Book Brief: Nightcrawler

NightcrawlerNightcrawler
by John Reinhard Dizon
Genre: Action/Adventure , Women’s Fiction , Thriller/Suspense
40,143 Words

Nightcrawler is about the exploits of Sabrina Brooks, the heiress to the Brooks Chemical Company. Bree is trying to pick up the pieces after her father’s death, and is now in a position to live up to a personal commitment to use her resources to benefit the oppressed. She is intrigued by the notion of conducting a guerrilla campaign against drug gangs in New York City, and accesses top-secret archives detailing Government contracts for developmental research of chemical weapons. She uses her wizardry in chemistry to concoct weapons for her own use as a vigilante known as the Nightcrawler. NYPD undercover officer Hoyt Wexford becomes friends with Bree, and begins to suspect she knows the identity of the Nightcrawler. Her sudden interest in a series of terrorist attacks in the New York area makes him believe she may be investigating a group called the Octagon. He tries to follow her but is too late to prevent a showdown between the Nightcrawler and the mysterious Reaper. Hoyt rescues Bree and learns her secret identity, and together they plan to stop the Octagon once and for all in preventing a chemical attack in NYC on the Fourth of July.

This book is available at Amazon. Continue reading “Book Brief: Nightcrawler”

IUEA Voting: Best Review Site, Watchdog Site, and Resource Site for Writers.

IU Excellence Award Winner SAMPLENominations are complete for the 2013 Indies Unlimited Excellence Awards. We are now down to the finalists in each category. Voting to determine the winner for each category will commence at 5 AM US Pacific Time on February 7, 2014, and conclude at 5 PM US Pacific Time on February 21, 2014.

Winners will be determined by dividing the votes received (popularity) by the Alexa global traffic ranking (impartial industry statistics) as read on the morning of February 6, 2014 . Alexa is the foremost internet traffic ranking service. A site’s Alexa ranking is an indication of the utility and presence of the site.

Winners for each category will be announced at 5 AM, US Pacific Time on February 24, 2014.

You may vote only once for one finalist in each category:

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Which of the finalists is your choice for Best Book Review Site?

  • I Feel the Need, the Need to Read (28%, 309 Votes)
  • Big Al's Books and Pals (27%, 298 Votes)
  • Say What Savannah Mae (20%, 221 Votes)
  • I Am, Indeed (7%, 81 Votes)
  • Sunshine and Mountains (6%, 66 Votes)
  • Harlequin Junkie (4%, 43 Votes)
  • Novel Grounds (4%, 41 Votes)
  • Kindle Obsessed (3%, 37 Votes)
  • Lusty Penguin Reviews (1%, 13 Votes)
  • The Cult of Me (0%, 3 Votes)

Total Voters: 1,112

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Which of the finalists is your choice for Best Resource Site?

  • The Indie View (36%, 215 Votes)
  • Kristen Lamb’s Blog (22%, 133 Votes)
  • The Passive Voice (13%, 80 Votes)
  • Anne R. Allen’s Blog (13%, 78 Votes)
  • The Creative Penn (7%, 39 Votes)
  • The Book Designer (5%, 28 Votes)
  • Let's Get Visible (3%, 20 Votes)

Total Voters: 593

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Which of the finalists is your choice for Best Watchdog Site?

  • Preditors & Editors (58%, 236 Votes)
  • Writer Beware (42%, 168 Votes)

Total Voters: 404

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[Note from IU admin: The finalists for the category “Best Book Review Sites” were determined using Alexa rankings where ties existed. The site “Let’s Get Digital,” was also nominated for the category “Best Watchdog Site.” While this is a portion of what Mr. Gaughran does on his site, we felt the category “Best Resource Site” was a better fit.]

 

Information, Please: The JustAnswer Experience

When I was finishing up my last novel, Stone’s Ghost, I realized I needed some help. My main character lived in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and owned a Sea-Doo rental shop on the lakeshore near the London Bridge. Part of the story concerned his dealings with a difficult customer who manhandled one of the rented Sea-Doos. As I was writing, I took a wild guess at ways a customer could foul up a Sea-Doo, but I really had no idea. When I got to the editing stage, I knew I needed to check the facts to make sure I was telling a credible story.

questions

I did the usual searching online but after several days and scores of sites, the specific information I needed was not coming up and I realized I had to do a much more targeted approach. I found JustAnswer and decided to give it a try. Continue reading “Information, Please: The JustAnswer Experience”