May Update

Sheesh, is this month almost over already?

I’m well overdue for a blog post.

I started a new job with a new company. It’s going very well, I’m really enjoying it so far. It’s been stressful and by the time I get home, my brain feels pretty fried from trying to absorb so much new knowledge. Not going to lie, it’s really killing my writing productivity. But there is still progress happening, as you’ll see below.

Our new dog swallowed an entire glove. Yes, a glove. She’s like a hungry hippo for socks and apparently that includes small cloth kid gloves as well. Which lead to a thousand dollar vet trip to have her stomach and intestines cut open and the glove removed. Then she was forced to wear a cone for a week and eat rice/boiled chicken the entire time. Her habitual ‘hungry hippoing’ is so bad, that we were told by the Vet to get a basket muzzle for her until we can train her out of it. But we are thrilled she’s still alive.

The sequel… so… I changed the title. I had this bright idea a long time ago to go with the directional book titles, “West of Prehistoric”, “East of Prehistoric”, and the third book I’m working on now was going to be “North of Prehistoric”… but after getting the cover back and thinking about it – I decided it would creatively box me in and I didn’t think the directional ‘directions’ of the books were obvious enough. Basically, I had a plan, but I didn’t think anyone would understand the naming except myself. So, after conferring with the publisher, we renamed the book ‘Enter Prehistoric’, which makes much more sense.

Also, I’ve got the sequel back from the editor with changes. I took yesterday off for some appointments and managed to get about 60% of the way through. This step basically involves me reading the entire book, sentence by sentence, looking at errors the editor may have found, or anything that simply bothers me and needs fixing. It’s pretty much my last chance to make any changes before it gets formatted/printed. I’m anxious to get this sucker turned around and in people’s hands. It’s awesome. You’re gonna love it.

Lastly, I dug my ’01 Jeep Wrangler TJ out of the garage. I’ve had this Jeep since 2005 and for many years it was my money put. (When I had any spare money that is.) Then I got married, got a family, got a career, etc and basically money and time was always in short supply. Now, it’s simply time that’s in VERY short supply. To show you how much of a back burner this Jeep has been on, I bought a new $650 set of catalytic convertors over a year ago to have installed. Then I bought a set of Savvy Offroad aluminum rocker guards(very sexy)… they also have yet to be installed. In the last four years, I’ve probably put 15 miles on it. That includes moving it from the old house to the new house. BUT, the work begins on Monday. I’m having the converters installed and the inspection(always fingers crossed when it comes to that). After that, it’s time to pay the devil their dues, and by that I mean a couple years of back taxes on it, then I’m going to start driving it again. But, alas, this is not a Jeep blog, and this paragraph has gone on for far too long.

So, summed up.

Book Two almost in print. Expect by July.

Goodreads giveaway is over.

I think it went really well, over 1,200 people put in for a signed copy and 1,100 of them ‘shelved’ it as ‘Want to Read’. Hopefully all of this will translate into some sales/reads/word of mouth.

As soon as my copies arrive, I’ll send them out to the winners. Which means I should have them in the mail by Sat.

I’ve been warned by my Publisher that these things usually have a low ROI (Return on Investment), and I suppose the only way to see how I truly did is to watch my royalties statement and see if the 2nd quarter of 2021 had a nice bump or not. Either way, it was a learning experience and certainly can’t hurt a fledgling author.

In other news – I’m starting a new job tomorrow morning.

Same kind of job really, just for a different company. It’s rough leaving a place I’ve worked at for almost a decade and going somewhere new, but as I so immodestly tell my former coworkers, my bitter tears of goodbyes are also filled with dollar signs.

And the amount of good wishes and good lucks I received from my old co-workers ought to cover me for a few weeks before I’m on my own.

So, no stress. Yet…. that starts tomorrow.

Well, she’s adorable.

New dog, who dis?

Yep, that’s our daughter’s very dark brindle Bullmastiff puppy. We’ve had her a week and a half now, and we’ve been reminded of all the puppy things we’d forgotten from our English Mastiff… like the crazy sharp chompers they use on you when you least expect it, and they way they pee on everything and poop in places that you’ll step in. And how much work they are, taking outside, feeding, watering, playing, avoiding stepping on, etc.

It’s like having a hairy, rabid human baby in the house.

But man, she’s cute ain’t she?

And so far, she is holding her own with our other giant baby. (I keep trying to get a better picture of them tug of warring, but they move so much!)

Don’t you just want to pet her and smell her puppy breath? (Wife says it smells like chicken salad…)

***

Anyways. On to some Book Info/Author Things.

West of Prehistoric, well, I just got my royalty statement from Oct-Dec 2020 a few days ago. I sold 409 copies, between electronic and print, in three months. That’s amazing. I am utterly blown away by it. I was -hoping- to have moved 300 copies by now, I had no idea that we’d smoked that number back in December. For a brand new rookie author, that is a fantastic start to a new career. Thank you to everyone who bought a copy or read it on kindle unlimited or who supported me by not telling me to get lost when I posted about the book somewhere. I owe you all. And the only way I can repay that debt is to keep writing and try really hard to not write poorly.

The Goodreads Giveaway seems to be going well, over 500+ people are interested in getting a free copy. Hopefully that will translate into some sales.

I started a BookBub Ad which will begin to run tomorrow. That’s a new thing for me, so I’m curious to see how that works out.

I’m also planning on a BookBub Deal, which is a bigger deal than an ad… and a good bit more expensive. But I’m going to hold off on that until the sequel is out.

East of Prehistoric is getting edited and such now. I’m ready to get that sucker back, polished up, and off to print.

North of Prehistoric… the writing continues. I’m excited with where the 3rd book will lead the story and characters.

South of Prehistoric… the notes and general plot continue to grow.

Be a man.

Hunt something. Kill it, cook its flesh, and eat it with your bare hands. Your ancestors would be proud.

Go to a hardware store and pick up an axe or a hammer, you feel that? It’s your inner man calling for you to create something out of nothing.

Be firm and confident in your masculinity, it ain’t toxic. It’s natural. It is who you are. Your chromosomal makeup dictates it.

Work hard. Provide for your family. Take pride in that. Your sweat, your energy, your time, your patience, your struggle – don’t do it for nothing. Know your worth.

In a world of fatherless households, be a father. Teach your kids right and wrong, and how to be better than you.

Own and carry a gun. And never relinquish it to anyone who holds power over you. With it, you are a free man, without it, you are a subject and at the mercy of others.

Stand up for what is right. Even when it’s unpopular and you stand alone. Even when it comes with great cost and consequence. Stand firm on your convictions.

Treat your woman with respect. They are your equal and at times, your better. Neither of you are anything without the other. And you get out of a relationship what you put into it.

Never be silenced. You have a voice. You have power. Use it.

Have honor. It defines you. Let your word be your bond, and never break it.

Don’t be afraid to ask for or give help. We are not alone in this fallen world.

Praise God in everything you do, and trust God in everything that seemingly stands in your way. Nothing in this life matters as much as your Salvation and relationship with the true King of kings.

Embrace who you are. Be a man amongst men.