If you didn't notice, I tweaked the cover again. I'm happy with it now. I think it fits the genre better, but you are the judge for that.

If you have a moment I would really appreciate if you would go to the voting site and place a vote for Effacement under the Science fiction section.

The gals over at the Book Review Crew are doing a blog tour for my book Effacement that will run through the coming week. Please go check it out and their other reviews.

I'm very excited to announce that the audio version is available today at Google Play, Chirp, and Authors Direct!

More will be coming as they process the files. It should be available soon wherever you download your audiobooks.

Henry and Jenna did a wonderful job! This is more like an audio play, since they do all the voices, male and female, and narrate the appropriate sections as well. I hope you enjoy it!

I submitted for maybe half a dozen book awards. I've heard back from three so far and I made the cut in one that is still going. I made finalist in another but didn't win.

And today I found out I won  National Association of Book Entrepreneurs Summer 2021 Best Science Fiction Book!

This is their 39th year doing book awards by category. It's always rewarding to get recognized for the effort.

I have to say I am quite pleased with how Effacement turned out. The reviews have been generally great, and best of all nobody has said I suck at writing and should stop. That was my biggest fear.

Imposter syndrome is real.

If you haven't checked out the novel you can see it here: Effacement

Get your copy today!

The review is back and they gave Effacement 4.5 stars out of 5 in the May issue of InD'tale Magazine.

""Effacement" is a clever, well-balanced near-future tale with seamlessly integrated, carefully thought-out tech and a perfectly paced plot. The gritty, attention-trapping action makes the pages flash by! The author has created a fully fleshed out, likeable hero. The romantic element takes a back seat to the futuristic corporate intrigue, but the inventive technology and smooth pacing will hold the readers' attention until the very last moment. Traces of the science-fiction masters are threaded through this entertaining read. Inspired story-telling, gripping action and a tantalizing hint of romance make this an engrossing sci-fi read. Hieronymus Hawkes is definitely an author to follow!"

--Starling Gray

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.