Samuel L. Lytle--Gold Stars

Many writers start their career as a journalist or freelancer and then finally write a book.  Samuel L. Lytle did it backwards.  After surprising himself by writing a 300+ page book in two months, the Civil Engineering student knew he was hooked on writing.  He decided that he wanted to try writing for a profit and was amazed that several websites were interested in his services.  He now freelances consistently and maintains a writing blog while supporting his amazing wife and awesome little boy as an aspiring engineer.

Gold Stars delves into one of the inner most questions of the soul: why do we do good things?  This altruistic adventure intertwines the lives of four main characters, each trying to change the world for the better or worse.  The result is a local reality show where those who move 'the obstacle in the path' are rewarded with cash.  The town falls in love with the TV program and the citizens find themselves falling over themselves to help each other.  But are they helping because it is right, or because they want the reward?  The characters are caught in the middle of this conflict of interests while discovering that really, they are striving for their own 'gold stars'.  This tale of mystery, adventure, service, betrayal and romance will (hopefully) change the way you look at your own reactions.

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?  Gold Stars is a 100% original story, with deep, yet relate-able characters and a climax that nobody has predicted yet and is only $2.99.  It focuses more on plot and less on unnecessary adjectives, verbs and other grammatical terms I am not familiar with.

Q: Why did you go indie?  The first time I introduced Gold Stars to a publisher I found interest.  However, I found the process long and frustrating and decided that self-publishing would only move me closer to traditional publishing while gaining exposure.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?  Actually, I don't read that often.  Sure I have read a few from some author named 'Rowling' and 'Brown', but I have felt that, for me anyways, the more I read the less I lose my original voice.

Link to web site or blog or Amazon/Smashwords

Gold Stars on Amazon
Gold Stars on Barnes and Noble
Samuel L. Lytle Writing Blog

Glenn Bullion--Demonspawn

I’m a network administrator by day, and I love it, but I also love writing.  I have a wonderful wife and three goofball cats that often jump on the desk to help me write.  I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland.  My hobbies include reading and writing (obviously), gaming, computers and technology, exercise.

 

Demonspawn is the first novel I finished that I thought others might enjoy reading as well.  I’ve got a few more ideas in my head too I want to get on paper.  My next novel is a zombie apocalypse, twenty years after the dead rise up.

Product description:

Alex Teague tries to live a normal life. He’s close with his sister Alicia and best friend Cindy Marshall. He didn’t think he was unlike anyone else. That all changed one night during his senior year in high school, when he talked to his first ghost, exorcised his first demon, and cleansed his first haunted house.

 

If only it ended there.

 

Now a young man in his twenties, Alex makes a horrifying discovery.

 

He is part demon.

 

Victoria, a vampire, takes him under her wing, and teaches him about the world of the supernatural, which Alex is now a member. She discovers a new breed of vampire, one which kills without thought or remorse. She enlists Alex’s help, but will even his growing demonic powers be able to stop them?

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
The price is only $1.99. You get a nice sized, entertaining tale for that price.  I consider it horror due to the subject matter, but I tried to keep the gore to a minimum.

Q: Why did you go indie?
I think indie publishing is the way of the future, due to the growing popularity of electronic reading.  It is very easy to get material into a reader’s hands.  Now the challenge is writing something that someone wants to read.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
Brian Keene, Richard Laymon, and Edward Lee are my favorites.  They will pull no punches, will not sugarcoat the horror you’re experiencing.

Link to web site or blog or Amazon/Smashwords

Glenn Bullion Homepage

Demonspawn at Amazon

Demonspawn at Smashwords

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Joseph Robert Lewis-- Heirs of Mars

Joseph Robert Lewis (1979 - Right Now) began writing novels after a decade of writing and publishing about military theory and history, science and technology, politics and economics, and the real-life stories of soldiers, adventurers, and entrepreneurs.

HEIRS OF MARS: The dream that was Mars has become a nightmare for the children born there.To save New Troy from falling birth rates, Asher Radescu secretly clones people in the back of his old truck. To save New Troy from despair, Claudia Cruz hosts the most popular racing show on two worlds. And to save the city from destruction, they’ll rally persecuted cloners, resurrected colonists, and racing celebrities to fight homicidal AIs.

HEIRS OF MARS follows the lives of six men and women through the final days of the first war on Mars, a war between humans, machines, and the resurrected souls who aren’t truly one or the other. But even if they survive the war, there is no escape from the red planet.

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

HEIRS OF MARS is a blend of two books. It's an action/adventure story that takes a close look at several hard science fiction concepts like cloning, artificial intelligence, global surveillance, and the harsh realities of colonizing another world. But it's also a group of very personal stories about broken families and surviving tragedies. It's about losing loved ones, mortality, racism, classism, sexism, and the definition of family. It may be technical, but it is also intensely human.

