FLEET OPPOSED - The Prequels

With the launch of THE SPACERS on March 12, all three of the FLEET OPPOSED prequel novellas are available now! I've been very happy with the reader response so far. This is a venture into a new genre for me, and I can honestly say I'm loving it--I've never been able to write stories so quickly. A normal-sized science fiction novel is ~80,000 words (which works out to be a little over 300 pages for a printed book). THE SPACERS ended up at 40,000+ words--half a novel--and I wrote it in a month, which is "ludicrous speed" for me!

I'm working like crazy on the first book of THE HAN WARS series, FLEET OPPOSED, and enjoying every minute. So, until I get that first book out on the streets, give THE AVIATORS, THE INFANTRY, and THE SPACERS a try!

THE PHOENIX DESCENT is a FINALIST!

Just learned that THE PHOENIX DESCENT is a finalist for the 2017 Killer Nashville Award for Best Horror/Fantasy Novel! Best of luck to my fellow finalists: A.H. Gilbert for THE CRANDALL HAUNTING, Julie McElwain for A MURDER IN TIME, and Andrew J. Peters for THE CITY OF SEVEN GODS.

THE PHOENIX DESCENT is in the running for this award, as well as Best Fiction Author and the Killer Nashville Reader's Choice Award.

Of all the stories I've written, this is one of my favorites, so I'm glad to see it's getting some attention!

Me? On the radio? No way. (Yes way!)

May 9, 2017, is going to be a very exciting day. Not only is it the publication day for THE ARGUS DECEIT, I've also been invited to join Patzi Gil on her "Joy on Paper" radio program!

Patzi describes her program as, "A radio program for writers and those who dream of writing--and for everyone who wants to know the story behind the book." She's based out of Clearwater, Florida, on 1340-AM and 106.1-FM on the Tan Talk Radio Network.

When I received the email from my agent telling me about the invite, I immediately looked Patzi up...her story is an inspiration for anyone who has a great idea and is willing to chase it until it comes true. As a writer who suffered through hundreds of rejections--but never gave up--her story really resonated with me. Here's a link that tells her story, from ePRNews. She had an idea, pitched it, fought for it, and after 2+ years her reach over the airwaves continues to grow; by the end of this year her radio show will be carried on over 100 radio stations across the US. Amazing. And, she even has her own billboard! How many people can say that? ;)

On Tuesday May 9 @ 11:00 a.m. eastern time, I'll be talking to Patzi about THE ARGUS DECEIT, probably my other books, and...oh my gosh I have no idea! *gulp* I've got to be honest here; a radio interview is plowing completely new ground for me...and I'm not even a farmer! Am I nervous? A little. Me no talk so good sometimes, and when nervous I am, like Yoda words from mouth spill out, yessss. Hopefully I don't come off sounding too much like a knucklehead! (Well, not any more than usual, I guess.)

I'm definitely honored to be a guest on Patzi's show, and I'm thankful for the wonderful opportunity she's providing to get the word out about THE ARGUS DECEIT. This book was an absolute blast to write, and I can't wait to talk about it! So if you happen to be in the Tampa Bay area on May 9, tune in to either 1340-AM or 106.1-FM @ 11:00 a.m. and give it a listen!

Goodreads Giveaway for THE ARGUS DECEIT

Do you want to enter a chance to get a FREE Kindle copy of THE ARGUS DECEIT? You have until 5.8.17 to enter. 100 copies available!

Click on the picture to see the giveaway...

BIG NEWS! Release Date for THE WIDENING GYRE, 9.5.17

My fourth novel, titled THE WIDENING GYRE, will be released as a Kindle exclusive on September 5, 2017! I'm so excited about this that I can barely see straight.

So why am I so excited, you ask? Well, there's a long history associated with this particular book...I typed the very first words of this novel about sixteen years ago (back when I still had a tiny bit of hair on the top of my head). Thanks to my agent Mark Gottlieb,  Trident Media Group and their Digital Media and Publishing team (Nicole Robson, Alicia Granstein, Emily Ross and Caitlin O'Beirne), a book that I've literally spent years and years crafting and re-crafting into the story that it has always deserved to be, will finally see the bright [professionally published] light of day.

Over the last couple of years, I decided to trash well over half of the manuscript and start fresh. After all I had learned writing THE GEMINI EFFECT, THE PHOENIX DESCENT and THE ARGUS DECEIT, I knew I could finally take this story exactly where I always wanted it to go. And I did.

