Lee Argus's Blog, page 6
March 30, 2012
April 20th 2012 second half of The Road to Nowhere will be released (it will be released combine with the first half) As a full length novel.
April 20th 2012 The Road to Nowhere part two (The second half of book one will be released.) It will continue where it left off. It will be available for free for two days. I am unsure if I will leave it published. I may bring it down after the 21st.
I consider myself more of a writing hobbyist, I really wish there was an option to leave it for free for however long the author chooses on Amazon.
Well, as of right now all my books are off the web, with the exception of demonoid, but it is an earlier version of the first part of The Road to Nowhere and my previous editor had altered some of its contents, which is now fixed. The term Kuru and its origin of meaning I believe had been missing from the earlier version.
I will be placing it for free on smashwords on the 20th as well.
•I will also be releasing a short story a week after The Road to Nowhere.
Chance Escape will be re-released as well.
•° I cannot say I won't be back to blog again, since a needed announcement always occurs, instead I will say, if I do blog, it will be once or twice a month... until I get more free time on my hands.
Lee Argus-
(used my phone to type this. There may be typos)
currently: camping with the family.
I consider myself more of a writing hobbyist, I really wish there was an option to leave it for free for however long the author chooses on Amazon.
Well, as of right now all my books are off the web, with the exception of demonoid, but it is an earlier version of the first part of The Road to Nowhere and my previous editor had altered some of its contents, which is now fixed. The term Kuru and its origin of meaning I believe had been missing from the earlier version.
I will be placing it for free on smashwords on the 20th as well.
•I will also be releasing a short story a week after The Road to Nowhere.
Chance Escape will be re-released as well.
•° I cannot say I won't be back to blog again, since a needed announcement always occurs, instead I will say, if I do blog, it will be once or twice a month... until I get more free time on my hands.
Lee Argus-
(used my phone to type this. There may be typos)
currently: camping with the family.
February 24, 2012
Last Post until 2013
It's been a while since I've last posted anything. Well, I'm going away for a while and hate to say goodbye, but must. I said in a recent post that this year has been the year of preparations and it has. Book trailers are being made, my writing is ongoing, and the editing process is going well, though it will be months before half of my books are edited. Instead of being indirect about publishing this year, I've decided I'll come back to blog and release new novels (at least 9 of the 11 written).
I won't be able to blog... for the next six months I'll be concentrating on school, work, writing, and my family. When I do come back January 1st there will be much catching up to do between my life, writing, and my readers. I look forward to that.
I do have exciting news to share. Nina Kovovach (the hired animator and her team) will be collaborating with me to produce a short movie roughly about 40 minutes. I'm familiar with rendering animations, creating complex scenes... but I am not an expert.. that's why I needed the hired help. So come next year, the short film should be released for free viewing.
I use Maya as does Nina and a few other softwares. There are some other softwares that are easy to manipulate and create your own animations and trailers. I'm a huge computer nerd so if you have questions about specifications ie; processor speeds, ram, video cards feel free to email. I may not be blogging anymore, but I'll still be checking my email. So on with it; DAZ3d is available for free only until the end of the month. The company is doing it for promotional reasons. The normal price is $429.95 for this program. Two other softwares are free as well. You can download all 3 and you don't need a credit card on file unless you want to add a non-free item. The link is below. There's plenty of youtube tutorials available online if you decide it's something you'd be interested in.
Software Page for DAZ
All Products Page
DAZ3D STORE
all three are free for a limited time.
I won't be able to blog... for the next six months I'll be concentrating on school, work, writing, and my family. When I do come back January 1st there will be much catching up to do between my life, writing, and my readers. I look forward to that.
I do have exciting news to share. Nina Kovovach (the hired animator and her team) will be collaborating with me to produce a short movie roughly about 40 minutes. I'm familiar with rendering animations, creating complex scenes... but I am not an expert.. that's why I needed the hired help. So come next year, the short film should be released for free viewing.
I use Maya as does Nina and a few other softwares. There are some other softwares that are easy to manipulate and create your own animations and trailers. I'm a huge computer nerd so if you have questions about specifications ie; processor speeds, ram, video cards feel free to email. I may not be blogging anymore, but I'll still be checking my email. So on with it; DAZ3d is available for free only until the end of the month. The company is doing it for promotional reasons. The normal price is $429.95 for this program. Two other softwares are free as well. You can download all 3 and you don't need a credit card on file unless you want to add a non-free item. The link is below. There's plenty of youtube tutorials available online if you decide it's something you'd be interested in.
Software Page for DAZ
All Products Page
DAZ3D STORE
all three are free for a limited time.
February 15, 2012
Book trailers to be
Post general subject: Saying Goodbye for now and other things
Hello readers!
