Three days to go…

…and kind of nervous. I’m sure I’ve forgotten things I needed to do.

The book launch happens on Tuesday and the early reactions have been wonderful. On Wednesday, the first advanced reading copy review was published. I couldn’t believe it.

it’s the best standalone I’ve read IN YEARS and definitely among the best books I’ve read ever. EVER.

The artsy reader

Stunning!

As a writer, all I want is to connect with my reader and deliver an entertaining story. I never imagined getting a response like that. As soon as I finished reading the review, I shared it on Twitter.

Then I saw this…

This made my day.

Updates from my marketing team say a busy blog tour is planned for early September. Over one hundred bloggers and book enthusiasts will review and discuss the novel, and I’ll give some interviews.

Also, a few independent book stores in Connecticut have expressed an interest in an in-store appearance and possible book signing or live reading. We are still working out the details, but I will keep everyone updated on that.

There’s been a lot of activity on Facebook too. If you haven’t already, please join me on my writer’s page and the official page for A Different Time.

Some giveaways are coming up that will include free copies of the book, unreleased short stories on audiobook, and more.

The book trailer…

Although I spent twenty-five years editing with Sony professional gear, all of that stuff is now obsolete. Millions of dollars of equipment rendered worthless by time.

The digital edit suite I worked in 1998.

This week I spent in the comfortable confines of my home video editing suite. It does everything the old one did, and more, for the cost of a PC, monitors, and software. Technology is amazing.

My home suite in 2019

The challenge:

Create a book trailer for A Different Time.

My first pass was a rough and unpolished draft, just hitting the key elements I wanted to convey. I tested it with my key demographics and the news wasn’t good. A bit boring.

But I had the basic pieces in place.

The first edit of the trailer

So I went back into the edit suite and over four days produced seven different versions of the trailer, before settling for the one I would use.

The key mistake I made in the first edit was jumping the viewer right into key information before they were prepared for it. To correct that, I padded the first few seconds with a bit of VHS static, which is an important element in the novel.

I then added three images that represent the main characters and how their time is blending. Added sound effects, transitions, and then tightened it all up.

Here is the final cut…

I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback.