Lane Diamond's Blog, page 3

Forgive Me, Alex – A New Look

Forgive Me, Alex has undergone a couple of face lifts, and it’s kind of interesting to see the past (old), present (soone to be new past), and future (soon to be new present).

This was the original version back in 2011, which I really liked, but various feedback and analysis suggested that it just wasn’t performing.

Every genre has its tropes, of course, and for the thriller genre, this one might have been just fine in the early days (December 2011, when it first launched). Maybe.

The marketplace changed, though, as it is wont to do, and eventually this one fell a bit outside the norm, and we just needed to replace it.

Up next would be what’s live now (as of 4 February 2019) at a few sites and in a few versions, but I’ve already started uploading changes.

And then came version two (with blood spatter in the background), which morphed into the version three you see here. The blood spatter had to go because Amazon Ads wouldn’t run it. Seriously.

As you can see, we kept some of the thematic elements (from version one) for the imagery, but we really changed up the textual elements. However, once again, we know from some testing that the cover is under-performing.

And now, as of this writing (4 February 2019), the process has begun to once again update the cover. The new eBook cover will appear first, then the paperback, and finally the audiobook.

NEXT UP: Fourth Editon (and I really hope this is the last time this cover will change. That’s the plan, at least.)

Once again, genre tropes and expectations have caused me to move this in a whole new direction. With the invaluable help of Dale Pease, the cover artist, we’ve brought this in line with current THRILLER genre covers.

It was also important to get this done before the launch — or even the pre-launch activities — of the second book in the “Tony Hooper” series, The Devil’s Bane.

I have ZERO plans to EVER change the cover again, so this one better accomplish all I hope it will.

Early feedback from some targeted groups has been quite positive, so I’m excited to see what happens. Of course, I’d love to have YOUR feedback!

The Two Hats Worn by Lane Diamond

Some of you may have come to me through my book, FORGIVE ME, ALEX, or one of my short stories. That would make you a reader.

Some of you may have come to me through ny work as an editor and/or writing coach. That would make you a writer.

For these are the two hats I wear as Lane Diamond: Author; Editor/Writing Coach. I might mention that I wear a third hat (as Dave Lane): Founder, CEO, and Managing Publisher/Editor at Evolved Publishing. But that’s for other posts….

Because I wear these two hats, I often post material geared toward two different audiences, and now that I’m starting a newsletter — err… well… actually… I’m starting two newsletters, one for READERS, and one for WRITERS.

Whichever of these categories applies to you, you’ll find a newsletter subscription form in the right-hand column for signing up. I hope you’ll do so. And fear not being spammed (you won’t), or having your information shared out with others (you won’t), as I will likely not send out newsletters terribly often, and I always safeguard your privacy.

So what will you get when you subscribe? As of this date (2 February 2019), nothing. Well, you’ll get a promise of sorts. I plan to offer something useful, informative, entertaining, or fun — always — in my newsletters, but I also plan to offer at least a little something of modest value to my subscribers from time to time, such as free stories, free sample edits, or… something. This is all new, and first I need to build some kind of subscription base. Once I get there, then I’ll figure out the best ways to engage with and reward my subscribers, but…

To start, I think you’ll aprreciate that I won’t be hitting you with a BARRAGE of newsletters. They’ll be coming rather sparingly.

Under Construction

This site is currently undergoing significant changes, so please bear with me. I’m excited to be improving this at last, but it’s a ton of work. Thanks.

Pssst… You Want a Couple of FREE Short Stories?

Evolved Publishing has graciously allowed me to share this bit of good news with folks who visit my website, so….

It so happens that for just the next few days (expires November 30th), you can get two of my short stories FREE through Smashwords. All you have to do is click on the appropriate link below, and enter the 5-character coupon code listed. Nice and easy. And don’t worry if you don’t have a Smashwords account, as it’s easy – and free – to set one up.

So here are those links and codes:

Devane’s Reality at Smashwords (Use this Code: NE37A)

Paradox at Smashwords (Use this Code: UY53K)

These stories are similar in theme, if different in basic genre. They each explore the fragility of the human mind. I sure hope you like them, and that you’ll take a moment to post your heartfelt reviews at Smashwords after reading them.

THANK YOU!

Changes Coming at LaneDiamond.com

Now that I have my website back after being hacked, it’s clear I need to make lots of changes — cleaning up old posts that are no longer relevant, updating expired links, updating current info regarding the many projects I’ve been a part of, deleting posts that hackers converted into ads for… well, we’ll not talk about what the ads are for.

As part of this, I do believe it’s time to consider a whole new template and website design, something more modern and appropriate for authors. I fear I’m setting a pretty bad example for other authors here. This will be on my to-do list for January/February 2019.

In the meantime, I shall beg yur indulgence and patience as I once again, at long last, re-engage on my own website. If you’ve stuck with me here, then thank you. You’re amazing!

