April Recap!

What I've been up to this month...

Welcome back to another monthly recap! Another month over already? Where does the time go?

New notes!

If you follow me in the notes section, you might have noticed some new types of notes. I’d been picking up followers by posting memes, and the memes seemed to be very popular, but I am also looking for people who are interested in fiction, not just memes.

So, I’ve also started posting more fiction-related notes, including quotes from authors, a Word of the Day, writing prompts, and, more recently, some graphics related to my books.

If you’ve seen them in your feed, what do you think? Suggestions?

The Word of the Day seems to be surprisingly popular. Some people even use them for writing prompts. Check out Li Mitchell’s epic response to the word Plumbism!

I also had a few people reply to the book graphics to say they bought the books. Thank you so much! Maybe this Substack marketing thing really does work…

Book reviews!

I post book reviews every Monday. This past month:

Tarzan of the Apes, requested by Good Boy Records. An old favorite I read so many times as a kid that the cover fell off. Nothing like the movie versions. It was fun to revisit.

Seawitch, another nautical thriller by Alistair MacLean. The plot was surprisingly straightforward, but the action was a lot of fun. Startlingly relevant, given the current cost of oil.

The Case of the Perjured Parrot, a Perry Mason legal thriller by Erle Stanley Gardner, suggested by Li Mitchell. Can a parrot testify in court?

And Allen Quatermain, the sequel to King Solomon’s Mines, by H. Rider Haggard, another African exploration adventure.

Which one was your favorite? I’ll keep posting one per week and I have a lot more fun ones coming up!

Subscribers can suggest books, though I have quite a long list already. :)

Fiction!

St. Patrick’s Day may be over, but Shamrock Hunt isn’t. It’s not too late to jump in at the beginning.

When a famous Celtic medallion rumored to have mystical origins—the prize for a charity raffle—is stolen, Lowan competes with a rival private detective to find it in time for the St. Patrick’s Day parade. Meanwhile, Marx investigates the death of a history professor and faces off with a lifelong enemy. Lowan is called away from the search to look for a missing man instead, but Tully Brannigan—the owner of the medallion—won’t accept any excuses for failure to find it on time. When the problems pile up, Lowan is forced into an uncomfortable alliance as the deadline approaches.

For a writing update, I’m getting closer to putting Book 20 up for preorder, and I’m almost 75% done with Book 21. Yes, it will be a very long series.

I also have a ton of free books available on my website HERE, and I’d be happy if you’d like to take a look.

World Flamingo Day!

April 26 was World Flamingo Day. I did not know there was a day for that, but since there is, it would be silly of me not to remind you that I have a flamingo book.

Nonfiction!

This month, I also posted a few nonfiction articles about my experiences at book sales events, including this one about a design mistake that made a few sales.

What I’ve been reading on Substack!

Part of the magic of Substack has been the great community of other writers I’ve met here!

T.H. Meyer is putting together a list of clean fiction on Substack. If you want to check out the list or add recommendations, take a look HERE.

Good Boy Records puts out a new album every time I turn around. I also enjoyed this short story about art criticism.

Check out Li Mitchell for a sci-fi serial about a group of friends defending the moon station from rebels (there’s even a cat!), short stories about friendly dragons, and book recommendations.

C. J. Charles finally released King in the Dark Part 2: Swan Song! Highly recommended and you should definitely read it!

I’ve been enjoying reading L. T. Noble’s Hearts of Arkenstron: Shyra after reading the first book. Twilight of the Kings has also been heating up. Check out this chapter for some action!

@robopulp does deep dives into forgotten pop culture, sci-fi, suspense, pulp, and has been going through some hardboiled/noir book recommendations that might end up on my reading list. Also check out this video for a review the 1994 Shadow movie, which was my first introduction to the character in the early 2000s.

Does your character need to know disaster survival skills? Check out Alley Hart for great nonfiction articles on a variety of rural subjects, plus things that are likely to go wrong. Great for plot ideas! Plus, if you subscribe, there’s a weekly writing check in for sharing your progress and goals.

Now go subscribe to everyone!

Click for free books!