Month: March 2014

Time for the Flash Fiction Vote

voteguyOh yes, it’s Wednesday. That means it’s time to vote for your favorite flash fiction entry. We have a few to choose from in this week’s challenge. Which one will prevail? That’s up to you! Look them over and cast your vote.

Go ahead and check out this week’s entries here. Make your choice, then use those share buttons at the bottom of the post to spread the word.

Voting polls close Thursday at 5 PM Pacific time.

Whose flash fiction entry captivated you most?

  • alkaplan (57%, 13 Votes)
  • Jon Jefferson (30%, 7 Votes)
  • MatoSka Chikala (13%, 3 Votes)
  • wildernessmanshan (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 23

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

In Like a Lion: New March Releases

Rawr! Here are five new releases for you to check out during the blustery days. Beware the ides of March!

IU 2013 Flash Fiction Anthology 120x177Indies Unlimited 2013 Flash Fiction Anthology

51 winning stories from 24 authors from around the world. How can you resist a caveman named Og, or a headsman’s haunted chopping block?

The Indies Unlimited 2013 Flash Fiction Anthology is available through Amazon.com, Smashwords, and Amazon UK.

netherbrookcover 120x177Netherbrook: Luxury Living in a Private Wilderness
by K. S. Brooks

A book about a house. Because a one-of-a-kind home deserves to have its story told. And there’s no place like Netherbrook.

Netherbrook: Luxury Living in a Private Wilderness is available for free on Smashwords.

Housework Harmony 120x177Housework Harmony: Building a loving partnership through domestic cooperation by Andrew McAllister, PhD

Shows couples how to cooperate at home like never before, creating a closeness that will spill over into the rest of your relationship.

Housework Harmony is available through Amazon.com and Amazon UK.

Battle for the Afterlife Saga 120x177Battle for the Afterlife by CJ Davis

When a Navy SEAL arrives in the Afterlife, he’s confronted by a looming war where evil is trying to enslave all the souls in the universe.

Battle for the Afterlife is available at Amazon.com and Amazon UK.

Sky1 Foundation 120x177Sky1 – Foundation by William Amerman

When a quarantine is imposed on Nick’s Ground, he and his family are trapped. The only way out is to break laws that carry a penalty of death.

Sky1 – Foundation is available at Amazon.com, Smashwords, and Amazon UK.

Book Brief: The Spark

The SparkThe Spark
by John Kenny
Genre of this Book: Action Adventure/Thriller
Word count: 98,500

Searching for the truth is the most dangerous thing firefighter Donny Robertson will ever do.

The blaze in the old factory has left Donny physically and mentally scarred. And Fitz was dead, nothing was going to change that. But everyone is eager to put that tragedy behind them – there were no traces of arson and no signs of foul play.

Donny needs to regain his confidence and earn the trust of his crew and colleagues. It doesn’t help that he’s convinced the fire was no accident. Is it the set of curious coincidences, or is it simply Donny’s inability to let go of the man who had been his friend and mentor? And where was the line between loyalty and obsession? Was it worth losing his job, his home and his relationship?

As pieces of the puzzle begin to fit together, evidence and people start to disappear. By the time Donny realizes he’s over his head in a world of corporate intrigue and murder for hire, it’s too late. He’s become a loose end and someone is cleaning up. Framed for the murder of his last remaining lead, Donny realizes his only chance is to find and confront the person pulling the strings. It’s a desperate plan and it will cost him everything he has left.

The Spark is a fast paced, intelligent thriller that gives an insider’s view of life in the fire department.

This book is available from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Continue reading “Book Brief: The Spark”

Coat-Tailing Your Book to a Bestseller

get a rideAs we scramble to find new ways to reach readers we discover that there are things that work and things that don’t work. I’ve tried everything from handing out business cards to kindle-carrying travelers at an airport to running ads on Craigslist. And I’ve done all the regular things too – interviews, promotional sales, blogging, etc. Just as there are things that do and don’t work there are also things we probably should or shouldn’t do. One of the things that’s been done in various different forms is coat-tailing. Coat-tailing is the process of attaching your book to another book that is selling well. In the interest of determining where the grey areas are I’m going to describe various forms of coat-tailing and ask for your input on whether it’s ethical or not to coat-tail.

Here are the types that I’m familiar with: Continue reading “Coat-Tailing Your Book to a Bestseller”