Douglas Dorow's Blog, page 2

Surprise Me!

My son doesn’t like watching mystery/suspense/thriller movies or TV shows with me because I’m always looking for the clues or props that the story teller is weaving into the story and trying to figure out how they’ll be used later.

OK, maybe it isn’t just that I’m looking for clues that my son doesn’t like, it’s my sharing of them during the show when I see them that really makes him mad.

For example, we were watching one of the newer Sherlock Holmes movies with Robert Downey Jr.

In one scene, Sherlock grabs an underwater breathing device off the desk of a person they’re visiting. Hmm, I wondered, why did he grab that? Later in the movie, Sherlock appears to sacrifice himself by falling off a ledge with his nemisis into water far below. I whispered to my son, “the breathing device”. Those are the moments he doesn’t like. (Sorry, I couldn’t help it. Sometimes I wait until after the movie to see if he caught the clues I did, but sometimes I have to share them when I see them)

What movies do we remember? Those that thrill us, make us think, surprise us. One that did that for me was THE GAME.

The story unfolded in front of us and we could follow along, but each step along the way was a surprise, all the way to the end.

As a long time consumer of thrillers, I still come back for more, but I want to be surprised. I want to be surprised and it has to make sense and fit with the story that’s being told. If the story isn’t interesting I’ll quit reading and pick up another. But, if I find that thrilling story, I’ll read late into the night and want to read another by the author. (You know what I’m talking about)

As a creator of thrilling fiction I keep trying to learn and one lesson I heard recently was, don’t go with the first thing that pops into your head, that’s what the reader will probably be thinking or expecting. They’ll find your story uninteresting and boring. And don’t go with the second or third, instead go with the fourth. The fourth idea you think of will still fit with the story, but it will be unexpected both by you and the reader and that will make your writing more interesting and keep the reader engaged.

If I can surprise myself as I’m writing the story, I can surprise the reader and we’ll both enjoy the thrill. My goal in my writing is to have fun, and to thrill and surprise myself. If I can surprise me, I know I can surprise you.

Keep reading and enjoy the thrill. What thriller writers surprise you?

Indie Collaboration: Reads4Free

One thing I've always promoted for indie authors is the power of groups and collaboration. You see peer support with some traditionally published authors, one example is the recent bus tour with MJ Rose, William Kent Kruegger and a couple of other authors.

But, you see a lot more groups and collaboration with indie, self-published authors. Not sure why that is....we have more control, we aren't constrained by our publishers, we're less competitive?

You may see the hashtag #Reads4Free alot over the next few days as I and 7 other fantastic authors are collaborating on an event supporting each other providing readers access to Free books on Amazon June 4th and 5th.

You'll recognize the authors and their books, but now's the chance to get them for yourselves as 8 authors; Derek Blass, Elise Stokes, Robert David MacNeil, Kathy Lynn Hall, Lia Fairchild, R.S. Guthrie, Shannon Mayer and Douglas Dorow team up to support each other and offer their books for Free for 2 days.

Check them out at the >>> Reads4Free Promotion <<< June 4&5 and watch twitter for the #Reads4Free hashtag. Would love the support and retweets of other indie authors!

I'm moving to DouglasDorow.com

Soon I'll be pulling the plug on ThrillersRus. I've started a new website/blog at www.DouglasDorow.com  I hope you come on over and check me out.

The holidays are approaching and I've teamed up with a group of authors and the WoMen's Literary Cafe on a 99 cent book promotion Dec 13 - 15.


The WoMen's Literary Cafe is supporting the launch of Andy Holloman's "Shades of Gray".

Dec 13 - 15 Andy Holloman and 8 other Mystery/Thriller/Suspense authors are selling their books for 99 Cents on Amazon. In addition, there is a buy 3, get 1 free as part of this event.






I'm counting down the days to this event and feel lucky to be a part of this group of authors and to be attached to the WoMen's Literary Cafe.

About a month ago I was thinking about how I wanted to get ready for marketing around the holidays. On twitter, I read a post by Andy Holloman looking for authors to be a part of his launch that he was trying to set up with WLC/Melissa Foster, who had just done a big twitter blitz launch for her own book.

I told Andy I was interested and it's been a whirlwind ever since. I want to give a huge shout out to the group we've been working with at WLC (Melissa Foster, Stacy "Sarge" Eaton, Elizabeth Ann West).

