Bex Aaron's Blog

Hey you guys! It's been a while, I know, but I am so happy to report that we are back in action. Book Five: The Big Surprise is coming at you on the day after Thanksgiving, and I couldn't be more excited to offer you this glimpse at what awaits.

Go check out my Facebook page (http://facebook.com/havenpark), give it a like and settle in for chapter one of the final book in this series. It's my gift to you, for your patience and perseverance as I got myself together.

Tell your friends and bring them along, too -- if you do, I'll send them free copies of all the books so far to bring them up to speed for the finale. I'll also send you book five for free for helping to build some momentum!

Again, the FB link is: http://facebook.com/havenpark. I can't wait to see you there!

Hey guys,

You'll have to forgive me...I really just remembered that I could blog on this site. I've never been very good with this blogging thing. Terribly sorry for the long delay in posts.

Anyway! I am halfway through with book five, The Big Surprise, and to give myself a break from some pretty heavy material, I've begun work on a prequel. It will be known as book 4.5, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, and it will be released on January 31.

The prequel takes place five years prior to the murders, and will (I hope) shed some light on how some of Haven Park's finest might've ended up in their current predicaments. And the best part of all? I wanna give it to you. For free!

If you want to win, it's very simple to enter. All you have to do is signup for my mailing list. The signup link is at the bottom of this page: http://authorbex.wix.com/index#!conta...

Then, keep watching your emails for your chance to win an advance copy of book 4.5! As an added bonus and thank you, I'm sending out the first chapter of the prequel this weekend to those on the mailing list. Sign up today, and don't miss out!

Hey everyone,

I am pleased to announce that book two of the Independence Day series will release this coming Monday (June 20). In anticipation of that, some fellow writers and I have joined together to bring you a blog tour that will change your life!*

Five stops, five hosts, ten chances to win - you are not going to want to miss this!

* On Monday, June 20, we kick off the action with an interview by the very talented G.L. Drummond, over at Feral Intensity.
* Tuesday, June 21, join us for an excerpt or two with the lovely Rebecca Clare Smith.
* On Wednesday, June 22, take a look at the Independence Day series and preview the second book at Daily Dose of Dauna, with up and coming author Dawn Needom.
* On Thursday, June 23, settle in with indie author Shaina Richmond, as we delve a little deeper into the interpersonal relationships that dominate this book series.
* On Friday, June 24, we'll spend the night at Sharon T. Rose's Guest House, roast marshmallows and share ghost stories about the victim of the first book, Carol Mathison, and everyone who would have wanted her dead.


If you are a fan of this series, you will not want to miss this great event. Oh, and did I mention you can win stuff too? At every stop, I will be giving away two free copies of the book - and all you have to do is comment to enter the contest!

Thanks again to all the respective hosts and I will see you on the blog tour!

* This may be a slight exaggeration.

As you all know, I released my first venture into the world of ebooks a little over a month ago. This book contained the first ten chapters of my web novel, a web novel I am actively looking to convert into ebook format from now on. I made the conscious effort to keep the book free, because absolutely none of it was previously unreleased material. Every single chapter included had already appeared on the website, absolutely free of charge, therefore, I didn't see a reason to charge someone for something they could, in theory, get for free somewhere else.

(I will state for the purposes of clarification that I am in fact charging .99 for the ebook on Kindle, but this is because I have included extra content - no, it's still nothing new to the web audience, being character bios and a town history page, but coupled with the content of the book, it helps to set the stage and I view it's worth the buck).

Download statistics were, as they probably are with any free ebook, absolutely astronomical in the first few days. I amassed 300 just in the first week alone, through very little effort of my own. Sure, I put links on my FB and Twitter pages, but other than that, there were few avenues I could really pursue for pimping purposes. I was very encouraged by such a strong reception that I made what I now realize was a mistake - I assumed that every single download represented another new fan.

The mistake in my logic is simple: just because a person downloads a free book does not mean they immediately rush to their favorite ereading device to devour it. It doesn't mean they will ever do that, really, because it's not unheard of for people to hoard free ebooks, without any real intention of ever getting around to them all. Okay, maybe that's not fair to assume. Maybe they really do intend to get around to them all, but given that they downloaded so bloody many of them, it will take a good few years just to sift through the pile. This means that while my book may have been downloaded hundreds of times, by hundreds of people, this does not guarantee that any of them have actually read it...or that those that have read it have actually enjoyed it.

This is where reviews come in handy. I'll be brutally honest (no reason to put up a brave face around you guys, after all). I've made one sale on Kindle. Just one, and probably to a personal friend or family member, because I highly doubt enough random strangers know who I am to purchase my first ebook out of the clear blue sky. I've made a whopping .35 off this whole endeavor so far - which is still more than I put into it, so I guess I am still making a profit of sorts, but that is not the point. The point is, I am not making much of a profit off this. I am not really in it to make a profit, though I can't lie and say it wouldn't be ace to eventually earn enough royalties to be fairly comfortable in my decision to be a writer. But again, that is not the point.

The very belated point to this is...I am not receiving a profit off this. I am not getting much of anything out of this, aside from the pride in seeing my name as the author of an ebook. I have no idea if those that have downloaded the book have liked it, or have even read it. This is where a review would really, really come in handy. Yet, I only have one of those at this point, from Gayla, who was kind enough to give me 4 stars on Goodreads. Thank you, Gayla. You rock my socks.

If just one percent of the people who have downloaded the book would leave a review, good or bad, I would have a much better idea of how this idea is shaping up for me. I am not asking for an epic, three-page love letter to me and the book (though I wouldn't stop you if you wanted to leave one...) A few lines would do just fine, as long as they were honest and civil. If you don't like the book, feel free to tell me so - and please, please tell me why. Tell me what you disliked about it. Tell me what I could have done as the author to improve your reading experience. Tell me what you would have liked to see instead. Tell me all of these things - in a review (I can take it!) or in a private email, if you'd rather go that route. By the same token, if you enjoyed it, say so!

Independent authors tend to have a bad reputation in the more hoity-toity circles. We're viewed as inferior, because we don't have that banner of being traditionally published. Sadly, this reputation isn't always very fair to those independent authors who work their asses off both on writing and promotion...but it is still there. This is why I think it is so important to support those indie writers that you really enjoy. Leave a review for them. Shoot them an email. Don't make them have to go on their blogs, get down on their hands and knees and literally beg a word (any word) out of you, as I've just done. So many get discouraged by the lack of response, whether it's indicative of any issues with their work at all. If it is at all within your power to do so, stop this from happening. It will not take more than ten minutes of your time to click a star on the ratings chart and jot down a few thoughts on the book. It does not have to be a rigorous, time consuming activity at all - most authors, myself included, would be happy with just a few lines.

As an independent author, let me tell you first hand - your opinions matter. Don't let timidity or lack of time to give a thorough review stop you from leaving some thoughts. Often, independent authors are far more accessible than their big-name counterparts, and to let you in on a little secret, we love discussing our books! Get a dialogue going if you're more comfortable talking privately and more one-on-one. Contact the author and let them know what you thought of their book, good or bad. Trust me, we can take it...well, most of us can, anyway.

It all boils down to this: authors write to be read. Of course, we also write to write, because the story claws at the very fabric of our beings until we unleash it upon the world...but when we do unleash it, we really do enjoy hearing the thoughts of our audience. So don't be shy about it, please. Leave reviews. Write emails. Let people know what you think - you might just make the author's day.

Book: Breakfast Anytime
Author: Christopher M. Thompson
Genre: Poetry
Description: A selection of poetry covering a variety of topics which range from heartbreak to humor, love to loss, redemption, remembrance, and rebellion. Purposely presented without definitive grouping of the poems, Breakfast Anytime" is designed to make the selection a literary and emotional buffet.
Source: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...
Price: $1.99 USD

Review: This collection of poems runs the gamut from passion between a couple, a parent grieving their child growing up too fast, scorned lovers and more. My favorites included the title poem "Breakfast Anytime", an acrostic which tells an interesting story; "Amazement", a sweet poem told from an ill child's perspective, and "The Cure for a Broken Heart", a cute piece about a young woman seeking a doctor's advice on how to get past a break up.

I recommend this collection for poetry enthusiasts, as well as those that enjoy lyrical imagery. Very well done.

Rating: ****/*****

Rating Guidelines:
* = Didn't like it at all.
** = It was okay.
*** = I liked it.
**** = I really liked it.
***** = The best book evah (I don't give many of these, obviously)

As the title of this post would suggest, I am facing a fork in the road. As everyone knows (mainly, because I won’t shut the hell up about it!), I have recently released the first ten chapters of my web serial Independence Day as an ebook. I’ve done a lot of thinking about this, and I feel as though this is where I need to be. This is where I need to market my material. This is what I want to do.

I am strongly considering doing away with Independence Day as a web serial and continuing the story in ebook form only. This, of course, would mean there would not be chapter by chapter updates anymore, and that the website would no longer be accessible. I understand there are a few who might question my decision on this, but I am trying to look ahead. This is a story I long intended to try and publish, and the more I learn about traditional publishing, the more I question whether or not I have a snowball’s chance in hell. Also, as many of you are aware, I’ve had my issues with the current state of web fiction for some time. Perhaps this is not where my story belongs – perhaps this is never where my story belonged. Perhaps I just need to cut my losses on the whole idea of webfic and move forward.

I will admit, I am about 75% sold on the idea…but I’m still interested in input. How do you all feel about this? What would you do in my shoes? I will state now, on the record, that I do intend to charge for subsequent volumes of the ebook, after giving them all a thorough edit (I have my list of things to rework already!) However, I am not doing this for the sole reason of making money because quite frankly, I don’t need the money. I have a stable life and any money made would only be extra cash…a dividend, if you will. This decision is not motivated by money – it is motivated by my desire to give this story the platform I have always felt it deserved.

Again, though, I’m open to other views. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Any angles I might not have looked at? Any concerns about the transition from webfic to ebook? Comment and let me know. Let’s talk about this, and let’s see if we can make the best decision for this book together.