Update

Hey, guys.

I just wanted to write a bit of an update for my readers who are waiting for new material.  I have been more relaxed in terms of my contact on social media.  While still posting on Google and Facebook, I haven't really been blogging or writing my monthly newsletter.  I have been focused solely on my writing projects which have been more time consuming and draining that previous ventures.  I have been working on two novels and a short story, so my free time has been split between all three which is not uncommon for authors.  Still, I haven't been writing as much as I should as I should push myself more and that is why I needed the break from social media and the other side stuff that I do.  The break, in general, was a good time for me to relax and take a step back, even from my projects.

Wicked Voices is about 1/3 of the way done, and I am projecting a summer 2016 release.  There are always delays with these things, so don't quote me.  As fast as the ideas flow, that is as fast as I write.  When ideas are not flowing as much, it is hard to find inspiration.

My other manuscript will not be released and neither will the short until a future time, because these are works I want to submit to writing contest and other institutions.  I will be releasing Scattered on Smashwords and, eventually, on other online bookstores.  I may rework the cover, because I wasn't happy with it in the first place.

Thank you all for continuing to read my older posts and visiting my blog, despite the fact that I haven't posted in over three months.  I will be posting on here again, so you shouldn't have to wait that long to hear from me again.  Thanks!

Scattered: KDP and Free Promotion!

So, I have been looking into removing Scattered from KDP's select program.  As apart of the publishing program, I have to keep that specific work exclusive to Amazon.  There is nothing wrong with exclusivity if you have a killer marketing team or great promotional skills.  However, I feel that exclusivity has its drawbacks.

For one, your work only appeals to those with Kindles or Kindle apps.  Now, I happen to know that the Kindle app is very popular among android users.  That is a plus, but I have found that I receive the most sales from Barnes and Noble, not Amazon.  While being enrolled in KDP Select is supposed to change that, giving you work more exposure, it hasn't for me.  I made it onto a list of highest downloaded shorts with a mere 24 downloads.  That is nothing compared to the readership on Barnes and Noble.

Another drawback is that on Amazon your work has to be sold at a price.  I prefer my short stories to be free, but in order to do that, I have to space promotions that last only 5 days over a few months.  My short stories allow readers to get to know my writing style and so they become promotional tools within themselves.  If people like my shorter works, they are more likely to buy my novels; however, if I can't give them away for free, it defeats the purpose.  I do like that if I post this particular short to other outlets, Amazon should have a price match, making it fee on their site permanently.

Looking into my arrangement with KDP Select, I can place Scattered on Smashwords and other outlets in August where it will be FREE!!!  Right now, I decided to use my five days of free promotion.  So, from 5/22/15 to 5/26/15 Scattered will be available to download for FREE on Amazon.com.  Please take advantage if you are interested in reading it.  Otherwise, the next time you will see it free is in August.  Click the link below tomorrow for a free download.

Link: SCATTERED on Amazon

Scattered Short Story Trailer

Hello!

I have been working on updating my video trailers, especially for my short stories.  It has been slow going lately, because I am actually working on my next book.  I just finished updating the new trailer for Scattered, and to give a bit of a comparison, I also posted the old one.  My short stories are always free, but Scattered was exclusively published on Amazon and they do not allow works to be published for free.  I am considering publishing this work elsewhere, but for now, it is only available on Amazon.

OLD

NEW

Thank you to all the artists at DeviantArt who have put up their free .png images for the use of artists.  I gave them all credit in the description box on Youtube, but I thought I would also add some information on the short story and the artists.

DESCRIPTION:

Rebecca Ardsley was a witness to a traumatic event that she cannot remember. All she knows is she was found wandering in the woods in the early morning hours, suffering from shock. She hasn’t seen her friends and family in months. When she is released from a recovery facility, she finds it hard to adapt and return to the friends she has known her whole life. Feeling like a stranger in a foreign land, Rebecca realizes the only way to settle what happened is to release the memories that are trapped in her own mind. Even at risk of her own life.


*****


CREDITS:

Music entitled "Bump In The Night" (http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100789)
Special Thanks to iNCOMPETECH for royalty free music.

Special thanks to artists from Deviant Art for free png images used in this trailer and all artists who made the free clipart I used.
- MOONGLOWLILY for gazebo - http://moonglowlilly.deviantart.com/art/Png-Gazebo-335486645
- CYBORGEROTICA for handprint - http://cyborgerotica.deviantart.com/art/Hand-Print-269439100
- SHADOW-STOCK for cabin - http://shadows-stock.deviantart.com/art/Cabin-515819249
- ISOSTOCK for hand - http://isostock.deviantart.com/art/Hand-014-117765297
- MOONGLOWLILY for grass - http://moonglowlilly.deviantart.com/art/PNG-GRASS-323097493
- GOTH-GIRL16 for running girl - http://goth-girl16.deviantart.com/art/Running-Away-PNG-479841063
- DBSzABO1 for fire - http://dbszabo1.deviantart.com/art/misc-fire-element-png-310036058
- IVAXXX for fire - http://ivaxxx.deviantart.com/art/Fire-PNG-494691785

Download Scattered Free!

