Gregeration X Newsletter April 13, 2024-Audiobook News!

WonderCon Recap

I had a “wonderful” time at WonderCon 2024. In my last newsletter, I mentioned Friday was a pretty slow day, but I was getting ready for a busy 10-hour day on Saturday. The show was very busy on Saturday, which was really cool. As expected, Sunday (Easter Sunday) was very slow. From what others at the show were saying, the holiday weekend combined with the weather (it was raining) may have contributed to the lighter than normal attendance.

I talked to a lot of potential readers on Saturday, and a few on Sunday. I enjoyed describing the Mechhaven series and loved it when I saw their eye’s click and could tell I hooked them. There were some really fun readers who I talked to, even the ones that didn’t end up picking up the books. A couple will be etched in my memory forever. At one point, a fellow author stopped by, listened to my pitch, and was very complimentary about the look of my books and the entire presentation. He even gave me some pointers on potential revenue streams to look into in the future (mainly foreign translations). I didn’t realize it at the time, but it turns out this gentleman was a bestselling-author!

In terms of sales, Saturday was the best day. Combined, the three days of sales were more books than I’d sold ever sold at one event. So while slower than expected, I enjoyed the WonderCon experience and plan to return next year.

Comic Con Revolution

My next appearance is at Comic Con Revolution in Ontario, California on May 18th and 19th. This is a cool up-and-coming convention in Southern California. They’ve made a name for themselves by securing great guests. This is probably because of the proximity to the LA area, not too close, and not too far. For me, it’s only a 20 minute drive.

Last year, they had the entire surviving cast of Avatar: The Last Airbender. This year, they have the big three from the Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and most if not all, the cast of Star Wars: Rebels. Also, they just announced they have several voice actors from X-Men ‘97! Whether you’re a fan of Comic Cons, or have never been to one, I’d encourage you to come out and see the show. I’d love to meet any readers of this newsletter. If you are there, please stop by and say “hi”! I’ll be in the Artists Alley section with a lot of other cool authors, artists, and other creatives. Check out this link for more information:

Comic Con Revolution

I hope to get to a few more shows this year, but I have nothing scheduled after this one. As usual, work demands keep me pretty busy during the summer, so my next shows will most likely be in the Autumn.

Mechhaven Missives

This week I have cool news! My narrator Mike Eberhardt has completed his recording of Pax Machina! He sent me the last two chapters this week. I need to review those and take care of some behind-the-scenes stuff before we submit the files to ACX (Audible) for their approval. I don’t have an exact date the Pax Machina audiobook will be available, but it will be soon!

Mike was kind enough to prepare some audio samples, which I’ll share in the next few newsletters. Here is a snippet of a conversation between Misty and Chuck. I hope you enjoy!

Book 5 is progressing… sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph, page by page, chapter by chapter. I’ve already written more in April than in March. I wrapped up a chapter with Connie, and am currently writing an action scene with Angel. I hope to keep progressing so I can wrap up the first draft in a few months. I’m doing basic editing as I go, so the chapters are pretty clean when I finish and should take less editing later.

Mech of the Month

I’m postponing April’s Mech of the Month until the next newsletter. I need to more time to research the mechs I’m considering before I confirm whether they are worthy to become Mech of the Month!

Featured Authors

This week’s featured author is Jonathan Fesmire

The Obstructed Engine

Jonathan Fesmire

A Madam, a Tinker, and a Resurrected Cat

This prequel short story to “The Adventures of Bodacious Creed” reveals how Anna Lynn Boyd, young brothel madam and secret inventor, resurrected her pet cat, met her partner Jonny, and how Jonny became mute. There’s science, adventure, heartbreak, and love in this tale that won an honorable mention in the Writers of the Future Contest.