Nicholas Denmon's Blog, page 13

Treasure Quest: Discovery Lies Between The Covers: Mega Blog Hop Tour

The lovely ladies involved in the Mega Blog Hop Tour invited me to once again take part in their wonderful Blog Hop.  The theme for this one is a Treasure Quest.  What could be more appropriate for a bunch of mafia lovers than the promise of treasure.






After all, the mafia hustles everyday in order to get their piece of the pie. Occasionally they haul off loads of treasure such as:


The Lufthansa heist was a robbery at John F. Kennedy International Airport on December 11, 1978. An estimated $5 million in cash and $875,000 in jewels were stolen, at the time making it the largest cash robbery ever committed on American soil.[1] This robbery was the subject of two television films, The 10 Million Dollar Getaway and  The Big Heist , and is a key plot element in the 1990 film  Goodfellas . (Wikipedia) 


Lufthansa -twice jacked for loads of cash

Or


They make other's go on a treasure hunt for nothing, we call that a wild goose-chase such as:




James Riddle "Jimmy" Hoffa (born February 14, 1913 – disappeared July 30, 1975, declared legally dead July 30, 1982[1][2]) was an American labor unionleader and author.Hoffa was involved with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union, as an organizer from 1932 to 1975. He served as the union's General President from 1958 to 1971.  Hoffa, who had been convicted of jury tampering, attempted bribery, and fraud in 1964, was imprisoned in 1967, sentenced to 13 years, after exhausting the appeal process. It was not until mid-1971 that he officially resigned the Teamsters' presidency, an action that was part of a pardon agreement with U.S. president Richard Nixon, in order to facilitate his release later that year. Nixon blocked Hoffa from union activities until 1980; Hoffa was attempting to overturn this order and to regain support.Hoffa was last seen in late July 1975, outside the Machus Red Fox, a suburban Detroit restaurant (Wikipedia).

Jimmy Hoffa, his body has never been foundSo what does this mean for you?   I will be doing a fun combination of the two.  In order to claim your loot, you must find someone.  If you join my Fanpage on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authornicholasdenmon AND join my blog as a follower, you will be entered into a raffle to win a free ebook.  Just sign up, and comment on the wall or in the comments section with, "I came here looking for Jimmy Hoffa!"5 people will win a free ebook of For Nothing (currently the #1 selling thriller on Smashwords).
HERE IS WHERE IT GETS INTERESTING THOUGH!!
If you find a friend to join my blog as a follower OR to join my Facebook fan page they will be entered into the raffle too AND each person who says "I was sent here by (enter your name) to look for Jimmy Hoffa!" will give YOU another raffle ticket (thus increasing your chance to win) up to as many people as you can find to join your gang and to help search for Jimmy Hoffa's body!Whoever gets the most people to join the search will win the GRAND PRIZE...a signed hardcopy of For Nothing.SO what are you waiting for??  Get out there and find your gang to look for Jimmy Hoffa's body...just don't look under Giants Stadium, it has been tried unsuccessfully.  Besides it has since been torn down....
THE BLOG HOP CONTINUES---THE NEXT STOP IS RIGHT HERE:  LINK ADDED WHEN I RECEIVE IT!
TOUR RULES:
1)  HAVE FUN!!!
2)  INVITE ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!
3)  THIS TOUR STARTS:  Monday, July 18, at Midnight (Arizona Time)      THIS TOUR ENDS: Monday, July 25, at Midnight (Arizona Time)      Winners will be drawn and posted June 21st! *** 
4)  MEET AND MINGLE WITH ALL THE AUTHORS! EXPERIENCE A NEW PARTY DESTINATION AT EVERY STOP! PARTICIPATE IN EVERY BLOG CONTEST AND BE ENTERED FOR CHANCES TO WIN MULTIPLE PRIZES! EVERY BLOG VISITED IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO WIN!!
5)  PARTICIPATION AT ALL BLOGS IS RECOMMENDED, BUT NOT REQUIRED. REMEMBER, THE MORE BLOGS YOU HOP, THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING PRIZES. EVERY AUTHOR IS WAITING TO MEET AND INTERACT WITH YOU, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO SHOW EVERY AUTHOR SOME LOVE!
6)  DID I MENTION TO HAVE FUN?  WHOO! HOO!! HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOOO!
***Authors have full discretion to choose an alternate winner in the event any winner fails to claim their prize(s) within 72 hours of their name being posted or after notification of win, whichever comes first. Anyone who participates in this blog hop tour is subject to these rules***

For Nothing is #1 Best Selling Thriller via Smashwords!