Q: Why did you go indie?

I played the industry game for several years with earlier novels before I soured on the system. I did get good feedback from agents, including requests for partial and full manuscripts, but ultimately made no progress. It seemed too arbitrary, too unstable, and far too slow. So with this new novel, I decided to publish directly.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
In science fiction today, Charles Stross. In fantasy, George RR Martin.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049H94G6/
Website: http://josephrobertlewis.wordpress.com/books/heirs-of-mars/
###

J.E. Taylor- Vengeance

J.E. Taylor is an author, an editor, a manuscript formatter, a mother, a wife and a business analyst, not necessarily in that order.
She first sat down to write in February of 2007 after her daughter asked:
"Mom, if you could do anything, what would you do?"
From that moment on, she hasn't looked back and now her writing resume includes four novels either published or targeted for release in late 2010 and early 2011 along with several short stories on the virtual shelves including a few within upcoming eXcessica anthologies.
Ms. Taylor also moonlights as an Assistant Editor of Allegory, an online venue for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror, and as a "slush slasher" for Dark Recesses, an online venue for literary horror. She also lends a hand in formatting manuscripts for eXcessica as well as offering her services judging writing contests for various RWA chapters.
She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two children and during the summer months enjoys her weekends on the shore in southern Maine.
Visit her at www.jetaylor75.com
Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
Vengeance drags my hero from the streets of New York City to the back woods of New Hampshire in a nail-biting suspense thriller where the reader never knows what will happen next. Anyone who liked Steve Williams in Dark Reckoning, will love him in Vengeance.
After an undercover bust goes to hell, Special Agent Steve Williams becomes the target of an assassin and his wife’s visions escalate, forecasting a brutal assault on their family. Escaping from the city and armed with scant details from Jennifer’s dreams, Steve trudges through a litany of past connections, searching for the key to stop the course of fate. A brother with a grudge, a serial killer and a mafia assassin are all on his trail. The hunt begins . . .

Q: Why did you go indie?
I decided to stay with my current small publisher because the terms were right and they’ve allowed me quite a bit of creative control over the process and I like that.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
Stephen King rules. Other notable authors that I love to read in the horror or thriller genres are Jonathan Maberry, Harlan Coben, David Balducci, Cat Connor, and Kay Hooper. 


My website: http://www.JETaylor75.com
My blog: http://jetaylor75.blogspot.com
My Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003FER8M6
My Smashwords page: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/JETaylor75?ref=scottnicholson

Basil Sands- 65 Below

Basil does not just write stories, but has lived a lot of what they contain. He has lived in Alaska, San Diego, DC, Baltimore, and Ohio. He tried a career in the Marines injuries sent him home early. After that he worked at the National Security Agency, owned a computer shop, was a carpenter, farmer, actor, lumberjack, voice actor, EMT, network admin, helpdesk supervisor, Boy Scout leader, IT trainer, radio talk host, youth minister, and was a sergeant in the Alaska Defense Force Coastal Scouts. At age forty he could still bench press 420 lbs. He lives in Anchorage Alaska with his wife and sons.


Product description:
After twenty years hunting terrorists under orders to "render harmless", USMC Master Sergeant Marcus Orlando Johnson, Mojo to his friends, settles into a quiet rural retirement on his childhood home in the Alaskan backwoods. But the idyllic retirement is shattered when Marcus comes across soldiers of America's staunchest enemy who are about to unleash a nightmarish biological weapon on the world from the most unexpected of places. With the help of his ex-fiancee, State Trooper Lonnie Wyatt, and his old special operations buddy Harley Wasner they race to stop a potentially devastating terrorist attack with worldwide implications but even nature is against them as the temperatures plummet to 65 below.


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

They are action packed but written with realism in mind. Readers and listeners to the audiobooks have often asked if they were based on true events. In answer that I'll just say...read it.

Q: Why did you go indie?

After 5 years, even with the help of professional agents, the fight to break into traditional publishing seemed impenetrable. The podcast audiobook versions of the books had been downloaded by over twenty thousand listeners and still no contract. So, I decided to risk it and go all in as an indie.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
Frederick Forsyth, Alex Berensen, Daniel Silva, John Gilstrap, Web Griffin, and the early works of Ken Follett and Jack Higgins

website: www.basilsands.com

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/65-Below-ebook/dp/B0042FZQCG/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_4

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/23736?ref=scottnicholson/

MeiLin Miranda- Lovers and Beloveds

MeiLin Miranda writes the fantasy novel series "An Intimate History of the Greater Kingdom" and the online serial "Scryer's Gulch: Magic in the Wild, Wild West." MeiLin has written professionally for 30-plus years under her birth name. She has fatal addictions to BPAL perfume, wool roving, and fountain pens. MeiLin lives in Portland, OR with her husband, two daughters, two cats and a floppy dog.

