Steven Ramirez's Blog: Glass Highway, page 31

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One of the great challenges for an indie author is dividing time between actual writing and marketing. And I would argue that the same goes for writers who are as yet unpublished. Sometimes, I like to think about giants like Joyce, Fitzgerald and Nabokov. How did those guys do it? Most likely, not at all—or very little. The work spoke for itself. But, hey, we’re talking about us. What are we supposed to do?

If I had to pick one person from history to travel forward in time and demonstrate how it’s done, it would have to be Mark Twain. That guy knew brand, and I’m sure he would do very well using Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. Can you imagine? Here are a few of his most famous quotes. And look—they fit so nicely into 140 characters!

All right, then, I’ll go to hell.

I didn’t attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.

There are lies, damned lies and statistics.

Truman Capote was another famous author who truly understood brand. How about this tweetable quote:

Fame is only good for one thing—they will cash your check in a small town.

Getting It Right

Okay, back to Twain. Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, the first thing he did was to fix his name. Mark Twain has a nice resonance, doesn’t it? It’s easy to remember and it fits nicely on a book cover. I’m not sure that’s what he was going for, but it certainly turned out well for him. Stephen King is another one. And he was lucky enough to come into the world with that moniker. Yay, Steve!

We all know Mark Twain as a writer, humorist, traveler, public speaker and general troublemaker. He had an amazing wit, and could really lay into someone around topics he was passionate about. I don’t know that he had a publicist, but it seems to me he was very conscious of his image—I don’t believe they called it “brand” in those days. We are all familiar with the wild shock of white hair, the white linen suit and the ever-present cigar. In my opinion, Mark Twain was a marketing genius.

Shy Will Get You Bupkes

I’ve met many writers over the years, and I will tell you that most are not comfortable in the spotlight. They are card-carrying introverts who love working behind the scenes, writing great stories which—if they’re lucky—get turned into movies.

If you ask my wife, she will tell you that I am an extrovert. I like being out and about, meeting people and engaging in interesting discussions. That’s just me. But I don’t think I would be comfortable being on the talk show circuit, delivering pithy one-liners in front of a studio audience. I’m better in small groups.

Which leads me to Brand. Many of the more seasoned authors out there know all about this. But there are those like you who are just getting started—who want to understand what it takes to not only write well but market well. As an aside, I haven’t figured it all out yet, but I’m happy to share what I know.

What is Brand Anyway?

Brand is rather a hard thing to define. I’ll use this definition from Merriam-Webster:

A class of goods identified by name as the product of a single firm or manufacturer.

Now let’s modify the definition to apply to authors:

A collection of writings identified by name as the product of a single author.

How about James Patterson? You have only to utter his name, and book titles and scenes play out in your head. Never mind that he has a writer factory churning out books, he definitely gets brand, my friend.

When you do it right, here is what happens. Not only is your name recognizable but the name itself becomes embedded in the culture on a global scale. Kind of like Kleenex. How many people say, “Can you hand me a tissue?” More often it’s, “Have you got a Kleenex?” The same can be said for Xerox and Coke.

There’s a huge responsibility that comes with this identification, though. Call me crazy but I think the Kleenex Corporation wants to ensure that when you think of their products, you picture nice, soft little squares of heaven—scented and unscented—that will make you feel better, especially when you have a cold.

Getting back to authors. When you think of horror, what is the first name that comes to mind? Stephen King, right? Of course. He has spent decades building his brand. His name is synonymous with horror. Can we all hope to achieve that kind of brand recognition? Probably not. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make a nice living. People who love Stephen King don’t just read him. They read H. P. Lovecraft, Clive Barker, Ramsey Campbell, Peter Straub and many others. It’s a huge playground.

Being Vigilant 24×7

So what does building your brand mean? For me, it’s awareness. I try to be thoughtful about everything I post. I don’t always succeed. But being aware is important because what gets out into the Internet stays forever. So no drunk tweeting, no profanity and no mean-spirited troll attacks on others. A good general rule is to always take the high road.

Linking your digital assets is important as well. There should be a synergy among the various digital destinations you have out there. Make sure your bio and headshot are uniform across the various social media sites. And use hyperlinks to cross-reference the other sites. This also helps with SEO, which is another topic entirely.

Here’s a quick tip to get you started. Want to know what not to do on Twitter? Don’t create a Twitter account, leave the default image and expect to get followers. I mean, seriously? Who in the world is going to follow an egg? Also don’t create some arcane Twitter handle with no description. People want to know something about you. Tell them. Remember, you are building your brand, and it’s supposed to stand out from everything else out there. More importantly, it’s supposed to mean something.

