Robert Pruneda's Blog, page 8

Chumming with Sharky™: Lorna Suzuki

Welcome to Season 2: Episode 4 of Chumming with Sharky™ where viewers from every corner of the deep blue sea are treated to a small taste of talented authors from a myriad of genres. Today, I bring you the very talented Lorna Suzuki, author of the Imago fantasy series. The first three books are actually currently in development for a major motion picture trilogy. Now, on with the show . . .

Lorna Suzuki

Click here to be transported to the shark tank for the full episode of Chumming with Sharky™: Lorna Suzuki.

 

And the Winners Are . . .

This month my website celebrated two years of existence, so I decided to thank my readers by giving away a couple of autographed copies of Devil’s Nightmare and a $20 Amazon gift card. There were 13 eligible comments on my Two-Year Anniversary Giveaway post. I used a very sophisticated and highly technically advanced process in order to select the two lucky winners of the autographed copies of Devil’s Nightmare and $20 gift card.

First, I had to compile the data with patented and very efficient data mining tools.

Then, I had to filter and separate all of that information in preparation for the very high-tech process of actually selecting my two winners.

After the filtering and separation process I needed to apply some very specialized encryption techniques prior to the drawing.

As soon as I had all of my data entered, filtered, encrypted and processed, all of the entries needed to be stored for safekeeping until it was time for the drawing.

Then it was time for the actual drawing. Sure, I could have used Random.org, but what would have been the fun in that? So, I utilized a secret third party selection agency. Here is a photo of that third party agent (Agent Mom) on the USS Lexington.

And the winners are Beau Brown and @RescueCherry:

Both winners have already been contacted and their books will be shipped via snail mail within the week. But wait! There was also a $20 Amazon gift card up for grabs. After another drawing (utilizing the same high-tech and patented selection process) I had Agent Mom draw the winner . . .

@WriterGirl007 is the lucky winner of the $20 Amazon gift card! Sending the gift card was easy too since Amazon also has a very high-tech way of doing so via email, although they don’t have anything on my system. Yeah, Amazon could probably learn a thing or two from my groundbreaking contest winner selection system.

Congratulations to Beau Brown and Sheri M. (a.k.a. @RescueCherry) for winning the autographed books. I hope you enjoy reading Devil’s Nightmare! And congratulations to WriterGirl007 for winning the $20 gift card (who decided to buy both of my books) . Enjoy!

There will be other giveaways in the future, so be sure to to follow this site or subscribe via email (sidebar to the left) for future announcements.

Have a safe Memorial Day!

You might also like:

Guest Post: “Write the Exercise Way” by Steven Montano
Beta Readers: Do I Need Them?
Huge Mistake or Best Decision I Ever Made?
My Commitment to Writing in 2012

Devil’s Nightmare by Robert Pruneda available in print and eBook formats. Click the image below for more details.

Two-Year Anniversary Giveway

I just received notification via the WordPress toolbar that my site has been up and running for exactly two years now. It’s hard to believe that it’s already been a couple of years since I started SharkbaitWrites.com.

So, what does one do to celebrate a two-year anniversary? I thought about it for a few minutes while listening to the Skyrim radio station I set up on Pandora and decided I would give away a couple of copies of Devil’s Nightmare. I’m not talking e-books either. I’m talking about a real physical you-can-smell-the paper-and-even-get-a-paper-cut type of book!

So how should I go about selecting a reader for this precious prize? Well, I could make it all complicated and make you click a bunch of buttons with one of those auto-generated promo tools (which would take me forever to figure out how to get working on this site anyway) or I could ask you to help me promote my book with tweets on Twitter or posts on Facebook, etc. Or . . . I could simply ask you why you should to get a free copy of Devil’s Nightmare. Yeah, I think we’ll go with that.

So, here it goes . . . If you would like a FREE 6×9 paperback copy of Devil’s Nightmare personalized and autographed simply tell me in the comments below and you’ll be entered for the drawing. There is only one stipulation, though. I can only mail within the U.S. (except Alaska and Hawaii) due to shipping costs. Hey, I’m a poor author, remember?

Every contest entry comment will be numbered (you can only enter once) and the winner will be selected randomly using Random.org. The five most creative entries will also go into  a separate drawing for a $20 Amazon gift card.

Winners for the free books and gift card will be picked on Saturday, May 25 and announced on Sunday, May 26. So, if you aren’t following this blog already be sure to subscribe via email on the sidebar or click the follow button.

I look forward to reading your entries and good luck! Below is a trailer for Devil’s Nightmare.