It's a dark story. Good vs evil. A suspenseful supernatural tale that I hope my readers will remember long after they turn the last page.

And there very well might be more pages in the future...but that's a topic for another time.

Right now, the manuscript is in the capable hands of my copyeditor, and the cover is being designed as we speak; I should see the first draft cover concepts sometime next week. I'll share it as soon as it's finalized. Over the next month or so, we should see the pre-order page pop up on Amazon, too.

In the meantime, here's a little visual taste of THE WIDENING GYRE...

Booklist Review for THE ARGUS DECEIT: "Literary surrealism at its finest..."

Well, this is another first for me...a review from Booklist:

The Argus Deceit

Booklist

Carrie Rasak

March 24, 2017

https://www.booklistonline.com/The-Argus-Deceit-Chuck-Grossart/pid=8648440

"Literary surrealism at its finest, Grossart’s latest genre bender explores a life led under many identities. Brody Quail is a 10-year-old boy, a teenager, an embittered twentysomething Vietnam veteran, and a 52-year-old widower, all at the same time, living the same day again and again. Each time the events repeat themselves, there is something slightly different about his interactions with his family and friends. They behave strangely. Brody begins to remember things that he knows never happened to him. He questions his sanity as one world melts into the next. And through it all, a mysterious presence lurks in the shadows. The Argus Deceit is a wild ride as readers become absorbed in Brody’s different realities. Fans of The X-Files and The Twilight Zone will love the subtle reminders that nothing is what it appears to be in Brody’s day-to-day life, and will enjoy feeling a creeping dread as the novel progresses—until the truth of Brody’s fractured reality is revealed."

Publishers Weekly Starred Review for THE ARGUS DECEIT!

Well, this is a first for me...a starred review from Publishers Weekly for my upcoming novel THE ARGUS DECEIT!

"Grossart’s accomplished nonlinear novel is equally entertaining and suspenseful. The tale follows Brody Quail, whose existence is extraordinarily fractured. Slices of his memory have been lost or altered, and portions of his life are on endless repeat. He soon learns there is something sinister behind these gaps in his consciousness. As a man lurking in the shadows begins to hunt him, Brody is guided through his mental hell by Constance, a woman who has been in the background of all of his memories. Grossart’s narrative keeps the reader guessing; he draws back layers of mystery tantalizingly slowly, leaving the reader to piece together the grand puzzle, with an immensely rewarding payoff. His precise attention to detail stabilizes the disjointed narrative. Recalling Rod Serling’s setups in The Twilight Zone, Grossart plays with time and memory in a highly inventive way. He combines thought-provoking questions about memory with nail-biting suspense, creating a unique novel that shows what can be achieved when one pushes the boundaries of speculative fiction. Agent: Mark Gottlieb, Trident Media Group."

Wow. Just, wow.

Outstanding Pre-Release Reviews for The Phoenix Descent!

Every author enjoys seeing a work earn 5-star praise from a reader, but when it happens before the book is officially released, it's even more special. The Phoenix Descent, to be released on 15 March 2016, has earned two great reviews on Goodreads from early readers so far. Here's a couple of links; one to Raging Book Reviews (which also appears on Goodreads) and another to a Goodreads review.

I certainly hope other readers find The Phoenix Descent to their liking as much as these two did!

First Novella - "Splits"

About a month and a half ago, I was working on a new novel when I did something stupid...I started surfing the net, and even worse, started watching random YouTube videos.  I was doomed, trapped in what a friend of mine calls the "YouTube Vortex"--once you get sucked in, it's very hard to get out.

Well, I ran across one particular video that made the vortex pick up speed, and three hours later, I had a new story idea firmly planted in my oddly-shaped noggin.  I put the novel aside, and started on what I thought was going to be a short story.  Little did I know that it was going to turn into my very first novella.

According to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America guidelines for its Nebula awards (so says Wikipedia), these are their word count guidelines for different types of stories:

Novel:  Over 40,000 words (that seems kinda short, but okay)
Novella: 17,500 to 40,000 words
Novelette: 7,500 to 17,500 words
Short Story: Under 7,500 words

Most of my short stories have ended up being 3,500 and 5,000 words, so they fit nicely into their category.  I've also written a ton of flash fiction (short stories that are between 300-1,000 words), but other than my novels, I'd never written anything longer than 5K.

