J. David Core's Blog, page 2
November 14, 2019
Wit & Wisdom
Who doesn't love a good lawyer joke? The law is not usually considered a funny thing, but the more serious a thing is, the more farcical it becomes; and what's more serious than jurisprudence? From The Bon Fire of the Vanities, to My Cousin Vinny, the humor in the law and its absurdities is always just under the surface.All year long, I have been telling you about promos I have been running for my site, DoubleCross Lit. The promos have each featured two genres with books entered in the promo representing either of the featured genres or both. This month's promo will be the site's swan song. The Wit & Wisdom promo features humor and legal stories, and you can find it now through Sunday night at doublecrosslit.com/promo.
November 11, 2019
Go Wide or Go Home
I've put my thriller novel, On the Side of the Angel, into a promo on Story Origins website called The Go Wide or Go Home Sale. The sale runs November 11 thru the 19th, and all of the titles in the promo are available at a variety of retail venues. Stories in the promo fall into a number of genre categories including supernatural, sci-fi, alternate history, and action-adventure.
You can find the promo, and links to all the retailers at this link all week long. Enjoy!
You can find the promo, and links to all the retailers at this link all week long. Enjoy!
October 21, 2019
Cover Reveal
As you know, I'm currently re-podcasting the stories that appear in my short story collection, 8 Tales of Noir. I slapped together a cover image for the podcast of the remastered stories that had previously appeared episodically over several seasons of the podcast. But we're getting closer to the day when I will release the audiobook version, so I sat down and designed a more slick cover.The original, which I'm using on the podcast, featured my daughter using a photo I had shot of her for her senior high school portrait. This one features a professional model photographed by Nayara Dinato from Pexels, a royalty-free stock photo site. Hopefully in a few weeks I'll have a release date to announce, but for now, here's the final cover for the audiobook.
I was going for a sort of postmodern pulp cover feel. I hope you like it.
October 17, 2019
Monsters and Madmen
We all know Stephen King is the master of modern horror, but isn't "Under the Dome" a science fiction novel? Isn't "11/22/63" about time travel? If "War of the Worlds" isn't a horror story, then neither is "A Quiet Place." Science and scientific exploration are all about the unknown, and what's scarier than not knowing what's going to happen next?It's October, and what better mix for the haunting season than Sci-fi and Horror? The sale this month runs Friday October 18 through Sunday, October 20. So click on over to promo.doublecrosslit.com and check out the great 99 cent deals.
September 22, 2019
The Podcast Returneth
After a hiatus for much of the summer, The Thrills and Mystery Podcast is back for season 7. Although this season has a different purpose.
In the past, I've used the podcast to promote myself and other authors by producing audiobook quality podcasts of short stories. Then last season I changed things up and produced PG Wodehouse's classic The Inimitable Jeeves in episodic form. After the season concluded, I released the entire collection of episodes as an audiobook through Findaway Voices. This season, I'm doing a little of each.
I'm re-releasing remastered versions of the original stories I previously produced for the podcast which I authored, and later published in my collection 8 Tales of Noir. Each of those stories originally aired with royalty free music courtesy of Incompetech.com. However, I have decided that I am going to produce an audio-book version, and I wish to change out that music for original music by my late friend, Mark J. Miller.
Mark was a writer, a musician, a singer, and a teacher. He died last year after a brief illness which was never properly diagnosed, but which quickly spread to his blood causing sepsis. His loss is still jarring. So in Mark's honor, I got permission from his family to use music he recorded for his one-man project which he called Dreamcrush. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to a local charity he was involved with called Team Mojo.
Team Mojo is an NPO which provides music lessons free-of-charge to underprivileged youth. You can lean more about them by visiting their website at teammojofoundation.org.
This podcast version of the cover features a photo-manipulation I made of a photo I shot of my then teenage daughter. The ebook cover also featured a photo I shot of my daughter, or at least her left arm.
Anyway, for the next several weeks, I will be podcasting the stories again, each re-leveled, cleaned up, and featuring the music of Dreamcrush. The first episode is available to listen to now.
In the past, I've used the podcast to promote myself and other authors by producing audiobook quality podcasts of short stories. Then last season I changed things up and produced PG Wodehouse's classic The Inimitable Jeeves in episodic form. After the season concluded, I released the entire collection of episodes as an audiobook through Findaway Voices. This season, I'm doing a little of each.
I'm re-releasing remastered versions of the original stories I previously produced for the podcast which I authored, and later published in my collection 8 Tales of Noir. Each of those stories originally aired with royalty free music courtesy of Incompetech.com. However, I have decided that I am going to produce an audio-book version, and I wish to change out that music for original music by my late friend, Mark J. Miller.
Mark was a writer, a musician, a singer, and a teacher. He died last year after a brief illness which was never properly diagnosed, but which quickly spread to his blood causing sepsis. His loss is still jarring. So in Mark's honor, I got permission from his family to use music he recorded for his one-man project which he called Dreamcrush. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to a local charity he was involved with called Team Mojo.Team Mojo is an NPO which provides music lessons free-of-charge to underprivileged youth. You can lean more about them by visiting their website at teammojofoundation.org.
This podcast version of the cover features a photo-manipulation I made of a photo I shot of my then teenage daughter. The ebook cover also featured a photo I shot of my daughter, or at least her left arm.
Anyway, for the next several weeks, I will be podcasting the stories again, each re-leveled, cleaned up, and featuring the music of Dreamcrush. The first episode is available to listen to now.
September 20, 2019
Fantasy and Thrillers 99c/99p ebook Sale
Cloaks and Daggers
Check out the sale at promo.doublecrosslit.com!
George R.R. Martin writes fantastic thrillers. What did Alice have in Wonderland if not an adventure? Every epic fantasy is also an epic adventure, and every thrilling tale leads us to a world of imagination. Whether you fantasize about wizards and dragons or about spies and murder plots, you'll find your heart's desire in this promo.This Saturday through Monday, Sept 21 thru 23, Double-Cross Lit will be hosting a 99 cent ebook sale. Stories might be straight up thrillers or exclusively Fantasy or anywhere in the middle. Either way, we'll take you on an adventure. And bonus! this sale featuring fantasy straddles World Hobbit Day.
Check out the sale at promo.doublecrosslit.com!
August 29, 2019
Kill You in September
Mystery novels priced 99¢ to $1.99All Labor Day Weekend
Authors were told this sale was open to whodunnits, howdunnits, whydunnits, cozy, hard boiled, procedurals, noir, PI, cop, Feebie, heist, kidnapping, murder ... anything mystery related. So if any of that sounds like your style of story, be sure to check out this sale before the kids go back to school on Tuesday and the summer season unofficially comes to an end here in the northern hemisphere.
This is the first time I'm running a sale with Story Origins. I participated in one a few months back, but this one is my baby. You'll find the sale at this link.
Authors were told this sale was open to whodunnits, howdunnits, whydunnits, cozy, hard boiled, procedurals, noir, PI, cop, Feebie, heist, kidnapping, murder ... anything mystery related. So if any of that sounds like your style of story, be sure to check out this sale before the kids go back to school on Tuesday and the summer season unofficially comes to an end here in the northern hemisphere.
This is the first time I'm running a sale with Story Origins. I participated in one a few months back, but this one is my baby. You'll find the sale at this link.
August 22, 2019
Law and Disorder Promo at Double-Cross Lit
Military/Historical and Crime/Noir Books for 99c/p
Was Bogey better in Casablanca or in The Maltese Falcon? Louis L'Amour could tell the same story set in 19th century Laredo, on the SS Lichenfield or in the mean streets of modern LA. War makes criminals of us all, and every criminal syndicate needs its foot soldiers.This weekend, August 23 to the 25th, we'll have a dozen books available each for 99¢/p. So whether you're a fan of military or historical tales, or if you prefer crime and noir stories, or even if you love them all, we've got you covered at promo.doublecrosslit.com.
July 11, 2019
In July, the Double-Cross is Western and Legal Novels
Free and Just
The Free & Just promo runs this weekend, Friday July 12 through Sunday July 14. It features a number of titles running the gamut of the legal and western genres. So if you're looking for legal thriller, some old-west-style jurisprudence, or just a fictional tale set during our nations western expansion, you'll find it this weekend at promo.doublecrosslit.com.
The Ox Bow Incident is clearly both a story about the law and the old west. But while every great western has a question of justice at its core, so too every great American legal thriller, starting with To Kill a Mockingbird thru Runaway Jury could be set in old Dodge City. What could be more American for Independence Day?
The Free & Just promo runs this weekend, Friday July 12 through Sunday July 14. It features a number of titles running the gamut of the legal and western genres. So if you're looking for legal thriller, some old-west-style jurisprudence, or just a fictional tale set during our nations western expansion, you'll find it this weekend at promo.doublecrosslit.com.
July 6, 2019
Audiobook of The Inimitable Jeeves to be released tomorrow.
It’s the height of the Jazz Age, and the roaring twenties are in full-roar in and around London and the English countryside. Bingo Little, the twins, Steggles, and Aunt Agatha are among the banes of young Bertie Wooster’s casual existence; but fortunately, Bertie has his gentleman’s gentleman, his valet, the forever-ready Jeeves to come to his rescue. This novel – or more accurately this narrative collection of brief interludes – is the perfect introduction to the writings of P.G. Wodehouse, the comedic voice of a generation and time nearly a century hence, but as familiar and ever-present as Orphan Annie and Charlie Chaplain.
Narrated by J. David Core
Author, P.G. WodehouseFirst published in 1923, The Inimitable Jeeves has finally entered the public domain, and this audio production, originally recorded for The Thrills and Mystery Podcast, is here just in time to usher in the next decade of “roaring” twenties. So dust off your spats, don your finest flapper dress, pour some bathtub gin, and surround yourself in deco architecture as you immerse yourself into Bertie Wooster’s world again for the first time. Release Date: July 8, 2019. Watch this space for links.
