The 2021 State of the Weech

Greetings all,

This is now the fourth year of my eight-year commitment to go all in on becoming a successful author businessman. My annual State of the Weech is just one way I use to track that, and it’s also how I let everyone know what I’m up to.

For a number of reasons, 2020 was a big setback for me as an author. With COVID, all the conventions I intended to participate in were cancelled. This meant the money I would earn there wouldn’t come. I was only able to release one title, my Christian memoir about my mothers death titled Testimony: A Trial of Faith. I genuinely thought I’d release Betrayed last year, but there was a huge gap because I had to simply save up money to pay for editing. I will have to continue to do that (more on that below).

While 2020 was hard on conventions and making progress on additional drafts, it did allow me to get a bit more writing done (if only a bit). I’m positive Betrayed will be out this year. I’m hopeful it will be out in the next three months, but that’s not a guarantee.

With all that said, here are my plans for what I hope is a rebound in 2021.

May 1 (or sooner): Betrayed: Book Two of the Oneiros Log. I’m almost done with the Beta Draft (as in only a few chapters away). From there I send it out to Sara for the proofreading. I’m also going to send this draft to willing Advanced Readers in exchange for an honest review. I’m pretty optimistic about this goal. I have to save up the money for edits, and I have to save up the money for the cover, but I think May is feasible.

These are sure things in 2021. I am about halfway through the discover draft of Discovered: Book Three of the Oneiros Log, and that will be my main project when Betrayed is published.

A quick update on projects I mentioned last year:

Sonnets for my Savior: I completed it, but I doubt it will be more than a series of blog posts. I’m not a poet by trade, and getting feedback has proven difficult. I was happy to have the idea and see it through, but that’s about where it ends.

Musings on Christianity: I also finished this blog series, but again getting participation proved more difficult than I’d imagined. I was happy to study my faith and research questions in a scriptural way, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable releasing this as it’s little more than my personal pondering.

So those projects are probably being left where they are.

Now for projects I am planning to work on in the near future:

Discovered: Book Three of the Oneiros Log. As I said above, am I’m about halfway through the discovery draft. I’d be over the moon if I got this book out in late 2021, but that’s super ambitious at this point. It is my next primary project when Discovered goes to print.

The 1,200: As I said last year, I’m meaning to get to this project. It needs some rework, especially considering current events in real life. But I still think it’s a good story. So I’ll make those edits and I’ll get it out there as soon as I finish Oneiros.

Visits From A Man Named Nobody: This is Christian Science Fiction. I’m posting segments each Sunday as part of my Testimony series. Since this is fiction, I will be publishing this when it’s finished. I’d expect this will be released sometime next year.

New Utopia: This story (pitched as Mistborn meets Avatar), needs revisions and edits, and I’ll jump on them as time permits. This will not be published before 1,200.

Mercer: This is a series I intend to write. I’ve come to realize I’m actually happier working on a large product and a small project at the same time. It gets more titles out and makes me feel more productive. Mercer is going to be a bunch of small novellas written like episodes of a TV show (I call Mercer Dresden Files meets Bones). I will start working on this on the “sooner” side of things, and it may come out before 1,200 (though I don’t think so).

Perception of War: Images of Truth: I did get a few thousand words added to this very large discovery draft, and I will finish the discovery draft of this before I do any revisions to 1,200. I really love this series as a whole (Sojourn in Captivity is basically a prologue novella to the series). I hate starting new books before I finish a draft of one I’ve been working on, so I will get Betrayed to print, finish Discovered (so those who love the series can see how it ends) and then get straight to work on this. 1,200 will probably come out first but this will become the main priority when Oneiros is done.

Leah Saldawn and The Nick of Time: The discovery draft is done. I’ll probably get this out one day, but it’s a very low priority for a few reasons. First: it’s targeted to a 12-15 year old audience, which is way outside my current marketing group. Next, I have so many other projects I’m looking forward to, so this one just isn’t that high on the priority list. It’ll get out there someday, but I wouldn’t anticipate it coming out anytime soon (as in the next three years).

My publishing goals: Discovered (guarantee 2021 release), Betrayed, 1,200/Mercer, Mercer/Images of Truth, Mercer/New Utopia. You see Mercer there a lot because it’s indented to be a constant series with me. I’ll release Volumes in smaller chucks (paperback) and Seasons in larger Omnibuses (box sets). The idea for Mercer is 12 novellas (episodes) / three volumes per season. The goal is to release a bigger project and then a Mercer episode in a sort of pattern. I’m not sure how it will actually play out, but it is the goal.