This story, which I titled Splits, ended up at 19K+ words...a novella.  Aaaaaaannnnddd, I loved writing it!  Short stories are a blast to write, and this one was an absolute joy.  I think there might be some more novellas in my future!

Anywhoooo, here it is, if you're interested (and you have to read it to find out what video I was watching):

Kyle Bradford was a meat cutter in a grocery store when the sounds first thundered across the skies, and the world changed forever. The doors had opened, and something was coming through.
Once the initial shock and confusion wore off, and those in charge realized what was happening, mankind seemed to coalesce like never before. National boundaries no longer mattered. Religion, race, color and creed seemed to pass away in a flash. Old enemies put their differences aside. The only thing that did matter was survival.
As a species.
Now, Kyle is on a mission to save what’s left of our world. Or die trying.

Click on the cover to get your copy from Amazon (set at $0.99, which is the lowest they'll let me go).  Hope you enjoy it!

2015 Year in Review

You know, it's amazing how fast time slips by. I can't believe it's been 10 months since my last post on this page. The Gemini Effect came out on Kindle First in March of 2015, and it's been a steady wild ride since then!  So what's happened since then?  Well, let's see...

- The Gemini Effect has sold ~211,000 copies since March 1, 2015.  Still blows my mind.
- The Phoenix Descent, my second novel through Amazon's 47North imprint, will be released in just a few months (March of 2016).
- After years of unsuccessfully trying to land an agent, and sending out so many query letters that I lost count, an agent reached out to me. After a fifteen minute phone conversation, that was that. I'm represented by Mark Gottlieb of Trident Media Group.
- I decided to remove all my stand-alone flash fiction & short stories from circulation and keep them as part of Scattered Bones. I was able to keep them free on Smashwords, B&N and Apple, but it was an effort to keep them free on Amazon in the US (and almost impossible in the UK). So, I figured $0.99 for a 34,000-word collection was the better way to go. Re-did the cover, too, which I like much more than the original.
- Wrote my first 19,000-word novella, Splits. That was fun...I might just have to write a few more of those. ;)
- Continued work on new other novels; a new work, which I'm calling Brody4, and a much-needed re-vamp of an existing manuscript, which I've re-titled The Chosen.

The Highlights

2015 was an amazing year, and the biggest highlight was watching The Gemini Effect launch on Kindle First. It was a magical feeling waking up on March 1 and seeing the reviews start to come in, and became even more magical when it reached #1 in the US Kindle store a few days later.

Before the book came out, Jason Kirk, my editor at47North, signed me for another novel, The Phoenix Descent. Writing what turned out to be a 112,000-word initial manuscript draft in 4-5 months was one of the toughest things I've ever done (to include a 14,600-word weekend as I pushed to the finish), but I enjoyed every minute. Then, working with Jason again, we trimmed it down below 90K words and--we think--produced a better book than The Gemini Effect. I guess we'll find out in a few more months if we're right! Speaking of Jason, working with him on two novels so far has been a simply amazing experience. I truly hope there's more chances to collaborate on more books in the future.

The reviews for The Gemini Effect have been both a highlight AND a lowlight of the past year...I'll get to that next.

The Reviews

Being first offered through Kindle First, The Gemini Effect was offered to a H-U-G-E pool of readers, some who would like it, and others who wouldn't. Seeing those first few 5-star reviews come in on March 1 was great...and then the bad ones started showing up. And showing up. And showing up. Ten months later, I can honestly say the bad reviews don't bother me as badly as they did those first couple of months, but holy cow, I wanted to crawl in a hole, stop writing, and never come out again. My experience with reviews as a self-published author was different--my reader pool was much, much smaller, and the reviews were almost all good. But now, I had a book out there in the BIG WORLD, being read by thousands of people, and the digital age of "anonymous" communication being what it is, some people had no problem whatsoever telling other readers what they thought. I had to give some of those 1-star reviewers an A for effort, because they even made me laugh! Now, some of those poor reviews opened my eyes to things I could do differently in my writing, and that's awesome. To those reviewers, I say thank you. But, there are others, those who feel the need to pen personal attacks, whom I view in an entirely different light. I think that aspect of swimming in the "big reviewer pool" was the most shocking part. Again, a person behind a keyboard feels anonymous enough to say whatever they want to, and some do. It's the world we live in now, and I get it. In the last ten months, I've been called every name in the book--I'm a gun nut. A bomb lover. A Crichton/Clancy wannabe. A woman hater. On, and on, and on. Very few, however, had the guts to attach their names to the reviews, always relying on "Amazon Customer" or "Anonymous" (in B&N's case). I know I'm not alone when I say writers crave constructive criticism--it helps us improve our craft. But those who spew vitriol without the common decency to attach their name to their words, well...

