F. P. Dorchak

Speculative Fiction (New Weird) Author

Shopping

Chain Reviews and World Conquest

by

ERO (© 2013, F. P. Dorchak and Lon Kirschner)
ERO (© 2013, F. P. Dorchak and Lon Kirschner)

I had this idea while walking, yesterday, in the quickly growing darkness of our recent Daily Saving (not “savings“) time change:

Chain reviews.

Oh, and World Conquest.

I did an Internet search and didn’t find the term “chain reviews” there, so I’m going on record as coining the term, though I’m sure someone’s already thought of this. But, if not, here’s the idea:

I give you a free (signed) copy of one of my books (ERO  or The Uninvited) and you review it…and it can be a

The Uninvited (© F. P. Dorchak and Duvall Design)
The Uninvited (© F. P. Dorchak and Duvall Design)

single sentence or as long as you want, but, you have post it online (or elsewhere if you have methods…). Now, you can post it wherever you like, but I’d at least hope it would be on Amazon and Barnes and Noble—but, as I said, I’m not mandating where it has to be, just that it be posted somewhere for others to find it. Hopefully you would also send me back a link to said review, but I’m not gonna mandate that either. I am just looking to get reviews and put them “out there.” Then, according to my crazy scheme (henceforth herein referred to as “Evil Plan”), you (temporarily!) give your copy of the book to one other person, and have them do the same. When they’re done, they return your book back to you. That’s where the “chaining” comes in. Once they’ve posted their review, if they’d like their own signed copy, they can contact me for their own copy—or a copy of a different book of mine. So, theoretically, this would go on ad infinitum…but, I can’t give away free books ad infinitum, so I’ll have to limit this to the one “other person.” I’d like to see if this Evil Plan of mine can gain any traction and become “a thing.”

So. For now.  I’m limiting this “special offer” (aka “Evil Plan” or “Crazy Scheme”) to the first five who contact me for ERO and the first five who contact me for The Uninvited, and see how this goes. If it my Evil Plan “comes together,” I’ll consider additional campaigns—I mean installments (after all, all Evil Plans are to Take Over The World, and mine is no different…). Ignore that man behind the curtain, over there….

Oh, and it’s purely coincidental that my Evil Plan is initiated in November. Coincidence. Nothing more.

To get said free-and-signed-book, contact me at “fpdorchak at fpdorchak dot com” (use approved e-mail format, as in “blahblah@blahblah.com”).

Fine Print (read very fast and run all words together in one breath!): I have a limited supply of books to give away, so I cannot give any additional “chained” reviewers beyond the second reviewer, also known as the “book borrower,” free copies at this time. But stay tuned! And if anyone has already purchased a copy of any of my books, and would like it signed, also contact me at the above e-mail address, and I will autograph my Evil Signature upon said title page. With the date of said Evil Act. There’s nothing legal about any of this, just an Evil Plan hatched in the deranged mind of a deranged author trying to get by. Oh, and THANKS! :-]

You can use any book images you want from my posts.

Goin’ Indie

by

Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark
Goin’ Indie. (Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark , photo credit: Wikipedia)

Yeah, that’s my steely stare.

Determination.

I’m finally doing it.

Made the decision. Jumping in with both feet and my Bullwhip.

I’m going indie. And by “indie,” I mean e-books and (a little later, maybe earlier) Amazon hardcovers. Not going the route of AuthorHouse anymore. E-books. That’s the route. Check out Nathan Bransford’s post. These things are selling.

I’ve mentioned this once or twice elsewhere, but after the past couple weeks, getting a cover done, interacting with the person who will do my file conversions, going over my manuscripts and talking to those in the indie world, at this year’s PPWC (and this doesn’t even count the years I’ve been thinking about this, kinda watching how e-books “go”…), I’m not waiting another second. It has reinvigorated me, in this whole business of writing. I have four titles (one still needs some work—or might be the title I again try traditionally—but, we’re talking at least into 2014) I can publish, five if you count a Sleepwalkers e-book reissue:

  • The Uninvited. This is my whydunnit supernatural murder mystery about a troubled reporter who stumbles upon a gruesome and inexplicable mass murder in Gulf Coast Florida. This will be my first release. I was originally shooting for the end of May, but since this is my first, is my learning curve, it might actually turn out to be June. But I’m still shooting for May. So, please, stay turned—either way, it won’t be long!
  • ERO. This is my one (so far) science fiction-y, action/adventure novel. It’s about a marooned on-orbit astronaut who tries to reconstruct his life by relying on incomplete memories that place him at the very heart of the UFO conspiracy. This novel is, well, somewhat auto-biographical. It’ll be my next release.
  • Psychic. This is a companion book to Sleepwalkers. Okay, it’s the second in a considered series of three.  There, I said it. It’s actually more of a prequel (but, hey, what is Time, anyway?), and features the origins to the Man With No Name, from Sleepwalkers. I plan at least one more book to this series (it won’t take 12 years, like this one). It’s a supernatural action/adventure about a humble, guilt-ridden hotline psychic who becomes embroiled in the ultimate government conspiracy, involving JFK and remote viewers. Oh, and a really cool teenager.
  • The fourth is one that still needs lots of work, so am not going to give its title just yet, but, it’s about guy who falls in love with…ehhhh…a ghost. Of sorts. Yeah, yeah, I’m know, there have been other books about the topic, but what makes mine unique, I’m not even teasing with, because I still have some runway to ride before taking off. But, it’s not your standard, run-of-the-mill everyday ghost, we’re talking about here, and to tell the truth, I haven’t yet seen a “ghost” like this one.
  • Sleepwalkers. This one depends a lot on if AuthorHouse plans on putting it back into an e-book like they said they would a couple years ago. Haven’t even had time (there’s that word, again) to think about that yet. If can do the e-book to it, I plan on redoing the cover.