As for my eight-year goal? Well, I’m actually selling more digital copies than ever before, and that’s encouraging. Hopefully, I’m still losing less money each year. Again, after eight years, if I’m not making a profit or breaking even, I probably need to rethink some things. With COVID, 2020 became far more about marketing, and I’ve seen some positive results. I’m still working toward the dream of making this a full time gig for me. At the halfway point, it’s a little discouraging to see how far I still have to go, but it doesn’t change my drive.

If you’re interested in helping, the best way to do that is to purchase one of my books, read it, rate it, and review it. You can take it to the next level (if you like the book) by recommending it (or buying it) for a friend. In addition to God’s will, which I will always cheerfully submit to, this dream of mine isn’t possible without loyal readers.

That brings me to those of you who are loyal readers. I thank God for all of you. It’s great getting emails from some of you and seeing your reviews. It’s wonderful to know there are a few of you out there supporting me, and I truly hope your ranks grow.

I’m still grateful to God for what he’s done in my life. I have a wonderful wife and three great sons. I’m in good health. I have an amazing day job. In short, I’m truly blessed. I pray God blesses you all, and I hope you’ll continue this journey with me.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Some wonderful reviews to share!

Greetings all,

I’m (as always) happy to report I have some reviews to share with you. Feedback is always appreciated, and it’s all the more awesome when they’re positive.

All of these reviews were based on audiobooks, but most of the reviewers were so cool, they posted those reviews on multiple platforms (Goodreads and Amazon).

Let’s start with this four-star review for Sojourn in Captivity published by Margaret:

Interested in listening to more

This is the second book I have read/listened to by this author and I would listen to another. I like how there is a creature that is their God but he is not benevolent and his status as a God is sketchy. To evolve, her species- the seferam, transform into violent creatures. I did not quite catch the reason behind this. Either I missed it or it’s just not properly explained because this is a novella. I definitely look forward to listening to more in the series——- This is the first book I have listened to by this narrator ( Courtney Sanello ). I find her voice is an excellent match to the story since the Seferam seem to be similar to our conventional concept of winged fairies like Tinker Bell. Her voice is unique and has a very fluid, smooth, yet high quality to it. Despite this, she still does the male characters quite well.——- There are no explicit sex scenes, excessive violence, or swearing. ——- I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review. Please feel free to comment on whether you found my review helpful.

---

I always love hearing that on of my books (or, in this case, two) has left someone open to more of my work. I hope Margaret does decide to try more of my work.

The other three reviews are for The Power of Words. They are all four or five star reviews. The reviewers also shared those reviews on other platforms.

One can also be seen on Amazon here.

The other two were shared on Goodreads, and you can read them here and here.

As always, I humbly ask that you consider leaving a review on Amazon, Audible, Goodreads, or all three if you’ve read any of my work. It’s always helpful. I offer my thanks to all of these reviewers for not only taking the time to read my work, but also taking the time to rate and review it. No one is obligated to do such a thing, so I’m honored they gave of their time to discuss my work. I’m sure the other authors for The Power of Words feel the same.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

More Reviews, Even A Few International Reviews!

Greetings all,

I’m once again blessed to be able to share reviews with you. These reviews are particularly close to my heart for a few reasons.

First, I have my first international review. Over at Audible.co.uk, I have two reviews.

Kathrine Leach left this short and sweet three-star review for Caught:

“good story”

“It took a while for me to get into this book but once I did it was quite good. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.”

---

D M Reynolds left this very kind four-star review for Stealing Freedom:

“Disturbing”

“This story is soooo plausible given our current reality. A true dystopian tale for our times. It explores – lightly – the extremes of censorship and expression. At the same time, it’s an action-packed cheer-for-the-robbers kind of adventure. Much of the world is essentially the same as ours (which adds to the plausibility). The cops are hot on the trail of our heroes… and yet nothing is quite as it first appears (just like a good heist movie!) Enjoyed this story. The length and narration both suited it very well. I received this audiobook for free in exchange for a fair review.”

---

It really means a lot to me to see that my work is starting to spread. Not only that, but people (at the very least) liking it! I also got some new reviews on the U.S. version of Audible.

