly looking at someone at work and thinking to myself ‘what the heck is his name?’ But I digress. *** That was my obligatory 25 cent word. I have to throw one of those in every so often to prove how smart I am. ***
Now where was I? Ah yes, numbers. I love working with numbers though it seems that when age beat me up, it beat some of my ability to perform simpler math. This is because keeping a balanced checkbook seems a bit beyond me at times while much more exotic math just seems like a walk in the park. But where did it all begin? Let’s see now …
Back in my younger days the number 4 was a prime motivator. It was the first of the squared numbers (if you don’t count 1 which is an odd number and doesn’t count anyhow). I did things in fours, bought things in fours, ate in fours (four bites, four pieces of candy, etc). Yes 4 was the ultimate lucky number. Yep, the number 4 was the ruler of the mathematical universe … until I gave it a bit more thought and logically concluded that if the square of the prime square was good, then the square of the square of the prime square would be just that much better! Yeah, the number 16 now ruled my universe and all luck was derived from that number. So now I did things in 16. Bought things in groups of 16, which was getting a bit expensive even though all I was buying at the time was penny candy and comic books. Yes, penny candy was only a penny when I was young so sue me if I’m old. Eating and chewing in multiples of 16 is what lead to me being just a BIT overweight when I was young.
I’d gained more weight than I care to admit before I came to the conclusion that 4 truly was the ruler of the mathematical universe since you needed 4 times 4 to create 16. See the logic? No? Well maybe it was just me, as I said, I am/was a mathlete and things like this only seem to make sense to other mathletes … or maybe just to me in my own twisted little mathematical universe of Jeff.
Now by the time I’d reverted to the number 4 ruling the universe I was in Junior High School and was introduced to algebra! OMG, new ways to play with numbers?! Yep, I went there, internet shorthand is the greatest invention ever but I’ll get back to that later.
Anyway, in Junior High I attended a math competition at another school. Actually it was at a nearby Community College or something (the details are a bit fuzzy) but I had a great time. The math was fun but at the time I grew bored with it as my eyes were opened to science. It didn’t hurt that my uncle was an engineer for JPL back in the early days of space travel. Yes, math was the foundation for most science so it couldn’t be bad could it?
Well ask my mom about that. You see I saw a perfectly logical connection between math and chemistry! Yep, chemical formulae were mathematically derived allowing you to create a totally new substance when you combine two or more ingredients. Yes, if you combine just the right ingredients you could make things like ink or a foaming volcano or small explosions! Yes chemistry was a bit of mathematical fun. Remember when I told you that you should ask my mom about it? Well I had this Uncle Ed who was the one who always listened when I told mom what I wanted for my birthday or Christmas. She’d just shake her head saying ‘that’s too dangerous’ or the ever ready fall back ‘we can’t afford that’. Now we all know that ‘we can’t afford that’ is usually mom-speak for ‘I don’t care what you say, I’m not getting you that. You’ll put your eye out’.
Uncle Ed, being the rebel that he was and only a few years older than I am, would find a way to get it for me. You should have seen mom’s face the Christmas he got me a real bow and arrow set. Yep, Uncle Ed was my surrogate father figure after my dad died. Now to get to the point about ‘ask mom’. One Christmas I asked for a Chemistry set that I had seen down at the local 5 and Dime (old time word for department store). I got the usual response from mom on request like that, but Uncle Ed heard me ask and, come Christmas morning in the town of Bryan, Ohio, I was the proud owner of a fantastic Chemistry set and a book full of experiments. I was ecstatic! I’m sure that mom gave Uncle Ed the stink eye when she saw him but a gift is a gift and I had it in my hot grubby mitts. So a table was set up in the basement where I could start my career as a mad scientist and, of course, not destroy mom’s light blue wall-to-wall light blue carpeting.
Alas, my career as a mad scientist/budding chemist came to an abrupt halt. It was all because I was performing an experiment that involved small amounts of baking soda and vinegar to emulate a small volcano. Well the number 4 came to mind. Wait, what if I quadrupled the quantities, would that make the volcano spew more? Well if 4 times the amount would be awesome then 16 times would be unbelievably better.
Yes, you guessed it, I had a bubbling mess spewing all over the table and onto the floor in no time at all. Not to mention that I had used up all the baking soda and vinegar in the house at the time. Mom wasn’t as impressed as I was with the way it just kind of grew like an alien from outer space coming into contact with out atmosphere for the first time.
Yes, my engineering Uncle at JPL had an influence in expanding my imagination too ...
Free sample chapters posted to Goodreads
I've uploaded the first 3 chapters for Goodreads members to read for free. Until my exclusivity contract with Amazon expires in around 3 weeks, you'll only be able to purchase the electronic version there for $0.99.
February 14, 2012
So many interests ... so little time
I have a hard time staying on subject sometimes. I have so many interests and so many things I'd love to do and places I'd love to see. I admit that I'm a mathlete and have been for most of my life. I also love reading, watching movies, playing video games, building things around the house, writing stories, etc. Even my writing is a bit scattered. I've got projects in the wings that range from a Murder/Mystery, Science Fiction, a true account of growing up in northern Minnesota, a recounting of my mathlete life, and many others.
Of course, there's my fantasy novel that's projected to be 4 volumes. The first one is published on Kindle and will be available in paperback soon. I've got several chapters of the second volume written but I've been procrastinating writing the rest. My rationale is that I need to concentrate getting the last touches done on the first volume before going on with the next. Thanks to J.D. Stroude, the cover, spine and back cover are nearly complete and awesome.
Ok, enough rambling for now. A bit later today I'm going to post one of my new book ideas to see if anybody likes it.
Of course, there's my fantasy novel that's projected to be 4 volumes. The first one is published on Kindle and will be available in paperback soon. I've got several chapters of the second volume written but I've been procrastinating writing the rest. My rationale is that I need to concentrate getting the last touches done on the first volume before going on with the next. Thanks to J.D. Stroude, the cover, spine and back cover are nearly complete and awesome.
Ok, enough rambling for now. A bit later today I'm going to post one of my new book ideas to see if anybody likes it.
January 31, 2012
Help! My kindle link and cover page have disappeared.
I don't know if any of you other kindle authors have experienced this or not but my cover and link to my novel on Amazon Kindle Books have evaporated somehow. Has this happened to you?
