What's Going On?

I've begun to emerge from the funk that my life has been in for the last five or so months. A lot happened since the end of last year, I finished a series (Valens Legacy) that had consumed two and a half years of my life (And it's really not done, there's a possibility of a series being bandied about in Hollywood). The lawsuit got very heated and hectic and expensive during that time. It's actually now finally over after like the 6th of this month (that's when the ability for the other side to enter an appeal expired).
Then there was my mother's failing health and eventual passing. Which makes my cat getting cancer and dying the month before seem like a minor deal (even if it wasn't to me). A few other minor legal issues that I've been putting off dealing with, the need to take a vacation, a -real- vacation, but not being able to because of the current state of affairs (and also having my once a year vacation canceled and losing a lot of money on airfare when it was).

So yeah, been a few rough spots there. Thank the good lord that those are all in the past.

Going forward, I am working on a plan to get ALL of the Portals of Infinity series (under my name: John Van Stry) recorded under one artist (or perhaps a man/woman team). This won't be cheap, because it's over 70 hours long at this point (it'll probably cost around thirty grand). I need to write an addition 30K words or so to make this happen, for legal reasons.

You see, I want to combine books 1 & 2 and books 3 & 4 into two recordings instead of the current four, because they each run about 5-6 hours in length. Back when I created those audiobooks, short books were okay, Audible didn't discriminate against books under 10 hours. However now they do, they've changed the way the market works completely. But I can't just put them together because the people at ACX are assholes. And I have to go through ACX. Also their contracts are 7 years long and they do tend to play fast and loose with the contract terms. (Note above 'need to hire a lawyer' comment).

Another reason to re-record the older books is that first I'd be on the third VA (Voice Artist) for the series, and that's just not fair to the listeners. Second, I want to increase the quality of all the recordings. Some are not apparently up to the level they should be. I realize that I'll probably not make back the money on the first four books when I redo those. I may make back the money on the fifth one. The rest, as they've never been recorded I expect to make the money back on.

Portals of Infinity was the first series I ever turned into an audiobook, and it was still a new frontier when I did it. The rules have changed drastically since then and costs have gone up a lot while royalties have dropped significantly. However I've learned a lot in the process so I'm hopeful that going forward things will improve.

On the story front I actually have several things I'm working on, and there's a bit of juggling going on. I have to do the 30K words mentioned above. I have a new series under my pen name (Jan Stryvant) in the offing. Results of that will probably be seen in September. I have a sequel to Take Two that's being worked on, though it's been pushed to spot 'b' in my queue now. There's also a space opera thing I've been messing with for a while now. I'm debating a rewrite on it, but I need to think about that. It'd be under my name and not the pen name. At least I think it will. There's a bunch of shorts I need to write as well, for a number of different things.

I don't know if I'll be able to get these on a schedule. I used to work like that but I developed some bad habits in the last year. We'll see if I can get back to that.

Oh, and as long as POI Consequences does well, there will be a book #10.

So yes, a lot of work. 


Thanks to all of your for being fans.

There is a New Portals of Infinity book for sale on Amazon!

That's right, everyone. As of today, there is now a new PoI book: Portals of Infinity: Book Nine: Consequences

https://amzn.to/32DlavE

I'm sorry that it took so long to get this one out, there has been a bit of a delay since I wrote The Seven Worlds, but as many of you know, last year was a rough one for me and the last several months had some very unexpected events (lost my mother - an no, not Covid, just old age).

But, those issues have all been dealt with and lie in the past now, so it's time to move on and get back to writing stories for all of you. Please check it out, if you're a fan of my Portals of Infinity series. I hope you all enjoy it.

(and for those few who may not know it, I do write under two different names. However at times I'm not sure which one is my real original one anymore... :-) )

Today's question:

If someone sold Portals of Infinity T-Shirts, would you want them? What about other series?

(and as an update, POI #9 is at the editor, the cover art is in Progress. Take Two: Encore is in progress. 'Everyday Including Holidays' the next book in the Valens Legacy - it's going to be a bridge book of sorts - is in the concept stages with some writing done).

I'm curious...

Okay, time for another question on things that your humble author/narrator is curious about.

What book that I have written would you want a nice (leatherbound) copy of?

Another question for everyone this week:

Who is your favorite author? (Other than me)

Kinda curious as to who else you all like to read.

More Questions!

I thought I'd post a few questions here, one every week or so, to get people's minds off of things. Originally it was just cause I figured people were bored at home. But then things got crazy the other week and I just really didn't want to get lost in that mess. Plus as I have mentioned elsewhere, my Mother passed. (It wasn't unexpected, and no it wasn't Covid either).

So now that I've put a little time between me and then I thought I'd start asking some questions, just out of curiosity. Here's this week's:

Out of the books of mine you've read, Who is your favorite character?

Just an update, because I'm getting questions.

Just an update, because I'm getting questions.

Yes, the lawsuit did eat into my time, especially at the end there. Also, after nearly two and a half years of writing about a hundred hours a week (not kidding, 9am to 1am 6 days a week, and half that on Sundays), I needed a break. It did go on a bit longer than expected however.

• Right now I'm working on the following novels: POI #9, working title: Consequences. It's over 1/4th done.
• The sequel to Take Two. Working title: Take Two - Encore.
• A short that may turn into a novella or possible a novel: Cursed.
• A 'bridge' book for the Valens Legacy to tie into a follow on series. I thought this would be a regular novel, but I'm starting to think it will be a compilation of shorts and novellas. Working Title: Everyday Including Holidays.
• There's also a book that I was working on and set aside for a while, it's the start of a short multibook series (probably around 3 to 5 books, but still not sure) working title: Wolfhounds (space opera).

Unfortunately I had to go to NY last week for a week (Family issues) those issues are by no means resolved, though I don't think they're going to go on for much longer. I don't know if I'll have to go back or not.

So, yes, there's a lot in the pipeline and I'm trying to get myself back into a 5 to 10 thousand words a day habit, so I can start getting those things out. I'd like to thank all of you for your patience in waiting for more books, I appreciate it very much. Your support has meant a lot to me. It's just been a rough year, but clear skies are on the horizon. It's just a matter of them getting here.

Thanks,

-John Van Stry, May 22nd 2020