Benjamin Sobieck's Blog, page 34
July 28, 2012
Name Your Own Price for Crime Fiction E-Books
I've been going on about the crime fiction e-book bundle at Groupees.com that runs through July 31. It lets you name your own price for fiction from 27 authors, with 20% of sales going to the National Kidney Foundation. It’s a stellar collection of crime novels, short stories and poetry.
Oh, and my stuff, too.
That’s a joke. A writer joke. I won’t feel bad if I can’t hear the laughter from inside my bomb-proof author bunker.
That’s because I feel so good about this Groupees bundle. It marks the first time the site has offered e-books. It was my privilege to help assemble the authors.
Vincent Zandri is my hero. While most of us author folk can only daydream about it, he’s out there writing hit crime novels, trotting the globe as a freelance reporter and hitting the trout stream in between. That’s pure Hemingway right there.
After reading Dana King’s two novels (the first of which is in the Groupees bundle), I knew I wouldn’t miss numbers three, four and beyond. He has a tone reminiscent of ‘70s mob movies. There’s a lyricism to his writing I hope to capture some day. I hope he hurries up with those other novels.
McDroll is the pseudonym for Fiona Johnson, Scottish crime author. If a small town Midwestern guy like me can get lost in her Scottish crime writing, then anyone anywhere can do the same. Short stories in her hands are like grenades. They look all quiet and unassuming at first. Then they blow you away.
I admire Laura Roberts for many reasons. She's the only sex writer I'll admit to having in my e-reader. Her sense of humor and journalism background give me plenty of reasons to keep reading her stuff. There's a world-weariness just underneath her prose. Probably from her time spent as a sex columnist in Montreal. I suspect most of her fiction isn't all that far from reality, and that makes it all the more fun.
I couldn’t forget Black Heart Magazine. It’s not a crime fiction publication, but it did release a digital noir issue in 2011. It’s a wonder it doesn’t just switch over. The issue packed two dozen of the best indie crime authors into its pages. The chemical reaction of that much talent in one spot should’ve exploded in the face of the mad scientist who put it together. It’s that good.
In addition to getting these fine folks together, the bundle also carries personal meaning to me. As you know, a portion of the sales will be donated to the National Kidney Foundation. What you may not know is I received a kidney transplant in 2010. It saved my life and kept me writing.
It’s my mission to use my writing talents to help others who aren’t as lucky as me. People die every day waiting for organs. Your donation to the National Kidney Foundation will be used to work toward that never happening again.
If all this isn’t reason enough to enjoy this bundle, then I don’t know what else I can do. Maybe next time the top donors will win a singing telegram from the authors, a cappella-style.
Trust me. You don’t want that.
Click here to check out the Groupees.com bundle while there's still time.
July 27, 2012
Review: A Werewolf Detective?
I'm not a fan of the crop of paranormal fiction from the past few years. Glistening vampires fighting ripped werewolves over some ancient what-not has zero appeal. Not that it's suppose to grab me. I'm a married guy from the Midwest living the middle class dream. Frustrated metaphors for puberty have passed me by.
But you know what I do like? Paul D. Brazill's Drunk on the Moon short story anthology. It features detective Roman Dalton, who is also a werewolf. On paper, I shouldn't like this at all. But Brazill is a noir guy through and through. One of the best noir writers today, in my opinion. So despite the paranormal elements, everything is filtered through the lens of crime fiction.
That's why Roman lives in a crime-infested, beyond dark hellhole known as The City. His activities revolve around three things: Getting shitfaced at Duffy's bar, kicking some crime lord ass and getting shitfaced at Duffy's bar. He drinks enough that it counts as two separate things. Throw in more otherworldly creatures (some of them - gasp - from the federal government), and you have a sense of Roman's world.
Brazill's writing is strong enough to have carried the short story series, but he went a different route instead. He got together a top crew of crime writers to carry the torch. Each of the authors wrote their own take on Roman's world. Some stuck to the plots Brazill introduced in the inaugural story. Others drifted into new territory, but stayed within Roman's "world."
This approach gives the anthology a lot of depth. Each short story refreshes Roman's world. You never feel "stuck" reading it.
Here's a rundown of the authors and the titles they wrote.
