Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Ascendancy Rising update.

     At present I'm about 25% of the way through this round of rewrites and edits. The word count just reached 56,549 today and there's only 23 chapters to go. It's looking I'm well on my way to releasing the resulting book next month but we'll see. I won't release it until I think it's really ready. Though I don't mention it directly in the book the child is the Anti-Christ. It doesn't quite get to where he is ruling the world but quite disturbing all the same. Just remember, it's fiction and not reality.
     I'm loving this cover also, it so fits the subject of the novel.


Friday, February 28, 2014

Beyond Realms



So far the reviews are pretty good, a 4.2* average on Amazon and 4.25* on Goodreads. I'm very happy that most seem to like it. Really it's not too bad for a book I mostly intended as something my grandkids could read unlike most of what I write. There's no foul language or violence, very much a G rated fantasy, and I'm quite pleased that Hall & Muscato signed it last November. It would be cool to see it as a film I'll admit.

You can save $4 on the print edition of Beyond Realms with this code when you check out. KEFCRBMA
https://www.createspace.com/4526849




Tuesday, February 25, 2014

High energy costs

    A couple of weeks ago I went through sticker shock when I looked at the propane bill. $3.35 per gallon and normally it's half that. This weeks bill was at $3.30 per gallon. I'm projecting even higher prices next winter. I've seen the monthly average jump the last four years around $40 per month despite using slightly less propane. Now I really want to do something about it more than I've done before.
    There's one project that I hadn't done yet but I've been planning on for the last three years. It's probably the simplest one. I'm going to yank up the subfloor and suspend insulation between the joists starting with the bedroom. If you aren't aware the majority of mobile homes have a wrap underneath that you don't want to cut into. It's supposed to block the cold that comes in. Adding another layer of R-19 won't hurt anything. In fact I'm figuring the first year that project will pay for itself.
    It's going to be quit the job I think. I'll have to remove the carpet and then cut into the floor so I can pry the underlayment up. I'm thinking nylon cordage stretched underneath the stringers every couple of feet will hold up the insulation.
    I should be able to add some R-13 over the kitchen and living room also. I'll only have to reinforce the suspended ceiling a bit to carry the added weight.

    I'm thinking to insulate the entire will cost about $600 and there will be a few incidentals here and there like fasteners and construction adhesive. That should also eliminate the floor creaking if I'm not mistaken and my guess is the monthly average for propane should drop around $40. If I think of it I'll post pictures of the insulating projects.

BTW, the price increase is happening in spite of an increase in drilling. It affects natural gas and propane equally. http://www.alternet.org/environment/frigid-temps-send-natural-gas-prices-skyrocketing-despite-fracking-boom

Monday, February 17, 2014

Writing update

     I've been working on Ascendancy Rising lately as some you may know. Mostly I've been fleshing it all out so that it becomes a real story. It's during the rewrites and the fleshing out that it becomes what it's always meant to be. That's the way it almost always works though. Earlier today I reached 49k on the manuscript at the end of chapter 24 and I have bits and pieces of six more chapters including the ending that I'd printed off. Most of what I'm doing at the moment is actually first rough drafts instead of rewrites.

     I just checked through the calendar and I guess the first bits I wrote of Ascendancy was in the middle of September. It probably would have been out by now but I had to set it aside several times before I could finish it. There were other rewrites and edits that took precedence and it couldn't be helped. In this case there were actual publishing deadlines involved that I can blame.


     Once I finish with Ascendancy Rising I'll probably start working on Inquiso again. With the story I'm glad I set it aside. More bits and pieces are coming to me and it will be interesting to see where that whole story heads when I come back to it.

     This is the tentative cover for Inquiso. The flames actually fits the story. I even like the lettering because it actually fits also. It's going to be quite the thriller. There will be bombs, people dying, and the overthrow of a government. All that means its a lot of fun to work on :-)

     I wonder how quick after it comes out the NSA will be investigating me?


Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Darkness envelops

Darkness envelops
Shadows all around
As I walk forward 
Hearing not a sound
Except for my steps
Rustling in the grass
All is quiet here
Time slowly passes
A sound reaches me
Whisper from the past
Glowing entity
Coming closer now
Reaches out to touch
The horror grows
Want to run away
My hearts staccato
Fills my ears and mind
I scream in terror
When its ghostly touch
Contacts my fingers
Sends its chill within
Losing every thought
To run heedlessly
Leave it all behind
10 Feb 14

Author Earnings

Where writing can be, or will be, my entire living probably won't happen. The majority of authors it doesn't happen either quite honestly. We all think of the likes of JK Rowling, Stephen King, etc. and how much they make but to tell you the truth they're the exception to the rule. Many authors can occasionally buy a pizza with their royalties at the end of the month and I've been there. I've also used royalties to help pay the bills at times like the electric bill, at least a hefty chunk of the electric bill. I've also bought pizza's a couple of times with royalties.

While I may not make a huge amount of money it's wonderful for me to see my own name on the cover of a book. Believe it or not there's a bit of pride that goes hand in hand with that alone. There's a legacy of mine that will go on even if I never publish another book. It was also quite the feather in my cap to sign two titles late last year. The one is still presently in edits with the publisher.

