Travis Luedke's Blog, page 23

Cover Reveal ★FIRST I LOVE YOU★

About the Book:

If Mario Puzo and Jane Austen crossed the time-space continuum and mated, FIRST, I LOVE YOU would be their literary baby.
Imagine being a detective with a mobster for a father, or a mobster with a straight arrow, good cop for a son. This is a relationship that is tricky on its best day. Add in some well-meaning meddling from a mob princess sister, an arrogant DEA agent, and gangsters running a human trafficking ring and you have a recipe for a book that refuses to follow the rules. Told from the perspective and point of view of each the six main characters this is the first novel in a trilogy about love, loyalty, revenge and redemption.
Omaha Detective Tommy Gates has kept his gangster father at arm’s length his whole life. Mickey Downey has spent the better part of the last two decades trying to find ways to get back the son he lost through Witness Protection. Now Tommy has taken an opportunity to work on a Federal Human Trafficking Joint Task Force in Chicago where his father lives. Tommy’s sister Kiki and his mother Mary see this as an opportunity to build a relationship between the two. Tommy’s new DEA partner James Hoffman sees it as an opportunity to gain leverage over Mickey Downey. Tommy’s other partner, FBI Agent Ginny Sommers wants to keep Tommy’s family as far from the case as possible. When Kiki and James join forces, sparks fly and it sets fire to a maelstrom of unexpected consequences for everyone involved.
One part Godfather, two parts Emma and a dash of Casablanca mixed together, FIRST, I LOVE YOU isn’t a detective novel, a gangster novel, a mystery, a romance or a family saga. It’s a little of all of the above.
FIRST, I LOVE YOU is available in print and digital format at all major eBook retailers.
>>AMAZON<<
>>AMAZON UK<<

     EXCERPT:


“You don’t have much respect for me do you?” Kiki asked.
“On the contrary, if I ever need to know which shoes to wear to match my tie, you’d be the first person I call. If I had your number,” James said, trying to temper the sarcasm with a charming smile.
“I’m sure you already have it, along with all the other boring background check facts you recited earlier,” she rejoined, still making no move to retreat.
James admired her nerve. Maybe this princess had a bit of her father’s steel in her after all.
“That would defeat the purpose of you giving it to me,” he said.
“What purpose would that be? And you still haven’t answered my question,” she retorted.
“How about you answer one of mine first?” James asked then chuckled as she raised an eyebrow in a pretty good impression of her father. “Why would you invite your father’s old mistress to your party when she is not related to you, was no doubt the source of great pain and embarrassment for your own mother, and her presence, you had to know, would be unwelcome with at least a few of your guests?”
“I already explained my reasons to my brother. And his opinion is the only one I care about; certainly not a rude, presumptuous, party crashing boar like yourself. You don’t know a damn thing about me,” she answered, dark eyes glittering with anger.
“What I know is there’s a lot of big important grown up things going on and the last thing Tommy needs is his spoiled little sister playing games with his family, and distracting him from this case,” he said with perhaps a bit more heat than he meant but the smell of her hair and the glittering of her lip-gloss with the hall lights was distracting him and he was trying to keep his mind on the task at hand.
“How dare you? You’re the outsider here! It’s you who should butt the hell out of my family’s private issues! And you’ve the nerve to say we can be of use to each other? Why the fuck should I help you with anything?” Kiki ground out.
“Tisk, tisk, such language, little girl,” James said with a smirk. By God, she was beautiful, he couldn’t help but think. “How about we go back to your place and discuss this like rational adults,” he finished in a playful yet suggestive tone.
She let out a huff, clearly nonplussed by his forwardness. Then something flashed in her eyes, a sort of calculating, cynical and predatory look that had him feeling momentarily nonplussed himself.
“Alright. Let me say good bye to my guests. You obviously already know where I live. I’ll meet you there in a half hour,” Kiki said, cool and collected once more.
It was more like an hour when she arrived at her door, but who was counting? They said nothing to each other as she let him inside. James looked around her one bedroom apartment and thought it was nothing like he’d expected. He’d expected lots of pink or maybe something trendy with splashy colors. It was all cool metals, finished wood, and retro 50’s style furniture. Frank Lloyd Wright stills peppered the room and books lined the entirety of one wall. Her windows were left uncovered and the city lights cast interesting reflections in the room. She threw her shawl and little clutch purse on the butterfly chair by the bookshelves. Then she walked up to him and grabbed his holster. He stopped her hand.
“What are you doing?” James asked, his discomfort at having underestimated her twice in one evening making him irrationally angry.
“You should make yourself more comfortable,” Kiki said seductively.
“I thought we came here to talk?” he prevaricated, as he took his jacket, gun and badge off.
He could tell she was playing some sort of game and it spiked his irritation up a notch. His mood was all over the place, actually. There was frustration at the blocked opportunities by his partners and Downey to further the case tonight, mixed with his desire for her, the self-disgust that that brought, the irritation with her childish interference, the discomfort of knowing she was right that it wasn’t his business what went on between her and her family.
But now she had decided to take his sexual sparring and call his bluff. Except he wasn’t bluffing. Did she think he would be scared off from her family this way? Maybe that would work with her usual limp wristed boy toys or the gumbahs who were probably too afraid of her Daddy to actually make a move, but not with him.
James hooked an arm behind her back and yanked her towards him. She gasped and put her free hand on his chest, but she didn’t push him away. She kept looking at him, eyes still full of challenge and no fear. It was like something snapped in his brain and all he wanted was to wipe that look from her eyes, to make her realize lives weren’t to be played with, manipulated. To give her a taste of her own medicine.
He gripped the back of her neck with his other hand and crushed his mouth to hers. She met his kisses with equal fervor, pressing up against him. He let go of her waist and neck and began a rough exploration of her body, not bothering to be gentle. She sunk her hands into his hair and gripped painfully. Whether to give as good as she got or from passion he didn’t know. All he knew was his body was on fire for her and all he could think about was sinking into her.

