Travis Luedke's Blog, page 13

THE NIGHTLIFE has Hot #FREEBIES and #99cent SALES! #UrbanFantasy #ASMSG

Today only! Catch Blood Slave for $.99!Adult Paranormal Romance ~ Urban Fantasy Thriller.
Her mother named her Esperanza Salvación – Hope for Salvation. But when a girl works as an escort for Colombian cartel in the ghettos of Spanish Harlem, there wasn’t much hope, or salvation.

Hope’s telepathic ability keeps her a step ahead of ruin, but her unusual gift attracts the attention of a psychotic vampire bitch. Trapped in a Manhattan penthouse with the psycho, she thought she was dead meat.

Her survival lies in the hands of Vampire Master Enrique. He seems to respect her, perhaps even care. As a measure of protection, he makes her his personal Bloodslave. Helplessly addicted to his bite, Enrique rules her every moment. As always, Hope must adapt to survive.

Swept into the decadent nightlife of Manhattan's elite, she falls in love with Enrique and prays someday he may grow to love her, too. But is it simply a relationship of convenience? Is she nothing more than a concubine desperate to satisfy his nightly demands for blood and sex?

And forever in the background is the fear that one day the cartel boss she abandoned will hunt her down to collect on old debts.

What Reviewers are saying: 

˃˃˃ “Fast paced, no holds-barred, gripping, gut-wrenching, soul-ripping and most definitely tear-inducing. Perfection!”

˃˃˃ “Travis Luedke writes amazing characters and amazing stories and unbelievable passion flawlessly. After reading this book I was left in shock.”

˃˃˃ “You know when you see a violent or bloody scene in a movie and you cover your eyes for a couple of seconds until it has past? I caught myself doing that with this book, then I realized that the lines were not going to go away until I read them.”

Find out what happens to Hope as a BLOOD SLAVE...bite into your copy today!Add it on GoodreadsGrab Blood Slave TODAY ONLY for $.99! (normally $3.99) And, if you're a fan of The Nightlife, you won't want to miss the latest Urban Fantasy Serials from Carol McKibben:

SNOW BLOOD:
Adventures of a Vampire Dog
  Join the dark world of Brogio, the first vampire!

Episode 1: Transformation

When Brogio must turn Snow, a beautiful white husky, in order to save the dog, a series of events are unleashed that reveal a sinister plot against the father of all vampires. As life and true death experiences bond the master vampire and his newly transformed vampire canine together, they unravel a conspiracy that when resolved may return Selene, the love of Brogio’s life, back to him and set him free from the lonely existence that has plagued him for thousands of years!

˃˃˃ Begin the Adventure

From the author of Luke’s Tale, follow Snow Blood, an epic story of the first vampire as told through the eyes of his kindred dog! Follow along with a weekly episode for the next six weeks starting March 3rd, 2014!

˃˃˃ One time series...

Every Tuesday until April 18th, a new episode of Snow Blood will be available for purchase. Follow the story of Snow Blood, a vampire dog! Snow Blood (Episode 1) $.99 on Amazon!Add it on GoodreadsLIMITED TIME OFFER: Snow Blood FREE! (Episode 1)

SNOW BLOOD:
Adventures of a Vampire Dog
  Join the dark world of Brogio, the first vampire!

Episode 2: Discovery

While coping with his new life as a vampire, Snow Blood tries to help Brogio discover who is behind the sinister plot to destroy them both. Meet Kane, the scoundrel first son of Brogio.

˃˃˃ It's not too late to Begin the Adventure

From the author of Luke’s Tale, follow Snow Blood, an epic story of the first vampire as told through the eyes of his kindred dog! Follow along with a weekly episode for the next six weeks starting March 3rd, 2014!

˃˃˃ One time series...

Every Tuesday until April 18th, a new episode of Snow Blood will be available for purchase. Follow the story of Snow Blood, a vampire dog! Snow Blood (Episode 2) $.99 on Amazon!Add it on Goodreads
TW Luedke @TWLuedke Website Google Plus The Nightlife Series Nightlife Blog Email YouTube Share Tweet Forward to Friend +1 ShareCopyright © 2014 Author of Paranormal Romance Thriller & Urban Fantasy, All rights reserved. http://www.twluedke.com/
https://twitter.com/TWLuedke
http://www.facebook.com/TWLuedke
http://www.facebook.com/pages/TW-Lued...

Recording An Erotic Audiobook ~Day 1~ #Erotica #Pubtalk #ASMSG

REBLOGGED FROM PATRICIA KNIGHT:
http://www.patriciaaknight.com/1/post/2014/03/recording-my-erotic-audio-book-day-1.html

Recording My Erotic Audio Book - Day 1Posted:Tue, 11 Mar 2014 02:05:17 GMT Sunfire Studio, Dallas, Texas Monday - March 10, 2014 :
   
     When I considered what it might be like recording my first erotic audio book, I imagined a room of complicated sound boards  with me isolated in full, embarrassing view of audio geeks with the heavy "Buddy Holly" coke bottle glasses repaired in the middle with a band-aid, stringy hair in a bad comb-back and spotty complexions. Worst case, I imagined pasty, bible-thumping, Mormons who gave me the stink-eye for three hours straight.

     Reality turned into a private recording closet...a small room with carpet and baffle-covered walls and ceiling, an upholstered chair -- though I chose to stand-- a microphone, an easle, and moi. Here I could easily slip into my own intimate world and nothing would intrude to break the fantasy of the spoken word.

     When I poked my head out the door, there at compact digital soundboards, sat two handsome young men in their mid-twenties who simply could not have been more charming. I mean really charming. I've been on dates that were more awkward and I wasn't spouting "clitoris " and "cock-head" and reading a breathy description of cunnilingus in excrutiating detail.     Matt Lamb and Phillip Westbrook of   Sunfire Studios   went out of their way to make me comfortable. When I asked if they realized  this was to be a recording of an erotic audio book, to their credit, they didn't squirm at all. As a matter of fact, there might have been a subtle fist pump involved and a small bet settled, but I could have imagined that. If I can get them to agree, I'll post a picture of Phillip and Matt tomorrow.      According to Phillip and Matt, the ins and outs of getting a good audio recording are fairly basic. It involves maintaining the same distance from the microphone at all times. For this set up, six inches was optimal. Don't hit the microphone or mic stand and ditto with the easel. Those small taps register as bumps on the audio recording.  At first blush this would seem fairly easy, however, six inches is not very far away and when you are turning pages, etc., it is easy to hit either stand.

     And finally, try to keep your volume and intensity of tone consistent throughout the reading. I was  quite happy with Matt's occasional, "Why don't you do that again, Patricia,  starting with, "bla, bla, bla". I think you can get more out of it." He also reassured me that the timber and pitch of my voice was appropriate...at least I hadn't brought all the stray neighborhood dogs to the doorstep--yet.         At the end of three hours when I heard the play back, I didn't run screaming. Hey, I'd pay money for that. Furthermore...I'm looking forward to tomorrow. This was fun! http://www.twluedke.com/
https://twitter.com/TWLuedke
http://www.facebook.com/TWLuedke
http://www.facebook.com/pages/TW-Lued...

GHOST DANCER ~ 10 yr. old Danika dances to the grave and beyond #Paranormal #ASMSG

 
Ten-year-old Danika Samms was going to be a dancer. She was even going to be on TV for a big national contest. Until a serial killer put an end to her dreams. Now her ghost has come to Thulu and La Fi to save her dog from the killer. La Fi is a medium and Thulu is a finder and together they find justice for the dead. The detectives take the case, but they find more than a lost pup. They discover a heartbreaking secret and a seasoned killer already on the prowl for his next victim. And this time their walk on the darker side of the paranormal puts their own lives at risk. "Ghost Dancer" is the third novelette from The Thulukan Chronicles.

   Maer Wilson
After a successful career being other people, and later teaching others the many tricks of that trade, Maer Wilson has decided to be herself for a while. Turns out she's a writer. She's always loved stories, especially fantasy, mystery and sci fi. Maer was born in the Year of the Dragon and has a dragon-themed room in her home, but sadly no dragons in the back yard. When she's not writing, Maer plays online video games, teaches college and reads. She also co-hosts the literary podcast, MythBehaving and writes for two gaming fansites. Maer lives in the high desert of Southern Nevada with her two dogs, a chihuahua and a poodle.   You can find "Ghost Dancer" at Amazon.   The Thulukan Chronicles

  
The Books Relics , Book 1 Portals,
Book 2   The Novelettes "Ghost Memory" - Available for free download "Unwanted Ghost"
  "Ghost Dancer"
 You can find Maer at these links:
  Maer’s Website
  Maer on Amazon
  Maer on Facebook
  Maer on Twitter
  Maer at Goodreadshttp://www.twluedke.com/
https://twitter.com/TWLuedke
http://www.facebook.com/TWLuedke
http://www.facebook.com/pages/TW-Lued...

