Let’s take a look at what I accomplished in 2018 and how that momentum will build in 2019 with more books and stories.

Writing Business–
Over the course of 2018 a lot of things happened with my writing business and personal life, not limited to but including the release of Asheville Hustle. More importantly, I put some serious stakes down to establish myself as a separate and distinct author from the other stuff I ghost write. This is the framework for fleshing out my business end of things with potential merch or management of intellectual property through a business instead of me the individual. Apparently, the lawyers think that’s “important” and whatnot.

My grandfather went by the name A.D. White, so I chose that as a publishing name to give a nod to him. Now, as AD White, I publish as myself and am now visible as a writer in the public eye. This has been an odd thing for me since I have no interest in being a public figure. I just want to put a flashlight under my face and tell campfire stories that pay for hot rod parts and coffee. However, it’s been really nice to meet readers who are enthusiastic about the story I wrote in “The Sighted.”
The whole point of carefully approaching the business end of things is to set myself up for success and not continue to be nagged with small things that eke away at my writing time when they can be directed to the business segment of the workday. So far so good.

Books-
Last year I released “The Sighted” episode of Asheville Hustle series as part of a project my wife was doing for her Masters in Entrepreneurship. It went out a little sooner and was a little rougher around the edges than I wanted. I got the feedback from a lot of serious readers about how it needed to be trimmed and firmed up, the cover needs to be better, but the overall story was well received.

So, what’s next?
There are several books in the works right now so I can do a rapid release, regardless of whether I sign with a publisher or stay Indie. I like being Indie, but am currently in some talks with publishers who are interested in the whole series, me as a writer, and what I can deliver in the future. It’s slow going, all this negotiation and reading and writing specific things for them. This is the nature of things, I think. I really like being an Indie writer, but I also like the idea of distribution and production connections to make the end product better. I’d like to be on local bookshelves and small booksellers around the world, along with the mega corps like Amazon and Barnes.

So, I have to make some big decisions soon about this career fork in the road.

Future books in the immediate storyline of Asheville Hustle are:
Book 1 with a redesign of the cover and a run through with my new editor Polly McDaniel. This should satisfy some of the critique I had about the book, and make me a little happier with it as well.

Book 2: Legbreaker- This will be a first person narrative told from Uriah’s point of view. It’ll feature some of the history and flesh out the story of the brothers and how they got to be in a group home together, feature Fionna’s mother and Mike’s sister Veruka, and it’ll expand the reader’s knowledge of the hustle-verse significantly. The mechanics and social interactions of this story line will be fleshed out so you know the rules better than Baron explained them in book 1. It also steps on the gas and is much more action oriented.

Book 3: Gangster- Gangster takes place beginning in 1935 with some of the older characters who have been creeping around for a while. It spans the time from 1935 to 2017 when Book 1 takes place. It’s also a 1st person story told from the point of view of a character that appears in Book 1.

Book 4: Pankratista – Pankratista is the story of Griselda and moves in 3rd person from present to past and back as her story is explored.

Book 5: Chimera- The wrap up of the primary plot arc of the series happens here. There will be plenty of room for more stories if the series does well, but it’s full of satisfying crunches to the things that need it. It’ll be 3rd person as well.

Front Street Rumble– FSR is a prequel that takes place in Wilmington NC in the 80s when the McCall brothers first encounter vampires, selkies, and witches of good, bad, and anti-hero flavors. It’s a lot like Stranger Things but with a harder edge and an R rating.

Serials– I have a LOT of back stories I’ve written for the series characters that some folks really think need to be out there in the reader’s hands. A few people have mentioned I should publish on Patreon or another platform where people can pay to read. But I’m not a fan of that platform or style of sales. It feels a bit too much like panhandling. I may release some serials this year as a way to test the water on other platforms. It really depends on how much time I have.

Can I get all that done this year? Maybe. I hope so. My plan is to do a rapid release of Books 2, 3, and 4 after I re-release the 1st book. Then, as I see how the series does, I’ll release the rest. If it doesn’t sell great I’ll work on another series I have in mind. Writing is my business. I want to write what people buy now that I’m an Indie writer and not a ghost writer anymore.

Personal stuff–
We’re building a new house. That’s been somewhat time consuming. We’re also going to be selling our old place.
I’ve been fixing up an old car (1970 Mercury Cougar) I’ve owned since I was 16. It was ready for paint until I got sick with the flu this month and missed my window with the air temps and humidity. That’s time consuming too, but it’s kind of a thing you chip away at and get done a bit at a time.
My mom took a fall and bumped her head last fall. That’s been a big concern for everyone since she’s been having some memory issues that point to it being a TBI and not just a concussion as first suspected. I’ve been doing a lot of research on neurology and stuff like that as I try to find some remedy for her. Light some incense, say a prayer, whatever you do, for her, if you want.

I have managed to make a writing schedule for myself. I also started writing in sprints and manage my time better with blocks of time set aside for specific books, editing, or business stuff. That way I get more done and don’t fall behind. I contracted a pretty bad cold in December and spent about a month under the weather which set me back big time. But I’m gaining ground and staying organized.

Supporters!-

Big and most profuse thanks to all the people who bought The Sighted sight unseen (heh) and gave it a chance. A lot of people like it. Some people don’t. But the outpouring of kindness in the form of people showing up to the release party, buying a copy for friends and family, and asking to have signed copies really buoyed this leap I took from being invisible to visible. All I want to do is write stuff people like to read and for people to take their hard earned money and give me a bit of it for a book is amazing and incredibly inspiring.

I’m completely grateful and totally feel indebted to the folks who stepped up to support my writing, spread the word about it and helped me get more strangers to read and buy my stuff. I’m also eternally grateful to people for constructive criticism that I can use to improve my work and storylines. I’m also really stoked about the friends I’ve made with readers who found me online or spotted me in the street here in Asheville. If you see me on my motorcycle or eating a piece of pie somewhere, say hi. If you like what I write, I like you.

Now I’m going to get back to putting the flashlight under my face and finishing this scary story I started telling last year. Thanks again, folks!