David Elliott (Author DG Elliott)

Getting some giveaways in order for the book launch! Watch this space for a invite to get a FREE COPY of the #TheFixIsIn novella and enter to win the grand prize: An NCO LowVz EDC blade, trainer, sheath, and tactical pen from @Colonel_Blades !!! Frank 'FIX' Xavier uses one in the novel, and I use mine as my EDC and any time I'm sailing. It goes through even the toughest dockline! Any reviewers/fellow authors, PM me to get an ARC along with a commemorative patch & challenge coin (ok, a poker chip, which could be a clue from the novel). More exciting stuff soon so give me a follow!

@YuvalKordov Star Frontiers. Very underrated and well thought out.

My first RPGs. (The 80s are undefeated. Also, if you’ve read my books, input = output)

@GriftReport Are those sausages even cooked? What do you boil those over there? And please for the sake of my friends and family... Don't bean the breakfasts. 😂👍

What's missing?

@PaulRoscoeWhite @BindingVets Paul would be a great guest for your book club. He has a ton of great stories. Both real and fiction.

Written at altitude. Forged in pressure. Lived at full afterburner. ✈️ MAXIMUM AFTERBURNER 📘 A fighter aviator’s memoir 📅 Coming 2026 #PenSwordBooks #ComingSoon #MilitaryMemoir #Fighterjets #AviationBooks #F15E #F16 #F35 #VeteranVoices #ModernWarfare #AviationLife

I can't wait to read this!

@sstrattonauthor You mulching? So... How much mulch could a mulch mucker muck if a mulch mucker could muck mulch?

One is fun, one is not

Listen to Yuri. It's a coverup. And Frank Xavier has NO WAY OUT. Download for FREE 👉 a.co/d/0f7gdAMm #freebook #thrillerbook #nowayout #thefixfiles

@AbigailFalanga One of my favorites that I never hear anyone mention is The Dagger and the Coin by Daniel Abraham. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

What are the top fantasy books/series you think every well-read fantasy fan should know? (we'll assume Tolkien and Lewis, so besides that)

@sstrattonauthor That looks like pure snow!

The view around here suck

@zanelamprey Needs more Steve

Have you been to Oktoberfest? Three Sheets Munich! #ThreeSheets #Oktoberfest #TravelComedy

@DirtbaggeryBR It is so good. I still remember the twist. Wait till you find out the empire's source 🤪 I read those books in the 90s and I still remember a lot.

Heir to the Empire is just fun. I’m loving this. It’s a rare example of how me not having read a wider range of books as a kid is actually working for me now. Because in this modern era of Disney Star Wars slop, I get to read the Thrawn trilogy for the first time, and damn it if it doesn’t feel good to consume actual Star Wars.

@DirtbaggeryBR JJ Abrams and Rian Johnson ruined SW. Like scorched earth, burn it down, leave nothing left to salvage. If it wasn't for Andor the galaxy would be far far beyond help.

It's an abomination of filmmaking, let alone a Star Wars film. 1. It didn't challenge the saga, it's a shittier Empire. 2. Emotional Narratives? I don't even know what he's referring to. 3. Visuals, ok. Ooh wow, look at the colors. 4. Slowest high-speed chase ended by a suicide move that made previous canon irrelevant. If you could just jump into things and destroy them, why not do that to the death stars with a droid at the helm? 5. Fin and Rose's side quest was retarded. Yes, while we're on this super critical mission, let's illegally park our ship on the fucking resort beach. 6. Haldo not keeping Poe in the loop made things way worse than they needed to be just so she could be a girlboss. 7. Luke 8. Marry Poppins in space. 9. Rose somehow turning around and then catching up with Fin who had been going petal to the metal in the opposite direction, only to deliberately crash into him at high-speed in order to "save" him? Seriously what the fuck was that? 10. Rose: Don't kill what you hate, protect what you love? STFU! You just tried to kill your crush you moron, and in so doing robbed us of what would have been the most emotionally significant scene of the movie. Whore. 11. Luke 12. Snoke being a nothing burger. And the list goes on.

I put a LOT of thought into my brand. I have a series featuring a character named Frank Xavier. His initials are FIX, so that was his military call-sign. Each of my books features FIX in the name. (THE FIX IS IN, THE KILL FIX, A FIXED TARGET). I also have a CIA styled website called THE FIX FILES. And my covers are all similar and feel premium. I want readers to see FIX in the title and remember they've read one before even if they don't know the author name yet.

