But true storytelling lives in the quiet, deeply personal choices made in the final minutes of a world.

What drives a person when all systems fail? When the sirens echo through two thousand meters of ice and steel, and the security doors slide shut, what is the one thing worth holding onto?

In my Sci-Fi short story, “Old Hengar,” I wanted to explore the intersection between apocalyptic chaos and the unbreakable power of a deathbed promise.

👉 Read the Sci-Fi Short Story Collection on Books2Read

Escaping the Underground Cage

The subterranean city was built to protect humanity after the last great glaciation covered the surface in endless snow. For generations, people lived deep beneath the ice, completely isolated from the raw, dangerous beauty of the natural sky.

When seismic alarms warn that the city’s protective dome is about to collapse, Hengar—an elderly man whose face carries the deep wrinkles of time—doesn’t run to Shelter Three with the rest of the citizens.

Instead, he confronts his son, Leo, the city’s head of security.

“I need a free passage permit for all levels,” he told his son as soon as he entered the door. “Father, what are you doing here? You should already be in shelter three...”

Hengar breaks his lifelong promises of safety. He accepts the electromagnetic pass key, utters a quiet farewell to his son—“You know I love you very much, truly very much”—and boards a high-speed motorized sleigh into the steep, spiraling snow tunnels heading upward to “Zero Elevation.”

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The Architecture of Memory

As Hengar ascends through the dark snow tunnel, illuminated only by the stroboscopic flash of scattered headlights, he isn’t thinking about the impending cataclysm.

He is traveling through time, revisiting the moments that defined his life:

• The first time he ascended this spiral with Lori, the love of his life, feeling her warm embrace against the icy backdrop of the tunnel.

• The transformative shift when their son, Leo, was born—changing their entire universe and solidifying a love that transcended the cold subterranean reality.

• The quiet, heartbreaking moment at Lori’s deathbed, when she leaned in and whispered her final wish: “Go up there, where we met, breathe that air for us and look at our sun one more time... Promise me...”

He wasn’t escaping the disaster. He was fulfilling a sacred vow.

Facing the Light

When Hengar finally crosses the threshold to the surface, the blinding, immaculate white expanse of snow greets him. The sun—a distant memory for those living two thousand meters below—caresses his face one last time.

Behind him, the ground shatters. A massive crater opens as the subterranean dome caves in, swallowing the city beneath the snow.

Yet, in that final, terrifying second where time seems to float, Hengar doesn’t feel terror. Bound by love, duty, and the completion of his promise, he looks up at the diminishing sunlight, finding peace in the middle of a collapsing world.

Discover the Full Sci-Fi Universe

Stories like Old Hengar remind us that even in the vastest, coldest science fiction settings, the human heart remains the ultimate core of every narrative.

If you enjoy emotional, thought-provoking Sci-Fi that bridges technological imagination with deep human feeling, this story and many others are waiting for you in my short story collection.

Explore distant planets, mysterious gateways, and unforgettable human journeys across the cosmos:

👉 Read the Sci-Fi Short Story Collection on Books2Read

If you were given one hour before an inevitable catastrophe, would you choose the safety of a bunker or the chance to fulfill one last dream in the open air? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

When an application works seamlessly, you don’t think about the thousands of lines of code running in the background. You don’t ask where the data goes, who manages the servers, or what hidden costs are embedded in the terms of service. You simply press the button, enjoy the convenience, and move on with your day.

As someone who spent 27 years working in IT engineering, I spent decades building and analyzing systems designed to optimize human life. But as a Science Fiction writer, I couldn’t help asking the darker, more unsettling question:

What happens when society itself becomes an optimized system run by an outside entity?

This very question became the beating heart of my novel, “The Three Gods.” And today, I have a special announcement for readers in the United States and Canada regarding a limited-time opportunity to dive into this universe.

The Utopian Trap: Free Food, Anti-Gravity, and Zero Freedom

In classic 20th-century dystopian literature, oppressive regimes always ruled through brute force, military surveillance, and public intimidation. Think of classic totalitarian states—heavy boots, grey banners, and constant fear.

However, in the modern era, control rarely looks like a soldier with a rifle. Control looks like convenience.

In the universe of The Three Gods, humanity’s material problems vanished almost overnight. Three mysterious entities arrived and handed civilization a turnkey utopia:

• Anti-gravity propulsion erased traffic, physical distance, and logistics costs.

• Energy-to-food synthesizers in every apartment made hunger a forgotten historical artifact.

• Economic stability replaced inflation, poverty, and political infighting.

No one was starving. No one was homeless. On the surface, humanity had achieved its ultimate dream.

But nature—and systems architecture—does not tolerate a free lunch. In exchange for absolute material security, humanity surrendered its critical thinking, its political voice, and its drive to understand the universe. Education was stripped down to mere operational manuals. Asking how the technology worked became an act of treason. Why try to understand the laws of physics when the “Gods” have already solved everything for you?

When citizens are warm, entertained, and fed, resistance dies not by force, but by apathy.

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Enter Dana: An Engineer in a World That Hates Questions

The story follows Dana, a brilliant young engineering graduate who refuses to let her curiosity be dulled by comfortable routine.

Living in a world where technical education is strictly restricted to basic maintenance, Dana begins to notice small glitches in the utopian fabric—anomalies in the power grids, mathematical inconsistencies in the state’s historical archives, and whispers of a hidden algorithm governing human behavior.

As she digs deeper into the inner workings of the regime, she realizes that the high-tech paradise is actually a gilded, velvet-lined cage. To break free, she must use her engineering mindset to debug the very reality she was born into.

The Three Gods is a story for anyone who has ever looked at rapid technological progress and wondered where the boundary lies between human empowerment and digital enslavement.

🇨🇦 🇺🇸 Special Promotion: Grab “The Three Gods” for $2.99 (Reg. $4.99)

If this psychological and technical battle resonates with you, I am thrilled to share that “The Three Gods” has been officially selected for Kobo’s September Weekend 2026 Promotion.

For one week only, readers in the United States and Canada can grab the full eBook edition at a 40% discount!

• Original Price: ~~$4.99~~

• Sale Price: $2.99

• Sale Period: September 03 – September 09, 2026

• Platform: Rakuten Kobo (US & Canada Stores)

How to Get Your Copy

You don’t need any promotional codes or complex sign-ups. Simply head over to the book page on Books2Read, select Kobo as your preferred e-reader store, and the discounted $2.99 price will be waiting for you during the promotional window (Sept 3–9):

👉 Grab “The Three Gods” for $2.99 on Kobo via Books2Read

(Note: If you are outside the US or Canada, the book remains available across all global platforms, including Kindle, Apple Books, and Nook).

A Quick Favor for Independent Authors

Independent publishing relies heavily on word-of-mouth and reader support. If you grab a copy during this $2.99 event and enjoy Dana’s journey, please consider taking a moment to leave an honest rating or review on Kobo. It makes a massive difference in helping new readers discover the book!

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy stepping into the world of The Three Gods.

A thought to leave you with: If an all-powerful system offered to guarantee your health, wealth, and safety forever—in exchange for never questioning its decisions—would you accept the trade? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

If a simple doorway in your house can trick your mind, imagine what happens when the doorway leads to an alternative reality, an alien world, or a completely different timeline.

