SoonerCon: A Media Guest’s Retrospective

Yesterday ended my weekend at SoonerCon 26, a local science-fiction/fantasy/writer’s convention in Midwest City, Oklahoma within a short driving distance of my house.  This was my second year being invited as a media guest, which means I’ve written a few books and have done some podcasting, so they allow me to come be part of

Writer Beware: Oyster, Scribd and Smashwords

There is a new website called Oyster that, like Netflix, offers a service for a monthly fee of $9.95: eb00k lending.  After doing much research, I discovered how an indie publisher can list their book on the site and receive money every time a book is “rented”.  However, there are some things to think about before

Vanity Presses in Sheep’s Clothing

I’ve self-published a few books (some more successful than others) and even though I may not have a best seller out there I’m pretty happy selling a few hundred books or so, building a following, and if it takes me years to build toward that best seller, then so be it. If I don’t become

New Podcast Up: NO BATFLEK!!

In this latest podcast I discuss the success that I had with the 5 day free promotion and with Kindle Direct Publishing.  It appears I may have sold a few books through it…or more than a few. We also rant for a while about the recent choice to stuff Ben Afflek’s marshmallowy head into the

Friday Flash Fiction: The Antenna

Allen hated heights. He had tried everything to pick up local channels with little success due to living in such a remotely rural area and now he was standing on his roof carefully fitting yet another television antenna together, sweat pouring down his face. “Honey,” he had told his wife.  “It’s a Saturday and I

Friday Flash Fiction: The Road from Peña Dura

His dark hair, as shaggy and unkempt as his grizzled beard, formed a ring around his beak-like nose and deep set eyes.  His clothes, tattered and worn from traveling for endless miles on foot, smelled of sweat and dirt and the darkness of Peña Dura.  He caught rides on oxcarts, sharing afternoons with chickens and

Friday Flash Fiction: The Room

His eyes flicked open and he rose shakily to his feet, wiping some substance from his face that felt like grease from his cheek with the back of his hand.  He almost slipped on the slick floor, and in the dim light he could see his reflection faintly staring up at him from beneath his

Handing Out Promo Cards at Conventions

I have a wonderful friend who has agreed to hand out promo cards for my new book (which is free) at Dallas Fan Days this coming weekend.  I am blessed with such wonderful friends who would hand out a hundred or so cards to various celebrities, published authors and convention goers. I created this promo

I Am Offering Editing Services

As you may notice, I have a new tab at the top of my blog page.  At the request of several people I have decided to offer editing services to anyone who wishes to have their novel or short story chopped down to a more workable form.  The following are the details: 1.  I will

Some Explanations and Apologies

I have finished all editing and have completed Book 1: The U.S. of After the first installment of This Broken Earth, and fully intended to offer the book for free on Amazon, Nook and iTunes…but they are a corporation, and they want their money.  I tried to publish the books for FREE, but unfortunately since I am