Drunk On The Moon/ Before The Moon Falls - Paul D Brazill (UK/Poland)
The Darke Affair - Allan Leverone (USA)
It's A Curse - K A Laity (USA/Ireland)
Insatiable - B R Stateham (USA)
Fear The Night - Julia Madeleine (Canada)
Getting High On Daisy - Richard Godwin (UK)
Silver Tears - John Donald Carlucci (USA)
Blood & Alcohol - Frank Duffy (UK/Poland)
Back To Nature - Jason Michel (UK/France)
A Fire in the Blood - Katherine Tomlinson (USA)
Click here to get Drunk on the Moon for Amazon Kindle or paperback.
P.S. I hear there will be a second anthology coming out closer to Halloween this year. Looking forward to it!
July 26, 2012
Video: The Real Maynard Soloman Has Been Found
Ladies and gentlemen, the real Maynard Soloman has been found. Besides being the star of the Funny Detective Stories series, he's apparently an expert whittler. The how-to video below is complete with phrases like, "I don't like to sand anything," "I won't paint anything" and the obligatory story about "the war." Best quote, "If you're in a hurry, don't do this."
Crusty? Check. Vaguely endearing? Check. Flannel shirt? Check.
If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck and looks like a duck, it's a duck. World, meet the real Maynard Soloman.
July 24, 2012
Shoot the Machete - A True Crime Short Story
Imagine this: A man shouting nonsense is wielding a machete and walking toward you. He's mere steps away. You know when he closes that gap, he's going to turn your body into salad. You have less than a second to think.
What do you do?
Shoot the machete.
This incredible tale isn't fiction. It really happened. You can read all about it here at Fingerprints.
July 23, 2012
Warning: Don't Buy from Stork Media
A company called Stork Media is selling the print edition of my novel, Cleansing Eden: The Celebrity Murders, here on Barnes & Noble's website for $34.58.
Seem a little high?
It should. Amazon sells it for $14.95 here. That's the new, still-warm-from-the-press price.
So what gives with Stork Media selling it for $34.58? Is it a special edition? Unless you count being ripped off as "special," it's a pile of crap.
Stork Media's game is selling print books far higher than the MSRP. When someone falls for it, Stork orders a copy at the regular price and sends it to the customer. It pockets the difference.
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I contacted Barnes & Noble about this shady business. I want that book off the site yesterday. BN's customer service told me to they're helpless:
"Your book is currently available on our website through our 3rd Party Marketplace Sellers. These are independent booksellers who set their own prices for used copies of many books. We do not have any say in their pricing, which may vary from the Suggested Retail Price set by the publisher."
I reminded BN it's not helpless as to what goes on its site. I also pointed out keeping Stork Media on its site is driving business to Amazon. I doubt anyone will care.
Guess I'll be at BN headquarters tomorrow, squatting in the offices. Set up a tent, light a gas stove and make myself comfortable. After all, BN is helpless to make me move.
I also left a damning "review" of the book warning people not to buy it. BN has yet to approve it. Maybe my mention of Amazon's lower (aka real) price has something to do with it. Again, you're not helping yourself, BN.
I'm not the only author to have a run-in with these shysters. After putting the word out on Facebook, several authors told similar stories. Stork even priced one book at $200.
I have a sinking feeling none of this is illegal. But it sure ain't right. Vote with your dollars. Never buy anything from Stork Media. The legit titles all have cover images (Stork doesn't bother with cover images, probably for copyright reasons).
If you have any questions about the legitimacy of my titles, don't hesitate to leave a comment here. I'll get right back to you.
-Ben
July 20, 2012
Groupees Bundle Update: New File Formats
Just dropping a line for a quick update on the Groupees bundle. Due to requests from readers, we added .mobi and .pdf files to the bundle. These are in addition to the .epub files that were there before. This way you don't need to convert .epub if your e-reading device can't support them.
I also wanted to thank everyone who's supported the bundle so far. Special thanks to the National Kidney Foundation for supporting the effort. This is the second time I've approached them with one of my zany ideas to raise funds for their research and organ donation advocacy. Each time, they've been more than gracious.
Click here to head to the bundle and name your own price for e-books from 27 crime authors.
If you're wondering what all this is about,
An Ode to the Sadistic Freaks Known as Presidential Candidates
It takes a certain amount of ego to think you can become president of this or any country. First, you have to believe you're better than anyone else for the job. This requires an egotism impossible to comprehend.
Second, you need to feel comfortable knowing you'll make life-or-death decisions, and you can't always choose life. People are going to die because of things you say and do.
Third, you have to want the job more than anything else in your life. This means putting your goals before anyone else, including family and friends. They don't matter. Only you matter.
But this toxic cocktail isn't what the public sees during election season. A carefully molded pantomime of the candidate is presented instead. Campaigns spends countless hours and dollars sculpting their candidate for maximum appeal.
The egomaniac underneath that polish is the same person, though. They might do things behind the scenes regular folks would be shocked to know about.
That's the theme behind Election Season, a piece of flash fiction up at Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers. The political junkie in me wrote it, not the one you see in public.
July 19, 2012
Black Heart Magazine Breaks New Ground Again
While we’re putting the finishing touches on another awesome indie author interview, we just wanted to let you know that Black Heart’s NOIR anthology is currently part of the first-ever fiction bundle offered at Groupees.com.
Groupees is a site for name-your-own-price indie media releases. Though they have mainly focused on musical offerings thus far, today they’ve launched their first ebook bundle, which includes a whopping 27 crime fiction authors all in one place. The Crime Fiction Ebook Bundle includes all of the following books:
Depending on how much you decide to pay for this amazing bundle, there are also added bonuses. Once the bundle reaches a total of $250 in sales, additional books will be “unlocked” for those who’ve bought in.
At the $250 level you’ll also receive 4 Odd Crime Stories by Benjamin Sobieck. At the $500 level you’ll get another book by Ben, Maynard Soloman Legalizes Gay Knot-Tying. At the $1,000 level you’ll receive Montreal Stories, a collection of humorous erotic stories by Black Heart’s Editor-in-Chief Laura Roberts. And at the $2,000 level you’ll receive Ben’s book Maynard Soloman Takes the Bus to a Strip Club.
Additionally, the top contributor overall will receive an autographed, one-of-a-kind, handmade by the author print edition of Wild Bill by Dana King.
And, if that weren’t all enough, 20% of the total sales will be donated to the National Kidney Foundation.
So what are you waiting for? Grab some hot summer reading and support a great cause at the same time! This promotion ends on July 31, so hit up the Groupees site and name your price today.
July 18, 2012
Unique E-Book Bundle: Name Your Own Price for 27 Crime Authors
I'm thrilled to announce the launch of the special crime fiction e-book bundle at Groupees.com. For $2, you can get your crime fix from 27 great crime authors, including me, Vincent Zandri, Fiona Johnson, Dana King, Laura Roberts and the roster of the damned from Black Heart Magazine.
Here's the catch. You have the option of paying more than $2 for your e-books. Why? Because there are extra e-books we'll release if the bundle hits certain goals. These are great extras you won't want to miss.
Also, the top buyer will receive a handmade, autographed print copy of Dana King's Wild Bill. How cool is that?
The next four top buyers will receive an autographed copy of Cleansing Eden: The Celebrity Murders, by me.
If that wasn't cool enough, 20% of all sales will be donated to the National Kidney Foundation. It's a cause close to home, since I received a kidney transplant in 2010.
Don't wait! The offer ends July 31. Click here to go Groupees.com and get your bundle.
July 16, 2012
The True Story of Idaho's Bathroom Basher
As editor of Fingerprints, I don't receive too many submissions. That's actually a good thing. As a journal of crime flash non-fiction (meaning these are short, short stories about true crime), it's hard to find stories that are both interesting and true. Doubly so because the author has to have some sort of relation to the story.
But when I do, hang on to your %#$%#ing hat. Stories at Fingerprints get wild and weird in a hurry. Nothing's stranger than real life.
The most recent submission is about "The Bathroom Basher." He killed several women in Idaho in the 1960s, but the final one drew the most attention. It seems he was exceptionally brutal that time. So much so that it became the stuff of legend for the family of Natasha Amadaeus.
She recalls the story she's been told in today's new Fingerprints entry, Thank You: The True Story of The Bathroom Basher.
I had to think hard about whether to publish it. The details are gruesome. That they happened to a real person adds considerable weight. But in the interest of crime history, I felt compelled to publish it.
Click here to read Thank You: The True Story of the Bathroom Basher.