Depending on how long all this takes, I’m looking to release one book about every 3 or 4 months until I get all these out, so no real new work for me this year. ERO should come out around September/October time frame, and Psychic, November/December. I plan on pushing the Internet-y promotion as hard as I possibly can (I have some guides, but more on those, later). The Uninvited will be free for about the first three weeks or so, and this is mainly for reviews (this is a standard M.O. among the e-book community). It looks like some sites, like B&N, Amazon, have a way of setting prices (still looking into those), but at places where I can set the price, I’m looking to price it at $2.99, after the free period, but this remains to be seen, once I actually get to the upload part. But, from what I’ve read, e-books tend to sell well between the $2.99 to $5.99 range (and it’s not obvious about going right for the higher price).

So, there it is, that’s my plan. Out into the world at large. I’ll post more as I go, but I’m still cleaning up the manuscript to the The Uninvited, which, depending on a couple other logistical issues, is scheduled to be converted into all the different file formats next month (oooh, it’ll be hot off the author keyboard, like freshly baked cookies!). And while that is being done, I plan on beginning and hitting the promotions.

Look, I’m not pie-in-the-sky, I’ve been around, I’ve tried self-publishing by spending three grand, done and occasionally still do a short story or two, and even got an agent. Still, NYC didn’t think they could make any money off me. But I see and hear where e-books are going. I’m just a guy with voices in my head trying to get my work out there. My work has been termed “thinky,” sometimes jumps genres. But I try to tell stories, to show, perhaps, the way things could be, big What-ifs. I—like most every other writer out there—just like to write. For a while that passion was slowly getting snuffed out…but now I’ve found renewed passion. A new way to go.

A new…What-if.

I hope you’ll join me!

Oh…and I’m an optimist.

Related articles

Goin' Indie

by

Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark
Goin’ Indie. (Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark , photo credit: Wikipedia)

Yeah, that’s my steely stare.

Determination.

I’m finally doing it.

Made the decision. Jumping in with both feet and my Bullwhip.

I’m going indie. And by “indie,” I mean e-books and (a little later, maybe earlier) Amazon hardcovers. Not going the route of AuthorHouse anymore. E-books. That’s the route. Check out Nathan Bransford’s post. These things are selling.

I’ve mentioned this once or twice elsewhere, but after the past couple weeks, getting a cover done, interacting with the person who will do my file conversions, going over my manuscripts and talking to those in the indie world, at this year’s PPWC (and this doesn’t even count the years I’ve been thinking about this, kinda watching how e-books “go”…), I’m not waiting another second. It has reinvigorated me, in this whole business of writing. I have four titles (one still needs some work—or might be the title I again try traditionally—but, we’re talking at least into 2014) I can publish, five if you count a Sleepwalkers e-book reissue:

  • The Uninvited. This is my whydunnit supernatural murder mystery about a troubled reporter who stumbles upon a gruesome and inexplicable mass murder in Gulf Coast Florida. This will be my first release. I was originally shooting for the end of May, but since this is my first, is my learning curve, it might actually turn out to be June. But I’m still shooting for May. So, please, stay turned—either way, it won’t be long!
  • ERO. This is my one (so far) science fiction-y, action/adventure novel. It’s about a marooned on-orbit astronaut who tries to reconstruct his life by relying on incomplete memories that place him at the very heart of the UFO conspiracy. This novel is, well, somewhat auto-biographical. It’ll be my next release.
  • Psychic. This is a companion book to Sleepwalkers. Okay, it’s the second in a considered series of three.  There, I said it. It’s actually more of a prequel (but, hey, what is Time, anyway?), and features the origins to the Man With No Name, from Sleepwalkers. I plan at least one more book to this series (it won’t take 12 years, like this one). It’s a supernatural action/adventure about a humble, guilt-ridden hotline psychic who becomes embroiled in the ultimate government conspiracy, involving JFK and remote viewers. Oh, and a really cool teenager.
  • The fourth is one that still needs lots of work, so am not going to give its title just yet, but, it’s about guy who falls in love with…ehhhh…a ghost. Of sorts. Yeah, yeah, I’m know, there have been other books about the topic, but what makes mine unique, I’m not even teasing with, because I still have some runway to ride before taking off. But, it’s not your standard, run-of-the-mill everyday ghost, we’re talking about here, and to tell the truth, I haven’t yet seen a “ghost” like this one.
  • Sleepwalkers. This one depends a lot on if AuthorHouse plans on putting it back into an e-book like they said they would a couple years ago. Haven’t even had time (there’s that word, again) to think about that yet. If can do the e-book to it, I plan on redoing the cover.

