Write-Around Sue

 The Imajineers, as I've told you before, are an amazing bunch of people who work as a team to promote, inspire and motivate one another. We also cheer on the great things and rally around when life gets tough. 

Life has been tough for our Sue lately. Author Susan J. McLeod has encountered some health problems. So the team has done the posting for her, letting the cyber world know that, if you download her first book for free, you will certainly be hooked on the series. Well-written, historical fiction that fascinates, strong characters and a plot that will keep you guessing - Soul and Shadow has all the best elements for a romantic suspense. In fact, the book won a silver medal in the 2011 Reader's Favorites contest.

This is the LAST DAY of the freebies, so go get Soul and Shadow NOW.

  
In ancient Egypt, a young priestess of the goddess Hathor is laid to rest in a beautiful tomb with everything she needs for her journey into the afterlife…

Three thousand years later, archaeologist Ursula Allingham discovers the mummy of Amisihathor and is confronted by a mystery. Is the man buried with the priestess really her husband? Or was she actually in love with a scribe called Kamenwati and separated from him in life as well as death?

To answer these questions, Dame Ursula turns to Egyptology student and artist Lily Evans, who reluctantly agrees to help. Lily learns that she is psychically linked to Amisihathor and experiences a strange, unsettling phenomenon—the memories and emotions of the Egyptian woman. Luckily, Lily has her beloved pet Cleocatra and her irrepressible friend Katy to keep her grounded in reality. Or so she hopes.

Dealing with the challenges of falling in love with Ursula’s grandson Kent, the reappearance of her ex-fiance Stephen and the demands of her mother and her boss Professor Briggs, Lily soon realizes she has taken on much more than she bargained for.

Book 1 in Lily Evans Mystery series:
http://www.amazon.com/Soul-Shadow-Lily-Evans-Mystery-ebook/dp/B006IYGHMW

Susan J McLeod was born in Rochester, New York, on October 22, 1957. She began writing at a very early age, when she discovered that she could invent worlds that were much more fun than the one she lived in. Worlds where candy grew on trees and rivers of chocolate milk flowed. Where adventures were always waiting to happen and no one had to go to school.

Over the years, Susan visited ancient Rome, medieval England, and resided for a long spell on a starship orbiting Orion. A recent stay in Pharaonic Egypt resulted in her romantic suspense novel Soul and Shadow, which won a silver medal in the 2011 Reader's Favorites contest. It has been published by Imajin Books. Fire and Shadow, the second story in the Lily Evans series, was released in October 2012. Shell and Shadow is a novella that Susan wrote to raise money for Zara's Center. It was published in February of 2014.

Susan also writes short stories and poetry, and has won awards in both mediums.
She works for a non-profit family foundation that supports Zara's Center, a haven for AIDS impacted orphans.

U2 sums up her philosophy in life when Bono sings "We're one, but we're not the same/we get to carry each other, carry each other."

The Imajineers carry each other happily. Be well, Sue.
Listen to Imajineer Jesse Christensen's beautiful tribute song here:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7cAY5yv4F0

7 authors, 7 colleagues, 7 freebies, 7 things we love

The 7 authors, in alphabetical order by first name, are: Alison Bruce, Catherine Astolfo, Chris Redding, Kat Flannery, Luke Murphy, Melodie Campbell,  and Susan J. McLeod.

Ali, Cathy, Chris, Kat, Luke, Mel and Sue are all authors at Imajin Books. We are colleagues. At some point or another (e.g. yesterday for Chris), you've met them here on my blog. 7 of us: 6 female and 1 male. Since he has a wife and three daughters, Luke is used to being surrounded by women.

We all happen to have our books on sale right now: the ultimate sale - FREE.  7 freebies.

Since it's Valentine's Day, I thought you might like to read the 7 things we love about being authors.

1. We love our publisher, Imajin Books. Not only is it difficult to acquire a traditional publisher (i.e. one who pays you for your book), but it's also rare for a publisher to take chances on smart, different, rule-changing novels. CEO Cheryl Kaye Tardif is also an author, so she understands the nuances of clever writing, plots that challenge, characters that are unique.

2. We love our readers. They are discerning. They like to be entertained, but they're also looking for great characters whom they can like or dislike, plots that keep them guessing til the end, and settings that transport them.

3. We love our Imajineers. As a group, we are friendly, open, honest, and helpful. We don't compete, we complement. We network for and with one another. We share ideas and skills. We support each other, in good times and in bad.

4. We love marketing together. Selling your product is, for a creative soul, not easy. Banding together to share the work is so much better than going it alone.

