GUEST POST FROM AUTHOR SCOTT NICHOLSON

Author Scott Nicholson has written 12 thrillers, 60 short stories, four comics series, and six screenplays. He's also a freelance editor and journalist. He lives in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, where he tends an organic garden, successfully eludes stalkers, and generally lives the dream.

Scott is one of those Indie authors who has made a name for himself and will be around a long after the dust settles.  His latest thriller "Liquid Fear," is running up the charts on Amazon.  I've asked him to offer some advice to Indies who'd like to know how to get where they want to go.  He was kind enough to put together a small excerpt from his book, "The Indie Journey," to guide those who could use a little nudge:

                   
                   SUSTAINING AN INDIE CAREER

I am not sure anyone yet knows how to sustain an indie career in the digital era, despite the experience of some people who have been self-publishing since the dinosaur days of paper.

The only ones who have bankable careers are those who are already closing in on their indie million. If it all ended tomorrow, they could probably manage okay with some smart investing.

Those who are getting a decent income right now could see it go one of two ways. If it ended tomorrow, a solid percentage would immediately shift to giving their books away to “build audience,” even if a paying audience down the road seems unlikely. Those who quit their day jobs to go indie can probably find other jobs and have a great story for the grandkids about when they were “real authors.” A few will continue to parlay indie success into a corporate career.

But even corporate careers are tough to sustain, with only a minority of lucky authors getting those third and fourth book deals and then building a long-term career. And, if the indie era collapsed, one would suspect those same factors would probably make an even more dramatic impact on publishers with much higher overheads.

While it’s difficult to predict how everything will turn out, your chances of surviving either way are best if you continue to run your writing like both an art and a business, like so:

1. Continue to write, no matter what. Without products, you have no options.

2. Expand your markets. You’re on Kindle. Great. So are a quarter-million other authors, and that number is expanding daily. So get on Nook, Smashwords, Kobo, Apple, OverDrive, and everywhere else, and try to develop sales at your own site—the only site where you will be guaranteed to maintain control and a suitable royalty.

3. Consider diversifying your genres. You don’t know what the next trend will be. If you don’t find trends artistically satisfying, write what you like and hope the market catches up. While branding is helpful, it is also limiting. If you are prolific, consider a pen name—but a pen name is probably wasted on a one-shot, so unless you are going to establish the pen name as its own brand, avoid it.

4. Pay attention to the markets. Try to anticipate and stay ahead of the curve, whether on pricing, content, covers, devices, or what readers want.

5. Keep building your network. Having more friends makes writing more fun, but be careful you don’t spend more time tweeting than writing. As the digital revolution evolves, you might see new opportunities open that you hadn’t considered—everything from ad-supported e-books to interactive, shared-adventure stories.

6. Take chances. In any evolutionary leap, a number of critters are left behind. Usually they are they ones who are slowest to adapt, often because they are following the herd, which means they are the last to get to the vital resources. Extinction is the result.

Most of all, enjoy it. A number of indie writers seem unhappy because they have certain expectations and are disappointed because they aren’t one of the indie lottery winners. Be grateful for this incredible opportunity. If this is as good as it ever gets, that’s still pretty darned good!

Scott Nicholson
http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/
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To read the entire book, The Indie Journey, it's available at Smashwords  http://www.smashwords.com/extreader/read/58806 Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Indie-Journey-Secrets-Writing-ebook/dp/B0050I5TXA and B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/indie-journey-scott-nicholson/1101046538?ean=2940012468031&itm=1&usri=scott%2bnicholson%2bindie%2bjourney

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Somewhere along the line the rules were changed.  The old rules meant you had to get approval for your book from a literary agent, usually after a 3-12 month wait.  Then wait another year or so to find a publisher.  Then if you were one of the lucky few who found one, you got to wait another 18 months before your book hit the bookstores.  Whew, am I glad those days are over. E-Readers have changed the game.

This is a complex issue with many layers.  The gatekeepers are going away.  This means some really good writers are finally going to find their way without the hindrance from a suit in New York who doesn't like vampire books, so goodbye dreams.  Unfortunately, this also means that every shmoe with a laptop is now writing a novel and posting it on Smashwords because, after all, the gatekeepers are gone.  Is this intrinsically a bad thing?  No.  Readers will find the good stuff, just like they find the good music without ever hearing it on the radio.  The most common way will be word of mouth, which is always the most powerful method. 

The reason I believe this isn't a bad thing is because of my experience within the publishing world when the gatekeepers were still taking three martini lunches.  After one publisher told me how much he liked my Nick Bracco novel, he then admitted how much he despises mafia books and if The Godfather were offered to him, he'd have turned it down immediately.  Really?

Okay, you say, that's just one guy.  But therein lies the problem.  With all the consolidation within the publishing world, there's only 5 or 6 big publishers left anymore.  What if four of them don't like mafia books?  You mean your chance of bringing your award-winning novel to the masses depends on the approval of maybe three or four people in a high rise in Manhattan?  Good luck with that.

So where do we go from here?  Up.  Where?  Up.  That's right, we move up the evolutionary ladder to a new system where the reader gets to decide what's good and what's not.  Will it be difficult at times to sort things out?  Sure.  But eventually the readers will have their say good or bad.  I wouldn't want it any other way.  Let me decide what I like.  After all, I'm a reader too. 

GUEST POST BY AUTHOR BOB MOATS

Bob Moats began his writing career a few years back with his Jim Richards series of murder mysteries and has not stopped since.  He's one of the most prolific writers on the scene today.  His first book, "The Classmate Murders," went on to hook tons of fans and 18 books later he's reaping the benefits of his labor.  For those of you wondering how an Indie author makes any money, Bob has some suggestions for you.  He's a talented writer and very accessible, so for those who have any questions about his work feel free to contact him at  bob@magic1online.com   Now, here's Bob:

Spreading your book sales beyond Amazon.

When I first started writing my books, I had an illusion that I would be the next Robert B. Parker, with a series of novels about my private eye, Jim Richards. I finished that first book "Classmate Murders", and then started book two, before I really had any idea of ever being published. Mainly because I didn't know how to go about getting published. My brother is a professional photographer and he had a coffee table book of his photos that he sold at art fairs and such. He finally got on Amazon to sell his books also and he introduced me to selling my books there.

I checked around online to see how much it would cost to print my books and found that for the number of pages and size, the cheapest would be about $5.00 per book to print in quantities over 100. (I did check local print shops and they wanted over $14. per book!) I had originally figured on selling my books for about $7.99, which was average for paperbacks in stores by famous authors. I could only aspire to put myself in their category, but I had to set a price. I figured out how much Amazon would take out for their booty on each sale, I realized I was going to make about .75 cents for each book sold after printing costs. Not a healthy profit, so selling my books in paperback wasn't much of an option.

Then my brother introduced me to Twitter and Facebook. I joined and started to meet people who were putting their books online as ebooks. The word I was reading was that getting an agent or a publisher is about as much fun as a tooth extraction, but self-publishing was not such a bad way to go.

I looked into this and having a background in computers, I set up my first book and put it on Amazon. I tweeted and Facebooked my ebook on Amazon and after a while I sold a couple of them. I also found that the price I was asking was a little high for an ebook, so I lowered my prices as I put more of my books up for sale. My first royalty payment from Amazon came and it was for $13.65 (a whole four books) and I was happy, I was now a paid published author. Each month after that my sales were going up, nothing tremendous but enough to keep me in beer and chips.

I was also reading about how everyone praises Amazon as though it were the only venue to sell books, but I discovered a place called Smashwords.com and how they sell books for authors. The nice thing about Smashwords is that they are a distribution channel to other ebook retailers like Apple for iPad, Kobo, Diesel, Sony for Nook, Barnes & Noble and even Amazon for the Kindle. This was a way to get a wider coverage for my books so I put them on Smashwords and waited to see what would happen. I was surprised.

I had to promote to start the ball rolling, but now the the thing has taken on a life of it's own. Every month was showing an increase in sales and I'm hoping they continue. My last royalty payment from Smashwords (covering most of the retailers) was almost $500. while Amazon came in a modest $200. but I took it. I'm not going to get rich, maybe, but using more than one avenue to sell my books compounds the sales nicely.

What I'm boring you to death about is that you shouldn't put all your ebooks in one basket. I hear authors I've met online talking about the thousands of books they are selling on Amazon, I'm happy for them, but none mention about any sales on Smashwords or their retailer partners. Amazon sells only for Kindle, I know people who have other tablets and ereaders but not Kindle, so they can't read the Amazon DRM locked books on their readers, but with Smashwords the options and formats are wide open.

To end this and summing up, I'm just saying if you have a book worthy of selling to the masses, don't just use Amazon, go for the other retailers, you can only improve your sales as I have.

Bob Moats

Website: http://murdernovels.com - Blog: http://bobmoats.com/

5 QUESTIONS FOR AUTHOR TAYLOR STEVENS

When Taylor Stevens was 14 she wrote her first short story.  Instead of being encouraged for her precociousness, her notebooks were confiscated and she was put in solitary confinement and held without food.  It would be 2 decades before she would write again.  Such is the amazing story of a young girl who was born into a religious cult.  For more info on Taylor's grim upbringing you can read her own version of the events at her Facebook Fan Page:

http://www.facebook.com/taylorstevens?sk=info

Stevens' debut novel, The Informationist, has received rave reviews from USA Today to the LA Times.  Her protaganist Vanessa Munroe is a resourceful loner who grew up overseas and has combat training and a wry sense of humor.  The Informationist is a remarkable story worth investigating for many reasons:


1- In “The Informationist” your main character, Vanessa, “Michael” Munroe is insanely clever (she speaks 22 languages) and has worldly experience. Was it cathartic to write about a character who was so physically and mentally powerful?


There was a time, many years ago, when I wrote essays for myself and for a select few friends as a way to process, internalize and put to rest many of the things we experienced while growing up. In its time, that form of writing was rather cathartic, but writing good fiction is hard, and although there’s a certain sense of accomplishment when I look back on what has been completed, and I love who Munroe is now, it certainly didn’t feel good while I was struggling to produce it all.

But that said, from the beginning, when writing Munroe, I never viewed her in terms of strong or weak, good or evil, or even, in a sense, male or female. Initially, when thinking of her reactions to situations, I was drawn to pull from the emotional conflict and skill of Jason Bourne, and the sensual confidence of Lara Croft, but these were gut feelings, nothing specific or tangible. Michael Munroe as a chameleon and predator, a woman with her own brand of morality and a take-no-prisoners form of justice, gradually came alive as a result of the demanding environments she was thrown into, so to me, Munroe has always been who she is as the natural result of her storied life, and I honestly didn’t realize just how strong—and perhaps unusual—she is until feedback started coming in from test readers.

2- Munroe travels in similar paths to your own, with Texas and Africa playing important roles. Was that a conscious decision because of your familiarity with those places?

When it comes to writing about Africa, yes, absolutely. I had lived in Equatorial Guinea for a little over two years and also spent several months in Cameroon, so I had been quite immersed in the location. When writing THE INFORMATIONIST, my initial motive, even before I had characters or a plot, or any idea really of what I would write, was to bring this tiny country to life for readers who might never have the chance to visit, and having only the location, I needed a way to show the experience of being there in a way that would make sense to the story without turning it into a travelogue. I also had to set the story somewhere in the United States, and it made sense to put it in a place where I had some familiarity with the location, rather than having to start anew elsewhere, for no reason in particular.

3- How do you feel about reviewers comparing Lisbeth Salander from the Steig Larsson series to Vanessa Munroe? Have you read any of those books?

This is such a difficult question to answer. On the one hand, what debut author wouldn’t want to be compared to a writer who has sold over 50 million copies world-wide, and who has an enormous fan base? I understand why the comparisons are there, and I am grateful for them and for the exposure they bring to my own writing, because there are certainly many people who would never have heard of me or even picked up one of my books were it not for the comparisons. On the other hand, I don't expect that many people enjoy their original work (in any art or field) being framed in the context of someone else's, no matter how wonderful the praise—but maybe one day, new characters will be compared against Munroe, and new authors will be in my position.

I haven’t read any of Stieg Larson’s books yet, nor seen the movie, so it’s difficult to say from my own perspective whether the comparisons are apt, but if I rely on the opinions of others: there are some similarities in the badassery of Michael Munroe and Lisbeth Salander, and those who enjoyed Lisbeth in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series would probably appreciate THE INFORMATIONIST.


4- You’re very stingy about revealing Munroe’s past, was that part of the intrigue for the reader to discover her motives along with her goals?

You know, I’ve come to understand that each person draws differently from the reading experience and will bring his or her own personal perspectives to a story. As this relates to your question about being stingy in revealing Munroe’s past, I’ve also heard that I revealed too much, too much too fast. In a similar vein, there are many readers who truly connect with Munroe to the point of feeling her anguish and understanding why she is so flawed, and others simply don’t “get” her or what drives her, instead seeing her as a caricature or feeling that she is unreal because she has no flaws. So the best that I can do is write what is true to the way I see her, and hope that readers also feel the same way. That said, there are scenes concerning Munroe’s past that were taken out of earlier versions because, although they did reveal more detail, they didn’t move the story forward—and that’s really what writing a thriller is all about: moving the story forward.

5- Do you have any thoughts about the future of the publishing world and its digital explosion?

Given the relatively little data I have available, I believe four people have bought digital copies of THE INFORMATIONIST for every one who purchased a hardback book. While certainly some of these were former paper readers who have converted to digital, I expect that there are also many who quite possibly wouldn’t have ever read THE INFORMATIONIST were it not digitally available, and I find it fascinating the way the digital world is opening up reading to a whole new market. There will always be those who love and crave the feel of a real book, but our world is changing, and I hope that I’m there to meet the future when it arrives.

BLOG TOUR DE TROOPS IS HERE.

For most of us the Memorial Day holiday means the beginning of Summer, watching the kids swim while we barbeque hot dogs and hamburgers.  For many of our brave soldiers it means much more.  I can't imagine the sacrifices people like my father and my niece, Neva, have given for the rest of us to enjoy the weekend in peace.  This Memorial Day, I’m joining over 30 authors in thanking our troops for keeping our country safe and free.    

