Website Update
Welcome to the New Website
Welcome to my new website. I spent over 160 hours developing this site, starting with purchasing …
Blog
Bloodshed Update
Bloodshed , the third novel of the 11:34 series, has taken a major step towards publication. I …
Blog
TEASER: 3 New Book Covers
I am excited to share that my graphic designer , a mad genius, has completed THREE new book …
Cinematic Trailer
Cataclysm: NEW Cinematic Trailer
To better align and market the series, a brand-new cinematic trailer was produced. This replaced …
Newsletter
2026 Spring Newsletter
Author Notes Authors are an interesting bunch. As I learned the ins and outs of the art, I found …
Blog
I Forgot I Wrote This
While doing some author-based spring cleaning (check out the recent article I posted), I came …
Blog
Authoring an Act of Spring Cleaning
No one will ever dispute that it's a great idea for authors to have a place to jot down notes …
Blog
Cataclysm Cinematic Trailer Removed Due to Bogus Copyright Dispute
Cinematic trailers are time-consuming and expensive to produce. The ones used for my novels are …
Newsletter
2026 New Year Update
There is much activity occurring in the 11:34 landscape, so let's get to the updates. Cataclysm …
Blog
Bloodshed Update
I have exciting news to report. The third installment of my 11:34 series, em>Bloodshed , is …
Blog
Bloodshed Update: Tech Terror Trilogy
The three parts of Tech Terror have been written. The trilogy features an IT manager named Trey, …
Teaser
Completed: Twisted Sister
The darkest addition to the Test of Mettle stories is done, having reached 10,500 words/35 …
Teaser
Twisted Sister
Some time ago, I mentioned that I was about to embark on one of the darkest Test of Mettle …
Teaser
TEASER: Twisted Sister
At 11:34, Lucifer can send one of his minions to test one or more of us humans. We win the Test …
Teaser
Twisted Sister: A New Test of Mettle Story
There is a new, VERY DARK Test of Mettle story on the horizon in the 11:34 series. It takes …
Teaser
Tech Terror, Part 2
Last week, I apprised you of a Test of Mettle story titled "Tech Terror, Part 1." Well, I have …
Teaser
Tech Terror, Part 1
Things are moving along with Bloodshed . While working on the second draft of Almost Alone , I …
Blog
Update: Almost Alone
"Almost Alone" has been written. It takes place fifteen years after "Demon Preserve," a Test of …
Teaser
Teaser: Almost Alone
This is an unedited passage copied from "Almost Alone," a Test of Mettle story from Bloodshed, …
Blog
Karma Update
Whew! Taking a break! The writing bug returned in full force. And, holy crap, my muse has me …
Newsletter
Knee Surgeries and a Karma Update
I have fallen off the radar over these past several months. I think transparency matters here …
Cinematic Trailer
Karma: Cinematic Trailer Update
Last night, the official cinematic trailer for Karma was completed! In its first showing, my …
Newsletter
New Year's Update
Before we get into the meat and bones of this update, let me first say that this novel will take …
Blog
Could There be Another Sales Surge in October?
