Angela White's Blog, page 16

Sunday Story Trilogy #4-A Man Down (Fantasy Western)

A Man Down




The smell of the cows was what done me
in.




Ever since I was a little cowboy,
watchin my pa drive other men's herds, the best smell in the world to me, was
beef. On the hoof or on my plate, it don't matter. Their hides, their dung,
their breath even, floating on a Big Sky wind. You see, cows mean money. And I
meant to get me some.












I left home on my 16th birthday,
couldn't wait no longer to start buildin my fortune, and I didn't listen to
nothin my folks said. I was determined to be more than a hired hand. I tried
cards first, cause I always beat my pa and his friends but after a night at the
tables, I knew it wudn't for me. I played fair. No way I could win without
cheatin and I couldn't shoot, didn't even have a gun.












Next, I tried hirin out to the farms and
I made some fast cash from that one but their eyes called me a saddle-tramp
despite my only being 17 and I turned to things that made me feel bigger. Like
breakin horses. For some reason now, my love o' beef don't extend to those tall,
jittery animals and I only stayed for a couple days before walkin back to town,
rubbin my behind. Somethin they don't tell ya about filly's is that they like
to bite after they throw ya off. I came away from that job with no money,
bleeding, and a future scar on my shoulder. Coulda been worse, though. I think
that buckskin mare was goin for my throat.












After that, I spent time working on the
raillroad that the town was helpin to build. It was the hardest work I ever
done and after three weeks, I'd had enough. The pay was real good but the work
was drainin. I didn't even have the energy to visit the saloon no more!












Then, one of the dancehall girls
suggested I try to be an apprentice and I convinced the blacksmithy to take me
on. After the fire, I tried the general store and then the inn but I just
coudn't do it. Things fell from my hands and mouth without me knowin they was
goin to and I moved on quick, before they could fire me.












From there, I hired out to the saloon on
weekends, then the newspaper opened up and I gave that a shot too but I
couldn't get those tiny letters to line up straight enough! After I broke a
finished edition, the owner himself asked me to leave. It just seemed like
there weren't nothin I could do.












I wudn't givin up though and I stayed in
town, mostly sleeping in the stables in exchange for helpin to clean 'em. I ate
what I cooked and hunted in the woods. It weren't no easy life but it weren't
bad neither and I reckon I could have went on strugglin through other jobs till
I found somethin I could settle down and try to be good at. Except for those
cows. They was my undoin.












The herd came within twenty feet of
where I was settin up camp and the minute I spotted them longlegged steers in
the moonlight, I was froze in place. There seemed like 500 head or better,
prime beef with fat bellies and well cared for hooves, and I saw them with joy
in my eyes.





Their scents came to me, like a wave 'o
perfumes on the Montana wind and I inhaled sharply, smilin. Ain't no better
smell.












There were riders keepin the herd
together, long faced cowboys with hard eyes and even harder guns on their lean
hips, and I watched them pass with a longin that musta shown on my face cause
as the drag rode by, one rider broke off and headed my way.












Tall in the comfortably creaking saddle,
the cowboy wore a faded black hat and his sharp blue eyes went over me from
head to foot before settlin on my face. His skin was lined with weather and age
but he was a strong man, I was sure of it, and when he spoke, I knew to listen.












"You a drover?" I shook my
head reluctantly, recognizing the word even though none around here used it.





"No." The cowboy looked from
me to the large herd that was starting to disappear over the hill and his voice
was gruff, raspy.





"I'm a man down." Shock
colored my face and I felt the sense that he was smelling it but pushed the
strange thought away.





"Don't no nothing about herdin cept
for what came from watchin my pa." With another foreman, I may have tried
to lie my way in but not to this man and not ever.  The cowboy nodded casually.





"I reckon." His eyes swung
back to mine, searching.





"You willin to learn?" I
nodded immediately, thinking this was my lucky day, and he waved a huge hand
toward my town, where the saloon music had started drowin out all the quiet.












"Catch up to us at the inn." I
nodded again, too shocked to hold my hand out to shake on it, and when he
leaned down and his big paw moved toward me, the wave of fear in the air
slapped me hard. Somethin wasn't right.





"Shake on it, boy." I did it
reluctantly, and with a premonition of doom that said he'd grab my neck instead
and rip it clean off my shoulders, but his fingers felt like any other man's
and when we shook, it was quick and then he let go.





"See you soon." It was a
strange thing, his way of talkin. People round here didn't use those words and
alarm flared in my mind as I watched him turn his solid black horse around
without appearing to use the reigns. Nothin, I told myself. Indians do it all
the time. I watched until he was gone and then got busy packin in my small
camp. There was money in town. And cows.












I stepped through the swinging doors of
the Inn and my eyes went over the filled seats and lined walls with growing
concern. One position and four dozen men. There was no way I would get the job
it but I settled in the far back and waited anyway, ignoring the snickers from
those who knew my work history. The Inn owner, I didn't look at and was glad he
let me stay.