FIFTY SHADES OF RED ~ A an erotic author's embarrasing foray into audiobook recordings #ASMSG #Erotica

I just had to reblog this wonderful piece by my dear friend and editor, Patricia Knight:Fifty Shades of Red~My Virgin Attempt At Recording An Erotic Audio Book03/08/2014 



     Beginning this Monday, I am spending five days this week in a professional sound studio recording my erotic sci/fi romance, Hers To Command, for audio book. I'm totally over the moon...sorta.
      I've always had a theatrical bent, and no, I don't mean I'm a drama queen, though my sweetie and some very close friends might beg to differ. I've had the lead in my high school plays and actually met my hunky hubby doing summer stock dinner theatre. I'm formally trained in voice and have sung for years--both solos and in choirs and the odd community theatre musical.  I figured, hey, I'm a good reader. I can act a little. I've recorded excerpts for my books and some of my fellow authors'. I'm not embarassed speaking or acting in front of people. I can say, "fuck" and "cock" without blushing. This will be a piece of cake! I'll save all sorts of money. I'll be able to put the proper dramatic emphasis on all my characters' lines. I won't mispronounce their names or the places in the story.  Just an all-around win!
     I started preparing my "script" and reading it aloud to mark places where I wanted to breathe and places where I didn't want to breathe--and then I heard the words I wrote spoken.
          
" Between tortured animal grunts, Doral whispered, “Oh Goddess,  oh Goddess!” repeatedly. His engorged, be-ringed cock, glistening w ith Fleur's slickness, violently jerked against his flat stomach then  strained away. Doral hung in the middle of an intense, dry orgasm,  driven to the point of madness. The gold cockrings glowed with dull light, cruelly sunk deep into the base of his cock and balls."   


     Gulp. Ah...that's a little graphic. Geeze Louise...who wrote that?  

    All of a sudden, my confidence is taking a trip south. I'm not sure I'm prepared to read my erotic romance to male audio techs, even though my publisher assures me they are, like, guys, okay! I mean what guy doesn't like to listen to hot sex? 
     It's one thing to write the words. I don't  see the reader. They can't see me. There are layers of privacy between us. But it's different when you are reading your work aloud. It's immediate intimacy. There are no veils. [I did ask if I could show up at the studio in a burqa. No, I was told. It (the burqa) would alter the sound quality.  Sigh.] 
     There are a large group of folks out in the world who do this as a profession. I think it's called "voice over". My hat's off to them. Between trying out various voices for my dozens of characters--why, oh, why, didn't I write this in first person--and trying to take a big enough breath to get that whole line in without gasping ... I have bitten off quite a large mouthful and it's proving difficult to chew. It's sort of like being in an x-rated movie and you get to play all the parts and make the all sound effects.  
     I will be blogging my virgin flight into the world of audio books this week and sharing my exhilarations and embarassments with you. You are invited to laugh and learn right along with me.
  My next installment: Day one - Etiquette for Sound Studios ~or~  Don't Touch the Microphone! Catch Patricia Knight at her website:  http://www.patriciaaknight.com/

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MY THOUGHTS:
I have long considered how to handle audiobooks. I encountered this very same issue on an internet radio interview.

I had sent the interviewers an email with an excerpt of my novel, a particularly racey scene. There were 3-4 hosts of this interview, all taking turns asking me questions, and I am pretty sure they were drawing straws to see who would get stuck reading this wicked excerpt.

They chose a man to read it (shortest straw and all that), and he butchered it so badly, I was physically cringing, wishing I could somehow take it all back. But, this was being recorded, live.

At that moment I realized it would take a special kind of person to be able to read my novels aloud. *Definitely not me*

Patricia actually read two of my excerpts for recordings that I now have on Youtube, and they turned out awesome!



So, if anyone can do it, I know she can. Burka or no Burka, even in a paper bag and blindfolded, I know Patricia can do this.
:)http://www.twluedke.com/
https://twitter.com/TWLuedke
http://www.facebook.com/TWLuedke
http://www.facebook.com/pages/TW-Lued...

Pre-order Snow Blood for $.99! A Paranormal tale with TAIL! #Vampires #ASMSG

Episode 1 of SNOW BLOOD is live!


Add SNOW BLOOD to your TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20497411-snow-blood
AMAZON
SMASHWORDS
KOBO
Join the dark world of Brogio, the first vampire!
Episode 1: Transformation
When Brogio must turn Snow, a beautiful white husky, in order to save the dog, a series of events are unleashed that reveal a sinister plot against the father of all vampires. As life and true death experiences bond the master vampire and his newly transformed vampire canine together, they unravel a conspiracy that when resolved may return Selene, the love of Brogio’s life, back to him and set him free from the lonely existence that has plagued him for thousands of years!
˃˃˃ Begin the Adventure
From the author of Luke’s Tale, follow Snow Blood, an epic story of the first vampire as told through the eyes of his kindred dog! Follow along with a weekly episode for the next six weeks starting March 3rd, 2014!
˃˃˃ One time series...
Every Tuesday until April 18th, a new episode of Snow Blood will be available for purchase. Follow the story of Snow Blood, a vampire dog!
Scroll up and get your copy of the adventure today!

About the Author:
Carol McKibben writes from the heart of a dog’s eyes. Often telling her stories to Labradoodles, Basset Hounds and any stray that happened by, it wasn’t long before people stopped to have a listen! Now Carol writes for people and speaks to large audiences, dogs included.


Carol is a former magazine publisher and has worked as a freelance writer and editor since 2007. As well as editing other authors’ works to realize their dreams, she has completed a novel, Luke’s Tale, and published a memoir, Riding Through It.
Amazon

Goodreads

Website


Twitter

ALSO AVAILABLE FROM CAROL MCKIBBEN

LUKE'S TALE: 
A Story of Unconditional Love
Amazon US
Amazon UK



Luke, an intelligent, 89-pound yellow Labrador retriever, has an odd ability to understand human conversations and actions. When his owner’s girlfriend, Sara Colson, discovers she has breast cancer Luke is the sole secret keeper of her disease. Not knowing if she’ll survive, Sara leaves her boyfriend, Ashlundt Jaynes, to shield him from the pain. Luke, knowing how to give unconditional love, is the catalyst bringing the two lovers back together and helps them stay together while Sara and Ashlundt overcome a series of life-changing events.  

At the heart of Luke’s Tale is the story of two lovers and their struggle with unforeseen disillusionment to build a lasting relationship -- and the loving, furry creature who is devoted to them beyond all reason.

Add LUKE'S TALE to your TBR: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17206973-luke-s-tale


http://www.twluedke.com/
https://twitter.com/TWLuedke
http://www.facebook.com/TWLuedke
http://www.facebook.com/pages/TW-Lued...

I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews Tours Sign Up! #Share & #Win $20 Amazon Gift Card! #ASMSG

BLOGGERS & AUTHORS!!
Refer other bloggers & win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Here's how:
Win 1 point for each blogger who signs up and names YOUR BLOG as the referring blog!Pimp this post and be sure to tell the blog you are referring to name YOUR BLOG as the referring blog when they sign up to receive I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews Tours updates!Share this post on Facebook (for 3 points) - may I suggest adding something like:  "Tell them XYZ Blog referred you!" to the comments portion when you share.If you have participated in past tours (bloggers & authors) comment about your experience with I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews Tours on this post (on the blog for 3 points) and on the Facebook post (for 3 points) here:  Facebook PostTweet about it and tag my handle in the tweet and I will re-tweet it for you! My handle is @BookieNookieForward the email to bloggers who may be interested in participating - be sure to tell them to name you as the referring blog when they sign up!Any other creative post-pimping is welcome! :-)When does the referral contest end?


Starts NOW and will end on Sunday, March 2nd.   The person with the most referrals who sign up is the winner!

Loading...http://www.twluedke.com/
https://twitter.com/TWLuedke
http://www.facebook.com/TWLuedke
http://www.facebook.com/pages/TW-Lued...

Is Print-First Publishing a Mistake in Today's World of Ebooks? #Pubtalk #ASMSG

Reading my morning emails, I noticed a message from Joel Friedlander, Breakthrough Technology Cuts Book Formatting Time in Half. This is an article about a software/service that will format both your print and ebook, together, and give you files for both. This article instantly struck me wrong.
Now, I have no idea if Joel's program handles everything I am about to discuss, but I doubt it.
In my author's group, ASMSG (Author's Social Media Support Group), I see a lot of Indie author-publishers who run a print-first publishing plan.  What I mean by that, they format and publish their POD book (Print On Demand) first, usually via Createspace, and then they download the Createspace digital files to use for ebook publishing to Kindle.
I believe this is a huge mistake.
► The format of the print novel file is not ideal for ebooks, either Kindle or epub or pdf. Ebooks should be formatted with a 'least common denominator' style of simplicity. 
Personally, I write my novels in a universal Smashwords/Kindle ebook format.  The simple formatting is already set into my styles on MS word. I know many people use something other than MS word, for writing, but the same ebook formatting rules apply no matter what program you use.
Ebooks need things that Print books don't:  
► Whereas print has margins and page breaks and page numbers, it also has a dead Table of Contents, 'TOC' dead being that there's no live hyperlinks. Its my humble opinion (and an opinion of most kindle gurus) that the TOC is mostly pointless for fiction ebooks, except for specially named chapters, or non-fiction where each chapter has a themed idea to present. Ebooks, if they need a TOC, must have special hyperlinked bookmarks (epub and pdf) or at the very least they need to use the auto-generated TOC functions of MS word (kindle).
► Kindle ebooks are smarter to move the TOC to the back matter, to maximize the front end sample for book sales. You want very little junk in the way of your book and the reader. Kindle only allows for a small percentage of sampling, and that sample must be enough to 'hook' the reader to go forward with a purchase. And, the ebook front matter needs a short blurb, so that readers who have downloaded the novel, can recall what this book was about (the ebook cover does not have any blurbs--not like the back cover of print).
► Ebooks have color images. They should have full color images of all backlist novels, with live hyperlinks customized for each retailer. Kindle hyperlinks for kindle ebooks, B&N for B&N, Smashwords for Smashwords, etc.. 