Marketing is an expensive but necessary tool if you want to get your name and work out onto the …
Blog
CATACLYSM on Verge of Cracking AMAZON'S TOP 500 in 2 Genres
Cataclysm continues its ascension in the sales rankings on Amazon.com. The support has been …
Blog
CATACLYSM CRACKS AMAZON's TOP 1000 in 2 GENRES
Cataclysm continues to move up the sales charts and has now broken into Amazon's Top 1000 in TWO …
Blog
Elimination: Release Date is August 30, 2022
The long-awaited, highly anticipated sequel to Cataclysm will be available for purchase …
Blog
Elimination is in New York
The writing, rewriting, and edits have been completed. The highly anticipated sequel to …
Newsletter
Spring 2022 Newsletter
Elimination Update During Christmastime, I spent almost all of my three-week vacation writing …
Blog
Elimination Update
Over the past three weeks, for sixteen hours a day, I edited/rewrote Elimination , the second …
Blog
Elimination Update
It's Monday evening, and I am cozied up to my keyboard for what feels like the hundredth day …
Teaser
Find of a Lifetime (Part 3 of 3)
Before we wrap up the last leg of this journey, I wish to thank you, my loyal fans. Without you, …
Teaser
Elimination Sneak Peek: Tow to Tow with a Demon
What happens when a powerful demon breaks away from its tether to Hell? The demon had been one …
Teaser
Find of a Lifetime (Part 2 of 3)
1933: Cairo, Egypt Plodington and Monroe approached the front edge of the pyramid. Save for its …
Blog
Elimination Teaser: Stock Traitor
It's October 29, 1929, the infamous day marking the Stock Market Crash. Things are looking grim …
Contest
Test of Mettle Contest
I'm looking for my fans who read Cataclysm . This contest ends at noon Central Time on September …
Newsletter
Summer 2021 Newsletter
Find of a Lifetime Subscribers to my newsletter receive updates first and, sometimes, perks not …
Teaser
Find of a Lifetime (Part 1 of 3)
1933: Cairo, Egypt Doctor Damien Plodington swished the tea around his mouth before swallowing …
Contest
Announcing the First 11:34 Contest Winner
Congratulations to Brendon, our first 11:34 contest winner! Brendon's perfect score earned him a …
Blog
Cataclysm: On Sale Now
Cataclysm: An 11:34 Novel will be on sale May 25, 2021 Digital copies of Cataclysm are on sale …
Teaser
COMING THIS SUMMER: Find of a Lifetime
This summer, newsletter subscribers will be treated to a multi-part story, "Find of a Lifetime," …
Contest
An 11:34 Contest
First Giveaway Contest All participants must be signed up for my newsletter before Tuesday, May …
Newsletter
Looking Ahead
In this newsletter, I will briefly touch on some of the hottest items on my plate, starting with …
Blog
Acceptance Letter! Cataclysm Caught the Eye of Pegasus Publishers
It has been nearly a whole month since my last Cataclysm update. There is good reason for that. …
Website Update
New (Updated) WebSite
Welcome to the new (well, updated) website. Over the past few weeks, I updated the site, …
Blog
Cataclysm Update: January 17, 2021
It's the MLK holiday weekend. Earlier in the week, I experienced a brain fart. During my final …
Blog
Cataclysm Update: January 7, 2021
I suspect updates will occur with a little more frequency going forward. There is so much going …
Blog
Cataclysm Will Be Published Between March and May
I worked tirelessly to contact forty agents last year. Months later, I received eleven or twelve …
Blog
Cataclysm: The Journey
In the Beginning Writing for me truly started fifteen years ago. I’ll not bore you with the …
Blog
Cataclysm: An 11:34 Novel is Ready for Publication
Cataclysm: An 11:34 Novel has been through the ringer in recent months. After 3 major rewrites, …
Inner Whimsy
What happened in 2020?
I submitted this to a micro-fiction prompt. Using fifty words or fewer, write a short story or …
Blog
Cataclysm Q & A
Here is a fun little FAQ related to writing. Q: What inspired you to write Cataclysm , the first …
Blog
Advice for Burnout: Unplug Yourself
Sometimes the saying “everything in moderation” roots itself into the activities we do. While I …
Blog
Writing a Novel is a Marathon, Not a Sprint
Let me tell you about writing a novel. It is long, arduous, and full of painstaking decisions …
Inner Whimsy
I Wrote Till My Heart Broke
I submitted this to a micro-fiction prompt. The rules: Using fifty words or fewer, write a short …
Inner Whimsy
You Shouldn’t Have Waited This Long
I submitted this to a micro-fiction prompt. The rules: Using fifty words or fewer, write a short …
Newsletter
2020 Summer Newsletter
Much is happening right now, so where should I begin? Last year, I peddled my novel to forty …
Blog
Cataclysm Draws Closer to Publication
Today is a day for celebration. I completed the third major edit/rewrite of Cataclysm . It now …
Blog
I'm Back
Michael Jordan retired after the 1993 season. He announced his return two years later by fax: …
Blog
Title Changed for Book 1 to Cataclysm
After much deliberation, I have altered the title of the first 11:34 novel from Halfway to the …
Blog
What Happens in Vegas
Have you ever awakened to feel that maybe, just maybe, something inside you is on ready to break …
Contest
Writing Contest: First Lines
A writing contest sought an imaginary first line you might write for your novel. Here was my …
Newsletter
A Double 11:34 Update
Book 1 Update I cannot say the "P" word. Not yet. Everyone is patiently waiting for the first …
Newsletter
2019 Summer Newsletter
Book 1 Update It is time for outside-the-box thinking. After nary a whiff from 40 literary …
Newsletter
2019 Spring Newsletter
Book 2 Update While spending a wicked number of hours peddling the first novel, I used any …
Teaser
The Whitechapel Demon
On September 25, 1888, a news agency received a mysterious letter taunting the police that he …
Blog
The Waiting Game
As the final seconds ticked by, bringing an end to 2018, I had hoped to hear back from any of …
Blog
The Agency Hunt Continues
I have been busy working on the second book in the 11:34 series while I patiently waited to hear …
Blog
Lucky Number 7
Today, I received my seventh rejection letter. I took a moment to reflect. Until now, I've been …
Newsletter
2019 New Year Newsletter
11:34, BOOK 2 As you have heard, one of the Test of Mettle stories in the second novel will …
Blog
Won Equals One
To aspire is to yearn to climb until a plateau is reached. We take a deep breath and gaze out …
Blog
Calling All Agents! Be on the Lookout for 11:34!
