Red Wolf Blogs

 (From the June 2 Newsletter) Hi, Readers! I took this picture the other day on the trail. It's the kind of decision I like to make. Whichever way I choose, I'll have a nice walk in the woods. No pressure. No big deal. But this past week I had to make a different decision--one that I wasn't so sure about. I was coming to the end of Halves and Half Nots, and I hadn't decided for certain what to do with Clifford Crane. After 8 novels with him as the MC, how should I leave him? Should I saddle him with more troubles, like I always have? Should I give him a happy ending? Should I kill him off--put him out of his misery? So, I've been thinking a lot lately about how I make decisions--and just how effective the process is. I once had a girlfriend who itemized how she decided to dump me in minute detail. She'd made a list of pros and cons. She'd talked to all her friends (yikes!). She'd prayed about it (I love when they drag God into it). A few decades later, a

 Hi, folks! Here it is! The cover for Spaceship Huey Adventures, book 3, has been chosen! A mighty armada. A fleet of pirates. Can a desperate shifter rally a band of cutthroats to save the human colonies ... and the woman he loves? Thanks to Ivan Zanchetta and Bookcoversart.com for doing their usual great job in capturing the spirit of this book as the Huey and its crew of misfits go up against the greatest armada the galaxy has ever seen! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gigantic Giveaway Alert! If you're a fan of Guardians of the Galaxy (I am), you'll love the swag and book gift bundle included in the BookSweeps giveaway that starts today! The Cargo,  my prequel novella to the Spaceship Huey Adventures shifter space opera series, is part of the package. Contest starts May 22, 2023 and ends June 5, 2023. Click on the image above to check out all the great prizes and drop your name in the hat for a chance to win! Good luck!

 (From the May 5th Red Wolf Pack Newsletter) Earth was a playground for the Fae over 200 million years before humankind sprang from its semi-sentient predecessors and began to spread across the lands. When it happened, most of the Fae retreated to their realms to wait, watching from a safe distance to decide the fate of the new species. Some of the more fearless or adventurous ventured forth on occasion, living for a time among the humans to observe more closely. On returning to their realms, they would leave behind the results of their mingling--witches, wizards, sorcerers--orcs, dwarves, demigods--giving birth to the human Age of Magic. What these adventurous Fae would bring back with them, were stories. Most were tales of horror chronicling brutal acts visited upon man by man. After all, such tales found a more willing ear among the Fae, who stood ready to judge mankind harshly--out of convenience or self-interest. But a few stories were tales of heroism and sacrifice, examples of m

 (From the April 7th Newsletter) I was in high school when The Byrds released one of my all-time favorite songs. I think it's the best in a long line of them over subsequent decades with a similar theme--this is not as easy as it looks, and it ain't all it's cracked up to be. (My interpretation--there are others, of course.) So, what does this have to do with me? Well, I was hiking in the woods the other day. I was wrestling with my decision (see my Feb 18th blog post) of what to write next. I was fretting over my long-range marketing plan. I was asking myself, John, are you in over your head? And this song popped into my mind. The answer to my question was an immediate yes! But then I thought about it. The guys in that band worked really hard at what they loved and ended up with pretty amazing careers. And I remember David Crosby saying in an interview one time that he didn't regret any of it. So, I guess I'm okay. Besides, my pants are tight. It's gonna be all

 (From the Red Wolf Pack March 24th Newsletter) Hey, folks. After years of asking, I finally got my MC, Clifford Crane, to agree to an interview. I tracked the legendary werewolf down to a small planetoid in the Nyx system, Stygian Sector. I cornered him just as he returned from testing a prototype fighter his team is working on. I recorded the following interview on my phone ... Me: Hi, Clifford. Long time, no see. Crane: You already? I thought I had some time before you got here. Another week at least. Me: Nope. I have a newsletter I need to get out, and my readers are anxious to have some questions answered. Besides, you won't be here in another week. Crane: I won't? Is that a spoiler? Me: Maybe. Crane: Are we being attacked? Me: I'm not at liberty to say. Crane: That means you don't know yet, doesn't it? Jesus, Hundley, you need to plan these things a little better. Ever heard of outlining? It's what real authors do. Me: Sounds like you might be having a bad

