BTS emag has a very nice promo for Blood on the Pen - two pages.  The link is:

http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v1/IssuuViewer.swf?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true&autoFlip=true&autoFlipTime=6000&documentId=130106021911-a56e5e234e744abb8a0552e9a5afad9e&docName=jan_2013_emag&username=btsemag&loadingInfoText=BTSeMag%20January%202013&et=1357871281430&er=68%22

Blog Hop

A group of other authors and I are hosting blog hops.  It’s like following a trail of bread crumbs, in this case a string of links, to some really good books. They offer a unique way for avid readers to survey a panorama of genres and styles of storytelling. The first author hosts five other authors and then they host five each. Before long a virtual library of new books is available at the touch of a keyboard.

Marci Baun was generous in making my link part of her blog.  Marci writes under the pen name Kitty Wylde.  Here are links to help you find her work.

Hieroglyphs: http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=84&products_id=34 

I read Hieroglyphs JJJJJ

Last Chance:

http://www.freyasbower.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7&products_id=4

Website:

http://marcibaun.com

Part of the blog hop is for each participating author to answer a few questions about their work. Here are my answers:

1.       What are the working titles of your books?

Blood on the Pen is the first book in the Jack Harden series. I followed that with Blood on the cards and I tried very hard to make it more than a sequel.

2.       Where did the idea come from for the books?

 

The premise for Blood on the Pen is an unpublished author who receives one rejection letter too many and starts killing literary agents. Nearly all authors know, or have known, the frustration of being rejected, and at times get the feeling no one even reads their query letters much less their manuscript. So, I took that to the next level. Blood on the Cards was inspired by a story I saw about a group of Congressmen who lived together and took guidance from a man who claimed to be spiritually aware,

3.       What genre do your books fall under?

     Both are fiction and mysteries, but Blood on the Cards also has the flavor of paranormal.

4.       What actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie redention?

For Elsie, I’m not sure. I can see her, I can smell the fragrance of her perfume, but a specific actress doesn’t come to mind. She would have to be young and sassy.  Moses Browner reminds me of Morgan Freeman. Jack could be a combination of Alan Ladd (Shane) and John Wayne. For him, I think of James Caviezel and, though he’s not a actor, Blake Shelton.

 

 

5.       How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscripts?

Each manuscript took about nine months, not counting proof reading and rewrites.

  

Blood on the Cards Released

I'm happy to say that Blood on the Cards has been released by Wild Child Publishing.  The story is linked to a friendly game of Texas Hold-em that turns bad.  Jack Harden is confronted by a brotherhood of powerful men who are led by a self-proclaimed prophet.  There is a bit of the paranormal for flavor.  While this is the second book in the series, a follow up to Blood on the Pen, I tried very hard not to make it a sequel.  What I mean is that this book needed to stand on its own merit without requiring a reader to have already read Blood on the Pen.  No reviews yet, but I've contacted a few folks who were kind enought to review the first book, and I hope to see their reviews around the end of November.  I hope people like it.

Blog Tour Anyone?

I begin a 12 stop blog tour this week on December 1st, and it is being coordinated by Tribute Book Reviews. If anyone would like to drop by, talk about writing or just chat, the schedule is at bloodonthepen.blogspot.com.

Disposable People 99 Cents

No, we're not selling people. The price of the ebook version of my book, Disposable People, is going to be 99 cents beginning August 23, 2011 at Amazon.com. I hope this will make it available to anyone who likes to read and has access to an ereader, smart phone, or computer. Read on!

Blood on the Cards

It looks like my publisher and I will start rewrites for the second book in the series, Blood on the Cards, soon. I've said that rewrites are like giving the book a root canal, but they are a very important and valuable part of the process. I'm looking forward to it; although, I'll have to refresh my memory a little on what I wrote, as I have finished the manuscript for Blood on the Badge and am working on a new story set in Boston. If writing weren't so much fun, it would be work.

Reviews and Videos

Some good things have happened lately. Disposable People won two more five-stars reviews, both posted on amazon.com and one also on librarything.com. I also shot a video for youtube.com, titled Blood on the Pen, that gives an overview of my books. I hope people like it. I'm thinking about another video for youtube aimed at debut authors with a few tips on how to jump through some of the hoops in the publishing process. If anyone thinks that is a good idea or bad idea, I'd love to hear from you. The url for the current video is youtube.com/watch?v=zuGUZglpKFo if you'd like to see it. It's about 6 1/2 minutes long.

Book Lovers Inc Review

Got a terrific review from Book Lovers Inc. for Blood on the Pen this week. Lea Franczak wrote the review and gave it 4.5 Bookies. They ratings are defined as:
4 Bookies = "Awesome Book", 5 Bookies = "Perfect! I love it." So, it falls somewhre between awesome and, well, I wasn't expecting perfect. Lea's full review is posted on bookloversinc.com. It is beautifully written. Of course, I'm wearing a really big smile after reading it.

Tufts University List

My mouth is still agape from finding my book, Disposable People, listed as a "Suggested Book" at Tufts University in Boston. I don't have any personal experience with Tufts, but Forbes Magazine and Newsweek list them as one of the best univeristies in the country. Wow. I don't know what member of their faculty read the book, but I am flattered with their listig it. Disposable People is something of a preqeul to Blood on the Pen. Elsie is the main character, and she hasn't met Jack yet. So, it is her story. The blurb is right over there on the side of this page. Right there. Do you see it? Yeah, that's the one.