Blast From the Past

(Click to Watch the vlog)

When I first started blogging, I had no idea what I was doing or in what direction my author's walk would take me. (It's likely that I still don't know.) The important thing was that I took that first step. I promised back then to be true to what I learned as an indie author and to share it here.

In September of 2019, I was working crazy long hours and my writing kept getting pushed to the back burner. I'd earned nothing from my books although the first one had been out for almost a year and a half. I hadn't yet gotten any kind of handle on advertising, but I found something that made a huge difference. I bought Publisher Rocket.

Before I go on, I have to state that I don't get paid by Kindlepreneur, and Dave Chesson has never asked me to speak about his product. What I say about it are my thoughts backed by my experience. If you want to write and publish as a pure indie author, then I highly recommend this product.

I spent a little less than $100 and have been using it ever since. It's my go-to program before I list every title I post to Amazon/Kindle. When I sat down and had time to understand how it worked and put it to use, things changed dramatically. People began reading my books on Kindle Unlimited. I started making money from my books. (October 2019)

They read them all. I was pissed off. If people had more to read, they'd read more. I ran out of books before they ran out of the desire to read them. I needed to fix that. I sped up publishing the backlog while I wrote even more, and I was making gas money each month. It was great!

So what if a devil lost his mind, had a son, and didn't know it? What if the son was Markus Sainte and his mother Amelia Sainte was a hedgewitch who before she died sent him in search of an accidentally turned midnight rider? What if Logan Synner linked his magic with Markus, and they built a harem in a castle on an island surrounded by mist? If you want to know, you'll have to read the book that I was writing when people first began reading my books like I was a legitimate author. Imposter syndrome died not long after that when an unknown reader left a review on Dream Therapy stating that they loved the entire series.

Questions, Questions, Questions

I'd been asked by several readers about peripheral characters from the first book. Notably Frank Grimes and Monty and Olivia. I balked. No way was I writing their stories. I mean Monty and Olivia were in their early twenties. It felt a bit like writing dirty YA, which I don't go in for much. After a lot of arm twisting, I finally admitted that they did have a story to be told. A whole new miniseries had to be written.

Frank Grimes was filth and needed killing as they say in Texas, so I didn't want to write about him even more than I didn't want to write about Monty and Olivia. I had to write two other books to be able to tell Frank Grimes's story. It felt ridiculous and yet, Filth and Death may very well be the best book of the saga to that point. 

So, please ask questions about the books, the trailers, the story tiles, the blog, the writing, whatever. I love to talk about books. Sometimes the best inspiration comes from a good question. In the meantime, check out the book trailer I made for Draoithe: Filth and Death.

News from Behind the Scenes

The Draoithe Saga is still converting to hardcover so try not to stress about the publishing slowdown. I had to get new covers in the right size ordered for the hardcover editions. Also, I entered a Flash Fiction contest so cross your fingers and create some magic. There is some sort of prize, but I was far more interested in possibly being included in the anthology. I'm also working on a new series. 

The Brand New series The UnFallen will be published on Kindle Vella. (*Update*. I pulled Title from Vella and left that platform. I am still working on the series, but I want it published wide.) The first book is Mephistopheles. It's set in a whole new world. So bear with me as I world build again. But I think you might like this one. Check out the Blurb!

Only Nine remained when the tomb opened, and Mephistopheles walked among the living. The only untainted guardians came forth to rejoin the mission and once again protect those that "He was mindful of" from the Evil One. The loneliness plagued the last of the Arda Fravash. Could the Bene Elohim assassin claim his reward and win his place at the last judgment or would he join the Fallen and burn with the rest of the Watchers? Steamy PNR 18+ HEA! NC!

Want to see the Character List? Okay, I think it will be a nine-book series. Bear in mind that this is a preliminary list and I don't plot things out much. So, Fair Warning, things will probably change before it finishes.

UnFallen Characters

Kimaris, a horse shifter who can locate the truth.

Lerajie, an eagle shifter and an archer who can see the near future.

Flauros, a leopard shifter and hunter with shadow magic.

Eligor, a bear shifter with the power of healing and sleep.

Marbas, a lion shifter, and a destroyer.

Mephistopheles, an owl shifter and assassin.

Lydia McMurphy, ancient language translator.

Purah, the spider shifter necromancer.

Solas, a raven shifter and starlight sorcerer.

Zepar, a wolf shifter hunter with moonlight magic.

All right, that's enough. I need to get some other stuff done.

When you read please be kind and leave a review.

Be Careful!

Happy Reading,

Ophelia Kee