Wednesday, December 29, 2010

William Esmont-- The Patriot Paradox



William Esmont lives in Tucson, Arizona with his wife and three dogs. He is a voracious reader and writer who has more ideas than time. The Patriot Paradox is his second published novel, and the first in a new series that follows the adventures of ex-CIA agent Kurt Vetter and his partner Amanda Carter.

Product description:
Ex-CIA analyst Kurt Vetter and enigmatic foreign agent Amanda Carter race across Europe in a quest to unearth the truth behind the murder of Kurt's brother. Trying desperately to stay ahead of a government that has forsaken them, they discover a conspiracy that threatens the very foundation of world stability. The clock is ticking and Kurt and Amanda must find a way to halt the plot before millions die.

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
The Patriot Paradox is a fast-paced thriller that starts with a murder and explodes across the globe in a frantic scramble to stay one step ahead of a trained killer while stopping a plot to kill millions.

Q: Why did you go indie?
I chose to go indie because I enjoy all aspects of the process, from writing to cover design to marketing and promotion. I enjoy connecting with my readers and providing an entertaining story.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
Jeff Long, Tom Clancy, Brad Thor, Vince Flynn


Monday, December 27, 2010

The Seven Sisters-- J.B. Hendricks

J.B. Hendricks lives in Columbus, is a graduate of The Ohio State University where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree studying folklore, witchcraft, poetry, and British classics, and this is his first published novel. He likes cats, music, watching Doctor Who, and hopes one day, suddenly and inexplicably, to know how to play the piano.


The Seven Sisters is a character driven epic fantasy concerning the tale of seven young women with seven supernatural powers. These powers are based on the five senses and two fantastic senses that do not exist (most would agree) in our world. Their world, the wondrous realm of Gleeb, is home to magic, monsters, and swordplay. When Gleeb is thrown into chaos, will the seven sisters, armed with their wits, their love for one another, and the help of a motley cast of allies, be able to overcome a wizard with a god complex and no conscience, a mad historian, arcane cyborgs, and a lascivious demoness and her dark master? That's the story. And there's a cat that quotes Goethe too.

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
The Seven Sisters is reasonably priced at $2.99, it has gone through two editions and is thoroughly edited, the book and its super convenient table of contents (each chapter listed in the table of contents is also linked to the beginning of the respective chapter in the book) was formatted by an IT professional, and, most importantly, it is a fresh, fun, and exciting work of fiction.

Q: Why did you go indie?
I saw indie publishing as an opportunity to be involved in an exciting movement in the literary industry. Also, the idea of selling direct to customers and thus establishing a more personal relationship with my readers appealed to me. When you buy my book, you buy it from me and you guarantee that I'll keep writing fiction if you keep enjoying it. You don't have to worry about most of your money going to the next big Twilight promotional campaign. You're supporting an artist, not a company.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
I'd have to go with Lloyd Alexander, Roger Zelazny, Neil Gaiman, and Dan Abnett.

Link to web site or blog or Amazon/Smashwords: The Seven Sisters at Amazon Kindle Store

Friday, December 24, 2010

A.J. Davidson-- Churchill's Queen

AJ Davidson is a traditionally published author and playwright, who, in Spring 2010, made the switch to Indie. He is keen to explore the potential of a rapidly changing publishing world, and is enjoying the closer contact with his readers that e-books afford.

Born in Northern Ireland, AJ currently lives in the bucolic splendour of the Fermanagh Monaghan border. A graduate of Queen's University, Belfast, he has a degree in Social Anthropology. Married for 28 years, he has two children, a Harrier hound and a cat called Dusty.

Not one for staying long in the same place, AJ has lived in many countries across several continents. He has worked as a pea washer, crane-driver, restaurateur and scriptwriter.


Churchill's Queen is a sabotage thriller set in the early days of World War II. Two Abwehr agents are landed in Scotland by u-boat, their mission is to destroy a vital part of the British war machine, the RMS Queen Elizabeth, the world's largest liner.  Although apparently foiled, did their plan ultimately succeed 32 years later in Hong Kong harbour?

