The Sonny Strange Launch

If I'm to be honest, I could have rushed things a bit more this year. Having put off the release of Booker's World until funds allow in January, I would have been disappointed if I didn't have something out for people to read apart from the blog. I started writing Sonny Strange at the end of August. It's taken me until today to finish it. Nearly three and a half months for a 12,000 word novella. It's fair to say I spent a bit of time on it.

Part of the slowness is nerves as well. It's one thing asking friends and family to read things, you kind of expect them to be kind. But it's a different thing putting something out into the big bad world. Should people stumble across it sometime, and don't like, well, they are free to critique as they see pleased. That's the bargain you strike with people when you put something out and ask them to read it.

But all going well, those that do read it, find something between it's digital pages to come back when Booker's World comes out in print.

I have published it to Smashwords. There is a downside and that is if you don't have a Smashwords account, you have to sign up for one in order to download it. But don't stop reading now because of that. More details below.

I have set up a 'reader's decide price' pay option on it, so in effect it's free. I want any of my writing in the time to come, to be associated with a charity, and it's my intention to announce that pre-Xmas and add a donate button to the site, so anyone who reads my books has the option to read it first, and then come back and donate to the named charity.

Details on this and percentages are to be ironed out, but this is all part of a bigger picture, news which will be announced here early in the New Year.

I think there are a lot of areas in Irish life right now that may need a lot more support in the years ahead. Depression, alcohol and drug abuse to name just three. So hopefully, as time goes by, a small difference and contribution can be made toward helping out in these particular areas. It has over time become my belief that artistic endeavor in any small way can be of great benefit to people struggling in some areas of their lives. It will be my long term challenge to support one to beat the other. If that makes sense.

Having flirted around some scenes in this country it became increasingly obvious to me that Ireland is awash with some fine actors, directors and writers not getting an even crack of the whip. With Ireland in the state it is in right now, perhaps there is an opportunity for many of them to utilize the digital age and further their own dreams and ambitions. It can be done, but it needs to be developed and supported.

For now though here is the link to the Smashwords page of Sonny Strange ~ A Motivational Memoir in Minor. It's not as serious as it sounds. I sorta promise...

If you choose that route, it is available to download via varied formats.

Having checked over a few of them, I'd recommend the PDF download or the download for The Kindle.

There are free downloads of the Kindle for the PC and other digital readers here.

A lot of computers are PDF friendly. If your computer or reader can't read them a download is available here.

All downloads are free and from offical websites.

The eBook and digital readers have seen a massive upsurge in popularity over the past year. Some say within years all school textbooks will be replaced with digital options when education embraces fully the digital age.

The day of the print book will never end and mainstream publishing will always be there. I'll always like tradition and will always attempt to get work published that way. But there is no excuse anymore for Indie Artists to sit around waiting on approval and for me personally, that is a great thing.

Though I do recommend signing up with Smashwords for anyone who doesn't want to go through the rigmarole of it just send me an email here and I will forward a PDF file to you. Smashwords have lots of great reading across many genre, with plenty of free samples and writing for readers to make up their mind from. So if you are a reader or just want to start reading again, but find books to expensive, just download a reader and read as much as you want. Digital publishing is here, and it's here to stay.