Worlds Unbound cover release!

FINISHED!

Yes, Worlds Unbound is done, and as we speak it's flying over the internets to a computer, or e-reader, near you. Feel like picking it, or any of my other works up? Here you go!

1 more week!

A lot has been going on.

A LOT.

In the last month I have decided that it is time to step up my game, and I now have put up my two books into paper.

Yes, you read that right.

I have two paper backs coming out in October, the 1st to be exact.

So, now that you are all wondering where you can get them, let me show you the links.

http://www.amazon.com/Jamie-Heppner/e/B006N2IJU2/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1379992937&sr=1-2-ent

Oh, and on a side note, here is a teaser for the cover of Mirror Thief...
Enjoy!

 

Looks pretty good right? Yep, it does. Want to see inside? Take a peak in here. https://www.createspace.com/Preview/1132038

Drop a note, let me know what you think.

Mirror Thief!

Quick update for you all. That last post about me writing? Well, it stayed true...and now with a few bumps along the road, I have four, yes FOUR attempts at a book cover for you to check out.

Interested?

Hope so...so if you haven't already, pop by my Facebook page, click like (you don't have to, but honestly, my posting there is way more common than my posting here) and take a look at the four covers I have sketched up!

What are you waiting for?

Get clicking...

Oh, you want a link? Okay, fine...here you go!

https://www.facebook.com/JamieHeppner

or keep watching here, for the release...which should be VERY soon.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=jamie%20heppner&sprefix=jamie+hepp,stripbooks&rh=i:stripbooks,k:jamie%20heppner

Now move it! HUT HUT HUT!

;)

No apologies.

Nope, too many sorrys are being said these days.
I don't apologise for any lack of updates this time.
You know why?
It's because...I am writing!
Yes, that's the big deal.
Oh, there have been other things, lost teeth (kids, not me) birthdays, (Kids again, and wife, not me. I don't have those any more. 39 and holding I say) but that is life.
I have a story, a new one, stuck in my head. It formed a little while ago, and I couldn't let the idea leave. A couple of day later and I was already down 2k into that work, couple more days, 6k, couple more 13k. This idea just won't leave me alone. It's coming, and I am not going to let it stop.
The kicker?
It's a paranormal.
Everything else is right in the world. Except for one man. Dario. He finds out that somehow, he can pass himself, or anything he is carrying, through a mirror, into another world.
And the world inside the mirror, is...not the same as ours.
It's incredible, and I can't wait to have it done so I can start sharing it with others.

The even better part? I may have a real book cover for this one. A local artist I know has decided to help me out, we should have live actor pictures on this one.
*Crosses fingers*
I hope this all pans out. Would really love to see this story done right.
Till then!
-No Regrets-

Basement of DOOM or where I have been for two months.

 Are we there yet?

Well, no, but the good news is, I have a computer, and a desk, and a chair. It's a start.

Just over two months ago we moved, for those of you who don't know, and to say that in the time since it has been chaos around here...would be an understatement.

However! Never fear! Things are coming together. The basement that was almost completely unfinished, not counting the sixty year old carpet, has a brand new, fresh, clean, and spider free, finish. The TV is now mounted and the kids game systems (my game systems, but kids sounds better) has been hooked up and is functioning. The home schooling computers, and my writing machine, are set up in their own space, along with the treadmill. Pictures are getting closer to being hung, everything is looking more and more like it's time to start writing again.

I even sat down with full intent to open up the first chapter of 'The Event' and do a small re-write of the opening that has been rolling around in my head for over a week now...hmn, with that in mind...I have a file to open up!

I leave you all with some pictures of the before, and after, of our basement.

Feel free to ignore the orange couch...it is almost as old as I am, but still too comfortable to throw away...perhaps one day soon I will be able to buy our family a new one...perhaps.

Good news and great reviews.

Yes! I have both for you this time!

I hinted this month is a big one for me and I wasn't kidding. Of course, July is always a great month for me. Why? You might ask. Well it's simple...
This is the month I married my best friend. My partner in life, Christyl. That's her on the right. I am a lucky guy aren't I? Yowza...Smokin hottie!
There is really no way to top that. So I won't even try, however, to spread my good fortune to the rest of you, my readers, I have a few small surprises for you.

