Mike Worley's Blog, page 11

Get Your e-book Signed by Mike with Authorgraph

Using a service called Authorgraph, it is now possible to get a ‘signed’ addition for your ebook.

You can simply enter a regular email address at the time of your request and you will receive an email with links to download a PDF version (viewable in applications like iBooks) or an AZW version (viewable in all Kindle apps on iPad, iPhone, PC, Mac, etc.) of your Authorgraph.

The Authorgraph is not attached to the e-book, but is a separate document. This allows you to create a “collection” where you can keep all of you Authorgraphs together.

There is no charge to receive an Authorgraph, unless you choose to send it to your Kindle through the Personal Document Service. Then there might be a small service charge. (PDS is currently being changed and I’m not certain how the changes will impact this, although it appears the service is being improved with the changes.)

Click on the graphic below and try it today!

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“Fire Storm” Is Here!

The fifth book in the Angela Masters Detective Novel series, Fire Storm, was released today.  The Kindle version of the book is available for a short time at the special release price of 99 cents. A paperback version is also available.

To order either version, go to book page.

 

Late one night, a resident of Santa Rosa reports that someone was banging on his front door and screaming for help.  A raging fire which threatens homes and an armed robbery stretch police resources.  Officers do not respond to the neighborhood until the following morning, when the resident calls again to report a horrific discovery.  In the neighborhood, police find blood in several locations and what appears to be a gruesome crime scene.  But there is no body and no evidence of the means of injury.

When the victim’s body is located a few days later, identification is hampered.   Angela Masters must sort out a mound of conflicting information to determine who the victim was and to identify her killer.  By the time the victim is identified, evidence points to a serial killer preying on young girls.  Will Angi be able to sort out the puzzle and, even then, will it lead her to the killer before he can strike again?

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All Angela Masters Books are $0.99 This Week

In support of the upcoming release of Fire Storm, the fifth book in the Angela Masters Detective Novel series, the Kindle version of all previous books are on sale for only 99 cents each.

Get your copy of Retribution, Grand Jeté, Entitlement, and Ghost at this special price. This Week Only.

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Web Updates – “Fire Storm” Edits

I have updated the website with new graphic menu options on the home page and free content pages. These menus allow me to feature photos of all the book covers in a format that allows clicking on the cover to go to additional content. With the coming release of book five, “Fire Storm,” there wasn’t sufficient room to include that cover under the old layout.

 

FIRE STORM

All of my beta readers have submitted their comments. Across the board, their comments and suggestions have made the story stronger. There will be at least one more pass through the entire manuscript.  We are still on track for an April release!

Join me for the VIRTUAL RELEASE PARTY ON April 29th.

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$10 Gift Cards

$10 Gift Cards are just two of the prizes I will be giving to randomly drawn attendees at my Virtual Release Party for “Fire Storm – An Angela Masters Detective Novel.”

The party is scheduled for April 29th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Eastern time.  You do not have to be on-line to win, but you must be a registered attendee for your name to be entered in the drawing.

Go to the Virtual Release Party page to JOIN the party.

 

 

$10 Starbucks Gift Card

$10 Olive Garden Gift Card

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Beta Readers’ Comments Are In

I have received input for all twelve beta readers and am incorporating their comments and suggestions.  I very much appreciate the level of detail that many of them put into analyzing the story in “Fire Storm” as well as areas of grammar and punctuation.

We are still on track for publication in April.  This will mark the completion of five Angela Masters novels in two years.  It’s been an educational process, and I mean that in a good way.  I have learned a great deal about the craft of fiction writing from too many people to name.

 

 

 

 

Virtual Release Party

I am trying a new approach to get the word out to people about my latest book.  On April 29, I am hosting a Virtual Book Release Party.  This is an online experience and people can ‘attend’ from anywhere in the world where there is an internet connection.  The party will feature gift drawings for participants, trivia items about the book and its characters, and an ongoing question and answer period with the author.  Drawings will include gift cards to major retailers and signed copies of “Fire Storm.”

