Awesome Indies Relaunch: Gorgeous New Site, Gargantuan Sale, Great Giveaway

Awesome Indies is launching a brand new and beautiful website this weekend with a gigantic book sale and a Kindle giveaway. 70 books by some of the best indie authors, all for under $3, and the chance to win a Kindle.

 

 

To celebrate, the Kindle edition of On the Soul of a Vampire is only $0.99 and its prequel, Pro Luce Habere Combined Edition (two full-length novels combined into one) is on sale for $1.99, alongside numerous other exciting works at awesome prices in a huge variety of genres.

 

Check out the all new site, find a new favorite author, enjoy the Halloween weekend with a wonderful book for a great deal - plus enter for a chance to win a free Kindle. Just click on the relaunch icon to visit!

 

Mareritt: A New Fairy Tale Mystery Coming in June

I'm excited to share that I have an upcoming release in June of a new book in a new series:  Mareritt, the first story in the  Friar Tobe Fairy Tale Files. Below is a peek at the front cover and book description.

As beauty lies sleeping…

 

Four pretty, partying high school seniors, four strange and startling accidents the police believe the girls have brought on themselves. Do demonic nightmares and fairy tale visions bury a dark secret haunting the girls or is the past simply struggling to reach the light?

 

Twenty-eight year old former novitiate turned PI, Tobias Berger, hired to discover who, if anyone, is threatening the four troubled young women, is about to embark on a wild “mare ride” to slay their dragon and uncover the truth.

 

A dark fairy tale mystery with a touch of mystic light.

 

 

For those who enjoy fairy tales and crime mystery/suspense,  Mareritt  offers a bit of a unique slant on both, as well as a little supernatural speculation on the side. A somewhat different style than the On the Soul series, it’s a fast-paced novel for both YA and adult readers but, although not explicit, parents may want to consider whether some of the subject matter is too intense for readers under 13.

 

Expected release date: mid-June 2013.

Hook'em and Book'em: Interview: NYT Bestselling Novelist Dean Koontz

Update: the original Blogger link was faulty. Please use this link to reach the interview:
http://hookembookem.blogspot.com/2013/04/by-mark-young-novelist-dean-koontzs_3885.html

Thank you to author Werner Lind for letting me know!

A fantastic interview with Dean Koontz on author Mark Young's blog:

Hook'em and Book'em: Interview: NYT Bestselling Novelist Dean Koontz: By Mark Young Novelist Dean Koontz’s novels have become my own personal addiction. All I have to do is pull out one of Dean’s many n...

U-TURN KiLLuR (Death Row Edition): Teric Darken Tells All

I'm honored to have as a guest on my blog today, Teric Darken, one of my favorite authors and a respected friend.  Upon the release of a new edition of his fantastic thriller, U-TURN KiLLuR, Teric was kind enough to stop by to share some extra insight on the novel and why, to fully portray the power and glory of the Light, an author can never fear looking at the darkness it pierces.

Sunglasses…  No one’s ever bothered to ask why I’m always wearing those silly sunglasses in my author photos…

My newest release, U-TURN KiLLuR (Death Row Edition)…  What should I say about it?  I think, perhaps, out of the three thrillers I’ve scripted, this one hits extremely close to home.  Each of my works contains snippets of my personal life, but U-TURN KiLLuR… Tears came to my eyes at several intervals while plugging away at it.  When one reads it and discovers the message within, he/she will understand why.

U-TURN is a supernatural thriller about a firefighter and his family:  each member being preyed upon by a sinister stranger – a killer we all know all too well.  I believe it will come as a surprise as to whom the killer actually is.  Ah, yes, the misspelling of “KiLLuR” in the title… The “i” and “u” hold significance within the storyline.

Did I mention the newly released Kindle version is free on Monday, September 24^th and Tuesday, September 25^th?  Indeed, it is!  Simply go to Amazon.com on those dates and pick it up!

Why the newly released edition?  Simply because the first version was self-published.  After being picked up by TreasureLine Publishing, I was afforded an opportunity to re-release my first two self-pubbed works.  This gave me a chance to scrub up each script a bit, add some storyline to each book, and enhance each release with a wonderful new cover.  Linda Boulanger designed the covers for my TreasureLine offerings, and she did a remarkable job.

