Thursday, June 30, 2011

The Magpie's Secret - G.J. Lau

Bio:
I was born in a small town near Boston, where I was raised on a steady diet of family, politics, and the Red Sox. After graduating from Georgetown University, I spent two years in the Army, including a year in VietNam in the 1st Infantry Division. After I got out, I worked for the Federal government in Washington, D.C. until retirement. I have volunteered as a literacy tutor, a hot line listener and as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in need of assistance. I currently reside in a small city just far enough from Washington DC to be somewhere else.
Product description:
The Magpie’s Secret is a thriller with a heart. It is the story of Frank Martinelli, a man who had toted up his losses in life and sounded retreat. He had lost a daughter and a marriage, and in between failed to stop a young girl from ending her life, but not before she shared a secret with him. The story opens with a visit from an old Army buddy who warns Frank that someone is out to kill him. The search for answers leads Frank back to that old secret, a secret that someone apparently wants buried with Frank. In his quest to uncover the truth, Frank finds a reason to live again . . . her name is Catherine. The problem is, if Frank can’t get to the bottom of things soon, he may not have much time left to live.

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
The Magpie's Secret is a very easy book to read, yet it contains a lot of interesting characters and more than a few plot twists that continue right up to the last paragraph. Above all, I wanted to populate a book with interesting people who get you caring about what happens to them.
 
Q: Why did you go indie?

I never really considered any other alternative. As a first-time writer, I knew the odds were stacked against me in the traditional publishing world, whereas in the indie world I would be welcomed with open arms. E-books are emerging as a serious new force in the publishing world. Rather than spend years trying to get a traditional publisher, I chose to get out there now.
Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

Loren Estleman, Stuart Kaminsky, Robert B. Parker, Ross McDonald, John D. MacDonald, Mickey Spillane, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Web Site: http://www.windroot.com/

Blog: http://www.windroot.blogspot.com/


The Mill River Recluse - Darcie Chan

Bio:
Darcie Chan was born in Wisconsin and grew up in small towns in Wisconsin, Colorado, and Indiana.  Currently, she lives in northern Westchester County, New York, with her husband, their son, and two cats.
The Mill River Recluse is her first novel.
Visit Darcie online at: http://www.darciechan.com!
Product description:

Disfigured by the blow of an abusive husband, and suffering her entire life with severe social anxiety disorder, the widow Mary McAllister spends almost sixty years secluded in a white marble mansion overlooking the town of Mill River, Vermont. Her links to the outside world are few: the mail, the media, an elderly priest with a guilty habit of pilfering spoons, and a bedroom window with a view of the town below.                             

Most longtime residents of Mill River consider the marble house and its occupant peculiar, though insignificant, fixtures. An arsonist, a covetous nurse, and the endearing village idiot are among the few who have ever seen Mary. Newcomers to Mill River--a police officer and his daughter and a new fourth grade teacher--are also curious about the reclusive old woman. But only Father Michael O'Brien knows Mary and the secret she keeps--one that, once revealed, will change all of their lives forever.
The Mill River Recluse is a story of triumph over tragedy, one that reminds us of the value of friendship and the ability of love to come from the most unexpected of places.

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
The Mill River Recluse is an unusual story with entertaining characters and a plot that contains elements of humor, romance, and suspense.  Beyond those things, though, I hope that my novel is enjoyable to readers in that it shows that someone who is misunderstood or different in some way, and even someone who is seemingly far-removed from his or her community, may in fact be more special and integral than anyone could imagine.

Q: Why did you go indie?
My goals in releasing a novel through the Kindle Store were to demonstrate that there is a market for my novel and to build a readership for future work.  Kindle books are immediately accessible and becoming more popular every day.  I also think that Kindle (and other e-reader users) may be more open to reading a first novel and, if it is enjoyable, recommending it to others.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
A sampling of some authors whose books I have enjoyed include Alice Seybold, Sara Gruen, Sue Monk Kidd, and Alexander McCall Smith.

Link to web site or blog or Amazon/Smashwords:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0051PRFLQ
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/61803
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Mill-River-Recluse/Darcie-Chan/e/2940012964205

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

The Bringer - Samantha Towle

Bio: Samantha Towle lives in Yorkshire with her husband Craig, children Riley and Isabella, dog Max and cat Murphy. She loves music - all music - and dreams of a day when …. now that's another story. Her first book, 'The Bringer' was published by Night in May 2011. Her second, 'A Single Bite' will be published later in the year.

Description:
Death is sad, love is agony.

Max was her next job. She got his name just before he died and it was for her to lead his soul to heaven. She was a Bringer. Then Max started pleading, but not for himself, for his son, James. Would she look after him, would she comfort him as he grieved for the loss of his father? James was a sensitive young man. He would take his father's death hard. Well, Bringers don't do that sort of thing; their exclusive role is to usher souls to heaven. They are not allowed to get involved in earthly affairs. However, when she saw James, she felt something she had never felt before – an emotion, a shock. She was a Bringer. Bringers do not have emotions. Yet she couldn't help herself. She found herself being drawn inexorably towards James and his life, against every instinct she had ever had, against every law of the universe. And she fell in love.

For a Bringer, that is a terrifying fall.


Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
It’s different to other ‘angel’ books out at the moment. It’s full of twists and turns, and I think readers will identify with Lucyna, and her naivety when she finds herself in falling love with James.
 

Q: Why did you go indie?
It allowed me to retain creative control over my novel.


Q: Who are your favourite authors in your genre?
I have many favourite authors covering different genres, but Charlaine Harris is my favourite in my genre.
 
 
REVIEWS:
 
‘Many times I felt a tear coming on, but this is certainly no slushy Mills and Boon romance. This is a solid, rock you to the core, epical storyline and I urge you to read it. Highly Recommended. 5 Stars is the maximum, but I would definitely give The Bringer 105 stars.’
 
‘The twists are not in any way predictable, that is the beauty of the work. Samantha Towle leads you and invites you in wonderfully written prose, and a writers voice that lingers like good music in the soul, you are smiling, anticipating ... perhaps very sure that you have cleverly deduced the ending. You will in all probability be wrong. I had the rug pulled from under my certainty, and she did it without flinching.’

Links:
 
 
Smashwords - http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/57841
 
 
 
 
 

Storm World Trilogy (Book 1: Speaker of the Gods) - Jonathan DeCoteau

Bio: Jonathan DeCoteau is a teacher and author residing in New England.  His first book, The Naked Earth, won The Online Review
of Books and Current Affairs Book Of The Year Award For Fiction in 2008.
Title: The Storm World Trilogy starting with Storm World: Speaker Of The Gods
Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
I do feel The Resurrection Men end-of-days order and Storm World are well described and fully realized
characters and places.  I hope that the writing and description really add to the overall reading experience
of a world on the brink of a major transformation.

Q: Why did you go indie?
I wanted to share a book that I loved with others who might also enjoy it.
This was the type of book I wanted to find on a library shelf, and so I wrote it.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
I was influenced, indirectly, by Frank Herbert and Joseph Campbell.
I hope that presents itself in the character's mythic journey.

Amazon:

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Charlie Opera - Charlie Stella

Bio: I’m a former window cleaner, knockaround guy, word processor ... currently unemployed and about to start an MFA program at Southern New Hampshire University.

Product description:  A gritty underworld thriller that takes mob bosses, hit men, and gangland wannabes to Las Vegas where the name of their game is Charlie Opera.

A guy goes to Las Vegas for a holiday. In a matter of hours he gets drunk, gets mugged, and gets dumped by his wife. Things could get worse, and do, in this new crime novel from Charlie Stella, whose work, says the San Diego Union Tribune, not only recalls George V. Higgins but also “stacks up well against the master.”

With bravura, alternating brutality with humor and high-octane action with virtuoso tough-guy dialogue, Stella crafts his story of Charlie Pellecchia, whose unwitting entanglement with New York mobster Nicky Cuccia plops him in the path of the DEA, FBI, and Las Vegas police. Law enforcement may find Charlie awkwardly in its way, but elsewhere—in deluxe casino hotel suites, at deserted construction sites, on quiet residential streets—a bodybuilding punk looking to be made, a professional killer, a mob chief’s double-dealing accountant, and a pair of Vietnamese gangbangers are all trying to put Charlie permanently out of the way. All because he broke a wiseguy’s jaw.

Add to the mix hookers with felonious kinks, a cop deeply troubled by his wife’s infidelity, a ham-fisted redneck with vengeance on his mind and some bad faith between a Brooklyn crime family and the Russian mob. Things go down tough in Charlie’s opera.

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?  It’s price $2.00; hardboiled mob fiction with a twist of humor.  Mob fiction from just about the time government deals with devils began bringing down the mob as portrayed in the Godfather flicks.

