E.J. Robinson's Blog, page 2

Jamaica is “irie,” mon!

Early this week we returned from a trip to the Caribbean. My wife’s company has a thing called Founder’s Club, which is a reward for those that kick butt during the year. This is our second year going. The trip this year was in Jamaica, an all-inclusive resort known as Royalton Blue Waters, which you can see by the photo was pretty epic. It had all the things you want out of a resort. State-of-the-art facilities. White sandy beaches. Plenty of safety, security, and privacy. We were on the top floor of the best building, affording us views of the ocean, the resort, and the mountains beyond. The weather was perfect — around 80 degrees. 

When we went to Cancun last year, we did all the excursions. We went on ziplines, swam in cenotes, saw 5,000-year-old Mayan temples. The one that we didn’t carve out for ourselves was a lot of time to relax. This year we did the opposite. We stayed at the resort and chilled. Most of our time was spent in chairs under the sun drinking Miami Vices. I say that with no manly pride. Miami Vice isn’t the kind of drink I’d want my “bros” seeing me drink. They’re half pina colada, half strawberry daiquiri. But when you add a lot of rum, which we did, it’s refreshing. Sadly, I don’t have any photos of the drink. They never seemed to last very long.

In staying at the resort, we missed out on some of the fun things to do on the island. Dunn Falls. The cliff jumping at Rick’s. Even the long trip to Bob Marley’s house. But we knew pretty early on that we’d be going back to Jamaica and would probably save a few of those things for when our kids are a little older. 

The food at all-inclusive places is typically hit and miss. Sadly, the steakhouse was the most disappointing. Overcooked. Small portions. But I had a great Greek stew at the Medeteranian place. The buffet was consistently solid. And, of course, the jerk chicken was the bomb. Spicy with rice, beans, plantains, and corn. Hmm. The perfect meal.

I booked a promotion through Bookbub earlier in the year that just happened to begin on the day we left. It’s always fascinating to see the numbers on these promos. 50,000 downloads in a weekend is crazy to think about. The follow up has been exceptional too, both in reviews left by people, and follow-ups of readers moving into book 2 and 3. The reviews that tickle me most are the ones saying they didn’t know what to expect or weren’t expecting much only to get swept away by the story and finish it in a day or two. That’s what it’s all about.

This week I got back into the swing of things on the next book. I even managed to put down 10,000 new words. It’s rolling now and I’m hoping to be done with the first draft by mid-March. Then the hard work begins. But I’m loving the story and can’t wait to tell you all more about it. I have no idea what the release date will be, only that it will be sometime in summer. Hopefully June, but who knows. As soon as I have a better grasp on it, I’ll let you know.

My wife begged me to get a haircut and shave my beard after the trip. I did some pretty funny stuff, from mutton chops to a Hitler mustache (I’m taking it back!). The one that freaked her out the most, however, was the “pornstache,” which you can see here to the left. I kind of liked it. But happy wife, happy life, right? So, it’s back to the babyface.

Wishing the best to all of you and great reading!

E.J.R.

The New Chronicles of Robinson Crusoe – Official Omnibus Release

Greetings from Minnesota!

Man, it’s odd starting a newsletter that way, especially after four decades+ of life in sunny California. Of course, California isn’t so sunny these days. While the drought out there looks pretty well vanquished, floods, mudslides, and biblical prophecies could signal the coming of the apocalypse.

Folks, you better start your Aserra training quickly.

On a side note, how fun would an Aserra boot camp be? Sort of a mix between Boy Scouts and Spartan Summer Camp. Yes, you’ll come home with scars, but imagine how strong your core will be?

The irony of moving to Minnesota for my wife’s work is that when it first happened, many of my friends and family members were laughing about how I would acclimate to arctic conditions, and, outside of a cold spell or two, the winter has been extremely tame. To quote Matt Damon, “How do you like them apples?”

