And Business Is Good
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If you have possible ideas, PLEASE jump into the Facebook Group and let’s discuss them! These ideas above are just working concepts right now. If better suggestions happen, we can push them back.
LMBPN WELCOMES YOU INTO OUR FAMILY OF STORIES…
I hope you stay awhile ;-)
Ad Aeternitatem,
Michael Anderle
Author Notes - Laurie Starkey
March 24, 2018
What a friggiddy fracking jacked-up insane asylum sort of week! *pulls hair and dances like a goon from Fraggle Rock* Whew. Okay. Now that THAT’s over… Let me tell you about it.
As I mentioned in my last author note, we decided to take our Texas country-asses up to Washington D.C. for the cherry blossom festival. We wanted to see the flowers and tour the monuments over a seven-day period, but boy, were we in for a surprise.
Something like a Nor-easter rolled in on Day Two. We were out, running through the rain (looking like wet mole-rats) and yet, still trying to keep the positive, upbeat parental persona for the twelve-year-old bopping along with us.
It was FREEZING. By the time we got back home, we were beat. And it had started snowing. Like–hellacious snowing.
I’m from Texas. We don’t get snow. The cold rain melts long before it hits our humid-ass no-winter-having ground.
It didn’t just snow. It SNOWED. All of you in the North East are like, “Right… and?”
Snowed and snowed and snowed. So, what did we do?
We decided to take a walk in it. *rolls eyes and shakes head* And we got a bit lost trying to find a coffee shop. We were trying to be hip, but that didn’t exactly pay off. We get to the Starbucks finally, and I’ve got no feeling in my fingers, toes, the last half of my ass… it was rough.
And the damn Starbucks is closed. Of course, it is.
My husband and I just stood there, looking homeless. People passed by, giving us a concerned look and asking, “Starbucks is closed?” heard that fifteen times.
“Um, no. We’re just waiting on a formal invitation from the barista. YES. It’s closed. Hello. Shitburgers.”
So anyway, in other news, I released/launched 3 books since I left Texas 10 days ago. Two with Mike on this project, which were super smooth, and one for my Weston Parker romance line, which was a fucking nightmare from the bowels of the devil’s crotch. (I might exaggerate from time to time, but this isn’t one of those times.)
We loaded the romance book on Saturday, and this one was a sweet romance. I’ve written some “sexy, your mother better not read this” books, but this one wasn’t one of those. So, we check later that night (Saturday night), and the book has been pushed into the erotica category. Now, that would be fine if it was an erotica story, but it wasn’t.
Erotica fans everywhere would have read that book and used it as kindling later that night, thinking someone from preparatory school wrote it. Sweet. Love. Story.
So, that resulted in six days of fighting with Amazon. Why did I fight? Because you don’t get some of the advertising and NO promotion value from Amazon if you’re in the erotica category. I got three emails back from them, telling me that we were out of the wrong category, but were we? Hell to the no.
It was the longest week of my life. By the time I finally got on the phone with someone, I was in tears. We’d spent so much money and time trying to advertise the book, and Amazon tied my hands. I rarely cry, but boy did that poor lady get it.
Thirty days of my life writing the book, paying for everything, as well as my team of seven people editing, proofing, promoting, graphics, ads…. You name it, and we do it for that romance line.
And finally, last night, the clouds parted and it all cleared up. I’m happy to say we’re number sixty-four in the top 100 paid overall on Amazon as I type this, which honestly seemed like an insane possibility, but we did it. My team is thrilled, and I am insanely relieved.
In other news, that convo that Mike mentioned above has so many possibilities for spin offs from Protected by the Damned, as well as a few new series that we had a good time kicking around.
It’s always a bad idea to get me and Mike in a room together, on a call together, etc. We will come up with two million ways to tell more stories and start pushing them. My hubs was listening from the side, but he just nodded every time Mike and I came up with something new.
Someone needs to be there to say, “NO! You must sleep, eat and occasionally shit.”
Ugh. Fine. Ha!
Thanks for reading this madness. I swear it just gets more and more mental every time I write one of these notes.
To the Protected by the Damned Facebook Group–you guy rock so much. Thanks for welcoming me into the fold. I appreciate that so much and love the energy you guys have. Makes me want to tell more stories and faster… just for you.
This note has gone on for damn near ever, and I’m in the backwoods of Tennessee, visiting some family as we drive home, so no internet. Not sure there’s running water to be honest. Internet is NOT top priority right now. LOL.
I’ll tell you about the cookie BS next time, and I’ll even drop a link to the video of the cookie madness in the back of Book 4 for you. Not that you want to see it, but just in case someone is devastatingly bored, I’ll hand it over.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. There is nothing more precious to a writer than to know he or she is affecting people with their craft. To know that some of you are laughing, shedding a tear, rereading the books and having fun? Priceless to us.
We will be bringing you more of what you love, and if we’re not–someone mentioned pitchforks. I’m all for it. Bringing you books, not getting poked.
To you guys that read our stories, thank you. We do what we do for you.
Slave to many stories,
Laurie Starkey
Death Becomes Her
Have you read The Kurtherian Gambit, from Michael (Todd) Anderle?
Available at Amazon
Connect with Michael Todd
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Books by Michael Todd
PROTECTED BY THE DAMNED
Torn Asunder (01)
Killing Is My Business (02)
And Business Is Good (03)
Sit Down, Shut Up, And Pull The Trigger (Coming)
Books written as Michael Anderle
For a complete list of Michael’s Kurtherian Gambit Universe books please click this link.
Kurtherian Gambit Series Titles Include:
FIRST ARC
Death Becomes Her (01) - Queen Bitch (02) - Love Lost (03) - Bite This (04) - Never Forsaken (05) - Under My Heel (06) - Kneel Or Die (07)
SECOND ARC
We Will Build (08) - It’s Hell To Choose (09) - Release The Dogs of War (10) - Sued For Peace (11) - We Have Contact (12) - My Ride is a Bitch (13) - Don’t Cross This Line (14)
THIRD ARC
Never Submit (15) - Never Surrender (16) - Forever Defend (17) - Might Makes Right (18) - Ahead Full (19) - Capture Death (20) - Life Goes On (21)
THE SECOND DARK AGES
*with Ell Leigh Clarke*
The Dark Messiah (01) - The Darkest Night (02) - Darkest Before The Dawn (03) - Dawn Arrives (04)
THE BORIS CHRONICLES
*with Paul C. Middleton*
Evacuation (01) - Retaliation (02) - Revelations (03) - Redemption (04)
RECLAIMING HONOR
*with Justin Sloan*
Justice Is Calling (01) - Claimed By Honor (02) - Judgement Has Fallen (03) - Angel of Reckoning (04) - Born Into Flames (05) - Defending The Lost (06) - Saved By Valor (07) - Return of Victory (08)
THE ETHERIC ACADEMY
*with TS Paul*
ALPHA CLASS (01) - ALPHA CLASS: Engineering (02)
TERRY HENRY “TH” WALTON CHRONICLES
*with Craig Martelle*
Nomad Found (01) - Nomad Redeemed (02) - Nomad Unleashed (03) - Nomad Supreme
(04) - Nomad’s Fury (05) - Nomad’s Justice (06) - Nomad Avenged (07) - Nomad Mortis (08) - Nomad’s Force (09) - Nomad’s Galaxy (10)
TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS
*with Natalie Grey*
Risk Be Damned (01) - Damned to Hell (02)
~THE AGE OF MAGIC~
THE RISE OF MAGIC
*with CM Raymond and LE Barbant*
Restriction (01) - Reawakening (02) - Rebellion (03) - Revolution (04) - Unlawful Passage (05) - Darkness Rises (06) - The Gods Beneath (07) - Reborn (08)
THE HIDDEN MAGIC CHRONICLES
*with Justin Sloan*
Shades of Light (01) - Shades of Dark (02) - Shades of Glory (03) - Shades of Justice (04)
STORMS OF MAGIC
*with PT Hylton*
Storm Raiders (01) - Storm Callers (02) - Storm Breakers (03) - Storm Warrior (04)
TALES OF THE FEISTY DRUID
*with Candy Crum*
The Arcadian Druid (01) - The Undying Illusionist (02) - The Frozen Wasteland (03) - The Deceiver (04) - The Lost (05) - The Damned (06)
PATH OF HEROES
*with Brandon Barr*
Rogue Mage (01)
A NEW DAWN
*with Amy Hopkins*
Dawn of Destiny (01) - Dawn of Darkness (02) - Dawn of Deliverance (03) - Dawn of Days (04) - Broken Skies (05)
TALES OF THE WELLSPRING KNIGHT
*with P.J. Cherubino*
Knight’s Creed (01) - Knight’s Struggle (02)
~THE AGE OF MADNESS~
LIVE FREE OR DIE
*with Haley Lawson*
Unleashing Madness (01)
~THE AGE OF EXPANSION~
THE ASCENSION MYTH
*with Ell Leigh Clarke *
Awakened (01) - Activated (02) - Called (03) - Sanctioned (04) - Rebirth (05) - Retribution (06) - Cloaked (07) - Bourne (08) - Committed (09)
CONFESSIONS OF A SPACE ANTHROPOLOGIST
*with Ell Leigh Clarke*
Giles Kurns: Rogue Operator (01) - Giles Kurns: Rogue Instigator (02)
THE UPRISE SAGA
*with Amy Duboff *
Covert Talents (01) - Endless Advance (02) - Veiled Designs (03) - Dark Rivals (04)
BAD COMPANY
*with Craig Martelle*
The Bad Company (01) - Blockade (02) - Price of Freedom (03)
THE GHOST SQUADRON
*with Sarah Noffke and J.N. Chaney*
Formation (01) - Exploration (02) - Evolution (03) - Degeneration (04) - Impersonation (05) - Recollection (06)
VALERIE’S ELITES
*with Justin Sloan and PT Hylton*
Valerie’s Elites (01) - Death Defied (02) - Prime Enforcer (03)
SHADOW VANGUARD
*with Tom Dublin*
Gravity Storm (01)
ETHERIC ADVENTURES: ANNE AND JINX
*with S.R. Russell*
Etheric Recruit (01) - Etheric Researcher (02)
Other Books
*with Craig Martelle & Justin Sloan*
Gateway to the Universe
~THE REVELATIONS OF ORICERAN~
THE LEIRA CHRONICLES
*with Martha Carr*
Waking Magic (01) - Release of Magic (02) - Protection of Magic (03) - Rule of Magic (04) - Dealing in Magic (05) - Theft of Magic (06) - Enemies of Magic (07)
SHORT STORIES
You Don’t Touch John’s Cousin: Frank Kurns Stories of the UnknownWorld 01 (7.5)
Bitch’s Night Out: Frank Kurns Stories of the UnknownWorld 02 (9.5)
*with Natalie Grey*
Bellatrix: Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 03 (13.25)
Challenges: Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 04
AudioBooks
Available at Audible.com and iTunes
CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL LMBPN BOOKS ON AUDIBLE