About the U-TURN (Death Row Edition) cover and my writing style:  I do espouse a Christian worldview, though my target audience isn’t projected toward those living behind stained glass windows.  I have seen much darkness in the world – a lot of hard living – and I am simply “bleeding ink” about things I’ve seen.  I mince few words and scenery.  Some have misconstrued my intent and labeled my works as “gratuitous.”

I’m not glorifying the dark things I write about.  On the contrary, I’m exposing the darkness, often empathizing with those in its vortex, and displaying humanity’s need for The Light.  I like the term “progressive” for my works though perhaps “innovative” would be a better term, indicative of that which is “cutting-edge,” “leading-edge,” and “breaking new ground” by definition.

 

What I mean by the above terms is that it often seems as though – in the realm of “Christian” authorship – there are aspects of every-day-life that some authors are afraid to freely script out, even while trying to “go there”.  I’ve never been content to say something such as:  “He struggled with temptation,” or “She cussed him out and walked away.”  I wish for the reader to relate, interact and react with my characters.  Therefore, as with the above instances, I would place the reader smack-dab within the temptation this character is going through, or allow my character to belt out the expletive within dialogue.  In my opinion, reasonably fleshing it out a bit makes for a richer storyline that’s more true-to-life.  It might raise the hair on one’s arms or make their blood begin to boil… Signs of captivated reading!

"I've never hit a line-drive directly into right field or straight down the center. My works take flight toward left field then curve to the right." - Teric Darken

Speaking of “innovative”:  I believe the cover for U-TURN KiLLuR (Death Row Ed.) says it all for a work some deem “Christian fiction.”  At first glance, most will probably see nothing but the pole dancer’s torso.  But what else is shown?  What about the skeleton rising from her frame?  What about the blood on the keypad and the surrounding flames?  What do these things mean?  When one takes the time to delve in, he/she will see the big picture and understand the significance of it all.  Would anyone believe that my cover concept was conceived from Proverbs 6: 23 – 32 and Proverbs 7: 7 – 27?

Several have read KILL FM 100 (Night Shift Ed.) and Wickflicker, and I am truly thankful.  U-TURN KiLLuR (DRE) is the link between the two.  Each book stands alone, but U-TURN makes the connection between the former and the latter book.  There is a connective thread in the stories.

A prominent author once told me that my works were comparable to “C.S. Lewis meets Stephen King.”  She also gave me a cautionary statement which proved to be prophetic:  “Many will deem your works as too worldly for the ‘Church’ and too Christian for the world.”  That’s okay.  I’ll keep shining that Light out into the darkness, regardless of how unpopular it may be to the world at large.  Prostitutes, drug addicts, cutters, domestic abusers…  I have seen a lot of things first hand.  I can relate.  "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick."

Oh, yes, the sunglasses…  The shades are simply a visual metaphor:  “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”  -1 Corinthians 13:12 

Teric Darken

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My thanks to Teric for his visit and for sharing more about his newest release and his writing with readers.  Remember that, to get a free Kindle copy of U-TURN KiLLuR this coming Monday and Tuesday, September 24th and 25th, just click on the book cover link above.  To learn more about Teric and his novels, visit him at his blog: http://tericdarken.blogspot.com/ or on his website: http://www.tericdarken.com/

The Red Bridge Murder Now on Amazon Kindle

For those who enjoy 19th century fiction, French literature, police procedural suspense or are fans of Fyodor Dostoyevsky, you might be interested in The Red Bridge Murder, my English translation of Charles Barbara's L'Assassinat du Pont-Rouge.  This novella, thought by some to have possibly influenced Dostoyevsky to write Crime and Punishment, is darkly fascinating in its own right.  Considered to be one of the very first police procedurals, it's the story of musician Max Destroy's growing obsession with the strange mystery surrounding his friend, Clement, a man devoid of faith who, despite having gone from utter destitution to wealth, seems persecuted by inner demons.

