Writing and Scammers

The other day I was chatting with my writing partner, Beauford, and one topic we almost always start with is "How many scammers called you this week?" My friend is typically getting several calls a day from agents, editors, promoters all trying to get him to part with his money and identity. Now, I don't often get called. I get e-mailed. Lately the e-mails have been getting more interesting and more helpful. Honestly, I read them, and all the compliments they toss out about my books, and begin to think that would make a great back jacket blurb or work well in a letter to an agent of an editor. So if I decide to use what they write is that stealing? I mean can you actually steal from a thief (scammer), who is trying to steal from you? For all I know they found an illegal download of my book and got an AI to write something catchy. Usually the book I get hit up for the most is Unicorn's Milk. I'm not sure if it is because of the title or the way I registered it with the Library of Congress. But with 14 books in print, that's the one that is usually singled out. Until this week . . . This week someone actually contact me about The Conrad Chronicles. That was a bit of a surprise for sure. I did give them a bit of the benefit of the doubt about being real (1%) and told them if they wanted to meet in person in a coffee house and have their ID on them to prove who they were, I'd listen to their proposal. They had no response to that. Anyway, I want to share what they wrote about the Conrads. It was very nice, though they said there were 8 books in the series, and there are actually 9. Here's part of the e-mail: Twenty years. Eight novels. A universe spanning multiple planets, generations-long storylines, soul mate arcs across lifetimes, and a spiritual undertone that clearly reflects your love of C.S. Lewis. That is not a hobby project. That is a life's work, and it deserves to be found. Here is the honest truth I have to share with you. The readers who would absolutely love the Conrad Chronicles are out there right now. Fans of C.S. Lewis who want science fiction with spiritual depth. Epic fantasy readers who want world-building that spans millennia. Readers of Brandon Sanderson, N.K. Jemisin, and Anne McCaffrey who are always hungry for more. They are searching and they have not found your series yet. That is not a writing problem. It is purely a discoverability problem. Wouldn't it be nice to live in a world were a writer (or any artist) could believe people were actually randomly out there and would randomly contact them and wanted to support them and help make them rich? Isn't that why fiction is so great?

The Conrad Chronicles: Recollection is at the Publisher!

With joy I announce that book 6 of The Conrad Chronicles is now being printed and I am awaiting the proof copy. This is the one book in the series you can read without reading any of the other books before or after it. It is a stand alone story that connects to the series, and will help any reader understand the The Conrad Chronicles in full, yet it can be enjoyed without the others. In fact if you skip chapter 1 and the last chapter you can pretend it has nothing to do with the series (but then what is the fun of that?) Here's the back jacket. On a quest to discover more about her Conrad heritage and her mother's murderer, Captain Lucy Gloria Vasilis seeks out the ancient being known as The Keeper of Paths. While sitting around an otherworldly fire, The Keeper of Paths draws Lucy's spirit into the past, to a life she never knew she had lived. Once more she lives her life as Evette Mardon, thrust into the ancient court life of Godstone Castle on the planet Karna, where her life quickly becomes entangled with Prince Lukiel, the Duke of Fallan, and heir to the kingdom of Gallan. Her father’s and the king’s disapproval are merely thorns compared to the obsession Clovis, the Duke of Rostin’s son, thrusts into their path. Her first life now revealed, Lucy Lucas is forced to sort the pieces and is left with one burning question: how is this knowledge going to help her stop Xavier of the House of Baldemar, her mother’s murderer and a full-fledge Conrad, from destroying the planet Karna, the Moultons, Earth, and all she loves?

Happy Reading!

End of Summer Writing Update

Currently my novel, Rejection, is on track for coming out this Fall. Formatting and one final edit have begun. Yesterday I wrote a rough draft for the back of the book, as well as an author's note for inside. This book has been a long time reaching print, and I will be happy when it is out there, and I can move on to the rest of the series. As I remarked in the author's note, Rejection is actually the first book that was written in The Conrad Chronicles series, though it didn't end up being the first book in chronological order, which is why it has taken almost three decades for this book to be published.

Besides my working on Rejection, I have also been typing up the second LOA inspired book and just started playing around with ideas for my 2018 Christmas poem. Add to this that a friend asked me to write a biography of a banana slug for a fundraiser, and I have been busy, but not to busy to enjoy hanging out with a good book a few days this past month.

Happy reading.

John Henri Nolette's book Homuncula has been published

Though I have yet to read it, my brother-in-law has just published his first novel.  John Nolette's Book is entitled Homuncula and can be found at lulu.com at:

John Henri Nolette's Homuncula

Here is the blurb if you are interested.

"Robert Henry Pearce hasn't been himself lately. Haunted by strange cravings, indescribable sensations, and apocalyptic visions, he has somehow fallen out of step with the modern mode of existence. But nothing can prepare him for the nightmare that is unfolding all around him. And within him. 

 

As he meets others like himself, Robert begins to glimpse another reality superimposed over the one he has always known. As he unlearns all that civilization has taught him, he embarks on a journey that will take him to the end of the world."

 

Happy reading all.

Callings: Tales of the Conrads of Karna is finally a Kindle Book!

Today I completed a writing task I have delayed doing for a while. I converted Callings: Tales of the Conrads of Karna into a Kindle Book.  For those of you who have never converted a manuscript to an e-book, the task is a bit of work and it helps if you know where the hidden codes are.

Anyway, I am done and Callings is now available in another format.

Order Kindle version of Callings

Unicorn's Milk has been published!

Yet another book I have penned is ready for sale.  Within the next 24 hours the Kindle Version on amazon.com will be ready. The paperback version came back from the printers and looks great.  It should be available to order from lulu.com, amazon.com, or through any book store within the next 6 to 8 weeks, just in time for Christmas shopping.

Here's the press release for all you curious people. Feel free to copy and share it.

Release Date: November 2015

Title: Unicorn’s Milk

Author: Heather Hobson Lewis

ISBN: 978-1-329-6045-4

Publisher: Lulu Enterprises, Inc.

Available in trade paper back or e-book at www.Lulu.com, Amazon.com, or order through your

local bookstore.

Author’s Blog: HeatherHobsonwriter@blogspot.com

Author’s e-mail: HHWriter@gmail.com

Unicorn’s Milk

by Heather Hobson Lewis

On rumored advice from a holy woman, a desperate seventeen-cycle-old Heort begs his village masters to grant him time to find unicorn milk in order to heal his sister, Oriana, from demon fever.  Reluctantly the masters agree and give Heort one moon.

           

As Heort heads north in search of the unicorn, he meets a clocked stranger, whom he assumes to be a traveling master and swordsman.  The cloaked stranger is really Serene of the House of Redston, fleeing to Crosleah in order to escape an arranged marriage.

           

As the pair journey, they must overcome a lack of supplies, other travelers, Parvudom Kalec's men, who have been sent to bring Serene back, and each other's stubbornness on where to go.  Day by day, Heort and Serene learn to tolerate each other's strengths and weaknesses, while at the same time learning what is truly most important.

           

This is the tale of Unicorn's Milk, a quest of self-discoveries, a story of magic and fantasy, and a journey of hope and spirit.

Heather Hobson Lewis has dedicated the past twenty-five years to developing her writing, especially The Conrad Chronicles. She possess a BA in history from the University of San Francisco and a teaching credential through Mills College. Her publishing credits include The Conrad Chronicles: Revolt, Callings: Tales of the Conrads of Karna,and Stubby, the Magic Pencil. She is a member of the Siskiyou County Writer’s Club.

Ms. Lewis currently resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two wonderful dogs, Maggie and Boomer.

