Lemons & ARC Readers? It’ll make sense, don’t worry.

Christopher Tallon here. If you haven’t already read, Switchers, my book teens in 1996 who get pulled into a time travel war against their adult selves, you can get the cheapest ebook on the internet here, and yes, it’s compatible with your e-reader/app or your money back.

Things Don’t Always Go the Way You Want…

That’s not just my resting bitch face. See, I was recently presented with an opportunity. I had to make a choice between family stuff and this nifty little opportunity. I chose the opportunity. It turned out to be a non-opportunity. At least for me.

What does that mean?

Someone asked me to come to an event to promote my book. I jump on that stuff quick if it sounds like a cool deal. So I showed up and it turns out they just needed people around to make the event look more full. Essentially I was a seat filler at an event that was presented to me as something I would participate in.

Why are you telling me this, Christopher Tallon?

Because I learned a lesson.

First, if someone presents you an “opportunity”. . .ALWAYS ASK QUESTIONS. If I said, “How long will I be speaking? Should I have a certain amount of time I’m ready to fill? Am I guaranteed time to speak or is it a we’ll-get-to-you-if-we-have-time type of thing?” or even, “I have family stuff going on during this. Are you sure this will be worth the time away from them?” maybe I could’ve avoided this situation. Instead I just sat there like an asshole waiting for the opportunity that would never come.

When’s the Payoff?!?

That’s what I kept thinking. Until I realized there wouldn’t be one, that is.

And right now I’m working on my next book. It’s going well. I should be done in the next couple months. At this moment, I’m getting close to the climax of the story and it’s (for me personally) not going well. I have these things that I (at this moment) know are going to happen in the story but I have to write patiently until the right moment. But at least with this there will be a payoff.

Patience is important for a longform writer. For anyone, duh, but especially so for a novelist. There’s just so much to write, dude.

So, now I’m sitting here, post writing sesh, venting about my bullshit when, in all reality, life is pretty awesome.

Ugh…

Thanks for listening.

And speaking of waiting and opportunities…

Want to Be an ARC Reader?

ARC reader = Advance Reader Copy reader.

In other words, would you like to read my book before it’s out? I’m not ready for you just yet, but I’m trying to get a list together so when it is time, I’m not looking for readers at the last possible second.

So if you want to read it, tell me a few strengths and weaknesses from the story, point out any typos or confusingly worded bits, and things of that nature, let me know. Even if you’re like, “I don’t know if I’ll like it and I might not finish it,” I still want your opinion. If you tell me where and why you stopped reading, I might be able to polish it up a little bit. I’m not looking for people who promise to say great things about it. I’m looking for the truth. (I can handle the truth. It’s okay to say, “I really couldn’t get into it,” as long as you can use words to describe why.

Oh, and if you do want to be and ARC reader, I’d really appreciate if you could leave a review somewhere online when the book comes out. Amazon, Goodreads, and/or Litsy, or something like that.

If it sounds like your jam, email me with “ARC” in the subject line.

And as always, listen to my podcast:

Ep.92 | Cocoon ArtSpace – The Collaborative "Growth" Exhibit – A Podcast for Creative People

Cocoon Art Space is a vibrant art gallery and studio located at 327 S. Division Ave in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded by artists (and married couple) Josie Garcia and Tedd Smith, the space serves as a hub for local creativity, offering a rotating selection of exhibitions, handmade goods, and community events. The "Growth" exhibit celebrates nine different artists, who over the course of two months, illustrated, painted or sculpted their idea of growth into one collaborative piece. I talked to a few of the artists about how this whole thing worked. Those artists are: John Jurries* Tedd Smith* Corinne Roberts Kat Vanderweele Jenny Hearns* C.R. Warner* Robyn Smith* Christina Hutton  Lain Leo Bold* indicates the artists who were interviewed on the podcast, and you can click to open the link to their websites/socials in a new window. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PAINTING/SCULPTURE  

1. Ep.92 | Cocoon ArtSpace – The Collaborative "Growth" Exhibit 48:24
2. Ep.91 | Pablo Eskobear – Jammie Award Winning Producer (Best Instrumental Album) 55:25
3. Ep.90 | Chris LaPorte – From Theme Parks to ArtPrize Glory 01:03:01
4. Ep.89 | Hot Sauce Challenge! – w/ Ivan Labra 30:00
5. Ep.88 | Working GalaxyCon Richmond with the Pop-Up BookShoppe 38:50
6. Ep.87 | Carlos "Los the Artist" Sampson – painting and tattoos 52:34
7. Ep.86 | Chelsea Rice aka C.R. Rice – author and founder of the Popup Book Shoppe 44:36
8. Ep.85 | Sonny Ski – Artist of the Year Nominee ('25 Jammie Awards) 37:42
9. Ep.84 | Tylor Paige — author of the whorror novel Slash Or Pass 42:13
10. Ep.83 | Jody J. Sperling on Becoming a Household Name 42:53

Thanks for checking in. If you want a signed paperback of Switchers for $20 (includes shipping (in the US)) you can get it here. If you want one from Amazon (unsigned) for $15, click here. You can get the ebook from major online retailers, or you can save a couple bucks and buy it directly from the shop on my website.

Thanks so much. Also, feel free to say hi on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and/or TikTok.

-CT

Christopher Tallon is the author of the dark, adventurous, time-travel novel Switchers.

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