>>AMAZON<<
>>AMAZON UK<<




Author Bio:
Genevieve Dewey is the author of The Downey Trilogy (First, I Love You & Second of All) and the short stories Bird Day Battalion & V-Day Aversion. She is a wife, mother, sister, friend and Anthropologist. She was raised mostly in Nebraska, partly in Arizona. She has a Master’s in Anthropology and worked as an Applied Anthropologist for years (even ran her own research company for a while) before deciding to be a stay at home mom. She loves passionate (rational) debates, reading, and libraries… oh, and Chicago and high-heels and chocolate and target practice and gangster flicks and anything with the FBI in it and run-on sentences. She lives in Nebraska with her three brilliantly diabolical children and one incredibly funny husband. You can find Gen online at:
www.GenevieveDewey.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/GenevieveDewey Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GenevieveDewey Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6441991.Genevieve_Dewey Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Genevieve-Dewey/e/B00936QL2S/ Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/genevievedewey/


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GIVEAWAY►► The Nightlife Las Vegas

ITS GIVEAWAY TIME!
 In honor of the wonderful ladies of EROTIC ENCHANTS at Goodreads, I am offering:
  
The Nightlife Las Vegas 
FREE Giveaway
April 24th through May 2nd



VAMPIRES, MURDER, MAYHEM, SEX, CARTEL, 
AND JELL-O WRESTING


ALL APPLICANTS MUST JOIN EROTIC ENCHANTS

Leave a comment below to verify you have joined the group!
 


 Vampires, Aaron Pilan and his master Michelle, live by one rule -- no bloodslaves. EVER. Aaron breaks that rule when he meets Anastasia. All Anastasia wants is to be loved and cherished, but the predatory men she’s attracted to bring her only pain and abuse. Escaping one train-wreck relationship for another, she finds happiness with Aaron and Michelle as a bloodslave, a 'pet'. When Aaron uses his telepathy to win thousands at the gambling tables, he attracts the deadly attention of the Colombian Cartel and Aaron and Michelle are 'disappeared'. Addicted to the bite of her vampire lovers, Ana is desperate to find them. But, Las Vegas isn't ready for vampires mixing heroin, sex and vengeance. Ana is trapped in the spiraling chaos.

SIGN UP FOR RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE:


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Amazon & Goodreads: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

I have been following this issue very closely since it was first announced. 

There are many stances on it from many different angles.

Lets talk about a few of them here.

The latest posting from Digital Book World brings some interesting points to light:

http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/the-future-of-goodreads-under-amazon-ownership/?et_mid=610276&rid=234558344

Amazon's systems are consumer-focused.  This has many potential ramifications for Goodreads.  If that consumer focus bleeds over into Goodreads, how will that change the system for authors?

And a good part of Goodreads is built to cater to Authors in social media, events, group discussions, giveaways.  If Amazon no longer cares to devote resources to this kind of activity, will we see the Author-centric aspects of Goodreads drop off in favor of the reader/consumer focus?

http://bestsellerlabs.com/amazon-buys-goodreads-the-impact-on-authors/

Jonathan Gunson has found something positive about this merger, Kindle libraries will find integration with Goodreads "shelves".  This is wonderful for authors, because all of a sudden, a whole ton of "read" or "owned" or "want to read" shelving will register for all these books.  That kind of activity is a major big deal, adds a lot of popularity to a book in Goodreads.

But there are also a great deal of concerns about privacy.  Many a reader who buys on Kindle, using their real identity, yet keeping their Kindle collection private in this neat little device, is willing to write reviews on Goodreads under a pseudonym.  Goodreads allows this privacy.  People also discuss books in group conversations under their pseudonym. 

If Kindle starts connecting the dots between the device/purchaser, and the Goodreads pseudonym, privacy is out the window.  This has far reaching implications for readers of the more risque erotica material.  Privacy has enabled readers to buy and enjoy these books on their kindle devices.  One might say that ereader privacy has contributed to the explosion of the erotica ebook market.

If that aspect of privacy is lost due to Amazon-Goodreads integration of Kindle libraries and Goodreads "shelves", will there be a drop-off in purchases of the more risque-controversial reading material? 

Not everyone wants their entire Kindle library broadcast to the world.

http://thenightlifeseries.blogspot.com/2013/03/amazon-goodreads-holy-shit.html

And finally, there is another issue for consideration, Amazon's monopolistic control of book sales, discovery, and the discussion forums for talking about books.  In addition to Amazon's own Kindle forums, unbeknownst to many, Amazon is also a major shareholder/partner in Librarything, a Goodreads competitor.  AND obviously, Amazon runs Shelfari, the other major Goodreads competitor.

We, the world of book readers and authors, have very little places left to go, to talk about books, where Amazon does not own/control the discussion format and have full access to all that data.

The megagiant bookseller is positioning themselves to control all the platforms where people go to find and talk about books.  Control of discovery, control of word-of-mouth, control of reviews and ratings.

That's just plain creepy, and it screams of a monopoly.



Additionally, Amazon is infamous for censorship of certain kinds of novels.  They will simply remove a book from their system, as if it had never existed.  That removal reaches straight into Kindle libraries.  Kindle ebooks you have purchased that Amazon deems unworthy will disappear without warning.


Traditionally, Goodreads is a place where everyone is free to discuss every kind of book, to rate and review those books.  There are books discussed, rated, and reviewed on Goodreads, that are not sold on Amazon, have been banned by Amazon.  Will Amazon bring their brand of intolerance and arbitrary book removal to Goodreads?

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Amazon + Goodreads = ????

The world's largest bookseller, Amazon, just signed an agreement to buy Goodreads.
Goodreads:  Over 14 million book lovers.
Amazon:  Multibillions of dollars in book sales worldwide. (Not counting the Kindle devices)
This is a merging of the two most influential forces in the world of books.

I snagged this image from DigitalBookWorld.com.

Antitrust litigators, where are you when you're needed most?  This is a new kind of monopoly unlike anything ever seen before.  
But what will it mean?
Well lets look at Amazon's attempt to cater to bibliophiles with reviews and recommendations:  Shelfari.   Goodreads has been kicking Shelfari's ass all along.  Will we see a merging of Shelfari and Goodreads systems?  Maybe some linking back and forth?  Maybe a few widgets here there and everywhere?
And what of Amazon's position to control content sales via the Kindle tablet line?  How will they integrate Goodreads into the book-buying experience on Kindle tablets?
And what about the reviews, the lifeblood of popularity and discovery?  What of Amazon's reviews vs. Goodreads reviews/ratings?  Will Amazon forgo reviews for Goodreads plugin widgets or vice-versa, will Goodreads now feature Amazon reviews on each book page?
And what about discovery for us unknown Indie authors? In Addition to publishing with Amazon, many Indies use multiple retailers, blogs, social media, and Goodreads to find avenues of discovery.  Mark Coker of Smashwords nailed it:

“Brilliant move by Amazon ... Amazon just locked up discovery for the next couple years.”

And now, via Goodreads, Amazon is able to dip their fingers into other retailer's sales figures and affiliate commissions.  Goodreads has a thriving affiliate business, and massive tracking systems for affiliate links leading out to book retailers (Amazon and all its competitors).  Amazon can now track who's buying what books from what retailer through Goodreads.
A monopoly of information and book buying habits.
These are just a few of the questions/thoughts in my mind.  This is HUGE.  This is the biggest thing to happen in the world of publishing since ebooks.
Authors & publishers beware.
Here's just a few links to articles on the merger:
http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/amazon-acquires-goodreads/

http://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/413-exciting-news-about-goodreads-we-re-joining-the-amazon-family

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/pageviews/2013/03/amazon-buys-goodreads

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbercovici/2013/03/28/amazon-buys-goodreads-take-that-bookish/

Leave some comments below.  I would love to hear thoughts and ideas on what this will mean for Indies and the world of publishing.




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THE MONTH OF MANY BOOKS

CBL Reviews Invites You To Participate In
'The Month Of Many Books' Project #1
For the entire month of March CBL Reviews is hosting giveaways of extreme proportions as well as offering readers the chance to bid for a book bundle of their choice.
Monies raised through this project, will be donated to a local rural library in Port Elizabeth South Africa. This is to help fund reading education amongst, not only the youth, but illiterate adults in the community of Walmer Township.
Your help and support will go a long way.
How it all works:
• All the paperbacks, as listed below, are all signed copies, kindly donated by the respective authors.
• Paperbacks will be bundled up and placed into an ebay widget. You are then welcome to bid towards obtaining your favorite bundle.
But not to worry, it's not all about getting you to spend your money :D
• There will be ebook giveaways done all through the month of March. Each Ebook was kindly donated towards this cause by the wonderful author of each book.
Each bundle is only open for bidding for 7 days! Thereafter, I'll be adding the next two and so on.
Here's the first lot :D
Bid On Signed Paperback Copies Of Some Of Your Favorite Books:
• Bundle #1: CLICK HERE TO BID ══►



• Bundle #2:
 CLICK HERE TO BID ══►





★LAST BUT NOT LEAST★ 
★GIVEAWAYS ★

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Young Adult Fantasy 2 for 1 SALE!

Check out a new up and coming author DR RACEY
He currently has a PROMOTIONAL EBOOK SALE ~ 2 FOR 1 .
Buy the 1st book in THE PHOENIX BLADE TRILOGY,  "CONFLAGRATION" and get the 2nd book "LINEAGE" for FREE
http://www.goodreads.com/event/show/880697-d-r-racey-buy-one-get-one-free-promo



For purchase verification, please forward the purchase verification email from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Smashwords for the purchase of "Conflagration" to 
drracey@gmail.com

All confirmed purchases will have a copy of "Lineage" gifted to them from the author within 24 hours of purchase verification.

Promo is valid from 01 March 2013 thru 31 March 2013.

Customers who received a copy of Conflagration for free through another promotion are not eligible to receive a free copy of Lineage during the Buy One Get One Free Promo.

CONFLAGRATION

Conflagration is a family friendly fantasy novel for readers of all ages. Conflagration is the first book in The Phoenix Blade Trilogy.

Join Valus as he searches for the magical sword.

LINEAGE

Lineage begins twenty years after Conflagration ends and follows the elf Kayne as he searches for a magical talisman to enter the netherworld and battle the demon Mar' Del.

CONFLAGRATION Purchase Links: Amazon US Amazon UK   Smashwords Barnes & Noble  Author Email: drracey@gmail.com
Official Website: http://www.drracey-books.webs.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/DR-Racey/128381040675583 



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Amazon puts FREE ebook promotion sites out of business?

