Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Sponsor: THE CEMETERY VOTE by Steve Silkin


Book blurb:
Sex, drugs and election fraud: Jace Kingman, a drug dealer, is recruited to round up Latino day laborers and take them to the polls on Election Day. Dan Vienna, a fired police officer on the road to become an internet porn producer, tries to extort a million dollars from a losing candidate for U.S. Senate by claiming he can prove the election was stolen. Jace and Dan will cross paths as both schemes go wrong. Can they save themselves? Or will they destroy each other?


Buy links:

Sales link for Kindle: http://amzn.to/iR9sCb
Sales link for Nook: http://bit.ly/e4CpcR
Sales link for other e-readers: http://bit.ly/lTPKBN


Reviewer Comments:

Author Steve Silkin did an amazing job with this – producing a well-told and fast-moving story about life, politics and redemption in 1990s Southern California. I especially enjoyed Silkin's characters and how he used them – just as much as he used events – to drive the story. – Chris Truscott

Silkin ... writes at times pithily, at other times steamily, but always with an eye toward propelling the story forward. And a compelling story it is, a saga of political corruption set in Southern California; a mixture of Tarantino, Elmore Leonard and Daley machine politics of the '30s, set in the suburbs and exurbs of latter-day LA. – Book Guy
An intriguing story told with a witty sideways deadpan. I really enjoyed this one. It's got a bit of everything, including a not-so tacit reminder that living in LA really is just like you are always told it could be - a scary wonderful read. – Gregory J Barina

Author bio:
Steve Silkin was born in New York, grew up in Los Angeles, and has lived in London and Paris. He has stood at the edge of the Sahara and consulted the Oracle at Delphi. But his proudest moment was escaping arrest for trespassing at a skyscraper under construction by fleeing from the LAPD on his bicycle.


Book Excerpt:

Jace turned to face Corona, who was still seated on the couch, sipping from his soda.
“What we need, Jace, is somebody who can direct a lot of people. Somebody who can get a lot of people on a bus, get them off a bus and get them into polling places. Somebody who can give each one of them a name and address to memorize and put in their pockets. You’ll have help, we’ll have a translator for you, for the ones who don’t understand English. In politics, this is called ‘Get Out the Vote.’ You’re going to be getting out the vote for Alex and the rest of the Democratic Party candidates on the ballot.”
“So what’s the problem?” Jace asked. “Why do you need me? Why do these people have to memorize names and addresses? I’m not following.”
“You’re going to get out a special kind of vote,” Corona said.
“What kind of vote is that?”
“The cemetery vote,” Alameda said.
Jace looked at him, still not understanding.
“Let me explain,” Corona said. “We registered a lot of Democrats. A lot more than there are, really. We are going to pick up day laborers, bring them to polling places, have them sign in with the names we give them and vote Democrat.”
“What?”
“I know, I know,” Alameda said. “I know what you’re thinking. The same thing I’m thinking. This is wrong. This is voting fraud. This is illegal. This is unethical. This is immoral. And Jace, let me tell you something. I would never, ever do it in a million years – ” he paused.
He waited for Jace to ask him a question, but Jace just motioned for him to continue. So he did.
“– If I didn’t know the other side wasn’t doing the exact same thing, right now, as we speak.”
Corona smiled.
“I told you,” he said to Jace. “I told you he could answer.”
“Look, Jace,” Alameda said. “The politicians who run this place, the Anglos – they’re out for themselves. The guy in the Assembly seat now, he’s retiring. You know what he’s done for the community over the past twenty years he’s been in office. Nada. Nothing. Goose egg. Zero. This guy, he got fixated on solar power. He’s been trying to pass laws on solar energy requirements for the state. He’s been trying to set up solar panels in state buildings. Jace, you know what it’s like here when it rains? The kids walk to school ankle deep in mud. A lot of the streets here aren’t paved. Residential streets. At the end of the 20th century. In California. Right here. We’ve been fighting this guy to help us get funds for street work for twenty years. He gets money for solar energy projects. Even some of this guy’s Anglo friends, the people at City Hall, tell him: Hey, stop spending so much of your time on solar energy. Get your streets paved first, pal. But he doesn’t listen. He doesn’t listen to us. He doesn’t even listen to his friends. The other guy running, Denton, he’s just like him. He’s worse. He won’t do anything for the community. Denton isn’t about helping people. Denton is about Denton. I have to ask myself, Jace: Do I want to win this election or do I want to lose? And if I want to win, I need the cemetery vote.”
Alameda got up, walked around his desk and sat in a chair next to Jace, where Jace could see his face. He looked Jace in the eyes and finished his thought.
“So I need you, Jace,” he said. “I need your help. Joe needs your help. The kids who walk to school ankle-deep in the mud need your help. All the people of San Perdito need you, Jace. Eighty years ago, that woman appeared to my great-grandmother Olivia for a reason. She gave my great-grandfather Alejandro – my namesake – a fortune for a reason. That’s why I believe the treasure was given to my family. So that I could go to law school. So that I could help Joe. So that Joe could help me. So that our people can live better. I’m asking you Jace for your help. And I’ll pay you fairly.”
“How could I say no to all that? But – how much is fairly?”
“Ten thousand?” Corona asked.
“That’s plenty fair.”
“So you’ll help?” Alameda said. “Good.”
His work was done. He got up and walked back behind his desk and sat down in his office chair again.
“I’ll call you, Jace,” Corona told him, standing up. “Oh, and ...”
“Yes?” Jace said.
“Just so you know, if the press does come and ask about this, or law enforcement ...”
“Alameda? Corona? Never heard of  ’em. I was surfin’ at Zuma.”
“Good, good,” Corona laughed and turned to Alameda. “See? See? I told you this was the guy.” Then he turned back to Jace.
“But just in case, you should know, if you have to say something, and who knows, maybe even if you don’t want to, it comes to a point where you have to ...”
 Jace didn’t know if a threat was coming.
“Just so you know, we will, uh, question your credibility. Just so you know.”
“Understood.”
So that was it, Jace thought to himself. It turns out “unemployed drug dealer” was the perfect qualification for this job. They were looking for someone whose testimony could be easily impeached.

