Anthony Izzo-- No Escape

Anthony Izzo is the author of four supernatural thrillers: CRUEL WINTER, EVIL HARVEST, THE DARK ONES, and his most recent Kindle release, NO ESCAPE. Tony received his B.A. in English from D'Youville College in Buffalo, NY.   He currently resides in the Western New York area and when not writing enjoys drawing, playing guitar, and spending time with his wife and two children.

NO ESCAPE will appeal to e-readers who like fast-paced horror and showcases vampire-like creatures as they were meant to be: scary and nasty.

I went independent because the market for traditional horror was shrinking and I love the freedom that indie publishing affords to writers.

Some of my favorite authors in the genre are Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Dan Simmons, and Richard Laymon.
 
http://www.anthonyizzo.com

Terri Ann Armstrong-- Morning Menace

Terri Ann Armstrong has written for years as an escape; it allowed her to get her feelings out. She won the Editor’s Award on Poetry.com (2000) and the Author of the Month on Muses and Reviews website in July 2006. But something happened along the way to writing her umpteenth poem; she discovered she could write a story. First, she had a little bit of knowledge to show in “Where do I Begin?” a book about self-acceptance. This was her second with her first “My Soul has Spoken” being a book of contemporary poetry. Her third book, “Husbandry 101” is a how-to book for men. After reading this book, a man told her, “Your book saved my relationship” and another said, “I agree with this book one hundred percent it was wonderful!” Now “Morning Menace” is her first shot at a murder mystery and the first in her Menacing Trilogy.

Product description:

“Morning Menace” is a murder mystery set on a farm in Vergennes, Vermont. Take a neurotic woman with an attention to detail and throw her in the middle of a murder investigation on a farm and you get more than horseplay. Starleen Maddox is thrust—unbeknownst to anyone—into the lives of the Grayson family as they try to figure out who’s stealing their farm supplies and killing their horses. Add to the mix feuding brothers, family honor and a rich horse breeder from Texas, and nothing is as it seems.

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?

A: I double-spaced it to make it easier on the eyes. I think because I took a regular, every day woman with problems of her own and tossed her right into the middle of a murder mystery without anyone even knowing she’s around. The ending is an attention grabber and it leaves it wide open for the next two that sew up the trilogy.

Q: Why did you go indie?

A: In all honesty, my agent asked me if I would be willing to give it a shot. I have three other books published, “My Soul has Spoken”, “Where do I Begin?” and “Husbandry 101”; they were all published in book form and haven’t done well. Trying something new certainly wouldn’t harm my work any. With e-readers being what’s in and the wave of the future—as far as I’m concerned—I had no where else to go, but up.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

A: This is hard, I have so many, but my reading has vastly opened up this past year. I loved Starr Gardinier Reina, Janet Evanovich, Alan Jacobson, Vicki Tyley, Susan Santangelo, Dean Koontz, John Saul, PJ Lawton, Vicki Petterson, Katia Lief and H. Terrell Griffin just to name a few.

You can find me on Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon Kindle and my blog at http://terriannarmstrong.wordpress.com

Adam DeCamp--Vatsy and Bruno: Dangerous Ink

Adam DeCamp is a student and aspiring writer. He runs a website, Chocolate Hammer, that’s host to a variety of gaming and fiction projects.

Vatsy and Bruno: Dangerous Ink is part dark comedy, part pulp pastiche. In a radio-era sci-fi dystopia, two mutants--the cat-thing Vatsy and the sapient chimp Bruno--grapple with poverty and prejudice as they pursue their respective goals. An aspiring journalist, Vatsy works day and night trying to get his expansive--and totally fabricated--articles published. Between him and success lie his appalling lack of talent, his weak grasp on reality, and his almost supernatural ability to make enemies in a city where contract violence is an enduring industry. Bruno's goals are a little simpler: all he wants is to keep himself and his associate alive in the face of oppressive police forces, lunatic bounty hunters, colorful assassins, and mad science gone worse.

*Q: What will e-readers like about your book?*

It’s a three-act novel containing—in no particular order—mutants, conspiracies, thugs with doctorates, quixotic vagrants, monologue-spouting bounty hunters, and double-barreled, sawn-off street journalism. Also, it’s budget-priced, costing less than fifty cents per hundred pages.

*Q: Why did you go indie? *

As a new author, I’m excited about the opportunities offered by the contemporary market. Even on the digital frontier, traditional publishing is based around the price of a dead-tree product, usually around seven to twenty dollars for new releases. That’s not exorbitant, but it is enough to discourage much gambling on the reader’s part. Problem is, as an unknown author—someone a publisher would be unlikely to furnish with an advertising blitz—gambling is kind of what I’m counting on. Self-publishing for only a dollar per copy won’t make me a millionaire, but it will encourage people to give my stuff a try. If they like it, I’ve gained a reader, and if they don’t like it, they haven’t lost much. It’s a win-win situation.