Thank you for taking the time out of your day to have a look at what I've been up to. You guys are the reason why I keep writing and keep focusing on making the quality of my books better. This year so far has been the year of preparations for my upcoming releases as well as the prepping of past releases. I finally did find a company and my books are in their hands, meaning when my books are published they should be typo free. That's exciting news to me; I look forward to having the final copies in my hand.
I hired an expert in computer animation for my book trailers of Chance Escape, the Road to Nowhere, and Down & Out. I have gotten a sneak peak of one of the trailers and it's looking good. I've decided to hold back on the decision of publishing for this year. If I do re-publish it will be in July or August when I begin Giveaways and when the book trailers and editing have been completed. I am still currently writing and I hope that those who did enjoy Chance Escape or the Road to Nowhere, may find another book of mine that they will like more.
I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day. =) I took my wife to a vegan restaurant in Palm Springs. It was a long drive for us, but it was worth it. It was rather small in size but the ambiance was warm and inviting. It appeared to be a very popular place and the reviews for it were good. I always check reviews being that my wife and I are very picky eaters. My wife is very anti- McDonalds (Just to give you an idea of what I can't have) On the occasion I will veer away from Vegan to eat an In & Out veggie burger. My wife used to love In & Out before she turned vegan. They're a healthier option for those who enjoy eating burgers. We made the choice to turn vegan after my wife became ill. It's improved her condition and she says she feels better these days. Alrighty, back to the Vegan Dinning; we both decided on Gourmet Sandwiches. The original restraint I wanted to take her was closed, I found this out in the morning so had to pick another place in the same city since I had told her we were going to Palm Springs. I didn't know what to expect but the taste really surprised me. It was delicious. My wife claimed that her meal had been the best Southwest Burger she had ever tried. When I say burger, I don't mean something that looks like a real hamburger patty. This was different and wasn't intended to taste like a hamburger.
My Wife's order- Vegan Southwest Burger: Rice, Potato, oats, beans, cumin, chipotle, zucchini, onion, yams, bell pepper makes the patty. It came with a side of avocado, mixed with beautiful baby greens, tomato, onion slice, pickle, & chipotle spread. She was given the option of baked potato chips, co slaw, cup of soup, salad, or vegan potato salad. Their buns were good, we tried the whole wheat sunflower buns. It was overall a very filling and rich in protein meal. My wife usually bird picks but she ate the whole thing in one sitting. I don't recommend drinking their lavender lemonade with the meal, it did however go well on its own. The meal went better with an organic Pomegranate (no sugar added) drink. You can get a bottle for about $10 at the grocery store. It's high in anti-oxidants and good for your health. My wife drinks four 32 ounces of all natural pomegranate juice a month. Side note: Going vegan can increase your life expectancy by 5-7 years and you're less likely to develop cancer or have heart conditions. Okay I'm just putting it out there and thought I'd share this with everyone.
Palm Green's Café
(760)864-9900
611 S. Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, California 92264
I'll skip the vegan talk and move onto another subject. If you enjoy watching UK comedy "The IT crowd" is a fun show to watch.
A few posts back I had promised to post photos of our trip down to the Salton Sea area. Below are a few. It's a really deserted area. It would have been inspirational if I were writing a book based on an apocalyptic time in the desert, but I'm not. It was still interesting to see.
My wife's asked me to take her to the National History Museum, so I look forward to that. It would be my daughters first time going. I'm sure she'd enjoy it.
Well, back to the subject of book releases. Once my books are re-released paperback copies will be made available. It'll be nice to have them in print for the first time. =)
Take Care!
Lee Argus-
February 9, 2012
Publishing, August Giveaway, Links, and age-rating books.
COULDN'T STAY AWAY
I've tried to fight the temptation of writing another page on my blog, but couldn't. Here's what's been going on;
If you haven't heard already, I probably won't be publishing this year. If I do, it's more than likely because I've decided to accept the offer and veer away from self-publishing.
I've added a new page to my blog. It's the "Road to Nowhere" page. You'll find that chapter one has been altered, though not by much. Chapter two has been altered as well, but is not yet posted.
I would like to make my books available for free and may be doing that within the next two months. I know a lot of you are anxious to read the continuation of The Road to Nowhere. I do plan to add the first chapter available on my blog, just because I feel my readers deserve it. I haven't posted in a while, and yet I know there are still many dedicated people who want to read more because the page hits are still coming in strong. Thank you.
I wish I could get it over with and fork out my eleven novels and hand all my followers, email subscribers, and blog readers a copy of all of them. I am having difficulties finding an editor. Chance Escape has literally gone through four editors and upon reading it, I found many typos. It was disappointing.
The Road to Nowhere has had three editors, all different and yet it is also filled with typos. I think my original draft had less.
So now I'm in the situation where I need to hire a good editor to edit my previous editor's work. I'm not upset, again, just disappointed. I am personally apologizing to the copies that everyone currently has. I'm now in the process of researching a reputable company, rather than an individual, and hopefully that will solve the issue I've been having. I will let everyone know one month in advance when the "New and Free" versions are available.