  

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Interview with Paul Byers


Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book?
First of all, I want to say thank you for having me on your great site. I always appreciate the chance to talk about my books and the writing process.
In a nutshell, here’s the short version of the book;

A brutal storm damages a man-made iceberg destined to bring safe drinking water to New York harbor and the Chief Engineer, Gabriel Pike has serious doubts about the true intentions of the project.  A grisly double homicide puts the inspection on hold as he’s accused of being the murderer in a lover’s triangle. 

But Pike soon discovers that there is far more at stake than just his own life. He uncovers a plot that will level a city, change the face of America, and whose shockwaves will be felt around the world.

Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?
Yes and no. I did submit Arctic Fire to my publisher who did my first book, Catalyst, but they rejected it, and rightly so. I rushed to send it in and truthfully, it just wasn’t ready. In fact, it wasn’t really ready to go for another year. By the time it was done, I had decided to publish it myself and didn’t resubmit it. This is one of those “life lessons” for all writers. Take your time to create a good product.

Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?
Again, another yes and no answer. With answers like these, you’d think I was running for office! I have a few trusted friends who helped me with the book and when I say trusted, I mean that they will tell me the truth about my writing, good, bad or ugly. I learned early on that as a writer you have to have somewhat of a thick skin.

I also need to find a group for that very same reason, to help me to continue to hone my craft. Wise is the man who has many counselors. But for me, it’s not just getting the help I need; it’s being able to help others, to encourage them in their writing. In doing signings, I always run into people who tell me that they’ve always wanted to write something so I always try and encourage that; whether it’s the great American Novel, poetry or just Dear Diary. If I can do it, so can they!

What factors influenced your decision to self-publish to Amazon?
Amazon is the biggest thing going on in the publishing/reading world and to be successful, you have to be there. There are of course other venues you have to be on as well, but from both print and e-versions, that’s the place to be.

Traditional publishing is changing. You no longer have to be picked up by “the big Boys” in order to get your book out there. Indie presses have helped fill the gap and have given many writers a chance, (including myself) who might not have had one. I think that doing it yourself is the next step. There is certainly more risk financially, but certainly more reward as well.

Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?
You’ll love this answer, yes and no. I am a terrible self-editor. I know what the words should be but it’s a long way from my brain to my fingers and what starts at point A doesn’t always make it to point B the way it should.

I was blessed to have a retired college professor take an interest in my project and a talented friend who helped me review the book, both grammatically and story wise. However, with all the checking and rechecking I did, I have discovered a few typos, I guessed it passed between too many hands and I missed some corrections. At some point I will submit it for professional editing. I am very, very grateful to the folks who helped me and without their help Arctic Fire would be a total shambles, but the ultimate responsibility is mine to put out the best product I can.

What have you’ve learned during your self-publishing journey?
Wow, how much time do we have here? When my first book, Catalyst, was published by Breakneck, later Variance, I didn’t have a clue as to what went on. I sent them the manuscript, went through some changes with the editor and bam! I had a book. Now I know how clueless in Seattle I was.

Now that I did it myself, I had to deal with the interior design, layout, formatting (both print and e-version) The different formats for some of the different e-sites, finding a POD company that had the best service (and price) for my book, cover art, etc…

I’ll admit, it was a bit overwhelming at first, but not insurmountable. It’s like the old saying, How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. I think of myself as the perfect example to others wanting to start out in the business, if I can do it, so can you! When I started this journey I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

When I started I also didn’t know how to build a website, that was for geeks; who by the way, ten years ago we used to make fun, now we want them to be our best friends! I have built three websites, I’ve guest lectured at high schools, done book signing, and done interviews and more.

So you can say I’ve learned a thing or two along the way, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?
Right now, along with Amazon, it is available through Barnes and Noble, (Nook) Smashwords and more locations as more distribution channels get set up.





What kinds of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for promoting your book(s)?
With Arctic Fire, I’m going to go with the steady approach as opposed to the big debut party and then things die. I will be working website for interviews and for book reviews and as a guest bloggers. I need to be more involved in forums and local writers groups, not only to promote my book but to learn and to pass on to others what I have learned.

I also have to learn to use Facebook more and better. You can only send out so many announcements about your “wonderful new book” before it gets old and people start turning you off. With any social media, and that’s just what it is, social, you have to make friends, make yourself available to people or else you are just some guy who is a friend of a friend of a friend who is trying to sell his book.

Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?
YES! As a typical writer I would say that the majority of us would rather write and create than market. But having said that, you can have a dozen great books but if nobody knows that they are out there, what’s the point?

With the marketing strategy I have adopted, (we’ll see if it works) I plan to do marketing in the morning and writing in the evening. The middle of the day is taken up with the nuisance of my paying job (at least for now!) I’m hoping this will satisfy both the want-to’s and have-to’s of the business.

What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?
Take your time and don’t rush into anything. There are a lot of choices out there depending on how much work you want to do (or can do) and what formats you want to use, print, ebooks or both. I know this is pretty much the standard answer but it is still true. Once I get the marketing machine for Arctic Fire rolling I am going to put a list together of sites and links (the real answer a lot were hoping for) that I have gathered and people who can and have helped. I will post the information on my site when it’s ready. Any specific questions I would be more than happy to answer if I can, just contact me through my website.

However, if you are like me, sometimes you just want a ballpark figure as to what it will cost to self-publish. There are a lot of variables but a safe range that I have found is between $500 to $1500, depending, on you doing a lot of the work. If you have more money than time, there are what I call “turn-key” programs that for $5000 or more, again depending, they do everything for you.

What’s next for you?
I’m working on another action/thriller set in the South Pacific where an oil exploration vessel comes across an island where the natives have never seen people from the outside before; but things are not as they may seem to be on this tropical paradise. I plan on having it out by Christmas; it would make a great gift! (hint hint)

I have a series of short stories I wrote that I will be putting into an anthology and I’m also laying the ground work for a sequel to Artic Fire that I hope to start after the first of the year. If it weren’t for minor details like food and rent and having to have a “real” job I could get a lot more done!

Monday, August 29, 2011

Spotlight: WENDY AND THE LOST BOYS by Barbara Silkstone


Book Blurb:
When a deathbed promise to one of her agents leaves Wendy Darlin, feisty Miami real estate broker for billionaires, trapped on a super-yacht with Ponzi-king, Charlie Hook, she’s forced to join him on a quest to recover his hidden treasure. Along for the danger-filled adventure are an undercover SEC Investigator, who kindles a spark in Wendy with his ‘Johnny Depp’ eyes and Hook’s young female helicopter pilot who befriends Wendy as they sail the high seas, one step ahead of modern day ruthless pirates. A laugh out loud whodunit… kidnapping, revenge, and a little murder on the side. The second book in the Fractured Fairy Tales by Silkstone series of criminally funny fables, this comedy mystery is set in Miami and the Caribbean.

