Book 5 cover reveal coming next week!

April 30, 2016April 30, 2016trishmercer 2 Comments

By Wednesday I’ll have completed the cover for Book 5: Safety Assured Leaving East of Medicetti!

Interestingly, I’m using my oldest son on the cover, the one I wrote about earlier who’s been ill with a strange viral infection for the past week and a half, and now a secondary bacterial infection. After three hospital visits, he’s finally on the mend.

Just a couple of days before he fell ill, we did his preliminary photo shoot. I told him that past experience showed we’d need to do a second shoot, because even though I took fifty shots of him, I’d realize they were all wrong, and we’d have to redo them. And perhaps a third time. (Maybe this is why my family is reluctant to dress up for my book covers?)

Well, after going through his photos, I realized they were pretty good, and I didn’t need to redo them after all. Good thing, because being ill has taken a toll on him, and it’d be a few weeks before he’d be back in shape. Tig as Peto (First off, he’d have to shave his two weeks’ beard growth, and that would nearly kill him. I purposely took pictures of him right after he got home from the army, so that he’d still be clean shaven. I didn’t need Goatee-Man on the cover, although he pulls off that look pretty well.)

I changed his eye color, turning his dark brown eyes to light gray. (Any ideas who he’s going to be when his editing’s all finished?)

I did the same thing to his brother, who I used on the cover of Book 2: Soldier at the Door. It’s strange how merely changing one’s eye color suddenly changes the whole person. Both of my sons have very dark brown eyes, but not here. They’re no longer my boys, but new characters.

(This change to blue eyes still creeps me out.)

While the rest of my family groans quietly before agreeing to be on my covers (they work for cookies, fortunately) my 8-year-old daughter, however, is DYING to be on a cover, so I may have to write a small book, just for her. (Working title: The Life and Times of a 3rd Grade Narcissist.)

Book 5 teaser–Avalanche on a sunny day

April 27, 2016trishmercer Leave a comment

Ever have one of those days/weeks/years, where you were hoping for a sunny day, but instead were buried under a ton of freezing cold snow?

Why is it so hard, on those avalanche days, to remember the snow is only a temporary condition? That the financial/medical/emotional/housing crisis that consumes you today will eventually melt away, and you’ll be left in sunshine? At least, eventually.

And there’s no St. Bernard in sight . . .

This is one of those avalanche months for me: our employment isn’t where it needs to be to sustain us, we’ve had some flooding disasters in our basement requiring repairs and replacements (our deductible is so high we’ll have to cover it ourselves), and for the past week my very healthy and active adult son has been in and out of the ER battling a high fever and various infections, and no one can pinpoint the cause, despite the many expensive tests they’ve run. And, because he was just released from active duty in the army and doesn’t have a job yet, he doesn’t currently have health insurance. I was reminded of that fact when I went to pick up his prescription this morning. Bizarrely, a month ago, his younger brother, on an LDS mission in Oklahoma/Texas, came down with viral meningitis and was hospitalized for five days, with daily treatments for another week. (I need an extended warranty on my adult sons; theirs is expiring, I fear.) Pile on top of all that some personal epic failures where I handled some problems poorly this week, and I feel like I’m suffocating.

Sometimes I think part of the reason I’m encountering these avalanches is because I’m so close to finishing Book 5–Safety Assured Leaving East of Medicetti. There are principles and ideals in this book that have weighed heavily on my mind for literally decades, and I didn’t know how to share them until I began this series. Getting this book out feels very important. I’m still plugging along at it, when I find a few minutes here and there, getting all the thousands of remaining details fixed and nailed into place, but without the usual joy I experience when I’m close to releasing a book. I apologize to it each day when I sit down to my laptop that I’m editing with a dull heart.

Which, in a way, I know is stupid; downright stupid! We’ve faced greater challenges before! Years ago we lost a home, had to live with relatives, and were even homeless for a time! We spent four months living in a condemned house! (It was torn down after we moved out; rumor has it someone kicked the foundation and it fell on its own.)

We’ve weathered job losses, financial disasters, car accidents, and emotional distress, and lived to chuckle about it. Sunny days returned!

So why, oh why, is it so hard to remember those sunny days–sunny weeks and even months–on avalanche days? Why do we frequently sit down in despair certain that this time there’ll be no deliverance? That the months and even years it’ll take to come back from this latest disaster will be the ones that finish us off for good?

Why can’t I remember, for example, that less than a year after we lost our house, we were able to purchase a brand new one for an incredibly low price? And when we sold it five years later, the profits wiped out another debt we’d been carrying for years?

This was my front yard two weeks ago. A week later it was 75 degrees.

Today I’m trying to remember those sunny days, ones that were suddenly so hot and bright that the remaining snows vanished before the day was over, and I found myself breathing easier.

Today I’m trying to remember that while sometimes winter holds on, and on, and on, I can’t ever remember a year when spring and summer didn’t come. They do, eventually. Never as soon as we want them to, but the sunny days do return.

Eventually.

In the meantime, I need to quit my brooding and find a shovel . . .

(By the way– I still have some free magnets and book marks to give away! Just send me your mailing address, and I’ll send you my thanks for your support. If you want last year’s magnets too, let me know in the message below. I have a couple left.)

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Thank You-Giveaway time! Free swag!

April 18, 2016August 14, 2016trishmercer Leave a comment

THIS IS AN OLD GIVEAWAY, FROM 4 MONTHS AGO; There is no more free stuff.

Book 5, Safety Assured Leaving East of Medicetti, is getting closer to being published! It’ll be out before the end of May.

I’m having so much fun working on the cover and finalizing edits that I want to thank you for your support and patience by hosting another giveaway. For until they run out, I’ll mail you a book mark and a magnet, just for the asking.

(These will be collector’s items some day, folks.)

I designed the magnet for my own selfish use–I tend to forget things, so my fridge now has reminders like this:

(Although I don’t think my 8-year-old wants me to remember this.)

Isn’t that awesome? And cool? Don’t you want a magnet and bookmark?

Then just fill out the form below. I promise I will never use your name and address for anything else but sending you free swag. Your information is safe with me (primarily because I tend to lose addresses right after I write them down).

I also have a limited amount of the magnets I gave away last time (I really should clean off my desk more often, to see what else is hiding under the baskets I never use). If you want a set of these older magnet as well, let me know. I’ll be giving them away until they’re gone.

(Yep. Got these on my fridge as well.)

So fill out the form below (and let me know if you want last year’s magnet, too, if still available) with your full address, and I’ll get them in the mail to you. And yes, I will ship internationally.

THIS IS AN OLD GIVEAWAY–NO LONGER AVAILABLE!

Thank you again for your support and patience, and I’ll keep you posted as to when Book 5 is published!

A Really Bad Book

March 11, 2016trishmercer Leave a comment

Following the notion someone once expressed to me that since it takes only about three days to read a book, it should take about that long to write one, I did.

Here is the result.

A really bad book BACK cover

Full of action, intrigue, aliens, a desperate princess, a lonely shoe repairer, and the obligatory wizard, there’s something for everyone, provided “everyone” isn’t too particular.

Family-friendly and short enough to read in one sitting, even in the bathroom, this book will be perfect for those last-minute book reports. (Tell your teacher this is a legitimate book. Because I said it was.)

From start to finish, I created all of this in a 72-hour period: plot development, character names, formatting, cover creation–everything.

A word of warning: a semi-decent book takes a LOT longer than three days to write.

However, I was morbidly proud of what I created–I caught myself smiling every now and then–so I decided to publish it. (Actually, I never had so much fun writing something.)

It’s awful. Truly. I fully expect terrible reviews, and I’ll promote it later for free just to generate those affronted comments. (I’ll advertise the free days, so that you can be part of the mud slinging. Or if you want to spend $1.99 for the digital version, be my guest. It’s also available in paperback for $3.95. Would be a great joke gift for that book lover in your life. Hint-hint.)

Bad reviews ruin every writer’s day (week/life), but this time, I’ll revel in them. There’s no false advertising here, and people will know exactly what they’re getting when they read the title. Plus, it’s short–much faster to read than three days, with mistakes and typos because hey, when you write a Really Bad Book, you don’t employ beta readers.

A couple years ago I wanted to host a competition of people writing Really Bad Books in 72 hours. I did a little bit of advertising for it, but then time got in the way. (No, that’s not irony; that’s a blessing.) Some year I still may attempt to do that again. I’d love to see the drivel others come up with.

But for now, enjoy (so to speak).

(And I chose the pen name Ethyl Alkaleen, because I always thought Ethyl was the most unfortunate label for a human being. Anyone remember Ethyl Mertz? Way too close to Ethyl Mercer.)

Why I made all my books free (and title release for book 5!)

November 2, 2015trishmercer 6 Comments

If you go to Amazon/Smashwords/and-the-like you’ll see that my four books are now all available as FREE DOWNLOADS, and this is a PERMANENT change. (The paperbacks still cost money, because I’m unable to give those away, but I adjusted the prices so that I make nothing from them. Literally nothing.)

