Why would anybody buy a book from you?

That is something an ex relative told me in my early twenties when I expressed a need to write a book about a scientific theory of mine. It did not dissuade me from wanting to write but circumstances and inexperience worked against me. Though I had never written that book yet, I have published fictional novels. Currently the Vickie series are my main focus. Yet I have taken a short break to write a standalone all age appropriate novel adapted from one of my old short stories. I have used my Vickie character in this other unrelated novel to cross-pollinate my books. That gives my readers and "Easter egg" about Vickie not talked about in the series. I like to pack hidden meanings for readers to find in my stories. The Vickie series about a woman who is a victim of rape from her teenage years that has become an indomitable person. She is incredibly intelligent and physically strong as well as able to deal with most anything that comes at her. She dispenses her brand of justice on people and things she feels are wrong. The reactions I have had from readers are varied. Everyone loves the story and women in particular love the series. I have had several men though confront me saying Vickie is too strong or not nice. They were emotionally disturbed by this character which is very interesting to me. While they may not know quite why Vickie bothers them so much, I do. I wrote her character that way. She is meant to be intimidating and hard to deal with. When I first drafted the manuscript, several people in the marketing and movie industry told me they felt this would make a powerful TV series. Though they were not in that business exactly, they pushed this story to those that are. However the fact is until it is a best seller and has lots of traction, it is not going to be invested in merely on its merits. Someday though, that may happen. I hope so because Vickie's story needs to be told in many ways. It is already in print, audio book and even translated in various languages. It just needs to break the ice and become part of the consciousness of the book reading world. Meanwhile I continue to write the series. Vic/Tim was first written but after much encouragement, I made Vickie's story into a series. Vic/Tim became book four in the series and then I published the prequel Vickie which tells her story's beginning. Followed by Valkyrie which is her first major issue to deal with that gives her some fame. The next book Violet being finished now and makes Vickie face her first overwhelming nemesis. But where is this story of Vickie all leading to? After the Vic/Tim book will be two more. In those books we will see what her destiny is and what life has been molding her to deal with on a global stage. Those close to me know the end game of the series and to my surprise cried listening to it. So maybe this series will end with the climax worthy of this Vickie character. I hope so, as I feel a great responsibility to make it happen for her. She is the champion of victims everywhere and the hope of those in her world. The Vickie series is fiction as real as it gets as I have been told. Thank you to the professionals in various fields from lawyers to famous astrophysicists that contributed to developing some of the characters, I am eternally grateful. When I am done with this series I have other books of other genres to write which I very much look forward to. Many books to come! So back to the relative long ago that asked me who would buy a book from me, I say; "just wait and see."

Vic/Tim Teaser 2 Experiment

Valkyrie translated into Hindi preview

I got a preview of my book Valkyrie being translated into Hindi. This is an especially special translation for me as India as well as China have a 10% book readership while the rest of the world averages 5%. India having twice the book readership and vast population is a bountiful book market. Seeing my books go into any other language is awesome and now into Hindi is a real treat for me. Here is a preview of part of one chapter in Hindi:


क्रूज कंट्रोल
विक्की जहाज़ की ओर अग्रसर, अपनी छुट्टियों की शुरुवात करती है। वो मेक्सिको के विभिन पर्यटन स्थानों पर एक हफ्ते लम्बी यात्रा के लिए फ्लोरिडा से उड़ान भरती है और फिर फ्लोरिडा वापस आके एक बीच हाउस में बाकि का समय व्यतीत करने का निर्णय करती है। अभी तक तो यही उसकी योजना है। वो समुद्री जहाज़ की छत पर आती है और जहाज़ के चलने का इंतज़ार करती है और झट वहां रखी एक कुर्सी पर बैठ जाती है, इससे पहले की सब कुर्सियां दुसरे व्यत्ति ले जाते। एक बैरा उससे पूछता है कि क्या वो एक बियर लेना चाहती है, और वो जवाब मैं कहती है, "नहीं धन्यवाद, पर मैं एक वर्जिन पीना कोलाडा लेना पसंद करूंगी"।

वो ज़मीन को दूर जाते देखती है और सोचती है की वो अपनी जीवन यात्रा में वर्तमान तक आने के लिए कितनी दूर चली है, वो अपने इस सफर के प्रति न सिर्फ कृतज्ञ है बल्कि इस स्तिथि के बने रहने के लिए चिंतित भी है और आने वाली परिस्तिथियों से अनभिज्ञ भी। लेकिन इस क्षण, वो ड्रिंक और सूर्य की भीनी भीनी गर्माहट इस बात को फीका कर दे रही है। विक्की रात के खाने के लिए अच्छे से तैयार होती है जो की वह कुछ और लोगों के साथ बाँट कर खाने वाली है। विक्की रात के खाने के लिए अच्छे से तैयार होती है, जो की वह अपनी मेज़ पर बैठे कुछ लोगों के साथ बाँट कर खाने वाली है। उसकी मेज़ पर बैठा एक इंसान खुद को एक बड़ी कंपनी का सी.एफ.ओ बताता है, और परिचय के दौरान अपना नाम ज़ैक।
"ज़ैक, क्या मैं तुमसे एक व्यक्तिगत सवाल कर सकती हूँ?"
"बिलकुल विक्की"
"क्या तुमने लज़ारस नामक गेम के बारे मैं सुना है?"
ज़ैक अपनने खाने की रफ़्तार धीमी करता है और विक्की की तरफ गौर से देखता है।
"हाँ, बेशक मैंने उसके बारे में सुना है।"
"इस खेल के बारे में तुम्हारे क्या विचार हैं?"

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