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Why Indie?

It starts with a story.

It always starts with a story!

Last night I was communicating with a bookstore about where they can get my book. They wanted to stock it on their shelves and on their website. At the same time, right next to that email, I received an answer to an agent’s full request for a different book from earlier in the year. Back when I received the original request I was excited. Someone other than critique partners and writing groups would read my manuscript. That’s fun.

I knew the response could be a positive or negative but that request was a progression in the process.

A sign post.

Then crickets. And more crickets. I followed up with this agent and received no response.

In short, I wrote the whole thing off. Non-responsive = Bad Partner. Bullet dodged.

Then comes this answer six months after I flushed the whole experience. A form rejection.

I’ll ask you: which was the better interaction? The dismissal and disinterest or the engagement and real interest?

I know which is healthier.

Look, I’ve been in business for myself for over twenty years. I probably have trust issues for all sorts of reasons. I’m going to offer a hard earned piece of advice that is true for relationships of the business and personal persuasion. If they are bad on the first date, once you’re attached… Forget it.

In any case, I decided to go for it.

I’m not going to say I’ll sell a bunch or even any of my books. However, I bet I will sell some.

What happens next is the real reason I told the big story – the novel – the book: for people to experience it. I don’t know about you but my muses expect an audience.

I can only speak from my own, very recent, experience. Ruminating on my immediate reaction to preparing and publishing, I came to a realization. It released me. The process released me from all of the searching and worrying and hoping that the querying process put me through.

I am back in control of my story, my book and my dreams. I’ve sold some books and gotten some solid customer reviews and that’s gratifying. I’m not done pushing my story of Kwynn and Co. or chasing big publishers but I’m growing and learning about other parts of the process.

The rest is as Agent Kate McKean so eloquently puts it is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ .
(She talks about this today here.)

Go for it. My story deserves to meet other people’s imaginations. Self-publication is a bunch of work and not the end of the frustration. ‘Going Indie’ is simply a different fork in the road. A good story needs people. This story deserves to see the light of day not the inside of a drawer.

Like that kid who believes in magic, I took a deep breath and sent those dandelion seeds out on the wind.

If you’d like to buy my book, it’s on Amazon and will hit Bookshop.org shortly.

If you like my ramblings, you should subscribe. I do this once in awhile.

Inspirations

One of the ways I like to look at the world are through inspirations. Moments, thoughts and ideas that give me a taste of delight. Songs, books, stories and shows.

It’s terrific when someone’s writing I respect and find inspiring writes about something I, too, find worth cogitating on. You know, that mental chewing that usually creates a little more than you started with.

Annalee Newitz is a writer whose book, Autonomous, had an affect on Reaping Independence.

But. They discuss another book (and tv show) that also had an affect on how I thought about the book and world in Reaping Independence. Here’s the post: https://buttondown.email/thehypothesis/archive/the-singularity-is-officially-over/

William Gibson, of course, and cyberpunk and Neuromancer – but also, importantly, The Periperal. The show is rolling right now and I’ve started it but the book opened some doors for me in ways I’d forgotten until I watched the show. Ouroboros, you know. Circle of life. Creation and destruction.

The destruction of the idea of the singularity isn’t the main piece of my thinking. In fact, I’ve never been convinced in something so uniform. The world is more chaotic and random than to suffer a single unifying force.

Reaping Independence functions on the premise that even with a sentient AI at its center, the individual will break free. Become Independent. Seeds that are planted will be reaped in time.

And often in ways we do not expect or intend.

Really, the punk part that might have been discarded.

I will let the longer piece speak for now, if you’ll give it a chance.

Release Day!

Today marks the release of Reaping Independence. Woohoo!

Today marks the full release of Reaping Independence. What’s it about?

2029. They told her not to do it. She did it anyway.

Now Kwynn’s on the run. From The Directive, her dead father, and herself. She’d like to catch on with the film crew she’s hooked up with and hack a clandestine server here and there but Kwynn has an inkling she’s destined for something bigger.

When power failures spread like wildfire across the West, she discovers it may be that dead father’s sentient servers creating the blackouts. She must break into those computers. However, Kwynn can’t do it alone. She needs a little help from her friends including her guardian gargoyle and a worldwide secret society.

Quest with a traveler, a warrior and a watcher as they befriend gargoyles, run from ‘droids, expose secrets, escape riots, fight to save L.A. and protect our independence.

Los Angeles may never be the same.

“A nonstop trip of twists and turns. Part cyberpunk, part Coen Brothers.” – An enamored reader

Rock this one if your bookshelves (real & virtual) hold Chuck Wendig’s Wanderers, Annalee Newitz’s Autonomous and John Scalzi’s Head On.

It has the tech of William Gibson and genre-bends like David Mitchell.

“This story’s got everything but the kitchen sink in all the right ways!” – what this dude who read it said.

Go on and read it! It’s available on Amazon in print and e-book.

Buy Reaping Independence on Amazon.

Heat Wave

We are facing a heatwave in California. It’s hot. This one is historic but we face these weather events most summers. These events got me thinking…

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-09-06/here-is-how-long-socals-heat-wave-will-last-and-how-the-forecast-is-slowly-changing

…what if someone wanted to take advantage of a weakened populace. A weakened grid. The system on the edge of collapse. What and how would they do it? In fact, who would do something so inhuman? In fact, I learned more about the grid and its weaknesses.

A technothriller was born. But I couldn’t tell a strictly technical tale. I wanted to tell a story with humor and imagination, with creatures, cultures and characters we could learn about together. #ReapingIndependence is the culmination of that exploration.

Really, there are a lot of ideas behind this rolling quest to discover who was behind a vast manipulation of an entire populace. This part of the quest comes to a conclusion this week. I’m proud of all who have come along. I’d love to have more join – because Saturday concludes…

Episode-arama! I don’t know what else to say. If you like fabulist techothrillers with some heart and humor, you’ll like this story. Give it a ride – befriend a new group of misfits! #ithasbegun #cyberpunk #KindleVella #writerscommunity

Do It!

On the verge of capture, Kwynn, an orphaned hacker, must discover the source of mysterious cyber-attacks on Los Angeles.

But when she discovers she’s the heir apparent to some kind of worldwide cabal of magic do-gooders, Kwynn must learn to forgive her father and trust others, or the fate of the West will fall under the control of rogue AI.

Give Reaping Independence a read – It’s the summer read you need. !AND! it’s set during this week of August 2029 Click and read, peeps. First three are free.

Are you still here?! Good.

It’s getting great reviews. Go start now so you can tell everybody you were the first one to read it. (Bragging Rights!)

Do it! Read Reaping Independence. It’s fun. It’s entertaining. It’s book length. It’s Reaping Independence!

He Who Pulls the Strings is Master

Building | He Who Pulls the Strings is Master | Invitation: Episode 27 dropped today: The last Invitation section’s got a needle drop for all you fans of the Dead Kennedys.

And another needle drop: Murray’s got himself some Infectious Grooves

Reaping Independence is here for your #cyberpunk needs + #scifi + #fantasy + #thrills + #Replicants

Don’t be afraid, give it a try. First ones are free.

.the_bridge

The last episode finished with the match and takes Kwynn…

( #StrikeTheMatch #gusto #BookTwitter #amreading #writingcommmunity #ReapingIndependence #KindleVella )

Strike the Match

to a confrontation on a bridge in #Venice

( #BookTwitter #amreading #writingcommmunity #ReapingIndependence #KindleVella )

https://www.visitveniceca.com/2019/08/15/venice-canals-2/

The Venice Canals

And Glen’s a little frustrated so this thing simply makes matters worse.

( #HiHo #BookTwitter #amreading #writingcommmunity #ReapingIndependence #KindleVella )

Hi Ho!

Come read as Kwynn, a badass orphaned hacker, joins a motley crew to save #LosAngeles from mysterious terrorists.

Start anywhere but read the first 3 free.

#ITHASBEGUN

#BookTwitter #amreading #writingcommmunity #ReapingIndependence #KindleVella

The Stairs

Kwynn finds herself on a very different set of strange stairs in today’s episode. As you know, she’s been hacking where she shouldn’t.

Where to start? Start anywhere but read the first 3 free.

Come read as Kwynn, a badass orphaned hacker, joins a motley crew to save #LosAngeles from mysterious terrorists.

#ITHASBEGUN #cyberpunk #BookTwitter #amreading #writingcommmunity #ReapingIndependence #KindleVella

A Cyberpunk Day

Imagine waking up like this!? It happened to someone in Reaping Independence and I want you to read it! #books #SaturdayReads

a cyborg selfie
a cyborg selfie

Start today! Wherever you want. With today’s episode or the beginning! (Also, where it’s free) one reader told me: I had to just keep reading to find out what happens because I can never guess! #kindlevella #cyberpunk #WritingCommunity #amreading

Fire Season

A new episode – another problem. Dirty hack. Clean hack. Fire fallout.

Spend a little time, read something new.

Start at the beginning. Start where we’re at. Click and try. All are welcome!

#readingcommunity #WritingCommunity #BookTwitter

Also, as fire season looms, it’s important for us to not only prepare but reflect on the natural and manmade instigators of our ever growing ‘tradition’. More than our man Glen suffers from the effects of wildfires.

https://www.hcn.org/articles/climate-desk-wildfire-fire-season-is-getting-longer