Q: What will e-readers like about your book? It is a techno-thriller set in 1940. There is a lot of detail crammed into the 360 pages. People who enjoy Foyle's War will find this book ideal reading.
Q: Why did you go indie? As mentioned in my bio I was a traditionally published author and have not given that up entirely. But I am blown away by the possibilities that is afforded by digital publishing and want to take full advantage. I have a book, Decoys, coming out with Aspen Mountain Press in November. It's a crime thriller set in the seedy world of fidelity testing agencies.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre? Jack Higgins's The Eagle Has Landed would have some similarities with Churchill's Queen. I also admire Robert Harris, who wrote The Enigma Code and Fatherland.
http://ajdavidson.wordpress.com/

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Snap Shot -- Jeanette Williams-Smith

Jeanette D. Williams-Smith is a Jacksonville, Florida native. She has had a passion for the written word since age seven. The middle child in a family of four, her imagination led her to compose poetry and prose under the pen name "Ms. J". She graduated from Paxon School for Advanced Studies then went on to receive her Bachelor in Science in Biology at Eckerd College. The author is a medical technologist in her home city as well as an active church member. She is married to her husband, Jeromy, an aspiring chef and minister.
 
Former major crimes detective Hollister Liano finds himself seeking redemption from his crime by taking care of classy fainter Rosaline Welsh, a freelance photographer carrying around more than just her camera. She is holding the photographic evidence of a murder involving her abusive ex-boyfriend and a dirty cop in the same police department... Ultimately, these two broken people learn that wholeness comes from a higher source...


Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
A: I hope readers will relate to a romance about two imperfect people seeking love and redemption--in each other, in themselves, and in God ultimately. For those itching for thriller, SNAP SHOT has some of that. It's a little book of everything I like to think.

Q: Why did you go indie?
Currently, I have not garnished a deal with a major publishing house or an agent yet. I wanted to get a feel of self-publishing and the publishing process as a whole itself. That, and I think I was just so eager to share my work with everyone, it didn't matter how it was out there. As as as it was out there for someone to read, I was happy.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
A: Depends on what my genre is. I'm more inspirational/AA/interracial fiction. A few of my favorites from my vast list--Alice Walker, Claudia Mair Burney, Toni Morrison, Terry Goodkind (I'm not much for fantasy anymore but he's good), Zora Neale Hurston, Walter Dean Myers, Robin Cook, etc. A good sci-fi novel also works for me.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Keith Blackmore-- The Troll Hunter



At this point in time, I really don’t have much to say about myself. I have a day job and I write when I can. I should eat better. I don’t like musicals. Or lengthy bios.

The Troll Hunter: A warrior with a secret. A rogue band of cut throats. And a monster of legend.

A morning that no one wanted. Battle rusty from the war infirmaries, a company of Sujins are ordered to march north through a war torn country, guarding a mysterious koch. They are whipped by the murderous Rusk the Two Knife and led by the enigmatic Bloor, the only cavalier to survive the
Field of Skulls. Together, they will march into the unknown, and arrive at the teeth of hell. And only one man will possess the skills necessary to bring the survivors back.

A tale of heroic fantasy. Some graphic violence and language.

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

Fans of David Gemmell and Robert E Howard will enjoy the story. It’s
gritty, the action is blade to the throat and boot to the balls, the
dialogue is sharp, and the characters believable. Or at least I think so.
But then I’m bias. See my reviews--one is on my site and the other is on
Amazon.

Q: Why did you go indie?

Got tired of a handful of individuals—editors—dictating what gets
published and what doesn’t. I've read several books last year alone which
I threw down wondering how the hell they got published; what exactly the
editor saw  in those stories that obviously went turbo jet over my head.
My stories are strong tales of heroic fantasy and horror, yet in some
cases, my books won’t be published until 2012… Indie allows more control
for the writer and you can release the ebook when it’s ready. And, ebooks
are cheaper.


Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

The late David Gemmell and Robert E Howard. Howard in particular did an
wonderful  job in creating the Hyborian Age, which is still the number one
fantasy world in my book. Recently, I’ve been reading and very impressed
by Joe Abercrombie, whose characters are very well done (I’m jealous) and
whose action sequences are similar to my own.

