2014 In Review

So, it's now the end of 2014, and time to look back at my goals for the year, and see what it was that I completed...

1. Finish and publish my new Aston novella Fallen.

Fallen has been finished, and once we have some cover art nailed down, it should be published in the first quarter (I'm hoping in time for my excursion to ConDFW in February). Sadly, didn't quite make it this year.

2. Finish and publish my new Aston novel Resurrection.

Only finished the first draft on this one (now titled Life and Death). Perhaps I can get this expedited in time for my (hopefully I'm going, but still haven't heard from the organizers...) trip to ConQuest in May.

3. Publish another Triple-Shot.

This is one of the goals I actually did finish in its entirety...and if you haven't already picked up a copy, be sure to check out Payback and its companion stories.

4. Finish the next two novellas in the Max McCannor series.

Lyndon Perry and I have both been neck-deep in other projects for most of this year. Although I've been able to get the next installment, tentatively titled Runaway, started, it hasn't gone anywhere so far.

All in all, didn't get a lot completed toward the original goals, but hopefully 2015 will be a bit less hectic on the personal front, and I can get some momentum going. Looking forward to setting up a new post for 2015 tomorrow...

Sales Update - December 2014

It's been another six months since my most recent sales update in June, so I have some updated numbers. Here goes:

Heroes Die Young also recently went into self-published status after contract termination, similar to Friends in Deed. Like that title, I'll stick with the total across both version in future updates, but will be separated for this one. The previous version sold 1 copy since June (the transition happened around September or so), while the new version has sold 12 copies, for a total of 480 sales (print and e-book total), which means 13 copies have sold since June (for a total of around 2 copies a month over the past six months). This compares to 25 copies sold in the December 2013 - June 2014 range, so sales are a bit down. September was the six-year anniversary of its release, so just under 80 copies per year.

Friends in Deed is chugging along at 134 copies (print and e-book total), which means that 9 copies have sold since December. This compares to around 25 copies during the previous reporting period (which also includes some of those self-accounting issues on the original version). January marks the five-year anniversary of this one, so the average is just over 25 copies per year.

Seeker is struggling along at 97 copies (print and e-book), so only 5 copies have sold since the last update (compared to 8 copies during last June's update). December is the 4-year anniversary for this novel, which means we're running just under an average of around 25 copies per year).

Dead or Alive has sold 101 copies, which means 3 copies have sold since June for a total of just 1 copy every other month over the past six months, compared to 15 copies over the previous twelve months. This title came out in February 2011, which means that we're seeing an average of about 25 copies a year.

The Cure has now sold 108 total copies (print and e-book total), so 1 copy has sold since my past update, compared to 14 copies during the previous update (a significant decrease over the past year, even). This book has been out over 3 years (the anniversary is in July 2011), so I'm seeing around 35 copies per year.

Death Brings Victory was released three years ago this past March, and 70 total copies have sold, meaning 6 copies have sold since the last update, compared to 4 copies during the previous update. This puts it on track with most of my other novels, at just over 25 copies per year.

    

I now have four Triple-Shot collections out, with the first having been released in November 2011, the second in July 2012, the third in September 2013, and the fourth in August 2014. 107 copies have sold, so 21 copies sold since my last update (versus 9 copies from the previous update). Breaking this down, 56 total copies of the first have sold (7 since the last update), 28 of the second (4 since the last update), 18 of the third (5 since the last update), and 5 of the fourth.

I also have my collaboration with Lyndon Perry, Escape. This title has been out a year now. I haven't gotten an update from Lyndon on all of his sales, but counting the last numbers I had from him and including my own personal sales, 16 copies have sold, so 2 copies have sold since June, for an average of just over 1 copy per month.



Now for the analysis of this latest period:

Since my latest update (June, except as noted above), I've sold 60 books compared to 114  books during the previous update for an average of 10 books per month.

And so I have a statistic when people ask (and quite often they do), the latest "total sales" number now stands at 1113 copies (counting all titles). I wish I could say I was glad for this number, but comparing it to other authors I know (which they say you should never do), it just makes it obvious why my motivation has been in the toilet as of late. Such is life, I suppose.

So, until next time, enjoy the statistics, and good sales to us all!
Thanks for stopping by!

The Next 90 Days

So, it's been about another 90 days since my last update. Sadly, after completing my first draft of Life and Death, things just fell flat. I began working on a couple of projects, and then around the first week of October, everything stopped.

To be fair, life's circumstances got involved to a large extent, although in the past, that hasn't really stopped everything, just slowed it down a bit. Still, these specific circumstances have been fairly invasive, so who knows for sure?

Motivation has been in the tank, which is likely most of the issue. I start looking at things as a benefit-to-energy-expended ratio. In other words, why continue to put out so much effort at something that gains me nothing? Perhaps that's a bit short-sighted, but as I grow older (having reached another birthday during this period), I start to wonder how much more time I should continue to spend at this pursuit...

Now that I'm in the final stretch of the year, I do have some time off work, so we'll see whether I can get my final batches of editing done on both my novella Fallen, as well as the next Aston series novel, Life and Death. Combining that with my upcoming release of The Dirty Dozen short story collection, maybe things will finally turn the corner. Maybe the start of a brand new year will give me a fresh outlook on life (to be fair, 2014 has been a really crappy year).