WHY IS BRANDING IMPORTANT FOR FICTION AUTHORS?   It matters for several interconnected reasons: 1. Identity and Recognition: A strong author brand helps readers instantly recognize your work. When someone loved your last book, a consistent brand (cover style, tone, genre, voice) signals "this is more of what you loved." It builds trust before a reader even opens the book. 2. Reader Loyalty: Branding transforms one-time readers into fans. When readers know what to expect from you (cozy mysteries, dark fantasy, heartfelt romance), they're more likely to pre-order your next release and follow your career long-term. 3. Standing Out in a Crowded Market: Fiction publishing is intensely competitive. A distinctive brand, whether it's your unique voice, a niche subgenre, or a signature aesthetic, gives you a foothold in readers' minds and makes you memorable among thousands of titles. 4. Marketing Efficiency: A clear brand makes every marketing decision easier. You know which readers to target, which platforms to focus on, what your covers should look like, and how to write your blurbs. Without a brand, marketing feels like shouting into a void. 5. Professional Credibility: A polished, consistent brand signals professionalism to agents, publishers, and readers alike. It shows you're serious about your career, not just a one-book wonder. 6. Cross-Promotion and Series Success: If you write series or multiple books, branding creates a halo effect. Readers who love book one are pre-sold on book two simply because it's yours. 7. Platform and Community Building: Your brand extends beyond the books to your newsletter, social media, and author website. A coherent identity gives fans something to rally around and makes community-building feel natural. In short, branding is how readers find you, remember you, and come back for more. For fiction authors especially, where emotional connection drives purchasing decisions, a resonant brand can be the difference between a forgettable title and a lasting writing career. #WritingCommunity

@Orlando_AUTiger @wardlarsen @BestThrillBooks @FullyBookedInKY Can't wait for that as well as Jack's PRESSURE DEPTH later this year. Clancy's in good hands.

Happy Friday! What are you reading this weekend? I’m reading Tom Clancy RULES OF ENGAGEMENT by @wardlarsen 🫡👊🏼 Look for my upcoming review at @BestThrillBooks

@RoKhanna Why on earth is it necessary to pay a high school student working part time and during summer a "living wage"? I worked fast food when I was 16. My only expenses were pizza, record albums, and clothes.

I co-introduced historic legislation to increase the minimum wage to $25. As someone who taught economics at Stanford, here is why it makes sense. The real minimum wage was $14 in 1968. Today it is half, but productivity has increased 2.5x. Instead of extractive capitalism, we need a free enterprise system that pays workers what they are worth.

@sstrattonauthor I did better with the kawasaki :-)

@dgelliott00 Chicks dig tympani

Good Friday/May Day from Colorado. Waiting on gun and motorcycles parts so I'll write, ruck, and dry fire. Got to see grandson 10 play different percussion instruments in his elementary school band. He's much better than I was😂 Have a great day and get outside, train, and do good.

@MikeyDiMercurio The Rolex may not be perfect, it may be slower than it was, and it may be due for some TLC, but it will be here long after X is gone. Social media is a lens that distorts and exacerbates everything--highs and lows. I can only take so much before I need reality and nature.

@autumn_inkblood @Kristin_Fiction I am talking with some fellow authors about starting an "Author co-op" that will market itself as 100% human written. We could do interviews, reader groups, share early drafts, etc. Anything to dispel the notion that we are AI bots spamming KDP.

@Kristin_Fiction Insightful and well-said. I do think AI saturation will eventually backfire on AI by inspiring a new appreciation for the work that goes into the arts (and all the discipline that takes to build up one’s craft).

The self-publishing world is chock full of people who don’t belong there, making it worse and harder for the writers who actually… write New article is live kristinmctiernan.com/companion-book…

It's amazing how many people who want to write a novel don't actually read them. AI is going to make it much worse. One guy accused me of being an AI author (there's a small AI element that my designer used on the cover). I said, no, I wrote every word inside. And I have the crappy first drafts from 2018 to prove it.

YURI WAS RIGHT! IT IS A COVERUP! Download it for free > a.co/d/0eXyjsuh

THE FIX IS IN: A Frank Xavier Thriller Novella Download for FREE 👉 a.co/d/0f7gdAMm A missing US senator... A covert extraction gone wrong... A coverup to bury it all.