There is much to expect from my upcoming novels. I literally can't wait to find the right editor so that the process of distribution may begin.
Later this year (In August) I will be doing a giveaway for my readers, if I do decide to publish; I will let everyone know what day to expect a post, and the first person to email me will receive the free paperbacks of The Road to Nowhere and Chance Escape along with a personalized thank you letter, (considering giving some of my favorite shelf- stable vegan grocery products), a custom Lee Argus pen, a customized notepad with your name on it, and a Chance Escape or the Road to Nowhere T-Shirt. Redundant Note: If I do publish this year, the giveaways won't be until July though, just giving everyone a heads up. The second to email me will receive a personalized thank you letter, a Lee Argus pen, and a copy of the complete "Road to Nowhere."
I will change up the giveaways once they begin. I have tons of ideas, like gift cards, or my favorite fruit bouquets from edible arrangements dot com.
For now, I'll have to say goodbye once more.
I want to say talk to you later this year, but I can't promise I can refrain from the addiction of blogging. I will say; there's still much to do, so I won't be able to blog often.
With that said, let me end by saying something lengthy;
The Road to Nowhere will be an ongoing series. Every year you should expect something new in the world of "John"-
Chance Escape; I have begun to write the continuation. I have four chapters into it, but again I write one book and a half a year and all previous books that have been published, were from later years.
Chance Escape was written while I was a freshman in college. It was most recently published in 2011, but it is temporarily unavailable. It has a generally speaking, large male and female following. I'm surprised being that it was written several years ago, it has stood the test of time. Thank you to everyone who has enjoyed it and given it a rating over its last publications. This book has been altered and now has four more new chapters and a ten page epilogue whereas the previous version did not. It is now over 360 pages 8x 5 standard print.
The Road to Nowhere- was published as a half book, but will soon be published as a full length novel. Due to difficulties of finding an editor, the book was unable to be published as a full length novel. With the most recent editor, the part that had explained why the term "Kuru" was used had been deleted. This has now been fixed. Note: I give my editors the ability to add or take away if needed. The sentence where Stephanie had been wearing makeup has also been removed. Perhaps the editor thought it would appeal to the feminine audience. I was disappointed to find this out and it is now fixed. The action begins again with the second half and slightly veers away from the relationship that John had developed with Rachel and becomes more similar to chapter one.
The next release will be Down & Out.
Detective Joe Hobs is pulled out of his decision to quit his job by the please of a woman in need. This last case becomes more than he had bargained for as his mundane life is catapulted into the occult world that he never knew existed.
Before Chance Escape and the Road to Nowhere was published, there was a title called, The Steel Web. This was in 2010. I had it available for a while, but un-published when I moved to California. I didn't hire an editor for it, but once I hire a good one, it will be on the to-do list for him/her. I plan to re-publish it early next year. I will be creating a page for it soon. If you're into heavy gore then you'll like this psychological thriller. This book is not for everyone. It has an 18+/SMR (Mature Readers Suggested) rating.
Chance Escape and the Road to Nowhere have a 16+/SMR (Mature Readers Suggested) rating.
Rating: What does that mean? Well, I've decided to give my books an aged-based rating. A 16+ means I recommend that the reader is at least 16 years old due to reasons I will have listed. Basically this is a rating for parents so they don't have to read the whole book to find out there's graphic violence, light use of profanity… that sort of thing. Each book will have an aged-based rating along with the listed details as to why it was rated as so. Hope this helps the parents who've emailed me with concerns. Karen aged-rating was a wonderful idea. Thanks!
Will I loose sales this way? It's possible, but I'd like to be honest about the material in my books. As a parent, I understand other parent's concerns.
It is a fact that most authors are against aged-based ratings. Well, I guess I'm not one of them.
This does not mean that these are teen books, because they're not. I don't write teen books, but being that they're popular, I probably should. I'll add it on my long list of what I need done.
Personal Note: I just ate a great salad that had Tofu in it. If you haven't tried vegan food, you should look up a vegan restaurant, you'll find that you and your date will have fun trying something both beneficial for your health and tasty.
Personal backstory: As a child my parents would take me to the drive-in theatres. I've made it a habit to take the R.V. and bring my wife and daughter to one. With a small child, it's easier to enjoy a movie that way. I saw "The Grey" last night.
Lastly; I have a blog that is intended to help those who are interested in becoming writers and publishing E-Books. I will occasionally post a "How to" article there, but it will be less often than my posts here on my main blog.
Indie Resources
If your having trouble loading this page, all my posts will be placed at the alternate blog.
Writer Looking Through the Glass
A web site with a dot com, will be up in August. I will post a link to the web address once the web designer is complete, but only if I decide to make my novels available this year. Hope you all have a great weekend!