Drinking my coffee, going through a ton of email & social media crap, I happened upon an email from Amazon.  The Associates Operating Agreement has changed.

Now normally, this would bore me to tears, and I would probably ignore it for the moment. I don't really make any money as an Associate.  I'm in the business of selling my books as a publisher (Indie).

So I clicked on it anyway, and it had some seemingly innocuous stuff about counting up items sold and the kinds of items.  As you may know, the number and type of items sold affects your Associate's commission.

Then I noticed a section about FREE ebook promotions:

Associates Program Advertising Fee Schedule – Limitations on Advertising Fee Rates for Certain Products
March 1, 2013 version
The following is added at the end of the sub-section:
“In addition, notwithstanding the advertising fee rates described on this page or anything to the contrary contained in this Operating Agreement, if we determine you are primarily promoting free Kindle eBooks (i.e., eBooks for which the customer purchase price is $0.00), YOU WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO EARN ANY ADVERTISING FEES DURING ANY MONTH IN WHICH YOU MEET THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS:
(a) 20,000 or more free Kindle eBooks are ordered and downloaded during Sessions attributed to your Special Links; and
(b) At least 80% of all Kindle eBooks ordered and downloaded during Sessions attributed to your Special Links are free Kindle eBooks.”

Again, this doesn't really affect me.  I don't worry about selling other stuff through Amazon.  But then it occurred to me who it might affect, all those wonderful websites that promote FREE kindles.  I use those websites weekly to promote my FREE novel The Nightlife New York, the first in the Nightlife Series.

These freebie sites don't make money from free books.  They sell ads. But they do make a fair amount of Amazon Associates commissions from people entering Amazon to catch a free ebook, who then shop for something else. If all these free kindle sites can no longer collect Associates commissions because they are disqualified by virtue of promoting free kindles, can they afford to stay in business based on their ad sales alone?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

I have a strong suspicion the promotion of free kindles is about to see a severe drop off.  It kinda looks like maybe Amazon is shooting themselves in the foot.  Many people who enter their system via a freebie site, who pick up a freebie, go on to shop for something else.  It's a logical procession that less freebie promotional sites = less downloads of freebies = less impact of free promos = less sales boost to novels, and less sales of other items through impulse shopping.

I suppose I can understand Amazon might think its unfair that guys promoting free stuff can make a commission from other stuff just by virtue of a simple link.  But then I realized this is the fundamental basis of Amazon's Associate Program, when someone enters via your link, you get commissions for anything they buy.

Not really making sense anymore.  Not to me.  I'm sure there's a department of bean counters somewhere in Amazon who thought it made sense.

Now we could do the conspiracy theory thing: It's a conspiracy to smack down all those upstart Indie authors who were making huge leaps and gains competing against traditionally published novels via free promos.  I'm not going there.  Not yet anyway.  But it kinda begs the question....

It will be interesting to see how this affects free kindle promotion.  It most certainly will be negative for us Indie authors, indirectly.

Until next time,

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The Nightlife Paris needs your vote on cover art!

I have a wonderful cover artist:

http://amygdaladesign.net/

She's highly talented and very fast, efficient, and professional. She did all three of these covers in two days!  If she wasn't all the way over in Europe, I would track her down and kiss her!

My problem?   I can't decide which of the three covers is the best one.  They are all so damn awesome.

HELP ME DECIDE!  Please vote for one of these three covers on my Goodreads poll:

http://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/78998








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A Spanking Good Time with Erotica Authors, PART I: Penelope Jones & Max

This is the first of a BDSM interview series for Erotica Authors.  Be warned, there is very explicit content herein:
TL:  “I’m here today at my home in sunny San Antonio with a fellow author of erotic romance, Penelope Jones, a.k.a. Bad Penny, for an interview I promised her some time ago.  We’re enjoying the 70+ degree weather while the rest of the country freezes their asses off.  It’s a fine day for some cocktails and an interview.”  (BP winks and slurps her cocktail)
“Before we get into all the fun, tell us about your nickname on twitter, Bad Penny .  I imagine there’s an interesting tale behind that.  Oh and I thought Max was joining us?”
BP:  “When I first got onto twitter I hadn’t planned on having a nickname, but many started calling me Pen.  It’s not a bad name, just not a fitting name for me. Too plain.  My buddy and yours, Caster Rowe started called me Bad Penny and it stuck.  Besides... it seems to be a fitting name. I am a very, very Bad Penny. (BP winks)  Max is buried elbow deep in pus... I mean business.  He might show up later.”  (cheeky grin from BP)
TL:  “You don’t mind if I call you Bad Penny as we continue our little experiment?  I wouldn’t want to offend.”
BP:  “I don’t mind at all stud.”  (BP giggles)  “Say, what did you put in this drink?  It has a really … weird … after … taste…”  (BP falls to the floor with her tongue lolling sideways out her mouth)
TL:  “Well, that would be the ketamine.  It’s not just for horses you know.”
(A brief interlude while TL reconfigures BP)
TL:  “We are back with Bad Penny to finish our little interview.  I just need to bring her up from la-la land first.”  (TL waves smelling salts under BP’s nose. Her eyes open then widen with alarm)
BP:  “Huh?  What’s this?  Why am I strapped up?  Why can’t I move my head?  Where are my clothes?  Max is gonna be pissed he missed this.”  (BP chuckles nervously)
TL:  “All good questions that deserve an answer.  I just wondered how much practical experience you’ve had with a fucking machine.  I mean your writings suggest you’re intimately familiar with gadgets like this.  A neat little feature of this one is the ergonomic clamping system holding your head in place.  And I removed your clothes to make you feel more at home… I want you to be relaxed, to feel you can be completely open and honest with me.  After all, we’re here to do an interview.  You remember how many times you bugged me to have this interview, don’t you?”
BP:  “You didn’t think I’d be honest with you?”  (She wriggles her cute little hiney, testing her restraints)
TL:  “Shush now.  I’m the one asking the questions.  You wouldn’t want me to put on the ball gag now would you?  Makes for a much more difficult Q & A session.  Nodding yes and no can be so tiresome.”  (BP goes very still)
BP:  “I won’t ask any questions.  Just don’t gag me!  Plus... how can I scream your name if I’m gagged?”  (BP laughs nervously again.  TL reaches for the ball gag.  BP’s eyes widen and she wiggles her head slightly in the restraint)  “I promise!  I’ll answer all your questions!”
TL:  “I know you will.”  (TL picks up a power tool)
BP:  “What’s that?”
 
TL:  “You are a Bad Penny aren’t you?  I told you not to ask questions.  This is a Milwaukee brand Sawzall, which literally does exactly that, saws all…”
BP:  “Why are you putting that dildo on the end of it?  Did you and Max cook this up?”
TL:  “This interview is not working out so well Penny.”
BP:  “But you haven’t asked me any questions yet.”
TL:  “I’m not going to ask.  I’m going to make you tell me everything.”  (TL kicks BP’s legs apart and fits a spreader bar between her knees)
BP:  “I’ll tell you anything you want to know, I promise.  You don’t have to do this.”
TL:  “I know you will.”  (TL tests Sawzall and watches the dildo bouncing vigorously on the end of the machine)
BP:  “Ok.. just give me a moment to think.”  (pregnant pause, then BP begins spitting facts out quickly)  “This will be my first real publication.  I’ve published a few short stories on different pay websites such as forthegirls.com and Oysters andChocolate.  I’ve finished my novel back in September, and I’m still editing The Beautiful Catastrophe.  In the spring I plan to publish my First in a trilogy: Diary of a Broken Me. But the reason we are here today is my poetry book I wrote with Max.  It’s called Iniquitous Solace: Rhythmic Words of Lust and Love. It’s about strangers that cross paths, and their lives together, written in notes and letters back and forth from --- Wait --- (BP pauses mid sentence, and begins again.)  Hold up... Hey - That thing is huge… I’m not sure I can handle that.”
TL:  “Ten inches, to be precise.”
BP:  “Sounds like a lovely time.”  (BP visibly gulps)  “But I think maybe we should finish the interview first.”
TL:  “Would you prefer we start with something else?”  (TL points to the wall of goodies and is rewarded with a seductive gleam in BP’s eyes)


BP:  “Please? … Umm... How about that riding crop?”



TL:  “This one? I suppose we could try that for now.”  (TL strokes the riding crop across BP’s left ass cheek and again across the right until BP’s juices are trickling down her inner thigh)  “If I recall, you do enjoy a good spanking …”  (TL flicks his wrist and lands a resounding crack on bare skin)

BP:  (Shudders and gasps)  “Oh.. right, my writing... You’re making it hard to concentrate. (BP sighs heavily) My writing revolves around dominating relationships with rather submissive women, and they have tons of spanking and discipline sprinkled in. Our poetry book,‘Iniquitous Solace’, is no different.”
TL:  “I think you’re enjoying this too much.  Those nipples look way too pert.  It’s not really punishment for you is it?”  (TL gently tweaks a nipple.  BP holds her breath in anticipation, she wants more)  “Answer the question, Penny.”  (TL twists harder until BP cries out)
BP:  “I … do … like it … but that really hurts!”  (TL turns his attention to her other breast)  “Oooww!  Stop.  Stop.”
TL:  “Then keep talking, or I start using the sawzall.”  (TL smacks both ass cheeks with the riding crop, back and forth, before stopping to rub her reddened cheeks.)  “You’ve got five minutes before I start again.  Don’t make me punish you for real.”
(Max shows up late to the interview... sees Bad Penny in her usual precarious position... compliments her only article of clothing, striped socks, and sits down well out of riding crop reach)



BP: “Hey Max... lovely of you to join us.”  (BP Laughs)  “You should like the socks, you bought them.”
Max:  “I see Bad Penny is yet again to blame.  She does tend to live her writings, it’s not all fiction you know.  ‘IniquitousSolace' - our co-authored novella - it’s poetry for bad girls and boys who desperately want to be good.  Or get it good.  It's all about shredding the heart to sink your claws into your own soul.  In a sexy way of course.  What else would you like to know?”
TL:  “I want to know everything. Like how much this is turning her on.”  (TL reaches between her legs to test her wetness)  “My, my, she’s a very naughty girl, she’s soaking wet!”
Max:  “This should come as no surprise.  She runs her very own naughty couch. I think she uses the poems as a lure to draw in unsuspecting cupcakes and lollipops. 'Iniquitous Solace' is a honey trap. A naughty, sensual, makes-you-feel-good-like-rope-bondage trap...”
BP:  “It’s not a trap... well it caught you.”  (cue another cheeky grin first towards Max and then TL)
TL:  “Well, I’m not the one strapped down with my legs open wide.  We will see who’s feeling caught by the time I finish with you.  I’m not convinced we’ve learned everything there is to know.  And she likes this way too much.  So…”  (TL picks up the Sawzall and tests it again, but this time he rubs the bobbing dildo between BP’s legs)
BP:  “Oh shit!  Wait!  I already told you everything!”
TL:  “Really?”  (TL pushes the Sawzall a little harder)
BP:  “YES!  YES!”  (TL stops)
TL:  “You like this too, don’t you?”
BP:  (Breathing heavily)  “Yeah … but can I get a pillow and a drink of water?” (BP Gives Max a wink) “Yes even bound and tied I’m demanding and needy.”
Max:  "I've got a larger attachment if you need it.  Bad Penny enjoys being pushed to her limits.  That's the real challenge with our poetry.  How much can you uncover, how naked can you be, and then how do you shape that into words and weave it together to convey meaning.  We're all looking for that."  (Nods toward the buzzing Sawzall.)
"Well, looking for other stuff too, but this is about two people defining their own meaning.  Or maybe more than two people.  Maybe all of us.  The readers will have to let us know."  (Max shrugs and leans back.)  "Now are you putting on a show here?  Bad Penny looks ready, and there's no sense in wasting some nice tight bondage... I hear she's a fan of orgasm denial for starters."  (Max grins with the glitter of sadism in his eyes.)
* * * * *
Penelope Jones can be found at all her various social media outlets:
Twitter: @Penelope_Prose
Facebook: Penelope Jones
GooglePlus: LittleMissNotoriety
Blog:  The Bad Penny

Tumblr:  http://littlemissnotoriety.tumblr.com/
Goodreads: Penelope Jones
Pinterest: PenelopeProse
Max can be found at all his various social media outlets:
Twitter: @Cherish_Desire

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VeryDirtyStories

GooglePlus: Max.Cherish@Gmail.com

Blog: http://news.cherishdesire.com/

Tumblr: http://bit.ly/CherishDesireTumblr
Goodreads: Max Stories
Cover Reveal for Iniquitous Solace to be released the first week of February 2013:


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The new publishing business model: Agents preying on self-published authors

Prepare for a rant.

As I sit here drinking coffee, catching up with my new twitter followers, and reading emails, my morning newsletter from Digital Book World came in.  There's the usual chatter on the publishing industry about ebook and ereader sales activity during the holidays, gains and losses and all that crap.  What caught my eye was an article about publishing agents,

Agents Unwilling to Adapt Won't Last.

I thought that looked pretty interesting, so I read the article.  I haven't read anything in the past few months that made me so instantly furious, soooo fuming pissed off MAD .  I had to sit down and write this blog post.

The article is an interview with Jane Dystel of Dystel and Goderich Literary Management.  Jane starts off with her credentials.  She represented Obama when he wrote "Dreams from my father", before he was President.  That's some serious Klout goin' on there.  I'll bet she's got one hell of a Klout score.  Despite all that overwhelming Klout, the sheer audacity of her business model is staggering.

She isn't even a publisher, but she helps self-published authors, charging a mere of their sales.  She will help them find editors- on their dime , find cover artists- on their dime , and help them upload their ebooks to all the retailers (a very harrowing experience of about 20 mouse clicks).  What a wonderful service, for only royalty on someone else's hard work.

She goes on to admit she wishes traditionally published authors received more than 25% royalty of net sales, she thinks 50% of net sales is much more fair.  Us authors should get at least 50% of net sales royalties.  How kind and considerate, how very progressive.

I get 70% of GROSS sales on Amazon and between 60-80% of GROSS sales at other retailers.

Jane Dystel admits that the challenge Agents face is to convince self-published authors, "that we can help them do better than they are doing for themselves ... many of these self-published authors are doing phenomenally well."

You're damn straight that's a challenge.

The gist of the entire article is this:  Our Agency skims through the self-published authors to see who's a bestseller and then attempts to convince them that somehow or other, they need us.

NOT HAPPENING.  

If I hit anywhere near a bestseller status with my ebook, that's saying a lot: 
1.  I already know how to write a good book. 
2.  I already have at least one editor or more.
3.  I already know how to hire a cover artist, and help work out the design specifics of the cover I want.
4.  I already know how to hire an ebook conversion formatter, or do the formatting myself. 
5.  I already know how to upload my finished ebook to all the retailers.
6.  I already know how to launch my novel through social media and blogs.
7.  I already know how to make the most of ebook retailer's promotional mechanisms, like free offerings, discounts, giveaways, and coupons. 
8.  I already know how to sell myself as an author brand, and my novels as a part of that brand.

If I hit anywhere near a bestseller listing with any of my ebooks, why the hell would I need an Agent?

Jane Dystel looks a lot like a predator to me.  A predator preying on the dreams and aspirations of self-published authors who still feel the sting of not having "made it" in the realm of traditional publishing.  She looks like an Agent who's scrambling to figure out how to convince people like me that there's any need at all for her antiquated, obsolete business model.

If I hit anywhere near a bestseller list with my ebook, you better have a seven figure offer on the table and a movie deal before you even think about trying to talk me out of my successful self-publishing business model.

I have never written a query letter.  I never will.  Its a waste of time.  Jane Dystel says she has represented JA Konrath and John Locke early in their self-published careers.  Here's JA Konrath's words from a year ago:

"Now, writers are much better served learning how to upload their work to Kindle and write a product description than learning how to write a query letter or do a successful book signing."

As I catch up on a ton of social media connections for the morning, start writing another interview series for erotica authors, and begin editing my next two novels for release in the next two months, I wonder how much Agents can afford to adapt?  How much room is there in today's world of self-publishing for an Agent to survive?  NOT MUCH.

This is a time of great change in the world of publishing.  The power is shifting to the authors, specifically the authors who learn the ins and outs of self-publishing.  I strongly suggest people abandon obsolete business models and embrace that power, take it in full measure and use it to the best of your ability.

Until next time,

Travis Luedke



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