Link to web site or blog or Amazon/Smashwords
www.keithcblackmore.com
www.amazon.com/dp/B0045JLQCS
###

Monday, December 20, 2010

John Karr-- Van Gogh, Encore

Fiction writing each day helps keep the demons at bay. Van Gogh, Encore is the novelization of my interest in Vincent Van Gogh and the connections I have with aspects of his life and so many of his works. My horror novel, Dark Resurrection, was revised in October 2007. Asylett Press published my medical thriller, Hippocrates Shattered, and Wild Wolf Publishing has pubbed my heroic sword and sorcery novel, Rhone , in trade print. Rhone will soon be available in ebook from another publisher. My short stories have appeared on webzines, including Allegory and The Absent Willow Review, and now Expressions. More novels are in the marketing queue. I work as an IT Analyst in Raleigh , NC , and attempt to balance family life with writing. www.johnakarr.com

Imagine Vincent van Gogh in our modern world. Suppose, during the last year and a half of his life, when he severs part of his ear and commits himself to the insane asylum, he stumbles into the very circumstance he has longed for his entire adult life -- a family. Would his life change for the better, or would his self-destructive tendencies again prevail? Van Gogh, Encore is a speculative novel based upon the last year and a half of Vincent van Gogh's life. The tale, set in the United States, presents an alternative dimension to the complex and fascinating artist who died impoverished and unappreciated ... while the images he created went on to have global impact, and can be found on everything from vodka bottles to vehicle dashboard covers, television commercials to t-shirts, and whose original works sell for millions.


Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
Entertainment, hopefully. Perhaps some deeper insights into what Vincent van Gogh’s mindset may have been, particularly with the onset of panic attacks and attempts to fight through. Van Gogh, Encore is not a detailed biography/memoir of the man, but an alternate dimension of who he might be if you met him today.


Q: Why did you go indie? Traditional publishing rejected my efforts.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre? I don't have one, as this is an unknown genre for me. I feel it is Alternate History because I'm using an historical figure and placing him in the present as if he'd never existed before. Purists of Alternate History want to be taken backward in time, not remain in the present. This is the first book I've read (and written) that does this, though I assume some exist.  
###
 
 

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Geoffrey Thorne-- Winter of the Wild Hunt

WINTER OF THE WILD HUNT is my first full-length eNovel. 

An aimless young man with a broken heart... Four child prodigies with an earthshaking idea... A beautiful musician who is considerably more than she seems... 
and an unearthly force capable of ripping people right out of this world come together in the swirl of magic and science that is WINTER OF THE WILD HUNT.


Sharing a
 home with four super geniuses isn’t easy, especially if you’re worried the machine they’re building in the attic might just destroy the planet. When a beautiful singer with a voice that’s literally out of this world smashes into your life like a freight train all hope of normalcy goes right out the window.  
Suddenly you’re changing for her. Not only your mind but your body- changing into something new, something inhuman. 


You find yourself at the center of a centuries’ old battle between all of mankind and mystical forces too powerful and malevolent to contemplate. The fate of two worlds rests on which side of the conflict you choose you know whatever you decide could spell oblivion for billions including your best friends and the woman you’ve come to love.

WINTER OF THE WILD HUNT is a tale of magic, science, friendship and a love so terrible it just might break the world.


I think readers will like this book for the reasons I did. It's unusual. It's an urban fantasy that feels like someone telling you a real-world story. It's sarcastic and funny and sweet and terrifying, sometimes on the same page. It's got romance, action, magic, horror, science and it's about at least two different kinds of love. I think the readers will be surprised by it. It's not what it seems to be. In a very good way.

I decided to go the indie route as an experiment at first, testing the waters with several previously published novellas. Those are doing so well I thought I'd bite the bullet and release something completely original and unseen. That's WINTER OF THE WILD HUNT.

My favorite authors, short list: Ursula LeGuin. Octavia Butler. Tad WIlliams. Greg Bear. Roger Zelazny. Steven Brust. Neil Gaiman.
 
###

Friday, December 17, 2010

David Thyssen-- All That You Can Leave Behind

Author David Thyssen tells the story of thirteen year old Sage, a lonely boy on the brink of self-destruction, who discovers that he only can take control over his life once he leaves his past behind.


