S.P. Wish-- Roses of Doom

S.P. Wish is a novel-writing duo made up of twins S. Wish and P. Wish. They published their first novel on Smashwords.com where it is available for FREE. Their hobbies include writing, reading, singing, listening to music, playing video games and eating junk food.

Roses of Doom is a horror/thriller/chidlren's novella. When horror strikes..............black roses are left behind.

A school camping trip leads quirky middle schooler Mizu, her twin brother Kaji, her friend Akumu and school newspaper reporter Seiya to a mysterious mansion in Greenfire Forest. In the mansion, Mizu's friend is swallowed up by a hole that opens up and closes instantly! Many other unexplained happenings follow until Mizu discovers an old newspaper with information about a centuries old intrigue which has remained hidden till now..........and no person who knows of its existence is allowed to live.......

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
Roses of Doom is a horror novel with a happy ending, which makes it qute unique. Also it is only 60-65 pages depending on the version, so it can be read quickly and easily. And the best part is that it is available completely free of cost!

Q: Why did you go indie?
It is much more flexible. For example, in a publishing house, it is hard to control the price for your book. We always wanted Roses of Doom to be available for FREE to its audience and considering the current economic scenario (recession, financial crisis etc.) it was a good idea to make the book free as people can read it without tensions of paying for it.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
R.L. Stine- he is the master of children's horror. We grew up reading his books and they were all amazing,especially his Goosebumps series.

Link to Smashwords page where the book is available for free download-
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/30899
Website/blog- http://www.spwishworks.blogspot.com
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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/

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!

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

The Seven Sisters-- J.B. Hendricks

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keith Blackmore-- The Troll Hunter

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

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

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

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

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

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

Q: Why did you go indie?

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


Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

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

Link to web site or blog or Amazon/Smashwords
www.keithcblackmore.com
www.amazon.com/dp/B0045JLQCS
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David Thyssen-- All That You Can Leave Behind

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


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

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


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

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

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

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


Q: Why did you go indie?

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

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


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

Holly A. Hook--Tempest

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

Rick Riordan, Holly Black, Diana Wynne Jones and many others.


Amazon Kindle Edition
Tempest Paperback

 

All other eBook Formats

Cliff Ball--Usurper

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

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

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

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

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

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

Steven L. Hawk: Peace Warrior

Steven L. Hawk spent six years as a Military Intelligence Specialist with the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division before joining the ranks of corporate America . He has a B.S. in Business Management from Western Governor's University and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).  He has traveled extensively across the United States and, at various times, has lived in Georgia , North Carolina , West Virginia , Massachusetts , California Idaho .  and Book Description/Blurb:   It’s the mid-21st century when Sergeant First Class Grant Justice is killed during an ambush on an enemy tank column.  Six hundred years later, his body is retrieved from the frozen, arctic lake where he perished.  Re-animated by a team of scientists, Grant awakens to a civilization that has abolished war.  A civilization that has outlawed violence and cherishes Peace above all else.  A civilization that has been enslaved by an alien race called the Minith.  Grant is humankind’s final hope against the alien menace.  He must be…  the Peace Warrior. Q: What will e-readers like about your book?  Peace Warrior is military sci fi with a time travel element.  The story is a good one and I've received a lot of favorable responses and positive reviews.  In addition to being a great story, it sells for only $2.99. Q: Why did you go indie?  For me, going indie was a no brainer.  I write because I enjoy it, not because I want to become famous or rich.  Spending a lot of time and effort trying to get an agent or a traditional publishing deal just wasn't something that I wanted to do.  Self publishing wasn't easy, but it was doable.  Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?  I'm a voracious reader so I have a lot of favorite authors.  Within the scifi genre my favorites are Orson Scott Card and Isaac Asimov. Links below: Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UHVYQE?ie=UTF8&tag=kindleboards-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003UHVYQE Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/18588 ISBN:  978-1-4528-9166-8

Adam DeCamp--Vatsy and Bruno: Dangerous Ink

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

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

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

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

*Q: Why did you go indie? *

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

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

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

Helen Smith-- Alison Wonderland

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


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

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

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

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

Q: Why did you go indie?

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

Q: Who are your favorite authors?

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

Links:

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

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

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

 ###

A.J. Braithwaite-- The Roman and the Runaway

A. J. Braithwaite is an Englishwoman who now lives in Canada on a small farm where she is striving to be as self-sufficient as possible. She started writing 'The Roman and the Runaway' in 1985 (when she was still at school herself) and finally got around to finishing it in 2009.

The Roman and the Runaway: In with 'the wrong crowd', Luke Brownlow's schoolwork is suffering and his parents take drastic action: banning him from seeing his friends and making him change schools. Luke falls out with
his family completely and escapes by forming an friendship with their neighbour, Ned Kelly.

Luke plans to get expelled from his new school, but has to reassess the situation when he discovers that his new headmaster is the neighbour he has been getting to know over the summer. An antagonistic fellow student and the arrival of a runaway teenage girl make it harder to avoid confrontations with Ned than Luke had hoped. By the end of the school year he is in imminent danger of expulsion and is sure that he has lost the respect of the man he most admires.