If you want to see how much authors are actually earning here are the numbers. You may be a bit surprised. http://authorearnings.com/the-report/

Monday, February 10, 2014

Meet Melina

    Author Bio: Hi I’m Mel aka Melina Turner, I’m an international award-winning poet and live in Australia in a little town called Gympie. I began my writing at an extremely young age starting in primary school in year 3 when I heard about Write4Fun, a school international writing competition. My first piece was called “Wild Brumbies” published in 2003 when I was in year 3. I soon after moved from Nambour to Gympie an hour away, where I was influenced by an amazing English teacher to continue writing. In 2005 when I was in year 5 I was awarded “honoured writer” for my poetry in which I continued and still do. In 2013 I was awarded, “Best Poet of 2012” and put into a poetry book that is now in the library of Congress.
    After I began poetry I soon wanted to branch out thus starting “The Deathly-Roses Volume 1” a flash fiction narrative-prose piece, original and first of its kind, to be published 2013. I then gapped it out and wrote Volume 2 in 2007 to be published at the end of 2013; the third to be written in 2013 and publish 2014. My goal with these books (TDR Volumes) was to make it short and poetic-like to gain non-readers interest and I believe I have done that. As of 2012, I slowly branched out and started helping co-author for Timothy Mitchell Films, helping with scripts for movies.
    As of now I am beginning to write my first finished novel ever and working at my business as an editor and promoter for independent authors.
    As of now I will be finishing my novels and aiming for traditional publishing.




    What am I writing at the moment you may as…well the answer is simple three pieces and each has its own personal signature. As The Past plays to the Present is my first YA Teen Romance about a past that replays to the present. As Black a teen born into one of the richest families ever struggles to survive from her father, who stalks her for the very riches he murder her mother for…Will most definitely finish rewriting this piece this year.
    The second book is a collaboration with a new author called Bill Jensen it will be a book on a collection of comedy shorts that both will make you laugh, shock you and might even find it offensive but there are so many different comedy types to choose from that we will cover most of them; from aussie humour on the drop bears to a girl tying herself up to a very long rope and flying like a kite (pretending to be an army plane mind you) and another which will really offend which I wont mention just yet ;) This won’t be finished for a while so the wait must continue.
    And lucky last Deodora Daggers, the first novel ever in The Deathly-Roses Books which will introduce a new character and how she came to be and how she managed to be in The Deathly-Roses Volumes. This piece surprisingly will not be YA as The Deathly-Roses Volumes are but Adult content. It will be published hopefully next year before The Deathly-Roses Volume 3.


A small blurb of Author’s book: The Deathly-Roses Volume 1
    “I had scratches and scars all over me but they were slowly disappearing, which was great and would let my beauty settle in. I looked at myself in the mirror focussing on different parts of my face. Something was different. Was it my full lips? The cleaned face? Mo, it wasn’t. It was my eye colour it had changed…”
    Meet Wisty, a teenager forced by her family to bond to the richest, in Acrelain. But dire punishments, have given her something she never believed was true… Join Wisty as she sets off on her journey between good and evil to find the very truths…that could break her or make her stronger.




Reviews or quotes of positive reviews your work has already received. 
Review Of “The Deathly-Roses” (volume 1 and 2)
    There is an honest voice in Turner’s writing evident in “The Deathly Rose”. Turner writes with wit and manages to keep the reader engaged over the course of the two volumes. The end with bonus volume 3 sneak peak (which could even serve as a prologue for volume 2) reminds me of the ending of ‘Mad Max’, in the sense that the character has slowly sunken to the depths of insanity the she now is ready to extract more violent horrors. Some descriptions are a little had to visualize, but I guess that’s part of its poetic beauty. The first person narration voice isn’t narrating character’s name in third person in the same chapter. Still, it’s only a small thing which readers will choose to ignore because of its engaging content. Definitely get into this series. Well craft and very well devised. 4 out of 5. ~Timothy David Mitchell (moviemaker of “The Waiting game”)
    Melina turner’s “The Deathly-Roses” Volume 1, is a refreshing story well written story, with an excellent array of supernatural thought provoking concepts. The characters both serve as well written portrayals of angels, corrupt business tycoons and tragic misunderstood victims each with their own complex back stories and agendas. At the heart of the characters is the character of Wisty. A tortured young girl, drugged and forced to serve under a corrupted rich family and forced to marry a stranger against her will. Melina Turner does a great job at bringing the character of Wisty to life, as the feeling of sadness on Wisty is ultimately reflected upon the reader as well as the strength and courage Wisty gains upon learning of real purpose in life and her love and affection with the character of Iriami, a mysterious stranger who shows sympathy towards Wisty. The story as a whole is edgy and well-driven; with a sense of humour in various areas. All in all a very well written story and I cannot wait for the next installments in this exceptional series ~Robert Church





You can buy The Deathly-Roses Volume 1 at this link http://smarturl.it/DeathlyRoses but hurry The Deathly-Roses Volume 2 releases June 9th