If you’re on my Patreon, you already knew this was coming…
Even once the day is saved and the villains defeated, life may never be “normal” again. It certainly doesn’t get boring. A hero could wind up in love, or living on the run… or serving as a dormitory resident advisor in space.
SMALL VICTORIES contains seventeen stories from the series Good Intentions, Wandering Monsters, and Poor Man’s Fight. Collectively they include graphic sex, explicit violence, blasphemy, more graphic sex, rampant profanity, a homeowners association, polyamory, perfidy, fraternization, mushy conversations, toxic workplace conditions, poor leadership, morale issues, destruction of private property, fantasy depictions of demonic and divine beings bearing little or no resemblance to established religious canon, victim blaming, ambitious neighbors, sex in public, sex in private, sex while trespassing, kitchen sex, dressing room sex, indecent acts in a condominium listed for sale, mugging, stabbing, beating, shooting, impaling, defenestration, mutilated corpses, banditry, militarism, interrogations, false identification, low-gravity combat, nausea, vomiting, asphyxiation, teasing, lingerie, witchcraft, spacecraft, boarding actions, butter theft, police, homelessness, dangerous misuse of gym equipment, disrespect for vampires, breaking and entering, evasion of student visa restrictions, falsified dormitory records, phone calls of questionable timing, interstellar warfare, murder, assault, mistrust, harsh words, peer pressure, immolation, cinema criticism, abuse of authority, awkward conversations with mom, and alien drug mushrooms of questionable sentience in a refrigerator.
Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CJKJZNT/
The stories from this book are all taken from the monthly short story drop from my Patreon page–and, as such, supporters there will get the book for free as they’ve already kinda paid for it and then some. (As always, thank you so much.) Currently I’m planning this to be ONLY in ebook, as prospects of an audio version are a little thin and I’m not sure paperback would be cost-effective. Sorry if ebook-only is a barrier, but I’m hoping it won’t be. It will, however, be on Kindle Unlimited.
On the charity note: for the first 30 days after launch, all author profits from this book will be donated to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. Please note that neither organization is affiliated with me and this isn’t any sort of endorsement from them; it’s just a thing I’m doing. I WILL post receipts here. Los Angeles is a large and diverse area and it’s where I grew up, so I know this will do some real good. Both of these organizations have four-star ratings from Charity Navigator.
To be clear on details: I’ll post a screenshot of my sales data at the end of the 30 days, and I’ll show the math for the author profits. The only carve-outs are Amazon’s standard cut for sales and the 35% I need to withhold for federal taxes. (I realize that’s a little high, but experience has taught me to play it safe; I’ll cover the state taxes on my own, though.) The Kindle Unlimited payout will be estimated from the latest payout rate. Also, to be clear, the payout doesn’t hit my bank account until two months after it’s posted on my dashboard. If I can cover the donation out of my own finances before then, I’ll do so, but if sales are awesome I might have to wait for the payment. I’ve done this sort of thing before and I try to be transparent about it. 🙂
If you’re interested in getting on that Patreon for future story releases and sneak-peeks, give it a visit: https://www.patreon.com/elliottkay
As always, thank you so much for your support and thank you for reading!
Thank you fo your generosity, but don’t hurt yourself by trying to get them the money immediately. The sad fact is: at our current evolutionary state, there will always be those in need of a hand. As long as you do what you’ve said you will in a timely manner, none of us will will complain. Remember, you must take care of you first, as if you don’t, eventually you can’t help others. Also, a little, every time you can, will add up to more, over time, than putting yourself in hardship to do a big thing once! Thank you again for your willingness to help as you can!!!
I’m grateful that you choose to do this, especially with the organizations that you selected for the donation. Often times when people publicly donate to organizations in situations like this they choose an organization that either promotes their ideological ax to grind or some politically aligned organization that is just shy of being a PAC of some kind.
Feeding people, providing safe housing to those in need or healthcare support are better options.
I support Oklahoma’s food bank. I’m glad that you chose to support another one in a town that is close to your heart.
My main thing is to make sure I’m donating to sincere & reputable charities. Fraud and abuse happen all over the political spectrum, whether left right or center. I’ve been burned a few times, though luckily not with anything I’ve supported through my books like I linked in the post. I’m politically left, and I support a number of orgs that might be seen as such, and I’m open about that, but the food banks need help right now, too.
It’s also not hard to make the argument that food banks are a political statement unto themselves. 🙂
Any chance we’ll be able to get this from non-Amazon sources, like Kobo?
It’s not an immediate plan, but I’m giving a little more thought to taking a non-exclusive turn for a while.
The frustrating issue is that I make more money in any random month on Kindle Unlimited (which requires Amazon exclusivity) than I made in the first couple years with other platforms.
It may go well with another go, but experience says my audience is on Amazon. But I’m not there out of any particular ideology.
I will say that Poor Man’s Fight in particular will stay Amazon exclusive regardless because they publish the first two in the series on an Amazon imprint and it doesn’t make sense to take the later books anywhere else.
I read this specifically for the Good Intentions universe content, and I must say that I really enjoyed those stories. In fact, I feel that this content really fills in what I felt was missing from the last book and to a lesser degree from the third book in the series. They’re both good books, but I’ve been really craving more character development drama and intimate moments between Alex, Lorelei, and Rachel. These stories really work for that. If you felt the last two books focused heavily on the action and you were missing those personal moments, then this has what you are looking for. It didn’t bother me that these were retrospective stories because I almost felt like you could imagine them fitting into their daily life at any point, as if they are really more of a window into the life of our main character and his relationships. I’d really love to see more content of this kind find its way into the main story novels in the future. Either way, I’m a big fan of the entire series and will read future novels no matter what!
Home owners associations? I think I’ll stick to the main stories where they only run into demon princes. There is such a thing as bad guys being TOO evil.
Definitely next on my list of must-reads.
Is it safe to read these stories before reading “Past Due”?
Just wanted to make sure i didn’t spoil anything.
Absolutely! The last of the Good Intentions stories takes place shortly after Personal Demons.
Mahalo!
Loved the book and all the short stories, I hope it does well and you’ll consider writing another one of these!
From my short story wishlist I’d like to see:
– Definitely gonna need more Malone the resident advisor, if not during a main novel then in other short stories, this one was should pure gold!
– Would also like more short stories between Alex’s mom and the trio (there NEEDS to be one of his mom showing baby pictures to Lorelei and Leliana and telling embarrasing stories).
– Finally for the our wandering monsters I picture a story all based around a campfire discussion that starts with some innocuous comment/question and devolves in a “I want to bash my/his head in”, “Why am I with these guys”, “I need new friends” kinda fight among firends with clashing personalities/ideologies but of course is resolved with them remembering they’re actually quite good all together. And Yargol needs to have the last word.
Anyway can’t wait for more of your work!
Hi Elliott,
Most respects, I’ve had the great pleasure of listening to a excellent wordsmith. A weaver of tales, I say listening . I’ve enjoyed your book from the Audible Universe, having snoozed and resnoozed and then relistened to your books while gardening or fixing things etc. it’s easy when your plugged in to an iPhone and Bluetooth ear’Ps. I found poor mans series , then to my love “good intentions”.
Thanks Lotz, I’ll expect the next great instalments . PLEASE, Please, I listen to your books while driving and just having an afternoon drink and watching the Audible mayhem in my imagination, fought by Ms Ironsides voice.
Your none audio books ? Would you consider having them made into audio?
Again thanks lotz , can’t wait for ALEX and Co’s next debacle.
PS I’m going to retell the G’s and B’s on the C. Alanson site about your series as they are just to-good.