Tag Archives: fantasy

Backing up a Boast

February 4, 2014 D.A. Adams Leave a comment

Yesterday, I boasted that my reviews speak for themselves. I’m not one to brag on myself without proof, so today, I want to share a few reviews my books have received over the years so that people can judge for themselves. I’ve also included links to Goodreads for each title:

The Brotherhood of Dwarves:

http://www.pandragondan.co.uk/apps/blog/pandragon-reviews-the-brotherhood-of-dwarves-between

http://kennsreviews.blogspot.com/2012/07/brotherhood-of-dwarves-da-adams.html

http://watchplayread.com/fantasy-nerd-book-review-brotherhood-of-dwarves/

http://www.cabingoddess.com/blog/2012/05/01/this-dwarf-can-tease-brotherhood-of-the-dwarves-by-d-a-adams/

http://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/DA-Adams/The-Brotherhood-of-Dwarves.html

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14656503-the-brotherhood-of-dwarves

Red Sky at Dawn:

http://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/DA-Adams/Red-Sky-at-Dawn.html

http://www.jimgavin.net/2009/09/review-red-sky-at-dawn-by-da-adams.html

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3360803-red-sky-at-dawn

The Fall of Dorkhun:

SpecMusicMuse Review: The Fall of Dorkhun—D. A. Adams

http://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/DA-Adams/The-Fall-of-Dorkhun.html

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13142356-the-fall-of-dorkhun

Between Dark and Light:

http://alisbookshelfreviews.blogspot.com/2013/02/review-between-dark-and-light-by-da.html

SpecMusicMuse Review—The Brotherhood of Dwarves, Book 4: Between Darkness and Light

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17158284-between-dark-and-light

Inspirational

An Obstacle is Merely an Opportunity

January 16, 2014 D.A. Adams 7 Comments

Those are words I try to live by, though some days are bigger challenges than others. There is no end to the list of obstacles writers in America face today. From the glutted market to the dumbed-down populace to the overpowering sway of the corporate media behemoths, being a fiction writer, especially an independent, often feels akin to the fate of Sisyphus. I will keep rolling my boulder, however, because that’s what I was put here to do. Whether I can ever get it over the hump or am condemned to watch it roll back to the bottom every evening, I will keep pushing.

Unlike Sisyphus, I can learn and adapt my tactics. This year, for example, I intend to broaden my reach in European markets. If American audiences are too enthralled with dinosaur porn to read good fiction, maybe I can find a foothold there. I intend to look into other markets, as well, like Australia, but Europe will be first because I already have a slight presence there. One way or the other, I will expand my readership this year.

I read a good article the other day about how people should focus more on their processes than on their goals. I’ve always applied this concept to writing, and I’m going to attempt to apply it to promotion as well. I’m going to examine and improve upon the ways in which I promote my works and aim for increasing the effectiveness of my efforts, instead of just setting a goal and focusing on that. The article also talked about focusing on small, incremental changes to processes instead of large, sweeping overhauls, so I’m going to look closely at what I do and how I do it and then attempt to improve upon what I’m already doing. In that way, I will get this stone over the mountain and treat these obstacles as opportunities.

General Posts

The Nameless Post (Because I Forgot to Give It a Title)

January 14, 2014 D.A. Adams 10 Comments

I’ve decided that this will be my last semester as an educator. Once I finish out this contract, I will not seek further employment within the business model that has undermined and crippled contemporary education in this nation. Life is too short to be overworked, underpaid, blamed for student laziness, and treated as a second-class citizen. I will teach to the best of my abilities this semester based on the techniques and practices that have most favorably served my students for the last fifteen years, and I will try to end my teaching career on a positive note. After this, however, I will not be part of an educational system that views teachers as customer service reps, students as customers, and grades as a commodity.

Beyond this semester, I have no idea what the future holds for me. I will make every effort this year to have a breakthrough with my series, but given the glutted market and difficulties for an independent to reach a mass audience, my hopes for that happening are tenuous, at best. Regardless, I will continue to write and should finish the final book in The Brotherhood of Dwarves series this year. I’ve also begun writing a new series of novellas, Weird Westerns about a fallen Presbyterian minister who battles demons in post-Civil War Appalachia. After that, I intend to start a futuristic, trans-human novel about a cyborg soldier in a post-apocalyptic America. Whether or not I can ever earn a living from it, I will continue to create as a writer.

I have until summer before I have to start worrying about replacing my teaching salary. At this point, I don’t know what my real options are, but hopefully, something will materialize. Whatever I do, I intend to pursue some path where I can use my creativity. I will weigh my opportunities and figure something out. For now, I’m just going to focus on bringing book five to life and making the culmination of that series into something special. For this book, I want to push my skills to new boundaries and create a conclusion and resolution worthy of the overall series. Beyond that, I have no idea what my future holds.