Lincoln Cole's Blog, page 11

An Interview with Matthew Speak

Here is yet another Kindle Scout author I am featuring during this Kindle Scout anniversary sale! If you haven't checked it out yet, it is the Scout Feature landing page with over 200 books marked down to 99 cents (sometimes 70% off!)

Go check out those books after you check out my interview with Matt!

Questions for Matt1.      Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

Well, with the Bettendorf Tales series, I want it to be told as one continuous story. However, I am working on a couple long term projects that will have nothing to do with this series.

2.      What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?

Not being stereotypical. I want my female characters to be strong and I want them to drive the story as much as the male characters. Devils Glen has a few strong female characters who are as integral to the plot as any of the males.

3.      What do you like about Kindle Scout?

I love that it’s a nice bridge between traditional publishing and self-publishing. I have a lot of freedom and responsibility, but I have the benefit of having Amazon promoting and supporting my work. Their commercial reach is obviously quite great to have on your side. The advance was nice and the royalty percentage is good too.

4.      What do you hate about Kindle Scout?

I don’t know if I would say I “hate” this, but I do wish the editing process was a bit longer and more in depth. I felt like my book could have used a couple rounds of deeper editing and communication between the editor and the author. That part of Kindle Press should be more like traditional publishing, in my opinion.

5.      Would you use Kindle Scout again?

I will most certainly use it again for the next Bettendorf Tales book. It’s been a fantastic experience—kind of a whirlwind really.

6.      What is your favorite childhood book?

Watership Down

7.      How fast do you write?

It really depends. Once I get into a rhythm I can write five to ten thousand words per week, or so. I don’t think I could write multiple books per year, but I’m just starting out, so we shall see. I think I’m finding out a lot about myself as a writer, right now. I might be able to answer this question better in another year or two.

8.      Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

I’ve read all the reviews, so far. Fortunately, I haven’t had any really bad ones yet, so I guess I’ll see how I deal with that when it happens.

Bonus Question: What are common traps for aspiring writers?

The biggest trap, I think, is inspiration. Too many writers, myself included, wait around for inspiration as if it’s going to drop out of the sky at some point, or hit them on the head. Inspiration isn’t something you wait for; it’s something you make happen. You make it happen by writing and keeping to your schedule—by working.

I think aspiring writers also forget to be patient. When you finish that first draft of your first full novel, there’s a tendency to want to send it out immediately to agents and publishers. I think you must give it time. You have to walk away from it for a while and do something else. Work on a short story or another novel for a couple months, then go back to it and come at fresh.

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Welcome to Bettendorf. At first glance, it seems like a typical Midwestern town, but take a closer look and you might be surprised.

High schooler Jack Davies sees the darkness coming; he lives with it. Cold voices call out from the closet door; dead hands reach up from under his bed. Although he doesn't know it, Jack wields a great power.

Now, a smooth-talking preacher has come to town promising freedom and redemption for all who follow his words. But like Jack, this preacher has a secret. Those who heed his call find themselves pawns in his plan to awaken an ancient evil, long ago imprisoned in the dank caves of Devils Glen Park. 

With the help of a widowed police officer, a babysitter, and a mysterious spirit called Ava, Jack must find the truth about his hidden power in time to battle the dark forces that have descended upon his town. If he fails, our world will be cast into darkness forever.

About Matthew Speak

Matthew Speak grew up in Bettendorf, Iowa, within sight of the Mississippi River. He moved to Chicago after college, performing in and directing several plays around the Midwest. Eventually, he moved to California where he appeared on stage and in a few short films before seeking his teaching credential. Though he has written numerous short stories throughout his life, this is his first full-length novel and his first published work. Matthew is a special education teacher at Northpoint School in Northridge, CA. He lives in Burbank, CA, with his family. Check out his website here.

Help support a fellow Kindle Press author by picking up his book while it is only 99 cents! He's one of the newer authors out here, and his book is really good. I got my copy already, so get yours here!

Scout Book: Question Six for Mary Head

The sixth question for Kindle Press Author Mary Head and her book No Safe Place.

