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T. M. Strait

Local Author

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$3.99 ebook                            $3.99 ebook                                                            $1.99 ebook
$15 paperback                        $20 paperback                                                        $10 paperback

History of the Trap:  YA science fiction/fantasy in the vein of Harry Potter. The Hunger Games 
                                     and Stranger Things.

Crowley Stories: Swamp's Edge - slice of life stories spinning around characters in a small                                                                   Southeastern Georgia town bordering on the Okefenokee                                                                 Swamp.

Here Comes Tommy:  funny, sentimental, and nostalgic autobiographical stories about                                                       growing up.

Others as ebooks only, including Eric Reid & the Time Team, and Through the Closet and Into the Woods.

Coming Soon:  A Christmas With Pegasus, My Europa, The Extra Credit Club, and Vol. 2 of History of the Trap!

Check out The Strait Line (http://thestraitline-tmstrait.blogspot.com) for three to five new blog entries per week!

A columnist with The Blackshear Times and other papers throughout Georgia.

Books available at  Purlie performances, from the author, at the Okefenokee Heritage Center, or online from Amazon and other online vendors.

Break legs, Purlie Productioneers!

Choose Your Adventure!

I am at a crossroads in my writing projects.  I have spent much of my writing time trying to figure out ways to promote my book, History of the Trap.  The biggest disadvantage in self-publishing is that the shy person (me), is in charge of marketing and promotion.  The horn I would rather have somebody else toot I have to grab and toot away.

I am figuring out those buttons and levers.  The ebook has done okay, the personal sales are pretty darn good, but the paperback sales on Amazon are languishing.  I am slowly springing out more ideas, and hopefully I can get that cranked up.

If you have read and/or are reading History of the Trap, or any of my other books (others exclusively in ebook or eshort format), please be sure to leave a review.  These books are often placed by number of purchases and number of reviews, so any help in that regards will be greatly appreciated!  I am on Goodreads as well, so you can also leave reviews there if you are a part of that community.

Where to go next?

Crowley Stories: Swamp's Edge is currently being edited, but is otherwise complete.  We are also in the process of setting up a new computer, and when that is complete, I hope to set up Crowley Stories in a program called Scrivener.  Crowley Stories was written over many months, in different formats using different computers, and Scrivener should help me even out and make uniform the formatting. I don't know how long this will take but it will be my next published novel-length project.

I am also working on a novella entitled My Europa.  It is my accepting of Jack McDevitt's challenge to write a futuristic story with a more optimistic point of view.  That does not mean there isn't drama and tension in the story.  But it does view a world some twenty years from now that has not descended into an apocalyptical hellhole. Translation:  Trump does not get elected.

So, my few but brave and wonderful fans, what should I focus on next?  Keep in mind that I am working towards retirement  from accounting, and the more success I have, the sooner that can happen.

Here are some of my choices:

1) Continue finishing My Europa.  The first few pages are published as a blog entry on The Strait Line.

2) Another Eric Reid story, continuing the characters of Eric Reid and the Time Team, this time focused on trying to stop an assassination in November 1963.  These can be combined and published as a Bookshot style paperback, for the low price of 5 to 6 dollars.

3)  Another Escape the Office romance, similar to Through the Closet and Into the Woods, and then combined to present a Bookshot style paperback, for the low price of 5 to 6 dollars.

4) Do not pass go, do not collect $200 (which would be nice), and go directly to the next book of the Trap series, History of the Trap: Revolution & Rebellion.

5) Concentrate on publishing an extending the collection of autobiographical stories, currently under the title Here Comes Tommy.

6) Collect poems, already written and news ones, and organize into a poetry collection.  Fake Poems Unite!

7)  Any other idea or interest you have, please let me know!

I wish my writing time was not as limited as it is.  So I do have to pick and choose.  Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Your favorite author (or hopefully somewhere in your top 525,600),

T. M. Strait

OverWatch Corral at the Ancient City Con

Benjamin Strait, as the character McRee from the video game Overwatch, is watching over ,y portion of our vendor's table at Ancient City Con in Jacksonville.

It's High Noon!  Well, according to Benjamin's character.

We introduced History of the Trap at a convention, a first for me.  Sharing a table with Michael and April Lee, who had their own great books, it was also the first event for us as Swamp's Edge Publishing.

Saturday was a good day.  Everyone sold some books.  Even I sold two, which may not sound like much, but was actually more than I anticipated.  The goal was to get out there with my book and my business card, and start having a presence, maybe make some contacts.

Most people were fairly positive.  Those that engaged with us were pleased to see so much local writing, and in addition to those who bought, there were those that took our business cards and said they would check us out on Kindle. So far, that hasn't resulted in any Kindle sales, but I have high hopes.

I am still trying to perfect my pitch for the book.  If I say that they are students who are trapped at a high school for ten years, I get squeals of  "Now that's a NIGHTMARE!"  Sigh.  I'm still working on it.  I do strongly believe that it is a very good book, and that it's closed set premise, although a little extreme, is not that unfamiliar in literature.  I'll keep trying to articulate it better.

There was an author's panel discussion, and April and I were invited to go.  We weren't sure whether we were supposed to go up front on the dais or not.  That question became academic when all the seats were filled, and there was no room for us.  We sat in the front row.  I was poised to raise my hand and tell them they had two more authors in the room.

I squandered my opportunity to talk, as the dominant shy gene took over.  My worst problem with shyness is initiating conversation.  I have be to be explicitly invited.  I'm like a vampire who has to be invited in to your house to enter.  I came close when an author friend, Winfield Strock, took the time to invite April to talk about her recent experiences in publishing.  April did a great job, and I thought I would be invited next, but it didn't happen, and I wasn't aggressive enough to insert myself.  A great opportunity blown.

The most exciting opportunity I found out about was the world of audio books.  It appears to be easier to make audio versions of your books than I thought.  Not only that, but that it may be easier than I thought to get hired to record OTHER people's books.  This may be another way I can make money post-accounting retirement (or cutting back hours, or whatever it is I can eventually work out).  After all, some have said I'm a lot better speaker/actor/read-alouder than I am a writer.  So there you go.

Benjamin had a great time.  He made a number of friends and contacts, meeting others dressed from Over Watch, and playing in a tournament of his favorite video game, super Smash Brothers.  He didn't make it far, but he had a great sense of humor, and was funny and appealing.

We'll definitely have to do it again, and maybe at some point we can clear enough to cover our table costs, and if we get really well known, enough to cover our gas, food and money we spend buying other people's stuff.

Ten years, you say????  Boy, that's a NIGHTMARE!!!

Sigh.  

I'll keep working on that pitch!

History of the Trap is In!!!

I have received my first copies! 

I will have these copies available in the following venues -

1

At the Okefenokee Heritage gift shop, beginning Tuesday, June 28th.  The price for these copies will be $17 plus sales tax, with $4.25 of each sale going to the support the OHC. Each copy will be signed by the author.

2

At the monthly Way Green event for $15.  The first of these is this Saturday, July 2nd.  These copies will be personally signed by the author after your purchase.  Way Green is held the first Saturday morning of each month at the Okefenokee Heritage Center.

3

By mail order.  Please send me a check or money order to 

T. M. Strait

202 Glenwood Drive

Blackshear, Ga 31516

The check should be for $18, to help cover shipping and handling.  Please include any requests for personal messages to include with autograph.  If anyone would like more information about this option, please leave me a Facebook message or e-mail me at tmstrait@hotmail.com.

4

There soon should be a copy at the Pierce County Library, thanks to my friend, David Rollison.

5

I hope to announce a series of cons I will be attending in conjunction with Michael and April Lee, at a shared table for Swamp's Edge Publishing.

----------------------

And don't forget....all are available at Amazon, both kindle and paperback version.  There are even other online vendors where the book is available.  Any locals who buy the book online, I will glad sign them if you see me.

-------------------------

Yes, this is a self publishing effort.  Swamp's Edge Publishing is ME.  Consequently, please be aware that there are almost certainly still typos in the book.  The truth is, I will probably be still adjusting and refining the book for the rest of my life.  I wish it wasn't so, but such is life for the imperfect independent author.

If an of my early readers find a glaring mistake, please let me know so I can fix it in subsequent editions.

I can assure you, though, the problems are minor, and should not interfere with your enjoyment of the story.

Please remember, Amazon places my book on its lists based on its sales and number of reviews.  Online purchases help in that regard, and also posting a positive review (you are free to post any kind of review you want - I'm just letting you know what will help the book the most).

Those who frequent my blog and facebook feed may get tired of my constant shilling of my writings.  I apologize and hope you can bear with me - but the importance of this is outweighing my desire to not be annoying.

Thanks for your support!

And there will be more paperbacks and Kindle books to come!

Your favorite amateur author*

T, M. Strait

*well, hopefully at least in your Top 100

The Proof is in My Hands! Pre-Order Today!

The proof is in my hands!

Yes, I finally have a proof copy of History of the Trap, all 360 pages of it!

It looks and feels like a real book!

History of the Trap is a young adult science fiction/fantasy book set at a Michigan high school in the mid-70s.

It is a proof, and I will need to make corrections, but I hope to have it finalized and published very soon.  I've already found minor mistakes in the afterword and on the back cover, but hopefully it will not be too difficult to fix.



Meanwhile.....

Those of you who are interested in pre-ordering my first effort in book publishing, please let me know by private Facebook message or by sending me an e-mail at tmstrait@hotmail,com.

I do not know the final cost yet, but my best guess will be in the $15 to $18 range.  Mailed copies may have additional charges to cover postage.

What I will need - 

                              Your name

                              The name you want me to sign the book to (for example - to Rosa Maria, my beautiful friend!)

                               Contact information (e-mail, facebook connection, phone number - whatever works for you).

                               Mailing address if the copy will need to be mailed

This can be commented here on the blog, sent through a Facebook or e-mail or text or smoke signal - however you want.

No payment is necessary at this time.  This will just help me determine how many copies I need to order.

I'm so excited!

History of the Trap: Cover at Last!

The cover for the SOON TO BE PUBLISHED History of the Trap!

The ebook cover!

The Print Cover!

(yeah, that's right!  I said PRINT!)

Stay tuned to this blog for the up to the minute publication information of

HISTORY OF THE TRAP!!!

Eric Reid & the Time Team: Join the Team Today!

Ebook #3 now available for sale on Amazon, ready for your Kindle or Kindle App.  This cover features my son, Benjamin Strait as Eric Reid, and the very talented Emily Beck as Princess Tamaini.  Emily is the outstanding local actress who recently played Anne Frank in Purlie Production's The Diary of Anne Frank.

This is an eshort, and is (I think) 28 pages, and can be obtained for your Kindle library for only $1.99.  

If you purchase and want to write a review, that would be most welcome!  The more positive reviews I can get, the higher Amazon will place it and the more attention it will draw.

All aboard the Time team!

Through the Closet and Into the Woods On Sale On Amazon!

Check it out!

Just one of the many great ereads from local authors you can find on Amazon!

Who knew that working in an accounting office could be so much dangerous fun? Settle in for the most unusual day a General Ledger Manager of a newspaper has ever had, as Jeffery is taken by the eccentric and attractive Dorothy through the accounting closet and into a whole new world! Enter Pazoria and...beware! Excitement, danger and romance await!