Monday, May 31, 2010

Interview with Edward C. Patterson

In my continuing series of Kindle author reviews, next up is Edward C. Patterson.  Welcome Ed!

Briefly describe your journey in writing your first book.

My first book was written 50 years ago when I was thirteen, and I wouldn’t really call it a journey, but more an exploration of an old upright Underwood typewriter that my grandmother gave me. The journey is really the dozens of works that I have written between then and now, one of which has taken 37 years to write. And the journey continues. I have fifteen published books and ten in progress. I’m racing to that clearing at the end of the path where the journey ends — at least for me. Hopefully, not for my books.

Did you query agents or traditional publishers before publishing on Amazon?

Yes. I had an agent, who was a better editor than agent. She trained me up on revision processes. I had a publisher (non-traditional – an online website), who also clued me into industry norms and the traditional lay of the land. I had a professional editor, who beat the heck out of me — best experience in my writing career. I submitted my works to traditional publishers, and although I received rejections, most validated my talent and qualified the rejection with corrective actions — rare rejections indeed. I even acknowledge one of those publishers in my novel, The Jade Owl. I do not have the woe-is-me wall of rejections and have not found traditional publishing brutal. I have just found it . . . illogical, if you want what is written in the hands of readers. Readers are treated as statistics by traditional publishers. Indie authors treat them as gold.

What factors influenced your decision to self-publish.

My works were vetted by my peers and by professionals, like my tough editor and my first publisher, so since I’m wasn’t getting any younger, I decided that if I didn’t start getting my works into the hands of readers, they would just be tossed out when they cleaned my apartment. Then I met April Hamilton on-line, the pioneer of pioneers for Indie publishing, and my life changed. Now there’s an interview for you.

Will you try to garner a traditional publishing contract for any future books?

Garner? Not as a goal. If a traditional publisher should come my way (and stranger things have — shades of Christopher Paolini), I’ll not kick them out of my bed. We all dream of seeing our stories told on the silver screen (and in 3D). Of course, the chances of Indies being picked up by Traditional Publisher went up 1,000% with Boyd Morrison’s The Ark. If you have the goods, and I believe I do, and you are engaging readers, sometimes an acquisition editor trips over your book and sees $green$.

Did you design your cover art?  If not, would you care to share your graphic designer’s information?

Yes, fourteen of fifteen of my covers I've designed. I design my covers while the book is in progress. It’s an organic part of the work, and in my case, very painterly. I do my covers to satisfy me, and not to pander to the crowd. I’m an ex-Marketing Director for a fortune 500 company, so my soul is at stake here. If I do all the right marketing gizmos, my artistic spirit will join Dante’s in the Underworld.

How did you feel when you got your first sale?  Are you pleased with sales so far?

I thought, well, someone has taste out there shebangit. It was exhilarating. Now as I approach the 6,000th sale, I must say it is still exhilarating to have others partake of your cup. In fact, when I finish this interview, I’ll go check my reports.

What kinds of social media [twitter, facebook, webpage, blog, writing forums] are you involved with trying to garner attention for your book(s)?

I blog a bit, although I prefer to guest blog. Blogging can sap the creative spirit, but I did codify one of my blogs, published it and have nearly 2,000 copies in circulation. I use twitter and post on the ubiquitous Amazon shameless plug forums, which I helped create. My favorite place to swim on-line is at Kindleboards.com, because it’s a friendly crowd, chock-filled with readers, writers and authors. I can talk about writing, novel-craft, my books, what I had for dinner, books I like, Christopher Walken (that’s the latest rage on the Stephen King thread), and make many friends. I use Facebook – I have a fan club there. On the whole, networking is important, especially if you’re not going to leave the house and sell books on the street corner.

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

All my e-Books are also available on Barnes&Noble, kobobooks.com, the Apple iPad store, mobipocket.com and Smashwords.com. My paperbacks are available at all Amazon stores worldwide, Barnes&Noble and whereever Ingrams distributes.

What’s next for you?