Question SixWhat does literary success look like to you?

Being able to make a living off of my writing; it's sort of my "dream" job, so if I could one day achieve that level of success, that, for me, would be "making it." But barring that, I also just want to see people talking about my books. I love the idea of people saying, "oh, hey, have you read this book, it's really good," and I've had that happen a couple of times, so it's nice validation that I'm on the right path.

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Hannah Cole, a young graduate student attending George Washington University, and her father David Cole, a senior FBI agent, enjoy a happy life together in Arlington, Virginia. Due to the nature of his job, and having been a single father for most of Hannah's life, David has always been fiercely protective of his daughter and has taken great strides to keep her safe. But when Hannah is kidnapped from their home one night, their world is turned upside down.

With the force of the FBI behind him, including his best friend Juliet Grayson, trusted partner Chris Tyler, and rookie agent Eli Shaw, David rushes to find his daughter, while Hannah struggles to stay alive, both of them racing against a deadline that could mean the end of Hannah's life.

Scout Book: Question Five for Mary Head

The fifth question for Kindle Press Author Mary Head and her book No Safe Place.

Question FiveHow do you select the names of your characters?

Character names are very important for me, to the degree that my friends tease me about it sometimes. I need for a character name to feel right, and I've been known to change names, though not very often, because I try not to name them until I'm really happy with the name. For me, it's like naming children. (Behind the Name is a well-accessed website in my browser history.) Certain names give off certain vibes, too, at least for me, so I want the name to match the character. Hannah in No Safe Place, for example, is a very sweet, kind girl, so I wanted to give her a name that gave off a vibe of kindness and innocence, and eventually settled on Hannah.

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Hannah Cole, a young graduate student attending George Washington University, and her father David Cole, a senior FBI agent, enjoy a happy life together in Arlington, Virginia. Due to the nature of his job, and having been a single father for most of Hannah's life, David has always been fiercely protective of his daughter and has taken great strides to keep her safe. But when Hannah is kidnapped from their home one night, their world is turned upside down.

With the force of the FBI behind him, including his best friend Juliet Grayson, trusted partner Chris Tyler, and rookie agent Eli Shaw, David rushes to find his daughter, while Hannah struggles to stay alive, both of them racing against a deadline that could mean the end of Hannah's life.

Today's featured book is e-Murdered by Joan Curtis

The e-Murderer won the Gold in the Global eBook Awards for mystery 2016. Prior to that the e-Murderer won first place in the Malice Domestic grants competition for new writers before being published by MuseItUpPublishing. Psychological Suspense Thriller by award-winning author, Joan C. Curtis.

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On this anything but typical Monday morning, Jenna Scali, who works part-time for a shrink, opens an email that depicts the brutal death of a young girl. On that same day the police uncover a dead coed two blocks from Jenna's house. The e-murderer's description creepily echoes the death described in the newspapers.

When Jenna receives other emails, she takes what she knows to the police and thus begins her journey in the path of the e-murderer. Her curious nature impels her from e-messages to dead coeds to a ring of prostitutes. With the help of her quirky friends, Jenna learns that she's more than a conduit for the killer. She's his target.

THE E-MURDERER is a race to find a psychotic killer before he kills again.

This new mystery series with a young female sleuth promises to keep you glued to your seat until the last page.

Dr. Joan Curtis is an award winning writer who has published 7 books and numerous stories. 

The e-Murderer: Book 1 Jenna Scali mystery series won the GOLD in the Global eBook Awards for 2016 for Mystery.

The Clock Strikes Midnight has won three major awards. FINALIST in the prestigious Eric Hoffer Book Awards 2016, FIRST PLACE Royal Palm Literary Award for mainstream/literary 2015 and the Silver in the Global eBook Awards for 2015 for Fiction/Suspense

"There is a feeling of the great southern author, Fannie Flagg in The Clock Strikes Midnight," said the Rabid Reviewer. "Curtis beautifully highlights the complexity of relationships when mental illness is a player. She, in a move nothing short of brilliant, introduces us to the mother as a teen. Eloise's internal dialogue is fascinating. Her development shows how a young girl spirals out of control...

