Anticipating Another Sales Surge in October
Marketing is an expensive but necessary tool if you want to get your name and work out onto the open market. Unable to be one of the fortunate 20% …
Read More
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 wonderful so far. Let's keep it going! Who knows? Maybe …
Read More
CATACLYSM CRACKS AMAZON's TOP 1000 in 2 GENRES
CATACLYSM continues to move up the sales charts and now has broken Amazon's Top 1000 in TWO genres! The support has been wonderful so far. …
Read More
Elimination Releases on August 30, 2022
The long-awaited, highly anticipated sequel to Cataclysm will be available for purchase worldwide on Tuesday, August 30, 2022. Elimination will be …
Read More
Elimination is in New York
All the writing, rewriting, and edits have been completed. The highly anticipated sequel to Cataclysm is in the capable hands of my New York team …
Read More
Spring 2022 Newsletter
Elimination Update During Christmastime, I spent 2.5 weeks of my three-week vacation to write the second act of Elimination . It was …
Read More
Elimination Update
Over the past 2.5 weeks, up to 16 hours a day, I edited/rewrote Elimination ," the second novel in the 11:34 series. 250 pages later, the …
Read More
The Gentle Reminder
It's Monday evening and I am cozied up to my keyboard for what feels like the hundredth day straight working on the Elimination rewrite. It's the …
Read More
Cataclysm: New Sale Prices
NEW SALE PRICES eBooks $9.99 -- NOW $3.99 Paperbacks $16.99 -- NOW $14.99 Amazon (eBook): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B091P5SV79/ Amazon …
Read More
NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: Find of a Lifetime, Part 3 of 3
Find of a Lifetime is viewable to newsletter subscribers only. 1933: Cairo, Egypt Before we wrap up the last leg of this journey, I wish to thank …
Read More
Elimination Sneak Peek: Tow to Tow with a Demon
What happens when a powerful demon breaks away from its tether to Hell? Here's a snippet: The demon had been one of Lucifer’s lieutenants, but …
Read More
NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: Find of a Lifetime, Part 2 of 3
Find of a Lifetime is viewable to newsletter subscribers only. 1933: Cairo, Egypt Plodington and Monroe approached the front edge of the pyramid. …
Read More
Elimination Teaser: Stock Traitor
It's October 29, 1929, the infamous day marking the Stock Market Crash. Things are looking grim for Jeffrey Tammel, who stands on a ledge. Here is …
Read More
Test of Mettle Contest
I'm looking for my fans who read Cataclysm. This contest ends at noon Central Time on September 17, 2021 so you'll have time with this one. …
Read More
Summer 2021 Newsletter
Find of a Lifetime Subscribers to my newsletter receive updates first and, sometimes, perks not extended elsewhere. Find of a Lifetime is the …
Read More
NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS ONLY:
Find of a Lifetime, Part 1 of 3
Find of a Lifetime is viewable to newsletter subscribers only. 1933: Cairo, Egypt Doctor Damien Plodington swished the tea around his mouth before …
Read More
Announcing the First 11:34 Contest Winner
Congratulations to Brendon, our first 11:34 contest winner! Brendon's perfect score earned him a $50 Amazon Gift Card. Way to go! Stay tuned for …
Read More
CATACLYSM On Sale Now
On sale May 25, 2021 Digital copies of Cataclysm are on sale across several major platforms: Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play, Barnes & Noble, …
Read More
COMING THIS SUMMER: Find of a Lifetime
This summer, newsletter subscribers will be treated to a multi-part story, "Find of a Lifetime: The Story of Damien 'Duke' Plodington and James …
Read More
An 11:34 Contest
FIRST GIVEAWAY CONTEST All participants must be signed up for my newsletter before Tuesday, May 18, when the contest details and rules will be …
Read More
Looking Ahead
In this blog, I will briefly touch on some of the hottest items on my plate starting with the latest with the contract offer from Pegasus …
Read More
Surprise! 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. While I juggled a thousand tasks preparing for a …
Read More
New (Updated) WebSite
Welcome to the new (well, updated) website. Over the past few weeks, I worked on updating the site, preparing for new features like the newsletter, …
Read More
Cataclysm Update - January 17, 2021
It's the MLK holiday weekend. Earlier in the week, I experienced a brain fart. During my final week of vacation, I heard or read the word …
Read More
Cataclysm Update - January 7, 2021
I suspect updates will occur with a little more frequency going forward. There is so much going on. I apologize if my previous blog kind of sounded …
Read More
Cataclysm Will Be Published Between March and May
I worked tirelessly to contact 40 agents last year. Months later I received 11 or 12 rejections and almost 30 no-responses. This year, pandemic and …
Read More
Cataclysm: The Journey
In the Beginning Writing for me truly started 15 years ago. I’ll not bore you with the infinite details from yon to now. It did, however, begin …
Read More
Cataclysm is Ready for Publication
Cataclysm: An 11:34 Novel has been through the ringer in recent months. After 3 major rewrites, a professional critique, proofing, and editing, it …
Read More
What Happened in 2020?