*Q: Who are your favorite authors in the genre?*
Vatsy and Bruno is a little tricky genre-wise—the best suggestion I’ve heard so far is Radiopunk—but as far as humor goes, I’m a fan of stuff in the Douglas Adams/Terry Pratchett vein of narrative comedy. I also like Jim Butcher’s ability to splice genres and bring a sense of reality to unreal situations.

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0041VYK46

Willow Polson-- Triune

Willow's major in college was Art, and while at SFSU to get a teaching credential she was hired by EGW Publishing as a graphic artist. When an assistant editor position opened up, she was pretty much hired on the spot. From there, she helped develop new titles, became a department editor, and eventually a managing editor.

After the birth of her son, she went freelance and successfully sold five non-fiction books to Citadel, a Kensington
Publishing imprint, as well as multiple magazine articles to various publications.

Willow's first love, however, was always fantasy novels. Non-fiction, while a perfectly valid market, wasn't entirely satisfying to write about. Then she read Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury, and figured there was no reason that she couldn't write fiction books, tell stories that readers would enjoy, and have a lot of fun in the process. Turns out that's a pretty good combination.

Product description:
The Mason brothers had always been close, but until the day Mike discovered he was actually an angel, they had no idea just how close.

Triune brings readers along on their shared journey of discovery, because where one brother goes, the other two follow, sometimes kicking and screaming. Not everything is heavenly for these three men tossed into strange new circumstances without an instruction manual, and being an angel isn't as easy as it sounds. But with the thorns there are roses, and for the Mason brothers, the journey is only beginning.

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
Triune is the antidote to all the darkness and blood and gore flooding the market right now. It's got the vibe of the first season of Heroes -- hope, discovery, family and connectedness. Despite being about angels, it's not a religious book, and is enjoyed by people of all beliefs because it includes just as much world mythology and soul-searching as it does traditional angel lore. There's also plenty of pop culture references and hidden things for astute readers to discover.

Q: Why did you go indie?
Traditional publishing is a dinosaur. I used to think that was the only legitimate way to put out a book, but my mind has been changed by the numbers in general and J.A. Konrath in particular. My old publisher did little to promote my other books, so if I'm going to the trouble, I want to make more than 7.5% of the cover price, thanks.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
Neil Gaiman, Tim Powers, Charles deLint, Rob Kroese

http://www.willowpolson.com
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1453828265

Scott Semegran-- Modicum

My name is Scott Semegran and I live in Austin, Texas. I
graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in
English. I'm a writer and a cartoonist. I can also bend metal with my
mind and run really fast, if chased by a pack of wolves. My short
stories have appeared in independent publications and literary
journals like The Next One Literary Journal from the Texas Tech
University Honors College. My comic strips have appeared in the
following newspapers: The Austin Student, The Funny Times, The Austin
American-Statesman, Rocky Mountain Bullhorn, Seven Days, The
University of Texas at Dallas Mercury, and The North Austin Bee.


Modicum: This collection of short stories, musings, and cartoons by writer / cartoonist Scott Semegran explores such themes as suicide, parenting, religion, masculinity, the apocalypse, and, most importantly, erections. It’s guaranteed to make you laugh, cry, and pee your pants (hopefully, not at the same time). You can purchase it here:

http://www.amazon.com/Modicum-ebook/dp/B0041G6OG8/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_12
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/22761
http://www.mobipocket.com/en/eBooks/eBookDetails.asp?BookID=345572
http://www.scribd.com/doc/36679110/Modicum
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/modicum/12462975?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/7

Q: What will e-readers like about your book? The combination of short
stories and cartoons makes a nice mix of literary goodness.

Q: Why did you go indie? More control of my work.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre? Kurt Vonnegut and
Charles Bukowski.

Link to web site or blog or Amazon/Smashwords:

http://www.scottsemegran.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/scottsemegran
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002DMIIFC

JC Phelps-- Color Me Grey

J.C. Phelps is a wife and mother of three with a modest home in the Black Hills of South Dakota. She knew that she wanted to be an author at an early age but didn't get serious about it until after her first daughter, Alexandra, was born. Ever since she finished writing Color Me Grey, the first book in The Alexis Stanton Chronicles, she has been happily glued to her computer screen.  She has written two more in the series, Shades of Grey and Reflections of Grey and is currently considering another in the series.