No matter the results of this event, it's been a lot of fun, a great learning experience and better connected me to a great group of people/authors. 

Author Interview :: Ken Hoss

Ken Hoss is a writer I've gotten to know through Twitter andas a fellow Independent Author Network member. Ken recently interviewed me for his blog and I'm returning the favor andhosting him today on Thrillers R Us.
Doug: Ken, can you share a little about your journey topublishing your thriller, Storm Rising?
Ken: Well, to begin with it was a short trip, relativelyspeaking. It took me just over a year to complete the MS and another six monthsof rewrites. When I thought it was ready, I wrote up the synopsis and a queryletter. After a few tweaks, I began sending it out to agents, who by their blogpost and websites, they represented book like mine. After little or noresponse, I began thinking I would never see my work published. (Yes, I wasbecoming despondent.) It was then that I discovered Smashwords and KindleDirect. The rest, as they say, is history.
Doug: What advice do you have for writers who decide topursue publishing? Traditional or Indie?
Ken: That's a tough question, and only the writer can decidethat for himself or herself. For me it was an easy decision. If I wanted to getmy book out there for others to enjoy, I had to go the Indie/Self-publishroute.
Doug: Are you a plotter or seat of the pants writer? 
Ken: I started this book as a plotter, but quickly saw thatas I went, the story and characters took on a life of their own. As I wrote, Iwas constantly changing the outline to match with the direction of the story.Now I just do a skeletal outline, research, build background for any newcharacters and the rest is by the seat of my pants.
Doug: Where do you do your best writing?
Ken: At home with the television off and some good jazzplaying in the background.
Doug: Have you made any discoveries in marketing yourwriting to readers?
Ken: Just that it isn't easy.
Doug: What's next? Another in the series? Anything else?
Ken: I am currentlyworking on book two in the Kelli Storm series, Storm Warning. After that willbe Eye of the Storm.
Thanks Ken!
Thank you, Doug.
Ways to connect with Ken and his book - Storm Rising: http://kenhoss.blogspot.comhttp://www.amazon.com/Storm-Rising-Kelli-Novel-ebook/dp/B0053GAWYU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1321202053&sr=1-1http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/storm-rising-a-kelli-storm-novel-kenneth-hoss/1103391061?ean=2940011314278&itm=1&usri=storm%252brising%252ba%252bkelli%252bstorm%252bnovelhttp://itunes.apple.com/us/book/storm-rising-a-kelli-storm/id441096129?mt=11http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/61707http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/kenneth-hoss.html
Bio: Kenneth Hoss was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1957. StormRising - A Kelli Storm Novel is a Police Procedural and is the first book in athree book series. Storm Warning, the next book, has a planned release ofSpring 2012.


Kennethis currently single and lives in Irving, Texas.



Blurb for Storm Rising: Whena murder investigation turns Detective Kelli Storm's attention to a drugkingpin, the last thing she expected was to find a link to her father's killerfrom twenty years earlier.

Detectives Kelli Storm and Bill Hayes are investigating multiple homicides inNew York City's Washington Heights neighborhood.

When a young woman is murdered, Kelli tracks the killer to a Gentleman's Clubin Manhattan. There she locates an unwilling witness. When the woman isassaulted and left dying, the investigation takes a new twist. The DEA steps inand takes over, forcing Kelli off the case.

She decides to take a different approach. Working behind the scenes, she pullsout one of her father's old case files and finds a connection between thekiller and his murder.
in other news:
Join me and 9 of my author friends at WoMen's Literary Cafe's Mystery Book Launch Dec 13-15. Ten authors will discount their ebooks to just 99 cents. Buy 3 and get 1 FREE!


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http://www.womensliterarycafe.com/content/december-2011book-launches

THE BOOK: It's a mystery. Do you know the name of this book??