Why the heck did I do that?!

Because I felt, intensely and undeniably, that I should.
Because as I’ve stated elsewhere in my blog that I didn’t come up with this story; it was gifted to me.
Because when you’ve been given a gift, freely, you don’t then go around charging other people for it.

I’ve spent thousands of hours trying to improve these “gifts,” these stories. I started the series five years ago and spend an unconscionable amount of time developing them to the point that they’re just this side of readable. And while it’s been an enormous undertaking–I’ve never worked harder or longer on any other project besides motherhood–I’ve enjoyed it immensely, and felt incredibly blessed.
It’s been my therapy, when my sister and parents were ill and dying.
It’s been my escape, when we were severely underemployed and struggling.
It’s been my motivation to study deeply some theories, philosophy, and writings I normally wouldn’t.

It’s been a complete joy, a pure blessing. A true gift from God.

And I need to give that gift away.

It’s not like I ever made big bucks from this series anyway. I barely paid off my computer from the proceeds one year.

But something I read just the other day affirmed what I’ve been feeling for a long time now. Those words come from the Book of Mormon (yes, I’m a Mormon–a practicing Christian, as I’ve confessed before). When I read the following in my studies the other day, I felt a cosmic slap upside the head:

29 He commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafts; for, behold, priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion.

30 Behold, the Lord hath forbidden this thing; . . .

31 But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish.

~2 Nephi 26: 29-31 (emphasis added)

As I’ve stated here in my bio, I believe in the concept of Zion—a group of people that are of one heart and one mind, where individuals choose (unlike socialism and communism) to share all things freely so that there are no poor among them, and are focused on improving their minds and increasing their knowledge, not their possessions. And I also believe creating this kind of society is doable in our future.

That’s why I’m writing. That’s why I’m so excited–and anxious–to get out Book 5, titled Safety Assured Leaving East of Medicetti (the enigmatic nature of the title is explained in the book; here’s a hint–it’s a code). I still hope to release in Spring of 2016. I had planned all along to make Book 5 permanently free, and held on to the idea that I can make a buck-fifty on the other books, no problem.

No. No, I need to be as open with all of my books.

This isn’t the OFFICIAL cover yet. But this was the magnificent sunrise only this morning, and I realized it’d be a perfect background for Book 5 in the meantime.

To be honest, I was hoping to make some money because we’re crushed by an enormous student loan debt which we have no hope of paying off. I should be a brain surgeon with a debt like that. (Fortunately for all people requiring surgery, I’m not.)

But I’ve decided to have faith that if/when God wants me to pay off that debt, He’ll provide us with the right opportunities. Selling the inspiration He’s given me is NOT the way, however.

I have three other books kicking around in my head completely unrelated to Forest at the Edge, and maybe through one or all of those we’ll finally come into the money that will allow us to get out of the debt.

So today I happily announce that my series–which people either LOVE! or HATE! based upon the feedback I’ve been getting online and privately–will always be permanently free.

Enjoy! (Or bash, whatever.)

“The Falcon in the Barn” is here, and so are free magnets!

May 28, 2015trishmercer 9 Comments

Here it is! Live and available on Amazon for $2.99. Just click below:

The paperback will also be available by this weekend for $15.99. (And, in a few more days, here as a full .pdf under “Start Reading the Books!”)

And to thank you for your patience and support, I’ve got a freebie for once! Magnets!

magnet chairman stamp red stamped flattened

Each measure 2 inches by 3 inches. Not big enough to cover your entire fridge, sorry.

(This is the extent of my marketing techniques; revel in it.)

I HAVE to get ice creaml The Army of Idumea requires it!

I’m the practical sort, always needing new magnets for important messages on my fridge, and thought it’d be fun to have the Administrators or the Army of Idumea reminding me that I needed bread.

I’ve got several pairs to give away–you get one of each–and all you have to do is let me know. Fill out the contact form below telling me “Want magnets!” and I’ll get them into the mail to the first 20 people requesting them.

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Thank you for your response. ✨

Look how stylish they are on my fridge. They can be on yours, too.

Again, THANK YOU!

And now, to get to work on Book 5 . . .

New cover for “Mansions,” and here’s the cover for “Falcon in the Barn”!

May 26, 2015trishmercer 4 Comments

Yes!
Finally!
Not only do I get to present to you the new cover (will be available on Amazon in the next 24 hours) for Book 3, The Mansions of Idumea . . .

(I’m so grateful my family doesn’t mind dressing up. The best part is, we’re such a nerdy family that we already owned the costumes and many of the props.)

