Rob Rowntree's Blog, page 5
July 15, 2013
Nice job Abby Vandiver
Fellow Goodreads author asked if I'd read her book and and review. Here are my thoughts...
Unique and refreshing change of the religious thriller genre.
In The Beginning is firmly embedded in the Dan Brown, James Rollins, Tom Knox arena; a book dealing with a secret history, missing Dead Sea Scrolls, and the very origins of mankind. But unlike those other authors, Abby Vandiver has taken a different path. Rather than having her protagonists fighting off peril at every turn, she has engineered a plot revolving around strong family bonds, the versatility families can bring to problems and above all, resilience in the face of ridicule.
A refreshing change of pace in a crowded market place and all the better for it. The writing’s tight and crisp, and the characters are believable. That said, I would have preferred a firmer grasp of science in the parts where science was used to bolster the plot. That aside, In The Beginning is a good read for those hot summer days.
Available at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk
Unique and refreshing change of the religious thriller genre.
In The Beginning is firmly embedded in the Dan Brown, James Rollins, Tom Knox arena; a book dealing with a secret history, missing Dead Sea Scrolls, and the very origins of mankind. But unlike those other authors, Abby Vandiver has taken a different path. Rather than having her protagonists fighting off peril at every turn, she has engineered a plot revolving around strong family bonds, the versatility families can bring to problems and above all, resilience in the face of ridicule.
A refreshing change of pace in a crowded market place and all the better for it. The writing’s tight and crisp, and the characters are believable. That said, I would have preferred a firmer grasp of science in the parts where science was used to bolster the plot. That aside, In The Beginning is a good read for those hot summer days.
Available at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk
Nice review for Unbound Brothers at Underground Book review magazine.
Check out this review for Unbound Brothers.
http://www.undergroundbookreviews.com/3/post/2013/07/review-of-unbound-brothers-by-rob-rowntree.html?fb_action_ids=10200637780204655&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%2210200637780204655%22%3A220072774808984%7D&action_type_map=%7B%2210200637780204655%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D
"Rob Rowntree’s debut novel is a mix of Arthur C. Clark and Michael Crichton. In fact, about a fourth of the way into the book I kept thinking how much it reminded me of Sphere. From fascinating concepts like “blue space” to an interesting take on “wet-ware,” the novel explores several fascinating sci-fi themes. Overall, Rowntree’s writing is clean and tight, with excellent dialogue and good pacing. The characters are well written and believable, with plenty of tension to go around and keep the reader involved."
See the rest by following the link above and then don't forget to buy your copy while it's on sale at $2.99/£2.07.
http://www.undergroundbookreviews.com/3/post/2013/07/review-of-unbound-brothers-by-rob-rowntree.html?fb_action_ids=10200637780204655&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%2210200637780204655%22%3A220072774808984%7D&action_type_map=%7B%2210200637780204655%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D
"Rob Rowntree’s debut novel is a mix of Arthur C. Clark and Michael Crichton. In fact, about a fourth of the way into the book I kept thinking how much it reminded me of Sphere. From fascinating concepts like “blue space” to an interesting take on “wet-ware,” the novel explores several fascinating sci-fi themes. Overall, Rowntree’s writing is clean and tight, with excellent dialogue and good pacing. The characters are well written and believable, with plenty of tension to go around and keep the reader involved."
See the rest by following the link above and then don't forget to buy your copy while it's on sale at $2.99/£2.07.
July 12, 2013
Promotion for a limited time. Unbound Brothers at a new low price.
New Low Price.
For a limited time, my new Science Fiction novel, Unbound Brothers will be on sale for just $2.99.
Don't miss this chance to snap up the novel
From 14/04/2013 to 28/04/2013 only Unbound Brothers will be just $2.99.
Already gaining good reviews at Amazon.com and .co.uk - this is a great opportunity to add the book to your kindle for your up-coming holiday.
For a limited time, my new Science Fiction novel, Unbound Brothers will be on sale for just $2.99.
Don't miss this chance to snap up the novel
From 14/04/2013 to 28/04/2013 only Unbound Brothers will be just $2.99.
Already gaining good reviews at Amazon.com and .co.uk - this is a great opportunity to add the book to your kindle for your up-coming holiday.