I am currently working on the fourth Book of The Jade Owl Legacy Series (The People’s Treasure) due out in September. I also have a Gothic novel in the works “The Road to Grafenwöhr,” plus Book 3 of The Southern Swallow Series (Swan Cloud). For 2011, I have a Sci-Fi Fantasy trilogy beginning entitled “Belmundus” and a modern mash-up of the biblical David and Jonathan romance called Green Folly. There is the last Jade Owl book (In the Shadow of Her Hem) and two more Southern Swallow Books (The House of Green Waters and Vagrants Hollow). What 2013-14 will bring . . . well, the journey continues . . .

 Edward C. Patterson, Author of:

The Jade Owl http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001J54AWO

The Third Peregrination http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001Q3M9QI

The Dragon's Pool http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0028RY7BQ

The Academician http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UE7D96

The Nan Tu http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00322P1N4

Turning Idolater http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001FWZ92Q/

Cutting the Cheese http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0010K2ER6

Bobby's Trace http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00150Z5HC

No Irish Need Apply http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012NOW44

Oh, Dainty Triolet http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003BEDVSU

Look Away Silence http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002HRER5S

The Closet Clandestine http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018V3WBO

Come, Wewoka http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001A7HMT4

Surviving an American Gulag http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001BOST1G

Are You Still Submitting Your Work to a Traditional Publisher? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001O9BERY


Interview with Nancy C. Johnson

Next up in the Kindleboard authors is Nancy C. Johnson.  Welcome Nancy!

Briefly describe your journey in writing your first book.

I wanted to be a writer, and to write novels, from an early age. But I didn’t realistically see how I would make that happen until I stopped over to my sister’s house one day and picked up a paperback romance novel she was reading. My first thought was, “I could write one of these.” She mentioned they were hot sellers. I decided to try to write one, came up with an idea, then started writing in a notebook every day. It was fun!

Did you query agents or traditional publishers before publishing on Amazon?

Yes, first traditional publishers, waiting two months or more for a form rejection letter, plus the cost of postage to send a complete manuscript. What a bummer. I tried that a few times, and then decided to try the agent route. I got lucky. A New York agent liked my one page query letter, asked to see the book, then signed me on. I was thrilled, and started singing in my car everywhere I went. The song “Celebration” was popular then.

What factors influenced your decision to self-publish?

After the agent came very close to a sale with several well-known publishers, the deal fell through. I won’t go through all of the disappointment and grueling effort I experienced after that, but eventually I decided to become a publisher in order to publish my own books.

Will you try to garner a traditional publishing contract for any future books?

If someone wants to offer me a deal worth looking at, I would still consider it. Big publishers and big agents are much better at selling lucrative foreign rights deals than I will ever be. But, of course, if one of my books takes off in a big way (always hoping) I could also try finding a foreign rights agent myself. I haven’t really done much with that yet.

Did you design your cover art?  If not, would you care to share your graphic designer’s information?

I came up with the idea of what I would like to see on the cover. My daughter, a wonderful graphic designer, made it real. And she did a great job of it! I love the cover of my book. It is different, very appealing. Many readers have mentioned how much they like my cover. But my daughter Angie is so busy she doesn’t have time to do covers for authors, other than me. Lucky me. J

If you used a graphic designer, how involved were you during the creative process for your cover?

Angie showed me several sample covers. It didn’t take too long to decide on the cover which now graces my book. She had also read the book, so she knew what I was looking for.

How did you feel when you got your first sale?  Are you pleased with sales so far?

Actually, I barely remember the first sale, but it was to someone I knew. Of course, I was thrilled! And I am still elated every time I sell some books. I am so pleased and grateful when I think about the number of people who have purchased my book … me, a relatively unknown author. And the paperback wasn’t cheap, though it was as cheap as I could make it considering the discounts I had to give, plus all the other expenses involved in publishing a book. I’ve learned a lot since then. My Kindle book is only three weeks old and I am very pleased at how well it has done in such a short time. Far exceeding my expectations. I hope Kindle sales continue to grow. I’m crossing my fingers…

What kinds of social media [twitter, facebook, webpage, blog, writing forums] are you involved with trying to garner attention for your book(s)?

