Welcome to my blog

Hello visitors. On my blog I'm talking about my books, but also about what I'm currently working on and, maybe, some other stuff. Browse through my posts and don't forget to check out my older posts in the archives. If you are interested in my books, please, visit my website Fictitious Tales for more information and a few excerpts. Also, take a look at my second blog Herbert Grosshans, where I talk about fun-stuff and things that concern me.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Seeds of Chaos

More good news. Hell's Gate is at number 2 and Eden's Gate at number 4 position at Fictionwise.
The Xandra series is also moving nicely. Book 1,2 and 3 are at position 14, 27 and 37 today. Apparently, Hell's Gate is number 19 in sales of Science Fiction books at Fiction Wise. I feel very good about that. It seems there are a number of readers out there who like what I write. I can't wait to see how The Stardogs is going to do. I started writing that book many years ago, put it aside to write other stuff and finally managed to finish it, after re-writing half the book. Since it is too long to be published as one book, I split into two.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Update

It’s been a good week. I posted a lot, and I had quite a few visitors to my blog. More than ever before in one week. My books are doing well. Since ‘Dual Visions’ doesn’t seem to be selling, for some obscure reason, my publisher and I have decided to split the stories and release them as single volumes. Unfortunately, that means no print version available, only ebooks. So, if anyone wants to have a print version of Dual Visions, then don’t delay, order it now. It will soon be a collector’s item only. In fact, I don’t even own a printed copy myself yet. As I said before, the stories ‘The Cliffs of Time’ and ‘Orion--the Hunt’ are both great stories. They have adventure, suspense, sex. What else could anyone want? Actually, I am editing them again, because I have discovered a few minor errors. Some of them pointed out to me by a couple of people who read an excerpt. They were right, I couldn’t deny them. Well, anyway, I hope they’ll sell better on their own. (They can’t do any worse!). Keep on checking my blog, if you’re interested. They should be available in about three to four weeks, as will be my next novel ‘The Stardogs’ Book One, Return to Redsky.
If you are checking out Midnight Showcase, they are in the process of revamping the site and not all of the books are listed yet or hard to find.
Here are the links to get to Midnight Showcase and to Fiction Wise. They’ll take you straight to my books.
http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/HerbertGrosshanseBooks.htm

http://www.midnightshowcase.com/xandra-series.htm

http://www.midnightshowcase.com/seedsofchoaseden.htm

http://www.midnightshowcase.com/chaos2.html

The free story is still available. Just send me an email at hegro@shaw.ca if you’re interested and I will send it to you. Read more below.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

A free story

I've sent in the edited version of Book One of the Stardogs. It should be available from Midnight Showcase possibly in September already. They want to push it to take advantage of the momentum the release of Book Two of 'Seeds of Chaos' has created.
If you are visiting from Beth Wylde you must be interested in Time travel stories. Here is another one: 'Sarah's Gift'. It is another story in my Anthology 'Tapestry of Dreams', coming next year from Midnight Showcase. If you would like to have it, just email me at hegro@shaw.ca and I will send it to you in rtf (rich text format).
My books Seeds of Chaos are currently selling well at Fiction Wise.
Book 2, Hell's Gate is at number 3 position and Book 1, Eden's Gate following close behind at number 5.
This is the link to fictionwise which lists my books available there http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/HerbertGrosshanseBooks.htm
or go to check out my Xandra series http://www.midnightshowcase.com/xandra-series.htm or my Seeds of Chaos series Book One http://www.midnightshowcase.com/seedsofchoaseden.htm or Book Two http://www.midnightshowcase.com/chaos2.html

Here is the beginning of 'Sarah's Gift'

Ever since the death of his wife, Thanksgiving had lost its meaning for Jake. What did he have to be thankful for? Now it was just an excuse to take some time off from a stressful job and lose himself in the little bit of wilderness that was still left.
There was talk that the turkey hunt might be suspended for a few years to give the birds a chance to recover. Hunting pressure had become too great in the last ten years.
It wasn’t like it used to be when he went hunting with his dad. He couldn’t remember when they didn’t have a turkey for Thanksgiving, but this year might just be that year.
Then again--what did it really matter if he got one or not? There was no pleasure in eating a turkey by yourself.
It was beginning to get chilly and he shivered inside his camouflage outfit. His fingers, which held his bow, were getting cold and stiff. The temperature must have dropped at least ten degrees within the last hour. He could smell the snow in the crisp air.
Looking into the sky, he saw the clouds moving in fast. Chances of me getting a bird today are getting slim, he thought, animals are smart, they know when a storm is coming and they’ll disappear searching for cover.
His daydreams were interrupted when he heard the soft cluck. Then he saw the big Gobbler strutting into the open.
Jake had done this too many times, and he reacted without thinking. He had been ready for this moment all morning, and when he released the arrow he knew it would not miss the target.
It was almost anti-climactic when he picked up the limp carcass of the big bird. A quick check of its beard and then he stuffed it into his backpack. Again, he looked up at the rolling dark clouds and realized he had to get back to his vehicle as fast as possible. It looked like a snowstorm was going to hit soon. Unusual for this time of year.
Picking up the rest of his gear, he started walking back the trail he had come. It was a good hour’s walk to his truck and another hour’s drive to get to the highway. He wanted to be out of the woods when the storm hit.
The first flakes began to fall after he had walked the trail for less than fifteen minutes. Gently at first, but after another fifteen minutes he could barely see the trail. Just to be sure he was still on the right trail, he checked his compass and put it away, satisfied he was headed in the right direction.
Listening to the howling of the wind above the treetops, he knew this was a bad one.
After walking for over an hour he had the feeling he was going in circles, but the needle of his compass assured him he was still following the right trail. When he couldn’t find his truck after two hours, he realized he was lost.
All his warm clothing was in his truck, and so was his camping gear. He wasn’t dressed for spending a night outside, not in this kind of weather. When he tried his cell-phone he got nothing.
Damn! How could he have been so careless? He didn’t panic. He’d been an outdoorsman far too long and knew that panic was your worst enemy when lost in the woods.
He didn’t remember taking another trail, but he must have, even though according to his compass he had not. There was no sense floundering through the bush, so he kept on walking.
The trail ended suddenly and it almost seemed as if the veil of whiteness was beginning to lift. He thought he saw a light ahead and headed for it. Coming closer, he saw the outlines of a building, a log cabin.
Thank God, he thought, At least I found shelter to wait out the storm.
He pounded against the heavy wooden door. When nothing happened, he pounded again. After a moment the door swung open a crack and he stared into the muzzle of a rifle. Above it the face of woman.

Another free gift

The digest ‘Holiday Voices’ is still available from http://www.midnightshowcase.com/ If you would like to read ‘Remember me next Christmas’ but are not interested in the whole digest (which contains some wonderful stories by other authors), then send me an email at hegro@shaw.ca and I’ll send you the story for free. If you should visit Midnight Showcase, check out my Xandra series. It is erotic Science Fiction. In Books 2 and 3 you will meet vampires, werewolves and other creatures. The story Remember me next Christmas is set into the world of the Xandra, but in the future of the events in the three books.
Thank you for visiting. Maybe you’ll be back again.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Free Gift

Thanks for visiting my blog. If you would like the free story (Blood of the Virgin), just send me an email to hegro@shaw.ca and I will send it to you in rich text format. Please ask for it. This story has not been published yet, it is the first story in my Anthology ‘Tapestry of Dreams’, coming 2008 from Midnight Showcase. If you would like the novella ‘Cliffs of Time’, one of the stories in my book Dual Visions, available from http://www.midnighshowcase.com/ ask me for it and I’ll send it to you free, also.
The other novella in Dual Visions is ‘Orion, the Hunt’. You can read a short excerpt below in one of the others posts.
Read on and you might find something interesting on my blog.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Stardogs, Book One

The editing department of my publisher Midnight Showcase asked for another copy of Book One of 'The Stardogs', Return to Redsky, due to be published in October. I did some editing to it and hopefully, I'll finish it today.
An update on Seeds of Chaos: Book Two has moved up to number 5 and Book One to position 6 at fictionwise. Maybe it will move up to number One. Possibly position one and two for both books. That would be fantastic. Here's hoping!
I published a bunch of excerpts today on all my groups. I'm pushing 'Dual Visions'. Such good stories and no readers. That has to change!
Anyone reading my blog and anyone interested, send me an email (hegro@shaw.ca) and I will send you a copy in rich text format of my story 'Blood of the Virgin'. It is one of the stories in my Anthology, Tapestry of Dreams, which will be published next year, I believe in August.
Here is the excerpt from 'The Stardogs, Book One, Return to Redsky:

