Goodbye, Kindle Unlimited, Goodbye! (for now?)

bye-racoon

I've made the decision to pull my books from Kindle Unlimited for the time being. Why am I saying things like "for now" and "for the time being"? Well... it is a hard decision to make.

Here, I'll show you why:

Pros of being in KU

Cons of being in KU

  • Increased visibility with Amazon customers
  • Use of Amazon stuff like Kindle Countdown Deals
  • Only have to upload my files to one place
  • Less people return my books
  • I make more money overall
  • I might make more money but at less than half a cent per page read, it really devalues books overall, and not just mine.
  • It's less than half a cent per page because the money comes from a pot that is split up every month amongst everyone enrolled in KU, and there are a lot of scammers publishing fake books or books that are rigged to make the reader reach the end (in which case Amazon pays the scammer for every page in the book), so us non-scammers have to share the pot with these assholes. (tl;dr: Authors have to share profits with scammers)
  • When you are enrolled in KU, you can only sell your books through Amazon. So I might get great visibility with Amazon customers, but folks who prefer to buy elsewhere are shit out of luck.
  • I am at the mercy of Amazon's sudden policy changes - which have largely failed to curtail the scammer problem. *two-finger salute*
  • Amazon continues to censor, ban, and stonewall its authors and paying customers.
  • I have to deal with the uploading files all over the place when I make a change... but... enh. *shrug*

So there you have it folks: my decision making process.

As of today, Caged, Sacrificed, Fated, The Complications of T, The Last Nights of The Frangipani Hotel are out and will be followed by the F.I.S.T.S. books on June 1st and Careened on June 20.

Kestrel's Talon will be out around August 13.

By pulling out my books, it means that I stand to make less money, which is what makes it such a shitty decision: Ho hum... do I stay in a fucked up system, chained to their exclusivity clause to make more cheddar, or do I go wide and make my books available to a wider audience... at a possible loss? (Oh yeah... Something else about the exclusivity thing? You have to stay in the program for 90 days. Then you can either opt out—so no KU and you can sell your books in other places—or renew like a chump.)

Ultimately, I don't write for the money... Even with my books in KU I don't make anywhere near a living wage. It's hard work but I write because I love doing it, and I get to share my stories with like-minded folk.

But. Well. Money is nice. *shakes head*

Anyway... I think from now on (unless I cave and go back to wearing the golden handcuffs) I'll put new releases into KU for the 90 days but not renew. Who knows.

(and feel free to chime in... what's your opinion on this?)

Chaos

"Why do you come to me, night after night, if you won't come near me by day?" he asked, though his smile held no judgment. He motioned for me to enter, and I stood in his small living room trying to find the right words.

"Because I'm weak," I finally admitted, pulling off my leather jacket and throwing it on the sofa like I did every night.

Frowning, he started to unbutton his shirt, uncovering the expanse of fur and muscle beneath. "But why me, specifically? You have so many others who'd kill to share their beds with you... but you choose mine. Why?"

"You are what I need," I said, tugging off my boots, then ridding myself of my jeans. My t-shirt joined the pile on the floor.

"That's not really an answer," he pointed out.

I shrugged and followed him to the bedroom and we took our customary sides between the crisp grey sheets. With a sigh, I let my body melt against his, the hard angles of my mind becoming blunted as I ran my hand over his chest. "I come here because your mind is quiet," I decided to say. "Your soul's... clean."

"Ah," he replied after a pause. His hand found the back of my neck and he began to massage it gently. "You need me to calm this chaos in your mind you're always talking about so you can sleep?"

"Something like that," I agreed, closing my eyes. "Recharge my batteries..."

"I'm still going to try to get you to stay the morning." His strong fingers easily found all the little tense points at the back of my skull.

"I wish you wouldn't. I'm just using you." I wasn't being purposefully cruel, just honest. I owed him that much.

He reached over and clicked off the light, turning the vermilion behind my eyelids to a solid, soothing black. "I know," he murmured. "But that's all right... I'm happy to be used."

"That's why I come to you every night."

And with that I drifted off to sleep, knowing he was there to watch over me, keeping the demons in my thoughts away until dawn called them back to me.

