Charlie Bray's Blog, page 7

NEWSFLASH! Two Paperback Giveaways With Goodreads

Indietribe member Cathy Spencer announces two free paperbacks that you could win courtesy of Goodreads.

 Click on the link to win a copy of Framed for Murder with Goodreads!

 

Anna Nolan discovers her ex-husband, Jack, on a deserted country road one night – dead, unfortunately. He could only have been in town to see Anna, unless Jack was looking for their son, Ben. At least, that’s how the tall, cool Brit leading the police investigation sees it. To divert suspicion away from her son and herself, Anna delves into Jack’s personal life, only to discover that the actor had been romancing three very different women on a nearby film set. With some rather unorthodox ideas on how to conduct a murder investigation, Anna sets about meeting her ex-husband’s lovers, with harrowing results!

 Click on the link to win a copy of The Affairs of Harriet Walters, Spinster with Goodreads!

 

Harriet Walters, a twenty-six year old spinster, is evicted from her home and sent to live with a persnickety aunt. Resigned to the life of an unpaid companion, fate intervenes and Harriet becomes an heiress. Leaving her small town life for the glittering attractions of London, Harriet chooses an unconventional path to happiness and love.

Welcome to the Regency world, where life is slower, people are more courteous, and men and women court each other. So, pour yourself a cup of tea or chocolate, sit back in your chair, and enjoy an old-fashioned romance.

Find out more about Cathy Spencer by connection with her at http://cmspencer.blogspot.ca/

 

 

 

NEWSFLASH: INDIETRIBE’S Authors AtoZ Goes Live

BRILLIANT NEWS!

INDIETRIBE HAS LAUNCHED ITS BRAND NEW AUTHORS AtoZ AND IT’S GONE LIVE TODAY!

If you are a self-published author or conventionally published author who is involved in marketing your books, make sure you are listed in the A to Z by clicking here

VISIT OUR BRAND NEW AUTHORS AtoZ NOW AND CHECK OUT WHAT THESE GREAT INDIE AUTHORS HAVE TO OFFER

DECEMBER SPOTLIGHT: All the top Indie Books in one place

Welcome to the December issue of our Monthly Spotlight

To browse or buy a book, click on its front cover to view it on Amazon.com or its title to view it on Amazon.co.uk.

If your book is not yet booked in for the JANUARY SPOTLIGHT, book it in now

SO HERE WE GO WITH THIS MONTH’S SPOTLIGHT:

 

TRUE CRIME

Eyes of a Pedophile by Betty Kuffel

‘Peer inside the mind of a violent child molester and learn how to protect your children’

 

GAY and LESBIAN

The Clouds Still Hang by Patrick C Notchtree

‘This trilogy is based on his own life telling a story of a gay man’s life of denial, to rise above the legacy of a traumatic childhood that almost destroyed him to emerge at last true to himself.’

GENERAL FICTION

Chasing Heart by Mark Lingane

‘An absolute page-turner that hooks you in from the beginning. Once you pick it up, you will not put it down’

Desert Heart by Mark Lingane

‘Heat. Politics. Romance. Sand. War. Bad Coffee. It can only mean one thing. Ellen Martin is off to the Middle East.’

HISTORICAL FANTASY

A Whisper From Eden by Phoenix

‘Find out who taught the Mandan Indians in North Dakota’

HISTORICAL FICTION

L’Immortalite: Madame Lalaurie and the Voodoo Queen by T.R. Heinan 

‘NOLA’s most haunting legend comes to life’

 

HOLIDAY TALE

The Dream Catcher by Julia Rose Grey

‘A holiday tale of whimsey as Rupert Rumple discovers the importance of dreams’

 

HUMOUR

 The Village Idiots Ebay Club by Charlie Bray

‘Quirky people buy quirky things – and Ebay is full of quirky things. DANGER ALERT! What if they can’t stop bidding? What if their lives become quirkier and quirkier as a result? TIME TO JOIN THE EBAY CLUB!’ 

