# In the Valley stories



## philvan (May 26, 2010)

'In the Valley stories' just released for Amazon Kindle - $1.99 for 6 stories guaranteed to take you away into another time, and another place, and just maybe snap you out of the drab and mundane world for a while. There is a strong theme of the cycle of life and death through all of these.
Make your way through the wilds of Africa as poachers, elephants, and Game Rangers play out a deadly game of 'who is the hunter?' watched by the spirits of the ancestors and of the living bush;
go up the mountain in the bright sun and find death and rescue amongst the flowers; travel to the lake for a family weekend lazing by the water and confront the scars of trauma and rumours of another war; read of the kindness of children, the fury of a fire and how a unicorn is equivalent to a dog; go to a future where plastic is a sought after antique, and people are not quite as valuable, unless you have special tastes; lastly go back to the way things might have been, Goddess willing.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

'In the Valley stories'
Just to update; the smashwords free coupon code is GR96T; this is valid until 13th June (one week)- it is used at checkout on the smashwords site to get a discount from the $1.99 price to $0.0

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/14725 In the Valley stories

A recent review on another site:--
Very evocative with the scenes beautifully set and the action sparse and realistic. 
These short stories reveal a love of Africa . They show the beauty, but I think they also show the delicate balance between humans.and other animals. An enjoyable read and highly relevant to our age where so many of us are removed from the natural world.
This is good writing and everything is so clear and descriptive.

'In the Valley stories' has 6 stories with a total of 20,000 words.

"In The Valley" A game of cat and mouse as elephant poachers try to get away with their grisly trophies with rangers on their tail. They feel confident. AK 47s are no match for the poor weaponry the rangers have. But they are not their only problem. The elephants don't like being hunted. 10,000 words

"Finding the Eland" A fire sweeps through Fishhoek. Three boys save some of the local wildlife, including an Eland, an African antelope. They think it's a unicorn. Could be. 2,500 words

"Sunbird" Three boys go wandering through the South African bushland, investigating the wildlife. But this can be dangerous work as wildlife is wild, and it can kill.
And yet sometimes there are saviours out in the wilderness too.

"Have you seen the Elephant?" A family en route to the lake for a weekend face the effects of wars past and present, brought to the surface by - well, read it & see.

"Servant of the Goddess" A might-have-been past

"Business Trip" This is a future I don't want to be a part of.

I am considering putting the price at 99 cents just to attract readers - though this may not matter so much when Amazon introduces the 70% option, and many books will go to $2.99. Or should I just go to $0.00?

Any opinions on that?


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

'In the Valley stories', on Kindle Books and Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/14725 for 1.99

Six stories, 20,000 words that will sweep you into a different place, a different time. Read on the commute and forget about the 9 to 5, just feel alive.


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

Pleased to report that J.A. Konrath has bought a copy of 'In the Valley stories'. Mind you I don't think he will find time to read it soon, since he also bought quite a few other books at the same time. 
Anyone who reads my stories is going to find a totally new and different place, a world beyond the mundane, a world of sunlight and wind on the mountain, of the hot red dust in the shade of the thorn trees and the unexpected lying in wait among the reeds and mud of the river.
Enjoy for less than the price of a coffee.


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## Brett P (May 17, 2010)

I admire your marketing determinedness, so, put me down as the next buyer of your book.  

Plus, short stories are my forte and, in my opinion, better than full novels for a variety of reasons, so pretty much any good short story will draw me in.

Just, don't expect it right away, I want to finish some of my TBR list before I add another onto the pile.


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

Brett, thanks for your decision to buy my book, based on my 'marketing determination' - so long as people read and enjoy, I don't really mind what draws them to it.


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

'In the Valley stories' has been available for a month now on Kindle; certainly a read for any of you who want to get away from it all, to feel, smell, hear, even dream yourself in a very different place. Have you been to Africa? Too far, too expensive, too dangerous maybe? This will send you there for a while at least.


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

Just got a nice review done by Dawn Klaus Judd, who runs Breakthrough Books, and also a little 'interview' -- she posed questions & i gave answers - for her blog. Here's the interview.

'In the Valley stories' - questions & answers, blog interview July 2010

1) “Are any of the scenes depicted in your book influenced by real life experiences in Africa?”
Of course I drew on my own experiences growing up in South Africa and Zambia for the settings, the animals and plants and the general feel, as well as using actual incidents as the basis for many events. Real events have mostly been morphed by putting conversations and feelings that did not take place into their context.

