Hello to everyone. I figured I'd let everyone know that the latest story of my Tales of Heroes is now being uploaded onto Storiesonline. Helsing and the Tales of Heroes is the continuation of Ayida-Weddo and the Tales of Heroes. I needed to take a break from Gabatrix to get another Tales of Heroes book made. It also allows me to defuse a little bit so I can come back more fresh to the series that I know people enjoy. Plus, Helsing and the Tales of Heroes will be something that will benefit the future Gabatrix stories to come.
Of course, this gets into a topic that I have to state is quite obvious. Upon uploading the first two chapters, I've received a large set of votes (almost more than some of my other stories within just two chapters), making this story the worst-rated story of the twenty stories I have written so far, at least at the time of this blog post. I know that this can be temporary as more and more chapters come flooding in. I also don't focus on it too much since Storiesonline's voting system is pretty much broken. Honestly, I was almost expecting the low ratings at this point since they took away the ability to remove voting for writers. It allows individuals to vote early when stories aren't even completely uploaded.
While the goal of Storiesonline has been to resolve the voting issues and claim that it's there to stop "troll voting" and one-bombers (which has to a point), there are ways to get around it. There are always ways to get around any foolproof system. If people see that they can't give 1 out 5 stars for something, then they will give it a 2. I'm well aware of the concept of rating sabotage. While I believe there are good people on Storiesonline, I know that others are jumping onto Helsing and blasting it before it even bears fruit.
I want to make it clear that I do believe there are wonderful individuals, and I have received positive comments about my story. Helsing and the Tales of Heroes is more than just a book of the Tales of Heroes universe. It's a dedication to the many vampire stories out there and the writers that write about them, utilizing many of the popular, past-known older stories to mend into one (no different than how many others write vampire stories). However, I also know that some people have short attention spans. I received harassment in the past either from SJWs, "Sensitive Readers", or people who think they are righteous by going after people who think are encouraging deviant behavior for or against current social norms or agendas. I have to debate with myself whether, when I look at the scores if it's an attempt to extend a middle finger to me or not. I have to ask myself if the voter looked at the disclaimers and voted then and there about what they think about me or my story without even reading it. Is it revenge voting because I didn't write the next installment of Gabatrix? Or is it an attempt to bash me because my stories have vampires in them? For newcomers, the scores can make or break someone telling others that the story is worth reading or not.
What people don't realize is that I originally had an old story that I removed from Ayida-Weddo and the Tales of Heroes. This was done because I wasn't pleased with how the story went. It was too big and inflated an already large book as it was. However, I also felt that it would be a good story once it was refined. I took the Story of Lilith away from the book and did a complete overhaul. In the original story, Lilith practically raped her husband. Looking at it today, I just didn't like it. So I took the entire heart of the story and rewrote it, freshened it, shortened it, and made it into a consensual love story while still carrying the action and main story to circulate around it. It's almost a difference between night and day. It's been incorporated into Helsing and the Tales of Heroes and adds to a vampire-centric lore and concept. If anything, I feel that Helsing and the Tales of Heroes and all its backstories contribute to a singular main story goal, something that some of the other Tales of Heroes have struggled with at times to achieve.
I've had past blog posts stating the same thing, and I know it's like beating a dead horse. Some on Storiesonline will make sure certain stories or story writers remain at the top by whatever means necessary. I don't see any hope of seeing my stories in the top 10, and perhaps I speak out for the other writers on this site as well. I care for everyone and know what it's like to make and write stories. Some are beginners, some are novices, and some have been Emmy award-winning storywriters. I don't let the scores really get to me, and I'm aware of the fact that scores can naturally rise as well as the story nears completion. If anything, I have made great successes with an upcoming audiobook for Gabatrix: Minerva coming around the corner in a few weeks to come, all in due thanks to the fans who support me. But I do ask all of you to support your writers, especially at this time. Make Storiesonline a positive environment for writers. Enjoy Helsing and the Tales of Heroes, for I think it's a story that you may genuinely like.