Open House by Charlie Bray

‘Aristocrats, Ghosts and Squatters Share a Castle’

 

MIDDLE GRADE FICTION

Seafoam Wavefollower and the Mysterious Ghost by Doc Briley

‘SEAFOAM is an exciting, fast-paced adventure filled with thrills, chills, mysticism and friendship’

MYSTERY

Dear Crossing by Marjorie Swift Doering

‘A grisly murder leads Ray Schiller on a case with a rising body count and the potential to derail his personal and professional life’

Shadow Tag by Marjorie Swift Doering

‘Detective Ray Schiller is out to finish what he started, unless it finishes him first’

 

 

NON-FICTION

Justice in America: How it Works, How it Fails by Russell F. Moran

‘In this frank and compelling book, attorney and journalist Russell Moran leads the reader on an exciting tour of the system that delivers our rights, and he doesn’t pull any punches’

Your Heart: Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease in Women, Men and Children by Betty Kuffel, M.D.

‘Reduce your risk for the leading cause of death in women and men with information in this guide to heart health for all ages’

ROMANCE/ DRAMA

Finding Mother by Anne Allen

‘Prepare to be swept away by a heart-warming tale of family relationships and love’

ROMANCE / MYSTERY

Dangerous Waters by Anne Allen

‘Tragedy seems to follows Jeanne Le Page around . . . Can she really go through it again and survive?’

 

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

Leon’s Lair by Phoenix

‘What would you do if your vacation cruise ship was attacked and you were certain to be killed?’

Wyoming Escape by Kate Wyland

‘One dead body is frightening enough, but a second one, plus a dirty cop,

sends chef Mikela Richards fleeing for her life’

SCI-FI

I Love Lucid by Mark Lingane

‘A story for the dubstep generation. Part one of a five part story told in weekly instalments.’

Beyond Belief by Mark Lingane

‘Joshua Richards has a problem. His clients are dying. What’s even more worrying is that they appear to be planning to kill him first’

Home by Richard Sutton

‘Forty-two teachers, scientists, engineers and their children, have just completed a twelve year deep-space journey to escape the war and drought ravaged Earth’

God Bless the Dead by Evan Geller

‘The truth will not set you free.  The truth will get you killed’

The Gray Ship by Russell F Moran

‘While steaming toward Charleston, South Carolina in April 2013, a ship encounters a time warp or wormhole. Suddenly, Captain Patterson and her 930 crewmembers find themselves in the year 1861′

 

SELF-HELP

Fifty, Female & Fabulous by Barbara Villemez

‘One doesn’t have to be at a mature age to benefit from the concepts that enhance and empower the Divine Feminine in all women’

THRILLER

The Chinese Spymaster by Hock Tjoa

‘Chinese Intelligence uncovers a North Korean trying to sell a nuclear device.’

Haunted by Maria Savva

‘Nigel Price has MURDER on his mind’

Hostile Witness by Rebecca Forster

‘Blending complex psychological character portraits with spot-on courtroom drama, Forster’s riveting legal thriller keeps the plot twists coming until the last, satisfying page’

 

  White Jade by Alex Lukeman

WHITE JADE spins a web of deceit and murder across the globe, against the backdrop of a deadly international power game.

Still Waters by Sara Warner

‘GRAND PRIZE WINNER FOR FICTION and a FINALIST in SUSPENSE/THRILLER in the 2013 NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARDS’

TRAVEL ESSAY

Solitary Desire by Kim Defforge

‘The author takes us along on her journey as she narrates the life events that weave an emotional tapestry, from adolescent imagination to adult life situations’

YOUNG ADULT

Am I Okay, God – Devotionals from the Seventh Dimension by Lorilyn Roberts

‘The 27 devotionals deal with issues of self-worth, family, goals, bullying, dating, salvation, values, heaven, hell, and the end times. Ages twelve and up.’

 

Shadow Embraced by Cheree Smith



‘Scar thinks the creature that terrorises her while asleep isn’t real, but when she’s abducted and taken to a reform school meant to contain creatures too dangerous to function in society, she starts to wonder whether she isn’t some monster’


 


I hope you enjoyed our December Spotlight and that you are tempted to part with a few of your pennies to enjoy the delights of some remarkable indie books.



Indie Authors – The Authors A to Z guide is launching soon. Make sure you’re in it:
http://www.theindietribe.com/category/sign-up-to-our-a-to-z-of-indie-authors/

 

 

Showcase 35: Four Indie Books for your pleasure

Here are four eBooks for your kindle, reviewed for your pleasure by the authors. Four top fiction books, all self published, vie for your attention, hopefully all on the way to becoming best selling books.

Why not review your own book and let our members find another gem to read?

If you have one book to promote for the first time, click here to showcase

If you have more than one book to promote for the first time, click here to showcase.

If you would like to repeat one of your previous showcase entries, click here to showcase

Buying books from Showcase is really easy. Click on the image to buy from Amazon.com, or the link in each book’s description to buy from Amazon.co.uk

IF YOU DO DECIDE TO BUY BOOKS, PLEASE BUY THEM WHILST YOU’RE LINKED THROUGH TO AMAZON FROM INDIETRIBE.

So here we go with our 35th Showcase:

DANCING BACKWARD IN PARADISE by Vera Jane Cook

Life for Grace Place is all about sucking on “meat jerkys” and Lenny Bean, her handsome lover. Grace’s mother has loftier plans for her daughter. She insists that Grace save her money and move to New York City so she can find fame and fortune as an actress.

Grace works as a cleaning lady for wealthy Betty Ann Houseman so she can pool her pennies for the trip north. Betty Ann has a passion for men more pronounced than her overbite, and it isn’t long before she’s parting the sheets for Lenny Bean. But just before Grace leaves Hixson for New York City, she uncovers an insidious plot: the Bean family is trying to steal Betty Ann’s estate.

Grace flees to New York, where she faces her darkest hours. In a world of surprises, Grace truly discovers paradise.

2007 Eric Hoffer Award

2007 Notable New Fiction Indie Excellence Award

Vera Jane Cook, a descendent from a fine line of Southern eccentrics, is working on her next novel, which is a family saga that spans the twentieth century and three generations of women. She resides on the upper west side of Manhattan with her partner.

Also available from Amazon.co.uk

ANGEL WAR by Philip Dodd

Angel War was inspired by Chapter Six of the Book of Revelation, which speaks of the war in heaven, fought between Michael and his angels and the dragon and his angels. The Bible only says that the war happened, but not why, so I decided to write my own version of the events of the war and its aftermath. Dragons and angels have been part of our culture for at least four thousand years, and I have found writing my own version of their origin and history worthwhile. My story could be called a fantasy, rooted in The Bible.

From an early age, Azel, the Prince of the White Castle of the Angels of Light, plans what he calls his great rebellion against the Father. After his self transformation into a four legged, scaled beast, he names himself the Dragon. At the heads of his rebel angel army and his dragon flocks, he brings war to the angel lands. His intention is to dethrone the Father and rule in his place. Khem, the Child of the White Mountain, vows upon his Silver Sword to be his slayer. The lonely, perilous path of the dragonslayer, he takes. At its end, he stands alone, to challenge the Father’s foe to combat.

I was born in 1952, live in Liverpool, England, have a degree in English literature from Newcastle University, and I have been writing songs, stories and poems since I was twelve. Angel War, my first book, was published in April, 2013 by Fast Print Publishing. As it took me twenty six years to write, I felt I owed it to my story to get it published. My book has been accepted to be judged in the Wishing Shelf Independent Book Award, I am pleased to say. It will be read by one reading group in London and another in Stockholm. The winners of the award and the runners up will be announced in March, 2014. Searching For The Sangreal, one of my poems, was published in the Summer, 2013 issue of The Dawntreader, a quarterly poetry magazine, published by Indigo Dreams Publishing. Enki, another one of my poems, inspired by Sumerian mythology, will be published in a later issue of the same magazine. Enki was also published in the August issue of the on line magazine, Pagan Pages. At the moment I am bringing to completion my light hearted science fiction story, called Klubbe The Turkle and the Golden Star Coracle.

