Horror: California Now on Kindle

Now on Amazon in Kindle Format.

Noble Anthology Includes MY Story

I am a bit prejudiced when it comes to my short stories in print. Even if you haven't been waiting, pretend you have for the glee that comes with anticipation fulfilled. Here in Kindle, among other tales, waits "Mark of the Bruja." When an ancient evil nests inside a Hollywood apartment, only a narcissistic director and a drunken housepainter stand a shot at stopping the ghastly murder of children.

A softcover version of the anthology is rumored in the works from Soteira Press, but I can't say more and wouldn't since I have no good information on the subject.

Update: Scratch that rumor. The softcover edition is available for your post-holiday horror reading.

Short Story Sale Back in the Day

Ah,  2009

Obama, Madoff, Sully Sullenburger, the Underwear Bomber, Avatar, over 9% unemployment, Yankees win the World Series, and I sell my first short fiction piece. And now a decade has passed. I was a blogging machine back then with 29 posts in November alone and a record 365 posts for the year. I was also posting on another blog and working vigorously on my Ten-in-Six plan.

After selling a short story in 2012, I abandoned shorts in favor of fiction novel first drafts. The results were fantastic. From 2013 to 2018, I completed two or three novel first drafts per year. Like the lazy slug I am, only a handful have seen publication as essays or novellas or actual books - a parody, a horror novel, and an autobiography.

Dismayed, I focused this year on short stories. And while I've only sold one, it felt quite pleasing to notch a sale for the first time in seven years. "Mark of the Bruja" will appear in the Horror: California anthology due out soon. Can an arrogant young playwright and a drunken old house painter stop an ancient evil from nesting in a Hollywood apartment building?

Pick up a copy, read, enjoy.

In the meantime, I type away, attempting to complete a short story that has grown into a novella. Provided I don't fall back into old habits of sloth characterized by web surfing dolphin videos and fat people skate boarding, I should publish by the end of January.

An unwritten plan of action is a wish list.

Prostate Book Prospers

Hot Prostate Book Finds a Friend

A metaphorical friend, to be sure, but a powerful one by any standard. What in the name of hickory do I mean? It all involves mysterious Amazon algorithms.

Honor by Association

Note the screen shot. My book is displayed as often being purchased with Dr. Patrick Walsh's definitive tome on prostate cancer. (Which I drew upon in my work. Walsh's book also happens to be co-authored by award-winning science writer—and most excellent supporter of my writing—Janet Farrar Worthington. ) Then, I'm linked yet again to the Walsh text in the "Also Bought" section. Wondrous additional promotion. It never hurts to pal around with #1.

Also (see above) I'm #6 in my softcover book category.

But What Have We Here?

Nothing less than my softcover and ebook occupying adjacent spots in the top 30 of all-encompassing category prostate health. (Such excellent positioning for an indie author.) Enough. My arm aches from patting me on the back.

Prostate Surgery Softcover Picking Up Steam

Durable Softcover Climbs the Rankings.

Up it goes, wedged in with dreary texts on machines lopping open men and removing certain organs soiled by cancer. My autobiography. Currently No. 7 and certain to rise higher. Of this, I am certain. And, yes, it is still available in glossy ebook format. Who knew cancer could be so profitable? I'd settle for a number of dry days, but those are the wishes of yesterday. Still, modest literary note is delightful and I'm going to continue saying as much.

huffington post

They Took My Prostate Approaches in Softcover

Two posts in one month. How loquacious I've become! Set aside your Kindle. The softcover version draws nearer.

Raise My Ranking During Hot Smashwords Sale

open culture.com

Raise it! Raise it high in the rankings, I say. For here is a reading bonanza awaiting you in the sultry month of July. I'll let ebook seller Smashwords explain more about their 11th Annual Summer/Winter Sale:

Are There Discounts of Some Kind?

"For the month of July only, thousands of Smashwords authors and publishers will provide readers deep discounts on ebooks. Discount include 25%-off, 50%-off, 75&-off and FREE. 

Explain More in Your Curious Way

At one minute past midnight Pacific time on July 1, the special Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale catalog goes live on the Smashwords home page. Readers can browse the catalog and search by coupon code levels [Indicating discount amount] and categories. After 11:59pm Pacific time on July 31, the catalog disappears. 

And Then?

The coupon codes are exclusive to Smashwords and will not affect prices at other retailers. There’s no need to remember coupon codes. Readers will receive the discount automatically by adding [a} book to their cart.”

Might I Suggest?

But don’t just add any book. Starting tomorrow through July, might I implore you to add one of mine? Yes, a plug, a pitch, a request, but, then, to do less would be to betray this very blog page as well as Smashwords noble summer sale.

I won’t do that. So stock up on your summer reading starting tomorrow. And read well this month. I’ll say no more on the subject. 

unsplash.com

jpmacauthor.com is now LIVE!

Denver Post

Yes, This Was My First Rodeo

I'd thrown my saddle over the concession stand was kicking popcorn everywhere, convinced I was riding a web-building bronc. But for all my hacks and woes, the website is finally up and visible under its proper—may I add 'noble?'—name: jpmacauthor.com

Oh, sweet, merciful heavens. I came so near to quitting, scrubbing everything, sitting in sullen self-pity for weeks on end, cursing the unfairness of life and novice web-building.

 Word Press Lessons Learned

And not just Word Press, but Bluehost, Elementor and Namecheap. Essentially, I build my website backwards. First, here is a construction plan that seems proper in hindsight:

Obtain domain name. (Namecheap)

Choose hosting service. (Bluehost)

Select software (Word Press)

Add drag-n-drop page builder plugin (Elementor)

Namecheap assigns you Domain Name Servers. They must be changed and pointed to your hosting service. I didn't know this because I fell out of contact with Namecheap when I changed my hacked email before assigning a new email to Namecheap. 

Pinterest

(As a side note, there is a reason Robert Mueller found no Russian collusion. That is because he did not investigate Namecheap. In order to enter my control panel and change the DNS over to Bluehost, I had to spend over an hour in web chats and on the phone with Russians. Alexander and Olga were nice. Marisha had a world-weary attitude and sketchy English.)

The Short Version

Once your domain name is pointed at Bluehost—or whoever you use—then pick a template, change the settings in Word Press, toss up a site maintenance page, and build your website at leisure. When you're ready to go live, take down maintenance and present the world with your calling card.

I've lived this for two months and still have a yard-long list of tasks to finish. But I'm a wiser web-builder than I was on April 1. More importantly, I kept writing throughout, thereby saving myself from total, no-shower, eat-at-your-desk obsession. 

More soon on this web-building business. It might be nice to have some new books to add. There's a thought.