July 10, 2013
Fantastic review for Unbound Brothers
Over at Amazon.com I just received this 5 star review - "The protagonist has a lovely dark past. The science fiction has original ideas. The internal threats are all too human, the external ones solidly inhuman. The science fiction tinged with horror works on many levels. And there's sabotage, and trust, and arguments. Full of love and sacrifice and broken promises and secrets and the need to not only survive, go home again.
This book is about xenophobia. It's about the many ways we face the fear of The Other."
Feeling kind of happy now.
This book is about xenophobia. It's about the many ways we face the fear of The Other."
Feeling kind of happy now.
July 7, 2013
Good reviews
I'm getting some good reviews over at Amazon.co.uk...
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful4.0 out of 5 stars unbound brothers 3 July 2013 By Mrs. B. J. Earnshaw Format:Kindle EditionI found it tense and a cliff hanger and would definitely recommend a chilling read. Imaginative and exciting. When is the next? Comment | Was this review helpful to you?1 of 1 people found the following review helpful5.0 out of 5 stars A cracking good read 1 July 2013 By Lisa Negus Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified PurchaseI was gripped from the start; there is exactly the right amount of tension and intrigue to keep you turning the pages late into the night. I would highly recommend this book. Comment | Was this review helpful to you? I'll be uploading a section of the book shortly.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful4.0 out of 5 stars unbound brothers 3 July 2013 By Mrs. B. J. Earnshaw Format:Kindle EditionI found it tense and a cliff hanger and would definitely recommend a chilling read. Imaginative and exciting. When is the next? Comment | Was this review helpful to you?1 of 1 people found the following review helpful5.0 out of 5 stars A cracking good read 1 July 2013 By Lisa Negus Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified PurchaseI was gripped from the start; there is exactly the right amount of tension and intrigue to keep you turning the pages late into the night. I would highly recommend this book. Comment | Was this review helpful to you? I'll be uploading a section of the book shortly.
Week Two in epublishing.
It's been two weeks since I launched my novel, Unbound Brothers. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DKA096W/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1DMBXDBY9KJ8QFGJQ699&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846
After finally weening myself off the sales ranking merry-go-round (more on that later) it's become clear that an increased web footprint is the key to exposure.
How do you do that? Well, at the moment I'm still finding my way; social media, FB, twitter etc and then finding forums to join, bloggers willing to read and review. The mix appears endless.
As of this week, I have done done the following.
1) Facebook - constantly bugging your friends can get wearing, but I don't think a weekly or bi-weekly reminder is excessive. Especially as many of them rely on the same methods for exposure.
2) I took out a free advert at http://www.free-press-release.com/ I don't know it it's had any effect, but the more the merrier right. There are other sites, such as, http://addictedtoebooks.com/submission and you can find more here, http://rachelabbottwriter.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/5-sites-to-promote-your-ebook-for-free/ but many of the better sites require 5 or more reviews at Amazon.com of 4 stars or more. They say this is a way to ensure quality, but...
3) So my next thought was to ensure that the required reviews are there - time to call in those favours. Contact as many of your writing fiends and ask if they are willing to review for you. Don't be shy because that will get you nothing. You can do the same for them.
4) Join forums. I have joined 3 so far and it's beginning to pay-off. Here they are,
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/ ,
UK Kindle Users Forum http://www.kuforum.co.uk/kindleusersforum/index.php
and Kboards http://www.kboards.com/index.php
There are more and I'll be exploring them shortly.
How has this affected my sales? Well it's difficult to say. They have remained constant and it makes me wonder whether they would have died altogether if I hadn't have pushed on.
Final thoughts on Amazon sales rankings - they're meaningless. They reflect the overall position of any sales against all sales at a particular time. For example on Amazon.com I was ranked around 310,000 one hour and then after a sale I was up at around 55,000. I guess if you sell 10 in a row you'll shoot up the rankings, but as it's a snap shot you can rely on it as an indication of sales. Obsessive though.
After finally weening myself off the sales ranking merry-go-round (more on that later) it's become clear that an increased web footprint is the key to exposure.
How do you do that? Well, at the moment I'm still finding my way; social media, FB, twitter etc and then finding forums to join, bloggers willing to read and review. The mix appears endless.
As of this week, I have done done the following.
1) Facebook - constantly bugging your friends can get wearing, but I don't think a weekly or bi-weekly reminder is excessive. Especially as many of them rely on the same methods for exposure.
