Tag: papa zulu

Papa Zulu’s First Sale!

shutterstock_102844133This past weekend, Papa Zulu went live on Amazon.com in paperback and ebook formats! I wanted to deliver the news the moment it happened, but as KDP and Createspace can take their time making books available to the public, I felt the need to hold off a little. However, that ended today when the book made its first sale. Yes, somebody out there is now the owner of an ecopy of Papa Zulu!

Granted, there are still a few kinks in the publication process. Right now, the ebook is only available on Amazon.ca, the store’s Canadian subsidiary, while the paperback is only available on Amazon.com. And neither are appearing on my Amazon author page. I can only assume my publishing services need to get their stuff together and expand its availability!

But in any case, I’ve gone ahead and posted the link for the ebook in the right hand column. If you liked the first one, be sure to check out the sequel. I’ve posted the respective links below to make it easier. And if you didn’t read the first one, didn’t like it, or just aren’t interested, then do what you like. I ain’t the boss of you!

Until next time, keep hammering those keys 🙂

Amazon.ca (ebook): amazon.ca

Amazon.com (paperback): amazon.com

Createspace store: createspace.com

Papa Zulu – Impending Release!

shutterstock_103Well, the day seems to finally be upon me. After six months of rereading, rewriting, and editing, Papa Zulu is set to be released in about a week’s time. While I was hoping to get it out in time for Valentine’s Day, a bit of deliberate irony on my part, I am pretty sure at this point that I will need a few extra days to make sure everything’s in order.

Wanting to avoid the same mistakes I made last time with early publication, I have opted for the slow road and I hope to maintain that until I’m sure the book is as polished as it can be. Needless to say, I am pretty happy with the end result and it has tested pretty well with those who’ve read it thus far. I’ve also taken the liberty of preparing advance copies for people who have agreed to give it an early review.

papa_zuluNeedless to say, the book picks up where the last left off, bringing new enemies into the fray and revealing new details about this post-apocalyptic world. Consistent with the Three Act Play scenario, the second book is where things go dark, the heroes are put in a harm’s way, and people die! If you want details, you’re going to have to red it…

So as you can imagine, I’m pretty excited! By this time next week, the long wait will be over and the sequel to Whiskey Delta will be published! And maybe then I will be able to get to penning the third installment without thinking I’m getting ahead of myself. In the meantime, I thought I’d share the cover art (above) and the promo trailer (below) one last time:

New Trailer For Papa Zulu

Check out this video trailer for the upcoming sequel to Whiskey Delta, the much-anticipated Papa Zulu! Well, anticipated by some, but they certainly seem dedicated enough. And after schooling myself in the uses of Youtube video creation and the miracles or Shutterstock, I think this one is a big improvement over the first. Check it out, and be sure to comment!

2014’s Master To-Do List

Colourful 2014 in fiery sparklersWith this year in full swing and the events of 2013 now a memory, I thought it was high time to take stock of everything I need to do in the coming twelve months. As always, I got a lot of projects in the works and plenty of things I want to get done, some of which I was supposed to be finished with already. And I seem to recall mentioning a few of these items in the course of my New Year’s resolutions…

So here goes…

1. Finish Editing Papa Zulu and Release It:
Now this is one I’ve been letting linger for quite some time! Originally, I had hoped to have this book ready a year ago, but editing has proven to be a more arduous process than previously expected. However, I got my trusty and professional editor (hi Leslie!) in my corner, and she’s editing both it and Whiskey Delta. So sometime before the Spring season hits us, I plan to release the one and re-release the other. It will be a kind of one-two, launch/relaunch combo!

2. Edit Fast Forward and Release it:
Back in April of 2013, I penned a number of short stories for the A to Z Challenge. Since that time, I’m coalesced the best stories, added a few extras from over the years, and created a volume of futuristic tales that I named “Fast Forward”. And with my membership over at Shutterstock.com, I also prepped a new and eyepopping cover that I think will get some attention once its published. But before that can happen, I need to go through it again and make sure its all cleaned up.

FlashForward_2

3. Bring Yuva Anthology to Completion:
Khaalidah and I – a friend and fellow indie writer over at Writer’s Worth – started this anthology of space travel and colonization two years ago. At first, we found ourselves joined by several friends and respected colleagues who also wanted to see the project come to fruition. But after several months of initial progress, things began to slow down and linger.

But I’m pleased to say that in the past few weeks, things have really picked up again. Owing to a full-court press to recruit new talent, we have just about all our stories accounted for and I’m waiting for drafts from all the participants. It would be really nice if we could get this book – a tribute to Ray Bradbury and a tale that is more relevant than ever now – finished by the end of the year.

Yuva_cover

4. Finish Reading List and Review Them:
Yeah, my reading list is, as always glutted and filled with stuff I was supposed to have finished a long time ago. It seemed to take me forever to finish reading World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, by Max Brooks. And now that that’s finished, I am hoping to finish the last three books that I have started but not finished, and then move on to the many other novels on my nightstand.

These books include Accelerando by Charles Stross, a story about this century that is required reading for anyone trying to write about the Technological Singularity; We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, the quintessential dystopian tale about social engineering, failed utopias, and the inspiration behind such classics as 1984 and (arguably) Brave New World. And last, but certainly not least, The Quiet Game: Five Tales To Chill Your Bones by Rami Ungar.

we_zamyatinAnd when I’m done all those books, which I’ve been reading simultaneously and in bursts, I can move on to Ready Player One, The Giver, and Back To The Front, an account of one man’s walking tour of the battlefields of World War I. Hey, I don’t just deal in science fiction, you know!

And with all that done and put away with, maybe the wife and I can finally find a bigger place, which is something we’ve been working on for some time. And of course, there will be the walking tour that we will be doing with my family this coming April. I need to do some research to prepare for that, and you can bet your bottom dollar you’ll be hearing about it too!

So yeah, 2014 is shaping up to be an eventful year. I hope it proves to be as productive and enjoyable as I hope, and that you all get what you want from it as well. Take care and Happy New Year!

Papa Zulu Proof Ordered!

papa_zuluStep two semi-complete! After finishing my edits on Papa Zulu, I have gone ahead and ordered a proof copy so that my darling wife (i.e. chief editor) can give it a second pass. I’ve also sent the PDF off to my beta readers/other editors, so they too can tell me exactly what’s wrong with it and why I should stick to writing and avoid proofreading.

And while I was working on that, I fashioned a cover for the third book. All this work on book II, as expected, has gotten the ball rolling on book III. And as always, I feel the need to visualize the end product, even before I’ve committed to writing the manuscript. Once again, I’ve gone with a cover image from Shutterstock, which now provides the bulk of my cover art.

Oscar Mike_2What do you think? Too much green going on here? I really like this cover template because of the solid front cover, the watermarked back, and the balance created by the text boxes, images, and quote section. Can’t wait to get moving on that one too! I hope to augment as time goes on with more favorable reviews, which is what I did with the jacket for book II.

Good luck to all us indie writers! May the sales be plentiful, the reviews favorable, and the inspiration unending!

Papa Zulu: Edits Complete!

Oscar MikeWell, it’s finally finished. After months of being behind on getting Whiskey Delta‘s sequel ready for publication, I am finally finished with my edits. And now, I turn it over to my betas and those who’ve selflessly volunteered to take this book on with me. I sincerely hope I got all the typos and errors out in that first run.

Probably not, but it’s nice to think that the next round of edits will be mercifully brief so I can get this book out before the holidays. Fans of the first book specifically requested a sequel, and people shouldn’t have to wait for a year to get one. You hear that George RR Martin?

Another reason I need to get this book out is because of my progress on the third, or rather lack thereof. Twice now I’ve tried to get the ball rolling on that story, only to find myself backtracking a few weeks later and deleting everything I wrote.

I know why too, I can feel in my heart that I’m overreaching. Until such time as I can get book II out and get some feedback on the story, I know I won’t feel confident plotting out the third one.  I imagine there are plenty of people out there who know what I’m talking about 😉

In any case, look for it soon. Papa Zulu, second book in the Whiskey Delta series!

Papa Zulu – Second Revision 1/2 Done!

editing1Editing is such a slow moving process, which is why I hate it so! As it’s not enough that you go through your initial draft and make all those pesky corrections, then you have to go over the whole thing and implement them. Then, assuming you haven’t made additional mistakes, you got to wait on beta readers to pick out anything you missed. Only then can you finally submit your work and wait for the kudos and criticisms from the reading public to come in.