 I
ran my eyes over those nearest me, evaluating. Drunkard, wife beater,
shiftless, too short, too fat. Most of these men had serious flaws and I stood
a bit straighter as the office door opened and my cowboy came out. He still had
his hat on and his hard blue eyes found mine first. How, since I was behind a
dozen men, I don't know, but he motioned me forward and silence fell in the
dusty room.





"Boss's waitin for ya." He
ordered, hooking his thumb toward the door and my pride was huge as I moved
through the grumbling men. The cowboy's words made the muttering go up another level.





'"He had a reservation. The rest of
you will be called in by last name. Who's got A?"












I let the sounds fade as I opened the
office door and the sight of an empty chair and open backdoor didn't ease my
nervousness none. Why I was goin first was clear, he'd asked me to come but why
only me out of all this town's fine men, I had no clue.





I closed the door with my boot, glad the
movement looked as if I'd done it so well every time. The room was empty, a
quick look told me so, and I stayed where I was, waiting. And looking at the
money. It was on the huge, dark wood desk, an enormous amount of loot. Stacks
of fives, tens and twenties and next to them a pile of randomly spread gold
coins.












Herdin jobs were hard to come by unless
you had connections. I had always refused to name my pa, wanting it on my own
but as I looked over that stack of cash, very aware it was a test, I thought
that before I left this room, I might drop more than a name if it got me this
job. Normal cowboys, these were not. None made that kind of cash from smell of
cowshit and dodgin indians.





And so the shock made my mouth fall open
when that black woman stepped in from the back door and smiled at me. She had
the longest, darkest hair I'd ever seen and her body! Those curves stood out
inside that long black dress in ways that woulda made a saloon girl ashamed.
She was tall, firm, stunning to my eyes and when she stepped toward me, the
slit in her dress revealed a bare thigh that made me hafta shake my head.





And her eyes! Bright green cat's eyes,
with the almond shape that sent a chill into my legs and then she was holding
out a hand to me and I was touching her and I don't remember much after that.












I know we talked some. She told me she'd
inherited the herd from her pa, who'd been a drover, like mine and from there,
it all went kinda fuzzy. I remember askin her if there was a work period, where
I could quit ifin it wudn't what I was up to and she told me a deal was a deal.
Stomach went a bit queasy at that but then she'd smiled and said I had the look
of a born drover and besides, Angel wudn't never wrong.












I got the job and left through the
backdoor with a smile on my face and the scent of her fiery perfume in my nose.
I was supposed to go straight to the stables, where the foreman, my cowboy,
would put me to work. I couldn't believe I'd gotten the position but the only
thought that crossed my mind as I neared the stables, was to wonder if the Boss
Lady rode with the herd like one of the men.












The opening of the office door behind me
made me turn automatically and I caught a quick flash that made ice run through
my veins. The beautiful black woman was no longer a woman at all, but a devil,
with sharp, gouging horns and a long, spiked tail that slammed into the man she
was interviewing. Blood splattered across the door, a shadow slid to the floor,
and then the devil switched back to the Lady right before me!












I gasped, couldn’t help it, and she
turned. Those glowing eyes held mine for the longest minute of my life and when
she dismissed me, I turned to run for help. And that’s when I saw those cows.












The stable doors were just opening and
at first, all I could see were those glowing eyes and then their beautiful long
legs and I forgot all about the killin going on behind me.  












Them steers was the prettiest things I
ever saw. In the darkness, without the light to conceal their true form, the
cows were a vision of mystery. Horns made of gold wound about their heads,
sharp points gleaming in the moonlight. Their red eyes were lit up, searching
hungrily and their smell! Beef cooking was what came to mind and I moved toward
them without another thought of running for help. Those cows pulled at me, and
as if they sensed my complete adoration, the entire herd came to meet me, greet
me. I held my gloved hand out to the lead steer, a huge male that musta weight
three times what I did.












"I'm your new Drover." I
wasn't sure why I used those words but they worked and when I put my hand on
that hide, their scents makin me drunk, I fell to my knees in pleasure. I would
keep this job. They would never get me to go.



















"You sure know how to pick 'em,
don't ya?"





Angel nodded, hard blue eyes watching
the shadow of a tail strike that signaled another unclean soul being removed
from the earth. Another beautiful, long horned steer appeared in the herd.





"Yep. One Drover per town or twenty
souls added to the herd. Gettin both here."


























Here’s a couple other stories I found last year.
The Apocalypse and Horror. What more could a reader ask for?














The Flu by Jackie Druga

$7.99 Kindle Edition












Throughout history there have been
several thousand different strains of influenza. Each year hundreds are active.
Chances are, this year, you will catch one of those strains. You will cough,
sneeze, and your body will ache. Without a second thought, you’ll take a double
dose of green liquid, go to bed, and swear you’ll feel better in the morning.


