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Monday, September 14, 2020

Learn something every day! A John Dryden moment

 I finally got to sit down and read a few pages of 'Dryden's Mind and Art', a collection of essays written on the genius of John Dryden (1631-1700) - I only got halfway through the first essay before I was struck with SOMETHING NEW! Watch out, this could be too much for you (doubt it, considering you're here and reading this, you're kinda used to stuff by now).

Okay, so, it's a well-known fact that with his 'Origin of Species' (1859), Charles Darwin gave the world the idea of 'evolution' - and many in the USA still fight against the idea (dumbasses).

The first thing is... the book was actually called...

'On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life'

What a great title! Some people have already asked me why my titles for my 'How to' series keep getting longer... well, as you can see, books used to have long titles.

Anyway, I digress... oh look!

The Hind and the Panther (First Part) (1687) by John Dryden 

The Fox and he came shuffl'd in the dark,

If ever they were stow'd in Noah's ark:

Perhaps not made for all their barking train

The Dog (a common species) will contain.

And some wild currs, who from their masters ran

Abhorring the supremacy of man,

In woods and caves the rebel-race began.

Do you see it? Dryden is suggesting that foxes were the 'wild currs' of dogs, unable to take Man's orders and become domesticated, and so they ran away as 'rebels'. Almost 200 years BEFORE Darwin, England's first appointed Poet Laureate wrote about evolution... or at least a 'hint' at it. Apparently, the idea of evolution had been around for a long time before Darwin was brave enough to write a whole scientific book about it. But hey, Dryden did it 172 years before him.

Speaking of writing, I've started on Book 3 of the Humanity H2O series, Farkas Alpha, and finishing off Radnoti X. Both are available to Pre-Order at this link... and Gubacsi Dulu is still there if you haven't got it yet!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08H8GNYKP





Sunday, September 13, 2020

Another #1 New Release! Radnoti X (Book2) + 10th rating of Gubacsi Dulu

This is starting to go crazy.

First, look, Radnoti X received the #1 New Release orange banner, just as Gubacsi Dulu did!


This is fantastic news! Still waiting on my Beta readers to tell me how they feel about it. And Books 1 + 2 can be seen close together in the subcategory 'Children's Steampunk (NOW...15 + 22 + 30) (really, I put it the Juvenile category, but hey)! Probably for the first and last time...


KENP has kind of died now for Gubacsi Dulu, the 'rush' is over...just waiting for more reviews, more feedback, BUT I did get another International non-review rating of 3 stars... so the International ratings look a little strange...


So, PLEASE, if you've read the book and Amazon allows you to review (rules, rules, rules), place a review...

https://www.amazon.com/Gubacsi-Dulu-Book1-Humanity-H20-ebook/dp/B08FTJTYCD

And if you've read Gubacsi Dulu and want to find out what happens to Officer Karina Reif, you can Pre-Order Books 2 + 3...

Radnoti X : Book 2 (Humanity H2O)*

*(the X is short for 'ten' - some people have asked)

https://www.amazon.com/Radnoti-Book-Humanity-Dani-Caile-ebook/dp/B08H3KL9BX

Farkas Alpha : Book 3 (Humanity H2O)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HKFDXFQ

UPDATE: Book 2 + 3 are #1 and #2 New Releases in the subcategory Children's Steampunk





Change and Development in Scenery and Setting + 9th Gubacsi Dulu 'rating'

Another first... a global rating without a review... yes, I got 3 stars from someone on the International sites, but no review. I didn't even know a reader could do that...I just googled it, and it seems Amazon allows real customers to anonymously do that...  https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/2/14/21121209/amazon-fake-reviews-one-tap-star-ratings-seller-feedback 

So... Review No.9... 3 stars (no review, no feedback). Oh well...still at an average of 3.6 on Amazon.com and 3 on the Internationals... no change there, then. :-( But someone bought a paperback in Canada and an ebook on Amazon.com. Thank you! :-) And KENP was/is great-  I won't say how great, I might jinx it! It might stop!

Today, to help you understand the depth of thought (or not) put into the Humanity H2O sci-fi series, a little bit about scenery and setting vs. character development. 

With my first series of book, the setting was the same: Earth. Kinda big, really. With my second (as yet unfinished) series, it was a small part of a continent which extended in the second book and (once I've written it) will also extend in the third. I'll work on it next year.

However, for this sci-fi series, Humanity H2O, I chose to 'develop' that idea. In the first book, it's a planet which is hot, open, with lots of space, though quite empty. In the second book...SPOILER ALERT... it's a 'facility', cold, closed, no huge open spaces. In the third, well... later, that would be TOO much of a spoiler. But you can see where I'm going with this. The setting changes, and with it, the development of the main character, Karina Reif. The environment creates our 'self', gives change to our lives. You can't fit a square block in a circular hole.



And Gubacsi Dulu is still being bought, read on KENP (touch wood) and staying in the top 100,000! And Pre-Orders for the others are happening... Dying for reviews though!

https://www.amazon.com/Gubacsi-Dulu-Book1-Humanity-English-ebook/dp/B08FTJTYCD


Saturday, September 12, 2020

Winding down (?) the Gubacsi Dulu Party...?

Yes, it's been one hell of a ride! So many firsts for myself in my writing career, all due to the help of a certain few and of course my readers! 1000+ free downloads, KENP reads, pre-orders, ratings and ranks, even 1 star reviews, all milestones reached. Yes, we're not talking big numbers but it is something! I'm not writing to nobody, there is someone out there.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08FTJTYCD

And now, as the dust begins to settle and things calm down, hopefully more reviews will come in, squashing those two 1 stars into oblivion (Yes, they're still there... 74-year-old Bernard G. needs to go back to education and smart up, methinks, the other one is a lost cause)

HANG ON! There's an upsurge again! And #1 New Release again! I'll take all you can give me!


