Author: curiousreadings

The Journals of Nessa- so what’s this all about?

~ curiousreadings

As of now (if all the automated glory of the internets works the way it’s supposed to), The Journals of Nessa series is available, as a whole, for half off. That’s $5 for three books.

These are the books that I came back from over ten years of not writing at all to create Nessa- and it had that feeling like she’d really been with me all along. I’d gone through a lot of personal upheaval and knew intimately how hard it is to find who you are while trying to navigate the world.

So, all of that became Nessa- sometimes funny and wry, sometimes afraid, all explored through journal entries that let me get to know her and myself a little bit better. I won’t lie, I both laughed and cried as a wrote them, and I hope my readers do the same.

It’s not a perfect story, but I feel like it’s a good story, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get a warm little glow every time I see more folks have decided to take a chance on it.. on me, and on Nessa.

If by any luck you happen to be reading this, I hope you might take a chance on us yourself.

And if that doesn’t sound like your thing, or $5 is a little dear right now, I’m also offering The Way of the Fae for free this weekend. This is my first post-Nessa work; I decided to have some fun by telling some lesser known fairy tales from a different viewpoint- What if the elves from the Elves and the Shoemaker were wiseguys? What if Falada the Horse from the Goose Girl was a fae trapped in a horse’s body?

What does the story look like from Baba Yaga’s perspective?

Again, had fun writing it, and think there’s some laughs for the reader, too.

Thanks for giving me this little chunk of your time… I hope you’ll consider coming a little further.

So, did you like the ebook promotions so far? How about a few more?

~ curiousreadings

Here’s what I’m doing this weekend-

The Way of the Fae- A History in Tales by [Wellman, Ari]

The Way of the Fae will be available Friday through Sunday night for free! Ever wondered what the stories would sound like if the fairies told them?

And if you’ve enjoyed The Witch’s Daughter- well, now I’m offering the whole series for half off ($5) from Saturday til Monday!

From the Journals of Nessa Ysbelle– all three books in one volume.

It’s not much, but I hope these stories help folks be somewhere else, even if it’s just for a little while.

When there’s no easy answers…

~ curiousreadings

We. HATE. Complexity.

It’s true… ninety nine times out of a hundred, if you’ve got an easy fix that will patch over a problem versus the more convoluted, difficult fix that you may not fully understand that will take care a problem more permanently, you’re probably going to advocate for the easy fix you understand.

It’s human nature.

The problem is, when it comes to people, we want to think that we have the fix that everyone can use! One size fits all, easy to apply, just do this, send this letter on to five other people, blah blah freakin blah.

Everyone walks their own path, everyone’s got their own problems, and those problems can have some way different solutions. One of those bigger problems we have as a society is our complete inability to let people walk their own damn path- and advocating for or against things that have absolutely no impact in their own small world.

Image result for if you don't like gay marriage don't have one

So take the above here- some of these things don’t impact you if you choose not to have them. Some of them do. Cigarettes and guns do have an impact on others, due to the folks that have them being irresponsible- it goes back to the argument of your rights end where they negatively impact someone else’s.

But on gay marriage, abortions, sex, drugs, porn, alcohol, etc… as a society we can’t seem to keep those opinions about those things to ourselves because of whatever reason. I mostly blame overreaching faith- and if you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know I am absolutely not a fan. My faith is a private, personal thing, and I don’t advocate based on it. You could almost say I’m selfish with it; the insights my faith has provided to me were hard won, and they are mine and mine alone.

The root of the truth is that I truly believe you cannot be given faith; it’s something that you search for and come to terms with. For me to try to tell you about my path is rude; it cheapens your own. I guide no one, and really would prefer that no one try to guide me.

But I’m getting away from my point.

Life isn’t easy. Problems aren’t easy. While it’s commendable to want to help others, most of the time all we can do is listen and let them unburden themselves as caring friends. Sometimes, there’s going to be a suggestion we can offer or a sense of commiseration, but sometimes all you can do is be there and try to walk in their shoes for just a little while, and keep that walk in your mind.

