Nick Spalding, Z. Constance Frost

“…a hilarious warts-and-all story of his colourful life.” Neil Marr, BeWrite Books.

Nick Spalding tried to write a book in 24 hours. Turns out that’s impossible... it took 30.

He had a dull, drizzly weekend to kill, so decided to make a start on the book he’d been promising all his life to write... and had it finished by bedtime!

You’ll laugh out loud reading his odyssey of non-stop writing, in a selection of anecdotes, asides and stories... all dredged up from an over-stimulated brain functioning on caffeine, nicotine and the occasional chocolate biscuit.

The book is a conversation with YOU and with Nick you'll venture into the thorny topics of love, life, sex, horribly timed bowel movements and a deathly fear of sponges (among many other things).

After you've read Life... With No Breaks, there's a very good chance you may never look at the world the same way again!

- Also features the comedy horror short story Spine Slaughter -
___________________

Neil Marr, Editor in Chief BeWrite Books: “I heard this chap had written a book in a single sitting, so I had to read it… and couldn’t put it down until I’d finished every word. It was quite brilliant and had me in stitches at times, in tears at others.”

Smashwords founder and CEO Mark Coker: “I thought it was a scream of a book... and that was before I knew its history – that Nick had written the whole thing in a single sitting.”

Amazon Reader: "This is the funniest book I have read in years. There. I said it. Sorry, Mr Pratchett, I love you dearly, but Nick Spalding has raised the bar when it comes to making-me-laugh-out-loud books."

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

Hopefully that it's a bit of fun to cheer them up in these troubled economic times. Oh, I mention sex quite a bit as well, if that helps.

Q: Why did you go indie?

I like the hats.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

Um... I think I'm the only one writing in my genre, if my genre is writing an autobiography in less than two days.
 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-With-No-Breaks/dp/B003ICWJ4C/   

http://www.amazon.com/Life-With-No-Breaks-ebook/dp/B003ICWJ4C/ 

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/13551

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Z. Constance Frost is a writer and single mother of two. She lives just outside of Washington, D. C. and is currently working on the second book in the Holly Lin series. Visit her online at www.zconstancefrost.wordpress.com.

Product description:

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

No Shelter is a really fast-paced thriller, with chapters that aren't too long and aren't too short. Also, I took a lot of time trying to get the formatting just right, so hopefully e-readers will appreciate that too :-)

Q: Why did you go indie?

I actually managed to get an agent for this novel who sent it out and while it was ultimately rejected, a few publishers seemed to really like it. Their main concern: they would have trouble trying to market it. So I knew No Shelter would be worth publishing myself. Plus, I own a Kindle and absolutely love the thing.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

Lee Child, Kathy Reichs, Jeffery Deaver, Joyce Carol Oates, and Elmore Leonard

Link to web site or blog or Amazon/Smashwords 

http://zconstancefrost.wordpress.com/

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HO5VQI

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35428

 

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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/
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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

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/

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ajdavidson

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

http://www.amazon.com/Asylum-ebook/dp/B004478FJS

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

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

http://www.chrysewymer.com

 http://www.amazon.com/The-Dark-Room-ebook/dp/B0040JI0VI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284685591&sr=8-1 

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.

 

Author web site: http://www.kcmay.com
Author blog: http://fantasyauthor.blogspot.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XT5IYI
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/18996

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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

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

Ellen O'Connell--Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold

Ellen O’Connell lives in Douglas County, Colorado, where she raised, trained, and showed National Champion Morgan horses for over twenty years as Serendipity Morgans. Although she now concentrates on rally, carting, and drafting competition with her dogs, Ellen still has one Morgan mare, Serendipity B Wichin. Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold is her second novel; her first, Rottweiler Rescue, is a cozy mystery.

Product description: Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold is a 118,000 word story of romance and family conflicts set in Colorado in 1885. Anne Wells has embarrassed her rigidly proper family since she was a child with occasional but grievous lapses from ladylike behavior. They blame those lapses for the disgraceful fact that she is a spinster at 28. Cord Bennett, the son of his father's second marriage to a Cheyenne woman, is more than an embarrassment to his well-to-do family of ranchers and lawyers - they are ashamed and afraid of their black sheep. When Anne and Cord are found alone together, her father's fury leads to violence. Cord's family accepts that the fault is his. Can Anne and Cord use the freedom of being condemned for sins they didn't commit to make a life together? Or will their disapproving, interfering families tear them apart?

