Variance Publishing - ThrillerBlog

What's Your Favorite Gadget?

2012-01-30T12:49:00.004-05:00

I've found a new love for technology in novels. With a few techno-thrillers on the roster, there are some amazing things out there that can certainly turn the tables, both for the pro- and antagonist. While my favorite shock-and-awe device has been the Metal Storm, what piece of technology have you read about that you would like to see more of? Who is your favorite author that brings great pieces of tech to life?

Didn't know we had techno-thrillers available? Check out these fine pieces of mind-blowing gadgetry good times.

Eurostorm • Wired Kingdom

Creature-creature

2012-01-19T12:39:00.003-05:00

Many of us, myself included, get our jollies from watching people run from creatures of many types - zombies, vamps, aliens - you name it (hey, it's not my hide on the line, right?). And while it's easier, maybe even more horrific, to see the scenes from a human main character... what about seeing all viewpoints from the creature? Sure, we've taken part in this role-reversal with Dracula and a handful of other host 'baddies' ... but really, what makes them so bad? Our societal views of 'us needing to be the top dog'? Point of view is everything in any situation. Will we always vote for the human? I would guess more often than not yes since we want our own race to continue on, figuratively of course since monsters don't exist, right (...)?

I think it's time for New York and Hollywood to pull out all the stops (and you self-published writer-types too) and create a creature that we sympathize with looking through said non-Homo sapien's eyes. Turn the tables on humanity! Get their emotions, their desires, their conflicts, and by the end of the book make me root for them!

While I've heard a few titles out there take this view, are there any out there that you've read/watched and would recommend? What creatures would you like to see be made in this light? Sasquatch? Peng? Dire wolf? Thunderbird? Other? Let's hear it!

Blurbs, News, and Freebies

2012-01-18T09:42:00.003-05:00

Good day, readers. I hope your 2012 has been thrilling so far. Has everyone been keeping their resolutions? Hopefully one of them was to read more Variance stuff... hint hint, nudge nudge. Just sayin'. =)

So, 2012 here is already exciting. Our newest YA title, TORREIN: AGE OF FEAR by Shea Berkley, got a smashing review from Ashley L. Knight, author of FINS and FATHOM. Check it out:

"If you are tired of being afraid... then face your fear and break its hold on you."

Aye, 'tis an expression leaden in truth.

Torrein: Age of Fear wrapped its magical tendrils around me, teasing my imagination into fanciful visions - weaving dulcet, familiar tones into my sub-conscience. It wasn't until, bleary-eyed and starving from continuous reading, that I reached for a long drink of water and realized precisely of which imagery I was reminded - the epic scenes from the highly acclaimed trilogy, The Lord of the Rings.

No, it was not the fact that this captivating novel contained goblins, or elves, or even fairies alike - it was Berkley's lovely use of descriptive language that kept me enraptured. Engaging and colorful, Torrein's charms are sure to win the hearts of even the most jaded of readers. With lessons to be learned by the hero & Berkley's readers, this imaginative author wisely molds Torrein's tale, suiting it to the young & young at heart. Adventurous, innocent and meaningful, I simply could not put it down.

I am often saddened at the end of books that boast the chance of a sequel as they do not deliver a satisfactory ending. Such was not the case with this tale and I turned the last page with a smile I do not often admit.
I am greedy: I want the next book - not only for myself, but to read to my children. I venture to predict you will as well!

-- Ashley L. Knight, author of FINS and FATHOM

Also in the praise category, advanced praise for Q: AWAKENING by G.M. Lawrence (due out mid-March), has started to come in!

“G.M. Lawrence firmly stakes out his place as a master storyteller with Q: AWAKENING, a dark and treacherous journey to find an ancient relic that could change the course of mankind. Sometimes poetic, often gritty, always captivating, this international thriller is a skillfully crafted quest you won’t soon forget.”
-- Joe Moore, international bestselling co-author of THE PHOENIX APOSTLES

“Q Awakening is a new breed of thriller, captivatingly lyrical, but still packing double-barrels of adrenaline.”
-- Sean Ellis, author of DARK TRINITY: ASCENDANT

If you are a reviewer and would like to review either of these titles please let me know, e-copies are available for your enjoyment upon request.

Last, but certainly not least, Joseph Flynn, author of The PRESIDENT'S HENCHMAN, has put up a title on Amazon for free titled STILL COMING. Don't miss you chance to grab this! I know so many of you have read and loved TPH, DIGGER, The NEXT PRESIDENT, and so many other titles from Joe, so this freebie is a no-brainer.

Thanks for checking in!

Fat On Holiday Cheer!

2011-12-29T09:10:00.005-05:00

Happy few days before the new year, everyone!

As the winter chill is beginning to affirm its grip upon us, we hope you have the time to wrap up snug in a blanket with your favorite e-reader and take a look at our newest title released today, Torrein: Age of Fear. While it is geared toward the YA community, it's a Fantasy-coming-of-age title that the whole family can enjoy like a Potter book. Bring forth the courage to defeat the evils among us! Be ready to meet ogres and fairies and a cast of other creatures (oh my!).

DESCRIPTION:

What if the only hope of saving a magical world depended on an ordinary boy?

Peace is not easily found in the divided kingdom of Taelyon; its mortals distrust anything magical; its wizards are indifferent to the suffering of others, and hate infects everyone. The battle for dominance is never ending. Yet, there is hope. A boy named Torrein. When magic is denied him, he's chased from his own village by those he once called friends. Torrein doesn't understand that his destiny is far greater than any he could have achieved if magic had been granted him. Who wants a destiny soaked in blood? All Torrein wants is what he can't have - to be with his family and friends.

To claim his rightful power, Torrein must calm his fears and reveal the real evil working to destroy Taelyon. It will be a fight till the end of the age to reclaim the freedom they’ve all been denied, and though it's hard for him to accept, it’s up to Torrein to protect those who have been deceived, and to make sure the evil in their midst doesn't kill them all.

Amazon • Smashwords (Nook/iBooks/Kobo/Sony)

As always, you can visit our special ebook page filled with the rest of our titles for you reading enjoyment. Who knows, if you stop by before New Year's Day 2012 and say hello I may give out a bit of holiday cheer for your new... or old, e-reader. I hope you all had a great holiday season and thanks for another amazing year.

--Stanley J. Tremblay & Variance Publishing

New Author Website To Check Out

2011-12-07T13:26:00.005-05:00

Happy Wednesday, friends,

I just wanted to introduce you to Gary "G.M." Lawrence (everyone now... "Hello Gary."), and his newly designed website. I hope you take a few minutes to go over and check out this sharp piece of web art.

His first title in a trilogy, Q: The Awakening, will be coming out late winter/early spring next year, and from what I've seen and heard there is lots to be excited about. Here is the description to get your literary juices flowing:

A decade ago, Dr. Declan Stewart, once the world's foremost authority on ancient manuscripts, vanished from an obscure asylum in Damascus. On a winter's day shrouded in fog, he rose from his bed, walked out the door and disappeared. No one looked for him because no one cared. The assassins had made sure there would be no one left to care.

For ten years, Declan hides himself away on the isolated western coast of New Zealand's South Island, riding the towering waves of Ghost Ships break and trying to forget the past. Then on a bright summer's day, as the sun settles on the western horizon, a dying monk from an obscure Syrian monastery appears on the high cliffs and calls his name. It is then that Declan realizes nothing can save him from his destiny; that he will never escape his obsession with the elusive ancient manuscript known only as Q.

The message the old priest brings—of a cryptic letter of St. Paul and a parchment map leading to a lost desert temple—sends Declan hurtling back into a world he had vowed never to reenter. Confronting the demons of his past and the shadowy forces that would turn the power of Q to their own twisted ends, Declan enters a realm of danger, betrayal and death. And there, amidst chaos and peril, he finds not only the destiny he had sought to deny, but the love of a courageous Palestinian refugee and her fatherless son.

Let me know what you think of the description and if your interest has been grabbed. It sounds like one crazy thrill-ride to me!

Anthocon I

2011-11-14T08:46:00.003-05:00

Greetings peeps,

This was quite the busy weekend as I spent Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday in Portsmouth, NH at AnthoCon, or Anthology 2011. A star-studded cast came out to lil' ol' New Hampshire to kick-off this Freshman event which gave it a fun atmosphere, but at the same time, was fairly well-organized for something brand new. Special guests included actor/author Michael Boatman (The Goodwife, Spin City), as well as authors Christopher Golden (Of Saints and Shadows), Rick Hautala (Nightstone), Brian Keene (Ghoul), Jonathan Maberry (Joe Ledger Series), Joseph Nassise (Eyes To See), and Gord Rollo (The Jigsaw Man), as well as a handful of other successful Hollywood-types, Eric Red (The Hitcher) and Stephen Susco (Grudge), and a handful still of other standout authors - what a list! Beyond that, something a bit more up my alley, were some great illustrators and artists including Michael Bailey, Joshua Belanger, Morbideus Goodell, Ogmios, Trevor Schubert and Susan Scofield.

While there were panels I went to, like readings from many of the authors above, a lecture and pour from Lucid Absinthe, and a few horror and speculative fiction talks, a lot of the weekend I spent talking to the folks and making new friendships. There are some truly amazing people out there who most of us just don't see, as the majority of the market is dominated by all the big fish... and well, who wants to talk about the guppie they caught when the guy next to you is throwing back marlins? Do yourself, your community, and literacy a favor and check out these local cons. You might be surprised at what you find. Just because it isn't San Diego ComicCon or BEA doesn't mean that there aren't worth while attractions.

Thanks to the Four Horsemen and Shroud Publishing for taking a leap and putting this on. See you next year!

Our First Audiobook!

2011-11-08T09:42:00.003-05:00

That's right, friends, our first audiobook has finished the production phase and is in the final stages before being released to Audible.com, Amazon.com and iTunes! This is very exciting for us and we hope that you get to take the opportunity to join us in the excitement.

I'd like to thank Jeffrey Kafer for another great narration to match the rest of his titles (if you haven't heard him before, check him out!) and Rick Chesler in writing a great crime-technothriller on the open seas in Wired Kingdom.

Just for some fun, I know that Jeff has a large library of books he has narrated for so while we wait for Wired Kingdom to be officially released, what other titles has he done that you would recommend to others?

The Weekend Cometh

2011-11-03T15:30:00.006-04:00

Can you believe another week has come and gone? For those of you who live in the Northeast, it has been a long week due to the historic Nor'easter that knocked out power for most (including me), some still being without since Saturday! Have no fear though, we are here to warm your minds and souls with some great reads.

First, Veteran's Day is coming soon, and with that in mind I hope you consider purchasing any and all titles of AJ Tata's THREAT Series, where proceeds from the book go to the Wounded Warriors/Metro DC fund. Being a retired general, he's seen what war can do, and we being sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, know that they should be getting all the help that they deserve. So go out and get the series today to help fund a cause that is so necessary to all who require assistance.

Sudden Threat, $2.99: Kindle - Nook - iTunes - Smashwords
Rogue Threat, $2.99: Kindle - Nook - iTunes - Smashwords
Hidden Threat $7.99: Kindle - Nook - iTunes - Smashwords
Threat Series Omnibus, $9.99 (all three in one big ebook): Kindle - Nook - iTunes - Smashwords

(Or find all but the omnibus in print at any online retailer or bookstore.)

Next, Here is a look at the final cover concept to the first of many Young Adult epic fantasy novels coming from Variance, TORRIEN: Age of Fear by Shea Berkley. Keep your eyes open for it as it should be available to buy very soon!

Last on the agenda would be another thrilling survey made by yours truly to get more input from our readers. It would be so very greatly appreciated if you would take a few minutes to click on a few multiple choice radio buttons and check boxes (and even a short answer question if you feel so inclined) to give us feedback on E-books and Other Reads. We rely on your data to be able to bring you the best fiction this indie publisher can in a format you desire. Thanks for your time and readership.

And as always, thanks for your overall support! Enjoy your weekend.

"Necessary" Reading

2011-10-21T10:30:00.004-04:00

There are so many teens out there right now stuck doing 'necessary' reading for class. Books that don't hold their attention, since, well, they don't see much beyond their own little bubble - hey, we were all there once and probably felt the same way, only the challenges are different now then they were then. (Any who, back to the task at hand) So many kids are rebelling against these titles that schools feel are so necessary: Moby Dick, Catcher in the Rye, The Odyssey, Catch 22. Things that we as adults probably appreciate so much more than the average 15-18 year old male who is grabbed by the throat by things like Battlefield or Modern Warfare. What can we do to make things more interesting for the demographic that is falling behind?

Bring on board some new books - freshen up the material and make it modern. Help them feel like reading isn't a chore, because there's nothing better we can do for our kids and budding adults then give them something that they can truly get lost in... not feel they've lost time from. If we want kids with better than middle school vocabulary coming out of our primary schools, we have to provide them books they want to read in those developing years.

I'm sure you realize that I'm not a formally trained educator - I don't have a teaching degree - but I do understand that if we don't make literacy fun things won't get better.

Those of you who have YAs in school, are there any books that you feel could be replaced/updated? If so, what book do you think should take it's place that they loved reading and think that other kids could benefit from? While I didn't mean to pick out any books in particular (just the first few that came to mind) and personally enjoyed Catcher, Odyssey, and Catch 22, I think I would have payed more attention to books from Jonathan Maberry, Jeremy Robinson, and a handful of others.

I'm just sayin'...

Kindle Stakes It's Claim

2011-10-17T11:57:00.003-04:00

By now you've probably heard of the new Kindle Fire - a color tablet similar to the iPad/iPad2 and Nook Color. What do you think about this color upgrade in the Amazon market? For those of you who have color tablets, is this something you are considering to purchase or will you stick by your already-owned property? What about you e-ink peeps - is this something you're considering? I mean, it is a Kindle after all, just with pretty colors and Flashy fun.

In keeping with the subject, just taking a slight detour, what do you think about the touch version of the Kindle? Do you think this is worth it for $100, especially with the drop in price of the basic Kindle to $80 when all you have to do is press a button to go forward and back? I know to me that is a great feature since it will make your mind feel like it is actually turning pages (yes I know, no smell, no paper texture... but it's getting closer).

Now, back to the color tablet, from a publishers perspective, this is opening up so many doors to new features across the entire market. When before we were only really able to see some shades of gray on an e-ink Kindle - not really being able to use new enhanced e-books - we can now (or soon anyway) use color to bring things to life in a whole new realm. Sure, it's new things to learn, but we can target our audience that much more to those looking for a whole new experience on their e-readers. And while this may be old hat to some of you who have been creating Vook's and enhanced ebooks, this is really making things more readily available to the mass market in what is the most-widely used platform for reading electronic titles.

Now more than ever, transmedia options are catching up, and they can be a great experience when done right. I look forward to getting involved with all the buzz and hope you come along for the ride as it happens.

How To Compete?

2011-10-12T10:41:00.005-04:00

I'm pretty sure by now readers have noticed a decline in book sales, bookstores, and other related printed materials like newspapers. Now, more than ever, the publishing industry is competing... not with themselves, but with other industries like television and movies. How do we compete - for your time, your money? Well, let's discuss:

• Ease - with an increase of inexpensive or free reading materials via electronic devices (Kindle/Nook/iPad), that has certainly given us a boost - in this economy, people are having a difficult time buying $25 books when they can get a dozen (plus or minus) for the same cost. When most everyone out there already has cable, Netflix, OnDemand, or other services, it is easier than ever to be distracted from reading. But with the advent of wireless transfers from online book distributors, we are right back in the thick of things.

• Story - most mainstream and indie titles are as good - if not better than - the majority of what is on TV today. With smut including the majority of the "reality" shows out there, most of that being scripted, and the majority of it causing your brain to leak from your ear... reading expands your vocabulary, your imagination, and so much more that Housewives and people on the Shore can't offer you - a story that engages your mind.

• Ratio - reading has a great entertainment-to-cost ratio. As stated above, with the decrease in cost of ebooks, you can really stretch your buck! And with so many people already having smartphones, they don't even need to go out and get a stand-alone ereader since they have a mini one in their hands on an everyday occurrence.

With everything I just said, am I telling you to cancel your subscription to your cable or satellite provider, or not go to/rent a movie? Absolutely not. More like, make reading an expanding portion of your life rather than the contracting part. Why, when there is nothing on that interests us, do we pull out a movie we've seen 50 times or flip the channels like something magical will happen instead of pulling out a book that's been sitting on our to-be-read shelves for a year or more? With the ever-growing population of syndicated shows or brainless tv, do yourself a favor and pick up a book. It only takes one story to stifle the competition.

As an author, what do you feel is your greatest asset in overcoming the competition?
As a reader, who is your favorite author to get lost in the most?

The Mongol Objective Is Alive!

2011-10-05T15:33:00.006-04:00

I know a great deal of you who have read this blog know about The Pharos Objective - a paranormal, historical thriller that follows a band of psychics who see what we cannot in-search of Alexander the Great's fabled treasure - and The Smithsonian Objective - a short story that ties Egypt to the Grand Canyon in ways only those who could 'see' it could.

Well, the follow-up to these is a novel of grand proportion in-search of something tied to one of the world's most ruthless leaders, Genghis Khan, an artifact that could change the world as we know it.

After a mystical Egyptian artifact is stolen by a renegade member of the Morpheus Initiative, Caleb Crowe and his team of psychics must use all their abilities to prevent the release of its catastrophic power. But first, they must survive the defenses of a subterranean mausoleum belonging to the world's greatest conqueror. Genghis Khan.

Praise for The Morpheus Initiative Series:

"David Sakymyster combines expertly researched historical mysteries with compelling modern characters, intriguing plot twists, and breathless pacing.
His archeologist heroes seek not just legendary secrets, but the secrets within themselves."
-- William Dietrich, author of BLOOD OF THE REICH

"… Indiana Jones meets the X-Files -- an archaeologist adventurer with psychic powers of remote viewing who can see the past, ancient treasures, historical mysteries, action and adventure that crosses the world, and a damned good story."
-- Kevin J. Anderson, #1 international bestselling author of THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

"This is a book I wish I'd written - great premise - great imagination!"
-- M.J. Rose, international bestselling author of THE REINCARNATIONIST and THE MEMORIST

"A classic good vs. evil story, a novel that kept me turning pages far into the night."
-- Nina M. Osier, author of 2005 EPPIE science fiction winner REGS and the HIGH PLACES trilogy

While it is only out in e-book format right now, the paperback version will be coming soon.

Buy From Amazon (Kindle)

Buy From Smashwords (Nook, iPad, Sony, Palm, Kobo)

As always, if you have read this, or any of our books, please take the time to leave a review where you bought it. Happy reading!

A New Epic AGE Cometh Closer

2011-09-06T11:31:00.007-04:00

In the hopes of easing you back into the (hopeful) four-day work week, the release of TORREIN: Age of Fear is coming quickly. Autumn will be filled with some great reads, including this epic fantasy adventure from Shea Berkley. Head over to the website to get a full description of this title.

But while you are here, Shea and I were talking a short time ago about her past, present, and future. Please enjoy this short interview, and feel free to ask your own questions!

1. What brought you to Variance?
Variance has a reputation, that although they are a small publisher, they are a prestigious one, and they care deeply about their authors and the quality of their work. I’m all for people loving me and my work.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I never expected to be a writer. I’m dyslexic and therefore, writing has never come easily to me, but I’m stubborn and when people say I shouldn’t X, Y or Z, I usually respond with the mature, “Oh yeah? Well, just watch me!” response. Somehow, I got the idea that being a college English major would be a great idea (obviously I’ve been living in my own fantasy world for longer than even I realized). Don’t tell anyone, but apparently, I have the magical ability to suck other people into my fantasies because my English professor encouraged me to pursue a writing career after I aced his class. (Either that or he mistook someone else’s paper for mine.)
It took me until I was in my mid-thirties to really think about writing, and then what I wrote was for my eyes only. When I finished my first novel I thought the process wasn’t too terrible, and actually entertained the concept of being a writer. I took years upon years to hone my craft and then started entering contests, which lead to an agent and then a publisher.