Q: Why did you go indie?  Charlie Opera was my best reviewed book until Shakedown and Johnny Porno (currently under contract with original publishers).  It was the best way to reach new readers without mortgaging the house.  Charlie Opera sold out in 6 weeks when it was published but it was news to my publishers so although very well reviewed, it died in house.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?  George V. Higgins, Elmore Leonard, Vickie Hendricks, Dana King ... there are obviously several more but from fear of offending someone, I’ll stop right there.

Gastro Detective - Vincent McConeghy

Bio: Vincent McConeghy is a veteran restaurant and bakery owner residing in Buffalo, NY. This is my first work of fiction and it is set in the industry I know best - foodservice. I am  interested in food, professional cooking, literature and writing.

What Will Readers like about your book: My book will appeal to those who love food and restaurants and are intrigued by some of the behind the scenes drama of the restaurant industry. It has a vocabulary and language that is uniquely its own and I'm trying to capture some of the essence of it in a page turning manner.

Why Did You Go Indie: Instinctively, those that run and own restaurants are entrepreneurial. Indie publishing is also entrepreneurial. Besides, I have a busy life professionally and I thought the Indie route was something I could develop over time and connect directly with my audience.

Who Are Your Favorite authors in you genre: I'm trying to create a new genre called the Resto Thriller. It's a suspense book set in the food and restaurant industry. Most books on food are cookbooks and non-fiction, first person narratives. I would like to carve a niche where Anthony Bourdain meets Mickey Spillane meets Norman Mailer meets Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Link to website:
http://www.gastrodetective.com/

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Gastro-Detective-Frank-Bruno-ebook/dp/B004XQVMYA/

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Death Whispers - Tamara Rose Blodhett

Bio:


Tamara Rose Blodgett is a 'thinking-out-of-the box' paranormal enthusiast who believes there's a 95% chance zombies do not exist; but loves to write as if they do... I'm from the Seattle area originally and have worked as an online journalist in the past. I enjoyed writing, Death Whispers, and am already hard at work on the sequel while also wrapping up my paranormal romance, The Pearl Savage, due to publish in mid-June. In my spare time I'm a [reluctant] serial-re-modeler, project-slave and big time, in-my-pants reader (surprise!). I do a great deal of day-dreaming about impossible scenarios and events, writing books to capture them in stories for you~ Side note: Gnomes should be exterminated.


Product description:
Caleb has the most rare of the paranormal powers, Cadaver-Manipulation (aka corpse-raiser). In this world of the future, with Brain Impulse “pulse” Technology’s wide-spread use and influence keenly realized, routine school inoculation has expanded to include a pharmaceutical cocktail, which once administered, unlocks the genetic potential for paranormal abilities. Using this small window of puberty, teens who have the genetic propensity find themselves manifesting extraordinary gifts; some of which garner the full attention of our government. Caleb must camouflage his new “talent” during the mandatory eighth grade Aptitude Test so that he remains undiscovered while establishing choice for his future. However, events beyond his control systematically reveal Caleb and his friends, which force them to fight for their freedom. In the midst of this struggle, his girlfriend's father battles to reassert his abusive dominance in her life while a couple of “peer enemies” thwart his efforts of secrecy at every turn. In the explosive climax, Caleb must protect his friends, and Jade, the one he loves...at all costs.

App. word count 112,00/ 354 pages

Readers will enjoy realistic teen dialogue that reads "fresh" with comedic delivery in and action-packed book! This is a mixed-genre manuscript that is equal parts urban fantasy/futuristic sci-fi and paranormal romance. There's something for everyone to enjoy. The scientific premise will appeal to readers who love puzzling out details  with the "what-if" factor...

I did the query "merry-go-round" and actually had an agent ( a wonderful human being who gave me renewed confidence and hope) that wished to see the revised manuscript but...I decided that if it [DW] had promise, I would "give it a go" independently. I like the latitude of artistic expression allowed with being an "independent."  I am really pleased to offer a novel that hasn't gone through the typical, "big-six" laundry wash; diluted and basking in neutrality. It is my hope the readership feels similarly.

That's tough...I loved Twilight, The Lightning Thief, Uglies and some others but none were exact matches to my novel, except we're all in the "young adult" category. However, one of the *key* reasons I love YA lit is because there are greater parameters for expression. Authors in that genre are not so tightly constrained to precepts...they just don't apply to us. We can write fantastical things and it is acceptable. That is what I wanted to accomplish: a grain of realism and a story is born!


