I recently moved to Lafayette, Indiana and have just this past week finally finished unpacking. It was quite the endeavor, but it's done. The weather was so nice yesterday and after getting some errands completed, my girlfriend and I went to visit Second Flight Books over next to Columbia Park. I visited Second Flight Books back before COVID hit, to see about finding a writing group and checked on the possibility of doing something with them once I was published. A lot has happened since then. They moved to a new location and I published my book, among many other things. Their store is very cool, with lots of rooms filled with books, old and new, in every genre. They have a place to sit and read and an area for kids. They are also very welcoming to writers.

The incredible thing was how busy they were. It warmed my heart so see so many people out buying books. And they were buying them by the armload.

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While I was there, arranging to sell my book, I ran into another local writer, whom I had known about for some time. He is a prolific horror writer with 13 books published and more on the way. He was gracious and humble and very cool. His name? Jonathan Janz

This pic is of both of us signing our books inhouse. If you want to get a signed addition of our books you can get them at Second Flight Books.

It was a wonderful day all around, and meeting Jonathan was the icing on the cake.

Effacement is live on Reedsy Discover! The most upvoted books will be considered for their weekly newsletter. So I would really appreciate it if you could take a few moments and upvote Effacement. Their newsletter goes out to thousands of readers.

This was my first experience with BookBub. I peaked at #144 in the Kindle Store. Made #1 in two categories, Hard Science Fiction and Medical Thrillers. #2 in Technothrillers and Contemporary American Fiction.

I sold more books than I ever have before, saw a Best Seller tag for a little more than a day and finally got some visibility. I'm about halfway through and very close to paying for the cost of the Featured Deal. It will run through Sunday and hopefully I will get a little bit on the back side as well, which is common. As I write this I am here:

Best Sellers Rank: #1,773 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)

• #6 in Medical Thrillers (Kindle Store)
• #14 in Hard Science Fiction (Kindle Store)
• #23 in Technothrillers (Kindle Store)

Was it worth it? Definitely! I am seeing my Amazon ads pay off now as well. I tried once before to get a featured deal and was turned down. Not certain what the difference was, but having solid numbers on Goodreads probably helped. I also let them pick the date.

I will definitely sign up again in the future.

Have you had any experience with BookBub or any other marketing sites that boosted your sales?

The Kirkus Review just came out, and it's a good one. You can read it here!

"Hawkes superbly extrapolates what our technology-dependent and pandemic-stricken world might be like a dozen years from now." — Kirkus Reviews

Also, the book is discounted for the next week and will be a Featured Deal on BookBub.

In a future marked by widespread surveillance, Dr. Cole Westbay has made a name for himself with the creation of a neurochip that records everything about a person. But after he’s framed for murder, Cole has no choice if he wants to survive: He’ll have to go off the grid.

I sent Effacement out for reviews with the major review sites. Got the first two back yesterday. The Clarion Review is up now! They gave the book 4/5 Stars.

Effacement is an action-packed, genre-bending thriller that introduces a white-collar superhero whose braininess and ethical behavior save the day.

Some of the highlights:

In Hieronymus Hawkes’s intense, chilling psychological thriller Effacement, technology invades personal privacy in a twenty-four-seven connected world where Big Brother is watching.

[The MCs] contrasting viewpoints play against each other well, heightening the story’s sense of conflict and increasing its psychological tension. The focused narrative also makes use of crisp, to-the-point writing.

The narrative is clever at integrating real-world events, including the 2020 elections, the Covid-19 pandemic, and racial strife, into its own origin story, using them as believable justifications for lifelogging and the eventual dystopian environment.

You can buy your own copy online pretty much everywhere now.

I just streamed the entire show on Apple TV. I had heard that it was good, but I assumed that with a sports theme it could only be so good.

Man was I wrong.

I fucking love this show so much!!!!

There are a few spoilers below, but honestly, even if I told you the entire storyline here, it would be worth watching anyway.

I thought I had this thing figured out early on. Yes, Ted is super likeable. I mean he is so affable and joyful and rarely lets anyone or anything get him down, but the show seemed obvious that it was a reimaging of Major League. However, they kept twisting the plot just enough to keep you off stride.

I love all the characters. Lasso is wise and cunning, but plays the simpleton. He has an answer to most problems and if he doesn't he surrounds himself with people that he trusts to help him. He sees people. All of them. He makes friends easily because he actually cares about people. Coach Beard is like a mystic guru, who is humble and happy to play second fiddle and constantly surprises. The owner of the team, Rebecca, was maybe the most nuanced of all the characters, playing the villain, but she is layered and human. At first the girlfriend of the team star seemed like the classic bimbo type, but she is actually much deeper, kind and wiser than she first appears. The team captain is a grumpy older player with anger management issues, but he is also compelling because he cares about the game so much and doesn't endure people being mistreated. Even the equipment manager plays a pivotal role.

I did see a lot of what was coming, but it didn't matter. The journey was so amazing and full of feels. I laughed out loud and screamed with joy at more than one scene. I got weepy at others and for a "comedy" that is pretty amazing. It didn't come off as smarmy or caricaturish at all, but played smartly by everyone. Just enough goofiness and playfulness to keep it light most of the time, but they cover some ground about relationships and leadership. Coach Lasso has a real knack for bring people together.

The only thing I really had trouble understanding was the relationship Lasso has with his wife. And it's not him, it's her. I don't understand how she doesn't love Ted. He is such a joy. His outlook on life is simply incredible. I would love to have a Ted Lasso in my circle of friends.

The show won a Golden Globes for best actor in a comedy and best supporting actor and people's choice for best show and they are all well deserved. The writing is wonderful and refined, and spot on. Hardly a misstep. They should win every award there is. TED LASSO is the best show on any channel.

KDP Promo price of $0.99 on sale now until 10 March. Get it while you can!