I did a blog interview at the end of March 2015 where one of the questions was what advice would I give to first-time writers. Regarding reviews specifically, this is what I said:

"...learn to have a thick skin. Be willing to accept constructive criticism, and shrug-off the vitriolic criticism that every writer eventually receives. Is this an easy thing to do? No. Not. At. All. Like everything else, it’s a learning process. To paraphrase Isaac Asimov, there are two types of writers: Those who bleed copiously and visibly at any bad review, and those who bleed copiously and secretly at any bad review. The first time you receive a bad review, it may feel as if you’ve just shown your newborn baby to a stranger—that baby is the most beautiful, precious thing you’ve ever seen—and the stranger says, 'Wow, that is one ugly baby! How dare you bring such a horrid creature into my world!' Then, after the stranger vomits a few times (on your shoes), a crowd gathers, they chase you back to your castle with torches and pitchforks, and everything goes up in flames, especially your confidence as a writer.

One thing to remember is that a review is a message from a reader to other readers—it’s not directed at you. Some authors I know never look at reviews, good or bad. But, if you do, don’t take it personally. Even though someone just called your precious baby ugly, don’t ever let it kill your desire to write, and don’t ever respond. Let me say that again: No matter how badly you want to, don’t respond. Once your story is out in the big bad reviewer world, it has to stand on its own two feet. It’ll get praised, and it’ll get bullied, and you have to stand back and let it happen.

If you do get a nasty one, and it’s bugging you, keep this quote from Teddy Roosevelt nearby (it helps):

'It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Now, lets talk about the GOOD reviews! I can't tell you how any people have contacted me though my Facebook page and website to tell me how much they loved The Gemini Effect.  It's messages like this one that really make my day:

"Hello. Your book The Gemini Effect is incredible! I started it wheels up upon takeoff in Dallas and when I landed in Miami was about halfway through. I then finished it in a second sitting in the hotel room that very night. Now I've read almost every possible apocalypse/mutant book out there from Tooth and Nail to The Passage and this is by far an incredible read. Thanks for writing it and I look forward to reading your other past and future works."

It's people like this for whom I write, and will continue to do so.

As 2015 passes into history, I will personally look back on it fondly as a year where my dream of becoming a published author finally came true. And I'm not done yet.

I wish everyone all the best for 2016, and keep on turning those pages!

THE GEMINI EFFECT - Kindle First for March!

This morning, I can finally share what I've known was coming for months ... THE GEMINI EFFECT is one of four books selected by Amazon Publishing editors to offer in their Kindle First program for March 2015! 

It's an opportunity for Amazon customers to purchase/download a couple of books (a single book in the UK version of the program) at a reduced price, one month prior to the book's official publication date.  When Jason Kirk, my editor at Amazon's 47North imprint, asked me if I'd like to participate in Kindle first, I found his offer quite difficult to refuse--although it would delay the official publication date by a few weeks, being part of Kindle First would place my silly story in front of potentially hundreds of thousands of readers in both the US and UK.  Being included in Kindle First is a huge deal for an unknown debut author like myself, and to Jason I pass my heartfelt thanks for pushing THE GEMINI EFFECT out to so many potential readers.  I also need to thank him for the words he added to the book's product page (which I saw on the UK page for the very first time when the book popped-up across the pond yesterday evening):

Wow.   That's all I can say.  Just, wow.  Thanks, Jason.

So, how does Kindle First work?  Simple.  You can find THE GEMINI EFFECT HERE on the US site, and HERE on the UK site.  By buying the book at the reduced price during the month of March, you join a free Kindle First email notification program, where each month you'll receive an email listing that month's selections.  Below I've listed the rules for both the US and UK sites:

So ... if you're looking for something to read, click on over and take a look!

THE PHOENIX DESCENT - Publication Date Finalized

Amazon & 47North have the pre-order page up and running for my next novel, THE PHOENIX DESCENT!  The cover isn't finalized, and it doesn't have any blurb info yet, but the pub date is set at March 15, 2016.  You can see it HERE.  Expect the page to get fleshed-out as the April 1, 2015 launch date for THE GEMINI EFFECT approaches ...

2014 ABNA Finalist Covers are UP!

I noticed today that the cover for D. M. Pulley's The Dead Key is finally up on Amazon, so all five covers are out there now.  They all look great!  If you've read my post from Nov 22, 2014, you know how much time & effort went into the cover design for The Gemini Effect, and I'm sure the same can be said for the other covers as well.

If you're looking for a new author to try in romance, general fiction, mystery/thriller, young adult, or SCIENCE FICTION / FANTASY / HORROR (hint-hint), click on over to the ABNA page & pre-order!

The Magic of Short Stories

In my post this past Saturday, I mentioned how I discovered flash fiction, and how writing those little short stories really changed my "writing world".  I found that crafting a complete story in less than 1,000 words was really a challenge, but a good one.  Most of my flash fiction stories ended-up at probably 1,500-1,600 words with the first draft, and cutting them down to below 1,000 words really helped me learn how slice and dice unnecessary words, craft shorter sentences, remove any unneeded exposition, etc.  Basically, writing flash fiction taught me how to self-edit much more effectively than what I was capable of before.  And they're fun to write, too!

I have a collection of my short stories available at Amazon titled, "Scattered Bones".  From today until November 30th, I'm offering the Kindle version for FREE.  Yeah, I know all the flash fiction I have out there is free on the US Amazon site (haven't broken the code with the UK site yet), but you also get three short stories, "Burial Ground", "Reflections" and "Broken" in this collection, which aren't free.  Nice little read for a long Thanksgiving weekend!

So . . . why do I think short stories are magical?  Below is the intro for "Scattered Bones", which I believe explains it pretty well.  If you'd like to grab yourself a copy, just click on the picture.

Introduction

The Magic of Short Stories

I always tinkered with the idea of writing fiction while growing up, but never formally put pen to paper until my late 30's. I still remember the moment I decided to start writing; it was April 2001, and I was on a remote assignment for the Air Force in the middle of Alaska, sitting in my dorm room & counting down the days until I could return home to my wife & kids in California. I'd finished reading an absolutely horrid horror novel (pun intended)—the author and title escape me—and thought to myself, "If this joker can write a book, I certainly can!" So, later that night, armed with a boatload of blissful inexperience and a clunky Acer Pentium 75 desktop, I started the draft that would eventually become my first novel, The Coming. I soon discovered writing a novel was far more difficult than I thought, and later realized finding an agent and/or publisher willing to take on a new writer was even more frustrating than I'd ever imagined. The hundred-or-so rejection letters I received for that first novel (including a very special one date-stamped the day prior to the date I sent the query package) never stopped me, though.  I truly enjoy telling stories, and I haven't quit writing since.

For those who've written a novel, you know it's quite an all-encompassing endeavor.  Some writers—those prolific wordsmiths whom I happen to envy—can pump-out a novel in a matter of months, or even weeks.  Sadly, I tend to write much like Forest Gump runs: not very fast, but steady when the spirit decides to move me (I also like boxes of chocolates, and I'm not a smart man, but that's not important right now).  Novels are a time-sucker, and like most writers not named King, Koontz, Patterson or Saul, time to write comes late at night or early in the morning, before or after the normal hours of the day, where one must take care of the annoying day job/rent/mortgage/car payment/eating thing.  More than anything, that simple fact is why I enjoy writing short stories—when it comes to time-sucking, short stories aren't quite as vampiric as the Great American Novel tends to be.

While perusing the titles at Smashwords.com (where I first published The Coming and my second novel The Mengele Effect as eBooks), I ran across a short, flash fiction horror story.  I read it, enjoyed it, and did a little research.  Flash fiction—stories with word counts anywhere between 300 and 1,000 words—seemed like a perfect way for me to put pen (fingers) to paper (keyboard) and give birth to some of the ideas bouncing around inside my misshapen noggin.  They wanted out.  So, I obliged.

My initial venture into flash fiction, titled "Ripple", is the first story in this collection.  I wrote in on a Saturday afternoon, and published it on Smashwords the next day.  For me, the magic of crafting short stories began a few hours later, when "Ripple" received its first review.  Two little words.  One was "Definitely", the other, "disturbing".  With that, I knew I'd hit the exact mark I was aiming for, and the aforementioned spirit gave me a forceful shove.