Imagine being stranded on a deserted island, with the birds and the trees as your only companion. To thirteen year old Sage, the Caribbean island he just moved to might as well be deserted. At the brink of adolescence, and away from the turmoil of his old life in southern California, he is now left to deal with a history of abuse. Invisible to his young mother, who seems to be more interested in partying and smoking weed with her boyfriend than in her teenage son, and devoid of any friends, his lonely world seems without escape.

After a failed suicide attempt he starts writing about his world in a blog, embarking on a courageous quest to find a meaning of life. On his path of self-discovery he is helped by an adult couple who show him a more stable, family life, and even offer him a home when things get bad. A passionate relationship with a girl he meets finally allows him to overcome some of the emotional scars of abuse, and propel him forward towards maturity. As he learns that he carries his own key to happiness inside, he slowly gains confidence in himself and in the world around him. Just as he believes to have finally found the love of his mother, she betrays him when she unfolds her plans to move to Colombia instead of going back to California, like she promised. When her boyfriend suddenly dies, Sage is once again left with a a life-deciding choice; stay on the island with the people he now considers his family, or go back home with his own mother. Ultimately, he discovers only he can turn his hate into love and that, in order to survive, he will have to leave his past behind.


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

This book started out as a 'reality blog' on xanga in 2005. At first I just started writing about this lonely California boy who lived on an island in the Caribbean, and about how he spent his days, but quickly I started pouring my own experiences as a child into the character, and the story became semi-autobiographical. At first only a few people read it, but from one day to the next after about a week or two, the story became a hit, and got some 2000 visitors a day all the way to the end, 7 months later.

I couldn't publish the blog in the form I wrote it. It was way too long. 7 months of daily entries turned out to be some 800 pages traditionally formatted, and most of it wasn't very interesting. I had to rewrite the story and reduce it drastically, but without losing the message of the story, which is that it's really about the innate human drive for life and love, the quest for happiness on which all of us embark.

I think the reason why his story became so popular online was the fact that he was so appealing, and in a way even universal. While not everyone has been abused or has lived through what Sage went through, people still recognized a lot of themselves through him. I got so many letters from people who told me how his story had made them think about how they live their own lives, and about their relationships with their own parents, it was really encouraging.


Q: Why did you go indie?

A little while ago I saw a story on the news about Kindle sales, and how eBooks were taking over the publishing industry. I had thought about self-publishing before, but that story made me decide that this was the moment. While I've been writing since I was a child, and writing is what I always wanted to do, I've only finished 3 novels so far, two of which are now available as eBooks.

I believe the publishing industry has missed a great opportunity, not only to make money, but to improve itself. Big publishing companies should have started sites like HULU or Smashwords themselves, and give an opportunity to people who have not been able to get a foot into the traditional door but who have stories to tell, a chance to get in through self-publishing. That way they would have been able to hand-pick talent and authors that sell and offer them a print contract, and stay in control. I'm afraid it's already too late for this to happen now. Although it does require some extra work for an author to do all the promotion, and which takes time away from actually writing, authors have found out they can make more money by ePublishing their books. While I believe print books will always be in demand, eBooks will dominate the industry.


ALL THAT YOU CAN LEAVE BEHIND is available in all eFormats at Smashwords:  http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/davidthyssen
or at Amazon for Kindle:  http://www.amazon.com/All-that-leave-behind-ebook/dp/B0045U9UYI/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Lori Titus -- Green Water Lullaby

Lori Titus is the author of Lazarus, a horror novella published in September 2010. She is also the Managing Editor of the short fiction website Flashes in the Dark. Her web serial, The Marradith Ryder Series, updates on FitD weekly.

 
Green Water Lullaby is a collection of paranormal stories all centered in the fictional town of Chrysalis, South Carolina. Betrayal, mysterious "animal" attacks, and magic are just some of the goings on in this town.

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
 
The fast paced stories in this collection are perfect for e-reading, and the format makes it easy on the eye.

Q: Why did you go indie?
 
Indie allows more experimentation and access to be involved in the editing and marketing proccess.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
 
Tananrive Due, Kelley Armstrong, P.C and Kristen Cast.
 
 ###

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Erik Lynd - Asylum

Erik Lynd lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and two children.


Asylum: Andrew Harland has been a loner since being diagnosed with schizophrenia. He is shuffled around from juvenile detention centers to outpatient clinics with expensive doctors. Nothing seems to help. His parents, desperate to have him out of the house, decide to send him off to a revolutionary new psychiatric hospital in the Pacific Northwest.

