Dale’s Comments (group member since Sep 15, 2017)

Dale’s comments from the Navigating Indieworld Discussing All Things Indie group.

My second Bernard and Melody Caper, Rooftop Sonata is now available for pre-order! Release date is March 3, 2025. $4.99 ebook, $15.95 paperback. The paperback is not on retailers as of this writing, but should become available for pre-order within the week. I hope. Here's the blurb:

Music. Art. Nazis. Easy peasy…

Between them, Bernard and Melody Earls have looks, charm, brains…everything but money. That’s why they steal from the rich and give to themselves. When they’re offered $20,000 to pilfer a music manuscript believed destroyed in World War II, they figure it’s worth a look. Sure, the artifact might not exist. (Probably doesn’t.) Yeah, it’s allegedly locked in an off-limits women’s room. (What kind of sense does that make?) Okay, said restroom slumbers on the third floor of the Nachtnebel Arts Foundation, a gaudy establishment protected by the best security system money can buy. (That, at least, makes sense.) And of course, owner Gerhard Nachtnebel, Jr. is the son of a Nazi thief and murderer. (Which is just terrifying.)

Still, a job is a job, and this one offers plenty to steal, so long as nobody gets shot in the head. But as Bernard and Melody charm their way in posing as art students, a dark—well, darker—shadow rises. Because their employer might not be what she seems. She’s after more than a famous lost sheaf of music. Have the Earls duo been drawn into a bitter multi-generational vendetta? If so, all that can save them are Bernard’s wits…and Melody’s divine luck!

Rooftop Sonata, Bernard and Melody Caper #2, is a humorous tale of crime and caring, love and hate, and life’s little absurdities.

Hi Anna and everyone,

I somehow missed this thread, although I've popped in a time or two since it started.

I'm still plugging along with my writing. I released my 11th book (8th novel) over the summer and have my 12th in editing, probably due out in February. I'm at work on my 13th, which is Howard County Mystery #5, based on a suggestion my late wife Kathleen gave me. (Yes, she continues to inspire my writing journey.)

For 2025, I'm also branching out into something new. I'm just starting to offer services as a writing coach and an book designer (layout and typography; I don't create artwork). I already have one potential client for the former services. My main problem there is getting the word out. I'm not too good at marketing. Still.

On the home front, I've been unemployed since the end of June, 2004. The contract I was on ended, and my company lost the rebid. I can usually count on finding a new job in about 2 months. The longest I'd ever been out of work was 4. This time it's 6 and counting, although I always have a few prospects in the works. I asked my financial advisor if I could just retire, but after running the numbers he told me I'd run out of money in my mid-70's, and my family tends to be long-lived, often getting up into their 90's, soooooo.....

Writing and related services are actually part of my retirement plan, if I can ever make any money at them. But I really need to find something more lucrative, at least for 5 or so more years.

Anyway. If anyone wants to look at my service offerings and suggest improvements, I have them listed on my website: https://www.daleelehman.com/let-me-help/.

Thank you, folks!

My 11th book, the post-apocalyptic novel Penitence, is here! Pre-orders are being taken now. The street date is July 23, 2024.

This one took me rather a long time to write. It sprang from a short story I wrote back in 1991 about a couple of guys trying to survive in the aftermath of a curious pandemic. I started the novelization late in 2019, right before COVID hit. (I joke that I hope I didn't cause it!)

One note: The ebook is available for pre-order all over the place, but the print book might be another week. I had a small issue with the bar code that had to be corrected, and I'm now waiting for IngramSpark to get it processed.

No problem. (And sorry for the delayed response.) The Kickstarter didn't come anywhere near the goal, but I'm moving ahead with production anyway.

Thanks, Anna! Unfortunately, the project has stalled at 10% of goal. I made some updates to the page yesterday and am trying to get the word around, but I'm probably not reaching the right audience. I'm not into audiobooks myself and know very few who are.

(So if anyone knows where/how to promote it, let me know!)

The Kickstarter went live today. See https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/.... If you can pledge or share the link (or both), I would be grateful.

My Kickstarter for The Fibonacci Murders is now in preview. You can see it at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/....

If you're into audiobooks and would like to contribute when the project launches on April 23rd, please click the "Notify me on Launch" button. Also, feel free to share the link around. I need all the help I can get!

Thanks!

Carole wrote: "BTW, I joined that podcast group and have gotten at least six or seven queries for podcasts. Some of them a not great ones, but hey, publicity is publicity. https://podcastguests.com/?mc_cid=f3d93a..."

Thanks Carole. I actually had joined that, too (the free level, which just gives you the email with podcasts to submit to). But then I haven't had much time to pursue it. The couple I submitted to never got back to me. I'm not sure I want to pay for it, at least not just yet.

Thank you!

Carole wrote: "Usually, they contact you and ask you to be on their podcast."

Which makes it hard if you're an unknown, I guess. I signed up for emails from PodcastGuests and did put in a couple of pitches, but nothing so far. If you can't afford marketing/PR staff, you have to do it yourself, which is time consuming and I'm sure takes some practice to perfect. Similarly with speaking gigs. My problem so far has mostly been finding places to pitch to.

Thank you!

Likewise!

Out of curiosity, does anyone here do regular or semi-regular speaking appearances, podcast appearances, etc.?

I have speaking experience and am comfortable getting up in front of an audience, but I'm not very good at finding and booking such gigs. So if anyone does do that and would be willing to share some tips, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

Thank you, Ted and Anna! Happy holidays to you both (and to everyone else)!

My fourth Howard County Mystery, A Day for Bones has been named a "Recommended Read" in the 2023 Author Shout Reader Ready competition. (That's basically a silver medal.) I'll be updating the cover once I get the award graphics.

Thank you, Barbara! And sorry it took a month to say so. :-P

Unfortunately, it was to be expected. People will always find ways to use technology to scam others. This is probably just the first wave of AI scams. I've been wondering for a month or two now what happens when scammers get their mitts on this stuff and use it to create robocalls, emails, and other forms of communication impersonating legitimate entities in order to trick or frighten people into forking over their cash. It's going to happen, probably sooner than later.

Píaras wrote: "Done."

Thank you!

Anna wrote: "Ditto"

Thank you!