At least, that’s the process when you’re working from a paper manuscript and doing most of it yourself. Were it not for the fact that this way is actually faster for me than scanning line after line of a doc file, I would have abandoned it a long time ago! And of course, its become a necessity since I can’t afford most editors rates. Oh, the slings and arrows of being an indie writer/teacher!

papa_zuluBut alas, this post was supposed to be about good news. After finishing the edits on Papa Zulu‘s first draft – the sequel to my Whiskey Delta zombie-apocalypse novel – I am now half done implementing all the edits and rewrites I made there. The process has felt arduous, but I’m actually surprised by the progress. I seem to be able to get four to five chapters a day done, far better than my initial prediction of say, one!

And in case its not patently obvious, I am very anxious and impatient to get this done! I was so hoping to have this novel finished by the end of this past summer. Despite its initial success, Whiskey Delta has been accumulating dust over at Amazon and the reviews have ceased since the last few (which were all really good). So I am determined to get the ball rolling and figured the sequel would be the best way of doing that.

thumbs upAnd of course, part of why this editing process is taking so long is that I am determined to get it right this time. Whiskey Delta still only has a rating of 3.5 stars thanks to all the people who penalized it for having editing mistakes. In my haste to get it out there after Max Brooks mentioned it by name (thanks again, Rami!), I took some serious flak for that. This time around, I want there to be no mistakes, or at least as few as possible.

I’m also hoping that getting the sequel out will help me get the ball rolling on the third one – Oscar Mike. I tell ya, that book has been through two starts and stops now, but I just can’t seem to capture the essence of what the third book should be about. Somehow, I feel that some sales and some feedback on the second installment might help me get my priorities straight for the latest.

Such is the life we’ve chosen isn’t it, my fellow indies? I sincerely hope you’re all doing well with your own pursuits and your works are garnering praise or at least some constructive criticism. And may we all find our way to that lovely person, known as an editor, who can take some of this arduous process of our hands and help us to do better!

Papa Zulu: First Round of Edits Done!

editing1At long last, and months after I was hoping to have it done, I’ve finally managed to give Papa Zulu a full first-round edit. Now, I just need to make all the corrections, maybe get an edited proof, and let my beta readers look over it for additional mistakes. Alas, after all that reading and correcting, this is only the first of many read-throughs.

See, this is why I hate editing! It’s slow, tedious, repetitive, and I hate having to read my own writing because it’s like listening to your own voice droning on and on and on. But lucky for me, I’ve got people lined up to handle things from here. Good thing I decided not to do NaNoWriMo and instead dedicate myself to this. Otherwise it would be 2014 before anyone saw this sequel! Not to toot my own horn, but those who liked Whiskey Delta did ask for a sequel. People don’t like to be kept waiting…

Pappa_Zulu1Oh, and when it is finished, this is what the cover will look like. I chose to split the difference and incorporate the best of both covers, which gave me this. Look for it on Amazon and Kindle in the coming weeks. Onto round two!

 

Papa Zulu’s Cover Selection…

zombies-city-and-the-crowdHey all! Its been a busy season thus far, and after many months of slow progress, the editing process for Papa Zulu is just about over. Which means its time for me to start picking out cover designs! Recently, I tinkered with the write-up and then added some of the more recent reviews (these would be the five star ones I’ve been going on and one about lately!). Here’s how it reads:

“Men rise from one ambition to another: first, they seek to secure themselves against attack, and then they attack others.”

–Niccolo Machiavelli

In the barren deserts of New Mexico, the war against the Whiskey Delta continues. After years of fighting, the “Mage” and his Rattlesnakes have managed to get the upper hand on the undead, while back at their base, “Doc” Ross Cooper and his team are getting close to producing a vaccine from the Patient Zero strain. But things quickly change when a new opponent enters the arena. Ever since their encounter with rogue forces in LA, the Mage has worried that there are military forces back East, people who owe allegiance to another master and want the Patient Zero strain for themselves…

Praise for Whiskey Delta:
“This was an excellent book from start to finish.” -K.C. Williams

“Great story about soldiers doing solider business.” -John

“This was an absolutely fantastic read. Highly recommend for any fan of the zombie genre.” -Britanny

“This is a badass Zombie book.” -Kellie H.

