New AudioBook & Book Review! (The Passage by Justin Cronin)

NEW AUDIOBOOK!

Back in the year 2008 I wrote my first book: SWEET DREAMS. That groundbreaking novel turned into three and now I give you, the CROSS OVER box set, in AUDIO! I know... you about had heart failure and wet yourself. But hold the screams and hoots of joy and let your finger do the walking and buy this so you may enjoy my voice in your ears... well not my voice, but my words... anyway, how about that Super Bowl game? :)

Here is the buy link to the audiobook: BIGFUNLINKTHING

* * * 

Now for the promised book review and recommendation based on what I am reading. You would think you could find books on your own, but if I must point you in the right direction to words of wonder to fill your mind with worlds of unknown so you may escape the confines of this life... well, you are welcome!


The Passage: NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST NOVELS OF THE YEAR BY TIME AND LIBRARY JOURNAL—AND ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • Esquire • U.S. News & World Report • NPR/On Point • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • BookPage

 
An epic and gripping tale of catastrophe and survival, The Passage is the story of Amy—abandoned by her mother at the age of six, pursued and then imprisoned by the shadowy figures behind a government experiment of apocalyptic proportions. But Special Agent Brad Wolgast, the lawman sent to track her down, is disarmed by the curiously quiet girl and risks everything to save her. As the experiment goes nightmarishly wrong, Wolgast secures her escape—but he can’t stop society’s collapse. And as Amy walks alone, across miles and decades, into a future dark with violence and despair, she is filled with the mysterious and terrifying knowledge that only she has the power to save the ruined world.

This is a great book, well written, different and just cool. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. Here is the link to AMAZON

Well, thats it for today. Remember to do something scary, new and stop living a safe life. Oh, I almost forgot to bother you about signing up for my Super Secret Fan Club! DO IT.... 

Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

AARON'S PICKS: MUST READ BOOKS!

Must reads for 2014

This is a special edition of my blog that I am calling: Aaron's Picks! Why you might ask? Well, because sometimes it is nice to know about books that are amazing without spending hours online reading reviews. I ill not go into much detail about each book but trust me, if it made the list... well, you be the judge.

#1. Chemicals by Erica Crockett

Erica is a personal friend so I know how much time she puts into her writing. This is her first book but she has a huge crazy series about to be unleashed so after you devour this novel you will not be left with nothing more to read. This book just came out so do yourself a favor and... get a copy.

AMAZON

#2. The Scary Tales Series by Rob E. Boley

This series will have around 6 in all and maybe more. It is a dark take on some of your favorite vary tales like Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood and Zombies are thrown in the mix as well. Rob is a new author like Erica but is one of the best writers Ive ever had the pleasure of reading. If you like new and out there books pick up this series. 

That Risen Snow: Book 1: AMAZON 

That Wicked Apple: Book 2: AMAZON

That Ravenous Moon: Book 3 AMAZON

#3. Hair of the corn dog by AK Turner 

If you are a parent or see a child in your future this is a great series. Not only that but it is funny... really funny. 

AMAZON

#4. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

Nasty and funny all at the same time and you learn something about dead people.

AMAZON

I hope you enjoy these books just as much as I did. That is all for now. Have a great week!

Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

How To Make A Living As A Writer. Part #2 Don't Compare, Compete & Create.

Part #2: Don't Compare, Compete & Create. 

Here we go again. You are over there, I am over here…we should so hang out. But there is a problem, you have a cool car and nice hair, I on the other hand… well don't. 

Sounds silly yes. But that is what a lot of Indie authors do. They look at what some other author is doing and their personal expectations go through the roof. H.M. Ward sells over 4 million in one year, CJ Lyons kills it and Bella Andre is unstoppable. So instead of writing because we love to write, instead of putting our heads down and working the plan we get caught up in the compare game. 

#1. COMPARE:

Avoid this trap if you really want to make money as a writer. Remember when you worked a regular job? Yeah, 12 $ an hour. Now you want to make millions and work 20 hours a week? Wait…you are telling me that you want to make more than a doctor, more than most any job out there and do it from your recliner? Seriously? I bet before you began writing if I told you that you could make ANY money writing you would have been blown away. So stop comparing. You are you, they are they. 

"Be content but never satisfied." 

#2. COMPETE:

If you had to choose an author that you feel is competing with you on a head to head level. Meaning that someone could buy their book instead of yours. If you name anyone besides a big name author like Tom Clancy you are missing the mark. I know this sounds like I didn't read the first part of this post but comparing and competing are different. 

I am competing with James Patterson. My covers have to be better than his, my eBook layout and print files must blow his away. Why are you trying to out sell some other Indie? I know that this sounds bad but most of the Indie published authors don't sell and they are panicked and fighting for the scraps. Don't even play in the playground. One thing people like Hugh Howie do is they are trend setters, they make new rules. 

