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Jim Chaseley
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Jim Chaseley (please veer wildly off topic, then bring it back around once in a blue moon so I remember who I am and what I'm doing)
Hi Jim, best of luck from another very bored IT code monkey. Off to have a closer look at your cyborg. . .
Yay! Was waiting to say hi to you here before headin to dream land. Have just downloaded your book but won't get to it for a bit as have a few in the pile. But rest assured I will get to it and review etc.Hope you enjoy it here
From one of your stylish frog's !! Xx
So far you have monkeys and frogs, lets see what other wildlife turns up!
Hi again.Cool, thanks for the download/s. I trust you've been sensible and gone for the free sample first? (curse my amateur body, my first chapter isn't one of my paciest (ah, not a word, huh?)).
Is there a word that describes "Feeling indebted to someone who's spent money on something you've sold them, whilst fearing they won't like it"?
Nice first post, Jim anyway. Have an amazon link.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Z14-ebook/dp/...
Think of your author thread as your home in the group where you can plug away and talk about your book to your heart's content.
Be sure to join the fun in all the other threads as well, though!
Oh I will :)Sleep first. After I've refreshed my sales page obsessively for an hour or three...
Oh, I'd just like to add that I know I've got a lot of growing to do, as an author. So I'd love to hear anything, good or bad about my writing.I *think* I can take justified negative criticism, but we'll see about that in a couple of weeks, when I'm wandering around here with a bunch of one star reviews pinned to my novel, still trying to be all friendly with those who've wounded me so :)
Seriously though, talk through with me anything at all in my writing that you hate, or that just plain annoys you, or you know to be wrong. It'll help me make one of the other four novels I'm dipping in and out of writing slightly better.
Just bought it Jim. Don't forget that reviews are for the reader not the author (but how can you not be hurt if they are critical in an unhelpful way?)
I'll be gentle with you - it's your first time. Ooooh Matron!
Well, thanks so much for buying it! I do fear it may be a bit too typically male, and that the humour may get a bit low in places, for someone as obviously cultured as yourself (had a quick squint at your profile, naturally).That said, I've just been told that somebody's girlfriend is chuckling out loud whilst reading it, so who knows, eh?
And for the reviews...well, if one star just means "I didn't like it", then who can argue, or get upset over that, eh?
(Me, that's who. *sob*). I jest. I faced rejection. I can face it again.
My profile is true in every detail but alas leaves out that fact that as a female geology student with a huge majority of males I know more rugby songs that most blokes. Low humour is fine by me!
That profile picture really doesn't convey the glint in your eye, does it!
Jim wrote: "Oh, I'd just like to add that I know I've got a lot of growing to do, as an author. So I'd love to hear anything, good or bad about my writing.I *think* I can take justified negative criticism, b..."
Well that's a big fat invitation for Ignite (not that she needs one)
She'd be very welcome.A slight tangent, but I wonder if even an attempt at the most objective, dispassionate critique is always slightly coloured by the person's tastes, as they relate to the subject matter they are disecting...
It has to be. However a serious reviewer (one who takes him/herself seriously) has to be aware of when the critique is of the book, the story, the writing and when it's personal preference. Both are valid but they should state which is which.Yes, glint in my eye and since yesterday's visit to the dental hygienist, a shark-like gleam on the teeth too!
Edit - PS - I tend to read genres I know I'm interested in. No point otherwise!
Glinting from eyes and teeth? I didn't realise I'd joined the Hollywood group by mistake.And yes, I agree.
I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by strangers buying my book at the moment (wait, isn't that what I wanted?), and am trying to warn off friendly types who are just doing it because they're kind. But if there's genuine interest, then knock yourself out. No refunds! Hah. Except, um...there are refunds, aren't there.
Drat.
I just downloaded the sample so if I like it i'll download the rest, I'm not a big Scifi person so shal tread carefully before parting with my pennies (I need them to buy a custard doughnut this morning)
I'm just waiting until I get my next gift cert, having finished last month's yesterday.
Well, thanks, both!Jud, it's a sci-fi setting, but it's more about the character than anything else. It's not deep sci-fi, like Iain Banks, or I don't know...Star Trek.
I'm annoyed with myself about how I've started the book. The free sample probably isn't as gripping and representative of the rest of the novel as it needs to be.
Newbie error! Lesson learned :)
Onwards and Upwards - the next will be better! I'm going to start it shortly - I finished a book last night!
Well I shall wait and see how Ignite judges it. If she likes it I probably will too.
I was thinking more "King's Taster" type role
Hey, wait, my writing is many things, but it will not (should not) poison anyone. Hehehe.Ignite, you're looking a little green...
I'm just going for a lie down. I may be some time!
Hey Jim, I don't know why you were worrying aboout the beginning - I'm enjoying it already.Signed, Rampaging Book-bot.
(I'm not really a rampaging book-bot but I have a self-created image to live up to.)
Ha! Yes!
Ah man, how do you pour pure emotion and relief into a small comment box?Watch out though, you've got an info dump looming. Mistake!!!
Massive grin here right now. Cheeks. So. Sore.(Face cheeks that is, in case any dirty buggers are reading.)
Well you could always visit my dungeon...
What, apart from me, you mean?You know the expression,'face like a smacked a*se' I presume?
Can the reverse be true? Might one have an arse like a slapped face?
To find my dungeon, spin around 3 times, click your heels together and if I have approved you a guide will appear....
