BREAKING NEWS:
Two more copies of the Judge has been sold on Amazon Kindle! YES! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!
Time to FREAK OUT! Aaaaaah! Another two copies have been sold! One in US and one in UK! SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET! AMAZING! AWESOME! SUPER! SPECTACULAR! UH--RANDOM ADJECTIVES OF VARYING CRAZY EXPLOSIVE EXCITEMENT!
*breathes heavily* Okay...okay...I think I'm okay now. Yeah, that's really all I wanted to get off my chest.
I had almost given up on sales entirely...and speaking of sales....
SALES TIME [Official Report Edition of this may never happen again]:
2 copies of the Judge has been sold - YEAH!
Stats time:
8679 Judge -about 400? pretty stable.
9948 Awake -sooooo close to 10,000
There we go. Guardian progress: 20%
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Happy...Cyber...Monday? (And my ways of dealing with a Post Apocalyptic scenario)
That website's working again. And I know how much you all missed the stats from yesterday(I know, I know, nobody cares :( )...so here we go:
Judge: 8257 - Aw, now we can't compare on a day by day basis. But between the two days, about 600 up. A slow drop again? Bummer.
Awake: 9799 - almost 10,000!
Anyway, now on the pointlessness. Today is Cyber Monday! To be honest, I've never heard of cyber monday. Nobody I know has ever told me, "Hey, Happy Cyber Monday!" But then again, nobody really celebrates Black Friday either...because they're not holidays to begin with! What exactly are they if they aren't holidays? Shopping days apparently. While people storm the stores in the wee hours of the morning on Black Friday, sacrificing life and limb to get GREAT savings, people just sit at home...clicking away at their computers on Cyber Monday. Convenient. Deals are okay too. I mean, sure it doesn't go as low as Black Friday, but still you might get things 40-50% off. So there you have it, another day in the guise of a holiday...only to just be a SPEND ALL YOUR MONEY(as if we haven't spent enough over the weekend) day.
Depressing for the wallet (and whatever you hold money in), but perhaps good for the economy?
And now for the main event: My ways of dealing with a post-apocalyptic world. [BACHELOR EDITION]
Picture courtesy of Fall Out 3.
You've watched them in movies. You've played them in games (pretty popular theme as you can see above). But what would you do in a post-apocalyptic world? What if computers deemed humanity as a parasite to the Earth(Matrix, Terminator, I, Robot)? What if World War 3 starts and nukes are fired all over the Earth?
Today's topic: Food. Every post-apocalyptic bachelor knows that in order to survive in such a world...you need food(and you need food all the time)! Of course the tricky thing is not to eat food, but to acquire it. If you're smart (and perhaps a bit crazy) you'd already have stocked up on supplies regardless.
1) So...first of all: Preparation. Before the apocalypse happens (i.e. TODAY) What kind of goods would be good (...) to stock up on? We need stuff that lasts. And bachelors are the experts in this category.
a) Canned goods - spam, baked beans, soups, tuna, fruits, pasta. These are OUR food groups. You can get some pretty yummy stuff canned. Although canned vegetables are kind of...not that great. I see some good sources of protein here.
b) Cup-a-noodle, Ramen noodles - People rag on this stuff because it's mostly oil, salt and carbs. But while it may be considered kind of bad in everyday life, it's great food for surviving the p-a world. Combine it with some canned food, and you've got yourself an awesome meal! Plus, you don't even have to cook it if you're desperate and don't have time to make a fire. Just eat it raw (it tastes much better cooked).
c) Cat/Dog food - I've never eaten it myself. But I can't see how this wouldn't be fine. Some are canned, but you've got some nice dried versions as well. Hey, you've got to survive. And it can't be too bad. Besides. You're a bachelor. Cooking or no cooking, you'll survive on anything.
d) Grains - Cereal lasts. Assuming you can't get any milk (well, I guess you could try to start a farm, but not sure how well that would turn out), you can just eat it. And it'll taste better than dog food and dried ramen.
e) Sealed food - almost like canned...except not in a can!It comes in a plastic container. Just heat up (or not) and enjoy.
f) Jarred food - Pickles? Peanut Butter? Okay, so some of those things are more of spreads for foods. But due to their edible status, I'd say..go ahead and eat a jar of peanut butter if you've got nothing else.
g) Bagged food - Potato chips for a meal? Hey, it's like eating a potato...actually, it IS eating a potato.
h) Frozen food - Wait a minute! If we don't have electricity (and a possible nuclear winter might make solar power less effective), how are we going to keep our food frozen? Simple. Go live in either the north or south pole.
2) So you've got all that yummy dog food stocked up. Now what? Let's say the world ends tomorrow (no more stats?!). You want to save as much food as you can. The next step is to start practicing your hunting skills.
It's a dangerous world out there. Due to radiation, all creatures have become butt-ugly mutants that resemble pig fetuses. How can you tell what's good to eat? Do you go for the chicken with two heads? Or the cow with five butts? I'm assuming the laws of nature will still apply, regardless of how disfigured everything is. So here are some basic tips when hunting for food.
a) Always cook it! Be on the safe side.
b) Avoid bright colored and spotted and striped creatures
c) go more for herbivores. why? it's tradition. deers, rabbits, chickens, cows...what do they have in common? besides, if that goat is man-eating, you wouldn't want to take your chances.
d) Always test the food first - take a bite. wait a day. if you're feeling fine, that food is good to keep on hunting for.
e) keep a record of safe creatures to eat
f) make sure you have benadryl on hand. even if something isn't poisonous to eat, you never know if you'll get an allergic reaction.
Anyway, I've gone on long enough. Enjoy your Cyber Monday!
Judge: 8257 - Aw, now we can't compare on a day by day basis. But between the two days, about 600 up. A slow drop again? Bummer.
Awake: 9799 - almost 10,000!
Anyway, now on the pointlessness. Today is Cyber Monday! To be honest, I've never heard of cyber monday. Nobody I know has ever told me, "Hey, Happy Cyber Monday!" But then again, nobody really celebrates Black Friday either...because they're not holidays to begin with! What exactly are they if they aren't holidays? Shopping days apparently. While people storm the stores in the wee hours of the morning on Black Friday, sacrificing life and limb to get GREAT savings, people just sit at home...clicking away at their computers on Cyber Monday. Convenient. Deals are okay too. I mean, sure it doesn't go as low as Black Friday, but still you might get things 40-50% off. So there you have it, another day in the guise of a holiday...only to just be a SPEND ALL YOUR MONEY(as if we haven't spent enough over the weekend) day.
Depressing for the wallet (and whatever you hold money in), but perhaps good for the economy?
And now for the main event: My ways of dealing with a post-apocalyptic world. [BACHELOR EDITION]
You've watched them in movies. You've played them in games (pretty popular theme as you can see above). But what would you do in a post-apocalyptic world? What if computers deemed humanity as a parasite to the Earth(Matrix, Terminator, I, Robot)? What if World War 3 starts and nukes are fired all over the Earth?
Today's topic: Food. Every post-apocalyptic bachelor knows that in order to survive in such a world...you need food(and you need food all the time)! Of course the tricky thing is not to eat food, but to acquire it. If you're smart (and perhaps a bit crazy) you'd already have stocked up on supplies regardless.
1) So...first of all: Preparation. Before the apocalypse happens (i.e. TODAY) What kind of goods would be good (...) to stock up on? We need stuff that lasts. And bachelors are the experts in this category.
a) Canned goods - spam, baked beans, soups, tuna, fruits, pasta. These are OUR food groups. You can get some pretty yummy stuff canned. Although canned vegetables are kind of...not that great. I see some good sources of protein here.
b) Cup-a-noodle, Ramen noodles - People rag on this stuff because it's mostly oil, salt and carbs. But while it may be considered kind of bad in everyday life, it's great food for surviving the p-a world. Combine it with some canned food, and you've got yourself an awesome meal! Plus, you don't even have to cook it if you're desperate and don't have time to make a fire. Just eat it raw (it tastes much better cooked).
c) Cat/Dog food - I've never eaten it myself. But I can't see how this wouldn't be fine. Some are canned, but you've got some nice dried versions as well. Hey, you've got to survive. And it can't be too bad. Besides. You're a bachelor. Cooking or no cooking, you'll survive on anything.