“I could not put Whiskey Delta down till the end.” – W.M. Morgan

“This book is for all those zombie fans out there!” -The Pragmatic Procrastinator

As for the design itself, I’m a little torn between two contenders. For awhile now, I’ve been working with one that boasts olive borders, orange font, black background, and the photo of a soldier firing tracers into the night. That would be this one:

Pappa_Zulu2But recently I came upon another cool photo and began designing a new cover around it. Much like the other one, it’s an army stock photo, but this one shows a group of soldiers conducting live fire drills during the night. Using high-speed photo, it looks like an eye=popping laser show. Now here’s what that design looks like:

Pappa_Zulu3

What I also like about this one is the way the photo is watermarked into the background. The red tracers are really quite impressive, and the orange font still seems to work since there are traces of orange here too. But dangit if that black and olive pattern from the first one doesn’t still seem totally appropriate, not to mention the way the orange font and black background just blend with the photo!

So I’ve decided to crowdsource this one with a poll. Which shall it be? Cast your vote and help me determine what the sequel to Whiskey Delta is going to look like.

Zombie Hunters!

apoc_soldiersHello fellow zombie smashers! As you may recall, a few weeks back I hosted a zombie hunters get-together. People were asked to take part by designers their own warriors, specifying weapons, apparel, and a bit of a back story. And of course, those who took part would have the honor of seeing their character featured in the next installment of my Whiskey Delta series – Oscar Mike!

So far, only three people have fashioned characters, but this is more than I need to work into the story. Still, if anyone’s interesting in seeing their creation presented in literary form, there is still time. All you need do is consult the pages on Apparel and Melee Weapons, then pick a primary weapon, a secondary, and create a little backstory to go along with it.

And in the meantime, allow me to present the first three zombie hunters that have been created for this challenge, arranged in alphabetical order:

Khaalidah Muhammed-Ali:
Alias: The Hurting Healer (Jamilah Al Mo’alej)
Apparel: Hooded Cloak, denim clothes, leather gloves, hijab
Primary Weapon: Composite Bow
Secondary Weapon: Desert Eagle .357
Melee Weapon: Truncheon
Backstory:  When the zombie apocalypse happened, Jamilah I put her three children (aged 22, 20 and 11) into her truck and hauled out of the Houston metropolitan area. Her husband was one of the many casualties when the biters first came, and the people in her area proved worse when chaos followed in their wake. Once they reached the countryside, they decided to take up residence in an old farm house where she grew herbs for medicine and vegetables while her oldest son, 22 years old, hunted rabbits, birds and fishes in the local stream. Her 20 year old daughter, the nervous ninny that she was, served as their lookout and security adviser and her 11 year old daughter, taciturn yet brilliant, created devious little traps to snare food, and the undead!

Rami Ungar:
Alias: Ghost
Apparel: Trench coat, glasses
Primary Weapon: MP5
Secondary Weapon: MP5K
Melee Weapon: Katana sword
Backstory: Originally from Ohio, when the zombies began to roam, Rami packed up his gear and what weapons he could get his hands on and hit the open road. Realizing quickly that the only way to stay alive was to move fast and remain unnoticed, he adopted the name “Ghost”. After losing everything to the undead hordes, he lost his old name and has maintained the alias ever since. Though nominally skilled in firearms, his weapon of choice is the naked blade.

Rhys C. Ethan:
Alias: Tromos
Apparel: Kevlar vest
Primary Weapon: Crossbow
Secondary Weapon: .357 Magnum
Melee Weapon: Baseball bat
Backstory: Tromos  was an honourably discharged police officer when the zombie apocalypse first hit. And when the law failed to act in the midst of the crisis, he took matters into his own hands and became the terror of the living dead. His life now is spent traveling to wherever zombies endanger safe shelters, and slaughtering as many of the living dead as humanly possible!

And as promised, these characters will have the honor of appearing in the upcoming Oscar Mike. The re-released Prologue is coming soon, which will offer a sneak peak at these badasses as well as the larger plot of the third book in my Whiskey Delta series. Stay tuned!