Can you believe I walked all the way through that to tell you that the sometimes all we can offer is empathy and letting folks know they are seen and heard and we’re trying to understand them?

Yeah, me neither. So many words.

A few thoughts on current events- What America is, and can be

~ curiousreadings

I’m going to spare you the lead up, cause at this point, no matter where you are in the world, things are more than a bit on the grim side.

So where I’m going to start is with this sentence- America will be open for business by Easter.

I’m not going to lie, I had to think for quite a while as to why I found this so painfully offensive. Yes, the lack of separation between church and state definitely played a part. But it wasn’t until I got up from the floor where I was playing with my pup that I got it.

You see, Bree will hang on the Mr. Bear with fierce tenacity, and for her, he’s the only thing in the world that matters.

We’ve got people who think that only providing for themselves matters. Or being able to tout a strong, robust economy.

We’ve got people who think anything in this country is available for sale, be it toilet paper or a coronavirus test or the office of the President. They think the most important things are things that really just don’t matter.

Hear that the right way, yes, our people being able to work and take care of their families, that’s extremely important. But also remember the post from a few weeks ago, talking about how taking care of each other could lead to something so much more for all of us? Well, keep thinking down that path with me just a minute.

We’re not a business that can succeed or fail. We’re America- the idea that we can take the best parts of ideas and cultures and create something new, a spirit of innovation while being free to go our own way to find peace and enlightenment within ourselves. That’s who we’ve come from, and who we can continue to be.

We’re not closed for business. We’re preserving that spirit and that people, and it will take as long as it takes.

Not everyone is feeling that way… it’s freakin scary out there, and people are reacting to it. Just looking around myself, people are more prone to argue and find fault, and drive wedges in where we have differences. Now think about that freedom I was just talking about- we have to let each other be free to find our own answers, and not try to make our answers fit everyone else’s problems.

That includes mine, by the way. I’m challenging myself to walk away from the arguments that are so easy to have- on one condition.

Misinformation cannot be permitted to stand. Ignorance and standing on opinions instead of facts- the time to stomach this is over. Antivaxxers, flat earthers, conspriacy theorists.. I won’t go out looking for them, but where they come into my space, they will be shut down.

Because to be free and find your own path is beautiful. To follow a path of sheer stupidity and let it breed hate- that’s what is currently making this situation a thousand times worse than it needs to be.

Rough balance, but you know? I think it can be struck.

Actual conversations at Casa de Wellman-Social Distancing Era

~ curiousreadings

You might have heard about the toilet paper hoarding issue going on in the US. I decided I had THE. SOLVE. for that nonsense.

I bought a bidet on Amazon.

Of course, as I was in the course of trying to get the bidet from my cart to paid for, it sold out. On three different bidets, so clearly I’m not the only one that had that lightbulb moment.

So it came in, and Rick, after a minimum of nagging, installed it.

And came into the room, gesturing at it with mischief.

Rick- It’s ready for the road test.

Me- Oh no no no no. Don’t you remember what happened when Ronny put the new brakes on the van? We put EVERYONE INCLUDING HIM in to test drive it.

Rick- I don’t think that’s going to work for this situation.

Me- But but but… you installed it, you should test it.

Rick- I don’t need to right now. And you said you did, which is why I needed to install it. (I did say minimum of nagging.)

Me- But it’s your work!

Rick- But more of the settings are geared for you. /evil grin

Me- /sigh FINE.

I’m pleased to report that all is in functioning order.

 

Bonus conversation-

Rick offered to take me with him on an errand today, and let me wait in the car. I’m classified high risk, so I’ve been in for the past.. oh.. 19 days or so. But you know, who’s counting?

 

Me- So it’s like I’m getting to go for a ride like I’m a dog?

Rick, grinning- Pretty much.

Me, grumbling but still getting into the truck- It is kind of a nice day.