 (Taken from the March 3rd newsletter) Hi, Pack Members! As many of you know, I'm currently working on my eighth novel with Clifford Crane as the male protagonist. After four centuries of adventuring, I've finally persuaded him to agree to an interview. I was a bit surprised he conceded, considering what I've put him through over the years. But he said he'd do it, and Clifford is a man of his word. The full interview will be published in my newsletter update later this month and also posted on this blog. In the meantime, I'm trying to gather some pithy questions for the interview. If any of you have something you've always wanted to ask Clifford, click the link to my Google Form below and ask it. Even if your question doesn't make it into the official interview, I'll make sure you get a direct answer via email. Here's the link: <Ask Clifford Crane a Question> In other news, I want to thank everyone who participated in the Decision 2023 Survey l

 (From the February 17th Red Wolf Pack newsletter) No, this isn't a political pitch--I realized the implications of the subject line after I'd outlined most of my newsletter, and I didn't want to change it--Decision 2023 is what I'm calling my process of deciding what my next writing project should be. And I could use your help. You see, Halves and Half Nots  will bring to a conclusion a three-novel story arc in the Spaceship Huey Adventures. I've enjoyed writing the series, and it's been mildly successful as far as sales go. But it's the 8th Clifford Crane novel, and I'd like to put the character to rest--at least for a while. I've got four choices, all projects I hope eventually to work on, but I need to focus on just one right now ( now  being the next few years). There's a science fiction, an epic fantasy, and two urban fantasy options. I can't think of a more qualified group than you guys to help me make the decision. Could you look at m

 (Taken from the February 3rd Newsletter) Hi, folks! I need some feedback. I've been working on the blurb for my next novel in the Spaceship Huey Adventures series. Halves and Half Nots is targeted for paperback release in the 4th quarter of this year, with an official ebook launch in January, 2024. The book completes a three-novel story arc and may or may not be the end of the series (more on that in a later post). This is not a romance --meaning I can't promise a happy ending--but it has romantic flavor, and I'm trying to emphasize such in the blurb. Here goes ... A mighty armada. A fleet of pirates. Can a desperate shifter rally a band of cutthroats to save the human colonies ... and the woman he loves? Clifford Crane's heart is being ripped out. He's fallen for his gorgeous, sharp-tongued partner--and she's about to leave forever. So, when an enemy armada delays her escape, he's determined to use the borrowed time to convince her to stay. Heather Felton

Pulled from today's Red Wolf Pack newsletter: Hi, pack members! Well, the ebook launch of Half Empty Half Full  is almost behind us. I've just got a few more follow-up emails and social media posts to make, and I'll put it behind me. I think it went pretty well. Rankings for the Spaceship Huey Adventures series have been steadily rising, and it feels great to see people reading and enjoying my books! Now, on to other things ... I was recently introduced o a cool website called AuthorsXp. It's a great place for authors and readers to meet. They do book giveaways, cross promotions, and all kinds of things to benefit authors and readers alike. I immediately signed up for a couple of giveaways--I was so impressed--where I could offer some of my own books for readers to get for free. The last two weeks of this month, I'll be alerting members of the pack to opportunities to win a bundle of books for FREE! (Hey, if you want the heads-up via email, click on my NEWSLETTER pa

 Revised from the January 6, 2023 Newsletter: It's a new year, a new look to my newsletter, and I have big news! If you didn't already know, the next installment of the Spaceship Huey Adventures, Half Empty Half Full,  launches officially on January 12th. Pre-launch promotions are almost over. Tomorrow is the big day! If you haven't started on the Spaceship Huey Adventures series yet, I'm dropping the price on Book One to 99 cents from now until the launch of Book Two (actually, I'm keeping it discounted through launch day). Plus, you can pick up the new book through January 12th for only 99 cents. Now, do you notice anything different about my newsletter? (for those reading this on the Red Wolf Blogs site, click my NEWSLETTER page to sign up) Right! It's a new format I've added my web banner to the headline and both a Monthly Deal from me and a Featured Recommendation by another author to my monthly offerings. I think it looks very professional. (I am a pro