Featured Author: Dianne Harman

Dianne Harman draws her stories and characters from a diverse business and personal background. She owned a national antique and art appraisal business for many years, leaving that industry and opening two yoga centers where she taught yoga and certified yoga instructors. Dianne has traveled extensively throughout the world, most recently dividing her time between Huntington Beach, California and Sacramento, California, where her husband was a Senator. She’s entertained Governors, Congressmen and numerous other political figures in her homes. An avid reader, Dianne brings the richness of her life experiences to her novel, Blue Coyote Motel.

Blue Coyote Motel was selected as a quarterfinalist in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award contest and Goodreads Psychological Thriller of the Month Book.

Blue Coyote Motel
by Dianne Harman
Available from Amazon.

A suspenseful love story which begins in the barrios of Southern California and spans the globe in such diverse locations as Provence, South America, and the Himalayas. The beautiful Latina, Maria, and her husband, Jeffrey, a scientist fired from a prestigious laboratory, struggle to build a new life in a remote Southern California desert area as owners of the motel.

Jeffrey invents a “feel-good” wonder drug to help Maria with her depression. As Jeffrey becomes insane, he begins to experiment with the wonder drug. Six wayward travelers, including an alcoholic priest, a couple who own gold mines in Brazil, a depressed widow, a struggling salesman, and a Native American pediatrician, find themselves spending the night at the small motel. The next morning they wake up feeling better than ever. Has Jeffrey’s miracle drug delivered? Or is the nightmare of addiction only beginning?

Blaming Amazon Pricing Policies May Be the Wrong Call

Everybody knows the big publishing houses are scrambling. They reek with the stench of death. They can merge all they want. They can point at tortured data to reassure themselves all is well. But it’s pretty much over for them, and they did it to themselves by clinging to a ridiculously outdated business model. They became middlemen who added little to no value for most authors they signed.

There are lessons to be learned here. Experience is a great teacher for an apt pupil. Small publishing houses stand to reap some significant benefits, and to become the heirs to a new age of publishing if they will but pay attention and adapt. Unfortunately, it does not seem that many are doing so. Continue reading “Blaming Amazon Pricing Policies May Be the Wrong Call”

Co-Creativism (That’s a word now)

Guest post
by: Daniel Stiles

Authors, in my experience, and as a general rule, are solitary folk. Granted, I base this information entirely on the only author I know personally and spend considerable time with, myself. Often, I certainly do not enjoy my company, and I like to believe it’s the same for other authors. It makes me feel closer to them even as I despise them for it.

I find such a mindset understandable considering an author’s work can serve as an author’s creative child. A child must be guarded and protected until ready to be presented to the world as a full fledged adult. Only at that time can a parent step away to allow society to appreciate the brilliance that has been spawned. Nobody wants others to know about the problem child locked in the attic rattling chains and breaking windows. That’s why authors can’t have guests over. However, sometimes it makes two to create a child. All right, maybe it always takes two to create a child, but we’re talking about stories here. Continue reading “Co-Creativism (That’s a word now)”

Get Your Flash Fiction Vote On

It’s time for Indies Unlimited readers to choose the next Flash Fiction Star. Remember, all our winners will be included in the next edition of the IU Flash Fiction Anthology. So, support your fellow writers and participate in this week’s voting, then spread the word, bang the drums, and share the link to let everyone know the vote is on.

Polls will close tomorrow at 5 PM, so act quickly, while supplies last!

We had a number of great submissions this week. Kudos to all the entrants. 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.

 

Who will be this week's flash fiction star?

  • Lynne Cantwell (54%, 19 Votes)
  • Jon Jefferson (23%, 8 Votes)
  • Ed Drury (20%, 7 Votes)
  • ADPurvis (3%, 1 Votes)

Total Voters: 35

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NOTE: Entrants whose submissions exceed the 250 word limit are eliminated from the poll.