Three new books in the making

This year promises to be a crazy year for us. As the new year rolled past, we set a few expectations, and made plans to turn these into reality. Writing is a fluid thing, and seems to have a mind of its own as creativity ebbs and flows.

We have organized this year's writing projects into a list.

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Four Writer Workshops in one day - Supporing our Next Gen Writers

In March of this year I was invited to speak at the Michigan Reading Associations 61st annual event. It was at this event where I met Andy Schoenborn, a teacher of literacy at Mount Pleasant High School.

We immediately clicked, and are now great friends. Many of his ideals on life are similar to mine, as is his passion for writing and reading, in particular, science fiction.

Andy did not wait long to ask if I would be willing to attend his classes, to see what his students are doing, and to perhaps, inspire them. I was honored, and naturally, I said yes!

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Sept 2017 already - So much to do

I can’t believe it’s been six months since the last blog!  What used to be monthly event, became quarterly due to our hectic schedule. But now, it has been far too long! Well, #TeamTerran plans to address this issue, and return to regular blog posts. At the very least we are planning one for each quarter, with more in-between if something special arises.

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Speaker at the MRA, met great people and released a 6th novel

March is a crazy busy month for us at #TeamTerran.

First of all, we released the fifth book of the series, 'Voknor Diaries', along with its companion short story, 'Sharz Affect'. To top this off we released the 'Initiation Series' compilation, which includes the five main novels, five short stories, and two journals. At around 600,000 words, this is a massive eBook. This book released at an absurdly low price, for the event, and though the month of April, will be incrementally raised until it reaches its final price point.

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 Terran Chronicles Universe Update - Looking ahead to 2017

I hope you all had a great Christmas, and have started 2017 safe and sound.

2016 has been a fantastic year for #TeamTerran. The year saw many of our plans fall into place, along with the commencement of new ideas; some rather long term ideas.

Here is the summary of the many projects that have been ongoing throughout 2016!

The 'Print Book' project was completed in 2015, thus giving us all of 2016 to review the success of those efforts. A complete year of statistics is important to us, and showcases the ups and downs of sales trends. The print books continue to do well locally, with a few selling here and there via Amazon. All in all, this has been an excellent experience, and one which has taught all of us at #TeamTerran many valuable lessons.

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 Fifteen years since 9/11, a September never forgotten

On September 11th of 2001, nineteen terrorists hijacked four large passenger aircraft. Two of these were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, one striking each building. Another was flown into the Pentagon, with the final plane crashing in a field in Pennsylvania.

This day will forever be etched into the minds of, not only Americans, but of many people belonging to Western democracies.

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 Mamluk – Emergence

It is the middle of 2016, and Team Terran have achieved another milestone. Mamluk is complete!

It was mid 2013 when Mamluk was first conceptualized, and then shelved as my focus shifted back to the Terran Chronicles Universe. This proved to be a great decision, as my brand continues to gain recognition thanks to the yearly release of a new novel in the series. Even though the writing of Mamluk was on hold, I was still able to discuss various elements and features with a handful of close friends, and make notes.

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Half a century of living and following my dreams

I was born on December 31st, 1965, thus at the end of last year, I turned 50!.

I do not feel 50, but then what is it supposed to feel like? I am fairly fit and healthy, to which I have to credit genetics, as I exercise rarely. I also eat all sorts of junk food, but then what writer does not eat junk food? My nemesis is chocolate, and cookies, along with soft drinks.

On the fitness side of things, I am able to run down the beach, or walk for miles, with the only issue being my knees which creak and groan. They, like many of my joints, are becoming painful as time wears on. The price to pay for adding another year to my life's history I suppose.

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How was 2015 and where is Terran Chronicles going in 2016

2015 has been an amazing year for the Terran Chronicles Universe. Team Terran has been busy.

The fourth book of the series, 'Alliance', along with its companion story 'End of Times', were released.

The first four books of the series are now available in print, via Amazon and CreateSpace. The short stories have been bundled with the main novels as bonus material. The only works not in print are the two journals. They will not go into print until the third Journal, 'Golward's Findings', is written. The current plan is to bundle these three stories in one book. This third Journal is slated to be released soon after book seven, so it will be a while. Even the title for book seven is a closely guarded secret at this time.

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Author Feedback and the importance of Reviews

Reviews are an integral, and often important, part of most people's purchasing decisions. In the past, we would ask friends and family for their opinions on various things. These days, with the explosion of the internet phenomenon, we are able to get the thoughts and opinions of more people, sometimes a lot more people.

Massive companies spend vast amounts of time, effort, and energy, in capturing these reviews, so as to inform their customers that not only do they think their products they are selling are great, so do thousands of others. Amazon is one of these companies, and their eBook Kindle program is world leading.

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Making a Positive from a Negative

Well here we are; it's October 2015 and the world did not end last month as so many people had predicted.

The same can be said for indie authors, artists, musicians, and others who are deemed to be non-professionals in their hobbies or work. When a person posts a bad review of their work, the stars will still shine in the night sky, and the sun will still rise the next day. This also applies to work that is released, and then after the fact, mistakes are noticed or brought to their attention. The world will not end!