Rick, watching me stare avidly out the windows at all the signs of spring- I’m almost surprised you aren’t rolling down the windows and sticking your head out.

Me- Imma gonna hafta tell ever’body that I gots to go for me a car ride today. Mebbe I’ll even git to honk the horn!

Cue a truck in front of us almost taking off the front bumper.

Me- I AM AGONNA GIT TO HONK THE HORN! ASSHOLE!

Rick cracked the windows on the way home.

Me- I almost kinda do want to stick my head out.. of course, with my luck, that’s how I’d catch covid.

Rick just laughed.

The Witch’s Daughter- Free from March 16th to March 20th

~ curiousreadings

Maybe I’m getting a little cabin fever. Maybe I’ve been inspired by Disney releasing a whole slew of content early. Maybe I just like having something that I can feel positive about.

Whatever the reason, here’s the important part:

The Witch’s Daughter, the first book in the series, will be available for free from March 16th to March 20th.

The Werewolf’s Daughter, the second book, had a price reduction to $2.99 that will run until March 20th.

Here’s my promise- if I get at least five new reviews between the two books, I’ll drop the price of book 3 (The Maiden) from March 21st to the end of the month.

If you’ve read the books and want to help support, please boost the signal. Share the post- Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, wherever. If you haven’t read the books, and they sound like your thing, please go check them out, and please boost the signal. If you haven’t read the books and they don’t sound like your cup of tea, please boost the signal to those that could get into them.

To everyone who has reached out, shared a post, passed it on, and generally given their support- deeply, madly, truly, honestly thank you. I hope you’ll consider sharing again- whether it’s this post or another artist you’re connected with.

For all the folks that got a copy of The Witch’s Daughter last week…

~ curiousreadings

With everything crazy going on right now and a lot of us looking for some kind of escape or something else to think about, I wanted to do the little I can to help.

Last week, I gave away copies of the first book in Nessa’s story. This week, I’m dropping the price of the second book, The Werewolf’s Daughter, to $2.99. So if you got into the first book and you’re having a good time with it, I hope you’ll consider picking up the second one. And who knows? If folks get into it, I may do the same thing with the last book in the series, too.

Writing is lonely- but it’s the one thing I do that I can point to and say, “I made that happen, that’s my something special going out there.” And the world we’re currently living in is kinda crazy and surreal. If this little story of mine makes you laugh and forget all the weird just for a little while, I hope you’ll tell me. It’d sure make the late nights at the keys worth it. Come to think of it, I finished some of the last chapters of Werewolf’s Daughter during a road trip from California, with my tablet propped up on the truck dash.

And if you hate it, please don’t tell me.

If you want to keep up with me in general, I did claim my author’s page at Amazon.

Oh, one other piece of news that I don’t know how to feel about yet- after everything yall did to boost the signal on Witch’s Daughter last week, I got an offer to turn it into an audiobook. I’m not sure if I’m going to accept it, but it’s interesting all the same. To imagine someone not James Earl Jones doing Cliche and all…

Please take care of yourselves out there, support artists and boost the signals, and most of all, keep reading.

 

All’s well that ends well

~ curiousreadings

So. Yeah, wow.

Last year when I offered free books, less than five downloads took place. It’s safe to say that I wasn’t expecting much.

This year, I got a nudge. Hit ALL the social media spots, they said. Blast it out, boost the signal, ask for support. So I did.

Holy shit, did I get support. Likes and shares and tags and passed on. And The Witch’s Daughter hit #8 in it’s category on Amazon’s Kindle listing, which brought MORE attention to it.

Somewhere out there, I have forty plus new readers.

And last night, seeing those figures continuing to climb past well beyond what I thought they’d get to, I knew a kind of joy that doesn’t come around very often. If you’ve been following along, you may remember I said every book is like setting a paper boat out on the ocean.

Well, that boat has been seen out there, on its journey. Put another way, Nessa lives. I truly believe that every story we read leaves a little something with us- that’s forty new people who will hopefully laugh where I meant them to laugh, and swallow hard where I got a little choked up. (Okay, okay, I cried, geeze.)

And hopefully they’ll decide they want to know what came next for her, too.

I get that its hard to support artistic endeavors in a meaningful way, one that actually HELPS. We all have the best of intentions and really want to help, but sometimes it’s not easy, or not something we personally enjoy, or we get busy or life happens.

Here’s what I’m going to ask you to remember- nine times out of ten, all it takes to be supportive is to ask ‘what’s next?’ and, if you see a chance to connect someone with an opportunity, encourage them to take the shot, do the thing, and say why not to life.

As for me, what’s next is checking my physical book inventory and preparing to take it to Ren Faire this year. It’s retooling my last idea into something closer to my own experiences, instead of trying to turn it into wish fulfillment for something I didn’t get to have. I think it’ll be stronger for it, and probably more fun to write.

And being incredibly grateful that Nessa lives. It may not seem like much to some folks, forty copies- to me, that’s a little piece of the kind of immortality I’ve been dreaming of since I first wrote ‘The End’. It’s pieces of me and the people that I’ve loved and the laughs we’ve shared being shared on a slightly broader scale.

If that isn’t magic, I don’t know what is.

 

Wow.. what a ride… thank you, friends.

~ curiousreadings

I decided to do something a little crazy for me- I engaged in a weekend binge of self promotion, asking for the support of my friends in getting the word out about my books. I offered two of them for free over the last couple days.

And.. well, I’ll be damned, it worked. I had more downloads in two days than I’ve had since they were originally released. That’s more people reading, experiencing the stories, and hopefully laughing where I meant them to than I’ve ever had at one time before. I’m not delusional, I know I’m not climbing the New York Times bestseller list, but, you know- all the books in my life I’ve enjoyed the most has been one that someone handed me and told me I needed to read.

And I figure- if I’m really super lucky, the folks that found my books these past couple of days might keep reading. I’ll never claim they are the greatest stories ever put to paper, but they are good, entertaining little reads that deserve to live… at least, I think so.

Oh, and this happened-

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The highest The Witch’s Daughter got to that I saw was #5… sadly I didn’t think to get a list screenshot at that point. The Way of the Fae was in the 30s when it occurred to me to look at the ranking numbers. That means that anyone looking at those categories on Amazon or on their Kindles at that time saw these books, bumped up the listing.

And it’s all thanks to the folks that boosted the signal, sharing my posts, tagging their friends that they thought might enjoy my stuff. Maybe it took you just a couple minutes, but I’m not exaggerating in the least when I say, thank you, from the bottom of my heart- what you did means the world to me.

The weekend (and free copy of Witch’s Daughter) isn’t quite gone yet- please feel free to go snag a copy if you think you’d enjoy it.

Just never tell me if you hate it.

 

Support an artist- with free books- Only this Saturday and Sunday.

~ curiousreadings

So, funny story… once a year, I like to run a promotion where I give out my ebooks for free.

This year, I’m going bigger- I’m giving out TWO books for free! Consider it my way of saying thank you for all the support and encouragement, and maybe encouraging the folks that have enjoyed the stories to pass them on.

This Saturday, March 7th, you can visit my author page and download a free copy of The Way of the Fae. I usually describe it as fairy tales from the fairy’s point of view. A tale of Baba Yaga in case you wanted to check it out.

And on Sunday, March 8th, the little book that started it all, The Witch’s Daughter will be up and free to download. Chapter 1 if you want a little preview of that. It’s a modern fantasy that helped me get back into the writing life, and the characters hold a very special place in my heart.

Ari’s Author Page

If they sound like your kind of thing, I hope you’ll give them a look. If they don’t, I hope you’ll consider sharing with someone who might enjoy them.

I once told a friend that each book I put out there feels like setting a little paper boat adrift in the ocean.. I never know where it’s going to go or who’s going to see it, but I always hope people will help it along on its journey, and maybe even ride along with it for awhile.

I hope some folks consider coming along for the ride.