Take care!
Lee Argus-
I've tried to fight the temptation of writing another page on my blog, but couldn't. Here's what's been going on;
If you haven't heard already, I probably won't be publishing this year. If I do, it's more than likely because I've decided to accept the offer and veer away from self-publishing.
I've added a new page to my blog. It's the "Road to Nowhere" page. You'll find that chapter one has been altered, though not by much. Chapter two has been altered as well, but is not yet posted.
I would like to make my books available for free and may be doing that within the next two months. I know a lot of you are anxious to read the continuation of The Road to Nowhere. I do plan to add the first chapter available on my blog, just because I feel my readers deserve it. I haven't posted in a while, and yet I know there are still many dedicated people who want to read more because the page hits are still coming in strong. Thank you.
I wish I could get it over with and fork out my eleven novels and hand all my followers, email subscribers, and blog readers a copy of all of them. I am having difficulties finding an editor. Chance Escape has literally gone through four editors and upon reading it, I found many typos. It was disappointing.
The Road to Nowhere has had three editors, all different and yet it is also filled with typos. I think my original draft had less.
So now I'm in the situation where I need to hire a good editor to edit my previous editor's work. I'm not upset, again, just disappointed. I am personally apologizing to the copies that everyone currently has. I'm now in the process of researching a reputable company, rather than an individual, and hopefully that will solve the issue I've been having. I will let everyone know one month in advance when the "New and Free" versions are available.
There is much to expect from my upcoming novels. I literally can't wait to find the right editor so that the process of distribution may begin.
Later this year (In August) I will be doing a giveaway for my readers, if I do decide to publish; I will let everyone know what day to expect a post, and the first person to email me will receive the free paperbacks of The Road to Nowhere and Chance Escape along with a personalized thank you letter, (considering giving some of my favorite shelf- stable vegan grocery products), a custom Lee Argus pen, a customized notepad with your name on it, and a Chance Escape or the Road to Nowhere T-Shirt. Redundant Note: If I do publish this year, the giveaways won't be until July though, just giving everyone a heads up. The second to email me will receive a personalized thank you letter, a Lee Argus pen, and a copy of the complete "Road to Nowhere."
I will change up the giveaways once they begin. I have tons of ideas, like gift cards, or my favorite fruit bouquets from edible arrangements dot com.
For now, I'll have to say goodbye once more.
I want to say talk to you later this year, but I can't promise I can refrain from the addiction of blogging. I will say; there's still much to do, so I won't be able to blog often.
With that said, let me end by saying something lengthy;
The Road to Nowhere will be an ongoing series. Every year you should expect something new in the world of "John"-
Chance Escape; I have begun to write the continuation. I have four chapters into it, but again I write one book and a half a year and all previous books that have been published, were from later years.
Chance Escape was written while I was a freshman in college. It was most recently published in 2011, but it is temporarily unavailable. It has a generally speaking, large male and female following. I'm surprised being that it was written several years ago, it has stood the test of time. Thank you to everyone who has enjoyed it and given it a rating over its last publications. This book has been altered and now has four more new chapters and a ten page epilogue whereas the previous version did not. It is now over 360 pages 8x 5 standard print.
The Road to Nowhere- was published as a half book, but will soon be published as a full length novel. Due to difficulties of finding an editor, the book was unable to be published as a full length novel. With the most recent editor, the part that had explained why the term "Kuru" was used had been deleted. This has now been fixed. Note: I give my editors the ability to add or take away if needed. The sentence where Stephanie had been wearing makeup has also been removed. Perhaps the editor thought it would appeal to the feminine audience. I was disappointed to find this out and it is now fixed. The action begins again with the second half and slightly veers away from the relationship that John had developed with Rachel and becomes more similar to chapter one.
The next release will be Down & Out.
Detective Joe Hobs is pulled out of his decision to quit his job by the please of a woman in need. This last case becomes more than he had bargained for as his mundane life is catapulted into the occult world that he never knew existed.
Before Chance Escape and the Road to Nowhere was published, there was a title called, The Steel Web. This was in 2010. I had it available for a while, but un-published when I moved to California. I didn't hire an editor for it, but once I hire a good one, it will be on the to-do list for him/her. I plan to re-publish it early next year. I will be creating a page for it soon. If you're into heavy gore then you'll like this psychological thriller. This book is not for everyone. It has an 18+/SMR (Mature Readers Suggested) rating.
Chance Escape and the Road to Nowhere have a 16+/SMR (Mature Readers Suggested) rating.
Rating: What does that mean? Well, I've decided to give my books an aged-based rating. A 16+ means I recommend that the reader is at least 16 years old due to reasons I will have listed. Basically this is a rating for parents so they don't have to read the whole book to find out there's graphic violence, light use of profanity… that sort of thing. Each book will have an aged-based rating along with the listed details as to why it was rated as so. Hope this helps the parents who've emailed me with concerns. Karen aged-rating was a wonderful idea. Thanks!
