Ramblings Of An Author Has A New Home!

“Ramblings of an Author” Is Moving!

At the end of January I announced that I would be closing down this blog, and relocating.

Well, that time has come, and this is going to be my last post here. But I’m taking away a lot of great memories, and friendships that have formed while bringing you amazing books and authors.

But That’s Not The End Of Things

I still have so many wonderful authors and books to bring you, and will continue to do so over on my new site.

The journey continues over at http://timothybatesonauthor.com where you can sign up to get the latest posts direct to your email address.

So, if you’ve enjoyed seeing all the wonderful books and author interviews I’ve posted here, be sure to pop over to:

New Blog Slots Will Be Opening Soon!

For the authors among you, I’ll be opening up my “Author Services” pages very soon, and you’ll be able to submit your books, author interviews, and apply for one-to-one character interviews very shortly.

Please follow the new blog for an announcement on that front.

Apologies For My Recent Radio Silence!

There are a number of reasons for my recent silence here on “Ramblings of an Author”, and I can only apologize for not having been able to give advanced notice.

Part of the reason is that over the holiday season I was very distracted by a couple of exciting projects.

More recently, it’s because I’m stepping into a new role for this year’s Brain to Books Cyber Convention & Book Expo.

Reason #1 – My New Author Website

Back on December 21st I announced that I was setting up a new author website, and http://timothybatesonauthor.com.

This has turned out to be a much bigger project than I anticipated at first.

1. I had to decide on the appearance of the site, and I had way too many ideas at first.
2. Then I needed to check into the available WordPress templates, and decided I didn’t want to spent to much on getting one custom made for me. Instead I chose to spend many hours building my own – And I’m very pleased with the initial results.
3. Creating the basic pages for the site has taken some time, because it’s partly a migration from here, and my old Weebly site, and partly a major update of information and format.
4. I had (and still have) some interesting challenges with the formatting and indexing of the blog pages. This part of the site is still very much a work in progress.

Please feel free to check out the site, and leave me any notes, feedback, criticisms, navigation problems, etc. in the comments below.

For the short term I’ll be blogging on both sites, with slightly different content going out on the new site. Once I have that site settled in, and all the bugs worked out, I’ll be moving there exclusively.

Here’s the bonus homework. Visit the new site, and make sure you check out a blog post. Scroll to the bottom, and subscribe for email notification of new posts.

Visit The New Site

Visit The Blog

Reason #2 – Brain To Book Cyber Convention & Book Expo 2019

(Please note, the image is from the 2018 event, so the dates are wrong).

This year’s Brain to Books Cyber Convention and Book Expo will be running from April 12th through April 14th 2019, and I have agreed to take on a more active role than ever before.

Previously I’ve been a participating author, and then the Genre Manager for the Fantasy events. This in itself has been a lot of work, because it means coordinating blog tours, competitions, giveaways, live discussion panels, and a host of authors.

Well, this year, I’ve done something really crazy, and agreed to take on an overhaul of the event site, and much of the setup work for the event. But, I won’t be alone, because we always have a great team of volunteers t get everything running.

About B2BCyCon

Author Registration

Reason #3 – “Metal Earth” Model Kits

My wife and I have become hooked on the model kits from “Metal Earth”. Sandi loves to buy me the kits, and I keep making them.

They’re a fun challenge, with several levels of difficulty and size.

My wife brought me the Colosseum and the Parthenon for Christmas, and then we added another seven kits about a week ago.

I recently reviewed four of the Doctor Who themed kits, over on my new site. There is also a breakdown of how I found the assembly of the “Cyberman Head” kit (shown completed above).

Visit “Metal Earth”

“Dr Who” Break Down

Reason #4 – Creative Overload

Between all these projects, I’ve been so busy creating things that I actually ran out of material to post here.

But don’t despair, I have started working on a line-up of articles and posts for my new site, and I still have some guest posts to come on here.

Going Forward…

I’m going to allow the existing posts I have scheduled for other authors go out as planned through February.

After that I’m going to be moving all new posts to http://timothybatesonauthor.com, so please be sure to subscribe for updates. Over the coming weeks, I’ll post more reminders of what’s happening, and when.

Character Spotlight – Alexandra St. James (from “Tattoos” by Stacy Overby)

I have to say, I love Alexandra St. James. She stars opposite Eli Thorson in Tattoos. Alexandra, but she goes by Alex, is a stubborn and strong-willed woman—just the kind of woman to stand up to Eli and not brook any of his nonsense. She’s calm under pressure, intelligent, and good-hearted.

Alex was born to mid-level United Earth Government officials. They had just enough clout to mean something, but not enough to be scrutinized at all times. This turned out to be a

good thing, despite their efforts to advance their careers, because from a child on, it was clear Alex was an empath. Her mother had the genetics for it, but her empathic abilities were so minor as to be ignored by the UEG. Alex, on the other hand, not so much. She showed exceptional sensitivity even as a child. By the time she was twelve years old, her parents could not hide her abilities anymore, particularly with all the testing and empathophobia gripping the citizens and UEG. They did manage to find a corrupt empath regulation official who agreed to place the empath tattoo on her hip instead of on her arm. He also allowed Alex’s parents to have the tattoo worked into an image where it wasn’t quite so obvious.

Alex, with the help of her parents and their efforts to shield her, managed to hide her abilities until adulthood. She finished her compulsory education and went to the local university where she studied medicine. Alex figured she’d have a good chance of hiding her empathic abilities some with a career in medicine. She did well in medical school and got a job at New Washington Hospital. Alex did well hiding her empathic abilities there until an accident happened. A patient assaulted several nurses and aids. Alex stepped in trying to calm the patient down, but to no avail. However, security staff noticed Alex’s efforts and started asking a few too many pointed questions.

With her secret out, the UEG required she consent to the second tattoo marking her strength as an empath. Thankfully the same corrupt UEG official provided the second tattoo. He couldn’t keep it off her arm but moved it high on her shoulder instead. Again, he also allowed them to have the mark worked into a larger tattoo.

Alexandra is one of the stronger empaths the systems under UEG control has ever seen. She has to regularly work to block out the emotional auras of those around her or she’s overwhelmed with their emotions. This is why she finds Eli so comforting—she can’t sense his emotions. The prevailing theory is that evolution has maintained a genetic balance by creating a small subset of beings who can stymie some empaths, though the exact mechanism is still unknown. Another down side to her strength as an empath is the level of fear and hatred for empaths in UEG controlled space. She would regularly be a target for these hate groups if her secret were known.

Overall, Alex is an interesting mix of strength and fragility. She sees the inherent good in people but isn’t afraid to be hard when needed. Yet, each time she has to be hard, it crashes back down on her emotionally afterward. Her ultimate goal is to see empaths guaranteed the same rights as all other sentient beings within the UEG. Not just on paper, but in practice as well. To that end, she supports what her foster parents, Jeremiah and Ruby, do to promote civil unrest and dissidence in support of this.

So, there you have her. Alex St. James. Now, check out her role in Tattoos and let me know what you think of her!

“Tattoos” By Stacy Overby

One hushed cry in the middle of the night and Eli Thorson’s life unravels. A highly trained Black Ops specialist, he is used to danger, but Eli’s path forces him to confront the illusions he’s been taught his whole life — ones that make him question all the good he thought he was doing.
Unable to work for a command that defiles the oaths he swore, he works to untangle the web of lies and deceit he finds woven throughout his worlds. The tattooed marks of his profession run more than skin deep. As a Specialist, it is his duty to protect the people, the laws, and all the United Earth Government stands for, even if it means taking down the entire Black Ops division to do it.

Buy Now:

• E-Book (Amazon)
• E-Book (Smashwords)
• Paperback

Holiday Sale – Exclusive Smashwords Special

Maybe I’ve gone crazy… Maybe I haven’t… But I’m putting “Under A Hunter’s Moon” on sale – and only at Smashwords.

Why would I do something like that? Because I appreciate how many people have supported me over the years, and I want to give something back.

Get Your Free Copy Today

Past and present collide on Halloween

Richard Parsons is a maverick wolf-shifter with a tendency to find trouble. When a traveling exhibition returns to the McCaw Museum Richard finds that he has personal reasons to visit after hours. His audacious plan goes awry when a particular display forces painful memories to the surface.

Can Richard face down the demons of his past before the police become aware of his presence?

Get Your Free Copy Today

Why You Should Get Your Copy NOW!

An amazing take on Lycans. I love the dark view taken but also the unique point of view that makes you want to care for the dark creatures.

Jin Okubo (Amazon Reviewer)

“That conflict that is driven into the story. That beautiful story arc that starts off so well.. that builds up to a beautiful crescendo, and then it just drops you and your heart is going to drop when it’s time for it. And you’re going to feel it. You’re going to feel the protagonists pain. You’re going to feel everything.”

Jin Okubo (Video Review)

“I’m usually a gal who needs romance in her books, but I have to say that I got my hands on a copy of Under a Hunter’s Moon by Timothy Bateson and found a great read! This is a short story, so it’s a quick read, but it’s got suspense, action, and it left me wanting to know when the next one is coming out! If you enjoy shifter stories, this one is a great Urban Fantasy short story that introduces you to some characters that you’ll definitely need to know more about!”

Anna (Amazon Reviewer)

“I enjoy the author’s twist on the old werewolf lore, creating a whole new version and calling them Lupines, to allow him to break the rules of the legends without really breaking things, if you know what I mean. “

Heidi Angell (Amazon Reviewer)

Get Your Free Copy Today

Friday Insight #7 – NaNoWriMo And “Of Wolves And Men”

“Of Wolves And Men” is the first full novel in the “Shadows Over Seattle” series. And I have to say that I’m pleased with how this first draft is shaping up.

Here’s another sample of the current state of play, complete with grammar and spelling errors which will disappear once I’ve done a full re-write.

At this point, Richard is trying  desperately to find a new lead in the case, and is assembling those he thinks can help.

{BEGINNING OF SAMPLE}

“Wow! That was something else” I heard her mutter, and I wondered if the knowledge that the wall was an illusion would allow her to pass through it in the future. Of course, I wasn’t going to let her know that the spell had affected me for just a moment, too.

“What was?” I asked, intending to play off that moment’s hesitation as if it had never happened.

“We just walked right through a brick wall. Or at least it looked like one. How many more spots like that are there around the city, Richie?”

“No clue. I didn’t even know about that one, until just now.” I honestly had no idea, because tome they wouldn’t exist, unless they were keyed to appear to lupine senses. However,from Nazurl’s expression, she didn’t believe me. Then again, why should she? If I hadn’t known about the illusion until now, why would I have insisted on guiding her in?

On the other hand,I was now confident that Agneta and Feldman would be able to make it through. I let go of Nazurl’s hand, with a little reluctance. It felt so much like old times that I couldn’t wonder what would happen between us when this was allover.

We walked side-by-side and in silence until we reached the Devils Own. As we entered, I looked around, trying to locate Karvenson, and spied him sitting alone in one corner. He was watching the door, and rose quietly, grabbing his drink, and making for the door at the far end of the room.

I pulled the key from my pocket, and headed in the same direction, drawing a few glances as people spotted the woman at my side. It wasn’t surprising, because I was never seen with any women, let alone one with the beauty of Nazurl.

I unlocked the door, and allowed Nazurl and Karvenson to settle in at the table, while I went back into the bar, and ordered a round of drinks.

While I was waiting on the drinks, Agneta and Feldman slipped into the bar, and joined me at the bar, to order their own drinks. I wasn’t in the least surprised that Agneta ordered nothing stronger than water, since I’d never seen her drink anything else. Feldman ordered a double scotch, and pointedly ignored me after a brief scowl.

I had no idea how Agneta had managed to persuade him to come along, but armed with our drinks we went to join the others.

{END OF SAMPLE}

Midweek Mumbles – SPD:STF Profiles Have Been Leaked

Ever since I started writing short stores, I’ve been creating 3D models of the characters (using Daz3D).  These designs give me a reference point to keep character descriptions consistent.

Then over at the old site I created basic character profiles, but was never happy with the design.

However, that’s all about to change, with the recent leaking of several files from the Seattle Police Department’s Supernatural TaskForce.

This Reporter Just Received Several “SPD:STF Classified Files” From An Anonymous Source.

Over the years, Seattle residents have heard rumors of things that defy explanation. From ghosts to real magicians, from vampires to creatures from ancient legend, there is apparently an agency that deals with them when they come to public attention.

These newly acquired files give us an insight into some of those who have allegedly saved the city from many unexplained threats, or caused them. Who knows what the truth of the matter is… But this reporter just gives the facts as he sees them, and it’s time the world knew about these threats…

— Silas Agnew, SeattleWonderer.Com

• Click the profile images to access the secure documents…
• 
  

Click Here To Learn More

Friday Insight #6 – NaNoWriMo And “Of Wolves And Men”

Many of you know that last month I was working on NaNoWriMo – the goal to hit 50,000 words in 30 days.

But that was just the start of my work on “Of Wolves And Men”, the first novel in the “Shadows Over Seattle” stories.

I’ll be posting further samples of the story-in-progress until I’ve finished the first draft.

{BEGINNING OF SAMPLE}

By now, I was sure that someone had to have heard the commotion going on inside the apartment. There was very little time for us to question our target, and still make a clean get-away. That flash-bang had held us up too long, and we’d lost precious seconds. There was no choice for it, we had to me gone before anyone came to investigate.

“Nazurl, we’re going to have to take him with us. Pull the car up, and I’ll make sure he doesn’t bleed to death on us”

I didn’t even wait to see if Nazurl had taken my advice, before I ripped several sheets of paper towel off the roll beside the sink. After soaking them under the cold tap, I wadded them up to catch the blood, as well as cool the nasal passages.

A couple of minutes later, Nazurl came back into the room. She helped me lift Wilkes off the floor, and onto my shoulders,before leading the way back out of the apartment.

“The car is running, doors are unlocked. Throw him in the back-passenger seat and get in with him. If he wakes up, I don’t want him trying to strangle me, or something equally stupid” she said, as she opened the driver’s door.