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Demolition Derby Day

Demolition derbies are a blast to watch. Cars of all shapes and sizes race around a confined track, mashing into each other. Each driver attempts to keep their car running, so that they can cross the finish line first. Many cars get swept to one side, and end up stuck in protective mounds of dirt. Yet others find themselves hit so hard, that one part or another fails, rendering their vehicles 'out of the race'.

This year I paid special attention to one particular vehicle. Half Fast Racing's car number seven. Jeff and Austin own, operate, and drive this thing that barely resembles a vehicle anymore, around these tricky, and sometimes dangerous tracks.

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Terran Chronicles - Initiation Series

For this month's blog, I shall indulge myself, and talk about the Terran Chronicles Universe.

The fourth book of the Terran Chronicles Universe releases on August 5th. This is a global release, such is the power available at the hands of the meekest of authors. The eBook version of this story will be available on Amazon, iTunes, and Smashwords on this day. Nook, Kobo, and Flipkart, will follow shortly thereafter.

Alliance took more than two years to write, and is my most ambitious effort to date. Many of the questions raised in the earlier books are answered, while new ones are raised. A new race is tentatively introduced, with but the barest of hints as to their origins, and even less is revealed about their current whereabouts.

What follows is a brief overview of what has transpired, and of what is yet to come.

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Authors and what they write

There are numerous categories in the literary world, seemingly an almost endless list. Starting off with the basics, all works are designated as either non-fiction or fiction. We assign a suitable age range to the work, and then from there, the options continue.

Fact based books range from historical and scientific journals, to autobiographies, and cover a wide range of topics.

Fiction is broken down into many subcategories. Some of these include; Adventure, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, and Thrillers. Romance is the most popular, with Mysteries/Thrillers and Nonfiction coming in close together at second and third. Science Fiction and Fantasy are next, followed by Children's books and Literary Fiction who are also close in sales.

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You need the right team behind you and that should include John Fluke

"Product placement is the subtle, or sometimes not so subtle, inclusion of merchandise in a movie, photograph, or even in a book."

 In February of this year I touched on JoDee Randall's company, Show Style Brands, and how she has successfully placed products in many television shows. I also mentioned her extensive list of contacts, and many friends.  John Fluke, the CEO of Placed4success, is one of these people.

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Let us return to a unified country

Firstly, I do not in any way intend to offend anyone, however, this blog deals with a volatile and touchy subject.

Secondly, I wish to state that the views expressed in this blog, are my own.

Finally, I am, and always have been, an advocate of equality for all, no matter the person's race, gender, religion, or any other measure which separates one human being from another.

Those who are reading my Terran Chronicles Universe series will begin to notice that I have incorporated my own personal message into my work, one of unity.

With all that being said, I shall begin.

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Reflecting in the month of April

The month begins with a volley of 'April fool's' jokes. Some of these puns are extremely witty and well thought out, others not so much. But rest assured, between Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and all the other social media that exists, we will get to see many of these practical jokes get played out. I rarely create any April fool's hoaxes, but who knows what the future holds.

In the Southern Hemisphere, April marks the beginning of Autumn, or Fall as it is better known in America. Conversely, for the Northern Hemisphere, April marks the end of Winter, and return to warmer weather. I relish these warmer days as I get to ride my motorbike along the scenic roadways of Northern Michigan.

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Laying down the miles to free the mind

Technology Detox - What would you do to get away from your many screens and refresh your life? Well... I tried a 5570 mile road trip, and what a success it was.

Escaping our ice covered home in Mansitee with our bikes, and then riding them all over the Florida sunshine state certainly invigorated me.

I'd like to share some of our vacation's highlights with you.

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You need the right team behind you.

Product placement is the subtle, or sometimes not so subtle, inclusion of merchandise in a movie, photograph, or even in a book. An early example is in the novel, 'Around the World in Eighty days' where various transport companies made efforts to be mentioned.

Advertisers have constantly sought new and innovative ways to get the goods and services they represent in front of as many people as possible. While radio created some fresh prospects, the advent of television opened up a whole new medium. Advertisements began to appear before, and after, the shows played. It did not take long for advertising agencies to realize that other opportunities existed, thus embedded marketing was born. The latest movies are filled with numerous examples, ranging from the beer or soft drink that is being consumed, to objects which are in the background. When an actor opens up a laptop, the brand is often displayed, prior to the viewer seeing the movie related content on its screen.

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2014 was a great year for Team Terran

The short stories, 'Jie's World' and 'Emma's Legacy', were completed and released. Emma's Legacy is the second of three special Journal style works; it offers an insight into events far in the future.

2014 saw a behind the scenes transition for the Apple/iTunes versions of my work. The major reason for going direct was to gain a greater control of my eBooks on the iTunes platform. We were successful. Release times have dropped from weeks, to days.

Another major initiative for 2014 has been the start of the conversion process to print versions of the Terran Chronicles Novels. We are using CreateSpace, an Amazon company, for these books. As a part of this process the main novels' associated short story is being included with each book.

Book One, 'First Contact', with 'Johnny's Jaunt', is now available in print.

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