Bestseller for April 2025

Maybe I should just keep cutting and pasting these posts. The bestseller for April was The Divided States of America RPG once again.

Order from DriveThruRPG: https://legacy.drivethrurpg.com/product/511906/

Order from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DWQJTXMV

Order from another retailer: https://books2read.com/u/4jzYgk

No one can say with any reasonable certainty when the United States of America began to fall apart. Many point to the presidential election of 2016, but most believe the breakup started long before this. Now, in the year 2110, the former United States is made up of fourteen nation-states and The Wastelands. Some of the nation-states have prospered under self-rule, while others have declined. Some nation-states are very accepting of outsiders, while others trust no one…sometimes not even their fellow citizens. There is chaos in some places, and order in others…sometimes too much order.

The first state to break away from the USA was, not unexpectedly, Texas, and from there, things continued to spiral out of control as the national government tried to hold on to control that the state governments wanted back, and eventually, the federal government was no longer able to control the states, and the break-up came about.

Some of the nation-states kept the name “America” in their new names. Some did this as a tribute to where they had come from, while others did it to remind their citizens of what they were breaking away from. Others adopted new names, or took on names that were given to them.

Borders in some areas are heavily patrolled, even walled in places, while other borders have no protection at all…mostly it depends on the views of the new government and its citizens, even though sometimes those two groups still don’t agree. Let’s face it, greed and independence are bred into the human race, and even allying with others that have similar viewpoints does not necessarily mean that they will always get along.

As a game, players create characters with seven attributes that are used to enhance a variety of skills. As the characters advance, they gain experience, which can be put towards their skills, their health, or banked to allow the player to raise their character’s attributes.

Magazine sale

From the Nomadic Delirium Press Blog:

To celebrate regaining the publishing rights to The Fifth Di… and The Martian Wave, we're offering the back issues for these zines for just 50 cents…and we're also throwing in back issues of Environmental Holocaust and Mundanities. https://www.drivethrufiction.com/saleguide.php?src=sgrc 

 

The last $1 e-book...for now...

From the Nomadic Delirium Press Blog:

Our last $1 e-book…for now is The Divided States of America Vol. 1 available at https://books2read.com/b/bPw87Y

No one can say with any reasonable certainty when the United States of America began to fall apart. Many point to the presidential election of 2016, but most believe the breakup started long before this. Now, in the year 2110, the former United States is made up of 14 nation-states and The Wastelands. Some of the nation-states have prospered under self-rule, while others have declined. Some nation-states are very accepting of outsiders, while others trust no one…sometimes not even their fellow citizens. There is chaos in some places, and order in others…sometimes too much order.

 

Mainstream Fiction

For the most part, I'm a science fiction writer that occasionally dabbles in other speculative genres, but there was a time when I tried my hand at mainstream fiction, writing several short stories and a one-act play. I'm still trying to find copies of some of those stories, but a few of them are available, so feel free to check them out at https://www.jalanerwine.com/mainstream.htm

The Fifth Di... and The Martian Wave

Nomadic Delirium Press has recently reacquired the publishing rights for The Fifth Di... and The Martian Wave, and I will once again be editing these zines. As a bit of history, both zines were created by James Baker of ProMart Publishing roughly 30 years ago. Yes, these magazines pre-date my writing career, and I feel like I've been doing this for a very long time. The zines have bounced around from publisher to publisher, with NDP publishing them for many years.

Now that the zines are back, we need to come up with publishing schedules, and figure out what and how to pay our authors.

More details will be coming when they're available.

$1 e-book for April 14th

From the Nomadic Delirium Press Blog:

This week’s $1 e-book is Future Syndicate II available at https://books2read.com/b/bzq9jj

Many would like to think that as our species evolves, crime will disappear, but most know this is not true. Crime has always been with us, and it always will. Future Syndicate II features stories told from the point of view of the criminals, sometimes bad people, sometimes people forced to make bad decisions, but always, in the eyes of society, criminals.

Climbing the Hill with Sisyphus

My one-act play, Climbing the Hill with Sisyphus is now available as both an e-book, and in print at https://books2read.com/b/bPpGz7

Eric is a teen with troubles, the biggest of which is his alcoholic father. This one-act play uses a split-stage, showing Eric talking to his therapist on one side of the stage, while we get to see flashbacks to the last couple of troubled years on the other side of the stage.

This was a play that I had written years ago when I was in college. I reworked it, and I had published it earlier, but there were some problems with it, so I pulled it, and reworked it some more. Unlike most of my work, this is not science fiction.

Ephemeris 1.0 sale

From the Nomadic Delirium Press Blog:

In answer to the huge demand for the re-release of the Ephemeris 1.0 titles, we have answered, and re-released all of them. In celebration of this, we’re making them all available for 50% off, and we figured if we’re offering these titles for sale, we might as well offer all of our RPG titles for 50% off. So, you can save on Ephemeris 1.0, Ephemeris 2.0, The Divivded States of America, Rocks on the Other Side, and The Battle for Turtle Island titles…all of them.

Order today: https://legacy.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/2805/

 

I'm delaying the release of my new novel

I've decided to delay the release of my new novel until May. One of my daughters will be having her first baby sometime in the next couple of weeks, and when that happens, we will be leaving town to be with her, so this isn't the best time to be trying to worry about a book release.

I guess I'm delaying the release of one baby for another. Keep an eye on this page next month for all of the details.

Support me at Patreon

Want to help support my writing and get copies of my future releases? Support my Patreon at http://patreon.com/jalanerwine

There are three different levels of support, and two of them will get you copies of anything I write between now and well, til I can't write anymore.

The new novel is done

I've put the finishing touches on my fifth novel. I'm now waiting for the cover art, and I still need to come up with a title for the damn thing. Usually titles are easy, but not this one.

I'm really liking the way this book turned out, and I'm hoping my readers will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Another $1 e-book

From the Nomadic Delirium Press Blog:

This week's $1 e-book is Do You Really Want to be a Writer? Download it today at https://books2read.com/b/bwVAy9

Do you really want to be a writer? It's a serious question that anyone thinking about entering the field of writing should ask.
In this collection of essays, prize-winning science fiction author and editor J Alan Erwine uses his usual wit and sarcasm to educate and entertain potential writers as they start their journeys.
You won't find essays about plot or character development here, but instead, you'll find 17 essays that talk about the business of writing. Erwine uses his more than a quarter of a century of experience to talk about the submission process, and more importantly, what to do with your writing and career after you've started selling.
Do You Really Want To Be a Writer? is a great source of information for the new writer as well as the experienced writer.

 

Bestseller for March 2025

Once again The Divided States of America Role Playing Game was my top selling title. March was a lean month for sales. Obviously people are starting to worry about the economy, and books are one of the first things people stop buying.

Can the game be the top seller for April?

Order from DriveThruRPG: https://legacy.drivethrurpg.com/product/511906/

Order from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DWQJTXMV

Order from another retailer: https://books2read.com/u/4jzYgk

No one can say with any reasonable certainty when the United States of America began to fall apart. Many point to the presidential election of 2016, but most believe the breakup started long before this. Now, in the year 2110, the former United States is made up of fourteen nation-states and The Wastelands. Some of the nation-states have prospered under self-rule, while others have declined. Some nation-states are very accepting of outsiders, while others trust no one…sometimes not even their fellow citizens. There is chaos in some places, and order in others…sometimes too much order.

The first state to break away from the USA was, not unexpectedly, Texas, and from there, things continued to spiral out of control as the national government tried to hold on to control that the state governments wanted back, and eventually, the federal government was no longer able to control the states, and the break-up came about.

Some of the nation-states kept the name “America” in their new names. Some did this as a tribute to where they had come from, while others did it to remind their citizens of what they were breaking away from. Others adopted new names, or took on names that were given to them.

Borders in some areas are heavily patrolled, even walled in places, while other borders have no protection at all…mostly it depends on the views of the new government and its citizens, even though sometimes those two groups still don’t agree. Let’s face it, greed and independence are bred into the human race, and even allying with others that have similar viewpoints does not necessarily mean that they will always get along.

As a game, players create characters with seven attributes that are used to enhance a variety of skills. As the characters advance, they gain experience, which can be put towards their skills, their health, or banked to allow the player to raise their character’s attributes.

Another RPG sale

From the Nomadic Delirium Press Blog:

Since we've decided to go ahead with our crazy idea of creating an RPG zine, we've decided to give you the opportunity to download our games for half price at DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/2805/

You can download Rocks on the Other Side, Ephemeris 2.0, and The Divided States of America for just $5. The Battle for Turtle Island can be yours for just $1.50. And we've even thrown in the Complete Ephemeris 1.0 tome for $10.

Order soon, as time is limited. We don't have a definite release date for the new zine, but we are hard at work on it. Keep an eye on this page for more information as it becomes available.

 

Half price novels

In anticipation of the release of my new novel, all of my novels are currently available for half price...

Echoes from the Deep: https://books2read.com/b/b5Y97p

A Problem in Translation: https://books2read.com/b/b6a1xx

Red Moon Rising: https://books2read.com/b/mKAaYE

The Opium of the People: https://books2read.com/b/4DnLZd

Order from DriveThruFiction: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/browse/pub/16618/

The $1 e-book of the week

From the Nomadic Delirium Press Blog:

This week's $1 e-book is Goatherds & Gods by James B. Baker and J Alan Erwine. Download it today at https://books2read.com/b/49OL2w

Joseph was born the son of a goatherd chieftain, destined to do nothing more than lead a small band of goatherds, Joseph quickly becomes disillusioned with his tribe and his life, and when his young wife and child die, Joseph leaves his people behind, having no idea what Yahovah has planned for him.

Joseph meets his new wife, Yasmen, and with the help of an ancient man who only calls himself the Elder Rishni, Joseph becomes the leader of a new group of people, a group that grows in numbers and strength, and eventually grows powerful enough to possibly challenge the mighty Indo-Aryan armies and their mighty leader, the Kzer…possibly…

 

International e-books

It's come to my attention that most of my e-books have not been available internationally except through Amazon or Kobo, so I've fixed that, and they should start appearing in stores outside of the US over the next few days. This just applies to my actual books. I haven't fixed the individual stories yet...there are almost 70 of them, so that will take a while.

GM's Day Sale

From the Nomadic Delirium Press Blog:

DriveThruRPG is currently running their GM’s Day Sale, and this is your chance to save up to 40% off of our titles. Check the sale out at https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/2805/

You can get The Divided States of America Role Playing Game for 20% off during this sale.

 

Changes to my website

I'm making a few minor adjustments to my website. In the past, most of my purchase links have gone to Amazon, but starting with my new release, The Lies of Belial, the links will be going to Books2Read. I know there are quite a few people that don't like to buy from Amazon, and I understand that...

For now, these are just changes that I will make going forward. There are numerous purchase links on my site, and it will take a very long time to change all of them.

Drop by the site, and have a look: https://www.jalanerwine.com/

The Lies of Belial

Bradley makes a discovery on the hellish corp-moon known as Belial that could ultimately change the course of human history, but will the corps let him disclose his discovery…and for that matter, will they even let him live?
Originally released in the collection of the same name, the story is now available for the first time on its own.

Order from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZ1JXS64

Order from DriveThruFiction: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/514092/

Order from a different seller: https://books2read.com/u/4N0P2o