Category Archives: Steel Chronicles
Book Launch Countdown — Self Publishing? Really!?
My debut novel, “The 13th Demon: Altar of the Spiral Eye” is available this week and my launch party is Friday night, October 7th, 2011 from 6 to 8 P.M. at Brookwood Baptist Church (corner of I49 and Bert Kouns) in the Well, the coffee shop. I will be introducing the ink*well, a regional Christian artists’ community and speaking briefly on “One Book’s Journey: How to Get Published”. Those who purchase a book are entered into a drawing for one of the following: an Ipad2, a nook touch, and a Kindle WiFi. Coffee and snacks are complementary. You can take a look at the flyer by clicking on: bruce-flyer
So, six years passed between finishing “The 13th Demon” and seeing it arrive in book form. During that time, I had two different agents and that will be a story for tomorrow. Rejection after rejection after rejection. I’m used to rejection. It is my way of life. I am a radiologist and we are at the bottom of the food chain in medicine. Even though we are the doctors who tell your doctor what is wrong with you based on your CAT scan, MRI, Ultrasound, Xray, Mammogram, etc. we “don’t get no respect”. I remember a vascular surgeon once told me, “Listen here, boy. You are nothing more than a [expletive deleted] photographer and don’t you forget it!”
My first rejection came during high school and I have the letter signed by Ben Bova editor of Analog Science Fiction magazine. But, I believed in “The 13th Demon”. I would continue to fight on. After battling with my two agents, I went commando for a while, so to speak. I decided maybe it was time to self publish. In 2006, self publishing was a growing business but still lacked respect. The Kindle was out but no one had accomplished any success with self publishing on a Kindle.
I did my research and had to choose between iUniverse and Xlibris. iUniverse had this package that guaranteed my book would be on a shelf in every Barnes & Noble in the United States! I should have read between the lines!
I pulled the trigger in July, 2006 and sent in my finished manuscript. I hired my good friend, Jeremy Johnson to illustrate the cover. Jeremy had been drawing and illustrating since he was a boy and we had developed not only a great professional relationship but a lasting friendship. Jeremy’s works were outstanding. I wanted my cover to stand out on that front shelf at Barnes & Noble!
I should have known something was up when I got back the editorial evaluation. It was several pages long and had this concluding statement: “Your manuscript does not qualify for the Editor’s Choice award.” What did that mean? No shelf at Barnes & Noble! That was in the fine print I neglected to read. Not only that, I could guarantee the Editor’s Choice Award by hiring a book doctor for something like $6500! If I needed a book doctor, I needed to forget being an author!
I was so discouraged and upset. But, then something clicked looking at the editorial comments. When putting together a book proposal for a traditional publisher, you want them to have the best six chapters in the world! So, I realized I had shuffled my story around to put the best six chapters at the front, when in reality they belonged in the middle. I redid the story as if it were occurring in real time and added sixteen chapters. The book was completely rewritten in six weeks and I sent in the manuscript. We went through four more editorial “corrections” mainly for spelling and grammar and I authorized the final galley proof. In November, 2006 my first copy of the book arrived. I was ecstatic! The cover was awesome. But, as I read the book, I realized that somehow one of the earlier manuscripts with 25 errors in it was the one sent to the printer instead of the final edit! I was livid. But, I couldn’t prove it. They had a sheet paper saying I had approved the final edit.
With my first book, “Conquering Depression” Mark Sutton and I realized the biggest problem with publishing a book was seeing to it that everyone heard about it. We squandered our advance on advertising because our publisher was doing NOTHING to market the book! I was determined NOT to make the same mistake with this book. I did some research and hired Phenix & Phenix to be my publicity agent. They accepted me but there were some buzz words I picked up on in our conversation that troubled me. Things like, “You won’t do well in bookstores, so let’s focus on the Internet.” And, “We don’t ordinarily take a POD, but in your case the book is too good to pass up.”
This is what I learned that iUniverse neglected to tell me. Self publishers produce POD books, print on demand. You order the book. It’s printed and shipped within 24 hours. But, bookstores don’t carry PODs. Why? They can’t return them! There is no warehouse holding already printed books! You buy PODs and you’re stuck with them. Therefore, bookstores will NEVER carry a POD on their shelves. My dream began to fade and I panicked. I had made a huge mistake. But, Phenix & Phenix reassured me and we launched a two-month campaign and I sold a lot of copies for a POD. I entered my book in every contest that took independent books. I won third place! I garnered surprisingly good reviews. I was so impressed with Phenix & Phenix that I decided to use their publishing company for my second book.
BookPros was the self publishing arm of Phenix & Phenix. But, it was like night and day from iUniverse. First, they guaranteed conventional distribution. A bookstore could return your product. Why? Because the author was the publisher. This meant spending lots of money but the author had total and complete control over the product. How much money? Oh, I’d say I spent close to $30,000 on the second book. That included all the up front cost of producing the book, the print run for 2500 books, the publicity campaign and the warehousing, and a trip to Los Angeles for BEA. It gave me a whole new perspective on what a publisher invests in a book.
My second book, “The 12th Demon: Vampyre Majick” did very well. It won first place in religious fiction in the USA Book News contest. It got better reviews than the first book. And I actually recovered about half of my investment. The vice president of BookPros was very honest. He said the model he sees at his institution consisted of authors who wanted to produce their book, get a track record, and then find an agent. He said you lose money on the first book, break even on the second, and make money on the third. He was right about that first statement. As part of their service, I attended the BEA, Book Expo America, in 2008 in Los Angeles and signed over 65 books. I met other authors, including one of my favorites, Robert Crais. I met my idol Ray Bradbury. I met Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner. My favorite story is meeting Alec Baldwin and I can’t share the specifics just yet. It involves several choice curse words! And, because of my “track record” and my attendance at BEA, I asked a fellow author friend of mine for a referral to a reputable agency. The third agent I contacted, Jeff Jernigan agreed to be my agent. And, here I am three years later with a re-release of my first book and a five book contract with a major publisher.
By the way, BookPros went bankrupt in the spring of 2011. God took care of me and I was with them when I needed to be. They accomplished for me what I needed accomplished. I really miss the kind people and wonderful workers at BookPros. It was a class act operation and the writing world is poorer for its passing!
So, that is how self-publishing worked for me. It started out as a disaster, but it turned into a boon! Tomorrow – the Agents!!!!!
Book Launch Countdown! Where Did You Get the Idea?
My debut novel, “The 13th Demon: Altar of the Spiral Eye” is available this week and my launch party is Friday night, October 7th, 2011 from 6 to 8 P.M. at Brookwood Baptist Church (corner of I49 and Bert Kouns) in the Well, the coffee shop. I will be introducing the ink*well, a regional Christian artists’ community and speaking briefly on “One Book’s Journey: How to Get Published”. Those who purchase a book are entered into a drawing for one of the following: an Ipad2, a nook touch, and a Kindle WiFi. Coffee and snacks are complementary. Here is a pdf file of the flyer for the event: bruce-flyer
I often get asked, “Where do you get your ideas from?” For “The 13th Demon” I found inspiration from two ideas and two questions. One way to develop ideas for a story is to ask “What if?”
My first “What if?” question was this. What would happen to an assassin, a mercenary, a special forces individual if that person became a Christian? Could they continue in their job? How would they deal with the past? Would they be changed fundamentally or would they be compelled to continue to kill? I wasn’t sure of the answer, but the possibilities intrigued me. I filed that question and answer away for future consideration.
My second “What if?” question was this. If a person is a Christian and develops amnesia, would they still remember they are a Christian? Is the conversion experience so powerful, so complete it transcends memory loss? Or would the person “forget” they are a child of God? If they did, what does this mean, theologically? I filed that question and answer away for consideration.
Now, the third contributor to my story was not a question. It was a situation. Good ideas can come from real world situations. My church was sitting on the corner of a typical neighborhood intersection, buried away from the growing part of town in an area that was “transitioning” (whatever that means). My pastor, Mark Sutton, had felt called to our church for one reason: to move this vibrant, growing church a mile down the street to a major intersection where it would be easily accessible and very visible. However, the first and greatest obstacles were our own church members. About 25% of the membership did not want to leave the building. I was stunned. I had given money to expand this building, but it was not the church. The membership was the church. The building was just that, an inanimate object. But, some of our membership worshipped the building. It was like an idol, erected for the world to see and for some of us to worship. Their passion for staying in the building often exceeded their passion for winning others to Christ. The battle was long, brutal, and costly. But, in the end, my pastor’s vision and God’s will prevailed and we moved to the location God had first shown Mark on the day he drove through our region. And so, I wondered. What would happen if a building became an idol? What if the building was like a living, breathing creature that could be possessed by evil and thus become the beginning point for the downfall of good, unsuspecting church members? I filed that idea away for consideration.
The fourth factor in the book’s story was my growing interest in apologetics. One of my favorite authors, Michael Crichton, had written two of my favorite books, “Andromeda Strain” and “Jurassic Park”. I loved how Crichton took science, history, and philosophy and built a compelling, fast paced story around the facts. It would be much later that I realized how “facts” could be perverted to fit a story in the best seller, “The Da Vinci Code”. Crichton did not pervert the facts. He let them serve as the power behind the plot. I wanted to do this with the science, the history, the philosophy, and the facts behind my growing knowledge base in the defense of the Christian faith. That is what “apologetics” was all about. Finding the truth in the Christian world view. But, how to do this? How could I write a book around the science and the history I had learned? I filed that idea away for consideration.
I did not know it, but the stage was set for my book. After completing the manuscript for “Conquering Depression” in June, 1999, I made a deliberate decision to take six weeks off and read. I had been hired by LifeWay to write for their online “Extra” publication and I had gotten seriously behind on my reading. A good writer is also an avid reader. So, I put aside any desire to write and made the decision that by the first of August, I would have chosen which one of my many novels in various stages of development would become my first novel to complete and submit for publication. It was time for my fiction!
As the weeks passed, nothing happened. I read a lot. But, every time I looked at my novels, I felt nothing. No spark of passion. No desire to finish the story. Cold, cruel indifference. Now, I was getting worried. After all, I had been working on “Conquering Depression” for nine months and now I was writing four articles a week so my writing was disciplined and well honed. If I didn’t start on something soon, I was worried I would lose the spark!
July 31st came and now I was desperate. I had no idea what I was going to start writing on the next day. And, then, I got it. I have done this so many times. I get a good idea. I pick it up and hold it up to God and say, “Hey, God! Look at this great idea I’ve had. I’m going to do this for you and you are going to bless it! Aren’t you lucky to have me?”
Seriously, have you ever done this? I have. Many times. And, every time, my efforts end in disaster. God has to wrench the “good idea” out of my hands so He can put His “God idea” in its place. Then He says to me, “Bruce, I want to invite you to participate in the work I am doing by accomplishing this one thing. And, when you accomplish this one thing that is ideally suited to your gifts, talents, and skills, then I will bless you.” And, the wrenching part? It hurts like, well, like “hell”! In fact, it is a taste of hell for hell is ultimately all about me!
That evening, as this realization dawned on me, I was terrified. For, I realized that “Conquering Depression” might be the only book I ever write. For someone who has written since he was 8, this was a terrifying possibility. Nevertheless, I swallowed nervously and prayed the most humble prayer I could muster. “God, forgive me for being so arrogant and proud. If the depression book is the only book I ever write for you, then I accept that. If I never write another book, I accept that. I want to do your will. I give my writing over to you completely. It is yours. Show me what I should do.” And, with tears in my eyes, I climbed into bed and slipped into a troubled sleep.
At 4 A. M. I awoke, sat bolt upright in the bed and realized the entire story of what would become “The 13th Demon” was in my head. It was there like a hurricane developing over the gulf, ill defined but recognizable. The pastor and his church possessed by an evil presence. The mysterious man with amnesia, bent on revenge as the pastor’s only hope. And, a community on the brink of disaster. It was all there. I started writing immediately and by noon had written sixteen chapters. It was the first of August, my deadline and by the 30th, I had completed the rough draft of “The 13th Demon”. God had answered my prayer with a story I had never contemplated; a genre I had never considered; and a book series that would occupy the next two decades of my life.
The title came later out of the blue just as some of the characters surfaced while I was free writing the story. During my research, amazing things happened that I could only call miraculous. But, it would prove almost impossible to sell the idea. For you see, in 1999 the world of Christian publishing was not ready for a Christian “thriller” or “science fiction” or “horror” novel. I was turned down by the best. And, every time the reason was not because of the poor quality of the writing. I was turned down because the story was too edgy, too violent, too harsh. I had one editor from a major Christian publisher tell me she loved the manuscript but that “No one in the CBA will ever publish your book.” She would prove to be right and it would be seven years before “The 13th Demon” appeared in public. That story I will talk about tomorrow!
Book Launch October 7th!
Click on this link and you can view the flyer for the book launch.
I’m giving away an iPad2, a nook, and a Kindle so check it out and be there:
The Book is Here!!!
“A gripping look into the supernatural. Bruce Hennigan will keep you turning pages — each one a little scarier than the last.”
Mike Yorkey, coauthor of Chasing Mona Lisa and the Every Man’s Battle series.
There is no feeling in the world like finding that awful, yellow orange envelope on the table and then realizing it is from your publisher, and yes, then seeing that it is just the right size for a book, and yes, yes, opening it to find — TA DA! — the very first brand spanking new copy of your debut novel!!!!!
I am holding the first advance copy of “The 13th Demon: Altar of the Spiral Eye”. The quote above is on the top of the very back of the novel!! And, it has my NAME on it! I’m the AUTHOR!!!
Okay, slow your breathing! Calm down! Change your underwear!
Sorry, TMI.
It’s official. The book is here. So, plan on being at Brookwood Baptist Church in the Well, the coffee/book shop on October 7th at 6 PM to 8 PM. Buy a copy of my book and you will be entered into a drawing for one of the following: a 32GB iPad2, a Nook Touch, or a Kindle WiFi. The only catch is you have to purchase a book to enter the drawing and you have to be present at the drawing to be eligible for one of the three prizes.
I’ll be talking very briefly on “One Book’s Journey: How To Get Published” and answering some questions before the official book signing. I’m hoping local Christian artists will show up and become a member of a new local Christian artist community, the ink*well. So come out to Brookwood Baptist Church, corner of I49 and Bert Kouns, Friday, October 7th at 6 PM and have snacks and coffee and cold smoothies and celebrate the release of my debut novel!
Now, excuse me while I continue to pinch myself!!!
Jonathan Steel — An Angry Man!
I dug up this video transcript of Jonathan Steel, main character in “The 13th Demon: Altar of the Spiral Eye”. Check it out below.
Transcript
Nancy Neon Interview
Local Television Station
Raw video footage was viewed and transcribed for archival purposes.
Initial footage revealed the crew getting ready for Nancy Neon’s interview of Jonathan Steel. Mr. Steel was escorted to his chair. Please note he has several fresh scars on his forehead and his hair appears to be singed by a fire. He refused, at first, to remove his sunglasses until confronted with the fact that the lights were reflected from the mirrored surfaces. Nancy Neon was escorted to her chair, wearing her usual hot pink pantsuit and lime green scarf. Note to make up: Try and convince Ms. Neon not to use the violet red rinse on her hair. The video editor is having trouble in postproduction with color bleed.
NANCY: Good morning, Mr. Steel. I’m Nancy Neon.
STEEL: Good morning.
NANCY: Now, as we agreed, I will ask you only those questions you have approved. So, you can just relax.
STEEL: I never relax.
NANCY: I’ve noticed.
STEEL: Where do I look?
NANCY: Just look at me. Don’t worry about the camera. That’s why we had to take your sunglasses. The reflection was blinding me. And, we want the world to see those beautiful, turquoise eyes of yours. Are you ready?
STEEL: I guess so. This wasn’t a good idea.
NANCY: Nonsense, Mr. Steel. From what I’ve heard from the people in Lakeside, you need to tell your story to the world. Oh, we’re about to begin.
(To Camera) Hello, Shreveport and Bossier City, this is Nancy Neon with today’s episode of “What’s Eating You?” where we ask the good people of the Arklatex what’s on their minds. Today, we have a very special treat. I have with me in the studio a man who single handedly saved the community of Lakeside, that sleepy little hamlet on the north side of our fair city of Shreveport.
