THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB discussion

Who likes free stuff? Everyone, duh! Check out this interview of yours truly and simply leave a comment to win!

http://tracyriva.com/2011/08/time-for...

Thanks and happy reading!

My wife and I make up the writing team, M.A. Leslie. We are both indie authors. So far, it has been amazing to just get our stories out there for people to read, but with a few positive comments from people on FB, we are getting excited.

Writing is a passion that we share and story telling is probably our favorite past time.
The coolest part of our stories is that they are all born from dreams that my wife has.

Also, we both love to read and have lately been trying a little of indie and traditional. We have found Amanda Hocking to be great and Urban Mythos by Jay Eckert to be excellent. As we read more indie reads, we will post and let you all know what we think.

Thank you for setting up this link for indie authors. For any interested, please check out our two titles and blog if you are interested www.maleslie1.blogspot.com

Thanks again, M.A. Leslie

I'm an indie author. I don't think it's news to anybody that it a tough slog. So many voices straining to be heard all at once. It's hard to stand out. So many times I've "given up," but my work keeps calling me back. I couldn't stop now, even if I wanted to.

Good for you. All writers are in the same boat. At some time the dust of this new wave has to settle. Will be interesting to see what and who survives. At any rate, the best of luck to you, friend. DO NOT GIVE UP.
Sonia Meyer

Entropiated wrote: "I'm an indie author. I don't think it's news to anybody that it a tough slog. So many voices straining to be heard all at once. It's hard to stand out. So many times I've "given up," but my work ke..."

well on James Mason- my ain was to ceate a community in which readers and writers could interact- I make no distinction between an indie writer, small press or large press- my respect is the same!
I love this thread and others because at least in some way it can allow those without the huge marketing budgets a place to expose their fine books!

Hi, I've written a YA paranormal book called Beg for Mercy . I've gotten decent reviews on both Goodreads and Amazon. If you like that genre, I'd love for you to read and review it.

Thanks for your support and Happy Reading.

Shannon wrote: "Hi, I've written a YA paranormal book called Beg for Mercy. I've gotten decent reviews on both Goodreads and Amazon. If you like that genre, I'd ..."

wonderful Shannon- best of sales with your book!!
I put it on my TBR list!

Rick wrote: "Shannon wrote: "Hi, I've written a YA paranormal book called Beg for Mercy. I've gotten decent reviews on both Goodreads and Amazon. If you like ..."

Thanks, Rick. Much appreciated.

I love that this group is so Indie friendly. We all need to supoort one another!

Sean.
CATCH


"As one of Vince Flynn's first readers, this guy is better" - C.C (Literary Professional)

Sean wrote: "I love that this group is so Indie friendly. We all need to supoort one another!

Sean.
CATCH


"As one of Vince Flynn's first readers, this guy is better" - C.C (Literary Pr..."

I agree 100000% Sean!

I'm only reading indie stuff at the moment. It's been great, although I don't finish a lot of them. I do like the fact that most just have a story to tell, and they just tell it. There seem to be less pressure to make what someone thinks is 'marketable'.

What's the group's opinion? More effective if they find you by direct promotion, on their own, or through a third party?


Pax Rolfe

Pax wrote: "What's the group's opinion? More effective if they find you by direct promotion, on their own, or through a third party?


Pax Rolfe"

good question Pax- I think that in this faced paced, multimedia world- really- all of the above is the answer! however you can get your book noticed among the many many others out there
I prefer direction promotion because I love to hear from the writer how they decided on a plot, genre,process ect- hence the many threads here for member writers!!

I'm in support of any author such as myself who had the skill and idea to create a wonderful piece of literature and make it something worth reading. I myself just sat at my computer until one day got all my poems together and then wrote more..3 months later my book was submitted and 3 months after that was published.

Anyone interested in poetry or horror will like my book.
If it interests me I write about it, If it really interests me I read about it.

I have a freebie up on my blog atm, but I want to say a word for a couple of new indie authors who I think are and will be great: Otters In Space: The Search for Cat Havana from Mary is a fun read and Beckoning Light I'm looking for more from. We also have Pax here and a number of others I will link when I find their books. lol.

And yes Pax. Lots of spam, but subtle spam with a little flavour. Maybe some turkey spam...

As an indie writer, i am almost exclusively reading other indie books in a variety of genres. A bit of checking out the competition, but also I really enjoy indie books!

I am having a bad day though as an indie writer. My book hasn't been selling particularly well, but I have just found it on a torrent site and there have been literally hundreds of illegal downloads. So depressing.

I'm also reading pretty much only indie authors these days. There is a lot of new and refreshing stuff there and it support the indie movement at the same time.

As for the torrent sites, well there is good and bad there. Microsoft Windows got where it is by people illegally copying millions of copies of windows 3.1, so it might not be all bad news in getting your name out there... Always look for those silver linings around those storm clouds!

I joined a group that has a facebook page devoted to tagging and liking other authors on amazon. It is a nice gesture, the effort is appreciated, and may get you up in the ranks. But I am a reader, and I love actual readers most. All of us who write want to get noticed, but I hope most of all to be an influence, and readers will help with that, not so much taggers. I am an indie author, my husband and I both are, and we created our books from the ground up. We believe there is a need for people to do what it takes to get their own message out.
http://elkjerkyforthesoul.wordpress.com is our blog and our books are there, linked to Amazon.

I'm quite new to this group and still gradually checking out the threads. I'm an avid bookworm and since getting my kindle I have been introduced to the indie writer for the first time. Of course, with the kindle being a publishing free for all, there is a lot of dross out there - but I have also found some extrememly good new writers that are better than many published authors that I've read! I find that the best way to sort the wheat from the chaff is to follow reader recommendations. I'd like to share some of my favourite indies that I have discovered.

Richard Wilde by Mary Fitzgerald - it's a beautifully written tale which doesn't fit into any particular genre. The other books that Mary has written are also very good.

In the Blood. This is a genealogical crime mystery which we made our first group book when we started up the UK Amazon kindle forum here on goodreads. The story jumps back and forth in time as a historical mystery is solved. Most of the story is set in Cornwall. This is also very well written.

Death in a Scarlet Gown by Lexie Conyngham. This is the first book in her Murray of Letho series. It's set in St
Andrews, Scotland in the early 1800s - although this is a crime mystery, that is just one part of the story. The characterisation is very good, Lexie has a lovely turn of phrase, and there is plenty of humour and tragedy in the story.

Remix and Replica by Lexi Revellian. She regularly appears in the amazon uk top 100 best sellers list and is a popular author among the forum members. We've just heard that she has been given a publishing deal in Hungary where they want to translate her books!

:0)

Can I just say a huge Thank you to everyone from this group who supported my this week when I launched my latest novel, Children of The Plantation - thanks to you it's now 34 in Kindle store!
Cheers
Faith Mortimer
xxChildren of the Plantation

I'm having a giveaway for my novel, Ghosts of a Tired Universe. All I ask is that you leave a review on Amazon, Smashwords, or B&N, etc.

If you're a Neil Gaiman or Charles de Lint fan, you might enjoy this story about a sculptor who decides to destroy the universe.

Free download here:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/554...
Just click "buy" and enter the coupon code KL36Y.

Coupon expires in 11/1/11.

Hey, I'm one of those! If anyone's looking for a quick and mindbending read, I released a short story last week:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...
Use this coupon to get it free, GL68R. :)

And be sure to drop me a line and tell me what you thought at my blog:
http://www.automonous.wordpress.com/

But other indie authors I support are David Gaughran, Joe Vasicek, Bob Meyer, and Joe Konrath. It's hardwork, but so far I'm loving the community and freedom that indie publishing has to offer.

Just finished Night of Wolves by David Dalglish which was a great fantasy novel mixing "wolf-men" with traditional epic fantasy elements like paladins.

On my own efforts, I've recently released my post-apocalyptic fantasy novel The Way of the Black Beast as an e-book and in print.

I'm slowly starting to read more indie books now that I've become indie. So far I've found them to be more enjoyable than mainstream novels, though I still purchase and read mainstream novels as well.

Hope you'll all support this one : )

http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...

My Kindle is 99% full of Indie authors publications. It's rare that I read a book by one of the big boys these days. some are over formulaic I find.

As a new member of this group, I would like to point you all to a "collective" or "cooperative" website set up to focus on ebook authors. This site now offers free ebook giveaways:
Many authors distribute promotional copies of their ebooks. ----- Sign up to receive these free ebooks when available. ----- - Send us an email at: [email protected] ----- Include the following: ----- - 1. Your Name (first & last) ----- - 2. Your Amazon account email address. ----- - 3. The city/state/country you are in. ----- - Please note, email address must be connected to your Amazon account. Email address will not be shared. They will only be used for the purpose of providing free "gift" book copies from authors in their book promotion efforts.

Two books that I have on my Kindle that I'm enjoying right now are:

Beyond Malice Rebecca Forster

and Lock Up Your Daughters Mira Kolar-Brown

Best wishes


Seb

Justin, what have you done about it? Can I ask you to post the website for us. We all need to look and see if ours are there as well.
Marla

If you found a pen that wrote the future, would you use it? What if consequences spread like ripples in a pond? What if they raged out of control? What if the pen demanded tribute in blood?

Check out the trailer for "The Quill Pen," my brand new novel (my fifth!) just released this week. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wPyLN... Thanks!

http://www.michelleisenhoff.com

Anyone heard of the Ingo Village Review? It's a new up and coming literary magazine for poetry, fiction, etc.
A few of my poems will appear in the first issue.
Here's the link:
http://www.mscottcraig.com/p/ingo-vil...

I'm guesting today at http://www.susanwhitfield.blogspot.com/
and talking about writing, Fallen From Grace and other projects. Stop by and leave a comment.

@Marla. Have you anything new about this? I would be reluctant to go on any torrent site, but I guess it needs checking out. Let us know.

Brian wrote: "Anyone heard of the Ingo Village Review? It's a new up and coming literary magazine for poetry, fiction, etc.
A few of my poems will appear in the first issue.
Here's the link:
http://www.mscottcra..."

great link Brian!

The download for LAWMAN, contemporary Romance, is now free at Smashwords.com

dittymac.blogspot.com

Love these threads, I'm all for supporting indies, just as long as they don't rush the books out without giving the right amount of attention to them first.

As an indy author, I want to let everyone know how much I have enjoyed being a member of this group. And I have received a lot of support on the Goodreads site as a whole! The response for the two book giveaways of my debut novel, The Seahawk's Sanctuary, were phenomenal! As well as the weekend free eBook giveaway for members of this group on Smashwords in July. I'm writing to let the members know that I have posted a sneak peek of my next novel, to be released in the Spring of 2012, on my website. http://LynneMarieAuthor.com/other-words Please go take a look...

Lynne wrote: "As an indy author, I want to let everyone know how much I have enjoyed being a member of this group. And I have received a lot of support on the Goodreads site as a whole! The response for the two ..."

wonderful to hear Lynne!!

Simon wrote: "Love these threads, I'm all for supporting indies, just as long as they don't rush the books out without giving the right amount of attention to them first."

appreciate that Simon- very important to me that Indy Writers have a place to talk about their books

Perhaps there exists a similar reader comment sections for traditional publishers as this. If so, I have never stumbled across them. Thus "real" refers to the impact a book makes on the world of readers. Indie publishing has expanded that world in a way which will never contract. Thus the "real" world of publishing has changed in not only the method of delivery of a book to the reader, but the way in which a writer has access to the delivery method. "It's all good" is a favorite expression for country folks.

I'm and indie author/publisher. At first by necessity rather than choice, I find I like the control and freedom it gives me (if sales are not all I'd like). I just published my third novel and the first book of The Sonnet Trilogy. Set largely in Switzerland between 1948 and 1955, Impediment is a coming of age and love story complicated by family ties, gender stereotypes and changing attitudes toward sex.

Impediments

Hi,

I am both an author of a very realistic science fiction thriller and a cartoonist who take a wry look at this strange world. To kick off my participation, I would like to share my Halloween offering, but am not sure how to add an image. Any help?

Phil

Figured it out. boy am I smart, I probably should be a writer.

Sheenah wrote: "I'm slowly starting to read more indie books now that I've become indie. So far I've found them to be more enjoyable than mainstream novels, though I still purchase and read mainstream novels as well."

I have found this to be true of myself as well, especially once I got a Kindle and signed up for BookRoosters. It's definately slowing my writing process!

Ken wrote: "Perhaps there exists a similar reader comment sections for traditional publishers as this. If so, I have never stumbled across them. Thus "real" refers to the impact a book makes on the world of re..."

Hi Ken- excellent point on "real"!
Books and Writings by Members, Lets Support a Member, ect are geared to all writers- major publishers, ect- just felt a special thread for Indie Writers was a nice idea

Kimberly wrote: "Hi All,

I was wondering with so many indie authors out here, such as myself, do you ever read any of their books in your groups to help support them? If so, who have you read and what did you t..."

Kimberly, good point! It would be nice to see readers supporting the authors by purchasing books rather than "sharing" copies. Nice thinking.

Like historical novels? The Accidental Spy is available on Kindle. Check out a teaser here: http://indiesnippets.blogspot.com/201...

Larry wrote: "Kimberly wrote: "Hi All,

I was wondering with so many indie authors out here, such as myself, do you ever read any of their books in your groups to help support them? If so, who have you read and..."

Amen, Larry, amen!

For those worried about their book appearing on a torrent site; I found out by searching my book title and name on google.

If you really want to find my book on a torrent site just search for it on google - its pretty much the first search result that comes up - depressingly!