Chumming with Sharky™: Spencer Brokaw

Welcome to Season 2: Episode 3 of Chumming with Sharky™ where viewers from every corner of the deep blue sea are treated to a small taste of talented authors from a myriad of genres. Today, I’m bringing you some talent from the younger generation of authors. At the age of 14 years old this month’s guest has already published two books and has traveled to the shark tank from Ohio to chat it up talk show style. Now, on with the show . . .

Spencer Brokaw

Click here to be transported to the shark tank for the full episode of Chumming with Sharky™: Spencer Brokaw.

 

Hanging with Rutger Hauer

Rutger Hauer in Blade Runner

On Friday, April 5, I attended the Victoria TX Independent Film Festival and had the pleasure of meeting one of my favorite actors, . I found out that the 69-year-old celebrity was coming to town when I saw his photo on the front page of The Victoria Advocate with the headline “‘Blade Runner’ star to visit Victoria for film fest” which immediately led to me checking out the story. This was going to be the second annual film festival here in town and celebrity visits here are very rare! So, naturally I decided to purchase the $25 ticket for the screening of Rutger Hauer’s foreign independent film Il Futuro, which would also include a Q&A session with Rutger Hauer afterwards.

I arrived at the Leo J. Welder Center about an hour early to avoid fighting for a parking space downtown and to get a decent seat for the movie and Q&A. After picking up my ticket, I turned around and noticed Rutger Hauer and his wife standing at the small bar near the entrance. They were drinking coffee and chatting with one of the event organizers. There were about ten to fifteen other people hanging out in the lobby, mostly volunteers and “VIPs”. My natural instinct was to walk up to Mr. Hauer and shake his hand and ask if I could take a photo of him, but since he was just standing there drinking coffee and chatting with his wife like anyone else waiting for the film to start I thought it would not be in good taste and a bit awkward. I didn’t want to go all paparazzi on him and decided to do the next best thing. I walked up to the bar, stood next to the Hollywood celebrity, and ordered a soda. I paid for my drink and casually walked away and took a seat in the lobby. It still felt awkward. Can you tell I’ve never been around a Hollywood actor before?

Eventually one of the event organizers ushered Mr. Hauer and his wife to a back room for the VIP party before the movie. VIP passes were something like $200 or so for the weekend event. I ran into a former coworker of mine who was wearing a VIP pass, so naturally she went in there to hang out with the celebrity. I held my $25 ticket and waited patiently for the usher to open the doors for the movie. To my surprise about ten minutes until the movie was supposed to start there were only about twenty of us waiting in the lobby for the movie. I chatted with a lady from San Antonio while we waited. She too was surprised at the turnout. I figured people were just cheap in this town and didn’t want to pay $25 to watch the film. Heck a few people I talked to earlier in the week didn’t even know who Rutger Hauer was. Even after I mentioned Blade Runner, Ladyhawke, Blind Fury, The Hitcher, etc. it just drew a blank. Oh, well.

After the ushers finally opened the doors and allowed inside I got a great seat about three rows back for the movie and Q&A. Il Futuro was a lot better than I expected. I have to be honest that I mainly bought the ticket for the Q&A after the movie, but I was pleasantly surprised that the movie had a great story, which I won’t go into detail here. Rutger Hauer’s performance in the movie was of course superb. The director of the film festival introduced the ‘Blade Runner’ star shortly after the credits rolled and then directed him to a couch on the far end of the stage to sit down with him and another guy. Rutger Hauer answered a couple of questions from the couch, but then he decided to walk right up to the folks in the audience and answer their questions which ranged from specifics about Il Futuro and naturally segued into questions about his career and his more popular movies . . . like Blade Runner. One reporter spoke up a few too many times during the Q&A until Rutger Hauer finally told him to shut up (in a jesting tone). He basically told him, “Shut up! I know you can ask good questions, but let’s give some other people a turn.” Another funny answer was when someone asked how old he was. Rutger Hauer’s response was, “Google!” After some laughter, he did politely answer the man and thanked him for the question.

Someone finally asked the inevitable question . . . Can I have your autograph? The man had a VHS copy of Blade Runner. There were a number of other people who had brought things for him to sign in hopes that there would be an autograph session. The autograph session was apparently not officially part of the program, but the Blade Runner star said that he would sign autographs after everybody left because another group of folks were waiting outside for another movie in the same theater. He signed a few autographs in the theater, but then the director asked him to move to the lobby. So, he and a small entourage of his fans walked with him through a crowd of other people entering the theater, most of which had no clue they were rubbing shoulders with frickin’ Rutger Hauer!

Rutger Hauer Q&A. You’ll see me in the blue shirt about three rows up. Yeah, the guy with the balding head.

After roaming around the lobby for a minute or so, we found a place for Mr. Hauer to take a seat where he could sign autographs and take photos with his fans. Like a big dummy I didn’t bring anything for him to sign (because I really didn’t think there would be an opportunity), so I asked Rutger Hauer to sign the ticket stub for Il Futuro. A fellow fan was kind enough to snap a few photos of me and Rutger Hauer while he signed my ticket. I then posed for a fan photo.

