A Word Please

Back in late September, I set the ebook version of my novel Enemies and Playmates as a free download. I did this as part of my tribute to Domestic Abuse Awareness Month, which is the month of October, and had planned to raise it back to its normal price afterward. The incredible response I received stunned me and I decided to leave it free through the holidays. In the three months Enemies and Playmates has been free, it’s been downloaded more than 80,000 times!

I know it’s a freebie, but that’s a lot of people who now have my book in hand. (Okay, I’ll admit it. 80,000 paid downloads would be even better! )

Enemies and Playmates is my first book and I’m honored that so many people are taking the time to download and read it. I wrote this one during a tumultuous time in my life. The writing process was my salvation and knowing my words are touching others, some also in difficult situations, is humbling. Readers have written to tell me what the book meant to them, how they connected with certain characters. I’ve gotten to know abuse survivors, whose strength is an inspiration. Writing is a solitary act. But once we send our words out to the world, and those words touch someone deep inside, we’ve connected. Even if author and reader never meet, never speak, never exchange a word, something has passed between us. When someone takes the time to write and let me know what a book of mine has meant to him/her, that’s a feeling I don’t have words for.

While I love when a reader takes the time to send me an email, I don’t typically seek out and read my reviews on Amazon. The good ones lift my mood for a few hours. The bad ones can devastate me for days. And, while I admit to being a little crazy at times, I am not so delusional that I think everyone will love my writing. As the reviews built up with all the downloads, I gave in to temptation and read a few of them. Many people loved the book. Others hated it. I wanted to know what sparked the hatred. After reading some of them, I have to say I’m still not sure.

One review stated that Jesse, the “hero” of the story, wasn’t believable because he drank Coke. Umm… What? This particular reader said all he drank was soft drinks and that no hunky hero was believable if he drank Coke. I’m paraphrasing, but that’s the gist of it. This review made me laugh. First, I find it absurd to think that all “heroes” have to drink alcohol in order to be believable. Is that the society we live in? All cool people must get trashed? Second, and this is the part that made me laugh, in the opening scene, Jesse is at a nightclub and he is drinking rum and Coke. Did this reader miss the opening scene? Further in the book, he drinks a beer with a friend. In another scene he is drinking wine with dinner. Jesse is not a drunk but he does drink alcohol in the appropriate scenes. Yes, he does, on occasion, drink soft drinks without the alcohol. Like while he’s working. Maybe those were the only scenes this reader read?

Another reader gave me a bad review because he/she didn’t like the abuse in the book. I… I’m not sure what to say to that one. It’s difficult to write about abuse without, well, writing about the abuse. That the book is about domestic violence is clear in the description. So, I ask, why read and review a book that is clearly about a topic you do not wish to read about?

Of course there are others who simply don’t like the way I write or the characters who live in my head. Thankfully, there are many more who do.

Here’s the free download for your Kindle:

When the abused decide to fight back, the abuser’s world might just shatter.

Amidst devastating loss, betrayal, and her father’s destructive pursuit of Jesse, Lauren finds the trust and love she had always longed for.

Thanks for reading.

Whether you worship God, Allah, Mother Earth or nothing at all, the holiday season has the same basic meaning – love and be kind to one another, and give what you can to those who are less fortunate. We shouldn’t need a holiday to remind us. We should behave this way all year.

Enough said. I shall not step up on my soapbox today. It’s the holidays!

I am excited to be helping Santa out this year. I don’t have a lot to give. (In fact, my bank would probably argue that I have nothing. ) But even the little stuff counts, right? In my role as Santa’s Helper, I need your help. What I have to give is books. And I’m looking for someone who loves to read and is in need of a boost this holiday season. Here’s the deal…

Are you having a difficult year and can’t afford to give gifts to all the people you love? Do you know someone who doesn’t have much, who probably won’t get much, and you’d like to make that person smile? Do any of these people love to read? If so, tell me about them! Choose one person and tell me why you think he/she deserves a gift. You don’t have to give me a lot of personal details. Maybe you lost your job and can’t afford to buy your best friend something. Or you’re buried beneath a heap of medical bills (I can relate to that!) and you need a gift for your child’s teacher. It could be someone you know who lost a job, a house, is going through a divorce, and that person is special to you. Tell me why!

