Orrin Jason Bradford's Blog, page 7

Sneaking Up On Commitment – A Bit of Visionary Nonfiction

Before turning my attention to writing fiction, I spent a number of years writing for magazines and other nonfiction publications. One of my favorite that I continue to write for on occasions is the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. I consider these true stories to be visionary nonfiction in that they also have a similar intention to my visionary fiction – to entertain while also inspiring the reader and providing insights into life. So, I’m adding this new category to my blog with this true story of how my wife and I met some thirty years ago.

Sneaking Up On Commitment

“Your task is not to seek for love, but to find the barriers in yourself that you have built against it.”

~ A Course In Miracles ~

Forever can be a long time. For many people, the idea of committing to something or someone for forever can be so right-in-your-face intimidating, it’s often easier to just avoid it at all cost. Such commitments can bring up a huge block of fear as we remember all our other failed attempts to stay committed. This was certainly the case when Ann and I first met.

Ann and I met in the hallway prior to a workshop entitled More Money. The workshop’s homework assignment was to list 100 things we wanted to do, be or have. I listened as Ann shared with another participant two items on her list: a committed relationship and a romantic relationship. As a way to enter into the conversation (in my own smart-ass style), I asked her why those were two separate items? Didn’t it make more sense to combine them into one — a committed and romantic relationship?

I then made sure I sat next to her in class since being in a committed relationship was on my list as well, and I found her to be cute and very engaging. A few weeks later, after going out on three or four dates, I informed her I was ready for a committed, romantic relationship and asked if she was ready as well.

I still remember the shocked look on Ann’s face as she backed away from me saying, “Whoa, whoa, whoa — not so fast! If I was any good at committed relationships I’d still be married to my first husband.”

Well, I could understand her point-of-view. I’d been through not one, but two divorces of my own and had a long list of other failed attempts at committed relationships. Thinking fast on my feet, I made a counteroffer.

“Would you be willing to go for a 24-hour committed relationship?”  At first, she thought I was just joking so I repeated, “Let’s go for a 24-hour committed relationship. Surely we can make it for 24-hours, right?”

So we agreed.

The next day, 24 hours later, I called to congratulate her. She asked, “What for?”

“Congratulations on your first successful, committed relationship. Now, are you ready to try for another one? How about one for 48 hours? 48 hours isn’t that much longer than 24 hours, right?”  She agreed once again.

Sure enough, we made it through the 48-hour one and also a 72-hour committed relationship. As our confidence grew, we decided to take on a much longer stretch of time. We enrolled in a five-day personal development retreat together. The entire trip would take 10 days, so we committed to staying together for the whole time.

Midway through the retreat, we were sure we’d sabotaged our relationship. The program brought up all our ugly stuff — the stuff you really don’t want someone else to see, especially the person you’ve just started dating. While neither of us was thrilled revealing that side of ourselves, we hung in there, and by the end of the program, we announced to the entire group that we were committing to a six-month relationship.

After completing the six months, we made a second six-month commitment. During the second six months, as we sat on the deck of a restaurant overlooking the San Francisco Bay Bridge sipping a mimosa, Ann proposed to me.

We’ve now been married for over 20 years. (We actually just shared our 29th wedding anniversary.)  Some commitments are worth sneaking up on!

The End

Since selling his veterinary practice in the late ’80s, W, Bradford Swift has published hundreds of magazine articles in such publications as Unity Magazine, AARP, Body and Soul, Yoga Journal, and Science of Mind. He is also the author of Life On Purpose: Six Passages to an Inspired Life — an award-winning finalist in the Self-Help: Motivational division of the Best Books 2007 Awards sponsored by USA News, and From Spark to Flame: Fanning Your Passion & Ideas into Moneymaking Magazine Articles that Make a Difference.

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Why have I started Writing Book 3 of the Fantastic Fables of Foster Flat Series?

The answer to that question is simple.

I live in a magical place and I want my readers to share in the magic.

Really, I do. And to prove it, here are a few of the pictures I’ve taken of the area. First, a few pictures that have already inspired stories in the previous two books:

And here are ones still waiting to be turned into stories

I mean, really, chairs hanging from walls and who rode that bicycle up there?