Andrew is different, and he knows it. He always has. So he doesn't hesitate when the voices in his head tell him to climb out on a window ledge . . .

Haunted by his own son's suicide, Dr. David Styles rescues Andrew from the ledge and takes a personal interest in his case. After getting to know him, Dr. Styles becomes suspicious of the boy's diagnosis. What he uncovers sends him on a desperate journey to rescue Andrew.

Because something is terribly wrong at the hospital.

Treatments are conducted at odd hours. Patients disappear into the bowels of the massive, aged building, sometimes never to be seen again, and the voices in Andrew's head are getting louder. 
Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
Well I hope all readers like that while it has a strong story line it is very much a character driven story.  It is a horror novel and as such has a scary and thrilling plot, but I spent equal amounts of time developing the relationship between the group of teenagers and the bond that forms between the two main characters.  For e-reader specifically I hope they enjoy the same thing at a lower price.
Q: Why did you go indie?
Well, Asylum was actually under contract with a print publisher for almost two years.  Just before it was going to hit the printers the publisher made a major change in the direction the company was going.  I didn't agree with their decision so I asked for and received all the rights back for the novel.  I sent the book out to agents and editors and kept getting the same response "great writing, but horror doesn't sell.  Send me anything else."  So while I am writing other novels I am experimenting to see if the Indie route is a viable alternative for "non sellable" books.
Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
Stephen King, Joe Hill, Clive Barker, Peter Straub

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Holly A. Hook--Tempest

I live in Michigan with my two cats. I started making up stories at the age of four by talking into tape recorders and making cassettes, because I didn't know how to write yet. Once I knew how to write, I took off. In high school I mostly just wrote for my friends, but finally joined on online critique group a few years ago. My writing has grown a lot since then and even made Semifinalist status in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards this year in the Young Adult category. I enjoy writing mostly young adult fantasy.

 
Tempest: Sixteen-year-old Janelle is devastated. Her new crush, Gary, just told her she’s a Tempest, a human hurricane. Like him. That’s what the gray spiral on her arm means. By law, all Tempests have to become their namesake hurricanes once in their lives to keep the world’s weather in balance—and Janelle’s turn is soon. And much to her horror, her dad’s going to make her go through with it.

That doesn’t bode well for her future as a doctor. Plus Janelle can’t live with herself if she kills anyone, even by accident. So she does what any sane person would do—she runs away from home.
Big mistake, because the evil Tempest leader, Andrina, finds and captures her. And Andrina's plans for Janelle include more than just keeping tabs on the planet's rainfall levels. Janelle's capable of turning into the most destructive hurricane ever--and now she's the main weapon in a plot to hold the world's coastal cities ransom. If she doesn't cooperate, Andrina's going to kill Gary and her best friend, Leslie.

But in order to escape her enslavement and save the lives of those she cares about, Janelle must face and accept the power that she’s trying to run away from.

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?It's something a little different. There aren't too many books about Tempests out there, to my knowledge.  The concept plays on something we're all familiar with, but in a new way: the naming and personification of hurricanes.  It also has a little romance.  And despite an extraordinary situation, the characters are quite human, all with their own faults, backstories, hopes, and fears.

Q: Why did you go indie?
I wanted to start building a reader platform and keep Tempest from gathering dust on my hard drive.  Publishers look for that a lot today in writers, from what I understand.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
Rick Riordan, Holly Black, Diana Wynne Jones and many others.


Amazon Kindle Edition
Tempest Paperback
 
All other eBook Formats

Monday, December 13, 2010

Alex Knight-- What Luck!


Alex Knight enjoys writing mysteries, horror stories and romantic comedies. Her recent projects include Murder in Mendocino, Incredible Luck! (the sequel to What Luck!) and Accidental Agent. She currently resides in Hamilton, Ontario.


“What Luck!” is a story about fear, greed, violence, unconditional loyalty and love. Oh yes, and the central characters just happen to be vampires.


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

I think readers will enjoy the central characters. Instead of lovers reunited after death in a perfect immutable Heaven, they came together again earthbound in an ugly changing world and try to make the best of it. They are creatures of the dark, spreading light.