Color book cover, description, link to retailer, and review quotes► Print novels have no  hyperlinks, and you must strip the color out of  your book cover images. If there is any color, Createspace and other POD companies will charge you full price for color interior (don't go there for novels--'how to' books, children's books--those are different).
Big, fat subscribe button for my email list--hyperlinked.
My cheesy grin and all the hyperlinks to my social media!
► Print back matter should have QR codes to give your readers the option of instantly ordering more of your backlist novels once they finish your book. Statistics prove the single best way to sell more books to a reader is to have access to all your novels in the back matter. Print novels need a bridge to the internet:
B&W book covers, with QR codes, descriptions, and review quotes.► Print back matter and front matter is always going to be a different format and content from ebook front and back matter. Personally, I have separate word files for both back and front print matter, (that's the way I do it, but its not the only way, and it has issues with formatting that I learned to deal with). But, because of these differences, its really not wise to use a print formatted file for ebook, or vice versa.
Now, I am just an Indie author, busting my butt to navigate the labyrinth of digital publishing, but, I have seen that my own sales are about 99% ebook, and about 1% print. 
► I publish ebook first. Every single book I have ever published needed an update within the first week. Ebooks can be updated in a few mouseclicks, and the new Kindle file shows up hours later. Same with Nook (if you're direct). Smashwords takes up to 10 days to update.  But, print novels (via POD) can take weeks, because you must order another proof to see how the book looks in print. You can take your chances and approve the proof from the online file viewer in Createspace, but its a risk. You never really know what you have until the book is in hand.
In this author's humble opinion, publishing should be digital first, print later, after all the kinks and bugs are worked out, and the two should be individually-separately formatted, with specialized content for each format.
I am wary of 'all-in-one' solutions when it comes to print and ebook publishing.
:)
http://www.twluedke.com/
https://twitter.com/TWLuedke
http://www.facebook.com/TWLuedke
http://www.facebook.com/pages/TW-Lued...

What happens in Mexico stays in Mexico #Interview via @am_sch #ASMSG

Back in September 2012, I met this crazy writer-blogger guy named AM Schultz. He had some very cool blog posts about writers and coffee, male writers trying to make their way in the very female world of Young Adult fiction, and other fuckery I just can't even recall.
Sadly, AM Schultz's wonderful blog has disappeared. But, I retained a piece of the dark magic, a smidgeon of AM Schultz insanity.
This is the very first interview I ever did, and it still ranks among one of my favorites (revamped):
AM: Ok, you wrote some stories, but let's start by hearing about the guy behind the keyboard. Five quick questions:
-Best road trip you've ever been on:  Several can qualify as “the best”.  They all have one thing in common, Mexico.  I lived on the border and in Mexico for several years.  I consider Mexico to be kinda like Vegas.  As long as you make it home, back across the border into the US, what happens in Mexico stays in Mexico. :)


-There's an alien in your shower eating a vanilla ice cream cone. You're holding a chocolate cone, and he wants it. What do you do?  Does it have to be a ‘He’?  I’d prefer my aliens in the shower to be female, like Captain Kirk with the green chick, or the other girl with six arms.  And if I’m in the shower with my sexy green female alien, we’d be doing all kinds of things with that ice cream, sharing it in all the ways that ice cream could possibly be shared in the shower.