Most of the stories in this collection—with the exception of "Reflections", "Burial Ground" and "Broken"—are flash fiction pieces, each roughly 1,000 words in length.  If you want a little scare before you head off to work, or before you crawl into bed for the night, a quick dose of flash fiction might just be the ticket.  I'll let you decide.

So, now that I've rambled on for much too long, why do I think short stories are magical, you ask?  If I can take your hand and lead to a different place—if only for a few short minutes—and guide you down that darkened path of the mind where fear and shock await at every turn, then yes, I believe that is surely magical.  If I happen to scare you, shock you, cause you to wonder, or perhaps make you smile a little, the magic, my friend, is there.

Each story in this collection is a small, emaciated bone tossed along the darkened path down which I wish you to travel.  I encourage you to pick them up as you go, touch them, hold them in your hands for a bit, feel the texture.  If I've done my job, you may realize these little scattered bones seem oddly familiar.  As well they should, for down deep—whether you wish to admit it or not—they're part of you.

I hope you enjoy reading these stories as much I as I enjoyed writing them.

After all, I wrote them especially for you.

Chuck Grossart

Bellevue, Nebraska 

November 16th, 2013

So there you have it.  Enjoy the magic, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

For All You Potential 2015 ABNA'ers: The Publishing Journey UPDATE!

(UPDATED, 20 Jan 15)  This post has been receiving quite a few hits from Google searches regarding "2015 ABNA", and as such, I decided to add this.  As announced on the ABNA page's comment board today, Amazon has decided to forgo the 2015 ABNA contest in lieu of their newer Kindle Scout program.  You can read my earlier post from today HERE.

I hope the information below can still be of some use for those of you who decide to go the traditional publishing route--the basic steps I've gone through with The Gemini Effect are, I assume, much the same steps one would go through with any novel picked-up by a publisher.  Best of luck, and keep writing!

- Chuck

***

Wow, has it really been four months since my last post?  A lot has happened since July 21, and it's all been A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.  For all of you out there who are considering entering the 2015 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest, let me give you two words of advice:  DO IT.  I know there aren't any details on the 2015 contest out there yet (at least I haven't found any), but keep your eyes peeled.  Come January/February 2015, the details should come out (probably here).

First, a little background on my personal history with the ABNAs:  I submitted my first novel, The Coming, in the 2011 ABNA, and it made it to the quarter finals round.  Hoping to improve the next year, I submitted my second novel, The Mengele Effect, which I personally thought was a better book.  Didn't make it past the pitch stage.  Bummer.  In 2013, I submitted it again . . . same results.  Bummer, Part Deux.  Some say a sure sign of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again when the results aren't that good, so, call me insane, but I decided to submit it again for the 2014 contest (after significantly reworking the pitch).  My hopes weren't that high, especially considering the results from the previous two years, but I figured (insanely), what the heck.  And . . .

BAM!  Made it to the second round. (Third time's a charm, I said.)
BAM-BAM!  Made it to the quarter finals.  (Hey that's cool, I said.)
BAM-BAM-BAM!  Made it to the semi-finals.  (Whoa . . . this is getting more cool, I said.)
BAM-DIDDY-BAM-O-RAMA!  Made it to the finals! (Holy keeee-rap Batman!)

My little self-published novel was named the winner of the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award for Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror.  And do you know what?  If I hadn't entered, well . . . you know the rest.

So what's happened since my last post?  This picture sums it up, and we'll go over each part:

On the day I was notified that The Mengele Effect had won (by email; we noticed the missed call from Seattle on the phone a few days later-HAH!), I was introduced to Mr. Jason Kirk, Senior Editor at Amazon Publishing's 47North imprint, which would be publishing The Mengele Effect.  I had no idea what to expect, but immediately got the sense that this was going to be a collaborative process . . . and I was right.  There was no "You must do this," or "You shall change that," not at all.  Every change was discussed in depth, and my opinions & concerns were taken into account throughout the weeks that followed.