I’ll leave you with this post by Dan Blank of WeGrowMedia.com, “Branding for Writers: An Essential Step to Building Your Author Platform.” In it, he states:

This may sound basic, but many writers have a hard time embracing [their] identity. They see themselves as a writer only after the definitions of their day job, role in their family, etc. When speaking about your work, own that identity of being a writer.

Can’t get any clearer than that. You can write and publish all you want, but if you don’t pay attention to your brand you will have a tough time convincing people to buy your books. Best of luck in all your endeavors.

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As writers, we like to pride ourselves on our ability to turn a phrase. And after having written for a while, we find that we’ve developed our own style—our own voice. But the best writing in the world can be ruined if we haven’t researched a topic properly. The cold blade of Truth will cut through our words and leave a wreckage of pretty ideas that, though appealing, make the reader want to scream. There’s a wonderful moment in Woody Allen’s film ‘Sleeper’ where the Diane Keaton character has written a poem (heavily influenced by McKuen) about a butterfly’s metamorphosis. The only problem is, she gets it wrong, with the thing ending up as a caterpillar. Awkward …

Some time ago I read a book that was, for the most part, enjoyable. The plot was taut, the characters real. And I probably would have given the author an excellent review, until I came to the part where he described the protagonist attending Mass. Now, I am Catholic and I know what a Mass looks like when I see it. And his description landed pretty far from the truth—to the point where I would have thrown the book across the room had it not been downloaded to my Kindle. Just imagine your readers tossing your book aside in disgust when they come across something they know to be patently false. Yeah, awkward.

A bad piece of writing advice goes like this: “Write what you know.” Well, here’s what the author Joe Haldeman has to say about that:

Bad books on writing tell you to “write what you know,” a solemn and totally false adage that is the reason there exist so many mediocre novels about English professors contemplating adultery.

The point is this—if you are a horror, fantasy or sci-fi writer, then obviously you cannot write what you know. You are creating worlds that don’t exist, for crying out loud. But that doesn’t obviate the need for some solid research. You need to describe places and things, and how stuff works. But here’s the beauty part—most of the time, all you need is a great Internet connection.

Learn to Become Self-sufficient

I am a member of several online groups catering to authors. And nothing gets me more wound up than someone posting a question like this: “If my character gets shot, how long will it take for him to bleed out?” I have three little words for you, Mr. Lazy-ass writer: Look it up! Here’s a better question: “I’ve been researching gunshot wounds, and there seems to be a discrepancy on how long it actually takes for a person to bleed out, depending on where they were shot. If my character takes a bullet in the abdomen, what do you think is a safe estimate to make my story believable?”

Now, that’s a great question. The author has taken the time to do the research herself, and she’s also told us what she learned. Finally, she’s made her question very specific. A gold star for you!

Wikipedia is Good But …

Look, I am as guilty of this as the next guy. I use Wikipedia prodigiously. The key is to not treat this well-known site like Encyclopædia Britannica. Typically, when I find something of interest in Wikipedia, I also check one or two other sites to see if they are saying the same thing. If so, then I’m pretty confident that what I’m reading is accurate.

Another great source of information—especially when you are writing about how things work—is YouTube. It’s utterly amazing the stuff people post there! Want to know how to assemble or disassemble a particular weapon? Need to know what the inside of a morgue looks like? More than likely, there’s a video that will show you. Related to that are television shows. Many of the better ones hire real-world consultants who advise the writer and director on how something actual works. I recently finished watching the brilliant new Amazon series ‘Bosch’ (based on the Michael Connelly books), and I have to believe these guys know what they are doing.

The other thing to check for accurate writing is online product catalogues. I am currently completing my horror-thriller trilogy, THE DEAD SERIES, and all of the books reference weapons, both large and small. There are gun shops in my immediate area, but they don’t necessarily carry RPGs and Browning M2 .50 caliber machine guns. Both YouTube and online gun catalogs have proven invaluable.

The Joy of Research

In my view, research should not be burdensome. I’m the kind of person who likes to learn new things. So, the fact that I have to stop the creative process momentarily and look something up doesn’t bother me. Now, I may not get everything right. I’m not a trained doctor, soldier or police officer. So I may find things that are technically accurate, but would never work in real life because those people just don’t do it that way. Think ‘Bosch.’ And if I get something wrong, I always appreciate a reader contacting me and telling me so I can fix it.

Writing is not just about creativity and a command of the language. It’s about discipline. And doing research is a very disciplined way to approach your craft. Oh, and here is a link to a post about gunshot wounds and bleeding. In case, you know, someone in your story just got shot.

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Sometimes, it’s hard being an author and a marketer. We want to spend all our time on our passion, which is writing. But in order to create awareness for the purpose of gaining more readers, we also need to market ourselves. Yikes! And we do this typically on two main platforms—Twitter and Facebook. But there’s another platform we seem to gravitate toward, and that’s Goodreads.

