Allan Krummenacker's Blog, page 33

My Review of Ripley Patton's "Ghost Hand"

Ghost Hand by Ripley Patton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This novel was a page-turner right from the start. A thrilling ride into a modern day reality, so like our everyday one, but with a twist... some people have 'Ghost Limbs'. Our heroine, Olivia is one of them. She has a 'Ghost Hand'. She doesn't know how or why she is this way. Nor does she know what it can do. But both she and the reader are about to find out.

The author does a wonderful job of bringing the characters (both good and bad) to life and making them so real and human. The prejudice against those with PSS limbs, almost harkens back to the days of the Salem Witch trials. But seeking the destruction of those like Olivia, is only the goal of some of the enemy. There are others, higher up in the ranks, who have other plans for Olivia and her friends. And we are just beginning to learn what those plans might be in this book.

Intrigue, action, tension, suspicion, budding romance, are just a few of the things you'll find in this book. But what makes me even more excited is that this is just the beginning. More installments of this series are on the way and I for one can hardly wait.

If you're looking for a paranormal thriller, this is one you don't want to pass up.





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"THE BRIDGE" Is Now Available In Many Forms...

Just wanted to share a few things about my new novel "The Bridge" with all of you.  I've been getting a lot of questions and I'm hoping to answer most, if not all of them, here.  The novel is a strange blend of horror, paranormal mystery, and science fiction set in modern day.  I have psychics, police, ghosts and a mystery that initially dates back some 300 years and then beyond that.

It is now available as both an e-book and in print.  For those who want print follow the Createspace or Amazon links provided below.  OR, if you are interested in getting a signed copy please e-mail me.  The price for a signed copy is the same as at Createspace or Amazon ($15.99) and that will include the shipping price as well.  I'll provide my e-mail address below along with the links.

As for the e-book formats I have Kindle, Epub (which is good for IPad/IBooks, Sony readers, Nook, Kobo, and most e-reading apps including Stanza, Aldiko, Adobe Digital Editions, others), PDF, Palm Doc (PDB).  The price for the e-book versions are $3.99

LINKS:

Createspace/Amazon/Kindle:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=allan+krummenacker

Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/272613

E-mail:
allan.krummenacker@gmail.com

If you have any questions please leave a comment here or e-mail me at the address above.  Thanks so much for taking time out and reading my blogs.  I hope to continue entertaining and informing you for a very long time to come.  There is still so much for us to explore together.  

NEWS: "The Bridge" Is Now Available On Kindle...

http://www.amazon.com/The-Bridge-Para-Earth-Series-ebook/dp/B00B102Z9W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358363534&sr=8-1&keywords=allan+krummenacker

A Bit About Smashwords and Createspace...

Okay, so I've had my debut on Smashwords and learned a lot from just going through the process.  Today I'd like to share a bit of my experience of working in Smashwords with you all.  First up, it wasn't all that hard and I say this as someone who is NOT "Tech-Savvy".  Luckily I do know MS Word.

Now I want to say, simply follow their directions.  Make a back up copy of your work and then totally do the conversion on the back-up copy NOT the original.  This is because all that lovely formatting you did originally to your piece is about to got out the window and be undone.  Why?  Because Smashwords is helping you re-format your work so it can operate in the e-book program world and will look nice and readable.  Remember, if you're going this route you want to present a beautiful product for your audience.  Plus, your work deserves to be presented in the best fashion possible.  You're not doing this just for your readers, it's also for you and you deserve it!

Now don't be too intimidated.  Following their instructions is easy.  Plus if you need a visual there are videos on YouTube showing you exactly what they're talking about.  Simply look up "formatting for Smashwords" and you'll find some good videos there that may help explain what you're supposed to be doing.

I want to take a moment to say this too, in some ways formatting for Smashwords was easier than CreateSpace (which I'm going to talk about in another post).   This is not to say one is better than the other.  I simply mean there is a HUGE difference between the two.  Createspace is teaching you how to format NOT just for Kindle e-books but to also ready your work to be "Print-On-Demand", which means paperback books.  That's right, an actual paperback copy of your book that you can hold in your hands.  See below:




So the demands for each one are quite a bit different.  However!  With Smashwords once you finish the formatting and are satisfied that everything is in order, the moment you hit submit and approve your book... IT IS UP AND FOR SALE!  It's a very quick process, so be sure you get it right.  And then start marketing the daylights out of it.  Facebook, Twitter, whatever other social network you have on or off the internet.  I'll go more into that another day.  But your book's success or failure, rests solely on you.  Make sure you get the word out.

And if you're not sure what devices work with Smashwords published e-books here's a list:
Apple, Sony, Barnes and Noble's Nook, Kobo, Diesel E-book store.  And the formats your book will be available in are: Epub, PDF, RTF, LRF, Palm doc, and Plain Text.  I mention these because sometimes I was asked about the specific formats rather than what devices.

I hope this helps.  If you'd like to take a sample peak at my novel on Smashwords follow this link:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

Until next time, take care and keep writing everyone.