I submitted this into a micro-fiction prompt. Using fifty words or fewer, write a short story or scene as if you were telling the tale to someone …
Read More
Cataclysm Q & A
Q: What inspired you to write Cataclysm , the first novel of your 11:34 series? A: A nightmare. Nightmares are a keyhole into the psyche. They …
Read More
Advice for Burnout: Unplug Yourself
Sometimes the saying “everything in moderation” finds applicability, and I think it applies here. While I aspire to be an author one day, my …
Read More
Writing a Novel is a Marathon - Not a Sprint
Let me tell you about writing a novel. It is long, arduous, and full of pain-staking decisions and lip-biting. And if that weren't daunting enough, …
Read More
I Wrote Till My Heart Broke
I submitted this into a micro-fiction prompt. Using fifty words or fewer, write a short story or scene that includes the line: I Wrote Till My …
Read More
2020 Summer Newsletter
Much is happening right now, so where to begin. Last year, I peddled my novel to 40 agents. This is about to double. I am working with a …
Read More
11:34 Draws Closer to Publication
Today is a day for celebration. I completed the third major edit/rewrite of Cataclysm . 344 pages. 94,000 words. Today, I had a meeting with …
Read More
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 Apocalypse" to "Cataclysm." I felt the title …
Read More
What Happens in Vegas
Have you ever awakened to feel that maybe, just maybe, something inside you is on ready to break out of its prison and run wild? We get so caught …
Read More
First Lines
A writing contest sought an imaginary first line you might write for your novel. Here was my entry: It was not an ideal time to cut through the …
Read More
A Double 11:34 Update
Book 1 Update I cannot say the "P" word. Not yet. Everyone has patiently waited for the arrival of the first novel, me most of all. I have …
Read More
2019 Summer Newsletter
Book 1 Update It is time for some outside-the-box thinking. Time to change course. After nary a single whiff from 40 literary agents, I decided to …
Read More
2019 Spring Newsletter
Book 2 Update While spending a wicked number of hours trying to peddle the first novel, I spent my any remaining free time working on the next …
Read More
The Whitechapel Demon
On September 25, 1888, a news agency received a mysterious letter taunting police that he will never be caught. It was a defining moment in time …
Read More
The Waiting Game
As the final seconds ticked bringing an end to 2018, I was already anxiously awaiting to hear back from any of the 19 literary agencies I submitted …
Read More
The Agency Search Continues
I have been busy working on the second book in the 11:34 series while I patiently waited to hear back from the 19 agencies I queried. I received 8 …
Read More
Lucky Number 7
Today, I received my 7th rejection letter for 11:34. I took a moment to reflect on that. Until now, I've been pretty upbeat about this whole …
Read More
2019 New Year Newsletter
HAPPY NEW YEAR Happy New Year! This is the year. I feel it in my bones. My first novel is destined for publication. BRICK AND MORTAR UPDATE I am …
Read More
Won Equals One
To aspire is to yearn to climb until a plateau is reached, We take a deep breath and gaze out into the distance. In those surreal moments that …
Read More
Calling All Agents! Be on the Lookout for 11:34!
Over the past week and a half I have submitted my novel to literary agents. It's a particularly confounding experience because the submission …
Read More
Author Seeks Agent to Publish Novel
Peddling 11:34 This is it. This is the moment we have been waiting for. This week, I will submit 11:34 for publication to a dozen or more literary …
Read More
FALL 2018 NEWSLETTER
It's been a while since my last 11:34 update, so I'm going to make this one count. What's going on with Book 1 of 11:34? I hear this question a …
Read More
2018 New Year Newsletter
HAPPY NEW YEAR Happy New Year one and all. This will be a year of change, dedication, and discipline. I committed these past few months to these …
Read More
11:34 Receives 2nd Rejection
I just received my 2nd rejection letter. I'm flattered over the fact that someone has taken the time from their busy schedule for me. I'm sure …
Read More
2017 Fall Newsletter
::::: CURRENTLY 11:34 The 2nd book in the 11:34 series has unofficially reached 201 pages, about 60,000 words. I have been writing this book for …
Read More
Canadian Hunters
11:34 - All Hell Breaks Loose (Book 2) A bloody scene greeted the lead officer of the RCMP as he arrived on the scene. He watched one of his boys …
Read More
Celebrating the First Rejection
Plenty of writers receive rejection letters. Rejection is a ubiquitous part of the craft. It is a reminder that someone, somewhere, is not …
Read More
New Look for MJDelConte.com
Out with the old. In with the new. It has been 2 years (July 4, 2015) since I last redeveloped my web site. I like to freshen things up every …
Read More
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 2nd of the 2 cornerstone Test of Mettle stories …
Read More
June 2017 Newsletter
Book Title Announcements With 11:34 outlined to be a series, each book will require its own individual title. The titles are tentative and may …
Read More
The Strawberry
CLIFFHANGER One day while walking through the wilderness a man stumbled upon a vicious tiger. He ran but soon came to the edge of a high cliff. …
Read More
2017 New Year Newsletter
HAPPY NEW YEAR Happy New Year one and all. 2017 promises to be an exciting year. To kick things off on the right foot, this is a feel-good …
Read More
2016 Halloween Edition
11:34 UPDATE 25. That was how many versions my query letter had undergone. That said, I am now compiling an updated list of literary agents for …
Read More11:34 - Halfway to the Apocalypse (Trailer 2)
View on YouTube The Apocalypse will commence in 600 years, but you did not know that, did you? Not many do. 400 years ago, an ancient …
Read More
2016 FALL NEWSLETTER
::::: CINEMATIC TRAILER As promised, there will be a cinematic book trailer for 11:34. Production of the cinematic trailer completed on Sunday, …
Read More
SPRING 2016 NEWSLETTER
::::: 11:34, COPYRIGHT 2015, MJ DELCONTE It took a little over 2 years to write. After I put the pen down, I submitted my work to the US …
Read More
Cinematic Book Trailer Planned for First Book of 11:34 Series
Over the past few weeks, a lot of my free time was spent self-training in cinematic techniques and amateur/professional film making. I watched more …
Read More
Copyright Submitted for First Book of 11:34 Series
I completed the final edits at 3:25 a.m. this morning - to be exact. After that, I researched copyrighting literary works. I've had a plethora of …
Read More
November 2015 Newsletter
First, I am writing this while sipping my second great cup of coffee, listening to Paul Oakenfold cranked as loud as my 5.1 surround sound speakers …
Read More
What's Next After Writing First Book of 11:34 Series?
I printed 2 copies of the manuscript to perform a reading. The book is read aloud with others. I or they read a chapter at a time. While reading, I …
Read More11:34 - Halfway to the Apocalypse (Trailer 1)
Halfway to the Apocalypse is the first book in the 11:34 series. The Apocalypse will commence in 600 years, but you did not know that, did you? …
Read More
Writer's Serenity
There is something magical about a great cup of hot coffee, biscotti, and writing. It relaxes the mind's gatekeeper allowing entry to deeper more …
Read More