Rick R. Reed's Blog, page 91

A Letter from a Reader that Makes it All Worthwhile

Hi All,

Below is a letter I got yesterday from a reader in London regarding my AIDS-era love story, CAREGIVER. More than money, more than fame, it's this kind of connection to a reader that really defines what I do and makes me want to go on telling stories that matter...

Dear Mr Reed

I wanted to write and thank you for your amazing story. It was just so beautifully written and also appropriate 30 years on from the emergence of HIV and AIDS.

I am a part time priest in the Diocese of London and an African woman. I am also a community activist on the issue of HIV, and on the issue of LGBT human rights abroad. Part of what I do is try to mobilise churches here in London to respond to HIV both here in the UK and home in Africa. Sometimes it can be an uphill struggle and it is books like Caregiver that encourage me not to give up.

I loved Caregiver because it recalls the days before anti-retrovirals. It is also a reminder not to take treatment for granted. In the UK today many people have forgotten the eighties and early nineties when people were dying of AIDS here. I think it is important not to forget and to use the pain and loss from the past to continue to respond to HIV and to push for access to treatment for people everywhere.

There was a particular part in the book at the end where Dan had written to Adam saying that if he had stayed alive a few more years he would have seen the advent of treatment. Whilst I was reading your book the analytical part of me kept saying 'if only he could have lived a few more years he would have made it.' I just had a real sense of loss as I read the book.

You also touched on a very important issue about the treatment of bereaved gay partners who were often overlooked by their partners families. In all the debates we have today about the decriminalisation of homosexuality and gay marriage you have touched something very important and it is simply about the humanity of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. This is something I can hold onto.

I am not gay, but I am involved in the struggle for lgbt human rights in Africa and elsewhere because of this humanity. This is sometimes a very difficult path to walk as an African woman and as a member of the clergy. Holding on to the humanity of others helps me both to see and act.

I have so many friends who are alive today because of anti-retrovirals. There are many African women who are alive today because of the early struggles of white gay men. This might seem a controversial statement to make, but its true. African women are often invisible or not heard. We would have found it hard to struggle on our own. We have a lot to thank God for, and we still have much ground to cover and work to do.

You have told a beautiful story that reminds me that we must not take treatment for granted and that we must never forget those who were lost.

Thank you.

Regards
Ijeoma Ajibade

BUY from Dreamspinner Press
In ebook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2561
In paperback:http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2562

Amazon Kindle version: http://tinyurl.com/3flyqzr

Win a FREE Copy of CAREGIVER

Member of Goodreads? Enter to win a free, signed copy of my AIDS-era love story, CAREGIVER. Just go here and click on the link to be in the drawing! Winner will be announced on November 22.

The 10 Deadly Sins of Website Design

From my friend and marketing guru, Penny Sansevieri:

Feature Article: The 10 Deadly Sins of Website Design
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Checklist to Help You Avoid Them

So, you're ready to create your very own author site, or maybe you're updating your old one. We all know there's a lot that can go wrong with a website (server gone down?) but there's also a lot you can do in the early stages to avoid some mishaps down the road. Here's a checklist that you can take with you as you work through the design elements of your website:

1. Cluttered: Let's just start there. A cluttered site is the kiss of death to conversion. Make sure the site you choose is clean, uncluttered and easy to navigate. If you can't figure it out, I guarantee you your visitor won't, either.

2. Confusing: Tell them what you want them to do. Several times. In order to make a sale, you have to tell your visitor what you want them to do - over and over and over. When we were redesigning our website, http://www.amarketingexpert.com, I kept hearing this from my web designer: let's tell them again and again what we want them to do. I responded to her, "But my visitors aren't stupid, they'll know what to do!" The problem is most surfers don't. We're busy, we're distracted, we want information and we want it now, also we want to know right away if we've landed on a site that can help us. If you repeat your primary message, they won't be able to miss it, and if the site is what they're looking for, they will stay. Which takes me to:

3. Too many messages: You must have one primary message and objective for your website. Yes, I know you want to do so much with it. You want to sell books and get speaking engagements and maybe even some consulting gigs. But all of this starts with one, clear objective. Take my site, for example. I have books, I am a speaker, I also sell marketing services and we are a full-service marketing and publicity firm. Wow, that's a lot, right? Yes, it is, but if you look at our homepage you don't see my books or my speaking. Why? Well, as much as I'd love to sell my books by the truckload, and speaking gigs are always fun to do, they don't keep the business going the way new business does. That's my primary objective.

4. Not knowing what your consumer wants: Once you figure out what you are selling, now you have to package it in a way that will entice your buyer. Knowing what they want and how they want it is key. Let's say you've written a cookbook for busy parents. And let's say your only objective is to sell books. That's a great goal! Now, your site needs to be designed around that goal. That means the book is front and center on the homepage, and because your user is probably busier than most, there's a big 'buy now' button just under the book that takes them to a page where they can purchase and download an eBook or order a print copy. Easy! You may also want to add a sign-up on the homepage so your readers can get cooking ideas, recipes and tips in their inbox a couple of times a month!

5. Cropsharing: This is what I call those folks who use other people's website domains. I seem to recall years ago there was something called Angelfire. Anyone could get a free site there. You could never own it, or upgrade, it was on their server and that was that. The problem is when their site goes away, so does yours. There are a lot of freebie websites out there, there's nothing wrong with this per se (other than I don't think we should design our own sites), and if you're strapped for cash this is a great, initial way to get started. But be sure that you can own the site at some point. Often free sites have an upgrade option, look into it before you build your website!

6. Copying your competition: It's great to love what your competition is doing, but don't copy them pixel for pixel. Not only is it not a nice thing to do, but consumers landing on both sites may not be able to tell the difference! Additionally, if Google spots this type of duplication, you could get your site pulled down.

7. Uh-oh, typo: Please spell check your website. Really. I don't understand why anyone would launch a site that wasn't spellchecked.

8. Staying static: No one likes a site that never changes, and a quick and easy way to make sure you don't have a static site is to add a blog to it. A blog is a fantastic way to keep your site looking fresh and it's great for SEO, too.

9. Not understanding your traffic: OK, I admit this has less to do with website design, but it all flows into the same pot. Get to know your stats, and if you aren't sure how to read your site analytics, get someone to help you. Many authors I speak to don't even know if they have traffic reports. To me, that's sort of like having access to a bank account you never check!

10. Nowhere to go: Regardless of how you will sell your book, you want to be sure that the sales process is super clear on the site. Additionally, you don't want your consumer to go through a lot of steps to buy your book; with each step you lose a sale so keep that in mind. Ideally, no more than three steps to a buy!

When you're going through your website - either building one, redoing one or making sure yours is in check, take note of the points I've shared here. It's hard enough getting people to come to your site; when they get there don't send them into "surf shock" and miss a potential sale.

Reprinted from "The Book Marketing Expert newsletter," a free ezine offering book promotion and publicity tips and techniques. http://www.amarketingexpert.com

My Inspiration: CAREGIVER

Picture it: Tampa Bay, Florida, 1991. A young man flees a troubled life in Chicago to begin anew on the Gulf Coast of Florida. White sand beaches and azure waters beckon. Shortly after landing in Tampa Bay, the young man, in a gesture of solidarity with his gay brethren who are dying by the thousands, volunteers to become an AIDS buddy, focusing his attention on one victim of the virus…

Actually, if you've read the blurb of my new novel, CAREGIVER, you might think that the above is an alternate synopsis I wrote for the book. But the truth is it's about me. Like my main character in CAREGIVER, Dan, I too fled Chicago for a new life in Tampa, FL and I too joined a program that supplied AIDS buddies to those suffering from the virus. In 1991, the afflicted had a very bleak outlook. But sometimes, we meet a person who can overcome that bleakness with biting wit, humor, grace, and style. My buddy was just such a man—he left a mark on me that has stayed with me until this very day and will always be one of the most special people I have ever met.

My book is called CAREGIVER, but by the end, the reader will wonder who really is the caregiver.

It's taken me twenty years to write about Jim, my AIDS buddy from 1991 (who becomes "Adam" in the novel), my funny valentine who ended up dying in the Florida State Prison—but I think the results are ultimately worth it.

In CAREGIVER's first review by fellow author (and icon) Victor J. Banis, he says:

"Reed has a fine command of words that sometimes approaches the magical...I think few readers will come away from reading this emotionally untouched... I could not stop reading until I had finished, and I don't know how you can pay a writer any better compliment than that...I began by explaining my aversion to AIDS novels—but I'm not so great a fool that I didn't know from the first page or so that this is a terrific work, insightful and bold, by a very talented writer..."

Read the whole review on Reviews by Jessewave.


SYNOPSIS
It's 1991, and Dan Calzolaio has just moved to Florida with his lover, Mark, having fled Chicago and Mark's addictions to begin a new life on the Gulf Coast. Volunteering for the Tampa AIDS Alliance is just one part of that new beginning, and that's how Dan meets his new buddy, Adam.

Adam Schmidt is not at all what Dan expected. The guy is an original—witty, wry, and sarcastic with a fondness for a smart black dress, Barbra Streisand, and a good mai tai. Adam doesn't let his imminent death get him down, even through a downward spiral that sees him thrown in jail.

Each step of Adam's journey teaches Dan new lessons about strength and resilience, but it's Adam's lover, Sullivan, to whom Dan feels an almost irresistible pull. Dan knows the attraction isn't right, even after he dumps his cheating, drug-abusing boyfriend. But then Adam passes away, and it leaves Sullivan and Dan both alone to see if they can turn their love for Adam into something whole and real for each other.

BUY from Dreamspinner Press
In ebook.
In paperback.

Amazon Kindle version

New and Notable: PREMONITION by DH Starr

I'm pleased to announce that my friend and fellow author, DH Starr's first foray into the paranormal has just been released by MLR Press. DH usually writes m/m romance, but with Premonition , he combines romance and psychological suspense with a touch of the supernatural. It should be a very interesting--and potent--mix!

SYNOPSIS
Martin Proctor has been on the Boston Police Force for ten years. His record is impeccable and he's helped his precinct and captain maintain one of the best crime records in the city. But no one knows Martin has premonitions which help him solve cases others find impossible.

Justin Franklin is also on the Boston force. Justin may not have supernatural abilities, but as an openly gay man, he possesses a courage that draws Martin in.

When Martin has a premonition about the death of Justin's brother and fails to save him, their lives become intertwined. As they work together to discover the truth behind Larry's murder, Martin foresees Justin's death.

The closer they come to cracking their case, the less time Martin has to piece together his fragmented visions and save Justin before it's too late.

Read
Buy Premonition .

Check out My Profile in October's Lambda Literary Review

This month, LLR romance columnist and reviewer, Dick Smart, put some hard questions t o me and the result was an in-depth and revealing portrait. I hope you'll take the time to give it a read. If you do, you'll discover what connection I think exists between horror and romance, what my early-life head injuries have to do with my creativity, and, finally, the truth about whether my own writing scares me. Rick R. Reed: Master of Romance and Horrorby Dick Smart on October 26, 2011in Features, Interviews, Reviews, Romance

    "When fiction is made according to its nature, it should reinforce our sense of the supernatural by grounding it in concrete, observable reality." -Flannery O'Connor Caregiver , the latest by the prolific Rick R. Reed, out now from Dreamspinner Press (cover art by Paul Richmond), is a straightforward traditional romance that may surprise his large horror romance fan base. But as Reed points out, "I am not one to stay within the lines when it comes to genre." Readers who are fans of his horror romances know that they can trust Reed to deliver solid stories and strong characters and that trust is rewarded in this powerfully, satisfying romance set in the midst of the AIDS crisis in the mid-90s...

Continue reading the rest of the interview here.

Caregiver is Released and Reviewed!