Product description:  The Tremont family has conquered kingdom after kingdom, and rules its continent. Now, Tremont stands on the cusp of an industrial revolution; trains and steam engines are new, and the Scholar Priests of Eddin's Temple make exciting discoveries daily. Magic is long forgotten, but the Gods are not.

Prince Temmin must now leave his childhood home to live with his father--Harsin the Fourth, by the Grace of Pagg, King of the Greater Kingdom of Tremont and Litta, Emperor of Inchar. Harsin expects his son to become the kind of ruthless, pragmatic man he is. But his immortal advisor Teacher has other plans, involving the seductive human avatars of the Gods called the Lovers. Teacher intends to bind Temmin to the Lovers' Temple, bring him closer to his people, and set him on a path that will lead to ultimate glory for Tremont--or its end.

Why you might be interested apart from the book itself: This book was 100% crowdfunded. Based on a draft posted in installments on the web, fans bought $2500 worth of pre-sale packages so the author could hire a professional editor, typographer and cover artist. In return, those fans wanted only the story. And the advance manuscript, an ebook, and an autographed paperback with their name in the acknowledgments. None of them have asked for their money back.


Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
The story and its world is submersive--in one case, that of a magic book which features heavily in the series, literally. My characters are written as real people, including a teenaged protagonist who acts pretty much like a real teenaged boy; my world-building is detailed but not heavy. "Lovers and Beloveds" is erotic fantasy where the sex serves the story, not the other way around. Think Jacqueline Carey, not Linda Lovelace. (A good way to tell if sex is essential to the story: If you skip it, apart from just knowing it happened, you won't understand what happens next.)

Q: Why did you go indie?
At first, reading the Common Wisdom discouraged me from even trying to find an agent or publisher--and I'm not talking about stuff written by other indies, I'm talking about stuff written by agents and publishers themselves. But as I garnered both readers and (more than a little) money posting my draft online in serial form, and as I read about successful indies, I thought why not. The only thing that gave me pause was money, and my readers solved that problem for me.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
Cecilia Tan for erotic SF/F; for a broader definition of fantasy than strictly erotica (I write non-erotic fantasy, too): Lois McMaster Bujold; Neil Gaiman; Eric Flint; Neal Stephenson; Philip Pullman; Marion Zimmer Bradley


Website: http://www.meilinmiranda.com/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/MeiLin-Miranda/e/B0045JRNC0
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MeiLinMiranda
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2731702.MeiLin_Miranda

Michael Crane--LESSONS II: ANOTHER MORBID DRABBLE COLLECTION

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 the author of IN DECLINE and LESSONS AND OTHER MORBID DRABBLES. His work has appeared in DEVIL MUSIC AND 18 OTHER STORIES by David McAfee, A LAND OF ASH by David Dalglish, and EVIL PUPPIES by Aaron Daniels. He lives in Illinois.


LESSONS II:
A sinister puppet finally makes a new friend.
A man learns about his bleak future.
A killer has another painful lesson to teach.

From the author of LESSONS AND OTHER MORBID DRABBLES comes this terrifying and amusing follow-up. 30 100-word shorts about horrible ghouls, monsters and deranged, bloodthirsty lunatics. In these drabbles, you'll run into kid-hungry goblins, sadistic dolls, zombies and psychopaths who believe that violence can solve just about anything.

Disgusting, creepy and darkly comic, LESSONS II: ANOTHER MORBID DRABBLE COLLECTION is bound to entertain, as well as horrify.

There's always time for another lesson...

Features bonus story by David McAfee, from his horror collection DEVIL MUSIC AND 18 OTHER STORIES.


Questions: 
Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
I think people love the combination of horror and dark humor.  They seem to work well together.  Even people who aren't typically fans of horror seem to enjoy the two books because of that.  And even though this is a follow-up, it's okay if you haven't read the first collection, although some reoccurring characters do pop up in a few of the stories.

Q: Why did you go indie?
My dream was always to get my work out there so that people can read and enjoy it.  Right now, I'm living that dream and it's all thanks to going indie.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
As far as horror goes, I've always loved Stephen King, especially his short stories.  And I'm also a huge fan of David McAfee.  33 A.D. and his two short story collections are excellent reads.  I normally write slice-of-life type of pieces, and writers who inspired me with that are Richard Yates and Raymond Carver.