The Red Bridge Murder/L'Assassinat du Pont-Rouge is available on Amazon Kindle as a dual language book that includes both the original French story and the English translation, as well as notes on the text.  To purchase or to read a sample, just click on the book cover link above.

The Next Big Thing: Part 3

Today it’s two more questions in The Next Big Thing (TNBT), a blog event consisting of 10 questions about an author’s current WIP (work in progress) and links to more awesome authors.  My big thanks again to authors Karin Kaufman, for inviting me, and Gail M. Baugniet, for the event.

Question #4:  Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

As far as the translated story I’m working on, The Red Bridge Murder, I haven’t really had any time at all to consider that, but the characters in the story are fairly young, so I think it would need to be actors in the under 30s group, with whom I’m a bit less familiar.

With Genesis, despite that I actually played out the first book, On the Soul of a Vampire, in my head as a movie before writing the story down, I truly can’t imagine any well-known actor portraying Valéry.  I think it would be a difficult role to play, considering he’s emotionally and intellectually 800 years old, has both witnessed and experienced a lot of suffering, but still has quite a bit of the youthful scamp aura about him and he’s physically still 19 years old.  There’s also the matter of bringing across what it would be like to have the complete empathy with and intimate understanding of another that would come from knowing human souls and his conflicted, seeker type personality.  Very similar challenges would be involved with playing Angelina and a number of the other characters in the story, so it would be quite interesting to see what an actor or actress would do with that.

Question #5:  What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

 Oh boy, brief is not my strong suit.  Sometimes it seems like the synopses and tag lines take longer to come up with than the writing of the books.  But, I’ll give it a try.

The Red Bridge Murder:  A man who denies the existence of God, the afterlife, good and evil, discovers you need neither faith nor death to suffer the consuming agony of hell spawned by a tormented conscience.

Genesis:  Fallen angels don’t fall to earth, though in them resides the clue to why the incarnate were sent, and a sublime truth hidden for centuries within a suffering soul could well be the key to long-misunderstood and love-filled divine intent.

Some more awesome authors to keep an eye on:

Michelle Sutton: http://apps.michellesutton.net/Blog/

Robbi Bryant:  http://www.robbibryant.com/

LeAnn Neal Reilly:  http://www.nealreilly.com/

Catherine West:  http://thisisablogaboutbooks.wordpress.com/

For those who would like to participate or follow along, here is the full list of 10 questions:

1.  What is the title of your book/WIP?

2.  Where did the idea for the book come from?
3.  What genre would your book fall under?
4.  Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
5.  What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
6.  Is your book published or represented?
7.  How long did it take you to write?
8.  What other books within your genre would you compare it to?
9.  Which authors inspired you to write the book?
10. Tell us anything else that might pique our interest in your book?

A very happy Friday to all!

Dark Horse (Jim Knighthorse Series #1) by J.R. Rain

 

5 *****

Reviewed on October 17, 2011

Former college football star and present private investigator, Jim Knighthorse, is hired to find evidence that will prove the innocence of Derrick Booker, a black student at a well-off Orange County high school who has been arrested for killing his white girlfriend. Convinced, along with several others, that Derrick has been framed, Knighthorse soon has a roster of suspects to investigate, from the girl’s abusive father to a band director with a penchant for seducing his female students, all while dealing with his own complicated life situations – a wish to return to football as a pro player, a cold, absent father whose approval he may or may not need, new evidence pertaining to the long-ago murder of his mother, a hitman trying to “persuade” him to drop the case, and an unusual friendship with a homeless man (or is he?) at the local McDonald’s.

To say this novel was a delightful surprise would be an understatement. I honestly loved this book and it is definitely at the top of my new favorite reads. I picked it up because I like crime fiction and mystery/suspense, figuring it would be, well, just that – a murder mystery. Instead, here’s this incredibly unique story with laugh-out-loud funny lines, an unbelievably likeable narrator and a subtle touch of philosophical spirituality.