Oh, and I almost forgot a pic that inspired one of my favorite stories that is in Further Fantastic Fables of Foster Flat, Volume Two:

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Bearfooting

 

And there are dozens of these magical bears that show up every summer, stay awhile entertaining visitors and residents alike, then disappear until the following year when a whole new tribe of bears appears.

Magical, no doubt about it

 

 

 

It’s Your Turn

Look at those pictures I haven’t written about. Pick one (or more) and give me your first line of a Foster Flat Fable you’d write. If I use it or something similar to it, I’ll make sure to acknowledge its source in this next book.

In the meantime, check out books 1 and 2. Both books are also available as ebooks, paperbacks, and audiobooks narrated by the amazingly talented Meg Price.

Venture into Foster Flat…and the mind of O.J. Bradford
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Available on Amazon

Pick up your copies of the Fantastic Fables of Foster Flat ebooks at special discounted prices only until July 4th.

Tucked away in a quiet corner of North Carolina lies the township of Foster Flat. By every appearance, it’s an ordinary place to lead one’s life, and the humble environs strike most as boring—quite a prodigious misjudgment.

The population shares a mutual disapproval of new guests, and the reason for this will soon become clear, thanks to Mimi Rawlins, one resident who’s willing to indulge outsiders. For the whole of its history, Foster Flat has been home to staggering secrets and freakish phenomena. Are these ‘events’ the stuff of folklore? Overactive minds? Or more? You’re free to draw your own conclusions…should you dare to enter.

Welcome back to Foster Flat…and the mind of a modern maven
Pick up your copies of the Fantastic Fables of Foster Flat ebooks at special discounted prices. Save $2
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Available on Amazon

off of book #2 until July 4th only.

Despite its disturbing obscurities, few can resist the pull of Foster Flat. It’s a small mountain town steeped in mystery, and, spoken aloud or scarcely whispered, everyone there has a curious tale of reckoning with madness.

Returning as raconteur, ‘Roving Reporter’ Mimi Rawlins delivers a fresh assortment of these strange stories—some to warm the cockles, some to chill the spine, some both.

Past visitors will recognize old friends amongst the new faces, and everyone who enters will find it equally hard to escape…

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The post Why have I started Writing Book 3 of the Fantastic Fables of Foster Flat Series? appeared first on W. Bradford Swift Visionary Author.

Fantastic Fables: Suspenseful Stories with a Twist

I grew up reading science fiction and fantasy, going all the way back to the fourth grade. That’s, oh my gosh, some sixty years ago! Two of my favorites were the interconnected stories of Ray Bradbury’s books like Farenheit 451, and The Martian Chronicles, and the original The Twilight Zone. So, I guess it’s not all that surprising that I would want to pay homage to these incredible masters of storytelling with my own series of stories with a twist: Fantastic Fables of Foster Flat, books one and two. You might wonder, where did the ideas for these bizarre stories arise? Well, in large part from the magical and mysterious area in which I live: the mountains of North Carolina.

What Inspired these Stories? My Home for the Last Quarter Century

My wife and I moved to the mountains of North Carolina about twenty-five years ago after a year-long search. It was a few years after I’d sold my veterinary practice when I realized I could now live virtually anywhere I wanted to live.

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Thus began a fun search for exactly where that might be. We finally chose a small village a few miles outside of Hendersonville, NC.

For us, it’s “Paradise Found”. It was a perfect location for us to raise our daughter, and to create our own version of a life on purpose. It didn’t take me long before I realized it was also a perfect location to inspire my Muse and me to create stories in the vein of Bradbury and The Twilight Zone.

There are stories like The Gazebo and Bearfooting that are based on actual occurrences of this region. Other stories, like Goldcraft, and The Apothecary come from settings you’ll find in the area. Then there are other stories that are a compilation of ideas from the mountain region itself, all relayed by the roving reporter, Mimi Rawlins.

Check Out the Trailer

Need a Little More to Entice You?

Here’s a little more about Fantastic Fables of Foster Flat, book 1:

Tucked away in a quiet corner of North Carolina lies the township of Foster Flat. By every appearance, it’s an ordinary place to lead one’s life, and the humble environs strike most as boring—quite a prodigious misjudgment.

