Category Archives: New Release Details

Who wants to get a Free Early Copy of my next Book? (Join my ARC Street Team!)

New Release Details, Publishing & Writing Career, updates, , , , , , , ,

So, I do have another blog post I’ve been waiting to write, as it explains at least part of the radio silence from me the last few months. CliffNotes version to tide y’all over until that topic-focused blog post, I had to be induced into labor at the beginning of April and welcome my baby into this world 6 weeks earlier than planned. We’re all okay (Me, Daddy, and Baby) and our little Bunny Bear is surprising us every single day!

But, that story is for another blog post.

This post is about my next release, as it’s been a minute since my last one.

This is the cover to “HEART OF A TRAITOR”, Book #1 in my new NA Urban Fantasy series, “The Oroni Zodiac”.

Summary/Blurb:

“The Rebellion’s just getting started…

Hiding in a non-magical country for over a decade has only continued to remind Phoenix how freakish she is. Her double whammy of having to deal with two voices constantly arguing or commentating from inside her skull branded her as a half-breed: a seemingly impossible combination of magic user.

In all existence.

When a friendly meal with her diplomat father leads to a kidnapping of her and her best friend, the two of them are suddenly yanked right in the midst of a war between the government of her magic-filled birthplace and its Rebellion. They meet Commander Roark, an old friend of Phoenix’s father, but a man presumed dead for years. Along the way to get back home, Phoenix starts to realize that the adults in her life had been hiding more things than they cared to tell. As she learns that half-breeds like her can master both magic type’s skill sets, she’ll have to keep reminding herself to tread carefully around Roark.

Because he’s just like her.

And Lord only knows how much he could do.“

As this book is a new series (though I finished Books #1 and #2 a LOOOOOONG time ago), I want to step up my Author game, as it were. So, I’m starting by building up an ARC Street Team! For those unfamiliar with that abbreviation, it means “Advanced Reader Copy”. ARC copies are free to the interested ARC Readers, and sent a few weeks to a few months prior to expected release of the book to the general public, with those readers leaving a review for the book after its actually released. If you sign up to receive an ARC book, this is the breakdown:

(1) Sign up to receive an ARC copy of a book or story (these are ALWAYS FREE!!)

(2) Read the book/story.

(3) Go onto the Amazon and/or GoodReads page for that book once book actually releases

(4) Leave a review on those pages to help the author get more visibility and to be a good person and follow through.

So, if you might be interested in receiving an ARC copy of HEART OF A TRAITOR, go to [this] form, fill it out, submit, and I will email a digital copy to you and all ARC readers once everything is prepared and polished for your perusal. There is also a question on that [form] where you can pick if you:

(a) … Just want to read and review this book in particular without wanting to be contacted for any future books from me (from any series I publish in the future of my career)

(b) … Want to read and review this book and potentially ANY future books from me (from any series I publish during my future career)

(c) … Know you want to read and review this one, but are unsure if you want to be committed to my Street Team at this time (meaning I can email you for future books to gauge if you are interested in a future book and/or interested in joining the Street team in the future as well)

This way, you can decide what path of ARC Reading you’d like to join with me while I progress on my author and publishing journey.

[Here’s the link one more time!!]

Hopefully, many of you might be interested in this venture! Once I send the ARC copies via email, it’d would be nice if you all could have read the book by release date (hasn’t been firmed up yet, but will mention when I email the digital ARC copies to all who fill out the form and are interested), but finishing before then is not necessary, as long as you still leave a review once you are done! I will also temporarily turn off this form to the public in a few weeks to prep distribution of this particular book’s ARC Team, but will reopen it for a general ARC Street Team for any and all of my future works / releases!

Welp, that’s about it! Hope to see a bunch of responses on that [form] soon!

Thanks everyone, in advance!

Remember to always “Keep Faith” and “Assume Nothing”,

-Chrissy

Bye, Felicia!: Kicking 2020 Out the Door and Welcoming my Next New Adventures

#ChaosAccounts, #Productivity2020, Adulthood/Parenthood, New Release Details, Out in the World, , , , , , , , , ,

Hello, Vikans, and Welcome to a FRESH START!!!

WOOHOO!! 2021, BABY!!!!

Good Bye 2020 Dumpster Fire New Year Cards - Blank on the Inside – Small World Greetings

Now, I’m pretty much sure a majority of y’all spent a HUGE chunk of time doom-scrolling last year, so I’ll save the 2020 recap post to dwell on everything the DUMPSTER FIRE of 2020 brought upon our world.

I would like to hold myself accountable, however.

Just so I can hold myself accountable and emphasize the fact that I am, indeed, the furthest thing from a psychic or future teller/predictor, here’s a screen shot from my blog post [Reflections: New Year, Here I Come!] that I wrote on here back January 2nd this year::

<start quote>

<end quote>

……….

……….

Well, I did say to “Assume Nothing,”, so I wasn’t ENTIRELY wrong. Just mostly.

But, knowing what is in store for my future, starting next year in 2021, I’m going to try being (naively) positive again, and hope those positive thoughts and hope and dreams actually soak into the world and make 2021 a year to remember.

But, as I always do in my New Year’s blog post every year, I will first reflect on my personal journey in 2020, writing AND personal, then move on to my vague/half-baked plans to try and make 2021 the best year of my life.

If I’ll be able to sleep starting halfway through.

…

I’ll get to what that means in a minute.

For starters, writing life.

And, because those of you that have read my posts before, you’ll understand that a screenshot of an Excel spreadsheet is always a given.

But, seeing how incredibly STRESSFUL 2020 was, here’s MORE than one spreadsheet, just to annoy those of you out there who HATE NUMBERS.