I’ll pick two ‘winners’ from the comments. If your nomination is picked, I’ll send you an email requesting the person’s name and mailing address, as well as your choice of one of my eight titles for that person. I’ll wrap the book, include a card letting the person know the gift is from you, and ship it – all free!

Sound good? I hope so! Here are the guidelines in simplified form:

1. Submit your nomination of one person who deserves a surprise gift this holiday season. You do not need to give this person’s name.
2. You cannot nominate yourself. (But you can get someone else to!)
3. Include your name and a valid email address.
4. Nominations are open between 8:00 a.m. EST on Saturday, December 3 and midnight EST on Wednesday December 7.
5. Due to shipping time, I have to restrict this to people living within the U.S.
6. The person you nominate needs to be at least 16 years of age.

That’s it. Please help me be a Santa’s Helper this year by nominating someone you care about.

I’m excited to show off my new short story collection: Quiet Fury: An Anthology of Suspense

Quiet Fury is a state of being that we’ve all experienced; calm on the surface, rage bubbling underneath. For most of us, that is a brief moment. Restraint takes over. We grumble and walk away. Some allow the rage to marinate until they are consumed. They cross the line, seek revenge, retribution. Or is it satisfaction?

These stories explore each individual’s breaking point. Which will win, the Quiet or the Fury?

Stories include:

Shades of Gray
You Can Call Me Ari
Out For A Good Time
Tiny Dancer
Wilted Brown Eyes
Mad Scientist
The First Kill
Marietta’s Cats
The Sound of Silence
I Didn’t Know His Name
Falling

You can find this book, along with all my others, on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. This one is currently only 99 cents for Kindle!

You can also find it for Nook on Barnes and Noble. The print format will be there soon.

You can get your choice of ebook format, for all ereaders and computers, on Smashwords.

The incredibly talented Heather Paye created the cover design. She does all sorts of graphic design. You can see some of her work and what she offers on her site: http://hpayedesigns.yolasite.com

Thanks for reading.

October is Domestic Abuse Awareness month. For the entire month, I am dedicating my blog to help shine the light on this epidemic. I have some of the bravest, strongest, most intelligent abuse survivors coming up as guests throughout this month. Their stories are both shocking and inspiring. My hope is that their stories will help educate the public. But, mostly, I’m hoping that these stories will help save at least one woman, child or man from enduring what my guests have had to live through.

My novel Enemies and Playmates centers on the theme of domestic abuse. I’ve been criticized for making the abuse scenes in this book too graphic, despite having toned it down considerably in rewrites prior to publishing. I’ve also been told that it’s not realistic, that a woman and mother would never put up with what went on in the Covington family. But what I’ve written as fiction doesn’t come close to the reality of some women’s lives. Abuse, both psychological and physical, is often a slow process, creeping up on the woman and making her feel worthless.

Of course, domestic abuse isn’t only about women. Children suffer from one or more abusive parents and family members. Occasionally men suffer at the hands of their spouse or girlfriend. And the psychological impact is absolutely not limited to the person being abused. Everyone in the family suffers. Here are a few facts to consider:

1 in 4 women in the U.S. will be a victim of domestic abuse at some point in her life.

Women accounted for 85% of the victims of intimate partner violence, men for approximately 15%.

Between 600,000 and 6 million women are victims of domestic violence each year, and between 100,000 and 6 million men, depending on the type of survey used to obtain the data. (Due to social stigma, men are much less likely to come forward and report abuse.)

On average, more than three women and one man are murdered by their intimate partners in this country every day.

Studies suggest that between 3.3 – 10 million children witness some form of domestic violence annually.

In honor of this month, I’ve made the ebook download of Enemies and Playmates free for all who want to read it.

Here is the book on Amazon, in both print and Kindle format:

You can also find it in print and for Nook on Barnes and Noble and in ebook format on Smashwords, Sony’s Reader Store, Kobo and Apple’s iBookstore.

If you know a woman, child or man whom you suspect is suffering from domestic abuse, please don’t sit back in silence. Reach out to that person. You could save a life.

I hope you’ll check back each Monday and Thursday throughout the month to meet my guests and read their stories. They are incredible people and I am honored to know them all.

Do you need help or know someone who does?
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence provides anonymous and confidential help 24/7:
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
1-800-787-3224 (TTY)

Thanks for reading.

My message board, the indie author/reader community BestsellerBound, is celebrating its first anniversary!

Or is it a first birthday?

Either way, it’s exciting news! BestsellerBound has grown into an incredible community. I am astounded at the talent of the authors. And, even better, they are truly among the nicest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of calling friends.

Celebrations need prizes, right? Of course! In honor of our anniversary/birthday event, a bunch of our members have gotten together to offer their books to interested readers. We have 11 prizes – 10 ebooks and 1 very special, not yet released, print book. Here is the list:

1 coupon code for a free ebook copy of The Dream by Maria Savva from Smashwords

1 coupon code from Smashwords for free ebook copy of any one title by Darcia Helle

The Choice by Sydney S. Song (my pen name for fiction, only) from Smashwords giving free e-book coupon

1 coupon code from Smashwords for free ebook copy of Echo Falls by Jaime McDougall

1 coupon code from Smashwords for free ebook copy of any one title by Gareth Lewis

1 coupon code from Smashwords for free ebook copy of The Other Room by James Everington

1 coupon code from Smashwords for free ebook copy of any one title by Susan Helene Gottfried

1 coupon code from Smashwords for free ebook copy of Nexus Point by Jaleta Clegg

1 coupon code from Smashwords for a free eBook copy of 2010 Hindsight: A Year of Personal Growth, In Spite of Myself by Sharon E. Cathcart

1 coupon code from Smashwords for a free eBook copy of Caraliza and also Breathing into Stone by Joel Kirkpatrick

and…

1 free hardbound, signed copy of Joel’s secret 5th novel, shipped the week it is released.

Want a chance to win? All you have to do is leave a comment here, with a valid email address. You need to be 16 years or older and can live anywhere in the world.

Want a few more chances to win? Five other BestsellerBound authors are also running features on their blogs. Visit each one and leave a comment. You’ll receive one entry for each blog you comment on. Here is the list of participating authors, along with the link to their blog post:

Maria Savva: www.goodreads.com/author/show/1418272.Maria_Savva/blog

Cynthia Meyers-Hanson: http://mchanson714.blogspot.com/2011/09/year-anniversary-celebration.html

Susan Helene Gottfried: http://westofmars.com/2011/09/06/its-the-bestseller-bound-birthday

Jaime McDougall: www.inkyblots.com/bestseller-bound-turns-one-giveaway

Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick: www.thetaleisthething.blogspot.com

The deadline for entry on all the blogs is midnight on Saturday, September 17. Winners will be notified via email, so please be sure to include a valid email address in your comment. The only other rule is that you need to be 16 or older.

Good luck!

I’ve got some updates from my world of books today. First, exciting news: The BestsellerBound Short Story Anthology Volume 2 is now available!

A collection of short stories written by authors from the BestsellerBound group.

1. What Was Lost by James Sophi
2. The Art of Breathing by Jaime McDougall
3. Soul Windows by Jaleta Clegg
4. I Didn’t Know His Name by Darcia Helle
5. Red Route by James Everington
6. Make A Wish by Susan Helene Gottfried
7. The Last Chance Motel and Mausoleum by Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick
8. Isolation by Maria Savva
9. Beyond The Green Hills by Tom Gahan
10. From Joy We Come, Unto Joy We Return by Ami Blackwelder

As I put this anthology together, I was struck by the incredible talent we have in our BestsellerBound group. You’re welcome to join us there on our message board at any time.

Volume 2, as well as the BestsellerBound Short Story Anthology Volume 1, can be downloaded free in the following places:

My website, on the Free Downloads page, in PDF format: www.QuietFuryBooks.com/freedownloads.html

Smashwords, in formats for all ereaders and computers:
Volume 1: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/62029
Volume 2: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/78449

Volume 2 is available on Amazon for Kindle but is currently 99 cents. Amazon does not allow authors to upload our own work and offer it free – only publishers are granted that right. We’re working on pushing Amazon to match the free “price”. You can help us by reporting it! Go to the Kindle page for BestsellerBound Short Story Anthology Volume 2. In the ‘Product Details’ section, you’ll see a link that says ‘tell us about a lower price’. Click on that and report it as free on Smashwords. (Just copy and paste the Smashwords link above.) That’s it! Every report helps us push it toward free!

Volume 2 will soon be available free in a variety of other places, including Barnes and Noble for Nook, Sony’s Reader store and Apple’s iBookstore.

The other thing I want to share is that I am giving away a copy of my new novel Into The Light, as well as a tote bag, in my August Book Giveaway. This contest is international! All you need to do is fill out the form on my contest page: www.QuietFuryBooks.com/contests.html

That’s my news! Head on over to my free downloads page and grab some free reads. Then enter my contest for a chance at another!

If you’d like to be among the first to hear about new releases, contests and assorted news, you can subscribe to my QFB News newsletter:

Thanks for reading.

Today is book launch day! Maria Savva and I are both sending our new books out to the world. Plus, we are giving away a print copy of each to one lucky winner! In case you haven’t noticed all our recent excited chatter, my book is called Into The Light and Maria’s book is called The Dream. Here’s a look:

Max Paddington refuses to go into the light until he finds his killer. This presents a dilemma, since Max is even less competent as a spirit than he was as a live person. No one sees or hears him and he can’t manage to get anywhere or do anything on his own.

Joe Cavelli is a private investigator, living an ordinary life. Then one day he walks across a parking lot, gets yelled at by a ghost, and his life only gets stranger from there.

Max and Joe team up to find Max’s killer. In the process, they form an unlikely friendship and change each other’s lives in ways they never expected.

Lynne cannot shake her feelings of dread; her dreams tell her she is making a terrible mistake, she must not marry Adam. But, how can she believe the dream? Lynne and Adam have shared their lives for three years now. She is certain she loves him.

It is not that love, which her dream warns against.

It doesn’t matter that she loves this man she will soon marry. If she marries him, the voice in her dream says her soul mate will die. Her true love will perish.

Soon, Lynne’s world is transformed and becomes almost unrecognisable, except for the déjà vu. Time doesn’t seem to mean much anymore, and
things are not quite as they seem. As her world spins out of control, Lynne must sort out what’s real and what isn’t to fulfill her destiny.

The Kindle format of my book is available and the paperback will be available on Amazon any moment! In the meantime, you can order the print copy from me on my website and you can find the ebook in all formats on Smashwords.

Here are both formats on Amazon:

Maria’s book will be available in print and Kindle format on Amazon very soon, as well. For now, you can find the ebook in any format on Smashwords. And you can order a print copy from Lulu.

How about a little video entertainment? Here’s my trailer for Into The Light. You can find it on YouTube and my website:

You can also watch the very cool trailer Maria made for her book. Take a look here or check it out on YouTube:

Now let’s talk giveaways! As I mentioned at the start, Maria and I are giving one print copy of each of our books to one lucky winner! This is a 48-hour giveaway, running from 9 AM EST today, July 18, to 9 AM EST on Wednesday, July 20. You must be 16 or older to enter. This is an international giveaway! The only restrictions are that you must be 16 or older to enter and you can only enter once per person. To enter, all you need to do is fill out the form on the contest page of my website.

On my contest page, you will also find my regular monthly contest. This month I’m giving away a copy of my novel No Justice. You are welcome to enter both contests.

Go to my contest page to enter: www.QuietFuryBooks.com/contests.html

Maria and I hope that you’ll take the time to check out our books and enter the contest. We’re both quite excited about sending our babies into the world on their own!

Thanks for reading and good luck.

My new novel – Into The Light – is almost ready to make its debut! I’m excited to share Max and his story with everyone. Here’s a look at the cover and blurb:

Max Paddington refuses to go into the light until he finds his killer. This presents a dilemma, since Max is even less competent as a spirit than he was as a live person. No one sees or hears him and he can’t manage to get anywhere or do anything on his own.

Joe Cavelli is a private investigator, living an ordinary life. Then one day he walks across a parking lot, gets yelled at by a ghost, and his life only gets stranger from there.

Max and Joe team up to find Max’s killer. In the process, they form an unlikely friendship and change each other’s lives in ways they
never expected.

And here’s a little tease – the start of chapter one:

Divorce. She slid the word across the table like it was part of his breakfast. Here’s your toast and coffee and I want a divorce.

Max Paddington stared into his wife’s clear brown eyes and said the only thing that came to mind. “What?”

“I want a divorce,” Rachel repeated.

At least she’d left out the toast and coffee bit. Divorce hadn’t been a side order, after all. “Are you still mad about the golf clubs?” he asked. “I’ll take them back if it’s that big of a deal.”

“Max…”

Rachel said his name as if it left a sour taste on her tongue. Max swiped a hand through his damp hair. He’d been awake less than a half hour and already his day had turned to shit. Rachel, his wife of fourteen years – no, it was fifteen now – stood in front of him with her arms folded over her breasts. She wore a black camisole, pantyhose, and three-inch heels. And he was supposed to take her seriously?

“Rach,” he said. “You want to get divorced over golf clubs?”

“It’s not the golf clubs, Max.”

“Well, what the hell?”

“I need to finish getting dressed or I’ll be late for work.”

“So be late! You can’t tell me you want a divorce, like you’re telling me the weather for the day, then walk out the door.”

“I can’t be late today.”

“Or what? The world will implode because you don’t serve your boss’s coffee on time?”

Rachel glared. “I do not serve my boss coffee. I only did that for you and I won’t be doing it anymore.”

“I’m sorry, okay?” Max pushed his coffee mug aside, the object having suddenly become an obstacle between them. “I didn’t mean that. It’s just that you dumped this bombshell on me and you won’t even talk to me about it.”

“I don’t understand why you’re so surprised.”

“What? I should have been expecting a divorce with my breakfast?”

“Think about it, Max.”

With that, she turned and strode from the room. He watched her ass, naked beneath the pantyhose. Divorce. What the hell?

You can read the rest of chapter one on my website: www.QuietFuryBooks.com/intothelight.html

I hope to have the book available before the end of the month. Max’s character came to life for me as I wrote. I have to say that he was probably my most stubborn character so far. He had a story to tell and it was going to be done his way. And he was right. His story captivated me and I hope it will do the same for you.

Thanks for reading.

My upcoming novel – Into The Light – is getting closer to release! Today I’m unveiling the front cover and the blurb that will be on the back cover. I’m very excited to show this cover off. I hope you all love it as much as I do. Here it is:

And the blurb:

Max Paddington refuses to go into the light until he finds his killer. This presents a dilemma, since Max is even less competent as a spirit than he was as a live person. No one sees or hears him and he can’t manage to get anywhere or do anything on his own.

Joe Cavelli is a private investigator, living an ordinary life. Then one day he walks across a parking lot, gets yelled at by a ghost, and his life only gets stranger from there.

Max and Joe team up to find Max’s killer. In the process, they form an unlikely friendship and change each other’s lives in ways they never expected.

I was fortunate to get the multi-talented Jason McIntyre to do my cover design. Jason designs all his own book covers. He also crafts wickedly twisted tales. You can find him at: www.TheFarthestReaches.com

I hope to have Into The Light out in both print and ebook format by mid July. Stay tuned for more info on Max and his book!

The first BestsellerBound Short Story Anthology has arrived!

Want even better news? It’s free!

This anthology is a collection of ten short stories, written by BestsellerBound authors. (Yes, including me!) You’ll find a variety of genres to please every reader, including romance, suspense/thriller and speculative fiction. Here is the list of story titles and the authors:

Wish Upon A Star by Lainey Bancroft
Tears For Hesh by J. Michael Radcliffe
You Can Call Me Ari by Darcia Helle
Flames by Maria Savva
Minor Details by Jaleta Clegg
Ice Cream Man by Neil Schiller
No Eyes But Mine Shall See by Sharon E. Cathcart
The First Texas Twister by Magnolia Belle
Shadow Lantern by Gareth Lewis
Stained by Amy Saunders

Here is the video trailer, made by one of our very talented contributing members, Magnolia Belle:

You can download the PDF on my site here: www.QuietFuryBooks.com/freedownloads

And you can download any format for all ereaders and computers on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/62029

The anthology should soon be available on Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Sony’s ebookstore, Apple’s iBookstore and, hopefully, Amazon.

This is free and will remain free, so go ahead and download it and share it with all your friends! We only ask that the ebook remain intact when shared.

Happy reading!