For my puny part I'm giving away a free copy of my Award-Winning eBook, "A Touch of Deceit."  Everyone who leaves a comment will receive a free copy, simply let me know which version you prefer, the Kindle, ePub, or PDF version along with your email and I'll send it off to you.  Also for everyone who comments, a troop member will receive a free copy as well.  You will also automatically be entered in a drawing for a free Kindle. 

Lots of free stuff on a day to remember the people who keep us free. Now I know you just came from Sharon Gerlach's terrific blog http://sharongerlach.wordpress.com/  next, head on over to Billie Hinton's blog  http://www.novemberhillpress.com/  and receive your free book there as well.  Keep clicking away and fill up your summer reading list care of our troops and some fine authors.

I want to thank the fine people at the Indie Book Collective for making this arduous task a relatively simple process. Don’t miss the list of authors and donors at the Indie Book Collective Blog, too! Indie Book Collective Blog 

Thanks and have a safe Memorial Day.

5 QUESTIONS FOR NY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR MICHAEL PALMER

So I'm waiting for a prescription at the pharmacy a couple months ago and I pick up a worn paperback copy of Michael Palmer's novel, "The Last Surgeon," from the book rack to pass the time.  I read the entire first chapter with my mouth open.  This thing was spinetingling from the start.  I brought it home and finished it within a couple of days.  Yes I paid for it, don't interrupt. Then a couple of days later I notice Michael Palmer is actually a Twitter friend.  Since then, we've developed this very close relationship over Twitter to the point where he will be stopping by for dinner next week during one of his book tours.  Okay I made that up, but it sounded good coming off the keypad.

It turns out Michael is a genuine person who will respond to comments and really does interact with his readers, even though every one of his books has been a NY Times bestseller.  He spent 20 years as a fulltime Internist before turning his full attention toward writing.  He's also been on medical missions to third world countries to help the impoverished and still volunteers at Massachusetts Medical Society Physician Health Services —an organization that helps doctors suffering with physical and mental illness or substance abuse.

He writes some of the best medical/political thrillers of our time, including Extremes Measures which became a movie starring Gene Hackman and Hugh Grant.  His latest thriller is titled, "A Heartbeat Away."  I'm very grateful he agreed to play 5 questions with me.  Thanks Michael.

1- The Last Surgeon offers possibly the best opening chapter I’ve ever read. Is grabbing the reader from the first paragraph a relatively new phenomenon? It seems like years ago authors could spend a chapter or two introducing their characters before there was any serious action going on. Am I wrong about that?


I can't speak for other authors, but almost all of my books have high-octane prologues. The energy these prologues provide immediately upon starting the book enables me to slow down a bit with chapter one. But a thriller is meant to thrill, so I never want to have character development replace story. The two should go hand in hand.

2- It’s obvious you’ve mastered the art of writing, yet you claim to have had no flair for it when you were young. It begs the question—are writers born, or can they be developed?

I believe writing can be taught. What is point of view? What is pacing? What is "voice?" What cannot be taught is a sense of story and what is dramatic. I believe I developed that sense early in life and later discovered that it made people want to read what I had written.

3- You do a terrific job at keeping the tension at a high level throughout your novels. Is that a learned skill, or does that come during the editing process?

I trust my instincts and my editor, as well as a couple of skilled readers. The guiding quote throughout my writing career came from my first editor, the late, legendary Linda Gray. I told her I was worried about my book because I didn't think there was enough action. "Michael," she said, "you must never forget that we are paying you not to write action, but to write tension."

4- Outside of writing, what’s your favorite weekend activity?

I usually write to one extent or another 6 days a week. My retreat is a 230 y.o. farmhouse on a lake in southern NH, 70 miles from here. There we have tennis, canoeing, fields to run in, and plenty of places to read. I love movies and when I have have time, play tournament bridge, and am a sports nut--mostly for Boston teams.

5- With the increased attention toward the digital platform, what do you think the publishing world will look like in 5 years?

I am a professional at staying in the moment, not projecting, and controlling only those things I can control. It looks like the electronic age will have more people reading, but less of them reading paper books. My job is to keep writing good stories so long as I can earn a living doing it.

  

A TOUCH OF REVENGE IS FINALLY HERE

For those who've followed this blog, you know I do very little self promoting.  Most of the time I try to offer information about other writers who I find interesting and worthy of attention.  Occasionally I've added stories of my own journey as an Indie author. 
Now I wanted to let everyone know the sequel to A Touch of Deceit has finally arrived.  Here's the link to the Amazon site should you want to check it out. Thanks:
http://www.amazon.com/Touch-Revenge-Bracco-Thriller-ebook/dp/B0050O7ZQS/ref=pd_rhf_p_img_1

5 QUESTIONS FOR AUTHOR BLAKE CROUCH

When I speak about writers who have taken the Indie path by choice, author Blake Crouch is "Exhibit A."  He had books published with St. Martin's Press and was gaining a foothold in the traditional publishing world when his new thriller, "Run," seemed to linger on editor's desks without any enthusiasm for the work.  Blake felt this was his best novel and became disenchanted with entire process.  That's when he decided to publish it himself.  It's turned out to be a game-changing decision for him.  The novel is consistently one of the top selling eBooks on Amazon and deservedly so.  I read the book in one sitting.  I've honestly never done that before or since.  It's that good. What's even better, though, is the pitch:

5 d a y s a g o

A rash of bizarre murders swept the country…

Senseless. Brutal. Seemingly unconnected.

A cop walked into a nursing home and unloaded his weapons on elderly and staff alike.

A mass of school shootings.

Prison riots of unprecedented brutality.

Mind-boggling acts of violence in every state.

4 d a y s a g o

The murders increased ten-fold…

3 d a y s a g o

The President addressed the nation and begged for calm and peace…

2 d a y s a g o

The killers began to mobilize…

Y e s t e r d a y

All the power went out…

T o n i g h t

They’re reading the names of those to be killed on the Emergency Broadcast System. You are listening over the battery-powered radio on your kitchen table, and they’ve just read yours.

Your name is Jack Colclough. You have a wife, a daughter, and a young son. You live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. People are coming to your house to kill you and your family. You don’t know why, but you don’t have time to think about that any more.

You only have time to….

R U N

Good, huh?  Anyway, Blake's obviously a rock star in the Indie world, but he was kind enough to spend some time to play 5 questions with me.  Thanks, Blake.

1- How nerve-racking was your decision to go from the comforts of St. Martin’s Press to the complete uncertainty of Indie publishing?


SMP was never comforting. It was an exercise in frustration and people making stupid decisions beyond my control. Still, pulling RUN from submission was a little scary, but the payoff has been amazing, and I'm so glad I took the leap of faith.

2- Now that you have complete freedom to create whatever story you want, is there a tiny part of you that secretly pines for an experienced editor to give you boundaries?

No. My writing friends with whom I swap manuscripts and brainstorm ideas are the best editors I've ever had.

3- Certainly a good cover and a low price helps an eBook’s sales, but ultimately doesn’t it have to be a really good book to succeed in today’s market?

Of course. The same as with traditionally-published books, it takes great word-of-mouth for a book to go supernova, and that just can't be faked or bought. It takes a book that connects with a lot of people to generate the word-of-mouth necessary to create a bestseller.

