Friday 27 September 2013

2013 - not a bad year, all things considered.

I know there are another few weeks to go before we welcome 2014, but I think now is the right time to let you know how 2013 has been treating me. 

Sales of the Tom Gray thrillers have exceeded all expectations.  In fact, I was forced to register for UK VAT earlier this month after reaching the threshold.  The early months were nothing special, but once Gray Justice went onto the Amazon free list in late February, they exploded.  Gray Justice spent over 8 weeks as the Amazon UK number 1 free download, which led to bumper sales of Gray Resurrection and Gray Redemption.  To everyone who purchased a copy, I'm truly grateful.
Sadly, the tax man will get roughly half of the royalties, and my wife has her eye on a new bathroom and kitchen, so I can kiss goodbye to the rest.  I was hoping to use the money to fund a 2-year hiatus from the day job so that I could write full time, but after the above have had their share, I’ll be lucky to get two weeks off.

In the meantime, there’s good news and bad news for Tom Gray fans.  I’ve been working hard all year on his next adventure, and I’m glad to say I've finished it.  The bad news is, it isn’t going to be released until July 2014.
Why not, I hear you cry?
It’s because I was approached by Thomas and Mercer, an Amazon imprint, and offered a 4-book deal for the Tom Gray series.  I penned the agreement in October and they are currently working to edit and proof the first three books prior to a re-release in January 2014, along with some brand new covers.  Book 4 is going to be put through the wringer, too, and while that’s going on I’ll start work on my next title.  At this stage I don’t know if book 5 will be another Tom Gray thriller, but I’ll keep you all posted.  As it is an Amazon company, the books will be exclusive to that site, so if you’ve previously purchased the Tom Gray books from other distributors, I’m afraid you’ll have to download the Kindle app to continue enjoying the series.

I’m really excited about this deal.  Every author wants to get noticed on Amazon, and my books should get a fair few days on the front page.  You can’t ask for better exposure than that.  I may realise my dream of paying off the mortgage and quitting work to write for a living, I may not.  I guess I’ll know in the next 12 months.

So, all in all, not a bad year for Tom Gray and the gang.

Monday 16 September 2013

Book Launch - A Difficult Mirror





Four-year-old Justine has been lost to the world and with her an ability feared by many. But the balance of power has been shifting for years, and Justine may be able to tip those scales for good...if someone can find her in a pitiless place of sorrow and pain.

When Marie Evans meets a strange man on a deserted road and a body is found mutilated in the desert, a deep resentment teetering on the edge of release is about to explode. Someone, somewhere has drawn a line in the sand, and when Harlan Reese, Marie's ex-lover, enters a forest in central Arizona looking for his daughter, that line will be crossed.

In a world between Heaven and Hell, the past becomes the present as Harlan and Marie find each other once again. Their journey across an unforgiving land to find a way home with Justine by their side will be wrought with both pain and triumph.

Life is, after all, A Difficult Mirror.

Launch date: September 23rd 2013

Quotes


"Combining horror, fantasy & mystery with elements of the traditional hero's journey, A Difficult Mirror contains a unique & detailed plot, rich characterization & a very real sense of danger..."
- Michael K. Rose, author of Sullivan's War, Chrysopteron and Darkridge Hall

"...Wretlind conjures visions beyond your wildest nightmares"
 - Bruce Blake, author of the Icarus Fell series and Khirro's Journey epic fantasy trilogy

About the author

Benjamin X. Wretlind ran with scissors when he was five. Consequently, he likes llamas, although it's widely known that llamas don't care one way or another. He is the author of Castles: A Fictional Memoir of a Girl with Scissors, Sketches from the Spanish Mustang and Regarding Dead Things on the Side of the Road: Collected Stories.
He lives in Colorado with his wife and kids...but no llamas (yet).


Where to find Benjamin:



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