Monday, April 06, 2015

Guest Post by Tracy Sharp

Wow. Kindle Worlds. What a brilliant and fun idea! This is a game where everyone wins.

Writers who want to play in another writer’s sandbox are able to create their own castles and add them to the structures that are already there. The original writer has the joy of watching their characters take off in new and exciting directions while earning a percentage from new stories, fans of the series can continue reading about their favorite characters, and authors can earn a royalty while writing in a popular series and expanding their readership.

Kindle Worlds is also a fun way for established writers to explore writing in a series different than the one in which they normally write. Several bestselling writers have written stories for Kindle Worlds, such as Theresa Ragan, Jana Deleon, Russell Blake, and Marquitta Valentine.

I love when musicians collaborate or sample the songs of other artists in their own work, especially when the artists are from vastly different music genres. The result is usually fresh and outstanding. It’s remarkable what merging the visions of different artists can produce. I don’t see Kindle Worlds as being much different, and I look forward to reading and writing many Kindle Worlds books.

I am especially excited about the launch of the Jack Daniels and Associates Kindle World, as I’ve been a huge fan of the series for many years. A couple of years ago I had the honor of collaborating with Joe on the short novel Jacked Up, which teams up characters from his wonderful Jack Daniels world with my series character Leah Ryan. So when Joe invited me to write a full-length novel featuring both characters, I was thrilled and jumped at the chance. The result was Happy Hour, which also combines both the Jack Daniels and Leah Ryan worlds.

I’m currently working on a story for the Codename: Chandler World, which launches On May 5, and I’m having a blast. So many times during the writing of these stories, I feel the biggest smile cross my face. It’s amazing that it’s possible for writers to choose from so many different worlds and just take off with them. The possibilities are endless.


How many of you are working on Kindle Worlds stories?  Tell us in comments. I look forward to reading them! 

Joe sez: It was fun co-writing Jacked Up with Tracy, and I'm thrilled to have her tackle a Jack/Leah novel on her own.

It's sort of like watching someone cook one of your recipes, in your kitchen, buy adding their own personal spin on the dish. Writers willing to let others experiment with their characters are in for some tasty surprises. And because both the Jack Daniels and Associates Kindle World and the Codename: Chandler Kindle World allow writers to keep full possession of their IPs, there are no sticky copyright issues over who owns what. Your characters stay your characters, and neither I nor Amazon have any claim to them. 

Currently, Ann Voss Peterson and I are looking for writers to expand our Codename: Chandler Universe. We just finished a story with F. Paul Wilson, where Chandler meets his mainstay hero Repairman Jack. They fight. A lot. It was a ridiculous amount of fun to write, and we believe the readers will enjoy it just as much.

If you're interested in writing a Chandler story, email me. The deadline prior to launch is April 30. To learn more about Chandler, check out the page on my website.

22 comments:

BRYAN HIGBY said...

I wrote Cop Killer, Cannibal Cocktail, and Corpse Brandy for you before the Kindle Worlds deal and a great time. That is a series now I just published Sleeper Towers Fall, which is the first story book in a new Daniels/Grant cross over. Loving this. I also started a Code Name Chandler novella - Run Like Mad. I'm writing like mad to finish it by the April 30th deadline.

BRYAN HIGBY said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Hi Tracy,
I read Jacked up as soon as it came out and quite enjoyed it. It introduced me to your work and I look forward to reading Happy Hour.

I think writing a JD KW is a great idea. I wrote White Lady, a short story, and Paralyzer, a novel, is in for proofreading right now. It was an absolute blast writing stories combining my characters with Joe's. I first read Joe's Serial Uncut in 2010 and couldn't get through the rest of his books fast enough. If you asked me then if I could ever see myself writing in his universe, or even writing fiction, for that matter, I would have laughed. Wow, how things can change. (Thanks Joe!) I look forward to watching your success, Tracy.

Silas

Tracy Sharp - Author of the Leah Ryan Series said...

Thanks, Silas! Congrats on White Lady and Paralyzer! It is a blast writing in another writer's world. And you're right. Things change fast. You never know what opportunities are waiting for you :)

T. M. Bilderback said...

I've read both Jacked Up! and Happy Hour, and they're great! I think Happy Hour is even better than Jacked Up!, with more humor, more action, more everything! Tracy has done a wonderful job mixing the two worlds together, and I thoroughly enjoy her stories!

Tracy Sharp - Author of the Leah Ryan Series said...

Thanks, T.M! Glad you enjoyed them. I loved The Night Chicago Died!

Unknown said...

I've written a story for Lucy Kevin's Kindle World, FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FIASCO, called THE WEDDING GUEST. I couldn't resist. It was short, set in San Francisco where I lived for 25 years, and no sex scenes were required. Now I get royalty checks every month. Win-Win.

Tracy Sharp - Author of the Leah Ryan Series said...

Congrats, Phyllis! Fantastic!