STEEL: Not true.
NANCY: Excuse me?
STEEL: It wasn’t single-handed. I had help.
NANCY: That’s nice. Mr. Steel you just let me ask the questions and our viewers will be all excited by what they hear. And, don’t worry; we’ll edit out this part in the final piece. Now, Mr. Steel, you’re a private investigator, right?
STEEL: No.
NANCY: But, I thought you came to Lakeside at the request of Reverend Thomas Parker because of some mysterious goings on at his church?
STEEL: Yes.
NANCY: So, if you’re not a private investigator, just what are you?
STEEL: Someone who helps others.
NANCY: Oh, isn’t that cute! In fact, viewers, I have one of Mr. Steel’s business cards right here. Listen to what it says on one side. “A helper in time of need.” That is so sweet.
STEEL: I’m not sweet.
NANCY: I bet you’re not! So, why do you help people?
STEEL: I made a promise.
NANCY: Oh? To who? Or, should I say, whom?
STEEL: I’m not talking about that. You said we would keep my private life out of this.
NANCY: Very well, Mr. Steel. Do you carry a gun?
STEEL: No.
NANCY: Do you practice martial arts?
STEEL: I don’t know.
NANCY: You don’t know? That’s an odd question.
STEEL: I have a problem with my memory. Can we get on with this?
NANCY: I understand you have a problem with your anger, too. In fact, you assaulted an officer of the law . . .
STEEL: We agreed not to talk about this.
NANCY: Oooo, Mr. Steel. You’re face is turning a nice shade of red and you’re making fists. You’re not going to hit me, are you?
STEEL: No.
NANCY: Now, let’s move on while you try and calm down. I understand that one of the people, someone very special to you came to help out with these incidents in Lakeside suffered . . .
STEEL: I told you I wasn’t going to discuss her! Look, I’m out of here!
NANCY: Mr. Steel, you agreed to this interview. Now, sit down!
STEEL: I agreed to talk about the positive outcome. You just want the dirt. Get it from somewhere else.
NANCY: Oh, I will. I’ll contact that FBI agent who followed you to Lakeside. What was his name?
STEEL: How do I get this microphone off me?
NANCY: Or, what about this man convicted of murder you were associating with? What was his name? Some local doctor?
STEEL: Do you guys want to take this off me or do you want me to rip it off?
NANCY: And, what was all this about demons? Devils? Evil spirits? And this number 13 you seem so obsessed with?
STEEL: I’m leaving.
Jonathan Steel ripped off the microphone and stormed off the set leaving Nancy Neon sitting alone in the studio.
Book 1 of the Chronicles of Jonathan Steel, The 13th Demon: Altar of the Spiral Eye will be released by Realms Books in October, 2011.
I Want to Meet YOU at a Book Signing!
Book Signings.
Are they a thing of the past?
With all the emphasis on ebooks, one would think no one goes to a book store anymore.
Check out my take on that on my recent blog post over on Just the Write Charisma author blog.
Now, here’s the deal. I want to do book signings. My book comes out in October and I am planning a three week book tour. So, I want to come to a store in YOUR area. But, I need help and I need it FAST.
If you would like to get a signed copy of my new book, “The 13th Demon: Altar of the Spiral Eye” go to your nearest bookstore and give them this webpage address (www.brucehennigan.com) and tell them you want me to come and do a book signing.
Why?
Because I will do MORE than just sign books:
- I will talk, at the book store’s request, on How To Get Published.
- I can talk, at the book store’s request, on God Versus Science: The Playing Field Today
- I can talk, at the book store’s request, on Powers of Darkness: Are Demons Real?
- I can talk, at the book store’s request, on Publishing Today: Traditional, Self Publishing, or Ebooks. What is right for you?
- I can read excerpts from my book.
- I will bring lots of tiny, fun giveaways.
- I am a people person and I want to meet YOU.
So, I need YOUR Help. Call, email, visit your local bookstore TODAY and ask them to contact me for a possible book signing. I want to meet YOU.
Who is Jonathan Steel?
I ran across this blog post and he said I could post it. He doesn’t want anyone to know the main site, yet. He’s a bit skittish but I thought I would put at least his first post up so you can read it. Here it is:
My psychiatrist once told me to write down my thoughts. I miss her.
My thoughts aren’t exactly the kind of things I like to talk about. They scare me. I think they would scare you. I’m here at the beach house. It’s mine, now, not that I wanted it to begin with. But, a promise is a promise. I always keep my promises. At least, I think I do. My memories only go back a couple of years.
I’ve been searching for months now. I’ve had a few close calls. Almost seemed like it, he would be there. But, the evil I’ve encountered was from something else. The one I’m looking for just seems to be eluding me. As if he knows I’m after him. As if IT knows I’m after it. What do you call it? A he? An it? Not sure. Doesn’t matter. I know the number, that is all I have to go on. And, I know the sign, the symbol. It will screw up sooner or later and leave the symbol behind. Then, I’ll know it was there. Then, I’ll have a trail to follow.
And, when I find it, I will destroy it!
A Good Day for a Monday
I have had two exciting things happen today.
First, my galley proofs are in! What is a galley proof?
In the olden days, a book was typeset and placed in trays called galleys. The book was typeset and a copy was printed for proofreading and called the “galley proof”. Any changes that needed to be made were done so before the book was printed in its final form.
And so, I now get to read through the galley proof for “The 13th Demon”. Good news is, I can make sure there are not any glaring mistakes. Bad news is, I will want to rewrite the entire thing!!! That is the curse of being a writer.
Second, I am now on the official blog of Charisma House — Realms Books’ author blog. Check it out:
Demons Anyone? Anyone?
“Listen, I will NEVER read any book with the word ‘demon’ on the cover.”
I looked at my friend in amazement. “Why?”
“Because the Bible says not to practice witchcraft.”
“But, my book is about spiritual warfare. It does not promote witchcraft. There’s nothing about witchcraft in the title.”
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “But, if you read about demons and Satan then you are opening your life to their influence.”
“So, you should just ignore them?”
“Out of sight, out of mind.” He shrugged.
I sat back in my chair. “You were in the Army, weren’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“Did the Army give you specific training on what to expect when you engaged the enemy?”
He nodded. “Sure. But, that’s different.”
I sat forward and looked him in the eye. “If you were to go to Afghanistan or Iraq and fight on the street, do you think it would be important to have some kind of training and instruction on the manner in which the enemy will engage you in those street fights?”
“Sure.”
“So, the only way you can be safe, save your life, and combat the enemy is to know everything you can about them. Agree?”
He seemed to be thinking. I had backed him into a corner. “But, what does that have to do with demons? I’m not going to read that kind of book. It will scare me. It will make me uncomfortable.”
“Which is exactly the response Satan and his army wants you to have towards them. As you said, out of sight, out of mind. Ignore them and they can do whatever they want around you.” I sat back in amazement.
“I’m not going to read a book with demons in it, okay?”
I reached over and pulled my Bible out of my backpack and plopped it, rather irreverently onto my desk. “Then you better throw this book out the window.”
This is the conversation I had just last week with one of my best friends. He jumps out of airplanes. He swims with sharks. He flies in acrobatic aircraft. But, he’s AFRAID to read a book about demons? I’ve run into the attitude more than once in the past few years. Good people refuse to read a book that even mentions Satan and his demons.
Here is the fear. If I read a book about demons, I open myself to demonic influence. Therefore, I will not read anything remotely demonic or scary or Harry Potterish or horrific.
However, the Bible is filled with references to Satan and his demons and how to respond to them. Words like “be wary”, “resist the devil”, “get thee behind me, Satan.” remind us that Jesus did not back off from confronting Satan and his demons. And, I believe, neither should we. How, then, can we combat an enemy we do not understand?
So, what do you think? Is it wrong to read books that utilize Satan or his demons in the storyline? As an author, how would you handle this dilemma? What advice can we, as authors give to readers to reassure them about reading books with demonic presences within them? And, readers out there, why would you read or not read a book with demons in the story?
Bruce Hennigan 
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