It took a little while to find my place for my tales. It took a little while to find my place for anything. As you can see, the title and web address changed to my site. Serena Walken is now Melanie Ray. I am done with pen names and serializing novels.

Let's start with serializing. For some reason, romance and erotica serials do okay. Add in something else to the mix and forget it. Even when it's a complete novel. I did what I could, I even tried free, but I guess the world isn't ready for it yet.

I am doing something that I swore I wouldn't do, but I am doing it because I am also GIVING AWAY THE NEW PARTS on my site. Each individual piece in the collection (Saving Mrs. Claus, etc.) is now each a stand alone story with a new part.

I originally wanted to end the whole serialized novel with this approach, but now that I've tried it, it feels so much better this way instead. The apocalyptic fairytale is being retold as bedtime stories to children. Not just any children. Dominic and Vanessa's children, and every once in awhile, not to children or their children. However, it's recited as if it already happened.

I have fallen in love with the concept. Dominic is no longer in peril all the time. It's happened, and he's found a way to share his adventures with his children. It has made each story slightly longer, and of course some minor editing. This has actually given me the freedom to explore the entire framework now. People can read Saving Mrs. Claus (changing names) and not feel stumped when a mysterious figure comes in. Because the mysterious figure is the one telling the story.

Just as the singles were originally read as standalones, this change should only affect new readers. However, to be fair I am leaving the new parts here. (Say Melanie, isn't your stuff in select and only available on Amazon?) Some is, and some isn't. When a book is out of select, that new part will be here.

This isn't an overnight change. Truly, it takes some time. This isn't adding a mere 500 words or something.

Titles will be different for each one as well as my name Melanie Ray on the books. (Since Serena Walken's Amazon central author page cannot remove books, she gets to stay an author too. Yes, I know, I co-authored myself. Yes, it's been done before by others including best selling authors who want to reclaim their work. It's wonky and funny if you think about it.:) I won't make up my author bio though, I will be adding the 'I am Melanie Ray' soon to it.

All of the books will be disappearing soon since I do not want any confusion from Amazon dealing with series stuff. Lord knows they've butchered enough people on that already. (See? Amazon friendly now too.)

There is now no order in which to read An Apocalyptic Fairytale. Anything that needs explained is always covered in every book. This isn't a serialized novel, this is considered a true authentic serial. Beginning, middle and end each time. Read Dominic's adventures, read Kris and Carrie, and I am even going to be adding Apocalypse Girl's adventures! (Something I really wanted to do in the first place.)

So where are the serialized novel then? Where they belong. I will make one mondo gigantic thing like I had originally planned. I want everything in it. Everything. It will be divided into every 200,000 words or so maybe, with the actual full blown who knows how gigantic novel available. It will be awhile though.

*I will have parts split up thought because it will be GIGANTIC, and because those that have collected the serialized novels will still be able to get the rest without paying an extremely large price.

I am just tired of the hate against it. I love it, and even bloggers that I send it to seem to be okay with it, but they do not rate it high because it's unfinished. Parts, serial, episode, none of it seems to matter yet. Hopefully one day when I am ready to release it in the world it will be taken seriously. Until then, I am really happy that I can still share everything in individual books.:) Including Dominic's adventures which was the whole reason for having to make the book a serialized novel in the first place.

Okay, now pen names! No more. I don't become anyone's auto buy, it doesn't affect me in any positive or negative way. I am rewriting/refixing stuff so that it is more romantic or tasteful (and not bizarre out of the atmosphere anymore). Different names, different titles. I want everything to be underneath Melanie Ray now. Everything except the Thanksgiving children's book. That would be a conflict of interest.

*I will add notes to name changes for most of my books (especially An Apocalyptic Fairytale.) I just do not want someone to buy the wrong kind of paperback, so changing names should make it easier to prevent that. Even though I only have a few out there, they are still out there and buying a used copy of something but getting something different wouldn't make anyone happy.

My stuff may never take off, but I'm tired of being split up everywhere too. 

What is in the future?

Oh, such things. First I need to concentrate on fixing the old, and then you are going to see some interesting things. I have a series called the sealing series. Each piece is a full tale dealing with a couple. Each piece is very dramatic (different from what I've ever wrote before.) It's family saga-ish in that the couples are always centered in one family.

Oh, and then I have this really wonderful piece which will also be a serial. (I know, what's wrong with me?) You can call them short stories if you want. They deal with early years and then later years. They are split between those two so that the plots don't get mixed up.

And what else? Well, just see what I have beneath me first.:)

Free is probably out though.

Unless I try permafree, which I highly doubt. Permafree is giving books away, and now you have to PAY to give them away (advertise or the numbers equal nothing.) It doesn't matter whether you are in select or not! So, yeah, I will probably not try free much anymore. Maybe first in series, we'll see. I think I will depend on how many stories I write instead and new releases to help out instead of free. We'll see.

That also depends on my hands. I do special hand exercises to try and keep them from getting into the same position as before, as well as varying how I 'type'. Because of that experience, I am afraid to put any predictions for book releases unless it's really close.

Starting over . . .sort of.

Melanie Novella Ray Reply 11:43 AM

It took a little while to find my place for my tales. It took a little while to find my place for anything. As you can see, the title and we...

