Blog - C Gockel Writes

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March 31, 2017 by Carolynn

A New Adventure In the I Bring the Fire Universe

March 11, 2017 by Carolynn

Vampires of the Carribbean

Introducing Vampires of The Caribbean, a short story anthology by bestselling authors like Debra Dunbar, Shawntelle Madison, Mandy Roth, and more!

Currently unavailable

My Story in the collection, Someday My Count Will Come, is a new adventure in the I Bring the Fire Universe and features a cameo by Loki! Someday features Count Darerick Razvano Noapt (aka Dare) a Night Elf *cough*. Dare is ancient. He’s keeping secrets from his own kind and seeking a Night Elf that has gone renegade. Penny is only twenty-four, seeking her lost sister, and hiding a secret as well. To save themselves, and save Dare’s people, they might have to risk letting their secrets go. Here’s an excerpt:

They haven’t gone ten paces when Loki stops and says, “I’m forgetting something … I know I am. You’re to go to Orlando …”

“In Florida.” Dare winces. It’s probably sunny there, and warm places usually have snakes … and spiders.

Spinning clumsily, Loki blinks at him. “Lovely weather in early spring, which it is there by the way. Sunshine, warm even at night, you won’t need a sweater. Think of it as a vacation.”

“I’m a Night Elf,” Dare says flatly.

“Vampire,” Loki says.

“A vacation for me would be Moscow in December,” Dare mutters.

Loki stares at him a moment, and then gives a crooked grin. “I suppose so.” He snorts, and then snaps his fingers. A spark jumps into the undergrowth and Dare stamps it out.

Someday takes place before the events of Wolves. Besides Someday there are nine other stories by amazing authors.

A Tale of Two Promos

February 25, 2017 by Carolynn

Recently, Archangel Down, the first book in my Archangel Project trilogy and my I Bring the Fire Box Set were both on sale for 99¢. The sales for both started at the same time, and ended at the same time, and both are still currently at $2.99. Besides the obvious difference in the number of books in each “sale”, Archangel is in Kindle Unlimited and I Bring the Fire is wide. Also, I Bring the Fire had a BookBub, and Archangel Down did not (it had a BookBub December 23rd–I stacked promos during this sale because I couldn’t have another BookBub for my recent release of Heretic, the conclusion of the trilogy.) Archangel Down was not running a Count Down deal, so it only earned a 35% royalty.

Here are the profits so far:

Although I earned more overall on the I Bring the Fire box, I earned more per dollar spent on the Archangel Down title.

Takeaways: this promo makes me really hesitant to take my Archangel Project out of Kindle Unlimited anytime soon. That said, the recent account closings due to scammers picking up KU books and getting authors accounts pulled has me hesitant to put I Bring the Fire into Kindle Unlimited. As you can see, I do earn about 1/3 my income “wide.” If I were to experience an account shut down, I would at least have a small revenue stream during the weeks that it took me to get my account re-established.

Here are the promo line-ups for the sales. Besides what you see here, I spent roughly the same on AMS ads for each book. I think they were around $20? But I forgot to track.

The newsletter swaps / FB and newsletter mentions were really effective. I will probably try to line up more of those in the future.

The Spaceship Next Door by Gene Doucette

February 23, 2017 by Carolynn

This is a first contact story, and it is delightful. It’s filled with sly humor, astute observations on human nature, and still manages to charter some territory through some deep philosophical waters. I don’t want to give to much away, so here is the setup:

The world changed on a Tuesday.

When a spaceship landed in an open field in the quiet mill town of Sorrow Falls, Massachusetts, everyone realized humankind was not alone in the universe. With that realization, everyone freaked out for a little while.

Sixteen-year old Annie Collins is one of the ship’s closest neighbors. Once upon a time she took every last theory about the ship seriously, whether it was advanced by an adult ,or by a peer. Surely one of the theories would be proven true eventually—if not several of them—the very minute the ship decided to do something. Annie is starting to think this will never happen.

One late August morning, a little over three years since the ship landed, Edgar Somerville arrived in town. Ed’s a government operative posing as a journalist, which is obvious to Annie—and pretty much everyone else he meets—almost immediately. He has a lot of questions that need answers, because he thinks everyone is wrong: the ship is doing something, and he needs Annie’s help to figure out what that is.

I don’t want to say too much about the story, because it had some terrific twists (if something seems a mite bit unrealistic to you, hang in there, an explanation will be forthcoming. Heh, heh, heh.) This story kept me glued to my Kindle. (It’s also available as an audiobook and a paperback at some vendors.) It is a terrific “buddy” fic … and I loved it.

Dark Horse by Michelle Diener

February 21, 2017 by Carolynn

Available at Amazon & Free in Kindle Unlimited: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany

I’m reading so many good books lately, and I’ve gotta review some before I move onto the next one! Michelle Diener’s Dark Horse is a girl get’s abducted by aliens book, but it is also a terrific buddy fic between girl and an artificial intelligence. It’s also just a rip-roaring fast read. Her transitions and her set-up is brilliant. She just throws you right in to the deep end of the pool and it WORKS. It’s a fun read, and I think she and I have had similar thoughts on AI. The love scenes aren’t graphic. Definitely one to pick up.

2016 Novelist Income Survey Results, Part 1 – by Jim Hines

February 15, 2017 by Carolynn

I participated in a survey of novelist earnings. I’m lucky to fall in the top 30% of authors who make a good income. I feel very lucky, and most days I feel like I’m living in the Talking Heads Song “Once in a Lifetime.” I’m as surprised as anyone to be where I am.

To all my readers, thanks for helping me get here! For anyone interested in the business side of this gig, check it out.

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