Where in the World?

December has arrived, Christmas is weeks away, and holidays, presents, family, friends, feasts. I would love to travel the world and see Christmas in different places, but all the traveling I do is in my imagination when I read books, when I research for my novels, I create images of the countries I mention. The first book may be in the past, but it takes you around the world. That’s where I hope my book will take me or at least where my book will be found.

This week leading to my special treat for Amazon Buyers, I will be sharing a picture with a place around the world on social media. I already posted the reel with them all. Share what ones you like, comment the location or a landmark found nearby. Tag a friend that has been to that country. Comment below what countries you want to have appear in the window. The more material I make the more I can advertise.

Inspiration comes from Anywhere

Last week, I had my interview aired on Hope 103.2, it was about writing on the train. Part of the interview is below.

Part of my Radio Interview
Hope 103.2 and Myself

The thing about writing, is where does the inspiration come from, where does concepts, plots, characters start. My imagination is big enough and crazy enough to come up with out of this world ideas, but inspiration for other things comes from what I watch, read and hear. On Friday last week, I went to see 1000s of students perform dance and song routines for the School Spectacular, it was a live performance I haven’t seen since 2019. The choreography was wonderful, the song choices were perfect and the costumes were creative and clever. Where I was sitting, I got to see the singers and the dancers. Closer than I got to see them when I was there in 2019. The thing I did notice was that from side on, you have to look around or move your body to see the big screens they had. This was also filmed to be broadcast later.

Australian’s Got Talent was on this year, they had dancers, singers, musicians, acrobats etc on stage in front of the judges and audience. The thing about BIG groups or dance numbers when they are aired on TV is that the camera cuts to the judges, audience and the dance is continuing. With big dance groups, the cameras focus on areas on the stage that have something happening that the producers call ‘important’

Let’s just say that after the experience I had in Homebush watching a live show, every detail is important. Let’s just say I am inspired by what I saw to make note and write something that will appear in my future novel.

Voice on the Airwaves

Last week, I had an interview with one of the hosts on the radio station I listen to. He hosts the 9-12 segment. This was my first over the phone interview that was related to my new career; been an author - my writing. It all started at the beginning of the month, when I made a comment on their Facebook page. He sent me a message via Facebook wanting me to expand on what I written and he was very interested. He then asked if I wanted to be interviewed on the subject and I said sure. We arranged for a time for him to call me to get more acquainted. He was very interested in the fact that I spent time on the train writing my novel. He wanted that to be the focus of the interview and arranged the second phone call.

Thursday afternoon, he called up and after the formalities, we began the interview, been my first time ‘interviewed’ I didn’t want to steer the conversation away from the main theme. So I answered honestly and was vague about my career. Overall it was a great interview. After the five-ten minutes, he thanked me and promised it will be on air the following week.

Tuesday 22nd November: I wake up and after awhile, get a message “Thanks again for having a chat with me. I can put your interview to air today around 9:45. Listen out! I can also send you a copy of the interview” I was originally told it was going to be Wednesday but any day is okay.
Now this radio station has thousands of listeners, not just in NSW but in other states and overseas. Long time ago, (about 7 months or so - back in April), a host of the very same radio station was leaving and read my farewell message on air as her very last message. And how she started it was by saying “Remember this name, he’ll be a famous author one day” I didn’t know how I could live up to her words, but I am going to try. This was a small step. I don’t know how many people will remember that back in April, but at 9:45, my interview was broadcasted across the Sydney and when the interview was over, he mentioned my series and told people to look it up.

Movie Magic

Today, I went to the Movies first time in a while and watched Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever. I went for a few reasons, 1) to see if the hype was true, 2) to see what they did when they had to change the script and 3) to see how much respect Marvel did for the late Chadwick. I decided to go Gold Class and treat myself because it has been a long year, and despite every low, there should be moments of joy.

Screenwriters have a hard job. They have to come up with a story that pleases the CEO and Producers but keeps the heart and purpose of the story they have in mind. They have to make the scenes real enough to keep the audience going but not too dramatic that it seems like overkill. It takes months or years to come up with a draft, only for it to be rewritten. Now, this wasn’t anyone’s fault, but they had to start again. It’s a devasting process. Heartbreaking. Now some reasons for rewriting are budget, disagreements or change of direction but when a cast member dies before filming even starts, this really throws the writers and all involved. There are two options ‘scrap the project’ or ‘let’s redo and honour him.’ I am so glad they did the second.

TV series and Movies have a way of ‘killing’ people off; they either write them out of the series or movie franchise by having them die on-screen or off-screen. Now again, the reasons for this vary from actors walking away, the producer wanting them out or because the storyline needs a change. But when an actor dies between the filming of seasons or during the making of a movie, things have to be different. Take Fast and Furious; Paul Walker's death in 2013 during the production of Furious 7 meant they had to use GCI to finish the movie before having him not return. Westwing mentioned Leo’s death because actor John Spencer passed away. Same with Chadwick Boseman, they had to mention his death to help honour him. Now even though there was drama with the cast and complications with concept, they stuck with it to the very end.

When Stan Lee passed away, they did the Marvel montage with all of Stan’s cameos. As a way to thank him for all he did. Black Panther started the same way with a silent Marvel montage of Chadwick’s appearances. This was only one way they showed honour and respect to him.

I went to the movies to see if the movie was worth the hype, if it was worth the wait, and did they respect Chadwick’s untimely death in a way that would have him remembered. I certainly enjoyed the movie - even though it was long - and it certainly had the characters’ raw emotions because of death. I won’t spoil the movie, but I am glad that Marvel didn’t make a mess of the movie and tried to gloss over the loss of Boseman. I am giving credit to where the credit is due. To the screenwriters and the actors.

Plug and Promote

If you are tired of the same old, same old, then sorry, here comes some more. Plugging and Promoting your own story is problematic. You need people to help promote and plug your book, this is by talking about it, showing it off, or sharing pictures. For the rest of the month, the same picture will be used to promote, but the filters will change. I am thankful that someone is putting a book as a prize for a local event. I am thankful that I was able to take pictures of the book at the cafe and I am happy for the pictures that came in. I am grateful that my book was plugged, at an event with people from everywhere. But I need help, please send pictures of the book you have bought, share the posts and let others know about it. I will be most gracious.

Third Book is OUT

The third time’s the charm people say, well Book number 3 is out on Amazon, - I couldn’t do the exact time I wanted which was 22:11 on 11/11/22. However, the book is available so readers can get 3 books to read this summer. I will now wait at least 10 months before I try to put Book #4 on Amazon; Book 3 is exclusive to Amazon for the first two months and come 2023, it will be available on iTunes and Lulu and Barnes and Noble. I am hoping that from now to the end of the year my sales pick up.

Click the picture to go to the Amazon.

I have decided that I will not be taking my books every week to my local cafe. If the demand isn’t there, why bring the supply? I will wait for people to ask for a book.

I have heard from people who have read my book and getting feedback is heartwarming. I hope those people tell others who will then buy the book.

I have stopped looking at Amazon to see how many purchases or how much I have earned. Last I looked I had no sales for 40 days. I am really hoping that it picks up in the next few weeks leading to December and Christmas.

Trying another path

When self publishing, you are the person that is putting them online, you need to find where people will buy it. I have the first book currently on Amazon, iTunes, Lulu, but as of this week, I am trying a new path, Barnes & Noble. I am stretching my limits, but trying a different online book shop, but I am hoping that more people will find my book and it will be bought.

Snapshot of the Site

The book as an eBook is available on 4 different sites, it has been available since May 1st, so it has been 6 months now. I have sold less than 60 books in total in the physical sense and less than 20 in the eBook version. I am continuing to hope that the book slowly increases in sales approaching Christmas and then I will stop worrying about it and let it flow.

Book Three Pre-Order Available

Today is the 31st of October, All Hallows Eve, the day before All Saint’s Day which is followed by All Souls’ Day on the 2nd (also known as the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed and the Day of the Dead, is a day of prayer and remembrance for the faithful departed, which Roman Catholics and other Christian denomination observe) I have decided to have my third book Class of the Immortal available for Pre-Order on this day.

The image below has the link to find it on Amazon. Over the next week, I will have the page ready with information on the book.

Cover of the Third Book

With the third book available, I am still trying to sell the last of my physical copies of the first book. I have got a few pictures from readers and hoping for more. Please send them through, use this contact me or find me on Instagram or Facebook.

Class of the Immortal: Coming Real Soon

Three more sleeps until the third book is available on Pre-Order in Amazon. That’s right, I plan on releasing the third book of the pentalogy next month, but with a pre-order on the Eve of November. This book is 406 pages long with a few extra pages.

My plan moving forward is to start working on the fourth book in the new year and have that released in 2023, or at least the eBook version of it released in 2023.