Wednesday, January 3, 2024
Temporary Price Reduction for HIDDEN MAGIC
Saturday, November 25, 2023
A quick word about Kindle Unlimited
Wednesday, August 30, 2023
New Way to Send non-Amazon ebooks to your Kindle
Wednesday, August 2, 2023
I Miss Writing
I don't have the energy to write. It seems strange to say that since you write sitting in a chair, which is what I do all day now, but writing takes mental energy, and I'm low on that as well as physical energy. I am rereading my books, though.
I think my favorites among
I have one more book in my head but the manuscript for it needs a lot of work and I don't think I have it in me to do so much revising.
Oh, well..at least 18 books is something to leave.
Sunday, May 7, 2023
It's been a while
I haven't posted in a long time. That's because in July of 2019 I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. I have had two surgeries and am still on chemo, and right now I don't have much energy. I have not been able to write since I finished my last published novel Worlds Apart, which came out in May of 2021. I managed to publish four novels that year: Worlds Apart, Hidden Magic and the Nameless World duology of The North Edge of Nowhere and Oaths and Promises. I still don't know how I did it.
Unless a medical miracle happens I am unlikely to publish anymore books. I am saving my strength for time with my family. But one of the things I am doing is rereading all of my own books, the ones I wrote and published. Generally, if I enjoy a book the first time, I will often reread it, I find that rereading is a somewhat different experience from reading.
When you read a book the first time, you want to know what happens. When you read a book a second or third time, you already know what happens. That allows you to concentrate on the writing and on the growth of the characters-- how they interact, how they change-- and to spend time with the people in the book as if they were friends.
I've just started rereading, but so far I enjoy my own books. I write what I like to read, after all, so I'm not surprised. I just finished The Nostalgia Gambit, one of only two novels I wrote in first person, and I quite liked it. First person really lets the author show the true nature of the character-- their values, their personality, their truthfulness. It's all on the page.
So, I'm curled up in a comfy chair with my Kindle and rereading like crazy. Not just my own books. I'm a big fan of Georgette Heyer, who wrote mostly historical romances but also mysteries. I really like her writing and I think she influenced my own writing a great deal.
Anyway, this explains the long gap between this post and the previous one. I don't know if I'll get back to the blog again, so I'll say now, thanks for reading this, and hopefully for reading some of my books. I'm glad I have them to leave after I'm gone.
I'll get back to my Kindle now. I have 17 books to go.
Tuesday, August 30, 2022
A snippet from WHERE MAGIC RULES
He held up a hand. “Don’t
get so hostile. In my world, there are plenty
of people who feel attracted to their own gender. A few of them even feel they were born in the
wrong body—the wrong sex.”
Her eyes lit with eagerness. “Really?”
He nodded. “Sure. There are men who want to be women and women
who want to be men.” He waved a hand. “With the right surgery, they can get it
straightened out. Sometimes they even
fall in love, get married, and adopt some kids.”
She blinked. “You mean
that a woman could become a man and then marry another woman?”
“Sure. Why not?”
She grimaced. “I have
no interest in women.”
The comment left Joe at a loss. “Well, if you don’t want to truly be a man,
then why do insist on acting like one?”
“I don’t know,” she said, despair in her voice.
“Maybe the dragon is right, and it’s the necklace?” Joe said.
“The Great Mage could help you take it
off.”
“No!” Despair had
morphed into anger. “Don’t you dare
suggest that to him, or I’ll kill you!”
Joe stared at her in surprise. “Sheesh!
You’re really something.”
Phillip looked abashed. “I’m sorry, okay?” she said, enunciating the
word carefully.
Joe was surprised into a laugh. “Hey, that was pretty good.”
She smiled at him, and Joe thought she had never looked more
appealing. After they had cleaned up
from their meal he watched the way the flickering firelight made her face look
almost delicate. After a while, he let
his mind drift onto other thoughts as he stared into the fire.
“What are you thinking?”
Phillip said.
“I don’t think I should say,” Joe said.
“Why not?” she said, curious. “Is it something bad?”
“I don’t think so. You
might not agree.”
“What is it? Tell me!”
“Well,” Joe said, “I was remembering that blue gown the Great
Mage had—the one he threatened to make you wear.”
“Why would you think about that?” she asked, amusement in her
voice.
“I was wondering how you’d look in it. I had decided you’d look pretty damn
spectacular.”
She sat up. “I don’t
wear dresses.”
“I know.”
“You think because you saved my life a couple of times you
can make me do things I don’t want to do?”
“No.”
“Because I won’t! I
won’t be a woman for you!”
Joe sat up beside her. “I know that.
Unfortunately, I can’t stop thinking of you as a woman. I’ve tried, but I can’t.”
“So what do you expect me to do about it?”
“Nothing. It’s not
your problem. You don’t need to worry
about it.”
She turned her back to him. “I thought you were someone I could trust.”
The pain in her voice alarmed him. “You can trust me.”
“No, you’re like Lord Marcellin’s soldiers. All men are interested in is forcing women to
rut with them.”
Having his feelings lumped in with the impersonal lust of
nameless mercenaries made Joe mad as hell. “Just because the men in Lord
Marcellin’s guard have no respect for women doesn’t mean every man is that
way. I never a touched a woman unless
she wanted me to touch her. And people don’t
rut, they make love—if they care about each other.”
Phillip spoke with her back to him, her voice muffled. “So you’ve—you’ve made love to lots of women?”
“I wouldn’t say lots.”
“How many?” she asked, still with her back to him.
“I don’t know,” he said, mystified. “Does it matter?”
“I was just—just wondering if there’s been anyone since you
came to the Great Mage’s palace.”
Still confused, Joe hedged. “Three years is a long time.”
“So there is someone?”
“What’s going on here?”
Joe knit his brows in a tight frown. “I told you I can’t stop thinking of you as a
woman, and you jumped on me for that. Somehow we’re now tallying up my sex
life. If I didn’t know better, I’d say
you were jealous. Why are you acting
this way?”
Finally she turned around to face him. “I’m not acting any differently.”
“Like crap.” Joe frowned.
Her eyes had welled up, and her face looked red and splotchy. “You look as if you’re about to cry.”
“I never cry.”
“Maybe not, but you’re damn close to it now.”
She turned her head away, and Joe put one hand gently on her
shoulder. “What’s wrong, Phil?”
As soon as he touched her, he felt her body stiffen. She gasped, and all at once she seemed to
have difficulty in catching her breath.
“Are you okay?” Joe asked in alarm.
“Oh yes! It’s so
different now!”
“What?”
“Don’t let go,” she said throwing her arms around him as she twisted
to face him. “Whatever happens, don’t
let go of me!”
“I won’t.” Joe folded her into an embrace to offer comfort
and was surprised when she lifted her face and kissed him. “Damn,” he said when
the kiss ended. “I never saw that
coming. What are you up to, Phil?”
She pulled his shirt open and ran one hand over his torso. “Don’t let go of me, and everything will be
fine.”
Stunned, Joe grabbed her hand. “You want to make love? Right here?”
“What’s wrong with right here?”
“Nothing,” Joe said, throwing his scruples to the winds. “So long as you’re okay with this, right here
is just fine.”
“You talk too much,” she said, and she pulled his head down
to kiss him again.
Wednesday, July 20, 2022
Advice for anyone looking to make the jump to digital reading
The original now clunky-looking Kindle came out in 2007, and since then ebooks and ereaders have exploded. Technology and publishing have changed a lot since then, so here is my most up-to-date advice if you have never tried reading ebooks.
The basics:
All ereaders and ereaders apps offer similar functions like being able to change the font size and search through the text of the book. The early adopters of ebooks were mostly older women who read a lot but wanted an easy-t0-read format.
 |
| Original Kindle |
However, there is a difference between a tablet and an ereader. An ereader is a single purpose device; it's made for reading. The e-paper or e-ink screen (two names for the same thing) is a very light gray with dark gray to black text. Color e-ink is currently not well developed as yet, although it is improving. A tablet is multi-use, very much like a really large smart phone, but without the ability to make phone calls. It has a backlit screen with the same kind of colors on a PC screen.
The advantages to reading on an ereader:
No screen glare, even in bright sunlight
Much less eyestrain.
No distracting emails, texts, or other app notifications. In a way, the single use device is an advantage if you want to read without interruptions.
The advantages to using a tablet as an ereader:
Because tablets are multiuse, you can run other apps like email, browsers, calculators, word processing, games, etc., without needing to pay for additional hardware.
In addition, you can use multiple ebook apps. all major ebook sellers offer free apps for Android and iOS. You might have to buy your ebooks in a browser and then upload it to the tablet as both Apple and Android don't allow apps to sell products unless they use their payment method (Apple Pay and Google Pay, respectively).
 |
| New Kindle Oasis |
First steps:
I recommend if you already own or can borrow a tablet, that you use an app (Kindle, Apple, Nook, etc) to see if you like digital reading. Try it out, and if you notice any eyestrain or glare issues, then look into getting a dedicated reader. Decide where you will most likely buy your ebooks. Note that Google does not, as yet, have its own ereader hardware.
Also note that erearers and sometimes ereader apps offer special functions such as getting the definition of a word or translating foreign language text. The Kindle offers a function called X-Ray, which works only if the publisher has enabled it, that lets the reader see characters and places and other specifics of the book. You should check out what the ereader can do before you invest in hardware.
Sunday, June 19, 2022
Looks what's featured on eBookDaily's Freebies page!
It's the first book in the Haven duology, THE SIXTH DISCIPLINE!
I recently ran a promotion on this book, and it has done pretty well.
Sunday, June 12, 2022
Snippet from WHERE MAGIC RULES
Where Magic Rules is a fantasy novella with a love story at its core. Joseph, a modern day man finds himself transported to a world of mages, magic, and dragons. During a battle, he saves the life of what appears to be a very young enemy soldier, only to discover he has saved a young woman who wears a distinctive and interesting charm.
“Ah!” The Great Mage
moved closer to the bed and scrutinized her intently.
She returned his stare, not flinching even when he stepped
closer. “You don’t frighten me, old man.”
“Don’t I?” Suddenly
the mage lunged forward and grabbed her by the arm.
Phillip gave a strangled gasp but didn’t otherwise cry out. It looked to Joe as if she wanted to pull
away but couldn’t. Joe could identify
with that feeling.
“Joe!” the mage said. “Take the stone in your right hand. Pull it as far away from Phillip as you can
without hurting her.”
Joe obeyed reluctantly.
He folded his right hand into a fist around the stone, then pulled the
chain to its full length, which was not very far.
The Great Mage took a step closer and shifted his grip to
Phillip’s shoulders. She gave a little
sigh, a faint, breathy whisper, and closed her eyes.
The three of them stayed frozen for almost a full
minute. Joe was wondering if Phillip had
fallen asleep when she opened her eyes and looked at him.
She seemed to Joe to be staring at him hungrily, as if he were
something she wanted very badly.
“Now,” the Great Mage said, “let go of the stone, Joe, and
step back a pace.”
Joe obeyed. As soon as
the stone again lay on her skin, Phillip’s angry glare returned. She said nothing, however, until the Great
Mage released her and stepped back.
“Keep that man away from me!”
She shouted at the mage, but she pointed at Joe. “Keep him away, or I’ll kill him!”
Her fierceness stunned Joe.
She sounded sincere.
“You have a poor sense of gratitude,” the Great Mage said. “Joe saved your life.”
Phillip grimaced and gave Joe a sulky scowl. “Thank you.
Now go away.”
“Fine with me,” Joe said. “May I leave now, sir?”
“Not just yet,” the Great Mage said. “I’ve finally determined why you came to us,
Joseph.”
Joe blinked in surprise. “Sir?”
“I said when you accepted me as your overlord that I would
keep you close until the day I found enlightenment about your purpose
here. Do you remember?”
For the past three years Joe had wondered if that day would
ever arrive. “Yes, sir.”
The Great Mage’s expression grew serene. “Your purpose is to help Phillip find her true
self. You’ll have to start right away.”
Joe’s jaw dropped, and at the same time, Phillip blurted out
an angry expletive.
“Now, now,” the Great Mage said. “Such language isn’t appreciated here, Phillip. You’ll have to learn to guard your tongue.”
Sister Gertruda fluttered near the bed like a moth near a
candle. “My lord, she must keep
quiet! The wound could reopen if she
doesn’t.”
“Precisely,” the Great Mage said. “I think a small sleeping draught is in order,
sister.”
“A curse on you and all your progeny!” Phillip shouted. “May they all sicken and die terrible deaths!”
“I have no progeny,” the Great Mage said, unperturbed. “No child of my body, in any event.”
“Then may the worms eat you, as you lie cold and forgotten in
the earth!”
“The worms eat everyone who dies,” the mage said. “No one lives forever, and no one is
remembered forever. Your curse applies
to everyone, sooner or later.”
“Then I shall make it sooner!” Phillip cried, lunging at the
Great Mage.
Joe jumped to intercept her.
Holding her back without hurting her proved a difficult task.
Sister Gertruda entered the fray with a cup of sleeping
draught, but it was only when the Great Mage took hold of Phillip’s arm that
she became calm enough for Sister Gertruda to hold the cup to her mouth.
The wounded woman choked and swallowed, then dashed the cup
to the floor. “Take your bloody swill
elsewhere, you pig of a woman!”
“How much did you manage to give her, sister?” the mage
asked.
“Enough,” Sister Gertruda said with grim satisfaction. “She’ll sleep soon.”
“Bastard!” Phillip
pulled free from Joe’s slackened grasp and sank down upon the bed. “For all your high sounding phrases, you’re no
better than a dark lord.”
Sister Gertruda gasped in indignation. “Mind your tongue!”
Phillip looked as if she would like to retort, but instead,
she merely lay down as if she were exhausted.
“The sleeping draught is working,” Sister Gertruda said,
pleased.
“Yes,” the Great Mage said, as Phillip closed her eyes. “As soon as she’s sound asleep, have her
conveyed to Joe’s room.”
“My room?” Joe blurted out. “Why?”
“Because you’re going to tend her while she heals,” the Great
Mage said. “You need to get to know each
other better before you leave on your quest.”
“What quest?” Joe said, feeling as if the floor had rocked
under his feet.
The Great Mage shrugged. “I haven’t decided yet.”
Buy this novella for only 99¢: US Kindle store, Smashwords, iBooks, Nook (Barnes & Noble), Kobo (also available in every other Kindle store).
Paperback: Amazon, Barnes & Noble
Wednesday, June 1, 2022
A sucessful promotion
Alien Bonds is no longer free.
The promotion lasted five days, from midnight PDT Friday, May 6 to midnight PDT Tuesday, May 10, and I gave away 1,777 copies of the Kindle version over that time. I paid for a listing Book Gorilla on Saturday and in FreeBooksy on Sunday.
- Alien Bonds ranking May 9 10 am
- Best Sellers Rank: #70 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
- Best Sellers Rank: #246 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
- Best Sellers Rank: #339,550 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,497 in Women's Fantasy Fiction
- #2,969 in Women's Action & Adventure Fiction
- #4,047 in First Contact Science Fiction eBooks
- Customer Reviews:
