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?

It's been forever . . .

My blog! I have finally found my way back to it. Ideas have not been lacking, but when Google changed its format, I couldn't figure out how to post to my blog. Tonight I finally found the magic button to allow me to return and post again. Yeah! Since my last post, Konrad Reichenberger is still a missing persons. As he has now been gone seven years, last spring his family decided to hold a memorial service for him in Coloma, California, one of his favorite places. I was fortunate enough to attend this beautiful outdoor ceremony celebrating Konrad's life. Even know the family and all his friends are still seeking him or information to his whereabouts. As a reminder he disappeared in the California Pine area of Alturas County California. Meanwhile I have been writing. It's been so long that I don't remember if I wrote about the last two books of mine to be published. The first is the last in The Conrad Chronicles series and is titled Resolution. As with all my books it is available at . The book is only available through Lulu or via me if you see me at some fair. By doing this I can keep the price down. If I made it available everywhere I'd be force to accomadate Amazon's pricing and that would mean I'd need to sell the book for more than $20 just to make a quarter. The other book is in a different genre. Years ago I connected with a publisher to write this book, but the press never came through in the end, so I decided to make it available on Lulu.com as well. This book I chose to create a hardback edition first. It is Ghost Tales from Northern California's Highway 101. The link to purchase it is . Ghost Tales is not connected to any of my other books and involved me dusting off my history degree and doing some research. The tales inside are spooky, but not horrifying. As the back reads Welcome to chilling stories from Northern California's Highway 101. Ghosts, spooks, and other supernatural creatures hide within these pages. Spine tingling tales from behind the Redwood curtain will send you exploring ship wrecks, haunted houses, and up the old Highway 101 now known as Bell Springs Road. Enjoy. Happy Reading! I'm back!

Rescues, Book 7 in the Conrad Chronicles is published!

Book seven of The Conrad Chronicles has just gone to print. Rescues is the the seventh book in what will be a series of nine. Eight is being polished and nine is being written at this time. The journey of the Conrads of Karna and Aleron is almost at an end. Due to the printing costs and rising prices of materials, I made a decision with Rescues. The book will only be available through lulu.com or one of it's outlets. I skipped Global Distribution. For those of you not in the book industry, Global Distribuation means your book is available anywhere books are sold, including book stores, the internet, and can be found in a library's collection. Now I must explain why I skipped Global Distribution, and there are two main reasons. Without it I can price the same quality of book for significantly less, which is a benefit to the reader and at the same time I make a larger profit. Anyone who knows books, knows the Amazon Corporation has come to dominate the book market. As a result, they have set the bar high for their cut of the profits, which forces printers and publishers to charge more for books. The Amazon Corporation demands 60% of retail when a book sells (This may be different if one chooses to publish through them, which I have chosen not to do because I want full control of the rights to my books). Math-wise let me explain. Assume it costs $8 to print a book, it would then need to retail for $20 for Amazon Corporation to get their 60% of retail. So if a book sells at the price of $20 the printer gets $8 and Amazon gets $12 and the author gets $0. Let's say I decide I want a little money, so I raise the price of the book to $21. I still don't get $1 a book as Amazon takes 60% of the new retail price of $21. Now the printer gets $8, Amazon gets $12.60 and I get $.40. That is what selecting Global Distribuation has done to the price of books thanks to Amazon Corporation dominating the book market. Since I skipped Global Distribuation for Rescues, the book can only be found on lulu.com, but I can sell it for $12.99, which is a much fairer and more reasonable price for a trade paperback. As I move forward with my novels, they will solely be found on lulu.com for the time being. I also will not be formating any more of my novels as e-books because I have discovered that Google Docs has several of them available there in large segments (about 2/3 of each book in random pages) and has done this without my permission. I was very disheartened when a friend uncovered this and informed me. That is my current writing update. Happy Reading!

The Conrad Chronicles: Revolt has been published!

After many hours of toil (or perhaps I should say years), The Conrad Chronicles: Revolt is back in print. Right now the paperback version is available at Lulu.com.

https://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?keyWords=The+Conrad+Chronicles%3A+Revolt&type=

It takes a few weeks for it to be available for purchase through Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and other books stores as a paper back.  Though currently you can purchase the Kindle version on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Conrad-Chronicles-Revolt-Heather-Hobson-ebook/dp/B076VVD23F/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510815846&sr=8-1&keywords=the+conrad+chronicles%3A+Revolt

If you do go to Amazon and find the Kindle you will see a paperback version for sale. That is the old one by the evil publisher that was retailing it for $27.95. When the new version comes out it will retail on Amazon.com for $17.99. Though if you go to Lulu.com and purchase the paperback copy you get a 25% discount off of the $17.99 so can get it there for only $13.50. In addition Lulu almost always has a coupon for another percentage off or free shipping. So by shopping for the book at Lulu.com, you cut out the middle man and save money.

Happy Reading!

PS: The cover is designed as a puzzle. With the publication of each of the 9 books in the series, a square shall be revealed.

The Conrad Chronicles: Revolt, a writing update

Good news: Revolt is almost ready for public sale again. Everything has been uploaded and formatted and the proof copy has been order. If all goes well, Revolt will be for sale by November as a paperback, and possible as an e-book even sooner.

As soon as this novel is up for sale, I will let you know (as well as begin polishing up the second novel in The Conrad Chronicles, Realizations.

Here is the cover, which Charles Berton did a great job on creating for me. Happy reading.

Cover for The Conrad Chronicles: Revolt by Charles Berton

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

Ah Summer! Writing time!

I am finally free to write full-time again. I love summer for that freedom.

Already my fingers are working away on a couple of projects. Before the end of this summer I shall have another book in print. This past week I connected with a young artist who has agreed to do the cover art for my manuscript Stubby, the Magic Pencil. The book is in the process of being polished and formatted for printing. This will be the release of my first children's chapter book.

In addition I am continuing to writer another mid grade chapter book about a dragon and edit one of the Conrad novels.

I have a busy summer planned.

Happy writing and playing everyone.

Callings goes to second printing!

My book, Callings: Tales of the Conrads of Karna, is now officially in its second printing!  I am also very pleased with the new cover. I really never liked the first cover I had, but that was the best cover available for use at the time. This new cover is much more appropriate for the book.



The book is still available through lulu.com and in about 6-8 weeks will be available on amazon.com with the new cover.

lhttp://www.lulu.com/shop/heather-hobson/callings-tales-of-the-conrads-of-karna/paperback/product-21450992.html

Took a break from writing to cruise Alaska!

After three weeks of writing the first 40 pages of the next Conrad book, I found myself on a cruise to Alaska. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the journey, especially Juneau and Tracy Arm.  The weather was an unbelievable 85F. Not at all what I imagined the weather in Alaska to be like. The locals were surprised by the unusual heat wave.

Juneau, Alaska - Mendenhall Glacier

My favorite place on my ship, Golden Princess, was Skywalkers Lounge. A glass walled tunnel leads the way to this lounge of star lights and space paintings encased in round bubble glass.

Skywalkers Lounge entrance

The journey through the inside passage I found worth the break from my writing. Tomorrow I shall begin again with the Conrads in earnest.

Skywalkers Lounge

Summer Writing

I am delighted to report that I have begun writing the next Conrad book. I'm not sure if this one will be the last, or merely the 7th. This piece is still untitled, though it's title will begin with an "R," just like all the other novels in the series.

Unfortunately, at the moment, Revolt, the first book in The Conrad Chronicles is out of print. I'm debating finding a new publisher versus self-publishing.

The Conrad short stories are still available under the title Callings: Tales of the Conrads of Karna.  

I do have the book that follows Revolt ready for publication. Again, I am debating seeking a publisher  or self-publishing. This book is entitled Realizations.

Any thoughts or comments on how I should proceed?

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!