Another fan had one of those old school disposable cameras and after one attempt after another of trying to determine if the darn thing took the photo I offered to take a couple of photos with my iPhone and email them to his friend (who was also in attendance). Rutger Hauer was very cool about it too. He didn’t seem annoyed at the least even after this guy took one photo after another with him. It just goes to show what type of guy he is. Aside from the autograph session and photos, he acted like he was just another guy at a film fest enjoying the movies.

Rutger Hauer spent about 20 minutes or so signing autographs and posing for photos with fans and then just hung out with us to talk about his movies and upcoming appearance in True Blood. Sometimes you get lucky and don’t need to spend $200 for special VIP badges to hang out with your favorite celebrities. Sometimes, they just break the rules and do their own thing and mingle with their fans. We don’t need no stinkin’ badges!

Have you ever met one of your favorite celebrities? Share your stories in the comments below.

Guest Interview with Lorna Suzuki

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the cyber home of  Lorna Suzuki to chat about my horror-thriller Devil’s Nightmare. For those of you who don’t know Lorna, she is the very talented creator of the Imago Fantasy Series which is currently in production for a major motion picture trilogy. I met Lorna in the cyber Twitter pub #Pubwrite back in 2011 and quickly realized that she was one of the cool kids. Click on Lorna’s image below to be transported to her site and join me with a casual chat about Devil’s Nightmare and writing in general.

Dear all the pretentious writers in Starbucks...

Reblogged from Broke Wife, Big City:

I remember once hearing a teacher say something along the lines of "an object in motion tends to stay in motion and an object at rest tends to stay at rest, especially if that object is a person sitting in a coffee shop and you want their seat."

Or something like that. I don't know. I was too busy sending professional-grade, orgami-esque folded notes to my best friend about very important topics, such as what fast food restaurant parking lot we were going to hang out at after school.

Read more… 687 more words

Aprill Brandon is a former co-worker of mine now living in Boston. She still writes for The Victoria Advocate, along with a couple of other publications. If you've never read her posts, you'll definitely want to follow her blog. She's a hoot! Here's her latest post about writers in Starbucks. Absolutely hilarious! Enjoy!

Devil’s Nightmare Book Trailer

Earlier this week I had some spare time on my hands and decided to put together a trailer for my novel Devil’s Nightmare. I created it using one of Animoto’s cool templates and royalty free music to put this trailer together. Let me know what you think of it in the comments:

Claim your copy today in several e-book formats:

 

Also available in paperback:

First Paperback Review for Devil’s Nightmare

My new horror novel Devil’s Nightmare just received it’s first official paperback review on Amazon. I published the paperback edition a couple of weeks ago and I’m glad to see that there are still readers out there that enjoy reading physical copies of books! I personally like both print and eBook formats. Sometimes both at the same time. Anyway, I’m rambling. Check out the latest 5-star review of Devil’s Nightmare below (copied straight off Amazon) and be sure to claim your copy too:

Horrific, Thrilling and Mysterious

By MG Wells

I was thoroughly creeped out THE DEVIL’S NIGHTMARE by Robert Pruneda. The story, characters and dialogue were realistic. This thrilling, well-written horror mystery kept me on the edge of my seat. Lots of twists and turns when you least expect them. If you’re a fan of Dean Koontz and Stephen King, I highly recommend this book. A thrilling read indeed!

Author’s note: I’m flattered that yet another reader has referenced Stephen King when describing their experience reading Devil’s Nightmare. I swear, I had nothing to do with that! Now Dean Koontz, another one of my favorite authors, is thrown in the mix. I hope you’ll give my first horror novel a look and let me know what you thought of it. Enjoy! If you have already read it, posting a review (on Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Goodreads, etc.) would be greatly appreciated! Cheers!

Claim your copy today in several e-book formats:

 

Also available in paperback:

Devil’s Nightmare Receiving Great Reviews

My first horror novel Devil’s Nightmare has been out for just under a couple of months now and it’s been getting some great reviews on Amazon. I wanted to share the five reviews (four 5-star, and one 4-star) received with you all. I’m very pleased that readers are enjoying this novel. Have a look for yourself, and if you haven’t grabbed your copy yet, be sure to click on one of the links at the end of this post. Enjoy!

Scary Good Book

By mmp&jmp

I don’t mind scary but this book was a bit much. I was so drawn into the characters and the suspense that I forgot it’s a work of fiction. Didn’t know Mr. Pruneda before but I surely know him now. The plot and characters are so real, the twists and turns throughout the story so engaging that even I couldn’t figure out what was going to happen next – - – and I’m a pretty good guesser. Poor Cody. I really felt sorry for the child. Pruneda’s Detective Sanders . . . Well I’m not telling you. You’ll just have to read the book, even if you’re a scary type like me. It’s just that good.