Goodreads started out as an independent platform devoted to readers—people who love good books and want to discuss them with folks who share their interests. Some time ago, Amazon took notice of the large membership and decided to purchase them. Now, as a destination, not much has changed. You can still add books that you have read or want to read to your shelves. You can create lists, and you can join lively discussion groups. To me, Goodreads is like a gigantic online book club. Except you don’t meet at peoples’ houses, and there are no Pepperidge Farm cookies.

Readers vs. Authors

Here’s where things get interesting, though. Goodreads also allows authors to join and, further, to identify themselves as authors, with their own profiles. My guess is, Goodreads did this primarily so they could entice authors to purchase advertising. I’m not sure how effective that is, and after having participated in Goodreads as an author for the past two years or so (you can check out my profile here), I’ve come to a startling conclusion.

Authors should stay the hell away from Goodreads.

Now, I realize that some of you will be upset with me. What does this idiot mean, stay away? Okay, so I didn’t want you to take me literally—I was trying to make a point. What I actually meant was, in my opinion authors should not attempt to promote themselves in Goodreads. At all. It would be like me showing up at your Wednesday night book club meeting, hawking my horror-thriller novels to your unsuspecting guests and tippling the Merlot when you weren’t looking. First of all, I wasn’t invited. Secondly, how did I get a key to your house?

The Well-behaved Author

Goodreads should be a place for readers, not writers. I think authors should have the ability to maintain author profiles there, but it should be purely for the purpose of interacting with fans who want to ask us questions. Goodreads features a wonderful section in the author profile called “Ask the Author.” Readers can post their questions, and authors can reply. I’ve done this myself, and I really enjoy it. You can check out my Q&As here. And if readers want to know more about the kinds of books I write, they should visit my website.

Well, what about reviews? Authors read too, you know. And if I really like a book, I want to tell the world—just like any other reader. I see nothing wrong with authors posting reviews on Goodreads. I’m not even sure my reviews carry any more weight than some of the best book bloggers out there.

So, what do you think? Should authors be active participants in Goodreads?

Note: This video is hilarious, but it’s NSFW.

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So, I’ve been thinking about that old TV show, ‘Gilligan’s Island’—don’t ask me why. Writers do that sometimes. Anything to occupy our minds so we don’t have to sit down and actually write. Anyway, I’ve been thinking it’s time for a reboot. Only now, instead of concentrating on a small band of survivors simply stuck on island with no way to escape—never mind that you’ve got a Professor who supposedly can invent anything out of coconuts and vines, but cannot seem to fix the friggin’ SS Minnow …

Getting back to my idea. I’ve decided it would be cool if you added zombies. So now, these guys are stuck there. But instead of being undone by their own petty fighting and incompetence (mostly on the part of Gilligan himself), they have to fend off the skin-crawling, slavering advances of the undead. Wouldn’t that make for a great show? Of course, it would.

First off, though, the eternal question—namely, who really would survive in a zombie apocalypse? I can tell you right now, the Howells are out. What, Mrs. Howell is going to hit some dead sailor dripping with gore with her purse? The old man is going to break out a 9 iron and hit the rotting thing in the face? And by the way, why did those two even pack all that stuff for a one-day trip?

The professor is a given. He is pretty smart, though naïve. And what about Skipper? Sure. Why? Because, in the words of Napoleon Dynamite, he has skills. Same goes for Mary Ann. I mean, come on, she grew up on a farm. She knows how to grow food, cook and keep livestock. Maybe should could capture a few wild boars and raise them for meat.

Now, Ginger. Yes, she’s beautiful. But in a zombie apocalypse, beauty will not help, my friend. Not unless you plan on seducing the zombie. So she’s out. And here’s my thought about her character. I think in this reboot that I am already casting, you need to replace her character with a slacker played by Aubrey Plaza. Can you imagine it? Every time a zombie takes a hunk out of someone, she’s off making these caustic remarks like a one-woman Greek chorus. Yes, the more I think about it, Aubrey Plaza would be awesome.

That leaves Gilligan himself. Okay, the guy is a boob. He has no skills and no brains. He’s a mouth-breather from way back who should have been dead a long time ago. But you know what? He’s lucky. So, I say keep the schlemiel—the show will work better.

And like the old show, every once in a while you can have over-the-hill guest stars like Erik Estrada and Loni Anderson land on the island and get eaten while Aubrey Plaza provides the sarcastic commentary. Hey, this thing practically writes itself!

So what would you like to see in this new show? Anyone? I’ll be standing by, awaiting your comments.

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Okay, I’ve heard that March is a time when people go mad. And I certainly don’t want to violate any trademarks, so we’ll leave it at that. On the other hand, there is also some lunacy going on—specifically around Books One and Two of THE DEAD SERIES. Wait, what?