Also available from Amazon.co.uk

MURDER PAST DUE by D R Meredith

The Murder by the Yard Reading Circle, a mystery discussion group, is six months old, and Megan Clark, assistant reference librarian and unemployed paleopathologist, suggests a mystery tour of Amarillo’s real-life murder sites. Megan nominates Ryan Stevens, history professor at the local university to moderate the tour. Ryan is horrified. After Megan and other members of the reading group have already dabbled at solving four different murders on two separate occasions, Ryan doesn’t want Megan near any kind of murder cases, even those decades old and long solved. But Ryan is persuaded by Megan to participate in the tour, and as he feared, she is knee deep in another murder. Hired as a consultant by Bruce Gorman, wealthy Amarillo aristocrat, to solve the murder of his grandson’s bride, Megan happily recruits the reading circle to help in her investigation. Ryan is both appalled and worried. The Gorman murder case is only twenty years old; whoever strangled young Melinda Gorman could still be alive and unwilling to have Megan digging up the family dirt.

A fan of mysteries since a childhood obsession with Agatha Christie and Rex Stout, D. R. Meredith has written three mystery series set in the Texas Panhandle, a little-known area of the state even to other Texans. Two titles, MURDER BY IMPULSE and MURDER BY DECEPTION, in the John Lloyd Branson series were finalists for the Anthony Award. An equal obsession with the American West inspired her to create two historical sagas, A TIME TOO LATE and THE RECKONING, which she describes as “two hanky books for readers who want their hearts tugged while satisfying their curiosity about the Old West.” The book review editor for ROUNDUP MAGAZINE for more than twenty years, Meredith owns a private library of more than 5,000 books on the American West.

Also available from Amazon.co.uk

 

FATAL DECISION by Brian Grant

The fire was lit at each tea break to boil a kettle with just enough extra fuel thrown on it to warm his hands – suffering from the damp and cold of a September morning. The fire started to collapse and die. Paul was tempted to throw on more wood to sit longer and allow his thoughts to wander over and away, attempting to escape from the reality of his life with all the troublesome complications in which he found himself. Instead, he lit another cigarette. Even this mental escape was difficult. The last six months of his life terrified and sickened him; to think of the future only added fuel to what seemed to him to be a veritable ‘Dante’s Inferno’…” Nothing is what it seems in this tale of love and betrayal, drugs gangs, murder.and police surveillance… and through it all runs the thread of fateful choices and the consequences of our actions.

As a film worker Brian Grant carried for a long time the frustrating urge to write while reading other creative works. He made the decision to fulfil a lifelong ambition to write full-time. His booksrange from short stories to a series of novels containing dialogue that will stay with you for a very long time and the stories well… all I can say is please be prepared!

Also available from Amazon.co.uk

So that’s it for this Showcase. I really hope you enjoyed it and show your support for great Indie Books by buying a couple of these wonderful stories. Showcase 36 will be with you in a couple of weeks.

AUTHOR MEMBERS – DON’T FORGET TO LIST YOURSELF IN OUR FORTHCOMING AUTHORS A-Z

 This is a sample of an entry listing in what aims to be the Industry’s definitive Indie Author’s A-Z

Enrol now

 

CHARLIE BRAY’S BOOK REVIEWS – Five Great Indie Books

A very warm welcome to Charlie Bray’s Indie Book Reviews. If you wish to buy any of these books, click on the front cover to buy from Amazon.com or the link following the description to buy from Amazon.co.uk

IF YOU DO DECIDE  TO BUY BOOKS, PLEASE BUY THEM WHILST YOU’RE LINKED THROUGH TO AMAZON FROM INDIETRIBE. 

If you would like your book reviewed and published on these pages, click here now and join INDIETRIBE GOLD. You will then be entitled to a book review, author interview, and guest blog. DO IT BEFORE THE END OF NOVEMBER AND YOU’LL SAVE 33%

 

A PUNCTUAL PAYMASTER by Dan Groat

Black and white, good and bad, and right and wrong are inextricably interwoven like an ancient tapestry throughout the seventy years that this book spans.

Two distinct colours, two distinctive parts of town each being steered by two distinct men, until replaced by their aspiring offspring.

This dramatic story collides with the present day when two friends are thrust into a situation in which they must unravel this complex tapestry.

A Punctual Paymaster by Dan Groat is a perfect example of how dialogue can lead you seamlessly through a period of time, dealing with many contemporary issues along the way.

Missouri is the backdrop for this remarkable story. The divisions between north and south, black and white, haves and have nots is explored fully and the book never really puts the reader down. Characters are tested to the hilt and often provide a role model for fellow characters and readers alike.

