Read an eBook Week begins!

I'm participating in this promotion this year for the first time. I hadn't started publishing this time last year, so I missed it. Last year I did the big July sale at Smashwords, though.

Anyway, I've put a short story free (Down Time), and the collection (A Visit From St. Nick) and a longer short story (None Shall Speak His Name) at half price, though I will probably add my other shorts as free also. Just click on my Smashwords page on the left, which will take you to my page. All my books are at the bottom, with links.

My novel that I was working on during the February writing challenge is done, but it's waiting for editing, so I couldn't put that in for the week like I'd wanted. Bummer. But on the bright side, the first draft of the book is done! Woot! Woot!

Speaking of the challenge, I surprised myself by getting 27,285 words. That was quite a lot for me, considering I'd been sick since just before the first of the year, and in no mood to sit at a keyboard! It was enough to get the book done, at any rate, which was my goal.

While I'm letting that novel rest a bit before tackling the editing, I'm outlining a post-apocalyptic novel that is meant to be a prequel to "Down Time". It covers the events that led up to that story, though it will end several years before the short story takes place. An asteroid breaks up and the resulting debris pelts Earth and plunges the world into a nuclear winter. The book is about a group of survivors, and how they try to keep going and stay civilized.

Outlining is kind of fun--I open a new project on yWriter, and rough in where the events should occur. I start with 25 to 30 chapters, figuring two to four scenes in each, and jot in events I want to have happen in the chapter notes. That way I can write a scene here and there as the muse strikes, or I can start at one point and just go on.

The neat thing about the program is that I can move things around, delete or add chapters and scenes, whatever the book needs. And doing it on the computer saves my hands, since I can type with less stress than I can write. At least most days--there are times when my hands hurt to much to do either.

So, Gentle Readers, that brings us up to date. Don't forget to check out my page, or the promo's page on Smashwords for some good reading deals.