Tracy Sharp - Author of the Leah Ryan Series said...

Corduroy, love the title. Run Like Mad.

Daniel R. Robichaud said...

I have your books, Tracy! I picked them up when Joe first talked about your crossover. They are so much fun!

A 41k short novel pairing Chandler with the leads from my upcoming paranormal investigation series is currently with my first reader. SCARY INTEL is not only a fun crossover, it's the debut for The Bookworm Brigade, a secret society charged with tracking down and recovering grimoires held by bad, bad people. This is a group I've been planning to write about for years (so many ideas, so little time!), and this opportunity kicked me into high gear. It was hella fun to write, approaching the supernatural shenanigans in a way to make Chandler my Scully. I hope it will entertain the C:C readers.

The first BB regular series book is targeted for a July release, but now I'm trying to get it ready for an earlier release...

Tracy Sharp - Author of the Leah Ryan Series said...

I'm so glad you enjoy the series, Daniel! Scary Intel sounds like a lot of fun. I love the idea of Chandler being the Scully in your story. Love the X-Files!

BRYAN HIGBY said...

Thanks Tracy loved your crossovers and look forward to more from you and the others who've enjoyed working on Joe's material. It's been super cool! Keep an eye open for Run Like Mad in the Chandler series coming soon!

Tracy Sharp - Author of the Leah Ryan Series said...

Corduroy, I'll watch for it :)

Daniel Kenney said...

Hi Tracy! I loved Jacked Up and read it a long while back. Look forward to grabbing Happy Hour. I wrote a Jack Daniels / Ben Hodges thriller novella called Brute Force and will submit the second story in that series, a short novel in the next week. I write these under the name Ted Cline. Best of luck to you!

Tracy Sharp - Author of the Leah Ryan Series said...

Daniel, excellent! Congrats! I look forward to reading your stories :)

Anonymous said...

you devalue your brand konrath, you devalue your brand

JA Konrath said...

you devalue your brand konrath, you devalue your brand

Ah, how boring my blog would be without anonymous cowards to pop in and spout unsupported opinion.

Right now there are 30,000 Star Wars fans videos on YouTube.

None of them devalue Lucas or his brand. But they tell me that Lucas's brand is so strong he has artists who desperately want to be a part of it.

These videos get views. They have fans.

One of them is called Leia's 22nd Birthday. It was directed by Josh Trank.

Josh went on to make Chronicle, the new Fantastic Four, and was picked to direct a standalone Star Wars film. A real Star Wars film.

Giving writers permission to play in my sandbox doesn't devalue my IP. To say so is short-sighted, lacks evidence and proof, and comes across as highly ignorant of the problems inherent in current copyright laws, as well a very real naivete about technology.

Fans want to be a part of IPs they enjoy. Always have. Always will. And the internet makes this easier than ever.

Kindle Worlds is a way to monetize this.

Devalue? Don't be stupid. The writers who are devaluing their brands are the ones who fight to protect against piracy, imitation, and homage. They're limiting the breadth and reach of their IPs. They're scorning fans. They're missing opportunities.

Also, you're a coward. Next time, sign your name and try to support the nonsense you spout. It will make for a more productive conversation.

That sound you just heard was my mic dropping before I walked away.

BRYAN HIGBY said...

Well put Joe. It's all about entertaining people and discover ability. You offer this with your generosity, we offer this with our talent!

AnonymousWriter said...

but the star wars brand is strong enough to withstand fan fiction and fans having fun....your brand is not so strong so there is a greater chance people will think it's the real deal...

BRYAN HIGBY said...

Many of us who are now published under the Kindle Worlds Jack Daniels and Codename: Chandler flag ships were originally accepted by Joe based off the merit of our writing, not because we were fans. KDP and Kindle Worlds also has quality standards listed in their contract.

AnonymousWriter said...

Higby and Sharp, you are fools and taking a lazy and ultimately unproductive path.

You play around in a world and with characters invented by someone else.

Take George R R Martin's advice and build your own world.

Playing with Konrath's toys in his sandpit will do no one any good.

Strike out and build your own world and characters.

Would Mark Twain have become a great famous author if instead of inventing his own characters he had instead just written about and regurgitated characters and worlds from the books - and mind - of Charles Dickens?

Would you know who J K Rowling is if she had chosen to write stories set in the lands that Tolkien created?

Think about it.

And yes Konrath I do expect you to answer this...not in a flippant way but a serious way. Tackling my points above.

It's not good for you or your sycophants.

BRYAN HIGBY said...

Mr. AnonymousWriter

If you bothered to do any research before Trolling this site you might have noticed that I have created hundreds of my own characters praised by authors like Konrath and Hugh Howey. Literary legend Joe Lansdale is currently reading my novel Pizza Man and I hope he's enjoying it. Take make the choice to play in Joe's sandbox was a no brainer because Joe's a great writer and a greater guy.