Will I loose sales this way? It's possible, but I'd like to be honest about the material in my books. As a parent, I understand other parent's concerns.
It is a fact that most authors are against aged-based ratings. Well, I guess I'm not one of them.
This does not mean that these are teen books, because they're not. I don't write teen books, but being that they're popular, I probably should. I'll add it on my long list of what I need done.
Personal Note: I just ate a great salad that had Tofu in it. If you haven't tried vegan food, you should look up a vegan restaurant, you'll find that you and your date will have fun trying something both beneficial for your health and tasty.
Personal backstory: As a child my parents would take me to the drive-in theatres. I've made it a habit to take the R.V. and bring my wife and daughter to one. With a small child, it's easier to enjoy a movie that way. I saw "The Grey" last night.
Lastly; I have a blog that is intended to help those who are interested in becoming writers and publishing E-Books. I will occasionally post a "How to" article there, but it will be less often than my posts here on my main blog.
Indie Resources
If your having trouble loading this page, all my posts will be placed at the alternate blog.
Writer Looking Through the Glass
A web site with a dot com, will be up in August. I will post a link to the web address once the web designer is complete, but only if I decide to make my novels available this year. Hope you all have a great weekend!
Take care!
Lee Argus-
January 11, 2012
Free E-book (Chance Escape) and random topics
September 8th 2012- post update-
I love to give out free books, but no not for reviews. I don't think I've ever asked anyone for a review exchange.
Speaking of which, JA Konrath has a post titled Ethical Roulette
Click here to view his post
I'll have to join in on the conversation (if I get the chance) 3:05 AM and I'm working on updating my blog.
The insomnia has returned it's been four days since I've last slept.
You know now that we're on the topic of ethics, I'll blog about my experience as an indie author.
Indie authors are often attacked, well, in my experience, I've been.
An example;
A puppet account from another author was used
during my second publication of chance escape to place a negative review.
The author had used their name, location, and I
googled them. Then found a picture of them from a web site for the facility
they worked for.
The web site had the user’s middle name. I Googled
the full name and up popped a site that gave the past history of where they’d
resided for the last few years of their life.
Based on their career, the photo, the same birth
date (just not the year), I was able to find out who this person had been. This
is as public as I will go with it, since I will not shame another author. They’d
used a pen name, of course, and had lied about their career, but it was them.
My wife recognized the person by the photo taken
from the web site before I’d pointed out which author it had been, which also
confirmed his identity. (She’s always has her nose stuck in a book. Last year
was zombies, this year it’s sci-fi)- I’ll have to dedicate a good sci-fi book
to her once I have book two of the Road to Nowhere and Chance Escape out.
I’ve veered from what I was blogging about.
Back on the subject;
Admittedly- I don’t have any friends. I’ve spent
a majority of my childhood reading. I’ve read between 1,500 to 5,000 book in my
lifetime. Many of them I still re-read, otherwise there’d be more I could
count.
As you could imagine, I was busy, or just a nerd-
but a cool nerd. Nerds are still cool right?
I’ve read everything including computer repair
manuals and how to’s- but those don’t count. They’re not part of the 1,500-
5,000.
I can build a computer in no time from the ground
up- uhm of course not the mother board. That’s beyond my ability. Honestly, I
wouldn’t even know where to begin.
I like technology and computers so much that I am
currently a student again, only this time I’m getting my degree in information
technology.
I’ve strayed off the subject again. I must be
getting old.
Anyway, my point is I don’t ask friends to post
reviews, shamefully because I have none. The few I had, well, hmm-
Does anyone know how marriage is?
The wifey didn’t find them to be to her standards,
so I had to close off those connections. They’d been close military friends,
but love over friendships right?
Or was that just my marriage?
Family well- hmm- I’ve given them copies, and
they gave me their opinion via phone.
The current reviews I have- I am grateful for. It
surprises me when an author has 25 reviews in two weeks. I’ve been up
forever and a day, and there’s five reviews.
Of course, it could be their marketing tactics. I
currently have none.
Well, scratch that- I blog.
Which brings me to the next-
I stumbled on a blog that stated another author
used multiple puppet accounts to stage intentional five star ratings. Their motive
was an attempt to ruin the credibility of another author by making it seem as
though it was the author’s doing.
It sounds complicated, or maybe it doesn’t.
This bring up my question-
Why can’t we all just get along?
By no means am I saying all authors are like
this. I’m assuming most aren’t. Just a few bad apples spoil it for everyone.
If you haven’t read J.A Konrath’s post, you
should. It was an interesting read.
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2012/09...
No I’m not promoting him or his works. I sent him
a generic, “I liked this book” message, but that was all.
Lol
He probably gets that a lot.