I’m Back! A Progress Report on THE DEVIL’S BANE.

I had lost my site for a few weeks, hacked by… someone. Now it’s back, so I guess I’m back. I’ll be posting new content soon, including some more discussions about some recent releases I had the pleasure of editing. In fact, you can drop over to my Facebook fan page at LaneDiamondAuthor and see some of those discussions there. Naturally, I hope you’ll LIKE my page while you’re there.

In other news, I’ve made some additional progress on my second “Tony Hooper” novel, THE DEVIL’S BANE, since last I posted here.

Completed and HIGHLY polished: Prologue-Chapter 10 (27,000 words).

Completed and final polishing pass pending: Chapters 11-16 (11,000 words).

Best guess at final length? 85,000-90,000 words.

It’s a slow go, but I made the decision not to postpone its completion any longer, regardless of my current workloads as publisher and editor. I’m working on it at least 3 days per week, 2 hours per day. So even at just 6 hours/week, I’ll finish it up and have it ready for launch come the spring.

FINALLY! Yeesh… only been 8 years in the waiting room.

NOTE: The cover pictured will NOT be the final cover, but I’ll use it for various marketing efforts.

So all in all, it’s good to be back. I’ll make a reasonable attempt to be a bit more active here at my site. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

Some Great New Books Edited by Lane Diamond

Once again, I have been woefully absent from my website and blog. Apologies.
I’ve been on the road, traveling with my wife, for the past 3+ months, so work time has been hard to come by.
Nonetheless, since the last time we spoke, a few books I edited have been released. Let’s take them one at a time,
shall we?

FRACTURE POINT by Jeff Altabef

One of the things I really enjoy about Jeff’s books are his characters, which I believe are his greatest strength as a writer. Don’t get me wrong–he tells great stories, but I really love his characters.

In Fracture Point, Jeff gives us a glimpse of the futuristic world in which his A POINT THRILLER series all began. This is the world where his book Shatter Point takes place (Book 2 of the series), winner of the prestigious Pinnacle Book Achievement Award. So let me just tell you about Fracture Point.

An untrained spy and a rebel faction.

A mysterious scarlet-haired jazz singer.

Dangerous secrets guarded by a devious killer.

What could possibly go wrong?

Only everything.

Tom’s brilliant, but when it comes to people smarts, he’s clueless. When his older brother disappears, Tom opens the door to adventure and terror—and a beautiful red-haired spy. She stands in the doorway and spins a tale so unbelievable it just might be true. What if his carefree brother is not just a tennis instructor, but a spy who has uncovered a secret so explosive it could trigger a bloody revolution?

Tom will do whatever it takes to get his brother back, even if he’s completely unprepared for what happens next. He’ll need the help of would-be friends and foes, and a whole lot of luck, to outwit the psychopathic killer holding his brother hostage. And maybe, just maybe, he can rescue his brother and keep America from reaching the fracture point, too.

Amazon Kindle ; Amazon Paperback ; Barnes and Noble Paperback
;

Amazon Audiobook ; Audible Audiobook ; iTunes Audiobook

THE GHOST KING by Jeff Altabef

Yep, another great book from Jeff. This one is the second installment of his RED DEATH series, following up on the sensational first book, Red Death.

An Ancient Prophecy foretold.

An Evil haunts the land.

A battle looms against overwhelming odds.

Led by a powerful witch, a wild invading army threatens to tear the Soulless lands apart. To survive, the three tribes must join together, but old grievances and hatred divide them. Only Wilky can unite them, but when he glimpses the future, he sees only a glimmer of hope; too much of the future remains veiled in darkness.

As the battle approaches, King Dermot orders his brother, Eamon, to stay behind at the Stronghold and defend against a possible siege. Eamon, who took an oath to fight the invaders, defies his brother, risks everything, and plunges into a desperate race with Aaliss and Wilky to unite the tribes.

Enemies from all sides conspire against them. Only together can they hope to succeed against the witch who will stop at nothing to destroy them. Yet even united, they will need magic to defeat this enemy at their door.

As the battle looms, only one chance at survival remains–the Ghost King–but who is he, and what will be the price of their redemption?

Amazon Kindle ; Amazon Paperback ; Barnes and Noble Paperback

ROTA FORTUNAE by Isu Yin & Fae Yang

This one is exciting for me because of the scope of this project–not to mention its quality. The authors’ current plan calls for a series spanning 60+ books, called GRIMS’ TRUTH. I know, I know… but really, if ever I had faith in authors to complete their plan, it’s in the team of Yin & Yang. This one launches October 2, but it’s available for pre-order now.

Everything that has happened, is happening, will happen again.

Several turns after the disappearance of the High Queen’s successor, rumors of a plague spread across the Empire of Mu. Two parties, the Rebellion and the Council, clash over the strange phenomenon and its source, the Tainted.