So, who knows?

HDY Giveaway

In case you missed it, I'm conducting a giveaway to celebrate the recent release of the (second edition) paperback version of Heroes Die Young. Enjoy!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Heroes Die Young

by T.M. Hunter

Giveaway ends November 27, 2014.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Monthly Goals - November 2014

For those who missed it back in January, I set up the writing goals I aim to accomplish in 2014. Right after writing that post, I then read Dean Wesley Smith's post about how to be successful at your writing goals.

This past month, I've felt like a sloth by hardly getting anything accomplished. Thankfully, I had the forethought to adjust my goals accordingly (I guess), so things look a little better than they were. Here's how I did against my October goals:


1. Complete final draft of "Inoculation" - Completed, and included in the new short story collection
2. Finalize paperback version of the Heroes Die Young second edition - Finalized, and proof copies are on their way.
3. Finalize new short story collection - All put together, and attempting to come up with a cover concept for The Dirty Dozen
4. Plot out two new short stories - Not Started

And now, the goals for November:

1. Write 3,000 words on my new novel, tentatively titled Healer
2. Finalize new short story collection
3. Plot out two new short stories

Here's to everyone striving to accomplish their writing goals for 2014!

Monthly Goals - October 2014

For those who missed it back in January, I set up the writing goals I aim to accomplish in 2014. Right after writing that post, I then read Dean Wesley Smith's post about how to be successful at your writing goals.

Life's circumstances have been even worse this month than they were last month, but even so, I was able to get a lot of writing-related work completed this month. That included meeting my daily word count goal every day this past month (continuing the trend from July, not even counting another 9 days or so at the end of June). Here's how I did against my September goals:

1. Write 6,000 words on Life and Death - Around 8,800 words completed, and finished the first draft
2. Write 2,000 words on the next Max McCannor novel - Completed the first chapter, around 1,700 words (and currently waiting on my co-author)
3. Complete final draft of "Inoculation" - Not completed
4. Finalize paperback version of the Heroes Die Young second edition - Finished all the interior work. Need to work with my cover artist for the rest.

And now, the goals for October:

1. Complete final draft of "Inoculation"
2. Finalize paperback version of the Heroes Die Young second edition
3. Finalize new short story collection
4. Plot out two new short stories



Here's to everyone striving to accomplish their writing goals for 2014!

90 Days

So, I just finished (on Friday) 90 straight days of meeting my daily word count, and wanted to give a recap. Now, I work full time at a day job, so my free time is limited. Maybe yours is, too. You wouldn't think that a low word count each day would add up, but it certainly seems to.

So, I generally set a monthly word count, and it gets divided up by the number of days in a month (I have a spreadsheet to keep track). On most months, 10,000 words ranges around 325 words per day. Mind you, there are days when I get much more done, when the words keep flowing. But if I'm struggling on a particular day, or my free time gets eaten up by other things (family and other obligations), I still get at least the minimum. Once I've finished with the writing for the day, I can also turn my attention to other writing-related activities, such as formatting my manuscripts for publication, and submitting them for publication.

So, what did I get done in these last 90 days with such a low word count goal?

-35,551 total words written
-Over 25,000 words written on my next Aston novel, Life and Death and finished the first draft
-Finished two short stories, which rounds out all the pieces for my next collection
-Published my fourth Aston West Triple-Shot (with one of the two stories mentioned above)
-Published the second edition (e-book) of Heroes Die Young 
-Formatted the paperback version of the Heroes Die Young second edition, for release later this year
-Plotted out the next installment in the Max McCannor series

So, this past weekend, I decided to take a couple days' break from the streak. But now I'm going to get back in the swing of things once more and see how far I can get in the next 90 days or so.

SFFS: A Final Snippet From "Sacrifice"

It's time for another week of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday (and don't forget to head over to the SFFS main site to check out all of the other authors this week). For those who haven't already seen my multiple mentions, my brand new Triple-Shot is out. This week, I'll be posting a continuation of my previous snippet from "Sacrifice," which is one of this new Triple-Shot's featured stores. Read and enjoy, and be sure to check out the entire Triple-Shot over at Amazon or Barnes and Noble!

I lifted an eyebrow. Maybe I’d been wrong. “You keep it all hidden?”

Marjorie guffawed and I found myself taking an involuntary step backwards. “You’ve been sent here to be cured of your disease.”
I scowled. “Excuse me?”

“Alcoholism. It controls your every action. You’ve been sent here so that it can be defeated.”

I and my alcoholism had come to a mutually beneficial understanding long ago. It helped me through the low points of life, of which I had many, and I kept it more than adequately satisfied. It had been my best, and longest, relationship ever. Other than a few spots where my drinking had ended up getting me captured by those who wished me harm, or worse.

Marjorie held a hand toward me. “You can conquer it with my help.”

I held both hands up in front of me. “I think I’ll just leave now.”

Her stare bore down into my soul. “Suit yourself. Too bad, though. We were just about to sit down for mealtime.” She clapped her hands twice, and a line of men entered through the room’s back door, carrying tray after tray of cooked meat. They placed them on the long wooden platform that I’d originally thought was a bar. The aroma alone made my mouth salivate.