That’s right. For the entire month of March you can pick up Tell Me When I’m Dead and Dead Is All You Get for 99 cents each! That’s three bucks off the regular price, people. And what you get is some of the scariest zombie goodness around. Don’t think so? Just check out the reviews.

So don’t wait. Zombie goodness … 99 cents … done.

You can find these books at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBookStore and Kobo.

Tell Me When I’m Dead

Thanks to a beautiful, strong-willed woman named Holly, recovering alcoholic Dave Pulaski is getting his life back. Then a contagion decimates the town of Tres Marias, turning the victims into shrieking flesh-eaters. Now Dave, Holly and a group of armed soldiers and civilians must find a way to survive. But Dave is this close to drinking again. A woman he cheated with is after him—even though she’s no longer human. The hordes of undead are growing and security forces are outnumbered. Hell has arrived in Tres Marias.

Tell Me When I’m Dead is the story of an antihero who must come to terms with all of the mistakes he has ever made. Faced with the most terrifying situation imaginable, he must decide whether to die drunk or stay alive and fight for those he cares about most. And he must learn that strength alone is never enough—you also need Faith.

Listen to the Tell Me When I’m Dead Playlist on Spotify. Then grab the book!

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Dead Is All You Get

After months of fighting the undead ravaging the town of Tres Marias, Dave Pulaski and his friends catch a break when Black Dragon Security suddenly shows up to rescue them. But things are about to get worse. The virus is mutating. Now, driven to discover the truth behind the contagion while struggling to protect his wife, Holly, and those closest to him, Dave is pushed beyond the limits of faith and reason.

Dead Is All You Get combines the best elements of horror, dark fantasy and sci-fi, taking the reader on a relentless, tortured journey of survival and revenge that tests the strength of a man’s character and delves into the role faith plays when one is confronted by the worst kind of evil—the evil in humans.

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By Taylor Ripp

Guys, I just started using GeoRiot, and I am finding it to be a huge help for my book-marketing efforts. I’m aware that there are a number of other services out there that can localize your Amazon links, but these guys stand out for me. So I wanted to give them a chance to talk to you about the value of acting as a global marketer.

As an author, you want your works of literary art to be available to as many readers as possible. Luckily, we live in the age where the indie author has the ability to market to a global audience thanks to a little something called the Internet. However, many authors with an international following don’t realize that online storefronts like Amazon and iBooks are actually country and region specific, which means if your global readers are clicking on links to either ecosystem in order to purchase from your website or social media pages, you may be losing out on sales.

Why, you ask? If you’re not sending your readers to their native storefronts, they may be unable to finish the purchase due to language, currency, and for physical products shipping costs. For example, if a reader in Germany clicks on a link from your website to purchase your book on Amazon.com, you will be sending them to the Amazon US storefront where they will find your book, but in a foreign language and currency, and in a store where they probably don’t have an account. Those potential new fans who were about to purchase your book have been steered away due to a poor user experience. By linking users to the wrong storefront, you’ve given them a bad experience, missed out a book sale, and lost a new reader.

Before we go any further, let’s talk briefly about the world of Affiliate Marketing. If you’re not already signed up for Affiliate Programs like Amazon Associates and the iTunes Affiliate Program (for iBooks), that’s something else we highly recommend. As an affiliate, these stores will pay you commissions for any purchases made after clicking on one of your affiliated links. The cool part is even if you send your readers to buy your newest novel, and they purchase a brand new TV in the same session, you get a percentage from that TV too! Please note, however, that the Amazon Associates program is actually country-specific as well, so you’ll need to sign up for the different country’s affiliate programs separately in order to earn those commissions from around the world.

Ok, back to the issue at hand. We at GeoRiot call the geographic barriers between your readers and the item you’re promoting “The Purchasing Gap,” and now that I have you sufficiently worried, let’s talk about how to bridge it.

There are link management platforms out there (such as GeoRiot) that allow you to build a single link that automatically determines what country your readers are clicking from, directs them to their local storefront, and adds your affiliate ID. This increases the likelihood of your readers being able to purchase your books, and when they do, you earn you a commission for the sale.

In addition to solving The Purchasing Gap, a good link management platform will give you other tools to help your books conquer the world. GeoRiot allows you to set up Genius Links that allow you to configure overrides like automatically sending all clicks coming from iOS devices to purchase your eBook from iBooks, or clicks from Kindle devices to Amazon. Some even have reporting tools that allow you to more specifically cater your marketing efforts by showing you where in the world and from what devices your readers are clicking. These platforms can also allow you to create “vanity” or “shortened” links such as http://geni.us/MyBook that look much better than the long Amazon links.