Jim Knighthorse’s almost over-the top self-confidence in his looks and talent could have, seemingly, made for a vain and annoying character, yet instead he manages to bring this across as an almost self-parodying charm. Except that it isn’t parody because, though he really does appear to think quite highly of himself, he does so with such panache and with such a compassionate and insightful evaluation of those around him, it’s impossible not to like him – not just despite his over-confidence, but somehow even in it. The lines he comes up with, both about himself and others, are often so hilarious because they’re delivered with sincerity and leave the reader feeling that they’re simply true, no argument. This would have been enough to have had me enjoy the novel, but there were so many other things I loved about it just as much. The dialogue and story are smooth and realistic with great plotting, the character development of all the main players is perfect and, though he doesn’t veer from the main crime story at hand, author J.R. Rain does a fantastic job of introducing another mystery in Knighthorse’s life, the unsolved murder of his mother. Last, but definitely not least, the addition of the narrator’s sometimes funny, sometimes frustrating circular conversations with a homeless man who may well be God make for an even more fascinating read. This aspect of the novel gives the story even more depth as Jim deals with his own personal demons – his conflict over his purpose in life, his pain over the loss of his mother, the drinking that eases his pain, physical and emotional, and his struggle to do the right thing, something at which he sometimes succeeds and sometimes doesn’t, just like every other human being.

A great narrative voice, a fast-paced and fun mystery/suspense with real-life characters and some serious reflection that subtly adds to its overall effect, I highly recommended this novel and eagerly look forward to reading the next book in this series, as well as Mr. Rain’s other novels.

Stealing Jenny by Ellen Gable

5 *****

Reviewed on September 18, 2011

Stealing Jenny by Ellen Gable is a terrifyingly realistic suspense story that could be ripped from the headlines, but it’s also a beautiful life-affirming novel that offers so much more.

Jenny Callahan, a devout Catholic mom overjoyed by the imminent birth of her sixth child after three heartbreaking miscarriages, stands on the bus stop with her young son, waiting for her daughters’ return from school. When she’s approached by a woman offering to share some maternity and baby clothes, she accepts, with no idea of the terrible ordeal she and her family are about to face.

Flawlessly transitioning between Jenny enduring her captivity at the hands of the disturbed woman who means to steal her unborn child and her distraught family trying to hold to their hope she will be rescued, author Ellen Gable offers another amazing portrait of the power and gift of faith in the most horrific of circumstances.

As is the case in all of her novels, in Stealing Jenny the author again excels at smoothly weaving the Catholic understanding of marriage and family – the sanctity of life and the precious gift of children and the sexual relationship – into a moving story of real people facing real world challenges and traumas. The characters of Jenny, her husband, Tom, and their children, as well as those of the unbalanced kidnapper, Denise, and the police officers who search for Jenny, are developed wonderfully. Through the family’s present suffering and glimpses of both the joys and sorrows Jenny and Tom have experienced throughout their relationship, the reader descends into this nightmare with them, but is also lifted up by the Callahan family’s faith and hope in God and by the strength He imparts in the very love which unites them.

Another powerful novel from a favorite author that I highly recommend to all suspense readers, especially those who appreciate not only exceptional storytelling, but the depth and meaning in a novel whose creativity is so perfectly intertwined with its spirituality.

The Witch Tree by Karin Kaufman

 

5 *****

Reviewed on September 13, 2011

Karin Kaufman’s suspenseful mystery, The Witch Tree, is, hands down, one of my favorite novels this year for a host of reasons, not the least of these being the outstanding writing.

The story opens with genealogist Anna Denning finding the body of one of her clients, to whose home she has gone in order to deliver a copy of her family tree. It’s apparent the woman has been murdered, and when the victim’s husband finds Anna in his house, he is convinced she’s the perpetrator of the crime. From there, the tension mounts, as Anna discovers that it was not the victim who requested her own family tree, but the owner of a new age occult store called ‘What Ye Will.’ The danger grows more deadly still when Anna’s research into why this self-proclaimed witch secretly employed her services makes her the woman’s number one enemy.

