K.C. Sivils's Blog, page 5
January 11, 2020
coming soon! The price of a Lie and Friends in low places
In six weeks I will have two new stories in print. The first, The Price of a Lie, will be for sale on Amazon on February 4th. The second, the first in the Capital City Characters series, will be Friends In Low Places.
The Price of a Lie is the seventh installment in the Inspector Thomas Sullivan Thriller series and will see our favorite trio encounter their most challenging case yet. Those who’ve had a chance to read a preview copy have declared The Price of a Lie to be the darkest of the Sullivan series as well as the most revealing story when it comes to Sully, Sarah, and Father Nathan.
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Set on a moon cursed with a dystopian society, the race to discover the answers their client hired them to find is the most difficult case yet.
The Price of a Lie will be for sale on Amazon February 4th, 2020. For those who want a Kindle edition delivered the minute The Price of a Lie goes on sale, click here to pre-order!
On March 3rd, my new spin-off series, Capital City Characters, will see the first novella in the series become available for sale. Titled Friends in Low Places, this novella provides the backstory for one of the most important characters in the Sullivan thriller series, Joe Maynard, the owner of Joe’s.
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Fans of the Inspector Thomas Sullivan Thriller series will be able to learn more about the main secondary characters that play key roles in each of the Sullivan stories. Friends in Low Places kicks off the series by telling Joe’s story, without whom there would be no meeting place for Sully, Sarah, and Father Nathan. Like The Price of a Lie, Friends in Low Places is also available for pre-order on Amazon.
A Quick Shout Out to my Beta Readers for The Price of a Lie!
When a reader sits down to enjoy a good, well written story, they are seldom aware of the fact that the final, polished story is the resort of more than just the author. I want to take this opportunity to thank the following individuals whose efforts all contributed to an improved version of The Price of a Lie. A special thanks goes to Chery Deariso, Robin Ludwig, Rosemary Kenny, Heather Wamboldt, Gail Hart, Peggy Hacket, and Darcy Yarsh.
December 23, 2019
Vote For The Title That Will Tell Sarah’s Story!
In an earlier survey to pick the title for Episode IV of Capital City Characters, the respondents managed to produce a tie. As you can see by Sarah’s expression in the illustration below, she is not a happy clone!
Until the title is finalized, it won’t be possible to proceed with the cover design or interior production files to be made so the novella telling Sarah’s story can be published.
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What you see above is a snippet from the digitized version of the original hand drawn sketch of Sarah by the illustrator for the story, Sadie Rose du Vigeaud.
To participate in the vote to pick the title for Sarah’s story, please click on the link to Survey Monkey to cast your vote.
October 1, 2019
New Spin-off series coming in 2020!
During late winter or early spring of 2020, the first of what will be a spin-off series based on characters and locations of the Inspector Thomas Sullivan Thriller series will be released. Written as novellas and priced accordingly, each book in the series is meant to provide a short, entertaining read while filling in the back history of prominent secondary characters.
The first release in the series is Friends in Low Places. This noir style work tells the story of Joe Maynard, the slightly eccentric owner of Joe’s, the unofficial office of both Sully and Father Nathan.
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Future releases in the series will include Dolls, Dames, and Danger, a story of what happens when three somewhat naive young women head out for a night on the town. When the town is Capital City, it’s not always a good idea.
This story focuses on Sarah, Katrina (Sully’s adult daughter), Jennifer (Markeson’s beautiful cyborg), and a band of bounty hunters.
Other characters to be featured in the series in future releases include Father Nathan, Bagley, the reporter, and Sully himself.
August 6, 2019
Interview With Author Sandra Woffington
Sandra Woffington is the author of the Wine Valley Mystery series. Her about the author segment on her Amazon Book Listing pages states:
I’m a natural-born daydreamer. Characters have popped in and out
of my brain for as long as I can remember. The most important thing to
know about me is that I love to write, love and hate my characters (they
do crazy things that blow my mind), and I love to create worlds. I hope
you enjoy them.