ANYWAY, here’s my numbers for a Quantitative look at my writing journey in 2020:

These ones are hopefully self-explanatory, so I’m not gonna analyze, to spare y’all the agony of deciphering if this isn’t the part of this blog post you care about.

I hope this one is readable once I post. This show y’all my word counts per project I worked on in 2020. As you may notice, there are no KINETICS or CHAOS ACCOUNTS projects in this list. This is because my final 2 KINETICS books are currently in editing/post-production, and THE CHAOS ACCOUNTS… Well, I’ll be getting into that news later.

Now, for comparison, here’s my Wrote/Didn’t Write percentages of 2020 compared to 2019 (by month):

YIPPEE!!! WROTE ALMOST 0.7% MORE OFTEN THIS YEAR!!!

……..

OKAY, I know that’s not huge, but with working from home driving the ambiverted empath inside me, and another little thing inside me punching at my bladder constantly-

. . .

Oops, guess we’ll move on to the qualitative achievements of 2020, since I pretty much just gave it away.

As some of you may know, I got married in September of 2019. Amid pandemic Chaos, on Labor Day 2020, we learned that I’m pregnant. Our little bundle of boxing joy will be due to arrive late Spring 2021!!

All my life, people have doubted what I could’ve been capable of. And, all my life, I’ve proved almost all of them wrong.

“A specialty center high school, when she’d have to leave the few friends she somehow made in middle school?”

Yep.

“She’ll probably go to community college for a year or two first. She can’t handle mving far away from home, right?”

Wrong.

Those are just the beginning. I have also published multiple works, gotten to be a speaker MULTIPLE TIMES at Ravencon, found an AMAZING group of writers and creators I am proud to call my friends and allies.

I found the love of my life, lost the friend of a lifetime, and am now headed toward one of my first ever dream jobs that I’ve had since I was a toddler: I’M GOING TO BE A MOM!

Now, not entirely sure if I’ll be a good mother, but I’m gonna try.

On top of pregnancy/baby on the way, I’ve got a number of ideas when it comes to my writing, my publishing, and my branding. I’m not going to go into HUGE details. Actually, just one for now, and more will come down the road. Not gonna jinx stuff right now, with life on wobbly and scary steps as it is.

So, to address that, I’ll tell you my plans for THE CHAOS ACCOUNTS. I’m planning a rebranding for the series, for titles, covers, and pen name. I’m currently in fierce edits for the first 5 stories, as well as trying to find the perfect cover designer for the series. I might be jinxing myself here, but I’ve got this YA paranormal/fantasy/superpowered novella serial loosely planned to encompass about 20 stories, sectioned into 4 5-story chunks.

For this series, soon-to-be-titled “ACCOUNTING FOR THE CHAOS”, I am planning on a rapid re-release under the new covers and pen name hopefully soon. Once edits are done and I have the covers in hand. But, on top of that, I want to help the world out, no matter how small of a way. Keep in mind, I did something similar with the original release of the first CHAOS ACCOUNTS story, where I donated sales to a charity that was important to me at the time.

I’m doing that again, with a charity that is important to me as I prepare for birth and motherhood.

There’s a charity called “Reach Out And Read,” where pediatricians all over the world give away books to little babies and children at their check-ups and encourage their parents t read to their children every night if they can.

For my rapid re-release of Stories 1-5, starting whenever each is released, and completely stopping on 8/31/2021, 50% of my royalties from these re-releases shall be separated, and at the end of this campaign, I will donate all that money to Reach Out And Read!

Stay tuned for the actual planned release dates for them!

Until then, wishing y’all the best for 2021!

Keep Faith, Vikans.

And, as always, Assume Nothing. Make an effort to make this year yours.

Cheers, ya’ll!

-Chrissy

Leading Up to Release Day!!

#Productivity2020, inspiration, KINETICS, New Release Details, updates, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hola, my fellow Vikans!

So, if you missed my [[last blog post]], the third book in my KINETICS series, titled “KINETIC HISTORY”, will be released on January 31st, 2020!

KineticHistory_promo

Look at the amazing cover. Just look at it! [[Designed By Starla]] worked her magic again!

*ahem*

Moving on, because I’m sure you all want to know everything that is happening leading to the release, as well as the aftermath. If so, keep reading.

Starting Monday, January 20th, 2020 (TOMORROW, PEOPLE!!), the first book in this series (“KINETIC REBIRTH”), will be free for Kindle through to Friday, January 24th, 2020. Yes, you read correctly: FREE KINDLE BOOK.

I addition, the second account of the KINETICS saga (“KINETIC MEMORY”), will be having a Kindle Countdown promotion. At 08:00 PST on Thursday, January 23rd, 2020, this second part of the incredible journey KINETICS will drag you along will be only 99c! However, on Sunday, January 26th, 2020 at 16:00 PST, the price will jolt up a tad to be $1.99, which is still a bit better than its list price of #2.99, which is what it will revert back to at Midnight PST on Thursday, January 30th: just one day before “KINETIC HISTORY” will drop into the mass chaos of Amazon’s self-published authors.