5. We love the writing process. Those moments when the characters take over and veer the plot into exciting territory that we didn't know we'd envisioned. Those times when the words absolutely spill onto the page without effort. We soar! It's enough of a thrill to keep us going through the times when we are slogging through every single word.

6. We love our librarians and bookstore owners. They invite us to speak, organize readings, buy our books, and generally introduce us to new readers in the best way of all: face to face.

7. We love our families and friends. They are the foundation that keeps us on our feet. It's not easy loving a writer. Often we disappear for hours at a time. We're in other worlds a lot. We have other people in our thoughts (and they're pretty real to us). Without our families and friends, however, we'd never survive this business of writing, our obsession, our gift, and sometimes, our curse.

The easiest way to find our freebies is to go here and press SHOP NOW:
https://www.facebook.com/7freebooksimajinthat

Yesterday: Chris Redding
Tomorrow: Cathy, Ali and Mel
Monday: Kat and Luke
Tuesday: Sue

On Fire! Kristina Stanley on Researching Arson

Thank you, Catherine, for hosting me.

Are you kidding? Thank you for being here! I am always happy to host a hot writer.

Pardon?

I mean, a writer who's hot. You know, popular.

Oh. Okay.

Also, it was a little play on words...you know, your research on fire...hot...right?

Oh, I see. You're funny.

Is that funny ha ha or funny strange...?

Kristina actually only said that first sentence. The rest I made up. Surprise! Seriously, I am THRILLED to have Kristina Stanley do a return post on research for her second novel. The scenarios are so different, from snow and cold to fire and heat. Her first novel was terrific! I'm looking forward to reading the second.

She also gives a little teaser for her third novel and by the sounds of it, we'll all want to hear about THAT research too!

 Now, here's the real Kristina Stanley.

 

Every novel has a unique subject, giving an author an opportunity to research and learn about something new. I write the Stone Mountain Mystery series that takes place in the remote mountains of British Columbia.

For DESCENT (1^st in the series), the majority of my research focused on ski racing and ski tuning. For BLAZE (2^nd in the series), arson is the crime, so fire fighting was the research topic.

The idea for BLAZE came to me while I was the director of security at a ski resort. Late one night, my phone rang. A set of condos was on fire. My role for the night was to manage the scene surrounding the fire. This included calling for ambulance and RCMP backup, finding rooms for guests who had been displaced, arranging crowd control, and ensuring the firefighters had food and water during the night. The firefighters did all the hard work and saved many condos from burning to the ground.

By morning, I had an idea for a story and had just been given first hand research.

By being on the site of a major fire, my senses and thoughts were filled with:

-       Smell and sounds. Alarms, floors crashing, commands being shouted, burning debris…

-       Water, water everywhere. This is where I learned how much water damage occurs while trying to put out a fire.

-       Fear of people being hurt. I knew many of the firefighters personally, and watching them inside a burning building is stressful.

-       Worry about pets. Luckily no pets were hurt.

-       Desperation of a person whose home is burning.  Standing beside some who is losing their home fills one with a variety of emotions.

These senses and emotions were incorporated into BLAZE. The trick was to turn the experience into a story. With my imagination triggered, I decided arson was the crime, Kalin Thompson was the suspected victim, and I needed to add a forest fire to heighten the danger.

The next step in the research process was to interview firefighters.

-       This was more valuable than reading about events. A firefighter can tell you what they would wear for different fires. I learned about gear for a forest fire versus a structural fire, what a man-down alarm sounds like, and what a firefighter would think and feel while working in a burning building.

After the interviews, I expanded my knowledge with online research.

-       I read news about fires.

-       I watched videos – there is always a video. A little aside about researching for my novel AVALANCHE, if you want to scare yourself google “what does it feel like to be caught in an avalanche," watch one of the go pro videos of a person being buried. I did this and had to go for a walk just to calm down. Now that’s exciting research.

The final step in my research process was to have a firefighter read the fire scenes for accuracy and believability. My thought was if a firefighter believed the scene, then others would too.

Research can be an exciting part of the novel-writing adventure. Just be sure you don’t get so involved in the research that you forget to write.

My Facebook launch party for BLAZE (https://www.facebook.com/events/1630121803934943/) is this coming Sunday, October 25th from 4 to 6 PM EST. I would love to see you there.

For added Facebook excitement, Catherine will be giving away a copy of LEGACY at the BLAZE Facebook launch party. If you’re not familiar with a launch party, drop on by and chat with authors, maybe win a book, and socialize online. I’ve met some fun online friends this way.

