Month: March 2013

That Book’s Time Is Over

I’ve heard from a number of authors recently how they wanted to wait until their new books came out to run features. As always, I offered to them the opportunity to run a Sneak Peek (book excerpt) for their book since it was more than 90 days old and therefore didn’t qualify for an announcement feature. Their response “Nah, that book’s time is over.”

Um…what?

No. I don’t buy that. Sorry. So, the book didn’t take off the way you’d hoped. That doesn’t mean you should give up on it. There’s no reason that you shouldn’t take advantage of book excerpts or guest posts or any other opportunity which comes your way to feature that book. Continue reading “That Book’s Time Is Over”

Flash Fiction Vote

It’s Wednesday, and that means it is time once again for IU readers to vote for their choice in our  weekly Flash Fiction Challenge.

When we left our flash fiction challenge, only part of the story was told. A handful of brave indies have stepped forward to finish the job, but whose story did you like best?

Check out this week’s entries here. Vote for your fave then use those share buttons at the bottom of the post to spread the word that the vote is on.

 

Vote for your choice in our weekly Flash Fiction Challenge

  • Robert K. Blechman (30%, 32 Votes)
  • Dick C Waters (28%, 30 Votes)
  • Ed Drury (24%, 26 Votes)
  • Gary Munson (12%, 13 Votes)
  • JK Mikals (2%, 2 Votes)
  • A.L. Kaplan (2%, 2 Votes)
  • Sherri Springle (1%, 1 Votes)
  • A K Butler (1%, 1 Votes)

Total Voters: 107

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Getting it Right: Trauma

It was in the news again recently here, in the Great White North. The Canadian military redeployed soldiers with PTSD back to the places that made them sick. At least, that’s how the headlines ran, the truth was slightly different but hey, who doesn’t want to sensationalise how stupid it is to give a gun to someone who’s unwell?

This set me to thinking how cross I get whenever an episode of Criminal Minds or some such leads us to believe that PTSD turns people into killers, running amuck reliving their trauma from Afghanistan on the streets of Niceville. Trauma, PTSD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is another one of those misunderstood dramatic devices that really, no really, upsets those who know when writers get it wrong. Continue reading “Getting it Right: Trauma”

Sneak Peek: The Cascade Annihilator

Today we have a sneak peek from author Chris James’s new science fiction novel, The Second Internet Cafe, Part 2: The Cascade Annihilator.

Dimension researcher Lucas Hunter returns to confront his nemesis, Dietrich, in an explosive showdown. But now Lucas’s enemy is armed with the most devastating weapon imaginable.

In reality one, the Second Internet Café is itself under renewed threat. The return of Dietrich has given its enemies the means to see it closed down once and for all. From among its staff, senior analyst Paula Featherstone finds herself unwittingly thrown into the centre of the battle to keep control of the Second Internet Café. As danger of a military strike on Europe in our universe increases, Lucas jumps to an alternate 1988 to confront Dietrich. Back in the Second Internet Café, Paula and others struggle to keep the facility functioning so Lucas can return.

Lucas clashes with Dietrich in a devastating final battle, where he must defeat both Dietrich and the weapon that can destroy our universe: the cascade annihilator.

The Cascade Annihilator is currently available from Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords, and in print from Lulu.

Here is an excerpt from The Cascade Annihilator… Continue reading “Sneak Peek: The Cascade Annihilator”