The population shares a mutual disapproval of new guests, and the reason for this will soon become clear, thanks to Mimi Rawlins, one resident who’s willing to indulge outsiders. For the whole of its history, Foster Flat has been home to staggering secrets and freakish phenomena. Are these ‘events’ the stuff of folklore? Overactive minds? Or more? You’re free to draw your own conclusions…should you dare to enter.

And in book #2:

Welcome back to Foster Flat…

Despite its disturbing obscurities, few can resist the pull of Foster Flat. It’s a small mountain town steeped in mystery, and, spoken aloud or scarcely whispered, everyone there has a curious tale of reckoning with madness.

Returning as raconteur, ‘Roving Reporter’ Mimi Rawlins delivers a fresh assortment of these strange stories—some to warm the cockles, some to chill the spine, some both.

Past visitors will recognize old friends amongst the new faces, and everyone who enters will find it equally hard to escape…

Enter to Win a Complete Fantastic Fables Package
The Fantastic Fables package includes:


An autographed copy of Fantastic Fables of Foster Flat,
an autographed copy of  Fantastic Fables of Foster Flat Volume 2,
An audiobook of  Fantastic Fables of Foster Flat ,
An audiobook of  Fantastic Fables of Foster Flat Volume 2


To enter, click on this image and remember the more you share about the giveaway the greater your chances of winning. Or if you don’t want to wait, you can pick up the book or audiobook of your choice by clicking the titles above. 
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The post Fantastic Fables: Suspenseful Stories with a Twist appeared first on W. Bradford Swift Visionary Author.

Reflections On my 70th Birthday & a New Vision: 50.100By80

As you may recall, I celebrated my 70th birthday a couple of Tuesdays ago. It seemed to an appropriate time to reflect not only on where I’ve been but where I see myself going in the future. The day before my birthday, I completed the rough draft of my 19th fiction novel: Ghost Elephant: Book 3 of the Zak Bates Eco-Adventure Series. (By the way, there are still a few spots left if want to join the Beta Reading team.)

So, I did a little math and came up with my vision/goal:

50.100By80

My Legacy

with Youthful Vitality

in body, mind, and spirit

So let me decipher that: Fifty books written and published resulting in an annual income of $100K per year by the time I turn eighty and that becomes my legacy I leave to my daughter and to the world. And to accomplish all that with a ‘youthful vitality in body, mind, and spirit.’ Why not?

Boy, that should keep me out of the bars, right? Well, I do most of my drinking at home anyway. But the truth is that I’m really pumped by this possibility and I know it’s doable. Well, the fifty book part, at least. Keep in mind, I’ve just finished the rough draft of fiction book #19, so I’ve just 31 more to go. I’m still trying to get my head around the $100K per year part. Definitely stretching the mental faculties to the point of brain strain. Here’s a little of what I wrote in my journal:

This is a game worth playing. It’s also a legacy worth leaving behind not just for Amber and our future grandkids, but also for the community of readers yet to come. Think about it. People still read and enjoy Dickens, Poe, and Hugo to name a few classic authors. People in mass are moved every Christmas by the characters created in A Christmas Carol. How about the characters of Don Quixote, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame? How about Frankenstein and Dracula? The list goes on and on. Legacies that are still making a difference, contributing to the song of life decades, centuries later.

So, what am I creating? Will Zak Bates be like Tom Swift Jr. was for me growing up for some other generation of fourth through sixth graders (and their parents)? I don’t know. Time will tell. So, nineteen written and thirty-one to go. Imagine Zak Bates #10 or 12, FreeForm #10 or 12. And maybe I haven’t even created my Frankenstein or Scrooge or Alonso Quijana. Who are the characters I’ve not yet given birth to yet? Let’s face it, thirty-one books are a lot of writing, many characters’ stories. Much to do, to play, to create in the next ten years, starting now.

And none of this is possible without you — my Amazingly Awesome Readers. You are both my inspiration and my motivation. So, thanks. Here’s to the next decade of writing and reading.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post Reflections On my 70th Birthday & a New Vision: 50.100By80 appeared first on W. Bradford Swift Visionary Author.