3. When did you know you wanted to write epic fantasy?
I am a geek. I want there to be dragons and faeries and wizards and sirens. The fantastical is fun. Hands down, if there was a class on how to sword fight ogres and win, I’d take it. If I lived in an area where they put on medieval fairs, I’d be there dressed as a kick-butt dragon slayer. I took archery in college because you never know when we’ll fall back into a world without electricity. There’s wild hare where I live. They will be mine to dine. Seriously, I love the whole sword and sandal and epic story telling that comes with the genre.

4. Tell us about Torrein… and people want to hear what his journey is and his powers, so spill it (without spoilers, mind you)!
Torrein is a boy who was born to magical parents, but by all appearances, has stayed mortal. Because of that, he is feared by his own people. The magic that was given him is unique and very special. He can feel the intent of others. He knows their hearts, whether they’re good or bad. It’s a gift that if he doesn’t learn to understand and control, can cause him to go insane.
His journey is one of self discovery, of learning to rely on his gifts and to choose whether he will seize the destiny everyone tells him he’s been born to do—to save his people from the cruel enslavement of Nodoul Lorak, the King’s sorcerer— or live his life in a way that will free him to be the man he wants to be.

5. In the fantasy world, have you been compared to any authors? Who would you consider yourself closest to in writing style?
I’ve never been especially comfortable being compared to other authors, mainly because someone (that anonymous someone who’s always out there) will pick up my books expecting one thing and may not agree with the comparison. I don’t wish to disappoint anyone, so I’m going to say I’m just me, and I hope my readers will trust me enough to take them on a fun adventure and enjoy the ride.

6. Do you write while listening to music? Do you have any favorite movie scores/soundtracks or artists?
I wish I listened to music while I write. I live in a human zoo, and my office is in a loft smack dab in the middle of the traffic zone. It’s where everyone hangs out and talks and yells and argues and sings and dances…there is never a quiet moment, so if I put mood music in the mix, it would be pointless. I’ve been blessed with the ability to ignore. A fire could break out and I wouldn’t notice until my keyboard started melting, and then I’m not even sure.

7. Are there any other titles out there you want people to know about, pre- or post-Torrein?
I have an Urban Fantasy series called the Keepers of Life with Entangled Publishing. The first book, THE MARKED SON, is another coming of age story about a boy named Dylan and his journey to find out why he’s always felt different. Not until he meets a girl who claims to be from another realm does he realize he’s more than an average teenage boy, and one who is now marked for death.

8. Are any of your characters modeled after anyone in your life?
My characters are purely a figment of my imagination. It’s one of the fun parts about writing fantasy. I get to let my imagination run amuck and create fun people to “hang” out with. I do have friends who keep bugging me to put them in my books. I’m very tempted to use their names and make them completely opposite of what they really are like, but that’s the wicked streak in me.

9. Where can people connect with you?
I can be found online at www.sheaberkley.com, on Facebook, or at www.rubyslipperedsisterhood.com

10. If there is anything you would like people to know about you, what would that be?
I can be bribed with copious amounts of chocolate to do almost anything…almost. Seriously. I eat chocolate everyday and that’s an expensive habit. (grin)

11. What is the one question you never get asked but wish you did, and why? Answer?
How do you execute an AXE kick? Why do I wish people would ask me that? Because I can totally do it!
It’s hard to explain on paper, but you quickly swing your leg across your body and up, skimming your opponent’s shoulder and then snap your heel down on their clavicle, breaking it if you do it correctly, or at the least, causing a great deal of pain so you can swoop in and pound the snot out of the teary-eyed loser and win your kickboxing match.

(Remind me not to make her upset...) So, ah, that's Shea in a nutshell! She is a pretty cool little lady with a lot going on - and ready to meet her amassing fans. So do it up folks: ask questions, keep your eyes peeled to the ThrillerBlog for a finalized release date, and happy reading till the next time.

Hero vs Superhero

2011-08-31T09:47:00.007-04:00

In the summer of a comic-laden silver-screen adventure-fest, we have certainly had our fair share of superheroes. Even over the past few years! But who doesn't love a great comic adaptation (realize the word 'great')? They can fly, have amazing gadgets, or are even gods... but when does that become too much? Sure, it is a form of escapism - someone to look up to who saves the day and always overcomes their fatal flaw (so how fatal is it really?). Someone who doesn't have money problems, has a decent family-life, or has the job of your dreams just by falling into it. A get away from the everyday occurrences of life.

Now enter the thriller... a place where flaws are more realistic. Where, as much as you can escape into someone else's life, you find more similarities, drawing you closer to that character. When they lose something, you lose something. When a punch is thrown, you duck. When a gun goes off, you flinch. They're fallible. Mortal.

But when does a thriller become too realistic? When does it no longer become escapism? While both provide similar experiences - thrills, chills, suspense - people don't read thrillers for superheroes... but would you like to see more super? This is supposed to be a release, after all, from our everyday doldrums. What's wrong with someone who has a bit more luck than the everyday-person, or has a super-immune system, or can make shots that 99% can't? It's fun, it's exciting, it's fiction.

Riddle me this, and riddle me that:

- Who is your favorite character to escape in?

- Who is the most realistic comic character?

- Who is the most 'super' thriller character?

Happy reading!

Tightening of the Belt

2011-08-29T12:46:00.004-04:00

It's no secret that things are tight out there with the economy - or lack thereof - and have been for a long time. So how you are feeding your need for literary entertainment?

- Cheap/free ebooks

- Second-hand bookstores

- Clearance tables at brick and mortar/mom and pop

- Discount websites/stores

- Other

Leave your favorite spots to peruse for other friends to check out so they too can stretch their buck.

And MyWrite Was Born

2011-08-24T14:31:00.003-04:00

Hey folks,

If you remember, a short time ago I had posted a bunch of posts on ThrillerFest 2011, one of the posts being about Digital Signing Devices, I stirred the pot bringing folks from near and far to read what this new sensation is about - getting your e-books signed like you would any traditionally printed paper version - and with that, a friend spoke up and told me that he had his on version on the way. This was exciting news to me! Yet another outlet to check out, not only for the business, but also for pleasure.

With that said, please welcome Paul Cooley, as he explains his newest coding masterpiece.

-----

For an author, e-books can be their own special kind of hell. They're inexpensive to produce, should be inexpensive for the reader, and allow writers to include all sorts of contextual information that is impossible to duplicate in their paper brethren. However, who wants to purchase an e-book at a book signing?

The idea of a book signing is to gather an interested audience, perhaps perform a reading, and then sign books your readers have bought and brought. Book signings are fantastic PR opportunities and, of course, readers who can't afford your book or are not familiar with your work may attend just to find out about the author. If they like what you have to say, or your reading, perhaps, just perhaps, you have won yourself a new customer.

However, what about these e-books?

The market has changed significantly in the last few years. E-book only publishers are beginning to pop-up and sign authors to better deals than their traditional counterparts. Even authors whose work is printed tend to have a significant e-book presence. Therefore, why should authors be forced to eschew their digital copies?

I am a software architect, as well as a writer, and more than a little tech savvy. In 2009, I offered my listeners a deal: if they submitted a donation to Shadowpublications.com, my free podio-fiction outlet, they received a free e-book version of my latest novel. Since said novel hadn't been published anywhere else, it was a pretty neat deal.

But not only was I going to send them a draft of the novel no one else would ever see, I was going to personalize it for them. For each of my patrons, I took out a sheet of paper, addressed it to them, and then wrote some kind (or nasty) words of thanks. I scanned the letter and then placed it in the ebook. The ebook was then e-mailed to the patron.

This process would take anywhere between ten and fifteen minutes per copy. As you can imagine, it was a nightmare. I sent out over fifty e-book copies in this manner and thought to myself "I'm never going to do this again."

What happened? The patrons loved it. Not only did they love it, they told others about it. Suddenly, after the promotion ended, I had readers begging me to open up the promotion again-- they wanted to donate and get a signed e-book too.

Other authors heard about what I'd done, and suddenly I was deluged with tweets and facebook messages asking for an instruction manual on the process.

At the prodding of a friend of mine, I began designing a method to automate the personalization process. At first, the software was only to service my titles. While I was working on it, however, I realized that I could make the service generic, allowing other authors to use it as well.

MyWrite was born.

At Balticon 2011, iPad in hand, I demonstrated the service to both writers and readers. I sold e-books at the bar using a Square credit card swiper on my iPhone and then personalized them using the iPad, MyWrite, and a stylus.

At my book signing, I signed both digital and print copies of my books.

Since Balticon, I've sold e-books at restaurants, bars, smoking areas, you name it. I frequently give them away, too, if I think it's someone who will end up being a paying customer. In all cases, it's the promise of the personalized copy that made the sale.

I am an author. Authors are by and large not wealthy people. The MyWrite service was constructed to be author-friendly. Instead of charging exorbitant monthly fees or taking a percentage of each e-book sold, our business model is designed on a yearly subscription fee per title. In most cases, a few e-books sold using the service will recoup the cost for that title.

MyWrite is designed to help authors find another avenue to increase their revenue. Instead of forcing authors into using another business model, MyWrite allows authors and their publishers determine how they will sell their books.

The e-book revolution is well underway. Traditional media is falling beneath its own expensive weight while its digital counterparts fly through the internet to readers and listeners. The only question is how authors are going to take advantage of it and what tools they will use to increase revenues.

I hope you will give MyWrite its due consideration as one of those tools. The market for digital personalization is growing. Pay attention to it. You might be surprised how many of your readers will be asking for it.

Please visit http://www.mywriteapp.com for information regarding our product.

--BIO--

Paul Elard Cooley, AKA The FiendMaster, is a writer, podcaster, and software developer from The Woodlands, Texas. He has been nominated four times for Parsec Awards and the podcast of his novella Tattoo was a 2010 Parsec Award Finalist. He writes dark and twisted fiction and doesn't believe in happy endings. Earlier this year, his story collection "Fiends: Vol1" was published by Blue Moose Press.

You can find his work at http://www.shadowpublications.com

-----

It sounds like a pretty cool app and looks to be just as competitive as the other two I spoke of in that past post. I really hope you take the plunge and click through to find out more if e-books are the way you put food on the table. If not, but you feel your readers still desire the awesomeness that is a signed digital book, then what are you waiting for? Click the link!

In either sense, Paul is a hot ticket and deserves a moment of your time - check him out, you won't regret it.

Vote ANAEDOR For Class President...

2011-07-28T13:58:00.004-04:00

Call me a politician - I lie. You can't vote the book for president, but Anaedor needs your support. The subterranean land bought to life by Kristina Schram for young and mature adults alike, could win an Amazon award... but only with your support!

Amazon.com took it upon themselves to make up a list of their "Essential Books for Young Adults", but this time they've opened up the ballot boxes to you for "Customer Selected Essential Books for Young Adults". If you've read it (or are willing to check it out, and end up liking it), Lavida and the whole Anaedorian population would appreciate your support! Head over to Amazon now and cast your vote.

It's quite simple -

Young Adult Book: Title and Author. (The Chronicles of Anaedor: The Prophecies by Kristina Schram)

Your Name: (email)

Your Email: (email)

Your Phone Number: (self explanatory)

If you haven't read it yet, get a GIANT free sample on Smashwords, where you can also buy it for your e-reader, or head to Amazon to get it in Paperback and Kindle.

I don't know how long this contest goes for, so don't wait! It only takes a minute, literally, to make your voice count. Oh, and did I mention that there are prizes to be had? Full details are on the contest page.

Let democracy reign supreme. Bring Anaedor into the light.

Thrillerfest - My Panel, and Wrap-up

2011-07-22T07:44:00.006-04:00

You saw it right, I was in a panel! It was a last minute add, but I got to be a part of a panel. It was a great time. While the day panels were only an hour long, this night panel was an hour and a half - and boy did it go by fast.

CREATING MARKETING CAMPAIGNS USING SOCIAL MEDIA

Sheila Clover English, Panel Master, with Stanley Tremblay

I didn't write a lot of notes while being on the panel, but a few of the things I did write down were:

• Write up a marketing campaign including people to utilize to help you. This could include people who can create a website, write up professional press releases, layout sell/fact sheets, and those who can create book trailers and other graphics/media. If you write it, you can hold yourself accountable to make sure that each point is met.

• Do not spam! Make sure you get permission from people before you start transplanting them on your Facebook group page, send out email blasts, and the like.

• People want to talk to you, not a bot or assistant. Make time for your fans, even if it is only a few minutes per hour during a regular work day. Showing them that you appreciate their support speaks volumes.

I of course brought up the eight posts that I had done a few months back:

Be a Presence in Your Community • Be Social • Be Unique • Be Persistent • Be Viewed • Be Your Brand • Put Your Best Book Forward • Be Humble

There was so much more that could have been said. As stated above, the time went by all to quick, and something as broad as social media cannot be contained in such a short period of time. I feel though, along with Sheila, that there was great conversation. I can only hope that with what was said, people can create a great 'home base' to expand from. While this panel was more geared towards self-published, or those who have limited budget or publisher help (which is most authors today), it's a place to start.

If you have ideas to share, please, I welcome them!

To wrap up this year's ThrillerFest festivities, I would like to start off by again saying thank you to all those involved at ITW and ThrillerFest. Being year three, I've never been disappointed with what they provide for their members - no matter how big or small a member you are. Each year I meet new people who end up becoming great friends. If you've not gone before, or have taken a few years off, I hope you make a real effort to go next year - as an author, the contacts you will make are priceless.

Congrats to all of the 2010/2011 ITW Debut Authors, including old friends Ethan Cross and Taylor Stevens, and new friends Paul McEuen and Tom "TJ" Waters. Congrats again to JT Ellison for her Best Original Paperback award for The Cold Room along with the rest of the award winners.

Thanks to you for reading along. I hope you got something out of this segment. There is a lot of great info to be gained from those bunch on the panels who have experience they have and are willing to share it. If you went, what was your favorite memory from the weekend?

Enjoy your weekend!

ThrillerFest - Deadly Sins

2011-07-21T14:12:00.003-04:00

I think that everyone has heard of the Seven Deadly Sins - Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride - well these are the seven deadly sins (actually more!) of writing.

WHAT ARE A WRITER'S SEVEN DEADLIEST SINS?

D.L. Wilson, Panel Master, with Neal Baer, Lisa Gardner, David Hewson, M.J. Rose, and John Sandford

• Laziness - we are all prone to it. Don't go off of what you've already done, dig deep for new, interesting ideas.

• Good Student - it's one thing to study and do your research for a great, stable book, it's something completely different to just regurgitate facts. Your primary job is to entertain the reader, not show the facts. This can also bog down your pace, so be cautious of too many facts that make people snooze or flip ahead, loosing impact of what your book can provide readers.

• Emotionality - don't get involved with people in the business. No one will take care of you at the end of the day, you need to take care of yourself.

• Marching down your outline - creating an outline is a great tool for covering all of your bases, but following an outline to the 't' can take away life from your book. Don't ignore that fabric of life

• Gender hangups - no stereotypical male or female characters.

• Write your story - don't add filler just to get to a certain word count, it will show in the final product.

• Just write!

• Writing is simple - don't over complicate. Enable yourself to be artistic and creative.

• READ! Not reading can stunt your growth as a writer. You gain new ideas, vocabulary and creativity by reading other's works.

• While influence is great, imitation is bad.

• Take yourself out for a reward when you finish a novel, don't wait for others to reward you.

My Take - See, I told you there were more than 7! I'm no writer, but they all make perfect sense, and I'm sure there would have been more if the hour time slot was longer. Being 'sinful' in this case can be the difference between a book that succeeds and one that falls flat.

Have you been guilty of one (or more) of these sins? How do you combat these dark urges? What are we missing?

ThrillerFest - Support Your Troops

2011-07-20T10:51:00.005-04:00

Probably the most rewarding panel of the weekend, the USO panel was amazing. It's no secret that I am a huge proponent of our men and women serving our country. Not only because one of our authors is a retired Army brigadier general, but also due to the fact that many of my family and friends have served, both in times of war and not. This, to me, was a no-brainer panel. While I cannot convey the same emotion the panelists did, I hope you enjoy my notes.

OPERATION THRILLER 1: How Was the USO Trip?

Jeff Ayers, Panel Master, with Steve Berry, Andy Harp, David Morrell, Douglas Preston, and James Rollins

For those of you who don't know, USO stands for United Service Organization, and was created to serve the troops with entertainment and support.

The idea sparked from Andy Harp's friend, an Army Ranger. Andy wanted to do something for the troops and from there contacted Steve Berry, who then 'rounded the troops' in the remaining authors.

Scheduling this was a bear with all of their conflicting schedules, but through sheer will they made it work.

The event started in Metro-DC area - Bethesda, MD at Walter Reed Hospital. They made the time to see 30-40 of our wounded warriors. These men and women - soldiers - who were ready to go back into battle despite their serious injuries never once blamed their conditions on a lack of support from their government, or citizens of the US, or any other source... they were all consummate professionals that had a job to do and lives to save.

When they went internationally, they spent time not only on bases, but also within Sadam's marble library, which of all things was turned into a bunk room. They were surrounded by war daily, hearing mortar rounds being dropped day and night. They were trained to listen for sirens to leave their beds and huddle into impact-resistant cases in the event the worst would come. A typical day would start at 5 am, fly to their destination, work until about 930 pm and then write the blog by 11. The blog would then have to go through the US government to make sure no information was given out that could compromise anything, and then would post the day's events. Each day they would find different ways to reach out to the troops - this wasn't a typical tour like a concert or comedy show.

This was a humbling and life-changing experience for all of them, and while they can't grab one thing in how it will change their writing it will stay with them all forever. There is a OPERATION THRILLER 2 coming as well with new authors giving their time to our heroes.

My Take: This was just awesome. Unless you've been there, no one truly understands what our troops go through. I think that what these authors are doing is incredible and they deserve the praise of the masses. The things that they got to see that most people don't want to think of - destruction of lives and property - will be something that they won't soon forget. While our government and residents want to place blame on the war for our economic issues, at the end of the day we need to support those who face imminent danger, who have lost limbs and lives, who will be scarred for life in more than just a physical way, who are our first line of defense when the smelly stuff hits the fan, no matter the cost! They lay their lives on the line day in, day out for a cause they believe in: the fact that all human life deserves a chance to live, even at the cost of their own. Thank you to all of you troops who are ready to die for the inequities of a flawed humanity, and thank you to Steve Berry, Andy Harp, David Morrell, Douglas Preston, and James Rollins for letting them know that their lives matter too.

ThrillerFest - Tricks of the Thriller Trade

2011-07-19T10:48:00.003-04:00

How can you go to a Thriller Writers Conference and not pick up a few tricks of the trade? Well, in this case you had to - they had a whole panel on it! And while the competition was stiff in panels run by James Rollins, Peter James, and John Gilstrap, let's go ahead and see what made this panel so important:

TRICKS OF THE TRADE: Are There Must-Have's in Thrillers?

Karen Dionne, Panel Master, with Mike Cooper, Joe Moore, William Craig Reed, Larry D. Thompson, Norb Vonnegut, and F. Paul Wilson

• Tension, Pace, Momentum: All of these are intertwined and made up of many factors. Too much info and knowledge can be a speed bump on the pace. Starting slow and moving forward at an ever increasing pace, while it works, can burn out your audience. [Once again] Humour breaks the tension - but this can be used to ratchet things more. Make people care about the beginning and middle for an ending with more impact.

• What is the place of humor: It makes it more fun to read, and very well could be the key role in characterization [see Dean Koontz for a master in characterization]. While humor is fun, it likewise can be a pitfall if forced or done wrong! It can't just be jokes in dialog but humorous situations. Understatement can provide that humor.

•Romance: [though we've already hit upon this in a previous post] Romance can create a long-lasting tension, and it doesn't necessarily have to be in the main characters - subplots are a great home for romance.

• Raising Questions: Isn't that what story telling is all about? It keeps folks hooked into reading to find a conclusion. Just make sure you don't leave too many loose ends for too long! Everything must be wrapped up by the end of the novel.

What spoils a story: Poor characterization and a bad voice. Too much back story.

My Take: While this had some repeat from a few of the other panels, reinforcement is great... especially if you were on the edge about trying something out. The only way you are going to grow as a writer is to try new things, and if authors like Karen Dionne, Joe Moore, F. Paul Wilson, and the rest say it works for them, then do it up!