"...I really enjoyed The Clock Strikes Midnight. It's a story of the love of children for a parent, loss, dealing with adversity, and trying to rise above. It's a story of how our past frames us and asks the question if we can change our future. "The Clock Strikes Midnight" is an American drama with a southern flare. If you like Fannie Flagg, Melissa Foster or Jodi Picoult, purchase this wonderful work of fiction."

"Jenna is a wonderful heroine - strong, smart, flawed, with just enough stubbornness to get into situations she knows she shouldn't be in."--review of the e-Murderer.

Joan has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember. She reads all kinds of books, including women's fiction, mysteries, biography, and nonfiction related to her work. She does not read fantasy, horror or romance. Her passion as a reader lies closer to literary writing with a commercial bent. These mystery/suspense books are exactly the kind of book Joan loves to read.

"I write about characters who remind me of myself at times and my sister at times, but never fully so. My stories are told from a woman's point of view. Characters drive my writing and my reading."

Her previous published books include Hire Smart and Keep 'em, The New Handshake: Sales Meets Social Media, Managing Sticky Situations at Work and Strategic Interviewing.

Having grown up in the South with a mother from Westchester County New York, Joan has a unique take on blending the southern traditions with the eye of a northerner. She spent most of her childhood in North Carolina and now resides in Georgia.

The book has a 4.3 star rating on Amazon across 62 reviews. Pick up your copy today!

US | UK

An Interview with Michelle Hughes

Michelle is the author of Cowboy Sanctuary. This is another Kindle Press book!

Question One - Does a big ego help or hurt writers?

In my opinion, a big ego never helps anything.  I guess some readers might find their favorite author works better up on a pedestal but I like meeting people who love my work and making them friends.  I've always been that way.  I feel honored anytime someone reads my work. 

Question Two - Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

I do read them.  When I first began writing, reviews, especially the bad ones helped me learn my craft.  Sometimes they break you down into tears, but when you get those great reviews?  It can make your heart soar.

Question Three - Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

A little of both I guess.  In the beginning, I wanted to just write the stories that filled my mind.  Once I began making money in this business, I wanted to keep doing it.  I know we should write for the love of the written word, but it's hard not to follow the trends when they pay your bills.

Question Four - What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

I have spent months on research for certain books, and still missed details.  I try to stay closer to what I know these days because the last thing I want to do is write on a subject and get called out later for not knowing what I was talking about.

Question Five - How do you select the names of your characters?

I can't say I do select their names.  When I'm writing their names just come to me and I go with it.  I've never outlined anything, which I'm sure many authors will disagree with. I just write by the seat of my pants.

Question Six - What does literary success look like to you?

My main goal is to have one book become a USA Today bestseller.  When that happens, I'll know I'm finally a success.

Pick up a copy of her Kindle Scout book today for only 99 cents! It falls in the romance genre and has some really unique twists in it!

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Dana Waterfield’s well-organized life gets tipped upside down when the brutal murder of her twin sister Danielle threatens to unravel everything she’s worked so hard to achieve. Having found herself the sole guardian of her sister’s newborn lovechild, Jeremy, and at the receiving end of her ex-brother-in-law’s unchecked rage, Dana flees to the safety of Dixon Ranch and the strong, muscled arms of Brock Dixon. In order to protect the baby from the wrath of Danielle’s husband and murderer, Dana must assimilate into the daily routine of ranch life, and rethink who she really is. When the wrath of a madman threatens the life of her nephew and everything she holds dear, will Dana put her trust in Brock or let the winds of change tear her family apart?

Falling for her sister’s lover was never part of the plan, but there’s something about a cowboy that no woman can resist. After all, the safest place to be is in a cowboy’s arms…

Book Feature: She Marches Through Fire

Today I am featuring: She Marches Through Fire by A.M. Manay!