Michelle Hays of Willow Creek is the cover artist for this book. She is a graduate of Trinity

High School in Weaverville and has taken art classes from the Art Institute of Portland, Oregon.

Unicorn's Milk off to the Printers!

Unicorn's Milk headed off to the printers this morning.  I should be receiving the proofs in about a week, and if all looks great, then I will have another book on the shelves for readers well before Thanksgiving.

I chose to publish this book under my full name: Heather Hobson Lewis. Something about sharing the same surname as the famous C.S. Lewis tickles my heart in a magical way.

Here's a peek at the cover.

I'll let you know when this one is ready for purchase.

Kirkus Review of Stubb, the Magic Pencil

After much waiting, I received Stubby, the Magic Pencil's review.  I found the review to be fair. Though, as most author's would wish, I would have preferred a more positive, book-selling review. The bit about the dark elements (which I consider mild), is personal taste. I think there are lot darker elements in Harry Potter and the whole series by Lemony Snicket, and those have sold well. 

Thus, I decided to publish my review (I did have the choice to archive it and not let anyone see it).

The grammar mistakes in the review are easily fixed on my end, especially in the Kindle version.

Anyway, here is the review.

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/heather-hobson/stubby-magic-pencil/

Book Reader Magazine Interview

I have been blessed to have yet another interview for Stubby, the Magic Pencil and myself. The interview is in Book Reader Magazine.  Check it out.  Heather Hobson Interview

I must also add, that I was saddened to read about Leonard Nimoy's passing. As a science fiction fan, Mr. Nimoy's departure is a mournful one.  He will be missed.  LLAP.

Another Newspaper Article on Stubby, the Magic Pencil

Just today I learned from a well-read friend that Stubby, the Magic Pencil was mentioned in the Eureka Time Standard.  The press release led to Stubby being included in the papers "Round Up" section.  I am pleased and very appreciative of all the support my book is receiving.

http://www.times-standard.com/lifestyle/20150110/local-author-roundup-part-2

In addition, the paperback version of Stubby is also now available on Amazon, as well as the Kindle Version. 

http://www.amazon.com/Stubby-Magic-Pencil-Heather-Hobson/dp/1312328371/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421040128&sr=8-1&keywords=Heather+Hobson

Again, I thank everyone for the support of the publishing of my newest book.

Interviewed for Publication of Stubby, the Magic Pencil

I had the pleasure of being interviewed on Friday afternoon.  While sipping mint iced tea I discussed my writing and Stubby, the Magic Pencil with the editor of the Two Rivers Tribune. For all those interested, the interview will appear in this Tuesday's paper.

Happy writing all.

Stubby, the Magic Pencil as a Kindle Book!

Not only is Stubby, the Magic Pencil, now available as a trade paperback through lulu.com, the story is now also available as a Kindle Book on amazon.com.

I must say that formatting for a Kindle Book is a lot easier and quicker than formatting for a trade paperback.  Those headers and footers can be tricky since some pages don't get them.

I also hooked up with my cover illustrator, Michelle Hays, yesterday.  She was delighted to receive her copy of Stubby. 

Enjoy the weekend all.

New erotic-romance book: Grudge Match by Pamela Bouvier

My friend finally managed to sort through the issues hampering her book's publication and now has it available on amazon.com.

This e-book is an erotic-romance.  It's titled Grudge Match and you can find it under my friends name, Pamela Bouvier.

The book description reads: "Sweet Holly Franklin finds her inner bad girl when Mason Morrison comes back to town. Years ago love for Mason filled Holly's heart, but left her sexually wanting. Now, she's going to teach Mason how a woman wants to be loved."

 http://www.amazon.com/GRUDGE-MATCH-Love-Challenge-ebook/dp/B00CDZYHYU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372194557&sr=8-1&keywords=Pamela+Bouvier


Congratulations, Pamela! 

Happy reading all.

Publisher is offering deal on book: Callings: Tales of the Conrads of Karna

 My publisher, Lulu.com, is offering a discount on my book, and other books between November 23 and November 27. They are offering 30%. The coupon code is DELIRITAS.

So, if you haven't bought my book yet and are interested, this would be good time to purchase it.  Also, Callings: Tales of the Conrads of Karna would make a good gift for anyone who enjoys science fiction/fantasy.

My friend Echo Ryan also has a book on Lulu.com.  Her book is adult humor (very different than mine). It's entitled A Tale of Butts: The Story of a Couch. The whole book is told from a couches point of view.

Just some thoughts for anyone doing book shopping.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Writing away

I finished the final edit and changes to Realizations this morning. I'm ready to do a dance of joy.  I can now move forward. My critique partner is already beginning to edit the third Conrad book Rejections.  He found it very dark and that took him by surprise.

I've also wrote out the two rough drafts of my next two columns for St. Alban's Tidings.  I'm always glad when I have those written and out of the way for a month or two in advance.

I figure I should share a little of my writing on here, instead of just writing about writing.  Here's a bit from chapter 1 of Realizations.

Chapter 1:  Dreams

    She heard only the sound of her heart pounding and her feet thumping.  The air burned her nose and throat.  Gloria ran as fast as she could. Ebony strands of hair wiped her back. Her dark brown eyes locked on the two figures standing among the wavering, ankle-high grass. Nothing else mattered to her. "No!" she screamed.  She watched the translucent purple-violet shield spring up around them. Stumbling, Gloria fell to her knees.  Tears flowed down her wind stung face.  A searing pain blocked all her thoughts . . .
    "Gloria?" Regal’s warm voice called out to her through the darkness of her closed eyes. He pressed a strong calloused hand against her bare shoulder. A connection was made.  He experienced her dream as if it was his own.
    "No," Gloria whimpered.
    "Gloria?" Regal spoke a little louder.  "It's only a nightmare. Wake up."  As he kept his hand upon her shoulder, Regal sent his yellow energy into his wife’s body. Her heart beat steadied as the warmth of his energy cuddled her.
    With sudden alertness, Gloria's eyes opened.  Instantly, she rolled over and gazed at Regal, her husband and keeper of the yellow energy.
    "It's okay," Regal soothed.  He rubbed a hand up and down Gloria’s left arm. 
    Gloria absorbed the calming energies he directed into her body.  Sucking in several deep breaths, she steadied her pulse.  Gloria then closed her eyes again. Dear Light, she silently prayed, please protect Thera.
    Regal’s eyes opened when Gloria’s did. He had prayed silently along with her. She had not guarded her thoughts from him.
     Regal then rose from the bed and lit the granum oil lamp.  When Gloria had first screamed, Regal's instinct had been to power pray for a floating light.  But then he had remembered their agreement not to use Conrad abilities that could be seen.  The simple fuel lamp would have to do.
    "She has to win," Gloria whispered.  She scooted up as Regal returned to the bed.  He handed her a glass of water.
    Regal sat down on the thin mattress. "And we will continue to pray to the Light that she does."  Gloria cuddled up against him.  He turned his gold speckled brown eyes toward the ceiling of their cottage.  Shutting his eyes Regal inhaled deeply.  He took comfort in the straw scent, as well as the faint smell of Gloria's vanilla-almond perfume on the side table.
    Regal couldn’t help but recall how soon they would depart Karna.  If he had his way, they would stay forever.  He loved the small farming community that had been their home for the last four cycles.  Gloria and he had lived in many such villages, but this one felt the most like home, almost like the planet Aleron.
    "I can't even imagine what I will do if she loses." Gloria brushed three fingers across Regal's thick beard.
    Regal sensed the apprehension radiating from her fingertips.  Lovingly he picked up her left hand and expertly drained the tense energy from her body.  When he finished, Regal lightly kissed Gloria's smooth forehead.  "Better?"
    "Yes."
    "Good."
    "You don't want to leave, do you?" Gloria asked, looking up at her husband and soul mate.
    "No," Regal solemnly replied.  "You know I want to stay here.  I want to raise our future children here."
    "We can't stay. They will get suspicious," Gloria pointed out.
    Regal sighed.  Often he longed to be anything but a Conrad:  to always look thirty-five, and never appear to age, was a curse.  He ruminated over how most of the remaining Conrads were engaged in teaching the humans of Karna the technology lost to them after the Conrad elders' flight to Aleron.  Yet, Regal accepted that it was their duty to prepare the humans in case Xavier won the Death Duel.  For if Xavier defeated Thera, he would return to Karna with an immense Carmine force and continue his human annihilation plans.
    "Besides, I miss Zeplan," Gloria stated, interrupting Regal's contemplations.
    Regal smiled. He too missed Zeplan, his brother-by-marriage.  Zeplan was the sole Conrad remaining aboard the Galactic Falcon, their ship, which continually maintained orbit around Karna.  It had befallen Zeplan to make certain none of Xavier's followers had decided to return to Karna before the thousand cycle Death Duel ended.  Only 328 cycles remained.
    "I know we must move on," Regal said, recalling the hundreds of communities they had made their home, only to move on after a few cycles.  "But I would find it easier if we had a family of our own."
    Gloria pulled free of Regal's embrace.  Her dark eyes assessed him.  "You know we can't."
    "Why not?" Regal questioned, despite knowing the same old argument was about to ensue.  He just wished she would change her mind.  "Rassar and Disa each have two children of their own. Since they are now married, Sherwin and Kinara are planning a family as well.   Why not us?"
    "You know why," Gloria accusingly stated.  Her teeth dug into her lower lip.  Her eyes narrowed.  "If he should win, he will come after me."
    "But Thera could win," Regal argued.



