2022 - And Off We Go

January 3, 2022

As always, it seems odd to switch to a new year. I’m talking about writing 2022 instead of 2021 on anything I need to date. I wonder how long it will be until I write 21, 20, or maybe 19 as the year on something?

Writing – My writing rate was - I will give it an ok. I wrote just under 3,000 words the past week – not great, but for a busy week, not bad. I was somewhat distracted from writing by so many football games on television. We have not done anything special for years to celebrate New Year’s Eve or Day, which allowed me to put a few extra words on paper. 

I am still working on the editing portion of my historical mystery/western. It looks like I am about a third of the way through. I’m still not sure about the ending, but I did work on it.

 

Reading – Lawrence Blocks, highly entertaining, The Thief Who Couldn’t Sleep.   I am a long time Block fan but somehow never got around to this Evan Tanner series

Weather – Dipped under zero for the first time this winter. About one inch of new snow and lots and lots of wind, which I can do without for the rest of winter.

Quote of the day – “I was brought up in the great tradition of the late nineteenth century: that a writer never complains, never explains and never disdains.”  James A. Michener

Today’s Photos – All shot from my walks this week and a trip to the state park a couple of miles north of here.  

Have a great week. Keep on reading, and keep on writing.  

Taking it Easy

Still on my, self-imposed, hiatus from writing. Lots of other things going on that are taking up my time. I am not done yet, for those who asked, and thanks. I still have two nearly completed projects and will, someday, get back to them. I will keep you posted, today I am taking it easy watching the Masters and later Rockies baseball on TV. 

I have slowed down with my photography also but did get out a couple of times in the last week or so - today's photos from those outings. 

Enjoy the day! 

Back from Vacation and back to Writing

Home Again – After a nice trip to Branson, Missouri we are back home. It is always nice to get away, and then nice, to be back home. While in Branson we caught up with old friends and took in several, terrific as always, shows.

Now home again with regular chores and back to writing, and oh, we just voted a couple of hours ago.   

From the Old West –  Too little temptation can lead to virtue

A View of Laramie Peak from the Trails at Guernsey State Park

What Am I Working On? – Editing the fourth book of my Mike and Moose & Me kids chapter books. Also doing some serious writing and researching on my nonfiction Fort Laramie Book.

For writers reading this, I have never done the NaNo, write a book during November project, admire those that do. I am too lazy and too random to keep to a tight schedule and to stay on the same subject.

My New Book is Out - My second book of Christmas short stories is now live and for sale on Amazon. 

 Photo of the Week – 

A ride and dinner on the Branson Belle

As always, you can find all my books here on Amazon

 Or

Follow me here on twitter at @wyohistoryguy

Keep on Reading and keep on Writing

& 

Hope everyone made it through the time change ok.

Reading and Writing Westerns

We had the first good snow of the year over the weekend. We got about three inches, nice to see it will be warming up over the next two weeks. Maybe I will still get the rest of our garage painted this fall.

What Am I Working On? – Added 3,500 words to my kid's chapter book – pretty good week for me. This book the 4^th and possibly last of my Mike, Moose and Me series, will be complete at 12 to 15 thousand words, I am over 8,000 now, so getting close. I also spent some time working on my newest non-fiction book, tentatively titled, Elderly. It is just nicely started with about a 1,000 words and a partly completed outline.

What Am I Reading? Still - Reading Wallace Stegner - Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs: Living and Writing in the West. 

I am also revisiting a book I started a while back but did not finish – Love Song to the Plains, wonderful read by the incomparable Mari Sandoz

My Photo of the Week –

North Platte River Narrows in  the lake at Guernsey State Park

As always, you can find all my books here on Amazon

or

follow me here on twitter at @wyohistoryguy

Old West Knowledge- The good thing about talking to your horse is – he will never talk back.

Photo of the Week 2 –

Little Mule Deer as the sun disappears for the day

Keep on reading and keep on writing – have a great week!