To join the party, follow the link to https://www.facebook.com/events/828323070527327/ and click ‘JOIN’

 

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Release of ‘Fire Storm’

The completion and upcoming release of ‘Fire Storm’, my fifth novel in the Angela Masters Detective Novel series, is coming along great.  I have returns from all but four of my beta readers / editors.  The comments so have have been very helpful in making this book an even better story.

 

Release Virtual Party

To help with the release, which is scheduled for April, I’m hosting a virtual release party on April 29, 2014 from 10:00 am Eastern Daylight Time until 4:00 pm EDT.  There will be hourly prizes including free autographed copies of “Fire Storm” and gift cards from national retailers.  Prizes will be awarded in a random drawing from the names of those who have joined the event.  It is not necessary to be online at the event at the time of the drawing to win.

Additionally, I’m inviting other writers to participate.  I will be posting links to those writers’ works, so those attending will have access to other works from great authors.

Join the virtual party at https://www.facebook.com/events/828323070527327/

 

Different Approach

For this book, I’m doing a couple of things differently from prior books.  First, I have obtained ISBN numbers from Bowker, the distributor for ISBNs in the U.S.  Previously, I’ve used ISBNs furnished by Amazon.  While the reader won’t see any difference, this approach allows me to be listed as the publisher as well as the author.  It also gives access to a greater range of bookstores and retail outlets who might want to sell the book.

As I noted above, I’m also having a virtual release party to celebrate the book’s release.  I’m hoping for a great turnout from people everywhere.  I will be physically hosting the event from the Starbucks store where I usually write, but it’s not necessary for anyone to actually go there.  Everything for the event will be conducted online.

All of my books use actually murder cases as a basis, although the story in the book is fictional, and also includes elements of more than one actual case.  “Fire Storm,” more than any previous book, is largely a creation because the two major underlying cases were both solved quickly.  This made the development of the book more of a challenge, but also a lot of fun, since I didn’t have an actual investigation to guide the story.

 

“Fire Storm” will be available online at Amazon and Smashwords in mid-April for those wishing to read it and comment before the release party.

 

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Book Six – Arson in Santa Rosa

I’d like to thank everyone who sent me ideas for Book Six of the Angela Masters Detective Novel series. I’m sure some of those ideas will show up in future books.

KEN MALGREN from Texas submitted the ideas that will form the basis for Book Six. The story will focus on arson.

It will tentatively be titled ‘Torch – An Angela Masters Detective Novel.”

 

 

Synopsis

A series of seemingly unrelated small fires are plaguing the Santa Rosa Fire Department.  As the fires increase in frequency and intensity, property crimes detectives with arson training pursue the case as a criminal matter.  It isn’t long before the mysterious fires move from Dumpsters and abandoned cars to outbuildings and then to occupied structures.  When homes are threatened, Detective Masters is assigned to investigate the fires as potential assaults, or worse, attempted murder.

And then it happens.  Three people die in a house fire.  Angi pulls out all the stops to find the arsonist before he can kill again.

 

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Demise of the Comma

What do you think about advocating the demise of the comma?  Click on the title and post your comment.

In a recent New Zealand newspaper article, Derek Burrows laments suggestions that we do away with the comma as a punctuation mark.  Professor John McWhorter,  an associate professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University, notes the inconsistency in usage of the comma in his support of advocating the demise of the comma.

Mr. Burrows doesn’t agree, and neither do I.  I will be the first to admit that the comma is often over-used, and improperly used. Usually, it is employed too often.  But that doesn’t justify its total elimination.  Burrows points out the proliferation of “Let’s eat Grandma” t-shirts, and even a Facebook page.  (Actually, when I tried to look up the page he’s talking about on Facebook, so I could post the link, I found at least SIX such pages, dedicated to ‘punctuation saves lives.’)

The article makes several references, including the use of the ‘Oxford comma,’ in a comprehensive look at the use of this venerable mark.

I’d like to hear your thoughts.  Click on the title of this post and let us know how you feel.

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