Assuming the fetal position

Well, I’ve gone and done it. I uploaded and hit the publish button. My personal process hasn’t changed over the years. I’m freaking the hell out like I always do.

This may stem from the first experience I had where Amazon took the entire manuscript and squeezed all the letters into one line down the middle of the page. It’s never happened since, but that kind of thing sticks with you. Can you imagine if someone had purchased that book and gotten one line of over-strike text for an entire book?

Anyway, I’m on the dawn of a new book release. This is my novella project, and it’s the origin story of a paranormal superhero kind of character. It’s full of some witty interactions, and I intended much of it to be humorous. There are some dark moments, because it’s got a paranormal undertone. Music also plays a roll in this one.

I’ve shared the cover before, but here it is again.

There are a million things to do behind the scenes once I have a purchase link. I have to update my site, contact the Goodreads Librarians, link this and that all together. I have friends to deliver materials to; like I said, a million little things.

For now, watch this space for updates. I’ll be over in the corner building a blanket fort.

Assessing my effort so far

On Friday night I posted a list of things I want to accomplish before returning to the paycheck job on Tuesday. I think I’m doing a pretty good job of things so far. Let’s take a look at the list, and I’ll scratch things off to indicate what I’ve been doing.

The checklist:

• Take life as it comes, including another date night and puppy play
• Work on short stories
• Read all my Macabre Macaroni stories, edit as needed
• Publish my second Experimental Notebook (mostly)
• Work on any Lisa Burton Radio stuff that comes back in the mail
• Go through my critiques and make changes to The Yak Guy Project
• Read one book, start another
• Blog

I got a bunch of writing done yesterday, so I completely ignored that today. It was hard, because it’s what I want to be doing. Mom always said you have to finish your Brussels sprouts before you can have dessert. It’s kind of like that.

Otto and I played a bunch. He’s teething right now, and looks kind of like a wild boar with tusks in the bottom jaw only. The top canines are coming in fast though and his rawhide toys were pretty popular today.

I put in some work on future Lisa Burton Radio interviews. Those are all in the mail, finished, or awaiting final approval. I still have to schedule this week’s post via WordPress. Maybe I’ll do that after this posts. I love the scheduler option for these.

I finished my reading project, but didn’t get around to starting the next one. I have a book of short stories next by one of the regulars here. I want to read another one by a friend after that. Short fiction is one of my favorites and I’m kind of excited about both of them. Sue and Nicholas, I’m talking about you.

I probably screwed up on the publishing front. I wanted to do a short pre-sale for The Experimental Notebook of C. S. Boyack II. When I pushed everything through the mill it asked when I wanted to book to deliver. It never asked me when I wanted the pre-sale to start. I wouldn’t be surprised if I have to write a panic post tomorrow because the pre-sale already started. If that’s what happens, I’ll have to own it like I planned it, but readers of this blog will know the truth. Maybe I can blame everything on my assistant.

Some of the items on my list are ongoing, like blogging and working on the short stories. Tomorrow I’ll save the Macabre Macaroni stories for break times. It may seem odd, but reading and tweaking seems to use a different part of the brain than drafting new material does. At least it does for me.

I’m going to focus on the short stories in The Enhanced League. I may crack into the short stories I want to read too.

Then again, I may not do any of that. I may have to write a panic post about the release of my new book. If that shows up in my timeline tomorrow, you can all have a laugh at my expense. I really wanted to start on the 24th, not the 15th. Part of the problem is the lack of time to dedicate. My wife and I have plans that won’t provide another day to do this.

So there you have it. Picking away at my list, and I can do the fun stuff tomorrow. I think I’ll have two of those pumpkin beers tonight, but I doubt they’ll help me sleep. I’ll probably toss and turn all night wondering if Amazon will have my book available tomorrow morning.

I’m tired, but happy

It all started back when I made the work trip to North Idaho. I got to not only work, but drive everyone eight hours each way.

Then we went on vacation which involved much more driving, but with a camper in tow.

Then I decided to release my book of short stories, and that involved a lot of emailing. I set up some book review sites, and had to write a few things for guest spots. I tried to keep up with the comments on the sites that did cover reveals, and the reviews my advance readers posted. This won't end for a couple of weeks. If I missed some comments on your sites, please tell me and I'll remedy this PDQ.