The Pyrrhic Rendition - Seth James

Bio:
After serving as a non-commissioned officer in the US Army Infantry, Seth James attended Rutgers University, where he graduated with honors, taking a degree in English and History. Following graduation, Seth took a position with a major journal publisher. The author of five novels, some of which can be found in Amazon's Kindle Store, Seth has found his treatment of controversial topics and mid-list literary style a good fit for the indie book movement.
Product description:
 American journalist Ianthe Van Alt came to Egypt's Sinai peninsula to investigate the cross-border tunnels into Gaza, to forget what happened to her in New York four months ago, and to forget William. What she found was an escapee from Cairo's infamous Torah Prison, an escapee with a story about the CIA dragging a businessman in to be tortured. Tales of the US government using Extraordinary Rendition for purposes other than terrorism had surfaced from time to time, but this one was different: a crafty guard had taken a photograph proving it all. But more than a cell phone pic convinced Ianthe of the story's authenticity: as soon as she returned to Cairo, the murders and kidnapping attempts began as the full weight of the US government came crashing down around her, desperate to smother her investigation before it unveiled a truth so dangerous it could tear the Administration from power.

Now, Ianthe is on the run, seeking the crafty guard and his photo, pursued by the private military contractors the Administration sent to capture her; behind her, William, a former Foreign Service Officer and Ianthe's ex-lover, sent by her paper to investigate her disappearance. No one knows her or her methods better than William Kennan; no one is more likely to track her down; but will he find her in time, help her gather the evidence of the Administration's crimes, to impeach the President, or will he unwittingly draw her hunters down upon them both?

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?  The characters, I hope.  True, the book is timely and discusses important issues, but I think the characters’ personalities, their struggles, and the love story are at least as interesting as fleeing mercenaries and bringing down a President.
Q: Why did you go indie?  The one thing I heard most often from agents and editors who rejected The Pyrrhic Rendition was, “Good writing, too political.”  I suppose if you, gentle reader, don’t call Enhanced Interrogation Techniques torture or find reprehensible the circumvention of US law via Extraordinary Rendition then you too may think it’s too political.  But is there a more natural paring than indie and too political?
Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?   It might sound funny, since The Pyrrhic Rendition is a thriller with mystery/spy novel elements, but I’d have to say John Steinbeck and Upton Sinclair: taking on the controversies of one’s age has always been the purview of fiction—and no one did it better than those two.

Amazon Link

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Betrayal's Shadow - KH LeMoyne

Book title: BETRAYAL’S SHADOW (The Guardians of Eden Book 1)
Author: KH LeMoyne
Bio:
KH LeMoyne is the author of BETRAYAL’S SHADOW, WARRIOR REBORN (The Guardians of Eden Book 2), and XX (Phoenix #1). She lives in Maryland with her wonderful husband and a pair of corgis. Much to her dismay, she rarely encounters supernatural beings other than on paper. You can find out more about her books at http://khlemoyne.wordpress.com/

Product description:
What would you do to save your people from extinction?
What if your race held the key to mankind’s future?
One Guardian will risk hell to change the future.

Descended from a race of Guardians created in the far edges of Eden, Turen’s people have survived the last two hundred years, quarantined by plague to Eden’s Sanctum. Living in secrecy with no mates and no offspring, they fail to deliver on their covenant for mankind, the ability to replenish and heal human souls through the birth of their Guardian children.

Mia Bowman’s full human lineage decrees her off limits for knowledge of Guardian’s secret race. But her uncontrollable nocturnal visits to Turen’s prison cell and her strong sense of justice leave her with little choice but to ferret out the lies and unravel an ancient tale of murder and deceit. Yet it may require their ultimate sacrifice to stop the betrayal and save the Guardian race.

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
I think that readers who enjoy a darker urban fantasy romance, with a complex plot and a happy ending the characters have to work for will like this book. The second in the series is also available, so if readers enjoy these characters then they don’t have to wait for more.

Q: Why did you go indie?
I had several manuscripts finished and realized that I could now work with freelance editors, cover artists and promotion experts to launch my own books instead of spending hours tailoring query letters, synopsis and modifying my books for different publisher lines. I’ve enjoyed the experience and freedom it offers.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
I have a huge list of romance and urban fantasy authors I love, but I really enjoyed Jacquelyn Frank’s Nightwalker series, JR Ward’s brotherhood series, and the Marjorie Liu’s Hunter Kiss books.