For a timeline of promos and releases, read on:

January 20th-22nd:
—-KINETIC REBIRTH (#1) = FREE
—-KINETIC MEMORY (#2) = $2.99
—-KINETIC HISTORY (#3) = PREORDER

January 23rd:
—-KINETIC REBIRTH (#1) = FREE
—-KINETIC MEMORY (#2) = $0.99
—-KINETIC HISTORY (#3) = PREORDER

January 24th-25th:
—-KINETIC REBIRTH (#1) = $1.99 (discounted new price)
—-KINETIC MEMORY (#2) = $0.99
—-KINETIC HISTORY (#3) = PREORDER

January 26th-29th:
—-KINETIC REBIRTH (#1) = $1.99 (discounted new price)
—-KINETIC MEMORY (#2) = $1.99
—-KINETIC HISTORY (#3) = PREORDER

January 30th:
—-KINETIC REBIRTH (#1) = $1.99 (discounted new price)
—-KINETIC MEMORY (#2) = $2.99
—-KINETIC HISTORY (#3) = PREORDER

[[RELEASE DAY]] January 31st:
—-KINETIC REBIRTH (#1) = $1.99 (discounted new price)
—-KINETIC MEMORY (#2) = $1.99
—-KINETIC HISTORY (#3) = $2.99

After February 16th:
—-KINETIC REBIRTH (#1) = $1.99 (discounted new price)
—-KINETIC MEMORY (#2) = $2.99
—-KINETIC HISTORY (#3) = $2.99

 

Sound like a fun timeline of promotions?

Also, if you are more of a print book person, the kind that loves the smell of a new physical book, here’s a preorder list to fill out for SIGNED and PERSONALIZED copies of all three books, should you want them. You can find pricing details in [[this blog post]], or just keep reading (almost done, I promise)::

 

Pre-Release SIGNED book deals
— Pricing details —

KINETIC REBIRTH (KINETICS #1)
> Each Copy: $8
> Shipping: $4
>> Form closes 2/16/2020
>>>>> [FORM]

KINETIC MEMORY (KINETICS #2)
> Each Copy: $8
> Shipping: $4
>> Form closes 2/16/2020
>>>>> [FORM]

KINETIC HISTORY (KINETICS #3)
> Each Copy: $9
> Shipping: $4
>> Form closes 2/16/2020
>>>>> [FORM]

All 3 Books (KINETICS #1-3)
> Each Order: $25
> Shipping: $5 per set
>> Form closes 3/1/2020
>>>>> [FORM]

 

Leading up to this has been a challenging road. The day of KINETIC HISTORY’S release marks three years without my Jessi on Earth. That day haunts my memories in ways I can’t explain. She was so full of life and energy, the most kindhearted, helpful, comforting, spontaneous, and random bundle of energy I’d ever met. Without her in my life, I never would’v e met my husband, and we never would’ve gotten married. If you want to know more to that story, it’s told within my “Acknowledgements” section at the beginning of KINETIC HISTORY when it releases January 31st.

Now, after over 2 years of not producing new, fresh, written content, I release this one on the very day a part of my heart was ripped out. Felt it was the best way to honor a truly special person and guardian angel and muse for everything I’ve written since meeting her, both before and after her life on Earth.

And, yes, I know it’s been a while since I’ve done a Summary Sunday, but I hope to pick those up soon. And, to be entirely honest, between release prep, new job responsibilities at day job, and searching for a house with the Hubby, my writing time has been quite pathetic. However, I got hit with inspiration last night, and began a potential new series. Still in the early stages though. BUT, hopefully, once the chaos of KINETIC HISTORY’s release dies down a bit, I can pick back up on the #Productivity2020 train and push through!

Hopefully you Vikans out there will help support me in this series. It’s my baby, and I want to share it with the world!

Keep Faith, guys.

And, as was said in KINETICS many, many times, “Assume Nothing.“

– C

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Release! KINETIC HISTORY (Book #3)

KINETICS, New Release Details, publishing, updates, , , , , , , , , , ,

So, I’ve been hinting at KINETICS news for the last several months, and that waiting is about to pay off, Vikans!

*ahem*

The third book in my KINETICS (KNU) saga, KINETIC HISTORY, will be published for your enjoyment on January 31st, 2020!!

KineticHistory_promo

(((Cover made once again by the ever-amazing Designed By Starla)))
(((You want a cover as cool as this one? Find her at her website [here])))

Summary::

Friendships can be complicated…

A month after the Hyndon excursion, Jaden is still rattled at meeting the infamous Faust, once a myth, now a horrible reality. When Jessi gets kidnapped by the demonic soldier, it’s up to her and Kiran to rescue her. Faust’s clues lead them to new information, self-realizations, and reunions with old friends.

However, playing his game can’t be their only option, if they want Jessi back in one piece. When the answer for turning the tables lands in her lap, Jaden doesn’t have faith that she can do it. But, she doesn’t want Faust to get under her skin either.

Faust wants to play a game?

Then he better be prepared to lose.

 

THIS. IS. NOT. A. DRILL!!!!

*squeals*

I’M SOOOOOO PUMPED!!! It’s been a full 2 years since KINETICS #2 came out (January 2018, yikers!), so I’m excited to finally get a new one out!

Oh, and coming back to the ever-awesomeness that is Designed By Starla, she has to be psychic, knowing things that I really didn’t fully tell her, and she delivers something better than anyone could’ve ever pictured.

Follow this with me, okay?

This is a cropped portion of the cover::

KineticHistory_promo_PSD_OG

As you read the book, you’ll understand why I point this out. This character in particular used to be pure and kindhearted, as seen from the right half of his face:

KineticHistory_promo_PSD_Theo

But, if you look at the left side on its own…

KineticHistory_promo_PSD_Faust

… You can see he might not be that kind any longer. And that devilish smirk (*swoons*)… Couldn’t see it when looking at the full face, could ya?

Again, Starla. Is. Magical.
Change my mind.
Come at me, Bro.