It was dark when I left his shop, carrying a large bundle with things I needed. I loaded it onto the animal I had left tied to a tree. Slowly, I walked down the dark narrow street, pulling the animal behind me.
It was not very smart to travel through this section of town after dark, and it didn’t take long before I heard footsteps behind me. I knew there were four of them, three men and one woman. The sound of her bare feet was easily distinguishable from the heavier footsteps of the three men. One of them big, he shuffled as he walked on heavy feet.
They circled me from behind, the woman gliding by me on my left under cover of some small shrubs. Two of the men were on either side of me now, slightly hanging back, while the third one stayed behind. He carried a heavy club. I could hear the faint scraping as he rubbed it with his left hand.
My built-in defense system had shifted my body in combat-mode. Tiny implants all over my body let me sense and hear things a normal Human could not.
The woman stepped into the street in front of me. “What’s your hurry?” she said, parting her cape. She wore nothing underneath. She was young, a girl with the body of a woman, her breasts high and full. Two solid fleshy cones with dark nipples jutting from her ribcage. She could have been beautiful, if it hadn’t been for her straggly hair and her calculating eyes. This was no innocent girl. She had seen and done more things than a girl her age should have.
The pale light from one of the moons shone down the length of her slim nude body, revealing the dark triangle below her flat belly. “Well?” she said, smiling. “Do you like what you see?”
She came closer. I could hear the man with the club moving in behind me. The other two were still hidden in the darkness of the houses, but I heard the barely audible whispering sound of a long knife being pulled from its sheath.
She stood close enough now to touch and I could smell the odor of her body. A bath was long overdue. Both of her front teeth were missing.
She lifted her arms, jiggling her breasts. The cape slid off her shoulders, leaving her completely nude. She stepped back slightly, but it had not been necessary for me to see the flicker in her eyes.
As the club descended, my free right arm shot up, deflecting the murderous blow and with the same movement my fist connected with the side of the club wielder’s head, sending him sprawling into the dirt. I hadn’t killed him, but he would be out for some time.
The man with the knife rushed me from the right, the other one stayed invisible behind my steed. I could tell my attacker was an amateur. He held the knife in front of him, his knife arm stiff. An experienced street fighter would never do that. I grabbed his wrist and broke his arm. He screamed and cowered back, holding his injured limb.
Now the last of them stepped around the animal, carrying a heavy axe.
“You fight well,” he rumbled, grinning, his wide chin pointing towards the two on the ground, “against children.”
He was right, the other two were young, but I knew that already. That’s why I hadn’t killed them.
He hefted his axe. “Let’s see how you fare against a man.”
* * * *

Thursday, August 16, 2007

More excitement

Book 2, Hell's Gate, is at number 6 and Book 1, Eden's Gate, at number 8. Midnight Raunch Digest (Orola, the Kiir) is at number 5.
Dare I hope for number One with Hell's Gate? Book One of my Xandra series 'Daughter of the Dark' made it to number 1.
I am competing against some very good books and digests. If I don't make it past number six, well, I guess I'll still be happy.
My white elephant 'Dual Visions' is still at number 76. Can't understand that. 'Cliffs of Time' is such a great story. I really enjoyed writing it. My first time travel story, actually. And 'Orion, the Hunt', has always been one of my favorite stories to write. I have a second story still to re-write. It will be about 50,000 words long, also featuring Orion, under the title 'Bakker's Planet'. It contains a lot of erotica, but it is also a good story (I think). Now I wonder about spending more time on it.
I'm at about 70,000 words now with 'Tarnished Valor'. A long way to go before that one is finished.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Seeds of Chaos, Book 2

Things are moving. Just checked Fictionwise and found Seeds of Chaos, Book 2 at number 10 position in sales, up from number 14 yesterday evening. (number 70 in the morning!). And Book 1, Eden's Gate, has moved to number 11. That is fantastic.
Here is the list of my books as they stand at Fictionwise right now. That can change anytime.
The Xandra series:
Book One --- number 62 (down from number 24 just 2 days ago)
Book Two --- number 30 (up from number 51 just 2 days ago)
Book Three --- number 42 (up from number 65)
Seeds of Chaos:
Book One --- number 11
Book Two --- number 10
Sweet Challenge digest (my story: For Love of Arilee) number 75 (down from number 2 a couple of weeks ago)
Midnight Raunch digest (my story: Orola, The Kiir) number 6 (from number 3 yesterday)
Dual Visions --- number 76 (the very last position) no change!
This book is an enigma to me. It has two excellent stories, yet, nobody seems to want to purchase it. It baffles me. I wish somebody would give me some feedback on this phenomena. All my other books are selling. I gave away some copies for free (see below), and I did get a positive review on it from Liz (see comments). Somebody, please, help me out here!!!