As of 11:00 AM EST For Nothing is the #1 Best Seller on Smashwords.  Check the link while it lasts!  https://www.smashwords.com/books/category/874/popular/0/any/any

Also of note, it was pointed out to me that For Nothing is the 13th Best Seller on Smashwords out of all of their products.

Very cool!

Remember Tom Cruise and the couch incident??

I do.  And so what?  Mission Impossible 4 - Ghost Protocol is coming out and I will see it.
That is all on that subject.
Next up?
I made promises to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2  so that will be fulfilled later this week. Emma Watson is growing prettier these days so that is an added bonus.
I hope I picked an 18+ picture...she is in college now.
Moving right along...
Buffalo Soldiers, the latest installment of An Upstate New York Mafia Tale is well under way.  I think this story has the teeth to be even better than For Nothing.  That is okay though because For Nothing is my first born baby and will always have a spot in my heart.  For now, For Nothing remains America's #1 Crime Thriller by Nicholas Denmon.
But what will tomorrow bring?  Maybe Buffalo Soldiers will knock it off the top spot.
Speaking of things related to my book pandering prowess, check out a new website my brother made for me at: www.best-fiction-novels.com   He did a really great job on it.  It is sort of a one stop shop for my book, blog, other works in progress, and reader and writer interaction.  Very cool stuff.

Optimus Prime's Oscar Worthy Performance

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July.  I know I did.  Friends and family made the long trek to pay homage to the Great Grill at my home as is customary for the 4th of July.   Hamburgers reigned supreme with not a single guest interested in the charms of hot dogs.  I can't say that I blame them, as I found myself shaking from the meat-sweats after my third cheeseburger.
We had the normal 4th fair with hamburgers, anti-pasta salad, blueberry crumble, baked beans, apple pie and ice cream, cookies, potato chips, and the smattering of fireworks in the distance.  All while the Rays got shutout on T.V. in uninspired fashion.
But it was fun celebrating the 4th with family and friends and I even received some well wishes from my international pals.  My buddy Thomas Humphreys, who is Welsh, sent me a happy 4th message on Facebook.  Here is the exchange which I found humorous in a Braveheart meets The Patriot sort of way:Between You and Thomas 'Frodo' Humphreys Thomas 'Frodo' Humphreys July 4 at 3:21pm ReportHappy 4th July to you and your fam, bro! how's it been?

Nicholas Denmon July 4 at 7:54pmThanks! Surprised you follow the 4th out that way!Sent via Facebook Mobile

Thomas 'Frodo' Humphreys July 5 at 4:02am ReportHa I love the 4th man! 1st time in a long while that I've not been in the states for it... Gota love anything that celebrates people escaping the english lolSent via Facebook Mobile
Word.  We should definitely have a "War of 1812" celebration too if it means more hamburgers all in the name of being American.
JULY 3RD
Arguably better than July 4th.  Why?  Because I saw Transformers: Dark of the Moon with my older brother Chris.  We watched the cartoon growing up so the last few movies have been another trek towards a Mecca of sorts as we meet up at the local cinema and partake in the glory that is Transformers. This was my brother's first time watching a movie in 3D and he was in awe of the difference it made.  At one point I looked over at this 31 year old man, father, husband, attorney extraordinaire and saw him with his thick lens 3D glasses on, staring up at the screen with a box of sweet tarts in one hand a Monster Energy Drink in the other hand, mouth hanging open.


Unfortunately, he was not able to make his way to my 4th of July gathering so I had to settle for this text the next day:
Piece of Poop (yes he is in my phone that way):  Oscar worthy performance by optimus.  Still thinking about it.
I have to say I absolutely agree.  IF he doesn't win, its just another instance where the committee is showing animation or CGI bias.


Also, the new transformer girl, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is way hotter than Megan Fox.  See below:

 VS
And if you disagree, I am pretty sure my brother will challenge you to a nerd slap fight as soon as he is done watching all three Transformers movies in a row.