For Indie Authors: Connecting MailerLite Forms to Your Optimize Press Landing Pages

I realize that most people who find their way to this blog are readers, but I suspect an occasional indie author finds their way here as well. So, this little tip is for you. Who knows, I may be starting a series of tips in the spirit of collaboration.

So, the question asked on Nick Stephenson’s First 10K Readers Facebook page was whether or not one could use MailerLite’s email service with Optimize Press landing pages. The answer is a definitive yes. I know because I’ve been doing it for quite a while. Once you learn how it’s really quite easy.

Here’s a short video that should help:

 

http://wbradfordswift.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Forms-_-MailerLite-into-OP-Landing-Page.mp4

The post For Indie Authors: Connecting MailerLite Forms to Your Optimize Press Landing Pages appeared first on W. Bradford Swift Visionary Author.

Call Out for Beta Readers for Ghost Elephant: Book 3 of the Zak Bates Eco-Adventure Series

Let me start by sharing what led me to start the Zak Bates Eco-Adventure Series so you’ll understand why this series has such a special place in my heart. My love for reading science fiction and fantasy started the summer before I entered the fourth grade shortly after my widowed mother moved us to Raleigh, North Carolina. It didn’t take long before our new neighbor took pity on my harried mom who I was driving crazy begging her to come out and play. You see, my older brother had quickly connected with friends his own age and left me feeling like an only child with no one to play with but her.

Enter Mrs. Crabtree, our neighbor who also just happened to be the children’s librarian at the main library in Raleigh. Noticing the drama across the fence, she brought over a stack of books hand-picked to appeal to a young boy my age.

Of course, I was far from receptive to the notion or reading anything during the summertime, but when my mom boycotted playing with me until I’d at least given the books a chance, I reluctantly agreed. Picking up that first book was like a bear trap clamping down on my imagination. In short, I was hooked.

[image error]Fast forward to 2019. Ghost Elephant is book #3 of the Zak Bates Eco-Adventure series. While the series is intended primarily for middle-grade kids (think14-16-year-old teenagers), I’ve found many adults also enjoy the series, especially animal lovers and folks who are young at heart.

Is that you? Read on to find out if you’d make a good beta reader.

What Makes a Super Beta Reader

You’re likely to be a good beta reader for this series if:

You’re someone who enjoys contemporary fantasy for teenagers and/or enjoys lighthearted adventure stories that involve animals, magic, and adventure. After all, the Eco-adventure Team is made up of the last living magic cat, her flying dog companion, along with teenagers Zak Bates, and Allie George.
You are also someone who will give specific feedback; what you like and enjoy, AND what doesn’t work or could be stronger.
While not required but a real plus: It will be helpful if you are on Facebook since it’s likely I’ll have a private Facebook group to facilitate the process. Also, if you know how to read and comment about documents that are loaded to Google Docs or are willing to learn, that will be great. NOTE: I can also provide the story as a PDF, mobi (Kindle), or epub if you prefer to read offline, and then provide your input either on the Google Doc or by email.

Why You May Want to be a Beta Reader?

Well, first off, many avid readers find that it’s fun. After all, you will get to be a part of making this book for young people as awesome and entertaining as possible while also educating them behind the scenes about some important environmental manmade challenges.

You’ll also get the story before anyone else. Granted, it won’t be in its final polished form, but you’ll be able to help polish it. I’ll also make the first two books of the series (Dominion Over All and Endangered).

You’ll also have the opportunity to put your experience as an avid reader into service for future avid readers.

But What About the Book, Ghost Elephant?

Oh yeah, you probably want to know a little about this third Zak Bate’s book. Well, Zak and his eco-adventure team travel to South Africa this time on an urgent mission to save a very special baby elephant from being captured or murdered by poachers.  Nia Gaines is a new member who joins them in this quest. Click Here to read the rough draft of the opening scene and meet this remarkable young girl.  I believe it’s the most exciting and harrowing mission so far.

So, Are You Ready to Join the Beta Reader Team?

Joining the beta team is simple. Simply complete the short form below.