Adam Bogovich left this five-star review for Stealing Freedom:

“Short and to the point”

“We start our journey 5 years into a dystopian society. You meet some rebels who you don’t get to know too well, but pretty well for the time allotted. The plan that unfolds is pretty clever, and i feel like if there was more time to build on the world/characters, the twist wouldn’t have been surprising; so it all works out. Other than that, the narrator was great as well! I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.”

---

I’ve saved the most special set of reviews for last. Theres a philosophy I hold to as an author:

The first sentence you write determines if the reader will finish the page. The first page determines if the reader will read the first chapter. The first chapter will determine if the reader finishes the book. That book then becomes a promise. “If you liked this book, you’ll love my next one.”

The reviews from Shawna that follow are a beautiful representation of how true this is. They also represent everything I strive to do for readers and as an author. Shawna, if you’re reading this, thank you so much. Please see just a bit more at the bottom.

She first listened to Caught:

“Different and amazing!”

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review. The title first caught my attention – I am a sucker for anything Greek Mythology related. Oh dear author, you know my heart’s true love and you don’t even know me. The book started a bit slow. I wasn’t sure where it was going at first and then I started piecing it together as I went along. It suddenly picked up and Oh boy! I love the plot, the premise and everything about this book. It is strange, different and creepy. I really could not stop listening to it. The narrator was absolutely perfect and had amazing pacing. I was not disappointed at all by this book in any way.”

---

This book became my promise (from my point of view) to Shawna. I’m thrilled that she liked Caught. I’m so happy that it was good enough for her to decide to try more of my work. Then she listened to Stealing Freedom:

“Great story”

“I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review. I do not like multiple narrators. In this instance, they did okay and I was able to listen all the way through but the double narrators did ruin my enjoyment a little bit. I am going to find an ebook copy of the book instead and pretend the narration did not happen. This was a great story which has a very real feel to the premise. You can definitely see this happening in the future…..No unauthorized communication and strict punishment for breaking the rules about communication. It was very chilling to think that even right now, we are slightly limited on our freedom of speech. Is this a glimpse of the future?”

---

This review alone is flattering. I wanted (in this case) listeners to truly ponder what a world without protest or free speech would look like. She next read Sojourn in Captivity, and left the first review I’ve had for that title on Audible.

“Too Short!”

“I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review. The only thing that displeased me about this audiobook was the length. I wish it was longer and that there was more to it. This is the second book by this author that I have listened to in the last week and I am starting to believe that I need to write this name into my favorites list. I love magic, fantasy, faeries, werewolves, vampires etc etc. This book was right up my alley and I absolutely loved it. I hope the author will continue with this because sign me up! Lots of action and adventure and well written. Even though it’s a short book, pick it up! You will not regret it!”

---

Don’t worry Shawna, I have an entire series planned for that universe (an entire universe) and Elele is one of several main characters. There’s a lot more to see there. This was just designed to introduce you to her.

Now we get to the part that’s especially rewarding. Check out this review she left for Repressed!

“Hooked on this author!”

“I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review. Ok Weech, you got me. I am yours. This was a shorter book but the third that I have listened to by this author and I am now setting up an amazon alert for this author. You have won my heart. I may be older (I will not state my age because it is embarrassing) but I do love me some YA. This was written slightly different to the previous book, Caught, because it was geared towards a different audience but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I do wonder if the author is going to have 2 different types of books for this series: YA and adult? Either way, I will definitely be reading all there is to come.”

---

I must respectfully disagree, Shawna. It is I who am yours. In choosing to read my work, you’ve made me your author. You’ve made my stories something you value, and that is a blessing I cherish. It is a gift I mean to care for. It’s my duty to never disappoint you or break the loyalty you’ve given me. Should I write something you don’t enjoy, I hope you’ll forgive me and allow my next book to set things right.

Being an author (as a business) is about loyalty. Every reader offers you their time. The author’s responsible for rewarding that time with entertainment. I can only hope that more people will try my work and feel the way that Shawna did. I hope she’s tried The Journals of Bob Drifter, and loved it. I hope she’s one of the first to pick up Betrayed, and I hope it answers her questions (and leaves her with a whole new list of them).

Reviews like this make hours and hours of writing, proofreading, designing, and formatting worth it, and I can’t thank all you readers enough.