-You're bowling. Perfect game. 300. Bill Cosby shows up and bowls a 310.  Do you cry foul?  Bowling with Bill Cosby next door, that would be pretty damn cool.  I’m sure I would be in awe, and probably not bowling at my best.  But when it comes to a showdown with ole Bill Cosby, nobody said it better than Eddie Murphy in his classic “Raw” stand-up comedy routine, “Tell Bill to have a coke and smile and shut the f**k up” :)


-Ain't no Party like a West Coast Party Don't Stop. Do you have proof that this isn't a true statement?  I would say the person who wrote that line has never been on an extended stay in Mexico.



-Chicken Little: Meteorological Prognosticator, or Sniveling Little Turd?  Definitely the latter.  I’d go so far as to say he’s a Whiney-Puke Sniveling Little Turd.  Everybody knows the world’s gonna end in the next few months, what good does it do to whine about it?



Now for the real interview. 
AM: You've got a book out, "The Nightlife: New York," which is the first in what is expected to be a lengthy series. With there being 47 and a half trillion series-style fiction offerings on the market right now, why should readers give "Nightlife" a read?
ME: This novel is the introduction to these two main characters in the series, and they are not really all that similar to your garden variety vampires.  There’s no council of supernatural creatures or other such fantasy world junk, just these two unique characters trying to live without notice in a world of eternal night.  We soon learn that relationships with other people are impossible.  In New York City, surrounded by a population of 8.2 million, these two quietly slip in and out of the herds of human cattle, never making any real connections.  They have no one but each other to rely on when the nightlife gets out of hand (as it so often does).


Story elements include:  Vampires, strippers, escorts, domestic gangs, corrupt cops, pimps, all the classic elements of a shady metropolitan nightlife blended with two vampires.  There are underlying themes of romance throughout, but it’s not pure romance--more urban fantasy.  Their world is exactly the same as ours, but seen through the lenses of two vampires living in the gritty metropolitan nightlife.  Very intense action scenes, graphic violence, and a good dose of erotica.  
There are now 5 Nightlife Series novels, plus the Omnibus!


One of my pet peeves is this:  I don’t care for the “undead” premise that most urban fantasy uses.  These characters are very much alive physically, heartbeats and all, but they have physiologies that are very different in certain ways.
AM: Great stories begin with great characters. Tell us a little bit about the moving flesh sacks in Nightlife.
ME: It’s coincidental you use the term “flesh sacks”.  At one point in the novel, our protagonist Aaron, a newly changed vampire, begins to view people as bloated flesh sacks.  Being especially gifted individuals, the vampires perceive the human cattle around them as lethargic, weak, frail, overfed cattle.  Ripe for the taking.


The primary POV of the novel is told from Aaron Pilan’s perspective.  At age 22, moping through life doing pretty much nothing, no direction, Aaron finds himself suddenly thrust into this strange, intimate relationship with his new master Michelle.  He’s young, inexperienced, naïve, fresh, unspoiled by the corruption of the New York scene.  Michelle becomes his mentor, teaching him how to fit into her solitary, secretive existence.
Aaron is our padewon learner, this is his coming of age story.  He faces trials and tribulations.  This is only the beginning of his tale, the tip of the iceberg.  He is destined for far greater things, but in this novel we will know him as a boyish man simply trying to survive.  He struggles against these new predatory urges blossoming within his psyche.  He’s never really known true aggression, but he learns very fast.
Michelle is a mystery, we don’t even know her surname.  She’s French, fiesty, impatient, aggressive, yet very careful and considerate of her actions.  She has seen much death in her long life and has adopted strict rules of comportment to avoid causing further death.  She has little tolerance for abuse of humans, they are to be respected and left in peace.  She is a strict task master when it comes to teaching Aaron the ins and outs of feeding and slipping between the cracks of society.  She will not hesitate to kill him if he proves to be uncontrollable.  She has a dark and violent past history with her former master, and a heavy prejudice towards men who abuse women.  She absolutely will not stand for Aaron’s abuse of the women they feed from.
It’s quite a challenge for Aaron to keep up with Michelle, follow all her strict rules, and maintain his predatory instincts in check.
And he simply can't help but become utterly smitten with Michelle.  She’s everything he could ever want, a super model wonder woman.  But she sees him as boy who needs his hand held through life, a fairly emasculating scenario.
And then she puts him to work…as an escort in the sex trade…same as her.  That’s when it gets really interesting.
AM: If you had to compare your writing style to any contemporary author, who would you consider to be Luedkean?
ME: I am writing Urban Fantasy, and in that genre I consider Laurell K. Hamilton of the Anita Baker vampire hunter series to be the undisputed master.  There are some close runner ups, like JR Ward of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, and Sunny an Asian author who wrote the Mona Lisa series.  If I had to compare the style I am attempting to emulate, I would say I target those two authors and several others.  I also greatly admire Dean Koontz.  I have enjoyed virtually every single one of Koontz's novels, but specifically the Odd Thomas series.  I love how the supernatural elements blend in slowly and seamlessly with the normal world.  He effortlessly paints a picture that’s oh-so-slightly different from reality.
There are a lot of authors out there right now redefining this genre, I am working towards that aim to add in a unique factor, a blending of elements that are distinctly my own.
AM: And speaking of which, is it "lewd-key," or "loud-kuh," or what? What are we looking at here, Scandinavian? Lifeline,bro! Hooked on Phonics didn't work for me.
ME: “Lewd-Key” would be the correct pronunciation.  It’s a German name, but I’m as American as it gets, bordering on Redneck.  The longer I stay in Texas the closer I get to Redneck status.


AM: As an author, you obviously want as many people as possible to purchase and read your books. It sounds like you've got elements that will appeal to a wide demographic: vampires, strippers, crime, urban setting, paranormality. Tell me, though: who should NOT read this book.
ME: This is not for children, 18 and over!  If you are offended by contemporary views of sexuality, erotica, or graphic violence, don’t bother reading the Nightlife Series.  I have Young Adult fiction that’s very toned down in those controversial areas.  That would be a better choice for a younger or more sensitive reader.  I write Adult Urban Fantasy for me, and YA Urban Fantasy for my own teenagers, who are greatly entertained by it.
My Young Adult novel, “The Shepherd”, would be far more appropriate for older teens. 


AM: Reviews, recommendations and shout-outs are the lifeblood of the modern independent author. Before you go, are there any other authors out there you want readers to check out before they pick up your book?
ME: Shane O'Neill is a wonderful new Indie carving out his niche in the world of epic-historic dark-horrific Dracula fiction. And Brian Patrick McKinley has a solid vampire fiction series reminiscent of a Chicago mobster-vampiric underworld, with a massive cast and scope like Game of Thrones.
For traditionally published books, my go to authors are Laurell K. Hamilton, JR Ward, Sunny, Dean Koontz, Christopher Moore, Stephen King, Anne Rice…. You’ll see all the greats I have enjoyed on my goodreads author page. 
I have so much work on my plate right now, most of my reading time is devoted to exchanging critiques with other authors.  They critique my manuscripts and I do the same for them.  Would you believe I am critiquing romance novels?  I have read more romance than I will ever admit to.
I leave you with a quote from Mark Coker of Smashwords.com, another man I greatly admire:  

“Pay attention to romance.  Study it.  Read it.  No other genre does a better job of getting inside the heads of readers, especially female readers.  Even if you write thrillers, mysteries, historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy or even horror, your books will probably get better if you study romance.  Romance writers are among some of the finest storytellers of interpersonal relationships.  If you want your readers to care what happens next to your characters, study the masters.”

This was a revisited, revamped, version of my interview with AM Schultz, but, the original sense of the absurd remains. What happened to AM? Why did he shut down his wonderful blog? Who can say, but he's still floating through twitterverse, chatting it up:
https://twitter.com/am_schhttp://www.twluedke.com/
https://twitter.com/TWLuedke
http://www.facebook.com/TWLuedke
http://www.facebook.com/pages/TW-Lued...

Digital Book World Freaks Out at Hugh Howey's Accusations! #Pubtalk #DigitalPublishing #ASMSG

Freaked out Publisher Face,
which just so happens to look like Jim Carrey in Liar Liar...

Hugh Howey, author of the wildly popular bestselling 'Wool' series, blasted the world with jaw-dropping statistics on ebook sales vs. print, and Indie/Self-Pub stats: 


Via Hugh's new website http://authorearnings.com/, he revealed surprising statistics that demonstrate Indie/Self-Publishing is a massively growing trend, gaining in sales and market-share, and that a portion of Indie/Self-pub authors have been making more money than their counterparts in 'traditional-legacy' publishing.


(To get a complete picture, please visit Author Earnings, or JA Konrath's phenomenal blog post outlining the whole deal)http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2014_02_11_archive.html



Now, the problem, Digital Book World, Bowker, and whole bunch of 'Industry Professionals' have staked their reputations by a completely different set of numbers. If you believe them, print sales are actually 70-75% and the rest is ebooks and audio-books.  And, if you believe them, Indies/Self-pubs and Amazon publishing book sales are not really eating up over 50% of the marketplace (the pros have it as a much lower percentage).  
Hugh Howey's numbers and well-defended conclusions have wrought CHAOS in the establishment. Digital Book World is repeatedly blowing up email newsletters filled with non-stop defensive arguments from Mike Shatzkin and Dana Beth Weinberg trying their damnedest to bring Hugh's data into question. 
Hmmm...The lady doth protest too much.