Back in the late 1960's or early 1970's, I read a book and Ican't remember what it's named or who wrote it.
I have a terrible memory for names. I can remember faces,events, things I've read, but I've never been good with names. I joke there arefour names I need to remember; my own, my wife's and my two kids', all the restare a bonus.
When I was a kid I read a fictional baseball book story thatreally hit home. I had checked the book out from the school library, read thebook a couple of times and really enjoyed it. I decided I wanted to write theauthor to express my enjoyment for the story he had written. I sat down at my parents' manual typewriter and wrote him a letter.Then the librarian at school helped me find the address for the publisher (inNew York?) and we sent the letter off to the author in care of the publisher. Ididn't know if he'd ever get it.
A few weeks later I got a two page, typed letter back fromthe author and I was shocked and excited. The author read my letter and he wroteback! How different it would be today with email.
That story came back to me when my son was young, liked toread and started playing baseball. I thought it would be fun to find the bookand read it together with him and let him know how much I enjoyed reading itwhen I was his age. But I couldn't remember the name of THE BOOK....
I went to the library to see if they could help. Thelibrarian asked if I could remember the color of the cover, some lists sortthem by that. I looked on-line at books written during that period and checkedout a few whose descriptions sounded right. When I got them in my hands Iscanned them, but they weren't THE BOOK.  
I no longer have the letter, it disappeared in one of the many movesI've made in the past 40 years. I've tried a couple of times and not found out the name ofthe book, so I thought I'd reach out to the twitterverse and see if there's areader, or sports fan, a book lover, an old librarian who might know the nameof this book.
Here's what I remember:I read it around 1971.It was about a young boy who was the bat boy or hung aroundwith a baseball team.The boy would find four-leaf clovers for players on the teamand even made some to make sure the players who believed in them had them.There was a player on the team, maybe the boy? who faked abunt, pulled back the bat and made a great hit.
 OK, that's not a lot to go on. Good luck, I hope you canhelp me find the name of the book and the author!


in other news:
Join me and 9 of my author friends at WoMen's Literary Cafe's Mystery Book Launch Dec 13-15. Ten authors will discount their ebooks to just 99 cents. Buy 3 and get 1 FREE!



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http://www.womensliterarycafe.com/content/december-2011book-launches

Author Interview :: Gary Ponzo

Everytime I check Amazon to see if I have any new reviewsfor my thriller, The Ninth District, the first two books I see staring out atme from under Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought are, "A Touch ofRevenge" and "A Touch of Deceit", both by Gary Ponzo.
I see Gary once in a while in my Twitter stream and decidedit was time to learn a little more about the author I continually see on myAmazon page. Today, Gary is answering some questions for Thrillers R Us.

Doug: Gary, can you share a little about your journey topublishing the thrillers in the Nick Bracco series?
Gary: When I decided to become serious about my writingcareer I began with short stories.  Ifigured I could make mistakes with the short form and accelerate the learningprocess.  It worked.  I made loads of mistakes that first year, butreally learned my craft.  Somewherearound the end of that first year the acceptance letters began to roll in andit was a thrill.  Three or four yearslater I'd published seven or eight stories and two of them were nominated forthe very prestigious Pushcart Prize. That's when I gained the confidence to write a novel.
My first thought was to write a thriller, since that's oneof my favorite genres to read.  Then Idecided to write about something I knew about. The mafia.  My father owned acandy store in Brooklyn when I was a teenager and the Sicilians used to hangout there.  We're Sicilian, so we weretreated like royalty. That's where the idea of a Sicilian FBI agent who useshis mafia cousin to track terrorists was born.
Doug: What advice do you have for writers who decide topursue publishing? Traditional or Indie?
Gary: I truly believe the most important aspect todeveloping a writing career is to write interesting stories and writewell.  I can't stress that enough.  All the promotion in the world won't help amediocre novel.  I'd also considersubmitting your work to novel contests. "A Touch of Deceit," won the Southwest Writers Contest in 2009and that's where I found my literary agent, who encouraged me to pursue thisIndie path I've been on.  That one eventreally turned my career in the right direction. 
Doug: Are you a plotter or seat of the pants writer?
Gary: I start with a premise, then move on to characterdevelopment within the confines of that premise.  However, somewhere around the first half ofthe novel I need to know the ending.  It'ssort of like being buried in a cave and needing a pinprick of light to peekthrough.  I can maneuver many ways to getto that light, but I need to know it's there. This way I can lay land mines and give the reader misdirection along theway.  If you're reading my novel andyou've figured out the ending before the last chapter, then I haven't done myjob.  Of course this is within the genreof thrillers.  There are many othergenres which probably wouldn't need such rigorous plotting.   
Doug: Where do you do your best writing?
Gary: I could write anywhere, but I do my best work sittingat my desk with a cup of coffee and a quiet house.  I usually wait until the family is asleep,around 9PM, then I crank up the laptop and get going. 
Doug: Have you made any discoveries in marketing yourwriting to readers?
Gary: No.  I reallydon't have any revelations.  Amazon isthe main reason for my success.  Theirinternal book promotion machine is unreal. I think Twitter and Facebook are great for getting your name out there,but I doubt I've sold many books as a consequence of being online.  However, I have met many great people,writers and readers alike, including you, Doug. That's probably the best aspect to social media.  Writing can be a lonely profession, butmeeting peers like yourself and others have made the experience a real joy.
Doug: What's next? Another in the series? Anything else?
Gary: I have the third installment of the Nick Bracco seriesdue out in December.  The title will be,"A Touch of Greed."  I'm alsoreleasing a short story collection in a couple of days titled, "The LastMountain Gorilla."  It will be threeshort stories, two of which have been published in literary magazines and thetitle story which is new.   
Additional Information:
You can find Gary and his books at some of the links below.
A Touch of Deceit
Facebook > AuthorPonzo
www.GaryPonzo.com
@authorponzo - Twitter
Thanks Gary!

Pricing your ebook, is there a sweet spot?

Pricing the ebook continues to be a subject of debate for indie authors. Everyone is looking for that "right" price, the price that feels fair to the author and at which readers are willing to pay for it.  Is it a crap shoot?

Traditional publishing was more straight forward. The hardcover would come out priced somewhere between $15 and $20 for those who wanted the book right when it came out and were willing to pay a premium price for it. After some time, the book would come out in paper back for about $7. Readers who wanted a book that was easier to carry around and easier on the wallet would wait for that.

But today the traditional publishers are struggling to figure out the new market. They don't release the ebook until after the hard cover and paperback have come out and sometimes the ebook costs more then the paperback. Reading the reviews for some of the popular authors recent releases you can see that the readers have voiced their displeasure with the price the publisher set for the ebook by leaving 1-star reviews.

The indie authors have stood the pricing model on its head. Many initially release the book at $0.99 to try and generate some sales and favorable rankings, then raise the price to $2.99 or more to benefit from the larger royalty percentage they will get above $2.99. Indies are finding that their readers stretch across the board. There are those who will suck up the books at $0.99, maybe never read them, there are those who will pay $2.99 for an indie, it's still a good deal compared to traditionally published releases, and there are readers who believe that a higher price means better quality.

In order to attract readers, the indie author needs to put together a pricing strategy. Leave it low, like John Locke, or move it around in order to attract different readers who are looking for books at different prices.

Personally, I started at the $0.99 price for a few months, then moved to $2.99 and now I'm beginning to experiment with $3.99 or $4.99 while I try to decide what to do for the holidays and post holidays.

I don't worry about the value or price of one book as some writers do, thinking their book should cost more than a cup of coffee, but rather I'm looking at the total value I can get from my book over the long haul as readers discover this one and others I will release.

What are your thoughts on the pricing of ebooks, is there a sweet spot?

Author Interview :: John W. Mefford

A few weeks ago @jwmefford started following me on twitter announcing the release of his book on 11/1/11, and I followed him back. I soon saw him popping up in my stream as he interacted with other writers and readers announcing the release of Committed.

He was working social media in a good way, building up momentum for when his book hit the eshelves. I checked out John's blog and website, learned a little more about his book and thought it would be good for John to share a little about himself.

Let's meet John, learn about Committed and don't forget to support the indie thriller writers. We tell some good stories and would love for you to read them.


Title: COMMITTED (The Michael Doyle Chronicles: Book One)Author: John W. Mefford
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/ThrillerBrief Blurb:

Sinful deception. A malicious corporate takeover. A grisly murder. Unrelenting greed.
We all have that inner voice, the one who knows all but refuses to let even our closest confidantes inside. The one we must calm when we're most unsettled, and the one who seeks to understand our path, our destiny.
Michael Doyle lives in emotional anonymity, resistant to fully devote himself to anyone or any cause. Without warning, a technology conglomerate acquires Michael's company, and he quickly sees through the fog of political posturing: false hope, layoffs, and blatant dishonesty.

Then, death reaches up and grabs him. Shaken to the core, Michael leans on his live-in girlfriend, who has touched his heart like no one else. But her haunting past resurfaces, and she's pulled into a seedy web by an outside force so cruel, so cunning it destroys every soul in its path.

Can Michael rise above his greatest fear to uncover the truth about a murder and save the life of the person he loves most?
Only if he's...COMMITTED.

