Welcome to the New Me!

Welcome, welcome, welcome!

I must tell you, I have anticipated this day for a long time now. Day one of kcherbel.com – live. (Gee, I’ve never been a website before.) Up until now, it’s just been a bunch of ones and zeros skillfully swimming on my screen.

Like most things, our expectations often melt in the light of day. The glory we once glimpsed in our mind’s eye slips to the floor like a cardboard sign and reveals … stark reality. I’m looking around my small office and there’s no parade, no band, no confetti, no party and no one standing on the dock waving and wishing me a “bon voyage.” Even the wife and dogs have bedded down for the night. It’s just me, sitting in my office; just as it ever was. Except, now there’s you! And my world has instantly doubled!

Thank you for coming by! It means so much to me that you’re here.

So where to start …

This being my first blog written for this site, I’m not quite sure what to say to you. We’ve just met. I don’t know you and you really don’t know me. Still, I want to try, and your appearance here tells me that you do too. I’ll start with me.

To begin, I wasn’t looking to start a new website. I had another site that I had spent quite a bit of time on – mostly on the wrong things, moving in the wrong direction. Which seemed to be the direction my writing life was heading – the wrong direction. Not north, south, east or west; I was headed wrong. Due wrong!

So I set out to examine what was wrong with my writing career and fix it.

How I figured out I was going wrong is really quite a complicated story, filled with gurus and virtual mountaintop experiences, and lots of “Ah-ha!” moments. I won’t bore you with the particulars. I’ll just say this: it’s was a business thing, a writer thing, a knowledge thing, an attitude thing, a heart thing. Heck, it’s was a spiritual thing!

In the end, I decided I needed a new start, a do-over if you will.

I needed a new me!

This website is one part of that new me, and so are you! You see? I meant it when I told you I was glad you’re here. (to misquote a favorite writer) Without you, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal. And that was the biggest ingredient missing from my previous attempt – YOU!

The second part of my do-over is my books. Again a long story, but I’m starting over there too. I’ll be putting out four books this year! The first two are (in movie lingo) remakes. The next two are sequels. The whole is The Jester King Fantasy Series and it starts with The Innkeeper’s Son. I plan to follow this up the four books with a novella for the same series and then several other unrelated fantasy and science fiction books. You can see the plan on the Works in Progress page.

Speaking of pages, allow me to give you a quick rundown of what you’ll find here.

1. If you go to the Home page, the first thing you’ll see (below the banner) is a special, limited-time offer for you. I will change this up from time to time, offering free books and sometimes other prizes.
2. Below that, you’ll find three links: one to my Books page, one to an About (me) page, and one to my old site, Other Worlds. (As part of my re-do, Other Worlds is starting over too. More on that another day.) There are also tabs at the top of most pages to help you navigate. If you every get stuck, just click on the banner to be taken to the Home page.
3. The Books, Works in Progress, About, Blog and Contact pages are self-explanatory.
4. I will post excerpts from current and upcoming books on the Excerpts page.
5. The Thanks page is something new to me. It’s a place where I can simply thank folks who help me and provide a link (of their choice) to promote something they’re doing.
6. Members of the press and blogosphere can find some contact information and downloadable media kits for me and my books on the Press page.
7. Lastly, the Newsletter page is where you can sign up for my Reader’s Group. I’ll be sharing all kinds of news with subscribers: sales, exclusive book offers, giveaways, and special offers from other authors I know. You can also sign up for that group newsletter through the limited-time offer on the Home page. If you do that, I’ll give you a free book! So why not get a free book for signing up?

That just about covers it for the site (and today). Once again, thank you for coming. Please take a look around, check me out, contact me, comment on a blog, join my Reader’s Group! Above all enjoy!

Best wishes and better adventures,
KC

Okay! Now it’s YOUR TURN. Use the comments section below to tell me something about you.

If you’re shy, try these topic on for size: Why do you like fantasy or science fiction? What’s your favorite book? If you’ve read one of my books, who was your favorite character? What was your favorite scene? Is there something you’d like to see added to this website?