Recently posted the following on Facebook following the publication of my second novel On Her Majesty's Domestic Service.
Alright, I don’t know how to say this, so I will just say it – “I am an author.” Surprise. So, all that time I spent up in my office on my computer the past year, I was not just surfing the internet, I was actually writing a book. Well, that is not completely true – I was actually writing two books. The first book was entitled “Butler” and introduced a character who was ex- SAS (You know, those British guys who are similar to U.S. Navy SEALS) who became a butler after he left the military. I finished the book, Butler early this year, and self-published in April on Amazon. The second book is a sequel and follows Nigel Butler as he goes undercover in the Queen’s household at the Winter Palace to protect her and her family from a terrorist plot. This second book is entitled, “On Her Majesty’s Domestic Service.” I published “Domestic Service” this past week as a Kindle book on Amazon.com. The paperback version will be available this coming week.
Just to be clear, neither of these is the “Great American Novel.” They are both meant to be easy reads, primarily for entertainment and relaxation. They are similar to stories from Lee Childs about his character “Jack Reacher,” although my character is significantly older and, in my opinion, does not take himself nearly as serious as Mr. Reacher does. The books were fun to write, and I think that they should be fun to read. They are not particularly expensive in that the Kindle versions cost $2.99 (or less) and the paperback versions cost $9.95. You can find them on Amazon.com and they are listed under my pen name “L. Logan Sharrar.”
I like writing, and I have plans to write at least four more novels in the Nigel Butler Series. I learn something about the art of writing every time I sit down and create a new novel. So yes, someday I may write the Great American Novel, but not yet. And just so you know, I don’t only write the stories, I design the book covers, also. I designed both the Kindle versions and the paperback versions. I personally think that they are pretty cool in their own right.
Well, there you go – that was my big announcement – I am a “published author.” And let me be perfectly honest, it is a good thing that I am retired from both the Air Force and Lockheed Martin, because you simply don’t make that much money writing, especially when you self-publish (which is what you do on Amazon for the most part). Not complaining, just saying that while “self-publishing” is very satisfying, it is not real profitable. It is a fact that every year more than a million new books are published in this country. Having someone select your book out of a million is well – tricky. One way to help people find your books, is to have those who have read them, rate them and provide comments on Amazon. Therefore, if you do decide to read one or both of my books, I would greatly appreciate a rating and perhaps an evaluation to support the rating after you have finished the story.
