N.C. Reed's Blog, page 12

Monster of Creasy’s Hollow now available on Amazon!

The Monster of Creasy's Hollow (Defenders of the Rift Book 1)

Roland now available on Amazon!

My latest entry into the literary world, “Roland; Reluctant Paladin” is now available on Amazon!��http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q731XIM

From the description;

Roland Stang never intended to become the caretaker of thirty abandoned children. He was just looking for a place to get out of the rain. His plan was to lay low and allow the world to reset itself after a world wide economic collapse. But, things do change. An orphan himself from an early age, the former soldier can’t simply walk away and leave the children he finds. Especially once he realizes what a sorry lot of adults is nominally in charge of the group in the warehouse he’s taken shelter in.

But now, he’s got his hands full, and then some. He has to find a home for those children, and a way to feed, clothe, and educate them. All while protecting them from people who would prey on them in one way or another, and while protecting his own back from an angry woman who apparently hates him just because. Her only redeeming feature as far as Roland is concerned? She wants to protect the children as much as he does.

Leading a handful of teens and a busload of orphaned children, Roland sets out to find a safe haven for them. Along the way he’ll make friends, enemies, and the odd mistake or two. Or more.

Roland isn’t exactly parenting material, either. With problems of his own to deal with, maybe taking on so much extra responsibility wasn’t the smartest thing he’s ever done. Then again, Roland has always been stubborn.

Roland is just over 138,000 words of post-collapse survival.

Here’s wishing you all a safe and happy holiday weekend!

NC

It’s been HOW long?

Wow. I had no idea how long I had gone without an entry of any kind. I have been busy as a beaver in a rain forest, and as a result I’ve not posted a single thing for almost a month. Sorry about that.

I’ve been working on my house, which is always fun times, and I’ve been under the weather as well. Throw in a wedding, a revival, Halloween, and the same personal problems that we all have to deal with over the course of our lives, and you get a picture of why it’s been so long between updates.

I’ve finished the short story “Monster of Creasy’s Hollow”, the first chapter of which is posted here as “Terror of Creasy’s Hollow”.  It’s still got to make it through the editing process, but as soon as it does, it will go up on Amazon.

Another novel, Roland, has finished the editing stage, and now has to go through the final read and then formatting. Billy had a lot of formatting issues, and I’m trying to keep that from happening with Roland. I’m also trying to work on the formatting problems Billy has, but at 800 pages, it takes a long time.

Meanwhile, I’ve got another novel already complete, with a sequel underway as well, which now must go through the editor. Once it has, it will start it’s way toward being published as well. I’m talking about Parno’s Company of course. I know, I know, I keep saying that, but I’m learning that editing and proof reading take far longer than I thought at first. I do all that I can, but since I’m the writer, I far too often see what I want to see, and miss the mistakes that I’ve made. I’m told that’s a common problem among writers. I know it is for me, as I’ve learned to my chagrin.

In other news, I’ve been prevailed upon, ( is that an actual phrase or did I make that up?) to make the Bonespear Tales into a novel, or at least a short novel, and publish it. I resisted that idea for a long time because I started Bonespear on a whim, and I’ve only been adding to it when I had the time and urge to work on it. It was supposed to just be a fun way to blow off steam. But, it’s proven very popular so far, and I do kinda like old Kalef, sooooo, as soon as I can, it will get the full treatment as well. Possibly before Christmas, but Christmas is coming up waaay faster than I’d planned on.

Today’s election day. Go vote. Let your voice be heard.

I hope all of you had a safe Halloween. Thank you, as always, to those of you who like my work, and let me know it. It means a great deal,  I promise you.

Until next time!

NCR

Where has the year gone?

I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted, and I apologize for that. Things have been going round and round, and I have to deal with stuff that I’d just as soon not. It’s depressing, but it’s still got to be done. I’m terrible about dragging my feet over stuff like that, which just makes it take longer, and be more depressing.

But I have also been writing like mad whenever I have the opportunity. I was looking at the sales for The Kid, on Amazon, and they have really been strong. Thanks to all of you who have gotten a copy. I hope you enjoyed it.

I have had many inquiries about Parno’s Company. The editing is almost finished. I still have some promo work to do, but with any luck, which I admit is in short supply lately, it will be out in time to present it to your friends as a Christmas gift. The better news, at least if you end up liking Parno, is that the sequel is already well under way.