I just got on Facebook today. I’m still filling out my profile. I will join Twitter soon. I’ve been blogging for three years, and have links to my website there. I joined Author’s Den relatively recently too. I use the Kindle Book Bazaar a lot, and other Kindle forums. It’s all helpful, I’m sure. I’m never really sure how people find my books.

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

I’m checking into all the ebook sites I’m finding out about, and will do a lot of that.  My paperback books are available at Barnes & Noble, and I will join their ebook program soon. You can order my paperbacks from any bookstore, as I have an account with Baker and Taylor. Bookstores like that. They would rather not order directly from the publishing company. I have plans to also become associated with Ingram for my next book. Again, if one of my books hits, I want bookstores to be able to order lots of books!

What’s next for you?

Writing my next book … getting that out. And doing as much inexpensive marketing as possible. You can’t write just one book and expect to become well know, or even marginally well known. You have to keep adding books. And since I love to write books, I have no problem with that at all!

 Thanks for this interview. I appreciate it so much!

Nancy C. Johnson

Website: http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com

Blog: http://www.nancy-cjohnson.blogspot.com

Author’s den: http://authorsden.com/nancycjohnson 

Saturday, May 29, 2010

iBookstore

Apple has announced that self-published authors can upload their ebooks directly to the iBookstore through the iTunes Connect webpage.


Select "book" and hit continue. Here are their requirements. You MUST upload from a MAC computer. You knew Apple was going to throw a twist into the mix, right?

Requirements for Distributing Content on the iBookstore
Technical Requirements:
  • An Intel-based Mac running OS X 10.5 or later
  • At least 1 GB RAM
  • QuickTime 7.0.3 or later. This is so you can encode and deliver content using our dedicated software.
  • At least 10 GB of available hard drive space (more for larger catalogs) is recommended.
  • A broadband internet connection with an upload rate of 128 kbps or faster is recommended.
Book Content Requirements:
  • ISBNs for all titles you intend to distribute
  • You must be able to deliver your book content in EPUB format, passing EpubCheck 1.0.5.
Financial Requirements:
  • A US Tax ID
  • A valid iTunes Store account, with a credit card on file
  • Apple does not pay partners until they meet payment requirements and earning thresholds in each territory. You should consider this before applying to work directly with Apple as you may receive payments faster by working with an Apple-approved aggregator.
You must have a iTunes account or register for one. This is another option for Indie authors to have complete control over their ebooks plus a more favorable royalty rate. Of course, if you don't want to go through the hassle of doing the formatting or don't own a MAC, you can publish through Smashwords.com and they will ship your books to the iBookstore.

I have 4 ebooks on Smashwords and all have made it to the iBookstore. I've seen the books on an ipad and the formatting I used from the Smashwords style guide carried over seamlessly to the ipad. I was very pleased with how the books looked.

It's great to see all these options that are available to Indie authors now. Can't wait to see Barnes & Noble's new epub platform.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Interview with Michaelbrent Collings

Welcome Michaelbrent!

Briefly describe your journey in writing your first book.

My first book happened when I was in grade school. It was a bona fide novel, around 300 pages, about a boy who is befriended by an alien who has been tasked to catalogue Earth for a sort of intergalactic science group. So the alien gets a first-hand look of our world through the eyes of a kid. It was a terrible book, but fun to write and a great experience. It taught me that writing is something anyone can do, and being a "writer" just means that you write.

My later book, which is now the No. 1 Highest Rated book on Smashwords.com (as well as being available at amazon.com), is called BILLY: MESSENGER OF POWERS. That one I wrote for my wife. I'd been working in Hollywood, doing scripts and rewrites for some fairly big production companies. But all of the scripts were supernatural thrillers or horror films. My wife wanted me to write something where the point WASN’T people in mortal peril of being possessed or whacked by a guy with a knife, so I wrote BILLY. It was her birthday present, and she loved it. It actually knocked her previous top book (Harry Potter) off her nightstand, which was a huge coup for me since none of my other works had ever made it that far with her. ;o)

Did you query agents or traditional publishers before publishing on Amazon?

BILLY is actually being published as a print novel in a few months, as well. But I retained the electronic rights and the audiobook rights. The audiobook had already been done - available at www.whoisbillyjones.com - when the print publisher came a-sniffin', and I wanted to maintain control of the audio work that had already been done by a stellar voice talent named Andy Bowyer. In other words, I'd gotten Bowyer's great work on deck and didn't want to let anyone ELSE exploit the poor guy.

What factors influenced your decision to self-publish?

Again, it was just another revenue stream in addition to "traditional" publishing. But I do like the control and oversight you have with self-publishing. Plus, hey! It got me this nifty interview!

Will you try to garner a traditional publishing contract for any future books?

Again, I see the best of all worlds as having the work out there in as many forms as possible. So definitely. In fact, I'm also pursuing top secret technology that will enable me to implant my novels directly into the cortexes of house pets, so you can listen to BILLY: MESSENGER OF POWERS or my other work while walking the dog, changing the kitty litter, or even flushing a dead goldfish down the toilet. The possibilities are limitless!

Did you design your cover art? If not, would you care to share your graphic designer’s information?

Oops! That one's top secret!

If you used a graphic designer, how involved were you during the creative process for your cover

Well, see the answer to No. 5. But I CAN divulge that I was very involved in the creative process for the cover. I'm a control freak. In fact, I'm controlling YOU right now. Don't believe me? Try to look away from this interview. Go ahead. I dare you.

Couldn't do it, huh?

'Nuff said. I'll also be responsible for six of your next ten shopping decisions, and one emergency midnight trip to the bathroom.

How did you feel when you got your first sale? Are you pleased with sales so far?

I felt really good when I got my first sale, of course. I've been more excited with the critical acclaim so far (probably because it makes me feel all warm and snuggly), as well as the sheer number of people who have either taken the time to review BILLY online or even to dig up my email and send me very kind notes. They're all on my "Do Not Kill" list (hey, don't judge... you know you've got one, too).

What kinds of social media [twitter, facebook, webpage, blog, writing forums] are you involved with trying to garner attention for your book(s)?

Well, I have my own facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michaelbrent-Collings/283851837365?ref=ts#!/pages/Michaelbrent-Collings/283851837365?ref=ts and I do the "tweeting" thing. So I'm fairly involved. But I have to balance that: it can really suck your life away.

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

My stuff's on sale at smashwords.com and a variety of other sellers that are hooked in with smashwords.

What’s next for you?

I plan to eat a potato chip. Probably more than one. Beyond that, the possibilities are endless!

Oh, you meant writing-wise. Well, I've got a pair of TV series in development right now, and a supernatural thriller screenplay of mine should start principal production this winter. I've also got a nonfiction book on how to teach martial arts that I'm working on (did I mention I'm a black belt?), as well as a number of short films that I'm writing for a director friend who is looking for showcases for himself and some up-and-coming talent. I also have a blog at www.whoisbillyjones.com/mylittlethoughts that I update every few weeks. It's a "pure fun" affair. I do talk about real life stuff, but try to do it in a way that you'll get a giggle out of it.

And with the last five minutes I have to myself each day I eat, sleep, and occasionally shower. Just kidding. Why would I waste time showering?

Best Wishes,

Michaelbrent Collings

Author of smashwords.com best-reviewed e-books:

Billy: Messenger of Powers

Fairy Tales Vol. 1: How Flowers Came to Be

Fairy Tales Vol. 2: Leon

Interview with Maureen Miller

Next up is Maureen Miller. Maureen writes romantic suspense. Welcome Maureen!

Briefly describe your journey in writing your first book.

My journey for writing my first book scoped many years. WIDOW'S TALE was actually an 8-page short story in English class in high school--back in the day you used to hitch your horse to the post out in front of the school and then go into the one room building and sit next to Laura Ingalls. MANY years later, I couldn't get the characters or the setting out of my head and it evolved into over 300 pages and a Golden Heart nomination.

Did you query agents or traditional publishers before publishing on Amazon?

After the Golden Heart people wanted to look at it, but I was told it was too long for Harlequin and too short for mainstream. I tried making it longer. I tried making it shorter. I'm flexible. But alas, with Kindle it was just right.

What factors influenced your decision to self-publish?

As we all do, I had grown frustrated and just given up on the notion. But God bless family and friends. They never give up on you.

Will you try to garner a traditional publishing contract for any future books?

Call me silly, but yes, I'd still love the concept of walking into a store and seeing my book there, so yes, I still make efforts, but with the books I currently have on Amazon...heck...they keep me busy!

Did you design your cover art? If not, would you care to share your graphic designer’s information?

I had always been concerned about rights and 'stock' photos that claimed to be free for download. I ended up so paranoid that I simply used my own pictures for my covers. Unfortunately, this means that if I write a romantic suspense set in Antarctica, I'm going to have to go there and take a picture! Nothing says romantic suspense like a penguin digging a hole in the snow.

How did you feel when you got your first sale? Are you pleased with sales so far?

My first sale was our very own Edward Patterson! I've known Ed many years in this little 'Indie' world of ours. And yes, it was a day that will go down in infamy for me. Since those days in '08, sales have picked up tremendously. Sometimes it really takes time for your books to worm their way through the industry.

What kinds of social media [twitter, facebook, webpage, blog, writing forums] are you involved with trying to garner attention for your book(s)?

My website (www.maureenamiller.com), Facebook, my blog, a billboard on I-77 (ha, ha, just kidding).

Yes, I'm like pollen. You'll find me everywhere.

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

My books are available at Smashwords, and subsequently Barnes and Noble, Kobo, directly from my website (if you want an autographed copy!)

What’s next for you?

Currently I'm working on “Eye of the Sun,” a romantic adventure set in the Guatemalan jungle.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Interview with Nick Spaulding


Next up in our author interviews is Nick Spaulding, author of "Life With No Breaks."

Welcome Nick!

1. Briefly describe your journey in writing your first book.

Not much of a journey with this one to be honest! Anyone who reads it will see it wasn't a book I planned in the slightest. I just woke up with the idea of writing a book in one sitting and actually started it that evening. I guess the plan was just to write all about some of the more interesting anecdotes from my life that I thought would make people laugh. It's something anyone could do really...I refuse to believe anyone has lived a boring life!

2. Did you query agents or traditional publishers before publishing on Amazon?

No. Such was the odd nature of this book, I knew going to traditional publishers would be largely a waste of time. An anecdotal comedy book written by an unknown author is a risk at the best of times. I knew if this book was going to be successful it would have to come from a different perspective. Amazon self-pubbing seemed perfect for that.

3. What factors influenced your decision to self-publish?

Honestly? Because it was pretty easy to do. I'm in the middle of drafting a fictional novel and needed a change of pace for a while, so Life...With No Breaks became the side-project. Self-publishing seemed like a straightforward and easy thing to do, so I went ahead with it.

4. Will you try to garner a traditional publishing contract for any future books?

Yep. My other stuff will go via regualr publishers. Anything else written like LWNB I will still self publish though.

5. Did you design your cover art? If not, would you care to share your graphic designer’s information?

Yep, it was me...with a little help from a buddy at work who's a whizz with photoshop. As he actually works for me, I'm not encouraging work for him outside our company!

6. If you used a graphic designer, how involved were you during the creative process for your cover?

Three beers, a packet of pork scratchings and a game of darts in the local pub was all we needed to thrash out what the cover should look like :)

7. How did you feel when you got your first sale? Are you pleased with sales so far?

Very pleased indeed :) Quite a strange feeling to be honest. The idea that a complete stranger is actually reading your work! As for sales so far, last week I peaked at 497 on Amazon's sales rankings, which was fantastic. The sales are a bit erratic though...it all depends on how pro-active I'm being on the forums. I'm hoping to get sales onto an independent roll without my constantly bumping threads at some point!

8. What kinds of social media [twitter, facebook, webpage, blog, writing forums] are you involved with trying to garner attention for your book(s)?

I'm on Twitter (Spalding_Author), but I'm not currently using a blog or website. This is because I'm not the greatest of PC experts, but will probably give it a go if I feel I need more promotion for the book.

9. Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

Yep, it's also at Smashwords. This is for other e-readers and for international people (I'm in the UK, after all) Address is http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/13551

10. What’s next for you?

A bite of tea, a quick lie down and then I'm off down the pub...

...oh, did you mean as a writer? :)

I'm going to keep working on the novel and monitoring how Life...With No Breaks does.

Thanks for letting me contribute and I hope everyone who buys the book will enjoy it :)

Best wishes,

Nick


Interview with David McAfee


I will be posting a series of interviews from fellow authors that I've met over at Kindleboards. First up is David McAfee. His book is 33A.D.

http://www.amazon.com/33-D-David-L-McAfee/dp/0982630700

Welcome David!

1. Briefly describe your journey in writing your first book.

Actually, 33 A.D. was the second novel I wrote. The first novel, SAYING GOODBYE TO THE SUN, will be released as a Kindle book next week. But for 33 A.D. the journey went something like this: I had a great idea. I wrote a book based on the idea. I pitched it unsuccessfully for two years before a small UK press picked it up. After realizing the UK press was never going to pay me, I broke off from them and went out on my own. It hasn’t always been fun, but it was never boring. Through it all, I always believed there was a market for my book. I’m still hoping the readers prove me right.

2. Did you query agents or traditional publishers before publishing on Amazon?

Heh. Guess I jumped the gun on my answer to Question 1. Yes, I did. I actually had an agent at one time, but she was not able to sell the book. She only tried six publishers, though. I can’t help but think she would have been able to sell it if she’d been more committed. Or maybe I just got on her nerves. I hear I do that sometimes.

3. What factors influenced your decision to self-publish?

Like I said above, I always believed there was a market for my book. I mean, come on…a book about a vampire in Biblical Jerusalem who tries to kill Jesus of Nazareth? Sure, it’s a mish-mosh of genres and can’t be pigeon holed into one demographic, but I always thought that was the beauty of it; that the book would appeal to fans of a myriad of genres from vampire fiction to historical thrillers. Even fans of Christian fiction can find something to like about the book, provided they can be convinced to read it.

4. Will you try to garner a traditional publishing contract for any future books?

Sure. In fact, there is a NYC agent looking at it right now. Doesn’t mean he’ll offer to represent it, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed. NYC publishing has a wide reach and lots of money for marketing, it would be silly to eschew it altogether because they hurt my feelings or something. Besides, their editors know their stuff. Any chance to gain readers and improve my writing at the same time is one I am going to take.

5. Did you design your cover art? If not, would you care to share your graphic designer’s information?

I didn’t. I had an entirely different design in mind for the cover. I knew nothing about graphic programs like Photoshop, though, so I hired the cover out. The guy I hired had read the book, as well, and he had his own ideas about how the cover should look. He sent me a rough image, and I fell in love with it.

6. If you used a graphic designer, how involved were you during the creative process for your cover?

Not that much, actually. I made a few suggestions on text and the image itself, but for the most part it was all him. The red eyes were my idea, as were the long, dirty fingernails. And of course the back cover copy on the print version of the book.

7. How did you feel when you got your first sale? Are you pleased with sales so far?

I felt great when I got my first sale. What? You mean someone actually PAID to read my work? Really? That's a nice high.

So far I'm very pleased with my sales. For an indie author with no marketing budget, I think I'm doing well. I do hope they increase, of course. What author doesn't? But right now I really can't complain.

8. What kinds of social media [twitter, facebook, webpage, blog, writing forums] are you involved with trying to garner attention for your book(s)?

I’m on Twitter as DavidLMcAfee, Facebook as David McAfee, and I have a MySpace account that I never use. I’m also pretty active on www.kindleboards.com, and a frequent visitor to www.absolutewrite.com. I also have a blog, mcafeeland.wordpress.com, and soon I’ll have a website, too. I’ve registered the domain name as www.mcafeeland.com. I just joined Yahoo forums, too, but I haven’t figured out how to use them yet.

9. Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

Tons. So many that I can’t name them all. The print version is available for sale anywhere that uses Ingram, including Powell’s books, Barnes and Noble, And some others I never heard of, like FlipKart. FlipKart? What the heck is that?

The eBook is available on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble.com, and Smashwords.com.