"This is a modern morality tale that takes the reader on an action-filled ride with memorable characters and lots of laughs along the way. It’s Indiana Jones meets Romancing the Stone while still remaining faithful to the original Peter Pan and Wendy".                                                                                      Consuelo Saah Baehr, author of Best Friends

Buy links:
US Link:

UK Link:

Nook:


Author bio:
Barbara Silkstone is the author of The Secret Diary of Alice in Wonderland, Age 42 and Three-Quarters, a brilliant tongue-in-cheek spin on a classic. She lives in South Florida. Her writing has been described as perfectly paced and pitched - shades of Stephanie Plum and Carl Hiaasen without seeming remotely derivative. Fast moving action that shoots from the hip with bullet-proof characterization.
                                                          
Barb’s Wire - eBooks

  

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Hurricane Irene is barreling towards Boston


The hurricane is headed my way. I hope that I don't lose power, but if I do, my Kindle is charged and ready.

Are you looking for something new to read?  Do you like dystopian fiction?  Why not give our Dark Future Series a try. THE RIGHT PATH is still free at all outlets to get you started.

  













If you're looking for a new fantasy read, why not try our Rule of Otharia series:
 

Happy Reading and stay safe today!

Friday, August 26, 2011

Spotlight: SEEING SPOTS by Ellen Fisher



The story of one man's obsession with spots... and where his obsession leads.

Dare Greene and Kathy Parrish have longed for each other since high school, but their own insecurities have kept them apart.  One day, a glimpse of a leopard-spotted bra changes everything between them.  But are they prepared for ALL the changes they'll experience together?

A contemporary romantic comedy with a paranormal twist.

Buy Links:
Amazon:

B&N: 

Author bio:
I'm an author of romance who writes, or tries to, around plenty of distractions. I have four kids ranging from six to sixteen, and two young and energetic Australian shepherds.
My first book (a colonial Virginia romance entitled The Light in the Darkness) was published by Bantam in 1998. A few years later, I started writing ebooks. Overall, I've published fourteen novels and novellas, ranging from historicals to sci-fi romance to contemporaries. I've been nominated for two Romantic Times awards, and have won an EPIC award (as well as finaling six times). You can visit me at www.ellenfisherromance.com.

      

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Interview with Michael Scott Miller


Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book?
Ladies and Gentlemen…The Redeemers tells the story of Bert Ingram, once a successful rep in the music industry, who has lost his way.  Desperate for redemption, he decides to put together a band and begins recruiting musicians who have only one thing in common:  the need to overcome a significant obstacle in their lives.  As the story unfolds, the volatile mix of the musicians' personalities and backgrounds threatens to derail the band, but they eventually begin to realize they have more to gain from one another than they ever could have imagined.

Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?
I tried that route and in retrospect, it was a colossal waste of time.  There are so many more effective things an author can do to promote his or her work.  Literary agents receive an average of 100-300 query letters per week and take on only a handful of new projects at a time.  I don’t like those odds.  I’d much prefer to be on my own, with control of when and where the book is sold and how it is marketed.

What factors influenced your decision to self-publish to Amazon?
As a relatively unknown author, self-publishing through Amazon allowed me to get instant access to Kindle owners, by far the largest segment of the ereader market, and to set the price at a very low $0.99.  Through Amazon’s affiliate, CreateSpace, I also was able to publish a paperback version which sells for $7.95.

Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?
I used Carol Gaskin at Editorial Alchemy.  Carol did a spectacular job editing the book, helping me with point of view, and knowing just where to insert or delete something to set a scene or make a scene work.  I would highly recommend her.

What have you learned during your self-publishing journey?
I have become much more aware of, and comfortable with, the social networking element of being a writer and published author.  I now spend a great deal of time on sites like Kindle Boards and BestsellerBound where I interact with and learn so much from other writers.

I am also still amazed by the number of books that are published (self-published or otherwise) every week.  At least for me, writing a book was not an easy thing to do and I continue to be stunned by the number of new releases each week and the staggering number of queries that literary agents receive.

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?
Thanks for asking.  My novel is available at the following:

Amazon (Kindle or paperback):  http://tinyurl.com/4zpmzhk

What kinds of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for promoting your book(s)?
My efforts have largely involved social media with the mantra of creating a presence everywhere that I can.  This includes interacting with and requesting reviews from book bloggers, participating in online reader/writer communities such as Kindle Boards, BestsellerBound, and goodreads, and interacting through Twitter (@MichaelScMiller), facebook, and LinkedIn.  I’ve also sent out press releases, as well as media kits to local newspapers and alternative weeklies.  The book was recently featured in Montgomery Newspapers (a local weekly with a circulation of 40,000+).  In addition, I maintain my own website for the book, (www.ladiesandgentlementheredeemers.com) .

Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?
You just hit on one of the greatest difficulties of being an author.  The balance is exceedingly difficult to maintain and whenever I am doing one, I feel like I am neglecting the other.  I would love to be able to spend more time on both marketing and writing.

What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?
You have to really want it.  It is a long journey, not only the writing, but doing all the marketing and promotion afterward.  So my advice is to be prepared for long hours, but don’t let that stop you.  Writing and publishing has been one of the greatest experiences of my life.

What’s next for you?
I have just begun writing another character-driven novel, this one with an element of mystery to it, but I’m reluctant to say more out of superstition.  I’ll be sure to let you know when I’m closer to releasing it, though.

Thank you so much for hosting me here today!

  

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Review: CITIZEN INSANE by Karen Cantwell

4 of 5 stars

CITIZEN INSANE is another delightfully funny story of soccer mom, Barbara Marr.  All Barb wants is a Sweet Tangerine Spice Ultra-Ultimate Pedicure at her favorite spa, La Voila Day Spa.  She just wants to relax a bit. Things have been rough since we last met Barbara in "Take the Monkeys and Run." Her handsome FBI husband, Howard, still hasn't moved back into their house and now Barb sees him with a blonde floozy (her words) at a local Italian eatery, Fiorenza's.  Has she made another terrible mistake trying to repair her marriage? Has Howard found someone new while she was playing games? She starts to re-think her plan that Howard needs to woo her back before she'll let him back into her bed. As if that isn't enough for Barb to deal with, she finds herself embroiled in a neighborhood crisis with Bunny Bergen who is having psychotic episodes, a PTA scandal with her best-friend, Roz Walker, and an attempted murder of another neighbor.  Add in her other friend, Peggy, and you get another madcap mystery adventure for Barb.

Ms. Cantwell has a distinctive voice that had me laughing out loud throughout this book.  I skipped right along with the story enjoying every moment of it. The writing is clever and I applaud the author for another fun book.  

I do, however, have a complaint about the editing and formatting.  The text in my Kindle copy was skewed to the right-side and the book could use the eyes of a good editor.**  This complaint aside, the story is fun. I'm becoming a big fan of Barbara Marr and I hope Ms. Cantwell writes many more madcap adventures for our soccer Mom.  If you're looking for a light comedy to escape into, this book is definitely recommended.

** I have communicated with the author and she has fixed the typos and uploaded a new version of the book.

   

How do you get the word out about your book?


KC May
I make heavy use of Facebook for my announcements, and to a lesser extent, Twitter (about half of my Facebook friends are readers). Mostly, I try to line up one or two release-day reviews from bloggers, and hopefully get featured at a high-traffic web site like Pixel Of Ink, Daily Cheap Reads and/or Ereader News Today. I often do a small giveaway as part of the release-day festivities. One thing I tried this last time was a contest/drawing. I asked users to guess the correct answer to a question that would be revealed in the upcoming book. It was a fun way to drum up pre-release interest.

Brian Kittrel
Book bloggers and independent reviewers are wonderful. I've had great success with the Midwest Book Review, Mindfog, and others. Recently, I had a review posted in a local newspaper called The Jackson Free Press (of which I'm very proud and thankful to have received). Most of them like the books, and some of them don't, but the key is getting the exposure and the reviews. Beyond that, I've given away a Kindle 3G with Wifi, and, though I had a lot of fun doing it, I think the bloggers and reviewers have done much more than anything else. I've only just started to play on Twitter (@Brian_Kittrell), and I've engaged with readers on Facebook and through email. I haven't done any blog tours yet, but I do have some guest posts lined up for some interested parties.
Brian Kittrell, Late Nite Books


Rebecca Forster
Indie/E-publishing is 20% writing and 80% promotion. I was traditionally published for many years. I wrote every day and when a book hit the shelves I would do speaking engagements, book signings, answer reader letters (yes, they actually came in the mail!) but reader/author contact was not a 24/7 event. When I transitioned to Indie publishing, I was initially overwhelmed by the new way of connecting with readers. Every changing social media was time consuming and confusing but it also presented a challenge because promotional lines became blurred with personal contact. It is hard to toot my own horn (proud as I am of my body of work) to people who have become friends. At some point, every author has to know how much she can do effectively and understand she can't do it all. The one thing that is not in question is how wonderful it is to be able to communicate so easily with readers and other authors who are exploring this amazing new world of publishing with me. I do use Twitter, Facebook, Linked in and Goodreads. I do seek out interviews and reviewers. I try to pay it forward whenever I can by reading other authors, participating in discussion boards and writing blogs. I am finding my footing. I will never be as adept as young authors but I will always try to learn.

