C'mon you apes, do you wanna READ forever?!
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OP
Thanks! I saw your review! Makes me happy that you enjoyed it so much.
And I got my paperback copy the other day, had to go outside and take some quick advertising pics.
I've been reading on it. I'll leave a review when I finish. I'm a slow reader, so it might be a while.
OP
No hurry, let me know what ya think!
Got this email this morning from the buddy that I gifted your first book to. He's been a fan since.
Edit: Guess I should learn how to do spoilers.
Edit x2: Figured it out.
Finished off Raiding Prehistoric. Very fast-paced, lots of action. Looks like he's finished off the story he started with Book 1 and put a "The End" on the last page....followed by "Jedidiah Huckleberry Smith will return." Reminiscent of the James Bond films where every one ends with "James Bond will return."
Testerman even included one of his rejection letters from one of the bigger publishers, stating that there were too many things going on, nothing was tied up and you couldn't get into the characters, main or otherwise. All BS - I want a movie!
Testerman even included one of his rejection letters from one of the bigger publishers, stating that there were too many things going on, nothing was tied up and you couldn't get into the characters, main or otherwise. All BS - I want a movie!
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DrScaryGuy
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2A Bourbon Hound 2024
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I just made it through the audiobook last night. I was planning to do some yard work today, and i can't decide if i should download book 2, or catch up on the gun podcasts i've been ignoring for a while.
Well that's a no brainer! Download the book. I ordered book 1 from him because I wanted it autographed and books 2 and 3 on audio. Book 4 I am reading on kindle. Thinking about ordering that one from Erik and have him autograph that one for me also.
DrScaryGuy
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watch out. he can be kind of a jerk with those autographs!
i had him autograph one with a snarky message for my cousin. he sent an unexpected snarky one for my book too. 😝
He was not snarky on mine. I do enjoy snarky though!
OP
He's a good man with even better taste.
LOL. I'd almost forgotten about those. For a while I was also signing them with 80's movie quotes for fun.
But hey, we're still rocking the #1 New Release tag. And my reviews have evened out to around my typical range of 4.5/4.6.
That's pretty cool.
What gun podcasts do you listen to? Only Podcast that I've ever listened to is a writing one called 'Writer Dojo'. And even that one isn't with any real regularity.
OP
That reminds me, I need to add the fourth book to my website for ordering signed. Ugh, I forget how to do that everytime a new book comes out...
OP
Ah, I forgot to mention. My first book went home to Colombia yesterday.
Pretty cool.
Didn't even trade it for cocaine, just for some Colombian coffee... that may or may not have coke in it.
Pretty cool.
Didn't even trade it for cocaine, just for some Colombian coffee... that may or may not have coke in it.
If you would let me know when you put it on the web site and I will order it.
DrScaryGuy
🌈 Loves rainbows 🌈
2A Bourbon Hound 2024
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WeLikeShooting, Matter of Facts (see the book American Insurgent), Prepping 2.0, Armed Lutheran, This Week in Guns, God and Guns. There were some others that I used to listen to (e.g. Black Man With A Gun, The Polite Society Podcast), a bunch of others that i either rarely listen to, or i binge once in a while because they may not publish long episodes on a routine basis.He's a good man with even better taste.
LOL. I'd almost forgotten about those. For a while I was also signing them with 80's movie quotes for fun.
But hey, we're still rocking the #1 New Release tag. And my reviews have evened out to around my typical range of 4.5/4.6.
View attachment 591671
That's pretty cool.
What gun podcasts do you listen to? Only Podcast that I've ever listened to is a writing one called 'Writer Dojo'. And even that one isn't with any real regularity.
Finished the last book Friday or Saturday night. Can't remember. In my opinion, it was better than 2 & 3. The finish leads me to believe that the 5th book is in the works, or at least I hope so.
OP
If you want you can just paypal me at [email protected] and I'll get it out for ya. The website is useful, but it takes ~$3 per book in 'fees' for the website company and Paypal. I can get author copies a little cheaper than typical cost, but that $3 fee eats up any profit.
Yes sir, it is! 5th book will be from Cato's point of view. 6th book will be back to Jed's.
At some point in the future, I'm going to do like the Sackett novels and extend the lineage with different characters and places. I've got some cool plans for the roarin' twenties.
I really need to learn to write faster or quit my day job...
