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.

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…
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Click Here To Learn More

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

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

There’s An Exciting Month Ahead

October 1 st 2018 – “31 Days of Halloween” 2018 Starts

This is my third annual Halloween blog hosting event. I’ll be giving up much of October to my fellow indie authors, and hosting interviews, book spotlights, and a range of other guest posts.

Some of these amazing authors have already been guests on this blog, and others are stopping in for the first time.

However, I’ll still be contributing the occasional post, because…

October 26th 2018 – “Wolves In The Desert” Releases

This is the third short story in the “Shadows Over Seattle: Prequel” series, and the first to take place somewhere other than Seattle.

I’m excited to be bringing this story to you during the build-up to Halloween, because the first story in the series, “Under A Hunter’s Moon”, was a Halloween release, when it was first published.

To celebrate, I’ll be giving away copies of “Wolves In The Desert” as part of the “31 Days of Halloween” event, along with other prizes being contributed by my wonderful guest authors.

Keep Your Eyes Open For The “31 Days of Halloween Schedule”

I’m hoping to firm up some details before the end of this weekend, so I can post the full schedule ahead of the October 1st start date.

WordPress Has New Features – Guess Who’s Taking Advantage

Those of you who’ve been following my blog for a while might have noticed some changes recently. There might even be more to come in the next few weeks.

WordPress is letting people try their new post builder, Gutenberg. It has a lot of features that the existing post builder didn’t have, and I’m excited to be testing it out.

In fact, this very post was created using it.

What Does That Mean For Readers?

Well, hopefully, it should mean that there will be more flexibility in how  build each post. Already I’ve started to use it’s column feature as a way to solve some of the age-old problems with formatting text around images.

It might seem like a small thing, but there are a lot of new features coming with that will make embedding videos, etc into posts.

If you’re interested in finding out more, check out WordPress’s own post at: https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/

Let Me Know What You Think

I’d love to know what you think in the comments…

• Did you notice the changes in formatting?
• Are you excited to see what the future might hold?
• Do you have a suggestion of what you’d like to see in my posts?
• Is there something about the new post formats you don’t like?

31 Days Of Halloween Is Coming – Guest Posts Welcome

The Annual 31 Days Of Halloween Event Is Just Around The Corner

I can’t believe how fast this last year has gone by. It seems like it was only weeks ago that I was reaching out to my fellow indie authors to bring you a full month of Halloween themed posts.

And now it’s coming again. I’m reaching out to my fellow authors again, and am excited to see that many of them are as excited as I am.

If you’re an indie author, or reader, and interested in contributing an interview, guest post, article, or book spotlight click one of the buttons below. The first two have forms to fill out, but in all cases I’ll let you know what the next step will be ASAP.

What happened last year?

Book
Spotlight

Author
Spotlight

Guest
Post

• 31 Posts over 31 days, including:
• 16 Book Spotlights
• 5 Author Spotlights
• 1 Halloween Movie Review List
• 1 Exclusive Character Interview
• 2 Exclusive Stories
• 2 Top-10 Lists

Check Out Last Year’s Schedule

So What’s Coming Up?

I’ve just started talking to people to see what they’re interested in contributing. If it’s anything like last year, we’re going to have an amazing line up, including author interviews, book spotlights, and more.

But here’s the best part. Several authors have already talked about donating ebooks toward a drawing that we’ll promote as part of the event.

One of those books will be my own contribution, “Wolves In The Desert”, which will be releasing on October 26th.

I’ll be posting more information as it becomes available, including a schedule of posts. So don’t forget to follow this blog, by email, or through the Wordress Follow button in the sidebar.

Cover Reveal – “Wolves In The Desert”

Watch The Cover Reveal Trailer

Learn More About The Story

When his squad is deployed to Iraq, Gunnery Sergeant Garfield Feldman leads them in a series operations against forces loyal to Saddam Hussein.

Recently rumors have been flying around base that the enemy has learned a few new tricks, and found ways to ambush Marine units from buildings that had been declared clear.

Now Feldman’s team has received orders to conduct a snatch-and-grab mission deep in enemy-held territory. But what lies behind the walls, and what can Feldman do to ensure the success of the mission?

Follow the release news: Facebook, Twitter

Discover The First Two Books In The Set

Seattle News Headline Meets Urban Fantasy Author

Sometimes when you’re a writer, you come across a news article that you’re sure would fit right into one of your stories.

I setup Google Alerts this week, and asked it to produce alerts for articles, news and events in Seattle, Washington. And the top item on day one was something amazing…

From KIRO 7 came this headline:

Woman arrested after trying to break into Seattle family’s home through a dog door

My Thoughts…

• This headline has story written all over it
• As an urban fantasy writer, this sounds like something that would fit in my stories easily
• Since I write about shapeshifters, I’m thinking I missed the boat when it came to drunk shapeshifters
• I may well have myself a new character to feature at some point
• It’s a shame this headline wasn’t about a guy caught doing the same thing, I could have used it as a promo for “The Lupine’s Call”

So… Who Was This Woman?

I didn’t see a lot of information about the would-be burglar, so that got my thoughts churning. And yeah, this is pretty much the order I wrote my notes down…

• In the Seattle of the “Shadows Over Seattle” stories she would likely be a member of the Lupine breed of shapeshifters.
• Since the supernatural creatures keep a low profile she’s probably an outsider to the city who’s visiting family.
• She was probably drinking because of a loss in the family (the reason for her visit).
• Having mistaken the house for her family member’s she’d tried to open the door but found she’d lost the key, or left it behind when she went out.
• She’d tried under the doormat for a spare key, and couldn’t find one.
• The dog door was her drunken solution to not wanting to wake sleeping family members.

And that’s how my brain works sometimes…

It’s Teaser Tuesday – Discover How The Upcoming “The Lupine’s Call” Starts

The Lupine’s Call (Shadows Over Seattle: Prequel One)

As I closed the door to our apartment, and turned left into the kitchen, my girlfriend came storming into the room. Taking one look at her I knew I was in trouble, and I had a feeling that I knew what I’d done. Nazurl was usually even tempered and when I’d done something to upset her she’d let me know with a look that could melt sheet steel.

The look she wore now was one I’d never seen before, and never wanted to see again. Her deep brown eyes flashed in anger, and I saw the storm brewing. She’d gone from being my Nubian Goddess into a full-born African Goddess of War.

I didn’t even get a warning shot, or chance to compose myself before she launched her first offensive strike.

“Richard Evan Parsons…”, Oh God, I was in real trouble. “I’ve been waiting over three hours for you to get home…” And she’d had time to build up a head of steam over whatever it was… Great.

Find Out How The Story Continues…

“The Lupine’s Call” Releases on August 26th 2018

Pre-Order @ Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks