Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Book Cover/Title Change - Picasso Chase to Lust, Money & Murder, Book 4


I wanted to let everyone know that I've decided to change the cover image and title of the book I was calling "The Picasso Chase, Book 1 - Cattoretti's Return" to "Lust, Money & Murder, Book 4 - Cattoretti's Return".

The reason I've done this is that many people did not realize that this new book is actually a continuation of the popular Lust, Money & Murder series - the story does, in fact, take up at the moment where LM&M #3 left off, when Elaine Brogan fights tooth and nail with Giorgio Cattoretti in Italy and kicks him over the cliff.

I originally titled the book the way I did because this new book, and the following two (coming soon), can be read as a standalone trilogy, without reading LM&M 1, 2 & 3.  This is also the reason I came up with a different cover style and design.  It was one of those "seemed like a good idea at the time" situations--I suppose I didn't have the perspective of most readers.

If you've already bought the book as The Picasso Chase, Book 1, don't worry--everything inside is exactly the same. The book itself cannot be accidentally bought twice because there is only one book on all the retail ebook sites (with one IBSN).  If you want the new cover and title, you can simply go to your retailer and send it to your e-reader or app again.

Here are the links for your reference:

Amazon USA - Amazon UK - Apple iBooks - B&N Nook  - Google Play - Kobo - Smashwords

I apologize for any confusion this may have caused you. 

By the way, if you happen to be one of the folks on Facebook who gave me feedback about this issue when I asked for it, I really appreciate it - all the advice was very helpful.




Saturday, June 21, 2014

Wild Child Released in New HOT BOX Sizzling Summer Thriller Set!


If you haven't yet read Wild Child, "the book that wouldn't die," here's a rare chance to grab it for only 99 cents along with seven novels written by other indie authors.  A real bargain.  The eight-book set be offered at this price only for a limited time.  The HOT BOX is available on Amazon USA, Amazon UK, B&N (Nook), Apple iBooks, Smashwords, FlipKart (India) and will soon be available on Kobo.

In addition to Wild Child, the set includes the following novels:

Steven Bannister - Fade to Black

John Paul Davis - The Cortes Enigma

C R Hiatt - Sanctioned Kill

David Leadbeater - The Razor's Edge

Andy Lucas - Race Amazon

Karen Perkins - Dead Reckoning

C K Raggio - Heron Park


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Download 7 of My eBooks to Your E-Reader, Smartphone, Tablet, or PC/Mac ABSOLUTELY FREE!

(Warning:  These stories are highly addictive and subsequent books in the series are NOT free)

Lust, Money & Murder, Book 1
International Thriller

Passion, Power & Sin, Book 1
International Thriller

The Drive-By Wife, Book 1
Romantic Thriller

Baby Talk, Book 1
Psychological Horror
Amazon USA - Amazon UK - Apple iBooks - B&N Nook  - Google Play - Kobo - Smashwords

Secrets of the Elusive Lover, Book 1
Romantic Comedy
Amazon USA - Amazon UK - Apple iBooks - B&N Nook  - Google Play - Kobo - Smashwords

The Mysterious Disappearance of Kurt Kramer, Book 1
Paranormal Romance
 Amazon USA - Amazon UK - Apple iBooks - B&N Nook  - Google Play - Kobo - Smashwords

 The Wrong Side of the Tracks, Book 1
Young Adult Adventure/Thriller
Amazon USA - Amazon UK - Apple iBooks - B&N Nook  - Google Play - Kobo - Smashwords

Thursday, June 5, 2014

6 Tips to Help You Get That Novel Written

Many people have a deep desire to write a novel but just can't seem to get it done.  Here are six tips that should help.

1.  "I don't know where to start."  Most folks who want to write a novel already have an idea for a story but simply don't know where to begin.  An old Hollywood adage is:  "Start on the day that's different."  Presumably your hero's life is fairly routine until some event happens (called the Inciting Incident) which triggers the entire story and launches the hero on his/her journey.  Start just before that event takes place.  This way you don't bore the reader with too much explanation and ho-hum material

2.  "I just don't have the time."   John Grisham wrote his first novel on a legal pad while working full time as a lawyer, in work snippets as short as ten minutes.  I wrote the entire Lust, Money & Murder trilogy during one-hour train commutes between Oxford and London.  If you truly want to write a novel, you can find the time.  One trick is to put yourself on a regular writing schedule, even if you write only 30 minutes per day.  It's helpful if you can do this at the same time of day or night, which ties the activity to your biological clock.  You’ll soon start feeling an urge to write when that time rolls around, which is a great help in propelling you along.

3.  "I get lost after the first few pages."  Learn to think in scenes, like in a movie.  First, some important thing happens to your hero.  Then, another important thing happens.  Then another.  Etc. Write your novel in this way, like a film, all the way to the end.  Start each scene quickly and get to the important action, then exit and move onto the next.  Don't waste your own time, or the reader's time, with a lot of warmup material or filler.

4.  "I keep writing the beginning over and over again."  This is usually because you're second guessing yourself and editing your work prematurely.  Resist the urge to edit ANYTHING until you reach the very end of your novel.  Charge ahead like a bull and don't let anyone or anything stop you.   Keep up the momentum and let your creative voice flow freely all the way to the end of the first draft...then you can come back and edit.

5.  "I keep getting stuck in the middle of the story."  Virtually everyone who writes a novel suffers from writer's block at some point, and usually it's because they've lost track of where the story is going.  One good trick is to jump forward and write out the scenes that you KNOW will be in the book.  Later you can come back and fill in the gaps and connect all the scenes all together.  You'll find that the more scenes your write, the easier the whole process becomes and eventually everything will fall into place.

6.  "There's a critical voice inside my head that stops me from writing."  All of us have a so-called Inner Critic that says such inspiring things as "You have no idea what you're doing" and "Who are you to think you can write a novel?" and "No sane person would ever read this drivel."  It's impossible to write a whole book with this negative voice jabbering away in your head.  You have to make a deal with it.  Simply say,  "Would you kindly keep your mouth shut until I finish the first draft?  Then you can criticize all you want."  What you'll find is that the farther along you get, the less power that critical voice will have, and by the time you reach the end of your novel you'll be much more confident.

In closing, I have one final tip, perhaps the most important one of all: HAVE FUN.  If at any point your writing starts to feel like drudgery, stop and take inventory.  Go over this short list of tips again and see what might be tripping you up.

Happy writing!

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Sunday, June 1, 2014

Interview with Audiobook Narrator Mark Torres

Mark Torres
Today I'm pleased to interview professional actor and audiobook voice artist Mark Torres, who narrated my romantic thriller, The Drive-By Wife.  Mark is now halfway through the narration of The Wrong Side of the Tracks. As feedback from my audiobook listeners has been fantastic, I thought listeners might want to know more about Mark, his background, and his narration process.  In the interview he also shares some interesting thoughts for authors who are considering putting their books in audio format.

Mark, can you tell us a little about yourself and your background? 
I trained as a stage actor at Temple University's Professional Actor Training Program where I received an MFA in acting.  I also hold a BA from Indiana University, where I majored in Theatre and Drama.  When I got out of school, I moved to New York City and was cast in the original cast of Amadeus which ran for three years.  I worked with Ian Mckellen, Tim Curry and Jane Seymour in the original cast.  I soon became interested in directing and began working as a director. I founded a small theatre called Moving Target Theatre Company and produced a number of plays in Brooklyn before moving the company to Dallas.  From there I went to Bangor, Maine to head Penobscot Theatre which I ran for 13 years.  I have now moved back to the New York City area and am once again working as a free lance actor and director.

What led you to start narrating audiobooks?
I have always had an affinity for spoken word communication.  Radio programs and old fashioned radio dramas have held a fascination for me.  When I began researching it as a career option, I was very excited to think I might be able to do it as part of my acting career.

What aspects of audiobook narration do you find the most challenging?
I had heard that recording audiobooks takes lots of personal stamina and I agree.  It takes mental, physical and vocal staying power.  I am often surprised at how much energy I seem to expend after a session of recording and editing.

What parts do you enjoy the most?
I love the to and fro of character to character dialogue, especially if it is witty as in lots of the fun exchanges in The Wrong Side of the Tracks or dramatic, as was the case in working on The Drive By Wife.

Do you have a studio in your home? 
Yes.  I have a recording booth with a standing desk in the guest room of our house (and I can disassemble it pretty quickly when we have guests.) 

Do you do your own editing?
I do my own editing and find that it is during editing that things like the pace of a scene can be addressed if, for instance, I didn't get it quite right when I recorded it.

What's your recording schedule like for given audiobook and how do you pace yourself?
It depends on my schedule.  For instance, with The Drive By Wife, I recorded all the sections and then took them with me to edit when I went out of town to act in a regional theatre production.  When I was not in rehearsal or performance for the play I was in my hotel suite with my headphones on editing the audiobook.

What talents/skills are required to be a good audiobook narrator?
In the case of both of Mike's books that I have worked on, I would say it is character differentiation.  With The Drive By Wife, getting the right tone for the character Billy.  He had to be menacing and yet have a kind of broad regional Appalachian dialect that could have been construed as comic or cartoonish.   With The Wrong Side of the Tracks, voicing the young people with their high school micro-cosmic social hierarchies and concerns also calls on the actor to play them earnestly without a hint of commentary.

Which character was your favorite to narrate in my books?
By far for me was Billy in The Drive By Wife.  Mike created a character whose inner psychological demons drove him to demand from his victims a lengthy and varied cat and mouse game played out over weeks and numerous colorful locales. 

What type of novels do you like to listen to/read yourself?
I enjoy contemporary fiction in both written and audiobook form. 

Do you have any advice for people who want to become audiobook narrators?
Remember that you are bringing the author's work to the listener's ear.  Try to do that while staying out of the way.

Do you have any advice for authors in hiring and working with audiobook narrators?
I would urge authors to consider that they are seeking storytellers, as opposed to someone with a "good" voice. 

Thanks, Mark!

Anyone interested in contacting Mark can do so here on his ACX page.

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Now in Audio! 
Note:  you can download any of the below FREE by becoming an Audible member on a no-risk 30 day trial basis.

The Drive-By Wife (Romantic Thriller)

ZD Audible  ZE A Amazon   ZG Apple iTunes  ZF Amazon UK
 
Lust, Money & Murder (International Thriller)

ZD Audible
  ZE A Amazon   ZG Apple iTunes  ZF Amazon UK

Baby Talk (Horror)

ZD Audible  ZE A Amazon  ZG Apple iTunes  ZF Amazon UK

The Mysterious Disappearance of Kurt Kramer (Paranormal Romance)


ZD Audible  ZE A Amazon  ZG Apple iTunes  ZF Amazon UK