I looked back at the older woman, whose sinister grin had returned. “Unfortunately, these meals are reserved for those who have chosen to follow me.”

So, there's the end of our set of "Sacrifice" snippets. If you want to find out what happens next, pick up a copy of my latest Triple-Shot. And of course, as always, if you like what you see, pick up a copy of all of my other short story collections as well.

SFFS: Yet Another Snippet From "Sacrifice"

It's time for another week of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday (and don't forget to head over to the SFFS main site to check out all of the other authors this week). For those who haven't already seen my multiple mentions, my brand new Triple-Shot is out. This week, I'll be posting a continuation of my previous snippet from "Sacrifice," which is one of this new Triple-Shot's featured stores. Read and enjoy, and be sure to check out the entire Triple-Shot over at Amazon or Barnes and Noble!

“Nonsense,” Marjorie insisted with a pleasant tone directly opposite of the death lock she had on me. “Everyone who enters has been sent here for a reason.”

It was time to alter course and go for the direct approach. “I need a stiff drink. And seeing as how you don’t have any around...” I glanced around as if to search one last time. The eyes of the other patrons trembled, but it wasn’t me they were afraid of, even if they’d figured out I was armed by the bulge in my jacket.

When I turned back to face Marjorie, her contemptuous frown and narrowed eyes told me everything I didn’t want to know. For whatever reason, they all feared her, and I really didn’t want to find out why. Anything that caused these fellows to fear such a tiny person couldn’t be good.

Her look morphed into a satisfied grin as she finally released her hold on me. “Then I’d say you’re definitely in the right place.”

And of course, as always, if you like what you see, pick up a copy of all of my other short story collections.

SFFS - Another Snippet from "Sacrifice"

It's time for another week of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday. For those who haven't already seen my multiple mentions, my brand new Triple-Shot is out. This week, I'll be posting a continuation of my previous snippet from "Sacrifice," which is one of this new Triple-Shot's featured stores. Read and enjoy, and be sure to check out the entire Triple-Shot over at Amazon or Barnes and Noble!

Every head turned to look. All of them were sober, clean-shaven and dressed as if they were attending a social function. I realized right away there was no way I’d sell my cargo here. And even worse, I had little faith of getting a stiff drink here either. There didn’t appear to be a drop of alcohol out in the open.

I should have turned and walked out those same double swinging doors, but a middle-aged, pencil-thin woman stormed over. She came up to my shoulders, with a pitted, natural face and frazzled hair that made it obvious she wasn’t the local entertainment. She wore a flowery dress that covered every inch of her flat-chested body, and another quick glance around the room confirmed she was the only woman here.

Maybe she actually was the entertainment.

Her eyes were full of pity, as she smiled weakly. “Name’s Marjorie. How can we help you, stranger?”

“I think I’m in the wrong place.” I turned for the exit, but felt a small hand grip my upper arm with extraordinary strength. Circulation to my shooting hand felt like it was completely cut off.

And of course, as always, if you like what you see, pick up a copy of all of my other short story collections.

Monthly Goals - September 2014

For those who missed it back in January, I set up the writing goals I aim to accomplish in 2014. Right after writing that post, I then read Dean Wesley Smith's post about how to be successful at your writing goals.

Life's circumstances have been even worse this month than they were last month, but even so, I was able to get a lot of writing-related work completed this month. That included meeting my daily word count goal every day this past month (continuing the trend from July, not even counting another 9 days or so at the end of June). Here's how I did against my August goals:

1. Complete first draft of "Payback" - Completed first and final drafts, and published in my latest Triple-Shot
2. Write 4,000 words on Life and Death - Around 7,200 words completed
3. Write 1,000 words on "Inoculation" - Completed the first draft, at around 3,200 words
4. Re-published Heroes Die Young (added goal)
5. Published my latest Triple-Shot, featuring my stories "Sacrifice," "Trust and Obey," and "Payback" (added goal)
 
And now, the goals for September:

1. Write 6,000 words on Life and Death
2. Write 2,000 words on the next Max McCannor novel
3. Complete final draft of "Inoculation"
4. Finalize paperback version of the Heroes Die Young second edition

Here's to everyone striving to accomplish their writing goals for 2014!

Heroes Die Young, Second Edition

Hot off the presses for your Kindle-reading pleasure, here's the second edition of Heroes Die Young:

Space pirate Aston West has come across derelict freighters many times before. But this latest catch, fresh out of a recent battle, proves to be a little more than he expected. He can’t fight the urge to pilfer a valuable cache of illegal contraband, but discovers one last stowaway who tries to kill Aston. Attack craft return to finish the ship off and Aston has no choice but to save her from certain destruction.

Who is she? What was this cargo he just took? Why was the freighter destroyed?

Surrounded by a host of old friends, new acquaintances, and desperate enemies, Aston travels from one system to another, getting the answers he wants, but revealing even more questions, and putting his life motto of never getting involved to the ultimate test. Climaxing in an ending for which even Aston is not prepared, the story will have you gasping for breath, and desperate to find out if heroes truly do die young.

SFFS: 2 August, 2014

Been far too long since I lasted posted a snippet for Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday. Life has been a little more than interesting lately, and hoping to get back in the swing of regular posts. In addition to all of the life circumstances, my contract with Champagne Books for Heroes Die Young has reached its end. So, I'll be bringing this one out on my own shortly (just working out final cover art tweaks with TK Toppin). An as such, I figured it's time to bring back an old excerpt from the reworked manuscript. So, for those who've already read it, enjoy the flash back down memory lane. And if not, enjoy!