I also love sunsets, and I have two sisters and three daughters, so trinities rock my world.
And now, for the interview!
[image error]Author Sandra Woffington
Please share if you would the path you followed to becoming an author.
First, I read books on the craft, and I wrote a novel, which I rewrote several times. I then returned to college for formal study, receiving my B.A. in English at U.C. Irvine, where I also completed the Humanities Honors Program. My thesis won distinction as “the most outstanding.” I earned my MFA in Creative Writing and an MA in English at Chapman University.
To read the rest of the interview please click here.
[image error] Now available on Amazon!
July 25, 2019
Tech Noir Legend Rutger Hauer Passes Away at 78
Rutger Hauer, the Dutch actor who brought the replicant Roy Batty to life in the classic tech noir film Bladerunner, has passed away at his home.
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Hauer’s “tears of rain” speech in the film was considered one of the high points of the story.
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Batty was a rouge replicant on a murder spree in an attempt to have his predetermined lifespan lengthened. Bladerunner Rick Decker, played by Harrison Ford, was assigned to hunt Batty and the others in his group down and kill them.
In a deeply philosophical film, the “tears of rain” speech was significant. Hauer adlibbed parts of the speech which was a statement of the fantastic life experiences replicants have that organic humans don’t. The engineered humans are designed with a predetermined life span, usually very short, in order to maintain control over the replicant.
If you have not seen Bladerunner and are a lover of classic noir films, I strongly suggest you find a copy and watch it. It is beautifully filmed and is set in Los Angeles, a common noir city setting. If you can find it, watch a version with Harrison Ford’s Decker narrating. I find this to be the best version.
July 1, 2019
And The Survey Said…
I want to thank the
readers who took a few minutes to participate in my most recent survey about
their book purchasing habits. Some people are always curious about the results
of any survey they participate in so here is the data.
Question Number One:
When you read Kindle
edition ebooks do you:
I only read books via Kindle Unlimited: 5.81%I prefer to purchase books outright: 52.33%I use a mixture of KU and purchases: 33.72%I don’t buy from Amazon: 8.14%
Question Number Two:
If you buy an ebook,
what is the most you will pay for a book?
Free only: 20.22%.99 cents: 10.11%2.99: 12.36%3.99: 5.62%4.99: 11.24%Price doesn’t matter if I want the book: 25.84%I only buy when the title is discounted: 14.61%
Question Number Three:
Do you prefer books that
are part of a series or stand alone?
Books in a series: 9.09%Stand alone: 15.91%It doesn’t matter: 75%
Question Number Four:
Do you prefer, when
possible, to buy a series of novels in a box set or individually?
Box set: 36.36%Individually: 12.50%It doesn’t matter: 51.14%
Question
Number Five:
Advertising in the digital age seems
to be everywhere. Have you ever looked at or been influenced by advertising on
any of the following platforms?
Amazon Also Bought: 16.87%Amazon Sponsored Products Related
to This Item: 6:02%Facebook Ads: 7.23%Pinterest: 2.41%Instagram: 1.20%eBook Newsletters Promoting Books:
66.27%
Question Number Six:
If you
subscribe to e-newsletters promoting books, which ones do you subscribe to?
BookBub: 56.67%Just Kindle Books: 3.33%Book Adrenaline: 3.33%ChoosyBookWorm: 0%eReader News Today: 3.33%Bargain Booksy: 3.33%I don’t subscribe to any: 11.11%Other: 18.44%
Question Number Seven:
Do you like the idea of
novellas (short novels) that provide the backstory of recurring characters that
are not the primary characters in a series?