I will say Minnesota is beautiful country, even during the winter. Stepping away from city life, smog, and the fast pace of career-first people is refreshing on a level I hadn’t expected. Plus, the kids love the snow. Plus, plus, I have grown a beard. For the record, this is a man’s beard, not a manscaped, latte-drinking, man-bun-wearing foofoo beard. Its sole purpose is to keep my face warm.  And scare off small animals.

Enough with the small talk. I’ve finally gotten around to bundling all three Robinson Crusoe novels into one omnibus. The New Chronicles of Robinson Crusoe is already available on Amazon. I know many of you have read the books one at a time, but if you ever want to recommend the series to friends or buy a copy for someone you know will love it, it’s out there. And still priced far less than a single, regular book.

I’ve also been working hard on a new book. I’m not releasing the title just yet. Suffice to say it will be a fantasy adventure on a big scale. Huge. I expect it to release it before summer, so keep checking back.

Lastly, I was a little rushed with Robinson Crusoe 2246 to actually use the beta reader team I’d put together. That won’t be the case this time around. So, if you want an early (free) look at my next piece of work, and are good at offering opinions/suggestions, drop me a note on my website. I’d like to keep the number around a dozen, so spaces are limited.

As always, I want to thank you all for your support. I’ve received some wonderful notes and reviews after the third book in the RC series was released and I couldn’t be more grateful. It’s really what keeps me going.

Best,

Erik

Omnibus Cover

Love this cover for the omnibus, but not sure when I’ll release it.

Happy New Years!

Well, it was a crazy 2016 both here and abroad and I, like many, am happy to see it go. Of all the negative things that happened this year, none is more impactful than the deluge of celebrity deaths that defined the year. David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Glenn Frey, Harper Lee, George Kennedy, Nancy Reagan, Pat Conroy, Gary Shandling, Patty Duke, Merle Haggard, Prince, Billy Paul, Muhammad Ali, Gary Marshall, Kenny Baker, Janet Reno, Curtis Hansen, John Glenn, Alan Thicke, Craig Sager, George Michael, and the two most influential for me–Carrie Fisher and Gene Wilder. There are 100 others just as important, that left indelible marks on history.

The sad thing for me is I think 2017 will be equally bad, not because of any silly curse, but because our generation’s front runners, mentors, and role models are all getting older. Plus, we have more of them, from politics to literature to sports to movies. Gone are the days where a few “important” people die every year. With the population increase, it only makes sense that more deaths will follow. One can only hope they live life to the fullest and for as long as possible.

Professionally, 2016 was a good year. Although nothing exceptional happened, I did release the third and final novel in my Robinson Crusoe trilogy and it was very well received. I’ve had a lot of feedback from readers eager to see the story continue on, and to be honest, I have a “European adventure” mapped out, but I’ve actually decided to start something new. Of those few people that I’ve pitched the idea to, all have loved it, and even one wanted to know how many people I’ve shared the idea with in case he/she wanted to pull a D.O.A. scenario (film reference – Dennis Quaid movie). The good news is it’ll be a much quicker project to write (I swears!). I should have the first draft done by the end of January and the final draft a month or two afterward. I’m very eager to see what the future holds with it.

Personally, 2016 was a shocker as well. I’ve lived my entire life in California, but a few months back my wife’s employer offered her an opportunity too good to pass up. Within eight weeks we were loading up the moving truck and shipping out across the great divide for…Minnesota! Locals here (outside Minneapolis) were understandable confused why we wanted to move in just in time for winter. Couple thoughts on that. #1, we wanted to beat the snow, and we did, just barely. #2, we wanted to get the harsh winter out of the way so we could enjoy the state’s other six months.

Robinson Crusoe 2246 (Book 3) Release Day!

I’m thrilled to announce the official release of Robinson Crusoe 2246 (Book 3) has finally arrived! You can download your Kindle copy today or wait another day or two for the paperback release (&$@& Amazon). Wrapping up the trilogy has been bittersweet, but the book kicks butt and hopefully delivers everything the first two promised and more.

To celebrate today’s release, I’ve also set up a free promotion for Robinson Crusoe 2244 (Book 1), so if you know anyone that you think will like it, now’s a good time to make a recommendation.