Website:  www.facebook.com/authormichaelcrane
Buy it at Smashwords 
Or Amazon
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Kae Cheatham--Child of the Mist

Author of twelve titles, Kae has been an indy author since 2001. Her first traditionally-published book Spotted Flower and the Ponokomita (1978) is also her first indy published book (revised edition in 2001); a 2nd printing of this revised edition will be out ion December 2010. Kae is also a freelance editor and book facilitator, working with authors to maximize their writing potential. She gives presentations and workshops in writing and history throughout her region. She lives in Montana.

Child of the Mist: A Gem of the Galaxy tale

Juilan Pranss is just a lowly government employee on a space-faring planet. Or is she? Juilan suddenly isn’t sure after she’s spirited from a spaceliner, kidnapped and continually under threat on a distant planet she knows little about. During this time, she keeps having visions and begins to believe she’s possessed.

Handsome benefactor Rodrig Ferstan is certain Juilan is the answer to all the galaxy’s problems. But his ideas seem dangerous. Juilan flees him, and comes under the tutelage of Trenner Curembac, a moody, driven outcast.

With doubt and danger at every turn, Juilan learns incredible truths about her background and the world into which she has been forced. Once she accepts the astounding realities, she must still evade her psychotic half-brother and handle the century-old Evincor—the indomitable gemstone that is the very basis of the culture—in a ceremony that could cause her death.

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
Readers will appreciate the strong characters. My stories always develop from this. Also, this unique world is an interesting place. I’ve written historical fiction and truly enjoyed world-building for this book and its sister, Daughter of the Stone. People who like a series will like that the Gem of the Galaxy titles are stand alone.
Q: Why did you go indie?
Going indie was a function of getting burned out with the traditional route. I’ve had traditional New York publishers, small press regional publishers, online publishers, and it seemed something was never quite right. I decided if blunders were made, I’d take the blame and stop whining about the mistakes of someone else. It’s been refreshing to have control over my work.
Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
In Speculative fiction, I was inspired by Octavia Butler, who was a master at depicting the new and ultra-different. I enjoy reading David Brin’s books. He is deft at blending hard science with interesting characters. I’m just now getting introduced to Mary Buckner’s work. Fascinating!

Phillip Thomas Duck-- One Quick Kiss

Phillip Thomas Duck has written several traditionally published adult and young adult novels.  ONE QUICK KISS is his second ebook, which he independently published.  He resides in New Jersey with his daughter.

One Quick Kiss: A collection of short stories about sex, love, and every emotion in between. From the light and whimsical, to the highly charged and erotic, this collection offers something for everyone who has ever been under the intoxicating spell of a relationship and desirous of…ONE QUICK KISS

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

Well, I don’t want to toot my own horn …okay well I guess someone has to, and it might as well be me.  Readers will enjoy my characters! I have such a great time writing the characters in my stories.  Many times throughout the process, the character will take over and lead the story in a direction I never even imagined.  Now that’s a strong character! Of course, the stories of sex, love, and emotional relationships in this collection will leave something for every reader to relate to. 

Q: Why did you go indie?

I decided to go the indie route after hearing many authors talk about the benefits.  Like them, I believed I did not have ultimate control over certain aspects of my product.  I really appreciate being able to make the decisions for my cover design, story, price, marketing, etc.  Also, the time period between completing a writing product and getting it to the public is drastically shorter.   

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

In the romance/romantic suspense genre, Eric Jerome Dickey has always been a favorite, as well as Margaret Johnson-Hodge. 

Link to web site or blog or Amazon/Smashwords

http://www.ExcuseMeMissPTD.blogspot.com

ONE QUICK KISS (Amazon) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HW6BT6

ONE QUICK KISS (Smashwords) http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/36494?ref=Scott+Nicholson

Dead of Winter-- Kealan Patrick Burke

Referred to as "a newcomer worth watching" (Publishers Weekly), and "one of the most original authors in contemporary horror" (Booklist), Kealan Patrick Burke is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Currency of Souls, Master of the Moors, The Turtle Boy, The Hides, Vessels, and Midlisters.

Product description: A troubled man goes to desperate lengths to reconnect with his estranged daughters on Christmas Eve in "Visitation Rights". On a cold moonlit night, a young boy comes to believe that there is something not quite right about the snowmen in his yard in "Snowmen". An old man in mourning joins his friend on a late night trek through an eerily deserted town in search of a missing woman in "They Know". In "Doomsday Father Christmas", Santa Claus ponders what the world has become, and his place in it...And a long-suffering son spends one last Christmas with his ailing father while a blizzard whips the world into a frenzy in "Black Static".

From Kealan Patrick Burke, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Turtle Boy, comes a quintet of stories designed to freeze the blood as you lose yourself in the horrors that await you...in the DEAD OF WINTER.

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

I think DEAD OF WINTER will appeal to fans of TV shows like The Twilight Zone and Tales from the Crypt, and considering the season in which we find ourselves trapped, what better way to spend an afternoon than inside, away from the cold while you read about the terrible things that might be awaiting you out there in the snow...

