Thursday, June 1, 2023

Still Adjusting to Some of the Changes…

Hi, Everyone,

Welcome back!

In my last blog, I mentioned recent and upcoming changes: retirement, a new direction for Novel #9, and so on.

Well, change takes time. I’m getting a better handle on this “retirement” thing. At least, I no longer wake up at the crack of dawn. HUZZAH!!!

Of course, this means more time at home and the Boss Lady and I continue to find new ways to occupy that time: going to the gym, deep cleaning the house, fixing some infrastructure, etc…

Still, I AM making progress on the new novel. I came to the realization last night that I really need to draw up a timeline to accompany my rough outline. A timeline will help me set the story over a certain period of time and keep events straight. So that will be a big step going forward.

Meanwhile, I encourage you to check out my current novels on Amazon. The prices have gone up slightly on the print-on-demand paperbacks due to printing costs beyond my control. But, I’ve kept the e-book prices the same as before. (Also, I’m not considering doing hard back editions at this time. I really don’t think that’s a market I want to try.)


Here's a link to my Amazon Author page: https://amazon.com/author/jeffreyfortney

Until next time, stay safe out there!

Jeffrey

Sunday, May 21, 2023

Changes Underway!!!

Greetings and welcome to Meanderings of a Middle Age Mind! I’m your host, Jeffrey M. Fortney, and I’m going to describe many of the changes underway at this time in my life, work, and future. I realize it’s been “a minute” (at Top Gun: Maverick reference) since I last posted or v-logged, so I have some catching up to do.

To begin with, after 48 years involvement with the Fire Service and 21 years working as a technical editor for a major Fire Service training materials company… I’ve retired! Yep, it times to move on to the next chapter (sorry, a little author pun there) of my life.

So, what will I do in retirement, you may ask (Lord knows everyone else has!)? My usual answer has been: “I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.”

The real answer is a little more informative:

1)      Write and publish more novels.

2)      Maybe write some articles on writing and self-publishing.

3)      Do some wood-working projects for fun and profit. (I just completed and delivered a bookcase for one of my former co-workers and have three other projects on the docket.)

4)      Read! (At this moment, my to-be-read pile consists of 27 books I’ve never read before.)

5)      Work on the Honey Do list my wife has been putting together.

6)      Exercise!!!

All of these are short- to long-term goals. There are others further down the road, to include travel and sight-seeing. The wife and I would like to see more of our country.

First, I’m working on my 9th novel. Yeah, yeah… I know; I’ve been working on my 9th novel for the past few years. Things happened to interfere with them. I say them because I’ve gone through five or six variations of a 9th novel in that time. Trying out new ideas, new genres; working on FIVE projects simultaneously at the paying job, life changes on the home front to include moving to a different house. Oh, and the Age of COVID!

The stress from the paying job was the worst. After spending 8 hours a day editing words, sentences, and paragraphs; the last thing I wanted to do when I got home was to write MORE words, sentences and paragraphs. And, one version of Novel #9 was a neo-zombie pandemic tale with a twist on the theme. Because of frustrations growing out of COVID lock downs, that one got so dark I killed off all of my main characters. Talk about writing one’s self into a corner. Even turning it into the dream/nightmare trope didn’t work. As G. Harry Stine would say, “I put that story back up on the shelf for another day.”

So new-new-new-new-new-new Novel #9 is going to be a murder mystery mixed with the supernatural. Already about 25 pages in and am enjoying writing once more! Will talk more about the new novel in the days to come.

Other changes? Well…

1)      Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing just informed us authors that, due to increases in publishing costs for their print-on-demand books, they’re going to have to increase their printing costs. This, of course, will affect each author’s royalties. So, sad to say, the prices on my p-o-d books will go up slightly. (No price changes on my e-books!)

2)      I plan to expand my social media and v-logging.

3)      I plan to do more advertising of my current books.

So, you’ll be seeing/hearing more from me online going forward.

Sadly, you missed out on my “retirement beard”. Something men do upon separating from military service is grow their hair long and grow beards and mustaches. (I did!) These aren’t always permanent, usually disappearing within a few months.

I had a really nice beard and mustache going and was going to use it with this post; but… it was getting really itchy and the wife/Boss Lady suggested I shave it off. So, I did.

Well folks, I’ve prattled on long enough. I need to save some energy for some novel writing this evening. Thank you for taking the time to read. Please check out my current novels (if you haven’t already) and be sure to recommend my novels to your family and friends. They can be found at amazon.com/author/jeffreyfortney.



Until next time… be safe out there!

Jeffrey

Sunday, December 11, 2022

 

Hello Everybody!

Welcome back to Meanderings of a Middle Age Mind.

I’m back! After a very rough year, I am returning (at least parttime) to blogging and talking about writing.

So, what have I been up to, you may ask? Well, I had a mild case of COVID a few months back following a trip back east, but mostly I’ve been swamped with multiple high-priority projects at the place that pays the bills. So much so that the last thing I’ve wanted to do when I get home is look at a computer screen with thousands of letters and hundreds of words on it.

But three things have happened:

1)      Got over COVID and haven’t been sick since.

2)      I’ve been whittling the office projects down one by one. Only a couple of them left.

3)      I’ve made the decision to retire in May 2023!

It’s time and I hope that with retirement, I’ll be able to put some of my newly available time to use writing novels and short stories. You see, I haven’t been totally dead in the water “fiction-wise”. Any author keeps coming up with new story ideas. It’s just taking the time and effort to turn the ideas into actual projects, get them written, AND put them up for sale!

I’ve plenty of stockpiled ideas just waiting for me to get the time and gumption to work ‘em up! I plan to do some preliminary work on them over the Christmas and New Years Holiday and then more after the 1st of the year. So, stay tuned!

Meanwhile, my present novels are still available through Amazon. Science fiction, military adventure, and even a little mystery here and there. So, tell your family, friends, and others in your lives to check ‘em out!

Be seeing ya!



Sunday, September 29, 2019

Where in the Hell Did My Muse Go???

It's been quite awhile, since I blogged here. Too long!

Truthfully, I just haven't felt like writing for the last several months. I mean, I do WANT to write... but emotionally, it's just not there. I've got the "Writer's Bug" gnawing at me in the back of my mind, but my Muse is missing in action. The story ideas are piling up, but trying to get back the discipline to sit down and put fingertips to keys has been severely lacking.

Perhaps, it's seeing some of what I wrote about approaching reality. No, it doesn't make me happy. Just incredibly sad.

For those you follow me, I do apologize. Fear not! I shall one day return to my favorite catharsis and (hopefully) in a happier vein.

Meanwhile, my novels are still available in paperback and e-book formats through Amazon at www.amazon.com/author/jeffreyfortney. Tell your family and friends about them.


Stay safe out there!

Jeffrey

Jeffrey M. Fortney – 2018

Thursday, January 31, 2019

Check Out My Novels on Amazon!

 Jeffrey M. Fortney - My Amazon Author Page

Available in paperback AND e-book formats.

Just click on the image and you'll be taken to my Amazon Author Page!