With genetic manipulation, anything's possible.Or a leopard's arse. Now you know where I'm up to. I'm going to go offline now or I'll never get the bleddy thing read - Miss, Miss, the author keeps interrupting me Miss!
Gingerlily (aka The Typo Queeen) wrote: "To find my dungeon, spin around 3 times, click your heels together and if I have approved you a guide will appear...."You...you didn't approve me. I've been spinning like a wombat in a tornado and clicking like a tap-dancing millipede.
Nothing.
Bah.
I'm going to one-star your dungeon out of spite. *rasp*
Dungeon is closed, we're still waiting on a delivery of Amazon's choicest whips.
Whips?W...w...walnut whips, I hope?
I guess they could be put on order too...
Sorry, I had forgotten about that. I'm afraid you'll have to wait until we open again. Honestly, I did approve you, but circumstances beyond my control and all that.... It will be worth the wait, Darren will vouch for that!
I am just oiling the straps on the strait-Jacket havn't used it for a while!
What have I gotten myself into here? Anyway! About my book...
*hears the distant clanking of chains and sighs wistfully*
I jest, forget my book, let's talk!
That rack is a bit squeaky, might as well sort that out while i'm down here...Ok, whats your favourite food?
Favourite food? Walnut whips, served on a bed of nails in a sex dungeon.No, wait...NOBODY whips my walnuts. *wince*
Gingerlily (aka The Typo Queeen) wrote: "That rack is a bit squeaky, might as well sort that out while i'm down here...Ok, whats your favourite food?"
Ahem...please forgive me this one. Ready? Ready....?
NICE RACK!
Groan - just popped in as I'm about to make a sandwich - not walnut whip - cheese an chutney - to say I'm at 8%, didn't find the info dump too bad - it was funny and well expressed - and I'm having a ball! (Is that too close to walnuts for comfort?)Off again now. See you all later.
Curse you. You made me faint with relief. Now I have to work out how to get up off the floor all over again.(I just couldn't see my way around having the dump (yuck). It needed saying and there was no conversational way of bringing it in, when the main character's a murderous hermit)
(I like how I've taken discussing my book in parenthesis, so as not to interrupt the whips and dungeons chat).
Anyway, thanks for your comments Ignite. I'm dead pleased. Hope it holds its quality for you to the end.
Hi Jim! Ten books in the first 24 hours....it's official: I hate you!!! lol!
Hope you continue to do well, and remember: once you've sold 1 book you are an author, so 10 makes you a best selling author!!! If you have .com sales then you are an internationally best selling author!!!
It was more like ten in the last 36 hours. And the sales report has now stopped at 11 (3 of which are .com).I'm not sure I trust the report though. A few on the KDP forums seem to think they can be erroneous at times.
UK Amazon Kindle Forum
Books mentioned in this topic
On the Beach (other topics)[Re]Awakenings, an anthology of Speculative Fiction (other topics)
A Goodreads Gallimaufrey (other topics)
To Infinity (other topics)
Z14 (other topics)
I posted a "hello" in the introductions thread, and was almost immediately frog-marched here by some of the groups' members. They were very friendly frogs, and their marching was very stylish, crisp and snazzy.
I hadn't thought of creating an author's thread, because I don't feel like an author yet. Self-publishing on Kindle, as I have done, is a fantastic outlet, but, it does feel a little like I've "cheated".
I'm a big confused bag of feelings at the moment. Excitement at having my first novel "out there", a little bit of remorse at not going the "traditional" route. Fear of failure. Hope that my book will be liked. Still more fear that it won't be. And finally, a steely determination to face what flak and or plaudits might come my way. I guess the worst thing would be to faced with a barrage of silence. To have my dreams of flying high blasted out of the sky by the invisible guns of "meh", before I'd even left the runway...for all the sense that clumsy metaphor makes.
But, boy oh boy, look at me blather. I swear, my book isn't this rambling!
I'm Jim Chaseley (*cough* pen name! *cough*). Ok, my real name is James, but call me Jim anyway, for now.
I'm a husband, a dad, a bored-to-tears I.T. guy and, according to some, an author, now. :)
I wrote my entire novel in just under a month. Then I spent two months making it make sense, and editing it. Three months of collecting rejections from a few agents who accept email suggestions...and then I thought "oh blow it" (or words to that effect!). Life's too short. I want my stuff out there, so people can read it. Hola Amazon KDP! Hola Kindle!
And here I am. My book's out. What now? I have no marketing nous, no budget and very little free time.
Gosh, I hope none of this sounds like a moan. I am so happy, and so excited right now.
I've spent 24 hours staring at my Kindle sales report. 10 sales. Hey, that's fine by me. 10 people who, right now might be flicking through my pages going..."huh? That doesn't make any sense at all. What on Earth is he doing with that melon?"
Okay, so do I pimp my book here? In new releases? Or on my street corner, with the ho's and the nutters?
(I'll start here)
Z14 is my novel. It's tongue-in-cheek sci-fi humour. I wouldn't call it a comedy novel, because it's far from laugh a minute. But hopefully you'll let out the odd chuckle as you read it, or find an amused kind of smirk on your face.
Briefly, a cyborg (Z14) on a colonised planet is busy assassinating humans, when an opportunity to discover more about himself arises (or rather, drops). Off he goes, investigating, and before long he's wrapped up in a bit of a B-movie-like plot, struggling against others of his kind, and some arrogant, but naive aliens.
I don't know if I can place an Amazon link, so here's the link to the book on goodreads:
Thanks for reading. I'm pleased to be here, and intend to engage with the community.
Regards,
Jim