Q: Why did you go indie?The majority of my books have been published as limited edition hardcovers over the past ten years, but because of the limitation on those editions, the prices have always been fairly high, and therefore too expensive for anyone but the hardcore collector. Indie publishing represents a great way to get those books before a wider audience at a much more affordable price.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

Stephen King, John Connolly, Peter Straub, Bentley Little, Dan Simmons, Clive Barker, Charles L. Grant, Robert R. McCammon, Dean Koontz, F. Paul Wilson, and many others...

Link to web site or blog or Amazon/Smashwords

http://www.kealanpatrickburke.com

http://kealanpatrick.wordpress.com/

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/33570?ref=scottnicholson

http://www.amazon.com/Dead-of-Winter-ebook/dp/B004GHN5YG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1295315049&sr=8-1

 

Keith C. Blackmore-- The Missing Boatman

Fantasy and Horror writer trying to make a go of things. I'll tell you more about myself if the books sell.

In the dead of winter, on a highway in Quebec, a man crashes his car and survives. In New York, a homeless person is run over by a bus and lives. In Tokyo, a teenager jumps off a high rise building and fails in taking her own life. All over the world, miracles like these transpire, and people breathe a sigh of relief.

But for the next seven days, some people will begin to suspect a terrible truth. A handful will even search for it. One man will find it. A legendary sailor has disappeared.And in seven days, all hell will break loose.


Miracles are happening.
Pray to God they stop.



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

Hopefully they'll enjoy the voice, the dialogue, characters, and the story
itself. I think I write action scenes well, so I hope those sequences go
over well with readers.


Q: Why did you go indie?

The book was actually considered for publication in 2012 by a small press
publisher--but that's in 2012. I've been wanting to start my writing
career
for the last 20 years and to wait another year seemed too close yet too
far. So, with the boom in E-readers, the decision to do it myself was the
best one.
Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
Stephen King, Brad McCammon, Neil Gaiman.

http://keithcblackmore.com

Stumbling Forward--Christopher Truscott

Alex Hogan’s congressional campaign is going nowhere fast. Doomed by missteps, embarrassing gaffes and a complete inability to accept reality, he’s destined to lose big on Election Day to Tara Gunderson Hansen, a charismatic and politically gifted incumbent.

Hogan’s talented staff tries everything, but nobody can save a guy who alienates key supporters at every turn, creates a new disaster each time he opens his mouth and even manages to fall into a pile of horse manure while marching in an Independence Day parade.

Despite everything, however, Hogan manages to stumble into a series of lucky breaks any politician would kill for. It’s enough to keep his campaign alive, but can he make it all the way to Washington by accident?

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

While certainly fictional, I think readers will enjoy the behind-the-scenes view of a congressional campaign. Most people see the carefully scripted commercials every two years, but the much better story is the unscripted stuff that never makes it onto television or into the pages of a newspaper.

I hope readers will also enjoy following what will end up as a five-part series. This is the first book. I’ll have spring and fall releases in 2011 and spring and fall releases in 2012. A lot of the same characters from “Stumbling Forward” will return throughout.

Q: Why did you go indie?

I liked the idea of having control over my story and its marketing. I’m very pleased with how this has worked out.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

That’s tough to say since I primarily read mystery and thrillers, yet here I am writing more of a dramatic series. I’m currently reading and enjoying “Seven Days From Sunday” by M.H. Sargent. I also really liked “Kill the Story” by John Luciew and “No Good Deed” by Mary McDonald.

Links:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/2w487r3

Or Smashwords

Suzanne Tyrpak--Dating My Vibrator

Suzanne Tyrpak ran away from New York a long time ago to live in Colorado. Her debut novel is Vestal Virgin, suspense set in ancient Rome, available on Kindle and Smashwords—and soon to be released in trade paperback through Amazon.  Her collection of nine short stories Dating My Vibrator (and other true fiction) is available on Kindle and Smashwords. J.A. Konrath calls it, “Pure comedic brilliance.”  Her short story Downhill was first published in Arts Perspective Magazine. Rock Bottom is published in the Mota 9: Addiction anthology, available on Kindle.  Her short story Ghost Plane was published by CrimeSpree Magazine. Venus Faded appears in the anthology Pronto! Writings from Rome (Triple Tree Publishing, 2002) along with notable authors including: Dorothy Allison, Elizabeth Engstrom, Terry Brooks and John Saul. Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers awarded her first prize in the Colorado Gold Writing Contest, and Maui Writers awarded her third prize in the Rupert Hughes writing competition.

*New York Times bestselling author, Terry Brooks says about her writing: “...a writer of real talent...a promising new voice.”

