Benjamin Sobieck's Blog, page 40
March 30, 2012
Thank You, Readers, For a Spectacular March
If there was any lingering doubt in my mind about going the self-publishing route, readers pulverized it during March.
Third time's the charm, right? Seems to be true with Cleansing Eden - The Celebrity Murders. The crime novel was with two publishers before heading to the house of self. It's found robust success in the UK. That came out of left field, but I'm not complaining.
5 Funny Detective Stories - A Maynard Soloman Collection is fetching tons of interest in every e-book market. Most interesting, it became the number one political humor e-book in Italty for English language titles. Again, this totally caught me off guard. I'm still waiting for someone to pinch me.
Here in the US, readers are all about "borrowing" these titles from Amazon. That means they can read for free after joining Amazon Prime. I hope more people check out this innovative program, it's really a good deal.
A huge thank you to every reader who made March a month to remember. You're making all the difference to this humbled author.
P.S. Many have e-mailed me to share their thoughts after having a read. I appreciate this feedback and always write back. Feel free to contact me at bsobieck [at] journalist [dot] com.
"If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do things worth writing." - Benjamin Franklin
March 26, 2012
Review: Stick a Needle in My Eye
Crime author Julia Madeleine is all about needles. She works as a tattoo artist in Canada, penned a short story collection titled Stick a Needle in My Eye and has a sharp sense of wit about her that could be described as "needle-y." At least, that's what I take away from the social media encounters I've had with her. For all I know, her sense of humor is punchlined with an ax.
I should be careful then. Stick a Needle in My Eye is full of murder, mayhem and quick stabs of dark humor. She packs 17 short, short crime stories into the anthology.
It'd be tough to review each individually, so I'll opt for the bird's eye view. This anthology is like a tattoo gun, with each story dropping its own bit of ink into a larger picture. Stand back, and it's a work of art.
Really, a work of art. Underneath the stories of jaded lovers, poisoned pineapple juice and cremated secrets is an artist at work. Madeleine's stories get right to the point in a matter of a few paragraphs, crescendo a few hundred words later and come to a graceful landing. This dance isn't as simple as it appears. Shorter works are often the most difficult to master.
That's why I was plowed over with each story. They were pitch perfect the whole way through. It's one thing for a piece of writing to give you new respect for its author. But it's another to come away with a better appreciation of the craft. I got both out of Stick a Needle in My Eye. I'll turn to it for inspiration with my own writing.
Click here to get Stick a Needle in My Eye exclusively from Amazon for the Kindle.
March 25, 2012
My Best Marketing Advice to New Writers
I had the honor to receive a bit of fan mail today. After some flattering words that made my humbled cheeks blush, the reader asked for marketing advice for his/her writing.
I'm a big believer in "those who do, can - those who can't, teach," so I don't often pontificate on writing. But I'll always make an exception for a reader. Here's my response:
The best piece of marketing advice I can give you as a writer is this: Read, write and make mistakes, then repeat.
Reading is the best way to get better at writing. And when you do, write something worth talking about. There are so many books, blogs and blowhards out there who claim to have the last word on book marketing. But none of them can give you the one thing more valuable than a $1 million ad campaign: Good writing. There's so much dreck out there, readers are eager to promote what they enjoy.
As an example, you just e-mailed me to say you enjoyed my work. That's marketing right there. Word of mouth. You read something, then were compelled to act.
It's still good to be on social media, but it isn't followers or likers or whatnot that actually drive sales. Unless the great writing is there, no one will give a darn about what you have to say.
March 23, 2012
Today in Narcissism: Ben Sobieck Interviews Ben Sobieck
When he's not adding another writing trophy to his mantle, crime author Nigel Bird runs the Sea Minor blog. Other that his news and insights, he has a recurring feature called Dancing with Myself where other crime authors interview themselves.
A person might think Nigel is lazy for not interviewing his fodder like a normal blogger. That's not the case (see: his awards.) It's actually a lot of fun.
Mr. Bird graciously asked ME to make some ME time to interview MYSELF. I threw MY inner narcissist a bone and had a conversation with MYSELF. Click here to read MY interview with MYSELF.
March 22, 2012
Review: When an Ex-Cop Writes a Crime Novel, We All Have Fun
There is a certain tone writing takes when you can tell the author is having fun. It's when you can feel the excited speed of the author's typing fingers in every skid-marked word. It's just as thrilling for readers as the writer. And they'll have a helluva G-force-bucking ride in Paul Grzegorzek's crime procedural, The Follow.