Q: What will e-readers like about your book? From the reviews and private emails I've received from readers, the characters are what they like the most. The heroine is strong but not shrewish, and the hero has that kind of self-confident strength that gives him no need to push others around to prove it. Of course, they also like the story, which is a bit different.

Q: Why did you go indie? After some investigation into the world of traditional publishing and attending several writers' conferences (Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold was a finalist in two contests some years ago), I realized that world wasn't for me and put aside all thoughts of having anything published until I heard about Amazon's DTP in late 2009. I could hardly believe Amazon was giving people such an opportunity and couldn't get my already written books out fast enough.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in the suspense, mystery, horror, and thriller fields? Dick Francis, Dana Stabenow, Nevada Barr, Tony Hillerman, Susan Conant.
[Favorite authors in the western and romance field: Romance: Penelope Williamson, Maggie Osborne, Emily Carmichael. Western: Jack Schaefer, Louis L'Amour.



http://www.amazon.com/Eyes-Silver-Gold-ebook/dp/B003GDJOFU

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/13028

Joel Arnold-- Northwoods Deep

Joel Arnold's work has appeared in over sixty publications, with work accepted by venues ranging from Weird Tales and Cemetery Dance, to Amercian Road Magazine and Cat Fancy. Many of his short stories are available as free podcasts at Pseudopod.org, and all of his short story collections, as well as his novels Death Rhythm and Northwoods Deep, have been made available as e-books. He recently received a 2010 MN Artist Initiative Grant, which provided him with funds for the travel and research needed to complete his next novel.

Northwoods Deep
Bakadewin: The Ojibwe word for hunger.
Bakadewin: an ancient evil guarded by an old man in a mosquito-ridden forest.

Five children and their adult chaperone set off on a hike along the Mesaba River. All vanish without a trace except for one, too traumatized to speak. Local Ojibwe claim the Maymaygwayshi - mischievous spirits who live in the rocks along the river - stole the children.

Six years later, Carol and Brenda Gunderson embark on a canoe trip on the same river. When their canoe capsizes, they discover a cabin in the woods occupied by an old man hiding a terrible secret.

Augustus Meyer has become complacent as the guardian of an ancient evil that resides below his cabin. In a cavern piled high with the bones of its victims, it feeds off the souls of the living and rewards Meyer with mind-blowing hallucinations.

Carol's ex-husband Mitch has been secretly following her, and will stop at nothing to possess her once again. Their brother Jack searches for them while battling his own demons. Allen Gunderson reluctantly accompanies his son in an attempt to stop the remnants of his family from falling apart.

All of them merge in the deep north woods at Meyer's cabin, brought together by a calculating evil whose hunger grows as it seeks out a new guardian.

What will e-readers like about your book? Northwoods Deep is as much of a family drama as it is a horror novel. It also involves different levels of horror – there’s the more obvious visceral horror of Bakadewin and its keeper, but there’s also the horror of loss; of both family and control of oneself. And let’s not forget about my favorite stalker, Mitch, who keeps the Gunderson sisters on their toes!

Why did you go indie? I’ve read a lot of positive things about the indies, and right now, the positives seem to outweigh the negatives by quite a bit. It’s been fun being in charge of all aspects of my output, from overseeing cover design (which my wonderful wife does) to pricing to formatting. The community of indie authors has been wonderful, too. Plus, how can you read J.A. Konrath’s blog and not get all starry-eyed about the indie scene?

Who are your favorite authors in your genre? Although this is probably the most boring and clichéd answer possible, I have to give it up for Stephen King. He got me hooked on horror ever since I read The Shining back in the 8th grade. That was about twenty-seven plus/minus years ago, and I’m still a big fan. Also, my parents not only encouraged my love of reading, they also got me a subscription to Twilight Zone Magazine when I was fifteen. There was always great fiction in there. There are so many other wonderful horror authors out there now, too, like Norman Partridge, Dan Simmons, James Moore, Joe Hill, some guy named Scott Nicholson…I could go on and on.

Northwoods Deep on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003UHVXCE
Northwoods Deep on Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/18433
Joel’s blog: http://joelarnold.livejournal.com

Derek Prior-- The Resurrection of Deacon Shader

Derek Prior read Drama, Classics and History at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. He studied Mental Health Nursing at the University of Sussex and read Theological Studies at the University of Notre Dame, Western Australia. He is the founder of the online discussion community Mysticism Unbound. He works as a Personal Trainer and author.