So, eBook for Kindle devices is already available for preorder on Amazon [here], if you are the digital, tablet reading-type. But, if the smell of the crisp pages of a new print book are thrilling to you, here’s a special option, just for those of you that find access to the below details and links…

Now, special deal for all you Vikans out there. I’ve created a form that puts you on a list for print copies of KINETIC HISTORY after the print is released. However, this isn’t any ordinary list. This is a special list. Those of you who like signed copies, this list is your shot! Fill it out, and once I get copies of the physical books, I will sign AND personalize copies based on the recipient’s details filled out on the form. Once I’ve got the supply, I will reach out to each of you, confirm you are still interested in your order, get your address to mail a copy / copies to you, and then purchase through PayPal. Copies are only $9 a piece (list price on Amazon starts at $10.99 for the print copy), with an additional shipping charge of $4.

Interested in this deal? The form will only be active until the evening of January 30th at 9 PM EST, after which the form will be locked. So this is a limited opportunity.

Also, I have decided to run this type of deal with the previous books as well. There’s a form for KINETIC REBIRTH (#1), a form for KINETIC MEMORY (#2), and a form for ALL THREE BOOKS!

Pre-Release SIGNED book deals
— Pricing details —

KINETIC REBIRTH (KINETICS #1)
> Each Copy: $8
> Shipping: $4
>> Form closes 2/16/2020
>>>>> [FORM]

KINETIC MEMORY (KINETICS #2)
> Each Copy: $8
> Shipping: $4
>> Form closes 2/16/2020
>>>>> [FORM]

KINETIC HISTORY (KINETICS #3)
> Each Copy: $9
> Shipping: $4
>> Form closes 2/16/2020
>>>>> [FORM]

All 3 Books (KINETICS #1-3)
> Each Order: $25
> Shipping: $5 per set
>> Form closes 3/1/2020
>>>>> [FORM]

 

So, guess that’s about it!

I’ll update the “Kinetics” tab to reflect the new release details in the next few days. If you’d like, look around the rest of my website.

I also have other series to explore, if they sound intriguing enough for you:
>>> [“Kinetics“]
>>> [“Terrara Vikos saga“]
>>> [“The Chaos Accounts“]

I’ve started offering Fiverr Gigs (see this [blog post] on starting a Fiverr business, as well as my [FIVERR] tab, also found at the top bar menu), so maybe I can help some more of you creatives out there do you. I’m on Fiverr [here]. My “FIVERR” tab has yet to be updated from recent changes in Gigs I offer, but should have that fixed soon. If you want to directly see my gig offerings, go to my [profile] and check ’em all out!

Anyway, Keep faith, guys.

Book Three makes you question the stakes even more.

And assume nothing.

Because this Kinetic adventure is just getting started.

– Chrissy

 

 

#Productivity2020 Summary Sunday – 2019/Dec – Week 51

#Productivity2020, KINETICS, New Release Details, Summary Sunday (SS), updates, Writing, , , , , , , , ,

Well, guys, another bust week. Only wrote 2 out of 7 days, and not a ton of words, but at least I’m making some progress! Lots of barriers lately, with family members’ health, my new responsibilities at work, trying to kickstart some freelancing stuff on Fiverr and my new layout business here,… Oh and don’t forget the holiday season!

But, I believe this’ll smooth over soon, and I can try to reach a good streak with #productivity2020 when the new decade begins. I feel a lot is going to happen in my life in 2020. Not sure what or when, but good things are coming for me, and hopefully, you readers of mine too!

Anyway, onto the accountability portion of this #summarysunday blog post::

 

Summary Sunday

2019/12 – December – Week 51 out of 53

Total WC: 952

Projects worked on: “Cast The First Stone” (First Kingdom Files #1)

Percentage of Days Written (by week):

WriteYN-Wk51

Current Stats for week’s Projects::

“Cast The First Stone”

CurrentWCandPercent_CastStone_Wk51

Here’s a snippet from “Cast The First Stone”, the only project I worked on this week::

 

<<< Start Quote >>>

In a flash, her hand flew forward, instinctively stopping a staff of wood swinging for her head. Her eyes opened wider and snapped to the kNightmaster, who now stood just inches from her, putting light pressure against her aching hand. Through gritted teeth, he growled, “You have no idea who you’re messing with, Princess.”

Her own mouth twitching into a small smirk of her own from rising adrenaline, Chrissy replied lightly, “You know what? I think I kinda like it that way.”

<<<End Quote>>>
Aaaaaand, that, boys and girls, is how NOT to talk to a kNight. You’ll understand why when this book comes out. Hopefully sooner than I can picture right now.

Also, big news within the next week. Just trying to prep a few things on my end before making the official announcement, so keep your screens on watch mode. As a hint, it’s KINETICS related. 😀

****

Anyway, I’ll be checking in every Sunday, keeping myself accountable and giving you all updates as to my current status for my Productivity Goals for 2020.

If you’d like to take this journey with me, I will be uploading a downloadable Excel Spreadsheet template for you all to download and join in for the upcoming year. Also, if you want to participate, use hashtag #Productivity2020 on social media (Twitter, FB, Instagram, etc, etc), so maybe we can all motivate each other when one of us hits a low point.

Here’s where you can find me, keep up to date on me, and follow my marathon that is writing for a majority of 2020:

My Facebook Author Page:: https://www.facebook.com/cmcdonnellauthor/
My Twitter Account:: @discoverywritin
This Website/Blog:: https://terraravikos.com/
My Vlogging Youtube Channel:: @RandomChrissy
(^^^Haven’t been active for a while, but planning to change that. Support my Patreon below if you might want to see video content from my creative and twisted mind. Mwahahaha…)
My Nightcore/Knightcore Youtube Channel:: @TerraraVikos
(^^^Above is part of a partnership with Angel’s Lite Creativity; see this [[POST]] for details)
My Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/discoverywritin
(^^^Pledging to me will help boost my confidence and motivate me to write even more. Even a $1 a month would be AH-MAZING!!!)

