Month: May 2012

MEET THE AUTHOR: JAMES BRUNO

Author James Bruno

James Bruno is the author of three bestselling political thrillers. He has been featured on NBC’s Today Show, in the Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, Huffington Post, regional NPR and other national and international media. His spy-mob thriller PERMANENT INTERESTS and CHASM, a thriller about war criminals, have landed simultaneously on Amazon Kindle Bestseller lists, including #1 in Political Fiction and Spy Tales. TRIBE, his latest political thriller, centered on Afghanistan, has also been an Amazon bestseller.

Mr. Bruno served as a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State for 23 years. Prior to that, he worked as a military intelligence analyst and as a journalist. His diplomatic assignments have included Cuba, Guantanamo (as liaison with the Cuban military), Pakistan/Afghanistan, Vietnam, Cambodia and Washington, DC. He has spent ample time at the White House and has worked shoulder-to-shoulder with the Secret Service in a presidential protection detail. He also knows the Pentagon, CIA and other foreign affairs agencies well. Based on his experiences, James Bruno’s stories possess an authenticity rarely matched in the political thriller genre.

It is this background as a diplomat, military intelligence officer and journalist that lend an air of verisimilitude to James’ books that the vast majority of his competition lacks. “You are getting a dose of the real thing with James Bruno’s books, not contrived fantasies. I believe this has been a factor in all three of my thrillers becoming Kindle bestsellers and my getting national media exposure on NBC’s Today Show, in the Washington Post and other news outlets – also my landing Stieg Larsson’s agent.” Continue reading “MEET THE AUTHOR: JAMES BRUNO”

Announcements on Indies Unlimited

We receive frequent requests to post announcements on Indies Unlimited. From among these, we try to select those we feel may be of interest to the indie author community. We have limited slots available for such announcements and work hard to try to bring a good balance of information, entertainment, writing exercises,  and social media growth opportunity.

It would be impossible to dedicate enough staff time to verify the substance and legitimacy of all the announcements of contests, services, charity activities and events of which we are informed. While we are happy to post these announcements when we can, we strongly urge that, as in all matters financial, the prospective consumer perform the proper due diligence to make an appropriately informed decision. Please note that for this reason, such announcements are run with a disclaimer that reflects our policy. The disclaimer is not intended to impugn the entity or person for whom the announcement is run, but to make clear that Indies Unlimited does not grant any sort of imprimatur simply by virtue of posting the information.

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Getting It Right: Throwing a Right Part 1

The Principles of Unarmed CombatHaving previously written about what makes a good literary fight scene, I thought an appropriate follow up might be to examine some mistakes that can potentially ruin the action in a novel.

Now, if you’re like me, nothing can grab your attention in a book like a nicely portrayed bit of violence. Indeed, the climax to many an action/adventure novel is often some sort of life and death brawl between hero and villain. A fight scene can be a graphic example of a hero’s innate superiority or a chance to put him or her into a bit of peril. It can offer the reward of giving an annoying antagonist his comeuppance or just be used to keep the reader engaged during an otherwise slow section of the story. Unfortunately, when it comes to portraying these scenes, most writers are not fighters and don’t know the difference between throwing a right and throwing some write.

Of course, the average reader also may not be all that well versed in the intricacies of combat and, therefore, any mistakes or inaccuracies found in a literary fight scene may simply pass by them unnoticed. But for someone who does know a little about how violence goes down in the real world, poorly written or inaccurate action scenes can leave you shaking your head saying “That could never happen.” In extreme cases, such as a novel purported to be gritty and realistic, it can ruin the whole tenor of the story. Continue reading “Getting It Right: Throwing a Right Part 1”

Indie Spirit: Renee Pierce Williams

Author Renee Pierce Williams

Indies Unlimited wishes to extend a warm thanks for a particularly generous donation by fellow indie author Renee Pierce Williams. Renee made her donation through the PayPal button at the bottom of the left sidebar on the main page.

She wrote, “I have scoured the internet looking for sites that offer insight, in’s and out’s and do’s and dont’s for first-time authors. Luckily I stumbled upon you guys!”

We are glad you did too Renee, and we are glad you find value in the information provided here on Indies Unlimited. We think your generosity makes you an outstanding example of the spirit of mutual support in the indie author community.

Renee owns and operates Animates, an in-home pet care business she started in 2002. Her love for animals began at a very early age. Throughout her life, she has raised and cared for all types of animals, large and small. She began showing horses at around age twelve. She joined the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) in 1998 and began showing professionally. Her book is Buck the Good Doog:

This book is a perfect choice for children and animal lovers at any age.

“Buck the Good Doog” is based on a true story about a beloved collie growing up on a farm. With hand-painted illustrations by the author’s daughter, children will learn about the collie’s breed instincts and their unwavering loyalty.

Renee lives in Midland, Georgia, with her husband Bill; her daughter Shelby; two horses, Sparky’s Lucky Andy (Andy) and Intangible Jet (Floyd); two birds, Dolly and Miss Poof; and a dog, Dobby.

You may visit the Renee Pierce Williams – Author Facebook page at www.facebook.com/rpwilliams4 or her website www.buckthegooddoog.com for more information and photographs of animals featured in this book.