The post Call Out for Beta Readers for Ghost Elephant: Book 3 of the Zak Bates Eco-Adventure Series appeared first on W. Bradford Swift Visionary Author.

Debriefing the FreeForm Series Relaunch

The purpose of this blog post is to debrief the relaunch of the FreeForm science fiction thriller series. Let me start with a little background. This project began several months ago during which time I did a lot of prep work including:

All new covers for all six books, (Designed by Victor Habbick. Thanks Victor.)
New blurbs/book descriptions (written by Maxwell, aka dogpillow. Awesome job Max)
A new prequel story entitled Freeform: Crash ,
Additional editing, and
Adjusted tiles.

I did all this prep work so readers could clearly see that each book was part of a science fiction thriller series.

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By the way, you can pick up the full set on Amazon for less than $22. (hint, hint)

There were several intentions behind this relaunch:

To sell as many books as possible. After all, I’m working to make a living at this.
At the same time, I wanted to learn as much as I could about how to not just write books but also sell them,
Last but not least, I wanted to sell enough books that Amazon’s algorithm (A.I.) would take notice and start sharing the book with their network of SF readers. One of the ways I’ve thought of this was to launch this series into orbit so the sales would continue beyond the initial relaunch period.

The Pre-relaunch and Relaunch

I wanted the readers of my newsletter to have advance notice of the relaunch so I created a pre-launch which ran for three days. During that time, I used a method I learned from one of my mentors, Chris Fox, to send out notices to different segments of my newsletter. The official launch began on Monday, May 6 and ran through Saturday, May 12, so all in all the time of the promotion ran ten days. During these ten days, all the books were at special discounted prices. The first three were priced at 99 cents (regular price $2.99 to $3.99), and the last three were priced at $2.99 (regular price $3.99 to $4.99).

During the launch period, I implemented four ways to get the word out about the series:

• Cross promotion with other SF authors who shared the series with their readers (Thanks, guys and gals. So much appreciated.) and,

• Ads run through 5 promotional websites who shared the series on their websites and through their own promotional emails.

• Limited Facebook ads, and

• Limited Amazon ads.

Now For the Results

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So, over the ten days of the promotion, 362 copies were sold. Also, there were approximately 6,000 pages read via Kindle Unlimited (KU) and Kindle Owner’s Lending Library (KOLL). As of this morning, May 15, the pages read has climbed to 7,568.

What I Learned

I learned so much from this relaunch, both what worked and what didn’t work so here goes:

1. It worked to send out notices to my readers by using the segmented email list approach. (I’m so appreciative many of my readers purchased one or more of the books in those first days of the pre-launch as well as on the last day before the special prices ended. Thanks, guys and gals. You are Amazing Awesome Readers.)

2. Working with other authors worked well also, and I look forward to sharing their books with my readers in the near future.

3. Some of the ad sites worked well and delivered what they promised.

 

What Didn’t Work or Could have Worked Better

While some of the ad sites worked, others did not including the one that I had anticipated would be the most effective (and which cost the most). I’m currently in touch with them to see what happened that on the day they were to promote the book there was almost no purchases.
I think Facebook ads and Amazon ads have a lot of potential for reaching new people who can become Amazingly Awesome Readers in the future, and I need to learn how much more on how to create powerful and effective ads that won’t break the bank in the process.
I now see the value of an active and growing number of readers that I can reach directly so I’ll be focusing much more attention on attracting such readers to my Amazingly Awesome Readers community.
Same is true with collaborating with other SF indie authors. I see this as the ideal win-win-win in that, not only do the two authors win, so do our readers who get to learn about new authors and when they are offering special deals on their books. (NOTE: If you happen to be an author who writes science fiction and/or fantasy and would like to create such collaboration with me, let me know with by sending me an email.

 

The Bottom Line and What’s Next

So, let’s see how I did with the original three intentions which were:

To sell as many books as possible. After all, I’m working to make a living at this.

By the end of the relaunch date, I sold 362 books. While that’s not a tremendous number and is far below my target of at least 1,000, at the same time it’s the most I’ve sold in any other ten-day period. There were also those who are reading the book through KU and KOLL which I don’t quite know how to account for.

2. At the same time, I wanted to learn as much as I could about how to not just write books but also sell them,

I learned a ton and plan to apply all of it to when I launch or relaunch my next book or series. I am clear this intention was met in spades.

3. Last but not least, I wanted to sell enough books that Amazon’s algorithm (A.I.) would take notice and start sharing the book with their network of SF readers. One of the ways I’ve thought of this was to launch this series into orbit so the sales would continue beyond the initial relaunch period.

This did not happen. The premise I was operating on (and still believe can work) is that a slow steady curve in book sales over a 7-10 day period will result in Amazon taking notice and starting to sending other readers with similar reading interests to the book page. As far as I can tell, this didn’t happen. I will be working to get to the source of why my efforts went unnoticed by Amazon.

And that brings me to what’s next. I plan to apply all this to my next book campaign which will be to share two of my all-time favorite books with the world:

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Fantastic Fables of Foster Flat: Suspenseful Tales with a Twist, and

 

 

 

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Fantastic Fables of Foster Flat (Volume 3): More Suspenseful Tales with a Twist

 

By the way, both books are available as ebooks, quality paperbacks, and audiobooks. They are my homage to Ray Bradbury and the old Twilight Zone television show, so if you like either of these, I think you’ll really enjoy visiting Foster Flat through these books.

Now It’s Your Turn

I’d love to hear what you got out of this blog post, whether you’re a writer or reader. Sharing all this, what worked and what didn’t, is new for me, and a bit scary. That being said, I do want to hear from you.

The post Debriefing the FreeForm Series Relaunch appeared first on W. Bradford Swift Visionary Author.

Opening Scene of Ghost Elephant (Book #3 of the Zak Bates Eco-adventure Series)

Falling through the Rabbit Hole

Nia Gaines and her parents had been shopping for hours which felt like days to Nia. And to think how excited she’d been when her dad, Edwardo Gaines, had invited her to come with them on what he’d described as a combination family vacation and business trip. When does the vacation part start, Nia, wondered? So far, she’d been dragged along from one antique store to another. Beijing China has sounded like such a romantic place to visit, but as far as she could tell it was simply blocked after block of old stores filled to overflowing with ancient and mostly ugly stuff. Stuff, stuff, stuff. Everywhere you looked more stuff. And the price tags on them. Outrageously expensive stuff as far as Nia could tell, but her father disagreed. The more shops they visited the more excited he became. After all, he’d made his fortune buying old stuff overseas then returning home to Boston, Massachusetts to sell it for a hefty profit.

So, I shouldn’t complain, Nia thought as they arrived at the next story, the Beijing Curio, the sign read. I have a pretty great life thanks to all this stuff, but really, wasn’t it time to take a break for food, and after that maybe slip in just a little bit of vacation time. Take in a show or something. She’d learned in school that the Chinese had a long and distinguished history that included different forms of dance. How about a dance show? Maybe she could convince her parents that it would be an important part of her education. Nia loved dance in all its many forms. She planned to become a professional dancer. That’s all there was to it. Already, she’d been accepted to a prestigious school of the performing arts, and she was top in her class both academically and in her dance classes.

“Please, dad, can’t we go get a bite to eat? I’m starving,” Nia whined for the third or fourth time.

“I think that’s an excellent idea,” Alisha Gaines, Nia’s mother piped in.

“Okay, just one more shop and we’ll break for lunch,” Edwardo finally agreed.

“You promise?” Nia asked.

“Promise. Now, let’s see what gems the Beijing Curio has to offer.” Edwardo opened the door for his wife and daughter.

“More dusty, over-priced stuff,

Nia whispered, but was careful to keep her voice soft enough that her father couldn’t hear. He’d promised food after this so the last thing she wanted to do was to make him mad.

Much to Nia’s surprise, she found the inside of the shop clean and well organized and filled with ornate sculptures which even she could appreciate, many of them made from ivory. “Ivory is the tusks of elephants,” she recalled one of her teachers telling her, and tusks were really just the elephants’ long teeth on either side of their mouths. Her teacher had gone on to discuss how the elephant populations around the world were endangered because of the high demand for ivory, but Nia had lost interest around that time and couldn’t remember the reason for the high demand. Now she knew. In the hand of creative artists, a piece of ivory took could take on a life of its own and be transformed into a beautiful work of art.