Strap in, y’all. This is gonna be a wild ride!

Until next Sunday (or sooner, *hinthint*), Keep Faith.

We got this, guys.

We got this.

– CM

 

 

Diving into Uncharted Territory – FREELANCING!

inspiration, KINETICS, New Release Details, Out in the World, Publishing & Writing Career, updates, Writing Process, , , , , , , , , , , ,

So, I’ve added a new tab to this website, if you didn’t already notice. It’s up there… Somewhere in the middle… Yeah, says “Layout Design” or sumthin’? Yeah, that one!

So, yep, I’ve been a closeted layout designer for a few years now, doing the interiors for a lot of my print and eBooks, along with a few others who put their trust in me with their babies.

If you might be interested in giving me a spin with your books, my (minimal) details on my rates are located on that above tab, ofr you can just click [[HERE]].

Oh, and as an FYI, my #Productivity2020 is off to a good start. Four out of Five days had writing in them so far! Yippee!

One more thing…

A New Release announcement this coming weekend! Stay tuned, because I am BEYOND thrilled and excited to FINALLY be publishing new content once again. I’m back in the game, baby!!

Anyway, that’s for my quick update for y’all.

Keep Faith!

And remember, “Assume Nothing”.

– C

Winter Sales – Free eBooks and Discounts and Promos, OH MY!!

KINETICS, New Release Details, publishing, , , , , , , , , , , ,

So, it is now December. The world swirls with holiday cheer, decorating, families coming together… And freezing cold weather. For some. Not mentioning any places *cough* Virginia *cough*

However, as the holidays draw near, I decided to do a quick 4 day Kindle promo for KINETIC REBIRTH on Amazon. Starting today through to midnight PST on 12/7, KINETIC REBIRTH, the first book in my KINETICS series, the Kindle version will be free to download!

Also note that if you are a Kindle Unlimited subscriber already, both the first AND second (KINETIC MEMORY) are enrolled in Kindle Select program, making them free to you guys as well.

Also, starting in early January, I will be temporarily discounting Books One and Two at different rates and promos. This is related to some upcoming news concerning this series, so the promos are a way to pump you all up!

 

Here’s the links to the Amazon pages as of 12/3/2019::

Book #1: KINETIC REBIRTH

Book #2: KINETIC MEMORY

 

By the time this post drops, that link for KINETIC REBIRTH should have been updated on Amazon to be free through to Saturday!

Also trying to figure out timing for a discount promo for Book Two [KINETIC MEMORY], so that might happen soon.

If you want to get ahead of the crowd, you can buy them now, or, if preferred, buy them during some of the upcoming promos.

Also keep an eye on this blog in the coming days. I’ve got a big announcement once all my ducks are in a row, and it’s something I hope you all might be excited about. I know I’m so excited I might explode with happiness!

2020 looks like it’s gonna be a great year, my friends!

So, until later, Vikans. Keep Faith.

– C

Promos, Updates, and releases, OH MY!!

#ChaosAccounts, Career, KINETICS, New Release Details, Publishing & Writing Career, , , , , , , , ,

**Read whole thing for news, as this post is a straight running faucet of the mouth, if you know what I mean**

Howdy, Vikans!

So, I’ve been dark on my blog for a while, and I apologize for that. There are multiple reasons for this. One, I’ve been querying agents for an old series of mine. The first 2 books I’ve polished up a ton of times over the last four years, with the 3rd partially written and a chapter here or there for the final 2 books. If you know math, that adds up to a five-book series. I started it in college, and that first book’s writing consumption comes close to how fast I cranked out KINETIC REBIRTH, both only took about a month to write from start to finish.

Speaking of KINETIC REBIRTH…

Unfortunately, this blog post is happening halfway through one of the two Amazon Kindle promotions, but there’s still time for y’all to act. KINETIC REBIRTH, Book One in my KINETICS series, is currently FREE in Kindle form on Amazon! However, this is only through to July 5th at 11:59 PM. Snag a download while you can.

Also, there’s a second promo pertaining to KINETICS. Through the month of July, the second book, KINETIC MEMORY, is only 99c for Kindle. Links for those 2 two books are within the titles in this paragraph.

Since we’re on the topic of new deals, time to talk future publishing endeavors.

Remember my CHAOS ACCOUNTS short stories? If you need the annoying-frustrating timeline….

-(Account #1) ACCOUNT OF ANXIETY – Released 01/17/2017

-(Account #2) ACCOUNT OF UNREST – Released 02/16/2017

-(Account #3) ACCOUNT OF FRIENDSHIP – Released 04/15/2017

-(Account #4) ACCOUNT OF SECRETS – Released 01/01/2018

As you can see, the gaps get bigger and bigger when it comes to Division 3’s dangerous missions against ChaosBlaze, but the stories will be created and published soon.

HOWEVER!

My 5th CHAOS ACCOUNTS story, “ACCOUNT OF RISKS”, is scheduled for release on all eBook platforms on July 7th, 2018 (This Saturday). Preorders are up on the following sites as of typing this blog post…

[Amazon (Kindle)]   

[Barnes & Noble (Nook)]

[Smashwords (All digital formats)]

[iTunes (iBooks]]

Those are the main preorder links for Accounts #5. This one finishes the first Story Arc, with an ending that will keep you tense until the next installments, desperately wanting to know what happens when Division 3 plans to-

….