Thanks to all my favorite readers for patiently awaiting Book 3’s release. I truly hope you enjoy it. Please check back to my website or Facebook or Twitter pages for news about what comes next. It might just surprise you.

Robinson Crusoe 2246 – Release Date Announcement

Still doing some cutting and editing, but we’re closing in on having the third book in the Robinson Crusoe trilogy done. I honestly haven’t been this excited about releasing a book since…well…the last one! Jokes aside, this one’s taken considerably longer to finish for a number of reasons. It’s the most audacious of the three with several significant set pieces, a wide variety of characters, and, as always, tons of action and adventure. It also has the most threads to tie up. With 2244 and 2245, the initial drafts were both around 100,000 words and were eventually cut back to under 80,000. #3 finished just under 120,000 words and if I’m lucky I’ll get it under 100k. Lastly, as this is “only” my third book, I’m still making rookie mistakes in underestimating the process. Every book is different. Some come easy and some come hard. This one was definitely in the latter category. So, I’d like to thank my readers for their patience. I’d even like to thank the impatient ones that continued to push me to stay on course. I’m pretty sure it’ll be worth the wait.

So, I’m officially setting the release date for Robinson Crusoe 2246 for November 17th. That allows me a little more time to get the final draft perfect. I don’t think I’ll be doing a pre-order, but I will be sending out some emails to my subscribers to remind them as the date approaches. If you haven’t already signed up, do so on my website or Facebook now.

Thanks again for your continued support. See you in the forbidden kingdom.

RC 2246 – Chapter One – Read it NOW!

 So, I’m a few weeks away from turning 2246 over to my editor, but that stopped the deluge of death threats from pouring in. Well, in all honesty it was only the one and even then it wasn’t a true death threat, but a very nice and proper query asking me if a death threat would help grease the wheels. I love my readers!

That business aside, I’ve gone through five drafts of this beautiful bad ass book, gained more than a few gray hairs, but it’s finally, mercifully, starting to sing. To celebrate, I’ve decided to upload the first chapter on the website. You can find it by clicking the BOOK tab at the top of the page. Or you can simply go here. Reminder: it hasn’t been edited yet, so it’s subject to change. The story picks up a couple months after the end of book 2 with, you guessed it, certain characters once again in trouble.

At this point, I’m confident in saying I’m going to beat George R. R. Martin to publication. With the heavy labor done, it’s down to tinkering on my part and the business of others to make it pretty. I’ll give another update when I have an actual release date, but hopefully chapter one will tide you over until then.

Happy reading!

Robinson Crusoe 2245 Audiobook now available!

Excellent news! The audiobook for Robinson Crusoe 2245 (book 2) is now available on Audible and shortly on Apple. Even more exciting, Malk Williams is back to narrate! Yay! I know a lot of “readers” love listening to books in the car, while at the gym, and at home. And many have been clamoring for book 2, but we wanted to make sure there was a big enough audience to justify producing the second one. From the bulk of encouraging (and some nasty!) fan mail we received, the answer is obvious!

To celebrate the new release, I’ve decided to give away ten copies of the audiobook on Facebook. Step one, obviously, is read this post. Step two is to leave a comment saying something along the lines of “I want it now!” If the number of requests exceeds ten, we’ll pick names out of a hat. BUT, you must actually listen to it and leave a review once you’re done.

For those seeking more info on book 3, I’m onto the last third of final rewrite. One way or another I’ll make the late August publishing date. I’m also going to post chapter one on the website next week, so keep an eye out for it.

If you’re looking to buy a copy of Robinson Crusoe 2245 on Audible right now, you can click here. Otherwise, post a comment and I’ll let you know next week if you’ve won.

Cheers!

Réservez trois, Pee Wee-ers, and a new audiobook – an update

So it’s been a while since I posted on the blog and provided updates on all things Robinson. I’ve had many inquiries from readers asking about the state of RC 2246, almost all of them nice. A few were snippy and one or two questioned my stupidity of releasing two books without the third and final one being ready. When these come up I invariably read them to my wife who jokingly calls me “George RR lite.” I wish. She used to call me Brad Pitt lite. Sigh.

