I have two accounts here on Bluesky:

This one (LukeMatthews) is my author account, where I give updates on my books, talk about writing, and discuss publishing-related stuff.

If you want more personal, geeky, stream-of-consciousness stuff, check out @geekelite.bsky.social.

Glad to see that @bsky.app has implemented an Instagram-style account switching option via a long-press on my profile pic. So much easier than having to go into settings to do it.

I am going to make the forbidden request:

If you have read my books (CONSTRUCT & COMPANION), tell me what you thought of them.

I'm bringing this on myself. Don't worry if your opinion is negative. Just don't be a dick.

2nd Request: If you haven't read them, read them, and tell me what you think.

The passage of time has become meaningless to me. I'm only now realizing, after so many delays, life events, and catastrophes, that next year will be the 10-year anniversary of the publication of CONSTRUCT.

And I only have one other book out. I'm starting to understand why I have no "fanbase".

CW: Glum Whininess (feel free to skip)

I'm a little envious of creatives who have followers who will auto-share their promotion and talk up their work. I hate having to beg for reach, which is why I don't self-promote well or often.

I very much agree with this. Sometimes you come into a character's life when they're beyond really "growing", and you're reading about how they deal with whatever the story presents.

That dilemma resulting in character growth/change is not a prerequisite for quality.

I marvel at folks who can say they decide whether to read an entire book based on the first page.

I can barely make that assessment in the first *half*, much less the first page.

It's interesting seeing famous and semi-famous folks who have a built-in following marvel at how their engagement here is nearly the same as when they had way more followers on FuXoff.

As someone with no fame or fans, it's the absolute polar opposite for me.

Finally set up my office desk yesterday.

Just the process of moving bits around and connecting cables absolutely wiped me out.

I have a feeling this is going to be a very long recovery process.

LOL. This is the thing that all greedy-ass social media platforms COULD do, but are smart enough NOT to do. Bye Twitter.

I've finally come out the other side of COVID. Hopefully within the next week or so I'll actually be able to do some of the massive list of work I have to do, and soon... SOON... get back to writing.

@cullenbunn.bsky.social Thank you, sir. I really appreciate the boost. 😁

I don't have much of a following, as I'm bad at self-promo and never really go "viral". If you can find it in your heart to share this post (and maybe my post about Companion, too) I'd be forever grateful.

I wish I could boil down my books into single-sentence buzz-phrases like other authors can. It's a very useful skill for social media that I severely lack.

When I was promoting my first novel, I had someone tell me - unsolicited, mind you - that if I needed an editor to "doctor" my writing, I shouldn't be writing.

Sometimes I wonder what ever happened to that dude.

No I don't. That's a lie.

The second book in my Chronicler Saga series, COMPANION, is available now wherever you get eBooks!

Www.chroniclersaga.com/buy-the-book

“Matthews’ vivid description, brisk pacing, and page-turning mystery hooked me from the first page. The haunted construct Samuel is as fine an example of a compelling fantasy character as I could hope to find. CONSTRUCT is a delight!” 

– Cullen Bunn, writer of The Sixth Gun

www.chroniclersaga.com

Someday, when I'm no longer sick and our new house is in some semblance of order, I will return to writing CAPTIVE.

When I do, this will be where I talk about writing, what I'm working on, and things of that nature.

Until then.... I dunno.