Kristina’s Bio

Kristina Stanley is the author of the Stone Mountain Mystery Series. Her books have garnered the attention of prestigious crime writing organizations in Canada and England. Crime Writers of Canada nominated DESCENT for the Unhanged Arthur award. The Crime Writers’ Association nominated BLAZE for the Debut Dagger. She is published in the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.

Before writing her series, Kristina was the director of security, human resources and guest services at a resort in the depths of the British Columbian mountains. The job and lifestyle captured her heart, and she decided to write mysteries about life in an isolated resort. While writing the first four novels, she spent five years living aboard a sailboat in the US and the Bahamas.

Instead of exchanging vows, Kalin Thompson spends her wedding day running from a forest fire near Stone Mountain Resort, and the pregnant friend trapped with her has just gone into labor. Meanwhile, Kalin’s fiancé, Ben Timlin, hangs from the rafters of a burning building, fighting for his life. Can the situation get any hotter?

When the fire is declared as arson, finding the firebug responsible becomes Kalin’s personal mission. In the course of her investigation as Director of Security, she discovers that some people will go to extreme measures to keep her from exposing their secrets.

I love to connect with people online. I can be found at: www.KristinaStanley.com

Follow me on twitter, let me know you read this blog and I’ll follow you back. @StanleyKMS

Or comment on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KristinaStanley.Author

If you're looking for something to read and you haven’t read DESCENT yet, now is your chance before BLAZE comes out. Find it at:  http://mybook.to/Descent

And if you have read DESCENT, I’d be very excited if you pre-ordered BLAZE http://myBook.to/BLAZEbyKristinaStanley

Fast, Fun, Feisty, Frugal

My new book, UP CHIT CREEK, is a shorty. A novella. A fast read for busy people without sacrificing character and plot. There might be a few delicious caloric descriptive passages removed, but who needs the extra weight?

 Especially when you are sitting on a subway train or a bus or a plane. If you're a fast reader, you can devour my shorty in no time.

Wikipedia says novellas can go from 17,500 to 40,000 words, with the most common being 30,000. My publisher, Imajin Books, picked 30,000 words max for her Qwickie line. As a comparison, novels are most commonly 80-90,000 words.
 




But - it will be FUN. Yes, this author of the dark suspense (Emily Taylor Mysteries and Sweet Karoline, not to mention all those short stories), has written a funny story. Well, I hope you find it funny anyhow. The plot of killing old people at a retirement residence doesn't sound funny, but my character is a spitfire. She's witty and smart and speaks her mind outrageously. A member of The Flower Pots, she's an "old hippy" who still likes to kick back with a spliff or two. Someone you might have met at Woodstock (the original).
 


It's frugal, too, since the novella will cost you about $3.00. Trust me, selling at this price doesn't make or my publisher rich, but it's just so damn satisfying. Of course, if we end up with a million buyers, we'd be just fine, but that's not something I expect. (Luckily, neither does my publisher.)

Pretty good price for something that will make you LOL and with characters you will remember.

Written on the little laptop pictured to the left!

The launch of UP CHIT CREEK happens Saturday, May 2, 2015.
 

May 2  Be Up  Chit Creek?

You are personally invited to dive right in. How can you do that?  Let me count the ways!

 1.     In person. Come to a panel discussion and the book launch at The Brantford Public Library, Main Branch, 173 Colborne St., Brantford, at 2 p.m. on May 2. Open House at our place afterward.

2.     Online! Download a copy of the e-novella through any of these links. You can do this right now. You’ll get the book on May 2. You can order on May 2 or after May 2. The Tooth will set you free.

3.     If you don’t have an ereader, download it onto your computer and wait until you do. Tell me you downloaded it and in goes your name for a free paperback when (if) I get one.

4.     You want an autographed copy? You can have your ebooks authorgraphed right here: https://www.authorgraph.com

UP CHIT CREEK

No one is surprised that “nosy Rosie” is the one who finds poor Mr. Hummel in the garden. The surprise is the knife in his back. Nothing like this has ever happened in Chittendom Creek, let alone at the ReVisions Retirement Residence. When the oldies start dropping like flies, it’s Kira Callahan to the rescue.

To solve the murder, Kira enlists the assistance of her friends, The Flower Pots—so named due to their past and present semi-legal activity. But Kira is up Chit Creek when a final ingenious plan to capture the killer almost ends with a victim close to her heart.

Amazon/Kindle:

http://www.amazon.com/Up-Chit-Creek-Catherine-Astolfo-ebook/dp/B00VEYO0PW

Kobo:

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/up-chit-creek

Google Play:

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Catherine_Astolfo_Up_Chit_Creek?id=ryC5BwAAQBAJ&hl=en 

     

Smashwords doesn’t have pre-orders, so on or after May 2:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/531663

Other Dates for In Person Visits can be found right here: http://www.amazon.com/Catherine-Astolfo/e/B005PWZ6D4

There is No I in Team

You know that saying, "There is no I in team", right?

Well this morning (LA time) I had a thought that there is, actually, a lot of "I" in team.

This contradictory view was actually started by my publisher, Cheryl Tardif, of Imajin Books.

www.imajinbooks.com 

   Not that she was advocating against the concept 

of playing as a    team.

As a matter of fact she encourages it. 

Her authors have a team chat line. 

We work as a team on Facebook and Twitter.

We share and support and encourage whenever we can.

This is the first time, however, that I have been involved in team marketing through an ebook bundle with Imajin. That's where the "I" comes in.

I get to be included with a whole bunch of other talented writers.

I get the benefit of their networks, expertise, a shared (and therefore much larger) budget, combined effort, coordinated marketing, and tons of encouragement.

I get to be part of a magnificent promotion. Naturally we have high hopes for our sale.

But regardless, we will have fun.

We'll send each other encouraging words.

We'll share our hopes, dreams, and moments of success.

That's the "I"! I am happy! I am thrilled.


Here's your "I": you get 12 entire novels for $1.99. You don't even have to choose between food and books. Repeat after me: "I can have both!"

DEADLY DOZEN HOLIDAY SALE

Atychiphobia or Jonah Complex? Me?

 Part One - Atychiphobia

During my publisher's latest promotion, I began to realize that I was clenching my teeth, picking at my nails and pulling my hair even as I cheerfully followed instructions re the fabulous marketing ideas. I suddenly acknowledged that I was not having fun. That I had a deep-seated aversion to bragging about myself to the world.  

Although I love my own books, am proud as a peacock that I wrote them, adore my publisher - I wasn't enjoying the promos. Why not?

I decided to look up inspirational talks about success and discovered not one, but two, syndromes from which I may be suffering. I just have to decide which one. As they say, acceptance is the first step to recovery.

First, I investigate the most popular ailment. Perhaps I have acquired Atychiphobia, commonly known as the fear of failure. According to Mind Tools, there are four main signs of atychiphobia.

1. "A reluctance to try new things or get involved in challenging projects." I don't think I have this symptom. I'm usually very excited about new marketing ideas. It's the actual work of the project that gets me nervous. As I'm tweeting and facebooking, I am convinced no one is really listening. I am talking to myself. Despite the lovely retweets, follows, Likes, purchases, and direct messages, I still feel completely alone. Probably because I am. Alone, that is, here is my office, unable to see the audience or hear any applause.
Strike symptom 1.

2.  "Self-sabotage   – for example, procrastination, excessive anxiety, or a failure to follow through with goals." Hmmm. I like things done way ahead of schedule where possible. So, no procrastination signs. Excessive anxiety - well, my nervousness doesn't stop me from carrying through with the assignment or goals or tasks - so, scratch excessive. Failure to follow through - nope, I follow through. I get it done. I just don't enjoy it. I feel frustrated and depressed, not before, but during and after the promo.
Scratch symptom 2.  

3. "Low self-esteem or self-confidence   – Commonly using negative statements such as 'I'll never be good enough to get that promotion,' or 'I'm not smart enough to get on that team'." I might have to cop to this one. I do tend to suffer from shyness and a lack of confidence. But as anyone will tell you, most people don't notice. They would probably argue with me. They don't see my shaking knees or the ache of my jaw. I plunge into everything despite the lack of confidence. Although it's always with me, I employ techniques for appearing comfortable and confident: big smile, firm handshake, deep breaths, written speeches.
Symptom 3 - only half.
  
4. "Perfectionism – A willingness to try only those things that you know you'll finish perfectly and successfully." Oh, I have to admit to this one. I rarely tackle anything unless I'm pretty sure I'll be a huge success at the skill or task. Maybe this explains the post-promo depression (I'm coining it as PPD). Afterward, the results are never what I think I should have accomplished! I berate myself for not being number one. For not surpassing Sara Paretsky or Louise Penny. Aha! I have this symptom for sure!

Symptom 4 - I own this! I am perfect at it.

However, since I only have one and a half of the symptoms of a fear of failure, do I really have atychiphobia? Perhaps not. Perhaps I have Jonah Complex. On to the next set of research!