Depending on how long all this takes, I’m looking to release one book about every 3 or 4 months until I get all these out, so no real new work for me this year. ERO should come out around September/October time frame, and Psychic, November/December. I plan on pushing the Internet-y promotion as hard as I possibly can (I have some guides, but more on those, later). The Uninvited will be free for about the first three weeks or so, and this is mainly for reviews (this is a standard M.O. among the e-book community). It looks like some sites, like B&N, Amazon, have a way of setting prices (still looking into those), but at places where I can set the price, I’m looking to price it at $2.99, after the free period, but this remains to be seen, once I actually get to the upload part. But, from what I’ve read, e-books tend to sell well between the $2.99 to $5.99 range (and it’s not obvious about going right for the higher price).

So, there it is, that’s my plan. Out into the world at large. I’ll post more as I go, but I’m still cleaning up the manuscript to the The Uninvited, which, depending on a couple other logistical issues, is scheduled to be converted into all the different file formats next month (oooh, it’ll be hot off the author keyboard, like freshly baked cookies!). And while that is being done, I plan on beginning and hitting the promotions.

Look, I’m not pie-in-the-sky, I’ve been around, I’ve tried self-publishing by spending three grand, done and occasionally still do a short story or two, and even got an agent. Still, NYC didn’t think they could make any money off me. But I see and hear where e-books are going. I’m just a guy with voices in my head trying to get my work out there. My work has been termed “thinky,” sometimes jumps genres. But I try to tell stories, to show, perhaps, the way things could be, big What-ifs. I—like most every other writer out there—just like to write. For a while that passion was slowly getting snuffed out…but now I’ve found renewed passion. A new way to go.

A new…What-if.

I hope you’ll join me!

Oh…and I’m an optimist.

Related articles

Tis the Season—Gift Ideas

by

A Christmas Story

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, but now comes “the Home Stretch,” for what I term “the Holiday Season,” which starts with Hallowe’en.

Now, I know everyone has their own view on Christmas and the other holidays celebrated this next month, and I certainly have zero issues with any of it.  I think it’s great we can all celebrate any holiday, in our own individual ways, and have a great time doing it. We need to celebrate and enjoy every so often. There’s a lot going on in the world, both good and bad, but, IMHO, Humanity needs to celebrate and consider the good and fortunate we have in our lives. I understand not everyone can, nor can at the same time most can. Some cannot at all, and to them, my heart genuinely goes out to them. If we lose the ability to see the good in life, and only focus on the bad, then we all lose. For those who cannot see the good, sometimes, I think, just knowing it exists out there can be of some benefit, consciously or unconsciously. I think, deep down, inside all of us, even when we go through rough times, we know “this, too, shall pass,” and that when it does, we’ll be back into the good life has to offer.

So, however and whenever we celebrate, I cannot think of one person I know who does not buy a gift or two for those they love or care about. It’s what Humans do—we like to give. We like to make those we care about happy. Giving gifts is just one way of doing this, but sometimes it’s hard to come up with something well-thought-out. So, since I’m in this with the rest of you, I’ve decided to list some items to hopefully help out, get some of the creative thoughts flowing. If you have some great ideas, please, stop by and list them! It’s fun!

Here are my suggestions, in no particular order and whether or not I actually own them.  Enjoy!

  1. Twilight Zone DVDs/Blu-Rays
  2. The Night Gallery DVDs/Blu-Rays
  3. X-Files DVDs/Blu-Rays
  4. The Lone Gunmen DVDs/Blu-Rays
  5. Kolchak: The Night Stalker DVDs/Blu-Rays
  6. The Grievers (novel—see my review and demand of it; loved it!)
  7. Dracula (classic novel—I’m rereading it for the 4th time!)
  8. Help make a movie—Class Clown Pictures donation
  9. Volbeat’s Beyond Heaven Above Hell (love the poignant “Fallen” track)
  10. iPad mini (I call it the “miPad”)
  11. A stand-up writing desk (can’t find the one I wanted to link to, but you get the idea)
  12. Create a Creative Memories book, calendar, photo album, etc.
  13. An iced tea maker (though I use an older version, use this tons…)
  14. Gift certificate for a cool, atmosphere/romantic restaurant
  15. A Leatherman mulit-tool (these are so danged useful!)
  16. Real NYS or Vermont maple syrup. There is no other kind.
  17. A theracane (oooh, these are incredible!)
  18. Foreign Language DVDs (I loved learning foreign languages, hope to do so again, soon)
  19. An Adirondack Paddle tie-tack
  20. A Christmas Story DVD (if you’ve never seen this, you gotta watch it!)