Anyway, even if my book is ever targeted by
another author-
Everyone has a right to their own opinion (Please
just be professional with the criticisms), then I don’t see why an honest negative
opinion would be a problem or vice versa. Emphasis on honest and professional.
As an author, I only rate books I’ve enjoyed. I
don’t have any current reviews on my amazon account.
I think perhaps in the future, I will re-hire my
assistant. Basically a fan who’d contacted me and asked if I’d pay them 100
bucks every month if they got the word out about Chance Escape. She sent free copies of my book to willing readers (not a review exchange though)- it was free in the literal sense.
I’m always short on time since when I’m not
working, I’m writing or spending time with the family.
I left the corporation I’d worked for, and using
my veteran’s business benefits had opened up a vegan shop. That’s another uphill
downhill battle. Business is picking up though- slow and steady.
We’ve just moved to the San Fran area not too
long ago, but it looks like I’ll be moving yet again. I’ll have to commute to
San Fran twice a month just to make sure everything’s running smoothly at work.
If you haven’t heard,
I’m back in school. I’ve always had a passion for
Information Technology. I consider it another investment opportunity in the
sense that once I’m employed. The 60,000- 100,000 salary would go towards
opening another business. Right now I’m currently recovering from the startup
costs of the business and will be for the next two years. Most of the income goes towards the loan I took out.
Does anyone care?
Anyway, I have good intensions.
For one, I’d like to start a Catch, neuter, and
Release program free of cost to locals within the area I intend to live at, and
possibly in surrounding areas.
When feral cats are brought to a shelter, they
are automatically euthanized. I think, even as pesky as they can be, they ought
to be given their full lives.
By catching and neutering, we can lower their population.
Recently I’ve adopted two feral kittens.
They’d been emaciated to the point of near death.
I called around, but the shelters had said the colony living behind my house
would be euthanized if caught.
The cats in the colony seem to be struggling with
hunting. They all wear the same emaciated appearance.
I’ve caught the mother and paid to get her fixed.
I’ve caught two others and have had them neutered as well.
The kittens are now reaching a healthy weight,
but my wife is allergic, so we can’t keep them.
We’re trying to rehabilitate to make them
adoptable, but progress is slow. We can now hold them, pet them, and go in the
same room with them without being clawed.
I’d say they’re about four months old.
We have to rehabilitate them fast, so we can find
them a home while they’re still young. I had to find new homes for Cosmo and
Artemis (my last two cats) due to my wife’s new allergy towards cats.
Our family already misses them.
Well, back to intensions-
I’d also like to participate more in assisting
the needy.
Plans-
Plans-
I’ve been blessed with plenty of opportunities in
my life, and I’m grateful for them.
My wife is from an upper middle class family
averaging around (125,000) a year. Before her, I had no plans. My 715 credit
score, my business, my going back to school, my publishing of my works- it’s
all thanks to her.
Sometimes when you meet the special person you
care about, they make you want to try that much harder. Well that and I wanted
to amount to her father’s standards.
I’d been her third marriage proposal. The look
her father had was one of, “I expected this” when I asked for his permission.
(I’m a little old fashioned)
She’s very kind, and that’s what attracted me to
her, plus that smile.
Enough about her-
old post below;
1/11/12
Chance Escape will be available for free until the 14th of this month. Just thought I'd let everyone know.
I love to give out free books, but no not for reviews. I don't think I've ever asked anyone for a review exchange.
Speaking of which, JA Konrath has a post titled Ethical Roulette
Click here to view his post
I'll have to join in on the conversation (if I get the chance) 3:05 AM and I'm working on updating my blog.
The insomnia has returned it's been four days since I've last slept.
You know now that we're on the topic of ethics, I'll blog about my experience as an indie author.
Indie authors are often attacked, well, in my experience, I've been.
An example;
A puppet account from another author was used
during my second publication of chance escape to place a negative review.
The author had used their name, location, and I
googled them. Then found a picture of them from a web site for the facility
they worked for.
The web site had the user’s middle name. I Googled
the full name and up popped a site that gave the past history of where they’d
resided for the last few years of their life.
Based on their career, the photo, the same birth
date (just not the year), I was able to find out who this person had been. This
is as public as I will go with it, since I will not shame another author. They’d
used a pen name, of course, and had lied about their career, but it was them.
My wife recognized the person by the photo taken
from the web site before I’d pointed out which author it had been, which also
confirmed his identity. (She’s always has her nose stuck in a book. Last year
was zombies, this year it’s sci-fi)- I’ll have to dedicate a good sci-fi book
to her once I have book two of the Road to Nowhere and Chance Escape out.
I’ve veered from what I was blogging about.
Back on the subject;
Admittedly- I don’t have any friends. I’ve spent
a majority of my childhood reading. I’ve read between 1,500 to 5,000 book in my
lifetime. Many of them I still re-read, otherwise there’d be more I could
count.