Gauging success

Life has been pretty hectic the last six weeks.  In that time, I have finished a novel, placed it at about a dozen e-reader distributors, finished the paperback version of the same novel, done a half dozen interviews, joined another half dozen book clubs with great people who support new authors, and started book two of the "An Upstate New York Mafia Tale" series.
Book two is tentatively called Buffalo Soldiers.  Tentatively because I am aware of the historical implications with the name, but love what the title means with a mafia spin.
Also, I have worked with my brothers and my Dad to alternately spit-ball ideas, work on the legal side of the writing business, and get the online version of the writing business up to snuff.  To that end, we have a new website opening up called Best Fiction Novels at www.best-fiction-novels.com.  Thanks to Rob Denmon at Florida SEO Design, we have a workable presence on the web outside of this lovely blog.
With all of these things going on, I haven't been able to reflect much on whether or not my novel is actually doing well since I released it.   I am having trouble finding the right way to gauge success.   I know it sounds like an odd thing to worry about, and I hear it from other indie authors a lot.  I have sold a couple hundred novels at this point.  I am told that is pretty good, but I have the desire to be read by as many people as possible and don't really feel satisfied.  I guess that is a bit greedy.
I try to remind myself when I started toying with the idea of self-publishing that I would be happy if one person read my book and liked it.  I remember saying, "Hey, if one person reads it, that's better than it sitting in a drawer collecting dust."   But a curious thing began to happen.  As people read it and good reviews began to flow in, my confidence in the story has also grown.  It is almost a snowball effect of dissatisfaction based slowly on rising expectations.
To be clear, I don't envision having the world's number one seller, even though it is "America's #1 Crime Thriller" by Nicholas Denmon.  But suddenly I feel eager to see just how far this novel, this series, can go.  The support of readers who like your book is contagious.  I remember when I dabbled in acting for a time.  I remember the addicting feeling of performing for an audience and that instant feedback on the performance.  It really is something hard to equal.   But reader support as they finish your work and give it a stamp of approval is really a feeling that rivals the instant gratification of performing on a stage.
So, in a way, the feedback and support has really made me ready to go hardcore on Buffalo Soldiers.  I don't want to disappoint and I know what it is like as a reader to want the next installment in a series.
So, to sum up, thanks for the support and motivation!
Family Note:
Speaking of family, recently three of us boys, the ladies, and my Dad and his lady friend Paula and her daughter and his boyfriend met at an Italian restaurant to celebrate two of my brother's birthdays.  At this restaurant an older man named Carmine greeted me at the door.
Carmine was as Italian as the meatballs and walked me to the table where my family and friends sat.  In route he told me he knew who I was because I resembled my brother who had already arrived.  He knew Paula and gave us our first round of drinks for free, and I felt like my novel came to life for a moment and we were suddenly sitting like a bunch of Goodfellas.  It was pretty cool.
I love moments where the whole crew gets together and laughter flows as freely as the booze.  Time seems to have sped up a bit lately, so I really appreciate moments like that.  I know I sound old at 29, but hey, shut it.

Teaser Chapter for the Sequel to For Nothing - Buffalo Soldiers; An Upstate New York Mafia Tale II

Teaser Chapter:

Buffalo Soldiers
Rafael Rontego tasted the iron flavor of his blood running over what was left of his cracked lips as the warm liquid filled his mouth.   He couldn't see a thing and he felt a burning sensation on the back of his neck where it pulled against some unwilling tendons.  It was unnatural to hang your head so far forward, but Rafael dared not let them know he was awake under the hood.

The hood.

The damn thing smelled like straw, canvas, or dust.  Some sort of sack, Rafael mused.  It scratched at his face, and if his hands weren't tied off behind his back he sure as hell would have tried to scratch half of his face off.  Or wipe the blood from his lips.

Or kill the bastards who brought me here.


Rontego couldn't remember much.  He lay down to catch some sleep.  Sleep was all he had done it seemed.  Don Ciancetta told him he needed to lay low for a while.  The heat was too hot.  So he rented a suite at Salvatore's Grand Hotel.   He felt the fog lift a bit as he thought of the place with its perfectly polished floors and marble.  Marble everywhere.  But it was the Jacuzzi hot tub that made him almost smile right there with the blood running down his face and the hood blinding him. The things he and the blond had done in there.  It was almost unfair to let them ever rent that room out again.  The room lay right next to the thruway and so had an easy escape route if he needed it.  Canada wasn't far away and there were half a dozen neighborhoods he could disappear in if someone came looking for him.

The price was right too.  The owner knew Rafael Rontego.  He knew the hitman, and he knew his boss, Don Ciancetta. Everything was going well.  The stories on the news slowly drifted out of circulation.  The little amount of evidence, the Buffalo Police Department, had was destroyed, purchased, or went missing.

Even scared that cop straight into an early retirement.


This time he did grin, but the pain of his cracked lips brought him down in a hurry.   He had to focus.  Everything was so damn quiet.  Even though he couldn't see a thing, Rafael closed his eyes.

Drip. Drip-drip. Drip.

The water was faint but his ears caught it all the same.  He prided himself on his hearing.  The notion made him grimace.  He never even woke up.  He never heard them when they grabbed him.  He assumed it was they.  It must have been well organized because he had lain down…he had lain down…and what?

What did I do before I lay down.  I drank a scotch.  I drank a scotch, laid down, and then… and then I was slung over someone's shoulder and bumping my head on someone that smelled like old cigarettes and sweat.


The bumping felt like stairs. Rafael vaguely remembered hearing the thud of boots on wood too.   Then there was the dripping, the infernal dripping somewhere to his right.  Rafael strained his nose to smell past the iron and the damned sack covering his face.  It smelled wet.

Rafael's heart sank.

I'm in a fucking basement.


He knew what happened in basements.  He had been on the giving end of a few of those wonderful parties.

His heart thudded against his chin threatening to knock through his chest and slap him in the face.  It only got worse when he heard footsteps descending.

Thump.  Thump. Thump.


The footsteps stopped, but a second joined the first and then he heard voices.  At first Rafael decided he must have been hit harder than he thought.  He couldn't understand anything that came out of their mouths.

Then it hit him.  They were speaking a different language.  A language he hadn't heard much of for the last eleven years.

They were speaking Russian.

PARTY TILL YOUR HEELS (Err...Boots) FLY OFF WINNERS -The results are in!

Well folks, we have winners from the Mafia Initiation Blog Party!  As promised we have awards to give out!

These folks swore by "oath and blood" and were initiated into the Denmon Familia and were thusly entered into our fun raffle for free e-books!

The winners are (sorry if the names are misspelled, mismatches of your real name and blogger name, etc.  Some of you posted in various places under various names!):

Victoria Krauchunas

Jean Patton

Ashley Welborne

Cullen Confection

and Genevieve Begg

Congrats on winning your free e-book copy of America's #1 Crime Novel, For Nothing....by Nicholas Denmon!  Please email me at nicholasdenmon08 at gmail dot com and I will give you a coupon for the free download!

Also....

There is a GRAND PRIZE winner!  This person (among others)  Went to all of the various listings- Goodreads, Facebook, this blog, etc and swore the oath!  They were then entered into a raffle of other readers who jumped through the same (fun) hoops.

Congratulations RENEE BENNETT!  You win an autographed paperback copy of For Nothing! Only the Best Fiction Novel ever.....by Nicholas Denmon!  Email me at the above address with your mailing information so I can have your book mailed out to you!

For the rest of you who did not win this time....STAY TUNED...I hear there is a July giveaway as well!!

Interview With Allie Burke Books

Please check out the most recent interview regarding For Nothing with Allie Burke Books. 


The link is here and let me say what a good time it was! 


‎"I am a firm believer that there is rarely a straight line between good and evil." -Nicholas Denmon

[EXCERPT]



For the Loves' first Author Interview, EVER, and I have the pleasure of spending the day with Author of the amazing mafia crime thriller For Nothing. Do join us as Denmon talks about his widely acclaimed novel, of putting himself in "the shoes of a killer", and much, much more.


READ ON!

PARTY TILL YOUR HEELS (Err...Boots) FLY OFF WINNERS

Stay tuned.  The winners of the five free ebooks of For Nothing as well as the grand prize winner of a signed paperback will be announced shortly.

Thank you all so much for participating!  This has been a blast!

"I swear by oath and blood!"

And if you don't win, don't let that keep you from picking up your very own copy of For Nothing by clicking the picture below!

For Nothing Paperback Release Trailer!!

Brought to you by Rashnu aka Adizz09 aka Alex Denmon