“Strangulation could be the least of our problems, judging from what just happened back there” I indicated toward the apartments, as I strapped Wilkes into the back seat, and then went around the car to get in the other side.

Even before I could consider strapping myself in, Nazurl pulled out of the parking space, accelerating hard. I was shoved back in my seat, until traffic slowed us down less than a hundred yards down the road.

{END OF SAMPLE}

Character Profiles – A Sneak Peek

I’m going to keep this week’s post rather shorter than usual. I’ve been busy working on my new author website, which has been a great learning experience.

I’m creating everything from the ground up, including:

• Page designs
• Revised versions of the reader content from the old site
  
• A whole new blog design with different layouts for each blog post type
  

Updated Character Profiles

I had character profiles on the old website, but I was never really happy with their format. So, I tried something new. I’ll admit that I’m biased about the results.

But, because I’m so happy with the new format, I’m sharing a sneak peek with you. You’re seeing this before anyone else, because I won’t be linking the character profiles into the menu until they’re all done.

Richard Parsons is a wolf-shifter with a drinking problem, and the star of several of the “Shadows Over Seattle” stories. Check out his profile to see what kind of police record he’s built up…

Check Out Richard Parsons’ Profile

Friday Insight #5 – NaNoWriMo And “Of Wolves And Men”

NaNoWriMo ends today, but I already achieved the goal of 50,000 words back on Tuesday 27th November.

• But that didn’t stop me, and I’ll be writing right up until the end of tonight to see how far I can get.
• I’ll be posting further samples of the story-in-progress until I’ve finished the first draft.
  
• All samples will continue to be in  unedited form, so you’re getting a deep insight into my writing process…

Click the button below, and bookmark the page, so you can keep track of my progress throughout the month.

Follow My NaNoWriMo Progress

---

{BEGINNING OF SAMPLE}

I was grateful that we hadn’t gone far when Nazurl indicated that we’d lost our pursuers, and we had a chance to slow down a little. I had no idea where were, but Nazurl seemed to have a rough idea.

“I’m going to need your muscles again” She said,pointing to a ladder leading to another huge drain cover. Sunlight streamed down through the two holes, and it couldn’t have been a more welcome sight.

However, I found myself hoping that it opened into a quiet alleyway, or something, because I reeked of sewer slime, and my fur felt matted around the muzzle.

I shifted back to human form, and made a grab forNazurl’s backpack, wanting the clothes that she’d packed, before I even considered opening that drain. Ripping the bag off her shoulders, I pulled it open, and was disappointed to see only a pair of jogging bottoms and a pair of flip flops. In the middle of fall, Nazurl had chosen to outfit me in the least amount of clothing possible, without getting me arrested.

I growled in frustration, but then I also had to consider that she had probably had very little warning that I was investigating Jimmy’s death. And even less that we were going to have to escape a bunch of gun toting maniacs.

Climbing the ladder carefully, I wrapped one arm round the top rung of the ladder and shoved hard against the huge steel cover.Thankfully it gave way a little easier than the one in the Cup’s storeroom had,and I slid it to one side carefully.

I heard Nazurl climbing below me, and hauled myself up into the sunlight, blinking to try and adjust to the harsh light. Shouts and laughter greeted me as I finally managed to get my bearings, and people had started to notice something out of the ordinary happening.

“Bagley Hall” I muttered to myself as the double arched entryway caught my eye. I could hear the fountain running behind me, and I paused there half in, half out of the manhole cover, not believing our bad luck.

A yell from below reminded me that I wasn’t the only one trying to get out of the darkness below, and I finally climbed the rest of the way out. Leaning down through the hole, I helped Nazurl work her way into the sunlight, before sliding the cover back into place. Even if our pursuit hadn’t located us yet, there was no reason to believe that they wouldn’t be close by, and I didn’t want to leave them any clues as to which way we’d gone.

{END OF SAMPLE}

---

Follow My NaNoWriMo Progress

Midweek Mumbles – I’m A Winner At NaNoWriMo!

I’m officially a NaNoWriMo winner, as off 7:30pm on November 27th 2018.

Today was a surprisingly amazing day of writing. I wrote over 4,000 words and finished NaNoWRiMo three days ahead of the deadline.

“Of Wolves And Men” now sits at a nice 50,163 words, and I’m reaching the half-way marker. Things are only going to get more interesting for our hero from here on out.

What Now?

• I’m going to keep writing hard and fast until the end of the month
• Then I’m going to slow down a little so I can work out the end of the story before I reach it
  
• I’ll keep posting the Friday Insight posts until just before the novel reaches it’s end

If you’re interested in seeing where my NaNoWriMo total finishes, check out my profile.

Follow My NaNoWriMo Progress