News and Notices from the Writing Trenches #176…
Happy holidays. We’re now heading into year’s end activities. This is often a stressful time for many, so don’t let it be. Like Thanksgiving, it’s time to enjoy being with family and friends. They are more important than anything else. So relax and enjoy the good times, but think about those who don’t have it so good. We’re all on spaceship Earth together.
Art and history in danger? Whether seeing the floods in St. Mark’s Square in Venice or the flames of brush fires driven by ferocious Santa Ana winds approaching the Reagan library in California, extreme weather events driven by climate change seem like the new normal. While one must agree that preventing loss of human life is more important, saving our heritage is too. Through knowledge of our past and understanding of our present, we can chart our way through the troubled waters of the future. Human beings haven’t been the dominant species on planet Earth very long. Let’s make sure we can stick around for a while longer.
Binge reading with the Brits. I’m guilty. Recently I binged with Daniella Bernett’s Kirby/Longdon mysteries and Diana Febry’s rural mystery series, both British-style mystery series. I’m onto more of Celina Grace’s books in the Kate Redman series, although I’m not reading them in order; and I’ve recently discovered J. R. Ellis’s Yorkshire mysteries. With the exception of Bernett, these are all British authors, and even her series’ books are Brit-style mysteries.
Do you binge in your book reading? I tend to do it when I’m exhausted from my own novel writing and need to get some good quality R&R. I suppose most people use streaming video—“Let’s watch all the Sopranos episodes!” My love affair with reading is more driven by what I call a good book, one that allows me to use my own mind to visualize what’s happening in a novel. I don’t want to see someone else’s vision, especially on my TV screen. But that’s just me. We all approach our R&R in different ways.
Holly Berry Show. This year I was unable to participate with a book booth in this seasonal event at the beginning of November, but I contributed indirectly. I hope everyone had a great time. The winners of the two raffle baskets will also have some of my novels to read and enjoy this holiday season…and maybe share with family and friends.
Son of Thunder. Reviews are coming in. Here’s one recent Amazon review: “Son of Thunder is a follow-up of sorts to Rembrandt’s Angel, but it stands alone. It seems quite different from what I’ve read by Steven M. Moore before (and I’ve read most of his works), but in a very good way. Three stories are being told simultaneously, the timelines separated by centuries. Each was exciting and rewarding in its own way. The modern tale is a detective story, perhaps in the vein of Dan Brown, but even more it reminded me of Eric Mayer and Mary Reed’s John the Lord Chamberlain stories (set in the Roman Empire of Justinian). I love those stories, and I loved this one also. It may be the best work I’ve read by Mr. Moore. I couldn’t put it down after a while. I just wanted to know what happened in 1st century AD, 15th century AD and 21st century AD. The religious elements were worked into the plot seamlessly, and the art history gave it a framework to make the whole novel work. If you like historical mysteries with a touch of Dan Brown-type speculation, this is the book for you.”—S. D. Beallis in his five-star Amazon review.
This novel is available in print and ebook formats on Amazon and at the publisher, Penmore Press, and in ebook format at Smashwords and all its affiliated retailers (iBooks, B&N, Kobo, etc.) It’s also available at your favorite local bookstore (if they don’t have it, ask them to order a copy).
Coming attractions. One way or another, I will publish the sequel to The Last Humans. It differs from the first book and is an inspiring thriller that deserves to see the light of day…and entertain my readers!
I will continue to give away my short fiction in blog posts (see the “Steve’s Shorts” and “ABC Shorts” blog categories) and via PDF downloads (see the new list on my “Free Stuff & Contests” web page).
I also have several works-in-progress. Authors call them WIPs, and I pronounce that as “whips,” acknowledging my muses’ role in my writing (they’re really banshees with Tasers) where they spur me on in my storytelling.
Stay tuned.
Pre-orders. Do you do them? They’re a way not to forget the next book in a series, I suppose. Both Amazon and Smashwords do them. One of my small press publishers does, just barely (Black Opal Books); the other (Penmore Press) doesn’t. And neither does it for print versions. For my self-published books with Carrick Publishing (never 100% DIY because I pay for editing, formatting, and cover art), it doesn’t make much sense—when the novel is ready to go, why wait?
Is there something positive about tempting a reader? I’ve never experienced that as a reader. Have you?
Sales. Now my sales are different. You won’t find mine on Amazon. Bezos doesn’t allow them unless my books are exclusive there (I wonder how he treats their imprints like Thomas Mercer), and I refuse to do that because Amazon doesn’t distribute to other ebook dealers. In fact, you won’t see my sales at all unless you subscribe to the email version of this newsletter—I can add your name to my email list if you use the contact page to ask me to do that.
What’s the benefit? Smashwords sales of my ebooks—that’s the only place you’ll find them. For example, in December’s email newsletter, there are several ebooks on sale for the holiday season: the “Clones and Mutants Trilogy,” Full Medical, Evil Agenda, and No Amber Waves of Grain; and the “Chaos Chronicles Trilogy,” Survivors of the Chaos, Sing a Zamba Galactica, and Come Dance a Cumbia…with Stars in Your Hand!, all bundled together in one ebook, The Chaos Chronicles Trilogy Collection. And to make this more tempting, I add the bridge novel Soldiers of God that bridges these two trilogies. Hours of great reading entertainment at bargain prices.
You can still participate by emailing me by December 15. Don’t have a Smashwords account? They’re free, and it will open up an entire universe of ebooks to you, many of them not on Amazon.
That’s all for now until 2020! Have a safe holiday season, and may the new year bring you joy, health, and prosperity.
