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Where's the Third Man of Wax Book?

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That's the one question I'm asked most by readers, and the answer is always the same: It's coming.

I like Man of Wax, The Inner Circle, and Legion a lot, and I really do want to write the third book, but the sales haven't been strong for most of the series. Which means I'll be putting a lot of time and effort into a book that, in reality, won't sell very well (the third book of a trilogy, as you can imagine, always sells the least). If the books in the series were selling like gangbusters, you can guarantee I'd already have the third book out.

But — but! — I do plan to finish the blasted thing. I just have a few more projects to work on first — projects that will ensure I still have money coming in over several months, which is rather important. Right now I'm working on a project I can't talk about, and then the plan after that is to write two new Holly Lin novels, and THEN write the third Man of Wax book. However, I'm willing to make a deal with everyone. If the books in the Man of Wax series gets to a certain level of reviews, I'll tackle the third book after the project I'm working on right now.

Currently on Amazon Man of Wax as 87 reviews, The Inner Circle has 41, and Legion has 27. I'll make the third and final book a top priority when Man of Wax hits 100 reviews on Amazon, and The Inner Circle and Legion both hit 50 reviews each. I don't know when it happened, but Amazon doesn't even require you to write that much of a review anymore — just a few words will do. And the reason for this? The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon recommends it to readers, the more those books sell.

So ... whaddya waitin' on?

Quick Question About Content On Your Website

Occasionally I'll get what is essentially spam from people asking to post content on my website. I imagine most people with blogs get the same kind of thing. And I imagine most people usually just mark those emails as spam. I usually do.

Until I decided, hey, why not respond to one and see what happens?

from: Ryan Atkin <ryan@pink-dog.eu> reply-to: Ryan Atkin <ryan@pink-dog.eu> to: robert@robertswartwood.com date: Tue, Dec 23, 2014 at 6:52 AM subject: Quick question about content on your website robertswartwood.com

Hey,

I hope you don't mind me contacting you today but I just have a few quick questions,

Would you be interested in sparking up a mutually beneficial relationship with me over some content submissions for your site?

We are basically looking to place a short and sweet 500 word article on your website, with a link pointing to a page on my clients website, followed by a payment for your effort.

Let me know if you are interested and we can get things moving.

Thanks!

Ryan Atkin

Digital Outreach Agent

My response:

from: Robert Swartwood <robert@robertswartwood.com> to: Ryan Atkin <ryan@pink-dog.eu> date: Tue, Dec 23, 2014 at 2:24 PM subject: Re: Quick question about content on your website robertswartwood.com

Hi Ryan,

I'm very interested. Do you pay in Bitcoins? I require Bitcoins.

Best,

Robert

After no response (and after I remembered I had even sent the email), I decided to try again:

from: Robert Swartwood <robert@robertswartwood.com> to: Ryan Atkin <ryan@pink-dog.eu> date: Tue, Jan 6, 2015 at 3:45 PM subject: Re: Quick question about content on your website robertswartwood.com

Hi Ryan,

I haven't heard from you since your first correspondence. I'm still very interested in having a short and sweet 500 word article on my website. Of course, I prefer payment in Bitcoins. Bitcoins or Pogs. Please let me know.

Best,

Robert

And, surprisingly, still new response.

But don't worry, people -- I will get that content.

And I will get those Bitcoins.

Or Pogs.

Or Bitpogs.

Hmm. Think I just came up with a new business idea.

Let me email Ryan about putting it on other people's websites.

Books I Enjoyed In 2014

I consumed over 50 books in 2014 (I say consumed because some I read, others I listened to, but honestly, it's all the same). While I enjoyed much of what I consumed, the following is what I really enjoyed and would recommend. In no particular order other than in which it was consumed (plus how it was consumed): Novels:

  • OUT OF THE BLACK by John Rector (ebook)
  • THE BREACH by Patrick Lee (ebook)
  • GHOST COUNTRY by Patrick Lee (ebook)
  • THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE by George V. Higgins (paperback)
  • DEEP SKY by Patrick Lee (ebook)
  • GALVESTON by Nic Pizzolatto (ebook)
  • RUNNER by Patrick Lee (ebook)
  • MISSING YOU by Harlan Coben (ARC paperback)
  • AN UNTAMED STATE by Roxane Gay (ebook)
  • SAN MIGUEL by T. C. Boyle (ebook)
  • THIRD RAIL by Rory Flynn (ebook)
  • THE MARSHAL OF THE BORGO by Joseph D’Agnese (ebook)
  • THE LAST TOWN by Blake Crouch (ebook)
  • LEXICON by Max Barry (ebook)
  • BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY by Jay McInerney (ebook)
  • NEVERLAND by Douglas Clegg (ebook)

Short Stories:

  • INTERPRETER OF MALADIES by Jhumpa Lahiri (ebook)
  • THE KHMER KILL: A DOX SHORT STORY by Barry Eisler (ebook)

Audiobooks:

Fiction:

  • THE BLACK ECHO by Michael Connelly, read by Dick Hill
  • LESS THAN ZERO by Bret Easton Ellis, read by Christian Rummel
  • MR. MERCEDES by Stephen King, read by Will Patton
  • RED DRAGON by Thomas Harris, read by Alan Sklar
  • ECHO BURNING by Lee Child, read by Dick Hill

Nonfiction:

  • FLASH BOYS by Michael Lewis, read by Dylan Baker
  • SPY THE LIE: THREE FORMER CIA OFFICERS REVEAL THEIR SECRETS TO UNCLOAKING DECEPTION by Philip Houston, Susan Carnicero, Don Tennant and Michael Floyd, read by Fred Berman
  • NO PLACE TO HIDE: EDWARD SNOWDEN, THE NSA, AND THE U.S. SURVEILLANCE STATE by Glenn Greenwald, read by L. J. Ganser
  • STEVE JOBS by Walter Isaacson, read by Dylan Baker
  • PAY ANY PRICE by James Risen, read by Christopher Lane

Graphic Novels:

  • LOCKE & KEY, VOLUME 2: HEAD GAMES by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodríguez

It should be noted that I didn't read nearly as many graphic novels this year as I would have liked. In fact, I just read the one Locke & Key. I hope to fix that mistake in the coming year. Standouts include Patrick Lee, whose books I devoured as quickly as possible and whose books I will now read as soon as they come out, as well as PAY ANY PRICE by James Risen, which should be required reading for everybody.

So those were some books I enjoyed. How about you?