Omachuck: Blog

As I work through proofing Monica, I want to mention a reader's suggestion after one of my HAREM stories. The reader was intrigued by the strong women in the story and suggested that I write a scenario where women, trapped by Earth First villains, are trained as a fighting unit to rescue themselves. So far, that hasn't jelled for a Swarm story, but there are defiantly strong women in Monica who learn to defend themselves and others.

My thanks to that reader for planting the idea.

Damsels: Incredibly beautiful and sexy - check! Want a baby and willing to risk their lives to get one - check! Perpetually horny and oversexed - check! So, they're pretty much all the same, right? Pēteris finds out different.

What if one is a Hero at heart and one doesn't like men? Say what?! Meet Damsel Monica Mechanic and Damsel Trudi Masseuse. This story, set in Lazlo Zalezac's 'Damsels In Distress Universe,' is a sequel to Pēteris, a story that should be read first.

So I finished the first draft. Now I need to read through and stomp bugs before I inflict it on my editors and proofreaders.

Why this post? I don't like sequels that go back and relate most of the original story to catch folks up. This will give my one or two readers the chance to get ahead of me.

With holidays on the near horizon, I don't know how otherwise occupied my editors will be. I wish I could tell you the date I'll start posting, but I can't. "Soon" is the best I can do.

First - To Ndogo Devushki - Welcome to the madhouse. I enjoyed Katherine Lynne and think that it would make a very good prologue to a longer story, no matter how long it takes to write.

To all new authors, especially Ndogo Devushki - As a relatively new author (I started two years ago) I highly recommend that you turn on the comments when submitting a story or at least put an email address on your author's page. (I created a separate email address used solely for communications from SOL readers and authors. Omachuck @ AOL.COM). This time, I had no other way to reach you, hence this open note.

Excepting a very few jerks who don't know the word 'polite' this is a very welcoming and helpful community. The feedback you receive - even the negative - will help you become a better author. Trust me on this.

Even better, you would probably receive offers to edit and/or proof, something every author needs.

I wish I had one.

Yesterday, there were eighty downloads of my lowest rated story The Sunshine of Your Smile. That was more than the last couple of months put together. It was my most downloaded story for the last seven days. Never happened before except when first posted...

Not a comment, not a note, so not a clue why. The rating didn't change.

My curiosity bump is itching something awful. Please, someone give me a touch or two of feedback on why the spurt and how it struck you.

On a separate note, my sequel to Pēteris is a chapter or so from a completed first draft. If I don't drive my editors and proofreaders nuts, we'll likely see the first chapter of Monica Mechanic posted between Christmas and the New Year.

I know where I am - right here in my recliner. You just haven't sent me anything to proof....

There's no smoke 'cuz there is no fire.