Have there been any writers that you have gained input from? What tricks of the trade did they share with you?

ThrillerFest - Social Media is Important

2011-07-18T10:21:00.005-04:00

I hope you all had a great weekend and are back for more ThrillerFest goodness. Once again, we return to social media on this blog.

WHAT'S YOUR VISIBILITY? The Importance of Media

Andrew Gulli, Panel Master, with Kevin Kaiser, L.J. Martin, Meryl Moss, Zachary Petit, and John Raab.

Dialogue is key to building relationships, becoming visible, and getting reviewed - make an impact on people by becoming a household name on their computer before you do in their library. There is no 'silver bullet' to making things happen, so make things personal and intimate when talking to people or sending out review copies (for example: Don't just send a book with a press release!). Make sure to follow-up. *All Review Copies Should Go Out 4-5mo in Advance*. There is a decline in print coverage for reviews and reviews are hard to come by. Online reviews are just as important, but make sure you increase the quantity of your overall reviews to hit that broad-based readership that you may have originally see in one or two newspapers.

When it comes to your audience, be specific - no shotgun sales tactics. Engage your audience to peak their interest. Make them a part of the action! Empower them by having them vote on cover design, contests, etc. People want to be 'called to action' - allow them to click buttons to vote, buy, and be a part of the process of your success. Lastly, the author is the brand - you help sell the book, you are the content. Your back story helps build buzz if you have anything that stands out above the rest. Finding others that are interested in your back story will further reinforce those connections and create memories for fans/readers to come back to time after time.

My Take: I can't have agreed with them more! If you've read this blog in the past, I've said a bunch of these things. It's nice to get the feedback from the industry professionals that backup my claims. As much as we all may want a full page, four color spread in Publisher's Weekly or USA Today, that dump in money doesn't compare to the face-to-face time social media can gain you for the cost of internet. Be social. Make connections. Establish relationships. You'll thank yourself for it.

UnCOVER the Mystique

2011-07-15T09:10:00.003-04:00

Let's take a short hiatus from ThrillerFest panels to answer a question... I've had a few people ask me about how I make my covers, and while I don't plan to give away any trade secrets, I will talk about a few things that you can utilize to make your covers step up to the next level. Please realize that everything I talk about will be done via Adobe Photoshop - if you use a different program try to find out if it has the functionality to garner similar results.

• Blending Options: It's very important that you learn to use these to affect the color, transparency, and overall 'oneness' look of your design.

• Color Layers: Putting different colors on separate layers while using the Blending Options can create some unique effects.

• Textures: Finding .jpgs that look interesing, add grit, and create dimension are a must! If you look closely, you will see a texture on each one of my covers. It just helps to give that extra oomph to draw the eye.

• Fonts: I cannot stress enough the importance of GOOD fonts! So many great illustrations out there are tainted by poor font choices or typography. Find books that you thought the cover was eye-catching and mimic those fonts, spacing, and look until you get comfortable. Also, be aware - if you are doing any of this commercially or plan to sell your title, make sure you have the rights to the font. Whether that is a certificate or explicit consent from the website you download it from. The last thing you want is to get sued over something silly like rights.

• Images: Finding images from Getty, iStock and Stock Exchange that look good, are high-resolution, and work with your book is, of course, a huge factor in the creation of your cover. Don't rush it! Find what works just right. If you can't find exactly what you are looking for, tweak your design or come up with a new cover. Until you get to the stage of taking pre-made images and making them look organic through blending multiple picts, you need to deal with what they offer you. Same goes as above with rights useage.

Now, a bit on training: I've been training with two graphic designers for a few years now, while before that I was dabbling. I still have a lot to learn to utilize the program to a higher level than I currently am. This isn't to deter you, but to make you realize that this isn't something that you will pick up overnight, nor in a week or two. This is something that takes time. While a few are naturally gifted, most go to art school for a few years. If you've read my posts before, you will realize that a lot of creating a cover and making it work is art theory - color, typography, using the eye to guide the image to a pleasing resolution in the mind. If you don't know the basics of that, start there. It will only make your designs better in the long run.

I hope that this is a great starting point for you. There are more things out there to do than the basic stuff I've laid out here, but this is a good place to start your journey.

ThrillerFest - Writing for Film

2011-07-13T15:50:00.005-04:00

As much as we all may want to make a blockbuster movie deal, the truth is that only about 300 big screen blockbuster productions are made that go to the theater in a year. Considering the amount of books that are published which Hollywood would take from, that is a far cry 'a certain deal', but it doesn't mean that you shouldn't try to attain that goal! If you want to write screenplays (or novels to adapt to screen) enjoy the following:

WHAT ARE THE REEL SECRETS TO WRITING FOR FILM?

Jon Land, Panel Master, with Neal Baer, Peter Blauner, Melodie Johnson Howe, David Levien, Doug Magee, David Sakmyster, and James Strauss.

This was a star-studded panel! With directors from Deadwood and House, to Rounders, to roles with Clint Eastwood, these people knew what is going on in the industry. It was very rapid-fire, going from question to question, so I'll bullet some main points from the talk.

• While production staff need more experiences, Hollywood is typically unwilling to give 'green' staff a shot at producing/direction (big surprise!)

• Learn simplicity

• Never make your star seem insecure in the picture - they must be strong to stand out to the audience

• There are so many 'hands in the cookie jar' in Hollywood to cause some facet of the movie to fail... if you are going to enter the industry you need to learn to step back!

• The best thing to do to get into movies is just sitting down and writing. The more you write the better you hone your craft and the better the potential to be optioned (sounds familiar)

• Worst strategies to get into the movies: query letters, giving your idea to other writers, poor formatting

• Directors take to adlibbing, writers do not

• Putting life experiences in your writing adds to the realistic feel

• "Why are you doing this" is an overused line in horror/thrillers - don't fall into the trap (since more often than not the antag tells you why to begin with!)

• Keep your writing as an open ended as you can - don't sacrifice your title to pride for the better good as a blueprint

• You're document can be overwritten - the less writers that get involved the better, but it perhaps should not only be the original writer either. A small hand-full can find holes and give depth in parts originally lacking and unseen by the original.

• How can you best write your novel-to-film adaptation? Put the book in a drawer and the key things that you remember a short time later is what the movie should be made of.

My take: While I don't see myself as a writer of novels, let alone the movie industry, it seems as though there were a few golden nuggets among everything here. Take note and run with it - you never know what may happen!

ThrillerFest - Digital Signing Devices

2011-07-13T12:10:00.005-04:00

I absolutely loved this panel! The future for ebooks is pretty set in stone that they are here to stay... unless we have some alien intelligence shutdown our electronics devices, but that's for another post.

The two companies that came to talk were Autograpy (Tom Waters) and iDoLVine (Matthew Gibson and Margaret Atwood). While I feel more attached to Autography, I feel you should be checking both out depending on your needs.

Autography was born out of frustration with a huge digital industry and no way to personalize your titles. What is interesting is that you can create graphics like you would for your title page that are directed towards special events or even to spruce things up. This is also a great marketing device through being able to use social elements like Twitter and Facebook (hitting a button that *Likes* it stating "I just got a signed book from some big author on Autography).

The device brings the personal touch back to the industry that has been lost in book signings, and is cross-platform (providing epubs and .mobis). It is currently only available for use through an iPad app, but an Android app is in development for those tablets. The app costs you nothing, but you upload your titles to them you want to make available for signing and they do like Amazon (70/30) in royalties.

The coolest part of this is you can do either a sample with a signature, or a full version with a signature. If you send them a free sample, they can go back and get the rest later if they decide to purchase the whole thing! Talk about a hook. You can even do virtual book signings using Skype, uStream, or ooVoo.

In the event I did not make it clear: You upload your title to Autography - they do not go through Amazon, B&N, or any other distributor.

The only downfall I see to this is that you cannot sign previously sold titles from these other distributors, which makes sense since they are physically encoding your fresh copy in the final output format (epub, mobi, etc) with a jpg (or the like) image. It would be kind of hard to change the base code not having that copy of the title... but hey, you never know what they may develop! All things considered though, two thumbs up!

As for iDoLVine, while I favor the other product at this time when it comes to ebooks, this format allows you to sign things from across the globe as well - not only in eformat but also in physical things like books, ball caps, and shirts. Really, anything that is flat is fair game to sign.

Way back when, really not that long ago, but Long Pen started this digital signing revolution. It was being used by many top-notched businesses like Citizens Bank, mortgage companies, and other high security-high use brands. Now enter iDoLVine, an updated version of Long Pen. It works with DRM products as well as watermarked content, and everything is traceable and authentic. It's nice having that security and that range of items available for endorsing. This gives the author that much more that they can work with for give-a-ways.

My Take: Both are very interesting products that are a must to look into.

ThrillerFest - Thicken Your Plot

2011-07-12T11:33:00.004-04:00

The title of the first panel I went to at this years ThrillerFest was HOW DO YOU THICKEN THE PLOT? Subplots and How to Make Them Shine. Wendi Corsi Straub, Panel Master, with Daniel Friedman, Mark Greaney, J.L. Hughes, Chris Knopf, Jeremy Robinson, and Emily Winslow.

This was an interesting panel since depending on your style you look at subplots differently. Some people use novellas to introduce subplots for their full-length stuff, others use subplots to create tension or reveal secrets, while a few use them to add twists or connect backstory tangents - the main plot may drive the story but the subplots add texture.

They weave these subplots by pace. What I mean by that is if it is too quick, they slow it down, and vice versa - don't burn out the reader. It is important to not change perspective when you weave subplots and confirm that things stay linear. When using flashbacks, make sure it is a memory that is theirs, not another character. And while you are deliberate with your subplots, they must look organic and not conveniently placed.

Being that we are talking about thrillers here, subplots are used to both enhance dark situations, but also to diffuse. They are both necessary to add effect, and fundamentally thrillers are a tragic read - death, sadness - but subplots can bring happiness and humor.

Romance is a common subplot in many titles, but it isn't right for every book. Throwing it in in an un-natural situation can make it very unrealistic and forced and may look as though you through it in just to add content not because it jives with the story. Some people have needed to take a good portion of their series to introduce love interests. But the great part about it is that it adds that much more emotion to attach yourself to the characters in the book. Not only that, but it can raise the stakes for the protagonist as the antagonist can threaten the love interest. Don't forget, just because it is a new book does not mean it has to be a fresh relationship - someone with a long-term romantic interest will seem that much more realistic since they were probably living their life long before that moment the story begins.

Other ways you can weave subplots is by showing capability of the protag, and awesomeness so to speak, without seeming cheesy or larger than life. Be sure to show the danger of the antag - nothing brings more urgency to the situation than the realization that the protag has a real problem on their hands. You can also bring a fatal flaw to the secondary character to help you learn a develpment the protag needs to know but dies pre-blabbing informing the reader that something important is on the horizon. Creating family connections is also a must to bring more fleshing.

My take: I think this had a lot of great basic info that can be used to really enhance your tale. I think the one panelist had a great thought in saying that while your main plot drives the story, subplots add texture and creates a more realistic adventure for the reader to come along for.

What is your input? Is there something you never thought of using and would like to try, or something you disagree with? Likewise, what is your favorite subplot device to use?

Back From ThrillerFest 2011

2011-07-11T13:13:00.005-04:00

What a ride this year's ThrillerFest was! I'd just like to start off by saying a big thanks to Variance to have me represent the company, as well as all the people behind the scenes at ITW that I don't know but who deserve recognition.

Like I said, it was quite the ride. I was up at 4am on Thursday to meet up with Jeremy Robinson and head to the Amtrak station southbound to Boston-North Station (home to the Stanley Cup winning Boston Bruins - Go B's!!). From there we jumped on the Orange line to Back Bay to head to Penn Station. We got to the Grand Hyatt around 3ish and started making our way around the lobby (which is being renovated by the way - can't wait to see the new digs next year!) and to the new meeting spot at the lounge, stage left at the top of the first escalator (old one also being renovated).

While I saw many repeat faces, this year was full of fresh authors coming in to meet, greet, and make some true connections with the folks of the ITW machine. As always, everyone is so happy to see you, so inviting into their conversations-in-progress, and so willing to give advice that worked for them to advance their career. If you've not gone to one of these events, make next year your first - you won't regret it. My typical day was 7a-2a, but hey, it only happens once a year and there are a lot of great people to connect with which make every minute of sleep-deprivation that much better. I ended up getting in the door last night at 8p, and while I was sad to leave, I was very happy to be home with the fam and back to country living.

I'd just like to thank a few people at ITW for making my stay at this year's event a memorable one: Steve & Liz Berry, James Rollins, Douglas Preston, Joe Moore, Jon Land, Karen Dionne.

I'd also like to give a huge shout-out to JT Ellison. I met her last year in the lounge, we stayed connected - she was even gracious enough to give us a great guest blog post back in the day - and she won this years Best Paperback Award. Well-deserved and congrats.

There are so many people who deserve shout-outs and thanks, but I don't want to make this only a name-dropping party, so everyone else I met with, spoke to, and congratulated - you know who you are and you are not forgotten or overlooked.

If any of you have followed us the last few years, I've gone 1/2 day by 1/2 day giving you my notes on each panel. This year I think I will go panel by panel. Some will be longer than others, but each deserve their own spot. I hope you check back in everyday to see what ThrillerFest panels I went to and what I got out of them. While I realize it's not the same as being there, I hope you walk away with something new to apply to your writing career every day - I've got pages of notes for your enjoyment and education. I look forward to your comments and hope you give input, as if we are continuing the panel, (1 hr panels certainly aren't long enough for some of these subjects) and why shouldn't we?

See you tomorrow.

Thrillerfest Nears - Two Days

2011-07-05T12:39:00.004-04:00

With only a few hours left to countdown until my third Thrillerfest, I've made up my agenda for both Friday and Saturday. When I get back, be ready to expect notes from the following (click the links for descriptions):

FRIDAY:

How Do You Thicken The Plot?

Do You Suck Blood?

Publishing Numbers and What They Mean

Demo of Virtual Signing Products

Writing for Film

Importance of Media

Creating Marketing Campaigns Using Social Media

SATURDAY:

Do Series Have a Lifespan?

True Thriller Award Recipient - Joe McGinniss

Tricks of the Trade

Operation Thriller 1

Writer's 7 Deadliest Sins

If there is anything you would like to hear about other than what I have up here, make a request... who knows, maybe I'll head to that instead.

If you are going to be there, let me know, I look forward to meeting you. Take care, talk soon.

Dark Trinity: Ascendant In Kindle, Nook, Others

2011-06-20T16:52:00.003-04:00

Hey folks,
If you aren't familiar with Sean Ellis, you should be. He is an exciting and fresh voice in the industry, and his long-awaited title, DARK TRINITY: ASCENDANT is now available for Kindle, Nook, Apple, Sony, and the rest of the e-readers out there. Not too long ago I posted a handful of blurbs that A-listers have said. Please, if you've missed them, enjoy them now (there was another added too!), as well as the description:

Finding Atlantis is just the beginning...

Psychic ex-spy Mira Raiden's discovery of the tomb of an Atlantean king, is just the first piece in a puzzle that will launch her on a journey to find the Trinity--an ancient device with the power to remake the world.

But Mira is not alone in her search for the Trinity. Arrayed against her is an unholy alliance of evil: a team of brutish mercenaries; the beautiful but deadly daughter of Mira's former mentor; a manipulative grave robber, risen from the dead; and the heirs of the greatest evil the world has ever known.

To find the Trinity and prevent the awakening of a horror beyond comprehension, Mira will travel to the ends of the earth, and into the darkest corners of a world that existed before history.

"Sean Ellis writes action scenes that rival those of Clive Cussler and James Rollins."
-- James Reasoner, author of DUST DEVILS and TEXAS WIND.

"Sean Ellis delivers another high-octane romp, exploring mythical lost civilizations and alternative histories, with the unrelenting pace of your favorite summer blockbuster."
--Stel Pavlou, bestselling author of DECIPHER

"Sean Ellis never fails to deliver and his latest thriller has everything I look for in a book: monsters, guns, sex appeal and a touch of the supernatural. Mayhem and action abound in this page-turning adventure."
-- Jeremy Robinson, author of INSTINCT and THRESHOLD

"Sean Ellis delivers again with a globetrotting adventure replete with ancient mysteries, deadly enemies, and creatures out of legend. Dark Trinity is a thrill ride you'll never forget."
-- David Wood, author of QUEST and CIBOLA.

"Legendary civilizations, Nazis, mystical occult artifacts, and a gorgeous heroine on a world-spanning adventure makes this latest Sean Ellis novel an epic, pulse-pounding thrillfest! Check it out before all Hell breaks loose!"
-- David Sakmyster, author of The PHAROS OBJECTIVE and CRESCENT LAKE.

"Rivaling the work of Jeremy Robinson and Matthew Reilly, DARK TRINITY: ASCENDANT keeps you on a knife's edge all the way to its explosive ending. This book is not to be missed."
-- David McAfee, international bestselling author of 33AD and The DEAD WOMAN

Find it on AMAZON for Kindle.

Find it on SMASHWORDS for all others.

Blurbs!

2011-06-14T12:41:00.004-04:00

You've got to love when you get smokin' hot blurbs for titles you're releasing. Please enjoy the following goodness for both DARK TRINITY: ASCENDANT and VATICAN KNIGHTS.

DARK TRINITY: ASCENDANT

“Sean Ellis writes action scenes that rival those of Clive Cussler and James Rollins.”
-- James Reasoner, author of DUST DEVILS and TEXAS WIND.

"Sean Ellis delivers again with a globetrotting adventure replete with ancient mysteries, deadly enemies, and creatures out of legend. Dark Trinity is a thrill ride you'll never forget."
-- David Wood, author of QUEST and CIBOLA.

“Legendary civilizations, Nazis, mystical occult artifacts, and a gorgeous heroine on a world-spanning adventure makes this latest Sean Ellis novel an epic, pulse-pounding thrillfest! Check it out before all Hell breaks loose!”
-- David Sakmyster, author of The PHAROS OBJECTIVE and CRESCENT LAKE.

"Sean Ellis never fails to deliver and his latest thriller has everything I look for in a book: monsters, guns, sex appeal and a touch of the supernatural. Mayhem and action abound in this page-turning adventure."
-- Jeremy Robinson, author of INSTINCT and THRESHOLD

VATICAN KNIGHTS

"Vatican Knights is an edge of your seat adventure, an awesome tale filled with twists and turns that you’ll never see coming, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Rick Jones is the future of thrillers."
-- Richard Doetsch, international bestselling author of THE 13TH HOUR and THE THIEVES OF DARKNESS

"A kidnapped pope, a conspiracy of the highest order, and brutal action--what more could you ask for in a thriller? As the truth is revealed, the pages turn faster and faster until the explosive climax. A solid debut novel!"
-- Jeremy Robinson, author of INSTINCT and THRESHOLD

“Vatican Knights reads like a late-season episode of ‘24’, complete with thrilling political conspiracies and non-stop action, but Rick Jones layers in much richer characters, stronger plot twists and an intriguing secret faction of warriors – all leading to a satisfying conclusion and the set up for a much-anticipated sequel.”
-- David Sakmyster, author of THE PHAROS OBJECTIVE

I hear there are more coming for both titles, so keep your eyes peeled.

Submissions Open Through June

2011-06-03T14:17:00.005-04:00

You heard it, folks. Submissions are open. Head over to the Subs page, follow the requirements, and get your stuff over to us before time runs out! We are tentatively accepting until July 8th.

Good luck!

PSA - Please Review

2011-06-03T08:57:00.006-04:00

Hey readers,

Today's post seems to be more timely than ever. With all these online stores getting more and more business, it grows ever important to be sure to review the books you've read to inform other people that it is a worthwhile purchase. Let people know that - whether it is $2.99 or 25.99 - they will be entertained. Regardless of if you are reviewing something that was put out by a publishing house or independently, the game is all the same: validity matters!

If you've never reviewed anyplace like Amazon.com or BN.com (or other book/e-book distributors), it's simple... be honest. If it was the best book you have read this year, say that. If it had a good premise but you wished the pace was a bit faster, say that. People can typically weed through the forced or fake comments, so just don't do it. Not only will it not help the book you are reviewing, but people will not take any of your other reviews they come across as credible, harming other great books and their chance of being purchased. Maybe it seems a little crazy and you don't think people pay that much attention... but they do.