Today, Old What's Her Face* wanted us to go to town. I got a hamburger, yay! She got this:

2015 Toyota Sequoia

This isn't the color she wanted, but these things are hard to come by. You kind of have to take what is available. The dealership had two 2016 versions in white, and this 2015 version in grey. In fact, this may be the very last new 2015 in captivity.

I like to tease her, but her old car was ten years old. We were courting disaster by pushing it much farther. I hate car shopping, but we got a decent price because it is last year's model.

I'm nervous as a cat now, but it was time to bite the bullet. I figured it out, and I need to sell about 140,000 copies of my new book to pay for it. Therefore, feel free to preorder, Amazon will deliver your book on September 15th.

All joking aside, I am seeing a few preorders. I'd like to see a few more and get into triple digits somewhere. There are some reviews coming for those of you who are reluctant. There are a few guest spots coming where Lisa Burton is doing her promo job too.

I'm trying to watch Boise State vs Washington, but Old What's Her Face is trying to program her garage door opener. I have a hunch I'm about to get paged.

PS: It was a good hamburger.

*Not my wife's actual name.

Of Manuscripts and Mayflies

This homely little fellow is a mayfly nymph. He hatched from an egg on the bottom of a stream. He lives at the very bottom of the river, down in the muck. He hides from the light and keeps between, and sometimes under the rocks.

He’ll live there for a whole year. He grows, and has to shed his skin multiple times. The withered husk simply drifts away on the stream. It kind of looks like him, but it has no soul. No personality. It’s almost like the nymph has to discard some things as he grows and evolves.

A novel starts out as a manuscript. Think of it like a novel nymph. It hatches from an outline, or even just a loose idea in a writer’s mind. It hangs out in the dark too. It’s habitat could be a spare bedroom, garage or even a closet/office. It too has to go through an evolution. Chapters go off to critique groups and come home as withered husks that only resemble the manuscript in a superficial way. Characters get combined, or even change genders. They get new names and evolve. Still, it stays in the dark growing in word count over a period of about a year.

After about a year, our mayfly nymph is as big as he needs to be. He’s been through many revisions and must shed his skin one last time. He comes into the light and swims to the top of the stream, wriggling out of his final skin.

A manuscript also steps into the light. It goes off to beta readers, who read the entire manuscript from the very beginning. These wonderful people suggest things that can make the story stronger and more coherent.

The nymph has to dry out a bit. He isn’t exactly a nymph anymore, but something in between stages. He has wings now, but they’re wet and wrinkled. He needs a bit of time in the sun.

The manuscript goes off to an editor. It needs a bit of polish too. Not much, just a bit here and there to let it put it’s best image forward.

Our nymph is gone forever. He is a fully fledged mayfly now, and a very handsome fellow to boot. His lines are estheticly pleasing, and he has a brilliant color. Anyone would be lucky to spot him and revel in his magnificence.

The manuscript is gone forever too. It is now a fully functional novel. It has a brilliant cover indicating the promise within. An enticing blurb greets all those lucky enough to spot it.

The mayfly scans the skies as the sun warms him up from his aquatic beginnings. He has one task left to compete. He must find a mate.

The novel goes through a waiting process too. The author has to upload everything to Amazon, or some other book vendor. There is some formatting to check, and it too is ready to take flight. It’s final job is to find a reader.

The mayfly spreads it’s wings and launches itself into the air.

The author pushes the publish button and cracks open a well earned beverage. Both the novel and the mayfly take flight, only to discover…

Welcome to the Amazon baby

There are other mayflies and novels competing for attention. Enough to to blot out the sun, both figuratively and literally.

 

Mae Clair Presents: Will O’ the Wisp by C. S. Boyack #YA #MagicalRealism

Mae Clair has some wonderful things to say about Will O’ the Wisp on her blog today. She has an interesting blog, and is worth visiting even when I’m not the topic. Please consider supporting this wonderful blogger.