d) Grains - Cereal lasts. Assuming you can't get any milk (well, I guess you could try to start a farm, but not sure how well that would turn out), you can just eat it. And it'll taste better than dog food and dried ramen.
e) Sealed food - almost like canned...except not in a can!It comes in a plastic container. Just heat up (or not) and enjoy.
f) Jarred food - Pickles? Peanut Butter? Okay, so some of those things are more of spreads for foods. But due to their edible status, I'd say..go ahead and eat a jar of peanut butter if you've got nothing else.
g) Bagged food - Potato chips for a meal? Hey, it's like eating a potato...actually, it IS eating a potato.
h) Frozen food - Wait a minute! If we don't have electricity (and a possible nuclear winter might make solar power less effective), how are we going to keep our food frozen? Simple. Go live in either the north or south pole.
2) So you've got all that yummy dog food stocked up. Now what? Let's say the world ends tomorrow (no more stats?!). You want to save as much food as you can. The next step is to start practicing your hunting skills.
It's a dangerous world out there. Due to radiation, all creatures have become butt-ugly mutants that resemble pig fetuses. How can you tell what's good to eat? Do you go for the chicken with two heads? Or the cow with five butts? I'm assuming the laws of nature will still apply, regardless of how disfigured everything is. So here are some basic tips when hunting for food.
a) Always cook it! Be on the safe side.
b) Avoid bright colored and spotted and striped creatures
c) go more for herbivores. why? it's tradition. deers, rabbits, chickens, cows...what do they have in common? besides, if that goat is man-eating, you wouldn't want to take your chances.
d) Always test the food first - take a bite. wait a day. if you're feeling fine, that food is good to keep on hunting for.
e) keep a record of safe creatures to eat
f) make sure you have benadryl on hand. even if something isn't poisonous to eat, you never know if you'll get an allergic reaction.
Anyway, I've gone on long enough. Enjoy your Cyber Monday!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Nothing Saturday
Happy Nothing Saturday, everyone! Or maybe just Happy Saturday, when the only thing to celebrate is another day of life.
Anyway, I'm sure you're all stuffed full of turkey...for days and days.
And you've probably spent all your money in hopes of saving it (that's what deals are all about!).
So while your stomachs are full and your wallets are empty, welcome back to the blog(and to the grind)!
The Holidays really haven't made much change in my downloads. Still about the same I suppose.
Judge 7620 - 400ish boost? Still good.
Awake 9464 -200ish boost? Its got legs, y'all! (Southern talk, which I'm terrible at)
We had a feast this year! 15 attended our annual Thanksgiving feast (including dogs and babies of course).
But that's bigger than normal.
To be honest I didn't get much writing done over the past two days. But I did do some story planning. The Guardian isn't exactly shaping up nicely, but I do hope, after some heavy revision, that the final product will be worth it.
Still debating whether to make the Guardian free, or just make it cheap.
Anyway, I'm sure you're all stuffed full of turkey...for days and days.
And you've probably spent all your money in hopes of saving it (that's what deals are all about!).
So while your stomachs are full and your wallets are empty, welcome back to the blog(and to the grind)!
The Holidays really haven't made much change in my downloads. Still about the same I suppose.
Judge 7620 - 400ish boost? Still good.
Awake 9464 -200ish boost? Its got legs, y'all! (Southern talk, which I'm terrible at)
We had a feast this year! 15 attended our annual Thanksgiving feast (including dogs and babies of course).
But that's bigger than normal.
To be honest I didn't get much writing done over the past two days. But I did do some story planning. The Guardian isn't exactly shaping up nicely, but I do hope, after some heavy revision, that the final product will be worth it.
Still debating whether to make the Guardian free, or just make it cheap.
Friday, November 26, 2010
The Blackest of Fridays
So it's Black Friday today. Whoop-dee-doo. Okay, yeah it's not really a holiday, so I don't care much for it. Although there are some really good deals. People say it's Christmas shopping, but we all know they just want those deals for themselves :P
Anyway, my books are getting more downloads!
Judge 7227 - Over 7 thousand!
Awake 9229 - Wow, it was going so slowly before and now it broke 9000 overnight!
Still quiet though. Anyway, I hope you people enjoy your Black Friday (that's not really a holiday but I guess it kind of is?). Be sure to check out Amazon.com for some really awesome deals! I mostly shop amazon online, but I always check up on newegg as well (they've got some good computer parts and service).
And if you like my books, please don't forget to put up some reviews somewhere, either Amazon or Free-Ebooks.net. Thanks.
Anyway, my books are getting more downloads!
Judge 7227 - Over 7 thousand!
Awake 9229 - Wow, it was going so slowly before and now it broke 9000 overnight!
Still quiet though. Anyway, I hope you people enjoy your Black Friday (that's not really a holiday but I guess it kind of is?). Be sure to check out Amazon.com for some really awesome deals! I mostly shop amazon online, but I always check up on newegg as well (they've got some good computer parts and service).
And if you like my books, please don't forget to put up some reviews somewhere, either Amazon or Free-Ebooks.net. Thanks.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
It's Thanksgiving!
No stats again. I guess it goes down in the morning from time to time. Oh well.
Today is Thanksgiving! It's an awesome day to just give thanks...because, well, thinking about the good things in life will lift your spirits.
Just a moment ago, I smelled smoke. Something was burning! I ran to the kitchen as fast as I could and saw smoke everywhere! But now I can be thankful that I caught it on time. Crisis averted! Although...my nose still smells smoke. I think there are smoke particles or something in my nose holes. I wonder if it helps with congestion. Probably not.
So there! There's one thing to be thankful about as I wait for the smoke to clear out of the windows.
There are all sorts of things to be thankful about!
When you're okay and just living a normal life...be thankful you don't have to endure strife!
If you're still alive and well, that's perfect and just swell!
Sure, you might not have the wealth, but who cares about that when you're in good health!
Bah, I hate rhyming.
Anyway...if you think about your troubles and your worries, you'll be grumpy and bitter.
That brings to mind Disney movies, doesn't it? Hakunamatata and the Bare necessities!
Sure, I might look at my situation and be depressed, thinking stuff like: my books will never be liked, or nobody cares even though I put all my heart and soul into these books, or I've only sold about 20something books, or why won't any agents help me get published, or why aren't there any people reviewing my books, or why are the downloads slowing down, or I can't even tell if people are even reading my books-- You get the point.
But at the same time...I look at how far I've gotten and think...who cares? I know at least like five people have read my books. And that's better than none! I've got nearly 9000 downloads on Awake! and I've only put it up a month ago! In terms of hits, it's already surpassed so many other books that came out before it! And the same goes for the Judge!
Slowly (very,very,very slowly) I'm getting exposure. A few people might actually be reading my books! So I gotta be thankful!
I'm not famous, I'm dirt poor, nobody buys my books--But who caaaaaaaaares?
It's been such a blessing to write these books. And I'll never regret doing it.
I may never hit it big time, but at least I know I gave it my all.
I'm going to do my best to finish the first trilogy of the Coranite Chronicles as fast as I can.
And then...unless some miracle happens and I get published for real...I guess I'll just move on.
And I will have finished...my greatest dream and passion in life....
EDIT: Numbers are in.
Judge 6758 - a nice boost!
Awake 8910 - yeah, this...ain't going anywhere.
Today is Thanksgiving! It's an awesome day to just give thanks...because, well, thinking about the good things in life will lift your spirits.
Just a moment ago, I smelled smoke. Something was burning! I ran to the kitchen as fast as I could and saw smoke everywhere! But now I can be thankful that I caught it on time. Crisis averted! Although...my nose still smells smoke. I think there are smoke particles or something in my nose holes. I wonder if it helps with congestion. Probably not.
So there! There's one thing to be thankful about as I wait for the smoke to clear out of the windows.
There are all sorts of things to be thankful about!
When you're okay and just living a normal life...be thankful you don't have to endure strife!
If you're still alive and well, that's perfect and just swell!
Sure, you might not have the wealth, but who cares about that when you're in good health!
Bah, I hate rhyming.
Anyway...if you think about your troubles and your worries, you'll be grumpy and bitter.
That brings to mind Disney movies, doesn't it? Hakunamatata and the Bare necessities!