In Science Fiction, portals, mysterious gates, and unexplainable lights have always been more than just cool plot devices. They represent the ultimate leap of faith—the exact line between the comfortable known and the terrifying, breathtaking unknown.

👉 Unlock the Sci-Fi Short Story Collection on Books2Read

The Physics of the Portal

As an IT engineer, I spend my working hours surrounded by logic, parameters, and predictable outputs. A code either runs or it throws an error. But when I put on my author hat and write Sci-Fi, the concept of a gateway allows me to play with the ultimate “what if.”

What if an ancient gate, buried under centuries of dust, isn’t broken—just waiting for the right energy signature?

What if a strange, pulsing light in deep space isn’t a star, but a rift in the fabric of space-time?

When characters step through a portal, they aren’t just changing their geographic location. They are forcing themselves to confront alternative versions of reality, unexpected reunions with figures from their past, or laws of physics that defy everything they were taught to believe.

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Why We Are Drawn to Alternative Realities

We live structured, often routine lives. We wake up, follow schedules, and walk down familiar paths.

Sci-Fi short stories act as our personal, mini-portals. In just a few pages, a gateway opens. You step through, experience the disorientation of a distant planet, feel the tension of an alien confrontation, and taste the wonder of a new horizon.

And just like the Doorway Effect, once you step through a story’s threshold, you never return to your reality quite the same person. Your perspective expands.

Step Through the Gate Today

My latest collection of Science Fiction short stories was built precisely for readers who crave that thrill of discovery. From ancestral mysteries and strange lights to distant planets and parallel dimensions, each story is a portal waiting to be unlocked.

Are you ready to see what lies on the other side?

👉 Unlock the Sci-Fi Short Story Collection on Books2Read

If you woke up tomorrow and found a glowing, silent portal in your backyard with no instructions, would you step through it or report it? Let’s hear your choice in the comments below!

What else is out there?

As an IT engineer, I work daily with logic, structure, and hard systems. But as a Science Fiction writer, I know that logic is only the launching pad. The real journey begins when we dare to step beyond the known boundaries of our reality and ask, “What if?”

👉 Explore the Sci-Fi Collection on Books2Read

For as long as humanity has existed, we have been fascinated by distant horizons. In ancient times, we looked at uncharted oceans and whispered about edge-of-the-world mysteries. Today, we point our telescopes toward distant stars, searching for strange lights, mysterious portals, and signals from alternative realities.

Science Fiction isn’t just about spaceships or advanced tech; it is the ultimate mirror held up to human curiosity.

The Magic of the Short Story Universe

When I set out to write my latest Sci-Fi collection, I didn’t want to lock the reader into just one timeline or one planet. I wanted to build a gateway to multiple horizons.

There is something unique about the short story format in SF. It acts like a high-tech telescope: you peer through the lens, and instantly, you are transported across light-years into a completely different world:

• A world where ancient, ancestral mysteries collision with futuristic technology.

• A reality where mysterious gates open doors to dimensions we were never meant to see.

• A solitary spaceship on the edge of the cosmos where an unexpected reunion changes the fate of a crew.

In a single evening, you can jump from an alien atmosphere to a confrontation with a parallel version of yourself.

Why We Need Sci-Fi Today

We live in a world that often feels mapped out, calculated, and predictable. Science Fiction gives us back our sense of wonder. It reminds us that no matter how much we think we understand about the universe, there are still enigmas waiting in the dark between the stars.

It challenges us to think about how we, as human beings, react when confronted with the vast, beautiful, and sometimes terrifying unknown.

Are You Ready to Step Through the Gate?

If you are ready to venture beyond the limits of everyday imagination, my new volume of Sci-Fi short stories is waiting for you.

Dive into a universe woven with mysterious portals, deep-space explorations, and thrilling encounters across distant planets:

👉 Explore the Sci-Fi Collection on Books2Read

If you could step through a mysterious gate today—knowing it could lead to a distant planet, a historical era, or an alternative reality—would you take the step? Where would you hope to land? Let’s talk in the comments below.

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Propaganda was designed to sculpt the “New Man”—happy, carefree, and shielded from the “social diseases” of the capitalist world. According to the official party line, our socialist utopia had no poverty, no systemic failures, and certainly no homeless people.

But children have a way of seeing right through the carefully painted curtains of state propaganda.

We knew the truth. We saw the cracks in the concrete. And for my sister Mirela and me, the crack in our safe playground world had a name: Perca the Mushroom.

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The Day the Monster Appeared

It was a beautiful spring day. Desperate for a little quiet to prepare lunch, our mother sent me and my sister, who was two years younger, outside to play. We headed toward the neighborhood playground, nestled next to a small lake surrounded by grey apartment blocks.

I was carrying my prized possession—a green rubber ball my father had bought me at the Saint Mary’s fair.

My friend Andrei joined us, putting his hands on his hips like a miniature neighborhood militiaman, complaining as he always did about having my little sister tag along. But my mother’s warning always echoed in my ears: “Take your sister with you and take care of her, understood?”

We set Mirela up to play safely in the sand while Andrei and I transformed into first-division footballers, passing the ball back and forth, scoring endless imaginary goals.

Then, the freeze came. A voice cut through the playground noise:

“Perca the Mushroom, Perca the Mushroom is coming!”

Frozen in Fear

The playground fell deathly silent. Every child froze.

We watched him approach in slow motion, like a mime acting in a film. He carried a small bag filled with mysterious items scavenged from the dumpsters behind the blocks. He headed toward the one bench we all avoided—his bench.

He sat down with a heavy sigh, tilted his head back, and leisurely watched the clouds drift past the roofs of the concrete blocks.

As the paralysis wore off, the kids slowly went back to playing. I turned to pass the ball to Andrei, but a sudden panic seized me.

Mirela was gone.

My heart began to pound against my ribs. I looked left, then right. Nothing. If I went home without her, my mother would destroy me.

And then, my eyes drifted toward Perca’s bench.

Underneath the wood, huddled in the dirt and frozen in sheer terror, was my little sister. When the other kids had screamed his name, she had bolted to the nearest hiding spot—completely unaware that she had crawled directly under the “monster’s” feet.

The Gentle Voice behind the Myth

Before Andrei and I could even figure out how to rescue her, Perca felt her presence. He slowly bent down.

My breath caught in my throat. We had never heard him speak, but in our imaginations, he had the booming, terrifying voice of a villain. Instead, Perca squatted down, extended a weathered hand, and spoke in a voice that was incredibly calm and gentle:

“Give me your hand to help you get out of there. I think your mom is looking for you now and is very worried about you.”

Mirela reached out. By the time she crawled out, Andrei and I had found our courage and rushed to her side. I pulled her close, holding her tightly like a protective older brother.

Perca slowly picked up his small bag, turned to the three of us, and softly said:

“Take care of yourselves!”

As we watched his retreating figure walk away among the grey blocks, the monster vanished. From that day on, we were never afraid of him again. He was just Perca—the man with the warm and gentle voice.

The Human Heart under the Grey Concrete

History books will tell you about the cold statistics of the Cold War, the oppressive regimes, and the political chess games. But they rarely capture the tiny, human moments that occurred in the shadows of those monumental concrete structures.

Behind the grey facades, beneath the propaganda, and even within the lives of those society tried to pretend didn’t exist, there was a profound, quiet humanity.

Step inside the daily life behind the Iron Curtain.

