Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 327

Spotlight: THE KULT by Shaun Jeffrey

Book Blurb:People are predictable. That's what makes them easy to kill.

Detective Chief Inspector Prosper Snow is in charge of an investigation into a serial killer called The Oracle who turns his victims into macabre works of art. But Prosper harbours a dark secret of his own. He and his old school friends were members of a group called The Kult who made a pact to dish out their own form of vengeance on bullies. Now a member of the group puts their friendship to the test when he makes a far darker request: that they murder someone that raped his wife.

To get away with murder, the friends decide to blame it on The Oracle, but events take a chilling turn when the instigator turns up dead, his body fashioned into a disturbing work of art. Now, one by one, the members of The Kult are being hunted down.

Just when Prosper thinks things can't get any worse, his wife is kidnapped and he knows that if he goes to his colleagues for help, he risks his dark deeds being unearthed. If he doesn't, he risks losing all that he holds dear.

Buy Links:Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Kult/dp/B004TGT3S6/Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/The-Kult-ebook/dp/B004TGT3S6Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kult-shaun-jeffrey/1100076063Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/48934

Author Bio: Shaun Jeffrey was brought up in a house in a cemetery, so it was only natural for his prose to stray towards the dark side when he started writing. He has had three novels published, 'The Kult', 'Deadfall' and 'Evilution', and one collection of short stories, 'Voyeurs of Death'. His next novel, 'Fangtooth' is due to be published by Dark Regions Press. Among his other writing credits are short stories published in Cemetery Dance, Surreal Magazine, Dark Discoveries and Shadowed Realms. The Kult was optioned for film by Gharial Productions and filming has now finished.http://www.shaunjeffrey.com



      

Interview with Shaun Jeffrey

Briefly describe your journey in writing your first or latest book.My latest book continues the adventures of Prosper Snow, the protagonist from The Kult. He's a police officer who seems to break more laws than he upholds, even going so far as to help his friends commit murder. Now before you think he's obviously corrupt and really a bad guy, the truth is that he's not. In The Kult he's more or less blackmailed into helping, but in the next book (tentatively titled Killers), the repercussions from what occurred in the first book still haunt him, and yet again he finds himself in a life threatening situation where all is not what it seems, and to uphold the law he will have to break it first.

Did you query agents and traditional publishers?  How long before you got your offer of representation/your first contract?Like most authors who started writing before the indie boom, I queried hundreds of agents and publishers. I guess it took about three years to sell my first novel, Evilution to a small press publisher. I also had agent representation at one time, but it didn't work out and we parted company. Ironically I rewrote the novel the agent was shopping around (The Kult), and sold it myself to another small press publisher. Although that publisher has since folded, I was lucky enough that The Kult has been picked up by a film company called Gharial Productions.

Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?Yes, I belong to a group called Renegade Writers. The group is comprised of both published and unpublished writers. I would say that they definitely help me as they constantly spot or point out things that help improve my work. I'd recommend that anyone who really wants to improve their craft seek out likeminded individuals that are prepared to give them honest feedback.  

Are you currently under a traditional publishing contract for future books or do you have manuscripts that you will publish directly for Kindle?I currently have a traditional publishing contract for a couple of books with Dark Regions Press, but I have released my back catalogue directly to Kindle. The next book to be released by Dark Regions is my homage to b-movie monsters and is called Fangtooth.

So how did the film option for The Kult come about?The publisher at the time actively sought to option the book to film companies, and I was fortunate enough that one of them liked it enough to option it. Now lots of books get optioned but never get made, so I was extremely excited when the option was exercised and it actually went into production. Much like the small press, the film company is an independent working on a limited budget, but everyone involved put a lot of effort into the production. I was lucky enough to fly out from the UK to the US last year to watch some of it being filmed and I even managed to sneak on set for a cameo, so unless it ends up on the cutting room floor, look out for a tattooed man dashing across the screen. The trailer can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS-ZF67cEiI

Did you design your cover art?  If not, would you care to share your graphic designer's information?The artwork for my traditionally published novels was always undertaken by the publishers involved, but for my indie released novels, I worked on them myself using stock images.