Thank you!

V/R
Matt

Writing Update: How are things going?

Greetings all,

Even by my standards, I’ve been behind in my social media updates. Plus, it’s been a little while since I gave an update on the projects I’m working on.  This felt like a good time.

Betrayed: Book Two of the Oneiros Log is still with Sara. I’m still not sure if I’ll jump on this when she sends her feedback of if I’ll finish this draft of Discovered first. The further along I get in that draft, the more likely I’ll finish that before I start revisions on Betrayed. I’m still hopeful for a 2020 release on that, but there are just so many factors that go into it these days. This is still my primary writing project though.

Discovered:  I’m all but 50% through the discovery draft of the last Oneiros Log book. It’ll be the first saga I finish and publish, so that’s super exciting! I expect things to slow down just a bit since I’m in the real meat of the plot. Things can expand and contract too as I draft this story. We meet at least five new characters in this, and I’m working to make sure the plot lines are well woven.  I’m pretty happy with how this draft is going. I am aware of a few things that’ll need work in revision, but I think this is a nice start.  It’s currently about 35,000 words. That feels a bit short to me. I anticipate the complete story to be somewhere around 90,000. One reason for this is because my percentages are based on chapters written rather than word count. It’ll definitely be the largest book in the trilogy (or quadrilogy if you count Kaitlyn’s little outrigger story, Repressed). But all of these stories were meant to be fast-paced pop-corn movie type books.

Images of Truth: This is officially Book On in the Perception of War series. Elele’s story, Sojourn in Captivity, was more like a prequel novella focused just on her, but it does introduce one of the many planets and alien species in this universe. Before I started work on Discovered, I was about 53% through the discovery draft of IoT. I still feel like it’s fantastic, but it’ll need some careful revision. This will become my main priority once I finish Oneiros.

So that’s just a quick update on my current workload. I think things are going nicely. I’m thankful for all of you who are reading and offering encouragement. It’s a real blessing just to be able to write and publish books. Of course I hope to make this my occupation, but even this is wonderful.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

 

A 4-star review for the Sojourn and Repressed combo paperback!

Greetings all,

    It feels like it’s been forever since I was blessed enough to share a new review, but here we are!

One reader was kind enough to share a 4-start review on Goodreads for the Repressed/Sojourn in Captivity paperback. I’m always thankful for people who take the time to provide feedback. She mentioned she’d like to see more for Elele, and I promise, more is on the way. I will finish the discovery draft of Images of Truth as soon as I finish Oneiros Log. If you’re a kindle reader or a KU reader, you can read either or both of these stories. Repressed is here. Sojourn is here.

I was also happy to see a 5-star rating for The Journals of Bob Drifter! There wasn’t a review to share with you all, but I’m more than happy for the rating.

As always, I’d like to humbly ask that if you’ve read one of my stories, please take a moment to offer a rating and review on Amazon, Goodreads, or both. They really do give me a boost, and they are helpful! A lot of people use them to decide if they want to buy it or not.

Thank you for reading,

Matt

I’ve Finished the Outline for Discovered!

Greetings all,

I’m happy to report that I’ve finished the outline for Discovered, the conclusion of the Oneiros Log and the story which began in Caught.

COVID has caused me to have to adjust how I operate. I was counting on conventions to earn the money I needed to get Betrayed a developmental edit, but no conventions in my life (at least so far) means no sales. The good news is the finances are (apparently) back on track for my normal budgeting. That means I can resume saving for edits. That will happen in time, but it will take time (about five months at most). That’s not the timeline I wanted to work with, but we live in the world we live in.

Rather than freeze completely, I’m able to work on other projects that I can have ready for when the world (God willing) gets back to normal. I typically bounce from one project to another. In a perfect world, I would have had Betrayed edited by now, so I would do the next draft on that while I let Discovered simmer. Since that isn’t an option, I’ve decided to get caught up in other projects, namely, Images of Truth. I was working on this discovery draft and set it aside to work on Sojourn in Captivity, which is essentially a prequel to Images. It really bugged me to have a draft 118,000 words written but not finished. So I’m going to take the chance to get that draft done.

Now, Images of Truth is huge! So I might not finish that draft before I start working on Discovered’s discover draft. I promised that I’d get Oneiros done, and I mean to do it. I’ll work on Images until June 1, then get cranking on Discovered.

