BLOOD BIAS Available! More info Here

Over the past five years, many thoughts have gone through my mind about what it would be like to see BLOOD BIAS in print. Well, the day has come. Good, bad, or somewhere in the middle, the book is available. I really wanted to have the print and digital copies available at the same time, but life seldom works out in the fashion we anticipate. As a matter of fact, this whole self publishing thing has taken longer than I thought. The truth is, within a matter of several days, you can self publish a book on Kindle or Nook, but a print book is a whole other cat. And to work with a company that is working with literally hundreds of books at a time? Whewww!

But back to the main point. Drum roll please.

BLOOD BIAS is now available at Booklocker.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Nobles. As I said, it is available in print at this time (or as a PDF download at Booklocker) but will be available for Kindle, Nook, I-pad and I-phone within the next two weeks. I will update with news about that when it arrives. But for now, for everyone who has waited patiently though this process, the time is now. But before you search the sites for your copy—it’s hard for me to sign a digital copy, by the way—let me educate you on how this works for me as the writer. As the author, I am paid a royalty on each book sold. So let me say straight up, this not about the money. I am about building a fan base for future books. But let’s not put money in the pockets of those who have done nothing to earn it. Booklocker.com is the best bet for me. You will get your copy the quickest, and I make the most royalty. They are the publisher, so they get their share. I am the author, so I get my cut. If you purchase from Amazon or B&N or any other site, more hands are put in the middle. There’s one other thing. On the home page of Booklocker.com, there is a listing of the top sellers. I want to be on that list. So help me out.

And I need REVIEWS after you read it. So I’m going to offer a surprise gift to the first person who comments on BLOOD BIAS either on Amazon, or at this blog, or any other site that sells the book. You can comment on Amazon even if you don’t buy it from them. And just to be fair, I’ll offer one gift to a friend or family member, and one to the first total stranger that posts a review of the book. Uhhhh, by the way, you HAVE to post something that tells me you actually read the book. Just so you know. I’m not handing out a thousand dollar---okay, hundred dollar---okay, at least twenty dollar gift, to someone who didn’t read the book.

Thanks for all the wonderful support so far. Happy reading.

I've Been Tagged!

So! I’ve been tagged.
Which means I have to answer these questions-exactly as they are asked, to the best of my knowledge. And then I’m supposed to tag others to answer these same questions. Does anyone really—as an adult—like playing tag? I suppose this is an exercise in outreach, getting to know others through the power of the ALMIGHTY BLOG, which is a good thing. Earlier today I was browsing through a few of the Blogs listed in the upcoming April A-Z challenge and was struck by the sheer number of people out there with a published book—whether self or traditionally—all trying to market and solicit their work, all vying for the attention of the reader. It overwhelms this obscure, non college-degreed, wish I was writing another chapter of my book instead of doing this, writer. Don’t get me wrong. I like posting on my blog, but is this really the answer to success?

Food for thought. I recently saw John Carter in 3-D at the theatre. This is adapted from the novel A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs. For those not familiar with books, you might recognize the name as the creator of Tarzan. He died in 1950. The book was written in 1917. Amazing! Some stories are timeless. And the movie was AMAZING!

Here are My Tag Answers

1) What is the one book you couldn’t live without? Couldn’t live without is rather strong. Of course, the Bible falls in that category. Most impacted fiction, though, has to be The Drawing of the Three, part of the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. The concept in this book has always stuck with me.
2) What can you see out your window at the moment? We have a large oak tree in our back yard, and beyond that, a wooden fence. The New York City skyline would be better.
3) What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten? Bananas, Peanut Butter and Miracle whip. YUM! My wife and I agree on most foods—but NOT that!
4) What fictional character would you most like to marry? I married my best friend and can’t think of one fictional character that could top her.
5) If ever a fictional villain was going to win, who would you want it to be? Roland, in Stephen King’s Dark Tower series spends his life on a quest and then finds out he has to start back at the beginning. This guy struck me as Clint Eastwood, Joe Pike (Robert Crais detective stories) and Vin Deisel all rolled into one. He is a many flawed character-which is what makes me like him a lot. But I understand King’s thoughts here. Life is seldom a happy ending.
6) How many types of cheese can you name off the top of your head? Cheddar, Stinky, Smelly—that’s about it.
7) If you didn’t want to be a writer, what would you want to be? A writer. No wait, maybe a Writer, or possibly a writer. Of course there’s always being a WRITER!
8) Can you play a musical instrument? I played trumpet in High School Band but probably couldn’t play a note now. Music is a talent. I’m fascinated by those who have it.
9) Do you own a Kindle or a Nook or any sort of e-reader? I have a Kindle fire, which recently replaced by old Kindle. I still like the feel of a print book, but you can’t deny the technology these days. It’s changing the way we do things.
10) If you do, how many books do you have on it? About twenty. I’m not one of those hoarder types. I delete them when I’m finished. Very few books impress me enough to want to read them again.
11) You just got published. In a glowing review, someone calls you “the next [insert famous author name here]”. Which famous author has to watch their back now you’re on the scene? Stephen King would be my obvious answer here, but I’m going to throw James Patterson under the bus. Ever since he started publishing with other people on the cover, his stories aren’t the same. They don’t have his voice. So I’ll take his place in the mystery market. Thanks Mr. Patterson.

Do You Have The Guts?

“Therein lies the rub.” I can’t remember the movie I heard that from—maybe the Untouchables with Kevin Cosner—maybe not. Anyway, I’m going somewhere with this, I promise. You see, after five years of writing, rewriting, and agonizing over my manuscript, BLOOD BIAS is only weeks away from being available to the masses. Now don’t get me wrong, I fully understand that my obscurity as a writer may hinder a drove of wild, crazy groupie fans from beating down my door to get a copy, but the thing is, an actual stranger—someone I am not related to, who isn’t a friend, or an acquaintance I’ve met through casual conversation—may actual read my book. So therein lies the rub. In other words, on one hand I am happy to be finally seeing my book in print (digital and actual paper), on the other hand, I’m nervous about it. The truth is, I have to prepare myself for possible criticism. I think the correct word here is probable. It will come from someone.

Writers tend to be their own worst critics, but we also have to be our own biggest cheerleaders (It’s not a pretty sight to see me in a skirt and chest hugging sweater—trust me). If that image disturbed your appetite, I’m sorry. I’ll try not to do it again. Anyway, I’ve had to convince myself that I wrote a very good book—if I can’t do that, I’ll never succeed in this business. And so I am convinced, but what will others think. There’s an old saying—“Never trust what your mother says about your writing”. I don’t trust anyone I know to tell me the truth. Will anyone have the guts to tell me my book “Bites the Big One” other than a total stranger? But the truth is, that’s what I want. Whether family or friend, acquaintance or Maytag repairman, I want the truth. How will I become better without the truth? I’ve been shunned by so many agents and publishers that I can’t imagine it could be worse. So if I had one wish over the next several months, it would be for my readers to give it to me straight, no anesthetic, just straight up with a shot of bourbon on the side.

Will you have the guts? By the way, anyone know the movie my quote came from?
Anyone?