@mparel

Author’s note: I was very pleased to see that this reader connected with the characters so much that it felt real, even though it was a work of horror fiction. I’m also thrilled that the reader was a fan of my main character Detective Aaron Sanders. He was fun to write.

 Really Creepy!

By Teena

For his first book, Mr. Pruneda did a great job! I really liked how he built the suspense and I can’t wait for his next scary book. The only reason I didn’t give him five stars is there were a few too many typographical errors. All in all he is a wonderful story teller and he adds the right amount of detail which helped me picture the scenes.

Author’s note: I really appreciate this reader’s review because it gives some great constructive criticism about some flaws in the book while also sharing what she really enjoyed about Devil’s Nightmare. It gave it a nice balance.

 An edge-of-your seat, engaging, and all around outstanding read

By Sara Furlong Burr

I first became a fan of Mr. Pruneda after reading his first novel, Pursuit of a Dream. I was highly impressed with his knack for dialogue and uncanny ability at penning a well-written and engaging story that kept my attention throughout the book. Yes, I liked Pursuit of a Dream, but I LOVED Devil’s Nightmare. It seems, with this book, Mr. Pruneda has found his calling and I truly believe great things are in store for this author in the horror genre.

In Devil’s Nightmare, Detective Aaron Sanders finds himself thrust in the middle of an investigation involving a string of mysterious, and incredibly horrific murders, beginning with the discovery of three children in a graveyard and a young boy’s mother and stepfather (who I can’t say as I was all too sad to see be disemboweled). Newly orphaned Cody is the sole witness to the murders, but is too traumatized to speak of them no matter how hard Detective Sanders gets him to open up. Yet, at night, the boy is plagued by such disturbing nightmares that whatever has rendered him a virtual mute during the day is forgotten, and Detective Sanders is given some valuable clues as to the horrors Cody has encountered. What secret does Cody hold, and will Detective Sanders figure it out before the body count rises?

Devil’s Nightmare contains several plot twists that are far from predictable, which I love considering I can usually figure out twists coming from a mile away. Just when you think the story is over and the case solved, it’s not. And the final outcome will leave you breathless.

I’m not personally a big fan of horror, but after reading Devil’s Nightmare, I will certainly be reading more books in this genre and, hopefully, another one from Mr. Pruneda in the near future. Watch out, Stephen King, here comes Robert Pruneda!

Author’s note: I always appreciate such detailed reviews that give other potential readers a broader scope of what to expect in the novel that he/she is considering to purchase. The dialogue in Devil’s Nightmare is one of the things this reader particularly enjoyed, along with the suspense and the fact that I have apparently been successful with keeping this readers guessing. I also am very flattered by the reference to Stephen King, my favorite author.  

 So cool, it was like John Saul & James Patterson had a baby!

By Diana

With a dash of DeMille, I might add. Absolutely get this book! In the midst of all the horrific things going on in the story, the sarcastic humor of Detective Sanders kept you cheering through! Gotta save Cody (loved that poor kid) from this nightmare I kept thinking From start to finish, it was well told in a great first person style, which I liked very much and made it easy to visualize the insanity happening … kudos! Should be on a best sellers list somewhere, soon!

Author’s note: I really enjoyed how this reader described my writing as the genetic mixture of some very talented authors that I admire. This reader also connected with the characters (particularly Detective Sanders and Cody Sumner). I appreciate this reader saying that Devil’s Nightmare should be on a best sellers list soon. (insert subliminal message here . . . click on the link below and claim your copy).

Wow! My heart’s still beating out of my chest!

By Donna L. Sadd

I really enjoyed reading Devil’s Nightmare. I was hooked at the prologue; then it’s fast pace proceeded to yank me through one heck of a scary thrill ride! This is a difficult review to write without spoilers, but what I can say is that the characters are fleshed out well, description and dialog paint the story vividly, and the mystery takes twists and turns that kept this reader guessing. I’m not a horror fiction fan; however, I’m a fan of Mr. Pruneda’s work and this occult thriller seriously kept my heart pounding every step of the way. I could easily see Devil’s Nightmare being made into a film and I recommend that you read it . . . with the lights on of course!

Author’s note: This was my very first review. This reader, like others, has pointed out that she’s not a fan of horror fiction, but really enjoyed reading Devil’s Nightmare. The fact that she kept reading this story could possible mean that I may be successfully converting some readers over to the genre. Mwahahahaha!

Claim your copy today in several e-book formats:

 

Also available in paperback: