More Ways to Support Your Soon to Be Favorite Author

As I gear up my novel writing and publishing (self and traditional) endeavors, I have come to realize that I need some help. Cover design, editing, distribution, sales methods, software subscriptions, social media ads, etc., can be very expensive. Self-publishing has become a viable option for thousands of writers, although I’ll be honest, I resisted this method for the longest time. After going through the wringer with a traditional publisher and narrowly avoiding a few pitfalls that merely delayed my creative output, I’ve decided to self-publish some of my writing.

“But Jerry …” Yeah, I know. I have to actually write and create content. This is very true. I have been an avid blogger since 2013 and I enjoy it greatly. And as many posts as I’ve published, I can still write more and more regularly. In addition to writing full-length novels, I enjoy penning short stories and the occasional poem as well. I have always taken advantage of WordPress’ free blog publishing ecosystem, but in order to take this whole operation to the next level I know I will have to invest some money in this enterprise.

So, my faithful readers, I am asking for your help. I have opened up Buy Me a Coffee and Patreon accounts so you can assist me in getting these stories out of my head. In return, you’ll get exclusive content and plenty of sneak peeks of works in progress. Every little bit helps and I would certainly appreciate your support in keeping the lights on while I craft tales of darkness for your reading pleasure.

As I always say, if you keep reading them, I’ll keep writing them.

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Must … Write … More

I’m not an anxious person. I don’t suffer from anxiety. At least I didn’t think so before COVID-19. I didn’t think so before I lost the day job. I still don’t think I do in the clinical sense. A former coworker of mine, when he texted to wish me well after learning we weren’t coworkers anymore, joked that I probably had written a raft of books during stay-at-home orders. My response was, “You’d think.” But it made me think instead. I had started the fourth novel in my Dark Passage series, I did have a short story burning a hole in my brain. Well, between COVID, the day job, and then the election, I realized I was living with a crippling base level of anxiety.

I have always prided myself on being self-aware, and that was one helluva realization. Since then I have put some serious work in on The Dark Dawn (working title), and I crushed that short story, although it was rejected by two science fiction magazines. So, I think I’ll build an anthology around it.

As I was figuring out why I hadn’t written more with nothing but time on my hands, I took a long, hard look at the traffic on my personal blog and I came to another realization. The more I’ve blogged over the past eight years, the more traffic I’ve gotten. Now, you may be thinking, “Well, Jerry, duh.” A fellow author has been trying to tell me the same thing when it comes to my fiction. It’s not like I don’t have ideas. My excuse used to be that I had a day job to worry about. Writing was a hobby. It was an evening and a weekend thing. Then COVID hit and that crippling anxiety started to set in.

So, what have I done to combat this? I turned to the personal blog and have been posting quite frequently since September. The week before Christmas I wrote more than 3,000 words in The Dark Dawn, so I like to think the blogging helped.

The bottom line is this: I need to write more. That’s all there is to it. I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions, I set goals. So, I have set the goal to write more and produce more content. Hopefully, this will be met with enthusiasm. I have big plans for 2021 and the overarching goal will be to entertain you with this twisted tales that have been rattling around in my head.

More to come,
Jerry

What to Do What to Do

I hope everyone reading this is healthy and safe during your respective COVID-19 stay-at-home situations. It seems like every network morning show has been chronicling efforts to avoid boredom during this global pandemic. Many people have been locked down with their families, often with small children, and have been finding ways to while away the hours. From binge watching, video games, and Zoom chats to making masks and finding ways to support local businesses – folks have gotten very creative.

The past few years I have made a concerted effort to read more books. I am guilty of acquiring books and not reading them on multiple counts. Sometimes it is the mere shopping and purchasing that excites me. I love books and I loved being surrounded by them. So, a couple of years ago I challenged myself to read more. And as successful as I was in that endeavor, nothing has contributed to my reading fix as this shelter-in-place reality.

I reset the count every January and I started the year off strong with five books completed up until March 5. Since stay-at-home, I have read 19 more for a total of 24 for the year so far. I have never read so much in my life. And my selections have been all over the place. From science fiction, Stephen King, and thrillers to Beat, classics and controversial – I have been all over the place with my selections. Of the 24 I have read, I think I have only disliked four.

I have recently written on my personal blog that I am a fan of Stephen King and I was mortified at how little of his work I have actually read. I list him as one of my greatest influences, yet, to-date, I have only read 18 of his books. As much as I have taken the opportunity to burn through my TBR pile, I have decided to read the last three novels in Dean Koontz’s Jane Hawk series, and then binge read King. I have a stack of King’s books, novels and short story collections, at the ready. I won’t have to buy any new ones of his for quite awhile. I only hope I can maintain my current pace.

It is commonly accepted that to be a good writer, one must read and read a lot. I subscribe to this theory. You would think that during this situation I would be writing a lot as well. I am not an anxious person by nature, nor do I suffer from anxiety. However, there is a paralyzing cloud hovering over my creativity. I have written about 9,000 words in my current project, not nearly as much as I probably should have in two-and-a-half months. For those of you who have read my books, and enjoyed them, rest assured more is coming. Once the idea spigot was turned on, it has yet to shut off. I just need to get past the malaise I find myself in.

So, if you are bored and looking for something to do and you have yet to crawl into your preferred reading nook with a good book, might I suggest you do so. And if I may be so bold, I encourage you to curl up with one of mine. Obviously, Amazon is always open, but if you can find a way to support your local indie bookseller, I hope that you would.

A Different Avenue

Almost everyone with whom I have had the privilege of discussing my fiction writing tends to ask me similar questions about my influences. Why did I write a vampire series? Why do I love Gothic horror? Who are my favorite writers? What are my favorite books?

I recently volunteered to write a review of my favorite horror novel for a fantastic UK-based website called Kendall Reviews. I thought it would be a great way to contribute to a groovy site and get my name out to a new audience.

I could tell you more about the site and its founder, but it’s easier to just link you there and have you check it out for yourself. If you like horror and you are looking for new material or you are looking to re-discover old frights, this is a great site to do all that and more.

I chose Dracula by Bram Stoker for my review project. I took the time to re-read the book and I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Dracula has influenced me in so many ways over the years. The character and the novel helped form much of my entertainment tastes from an early age and served as a gateway book to many more delectable horrors over the years.

Head over to Kendall Reviews and check out my take on my favorite horror novel.

Author Copies Have Arrived

As I noted on my personal blog recently, there are many steps to the book creation process and there are some more exciting than others. One of the most thrilling is receiving your author copies. The first 15 copies of The Dark Terror arrived yesterday and they look fantastic, if I do say so myself.

It’s like Christmas morning when this package arrives. After months of writing, weeks of editing, reviewing the electronic files and then finally getting to see the physical book and hold it in your hands, that’s exhilarating.

The Dark Terror is available for pre-order, and as I often like to write and say, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

The Dark Terror Pre-Sale Underway!

The Dark Terror pre-sale is underway! The book drops Monday, March 18. Be one of the first to get it in your favorite format on release day!

Pre-sale is underway now! March 18 is release day!

Amazon Trade Paperback 

Amazon Kindle 

e-book 

Barnes & Noble Trade Paperback 

Barnes & Noble Nook

Be sure to check out the Events page for Book Tour information!