Will do
That's what I like to hear. Cato's point of View!!!!!!!If you want you can just paypal me at [email protected] and I'll get it out for ya. The website is useful, but it takes ~$3 per book in 'fees' for the website company and Paypal. I can get author copies a little cheaper than typical cost, but that $3 fee eats up any profit.
Yes sir, it is! 5th book will be from Cato's point of view. 6th book will be back to Jed's.
At some point in the future, I'm going to do like the Sackett novels and extend the lineage with different characters and places. I've got some cool plans for the roarin' twenties.
I really need to learn to write faster or quit my day job...
Ah, I forgot to mention. My first book went home to Colombia yesterday.
Pretty cool.
Didn't even trade it for cocaine, just for some Colombian coffee... that may or may not have coke in it.
Colombia exports some of the highest quality emeralds in the world, too. Maybe next time you can trade for some emeralds!
OP
So, just got over a stint with the norovirus, followed by the rest of the family having norovirus while I was weak and feeble and worthless. AND trying to work the entire time, cause by golly - I'm ESSENTIAL.
@ECNC - Your book is in my truck. I've got your address and the stars are aligning for me to get it in the mail tomorrow. My apologies for the two week delay, I suck. No excuses around that. Should have had it out last week before things down south, went south.
And after a two week hiatus, I'm back in the basement dungeon/office and typing away. I've gotten a bunch of the WWII book written, but sadly, I'm almost certain I'm going to have to rewrite it from 3rd person into 1st person. I was trying to go 3rd to have multiple point of views, and I'm just not feeling that it's working. I dunno. Anyone wanna test read a REALLY rough draft of the first ten paragraphs or so and let me know if it's headed down the right path?
Let me know.
And @RetiredUSNChief -I could really go for some emeralds. They'd look good with my other precious metals.
Ah, what else.
Oh yes. I hit 50 reviews today on Raiding Prehistoric. 50 reviews in exactly one month. That's nuts, guys. Typically my books hit 50 reviews within 6-8 months, and 10-12 months to hit 100. 50 reviews in 30 days.... wowzer.
You guys rock. I'm eternally thankful for your support.
Off to write now!
@ECNC - Your book is in my truck. I've got your address and the stars are aligning for me to get it in the mail tomorrow. My apologies for the two week delay, I suck. No excuses around that. Should have had it out last week before things down south, went south.
And after a two week hiatus, I'm back in the basement dungeon/office and typing away. I've gotten a bunch of the WWII book written, but sadly, I'm almost certain I'm going to have to rewrite it from 3rd person into 1st person. I was trying to go 3rd to have multiple point of views, and I'm just not feeling that it's working.
I dunno. Anyone wanna test read a REALLY rough draft of the first ten paragraphs or so and let me know if it's headed down the right path? Let me know.
And @RetiredUSNChief -I could really go for some emeralds. They'd look good with my other precious metals.
Ah, what else.
Oh yes. I hit 50 reviews today on Raiding Prehistoric. 50 reviews in exactly one month. That's nuts, guys. Typically my books hit 50 reviews within 6-8 months, and 10-12 months to hit 100. 50 reviews in 30 days.... wowzer.
You guys rock. I'm eternally thankful for your support.
Off to write now!
OP
Awesome! Let me know what you think!
OP
Did a little interview thing a while back and they finally got around to posting it.
weirdwestfiction.com
Fun stuff it is, spreading the good word of West of Prehistoric to all corners of the internet.
Weird West Author Spotlight: Erik ‘Tracer’ Testerman:
Learn more about Weird West author Erik Testerman.
weirdwestfiction.com
Fun stuff it is, spreading the good word of West of Prehistoric to all corners of the internet.
OP
Quick Update, cause I'm trying to get a bunch of writing in tonight...
.
.
.
.
101 reviews in 96 days!
And my highest rating yet at 4.7/5. (All my other books are 4.6/5)
Pretty kewl.
Also, I pinged the publisher, waiting on the narrator to get the audible done. No ETA yet.
One day, I'll be a big time author and the audible will come out the same day as my ebook/paperback.
What else....
I'm still working on Cato's book. It's kind of neat to write from a different point of view, especially a black gunman who suffers from Stockholm syndrome going exploring/conquesting with a bunch of Vikings.
.
.
.
.
101 reviews in 96 days!
And my highest rating yet at 4.7/5. (All my other books are 4.6/5)
Pretty kewl.