*New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen says, “Suzanne Tyrpak weaves a spell that utterly enchants and delights. Her writing is pure magic.”

Here's a description:

 

Dating My Vibrator and other true fiction is a collection of nine true and almost true short stories all based (unfortunately) on my own experience. After nineteen years of marriage I was thrust into a brave new world of dating: online, offline, standing in line, listening to lines. And I have survived to tell these tales. Dating, divorce, desperation—all that good stuff. CAUTION: if you’re contemplating divorce, these stories may convince you to consider marriage counseling. If you’re out there dating, chances are you will relate. OMG! Here’s a scary thought: maybe you’ve met some of these guys. Names have been changed to protect the guilty. Joe Konrath gave it 5 stars and says, “Pure Comedic Brilliance.”

 

What will readers like about the book?

You get to laugh, and you can be happy (and relieved) that the stories aren't about you.

Why did you go Indie?

What traditional publisher would publish a collection of nine short stories for .99 cents? Also, I'm a control freak.

Favorite Author in this genre:

Chelsea Handler is really funny--but I didn't read her until after I'd published my stories. I love Dorothy Parker's short stories, Raymond Carver, Flannery O'conner.

Link to Amazon   http://www.amazon.com/DATING-VIBRATOR-other-fiction-ebook/dp/B003XYFN5M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1294960424&sr=1-1

Link to my Blog "Who's Imagining All This?" http://ghostplanestory.blogspot.com/

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Roger E. Craig-- The Last Aborigine

Former Michigan Senator Roger E. Craig - a four times published novelist is now publishing on Amazon Kindle.  Roger Craig is a trial lawyer. He writes his own appellate briefs to sharpen his skills as a fiction writer. Two-time Academic All-American in football, factory worker, musician, private detective, special counsel to the House Judiciary Committee during the Nixon-Ford transition and the head of the City of Detroit's law department, Craig brings a wealth of personal experience to his writing.

His novel “The Vetowich Wall” was nominated for the prestigious Frankfurt International Book Award. Recently in New Zealand, at the birthplace of bungee jumping, he dove 155 feet into a glacial river. His enthusiastic embrace of life is reflected in his writing.

Craig and his wife, Marlene, live in Naples, Florida,

The Last Aborigine is a lusty novel.  Mob violence and individual violent acts are its tapestry but it is a story of one lonely man fighting evil men. But in the end, the novel is a love story; an emotional spectrum coloring the lives of a once-burned pugilist and a life-scarred television reporter. Finally it is the story of the Australian character, forged by the likes of the outlaw, Ned Kelly and the indigenous peoples who spawned the last Aborigine.

If The Last Aborigine has a moral, it’s “never fall in love if you’re running from the Mob”.

Other Novels by Roger E Craig - Kindle and pBook

The Vetowich Wall

Collateral Damage

ERG:  Unit of Power

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

Readers will empathize with the tough but soft-hearted Danny Doyle.  Doyle double-crosses the mob boss in a risky gamble for his freedom.  He is forced to flee from Detroit to Australia to avoid death.  The reader will be with our hero every step of his journey, urging him onward but cringing at the Don Quixote risks he takes.  Will he win the game or will the killers find him?  How will the chance meeting with a beautiful TV anchor affect the probability of his success?    

Q: Why did you go indie?

I used a book publisher for my book editions, but I decided to publish independently when Amazon Kindle offered us writers the eBook route.  It was now possible to remove the publisher from between reader and writer.  I love the freedom of being able to take full control of my books, and to talk through blogs and forums directly to my readers.  I took a slightly different route than most indies by partnering with my friend Neville Deegan in a small eBook publishing company.  We offer our services and free advice to other indie writers. Our website is http://www.nevillepublications.com

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

John Sandford, Michael Connelly, John Grisham,

http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Aborigine-ebook/dp/B00405R612

Wilbanks/Clarke- Living After Midnight

When he's not trying to become King of the Internet, author David T. Wilbanks writes, edits and publishes in Minneapolis, where he lives with his wonderful wife. Among other things, he is co-author (with Mark Justice) of the Dead Earth series of sf/horror books.
Craig Clarke is an editor and genre-fiction reviewer. His work has appeared in print and online in Dead Reckonings, The Gardner News, The Green Man Review, SF Site, and Video Vista. His fiction has appeared on coffee cans.

Living After Midnight: Hard and Heavy Stories consists of six horror and dark-fantasy stories inspired by some of the greatest hard-rock and heavy-metal bands. Each author was invited to submit a story inspired by the band of his choice. The set list is as follows: “Spooky Tooth” by Randy Chandler, “Iron Maiden” by Matthew Fryer, “Black Sabbath” by Steven L. Shrewsbury, “Judas Priest” by David T. Wilbanks, “Motorhead” by Kent Gowran, and “Slayer” by L.L. Soares.  An original lineup indeed!