Not this time.



In 1918 forty million people succumbed to a particular strain of swine flu. It
appeared out of nowhere, and just as quickly as it surfaced, the Spanish Flu
vanished. Gone for good. Or so we thought. Though mankind has anticipated its
resurfacing for some time, mankind is ill prepared. Mutated and with a
vengeance, the Spanish Flu returns.



In a world blackened with plague, a glimmer of light exists in the small town
of Lodi, Ohio. They shine as a sanctuary because they are ‘flu-free’ In the
wake of the reality that they are spared, the spirit and strength of Lodi is
tested. It becomes a fight against what is morally right or wrong in an
increasingly difficult battle to stay healthy and alive until the flu has run
its course.







http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00658MGTO
























































Dark Crux: The First Tome





By Omar Carbona and Rob
RodenParker




$0.99 Kindle Edition
















Dark
Crux: The First Tome is the first in a series of horror/paranormal short
stories that will shock, frighten, and excite you!



This first book has four short stories that involve ghosts, evil spirits, an
assassin, a demonic wraith, magical creatures, and zombies. In space.



The Bad Place - Kristen has lived through the death of her son and is now back
on her feet, continuing with her life. She still misses her son, but is
comforted by the presence she can feel in her house, a feeling of ghostly
essence that she believes is her son come back to her. Until it starts to hurt
her. She has to run from her home to save her life. Now, with help from her
next-door neighbor, an ex-priest, she will confront the presence and ask it to
leave. But when it doesn't want to go, she finds herself fighting for her life
again. And this time she may not win.



Shadow Child - Members of a small southern community are being murdered by a
mysterious killer. A mystery unfolds as it is discovered that the spirit of a
young African boy has been unleashed onto a community of racist socialites.



Wayward Blade - A mysterious black-cloaked assassin finds himself fleeing the
local townsmen when he takes refuge in some dark woods. In those woods he
encounters an evil force that summons an elemental monster to stop him from
going any farther. As the battle rages, the assassin discovers that this evil
force holds secrets. Secrets that could destroy him. Forever.



No Home To Return To - Six astronauts aboard the International Space Station
witness the entire Earth go black. With no communications from the planet, they
have no idea what went wrong. And if they'll ever survive the plague that now
threatens to kill everyone on the station.



So grab a copy, get cozy, and be sure to leave the lights on as you read
through the four stories of terror and the supernatural.





http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007VHSTB2








 Next Time: To be announced






























"Seven very gifted survivors are destined to rebuild their country after a nuclear apocalypse...If they can stay alive long enough to find each other.”

The Survivors: Book One

Now FREE on:

iTunes
Amazon
Kobo Books
Google eBooks
Author’s Website

Adrian's Eagles now live on Amazon!

Over the next few days, a complete list of retailers and links will be posted. As of this message, it can be had through Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, & my webiste (Epub, Pdf, & Doc). itunes has it under review, so does Kobo, and Baker & Taylor will have it next week. Print will also be available next week, through Createspace and Amazon.



Happy reading!



Angie





http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007Y6WEUC/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_alp_v3gNpb0DGH683





"Seven very gifted survivors are destined to rebuild their country after a nuclear apocalypse...If they can stay alive long enough to find each other.”

The Survivors: Book One

Now FREE on:

iTunes
Amazon
Kobo Books
Google eBooks
Author’s Website

Adrian’s Eagles is now Live!

Here’s the blurb and first buy link. Thank you for your
patience, I know it took forever and the wait sucked. I hope when you’ve
finished, you’ll think it was worth it. I also hope you’ll join me for the 30
day Scenes of the Apocalypse release tour. You can find the links and dates in
the left sidebar. Feel free to stop by and comment. Many of my hosts are also
authors and they have some amazing works available.












Happy reading,





Angela White



















"The Slavers are
coming...I can almost feel their hate."



Adrian’s hand rested lightly on his gun. 
"The Eagles want them to. After all the hell they've caused, my Army can't wait to make them
pay."












Three months after the War of 2012, Safe Haven refugee camp
has made it to South Dakota and now holds six of the seven special survivors
meant to lead the rebuilding of their country -but it can’t be done until they
find a safe place to settle… and who can think of peace when there’s a huge
camp of foreign invaders less than a day behind their group and they only want
one thing? Safe Haven and everyone inside the light.












Will Adrian be able to keep his people out of Cesar’s evil
control long enough to finish the training he’s begun? The enemy numbers are
over 300 and growing. There are currently 64 Eagles in Adrian’s army. Maybe if
Brady can come up with the right plan and Angela can tell him when. He’ll also need
Sam to warn him when Nature is attacking. John will look after their health and
Kenn will…get banished if he can’t let go of Angie, who has found something she
really wants (even though no one else, not even Brady, wants her to try for it).













The Survival of America: everyone is on equal ground,
working for a common goal, yet it won’t happen overnight
and not everyone can handle Adrian’s version of safety, including some of his
closest people.












“Eagles are men and
women who care about the future of their country, so much, that they are
willing to make any sacrifice.  With hope
and suspicion in equal amounts, they believe in the truth when it’s called for
and silence when it’s not. We hate to lie.












An Eagle is the only
line of defense between our camp of survivors and a hostile new world. Extreme
force is necessary and will be used at my discretion, no matter the age or
condition of the threat. True mercy in this new hell usually comes from death
and hardly anything else. Be prepared to not only face it up close but also to
be the one pulling that trigger. Lives are not to be taken lightly, but they will be taken.












The continuation of
America is all I care about and there isn’t anything I won’t do, any one life I
won’t sacrifice, to see it happen. Be sure you really want this. It may be your
life I take to save theirs.”














Adrian’s Eagles: Seven
earth-shattering weeks that will leave you breathless. Come see how it all
plays out, won’t you?

































Adrian’s
Eagles -Buy it here!












Watch the trailer for this
series












Free-The Survivors-The bestselling
novel that started it all.












-See on
iTunes       More Scenes of the Apocalypse

Adrian's Eagles is live on the Nook!

Here's the link. Happy reading, Nook owners!

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/adrians-eagles-angela-white/1110453697?ean=2940014557511



"Seven very gifted survivors are destined to rebuild their country after a nuclear apocalypse...If they can stay alive long enough to find each other.”

The Survivors: Book One

Now FREE on:

iTunes
Amazon
Kobo Books
Google eBooks
Author’s Website

LAW Day #6-Kenn-Why Wasn't He Banished?

Lance Corporal Kenn Harrison






Age: 36

Height: 6’1”

5/30/76

Weight: 240lbs



Black, crew-cut hair

Blue eyes

Decorated Marine

Wide shoulders

Short tempered, abusive

Black goatee

Party clown

9mm

Beefy hands












So why wasn’t Kenn banished for his abuse of Angela before the war?





Because of Adrian’s rules, he can’t be. He has to do
something while in Safe Haven and Adrian tried very hard to remind him of all
he’s risking. In book 4, Adrian’s Eagles, Kenn snaps, grabbing her by the
throat in front of not only a tent of Eagles, but also Adrian. You’d think that
would be the end of it, but the marine is saved once again by fate. Interrupted
by Mother Nature, Kenn’s next action earns him a pass and a possible way to
earn his place back. If he can let Angela go…and sanction her as an Eagle…and
Brady’s legal mate. It’s a lot to ask and may not have been possible without
the attempts on Adrian’s life. Attempts that Kenn suspects Tonya of. Here are
two clips of that confrontation.












Despite the feelings he had found for
the redhead, Kenn had avoided her for most of the last week and he wasn’t in
the mood for the jealousy-ridden tirade she was sure to deliver. He hadn’t
figured out where Tonya fit into his plans to earn back Adrian’s respect.





Instantly hurt and then mad, Tonya put
out a black boot to trip him and Kenn went down awkwardly in the dirt.





“To hell with you, then!”





She spun around and Kenn sat up,
watching her go. There was another pain in his ass. Too stubborn, too sexy, too
determined… Kenn froze as his mind showed him a possible way out of his mess.
Maybe he could honestly try again, instead of pretending.





“Wait up, Tonya! I’ll walk you to your
tent.”





It was the first time he’d ever shown a
public interest in her and she stopped, surprised. “Okay.”





Kenn moved to her side and shocked
everyone in sight by placing a gentlemanly hand on her arm. “Let’s take our
time. We have some things to talk about.”


























“No, I didn’t.”





Tonya’s voice was indignant, telling him
she wasn’t lying. “How would I know what to do? I barely drive.”





Kenn thought differently but was still
too pissed over the attempt on Adrian’s life to be sidetracked. “Swear it!”





Tonya’s voice rose a bit. “I’ve told
you. If you can’t accept it, that’s your problem.”





Kenn’s face tightened like he wasn’t
convinced “We’ll be through if you’re lying.”





The redhead’s stiffened, but she only
gave a shrug. “I didn’t do it and I don’t deserve this from you.” She raked him
with a sharp glance. “Maybe we should change our plans for later.”





Kenn was the one scowling now. “Why?
Guilty conscience?”





Fed up, Tonya delivered a nasty sneer.
“Sure. I spend a lot of time biting the hand that feeds me. I’m that stupid,” she
snorted, turning away. “Jackass.”





Kenn let her go
in relief. He’d been hard on her, jerking her into the garden truck to
interrogate her, but he had to be sure she didn’t do it. He couldn’t be
sleeping with the enemy, especially not when he was trying so hard to earn back
his place. It would be rough, adjusting to seeing Marc and Angela together so
soon after he’d threatened her death but that old rage had shot out of him the
instant he pulled the trigger on Dean. He didn’t like their relationship and
never would, not to mention there was still a wall of bitterness about the whole
Charlie paternity affair, but he had his place as a top level man in Adrian’s
chain of command and that mattered more.












And now that he
knew Tonya wasn’t guilty, Kenn could concentrate on finding out who was and
gain more ground on the gap he’d created with his flawed wiring. Kenn had come
to accept that, had to after hearing it so many times from those here. His
parents had damaged him and he’d hurt her as a result. It had seemed far
fetched to him but after seeing Angela bleeding in front of Adrian, Kenn’s
perceptions had become different.





For every slap
he’d seen his father deliver to his mother, he had given one to Angela, as if
it were what he supposed to do. The only relationship he’d seen was one of
complete control and it had felt natural to carry it into his adult life. It
was a sobering line of thoughts, mind changing and personality altering. He
wasn’t that cheerful pre-War Kenny anymore but he was still on Adrian’s right
and that was enough to keep him giving everything he had.












Kenn isn’t a
good guy, but he isn’t evil either. Once he accepts his lot things might even
get better for him.












Next
week: Tonya

















"Seven very gifted survivors are destined to rebuild their country after a nuclear apocalypse...If they can stay alive long enough to find each other.”

The Survivors: Book One

Now FREE on:

iTunes
Amazon
Kobo Books
Google eBooks
Author’s Website

How to build an Amazon Product Page that Will convert sales into purchases

On Amazon, the
first thing a reader sees happens in this order:







Cover







Price







Review
rating-The # of stars.













If you can make
sure these three things are PERFECT, you can guarantee a sale. They wouldn’t
have clicked on your title if they didn’t like that genre. You’ve got them
there based on the category you chose. (You do have your browse categories
picked, don’t you? – Not sure what that is? You need an Amazon page evaluation.)













Now that they
are on your page, let’s start with the cover. Look at the bestsellers online.
Does your cover compare? Then replace it. I understand it was the FIRST and
holds a special place, but an author must change with the times. Look at how
many different covers S. King has had over the years. It’s okay to make a
change and now is the perfect time. Don’t think you can afford something that
looks that great? You must not have been here for last months posts. Here are 4 places where you can get a
stunning ebook cover for under $25. One of them offers very nice cover art for
only $5. Hard to beat that in this economy.













So your cover
is set to be changed or it’s already okay. Now we’ll go over price. Amazon has
some wonderful promotions available. One of our previous articles covered a lot
of this. Right now, imagine you’re looking for a book. Would the price you see on
your own page send you looking somewhere else? Then lower it.







Or-use an
Amazon promotion. If you have a series out, offer the first book for free on
Amazon for their 5 days. If 500 people download it, the law of averages says
you’ll get about 50 sales from it on the next book in the series.



















Now, the review
rating…the more stars the better. But those little buggers can be hard to come
by when so many people have such different opinions about your work. You need
to depend on the fans. When they write on your FB wall, thank them and ask for
a review. When they comment on the good reviews, thank them and ask them to
leave their own. When they fill out the comment form on your website, ask
them…you don’t have a comment form on your website? Why not? Look at
mine. See how I’ve made the reader’s thoughts the first thing that
really draws your eye? Do the same thing for your website and no, I don’t mind
if you copy my setup. Use it as long as it works for you. Eventually, you’ll
come up with your own ideas.













So how do you
pull in better review ratings? Look through the bad reviews, make a list of
valid changes – be honest here. If it was perfect, would you need to do this at
all? - and implement them. When it’s done, use the ‘From the Author’ tab to let
everyone know. Now look through the bad reviews again and ask some of the more
likely people to re-read it and see if it’s better for them. Do NOT ask them to
change their rating. Just ask them to read it and if it’s a success, they’ll go
back in and change their rating on their own.













You’ve done all
that – how else can you improve that rating? Get more reviews. And that’s next
week’s topic.











For now, let’s
move on to the next thing a reader sees - the description and editorial review
section. Did you notice that few of the bestsellers have the correct thing put
in the correct place? Such as mine - I chose to open my intimate conversation
with a stranger by letting my book do the heavy lifting. I used the catchiest
line/quote from the book where the review clip should be. And it works. Then,
the description scrolls up - tell them what happened as if they’re reading it
rolling up a huge screen at the theater. Drama sells.



















Below all that,
is a section for extras. You add these through Shelfari… I’m going to pretend I
didn’t hear you ask that. Check out last Monday’s ebook post, please.













Now that you’ve
added these extras, look further down. Fill out EVERY space Amazon offers. The
more information you share, the more trust you’re building with the reader.
From the flap and the back cover can be filled in with clips, quotes, even a
poem, like the one I use here. Just always be
sure that the text you use is an exact copy of the book so you don’t create
expectation you can’t fulfill.













On a personal
note, I usually leave ‘about the author’ blank except for a short note
stating-“please see Author page.” I prefer them to go to my official profile,
which not only boosts my rank a bit, it allows them to see my Twitter feed,
blog feed, and any events I have going.













I know this is
a lot. Start at the top and work on one item at a time. It will take a month or
so, depending on your changes, but these are long term solutions that WILL give
you the passive income you’re hoping for. Once you make the reader happy,
dreams can happen.













Next week:
100’s of free reviews- where to get them and how to ask














"Seven very gifted survivors are destined to rebuild their country after a nuclear apocalypse...If they can stay alive long enough to find each other.”

The Survivors: Book One

Now FREE on:

iTunes
Amazon
Kobo Books
Google eBooks
Author’s Website

April News and Notes- 8 Days until Adrian’s Eagles!

It’s
that time- Beta copies have been sent out. If you were on the list, check that
email!








Updated
copies of book one and the deluxe are available for your Kindle, under the ‘my
account’ tab. Next to the title, there will be an update button. Still working
on getting books 2 and 3 updated.












Off
for the summer – that’s me. I’ll be working on something, not sure what yet,
and I’ll let you know when I’m back. In the meantime, you can still leave
comments on my website or send me an email. I’ll answer them all when I return.








The
next book to go up for preorder will be listed on my website sometime in May.












Adrian’s
Eagles will go live on my website on 4/27(or sooner), for $3.99. This is a limited
time price. When it goes on Amazon and others, it will be $4.99 and the price
on my website will increase to that amount also.








Thank
you all so much. I hope you like it. Look for a release tour to start on 4/27.












That’s
it for now, unless you’d like to preorder a copy – comes in epub or pdf. See
below.















Adrian’s Eagles








Three months after the War of 2012, Safe
Haven refugee camp has made it to South Dakota and now holds six of the seven
special survivors meant to lead the rebuilding of their country -but it can’t
be done until they find a safe place to settle… and who can think of peace when
there’s a huge camp of foreign invaders less than a day behind their group and
they only want one thing? Safe Haven and everyone inside the light.













Watch the trailer for this
series




Free-The Survivors-(Amazon) The
bestselling novel that started it all. -See on
iTunes.




















"Seven very gifted survivors are destined to rebuild their country after a nuclear apocalypse...If they can stay alive long enough to find each other.”

The Survivors: Book One

Now FREE on:

iTunes
Amazon
Kobo Books
Google eBooks
Author’s Website

LIfe After War #5-Brady, Brady, Brady

First Sergeant Marcus Brady




Age: 35

Height: 6’

12/13/77

Weight: 225 lbs

Broad shoulders

Loner/slightly
bitter

Forced to go into
the service

Black feathered
hair

Colt
.45’s-matching ivory handles

Full, pouty lips












Quote: “It’s okay
to be scared, but you have to think too.”












Strengths





-There are few
problems he can’t handle if given the time or materials.





-Once his loyalty
is given, it is unshakable.












Weaknesses





-Knows how to be a
team player but his misery often makes him a loner.





-beyond at having
another chance with Angie, he has no other goals, no vision for his future.












FBI notes





-DNA marker came
back inconclusive. Subject shows no signs of mental abilities; however,
termination has been recommended due to above average strategy skills. Considered
Dangerous. Location: New Mexico-See case manager for map.












How does Marc feel about Angie becoming an
Eagle? Here’s a clip that should help explain it.












“Can I sit
here?”





Angela looked up
from her tray with an unguarded smile that made Marc’s heart thump.





“You know it.”





Her response,
however, made his anger flare higher. She sounded more like these people every
day. “I’d like to talk to you about something that’s bothering me.”





Angela answered distractedly,
glad to feel the pill finally starting to calm the heat in her shoulder.
“What’s up?”





Marc sat across
from her and braced himself, suddenly sure it would go badly. “I don’t think
you should be an Eagle.”





A breathless
sort of shock slid over her face and Marc dropped his head, but didn’t stop.
“I’d like you to resign, find something else. There has to be a safer way for
you to help him.”





“I see.” There
was only ice now. “And your reasons?”





Marc felt the
ambush coming, tried to head it off. “There’s a lot you’re not seeing and it
might get you hurt. These people don’t want you to do it, not even the women
here. Just you and Adrian.”





There was a
sneer in his tone that had her frowning. He still didn’t trust or even like
Adrian.





“That’s not
true,” she argued, thinking of her shower visit from Hilda and Peggy. “There
are a few.”





Marc shook his
head. “Trained lapdogs don’t count.” His voice gentled, became almost
patronizing to her wounded ears. “And none of them really think you can either.
When the first cage match comes and no one hits you, everyone will see the flaw
in his plans.”





Angela knew she
should be furious with his lack of support, but she’d already noticed those
things hadn’t she? Marc’s beef wasn’t the Eagles at the moment, but Adrian.
“You’re jealous.”