“Huānyíng, huānyíng,” a small man in an embroidered crimson sarong said in a singsong voice. He was only a few inches taller than Nia who, at fifteen years of age was an inch or two taller than most of her classmates, but she’d noticed most of the Chinese she’d seen were smaller in statute. Noticing his new customers were Americans, he quickly switched to heavily accented English. “Please come in. Welcome to my humble shop,” the owner continued, then seeing Nia come in behind her parents, his facial expression changed to a frown. “One important rule,” he said staring straight at her. “Look but don’t touch. Understand?”

“Oh, she won’t be any trouble,” Edwardo said before Nia had a chance to respond which was probably a good thing. Nia hated to be told what to do by anyone and especially by a stranger who was just barely taller than her.

She watched as her father handed the shop owner his business card, and waited as the frown was replaced with a smile.  “Oaaa, please come in. I have many fine things your American friends will enjoy. Low prices as well. I am Chang, your humble servant. ”

Really? Nia thought. We’ll see. She stayed with her parents while Chang showed them around to the various areas, pointing out items as they walked around. Then, the tingle of a small bell above the front door alerted him that a new customer had entered. “Please, excuse me one moment,” and with a final stern look at Nia, he waddled to the front.

“This is a goldmine,” Edwardo said after Chang had left.

“Some beautiful pieces for sure,” Alisha agreed.

“And look at these prices. There’s plenty of room for a hefty profit margin. I think we’ve hit the motherlode.”

As her two parents continued to discuss business, Nia wandered off on her own, already bored by the rows upon rows of stuff.  Her stomach growled to remind her how long it had been since breakfast. Suddenly, her attention flew from her hunger pangs to a gorgeous object in front of her. The carving of a line of elephants walking over a crescent bridge seemed to glow from within, the ivory was so brilliantly white. Nia glanced up to the ceiling to see if there was any special lighting showcasing the object but could find nothing. She moved closer to it, mesmerized by the intricate design, each elephant perfectly carved, connected to the one behind each tail-to-trunk with the following elephant slightly smaller.

After a moment more of studying it, she looked around to make sure Chang was nowhere to be seen. She heard his words of warning once again in her mind. Look but don’t touch.

I’ve held fragile objects all my life, she countered as she picked up the object with both hands to get a better look. As her fingers circled around it, she felt a tingling at the point of contact, and in the next moment, she felt herself falling through a black hole of space.

The post Opening Scene of Ghost Elephant (Book #3 of the Zak Bates Eco-adventure Series) appeared first on W. Bradford Swift Visionary Author.

FreeForm Series – The Relaunch of the Century (At least in my mind)

To be honest, I wasn’t going to write about my upcoming relaunch project even though it is a massive undertaking that involves six of my previously published books and a new story that’s a prequel to the whole series. But, I told myself, these books aren’t really visionary fiction, and that’s the focus of my 100+ Blog Post Game. “Wait just a minute,” my muse countered. “They sure as hell are (my Muse is seldom politically correct or even polite at times.) So I decided to look at the series to see if my muse was right. Damn! She was. This series is most definitely visionary fiction. Let’s review my definition of visionary fiction to see how well the series tracks.

“First and foremost, Visionary Fiction entertains readers while also inspiring, enlightening and encouraging readers to expand their awareness of greater possibilities, not just while they are reading but also after they close the book and return to their ‘real life.’”

So a little background first. The new series titles are:

FreeForm: Beginnings
FreeForm: Reborn
FreeForm: Resumed
FreeForm: New Birth
FreeForm: New Power
FreeForm: New Earth

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And then there’s FreeForm: Crash, the long-awaited prequel to the series. (Well, I’ve been waiting a long time for my Muse to help me write it.) You can download a free copy of Crash right over there to your right ===>. (If you are already on my mailing list or simply don’t want to receive updates from me, for a limited time you can still download a free copy of Crash on Amazon.)[image error]

As you can see we’ve got all new covers that I believe better represents the science fiction genre and definitely shows that they are part of a series. Yes, having new covers created is an expensive process, but I really love the stories and the characters in them. I want to give them the best chance possible to be read by thousands of science fiction fans.

What Makes the FreeForm Series Visionary Fiction

I have felt all along that these stories are entertaining enough. In fact, I think they’re some of the most entertaining stories I’ve written. They are filled with plenty of action, twist and turns, and intrigue. However, I wasn’t all that aware of them being inspiring, enlightening and encouraging readers to expand their awareness of greater possibilities until, with a little prodding from my muse, I looked a closer. OMG! How could I have been so blind? Here is what I wrote in my journal the morning I made this discovery.

I don’t view the freeform series as particularly visionary, but maybe I’m missing something buried under the story and the entertainment value. I mean, look at TJ/Todd. How’s that for a misunderstood, confused, not accepted for who he is teenager? And Pat’s plight – loving his “father” but not able to love TJ because of her past dealings with his “other father.” And while we’re talking about not being accepted, how about Alp, Mel, and the rest of the Kindred (whose stories are chronicled in the last three books)? It’s not their fault how they were born or their differences. That was Lionel Adams messing around where he shouldn’t be messing. So, not visionary? No lesson, no insights into the nature of human beings. I beg to differ.

When is the Relaunch?

Good question. Excellent question, in fact. The most accurate answer I can give at the moment is, “Sometime in March 2019.” Like I said in this post’s title, this has been a massive undertaking. Check out my project board. Each little post-it is a task that might take a few minutes or a few hours, and I keep adding new ones as I discover something that’s missing from the board. But I think the new books will be worth the wait, and really, if you’re reading this, you don’t have to wait. Download FreeForm: Crash now and start reading the prequel. That will whet your appetite for the rest of the series.

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Immersion Reading… I Love It & Here’s Why #ReaderLove

…And I think you will too once you give it a try. Not sure what ‘Immersion Reading’ is? Simple. According to Audible, it’s the ability to “read a Kindle eBook and listen to its professionally narrated Audible companion Audiobook – all at the same time. Not only that, but you get the benefit of real-time highlighting.” Not only [image error]does it increase comprehension and overall retention of content, but it’s also FUN! You can really get into a story. Take, for example, my Mask Museum story that appears in Fantastic Fables of Foster Flat, Volume 2.  (You can read the start of the story the old fashion way in the Book Bubble below.) Imagine having a professional narrator reading the story to you as you read along. But why imagine it. Head on over to Amazon and try it out for yourself. Let me know what you think of this immersive experience. In the meantime, here are some of the reason I enjoy “Immersion Reading.” I have, in fact, gotten to the point that I almost won’t read a work of fiction unless I can obtain an audiobook edition along with either a print or ebook version.

Faster and More Engaging

Number one on the list is that I find I can read more while also enjoying it more as well. Even though I’ve been reading since about four or five years of age, I don’t consider myself that fast a reader. When I’m reading a book by itself I often find I’m reading the same paragraph multiple times or my mind is racing and before I know it, I’ve read a page or more without having a clue what I’d just read. But with Immersion Reading, this seldom happens. In fact, over time I have found I can ‘pick up the pace’ by playing the audio at anywhere from 1.25 to1.5 times as fast and with greater retention and enjoyment. I would imagine this would be true for many other people who have reading challenges.

The Economics of Immersion Reading

With a little creative effort, the economics work can work well also. For many books, you can save big when you add the audio edition to your Kindle purchase. For [image error]example, take a look at my recently recorded book, Fantastic Fables of Foster Flat, Volume 2. You can pick up the Audible edition for a mere $7.49 (regular price is $14.95) when you purchase the Kindle edition for $3.99. That’s a 50% saving! There are also services like Overdrive (“OverDrive Media Console is a proprietary, freeware application developed by OverDrive, Inc. for use with its digital distribution services for libraries, schools, and retailers.”) and Hoopla (Hoopla Digital is a web and mobile platform that provides a wide range of digital content. hoopla allows library patrons to download or stream media content free of charge). Both are available through many libraries where you can download tons of audiobooks as well as ebooks for free, just like you’d expect from our terrific library system.

#ReaderLove – I Love Immersion Reading… Book Bubble

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