Not everything that glitters is gold though, and perhaps you didn't like a book you read and wanted to talk about that too. While I realize that there are people out there who don't like every book they've read (What? That's a concept!), being constructive about your negative review will get your point across much better than that of one that seems spiteful. Once again, people can read through the bunk and if your review looks as though you didn't read the book or did it because of a strong dislike of the person instead of the writing, those reviews will get removed... and subsequently with enough complaints from people you will get banned from reviewing.

The long and short of it: review what you read, be honest, spread the word.

Ebook Treats

2011-06-01T12:33:00.007-04:00

Hey folks,

Good stuff going on today. Let's start with the announcement of the omnibus, then a Memorial Day message, and lastly ebook price drops.

So, first, if you've not read all of the Threat Series books (Sudden/Rogue/Hidden Threat), now is your chance to get them all in one place! We have put out an omnibus of the series for fans to download... that's 300k+ words, all for only $9.99. It's available not only at the Kindle Store, but also at Smashwords for your Nook, Sony, and iReaders. The Garrett brothers are put through the spin cycle in these books never coming out of battle without a fresh scar - literally or figuratively.

And related to the Memorial Day holiday that was just celebrated here in the US, I would like to share a piece of writing taken from the beginning of SUDDEN THREAT that was dedicated to a few great soldiers lost in battle under BG AJ Tata pre-retirement:

In Memory of:
Command Sergeant Major Jerry Lee Wilson
Captain Bill Jacobsen
Major Doug Sloan

This book is dedicated to the memory of three soldiers killed in combat, two in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. These men are role models for all of us.

CSM Jerry Wilson was command sergeant major during my last six months of command of the Second Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. Jerry, a tall, strong man from Thomson, Georgia, was killed in Mosul, Iraq, in 2003, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Jerry’s heart was as large as he was tall, and as I said at his funeral in Thomson, we must all endeavor to earn his sacrifice.

Bill, who also served with me in the 101st Airborne Division, was killed the next year during the devastating attack on the dining facility near Mosul, Iraq, while serving as a Stryker Brigade company commander. Bill was a six-and-a-half-foot-tall Mormon who loved his soldiers. In the streets of Mosul, he was an icon among both his troops and the Iraqi people. He was the best officer with whom I have served. Speaking with Bill’s wife and their four boys at his funeral near Charlotte, North Carolina, I again vowed to live up to the sacrifice of the many good men and women who were fighting both in combat and on the home front.

Doug served with me in the Eighty-second Airborne Division and Tenth Mountain Division and was killed by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in 2006, three months after he was scheduled to leave company command, but his soldiers had asked their commander to keep him in place. Kneeling in front of Doug’s rifle, helmet, smiling photo, and identification tags at his memorial service in Konar Province, Afghanistan, on a crystal clear day amidst the towering Hindu Kush, I wept, proud of Doug’s courage and the fact that he had achieved the highest praise a man can seek: subordinates who demanded his leadership.

Jerry, Bill, and Doug were the kinds of leaders soldiers loved to follow. They were selfless men who courageously and valiantly answered the call to duty. Men and women like them are not uncommon in our military. Indeed, they are a reflection of our society and the values of our nation.

The sacrifices of these men should galvanize all of us to recognize the reality that, indeed, freedom is not free, and we have enemies who seek to destroy our way of life.

And if you’ve read this far and don’t turn another page, that’s okay by me. Google Jerry, Bill, and Doug, and you will understand the sentiment that these men stirred in those around them.

If you choose to read on, this work of fiction attempts to capture the grittiness of combat against a realistic geopolitical backdrop. Any thriller must have a stage on which to play out, and that stage must be based on current events. In addition to the disclaimer that this book is, in its entirety, fiction, including all of its characters, I want to add that Sudden Threat’s only purpose is to entertain. It is not a political statement and in no way, shape or form represents any official opinion of the government. Sudden Threat is the first in a series of books that follows the paths of two brothers, Matt and Zachary Garrett, CIA paramilitary operative and U.S. Army officer, respectively.

As for me, I am a soldier. I believe in and endeavor daily to accomplish the country’s strategic aims, I despise and have fought the enemies of our nation, and I know the threat we face.

Late at night, as thoughts of combat and training spin through my mind, I’m always left with the images of Jerry, Bill, and Doug. So, if I’ve been able to capture a little bit of the qualities of men such as these in the characters of the main protagonists, then I will have succeeded.

Thanks to you all who have sacrificed so much of yourself to stand up for what you believe is right. This country wouldn't be the same if it were not for you.

Lastly, if you have been waiting on the following books, wait no more. We've had some price drops and hope you will take the time to read, review, and spread the word.

GRIM REAPER: End of Days - $2.99 - Amazon Smashwords
The CHRONICLES OF ANAEDOR: The Prophecies - $2.99 - Amazon Smashwords
SUDDEN THREAT - $2.99 - Amazon Smashwords
HIDDEN THREAT - $7.99 - Amazon Smashwords

To review the other price drops, head back in time to one of our previous posts... some of these prices probably won't last much longer.

Author Happenings

2011-05-25T10:08:00.004-04:00

Hey folks,

There are some great happenings going on with a couple of Variance family members.

First, tomorrow Paul Byers will be doing a book signing at Snohomish High School, Snohomish, WA, for his book Catalyst. This is an important signing to attend as it is in support of the high school's "Night of the Arts" which showcases the student talents in the visual and performing arts. He will be there from 5-8pm - show up, get a great book and help a worthwhile cause.

Next, Steven Savile has been on the move again in the web world. He has revamped his website, www.stevensavile.com, started a new blog, and even plans on sending out a fan-only newsletter - which if you are a fan of Steve, it is worth your time to sign up for as you could get your chance at winning the first ever signed copy of his Arthurian novel, The Black Chalice. He has also been on a few blogs over the past few days talking about his rebranding and the success of his UK Silver edition (as it reached #3 on the amazon.uk.co charts!). The first is at IndieIQ, the second at 1001 Secrets of Successful Writers. If you haven't pick up Silver yet... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Find the Variance edition here on Kindle and in Hardcover.

If you sign up or attend anything, be sure to let us know! Enjoy.

Promotion: Be Humble

2011-05-13T13:09:00.004-04:00

With Blogger back on board, let's get this turkey farm gobblin'.

In a world where being humble and having integrity seems to be lacking, now is not the time to jump on board. Always be thankful for what you have and never forget where you came from. Everyone starts out by putting words on paper, or electronic paper now with the advent of computers, tablets and smartphones. There is nothing worse than meeting someone who feels that they are entitled to your praise because they reached the NYT bestsellers list, or gained some prestigious award. Remember - as fast as it came, it can all disappear.

Here at Variance, we are very blessed to have grounded authors. I’ve met some who aren’t so, well, nice. It’s extraordinarily unfortunate when you read their books, see them as modern-day literary heroes, and come to find out that in-person they leave a terrible taste in your mouth. One realizes that you have found success, but it doesn’t need to be flaunted like tomorrow’s winning lottery numbers.

I was doing a signing at Christmas time when a woman walked in with her four children and we started chatting, while we were talking, she brought her daughter over who I guess was about six. She looked to her daughter and said, “Look honey, this man is a real life author, and he writes books.” Her eyes lit up and she looked at me like I was Santa himself with a bag full of toys just for her.

On their way out I signed markers for all her kids. As they left, the little girl looked at me again and exclaimed to her mother, “Mommy, I met a real life author!”
I was awed, flattered and humbled by that little girl’s reaction to something that I did. That encounter right there has made me decide to continue to do book signings even when I get to the point where I don’t have too. Never get to big to remember where you came from.
-- Paul Byers, author of Arctic Fire and Catalyst.

Is this why when people go to signings, so many fans seem stand-offish? As though they are afraid to get too close for fear of losing another author to poor people skills? Perhaps it’s the feeling of being ‘untouchable’ as well, but if you make your fans feel as though you are anything but an astral projection of a human, you will be accepted all the more. Remember, they put their pants on just like you do. They could be what you find fascinating, in fact they could be your hero (soldier, firefighter, etc).

It may seem so basic, but just always show respect. A thank you, a smile, a handshake. In a time where texting and acronyms rule the world, just remember KISS: Keep It Super Simple. It’s funny how success and money, the two things we crave to feel accomplished, always make things more difficult. Stephen King, one of the most well-known writers of our age, with books and small and large screen movies and fansites and more, is one of the most humble people I’ve ever heard of. My relatives lived a few miles from him and he was always giving back to his community - buying the kid’s baseball teams their uniforms, other supplies, and even coaching. That’s what success is all about.

Now, “Stan,” you’re saying, “who are you to tell people how to spend their time and money? We live in a capitalistic society where ‘more power to the money-maker’.” Absolutely. Congrats on your success! If you’ll have me, I’ll be the first on your doorstep to shake your hand, pat your back, and the like. But when times are tight as they are, and you are more than able to provide for your family, giving back to your community - the place where we all started back eight weeks ago - not only will establish you as someone community members feel as though they can trust, but will also give those looking for one, a role model. What’s more rewarding than that?

Being published is every writers dream. But on the journey to making a living by doing what you love, which at times is unconventional, many seem to forget that the publishing industry still requires the professionalism and courtesy that any other career requires, and perhaps even more so considering it’s one of the toughest industries to break into. Many writers come off of months and in some cases years of honing their craft, polishing and editing their manuscript, convinced that it’s the best book in the history of time. But regardless of the quality of work many writers must remember to be humble when trying to sell and promote their work. Here are a few key points that I’ve come across over the years:

- Value other people’s time as much as your own. Today’s society is fast and selfish. Slow down and remember that other people have their own lives to live, and they will get to you when the time is right.
- Listen more than you talk. There’s nothing more irritating than a “know -it-all.”
- It’s ok to be wrong. Apologize and move on. As much as you might feel judged, being true to yourself is the most important thing you can do.
- Give credit to others. Having been in the industry long enough to see things come full circle, burning bridges is the last thing you EVER want to do.
- Don’t be afraid to use the phrases; “it’s my pleasure” and “I’d be honored.” You be surprised how often people forget to be courteous.
- Avoid explosive reactions and try to understand where the other person is coming from. No good ever comes from negative emotions. If you don’t know where the other person is coming from, ask them.
- Know how to accept praise and say Thank You. This gets you further that you might think.
- Seek wisdom wherever and from whoever you can. After all, you are probably speaking or working with someone who is drawing from a vast amount of experience

We all understand that it’s hard to come out of such solitary work, where you have only yourself to hold accountable. But when it comes to being a public figure, realizing that it’s now about other people goes a long way.

-- Rachelle Gagne , Writer/Producer, Invictus Films & Chief Reviewer for TheNovelBlog.com

Don’t forget about those who are starting out then where you are now. It goes without saying that the biggest perk to having experience is being able to give back to those trying to get there with you. I cannot speak enough praises to people like James Rollins who always seem to make time for newbies.

Following suit, I would like to thank you all for following along. Without you, this blog would mean nothing - and I hope I make that clear on a consistent basis - your readership is so very appreciated. All of my friends and groups on Facebook and Twitter who help spread the word, you are all priceless and your friendship means the world. I thoroughly hope you gained some knowledge from these posts. I know a few of you have shared that with me, and through those comments you make this segment completely worth it. Thank you.

Musical Impact

2011-05-11T12:47:00.003-04:00

Hey folks,

Just a fun post today, I'm looking for what music you listen to when you write... or even when you read? What sets the mood for you? Movie scores? Classical? Metal? Let's hear what your favs have been!

Me:
Batman Begins and The Dark Knight soundtracks (hope the third is as good as the first two)

An Epic Fantasy Adventure

2011-05-09T08:00:00.008-04:00

Welcome back to the work week! I hope all you mothers had a great weekend.

When I got asked to create this new cover I was a bit weary. A fantasy...? Those covers are way beyond my potential - illustrators like Steve Stone and Erik Hollander with more talent in their little finger than throughout my whole body. But with some help and input I was led to create this:

Description:

What if the only hope of saving a magical world depended on an ordinary boy?

Peace is not easily found in the divided kingdom of Taelyon; its mortals distrust anything magical; its wizards are indifferent to the suffering of others, and hate infects everyone. The battle for dominance is never ending. Yet, there is hope. A boy named Torrein. When magic is denied him, he's chased from his own village by those he once called friends. Torrein doesn't understand that his destiny is far greater than any he could have achieved if magic had been granted him. Who wants a destiny soaked in blood? All Torrein wants is what he can't have - to be with his family and friends.

To claim his rightful power, Torrein must calm his fears and reveal the real evil working to destroy Taelyon. It will be a fight till the end of the age to reclaim the freedom they’ve all been denied, and though it's hard for him to accept, it’s up to Torrein to protect those who have been deceived, and to make sure the evil in their midst doesn't kill them all.

This is a coming of age tale in an epic fantasy world filled with dragons, skeletons and sirens. If you enjoy fantasy and adventure, this is a title worthy of your review. Let's hear from you fantasy readers? Does this sound interesting to you? Let us know what you think. Non-fantasy readers, I'd love to hear from you too. Does this sound like an exciting read? One lucky commenter will get a free e-copy of Kristina Schram's The Chronicles of Anaedor: The Prophecies - a fantasy of another type... but still fantastic! Get those comments in by 5/13/2011 at 5pm EST.

Promotion: Put Your Best Book Forward

2011-05-06T08:03:00.005-04:00

There is always something to be said about putting your best book (or product) forward. It lets people know you are serious, that you’re in it for the long haul, and that you know you have a good product. The cliché ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ should be true, but is rarely taken seriously. How often do you overlook something that doesn’t appeal to you? As I said before, things in flashy packages always look more appetizing. But you can’t let it stop there! Let’s go over some of the most important points to putting your best book forward.

COVER - You can’t deny that a cover created by a professional cover artist gets more hits and creates more noise in the industry than one created in Microsoft Paint all by your onesies. You can get professional cover art from anyplace starting at $400, all the way up to $3500+! While everyone thinks that the cover should be what costs the most since it is your first line of defense, it is only one part in a team… and there is no I in TEAM, right? (Yes, I know, but there is an M and an E.)

The old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words is true. While we may have crafted the greatest thousand words ever written, we still have to get the readers to notice us. To me, the cover has to be every bit as good as the writing inside. It has to convey the story and capture the reader’s imagination right away. They say to never judge a book by its cover… I would disagree.
– Paul Byers, author of Arctic Fire and Catalyst.

EDITING - Just as important as a cover, paying for editing (or if you know someone personally who is excellent and may be willing to work for peanuts, that’s always nice too) is an absolute must. Mistakes happen, things get missed, we all understand that, but it should be few and far between. Not only do you not want a complete embarrassment of a book getting out there, but if people buy your book and can’t finish it, that doesn’t translate into more sales from them purchasing your next title.

Key point: I remember I traveled for a friend’s wedding. I entered the hotel and waited for the check-in clerk to come to the front desk and noticed a letter in a stand to the guests staying at the establishment. Upon reading the few hundred words they typed up and "rushed out the door", I noticed a hefty handful of errors that just reflected so poorly upon that establishment. Your mind begins to wonder, if they don’t proof their first impressions, what is the rest going to look like? Thankfully the room was nice, the place was quiet, and overall everything else was good. I told the woman who took my info about the failed attempt and professionalism, but have to wonder if she ever passed it on to her boss... and at that, how many times had that been seen and said - or if it was ever changed?

Seriously: whether you are in publishing or not, edit your stuff.

Another point to keep in mind, if you feel you don’t have the money to pay for editing, go to or contact your local college and see if anyone there would be interested in proofing your work. Set something up with the English program chair and see if this is already in place in the event you aren’t the first to inquire.

LAYOUT - Once again, you want something that is visually pleasing to the eye. Trying to smush 150k words into a 300 page trade paperback will just look bad. If you are going to do it yourself, find a book that you thought looked the best, read easy and wasn’t too much black-to-white on a page, and mimic it. Adding images to chapter headers is a nice touch - it lets the left and right brain work together in unison. Once again, more pleasing… but don’t let that pict distract the eye from the words, there needs to be balance.

While most publishers already do these things and this is more geared toward self-published folks, it is something to make sure you are on top of and have a knowledge of for your own benefit. If you are doing this on your own, think about the cost and the benefit:

Cover = $500
Editing = $400
Layout = $350
____________
$1250

Avg profit on book = $5

1250/5 = 250 books

While these are minimum prices you might find out there, they are available, I’ve seen them from folks over the past few years. If you don’t think you can sell 250-300 books, you unfortunately are going about this all the wrong way. Perhaps that sounds blunt, but if you just wanted to get your written word out there you could blog - a free source for you to write and for people to read your work. When you start charging for something bound, you obviously are looking to make a profit, because well, there is no overhead to cover for words rolling around in your head. Of course, as you spend more, you have to opportunity of getting better quality - within reason. There are some places out there that charge way too much for what they offer. Be sure to get samples of their work if they aren't already posted on their website. That said, with the promotions I’ve been sharing, you should be able to sell thousands, if you are diligent. Of course, more over time as you put out more titles and get a bigger footprint.

The benefit: They’ve all been stated previously. Professionalism. Appealing. Sales. Return customers. Success.

Promotion: Be Your Brand

2011-04-29T07:24:00.004-04:00

These last few weeks have been building towards making your brand. What is it about branding that is so special? Well, think about it. The big companies would be doing it if there wasn’t something to it. There’s consistency. There’s promotion recall. There’s reliability. What they provide becomes commonplace - in a very good way.

Consistent - time and time again, they provide you with a product that has repeatability. Let’s think of some manufacturers who have provided this consistency factor. For examples, Thomas’ English Muffins, the same nooks and crannies can be found in each delicious morsel - whether cut with a knife or split traditionally with a fork. Same goes with your favorite author. The reason they are your favorite is the fact that you can pick up any one of their books and get the same great character development, plot structure, etc.

Promotion Recall - I’m sure while watching the Super Bowl there are those commercials that you will just remember forever. Maybe that could be “Make 7 … Up Yours”, or the sexually charged GoDaddy.com girls, “Bud-Wis-Er”, or the car commercials that make everyone desire that one item that would cost a lifetime to pay off like the GT500. Perhaps you don’t remember the entire commercial, line-for-line or scene-for-scene, but you connect that with the entity. This is what you should be striving for in your promotions. I know, you don’t have a team making hundreds-of-thousands of dollars to market and promote, but that shouldn’t stop you! Because of that you should be working harder… I know, simple right? Hardee-har-har.

Our books are unique to us so we have to find our own unique ways of marketing them it. Catalyst, is a WWII spy thriller with an aviation theme, so I have unique opportunities with it that I don’t have with my other books. I have had signings at air shows, gun shows (and yes, regular book stores too!)
I have also made up book markers that have the different WWII aircraft from the book on them along with my website and I have WWII memorabilia on my signing table to attract attention. Marketing along with branding is your own voice out there among the choir of writers. You have to sing your own distinctive song to be heard.
-- Paul Byers, author of Arctic Fire and Catalyst.

Reliability - Don’t confuse this with Consistency, as I suppose it could be taken, but being reliable is important. As stated back in the Social Media post of week two, people want to interact with you on a reliable basis. That could be reading your blog, that could be seeing new books, that could even be as simple as responding to their emails/DM’s. People want to know that if they are putting time into you, that you will reciprocate in part for them when duty calls - nothing short of proper customer service.

Unfortunately I’m beginning to sound like corporate America, but more often than not this is what people rely on. Don’t fret though, the word ‘indie’ is certainly making its presence known. With names like J.A. Konrath and Amanda Hocking, the brand that they are creating has been rocking the boat of the traditional publishing world. Being able to control your market through the branding of your product opens doors to what can be greener pastures. Hey - I buy generic, my local market e-muffins have the same tasty nooks as the ones that are double and triple the price. Just remember: the indie, less commercialized ones aren’t always worse, they’re just the ones least readily seen.

Be consistent. Be recalled. Be reliable. Be your brand.

Cover Pick-Me-Up

2011-04-28T15:20:00.005-04:00

Hey friends, just a little end of the day cover design fun. If you've read David Sakmyster's The PHAROS OBJECTIVE, you will enjoy this post as this is the new cover for book two of the Morpheus Initiative series, The MONGOL OBJECTIVE.

