General Updates, Etc! (State of the Blain: December 2023 Edition.)

Greetings, folks!

I’ll try to be sort of brief. Well, as brief as I can be with this absolute BEAST of a mountain of things to go over with everyone.

Before I begin, I’d just like to take a moment to clear some air. I ask people what their preferences are because it’s something I want to do. If I’m asking, I’m welcoming the input, and it’s something that doesn’t bother me either which way.

If I’m asking what order you want to see books, I am doing so because it doesn’t matter to me one bit. Why not give my readers a say in something if it doesn’t make a difference to me?

So, happily pack away your concerns on that matter. I ask because I want to know the answer. I’m not just trying to ‘cater’ to readers. I just have like five different things I could do, it literally doesn’t matter any which way to me, and I will make whatever the decision is happily fit into my general plans.

Readers like having a voice, and when the situation allows, I like listening to that voice. It doesn’t mean I’m going to do what they want, necessarily, but I do listen.

So, with that in mind, here are the new things going on:

I am expanding my REAM library beginning tomorrow. This is a $5 per month subscription service that lets you read older books at your leisure. Let’s face it. $5 to read the catalogue beats me getting $0, and that’s often how this goes.

Tomorrow, the following books will begin serialization:

• Playing with Fire
• Blood Bound

There are already two novels serialized, and the first collection of Witch & Wolf shorts is also in progress of being serialized. Blood Diamond and Silver Bullet are already queued into the system.

So, this is a great way to throw pennies into my jar, especially if you need a cheap way to catch up on old books. And obviously, the longer the collection is around, the larger it’ll get, so the more mileage the five dollars will get.

There will always be at least one book in the queue, which generally means a new book a month added to the collection. I just opted to jump start a few extra entries starting tomorrow to add some extra content.

I have gone ahead with my Photography Patreon. This is completely aside from my novel Patreon, and is literally just about showing people pretty pictures. Patrons can use the pictures for a lot of things, although commercial usage is barred. (You need to talk to me about getting a license for using the pictures for commercial purposes.) Websites/Blogs ARE allowed with credit/a link to the Patreon.

The tiers are basically all the same with very minor adjustments on one of them. It’s a “pay what you feel it’s worth” system. For those who don’t want subscriptions, there are collections available in the shop. As I have time and energy, I will be going through my backlog of photographs to get the whole shebang onto my Patreon. Whee!

This is a fun hobby, and all funds earned are going one of two places: photography gear or trips to go take pretty pictures. This is a life-enrichment activity for me.

Whiskers on Kittens releases on December 19, 2023. (Link to Amazon, but it’s available all all major ebook retailers, two more links to follow.) Reminder: Amazon does NOT get the bonus material due to their error-correction tool. I’m still positively livid over having to do work on Thanksgiving because of that tool. My preference of retailers include Kobo and Barnes & Noble.

As a reminder, the “per novel” Patreon will be closing in June of 2024. If you are a member of that patreon, please check your subscriptions. The price should be $5.99. You can’t adjust the price on that Patreon and expect to get the perks of the monthly subscription Patreon. (Yes, this has been an issue I’ve had to address more than a few times in the past week.)

This is the sole writing-related Patreon that will be surviving. If you want Patreon delivery of retail-priced books, you can acquire it in the shop. Please note the form that will be available in the shop will not have the Patreon notes. That is a subscription-only perk. Right now, Cindercorns ($25) and Spicy Ponies with Bite ($100) are receiving Monday-Wednesday-Friday read alongs of unpublished material. Pixies+ ($5+ tiers) are receiving one read along (Playing with Fire) on Monday-Wednesday-Friday, and Sirens+ ($15+ tiers) are receiving two audiobook listen alongs on Tuesday and Thursdays.

I will be disappearing into the void after Whiskers on Kittens releases. I will emerge from the void in early January. I need the time off. Or, you know, just time to go into a corner, be an angry little dice goblin, and do whatever it is angry little dice goblins do.

(What?)

On the health front, I have begun a weight loss and exercise regime, and it’s absolutely fucking brutal. Today is a rest day, and I’m very, very relieved to be getting some rest. I have to resume torturing myself on Monday. (I will get in my base steps over the weekend just doing weekend crap.)

I have earned a trip to a smol park nearby, and I’m crying over how much work is left to do to earn a trip to Yosemite and Lassen Volcanic National Park.

But I have big prizes on the horizon… I just… have to engage in some cruel and unusual punishment first. (Weep, weep.)

101 Ways to Die will be going into audiobook format as soon as I can muster up the emotional strength to actually deal with the work. It’s a bit of a strain. Wish me luck.

There will be more news on the horizon, but for now, the Patreon subscribers get to bask in the glow of being the first to know.

I hope you have a fabulous weekend.

~R.J.