First of all, I want to share with you a small write up I was asked to do. The basics of it were, in three sentences or less, tell everyone what motivates you to write.
You can find the link to my answer HERE.

Second, I was the subject of another Author Interview!
(Golf claps for me!)
In the interview I was asked again about my writing, this time about a more specific book. My sci-fi Fantasy work entitled The Event, already available on Amazon. If you are interested in reading about some of my thoughts, struggles, and victories while writing The Event, please take a look HERE.

Third, I suckered convinced a very well known author to take a look at my short story Past Jumper, and with a little convincing she saw fit to write up a review for me. If you have been undecided whether to pick this short up or not. Perhaps from the words of her own fingertips you might be convinced. You won't find a more honest review of my work anywhere else. Take a look at what she had to say HERE.

And the best for last!
Our anniversary falls on July 7th. This year we will have been married for 6 years and Christyl has suffered to stay with me for a total of 8 years. So as our gift to you, for one day only, you can grab The Event for free from Amazon on this July 7th. Midnight, to midnight, all you have to do is download it. I say that is a win for everyone!

So thank you again my valued readers and please enjoy my gift to you.

Jamie

Oh! there is another link you need to look for, in case I haven't given you enough yet. My interview isn't up yet, but my interview with the talented Eden Baylee will be HERE on the 20th of this month. Please watch for it!

Dear 16 year old me.

Dear 16 year old me.
Everything you think to be important right now, isn't.
Those girls you want to chase, the ones you think are beautiful. Well, they are beautiful, on the outside. On the inside they are (for the most part) shallow, insecure, lonely, lost, just like you are. They look like they have everything going for them, but they don't. It will take them years to get their lives straight, same as you.
Don't stress about finding the right woman, you will, when you are ready, and oddly enough, you will find her in the least likely place. She will walk into your life and change everything in a way you really don't think is possible. You will love her for it, even when she does things that just make you shake your head.
Pay attention in school! Yes, you learned how to read before you hit Kindergarten, but your spelling and grammar have sucked ever since. Learn to use a comma. Yes...I know it all sounds like the parents speaking on an episode of Peanuts, but try harder. It's much easier to learn now, than when you have just turned 39. Trust me on this one.
Start writing, you will love this. You didn't know it at the time, but you have creativity inside you. In fact, it is bursting out of you. Find the outlet. Make it happen. You will be pretty bad (and good) at it at first, but keep going. You have a knack for it and others will actually enjoy your stories. Tell them.
PUT. DOWN. THE. VIDEO. GAMES.
Did I make myself clear? Sure, some of your best ideas came from playing games, and those same games do offer you a chance to relax and drop the stresses of your day, but so does writing. The world you will open up inside yourself is a rare thing, a treasure. It is no different than walking down a creek bed and finding a pretty stone laying among the cast offs. Yet you can do it at will. Some of the days will be hard, trust me here, but others will make you smile. Even better, there are some people out there who will pay you to do that writing. If you start at it soon enough, you may even be able to make a career out of it. The choice is up to you.
I know where I have spent the last 18 years, you aren't happy there, even though you are good at it. You like helping people, it's in your blood, but one at a time isn't the answer. Your books can help other people escape the doldrums of their lives, you can help them in different ways.
Put down the controller. Pick up a pen, or find a word program on your computer. I know you have one. And...Get writing!

Pain

Pain...
Everyone has it in some level.
I know this to be true.
Some people get headaches, others deal with emotional pain, while still others deal with the physical pain.
I have the physical pain.
There is a problem though. I was raised to be tough. Don't show your pain. Keep it inside and just deal with it.
That only works for a while.
What do you do when you can't do that anymore?
As a "man" society expects you to get over it. Deal with it. Move on.
I have been, I am, and I still will, but...how much can a person take before it breaks them?
What is my breaking point?

I injured my shoulder at work. There was no blood, there was no screaming. I just did it, and for years now I have been sucking it up. Yes, years. The last has been the worst.