If you used a graphic designer/publisher's designer, how involved were you during the creative process for your cover?I was fortunate enough that the publishers I had at the time (and even the current one) have all been open to my suggestions for the cover, and I've even been given the chance to approve the covers before they were used, so I've been lucky in that respect.

What kinds of social media [twitter, facebook, webpage, blog, writing forums] are you involved with trying to garner publicity for your book(s)?I doubt there's one that I don't use to be honest and to list all the websites, forums and message boards that I frequent would take a while. I list links to some of the ones I'm active at on my website: www.shaunjeffrey.com

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

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/shaun-jeffrey?store=nookstorehttp://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/crimsonspirithttp://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=Shaun+Jeffrey&t=none&f=author&p=1&s=averagerating&g=both

What is the best advice you can offer new authors?You have to be prepared to be in it for the long haul. It's hard work, especially going the indie route as you have to wear many hats, that of writer, publicist, seller etc, so you have to find time to fit it all in. Also remember that writing is a lifelong journey and you never stop learning.

What's next for you?Well as long as people on the whole continue to enjoy my work, then I'll keep writing.  

World of Symbols: Mermaids

The World of Symbols: MermaidsMichelle Snyder, the SymbologistWhite Knight Studiowww.whiteknightstudio.com

Stories about mermaids have been told throughout the ages. They are related in symbolism to elementals and water spirits, and appear before storms and disasters strike. Mermaids and mer-men are associated with things of the sea, and like other popular story characters, mermaids have roots in ancient cultures. Mermaid means sea-maid or sea-woman. Their history entwines with that of Helen and Medusa, and they are descendants of the Ancient Mariners (circa 4000 BC). Ancient navigators were called Gorgons and are the basis of the beautiful female figureheads carved on the prows of ships, symbolic of a powerful Gorgon watching the sky and sea. Some stories describe mermaids living underwater in riches and splendor, eloquent and cultured.

Mer-people generally kept to the sea and rarely married mortals. When they did, they took their wives from land to the sea. Some mermaids fell in love with human males, who, then enchanted, did whatever they could to marry the beautiful creatures.  Mer-people speak the language of the sea and the language of land-dwellers. A Syrian story records that if a mer-man and a human wife have a baby, the child will know the language of both the Earth and Sea – that of farming and navigation .

 In early religions of the world there  were images of gods that were half human and half fish. In Syria they are called Kukullu, which means fish-man. These fish-men also show up in Mesopotamian and Babylonian history. Sumerians and Assyrians depicted bearded human figures with a fish body hanging off their head down the back to their toes like a cape. Mer-people images and sculptures are found in Assyrian, Babylonian, and Mesopotamian art and temples. In Japan they are known as ninayo; Hispanic folklore describes water maidens as small human-shaped beings with stars on their heads and golden hair (stars being associated with knowledge of astronomy, and golden hair a symbol of the sun).

Legends also says that by obtaining an object belonging to a mer-person, one can keep them from returning to the sea until the object is returned to them or retrieved; this refers to maidens kept for marriage. If you were in business, you knew that captured mer-people could not refuse to keep a bargain they made, but they were considered tricky and dangerous to deal with. Sometimes mer-people were caught and held for ransom: Their wisdom and their knowledge of astronomy and natural science were unsurpassed. Knowledge and wisdom of such great value, worthy of a ransom, was that associated with navigation: astronomy, longitude, currents, and mapping.

Many legends and historic accounts tell of Faerie-Queen Melucine (circa 400 AD), a double-tailed mermaid called a Siren. She was the daughter of Queen Pressine, and Elinas, King of Albania. Despite palimpsest accounts of  betrayal, abandonment, and deformed children, many monarchies go to great lengths to have their genealogies traced to her family. 

The Little Mermaid, made popular by Hans Christian Anderson in 1873, is a Faerie tale with roots in the history of the ancient mariner culture. This, and other similar folklore, are legends of courage - originally tales of adults willing to sacrifice themselves to protect their children. Passed down through the millennia in legends and symbols, stories about mermaids have become childhood favorites. These powerful elusive creatures are still associated with water, and have come to express the concepts of the unconscious and wisdom.

 www.whiteknightstudio.com

Labor Day: Is Summer Really Over?

I am always a bit mystified by the notion that summer officially ends on Labor Day weekend. Seems everything closes down after the weekend.  Really? Summer doesn't end until Sept. 21. We get some of our best weather in September and it can also be some of the hottest days of the season. In any event, in case you were wondering why we have a Labor Day holiday in the first place, I found this information from the Department of Labor website http://www.dol.gov/.







Founder of Labor DayMore than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.The First Labor DayThe first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.Founder of Labor DayMore than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.The First Labor DayThe first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.

Review of GABRIEL'S REDEMPTION by Steve Umstead

4 of 5 stars

Evan Gabriel is a top-notch decorated Navy Commander in the North American Federation in the Earth's near-distant future. When his special-forces team suffers catastrophic losses and a botched mission, he is dishonorable discharged. Gabriel retreats to the remotest part of the jungle he can find. Not remote enough, however. He is pressed back into service by Admiral McFarland to help stop the extermination of a native species on the ice-planet Poliahu. During the long space ride, he must bond with a new team and plan the mission tactics. But, things are not so straightforward; Commander Gabriel has not been told everything. There are criminal forces at work behind the mission who stand to benefit if the mission fails. Evan must figure out who is working against him before he loses another special-forces team under his command.

The author weaves a futuristic action-adventure story full of twists and turns. The world he creates is rich in detail and full of advanced technology: pulse weapons, neurotic brain implants, wormholes, inter-stellar travel, everything a scifi fan could hope for.  We first meet Gabriel hiding out in a Jamaican slum. He is haunted by nightmares, reliving his failed mission over and over again.  If only…has become his mantra. 

He takes the new mission to prove he is a competent commander. But prove it to whom? The NAF? Or himself? I could feel Evan's pain, his sense of honor and commitment; kudos to Mr. Umstead for writing with such passion.  I would have liked to see more of Evan's character revealed, but I guess I'll have to read the sequel. The other characters, Sowers, Jimenez, St. Laurent, Takahashi and Brevik, are nicely fleshed-out, but I have to say I have a soft spot for the sentient creatures, especially Isaiah, on planet Poliahu.

I highly recommend this story to anyone who likes science fiction, especially military scifi. With non-stop action, especially at the end of the book, it's a page-turner and a quick read. 

  

Is Practice a Dirty Word to Writers by Dean Wesley Smith

It's time for some more sage advice from Dean Wesley Smith. Today's he's talking about writers and how they perfect their craft. You can view the full article here at Dean's site: http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/?p=5097





