Free Literature? Well, I say...

Float for free. August 18th and 19th. Amazon.

I recently enrolled my debut e-book Float in the Kindle Direct Publishing Select program, which allows me to promote my novel for a few days every 3 months. The first promotion will take place this Saturday and Sunday in the Kindle store, where I hope millions upon billions of digital readers will flock to get their greedy fingers on a copy.

Well, maybe not that many.

Sales for my book have practically been non-existent recently, but revenue isn't what I'm concerned with at this stage. Right now I just want to get it in front of as many eyes as possible, and making it available for free is a great way to do so. If you're a long-time-reader, no-Float-purchaser, this is the perfect time to check it out. Or, as my dad would type, "Czech" it out.

Oh, and tell your friends, family members, co-workers, colleagues, neighbors, teachers, distant relatives, doctors, accountants, acquaintances, local grocers, enemies, random strangers you see on the street, and that creepy dude on the bus who won't stop looking at you. You can even tell me if you'd like. I'll act surprised.

Float. Free. Amazon. 18th. 19th. Make it so.

What happened to July?

There's no getting around it: Last month my blog was post-less. Dormant. Inactive. Taking a cyber-nap. I'm sure two or three of you were lying awake at night, wondering if I had fallen into my digital inkwell, or if I'd simply run out of words to type.

But I've been busy. Oh yes, rather busy indeed...

Well, sort of. From the end of June until this last Wednesday I've been laying down the first section of the Sons of Sludge rewrite. 8 chapters, 27,000 words - I have a good feeling about this. When I read it I get excited, finding myself wanting more of a story I have yet to finish writing. That's when I know my book has some potential.

The whole first section (basically Act I) follows Zaul's first day out in society, after six years of confinement in his caretaker's basement. It introduces most of the characters and shows you just how miserable his unholy existence is. A small glimmer of hope is discovered at the end of the long day, giving him the strength to continue with his life, and sets the scene for Acts II and III, where things spiral down into a fiery pit of complicated madness. There will be drugs, violence and the consuming of human flesh. Aren't you excited?

My current plan is to finish the first draft by November 1st, with an estimated 100,000 words totalled, which means I need to pump out a little over 6k a week. Then, I'll spend November editing, and hopefully have a finished product by the end of the year. Wish me luck.

In other news, I have discontinued the sale of Float on Barnes & Noble. The large majority of people were getting it from Amazon anyway, and there's an exclusive program I can use through them if I don't make my book available anywhere else. It allows Amazon Prime members to digitally borrow my book from the Kindle Owner's Lending Library, and the ability to offer Float for free for 5 days in each 90 day period. I'll let you know when the promotional days will be, so you can bug your friends and family to snag their copy for the low, low price of nothing at all. Stay tuned.

I hope I can squeeze out another post or two before this month ends, to make up for July. Right now I'm just checking in to let you know I'm not dead, and, more importantly, that I haven't given up on telling the world my stories. I have plenty more tales to spin. Until next time...