Before we dive in, though, let's jump back a bit for a little perspective.  I finished The Coming back in 2003, and received over 100 rejections from various publishers & agents over the next few years.  For The Mengele Effect, which I finished in 2005 or 2006 (I honestly don't remember), I received less than 20 or so  rejections before I decided to take a break from writing for a couple of years.  I'd send out an e-query every six months or so whenever the spirit moved me, but always had the same results:  Sorry, not what we're looking for, good luck, yada yada yada.  Bummer.  My dream of being a writer, which I began pursuing in 2001, wasn't working out so well.  Once I retired from the USAF in late 2008, I decided to pick it up again.  One of the guys I worked with at STRATCOM told me of a local writers group his wife belonged to (Kim Stokely, author of Woman of Flames and Winter Trees), and I decided to give it a try.  I attended the Nebraska Writers Workshop when I could, and always enjoyed listening to all the various genres represented, as well as the different skill levels.  It was there that I first learned about the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, and I submitted The Coming.  One of the NWW members had self-published one of their works on something called Smashwords, and I decided to try it out (it was either James M M Baldwin or Lisa Kovanda, I can't recall whom).  On 1 Jan 2012, I self-published The Coming, followed a week or so later by The Mengele Effect.  When someone actually bought one of my books, I almost fell out of my comfy recliner.  Coolest feeling in the world, it was.  Sales were miniscule, and later dropped-off to almost nothing, but it was still kinda neat.  Later, I ran across something called flash fiction - and my writing world took on a whole new dimension.  But that's a story for another post . . .

So, why did I just dump all that yak on you?  Well, I have to pinch myself just about every day to make sure this whole publishing journey is, in fact, real.  There was a time when I'd given up on being a published author, and now, it's happening.  Sure, I didn't get published the traditional way--finding an agent, or a publisher, though querying, attending conferences, etc.--but here I am, one happy short fat bald man with a novel ready for release early next year.  If it can happen to me, guess what . . . it can happen to you, too.  Let me stress this again; if you're thinking about entering the 2015 ABNAs, don't let your fear of rejection or self-doubts about whether or not your book is good enough keep you from taking the chance.  JUST DO IT.

Okay, let's dive into the details.  After I learned The Mengele Effect had won its ABNA category on July 2, here's what happened:

July 10, 2014
 I received an Amazon Publishing Questionnaire from Jason Kirk; in it, I had to provide the following details:
- Personal details about the short fat bald guy who wrote the book (that'd be me).
- A headshot photo (thanks to Ashley Crawford Photography, I had one).
- A listing of all previously published works.
- A brief personal bio.
- A 1-sentence pitch for the book.
- Who I thought my target audience was.
- A plot synopsis (yep, a synopsis . . . if you don't have one for your book, write one.  Yes, they suck, but you'll probably need it at some point).
- Descriptions of all my main characters.
- A list of plot points that could be considered spoilers.
- Cover design ideas.
- Editing questions; what I thought the editor should look for (potential problems) and identify any stylistic choices I wished to retain.

After this, the 47North team provided a revised "book blurb" that I had the opportunity to cut on, and approve.

July 21, 2014:  Developmental Edit Begins
Being a publishing rookie, I had no idea what a developmental edit was.  I explained it somewhat in a previous post, but think of it as a broad-brush look at the story as a whole, and identifying major adjustments to help take the book where it needs to go.  For me, it involved some character changes, a major sub-plot re-work, and re-ordering/combining chapters.  Jason Kirk provided the feedback he'd received from his team, and we--yes, we--went to work.  Again, this was an entirely collaborative process, made much easier due to the fact that every adjustment Jason suggested was something I'd thought of myself at one point or another (but never got around to fixing).  I felt as if Jason had found the little steel lock box in my head labeled "All The Things I Hope Aren't Noticed With This Story" and broke into it.  I should also point out that my personal writing style had changed somewhat since I first wrote the book, so this gave me the opportunity to go through it line-by-line and change things.  The first pass through the manuscript took about three weeks or so, and after going back and making additional changes/adjustments, we moved on to the next phase in September.

During this time frame, I reached out to J. Lincoln Finn, winner of the 2013 (and first) ABNA for Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror with her amazing novel, Poe. I asked if it had been all she'd expected, and she answered with a resounding YES.  If you haven't read Poe, please do.  When I say it's amazing, I'm not kidding.  I believe she had a different editor than I, and also had a much quicker production timeline to work with based on the dates of the 2013 contest, but her feedback filled me with confidence about the whole process.  One thing the 2013 finalists got to do that the 2014 finalists didn't, was to travel to Seattle for a Grand Prize Award ceremony (yes, even as a Denver Broncos fan, I would've enjoyed going to Seattle).  I was a little disappointed they didn't do it for 2014, but who knows, maybe 2015 will be a different story.