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

It's fast-paced and quietly funny, with believable characters and
situations, addressing some real-life issues about teenagers' relationships
with authority figures, family and friends. Plus: no vampires!

Q: Why did you go indie?

I don't have enough free time to spend chasing elusive agents and
publishers. Sharing my story with people has always been my first priority
and the Internet makes that possible to do that with very few hurdles. Going
indie fits in well with my general drive towards self-sufficiency. It's been
a great experience and it's wonderful to get direct feedback from people who
have enjoyed the book.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

Diana Wynne Jones is my all-time favourite children's/YA writer. I like
Terry Pratchett, Eoin Colfer and Megan Whalen Turner, too.

Smashwords link: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/4970
Feedbooks link: http://www.feedbooks.com/userbook/10587

Dawn McCullough-White-- Cameo the Assassin

Dawn McCullough-White writes mainly dark fantasy and horror. Her novels tend to favor the use of anti-authority anti-heroes as the main characters. 

Product description:

Cameo the Assassin is a dark fantasy set in the pseudo 18th century. In a world of corrupt royals, charming libertines and the supernatural, sometimes the anti-hero is the only hero you can find.


With a foiled revolution dividing the land, the royal family enlist the aid of assassins to keep things in order. The townsfolk entertain themselves regaling in stories of the undead said to walk the graveyards at night. . . and of Cameo the killer with corpse-like eyes.  Scarred and jaded, Cameo is one of the most formidable assassins in the employ of the Association. Moving from one mission to the next, she meets two dashing highwaymen who unwittingly throw in with the dangerous and otherworldly Cameo. But that's where the story really begins...



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

There's a strong female protagonist/anti-hero, who possesses a certain, otherworldliness. The novel is set in a dark, gritty world where very few truly good characters exist, although she happens to befriend one. The book is very character driven and includes vampires, highwaymen and witty banter. The format is clean and it's been professionally edited.



Q: Why did you go indie?

I really hate the “machine” that traditional publishing has become. I don’t want someone to determine whether or not I should be heard and I don’t want someone to tell me what to write. I want to have the freedom of my own creativity that all artists yearn for.



Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

I actually don't read within my own genre.



Cameo the Assassin- http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/16637



Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003QCIQ3M

S.D. Best-- The Magic Flute

Steven Best works in corporate IT by day, but by night he is an author. After picking up a few business degrees from Texas Tech University and wondering what to do with his life, Steven began trying to flesh out old half-written notes and drawings into a writing career. Having grown up reading the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, R.A. Salvatore, Robert Jordan, and C.S. Lewis it was only natural that fantasy be his genre of choice, although he has plans and notes for sci-fi, horror, and even western novels. By the time of his first daughter's birth last year he had written the early drafts of the first two novels of his Tales from the Green series. He stumbled across Amazon's Digital Text Platform at the beginning of 2010 while looking for a way to get his work onto the market and has since jumped into the world of self-publishing. Steven does all his own editing, cover art, and promotion for now, but plans to one day pursue traditional publishing for his current and future novels. You can find him around the web at various writing forums under the name Greenkeeper.


The Magic Flute: For a young boy named Alex Samuels, suburban life is a meaningless waste of time. Wake up, go to school, get kicked off the baseball team, beat the latest videogame, repeat as necessary. As he nears his thirteenth birthday his apathy knows no bounds. Things had been different when he had been a child, though. Back then he had believed in magic.

Fueled by his grandpa's fairy tales of his own supposed adventures in a magical world known as the Green, Alex had once believed he too could be a hero. That is until well-meaning parents had quashed his dreams with a harsh dose of reality. He long ago gave up on believing in stories of dragons and elves and magic swords; too bad they never gave up on him! When his grandpa gave him the old wooden flute for his birthday it became one more piece of junk in his closet. That is, until, real life monsters from out of the old stories come to visit. Now, swept away by the magical song of the flute Alex finds himself in the Green, a wild land in which humans are a myth long forgotten. Join him as he rediscovers friendship, heroism, and the magic of his childhood that was once lost.

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

A: The Magic Flute is epic fantasy that is fun and lighthearted. It is a tale of adventure overlaying the main character's true quest to rediscover the magic and wonder he once knew as a young child. Though I market it as young adult I believe that there is something here for all ages.

Q: Why did you go indie?

A: I love the freedom and speed with which I can get my work to the readers as an independent author. I still have plans on shopping the Tales from the Green series around to agents and publishers, but not until the series in complete. I hated the thought of my first two books going unread on my harddrive while I finished the last one, though. By putting them online I am getting valuable feedback which will surely assist me in the long run.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

A: I have been heavily influenced by C.S. Lewis, not only his fantasy stories but his essays on writing. I am also a huge fan of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, and lately I have been devouring Glen Cook's Chronicles of the Black Company. Of course, what kind of fantasy author would I be if I didn't cite Tolkien as a major influence?


Links:
TftG Book One: The Magic Flute on Amazon

Smashwords Author Page

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