Howdy everyone! I’m just popping in here with a few quick updates for you.
Havok Flash Fiction
First of all, Havok Publishing has made their entire story collection available for free, this weekend only! They’ve got hundreds of fantastic stories, all 1000 words or less, making them perfect bite-sized reads for your busy life.
So when you have the chance, feel free to check out all their stories at gohavok.com! They have several genres and themes to choose from, so there should be something for you, no matter your genre tastes. This free deal only lasts through the weekend, so be sure to find your favorite authors and give them a read! (Hint: I have a medieval heist story published with them called Storing up Treasures…)
How Great “Thou” Art
Or how machine shop math trapped Ryan in a ghostwriting mistake
In other news, I recently started working as a CNC machinist at a machine shop. I’m still not certain why they hired me, but since my boss only refers to me as “Harold,” I think it might have been a case of mistaken identity. For the time being, I’m eager to learn this job and adjust to my new career. But if you know a machinist named Harold who got mysteriously hired as an archaeologist-turned-writer, let me know!
While this job has eaten into my “fun writing” time, I’ve continued some ghostwriting on the side. Unfortunately, machinist math has gotten me into a bit of trouble…
Basically, we deal in very tiny units at our machine shop. The most common unit we use is 1/1000 of an inch, or a “thou,” short for “thousandth.” If I need to adjust my part by .005, I need to adjust it by 5 thou. If I have a value of .01, that’s ten thou.
I’ve gotten used to thinking about numbers this way, which is where my ghostwriting mistake came in. I saw an ad for a part-time ghostwriting job, and quickly did the math for the pay per word.
“Wow!” thought machinist Ryan. “.01 dollars per word? That’s 10 cents a word! That’s an amazing rate!” I struck like a cobra and sent in my resume, which was accepted on the spot, of course. Only after I signed the contract did my tired brain realize something was slightly off, and I looked at the numbers again. Friends, .01 is not ten cents a word. It’s ten thou a word. Which is a penny. Which is…not a great ghostwriting rate. Argh!
Thankfully it’s not a heavy workload, and I’m enjoying the chance to write on the side for a little extra spending money. And when this contract ends, I’m sure I’ll have more free time to dive back into the fun writing, so don’t worry! More fantasy stories will be forthcoming. Eventually.
New Dave Bush Novel
And finally, my own father and writing inspiration, Dave Bush, is releasing another futuristic Christian thriller this week! If you haven’t already, be sure to check out his first book, Beyond Chiliastic, a riveting tale based on the Book of Revelation, set in Earth’s final days. It has resurrected warriors, sword fighting, futuristic tech, demons, and a dog. Everything you could want!
The sequel, The Fertile Circle, releases this week. Be sure to keep an eye out on his Amazon page, and give it a read once you finish the first one!
Anyway, that’s all I have for now! Thanks for reading, and be sure to check out my short stories on Kindle if you want more fun Christian fantasy, sci-fi, and horror stories in your diet. I really appreciate everyone who’s read and reviewed them so far, and I hope you continue to enjoy my stories as much as I enjoy writing them!