writing – Matthew Speak

Category: writing (page 1 of 2)

Crow Creek is Here!

May 28, 2018 / Matthew Speak / 0 Comments / Sticky

Finally, after almost a year and a half of writing, editing, changing, rearranging and re-writing, Crow Creek is available for your reading pleasure. It feels like I’ve been working on it forever, so it’s hard to believe there’s nothing more to do. Oh, I’m sure I’ll look through it and find a missing period or some other excruciatingly frustrating mistake, but overall I feel like it’s where it needs to be and there shouldn’t be anything major to deal with…though you never know. UGH!

For the time being, the Kindle and Paperback versions are not connected together on the Amazon website. For now, you can click here for PAPERBACK, here for KINDLE.

What’s it like to be on the cusp of releasing a book?

It’s harrowing and exciting…but mostly frightening. Terrifying. When you’ve been working and living with a book for this long, you start to lose perspective, if you ever had it to begin with. Still, and I know I’m biased, I think it’s a fun little book and it’s the kind of story I would enjoy as a reader. There are some twists and turns–some creepy stuff, some magical stuff, and some comedy relief. Or at least that’s what I’ve tried to do. Hopefully, you think so too. Let me know what you think, please.

And write reviews on Amazon and Goodreads!

So, order your copy on Amazon today! The Kindle version is 3.99, currently, but if you buy the paperback (15.95) on Amazon, you can get the Kindle version for only .99 cents! You will be able to order Crow Creek at bookstores like Barnes and Noble too, so if your local store doesn’t have it, order it online or ask them to get it. Continue reading

Pre-order Crow Creek!

April 19, 2018 / Matthew Speak / 0 Comments

Crow Creek, book 2 of the Bettendorf Tales, is now available for pre-order for the Kindle version. Get over there to order your copy today, and it will be delivered to your Kindle account on May 29th. It would be great to see a massive surge in pre-sales to drive those Amazon algorithms crazy. Go HERE to pre-order your copy! Spread the word. The more pre-orders a book gets, the higher chance it has of winding up on Amazon/Kindle promos and emails.

Paperback pre-orders will begin within the next couple of weeks. For the time being, Crow Creek is Amazon-exclusive, but I do intend to expand distribution in the coming months. If you are with a library, message me, and we can work out getting your library some copies in the meantime.

EDITING

I continue to work with my editor on the final finishing touches, and it’s looking good. I think this book moves along briskly with some good action and a nice pace. It really sets up the storyline for book 3. There’s still a bit of work to be done, but I can say I’m starting to get excited about releasing Crow Creek. We’re not there yet but getting close, which is a good thing since I have a deadline now!

DEVILS GLEN .99 CENTS TODAY

Today is the last day to get a Kindle version of Devils Glen for .99 cents! After today, it goes back to 3.99. It’s been a nice promo from Kindle Press with a good increase in sales this past week. Continue reading

Crow Creek Cover Reveal!

March 28, 2018 / Matthew Speak / 2 Comments

DUN DUN DUUUUUUN!!!

Here it is! The new cover for Crow Creek. I think it fits well with the cover of the first book and looks good. It’s kinda creepy but kinda magical too, which works for this story.

Devils Glen Kindle Promo!

December 6, 2017 / Matthew Speak / 0 Comments

Hey all, I was just informed by my publisher that the Kindle version of Devils Glen will be on a promo beginning this Saturday, December 9th and will run through December 16th, just in time for the holidays. During that week, the Kindle version will be on sale for only .99 cents! Easy gift for any friends or family who are Kindle users. Feels like a million years since my last promo, so this one comes at a great time.

The paperback will remain at its currently discounted price of $13.95 throughout December.

CROW CREEK UPDATE

I’m almost finished with my initial edits of Crow Creek–might be done in a week or two, hopefully. Soon, I’ll have the book out to my beta readers and then we’ll go from there. It’s been slow-going, but the story is starting to take shape, and I’m anxious to hear some objective opinions. This part of the process is harrowing because it’s hard to be sure exactly what you’ve got. Is it good, bad, boring, exciting? When you’re in the middle of writing it, you start to lose sight of the forest.

And yes, I’m still shooting for a March release, but we shall see how it goes. Continue reading

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 23, 2017 / Matthew Speak / 0 Comments

Hello everyone! It’s been a very hectic Fall, but here we are with the holidays upon us. What a whirlwind year it has been, and we still have another month to go! This year we have a lot to be thankful for–from a new book released to a short story published to Michelle’s pinstripe purses selling to Reznor playing football and getting fantastic grades to our Tahoe honeymoon to our brand new dog, Rosie! It’s been a lot of fun, but now we’re exhausted and need some R and R this holiday season.

IOWA SIGNING

Thanks to all of you who came out for the book signing in October–seems like that was six months ago! We had a nice turnout and sold almost all of the books I brought with me. It was a lot of fun hanging out with old friends down at Sports Fans Pizza in Bettendorf and getting to speak at St. Ambrose and Bettendorf High School. And of course getting to be at my nephew’s wedding was the icing on the cake! Continue reading

Iowa Signing!

September 4, 2017 / Matthew Speak / 0 Comments

Good news! I’m finally coming to Iowa for a book signing on October 14th at the Davenport Public Library on Main Street for their annual Indie Author Day, from 10am-3pm. I’ll be there along with some other authors to sign books and conduct readings. It should be a fun day, so come out and support some local writers.

Actually, it will be more than just a book signing. I’ve also been asked to take part in a panel discussion regarding an aspect of writing/publishing, so if you’ve got a great idea you’ve been kicking around for a book of your own, come on out. Maybe you’ll learn a thing or two in the process. I’m not claiming to be an expert, but I can share my own experience and hopefully you’ll find it helpful.

I will have copies of Devils Glen for sale, or you can bring your own and I’ll sign them. Check here or on Facebook in the coming weeks for more details as we get closer to the event.

I’ve had a few people reach out to me about speaking at book clubs, organizations, or schools, while I’m in town. If you’re interested in that, please send me an email, leave a comment below, or shoot me a Facebook message. Right now, I only have Thursday and Friday available, so get ahold of me as soon as possible, and I will make some time. Continue reading

Tahoe Trip and Prime Day

July 10, 2017 / Matthew Speak / 0 Comments

Michelle and I finally got to take our honeymoon last month and I have to say it was amazing, though it seriously needed to be longer. Seven days in Lake Tahoe is just not enough–I want to go back now! The scenery was mind-blowing and staying in a cabin on the lake is just crazy fun. The photo above was taken at Sugar Pine Point State Park, which was about ten minutes from our cabin. The water in Lake Tahoe is crystal clear, almost like you’re in Hawaii or the Carribean. Continue reading

The Halfway Point

Hey everyone! So sorry, it’s been a crazy long time since my last post–I can’t believe the last time I posted was in April!

Things have been great. Devils Glen has sold pretty well, so far, and people from all over the country have reached out to let me know how much they liked the book. Word of mouth grows, little by little, and the wonderful reviews have certainly helped. If you haven’t had a chance to leave a review on Amazon, please do!

The Countdown

March 8, 2017 / Matthew Speak / 0 Comments

Here we go! This coming Tuesday is the big release and I’m super excited. Crazy excited…and nervous.

It’s been rather difficult to concentrate on the sequel this past month—which, by the way, has been the longest month in the history of time—but I’ve done my best to do some writing each week (my little rule of writing for at least 15 minutes per day hasn’t worked, lately). Still, I’m about 12,000 words into Crow Creek and I feel like it’s moving along nicely. It might be somewhat longer than Devils Glen, though I’m trying to keep it at around the same length. I want the pacing to pick up quickly and move fast throughout. Continue reading

How to Campaign on Kindle Scout

January 21, 2017 / Matthew Speak / 0 Comments

Kindle Scout is a fantastic program and it’s definitely something any aspiring author should consider. Unfortunately, the process is a little confusing when you first get started and there’s some conflicting information out there on the internet, so I thought I’d give my own advice on the subject. Don’t get me wrong…just because Devils Glen won a contract, doesn’t mean I’m an expert. But I think it might be worthwhile for me to give my thoughts and share some tips I picked up along the way. Continue reading