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November awakes to find a world that has changed more than she can comprehend. The human government now knows of the existence of supernatural creatures, and the fatal betrayal at the end of Book 2 has left her deeply grieving. A stubborn and painful injury threatens November's life as it saps her strength and suppresses her psychic abilities. Her old captor Luka has the sole power to heal her, and he is, of course, more than happy to use that fact to his advantage. 

November struggles to cope with both her ill health and her profound grief as she embarks on a supernatural road trip with the vampire world's most charming and dysfunctional family. She and her companions seek two treasures: an antidote to the poison that is slowly killing her, and an ancient fairy weapon known as "the scepter." A prophesy indicates that November may have to wield this object's great power, which always comes at a terrible cost. When the U.S. military threatens the peaceful supernatural/human community known as Eden, and her brother William works to provoke a war with the human race, November must decide if she is willing to pay the scepter's price. 

Friend and stranger alike may be doomed, unless . . .

A.M. Manay

In addition to her work as an award-winning indie author of supernatural new adult fantasy, A.M. Manay is a former inner-city chemistry teacher, a singer, a yoga enthusiast, and a mother through domestic open adoption. She has a passion for increasing diversity in popular culture and for strong heroines who stand up for themselves, make their own decisions, and don't depend on romance as their reason for being.

I love setting fantastic scenes in places I regularly frequent.  The chapters I set in the San Francisco Bay Area are among my favorite to write because that is where I have lived for the last 13 years.  I get a kick out of setting scenes in my own town, and I feel it improves my writing to include these reality-based touches.  My stories may feature vampires, fairies, werewolves, and magic, but I like the tales to take place in real locations.

A particularly crucial scene in She Marches Through Fire takes place just outside the Livermore Library, which is part of our medium-sized town's Civic Center.  Vampires battle it out in one of our town's most recognizable spaces.  Everyone in Livermore knows the frogs who stand guard outside the library, and the mural is locally infamous for costing a mint and for having contained a misspelled word when it was first unveiled.

Why did I choose to feature this particular spot?  As a writer and an avid reader, I wanted to pay tribute to our library, which provides so many vital services to our town.  My son and I look forward to our regular visits to pick out new books every few weeks, and the library was a real lifeline for me when I was feeling isolated as a new mother.  That isolation was also what spurred me to begin writing.  

Moreover, it seemed appropriate to me for book-lover November to have an important formative moment outside a temple of reading.  In She Dies at the End, the first book in the series, November uses books to escape from her difficult life and to help her focus enough to control her unruly visions.  Now, as a vampire in She Marches Through Fire, she comes to a greater understanding of her own power during a fight outside a building full of books.  There’s a circularity to it that I find satisfying.

Can you guess what role the frog statues might play in the plot of She Marches Through Fire, or what might happen to the mural?  Leave your guesses in the comments, and be sure to pre-order your copy of She Marches Through Fire.

Pick up your copy of She Marches Through Fire today! I have known A.M. Manay for a good while now, and she is an incredible author and person, and you can't do wrong by supporting her!

Scout Book: Question Four for Author Mary Head

The Fourth Question about No Safe Place and Mary Head.

Question FourWhat kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

I love doing research, and I do a lot of it. It's a bit of a compulsion for me, in that I don't want to write anything I don't know at least a little bit about, so even if it's for a small line of dialogue, or something that won't even come up in the story directly, I still want to have it in my head, because it better shapes the story and characters for me. As for the length of time I spend researching, I don't think I have any kind of set frame. I research whatever I think of before writing, and I research while writing too, if something big comes up; I try to leave smaller things for later, so I don't get stalled researching something minor. But for No Safe Place, I was researching FBI practices, looking at Washington D.C. and Arlington in Google Earth to get a feel for street names and routes characters might take, the effects of certain drugs, laws about kidnapping... I'm surprised the actual FBI hasn't come knocking on my door.

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Hannah Cole, a young graduate student attending George Washington University, and her father David Cole, a senior FBI agent, enjoy a happy life together in Arlington, Virginia. Due to the nature of his job, and having been a single father for most of Hannah's life, David has always been fiercely protective of his daughter and has taken great strides to keep her safe. But when Hannah is kidnapped from their home one night, their world is turned upside down.