The moment I save or earn enough to get Betrayed to Sara for a developmental edit, I will, and I will let you know. Maybe what I get out of this is getting Images closer to ready as well. If (and it’s a big if) I get that discovery draft of Images done, I’ll do another pass on The 1,200, which is scheduled to be the book I release after I’m done with Oneiros.

I wanted to post this to show you all that I am working hard to get this saga done and into your (very patient) hands. I’m also doing my best to keep the creative projects going so there I  don’t get stuck in the midst of this trial.

I’m glad I hit this benchmark, and I appreciate all the support you’ve shown from the beginning to now and, hopefully, the future.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Soundtracks for My Books!

Greetings all,

I’m still plugging away on Discovered’s outline while I’m saving up money to get Betrayed edited. Since I’m such a fan of music, I thought I’d do a little exercise where I picked out title soundtracks all of my books.

The Journals of Bob Drifter: “Off He Goes” by Pearl Jam.

 

So one thing that I don’t do very much is pay attention to lyrics, at least not where soundtracks are concerned. I think it could be a bit boring to narrate a novel to music anyway. What I listen for is for a song to match the feel and tone of one of my projects.  I love this song, and I think the tone is perfect. I like the sound. I like the tempo. I’d be thrilled if Bob were to be made a series (not a movie!), and this song were selected as a title soundtrack.

Caught: “This is Our War” by Halocene

 

So this is a band I’ve been meaning to endorse for a while. Honestly, in my dream scenario, Halocene does an original song for Oneiros, but this song is pretty close to what I’d want. I honestly think the lyrics match up okay too (but don’t hold me to that). This song has the change-up in tone and emotion that any soundtrack song for Caught would have to have.

Repressed: “Eighteen” by First to Eleven

 

 

So yeah, I’m double-tapping this, but the song works, and I really do like it. The tone shift from Caught to Repressed is something I went into with open eyes, and I wouldn’t change it. This song has that coming of age feel, and Repressed is more or less a coming of age story. Kaitlyn has some ways to grow, but the woman she becomes at the end of this saga is one I’ll love for as long as I’m alive. So this little Y-A, female-lead story has a song that’s more or less an anthem for such a mindset. It’s not where Kaitlyn ends, but it is where she was at that time in her life.

Sojourn in Captivity: John Williams, please compose the soundtrack!

 

Perception of War is my Space Opera, and I can’t imagine a space saga ever happening without John Williams composing the soundtrack. Perception of War isn’t as romantic as Star Wars, but I’d trust Mr. Williams to apply the proper mood to each scene and nail a great opening credits song.

 

Stealing Freedom: The Pretender by Foo Fighters

 

So this is probably the one I’ve thought the least about. I’m not even sure why. But when I thought about what I would want if Stealing Freedom were made into a movie, I thought, “What band do I like no matter what mood I’m in?” Answer: “The Foo Fighters.” They always rock out, and this song fits wonderfully.

What are your thoughts? Are there any songs that you think would go well with one of my books?

Thanks for reading (and listening),

Matt

The Red City Review For Sojourn In Captivity!

Greetings all,

A while back I sent Sojourn in Captivity to be reviewed by Red City Review. The five-star feedback was humbling and kind.  You can find the official link here.

What I’d like to do most is take a moment to talk about one particular compliment.

“Essential plot pieces are set in place here for future series entries, but the real attraction is Weech’s world-building. Animals, trees and plants, domestic customs, and planetary weather phenomena are all described in detail, giving a well-formed view of life on Oron.”

The Perception of War series is huge, and my goal is to provide a truly universal story. This means the planets need to feel real. The aliens need to feel authentic. Is that what everyone will think? No. But it is my goal to help a number of readers feel like they’re on different planets interacting with creatures.

That comment from Red City Review was particularly validating because it showed that the effort I put into making Oron and the Seferam feel authentic worked, at least for that reviewer.

Honestly, I would have been elated for them to say that the world building was good, so to have the reviewer say the world building was the real attraction was actually a surprise, but a welcome one.

I’ve said a few times that I always strive first to have compelling characters. My new logo proclaims, “Great Characters. Clever Plots.” I want to stand behind that, but I also strive to grow with each project I work on. If I’m going to grow as a science fiction / fantasy author, I need to have immersive worlds, and this review indicates I’m off to a good start.

In related news, Sojourn is entered into the 2019 Red City Review Book Awards. I haven’t heard anything regarding whether or not it’s a finalist, but I’m hopeful. I truly do think Sojourn is a fantastic story (even if it’s short).

My hope is the review might convince you to give it a try if you haven’t already. If you have, even if you hated it, I’d sure appreciate a rating and review on Amazon or Goodreads.

Thank you for reading,

Matt

MarsCon 2020: My First Con Outside of Maryland!

Greetings everyone,

Last week I took a moment to tell you all we were in Williamsburg, Virginia, for MarsCon, so I wanted to take a few moments to let you know how things went.

My main goal for this trip was the try a few new things and to get my work into hands of new readers.

I sold 28 books in total. Sojourn in Captivity drew the most interest, and that makes me happy since Perception of War is really something I’m going to write.  In comparison to last year, 28 books is fairly slow, but there wasn’t a ton of foot traffic at the event, and 28 is still a solid number of books sold based on my historical average.

The real star of the show is my wife. She’s a talented artist, and we had an idea. She takes photos of people and then draws chibi caricatures of them.

A simple paper and ink chibi is $5, and a full-color digital chibi is $15. She got a lot of attention even with a small spot on the table. She sold six chibis (three ink, three digital). She really stole the show in all the best ways, and I love her for the active role she’s taken in this journey.  If you’d like to be a chibi, you can order one by email here. She’s already had people contact her by social media to set up future orders, and that is super encouraging.

Why the art? Product. On. The. Shelf. Author copies of books are costly, and the percentage we make isn’t great. That puts the overhead for a convention at a high mark that’s unlikely to be met.  For instance, MarsCon cost us $708 for just the table and books. I would have had to sell every book I had on its own (no bundles) to make a profit. With my wife’s help, the art can pay for the table, and the books have a better chance to pay for themselves, which would allow us to make conventions an investment for profit rather than a marketing tool.

Now, that dollar amount is higher because I bought essentially two cons’ worth of books. But, if the art (low upfront cost) can pay for the tables, we have a real chance.  This is because books and a table are normally about $444. This shifts depending on the event, but I’m currently optimistic that chibis can not only let my wife have some limelight (she’s always wanted to let her art be her career), but also take a step forward to making our little business profitable.

I hope you’ll send some emails and make some orders.

This was a pretty solid start to the 2020 tour. It was essentially a fun family vacation that allowed me to get books into the hands of new readers, and that was the goal in this case. I’m grateful to everyone who stopped by to support our dreams.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

The 2020 State of the Weech

Greetings all,

Three years ago, I made a commitment to give this my best effort for eight years. I’ve tracked that (in a way) by doing my annual State of the Weech. It’s my chance to let you know what I’m up to and what my plans are.

2019 was a pretty good year in my opinion. I managed to release yet another four titles: Repressed, Sojourn in Captivity, The Repressed and Sojourn paperback flip book, and Stealing Freedom.

I can only say with confidence that I’m going to release two titles this year, and even that is going to be challenging, but I will do my best.

So without further ado, here are my plans for what I hope is a fantastic 2020.

March 1 (or sooner): Testimony: A Trial of Faith. This is the book adaptation of the blog series I wrote while my mom battled cancer. I put a lot of thought into whether or not to release it, but it feels like the right thing to do. All the royalties from the sales of that book will be donated to the American Brain Tumor Association. This project has way more to do with my love of God and my love of my mother than any artistic pursuit, but I have the proofreading edits back from Sarah, and I’m making my way through that final draft now. March 1 is probably the realistic date for that given how a book rollout (or as best as I know how a rollout) goes. My goal is just to have this project create a way to send the ABTA some donations.

Even more on this! Once Sojourn comes out, I’ll release a single flip book which will contain both Repressed and Sojourn. I love flip books, and this gets me another physical book I can sell at conventions. Also, both these stories feature compelling young female characters, and I think they’ll fit well together.

Feb. 26: OffWorld, featuring Hazel Deep Block Terror Squad. This has been a dream project for a long time (since I was in junior high school). The comic by me and Collin Fogel, my best friend from junior high, came about organically, but I couldn’t be happier. I’m hoping to have copies of issue 1 available when I go to Four State Comic Con if not sooner, but you’ll be able to get it at your local comic book stores by Feb. 26. Please contact your local comic shop and ask them to order copies.

Fall of 2020: Betrayed: Book Two of the Oneiros Log. I know you’ve waited for this book, and I have the Alpha Draft going. I think it looks good, and the Alpha Readers thought well of it too. The goal is for that book to be my main priority (after Testimony). I’ll get that title out as soon as I can.

Now I’ll just run down the list of projects I have in various stages of development. I’ll try to order them by how I think they’ll get released, but it’s just too hard to tell.

Discovered: I changed the name from Hunted, but it’s the same project. If I release another book in 2020, it’ll be this book. I’ve finished the plotting to this story and started the overall outline. I’ll jump straight to this when I’m done with Betrayed.

Sonnets for my Savior: I’ve completed this “draft,” or blog series. I’ve given it to my pastors for review. If they decide it’s scripturally sound and we have enough sonnets left after editing, I’ll publish a physical edition of that series of poems.

Musings on Christianity: If you follow my blog, you’ve already seen I’ve started that as my Christian work. The blog is happening now, and once I’m able to get it reviewed, it may be formatted into a paperback, but that will also depend on pastoral review. I’m sincerely hoping to get what I hoped would be a panel to actually be a panel. As it stands, it’s really more just me contemplating questions I’ve asked myself as I grew in the faith.

The 1,200: This was actually something I intended to release a while back, but it just felt like getting The Oneiros Log done was the right call. If you liked The Journals of Bob Drifter, you might get a kick out of some of what happens. And if you look very closely, you might see some familiar faces. I might actually weave this in while editing Betrayed and/or Hunted. The question is when it will come out. I’m going to take a hard look at this story and make sure it works. I’ve developed quite a bit as an author, and so this story deserves an edit with my now more-critical eye. I plan for this to be released sooner rather than later.  That’s exactly what was on my last blog. I’m still mulling over some pretty big decisions on this story, but it will be what I intend to work on and publish as my next full length release.

New Utopia: I finished a draft of this story and realized it was two books. I intend to go back into this and expand each half into a duo-logy.  It’s a fun story. I call it Mistborn meets Avatar. Again, this only needs revisions and edits, but everything is pretty much waiting until The Oneiros Log gets finished.

Mercer: This is a series I plan to write like episodes of a tv show. Each season will have a specific plot, and each season will consist of a run of novellas.  I call it Dresden Files meets Bones. I thought I’d start working on it last year, but life had other plans. I will absolutely start working on it when Oneiros is done. Episodes from this series will be released while I work on the larger projects.

Perception of War: Images of Truth: So I was pretty deep into the discovery draft of that story when I started dancing around other projects. Sojourn became a priority, and now I’m gearing up to start this epic series. Images is the first book of at least twelve. It’s my special forces in space saga. However, that draft isn’t done, so what will happen is I’ll chip away at this while I’m editing 1,200.

Leah Saldawn and The Nick of Time:  I wrote the discover draft to this ages ago (Saleah wasn’t in high school yet, and now she’s all grown up!) I let it sit because it’s unrelated to other books and for a much younger audience (10-16). I don’t like leaving things on the shelf, so I’m not sure when I’ll fit it in, but I will eventually. There’s a thought about seven books here, but we’ll see how things go. This one’s written, so it will get published.

Before I hit my eight-year mark, I hope to have ten full-length novels published. That was always the benchmark three years ago. The idea is if I have ten novels, and I’ve been working for eight years, I should see some sort of profit in this business adventure. Thus far, I’ve been encouraged that I’m losing less money each year, but the goal is for this to be a source of provision, maybe even (the dream of dreams) a full time occupation.

You can help with that. If you’d like to, please, purchase one of my books. Give it a read. Offer a rating and review. Recommend it to a friend. The only way this is going to truly take off is with your help.

Whatever happens, I’m still humbled at how much has already happened. I currently have ten titles available, and I’m 30% toward my goal of ten full-length books.

I’m also humbled by each of you, readers. I’ve had the honor of speaking with a number of you about my books and hearing how excited you are about the next one. That sort of encouragement makes it so it’s hard to wait to publish the next story.

This is still wonderful evidence of God’s role in my life and his generosity. He also gave me people like you to talk to and hear from. I truly appreciate all that you’ve done, and I hope you’ll continue this journey with me.

Thanks for Reading,
Matt