Oh, almost just spoiled the ending. Glad I caught myself.

Anyway, another announcement on the CHAOS ACCOUNTS front. As I mentioned above, Account #5 is the end for Story Arc #1, collectively labelled as the “Priming” set. The PRIMING set includes Accounts #1 through #5. I’m aiming for a late summer/early fall release of this collection set.

The best part?

IT’LL ALSO BE IN PAPERBACK!

Yes, you read that right. PAY-PER-BACK.

So, stay tuned for more news on that collections preparation progress over the next few months.

Moving to the writing front, or at least the craft part of it, I’ve finished me and JV’s first book in our 4-book series, but I’m putting it on the back burner for… well, reasons. I have also edited the first two in another series I’m in the process of pitching to agents, and hope to pick the third in that series back up. That series’ #3 currently sits at about just under 38,000, with a minimum goal of 65,000 or more.

I have also started CHAOS ACCOUNTS #6, the first in the next collection set. Both the story and the set are currently untitled, and my word count is very, VERY tiny, but hoping to continue the journey with Division 3, and I hope you all will too.

Finally, the other project I’ll be working on will be KINETICS #4. I don’t think I’ve publicly announced this yet, but the draft for KINETICS #3, tentatively titled “KINETIC HISTORY”. It’s been through my preliminary edits multiple times, and is now a polished draft.

BUT….

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that KINETICS is a series in homage and dedication of my best friend JV, who died a year and a half ago in a deadly car accident. I finished the first draft of KINETIC HISTORY months ago, and I’ve been itching to get that one published, for both my peace of mind, and for you all – my readers- to enjoy as the adventure continues and the plot thickens. There’s just one factor that stands in my way of getting the third KINETICS adventure to publication.

MONEY.

Now, I know what y’all are thinking: “Save up!” It’s not that simple. For starters over the last two years, I have racked up quite a bit of debt. Secondly, sending to my editor and my cover designer ends up spending money as well. Luckily, I cut costs, as I do decent interior layouts myself, but between editing, covers, copies, and marketing/promotion costs… Yeah, it gets pricey.

Add onto that the fact that I’ll be getting married a little over a year from now (yeah, I know I never announced that here, but YAY, I’M ENGAGED!!!!), and money is scarce.

If any of you all like my blog, my writing, or just want to help an author out, here’s ways you can help me:

 

Pledge to my Patreon

–> Patreon is a platform that allows you to support content creators such as Youtubers, musicians, and authors like me, etc, etc. For my pledges, it’s only a once a month pledge, and the prices and rewards vary. Rewards include anything from getting into a selective group on Facebook that will hopefully help me out with ideas or feedback as I find it needed, to free books, etc. You can change or cancel your pledges at any time, but even a pledge for a handful of months would help. If I’ve learned anything in my life, it’s that every little bit helps, because little bits add up FAST. [Patreon link]

Buy my works

–> If you go to [this] link, you’ll be directed to the “My Works” part of this blog. You can also navigate there by the tabs at the top of this website. Each story or novel I’ve published is listed there, with short summaries and hyperlinks to various eBook platforms, or Amazon for print versions. Though I don’t get much from KDP or Createspace when it comes to royalties, it’ll add up.

Donate to my Tip Jar

–> Digital Tip Jar allows you to donate a ‘Tip’ of your choosing, to help fund my projects. Any amount helps. This is also a one-off payment, meaning not recurring/repeating every month like Patreon. This is a one-time donation, unless you want to do more tips for me down the road. The link to my Tip Jar is [here].

Leave reviews

–> This is just a general piece of advice, and applies to any authors in the world that you love reading. Go on Amazon or other platforms where my stories and books are sold, and leave a quick review. Only one or two sentences needed. Reviews are an author’s best friend, and a quite decent motivator to keep chugging along and doing what we do best: writing adventures for you to enjoy. Reviews also improve visibility for the little guys like myself. So, if you like my stories and want to help without breaking the bank, leave a brief review for me. Please. 🙂

Spread the word

–> If you like my stuff, TELL PEOPLE! You could send them a purchase link, give them a borrow from Amazon for the stories that have the capability to lend, or even just loan them your copy. The more people that know about me, the better my visibility will get. Hopefully, I’ll get

a few more fans.

Here’s a treat for you all to close out this (Exhaustingly long) blog post:

For those of you who have read the first two books, below is a small snippet of KINETICS, Book Three. For those of you who haven’t, there aren’t spoilers. Well, at least not too many.

Signing off before the snippet, so keep scrolling if you want to get a sneak peek.

Keep Faith, guys.

-C

////

Snippet from KINETIC HISTORY, “Kinetics, Book Three”::

Jaden heaved a heavy sigh. She fiddled with photos in her hands. Somehow it had ended up in her backpack when they were leaving Hyndon over a month ago. She’d unloaded the large pocket, mainly because that’s where her bag of dirty clothes was. The smaller pockets probably just had gum, or pencils, or feminine hygiene products or other junk stuff. When she decided to clean it out that day, she came across a small stack of photos. Some had crinkles of bad storage for years, others with bent corners.

The photo at the top of the stack of ten-ish pictures had been her focus for the last five minutes. She just stared at it. Her mind flashed between reality of looking at a frozen snapshot of time and the actual scene behind the photo. And no, not just remembering the memories. The memories flashed into her sight, gifting her with re-living those precious moments while not even leaving her bed.