Q & A with John W. Mefford
Doug: Do you remember the spark for the idea of your novel?
John: My spark was more like a rolling wave of dominoed flickers,each one propelling the next great idea. They say write what you know. I'veexperienced a lot, and read a great deal more. I decided to take a current-dayissue (greedy corporate takeovers) and wrap an intricate murder plot aroundit.  Then, I needed the vehicle for theprotagonist to resolve the murder – that's where I brought in his associationwith the local paper, The Times Herald.Finally, I needed the protagonist to have some skin in the game, to understandhis motivation and fallacies. That's when it all clicked.

Doug: What was the biggest aha you learned in writing your firstbook that you'll apply to future books?
John: Ensuring the protagonist has a unique and well understood pointof view was the most important lesson from my first book. POV can be a powerfultool, if used wisely. It can strengthen your main character(s), or if usedincorrectly, it can confuse your readers.

Doug: What advice do you have for other writers out there?
John: Two things. First, ignore everyone, at least anyone whodoubts what you're doing and how you're going about it. Keep the negativepeople out of your thoughts, especially during the creative process. Second,continue to find your voice. That's an ambiguous statement, but if you keep workingon your craft, you'll discover what you do well, what you don't do as well, andthen work on the "holes in your game." It's like a baseball player realizingthey can throw, run, and hit a fastball. But he can't hit a breaking pitch. Ifhe takes batting practice against someone throwing sliders and curves,eventually he'll figure it out. The best part about writing is that you don'thave to worry about someone throwing a blunt object at your head sixty feetaway. Unless one of your creative naysayers is around (see first point).

Doug: Are you a plotter, outliner or do you just write?
John: I begin the whole book-creation process with a high-levelsynopsis, but it usually changes as I make headway on the first draft. When Istart a writing session I like to have a sense of where I'm headed, even if Idon't get there. I like to summarize in 1-2 sentences what will take place ineach chapter, but only 3-4 chapters at a time (my chapters are shorter andfast-paced). And, like everything else, those are subject to change as I thinkof new plot twists and different character traits.

Doug: Favorite book?
John: I've never been able to say this is my favorite all-timebook, other than the last good book I read, which was Michael Connelly's TheBrass Verdict. The book that had biggest impact on my life was Grisham's TheFirm.

Doug: Kindle or Nook?
John: That's like asking red or white. If it's good wine, I'llenjoy drinking it. If the book is a page-turner, the device will be longforgotten. Same as watching a great TV show. I don't know the brand of TV Ihave, only that Nathan Fillion is funny as Hell on Castle. For me, it's all aboutthe story, not the gadget.

Doug: Tell us a little about your decision to or path topublishing. Did you try traditional, straight to indie? What influenced your decision?
John: When I started writing I purposely stayed away from anythingthat resembled publishing direction or advice. I knew it had the potential ofderailing me. Plus, I wasn't sure I wanted to publish. When I finished one ofmy early iterations, I began researching next steps. Too much information isout there! The internet is a scary place at times. Unsure who to trust, who tolisten to, I started down the traditional path, read query-writing books, andstarted cranking out "personalized" queries. I didn't realize that I and manyothers were unknowingly in the eye of the publishing industry hurricane, whichwas spinning wildly out of control. Several iterations later, I finally dug inand did the research to understand the current state and motivations in thevarious business models. When I decided to go indie, it was a huge load off myshoulders. Then, the real work began.

Doug: Where will your book be available?
Amazon (US): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0060LL4IA
Amazon (UK): https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0060LL4IA
B&N.com: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/e/2940013250741

Doug: What plans do you have for marketing your book?  Things you've done until now preparing forthe launch and what do you have planned post-launch?
John: From what I've heard, doing an Author Interview on DouglasDorow's Thrillers R Us blog has the same impact as a sit-down interview withOprah Winfrey. Other than this interview, I've lined up a few guest  blogs, Indie Author spotlights, and bookreviews. In the last couple of months I've developed a Twitter following thatis growing by the day, have a Facebook Author page, and post updates to myblog. I'm also letting everyone know that I'm open to speaking with book groupsvia conference call, in person if they live in my area (Dallas / Fort Worth),or Skype.