The Resurrection of Deacon Shader: “Plague strikes at the heart of Sarum and flesh-eating mawgs have been seen in the sewers.
As Governor Gen struggles to save the populace, the Abbey of Pardes is attacked by an army of undead and a piece of the legendary Sun Stone is stolen from the Grey Abbot. The holy knight, Deacon Shader, is sent to the plague-city to retrieve it, but he is a man with conflicts of his own, and a destiny that will test his faith to the limits.
If Shader should fail, the Sun Stone will fall into the hands of a being from the mists of pre-history who will harness its power to unweave all of Creation. “

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
The Resurrection of Deacon Shader is a fantasy epic in the tradition of David Gemmell & R.E. Howard. It features memorable characters, sword and sorcery action and themes of suffering and redemption.


Q: Why did you go indie?
Independent publishing offered me total creative freedom to tell stories as I see fit. It’s been more fun than I’d expected. There are great communities of indie writers offering all manner of support and advice; plus I’ve had the chance to work with some fabulous artists and editors.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
I was brought up on the works of R.E. Howard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Lin Carter, Michael Moorcock et al and still feel their influence in my writing. I’ve learned a lot from Stephen Donaldson, Joe Abercrombie and Stephen King, but my biggest influence is probably David Gemmell.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble
Smashwords

Jessica Billings-- The Girl Born of Smoke

Jessica Billings is currently going to school in Michigan, but will always consider herself an Oregonian. She likes photographing
bugs and majored in biology and education at Oregon State. She is now pursuing a master's degree in environmental engineering. She learned to scuba dive when she was 14, but refuses to dive into the frigid waters of Michigan.


The Girl Born of Smoke: Aurora never asked to be a born a wizard. If she was only normal, her family would still be alive, she never would have fled her home, and there wouldn't be a war being fought in her name. And the visions...maybe those would be gone too. Instead, she's haunted by the memory of her sister and suspects she may be losing her mind.

With two opposing armies searching for her, Aurora is determined not to tell anyone her secret or use her magic. She finds this resolve tested when her best friend is mistakenly identified as the wizard and kidnapped. In her struggle to rescue him, she finds evidence the two armies may be connected, controlled by a single individual with his own agenda. With loved ones on both sides of the war, she is forced to decide who she can trust as she tries to stop the fighting. But, can she even trust her own sanity?

What will e-readers like about your book?
I have fun intertwining science with fantasy and I enjoy a good plot twist or two. I refuse to let my characters fall into "good" and "evil" roles, so readers have to decide for themselves who the good and bad guys are. Most people find that those definitions are constantly changing throughout the book.

Why did you go indie?
I liked the idea of being completely in charge of my book! I submitted query letters to a few agents, but almost all the responses simply said that in this economy, they weren't accepting any new authors. Fair enough, but I wanted to get published, so I went Indie.

Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
When I was younger, I loved Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman and after I met them at a booksigning, it made me even more determined to eventually publish my own book. Nowadays, I enjoy Neil Gaiman, Orson Scott Card, and Ursula Le Guin a lot. I am currently obsessed with the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins!

At Amazon

Debra L. Martin-- The Quest for Nobility

Like most authors, Debra L. Martin has a day job, but her first love is writing. Her passion for writing started when she was in high school. Her English teacher had a knack for inspiring his students to think outside the box to create stories that would draw the reader into your world. She has been writing stories for enjoyment for years and completed her first novel in 1990.

It wasn’t until 2006 that she began writing science fiction/fantasy with her co-author, David W Small. Together they have completed two novels in the “Rule of Otharia” series and numerous novellas. Writing with a co-author is challenging especially when they live on opposite coasts. Coordinating time and work efforts is difficult, but with email, Instant Messenger and Skype, they are able to enjoy a successful partnership.

“The Quest for Nobility”: The idyllic life of royal teenagers, Darius and Dyla Telkur, from the planet Otharia takes a horrifying turn when their parents are murdered. With their cousin appointed as Regent until Darius comes of age, it doesn’t take the twins long to figure out that he’s bent on stealing their throne one way or another. To escape their cousin’s wrath, they flee to the only safe place they know where no one will find them – the forbidden and quarantined planet Earth.

