I sometimes wonder: what the heck am I trying to do with my writing? Like now. I’m wondering it, now, because I did a Kindle Countdown Deal for my novella THE INN, which has been my best earner (and by that I mean it’s probably made $50.00 since it’s been published). Wanna know how many books were purchased while the novella was marked down to first $0.99 for two days, then to $1.99 for two more days before going back up to $2.99 last Sunday?

Zero.

That’s not very many, is it?

THE INN has had some pages read in Kindle Unlimited, and so have a couple of my other books, but none have inspired the readers to write reviews or sign up for my mailing list.

So I sit back and wonder: Does my writing suck? I don’t think it does. I’ve had compliments from other authors and from various folks who have read the stories. Maybe it’s not perfect, but I’ve got a pretty decent editorial eye, I think, and I can tell when something is just not quality. Even my own work.

I’m not talking about not liking an author’s word choices or the way they turn a phrase. I’m talking about bad writing. Boring writing. Unclear writing. Unfocused storytelling. I recognize those things in a lot of other books I try, and I don’t see them in my own stuff. Nor have others, or so I’m led to believe.

In any case, I’m wondering what I want to get out of this gig? I know that when I started, I had some delusions of grandeur. I thought that maybe, just maybe, I’d made a bunch of money from my books. Then reality hit (very soon) and I hoped I’d just make a few hundred dollars a month, maybe a grand. That would have been cool. Instead I’m making virtually nothing.

It’s a catch-22… If I don’t make money, I can’t spend money to market the books. If I don’t spend money to market the books, I don’t sell books and don’t make any money.

So maybe it’s time to give up on the serious writing dreams. On the “becoming successful” as an indie author and publisher. Maybe it’s time to just throw stuff out there and hope it sticks somewhere, and if it doesn’t, so what? If I’m writing anyway, what does it matter?

It takes time and effort to do even the minimal Facebook and GoodReads promotional posts I make. I just don’t know if it’s worth it.

Meanwhile, there are still stories to be told. So let me get back to it, and go tell some stories.

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So it’s done! I released THE NEVER ENDING NIGHT right before the new year, so that if you received a new Kindle or tablet for Christmas, you can load it up with five (count ’em!) Scott Dyson novels or novellas.

This will be my last release for a little while, as I am trying to finish a sequel to THE STRIKER FILES, the three-short-story collection about my detective-turned-vampire, Rick Striker. The first draft is done, and a follow-up is in the pipeline.

Grab THE NEVER ENDING NIGHT while it’s at the low low price of $0.99!

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I have a new work coming out soon.  Maybe even before Christmas!  (But more probably around the new year…)

It’s called THE NEVER ENDING NIGHT, and it was inspired by a Richard Laymon work where the night doesn’t end.  But it isn’t Laymon’s story.  It’s all mine. 

Here’s the working blurb:

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It’s an ordinary summer, much like any other –- until the day the sun stopped rising.

First, cell phone service fails. Then the electricity goes out. Those who leave aren’t returning. Those who stay home are disappearing.

Or dying.

Beth Evans doesn’t trust the neighbor who appoints himself block leader. She doesn’t believe him when he proclaims that the danger comes from beyond the ends of their street. All she wants is to keep her family safe, and to do so, she must find the truth on her own. 

But the most terrifying danger may be closer than Beth dreams…

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I am looking forward to publishing my fifth longer work.  This isn’t a novel or even a longer novella like THE INN or ODD MAN OUT; it’s about 26,000 words, give or take. 

Watch this space for more information and a cover reveal!  Thank you!

*****

I just released what I feel might be my best work – the novella version of ODD MAN OUT.  It’s a tale of jealousy and duplicity that leads to a nasty outcome, mostly set in a cabin in the North Woods of Wisconsin, probably.  I say “probably” because although that’s the type of setting I was envisioning, there is no specified region in the story. 

ODD MAN OUT started life as a short story, back in the 1990’s, when I was helping to run a Delphi forum called THE BOOK AND CANDLE PUB.  We had a short story contest there, called the “Publican Brief” (paying homage to the John Grisham novel), and the challenge this time was to write a story around the provided opening sentence and six random words.  I don’t recall what the words were, but I know the opening sentence was something like “The smell of pines invaded my senses…”  It’s still in the story, but it’s in a different spot; it is no longer the opening line.

I published the short story with another story called “The House At The Bend In The Road.”  Together they were less than 4000 words.  I think the original “Odd Man Out” was about 1600 words.  My friend Rich Siegle did a cover for it, and briefly we tinkered with the idea of doing a comic book treatment or illustrated version of the story.  My feeling at the time was that it was only my second thing published, and I didn’t think it would be worth the time or effort we’d have to put into it.  After all, I was going to sell it for $0.99.

Interestingly, it was the first thing I sold.  Within hours of publishing it, a copy sold!  I thought, this publishing business is easy and fun!   I was right about the “fun” part, but the “easy” part really didn’t play out.  I’m not a big seller.  My friends, apparently, are not big readers, and even though I’m a member of several reader/writer groups on Facebook, I don’t seem to sell many books.  

But that’s neither here nor there.  At some point, I though, I have this great cover.  And it’s gracing the front of a couple of short stories that don’t sell at all.  Why not use it on something else?  Could “Odd Man Out” benefit from a longer rewrite?  I’d done it with another story, “Dead Or Alive,” and it went from about 2400 words to 7500 words, and spawned two more stories of 8500 words and 9600 words.  (These became THE STRIKER FILES collection.)

So I started writing.  The short story served as an outline, so to speak.  I had my characters, I had my background and I had my setting.  So it was just a matter of fleshing things out.

The story grew to something around 34000 words.  No longer a short story at all.  Now it was a full blown novella.  Could I have made it even longer?  Maybe.  But I felt like I would have been adding for the sake of adding, not for telling the story I envisioned. 

Rereading it, as I have been doing for the past couple of nights, has been instructive.  I have never read something I’ve written so soon after publication and felt as positively as I did in this one.  I hope it gets an audience.  I hope it helps me get an audience.  I think it is good enough to do so. 

It’s official!  ODD MAN OUT is live on Amazon! 

Here’s the blurb:

It’s going to be one crazy weekend. Crazy enough to kill…

Everyone has always enjoyed the annual Halloween getaway at Roger’s cabin, even if some of Roger’s games are a little… strange. And this year, it’s once again Roger’s turn to pick the game they will play.

Roger wants everything to be perfect so he’s put a great deal of thought into his scavenger hunt. After all, he loves Amy and he’s determined to win her heart.

He’s also determined to deal with Amy’s fiance, Paul. Paul pretends that he and Amy were destined to be together. That Paul didn’t steal Amy from him. That he and Paul are still best friends.

The meals, the campfires, the game, it’s all part of Roger’s revenge plot. Only he didn’t plan on his secretary driving to the cabin and screwing everything up.

But what’s a few more murders, between friends?

Check it out! 

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I’ve always been proud of these 6 short stories, and am happy to share a review from author Steven M. Moore, who read and reviewed the story today on his blog. 

Please, visit Steve’s blog, read the review, and while you’re there, check out Steve’s offerings.  He is an excellent SF/thriller author who writes hard science fiction and classic mysteries.  He’s got a lot to check out! 

Here’s the link to Steve’s review of DIE 6.  

And don’t forget that DIE 6 is still free on Amazon for today and tomorrow.

I decided to set DIE 6 free for the remaining 3 days of the KDP Select promotional period allowance.  It will remain free through Saturday. 

If you didn’t grab a copy last time, please grab one today!

And don’t forget that RECIPROCAL EVIL is still only $0.99 through Saturday! 

Today’s the day! 

RECIPROCAL EVIL is available for purchase now!  Its current special release week price is $0.99, which will go up to $2.99 on the weekend.  So get it now! 

THE INN is free through Wednesday, November 14th.  If you don’t have it yet, grab a copy!

Here’s the blurb:

There’s a serial killer on the loose. And he might be working for the Devil…

Student Chris Jones is obsessed with finding meaning in his life. Researching the historical existence of evil, he falls down the rabbit hole, becoming deeply affected by the darkness in our world. He forgets about classwork and, most of all, his relationship with his girlfriend Rachel suffers. After a gruesome murder on campus, things get even worse.

Because the night before, Chris dreamed about it.

He dreamed about the rape, the knife wounds, the agonizing cries. He experienced it vividly — from the killer’s perspective. Why is he experiencing this? Is it related to his research? The terror on campus ramps up as Rachel’s roommate goes missing… just as Chris comes face to face with a killer. The killer who died years ago.

What is the entity’s game? How does it involve Chris? And even more frightening: What does this evil being want with Rachel? Chris’s life isn’t the only thing he has to put on the line. He could risk the love of his life. He could risk his very soul…

RECIPROCAL EVIL:  BUY IT NOW!

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