I wanted to share with you fellow author (and icon) Victor Banis' 4.5 star review of my latest release (today, in fact, is release day!), CAREGIVER, on Reviews by Jessewave. What better way to launch a new book than with a review from a master of the genre?

In part, Victor had this to say about CAREGIVER, my AIDS-era love story:

"Reed has a fine command of words that sometimes approaches the magical, and I think few readers will come away from reading this emotionally untouched... I could not stop reading until I had finished, and I don't know how you can pay a writer any better compliment than that...I began by explaining my aversion to AIDS novels—but I'm not so great a fool that I didn't know from the first page or so that this is a terrific work, insightful and bold, by a very talented writer..."

Read the whole review.

SYNOPSIS
It's 1991, and Dan Calzolaio has just moved to Florida with his lover, Mark, having fled Chicago and Mark's addictions to begin a new life on the Gulf Coast. Volunteering for the Tampa AIDS Alliance is just one part of that new beginning, and that's how Dan meets his new buddy, Adam.

Adam Schmidt is not at all what Dan expected. The guy is an original—witty, wry, and sarcastic with a fondness for a smart black dress, Barbra Streisand, and a good mai tai. Adam doesn't let his imminent death get him down, even through a downward spiral that sees him thrown in jail.

Each step of Adam's journey teaches Dan new lessons about strength and resilience, but it's Adam's lover, Sullivan, to whom Dan feels an almost irresistible pull. Dan knows the attraction isn't right, even after he dumps his cheating, drug-abusing boyfriend. But then Adam passes away, and it leaves Sullivan and Dan both alone to see if they can turn their love for Adam into something whole and real for each other.

BUY from Dreamspinner Press (the first 20 paperback sales will receive an autographed copy)
In ebook
In paperback

Amazon Kindle version

Remembering Matthew Shepard

Rave Review for My Paranormal Thriller ECHOES

Just wanted to share a great review (4.75 stars) I got from the Bookwenches for my paranormal ghost story, ECHOES. In part, reviewer Bobby D. Whitney said,

"Part ghost story, part suspense, Rick R. Reed's novella Echoes tells a sad and very human tale about love, death, and closure...Not only did it send a shiver of unease up my spine, but it left me with tears in my eyes...There is no true villain in Echoes, unless you wish to count the seductress that goes by the name of Tina, crystal methamphetamine. Not only does she decimate those who abuse her, but the effects ripple down to friends, family, and in this story even unsuspecting strangers. She brings illness, death, and devastation into all the lives that she touches..."

Read the whole review here.

Buy Echoes.

SYNOPSIS

Rick and Ernie have found the perfect loft apartment on Chicago's west side. But before they are even settled, Rick begins having strange "dreams" that seem all too real. A young man, emaciated, with sad brown eyes, appears to him, frightening and obsessing him.

From their next-door neighbor, Paula, Rick learns of the gay couple, Karl and Tommy, who lived there before them. Paula had been close to them and Tommy's mysterious disappearance still pains her. When she shares a photo of her with Tommy and Karl, Rick is shocked and troubled. Tommy is the man who has appeared to him in his dreams.

The dreams and the revelation put Rick on a quest to discover the truth about Tommy's disappearance. It's a quest that will lead him to Karl, Tommy's lover, who may know more about Tommy's disappearance than he's telling, and a confrontation with a restless spirit who wants only to, finally, rest in peace...

Free Halloween Stories at Dreamspinner Press!

Halloween Howl from Dreamspinner Press

To celebrate Halloween, Dreamspinner is inviting people to come trick-or-treating at their web site throughout the month of October.

Look for my own free contribution,"St. Boniface Hook-Up" a chilling tale of love amid one of Chicago's oldest cemeteries! Click here to read the free story.

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Thirty other Dreamspinner authors have donated free short stories. Search through the different pages on the web site for Gary the Gargoyle door knocker. Each time you find him, click on him for a free download by the author whose page he's hiding on! And make sure to check out the end of each story for a discount code.