tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28916943109362240972024-02-18T21:02:12.076-05:00J. S. Bailey WritesThe random musings of J. S. Bailey and her imaginary friends.J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.comBlogger123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-72159917973983045312022-06-24T19:11:00.000-04:002022-06-24T19:11:01.849-04:00Upon a Waking Dream: A Preview!<p style="text-align: justify;">In case you haven't heard, I'm Kickstarting a new short story collection soon! How do you like the cover?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8vXv7mZd0EM0y4rkLn90ThcIfZ3A28PXcx152ZRX3xpKs6pbgKT8cfGfgfRPDIliWWhwPd2Xd6MVc9rtjYhMXFH-GVDEo5bo7K-DnuQr-0M9-PDaWYhmgIhjou2OjKP4JIkMuWDES-8Ces5uWW-h1Ug9niwOU3xM9oHSGr0j6Toc5yz9lSrAyl_7s/s2400/ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1576" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8vXv7mZd0EM0y4rkLn90ThcIfZ3A28PXcx152ZRX3xpKs6pbgKT8cfGfgfRPDIliWWhwPd2Xd6MVc9rtjYhMXFH-GVDEo5bo7K-DnuQr-0M9-PDaWYhmgIhjou2OjKP4JIkMuWDES-8Ces5uWW-h1Ug9niwOU3xM9oHSGr0j6Toc5yz9lSrAyl_7s/s320/ebook.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Upon a Waking Dream is a collection of 12 science fiction and fantasy stories...and you can read one of them right here. Keep scrolling!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj3jSRTCMnRQ5wgBu7bhSthNMcsXB5gEMrxjmN3BQ3JYqIXBamwh3A1fF23XpWMhWDjz8yZMQ-UiuyiS-TTZYIz_3BES7Ca83uRZEmSOb8KMrK21ydhDxl_2RUJHJ3FvHwv4VuO324JJDmgNDRiau0CZdmH8QwvhYsP2P3Pbsen0XzYuPVIgM5_xAK/s981/dailylog.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="981" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj3jSRTCMnRQ5wgBu7bhSthNMcsXB5gEMrxjmN3BQ3JYqIXBamwh3A1fF23XpWMhWDjz8yZMQ-UiuyiS-TTZYIz_3BES7Ca83uRZEmSOb8KMrK21ydhDxl_2RUJHJ3FvHwv4VuO324JJDmgNDRiau0CZdmH8QwvhYsP2P3Pbsen0XzYuPVIgM5_xAK/s320/dailylog.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Day 1</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Greetings, daily log! Wow, it’s fun talking into this thing—I don’t even have to type! Good thing, because I’m all butterfingers on a keyboard. Right, right…okay. My name is Kwame Pattison, not that I’m important. Porter and I arrived at Outpost #602 on Kuiper Belt Object Perez 9276b this morning at 0800 hours Eastern Daylight Time. Morris and Jeong were so glad we came to replace them, they burst into actual tears. It’s a funny thing to watch in ultra-low gravity. They said they’d nearly died of boredom out here. I’m smart; I brought some old shows with me, a stack of books, and a few two-player games. Porter brought knitting needles and a basket of yarn. Some people are just full of surprises.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Day 2</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This place is the shape of a potato, and isn’t much bigger than one. While Porter stayed inside the compound, I suited up and went for a walk around the surface of Perez 9276b. There’s no air, of course, and the ground is the color of old concrete. Before he and Morris left, Jeong warned me not to attempt running outside; the gravity is so low I could send myself into orbit if I go too fast.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I’m tempted to try, but I’m not entirely stupid. I won’t die in space.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Day 3</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">When I was assigned this job, I was told that Outpost #602 had been listening for signals from interstellar space for nine and a half years. Nobody’s ever heard an abnormal peep out of the scanners in that entire length of time, but it’s still a good-paying gig. By the time they send me back to Earth in four months, I’ll have enough money to put a down payment on a house. Kimmy and I were thinking of looking at places near Denver. I can practically smell the mountain air!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Day 4</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I guess I should be talking more about actual work in this log. Well, guess what: I haven’t heard anything, and I have a fairly decent ear for anomalies. My elbow hurts from leaning on it half the day while I listen to the equipment. Once I thought I heard an eerie warbling coming through, but it was just Porter singing in the shower.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Day 5</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It’s getting a little dreary out here. The sun is so far away, it’s just a bright dot a little bigger than the other stars. This rock’s orbit isn’t much farther out than the orbit of Neptune, but Neptune is way around the other side of the sun right now, so we can’t even look at that.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I wish there were sunshine, or weather, or something. Even a little earthquake would be nice for some excitement, but you can’t have an earthquake if you’re not on Earth.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Day 6</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Still no alien signals. I started watching reruns of I Love Lucy. Porter tried to make some cakes in the kitchen but made a sloppy mess everywhere that I had to help clean up. Spilling flour in ultra-low gravity should be a punishable offense.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I’ve sent Kimmy a few messages letting her know I’m safe. I hope my messages don’t interfere with anything the aliens might be sending us. If there even are aliens. It’s not like anyone’s actually heard one, or seen one. I’m starting to think they’re as real as Bigfoot.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Day 7</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Porter and I have been discussing what the aliens might look like, if we ever do meet them. We agree they would probably be humanoid, with opposable thumbs that would help them build their spaceships. But what color would they be? Would they have hair and wear clothes, like us?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Yes, Porter, I’m talking to myself. Where have you been the past week when I record the day’s thoughts? And you say you have a degree in physics. I guess nobody can major in The Obvious.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Day 8</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Porter is pouting now. I didn’t mean to hurt his feelings, but come on.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Yes, Porter, I’m talking about you again. It’s called “venting.” Who the hell else am I going to talk to out here? The ghost of Neil Armstrong?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Sorry, getting back on track now. I spent part of the day suited up outside, getting my exercise in. It only takes an hour and a half to completely circumnavigate this rock. Magellan would be green with envy! Did I mention how glorious the stars all look out here, with no atmospheric haze to dim them? It’s a backyard astronomer’s wet dream.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But still no alien signals.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Day 9</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Today was boring. Porter still isn’t talking to me. I might hold a séance later to conjure up old Neil. I bet he didn’t have to deal with this crap on the moon.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Day 10, Part 1</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Nothing new to report. I—</p><p style="text-align: justify;">What the hell was that? Porter, get in here!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Day 10, Part 2</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Something’s shown up in our sector, heading straight toward us from the direction of interstellar space. It’s like it just materialized there, but now it’s moving fast. Our scanners can’t identify it as any previously-known object in this region. We’ve already alerted the other Kuiper Belt bases, as well as the ones on Titan and Ceres, even though they’re farther in. It’ll take a little longer for the alert to reach Earth.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This thing isn’t moving like an ordinary space rock. What if it hits us? There shouldn’t have been anything like this out here at all, dammit!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Day 11</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The object moved sharply off course early this morning, saving us from certain disaster.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We can’t just shrug it off, though. Four more objects like it popped up out of nowhere on the scanners today. My teeth won’t stop chattering. Porter’s used the lavatory about seventeen times. We received the confirmation that Earth and all outlying bases have been placed on Red Alert. The first object is already closing in on Jupiter’s orbit. Scanning probes near the Jupiter system indicate the object is metal. I’d bet my salary all the new ones are, too.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Oh, God. One of the new objects is coming right toward us.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Day 12, Part 1</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We’ve requested evacuation. It sounds nice, but it won’t be fast enough. This thing will be here in three hours if it doesn’t change course. A ship from the Titan base will be here next week. If there is a next week for us. We don’t have any weapons.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Day 12, Part 2</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I can see the damned thing. The object is a bright light moving toward us. This is utter insanity. Can I please wake up now? They must have picked up our signals and homed in on us. Porter picked up a frequency coming from the object and dialed the volume all the way up. It sounded like a pure cacophony that had to be biological in origin. We think it was the aliens talking to some of their other ships. No humanoids would make sounds like that.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I don’t think I want to know what the aliens look like. God, get me off this rock!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Day 12, Part 3</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The object has just landed on Kuiper Belt Object Perez 9276b, about one kilometer from the compound. We can see it through the viewports—it’s shaped kind of like a big, metal chicken egg with some running lights around it. I keep praying these people are friendly. I can’t stop shaking. We’re about to make history here…</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Shit, figures just started emerging from the object. Three—no, four, of them. They’re suited up, so they clearly need air like us. But what kind of air? Oxygen? Methane? Oh, who the hell cares! They’re moving right toward the airlock!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I can see them better now. They’re tall, at least two meters, with round, plump bodies. And they’re walking on two slender legs.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Porter just vomited on the floor—of course I’m telling that to the machine; I just saw it happen! Don’t worry about cleaning it up. Maybe they won’t mind the mess? Oh, boy. They’re at the airlock now. I’m going to go arm myself…there’s a knife in the kitchen…okay. I’ve got the knife now.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Use your knitting needles, Porter! Stab only if provoked!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">They’re inside the airlock. The knob is turning…</p><p style="text-align: justify;">They’re stepping into the room. Oh, Jesus…okay. Their suits are blue, and their helmets have tinted face plates. Their necks are a meter long—about half the height of their entire bodies. Their legs are so skinny, it just reminds me of something…</p><p style="text-align: justify;">One seems to be scanning the air in here with an alien piece of equipment…it just said something in its own language. Now they’re taking off their helmets!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Jesus Christ, they look exactly like…</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Porter, watch out! They’re firing at us! They’re—</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Day 12, Part 4</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Quack. Quack. Quack-quack quack. Quack quack? Quack.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-56061009909130957422022-06-23T12:24:00.000-04:002022-06-23T12:24:40.932-04:00What a crazy year and a half it's been...<p style="text-align: justify;">What a crazy year and a half it's been.