Getting the Most Out of Your Available Time: 2019 Edition

I’m back on deck, editing Tyche Forever. I’m enjoying my own story, which always feels weird, but I guess it’s also a sign I should have written a Kohl+Algernon road trip story ages back. This year’s likely to see changes in my available writing time, which means adjusting priority assigned to things. This is always a fun exercise, as most plans never survive contact with the enemy, but after making a list I’ve got the bit between my teeth. Last year I tried many things to reach fans alongside writing. I’ve measured the impact and ‘success’ of these ventures, which leads me to a wonderful list of most-important things for 2019. I figured sharing those might be of interest – if you’re strapped for time yourself this could provide inspiration. The short version: this year’s all about me. Let’s see Read More …

2018: A Retrospective

Of the emails I send, I get the most responses from readers on “the author biz.” I initially figured few people would like to hear about the inner clockwork mechanism of indie publishing, but in hindsight it’s not crazy so many readers want to hear about it. I mean, you’re readers, and have a special relationship with writers. 2018 hasn’t been kind to indie authors. I know quite a few friends and colleagues who’ve noped out of the profession, and also a number who’ve made it rain C-notes from the sky. With this kind of duality going on, shit’s confusing. The reasons are, in business parlance, “nuanced.” Let’s dig in, shall we? Hugging it Out Some author friends (…who are actually just friends who also write) and I Skype’d in December. We talked about a lot of things, but the Read More …

15-Day Story Challenge: FINISH! 🐉

This is one of my world-famous emails, originally sent Friday, 21 December 2018. Want these straight away? Get on the list! 2019 looms. Over this side of the planet, we’re winding down. If we’re swapping truth, I think many people’s clocks just up and stopped last week: there was a Quiet Earth vibe walking the dog this morning. This week: My annual reader survey! The close-out of the 15-Day Story Challenge. How’d we do? A live-reading from Tyche Forever; and A new excerpt from Tyche Forever. Let’s tuck in. Reader Survey I like doing these annually to see how people are feeling. I usually put something on the site afterwards, you can see what everyone else thinks (not that they’re as important as you). If you want to give me a piece of your mind, head on over to this Read More …

Peppermint

I almost missed this one. Peppermint‘s a story about a soccer-mom-turns-vigilante. It’s a rags-to-ruins story, no punches pulled. Corrupt judiciary, dirty cops, ganglords controlling the city, and a family caught in the mincer and spat out. Where things get interesting is how vicious Garner’s Riley North character becomes. She’s powered by the burning fires of revenge, and leaves nothing on the table when the credits roll. North has a not-ideal but still serviceable regular life. Money’s tight, but they have food; social cliques ostracise her kid, but the immediate family rallies around. Her husband Chris, possibly not the brightest bulb, hatches a plan to steal cash from the cartels. He nopes out on the ‘opportunity,’ but not before Raba’s Diego Garcia (nicknamed The Guillotine, which should give you the right kind of vibes) gets wind of it, and executes them Read More …

You, Me, and the Holiday Break

FYI, I’ll be entering low-power mode around 12pm Friday 21 December, NZT, and keeping this state until at least Monday, 7 January 2019 (also NZT). If you contact me during that time, responses will be like treacle: slow, and possibly not very tasty. The drives will warm back up early January, with a flurry of activity after two or three weeks of sitting on my hands. Rae and I plan to take a break from everything, and my eyeballs look forward to not staring at a screen for ten hours a day. Have an excellent seasonal break, if that’s your thing, and see you next year 🎊

15-Day Story Challenge: Live Reading 📣

Following a Facebook poll, you wanted me to give you a live reading. Here it is: a scene from Admiral Karkoski’s perspective, as she and Kohl walk the halls of the ghost ship Immortal. If you want the original Facebook Live edition, [go here]) A few of you wanted a picture of me, full of roguish charm, so I’ve included one of those too:

Tyche Forever First Draft is Code Complete

I the-ended Tyche Forever this afternoon: I thought I might do this when we did last week’s recap video. Turns out it happened that way after all, although it’s a little longer than I figured it might be (7.5k words today! And I’m still at the keyboard). October Kohl gives a speech at the end of this. It’s a growth moment for him. What’s in the rest of this week? Editing this sucker. Also editing The Empire’s Rogues, which received some positive feedback post beta reading and subsequent editing. You’ve not heard of the Empire’s Rogues? More soon, I promise. Responding to my withering storm of email, because I’ve been hiding under a rock while finishing Tyche Forever. Wish me luck.