From the Pen of Mae Clair

Have I got a treat for you today! Blogging friend, Craig Boyack, has just released a tale guaranteed to appeal to young and old alike. I was fortunate enough to get an ARC of this wonderful novel, which combines elements of magical realism, mystery, and fantasy, as well as a highly appealing coming of age theme. As I don’t post reviews on my blog, you’ll have to check Amazon for my five star review/rating—but I do have to point out several things that stood out for me about this novel:

Title and book cover:
I’m a Will o’ the Wisp fanatic from long ago. That bobbing, weaving sphere of light might not get as much exposure on my blog, as say my favorite cryptid, the Mothman, but I’ll readily devour any novel built around the legend of a “hinkypunk” or “spook light” — especially when the myth is so cleverly woven…

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Changes

I was looking for something to blog about tonight. Look what showed up. Check out some more of Rachel’s process to make my wonderful cover.

Rachel Carrera, Novelist

Last week, I blogged the cover reveal for my good friend, Craig Boyack’s new book, Will O’ the Wisp.  I shared with you how I designed the cover and how much I loved the story.   Today, I am pleased to announce that as of this past weekend, Will O’ the Wisp is finally available for sale on Amazon.

By the way, if you don’t know what a will o’ the wisp is, I’ll be happy to explain in Craig’s own words:

“It is a natural phenomenon involving a light that floats above swampy or boggy areas. It’s also seen with friction associated with tectonic plate movement. Science doesn’t exactly know, because it is extremely rare. There are many legends associated with it, and I took the legends from there.”

I also wanted to show you the difference between the original photo and what ended up being Craig’s…

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Two seconds after my last post, WOW is live.

It was a gloomy day at the Writing Cabin. I went into my paranormal office and sat at Patty Hall’s roll top desk to begin my day. The enchanted window showed an image of giant spiders attacking New York. Why do things attack New York or Tokyo? There are some perfectly wonderful other cities on Earth they could attack.

I opened the desk, pulled on my lab coat, and went to work. I needed to upload Will O’ the Wisp to Amazon to make Patty’s story available to everyone. This is a great tale, and I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever written. It’s even suitable for young adults.

I kept getting the red message that I forgot something. Amazon even deleted my blurb and made me write it out again. This is par for the course, and I soldiered on.

The enchanted beer horns tip toed into my office and rubbed on my leg.

They acted like apprehensive kittens until I petted them. “Let me finish uploading this, and then we’ll have something malty and frosty.”

I soldiered on through uploading the cover art, and had to do that twice. It seems I forgot something, and had to answer all the questions again. It finally became time to hit publish.

I pushed the button.

The beer horns honked in unison, and Lisa Burton* filled them both with Old Chub Scottish Ale. They strutted around like little bantam roosters.

I released the Will O’ the Wisp from its bell jar and watched it careen around the room. The beer was frothy and cold, and I eased back in my chair and watched the wisp.

Tomorrow I’d have to do it all again to make the international version live. The only difference is two paragraphs, and I anticipate a fight with Amazon. Still, it was an accomplishment. I picked up one of the beer horns and took a large swig.

“Why don’t you take them in the other room, and I’ll clean up in here,” Lisa said.

“Alright, Wisp is an officially published book tonight. There’s more to do, but it’s out there now.”

“You can tackle the rest in the morning. You don’t take enough time to savor the moment. Maybe you can watch some Walking Dead or Twilight zone.”

Does she deserve that raise?

She was right, of course. I carried my beer into my main office. The other beer horn trotted after me. While she cleans up the paranormal office, I’m going to sip my beer and relax.”

After I made my last post, Amazon told me the book was live in the Kindle store. It was approximately two seconds after I hit publish on my blog post.

The link for the USA, Canada, and Mexico is http://a-fwd.com/asin-com=B00UPH6BNS

Tomorrow I’ll work on the international version. Then I need to get the Goodreads librarians to add it to my list, and merge both editions into one.

If everything works out well, tomorrow I’ll tell you what this story is about and update my “about me” page.

Don’t forget those early downloads are important. This includes the borrows from the library and the Kindle Unlimited program. (Of course, if you’re one of my regulars, I’ll give the darned thing to you if you ask.)

* Lisa is the main character in Wild Concept. She’s a robot and helps me around the Writing Cabin these days. She’s also the spokes model for Entertaining Stories.

Sometimes you just run out of weekend

I started my day with the weekly call to my parents. I don't care what else is beconning, this is a Sunday must. We spent an hour or thereabouts discussing everything under the sun.

I pre-wrote some blog posts to use when Will O' the Wisp comes out. I still have a bunch of them to write, but I want to be ahead of the game. I also finished my “final” read through. It's good, I'm very happy with it.