2) I took out a free advert at http://www.free-press-release.com/ I don't know it it's had any effect, but the more the merrier right. There are other sites, such as, http://addictedtoebooks.com/submission and you can find more here, http://rachelabbottwriter.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/5-sites-to-promote-your-ebook-for-free/ but many of the better sites require 5 or more reviews at Amazon.com of 4 stars or more. They say this is a way to ensure quality, but...
3) So my next thought was to ensure that the required reviews are there - time to call in those favours. Contact as many of your writing fiends and ask if they are willing to review for you. Don't be shy because that will get you nothing. You can do the same for them.
4) Join forums. I have joined 3 so far and it's beginning to pay-off. Here they are,
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/ ,
UK Kindle Users Forum http://www.kuforum.co.uk/kindleusersforum/index.php
and Kboards http://www.kboards.com/index.php
There are more and I'll be exploring them shortly.
How has this affected my sales? Well it's difficult to say. They have remained constant and it makes me wonder whether they would have died altogether if I hadn't have pushed on.
Final thoughts on Amazon sales rankings - they're meaningless. They reflect the overall position of any sales against all sales at a particular time. For example on Amazon.com I was ranked around 310,000 one hour and then after a sale I was up at around 55,000. I guess if you sell 10 in a row you'll shoot up the rankings, but as it's a snap shot you can rely on it as an indication of sales. Obsessive though.
June 30, 2013
Week one in epublishing.
So, it's been one week since I published Unbound Brothers, so it's time for an update.
I used a company called Draft2Digital(D2D), they do not charge anything up front but take a 10% cut of your earnings. I have to say that this part of the operation went smoothly, within a day the book was up at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DKA096W/ref=as_li_tf_tl?tag=draft2-20, Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unbound-brothers-rob-rowntree/1115804338?ean=2940016597072&isbn=2940016597072, and Kobo http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Unbound-Brothers/book-OgJZMUWf8UeL2jvGS76Pjg/page1.html. It took a couple of days to appear on ibooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id665704790. Naturally I was very pleased with this, especially as I'd heard nightmares about the difficulties using other distributors.
One of the hurdles with self publishing your book electronically is exposure. How do you get people to notice your book? And that has been the situation for me. Sales have been slow. I priced at £4.99, I believe in my novel and feel a reasonable price should reflect the effort I've put in. However, when you look at the prices of some 'bestsellers' it's easy to see how you can be out sold.
I've approached some bloggers and websites for reviews. Hopefully those people that have bought it might also put some reviews online soon. As the summer break approaches I might also reduce the price to make it attractive to those people looking for something to take away.
This week's chore - gain exposure.
I used a company called Draft2Digital(D2D), they do not charge anything up front but take a 10% cut of your earnings. I have to say that this part of the operation went smoothly, within a day the book was up at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DKA096W/ref=as_li_tf_tl?tag=draft2-20, Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unbound-brothers-rob-rowntree/1115804338?ean=2940016597072&isbn=2940016597072, and Kobo http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Unbound-Brothers/book-OgJZMUWf8UeL2jvGS76Pjg/page1.html. It took a couple of days to appear on ibooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id665704790. Naturally I was very pleased with this, especially as I'd heard nightmares about the difficulties using other distributors.
One of the hurdles with self publishing your book electronically is exposure. How do you get people to notice your book? And that has been the situation for me. Sales have been slow. I priced at £4.99, I believe in my novel and feel a reasonable price should reflect the effort I've put in. However, when you look at the prices of some 'bestsellers' it's easy to see how you can be out sold.
I've approached some bloggers and websites for reviews. Hopefully those people that have bought it might also put some reviews online soon. As the summer break approaches I might also reduce the price to make it attractive to those people looking for something to take away.
This week's chore - gain exposure.
June 22, 2013
My novel cover...
Here's a mock up of my novel cover, for Unbound Brothers. The novel will be available from Amazon, ibooks, Nook and Kobo shortly. let me know what you think.
It's a novel about redemption and how our past dictates our path through life. There are some odd aliens too.
It's a novel about redemption and how our past dictates our path through life. There are some odd aliens too.
June 13, 2013
Teaser for my writing...
In anticipation of my upcoming novel release here's a short sample of my fiction. It's the beginning of my unusual werewolf short story 'Silver' which appeared in the anthology Transtories edited by the late Colin Harvey. He was a dream to work with and a great writer as well. Hope you like it.