Dan Groat is a very adept wordsmith who takes you with him on this remarkable journey. It is at once a history lesson, a guide to the complexities of human nature and a localised travelogue.

Interesting sub plots run alongside the main thread of the story, adding even more depth to what is undoubtedly a complex, and fully absorbing book.

Also available from Amazon.co.uk

SEVENTH DIMENSION: The Door by Lorilyn Roberts

Shale Snyder’s unfortunate experiences typify today’s society in that they encompass all that is wrong in the form of self-doubt, bullying, broken homes and dysfunctional families.

Lorilyn Robert’s marvellous book focuses on the human need for ultimate love and understanding.

Shale’s journey is one of self-discovery and is triggered by the need to escape from her present plight. Whilst fleeing she stumbles and bumps her head, her unconscious state becoming the catalyst which launches her through a dimensional door  into Biblical times. Her friends become animals with whom she is able to communicate.

We learn, through Shale, that the Seventh Dimension is actually a place that lies within you and that God is available to heal the hurting soul.

Lorilyn’s book is a wonderful fantasy, a magical fairytale, and a great escape from the rigours of modern society.

But it is more than just an escape. It is almost as if it grabs you by the hand and leads you to a better life.

Also available from Amazon.co.uk

The Gift: Awakening  by J P McLean

The opening chapters of this remarkable debut novel illustrate what a skilful author Jo-Anne Mclean is.

The heroine lies in a concussed state on a hospital bed, fully aware of what is happening around her, yet totally incapable of communicating with the hospital staff setting out to help her. The reader shares her frustration and I realised how powerful the writing was when I became desperate for her to be heard and desolate when the consultant walked away, apparently having failed in his quest to revive her.

It is from this platform that the reader is left to unravel the mystery which enshrouds Emelynn Taylor, whose life changed irrevocably the moment she was presented with a gift from a stranger whilst enjoying the adolescent delights of a beach.

The book is an urban fantasy that holds the reader from start to finish. The author excels at settings and her descriptive powers are immense.

The story flows seamlessly backwards and forwards between the past and the present, and between fantasy and reality. And yet the reader is never lost, always managing to keep some kind of hold on the situation.

The easiest way is to relax, not fight it, and let the book take you with it.

It worked for me.

Also available from Amazon.co.uk

BLUE MAGIC WOMAN by Paola Bortolotti and James van Loon

The hero’s quest is to find out who murdered his uncle, a Benedictine monk, and at the same time discover his true self.

The reader is treated to life through the eyes of Michael, and that is not to enjoy life through normal vision. Michael’s mind is unbelievably fragmented, his vision often shattered like pieces of a kaleidoscope.

Much of Michael’s madness is orchestrated by the mysterious Blue Magic Woman, who casts an undoubted spell over him.

His quest takes him – and the reader – to exotic and varied locations. An Alpine monastery, an Arctic asylum and the Sahara Desert. But they afford him – and the reader – little comfort. In fact to enjoy this book you need to leave your comfort zone, think outside of the box, grip your teeth and enjoy the ride. Despite all my cliches I promise you it will be worth it.

Michael’s mindset is illustrated perfectly in the opening chapter when he is saved from head butting an express train by two burly policemen, who then struggle to constrain him within the walls of a lunatic asylum. We are treated to his thoughts and the interpretation of his vision, and whilst it is clear that he does have a grip on sanity, it does appear as if it is rather fleeting.

Michael may be away with the fairies for lengthy periods but his grasp of reality is evidenced by this brilliant piece of description: ‘His long parchment like face with his one immobile eye stares out at the group, and he ruffles one hand through his mussed, thinning hair. Anger and fear wind their way through Michael’s body; his muscles tighten as he looks at the craggy-faced doctor whose foul breath, snorting out through his long, pointed nose, smells like poison. Michael backs away from the stench but bumps into one of the Viking-sized assistants who firmly ushers him into the room. There is no escape…’

No senses spared in this sparkling piece of description, a tone that is set throughout the book.

Do yourself a favour, buy this book and immerse yourself in it.