4- If a first-time novelist bumped into you at Starbucks tomorrow morning and asked if he should pursue an agent and try the traditional route or go immediately to Amazon with his work—what would you say?

That's a tough one. Releasing a novel on your own in the current climate is probably ideal, but only if you have the skillset and knowledge to do it right. I would probably just tell them to read Konrath's blog.

5- Is there anything along this digital road which concerns you about the future of the publishing?

The massive amount of instant-gratification god-awful writing being uploaded on a daily basis. Just take a look at the Smashwords homepage and you'll get a taste of what's being uploaded every hour. It's horribly depressing, and I just hope the market doesn't become so inundated with this sewage as to make it impossible for people to find the good stuff.

Below is the Amazon link to "Run." 

http://www.amazon.com/Run-ebook/dp/B004PGNF0W/ref=pd_rhf_p_img_2

IT'S TIME TO PAY ATTENTION TO INDIE AUTHORS

When I started this journey as an indie author, I went reluctantly.  I even avoided the subject, hoping no one would out me.  Why?  After all it was my choice.  I'd turned down a book deal to go indie.  Here's why.  Remember when indie publishing was called self-publishing?  I do.  As recently as a couple of years ago, announcing yourself as a self-published writer was the equivalent of going to a singles bar, walking up to a pretty girl and saying, "Hi, I have leprosy.  What's your name?"

Why is that?  And what's changed?  Well, it began in the music industry when bands like Death Cab for Cutie and Modest Mouse decided to get their music to the public directly, via their website.  Cut out the middle man and let their listeners decide if they liked the music.  It worked.  Many other bands have tried it since without as much success.  Why?  Because they weren't as polished.  It didn't resonate, so it didn't become popular.   

Then, once iTunes came into play, bands with record contracts like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails decided they'd put out their music directly as well, without the record company's meddling input.  They were lauded for their creativity and innovation.  Radiohead went as far as to allow the listener to choose what price to pay for the download. 

The same thing is happening now in the publishing world. Writers like Blake Crouch, J.A. Konrath and David Morrell who were well established authors within the literary world have decided to forego the traditional route for the indie path.  Is this safe?  Probably not.  Is it working?  You bet.  Their sales are enormous.  Especially with eBooks.

Which brings me to my point.  When the Sunday New York Times lists the top eBook sales for the week they completely ignore any indie writers, even though they are clearly outselling traditional writers with publishing contracts.  This week for example, Michael Connelly's "The Fifth Witness," was rated the #1 bestseller for eBooks, yet when you go to Amazon and look at the top 100 eBook bestsellers, "The Fifth Witness," isn't even in the top ten.  It's being outsold by at least two indie authors.  Don't get me wrong, I like Michael Connelly.  A lot.  This has nothing to do with established authors with established writing contracts.  This has everything to do with an old system which needs revamping.  

So why is the print industry afraid to acknowledge the success of these fine indie writers and their growing number of fans?  I think you know already, don't you.  They see the future and that's not a pinhole of light at the end of the tunnel, it's a train.  And it's coming fast. 

So let's all agree there are indie authors who don't exactly have polished material.  They lack certain editing skills and literary muscles to create a good book.  But that doesn't mean we should ignore the writers who are out there publishing fantastic work on their own, via Amazon or B&N.  And as far as the New York Times goes, you might want to step aside before that train gets there.  Or at the very least send a journalist to report the damn thing.

BLOG TOUR DE FORCE IS HERE-- SO SPEAK UP AND WIN A KINDLE

Okay, so I got involved with this whole Blog Tour de Force thing without really knowing too much about it, but the people running it are great and very supportive.  I ask a stupid question and they make it sound like I'm a genius for thinking up such a wonderful query.

So here's what I know for sure:

1- Every time you leave a comment on this post you automatically receive a free eBook copy of my Award-Winning novel, "A Touch of Deceit."  Just leave your email within the comment.

2-Every time you leave a comment you're automatically in the drawing for a free Kindle with the 12 Tour de Force books pre-loaded.

3- Check out my sponsors who have actually left a review of my novel on their blog.  They're all good reviews because I'm holding their dogs hostage until the tour is over.

A Tale of Many Reviews
http://ataleofmanyreviews.blogspot.com/

Tiffany's Bookshelf
http://tiffanysbookshelf.blogspot.com/

Bob Moats Murder Novels
http://www.facebook.com/l/9542c2Ww2ZG3hvqDG9Oj_XYATmQ/bobmoats.com

4- Author who receives the most comments gets a professional book trailer made.  Guess who has a sequel coming out next month and needs a book trailer?

5- Like my Facebook fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Author-Ponzo/120694977955559

TODAY'S CAGE MATCH

"A Touch of Deceit," by Gary Ponzo vs "Nearly Departed," by Ann Charles:

Here's how I have this handicapped.  A Touch of Deceit is clearly the front-runner.  A Sicilian FBI agent recruits his Mafia cousin to track down a terrorist. C'mon, that right there is enough to win this match.  But the competition is tough.  Ann Charles has also written an Award-Winning novel, "Nearly Departed," where love, mystery and paranormal all come together under one roof.  Okay, that's good.  Throw in a couple of Zombies and I might vote for the damn book myself.

So, comment, comment, comment and see who will win this match.

5 QUESTIONS FOR AUTHOR LINDA SANDS

Linda Sands is the founder and editor of scratch, her award-winning short stories and essays can be found in Skirt! Magazine, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and too many more to count.  For those who don't know her she's . . well . . . fun.  Better yet, here's a direct quote from Sands herself,  "People who write fiction for a living are basically insane. They tell lies that you will believe, create worlds you'll get lost in, steal your time and stories. They can majorly mess with your head. It's a powerful gift.  I'm a writer." 

See what I mean?  Anyway, she's an extremely talented writer who's recently received a flood of terrific reviews for her new Ebook titled, "Simple Intent."  She was kind enough to take a few minutes out of her busy schedule to play 5 questions with me.

1- Which form of writing were you drawn to first, the short story or the novel?

I began this crazy journey by writing children's picture books- which to me are really graphic novels told in a very, very short story format. So, I guess I have always been doing both, and in reverse, if you ask my friends they will tell you I can turn a two minute story into a thirty minute one if you'll stand still long enough.

2- How does a novel begin for you, with a character or a storyline?

Hmm. Good one. It's the storyline, I think. Because I can sit here and say a girl goes into a bar, asks for a job and ends up dead, and see the whole novel, including the who, why, where, when and how. But if I say there's a girl who's blonde with blue eyes who used to live in the mountains of Kentucky... it just dies. Who cares about the character, if the character isn't doing something interesting?

3- Tell us about your affiliation with Write by the Water?

I have this thing about water. Being near it fuels my creative spirit. (A fact confirmed by a local psychic.)