(check out Konrath as he blasts the 'industry professionals')http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2014/02/indies-eat-publishers-lunch-semi.html
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2014_02_14_archive.html


Email after email of denials and analysis of the analysis:
Setting the record straight, again, and again, and again...

Still trying hard to set the record straight....
In reading article after article of 'Industry Professionals' trying so hard to defend both their industry, and their sketchy data (skewed in their favor of course), a couple of things become clear through the quagmire of mud-flinging and accusations:
1)  Traditional Publishing does not yet understand that their business model is largely obsolete, and they are coasting on momentum, and the fallacy of belief that authors still need a publisher.
2)  Traditional Publishing has many proponents out in the media and industry. This myth that authors are better served by using a traditional publisher is still an entrenched ideal.  
But the foundation of this house of cards is starting to crumble, and the ugly truth has been exposed: 
We (Self-publishers) don't need you, Mr. Publisher. 
I don't need you, Mr. Publisher.
Why?  Because my books are sold worldwide, via Apple, Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Allromanceebooks.com, Smashwords, and even as an emagazine on Issuu.com.  
I am already making money publishing my books, and I only have three of my seven novels in paperback, and I don't even have a single audiobook. 99% of my promos are happening in social media, with very little paid promotion.  I run rebelmouse social media hubs. I run tribes on Triberr. I run several facebook pages, twitter profiles, and my fingers are pretty deep into Goodreads (haven't messed with Shelfari yet).
I am one of the many  new publishers , both an author , and a publisher , and a social media promotional consultant .
I am making money in ebooks. 
I have never written a single query letter, not one. I have never downloaded a query letter format or bought a course on how to write query letters or attended seminars on how to query agents and finagle submissions to publishers.  
I have never bothered.
I, Travis Luedke, am part of a new breed of authors, who have never wanted or cared to have a publisher.  The only thing publishers can offer me is bookstore print placement, and some foreign rights (subrights).  I don't want a publisher in control of my editing. I don't want a publisher in control of my metadata. I don't want a publisher screwing up my blurbs and cover art, and sponging off my 60-70% royalties. 
I have seen authors struggling with their publishers, struggling with garbage cover art and having zero control over pricing, price promotions, giveaways, freebies, and yet they are still expected to do what I do in social media, to gather fans, to promote their writings, their blog, their books, and still they give up the lion's share of the sales royalties to the publisher. For what?  What value do publisher's bring to the table?
If authors must do all this work to connect with fans and sell their books out in social media, then what do they need a publisher for?
Obviously, Traditional Publishing is still the primary route for an author to get their books on the shelves of nationwide bookstores. Indies/Self-pubs are all waiting for the day that changes, we are biding our time for the moment a service provider offers a straightforward route into that final distribution point. 
That is what's called a vacuum in the marketplace. How long before a service provider comes along to fill that vacuum and blast open bookstores to Indie/Self-pubs?  
Amazon has offered to allow bookstores to sell Kindles and products, a wholesale/affiliate kind of deal.  Lightning Source has some limited access to bookstores for Indies with a certain amount of clout.
Okay, I was rambling, forgive me. 
The point is HUGH HOWEY, or more specifically, his numbers. 
Hugh's numbers and pie charts and line graphs and all that fun stuff is a classic case of data proving what I have learned by experience. These numbers are not wrong, they are a statistical confirmation of what I already knew, but never had the data (or time) to articulate.
:)




http://www.twluedke.com/
https://twitter.com/TWLuedke
http://www.facebook.com/TWLuedke
http://www.facebook.com/pages/TW-Lued...

A new Emagazine is born! Awesome Indie reviews, articles, and freebies! #ASMSG

After beating my head against the wall with Wordpress for a day, only to have the damn website suspended, I went back to my old favorite, Blogger, and created an awesomesauce Emagazine.
http://asmsgesfp.blogspot.com/
Its robo-post madness.  30+ blogs, with RSS feeds autoposting into an emagazine of Epic proportions.
Did I mention it was Epic?
And the view is customizeable!


I haven't given up on Wordpress, but, at least I have something to show for my hours and hours of work.
Wordpress has a not-so-friendly TOS when it comes to auto-reblogging software. They forced me to self-host. So, I'll be bringing you some new stuff on my new self-hosted Wordpress blog/emagazine....eventually.http://www.twluedke.com/
https://twitter.com/TWLuedke
http://www.facebook.com/TWLuedke
http://www.facebook.com/pages/TW-Lued...