Writing Update

Most of Thanksgiving is over – part of the family has left, part is still here. It was a terrific day, I only overate a little bit. Believe it is getting close to evening meal time, we used to call it supper, but believe I will settle for a glass or two of iced tea.

No writing today, except for this of course. Tomorrow, or Saturday I will be back to work on two of my works in progress. The first is finished, except for some final touch up. The second, the kid's book I talked about here a few weeks ago, and the fourth in the series, is getting close to what I hope will be an exciting finish. 

I continue to struggle with my latest full-length novel and my massive nonfiction book but occasionally work on them. Seems I have the motivation to write, but only in a light-hearted vein. I did finish up another short story, number seven, for my second volume of Christmas stories. Originally I planned to have this volume II ready by today – oh well, maybe next year.

Sales – Wow, thanks so much. Most pages read and most e-Books sold in a month and with another week to go. Hope it keeps up!

Today’s photos are from our hikes in Guernsey State Park the past week.

Book Link – Click here and go to my Amazon author’s site and read a free sample from any or all of my books.

Have a great weekend - keep on reading and keep on writing.

Neil A. Waring - Writers Update on a Super Summer Day

I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions. – James A. Michener 

 

Backyard

Oh – That First Line

The above quote about sums it up for me – I like the sound of words when strung together in great sentences. Once in a while, often a long while, I write something that I think sounds great. Sometimes I will read it to my wife for her reaction and hope she likes it as much as I do. Like everyone else who writes, I have read the lists of best first lines or best opening paragraphs, most I like, some I scratch my head. Regardless all writers hope to come up with a great opening hook – keeps readers reading. And not only an opening hook, but enough great lines to make the read memorable, possibly quotable.

Works in Progress

So here I sit today working on a couple of different projects but having a tough time with the opening lines. That’s the way I write – most of the time. First I get an idea, then I write the opening line, paragraph or typically the entire first page. From that point, I outline, or in my case, more of a list of where I will go from there. Don’t get me wrong here, I have opening lines for these in progress works, but I’m not sure I like them. Maybe it’s my way to not work too fast or too hard on a pleasant summer day.

From our Backyard Garden

Good day to be Outside

Today I am sitting on our back deck writing this post, temperatures have moderated, at last, and it is once again comfortable outside. My wife is sitting at the table reading on her Kindle, and I am typing away sitting in one of the Adirondack chairs my dad built to sit on our front porch, when I was a kid, more than 60 years ago.

 Almost Silent

It's comfortable outside listening to birds singing, the occasional dog barking or car passing and the helicopters from the near by base whirling overhead. Seems like all the sounds come in a jumble then it turns almost silent except for a Blue Jay calling from high up from the safety of one of our front yard Aspen trees. Such is life in our small town in Wyoming.

They Stay Around all Year - Fun to Watch

Think I have something, time to write, and for all of you,  keep on reading and keep on writing. 

Need a relaxing read? See all my books here

Cliff Swallow Nests at Register Cliff - along the Oregon Trail

Summer Writing

At last, it looks as if summer is here.

My writing normally slows down a bit when warm weather arrives. For me, summer means lots of vacation days, short trips, golf, long walks, and hikes, gardening, a little fishing, and more time with my cameras taking wildlife and landscape photos. I also spend time watching Little League baseball and my favorite big league team the Rockies who are off to a great start.

One of our favorite places to relax and only a few minutes away

I will continue working on my new nonfiction book and hope to finish the 4^th  kid's chapter book from my Mike and Moose & Me series. Here is the link to the first of the series.

I am doing a few small promotions for my newest book – here is my latest post on it.

Just in time for summer. Beginning Gardening and Other Entertaining Lies. Everything from how to read labels on a bag of fertilizer to building backyard raised beds. Great for beginners along with terrific reminders and how to’s, for long time gardeners also.  Complete with humor and four short stories, each starting with a body in the garden.