Tired of paying a lot of money to travel to "retreats" that were really more of a conference/ meeting/ bar gathering with newbie writers and jaded teachers, I began making my own writing retreats- escaping to lakes, rivers, and oceans. Writing pals would say, "Hey, that sounds great. Call me the next time you go." One of those pals and I decided if we felt that strongly about needing an escape, we could bet at least ten other writers felt the same way, and if the retreat was a learning experience with an author in residence, included a Skype call to a NY agent, well, hey, we'd have a program unlike any other. Write By the Water was born. We' had one fantastic event on the Emerald Coast of Florida and are currently tweaking the program, putting all our efforts toward a large event this Fall.

4- You’re an extremely prolific writer with deep roots in print publications, what made you decide to go digital with “Simple Intent?”

I love technology. I have to have the best, newest thing and I jumped onboard the Kindle wagon as soon as I could. Going digital made sense- MAKES sense. I figured electronic publishing would be part of the package in a traditional NY publishing house deal- something my agent and I have been striving for, with two novels being shopped. So, when I was approached by an international publisher who had read my shorter work, and asked me for something longer- ebook sized- I declined, saying they were all promised to the agent, all being read in NY. And then, I remembered that manuscript in my file cabinet...

I will be distributing a series of my short stories for e- readers in a summer debut, as soon as I finish the WIP, a mystery featuring the unstoppable female trucker, Jojo Boudreaux.

5- With the popularity of digital technology exploding, what do you think the publishing world will look like in  5 years?

There will be more readers of all ages, and more books. Books everywhere! Americans are slow to catch on, but I can see the electronic book becoming the new cool. The stories will be shorter, more visual, and book trailers-a must. To be able to choose what type of book you want to read today, not just by which popular author will be great. To take the market share away from the top thirty authors who suck up the best seller lists, and open the field to independents (authors who don't need $100 million contracts for 17 books they aren't even writing. Hello James Patterson. Authors who turn down $500k contracts with traditional publishers to go electronic on their own. Hello Barry Eisler.) would be an amazing, liberating, empowering movement.

The new industry will not be brick and mortar stores selling paper products that were written, edited, rewritten, published, pushed back, promoted, shipped, stocked, and then remaindered- a process taking YEARS. The new industry will be instant gratification, will less judgmental control from "powers that be." Which, could be dangerous, and could leave us with a lot of crappy writing to sift through, but hey, if Dan Brown could sell... I'm just saying.

With more than 50 e-readers out there, plus smart phones, laptops, netbooks and tablets, we can take our books- and I do mean more than one- anywhere. Only problem I have is the flight attendant telling me to turn off my Kindle, when I'm in a good part of the book. Does she seriously think Michael Connelly will crash the plane?

GUEST POST-- STUART ROSS McCALLUM

Some writers can tell a great story, other writers are the great story.  When you have both, you have Stuart Ross McCallum.  I met Stuart on Twitter and found him to be genuinely engaging. There was something personal about his tweets which stood out among the, "I think I'll have cheesecake for dinner," posts.  When I looked into his background I discovered a fantastic story lurking under all of that persona.  I'll let him tell you a little about it and his book, "Beyond my Control, One Man's Struggle with Epilepsy, Seizure, Surgery and Beyond." I think you'll agree, his story is remarkable.  

Thank you Gary, for the opportunity to share with your readers the reason why I wrote, Beyond my Control, One Man’s Struggle with Epilepsy, Seizure Surgery and Beyond.


I believed there was a need to write a story about epilepsy that was not necessarily geared exclusively towards the medical community. The many books I had read on the subject were overly clinical and difficult to fully grasp. I hoped to write a story, which would make epilepsy real and not some abstract medical disorder. The feedback from readers with and without epilepsy has exceeded anything I could have ever hoped for.

My story begins when I was a 17-year-old and started to experience déjà vu sensations followed by severe headaches. I set out in search of a diagnosis which proved to be an arduous undertaking. I received many wrong diagnoses. An example is when a psychiatrist (of sorts) declared that I was suffering psychological episodes and given mind-numbing doses of antidepressant medication. Eventually leading to (incorrectly) being placed in a sanatorium for my mental health. My mystery condition (finally) revealed itself when I had a full-blown convulsion at the side of the road.

Beyond my Control spans over a 20-year period. During this time epilepsy caused a significant, often frightful, impact on my life and the lives of everyone close to me. For 15 turbulent years, I operated my own business, managed staff with ever increasing seizure frequency. This created an unstable and at times, highly dangerous working environment. The magnitude of my condition escalated, resulting with a post seizure response of a menacing and sinister nature, prone to violent outbreaks.

One of the early episodes occurred in my stained glass studio. The moment I shouted, "I'm having an aura (a warning sign that many sufferers of epilepsy experience)," our seizure plan was immediately activated, and I was locked inside my studio. The seizure passed, and I entered my postictal state (lose touch with reality). In a trance-like condition, I began aimlessly walking around the showroom, glaring at the display of fragile glass and lighting. After a few minutes, I clenched my hand into a fist and randomly lashed out, striking the glass panels. With my fist bleeding, I focused on the doors, kicking them over. As my postictal state was beginning to end, I calmly walked into the manufacturing area and lay down laughing and smiling. Once I finished laughing, I sat down staring and wondering why my hand was bleeding. I heard Rhonda unlocking the back door. She went straight to the first aid box and attended to my hand. Fortunately, my hand wasn't too bad and Rhonda kindly cleaned the cut, and dressed my wound. Ashamed and hesitant I asked, "What have I done this time?" Rhonda explained the ludicrous rampage, walking around my showroom, breaking glass.....I felt extremely gutted. As always, I had no recollection of the episode once the seizure had passed.

Whenever a frightening situation occurred not only was I in danger, my staff, and often customers were as well. Individuals perception and understanding of epilepsy clearly showed, which had surprising results. My socially unacceptable behaviour ultimately influenced me to undergo two major brain operations, in the hope of gaining seizure freedom.

My story provides an honest, emotional, and (sometimes) humorous look into living with the world’s most misunderstood serious brain condition. Thankfully, since successful surgery I am now free from (the invisible enemy) and no longer fear when or where the next seizure may strike.

Here's a link to Stuart's Web Page:  http://www.beyondmycontrol.net/

HOW JOHN LOCKE IS SAVING THE PUBLISHING WORLD

Back in January, John Locke played 5 questions with me here at Strong Scenes.  He's the author of the wildy successful Donovan Creed series of novels.  Back then he'd only had 3 Kindle  novels published at .99 cents each.  His latest at the time, "Saving Rachel," was #15 on the Kindle bestseller list.  Pretty amazing for a guy without a major publishing house or publicity campaign to support him.

Fast forward 3 months.  The guy is blowing up.  He currently has 4 novels in the top 20 of Kindle's bestseller list, hitting the top spot with regularity.  Even though he could easily price his books at a higher price, he maintains the .99 cents price and readers all over the world are discovering his talent for writing exciting thrillers with witty dialogue.  Now his seventh Donovan Creed novel, "Vegas Moon," has just come to market and already the buzz is deafening. 

Why is this important to writers and readers alike?  Because major publishing companies have been ignoring the John Locke's of the world for far too long.  Instead of discovering new talent, New York publishers have decided to stick their marketing money behind brand name authors and forget anything novel.  And when I say brand name authors I mean brand name period.  Because even though supermodel Tyra Banks is not exactly know for her literary skills, she's received a large chunk of money for a 3-book deal with Random House.  Really?  Tara Banks?  It's the same reason Hollywood is releasing no less than 27 sequels this summer. 