(I wished I had doors like this in real life. But mine are painted metal. From Lowe’s. So unromantic.)

. . . but here’s also Book 4!

(I won’t tell you how many pictures of barns I took looking for just the right one. Fortunately I live in an old farming community with plenty of subjects. Can you see the cat?)

(A marvelous fire we got to experience in Yellowstone in 2013 provided these fantastic clouds. Yes, fires can be marvelous.)

I’ve had far too much fun playing with colors and images these past few months. I’ve never pretended to be a professional anything: not a writer, and certainly not a graphic designer, as is likely obvious. But creating these books has been a pure joy and absolute delight. Deciding to develop new covers as vivid and lively as I dared was just the next step in my all-consuming hobby. I’m immensely blessed that my family tolerates me and my little obsessions. My husband especially has been a good sport, even if not a natural actor.

“So what do you want me to do? Just stand here? How about I put my hand on my hip? I can scowl. Wanna see a scowl? Should I point? Like in baseball, that’s where the ball’s going . . . Why not? You want more emotion? What’s that supposed to mean? Dammit, Jim–I’m a doctor, not a soldier! How was that? Are you about done? Why are you laughing? What? You need me to dress up again?! I think you’re doing this on purpose . . .”

(Most of the time I was waiting for him to close his mouth so I could take the pictures. He also gets very chatty when it’s time for family portraits. Rarely do we get a picture with his lips together. Yes, I think my husband’s adorable . . . and I’m not just writing that because I’ll need him to pose again for the next book!)

The actual book will be release FRIDAY, MAY 29 on Amazon and also here! Don’t worry, I’ll let you know when it’s ready to fly . . .

New book covers for “Forest” and “Soldier”

May 19, 2015May 27, 2015trishmercer Leave a comment

While I was making the cover for Book Four, Falcon in the Barn, I had ideas for the previous three books. I’m still fine-tuning covers for Mansions and Falcon, but I couldn’t wait any longer to launch the cover redos for the first two books. They’re now live on Amazon for both the Kindle and Paperback versions! Click on the images on the left to link you straight to Amazon. In the meantime, here are some larger versions:

Book 1:

And book two:

Book 4 is still set to release Friday, May 29, and some further tweaks to the website and a little freebie offer will be coming as well. Stay tuned!

YES! Book 4 will be here MAY 29th!

May 5, 2015May 27, 2015trishmercer 1 Comment

The Falcon in the Barn will soon be available on Amazon, and here with teasers!

And here’s a teaser already. I’m making new covers for all of my books (again, also soon to be released), and this photo below will be part of The Falcon in the Barn’s cover.

(Gives me goose bumps!)

I’m so grateful for all the props and bits neighbors and friends have lent me. (Although my son still on a Mormon mission doesn’t yet know I’ve raided his costume crate; he’s home in four weeks and will figure it out then when he sees the mess I made of his boxes.) I also discovered the joys of fiverr.com and the graphic artists who made me some awesome labels, such as the Idumea one you can see in the photo. (The artist is from Italy; I love how we can share so globally!)

In fact, that label above and another (created by an artist in Singapore) will be part of a little giveaway I’ll be hosting later this month with the book release. (Gosh, I almost sound like a professional, don’t I?)

In the meantime, please forgive me, dear friends, for so many delays, but as I wrote before, life got in the way. I’ve not only been working part-time, but another little side hobby of mine on Etsy took off the past couple of months, giving us some very needed income. (Shockingly, writing has NOT paid off all my bills yet.)

If you need help understanding the references, I can give you hints.

People have been requesting some clever modifications, too. My favorite is, “Check the Marauder’s Map.”

If you’ve seen these clocks on websites–and I still need to thank those who posted them–yes, I’m the Nerd Clock maker and the Harry Potter maker. (Shockingly, these HAVE been paying the bills . . .)

But when I’ve packaged all my orders for the evening, I settle down to my computer to edit another few chapters of Perrin and Mahrree and everyone, and soon they’ll be here. So watch for updates, and thanks for your patience!

Audiobook downloads, and thank you very much!

May 7, 2014May 27, 2015trishmercer 2 Comments

The first three chapters of The Forest at the Edge of the World are available here as audiobook mp3 downloads. I’ll keep trying to upload a chapter or two a week so you can hear my lovely Fran Drescher impersonations. (No, it’s not really that bad, but with my hay fever kicking in, the next few chapters just might be.)

I also want to thank all of you for your support during my past free download week. I was just this much shy (can you see my fingers pinching together?) of reaching 11,000 downloads, which was about 9,000 more than I was expecting. A great week, so thank you for helping to get the word out!