I moved on to the other bays, going through the same process. As the third bay jettisoned, I heard a metallic clang echo farther down the hold.

I pulled out my Mark II and stood, as a woman with bronze skin and black hair jumped out from a crawlspace under the floor. She raised a disintegrator cannon and pointed it at me. I dropped to the floor just before her first shot hit the bridge door behind me and showered sparks down onto the floor grills. I fired a three-shot burst and she dropped down in the crawlspace again, while minimal damage was done to the aft bulkhead. At least it gave me the opportunity to run toward the bridge door, where the impact mark from her first shot still glowed. Eager for cover, I ducked into a small alcove at the front of the hold as another shot struck the wall. Sparks fell at my feet while I pressed my back firm against the cold hard metal. My heart beat faster than it had in quite a while.

And of course, as always, if you like what you see, pick up a copy of all of my other works through the links above. 

Monthly Goals - August 2014

For those who missed it back in January, I set up the writing goals I aim to accomplish in 2014. Right after writing that post, I then read Dean Wesley Smith's post about how to be successful at your writing goals.

Life's circumstances have been a bit rough this month, but even so, I was able to get some work completed this month. That included meeting my daily word count goal every day this past month (not even counting another 9 days or so at the end of June). Here's how I did against my July goals:

1. Write 1,000 words on "Payback" - Around 3,200 words completed
2. Write 4,000 words on Life and Death - Around 5,000 words completed
3. Plot out one new short story - Developed plot for "Innoculation"

And now, the goals for August:

1. Complete first draft of "Payback"
2. Write 4,000 words on Life and Death
3. Write 1,000 words on "Innoculation"

Here's to everyone striving to accomplish their writing goals for 2014!

Monthly Goals - July 2014

For those who missed it back in January, I set up the writing goals I aim to accomplish in 2014. Right after writing that post, I then read Dean Wesley Smith's post about how to be successful at your writing goals.

Sorry for the lack of posts for the past several weeks...but on the plus side, things have been moving quite well on the fiction writing front (more so than the rest of life, but that's another batch of stories entirely). Here's how I did against my June goals:

1. Plot out two new short stories. - Two stories plotted, "Red Light" and "Payback"
2. Write 3,000 words on Resurrection - 5000 words completed, new title of Life and Death.

And now, the goals for July:

1. Write 1,000 words on "Payback"
2. Write 4,000 words on Life and Death
3. Plot out one new short story



Here's to everyone striving to accomplish their writing goals for 2014!

Meet My Main Character (Blog Hop)

I was tagged by J.C. Cassels at Gotta Name my Blog to talk about my main character. Those who've followed me long enough probably know most of the information below, but it's always good to have a bit of a refresher for the long-time fans and a brief introduction for those who haven't yet met Aston.

1. What is the name of your main character? Is she fictional or an historical person?

Aston West, space pirate extraordinaire (technically, a scavenger pirate, or as it's been referred to in the past, a galactic garbage collector). Aston is completely fictional, as much as he'd like to believe that he's real. But who knows? He may show up on my doorstep any day now and give me a quick kick in the junk for all the trouble I've put him through over the years.

2. When and where is the story set?

Aston doesn't have just one story, but a series of stories and novels. All of these take place across great spans of planets and solar systems in a distant galaxy. While it's unknown for certain whether these all take place in the past, present or future, my personal opinion is that it's a present-day set of tales, all far away from here.

For the sake of giving out more individual information on this question, I'll take my next novel (working title Resurrection). This one spans across three different planets and two different starships (one of which being Aston's new ship to replace the one that met its demise at the end of Death Brings Victory).

3. What should we know about him?

Aston tries to act tough, a symptom of his career choices and his upbringing as one of three orphan brothers. But really, he has a noble sense of right and wrong that he tries to enact through his own brand of vigilante justice when it's necessary. And of course, the most important thing to remember about Aston is that he constantly gets tossed into a mess of trouble. This doesn't end up being too much fun for him, but it's a lot of fun to read along as he tries to get himself out of it all.

4. What is the main conflict?

It varies from story to story, and the novels too. Sometimes, it can be Aston versus old enemies (or old friends). Sometimes, Aston's main conflict is internal. Sometimes, there's a mix of both. In Resurrection, the main conflict is that Aston's old nemesis Elijah Cassus has returned with some nasty surprises in store. But one of those surprises causes both an internal struggle for Aston (how far will he follow Elijah to get his absolution?) as well as an external struggle (with a recently formed relationship).

5. What is the personal goal of the character?

Most times, it's just to get out of the trouble that he's found himself in, and to try and scrape out a living with his scavenging (or his illegal activities). Within the scope of the novels, his goals often get altered or combined, depending on the circumstances.

For Resurrection, Aston's goal originally starts out that he wants to save someone he failed to save before. Along the way, though, he has to figure out a way to right the wrongs he's set in motion.

6. What is the significance of the title of your book?

I try to come up with titles that fit either the story or the novel's main premise. For the novels, I've been attempting to come up with catchy three-word titles (something I'll have to work on for the fourth installment currently in work). As far as any special significance, there isn't any that I know of.

