This Could be You, Guys

Posted on March 13, 2013 by

If you read my last post then you know that you could have a character in Beacon: Book 2 in the Ronos Trilogy named after you. All you have to do to win is read Catalyst: Book 1 in the Ronos Trilogy and then write a review for it using the word chortle so that I know it’s for this contest. There will be two winners, one girl and one boy. I have already written about the girl character you could be named after. Now you boys get to find out about the character that may end up having the same name as you.

Right now his name is Elwood Jackson. I like this name. I have no idea why but it sounds good to me. It’s definitely better than Marian Sharp’s name. Despite my love for this name I am looking forward to seeing what his new name will be.

  • He is a Luddite.
  • He used to be married.
  • He used to be one of the disconnected.
  • His ex-wife is still disconnected and there is nothing he can do to bring her back to reality.
  • Moved to Passage after getting Imp removal surgery.
  • Because of the surgery he has bright blue eyes that contrast with his dark skin.
  • He is the mayor of Passage.
  • He has known Mac Narrad since he was a little kid.
  • Being mayor of Passage isn’t a full time job so he also runs a construction business.
  • Helped build the Narrad’s house.
  • Because of what happened to him and his wife he is overly cautious and protective of the people he cares about.
  • Takes his role as Mayor of Passage seriously and is always looking out for what is best for the small town.
  • I started writing a short story that takes place ten years before Catalyst in which he is one of the main characters. I love the story and maybe when school is done I will finish writing it. It’s one of those stories that I have to write because I want to read it so badly.
  • Makes his first appearance in chapter 8.
  • He’s not in the book as much as Marian Sharp is but he will end up getting his own short story and he still has an important role in Beacon.
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This Could Be You, Ladies

Posted on March 11, 2013 by

You could have a character in Beacon: Book 2 in the Ronos Trilogy named after you. There will be a prize given to one girl and one boy. This is a blog post about the girl character you ladies could be named after. She’s one of my favourite new characters in the book.

Her name right now is Marian Sharp. I like the last name but I have no idea why I picked the name Marian. It’s kind of lame. I’m actually happy that her name is going to have more meaning now then some lame name I came up with that had no meaning.

If you read Catalyst: Book 1 in the Ronos Trilogy and then write a review about it, using the word chortle so that I know it’s for this contest, then Marian Sharp’s name will be changed to your name.

Only if you’re a girl. I have another character picked out for the boy contestants. Details coming soon.

Would you like to know more about the character you might be named after?

  • She is not some random girl who only appears in one chapter and has but a few lines.
  • She is a major character in a new story line. I would love to spill the details of that story line but this is a somewhat spoiler free blog post.
  • She is stationed on the front lines.
  • No one knows how old she is. She says with a smile that she is 29 but the truth is probably around 50.
  • She works in the cafeteria on the capital ship Bears Paw (By the way, if you live in Bears Paw and you win this contest you will be the worlds coolest person).
  • Everyone likes her.
  • Her genuine smile is out of place with what is happening on the front lines. Her positive attitude helps soldiers get through their day.
  • Likes her job but is eager for an adventure.
  • She is very fit for her age.
  • The only thing that gives away her age are the wrinkles on her face and hands.
  • Her hair is short and white but it’s a shade of white that makes it look like it was dyed that color to be trendy.
  • She keeps up with the other soldiers in the training rooms.
  • Her first appearance is in Chapter 7.
  • She, along with a few other soldiers, get sent on a top secret mission.
  • On this mission she discovers that she has a unique ability that is both a blessing and a curse.
  • IMG_0525
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Catalyst News

Posted on February 1, 2013 by

The first bit of news is that Catalyst: Book 1 of the Ronos Trilogy is featured on another website. This one is called Celebrating Authors. If you click on the link there is a good chance you will learn something new about me.

The second bit of Catalyst news is that the ebook is on sale RIGHT NOW! You can get it for five bucks. Here is a link to Amazon.ca, B&N, Amazon.com, and booklocker.

The Third bit of news is the contest to have a character named after you in Beacon: Book 2 in the Ronos Trilogy is still going on. To enter all you have to do is read Catalyst, write a review for it, and then post it on Amazon or Goodreads. Just make sure you use the word ‘Chortle’ so that I know it’s for this contest.

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On a Roll

Posted on January 28, 2013 by

I’m on a Roll
Rewrites for Beacon: Book 2 in the Ronos Trilogy have been going awesome the last few days. Last week I got a positive review on Amazon and it really got me pumped to do a lot of writing. I’m not close to finishing but I’ve made it through a significant chunk of prose. Unfortunately this new found rewriting gusto is not good for my student life.

Cons
I have an essay due on Thursday that I’m not done yet and an analytical review for a book I haven’t read due the same day. I had good intentions of finishing my essay and reading the book this weekend but how could I do that when rewriting was coming so easily?

This morning I sat down and looked through a few more chapters of Beacon before school. Then all the work I needed to do before Thursday donned on me and I realized I wasn’t going to get anything done if I didn’t leave the Beacon binder at home.

Now I’m at school with a couple hours to kill before class and am writing a blog post instead of doing work. I’m a king procrastinator. But in my defence the book I’m supposed to read is about child labor during the British industrial revolution and it’s not as intersting as I thought it would be.

All I want to do now is rewrite. Must. Concentrate. On. School.

Don’t Forget
The contest to be have a character in Beacon named after you is still going on. All you have to do is write a review of Catalyst. Post it to Amazon or Goodreads to be entered. Also, use the word ‘chortle’ somewhere in the review so that I know it’s for this contest. More details can be found here.

Good luck. I’m going to go back to work. School work.

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How to Write Sequels: Don’t Screw it Up

Posted on January 25, 2013 by

Catalyst: Book 1 in the Ronos Trilogy got another solid review today. This one is from a guy I have never met. I don’t even know where he lives. Not only that he came to me asking for a copy to review; I didn’t seek him out.

I get excited every time I read about someone who had a good time reading Catalyst. That’s why I wrote it, so that people would have a fun experience reading it. Now that I’ve gotten positive reviews my goal for Beacon: Book 2 in the Ronos Trilogy is fully formed. It’s simple.

Don’t screw it up.

Right now there is a small, slowly increasing group of people who are eagerly anticipating the release of Beacon. My job is to not screw it up for them. I have to extend the good times they had reading Catalyst for another book and eventually the entire trilogy.

Don’t screw it up means making sure the characters stay consistent with Catalyst as well as continue to grow in a believable natural way. It means making sure there is enough mystery in the story to keep the audience reading. It means increasing the antagonism. It means not letting the quality of my grammar and syntax be distracting to the reader. It means making sure the cover for Beacon is as awesome as the cover for Catalyst. It means paying off some of the mysteries that were set up in Catalyst as well as subtlety getting into bigger mysteries.

The good news is that today was a good writing day and I got a lot of work done on Beacon (I can’t say the same for my essay). I’m still on track to get Beacon to you by the end summer. In the meantime you should read Catalyst and write a review about it. It could win you an awesome prize.

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Another Giveaway

Posted on January 21, 2013 by

Results
The second Catalyst giveaway on Goodreads ended last week. The first giveaway led to 400 or so people entering. This giveaway ended with 1084 people entering. Awesome. Also, one of the people who won is from Australia, which is cool. As far as I know that’s the first Catalyst book over there.

I think the main reason that this number is so much higher than the first one is because it was available for longer. If you look at the most requested books on Goodreads they are the ones who are up there for the longest. I wonder if you can do two giveaways at once? For sure I’m going to keep doing the monthly giveaway but maybe just to see how many requests I can get, I’ll throw one up there for half a year or something.

Does it Mean Anything?
I have no idea if these numbers are doing anything for me. Are the people who didn’t win going to go out and buy a copy of my book if they don’t win the giveaway? I don’t think they all will. Maybe one or two. Who knows. If all that happens is a few hundred people see my name, title, and book cover then it might still be worth it. The more they see me the more likely they are to buy a copy, right? I have no idea.

I also just like seeing that number go up. Even if it doesn’t mean anything for me in the long run.

Do You Want to Be a Character in My Book?
One of the purposes of this giveaway is to get reviews for the book. So when I found out the winners I emailed them and told them that when they write their review they should include the word ‘chortle’ so they can enter the contest to have a character in Beacon: Book 2 in the Ronos Trilogy named after them.

If you want to be a character in book two all you need to do is read Catalyst: Book 1 in the Ronos Trilogy. Then write a review for it and use the word ‘chortle’ so I know you are entering the contest. Then upload the review to Amazon or Goodreads. I will pick two reviews at random as the winners.

Tell your friends.

Several copies of Catalyst stacked on eachother and fanned out.

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Want to be a Character in My Book?

Posted on January 18, 2013 by

The title of this post kind of says it all. I have two characters in Beacon: Book 2 in the Ronos Trilogy, one boy and one girl, who do not have any names. How cool would it be if your name was used for one of those characters?

There are three easy steps to enter this contest.

1) Read Catalyst: Book 1 in the Ronos Trilogy.
2) Write a review. *Make sure you use the word “chortle” so I know it’s for this contest.
3)Post your review on Goodreads or Amazon.

You will be able to brag to all of your friends that your name was used in an awesome science fiction book! How many people can say that? You may even get a free signed copy of the book your name is feature in; we’ll see how deep my pockets are when Beacon gets published.

*I know what you’re thinking. I’ll just pick the one that gives the most glowing review for Catalyst. That’s not true. I’m going to choose the winning review at Random. If you want to be considered one of the random entries for the prize then you need to use the word “chortle” somewhere in the review. Use it randomly or incorporate it into the review somehow. Hey, you could even include a link to this website. It doesn’t matter as long as it’s in there. I will only be entering reviews that use the word “chortle” into the random draw for the grand prize of having their name featured in Beacon.

Several copies of Catalyst stacked on eachother and fanned out.

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