Also keep your eye out for the free short story titled The SMITHSONIAN OBJECTIVE, which takes place between PHAROS and MONGOL and should be popping up over the next few days at Smashwords. It's about 5000 words of Morpheus goodness!

Promotion: Be Viewed

2011-04-22T10:50:00.002-04:00

What? Are we going to talk about community mumbo-jumbo again? No, this one is a much bigger step. Get yourself viewed nationwide. How pray tell would you do that? By going to national events and guest blogging.

All of these things you’ve been doing so far have been a workout getting you ready to meet with some big dogs. Places like Thrillerfest, ComicCon, Romance Writers of America, BoucherCon and the like. Make connections with those who influence you, whether by email or other social media outlet, build a relationship, and then let them know you are coming and would like to meet them in person. I can’t tell you how many great contacts I’ve made off of going to these conferences. This is their time to schmooze, to stop thinking about their workload and enjoy themselves in a room filled with their peers who all are or have gone through the same things they are now. Many take comfort in knowing they aren’t the only one who has faced a challenge, and many times they are willing to help you conquer it. Don’t forget, be sure to join the group (ie, become a registered member of Thrillerwriters.org) as that is a great way to establish contacts as well, and the only way you can get into their events.

I hear it in the background, “But Stan, I don’t have the time… I don’t have the money.” Yes, you are right it can take 4 days from your schedule and upwards of $1000 between transportation, tickets, hotel room, and food. Once again, I cannot stress enough that these things will rock your world and give you openings you may not have had before. We would not have had people like Douglas Preston, Steve Berry, or Jon Land gracing our covers otherwise, amongst others. Start saving now! Tax returns may be coming for most of you, find out when and how much the conference is that you want to go to, put a chunk of change - whatever it is - aside, and save for the rest. Even if you go once and find out it’s not for you, you can at least know that you tried, were persistent so to speak, and next year you may not go back if you found it to be lacking in some way. On the other hand, you may get R.L. Stein to fall in love with your book, and not only will he blurb it, but he wants to put a sample of it on his social media pages (hey, crazier things have happened, I’m just saying). You never know the outcome until you try.

Find local book buying events where people are looking for books to put on their shelves. They are usually regional, so you might have to do some driving, but making contacts will help you get viewed that much more. Be sure to join other regional events, like writer’s workshops, book fairs, etc. While some of those may be mostly community-based, keep your eye out for the larger events that may be posted in your local papers or shared on your local news channels.

I’m sure you are all familiar with guest blogging. Authors/officials go to blogs, some well-known, some not so much, and either answer questions for an interview, or talk personally on a subject of their choice. This can be a great way to open your audience up. If you are typically a sci-fi writer but have some romance, find those blogs that would give your book a read. Not only may they read and review the book, but it could open you up for monthly posts if they like what you had to say to begin with. Also, try getting into the larger blogs that have a constant base of reviewers/columnists, or write for the groups you have joined like Thrillerwriters.org.

Also, though it wasn’t a part of my intro don’t down play your local publications. If you have any desire to branch out and become a journalist, try your hand at it. Start locally and work towards your larger regional papers… who knows, you might just get asked to move to the city to write for the big-wigs. Getting seen by a national audience, whether in person or via web publication, is a necessity to get you that much closer to your goal of being a bestselling author. Household names are those that are purchased, and whether that is right or wrong (since there are so many great names out there being overlooked for a lack of a title) it’s the fact that we all must find a way to overcome.

The Demise of the Bookstore?

2011-04-18T13:45:00.004-04:00

Today, friend JT Ellison posted on her blog about the demise of bookstores around the Nashville area (please, read her post). By the sounds of things, that area isn't the only spot losing stores to the new reading culture of the ebook. While ebooks are a great way to read and carry a mass quantity of books, as well as being cost-effective with books from .99 and up, it is taking away one of the great escapes for people to walk away from this hectic world (as well as taking great jobs out from underneath an already struggling economy). Being able to go in, grab beverage, browse the racks for new titles in genres you like to read, and walk out hours later with (hopefully) or without a book that interests you... all the while, the stresses have drained from you allowing your senses to go into overdrive - to inhale the smell of newsprint, ink and photopaper; absorb the feel of matte, gloss, raised letters.

While we expect that libraries will never leave us (but with budget cuts, who really knows) and that opportunity may always be there to peruse bookshelves, supporting our local businesses is an absolute must in these times! Whether it is a mom and pop/indie, or a brick and mortar, please let us know what bookstores are important to you in your community, just follow suit on how I post at the end of my post. Help support an industry that is so very important to more people than just you or I, but a nation of readers who haven't yet been born who need to know what a quality bookstore can truly provide their readers.

B&N - Manchester/Nashua, NH
The Toadstool Bookshops - Peterborough/Milford/Keene, NH

Promotion: Be Persistent

2011-04-15T07:57:00.002-04:00

With all this talk of promotion - getting your book into stores, talking at schools, using social media, and being unique in the way you promote - being persistent is another tooth in your key to success if you haven’t gathered that from the first three postings. Having been in sales for a nationally known tool and hardware company in another life, that standard “don’t take ‘no’ for an answer” attitude has to come into effect… within reason.

Taking into consideration that people want you to sell yourself, getting people agitated at your line of sales pitches won’t help you advance up the ranks. You need to show your audience, whether they be teachers, readers, or even agents, that you have something to offer them that they wouldn’t find otherwise. That could be fresh ideas to connect with students, a viral campaign that reaches out to groups who may not have been tapped before, or revamping an old idea that allows that form of promotion to be fresh and inviting. Sign yourself up for everything you can handle, shake those hands - both physically and virtually - and let them know that you are available to them, and if people don’t know you now they should in the near future. If your first tactic didn’t work, a new one will come to mind and you approach again. Whether it’s on your first try, or tenth, your persistence will pay off.

Also, be sure to find your literary heroes and contact them. Not only are they more often than not willing to provide some guidance as most remember being green, but they may even provide a blurb to grace the front cover.

Failure can be a big part of promoting yourself. Perhaps you aren’t reaching the right fan base, or your video didn’t come out as good as you had hoped but ran with it anyway and the result was much less impactful than first expected. But as I said in the Community post, failure on your part isn’t weakness unless you let it cripple you. We learn best when we are open to making mistakes, applying constructive criticism where necessary, and making a better product the next go ‘round. And while ‘no’ can be a disappointing word to hear, as I’m sure some, if not most of you have heard it more than once, no never means forever (well, unless otherwise stated - doh!).

Also, don’t hesitate to ask for help! If you know someone who is good with video software, or has a mic and receiver you can hook to your computer, or possibly a tech guru, either ask them to help by producing it for you or have them teach you these new endeavors. There are reasons why people have different skills sets, to be able to help one another. I’m sure you can barter for something from you at a later date (or, heaven forbid someone does it because of kindness and available time). Or, if you don’t know anyone and have a local tech college nearby providing courses in what you are looking to learn, do it up. Not only will it be a rewarding experience in learning the new trade, but you will be saving yourself some money in the long run not having to pay other professionals to do it for you at professional prices. Granted, all of this takes time, but find your balance.

Remember, don’t give up on yourself. You’ve come way to far to stop now so look back to where you’ve been and persist on to get where you want to be.

Literacy... A dying cause?

2011-04-11T10:18:00.006-04:00

Hey folks,

For any of you who have been following this blog, you all know how I feel about literacy. Granted, I should feel that it is important since that is the only way I get paid, but all that aside think about how important it is to be literate.

• Reading a bedtime book to your kids
• Entering the workforce (being able to fill out employment forms, read direction, etc)
• Properly administer medicine to yourself and others

With cutbacks, both on state and federal levels, we all know that schools, libraries and other literacy organizations are lacking the funding they really need to accomplish the feats of teaching our kids or helping our adults. What message are we sending out regarding the future of our country - a country that is 50% illiterate as of numbers from a few years back?

Politics are a fickle thing. Where are the lobbyists who fight hard for, and give kickbacks to, those who vote for money coming back into our education systems? Does a strong workforce produced by well-educated folks not make enough money for these people who are filling their pockets with bills? Maybe not in the short term, but in the long run, what happens when our educators don't make enough to be able to just teach, but have to get a second or third job and can't focus on their true passion... helping people? They can't focus on homework, on finding items to assist kids and adults in their development - in curing the cancer that is illiteracy. Our economy will crumble that much more just compounding every issue we have. Is this speculation? Maybe, but just think about 50 years ago and the number of people who went to college vs even 15 years ago and the advancements we've seen in the world. A strong education program is a strong country.

Being illiterate is nothing to be embarrassed about. Everyone has demons they must contend with. If you know someone who needs help, get it for them. Make a kid's dream come true to finally have their parent read them a story that takes them to another land. Likewise, that parent will forever feel indebted to you, giving them a new found respect for themselves as well as a freedom they have never felt before.

This weekend I took part in a bookfair that raised money and awareness for literacy in my state. Do I wish more people came or that we raised more money? Absolutely, but it was a great success for the organization and for those schools/libraries/learning centers looking to supplement their own funds with grants from the non-profit putting on the bookfair. If anyone wants to learn more about it, please email me (stremblay at variancepublishing.com) as this isn't meant to be an ad for them, but a cause that much bigger.

This now brings me full circle. As we all know, without literacy we all turn back into the primative species we came from eons ago (yes, I know they had cave drawings which is a form of communication and could be read like a book). Now more than ever literacy should be at the top of our list for causes worth fighting for. Is literacy a dying cause? Not at all! ... It's a cause worth dying for.

Promotion: Be Unique

2011-04-08T07:49:00.003-04:00

As you were growing up a youth, you were always made to be like the other. You even hear it in Pink Floyd’s Welcome To The Machine - go in students, come out robots to fulfill needs with a lack of talk-back. But, as you grow up, get to college, get into the working world, you are always encouraged to be an individual. Those who are typically are the ones who find the most success. This thought process certainly holds water in the publishing world, especially when you are trying to make a name for yourself. While there are those core ways of promoting yourself (Facebook/Twitter/blogs/websites), your key to breaking out of the pack is the unique way you promote your book.

Video - For a long time, book trailers were the way to go, and while they still are a very useful tool, your trailer needs to be good. Effective pictures, short video snippets, breath-taking audio, cool text and video effects, and even some voice-over makes it something people want to view, pass around, and play up.

Beyond this, creating thought-provoking or memorable viral videos that promote your book at the end (as Jeremy Robinson did with his Antarktos Rising 10-video campaign for very cheap money!) can more often than not create a bigger buzz than your trailer.

PODcasting - Many great authors have started their careers with PODcasting. Whether they read their book themselves or hire on a reader for a signature voice, audiobooks can be a very effective way to gain a large base of readers. It can be very expensive if you hire on someone, so be aware, but getting yourself on podiobooks.com and iTunes can open some great doors (amongst other places). You can make it free for a time, then start charging more little by little as you produce titles and increase your readership and quality. That, in conjunction with other promotion can be a great kickstart.

Giveaways - Finding ways to do giveaways that are unique are sure-fire ways to gain some buzz. For example, if you have a story about a special item, see if you can find a way to create a quality version of it online. Perhaps you can find an illustrator who is just getting their feet wet too and have an illustration made of a particular scene from the book. One-of-a-kind items that no one else could dream of getting any other way. Maybe you have a title that follows a particular creature, for this case being a real animal, go to NatGeo.com and purchase the rights to the print to have it made into a poster that you can sign and give away.

One thing that I see happening often is the giving away of one’s own book. I highly recommend fighting that urge. If people are doing their damnedest to win that copy, they won’t do their part in purchasing the title. If they weren’t intending to purchase the title in the first place, would they have really read and reviewed your book? Maybe, but less of a chance of it. They could have always sold that book, or given it away if their true intention was to actually read the book.

Reviews - Find ways to get people to review your titles on their personal blogs, the online retailers, and book sites (Goodreads/Library Thing). Maybe that could be done by giving them a role in your next publication or a $5 gift card to something useful like Amazon.com. This now brings the promotion from your hands into the hands of others… is this more risky? Yes, because there obviously needs to be a demand for what you are giving away and their ROI needs to be worth it to them, but those reviews drive more sales so make it worth it to them if you intend to do this.

Apps And The Like - In the age of smart phones, tablets, and other new and crazy devices, be at the head of the class with the technology. Apps that keep your fans up-to-date with new content and links to vids, blog posts, pertinent images, and the like brighten your fan’s day giving them something to do during their break (or sneaking it in when no one is looking!).

Games are another untapped area to explore. With all the rave in games like Angry Birds, Farm/Cityville, and Bejewled, making an action game may be pricey, but could get a great return if promoted right with your book.

Apps aren’t cheap, so unless you have some money to play with or really want to be at the head of the class, this may not be an option for everyone.

Lastly, you can always check out Vook's too.

There are lots of other options out there (like QR Codes that are now being found on many things for better details on items or special footage, as can be found on Jeremy Robinson's THRESHOLD), but find what is right for you. Keep your eyes open for tech mags spreading the word about new places to be and things to see that could benefit your style of promotion. All of the things above have been done before. For some they have created success, for others they didn’t work so well. As before, you must pave your own way to make yourself a success. Riding on the coattails of another may help you get things started but you will be forever seen as another follower. Leading the way, sticking your neck out, will always see more success - both in accomplishments and failure.

What was your greatest accomplishment with unique promotion? Greatest letdown? Looking forward to your comments!

Sean Sweeney - Guest Blogger - Social Media and Today's Author

2011-04-05T09:05:00.004-04:00

For those of you who read the last Promotion blog this past Friday, you will know that it was on Social Media/Marketing. Sean Sweeney (aka, John Fitch V) wanted to help out and provide a blurb... well, his blurb turned into an entire post! It's a great post though, so read up on this one and if you missed my last, go back and check it out.

As I said previously though, these posts can certainly be used for your own company's needs. As our favorite left-over Idol host says: Check it out.

Social Media and Today’s Author – Yep, It’s A Necessity

By Sean Sweeney

I wanted to write a stunning blog post for you on this Friday, a blog post explaining why you, as an author, should have a strong Internet presence, especially through social media. Then mega marketer Tony Eldridge came out with a similar one earlier last week, and I wanted to violently delete his new book from my Kindle.

April Fool’s, Tony. Anyway, back to the blog.

Sighs. Always late to the party, I am. But shall that stop me? Negative.

You do need a strong Internet presence. This is essential. Imperative. A necessity. You need a website, an easy way for readers to email you, and you need to invest yourself heavily in social media.

This doesn’t mean you have to bury yourself in Facebook for hours at a time (hello, self). It doesn’t mean you have to Tweet and RT – shorthand for reTweet – every little posting you happen to come across (once again, hello, self) on Twitter. It doesn’t mean you have to immerse yourself in every messageboard (do you see a pattern developing?) you come across. Simply being involved for a modicum of time – even though social media is extremely addicting – is enough. You have to be seen. You have to be heard.

And you can do it all without leaving the comfort of your office chair. Or your recliner. Or while sipping a venti caramel latte at Starbucks.

(Quick aside: Yes, I’d like one. Right now. I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a caramel latte today.)

Social media has been a boon to yours truly. As I am an indie author without the multi-million dollar backing of a New York publisher – wait, hold on, I can’t hold the laughter back – I have relied on social media to get the word out about my novels. I have used Facebook and the various groups – Amazon Kindle and Nook both have Facebook pages, but I do not spam the board. I say hello in the morning, offer virtual coffee, etc. I’ll ask what they’re reading (and offer extra points to anyone reading anything by me). The point is to be normal – readers think of us as ethereal creatures because we have this incredible ability to take all of the words in the dictionary, re-arrange them into sentences and stack them into paragraphs, meaning we’re standoff-ish and unapproachable – and be personable. Answer questions. Ask questions. Have fun. This is the hard part of writing a book – getting a reader to pick up your book – but it can be fun, too.

Look at this snippet from last Friday morning on the Amazon Kindle Facebook page. I’ve deleted the names of the other users, but this is an unedited interaction I had before I started my writing day:

Me: Good morning everyone! As I wake up on this beautiful Friday morning, and after a brief check of my sales numbers, I’m at 299 for March. Have a blog post to write, marketing to do, then start brainstorming Vam(p) Yankees. First, coffee. Can I pour anyone a cup?

User: Morning Sean...yes please a big cup please LOL

Me: Coming right up!

User: What is your secret! 299 in March? That’s awesome!

Me: My secret is.... wait, hold on... some big brute is coming and... hey! Stop that! I didn’t say anything! Ow! Stop hitting me!

I guess I can’t reveal my secret. ‘Scuse me, need a steak for my eye.

User: Uh-oh......didn’t spill the coffee, did you, Sean??!!!

Me: That’s a big negative! That would be akin to spilling beer.

User: Good morning Sean,,,,don’t need coffee - save it for some one else - LOL.. I have my decaf Constant Comment Tea.

Me: Plenty of sugar if you need to sweeten it. :)

User: Thanks Sean, but I use honey in my tea ♥.

Me: Mama Told Me Not To Come…

User: I have a cup in hand....thank you.

Me: When you’re ready for a re-heat, the Keurig is fired up.

See what I did here? I was personable. I interacted. I became part of the community. I snuck in a mention of the book I’m working on. Of course, I was also funny. Funny helps. Funny attracts readers.

Now, many authors think this is a waste of time. It is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a waste. These are READERS we’re talking about here, the reason we write. Talking with readers, getting them interested about your book(s), is what you have to do. Even as a traditionally published author, you are now expected to promote your books. But in social media, you are also promoting yourself. It is a part of our business, just as much as conceiving a story idea at 3:30 a.m. in the middle of August is a part of our business.

Ugh. Please, don’t mind me: I’m just having this recurring nightmare about how I conceived my debut thriller, MODEL AGENT. I woke up with the scene in my head, and I went to my computer and logged onto Facebook to find a friend of mine. Through the Facebook IM, he helped me through those agonizing moments and we were able to get a little bit of the plot out onto paper.

Then I crashed.

Woah! Wait a second: Did I just say that you can use social media to bat ideas around privately? Holy monkeys!

Hell, do you think I would have written this blog if it weren’t for social media? Nope. I wouldn’t even know Variance’s Stan Tremblay, or Steven Savile, or Jim C. Hines, David Dalglish, David McAfee, Daniel Arenson, Amanda Hocking (I wonder how many hits on Google we’ll get now that I’ve mentioned A-Money), Mike Crane, Jason Letts, Rob DuPerre, Bruce Sarte, etc. I’ve met many authors, both indie and traditionally published, through social media and have developed professional relationships. I’ve been invited into several small press anthologies because of social media. I’ve done blog tours through social media. I’ve shaken my hiney through social media. I’ve shaken a martini through social media.

And most importantly, I’ve sold books through social media channels.

Simply said, social media is important to today’s author. You can reach readers – flesh and blood humans, not just words on a computer screen – and make important connections (i.e., other authors, small press publishers) that can help expand your brand.

Do you have to spend all of your time on social media? No, of course not. We do have to write, right? We have to eat and sleep and shower; we have to feed the cat, walk the dog and do our laundry (unless we’re Jo Rowling, who just waves the wand and poof).

A little effort, though, and a little patience, in building your online presence, whether it be through Facebook, Twitter, Kindleboards.com, Nookboards.com, the Amazon Forums (tread LIGHTLY), or even Goodreads, can go a long way to developing – and expanding – your readership.

Sean Sweeney, who also wrote six novels under the name John Fitch V, is the author of eight novels with more on the way. Find him on the web at www.johnfitchv.com, on Twitter at @SMSweeneyAuthor, as well as Facebook. He lives in Massachusetts.

Promotion: Be Social

2011-04-01T09:12:00.003-04:00

Just talk and talk and… oh no. Well yes, in a way. Social networking is all the craze these days. Twitter, Facebook (and the declining Myspace), Linked In, Goodreads/Library Thing, and others I’m sure I’m missing, is the place to be if you are trying to be anything. We live in a society of instant gratification - what used to take 3 days to get a message from Boston to LA now takes 3 seconds in a Tweet or DM. There are fan pages for random things like deodorant, and accounts for writing 140 character novels post-by-post. You can meet with fellow readers and discuss books like you would if you were sitting in a round table discussion at sites like Goodreads, as well as doing virtual meet and greets and book give-a-ways. There are so many options for you to dive into that many don’t know where to begin or what works best for them. You also can’t forget about websites and blogs. As Captain Tenneal would say on MXC: Let’s go!