***
New.
Alethea heaped extra charcoal into the brazier, then stoked the smouldering bricks before ensuring her test vehicle’s guy ropes were secure. Lock City’s off-shore autumn winds slapped her long auburn hair against her face. Gripped by the wind, her newly designed balloon rocked and jerked, possessed perhaps with a preternatural desire to escape.
For a moment she wondered whether this was a reflection of her own needs.
“You do realise,” Tobias said, “that your new husband won’t tolerate this kind of dabbling.”
For a moment she hated her friend for reminding her.
Her father’s assurances that Councilman Ogilvy Rossman, although many years older, would make a fine match, failed to quell her unrest; Ogilvy was respected, wealthy, still handsome and firm of body… and yet the match felt mundane. Her father assured…
Tobias sat beyond the fire, skinny frame silhouetted against the moonlit white isthmus beyond Lock City’s gate.
To be fair, Tobias only echoed a truth that burdened her with remorse. She remembered the last argument she’d had with her mother…
“Arranged marriages are nothing unusual, especially for people of our status. And it will make for a good mix o’blood. Many a girl would wish for what you’ve got.”
“But mother I have so much to do. There’s a world out there that I want to experience.”
Her mother’s sharp gaze held her still, “Duty comes before self. And the colony is all that matters. You will do your duty. Is that understood?”
“But -”
“These follies of yours are nothing but trivialities borne of restlessness. Marriage will cure you of your interests.”
“Perhaps I don’t want to be cured of my interests.”
Alethea immediately regretted her statement. The slap came fast and stung. Her mother added, “You will do your part. Sacrifice is part of our lives here.”
***
If you like the sample above you can read the rest in the anthology, Transtories. The link is in the side bar.
My novel, Unbound Brothers, will be out soon in mobi and epub versions.
Don't be shy, leave a comment. Hopefully soon I'll have this blog running with more content.
***
New.
Alethea heaped extra charcoal into the brazier, then stoked the smouldering bricks before ensuring her test vehicle’s guy ropes were secure. Lock City’s off-shore autumn winds slapped her long auburn hair against her face. Gripped by the wind, her newly designed balloon rocked and jerked, possessed perhaps with a preternatural desire to escape.
For a moment she wondered whether this was a reflection of her own needs.
“You do realise,” Tobias said, “that your new husband won’t tolerate this kind of dabbling.”
For a moment she hated her friend for reminding her.
Her father’s assurances that Councilman Ogilvy Rossman, although many years older, would make a fine match, failed to quell her unrest; Ogilvy was respected, wealthy, still handsome and firm of body… and yet the match felt mundane. Her father assured…
Tobias sat beyond the fire, skinny frame silhouetted against the moonlit white isthmus beyond Lock City’s gate.
To be fair, Tobias only echoed a truth that burdened her with remorse. She remembered the last argument she’d had with her mother…
“Arranged marriages are nothing unusual, especially for people of our status. And it will make for a good mix o’blood. Many a girl would wish for what you’ve got.”
“But mother I have so much to do. There’s a world out there that I want to experience.”
Her mother’s sharp gaze held her still, “Duty comes before self. And the colony is all that matters. You will do your duty. Is that understood?”
“But -”
“These follies of yours are nothing but trivialities borne of restlessness. Marriage will cure you of your interests.”
“Perhaps I don’t want to be cured of my interests.”
Alethea immediately regretted her statement. The slap came fast and stung. Her mother added, “You will do your part. Sacrifice is part of our lives here.”
***
If you like the sample above you can read the rest in the anthology, Transtories. The link is in the side bar.
My novel, Unbound Brothers, will be out soon in mobi and epub versions.
Don't be shy, leave a comment. Hopefully soon I'll have this blog running with more content.
June 6, 2013
So here it is then my first, small, test blog. Not ...
So here it is then my first, small, test blog. Not sure what I'm doing and if you want to comment go ahead, your more than welcome.
There's some interesting scientific chat about blackholes and singularities over here http://oak.ctx.ly/r/5x4p and what's more I seem to have had the jump on this in a story I wrote for a collection from Wizard Tower Press, Colinthology (there's a link on the side). To be fair there are alternate theories regarding blackholes and I chose one of those for my story. But this news is kind of spooky because it's similar to how I used them.
Life aping art aping science.