2)”Were any of the characters based on real people?” 
Yes, in the two stories set in Capetown particularly - ‘Sunbird’ & ‘finding the Eland’ - both are based on real-life incidents from my childhood. The people in both those stories are based on real people. I should point out that ‘based on’ does not mean either the events or people as written are photographic reproductions of reality. 

3)”What made you decide to become a writer?”
I’ve always enjoyed story-telling, adding a ‘what-if’ to actual events, both to emphasise possible meaning and to explore different outcomes or consequences.

4) “Do you have any other works underway?”
Yes, I have a completed novel, ‘Eland dances’, not yet published, and another about 3/4 written. I also want to continue the story of  the elephant and Gosnaat the poacher from ‘In the Valley’ - the 10,000 word story in the book. There are also a few more stories sitting idle on my hard drive that might be going into another short story book soon, with some editing and polishing.

5) “What is your favourite part of writing?”
When I am so immersed in the time and place of the story I lose track of any other context. Mostly this is when writing the first draft, when the characters and plot just unfold effortlessly. Then again, when things suddenly fit together and something I’ve written that doesn’t seem quite right falls into a new perspective with just a few words added or altered.

6) ”Do you prefer writing short stories or novels?”
With short stories there is the satisfaction of having something complete that can be read and appreciated in one sitting. With a novel you can bring in much more complexity, with layers of meaning and several different plot lines running, more like real life.
Best answer I can give to that question is I enjoy writing both, just as I like drinking a cup of tea or coffee sometimes, and other times I like to drink India Pale Ale while watching a humming bird busy at the bergamot bush and smelling the new mown grass.


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

Maybe my sample isn't very enticing, i dunno. Perhaps i should shuffle the stories so the first one is a short one, and reading the sample will allow people at least one complete story. Any opinions? Five sold in almost two months, though with two nice reviews. Perhaps kindle readers are the wrong demographic for my stuff?


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## Frank Zubek (Apr 27, 2010)

Yeah, you'd think there'd be a few more sales huh Phil?
Cheer up, you're ahead of me (2 sales since May)

I am switching up though....I've got something in the horror genre due out in August.
Hopefully I get some nibbles for that one
Have you tried posting it on Smashwords as well?
My only other suggestion would be to offer up other works as well. That way when something does hit, maybe those readers will explore your other work (like...In the Valley Stories)

Keep typing-


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

Yes Kebufz, it is on Smashwords as well, and they say it is available through them for Barnes & Noble, Borders & iPad readers at their sites. No reports of any sales at those outlets yet, though that may be because the reports take time to come through.
Just read another thread which recommends publishing each story separately; a small publisher does this and finds sales are good. Perhaps I should take out the shorter stories and bundle them in twos, as they are very short. I have two with an African theme and two sorta fantasy/speculative, so readers could choose their genre; as it is there is a mix of genres in the little book.
I will take a look at your book, by the way.


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## Frank Zubek (Apr 27, 2010)

Didn't ask you to check out my book, Phil but thank you
As long as you are- I hope you find of the stories worth the time to read (I think they are)

I wish I had the time and cash to check out everything here that interested me but I'm scraping by
The writing seems to be the only stable item of note in my world (well, it's not all THAT bad, but at least when I write I feel as though I have some amount of control, while with the rest of the world at large.....forget it!)


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

"Didn't ask you to check out my book, Phil but thank you
As long as you are- I hope you find of the stories worth the time to read (I think they are)"
Taking a look doesn't mean I will buy, even if I like it - since I live in Canada they whack an extra $2 on to the price of every e-book, and I really don't appreciate that. Also I live on pension and have to control my spending quite tightly. Have downloaded you sample and will get to it in the next few days.
If you are writing productively, and have more stories ready, consider publishing them individually & see what happens. I am going to sort through some of mine and try this during the coming week, so look out for a few single stories from me. For instance I have a Sherlock Holmes fanfic/pastiche piece that might appeal to a completely different audience to my other stuff.
'An Addendum to the Affair of the Dog that did Not Bark' which adds a few speculative details to one of the Great Detective's better known cases.


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## Frank Zubek (Apr 27, 2010)

My bad to assume-- sorry
enjoy the sample!