Q: Why did you go indie?

Going indie meant that I could take my novels to the readers much sooner than if I had followed the traditional route.  Actually, I think going indie will become the traditional route.


Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

If we’re talking about vampires novels then I would have to say Bram Stoker.  Several other writers who have entertained and inspired me are Dashiell Hammett, Mickey Spillane, John D. MacDonald, Edgar Allen Poe, Ross MacDonald, Raymond Chandler, Rex Stout, James Patterson and Lawrence Block, just to name a few.
www.alexknight.ca 

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Ruth Francisco-- The Pigtailed Heart

I worked in the film industry for many years in production, screenwriting, and promotion.   My first book, “Confessions of a Deathmaiden” was published by Warner Books in 2003, followed by “Good Morning, Darkness” and “The Secret Memoirs of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis”.  I am a frequent contributor to the “Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine”. 

My last two books, “Amsterdam 2012” and “Primal Wound”, are now available exclusively on Kindle.

Product description:

On the gritty mean streets of 1940s
Los Angeles, investigator Jack Clayton has few illusions—he knows all about LA corruption.  Yet when the great defense lawyer Jerry Giesler asks him to find witnesses for Hollywood’s last sensational murder trial, he tumbles into a web of gambling, corruption, and international espionage, and into the arms of  a siren so dangerous she could set off the whole powder keg.

Based on a true criminal trial and years of research, this sweeping, rip-roaring saga lives and breathes the hardscrabble times of pre-war Los Angeles: glamor, gambling, political corruption, and the explosive appetites of a thriving young megalopolis. 
Q: What will readers like about your book? 

I wanted to write a fast-paced noir detective novel, but I also wanted to reveal the rich historical texture of the period.  I want readers to feel as if they’ve time-traveled back to 1940, to hear the roller coasters on Santa Monica pier, the jazz playing in the gambling ships, the rap tap tap of Tommy guns.  To feel this era—its glamor and despair. 

I want readers to fall in love with noir. 

Q: Why did you go indie?

I published my first Indie book on Kindle in February, after my publisher turned down my Euro thriller Amsterdam 2012 for being too controversial.  It met with great success.  I was inspired to publish other books on Kindle, and to get back the rights on my backlist.  What started out as an experiment looks like a career choice. 

There is vitality and vigor to writing this way, and I find it all very exciting.  

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

Chandler, Mosley, and Ellroy.  Beyond being great storytellers, all of these writers reveal the wonderful texture of the era—the feeling of a world on edge, verging on despair, clinging to our essential humanity.  And they use language beautifully.

Available at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Pigtailed-Heart-ebook/dp/B00433TYKW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284934091&sr=1-1

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Chryse Wymer--This Dark Magic

Chryse Wymer is an author currently located in Ravenna, Ohio. As a magical student and practitioner of sixteen years as well as a massage therapist/amateur science nut, fantasy, sci-fi, and horror all evolved as her natural written forms.  However, further experimentation is occasionally necessary.

This Dark Magic is a dark fantasy (with some humor) about a man who must navigate a dangerous world of black magic in order to save his little corner of the universe.

Q: What will e-readers like about your book? It’s a fun, quick read, but crap-your-pants scary all at once.

Q: Why did you go indie? The biggest reason is that there just isn’t any mainstream market for my genre of novella, save two, and since my story doesn’t have a blaring neon sign screaming YOU'RE ABOUT TO READ A FANTASY, it’s difficult to penetrate those markets with this particular story. But I believe that it’s good work that deserves to be read.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre? Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series, Kim Harrison, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Jeff Lindsay‘s Dexter series.

Links:
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/chryse


Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Simon Royle-- Tag

Simon Royle was born in Manchester, England in 1963. He has been variously a yachtsman, advertising executive, and a senior management executive in software companies. A futurist and a technologist, he lives in Bangkok, with his wife and two children. TAG is his first novel.



On 15 March 2110, 6.3 billion people will die.
One man’s vision to make the world a better place.
From a world where the concept of violence has changed, and where personal privacy has been forsaken, comes a tale of conspiracy, love and murder – and the bond shared by brothers.

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
It's a fast-paced thriller that is set in the future; 99 years from now. I have tried to keep the story realistic and that includes the technology. Everything from how we communicate to how we travel is based on researched fact. Nothing described is impossible and most of it is likely. Since writing the book, which I started in 2009, at least one of the things I have written about came to be a product. Apples iPad is exactly how I imagined the Devstick. When I hear people talking about computers and phones today, I hear the word 'Device" a lot hence the term, Dev and its derivative Devstick.

Q: Why did you go indie?
To give people the chance to read what I've written, as opposed to a few overburdened agents in NY. Viva la revolution.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
I write thriller, science fiction and techno thriller; the list of my favorites is way too long to put here.

Link to web site or blog or Amazon/Smashwords
My Blog:
http://www.simon-royle.com/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004EYUELS
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/32051

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Stacy Juba-- Twenty-Five Years Ago Today

Stacy Juba is the author of the mystery novels Twenty-Five Years Ago Today and Sink Or Swim, as well as the patriotic children's picture book The Flag Keeper. She is a freelance writer and former daily newspaper reporter with more than a dozen writing awards to her credit, including three New England Press Association awards and the American Cancer Society New England Chapter’s Sword of Hope Media Award. Her young adult novel Face-Off was published under her maiden name, Stacy Drumtra, when she was 18 years old. She is also one of the resident authors/moderators
at Bestseller Bound, a forum where readers connect with small press and independent authors.

Product Description:
Twenty-Five Years Ago Today is a mystery novel available in both trade paperback and multiple e-book formats. Obit writer and editorial assistant Kris Langley feels like the newsroom slave – that is, until she stumbles across an unsolved murder while compiling "25 Years Ago Today" items from the microfilm.  Determined to launch her reporting career, Kris investigates the cold case of Diana Ferguson, an artistic young cocktail waitress obsessed with Greek and Roman mythology.  She soon
learns that old news never leaves the morgue and that yesterday's
headline is tomorrow's danger, for finding out the truth about that night
twenty-five years ago may shatter Kris’s present, costing her love, her
career, and ultimately, her life.

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
E-readers will enjoy Twenty-Five Years Ago Today as it is a page-turner
and a puzzle.  The book keeps readers guessing about who-dunnit. The
novel also has elements of romance, suspense and an intriguing subplot
about Greek mythology. Book clubs will enjoy discussing it and can use
the Reader’s Guide which is included at the end of the e-book edition or
print it out from my web site.
 
Q: Why did you go indie?
I was fortunate that the trade paperback edition was published by a new
small press called Mainly Murder Press, after nine years of trying to
sell the manuscript. Since I held the e-book rights, I published the
e-book version myself – uploading it to Amazon Kindle and distributing it
to other e-book retailers through Smashwords.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
I really enjoy the books of authors Darcia Helle, KD Easley and CJ Lyons,
who all have mystery/suspense books available in e-book formats.

Link:
Web site: http://www.stacyjuba.com

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Cliff Ball--Usurper

Cliff Ball was born in 1974 in Arizona, is single, and currently lives in the Dallas/Forth Worth area. He has a BA in English from Midwestern State in Wichita Falls, and is currently pursuing a 2nd BA at University of North Texas so that he can eventually get an MA in Creative Writing from UNT. Cliff has published three novels, The Usurper, Don't Mess With Earth, and Out of Time. He also works for himself as a copy-editor.

Product description: The Usurper is about the KGB and the USSR embarking on a plan to take down the US from within through the use of terrorism. No matter what the terrorists believe, as long as they have a problem with the Western powers and the United States, the KGB backs them, along with a super rich Spaniard who can't stand the USA. Once the Soviet Union dissolves, Al Qaeda fills in that power vacuum and the inside man that the KGB has who will eventually bring down the US, sides with them, and the US ends up never being the same again. A small group of resistance fighters, led by one of the passengers of United Flight 93(who survive in this novel), aim to take down the now President of the United States.

Q: What will e-readers like about your book? If you like political thrillers and alternate history, then this novel is for you.

Q: Why did you go indie? I prefer doing everything myself, and I enjoy the challenge of it.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre? For the political thriller, I like Tom Clancy. I usually write science fiction/alternate history, so I enjoy reading S.M. Stirling, Harry Turtledove, Eric Flint.