Bottom of My Heart

"Je t'aime."
"What does that mean?"
"It means I love you."
"No... No, you don't."
"I do."
"You're just upset because he's seeing someone else. Call me when you start thinking with your dick again."
"God... you're an asshole."
"See, that's better. Yes. I am an asshole. Now go peddle your love somewhere else... I don't want it."
"Christ."
"You're crying? That's it..."
"Don't hang up! Please? Ok? Ok? I've stopped."
"I don't need this."
"But... Listen... I thought you and I were—"
"No."
"But I thought—"
"No."
"Do you enjoy hurting me?"
"I don't care one way or the other."
"Jesus... Why do you have to say that? Don't you know what it feels like to have your heart crapped all over?"
"Actually... I don't. No one's been able to find mine."
"Oh."
There was a long pause where he could hear sniffling and hitched breathing on the other end. Closing his eyes, he let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead.
"Ok. Listen... Stop fucking crying. Get some sleep. Take a day to get your head on straight. Then we'll talk."
"Can I come over?"
"Maybe tomorrow."
"Tonight?"
"What the fuck did I just say?"
"Ok. Ok. I'm sorry."
"I don't want you to be sorry. I want you to stop crying and pay attention to my words so I don't have to repeat myself."
"I will. I promise."
"Now go to bed like a good boy."
"I will. Then we'll talk tomorrow?"
"Then we'll talk, yes... But, if you ever want your dick anywhere near my ass again, leave the 'I love you' crap out of it."
"Ok. I promise."
"Good."
He hung up, lit another cigarette, and ducked out the window to the fire escape. The night breeze was cool on his bare chest and he smiled as he stood watching the twinkling city lights below.

Lonely Ghosts

When I was very young, I remember being in the car a lot at night on the highway—my father driving and me resting my head against the window, watching the moonlit trees whip by, mesmerized by the way the guardrail seemed to undulate as we sped on through the dark. 

On the darkest stretches of these curving two-lane highways, I could see what seemed to be misty shapes, flowing alongside our car. Ghosts that had long lost the way back to loved ones, drawn to the sinuous paths the highways carved through the silver and black woods, pulled along by kinetic energy, yearning for the warmth of the living to give them purpose.

"Come," I would whisper through the glass. "Come with me. Follow, and I will show you love. Obey me, and you will find a home in my heart."

And I drew them to me, the lonely ghosts. By the dozens, by the hundreds, by the thousands, they heard my words and joined me on my journey.

For a lifetime, I've collected them, and when I lay my head down to rest, they comfort me and call me their own. My ghosts. My loves.

Because of them, I am never alone.

Stowaways

Let's hide beneath the sheets;
Crisp, cool cotton
Cocoons our bodies' heat.
Eyes closed, lips parted;
My breath for yours,
Yours for mine.
Twined limbs, selfish hands;
Quiet hearts, shared minds.
Let's stow away in stolen time.

Tears

Every time I close my eyes
I see you crying in the pouring rain.
All I want is to kiss your lips
And warm your hands in mine;
Give you my shoulder
And hold your pain at bay.
But neither of us is strong enough,
Nor weak enough to try.
So you sit in the rain
With your tears
And I lay in my bed
Without.

★ Happy Launch Day! UnCommon Bodies anthology – available now! ★

11838757_876979539052138_557470477494033052_o

Step right up to the modern freakshow — We have mermaids, monsters, and more. You won't be disappointed, but you may not get out alive.

What is UnCommon Bodies?
UnCommon Bodies presents a collection of 20 beautifully irreverent stories which blend the surreal and the mundane. Together, the authors explore the lives of the odd, the unbelievable, and the impossible. Imagine a world where magic exists, where the physical form has the power to heal or repulse, where a deal with the devil means losing so much more than your soul.

amazon-button

Hot diggity! That sounds good! What's in it?
We is We by Michael Harris Cohen: "We is we" follows a day in Mary and Millie's life, traveling sideshow freaks who've lost touch with the outside world.

All The Devils by Keira Michelle Telford: It's 1889, and women are being killed in the East End of London. They've become the targets of a deranged sexual killer, but why? Because they're prostitutes? Sapphists? Or something else entirely?

Skin by Brent Meske: After constant bullying in high school, Patricia vows to change her name and her entire being. When she gains the ability to mold and sculpt flesh, that vow very quickly becomes a terrifying reality.

Mermaids by Robert Pope: Recently graduated from college, with no work prospects, Aqua-boy—so called because of the webbing between his toes—watches and listens to a group of musicians at a bar/restaurant when he notices the woman playing a diminutive red accordion has six fingers.

Phantom Pain by Philip Harris: Phantom Pain follows amputee, Mariana Jacobs, as she visits a man who claims to have information she needs. But that information comes at a cost.

Unbreakable Heart by Rebecca Poole: A cyborg must escape her creators in order to survive.

Saltwater Assassin by Samantha Warren: Syren has spent her life as a sideshow freak, caged in a tank of saltwater and gawked at by hundreds of normal humans. She has a secret, though. At night, when the lights are finally off and the fair goers leave, she turns into a human–a mermaid assassin.

In Her Image by Vasil Tuchkov: An English PHD student arrives at the scenic but haunting countryside of Matera, Italy, looking for answers. His translator introduces him to a crippled local painter who claims to have depicted the impossible. As the three men converse near the ancient settlement's caverns, a mystery unravels.

Undead Cyborg Girl by Kim Wells: When she wakes up undead after receiving a cyborg assassin upgrade surgical procedure, Undead Girl's life is forever changed. Is it for the better? She has all the skills, but she needs a job, she needs some friends, and she needs to remember who she is. Part 1 of the Cyborg Story trilogy.

Don't Touch Me by Bey Deckard: Fighting is what Beau does best, because the very thing he dreads is exactly what lends him the extraordinary strength to defeat even the worst odds. And he does it all with the help of his angel, the woman he longs desperately to hold...but can't.

Three Poems by Deanne Charlton: Brenga's Body, Eternity in a One-night Stand, It Runs in the Family

Ruby by Bob Williams: It's nineteen thirty-six and the town of Ransom, Oklahoma is barely functioning after the "Dust Bowl" storm of the year before. Michael Wootten sits upon the porch of his dilapidated house and watches a caravan of trucks pull into town. Melvin Mitchell Presents: Ruby and her Amazing FreakShow Friends. Maybe this is just the thing to pump a little spirit into the near-dead town. But everything comes at a price, and Ms. Ruby always takes her cut.

UnTamed by Laxmi Hariharan: Wolf girl Leana Iyeroy, the first hybrid in her family, only ever wanted to be 100% human. An unexpected encounter with the Hugging Saint of Bombay forces Leana to face the wolf inside her. Will she finally make peace with herself?

Made for This by Sessha Batto: On the heels of unimaginable loss comes reinvention. Sometimes the gain is worth going through hell.

From the Inside by Daniel Arthur Smith: Strange, wondrous things happen when weeks of rain, fever visions, and anxiety, compel a young traveler to journey across Central Europe in pursuit of a uniquely talented artist.

Rudy and Deidre by Robb Grindstaff: A shorter than average man admires a taller than average woman from afar.

Daedalus' Daughter by P.K. Tyler: After her father's death, Isha begins sprouting feathers.

The Zealot by Christopher Godsoe: Six months ago, Tobin Maldovan was in charge of a manhunt for an enigmatic hacker named ATLAS. He lost his man near the Canadian border after a high speed chase, but not before ATLAS pulled strings to transfer the woman Tobin loves across the country, hampering any chance at reconciliation. With ATLAS having escaped his jurisdiction, Tobin had nothing left but to follow his wife to California, seeking reassignment at the West Coast cyberterrorism field office. His reputation precedes him, and he has drawn the case pursuing a man the media has taken to calling "The Zealot." As usual, Tobin pours himself into his work, but the work becomes personal in ways that he never would have imagined.

The Well-Rounded Head by Sally Basmajian: A woman is smitten with her husband's big, entirely round head. One day she notices that his temples appear to be slightly indented, so that his head is no longer a perfect sphere. This revolts her, and she moves into their guest room in order to avoid him. When he breaks in, she kills him, in a most bizarre way.

Reserved by SM Johnson: It's been five years since the accident that killed Pete Spencer's younger lover and left him grieving, bitter, and broken. He's tired of his lonely world, but the kind of young men he's attracted to dismiss him the moment their eyes land on his cane. Pete's learned to hide behind the safety of his reserve, but he's never met anyone like Rory.

Scars: First Session by Jordanne Fuller: It takes years to beat a strong woman into submission. It has to start somewhere. After a life of abuse, Abigail made the decision to cover her scars with tattoos. What she didn't expect was to confront her emotional scars in the process.

amazon-button

Wow that does sound awesome! Where do I buy it or read reviews?

Easy peasy, lemon squeezy! You can read all the glowing reviews over at Amazon before you buy it for Kindle and order a paperback or you can head over to Goodreads and read more wonderful reviews :D

That's totally far out! Anything else?

YES actually. Want a chance to win a Kindle chock-full of stories and books by the authors in this anthology? Plus, the Kindle has a skin of the kick ass cover? Mosey on over here for the details. Good luck!

Ah qu’il est Beau

 

uncommon-bodies-promo

I have a new short story coming out next week called Don't Touch Me in the UnCommon Bodies anthologyIt's a story about a guy named Beau who has a severe touch disorder.  It's not erotic. Not gay. Just plain ol' fiction with a lot of heart. 

It's a departure from my norm, but I feel like I've said that so many times now that I'm not going to say it anymore... I don't think I have a "norm". I just write what comes to mind, I guess.

Who is Beau? Where did the story come from?

Well, he's named after a guy I went to high school with. Stocky, muscular, handsome but sort of brooding. We lifted weights together some. He just had this unexpected, straightforward sweet/nice-guy side to him that I liked. But, I don't know what happened to him. I just flipped through the yearbooks I have for the last two years of high school, and he's only in the first one... his name's not even in it, just his picture. Hell, I can't even remember if he spelled his name Beau or Bo, and no recollection of his family name. 

The touch aversion thing... Well that's my problem. As far back as I can remember, I've had problems with people touching me. Unexpected touch is the worst - I've punched a few friends accidentally when they had the misfortune of startling me awake with a touch. Thankfully, no hard feelings. If I know that I need to be touched, I can steel myself. Blasting music in my headphones on a busy bus works too. By overwhelming another sense, I can limit the effects of human contact. It's probably why I don't mind concerts... dark, loud, and I'm usually with my friend Mike who also likes standing in the back where it's less crowded. Alcohol helps. :) I can get downright cuddly depending who I'm with and how much I've had to drink. But generally? Yeah... no touchie.

It's me. Not you.

I can't even really explain it. It just feels wrong. Makes me slightly nauseous. My whole body cringes. My mother said that as a newborn, I would rather lay by myself than be held, and, as Beau says about himself, one of the first things I did was push her away. 

 

Unfortunately, I'm the kind of person that people like to touch. Whether it's my tattoos or my hair or just... reaching out to pat or squeeze my arm while we're talking (it's overwhelmingly women who do this heh), people seem drawn to touch me. Then I'm torn about whether telling them how much it bothers me (after which most people either take offence and/or start treating me like a freak) and just putting up with it.

I'm nowhere near as bad as Beau in Don't Touch Me, however.

Anyhoo... that's the story of the story. You should check out the book, available for preorder through Amazon. It'll be live on the 24th of November, and if you haven't already, you should enter the giveaway... the authors have gotten together to give away a Kindle.

Enter to win a Kindle, hang out with some of the authors, read about the anthology. You know you wanna. :)

 

 

UnCommon Bodies – Coming Soon!

Coming November 24, 2015

Step right up to the modern freakshow — We have mermaids, monsters, and more. You won't be disappointed, but you may not get out alive.

UnCommon Bodies presents a collection of 20 beautifully irreverent stories which blend the surreal and the mundane. Together, the authors explore the lives of the odd, the unbelievable, and the impossible. Imagine a world where magic exists, where the physical form has the power to heal or repulse, where a deal with the devil means losing so much more than your soul.

This is my story in the anthology:

uncommon-bodies-promo2

Don't Touch Me
Fighting is what Beau does best, because the very thing he dreads is exactly what lends him the extraordinary strength to defeat even the worst odds. And he does it all with the help of his angel, the woman he longs desperately to hold... but can't.

goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47

Check out all these gorgeous promos for the stories:

The Actor’s Circle

What is The Actor's Circle?

the-actors-circle

Well, it's a new series. I've had all these seeds of of stories kicking around in my head for a while, and while writing The Complications of T, I started to get a picture of what I could do with all of them. Then, with The Last Nights of The Frangipani Hotel, the idea really solidified... especially when halfway through writing it, my brain was already writing the next.

How many books are in the series?

Four. There are three standalone books: The Complications of T, The Last Nights of The Frangipani Hotel, and hopefully coming before the end of the year, The Window in Between. What order you read them is entirely up to you.

The fourth book, which will bear the series' name, The Actor's Circle, will be about the three couples that came together in the first three books. I have to say, I'm very excited to write it. :)

I have no fucking clue whether I'm going to cock it up, given what I'm planning for the fourth, but let me just say that I'm enjoying the hell out of the process!

 

This will close in 0 seconds

Wondering which retailer pays me the most?

#1 is Payhip. Not a retailer, but an online shop that I've set up myself. This is where I make the most return on my books.

Then after that it gets a little complicated, but these are the three best choices:

At Eden Books*, I make 70% royalties for all titles.

At Smashwords, I make 60% royalties for all titles.

At Amazon, for books OVER $2.99 (USD) I make 70% royalties and for books UNDER $2.99 I make 35%

So... if the book is under $2.99, buy from Eden Books or Smashwords.

If the books is over $2.99, buy from Eden Books or Amazon.

But best of all, buy from my Payhip store :)

Questions? Contact Me!

*Not all my titles are available at Eden yet as of 25/09/23 - I'm working on it.

This will close in 0 seconds