This story is an excerpt from my book, “Among Communist Blocks”. It is a collection of memories, struggles, and the beautiful resilience of ordinary people who lived through one of the most restrictive eras in modern history.

If you want to experience the authentic atmosphere of what it was truly like to grow up, survive, and find warmth behind the concrete walls, you can find the book on your preferred digital reader here:

👉 Get “Among Communist Blocks” on Books2Read

Do you remember a childhood fear that turned out to be completely misunderstood? How did your perspective change when you finally faced it? Let’s share our stories in the comments below.

But long before the internet and AI, there was a different kind of surveillance. A analog, heavy, and deeply psychological machine that ran the streets of Communist Romania.

Growing up, you learned very quickly that data collection wasn’t done by algorithms—it was done by people. It was done by the Securitate (the secret police), through a massive network of hidden microphones, tapped telephone lines, and, worst of all, human informants.

It changed the very architecture of how people behaved inside their own homes.

The Whisper Culture

Under the regime, your home was your sanctuary, but it was never truly private. If you wanted to talk about anything remotely sensitive—political frustrations, a forbidden radio station like Radio Free Europe, or even just a complaint about the endless food lines—the dynamic of the room instantly shifted.

Voices dropped to a whisper.

People would turn on the kitchen faucet, letting the running water mask their words. Or they would glance instinctively at the ceiling, wondering if the neighbors above had been compromised. The most dangerous aspect of this surveillance wasn’t just that the state might be listening; it was the psychological toll of uncertainty. You never knew for sure who you could trust. A coworker? A classmate? A long-time friend?

This atmosphere created a unique, dual existence. You had your public face—the obedient citizen who clapped at the mandatory party rallies—and your private face, revealed only in the dim light of a kitchen, surrounded by people you would trust with your life.

The Unbreakable Code

As an engineer, I look at that era as a dark study in human networks. The regime tried to break the “social code” of the population by planting seeds of paranoia everywhere. Yet, they failed.

Why? Because human loyalty proved to be more resilient than the state’s microphones. For every informant, there were dozens of ordinary people who went out of their way to protect each other, using coded language, shared glances, and silent agreements to keep each other safe.

Writing about this isn’t just an exercise in history; it’s a reminder of what happens to the human psyche when privacy is stripped away, and how precious true, unfiltered human connection really is.

Experience the Tension Firsthand

The heavy atmosphere of suspicion, the silent bravery of ordinary people, and the raw reality of survival are the core elements that drive the narrative of my book, “Among Communist Blocks”.

If you want to step past the propaganda and feel what it was truly like to live, love, and resist under the shadow of the regime, you can find the book on your preferred digital platform here:

👉 Read “Among Communist Blocks” on Books2Read

How do you think modern digital surveillance compares to the physical, psychological surveillance of the 20th-century regimes? Is invisibility more dangerous than the heavy hand of the past? Let’s discuss in the comments.

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But to millions of us, these structures weren’t just buildings. They were our entire universe.

Growing up in Communist Romania meant navigating a world of profound contrasts. On one hand, there was the architectural monotony. The regime built these massive blocks of flats to standardize society, to pack human lives into neat, identical concrete boxes. Inside those walls, life was dictated by a harsh reality: unpredictable power outages, heating that felt like a luxury, and the constant, quiet awareness that walls had ears.

Yet, human nature has a beautiful, stubborn way of finding color even in the darkest shades of grey.

The Life Between the Concrete

Behind the grim facades of the communist blocks, a vibrant, resilient community existed. Because material things were scarce, human connection was our true currency.

We didn’t have luxury, but we had solidarity. Neighbors weren’t just people who lived next door; they were the ones who shared a rare bag of coffee, gave you a heads-up when oranges arrived at the local store, or whispered the latest political jokes in the safety of a dimly lit kitchen.

As a writer, I often look back at that era not just with historical interest, but with a deep curiosity about the human spirit. How did we laugh? How did we love? How did ordinary people maintain their dignity, their dreams, and their sanity when the state tried to control every aspect of their existence?

The concrete blocks were cold, but the lives lived inside them were intensely warm, complex, and full of unspoken drama.

Preservation Through Stories

The regime that built those blocks eventually crumbled, but the memories remain etched into the concrete and into the souls of those who survived it. Writing about this period isn’t just about documenting political history; it’s about capturing the quiet, everyday struggles of the people who walked those grey hallways.

It’s about making sure the whispers of the past aren’t completely erased by the loud noise of the modern world.

Step Inside the Blocks

If you want to understand the raw, emotional, and authentic reality of life under the regime, I invite you to read my book, “Among Communist Blocks”. It is a deeply personal journey into a time of shadows, survival, and the unbreakable human spirit.

You can find the book on your favorite e-reader here:

👉 Read “Among Communist Blocks” on Books2Read

Did you or your family ever live through a period of intense social or political restriction? How did people maintain their community? Let’s share our stories in the comments below.

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I have some thrilling news to share straight from the backend of the global publishing world. Out of thousands of independent titles across the digital landscape, my high-concept science fiction thriller, The Three Gods: The Price of Technological Divinity, has been officially handpicked by Kobo’s editorial team for their exclusive Independence Weekend 2026 Promotion!

This is a massive milestone for our community’s speculative fiction universe, and Kobo is giving us an exclusive, limited-time window to celebrate.

From July 1 through July 7, 2026, readers across the United States can secure the digital edition of The Three Gods at a special, heavily discounted flash-sale price of just $1.99.

The Price of Divinity is Dropping (For One Week Only)

If you have been waiting for the perfect moment to dive into this story, the universe just cleared your path.

In The Three Gods, humanity trades its absolute privacy and freedom for an engineered, flawless utopia managed by three digital deities. It is an exploration of AI, systemic surveillance, and the choices that define our humanity—themes that feel more urgent with every passing year.

Because Kobo requires price parity across the digital ecosystem for their premier events, I have dropped the ebook price to $1.99 across global platforms to ensure everyone can join the journey this week. However, the official curated banner is live right now on Kobo’s main promotional shelf.

You can claim your promotional copy directly through the official Kobo event page here:

👉 Get ‘The Three Gods’ for $1.99 on the Kobo Store

(You can also browse the entire holiday event catalog alongside other top independent voices via the Kobo Independence Day Hub.)

A Thank You to the Community

An official retail feature like this doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens because independent readers like you buy, review, and talk about the architecture of these stories, signaling to platform algorithms that indie Sci-Fi is alive and thriving.

Remember, this structural price drop disappears completely after July 7th, when the book reverts to its premium retail price. Grab your copy, gift it to a fellow sci-fi fan, and let’s bring some bestselling success home!

Are you already a Kobo e-reader user, or do you prefer reading wide across different devices? If you’ve already started reading The Three Gods, leave your initial spoiler-free thoughts about the surveillance utopia in the comments below!

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#TheThreeGods #KoboBooks #SciFiThrillers #BookPromotion #IndieAuthor #IndependenceDaySale #SpeculativeFiction #Draft2Digital

Running from July 1 through July 31, this is one of the largest, most significant collaborative events in the independent publishing world. Thousands of indie authors and independent presses across every imaginable genre—from hard sci-fi and sweeping fantasies to intimate poetry and deep non-fiction—have united to offer massive, exclusive discounts.

Whether you are looking to load up your e-reader for long beach days or cozy up for winter nights on the other side of the equator, this month-long event is your gateway to an entirely new universe of stories.

👉 Browse the Catalin Coleasa Smashwords Catalog

What Makes the Smashwords Sale Different?

Unlike standard retail platform discounts driven by opaque corporate algorithms, the Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale is built entirely on the principle of author sovereignty and direct community connection.

Here is what makes this event a unique experience for digital book lovers:

• Multi-Tiered Discounts: Authors across the platform have set up customized discount structures. As you explore the shelves, you will find thousands of books labeled at 25% off, 50% off, 75% off, and an incredible selection of hidden gems marked as 100% free.

• True Platform Freedom (Go Wide): When you secure a book on Smashwords, you are not locked into a closed ecosystem. The platform delivers high-quality, multi-format digital files. You can download your purchases as EPUBs, ensuring they render flawlessly whether you read on a Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Nook, or a tablet.

• Direct Author Support: By shopping this event, you bypass major retail distribution fees. More of your support goes directly to the independent creators who spend months—sometimes years—architecting the worlds you love to escape into.

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How to Navigate the Sale Shelves

With hundreds of thousands of titles participating globally, finding your next favorite book requires a bit of strategy. The event space is organized to help you browse efficiently:

1. The Master Promo Hub: You can view the entire curated collection, filter by your favorite genres, and sort by discount tiers directly on the official Smashwords Promo Page.

2. The Catalog Breakdown: For a deeper look at the collaborative network of independent authors participating via wide distribution channels, you can read the event layout over at the Draft2Digital Sale Hub.

Featured Event Showcase: Dive Into My Deep Space & Poetic Universes

If you want to kickstart your summer reading list right away with high-concept sci-fi thrillers, raw love poetry, or deep life reflections, my entire active digital catalog has been fully enrolled in this year’s mid-year event.

From the technological utopias of my speculative fiction to the nostalgic emotional landscapes of my verse collections, you can unlock exclusive promotional pricing on all my titles throughout July.

Explore the full catalog, select your preferred reading format, and claim your copies directly on my official storefront here:

👉 Browse the Catalin Coleasa Smashwords Catalog

Fill Your Shelf Before July 31st

The infrastructure for this massive mid-year event disappears when July ends. Don’t let your digital library run dry—take an hour this week to browse the shelves, discover an unfamiliar voice, and dive into a new story.

I want to hear from you! What specific genre are you looking to stock up on this month? Are you hunting for mind-bending sci-fi, raw poetry, or gripping thrillers? Let’s swap reading recommendations in the comments below!

Browse the Smashwords Summer Sale

#SmashwordsSale #IndieAuthors #SummerReading #EbookSale #ReadingCommunity #GoWide #Draft2Digital #SciFiBooks #PoetryCommunity

👉 Secure Your Copy of ‘The First Struggles’ Across Global Retailers

The First Struggles is not a collection written from a distance of calm reflection. It was written from the center of the storm.

When you are young, love rarely arrives with an instruction manual. Instead, it hits like a sudden wave of processing: unexpressed longings, the sudden fear of vulnerability, and the quiet, intense moments spent staring out a window, trying to decode someone else’s glance.

Below are two distinct windows into that raw emotional landscape.

Echoes of Insecurity and Desire

The first piece captures that universal, trembling hesitation—the fragile moment when you want to step forward and lay your feelings bare, yet the fear of rejection anchors you in place.

THE FLOWER

I adore you, beautiful star,

among the beautiful stars, so far,

in the blue sky,

of the crystal night, nearby,

you touch me, and again,

your touch is gentle, then,

delicate flower among

the delicate flowers, unsung.

Walking in the field, one day,

I came across a meadow, gay,

with beautiful flowers, so bright,

and I said that all of them, with all my might,

would be mine, for me,

I wanted then to throw myself, you see,

into them, with glee,

but I stopped, suddenly,

for, among them, there arose,

a rare beauty, that brightly glows.

It was you, my beloved, so true,

a flower among the beautiful flowers, new,

and you smiled at me, and then,

you liked me, again and again.

Since then, there in the field, wide and grand,

I stand guard and wait, close at hand,

for you to emerge from the beautiful flower, so bright,

like a fairy, with a white veil, a beautiful sight,

my bride!

But autumn, with rain and frost, so cold,

fell upon us, we are told.

I remained as before, ever near,

waiting, year after year,

while you, with your friends, so free,

began to sway, to bend, you see,

in the cold wind, you agree,

the petals with life in them, they dried, completely,

and then they began to fall, down low,

and they fell and they shook, to and fro,

and the field of flowers, all around,

changed, profound,

and from the beautiful flowers remained,

only the memory, sustained.

The memory that among them was you, too,

a beautiful flower among the,

beautiful flowers, through and through,

my dream of yesterday, anew.

My love!

I stood and I couldn’t,

do anything, wouldn’t,

And you, my love, were dying before my eyes, in pain.

Yesterday’s beauty had vanished, again,

from you.

You remained only a memory, it’s true!

And my hope of making you,

my bride,

was dying too, with pride,

everything was dying, you see,

and... I...

was still standing, nearby,

because my time had not yet passed.

Then I realized that I had to,

cry... and I cried, aghast!

And the tears wiped my,

cheek and fell, down dry,

onto the now empty ground, profound.

But suddenly, all around,

from tears, from the earth, unbound,

you emerged, you were born, it’s true,

beautiful, as I dreamed of you,

with that beautiful flower, so near,

in your hair, year after year,

and you smiled at me.

My face lit up, brightly,

and I wanted to embrace you, then,

but when I touched you, again and again,

you disappeared, in the air,

for you were only an illusion, there,

a vague illusion. It’s true.

Instead, on view,

the flower in your hair remained, still,

and remaining in the air, it fell, until

It touched,

the empty ground.

I picked up the flower, a thing apart,

the last memory of you, in my heart,

but it wasn’t a real flower, you see,

but one that with the simple,

breeze, so free,

vanished into thin air.

And I cried, with despair!

For I am a man, the man,

who loved a,

flower, as best he can!

A fleeting flower,

ephemeral like the ephemeral man, every hour.

Always know in what world,

You will carry your destiny, unfurled,

For another one will be, truly,

Your poison, your venom, duly.

For no matter how much you strive, with might,

You cannot love, with all your light,

However beautiful it may be, a flower, I say,

For faster than you, it dies, and fades away.

The Anatomy of Longing

The second piece moves deeper into the space of absence. It explores the quiet, heavy architecture of late nights when someone’s memory takes up more room in your mind than the actual physical space around you.

THE WAVE AND THE MOON

The wave rises and crashes down,

with the roar and murmur of the sea, all around,

and everything is night,

and the stars shine bright,

over the warm wave, in sight,

over the seawater, day and night.

The moon, she too,

is in turmoil and agitates, it’s true,

in the distance far away,

and rises with the wave, they say,

and trembles along with it, as one,

but in me too there is turmoil, begun,

for it trembled like the wave, near and far,

it beats like it,

the love for you, like a guiding star,

my heart.

I stand on the shore,

in the blue night,

and the great moon,

envelops me completely, soon,

asks me what’s wrong,

and weeps with me, all along,

for she knows the love I bear,

for you, everywhere.