Doug: Who designed your cover?
John: The talented Jeroen Ten Berge created my cover. Jeroen is awonderful communicator and actually has a process in which he creates hiscovers (left brain meets right brain). He takes a unique approach to each coverfor every author. I love my cover art!www.jeroentenberge.com

Doug: Did you use a critique group, beta readers, editor?
John: I used a combination of beta readers and an editor. Once Ifinally got to a point where I wasn't inhaling water down my windpipe, I becamemore confident as a writer. That's when I met my editor. She's a tough one, butjust what I needed. She brought strong opinions.

Doug: What's next? A sequel or a stand alone? Give us a hint?
John: A very early first draft of Book Two is completed. So, thatis next. Then, I might do a sequel short, sort of a 2A. If not, I'll dive intoBook Three. I have plenty of ideas for other books in other genres. All in duetime.

Website: http://www.johnwmefford.comBlog: http://www.johnwmefford.com/something-like-that---the-blog.htmlTwitter account: @jwmeffordFacebook Author page: http://www.facebook.com/JohnWMeffordAuthor

Halloween Twenty Years Ago : Record Snow

The forecast in Minneapolis looks good for trick or treating. 
A little different than the first Halloween I celebrated as a married person in 1991 when we got a record breaking snowfall of over two feetof snow that pretty much canceled Halloween for much of Minnesota.
http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/top5/numberthree.htm
What are you most afraid will be on the other side of the door when the doorbell rings?  A ghost, vampire, witch or clown? 

When you're done handing out candy, sit down with a good thriller, horror or paranormal story and enjoy the read! 

Author Interview :: Helen Hanson

Helen Hanson is another thriller writer I met via twitter. Today we'll learn a little bit more about her and her writing here on ThrillersRus.


Q & A
Doug: Why do you write thrillers?

Helen: While I read outside my genre, thrillers are my staple.  I am what I eat, I mean, read.  I enjoy a heart-skipping pace, life-critical stakes, and broody, looming danger. And while I love Jason Bourne, he's too perfect for the scenarios I envision. My stories employ desperate, fallible characters with a sense of humor, whether they are CIA spies or teenage hackers.  

Perhaps my years of business writing wasn't a total waste because I'm told that I write about technical issues in a way that makes them enjoyable to read.  I use technology in my plots, but I don't want to bog down the prose with jargon. I want to know what kind of gun is fired, but I don't need to know how to field dress it.

The characters in my stories tap into the technology available to the populace at large–though not always legally.  The amazing array of information available would have been science fiction fifty years ago.  I occasionally presume a next step in technology for my stories, but I always keep it well within the realm of possibility.

Doug: What was the spark for the idea for this book?

Helen: For my first novel, 3 LIES, it was a combination of 'what ifs'.  One of the main characters, Beth, has a critical medical condition that requires constant attention.  So it's a real bummer when she's kidnapped on page one. 

Her new boyfriend, Clint, was one of the founders of a high tech company.  He grew weary of the 24/7 life he was leading, so he quit work and bought a sailboat. There are days when that option sounds completely sane.

Doug: How did you get to this point? What is your writing history?

Helen: Words and I have enjoyed a lifelong companionship.  Reading them was my first love and writing them was my second.  I look back on my life and see that I've always been a writer, as in a communicator via words.  I started seriously writing fiction about eight years ago.  My first two novels are mercifully confined to my hard drive. You're welcome.

Doug: Plotter or seat of the pants?

Helen: I'm a plotter who sits on her pants and changes things as she goes along.  I know where I to finish, but I don't have every roadside attraction scheduled.  I may decide to skip the world's biggest muskrat and instead stop at the tree that looks like Teddy Roosevelt.  I plot with the intention of keeping on course and defining my work for the next few chapters.  

Doug: Advice for other authors?

Helen: Can I put the Nike swoosh here?  Just do it.  Listen to those who have experience.  When six people tell you it doesn't work, it doesn't.  But don't let the sound of others drown out your voice.  It takes time to develop a personal sense of literary aesthetics.  Listen for it, recognize it, and keep a firm grip.  It's a wild ride. 

Doug: Do you have a critique group or beta readers or how do you get feedback on your writing?

Helen: I attend two monthly critique groups with multi-published authors and several of these people are my beta readers. They are wonderful writers and will tell me when something needs to change.  I've learned to listen when they all agree.  When they don't, I do as I darn well please.

Doug: Marketing and promotion plans that have worked or you have planned?

Helen: I stink at this part.  I'll be happy to provide details when I'm in the top 10 on Amazon.

Doug: What's your favorite book, that isn't yours?

