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Christina Engela’s Monthly Newsletter: #58 October 2021

ChristinaEngela

Hello, friends and fans!

Welcome to my 58th monthly newsletter!

Pull up a chair, let’s chat! 

Let’s take a look at this months’ news!

September was a pretty exciting month! The first two of the Quantum Series have been released as audiobooks and the other four titles are confirmed to be in the queue for production! I’ve also had some fan mail, done some extra marketing, had a couple of interviews, and I’ve actually managed to do some writing for a change!

A Mish-Mash Of General News

Over the last month a lot has happened. A lot of it I’ve described in my weekly “Peeks @ My Week”, but here is a general summary of this past months happenings!

Brandon Mullins, CEO of Moon Books Publishing, has made a stack of new book trailers for my already released audiobooks! Here are a few of them below:

On the marketing front, I’ve joined Flip Board, a social platform and news aggregator for authors and readers. I also did two interviews during September, the first with Brandon from Moon Books. It never hurts to help your publisher to promote your brand! Having him share this sort of thing around social media and on article aggregators like Medium.com also helps! The second interview was with Robb Wallace, and I’m still waiting for that one to appear.

Natalie Nicole, an LGBTQ reviewer, left a wonderful review on Book Bub on September 09, 2021 for “Black Sunrise” the audiobook! Also, as soon as the second audiobook came out during September, she immediately snapped it up saying it was her new favorite series, so I’m eagerly waiting for her review on that one as well!

During the past month, I spent a lot of time working on the back end of my website, tweaking this and that in order to try to attract more traffic in the form of quality visitors. This isn’t simply a one-task process, but involves reposting several old articles from some of my other websites and blogs on my author website and back-dating them to their original date of publication. The hope here is that some of the traffic drawn to visit those websites by those articles will also be diverted to my author site as well. That’s the theory, so we’ll see how it goes.

I also had a few updates from Clair at my South African publisher, Hally Park, and she’s let me know that my dad’s two books – the first of my books that they’re busy releasing under their brand – have returned from their editors and are still in process. The economic situation in South Africa is also rather bleak at the moment, since a lot of smaller book stores have been shutting down overnight and disappearing as a result of the crappy economy. Books, as is usually the unfathomable case, are classified as “luxury goods” rather than as essentials. We will continue however, to remain hopeful.

As always, I’ll keep you informed about these things!

Current Writing Projects 

After a week of intensive writing sessions, I managed to finish the first draft of the next book in the Galaxii Series, “Sentinel” on the 13th! The story is the fourth in the series and now stands at 78,244 words and is the second-longest title in the series, and also the second longest fiction story I’ve ever written! Of course it’s not totally finished yet, although the storyline and body are complete, I still need to go through it a few times to make sure I pick up any typos, spelling or grammar errors, and to perhaps give it all a tweak here and there – until I’m happy with it! I’ll keep you posted!

I’ve since been working on a short story for Panic! Horror In Space called “The Song of the Drillipede“, and also submitted “Hotel No-Tell” to the Moon Books Horror Anthology for 2021! I’ve been asked to write the ‘afterword’ for that, and I still haven’t figured out what to say! More news about this as it happens.

Last but not least under this section, thanks a stack for all your support – from those of you buying and reading my books, to the friendly comments on my posts, and the people leaving book reviews – it means a lot to me that there’s so many of you all still here with me.

Videos

You’re welcome to browse through the videos on my YouTube video channel! I’m not really the performing seal type, but I do my best!

Publishing

These are the new titles I’ve published in 2021 so far! The first 3 are academic papers, but I still have a few new fiction works in progress and should finish some during the year!

New Releases:

After the three academic papers I put out early this year, I also released the new updated Portfolio 2021, as well as a updated second edition of “The Galaxii Guide To The Terran Space Fleet“. Both are free items for your information and enjoyment.

Audiobooks

I have 6 audiobooks available on Audible and Amazon! Click the links in the slideshow below to view titles available as audiobooks.

The new audiobook for “Black Sunrise” narrated by Darla Middlebrook was released in July and book 2, “The Time Saving Agency” was released in September! Ms. Middlebrook will be doing the rest of the series as well, and I’m looking forward to all these new releases! I also have to admit that I really like the new audiobook covers designed by Brandon Mullins, and can’t wait to show them to you when he’s done them!

Stay tuned for more new releases and updates!

Reviews

I have one new review to show you in this section this time! You can see all my previous reviews here. If you would like to do a review of one of my books, please do get in touch!

One of the most delightful listening experiences I’ve had in a while

“New-to-me writer Christina Engela was responsible for one of the most delightful listening experiences I’ve had in a while. I expect my favorite writers and narrators to be predictably awesome but I admit to feeling especially grateful when a new writer turns my head about my shoulders! Black Sunrise is an incredible novel that has something special for any LGBTQ+ readers with an appreciation for science fiction. The writer has a premise that will blow most readers out of the water. Just imagine a hostile society bent on conquering the Terran race at a third-rate colony only to get their butt handed to them some eighty years earlier when the Terrans fight back! Then it all happens AGAIN(!!!) but this time the reader is front and center for the excitement during the latest attack of the Ruminarii.

Cindy-Mei was terminated from the Colonial Intelligence Agency for being trans, and sees an opportunity to regain some respect, notice, and her position for recapturing the Ruminarii commander. Cindy was visiting Deanna on holiday after her gender affirmation surgery when the Ruminarii tried yet again to subjugate the Terran population. When the bombing of Atro City occurred, a call to arms was sent out for the entire citizenry at Deanna who showed up en mass to kick alien butt! The call was also answered by the men of the Skeggs Valley Dynamite Fishing Club led by General Albert McIntyre-Smythe, a 74-year old retired serviceman of the Imperial Officers’ Reserve who had ordinance aplenty along with the courage and enthusiasm to use it. Cindy makes her way to Atro and with the assistance of security cameras, noticed that a Ruminarii fighter (who just so happens to be the Hammerhead’s commander) was thrown clear of the fighting masses and escapes on foot.

Cindy hides behind her canceled CIA badge to approach Sheriff Peggy-Ann with the need to track down the escaped alien for information regarding the Ruminarii’s objectives, plans, and other intel. The sheriff assures Cindy that a payment for a captured Ruminarii will no doubt be offered and gives her the name of Gary “The Badfeller” Beck, a successful local bounty hunter who would be instrumental in capturing the alien. While traveling to Deanna, Cindy befriended Fred the Arborian–a sentient walking-talking plant who pot sat in the Recreation deck of the Duval. She made such a favorable impression she left on him, Fred felt compelled to intervene from the controls of the Duval to aid the Terrans in their successful bid to fight the attacking Ruminarii. He manages to get Captain Johannsen’s vessel to drop one of six tanks containing over 660,000-gallon in sherry to crash down upon the hull of the Ruminarii Hammerhead spacecraft named Black Sunrise that arrived alone to give the Terrans major grief.

The sherry tank’s fiery destruction of the Black Sunrise scuttles the commander’s plan to have his troops retreat within the craft and then for it to bomb Deanna from space. Fred leaves Captain Johannsen and the others aboard the Duval to search for Cindy, being filled with purpose and a zeal to start a brand new life following his successful assistance to the Terrans. The Captain is left realizes he isn’t even as effective as a plant in a pot! The contrast between these two beings is a pivotal point in the narrative as readers witness Fred making his way across the space station to encounter people that for the most part allow him to be. Surely praise for his role in overthrowing the aliens will make it easier for him to carve out a wonderful life!

While Gary and Cindy pair up to find the alien, the alien is discovered by Jenny whose family has been targeted by a criminal miner determined to acquire their valuable land. Finding the alien overheated, injured, and dehydrated, Jenny leaves the alien with a water canteen and her ‘good will’ towards his right to continue to exist. He’s puzzled not only by the Terrans ferocity during the resistance but the compassion he received from a woman who was fully aware of his status as an enemy. One good turn deserves another as the alien saves Jenny and her trans sister Danielle from being murdered by the miner and his gang members. Gary and Cindy decide to leave the alien alone, determining he was a good person who was obeying bad orders.

Now what I found especially effective was the writer’s ability to bring the readers right up to the main event in a round-Robin way of each character having their part of the story told. At times the more distant yet relevant past is shared with the current information, allowing the readers to have a clear idea of where the players have been and the value of their current roles in the narrative. Even as the different stories are being relayed, the readers are left feeling fully let in on what’s going on in the narrative. Never once did I feel the need to replay segments of the audiobook to know “who’s on first base”. The novel is compelling, thought-provoking, and exciting with awesome world-building, excellent character growth for most players in the narrative, and balance with pacing that keeps the reader turning the pages! Dang! This book is GREAT!!!

The narrator was a bit stilted at points in the book but she is one incredible performer and seemed to genuinely love the book she was reading. There were times when she chucked, snickered, giggled–and she seemed to improve as things went along. It’s hard to say, I was having too much fun. There is NO greater honor a narrator can have for a writer than to enjoy their book in a way that shares the appreciation with the listeners. It is my sincerest hope that the writer’s other work for this series finds its way to audio format and that this writer is able to continue narrating for it. I’d love to share another fun time with Darla Middlebrook.” – Natalie Nicole, Book Bub review, September 09, 2021.

Currently Available Titles

My books are available as eBooks, Paperbacks, and Audiobooks, and you can find them everywhere. Click the links in the slideshow below to view titles available in these formats.

If you’re still wondering where to find them in the format of your choice, you should read “Where To Get My Books – Specially For My South African Readers!“.

Communication

Below are links to a few of my most recent posts since my previous newsletter:

Interactions

I have the following awesome items to show you this month.

    1. While I was checking out the back-end of my website, I discovered a message left for me on the 18th of August. Unlike most of the time, where it turns out to be spam, this was a lovely message from Carol, which I’ve included below:

      Good Morning Ms. Engela,

      I would just like to say a quick word of thanks! As a youth services librarian and educator, I’ve been running a fun writing workshop for 12-15 year olds during these times of remote learning, and thought you might enjoy hearing that we were able to get some great use out of your post, ‘Some Great Resources for Writers’ writers’ and the links you’ve listed there. We were even able to use some of this information for our most recent group project! Thanks so much for sharing!

      I hope you don’t mind, but one of our youngest, Anna has also asked me if I could share an article that she and her mother found together on writing for film and theater, which includes a great breakdown on understanding the importance of setting, writing for different kinds of stage productions, how to write in a way that translates to the screen, etc.

      I’ve included it below if you’d like to review! We noticed you don’t have this one listed, but Anna was actually the one to bring up that this could be something you might like to include for other young writers who could also be coming across your information and have an interest in becoming a script or screen writer some day, like Anna! If you find you are able to use this one, would you please let me know?

      We’re meeting tomorrow virtually, and I would absolutely love to surprise Anna if you’re able to do so – I’m hoping to keep spirits up in light of what’s been happening across the country this past year, and I think it would make her day to know she was able to ‘pay it forward’ (we’re pretty big on this principle in our children’s library group) and maybe even show her mother her contribution if it ends up being included!

      christinaengela.com/some-great-resources-for-writers/

      Thanks again for all your help here Christina,

      Carol https://www.theaterseatstore.com/blog/writing-for-theater-film

      I sent the following reply.

      Hello Carol and Anna!

      Firstly, I must apologize for my late reply – sometimes I don’t see all the notifications from my website right away, but I’m glad I discovered your message while doing some website maintenance this afternoon! I do hope it’s not too late?

      Thank you so much for your message – and I’m very happy to hear that you found something useful in my article! I’ll be updating it again soon and I’ll definitely include the link you sent in the update!

      I was always told that writing is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration – and I have to say that’s very true! Best of luck Anna, with your pursuit of being a playwright or scriptwriter!

      Thanks again for your message Carol and Anna, and for your input – you’ve brightened my day!

      I wish you the best in these trying and difficult times!

      Stay safe and keep well!

      Kind regards,

      Christina Engela

    2. A few months ago I was asked for a copy of the “Black Sunrise” audiobook by a book reviewer, and I received the following surprising note in my FB chat from the reviewer on 8 September:

I display my Fan Mail & Compliments with pride, gratitude and humility. You’re always welcome to have a look.

It seems I have no hate mail to show you this time! So little hate mail – I must be slipping!

  1. I’m rather proud of my hate mail, and you can review my collection here – but be forewarned, don’t do it while eating or drinking, or you might choke while laughing!

  2. Interviews

  1. All my interviews are linked to from this page. If you would like to do an interview with me about my work, please do get in touch!

In Closing

Well, that’s all for this time, folks!

Thanks again for all your support, sharing, friendship and interaction!

As always, feel free to email or message me via Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn if you have any comments or questions!

Until next time, keep reading!

Cheers!

Catch me on social media!

  

All material copyright © Christina Engela, 2021.

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