Link to web site or blog or Amazon/Smashwords
Website: http://cliffball.webs.com
Blog: http://cliffball.blogspot.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Usurper-ebook/dp/B003VP9VVK
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/18734

Thursday, December 2, 2010

KC May--The Kinshield Legacy

K.C. May grew up in the mid-western USA and in Hawaii, and earned a B.A. in Russian from Florida State University. After a year in Taiwan teaching English and studying Mandarin Chinese, she lived in the Arizona desert where she founded a Rottweiler rescue organization, studied karate, went backpacking, tried sky-diving, did some downhill skiing, got a couple motorcycles, wrote software, and spent time on the shooting range. In 2010, she retreated to cooler, greener Georgia. She earns her living as a full-time writer.
 
Product description: The Kinshield Legacy is a 122,000-word epic fantasy adventure about Gavin Kinshield, a sword-for-hire trying to avoid becoming king.
 
Two hundred years ago, a mysterious stone tablet with five magical gems was abandoned in a cave. King Arek had disappeared, and the kingdom of Thendylath was left in ruins, with only warrant knights to keep the peace. Warrant knight Gavin Kinshield is a man of many secrets. Unless he can find a suitable replacement, he'll be Thendylath's next king. All he really wants is the letter written by his ancestor Ronor Kinshield, champion to King Arek, confessing the truth of how the king perished.
 
Daia Saberheart, warrior of the Viragon Sisterhood, wants to find the future king and help him claim his rightful place. Blacksmith Risan Stronghammer wants to reward him with a powerful weapon. And the sorcerer Brodas Ravenkind wants to capture him, steal his secret and claim the throne for himself.
 
But when Gavin finally tracks down Ronor's letter, he gets far more than he's bargained for, for the truth of King Arek's demise is far darker than he ever imagined.
 
 
Q: What will e-readers like about your book? The feedback I've gotten from readers so far is that the story is fun and engaging. One reader even told me he didn't want it to end. I hope readers will like the characters, the action and the puzzle that Gavin unravels.
 
Q: Why did you go indie? I'd started querying agents and entered The Kinshield Legacy in a novel competition. It won first place for the fantasy & science fiction category. The prize was a hardcover publishing contract with a small press. At the five-year mark, that publisher reverted rights back to me. That was when I decided to publish it myself in Kindle format.
 
Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre? There are so many great writers in fantasy and science fiction, but the ones that come to mind first are Lois McMaster Bujold, Robin Hobb and Brandon Sanderson for fantasy. For science fiction, I favor David Brinn and Kurt Vonnegut, but I was initially attracted to the genre by Theodore Sturgeon.
 
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Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Steven L. Hawk: Peace Warrior


Steven L. Hawk spent six years as a Military Intelligence Specialist with the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division before joining the ranks of corporate America . He has a B.S. in Business Management from Western Governor's University and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).  He has traveled extensively across the United States and, at various times, has lived in Georgia , North Carolina , West Virginia , Massachusetts , California Idaho .  and Book Description/Blurb:  
It’s the mid-21st century when Sergeant First Class Grant Justice is killed during an ambush on an enemy tank column. 

Six hundred years later, his body is retrieved from the frozen, arctic lake where he perished.  Re-animated by a team of scientists, Grant awakens to a civilization that has abolished war.  A civilization that has outlawed violence and cherishes Peace above all else.  A civilization that has been enslaved by an alien race called the Minith. 

Grant is humankind’s final hope against the alien menace.  He must be…  the Peace Warrior.
Q: What will e-readers like about your book?  Peace Warrior is military sci fi with a time travel element.  The story is a good one and I've received a lot of favorable responses and positive reviews.  In addition to being a great story, it sells for only $2.99. Q: Why did you go indie?  For me, going indie was a no brainer.  I write because I enjoy it, not because I want to become famous or rich.  Spending a lot of time and effort trying to get an agent or a traditional publishing deal just wasn't something that I wanted to do.  Self publishing wasn't easy, but it was doable.  Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?  I'm a voracious reader so I have a lot of favorite authors.  Within the scifi genre my favorites are Orson Scott Card and Isaac Asimov. Links below: Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UHVYQE?ie=UTF8&tag=kindleboards-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003UHVYQE Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/18588 ISBN978-1-4528-9166-8