Lovely...so, as I wait (and plead) for those readers who understand my writing to send in their thoughts and reviews of Gubacsi Dulu, Radnoti X, the second book in the series, is being finalised. A little shorter than the first, it is fully-packed with lots of goodies, mainly ***SPOILER***

So, in a few more days, I'll pass it over to my star reader, Miss KR herself, to give her view on the book and then I can go through the process of publication. 

If you're interested in seeing how Officer Karina Reif gets on, pre-order is possible... many people have!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08H3KL9BX



Thursday, September 10, 2020

Desperately looking for reviews on Amazon International sites!

 As you know, I have 8 reviews so far for 'Gubacsi Dulu', which all show up on Amazon.com...

Unfortunately, on the International sites (the UK, Canada, Australia, etc.), only 4 reviews appear...

This doesn't look good. I know, I know, people keep telling me, ignore the stupid 1 star reviews, but due to the success of the free promotion (1000+ free downloads), the book went everywhere, including to the illiterate, brain-dead 'don't make me think' horde. Out of 1000+ downloads, there's a chance the book will get into the hands of some people whose reading level is low... I find it strange that a 74-year-old man doesn't understand a book written in his own language when I know 9-year-olds who had no problem. His lawn could do with some watering, too. And what's he hiding in that huge basement? Anyway, if you've read the book, and you're not American, please leave a review (hopefully not a 1 or 2, that'll be just spiteful). Don't let the stupid take over. Please!

Keep up the good fight! Educate, educate, educate!

Here's Amazon.com if anyone wishes to see the book there...

https://www.amazon.com/Gubacsi-Dulu-Book1-Humanity-English-ebook/dp/B08FTJTYCD

Here are all the relevant Amazon International links...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gubacsi-Dulu-Book1-Humanity-English-ebook/dp/B08FTJTYCD

https://www.amazon.com.au/Gubacsi-Dulu-Book1-Humanity-English-ebook/dp/B08FTJTYCD

https://www.amazon.ca/Gubacsi-Dulu-Book1-Humanity-English-ebook/dp/B08FTJTYCD

https://www.amazon.ca/Gubacsi-Dulu-Book1-Humanity-English-ebook/dp/B08FTJTYCD

https://www.amazon.es/Gubacsi-Dulu-Book1-Humanity-English-ebook/dp/B08FTJTYCD

https://www.amazon.co.jp/Gubacsi-Dulu-Book1-Humanity-English-ebook/dp/B08FTJTYCD 

https://www.amazon.com.br/Gubacsi-Dulu-Book1-Humanity-English-ebook/dp/B08FTJTYCD

https://www.amazon.it/Gubacsi-Dulu-Book1-Humanity-English-ebook/dp/B08FTJTYCD

https://www.amazon.fr/Gubacsi-Dulu-Book1-Humanity-English-ebook/dp/B08FTJTYCD

https://www.amazon.in/Gubacsi-Dulu-Book1-Humanity-English-ebook/dp/B08FTJTYCD







Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Another FIRST! ..though still looking for reviews...

 Oh, this keeps getting better! For the first time EVER, my three latest books (1 available, 1 almost complete and 1 on the 'writing' board) are together in my Amazon Rank page!



Okay, so the ranking numbers aren't great, but this is the first time the same series has done this, and that I've had three novels all sitting together. I kept 'Baby Shoes' on the screenshot because it's always in the Top 5. All three books are also in the Top 100 of the subcategory 'Children's Steampunk' (#17,#52,#68) and Gubacsi Dulu still holds the #1 New Release. 

So, good news! ...however... I'm still looking for reviews, especially due to those two crazy 1 star reviews, one from an illiterate and the other who rates something from reading 1/60th of the whole. So, PLEASE, if you have a little time and the possibility, write a little review for the book, every one of them helps.

https://www.amazon.com/Gubacsi-Dulu-Book1-Humanity-H20-ebook/dp/B08FTJTYCD

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Gubacsi Dulu reviews 6th, 7th and 8th - two 5 stars! (and a 1...)

Gubacsi Dulu is STILL the #1 New Release in a subcategory Amazon gave my book... it keeps moving 1st, 2nd, 3rd, but due to KENP reads, it's there!

Radnoti X also has half a dozen Per-Orders, and orders for Farkas Alpha have started as well! NEVER in the history of my 10 years has this happened!

But the BEST news? 

The other day I was honoured... I received two 5 star reviews, one from the great sci-fi series writer Jasper T. Scott on Amazon.com, and another from Chris Graham, 'Chris the Story Reading Ape' blogger. Both of them were essential in the success of the Gubacsi Dulu free promotion, so it was a special feeling to see such good reviews from them!



I really can't ask any more from these guys, they've been fantastic! 

And of course, I'm still looking for reviews from you! The more the merrier, and more reviews means a greater opportunity that the book will be noticed...

https://www.amazon.com/Gubacsi-Dulu-Book1-Humanity-English-ebook/dp/B08FTJTYCD

But I'm not really happy about this 1 star review... the guy read one chapter... out of sixty, and put up a 1 star review...

 


That's like someone...

...stepping into a restaurant and shouting "This place sucks! The food's disgusting!" without trying the food.

...seeing a bus go by and saying "Wow, this bus service is really shit!" without even wanting to get on it.

...looking at a brand new car in a showroom and saying "Man, this drives like a whale!" without getting into the seat.

 He asks... "Maybe it's me." ...maybe it is.