In this case my answers are very similar to Big Daddy George’s: it’s coming. While I’m not producing a “Kong,” 2246 does come with its challenges. After writing the first book, I came up with a great schedule for putting out #2. Unfortunately, I was trying to pattern my schedule after book 1, which I soon found was a mistake. You see, Book 2 had more complex plotting than Book 1, and more character themes. I should have learned my lesson and rather than put set a public deadline, just kept plowing ahead with the word. Unfortunately, I underestimated how much additional work Book 3 would be. It’s certainly the most audacious book of the trilogy and delves more into sci-fi than its predecessors. It also requires a ton more research and threads to tie up. The result is going to be the best book yet and one I believe will satisfy even the most curmudgeon-y of readers. But it won’t be in your hands this week. Or next. Honestly, in the scheme of publishing, I’ve been putting out a book every nine to ten months, which is better than the average of a year.

I’m loathe to give out a new deadline for fear of missing it again. And truth be told, no one’s banging down my door with the ferocity of Game of Thrones fans. But it’ll be coming soon. Promise. I’ll also be posting that long promised first chapter. I’ve simply been too busy keeping up the momentum of the rewrite to go back and shape a few spots up.

The really, really GREAT NEWS is that Malk Williams and I have finally commenced working on the Robinson Crusoe 2245 audiobook. Yay! We’ve had a great many readers asking about it for some time and it simply came down to economics. The first audiobook was a hit, but would listeners continue to #2? We’re now reasonably assured they will, so that’s in the works and I’m certain Malk will do a bang up job just like he did for #1 (2244). Again, I can’t give anyone a fixed date, but hopefully it’ll get released sometime this summer.

On this side of the pond, I’ve also been doing some freelance writing work. Hey, Pee Wee Soccer and T-ball don’t come cheap! One time suckage came when I was badgered and beguiled into coaching my kid’s team. Truthfully, I loved it. Love kids enthusiasm and spirit. Unfortunately, our team sucked. With the exception of one game, we faced blowouts all season long. I’ve decided to take responsibility, but at five-year old, there’s only so much “training” one can do. Especially when the other teams all seem to have one or two kids that look like ten-year old linebackers.

I’ve also been hesitant to mention that Hollywood continues to nose around the Robinson Crusoe series. It was submitted to one very big TV production company and everyone from the ground up loved it. We even had show runners that were dying to do it, but, alas, things in Hollywood come down to clout and brands, and this one sadly isn’t big enough. That hasn’t stopped it from jumping ladders, but I’m approaching this as I do with all things Hollywood – everything means nothing until someone cuts a check. Still, I get asked by readers all the time about movies/TV series, and it’s cut 50/50 to which seems like the better fit. I believe either one would be great.

Well, that should cover things for this week. I’ll try more frequent updates. As always, you can hit me up on the website, Facebook or Twitter if you have questions or comments. For now, it’s time, as Friday would say, to get back to ‘ele fundo quán’ — the deep well.

Robinson Crusoe 2246 – Cover Reveal!

Hey, folks,

Had a wonderful time camping with family and friends over easter weekend.

It was the first time our boys got to rough it and they loved every minute of it. They keep asking if they can “go home to the tent.” There’s nothing quite like the smell of smoke on your clothes, the first time your kids make s’mores, the sounds of the drunken woman at the next campsite wailing how much she’s given up for her boyfriend and why none of his friends like her. Ah, good times.

How could a weekend like that be improved upon? Only by getting back on Sunday to find my wonderful cover illustrator Amalia Chitulescu has finished the cover art for book 3. It’s everything I wanted and more. Hope it inspires, piques interests, and keeps a few of my more rabid readers happy until I can finish the dang book.

I’ve also been meaning to post the first chapter on my website for a while now. I’ll try and get it done this week.

Drop a note on FB, the website or twitter if you like the cover. And, as always, be good to each other.