Twitter - The land of 140 characters. Oh Twitter, how you polarize people. I’ve heard from so many people how much they love or loathe that entity. Me, I fall somewhere in between. If I didn’t have it, I wouldn’t have met a good number of the folks I parley with today. Unfortunately, the number of folks that follow me FAR outweigh the number of actual comments I actually get from it. Do I feel like it is a waste of time, no as any traffic driven to what I want people to see is good traffic. Perhaps I don’t spend enough time on it making better contacts (remember, people want to talk to other people, not just be sold a product), and that is my own fault, but I do what I can when I can to make an effort to reach out. At times the 140 character limit can be tedious if I want to fit my message in all in a single Tweet. I do have to say though, I am friends with many successful users though who would rather do this than the others I’ll talk about below.

Facebook - Where I spend the majority of my promoting hours, I truly enjoy FB. It has everything you need in a neat (though at times buggy) package. You never have to leave to view a picture or Youtube video, Networkedblogs.com can link right to your profile so you can keep up to date with your favorite blog posters, and once again, a face with the name mentality sticks which tends to create a better connection between you and your fans. The downfall can be that your profile can only host 5000 friends (yes, it is possible to reach, and hope it is a goal that you plan to surpass), at which point (or maybe even before when you get to the 2k range) you will have to create a Fan page and herd (for lack of a better term) your fans to there so you can continue to allow new fans to find you and reach out. Be sure not to neglect people from your personal profile to your fan page though!

Oh, don’t forget about the Adspace available. It’s relatively inexpensive and when used correctly can get a good amount of ROI (Return On Investment). It’s extremely flexible in how you want it set up so you can be as concise as L.A. only or the state of California, but as broad as the entire U.S. and more.

“Social media is an aspect of writing and publishing that cannot be ignored. I receive comments daily from readers, and I'm able to respond to them and establish that all-too-important personal connection. I've also met some of my best friends and business contacts through social media.

“Two things to keep in mind: 1. Sales and marketing (including social media) is a transfer of enthusiasm, so be excited about what you're doing. Your enthusiasm will be infectious. 2. 78% of people trust peer recommendations even if they don't know the person making the recommendation, while only 14% of people trust advertisements. With that in mind, where do you think you should be investing your time and effort?”
-- Ethan Cross, author of The Shepherd

Myspace - What used to be the first though in people’s minds when the words social networking came up only a few years back, MS has migrated from a general place of contact to a place more geared towards comedians and musicians (though podcasters may find some success here). While I still provide updates to my profile, I rarely if ever see any return from that. Thankfully I have a program that broadcasts to T/FB/MS all at once if I just want to get a message out so I never get the feeling of wasted time having it all in one spot. My main use right now - the free music player available to MS users. It’s unfortunate but true.

Linked In - I’ve not used Linked In. So please, those of you who do who could provide some input, it would be greatly appreciated to hear what you have to say.

Booksites - Goodreads and Library Thing have so much great potential! They are both very interactive leaving what you want to experience completely up to you. You can join discussions, take polls, become a featured author, and provide a member giveaway. If you are an avid reader, which most of you are, post reviews, join those discussions, get your name to be recognized. BE AWARE: they do not appreciate “shameless self-promotion” (back to the don’t just sell your book, sell yourself aspect).

Blog - I’m sure most of you by now know what a blog is (if not, you probably wouldn’t be here), but what it is exactly is different for each individual. Some use Blogger, others use Wordpress, and others still use different resources available including those built right into their website. If you have a bunch to say, like to give away free short stories, or want to start large discussions, this is an easy way to facilitate that (though that can also be done via a fan page on FB, just a different format and interface). It is also a great way to keep your readers up-to-date on things like new releases (nationally and internationally), artwork, and other pertinent news of your success.

Website - The building block to the whole web-based shebang. Not everyone has a website though and use the other resources above to basically replace this entirely instead of supplement. I think a website is an important tool not to be dismissed to get new fans viewing your work. If they aren’t friends with you on FB and you have locked-out your profile to non-friends, you could have just lost that person as a new reader when no one is locked out of a website where people are free to view your message, covers, samples, etc. Are they expensive? Ya, they can be depending on how detailed you want to be and what you want to provide your fans. Is there upkeep? Yup, keeping your website fresh and updated is important so users keep coming back to check out what you have to provide. Can you do it yourself? Sure, with some know how, drive, and a few resources you can accomplish anything you set out to do. Really though, your website should be your anchor so if you don’t have one, you should be thinking about getting one.

Signings/Book Tours - THE original social networking, this is unfortunately falling by the wayside with the development of electronic publishing. Are there ways around it? Sure, there are apps out there which allow you to sign someone’s iPad version… but does it hold the same value - both monetarily and in that human-to-human interaction? You be the judge.

So, where does this return us to? Personal preference. The cardinal rule: be consistent. Don’t stretch yourself too thin because people will think that you are wasting their time or can’t rely on you. A close second: be genuine. Once again, like a broken record, people want to get to know the author that they are a fan of, not the next book you plan to sell them. Interact with them and be merry. What would I do if I were to do it all over again today knowing what I know now:

Pick one: Twitter or Facebook

Blog

Website

Those three in unison can be like the Dynamic Duo… but just three of them. When you get good at the Pick One category, get the other and perhaps try a book site. But only if you feel like you need to branch out - don’t feel pressured to! If it isn’t broken and you see consistent results as well as climbing numbers, don’t fix it.

Where have you seen your best Return On Investment (both time and/or money)?

Ebook prices to drop tomorrow

2011-03-31T10:44:00.002-04:00

Hey folks,

We've got some great news for you ebook readers! We are dropping the price on some ebooks come tomorrow, so be sure to check in at Smashwords and Amazon tomorrow for the following great deals:

MEG: Hell's Aquarium, $2.99
Rogue Threat, $4.99
Kronos, 2.99
Antarktos Rising, 2.99
Raising The Past, 2.99
The Didymus Contingency, 2.99

Some could only last for April, others may be permanent, so don't wait and spread the word that spring is coming with a frenzy from Variance!

Promotion: Be A Presence In Your Community

2011-03-25T09:55:00.004-04:00

Whether you are a freshman or a senior in the book world, it all has to start somewhere. Am I telling you to stand on the busiest corner of your town with a giant poster promoting your latest work? No, but if that is what you want to do then don’t let me stop you (*laughter ensues*). Seriously though, really what this means is that you need to make yourself known to people in your community who appreciate books.

• Bookstores
• Libraries
• Schools
• Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, or other community-styled clubs
• Local businesses (like coffee houses or wineries) where you can come to an agreement and consign some books

While many of these may have stipulations involved, this is a great place to start. I’m sure there are other places you can think of, so jot them down and introduce yourself. There is also a lot of gray area now with the slowing of DTP (Dead Tree Printing/Publishing) with the increase of e-books/new age media. So, if you are strictly e-book/podcast, some of this may not relate to you at all. Let’s go over these five bullets though:

Bookstores - This can be a tough subject for those of you trying to do this on your own. If you aren’t “traditionally published” it is very hard to get into the brick and mortar venues. Reasons like having to be returnable and discounted are a constant blast of white noise in the ear of those trying to get things moving for themselves in this cut-throat world. When a short time ago consigning books in these locations was an option, new corporate models have basically nixed that for local authors trying to make connections in their communities where the majority of the people go to find their newest reads (there could be a few of you grandfathered in… count your blessings). Don’t let that create dismay in your lives though, many indie shops are still willing to consign books with you. Go and search them out. Give them a copy to read and get familiar with. Buy them a coffee when they have finished reading it and talk about your options. Store willing, set up some promo material with them and a signing for the general populous. This may be your first step into an area you are unfamiliar with, but with a bit of good cheer success is only a few steps away.

“Don’t be afraid to promote yourself and simply ask. I went into the local Borders two years ago and since then I’ve been in three stores and have sold hundreds of books from just that one contact.

“Follow through and be persistent. I have lost several opportunities by not following up on the first contact I made.”
-- Paul Byers, author of Catalyst and Arctic Fire

Libraries - Also packed with some hurdles, libraries of course can be a great place to get your title at. Maybe set up a meet and greet with the managing staff and give them a book to look over to OK by the library board (the hurdle). After they have (hopefully) stocked it on their shelf, depending on your genre, do a reading or two for the community members to get your name out there and get a face with the name. Set up discussion questions, do things to help people remember who you are. If you are self-published, see if they will host a signing. Find out what it takes to get on their list of ‘loanable ebooks’ if they have an e-book loaning program.

Schools - Sign up to help out with a creative writing class. Introduce yourself to the local English Department chair and get them a book to read - perhaps they will pass it off to other teachers, or better yet, students looking for more material to read outside of class. Volunteer at an adult learning center and offer to use your book as reading material if it fits the situation.

“As a published author attempting to let the world know I exist, I have found two types of community involvement to be essential in achieving that goal. First of all, networking with your fellow writers and authors is a must. I'm a member of two local writers' associations as well as an author association (New Hampshire AuthorFest).

“The second type of community involvement relates to working as a writing expert for local libraries, schools, homeschooling groups, literacy organizations, and writers' associations. I write young adult fantasy and have found that schools are a great place to get involved. You get exposure for your work, which is great, but you're also doing something even better - you're helping kids (and their teachers).”
-- Kristina Schram, author of The Chronicles of Anaedor: The Prophecies

Community-based Clubs - It may sound odd, but this is a great way to get your title out to some of the most influential members of your town. That one place you pitch to may have 25 members who have 10 local connections each. Word spreads if you make a great impression.

Other Local Businesses - More artsy-type locations typically work better, like coffee houses and wineries, but local stores enjoy promoting local things in a scratch yours-scratch mine mentality. Keeping things local not only help fund your community, but also give bragging rights for when you go big, “I hosted their first book here when they were starting out.”

"Promoting locally is something that I feel to be very important for authors, and something that I think is often overlooked. Over the past few weeks, I've had articles written about me in four local papers (some on the first page), and I have events scheduled at local schools, libraries, community organizations, and bookstores. I think that it's part of human nature to have a certain amount of community pride, and most people are very interested and excited to hear that someone in their area has written a book. It's viewed as quite an accomplishment.

“We also can't forget the importance of customer ratings for online retailers. These ratings are an integral part of the new world of digital publishing. When local fans comment to you about your book, encourage them to post a rating and review. This, in turn, helps get the word out to the rest of the world. Those that feel a connection to you are more likely to take the time to post something because they want to show their support.

“For these reasons, promoting locally can be the most cost effective and rewarding marketing that you do."
-- Ethan Cross, Author of THE SHEPHERD

* * *

Something you must always keep in mind with any of these ideas: Don’t go into every place, every time, trying to sell your book - sell yourself. Perhaps I have come across as book, book, book, book because ultimately that is what people will be able to put in their hands, but people are not going to want to hear the constant jabber of “my book this” and “my book that”. They want a person to relate with, a memory to be reflected upon for your generosity, and/or a member (you) who is looking to enhance a community experience.

* * *

Not to be forgotten about, create a press release and get it to your local publications (newspapers, magazines, etc). They may not all post your book release, but a few might which will drive awareness that you exist. In this case, any press is good press.

Some, or all of this may sound simple. Perhaps it is just that you need to get out there and do it. Or perhaps you feel like it is a big waste of time. It could even be “so last year” (in my best valley girl voice), but as I said above, you need to start somewhere. Stew over it, brainstorm some more, and get crackin’.

All of these of course are general ideas on what I’ve heard other industry professionals do and succeed at. I would love to hear from those of you who have had these things work for you, and likewise which is just as important, what hasn’t worked. Be honest on why you think it did or didn’t work. Failure on your part isn’t weakness unless you let it cripple you.

New Segment: Promotion

2011-03-21T09:16:00.004-04:00

Hey readers,

While I try not to focus too much on "the author", this segment is just for you. I do encourage "the reader" to join us on this journey though as you may be able to bring some of these aspects into your own workplace and further your career in whatever your daily duty may be.

Over the next few months, Promotion will be the name of the game. Publishing houses don't expect you to promote yourself just because of cost, but because, as I've said time and time again, readers grasp onto the author long before they will ever take hold to the publisher as a baby koala would to it's mother.

Why the sudden determination to talk about promotion? Well, I was just in my first guest blog appearance at Triple R (thanks Tiffany) talking about Variance which progressed into a small statement on promoting one's self. That turned into a fairly lively discussion getting some great input from those readers and made me think about this new segment. If you didn't see it, I hope you take the time to head over, read up and join the discussion if you have some input to share. So far we are up to 20+ comments which is great and humbling.

Some keywords from posts you will see include:

Community. Social. Unique. Persistence. Branding.

Some of this may make perfect sense to you already and may know where I'm heading. Others may look at this and proceed to the quintessential 'puzzled dog' look. In either sense, I hope to see a lot of great discussion each week. Remember, the only dumb question is the one that isn't asked, so if you are confused or are looking for guidance be sure to speak up. For those of you who are veterans to the concept of Promotion, I encourage and challenge you to speak up to assist those who need ideas. I don't expect the giving away of "trade secrets" by any stretch of the imagination, but a "this helped me when I started" or "I see a great Return-On-Investment from..." would be so very helpful to those honing their craft.

With that said, I will be starting this later in the week. I look forward to having you join me!

Release Day!

2011-03-01T11:59:00.005-05:00

Happy Tuesday, folks!

In the book world, today is a busy day. While we have no books released today, Variance 'friends and family' do, so let's check out what's going on!

Rick Chesler, author of Wired Kingdom, released his follow-up titled, kiDNApped, today through Chalet Publishers. Find it on Amazon, bn.com or for order at your local bookstore, both in trade paperback and in ebook! With this release, he has a great guest blog piece out there at Toby Tate's site. Be sure to stop in and check it out. Also, be sure to head over to Beth Sorensen's site where Rick also poked his head in at.

If you don't get the Big Thrill e-Zine, head over now to thrillerwriters.org and sign up. Today's monthly post interviews friends and their new titles being released in March including:
Taylor Stevens
Allison Brennan
Ethan Cross
J.T. Ellison
Jonathan Maberry
Sean Ellis

While on the subject of Sean, his newest release from Seven Realms Publishing, Into the Black, was also released today. Do yourself a favor, and get these to flavors of the month - neither kiDNApped or Into the Black will disappoint!

To round out this session, take a look at this latest piece of cover art for a forthcoming short story in the Morpheus Initiative series by David Sakmyster titled The Smithsonian Objective (placed between The Pharos Objective and The Mongol Objective out later this year). The short goes between the Isis Monument at the Grand Canyon National Park and the Smithsonian Institute. Did the Egyptians actually make it to the continent long before any other explorer did... stay tuned to find out what this psychic archaeologist unlocks.

Steve Alten, Joseph Flynn, and Cover Design

2011-02-22T10:50:00.003-05:00

Hey all,

It certainly has been a while, so I don't want anything less than to cut to the chase and get you to the good stuff.

On HP Lovecraft and His Legacy, there is a post on Conspiratorial Horror and Steve Alten. It's a great piece which includes some items from his latest Variance thriller, GRIM REAPER: End of Days, as well as some of his past titles like The LOCH and The SHELL GAME. Be sure to check it out, and thank you to Chris Perridas.

Over at Bookdout, Joseph Flynn was a part of an interview on his newest thriller, follow up to The PRESIDENT'S HENCHMAN. I've heard great things about The HANGMAN'S COMPANION, and they did a great job in the interview. Thanks to Shelley Rae.

Lastly, but certainly not least, Sean Ellis's thriller, DARK TRINITY: Ascendant, has a cover. It's been out for a while, but if you haven't seen it take a look and let us know what you think!

Thanks for check in. See you soon.

Jon F. Merz - Guest Blogger - Be Thrilling

2011-01-25T11:30:00.003-05:00

You haven't seen this segment in a while, huh? Well, to commemorate Jon's newest release, The Kensei, we wanted to bring on Merz and let him yak it up a bit. A friend of the Variance family, please welcome Jon F. Merz.

For Thriller Writers: Be Thrilling

I hear from a lot of aspiring writers who want to tell me all about their latest book and what makes it different. And five seconds into the pitch, I already know it's not actually different at all. It's simply a rehash of what other writers have written. The same tired plot line, the same two-dimensional characters, the same climax and resolution.

Therein lies the problem with a lot of people who want to write thrillers: they're not very thrilling to begin with.

Now, this isn't to say that if you want to write a thriller you need to immediately go out and join the CIA or sign up to do Selection with Delta Force.

(although it wouldn't hurt...)

Seriously, that's not exactly what I'm talking about. But as an author - as someone trying to convey an essential element in the genre: thrills - we need to have firsthand experience dealing with thrills of all manner and range. And the single best place to find those thrills is easier than you might imagine.

How many times have you heard about a mystery author sitting in on an actual autopsy? Or doing a drive-along with the police department to better understand how they operate?

Plenty.

Mystery authors know they need the element of authenticity to their work in order for the reader to come along on the ride. Thriller writers aren't exempt from that idea.

But for us, it's significantly more difficult to look up "retired special operations commando" in the phone book. The fact of the matter is that the ones who are legitimate are normally very low-key. The ones who are upfront about their pasts are usually the ones full of crap. (side note: the other day I read a story in the local paper about a guy who was a 'Black Ops Contractor' for 34 years and said it was a really compelling aspect of "law enforcement." I don't know about you, but the folks I know who actually worked in special operations or intelligence don't equate it with law enforcement at all. Something smells fishy there...)

Anyway...I digress.

The most potent resource thriller authors have is our own love of thrills. But we need to be willing to embrace that love by engaging in stuff that gets the heart pumping. There's plenty an aspiring thriller author can do without necessarily being the point man during a room clearing with the local SWAT team. What you're after is a range of experiences that you can then use in your writing to convey that adrenaline rush.

It can be something as simple as riding the roller coaster at the local amusement park. How are you feeling during the course of the ride? Make a note of the physiological differences that your body undergoes as the ride progresses. That slow ascent toward the first crest and then the sudden plunge down - how is your body handling it as it happens?

Extrapolate this idea outward even further. What do you have in your life that sets you apart from other writers? What makes you interesting? What makes your slant on writing unique?

For me, this comes down to a lot of my background in the military and martial arts. I study authentic ninjutsu, itself a fairly rare and misunderstood martial art. In 2003, I passed a rather unusual test for my 5th degree black belt given by the 34th Grandmaster of a tradition stretching back thousands of years. And the 26 years of study I've put into fighting has helped me render compelling action sequences in my various novels.

What can you do that you can inject into the pages of your books? It doesn't have to be obscure or unusual, per se, but you need to fully embrace it and realize its potential in order to give your books an authenticity all their own. Maybe you swam with sharks one time in the Bahamas. Maybe you know a lot about a particular firearm. Perhaps you were on a plane that almost crashed. Or you lived next door to a drug lab that got raided one afternoon by DEA agents as you were coming home from work. (Don't laugh, that last one happened to me...)

Any one of those things - or thousands more - will not only provide you with some very necessary tools to help create more compelling thrills, but will also help you establish a personal brand that sets you apart from other writers. You'll become "that guy who base jumped over Victoria Falls," or "that woman who went on a dinosaur hunt and found that new species."

And in the end, you will be that much more of a thriller author, able to convey an authentic sense of thrills and adrenaline rushes that others can only mimic.

Go. Be thrilling.

But first, please grab a copy of my latest novel, THE KENSEI. :)

Many thanks to Jon for sharing some insight into what has made him so successful. Definitely stop by the Jon F Merz website, sign up for his newsletter, and keep watch on how this author continues to grow and take his rightful spot in literary history. He's the author of quite an assortment of titles, so don't stop at Kensei!

Thanks for reading everyone!

New Art For Your Viewing Pleasure

2011-01-18T15:09:00.006-05:00

Hey folks,

Life hasn't stopped here since the last blog post. Check out our latest pieces of artwork for some of our newest titles.

