Month: November 2014

Thrifty Thursday: Reading to the Rescue!

water rescueWater Rescue Tip # 37: Between shark attacks, people lost at sea may become extremely bored and at greater risk of succumbing to hypothermia and drowning. Reading is a great way to take your mind off your troubles.

Depicted at left, the Indies Unlimited sea rescue team delivers a special waterproof Kindle loaded with freebies and 99¢ e-books to a shipwreck victim who had no reading materials.

If you have a book priced at 99¢ or less (that’s right, post your free eBooks here, too!), follow the instructions below and post it. If you see one you like, click over and buy it. How easy is that? Readers & reviewers – check these babies out!

We will convert your link to a clickable book cover. Do not attempt to insert an image in comments on your own. Just put the following information in the comment section:

1. Book title
2. Author name
3. A one sentence blurb (140 characters – tweetable in length!)
4. ONE link to download the book (only secure retail sites – Amazon, Smashwords, B&N, Kobo, Apple/iStore, or Sony)
5. Whether your book is free or 99 cents (and for how long/what dates)

Then let your friends and fans know your book is available here today. Use the share buttons below, or copy the link in the address bar above and share the news on your favorite social media platforms. The more, the merrier, right?

So let’s give it a try, shall we? Please make sure to follow the RULES above. Now, go ahead and tell the world about your cheap read. IU is a safe-for-work site. PLEASE do not post links to erotica, religious, or political titles.

(Post your FREE eBooks here, too!)

[Note: if the book cover images below do not display properly, please check your AdBlock settings.]

Which Flash Fiction Story Gets Your Vote?

Vote5It’s Wednesday – that means we need your help – only you can tell us which of these stories should win the honor of Flash Fiction Champion. It’s super easy – choose your favorite and cast your vote below.

Remember, the winning entries will all be included in the next edition of the IU Flash Fiction Anthology.

Check out this week’s entries here. Make your decision, then use those share buttons at the bottom of the post to spread the word.

Voting polls close Thursday at 5 PM Pacific time.

Which Flash Fiction Story Should Win the Honors This Week?

  • Howard Johnson (64%, 41 Votes)
  • Angela Fulbright (8%, 5 Votes)
  • Leland Dirks (6%, 4 Votes)
  • Jon Jefferson (6%, 4 Votes)
  • Michael Seese (5%, 3 Votes)
  • Kathryn El-Assal (5%, 3 Votes)
  • Vicki Zell (2%, 1 Votes)
  • Jacqueline Hopkins (2%, 1 Votes)
  • Nancy DeCilio Gauthier (2%, 1 Votes)
  • Venkatesh Iyer (2%, 1 Votes)
  • Kenyon Ledford (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 64

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NOTE: Entrants whose submissions exceed the 250 word limit are eliminated from the poll. ONE VOTE PER PERSON, please. Duplicate votes will be deleted. The results displayed above are unofficial until verified by administration.

NOOK Press for Print Books

Nook Press logo newThis week, NOOK Press announced it would begin “publishing” print books.

There’s a reason why I put “publishing” in scare quotes. For indies, the news isn’t as big as one might think at first glance.

First, the good news: NOOK Press will indeed turn out a print book for you, in a variety of trim sizes and cover types – including hardback, which CreateSpace doesn’t offer.

NOOK Press also provides a handy-dandy formatting guide, which looked pretty comprehensive to me when I skimmed it: covering everything from headers and pagination, to what the heck front matter and back matter are, to how to size the spine. And it actually appears to be written in English, not typeset-ese, which I thought was a problem when I originally looked at Lulu’s directions.

Now, the bad news. And there’s a lot of it. Continue reading “NOOK Press for Print Books”

Book Brief: The Art of Secrets

The Art of SecretsThe Art of Secrets
by Vicky Adin
Genre: Women’s Fiction
58,600 words

Emma Wade’s life has fallen apart and her career is rapidly going downhill. In a last-ditch effort to keep her job, she reluctantly agrees to write an exposé on the aged and reclusive author Charlotte Day.

Charlotte, who has lost the passion to write, is suspicious and distrustful of people and doesn’t want anyone digging into a past she considers shameful. However, she recognises her need to leave a legacy of some kind, and hesitantly accepts the project.

Wrestling with her own secrets, Emma worms her way into Charlotte’s past. But some memories are too precious or too painful to share – especially the causes of her descent into isolation. As they struggle forward, the two women are surprised to find much to like about each other. Their unusual relationship deepens; will they learn to trust again… Or will reliving the past be too much for either of them to handle?

The Art of Secrets is available at Amazon.com and Amazon UK. Continue reading “Book Brief: The Art of Secrets”