Over the past week and a half, I submitted my novel to several literary agents. It's a …
Newsletter
Author Seeks Agent to Publish Novel
Peddling 11:34 This week, I will submit 11:34 for publication to more than a dozen literary …
Newsletter
Fall 2018 Newsletter
It's been a while since my last 11:34 update. Latest on 11:34 Admittedly, things are progressing …
Inner Whimsy
April, a Haiku
Lips blue, flakes sideways Burrowed animals hungry Sun's songs forgotten.
Newsletter
2018 New Year Newsletter
What We Keep From Places That Didn't Keep Us Happy New Year, everyone. This will be a year of …
Blog
Research for Writing
Research. Read. Write. Rewrite. The 4 "R's." I'm writing this short blog about research, which …
Blog
11:34 Receives 2nd Rejection
Though I received my 2nd rejection letter, I'm flattered that someone took time out of their …
Newsletter
2017 Fall Newsletter
11:34 Update The 2nd book in the 11:34 series has unofficially reached 201 pages, about 60,000 …
Teaser
Canadian Hunters
11:34 — All Hell Breaks Loose (Book 2) A bloody scene greeted the lead RCMP officer as he …
Blog
Celebrating the First Rejection
Plenty of writers receive rejection letters. Rejection is a normal part of the craft. It is a …
Website Update
New Look for MJDelConte.com
Out with the old and in with the new. It has been 2 years (July 4, 2015) since I last …
Blog
11:34 - All Hell Breaks Loose (Book 2)
"All Hell Breaks Loose" is the second book planned for the 11:34 series. I finished writing the …
Newsletter
June 2017 Newsletter
In a way, it worked out for the better. I've been very busy researching and writing the …
Blog
The Frog & a James Patterson Contest Update
I read a short story about two frogs trapped in a pail of milk. Not able to escape the long, …
Newsletter
The Strawberry with a Newsletter
The Strawberry One day, while walking through the wilderness, a man stumbled upon a vicious …
Newsletter
2017 New Year Newsletter
Happy New Year Happy New Year, one and all. 2017 promises to be an exciting year. To kick things …
Newsletter
2016 Halloween Edition
11:34 Updates 25. That's how many versions my query letter went through. That said, I am now …
Newsletter
2016 FALL NEWSLETTER
Cinematic Trailer As promised, there will be a cinematic book trailer for 11:34. Production of …
Newsletter
Spring 2016 Newsletter
11:34, COPYRIGHT 2015, MJ DELCONTE My first novel took a little over two years to write. I …
Cinematic Trailer
Cinematic Book Trailer Planned for My Debut Novel
I have to maintain a very aggressive schedule due to other real-life duties, like family and a …
Blog
Copyright Submitted for First Book of 11:34 Series
After wrapping up the final edits at 3:25 a.m., I researched how to copyright literary works …
Newsletter
November 2015 Newsletter
I am writing this while sipping my second great cup of coffee, listening to Paul Oakenfold …
Inner Whimsy
Writer's Serenity
When all the beautiful things about writing come together. For me... There is something magical …
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Quotable Quotes
They Said It
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”— Eleanor Roosevelt