J. Drew Brumbaugh

Not earth-shaking news.  But the fact that the first draft of book 3 in the Galiwee Visions series is done is a pretty big deal.  Now it needs to sit and ferment for a couple of weeks and then the revising will begin. Can’t say when it will get published but it is getting closer.

Child of Prophecy is about to get a new cover.  I think this one will really shout out that this is a fantasy novel which I hope steers more of the readers I’m looking for toward the book.  I will post an image of the new cover when it actually goes live.

For a long time, I’ve said it would be nice to see one of my books as a movie.  I’ve been told if that’s what I want then I will need a screen play.  So, I have embarked on writing a script for War Party based on suggestions from people in the film industry.  Already I’ve discovered that writing a script is not like writing a book.  Being such a total novice, I am going to need all the advice I can get.  Any thoughts?

Sadly, the first in-person appearance of 2023 was a bust. Café Phix Midtown is a beautiful venue and I’m sure future events there will bring in much larger turnouts.  Still, I appreciate the invitation and was glad to meet the owner. Wishing her success going forward.

Finally, just a reminder that Spine Café and Bookstore in St. Louis has copies of my books for sale, as does Fireside Book Shop in Chagrin Falls Ohio.  Even if you don’t buy one of my books, drop in and support these independent bookstores.

My first in-person appearance for 2023 is scheduled for Sunday, January 8, 2023. Along with three other authors, I will be at Cafe Phix MidTown, 6815 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 44103. The Author Author event begins at 1 PM (coffee shop opens at 12:30). Each author will have an hour to talk about their work, answer questions and sign books.  There will be one of us at 1, 2 and 3. I’m on at 3 – saved the best for last? Probably not but that’s my version. The cafe will be serving all their usual drinks and it would be great if we could get a big enough turnout so that the coffee shop wants to do more of these and help other local authors. Hope to see you there for all three authors.  It will be fun.

Some of you may already be familiar with @Smashwords, maybe even buy books there.  They have been an important retailer for indie books for a long time.  For the first time ever, several of my books can be purchased through Smashwords and as it turns out it’s just in time for the Smashwords end of the year sale.  They have thousands of great indie books on sale, some free starting December 15^th running through January 1, 2023. Mine are 75% off.  Here’s the link for the sale, where you can search through everything that is on sale.

https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos

If you try looking up any of my books by author, there is a problem.  Some of my books show up under J Drew Brumbaugh, others under James Brumbaugh.  No idea why that is.  To make it easier to find my books, Smashwords fans, here are direct links:

Shepherds https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1200879

War Party https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1201213

Ten More https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1202186

Girls Gone Great https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1201499

Foxworth Terminus https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1201015

Bula Bridge https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1201971

Shela https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1202239

Please share this and tell your friends.

There’s nothing like having your books in a brick-and-mortar bookstore.  Fireside Books in Chagrin Falls, OH now has copies of Fall of the Western Kings, Shepherds and War Party.  If you’re looking for a copy of one of these, drop in and give your business to a local bookstore. And even if you aren’t looking for one of my books, pay them a visit anyway.  It’s a great bookstore.

And then there’s Half Price Books in Mayfield, OH where a friend saw copies of all three books of the Tirumfall Trilogy on the shelf sandwiched between Terry Brooks and Steven Brust (photo below).  Does that mean I’ve made the “big time” or just that someone got rid of my books? For anyone thinking of buying the trilogy, here’s a chance to get the complete set at a bargain price.

And several of my e-books are on sale in December for 99 cents, including War Party, Bula Bridge and Shepherds at various outlets.

Meanwhile, work continues on the third book in the Galiwee Visions Series. The first draft should be done by mid-January.  Stay tuned for updates.

First, I will be at the local authors event at the Huron Library on Saturday, November 19 from 10 am until 1 pm.  The address is 333 Williams St, Huron, 44839.  Drop by and check out all the authors who will be there.

Next, I want to give a pat on the back to everyone who answered my suggestion and have picked up a book from a genre you seldom read.  Please post your reading experiences in the comments section.

Finally, as the holiday season gets going, like just about everyone else, many of my e-books will be on sale.  

The entire Tirumfall Trilogy is now on sale for 99 cents; three books for essentially $3 instead of $12.  That runs through the end of November.  And, for whatever reason, I’ve noticed that Amazon has put some of the print editions on sale too.  I don’t know how long that will last since that is not my doing.

In December only Fall of the Western Kings will remain at 99 cents while books 2 and 3 go back to full price.  

And in December, War Party, Bula Bridge and Shepherds will be on sale for 99 cents from December 5 through the end of the year.

Check them out, gift them to your friends, and then post reviews.

Good reading.