Safe on Earth for the moment, the only way for them to return home is to find an ancient 10K traveling crystal left behind by their Otharian ancestors who visited Earth 1500 years ago. Enlisting the help of a London university archeologist, they begin their search for the crystal from clues buried deep within the Arthurian lore of Merlin and Lady of the Lake. What they find instead is evidence of a secret trade pact between Otharia and Earth that was established centuries ago. Before Darius and Dyla can understand what it means, they’re in jeopardy again; this time pursued by those on Earth who want the secret to remain hidden. Who is behind the trade pact and what is being traded are the questions the twins need to figure out while trying to stay one step ahead of the Earth assassins.
Time is running out for the royal pair. They must find the traveling crystal and open a portal home soon before their cousin is crowned the next Duke of Telkur and their lives are forfeited.

Q: What will your readers like about your work?
I think readers will enjoy our novels because my co-author and I create fast moving action-packed stories. We strive to keep the reader turning the pages through tension, challenges and the conflicts our characters face.

Q: Why did you go indie?
It was very discouraging hearing from a number of agents that they liked our book and thought it had commercial potential, but they just didn’t love it enough to offer representation. When Amazon offered the chance for authors to self-publish their works, it was the perfect solution for us.

Q: Who are your favorite writers?
Patrick Rothfuss, Brent Weeks, Peter Brett and Joe Abercrombie.

You can find the book on Amazon
and on Smashwords.
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Christa Polkinhorn-- Love of a Stone Mason

Christa Polkinhorn, originally from Switzerland, lives and works as writer and translator in Santa Monica, California. She divides her time between the United States and Switzerland and has strong ties to both countries. She has a degree in English with a minor in German and French literature. Her poems have appeared in various poetry magazines. She is the author of Path of Fire, a collection of poems published by Finishing Line Press. Love of a Stonemason is her first novel.


Love of a Stonemason: Love of a Stonemason is a story about the struggle of two artists with their past, their family, their creativity, and their love for each other. Told from the point of view of Karla, it depicts the world through her painter’s sensibility. It takes the reader on a journey full of sights, smells, tastes, and sounds from the south of Switzerland to Italy and the Peruvian Andes.


1) What about your book might appeal to readers?

Love of a Stonemason is a story of love, art, and relationships with a global appeal. It takes place in three different countries and on two continents with diverse cultural backgrounds. The core of the novel, however, is love in its many forms: passion, compassion, and forgiveness. It’s a rich tapestry of sensuous details and intense feelings. The language is accessible and vivid.



2) Why did you go indie?

I sent out about twenty queries, trying to find an agent. That’s not many, I know. The general response was “bad economy, we prefer to stick with our established authors, not for us, etc. etc.” - or no answer at all. Then I found authors who went into self-publishing. I came across websites such as Smashwords and Amazon Kindle. Since I have some background in computers, I wanted to play around with formatting an ebook, and before I knew it, I was all excited. I am in the process of creating a paperback copy for Amazon’s CreateSpace.

The biggest problem about self-publishing is, of course, distribution and getting your book noticed. Since my only other full-size publication is a small volume of poetry, I am practically an unknown author. I am working on a second novel, so perhaps, with time, more readers will find me. Self-publishing is an experiment for me. Struggling to find an audience can be a challenge and can get you down occasionally. But so can trying to find an agent or a publisher. All in all, I haven’t regretted the path I chose. I love the fact of having control of all aspects of my book. I have my own business as a freelance translator and I like to be independent and do things my own way.



3) Who are your favorite writers?

That’s a difficult question. I am an avid reader and I read across all genres and books as diverse as Harry Potter and James Joyce (his early works) as well as Swiss, German, French, Swedish and Spanish authors. Here are a few of my favorite authors, but that’s just a minute sample. I love Joanne Harris, Olaf Olafsson, Ann Patchett, Gabriel García Márquez, Audrey Niffenegger, Orhan Pamuk, Scott Nicholson (he also edited my novel), Donna Leon, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Martin Suter, Urs Widmer, Milena Moser, Alex Capus, Max Frisch, . . . and many more.



Links:
Web site: http://www.christa-polkinhorn.com
Blog: http://christa-polkinhorn.blogspot.com/
My Author's Page on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003LA7T8W
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/cpolkinhorn

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Susan Fleet-- Absolution

Susan Fleet : My life revolves around Music and Mayhem! Music was my first love. I began playing trumpet at eight, joined the musicians’ union at fifteen, and later studied with two Boston Symphony trumpeters. My print-journalist father taught me how to play pool at the local police station. Playing the Ringling Brothers Circus, Broadway shows, operas and symphonies yielded lots of ideas for offbeat characters, as did the students and faculty I met while teaching at Brown University, Wheaton College and Berklee College of Music.

The mayhem began when I took a course at Emerson College and fell in love with fiction writing. In 2001, I moved to New Orleans to focus on writing thrillers. But the music didn’t stop. You can hear samples of my solo CD, Baroque Treasures for Trumpet and Organ, on my website, and read my biographies of fabulous female instrumentalists. Lil Hardin Armstrong is currently featured. In 2010, I moved back to Massachusetts and live in a suburb of Boston.

ABSOLUTION: A twisted killer preys on young women in New Orleans, where everyone has something to hide. Some of the darkest secrets reside in a parish church. NOPD Detective Frank Renzi must battle racial tension and religious controversy to catch the killer before he murders another woman and gives her his twisted version of ABSOLUTION.
“Relentless tempo . . . sharp writing.” -- Kirkus Discoveries
“Creole-flavored suspense!”-- The Sun Chronicle

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
The heart-pounding thrills and chills, of course. But I believe many women read books like mine as a way to manage their fears. They read newspapers and watch TV. Too many women are being murdered. Some of the killers go free. In my books, the bad guy always gets his in the end.
Q: Why did you go indie?
The publishing business model needs to change. Most agents will only take on a new novelist if they think the book will be a blockbuster. I believed in my book and decided to let the readers decide. Not only did it get some good reviews, the Premier Book Awards named ABSOLUTION Best Mystery-Suspense-Thriller of 2009, and Arts Journal called it A Killer Thriller.
Q: Who are your favorite authors?
Lisa Gardner, Michael Connolly, John Lutz, John Sandford, Patricia Cornwell. Elmore Leonard writes terrific crime capers; Thomas Perry’s Nightlife is terrific, and The Strangler, by William Landay is creepy!

David Niall Wilson--The Orffyreus Wheel

David Niall Wilson has been writing and publishing fiction since the mid-eighties. An ordained minister, once President of the Horror Writer's Association and multiple recipient of the Bram Stoker Award, his novels include Maelstrom, The Mote in Andrea's Eye, Deep Blue, the Grails Covenant Trilogy, Star Trek Voyager: Chrysalis, Except You Go Through Shadow, This is My Blood, Ancient Eyes, On the Third Day, The Orffyreus Wheel, and Vintage Soul – Book One of the DeChance Chronicles. The Stargate Atlantis novel “Brimstone,” written with Patricia Lee Macomber is due in of 2010. He has over 150 short stories published and has been collected five times.

The Orffyreus Wheel : In 1712, a remarkable man named Johann Bessler unveiled an amazing invention. It was a Perpetuum Mobile – a Perpetual Motion Device – a wheel that spun after being set into motion until it was stopped with no mechanical input. His secret died with him.



Except that it didn’t. 

Elly Kassel, Bessler's only living heir, is whisked off to America to take control of an inheritance she had no idea was hers. What follows is a series of harrowing near-misses as Elly studies and learns the secrets of The Orffyreus Project, where free energy might be a very real possibility, and her grandmother’s dream of bringing the perpetual motion wheel into production for the good of all mankind. All she has to do is keep the secret from the hands of a man named Black.




Q: What will readers like about the book?

The Orffyreus Wheel tells a rich, historical story – the life Johann Bessler, and parallels that with a high-speed, action-packed modern thriller. The theme is very timely – big oil trying to prevent their stranglehold on the world from being lost.


Q:Why did you go indie?
Rather than just going indie, I've gone hybrid. I still write with NYC publication in mind, but I no longer let my out of print work, or books I have faith in, waste away on my computer when people could be reading them. Also – as CEO of Crossroad Press, I have a dog in the race, so to speak.



Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

Since I write several genres, that's hard. Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Clive Barker, Steven Savile, John Grisham, Thomas Harris, and Caitlin Kiernan come immediately to mind.

Link to web site or blog or Amazon/Smashwords

http://www.crossroadpress.com/catalog

Guido Henkel--Jason Dark: From a Watery Grave

After spending over 25 years writing, designing and producing interactive fiction for numerous award-winning computer games, I decided a while back to put my storytelling talents to use in linear fiction. While games are fun to do, there is never the same sense of plotting in interactive fiction, and I really wanted to give that a try. The result is the Jason Dark: Ghost Hunter series of dime novel that I launched in January of this year. Since it's initial launch I have released a new volume every month.