Obviously, we’re biased towards our service, but if you’re not using some type of link management platform for your global marketing efforts, you’re missing out on potential sales, fans, and affiliate commissions. Using a specialized service like GeoRiot will make you a better marketer, increase your book sales, and help your chances of turning into the next Stephen King or J.K. Rowling.

If you have any questions about The Purchasing Gap or just want to learn more about global marketing, feel free to contact us. We’d be happy to help you become a better global marketer.

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Lately, I’ve been reading a number of discussions in various author groups debating the evils of writing for money, as opposed to “doing what you love.” Now, I am a patient man (not really, but whatever), and for the most part I’ve held my tongue. But I’ve gotten to the point where the stench of sanctimony is threatening to burn my eyes. So, here goes.

Repeat after me (and your wife won’t divorce you): There is nothing wrong with making money at writing.

Pollyanna in the House

I don’t get it—I really don’t. Since when is getting paid to write immoral? One writer who appears to be on the side of art over commerce quoted Samuel Johnson, who said, “No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money.” Apparently, he took umbrage with that and proceeded to go on a toot about writers not being true to themselves or something, and plenty of others got on the bandwagon.

Now, before everyone gets wound up and accuses me of being a blatant capitalist with huge teeth and tassels on my shoes, let me explain. I am not by any stretch of the imagination suggesting that a person ever write drivel because it pays well. On the contrary, writing is a profession like any other. And to do it well, you must be a professional. That said, what’s wrong with getting paid for your hard work?

Repeat after me (especially in the presence of your deadbeat brother-in-law): I am not a charity!

Writing as Art

Writing can be art, sure. Whether you are writing popular fiction or the great American novel (whatever the hell that is), you should strive to make your words sing. But guess what. People who write heartfelt, sentimental prose that fits inside a greeting card are trying to make their words sing too. And so are those fine men and women of Madison Avenue who write advertising copy. They are professionals, people! And they are damned good at what they do.

But what about novelists? Ahh … This is where things get tricky. Here’s what I’ve observed. People who are just starting out—and those who have written for a while and never sold anything—seem to be the ones screaming the loudest about the evils of getting paid. Last time I checked, successful folks like Stephen King and J. K. Rowling are depositing fat checks in the bank every month and not crying about it. Now, you may or may not care for what they write. But they are nevertheless professionals in every sense of the word.

The Rest of Us

I’m happy to admit that I cannot support my family on my writing. Boohoo. That’s why I have a day job. Charles Bukowski worked at the post office, for cryin’ out loud. And he hated it. But at least he got a novel out of the deal.

I have three pieces of advice for people who piss and moan about being true to their art:

Calm down
Continue to write your heart out
Find a way to put food on the table

The sad reality is that most writers will never make a living writing. Don’t believe me? Check out Hugh Howey’s excellent Author Earnings website. Charles Ives wrote some of the most innovative American music of the 20th century. Listen to his Three Places in New England sometime and you’ll see what I mean. Did he get to make a living at writing music? Hell, no—he sold insurance! Look it up.

Okay, I feel better now. Carry on writing that awesome book of yours. And remember, it’s all going to be fine.

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Find The Shepherd at Amazon

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The Blurb

Skate punks, kleptomaniacs, clairvoyant visions and reincarnation…

The Shepherd is unlike any other Young Adult novel you have ever read.

For me, Mike Evans, a skate punk living in a white-trash trailer park, high school blows.

My dad’s an out-of-work drunk. My ex-girlfriend avoids me like the plague. My best friend, Anita, won’t keep her hands off me…then there’s Moses Lake’s champion wrestler. The a-hole is waiting for an excuse to beat my face into the skate park concrete.

Worse, my visions of grisly death are back again, and if I tell anyone what I’ve seen I might actually cause these terrible events to happen.

I’m in way over my head, and Natasha? The girl I rescued from a hit-and-run? The girl who’s stalking me nightly and climbing through my window? There’s something seriously wrong with that girl.

“A young adult, paranormal, romantic, bizarre and addicting story, and I could not put it down.” – Stephanie, The Boyfriend Bookmark

“The Shepherd is different, unique, feels real and fresh and does not follow the usual boring and repetitive ingredients that YA books tend to have.” – MissDevora, Lovers of Paranormal reviewer

“Travis has captured the look and feel of high school perfectly, teenage angst, cliques and first loves. I felt like a fly on the wall taking in all the drama of high school again.” – Jackie, Goodreads reviewer

Sharp, witty, dark and gritty, The Shepherd is a paranormal thriller for all ages. Get your copy of this thrilling urban fantasy – paranormal suspense novel from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Travis Luedke.

The Review ★★★★★

Travis Luedke is an interesting writer. You might know him from his “Nightlife Series,” which celebrates vampires. When I learned that he had written a YA novel called The Shepherd, I went into it thinking it might follow the path of many of the other YA titles out there today—modern and edgy, but perhaps a little tame. Boy, was I wrong!