Practice. The ugly word for writers. Here's the question that illustrates this myth:Would you pick up a violin, take one lesson, and think you should step on the stage in front of 30,000 people to play a concert?No sane person says sure to that question. It's a laughable question, yet almost every beginning writer I know writes a first short story, or a first novel, fires it off to a publisher, and then gets mad when it gets rejected. Or they put it up electronically and wonder why only their friends and family bought it.Reactions always vary in this anger.— "Oh, stupid editors don't understand true genius when they read it."Or when indie published you hear:— "I need to promote this more. Clearly no one is seeing it."And so on and so on.The real reason your story got rejected early on? Or no one is buying the the story online?You haven't practiced your craft enough, so your story sucked. Or your opening sucked. Or your blurbs sucked. All writing.My suggestion? Leave the story alone, rewriting won't help it. Write another one.Get more practice.And keep mailing or keep indie publishing as is your choice. But focus on practice, practice, practice.I don't practice: I write!So how come writers think every word they write doesn't stink and get so angry at a simple rejection to an early story? How come the word "practice" is a dirty word to writers? The shout or thought is: "I don't practice. I write!"To beginning writers every word is golden.Every word needs to be polished and worked over (check out the rewriting chapter to understand that myth), even though the writer has no clue what they are fixing or not fixing. You don't think the rewriting myth applies here to the practice myth? Of course it does. When you are rewriting, you aren't practicing writing. You are just trying to rearrange notes in the last practice session. Think of that in music terms and you see how really silly that is.Tell a beginning writer to toss out a manuscript and write the idea (the story) from scratch and they will sit stunned and horrified. "You can't toss out my beautiful, wonderful, etched-in-stone words." Yet in music you screw up an attempt at a song, you do it again.So how come writers think this way?Lots of reasons actually. The biggest is that early on in our lives we all started writing in one fashion or another. And, of course, those who were good in school got praise by a high school or college teacher for good writing, and thus the belief is because of that praise it is possible to be a bestseller on the first book. Uhhhh….no.Second reason: In the early days it takes special time that must be carved out of life to write, so whatever is produced in that time can't be "wasted" in any way.Truth: No writing is ever wasted. It is practice.There are many other smaller reasons for this belief system. Each writer needs to figure out why they have it and crush it. Mine was because I learned to type and write my first stories on typewriters, with tons of White-Out. I felt at times like I was carving a statue on those pages. Took me a while, meaning years, to get past that feeling. So what is practice in writing and how do you do it? Every writer I know who is a long term professional has practice methods for almost every craft a writer needs to master. I'll give you some general ones in a moment. But first, let me talk about how you practice.1) A Writer is a Person Who Writes. So is just simply doing lots of writing good practice?Sometimes yes, to a degree. If you are mailing the story or novel out to editors when you finish, or indie publishing it, and getting feedback and applying the feedback to THE NEXT STORY.The key is getting feedback, listening to the feedback, and then writing the next story. See my caution on workshops in an earlier chapter and on how to use workshops for the feedback.You can't fix a practice session. But you can learn from a practice session what works and what doesn't work and apply that knowledge to your next story or novel.If you just write the same story over and over, the same way, without actually trying to apply knowledge to the new story, then no, you can write for years and not improve. And sadly, I've seen that happen.There is a common term for what you need to do. It is called FOCUSED PRACTICE.But first and foremost, you have to sit and do a lot of writing. No rewriting, writing original words. Not researching, writing original words. And when you are done with the story or novel, get it in the mail or indie published and move on.2) Does everything you write in the early years need to be a focused practice session? Yes, again to a degree. Early on in your writing career, you are missing so many storytelling skills, just writing and not working to get better in an area doesn't make much sense. As the words go by and the years pass, not every session is a practice session.But every session will always be a learning session.3) Should I tell stories while practicing or just write paragraphs or scenes?Oh, heavens, you are practicing being a storyteller, so every session is focused on telling a story. Nothing else matters. Everything you practice goes to telling a story, so every practice session should be on a story of some sort. Anyone with an English degree can type a bunch of pretty sentences. Writing a story is another matter.4) If I am only practicing, should I mail out my stories when they are finished? Or indie publish them?OF COURSE!!! Duh, you have to get feedback on your practice, and an editor telling you a story works, or that they read it shows your practice is working. And readers buying or not buying your story off of Kindle and the other sites is great feedback. At first you will only get form rejections and no sales, but develop a trusted first reader and use a workshop for feedback, but get everything out.I used to write a story every week, then mail it to an editor on my way to turn it into my workshop.I wanted feedback on the story not to fix the story, but to learn how to do something better on the next story, and to see if something worked or didn't work. Workshop sometimes told me that, but editors told me that even more. And I trusted the editors and readers.5) How long do you need to practice and work on your craft and storytelling skills?Your entire life. It never ends. The learning never stops in this art form, and the moment you think you are "good enough" you are dead.I once had an interviewer ask me why I wrote so many media novels. My standard answer is, of course, that I loved the universes and the characters and the work. And that's very true. Writing for DC and Marvel and Star Trek and Men in Black and X-Box was just a blast for an old kid like me. Period, end of discussion.But for some reason I answered a different way with this interviewer. I answered, "Practice."You see, for every media book I wrote, I focused on one thing to practice for that book. For example, on three novels in a row, I worked on nothing but different forms of cliffhangers. The reviews on those three books for the first time in my career started adding in the phrase "hard to put down."Focused practice, then feedback, then more focused practice, then more feedback.That's the loop you want to try to set up in every way possible.Feedback:For a moment, let me give you some basic hints about feedback and how to understand what a first reader or workshop reader is saying to you. These are very basic."Your story really took off on page six."Meaning: Your opening sucks, you walked or strolled or woke up to your story, and no editor on the planet will ever buy the story."I just couldn't see your story."You forgot to ground your reader in a setting, real setting, and your characters were just talking heads yacking at each other in a white room."Your character seemed flat."You forgot to give any kind of character voice or character opinion or character description."Your ending doesn't work."You screwed up your set-up in the opening of your story and didn't prepare the reader for your ending. Or you wrote two pages past your ending and didn't know it. Or you haven't gotten to your ending yet.And so on and so on. You get the idea. Get the feedback, figure out what it really means, which is often not what you are hearing.