With the force of the FBI behind him, including his best friend Juliet Grayson, trusted partner Chris Tyler, and rookie agent Eli Shaw, David rushes to find his daughter, while Hannah struggles to stay alive, both of them racing against a deadline that could mean the end of Hannah's life.

All Kindle Scout books are only 99 cents!

More than 200 books only 99 cents!

Thank you Online Book Club for featuring Raven's Peak!

Today, Raven's Peak was featured as the Online Book Club book of the day, and it was incredible to see the huge outpouring of support that the book got! I would like to thank OBC's audience for such an amazing level of support! I also want to thank Scott for making all of this possible, and it's easy to see that he works constantly to help authors and readers connect.

Now, more than ever, I can't wait to see Raven's Peak as the Online Book Club Book of the Month and see just how much farther the book can go in the coming weeks! Thank you all so much!

Not only did my book climb up the charts, but it propelled me into the list of top horror authors as well! As of now, my book is sitting at #77 in top horror authors on all of Amazon!

Some interesting metrics about the promo, before and after:

Rank

Before the Promotion

One week before the promotion: #6,028Day before the promotion: #3,531Day of the promotion: #2,655

During the Promotion

Day of the promotion: #2,044Night of the promotion: #1,664

After the Promotion

Morning after the promotion: Will Update!

It has been performing incredibly well during this 99 cent sale that Amazon put together, but the results from OBC have really done a lot in pushing it up that next level. I want to thank everyone personally for helping to support my book and me as an author! I'm Indie, which means I've had to learn how to do everything on my own and wear a lot of different hats in my career (writer, editor, marketer, designer), but having the support of readers makes it all worthwhile.

As for actual sales, I honestly have no idea (they don't give us details until about a month after this month ends) but I can't wait to find out! The increase in visibility, though, is completely worth it for helping this book climb to new heights.

Also, over 70 people have requested a copy to read and review, which is awesome!

It is still on sale for only 99 cents until April 3rd when the Kindle Scout Anniversary Sale ends. 

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Again, I am super excited to be Book of the Month in a week and looking forward to seeing more of all of the amazing readers at Online Book Club! I've been thrilled with my overall reception and can't wait to see what is in store next!

Reviews

I would be super appreciative of anyone who got a copy to also post a review on Amazon once you finish reading it! You can click here to go right to the page to post a review. Anything you are willing to post would be amazing!

One final note: Raven's Fall is the next book in the series, and it is actually going to be featured in April as book of the day while Raven's Peak is book of the month!

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Abigail was arrested by the Council, and now she's awaiting trial for the decisions she made leading up to and culminating in the events of Raven's Peak. She is restless while she waits for answers and knows that there is a real threat outside their walls plotting to bring them down.

Meanwhile, Haatim is getting a crash course in this world he only recently entered and finding out that nothing is as it seems.

There are dark clouds on the horizon and it is coming whether they are prepared or not. Will they be able to weather this storm?

Scout Book: Question Three for Mary Head

The Third Question for Mary Head, a Kindle Press Author!

Question ThreeDo you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

I try to be original, but I also like to deliver what readers want within whatever scenario I've set up. I don't believe in writing anything you don't feel passionate about, so I wouldn't write anything I didn't like just because somebody wanted it, and I wouldn't sacrifice a story for any idea that changed my own vision, unless the idea happened to be better, or could lead in a better direction. But I do like dropping in little things here and there, thinking, "This is for you guys, enjoy."

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Hannah Cole, a young graduate student attending George Washington University, and her father David Cole, a senior FBI agent, enjoy a happy life together in Arlington, Virginia. Due to the nature of his job, and having been a single father for most of Hannah's life, David has always been fiercely protective of his daughter and has taken great strides to keep her safe. But when Hannah is kidnapped from their home one night, their world is turned upside down.

With the force of the FBI behind him, including his best friend Juliet Grayson, trusted partner Chris Tyler, and rookie agent Eli Shaw, David rushes to find his daughter, while Hannah struggles to stay alive, both of them racing against a deadline that could mean the end of Hannah's life.