Resurrection is just a title that depicts the main topic behind the plot. I have a feeling I'll need to make it catchier.

7. When can we expect the book to be published?

I have several novels and stories already published (check out the Novels and Collections links at the top of the blog). My hope is that I can get another novella and short story collection published later this year. Resurrection may be out late this year, but I'm guessing that we'll probably see it next year.

Next up is T. K. Toppin. Be sure to check her out. Also, click back, too, to see what characters came before. Thanks for reading!

Author Extravaganza 2014 Recap

So, today was the 8th annual Author Extravaganza, hosted by the wonderful folks at Town Crier Bookstore up in Emporia, Kansas. I think this is something like the 5th time (according to my last recap back in 2012) I've been in attendance. Overall, it's always a good time, and Town Crier has always been good to independent authors in regards to stocking copies of your books after the signing and such.

So, if I could actually get my pictures to post you'd see a lot of authors join this event. It can make things quite exciting, talking with your fellow authors (and catching up with those who you've seen in past years). But having so many different authors does help in bringing additional customers into the store, which can help you sell your books as well (as long as they don't come in only for that book and then leave the store immediately).


That said, sold four books (two of which were remaining from last year's event), and the store elected to pick up copies of my two novellas. So, all in all, it was an okay event (especially since it looked like most folks were struggling to get a single sale) and I look forward to returning next year.

Monthly Goals - June 2014

For those who missed it back in January, I set up the writing goals I aim to accomplish in 2014. Right after writing that post, I then read Dean Wesley Smith's post about how to be successful at your writing goals.

Running a bit behind on posting the monthly goals, unfortunately. I did get a bit of work completed,
so there's at least that. Here's how I did against my May goals:


1. Complete the first draft of "Reciprocity" (the new short story, estimated 2,000 words) - Final draft completed.
2. Edit the final version of "Just Rewards" (now "Trust and Obey") - completed
3. Write 3,000 words on Resurrection - 500 words completed


Rather than write a separate post for the weekly goals, I'll just remark that those 500 words above were written this past week.


And now, the goals for June:

1. Plot out two new short stories.
2. Write 3,000 words on Resurrection

Here's to everyone striving to accomplish their writing goals for 2014!

Sales Update - June 2014

Hard to believe it's been another six months since my most recent sales update in December, but I do have some updated numbers. So, here goes:

Heroes Die Young has sold a total of 467 sales (print and e-book total), which means 25 copies have sold since December (for a total of just over 4 copies a month over the past six months). This compares to 16 copies sold in the June 2013 - December 2013 range, so sales are a bit up. The six-year anniversary for this one is coming up in September, so we're still dropping well below the average of 100 copies per year.

Friends in Deed recently went into self-published status after I terminated the contract I had. I discovered some discrepancies in my past tabulations (silly spreadsheet formulas) that have since been corrected. In future sales updates, I'll just stick with the total across both versions. As this is a new change, though, I'll list them separately as well. The previous version sold 112 copies (I assume all sales have already been accounted for, but we'll see), and the new version (out since February) has sold 13, for a total of 125 copies (print and e-book total), which means that 25 copies have sold since December (which also includes some of those self-accounting issues on the original version). This compares to around 4 copies during the previous reporting period. January marked the four-year anniversary of this one, so the average is around 30 copies per year. I will mention that my sales of the original version for all of 2013 (counting royalty statements in 2013 and 2014) were 9 copies, and the new version has sold 13 copies in the course of about four months. New cover and a lower price...I think we have a future blog post in the works...

Seeker has gone back into sales mode, and has also become a print title. So, going back to the June 2013 sales update (the last time I recorded paid sales), both versions have now sold 92 copies (print and e-book), so only 8 copies have sold since the last update (compared to 5 copies during that June update), although the change-over to paid happened around the last month or two. December was the 3-year anniversary for this novel, which means we're on track for an average of around 30 copies per year).

Dead or Alive has sold 98 copies, which means 15 copies have sold since last June (for a total of just over 1 copy a month over the past twelve months), since I hadn't yet received reporting at the December update. This title came out in February 2011, which means that we're seeing an average of about 30 copies a year.

The Cure has now sold 107 total copies (print and e-book total), so 14 copies have sold since my past update, compared to 10 copies during the previous update. This book has been out nearly 3 years (the anniversary is in July), so I'm seeing a around 35 copies per year.

Death Brings Victory was released two years ago this past March, and 64 total copies have sold, meaning 4 copies have sold since the last update, compared to 12 copies during the previous update. This puts it on track with most of my other novels, at just around 30 copies per year. Although sales are down considerably in this six-month stretch, I'm hopeful that all of the sales this year of Friends in Deed will lead to future sales of this title.

   

I have three Triple-Shot collections out, with the first having been released in November 2011, the second in July 2012, and the third in September 2013. 86 copies have sold, so 9 copies sold since my last update (versus 37 copies from the previous update). Breaking this down, 49 total copies of the first have sold, 24 of the second, and 13 of the third. So, since the last update, 5 copies of the first have sold, 1 of the second, and 3 of the third. I do have to wonder whether I'm doing myself a disservice with the similarity of covers between the first and second collections.