BTW: ImajinBook's Summer Sizzle promotion, sale and contest can be found right here, until July 20: http://www.imajinbooks.com/contests-events

PS Some promoters I admire who seem to thoroughly enjoy doing it (so much so, they make it their profession). Check them out when you get a chance, especially if you are an author with atychiphobia - they'll take over for you.

Rebecca Dahlke runs Dirt Cheap Mystery Reads: allmysteryenewsletter.com

Michael Gallagher runs Kindle Books and Tips: http://www.fkbooksandtips.com/

On the Journal: Part 1

     No, that wasn't an auto-correct. I did write Journal, not Journey. The two words share the root of the French "jour" meaning "day" and are therefore both based on time. According to those who should know and don't mind telling us that, we should journal daily, just as we journey along in our daily lives.

     But I am terrible at journalling unless combined with a journey outside my regular sphere. A visit, a trip, a vacation, in other words, inspires me to write something down every day. Not so much when I'm home, despite the fact that I would love to be a regular journal-er.

     I admire and envy those who keep a running account of their daily adventures, thoughts, ideas and observations. I wish I could make myself do it.

     Recently I have been purging my home of "junk" after 25 years of living in the same house. I discovered a whole bunch of gorgeous little writing books with lovely covers and decorative pages. You see, although I am sporadic at writing in the journal, I adore those exquisite books. My favorite is a leather-bound journal that I bought in Turkey. That one I use to write plot outlines.

     Reading over the short-lived diaries, I realize that my writing in them tends to become lists. Bucket lists. Financial lists. Shopping lists. Lists of ideas for stories. Complaint lists.
    
     Here is one such list that I found yesterday. It's entitled "10 Things To Do Before I Die". I wrote it a whole bunch of years ago, likely around 1999, before the 2000's even existed. I'm including a little update with each one, so you know how far I got with this particular list.

10 Things to Do Before I Die  (not in order of importance)

1.  Visit Barbados √ Two years ago, we went with my cousin and her husband. We had a ball. It was worthy of being on the list! But now it can be replaced with some other exotic location—or a return trip to Barbados would be great too.

2. Visit Auschwitz. Dreadful, I know, but there is something that has always compelled me to go there. If I fully believed in past lives, I might suspect I'd been there in person already. But I haven't made it in this life...yet. Surprisingly, no one wants to go with me, but it's staying on the list.

3. Have a traditional publisher publish my book. √ Thanks to Cheryl Kaye Tardif of Imajin Books (www.imajinbooks.com), I can check this one off my list. By 2013, I had five published! Not to mention a bunch of short stories in "real" magazines. This item stays, however, since I have more to write.

4. Reach my ideal weight and stay there. All I can say to this is, ha ha ha ha ha ha. Still, I'll keep it on the list.

5. See Sisbro be a HUGE success. Sisbro and Co. Inc. is my children's film company. (I am a not-so-silent partner.) We haven't made a huge success yet—but there have been strides in that direction. This one stays on the list.

6. Go on a cruise. √ We went on a Mediterranean cruise last year with a bunch of our best friends. It was awesome! Glad I had that on my list. Might have to see about a couple more of those, so let's leave this here for now.

7. Return to Israel/Palestine and see Halil and Amitiée. This one hasn't been achieved—yet. It stays here. Someday I'll tell you all about these two people.

8. Get to know Vince's kids better. √ As the "other woman", it was a difficult thing to be accepted or liked by my husband's children, and I didn't blame them. But oh my god, I am grateful every single day that I can check this one off the list.

9. Learn to relax. Well, I have employed some pharmaceuticals and red wine to help with this. Seriously, however, it's not an art I have perfected by any means. Leave it on the list.

10. Learn to take care of myself and not worry so much. I think I've done a pretty good job of this one. It should probably stay on the list, though, since it's something to practice every day.

On the Journal...Cathy

www.catherineastolfo.com


This is the purple diary in which I found my Bucket List circa 1999. I think I bought this one in Turkey, too. Should've written that down...

Join the Imajin Books Twitter Party

 Ever wonder what life must be like for a writer? 

(For instance: Do all writers kick beer cans in the air when they have trouble choosing the right word - or was that just Hemingway?)

Ever want to ask an author how they come up with their plots?

 (For instance: Do all authors search through every book in the world to get an idea? Or is that just Agatha Christie?)

 

Want to ask a publisher what 

they're looking for?

(For instance, must I wear the electrodes all the time?)

 Now you can ask all those questions and more!

Get all the dirt, the secrets, the lies, the truth...

well, you get the idea.

 On December 14 & 15, from 5-10 PM EST, 

join the Imajin Books Twitter Party, 

part of their annual 25 Days of Christmas Giveaways event. 

You will have the opportunity to chat 

with various Imajin Books authors (including me!!) 

and the publisher herself, 

international bestselling author Cheryl Kaye Tardif. 

Cheryl will be giving away random prizes to participants during the Twitter Party, so get your questions ready.

To join the Party, simple use #ImajinAuthors in all your tweets and follow the #ImajinAuthors thread on Twitter, which can be found by searching for the hashtag or going here.

And don't forget, Imajin Books is holding a massive eBook Sale and giving away lots of prizes, including a Kindle Fire HD or Kobo Vox 7 HD, and two $50 Amazon gift cards.

To learn more about all these events, please visit

 http://www.imajinbooks.com/contests-events.

Celebrate! Celebrate! Dance to the music!

 

This Christmas season, Canadian publishing house Imajin Books decided to do things a bit differently. Instead of only 25 days of contests and discounts as in past years, they're holding various events from December 1st to January 3rd. Okay, so they can't count, but they believe readers deserve to be rewarded. And we authors agree!

 

From December 1-25, Imajin Books will be awarding random prizes to those who leave comments on their Facebook page. So drop by, check out their posts and leave a comment or question.

Want to win even more? Check out their "Share the Imajin Books Buzz" contest. You could win a Kindle Fire HD or Kobo equivalent, or one of two $50 Amazon gift cards. This contest also runs December 1-25. To enter, visit http://www.imajinbooks.com/contests-events. You can enter multiple times a day.

Consider Yourself Well In! Guest Peter Clenott

"Consider yourself well in, consider yourself part of the family"

I haven't really met Peter in person, but he's one of our Imajin-nation, so he has to be great. Here are some things I have learned about him. He has three wonderful kids (even though they're teens LOL). He writes mainly in the YA genre in their honor.  In August 2013, DEVOLUTION will be published by Imajin Books. He's also one of those people whom I admire for their social services and non-profit work. Sounds like he's politically involved, too, so look out Massachusetts!

Now, to the best part - Peter's new book, Devolution.

DEVOLUTION features sixteen-year-old Chiku Flynn. Chiku was born in the Congo rainforest to two anthropologists studying the native chimpanzees. For the first eleven years of her life, Chiku is more chimp than child. She nests with the chimpanzees, grooms them and has no qualms about sticking a leaf tool in the soil and slurping up the ants and termites she uncovers. When she is eleven, her mother is killed, and Chiku is sent back to the United States to grow into a maladjusted teenager medicated for anxiety, depression, mood disorder, hyperactivity, you name it. When her father disappears, Chiku must return to the Congo to discover her true heroic self. In Swahili, Chiku means ‘chatterbox’ but the chimpanzees of the Maiku National park, with whom she can communicate using sign language, know her simply as Talk Talk

An Excerpt for my followers - FREE!
     Perched on a branch in a tree at the top of Chimp Hill, the highest point on the island, Scallion studied the night sky. In times past, the moon, the stars, all of the bright objects set in the darkness above, would have held no meaning for him or for his fellow chimpanzees. With good reason their curiosity was focused on the earth and upon the rain forest in which they lived, how it fed them and nurtured them. This had been true since the beginning of time, since the first chimpanzee found a home here. Only the arrival of the girl and her parents had changed that, changed everything, in fact.
     Scallion didn’t feel the wind breathing through his brown fur, didn’t feel its soft tickling. Sometimes the moon shone a brilliant red or even purple, colors reflecting off the water of the Mamba River, which flowed around Chimp Hill and created his island home. On those nights the young chimpanzee reflected upon days buried deeply but firmly in his memory when he and the human female played tag and leaped through the trees, wraaing and hooting and pretending they were of the same kind.
     Tonight the mouth-shaped moon seemed to be frowning. The girl had explained to him, using her hands in a language her father was teaching them, that they all lived on a great big ball. Using the thumb and middle finger of her left hand she would pinch her right wrist and explain to them that their world made a circle every day so that light was a part of the morning and darkness an expected feature of night.
     "The moon," she signed, touching her forehead with two fingers in the shape of the crescent, "is a ball of rock that floats in the air so far away birds can never reach it. Chimpanzees can never get there either, but our kind can."

Buy Devolution HERE

It's still only 99¢ for its debut price, so get it on your ereader now and read it to your kids!

Judge a Book by Its Cover! And - off to Guelp today.

Come over to see me at Alison Bruce's blog, Summer Shorts, since I am in Guelph with her today!

Also thinking about Sweet Karoline's cover. If Mel Bradshaw is right about the explosive nature of this book - maybe there should be a bomb on the cover?? What do you think??

Here's a trivia question for you: what singer do I see every time he comes to Toronto and what does he have to do with Sweet Karoline?

Endorsers! How I Love Thee!

Since we have to wait a little bit for Sweet Karoline to show up, I want to introduce you to my amazing endorsers.

What's an endorser, you ask? Well, the first criterion is that the endorser must be another writer whom you admire. The second criterion is that s/he is willing to read your novel in manuscript form, ignore any errors (this is pre-edit, you see), and tell you what they think. You expect them to be honest, because obviously if they don't like the book, they won't provide an endorsement.

Fortunately for me, I found six authors who fit the criteria perfectly. I'm going to show them to you, two at a time, alphabetically.

I met Mel Bradshaw through Crime Writers of Canada. Before I met him in person, I had already read his book, Victim Impact, and loved it.  Once I met him in person, I loved him, too, and his wonderful wife, Carol.

Here's a quick peek from his website:

Torn from the Headlines: Victim Impact

Drug wars and courtroom drama in the Golden Horseshoe. The rights of the criminally accused versus the needs of the victims. A twenty-first century thriller.

When criminologist Ted Boudreau’s academic interest in biker gangs brings tragedy into his home, a penal progressive must confront his inner vigilante. There will be other victims. Can all receive justice?

“It’s a haunting novel… a must read.” (Don Graves, Hamilton Spectator)

I have to admit I haven't gotten to the Shenstone stories yet, but I have them ready to read once I complete two other novels I've got my nose into. Mel knows why I am especially interested in the Shenstone mysteries! Quarrel with the Foe and Fire on the Runaway are on my shelf. You should get them on yours, too. Go here for all the links: Mel's Website

"Detective Sergeant Paul Shenstone of the Toronto police gets his first case as lead investigator in 1926. His professional assets include a year of university, combat experience during the Great War, and a bachelor's freedom to focus on a problem without family distractions. His liabilities? A thirst for whiskey despite Prohibition, a fondness for women, and a tendency to go it alone rather than fit into an organizational pigeon-hole."

Mel Bradshaw and Me at a Signing with the "Other Mel" (Campbell) to Mel's left.

 Next in line is Liz Bugg. I recently attended the launch of her third book, Yellow Vengeance. (That's one of the two novels I told you about that I'm currently reading.) I have read the first two as well, and love them all.

Here's a sneak peek from Liz's website about her first book, Red Rover.

Thalia Spencer is missing. Is she in trouble or simply avoiding her family?

This fast-moving thriller follows Calli Barnow through the twists and turns of Toronto’s neighbourhoods, from rundown but friendly Kensington market to the Church Street gaybourhood, through the ravines of Rosedale and Mount Pleasant’s Mausoleums.

Calli is an engaging companion, flawed but determined, pursued by her own demons as she tries to find a missing girl before more trouble finds her.


The above synopsis mentions the three things I love about Liz's books: the fast pace, the setting descriptions, and the wonderful Calli whose witty, sardonic voice endeared her to me from the start.

Liz and I at the launch of Yellow Vengeance.

I've met Liz on a number of occasions and, I'm happy to report, not only do we like each other's writing, we like each other too! What a perfect combination.

Got get Liz's books at her website right here. 

Step up to the Book Bar: This Round is on Luke!

My guest, Luke Murphy, is one of my Imajin Books colleagues. One of the great things for readers - besides getting your hands on terrific titles - is that our novels are relatively inexpensive and, sometimes, we like to thank our fans by buying a round of books.

Take it away, Luke!

My International bestselling crime-thriller, DEAD MAN’S HAND, is now FREE, from June 26-28.

I’ve been so happy with the success and reviews since releasing my debut novel back in October. DMH hit International Bestselling status almost overnight.

There are so many crime-thriller writers and so many books in the genres that competition is at an all-time high. Many people have asked what makes my story so special and who would enjoy my book.

Why has this novel generated an audience?
- Dead Man’s Hand has tension and excitement as a result of the action taking place in a single week.


- The African-American protagonist is not stereotypical. While his race is significant, he does not moralize about the issue or his situation.  

- The “find out who framed you to save yourself” plot has a twist in that Watters researches the crime online, primarily using analysis of character rather than physical evidence.


- Point of view is easy to follow but engagingly complex, with scenes from the perspectives of Watters, the detective, the cheating wife, and a hired assassin.

Who is my MAIN target audience and why?

- Thriller readers looking for an atypical thriller hero—an African-American who is no saint.


- Sports fans will be fascinated by Watters’ struggle to recover his decency and win, a kind of Blind Side story with little sentimentality and few illusions.

- A Las Vegas setting—the world of The Hangover movies and many youth films like Bridesmaids—will appeal to 20s-30s readers.

- Watters’ romance with a former prostitute will appeal to younger female readers.  The marital tension between Detective Dayton and his wife will interest adults. Both men and women will enjoy the twist on the femme fatale figure of the murderer’s lover, who has her own schemes.

Get Dead Man’s Hand for FREE - http://ow.ly/hd4Xv

Back cover text:

What happens when the deck is stacked against you…

From NFL rising-star prospect to wanted fugitive, Calvin Watters is a sadistic African-American Las Vegas debt-collector framed by a murderer who, like the Vegas Police, finds him to be the perfect fall-guy.

…and the cards don't fall your way?

When the brutal slaying of a prominent casino owner is followed by the murder of a well-known bookie, Detective Dale Dayton is thrown into the middle of a highly political case and leads the largest homicide investigation in Vegas in the last twelve years.

What if you're dealt a Dead Man's Hand?

Against his superiors and better judgment, Dayton is willing to give Calvin one last chance. To redeem himself, Calvin must prove his innocence by finding the real killer, while avoiding the LVMPD, as well as protect the woman he loves from a professional assassin hired to silence them.

Reviews:

"You may want to give it the whole night, just to see how it turns out."
—William Martin, New York Times bestselling author of Back Bay and The Lincoln Letter

"Dead Man's Hand is a pleasure, a debut novel that doesn't read like one,
but still presents original characters and a fresh new voice."
—Thomas Perry, New York Times bestselling author of Poison Flower

"Part police procedural, part crime fiction, Dead Man's Hand is a fast, gritty ride."
—Anne Frasier, USA Today bestselling author of Hush

Get it FREE - http://ow.ly/hd4Xv

Luke Murphy lives in Shawville, Quebec with his wife, three daughters and a pug.

He played six years of professional hockey before retiring in 2006. Since then, he’s held a number of jobs, from sports columnist to radio journalist, before earning his Bachelor of Education degree (Magna Cum Laude).

Murphy's debut novel, Dead Man's Hand, was released by Imajin Books on October 20, 2012.

For more information on Luke and his books, visit: www.authorlukemurphy.com, ‘like’ his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/#!/AuthorLukeMurphy and follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/#!/AuthorLMurphy

Consider Yourself At Home!

Another Guest from my Family of Imajin Books! Chris Redding introduces us to her newest book.

Which Exit Angel

Just released. Get it for the introductory price of 99 cents for a limited time.

Blurb:
She's an angel who hasn't earned her wings. He's a preacher who is questioning his faith. How are they supposed to fend off the coming apocalypse?

Excerpt:
A bell rang, but Detective Angela Sky wasn’t getting her wings.
Not that she wasn’t due, she just hadn’t made the commitment yet. She’d get around to it, right now she had a murder to investigate.
She fished her Smartphone out of her pocket to see who had sent her a text message. That’s what had been ringing, well, dinging because she’d left it on the default sound for incoming messages. Dang technology. Harder to solve than most homicides.
Gabriel again. Sighing, she put the device back in her pocket. He’d have to wait. She pulled her shirt from her sticky back. Dang New Jersey humidity. The dog days of August in New Jersey was not her idea of a good time. She didn’t want murders of angels to take place at all, but she’d enjoy a cooler climate.  Even the sun going down hadn’t taken the heat out of the air.
The body in question had already been removed, but had there been a chalk outline it would have included wings.
Bunny Watts, the deceased, had received her wings more than a hundred years before. She’d been a guardian angel, but no one in Heaven or Earth seemed to know what she was doing down a dark alley on a humid Saturday night in the small Shore town. 
Another person had been there too and that someone had killed Bunny. It was Angela’s job to solve the crime. The way kidnappers crossing state lines were FBI jurisdiction, angels’ deaths were her bailiwick .
The only witness sat in a Sea Witch, New Jersey, police car.
Sea Witch? What the heck kind of name was that for a town?

Buy here: http://amzn.com/B00D1TPXZY
Where to find Chris Redding
http://chrisredddingauthor.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/chrisreddingauthor
www.twitter.com/chrisredding
Enjoy and thanks to Catherine for having me today.
You're most welcome, Chris!