September 14, 2014: Copyedit Begins
In this phase, Jason provided me a copy of the manuscript that had undergone a line-by-line review (more like a character-by-character review) by a professional copyeditor.  As a self-published author, I've learned that one can look at a work hundreds of times, and fail to see some of the most glaring errors--your eyes will pass over them without noticing (I no there's a few mistaches in this pohst which I haven't noticed, ether).  He found them.  A lot of them.  Apart from being just a spelling/grammar/punctuation review, he also had some suggestions to make the story better.  Again, it was a collaborative process throughout.  This phase lasted a little over a month with a few more passes through the manuscript.

September 16, 2014: Title Change
What?  You want to change my title?  How can that be!  Well, once I understood the reasons why 47North wanted to change the title (mainly due to marketing concerns), and I put my faith in the publishing professionals who know what they're doing, we set out on yet another collaborative process to come up with a new title.  Jason had ideas, his team had ideas, and I had ideas, and together we decided on The Gemini Effect.  I love the title since it captures the story just as well, if not better, than the original, and it enabled the creation of one kick-arse cover design.

September 24, 2014: Cover Designs
Jason provided three different draft designs for The Gemini Effect, and I was blown away.  The main effort was to produce a cover that captured the story, was marketable, and met presentation format guidelines (small or large, color or black and white).  I really wish I could share the earlier designs, but due to copyright concerns, I can't (believe me, they were way, way cool).  Based on feedback from Jason, his team, and me (short fat bald guy), the designer presented a few other designs, and eventually we settled on the one you see on The Gemini Effect's Amazon product page, and I have to say I absolutely love it.  The full cover will look like this (finalized on November 11, 2014):

October 21, 2014: Audio Book Questions
On this date, I learned Phil Gigante would be narrating the audio book version of The Gemini Effect.  Once I Googled him, I was more than pleased.  His resume includes a number of big-name authors, some of whom are my favorites (like Dean Koontz).  He wanted to make sure he was pronouncing some of the character's names correctly, and how to say my goofy last name (GRAH-cert, not gross-art). ;)  I can't wait to hear it.

October 24, 2014: Proofread
Jason provided a pdf copy of the manuscript that had been through a proofread--a final check on the book's production-level formatting & wording.  What made this so cool was I was finally able to see exactly what the book was going to look like.  Those of you who have formatted books for Create Space know what I'm talking about . . . seeing your words as a real book is a neat experience, and seeing them as a professionally-done book is even MORE neat.  Within this copy, there were numerous notes, some for my review, and others for the book designer.  I was amazed by the level of detailed attention paid to every word; for example, some notes to the designer concerned moving one word in a sentence up a line, to improve how the lines looked on the page.  Incredible.  My review took only a few days . . . and with the approval of the proofread copy, and of the full cover on November 11, we were D-O-N-E.

So what's next?  On my end, nothing.  For me, it now becomes a waiting game for that April 1, 2015 release date.  The marketing folks at Amazon Publishing and 47North have some amazing plans for this book's release (which I obviously can't disclose), and I'm incredibly excited for that date to roll around.  All the previous versions of the original The Mengele Effect have been taken down from Smashwords (and their partner platforms, like Barnes & Noble, Apple, etc.) and Amazon (my decision, not Amazon's, in case you're wondering).  The book that rolls out on April 1, 2015 (no foolin') is a much, much better book than the original, and I can't wait to see how it's received.

Finally, let's go back to the original purpose for writing this post: the 2015 ABNAs.  I wanted to show those of you who are considering entering the contest that winning--even for a short fat bald guy who spends most of his off-time in a comfy recliner with a homebrew in his hand and a laptop on his lap--is a possibility.  I can't speak for the four other 2014 ABNA finalists, but for me, this has been an incredible journey.  Like J. Lincoln Finn told me, if you were to ask me if it's all I expected it would be (up to this point), I'd answer with an enthusiastic YES.

Best of luck to those who enter this year's ABNAs.  It could be a dream come true for you, too.  If you want to contact me directly, you can reach me through Twitter, on Facebook. or through my website.  I'd love to hear from you.

DISCLAIMER:  In case you're wondering, neither Amazon Publishing nor 47North asked me to write this post.  I read a few things from previous winners who spoke about their experiences, but the whole publishing process was always a mystery to me--that's why I wrote this post.  Scout's Honor. ;)