Bob Howard's Blog

Anyone who has written a book or a series will tell you that they started holding their breath when it became the right time to announce the arrival of the book. Something created from the mind of the author is about to be laid bare for readers to see. The author is taking a chance that everything was done well, and there is a tremendous hope that the readers will say the author nailed it.It is my extreme pleasure to make two announcements to my readers. Earlier this year I entered into a contract with Tantor Media to produce The Infected Dead on audiobooks. I am happy to say that the first book, Alive for Now, will be available on December 10, 2019 to purchase from Amazon as an Audible Audiobook. The books are read by Graham Halstead, a man with an impressive resume and equally impressive reviews. His performance brings the characters to life like no one else could, and I am thrilled to have him read my books. You may find the audiobook at the following link on 12/10/19 or you find it directly on the Tantor website:My second announcement is that the seventh book in the Infected Dead series will be available this week on Amazon to purchase, and it will be available on Kindle Unlimited immediately. This year I moved the entire series to Kindle Unlimited, and it was a good decision. I am proud to reveal the cover and the name at this time. I hope you will look for it on Amazon this week.Thank you, Bob

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Before I went to bed last night, I did something I don't normally do. I checked my reviews. That's a real double-edged sword when you're about to go to sleep. That's why I don't usually check them at night. Every author has experienced the exhilaration of an awesome review and the despair caused by a less than favorable comment. An author I've always admired is the great Shel Silverstein, and he said he stopped reading reviews because if you're willing to accept the good ones, you should be prepared to accept the bad ones. Rather than to stop reading them, I've chosen to learn from them. What made the reader like or dislike the book? This is the sixth book in the series, and I'm still learning. By now readers are generally coming back to my next book because they at least enjoyed the last one enough to keep reading the series, but sometimes I learn more about myself than I do about my writing. I've learned what really matters to me.In the acknowledgments of Buried for Now I mentioned Tim & Teddy Moriarty. Tim wrote an email to me saying that he and his teenage son read my books together. That mattered to me because I had an impact on a father and son relationship, and I had a feeling from his email that his hope would be that I cared to know about that impact. He was so right. Was his email about my writing style or what I needed to do differently? No, it was about how I influenced their lives.That's what I found last night when I checked my Amazon sale page and read this five star review from Lisa Greene:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ So Worth ItMarch 1, 2019Format: Kindle Edition Verified PurchaseI stumbled onto this series by a set of random clicks. I stayed with this series because a story presented itself in a way that was intriguing and thought provoking. I have loved reading about characters and getting caught up into the suspense like they had become family members updating me at Christmas in a card. I don't like spoilers so I am going to end with a happy ENJOYI don't know Lisa personally, so I can't picture her face, but what really matters to me about that review is that I can "feel" the smile. I MADE SOMEONE SMILE!Yes, I know all caps is shouting, but that's what I want to do right now. I want to shout it out to everyone who reads this that I made a reader smile, and that really matters to me. Bob

This is one of my favorite parts about finishing a new book. The cover for Buried for Now is done, and I hope you react the way I did. My cover designer is Lorena Martin at premadeebookcovers.com, and the photos are purchased from depositphotos.com. I originally designed my own covers, and it's obvious that Lorena does a better job. She chose the fonts and the colors to create a theme for the series, but the hard part is finding the images that cause a reaction and whether or not it can be used. It's amazing how many photos get rejected because they don't work with the colors, and then there's the size. Would it work if it was larger or smaller? Would it work if we just cropped out part of the photo?Having some idea what the book is about (yes, I just said that), I tell my wife what I have in mind without telling her the plot or any details. Together we scour the catalogs of professional photos on a large screen TV, and she gets a sense of what I want just by how I react. I might just say to her, "Go back to the last page and expand the picture on the bottom row." She knows which one I want to see even if there are 20 or 30 on that row, judging by what I've already been drawn to. Eventually, there's that "wow" moment. We see what we agree would work, and I do a rough cover from screenshots. Lorena and I send things back and forth between South Carolina and London, and because she's the professional, she makes recommendations. When Lorena sent the last set of variations on this angel, my wife and I zeroed in on one in total agreement. We both had feelings about whether or not her wings are opening or closing. Is she lowering her eyes to look down, or is she raising her head to look at you? In other words, we saw motion, and I got chills when I felt like she was raising her eyes to look at me. That's what I want a cover to do for me, and I hope it does the same for you.