Advent of Storms - Vincent Pauletti - Coming late Jan/early Feb

Vatican Knights - Rick Jones - Early Spring

Shepherd One - Rick Jones - Early Spring

We would love to hear what you think! Be sure to leave comments. Thanks for coming.

Reviews, Interviews, Author News, and Price Drop

2011-01-11T09:41:00.007-05:00

Good day friends,

I thought since it'd been a while, I would bring a few updates your way, perhaps turning you on to new titles you hadn't thought of reading for one reason or another, as well as update you with a few author goings-on.

Grim Reaper: End of Days is still running strong in the media market. Not only did he receive this review from FlyByNews ("Grim Reaper is a good read, fast paced and thought-provoking."), but he was also on KTOC (seen below) and KMOX radio.

KTOC-AM - 1000 radio

Thanks to KMOX, KTOC, and FlyByNews for your time and space!

We would also like to send our condolences to Steve as his most faithful follower, Meg - the dog always seen with Steve on the back cover author photo gracing his latest bestsellers - has passed on. K9 or not, she was still a family member and we send our thoughts and prayers to you and the fam.

Next, Rogue Threat found itself back in the limelight, this time through Gumshoe Review. As stated by Steve Sawicki:

"Rogue Threat is very well written and well paced. Definitely a book worth reading and definitely recommended."

Many thanks to the Gumshoe site and to Mr Sawicki for taking the time and posting the review!

If you haven't started the Threat series yet, Sudden, Rogue, and only now a few weeks from release - Hidden Threat, are all military thrillers sure to capture the battlefield like no other book you've read. They are available at your favorite ebook retailer (if not, come find me!) as well. If military reads are your gig, look no further.

While on the topic of the Threat series, author Tony 'AJ' Tata has recently left his former position of C.O.O. of DC-Metro schools to become Superintendent of Wake County schools in NC. It sounds, from what I've been reading, as though this will be a tough task ahead of the retired brigadier general. Knowing Tony though, he will be a great fit for the position and will take the challenges ahead with the highest intention of resolving the issues at hand. Congrats to you and best of luck in your new role.

Lastly, coming upon the anniversary of the release of Silver, the dark thriller written by Steven Savile (#1 international bestselling author), unto the masses, we have decided to give our readers a price break for their loyalty. So, if you have not yet read Silver, now is the time to pick it up.

Along with Silver, Eurostorm by New York Times bestselling author Payne Harrison, and The President's Henchman by bestselling author Joseph Flynn, have also reached the $2.99 price tag. Go to your favorite ebook retailer and check it out... if it is not yet $2.99, keep checking back in (though I know it already is via Smashwords). Be ravenous! Spread the word that we have dropped our pricing (and perhaps will drop more titles if we get a great enough response), and let us know what you think - we're sure you'll enjoy them.

Thanks for your continued support, enjoy your week.

Can We Keep Our Resolutions...?

2011-01-05T15:01:00.004-05:00

Ah yes, the holidays have come and gone (which we hope you had a safe, healthy, and wonderful season) and the new year is upon us. With the new year, resolutions are made with the intent to be kept to make us, and perhaps the world, a better place. Well, that rings true here at Variance. Before we get any further though, I would like to thank each and every author, reader, and promoter of this blog for your 2010 support. You all make my job fun and I look forward to providing you with more content that you can enjoy and spread. Now, on to the juicy stuff...

A New Look
That's right, we wanted to redefine ourselves - give you the reader something new to look at and interact with. Go on over to the newly renovated Variance Publishing site and let us know what you think. As we progress, we look forward to switching up more than just a color scheme and tag line (Different. Thrilling. Indie.).

Find Us Where You Go
We want to be where you are. To do this, we will continue to work hard and not only get into stores and distributors you inhabit, but we also want to put our books into the hands of the review sites you get your info from. We would love to hear, from you, where you read reviews at regularly (e-book and all print formats). Our goal is to be an ever-present entity in industry-wide locations.

We would also like to hear your thoughts on our titles more. If you've read our books and would like to let us know, please, I urge you to email me. Who knows, you might find your blurb here on the blog.

If you go to regional book shows, thiller/mystery-loving venues (like Thrillerfest and BoucherCon), or other IBPA and/or BEA events, keep an eye out for us. If you see us, say hello.

In any sense of the matter, we love interacting with our fans. Please, speak up, let us know your thoughts and were we can be to better serve you.

Give Budding Authors A Chance
There is so much amazing talent out there that unfortunately is yet unproven. Big houses don't want to give them a try for fear of failure... that's where this indie steps in. We are starting a new line of e-book only titles published here with a great potential to grow. Whether they stay here and finalize a print deal, or gain a major house's interest, they deserve a shot! We have had a few authors use us as stepping stones to get great deals with larger venues, one including Simon and Schuster, so this could be the beginning of something great for a handful of authors who have taken this option. There will be more info on this coming soon and we are looking to release the first two titles at the end of this month.

So, what are your resolutions? No, really, what are they? Maybe read more? Write more? Get published? Something completely unrelated to the industry? Hopefully we can be a part of your goals as much as you would like to help us with ours. Thanks for your time.

The End is Upon Us...

2010-12-20T12:31:00.005-05:00

That's right folks, 2010 is nearing its closure. With 5 days left until Christmas, and a week later to New Year's Eve, the pages of MMX are now fluttering past with a fury. There still is time though to read up on some new goodness coming from the last few leaves of this chapter labeled Variance... which of course will pull on your heartstrings to buy your loved-ones (including yourself) some great fiction to round out the year.

First, GRIM REAPER: End of Days was reviewed via Black Lagoon Reviews. Another 4 of 5 'scars' lined up for the 10th book of Steve Alten's career. A few lines to whet your whistle:

"I am at a loss of words on how to even begin this review other then by saying that this novel was scary as Hell! Grim Reaper: End of Days by Steve Alten is the debut novel in a new series that perfectly mixes fact and fiction until all the lines are blurred making it impossible to decipher the actual truth.

"In the end I found this novel to be thought evoking and horrific, definitely not for the light hearted. It is dark and makes the reader look long and hard at the world around them. With political and religious overtones, this novel is terrifyingly plausible."

Many thanks to Wenj for an taking the time to read and honestly review this beast of literature.

Next, all you AJ Tata THREAT Series fans take note: the print version is on its way, but the e-version is out now! Available on Amazon and Smashwords (which houses versions for Nook, Sony, Kobo, Diesel, and Apple products), we hope you partake of the goodness titled HIDDEN THREAT (ISBN: 1935142178) before getting your copy of the hardcover which should be available in late January! AND, for spreading the word via Twitter, you will get thrown into the pot to win your copy of the e-title. Just tweet:

Hidden Threat from @VariancePublish is now available http://bit.ly/hzkqnF #military #fiction #war #thriller #wikileaks

If you aren't following us yet be sure to do so, that way I can contact you with a DM if you win the drawing. Don't forget to Comment here to let us know what file type you would like if you won! This will start today (12/20) and will go through Wednesday (12/22) at 3pm EST. All fans are welcome to participate.

Lastly, while books from our Grassroots program won't make it to you in time for Santa's arrival, our great pricing is still available on all of our hardcovers and paperbacks. Also, if you already have both of these titles, but are looking for others for your e-reader, visit our Ebooks page to see all of our available titles.

If we don't talk again, we here at Variance would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and thank you for taking us along for your holiday season ride.

Just A Few Reminders

2010-12-10T11:16:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday, friends!

I just want to pass through a few reminders before the weekend hits.

First, submissions are still open, but only until December 15 (that's only 5 days away!). So, if you intend on getting anything in be sure to get-to-gettin'.

Second, if you haven't taken our Survey Monkey survey, which literally takes two minutes of your time, please do so. Our goal is to better serve you as the entertaining entity that we are, so if you want to give input to help better contour our company to your reading needs, now is the time. Thank you to those of you who have already taken it and given your input!

Third, tis the season of gift giving, so if you know you want to get your loved ones the gift of paper or electronic books, stop by our Grassroots program and e-books page. There is something there for every thriller reader on your list!

Fourth, and lastly, while time is running short on the GRIM REAPER Contest, you still have a great chance at getting in a Steve Alten novel and winning some other cool prizes. Download the vids, upload them to YouTube and get us your info ASAP. Best of luck!

Legends Alive In Many Ways

2010-12-08T15:46:00.005-05:00

Good day friends, today's post is multi-faceted, but legendary.

Starting with Steven Savile's short story ripped from GOLD (follow-up to SILVER, stated to be the "best thing since Forsythe's 'Day of the Jackal'"), you can now find GHOSTKILLER on Smashwords for free. So, if you never emailed the ogmiosteam@gmail.com address for your copy, head over now to get a look into the broken legend of Noah Larkin.

Next, on the 30th anniversary of the assassination of John Lennon, Steve Alten and Variance would like for you to check out an excerpt from GRIM REAPER: End of Days, where Lennon plays a roll in the transformation of one of the book's characters. We hope you enjoy the capturing of this legendary figure in the pages of "one of the best books you will read... period."

And lastly, a legend in the making, our friends at UN:Bound have started their Video Editions project where they interview a handful of big wigs, have some humour (like the spelling?) and create and overall pleasing video blog. Check it out:

Thanks for reading, viewing, and commenting. Enjoy the rest of your week!

Holiday's Do a Publisher Good

2010-11-29T07:42:00.002-05:00

Hey folks,

The long weekend brought a bunch of great things over the web to me and I thought you would enjoy some of this goodness. We are hoping you're still not too full from the Thanksgiving feasting to read up...

First off, GRIM REAPER news, there were two reviews posted. The first from a new thriller author, Ethan Cross.

"Grim Reaper is one of the best books I’ve read over the past few years, and I read a lot."

The second from Harriet Klausner.

"...Steve Alten writes an intriguing convoluted twisting thriller. Shep and Virgil are heroic on a mission of goodness to travel through a Manhattan turned into the inferno as they learn that to reach Heaven they must confront sin."

Also in the REAPER bucket is the Coast-to-Coast AM show that Steve Alten was a part of last Friday. And lastly, the Grim Reaper Contest has been updated (results just above the 'Tell A Friend' button), so be sure to check out your numbers and join up if you haven't! Be cleaver, be original, and reach for the scythe.

Last is a cool little post on JeffreySexton.com regarding Jeremy Robinson. The site's author takes a look at all of Robinson's books, gives a slight description, and puts them in order of what he thinks is best. Be sure to weigh in and let him know what your input is - I'm sure he will appreciate the discussion!

As always, thanks for reading! If you got this far, that means you didn't over-eat and can see over your stomach - good job on the self-control =)>. Enjoy your week.

Un:BOUND - Video Editions

2010-11-26T13:18:00.007-05:00

Hey folks,

I hope those of you who are off today are enjoying the holiday and still feel full from the good eats of yesterday! What better way to burn calories than by reading - or watching a review? Yes, that's right, our friends at Un:BOUND are starting up a Video Editions portion of their blog and we wanted to invite you to join in on the goodness. Please read this note from them and we hope to see you there:

They told me I was crazy and i'd need a team as crazy as me to pull it off. Fortunately I knew exactly where to get them. Admittedly my crack team of presenter Kat Heubeck, director and video editor Vincent Holland-Keen, news anchor Alasdair Stuart and grizzled editor Lee Harris are not the team I would put together for a lucrative casino hit. Pulling together a show like Un:Bound VE though? I couldn't ask for a better squad of genre fiction grifters.

Don't believe me? I talked to Catherine Rogers of Writing East Midlands about the heist, I mean the show, and here's what she said:

“This, it seems to me, is a natural move for George, sorry Adele as he, sorry, she has been taking over the genre world with her extraordinary team.

Sorry Adele as what, George Clooney, Oceans whatever c'mon? Un:Bound being compared to Oceans numbers - no way. I'm thinking more along the lines of Neo, red pills, Morpheus etc.

So red pills aside / taken etc ... Writing East Midlands' mission statement says something about nurturing new writers in the region ... yes so that includes new writing talent and this by all accounts is just that .... on vidcast. Yay! Check it out.

That was 'red' right?”

Yes, Catherine, yes. No chunky knit wear or unnecessary dance routines here, just a cool, suave look at the latest in genre fiction. And Cthulhu. He was very insistent I mention him.

Fellow Evil Genius ™ Alex Davis had a slightly different take on things, which also makes a worrying amount of sense:

'It sounds more like the A-Team to me than Ocean's Eleven... This truly is the crack commando unit of the genre - in fact the recording equipment was constructed from four elastic bands, three toilet roll tubes and a broken down ZX Spectrum. So if you have a problem, and you need help, and you can find them, maybe you can hire... the Unbound Video Editions team.'

Danny Ocean's team of elegant con men and the world's least violent lethal commando unit. That's heady company to be keeping. So when does the con begin? I mean the show air? And where? Simple it's going to go live on 6th December 2011 at 8:00pm (GMT) at the site http://www.unboundve.com. Except, much like that bit with Brad Pitt walking through the casino talking on the phone? We're not quite done. The following weeks will see additional footage of the interviews go live as we continue to plunder the vaults of genre fiction for all things bright, shiny and awesome.

So why not join us? Just remember, don't take the blue pill, don't take your eyes off the vault door and always, always, bet on Unbound.

UBVE will be running a giveaway as part of the launch week so please look out for further details and prizes.

Thanks for reading, folks! They are definitely a great crew over there and if you are new to Variance, you may not have checked them out yet. You don't have to be a Brit to enjoy their reviews either, so stop by and read up on the titles that are real crowd pleasers. They are honest, thorough, and read a great variety.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

SILVER Back in the Limelight

2010-11-22T12:57:00.005-05:00

A new review popped up on the world-wide-web for Steven Savile's screaming title, SILVER. Given four and a half stars over at DailyEbookReviews.com, all they had to say was good stuff.

"With relentless action and a fantastically clever plot, Silver is sure to satisfy. Highly recommended."

Many thanks to Daily Ebook Reviews for taking the time to read Silver! If you haven't picked up this title, do so at Amazon, BN.com, or Smashwords (also at your local book retailer or through our Grassroots Program).

Don't forget to email ogmiosteam@gmail.com for your free copy of GHOSTKILLER, the first of the five stand-alone pieces ripped right from the pages of GOLD, the follow-up to SILVER. This one takes over where Noah left off after the deaths in Rome. All he wants is someone to talk to, and when he learns that friend, Margot, got beat by her... employer, the innocents lost and the nightmares left he must dwell upon all come rushing out at one man to make sure that she never gets touched again.

Anaedor Comes To Life For Reviewer!

2010-11-19T12:20:00.005-05:00

Good Friday, everyone!

A short time back, I came across YABookReads.com and thought, "Hey, why not... ." So, I contacted them to see if they would be willing to read an e-book version of Kristina Schram's The CHRONICLES OF ANAEDOR: The Prophecies. Boy, am I glad that I took that step. Not only did they read the book, but they enjoyed it so much that they asked me to have Kristina contact them for an interview!

I urge you to head over to view the review of Anador, where as strong as this statement is, it doesn't sum it up:

"Kristina Schram has really set the bar high for the others in the series."

And them afterward, check out the interview. It has great insight into what Kristina is about, what the book is about, and some great tips for aspiring writers of all ages, as well as some fun questions that may garner a chuckle or two.

Many thanks to David and Kelly at YA Book Reads! We certainly appreciate your time and effort and hope to send you more stuff that you enjoy as our YA imprint comes of age, so to speak.

If you would like to purchase the title, head to your local bookseller, to Amazon, BN.com, or Smashwords.

Submissions, Questionnaire, and Other News... Oh My!

2010-11-15T11:17:00.003-05:00

Ok, so I've used that Oz-taken title in the past before, regardless, it is a day of triple-threat news!

To start off, Submissions have been opened once again from Nov 15-Dec 15, so go to the page, follow the rules and send in your packages.

Second, in a completely anonymous form, we would love input from our fans in an attempt to better serve your needs. It will be taken via a Survey Monkey form that is mostly multiple choice with a single last question regarding what you think we are doing well at, and likewise, what we could improve on for a total of ten questions. Your full participation would be greatly appreciated - and like I said earlier this is anonymous, so please be honest. And if you know anyone else who may want to participate, we would love their input too. Whether a Variance fan or not, their input will be invaluable to providing people with reads they want.

Lastly, a few bits o' news.

• Steve Alten is still doing his thing - signings, radio interviews, and the like. Well, here is one of his past interviews from WJBC. Many thanks to them!

• Joseph Flynn, author of The President's Henchman, has a few books that are in ebook format that are great additions to any virtual library. Be sure to check out Pointy Teeth: Twelve Bite-Sized Stories, as well as The Hangman's Companion (follow-up to Henchman).

• The Grim Reaper Contest is exploding with contestants in the start of its second week. Join up now and get the hits rolling on your vid for your chance to win some great swag, as well as becoming a character in a future Alten title!

• GHOSTKILLER is still being well-received. To get your copy, email Noah at ogmiosteam@gmail.com and he will shoot you back an email right away with a link to the story that you can download. Noah is a lonely, broken man, be sure to converse with him and let him know you appreciate his service to the Queen (and the rest of the world). There will be more shorts coming soon from Orla, Jude and Ronan, so catch up with Noah and be ready for more distraught action.

Thanks everyone! We look forward to your comments, participation, and the like. Have a great week until we talk again.

A Reviewer Has Responded In Abundance!

2010-11-08T14:50:00.004-05:00

Hey all,

A few weeks back I put a call out for people who would be willing to read our ebooks and put reviews out on any and all social networking sites they take part in. Regular folks in John Q. Public - non-paid, no strings attached honest reviews. Well, we got a response from one of our newest fans and she has been reading books and taking names! Thanks so much to Heike Harding-Reyland for signing up for duty and posting her reviews on Library Thing. Be sure to stop by and read all of her reviews if you are looking for a new book, but here are snipits of the three Variance titles that she has read so far:

The Pharos Objective:
"The story is fascinating, intriguing and unfolds fast-paced, well written and researched, believable, mixing fiction with history, real fun to read."

Red Moon:
"On the whole a brilliant read, lots of fun and not just for sci-fi geeks, it reads very well if taken just as a mystery story."

Grim Reaper:
"It is basically a novel about the evil, corruption, greed and all the other bad things we humans are so good at and the possibility of another worldwide extinction (like the biblical Flood) with a chosen character (like Noah) to save the worthy. There is a lot of religion in here, no special kind, a more general approach, which I am not so keen on, but in the end that didn't matter, it is a damn good read."

Many thanks to Heike. We look forward to the rest of the titles you asked to review!

So, here is another roll call, if you are willing to read and review any of our titles (we're looking for honest opinions), please let me know and I will be more than happy to send you your choice of two from our Smashwords e-book library with a potential of more in the future if you are still interested. We have a great variety of books with more on the way, so now is a great time to get established to receive some great reads for free.

Thanks all!

Join the GRIM REAPER Contest!

2010-11-08T13:24:00.004-05:00

Hey friends, be sure to join in the fun by going to the Grim Reaper: End of Days Contest page to not only win some cool prizes (like a special edition Grim Reaper tee-shirt), but also to become a part of literary history by getting translated into a character immortalized in the pages of the newest Steve Alten thriller!

(Queen)

There are 3 different versions of the trailer to be uploaded and spread around, and all the rules are explicitly laid out for you, but if you have any questions be sure to email me right away so you can start getting hits on day one!

(The Marmalades)

The contest ends on January 1, 2011... what are you waiting for? Start now, before it's too late.

(Rolling Stones)

Noah Larkin Returns...

2010-11-05T14:06:00.005-04:00

Hey Steven Savile and SILVER fans,

Back from Rome and the slaughter of Vatican officials, Noah returns home more broken than ever. The ghosts of his past are returning to haunt him and the only way to break the nightmares is to pass them off to someone else in an old-fashion beat down for the ages - Koni style.

Projected to be chapter two of GOLD, this self-inclusive chapter is a FREE short story for you to reaquaint yourself with the one labeled GhostKiller - it's gutteral, it's animalistic, it's real. Email Noah himself at ogmiosteam@gmail.com for your PDF. Don't forget to send your friends and to spread the word: that the Ogmios Team may be battered but not down for the count!

Please, when you have finished, return here to leave your thoughts. What you think of the story, the cover, the whole package. We are looking forward to your thoughts!

