Skip Scherer / Lionknight.us

The Last Big Update! — Never fear better things are coming!

So this will be the last big update I use. I’ve decided to switch my posting habits to a formula that I use in my regular business. This means 3 to 4 smaller posts per week that will appear on this website, Facebook and Instagram, currently. I’m still pursuing the idea of other platforms, but I will wait to see how those stabilize out. This will make me more active across social media and actually simplify my life a bit. Writing these big monthly updates actually takes a significant amount of time. Time I have less of when the normal business gets busier. So be ready, you’ll be hearing more from me.

Book 3 is underway and gaining steam. The first chapter, which has been causing me so much trouble, is now ironed out and looking better. It’s still going to require some revisions, or my editor will hate me for all the “telling instead of showing” – haha. Many of those things will be covered later in the book, and it’s not uncommon for me to get them down initially, cut them, and then insert better versions where it makes more sense. The main things are getting the right tone and waypoints in place to move the story forward. This is standard writing practice for me at least.

Now that the tone is set, the rest of the book should fly out of my mind. This is the closest I have ever been to working from a full plot. I knew the end of this story before I ever wrote one word of the first book. This part is like coming home and telling an old tale around a fire. In the first two books,I took some standard ssci-fi and action story, conventions and put my own twist on them. This last book takes it even further and will hopefully create, at least in the readers mind, something unique. We’ll see how I do.

As always, I thank everyone for your support. Really, I write to entertain and know people are enjoying the stories I’m crafting makes all the long hours of wordsmithing worth it. Stay with me. It’s just going to get better.

Until then, you can still find me on Twitter sharing even smaller thoughts ideas @skip_scherer . Hope to see you their. Facebook or Instagram, too, now that I’ll be more active there.

Oh, and the picture posted with this? It’s an early concept I did of the Screetch. I hope you enjoy.

See you in the social sphere. -Skip

Big August Update!

Welcome everyone to the big monthly update.

First up Warship Ares and the sequel Warworld Gaia are doing fabulous! Can’t thank everyone enough for the support of these books. Reviews on Warship Ares have finally hit the 20 mark on Amazon and I couldn’t be happier. While I’m not setting any records, both books are being read constantly on Amazon Kindle Unlimited and paperback sales are strong. Keep those reviews coming! Such a great feeling.

One thing I find strangest are the books ranking. Warship Ares is sitting strong in “War & Military Action Fiction” in both Kindle and books. Nice to see since this is a scifi series and not a real world war story. Other books in that category are Tom Clancy style of books, with the occasional fantasy book. Warworld Gaia’s strongest category is in “Hard Science Fiction”. This one always makes me chuckle because I don’t write hard science fiction, not even close. However, I believe I show up there because of my depiction of the military in my books. I’ve worked hard to make the Humanistic Commonwealth’s Gaia Fleet and Terrain Corps ring as true as possible. I know I’ve missed a lot, but I’m super proud of how well that’s been received.

Work on book three is moving along a bit slowly at this point. Don’t worry, that’s going to change here soon. After book two, I had to take a moment and get caught up on book work for my real life business. Launching a book takes a lot of time and effort, so I let some of that slide. Now that I have that work caught up, I can get back into my normal habits of working and writing. I have so much of this book worked out that I feel more like a plotter than a discovery writer. The writing should fly at this point. I’m not setting a deadline for myself yet, but I’m hoping for a 2024 release. Keep your fingers crossed!

That’s it for this month! Remember, you can always follow me on my various social media outlets, Twitter (X), Facebook, Instagram, mail list (on website) and Threads. Stop by my website to find direct links for each.

Thank you so much for taking a moment to be here with me on this incredible journey! Till next time.

-Skip

Big Monthly Update! Sorry, running a bit late with the monthly update this month. Let’s get to it.

With the release of Warworld Gaia things have really been hoping! I can’t thank everyone enough for all the support. While I may not be a chart topper, sales are strong and what’s better, consistent. What’s really fabulous, while WG got the most attention at release, understandable, Warship Ares has also picked up. Right now my page reads on Kindle Unlimited are slightly favoring WG, but WA is close behind! Paperback sales are running about 50 / 50, which means people are buying both books together!

Reviews continue to be the hardest to come by. Reminder, that reviews for independent authors such as I are vital. My two little books are competing in the same class as such classic names as Frank Hubert, George Orwell, Hugh Howey, and Andy Weir. Just to name a few. It’s hard to stand out, but your reviews can help make the difference! Please read the book and please drop a review! Thanks!

Book 3 writing is a little slow. Once I finalize chapter one, it will take off. Starting a book is the hardest part for me and I keep redoing parts of this chapter. After this I know this book. This is the book I’ve been waiting to get to. All the parts I’ve been building are in place and now the adventure begins! Up to this point, I’ve been playing with some familiar themes, in slightly altered terms. Now I get to show why that’s all been important and move the story into what I hope will be something new and dare I day unique. I hope you’re along for the ride!

I’ve started an Instagram account which you can find here: https://www.instagram.com/skipscherer/ I’ll be using that to post some behind the scene things and more as I get comfortable using for my author stuff. You can also find me on Threads here: https://www.threads.net/@skipscherer I’m using Threads and Twitter equally right now. Because of changes to Twitter I am also working on updating my website feed to show my posts there. Of course you can still find me on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/WarShipAres

I’ve been asked about TikTok and I have ideas, but still a work in progress. I only have so many hours in the day and my family and regular job come first. Hang on, big things are always around the corner with me – haha

Until next time, catch me on Twitter, Threads, Facebook or Instagram or feel free to drop me an e-mail ares@lionknight.us I can’t wait to hear from you!

See you next month,
Skip

Hey all. The launch of Warworld Gaia has been going really well! I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone for your support!

Also a reminder, once you’ve finished reading, please leave a review! Besides buying and reading the book, leaving a review is the absolute best way to support independent authors such as myself. Star only reviews are great, reviews with even a few words are even better! These reviews help us actively reach new people, and we can only do it with your help!

Book 3 is in the works and it only gets better from here!

That’s the plan!