Link:

Concerto - Sandra Miller

Bio: Sandra Miller is an author. She's that girl you knew in school who always had a notebook in one hand and a pen in the other, and spent every spare second experimenting with ways to put them together.
Product description:
"I see you."
Three simple words from her telephone in the dead of night send violinist Chrispen Marnett's life spiraling in directions she never imagined.  The chance to work with the greatest violinist alive drew her to Newton, but nothing could have prepared her for what she found there.  Terror lurks in unexpected places--a ringing phone, a late-night rehearsal, unexpected flowers.  
And what could have prepared her for Alexis Brooks: symphony concertmaster, international superstar, and accused murderer?  Withdrawn and moody, Alexis is cut off from everyone around him; his colleagues in the symphony, his fans, even his own father.  Everyone from her mother to the Newton Police has warned Chrispen against Alexis, but as her own danger increases, he may be her only ally.
Join Chrispen on the journey of a lifetime as she fights for her sanity, her happiness, and her life.  To survive, she must unravel the layers of the past and learn the secrets the Newton Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra hides.


Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
Concerto is a fast, compelling read with music and romance wound into the suspense. 

Q: Why did you go indie?
Our current publishing industry is going through an exciting transformation.  Independent authors are better equipped to compete on emerging electronic platforms than large publishing houses.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
Dean Koontz, Mary Higgins Clark

Link to:


Amazon

Friday, June 24, 2011

Stopwatch and Timer, An Application for your Kindle

We're going to do something different today.  This is an application for the Kindle (my favorite eReader.)

It's a well kept secret that you can run apps on your Kindle, as well as reading books. Indie Kindle developer, A Gamz, released another Kindle app recently. Its a handy stopwatch that joins the other 99c utility programs released over the past few months. The stopwatch supports hundreds of laps and it also has a countdown timer that comes with several presets, or set your own. It keeps time even while you're reading or the Kindle is off. 

When combined with the great Kindle screen, long battery life and convenience of always having your Kindle available, this is a handy little app to have and its great value for 99 cents!

A Gamz is a small software company that has developed several highly rated apps for the Kindle, including
Maze A Thon and Checkers. You can read more about them at their website, www.agamz.com or follow their facebook page to receive updates.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Dust Devils - Roger Smith

Bio:
Roger Smith was born in Johannesburg and now lives in Cape Town. His debut thriller, Mixed Blood (2009), was published in six countries and won the Deutscher Krimi Preis (German Crime Prize). His second book, Wake Up Dead (2010), was a 10 best pick of the Philadelphia Enquirer, Times (South Africa) and Krimiwelt (Germany) and was nominated for the German Krimi-Blitz Reader’s Award. Mixed Blood and Wake Up Dead were nominated for Spinetingler Magazine New Voice Awards in the U.S. and both books are in development as feature films. His third book, Dust Devils, is published internationally in 2011.

Product description:
TO AVENGE WHAT HE LOVES, HE BECOMES WHAT HE HATES
Framed for murdering his family, South African journalist Robert Dell's only ally is his oldest enemy: his father, an ex-CIA hitman with one last shot at redemption. Hunting the real killer, father and son take a bloody road trip into the heart of darkness, uncovering a conspiracy reaching to the highest levels of the State.
Q: What will e-readers like about your book?

These reviews set the scene :
“Roger Smith is the master of the coolly-described nightmare.” DER SPIEGEL (Germany)

“Topping my list of favorite crime thrillers of all time.”
DAVE ZELTSERMAN KILLER & THE CARETAKER OF LORNE FIELD

“An amped-up, page-turning noir.” FRANK BILL – CRIMES IN SOUTHERN INDIANA

 “Noir at its most brutal and honest.” A. N. SMITH – HOT DOGGIN’ & YELLOW MEDICINE

Q: Why did you go indie?
Dust Devils is a hybrid: published in print and electronically in Europe and eBook in the U.S. I have been fascinated by the growth of the eBook market in the States and wanted to get in on the action myself.Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?Jim Thompson, Richard Stark, Elmore Leonard, James Ellroy
Find it on Amazon

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Mama - Robin Morris

Bio:  Robin Morris has had short stories published in several anthologies and online magazines. She live near Los Angeles with two cats and a dream of climbing out of poverty someday.

Product description:
ONE SCARY MOTHER.

As the Conover family drives from L.A. to Chicago, increasingly strange things begin to happen. Nine year old Michael sees a face form in the glass of the car's window. Fourteen year old Alison sees two creepy children outside the family's motel room. A car follows them, then purposely hits them and speeds away.

Mama has found the Conovers and is using them as a lesson for her children. Mama is relentless, Mama is powerful, and Mama will not stop until the Conovers are dead.

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
I hope I have created a story of creeping dread, which makes the reader feel more and more tension as it goes on. It also has car chases.

Q: Why did you go indie?
This book was finished when an agent I met promised to look at it. She kept her promise, then actually signed me! I was happy, I was on my way to having my book in bookstores! A year later, all her attempts to sell the book were turned down. She got so discouraged about the state of publishing, among other things, that she quite being an agent. I saw self-publishing as the only option left.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
Stephen King, of course. Dean Koontz, Peter Straub, Richard Laymon.

Link to web site or blog or Amazon/Smashwords
Amazon:
Smashwords:

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Heart Stealer - Tiphanie Thomas

Tiphanie
Heart Stealer - dramatic romance

Bio:

Tiphanie Thomas is a Michigan native from the Ann Arbor area and former financial analyst. She loves reality television, Scrabble, and traveling to new places. Heart Stealer is her debut novel.

Product description:

After several box-office flops, movie star Randall Rowe returns to his small hometown to rebuild his relationship with his preacher father and persuades stubborn Kayla Denton, the runaway he’d once helped, to decorate his new home.

With their close proximity, Randall starts seeing independent Kayla as an alluring woman with whom he can be himself, though he knows she’s all wrong for him. Meanwhile, Kayla has already been abandoned by one man in her life, and she’s determined not to endure it again. Yet underneath Randall’s fast lifestyle and devil-may-care persona lies more than she could’ve imagined. Can either of them ever trust the deep connection they share when faced with Hollywood and crippling fears?

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

Readers have loved that Heart Stealer is a fast paced, page turner that kept them laughing, crying, and thinking. It’s Pretty Woman meets The Way We Were with memorable characters, sexy romance, and conflict abound.

Q: Why did you go indie?

After sending my work to a few agents and generating interest, I realized that wanted to have control over my work and it was possible now with all of the changes in the publishing work. So after getting great feedback from my critique group and beta readers, I felt that the book was ready to be relased.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

I was really inspired by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. However, my novel is more similar to Nora Roberts with a more dramatic element as well.

Link to web site or blog or Amazon/Smashwords

Barnes & Noble - Coming Soon

Monday, June 20, 2011

Offerings by Stewart Felkel

Bio: Stewart lives in West Monroe , La. with two dogs and is engaged to a most wonderful young lady. He works as a High School Band Director while writing part time. You can follow him on his blog or you can find him on Facebook, Myspace, Tumblr, and Twitter.


Product description: Retired, and recently widowed, FBI agent Tommy McCain moves to a small town in Louisiana in search of a missing friend. What he finds is a community of characters who are sometimes quirky and sometimes sinister. Every small town has its secrets, but this town harbors a much darker secret that confounds Tommy and might have already consumed his friend.

Offerings is a 12,000 word mystery novella with a supernatural twist. It's in turns suspenseful and poignant. Fans of both Twin Peaks and H.P. Lovecraft will enjoy this story.


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

Readers who are fans of shows like Twin Peaks will love the small town drama and mystery. Fans of Lovecraft will love the mythological connotations. More importantly, I've tried to write a beautiful story about a man who is experiencing the melancholy of getting older, losing loved ones, but still lives life.


Q: Why did you go indie?

I've always been a do it yourself kind of guy. I may not be the best at something, but I love learning new things and perfecting a new craft. Writing and publishing isn't any different for me. This is an exciting time to be a writer.


Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

My fvorite authors in my genre are hands down Ste[phen King and F. Paul Wilson. They are two of the most brilliant authors I have had the pleasure to read. The impact they have had on my writing, reading, and views is staggering.

Link to web site or blog or Amazon/Smashwords

Sunday, June 19, 2011

If You Go Into The Woods - David Gaughran

Bio:

David Gaughran is a 33-year old Irish writer, living in Sweden, who spends most of his time travelling the world, collecting stories, and writing about them. He blogs about writing, the book business, and how to get your own work into (digital) print on his website

Product description:

If You Go Into The Woods is a collection of two creepy tales from a world that's not quite right. The title story is about eight-year old Jiri Beranek who is drawn to a nearby forest, captivated by birds hidden high in the trees. Each time he enters, his desire to see the mysterious creatures is checked by his fear of the dark. When he finally forces himself to go farther, he finds a new reason to be afraid. This story was first published by The Delinquent (UK) then selected by Short Story America for inclusion in their anthology of their best stories of 2010.