Cruentus Fate, a young Royal from the second kingdom of Mu, becomes entangled in the battle for the Capital as she and her brother, Abyssus, seek out the truth about their relationship with the enigmatic Grim. Her life turns upside down when she’s separated from her brother and sold to the brothel by their father, the King of Macellarius. The brothel’s Madam, Fortuna, takes Fate under her wing and broadens her knowledge of the Empire, the war at hand, and the secret behind her existence.

With her new understanding, Fate sets out to restore balance to the Empire, and to recover her brother from their father’s clutches. First, she must rally the support of the unstable prince of the neighboring kingdom.

Around every bend lies another dark secret about the world she lives in, and the more she uncovers, the more entangled she becomes in the web of lies her family has spun.

Amazon Kindle ; Barnes and Noble Nook ; Apple iBook ; Kobo ;

Amazon Paperback ; Barnes and Noble Paperback

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So that will do it for this time around–3 great books for your reading pleasure,
each of which I edited, and each of which I recommend wholeheartedly.

ENJOY!

Three Amazing New Books from Evolved Publishing

Well, I’m fairly fired up about the latest offerings from Evolved Publishing,
which I co-founded, and where I function as CEO and Managing Publisher/Editor. We take such great pride in our books, a right we think we’ve earned — as evidenced by these 3 books.

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I’ll mention first the book I edited, THE LAST MERIDIAN by Joe Hefferon. This is a harboiled crime/noir mystery that you’re really going to love. Just click on the title to go to the book’s page at the EP website, or go ahead and pop over to your favorite retailer to grab your copy:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Smashwords

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Next up is THE ATHEIST AND THE PARROTFISH by Richard Barager, M.D. In this case, you should REALLY click on the title and go to the book’s page at the EP site, because you’ll see there the many endorsements for this book from the likes of Midwest Book Review, U.S.
Review of Books, San Francisco Book Review, Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews, and Chanticleer Reviews. Or, you can just trust me and grab your copy today!

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Smashwords

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Third up is THE TRACE by Adelaide Thorne. This young adult sci-fi adventure is sure to appeal to fans of that genre, and a great addition to an already strong EP catalog of young adult titles. Click on the title for more information, or go ahead and grab your copy today.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Smashwords

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I hope you enjoy one of these books… or two… or all three! If you should happen to read any of them, we would be so pleased if you would leave an honest, heartfelt review at the site where you made your purchase, and at Goodreads, should you have an account there. For a small press such as Evolved Publishing, your reviews are so, so important to us.

Thanks a bunch, and enjoy.

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The Last Meridian by Joe Hefferon

I recently had the great pleasure of editing a harboiled crime/noir mystery novel by Joe Hefferon, and this is one I really think you’re going to like. Any number of authors come to mind when considering whether this book might be for you: James Lee Burke, Ed McBain, Nelson DeMille, Michael Connelly, Raymond Chandler, Paul Levine, John Sandford, Blake Crounch, Sue Grafton, Robert Crais, (and many others)–fans of all these authors are sure to love THE LAST MERIDIAN.

So let me tell you a little about it….

At the center of it all is the protagonist, Nina Ferrer. She is quite a strong woman, with a sometimes harsh and brutally honest approach to life that is at once a little disturbing and fairly refreshing. If you love great female lead characters, whatever the genre, this book is for you. But she is not alone, of course, and Joe Hefferon does a great job building a supporting cast of characters around her, many of whom are sure to appeal to you. As I’ve written in the past (more than once), the best books for me are those that provide a rich cast of characters that I can love or hate. The Last Meridian delivers that in spades.

Second is the story itself, and here Joe makes what I think is a great choice,
taking us back to Hollywood (mostly, but also a bit of Chicago) back in the 1960s. This is really a fun blast to the past, and it provides for great ground to enjoy this story.

Third is the writing itself. As I edited this book, I was struck by how often Joe took the time to wax philosophical, often providing prose that reads practically like poetry. Man, I love that kind of writing! I so appreciate authors who take the time to elevate their prose, and to provide us with some eloquent passages that make you say, “Man, I wish I’d written that.” Joe does so on many, many occasions.

Thus, I’m so pleased to have played my part as editor in bringing this book to publication (available for pre-order now, releasing May 22nd). I can give it a hearty thumbs-up and my highest recommendation. Am I biased? Well… sure… but really, I’m also a reader of this genre, and AS A READER, I can honestly say, “Get this book!”

Still Here

Yep… I’m still here. I was away from this site for so long, and hadn’t updated the site, that someone snuck in and hacked me… in a friendly kind of way, but still….

Anyway, I have a long TO-DO list, and I include on that re-engaging on this,
my author’s website. Yeesh! I really have let it go too long.

Watch for my first new “real” post in a long time to appear next week. It’s on my calendar.