News: Bad and Good. And a plea.

Over a year ago I posted to this blog to tell you that I’d been struggling with my health, but that I thought things were looking up. I’m sad and humbled to come back and tell you that feeling of well-being was overly optimistic and... it didn’t last. I continued to wrestle with fatigue, weakness, lack of concentration, and brain fog. 
 
It’s hard to describe accurately. It’s deeply personal. And I don’t think there’s any need to go into all the details, but I’m sure you can imagine that it was difficult to write under those conditions—the fear of producing an inferior product that would ruin my career was very strong and very real. I continued to seek answers with my doctors, but with symptoms that vague it can be very difficult to find answers.
 
I do see light at the end of the tunnel now, however, and it seems to be lasting.
 
The good news is that I received a new medical diagnosis in January. I am receiving treatment that has helped a great deal. Since January I’ve been slowly seeing my concentration come back, my problems with finding words slowly receding, and the general feeling of malaise easing. This new treatment has made a world of difference. 
 
I am writing. It’s slow-going, however I’m hopeful that I can deliver Convergence in early 2021. I’m still not fully recovered. I’m still pursuing further diagnosis and treatment, but I’m able to write again.
 
Now, to the plea...
 
I’ll cut to the chase and just be honest: If I’m not publishing new books regularly, I’m not making money. We’ve put on our grown-up pants and cinched up our belts, but it’s becoming rapidly apparent that is not enough. If I can’t find a way to generate some income I will have two choices: sell my house or get a job outside the home. Both options would be disruptive to my health, my family life, and my writing.
 
If you’re here, it’s because you’ve enjoyed my books. And I know there are other readers out there who would enjoy them too—they just haven’t heard of me yet! I’m going to ask you to help me find them… in a rather round-about way. 
 
(The direct way—telling friends and family—is always welcome too!)
 
I’ve created an omnibus of the first three books in the Confluence series, plus the three related short stories. It's called Confluence Codex 1, an Omnibus of the SciFi Series, Books 1-3 

(Click here if you reside outside of the US--this smartURL will redirect you to the Amazon store in your country.)

It’s well over 1000 pages of content, some of it never published outside of anthologies before. Perhaps some of this is new to you!

Normally, I will sell the digital version of the omnibus for $7.99 US (less than the cost of my first three books combined), but for a short time—just 48 hours—I have marked this collection down to $0.99 for my most loyal readers and I really hope that you’ll consider buying it while it’s set at that low price.
 
I know you probably already have all three of these books (Fluency, Remanence, and Inheritance), but you may not have read the related short fiction: “The Fall of the Percedus,” “Carindi,” or “The Grove.” And I believe that 99 cents is a very fair price for roughly 100 pages of story about some of the concepts and people you’ve come to love in my universe.
 
I have never set up a Patreon page because I felt that fulfilling monthly pledge requirements would take away from my writing time. But now I’m asking you to support me. I’m asking you to buy this book while I have it on sale for 99 cents.
 
How will such a small sum help me? Two ways.
 
First, it will tickle Amazon’s algorithm. It will show Amazon that there is interest in this book so that the Almighty Zon will start showing it in search results. If that were to happen, the effect could snowball, and when the omnibus returns to full price, it could continue selling well on its own—helping me find new readers who will hopefully go on to buy more of my books over time.
 
Second, I’m also hoping that you’ll find it in your heart to leave a review (an honest one, of course!). I’d like to be able to advertise this omnibus as soon as possible—but the best marketing I can buy requires that the book has enough reviews to display a kind of social metric. I could wait for those to populate organically, but honestly if this gambit is going to work, I don’t have the luxury of waiting months and months for that to happen.
 
So, if you can, please help me out and spend the 99 cents on this omnibus. Then consider leaving a verified review about the collection. I’ll do the rest. And I’ll keep working away at bringing you Convergence, which I believe will surprise and delight you. 
 
It’s not easy for me to ask for help, but I hope you’ll consider it—but only if you can. Times are tough all around right now. If you’re struggling too, please put your family first. 
 
99 cents. For you, the price of a candy bar. For me, if enough of you choose to help, the chance to keep working on my dream—writing more books for you to enjoy.
 
If you can’t help—I still thank you. You’ve purchased my books in the past. You follow my social media. You’re curious about me and my life. That’s more than I could ever have asked for. I know these are hard times. I’m grateful for each and every reader.
 
I wish all the best for you and your loved ones during this troubled time and I sincerely appreciate your support.

​Convergence in 2021!
 
Read on!