Another “Quick Hit”

Every so often, you need to take a break. Take me: I’ve been writing pretty much non-stop in some way, shape or form for the last couple of years. It’s not that I mind… I don’t but it’s a lot. It’s a tough pace to keep up especially when you’re trying to balance it with two full time jobs–one that pays the bills and one, parenthood, that doesn’t. So last Friday night–at the same time that I completed page 263, Part Three of Children of Endworld–I decided to take a break. Not a long one: Maybe a week or two. However long it takes me to go back, read and revise what I’ve written and read Doctor Sleep by Stephen King which… unless something changes… should be sitting on my Kindle Fire when I wake up tomorrow morning. A sequel to The Shining? Yes, please. I promise to post a review either here, or over on “Random Musings” when I’m done.

Generally when I finish working on something I do a post-mortem on it. I’m not going to do that now on Children because… well, because I’m not done writing it yet, though I expect that the last 150-175 pages or so are going to be a lot easier to write then the last 100 were. I’e been actively working on the sequel to ENDWORLD – A Novel since mid-May, 2013. It is now late September of the same and I’ve written more in the last four months plus than I think I’ve ever written before. Not just Children but other stuff, as well, namely things like THIS and the things I’ve posted over on my personal blog. The last 100 pages ate up the two months and the plus of that time. It needed to for if it doesn’t work, then the entire series falls flat on its face before I even make it to Book Three which is, I’ll not lie, the one I am looking MOST forward to writing. So I took a lot of care with it. As for whether or not that care pays off? I leave that for you to decide. Coming soon. Stay tuned.

All that said, this really isn’t anything but a “Quick Hit,” i.e. a couple of brief bullet points that I feel the need to address, explain… whatever it is that I do when I’m not wiping butts or scraping hydraulic fluid out from underneath my fingernails (not in that order). So here goes:

1. ENDWORLD – A Novel is still in need of reviews. It’s up to eight on Amazon (4.5 star average), two on Barnes and Noble (five star average) and three on Goodreads (also a five star average). I’ve got a couple in the can that I’m waiting for (if if you’re reading this right now you know who you are). Remember: 10 on Amazon is the proverbial point of critical demarcation, i.e. the point where the “powers that be” say, “Oh SNAP! This book has 10 reviews and they’re overwhelmingly positive. Lets give it a bump.” But it’s not just Amazon. Many third party reviewers won’t even look at your book unless it has 10 reviews/at least a four star average on Amazon. Please: If you read ENDWORLD and you liked it, take a minute or two to publish a review of it. Feel free to do so if you didn’t like it, too, though realistically? If you read it and hated it, you probably wouldn’t be reading this, right now. And if you hated it and you are? Darn, dude. You’re a glutton for punishment. And if you’re still interested in my open-ended deal–one e-copy for one review–let me know. I’d be happy to oblige.
2. Children of Endworld is going to need Beta readers really, really soon as in within the next couple of months. A few people have already approached me and asked for a copy when I’m finished and those people get first dibs. But I generally like to have between 10 and 12 people reading and submitting feedback at a time. Those people need to have a sense of humor, as well, since generally, the Beta copy is not the final copy, i.e. it’s rough, and oft times sloppy though I pride myself on cleaning it up pre-handing it out. If you’re interested in being a Beta reader for Children please, let me know either here or via one of the ways given under the “About Frank Marsh” tab. I’ll put you on the list.
3. Sometime between now and when I finally “go live” with Children–still looking at mid-2014–I will be publishing something else. My “secret” project that I’ve referenced but not given any details on. One or two people know about it and that’s as far as it’s going to go. All I will tell you, presently, is that it is both separate AND a part of The Endworld Series.  As for what that means? That’s the mystery that I look forward to unraveling for you in the near future. I’d love to do some sort of J J Abrams viral campaign for it but I don’t have the time or the resources to do so. Plus, I don’t know that people are as eagerly anticipatory of my secret project as they are of Star Wars Episode Seven. I wouldn’t ask them to be. Hell, I’m more ciked for Episode Seven than I am for it. But it’s going to be fun. I promise. Once I’m done Children I’m going to start prep’ing it. More to follow.
4. So as to make your experiences both here and over on “Random Musings” more flawless (i.e. me, not cross-referencing one on the other and Hyper-linking/making you page between the two), I’ve started working on a new all-inclusive website. It’s not published yet so there’s no URL to give out but when it’s done? I promise that y’all here and over on my personal blog will be the first ones to know.
5. This one is p’urty darned important (hence the BOLD print): I am taking the advice of a few of my contemporaries and altering my Twitter handle. Ever since I first joined the Twitterverse I have been “@madchronicler97.” While I’m always leery of change I understand that now that I’m… well, pseudo-public I need to be easier to find. My new, official Twitter handle moving forward is “@fmarshauthor” (linked for your convenience) and hopefully by the time I’m done today, that’s the one that’ll be on everything that bears my name and resemblance.  

And that’s pretty much it. Like I said, this is little more than a “Quick Hit.” I’d like to take a moment to thank those of you that continue to support me in this slightly insane undertaking of mine. I say this a lot but I feel like I need to say it again: All that I’ve achieved over the last year would not be possible were it not for the assistance of everyone from my wife, Nicole–who remains my biggest fan and free publicist–to my little ladies Cara and Natalie who… for the most part… sleep while daddy’s writing (though they don’t always sleep when I’m not). Furthermore to all my friends, family and contemporaries who continue to listen to me drone on and on about The Endworld Series and my every-evolving idea for William MacNuff’s universe despite the fact that they’ve been dealing with it and me for, in many cases, 20 years now. Yes, that’s right: It has now been 20 years since I started the first draft of what was then called just Endworld (I began it in August of 1993, as many of you already know whilst working in the dusky basement of a college). Back then the mere notion of actually publishing something other than an editorial in my school newspaper was, to me, completely “out there.” Not so much any longer. I’ve got to tell you: The reality is so. Much. Sweeter.

Happy reading, everyone. If you haven’t done so yet, make sure you pre-order your copy of Doctor Sleep, the long-awaited sequel to one of my all time favorite books The Shining. Not that Stephen King needs my help but the least I can do is give him a shout-out since he is one of, if not the main reason why I started writing in the first place. And stay tuned for more as I get closer and closer to being done the next book in The Endworld Series…

The first book of which, ENDWORLD – A Novel is available NOW in either e-copy or paperback at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and any number of other outlets. Links to buy under the “Where to Buy” tab on this website. Looking for a good, autumn read? Grab a steaming cup of hot apple cider and a slice of pumpkin pie, curl up under a blanket or two by the fire and give it a look. Take care!

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