NEW BOOK ON ITS WAY

AVANTI a Joelene Stonehouse Thriller is on it's way to Amazon Kindle and will be available for purchase real soon. It's only 99 cents! 

Following twenty-five years flying every kind of attack helicopter the Army has to offer, Joelene Stonehouse returns to a civilian world she barely recognizes. But sitting home alone painting pictures of horses and cows doesn’t cut it. Following a life of danger and excitement, what’s a warrior to do?

So her sister sets her up as a kind of independent courier / transporter for an alliance of East Coast import / export operators. Now, equipped with a set of hot wheels and a tight schedule, she’s off — no questions asked . . .

Then her world comes apart, sending Joelene on the warpath again — which is just the way she likes it.

Check it out at: http://adamjames.blackdogebooks.com/

WaterCar Panther - The Most Fun Vehicle on the Planet! - www.WaterCar.com

Two New Websites

While busily editing away at my Catalina Eddie novel (and pausing to shovel snow) I have created two new Websites. Here are the links:

BlackDogeBooks -- This is my self-publishing arm. The site includes my three pseudonyms plus some other ventures that we're cooking up. Check it out.

AdamJamesWriter -- I'm writing Catalina Eddie under the name of Adam James. You can read a sample here.Check it out.

Still at It and Coming on Strong

Hey! I'm still at it:

• Editing the beejeezus outta Catalina Eddie. Yeah, I'd hoped to be done with this one before fall. Opps. But I'm still at it. I've discovered that "editing" through my Kindle is quite productive. We're always looking for that special viewpoint into our work and how it resonates (or not) with a reader. In the old days, I'd read my drafts on paper and mark them up with the ole red pen. I was always amazed at what I had overlooked while editing online. Well, looking at the piece through my Kindle has been an eye-opener. It's easy to mark up the document using the "notes and highlighting" features. Then I just plow back through the document and enter the corrections and changes, deleting each note or hightlight off the Kindle document. Right now I've got about 350 changes marked, with more to come.
  
  Another good thing about editing through the Kindle is that you get to see just how the document displays. I've come to hate right-left justification when view on the Kindle. So that's something to consider.
  
• The other thing I'm wrapped up in is creating book and author websites. I'm using WordPress. Okay, shoot me.
  
• I'm looking at creating promotional videos to post on YouTube. As a test, I'm going to read the first chapter of Catalina Eddie on camera. That should be interesting.
  
• I'll be building author Facebook pages, too. I'm probably the last person on earth to go there.

So that's a glimpse of what's going up here--in the north as winter begins to settle in.

Cheers, y'all!
Jim in MT

Self-Publishing Craze

Is self-publishing a craze? Is it worth it? Do you think you have any chance going the traditional route? Let me know?


See The Killzone 6/22/2012:  http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/


Many new writers (wannabies) view self-publishing as their only shot. Obviously, readers are voraciously pouring over the slag heap searching for stories. and they love reviewing and commenting on those stories and characters. I see people reading all over the place - devouring all sorts of stories. These readers are the gatekeepers.


Being a writer is a dream for many folks. They shlep the same worn manuscript from conference to conference, and drone on forever when given a chance to read their stuff. Only the text never changes. That's their fictive dream. Sad as it is, they're welcome to it. Their foolishness doesn't diminish me or my desire to write on bit.


And is that guy in Brentwood sill our there selling the "poem of the day" at the intersection of San Vicente and Bundy?

Story Engineering

Aside from editing and rewriting Catalina Eddie I have been reading and studying Story Engineering by Larry Brooks. This is a must-read for writers. Really! Along the same lines, I'm checking out Seven Basic Plots by Christopher Booker, The Power of Point of View by Alicia Rasley, Hooked:Write Fiction That Grabs Readers by Les Edgerton and 45 Master Characters by Victoria Schmidt. Whew!

And just today Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell just arrived on my doorstep. And if that seems like a lot of books, last night I just downloaded Predator Nation by Charles Ferguson. That's a riveting account of how we got into the financial mess we're in--and there's oh so much more, too. You think it's bad? It's worse, and there's no mystery about it. The fox has been guarding the hen house. While money talks, America's jobs, future, hopes and dreams have walked. That's a thriller-chiller for you.

I'm also looking at Trial Junkies by Robert Gregory Browne. Did you see how fast that one just shot up the Amazon list? He was just interviewed on The Kill Zone a few days ago. Also in the same box with Plot and Structure, I noticed that somebody has ordered An American Spy by Olen Steinhauer and Mission to Paris by Alan Furst. Both of these are hot tickets.

When do I actually get to write? Good question.

More later.

Jim

Catalina Eddie Reviewed at The Kill Zone

My current work in progress, Catalina Eddie, is nearing completion. Today it was reviewed at The Kill Zone blog. Actually, it was the first page that was reviewed -- not the entire book. The writers at this blog kindly offered to review and comment on first-page submissions. As soon as I saw their announcement, I zipped a copy right off. What an opportunity to get feedback from the pros. 


On the flip side was my apprehension that the piece might just be tossed straight into the bin. Ever since I hit the Send button, I've revised that opening page a zillion times. And I'll likely be at awhile longer, too. 


Of course, the reviews were pretty good and I'm really pumped!


I sincerely appreciate all reactions, comments and criticisms to my writing. That's how I find out how my stuff plays for a reader. I write with the intent of causing a reaction to occur in a reader's mind. I want it to work. If it doesn't, I want to fix it. That's the contract any writer has with readers, and I'm all for it.


If you like, please check out the review and comments at: 
http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/

If you would like to offer your own comments, send your email to:
crocker1@gmail.com


Stay cool.


Jim