Yes: 34.09%No: 23.86%It depends on the character: 42.05%
Question
Number Eight:
When
you are shopping for a new book, do you…
Shop by author: 20.93%Shop by category/genre: 43.02%Type in keywords to find novels you
might enjoy: 1.16%Shop by book title: 0%Just surf the ebook retailer’s
site: 20.93%Other: 13.95
Question Number Nine:
Which
of the following ebook retailers do you shop at?
Amazon: 76.67%Amazon Kindle Unlimited: 24.44%Kobo: 13.33%Barnes & Noble Nook: 16.67Apple: 14.44%Google Books: 8.89%Amazon UK: 12.22%Smashwords: 13.33%Tolino: 1.11%Scribd: 0%Other: 4.44%
Yes, I
know these add up to more than 100%. This is due to the fact respondents were
allowed to select more than one ebook retailer.
Question Number Ten:
Would
you find illustrations in a novel interesting or an added value? NOTE: not a
graphic novel – simply four or five illustrations interspersed throughout the
story.
Yes: 69.66%No: 30.34%
June 7, 2019
And The Survey Says…
If you would, please take a few moments to complete the survey linked to below. This will help me better understand the reading and purchasing habits of the readers of my books.
According to SurveyMonkey the process should take less than three minutes of your time.
May 31, 2019
City of Broken Lights Is Now Available!
The sixth installment of the futuristic neo noir Inspector Thomas Sullivan series is now available from Amazon!
[image error] Crime Noir Thriller From The Future by K.C. Sivils
From the Amazon description:
A mysterious summons to another world.
News no man wants to hear.
Old acquaintances from the past, some of whom Sully would prefer to have never seen again.
A job that pays too well to turn down.
In the hot, gritty streets of the run down industrial district in the city of New Paris, Sully must race against time to find a kidnap victim and the truth in the City of Broken Lights.
For fans of Hardboiled Noir From The Future – Don’t miss City of Broken Lights!
May 16, 2019
Why The Rolling Stones?
Why The Rolling Stones? It’s 500 years in the future and this is the best Sully can come up with to listen to?
We listen to Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, and other composers from centuries past? Why wouldn’t music lovers in the future listen to the blues stylings of The World’s Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Band?
For one thing, the author’s favorite band, that being me, is The Rolling Stones. I’ve seen them live and they spoiled live music for me as a result. Nobody compares to the Stones live.
[image error]The Rolling Stones Live in Milwaukee, WI
Jagger and Richards are one of the best song writing teams of all time, Jagger is one of the greatest singers to ever front a live band, and Keith is, well, he’s just Keith. Charlie Watts makes the Stones swing and whether its Brian Jones, Mick Taylor, or Ronnie Woods paired with Keith, the Stones have a raw sound all their own.
Besides, how many bands have to rehearse nearly 200 original songs before they go on tour?
All propaganda aside, the Stones lend themselves to menacing stories and moods. Songs like Gimme Shelter, Paint It Black, Midnight Rambler,Ventilator Blues, and Love is Strong all have an edge to them missing in most bands. Watch the right video of a performance of Midnight Rambler and you’ll see Mick transform into the character he sings about. The same is true for the stalker who is the narrator for Love is Strong. The very mood fits in with the noir feel I hope to convey in my stories.
Then there’s the blues.
If you’ve read the prequel and all of the installments of the Inspector Thomas Sullivan Thriller Series you’d know Sully has lived the blues. It’s why the music speaks to his soul.
Even Sarah is starting to understand why Sully, Father Nathan, and Joe enjoy watching the holographic recreations of past performances Joe and Sully have in their private collections and play for appreciative audiences at Joe’s on the occasional weekend evening.
If I can figure out how to get permission and not have to sell my home, I even have a story line built around the song Ventilator Blues from Exile On Main Street.
Throw in the songs of regret, kiss off songs, songs of rebellion, political observation, country, folk, dance, Chuck Berry style rock ‘n’ roll, blues covers, and Keith’s Open G Tuning and you’ve got a huge catalog of songs that speak to nearly any mood a listener might have.