What the author has done is to give the reader something dark and fun. Because the characters are teens, you won’t find only raw, seething emotion just under the surface, but lots of raging hormones that drive them to do things they should have thought better of. Add to that some cool skateboarding swagger and a bloody, paranormal twist, and what you get is a story that you cannot predict. The main character, Mike Evans, is troubled for sure. But those around him don’t make his life any easier. Oh, and wait until you meet Natasha. Yeah, just what Mike needs—a sucker punch straight out of Russia.

What I really enjoyed about this book is the author’s ability to capture the immediacy of the modern teen. His dialogue is sharp, and absolutely rings true. As I was reading the book, I could picture high school students speaking this way—not sounding like TV-based stereotypes. I’m guessing that teen readers will find a lot of realism in this story, and will probably recognize some of their peers in characters like Anita, Justin, Rachelle and Tommy.

If you enjoy stories that send you grinding down a rusty handrail, I recommend grabbing The Shepherd. You won’t be disappointed.

The Shadow Box

Explore The Dark Side of Urban Fantasy – Paranormal Suspense with THE SHADOW BOX from NY Times & USA Today bestselling authors.

***A limited offer at a steeply discounted price – only available until Feb. 2015

Ride the cutting edge of dark fantasy in this unique collection of fast-paced, gritty,  suspenseful thrillers. Filled with black magic, vampire trailer trash, werewolves, sorcerers, assassins, clairvoyants, zombie draggers, and old-school gothic horror, a sure bet for fans of paranormal suspense.

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DARKER THINGS by Rob Cornell

Fifteen years have passed since Craig Lockman worked for a shadowy agency fighting monsters most think exist only in nightmares. A mysterious teen girl arrives at his door with his fiercest enemy on her tail. Now he must protect the daughter he never knew from the dark world he thought he left behind.

MOTH by Sean Poindexter

Social worker Max Hollingsworth is no stranger to monsters. Supernatural or human, he’s faced all kinds. But when he’s called upon to investigate a missing child, he may have met his match.

THE SHEPHERD by Travis Luedke

After saving a mysterious girl from a hit and run, 16 yr. old Mike Evans soon finds his life spiraling out of control. Facing clairvoyant visions of grisly death, Mike struggles to avert disaster and make his way through the chaos.

COUNCIL OF PEACOCKS by M. Joseph Murphy

A band of misfit, half-demon teenagers join the ruthless, immortal Wisdom, to stop The Council of Peacocks. The Council, a secret society of sorcerers, has plotted for centuries, and now the time has come for Activation – a hostile takeover of Earth.

A DEATH DISPLACED by Andrew Butcher

When Nicolas Crystan unexpectedly sees the future, he acts fast to save Juliet Maystone from a fatal accident, unintentionally “displacing” her–giving her the power to see ghosts. Together, they must use their newfound abilities to unravel a mystery more connected to Nicolas than he ever imagined …

BOUND BY BLOOD by Shane KP O’Neill

Vlad Dracula: ruler, tyrant, warlord, and champion of the Catholic faith, is seized by Lucifer in his moment of death and becomes a monster, born of Darkness. Vlad is charged with destroying the institution of the Catholic Church, to help turn man against God so that Lucifer may finally return to Heaven and end all of mankind.

LUNA SANGUIS by Simon Okill

A mysterious woman awakes in an asylum in France, 1925, with amnesia. As her memory is restored she reveals her true vampiric nature and unleashes a bloody nightmare that might destroy all humanity.

TELL ME WHEN I’M DEAD by Steven Ramirez

When a contagion decimates the town of Tres Marias, recovering alcoholic Dave Pulaski, his wife, Holly, and a group of armed soldiers and civilians must find a way to survive.

THE LONG WAY DOWN by Craig Schaefer

The death of a porn star leads sorcerer Daniel Faust down a rabbit hole of conspiracy and madness. For the first time, black magic and bullets might not be enough to save him from the brink of damnation.

BLACKJACK by Kristopher Norris

When Vincent Black, a gun for hire, is told vampires are all too real, he thinks it’s a joke. But soon he learns that he is not the most dangerous brand of hunter out there…

Send to KindleLink to this post!

Okay, so you already know you can preorder The Shadow Box: Paranormal Suspense and Dark Fantasy Thriller Novels now. That’s ten novels featuring vampires, zombies and other assorted monsters.

Check out this wonderful collection of dark novels from authors Travis Luedke, Rob Cornell, Andrew Butcher, Sean Poindexter, Shane KP O’Neill, M Joseph Murphy, Simon Okill, Craig Schaefer, Kristopher Norris—and Steven Ramirez.

