Musings of Two Creative Minds

About this time last year I wrote a post about book reviews, trying to explain why they are so important to authors.  I explained at length about how prospective readers take note of what others have said about a book when trying to decide whether or not to give it a try.   But did you know that the number of reviews a book gets can affect how much promotion it can get on Amazon.com?  It's true.  Take a look: So you see, your reviews have more power than you thought.  Even if all you feel comfortable writing is just a couple of sentences like "Kept me on the edge of my seat...", "Couldn't put it down...", "I want to see more from this author...", "I really enjoyed this, can't wait for more..."  Those sentences plus a 1-5 star rating can help that author and their work get more exposure on Amazon.  This is something that is extremely helpful for Indie and brand new authors who are trying to get their name out there, bu...

In the first half of this discussion I talked about collaborating with my wife Helen and how much of an impact she's had on my writing.   Today I would like to introduce you all to my other cohort in crime, mischief, nonsense, lunacy, chaos, and other things too numerous to mention, as well as writing.   Richard Caminiti and I go back as far as Levittown Memorial High School (Go Panthers).  Mind you shortly after we graduated the school was closed.  Coincidence?  You decide. I cannot count he number of hours Rich and I spent together both in and out of school.  We shared a number of interests such as science fiction, the paranormal, and a number of great friends.  He was also involved in the Nassau County Auxillary Police and still has his badge from those days. But when I left Levittown, Long Island (New York State), in 1985 I lost touch with him an so many others.  So I was not there to watch him rise up through the ranks from...

I've been having a tough time getting a completed 1st draft of "The Door" finished by the end of this summer as I originally planned.  The story is coming along very nicely, however I had planned on releasing it in late September/early October, which is becoming less and less likely. Furthermore, I had already planned on releasing "The Vampyre Blogs - Coming Home" in December to catch the holiday crowds.   So I would like to know how you would feel about a "Double-Release" in December? I have been hearing from a number of people who have been clamoring for one or both books, and I'm perfectly at ease with the idea of releasing both at or around the same time.   Furthermore, I want to let you all know that I've already got at least one other book lined up for the middle of next year, so you won't have to wait long for another installment.   Please leave your thoughts on this idea in the comment section below...

After my first book "The Bridge" came out and the 4 and 5 star reviews started coming in, I got a lot of congratulations and support.  I also started seeing something else coming in... requests to work on collaborations.  This was both flattering and disconcerting to me.   I was still very new at this whole publishing business and wasn't all that confident in my skills at that point.  I knew I needed more experience and didn't want to wind up dragging someone else's work down if I'd simply gotten lucky my first time out.  Especially since I was hearing some concerns about the editing in the first version and wound up redoing the book with extra help getting it in better shape.    Still the requests for collaborating kept appearing every so often.  When "The Ship" (my 2nd novel) came out the requests started in again.  By this time I was more confident in my skills, I'd learned a lot after "The Bridge" and had gone out of my wa...

"The Ship" hit #1 on Amazon's Bestseller list.   and... it hit #1 on Amazon UK's Bestseller list And there's still time to get a copy for yourself or a friend.  Click on the link below and then share this entry with everyone you know so they can take advantage too. Amazon US Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Ship-Every-needs-navigator-Para-Earth-ebook/dp/B00K3A7XG6/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8 Amazon UK Link:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ship-Every-needs-navigator-Para-Earth-ebook/dp/B00K3A7XG6/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8 NOTE: This free giveaway ends at midnight Sunday August 9th so act quickly and thank you for all your support.

"THE SHIP"   Book 2 in my Para-Earth Series is free for all Kindle Users from now until midnight tomorrow, so grab a copy and spread the word to everyone you know.   This 5-star paranormal/mystery continues the story of Cassandra Elliot and Julie Cloudfoot, who fought alongside Alex and Veronica in my first novel “The Bridge” As a result of their previous adventure, these two young ladies have fallen in love and have come to Santa Cruz to see if their new relationship can work, as well as bury Julie’s uncle who had been guarding the bridge as part of his duties as the family shaman. But there are new problems. Julie is finding out that the shaman mantle has been passed to her, but she things there is nothing to guard against as the being that had lain hidden inside the bridge is no more. However, another evil from another para-earth has arisen and has marked Cassandra is its target. Now the two will have to fight against a new threat that threatens to tear apa...

Summer is slowly drawing to a close, especially for me. University will be starting up on the 24th, and I had 2 FREE days left to use over on Amazon Select, so YOU get a treat. Book 2 in my Para-Earth Series will be available for ALL Kindle users this weekend (Aug. 8-9). Book Synopsis: This 5-star paranormal/mystery continues the story of Cassandra Elliot and Julie Cloudfoot, the two young women who fought alongside Alex and Veronica in my first novel “The Bridge” These two young ladies have fallen in love and have come to Santa Cruz to see if their new relationship can work, as well as bury Julie’s uncle who had been guarding the bridge as part of his duties as the family shaman. But there are new problems. Julie is finding out that the shaman mantle has been passed to her, but she things there is nothing to guard against as the being that had lain hidden inside the bridge is no more. However, another evil from another para-earth has arisen and has marked Cassandra is it...

This is a post I've been thinking about sharing for some time, but hadn't because I was actually a little afraid to talk about it.  When it comes to writing, the idea of collaborating with someone else filled me with both excitement and dread.  Especially dread because I am not always that confident in my skills and abilities. Yet, I seem to be doing something right.  A number of people find this blog quite helpful and offer their own experiences which reflect many of my own.  Furthermore, until now writing has been a solitary activity.  I enjoy being the one to make decisions and not have to worry whether or not I offend someone else or hurt feelings.  Oh, I've bounced ideas off certain people I trust, like my wife Helen.  In her case, I do this quite often because I consider her much better read and more knowledgeable about science and logic than me.  But in the end, the final decisions have been all me.  So to surrender some of that...