I got some comments I never expected via email, and the advice was spot on. I opened the document again and made some small changes.

I still have to make a title page for each version, and add all the links in the back of the book. That might be a project for Wednesday, which I have off. I have a haircut roughed out for Wednesday too, so we'll see how productive I am.

I exchanged email with my cover artist, and she's going to post the Will O' the Wisp cover on her blog first. I think this is only appropriate, since her talents brought it to life. Expect that to happen this week sometime.

I also got some good feedback on my short story, but ran out of time to tend to it.

My blog friends are the best. I've relied upon them to beta read, some asked for ARCs, and one made my cover. I'm enjoying writing and blogging more than ever before. It's the interaction that keeps it fun.

Still in the works:

• Write more blog tour posts for the queue.
• Make the landing and editing data for Will O' the Wisp.
• Publish two versions of Will O' the Wisp. Considering two different days to avoid the main one being held up by Amazon.
• Update the ending data for every other book after Wisp is published to include purchase links.
• Update the blog tour posts to include purchase links.
• Fulfill other terms of my copyright license upon publishing Wisp.
• Hire the blog tour company.
• Participate in the cover reveal for Wisp and blog the crap out of it.
• Add the cover to my sidebar in some kind of coming soon format.
• Touch base with ARC readers. This involves individual emails, because I don't share addresses without permission.
• Anticipate a fight with Amazon, because I'm putting two versions of Wisp out.
• Update my “About Me” page.
• Update my sidebar. Figure out how to show two different purchase links.
• Update my Gravitar data to include Wisp.
• Figure out how to get my new baby on Goodreads. Open for advice here involving two slightly different versions.

It isn't like today was unproductive at all. There's just a lot to do. Some of these projects will take minutes, some will take hours, but they all have to get done. I really want to give Will O' the Wisp a good start. It's a good book and deserves a little more effort on my part.

Last day, get ’em while they’re HOT

This is the last day of my three day giveaway. This time the book is called Arson. This is a return to science fiction and involves other planets and aliens. The expansion into space has caused a return to colonialism.

Perry Wolfe is a member of an elite team that fights fires in space. During a huge space liner fire, he receives a minor wound, but it is career ending. Rendered uninsurable, he can never be a firefighter again.

Perry enters the ATF firefighting school and gets shipped to a small moon called Quantico Two. His training facility is in the city of Glynco. He uncovers clues that link his sister’s murder to a string of arsons, but the FBI doesn’t welcome interference.

Perry can’t let go of being a firefighter. Maybe there is something else he needs in Glynco.

***

This story includes the most fun supporting character I’ve ever written. Curious?

This one has never been the subject of a giveaway or a countdown deal. This is the first promotion for Arson. It needs more reviews, and maybe I can gain a few from my giveaway. Here’s what my one review says:

“This SciFi thriller has plenty of action to keep your heart pumping. C.S. Boyack does a good job of pulling you into the story. I especially like the way he integrated alien species into the story as friends and co-workers. That aspect reminded me a bit of the Star Wars movies, but this story is much more sophisticated.”

Here’s the link one more time, if you want a free book: Arson.

Day one of my big giveaway

Today is the first day of my three day book giveaway. This is the day to get Wild Concept free for 24 hours only.

Lisa Burton is a concept robot. Atlantic Robotics borrowed a page from Detroit and decided to make a showpiece robot. Lisa was designed to be as human as possible. She still has tons of whiz bang technology included though. This book explores prejudices from the point of view of the outsider. It still winds up being a science fiction adventure.

Here’s what people are saying:

 “Boyack has a character that has no backstory. There is no history to Lisa Burton, but Boyack takes this thing and breathes a fascinating life into it.”

“Enjoy and see how Lisa develops, roar with laughter, cry, shake your head, whenever it suits you. Lisa Burton is my favourite (book) character of the year 2014.”

“Boyack used great imagination with Lisa’s development and her personality leaped out of the book to me.”

 “This was a fun read and exciting adventure. It also offers some room for deep reflection on prejudice and what it means to be different. If you are looking for an entertaining read that will make you think about mankind’s journey beyond the natural, make you smile and make you cry, this is a neat little story to pick up.”

Give Wild Concept a chance today. It’s free for one day only, then it’s back to full price.