This photo was her at around age eight in third-grade, with her new friends, Lukas and Pip. She just lost Kohei a few weeks earlier, and her eyes still looked a bit puffy. This was their first Fall picnic at their school. The three kids hung off the jungle gym, making nostalgically wild and crazy smiles at the camera. The scene came to life finally, the shrieks of elementary school children making real Jaden wince. She had now been inserted into the scene, with the memory blessing her with a three-sixty-degree view. However, she wondered how much of a blessing this magic really was.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath in and let it out. When she opened her eyes, her surroundings had returned to her guest bedroom in the Second Kingdom’s palace. Glancing at that photo, she sighed and slipped it to the bottom of the stack. The next photo showed twelve-year-old Jaden, pouting as her sister took pictures as blackmail. The photo yet again came to life.

“C’mon, geek-a-zoid, give us a big smile!”

The glare and hatred in Jaden’s preteenage brown eyes said plenty. Muttering under her breath, she snapped, “Leave. Me. Alone.”

Dove’s musically-grating voice replied from behind the bulky red Poloroid, “One smile, Sneaks. Just one smile!”

When young Jaden’s mouth opened to form a pissed, teeth-grinding frown, she revealed the colorful braces that had been drilled into her mouth. She then grabbed the nearest couch pillow and threw it at her annoying older sister. “Buzz off, prick!”

Her sister simply laughed louder and said, “Ooh, I’m so scared of the female Inspector Gadget. C’mon, throw out your extendable arm and punch me.”

“Oh, is that an invitation?” Young Jaden roared, leaping at her sister.

Real Jaden closed her eyes, breathed, and returned to present day. She knew what happened next. Jaden had gotten sent to her room, went to Dove’s room once everyone was asleep, and cut off a lock of Dove’s long, blonde hair. Needless to say, the truth came out quick, and furious didn’t even scratch the surface on describing how angry the older sibling had been. Furious was actually a very generous term.

Post-Smoky and Reality Revelations

Career, KINETICS, New Release Details, Out in the World, publishing, Ramblings, , , , , , ,

So, another Smoky retreat come and gone. A total of 37,000 words over 7 days filled with food, fun, and family. My week I spend with my writerly family out in Tennessee every February is my safe place, my home away from home, where I’m supported, encouraged, and motivated to get those words done. I laughed more this retreat than any other time in my life, and I am so grateful to have them in my life. Thanks for another great Smoky, guys. Is it 2019 yet? 😉

As far as productivity is concerned, I not only completed the first draft of KINETICS #3, but am almost halfway done with Book #4. Hoping to have Book 4 AND Book 5 done by year’s end. However, something hit me hard as I was traveling for countless hours back home

I. Am. In. Debt.

To be honest, I have known for years that I have a spending problem, and now that’s coming to bite me in the butt. I barely have enough to buy my proof copies of updated books, much less author copies, and especially not editing, covers, and all the amazing stuff that makes my published book PERFECT!! I wouldn’t give up my freelancers for the world, but as it stands right now, I may not be able to publish KINETICS #3 in the year 2018 at all. And that goes for a lot of the projects I’d hoped to get into the hands of y’all: my readers. Don’t get me wrong, CHAOS ACCOUNTS #5 will come out this Spring, along with the Accounts 1-5 box set in eBook AND Print, but that’s mainly because it won’t cost much money for those as of right now.

Plus, I’m nearing my Post-Smoky slump, so words are harder to find.

As a result, I have revamped my Patreon page!

I have tweaked reward tiers and my goals for pledge levels. I have added in something special for ALL my Patrons, starting at only $1 a month: I’m going to send snippets or chunks of books I hope to publish full-length someday. ALL my Patrons will get to read these chunks YEARS in advance! AWESOME, RIGHT?

If you want to check it out, [here] is the link to my Patreon Page. Browse around, because the larger reward tiers have some amazing perks on top of the years-ahead serials. 🙂

Maybe if I can get a few more Patrons, it’ll motivate me to keep going. To keep writing and doing what you love, even when back in the monotony of regular adulting. -_-

Hopefully I’ll see some of y’all get added to my Patron list. That’d be pretty sweet. J

Stay tuned, Vikans!

And, as always, Keep Faith!

 

(My Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/discoverywritin )

New Release and FREE short story links

KINETICS, New Release Details, publishing, Publishing & Writing Career, ToTV saga, Writing, , , , , , ,

Good day, Vikans!

And a good day indeed! I have decided to do my official announcement earlier than planned.

25353950_774331536087850_8225048927092445593_n

KINETIC MEMORY, Book Two in my KINETICS series, released over the weekend. I alerted my Patrons and e-Newsletter subscribers to start with. If you want to get this kind of news first, support my writing endeavors on my Patreon [here], with updates and sneak peeks at Works in Progress for as little as a $1/month. Hoping I can branch out into extra cool stuff once I have more Patrons. You can also subscribe to my [e-Newsletter] list as well, and receive email updates about 1-2x a month at most, for updates on current writing projects, upcoming releases, and giveaways I’m going to be having. I will also occasionally be emailing for ARC readers for future WIPs.

Speaking of giveaways, I’ve got one coming up on my Author page on Facebook in about two weeks. Like my [Facebook Author Page] so you can participate. This one will be free signed, physical copies of KINETIC REBIRTH, Book One of KINETICS. So, like my Facebook page [here], or, rather, follow my [Twitter], where I will direct people to my Facebook page when the giveaway contest starts.

Also, I want to share these photos with you all. These were screenshotted this AM Eastern Standard Time, and I can only comment with *SQUEEEEE!!!” These are my rankings for my “Tales of Terrara Vikos” short stories. The first one, “Cross of Faith”, I first published in June 2012 while still in college. That was the start of my author journey, a journey that as of right now includes 3 full-length novels, eight short stories in two short story sagas, and who knows how many WIPs that either need to be finished writing or deeply edited.