Hi, everyone.

From today until the 3rd of April, Scattered will be FREE on Amazon.com to download.  This opportunity comes around once every few months where I am able to put it up on Amazon for free.  It is not something they offer for more than five days at a time.  There have been people who work around it.  I have, personally, not figured out a way how I can do that for a work I want to post exclusively on Amazon.  If you have any suggestions, please post or forward them to me.

Scattered is a psychological thriller/murder mystery.  I am so proud of it.  I really believe it is one of my best works.  Give it a try and please share your thoughts by adding a review to Amazon.

Thank you!

Download Scattered for FREE

Hi, everyone.

By now everyone knows that it is impossible for an author to place any work on Amazon for free for more than five days.  I have seen works marked free for longer, but I can't figure out how it is done.  I usually post my short stories on Smashwords for that reason.  Yet, I decided to post Scattered on Amazon.

I have put Scattered up for free, but it expired after five days. So since I have waited three whole months to get the right to post it for free again... I am spreading the news that after Christmas I will be making Scattered free for another five day period. Please download it and leave a review to help me spread the word.

Thank you!

Scattered Published!

Hi, everyone.

Just wanted to let everyone know that Scattered has been published exclusively on Amazon. For the next few days, it will be FREE to download so please download it quickly. Amazon does not work like other online publishers. Works cannot be published and free to download. Amazon gives me five free days per a ninety day period. So please take this opportunity to download it. Otherwise, after this period of five days, the price will be set at $0.99 for the next three months.

Download it here: Scattered on Amazon

Please leave reviews and feedback once you have read it. I look forward to hearing your reactions to the plot twists.

Thanks!

Problems with Amazon

Hello, everyone.

Well, I published Scattered with Amazon and there is a problem. I can't place the story for less than $0.99. The other problem is that I can place it on sale, making it free, but only for five days in a three month period. Which doesn't make sense because I see books which always seem to be free. Another issue I ran into is that I am placing the book on sale and it is not showing it on Amazon.com. It says it is scheduled, but I think it needs to be approved. Publishing a short free on Amazon is really more trouble than it is worth. I am going to keep trying to make it free for all.

Thanks.

The Decision...Scattered Will Be Published!

Hello.

Well, I have come to a decision after watching a YouTube video online about how to make a work free on Kindle. I have decided that I will publish Scattered exclusively through Amazon.com. It will not be published anywhere else digitally. I should have the short story up by the end of the night since all of the work is done, and I just have to add a few details.

If you do not have a kindle, do not fear! There are kindle phone and computer apps that will allow you to read the story from most portable devices. I had to put in a price of $0.99, but it must be approved before I can make it free. So it should be a day or two.

Scattered is similar to, this years novelette, Shattered in that it is a murder mystery. I hope all of you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Thank you all so much for your continued support, and I look forward to your reviews.

Rebecca Ardsley was a witness to a traumatic event that she cannot remember. All she knows is she was found wandering in the woods in the early morning hours, suffering from shock. She hasn’t seen her friends and family in months. When she is released from a recovery facility, she finds it hard to adapt and return to the friends she has known her whole life. Feeling like a stranger in a foreign land, Rebecca realizes the only way to settle what happened is to release the memories that are trapped in her own mind. Even at risk of her own life.

Publishing on Amazon

Hi, everyone.

I have been thinking of publishing a short story exclusively for Amazon. There are several problems with that.

For one, Smashwords where I have posted my other short stories has yet to reach a deal with Amazon in regards to publishing literature on their site. That is not the case with Barnes and Noble and other online bookstores. I have no problem publishing on Smashwords who then sends it to most online bookstores. The issue is...Amazon doesn't publish them.

Another issue is that Amazon will not allow me to publish it for free. I would have to charge at least $0.99. I don't feel right doing this, because my stories were always meant to be free teasers that would help readers decide if they liked my brand of storytelling. I currently sell one of my full-length novels for that price so it seems odd to publish a story which is a quarter the size for the same price. However, I would like Kindle users to also try my stories.

Amazon does offer a way to place the work on sale once it has been published exclusively through them, making it free. That would mean that this particular story wouldn't be published on any other site. It would be exclusive to Amazon.com. That is not such a huge problem except that I don't know how long I can keep it for free and my audience largely uses other sites to download or purchase my work. However, the objective is to try to gain Kindle readers.

So, I have been thinking of publishing my short story entitled Scattered. I just haven't figured out if I will publish it in the coming week with Amazon. Or wait and make it my yearly novella. I am going to research more about it before I come to a finally conclusion. If I do decide to release it, I will make an announcement within a few days.

Any thoughts, readers?