Does this mean big name authors aren't worth the money?  Of course not.  I just spent 17 bucks on Nelson Demille's latest novel, "The Lion," and it's worth every penny.  It's just that now I have more choices, that's all.

So where will readers find new talent?  Bingo!  The Kindles and Nooks of the world are gamechangers.  Big name authors can't afford to sell their books at .99 cents because they have agents and publishers and publicists and who knows who else with their hands out, they can't make a living at that price point.  So here comes John Locke with his ability to create fantastic thrillers with pitch-perfect dialogue.  Without Locke, readers might fall prey to lesser skilled indie authors and get a sour taste in their mouth.  They might not give other talented authors a chance and resort to paying 10 bucks for an author with a brand name--like Tyra Banks.  See what I mean?  John Locke, and Amanda Hocking, and J.A. Konrath are quite possibly the most important writers in the country right now.

Without them, we'd be forced to read the latest Sci-Fi thriller by first-time novelist, Charlie Sheen.  See?

"THE BIRTHDAY PRESENT" NOW IN SPINETINGLER MAGAZINE

I normally use this blog to promote other indie and lesser known authors, but occasionally it makes sense to showcase my own work.  A few posts back I offered an opening line contest and threw in one of my opening lines just for fun.  As it turned out the readers chose my opening line as their favorite.  It came from a short story I'd written a couple of years ago.  The line was, "You're here to kill me aren't you?"  Pretty good opening I must admit.  

Anyway, the story is now published at Spinetingler Magazine.  Below is the link to the story.  Let me know what you think.
http://bit.ly/h6d88g   

GUEST POST by GERALDINE EVANS-----TO EPUB OR NOT EPUB?

While the ebook versus traditional publishing debate rages on, Geraldine Evans is caught right in the middle of it.  She's an accomplished British mystery author with 18 novels under her belt and on the verge of the biggest decision of her life. Rarely will you find someone as open and honest about their dilemma.  I'll let her explain the details:

TO EPUB OR NOT TO EPUB

by Geraldine Evans

With all the seismic events in the world of publishing, I don’t think there’s any author more affected than the midlister. To ebook or not to ebook? Think about it. Midlisters like myself have always been the flotsam and jetsam of the publishing world, in danger from every passing wave. It could truly be said that, in many cases, we’re more printed than published, in that all those littler extras that make you feel your publisher loves you, are conspicuous by their absence.

Certainly, we get none of the supposed benefits of traditional publishing. Not for us the publisher-arranged book tours with all expenses paid. Not for us the talk shows and radio interviews, not unless we’re able to organize them ourselves. And whoever heard of a midlister guesting on Oprah, for instance? Not me, that’s for sure.

I have to make my own postcards, bookmarks and flyers. I make my own trailers and pay for the pictures I need. I write a blog and a monthly newsletter. I belong to various lists where I try to post as often as I can. I’m on facebook and twitter, linked in and goodreads. crimespace and– well, you get the picture. By the time I’ve finished doing all of that, I hardly have time to write the damn books. It’s a common problem, compounded by a chronic lack of cash. You can’t imagine – or perhaps you can – how eagerly I await my Public Lending Right income (UK) from the public libraries. After Christmas has cleaned me out, January is always a pretty grim month, with teeth gritted till we get to February and a reasonable pay day. It could all be so much better. Couldn’t it?

Midlisters stand balanced on a tightrope at the moment: should we take the plunge totally into ebooks and abandon an often unsatisfactory traditional publishing experience? When you read blogs like J A Konrath’s you think you’d be a fool not to. And yet. And yet. My esales aren’t anything like as impressive as Konrath’s. Admittedly, so far, I’ve only got two ebooks up on kindle, nook and the rest and he’s got loads, so it’s unsurprising that my numbers compare unfavourably. Though perhaps the 216 I sold in February would be regarded by a lot of people as pretty good. I expect to have a third out of print novel, Death Line, up as an ebook by the end of March, but that’s still only three. It takes time and money to make the formatting professional and the cover design perfect. And money is in short supply when you’re a midlister with no other visible means of support.

I’ve had eighteen novels published: fourteen in one mystery series, two in another mystery series, one historical and one romance. I’ve been published by Macmillan and Worldwide, by Isis Soundings and St Martin’s Press. My current publisher is… Well never mind their name. It’s irrelevant anyway.

At the moment, I’m in a bit of a cleft stick. My publisher has said he wants the rights to epublish all my books that were published on his list, including my soon-to-be out of prints. Indeed, he seems of the opinion that the rights are his for the taking. Admittedly, he’s ‘thinking’ (sic) of offering 50% royalties for the older books, but he only wants to pay 25% for the newer books, which, as JAK so rightly says, means something pretty paltry by the time my agent has taken her 15%. And the rights could be tied up forever when you consider that ebooks need never go out of print. Trouble is, because I’m otherwise unemployed, I rely on my publisher’s advances to pay the bills. What if I decide to plump all out for epublishing and the sales don’t come? I’ll have burned my bridges. I have to wonder, even if I agree to the 25% for the newer and next in my series, but retain my epub rights in the rest, whether my publisher won’t flex his stronger financial muscles and demand all or nothing.

This, at present, is my situation. Perhaps it’s yours, too? I don’t know what to do. And I’ve nearly finished the next in the series. Should I keep it or send it to my publisher? Any advice?

LIFE AS AN INDEPENDENT WRITER

About a year ago I was offered a publishing deal with a print publisher.  The deal didn't offer any advance or any marketing money, but it was an offer to have my book published and I should've been thrilled.  I was, until I heard the details.  First of all this was a hardcover publisher only and they sold their books for $27.95, no exceptions.  I felt uncomfortable asking my mother to spend 30 bucks on my book, nevermind complete strangers.  Then when I asked people in the industry how many copies I'd expect to sell at that price the answer was a resounding, not many.  Maybe 500-800 for a first-timer.  

Around that same time I had a literary agent, Robert Brown, who's a prince of a man, suggest I try publishing the book as an ebook on Amazon.  He told me to charge 1 or 2 bucks and get a lot of readers to try it out.  He thought the book was strong enough to attract many fans.  After all it had won the Southwest Writers Contest, Thriller category.  So I went into this indie publishing thing very reluctantly.  The question was, "Did I want readers, or did I want to tell my writing friends I had a traditional publishing deal?"  The fact was, I wanted readers.

Now's where I come out of the closet, so to speak.  I'm not J.A. Konrath, so I'm not comfortable talking numbers like he is, but it's time to reveal whether this indie thing had been worth it.  Last June when I placed my novel, "A Touch of Deceit," on Amazon as a Kindle book for $1.99 I sold 35 the first month, mostly to friends and family.  Then 48 the following month.  I felt my decision might have been a faulty one.  Then something happened around September, I began receiving solid reviews from big name blogs and they were posting their comments on Facebook and Twitter.  Then word of mouth spread and in December I'd sold over 800 copies.  It was thrilling to see the support I'd received from so many readers and reviewers.  Finally last month alone I sold over 1400 copies of the book and surpassed the 5000 mark overall.  