Richard Bard
I’ve always been one to try something new.  So when my agent and I decided it was time to self-pub my debut thriller I did a lot of looking around at what others were doing.  I followed suit with the basics:  new website, blog, twitter account and a few sponsorships.   My first stab at standing out from the crowd was with a book trailer.  The professional version wasn’t going to be ready in time for my formal launch on Sept 1st, so I made a home-made version as a placeholder on the home page of my site.  It features me as a little kid and it’s pretty funny.  Bill Kenower, Editor & Chief of Author Magazine, said, “...excellent job on the trailer. You achieved what I consider the main goal of promotional videos: Entertainment first, promotion second.”  It’s had around 600 hits on YouTube and I’ve received a number of positive comments.  It’s provided some good exposure where before I had none.  Coupled with a bunch of other promo’s I’m scheming up, including one that a lot of folks will be talking about by the time you read this post, the video is a great tool.   More to follow!  (Brainrush was ranked at 84,000 last week.  It’s now in the 6-700’s.)

Debra L Martin
One of the best tools I use is this blog. Through my posts I reach over 350 followers, 800+ Facebook followers between my page and my author page and more than 900+ twitter followers as well as my Goodreads and LinkedIn feeds. When your blog is synced to all your social media, it’s a fantastic tool for getting the word out about your books. I love chatting with FB and Twitter followers. It's great to meet so many people. I’ve also done a short blog tour, but in the future, I will make sure that the blogs are targeting to SFF readers to get the maximum exposure. I’ve also paid for publicity spots on Kindle Author and Ereader News Today.

Getting the word out about your book is one of the hardest things an author has to do.  It’s not good enough to write a good book.  We must all be masters of social media as well if we want the readers to find us.

What do you do to let readers know about your book? Would love to share strategies with you.  

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Spotlight: KNIGHT MOVES, The Black Knight Chronicles by John G. Hartness



On Sale for $2.99 through the month of August!

Book Blurb:
In the third installment of The Black Knight Chronicles, vampire private investigators Jimmy Black and Greg Knightwood find another vampire (or more) playing in their sandbox, and the boys are NOT happy about it.

While tracking down the killer of a young college student, they encounter boobytraps, defenestration, coeds, a hirsute bounty hunter with a moon fetish and a bad attitude, and worst of all - game night at a comic shop!
This comic urban fantasy series has drawn comparisons to The Dresden Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Kevin Smith movies.

This Special Edition contains an excerpt from John G. Hartness' novel The Chosen and Stuart Jaffe's 10 Bits of my Brain

Praise for The Black Knight Chronicles: 

"I love this book. It makes me happy in a way that hasn't happened in a long, long time."
--Keryl Raist, Author of Sylvianna

"Honestly, this is one of the best books that I've read this year and certainly a new series that I will be following from here on out." --Black Lagoon Reviews

"This is another great book in what will hopefully be a large and successful series. I know I will be eagerly awaiting the next installment." - Indie Book Blog


Buy Links:



Author Bio:
John G. Hartness is a recovering theatre geek who likes loud music, fried pickles and cold beer. John is an award-winning poet, lighting designer and theatre producer, whose work has been translated into over 25 languages and read worldwide. He’s been published in several online literary journals including The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, cc&d, Deuce Coupe and Truckin’. His poem “Dancing with Fireflies” was nominated for a 2010 Pushcart Prize.

His first novel, The Chosen, is an urban fantasy about saving the world, snotty archangels, gambling, tattooed street preachers, immortals with family issues, bar brawls and the consequences of our decisions.

He followed up The Chosen with Hard Day’s Knight, a new twist on the vampire detective novel and the first in a planned series of at least five books. The second book of The Black Knight Chronicles, Back in Black, landed in March 2011 and has enjoyed immediate success. Knight Moves, the third Black Knight book, was released in August 2011. John has been called “the Kevin Smith of Charlotte,” and fans of Joss Whedon and Jim Butcher should enjoy his snarky slant on the fantasy genre.

He can be found online at www.johnhartness.com and spends too much time on Twitter, especially after a few drinks. You can find information about his latest books and appearances at his website.