Writing has been going extremely well the past few weeks. And I’m at the fun part in the book where the main characters are riding around in a Willys Jeep shooting kaiju with the pedestal mounted Browning Machine Gun.
So that’s exciting.
It’s like writing something out of a video game.
The book will probably be wrapped up in the next month or so and then the writing of Leap the Dead will start.
In other news, the publisher who had contracted for these books went out of business it appears. Their website has disappeared and they haven’t posted on FB in about a year and a half. Thus, I’m toying with the idea of self-publishing these two. I have this very rational fear of having all my eggs in one basket. (Or all my books with one publisher.) So I might as well learn a new skill set and make some bigger royalty percentages.
As for the West of Prehistoric series, I’ve got a rough idea for the next book. It’d be titled Settling Prehistoric and be all kinds of fun. I’ve set up some cool things in the previous books that I always wanted to go back and revisit.
In personal news, our Bear has turned ten! For an English Mastiff this is quite the milestone. As the Vet said during his checkup, he’s a ‘Super Senior’.
We had a small party for him and sang Happy Birthday. Then he promptly ate the cupcake WITH a candle in it.
Also, a shout out to Henry Rifles for one of their recent instagram posts. As you all know, Jedidiah Huckleberry Smith and his iconic 1886 rifle in .45-70 are a pivotal pair in my books.
So when this popped up, I was promptly tagged by a buddy.
If you aren’t following me on Instagram, I’m on there. Feel free. My handle is ‘authoreriktesterman’.
It’s a great feeling to have something you worked hard on come to life after such a long time. Especially in this case… this book took much longer than typical due to some external reasons and I’m grateful it’s finished and publishable. 🙂
Link is above.
Kindle is out now, paperback should be out within a few hours/day… and audible should be out in a few months.
This is a bitter sweet moment as I leave the world of cowboys and dinosaurs behind to work on some other projects.
I really just want to keep going…
But, writing is a business and needs to be treated as such. Thus, I must go out and gather more readers by writing various things. The good news is that a rising tide raises all ships. By bringing in readers to my upcoming WWII series and the modern day action-adventure series that are in the plans now, I’ll be introducing more people to my work and in turn, to the world of West of Prehistoric.
Which means I can and will return. 🙂
I’ve already been rolling around ideas on how to continue and the series is certainly set up for some more fun and violence down the road.
So, here we go.
Tell your friends about it, buy family members copies, mention it in passing to your coworkers and neighbors, if you can without being weird about it. The more readers the books get, the sooner I can return.
Writing this series has been a dream come true.
And ironically, I believe it was a 4th of July Weekend in 2018 when I first started writing the opening pages for this series. So it’s fitting that this one should come out on the same weekend six years later.
I never thought I’d find this measure of success. I just hoped to write something that didn’t suck that would entertain people. And while these books may not be the next great American novel they’ve done just that… they’ve entertained many a person in a satisfactory manner.
And I’m eternally grateful for you giving my books a chance.
I heard about this Weird West anthology a couple months ago when it first opened for submissions.
It was being held by Ranconteur Press, a relative new comer to the publishing world. But they’ve been selling books chock full o’ short stories like mad, so I figured why not put in.
And beside. Weird West?
That’s right up my alley, alongside West of Prehistoric.
Originally, I was going to write a ‘WoP’ type story. Not directly related of course, since my publisher currently holds the rights to Jedidiah Huckleberry Smith. But of a similar vein. Cowboys and dinosaurs. Woohoo.
Then my wife told me I should try something new. She suggested Sasquatches. (They are all the rage in our little town in the NC mountains. We have a Big Foot Festival every year.)
But with everything going on between my daughter’s health and writing Book 5, it really didn’t appear like I’d be able to write a story.
And it bothered the heck out of me. Because I wanted to do expand a little bit and try my hand at the short story game. And this seemed like the best opportunity I’d have.
Then, on Monday, things aligned. I sat down and started writing… knowing that the story was due on Friday.
Four days. Four days to come up with a basic plot and fill in the details and action.