It's been a long road, but the future appears bright.  With the sequel, "A Touch of Revenge," coming out next month, I've decided to lower my price even further to .99 cents.  This upsets my mother to no end, since she knows how many years it took me to write and publish etc. . . But this project has always been a long term one and right now it's all about readers and exposure.  Is this the choice all writers should make if they're trying to break into the business?  Absolutely not.  The traditional method is certainly valid and should be given serious consideration.  Am I happy with my decision?  Yes.  I've gotten so much enjoyment hearing from readers who really appreciate my skills and it's humbling to be able to communicate with them in this socially active society we're now in.  Besides, think of how many trees I've saved doing it this way.   

5 QUESTIONS FOR AUTHOR DAVID P. ELLIOT

David P. Elliot's debut novel ‘CLAN’, a historical, supernatural thriller, was published in December 2008 and so far has sold in 14 countries.   The supernatural is a recurring theme in much of his writing.  He now lives in Abingdon, UK, with his partner, a native of Munich.  He has 3 grown up children and 2 grandchildren one of which inspired the novel.  Thanks to David for playing 5 questions with me.

1- The theme of “The Clan” draws heavily from the Clan system in Scotland, what sparked your interest in this particular period of history?


My father bought me a book, ‘The Steel Bonnets’ by George MacDonald Fraser (author of the best-selling ‘Flashman’ series.) But Fraser’s real passion was the history of the Borders of Scotland during the era of the ‘Border Reiver’ – a 300 year period from the late 13th to early 17th centuries. These so-called ‘riding families’ invented Blackmail, the protection racket and cattle rustling 300 years before Chicago was founded! They raided with impunity often putting hundreds of men in the saddle to raid or ‘Reive’ on both sides of the Border. I soon discovered the ‘Elliot Clan’ was one of the most outrageous and active of these families and I began to trace my family history, which led me back to ancestors who were associated with Robert the Bruce and William ‘Braveheart’ Wallace. When I discovered a man just as real as these giants of Scottish legend, William de Soulis, who was powerful enough to challenge The Bruce and Wallace, had a reputation for being truly evil and was apparently boiled in lead on a bronze age stone circle - well – a novel had to be written! ‘Clan’ was the end result.


2- “The Clan” is successful throughout the globe. How do most of your readers find you?

‘Clan’ has sold in 14 countries so far and continues to sell well since it was first published at the end of 2008. It appealed initially to what you might loosely refer to as the ‘Scottish Diaspora’ Not only was it popular in Scotland but everywhere where people of Scottish descent lived. Given the nature of the Scots, this is almost everywhere in the World, particularly in English speaking countries, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa etc As the book became known, it then became popular also with those who just enjoy historical fiction, with a great deal of accurate history included. Add a supernatural element, and a modern day thriller thread as well and readers of many genres have found it entertaining.


3- There’s a supernatural element to the novel, so it’s hard to define the genre—that’s good for readers, but does it make it difficult to market?

Genre is a double edged sword. Many booksellers and some readers are very prescriptive about genre and as a result if you get it wrong you can miss out on readers who have preconceived ideas about what they will like. I personally call ‘Clan’ a historical supernatural thriller, others have called it fantasy or even horror. I think the story is pretty much beyond genre frankly, having elements that would appeal to many types of reader. A common comment is, ‘I would not normally read this kind of novel but...’ and similar. The only description I don’t like really is fantasy, because that genre suggests whole fantastical worlds. Supernatural for me involves strange things happening in the real World, which is far more accessible to me and requires a lower level of suspension of belief. Personally I think it is great if readers are open to giving a book the benefit of the doubt for a chapter or two. If the writer cannot grab the reader by then, then that is probably the fault of the writing.


4- Tell us about your online magazine.

‘Clan Magazine’ had an interesting genesis. The editor of a local print magazine asked to do a ‘meet the locals’ type article on me as a locally based author. During the course of that interview she also asked if I would be prepared to write a short article for the magazine, which I did. Based on the format of a popular TV series in the UK called ‘Grumpy Old Men’, I wrote an article about some things in modern life that often people find irritating. The article was apparently very popular and as a consequence she asked if I would be prepared to contribute every month. These became known as ‘Monthly Grumps’ where I was able to vent my spleen, hopefully in an amusing way on issues both serious and not so serious. After several months of this the print magazine went out of business! Suddenly I started receiving emails from all over the world, mainly from fans of ‘Clan’ asking me what had happened to my ‘Monthly Grumps’. I had no idea anyone outside the immediate area was reading them, but apparently unknown to me the magazine was also published online and they were being read as far away as Australia, Canada and the USA! I said I would try and find a mechanism to keep them going online and hence ‘Clan Magazine’ www.clanmagazine.com Over time it has grown somewhat to include other things, including Scottish Matters, Alternative Health, Fun and Games etc and I have a few other contributors as well.


5-With the digital age upon us, where do you see the majority of your readers purchasing your books 5 years from now?

I love books. Perhaps it is my age, but I find e-book readers or trying to read on a computer screen uncomfortable. I would personally much prefer to curl up with a paperback than an e-book reader. I also conducted a very unscientific survey of my readers and far and away the major response was that, with certain exception, they preferred traditional books to. However I want to engage with all readers and I am also very keen to encourage reading amongst the young, so I always publish books both in the traditional way and in digital format. I believe quality is an issue with digital publishing as there is very little in the way of ‘quality control’ in digital publishing – often no human intervention is involved at all. Personally, even if I used e-book readers, I would be resistant to buying a book that had only been produced in digital format. It seem to indicate to me that nobody, even the author was prepared to invest in the book. It is the equivalent to me of a film that ‘goes straight to video’ and is never seen in cinemas. I will always provide both options but I really cannot see digital books taking over entirely in the next 5 years. I foresee a major shake-up in the e-book market, I suspect that most e-book readers will probably lose out to tablets of one kind or another. If I were to predict, I still think I will be selling more paperbacks than e-books in 5 years time, but the market will decide and hopefully I will have that covered whichever way the market goes.

OPENING LINE CONTEST FOR FEBRUARY- WINNER IS . . .

Okay, I seriously didn't mean this to happen, but the opening line which was voted as the readers favorite was actually from my short story, "The Birthday Present," which will appear in the March edition of Spinetingler Magazine.  I can never predict what will happen when I open it up to a vote.  To be fair I'm going to give a $25.00 Amazon Gift card to both writers who received votes, Philip Ellis wrote the line from letter A and Wynn Mercere wrote C, so I'm going to be sending them both gift cards for their efforts.

I'll post "The Birthday Present," here once it's released so you can read the entire story.  Anyone interested can "Like" my FB Fan page where I'll be posting other short stories prior to the release of my short story collection in April.

Thanks to everyone who participated.

A- "Anybody would think you'd never seen a ghost before," Alice says to me as we walk down the drive to Bedford Manor.

B- The living sculpture could no longer control its body, even to blink its eyes or turn them away from the horror in the mirror.

C- There was no heroic last stand to stop the invasion.

D- "You're here to kill me aren't you?"

