Sunday 21 December 2014

Launched: "List of the Dead", Armada Wars Book 2


Book 2 of the current Armada Wars story, List of the Dead, is now available in both print and Kindle eBook formats.

The release was brought forwards from 21st December 2014 to 19th December 2014, due to an overwhelming demand for answers!

The story which began in Steal from the Devil continues, with some questions being answered and new, tantalising mysteries being brought into the light.

You can find direct links to the Kindle and print versions for all regions on the book's dedicated information page.

Fear the Deep.

Wednesday 26 November 2014

Updated: "Steal from the Devil" Second Edition


While writing List of the Dead, I learned a few things about writing fiction which were all news to me. They are little twiddly bits which don't typically get taught at school, and which are generally only of interest to editors. But every one of them is something which works to improve the structure and flow of text. Some are typographic (like proper use of the em-dash), some are to do with breaking and closing dialogue, and so on.

So I have gone back over Steal from the Devil with a fine-toothed comb, and applied what I have learned. The difference — I think — is subtle but effective.

While I was at it, I also weeded out some split infinitives. I say 'some'... turns out that when I looked for them specifically, there were a lot. A few sentences and bits of dialogue have been restructured for clarity.

Plot is not affected, and perhaps the only really significant change is in the first chapter. Because a minority of readers found it 'choppy' and 'disjointed' (real words from real reviews), I have de-chopped and re-jointed it. The Hammer's emergence from the wormhole now runs straight into the passage which introduces Captain Aker Santani, and the passage in which we see Caden's dream now runs directly into him waking up and contacting Rendir Throam.

All in all, I think it's a much better read. Had I not rushed so much to get it out last December it is probably the text I would have ended up with.

The paperback has been updated to the second edition, and new Kindle customers will get it automatically since it's now live on the Kindle store. Existing customers on Kindle need to visit their "Manage your Content and Devices" page on Amazon to get the updated file (it's easy).

Thursday 13 November 2014

Announced: "The Ravening Deep", Armada Wars Book 3


With the launch of List of the Dead coming up in just under a month, it's time to officially announce the third book in the current five-book story!

The title of book three was sneaked onto Goodreads (and this very blog) a few months ago, but for those of you who missed that the title will be The Ravening Deep.

Because there is a major plot event at the end of List of the Dead, and a major event for some main characters, I am not going to share any story details for The Ravening Deep just yet. So let's just say things will be going downhill for our plucky protagonists! Darkness awaits.

The eagle-eyed amongst you might notice the release date for TRD is 21st September 2015. Who can wait a whole year, right?


Worlds Will Fall.

Tuesday 16 September 2014

Proof that "Free eBook" Sites Lie

You may remember a previous post about scam pirate sites purporting to supply downloads of copyright eBooks, and my cynical assertion that whatever it is they allow you to download it probably isn't the file they say it is.

If you weren't convinced, try this on for size.

This link goes to one such site: http://satrymonal1993cabquai.wordpress.com/2013/12/30/list-of-the-dead-armada-wars-2-r-curtis-venture/

If that link is gone before you visit it, try the Google cache of the page as it appeared on 7th September.

Notice anything odd about that? How about it's for List of the Dead, which I haven't actually finished writing yet.

Apparently the small matter of me being nowhere near done doesn't stop the philanthropic efforts of our friendly neighbourhood pirates. Apparently, according to them, it's 529 pages long and has been reviewed by 220 people (who collectively give it almost a 90% approval rating, by the way).

I don't know what that file is they are letting people download, but I can assure you it isn't List of the Dead. No such book currently exists!

Friday 15 August 2014

A Progressive Learning Experience

This is a blog post with two purposes, and one that I have been thinking about writing for a couple of months now. It's partly for the fans of the new universe I've apparently unleashed, to tell them what to expect next, and partly for other independent writers who are either headed towards their first release, or thinking about how to get on with their next book.

Wednesday 14 May 2014

Beware Pirate Scam Sites

As part of my marketing strategy, I have a couple of saved web searches which let me see quickly what is being said about Armada Wars and Steal from the Devil. Something I have noticed becoming increasingly more prevalent in the search results is a particular type of pirate site offering a "PDF copy" of SFTD.

After I found the first one, I filed a DMCA notice. But before that notice could even be processed, the site had been taken down by the host company for breaching their terms (i.e. for being pirates).

By modifying my saved search slightly, I found a good half a dozen more similar sites. One thing has become clear as I examined them: these sites are not simply pirate sites; they are scams.

The scam goes like this:

  • The scam site "scrapes" stores like Amazon for trending and popular digital items;
  • A product page is made for each interesting item. This often includes bogus information such as a "stock" number which changes at random every time the page is loaded (how exactly would one keep a stock of eBooks anyway?)
  • Clicking on the link to "Download the PDF Now!" opens a new window which requires the "shopper" (read: cheap, gullible future con victim) to complete an "offer" first;
  • Assuming the "offer" points to a genuine site, and not a nest of malware, the scam site owner profits from farming out a paid task;
  • The "shopper" gets either nothing, a PDF full of junk, or a download that turns their computer into a zombie or holds the personal drive to ransom.
I can understand why people wouldn't want to invest $4.49 (£2.99) in an untested author. But there are other ways to get Steal from the Devil for less, and even for free. I'd much rather people put it on their Kindle wishlist and wait until it's on offer, than pull the double-whammy of circumventing my rights as the author and putting their own computer at risk. It's just the better option all around!

In short, I would rather take a hit to my own royalties than see the scummy, thieving, pretend pirate sites cream a neat referral profit by exploiting readers.

Seriously. Wishlist. Discounts and giveaways are announced on Twitter and/or Facebook, so just give me and Armada Wars a follow/like.

Tuesday 14 January 2014

Announced: "List of the Dead", Armada Wars Book 2


Work is now underway on volume two of Armada Wars, entitled List of the Dead, the first sequel to Steal from the Devil and the second episode in this five-part story arc. This volume is expected to weigh in at somewhere in the region of 100,000 to 120,000 words.

Elm Caden will retain the main protagonist role, however in volume two it will be Rendir Throam's past that has the spotlight pointed at it in the form of flashbacks. That will no doubt be an interesting ride for everyone.

Initially, the main dilemma Caden and his team will face is whether to chase after the Rasas suspected of provoking the Combine-Viskr war, or to hunt down Maber Castigon before he can assassinate any more Imperial Shards.

Some of the characters from the periphery of Steal from the Devil will come into their own, and a few more pivotal characters will be introduced.

We will see the aftermath of the attack on Lophrit, learn a tantalising fragment more of what is happening on Guathelia, and be plunged head first into the explosive fall-out from Operation Seawall.

And everything else is super duper top secret :)

Feel free to post questions in the comments section, and I'll answer those that won't invoke spoilers.

Fear the Deep.