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I used to throw everything I had in me into my writing career. I churned out 1,000 words a day, did book signings every weekend, and trekked to far-off lands with magical names like "Minnesota" to peddle my books at comic cons.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">At the beginning of 2021, I ran my first-ever Kickstarter campaign and was happily plunging into the first draft of Dalton Kane Book 2 when my mental health took a complete nosedive. I felt like I was losing my mind and didn't know why, which was an incredibly scary thing. I started taking sleeping pills and anxiety medication in the hope I would start feeling normal again.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">About a month after I started losing my mind, I found out I was 7 weeks pregnant, which meant that my abrupt shift in mental health was due to pregnancy hormones. Yay science!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Mr. Bailey and I had been trying to have a child for 10 years with no success. I was thrilled to be pregnant but also terrified--my first pregnancy in 2010 ended in a missed miscarriage so in my mind, pregnancy was associated with nothing but disaster. I had a lot of emotional baggage to sort out last year.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Summer of 2021 was me getting used to the fact that I would soon be a mom. The pregnancy had no complications but I felt miserable, and anything to do with my writing career went out the window. I only wrote a handful of chapters in all of 2021.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And then my sweet Baby Bee arrived! And she's been growing and growing, and now that she's half a year old, I've been trying to slip back into my author role again when I get the moments to do so. I still haven't started working on Dalton Kane Book 2 again, but I'll get there someday.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHkerfbSqmrrP2yjzNk4jYGYhEMVxdvoFiIWYq-VbSd36XNn2Z02qW3WB1axnDuYseFNumU35J8z-AtEfCvxjboi4gty1BNzYbtWdBFA45WM2QPG2I5FhcNf3tvvlFMFwi87it6o90ULcBiUQEIs4Gda1zy04CpP2S1pbMCjX-pX0lNCq7yExOQuA/s2048/287787174_10223961534360581_2888264921611042203_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHkerfbSqmrrP2yjzNk4jYGYhEMVxdvoFiIWYq-VbSd36XNn2Z02qW3WB1axnDuYseFNumU35J8z-AtEfCvxjboi4gty1BNzYbtWdBFA45WM2QPG2I5FhcNf3tvvlFMFwi87it6o90ULcBiUQEIs4Gda1zy04CpP2S1pbMCjX-pX0lNCq7yExOQuA/s320/287787174_10223961534360581_2888264921611042203_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-54439580992241546712021-02-06T10:22:00.000-05:002021-02-06T10:22:54.046-05:00Dalton Kane and the Greens: A Preview<p style="text-align: justify;">Hey there, folks! It's been a long time since I've posted anything here!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In case you've missed the news, my next novel, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56504664-dalton-kane-and-the-greens" target="_blank">Dalton Kane and the Greens</a>, is due to be out this August! It's a big departure from my previous work, and I had a lot of fun writing it, so I hope you all have a lot of fun reading it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArdKS_rpJ-TaAkD9hdGt2U0id_G0twHu3nY-321NsNM2CYkvRqI00as8TKFoOTmk6-hRKJ_NhRjNPlJsyCR3f6ajinWxErabViyP9A6q-nc1fwTTMgaSgTY_xKvT4x311oDBK7z7s7GY/s1536/Kickstarter+banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1536" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArdKS_rpJ-TaAkD9hdGt2U0id_G0twHu3nY-321NsNM2CYkvRqI00as8TKFoOTmk6-hRKJ_NhRjNPlJsyCR3f6ajinWxErabViyP9A6q-nc1fwTTMgaSgTY_xKvT4x311oDBK7z7s7GY/w400-h225/Kickstarter+banner.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">Here's a quick blurb:</p><p style="text-align: justify;">When humankind first settled Molorthia Six a hundred years ago, they thought it was uninhabited. It turns out that the treelike Greens were just holding very still--and that they have teeth.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">These days, humans live in the Molorthian desert, far from the bloodthirsty forests. Life seems to be going rather miserably for widowed Sheriff Dalton Kane, so it's no real surprise when unexplained forest fires send refugee Greens fleeing toward town.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">When a violent Green attack leaves several citizens dead, Dalton and his new deputy, an ex-conman named Chumley Fanshaw, make the treacherous journey north to see what they can do to stop the fires that keep sending the Greens in their direction. They soon find themselves fighting not only for their lives, but for the lives of every human on Molorthia Six.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Intrigued? Keep scrolling for a preview of Chapter 1!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FYtsF3djkyx4UcQ7MmS5WYrjxaCO1fkrZJ4szXHdQ9FexhNhzCK4qKK2SwzfAWTlcUTHeFrHwyOX71F00rVAjDw56sUOAD-SGQ7KbTYOgxX4lZxsYUTHbRtfoqVBPi9qOHHeAhH2oDg/s2048/DK+Cover+B2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1283" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FYtsF3djkyx4UcQ7MmS5WYrjxaCO1fkrZJ4szXHdQ9FexhNhzCK4qKK2SwzfAWTlcUTHeFrHwyOX71F00rVAjDw56sUOAD-SGQ7KbTYOgxX4lZxsYUTHbRtfoqVBPi9qOHHeAhH2oDg/w400-h640/DK+Cover+B2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><u>Chapter 1</u></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Dalton Kane hated meetings.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">He suspected that whoever invented them had done it to see if anyone would notice a punchline. But, as sheriff, he was required to participate in said meetings as requested, and he wasn’t in a position to argue about it no matter how much they made him want to stab his eyes out with a paperclip.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Luckily for him, today’s meeting was with Carolyn Kaur, Richport’s mayor, and she promised it would be brief.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">He looked at his reflection in the small hand mirror he kept in his desk drawer, decided he looked as much of a bastard as ever, and dragged a greasy comb through his sunbleached hair to make it look like he’d at least tried. Then he stood, squared his shoulders, and strode out of his office with a swagger of forced masculinity to greet his superior.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">He didn’t spot Carolyn at first. His gaze roved briefly over the desks and filing cabinets that sat in neat rows in the main part of the police station. Cadu Mão de Ferro, the emergency operator, sat at his desk swirling a pen around on a piece of paper waiting for calls to come in, and Debbie Harper…</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Dalton’s eyes went wide.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Debbie Harper had brought a salad.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Again.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">He ground to a halt as the reason for Carolyn’s visit fled his mind. Time itself slowed to a near-standstill, and his vision darkened around the edges until Debbie and her lunch were all he could see. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The mousy-haired office assistant sat hunched over her desk, forking a glob of dressing-soaked plant matter into her mouth. Dalton could hear the languid crunch as she bit into it, watched as she stabbed into her bowl and brought another forkful of the substance toward her mouth.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">His heart fluttered in his chest like a moth caught in a window screen, not that they had any moths here on Molorthia Six.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Spots danced mockingly through the air before him as his consciousness started to go.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Debbie took another bite.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">A faint ringing began to sound in Dalton’s ears, and he thought, Sonofa<i>bitch</i>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">###</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Dalton came to feeling something cold and damp pressing against the side of his head.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">His eyes snapped open. Everything towered over him as if he’d shrunk, and it took him a few seconds to realize this was because he lay sprawled across the wooden plank floor like a drunk in the gutter. The battered gray filing cabinet to his left had toppled over, belching papers across the planks, and Dalton’s head and shoulder smarted in time with his heartbeat.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ah, he thought.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">“Dalton, are you okay?” Carolyn Kaur asked in a low tone. The brown-skinned woman held a self-activating icepack in one hand, and a first-aid kit lay open on the floor next to her. Her dusty, black business suit had a smudge of fresh blood on one sleeve.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">He squinted past her and saw Debbie standing by her desk with her arms crossed in defiance while Cadu Mão de Ferro gave her a scolding.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The salad was nowhere in sight.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">“But I have to start eating better!” Debbie whined to Cadu. “My doctor said!”</p><p style="text-align: justify;">“You know you can’t bring that kind of stuff in here,” Cadu said, perhaps too gently. “Not after what happened to the sheriff’s family.”</p><p style="text-align: justify;">“I taste blood,” Dalton said, looking back to Carolyn, who’d pressed the icepack against his head again.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">“You bit your lip when you fell. I saw the whole thing happen. Your legs turned into jelly, and bam.”</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Dalton narrowed his eyes again. The door to the lobby had been propped open, and an industrial-sized fan parked a meter or so away from the doorway riffled papers on the scattered desks.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Vaguely, he remembered that Carolyn had come here to talk to him about something. But then there had been the salad.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">He pulled himself to his feet, his face setting itself into a scowl so deep, it might become permanent. He stormed from the office area and out through the lobby without even going back for his Stetson.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Outside in the dusty street where the only colors were brown, tan, gray, and a little bit of red on some shop signs, Dalton began to feel more like himself again, whatever that meant. The gleaming sun beat down upon him so heavily that he could already feel his ears thinking about blistering. His brown leather trench coat would keep the sun off most of the rest of him, at least.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">He couldn’t bring himself to go get his hat. Not after what everyone had seen him do.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">“Dalton, wait.”</p><p style="text-align: justify;">He turned his head enough to see Carolyn hurrying out the entrance to the police station in her high heels.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">His expression felt like stone. “What do you want, Carolyn?”</p><p style="text-align: justify;">She frowned at him, her eyes dark wells of concern. “A few people have come to me worried about the smoke on the horizon. I thought you should send someone to check it out.”</p><p style="text-align: justify;">She hadn’t been kidding when she’d said the meeting would be brief. “Smoke?” Dalton craned his neck, unable to see anything but buildings and sand. “In which direction?”</p><p style="text-align: justify;">“To the north.” She paused. “And the northeast. Mostly the north, though. I figured you’d noticed it already.”</p><p style="text-align: justify;">He gave her a dull glare. He may have spotted some smoke that morning on his way in, but hadn’t thought much of it—sometimes things just burned. “Maybe the folks up in Paris are celebrating Bonfire Night already.”</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Carolyn opened her mouth as if to say more but then shook her head. “Clearly, this isn’t the right time to be talking to you. Is this about that damned salad?”</p><p style="text-align: justify;">A tendril of dread scuttled down Dalton’s spine the moment she spoke that word. Instead of answering, he set his jaw and turned on his heel, then stomped away from her.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Maybe she’d understand a little better if she’d been there. They all might understand a little better. But only Dalton had been there, and Summer Kane, too, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to go talking to Summer about it. He’d rather lay down naked in a bed of fire ants in the noonday Molorthian sun. Not that they had any fire ants.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;">As Dalton’s boots sent up puffs of dust with every angry footfall, he patted the loaded water pistol in its holster on his hip and felt one microscopic shred of relief.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-57409186365484558712019-12-02T22:24:00.000-05:002019-12-02T22:24:20.624-05:00Thanks and Rest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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2019 has been one heck of a year. It's certainly been my busiest year, and for these past few weeks, I've been taking a much-needed rest by hardly writing, painting the walls at the bookstore where I work, hardly writing, washing out paint rollers, hardly writing, wishing the paint specks washed off of my hands easier, and hardly writing.<br />
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But don't worry! I may not be writing much at the moment, and my event schedule has been a bit empty, but for everything there is a season. I'll be writing more again someday soon, but I'm a firm believer that self-care is an important thing, and I'll get back into the swing of things soon enough.<br />
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I do want to thank each and every one of you for your support this year! I met many of you at comic cons and book signings, and your kind words have been so encouraging. May we meet again soon!<br />
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Some people have asked how they can support my writing without attending one of my events. For those who live in the Cincinnati area, my books are available at The Book Rack, and for those who live in the Columbus, Ohio area, my books are available at The Book Loft of German Village. It's important to support local indie bookstores, which are centers of literacy and culture in our communities.<br />
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Of course, my books are also available from Barnes and Noble and Amazon, as well as at BHC Press, my publisher.<br />
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Speaking of which...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAheod7S2FwYtsWgkLMvXmdjk-Y2HeNQhDu74AscuV2gaKULhs0Wt0mfsMsODa842SWFuyh64thZMdq2ZhC9Y2SJRfuGdUXOmDG_tmVbNU2Rv4q1VaZZqCdfrUDzKAYxmNzAJhHJHCeK8/s1600/AD_Holiday_Sale_2019_FB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAheod7S2FwYtsWgkLMvXmdjk-Y2HeNQhDu74AscuV2gaKULhs0Wt0mfsMsODa842SWFuyh64thZMdq2ZhC9Y2SJRfuGdUXOmDG_tmVbNU2Rv4q1VaZZqCdfrUDzKAYxmNzAJhHJHCeK8/s320/AD_Holiday_Sale_2019_FB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
My publisher is currently running a holiday sale on all print titles, exclusively in their online store! Click here to take advantage of these deals through December 31.<br />
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Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Reading!<br />
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--J. S. Bailey<br />
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J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-69872984043655507762019-09-12T09:40:00.000-04:002019-09-12T09:40:03.297-04:00Preorder Solemnity Today!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-yhIe8ycsFjznhUReNoK1cfgzvFNbxa8xVM_UECcGLAbX1BxDG-j8_Mg7iB7ZYSjq3tqynLaOLR4u2WyoVdHfG7K1T6_oTeXsyYXhTRqujgjHAdkFiRxKK0_K34GjSsNgupkKQR2qfwM/s1600/IMG_20190911_110242_581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1183" data-original-width="1600" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-yhIe8ycsFjznhUReNoK1cfgzvFNbxa8xVM_UECcGLAbX1BxDG-j8_Mg7iB7ZYSjq3tqynLaOLR4u2WyoVdHfG7K1T6_oTeXsyYXhTRqujgjHAdkFiRxKK0_K34GjSsNgupkKQR2qfwM/s400/IMG_20190911_110242_581.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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You may have noticed it has been a long time since I've released a novel.</div>
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Being an author involves an extraordinary amount of patience. We wait weeks to see what our editors say. We wait months--or longer!--for our publishers to package up our books in nice little bows and send them out into the world to be enjoyed. (Okay, maybe there aren't any bows involved. I *am* an author; and we tend to make things up by our very natures.)</div>
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Luckily, fans of <i>The Chronicles of Servitude</i> will only have to wait a bit longer for <i>Solemnity,</i> the fourth (and penultimate!) volume of socially-awkward psychic Bobby Roland's adventures. It is available to preorder in ebook, softcover, and hardcover formats, from the following booksellers:</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Solemnity-Chronicles-Servitude-J-S-Bailey/dp/1948540630" target="_blank">Amazon</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/solemnity-j-s-bailey/1133272819?ean=9781948540636" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/solemnity-1" target="_blank">Kobo</a></div>
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<a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1478417071" target="_blank">Apple Books</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/solemnity/j-s-bailey/9781948540636" target="_blank">Waterstones</a></div>
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Bobby Roland has stumbled onto a new crisis.</div>
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Violent criminals are rising from the dead throughout Oregon—not just in Portland, but in Bobby’s adopted hometown of Autumn Ridge. He teams up with Joanna Halsey, an old acquaintance who knows a few things about the occult, to get to the bottom of the mystery. Together they surmise that these criminals have been brought back to life to complete some terrible task.</div>
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Their search for answers takes them to an occultist’s doorstep, where Bobby learns that raising the dead is no difficult feat for those devoted to black magic.</div>
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But who would resort to necromancy, and why? Bobby and Joanna must stop them before the dead kill again.</div>
J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-46964563866819977022019-07-12T15:29:00.000-04:002019-07-12T15:29:53.822-04:00Harry Potter, Good Omens, and The Power of Allegory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was ten years old when I first heard of Harry Potter.</div>
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<i>Prisoner of Azkaban</i> had just come out, and there was an article about the books' success in our Weekly Reader at school. It seemed like their popularity exploded outward from that moment, and soon it seemed that nearly everyone at my private Catholic school was reading them.</div>
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I received all three novels for Christmas that year and quickly gobbled them up. Soon after, I began to hear some concerns from parents about the "witchcraft" involved in them. My mother read the books after I did and decided they were safe enough for me, and the school library kept them in stock, and all was well.</div>
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Looking back, the Catholic community in which I was raised was somewhat laid-back. We loved God and Jesus and were still able to enjoy popular culture without fear of the devil flying out at us at every turn. To us, stories were just stories, and it didn't matter if there were witches and wizards and house elves in them. (I can't speak for all Catholics; this is just what I saw from the ones I was acquainted with.)</div>
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Of course, I still heard stories of parents refusing to allow their children to read Harry Potter because of its "Satanic" nature. Even as a child, I knew that those parents hadn't read a page of Harry Potter themselves, because there was absolutely nothing Satanic whatsoever in them. After all, Voldemort was a bad guy everyone wanted to defeat! Those parents had simply heard rumors of the devil and panicked without taking a look at the truth for themselves.</div>
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Now let's fast forward twenty years.</div>
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It's 2019. A month ago, the screen adaptation of <i>Good Omens</i> by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett was released upon the world. For those not in the know, <i>Good Omens</i> is the comedic tale of an angel, Aziraphale, and a demon, Crowley, who team up to stop the Apocalypse because they both happen to really love the Earth and don't want it to be destroyed.</div>
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Somewhat unsurprisingly, some religious groups took offense.</div>
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"Good Omens misrepresents God!" I saw one person worry online. This person had neither read the book nor watched the show, but was referencing the fact that God, the narrator, is portrayed by actress Frances McDormand.</div>
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"An angel and a demon could never be friends," another person complained. And, "A demon could never be a good guy. Demons are evil."</div>
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Since this is a free country, people of course have the right to object to whatever they want to. However, I prefer taking a more nuanced approach to analyzing fiction. </div>
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Having a woman narrating God's voice doesn't bother me because God is a celestial being, and celestial beings have no gender. I don't mind the fact that an angel and a demon are friends, because <i>Good Omens</i> is a work of fiction. Not once does it ever proclaim itself to be Truth. It's simply a laugh-out-loud story with enough tender moments that made me wish it was much longer than six episodes.</div>
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The thing about good stories is that they go so much deeper than surface level. I consider both <i>Harry Potter</i> and <i>Good Omens</i> to be allegories, which Dictionary.com defines as "a representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms; figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another."</div>
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<i>Harry Potter</i> isn't about witches and wizards; it's about courage and bravery and self-sacrifice. It is a hero's tale that shows us that evil, no matter how powerful, can be defeated.</div>
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<i>Good Omens</i> isn't about angels, demons, and the end of the world. It's the story of people who love and care about each other despite their differences. It's the perfect example of unconditional love, and it makes me yearn for a world where people sitting on opposite sides of the fence can unite under a common cause, whether they're a witch and a witchfinder, a prostitute and a witchfinder, or a demon and an angel.</div>
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Some of Jesus's most effective teachings came in the form of allegories, like the story of the prodigal son, or the story of the good Samaritan, both of which demonstrated spiritual truths without ever coming across as instructional or preachy. And if it worked for Jesus, why can't it work for the rest of us?</div>
J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-55533010978889042352019-06-26T12:08:00.000-04:002019-06-26T12:08:03.384-04:00On Social AwkwardnessSome years ago, I was in the presence of a group of small children, all of whom looked at me suddenly and chorused, "Awkward!!!"<br />
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I was a grown adult at this point in time. I was amazed at their perceptiveness, and unsure of exactly what I'd done that warranted their comment. They were right, though.<br />
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I am socially awkward.<br />
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And I always have been.<br />
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(Yours Truly, circa 2003. My posture is making my eyes twitch.)</div>
