Month: May 2014

Book Brief: Queen’s Gold

Queen's GoldQueen’s Gold
by Melissa Bowersock
Genre: action/adventure
Word count: 62,185

Hal Thompson is a pretty ordinary guy. A widower who owns his own small business, he’s doing his best to raise his two nearly adult children alone. When they convince him to undergo a hypnotic past-life regression, he is unimpressed that his “memories” reveal the hiding place of ancient Aztec gold. Other people, however, take it very seriously and when his family is threatened, he is forced to plunge into the jungles of Mexico, battling treacherous terrain, lethal wildlife and the haunting feeling of a love that spans centuries. Can he find the gold before it claims more lives? Or will he lose the love of his life … again?

This book is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

Continue reading “Book Brief: Queen’s Gold”

Book Vetter

Book VetterThe best thing about self-publishing is that anyone can do it.
The worst thing about self-publishing is that anyone can do it
– Anonymous

I’ve yet to see anyone describe the perceived issue better than this anonymous commenter on my blog. The rise of a viable means of self-publishing has given anyone who wants to bypass the traditional gatekeepers and put their work out there a way to do so. Books that deserved to make it past the gatekeepers, but might not have in the past for reasons of marketability or just bad luck, are now getting a shot at finding their audience. But many also perceive a downside. In the past a reader could pick up a random book at their local bookseller or bring up a book’s page at their favorite online retailer, read the blurb, possibly check out the first few paragraphs, and if the story appealed to them they could purchase it with the assurance that all aspects of the book would almost always meet some minimum quality standard. Continue reading “Book Vetter”

A Suitable Pseudonym

My alter-ego writes horror.
My alter-ego writes horror.

Why should you consider writing under a pen name?

When I was growing up I was very girly. Ballet, piano lessons, Barbie dolls — these are the fluffy memories of my youth. I also loved the TV show Chiller Theatre, and I spent many happy Saturday nights watching horror cult classics with my older brother. These gems are quite different from the modern slasher movie. The classic horror plot includes elements of the fantastic, the paranormal, and the magical. Many films included a psychological theme of undiagnosed insanity and paranoia. The stark objectivity of black and white cinematography heightened the fear factor. I truly love these films.

I am sure my readers would be surprised to know I have written a piece of fiction that could be categorized as dystopian horror. When I finished with the first draft I was morbidly excited by its darkness and cruelty, but confused as to what to do with it. The author brand I have been working to develop for years is juxtaposed to this story, and I felt it would send a mixed message if I put this on the same author page with stylish, sexy mysteries and tango dancing vampires. Consequently, I put the draft to the side last year and let it brood in its petri dish of cold-hearted carnage. Continue reading “A Suitable Pseudonym”

Featured Book: Special Offers

Special OffersSpecial Offers
by M.L. Ryan
Genres: Paranormal romance, romantic comedy
Available from Amazon.

What would you do if you were possessed by a magically endowed being from another dimension who was trapped in your newly purchased Kindle eBook reader? Special Offers, the first book of the Coursodon Dimension Series, combines paranormal romance, urban fantasy, science fiction and a healthy dose of quirky humor

 Excerpt:

“Luckily for Sebastian, someone must have been testing the wireless capabilities of one just as he became disembodied, and he was intercepted by this,” he declared as he dramatically picked up my Kindle. He looked at the eBook reader with both wonder and admiration and whispered, “He did it. That crazy bastard actually did it.”

I shouldn’t have interrupted his obvious veneration, but I couldn’t contain myself. I vaguely recalled that data is transferred over the internet using the ones and zeros of binary code, but turning oneself into computer speak seemed unimaginable.

“So how is that even possible?” I queried.

He stared at me for a long time. Eventually, he shook his head slowly, a look of total incredulity sweeping over his handsome face.

“Let me get this straight. You’ve accepted that you are essentially possessed by a supernatural being who trapped himself in your Kindle to avoid destruction by a sociopathic outlaw, but you are questioning if the process is technically feasible?”

What others are saying:

All in all, Special Offers is a fantastically fun, extremely entertaining read that will have you laughing out loud and eager for the next in the series. – Reading by the Beach