"THE BRIDGE" Is Finally Here...

"THE BRIDGE" is finally here!  My debut horror/paranormal mystery/sci-fi novel is available on Smashwords starting TODAY!  The e-book formats are Nook, Apple, Sony.  Kindle and traditional Trade Paperback will be available shortly.  In the meantime you can go to Smashwords for a sample of the book as well as purchase the novel.


http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/272613

My Debut Novel "THE BRIDGE" Is Coming to Smashwords This Friday...

My debut novel "The Bridge" is a unique blend of horror/mystery/science fiction and it will be available on Smashwords, Kobo, Apple, Sony, Nook this Friday.  
The novel will also be available in Kindle and Trade Paperback shortly.
Here's a the book jacket blurb"

Alex Hill buried his psychic talents for eighteen years. But with the scream of tires and twisting metal all this changes.

When his girlfriend, Police Sergeant Veronica Ross, is nearly run down by two teens he becomes concerned. But upon learning that both the driver and passenger had both been dead for almost twelve hours before the crash, he knows what he must do...

WELCOME TO BOOK ONE OF THE PARA-EARTH SERIES

Note: Books 2 and 3 are already under way.

About Book Covers...

A quick Vlog entry about book covers and what to watch for in making your own from scratch.  I don't recommend necessarily doing one yourself, unless you are an artist.  It's fine to maybe make a rough sketch and get an artist friend or even hire someone to do it for you.  There are plenty of artists who specialize in doing book covers and you can find them all over the internet, or through friends on FB.  In my case, I am an artist, but also my cash flow is very tight.  So I basically HAD to go this route.  So this vlog entry is about the thoughts I put into the image and how it would appear to the casual reader going through a bookstore, or skimming through Amazon or Barnes and Nobles' websites.
I would also point out that there are a number of very good book cover programs available on the internet, including through Createspace, Smashwords, Lulu and the others.  The nice thing about those is that they are already formatted to fit whatever standard industry size you want your book to appear in.  Again, in my case, I'm using a formatted book cover from Createspace that allows you to insert your own image.  Now after I'm all done with making my book ready for Createspace and have submitted it, I have to do the same thing for Smashwords.  Which means I have to do all this formatting and whatnot all over again.  But at least I'll already have the experience and a rough idea of what to expect.

WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY NEW YEAR! Plus One More Update...

First of all, I want to wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR!  If you're going to be on the road tonight, please drive carefully and watch out for others who may not be doing that.  My wife and I will be curled up at home watching one of our favorite movies "HOLIDAY" with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn.  Yes, it's an old B and W but the message it shares is very powerful and personal to us.  That message is simply "Chase your dreams.  Don't wait for things to happen, make them happen.  Even if it means taking risks instead of playing it safe all the time.  Hold onto each other as you go along because there might be pitfalls and you may have to go back to selling peanuts, but believe in those peanuts and each other.  This way after you've analyzed what went wrong, you can try again and again until you succeed in making it that dream a reality!"
All of this is easier said than done.  But remember this.... UNLESS YOU TRY, THAT DREAM HAS NO CHANCE OF EVER HAVING A CHANCE OF COMING TRUE!
This is what I've told myself time and again as I've worked on my writing.  And I've taken risks.  I tried the traditional publishing route and it didn't quite work out.  But during those few years I tried it, I learned a lot.  The industry changed, e-books have evolved and the face of the publishing world changed beyond what anyone thought it could.  
So as 2012 comes to a close, I continue to work on the finishing touches of "THE BRIDGE".  Originally I had hoped to unveil it first by Christmas, then New Year's Day.  Unfortunately, I won't be able to do that.  Every time I think I've finished the formatting I discover a new problem and have to work on it some more.  But I don't mind.  This simply means that my book is going to be in the best possible shape I can get it in.  And since it is my debut novel, my introduction to the world of writing, I'll take that time to make it perfect.  I want' to make a great impression with this novel, because "YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE TO MAKE A FIRST IMPRESSION!"  Take the time to make it a good one folks.
So, once more I wish you all a HAPPY and SAFE NEW YEAR!  And I close this year with what is now the final version of my book cover. I know I said that before, but people pointed out "Hey I don't see your name on the cover..." So here it is.  See you all next year!

The Finished Cover For My Debut Novel...

Well gang,here it is.  I finally finished the cover for my debut novel this afternoon.  It took some doing but I finished it finally.  With my tight budget and the fact that I'm an artist in my own right, it only made sense to do the cover myself.  I've already got about a 1/4 of the novel formatted.  I'm using Createspace.  I'll do another entry on what went into the formatting and why I made the choices I did.  I hope to post that one in a day or so.  I want to focus on finishing the formatting and getting the whole thing together before New Year's Eve if possible.  

In the meantime, any comments on the book cover would be welcome.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE...

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL.  And if you are traveling, may your journey be safe and uneventful.  See you all on Boxing Day, take care.