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Different people probably have differing definitions of what it means to be socially awkward. In my case, I define it as failing to understand certain social cues, not knowing the proper responses to make in certain situations, and doing generally embarrassing things in public and feeling helpless while committing them.<br />
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My social awkwardness used to cause me some anxiety because I feared the ridicule of others. I tend to flub my speech when I get nervous--what if they thought I was stupid for bungling up everything I said? What if they tease me for not understanding something was supposed to be a joke? What if they talk behind my back about what a silly, foolish person I am?<br />
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What if nobody takes me seriously ever again?<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="274" src="https://giphy.com/embed/u8vTGiGwCrGSY" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/supernatural-castiel-funny-u8vTGiGwCrGSY">via GIPHY</a><br />
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Does this sound familiar to any of you? Maybe you struggle with social awkwardness, too, and the anxiety that comes with it. Maybe you fear talking on the telephone because you can never figure out the "right" way to interact with people you can't see. Maybe you fear speaking with people face to face because you struggle with body language and misinterpret what people mean.<br />
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I understand. I've been there.<br />
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And you know what?<br />
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Things can get better.<br />
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At some point, I decided to own my awkwardness. I engage with dozens of people at my in-person events, and once I admitted to others that I am a Socially Awkward Person, things didn't start to seem so bad. I make lighthearted jokes about it: "Bobby Roland is shy and socially awkward, just like his author!" I'll say, which always generates a few chuckles.<br />
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<a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/doctorwho-doctor-who-series-11-arachnids-in-the-uk-kiBh0lZ9XoLsGWjIEG">via GIPHY</a><br />
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Being socially awkward is just going to be a part of who I am. I don't have much anxiety anymore. If someone has an issue with my lack of savvy social skills, who cares? That's their problem, and I really am trying my best, just like everyone else.<br />
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If you are socially awkward too, fear not. I personally believe that any socially awkward person can be Awesomely Awkward. Wear your awkwardness like a crown and make it yours! Plus, the more you get to practice social interaction, the more the wrinkles in your social skills will get ironed out. We may never be perfect--who isn't?--but we can sure as heck do the best with what we've got.<br />
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Do you have tips about dealing with social awkwardness? Share them in the comments!J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-73899202177820831332019-03-26T11:04:00.000-04:002019-03-26T11:04:14.946-04:00Thirty: A Reflection<a class="gie-single" href="http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/126551741" id="yxv6neUtRV5OoAX7juyzsg" style="border: none; color: #a7a7a7; display: inline-block; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Embed from Getty Images</a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'yxv6neUtRV5OoAX7juyzsg',sig:'l89qykf0DRcjM7Mrh27DslSAB_evjwTtJuxy6XgzJTE=',w:'497px',h:'345px',items:'126551741',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});</script><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embed-cdn.gettyimages.com/widgets.js"></script>
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Boy, has it been a looong time since I posted anything here. Over a year! Oh, my poor, neglected blog!<br />
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But hey, I've been busy. Like, really, REALLY busy. I've written oodles of short stories, had one accepted into an anthology, finished writing one novel, started writing another one, sent that second one off to my editor, and had roughly five bajillion author events so new readers can enjoy my books.<br />
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It's been fun!<br />
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Want to know what else is fun? On Thursday, March 28, I turn 30 years old. Actually, it's a bit terrifying, as time has been flying by way too quickly, and I'd just like it to slow down for a while. (Is that too much to ask for?)<br />
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Looking back at my twenties, I can see they were all about change. Slow change, but change nevertheless. In some ways, I feel like a butterfly unfurling its new wings as it emerges from its cocoon, feeling the sunlight it hasn't seen since it was a wee caterpillar.<br />
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That may sound cheesy, but it's true. When I turned 20, ten years ago now, I was on antidepressants and not all that happy about life due to crippling anxiety that left me completely useless. When a painful, personal tragedy struck me at the age of 21, I sank into a deep melancholy that produced some awfully dark writing on my part.<br />
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They say that time heals all wounds, but I'm not entirely sure I believe that. It just makes the wounds farther away than they used to be, enabling me to look at them more objectively. Instead of moping about things I can't change because they already happened, I can look back and say, "That was a very sad thing that happened, but it's done now, and I need to focus on other, more pertinent things before my entire life passes me by."<br />
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I don't know if that's a healthy coping mechanism or not. I just make things up as I go.<br />
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I feel a lot happier now. I've started writing more comedy and fewer bloodbaths, but I haven't published any of that yet. It's such an enjoyable change of pace, making flat-Earthers get abducted by aliens and distant human outposts get invaded by sentient Canadian geese in spacesuits. (You will read about these things eventually. Have patience, young padawan.)<br />
<br />
What else has happened or changed over the past ten years?<br />
<br />
I finally got a smartphone.<br />
<br />
I stopped being an asshole, mostly.<br />
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I adopted a bunch of cats.<br />
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I no longer seize up with terror when I pick up the phone. Yay phone calls!<br />
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I feel confident and ready to take over the world.<br />
<br />
I've improved my eating habits, ditching the chips and alcohol for food that contains actual nutrients. You have no idea what a difference this has made.<br />
<br />
In all, I have to say my 20s ended up being mostly good.<br />
<br />
And now, onward to my 30s!J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-22296511235239780022018-02-21T21:00:00.000-05:002018-02-21T21:00:00.560-05:00Introducing the UK-Only Audiobook GiveawayGood evening, readers!<br />
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If you've been tuning into this blog over the past year, you may have spotted some of my earlier audiobook giveaways. These giveaways were open to residents of the US and UK, yet all of the winners resided in the US! I feel like I'm a fair person, so this time I'm giving away free audiobook copies of <a href="https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Crime-Thrillers/Servant-Audiobook/B01NAJLT3H" target="_blank">Servant</a>, <a href="https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Crime-Thrillers/Sacrifice-Audiobook/B073K2Q128" target="_blank">Sacrifice</a>, and <a href="https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Fiction/Ordinary-Souls-Audiobook/B06X9GBV8F" target="_blank">Ordinary Souls</a> to TWO lucky winners who reside in the the United Kingdom ONLY.<br />
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To enter, send an email to jsbailey@jsbaileywrites.com with Audiobook Giveaway as the subject. I'll choose the lucky winners on the 31st of March!<br />
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(Note: Entries from non-UK residents are not valid. The promo codes won't even work outside the UK, so don't think about cheating!) ;)<br />
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<br />J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-68348125029523125312018-01-23T21:39:00.000-05:002018-01-23T21:39:41.471-05:00No New Ideas?<div style="text-align: center;">
Happy Belated New Year, everyone! I hope 2018 is finding each of you well!</div>
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I've already had five author events this month (no, I don't have a lot of free time!). I talk to lots of people at my events, and I happened to have two people at two of these events mention the same concern to me:<br />
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That there are no new ideas.<br />
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In the first instance, the man who mentioned this to me was worried because he'd always wanted to write a novel, but ended up reading another novel that turned out to be nearly identical to the one he'd been working on. In the second instance, the man who mentioned that there are no new ideas said that his daughter liked to write--I suppose he was concerned for her since all worthwhile ideas seem to have already been taken.<br />
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I told both of these people the same thing: there AREN'T really any new ideas.<br />
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But that's not something to be feared. The important thing to do is to put your own spin on an established idea. Make it yours, and it will feel original to your readers.<br />
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For example:<br />
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Some number of years ago, I read a short story by Oscar Wilde called "The Canterville Ghost." In this story, a loud and boisterous American family moves into a ghost's estate. The ghost doesn't like it and makes many attempts to scare the family away. Part of it was told from the ghost's point of view, which I thought was so neat that I wrote part of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rages-Echo-J-S-Bailey-ebook/dp/B00YXEMVJM" target="_blank">Rage's Echo</a> from the ghost's point of view.<br />
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(As a side note, the movie Beetlejuice borrows heavily from Wilde's story, as it's about two ghosts trying to scare away the family who moves into their house.)<br />
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Another example is my short story "The Mirror," which appears in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ordinary-Souls-J-S-Bailey/dp/194600622X" target="_blank">Ordinary Souls</a>. If you haven't read "The Mirror" yet, it's about Elena, a wealthy divorcee, who collects antiques and discovers that her "new" antique mirror sometimes chooses to reflect her future self's reflection back at her. Elena begins to fixate on what her future self is doing--who wouldn't?--and then tries to avoid what she sees happening in the mirror.<br />
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Enchanted mirrors are by no means an original literary phenomenon! Think of the magic mirror on the wall in Snow White, or the Mirror of Erised in Harry Potter, which shows you your heart's deepest desire when you look into it.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://giphy.com/embed/dLqs6xUW2Gcbm" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/mirror-dLqs6xUW2Gcbm">via GIPHY</a><br />
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So, don't worry if an idea you love is already "taken." Work with the idea and shape it into something new! Just don't ever plagiarize, because THAT is illegal.<br />
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<b>What about you, writers? How have you reworked established ideas and made them your own?</b>J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-67759519431714367352017-12-14T21:21:00.000-05:002017-12-14T21:21:00.583-05:00Trapped Inside the InternetIt was September 2005. I was 16 years old, a junior in high school, and I was talking to my good friend Jennifer on the phone in my basement bedroom that was always too cold regardless of the time of year.<br />
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I don't remember why we were talking on the phone. I guess that's what we did back then. I don't remember who called who, or what we'd even been talking about at first, but suddenly Jennifer said something to me that would change my life forever:<br />
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"So-and-so told me about this website called MySpace." She emphasized the second word, calling it "mySPACE."<br />
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She told me a little more about this website I'd never heard of. Intrigued, I visited MySpace and signed up. I discovered that a few other people from school had profiles, and was astounded to see pictures from the recent school dance displayed on people's profiles for anyone to see.<br />
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It was beyond my comprehension that someone could put pictures of me and my friends online without my knowledge. It was like this whole little world existed that I hadn't known about. Sure, I'd been lurking online for a few years at that point, mostly hanging out in the forums on the official Star Wars website. (My screen name there was, for some reason, Darth Gurshellewarn, or something like that.) People did not post pictures in the forums. This was entirely new territory for me, and I took to it with overzealous fervor.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLsHmmM7xrowBWMEMdjeuU3wMW-WXiH2V2KUYOPWadCc9ZynpEju9Q1a-yScvlnO0xQR6U27_7Um1XUG_eNBWc8jRswW5Tt6RfWvgx3Ba-8o2zZC_k19wR8XH7z9GlZP12Cg1bbOUCss/s1600/full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="200" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLsHmmM7xrowBWMEMdjeuU3wMW-WXiH2V2KUYOPWadCc9ZynpEju9Q1a-yScvlnO0xQR6U27_7Um1XUG_eNBWc8jRswW5Tt6RfWvgx3Ba-8o2zZC_k19wR8XH7z9GlZP12Cg1bbOUCss/s320/full.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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One of the photos from my MySpace profile.</div>
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Fast forward twelve years.<br />
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It's hard to imagine what life would be like today without social media. It's even what I do at work: I manage many social media profiles a day, and when I get home in the evening, I get in my daily word count and then hop on over to my own social media profiles to post things there. I'm generally on social media about eight hours a day.<br />
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I've made so many friends online during the past twelve years. I love the opportunities that social media has given me. Without it, I never would have found my publisher, and I wouldn't have been able to meet some very dear author friends at writing conferences.<br />
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Despite this, I'm starting to miss the olden days.<br />
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I'm starting to miss them BAD.<br />
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I sit and try to remember what I did before the dawn of social media. I remember crocheting a lot, and I wrote stories in notebooks, and I scrapbooked my photographs in albums. Of course I had homework, too, which I don't miss at all--but I miss the simplicity of it. I miss the quiet evenings hanging out with my friends, watching movies and writing goofy stories that we'd pass back and forth. I miss a world that lived without daily outrage. I miss a world that was more civil, more polite. Part of me wishes that I could go back in time and revel in the silence.<br />
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Of course, I'm not going to ditch social media. I love you all too much! But I think it's time for me to step back a little bit and try to regain some of what I have lost.J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-13069601677122550862017-12-06T22:02:00.002-05:002017-12-06T22:02:33.184-05:00Epic Holiday Audiobook Giveaway2017 has flown by, and once again it is the holiday season! Oh, where has this year gone?<div>
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In proper gift-giving fashion, I am giving away free Audible copies of <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/Servant-Audiobook/B01N1SRG51" target="_blank">Servant</a>, <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/Sacrifice-Audiobook/B073K11VDY" target="_blank">Sacrifice</a>, and <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Ordinary-Souls-Audiobook/B06X9GL3B1" target="_blank">Ordinary Souls</a> to FIVE LUCKY WINNERS. Entries are open to residents of the US and UK only. Each winner will win all three audiobooks.</div>
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How do you enter? </div>
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1. Send an email to jsbailey@jsbaileywrites.com stating whether you live in the US or UK so I can send you the correct code if you are one of the winners. Please put AUDIOBOOK GIVEAWAY in the subject line.</div>
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2. Comment on this blog post answering the following question:</div>
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What is the best audiobook you have ever listened to?</div>
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You MUST complete both steps in order to have a valid entry! The deadline for entry is December 31, 2017. Good luck!</div>
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J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-4547924835407357672017-10-20T10:27:00.000-04:002017-12-01T15:32:55.342-05:00The Surrender Book Launch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The moment you've been waiting for has arrived at last...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'll be the first person to admit I'm a slow writer. Between
my day job and marketing the books I've already published, it isn't always easy
to squeeze in my daily word count. Factor in that plus the fact that I suffered
a crippling bout of writer's block while working on the first draft of </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Surrender-Chronicles-Servitude-Book-3-ebook/dp/B076FCKZ98" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank"><i>Surrender: The Chronicles of Servitude Book 3</i></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">, and
now you understand why it has been two long years since </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sacrifice-Chronicles-Servitude-Book-2-ebook/dp/B017XL94JG" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank"><i>Sacrifice: The Chronicles of Servitude Book 2</i></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> arrived
on your bookshelves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am deeply sorry for leaving you all hanging. I'm happy to say that Bobby Roland
is back, all safe and sound (a.k.a. In Constant Danger), and now you have the
opportunity to read his latest exploits as he battles his new nemesis, an
individual you will learn much more about in <i>Surrender</i>:</span></div>
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<i>Bobby Roland has spread himself too thin.</i></div>
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<i>Bobby has finally found a demoniac to cleanse. Before the exorcism is complete,
he learns that someone is plotting the assassination of a local humanist
leader.</i></div>
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<i>When Bobby’s enemy, Thane, appears at a party with threats to kill everyone,
Bobby realizes he can’t save them all on his own. But Bobby doesn’t give up
easily. He flees town to find help and discovers it in the most unexpected of
places.</i></div>
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<i>Can Bobby and his new friend save everyone before it’s too late?</i></div>
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<i><div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Surrender</i> may be purchased in the following formats:</div>
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<a href="http://%20http/amzn.to/2hSf1TJ" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">Paperback</a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://%20http/amzn.to/2xTwOEN" target="_blank">Kindle</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://%20http/bit.ly/2gr4IFR" target="_blank">Nook</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://%20http/bit.ly/2gTBTT6" target="_blank">Kobo</a></div>
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<a href="http://%20http/apple.co/2yC9JoZ" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://%20http/apple.co/2yC9JoZ" target="_blank">iBooks</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you haven't yet read <i>Servant: The Chronicles of Servitude Book 1</i> or <i>Sacrifice:
The Chronicles of Servitude Book 2</i>, they are available <a href="https://www.amazon.com/J.S.-Bailey/e/B00BPFG71A/" target="_blank">here</a> in
paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats.</span></div>
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ALSO, if you happen to live in or near the Cincinnati area, I'm having a <b><u>Surrender
Book Launch Book Signing</u></b> on <b>Saturday, October 21</b> from <b>9:30am
to 1:30pm</b> at <b>Everything Bagels</b> in Eastgate, Ohio,
located at 792 Eastgate South Dr. Suite 200 Cincinnati, OH
45245. Everyone is more than welcome to attend!</div>
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As usual, happy reading!</div>
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--J. S. Bailey</div>
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J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-74260472221665119892017-10-14T11:30:00.000-04:002017-10-14T11:30:03.432-04:00Fear is Just Around the Corner<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076FCKZ98" target="_blank">Surrender: The Chronicles of Servitude Book 3</a></i> will be releasing on October 20, but for those who absolutely cannot wait another few days to get some new Bailey stories in their hands, you're in luck!</div>
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I contributed three all-new stories as well as some backstory to the horror/comedy anthology <i>The Whispered Tales of Graves Grove</i>, which is available now in hardcover, softcover, and ebook formats! Proceeds benefit Reading is Fundamental, so be sure to get your copy today!</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1946006696" target="_blank">Softcover</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1947727079" target="_blank">Hardcover</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076CP7TWP" target="_blank">Kindle</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-whispered-tales-of-graves-grove" target="_blank">Kobo</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-whispered-tales-of-graves-grove-js-bailey/1127214717" target="_blank">Nook</a></div>
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<em>Graves Grove isn’t your ordinary town…</em></div>
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Nestled within the folds of the Canadian Rockies, Graves Grove probably isn’t the picturesque place you’d like to stay for long. Peculiar things happen here. The citizens seem normal superficially—they function well enough. But each one is deeply disturbed, wrapped in secrets and neuroses which drive them to strange behaviors.</div>
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And then there are all the missing children. And why is everyone afraid of that sycamore tree?</div>
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<em>The Whispered Tales of Graves Grove </em>is an anthology of stories taking place throughout the history of this mysterious town, from its founding to its future. Read them…if you dare.</div>