Another story of mine, called Roland, will be available soon, having already been through a partial edit and reformatting. This particular story will be presented in six parts, if I stick with the original plan. It won’t be one of those long, drawn out affairs if I do it that way, however. It will be presented with a new part either each week, or every two weeks, until all parts are available. As soon as the project is ready, I’ll announce it here first, and then shamelessly ask for reviewers to take a look at it.

I’m shy that way.

Actually publishing a book or story has been a learning experience to say the least. It’s much more challenging than professionals make it look. It’s also rewarding, however, especially when someone tells you that something you wrote, something that you literally made up from your own imagination, inspires them, or touches them in some way. When an author does that for you, do him or her a favor, and let them know it, either with a review, or an e-mail. Reviews, of course, are better, ;) You may not get a reply, but you can bet that your words will resonate with the author, and it just might inspire them to give you more of a story you really enjoyed.

I hope all of you are enjoying the fall weather, and especially college football!

NC

Update on the State of Me

I’ve been absent for. . .wow, eighteen days. I apologize for that. Real life has been calling on me pretty hard lately, and I’ve also been writing like a madman. Unfortunately it’s pretty easy to get so engrossed that you forget to do things.

You know, like. . .updating your blog. Check the mail. Eat.

I’ve been told I’ve got a one track mind, and I guess I’m proving it lately. Odd Billy Todd continues to do well on Amazon, and The Kid is also doing very well. I really appreciate the support and the sharing of my work folks. I really do. I’m also flattered by your comments. It’s very humbling to know that people like your work. It’s also motivational, making me want to work harder and do more, but it also makes me want to be cautious, and ensure that whatever I write is done as well as I’m capable of doing it.

And sometimes that takes hard work. Which also takes time.

On a personal note, let me say this to everyone, everywhere, who might read this note today. Don’t waste a precious second of life. Live every minute to the fullest, love your family and friends while they are with you, and don’t take anything, or anyone, in your life for granted.

If you do that, then you won’t find yourself looking back one day wishing you had done something different or that you had done whatever-it-is/was while you had the chance. Life is meant to be lived.

Live it.

New Story Blurb

I just posted a little blurb from a story I started a week or two back. It’s more of a YA story, so far, and I’ll probably keep it that way. This story came about because of my recent obsession in zombies, but. . .well, sometimes you get a better idea once you start something, and that’s what happened in this case. 

 

The synopsis is, a group of teens, wanting to bring their dead stray dog back to life, meddle in something they shoudn’t have. Best of intentions, but. . .you know the rest of that one, right?

 

I wanted to know what people thought about this little bit, so I posted the first part of what I’ve already gotten done here on the blog, right here; http://badkarma00.wordpress.com/the-terror-of-creasys-hollow/

 

Anyway, take a look, let me know what you think. I haven’t really done anything like this before, using the whole ‘kids’ theme, so I’m interested in hearing how you think I’ve done with portraying the kids themselves as well as the story so far. 

 

I hope you enjoy!

 

NC

Share me

Rhymes with Spare Me, doesn’t it? Yeah, but that’s not what this is about. As the saying goes, it’s about me. 

More accurately, it’s about this blog, and my writing. I’m learning that it takes more than a good idea and some hard work to make a successful book, or author. It takes a lot more, in fact. You have to be noticed, you have to ‘be seen’. So, I’m asking a favor of all of you.

 

Share me. Share this blog, share my Facebook page, my Twitter page. If you like my work, share it with anyone else you think will enjoy it. It’s one of the best ways for my work to ‘get noticed’. And, I admit it. The more people who are enjoying my work, the harder it makes me work. I want to entertain readers. It’s what writing is all about for me. In order to do that, though, I have to be read. 

 

So if you enjoy my work, please share it. Share Me. 

Thanks always, 

 

NC

New Short Story on Amazon

After a good deal of thought, I decided to post a short story I wrote on Amazon today. It’s called ‘The Kid’ and tells the story of a group of people caught unprepared by massive civil unrest during an economic meltdown. Fleeing for their safety, the group of neighbors, not really friends but forced together by circumstance and vicinity, find themselves on the run in a rural area of West Tennessee without the slightest idea how to care for themselves, and with little more than the clothes on their backs.

The story is set in winter time, and the group will be lucky to last through the night. Until, that is, a lone figure approaches from out of the snow to help them build a fire, make a shelter, and provide them with food. The benefactor is a mere teenager, however, and is very economical with his words. In fact, he doesn’t speak a single word when he finds them just short of too late.

