Well I've been lazy

Hello to whoever still reads this. I have been lazy I will admit and nearly forgotten this blog. I have still been writing and reading though. I put out a novella a couple of weeks ago called The Answer and have half a dozen shorts to novellas waiting to be read over and put up. Time has been at a premium due to travel and some other issues but I really should be finding more time to write and I am going to do so.

That out of the way, I have read some really great fiction recently. Horns by Joe Hill was fantastic, one of the better horror/thrillers I have read. Joe Hill really makes you engage and relate to the characters, both good and bad, while telling a compelling story. The other book, or omnibus should I say, I have read was called Wool. This is actually a collection of five novellas or novellettes of a post apocalyptic world and the people remaining that are trying to survive. This may sound like a story that has been told a lot of late but Wool takes a different spin on things I would say and really grabbed me.

I am hoping to start my next story this week, all being well.

Take care all.

Been a while

Been a while I know but I have still been writing. Written about seven stories since my last update and slowly getting around to putting them online. Been a bit harder fitting in writing and study but still managing to keep it up. Will probably put up a new sci-fi short tomorrow time permitting.

Started reading Stephen Erikson's Malazan series, have heard good things.

Will try and update more regular!

March Update

Uni is back in full swing so been studying hard, also been out and about a lot with my new London friends. This unfortunately has meant my writing has dropped off in the past couple of weeks. I have just about finished my last story though and will try and knock that off in the next week. I already have an idea for the next one too. Just a matter of making sure I set aside the time each day to get some done.

Loving London at the moment, weather is great, good people and plenty to do. Heading to EuroDisney on the weekend with a friend.

Reading wise I have been working my way through the more recent Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson books. I read Hellhole and Hunters of Dune and am currently most of the way through Sandworms of Dune. I quite like their work. I think it adds to the Dune universe without taking anything away from Frank Herbert's originals. I really enjoyed Hellhole though and hope they look at writing more books outside the Dune universe.

I also read the Stiegg's Larson trilogy of books. Very enjoyable, I thought he used a bit of an unconventional writing style but it worked for me. Such a shame he passed away so young as I would have been interested to see where he would have taken those stories.

Anyways that's all for now

Back to Reality After a Great Tour Round Europe

Arrived back in London on the weekend after a trip all around Europe, saw Rome, Nice, Paris, Venice, Prague, Vienna, Amsterdam and more in my travels. Still getting over it to be honest.

Currently pondering my next story, will make a start on one today. Hopefully I will be able to get something half decent down.

Kindle Select does appear to be a worthwhile endeavor I must admit. Sales of my stories have jumped since placing some of my stuff in the program. I am looking to put a couple of my other stories on it eventually. My shorter stuff will all stay on Smashwords though. I'd be curious as to how Amazon's program is affecting Smashwords profit margin as well as other ebook providers.

Anyways I am going to try and put finger to keyboard and get some writing done. Masters starts next week so need to make use of all the free time I will have this week :)

Kindle Select So Far and Off on Another Trip

Well I have three titles on Kindle Select now and they seem to be doing okay over the past couple of weeks. Hard to compare with Smashwords really as most of my Smashwords stuff is free and what isn't can take weeks to update sales. That said for the 90 days of exclusivity you have to give up for Select I think it is worth it for the exposure that five days of free promotion can give you on what seems to be the most active ebook provider.

On a story update note I have just about finished my next short/novellette and will put it up this week. I have even done the cover already which is rare for me. I have been tweaking photos I have taken using Gimp to make covers these days and I think they turn out pretty decent. Better than some of the crappy covers I used to make. I should really get around to fixing those.

I have started writing a new story but am not particularly happy with it so may come back to it or start a new one. I think I am almost up to a dozen abandoned stories now where I just can't seem to get them flowing right or the ideas right.

Off to Europe at the end of this week again. Seeing the southern parts mostly this time, Nice, Florence, Rome etc and also Lucerne, Prague and Vienna. Looking forward to it. Got a car at last and drove through the Cotswolds today, very scenic.

Anyways that's me for now.

January update and Kindle Select

Okay well I ended up writing another 8000 words on that story I thought I had finished because I wasn't happy with the ending but it is just about done now just need to go over it and fix up a few continuity errors I would have made.

I am going to try out this new Kindle Select thing they have going. You publish your book on Kindle Self Publishing and for 90 days people can rent it out like a library I believe. Also there is the option to promote your book for free for five days over the 90 day period which is what I like the most. I would have most of my stories free on Kindle if that option was provided but unfortunately it isn't.

The catch is that the 90 days the book is on Kindle Select it has to be exclusive to Kindle so can't publish it on Smashwords until after that time. I am happy to make this sacrifice to give it a shot. I took 'Show Off' off of Smashwords today and chucked it on Kindle. Once the publishing process goes through I will enrol it in Kindle Select and see how it goes. Should be interesting.

Next I will be finishing another story I started. No idea how long it will be but likely at least novelette length.

Hope everyone is enjoying 2012 so far!

Contemplation

At a bit of a crossroads at the moment. With life and a story. Finished a short story that I like today, it is very short, only around the 2000 words mark but I was happy with it which is rare. That said I could probably keep it going but I think it might lessen the story. Or not. I don't know. I'll think about it.

Bought a car at last so be good to be on the road in the UK. Going to take a while to get used to the roads but it will be so much easier to see everything.

Will have another story up on smashwords soon apart from the one I finished today. Got to do a cover is all.

Out