News and notices from the writing trenches #36…
#204: Just released! My sci-fi thriller Come Dance a Cumbia…with Stars in your Hand! completes “The Chaos Chronicles Trilogy,” a vision of the future that you will find troubling, inspiring, and astounding. Survivors of the Chaos, the first book in the series, starts in dystopia and ends with hope for a new future on a planet in the 82 Eridani solar system. In Sing a Samba Galactica, the second book, humans find friendly ETs there and battle unfriendly ones on another colony and Earth, but if you thought they and their ET friends would live happily in the Galaxy’s near-Earth space after the Singer saved the Swarm, you were wrong.
This novel shows why we always have to be vigilant against those whose thirst for power becomes an obsession. The protagonists—the tough, brilliant, and beautiful Silvia Kensington, the old warrior Brent Mueller, bent but not broken, and others—serve as my Second Foundation; the villain—Dimitri Negrini, an evil genius—my Mule. They become forged in fire by the events portrayed in the first two novels and their struggles in this one. Action, suspense, and intrigue are found in this star-hopping modern sci-fi saga that combines elements of space opera with new perspectives on today’s problems.
The entire trilogy is available in eBook format on Amazon, Smashwords, and soon at other fine online retailers (B&N, Sony, Apple, etc), just as soon as SW distributes. I guarantee you’ll have a good read with this trilogy.
#205: Authors helping readers. Have a favorite shut-in or disabled person who owns a Kindle, enjoys reading thrillers, and might enjoy one of my eBooks? Subject to budget constraints, send me via my contact form their e-mail address (they will need one, unfortunately, but most people with a Kindle have one) and I’ll gift them a copy. I’ve given up on Amazon’s KDP Select give-aways. This seems to be a better alternative. (Neither your e-mail address nor your recipient’s will ever be divulged to any third parties and will never be used by me for promoting my books, other than the offer described here.)
#206: Reviewers wanted. On a first come, first serve basis, and subject to budget constraints, I’m willing to gift eBooks if you write an honest review. I have a limited budget, hence the first come, first serve policy. This is a good deal for reviewers—especially if you offer to review an entire series. There are three: “The Chaos Chronicles Trilogy” (see #204); “The Detectives Chen and Castilblanco Series;” and “The Clones and Mutants Series.” By the way, for reviewers of single books, I’m willing to combine the offer in #205—just pick your shut-in or disabled friend who you want to receive your (and my) gift. As far as I know, this offer and #205 are unique in the publishing industry—I consider it effective marketing. Use my contact form to query about this. (Your e-mail address will never be divulged to any third parties and will never be used by me for promoting my books, other than the offer described here.)
#207: Interviews and blog posts anyone? On a first come, first serve basis, and subject to time constraints, I’m willing to trade interviews and/or blog posts with other thriller authors. You’ve already experienced one interview trade with thriller author Gina Fava. I liked the experience so much that I would like to expand. I’m already working on it.
Blog posts can be re-postings, but I prefer the interviews to be first-time. I can send you a list of my interview questions, which also work for you to interview me if you don’t have your own. Query via my contact form. (Your e-mail address will never be divulged to any third parties and will never be used by me for promoting my books, other than the offer described here.)
#208: Good riddance? I was pleased to see that the Fifty Shades trilogy has fallen out of the NY Times number one slots last Sunday. I suppose it’s small and petty of me to wish bad luck on a fellow author, but this stuff reminded me of Rubic’s cube, hula hoops, and chia pets. I suppose the author, like the people who patented these other fads, is laughing all the way to the bank. I don’t take it personally—how can I? And maybe it’s better than some of our better known “classics”—I wouldn’t know because I never had any desire to read it. And, yes, I could write erotica if I wanted to (emphasis on the hypothesis)….
#209: A banner year. There’s every indication that 2012 will be a banner year for eBook reading growth. The digital revolution is here to stay. Some die-hards will have to die (or simply be given a Kindle, which was my case) before they accept eBooks. I can’t live without my Kindle now. It’s a convenience in many ways. As an author, I can release one of my books to the market much faster and at a lower production cost to me, if I use eBook format. As a reviewer, it’s easier to receive eBook downloads from Amazon than wait for snail-mail deliveries of hard bounds or trade paperbacks. Same goes for books I just want to read for my own pleasure. (I haven’t even begun to explore borrowing eBooks via my public library, which would be zero cost to me as a reader.) And, finally, as a homeowner, I don’t have to keep looking for space to store physical books.
In libris libertas….
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