Proof of Life: Author Edition (Part 2)

It’s always a good sign when you have so much author news to report that you end up filling 1,200 words while only hitting half the list points.

So now I return from my prior return announcement to, in the words of the philosopher Kylo Ren, “finish what [I] started.”

Dick Winchester Book 2’s Facelift

I always liked the original cover for Dick Winchester Book 2 The Counterattack, and I should given that I helped punch it up with some visual gags for the hotdog stand at the center of the Pentagon lovingly called Government-Issue Dogs.

However, despite these easter eggs in the background, I couldn’t help but feel that the vibe this cover gave off was a bit more dark, contemplative, and serious than the actual contents within. Not to mention, we had amazing potential for eye candy since this book sees lizardpeople enter the plot. So why not give the cover a facelift ahead of Book 3’s release so that it’s set for when we start promoting the trilogy as one cohesive unit?

And sure, that lizardpeople callout could be considered a spoiler, but come on, did you really think I would set a story in Arlington, Virginia just across the river from Washington, D.C. and not have our protagonist go up against a shadow government?

Not to mention it’s a point of visual interest I imagine most people would be unable to ignore. You’re scrolling Amazon, then stop and go, “Are those lizardpeople?”

It practically sells itself!

Bonus: Book 2 now also includes Chapter 1 of Book 3 so you get a sneak peek of what’s coming in the grand finale.

Now, forever and always, many thanks to the incredibly gifted Brigitte Criqui Wild who once again worked her design talents here.

Dick Winchester Book 3’s Time is Nigh

If you do pick up a reskinned Book 2, you’ll notice there are no longer references to Dick Winchester Book 3 The Final Shot being released “just in time for the holidays” (December 2024).

Yes, much like a George R. R. Martin, I set a publishing deadline and then promptly missed it. But unlike a George R. R. Martin, I am actually delivering, even if it’s 23 months after I said I would (November 2026).

Don’t believe me? There’s a bonus chapter at the end of the refreshed Book 2 that just might so happen to be Chapter 1 of The Final Shot. Only one way to find out 👀

And there’s another 79,000 words after that chapter waiting for you when you pick up Book 3.

Yes, turns out when you keep introducing fun and interesting characters that you barely ever kill (then resurrect one) across two books followed by setting the goal of giving “everyone” a satisfying conclusion in Book 3, you end up with some interesting math:

30,000 words (Book 1) + 40,000 words (Book 2) = 70,000 words

Then add another ~10% (10,000 words) as a safety margin and you have Book 3: 80,000 words.

I wouldn’t have believed it either, but here we are.

So what exactly happens in Book 3 that demands so much living space? I won’t spoil too much, but here’s the highlights:

• Dick Winchester learns the value of foresight

• Vincent Moreno learns the plight of the homeless

• Lenny Laotta learns the temptation of domestic terrorism

• Food delivery businesses Ӧber Eats and FloorDash learn things are better together when they merge to corner the market as ӦberDash

• …and then learn their de facto monopoly can enjoy the full force of law as a local monopoly should they succeed in being designated a public utility

• Arlington County’s population learns the value of face-to-face interaction

And because I just can’t help myself, here’s my favorite passage from The Final Shot:

Mime Cop hadn’t been in shit like this in years.

Not since he had been a lowly grunt on the streets of Fallujah in the worst fighting they had seen since Operation Iraqi Freedom in ‘03.

Back then, they had given him the nickname the Ice Man because he had never once screamed when he took a round through the calf that had shattered his tibia. Only silently dragged himself out of the fray by pulling himself along the ground using an invisible rope. Hand over hand toward salvation.

Oh yes, not only did I introduce characters throughout the previous two books, but we get even more personalities in Book 3, including what I can only assume will be fan favorite Mime Cop. At least, he was my editor’s favorite.

A Bloody Business Gets a New Ad Campaign

I’m not sure if this one is so much of an achievement as it is me patting myself on the back for being willing to take the plunge once more with paid advertising.

Anyhow, my debut novel A Bloody Business is once more appearing across Amazon’s site waiting for those readers brave enough to click through.

At which point I pray that they are suitably impressed by what they see on the product page to actually complete the transaction. More on this part below*

As part of this return to the paid ad space, I finally synthesized the book down to its raw components in a snappy 16-word tagline:

And how has it gone? There was a point that the campaign really took off, which is good, except I started averaging $20 in clicks a day, which was not my desired pace. At least that spike in investment equaled actual sales:

If you look at those stats and go “6 sales for $100?!”, I hear you. However, it’s a rare ad campaign that’s ever truly profitable. In this case, I want to expand my audience and hopefully see readers jumping from A Bloody Business to the Dick Winchester series, so if I have to take a hit in the short term for longer term audience building, I’m willing to take that hit.

Especially now that I’ve adjusted my bidding settings so that we’re now averaging a comfortable $1-2 a day in clicks and an occasional sale. That’s a campaign that can run for years without needing constant intervention from me.

*To that end, if you’ve ever picked up a copy of A Bloody Business over the years but haven’t had a chance to review, your rating and review can have a greater impact than ever helping sway prospective readers who are on the fence. Please and thank you a thousand times over 🙏

Another Independent Podcast Gets a Patron

If the last section was taking a generous view of what could be considered an authorly accomplishment, then this update is bending the rules so much that Cirque du Soleil reached out with a job offer.

But screw it. I’m an independent writer, author, and podcaster, so when I come across another independent operation doing it right, I’m going to help spread the word. It is our sacred duty.

This time, it’s Daniel’s Dread Tales, whose name came across my radar thanks to my existing relationship with The Stars Aren’t Alright. The show offers a lot of variety, but there are two collections of what I would consider main content:

• Low Places (my personal favorite): Monster hunters wielding magic, swords, eldritch powers, and/or the combined intelligence of the internet face off with the Devil (who somehow ends up being a fairly likeable character) and Armageddon (which somehow the Devil does not start).

• Eternal Lies: A long-form Cthulhu campaign following investigators who must uncover and remove a worldwide cult before the god they summoned consumes the Earth. The lore here is very well thought out and the plot has some great twists. A great binge show now that the campaign has concluded as of July.

Much like The Starts Aren’t Alright, it’s the combination of dark themes and humorous characters that I can’t get enough of, particularly player/editor Russell’s comedic additions both via dialogue and in how the show is produced. You can tell they’re enjoying themselves, and that kind of enthusiasm is infectious. Especially when I have my own experience with editing and producing a podcast, so I know firsthand how grueling that process can be.

I will do a full-length review for the show soon. But for now, take it as a seal of approval that I am now a paid member of their Patreon, so truly putting my money where my mouth is.

Just like fellow independent horror podcasts The Stars Aren’t Alright and Weeping Cedars.

Give Daniel’s Dread Tales a listen!

Low Places

Eternal Lies

Until Next We Meet

I will be back in two months’ time to share updates on The Final Shot as it nears its publication date in early November. In the meantime, you can take the plunge into the Dick Winchester universe with the one-off story that birthed a character I loved so much I couldn’t leave it at one adventure (and now here we are on the cusp of completing an unintentional trilogy):

And here’s a link to the audio version if you prefer listening to reading: