Monday, April 18, 2016

New feature: FREE stories!

Hi everybody!  Got a great new feature I'm going to be starting, but first some background.

I asked myself one vivacious April morn,  "Self", asked I, "what's the most annoying thing thing for me as a reader."

To which I replied,  "Dude, what?  Why are you asking me?  I mean, either you know or you don't, so..."

"DON'T SASS ME!  JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION!"

"Okay, okay!  Easy, there!

"I'd say the worst part for a reader is waiting around for the sequels.  Like, when you get finished with the book and you're climbing the walls waiting to see what happens next.

"In fact, a lot of times the only reason I visit an author's blog (like this one) is that I want to see what's the hold-up?"

So after a little brainstorming (and some sock puppet psychotherapy from talking to myself), I came up with this idea:  What if I take the characters from the book, and release an online series of adventurers?  That way you, the fans wouldn't have to wait months and months for the book.

Well, I mean you technically would still have to wait for the book, but the minis would keep the excitement alive -- like snacks between meals to satisfy your hunger.

Here's where I need you:  Simply let me know if you have any comments on the questions to follow.
(If you want to chime in, please drop me a line at the fanmail email address over on the blog's right sidebar, or on whatever social media of your choice.)

1) What do you think about the idea?  As a reader, would you follow a series of adventures online?  Would that appeal to you?

2) Which do you think would be more exciting per installment:
a.  A complete short story every time.
b.  More frequent, but shorter installments, like a newspaper comic strip.
c.  Somewhere in between.  More like a running TV episode.
d. Other _____________________

3) How long would you like a particular storyline to go on?
a. A complete story every time.
b. Ongoing forever, where one adventure melds into the next.  (Like comic books.)
c. Whatever.  Go for awhile till the story naturally ends.
d. About this long ______________ (in time or in episodes)

4)   I thinking about after the story is complete, wrapping the installments all together in a downloadable ebook.  If I did that, would you rather see:
a. The ebook is free for everybody.
b. The ebook is cheap (like only a buck or two), but free to those who were subscribed to the series.
c. Don't bother.  I'd rather just read it off the blog/email than download an ebook.
d. I hate ebooks. I'd rather pay the printing cost if I could get it in printed paper book.

Well, let me know your opinions on those questions or any other things you can think of.

Live YOUR Adventure!
-E.L. Fletcher

Friday, April 15, 2016

Yes, I am alive. Apparently.

[sidebar]
I just opened up this blog article and got distracted.  Walking into the other room, I noticed my eldest son had the perfect outline of a fork the back of his jeans.

"Why do you have a fork print on you butt?" quoth I.

But he doesn't know.

Ah, the life we lead!
[end sidebar]


Anyway, I first wanted to apologize for not blogging more.  You guys are awesome, and I feel like I owe you more than I've been giving lately.

Not to make excuses or anything, but I've been pretty busy with house remodeling on top of having had some pretty nasty health problems.

The real low point happened the other day when I actually had a mild stroke!
I guess they call it a TEI or TEG or something like that.
(Thankfully, from the symptoms WebMD says it doesn't cause brain damage.)
(Not that people would notice much of a difference. :D )

What a weird experience!

I was just working away in the garage, when all of a sudden my eye started getting what you might call "tunnel vision".  I'd heard of that, but I always thought it would be dark around the edges like looking through a cardboard tube.  Maybe for some people it is, but for me it was like the center third of my vision was real and the outside rim was just colors and textures like my brain was just making things up.

In fact, my wife went to put down a glass in front of me, and a hand just appeared out of thin air.  Really strange!  I was busy laughing.  She was busy worrying.

Then random body parts on my left side started going numb and I joined her.  First my hand, then lips, then forearm and part of the tongue.

Nothing hurt at all, and it all went away within 30 minutes, so the internet says not to worry.  (And who doesn't trust the internet?)

Still, a little concerned about that though...
Haven't seen a doctor yet, but I'm afraid there isn't anything they could do besides run a bunch of expensive tests, so I'm torn on whether or not to bother.

But, hey!  Good news is that I join the ranks of other authors.
Consider, sci-fi  author Orson Scott Card, writer of the famed Ender's Game series had a stroke in the middle of writing it.

Also M. L. Forman of Slathbog's Gold fame had a stroke as well.

So maybe it's a right of passage?
Or maybe a side-effect of QWERTYitis?
Some carcinogenic property of open Word docs, perhaps?

Seriously though, since, like I said, it started in the garage, I'm leaning more towards possible toxicity of the environment.  In response, I'll be venting the 3D printer outside before I use it again, and may consider installing a circulating air filter before spending more time out there.

To quote Monsters Inc:
SULLY
What just happened here?

MIKE
I don't know.
But it would be really great... if it did not do it again!


Well, this blog has gone on a long time now, and my intention was not to make up for lost time.

Under the circumstances, I'm going to suspend the usual "live your adventure" tag line and end with:


Please pray for me,
-E.L. Fletcher