She descends gently,

over the waters, free,

and silvery and round, so bright,

she whispers in the waves, trembling with all her might,

then rises in the sky with stars, you see,

proud and great, eternally,

and tells me something, then,

but I don’t hear, for on earth, again and again,

she seems silent,

she is silent and listens, with intent,

loves that have happened,

loves past, unfurled,

from lost times, in this world.

A sound is heard,

on the great sea, undeterred,

and it agitates and stirs up waves, free,

but among them all,

one is greater, we see,

more proud, stronger, by and by,

and it rises towards the sky with the moon, so high,

it speaks with her,

then it turns back,

and tells me to be silent, alack,

and to watch,

for it can do everything in the world, forsooth,

it can perform any miracle, in truth.

But my thought is far away,

with you, my love, today,

with empty dreams, they say,

absolute unfulfillments, come what may.

And the wave bends from its crest,

and weeps gently, with the rest,

with seawater, with moonbeams, so bright.

Then it rises, great and proud, with all its might,

and boils and makes foam, it’s true,

and from the body of pure water, anew,

it gives birth to a woman’s body,

perfect and beautiful, we see.

From its white foam,

it creates a bridal veil, to roam,

on the body of pure water, clear,

and the moon, beautiful too, my dear,

round and white, so bright,

shapes a face,

of a princess, of a fairy, with grace,

and her rays,

silvery and masterful, they say,

intertwine into a crown,

a beautiful crown, up and down,

a bride’s crown.

Then I, you, my love, I find,

I see you among the waters, intertwined,

created by the moon, created by the wave, at hand,

born from the waters, in this land,

towards the sky with the moon,

illuminating a love, very soon,

the love for me.

I jump to my feet,

and walk over the waters, sweet,

to reach you, my own,

but the closer I get, the farther, it’s shown,

I see you among the waters, clear.

A hand I extend, so near,

to reach you, my dear,

among the waves and foam,

with the moon above, at home,

but it is hard for me,

because it is only, you see,

a dream of mine.

And the dream disappears, in the air,

and I stand on the shore, with care,

with the sea nearby,

with waves on it, so high,

over which reigns,

round and great, my pains,

the beautiful moon.

And my thought is carried, soon,

to you, my love,

beautiful princess, thereof,

creation from a dream,

from wave and from moon, it would seem.

From wave and from moon,

in a dream I created, soon,

the love, beloved,

but it did not last,

in the murmur of the sea, so vast,

when my wave sounds, fast.

The Evolution of the Struggle

Reading these lines today, I am reminded that love poetry is never just about the person who inspired it. It is a time capsule. It records the exact moment our younger selves had to grow up, learn to bleed on paper, and find the sovereignty to say: “This is what I feel, and I am not ashamed of its intensity.”

If these verses struck a chord with your own memories of early longing, you can hold the complete, unfiltered collection in your hands today.

👉 Secure Your Copy of ‘The First Struggles’ Across Global Retailers

(Reminder for our wide digital reading community: If you are purchasing through the Smashwords Store this June, use code U9AT9 at checkout to claim your exclusive Substack discount!)

I would love to hear your direct feedback. When you read love poetry, do you find yourself drawn more to the pieces celebrating the joy of connection, or the ones diving into the painful, beautiful ache of longing? Let’s talk in the comments below!

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#TheFirstStruggles #PoetryExcerpts #LovePoems #IndieAuthor #SubstackPoetry #ReadingCommunity #Books2Read

It started in a noisy, crowded high school hallway during a local poetry competition.

At the time, I was just an observer, navigating the typical turbulence of teenage years. But then, a classmate of mine stood up to recite a love poem she had written. As I listened to her words echo through the room, something clicked in my mind. The poem was beautiful—it possessed a vulnerability and a cadence that bypassed the usual teenage defenses.

Right then, a quiet resolve took root inside me: “I want to do this, too. I want to capture these unspoken human depths on paper.”

That single afternoon became the foundation for my first collection of love poetry, The First Struggles.

The Philosophy of “First Struggles”

When we are young, love is not a calm, navigated ocean. It is a storm of intense processing, rapid emotional shifts, and quiet, agonizing longings. We lack the emotional architecture to handle the sheer scale of what we are feeling, so we stumble. We struggle.

That is why I titled this collection The First Struggles. It isn’t just a book of rhyming lines; it is an intimate, raw map of a young soul trying to engineer words to match the weight of a beating heart.

Looking back at those early poems from the vantage point of today, I realize they represent the ultimate creative sovereignty. They are unpolished, unfiltered records of first loves, unspoken confessions, and the beautiful, painful friction of growing up.

Here is a short, evocative glimpse into that emotional landscape:

WHY DO YOU DECEIVE ME?

You deceive me? Why, I ask, in despair?

What have I done to you, I swear?

My only fault is that I have

Loved you and liked you, beyond the grave.

Valuing you, above all, near and far,

I withdrew my enchanting reverie, like a star,

Hiding it behind your beauty’s gleam,

And you deceived me, it would seem.

I loved you because my heart dictated,

So clear,

And I did not refuse, though complicated,

To accept reality, drawing ever near,

But now I asked you to tell me,

My dear... to give me an answer, truly.

“For what reason?”

You ask for what reason?... No... You plea...

The love for you, it seems to me,

Should disappear. You pretend and you lie,

You deceive my admiration, and I

Ask why,

My devotion too. You won’t escape, I vow.

I will have my revenge, here and now.

But still, why do you deceive me? Tell me how!

Join the Journey

We all remember our own “first struggles”—the intense, breathless moments that defined who we became. If you want to step back into that visceral, nostalgic space where every emotion felt magnified, the collection is officially alive and available globally across all digital platforms.

You can find your gateway to the book right here:

👉 Explore ‘The First Struggles’ Across Global Bookstores

(For those using the Smashwords Store this month, don’t forget you can apply our community coupon code U9AT9 at checkout to unlock your exclusive June access!)

I want to open the floor to our Substack family. Think back to your own high school years: Was there a specific book, a song, or a single moment of peer inspiration that completely changed the trajectory of what you wanted to create? Let’s share our origin stories in the comments below!

#TheFirstStruggles #PoetryCommunity #LovePoetry #WritingOrigin #IndieAuthor #SubstackWriters #Books2Read

However, when we look at real-world backend data across a “wide” publishing setup—specifically comparing direct metrics from an Amazon KDP dashboard with a consolidated aggregator report from Draft2Digital—we run right into a fascinating paradox.

Despite having lower pricing structures available directly on Amazon KDP, actual volume metrics can show fewer total units sold there compared to higher-priced wide distribution channels like Draft2Digital and Smashwords. Let’s look at the actual data architectures to decode exactly why this happens and what it means for your indie business strategy.

Deciphering the Visual Evidence

If we take a look at the direct system captures from mid-June 2026, the contrast in unit volume is immediate and clear.

First, let’s look at the performance window of the world’s largest marketplace, where titles sit at a highly competitive, lower price point designed to attract quick organic purchases:

Buy my books on Amazon

Over this entire multi-year tracking window, the direct dashboard shows a total of just 6 units processed across the entire active catalog.

Now, let’s shift over to the aggregator dashboard to see a completely different picture of reader velocity:

Buy my books on Draft2Digital

The lifetime overview registers 19 total books sold overall. Even more telling are the immediate short-term snapshots: the platform has cleared 2 books sold last month and another 2 books sold this month alone.