My newest title is my collaboration with Lyndon Perry, Escape. I would put in the cover, but my web browser isn't playing nice with Blogger at the moment. This title was just coming out in December as I gave my previous update. I haven't gotten an update from Lyndon on all of his sales, but counting the last numbers I had from him and including my own personal sales, 14 copies have sold, for an average of about 2 copies per month.

Now for the analysis of this latest period:

Since my latest update (December, except as noted above), I've sold 114 books compared to 79  books during the previous update for an average of just under 20 books per month.

And so I have a statistic when people ask (and quite often they do), the latest "total sales" number now stands at 1053 copies (counting all titles).

If we put together the last twelve months of sales (not counting Seeker, which just went back into the paid sales column, nor Escape which has only been out a few months), I see the following:

HDY: 41 (last time, 25)
FID: 29 (last time, 6)
DBV: 16 (last time, 23)
DOA: 15
Cure: 24 (last time, 26)
Triple-Shots: 46 (last time, 49)

Not too bad, I suppose, to have 139 paid sales over a 12-month period...about the same as last time(129)...would still like to do better.

So, until next time, enjoy the statistics, and good sales to us all!

Thanks for stopping by!

SFFS - A Snippet From "Sacrifice" (formerly "Reciprocity")

After taking a week off for my time at ConQuest 45, it's time for another week of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday. This week, we're getting back into the WIP vault. Over the weekend, I completed my final draft for my short story "Reciprocity" (check out the link for the original excerpt) and decided it was time to make a name change (it happens from time to time...the most notable exception being that Heroes Die Young is actually the second name for that novel). So, my new story "Sacrifice" should be slated for my next Triple-Shot, once I finish one more short story. I've included a cover for the second of my (currently) three Triple-Shot collections below, but you can also check all of them (and more) out on my Collections page. And now, here's a continuation snippet from "Sacrifice" for you to read and enjoy:

 

 

Braking took a bit more skill than I’d been expecting, where a trio of landing skids dropped from the cycle’s body to the ground, slowing me down. Eventually, I made it onto the main drag through town, and pulled into a spot along the side of the street. The hover-quad settled onto its skids and I shut it off.

Surrounding me was a setting that seemed to come out of those western holographic projection films that I never had the time to completely watch. All I needed was a set of spurs on my black boots and a huge hat on my head. I already had my Mark II blaster, but it was holstered under my leather jacket instead of openly carried on my hip.

But what I really needed was a drink, preferably Vladirian liquor. Then it would be time to find some buyers and take care of business. I glanced at the various buildings while I walked down the dusty street. Most looked uninhabited, although at least one had a bit of promise. The building on the far corner of this first block had huge plate glass windows, through which I saw several adults sitting at tables. Along the far wall was a long slender wooden counter. There weren’t any patrons up there, nor any stools that I could see. But since it was my best shot, I walked down to the corner and pushed open the two wooden slat doors, entering into the dimly lit room.

And of course, as always, if you like what you see, pick up a copy of all of my other short story collections through the links above.

Weekly Goals - May 28, 2014

A day late, but better late than never. Didn't actually get anything started on Resurrection, but still completed some writing work, which was surprising since my weekend was taken up with ConQuest activities. Here's the weekly recap:

 

1. "Just Rewards" editing completed (title renamed to "Trust and Obey").
2. Edited final draft of "Sacrifice" (formerly "Reciprocity")

 

Progress toward my monthly goals for May:

 

1. Complete the first draft of "Reciprocity" (the new short story, estimated 2,000 words) - completed, and final draft completed.
2. Edit the final version of "Just Rewards" (now "Trust and Obey") - completed
3. Write 3,000 words on Resurrection - not yet started
 

Now for this week's goals:

1. Write 3,000 words on Resurrection

ConQuest 45 Recap

Just returned from another installment of ConQuest up in Kansas City. Had a fun time, even though for some reason, my name was left off the list of panelists this year (hopefully that gets corrected next year). Once more, I shared table space with Patrick Stutzman and had a good time at it. I would have preferred to have more sales, but every little bit helps. Granted, last year's event was well attended because of its attendees, so this year's had a lot fewer attendees. (Side note: George R. R. Martin is listed as editor guest of honor for next year, so hopefully that leads to a boost in sales)


Friday night, I attended a room party, where they were selling copies of the Raygun Chronicles anthology (in which I have a short story included). Great news was that over two dozen copies were brought in and all of them sold out. Thanks to everyone who bought a copy! (and if you haven't bought a copy, click the cover below to get one of your very own)

In a couple of weeks (June 7), I'll be attending the annual Author Extravaganza at Town Crier Books in Emporia. Hope to see everyone there!

Weekly Goals - May 21, 2014

Finally gaining a little traction on the writing goals this week (and month). Here's the weekly recap:

 

1. "Just Rewards" editing completed (title renamed to "Trust and Obey").