The bonus story, The Reset Button, is new, exclusively available in this e-book. Linus Eriksson, a divorced bachelor living alone in his small one-bedroom apartment, is a man with a memory problem: instead of not being able to remember anyone, nobody can remember him. 

These two short stories have a combined length of 4,000 words, or around 16 book pages.

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

If they like quirky stories, where something isn't quite right but they can't put their finger on it, if they liked the Twilight Zone, or if they like the stories of Haruki Murakami, they might enjoy If You Go Into The Woods.

Q: Why did you go indie?

I spent 18 months trying to get an agent for my historical novel, and got as close as the phone call twice only for one of them to want to change the book completely and the other disappear off the face of the earth. I decided to test the digital waters with some short stories, but I am having so much fun doing this, I think it's safe to say that I will self-publish the novel too.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?

Louis de Bernieres, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Kurt Vonnegut, Philip K. Dick, and Michael Chabon are just some of the guys I keep reading over and over.

Link to web site or blog or Amazon/Smashwords



























Saturday, June 18, 2011

Deadly Decisions - Starr Gardinier Reina

Bio:

According to Suspense Magazine, Starr Gardinier Reina is a new star who has arrived in the writing world. Apart from being an award winning author for her short story "Cut", Reina has appeared in a blaze and made her mark on the literary world with her Ivanovich Series. The first is “In the Name of Revenge”, the second, “Deadly Decisions” and she is working on the third as you read this. She is known for her works' distinctive voice, making every character stand out.

Reina is the artistic creator of the Ivanovich series featuring Pavel Ivanovich. Flanking Ivanovich's side in "Deadly Decisions" is Teresa Mancini, who vies with Ivanovich for readers' attention. According to J.M. DeLuc, who was "raised in an Italian family", Teresa "is perfect...like all your characters". She is also the author of young adult novella "Cruel Whispers" and its sequel novel "Cruel Past".

Reina is an executive editor for Suspense Magazine. She has been interviewed in the newspaper and on the radio with relation to her fiction work. She has been a co-host on Suspense Radio.

She has won three Best Speaker awards as well as Best Evaluator at the Voice Ambassadors chapter of Toastmasters. Reina is a member of Sisters in Crime, Los Angeles Chapter and nationally. She has always been active in events. As co-chair and main coordinator for the West Coast Author Premiere, she arranged the weekend-long event to help authors from all over network, learn and share their work with the public. Reina has also been instrumental in compiling authors and planning a local author event at Barnes and Noble in Ventura, California along with the store’s event manager.

WhoDunIt is Reina's free quarterly newsletter that has many benefits for not only authors but readers as well and can be subscribed to at: www.QueenWriter.com.

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Product description: "Deadly Decisions" is crime-driven novel interwoven with drama, suspense, wit and edge-of-your-seat action. Trouble and misery can be part of life's ordeals, but for Ivanovich and Mancini they are everyday concerns. After his debacle of a life in "In the Name of Revenge", Pavel Ivanovich tries to find a new direction. Instead, his days are upended with the constant turmoil of drama with Teresa Mancini—the spoiled daughter of a mob boss, wanna-be agent and Pavel's girlfriend—thrown in the mix. Bullets fly, bombs explode and people get hurt. Ivanovich's existence is an entire commotion of murder and mayhem, including a near-death experience and many other, narrow escapes while Mancini tries to become involved waist-deep in every one of Pavel’s cases.

Travel with Pavel as he continues with crime-ridden, investigative cases while Teresa 'tries' to help him in "One Major Mistake", the third in the Ivanovich Series, coming soon.

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Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
A: It is not your typical mob-based novel. It has a good balance of humor and action.

Q: Why did you go indie?
A: E-books are quickly becoming the number one avenue for readers, if it hasn't already surpassed the number sold of hard copy books. Indie is the wave of our future and I enjoy being on the cutting edge and giving consumers what they want.

Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
A: Nevada Barr, Steve Berry, Lincoln Child, Doug Preston, Mary Higgins Clark...there are so many!

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Links


Author's Website
Amazon