Sure, I might look at my situation and be depressed, thinking stuff like: my books will never be liked, or nobody cares even though I put all my heart and soul into these books, or I've only sold about 20something books, or why won't any agents help me get published, or why aren't there any people reviewing my books, or why are the downloads slowing down, or I can't even tell if people are even reading my books-- You get the point.
But at the same time...I look at how far I've gotten and think...who cares? I know at least like five people have read my books. And that's better than none! I've got nearly 9000 downloads on Awake! and I've only put it up a month ago! In terms of hits, it's already surpassed so many other books that came out before it! And the same goes for the Judge!
Slowly (very,very,very slowly) I'm getting exposure. A few people might actually be reading my books! So I gotta be thankful!
I'm not famous, I'm dirt poor, nobody buys my books--But who caaaaaaaaares?
It's been such a blessing to write these books. And I'll never regret doing it.
I may never hit it big time, but at least I know I gave it my all.
I'm going to do my best to finish the first trilogy of the Coranite Chronicles as fast as I can.
And then...unless some miracle happens and I get published for real...I guess I'll just move on.
And I will have finished...my greatest dream and passion in life....
EDIT: Numbers are in.
Judge 6758 - a nice boost!
Awake 8910 - yeah, this...ain't going anywhere.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
More Time-wasting
8811 on Awake! Will we break 9000 tomorrow? Probably not. I'd say chances are about 50/50.
And 6004 on the Judge! That's like 400 downloads.
Steadily slowing down? Or totally random?
You decide(I hate when people say that).
Thank you people for downloading my books. If you like them, please leave reviews and spread the word about them. While it's nice to get downloads, I often wonder if anyone is actually reading them.
Ugh. The sickness has returned and it's getting to me. You know the drill: sore throat, congestion. It's not too bad. Nothing a few hot showers and hot soup can't fix.
Anyway, keeping it short again today.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! I don't know if I should bother taking a break or not. Probably not necessary. Breaks are useless. Must...keep...moving!
Guardian Progress: 18%
Going to slow down now. Here comes the hard part.
Maybe I'll do a little piece or something tomorrow. See ya then.
And 6004 on the Judge! That's like 400 downloads.
Steadily slowing down? Or totally random?
You decide(I hate when people say that).
Thank you people for downloading my books. If you like them, please leave reviews and spread the word about them. While it's nice to get downloads, I often wonder if anyone is actually reading them.
Ugh. The sickness has returned and it's getting to me. You know the drill: sore throat, congestion. It's not too bad. Nothing a few hot showers and hot soup can't fix.
Anyway, keeping it short again today.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! I don't know if I should bother taking a break or not. Probably not necessary. Breaks are useless. Must...keep...moving!
Guardian Progress: 18%
Going to slow down now. Here comes the hard part.
Maybe I'll do a little piece or something tomorrow. See ya then.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Lost Tales of the Judge
8658 on awake...but...
We've hit 5600 on the Judge!
Not a bad jump if I do say so myself. Like a 500 jump in one day? And it's already been out for a while. Nice. I don't know how it happened, but who knows, maybe we're getting popular!
Anyway for today, like I said, I'd put up a bit more information on the Judge. I added a few characters to the character page and some character art. I just wish I had better art skills...or someone with art skills made their own designs, I wouldn't mind posting those up too. But most of all, today I decided to talk about what I had to cut and the changes I had to make to the Judge.
For those of you who've read the Judge, you probably know that it's a big book. It averages about 122,000 words. But at one time it was over 150,000! The only reason I cut out some parts was because it was not really necessary to the plot and I needed to keep it condensed for printing. (Plus, publishers don't like big books, so I thought I'd get a better chance of publishing it if I kept word count down. Too bad...it didn't help anything at all.)
So the first thing you'll probably notice is that I cut out the prologue. You can find the prologue on the sample chapters on the Coranite Chronicles page on the right. The prologue was the tale of the Judges, intended to set the mood for the story. It is canon, part of the main story as well. But it takes place thousands of years in the past. The first Judges were not assassins who hunted criminals. In those turbulent times, all the nations were at war. They were powerful warriors who fought to protect their small nation. This elite twelve could slay entire armies in order to keep their king safe.