It was a fact
being stated. Marc couldn’t, wouldn’t deny it.





Sadness hit
Angela in waves. “Why can’t I have both, Brady?”





“What?” Marc had
been bracing for her anger, not a compromise.





“Both. You and
the Eagles.”





Marc didn’t know
what to say to that and she leaned forward. “I have the room and I’ve been
working on it from the moment we got here. I want both.”





Angela’s voice
lowered to a plea. “I need both. Please don’t make me pick one or the other.”





Marc hated it
that he could feel himself turning into Kenn. “How does that work?”





“You have to let
me do what I am meant to. If I get hurt in the process, that’s life now. I’ve
been held back for so long!”





She noticed the
nearest perimeter guards changing, made contact with the shadows. “And there’s
so much I can do, so many ways I can help if I’m an Eagle.”





Angela turned
back to him with flecks of steel shimmering. “I will be one of them, in every
way, Brady. I’m almost free of the past, but this can’t hang between us. You’ll
have to decide if you can let me live my life the way I see fit. If you can, I’ll
share it with you, openly.”





Her tone went
back to ice. “But that means accepting me as an Eagle.”





“And that’s
firm? No room to bend?”





Angela sighed at
the stiffness in his voice. “What if I said okay, Marc? I’ll move my stuff into
your tent today and resign, go back to just being a doctor. Is that what you
want?”





She had tried
hard for casual, but the pain clear and Marc shook his head. “Yes.”





Angela’s face
tightened. He wouldn’t force her, would he? “I’ll go pack. You tell Adrian.”





Marc’s eyes
flashed and she gave him a hard stare, pushing away from the table. “I owe you,
right? It’s time to start paying off that debt.”





Was she
bluffing? Did it matter? He could never follow through. “I’m leaving soon. Get
ready for it.”





Angela stood up,
voice scornful as she struck back. “I was ready for it when you found me in
Indiana.   Surprised you’ve stuck around this long.”

































As you can see, he’s against it and things
are getting ugly. What’s his biggest issue with it?





Her getting hurt or killed? Her
becoming important in Safe Haven’s chain of command? All the time she’ll spend
with the Eagles and not him?












No. He’s really afraid of not being
needed. If she can stand on her own, he sees his own value to her as non-existent.
Will he be able to adjust? I believe so.












Next week- Kenn-Why wasn’t he banished?










"Seven very gifted survivors are destined to rebuild their country after a nuclear apocalypse...If they can stay alive long enough to find each other.”

The Survivors: Book One

Now FREE on:

iTunes
Amazon
Kobo Books
Google eBooks
Author’s Website

More ebook sales on Amazon Part #1- Features that deliver BIG results

Hi and welcome to Amazon month. This is a 5 part series that
will increase your sales there. All you have to do is follow the
advice.




Last week, we spoke about keywords - How to pick 'em and why you need 'em. This week, it's all about that super-giant we call Amazon. Let’s start with features. Many of you may already have your author
central pages filled out and think they’re fine. Are you sure? Amazon has a lot
of little items that can be overlooked or not taken full advantage of. Such as:












Twitter





I’m sure you knew you can put your twitter feed on there,
right? Why would you want to? It’s a way for readers to find you. Few authors
put their real email address out there, even less answer readers if they manage
to contact them. Not good business. You don’t have to respond to reviews, I
don’t, but you must talk to the people who love your work. If you have a
Twitter feed, they’ll click it, go to your profile, and devour any other
information you give them. It sends traffic to your other sites, which helps
with page rank and search engines, but more importantly, it tells the readers
you’re available to them. I’ve had a number of fans contact me through Twitter
–be sure you follow back! Here's how to do it.












Blog





The same as a Twitter feed, you can put your blog feed, which
is much more powerful. I average 5-10 hits a day on my blog that come from my
Amazon page. News posts, new books, updates…let them know and what better way
than on the retailer they shop on? Amazon shows the 3 most recent posts. So, how do you add a blog feed? It's confusing, right? Here's a simple article with the details. Just need to know where to get the RSS feed url? Read this and please, thank the Lady while you're there. She even put up a video showing exactly how! It's a great hub.












A Book Trailer





Let me guess…you can’t afford one. Bull. You should have
looked deeper into it, back when you first had the thought. Here’s what you would
have found - Anyone can do it on Annimoto. A 30 second clip is FREE. A full
length video is only $5. And yes, it’s easy. You upload the images, type in the
text you want to show and then just play with settings until you’re happy. Easy
as pie and THEY upload it to YouTube for you.












Photos





Have you put a single photo up on Author Central? Why?
Readers want to know about you. Tell them with a dozen simple photos. I used to
use the one of my eldest son at the zoo, with his head in the mouth of a stone Crocodile.
Gets a smile or a laugh and puts them in the mood to be entertained.












Your Profile





I know, these suck. I hate author bios, too. They’re boring
and painful, and many dance around the truth and tap over obvious lies. But it
doesn’t have to be that way.
Check out mine. See how I gave them enough to show I have a lot of
information to give, but not enough to make their eyes roll back in their head
from trying to keep up with my accomplishments? I also put things there that I want them to see, such as the note about reviews. Readers check out bios to see
if you’re credible, but they don’t really want to read the credits, you know?












Amazon Events





Never used it, right? Big mistake. Amazon promotes your events for
free. Here's a link to get you started. Load it up-relevant stuff only-and let Amazon get the word out for you.
Use it for book signings and appearances, new releases, deals and specials,
events like live chats and website openings. Anything that’s news should be
listed there.












The Home Page





Most of us skip reading the notes, too anxious to see where
our rank is, but take a minute and you’ll see some interesting things. Such as
the issue with reviews supposedly being resolved and the suggestion to add your
titles to Shelfari…what’s that? Here’s a
link and really! If you’re going to get serious in this business, you have
to stay current. Shelfari is another tool to reach readers. Along with Goodreads, but that site is mostly authors
now who flooded it after the Kindle Forum Wars. Shelfari is a wonderful place
to attract new readers –if you DO NOT promote yourself. It’s not allowed there
at all. On the other hand, Goodreads encourages it and has tons of things to
help…except it’s mostly authors your promoting to. I know we read, too, but we are not our target audience, right?












To gain new readers, you have to spend time finding out what
works. I’ve put in the time, you can see that from my website and bestseller
ranks, but if not for Amazon and Author Central, I’d still be selling 10 copies
a week –and was grateful for it, never doubt! I have that many downloads in an
hour now, all because I did my homework. You’re on the right track, searching
for the information, and it takes time. I researched and tweaked these methods
for over a year before I had any real success. Be patient, follow these
articles, and work as many hours as you can. I still put in 80+ and I’ve been
in the top 10 for a year with my LAW series., in a variety of categories.




The best thing about these features, it that they're 'passive income', meaning once you settle them, that's it, no redoing or updating every week and no 24 hour watching required. That's the goal of everyone - money that flows in while they sleep. That can honestly happen in this career, but you have to set it up that way. Your AC account is the basics of that.












Next Week: How to
build a sales page that will convert looks into purchases






"Seven very gifted survivors are destined to rebuild their country after a nuclear apocalypse...If they can stay alive long enough to find each other.”

The Survivors: Book One

Now FREE on:

iTunes
Amazon
Kobo Books
Google eBooks
Author’s Website

Final Beta-Reader List & Final Release Date –Adrian’s Eagles

Okay,
it’s finally that time!





Beta
copies of Adrian’s Eagles are being sent out on 4/17 (or sooner) and the
release date is 4/27. Below is everyone who should watch their emails. If your
name isn’t on the list and you’re sure it should be, please let me know in these
comments.





-Notes-Only
people previously confirmed will be sent a beta-copy.












The
email will include basic instructions on what I need and some other little
details. I’m hoping to have all lists of possible errors back within 5 days, so
I’ll have time to apply the suggestions before release. –very sorry for the
rush and if you cannot do it in that time, I do understand. I would still like
to have your thoughts on whatever you’re able to get through.



















So,
here you are, the wonderful folks who’ve volunteered to help me vet Adrian’s
Eagles for public consumption!



















-Scott-Indie Book Blog





-Cathy Blake





-Rita Knits





-Debbie Griffith











-AJ Simmonds





-Suze Ashman

-Undisclosed

-Laura-Lee Watson





-Jeffery Smock





-Wesley
Barrentine









-Fred Manis





-Swaggin Anastasia





-Misty
Richelle-(No email)





-Diane
Rhines-(No email)





-Christine
Hart









-Barbie
Glacken-(No email)











-Dana Morgan

-John Prangley-(no email)

Merry Lee-Twolips





-Derek Beard





-Dennis Lyons.





-Ariel
Schotz





-Darren
Duchaineau





-Kelly
Pixler





-Tina
lady Wolf





-Cathi
Cherry





-Autumn
Evans





-MerryLee-TwoLips
Reviews





Sharon K. Maybrier





Tammy- Plainfield





MerryLee –Twolipsreviews





Lisa Bellomo





Yvette Hernandez-Bailey- No Email





Laila Mitchell-No Email
































Please don’t think that because there are so many names on this list
that your edits, thoughts, or views won’t matter. I need every one of you. If it says (No email) next to your name, please
send it to me in a Facebook message or email me directly at a7777777Angela@yahoo.com –Please do
this even if you think I already have your address.








"Seven very gifted survivors are destined to rebuild their country after a nuclear apocalypse...If they can stay alive long enough to find each other.”

The Survivors: Book One

Now FREE on:

iTunes
Amazon
Kobo Books
Google eBooks
Author’s Website