Today, I am featuring an interview with Kristopher Norris, author of Blackjack. Take it away, Kris!

You are writing in a very popular genre. What’s unique about Blackjack?

That is an interesting questions. I’m not sure how to answer it in all honesty. Urban paranormal is a unique genre. The twists and turns, my love and close ties to the old noir style of mystery helps me avoid that cookie cutter feel.

Personally, I like that my protagonist, Vincent, is human – or rather mostly human. So often in vampire based books we miss out on the human male’s point of view. I’d like to think I bring a certain amount of our stubborn pigheaded nature to the literary world.

In terms of the theme, what are the one or two things you are hoping the reader comes away with?

My hope is the reader was able to dive into the world my characters created for them. Fans ask me, “What’s coming next?” … I don’t know! I know authors talk about the characters being real for them but that doesn’t quite cover it. It’s like watching a movie and I just write down what’s going on in the world of Vincent and his fanged friends. I hope I do them justice.

What are you working on now, and is it in the same vein as BlackJack?Vincent’s second full length novel is done! Currently that manuscript is off with test readers then to final editing. I’m hoping to have a release date at the beginning of the year.

Outside of the ever present Vincent Black, I’ve begun a new series – Half-blood is the working title where a half demon, Conner, fights heaven and hell to save kidnapped children and his own soul.

Buy Links

Amazon US

Barnes & Noble

iBookStore

Kobo

Smashwords

Product Description

Explore The Dark Side of Urban Fantasy – Paranormal Suspense with THE SHADOW BOX from NY Times & USA Today bestselling authors.

***A limited offer at a steeply discounted price – only available until Feb. 2015

Ride the cutting edge of dark fantasy in this unique collection of fast-paced, gritty,  suspenseful thrillers. Filled with black magic, vampire trailer trash, werewolves, sorcerers, assassins, clairvoyants, zombie draggers, and old-school gothic horror, a sure bet for fans of paranormal suspense.

DARKER THINGS by Rob Cornell

Fifteen years have passed since Craig Lockman worked for a shadowy agency fighting monsters most think exist only in nightmares. A mysterious teen girl arrives at his door with his fiercest enemy on her tail. Now he must protect the daughter he never knew from the dark world he thought he left behind.

MOTH by Sean Poindexter

Social worker Max Hollingsworth is no stranger to monsters. Supernatural or human, he’s faced all kinds. But when he’s called upon to investigate a missing child, he may have met his match.

THE SHEPHERD by Travis Luedke

After saving a mysterious girl from a hit and run, 16 yr. old Mike Evans soon finds his life spiraling out of control. Facing clairvoyant visions of grisly death, Mike struggles to avert disaster and make his way through the chaos.

COUNCIL OF PEACOCKS by M. Joseph Murphy

A band of misfit, half-demon teenagers join the ruthless, immortal Wisdom, to stop The Council of Peacocks. The Council, a secret society of sorcerers, has plotted for centuries, and now the time has come for Activation – a hostile takeover of Earth.

A DEATH DISPLACED by Andrew Butcher

When Nicolas Crystan unexpectedly sees the future, he acts fast to save Juliet Maystone from a fatal accident, unintentionally “displacing” her–giving her the power to see ghosts. Together, they must use their newfound abilities to unravel a mystery more connected to Nicolas than he ever imagined …

BOUND BY BLOOD by Shane KP O’Neill

Vlad Dracula: ruler, tyrant, warlord, and champion of the Catholic faith, is seized by Lucifer in his moment of death and becomes a monster, born of Darkness. Vlad is charged with destroying the institution of the Catholic Church, to help turn man against God so that Lucifer may finally return to Heaven and end all of mankind.

LUNA SANGUIS by Simon Okill

A mysterious woman awakes in an asylum in France, 1925, with amnesia. As her memory is restored she reveals her true vampiric nature and unleashes a bloody nightmare that might destroy all humanity.

TELL ME WHEN I’M DEAD by Steven Ramirez

When a contagion decimates the town of Tres Marias, recovering alcoholic Dave Pulaski, his wife, Holly, and a group of armed soldiers and civilians must find a way to survive.

THE LONG WAY DOWN by Craig Schaefer

The death of a porn star leads sorcerer Daniel Faust down a rabbit hole of conspiracy and madness. For the first time, black magic and bullets might not be enough to save him from the brink of damnation.

BLACKJACK by Kristopher Norris

When Vincent Black, a gun for hire, is told vampires are all too real, he thinks it’s a joke. But soon he learns that he is not the most dangerous brand of hunter out there…

Send to KindleLink to this post!

Okay, so you already know you can preorder The Shadow Box: Paranormal Suspense and Dark Fantasy Thriller Novels now. That’s ten novels featuring vampires, zombies and other assorted monsters.

Check out this wonderful collection of dark novels from authors Travis Luedke, Rob Cornell, Andrew Butcher, Sean Poindexter, Shane KP O’Neill, M Joseph Murphy, Simon Okill, Craig Schaefer, Kristopher Norris—and Steven Ramirez.

Today, I am featuring an interview with Simon Okill, author of Luna Sanguis. You might know Simon from his deliciously entertaining “Phantom Bigfoot” series.

Take it away, Simon!

You are writing in a very popular genre. What’s unique about Luna Sanguis?

Luna Sanguis is very different from other vampire novels as it deals with the psychological make up of a vampire with amnesia, trapped in an asylum and hunted by bloodthirsty cult followers. It is very Gothic in a Poe way or Anne Rice and set during The Modernist era of Paris 1925, so you get to meet many of those famous avant garde set.

In terms of the theme, what are the one or two things you are hoping the reader comes away with?

I am hoping the reader will have second thoughts about vampires and may even come to believe they actually exist as my vampires are human all the way. The reader will also, hopefully, get a handle on what it is like to suffer with PTSD and appreciate what veterans go through every day of their lives.

What are you working on now, and is it in the same vein as Luna Sanguis?

SS-Steppenwolf is a paranormal history of the entire WWII seen through the eyes of two German brothers split apart by Nazism. It deals with the real Indiana Jones hired by Himmler to seek out artifacts to empower the Germanic Peoples and ultimately rule the world. A blend of fact and fiction so the reader will not be able to tell which is which.

Buy Links

Amazon US

Barnes & Noble

iBookStore

Kobo

Smashwords

Product Description

Explore The Dark Side of Urban Fantasy – Paranormal Suspense with THE SHADOW BOX from NY Times & USA Today bestselling authors.

***A limited offer at a steeply discounted price – only available until Feb. 2015

Ride the cutting edge of dark fantasy in this unique collection of fast-paced, gritty,  suspenseful thrillers. Filled with black magic, vampire trailer trash, werewolves, sorcerers, assassins, clairvoyants, zombie draggers, and old-school gothic horror, a sure bet for fans of paranormal suspense.

DARKER THINGS by Rob Cornell

Fifteen years have passed since Craig Lockman worked for a shadowy agency fighting monsters most think exist only in nightmares. A mysterious teen girl arrives at his door with his fiercest enemy on her tail. Now he must protect the daughter he never knew from the dark world he thought he left behind.

MOTH by Sean Poindexter

Social worker Max Hollingsworth is no stranger to monsters. Supernatural or human, he’s faced all kinds. But when he’s called upon to investigate a missing child, he may have met his match.

THE SHEPHERD by Travis Luedke

After saving a mysterious girl from a hit and run, 16 yr. old Mike Evans soon finds his life spiraling out of control. Facing clairvoyant visions of grisly death, Mike struggles to avert disaster and make his way through the chaos.

COUNCIL OF PEACOCKS by M. Joseph Murphy

A band of misfit, half-demon teenagers join the ruthless, immortal Wisdom, to stop The Council of Peacocks. The Council, a secret society of sorcerers, has plotted for centuries, and now the time has come for Activation – a hostile takeover of Earth.

A DEATH DISPLACED by Andrew Butcher

When Nicolas Crystan unexpectedly sees the future, he acts fast to save Juliet Maystone from a fatal accident, unintentionally “displacing” her–giving her the power to see ghosts. Together, they must use their newfound abilities to unravel a mystery more connected to Nicolas than he ever imagined …

BOUND BY BLOOD by Shane KP O’Neill

Vlad Dracula: ruler, tyrant, warlord, and champion of the Catholic faith, is seized by Lucifer in his moment of death and becomes a monster, born of Darkness. Vlad is charged with destroying the institution of the Catholic Church, to help turn man against God so that Lucifer may finally return to Heaven and end all of mankind.

LUNA SANGUIS by Simon Okill

A mysterious woman awakes in an asylum in France, 1925, with amnesia. As her memory is restored she reveals her true vampiric nature and unleashes a bloody nightmare that might destroy all humanity.

TELL ME WHEN I’M DEAD by Steven Ramirez

When a contagion decimates the town of Tres Marias, recovering alcoholic Dave Pulaski, his wife, Holly, and a group of armed soldiers and civilians must find a way to survive.

THE LONG WAY DOWN by Craig Schaefer

The death of a porn star leads sorcerer Daniel Faust down a rabbit hole of conspiracy and madness. For the first time, black magic and bullets might not be enough to save him from the brink of damnation.

BLACKJACK by Kristopher Norris

When Vincent Black, a gun for hire, is told vampires are all too real, he thinks it’s a joke. But soon he learns that he is not the most dangerous brand of hunter out there…

Send to KindleLink to this post!