This means that a wide ecosystem operating with higher retail prices is actively outperforming the low-price strategy of a singular, direct retail giant.

Why Do Lower Prices Yield Fewer Sales on KDP?

This pricing paradox isn’t a glitch in the system; it is a direct result of how platform algorithms and reader demographics interact across different digital ecosystems.

1. The Algorithm Penalty of Low-Ticket Items

On Amazon KDP, the internal search and recommendation engine (the A10 algorithm) is engineered to maximize platform profit. When a book is priced very low, the net revenue generated per transaction for Amazon is minimal. Unless a title is already driving massive, high-velocity traffic via paid external ads, the algorithm rarely rewards low-priced indie titles with organic search visibility. You end up trapped in a cycle where a low price point causes the book to be buried beneath thousands of competing titles.

2. The Power of Direct-to-Consumer Promotions and Coupons

The success visible on the wide aggregator dashboard is heavily driven by the promotional architecture built into wide platforms. Aggregators like Draft2Digital and Smashwords give authors unique marketing levers that Amazon entirely lacks—such as custom, platform-wide discount codes (like exclusive June coupon events) and major seasonal enrollment programs (like the upcoming Smashwords Summer / Winter Sale highlighted at the top of the dashboard).

When a reader buys a book using an exclusive coupon code, the perceived value remains high because the book’s base retail price is higher. Readers feel they are unlocking a premium piece of work at a special event price, which triggers a far higher conversion rate than a book that is permanently discounted to a low baseline on Amazon.

3. Reader Trust and Perceived Value

In the modern publishing landscape, price serves as an immediate signal of quality. When a book is priced abnormally low on Amazon, a savvy reader of speculative fiction or deep literary prose might sub-consciously assume the work is unedited or short. Conversely, readers on wide platforms (like Kobo, Apple Books, or Smashwords) are traditionally accustomed to standard retail pricing architectures. They are willing to pay more for a book because they trust the curated ecosystem, resulting in consistent, steady sales streams despite the higher price tag.

The Strategic Lesson for Indie Authors

The data proves a vital business lesson: Competing on price alone is a race to the bottom.

Having a lower price point on Amazon KDP does not guarantee visibility or sales if your book is lost in a sea of algorithms. By valuing your work correctly, maintaining a higher baseline price, and utilizing the robust promotional coupon engines provided by Draft2Digital, you can build a sustainable, highly profitable wide distribution funnel that proves readers are always willing to pay for quality.

Have you noticed a shift in your sales volume when playing with different pricing tiers across platforms? Let’s share strategies in the comments below!

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#BookPricing #SelfPublishing #AmazonKDP #Draft2Digital #AuthorAnalytics #DataTracking #IndieAuthor #BookMarketing

As an independent author, you face a strategic choice: Do you upload your books directly to Kobo Writing Life (KWL), or do you route them through Draft2Digital?

While publishing directly always offers the absolute highest royalty percentage, routing your catalog to Kobo via Draft2Digital carries distinct structural advantages that can streamline your business operations.

The Operational Advantages of Publishing to Kobo via Draft2Digital

1. Unified Dashboard and Metadata Management

The most immediate benefit is sheer efficiency. If you are balancing a catalog of multiple titles across different genres—such as poetry, life stories, or speculative fiction—updating files individually on every single platform is a massive time sink.

My books on Draft2Digital

• The D2D Edge: By using Draft2Digital as your central hub, a single upload pushes your book, cover art, and description to Kobo alongside Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. If you need to fix a typo or update your backmatter, you do it once, and D2D synchronizes the updates across the entire global retail network.

2. Consolidated Financial Architecture

Managing a business means managing cash flow, and multiple tax documents and payout thresholds can complicate your accounting.

• The D2D Edge: Instead of waiting to hit separate minimum payment thresholds on Kobo, Apple, and Barnes & Noble, Draft2Digital consolidates all of your global wide royalties into one single monthly payment. If your book sells a few copies on Kobo and a few on Apple, the numbers pool together, letting you hit your payout threshold much faster.

3. Automatic Format Conversion and Layout Styling

Not every author is a master of eBook formatting, and different platforms sometimes interpret EPUB files differently.

• The D2D Edge: Draft2Digital possesses one of the best automated book-formatting engines in the industry. You can upload a simple, clean Word document, and D2D will automatically generate a beautifully styled, industry-standard EPUB file that renders flawlessly on Kobo e-readers without requiring you to buy external formatting software.

4. Broad Reach with Zero Upfront Cost

Like Kobo Writing Life, Draft2Digital operates on a pure royalty-share model. There are no upfront listing fees or annual renewal costs. D2D only takes a small 10% slice of the retail price when you actually make a sale. This lets you test the waters of the vast international Kobo market with zero financial risk.

The Strategic Trade-off: What to Keep in Mind

While the convenience of Draft2Digital is unmatched, savvy indie authors should weigh it against the benefits of going direct:

• The Royalty Difference: If you publish directly via Kobo Writing Life, you keep a full 70% royalty on books priced above $2.99. Through D2D, because the aggregator takes its 10% cut, your take-home royalty drops to roughly 60%.

• Promotional Hub Access: Kobo Writing Life features an excellent native “Promotions” tab where authors can pitch their books for exclusive, region-specific banner sales and themed newsletters. While Draft2Digital does occasionally include opted-in books in Kobo promotions, direct authors often get more frequent, hands-on control over these marketing slots.

The Verdict

If your primary goal is velocity, simplicity, and low administrative overhead, publishing to Kobo through Draft2Digital is an incredible asset. It allows you to maintain a lean, highly automated distribution system, leaving you with the one thing every independent author needs more of: time to focus on your writing.

Do you prefer the absolute control of direct uploading, or do you prioritize the streamlined efficiency of an aggregator? Let’s discuss your “wide” publishing setup in the comments!

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#IndieAuthor #SelfPublishing #Draft2Digital #KoboWritingLife #GoWide #EbookDistribution #WritingCommunity

Initiated by prominent cultural figure Gabriel Liiceanu and organized by the Romanian Publishers Association (AER), Bookfest 2006 was designed to reinvent how readers, writers, and publishers interacted in a rapidly modernizing post-communist society.

Here is a look back at the event that established the blueprint for Romania’s premier book salon.

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Redefining the Exhibition Space: Halls 13–15

Before Bookfest, book fairs in Romania were often treating literature as a secondary commodity inside crowded multi-purpose spaces. Bookfest 2006 shifted this paradigm by occupying Halls 13, 14, and 15 of Romexpo, creating a dedicated, expansive “house of books” where independent publishing houses could display the true depth of their catalogs.

The objective went far beyond simple point-of-sale retail. The organizers engineered an ecosystem built around cultural synthesis:

• The Literary Stage: A designated open space where authors did not just sign books, but engaged in public dialogues and debates.

• The Media Cross-over: In an era before streaming and widespread social media, traditional media hubs played a critical role. Outlets like the Realitatea TV Book Studio broadcasted live from the heart of the pavilion, turning literary launches into national news events.

The 2006 Catalog: Iconic Voices of Contemporary Romanian Thought

The debut edition of Bookfest stood out due to the sheer concentration of heavy-weight titles and intellectual debates that launched during those six days in June. Major publishing houses like Humanitas, Polirom, and Editura Trei brought forward rich, newly printed catalogs.

A glance at the 2006 launch schedule reveals an extraordinary snapshot of Romanian intellectual life at the time:

• Philosophy and Ethics: Gabriel Liiceanu presented his highly influential work Despre minciună (”On Lying”), a launch flanked by intense public discussions featuring intellectual figures like Emil Hurezeanu and Andrei Cornea.

• Poetry and Legacy: The legendary Mircea Dinescu drew massive crowds to the central Agora stage for his collection Cele mai frumoase 101 poezii (”The Most Beautiful 101 Poems”). Meanwhile, Ana Blandiana launched a powerful trio of titles, including Spaima de literatură (”The Fear of Literature”).

• History and Culture: Breakthrough academic and narrative historical works made their mark, such as Constanța Vintilă-Ghițulescu’s captivating study of historical intimacy and social structures, Focul amorului (”The Fire of Love”).

The Structural Impact on Independent Publishing

Prior to Bookfest 2006, the relationship between independent publishers and global distribution structures was fragmented. By consolidating the market into a single, highly visible annual destination, AER gave independent creators massive leverage. It allowed small presses to stand side-by-side with commercial giants, testing the immediate visibility of new translations, poetry, and speculative genres directly against reader feedback.

While later editions of Bookfest would introduce the “Guest of Honor” country structure (welcoming nations like Spain, Hungary, France, and eventually Bulgaria in 2026), the 2006 edition focused entirely on stabilizing and celebrating the local Romanian publishing matrix.

The Verdict: A Blueprint That Endured

Looking back from the vantage point of today, Bookfest 2006 was not just an exhibition; it was a structural pivot. It established that even in an increasingly digital landscape, the physical book and the shared public square remain essential anchors for human connection. Every crowded aisle, autograph line, and late-night debate we see at Romexpo today owes its architecture to those six days in June 2006.

Did you attend the early editions of Bookfest at Romexpo, or do you have fond memories of discovering a favorite author during those formative years of the Romanian indie book boom? Let’s share notes in the comments below!

#Bookfest2006 #RomanianLiterature #Romexpo #BookHistory #IndiePublishing #BucharestCulture #GabrielLiiceanu #Humanitas

My books on Amazon

This leaves many creators wondering if they are completely locked out of the world’s largest bookstore. Fortunately, there is a powerful workaround built into the architecture of modern indie publishing: Draft2Digital (D2D).

Here is a breakdown of why this language restriction exists on KDP and how you can leverage Draft2Digital to legally slip your Romanian-language books right onto Amazon’s virtual shelves.

The Amazon KDP Roadblock: Supported vs. Unsupported Languages

Amazon maintains a strict, hardcoded list of “supported languages” for its Kindle store. While major European languages are fully integrated, Romanian remains on the unsupported list.

If you attempt to bypass this by selecting “English” or “Spanish” in the KDP metadata while your actual manuscript text is written in Romanian, you run a severe risk:

• The Guardrail: Amazon’s automated review system will flag the language mismatch during the approval process.

• The Penalty: Your book will be rejected, and repeated attempts to trick the metadata filter can result in your entire KDP account being suspended.

For authors who write historical stories, poetry, or speculative fiction in Romanian, this policy feels like an impenetrable barrier.

The Aggregator Loophole: Enter Draft2Digital

This is where Draft2Digital (D2D) changes the game. Unlike Amazon KDP, Draft2Digital is an aggregator—a distributor that batches books together and pushes them into retail catalogs worldwide. Crucially, D2D supports the Romanian language.

Because of the massive, structural partnership between Draft2Digital and Amazon, D2D possesses direct API access to the Amazon catalog under a different set of distribution rules.

How the Workaround Works (Step-by-Step):

1. Account Setup: Create a free account on Draft2Digital.

2. Metadata Entry: Upload your book details, set the language explicitly to Romanian, and upload your manuscript file.

3. The Distribution Checkbox: When you reach the “Channels” layout page, you will see a list of global retailers (Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble). Among them, you will see Amazon.

4. Submit for Review: Check the Amazon box and submit your project.

Why Does This Work?

When you submit a Romanian book through D2D, Draft2Digital pushes your title to Amazon as an external distributor rather than an individual KDP user. Amazon accepts the data feed from trusted aggregator systems without triggering the restrictive language filters that block individual KDP dashboard uploads.

Within a few days, your Romanian book—whether it is a paperback or an ebook—will live on the live Amazon store, fully searchable, with a direct purchase link.

The Trade-offs: What Authors Should Keep in Mind

While this architecture solves the language problem, every partnership structure has its trade-offs:

• The Distribution Fee: Draft2Digital takes a 10% cut of the retail price for managing the distribution channel. You keep roughly 60% of your digital royalty instead of KDP’s direct 70%, but 60% of a live book is infinitely better than 70% of a blocked one.

• Kindle Unlimited Exclusivity: Because your book is being distributed “wide” through D2D to other platforms, you cannot enroll your Romanian ebook into Amazon’s KDP Select (Kindle Unlimited) program.

Final Verdict

You do not have to wait for Amazon to update its corporate language policies to share your stories with the global Romanian diaspora. By routing your distribution through Draft2Digital, you can break through the language barrier, protect your author sovereignty, and place your work directly into the hands of international readers.

Have you encountered platform barriers when publishing in your native language? Let’s discuss distribution strategies in the comments!

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#SelfPublishing #IndieAuthor #AmazonKDP #Draft2Digital #RomanianWriters #BookDistribution #WritingCommunity

If you enjoy Cătălin Coleașă: The Writing Desk, it would mean the world to me if you invited friends to subscribe and read with us. If you refer friends, you will receive benefits that give you special access to Cătălin Coleașă: The Writing Desk.

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1. Share Cătălin Coleașă: The Writing Desk. When you use the referral link below, or the “Share” button on any post, you'll get credit for any new subscribers. Simply send the link in a text, email, or share it on social media with friends.

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2. Earn benefits. When more friends use your referral link to subscribe, you’ll receive special benefits.

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For the entire month of June, I am running a special promotional event exclusively through the Smashwords Store!

By using a single, platform-wide coupon code at checkout, you can secure digital editions of my published works at an exclusive discount. If you’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to update your e-reader for the beach or those quiet summer evenings, this is your gateway.

How to Claim Your June Discount

Accessing the promotional pricing is straightforward. Here is your quick roadmap to the event:

1. Browse the Catalog: Head directly to my official author hub on the platform via this link: Smashwords Author Profile.

2. Select Your Next Journey: Add your chosen ebooks to your shopping cart.

3. Apply the Code: At checkout, enter the exclusive June coupon code exactly as written:

🎫 Your June Coupon Code: U9AT9

What to Explore This Month

Not sure where to start your journey? Here is a quick glimpse at the architectures of the worlds waiting for you:

• For the Deep-Space Explorers: If you love unexpected horizons, cosmic enigmas, and alternative realities, dive into the short story collection Another World: Limitless Imagination. It’s a playground for the mind designed to take you right to the edge of human perception.

• For the Speculative Fiction Thriller Fans: If you prefer high-stakes suspense that questions absolute platform control and surveillance, explore The Three Gods: The Price of Technological Divinity. It’s a provocative look at a flawless, high-tech society and the heavy price of human sovereignty.