As the leaves turn and the winds grow colder, it’s time to do some serious reading.  So, here’s a challenge: read a book not in a genre you usually read.  When you finish, good, bad or ugly, let me know the title, author and how you liked it.  I’m always looking for something worthwhile to read outside my norm.  Here are some recommendations for various genre by authors you might not know along with Amazon links for the ebook:

Fantasy: Swallow the Moon by K. A. Jordan a supernatural romance adventure that will keep you reading. https://www.amazon.com/Swallow-Moon-K-Jordan-ebook/dp/B005CX8OKS/

Science Fiction: Combat Wizard by Jack L. Knapp a captivating scifi novel that looks at ESP from a different perspective.  Full of action. https://www.amazon.com/Combat-Wizard-Paranormal-ESP-Thriller-Wizards-ebook/dp/B00J2HMUX2/

Mystery: Murder, They Wrote by Dzintra Sullivan a fun whodunit that will have you laughing out loud as the bodies pile up. https://www.amazon.com/Murder-they-wrote-Dzintra-Sullivan-ebook/dp/B08GHP2WN3/

Erotic Fiction: Twenty One by D. Victoria Bonanno erotic fiction with a compelling plot and a surprise (well I did sort of see it coming) ending.  Good fiction if you are okay with erotica. https://www.amazon.com/Twenty-One-D-Victoria-BonAnno-ebook/dp/B075F6KL9B/

Nonfiction: Sea Stories: True Adventures of a Great Lakes Freighter Captain by Richard Metz.  If you have even the slightest interest in Great Lakes shipping, this is a great book to check out despite the occasional typo. https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Stories-Adventures-Freighter-Captain-ebook/dp/B01NCN9FBT/

Child of Prophecy, book two in the Tirumfall Trilogy, was originally published under the title Child of Evil.  Too many people thought the original title said “horror” instead of “fantasy” so the title was changed.  I still have a few print copies of the book with the original title that I am going to give away (USA and Canada only).  If you are interested in what may become a collector’s item, simply click here on “contact the author” and send me an email using the subject line “raffle” and put “I’m in” as the message.  Only enter if you are okay receiving an occasional email announcing new releases or books going on sale.  The raffle will remain open until December 4th when I will draw the winners.  I’ll post them on my website and notify the winners with a request for a mailing address.  Once I have that, I will send out the books (autographed if you want) which should be in time for Christmas. 

As most of you know I like to get readers engaged with my characters early in my books.  I want the readers to have a reason to empathize with not only the heroes but also their adversaries.  For those who have read some of my work, you have seen main characters who are not just cookie cutter “good guys” but have at least some skills, interests, and/or behaviors that are interesting and perhaps extraordinary.  And not all of my anti-heroes are despicable though some actually are.  Often I give the reader an insight into why a character is doing what they are doing even if it is evil and disgusting.  Anyway, I have started posting short videos on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok discussing my thoughts on the subject and will be posting more detailed explanations and examples as time goes on.  You can check them out at my pages:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCvUwg0EQ6PDhFpaNcEScKg 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/jdrewbrumbaugh 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authorjdb 

On a separate note, the ebook edition of Bula Bridge will be on sale for 99 cents beginning August 14 through the end of the month.  Most of you that follow these posts have probably already read it, and if you did, please post a review.  This book currently has so few reviews on Amazon that many promotional sites will not accept it for an ad.  In case some of you haven’t read it and would like to grab a copy here are links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QFS85PJ 

Almost everywhere else: https://books2read.com/u/mKxWgv 

And for all the books you read, please remember to post a review, especially if the books are indie published.  Reviews are important.

These days almost anyone can become indie published.  Well, you do have to write a book but after you have a manuscript, publishing can be done without the benefit of a single gatekeeper; no editor, no agent, no publisher, no one to read the book ahead of time and provide criticism.  Naturally that leaves the doors open for a wide variety in the quality of indie published works.  There are some really good indie books.  There are also some really bad ones.  Fortunately, from my experience, there are a lot more good ones than poor ones.  Still, how do book buyers know the difference?  Reviews can help.  Bloggers too if they post honestly about books they’ve read.  Readers can look through social media for author readings to get a sample of an author’s work.  Word of mouth is one of the best ways to learn about a book that fits reader interest.  The point is if you read an indie published work tell your friends what you thought of it, post reviews, let the world know.  Especially if you liked the book.  It can really help the author find an audience.

One other note, Shela has been on a great run this month selling more books than ever.  Being on sale for 99 cents certainly helped.  That sale only runs until the end of July so if you were thinking of buying an e-copy, now is the time.  Several readers have commented that they think it is even better than Shepherds.  Let me know what you think.

You can get it at Amazon:

Or lots of other retailers: 

https://books2read.com/u/braxpz

The ebook addition of Shela, the sequel to Shepherds, goes on sale today for 99 cents and will remain at that price through the end of July.  In this sci-fi action adventure, Olga, a genetically engineered cowboy, and her husband, Toivo, are bound for Hawaii to have their first baby.  Their tuna school and the dolphins who help them herd the fish are left in the care of Shela, another genetically altered person.  But she is captured by human traffickers and it falls to Olga and Toivo to forgo the trip to Hawaii and do whatever they can to save their friend including having a baby in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.  The only help they will get is from their faithful dolphins.  Even if they catch up to the slavers’ ship, what can they do against armed thugs?  It is a rollercoaster ride that rushes to a heart-pounding conclusion.

Update note: the second fantasy novel in the pending trilogy that details the origins of Tirumfall Tower and the wizards who built it, has finally crossed 50k words.  Progress has been slow of late but does continue.  At some point, I’ll post a short excerpt on the website as a free teaser.  Look for more info to show up here when that happens.

In the meantime, I hope everyone finds great books to read.  And while you’re looking around, see if you can find and indie author that fits your tastes.