I noticed in the spring of last year I had a real problem when I tried to throw a ball for my son. I would toss it a ways and he would run after it laughing. "Throw it farther Dad!" So I did...try.
I was never a slouch at throwing a ball, I could toss one from the outfield to the infield with little difficulty. I tried to throw it far and it barely went 20 feet, and a gun shot went off in my arm.
I had to tell him I couldn't throw a ball.
Spring is coming up again fast, and already he is asking me to do things I just can't do.
I can't climb a rope one handed. I can't play at the park one handed (very well). The list is sure to grow as we will be taking out the bikes soon...
So I am scheduled for surgery in the near future. The specialist has informed me I will need at least 6 weeks off work. Or at the very least, I can't move my arm after the surgery.
I am hating this.
I don't want to be "That guy".
I want to keep "Sucking it up for the company I have worked 18 years for."
I don't want to be the "Trouble employee".
Yet, I know, if I don't get this done I will never heal properly. I will not get the chance to throw a ball for my boy.
My mind is so conflicted here, I want it all to be swept under the rug. I want to pretend I am fine and there is nothing wrong. The people I deal with every day don't see my pain, usually. Most don't even notice I am only using half my body, let alone care.
One particular person actually keeps trying to tell me to hit the gym. "You need to work out." he says.
He doesn't know, or care, that I can't even lift a bottle with my right arm without feeling the heat in my neck, the rip in my shoulder, or the swelling in my right hand from over use.
I am just an employee to be used.
My state doesn't matter.
Just do your job and deal with the
Pain...

Ideas come from the strangest places.

I am not sure exactly where this idea popped up from, but I do know I was pacing a floor. So, I would assume that it was probably when I was bored at work. Yes, I get lots of ideas while bored at work.

ANYWAY...It was the start of an idea.

Like a good camp fire it just needed some time, and some space to breath, before the flames caught and the idea took off.
Those flames caught me while driving home from a doctors appointment today. It was a rough draft and only in its most bare form, but it was there.

Que the pestering of my wife.

In every writers carrier, I believe, they come to a point where they have a great idea, but it is missing something special. I know I can count on my wife for those times.

I will be honest, she loves that I can make up stories, she doesn't care for the idea of making her own...yet, but that might come in time. However, when I need a fresh new thought on something, I can rely on her to come up with an idea that my own twisted imagination wouldn't have imagined. She brings me back to a level of reality that can be very important for a writer in the field of fiction. She did that again today.

Skip time forward about three more hours, with the kids asleep, the house clean (ish) and 300 words later I had a very rough drafted outlined. I can see this story sitting around the 30-40k mark and it is a story idea totally new to me.

I intend to research it and see if I am wrong.

So, I have pounded out some words on a doc file, my hand joyously moves to hit the save button and I realise I have no idea what this title will be.
It is a good thing I have great friends on twitter. Their words come back to me even when they are offline. FIND ANOTHER WORD!
I have an idea in my head but it sounds terrible, cue thesaurus.com and viola! An outline for BREATHING SPACE has been born. Now all I need is the time to write it and make it happen.

Decisions of an Author, self pub or query again...

So I ran across an artist last night that likes to do book covers. Her work looks awesome and I figured, "Hey, why not chat this person up and see if you can sucker err convince them to give your whopper of a story a book cover.
She was agreeable and asked me to send over my synopsis to see what she thought of it...
Oh yeah, synopsis, I have one of those somewhere...

*Digs through my writing folder and pulls out my old synopsis file*
*Reads the four versions I used to think were pretty good*
*Quickly scraps all four, empties the trash folder, and burns computer*
 *Slams open Word to write out a new one that hopefully doesn't suck*

Yes, they were that bad. It was like reading a list of medical ingredients to a grade 3 class. How I ever thought they would interest anyone really amazes me. But! Don't despair! I was in a creative mood, my old synopsis(s)? <--Do you really plural that word? were so so far gone from my memory that I started fresh and made a really new one. Even I liked it.
So I grabbed my nearest beta reader. AKA My wife, and forced err asked her to read it. She knew of my prior failures and cringed at the thought, but after a quick read she said.

Wow! I like that one! I would even grab that book off a shelf.

Glowing praise for a woman that really doesn't read the genre I tend to write in.

So without further ado, I offer my scribbling for you to tear apart err read and critique. Hit me with your worst, what do you think about it? Would you pull this book off a shelf? Would you pay 9.95 (or 12.95 in Canada since the dollar is soooo far apart right now *not*)
Here we go...

Children's stories tell us the world we now live in used to be a different place. Some call it Gaia; others call it Eden, none of that matters to Shade or Dawn. Now they call it home.

The people of earth didn't use the planet, they misused it, and the unusual solar flare from the sun almost destroyed it. Only a lucky few managed to survive. Most of humanity paid with their lives, and they must now learn to adapt to a world where electricity refuses to flow, and the broken remains of the moon litter the surface of the earth with a fresh magic. Even humans are changing, their bodies reverting, reviving the fairy tales of youth.

The skies no longer drop rain. Fires burn indefinitely and the creatures of our past walk again. In pockets of paradise, humanity begins anew while the rest of the world weeps.

Donovan doesn't care about any of that. All he wants is to kill his sister so he can do everything "the rules" said he couldn't do before. Everything was working exactly as he planned until the undead beauty, Silvia, stepped into his web of destruction…all because of a can of beans.

Share it with your writer friends. Tear it up if you feel the need, or let me know what you would change. This might be the last kick at the cat for this book before it goes Indie and I would love to hear your input.

What I have learned...

The end of the year is a great time to look back, reflect, and see where you have come in life.

So I have been wrung through the ringer more than a few times as a writer this year gone past, and I have learned more than a few things about this business. Does it mean I am now signed and making the big bucks? No...but it does mean that I know a thing or two about the mistakes you can make as a writer just starting out in this big mean world of publishing. So, for your new year's enjoyment, and in no particular order, here we go!

1. You have to keep writing, no matter what.

Umn, duh? You think to yourself, this is your first tip for becoming an author? Actually, yes...this is one of the most important things I can ever express. You see, no matter how many classes you take, no matter what others tell you about your work, or how many degrees you hold. You will only get better at writing in one way, practice. More writing you do? The better it will get.


2. When you have finished a work, no matter what size it is, put it away for some time.


But again, wait! I want to submit a query, get that agent and start earning all that money I heard writers make...Well here is some more news you don't want to hear. Your work is much like a fine wine, the longer you let it sit the better it will become. After you let it sit, and then give it an edit, you use eyes that don't already know what the words are supposed to be. I am speaking from learned experience on this one. You see, I made this mistake. I typed in THE END and started looking for my agent. It was a vast mistake; I didn't know the level of work needed to clean up my "finished" work. It wasn't even close to finished and I only burned a few bridges that might have been useful to save for later. Let your work sit. I can't say it enough.

3. Let people read it.

Yes, I am the king of the obvious. Yet so many people guard their work and hold it so close, scared that their perfect idea will be so appealing to others they must protect it for all it's worth. Well, to be honest, it probably isn't. Even the ideas I thought were so original, so unheard of, that I must protect them like gold turned out to be done by others years ago. I have never heard of the writers, or read their works, but the ideas were close enough to be a bit odd sometimes. Get yourself a group of people whom you trust to be honest, and get them to tear into your work, literally. The feedback you can get from a good reader is worth more than money, and to ignore that avenue will cost you even more in the long run.

4. Social Media can be your friend, but don't overdo it.

For ever person trying to become an author, there are 100's of others out there just like you. Seriously, when I started out a few years back I really had no idea the pool of talent that is available in the writing world. I started following pretty much anyone on twitter that was a writer and tried to glean any useful information I could from them. Often they would be very helpful, while sometimes others would be cold, in the end I found out that some of the ones I held up high on a pedestal, were really just beginners like myself, and some of the meek people who stayed back from the front lines, were the ones with the most information, and often the nicest. There are a lot of people out there willing to help new writers. Find them and your writing will be better for it.

5. Don't expect to get rich.

Yep, of the literally 1000's of writers and authors I know, very...VERY...few make much money at it. If you have a day job, keep it. Write in your spare time if it is what you love. Cram it in when you have the free minutes; carry a notepad to write your thoughts down. If you are like me they will come to you at the oddest moments. I have been trapped without a notepad before, and resorted to texting myself, or my wife, the information so I could remember it later. However, there comes a time when you do have to take a chance. Don't be afraid to stick your neck out when you have to.

6. Be true to yourself.

Yes, in the end, it is all up to you. Trust in yourself and your writing. If you are writing for you, than the only opinion that really matters is yours. If you are writing in the hopes of making money, trust that your skills are there and you can always learn more about your craft. When you stop learning, you stop living. (Yes I stole that quote, 10 points if you know whom it is from, without google )

Thanks for letting me drag you along the rough road that can be my blog this last year. I am looking forward to the next year, and new even weirder posts, with you all.

Late to the party

So I have been sending out the queries, hitting up the agents. Doing the grunt work that is always necessary to get ones work published, and it dawned on me. What if I am already late for the party? When I started writing my 2nd book I really didn't have any ideas in mind as to what it should be about. I just wrote a story and let the characters tell me what they were going to do next. Mix in a few disasters and some really bad luck and viola! A story! But now that it is finished I have found myself stewing with a few thousand (or even more than that) other people who have all written stories like mine. (Yes mine is original, in more ways than one, but they still use a lot of characters overpopulating books these days, werewolves for instance, and yes one vampire...sorta.) So the question has once again come up. Do I sit on this story for years waiting for the market to flush itself out and allow a story like this to come around again, or do I self publish it, in the hopes of sales now on the tale end of the parade. The more I think about it the more I think it is time to put it up for self publishing. I have two short stories up for sale now and the third is over half done. The forth is itching at me to get moving since I have it already planned out. It won't be hard to finish it and get it up there. The fifth and final of the series will take a little longer.
After all, this isn't the last book I am going to write, in fact the more I think about it the more I really want to pick up that first book I stared on, fix it, finish it, and send it off for publication attempts. The story I had started (50k in) and outlined almost to the end, is unlike anything I have read (yet) and it has memorable, lovable and relate-able characters. The odds of it doing better in a field of books where people are looking for something fresh and new are much higher.
So that being said, it is time to get back to the editing work. Regardless of the end decision, I need to finish cleaning up my grammar and punctuation. If I don't do that, no one will want to read these stories no matter how interesting they are.
As a completely different side note, I have a friend helping me work on a "trademark" for my writing. A button that others can have on their sites that will link back to me and my writing. If you have any suggestions I would love to hear them. Right now I am thinking a different twist on the old phrase the pen is mightier than the sword. Suggestions? Let me know in the comments.

It has been one heck of a ride...

Some of you may know that I have been working on something very special as of late. Some of you, may not. Regardless of which group you fall into I am now here to say...I have had a ton of fun. Yep, I even learned something new along the way. OK I have learned A LOT of somethings along the way.
Without further ado, here is what has been happening.
I have been given the chance to write for a company called Melodee Aaron Entertainment. Basically it is a publishing company that does things a little different. The term publishing company doesn't even do them justice. Their fingers are into so many pies, one could see a book become a TV show, or a movie, all within the same company. To say, they do it all, is an understatement.
Instead of taking a look at what you have written, they want to see what you can do. Let's be honest. If even the worst writer can spit out a book than spend 100's if not 1000's of dollars and get it polished to perfection. The work can not speak for itself. So what MAE does is gives you assignments. You write them out for them, time frame, and cutoff included, and submit them back for review. I have to admit, it was a roller coaster ride sometimes. There were days I thought for sure I was done. Other days I felt really good about my work, only to have it come back with so many mistakes it looked like a 4th grader had written it.
The thing is, after almost 6 weeks, I am now at what I believe to be the end. The last assignment. Granted I have thought this before, but that was because I was so sure I was going to be dropped. This time there are certain signs that state...watch out the next email could be the big one.
Regardless of the outcome, if I am accepted or not, I have to say I am happy with my work. I know it wasn't the best words ever written in the history of the world, but in the end it was MY best. No matter the outcome, I learned so much from this experience that no matter what I write from now on it will be even better then before.
This has been a trip well worth the time, and I am eternally grateful for the opportunity. I can't say that enough. The person that gave me this chance needs nothing from me. There is nothing I can do for them that they can't already do for themselves. They gave me a chance to show my skills, and even if I haven't come out shining like a new star in the sky, I have come out smiling.
This is the first time I haven't had an assignment in so long it actually feels a little weird to not be on a deadline. I think...I think it is time to write.