5 QUESTIONS FOR AUTHOR/DIRECTOR STEPHEN CARPENTER

Stephen Carpenter's resume is impressive.  He's a graduate of the UCLA Film School and has written and directed several films, including "Soul Survivors" with Luke Wilson and Casey Affleck. He's also written screenplays for "The Man" starring Samuel Jackson and Eugene Levy and oh yeah, the screenplay for Ocean's 11, starring everyone in Hollywood.  Now you can add bestselling author to the list.  At the time of this post, his first novel "Killer" is #35 on Amazon's Kindle Bestseller list.  It's #1 in Occult, Police Procedurals, and Hard-Boiled. Impressed?  I am. What's this experience been like? He explains below:

1- How does it feel to have an actor like George Cloony reciting your words on the big screen? Do you mostly cringe or smile?

All smiles. It's one of the best things about screenwriting, especially after working on a script for months and only hearing the dialogue in your head. With Clooney it was always better than I had imagined. All actors
are different--some improvise more, etc. But with actors like Clooney and Sam Jackson, they tend to stick to the script, more or less. And whenever they do stray from the written words, they make it their own, and that makes it better. Actors of that caliber can take my worst stuff and make it sound good.

2- The plot for Killer is unique. Crime novelist Jack Rhodes discovers a series of murders which mirror the plots of his novels. Only the murders take place before he'd even written the books, making him suspect numero uno. Nice twist. Was that technically hard to pull off?

Very hard. The book changed a lot as I was writing it. The hardest part was making the judgment call about how much to give away and how much to hold back from the reader. I wanted to lead them in a certain direction without making it seem like I was cheating when the final twist was revealed. It was one of the hardest things about writing the book--that and the change of tenses and point-of-view.

3- Are you surprised by the success of Killer?

I'm stunned. Especially since it is my first novel. I was satisfied with the final version of the book, but not at all sure that readers would respond. When the numbers from Amazon started coming in it was like opening night--I didn't sleep much. As the weeks have passed I have just been in a kind of state of shock at the response. I really credit Amazon for their internal promotion process, in the way they target readers who might like the book.

4- Which do you enjoy more, directing a story you've written, or writing the story itself?

Each job has its challenges. Writing can be very isolating, as you know, and sometimes the problem-solving gets a little overwhelming to take on by yourself. Directing is a completely different ballgame. It's physically demanding, the hours are brutal, and you have to answer to the studio about cast, budgets, everything imaginable. Directing is not something I'd like to do all of the time, although it can be very rewarding. I'm much more suited to the writing process. It's nice to only have to worry about the story and the characters. I prefer it to getting up at 5 every morning and worrying about schedules and studio notes and constant rewrites and working 18 to 20 hour days for months on end.

5- What's your take on this entire digital publishing revolution? Freeing, or frightening?

I think it's an incredible step forward for authors and readers alike. I read a columnist the other day who likened the development of the e-reader to the Gutenberg press, in terms of progressing the written word. That's obviously an overstatement, but I think it's great that so many people have access to so many books inexpensively--and that so many authors can publish without going through traditional channels. I still buy paper books, and I always will. I just bought Keith Richards' autobiography and I chose the hardcover edition for the quality of the photographs, among other things. But I read a lot, and when I get on a plane I'd much rather take my Kindle than lug around ten pounds of books, I can promise you.

Here's the link to Stephen's novel on Amazon. Download it. I just did.

http://www.amazon.com/KILLER-ebook/dp/B003TZLM3M/ref=pd_rhf_p_img_1

GUEST POST FROM L.J. SELLERS

I must admit I first took notice of L.J Sellers when her novel "The Sex Club," kept showing up ahead of mine in the Police Procedural category on the Kindle bestseller list.  Then I read some of her blog posts and realized she had a tremendous story to tell.  I'll list her credentials below this post, but just know she's an award-winning journalist and author of bestselling Detective Jackson mystery/suspense series.  She's also a great sport to give her time to Strong Scenes with a guest post on a very timely subject:

Still Holding Out

                                     L.J. Sellers

I hear from authors everyday—Facebook friends, writers who read my blogs or novels, people I meet at conferences. They often ask about my e-book publishing experience, then many close the exchange by saying, “But I’m still holding out for a traditional publisher.” I politely make no comment.

On one level, I understand this. A publishing contract is a writer’s dream and it’s hard to let go of. But as the industry goes through a major upheaval, writers need to ask themselves: What is more important? Having a traditional publisher or making money? Being one of the chosen or having thousands of people read your book? Some authors seem to have it all, but most midlist writers are already facing these choices.

Just how long should you hold out for a publisher?

After twenty years of having major publishers (and film producers) say “I love this story, but I’m not going to buy it,” I finally self-published my first novel, a police procedural called The Sex Club. I released it in a traditional way and many people, including reviewers, never knew it was self-published. After the book gained traction, I found a small press to pick up the series. That was late 2008 and I still thought I needed a publisher for respectability. I soon came to realize that having a small publisher was more of a liability than an asset.                                                                                        

Why?

1.) There is nothing a small publisher can or will do for writers that they can’t do better for themselves. I don’t mean literally do each thing yourself, but authors can contract for production services as well as a publisher can. Small presses are often run by a few dedicated, but overworked individuals, who typically contract out most services and pay bottom dollar. As an author, you can shop around and find the best editor/graphic designer/e-book formatter that you can afford.

2.) A small publisher will not have a sales staff and or a distribution network (no bookstores) and is not likely to spend any money promoting your book. What a small publisher will do is keep most of the profit of the few hundred books you manage to sell on your own.

There may still be some advantages to signing with a large press. An advance can buy time to write another book, and the Big 6 can get your novel into bookstores. But as the author, you have to sell the book no matter who publishes it. Meanwhile, chain bookstores are closing and Borders is going bankrupt, so the distribution network is crumbling. So that advantage won’t mean much in a few years, especially since e-books are capturing more and more of the market.

What’s left for the author is the label of being traditionally published and the convenience of having someone else contract the production work. Giving up most of the profit for those small advantages is a crappy bargain I finally decided I was done with.

Early last year after being laid off my job, I realized something had to change and I took a hard look at my own situation. No matter which way I looked at it, I kept coming back to the idea that self-publishing e-books was the only way to save my career and my house.

So I left my publisher and released all of my completed stories as e-books. In January, I had one book on Kindle and sold 31 copies. In December, I had six books on Kindle and sold more than 10,000. I also worked like a maniac at production and promotion for eight months to make it happen. I had set a goal of making a living from e-books by mid 2011, and I got there considerably faster than I dreamed.

So far, the numbers and the reviews keep getting better. In April, I’ll release my fifth Detective Jackson novel, and for the first time, thousands of readers are eagerly waiting for it. For me, that is significantly more rewarding than industry approval.

L.J. Sellers is an award-winning journalist and the author of the bestselling Detective Jackson mystery/suspense series: The Sex Club, Secrets to Die For, Thrilled to Death, Passions of the Dead, and Dying for Justice. Her novels have been highly praised by Mystery Scene and Spinetingler magazines, and all four are on Amazon Kindle’s bestselling police procedural list. L.J. also has two standalone thrillers: The Baby Thief and The Suicide Effect. When not plotting murders, she enjoys performing standup comedy, cycling, social networking, and attending mystery conferences. She’s also been known to jump out of airplanes.