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
The diversity!  We have ghost, demon, zombie, serial killer, and werewolf stories for those who want the genre tropes.  We have action, love, and magic for those who like a little extra.  We've got mythic and modern, British and American, long and short ... hard and heavy.

In short, Living After Midnight has a little something for anyone who likes their fiction sharp, dark, and more than a little exciting.

Q: Why did you go indie?
All during the submission process, we kept hearing that we had a really good product here but that, simply put, anthologies don't sell without a big name attached.  Indie publishing allows us to find the market we know is out there and not worry about being remaindered or not getting a second book published because the first one didn't sell "enough" copies.  Plus, it's fun!

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
Robert E. Howard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Joe R. Lansdale, Michael Moorcock, F. Paul Wilson, Stephen King, and Richard Matheson.

Buy it at Amazon
Buy it at Smashwords
###

Hazel Wetherby & The Elixir of Love by Bill Defelis

HAZEL WETHERBY & THE ELIXIR OF LOVE is an urban fantasy / thriller aimed primarily at ages 10-14, but which readers of all ages should enjoy.  My (tongue-in-cheek) description of the concept is: ‘Nancy Drew meets Men In Black’.

Bill Defelis bio: An erstwhile corporate droid, I was lucky enough to escape the pull of the Dark Side and am now hoping to make a career with my writing.  Hazel is my second novel, though the first one - an adult romance/adventure set in China during the Boxer Uprising - still sits unfinished on my hard drive.  But I’m glad I switched genres with Hazel.  It's been fun creating a slightly off-kilter world and surrounding myself again with teenagers, both of which are great ways to keep the mental batteries charged.

Book description:

    Thirteen-year-old Hazel has a rough life: two nerdy rocket scientists for parents, a kid brother convinced he’s an alien, and a housekeeper only Voldemort could appreciate. But when her parents vanish, the housekeeper turns into bits of charcoal, and the police only shrug their shoulders, Hazel realizes she’s still got a lot to learn about rough.

    As days drag by with no news, Hazel decides she’ll have to find her parents herself. And she’s determined nothing’s going to stop her – not her complete ignorance of how to do it, not her brother’s ravings about alien kidnappers, not even the dead guys trying to kill her.

    But first she’ll have to join in a race to find something small and red and jolly. Winning that race will be her only chance to save her family. And a lot of other families as well.

Q:  What will readers like about your book?

It’s a fast-paced, original story that will keep them excited to see what’s coming next.  I also expect most of them will really, really like Hazel and the way she deals with her problems.

Q:  Why did you go indie?

Largely because I don’t think traditional publishers add enough value nowadays.  Writers simply don’t need them to manage the production and distribution like they once did.  And I’d rather sell my work at 3 to 5 dollars than the 15 to 20 a publisher would want.

Q:  Favorite authors in my genre?

Probably Terry Pratchett, Dave Barry/Ridley Pearson, and Caroline Cooney.

Links to the book:

Amazon

Smashwords

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Simon A. Forward--Evil UnLtd

Simon A Forward is an author of numerous works of licensed fiction, including Doctor Who novels and audio dramas and three novelisations for the BBC's Merlin series. He lives in Cornwall with his wife and two cats. The A is optional. His middle initial, that is, not the 'a' in the word 'cats'.

Product description:
Evil UnLtd Vol 1: The Root Of All Evil.

The Farce Of The Dark Side. Villains are the new Heroes in this Sci-Fi Epic.

Sinister supreme genius and super-villain, Dexter Snide, has floated Evil on the stock market and has gathered together a band of fellow villains, whose key challenge now is to ensure that Evil shows a consistent profit.

But Evil has its enemies. Like muscle-brained action hero, Rolph Stengun. As well as a shadowy rival, watching the progress of Evil UnLtd from a distant limb of the galaxy...

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
While on authonomy, the sample chapters won numerous fans, from seasoned sf-readers and people who wouldn't normally have touched sci-fi with a barge pole. This suggests a nicely broad appeal which I think owes a lot to the characters - it seems a great many people love a good villain.

Q: Why did you go indie?
After consistently being told by agents and editors that this was an excellent book, really funny, but that there was "No market for sci-fi comedy" unless my name was Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett, I realised I was going to need an alternative route to reach my readers.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
Douglas Adams. Harry Harrison. Larry Niven. Alastair Reynolds. Peter F Hamilton. Iain M Banks. (Evil draws its inspiration as much from serious sci-fi authors as the funnier ones.)