Helen: My favorite is whatever I'm enjoying at the moment.  I rarely read a book more than once.

Doug: Kindle or nook?

Helen: Both.  We own one of each.  I want to see what my books looks like on the different platforms.  Though my husband jailbroke the NOOK Color for use as a development system, we still use it as a reader.   While he was the jailbreak, he ran across the option to "brick" it.  He was trying to decide if "rooting" it or "bricking" it was the better option. The he realized that "bricking" it means to trash the OS so it's only useful as a brick.  He decided to "root" it.

Doug: Anything else coming out or available for your readers?  What's next? 

Helen: DARK POOL will hit the e-shelf in a couple of weeks.
At 22, Maggie Fender hustles to keep her family from slipping over the financial edge.  She's legal guardian to her step-brother, Travis, who's 15 and fresh from juvie prison for felony hacking, and their beloved father, who suffers from early-onset Alzheimer's.  It's not exactly how she expected to spend her youth.  College plans wait while she waits tables.
Travis swears he was framed for the charges, but he also thinks their father is sending them messages.  Maggie keeps moving because she's afraid to stop.  She finds her old pace is too slow when her father is arrested for murder. 
In the headliness, financial mogul Patty O'Mara awaits trial for bilking investors out of forty billion dollars.  The famed dark pool hedge fund manager offered fabulous returns until someone actually looked at his books.  Then investigators realized that O'Mara never made any trades, it was all a Ponzi scheme.  But why is the old man with Alzheimer's a person of interest?
While the SEC officials try to rebuild some credibility, a private investigator and Russian mobsters work to answer one question:  What happened to all that money? 


Bio:
Helen Hanson writes thrillers about desperate people with a high-tech bent.  Hackers.  The CIA. Industry titans.  Guys on sailboats.  Mobsters. Their personal maelstroms pit them against unrelenting forces willing to kill.  Throughout the journey, they try to find some truth, a little humor, and their humanity — from either end of the trigger.

Helen directed operations for high-tech manufacturers of semiconductors, video games, software, and computers. Her reluctant education behind the Redwood Curtain culminated in a B.S. in Business Administration with concentrated studies in Computer Science.   She also learned to play a mean game of hacky sack.

She is a licensed private pilot with a ticket for single-engine aircraft.  Helen and her husband spent their first anniversary with their flight instructor studying for the FAA practical. If you were a passenger on a 737 trying to land at SJC in 1995, she sends her most sincere apologies.  Really.

Born in fly-over country, Helen has lived on both coasts, near both borders, and at several locations in between. She lettered in tennis, worked as a machinist, and saw the Clash at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium sometime in the eighties.  She currently lives amid the bricks of Texas with her husband, son, and a dog that composes music with squeaky toys.

While Helen writes about the power hungry, she genuinely mistrusts anyone who wants to rule the world. If you enjoy her books, please consider writing a review.  If you don't, please be kind.
3 LIES:
At CIA headquarters, a young officer discovers that terrorists may have commandeered their computer systems to launch an unauthorized mission. Elsewhere, conspirators abduct nine people to manipulate the rules of their game. Two disparate ambitions — Clint Masters becomes the reluctant link in the chain of danger.Ever since Clint's almost ex-wife dumped him, he bobs along the Massachusetts coast in a sailboat with his black lab for company. He avoids all forms of technology, a counterintuitive effort for the burned-out founder of CatSat Laboratories. Tired of clutching the brass ring, he needed to untether, step off the corporate treadmill, and smell a flower. Fortunately, he met one, a beautiful, unspoiled woman who doesn't treat him like a commodity. His relationship with Beth offers more promise than his marriage ever did, even if she is on dialysis for her recovering kidneys, until she disappears.

In spite of the evidence, her family refuses to admit she's in danger. Without routine dialysis, she won't survive. As Clint realizes that he loves Beth, damn-near ex-wife Paige sashays back into his life with disturbing news.

While the CIA young gun tracks his quarry, Clint enlists the help of two men to find Beth, a blithe Brit named Merlin, and Todd, his playboy partner-in-tech. But Clint must find Beth before her kidneys fail. And before someone unloads a bullet in his head
Links for Helen:
www.HelenHanson.com   www.amazon.com/3-LIES-ebook/dp/B004F9P8BI search.barnesandnoble.com/3-Lies/Helen-Hanson/e/9780983202707/ itunes.apple.com/ud/book/isbn9780983202707