 

Progress toward my monthly goals for May:

 

1. Complete the first draft of "Reciprocity" (the new short story, estimated 2,000 words) - completed
2. Edit the final version of "Just Rewards" (now "Trust and Obey") - completed
3. Write 3,000 words on Resurrection - not yet started
 

Now for this week's goals:

1. Write 3,000 words on Resurrection

SFFS: A Snippet From "Reciprocity"

Greetings, everyone! It's good to be back for another week of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday. This week, we're heading into the WIP vault, where I recent finished the first draft of a new Aston West short story, "Reciprocity." I expect that this story, once it goes through a few rounds of editing, will be slated for my next Triple-Shot. I've included a cover for the second of my (currently) three Triple-Shot collections below, but you can also check all of them (and more) out on my Collections page. And now, here's a snippet from "Reciprocity" for you to read and enjoy:

 

 

The wind whipped through my hair as I sped along. Ordinarily, I’d have much preferred to be in an actual vehicle instead of this hover-quad, but this was the only thing they were renting at the space dock. And I certainly wasn’t paying the exorbitant fees they were asking to be driven around in a stretch limousines.

Given the sleek, polished vessels I’d landed by earlier, I figured I was the only one who’d had such an aversion. 

This wasn’t one of my regular stops, and had I not been here for a specific purpose, I would have kept on flying for the next spaceport. But unbeknownst to all of the prim and proper visitors to this planet, my four holds were filled to the brim with illegal weapons. At least all of those people would take small comfort in the fact that while they were all no doubt traveling west to a small beach resort town, I was headed in the opposite direction.

I did have to admit, riding this contraption did bring back old feelings of exhilaration I hadn’t felt since my time flying jets for the Gryphon Defense Force. That said, there was a limit to how much danger I’d subject myself to, explaining why I’d chosen a vehicle with four field generators surrounding the elongated body of the cycle versus the model with only two, one forward and one aft.

I rotated the handle and the propulsion unit under my rear pulsed faster in response, jetting me toward a few handfuls of buildings in the distance, kicking up a trail of dirty dust in my wake.

And of course, as always, if you like what you see, pick up a copy of all of my other short story collections through the links above.

Weekly Goals - May 14, 2014

Been way too long since I've actually posted the weekly goals, but finally picked up a little momentum, so here's hoping. Here's the recap of what's been done this past week:

 

1. First draft of "Reciprocity" completed.

 

Progress toward my monthly goals for May:

 

1. Complete the first draft of "Reciprocity" (the new short story, estimated 2,000 words) - completed
2. Edit the final version of "Just Rewards"
3. Write 3,000 words on Resurrection 
 

Now for this week's goals:

1. Edit the final version of "Just Rewards"

2. Write 1,500 words on Resurrection

Monthly Goals - May 2014

For those who missed it back in January, I set up the writing goals I aim to accomplish in 2014. Right after writing that post, I then read Dean Wesley Smith's post about how to be successful at your writing goals.

Unfortunately, nothing was done this past month to speak of, so my May goals are no different than my April goals:

1. Complete the first draft of "Reciprocity" (the new short story, estimated 2,000 words)
2. Edit the final version of "Just Rewards"
3. Write 3,000 words on Resurrection

Here's to everyone striving to accomplish their writing goals for 2014!

SFFS: A Final Snippet From Escape

Welcome back, everyone! For those who haven't kept up with my latest releases in the past several months, Escape is a brand new novella I have out (a collaboration with Lyndon Perry), the first in a young adult steampunk alternate history series. In fact, I posted up the first except just last week. It's been a while since I've written anything outside of the Aston universe, so I'm excited to see how my fans react to this new title. And now that it's finally out over at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, you can pick it up today (of course, you can also get a paperback too). Be sure to check out all of the wonderful authors on the Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday blogroll. And now, here's a snippet from Escape:

Taking a deep breath, then letting it ease out, I gently peeled back the flap and slid the note out. Hands trembling, I held it up and read the words written in an old familiar style. At the contents, tears flowed from my eyes until my tender moment was interrupted by that scoundrel Tommy.

“Look at the big ol’ baby!”

I blinked away the tears and stared him down. He started to say something else about diapers, but I barely understood him before I jumped across the table and pummeled his face. I kept going at him until I was finally pulled off by two of the male staff members. Blood flowed from his nose, and his eyes had that dazed, not-quite-there look.

“Send him to the headmaster!” Mrs. Tittlesworth exclaimed over the heads of all the gathered children, who sat in shocked silence.

Not to worry, I do plan on coming back to post another snippet from this one next week. But why wait? Pick up a copy of Escape using the links above!

SFFS: An Eighth Snippet From Escape

Welcome back, everyone! For those who haven't kept up with my latest releases in the past several months, Escape is a brand new novella I have out (a collaboration with Lyndon Perry), the first in a young adult steampunk alternate history series. In fact, I posted up the first except just last week. It's been a while since I've written anything outside of the Aston universe, so I'm excited to see how my fans react to this new title. And now that it's finally out over at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, you can pick it up today (of course, you can also get a paperback too). Be sure to check out all of the wonderful authors on the Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday blogroll. And now, here's a snippet from Escape:

Slipping it onto my lap face-down, too nervous to look at it, I mumbled, “Thank you, Mrs. Tittlesworth.” She harrumphed and moved away.

The others just waited in silence and I caught Sadie’s eye. She gave me one of her looks. I sighed and glanced down, turning the letter over. Mouth wide, I nearly gasped. The letter was from my father!

I held it there as if opening it would bring about the end times they always taught us about in the Sunday services. Looking at the postmark, I saw it had been stamped nearly five years ago. I wanted to ask our headmistress why she’d waited so long to present this, but knew better than to cross her so soon after she’d offered me this gift.

Not to worry, I do plan on coming back to post another snippet from this one next week. But why wait? Pick up a copy of Escape using the links above!

SFFS: A Seventh Snippet From Escape

Welcome back, everyone! For those who haven't kept up with my latest releases in the past several months, Escape is a brand new novella I have out (a collaboration with Lyndon Perry), the first in a young adult steampunk alternate history series. In fact, I posted up the first except just last week. It's been a while since I've written anything outside of the Aston universe, so I'm excited to see how my fans react to this new title. And now that it's finally out over at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, you can pick it up today (of course, you can also get a paperback too). Be sure to check out all of the wonderful authors on the Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday blogroll. And now, here's a snippet from Escape:

I set my fork down, cleared my throat, and raised my hand. Mrs. Tittlesworth saw me but took a tour of the dining commons before coming up behind my chair. The other children stopped eating and tracked the headmistress’s every move.

“Yes, Mr. McCannor?”

I swallowed nervously. “If I may, ma’am, can I have my letter now? I...I would be truly grateful.”

“Hmm.” She frowned. Without fanfare, and to my great relief, she pulled out the envelope and gave it to me.

Not to worry, I do plan on coming back to post another snippet from this one next week. But why wait? Pick up a copy of Escape using the links above!

Some E-Book Sales Statistics

So, I was putting together some figures the other day for tallying up a "total e-book sales" number (because it was being asked for). And as I'm big on stats as it is, I decided I'd post a few. Since we've only been through three full months this year, I'm ignoring my 2014 sales.

Heroes Die Young was released in 2008.

Friends in Deed and Seeker were both released in 2010.
Dead or Alive, The Cure, and my first Triple-Shot (Dead Man's Forge) were all released in 2011.
Death Brings Victory and my second Triple-Shot (Temptation) were released in 2012.
My third Triple-Shot (Downtrodden) was released in 2013.

Total sales across all of my titles (again, only through 2013) is 645 since Heroes Die Young was released. A rather piddly sum, I know, but that's life. All of that in mind, I've had the following sales per title per year (for convenience, I've also included total sales per year.

	HDY	FID	DBV	DOA
2008	95
2009	33
2010	9	28
2011	27	15		13
2012	50	22	35	47
2013	14	5	13	2

	DMF	TEMPT	DT	Seeker	Cure
2008
2009
2010				10
2011	6			38	15
2012	22	8		27	42
2013	16	15	10	13	15

	Total
2008	95
2009	33
2010	47
2011	114
2012	253
2013	103

So, I hesitate to start making conclusions based on these stats, since it's been proven over and over that sometimes blind luck can cause sales. And looking through the numbers, there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to sales leading to more sales (of later books in the series, etc.). However, even with all of that in mind, at least one thing seems to stick out.

Generating new material for publication can generally help sales. I had three releases in 2011, and saw a marked increase. I followed that up with two more releases in 2012. With those five new titles, my sales in 2012 were five times higher than in 2010. Granted, in  2013, I had no major releases (other than the third Triple-Shot), so my sales dropped off last year. So, not only is it necessary to continue to produce new material, but it's also important to continue to do so on a regular pace. This is something I struggle with, myself, and need to work on. Hopefully this can help motivate me...

SFFS: A Fifth Snippet From Escape

Welcome back, everyone! For those who haven't kept up with my latest releases in the past several months, Escape is a brand new novella I have out (a collaboration with Lyndon Perry), the first in a young adult steampunk alternate history series. In fact, I posted up the first except just last week. It's been a while since I've written anything outside of the Aston universe, so I'm excited to see how my fans react to this new title. And now that it's finally out over at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, you can pick it up today (of course, you can also get a paperback too). Be sure to check out all of the wonderful authors on the Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday blogroll. And now, here's a snippet from Escape:

Twenty pairs of eyes were locked on the paper as she waved it back and forth. She stuffed it back into her apron and wiped her hands. “What are you all doing gawking like street urchins at a candy shop window? Bow your heads!” One of the church volunteers offered a brief prayer while most of us fidgeted in our seats.

After the ‘amen’ we all dug in. Well, except for me. I was too preoccupied with that letter! I caught Sadie’s eye from across the room and she gave me an encouraging nod.

Not to worry, I do plan on coming back to post another snippet from this one next week. But why wait? Pick up a copy of Escape using the links above!

Weekly Goals - April 9, 2014

Trying to get back into a rhythm...we'll see how it goes. I've also taken over administrative duties for the  SFFS blog (which I've been posting to for some time), because I'm a glutton for punishment. Here's the latest recap on the writing side:

 

1. Write 1,300 words on Resurrection - Nothing completed
2. Write 1,000 words on the new short story - About 500 words completed.

 

Progress toward my monthly goals for April:

1. Complete the first draft of "Reciprocity" (the new short story, estimated 2,000 words) - 500 words completed.
2. Edit the final version of "Just Rewards" - Not started.
3. Write 3,000 words on Resurrection - Not started.

 

Now for this week's goals:

1. Edit the final version of "Just Rewards"

2. Write 1,000 words on "Reciprocity"

Next week, I'll recap my weekly goals and report my results.