Why does each book in my Vickie series start with a "V". Well the V shape has long been a symbol of femininity. You can find it all kinds of symbolism spanning numerous religions and belief systems around the world. Even as the late Leonard Nimoy has said that his Vulcan hand greeting gesture in a V shape came from an old symbol for the femininity of deities. So since my book character is a powerful strong woman, I named her Vickie to have that V letter to start her name. Formally her name is Victoria but is only mentioned in very tragic moments in her life. That is an "easter egg" as there are many in my books. So all the books pertaining to Vickie start with a "V". Vickie, Valkyrie and Vic/Tim; soon Violet. The Valkyrie book's design was the first one designed by me even though I was with my old publisher Tate Publishing. I bought the rights to a design to start out and heavily modified the Valkyrie symbol to look like a heart in the helmet part and the wings more accentuated. The heart is shaped but empty and the wings form a V shape. Vickie personifies feminine power and intelligence to the utmost extreme. What will Vickie do? Whatever she wants.

My book publishing journey...so far.

When I started this book journey I had already written many short stories from my teen years.  I had been told by family and friends for years; "you need to put that in a book!"  Well I ignored it because they are bias.  In my twenties I did want to write a book theorizing certain events that could have happened in the formation of our galaxy.  Being an armchair "scientist" I had a few thoughts on the matter.  Even taught a class on my ideas at a University leisure classes to which the audience was mostly real scientists and grad students coming to have a laugh.  However they left telling me that I had some very good points.  I decided then to write them in a book but had no means or know how to make it happen.  I was also discouraged by my then father in law that said; "who would buy a book from you."  

So I continued to write my fictional short stories mostly for myself and friends.  In 2003 I found a website for writers and they had a friendly contest wanting horror/dramatic stories.  I actually had one written that I submitted, raw and unedited.  Out of the thousands of entries, I won fourth place.  I began to believe that maybe I did have something to contribute.  However unemployment and other life issues happened till I found a new good job in 2005.  Shortly after I had an idea for a novel about a woman, who was a rape victim from her teenage years and become a powerful lady.  She was confronted by a would be rapist Tim and Vickie decides to revenge herself in dark comedic ways for years.  I gave it the name Vic/Tim for Vickie and Tim and started to write my short dark comedy piece.  However the story took a life of its own and turned dramatic.  It ended much different than I planned originally.  I looked at it and said to myself that this was too big for a short story.  Not knowing how to write a novel, I shelved the story for eight years.  Then in 2013 it came to me how to write this novel.  After three drafts and two years of writing, I had it.  It needed professional editing but I did not have the resources for it.  So on its merit I submitted the manuscript to over 500 literary agents and was turned down by the same number.  My friend Nicole who helped in editing is a marketing vice president and heavily believed that my Vic/Tim novel would make a great TV show.  So she went to evangelize it to who she could.  She did get some celebrities and movie producers to look at and even one producer mentored me.  As much of an ego boost that is, I still needed to get the book published and selling.  I submitted my manuscript to second tier publishers that did not require an agent.  Did not hear anything for months so I self-published it on Amazon.  Shortly later Tate Publishing contacted me wanting the book.  I signed with them and off we go.  It was exciting and they got it out there.  I also expanded the book to a series after people asking more about the Vickie character.   So the books Vickie and Valkyrie were written and published.  Then Tate fell into financial issues and those turned into criminal legal issues for them.  I saw the writing on the wall and that they were moving to Ingram as their printer having lost all their printing equipment to repossession.  So I started my own Ingram account and put in a transfer title form.  The VP of sales for Tate contacted me wanting to know why I was leaving.  I explained that they are now printing with Ingram and will make the books returnable and when the bill comes in ninety days, if they do not pay it, they are done.  So the VP cut me loose and gave me all the files relating to my book which I owned everything per our contract.  Ninety days later, Tate was out of business owing Ingram and others as predicted. 

So I am back to self-publishing again but I miss the life of having a publisher.  Currently I am working on the next book in the Vickie series called Violet.  Vic/Tim has moved to #4 in the book series timeline and will have some after it.  Also finishing an all age appropriate book from a short story I wrote a very long time ago my friends loved.  Have many plans for many books and many short stories to carry into full novels.  We will see how my see how my book writing career goes and if I ever do get a publisher. 

www.Mazzaroth.net

books@mazzaroth.net

Good news keeps rolling! My book Valkyrie has been just released for publishing in Spanish. This completes the current set of Vickie books to be in that language. I have had a lot of requests for my books in Spanish and very happy to fulfill that request. Thank you Maria Gabriela Guzman for all the hard work. www.Mazzaroth.net

I am very happy to announce that my book Valkyrie is now being translated into Hindi. It now joins the other books in the series Vickie and Vic/Tim that are or have been translated into Spanish, Italian, Japanese, French and Portuguese. Other languages to follow soon. www.Mazzaroth.net

I am very excited that the actress of TV/Movie Leni Rico has come aboard to narrate my book Vickie into Spanish for an audiobook.  It is an honor to have such a talent brings my book into another language.  I already have two books in English out from the amazing audiobook voice talent Brenna Hobbs.  Bringing my books into other languages allows many others to enjoy them now.  In digital/print Vickie, Vic/Tim and Valkyrie are available or soon to be available in Spanish, Japanese, French, Italian and Portuguese, other languages being negotiated as well including Hindi, Greek, Dutch and German.  But for now I welcome Leni into the Vickie universe and am humbled she brings her star power to my written word.  More later when it is released.

Thanks to the fine work again of Brenna Jo Hobbs narrating, my book Vic/Tim is now available in audiobook version. Listening to her perform this book sent chills down me and I wrote the thing. If you are signed up for audible.com you can get the first book free and I have codes so you may give a listen for free. I just ask you give it a review afterwards. Message me privately for the code. The book Vickie is already out on audio.

https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Tim-Vickie-Book-4/dp/B075JNX28F

Sci-Fi-Sci-Earth interview of author Mike Sims (Audio Only)