The next thing I cut out was the first meeting between Darek, Azura, and Sorren. In their first meeting, Sorren and his companions, Windzer and Hortmel, actually found Darek and Azura in the abandoned city. Darek was still attacked by Thedes. However, when Thedes discovered Windzer approaching, they quickly retreated. This first meeting was not as simple as falling into a river. It was much crazier!
A giant storm passed overhead, causing a giant flood with waters that rose over thirty feet high! The group tried to hide in a house...until they realized just how bad the storm was, as it flooded straight through the windows, filling up the house. They were washed by the flood and ended up in a small empty village where Rathos took care of them until they needed to dive into a waterfall in order to reach the hidden cave where the Mansion was.
The other big thing I cut out was a small adventure that Darek and the others had when they in the desert. While they were in the desert, they stopped by a small oasis to freshen up and look for animals to ride upon. They waited in the sand, hiding themselves from view. But when Darek gets up to give Thedes a piece of his mind, he finds himself surrounded by large, upright lizard creatures. The lizards carry him away, taking him into some secret lair of an insane immortal who lives there. They throw Darek into a pit that he can't escape from. Sorren and the others go to help him. But Azura falls down there too. While Sorren goes to look for a piece of rope or any other solution, he comes upon a water reservoir and cracks it open, sending a surge of water across the lair, sweeping Darek and Azura out of the pit. Sorren also steals the map of the immortal so that they can traverse the desert by going from oasis to oasis.
I feel like I probably cut some other stuff out, but that's all I can remember for now.
Guardian progress: 15%
We've hit 5600 on the Judge!
Not a bad jump if I do say so myself. Like a 500 jump in one day? And it's already been out for a while. Nice. I don't know how it happened, but who knows, maybe we're getting popular!
Anyway for today, like I said, I'd put up a bit more information on the Judge. I added a few characters to the character page and some character art. I just wish I had better art skills...or someone with art skills made their own designs, I wouldn't mind posting those up too. But most of all, today I decided to talk about what I had to cut and the changes I had to make to the Judge.
For those of you who've read the Judge, you probably know that it's a big book. It averages about 122,000 words. But at one time it was over 150,000! The only reason I cut out some parts was because it was not really necessary to the plot and I needed to keep it condensed for printing. (Plus, publishers don't like big books, so I thought I'd get a better chance of publishing it if I kept word count down. Too bad...it didn't help anything at all.)
So the first thing you'll probably notice is that I cut out the prologue. You can find the prologue on the sample chapters on the Coranite Chronicles page on the right. The prologue was the tale of the Judges, intended to set the mood for the story. It is canon, part of the main story as well. But it takes place thousands of years in the past. The first Judges were not assassins who hunted criminals. In those turbulent times, all the nations were at war. They were powerful warriors who fought to protect their small nation. This elite twelve could slay entire armies in order to keep their king safe.
The next thing I cut out was the first meeting between Darek, Azura, and Sorren. In their first meeting, Sorren and his companions, Windzer and Hortmel, actually found Darek and Azura in the abandoned city. Darek was still attacked by Thedes. However, when Thedes discovered Windzer approaching, they quickly retreated. This first meeting was not as simple as falling into a river. It was much crazier!
A giant storm passed overhead, causing a giant flood with waters that rose over thirty feet high! The group tried to hide in a house...until they realized just how bad the storm was, as it flooded straight through the windows, filling up the house. They were washed by the flood and ended up in a small empty village where Rathos took care of them until they needed to dive into a waterfall in order to reach the hidden cave where the Mansion was.
The other big thing I cut out was a small adventure that Darek and the others had when they in the desert. While they were in the desert, they stopped by a small oasis to freshen up and look for animals to ride upon. They waited in the sand, hiding themselves from view. But when Darek gets up to give Thedes a piece of his mind, he finds himself surrounded by large, upright lizard creatures. The lizards carry him away, taking him into some secret lair of an insane immortal who lives there. They throw Darek into a pit that he can't escape from. Sorren and the others go to help him. But Azura falls down there too. While Sorren goes to look for a piece of rope or any other solution, he comes upon a water reservoir and cracks it open, sending a surge of water across the lair, sweeping Darek and Azura out of the pit. Sorren also steals the map of the immortal so that they can traverse the desert by going from oasis to oasis.
I feel like I probably cut some other stuff out, but that's all I can remember for now.
Guardian progress: 15%
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