Product description: 

Color Me Grey, Book One of The Alexis Stanton Chronicles

Meet Alexis Stanton, a 5' 4" petite young woman with a yen for adventure. She grew up as a tomboy wishing she could have all the adventures boys could have. She has since decided that being a boy instead of a girl has its advantages, but being a woman is much better. Raised in a family with money, she was able to pick and choose her education. She has been schooled in everything from being a lady to courses with Special Forces instructors. Her desire for adventure and her boredom with her current employment and a strange 'Help Wanted' ad causes her to quit. She finds that job she could 'just die for'... and it looks like she just might!

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?

A:  The price of Color Me Grey is only $2.99 at Amazon.  It is a quick and easy read with adventure and a touch of romance.

Q: Why did you go indie?

A:  I chose to publish myself so I could be involved in the entire process, retain all rights and design my own covers.  Also, if I have to do most of the work, why not keep most of the profit?

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

A:  I enjoy Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum Series and also really enjoyed Take the Monkeys and Run by Karen Cantwell.

Link to web site or blog or Amazon/Smashwords:

Paperback at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Color-Me-Grey-J-C-Phelps/dp/0981769004/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_5

Kindle format: http://www.amazon.com/Color-Alexis-Stanton-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B003L202M0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1283825312&sr=1-1

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jcp

Blog: http://jcphelps.blogspot.com/

Helen Smith-- Alison Wonderland

Helen Smith is an author and playwright. She travelled the world when her daughter was small, doing all sorts of strange jobs to support them both - from cleaning motels to working as a magician's assistant - before returning to live in London where she wrote her first novel. She's a long-term supporter of the Medical Foundation for the Victims of Torture and mentors members of an exiled writers group to help them tell their stories.


Product description:
When Alison joins Mrs Fitzgerald’s Bureau of Investigation as a private detective, her new job takes her on a series of loosely linked adventures involving an abandoned baby, a transgenic animal and secret tunnels under The Thames. She travels from London to the seaside town of Weymouth and back again with her new best friend Taron, a girl with a hundred candle smile. But someone is betraying her. Is it Taron? Is it Jeff, the sweet-natured inventor who writes her poetry? Or are there darker forces at play?

'Only occasionally does a piece of fiction leap out and demand immediate cult status.  Alison Wonderland is one... Smith is at the very least a minor phenomenon.' The Times

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?

It’s a charming, thoughtful book that features several interesting characters and some memorable lines. 

Q: Why did you go indie?

I’m traditionally published but when Alison Wonderland went out of print I thought the best way to revive the book would be to make it available for the kindle. Getting it into the kindle store was a very positive experience so I followed it up by publishing an ebook edition of my second book, Being Light, which had also gone out of print. Both are now available in paperback.

Q: Who are your favorite authors?

Peter Carey, Kazuo Ishiguro, Liz Jensen, Chuck Palahniuk, Haruki Marakami, Muriel Spark, Graham Greene, Mary Karr.

Links:

Buy it on Amazon, in the Kindle store, Book Depository, Barnes & Noble or direct from Tyger Books.

My blog: http://helensmithblog.blogspot.com

Author page at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KE7ZJE

 ###

Michael Crane-- In Decline

Michael Crane is an indie author and scribbler of inane babble that can sometimes end up as stories. He went to Columbia College Chicago where he earned a BA in Fiction Writing. He is currently the author of two short story collections, and he also might've written two books while he was in high school, but he refuses to own up to them. He lives in Illinois and is always trying to work on something new, unless he's battling stupid writer's block.

Product description:  IN DECLINE is a short story collection about people trying to get by, for better or worse. Gossip, bizarre love, peer pressure, addiction, heartbreak and loss are only a few of the topics covered in these nine stories where characters are faced with tough choices and ugly truths about life, the world and within themselves.

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?

I hope readers will enjoy the stories because I’ve done my best to make my characters seem realistic.  They’re not always pleasant or good, but I still try to give them that realistic touch where people can read a story and feel like they know that people like that exist.  I also think people will enjoy the diversity of the stories.

Q: Why did you go indie?

After years and years of submitting to literary magazines, I just grew tired.  It was really disheartening not to find proper homes for my work.  Sometimes you just have to go out there and do it yourself.  Life’s too short to play the waiting game.  More people have been exposed to my writing than ever before.  I’m still unknown, but I’m doing what I can to get the name out there.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

As far as short stories go, Raymond Carver and Richard Yates.  Carver was the big one for me.  He showed me that you can write stories about everyday people and still have them be interesting.  You didn’t have to have overcomplicated plots.

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/In-Decline-stories-ebook/dp/B003VD1FXY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1278938747&sr=8-1

Smashwords Page:  http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/michaelcrane

Blog:  http://authormichaelcrane.blogspot.com