Link to web site or blog or Amazon/Smashwords
Author webiste and details of how to purchase Evil UnLtd can be found at www.simonforward.co.uk
###

Isabeau by N. Gemini Sasson

N. Gemini Sasson is the author of The Crown in the Heather and Isabeau, A Novel of

Queen Isabella and Sir Roger Mortimer. She has worked as an aquatic toxicologist, an environmental engineer, a teacher and a cross country coach.

Isabeau: The story of Queen Isabella, who sought revenge on her husband Edward II, and her lover Sir Roger Mortimer, who masterminded the invasion that accomplished it.

The marriage of Isabella of France and Edward II of England in 1308 is a union meant to secure lasting peace. For years, Isabella is a loyal wife, who repeatedly salvages her husband's kingship, even as she endures his neglect. When she finally speaks out against Edward's favorite, Lord Hugh Despenser, her income, lands and children are taken from her. In an age when women are not supposed to openly defy their husbands, Isabella vows to get her children back and have her revenge on Despenser -- no matter what the cost.

Imprisoned in the Tower of London for leading a rebellion against King Edward, Mortimer escapes with Isabella's help and finds refuge in the French court. But when Isabella arrives in Paris to negotiate a peace treaty, it is a temptation the ambitious Mortimer cannot resist.


Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
A: The characters. Isabella defied her husband in an age when women were condemned for such actions. She did so at great personal cost, knowing that her children were still under Edward and Despenser’s control. Roger Mortimer, the condemned rebel, was precisely the person she needed to help her take control of her life and determine England’s future.

Q: Why did you go indie?
A: I’d already gone the traditional route. A few times, my trilogy on Robert the Bruce garnered editor interest. It even went to acquisitions once. But we were eventually passed over because we were told that ‘boy books’ in the historical fiction weren’t selling. When Isabeau began to circulate, one editor loved it, but said they weren’t taking on new authors at that time. Eventually, I self-published The Crown in the Heather , followed soon after by Isabeau.


Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
A: Bernard Cornwell, particularly the Saxon Chronicles. I also enjoy Philippa Gregory and Morgan Llywellyn.

Web site: http://www.ngeminisasson.com
Blog: http://ngeminisasson.blogspot.com
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Isabeau-Novel-Isabella-Mortimer-ebook/dp/B003ZYFBMU/
Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Isabeau-Novel-Queen-Isabella-Mortimer/dp/B003ZYFBMU/
All formats at http://www.smashwords.com/

Flaming Dove-- Daniel Arenson

Born in 1980, Daniel Arenson is an author of fantasy fiction, from
epic to dark and surreal.

Like many writers, he began his career writing short stories. He sold
his first story, "Worms Believe in God", in 1998. Since then, dozens
of his stories and poems have appeared in various magazines, among
them Flesh & Blood, Chizine, and Orson Scott Card's Strong Verse.

Five Star Publishing, an imprint of Gale, published Daniel's fantasy
novel Firefly Island in 2007.  His second novel, the dark fantasy
Flaming Dove, was released in 2010.


PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Outcast from Hell. Banished from Heaven. Lost on Earth.

The battle of Armageddon was finally fought... and ended with no clear
victor. Upon the mountain, the armies of Hell and Heaven beat each
other into a bloody, uneasy standstill, leaving the Earth in ruins.
Armageddon should have ended with Heaven winning, ushering in an era
of peace. That's what the prophecies said. Instead, the two
armies--one of angels, one of demons--hunker down in the scorched
planet, lick their wounds, and gear up for a prolonged war with no end
in sight.

In this chaos of warring armies and ruined landscapes, Laila doesn't
want to take sides. Her mother was an angel, her father a demon; she
is outcast from both camps. And yet both armies need her, for with her
mixed blood, Laila can become the ultimate spy... or ultimate soldier.
As the armies of Heaven and Hell pursue her, Laila's only war is
within her heart--a struggle between her demonic and heavenly blood.

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

I think David Dalglish, author of the bestselling Half-Orc series,
said it best:  "It's really very simple: if you want to read about
angels tossing around godlight and demons lashing whips and shooting
fire while super-powerful archangels and archdemons blow up half the
world trying to crush each other....well, here you go."

Q: Why did you go indie?

My first novel, Firefly Island, was traditionally published.  I
decided to go indie with Flaming Dove, my second novel, when I bought
my first ereader.  I realized that I loved ebooks -- that here is the
new way to read.  I realized that I wanted to focus on selling ebooks,
and that I can do it independently.  Basically, I don't need a
publisher; I can promote the books myself and earn more money as an
indie.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

Within speculative fiction, in no particular order, I like Roger
Zelazny, George R. R. Martin, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Orson Scott
Card, Asimov, Heinlein, Tolkien, Guy Gavriel Kay, and many others.

My website:  http://www.DanielArenson.com

Flaming Dove at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004089EPA

Flaming Dove at Smashwords:  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/22230