Over the next few days he will teach them things to help keep them alive, protect them from predators, and help them find a place to make a new home in a landscape much different from what they are accustomed to.

It’s just a short story, about 8,000 words. But it describes all too clearly how fragile our comfortable lives are, and just how close we as a society are to being much less civil.

The story, novella I think it the right term, (ha, I almost spelled that ‘write’ term,) is available here; http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N589PYQ .

Please enjoy,

NC

Review of “The Invoking”

This is almost a public service message. Seriously. 

 

Nothing that starts out being described as ‘after inheriting a house from the family she never knew. . .’ is ever going to end well. That’s a given. Not surprisingly, neither did this movie. My first reaction when the movie ended was ‘I’m so glad that’s finally over’, followed by ‘I want that hour and a half of my life back.’

 

The movie really was awful. It seemed like it really wanted to be a good movie, but there were just too many things against it from the start. 

 

First, the look of the film. Despite it being made in 2013, the film had a weird look, almost as if it was shot partly on film, by which I mean film from the 70’s, or digitally, depending on which scene you were watching at the time. Maybe they were looking for an effect, but the only effect was. . .bad. Many scenes looked out of focus and the whole thing had a surreal feeling, like you were seriously watching a film from the 70’s. 

 

Second, the characters. There’s the almost obligatory cast from the corral of stock, low-budget movie characters. The ‘heroine’ who is never sympathetic, has about four real settings; forlorn, clueless, lost, and slightly drunk. Then, there’s her ex-boyfriend, who is still her ‘friend’, and of course he has love issues, and isn’t quite over her yet.  He is bland and boring. Next up we have the girl who really, really wants to come off as cute and quirky, but who actually comes across as a bad impression of “Willow” from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and an overly cheery, and uber-annoying hipster who really just seems to have wandered onto the wrong movie set. Then there’s the the hipster girl’s best friend, an Adam Scott wannabe who is so obviously in love with her that everyone except her, naturally, can see it. And last, but not least, is the mandatory, ever present ‘creepy, mysterious, stranger’ that the heroine bonds with instantly. 

 

The relationships between all these characters is handled so very poorly. That situation is not helped by the fact that all of them are so unlikable that you really just don’t care what happens to any of them. 

 

Then there’s the ‘dialogue’. Or lack thereof. It’s painful, so very painful to listen to them. The lines are delivered with an awful, stilted superficiality that will make you groan in misery with every delivery. No one speaks like that in real life. There’s simply no rhyme or reason for the dumb things they say (or do). Often there’s no real,logical progression between one line and the next, as if they’re all reading lines from different plays. 

 

And let’s not forget the plot. To call it bad is a compliment. I mean ‘ugh’. Hackneyed, cliched, and clunky even at the best of times. It went for a mysterious feel with small looks at the past that peppered the movie but which did nothing to bring the plot forward, or to resolve it. Just extras for your viewing pleasure. (yes, that’s sarcasm).

 

The ‘actors’ are continually over or under reacting to every ridiculous  circumstance they find themselves in. There’s never a sense of urgency about any of the events taking place, which they never in any way react to or acknowledge as having any effect on them. They just clumsily move through a haze of stupidity and incompetence. 

 

In short, this movie is awful. Painful to watch. You’ll be more entertained by ‘Sharknado’, and at least you can laugh at that one. It’s that bad. So save that ninety minutes of life for something you’ll enjoy more. 

 

Like a root canal.

3 Simple Ways to Improve Your Writing & Increase Sales

N.C.:

This was a great article, and full of helpful information for a new, or existing author. If you write, I highly recommend you read it.

Originally posted on Kristen Lamb's Blog:

Image from the movie “Office Space”

Today, I’m going to give you three ways to instantly improve your writing and sell more books. I’m blessed to have a broad base of experience/expertise which includes corporate consulting and branding. I also spent years in sales and can honestly say, Coffee is for closers. 

What Do You DO?

Last year, I accepted a leviathan project to redo copy for a website and rebrand a struggling company. I first explained my plan and reasoning in a detailed SWOT analysis. The owner was on board and signed off. The existing copy was outdated, bloated, confusing, and failed to appreciate the vast changes in our millennial culture.

I hacked through, reduced as much as possible and reshaped until the site showcased a truly fabulous company. To my horror, the owner came back and wanted me to add a deluge of changes which included mass amounts of extraneous…

View original 976 more words