StarFleet Carl: Blog

Book 3, Chapter 8, is being edited, I'm a third of the way done with Chapter 9. I had to actually create a color-coded spreadsheet to track pregnancies, to make it easier for me. I've also gone through the first ten chapters of Book One with both edits for reposting as-is, and also with modifying the story from X to where it probably still can't post on FineStories, but my wife would want to read it.

Now ... something that's blown my mind. Nominations in two categories: Best Erotic Science Fiction Story and Epic Erotic Story of the Year. Thank you. Not much else I can say to that, other than ... back to the keyboard, so I can get more Book Three written!

I just sent the prequel for Book Two into the queue for uploading, so that it can be inserted after the Cast of Characters, so that people who don't want to read Book One (and I don't know why not, but that's another story ... literally) first aren't totally lost.

I got Chapter 7 of Book Three back from editing, so once I put those in, it'll go to proofreading. One thing I've abused in the last couple of chapters is the 'insert special characters' function. When four out of five characters in a word are in the Latin Special Extended section - meaning they only have Unicode equivalents, and not the alt + numkey equivalents - you know you're moving into another realm.

Chapter 60 for Book Two is in the queue. That's it. All done. The crying, wailing, and gnashing of teeth may now commence.

Okay, got that out of your systems? Yes, there will be a Book Three. I have to finish writing it. It'll get posted on here when I have enough of a buffer that I can stay ahead of things, and it'll be available on Bookapy when it's done. No, I have no idea how long that'll be.

In my holy crap, I've got a lot of things to do list - which includes writing the rest of Book Three - I have going back through all of Book One with the edits Jim has done for me and I've never actually had time to do. Something that won't take a lot of time is to also go through Book Two, take my totally revised chapters with the reader fixes, and then make that into new files for download on Bookapy, so everyone will have fully edited and as close to mistake-free copies as I can give them. Then do with Book One, too.

Keep in mind that I have to do my writing in my free time. I've spent four hours per day so far this week going through Assessor's Office records to figure out my marketing. I finally got the sticker for the back window of my car, so that's on now, in addition to my door magnets. I quite literally finished the 45 hours of my CE on the last day of 2020, so once they get things figured out with the Real Estate Commission, I'll lose the Provisional Sales Associate license, and be a regular Sales Associate.

Also I'm working on my business Fakebook page, and getting my business website tweaked (I've got it up and running), and getting all of the expenses and other things associated with that, which takes time, too.

Oh, and that's in addition to running the craft business. I do laser engraving. I've owned a commercial grade laser engraver for about ten years now. It's a 70 watt CO2 laser, so I personalize wood gifts, engrave glasses, and other items for a local business which they use for THEIR marketing. I average about 100 pieces every couple of months. Their national office likes what I make, and if things work out, I'll be supplying marketing materials to all of 42 of their locations, in 18 states, instead of just locally.

Is that enough? 😊

I'm laughing at this, because I'm from Indiana and I remember the actual blizzard of '78. That winter SUCKED! (36" of snow, with 14' drifts.) That's why I moved to Oklahoma, I don't mind some snow, but I don't want it to stick around.

So, what'd we get last Wednesday evening, into Thursday?

Five inches of snow, with drifts about a foot high.

People where my wife works called off, so she had to go in. Not a big deal - there's a reason we own Subarus. But nobody ELSE on the road knows how to drive on it, not down here. You would have thought it was the beginning of the end of days, all the stores being stripped by shoppers like locusts. Oh, and it's now Monday, and back in the mid-50's, so the snow's all gone.

I think we're all well aware that 2020 wasn't exactly what you'd consider a stellar year as far as a lot of things are considered. So, with that in mind, let's simply close the door on that year, and let us never speak of it again.

After all, it's not like we're in the midst of a global pandemic, having our elected officials acting like they're feudal lords instead of civil servants, or seeing the United States more divided than it's been since, oh, March of 1861, right?

On the brighter side of things, apparently somehow or another, I've managed to create an alternate universe that has captivated a decent number of readers, with each chapter averaging about 10,000 downloads in the first week it's been posted, and averaging about 17,000 downloads over time.

RTFB - Read the fracking blog: Chapter 59 is in the queue for Saturday morning. Chapter 60 will be posted 01/09/2021. That will be the last chapter for Book Two. I am working on Book Three. I will NOT begin posting it here on SOL until I have 15 (preferably 20) chapters complete, so at the absolute earliest, you're looking at the end of February. When Book Three is complete, it WILL be posted on Bookapy. That will probably not be until around the middle of April. I am NOT retired, so I do not write full time. I just finished my 45 hours of initial CE, so I will no longer be a provisional sales associate, I will be a regular sales associate, working full time, selling real estate.

(That does mean if you're in the OKC area, which I know a couple of you are, and you get someone else to help you with a new house, I'll be mightily disappointed.)

In summation - this year isn't as bad as some of those our parents and grandparents (and even some of you really old farts on here) have lived through in the past. It's a New Year. Look at it with life, love, hope, and optimism. Remember, sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel isn't the light on the train engine!