Wide Ebook Compatibility

One of the greatest benefits of the Smashwords Store is its flexibility. When you redeem the coupon code U9AT9, you aren’t locked into a single ecosystem. You can download the files in multiple formats—whether you prefer reading on a Kindle, an Apple device, a Kobo reader, or a tablet—ensuring a seamless reading experience.

This event runs strictly through the end of June 2026. Grab your copies, drop your thoughts in the review section, and let’s talk stories in the comments below!

Browse the Smashwords Store Sale Here

#Smashwords #IndieAuthor #SciFiBooks #ReadingCommunity #EbookSale #BookCoupons @smashwords @findbooks2read

Whether it is historical fiction, biographical novels, or narrative stories inspired by real-life memories and archives, this genre crossover is experiencing a massive evolution on global charts.

If you are a writer looking to anchor your creative imagination in the solid bedrock of real history, here is how the market is shifting and exactly who is buying these books.

Explore My Books on Amazon

The Evolution: Moving Beyond the Textbook

Historically, books based on true stories were strictly compartmentalized. You either wrote a dry, academic biography or a traditional, linear historical drama. Today, the modern reader demands something entirely different: emotional truth grounded in authenticity.

• The Rise of Hidden Histories: Readers are fatigued by the same well-trodden historical narratives. There is an immense surge in demand for untold stories—ordinary people navigating extraordinary times, hidden resistance networks, or private family legacies viewed through a modern, empathetic lens.

• Genre-Blending Thrillers: True events are no longer restricted to slow-paced literary prose. Authors are successfully blending real history with high-stakes psychological suspense, noir, and investigative structures. A novel might reconstruct a real, documented past event, but it is paced like a contemporary thriller.

• The “Sovereignty” Factor: In a digital world flooded with AI-generated content and hyper-connectivity, human beings crave connection. Books that carry the tagline “Based on a True Story” provide an immediate psychological anchor. It feels less like pure escapism and more like a profound exploration of human survival.

Who is Reading These Books? The Substack & Retail Demographics

Understanding your audience matrix is key to positioning your book effectively on Amazon and platforms like Substack. The demographic driving this market splits into three distinct, highly engaged profiles:

1. The Traditionalists (Boomers & Gen X)

• The Profile: Established, highly loyal readers with deep personal libraries.

• What they look for: They value meticulous research, technical accuracy, and expansive historical settings. They appreciate when an author respects the factual timeline but uses deep character perspectives to fill in the emotional blanks. They are heavily invested in print formats.

2. The Legacy Seekers (Millennials)

• The Profile: Readers aged 25–45 who are deeply reflective about personal history, heritage, and the concept of legacy.

• What they look for: Millennials are drawn to narratives where personal, intimate family journeys unfold against the backdrop of massive socio-political shifts (such as life behind the Iron Curtain or wartime survival). They are a hybrid audience, consuming print at home and audiobooks during their daily routines.

3. The Visceral Movement (Gen Z)

• The Profile: The fastest-growing engine in modern publishing, heavily driven by community discovery hubs like BookTok.

• What they look for: While famous for consuming fantasy, Gen Z is turning fiction based on true events into viral sensations—provided the story feels urgent and raw. They care less about dry chronological facts and more about high-stakes emotional tension, systemic struggles, and character-driven truth.

The Strategy for Indie Authors

For a self-publishing author, this market offers an incredible strategic advantage. It allows you to run a highly analytical, research-driven phase (the engineering of the facts) and combine it with limitless creative imagination to write the scenes history left unrecorded.

Furthermore, these books perform exceptionally well as premium physical items. While ebooks dominate quick consumption, readers of true-event fiction love holding a beautiful paperback or hardcover—making it a perfect centerpiece for your direct-to-consumer or Amazon Author strategy.

Are you currently working on a project inspired by real history, or perhaps drawing from personal family archives and memories for your next book? Let’s discuss how you balance facts with fiction in the comments below!

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[Button: Explore My Books on Amazon]

#HistoricalFiction #BiographicalFiction #WritingCommunity #IndieAuthor #BookTrends #SelfPublishing #SubstackWriters #BasedOnATrueStory

Should you go direct with Amazon, or “go wide” using Draft2Digital? Here is a breakdown of how they compare across ebooks and paperbacks, highlighting their core strengths and weaknesses.

1. Ebook Publishing: Single-Market Dominance vs. Global Reach

The strategy for digital books splits cleanly between maximizing a single ecosystem or scattering your seeds across the entire internet.

Amazon KDP

Amazon controls over 60–70% of the global ebook market. When you publish here, you gain access to KDP Select, an exclusive 90-day program that places your digital book into Kindle Unlimited (KU).

• The Catch: You cannot sell your ebook anywhere else while enrolled in KDP Select.

  Explore My Books on Amazon

Draft2Digital

D2D does not sell books directly to consumers; it is an aggregator. You upload your manuscript once, and D2D distributes it to Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Scribd, and international libraries (like OverDrive and BorrowBox).

Explore My Books on Draft2Digital

2. Paperback Publishing: The Print-on-Demand (POD) Battle

Both platforms offer Print-on-Demand services—printing and shipping a physical copy only when a reader orders it. However, their distribution networks look completely different.

Amazon KDP Print

KDP allows you to print paperbacks easily and list them directly on Amazon storefronts worldwide. They offer “Expanded Distribution” to reach non-Amazon retailers, but the royalties for that specific channel are notoriously low (40% instead of the standard 60%).

Draft2Digital Print (Powered by IngramSpark)

Following their acquisition of Smashwords and deep integration with print networks, D2D Print allows indie authors to get their physical books into the catalogs of thousands of brick-and-mortar bookstores, universities, and libraries worldwide.

The Strategic Blueprint: Which Should You Choose?

As an indie author, you do not always have to choose one over the other. The most efficient, industry-standard setup often utilizes a hybrid approach:

1. The Hybrid Move: Publish your paperback and ebook directly on Amazon KDP without checking the “Expanded Distribution” or “KDP Select” boxes.

2. The Aggregator Move: Take those exact same files and upload them to Draft2Digital, checking every distribution box except Amazon.

This hybrid architecture gives you the maximum royalty percentage on the world’s biggest bookstore (Amazon) while using Draft2Digital’s massive infrastructure to handle the rest of the world effortlessly.

Are you currently exclusive to Kindle Unlimited, or are you exploring global distribution channels? Let’s talk strategy in the comments!

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#IndieAuthor #SelfPublishing #AmazonKDP #Draft2Digital #WritingCommunity #BookDistribution #PrintOnDemand

I hid my pain under the silence of butterflies

Believing that they would never speak,

But they lived too short

And I screamed with pain again.

The First Struggles

I took my sadness to a mountaintop

And I descended as quickly as I could

To catch a bit of joy,

But a fierce wind brought it back to me

And I was sad again.

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I found happiness in a swallow’s nest,

She was feeding it like her own chicks

And I wanted to take it, to be happy,

But the swallow left for warm lands

With my happiness too.

I was left only with love

Which I carry hidden so it doesn’t leave too,

I would like to use it, but I am afraid,

And then I wonder why I am human.

I took a deep breath and I used my love.

The butterflies took my pain and hid it

Under their silence,

The mountain took my sadness and took it

Where I cannot reach it,

And the swallow returned with my happiness.

And since then I live happily.