From a Watery Grave: A quaint seaside town seems the ideal place for an English summer holiday. Little do its inhabitants suspect, that a century-old curse is about to throw their idyllic existence into turmoil and terror. Wraith-like, the black ghosts of undead mariners spread their cloak of horror over Pegwell Bay, the lure of their cursed gold too much for most to resist. Can Jason Dark and Siu Lin find the key to unlock their secrets and lift the curse from beyond the grave before more innocent townspeople die, or will some villainous trickery put even their own lives in jeopardy?


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

Following the traditional dime novel format, readers will find that the books in the series take off right from the start. There is no lengthy exposition or background information. Instead the stories grab the reader by the collar and pull them along on a roller-coaster ride filled with mystery and horror.
Unlike most modern horror, the Jason Dark series hearkens back at the good old days of gothic horror where atmosphere and imagery was one of the most important aspects of the material. Therefore, the Jason Dark adventures feel a lot like an old Hammer Horror film or a classic Universal monster movie.

Q: Why did you go indie?

I knew that the dime novel format will never gain any traction with any of the traditional publishers. It is too unconventional and doesn’t really fit traditional book publishing formulae. Therefore early on I decided to take control myself. Of course, the fact, that I have full control over all aspects of my work as a result was a welcome side effect also.

Q: Who are your favorite writers?

It always depends on my mood. I am a very varied reader, devouring anything from history books through thrillers, adventures pulp and horror all the way to suspense and fantasy novels with ease.

I am a big fan of Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child’s books, especially the Pandergast series. I also thoroughly enjoy Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt adventures, whenever I’m in the mood for something purely entertaining. I am also a great admirer of Ben Bova, John Ringo and Mark Frost, as well as Vicki Tyley, a fantastic thriller writer I discovered a couple of months ago.

Most of the time I love experimenting with books however, and I will not buy books by author, though new releases by the aforementioned writers are always welcome. So, more often than not, I will simply dig through thematic sections and see which books get me interested at any given time. I am purely an impulse buyer when it gets to reading books. Anything goes.

Website
http://www.jasondarkseries.com

David Derrico-- Twiller

David Derrico was born just north of Miami, Florida, and developed his appreciation for complex moral issues while receiving a degree in philosophy from the University of Florida in Gainesville. He wrote his first novel, Right Ascension, before attending law school at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall). Derrico currently lives in South Florida, and has written three novels: Right Ascension and its sequel, Declination, along with a humorous novel called The Twiller. He maintains a website at www.davidderrico.com.


The Twiller is a comedic novel that follows Ian, our hapless hero, as he's whisked around the Universe after his abduction from Earth. His companion, the Twiller, is about the only alien being who treats humans better than toenail lint. Ian is faced with a series of humorous and bizarre experiences on the worlds he visits, utterly failing to realize the slight similarities to places here on Earth.

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
I really enjoyed writing this book, and I hope my readers will share in the sense of fun and enjoy the humor of it. It is a departure from my first two novels, which were more serious space opera sci-fi, and takes the form of a humorous romp across the galaxy, where our hero is struck by the bizarre and inane situations he encounters, and their similarities to what he's experienced on Earth. I think there will be things in the book that any reader can relate to: frustrations over traffic, or airport security lines, or current world events.

Q: Why did you go indie?
I did the well-chronicled "spend hundreds of dollars on postage and submit to hundreds of publishers and agents" thing many years ago, and it seemed all the submissions went into black holes -- only one agent even offered to read the book, and I decided not to work with that agent due to his reputation. I was discovered by a small publisher who bet on e-books about 10 years too early and sadly went out of business. More recently (after taking a break to pay some bills), I've become re-devoted to my writing, re-editing my first two novels and writing my third, and the opportunity to maintain complete artistic control (over the cover, formatting, etc.) and reach thousands of readers directly was everything I was looking for. Staying indie also allows me to make reader-friendly choices regarding low pricing, releasing the e-book first, enabling text-to-speech, and making it DRM-free -- all things I think big publishers are missing the boat on.

Q : Who are your favorite authors?
My reading tastes tend toward science fiction, where I'm a big fan of Timothy Zahn. As for thriller/horror, I never thought I would like Stephen King until I realized that he wrote Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption (which became one of my favorite movies of all time). Once I read that King novella (and the others in Different Seasons), I've become a fan of his writing.


"Always Write" blog: http://www.davidderrico.com/blog
The Twiller: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003SE7LPW