"Fun" isn't how the novel's protagonist, Constable Gareth Bell, would probably describe it. He's part of a drug task force in Brighton (UK), and he's been framed. A planted knife implicates him in an attack. The actual perp, a chronic scum bag called Quentin Davey, walks free. Bell is removed from his post while an internal investigation sorts things out.
That's when the fun starts. Bell hits the warpath to clear his name and bring the perp to justice.
That's the meat of the plot. It'd be a great read in the first place, but Grzegorzek seasons the story with plenty of extras about police work. He goes in-depth about the political and social climate surrounding police beat work. Crime statistics manipulation, for example, was of particular interest to me.
It then comes as no surprise that Grzegorzek comes from a law enforcement background. Whereas the technicalities of police work is where many crime novels struggle, the author has no problem with the nitty gritty. But I doubt he got into writing to educate Yankees like me about UK law enforcement.
No, I think he allowed himself to indulge a few skull-cracking fantasies. How else to explain the various detours Bell takes on his journey? He takes out bit criminals here and there with a special bluntness that could only be interpreted as "having fun."
By the end of it all, I was a huge fan of Bell. He's a rough-and-tumble guy to be sure. But his gruff demeanor is downright endearing. Like me, you'll be rooting for him the whole way.
Click here to get The Follow from Amazon for the Kindle.
(P.S. You can read one of Grzegorzek's true crime stories from his police work here at Fingerprints.)
March 20, 2012
Read It: The Finger in the Freezer
I don't get over to the horror side of things often, but when I do, it's usually as part of Chris Allinotte's 9 Days of Madness event. Every day for nine days, he features a new short, short horror piece from a pack of the functioning insane.
The lineup is terrific, and somehow I managed to slip into it (bribery always pays). My piece, The Finger in the Freezer, is up today. Click here to read it, then be sure to check back for new stories from other great authors.
March 17, 2012
Free Crime Novel Today from Julia Madeleine
Don't miss your chance today to get a hot title from crime author Julia Madeleine for FREE. Click here to go to Amazon.
Maynard Soloman is #1 in the World for the Second Time
For the second time this month, Maynard was #1 in the world yesterday for political humor on Amazon. Thank you, readers!
March 15, 2012
Cleansing Eden Review: More Murders, Please
After a great surge of interest in Cleansing Eden - The Celebrity Murders, the first UK review of the novel was posted. Here's what "Alexa" had to say on Amazon UK review:
"This was an original plot, based on manipulation, drugs, celebrities and the media. It exposes the flaws of the celebrities and the shallowness of those in the media, whilst exploring mind games and psychological manipulation. I did find the murders and the kidnap a bet far fetched and it isn't that I am blood thirsty but a couple of more murders wouldn't have gone a miss. However, putting those minor points aside, this is well written and you can't guess the ending half way through the book."
I left Ms. Alexa a comment letting her know I'd be delighted to up the body count in the next novel. No problem!
Click here to check out Cleansing Eden - The Celebrity Murders on Amazon US (or here for Amazon UK).
Review: When Racism, Immigration, Factory Farming and Murder Collide
Riptide, the latest in the Sam McRae series by Debbi Mack, launches its tough and sardonic protagonist head-first into a herd of sacred cows. Then it asks the reader not to get ran over by the stampede. The pay-off is a fast-paced, compelling crime novel that leaves the reader as buzzed and breathless as the Running of the Bulls.
The herd of sacred cows includes racism, illegal immigration, factory farming, human smuggling, xenophobia, overseas tax shelters, crooked charities and good ol' boy-ism. They're corraled just below the surface of a coastal city commited to looking the other way. Author Mack weaves these social issues tightly around a whodunit involving the framing of Sam's friend Jamila for the murder of a notorious local. The fact Jamila is black, not a local and a lawyer makes her an easy target in a town where all three of those qualities is a crime unto themselves.
Sam works to clear her friend's name, and unravels a larger criminal enterprise. Her investigation encounters the brutal conditions at a factory farm, the unapologetic mistreatment of immigrant workers, a double-standard for the rich of the city and so many conflicts of interest that nothing can be done about any of it.
If all this sounds like a bit much for one crime novel to tackle, you'd be right. Yet author Mack found a way to conduct each of these parts into a pitch-perfect symphony. From the first page to the last, the story never stumbled over itself. Mack's writing is tight as a drum. I slammed this novel in two days. I couldn't wait to turn the page.
Much of that has to do with the strong lead in Sam. She has a hard bark on her, but her sarcasm lightens the crushing seriousness of the mystery. Were it not for this balanced approach, the weight of the social issues in the story would diminish its readability. She's a hero to the story and the reader.
Get dragged under by Riptide. If you're not already a fan of the Sam McRae series, you will be after this read.
Click here to get Riptide from Amazon for the Kindle.