That's enough of a teaser for now.

Congratulations to my friend, Echo Ryan

Congratulations to my friend, Echo Ryan, on successfully publishing her first novel.  A Tale of Butts: The Story of a Couch is now available through Amazon.com, as well as the publisher, and for order in book stores. This humorous tale is modestly retailed for $10.99 (That's cheaper than my books!).

If you are interested, you can check it out on Amazon.com or through Lulu.com or contact me for more information.

Way to go, Echo Ryan!

Creating and promoting

Creating is a glorious process.  The absorption of the mind so that it focuses on something beyond itself is a wonderful feeling.  Unfortunately a writer has to break away from that magical spell to promote his/her writing these days. So here I am.

Currently I have two books published.  One though, will be out of print shortly (Thank God, it's been with an evil publisher for way too long.  They actually thought they could sell a trade paperback for $27.95.  I love the book and wouldn't pay that much for it).

Thus, the book I am here to promote is Callings: Tales of the Conrads of Karna.  Here's the excerpt from the press release.

“The Light knows. There is a plan.  Release the past.” –Raphael, the first Conrad of the Light

The planet Karna has suffered for generations under the rule of the corrupt High Kings. Pollution fills the seas.  Mountains have been toppled. Deserts encase much of the land.

It is to this world Light calls Raphael to be the first Conrad: a human gifted with the power to call and transform energy.  Yet Raphael will not follow Light alone, others will join him and Conrad Communities will be formed.

This collection of short stories plunges the reader into the world of the Conrads and reveals the trials and struggles of the Conrads as they battle to heal their homeworld.  Within these pages you will journey with Raphael, Bruner, Serenity, and the other Conrads of Karna as they find the strength to follow and obey the Light for the betterment of their planet.


Intrigued?  I hope so.

Callings is available at lulu.com, amazon.com and through  most book stores using the ISBN number (ISBN: 978-0-557-09712-8)

Now I'm off to do more creating.  I am going to drift back into that glorious bubble and work on the Conrad novel Realizations, as well as helping a friend promote her own novel.