Sean Ellis - Guest Blogger - Fifty Fifty

2010-11-01T08:25:00.004-04:00

Now for a PSA from our friend, Sean Ellis:

Okay, for today's blog, I thought I might talk about the ongoing debate over the future of print books in an increasingly digital...

No. Scratch that. I don't want to talk about ebooks or publishing or any of the wearisome details of this vocation that constantly conspire to suck every last drop of joy from the creative process. I'm a writer, a storyteller, and that's what I'm going to give you today.

Submitted for your approval...

Fifty/Fifty

by Sean Ellis

The temple emerged from the jungle like the moon rising above the horizon. Dina Raidin checked her watch--11:18 a.m.--before allowing herself a brief--very brief--sigh of relief. The goal was in sight, but the race was not over; not by a long shot.

She glanced at Reyes. The archaeologist had always had a kind of Messianic air about him, an undeniable charisma that had drawn her, body and soul in a very literal sense, into his quest, but now, as he beheld the object of their search, he seemed positively transcendent. He had always believed they would find it in time, and he had been right.

Well, right about finding it anyway. If he was right about the rest, about the significance of the temple and the importance of this day in history--this very hour--then the question of whether or not they had found it in time remained unanswered.

The temple was barely recognizable as a structure built by humans. The passage of years had transformed it into a verdant hillock, and its unique pyramid shape grew less distinct as they got closer. Reyes quickened his pace as they reached its slopes and immediately began scrambling up to its apex.

"There would have been a shaft, descending from an opening at the top."

She nodded, and immediately deployed a "borer worm," one of toys The Group had outfitted her with. It was a shaped penetrating charge, designed to punch holes through everything from mine shaft walls to concrete bunkers, with a minimum of peripheral damage. According to the manuals, you could stand at arm's length from it during detonation.

Still, better safe than sorry.

"Get back," she directed, as she finished prepping the blasting cap. Ideally, she would have liked to have something solid--a big rock or a pile of sandbags--between herself and the borer--but situated as it was at the top of the pyramid, there was really nowhere to seek cover. She hiked about halfway down the slope and then pressed herself flat, gripping the trigger. "Fire in the hole!"

The explosion was nothing more than a loud thump that reverberated through the flanks of the structure, and a moment later, dust and debris began to rain down from the dark smudge of smoke that now rose from temple's apex.

Dina checked her watch again. 11:23. "Let's go!" she urged.

Reyes nodded. "Yes, we must hurry, but watch your step. There may be traps."

"Traps?" She shook her head. As if things weren't bad enough.

Although they had been searching for the temple for nearly three months, the last forty-eight hours had been a brutal marathon of dodging the anti-government insurgents and drug cartel members that called Panama's Darien Gap home, eluding Consortium operatives intent on finding and exploiting the temple's secrets with no regard for the rest of the prophecy Reyes had translated, and literally running through the jungle to reach this place. And now, traps.

Reyes shrugged. "Maybe not. But 'watch your step' is always good advice."

She understood the importance of watching her step, but she also knew that if they didn't get inside the temple and figure out the mystery in the next thirty-six minutes, then it would all be for naught.

The end of the world. Just about everyone had heard some variation of it--the end of the Mayan calendar would mean the end of everything...or maybe not--but Juan Reyes had found something different, something that explained why. Not a myth or prophecy, but a simple historical account of the creation of the Mayan calendar. If that account was true, and if Reyes' translation was accurate, then an ancient Meso-American astronomer had discovered a mysterious temple in the wilderness to the south of his ancestral lands, and in that temple, inscribed on the walls, he had found symbols that corresponded to the passage of time. It was not a calendar; it was a countdown, just like all the doomsayers had been shouting for the last decade. But the codex Reyes had discovered also included information on what to do when the end drew near. The account was spare on details, but as best Reyes could determine, there was a riddle in the temple; solve the riddle and reset the countdown. The Mayan calendar was synchronized to the winter solstice, and if Reyes was correct, whatever was supposed to happen would occur exactly at high noon.

It had sounded crazy at the start, but it hadn't been Dina's job to assess the sanity of Reyes' claims. Her orders from The Group were simple and straightforward: keep Reyes alive and make sure he succeeds. Falling in love with him? Well, that was just a bonus.

A haze of settling dust and high-explosives residue hung over the crater at the top of the mound, but below it, like a vein of shadows, the central shaft plunged into the heart of the temple. Dina activated two chem-light sticks--the kind that were short lived, but intensely bright--and dropped one into the void. It bounced off a flat surface about ten feet below, then skittered away out of view.

"That's our way in," she announced, tucking the remaining light stick into a mesh pocket on the front of Reyes' safari vest. Then, without further comment, she lowered herself over the edge and into the darkness.

The first light stick lay some thirty feet away, at the bottom of a descending flight of rough hewn stone steps. Its glow illuminated the immediate area, but the intervening steps were shrouded in darkness. Reyes dropped down a few seconds later.

"You do realize," he said, in a faintly amused voice, "that getting back up is going to be nearly impossible."

"I can't think of anyone else I'd rather be stuck in a hole with." She flashed him a quick smile, but then her expression hardened. "We need to get moving. You're the expert on this stuff; lead the way."

Reyes nodded, then held out the light stick like a torch to reveal the walls of the passage. The steps were strewn with rubble from the borer worm explosion. The archaeologist started down. "If there were any traps here, the blast would have triggered them. I think we're safe, but--"

"I know. Watch my step."

The foot of the stairs, where the second chem-light lay was only a landing, the first of several switchbacks that carved through the heart of the temple mound and took them deep into its interior. Dina kept one eye on the luminous dial of her wristwatch; this was taking too long.

The stairs descended seven flights before leveling out into a short tunnel that ended at an ornately carved threshold. Reyes probably could have translated the Mayan glyphs carved on the lintel, but that would have taken more time than they had. Instead, he took out a laser scanning device and swept its beam across the bas relief images. In the time it took for him to get his laptop computer out of his pack, the uploaded glyphs had already been translated.

"No trespassing?" Dina ventured.

Reyes quickly read through the list of possible interpretations. "Actually it's more like a welcome mat. They planned for this day; they knew that a 'wise priest' would make the journey. This last bit here--" He pointed to tiles that had horizontal lines and dots instead of stylized images-- "Identifies the safe route across the stone tiles in the next passage. It's sort of a literacy test; only a wise priest would know how to read. A common grave robber would just blunder on ahead."

Dina inclined her head. "I'll let you do the blundering then, wise priest."

In spite of the urgency of the moment, the archaeologist leaned over and kissed her quickly on the lips. Then, with his chem-light held high, he crossed the threshold.

The tunnel beyond was narrow, only a few feet wide, and about fifty feet long. The floor consisted of a single long row of undecorated square tiles. Reyes stepped on them in a very deliberate sequence, carefully jumping over specific tiles.

"Step where I did," he called back, unnecessarily. "Just like hopscotch on the playground."

"I thought you knew me better than that," she retorted, as soon as she completed the traverse to stand beside him. "I spent my recesses in the library, not on the playground."

"Me too." The archaeologist laughed, then waved his light around. "Look."

Dina's breath caught in her throat. She had only a passing knowledge of archaeology; her expertise was more rooted in the modern world--before joining The Group, she had earned degrees in advanced mathematics and physics--but she knew enough to recognize that the chamber in which they now stood was not the product of the Mayan civilization. "So it is true."

"Some of my less reputable colleagues have always believed that the Maya were influenced by visitors from...elsewhere. I guess this proves it." He sighed. "I think we're in your world now."

The chamber was spherical, about fifty feet in diameter, and moving through it was an assault on the senses, like a crooked house attraction in a roadside carnival. The sides were perfectly smooth and black as graphite, but as soon as they entered, the walls began to ooze light. Strange images, similar in many respects to the Mayan language, burned crimson just below the matte black surface, and in the space of a few seconds, the sphere was awash in an eerie red glow.

"Or maybe not," Reyes breathed. He lightly traced his fingers across some of the symbols. "This is the calendar! Every permutation, dating back to 3114 BCE. This was their inspiration. Do you see the pattern? Groups of symbols, corresponding to individual days on the Long Count."

"Which one is today?"

Reyes hugged the wall to avoid stumbling and ventured into the chamber. "It's here! And it's not red!"

Dina hastened over to join him, and saw that the group of glyphs that represented the last day of Baktun 12 in the Mayan calendar glowed a faint green amid the sea of red light. "When these numbers turn red, it's all over?"

"I think so." He turned, studying the walls for some clue about what to do next. Directly beneath the calendar symbols was another group of glyphs, dots and lines in a row--sequential numbers from one to nineteen--that were also glowing green, but their significance eluded him. After a moment, he pointed to something at the bottom of the curving chamber. "How did we miss that?"

The object that had caught his eye was the one thing in the room that evidently was of Mayan origin. It was a short, rectangular stone pillar, set just slightly apart from the dark circular depression at the very center of the chamber. The column was decorated on all sides with glyphs similar to those they had found earlier as well as other symbols that looked more like the glowing images on the walls of the sphere.

"I think this might be a sort of Rosetta stone," Reyes announced as he commenced scanning the images into his computer.

"Can you crack the code in--" Dina checked her watch again--"twelve minutes?"

"I guess I'd better." He tapped furiously on the keyboard. "This would be easier if I could access the servers at the university."

"We'd never get a signal down here. I'd have to run a hardline to the surface and set up a satellite antenna--"

"Dina." He put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. I can do this."

She rested her hand on his and gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "I've never believed otherwise."

He gave her hand a squeeze. "Okay. First the good news. I've cracked the code for the meta-language, at least to the same extent as the Mayan priest who carved this. Here's my best approximation: 'When the number of days is reached, the children will ask the gods to remain. If the children possess wisdom, they will descend to Xibalba--the underworld. One will return with the message that will please the gods. One must be given. If the gods are not pleased, they will devour the creation.' "

"That's it? Descend into the underworld? How do we do that?'

"I think we're supposed to..." He pointed to the dark circle just beyond the pillar. He shrugged and then took a step into the shadows. Nothing happened. Reyes frowned, and then consulted the computer display again. "Maybe I got something wrong."

"No, you got it right." Dina took a step forward to join him, and as soon as both her feet were in the circle, the floor began descending. "I think it's weight sensitive," she explained out loud. "You said 'the children,' plural. It needed more than one person to activate."

"So you're not just a pretty face," Reyes said, approvingly. The movement of the floor segment was so smooth as to be imperceptible; the only way to gauge their descent was the by the relative rise of the illuminated symbols, and after a few seconds, those were all but eclipsed by the cylindrical walls that seemed to fold over them. "So, what do you think this place is?"

"Like you said, the Mayans must have been influenced by visitors from elsewhere."

"So this is some kind of spaceship?" Reyes didn't sound nearly as incredulous as she would have expected. "ET's that never made it home?"

She shrugged. "That's my best hypothesis for the moment. Maybe it crashed or broke down, and the Mayans found it after the original inhabitants died. They did their best to make sense of what they had discovered, and somehow added it into their cosmology."

"So what does the end of the countdown mean? A self-destruct?"

Before she could answer, the surrounding walls of the shaft opened up, revealing another spherical chamber, this one adorned somewhat more haphazardly with a scattering of red and green symbols. The circle on which they stood continued to descend down until it was flush with the floor.

"So much for Xibalba," Reyes observed. "I should have been more literal with my translation. Not 'descend to the underworld' but simply 'go below.' "

"I'm sure the ancient Mayan priest thought it was the same thing." Dina stepped out of the circle. "We need to translate these symbols, ASAP."

Reyes took out his scanner and swept its beam around the chamber, but when he tried the translation program, he breathed a curse. "Useless. It recognizes some of the words and numbers, but there's no context. Whatever this room was, it was beyond the grasp of the ancient Maya."

Dina studied the glyphs, trying to think about them as a mathematical code from an advanced civilization, rather than the memories of an ancient, and relatively primitive people. " 'Ask the gods to remain.' The gods would be the aliens, and this was their ship. Asking them to remain would suggest that they were planning to leave." She turned to the archaeologist. "It's not a self-destruct. It's a start-up sequence. An automatic recall. This ship is getting ready to go home."

"So...how does that mean the end of the world?"

Dina took a deep breath. "The pillar said the gods would devour creation, right? How did they know that? Is that word here? Devour?"

Reyes managed a grim smile as he studied the detail of his translation. "Yes!" He moved over to a row of green symbols. "It's here. And right here underneath it is a word that could mean 'begin.' "

"What if 'devour' is another way of saying 'refuel'?"

"So...what? Refueling will somehow consume the entire planet?"

"It would if this ship uses a quantum singularity drive."

Reyes cocked his head sideways. "A quant...?"

"A miniature black hole. An immensely powerful gravitational source that can devour anything, even light, and which theoretically could open wormholes to facilitate interstellar travel." She spoke rapidly, as if the ideas were coming off the top of her head, but in fact this had long been a working theory at The Group, and her familiarity with the theory was one of the main reasons they had chosen her for the assignment.

She checked her watch again. It was 11:54. Six minutes left, and they still had no idea what to do. "The stone said something about 'wisdom.' It said we would find 'the message that would please the gods.' That message must be the shutdown code. It's got to be here somewhere. Shutdown, stop, something like that?"

Reyes studied his translation again, and the his eyes came back to the same group of symbols. "It's here. This could mean 'stop' or 'prevent', and it's followed by a series of numbers. That could be the shut down code!"

Dina reached out and touched the illuminated numbers, but nothing happened. "How do we use it?"

Reyes snapped his fingers. "Of course! Up in the calendar chamber, right under the symbol for today, there was a row of numbers, all in order. It's like a keypad. All we have to do is get back up there and tap the numbers in this sequence--" He pointed to the numbers as the appeared on the wall--"and that will restart the countdown and give us another five thousand years."

His elation was short-lived. "Just one problem. How do we get back up there? Maybe if we go back to the center? Elevators go both ways."

"I don't think we're meant to go back the same way." Dina stared at the glowing green display until she felt like the Mayan numbers were burned into her mind. " 'One will return...one must be given.' I think I understand."

She reached for the panel again, and before Reyes could shout the warning that suddenly sprang to his lips, she touched the symbol he had identified as 'begin.'

If she had expected that the room would come alive in a blur of alien activity, she was disappointed. But there was nevertheless a change. A pair of perfectly round holes, each about five feet across, opened without a sound on either side of the illuminated panel.

"There's our way out," she announced. "Heads or tails?"

Reyes studied the openings. "Many ancient cultures believed the left-hand was the path of magic. We should start there."

Dina nodded. "You take left, then. I'll go right."

Reyes shook his head in confusion. "We should stick together."

"Don't you get it? 'One will return...one will be given.' It's supposed to be this way. One door leads back to the calendar room, and the other..." She took a deep breath. "The other leads to the...the devourer."

"You can't be serious."

"If it is a singularity, then it probably needs a small infusion of matter to remain on standby, just like a car engine idling needs a constant supply of gas."

Reyes shook his head, as if by dogged resistance he might somehow change the reality of the situation. "Even if you're right, we can figure out some way to get around it. We'll throw some rocks into it."

"There's no time, Juan. There's barely time to do even this. So, you go left and I'll go right."

Reyes mouth began working but nothing coherent came out. She took a step toward the right hand opening. "Better get moving."

"Dina, wait."

"There's no time," she repeated.

"You go left. I'll take the right. You know the code?"

"I want to live as much as anyone, Juan, but it's a coin toss, isn't it? The lady or the tiger? We won't know for sure until it's too late to change our minds."

He sagged. "Yes."

Dina felt the emotion building in her throat, but she also knew that if she didn't move--if they both didn't move--then they would both be lost. Everything would be lost. She pulled him close, drawing his face down to hers, and kissed him. "I love you, Juan. But now it's time for one of us to go save the world."

"Both of us."

She nodded. "Both of us."

"I love you too, Dina." He pulled away and moved toward the opening on the right. Just before he entered, he looked back one last time. "Watch your step."

Dina checked her watch. It was 11:59.

* * *

Sean Ellis is the author of several novels, notably The Shroud of Heaven, The Adventures of Dodge Dalton in the Shadow of Falcon's Wings, and the forthcoming Into the Black (Dec. 2010)

For more information visit http://seanellisthrillers.webs.com

I feel this piece of original fiction - the first it's seen of this world - can speak for itself. I hope you weigh in on it. Please, leave you comments, which will put you into the pot to win a Variance ebook.

As with the rest of our guests, we are very lucky to have pieces on here for your reading enjoyment that are this good. I hope you appreciate the hard work these authors put into their masterpieces. Have a great week until we speak again.

Halloween Horrors

2010-10-29T12:04:00.004-04:00

Hey folks,

Being that today kicks off Halloween weekend, I figured I'd have a fun post. Just a few parts to it and we hope you take part in them all...

What are your favorite Halloween tricks or treats? Do you have any rituals like watching the entire Friday the 13th (which is on AMC right now by the way) or Halloween series, or reading Pet Cemetary or IT (speaking of, check this out - a great find by The Novel Blog)? Who is your favorite baddie? Have you ever been the one scared by the schmo dressed in the scarecrow costume waiting for people to walk by to make jump out of their skin (or the schmo)? And when you go to a party, what is your typical costume?

If you are looking for some new literary frights, check out a tribute to everyone's favorite chainsaw-armed killer of the Evil Dead (free), a short story treat that may get you Sidetracked (.99), and an up-and-comer who is willing to give out his novel for free if you promise to review it (bonus)! There are way more chills and thrills out there, like Jonathan Maberry, Michael G Cornelius, Clive Barker, and everyone's stand by, Stephen King (amongst others), so cowboy up and get yourself some seasonal entertainment!

Lastly, who is looking forward to Sunday's premier of The Walking Dead? I know I am! It definitely looks like it will push the limits of cable TV, but at the same time, the undead know no limits to the carnage they can produce... remember - always aim for the head!

New Review of Wired Kingdom

2010-10-28T13:22:00.003-04:00

This post is a bit behind schedule as it was put up on the Un:Bound site last week, but I still think that it deserves the spot as, like the other reviews seen for Wired Kingdom, it's good. This is only a small portion (the money-maker so to speak), but on the whole, it is a must read.

Chesler delivered a good, fun thriller, easily as entertaining as any of the Cussler's I've read. If there were flaws I was far too busy enjoying the book to notice them. An excellent debut and I look forward to seeing what Chesler does next.

Thank you to Adele for taking the time to read and review this title, and all the folks at Un:Bound that fight the good fight.

Being compared to Cussler is a great feat! Congrats to Rick Chesler for a job well-done. It's no wonder why Steve Alten and Jeremy Robinson (both writers of deep sea adventures) were so willing to blurb this novel. Have you read Wired Kingdom? Would you like to put your two cents in too? We'd love to hear what you thought.

The Last Leg!

2010-10-22T08:51:00.002-04:00

Hey friends,

Anthony 'AJ' Tata is in the last leg of the pundit race for the Washington Post but he needs your help to finish it! Please read the message below from him and do your part - cast your vote.

After a week of blogging, today is voting day. Please vote and post this link on your social media networks to get moderate voice onto Washington Post editorial page. Voting is different today in that all 10 candidates are on the same page. Please choose my name and cast your vote. Thank you!

Link: http://wapo.st/aUiMW1

You can cast your vote all day today so spread the word and help Tony achieve the next goal he has set for himself.

Steve Alten's Mid-Atlantic Tour

2010-10-19T10:15:00.002-04:00

Hey folks, if you live in or around the mid-Atlantic, this is your chance to get a signed copy of Grim Reaper: End of Days.

• Atlantic City, NJ - Borders from 6-8pm (Oct 20)

• Marlton, NJ - Barnes & Noble from 7-9pm (Oct 21)

• Philadelphia, PA - Barnes & Noble from 1-230pm (Oct 22)
• Philadelphia, PA - Borders from 3-530pm
• Philadelphia, PA - Robin's Bookstore from 7-9pm

• Wilmington, DE - Barnes & Noble from 2-4pm (Oct 23)
• Plymouth Meeting, PA - Barnes & Noble from 6-8pm

You can also listen to Steve on the following stations:

• 700WLW - Cincinnati, OH
• KYW - Philadelphia, PA

Check back in next week for more events coming your way!