Maybe social media?

I'm dabbling in social media, experimenting with MeWe. I like that they aren't data harvesters like Facebook and Twitter. They don't sell personal data. What they sell are in-app extras, like stickers and custom emojis and even a small fee for their pages.

Pros:
No ads
No selling your data
Did I mention NO ADS?!
NO FILTERING!! You get to see all the group and page posts that are posted.
And Privacy

Cons:
You have to register to view pages. As I said under the "Pros", privacy.

It was because of big tech using my data, ads, and filtering content that I quit other social media sites. They really pissed me off.

I've been on MeWe for a while now, but I'm finally expanding into a page. Connect with me on MeWe at https://mewe.com/p/melanienillesauthor. I'm trialing it to see if it's worthwhile. I hope you'll join me and help me make a go of this. I only wish that I had done this before quitting Facebook so I could notify everyone there to follow me.

A simple request

To all my loyal readers, thank you! I appreciate your continued support, and I promise to do my best to entertain you.

To all readers, I have a request in exchange for the short time of reading pleasure that (I hope) my stories brought you. I don't like to ask, but my books are needing some love. Many of my books are free, so I hope you consider this a small price in exchange.

Please leave reviews, especially on Amazon. You don't know how much that helps me, especially if you liked a particular book and think others would also.

1. It helps others readers discern if a book/series would be for them or not.
2. I need a minimum number of reviews and rating to qualify for some forms of advertising. Without that, I can't hope to attract more readers.
3. Reviews are figured in the algorithms to make a book appear in more searches on Amazon.

If you would like to see one of my stories gain new ground so that others are more likely discover the same enjoyment that I hope you've found in my worlds, this is how you can help.

I put in countless hours on each book, developing, creating, writing, rewriting (many times!), and editing, so that you can escape from real world troubles for a short while. I only ask a few minutes of your time outside of that escape to leave some comments and a star rating.

Thank you!

Forgotten Worlds #5 DONE!

I have a title and cover for Book 5 of this series: THE DESTRUCTION OF WALLS

And it's an exciting one! Secrets are revealed, secrets that could change the course of the war with the Issan and secrets that will change how characters see each other. I spent a long time trying to figure out the right title for this one and thought I had a good title before changing the cover for this title, which fits even better. Honestly, the title was more work than writing the book. The first draft is looking to top out at 43,000 words, making it the longest story in the series to date. (I have only one more scene to write but had such a marathon weekend that I needed a break today.)

I will list #4 (IN DARKNESS, LIGHT) for pre-order in the next 3-4 weeks. I'm looking for a near-Christmas release date for that one and can only list it 90 days out. That should give me ample time to write #6, which is going to be so much fun! (Okay, I say that about each of these... mostly. #3 was difficult because I wanted to establish some foundation without locking myself into too many details.) #6, however, is going to break from the hardcore story-arc and let the characters do something not related to the Starfire or the Issan. It'll be like The Rule of Yonder in that it was a character-building, explore-the-possibilities-of-this-setting, and not-worry-about-the-overall-arc story. I may even bring in some of the species mentioned in TRoY. But I'm getting ahead of myself. You'll have to wait until next summer for that.

In the meantime, if you haven't started reading this series, the first ebook, A NEW BEGINNING, is only $0.99. All books after that are only $2.99. The second book, THE RULE OF YONDER, is available now also, and the third book, VAULT OF THE CELESTIALS, will be out on September 12th. You can pre-order that now.

Feel free to share this promo with your social media:

Vault of the Celestials is coming soon!

Please share the news!

(and the image below)

Vault of the Celestials (Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds Book 3) is available for pre-order and coming soon!

this and other Photoshop book templates available at covervault.com

VotC final edits

I've found a system that works for me in writing and publishing a series. Over the years, I've learned that writing two books ahead of what's coming up for publishing is actually very beneficial and fun.

There are several aspects to this:

1. I get several editing rounds broken up so that each time, I edit my mind is fresh and I enjoy the story anew, which is great.
2. Because my mind is fresh, I see the faults more clearly. With several rounds broken by time and working on other projects, I see different aspects each time I run through a particular story. It's not just editing but also the earlier developmental edits.
3. I get a refresher for anything that's come since that book that's being edited as the next story to be published. I can then correct anything that I've written since that soon-to-be-published story.
4. I can still make reasonable adjustments as I've learned from stories written since the next to be published. So far, I've been introducing different characters and situations, still establishing the universe and overall plot, so sometimes I want to change something a story or two later on a rule that was established earlier. By writing two ahead of where I'm publishing, I have been able to go back and make changes to better suit what the overall plot has wanted to become. Often this involves taking small details out or making details more general and less precise so that I have room to play without breaking anything.

Some of these I've mentioned in other posts, but it always amazes me how much I enjoy the stories after some time away, even if I'm still writing in the same series.

I'm currently running swiftly through final edits of VAULT OF THE CELESTIALS. I say swiftly because, after writing IN DARKNESS, LIGHT and most of the untitled #5 of the Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds series so far, VotC is fresh again and I can enjoy the ride. I appreciate all the drafting and many rewrites that got it to the point that it fits in the series and flows very well without a dull moment. Often, while writing the first draft, I feel like the story is moving too slowly, but that's mostly because the first draft can take 2-3 months to write. It only feels slow because real life takes place around it. Reading it through when it's nearly perfect is the best part; I can enjoy it like a new reader would.

I'm preparing VotC for its release on September 12, which is coming up faster than I expected. You can pre-order now from various retailers:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Vault-Celestials-Starfire-Angels-Forgotten-ebook/dp/B07T4XJQJ6/ref=sr_1_13?keywords=melanie+nilles&qid=1565996447&s=gateway&sr=8-13

Apple:  https://books.apple.com/us/book/vault-of-the-celestials/id1459963132

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vault-of-the-celestials-m-a-nilles/1131274083?ean=2940156425143

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/vault-of-the-celestials

(Also available at other various ebook retailers)

Update 8/17/19: The final version of VotC is uploaded. Now, I can let #3 show itself to the world on the appointed date while I finish #5.

Forgotten Worlds update

I've been writing lately when I can on SA:FW #5, which doesn't have a title yet, and I'm keeping my eye out for the right cover image.

It's been difficult, partly because I've had some trouble concentrating this last month and partly because this story is getting more complex and requires more consideration. This story adds a big part to the plot like VotC, so I am being especially careful. (For #6, I'll have to consider something outside the main plot again for a fun break from the seriousness.) As a result, I have not only considerations of what needs to happen but also whose perspective to use for each scene. The latter usually comes instinctually, but this one is a little more complicated because of the plot. Sometimes, I need more character perspectives to properly tell the story, especially with such a diverse cast such as I've built up. I'd like to limit my main cast to the numbers I have now, although there will be one more coming at a later time and another one or two exiting at some point. I'm at a good number now and have enough backstories and personalities to keep straight, but I do like to switch things up to keep it fresh.

IN DARKNESS, LIGHT is in the line-up for editing rounds with VAULT OF THE CELESTIALS in the wings for final edits.

Once I've completed the first draft of #5, I will list IN DARKNESS, LIGHT (Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds #4) for pre-order. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, and I think I'll list books when I can list for pre-order everywhere (Amazon limits to 90 days out). Since I had some trouble while writing #5, it's looking likely that will release in late December, later than I'd hoped but still in the timeframe I wanted. 

Be sure to check out the first two books in the series and pre-order the third!

#1: A NEW BEGINNING

#2: THE RULE OF YONDER

#3: VAULT OF THE CELESTIALS (pre-order to read on September 12, 2019)