10. What’s next for you?

My next release will be the Kindle version of SAYING GOODBYE TO THE SUN, a vampire suspense/romance novel that’s not quite as gritty as 33 A.D. Once that’s out I’ll begin the final edit of my next Kindle release, a pulp horror novella title GRUBS. Think along the lines of those old B-Movies or classic pulp books like NIGHT OF THE CRABS or THE RATS. I hope to have GRUBS up and running as a Kindle book by the end of June. Because it’s so short (45K) I also plan to include every short story I’ve ever written. Hopefully people like them. Some are pretty gross.

Once those three books are out on Kindle, I will dive into the rough draft of my recently completed novel THE GALLOWS TREE. It’s about a small town in Tennessee that is haunted by the spirit of a young black boy who was lynched there in 1959. Not a vampire anywhere in it. I’m not sure if I will Kindle that one or try to interest an agent in it. I suppose it depends on how well the other three books are doing.

I also have a manuscript half completed for a book called BAIT. Another vampire book about a junkie who hunts vampires in a very unusual way. I hope to have it done by December.

After that? Who knows. I have about a dozen novel ideas jotted down, including a sequel and a prequel to 33 A.D. Actually, all the vampire novels tie in to each other as part of one big story, so in a sense they are all sequels or prequels. The other horror novels are all stand alone books. I just need to pick one and start working on it.



Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Paying it Forward

I can't tell you how thrilled I was seeing my first interview posted. Thanks again Kipp. I want to do something so someone else can feel that thrill. I've posted a new thread over at Kindleboards, "Book Bazaar" offering to post author interviews of my fellow Indie authors on the blog.

So far, I've had a fantastic response and I'll be posting the interviews soon. If you're not on Kindleboards, please free to leave a comment here asking to be interviewed. I'll be happy to sign you up. Most of the questions are slanted toward Indie [self-published] authors, but I'm more than willing to change up the questions for traditionally published authors as well.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

First Interview

My first interview is now posted over at "Closing My Eyes helps me to see Clearly" blog. Thanks very much Kipp for giving me the opportunity to share some of my thoughts about writing. Dave and I appreciate the exposure. You can read it here along with a lot of other great author interviews.

1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?


I am a morning person. I like to write first thing before my work day begins and things get too crazy. Weekends are my most productive time to write because that’s when my co-author, David W Small, usually sends me his files. Having a co-author in CA is a bit challenging at times, but we manage to make it work most of the time.


2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?


Most of our projects are on the computer because Dave is in CA and it’s much easier to share files that way. When we visit each other though, we like to plot out our current WIP on a white board before writing it all down.


3: What do you draw inspiration from?


Anything and everything, but especially when I bounce ideas off Dave. He is a retired Marine and has travelled the world and that gives him a much different perspective on things than my viewpoints. We also share many of the same reading interests, swapping books back and forth, and many times are inspired by an author’s writing style or a particular storyline.


4: Do you set yourself goals when you sit down to write such as word count?


No, I just write as much or as little as the scene or chapter in my head. I don’t get to write every day so some days are very productive and others are not.


5: Being a self-published author how do you come up with your cover art?


Dave and I both decide on our cover art. I’ve found some excellent sites for free use photos. I send samples to Dave and when we make our final choice, Dave designs the covers.


6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?


I love to tell stories and finding a co-author who feels the same way is awesome. Dave and I are very similar in formulating our ideas for our stories. We both write everything we want in our initial drafts, then edit, edit, edit.


7: Do you own an ebook reading devise?


Not yet, but I would love to own an iPad.


8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?


I love Jim Butcher, Joe Abercrombie, Patrick Rothfuss, Scott Lynch, and George RR Martin. I’m currently reading a trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. Fantasy is my favorite genre, but I vary my reading greatly from the local best seller to English history. I usually find myself reading 2-3 books at the same time.


9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?


I think book trailers can be effective if they are done well, but we don’t have any plans to incorporate those right now into our marketing strategy.


10: What are you working on now that you can talk about?


Currently, Dave and I are working on a fantasy story involving an assassin, a witch and her twin daughters. Our assassin, Jeda, has been sent to kill a powerful witch and her daughters. When Jeda accepts the assignment, he has no idea that his life as a rising star in the assassin’s guild will be forever changed.