Guest Post: Scott Nicholson

Be Nicholson's AgentBy Scott Nicholson

Back in the Publishing Stone Ages of 2008, basically your dreams of a writing career were pinned on one person: an agent.

Yes, a stranger in New York whom you only knew from a listing on a website or from one of those five-minute pitch sessions at writer conferences that left everyone feeling like they should take hot showers afterward.

Sure, you might get a small-press deal on your own, or self-publish by printing up a few cases of your book and pushing to get them in stores, but the only practical professional route for most writers was to get a big check from the Big Six. And that meant having an agent.

I was just breaking in and seriously submitting when publishers started shutting the doors to unsolicited submissions and only talking to a few dozen self-selecting people who may or may not actually know anything about what a makes a good book. In hindsight, handing over product development to such a random group might not have been such a smart move for publishers, but who can blame them? The advent of word processors took a lot of the mind-numbing grunt work out of being a writer, so anyone could type up a bunch of pages that "looked like a book." Just dealing with the mail could easily take up half of an editor's day.

But agents soon figured out that it didn't matter whether the book had any literary merit. All that mattered was whether it would sell. And writers hate to hear this, but in a field that's largely subjective, many books of similar quality were interchangeable, and placement had a lot to do with trends, timing, and the individual relationships of agents and editors. Bestsellers were made and not born, and the fate of most books were pretty much determined on the first phone call, before anybody had really read the book.

Then the Kindle happened, and the two decades of dominance are over. Now agents are seeking creative ways to insert themselves in the conduit, and the conduit no longer needs anyone but the writer, the reader, and an electronic interface or storefront.

For this reason, readers are now the most powerful force in publishing. They've already shown it by minting a whole new set of bestsellers on the Kindle and Nook lists, usually low-priced books by independent authors. They are even doing agents' work for them by vetting indie books that agents can snatch up and then sell to lazy publishers, who could do the same thing themselves. But now writers are increasingly reluctant to be plucked.

And I understand readers are the ones who are buying and selling my books. I can write them and promote them, but ultimately I only reach the audience my audience is willing to build.

So in September, I am running the "Be Nicholson's Agent" event, giving away 15 percent of my ebook revenues to the readers who help promote my books. This will be done with gift cards and other giveaways through participating blogs and spontaneous promotional events on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

An agent only makes a few phone calls and earns 15 percent of a book's income forever. I think readers deserve at least that much. So please sign up for my newsletter at mailto:scottsinnercircle-subscribe@yahoogroups.com, or follow "hauntedcomputer" on Facebook or Twitter, or follow my blog hauntedcomputer.blogspot.com this month for ways to win.

You've got the power. And now you've got a piece of the action.

Author bio:Scott Nicholson is the international bestselling author of Disintegration, The Red Church, and 20 other books. His thrillers Liquid Fear and Chronic Fear will be released by Amazon's Thomas & Mercer imprint on Dec. 20. 

      

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/iR9sCbSales 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.

  

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.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/70904

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/arctic-fire-paul-byers/1104199246?ean=9780615504070&itm=1&usri=arctic%2bfire

http://www.amazon.com/Arctic-Fire-ebook/dp/B0059IWU9W/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_ke?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311615418&sr=1-1

www.paulbyersonline.com

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!

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:http://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Fractured-Fairy-Silkstone-ebook/dp/B005FKHKTE

UK Link:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wendy-Fractured-Fairy-Silkstone-ebook/dp/B005FKHKTE/

Nook:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wendy-and-the-lost-boys-barbara-silkstone/1104703983



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 http://barbswire-ebooksandmore.blogspot.com/