I will put links for the “Tales of Terrara Vikos” shorts with the below pictures. Each section below will have the cover, the ranking, and links to where you can purchase them. My shorts are eBook only right now, but hoping to finish both series collections for print soon.

ALSO! Did I mention that the below 4 stories are ALL PERMAFREE EVERYWHERE!! Yes, including Kindle. Maybe, if enough of you download these 4 shorts, I can get bumped to wider categories! That would make my day! Especially as it was my birthday last week. 🙂

 

Tales of Terrara Vikos short stories::

Summary of series::

Join Lucian, Halden, Michael, and Kimberly as they take on challenges in the magical, hidden Realm of Terrara Vikos that even most adults 3 times their age. As Future Realm Leader, Lucian has a nice little target on his back at all time. With his friends in tow, they go through struggles of secrets, love, torture, and grief as they grow through thei childhood. No normal child could handle all the things that happen, but Lucian is no ordinary kid. Whether he knows it or not, he’s the Protektor and has pretty big shoes to fill. The world is depending on him in the near future, but can he last that long in his twisted experiences of his magical, prophetic life?

 

Cross of Faith (#1)

Cross_of_faith

[Kindle]

[Barnes&Noble/Nook]

[Smashwords]

 

 

As of 2018-01-23::

CoF-2017-01-23-AMRankings_7-20

 

 

Trees In The Storm (#2)

Trees_In_The_Storm

[Kindle]

[Barnes&Noble/Nook]

[Smashwords]

 

As of 2018-01-23::

Trees-2017-01-23-AMRankings_7-20

 

 

Blood On a Broken Hand (#3)

Blood_on_a_Broken_Hand_copy

[Kindle]

[Barnes&Noble/Nook]

[Smashwords]

 

As of 2018-01-23::

Blood-2017-01-23-AMRankings_7-20

 

 

Warped Destinies (#4)

 

Warped_Destinies

 

[Kindle]

[Barnes&Noble/Nook]

[Smashwords]

 

As of 2018-01-23::

Warped2017-01-23-AMRankings_7-20

 

 

 

Did I mention they are FREE ON ALL PLATFORMS?! Please download these, and maybe cheer me up as January 31st grows closer.

TheProtektorsReality_400x640_115dpi

Oh, and my first full length novel, THE PROTEKTOR’S REALITY, takes place soon after the events of “Warped Destines” short above, the 4th and final one in my “Tales” saga for my Terrara Vikos universe. Maybe will be able to introduce you to more of that world soon. 😉

Here’s the links to this novel:

[Kindle]

[Amazon Print]

[Barnes&Noble]

[Smashwords]

 

I also have another short story series called “The Chaos Accounts”, which I can find a link to that page [here].

Also, here’s links to my first 2 KINETICS books as well, just on the off-chance you’d like to support them too. They are dedicated to my best friend, who died January 31st last year (hence why I said I need cheering up as the 31st grows closer). I’ve actually inserted her into the series as accurately as I can, and almost all the characters were ones we’d come up with for fun writing and forum-based roleplaying. Both are also in KINDLE UNLIMITED subscription service, if you happen to be enrolled in it and want to take a look-see at these two books. I also have a promotion at the end of the month where the first (Kindle version) will be free for EVERYONE for 5 days. Again, [Newsletter], [Facebook], [Twitter], and becoming a Patron on my [Patreon] are the best ways to keep up to date and as an occasional reminder should you want to wait. Also, Book Two (KINETIC MEMORY) (aka- the one I just released) will be at 99c for only another couple of weeks, so grab your copy while you can!

KINETIC REBIRTH (#1)

KineticRebirth_promo

[Kindle/KU] / [Print]

The mystery of life and Limbo might ultimately be the death of her…

Jaden Walker has her future figured out. Seeing people who aren’t actually there is troubling, but she can handle that. That is, until she meets Kiran and Jessica Theron. The twins reveal three very important details: they have supernatural abilities, Jaden’s hallucinations are actually real dead people, and they want to take her home to her real parents. The twins rip Jaden from her peaceful, college student life into a world of magic and the unexplainable. But Jaden doesn’t just see the dead–she can communicate and interact with them. And someone else is hunting her for those abilities. For Jaden, this rollercoaster of a fantasy story should have remained in its book. Because, now that she’s living it, she’s finding it harder and harder to believe that anybody will tell her the truth. Even her closest friend.

 

KINETIC MEMORY (#2)

25353950_774331536087850_8225048927092445593_n[Kindle/KU] / [Print]

The Past is a complicated place… After bringing Kiran and Jessi back from the dead, Jaden assumed things would get better for her. Even with worries lingering on the horizon, her immediate frustration was dealing with the twins’ deceased father and his arrogant demon who developed a strange fascination with her. When their friend and companion Shalbriri falls ill, the annoying demon has a plan that might just save the Fifth Kingdom heir’s life. However, it requires returning to the twins’ birthplace, a town outside of the Five Kingdoms. With her sister-mother Dove in tow, Jaden, Lukas, and the twins all venture to the run-down village of Hyndon. The longer they stick around, the more Jaden realizes there’s more to the place than meets the eye, and those shadows offer no comfort. The answers they seek lead them to the most unexpected place. There is truth hidden in their parents’ past… but it all leads to a man she wishes was merely an ancient myth.

*****

Also, if you’ve read or will eventually finish reading these or ANY of my works, PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW ON AMAZON! Reviews are an author’s best friend, and I would be eternally grateful!!

 

Well, back to part-time author time. Keep Faith, everyone.

And, as they say in the Five Kingdoms, “Assume Nothing.”

– C