We are plotting out all the twists and turns of the story so I can’t elaborate too much more on it. We hope to have the story finished by the end of the year.


Sunday, May 23, 2010

Universal Truths

Some of these are very funny. Enjoy.

1. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

2. There is a great need for a sarcasm font.

3. Was learning cursive really necessary?

4. Bad decisions make good stories.

5. Can we all agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to restart my collection AGAIN.

6. I wish Google Maps had a "avoid ghetto" option.

7. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber and dumber?

8. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I trying to finish a text.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Will Technology Ruin Talented Authors?

Jason Pinter has written an article about the effect that JA Konrath has had on epublishing. For those who don't know Joe Konrath, he's become a guru in publishing on the Kindle. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he had multiple books published traditionally. Joe is a go-getter. He works hard at his craft and his promotion of that craft.

Here's an excerpt:

On May 17th, it was announced that J.A. Konrath (aka Joe Konrath, aka Jack Kilborn) reached a deal with Amazon Encore to publish the 7th book in his Jack Daniels mystery series. Hyperion had published the first six installments in the series, which have seen a reasonable amount of success and been nominated for several awards. To his credit, Konrath has made himself into something of an internet and social networking behemoth. He maintains a hugely popular blog, A Newbie's Guide to Publishing, in which he opines quite openly and honestly about his career trajectory, ups and downs, the peaks and valleys, with frank and often valid criticisms of the publishing industry. According to Konrath, he and his agent shopped the 7th Daniels book, Shaken, only to find no takers. For most authors, having a book rejected might mean it never seeing the light of day or selling a single copy. However over the last few months Konrath has blogged about the enormous success he's had publishing nearly a dozen of his previously unpublished novels, novellas and short story collections on the Kindle, Nook and iPad. Books that had been rejected dozens of times, but were now on pace to earn him upwards of $100,000 in royalties in 2010 alone.

You can read the full article here.

And you can read all about Joe's experiences here. He's not shy about sharing how he's managed to be as successful as he is today. It makes you wonder whether or not other Indy authors can reach such heights or do you have to make yourself known first with a traditional publisher to make a splash in the ebook world? Jason makes some good points in his article. E-publishing is easy now and many books are seeing the light of day and I'm not sure that's always a good thing. You have to put your best work out there not necessarily your first.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Social Media

You can't turn on a computer these days without being bombarded by social media. There's Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs, forums, discussion boards, etc. - all clamoring for your attention. And that's the problem. You have to learn to balance the time you spend on these things.

Finding a balance is easier said than done. You log in intending ONLY to check one thing and you know how it goes....oh, that looks interesting, let me click on that. And the cycle begins, when you glance at the clock, you realize that 2 hours have passed. What did you accomplish? Did you make a new contact? Did you learn something new?

Authors are a unique breed of workers. You don't go to the office, network a bit, then go back to desk and write. You usually write at home, in a coffee shop or in the library. It's a lonely business, but it's the nature of the beast. Social media relieves some of the isolation and I certainly enjoy connecting with fellow authors on the discussion boards, but we have to be our own social media police. Otherwise, no writing will get done and our readers will be left without any new stories to read and that would be the real shame.

So, fellow authors, how to manage your social media time and writing?

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Word Clouds


Joseph Rhea posted an interesting topic over at the Kindleboards Book Bazaar. You can make a word cloud of your novel, short story, etc. Word clouds is an image that gives the greatest prominence to your most frequently used words.

It's a great deal of fun and also a good way to see what words pop up the most often. It's free and you can find the link here:

Here's the cloud from "Quest for Nobility".


Monday, May 10, 2010

Swapping Author links

Over at the Book Bazaar on the Kindle Boards today, DB Henson offered to swap links with other authors. What a great idea!

Whenever I get a chance, I love to read through the posts in Book Bazaar and Book Corners and I always seem to come away with something new. Just wish I had more time to browse and comment, but that thing called a "day job" seems to get in the way most days. I love my days off cause I can browse to my heart's content.

I offered to swap links with anyone in DB's post, but in case I miss anyone, feel free to leave me your link in comments and I'll be happy to add your author or blog links.