J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-43453847699576951272017-10-06T11:08:00.000-04:002017-10-06T11:11:13.099-04:00Cincinnati Comic Expo: A Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been two weeks since the start of the <a href="http://www.cincinnaticomicexpo.com/" target="_blank">Cincinnati Comic Expo</a>, which was held at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Downtown Cincinnati from September 22-24. It was my first time attending, so I wasn't sure what to expect, especially since I was a vendor selling my own books. Would any attendees be interested in <a href="http://jsbaileywrites.blogspot.com/2017/08/why-do-i-write-supernatural-suspense.html" target="_blank">supernatural suspense</a> novels? I figured they would be, but I didn't <i>know</i>, so some risk was involved there. I did split the cost of an exhibitor booth with fellow author <a href="https://twitter.com/alexross92" target="_blank">A. Charles Ross</a>, which turned out to be a splendid idea since one of us could hold down the fort while the other went exploring the rest of the Expo.<br />
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As it turned out, I sold enough books to cover the cost of my half of the table (but not the exorbitant cost of parking--alas!). Overall, it was a great investment. I came SO CLOSE to breaking even, and since I'll have a new book out soon, next year I will probably do even better.<br />
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Here are a few things I did that I think helped with sales.<br />
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<b>1. I marked down the cost of my books.</b><br />
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I normally sell my trade paperbacks for $17, which includes sales tax. For the Comic Expo, I marked the price down to $15 including tax and had signs clearly stating that this was a Special Convention Price. This gave people a reason to buy my books <i>right then</i> and not later.<br />
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<b>2. I made signs summarizing each book.</b><br />
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I typed up a brief summary of each book I had for sale and listed authors and TV shows that were similar to each story. This helped tell people about the books for those times when I couldn't be in the booth to talk about them myself.<br />
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<b>3. I bribed people with cool bags.</b><br />
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I ordered a hefty batch of reusable shopping bags with my name and website on them (Big shout-out to <a href="http://www.uncovercreative.com/" target="_blank">Uncover Creative</a> for designing them!), then made a sign telling people that they could get a free bag if they bought three or more of my books. I had at least five people take me up on the offer, which amounted to quite a few books sold!<br />
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<b>4. I handed out bookmarks.</b><br />
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Foot traffic was a little slow during certain times at the Expo. During those instances, A. Charles Ross and I stood out in front of our booth passing bookmarks out to the few people passing us by. One man who would have passed us by without looking ended up buying ALL of our titles after we gave him free bookmarks. Not too shabby!<br />
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<b>5. I had clearly-marked signage.</b><br />
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I recently had my publisher, <a href="http://www.bhcpress.com/" target="_blank">BHC Press</a>, design a table drape and retractable banner (a.k.a. My Giant Face) for my events. The table drape and banner clearly state that I write supernatural suspense, and My Giant Face on the banner was so captivating that one girl saw it from across the room and thought it was her own face that someone stole off the internet and turned into a banner. (She had brown hair and glasses, too.) Another woman noticed My Giant Face and said that I looked like I could be one of her sisters. My doppelgangers didn't buy any books, but at least I know that my retractable banner is noticeable!<br />
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<b>6. I talked to lots and lots and lots of people.</b><br />
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In fact, I talked to so many people that my throat was raw and rasping by the time the Expo was over. I used about 70,000 cough drops over the weekend just to maintain the ability to speak. I still sounded like a frog as the event came to a close. But that's good--that means so many more people know about my books now!<br />
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In all, I sold 15 copies of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ordinary-Souls-J-S-Bailey-ebook/dp/B01IFH6RJM" target="_blank">Ordinary Souls</a>, 10 copies of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rages-Echo-J-S-Bailey-ebook/dp/B00YXEMVJM" target="_blank">Rage's Echo</a>, 6 copies of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Servant-Chronicles-Servitude-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00P6TUTX8" target="_blank">Servant</a>, and 5 copies of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sacrifice-Chronicles-Servitude-Book-2-ebook/dp/B017XL94JG" target="_blank">Sacrifice</a>. I can use these numbers as a benchmark to surpass at next year's Cincinnati Comic Expo.<br />
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<b>Have any of you sold books at conventions? What tips would you add here?</b>J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-52156881352098912822017-08-15T21:13:00.000-04:002017-08-15T21:13:04.140-04:00Why Do I Write Supernatural Suspense?At this point in my life, I'm fairly certain I've had roughly 8,543 book signings. (Okay, not quite that many, but I'm getting there!)<br />
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I've developed a half-decent elevator pitch when people who aren't familiar with my work want to know the kinds of stories I write: "I write supernatural suspense novels and short stories, so it's suspense but with ghosts and demons and other strange things. If you're familiar with Dean Koontz, my books are a similar genre to his."<br />
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(I like to throw Dean's name around a lot.)<br />
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It's cool when people get excited to learn that I write in one of their favorite genres. Sometimes people are curious and ask me why I have chosen to write supernatural suspense, so here are some reasons why.<br />
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<b>1. It's more subtle than all-out horror</b><br />
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While I would consider myself a fan of certain brands of horror, I'm not much into the slasher variety. Give me creepy; don't give me entrails. My own writing has been mildly gory in the past, but I've toned it down a bit in recent years. Guts don't scare me--I just think they're gross. My personal favorite brands of horror are of the Alfred Hitchcock and Rod Serling varieties.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="355" src="https://giphy.com/embed/7trG40YQJ0ohO" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/the-twilight-zone-7trG40YQJ0ohO">via GIPHY</a><br />
(I know Rod Serling didn't write that episode, but it's a cool GIF.)<br />
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<b>2. It creates a broad range of possibilities</b><br />
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This probably goes for most genres, but I feel that I could take a story anywhere using supernatural elements. I've written stories featuring ghosts, demons, angels, people with mind-control powers, a cursed mirror, and a painting that eats people's souls if they stare at it too long. The possibilities are endless!<br />
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<b>3. Stories are scarier if they hit closer to home</b><br />
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The vast majority of my stories take place in the present-day and feature regular people who have terribly bizarre things start happening to them. It's the same with supernatural suspense novels by other authors I've read, such as the aforementioned Dean Koontz, Ted Dekker, Frank Peretti, and Erin Healy. I think a story is scarier if the remote possibility exists that it <i>might</i> be able to happen in the real world.<br />
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<b>4. It's fun</b><br />
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Maybe I'm just mean (as all authors should be!), but I enjoy pitting my characters against enemies of a supernatural nature, whether they be ghosts, demons, or something else. They have to think outside the box when figuring out how to defeat them.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://giphy.com/embed/Z8pzh8afGbZle" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/halloween-cartoon-scooby-doo-Z8pzh8afGbZle">via GIPHY</a><br />
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<b>I'm assuming that since you've read this far, you're probably a fan of supernatural suspense. And now I must ask: Why do <i>you</i> like reading it? Tell us in the comments!</b>J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-4246825569833962572017-07-05T19:40:00.002-04:002017-07-05T19:40:33.839-04:00Listen to Sacrifice--Now on AudioLast winter, I was pleased to announce the audiobook release of <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Servant-Chronicles-Servitude-Book-1/dp/B01NBL1CNK" target="_blank">Servant: The Chronicles of Servitude Book 1</a></i>. Narrated by Paul J. McSorley, <i>Servant</i> became a popular audiobook for fans of supernatural suspense, and people kept asking when Book 2 would be available in audio format as well.<br />
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Now fans of <i>Servant</i> are in luck. <i>Sacrifice: The Chronicles of Servitude Book 2</i> is available from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sacrifice-Chronicles-Servitude-Book-2/dp/B073K1XJSW" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/Sacrifice-Audiobook/B073K11VDY" target="_blank">Audible</a>, and iTunes!<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sacrifice-Chronicles-Servitude-Book-2/dp/B073K1XJSW" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="468" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb57JAuKUuHpHcsSXtLasSwhzgLRGPCDeBhSnz_O0R5iCOWmn0MWWopDdV5-GFik9HcSXAryLOqvGQ4zfz5f-QimcyXNaVdGv-_YOZvhEkw0MPX8zppYXywZ4SXcjXMiKTZ5qm8m0G_vc/s400/Sacrifice_Audio_Web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Bobby Roland can't catch a break.</div>
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Less than a week after Bobby takes on the mantle of Servitude, a position granting him the ability to exorcise demons from the possessed, he finds an envelope taped to his door containing an intimidating note and a picture of a strange woman. When a shadowy figure is abducted off the sidewalk down the street from his house, Bobby can't help but wonder if it's her.</div>
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Bobby may not be ready to drive out demons, but that doesn't put a damper on his desire to help those in need. With the aid of his friends and a new supernatural ally, Bobby sets out to find the woman and free her from her captors.</div>
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Little does Bobby know he may have bitten off more than he can chew...</div>
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J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-61607180270010526242017-05-08T10:44:00.000-04:002017-05-30T11:23:39.936-04:00How to Win Even More Audiobooks!Did you miss out on last month's opportunity to win free audiobooks of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ordinary-Souls/dp/B06XB2DFMG" target="_blank">Ordinary Souls</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Servant-Chronicles-Servitude-Book-1/dp/B01NBL1CNK" target="_blank">Servant</a>? Fear not! <span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Anyone who subscribes to my email newsletter between now and June 30 will have a chance to win both! Just click on the link below and enter your info to subscribe. Audiobook codes available to US listeners only.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://jsbaileywrites.us5.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=56212d875a61f96650f0d6889&id=2b9c3f6fb6" target="_blank">Subscribe here!</a></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_G7HpH1NgHyKgA3T2CmLX3ABDZ4drTLfg1TuQ-4Cj9_bUEyo7U9ER6sxYUjX2vSSzCFZJt55MEIywJiOQY-DVP0ox3lbMlMRaQdAKkbHNetMeYUeBN0JH2ASYy5C0btl0f75uLFwz9Lg/s1600/Servant_Audio_Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_G7HpH1NgHyKgA3T2CmLX3ABDZ4drTLfg1TuQ-4Cj9_bUEyo7U9ER6sxYUjX2vSSzCFZJt55MEIywJiOQY-DVP0ox3lbMlMRaQdAKkbHNetMeYUeBN0JH2ASYy5C0btl0f75uLFwz9Lg/s320/Servant_Audio_Web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-10853406747976123152017-05-04T10:37:00.000-04:002017-05-04T10:37:10.526-04:00Ebooks! Ebooks Everywhere!<div style="text-align: left;">
Once upon a time, my ebooks were only available for Kindle. This made many people very sad, as they did not own Kindles, nor did they want to.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="264" src="//giphy.com/embed/xjJQ1QkJMyiuA" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/david-tennant-xjJQ1QkJMyiuA">via GIPHY</a><br />
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Then, one day, the Magical Ebook Fairy came along and, with a wave of its wand, ensured that my ebooks could be enjoyed by ALL readers of ebooks, and everyone lived happily ever after.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="242.88000000000002" src="//giphy.com/embed/siREjlLKjdSZq" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/dance-tardis-peter-capaldi-siREjlLKjdSZq">via GIPHY</a><br />
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Readers can now enjoy Rage's Echo, Solitude, Servant, Sacrifice, and Ordinary Souls not only on Kindle, but on Nook, Kobo, iBooks, Scribd, 24 Symbols, and more. Happy reading!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEsFoI4Q8RuB0jWobOXClAWLpOdAteiLDpil0HLJhCE_CATXnbj74IOcZ3spbCYkPRkAn28P8LSVvxgUoACUm9d1gT6pv2N7oHhXybf0Jh1yfPGBMHnfVE5jEBL31GjflZWzMY4AeSfM/s1600/11304026_685491328221356_433281075_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEsFoI4Q8RuB0jWobOXClAWLpOdAteiLDpil0HLJhCE_CATXnbj74IOcZ3spbCYkPRkAn28P8LSVvxgUoACUm9d1gT6pv2N7oHhXybf0Jh1yfPGBMHnfVE5jEBL31GjflZWzMY4AeSfM/s320/11304026_685491328221356_433281075_n.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
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Rage's Echo Universal Link:<a href="https://www.blogger.com/%C2%A0https://www.books2read.com/u/baPJwx" target="_blank"> https://www.books2read.com/u/baPJwx</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSlwRGTAkZOq7VJ6YEamHHeoVYtfklrIkNrWymTw7Df1XClA28Ckz3Svqp2ENYGJpHg70lWuGHOngSgVK6VKLc4_IE3QhXRFvbnmNqLTHpc1MEzeYR87Gjr_0PRafffi7igcvk5st6G10/s1600/Solitude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSlwRGTAkZOq7VJ6YEamHHeoVYtfklrIkNrWymTw7Df1XClA28Ckz3Svqp2ENYGJpHg70lWuGHOngSgVK6VKLc4_IE3QhXRFvbnmNqLTHpc1MEzeYR87Gjr_0PRafffi7igcvk5st6G10/s320/Solitude.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
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Solitude Universal Link: <a href="https://www.books2read.com/u/mqzJ2v">https://www.books2read.com/u/mqzJ2v</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8MO1OlJHTbj_j7M64t7f6Ea2XqoYM_r7PUWiW4Zwxr5F3C1K6DH0MB29cwC6VKl7TnofOZtc7oed1zUTqkjGT5wnpnBKSMmrhXvDpowVNACOpj_qCVE7pJnxLOzVNvZI5VaehPwiXmg/s1600/Servant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8MO1OlJHTbj_j7M64t7f6Ea2XqoYM_r7PUWiW4Zwxr5F3C1K6DH0MB29cwC6VKl7TnofOZtc7oed1zUTqkjGT5wnpnBKSMmrhXvDpowVNACOpj_qCVE7pJnxLOzVNvZI5VaehPwiXmg/s320/Servant.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
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Servant Universal Link: <a href="https://www.books2read.com/u/mvYJwq">https://www.books2read.com/u/mvYJwq</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghenOtoIA1y2evFGX-iG-4AcjI_aQq2VezGOKDoUCzxEIyivMN12lXZQ0rGQDx02Qj4YWlq5BP1QwihfHFbqTYSBNoxxpCyR8LIxRs8ibjbUXWnIHeZhhV5R-2A4uFPJwLsGglYBQ1wyA/s1600/12190040_695273367240238_5235259355930938480_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghenOtoIA1y2evFGX-iG-4AcjI_aQq2VezGOKDoUCzxEIyivMN12lXZQ0rGQDx02Qj4YWlq5BP1QwihfHFbqTYSBNoxxpCyR8LIxRs8ibjbUXWnIHeZhhV5R-2A4uFPJwLsGglYBQ1wyA/s320/12190040_695273367240238_5235259355930938480_n.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
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Sacrifice Universal Link: <a href="https://www.books2read.com/u/4jKJjY">https://www.books2read.com/u/4jKJjY</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaenedyJey6KcSVzSnbB87paZH1lxcGwVV-D0s6oTcYvbAubkzhyphenhyphenVlSjbytwy7ZUbVLP42gB0VJ8G57IciFS8QcFLcr3e8V8BthOXnJrU4QQPmx9Ea7O1hibzo_rG5JcNjMbwKS4j0iGA/s1600/Ordinary_Souls_JS_Bailey_FC_Amazon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaenedyJey6KcSVzSnbB87paZH1lxcGwVV-D0s6oTcYvbAubkzhyphenhyphenVlSjbytwy7ZUbVLP42gB0VJ8G57IciFS8QcFLcr3e8V8BthOXnJrU4QQPmx9Ea7O1hibzo_rG5JcNjMbwKS4j0iGA/s320/Ordinary_Souls_JS_Bailey_FC_Amazon.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
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Ordinary Souls Universal Link: <a href="https://www.books2read.com/u/bw8AMy">https://www.books2read.com/u/bw8AMy</a></div>
J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-9605233981452796522017-03-23T10:49:00.000-04:002017-03-23T10:49:57.453-04:00Supermassive Audiobook Giveaway of AwesomenessGreat things are happening in the land of Bailey! <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Servant-Chronicles-Servitude-Book-1/dp/B01NBL1CNK" target="_blank">Servant</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ordinary-Souls/dp/B06XB2DFMG" target="_blank">Ordinary Souls</a> are both available as audiobooks (read by narrators Paul J. McSorley and Ezekiel Robison, respectively), and right now I'm giving away FIVE free download codes of each. That means FIVE lucky winners will receive codes for both audiobooks when I draw the names on April 30.<br />
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WILL ONE OF THEM BE YOU?<br />
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All you have to do to enter is to comment on this post, telling us all where you most enjoy listening to audiobooks. Is it in the car? On the bus? On the beach? Do tell!<br />
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Codes available to US listeners only.<br />
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<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuG-VlKrdnBcRQrjYASdnIHpfizUaCdTnMZBVruQ4DScOWQ7vOoM99-4me1s2ZeFd8ufqNNMpQfI8MN7TOVhsQQrsYn4tcE6dKXyQOptcHQlQ8GaygBPKGQ7aSpI1LhAdVRa_DoFwf1c/s400/Servant_Audio_Web.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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<br />J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-31505614482555075822017-03-16T11:20:00.000-04:002017-03-16T11:20:25.231-04:00Pre-Birthday Musings<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/happy-birthday-feliz-cumpleaos-my-13C37Ve5mNFQwE">via GIPHY</a></div>
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I turn 28 later this month. I'm not quite sure how to feel about that--it seems like such a short time ago that I walked up the aisle at my high school graduation clutching a stick of Halls cough drops in one fist since my gown didn't have pockets. (I was trying very hard not to die of walking pneumonia, with which I had recently been diagnosed. I spent the commencement ceremony sitting in the front row with the other 19 top-of-the-class students, discreetly popping said cough drops into my mouth and littering the floor with the wrappers since, again, the gown didn't have pockets.)<br />
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(Seriously, why couldn't they have had pockets?)<br />
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So much has happened in the ten years since then. I started college, changed my major, got dumped, met a new guy, married him, published my first novel, graduated college, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/J.S.-Bailey/e/B00BPFG71A/" target="_blank">published another few novels</a>, adopted three cats, and ate an alarming amount of burritos.<br />
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I've also changed, because that's what people do when faced with new experiences.<br />
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The biggest change of all, I think, is this pesky little thing called Social Anxiety.<br />
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As an author, I have to promote my work to readers. The most effective way I have found to do this is to set up book signings so potential readers get to see my books in person. Cold calling stores to see if I could have events there was terrifying, like approaching a pack of hungry tigers. In fact, using the phone to call anyone I didn't know felt like that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkcVdp6rQzJGqcfJ2dmEefej5xCJbm694Q9edq-MQBsSerFdyyLH9tyKWPozf7KArpl_sY5xsCgVLqmiRyh1i1P3Ojfv6ML9dR5idu2ip67cB5tqlE9H-0Oe_bkcuopMgXa1qf8tJiY8M/s1600/Screenshot+%252821%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkcVdp6rQzJGqcfJ2dmEefej5xCJbm694Q9edq-MQBsSerFdyyLH9tyKWPozf7KArpl_sY5xsCgVLqmiRyh1i1P3Ojfv6ML9dR5idu2ip67cB5tqlE9H-0Oe_bkcuopMgXa1qf8tJiY8M/s400/Screenshot+%252821%2529.jpg" width="366" /></a></div>
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The one thing I've learned about fears is that in order to overcome them, you have to face them--not just once, but repeatedly. Since I've been published, I've had at least 100 author events including book signings and speaking events at libraries. I have to actually TALK to people, and while at first it scared me, I've found that I enjoy it. During my travels from event to event I've met an entire spectrum of people who tell me their own stories, and my life would be far dimmer if I hadn't ventured outdoors and met them.<br />
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For example, if I'd never had any book signings...<br />
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I wouldn't have met the man from Cameroon who said he used to write articles explaining to the people of his country that volcanic eruptions are caused from science-y stuff and not angry volcano gods.<br />
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I wouldn't have met the woman with MS who had a dog fastened into a baby's car seat, which she pulled in a cart behind her scooter. (Both woman and dog were quite friendly!)<br />
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I wouldn't have met the man who used to see UFOs out in the desert,<br />
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I wouldn't have met the woman who visited Edgar Allan Poe's grave, and showed me pictures.<br />
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I wouldn't have met the woman who called the police during a paranormal investigation because she and the rest of her group heard gunfire and shouting upstairs. The police arrived to find nothing--the sounds had simply been the ghostly echo of some bygone crime.<br />
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I wouldn't have met the man who told me that people have randomly attacked him his entire life, for no reason.<br />
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I wouldn't have met the other authors who, taking inspiration from me, went on to set up book signings of their own.<br />
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If you're an introvert like I am, you might be squirming at some of what I've said. But you know what? Try to do what scares you. You might find out you love it.<br />
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<b>What about you? Have you faced your fears? How did you go about doing it?</b>J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-51310323277454558512017-03-01T12:58:00.000-05:002017-03-01T12:58:59.028-05:00This is No Ordinary Ebook Sale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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THIS IS NO ORDINARY EBOOK SALE.</div>
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For the entire month of March, my horror/scifi anthology Ordinary Souls will be on sale for $0.99/£0.99 in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia from all ebook retailers including Amazon, Kobo, and Nook.</div>
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What will the mirror show you?</div>
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AMAZON US: <a href="http://amzn.to/29BSB3O" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://amzn.to/29BSB3O</a></div>
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AMAZON UK: <a href="http://amzn.to/29YsbLm" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://amzn.to/29YsbLm</a></div>
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AMAZON CAN: <a href="http://amzn.to/2cgkG4L" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://amzn.to/2cgkG4L</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
AMAZON AUS: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F2mFqh7h&h=ATO_TG_uGPLO2js3_I4WTfWTAL9DVcazTcgC9AQQCASLPbgvLMz7thP91awdF4Y270nSAsJlw9CbASX67YEcsDt5NWU06XM9ElmGJM6_m36djfiAYWaw_awj0PNgLFgQQeVd&enc=AZOxFLVX0Ava_zn-5xn3H1eGhWqr_FfDGbYVS1uuefd1dnavgks_bZa0xWAVZ9eZbx18oE-UrUTQGYmyWvM2-4ULZoizfsSVMgOIqMr189nCrR-H1F_RWVk0CYzpFdbuUOeuF-bj-iDHeuuo-iBWXVad-oFiLoUoJabhQOEL1pJCUWNjViKjBEUAVr-OpMpHykjAN2uyF6fH5LCv7Xwvn9tT&s=1" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://amzn.to/2mFqh7h</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
KOBO US: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F2jdtbBq&h=ATO8hYhoRS4ONP2fPMRo8P6C6uxpvdqyHsHqka-2Va7Am62NBD_zvRxHYFUpTHtIDS-zX4Sxk0Wm2Vd42SY6KVFB5i8FI7bkbNWVpIjjjNuoUmxJkPx9073Ls-lrej9spAaj&enc=AZNx0Ezcnm7eojMwr9gf22HP4qeleersmocAXAzwQMGzQ1iBr8ZE3cV_AuWZPxqUVJIbiB24SFld51LUOYbOp0-oPNcTWSsnSuNJ-WqBxJzPJnTCcU5RqFRo5XaGtUZDCCJTlVNQTdWXjwrNK1alBDv8CQb479gqwLzcnSnflOhG3xV2fdawt8PE1YRKdMiQNOjUsr_c5RLgMt38VKJ2kmuZ&s=1" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2jdtbBq</a></div>
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KOBO UK: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F2mtPDIv&h=ATMkD0FeAbWo9jP3CnkI-sikOCjLV3ZaNnruGkjJqNFZLzolxHoMW5C0HsnMN5xAT9Pe6Yp2sCC8JOunvoReQgS2aOD-R8u5VbW3faGdL18W1a-b2XK-nG7-wBLZox4efuOb&enc=AZNa1ZcutvKHx4PHYBXee4ULoULyOhpUibXotH_4Tv1W-lvP8_8GztBVrUiD_0_5v6GEVoOfBD-L5XFt8S6hMpdVc0VIt_PHRZ-8T14rTTKAMQOzxebR0L1iGEQlsgkgjKzenUUaRopsoVyR2kha2g91xehXAj3wBZajW8h69Dhh4G68E9O0XaAVL0eqVjh4iEM5rvQpq9rd7Swp4yDglrbj&s=1" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2mtPDIv</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
KOBO CAN: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F2mtKG2c&h=ATMar1OoHFjTMG5hUodFCNKm9YGOE8ymxjppwIZKHWVKmwBL5NzXuS0lmkivg3i9KsejFoxaNuQPV7LezjIVWgdIJEJty8U6pGs5p2KtSMc4Zi1dM_nU0DgTyNznbRNV1Q_S&enc=AZNIYBWO78mOuvU98OnnpUOtrjrbe91JKlixLp0pflXlMsK-pGFV2wYIu-at3DrJx71k3cX4FuasKxkD-o3zd0BZwU4hniaHOoPvfDbjOzqvR490hcKbo-44QK5QqicbKeqwfdrX_z2ij2TsIR10tq9MtEozjKe15dT1tnv-byJ1svAUXn1nxYtjqGbRz7UlhMHn1ZjJMNuFa-n8L4Tp8nM9&s=1" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2mtKG2c</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
KOBO AUS: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F2lrrBsB&h=ATMdAiTAX1nJiZwcSEOTrg8X8slNJ2Wfg9uDDX3Dt18-1Dx4ZVPq9ZcqrcgYyGnT-PtVlxzPsIMwpWwCS9ojcrMCshSNuN2wJCI7R6Oq-9GcLpXdwjJf32WBt7kn2Cz33G6U&enc=AZPhmI-a15a4j-8NQyoiQpBQANvCyyCIVxyQcy4TamkzUJlY5p6PIOOZ-PcUoE-fkZf942G0aQ3K1JAbhJB3A0vxZ6oWKqqxX9RtZHF4qLN2AqpiuCBgNgGgw9OImdcFtA6RZtcR_64LeplKpbppIfBFfK_db5LAff5NQhZT_j_PPITzKQ_NU4NVD_C23ImNRr-0vdgx8654bjqqLRjytaLG&s=1" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2lrrBsB</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
NOOK: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F2jMxeoK&h=ATOG7HRFfNNdx8flO94CmKc0QTgMz8AkJlH81bq09fa_UW0sEoGiS_SBg4U4DNfjSINAqTSui6SpGk6xt5-r5wq2-WkL5EVSzWUhPfJfhP_gOUyQJWB1buWJ4BYcWACyJP3h&enc=AZPoSbDmnP2tzBI86inhhACEpf0wwLqt3QZ9UUXs7HclntPl5ONUkJbdxEuXMJ0W1nYdGtMLzb4o1fxQEp4bJHFvUY9gbvPavkf2sCcrYrDIe4e9EQyjd_1c_0pBcgtPvX3OCq7zEuBMJLkpA8Q8jJNis-6yIZnPBbfZBoCDRpSaJ7EghyOaQKrfcg7SCYwLzTz92G9rj-dQ_5SOLob9nc0t&s=1" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2jMxeoK</a></div>
</div>
J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-86165448516524038142017-01-27T14:46:00.000-05:002017-01-27T14:46:21.527-05:00The Reality of Being an Indie Author<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's 2017.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">By this point in time, I have published <a href="https://www.amazon.com/J.S.-Bailey/e/B00BPFG71A/" target="_blank">four novels</a> (one currently out of print) and sixteen short stories. It has been a wonderful journey, and I wouldn't change it for anything.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But here's the reality of being an indie author:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In 2016, I drove 4,927.2 miles to and from events promoting my books.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I had $4,560.41 in sales from my books.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I spent $5,317.47 on inventory purchases, editing, formatting, advertising, Square fees, shipping, and other book-related expenses.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23XbfSvHJVxuLQgurYmk_Jil52Pow8nxWJmXNCHyQ8HMUVTzBxwu_Ycd84RXNKeFUCMa6Y36wO_GK7vqQhB3wt_y_ocYF-lIQtbFbimIhLkrfSsm_xp6vxxeBb_SETD_dwkVH180HhWU/s1600/oss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23XbfSvHJVxuLQgurYmk_Jil52Pow8nxWJmXNCHyQ8HMUVTzBxwu_Ycd84RXNKeFUCMa6Y36wO_GK7vqQhB3wt_y_ocYF-lIQtbFbimIhLkrfSsm_xp6vxxeBb_SETD_dwkVH180HhWU/s400/oss.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yay inventory purchases!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Before taking the cost of mileage into account, I was negative $757.06 in 2016, which is actually less money than I was negative in 2015.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Goal for 2017: Don't spend so much money, and sell even more books!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;">Some other facts:</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If I had not attended the <a href="http://realmmakers.net/" target="_blank">Realm Makers Conference</a> in 2016, I would have broken even, but Realm Makers was a blast, so I'm glad I went. Where else could I have dressed as the TARDIS and hung out with geeks?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLVNi0oI3jbcEU4x9z6YytlBdUflYJfDupYd6xd2Z-bM5CEQMx3FSKxAsg0CWc2Snm5WicI6Lo35JGowNZmFMvYUWMehpA6dvv6qhhHB21gOLSdlsLehqF7r3OnqQaUrH92Tto0_Vfmc/s1600/100_2182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLVNi0oI3jbcEU4x9z6YytlBdUflYJfDupYd6xd2Z-bM5CEQMx3FSKxAsg0CWc2Snm5WicI6Lo35JGowNZmFMvYUWMehpA6dvv6qhhHB21gOLSdlsLehqF7r3OnqQaUrH92Tto0_Vfmc/s400/100_2182.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Also, I spent nearly $600 on advertising alone. This year I'm going to budget myself better and try to be more strategic with any ads I pay for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lastly, I'm going to try to cut down on my mileage a bit, doing more local events if I'm able, including the <a href="http://cincinnaticomicexpo.com/" target="_blank">2017 Cincinnati Comic Expo</a>, for which I have already reserved a booth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What about you?</span></div>
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J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-2878726972950603472017-01-17T12:22:00.000-05:002017-01-17T12:22:25.523-05:00Get Ordinary Souls for Kindle, Kobo, Nook, and iBooks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">"[<i>Ordinary Souls</i> is] Imaginative, expert and deeply chilling."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">-Tosca Lee, New York Times bestselling author of <i>The Progeny</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidV5G76jqHbHEUw4WZPmQNx3wn5fLiN_ZzZxb_2g3ncyUBJjo1B82-EXlV6MBciK34JuQN2tX-1BAdN5PzTYIbzfdwi8PpbQe09H8YZIDVT3uGq1EUNnlM1L5zkv8evnYJzw4MXQfk1o/s1600/Ordinary_Souls_JS_Bailey_FC_Amazon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidV5G76jqHbHEUw4WZPmQNx3wn5fLiN_ZzZxb_2g3ncyUBJjo1B82-EXlV6MBciK34JuQN2tX-1BAdN5PzTYIbzfdwi8PpbQe09H8YZIDVT3uGq1EUNnlM1L5zkv8evnYJzw4MXQfk1o/s640/Ordinary_Souls_JS_Bailey_FC_Amazon.jpg" width="408" /></a></div>
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Do you love ebooks? I thought so! Well, today is your lucky day: not only is my supernatural/scifi/horror anthology <i>Ordinary Souls</i> available for Kindle; it is also available from other ebook outlets as well. Here's a list. Happy reading!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ordinary-Souls-J-S-Bailey-ebook/dp/B01IFH6RJM" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/d/ebook/Ordinary-Souls-J-S-Bailey/B01IFH6RJM/" target="_blank">Amazon Australia</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Ordinary-Souls-J-S-Bailey-ebook/dp/B01IFH6RJM" target="_blank">Amazon Canada</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ordinary-Souls-J-S-Bailey-ebook/dp/B01IFH6RJM" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1194661900" target="_blank">iBooks</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.inktera.com/store/title/248a754d-084d-4c10-a568-62679b13f5bf" target="_blank">Inktera</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ordinary-souls" target="_blank">Kobo</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ordinary-souls-j-s-bailey/1125470503" target="_blank">Nook</a></span></div>
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What readers are saying about <i>Ordinary Souls</i>:</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>"This is an intriguing collection of short stories, some of which will leave you more than a little unsettled and some of which you'll be thinking about for days."</b> -T. Hernandez</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>"J. S. Bailey always leaves me in awe. Her characters are never predictable, nor are her endings. Masterful crafting of plot and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. I love her writing so much that I binge-read this in record time."</b> -D. M. Kilgore</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>"I can't imagine a quirkier collection, and I really loved every second of it. No story ended the way I thought it would, and everything was super unique. The Mirror will stick with you longest...unless the one about the family vacation gets inside your head."</b> -K. Keating</span></span></div>
J. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2891694310936224097.post-23883663980358608812016-12-21T10:14:00.000-05:002016-12-21T10:14:00.604-05:00Listen to Servant--Now on Audio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJH6gK21J1Dlw71A-7LKMteODBv5pW7tlSqEyk7nGrQMwK7oMF5hy56HVP6Ejd2esOxo_bBRuWl32y0m5tp9WKpVBns1jHlqhjjEIiLf6vKdJKbiElZHFg5Z43_KpnCCBz3G9QLXbRew/s1600/Servant_Audio_Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJH6gK21J1Dlw71A-7LKMteODBv5pW7tlSqEyk7nGrQMwK7oMF5hy56HVP6Ejd2esOxo_bBRuWl32y0m5tp9WKpVBns1jHlqhjjEIiLf6vKdJKbiElZHFg5Z43_KpnCCBz3G9QLXbRew/s400/Servant_Audio_Web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Merry Christmas, readers! Many of you have asked when my stories will be available as audiobooks. I happen to have great news: the audiobook for my third novel, <i>Servant: The Chronicles of Servitude Book 1</i>, is now available for listening.</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NBL1CNK" target="_blank">Amazon</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Servant-Chronicles-Servitude-Book-1/dp/B01N0R9GET" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/Servant-Audiobook/B01N1SRG51/" target="_blank">Audible</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Crime-Thrillers/Servant-Audiobook/B01NAJLT3H" target="_blank">Audible UK</a></div>
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Bobby Roland knows things he shouldn't.</div>
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Plagued with premonitions of disaster, he fights to save others' lives. What Bobby doesn't foresee is that rescuing a stranger from death will place him in the line of fire.</div>
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He discovers a world of evil spirits and tormented souls when he becomes entangled in a madman's plot to kill the Servant, a man chosen by God to exorcise demons from the possessed. When Bobby falls under spiritual attack following the encounter, he must choose between saving others and saving himself.</div>
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Includes bonus story Solitude.</div>
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When people ask me what I'd like for Christmas, I invariably grow uncomfortable. I live a content and happy life with a roof over my head, a caring husband, and three feisty cats who are a constant source of entertainment. What else could I possibly desire?</div>
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Well, there is one thing: kindness. I often find it lacking in the world today, but it doesn't have to be that way. This Christmas, choose to be kind to one another, whether on the internet or in person. It can make a world of difference.</div>
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Be sure to stop by <a href="http://www.jsbaileywrites.com/">www.jsbaileywrites.com</a> for news about events and upcoming releases, and catch up with my antics on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/JSBailey_author" target="_blank">@jsbailey_author</a> or Facebook at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/jsbaileywrites">www.facebook.com/jsbaileywrites</a>. I look forward to hearing from you!</div>
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~J. S. BaileyJ. S. Baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01905434045617670439noreply@blogger.com0