Also, I pinged the publisher, waiting on the narrator to get the audible done. No ETA yet.
One day, I'll be a big time author and the audible will come out the same day as my ebook/paperback.
What else....
I'm still working on Cato's book. It's kind of neat to write from a different point of view, especially a black gunman who suffers from Stockholm syndrome going exploring/conquesting with a bunch of Vikings.
Conquering Prehistoric
That's it. That's the title for Book Five.
Now I just gotta finish it.
Oh, and all you Land of the Lost lovers should really enjoy this one.
That's not part of your cover artwork, it's it? I'd hate for you to suffer a lawsuit!
OP
Nope! That's just an image I stole from the old TV show from google.
OP
Good news and bad news time.
Bad news first.
Conquering Prehistoric has been shelved for the time being. The publisher wanted me to wrap the series up with Book 5 and diversify my writing portfolio by doing some other books/series. But, unfortunately, I can't wrap it up on Conquering Prehistoric... because this book sets up a lot of possibilities for future books. And I'm not going to write the book and then leave readers hanging indefinitely as I work on some other stuff.
Which sucks. I know. I've spent 8 months working on it and it was turning out really cool.
And I've nothing else on the horizon with my current publisher. No contracts or anything as we were going one book at a time.
Good news now.
Last night I signed a five book, two series deal with a new publisher.
The first series/two books will be the WWII/Pacific Island/US Marines/Sea Monsters that I've been wanting to write about since forever. The first book outline is done and I've about 10,000 words already on it. This was picked up on the condition that it not be a stand alone book, so it's being extended into a minimum of two books. I've already got some good notes on what I want to do with the second book in that series.
The second series, I'm keeping the more intimate details under my hat for now. But basically, imagine the Indiana Jones and the Expendables movies having a baby. A violent, archeological, adventurous baby seeking out holy relics of Christ. This is a minimum three book series, with a LOT of possibility.
TL;DR..
I'm temporarily hanging up my spurs and picking up my flame thrower.
Bad news first.
Conquering Prehistoric has been shelved for the time being. The publisher wanted me to wrap the series up with Book 5 and diversify my writing portfolio by doing some other books/series. But, unfortunately, I can't wrap it up on Conquering Prehistoric... because this book sets up a lot of possibilities for future books. And I'm not going to write the book and then leave readers hanging indefinitely as I work on some other stuff.
Which sucks. I know. I've spent 8 months working on it and it was turning out really cool.
And I've nothing else on the horizon with my current publisher. No contracts or anything as we were going one book at a time.
Good news now.
Last night I signed a five book, two series deal with a new publisher.
The first series/two books will be the WWII/Pacific Island/US Marines/Sea Monsters that I've been wanting to write about since forever. The first book outline is done and I've about 10,000 words already on it. This was picked up on the condition that it not be a stand alone book, so it's being extended into a minimum of two books. I've already got some good notes on what I want to do with the second book in that series.
The second series, I'm keeping the more intimate details under my hat for now. But basically, imagine the Indiana Jones and the Expendables movies having a baby. A violent, archeological, adventurous baby seeking out holy relics of Christ. This is a minimum three book series, with a LOT of possibility.
TL;DR..
I'm temporarily hanging up my spurs and picking up my flame thrower.
OP
It's gonna be awesome!!
OP
Conquering Prehistoric is BACK ON THE MENU!
I tried to stop writing it. I really did. But I just kept -thinking- about it and all cool things I wanted to add in and the direction I wanted it to finish in… and I couldn’t. There is…
gunpowderandink.blog
I tried.... I swear I did.
But Book FIVE: Conquering Prehistoric is coming out first before the new books for the new publisher...
Spring 2024.
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OK, I finally got through enough books to get to this series and I'm currently on book 4.
I'll start off with my biggest gripe about the entire series, which galls me to no end:
THERE ARE ONLY FOUR FRICKIN' BOOKS!
You, sir, are a SLACKER! It's taken me THREE FRICKIN' YEARS since your initial posting for to get through the backlog of other books in order to get started on this series and YOU ONLY HAVE FOUR BOOKS?!? You have exactly until I finish reading book 4 to come out with book 5...and that pretty much means after this weekend! But I'll be generous and give you until the week after Thanksgiving, because the kids and I are going to Universal Studios Orlando next week and I won't have time to do much reading until after we get back home. This "Spring 2024" date ain't gonna cut it!