Also available from Amazon.co.uk

ONCE HUMANS by Massimo Marino

So you can forget about the mystery of crop circles and flashing UFOs in the sky. This alien invasion is real. Well not real, but certainly more transparent.

The first mission of any self-respecting bunch of aliens is to destroy the humans. Not all of them – just nearly all of them. The few that escape were actually destined to escape. They are the Spared Ones. The idea is that several small groups of the Spared Ones operate across the globe, each one under the supervision of a member of the Selected. The Selected are an even smaller band of humans who are being genetically transformed by the Aliens. For several small groups, read about a million people in total, but I suppose that is tiny compared with the overcrowded planet as it stands at the moment. This was the scene inherited from the first book, Daimones,  in this remarkable trilogy,

In this sequel it is ultimately  left to one man, Dan Amenta to take on the aliens and restore the earth to what is left of it’s true population. He is one of the Selected Ones who has been given special powers but soon learns that there is a separate alien force at large, who is at odds with the first one and is busily turning Spared Ones into rebels without a cause.

An intriguing tale that explores the way mankind deals with ultimate adversity and adapts rapidly to the changing misfortunes that are sent to try us.

Massimo Marino is developing this story into quite a wonderful trilogy and I heartily recommend you treat yourself to Volumes One and Two and then wait with bated breath for Volume 3.

Also available from Amazon.co.uk

 

I hope you enjoyed reading my reviews as much as I enjoyed writing them. I look forward to publishing more reviews soon. Meanwhile… Happy reading, Charlie.

 

Authors A to Z – SEVEN DAYS TO LIFT-OFF – Are you in it yet?

MAKE SURE YOU’RE SEEN AMONGST EVERYBODY WHO’S ANYBODY

Our brand new A to Z of INDIE AUTHORS  is quickly filling up with self-published authors, keen to ensure that their details are seen by the thousands of readers, publishers and writers who will undoubtedly use it as an essential resource to find writers and books.

Here is a sample entry showing what you can expect your listing to look like:

The A to Z of INDIE AUTHORS will list Self-Published authors alphabetically by genre. Conventionally published authors who undertake their own marketing are also eligible for entry.

A one-off fee of £10 (approx $16 U.S.) secures a permanent listing under one specific genre.

You can duplicate your entry in other genres for a one-off fee of £5 (approx $8 U.S.) per genre.

YOUR LISTING WILL REMAIN IN THE A to Z of INDIE AUTHORS FOR AS LONG AS YOU WANT IT TO. YOUR ENTRY WILL NOT EXPIRE, AND CAN BE AMENDED, WHEN REQUIRED,  AT NO CHARGE.

THE A to Z of INDIE AUTHORS WILL BE PUBLISHED DURING THE RUN-UP TO CHRISTMAS SO THAT IT WILL BE HIGHLY VISIBLE TO THE CHRISTMAS MARKET.

DON”T BE LEFT IN THE COLD - SIGN UP NOW!

NEWSFLASH: Charlie Bray is in the Dog House!

Charlie Bray, Le Patron of the Indietribe, a website dedicated to waving the flag for self-published authors, is well and truly in the dog house.

It’s not that he’s done anything wrong. It’s not that his wife has fallen out with him – not yet this week anyway.

It’s because he is currently sitting alone, surrounded by a plethora of dogs.

You name it – he’s probably sitting with it.

From Afghan Hounds, Airedale Terriers, Basset Hounds and Beagles to Bearded Collies, a Bernese, Border Collies, Border Terriers, Boxers, Bull Terriers and a Bulldog.

From Cairn Terriers, King Charles Cavalier Spaniels, Chihuauas, Chow Chows, Cocker Spaniels, Corgis, Dachsunds and Dalmations to Dobermanns, Goden Retrievers, Great Danes, German Shepherds, Jack Russells and Labradors.

From Old English Sheepdogs, Pakingese, Poodles, Pugs, Rottweilers, Rough Collies and Schnauzers to Scottish Terriers, English Setters, Gordon Setters, Irish Setters and Shetland Sheepdogs to a Shih Tzu, Springer Spaniel, Staffordshire Bulls and a Tibetan Spaniel.

And if that’s not enough – what about a Weimariner, West Highland Terrier, Whippet and Yorkshire Terrier.

With all this canine activity it could get messy.

But it won’t because every single dog is captured on paper in the form of a sensational open edition print.

Charlie loves dogs so much, he’s opened a new blog – www.animalpaintings.wordpress.com and filled it with dogs.

Check them out.

I’m sure there’s one waiting for you.

AUTHORS A to Z launching soon! Make sure you’re listed. Be known!

MAKE SURE YOU’RE SEEN AMONGST EVERYBODY WHO’S ANYBODY

Our brand new A to Z of INDIE AUTHORS  is quickly filling up with self-published authors, keen to ensure that their details are seen by the thousands of readers, publishers and writers who will undoubtedly use it as an essential resource to find writers and books.

Here is a sample entry showing what you can expect your listing to look like:

The A to Z of INDIE AUTHORS will list Self-Published authors alphabetically by genre. Conventionally published authors who undertake their own marketing are also eligible for entry.

A one-off fee of £10 (approx $16 U.S.) secures a permanent listing under one specific genre.

You can duplicate your entry in other genres for a one-off fee of £5 (approx $8 U.S.) per genre.

YOUR LISTING WILL REMAIN IN THE A to Z of INDIE AUTHORS FOR AS LONG AS YOU WANT IT TO. YOUR ENTRY WILL NOT EXPIRE, AND CAN BE AMENDED, WHEN REQUIRED,  AT NO CHARGE.

THE A to Z of INDIE AUTHORS WILL BE PUBLISHED DURING THE RUN-UP TO CHRISTMAS SO THAT IT WILL BE HIGHLY VISIBLE TO THE CHRISTMAS MARKET.

DON”T BE LEFT IN THE COLD – SIGN UP NOW!

Guest Blog: Writing Uphill with Julia Rose Grey

I’m delighted to devote this Guest Blog to a post from our member, Julia Rose Grey, who reveals how writing uphill is a sign of optimism, which in turn has influenced her writing success.

 

Always believing my upwardly-slanted penmanship was a symptom of some sort of emotional problem, I tried to correct it and write on a straight line.  I tried using a ruler, drawing penciled lines on which to write, and turning my paper 45o, but nothing worked.  I was stuck with having thank you notes, addresses, and signatures low on the left and travelling one-half-inch uphill to the right.  In my teens, a nice lady administering a psychological test told me my slanted script indicated how hopeful I was about the future.  She elaborated that I had a sense of responsibility for my own behavior and believed in myself.  I was, she declared, an optimist.  At the time, I was lost in the ambiguity left-over from childhood and did not fully comprehend what she meant.

Having retired recently, I started writing and found that I had enough stories to fill many books.  Now I understand what that nice lady was trying to tell me.  My stories are uplifting, about resilience, perseverance, and hope.

In my first novel, Cry Before Supper, the Campbell family, parents, devoted grandmother and five children start each day with a song and, using happiness as their bond, protect the one child who suffers from a neurological condition that marks him as different.  Then, in one swift stroke, irrevocable harm is inflicted upon them by a town local mired in his own bitterness.  The family’s joy is shattered.  Their future bleak.  Except for that one ray of hope.  The middle child, Annie, who has the endurance and willingness to provide for others, brings light to them once more.  Her account of what happened defines the power of perseverance.

Excerpt from Annie’s Story

The body fell out with a thud.  It wasn’t a hard sound, like the time we were playing hide-and-seek in the library and I turned too quickly, sending the unabridged Oxford English Dictionary and the table it was sitting on crashing to the floor.  No.  This sound was soft…A sudden crackling sound split the silence like lightning.  I jerked with a startle and gasped before I realized the sound was the lady’s jaw.  It had dropped open, as if to say “Hello, dearies.”  I guess she was as surprised to see us as we were to see her…I let out a sigh and tried to think through this awkward state of affairs…Help might be here soon, I thought.  Crosey — Caroline Rose, my younger sister — had taken off as soon as the mysterious lady did her jack-in-the-box routine.  Apparently she’d run down the hallway and was now leaning over the balustrade.  I heard her shouting, “Mom, call the police!  No, make that the coroner.  She’s beyond help, now!”