NOW FREE WITH KINDLE UNLIMITED OR A MERE .99 CENTS TO PURCHASE THE Ebook.

Give it a try today,learning and laughing all in the same book.

Other than that I will do lots of soaking in the sun and relaxing in the warmth of summer. How about You?

Last evening - sunset over Guernsey State Park 

An Attempt at Book Marketing

It has been an interesting three days as I attempted to move a few books. Over the past few weeks, I have been trying to read more about book marketing. Something I have not done much of, instead I spend time writing and editing, then move on to another book. I like the writing part, but am woefully bad at marketing. I have turned down several chances to publish with small presses as I still would have been the main, or only, marketer, could not see an advantage over Indy publishing.

To boost my sales, I offered a free eBook, a pretty good read and one I had a chance to publish with a small press. I declined the small press offer, believing if it only sold a few hundred copies I would make more Indy, than with a small press.

Creating a good Facebook Author Page, and developing an active email list seem to be the first needed steps, I have done neither. Instead, I trudge on, with a handful of posts on my blogs and a once-in-a-while tweet about my books. Guess what? It doesn’t work. A few days ago I posted this, in different variations, on several of my blog sites, as an attempt at marketing.

I am giving away, for the next three days, one of my novels, Ghost of the Fawn, the eBook format anyway. If you read on electronic devices, like Kindle or even your phone, it is free, no strings attached, just click the Amazon, buy for $0.00 - and it is all yours.

So what will you be getting? An adventure, modern day western mystery, set in several places in Wyoming. And it's short, only a couple hundred pages.

Click the link, download the book, and see what I have been up to the last few years.

How did it do? About what I expected, a few dozen downloads and a bit of an uptick in sales of my other stuff – but overall, not much. Looks like I might need to take some advice from marketers, who know what they are doing, to heart. 

The free download of Ghost of the Fawn is still available, click any of the links on this page to get a free copy. 

Love to hear about anything that has worked for other Indy writers.

Books, Selling, Writing & Publishing

We try to take off for a few days each month. Today we are off to see brothers and sisters in Nebraska. It is about a ten-hour drive, so as always, we have a book to listen to on the way. Sometimes I talk on and on, and we don’t listen much to the book, other times we listen more and I talk less.

CCC built Water Station at Guernsey State Park

In other news, I am following, as are most who have used Create Space, what is happening at Kindle Direct Publishing. I have six books and a short story (wow – it won an award), on KDP. Now KDP is in the print book business also. It looks like, down the road, the two will be merged into one, Kindle Direct Publishing. Right now, they do not offer author proof copies, or a chance for writers to buy books closer to cost so they can resell to booksellers. Unlike many writers that have published independently, I sell quite a few hard copy books. I have books in several bookstores and libraries, because of this I need to be able to purchase books at a good author price. Guess I will wait and see what happens.

Evening in Wyoming

Every few months I look at publishing something in a traditional market. Because these chances have always come from small and medium-sized publishers, I have passed. Now, it looks like I may go the traditional route with my next nonfiction book, not sure why, but there are a few advantages.

This week’s weather has been incredible. I have spent some time playing golf, hiking and taking photos. Hope it keeps up, and lets me get some yard work completed next week, not that I want too.

Oh – one last thing, I am still getting in some writing and editing, it is just more difficult when the temperature is 70, and the sun is shining, and it's still February.

Mule Deer Doe checking out the guy with the camera

Keep on writing and keep on reading. Have a great weekend.

Photos are from my outings this week.

Sunset splashed Red Cloud Shelter, built by the CCC at Guernsey State Park

Western Short Story Give a Way

FREE – Download a free copy today & all weekend.

My western short

Interview With A Gunfighter

More than a quarter of a century after the end of the old west a legendary gunfighter submits to an interview. The one and only time he talks about living his life with a gun.

Find it here – a nice 15-minute read –

Books and EBooks

Looks like January has flat lined my book sales. I remember when television medical and murder mysteries used to show a machine beeping and flashing and then a solid beep and solid red line when the patient/victim died. That is what my KDP sales look like right now. Flatlined for nine days. Looks like the New Year is off to a slow start.

Sales are as slow as this old bull in the January snow

I did sell a couple of books yesterday, books not EBooks. The sale of EBooks brings on something that still bothers me. Why are so many traditional publish houses charging so much for EBooks? I wanted to read one yesterday and it was $12.99 – too much for me. I put my name on the list at the Library and should get it next week. FREE to read.

My books are all available as EBooks or softcover books - check them our today

Often I look for older books to read as EBooks, but if they are with a big publishing house, the price is still at the original, usually over $10.00. The same book, after a couple of years, can be bought from dozens of online used book dealers for a few cents. These sellers always tack on $3.99 for shipping, which is how they make their money. I send books out for less than $3.00. Seems to me if the big publishing houses would lower their client’s EBooks to three or four dollars, after a year or two, they and the author would continue to make money. 

Hoping my sales take off soon

School Has Started and I am Going Back to Work

Wow, what a summer! I managed to keep up with my blog posts, kind of but did little other writing. My western novel, Commitment, is out in eBook, and I had hopes of getting the physical copy of the book out by July 1. Now it is September and still no book. Why? I decided to do a rewrite of part of the eBook before publishing the hard copy. New goal, both out by October 1. Hope I make it. Meanwhile, I am going to do a .99 cent sale on it until I get the new copy finished. Not that there is anything wrong with  it. I am not changing any of the plot or the characters, not even the cover just felt like it needed some word changes - likely didn't. This might make a great writing exercise, read the .99 cent version (in a few days when it goes on sale) then buy the $3.99 eBook with the changes and compare - just kidding!

In other news, my two children’s books

and my nonfiction book about the CivilianConservation Corps have had a roller coaster of up and down selling weeks. I sell a few copies and the book soars into the top ten percent of all books on Amazon, then no sales for a week or two and they fall to number 2,000,000 - crazy stuff.

I have sold more than 100 copies of my CCC book around this area. Wish those sales could be reflected as Amazon sales. However, I’m not complaining, making more than I thought I would on all my books. Not big money by any stretch, but when I make $50 in a week for a few weeks in a row I feel pretty good.

Enjoying the research on my new nonfiction and hoping to release some bits and pieces soon. It deals with Fort Laramie’s role on the plains and along the trails west.

Fort Laramie July 4, 2015

Still setting hard on my goal of releasing at least three books by the end of May. Guess that is the old school teacher in me, my year is September 1, to the end of May.

I like this hike - refreshing

Thanks for reading and I hope you have a great book going 

Old Cowboys and New Westerns

Last evening I finished reading, A Texas Ranger, by William Macleod Raine, written more than 100 years ago but still a very good tale. Some of these older westerns seem to be somewhere in between all the pulp westerns that were so well read a half century ago and the newer, truer western of a few years ago.  The difference between the new and the traditional westerns was summed up by Elmer Kelton, an all-time favorite of mine, when he said that Mr. L'Amour's characters ''are always seven feet tall and invincible, mine are 5 feet 8 and nervous.''
Seemed to me that much of the action, in westerns today, is still the seven foot tall and invincible style but grittier in modern westerns. That’s why I read them, love the action, that’s why its fiction, it’s over the top. If I see any big changes in newer western novels it might be the removal, at times, of stereotypes of Indians, women, Mexicans and some religious groups. (See Zane Grey)The so called formula western is still alive with a fair following, the one that puts the good guys against the bad guys. More and more westerns seem to be of the romance variety and these new westerns seem to be dominated by women writers, nothing bad about that, just an observance.
Type in “Westerns,” into an Amazon book search – most interesting. You will find a mix of new and old, romance and traditional and many very cheap or free on Kindle stories. 

And like any good cowboy in the end I will ride off into the sunset.

Great Sunset Over the Laramie Range December First 2014