Monday, August 13, 2007

I am excited

I am really happy. Seeds of Chaos 2 has moved from number 70 position this morning to number 14 this evening. My fans haven't abandoned me after all. Maybe I can reach number one again, like my first book 'The Xandra, Daughter of the Dark'. That would be nice. I just can't figure out why 'Dual Visions' isn't selling. There are two good stories in there.
The digest 'Midnight Raunch', which contains my story 'Orola, the Kiir' has moved into number 3 position at Fiction Wise.

A few uplifting words

I have this hanging over my desk. It helps smooth out those rough times we all go through sometimes.

Don’t quit now!

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will
When the road you are trudging seems all up hill
When the funds are low and debts are high
And you want to smile, but you must sigh
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but DON’T QUIT!

Life is queer with its twists and turns
As everyone of sometimes learns
And many a fellow turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out
Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow
You may succeed with another blow

Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you never can tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems afar
So stick to the fight when you are hardest hit
It’s when things seem worst
THAT YOU MUST NOT QUIT!

Dual Visions and Seeds of Chaos, Book 2

Wow, I did get a few emails and I gave away free ebooks to four readers. That makes me happy. I also quite a few visitors to my blog.
On other news, Book 2 of 'Seeds of Chaos' Hell's Gate is finally available from Fiction Wise. If you want to find it, just go to http://www.fictionwise.com, and do a search for my name under 'Authors'. My file will come up with all of my books.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

About the free ebook

I am surprised. It seems nobody wants a free book. For the price of one book a reader could have two. ‘Dual Visions’, which is now available from Fictionwise, doesn’t seem to be selling at all, because it is still in the last position in sales. I don’t understand it. I think I’ve written two great stories. Cliffs of Time is in my opinion one of the best stories I’ve written. It has adventure, erotica. The story even makes you think a little. And Orion, the Hunt is also quite an adventure story. When I was still reading a lot, I would have been ecstatic to read a story like that. That is one of the reasons I started writing my own. I needed more of those stories. It seems to me, most people just want to read romance, like the Harlequin books. Formula writing, nothing new, ever. No adventure, just the same old thing. Two people hate each other, but in the end they come together and live happily ever after. Sorry, if this sounds like sour grapes (maybe it is a little), but I’m just a bit baffled.
I have an idea. Anyone reading my blog, send me an email to hegro@shaw.ca and I will send you a copy of ‘Dual Visions’ in the pdf format. Free. I will give away four to the first four people who respond. If you ask for it, I might even send you a free copy of Seeds of Chaos, Book One. The only thing I’ll ask, after reading it, send me a comment how you liked it. Maybe even post it (if it is positive, only, please), on one of the groups you belong to.
By the way, Book Two, Hell’s Gate should be available from Fictionwise sometime within the next two weeks. It is available now (still!) from http://www.midnightshowcase.com
So, come on, let’s hear from you.

Excerpt from ‘Orion, the Hunt’

Warning: Explicit sexual situation

He awoke, his defense-system ready to strike, when he sensed the presence of someone sliding into his tent. He lay quiet and carefully sent a weak searching tentacle towards the intruder’s mind. When he touched the artificial shield he smiled and relaxed, watching the slim shadow gliding up beside him.
“Don’t pretend you’re sleeping. I know you are awake,” she whispered into his ear. “I can see quite well in the dark.” Her cat’s eyes glowed softly above him.
Orion chuckled and reached for her. She was already easing out of her clothes and moments later boldly pulled down his pants. “You certainly are not shy,” he said and stroked the cat-woman’s round buttocks as she slid on top of him. Her body was covered with fine, incredibly silky fuzz. It sent waves of delicate pleasure through him from every spot where her naked skin touched his. Her warm breasts pressed into his chest, soft and warm.
She made a guttural sound deep in her throat, touched his erect penis, curled her fingers around it and eased herself onto it. “Ahh…” she moaned softly. “You are big all over. It feels good.”
He could feel the soft bushy mass of hair growing around her groin area as she moved against him and dug his fingers into her solid buttocks.