By now you've probably noticed that I don't post a lot of blogs, send out newsletters that basically tell you the same thing I did in the last one, or ask for reviews. If you are moved to write a review, I appreciate them, but I'd rather that they come from your heart. I know that I am not the best at marketing my books, but I'll tell you a little secret. I'd rather put my energy into writing a good book. Then again, I think you already know that. That doesn't mean I don't want to do those things, but sometimes life just takes up my time, and when I come back to write, that's what I want to do. My grandson was born in 2018, and you know that has been a worthwhile real life event. He's wonderful. My wife and I bought a home, and once again that's a beautiful distraction. So, I've had a full year, but in the midst of it, there has been Buried for Now. Somehow I managed to go back and re-edit all five of the books. I think I've succeeded in making them more readable. I also entered a contest and had two books in the top ten finals. My thanks to the Greenlight Screenplay Adaptation contest sponsors.[image error]I get a lot of email from my readers asking about my next book. When will it be coming out? Will there be a next book? As a writer and someone who was scared to death when I released my first book, you can't imagine how good it feels when someone asks for more. It's very encouraging, and it makes me work hard to be sure you felt like it was worth the wait. I heard from a very nice lady in Scotland who said she has read the series three times, and I got an email from a man in Florida who reads them with his son. I created something that takes a reader to a comfortable place where she can return again when she wants something familiar and permanent to surround her, and I created something that has been common ground for a parent and a teenager. How can I say thank you enough to them and all of you who have brought me into your lives?So, I'm happy to tell you that Book 6 will be released soon. It's amazing how much work is left to be done after you write the last line, but that's where it is now. The cover is being designed and the manuscript is being edited. Thank you for waiting for Buried for Now, and I'll post the cover in my next blog.Bob

It seems like yesterday that I started Shelter for Now, but it also seems so long ago. It took longer to write because I wanted my readers to get what they deserve, and what you deserve is a quality story that makes you forget about what's happening around you. I hope I have given you that story. It's longer than the other books in the series, and I think I have taken you into some new, uncharted waters. Thank you for reading my books,Bob

I'm happy to tell everyone that Book 5 is finished and will be available this weekend on Amazon, Apple iBooks, and Barnes & Noble for the Nook. For those of you who have asked about paperback, I look forward to making Books 4 & 5 available on Createspace at the same time. As always, I look forward to hearing from anyone who would like to give me your opinions either in a review or by personal contact. I love hearing from you, and I even like hearing your feelings about what you think would happen in a zombie post-apocalyptic world.I hope you enjoy the book.Bob

I published the first book in this series on January 2, 2016, and while publishing four books in sixteen months is pretty good, it took longer than I wanted to get this one to you. I hope you find it was worth the wait, and I won't make you wait as long for the next one. There are several things about this book that are special to me. The most important thing is the opportunity to tie together the storylines. The second thing is the introduction of some really important characters. They were fun to write, and I think they will bring some interesting ideas to the books that are yet to be written.I read the reviews that you write with great interest. Readers like to suggest new plots and theories about a "zombie apocalypse". If you see something that looks familiar, it may be because I liked what you said in a review. I may have thought of it first, but you can enjoy credit for the possibility that you beat me to it. I'm particularly pleased with my references to blue crabs, which by the way, are still on my menu.While I'm on the topic of reviews, I'm finding that there are two things that help self-published authors almost as much as sales. Reviews and getting people to sign up at this website. You're already on the website if you're reading this or you saw the blog on my author page on Amazon and got redirected to here, and you may have already signed up on my mailing list. If you haven't, please consider it. Also, you can grab a free autographed copy of the first book in this series for a limited time. If you have friends who might be interested, you would be doing me a great service by asking them to sign up and get a free autographed book. As always, thank you for being loyal readers of my books. You're making my life fun.Bob

I planned to release Book 4 at the end of March 2017, and I know I didn't make my deadline, but I want all of my readers to know it will be here very soon. Beta readers have it, and it is being edited, so we are very close. Early reports back from the beta readers are very favorable, and editors are pleased with the quality of the content. It has been a long time coming, but here's a sneak preview of the cover.BobTwitter: twitter.com/realbobhowardFacebook: facebook.com/realbobhowardInstagram: instagram.com/realbobhowardGooglePlus: plus.google.com/realbobhoward

Since I finished book three I've been working on the next one in the series, but I've also been reading your reviews and suggestions. Some of you have asked for the series in print form. I've been re-editing each one even though you have been very forgiving about my typos, and the first two books are now available on Amazon and the Createspace Book Store. The picture above is the jacket for book two. As you can tell, it's a slight departure from my usual cover. I chose this cover to show you because I'm going to go back and change the cover of book one and stay with a theme. I'm making fast progress getting book three ready for print, and don't worry. Book four will follow not far behind that.As I upload the new ebooks, you should be able to replace the copies you have with new ones, and I promise you they are better without the typos. The covers are being designed by a nice lady in the UK, and I'll be happy to pass along contact information to anyone interested. I want to say something about the wonderful reviews you have given me, but I really don't know where to begin. I am humbled at times by the fact that people are so wrapped up in my stories that they lose track of time or just can't put the book down. You can't imagine how good that feels to me, and it makes me want to write just to make sure you know I appreciate your kind words. Lastly, I want to be sure you all know that I couldn't do this alone. Before I started writing, I always pictured the authors out there typing away and never gave a thought to how the book got from one stage to the next. You've seen the dedications I've written to my wife, Dawn, but they don't do her justice. I sincerely believe I am lucky to have you as my readers, but I wouldn't have you if not for her. By the way......book four won't be the last in the series.Thank you for reading my books,Bob

Some of you are in the path of this powerful storm. As you know, I live in the Charleston area and as the hurricane approaches, I believe we are in a safe place. Many of you may be wondering if you are in safe places, or if you should have left while you could. My family hopes each of you remains safe through the days ahead. We'll keep you in our prayers. Bob