Author Karin Kaufman has crafted a fascinating mystery-suspense around the modern phenomenon of neo-paganism in The Witch Tree, her well-researched story dispelling some common myths about the “historical” roots of Wicca and its relationship to true witchcraft. However, though this theme is an essential aspect of the story, it is not the only one, and the author leaves it to the reader to make his or her own decision on the validity of neo-pagan claims. Just as vital to the story are the universal themes of love and loss and the human tendency to seek escape from a painful past – which can lead to the search for new gods or to an injured faith in the personal love of the more traditional one. All of the well-drawn characters in this novel are real people – from protagonist Anna Denning, still struggling with the grief of losing her husband only a few years into their marriage to the embittered antagonist who searches for self-identity in all the wrong places. This isn’t a book filled with good and evil stereotypes, but with human beings making choices as they struggle with very real challenges in life. The novel’s spirituality is a subtle one – there for those who believe a story lacks without it, as a person’s worldview is fundamental to his or her character, but not thrust on those who are only looking for an exciting mystery. For this reason, I found The Witch Tree to be simply a marvelously-written story that offered all the things I like best in a novel – tightly-woven plot, believable and sympathetic characters, terrific suspense and beautiful writing. I eagerly look forward to reading more works by this talented author.

Damascus Road by Ellen C. Maze

5 *****

With Damascus Road, author Ellen C. Maze continues her fascinating Corescu Chronicles, and in this fantastic sequel to The Judging, readers are not only plunged into darker twists and turns, but into some profound and thought-provoking spiritual questions as well.

Mark Corescu, horrified by how he has used the excuse of judging the wicked acts of sinners to justify satisfying his bloodlust, has fled to a remote location in Europe to protect humanity, leaving newly-made vampire, Paul Black, without his mentor. For this, Paul blames Tony Agricola, and his revenge on this man of God who helped open Mark’s eyes is a most terrible one. Despite his repulsion and Paul’s constant torment, Tony succeeds in convincing Paul to feed his bloodlust on only him and preacher Big John Jenkins, who reluctantly agrees in order to keep others safe and for reasons of his own. But Paul and Mark have left a trail of bodies that have set two detectives on a mission to solve the mysterious case and, finally, Tony and Paul are forced to flee to Germany in search of Mark, with the abandoned woman who loves him, Hope Brannen, hot on their heels. But will finding the ancient vampire really lead to the answers they each seek?

Damascus Road is another amazing story by Ellen Maze that doesn’t just offer non-stop suspense and fascinating characters, but also provides an extremely unique way to look at human spiritual dilemmas. I loved the development of the characters Tony and Paul in this sequel. It’s possible to sympathize with the two in both their strengths and their weaknesses and their complex relationship is absolutely spellbinding. Even when Paul’s cruelty and constant sarcastic barbs and Tony’s often too patient suffering soul make the reader want to shake them, it’s still impossible not to feel for them and see them as simply human – fallible and redeemable, both. The questions their story poses about selfishness and self-sacrifice, temptation and faith offer great depth, raising a suspenseful paranormal horror story to a wonderful piece of speculative fiction, as do the challenges and struggles of new characters, Big John Jenkins and the pursuing detectives.

Another excellent work by an author who has become one of my favorites for her incredibly imaginative and well-written stories that don’t just entertain, but give me so much to think about. I can’t wait to read the next book in the Corescu Chronicles. If you haven’t read any of her two series or short stories yet, don’t miss out!

ECFL Blog Tour Stop 23: Teric Darken

It's time for the next stop on the 2011 Hot Summer Reads with Edge Blog Tour and today's visit is with author Teric Darken at:

[caption id="attachment_858" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Dark Domain: Realm of Author Teric Darken"][/caption]

Teric's four featured books include two of his own fantastic thriller novels, Wickflicker and K-I-L-L FM 100: Music to Die For, Kevin Maze's eerie, WISP: A Small Town Nightmare, and Teric was also kind enough to choose my debut novel, On the Soul of a Vampire.  (Thank you, Teric!)  As I've also been fortunate enough to read all of these unique novels and they're some of my favorites, I can second the recommendation that they make fabulous summer reads!

Check out Teric's great reviews of these exciting books and continue following the tour at: