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Just wanted to pop out from the tent to provide a quick update. We’re about 54K words into Four Centuries at the moment. I’m not sure what the end count is going to be, but I always want to hit at least 70K words. I consider that a full novel. Having said that, it feels like I’ll go over, like I always do. I’m about to start what I consider Act 3, and there’s no way it’ll wrap up in 16K words.

This is a good thing. I had some reservations in tackling this novel, some of which I’ve talked about already. First thing was that the main character was Victoria. A major, core character for sure, but one I never really “focused” on. I was afraid to focus on a female character, and I didn’t want to fall into the trap of giving her a novel just because she didn’t have one, so just dwelled for a long time about content. And I think this is some of the best. 🙂 Hopefully everyone else is entertained.

Another thing that made me nervous is the fact that Victoria is “just” a vampire. In a universe with a powerful witch, a man with demonic powers, a cursed mortal, I had a little problem focusing on “just” a vampire. But, I forgot, this is Victoria we’re talking about, and in a novel that has plenty of surprises (hee hee) I think she comes out holding her own, if not surpassing expectations.

Some of this sounds like gibberish for sure. I just don’t want to give anything away. I’m ready for a sample, but now am struggling a bit as to what I want to put out there. I had a scene in mind, but out of context it might just be rather confusing. I might just go with Chapter 1. I took a different direction with getting out of the gate than in different novels, sort of a “Day in the life of Victoria”. Maybe I’ll put both out there. 🙂

Okay, rambling over. Just take away that Four Centuries is going well, it’s been a very fun write, and we’re way past the halfway mark.

Okay, some quick, rambling, random updates, and an issue I could use some feedback on. 🙂

So far, so good on Demons LLC. I was worried about Alex’s latest adventure. Not sure if you guys remember the poll that was up a while back, but Jack, followed by Kevin are the “must reads”. I was worried about Alex getting some love, but it looks like the novel has been enjoyed. I think his skill-set helps, for sure. Who doesn’t love a good ghost story? I wonder if Nate and Kylie helped somewhat? I enjoyed those two more than I thought I would. I viewed them more as side characters in the beginning, there to help tell Alex’s story. But I like the life the young pair took on.

Four Centuries is still flowing smoothly. 25K words, at the moment. There are a few “mystery” spots I still have to iron out, but far fewer than previous novels. This one is almost writing itself, which is very cool. I already have the sample I want to use in mind, which isn’t too far away. I like the glimpses into the previously unseen vampire society/life that’s been covered so far.

And now, onto the problem. I was over on my Amazon page trying to find out why Demons LLC is missing (thanks, Daniel B, for pointing this out to me). I was poking at the forums over there (I forget that each author has his/her own forum), and noticed the same confusion that’s popped up over here, regarding Broken Home and series volume numbers.

I guess the million-dollar-question is: Should Broken Home have a volume number?

It’s caused a lot of confusion between the last three works (Witch’s Kurse, Broken Home, Demons LLC). In terms of reading order, that’s how they’re laid out. 5, 6, 7. Broken Home is #6. But it is a short story, as well as being a prequel, and that’s caused some problems. I didn’t just want to NOT give it a number, so I kept in line with the “order that I wrote them” list.

I’m sure I can change this. I could re-number the last two works, make Demons LLC #6, and remove the number from Broken Home. But…is that a good idea? Will people read Broken Home in the future and think “Where the hell does this fall?” What if people read Broken Home before Demonspawn, or Jack Kursed? That might cause even MORE confusion.

So, what do you guys think? We have a nicely flowing series, but there is one tiny little short story waving off to the side.

Hey everybody. Just wanted to drop in for a quick note. I’ve gone on my typical media blackout regarding the latest novel release (I really probably shouldn’t do that), but I think Demons LLC is doing pretty well. Haven’t gotten too many “stop writing now” comments or emails, so I take that as a good sign.

The paperback version is in the works. The proof arrives next week, and assuming there aren’t any issues, will go live. Not many people buy real books anymore, but a few people have asked for signed copies, and it’s always nice to be able to do that.

Some quick notes on the next novel. It will be another Damned and Cursed novel. It’s funny that I worry about running out of ideas for the series, but right now it seems one idea leads to another, and that’s a good thing. I hope it stays that way. 🙂 I consider this next one Victoria’s novel. Most of the story will involve or center around the centuries-old vampire. In saying that, though, some readers have pointed out that most of the series has had her in its center now, even though she hasn’t had her own novel. That’s an interesting thought, and if true, was certainly another happy little accident.

Despite being her novel, there will be some fun appearances from familiar characters, one of which I consider a co-star. 🙂

The story is mostly complete in my head, but ironically Chapter 1 is kicking my butt a bit. Once I pound out some issues with that, I think the rest will flow easily.

Ah, one last note. I’ve gotten some emails with confusion about the entries in the Damned and Cursed series. I had to go back and count them up myself. 🙂 Hopefully I’ve corrected the order on Amazon. There are currently seven entries in the series. I think Broken Home got lost in the shuffle, perhaps because it’s a short story / prequel. But rest assured, despite some mystery regarding character identities, Broken Home is a Damned and Cursed work. 🙂

I try to do a bit of a blackout after releasing a book. I try my best not to check out reviews, see how much it’s selling (or not), etc. Don’t want to get into that habit. However I did check out Amazon today, just for a moment. 🙂 I know it’ll pass by fast, but apparently Demons LLC hit #1 on the Occult list. Never hit #1 on anything before, so it’s kind of cool. 🙂

Thanks again to everyone, very much.

I’m very sorry, but Demons LLC won’t be out today.

Just kidding. 🙂 Here is the link to the Amazon store. $3.99. Tell all of your friends, doesn’t matter who they are. In fact, if you see a stranger walking your way down the street, tell them too.

It’s out for Amazon now, but it’ll be a week or so before Barnes and Noble, iTunes, etc., has the book. I use Smashwords for all my non-Amazon distribution, and it takes them a little longer to distribute to the rest of the stores (although you can get directly from Smashwords). But rest assured, those versions are coming, as well as the paperback version . Not many people jump on the paperback anymore, but it’s nice to have the book in my library. And occasionally someone wants a signed copy. 🙂

This is my tenth work (not all of them series), and it’s taken that long to get back to Alex Teague having his own novel. It’s certainly much different than what I had in mind. When Demonspawn was done, I had no idea it would create a world with other characters, all of them very real in my own mind. Pretty neat. 🙂

Alex has grown a bit since we last saw him. He’s mostly mastered his powers, and figured why not use them to make a bit of money? Cindy, as always, is his rock, and supports him in working his first “official” case. As can be expected with a man who deals with two worlds, things don’t go as expected.

I like how this novel turned out. I like the supporting cast, some of which we’ll see again. I enjoyed the small “cameos” that popped up here and there, and even the non-action stuff I think is pretty solid. These are fun characters, even when they’re just sitting in a room talking.

After the dust settles on this release, I’ll talk a little about the next work.

I’ve never given an actual release date before. I’m still waiting on 1-2 sets of feedback from beta reading, but I think I have more than enough to move forward. It doesn’t take me long to do the eBook and paper copy formatting, so I’m going to say May 22nd it will be out. That gives me a little over a week for any final touches, last minute feedback. On the night prior I’ll submit, and Amazon usually has it out the next day.

As always, thank you to the readers who helped me in the final stages (you know who you are 🙂 ), and thanks to everyone who take the time to read my stuff. I hope you like it.

On release day I’ll make the typical announcement, as well as a few thoughts and a preview of what’s ahead.

Okay, so after Demons LLC. I want to take a short break, maybe a week, and actually read a book. It’s been a while since I’ve read one. After that, back to work. There are some little things to do. Get the print version of Demons LLC ready to go being the biggest one. But the good news is I have what I want to write next in my head, and I want to get started on it.

As always with novel ideas, I have a more “general” idea of the plot right now. It’s mostly characters and scenes, with the overall main plot forming slowly. This will be a bit of a scary novel to tackle, as finally, this one will center around Victoria. She’s been the common thread, maybe even the glue in the Damned and Cursed universe. But she’s never had her own novel, and I think I have a really good story for her.

Of course, there’s always a surprise or two waiting as well. 🙂 I don’t have a title yet, but when that happens, the cover won’t be too far behind.

As least it feels like long last. Phase 1 of Demons LLC is complete. I finished the draft yesterday. It’s funny how this novel turned out. I tore through the first 75% of the novel pretty fast. But then with a flu in January, just the endless amounts of snow we’ve been getting, and a general lack of time to write, it feels like it’s been a while with this one. I would have liked to have it out by now.

But, at least we’re finally there. I’ll wait a week, then edit. Editing should be fast, I think I’ve got the plot how I want. Just typical grammar, missing words, etc. Then I’ll let it out for “beta”, or basically whoever wants to read and give opinions. 🙂

Overall, I like how it turned out, but it ended up differently than I first imagined. Some characters got bigger parts, while others weren’t as “major” as I first imagined. Thank God I’m not a Hollywood agent. 🙂  But it’s another showcase for Alex, I think, and what makes him special and different from anyone else, while also serving as a stepping stone in his future.

I’ve got two ideas for the next novel, which is much better than “what am I going to write next?” I’ll write another post for that.

I’m down to the last chapter of the novel. I’m guessing somewhere around five thousand more words. The finish line is in sight. But then, of course, something happens. 🙂 I have to rethink this part I’m on, so just a little longer. Drives me crazy. I wrote a reference in another novel to an upcoming scene, and I have to make sure everything ties together right. I guess that’s one of the minor drawbacks about the way I write.

Besides this little stumbling block, though, I think the novel has turned out well. I was a little worried about Alex in relation to the others. He seemed to pale in comparison to Jack Kursed and Kevin Mishnar, for example. But this novel shows that Alex (he was my first character, after all) still has it. He operates on a different level than everyone else. Even in the supernatural world, there are other levels, referring to the spirit and world realms. Only Alex can visit those places, and it makes for some interesting ideas.

Still cranking away on Demons LLC. Didn’t want everyone to think that my semi-typical radio silence meant nothing was happening. 62K words into it now, so for anyone worrying about “full-length novel status” on this one, I think we’re good. I’m thinking it’ll finish out somewhere around 80K words, maybe a little more.

I caught the flu last week, which put a serious dent into writing time. But I think I’m back on track now. There’s a little problem or two I have to fix with the ending of the tale here. I’ve already had to eliminate one character I had planned (simply too many).

I might kick out one more sample, just for some feedback.