With the wife’s blessing, challenge accepted.
So, I wrote. A bunch. About 1k words per day, which is a lot for me… for three days straight. Last night, I wrote 2.2k words.
(It has to be between 5,000 – 8,000 words. I hit 5,267 words. 🙂 )
After finishing at about 10pm, I hopped on my personal Facebook page and asked if anyone was still awake who was willing to read my first short story submission.
A few folks came to the rescue. Including my former Platoon Commander from the Marines. He stayed up until almost 2am taking notes then sent them over with some ‘conditions’.
Erik,
I am not an author and have never written anything outside of a 5 paragraph order.
I have been drinking.
I have read your prior work and I think that you are a very talented author. I am proud to say that I know you and even more proud to say that I should call you my brother. The following is my honest and candid response:
Then he proceeded to tear my wonderful little story apart. 🙂
Which was awesome. It was exactly what I wanted and needed. Then I freaked out and typed like crazy to fix it.
And now my story is 10x better.
Summed up? If I had to put it into a quick little blurb:
An unnamed man seeks death and a confrontation with God. Finds Sasquatches instead.
Fun, fun.
If it’s not picked for the Wyrd West anthology, that’s fine. (Really, it’s just my feelings and pride that will be hurt…) I’ll post it up here for everyone to read. It was a great learning experience and neat to try my hand at something other than the WoP series.
For anyone else interested in Raconteur Press, below is the link to their site.
And now feels like a good time to thank my Beta Readers. Not just my old Officer buddy, (Who was the greatest officer I’ve ever known.), but to everyone who has offered to read my stuff first to make sure I don’t look stupid when it goes to print.
That includes, everyone from NC4x4.com and CarolinaGunForums.com.
You guys rock.
And a special shout out to Joel. You ALWAYS read my stuff and give the BEST feedback. And you’re enthusiasm for what I write keeps me going. Thanks Buddy!
I should know by the end of the month if I get picked.
Now it’s time to get back to Book 5, wrap it up, and move on to what I owe Conundrum Publishing. (So excited to write some WWII sea monster and Modern Day Expendables type stuff!)
Oh yes, before I forget.
I grew a magnificent mustache the past weekend. It lasted for about 8 hours before being shaved. But man, it was so cool. I just walked around the house quoting Tombstone to myself.
(You’re a daisy if ya do….)
Have a great month folks.
Thanks for the prayers for myself and my family. Answers and solutions for my daughter’s health are on the horizon and coming our way. And writing will be restored to it’s usual pace once again… one day….
West of Prehistoric has now passed Man Corn: Cannibalism and Violencein the Prehistoric American Southwest in number of reviews and ratings on Amazon.
May not seem like a big deal, but if you search for ‘West of Prehistoric’ on Amazon, that book always pops up below it.
So, yay beating people eating!
In other news, my dad sent me this article a while back and I just got around to reading it. It’s a short article, so I’ll post it in it’s entirety, with some BOLD emphasis added by me for those who like to skim. Growing up as a voracious reader, often reading many years ahead of my ‘educational’ level, I agree with all of what was found. (I think I read Beowulf in 6th grade or something.)
Research has already suggested that opening a book may help improve brain function, reduce stress, and even make us more empathetic. Now, a team led by Joanna Sikora of the Australian National University is looking into the benefits of growing up around a book-filled environment; as Alison Flood of the Guardianreports, the researchers’ expansive new study suggests that homes with ample libraries can arm children with skills that persist into adulthood.
The 2019 study, published in Social Science Research, assessed data from 160,000 adults from 31 countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Turkey, Japan and Chile. Participants filled out surveys with the Programme for the International Assessment of Competencies, which measures proficiency in three categories: literacy, numeracy (using mathematical concepts in everyday life) and information communication technology, (using digital technology to communicate with other people, and to gather and analyze information).
Respondents, who ranged in age from 25 to 65, were asked to estimate how many books were in their house when they were 16 years old. The research team was interested in this question because home library size can be a good indicator of what the study authors term “book-oriented socialization.” Participants were able to select from a given range of books that included everything from “10 or less” to “more than 500.”
The surveys, which were taken between 2011 and 2015, showed that the average number of books in participants’ childhood homes was 115, but that number varied widely from country to country. The average library size in Norway was 212 books, for instance; in Turkey, it was 27. Across the board, however, it seemed that more books in the home was linked to higher proficiency in the areas tested by the survey.
The effects were most marked when it came to literacy. Growing up with few books in the home resulted in below average literacy levels. Being surrounded by 80 books boosted the levels to average, and literacy continued to improve until libraries reached about 350 books, at which point the literacy rates leveled off. The researchers observed similar trends when it came to numeracy; the effects were not as pronounced with information communication technology tests, but skills did improve with increased numbers of books.
So, what are the implications of the new study? Take, for instance, adults who grew up with hardly any books in the home, but went on to obtain a university degree in comparison to an adult who grew up with a large home library, but only had nine years of schooling. The study found that both of their literacy levels were roughly average. “So, literacy-wise, bookish adolescence makes up for a good deal of educational advantage,” the study authors write.
Further research is needed to determine precisely why exposure to books in childhood fosters valuable skills later in life, but the study offers further evidence to suggest that reading has a powerful effect on the mind. And so home library size might be important because, as the researchers note, “[c]hildren emulate parents who read.”
***
So, pretty cool. Teach your kids to read and instill in them a love of reading, and they’ll never be bored, and you’ll be more likely to have a ‘Honor Student’ bumper sticker on your car. Also your kid will turn out better.
I read his Sword of Truth series way back when in the early 2000’s until I caught up to where he was writing then pursued other books. Fast forward over 15 years, and a couple of months ago, I decided to start re-reading them as I’d heard much more had been written. So I started over with the first book, Wizard’s First Rule, and carried on from there. Now I’m on the 7th book, The Pillars of Creation.
Then, this weekend, I heard about his death. Man, what a shame. The guy was an amazing writer, sold something like 25 million books, and did it with a strong touch of Ayn Rand guiding his hand. The philosophical commentary he implemented into his writings was superb, especially about individual freedom.
Ok, yeah it also has a great love story and icky stuff like that. But there’s also some awesome BATTLES and of course, wisdom such as this:
“Cut. Once committed to the fight, cut. Everything else is secondary. Cut. That is your duty, your purpose, your hunger. There is no rule more important, no commitment that overrides that one. Cut. The lines are a portrayal of the dance. Cut from the void, not from bewilderment. Cut the enemy as quickly and directly as possible. Cut with certainty. Cut decisively, resolutely. Cut into his strength. Flow through the gap in his guard. Cut him. Cut him down utterly. Don’t allow him a breath. Crush him. Cut him without mercy to the depths of his spirit. It’s the balance of life: death. It is the dance with death.” – Faith of the Fallen.
I highly recommend reading his books. They are fantastic. (If a bit…. verbose in their descriptions.)
And for fun, here’s a few more great quotes:
“Charity, if you have the means, is a personal choice, but charity which is expected or compelled is simply a polite word for slavery.” – Pillars of Creation.
“Pity for the guilty is treason to the innocent.” – Faith of the Fallen.
“Not everyone is willing to embrace liberty; liberty requires not just effort, but risk. Some people choose to delude themselves and see their chains as protective armor.” – Chainfire.
“Wrong doing must be punished. If not, it will proliferate until anarchy wears the robes of tolerance and understanding.” – Blood of the Fold.
“If something is wrong, it matters not if a thousand men are for it; you must still oppose it. If something is just, no amount of popular outcry should stay you from your course.” – Naked Empire.
“Laugh all you want. I know my own worth and don’t need to prove it to someone who doesn’t know theirs.” – Faith of the Fallen.
“Culture carries no privilege to exist. Cultures do not have value simply because they are. Some cultures, the world is better off without.” – Soul of the Fire.
“Enemies,’ the wizard said, ‘are the price of honour.” – Debt of Bones.
Gunpowder and Ink! 