Writing, Thankfully

 It's a rough time to find things to be thankful for. Oh, they're there: family, health ... okay, family. But our society today is geared toward stressing the bad, and taking the good for granted. It's human nature to complain; most of us do it. Right now, someone is complaining because I just used a semicolon. But I have a wife who gets me, grand-kids, a case of Mountain Dew in the kitchen, and I'm pretty sure there's chocolate around here, somewhere.

And my writing, which at various times in my life is the only thing that kept me sane. The following is an update to a blog I wrote way back in 2015. I wanted to let you know that in case anyone remembered it ... although it seems unlikely, after eight years of what the last eight years have been like.


On this Thanksgiving (this is Thanksgiving weekend, by the way, but all you turkeys already know that), I’d like to say how thankful I am for my dislike of self-promotion.
I’ve spent a lot of time writing press releases, blogging, signing books, and basically bragging about how I’m such a good writer that you should spend your time and money on me. It’s not in my nature. But then, neither is working, and I have to do that, too.
My first book came out in 2011. Now I have eleven published, with my name in three others, and a handful of published short stories.
 When I first queried a publisher for a book length project I was eighteen—that was five years after my first "finished" novel. Please don't do the math on this, but it took me over thirty years to get a novel published.
But I did get published, and that’s something to be thankful for (among many other things). I may be struggling to make more sales, but I’m published—and a lot of writers don't make it that far. To show how thankful I am … I’m going to work hard to get more published. An unpublished book or short story should never rest on a writer’s desk (or hard drive) for long.
And I'm going to keep up my efforts to spread the word about our books (let's face it, half of them would never have been published without Emily. More than half.) For me, that's way more work than the actual writing.
But I'm thankful to be doing it.

http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/f4/96/b8/f496b80c089f9c153efeac1b1a475620.jpg 

 

Remember to be thankful ... and also to read something fun.

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Hey, I recognize that book

 My Capital One card (well, the service) just notified me of a price break on a book I might be interested in:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/142421058411?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5337795679&toolid=10001&customid=441225e4afd549aba489231e2f2cf8dc

Well, yes, I'm interested in it--but I already have several copies.





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More Places To Find Coming Attractions ... and Others

 On most of my blogs I end with links to our website, along with Amazon, and Barnes and Noble links. But Coming Attractions is distributed through Smashwords, which is a bit of a different story. (Smashwords also distributes the two ebook anthologies I have stories in.)

 

Wait, what?

 

So, just in time for Christmas, here are the links where you may find some of our other books, but can always find that particular one:

Smashwords (naturally): 

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ozma914

(There's a dashing photo of me in my turnout gear on the page ... but the lack of a beard indicates it's an old one.)


Apple Books (which actually has five of our books):

https://books.apple.com/us/author/mark-r-hunter/id1025271801

 

Barnes and Noble, of course, has a handful:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Mark%20R.%20Hunter%22

 

  Gardners Extended Retail!

https://www.gardners.com/Search/KeywordAnonymous/eBook?Keyword=mark+r.+hunter&searchPreferences=0&fq=14123

No, I've never heard of them, either. I was able to find several of my books there, but you have to have a free account with them to view the details.

 

Kobo has a few:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/author/mark-r-hunter+

 

Then there's Odilo, of course:

https://marketplace.odilo.us/opac/#index

 Never heard of them; but if you search for Mark R. Hunter you'll find Coming Attractions  and our Images of America book.


And naturally, there's Scribd!

https://www.scribd.com/author/340537901/Mark-R-Hunter

I actually have heard of them, but never mind. Apparently they've sent all their ebooks to a place called Everand, https://www.everand.com/author/340537901/Mark-R-Hunter, which is a subscription service.


So, when you add to those our Amazon account:

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0058CL6OO

(Amazon is why some of our stuff doesn't get around to other places--long story.)

 

And our website:

http://www.markrhunter.com/

 

You have ... a list!

I've also shown up on a lot of those sketchy sites where I never put it; the internet equivalent of some guy selling books out of the back of his van. "Hey, mister ... check out this romantic comedy. I also have watches and used wallets."

Honestly, the list is partially for me, so I remember, but I'll take sales wherever I can get them. Have any of you encountered any of our books elsewhere on the net? Let me know, and I'll add it to the list.



 

 

Remember, if you give books instead of bigger presents, Santa has more room on his sled. Hold out for that second present!

 


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Let's Start Christmas Right Now. Seriously.

 As all fourteen of my regular readers know, I've always had this thing about putting up Christmas decorations, or in any way mentioning Christmas, before Thanksgiving.

By "thing" I mean seeing anything Christmas related before mid-November would send me into a murderous rage. That's how I got banned from Wal-Mart.

 

I thought, and still think, starting Christmas while people are going down with heat exhaustion cheapens the holiday, and makes it overstay its welcome. I was okay with putting outside lights up early, mind you--as long as they weren't turned on until Thanksgiving weekend.

So I asked my State and Federal representatives to open a new hunting season: Any lit (or inflated) Christmas decorations seen before Thanksgiving would be open season. Shoot to darken!

That's how I used to feel.

Not this year. This year I'm a happy little friggin' elf.


 Why? Because 2023 has been crap. In fact, it's been the crappiest of the 2020s, which has been the crappiest decade of the century. I know we're not that far in, but let's face it: A stream of horrible years doesn't make the most horrible less horrible. Someone get me that on a t-shirt.

Deaths, health scares, politics, extremists, the Kardashians are still around ... our dog died and our car broke down. That's a country song, man.

So, as the song goes: We need a little Christmas, today. Get started. Brighten up everything--make those electric meters spin. We need the color, the lights, the cheer, even the songs. Yes, I know Christmas is too commercial these days.

 

But so what? You don't have to be commercial. I mean, yeah, you should buy books to give out as Christmas presents, but otherwise don't worry about it: Just kick back and relax some between now and the 25th (of next month). Make the time. Watch a Christmas movie, curl up on the couch listening to Christmas music (ahem--while reading a good book, or one of mine), do whatever it takes to bring down the stress level a little. There's no law against it. I know, because my Representatives wouldn't return my calls.

Merry Christmas! Party early, and keep those lights on after the holidays, right up until the Santa Mafia shows up to get you committed.


The Santas are just grumpy because they have to work through the holidays.


 Remember: Every time a book gets rung up, an author gets his wings.

 


 


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