My new website is having problems right now. I had it working perfectly, but alas, the stupid hosting place decided to do something brand new without any warning to me. I now have to remember to go back to my email to verify I ordered my own domain.
Honestly. It gets suspended if it isn't. Stupidest policy in the world. They accept my money just fine, but suspend my site afterward? Really? It'd be okay if they had warned me when I saw signing up for my new domain. I don't check that particular email address very often, so it took some time to figure it out.
They didn't even put the warning in the account notifications. How screwed up is that?
Anyhow, it should be back in 24-48 hours. For now, this is all you really need to know.

April 1st, For Love of A Vegan will be coming out.
April 13th, Episode 4 of Apocalyptic Fairytales will be coming out.
More will be coming out on April 13th and 20th, with Replica pulling in at May 13th.
You will see it better at the other site, once it fixes itself.

Just in case you can't get through...

Melanie Novella Ray Reply 2:36 PM

My new website is having problems right now. I had it working perfectly, but alas, the stupid hosting place decided to do something brand ne...

I bought myself a domain and a much nicer layout. Visit me at http://serenawalken.com.

My site address has changed!

Melanie Novella Ray Reply 7:16 AM

I bought myself a domain and a much nicer layout. Visit me at http://serenawalken.com.

You guys like stand alones a lot, therefore I am bringing something new to you. Interludes.

Melanie Novella Ray Reply 11:05 AM

I know, I shouldn't complain that so many like my standalones. Some are probably just not comfortable with the word episodes. I've h...

Newsletter goers knew ahead of time, but now the rest of you can know. The free book for March will be Project Wolf on the 13th through the 17th.

I am gearing up for a blog tour soon of Episode One, but I am also writing Episode four. One other thing too:

I have decided to write an apocalyptic fairytale that isn't inside the episodes. Dominic never makes contact. This title however will be free at several sites, and hopefully if Amazon price matches, there too.

If it price matches, then I won't be having a book free a few days a month. There would be no need for it, I would have a book free all the time.:) That would encourage more people to try the apocalyptic fairytales.

Since you stopped by though, some hints for episode three:
Dominic and Apocalypse Girl are about to have it out in a big way.
You'll find out Zoe's connection.
A little bit of Kris and Carrie. They show up sporadically in certain episdoes until the episode that leads up to Christmas.
More Oz.
And some very revealing information that hits in a big way in Wonderland.
Don't forget Dark Water too.
And of course, we are about to meet the destined lovers of Project Wolf: Unwanted Betrayal?
Plus Cheryl, Guyver, and another old guest appearance you may/may not have figured out yet.
And what's this? Is Sera finally going to get the warning she needs?
Possibly more.:)

As you can see, big things, so stay tuned. It will probably be arriving some time in May. Hopefully early may, possibly late April, but I can't push too hard. Editing, covers, singles, formatting, so much needs done too.

The paperbacks are starting to come out too. They don't match of course to the ebooks (Sorry!) but I don't think many people will buy novellas. They are mainly there so that Amazon corrects word count, instead of doubling the word count because of both versions.

As for the sub tabs on the design, it only works in certain browsers. I will make people with the wrong browser frustrated beyond belief if I put in the tabs. This means I might possibly be heading to wordpress with a regular domain name. I would have to find the right design though because I like my banner at the top and the way this is organized.

Out in paperback now is Saving Mrs. Claus. Soon will be Episode One, and Missing Cupid. Others will be coming too, but only so much a day.

Free this Month: Project Wolf

Melanie Novella Ray Reply 7:21 AM

Newsletter goers knew ahead of time, but now the rest of you can know. The free book for March will be Project Wolf on the 13th through the ...

Wow, are those next books going to be great. It's hard to stop to make the paperbacks because I just want to sit out and write it.

Anyhow, I left the prices at .99 for awhile to see how they did, and the weird thing happened again. I just don't sell that many more. I will never know the reason why. The prices on the single adventures of 'An Apocalyptic Fairytale' should be going back up today.

However, I am going to leave episode 1 at .99 a bit longer to see if that helps introduce people to the episodes.

However, I still liked giving a bargain though, so here is what I will be doing.
The singles will be $2.99 a piece but the newest singles will be .99. (I will try to have at least a couple .99 titles out there if there is only one new one.) That means Missing Cupid and A Chorus of Falling Leaves will be going to .99 (On the sale, I didn't mess with the price so these should be changing soon.) Everything else goes up.
(That means the collection price has to move up to $4.99)
The rest of the episodes will stay at $2.99.

One more: For works that are under 20k, I will keep them at .99. (That is only one right now, Game World. It almost comes in at 20k.)

I really did enjoy the sale though, and I hope it gave you a chance to pick up a couple extra copies of another adventure you had been waiting on.

I am off to finish more paperbacks after I eat some breakfast here soon.

Those next books

Melanie Novella Ray Reply 7:59 AM

Wow, are those next books going to be great. It's hard to stop to make the paperbacks because I just want to sit out and write it. Any...

Should be publishing the first collection soon.

Melanie Novella Ray Reply 6:39 PM

  This one should be publishing tomorrow or the next day. As soon as it does, I will email newsletter fans along with which book will b...

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