Time For An Update

I have once again been a little remiss about posting.  Blame Facebook, the nicer weather showing up, the solstice, or where it should actually lie with me.  I have been pecking away at the next book in the series, A New World: Awakening.  I am pleased to say that I am about 3/4 of the way through the draft.  It felt like I was pushing an elephant when I started but it seems to be flowing much better over this past week or so.  I will have to go back and look at the first part and possible rewrite it some.  We’ll see.

When I first started this book, I didn’t think I had enough to write a whole book and I would have to draw on some of what was planned in the next to complete it.  Well, now I’m having to shove stuff off to that book.  Once again, the story has taken control and I’m at its mercy.  A part that I was hoping I could eke 1/3 of the book about has now taken up most of it.  Which leaves me in a dilemma.  There were so many threads that needed exploring from the last book(s) and now they may need to be in the next one.  I think I will be able to cover most of them but one needs its due status as a greater aspect but I think I’ve found a way to guide into it for the next one.

When you ask?  Or maybe that is me asking.  I am hoping to be finished by the end of the month so it looks like early July.  There are a lot of things that could change that time frame – finishing the book for one.  I want to thank everyone once again for all of the nice messages and great reviews.  Each and every one of them are appreciated.  Thank you!

The Summer of Zombie Blog Tour is going well and I hope those of you following have enjoyed the posts and interviews.  I am admittedly lacking in writing some guest posts but will be submitting more in the near future.  I have to tell you the bunch are a great group of folks and great authors.  I am quite humbled to be included in their midst – Ian Woodhead, Armand Rosamilia, Mark Tufo, Dave Jeffery, and Todd Brown.

Well, I guess I’ll keep this short as the story is calling.  I wish everyone a great day and week and hope it’s a prosperous one for all!

John

 

Summer of Zombie Blog Tour

 

I was asked by Armand Rosamilia, a fantastic author is the horror/zombie genre, to join in an event he and Mark Tufo came up with.  I thought it was a fantastic idea and was only too happy, and humbled I might add to be a part.  I do have to give thanks to Mark for suggesting me – again humbling.  There are a total of six authors that will be a part of this event – Ian Woodhead, Dave Jeffery, Mark Tufo, TW Brown, Armand Rosamilia, and myself.

The idea is to be on a different blog page answering questions, doing interviews and guest blogs, and giving away free goodies through the months of June and July.  There is an event on Facebook that will be updated as to where the appearances will be.  I’ve heard talk of some sort of gladiator battles but that is only hearsay.  You might have to talk with Armand about that one 🙂

At any rate, I am hoping to you there.  The event page on Facebook is:
http://www.facebook.com/events/365308606862030/
or you can click on the  event poster and it should take you there.  I do hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend!

Keep tuned for a grand zombie summer!

It Has Started Again!

Well, after a long break, I have begun the next book in the series.  I actually began a few days ago and am about 7,000 words into it.  The usual flow of 5k to 8k a day hasn’t materialized as yet but that will come.  Most of the last few days have been spent with the plot line and the direction I want this book to flow in.  The reason for the long delay in writing has been due to the fact that I didn’t really know how to begin this book with the way the last book, A New World: Taken, ended.  I wracked my limited brain cell space to come up with a way to head back into the plot line, meaning back to a semblance of normalcy and furthering of the plot, with the last ending.  I felt I wrote myself into a corner and found myself saying, “now what.”  But happily the keyboard is in use once again.

I have to say that the gorgeous weather and sunny days have been calling as well.  I ventured out with my laptop in hand the other day to soak in the scarce rays and write.  I have to admit it was hard to stay focused and not just take a nap in the warmth.  I eventually picked myself up and found a little more focus.  It’s hard being inside now with the sun and warmth out again today but the story is starting calling louder than the sun at this moment in time.  Hopefully this means that the usual flow will follow.  Tomorrow, however, is another day.  🙂

The fact that the last book encompassed a story that was only supposed to be part of that book has thrown me off a little on each envisioned book story line so I’ve had to pick up the pieces and reformulate each subsequent book.  I think I have accomplished that and am actually pretty happy with what I’ve come up with.  I hope that transpires to the book though.  I feel a lot of it is filler getting to the next twist in the story.  I told my son and mother that on separate occasions and they both laughed saying I’ve said that with each book.  Here’s hoping they’re correct with this one.

I want to wish every mom out there a very Happy Mother’s Day and hope everyone is having a fantastically fun weekend!

6 Days Later

The fourth book, A New World: Taken is finally out – well, it was published last Friday but it’s been a hectic schedule updating everything.  I would really like to thank everyone who has messaged and/or written reviews.  I have to admit I was a little worried about this book seeing most of it focused on a single event.  The worry was whether it was too detailed and therefore tedious.  I am more than happy to see it well-received so far.  Thank you!!!

I’ll be starting on the next book most likely next Monday.  I have to compile my notes and sort through them seeing some of them were supposed to be in this book.  I do have some great ideas on the story line on have to see how to organize them and how to integrate them into the story.  At this point, I am envisioning anywhere from four to six more books to tell the story although that could change at any point in time.  I’ll just have to see where the story wants to take me.

Again, I appreciate all of the great reviews and feel humbled by the kind words.  I hope the evening and week are treating everyone well!

John

A New World: Taken

Well, the draft and first lengthy edit is complete.  I am sending out the draft to the editing group tomorrow to get their take on it.  Then it’s just a few more quick run-through’s and the fourth book will be out.  Tomorrow will encompass writing the back cover description and coming up with a catchy tagline.  The cover still has to be designed but SM Reine is working her magic on that one.  I am hoping to have a publication date set shortly and looking to have it out within the next couple of weeks.  We’ll see how that pans out.  I wanted to have the draft and editing finished by now but my fingers would only operate at their own speed.

Seeing the story that was supposed to be told in this book didn’t seem to make it in, I will be starting on the next right away as the story is still fresh in my mind.  Yes, I’m throwing a small spoiler out.  I’m only the conduit for the story to be told through and this one took off on a tangent I hadn’t imagined.  What was only supposed to be a small part of the book ended up being most of it but I’m pleased with the result and hoping everyone else will be as well.

Okay, my mind is fried but I wanted to get this out.  I hope everyone’s evening was a pleasant one and I’m off to silence the incessant calling of my pillows.  Have a fun and enjoyable day wherever you may find yourself!

 

John

An Interesting Ride

Well, as the title states, writing this fourth book is and has been an interesting ride.  Once again, the story has taken off on its own and I’m just along for the ride.  What was supposed to be just a small part of the beginning has now turned out to be over half of the book.  And that part isn’t finished as yet.  I’m guessing, and yes, I can only guess at this point, that it will encompass about a two-thirds of the book.  I am thinking about re-titling the book A New World: Taken.  Awakening will have to be the next one.

I apologize to those that were expecting the Awakening story – I know I was.  I’m hoping to have this current one finished and published close to the middle of March.  Hopefully earlier but who knows.  Not to worry though, the awakening story will be told.  Oh please let that be so.

I want to thank all everyone who has written.  Your kind words make my day.  As a side note, if anyone knows or reads this who has the Amazon username pineapple67, I have a question I would like to ask.  I hope everyone has a fantastic day and upcoming weekend!

 

John

Slowly But Surely

Hello everyone,

I apologize for once again taking so long to post anything.  I will endeavor to correct this behavior.  I have been focused to a large extent on the fourth book in the series.  I started on a companion novel dealing with Jack’s past but have shelved that for the moment to continue on with the main story.  It would be very cruel and unsportsmanlike to leave the last book with that ending and not endeavor to continue on.

As always, this book seems to have taken a life of its own.  What was going to be a relatively short part has grown into half of the book.  I’m not sure if this is a good thing or not but it’s what it is.  I have no control over it apparently.  Sometimes I don’t even know why I bother with a story line at all.  The good news is that I am about half of the way through the draft/story having reached 42,000 words tonight.  That’s not too bad considering I was only at 17,000 at the beginning of the week.  I guess the good news would really be that I was finished so perhaps it’s only half good news.  Which, on second thought, would just make this news.

I have to say I’m a little perturbed at the Underworld movies stealing my title.  I had this book title planned for quite some time in the sequence of things and here I see my title displayed on the movie theaters.  I’ll have to see if I stick with the title A New World: Awakening.  I certainly don’t want to seem to be a copycat or riding a coat tail.  We’ll see.

Another bright note has been to see A New World: Return sit at #6 in Amazon’s top rated horror list (the kindle version) for a little while with A New World: Sanctuary climbing to #9 as of today.  Thank you so much for all of your great reviews.  I appreciate each and every one of them.  As I appreciate everyone who writes and lets me know they are enjoying the story and books.  Thank you!!!  I also want to send a thank you out to each and every reader.  You are absolutely the best.  There are so many great authors out there and I feel so privileged and humbled to see my name even remotely close to theirs.

I’m taking a few days off to rest my weary fingers and then I’ll be back at it with gusto.  I am hoping to finish the draft by the  end of the month – yeah, we’ll see about that one – and then that editing thing.  I am having a tremendous amount of fun writing this one, yes, I did the others as well, and hope it can match the others.

I hope everyone has a very pleasant day/evening and enjoy your weekend!

John

At it again!

Well, it’s been a while since I posted last and my apologies for staying in the dark so long.  I’ve recently changed the direction of the next book.  Whereas I was going to write about Jack’s early beginnings before the dreaded flu and subsequent vaccine, I decided to continue on with the story.  I had written a bit into the beginnings and will continue along with it but at a later point.  I had a friend write that part of the fun is the mystique and mystery of what Jack did before which adds to the story.  I realized that if I defined Jack, then that would lock him down.  Plus, we all have out vision of Jack and to define him might ruin that image.  I will write that companion novel but now it will more than likely come out after the story is told.

I want to thank everyone for the wonderful messages and reviews!  And, for sharing your thoughts and ideas.  They are all great and I enjoy getting and reading them.  Please keep that up!

For now, it’s on with the story.  I have the plot line figured out, but like the previous books, that goes out of the window when I actually start down the path.  I like to have it handy though.  I started the fourth book, A New World: Awakening, last night after carefully tucking Jack’s story away and managed to get a little more than 1,500 words into it.  More today.  I am hoping that I can be finished by the end of February but we’ll see how that goes.  Starting a whole new  part of the story is daunting.  But once started, the story takes over and it just flows – well, mostly.

I wish everyone a very happy and wonderful day!

 

John

Question for A New World?

I am looking ahead past the new year to begin the process of beginning the next writing session, creating the plot line, warming up the fingers, and so on, but have a question with what everyone would like to see.  I am contemplating a companion novel to the series depicting Jack’s early years focusing primarily around his military career.  I am thinking this would be the ideal time to introduce that or would you prefer to have the next book out be a continuation of the series.  Feel free to post on FB or on the web site if you have an opinion.  I mean on the next book 🙂

I have several interesting ideas on some of the story line.  My son and I have been up late the last couple of nights hashing over various plot lines – some good laughs were had in several of them.  One of the larger plot lines that was running through this vacuum between my ears took a missile on the wing and went down in a flaming wreck – or so he thinks.  Bwahaha.  The phoenix may raise its head again.  On the whole, I think it should be an interesting series of events and such coming up.  Of course, once I begin typing on the story, it takes a mind of its own and so I’ll be interested as well to see what happens.

I wish everyone a Happy New Year!  Please, stay safe, make the right choices, and I’ll see you in 2012!

John

A New World: Sanctuary Finished!

At last!  It’s finished, scrambling my mind in the process.  I have literally spent all of my waking hours on trying to finish it and get it out by Christmas – which I managed only by an hour or two.  I had only hours to spare.  For the moment, It is on Amazon and Smashwords in eBook format which should propagate out to the other sites within the next couple of weeks.  In the meantime, I will be getting it ready for print which should be available sometime in the first part of January.

Thank you all for your patience!  I know it was supposed to be out a few days ago but, well, that just didn’t happen.  I hope everyone enjoy this next phase of the story!  Now to get some sleep!

Happy Holidays!

John