Rest in Peace, Prince of Darkness

Man, what a ride this guy had through life. Ozzy Osbourne was one of rock’s greatest voices—if not the greatest of them all. Today, he sadly passed away at the age of 76. Just two weeks ago, he played his final concert, bringing together some of the biggest names in music for one last, unforgettable hurrah.

I remember hearing him for the first time—falling in love with that kind of music and his unique voice. Later, I saw him on that MTV show, The Osbournes, which in Germany only aired with subtitles. My English wasn’t good enough at first to understand everything, but after watching rerun after rerun, not only did I get why so many liked it—I also came to love Ozzy Osbourne the person.

He always struck me as a great guy with a kind heart. And he managed to do what many men strive for: he stayed true to himself and lived his dream all the way to the end.

His music with Black Sabbath made me pick up a guitar. His work with Randy Rhoads is rock history at its finest. And his solo career later on produced hit after hit—for good reason. My father loved his music so much, he wanted Ozzy’s song Dreamer to be played at his funeral.

A man can’t live forever.
But his work can.
RIP Prince of Darkness.

Get My Short Story “Statues” for Free (STORY52 No. 4)

Another week, another free short story from me on Amazon. This time, you can grab Statues in both English and German — completely free until Saturday:

Summary:
The revolution has triumphed. The statue of the fallen dictator lies shattered on the pavement. Rodin, the sculptor who once created it, is now commissioned to craft a new monument — one that embodies renewal, freedom, and hope.
But how long will this new statue stand before it, too, is buried beneath the dust of history?

Statues is a haunting short story about power, political upheaval, and the failure of great ideals — approximately 2,500 words in length.

If you enjoy it, I’d greatly appreciate a review — thank you!

Want to catch future free promos? I run them regularly. Just follow me on Twitter and subscribe to my newsletter so you don’t miss out.

STORY52 Book Promotion – My First Download Numbers

As announced, I’ve started releasing one short story per week on Amazon for the next 52 weeks — all available for free. In the spirit of full transparency, here are the download numbers for my first two stories:

STORY52 No. 1 of 52: Black Market Dreams | (US – DE)

STORY52 No. 2 of 52: The Last Portrait | (US – DE)

I write all my stories in German and then translate them into English which is why there are always two version of each book.

Let’s see how things develop — but for someone with no existing audience, it’s a start. And all it cost me was some time and imagination. Hopefully, a few of these free downloads will turn into loyal readers. Hopefully the promo numbers will grow as the project gains momentum.

I think I’ll include these stats in future monthly “Author in Progress” reports.

World War IV is Also Available For Free Now

I’ve made World War IV available for free as well! The promotion runs until Monday. You can download the digital version for free on Amazon – available in both English and German:

ENG | World War IV
DE | Der 4. Weltkrieg

I wrote this story about 18 months ago. I’m proud of it — but back then, I didn’t have proper editing tools, so there may still be a few typos I couldn’t catch on my own. That said, I really enjoyed writing it, and I think the premise is quite unique.

Take a look for yourself — and if you like it, please leave me a review. Thanks a lot!

Get My Short Story “The Companion” For Free (Story52 No. 3)

This week’s short story is number 3 in my STORY52 project. It’s a shorter read of around 2K words.

Summary:

In the searing heat of the Mojave Desert, deep within a secret industrial complex, a machine is born – created by the brightest minds of humankind. As it takes its very first steps, it is confronted with the most fundamental question of existence. Its answer leaves its creators cold – and utterly alone.

You can get it completely for free until Saturday here:

After the promotion ends, both versions will be priced at the lowest price.
If you don’t want to miss future free promotions—I do them regularly—follow me on Twitter and join my newsletter.

Take care!