😉
Seriously, I read a LOT, both from established authors and authors published through more traditional means as well as newer authors publishing through less traditional venues. Your Prehistoric books have come across as very well written with respect to character development, story line, plot complications, grammar, etc.
In fact, the only detractors I've found (and no, I haven't kept track of them for editing feedback) involved the occasional anachronistic use of "Ms." and the odd misspelling. The term "Ms." was nearly two decades away from its first linguistic use (1901) in the era your books take place in, and several more decades later (1970s) before it came into popular use in the English lexicon. And the occasional misspelling was very few and far between. None of which, by the way, actually detract from the stories, mind you. Just some things I noticed.
The firearms in use were historically accurate, too, so far as I understand them. Well done on this!
When I said well written character development, I mean the characters did not read as shallow. They had purpose (perhaps only as a snack), they had lives (however short some may have been), and the longer a character was present, the more their character took on depth.
I see that you've been laying groundwork for other potential story arcs, as well, with hints of potential shimmers located in other locations/eras. I'd be most interested to see story arcs from the differing perspectives of other cultures and peoples as well.
Then, of course, there's the question of the origin of the shimmers as well, which so far you've only treated as "they exist" with no hint towards how or why. Perhaps this is all that they'll ever be, but then who knows what evil lurks in the heart of the author?
As I said, I read a lot. Mostly SciFi and Fantasy, but a smattering of other genre's too. When you've read enough different material from enough different authors, you can kinda "taste" the style/flavor of the various writers and get a sense for how seasoned they are, how mature their writing is, etc. Your writing does not come across, in any way whatsoever, as that of a newbie or an amateur. It comes across like that of an established and skilled writer.
(About that publishing date...family comes first. I'll happily wait however long it takes for the next book(s) while you take care of your little girl.)
Keep up the good work. I'll be looking forward to your future contributions and will be happy to shovel some of my hard earned money into your pockets for books like these.
I'll start off with my biggest gripe about the entire series, which galls me to no end:
THERE ARE ONLY FOUR FRICKIN' BOOKS!
You, sir, are a SLACKER! It's taken me THREE FRICKIN' YEARS since your initial posting for to get through the backlog of other books in order to get started on this series and YOU ONLY HAVE FOUR BOOKS?!? You have exactly until I finish reading book 4 to come out with book 5...and that pretty much means after this weekend! But I'll be generous and give you until the week after Thanksgiving, because the kids and I are going to Universal Studios Orlando next week and I won't have time to do much reading until after we get back home. This "Spring 2024" date ain't gonna cut it!
😉
Seriously, I read a LOT, both from established authors and authors published through more traditional means as well as newer authors publishing through less traditional venues. Your Prehistoric books have come across as very well written with respect to character development, story line, plot complications, grammar, etc.
In fact, the only detractors I've found (and no, I haven't kept track of them for editing feedback) involved the occasional anachronistic use of "Ms." and the odd misspelling. The term "Ms." was nearly two decades away from its first linguistic use (1901) in the era your books take place in, and several more decades later (1970s) before it came into popular use in the English lexicon. And the occasional misspelling was very few and far between. None of which, by the way, actually detract from the stories, mind you. Just some things I noticed.
The firearms in use were historically accurate, too, so far as I understand them. Well done on this!
When I said well written character development, I mean the characters did not read as shallow. They had purpose (perhaps only as a snack), they had lives (however short some may have been), and the longer a character was present, the more their character took on depth.
I see that you've been laying groundwork for other potential story arcs, as well, with hints of potential shimmers located in other locations/eras. I'd be most interested to see story arcs from the differing perspectives of other cultures and peoples as well.
Then, of course, there's the question of the origin of the shimmers as well, which so far you've only treated as "they exist" with no hint towards how or why. Perhaps this is all that they'll ever be, but then who knows what evil lurks in the heart of the author?
As I said, I read a lot. Mostly SciFi and Fantasy, but a smattering of other genre's too. When you've read enough different material from enough different authors, you can kinda "taste" the style/flavor of the various writers and get a sense for how seasoned they are, how mature their writing is, etc. Your writing does not come across, in any way whatsoever, as that of a newbie or an amateur. It comes across like that of an established and skilled writer.
(About that publishing date...family comes first. I'll happily wait however long it takes for the next book(s) while you take care of your little girl.)
Keep up the good work. I'll be looking forward to your future contributions and will be happy to shovel some of my hard earned money into your pockets for books like these.
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OP
@RetiredUSNChief - I posted that review on my blog cause it's so awesome.
Thanks for the kind words, comparisons, and criticism, it means a LOT when well read folks tell me I don't suck.
And I'm REALLY glad you finally got around to reading it! (It's only been like FOUR YEARS!)
But I promise, I'm beating my keyboard like it owes me money on book 5 and making great progress. (Especially as my daughters condition is beginning to improve!)
Thanks for the kind words, comparisons, and criticism, it means a LOT when well read folks tell me I don't suck.
And I'm REALLY glad you finally got around to reading it! (It's only been like FOUR YEARS!)
But I promise, I'm beating my keyboard like it owes me money on book 5 and making great progress. (Especially as my daughters condition is beginning to improve!)
@RetiredUSNChief - I posted that review on my blog cause it's so awesome.
Of course, I HAD to go check that out!
Check the link you used... it takes you to the CFF site index and not here.
OP
Well, I wrote 16,000 words in Nov.
That's a new high score for me. (Goal is a minimum of 70,000 words per book. I try for 100,000 but it ends where it ends.)
With the PTO I have to burn before the end of the year, I might even finish the book before New Years!
And I absolutely could not have done it without improvements in my daughters health. (She suffers from PANS/PANDAS - which is an neurological autoimmune disorder that took four years to diagnose.) We are about a month into treatments of heavy antibiotics and it's made a big difference. With luck, she'll start school again next Monday. She's been out since January. We still have a long way to go, but we are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you all for your prayers!
That's a new high score for me. (Goal is a minimum of 70,000 words per book. I try for 100,000 but it ends where it ends.)
With the PTO I have to burn before the end of the year, I might even finish the book before New Years!
And I absolutely could not have done it without improvements in my daughters health. (She suffers from PANS/PANDAS - which is an neurological autoimmune disorder that took four years to diagnose.) We are about a month into treatments of heavy antibiotics and it's made a big difference. With luck, she'll start school again next Monday. She's been out since January. We still have a long way to go, but we are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you all for your prayers!
OP
So...
I posted a video update on my Author page on FB last night. But I'll sum it up here.
My daughter's health has taken a turn for the worse and between her and work, and a serious lack of sleep, I haven't had any energy left to write. I think I did 250 words total in Jan.
It's hard to explain how sucky PANS/PANDAS is. But right now my daughters anxiety is so bad that she can't be left alone in a room. She even requires one of us to go into the bathroom with her. For school, if/when she is able to go, I bring my work laptop and sit in the classroom with her. As for sleep, insert maniacal laughter here... she often wakes up for several hours each night. Which then requires us to be awake with her as she can't be awake by herself.
Anyways, insert lots of excuses here...
The book will be finished. It doesn't need much. But what little it lacks, I simply do not have the energy or time left to apply to writing.
Maybe end of Feb? Depends on how my daughters health changes as it ebbs and flows. We've a world renowned specialist we are meeting with this month to discuss next steps in her treatment which will likely be multiple infusions over the next few months.
Sorry for the lame update.
I posted a video update on my Author page on FB last night. But I'll sum it up here.
My daughter's health has taken a turn for the worse and between her and work, and a serious lack of sleep, I haven't had any energy left to write. I think I did 250 words total in Jan.
It's hard to explain how sucky PANS/PANDAS is. But right now my daughters anxiety is so bad that she can't be left alone in a room. She even requires one of us to go into the bathroom with her. For school, if/when she is able to go, I bring my work laptop and sit in the classroom with her. As for sleep, insert maniacal laughter here... she often wakes up for several hours each night. Which then requires us to be awake with her as she can't be awake by herself.
Anyways, insert lots of excuses here...
The book will be finished. It doesn't need much. But what little it lacks, I simply do not have the energy or time left to apply to writing.
Maybe end of Feb? Depends on how my daughters health changes as it ebbs and flows. We've a world renowned specialist we are meeting with this month to discuss next steps in her treatment which will likely be multiple infusions over the next few months.
Sorry for the lame update.
Not lame at all. You have to take care of your daughter. Period.
We will wait. Do what you need to do; the antici. . . . Pation will whet our appetite for when it is complete.
Family first.
We will wait. Do what you need to do; the antici. . . . Pation will whet our appetite for when it is complete.
Family first.