As you could imagine, I was busy, or just a nerd-
but a cool nerd. Nerds are still cool right?
I’ve read everything including computer repair
manuals and how to’s- but those don’t count. They’re not part of the 1,500-
5,000.
I can build a computer in no time from the ground
up- uhm of course not the mother board. That’s beyond my ability. Honestly, I
wouldn’t even know where to begin.
I like technology and computers so much that I am
currently a student again, only this time I’m getting my degree in information
technology.
I’ve strayed off the subject again. I must be
getting old.
Anyway, my point is I don’t ask friends to post
reviews, shamefully because I have none. The few I had, well, hmm-
Does anyone know how marriage is?
The wifey didn’t find them to be to her standards,
so I had to close off those connections. They’d been close military friends,
but love over friendships right?
Or was that just my marriage?
Family well- hmm- I’ve given them copies, and
they gave me their opinion via phone.
The current reviews I have- I am grateful for. It
surprises me when an author has 25 reviews in two weeks. I’ve been up
forever and a day, and there’s five reviews.
Of course, it could be their marketing tactics. I
currently have none.
Well, scratch that- I blog.
Which brings me to the next-
I stumbled on a blog that stated another author
used multiple puppet accounts to stage intentional five star ratings. Their motive
was an attempt to ruin the credibility of another author by making it seem as
though it was the author’s doing.
It sounds complicated, or maybe it doesn’t.
This bring up my question-
Why can’t we all just get along?
By no means am I saying all authors are like
this. I’m assuming most aren’t. Just a few bad apples spoil it for everyone.
If you haven’t read J.A Konrath’s post, you
should. It was an interesting read.
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2012/09...
No I’m not promoting him or his works. I sent him
a generic, “I liked this book” message, but that was all.
Lol
He probably gets that a lot.
Anyway, even if my book is ever targeted by
another author-
Everyone has a right to their own opinion (Please
just be professional with the criticisms), then I don’t see why an honest negative
opinion would be a problem or vice versa. Emphasis on honest and professional.
As an author, I only rate books I’ve enjoyed. I
don’t have any current reviews on my amazon account.
I think perhaps in the future, I will re-hire my
assistant. Basically a fan who’d contacted me and asked if I’d pay them 100
bucks every month if they got the word out about Chance Escape. She sent free copies of my book to willing readers (not a review exchange though)- it was free in the literal sense.
I’m always short on time since when I’m not
working, I’m writing or spending time with the family.
I left the corporation I’d worked for, and using
my veteran’s business benefits had opened up a vegan shop. That’s another uphill
downhill battle. Business is picking up though- slow and steady.
We’ve just moved to the San Fran area not too
long ago, but it looks like I’ll be moving yet again. I’ll have to commute to
San Fran twice a month just to make sure everything’s running smoothly at work.
If you haven’t heard,
I’m back in school. I’ve always had a passion for
Information Technology. I consider it another investment opportunity in the
sense that once I’m employed. The 60,000- 100,000 salary would go towards
opening another business. Right now I’m currently recovering from the startup
costs of the business and will be for the next two years. Most of the income goes towards the loan I took out.
Does anyone care?
Anyway, I have good intensions.
For one, I’d like to start a Catch, neuter, and
Release program free of cost to locals within the area I intend to live at, and
possibly in surrounding areas.
When feral cats are brought to a shelter, they
are automatically euthanized. I think, even as pesky as they can be, they ought
to be given their full lives.
By catching and neutering, we can lower their population.
Recently I’ve adopted two feral kittens.
They’d been emaciated to the point of near death.
I called around, but the shelters had said the colony living behind my house
would be euthanized if caught.
The cats in the colony seem to be struggling with
hunting. They all wear the same emaciated appearance.
I’ve caught the mother and paid to get her fixed.
I’ve caught two others and have had them neutered as well.
The kittens are now reaching a healthy weight,
but my wife is allergic, so we can’t keep them.
We’re trying to rehabilitate to make them
adoptable, but progress is slow. We can now hold them, pet them, and go in the
same room with them without being clawed.
I’d say they’re about four months old.
We have to rehabilitate them fast, so we can find
them a home while they’re still young. I had to find new homes for Cosmo and
Artemis (my last two cats) due to my wife’s new allergy towards cats.
Our family already misses them.
Well, back to intensions-
I’d also like to participate more in assisting
the needy.
Plans-
Plans-
I’ve been blessed with plenty of opportunities in
my life, and I’m grateful for them.
My wife is from an upper middle class family
averaging around (125,000) a year. Before her, I had no plans. My 715 credit
score, my business, my going back to school, my publishing of my works- it’s
all thanks to her.
Sometimes when you meet the special person you
care about, they make you want to try that much harder. Well that and I wanted
to amount to her father’s standards.
I’d been her third marriage proposal. The look
her father had was one of, “I expected this” when I asked for his permission.
(I’m a little old fashioned)
She’s very kind, and that’s what attracted me to
her, plus that smile.
Enough about her-
old post below;
1/11/12
Chance Escape will be available for free until the 14th of this month. Just thought I'd let everyone know.
Free E-book (Chance Escape)
Chance Escape will be available for free until the 14th of this month. Just thought I'd let everyone know.
Chance Escape on amazon
The original version had a total of 17 chapters. I just received the final copy of Chance Escape (from my editor)
The extended version now has 22 chapters and a ten page epilogue. The novel is now 363 pages long (8×5 standard print)
The extended version will now be the only version online. It can only be found on amazon.com
and is now available for purchase however, it will be made available for free on the 30th of this month.
The extended version now has 22 chapters and a ten page epilogue. The novel is now 363 pages long (8×5 standard print)
The extended version will now be the only version online. It can only be found on amazon.com
and is now available for purchase however, it will be made available for free on the 30th of this month.
My reply to a question
I've received a few emails with the same question so I'm blogging to clear the confusion and answer the question.
Is Chance Escape the second half of The Road to Nowhere?
No, they're two different books. Chance Escape will have a sequel and The Road to Nowhere is a two part book.
Chance Escape's sequel will be released at the beginning of next year, and the second half of The Road to Nowhere will be released in May of this year.
Thank you all for the emails!!! I hope this helped. :)!
Is Chance Escape the second half of The Road to Nowhere?
No, they're two different books. Chance Escape will have a sequel and The Road to Nowhere is a two part book.
Chance Escape's sequel will be released at the beginning of next year, and the second half of The Road to Nowhere will be released in May of this year.
Thank you all for the emails!!! I hope this helped. :)!
January 7, 2012
World War Z
Everyone by now is probably aware of the
UPCOMING MOVIE;
World war z
An upcoming post-apocalyptic horror film directed by marc forster, with a script written by j. Michael straczynski and matthew Michael carnahan.
Stars: BRAD PITT, ERIC WEST, MATTHEW FOX, DAVID MORSE, AND MIREILLE ENOS.
-------------------------------------------
I hope it doesn't disappoint. It's scheduled to be released December 21, 2012.
Here's the synapsis from Paramount:
"The story revolves around United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself."
Rather than taking place after the zombie wars (as in the novel), this movie will be set to take place during the beginning of the outbreak. (I'm curious to see how well the distinct differences play out.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World war z set images:
Simon R. Green
Simon Green is one of my favorite authors. Here's a little more about him (from Wikipedia).
I justs finished reading his last novel for the "Nightside series"
Simon Richard Green, born 1955 in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, is a British science fiction and fantasy-author. He holds a degree in Modern English and American Literature from the University of Leicester. He began his writing career in 1973, sold his first story Manslayer in 1976, and had his first publication, Awake, Awake, Ye Northern Winds in 1979. Simon R. Green began his rise to success in 1988 when he sold seven novels and in 1989 when he received a commission to write the bestselling novelization of the Kevin Costner film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, which has sold more than 370,000 copies. Since 1990, Green has written dozens more novels and short stories, placing him among the more prolific science fiction authors to date. Simon R. Green currently resides in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, United Kingdom where he continues to write.
Most of Green's works take place within the same fictional realm, encompassing multiple realities which characters inhabit, or in some cases move between. Although cross-series use of characters or settings is frequently limited to passing mentions or brief cameo appearances, a number of Green's stories have prominently featured characters from other works in a manner that is significant to the plot. Despite this, Green's works can, with some exceptions, be separated into several distinct series and standalone novels.
Something from the Nightside: Book 1 cover image
I justs finished reading his last novel for the "Nightside series"
Simon Richard Green, born 1955 in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, is a British science fiction and fantasy-author. He holds a degree in Modern English and American Literature from the University of Leicester. He began his writing career in 1973, sold his first story Manslayer in 1976, and had his first publication, Awake, Awake, Ye Northern Winds in 1979. Simon R. Green began his rise to success in 1988 when he sold seven novels and in 1989 when he received a commission to write the bestselling novelization of the Kevin Costner film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, which has sold more than 370,000 copies. Since 1990, Green has written dozens more novels and short stories, placing him among the more prolific science fiction authors to date. Simon R. Green currently resides in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, United Kingdom where he continues to write.
Most of Green's works take place within the same fictional realm, encompassing multiple realities which characters inhabit, or in some cases move between. Although cross-series use of characters or settings is frequently limited to passing mentions or brief cameo appearances, a number of Green's stories have prominently featured characters from other works in a manner that is significant to the plot. Despite this, Green's works can, with some exceptions, be separated into several distinct series and standalone novels.
Something from the Nightside: Book 1 cover image
