Happy Holidays! Lots Of Good News To Report!

First things first (but not necessarily in that order) ~ With this being the holiday season, (and with you guys celebrating all kinds of different things wherever you are in the world) -

I want to say to you and your family - Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year (and whatever else you celebrate around this time of year.) I am so appreciative of all of you and I'm glad you enjoy reading my books. It is a labor of love and I love hearing from all of you. You guys are awesome and without you, I wouldn't be here today writing. Thanks!
  

NEWS:

On December 7th, my best friend and I got engaged while on a cruise in the Pacific Ocean :-)

No word yet on when the big day is, but we're excited!

BOOK NEWS:

The beta-readers of my new book Self-Aware LOVED it and I'm happy to report that it's in the hands of editors to make sure it's as perfect as can be. I'm expecting the book back by December 24th (Christmas eve) and I'm going to launch it Christmas day (Dec 25th) on Amazon. It will be available on the Kindle Unlimited, KDP, and KOLL - world wide, with free promotions too - but not sure when the free week will be. Those who buy it Christmas day will have the Limited-Edition Nighttime Cover for only one day as seen below:

It will be exclusive for 90 days to Amazon, but after March 25th, 2015 I will release it on my website and on Smashwords, Google Play, Itunes, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, etc. I'm also working on the audio book that I will read and voice-act the different characters. This book will also be available for print-on-demand (POD) so if you love the feel of a book in your hands - you'll have this option too.

Depending on sales, reviews, etc. I will decide if I'm going to work on Anica Storm (Book 2) or Self-Aware (Book 2) throughout the 2015 year.

My goal for the new year is to finish writing my book a lot faster, with the same level of quality. This book came short of just under two years to make. (Keep in mind this is also balancing a full time job, a relationship, friendships, etc.) ~ It's doable, so my hopes are to get the next book done by Christmas!

So lots to look forward to! I hope you guys have a safe and happy holidays and a wonderful new year! Here's hoping 2015 will be a better year for all. I'll talk to you again after the new year!  :-D

Steven W.
www.steven-wolff.com

QUESTION OF THE DAY:  Which would you rather see come out? A new Anica Storm book or another Self-Aware book? Leave your creative or interesting comments in the comment section below. Don't forget to bookmark this link and if you've read my books - please take one minute to leave a review. Every review matters! Thanks!

2014: The Best Is Yet To Come

It's the new year and already 7 days into it, I discover what I've been looking for all this time... the secret to what every successful book and movie share in common... a formula!

Yes, there are patterns in everything and when you can see them, immulate them, you are almost guaranteed success! Because after all, all the other ones with the same pattern or formula have had similiar results so if 1+1 equals 2 regardless how you write it, then the answer is always a given. Success is a given!

Granted, I am aware there are other factors that come into play and the responsiblity as a writer still falls on me to create believable characters, write a proper sentence, know how to use proper grammar, etc. but now I have the support frame, the structure if you will, to write my books on the same level as those that came before me.

This is really exciting stuff for me. It's unlocking a new level in my writing which will only make my story telling even better. I'm looking forward to releasing my future books and hearing the reviews. I'm even hoping they will do really well. Heck, my goal is to sell 1000 books every month (minimum) so I can quit my day job as a security guard and stay home so I can write full time.

I love being a writer. It appeals to my creative side, it allows me to tell you, the reader a story. Now I will be able to tell you that on a level that matches the others that became best sellers.

2014 and beyond promises to be a wonderful year for my writing, and it was because of this recent discovery that I can now make my work stand out. (Sorry I can't tell you what it is (yet), but the answer is out there, if you look for it. It's taken me a few years to find it but I'm glad I did.) Now, the only thing left is for you to wait for my work to come out. Speaking of which, here is where I'm at...

I'm working on my Zombie novel - Self-Aware, polishing it and tweaking things as I see fit. It's taking what feels like forever but I hope to release it (or at least part of it) soon. If any of you would like to be a Beta Reader, let me know in the comment section below.

Well that's it for now. Here's to 2014... The best is still yet to come!  :-)

Fall is here and there is a chill in the air...

It's been a while since I last posted on here. I apologize, life has been pretty crazy over the summer and into the fall. I've been working on my Zombie book called Self-Aware (A Zombie Series) and I love everything about it. It's a fresh twist to the popular Zombie genre that's currently making its rounds. 

I am a huge fan of the Walking Dead series and I appreciate the simplicity of the show, even though its story and drama is complex. In a post apocalyptic world, there is no technology. Think about it. You don't see them playing with their smart phones or tablets, etc. Things kinda go back to a time like the 1980s and earlier.

In my book, it's the same world, same everything, expect there's a twist to the genre. I won't spoil it but trust me, you'll want to read this if you're a fan of anything Zombie. Currently I'm polishing episode one and when it's ready, I'm looking forward to making it an audio book that I read as well. (Complete with subtle sound effects.) 

There's a lot still to be done and it's taking up my time, on top of going to a full time job and having a relationship. Writing is something you have to do everyday. It has to be a routine, a habit, otherwise you will fall out of it and quit. Last year when I made my first book, I had NO CLUE what I was doing. Yes, I  read all the things I needed to know but still... this was unfamiliar territory. How much would I make? Would people like my work? Will they hate it?

I had all kinds of anxieties and butterflies, as does everyone else releasing their work into the world. No one likes to be told their work sucks because they take it personally. Sometimes we need negative reviews if they highlight where our short comings are. "This author doesn't know how to use a comma!" ~ If that's what they say to you, focus on learning  where to put them. Sometimes negative reviews can be a blessing in disguise. Another negative can be false positives. You know, when your friends and family post nothing but rainbows and unicorns reviews about your book, saying you're the next Harry Potter writer.

You maybe, but these reviews also set the reader up for a certain level of expectation. If you don't meet it, they might turn around and rant about how they feel betrayed. When you ask for reviews, ask for honest reviews. It's okay to have someone  say your book is "okay" and not "OMG You gotta read this." Because when you're at okay, you know that with more work and focus, you can work towards getting those kind of reviews that people are not kidding when they say your book is a must read.

If you're a reader, do your favorite author a favor and leave them an honest review, even if they have a whole bunch of them. Add your two cents. Keep in mind though that this is a living for some authors and words are very powerful. If you slam an author, that can hurt them financially in the long run. If they suck, then tell them where they can improve so they can learn from that and do better. (If they don't know they're doing wrong, how can they fix it?)

If you like their work, tell your friends, tell your family. Better yet, loan the book you just bought to your friends. (Authors make more money when you loan books!) And leave a review of why you liked what they wrote. "I loved how you kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page!"  These really help.

I must lurk back into the shadows of writing and next time I pop back out, I hope to have some good news and content for you guys to enjoy. Don't forget, with Halloween coming up, there's two great books that talk about real paranormal events that I investigated. Things DO go bump in the night and these books are a collection of the cases we went on!

Until next time,

Stay Crunchy, Even in Milk...

Author Steven Wolff

www.steven-wolff.com