Just being strange

October looks like it’s going to be a busy month around here. The job with the paycheck is sending me out of town next week. I jumped the gun and changed my wallpaper today. It feels more appropriate to October and Halloween.

Sales of my Notebook have slowed. That’s pretty normal in my experience. They make a big splash, and it turns into a trickle. I hope some of my October micro-fiction will inspire a few people to take a 99¢ chance. Those of you who’ve read it seem to be posting great reviews. Those reviews on Amazon and Goodreads really help. I can always use a few more reviews if you’re of a mind.

I’ve been reading this weekend, in both electronic and paper format. I’m still working through The Dresden Files, and really enjoying them. One thing is certain, I’ll be checking out some of Butcher’s other tales when I get the chance.

Right now I’m almost finished with White Night, which is book number nine. Harry is doing a lot of soul searching here, and it’s really well done. His observations about internal pain are spot on. He also has a nice moment with Lasciel, the fallen angel who partially possesses him. Their conversation is about anger management. It kind of deviates into that Jedi stuff where Harry tries to convince her to turn good, but I still like it.

The idea is that Lasciel is immortal. Harry can hold on for years, but she will win eventually. This is a great slow burn to underlie the series. It parallels our own mortality in a way. I tend to study the writing when I read these days, and there is a lot to learn from Jim Butcher. I haven’t finished this one yet, but it may be my favorite one so far.

I may start calling my prostate gland Lasciel. I can draw a few parallels there too. My PSA numbers keep going down due to some herbal products, but it may win in the long game. It also has time on its side. Getting up in the middle of the night means the quality of sleep goes down. It’s a slow grind. Told you I’m being strange today.

I spent some time last night getting my October submission off to my critique group. We meet on the fifth, and I’ll have to sequester myself away once I get home to work on their submissions.

I have a cool guest post planned for this week, which really helps me. The paycheck job will keep me busy into the evenings most of the week. Having someone else write a post is nice.

My Macabre Macaroni stories are all ready to go. Posting them is mostly a matter of copying and pasting. I’m still debating Thursdays or Fridays, but Fridays are in the lead right now.

Then there is the Will O’ the Wisp blog tour. This is such a perfect Halloween story that I had to give it a push in October. There will be some supportive re-blogs here. It’s the least I can do to say thanks to those who host me.

I see a lot of writer/bloggers have Halloween themed plans for October. This stuff is so much fun I can’t wait to see what everyone does.

Saturday writing, scheming, and musing

I thought my daughter was home this morning, so I spent my time reading blogs. I fully expected her to come talk to me any minute. Turns out she helped a girlfriend with her hair last night and stayed over there. I figured it all out when her car wasn’t out front.

I worked on a short story and finished it at 4569 words. This one involves Lisa Burton in a story tentatively named Bombshell Squad. I don’t love the name, and the story still needs a little something. Do short story writers work on draft after draft, because this is where I’m at with it? Part of writing about the robot girl is she needs to be more than human to come across well. I have to put my thinking cap on here and let it ferment. Still, it’s a fun story.

I’m not going to run these on my blog. I have it in mind to bundle them up with some Macabre Macaroni micro fiction and publish it.

I went back to my final (maybe, fingers crossed) pass through Will O’ the Wisp. It’s nearly ready, and re-reading it got me really excited. I have to send out some emails to the readers and make sure they are ready at launch time. Some have weighed in, some have not.

I also made contact with a blog tour company. I don’t have a lot of young adult contacts, and Wisp is a young adult novel. I don’t know whether to beg the blog world, or use a company to help me spread the word. My theory is this company has a broader reach than I do. Of course, I still have to write all the posts. Maybe I can do a bit of that this afternoon.

I jumped ahead with my critique group and sent them an important section of Wisp. I really want their input on this section, and won’t send them Wisp chapters after it’s published.

I also managed about three paragraphs in my current novel. I’m still chopping my way through the middle and had to abandon a scene that wasn’t working. I don’t feel any pressure here, and getting it right is more important than speed.

I’m also trying something new in my marketing approach. I’ve tried the Kindle Countdown and the free days. Every time, I moved a bunch of books, but with no real purpose or benefit that I can see. There have been a few folks who expressed interest in one story or another. I’ve been offering them copies via email. Maybe giving select copies away is more like casting bread upon the water. I haven’t asked anything in return, and don’t intend to. Maybe I can change my Karma somehow.

In other news, I began a regimen of pumpkin seeds (raw) and saw palmetto tablets. The pharmaceutical to reduce my prostate has some side effects that I’d rather avoid, and it is a treatment for life. Since prostate issues are slow going, I figure my next PSA blood test will let me know if these work. If they don’t, I can start medication at that time. In a perfect world it would all just go away, or there would be a one time treatment. Since that isn’t the case, I’m exploring all my options.

Questions for the day: Hit up the blogging world or hire a tour company? (This book is worth it.) Should I allow a gap of a few months and do both? Am I in the right ballpark for a short story word count? Would anyone like to read it and offer an opinion?