Volaria- Out Now! The Calling Audiobook Now Available!

Happy Wednesday, Scribblers! I hope you are all hanging in there and taking care of yourselves. There has been so much happening in the world with hurricane Ian, the protests in Iran, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and not to mention all the political drama happening here at home. I think sometimes we need a break from all that is happening, and I’m glad I can provide a brief respite from the outside world for you. Today I’m excited to share two big announcements with you; Volaria is out now in eBook, paperback and hardback (you heard that right hardback) and the audiobook version of The Calling (Book 1) joins my growing collection of audiobooks. Let’s get into it.

This week, I’m pleased to announce that Volaria is out and has been getting some wonderful reviews (click here). Volaria is a wonderful story and I’m thrilled that folks can pick up their own copy to enjoy. Spectrum Books (who is the publisher for Volaria) offers their novels exclusively through Amazon, so that is where you can grab your copy of Volaria. How this benefits you, is that, you can take advantage of Kindle Unlimited, you can read the book through that service using your credits, which is amazing.

Here is the blurb:

Humans are no longer alone; they have been joined by Arcanes, Lycans, and Vampires. It’s been over a hundred years since the Earth went through The Shift. Where once almost eight billion humans lived, the population now holds at four billion. But that wasn’t the only change. No one anticipated the branching of human DNA to produce new species of humans. Arcanes, Lycans, and Vampires are hidden throughout the genome, awaiting puberty before they manifest distinctly unhuman abilities. Finally, the new species of man were welcomed. No longer studied or treated as outcasts by most. People accepted these new humans and they integrated into society, albeit not easily. This allowed the UN Government to focus on colonizing space, in order to secure a future for all.

Risks remain however, permitting a vampire to feed from you can cause shared memories. Tobin Corsian took such a risk. He resides in a newly reopened district of San Jose, California, where his family’s old home stood. He lives there with his friend Mikel, a Lycan, and his dog Begger. Instead of making his mandatory monthly blood donation at the government blood bank for the vampire community, Tobin decides, with the help of his therapist, to visit Biter, a vampire spa. The spa allows vampires to feed from humans directly while providing spa and sexual services, granting the donor a three-month reprieve from their required donations. Tobin’s encounter at Biter opens a window to his past and an experience he had as a child on the moon. Questions abound as he tries to unravel his past and make sense of his life.

Find Volaria here.

For those folks that love to listen to audiobooks, well this week, it gives me great pleasure to share that The Calling (Book 1) is now available on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes. The Calling joins my other marvelous audiobooks (find them all here); The Reunion, A Dragon for Christmas, T.A.D.-The Angel of Death, and Contact-A New World (Book 1). Getting The Calling in audiobook format has been a long journey, but I couldn’t be more pleased with the results. Vance Bastian has done an amazing job of bringing the characters and story to life.

Enjoy this audio sample here:

Get your audiobook version of The Calling (Book 1) here.

To wrap up this week, I would like to ask if you have read and enjoyed any of my books or audiobooks to please consider leaving a book review. This is so important and you don’t have to spend a lot of time writing it, you can simply leave a star rating or if you want to leave a comment, it can be as simple as: This is a good book, I recommend it. Book reviews really help and lets other readers know this novel or audiobook are worth picking up and reading. Lastly, don’t forget to check out my Book Reviews (click here) and find yourself something exciting to read. Until next time, I hope you pick up one of my newest books and, most importantly, have a great week.

The Calling (Book 1) Audiobook

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. As some of you may have seen, this last weekend I was at my family reunion. It was nice to spend the time with my aunts and uncles and to meet some family who I’ve never met before. I’m so grateful to get to spend these moments with them, especially since none of us know how many tomorrows we have. As typical for a Neu Family Event there was way too much good food, a lot of laughs, and a few card and dice games. My aunt and uncle even played the piano and sang for us, which was a wonderful treat.

So, on the cusp of such a great weekend. Today, I’m very excited to share the news The Calling (Book 1) is with ACX and will be available on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes as soon as they approve the files. As you all know this has been a long road, over a year and a half. However, I couldn’t be more pleased with the work that Vance put into the narration and how the audiobook sounds. Since the audiobook isn’t out yet, I thought I would wet your appetite with a sample from the book.

Give it a listen here.

Here is the book blurb:

Being nobody isn’t Duncan Alexander’s life goal, but it’s worked for him.  He has a nondescript job, a few good friends, and overall he’s content.  That’s until one fateful trip to San Jose, California, where he is ‘Called’ to meet the mysterious Juliet de Exter.  Juliet is a beautiful, wealthy, powerful Immortal who is undertaking ‘The Calling’ – a search for a human to join her world of Immortals.  Inexplicably, Duncan’s calling is more dangerous than any of the Immortals, even Juliet, ever thought it would be.

There is more to this nobody, this only child of long deceased parents, than anyone thought.  When Duncan experiences uncontrollable dreams of people he doesn’t know and places he hasn’t been, Juliet and the other Immortals worry. Soon, his visions point to a coven of long dead witches. The dreams also lead Duncan to his one true love. How will Duncan navigate a forbidden romance with an outcast Immortal?  How will he and the others keep the balance between the Light and Dark, survive vicious attacks, and keep the humans from learning who they truly are?  More importantly, who is this implacable foe Duncan keeps seeing in his dreams?

I will keep you all posted on when the audiobook comes out, and don’t be surprised if Vance and I share some fun little snippets here and there, because we have a few things planned.

A nice short update this week, until next time have a great week.

ARC Copies – Free Books for Reviews

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. Have I got a magnificent offer for you this week, and I believe it’s a win-win for everyone. As you all, hopefully, know reviews are the lifeblood for an author, even more so than book sales. So, in that vein, I’m offering ARC copies of my books in exchange for reviews. The offer is simple. If you will leave a review of one of my books (see the list below) I will be happy to send you an eBook copy in your choice of MOBI or EPUB for free. The reviews must be posted on both Amazon and Goodreads. It really is that simple.

How I’m going to handle this is, you email me, click here, and let me know which book you want and I will send it to you. Then once you post the review, if you would like a second book let me know and once I verify a review has been posted on both Amazon and Goodreads (and if you are on BookBub that would be a bonus, but not required), I will send you your next book. This is your chance to get all my books one after the other. As long as you read and post the reviews, you are eligible to get the second book. There is no rush, so you can take as long as you would like (or until I’m no longer able to continue this offer). Here are the books you can pick from:

The Calling

Being nobody isn’t Duncan Alexander’s life goal. Juliet de Exter is an Immortal who is undertaking ‘The Calling’ – a search for a human to join the Immortals. How will Duncan navigate a forbidden romance with an outcast, keep the balance between the Light and Dark Immortals, survive vicious attacks while keeping the humans unaware? More importantly, who is this foe Duncan sees in his dreams?

 

The Called

The world is changing quickly for Chris now that he’s part of the Immortal Community. The events of his past are finally behind him. But, true magic is gradually taking hold in the world and nothing in the Immortal community is what he thought. Now enemies must work together and longtime friends may not be trustworthy. Who is lurking in the shadows? What does this mean for witches, immortals, and humans?

 

T.A.D-The Angel of Death

When Tad pushes the boundaries of his duties too far, his angel wings are stripped, and he is sent to New York City to live as a human. Lost and alone, he meets Doug, and the two start a friendship that will last a lifetime. But nothing is simple when you’re dealing with a former Angel of Death and a Drag Queen. Could these two cause our world to end, or will they manage to keep the future secure?

 

Contact-A New World (Book 1)

On the cusp of the greatest announcement humankind has ever witnessed, Todd’s personal world is thrown into turmoil when his estranged brother shows up on his front porch with news of alien ships heading for Earth’s orbit, holding a race called the Nentraee. Will this be the start of a new age of man or will bigotry and miscommunication bring this small world to its knees and final end?

 

Conviction-A New World (Book 2)

With Todd’s new appointment as Special Envoy for Terran Affairs by the nentraee, his goal is to build bridges between both people. However, this position brings with it a new set of problems that not only he, but his new allies must overcome. Will humans and nentraee learn to work together despite mistrust and threats of more attacks by a new global terrorist group, or will the terrorists win?

 

My goal for this promotion is to get as many reviews as I can, as I build up to the launch of Conspiracy-A New World (Book 3) and Volaria. Both books are due out later this year. Getting these additional reviews will help more readers find me and my works, and, I’m hoping, make the launch of each of these new books as huge as possible. At least that’s my goal.

There you have it, that’s it for this week. I hope you’ll consider the bargain and share this with your friends, because any friend of yours is a friend of mine. Well, that’s all for now. Until next time, have a great week.

The Called - Book Launch

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. It’s here. Today I’m happy to share with you, that my newest book; The Called, is here. This is the highly anticipated sequel and conclusion to The Calling. So many people have been waiting for this book to come out and finally it’s here.  Today I’m sharing all the details about The Called with you.

The Story:

The world is changing quickly for Chris now that he’s part of the Immortal Community. With the events of his past finally behind him, he’s still having visions and true magic is gradually taking hold in our world. There are new challenges that the Immortals must face, but Chris is still new and has no real standing in the immortal community. Learning that nothing in the Immortal community is what Chris thought and now having to face new threats, how will his new world unfold? Old enemies must work together and longtime friends may not be trustworthy. Who is lurking in the shadows? Why are they here? What does this mean for witches, immortals and humans?

Can Chris’ visions even be trusted given recent events, and how easily his mind is manipulated? With Juliet, Amanda, and Kirtus by his side they have to prevent the immortal and witch community from being exposed. Can they trust the local witches that are there to assist them? Can they trust their fellow Immortals? New friendships are made, and longtime alliances are called into question. How will The Called defeat these latest threats, and what does it mean for our world?

The Cover:

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 The Reviews:

“Chris is now a different person. After what he went through in the previous book, the changes in his body, and his romantic life, he’s a more confident, more mature characters. But a new threat is rising, and the alliances inside the Immortal Community are changing. Helped by his visions of the future, he foresees something terrible coming.

I don’t want to spoil the plot because there’s a lot going on with twists and turns. The writing is beautiful as usual, and the characters very likeable.” — Goodreads Review


“This book was enjoyable, especially in the second half. There’s a lot of stuff happening here, and I won’t go into detail about it. I liked Victor the most to be honest. I liked how the author wrote the story and was able to keep my interest in the story till the very end.”— Goodreads Review

Where to buy your copy:

Find your copy from these on-line retailers here.

Have a NineStar Press account (and you should) find the book here.

Want a signed copy find that here.

***

That is all I have today.  I hope you enjoy The Called it’s a wonderful book and I’m very proud of it. If you have read the book please, I encourage you to leave a review. Reviews make a world of difference not only to us authors, but to future readers.  Well, that’s it. Until next time have a great week.

Am I doing too much, or not enough?

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, here we are another week into 2021 and these last two months feel so 2020, but you know what we are making progress and things are getting better. We need to keep our spirits up because we’ve got this. Look how far we’ve come and what we have already survived. Now if you recall, last week I shared with you some announcements (click here for the blog post) and that got me thinking. Am I doing too much, or not enough? I really don’t know.

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This last week I was a guest on WROTE Podcast, if you haven’t checked out the interview here it is for you to listen to, and really you need to listen to it.  We had a blast. However, Baz asked me a question that stopped me dead in my tracts; when do you sleep?

For a second, I froze, I didn’t realize until that moment how much I’ve been doing.  Let me break it down here, so you have some context:

  • I work full-time, Monday -Friday 7:30am – 4:30pm (that’s my day job)

  • I write part-time. Currently I have the following: The Called will be launching April 2021. I have Conspiracy-A New World, Book 3 with my Editor. I’m in various stages of three different works in progress: A Sci-Fi/Urban Fantasy mashup (55,000 words or 205 pages), an Alternate World Urban Fantasy (8,000 words or 33 pages), and an alternate world story (nothing written yet, but characters and story ideas laid out and set to paper).

  • I’m currently involved with two virtual cons; Rainbow Space Magic(RSM) happening March 12th – March 14th, which is an LGBTQIA Sci-Fi and Fantasy Con for readers and authors, check out the information here. IQARUS Book Con is a conference that features all kinds of genres of books and is open to anyone who wants to learn more about great authors, books and writing (happening May 8th) find out more here.

  • Then I’m part of a writers group Bay Area Queer Writers Association (BAQWA) that meets once a month, and we host virtual readings and other book related activities. You can find the group here on Facebook.

  • And for my writing, I manage my website and blog, a Twitter account, a Facebook Page, an Instagram account and now my YouTube channel.  All of which take time to provide and create content for.

  • This doesn’t include any other virtual events (or public events when aloud)

So, yes there is a lot going on, and yes, I’m busy. But here is the rub, what does all this translate to, honestly, not much. If I’m being completely honest, book sales are stalled out and a lot of the time I feel like I’m spinning my wheels; not getting anywhere.

Another author buddy of mine, commented, “with all you’re doing, your book sales should be through the roof.” My response was, “not so much.”

I guess, what this got me thinking is that maybe I’m not doing the right things. Maybe, I’m spreading myself too thin. I’m not sure. All the books and videos I’ve read and watched about being an author and engaging with people say to make it easy for people to find you, to engage with readers where they are. Well, my audience is everywhere. Readers have found me from all the places I’ve mentioned.

What do you think? Am I doing too much? Or, not enough. Do you have suggestions or ideas? Of everything I mentioned above what resonates with you? Do you enjoy the book readings I post on YouTube? Do you enjoy my blogs? What about the content I share on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook? Would you rather I not do any of that and focus on pumping more stories out, keeping in mind that I’m at the will of my publisher so even if I wrote a new story every six months the books are still going to take a year or more to publish.

I will admit, I get tired and I seem to be going every day. In fact, today, I have two zoom meetings, one about RSM and the other my BAQWA group. Then tomorrow I have a meeting with the folks who are working on IQARUSBookCon. However, on the flip side I know several other authors who do way more than I do. They are amazing. These authors pump out the books, engage everyone on social media, have huge followings which leads to great sales. They are incredible and that would be an excellent goal to have.

I do want to make one thing clear, I’m not trying to complain or whine, well maybe a little, I understand how blessed I am. I only want my books to be read and enjoyed. I want to know that there are people out there who love my work as much as I do. I really don’t do all this for me (well I write the stories for me). I do all the social media, the events, cons, etc. for you and to help others like you find my novels, so everyone can, hopefully, enjoy the works and see themselves reflected in the stories. After all, everyone wants to be seen and heard. And we all want to be the hero of our own story.

There you have it, Scribblers, that is my writing world in a nut shell this week. Thank you for taking the time to read this and to continue to support me. I’m curious, what do you think about all this? Let me know in the comments below. Please consider sharing this post on your social media sites, it really does help, as does clicking on this little heart below. Until next time have a great week.

Writing Update and Book Announcement – The Called

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, I hope you all had a great Valentine’s Day and President’s Day. Reminder if you can get the vaccine please get it. In the mean time I hope you are wearing your mask, washing your hands, practicing your social distancing, and more importantly staying safe. I have been so encouraged hearing that the US has passed the 50 million vaccine mark and that hospitalization are going down. There is still a long road ahead of us, but we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Enough about that. Today I wanted to share my book announcement and a couple of writing updates.

Like the title says, The Called is on it’s way. This is the sequel to my internationally award-winning debut novel The Calling. The Called is schedule to be released on April 19th and I can’t wait.  Here is the blurb from the book… so spoilers if you haven’t read the first book The Calling (and why haven’t you read The Calling yet? You really need to, buy your copy here or get your signed copy here.):

The world is changing quickly for Chris now that he’s part of the Immortal Community. With the events of his past finally behind him, he’s still having visions and true magic is gradually taking hold in our world. There are new challenges that the Immortals must face, but Chris is still new and has no real standing in the immortal community. Learning that nothing in the Immortal community is what Chris thought and now having to face new threats, how will his new world unfold? Old enemies must work together and longtime friends may not be trustworthy. Who is lurking in the shadows? Why are they here? What does this mean for witches, immortals and humans?

Can Chris’ visions even be trusted given recent events, and how easily his mind is manipulated? With Juliet, Amanda, and Kirtus by his side they have to prevent the immortal and witch community from being exposed. Can they trust the local witches that are there to assist them? Can they trust their fellow Immortals? New friendships are made, and longtime alliances are called into question. How will The Called defeat these latest threats, and what does it mean for our world?

This story is going to pick up right at the end of book one. In fact, the last chapter of The Calling, is the first chapter of The Called (Find out more about both books here). So, there will be no time jump. I’m proud of this duology and I can’t wait for folks to be able to pick up their own copy and enjoy. Also, in The Called we are going to expand on some popular characters from The Calling and introduce some fantastic new characters in The Called, which I’m thrilled to finally add into the story.

Here is a beautiful graphic that will give you an idea of the feel of The Called :

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Also, as I hope many of you have seen by now I’ve been working on my YouTube channel, click here. I’ve been cleaning up the channel, making it more user friendly, organizing it, updating content, and adding the various engagements I’ve had: including appearances on OUTLook Video, LocalLit 2020 as well as some other fun readings and events that I’m able to share.

To celebrate my revamped channel, I’ve set up a challenge, if I can get 250 subscribers (clearly a lofty goal) by April 19th I have something really fun planned. The surprise will coincide with the launch of The Called. Help me spread the word and meet this goal.  I know with all your help and support we can reach 250. In the meantime, I’m going to be adding more readings and other content to my channel so I hope you will follow me there, plus you get to see me in my natural habitat, my home.

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As a reminder on March 12th – 14th I will be participating at the Rainbow Space Magic Conference. This three-day virtual event is packed full of great content for readers, writers, and anyone who loves books. Learn more about it here.

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Also, on May 8th I and several other amazing authors will be holding the first ever virtual IQARUS Book Con. This international event is open to everyone. We will have panel discussions about writing, marketing/social media, podcasts, vlogging, editing, etc. Also, we will host both live and video readings from authors of romance, horror, sci-fi, contemporary, all sorts of genres, so there is something for everyone. Check it out here.

Well, Scribblers, that’s all for this week. If you want to learn more about what I have coming up next check out my events page here. I love hearing from folks so please drop me a line in the comments below. Please consider sharing this post on your social media sites, it really does help, as does clicking on this little heart below. Until next time have a great week.

Virtual Book Reading

Hello Scribblers and a happy Wednesday to you all. This week, well this last weekend, in case you haven’t heard yet, I was part of a virtual book reading with one of the writers’ groups I belong to; the Bay Area Queer Writers Association (BAQWA). There were six of us reading from our various works. We had a blast.

There was a little something for everyone. We had readings from romance, fantasy, vampires, and even an essay about South Africa. The reading, and our readers were quite the mix.  If you missed it check it out by clicking here.

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To learn more about BAQWA and our group of authors click here.

For the virtual book reading I read from my debut novel The Calling. If you would like to view the reading (which I would love) check it out below.

Don’t forget I have several books out right now, not just The Calling. You can find all my works here.

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That’s it for this week, I’m keeping it nice and short. Next week I’m having another amazing guest author here for chat so keep an eye open for that. Check out the reading and learn more about the amazing authors from BAQWA and their works. Is there something you would like me to read from for my next book reading? The Calling was requested by a fan, so if there is a book of mine you’d like me to read from let me know in the comments below. Until next time, please stay safe, wear a mask, support each other, and practice social distancing.

Updates from Shelter-in-Place Land

Hello Scribblers. Wow! My last blog post was on March 25th that seems like a lifetime ago. My family and I are now on day 30 of our shelter-in-place order. I’m an essential worker (technically) as I work for a nonprofit that has been working the front lines of the pandemic; delivering food, preparing meals, providing mental wellness, helping the homeless, etc. Physically I’m not on the front lines, however, I’ve been working the back end and supporting our agency efforts, which is a lot of phone calls and emails with other nonprofits to track down necessary items so our work can continue. Unlike several of my coworkers, I’m working from home and only going into the office on rare occasions.

As for my husband, he works from home about 50% of the time, but because of his job he is also an essential worker (keeping his companies lights on, paying of staff, etc.) When he goes into the office he works alone, so he doesn’t come into contact with others.

When it comes to my 80-year-old father he stays at home 95% of the time, every day he takes his car for a short drive and about once a week he will go to the grocery store and pick up food. He wears a mask and does what he needs to do to not come in contact with others.

Now, before you yell at me about him going out. We tried to keep him home, but short of handcuffing him to his chair, there is no way to do it, so we mitigate the risk, for him, as best we can. He wears a mask and he goes to the store during the early morning senior hours. He washes his hands and uses non reusable bags (i.e. paper)

I’m happy to report we are all healthy, which at this point is the most important thing.

On to something lighter.

I have two announcements today. First, I’ve been working on two new writing projects. One is about a lost continent off the Pacific Coast, and the second is about a future where vampires, lycan, humans and witches all live together. Both ideas have been fun to work on. I’m not 100% sure where either story will land, but it’s been nice to jump back into writing.

Lastly, for today, my publisher is continuing its 40% off sale on all eBooks, including mine. If you need something to read, please click here and check out all the amazing books available. Read more about them below.

That is all for now, my lovely Scribblers. Do you have any ideas for keeping busy while we are all at home? Share them below. Please remember to drop me a heart/like letting me know you stopped by. If you want to help support me and my writing efforts please consider sharing this post with folks to help me get the word out, especially about the book sale, it’s a great deal for eBooks and you are supporting a local business and local artists. Until next time I hope you stay safe and have a great week.

Book Anniversaries

Happy Wednesday Scribblers, I hope everyone is having a great week. This week I’m keeping my blog post short with a quick announcement. If you don’t know, this month The Calling celebrates it’s two year book anniversary and Contact (Book One in my A New World series) celebrates it’s one year book anniversary. Since, you can’t have an anniversary without some kind of celebration or gifts I wanted to let you all know that I have something special planned starting on Monday.

Keep your eyes posted for an announcement on Monday January 27th and see what I have in store to help celebrate these amazing milestones in my writing career and to celebrate these two award winning books.

Remember to like this post below and please if you want to help support my writing and me share this blog post on your social media platforms or email it to friends or family  who you think might find me and my novels interesting. Your support really does help and I greatly appreciate all the love you send my way. Got a question for me leave it below in the comments or you can email me at info@mdneu.com. Until next time have a great week.

New Decade New Year. Happy 2020

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Wow it’s 2020, who would have thought we would make it this far, yet here we are, despite all the negativity and doomsday prediction. I hope everyone had an amazing holiday season and got to relax and enjoy. If you haven’t noticed I took a few weeks off to relax and refresh. I don’t think I feel that relaxed or that refreshed, but it was worth the shot.

This week I thought I would look back at all that occurred over the last decade… well maybe not everything, but definitely at my writing career and maybe I’ll peek into what’s ahead.

Back when 2010 started, I was wrapping up the first draft of what would eventually become the first two books of my A New World series, Contact and Conviction (find Contact here and find Conviction here). To say that draft was rough would be an understatement. It would take fourteen more drafts/revisions and nine more years before the book release and recent win as the 2018-2019 Rainbow Awards for Best Gay Alternative Universe/Reality & Sci-Fi / Futuristic novel (check out the details here).

In the early 2010s, I had no real idea what I was creating or what I wanted to do with A New World (what I called Contact and Conviction at the time). I had thought about maybe someday having A New World published, to see what happens, but I never thought it would become much. I also didn’t believe my writing would become anything either. So, much of the early 2010s I muddled along and wrote off and on.

Around 2015 I got this idea of a vampire novel, something different, something that I hadn’t seen before. I spent a whole lot of time playing the ‘what if’ game. What if vampires had to live in our modern society. How would vampires adapt with all our technology; cell phone, camera phone, social media, etc. I spent a lot of time playing with those ideas. What started as an idea for a story took shape and turned into The Calling (find it here), which after three years would become my debut novel released in January 2018 and it would go on to come in third place in the 2018-2019 Rainbow Awards for Best Gay Debut novel (check out the details here).

In early 2017 I had finally polished The Calling enough to where I felt comfortable in sending the manuscript to publishing houses for consideration. Up to this point, A New World wasn’t ready for anyone to look at. I was more confident with The Calling, so I started shopping it around. I received more rejections then I care to remember, but in May 2017, I got an offer by NineStar Press (learn more about the publisher here and check out all the other amazing authors) to publish The Calling.

It was an amazing day. If felt like winning the lottery.

After that initial offer by NineStar Press I dug back into A New World as well as worked on two short stories that I thought might be fun. One was The Reunion (check it out here) and the other short story was A Dragon for Christmas (find it here), both short stories were published prior to The Calling to build up buzz for my debut novel. The Reunion came out in Oct 2017 and A Dragon for Christmas came out in December 2017.

Between 2017 and 2019, I began work on my author platforms. I created a website, started a Facebook Fan Page (find it here), added a Twitter account (follow me here), began playing around with Instagram (click here) and Youtube (find it here), all in a vain effort to allow myself and my new works to be found. Additionally, I got to know several local and out of the area authors, several of whom I’ve interviewed here on my blog. During this period I’ve had the honor of being interviewed on Outlook Video (find the video here and here, I was on the show twice). In addition, I’ve had an article written about me in the San Jose Mercury News (check it out here), I’ve been on the WROTE Podcast multiple times (find me here), as well as The Writescast Network (check it out here). Divine Magazine did an article on me talking about my writing and my Dyslexia (you can find it here). Howmetown Authors published a piece I wrote titled, “Marketing and Public Relations” (find it here).

Sadly, during this time, my family had some trying times. We lost my father-in-law Jim in December 2017. Also, my sister was diagnosed with cancer in 2017 losing her fight to this awful disease in September 2019. These losses were difficult and made what should have been exciting happy moments bitter sweet.

In 2018 while these good and bad things happened to me and my family, I continued to write, I worked on the edits to A New World cutting that one story into two novels; Contact and Conviction. Also, I went to work on my novella T.A.D.-The Angel of Death (find it here), which was released in September 2019 about the same time as when my sister passed away.

Through these last ten years it has amazed me how much my life has changed and how blessed I’ve truly been despite the bad times.  When I glance into the future and wonder what these next ten years are going to bring, I can only hope I’ll be equally as blessed.

What I do have planned in 2020? First, a few author friends and I will be launching the Bay Area Queer Writers Association (BaqWa) (you can find our landing page on Facebook here) to bring our works forward to the greater Bay Area and hopefully beyond with public readings and showing up at local events. Also, I’ll be releasing the sequel to The Calling tentatively titled The Called. I have finished the third installment in my A New World series, book three, tentatively titled Conspiracy. I’m hoping Conspiracy will be released either at the end of 2020 or early 2021. Currently, I’m writing a new fantasy adventure book about a lost continent. Along with all of that, I’m working on lining up more readings and interviews as well as perhaps being a guest host on a podcast. Lastly, I’m looking at some other media opportunities.

Well, my lovely Scribblers remember to like this post below (click on the heart) and please help spread the word by sharing this blog post on your social media platforms it really does help and I greatly appreciate all the love and support you send my way. Got a question for leave it below in the comments or you can email me at info@mdneu.com. Until next time have a great week.

2018-2019 Rainbow Awards

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Happy Wednesday Scribblers have I got some amazing news to share with you this week. Over the last year several of my books have been part of the Rainbow Awards, and this weekend the award winners were announced. I won in several categories and received some wonderful Honorable Mentions, check it out:

The Calling - Two Honorable Mentions and came in third place for Best Gay Debut Book (click here to view all the winners).

Here’s what the judges said:

"This book, by far, was the best read. The emotional connection between the characters and story were paced very well and the story, as a whole, was awesome. I hated to see this end with no word if there will be more."

"I enjoyed this interesting twist on vampires, and particularly liked the idea of the choice of light or dark. The final showdown rocked, and had me turning pages. The characters are interesting, although they feel a little emotionally detached at times, yet this does mesh with the perspective of the MC narrator."

Buy the book here.

Contact-A New World Book 1- Two Honorable Mentions, Winner for Best Gay Alternative Universe/Reality & Sci-Fi/Futuristic, and came in twelfth place for Best Gay Book (click here to view all the winners).

Here’s what the judges said:

"This is a well written story and pulled me in from the beginning. I like sci fi stories that keep me wondering and this is just what Contact does. Can’t wait to see what happens in book two."

"An excellent book that I'd highly recommend to readers of the genre it had me laughing crying and praying for the characters. A book I thought about often for a long time after I'd read it."

Buy the book here.

Conviction-A New World Book 2 - Three Honorable Mentions, Winner for Best Gay Alternative Universe/Reality & Sci-Fi/Futuristic (click here to view all the winners), and came in third for Best Gay Book (click here to view all the winners).

Here’s what the judges said:

"I loved this story. It was fortunate that I had already read the first book Contact, as this next installment flows seamlessly into the next section of the tale. Todd is the perfect 'everyman'. I completely connected with the character, and Neu had me turning pages wanting to discover how he fairs in his precarious new position as an emissary to an alien race, and in his burgeoning new interspecies romance! There are a lot of parallels here to be tied to our current world, which made the book even more appealing, and without being preachy, really sent home the message of kindness, love, bravery and doing what's right. I highly recommend not only the book but the series."

"I read this book in one session. A well-rounded sci-fi story that I could imagine as a movie. "

"The two books in this series are easily among the best books I've read in 2019. They have everything I want from a Sci-Fi book. An emotional roller coaster with twists and turns and world building. They are excellently written."

Buy the book here.

As you can imagine, I couldn’t be more please. If you want to help me celebrate, you can share this news via the share button below. Let’s get the word out so folks don’t miss out on these award winning books. If you have questions or comments please share them below and I’ll jump back over and respond. As always don’t forget to share and like this post. Until next time have a great week.

Thank You for all Your Support

Happy Wednesday Scribblers. I hope you are having an amazing week. This month marks my third year as a published author. Crazy, right? This week I thought I would take a moment and thank you all for being around and taking the time to support my writing. There are a lot of authors out there and if you’re a reader, I’m sure you have a stack of books fighting for your attention. So, thank you for adding my books to your stacks.

Another thing I wanted to do this week is share some amazing reviews and graphics that have been created for my books and short stories. If you post a review to a public forum, there is a chance a portion of your comments (no names are associated with the review) will be used for promotional materials, which I think is pretty amazing. So if you’ve taken the time to review any of my works, check out the graphics to see if you can see if your comments are being used.

Here are some pieces that have been created for each story.

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What do you think? Tell me in the comments below.

As a reminder book reviews are incredibly important, so if you’ve read a book and you want to help my works reach more readers please leave a review on one of your favorite platforms. Another way you can help get the word out about my works is by sharing my posts and encouraging your other readers you may know to buy my books. If you live here in the US and want to signed copy, you can always order one through my website (click here) and I would be thrilled to send you a signed copy.

If you would like to buy any of my books you can find them here.

NineStar Press: https://bit.ly/2VroALu

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2U3Kx65

Barnes & Nobel: https://bit.ly/2NxRypZ

iTunes: https://apple.co/2EneUKQ

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2IDBcxk

Remember, you can always leave me questions below, or you can contact me directly (click here) I always respond to your questions and comments as best as I can. As always, don’t forget to share and like this post. Until next time have a great week.

Am I Really a Fraud and a Failure?

Wow! A new month, October no less. This time of year happens to be my personal favorite. However, these past few weeks a blanket of sadness has covered me and my family as I have lost my sister, Dawn, to cancer. It has been a challenging time, and each day has both highs and lows. These past few weeks have seen more lows than highs, and I have taken many moments to stop and ponder my writing and what I’m doing. I debated quite a bit about this blog post, but I finally decided I would post it and share some of my thoughts about this writing adventure I’ve been on.  So, here we go.

This month is special as back on October 23, 2017 my first short story was published by NineStar Press. The story in question, The Reunion, it’s my first short story and if you aren’t familiar with the plot here is the brief blurb:

It’s been twenty years since the quiet Midwestern town of Lakeview was struck by tragedy. But every year on the anniversary of the event Teddy returns home for ‘The Reunion’. Lakeview, like Teddy, has secrets and not all mysteries should come to light.

This time period was special for a different reason a darker reason, it was also around this time that we learned that Dawn had a cyst on her neck that needed to be removed. We would find out later that it was cancer.

This is me with my sister Dawn. I often say that my husband, Eric, is my biggest supporter, and he is, however, Dawn was my fist Champion and Protector.

This is me with my sister Dawn. I often say that my husband, Eric, is my biggest supporter, and he is, however, Dawn was my fist Champion and Protector.

When it came to my short story, I remember being thrilled. Of course I told Dawn, and she was as excited as I was. I wasn’t able to believe that anything I wrote would ever be published. She of course never doubted me.

I still have these feelings two years later, but now she is no longer here to remind me that I am good enough.

With The Reunion coming out I knew I had one more short story coming out in December 2017, A Dragon for Christmas (which was dedicated to her and my niece), and in January 2018 my debut novel, The Calling would be launched. So much was happening, and it was crazy roller coaster ride. At the time I had a group of wonderful people around me helping me work through planning a launch party and helping me set up all the back end details that are associated with being a Writer. With these amazing people including my sister and the rest of my family, I could be more excited.

It was great.

Fast forward to today and here I am, I have four novels out, and two short stories. I’m currently working on the edits for the next novel in my A New World series Conspiracy and I’m working on the edits for the sequel to The Calling. This is all amazing. I’ve accomplished something that hundreds, if not thousands, of people are never able to do, and I’m grateful. I count myself as a lucky man.

But as I mentioned, Dawn isn’t physically here to share in my joy anymore and that is difficult.

By now you are probably wondering why the title of this post is called Feeling like a Fraud and a Failure. Well, because if I’m honest I feel like a fraud and a failure, since October 2017 I’ve learned a lot about the writing and publishing world. I’ve also learned about and met so many amazing authors who tell these stories that touch your soul, and here I am writing fluff. I’m not complaining, I love my stories and I love the writing I’m able to share with people, however, my writing is mind candy, it doesn’t really do anything for you, it’s enjoyable for the moment and just as easily forgotten when you are finished.

I think part of all this, has to do with the loss of Dawn, I know she is still around me spiritually. She is still, of course, cheering me on, but I miss being able to call her and talk to her on the drive home. Somehow talking to her reminded me of my specialness.

I never set out to be a serious, hard-hitting author who tells stories that make you think. I’ve only wanted to write stories that are fun and take you on an adventure.

Now, I sit here wondering why. Why not write something profound? Why not write something with meaning? Why not write something that will change the world? Why not write something that makes a difference? The answer I come up with is that I’m a fraud. I’m not a real author, real authors write those kinds of stories, but I don’t. I’m the empty calories you enjoy for the moment then when you’re finished you wonder why you ate that candy at all.

I think, as writers, we all want our work to have some kind of meaning. Some kind of impact on people or on society. Part of my writing journey has been listening to other authors share their stories some write to make a difference, some write to be famous, some write to make money, some write for fun.

Why do I write?

I like to think I write to tell good stories that people can relate to, but looking back on what I’ve written I wonder are they good stories that people can relate to? Are they anything more than just a random collection of words on a page that a few people will enjoy? Does it matter? Mostly, I wonder why I feel like I’m a fraud and a failure when I’ve accomplished more in my writing in the last two years than most people will every accomplish?

Dawn, was older than me and I always wanted her to be proud of me. I know she is, I saw it the last time I went to visit her and brought her copies of my books and she cried, because she was so excited. I know she supported me in what she shared on Social Media about me and my silly little collection of words.

Please, forgive this whining and this moment of reflection I don’t want anyone who reads this (all five of you, including my husband) to think I’m unhappy or ungrateful, because I’m not. I wake up every day look at the copies of my physical books sitting on their little stands and remind myself of what I’ve accomplished and how blessed I really am.

I think, today, as we are getting closer to my family’s private memorial for my sister, all of this is hitting me hard, because it’s all becoming more and more real to me.

Thank you for letting me share this. I shall step out of the light and move on to brighter topics and continue to remind myself of what I’ve done. I won’t just be doing this for me, I’ll be writing for my sister too, because I can’t let her down, she has faith in me and my writing and that is pretty powerful, well, at least to me. Tell me do you ever feel like you are a fraud or a failure in what you do? Do you have moments of doubt and indulge in a little self-pity? Do you have someone in your life who reminds you to keep following your dream? Share your comments below and let me know that I’m not the only one who feels like this.  In the meantime have a great week and see you next time.

June 2019 Writing Updates

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Happy Wednesday Scribblers, this week I wanted to shine the spotlight on some things I’ve been up to. As you know I’ve been focusing a lot on other authors, so today I wanted to share my updates.

It’s been a busy six months. As you all know, I’ve released two new novels. Books 1 and 2 of my A New World series. Contact (book 1) and Conviction (book 2) have done amazingly well and have gotten some outstanding reviews. Both books can be found on Goodreads lists of Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Books and Best Science Fiction Books (click here), which is exciting as this is the same list with such incredible works as Dune, 1984, and Brave New World. I’m honored that my novels are even on the same list as these amazing works.

Also, within the past six months I’ve launch a store here on my website (click here) where, for now, if you live here in the United States you can get signed copies of my novels currently out in print (The Calling, Contact, and Conviction). And, until the end of the month you can get 25% off my books by using the promo code: PRIDE19 at check out. It’s a wonderful way for you to support me and to get a signed copy of my books especially if you can’t make it to one of the events I’m attending.

Speaking of events, two weeks ago I was at SacPride. It was a very windy, but fun event and I got to meet a lot of folks and connect with readers and fans. I had a blast.  A big thanks to QSAC for the invite. Check out the photos here.

Not only have I been attending events, but I’ve been featured in the media; Outlook Video, Wrote Podcast, Divine Magazine, and The Writescast Network and that’s only since January 2019. To see all my media interviews click here.

Coming up next on the engagement front, me and three other area authors will be at the Billy DeFrank Center (click here) on August 16th talking about LGBTQIA writing and what our experiences have been in the writing community. It should be a great conversation so if you’re in the area I hope you can come by. Also, we will sell our books, with a portion of the proceeds going to the DeFrank Center to support their mission and their work in the LGBTQIA Community. You can find more info here.

On the writing front, I’ve finally finished all my edits for book 3 (Conspiracy) of my A New World series and the book is off to the publishers for them to pick up (keep your fingers crossed).

Also, in my writing world. I’m wrapping up the edits for T.A.D.-The Angel of Death so you can look for that novel coming out in the Fall 2019. To find out more about my newest novel click here.

One final writing update is that The Called (book 2 of my The Calling series) is finally getting wrapped up. I should finish the first draft in the next few weeks, which means from there it goes into the editing process. I know a lot of you have been patiently waiting, so I’m looking forward to getting this book out to you hopefully in 2020 or early 2021.

Well Scribblers that is all I have for you this week. Remember, if you have questions for me leave them in the comments below or you can email me at info@mdneu.com Don’t forget to show your love by liking and sharing this blog post with other readers. In the meantime have a great week and see you next time.

A New World-Contact has Arrived

Happy 2019. I hope you are all having a wonderful new year. Can you believe we are already almost to the end of January? Wow!

This week A New World-Contact has arrived, and it’s already gotten some amazing reviews. Check them out here on Goodreads and here on Amazon. It’s incredible and I couldn’t be more thrilled. As I mentioned last week, I have a lot of virtual and personal engagements planned for the next several months. You can click here for all the details I shared last week.

I wanted to share what is coming up next. Well, A New World-Conviction will be released on March 11, 2019 so you won’t have to wait long for the next book. Find our more about it here. Also, coming out on June 24, 2019 I have my urban fantasy T.A.D.-The Angel of Death. Learn more about TAD here. It will be a busy few months, but I’m excited and it is my hope you will enjoy what I have in store.

I haven’t forgotten about The Calling-Book Two, which has the working title of The Called. I’m getting the first draft finished and as promised this will be the last book of the series, but you never know what other stories will come out of this universe.

Also, regarding my A New World series book three Conspiracy is finished and working through Beta reads right now.

Those are all the current updates I have right now. Next week I’m honored to bring to my Scribble Page author Barbara Russell (find out more about Barbara here), she will talk to us about her current and upcoming books which I can assure you are great reads.

If you have questions please share them in the comments section below. If you want to help me out, please share my website with your friends and family especially if you know anyone who loves Paranormal writing or Sci Fi books remember to recommend me. The other way you can help me out is to leave a review of my books. Reviews really make a difference. Check out Amazon reviews here.

Until next time have a great week.

October Updates and Special Announcement

Wow, can you believe we are already in October? Crazy right? This week I wanted to provide a personal and writing update. Also, I have an exciting special announcement so stay tuned (this is a Scribbler Exclusive). Let’s get to it shall we.

The last few months a lot has been going on with my writing and me. If you’ve been following along then you know we have been amid a bathroom remodel. We can now see light at the end of the tunnel. Thank goodness! It hasn’t been that bad, but it’s exhausting. I’ll be thrilled when construction is over and we have, not only, our bathroom back, but also our house (if you want to see the images from the construction check them out here and here). Once everything is complete, I’ll provide a final update with photos for you to check out.

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When it comes to my writing, I’m working on The Calling – Book 2, which I’m toying with naming… The Called. There are a couple of reasons for this name, which I can’t get into now, no spoilers and all, but the name is significant within the story. Also, it was one of the names suggested by a reader over on my Facebook Page (check it out here). What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Overall, the writing is going well and my goal is to have the first draft finished by the end of the year, which is ambitious, but we’ll see. Should be a piece of cake, right?

Oh, did you see the character interviews I have with two popular characters from The Calling? If you want to know more about Victor Rey (click here) and Juliet de Exter (click here). You need to check them out, they were a ton of fun and you might get hints into what may be coming in The Called - Book 2 in The Calling Series.

This month I will be getting the edits from my Editor for A New World – Contact Part One (learn more by clicking here) which is slated for release on January 21, 2019. As with The Calling there will be a launch party here in San Jose. If you’re in the area or can make it out this way stay tuned for more details in the early part of January 2019. I hope to see you there, last year it was a lot of fun… just saying.

Believe it or not, I have a second book coming out next year T.A.D – The Angel of Death (learn more by clicking here) it be released on March 11, 2019. As with A New World – Contact there will be many more details as we approach launch day.

I’m looking forward to sharing these new characters and new universes I’ve created with you.

Now for my Special Announcement. This is a Scribbler’s Exclusive… drum roll, please…

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I have a limited number of copies of The Calling, which I will personalize, autograph, and send out to folks in the US for $20. This is a print book, and the cost covers the physical book and shipping (standard USPS mail nothing fancy). To be part of this limited exclusive offer of The Calling First Edition please email me at info@mdneu.com and we can work out the details (name, mailing address, and payment). If you are outside the US and would like to take advantage of this amazing deal, please email me and let’s see what we can work out. I will keep this offer open for a limited time (I’m not saying when it will end). And remember for right now this is a Scribbler Exclusive, so take advantage of it now before time runs out and I open it up.

Well gang, that’s all I have this week. Coming up later this month, I have a couple of amazing interviews so keep an eye open. Remember to like and share below. See you all next week.

Writing Update – June 2018

Happy Wednesday Scribblers.  I hope you are all having an amazing Summer. This week I thought I would provide my writing updates and share my cool media spotlights. Let’s jump in, shall we?

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I’m excited to share I’ve been moving forward with The Calling–Book Two. The outline is complete, and the writing has started.  I’m four chapters in and I’m digging how things are going. I don’t want to give anything away, but I will share this. Now that the threat from the witches has been neutralized in Book One (have you read The Calling-Book One? If not click here) we are left with magic seeping into our world. Which could lead to a big shift in our reality. Will we see more mystical beings?  And what was Chris’s vision?  Are we heading for a supernatural war?  You must wait to find out.

Do you have some amazing names floating around in your head? If you do, I need three background character names (two men and one woman) they are the new house staff on Juliet’s estate.  If you can think of some good names and want a chance to win a free eBook copy of either; A Dragon for Christmas or The Reunion, check out my Facebook Fan Page for more details (click here). The new characters will appear in The Calling-Book Two. 

Finally, I want to share my media spots for the last month. Yep, I’ve been making the rounds on both blogs and podcasts:

Frist, I was featured on Nicola Markus Edits; we talked about writing and the editing process.  It was fun and I hope folks take a minute to check it out (click here).

Second, How Author’s Work had me on their podcast. It was a great conversation. We chatted about writing, publishing, workflow secrets, tips and tricks, and we talked about my books.  Andrew and Paul were amazing hosts and I hope to join them again. To listen to the interview click here.

That is all for you this week. Short and sweet. Don’t forget sharing is caring. If you know anyone who loves paranormal and fantasy books share my books and my website with them. You can also share this Scribbles Page with friends by clicking the share button below. Until next week have a great week.

What is the Hardest part about Writing a Book – The Marketing

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Recently I was asked; What is the hardest part about writing a book? Without hesitation, my answer was marketing. This is something I’ve been thinking a lot about. I’m not the only one either. Most authors consider marketing in one form or another. Especially after your book has been out for a while. Sales start to drop off and all the excitement of the launch has worn away. So now what?  How do you continue to get your book noticed?

There is no one answer and things can be even more challenging for non-romance gay books.

Here’s the thing. How do you market a non-romance gay book? Gay Romance is a huge market and everything gay seems to be lumped under that umbrella. Last week I found out that my book The Calling is 96th on the Best Gay Vampire Book list (click here), which is part of Best M/M romance featuring gay vampires… um what? I thought my book was a vampire book, not an M/M romance.

Don’t get me wrong, this is exciting and I’m so thankful and grateful especially since I’m a new author with only a few works published. You can find them all here. This free publicity is amazing and I’m hopeful it will be helpful as well, especially with marketing.

However, anyone who has read my book knows it isn’t a gay romance. That’s not what I wrote, yet that is how it is classified. This is a bit of an issue because there is this thing called false advertising and I never want to be criticized for that.

How do I market a non-romance gay book?

I did a Google search asking that question. All that comes up is how to market a gay romance and if straight authors should write gay romance. It definitely defeated the purpose of the question.

So, I went back to the Vampire lists, and I found other lists. Such as Best Vampire Books from “New” Authors, (click here). The Calling is 482nd. Go me! One of the other lists that made me chuckle is Great Vampire Books that Aren’t Twilight (click here). The Calling is 382nd. Also, The Calling is 23rd on the January 2018 MM Releases list (click here).  So, I’m using this news to create a bit of a buzz about my book. I’ve sent out a Facebook post to see if I can get more people to vote for The Calling on those lists. On May 1st I sent out an email blast to my subscribers to see if they would vote for The Calling on these lists.  All to move my book higher on these lists.

Notice, I’m only talking about The Calling and not A Dragon for Christmas or The Reunion. That is because I’m trying to figure out what works so I can duplicate it for these books. This might also be an issue. Should I be marketing all three together?  I’m not sure.

Now back to these Goodreads Lists. Why are they important (or why do I consider them important)? Because to be lumped in with such books as; Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles), Dracula, the Sookie Stackhouse Series, ‘Salem’s Lot, and, even the Twilight Series? Tells potential readers that this book has substance. It also means that The Calling (and soon to be The Calling Two) even though they have a gay main character are of the same caliber as these amazing works and not a vampire sexcapade. This is a difficult stigma to break considering that Gay Romance and Gay Erotica are so popular. It is also what most people imagine when you mention you write LGBTQA Fiction. Ugh... but that whole topic is for another day.

Why these lists, well they are some of the best free marketing, they can help drive sales, and they get my book noticed.

The Calling being number one in any of these categories or being in the top 100 allows me bragging rights and is something I can advertise. Trust me, I will be.  Right now I’m working on ads to capitalize on these lists and this news.

Some additional marketing strategies I’ve been doing: Getting more reviews. Lining up interviews and speaking opportunities. Having fellow Authors on my Scribbles Page. Trying to be more engaging on Social Media (not talking about my books but other topics). Joining Author Groups were we share ideas about marketing and public relations.  

So, yes, the hardest part about writing a book is the marketing. It’s not the writing or the publishing (although both take time and are a lot of work).

Do you have any suggestions on ways to market non-romance gay book? Do you know anyone who loves vampires and witches send them the link to my book (click here)?  Let me know what you think in the comments below.  Until next week have an amazing week.

April Writing Updates

Scribblers!  I hope you’re all doing well today.  I figured I would provide a few updates today and see where this takes us.

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Update Number One: Last week as some of you may have seen I was a guest on WROTE Podcast.  We had a great conversation about writing, marketing non-gay romance books, and how gay is cross culture, cross race and cross economics.  If you haven’t checked it out click here to go to the show.  It was a lot of fun, so go listen to it you’ll enjoy it.

Update Number Two: This last weekend I finished the first chapter of The Calling – Book Two. What you haven't read The Calling yet (click here to get your copy) As a special treat for you today here are the first four paragraphs for you to sink your fangs into.

I sat with a glass of brandy between my hands focusing on the fire in Juliet’s office. The oranges, reds and yellows danced around the logs releasing a warmth that barley penetrated my worried exterior. The crackling sound tickled my ears as the scent of burning oak lingered in and out of my conscious.  A knot tugged the back of my neck. What was this new vision? Worse yet, what did it have to do with me. Not to mention Juliet, Kirtus, Gregor, and the other Immortals.

“What are you thinking?”  Juliet’s gentle voice pulled me from my thoughts.

How long had I been like this? A minute, a day, a year. I wasn’t sure.  I turned from the fire.  Kirtus sat next to me on the sofa his coat removed, replaced by an air of worry. Gregor’s tall solid frame blocked one of Juliet’s bookcases. All of Juliet’s tombs and books, several of them personal journals of her long life, sat there. Would they be able to unravel this new vision? This new mystery.  They were little help last time. I sipped my brandy hoping it would take the chill from my soul.

I caught Juliet out of the corner of my eye: patient as always. She sat with her ivory pant clad leg crossed and a glass of red in her hand, but deep in her eyes there was unease. Despite her worry, in moments like this, she seemed so young. Nevertheless, behind that façade of youth was the power of an Immortal who had been around for 1650 years. No one should ever underestimate her.

Keep in mind this might change and, of course, I had to remove spoilers from the last book. You never know know who might be reading. I suggest you keep an eye out because I may share more of the story as I write it.

Update Number Three: Next week (May 1st) I’ll be taping an interview with the guys over at How Authors Work.  Check out their recent podcast here.  It should be a lot of fun. We’ll be talking about the writing process, publishing, and all that. I will keep you posted on when the show airs.

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Update Number Four: I’ve been invited to take part on a panel of LGBTQ authors for Pride Month. The event will be on June 25th. County Supervisor Ken Yeager is slated to kick off the event. It should be a lot of fun and as the event gets closer I’ll be sharing more information.  If you’re in the area I hope you’ll be able to stop by.  Again, more details to follow.

Update Number Five: Over the last several weeks I’ve been working on some marketing materials for The Calling.  I can’t wait to share these with you. I think they are turning out great.  So, again more info to follow.

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Update Number Six: On a personal note I wanted to share with you all that I’ve picked up two new books to read. I can’t wait to dig into them.  One is 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson and the others is Bones and Bourbon by fellow NineStar Press author Dorian Graves. This is Dorian’s debut novel so go check it out (here is the link) we’ve been chatting about her book and I’m excited to read it.  Once I finish her novel, I’ll be giving it a full review here. In addition, I want to see if I can get Dorian over to do an interview. Here is where you can find Dorian, go show her some love, she’s amazing find her here. 

Well Scribblers, that’s all for this week.  Have a great week.  Did I miss something?  Is there something you wanted me to mention but didn’t?  Let me know down in the comments below.  Also, I was thinking about doing another ‘Five Things About Me’ blog.  Lastly, give me a heads up if that is something you want me to do again (here is the last one) and if you have any personal questions for me.