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

Kebufz - Now I feel bad; I have read the sample, and it's not bad. You can write (well you know that)
I can see where it might not appeal to the largest demographic of kindle owners though - since thrillers, horror, romance and fantasy/sci-fi seem to be the best sellers for kindle, yours is a more reflective, even intellectual piece with a slower pace. 
Good luck with your upcoming horror work. That should do well.


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## Frank Zubek (Apr 27, 2010)

Wow thanks Phil
I'm glas you liked the sample
thanx for the boost to my morale- it's been a crummy day here


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

'In the Valley stories' is now available from amazon UK. Price there is in UK pounds.


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

My little short story collection, 'In the Valley stories'; I've been discouraged, went and did other, non-writerly stuff for quite a while now. Sales have been zero in the last several months. Now a couple of days ago i brushed off my Nanowrimo effort & published it as a novella at 13,000 words, Will be here on Kindle soon - Sherlock Holmes and the Zombie Affair - so the point of this post is, while checking the status of my new upload, i saw someone had bought a copy of 'In the Valley' yesterday. Well call me encouraged. Thank you writer-angels or actually reader-angel strictly speaking.

_--- edit... new post merged with original thread. please remember, only one thread per book. please bookmark this thread so you can find it again and please read our Forum Decorum._


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

This little short story book 'In the Valley stories' is waiting for you to read a sample anytime http://www.kboards.com/sample2/?asin=B003ODIB4M
Around 20,000 words, the longest story first.


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

In the Valley stories - guaranteed to take you to another place for a while. Try one of the shorter stories for a break from wherever you find yourself, but sit down and get comfy before setting out to read the eponymous 'In the Valley' the longest, at 10,000+ words.


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

Just reduced the price from $1.99 to $0.99 for this short story collection. Doesn't feature in my signature - perhaps I should put it there, but you'll find it on my page, just follow the link.


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

Well folks, just another reminder that my short story collection is well worth the $0.99 price.


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

Only $0.99 for 6 stories guaranteed to take you away into another time, and another place, and just maybe snap you out of the drab and mundane world for a while. There is a strong theme of the cycle of life and death through all of these.
Make your way through the wilds of Africa as poachers, elephants, and Game Rangers play out a deadly game of 'who is the hunter?' watched by the spirits of the ancestors and of the living bush;
go up the mountain in the bright sun and find death and rescue amongst the flowers; travel to the lake for a family weekend lazing by the water and confront the scars of trauma and rumours of another war; read of the kindness of children, the fury of a fire and how a unicorn is equivalent to a dog; go to a future where plastic is a sought after antique, and people are not quite as valuable, unless you have special tastes; lastly go back to the way things might have been, Goddess willing.


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

If you are looking for something to take you away from the world around you, the daily grind, the noisy kids, barking dogs, and 3AM hotrods on your suburban street, this short story collection will give you a taste of other places, and other times.


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

More popular in the UK, for some reason. 
Doesn't matter where you are when you read these stories, you will experience something a bit different to your everyday world.


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

Still available for 99c, six stories, 20,000 words. Will last a couple of lunchbreaks or train rides during which you can enjoy several excursions out of the mundane.


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

This little story book is still here, waiting for you. 
20,000 words, sure to take you to another place. One long one (the first) and 5 much shorter. 
Like something to read on your coffee break at work? Any of those shorter ones should be good. Pick you up, take you away, and leave you in a different mood.


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

I've done a new cover. If anyone can remember the old one, I'd appreciate a comment - is the new one better, no difference really, or worse?
The stories are all the same, but I have also found and fixed a few typos and got a working Table of Contents so you can jump to any story from the Contents page, and jump back again when you get to the end.
Still a deal at $0.99. The first story is 10,000 words, the others much shorter, average 2,000 words or so.


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

'In the Valley Stories' has one story, 'Finding the Eland', which is actually also included in my novel 'Eland Dances'. I mention this because yesterday, seven years after I wrote the first few words of the first of many draughts (drafts, if you prefer), I published that 70,000 word novel on Smashwords.
Soon coming to Amazon for Kindle.
In the meantime, you can read the six stories for just $0.99, which is not bad for the journey they will take you on.


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

Some of these stories were among my first steps to eventually writing a novel, which was the aim all along. Providentially they proved to be quite good as stand-alone stories. If you can afford $0.99 you can judge for yourself.


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## philvan (May 26, 2010)

Still guaranteed to take you away to another mindset. 20,00 words of immersion in sunshine and moonlight, death and salvation.


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