My holiday novel, The Dream Catcher, is a whimsical tale about the diminutive Rupert Rumple, who is concerned about the gloom surrounding the town of Greeneville.  Despite his many fears, he sets out on a journey to bring back the joy of making dreams come true.

Excerpt from Rupert’s journey

Like a twister, Farrell collected his vapors and rotated himself into a funnel.  He then started to spin, faster, then faster yet, like a whirling dervish.  Sprays of vapor spritzed away from him as he twirled into a maelstrom, becoming denser with each rotation.  Rupert heard a sucking kind of whistle sound, as he watched Farrell scoop himself into a large crescent moon shape.

Even if you don’t have penmanship that slants upward, visit my website at where I will let readers select story details, such as town and character names and even plot twists.

www.juliarosegrey.com

@jrgrey602

http://www.pinterest.com/elegance0698/boards/

 

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Author Interview: Ethan Holmes

 

Welcome to our series of Author Interviews, where Charlie Bray chats to a variety of Indie writers about their lives and their books.

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Today I am delighted to interview author, Ethan Holmes.

 

Hi Ethan,tell us a little about yourself

I am a rural Pennsylvania-bred writer, author and professional nature photographer. I started writing with intent at the age of ten, starting with poetry. I currently reside among the high desert country of northern Arizona. I’m single and still searching for the girl of my dreams.

How many books have you published so far?

Up to this point I have published five books; two novels, two short story collections and one humorous self-help book.

Tell us a bit about your novels

Earth’s Blood, my first novel, is about the after-effects of the single most profound seismic event ever to strike the planet. The entire world as we know now it changes almost instantaneously and the survivors must adapt or die.

 

 

 

 

The Keystone is a murder mystery revolving around an ancient, dilapidated hotel. It is home to the
cast-offs of society, including the elderly, recovering addicts and just plain down-on-their-luck folks who are being knocked off with increasing frequency.

 

 

 

 

Shorts and Other Laundry is a collection of ‘best of’ short stories.

 

 

 

 

 

A Multi-Pack of Brain Flakes is my first collection of short stories.

 

 

 

 

 

Live Your Life In A Crap Free Zone is my humorous and dry-witted look at life and the many choices that are presented to us. The paths we set upon change as quickly as we make those choices.

 

 

 

 

What inspired you to write them?

The inspiration for my writing comes from the many ideas that life presents and the inner voice of every true author that cries to get out.

Do you plan out your book beforehand, or does it find its own direction?

I never ‘plan out’ a book. I prefer to write off the cuff, so to speak. I actually enjoy not knowing what is going to come out when I sit down to write. The only thing that is planned is the general premise and direction of the story.

Why do you write?

I write because I cannot help myself. It must come out, the story must be told. I must tell it even if I think no one cares to hear it or read it.

Who are some of your creative influences? Were there any specific ones that inspired a particular book of yours?

I grew up reading Ray Bradbury, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Jules Verne and many others. Today I read David Baldacci and Nelson DeMille, among others. All the good writers I read then inspire me to be a good writer today.

What do you enjoy the most, and the least, about writing?

Of course, I most enjoy a reader reading my books. However I also enjoy honing my craft in a quest to be known as a writer who writes well. I suppose what I enjoy least about writing is not about writing at all. It is the necessary ‘other stuff’ like marketing and social networking which are requirements in the ‘Indie’ world.

Any advice for other indie authors?

Two words; persistence and patience. You must persist, persevere and continually strive to be better than you are today. Then you must have patience, especially when things don’t seem to be working or sales roll up and down like a roller coaster for no apparent reason you can fathom.

Do you have any future projects in the works?

I have two projects in progress. I started a novel about four months ago tentatively titled 5:23. It is a book about how easy it is to cause chaos, panic and confusion without malicious destruction or the intent to kill.

The other novel is tentatively titled Playing With Matches. It is the story of a man who has had such horrible and terribly disappointing experiences on Internet dating sites that he ‘snaps’ and takes matters into his own hands.

Thank you so much, Ethan, it’s been an absolute pleasure to talk to you and I know our readers will find your comments very helpful.

You can browse or buy any of Ethan’s great books by visiting his website  http://www.ethanholmes.com

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