Here are some questions you can answer to find out if you are competing against the big boys or not. If you answer YES to any of these you could be falling short. 

1. Did you make your own book cover?

2. Do you publish with Smashwords?

3. Did you do your own eBook conversion?

And if you answer NO to the following:

4. Do you have a Newsletter?

5. Do you have live book links in the back of all your books?

6. Do you change your keywords every month?

7. Do you have your book in Audio, Print?

8. Is your book in libraries? 

9. Do you spend money promoting your book? 

"You are only limited my your own fears, and or a lack of skill."

#3. CREATE:

We are all writers and creatives but sometimes this hurts us. We feel like we have to come up with the next best idea and write a book that is so out there that people stare and wonder at how smart and creative we are. NO! Look, it has all been done and take it from me, as a publisher one of the hardest books to sell is one that is different. Amazon and other stores have keywords and categories and if your book if so different that there is no place for it you can run into a wall. 

Tell a story. That is all you have to do. Most all chick flicks are the same and have been for years. Boy meets girl, they hate each other and something happens, they fall in love but one of them lied…oh no! The other finds out, they break up and there is music and flashbacks to when things were good. Now they get back together in the end and kiss in the rain or in the street. Guess what? They still sell! Sometimes being the same but different is a good thing.

"You are not special--if more parents told the truth, we wouldn't have American Idol." 

Making a living as a writer is easy as long as you can take off the writer hat and put on the business hat.  
Hope this helps and as always… nah I'll tell you next time.


Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Book Review of James Bond GOLDFINGER. By Ian Fleming

Every now and again I do what I call short, no fuss book reviews. Some of you like to read, I know imagine that! I find a good book to be a great way to down a bottle of wine or drown out a kid who just won't go to bed. So I am kicking it old school with this book I just finished. Good old James Bond.

If you like a mystery I say go for it, not like we don't all know what happens but it is well written and reading all the strange spellings back in the UK days is worth a few hours of your time. The thing I liked most about this book was how I learned something. Not just about craft, but about history. In-between the silly names of the hotties is some gold nuggets, yeah I just made that joke, sue me.

I say go out and read a classic thriller as the weather turns, you might find that you like the old ways best…and yes, I made that joke too.

Your reading fool, Aaron


Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Amazon Acquires Goodreads!!!

Amazon and Goodreads... it's about time. 

I have not been blogging as of late, what can I say, I've been writing. lol But this brought me out of my hole and I will come up for some air to report on this amazing news.

I will paste the press release below but the long and short is Goodreads has needed to do something to monazite itself for a long time. People love Goodreads and most books get way more reviews on Goodreads than Amazon. So as a writer this is great news.

What I hope happens:

I hope they let reviews on Goodreads carry over to Amazon, maybe have a tag that says this was a Goodreads review.
I hope they take on the Wish list so people can add a book to their list, maybe even a reading now section. Goodreads is great at connecting readers and writers.
I hope they make it a one click buy on Goodreads so if someone wants to buy a eBook they can click on the Goodreads page and it will go right to the checkout. You never know.

In short, this is yet another reason why Amazon is where it is at. B&N, Kobo, and Apple are so far behind that if I was part of any of these companies I would be a little embarrassed. I really think it is time for one of the others to step up and make a run for it. I mean come on B&N, do something new, make us stop and stare in awe at your new innovation!!! Or just sit there with that same dumb look on your face... lol

Free advice people: Learn Amazon, work Amazon, and step up your Goodreads presence. This is gonna be one fun ride, grab your surfboard, the wave is HUGE!!!

Amazon.com to Acquire Goodreads

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 28, 2013-- Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Goodreads, a leading site for readers and book recommendations that helps people find and share books they love. “Amazon and Goodreads share a passion for reinventing reading,” said Russ Grandinetti, Amazon Vice President, Kindle Content. “Goodreads has helped change how we discover and discuss books and, with Kindle, Amazon has helped expand reading around the world. In addition, both Amazon and Goodreads have helped thousands of authors reach a wider audience and make a better living at their craft. Together we intend to build many new ways to delight readers and authors alike.” “Books – and the stories and ideas captured inside them – are part of our social fabric,” said Otis Chandler, Goodreads CEO and co-founder. “People love to talk about ideas and share their passion for the stories they read. I’m incredibly excited about the opportunity to partner with Amazon and Kindle. We’re now going to be able to move faster in bringing the Goodreads experience to millions of readers around the world. We’re looking forward to inspiring greater literary discussion and helping more readers find great books, whether they read in print or digitally.” “I just found out my two favorite people are getting married,” said Hugh Howey, best-selling author of WOOL. “The best place to discuss books is joining up with the best place to buy books – To Be Read piles everywhere must be groaning in anticipation.” Following the acquisition, Goodreads’s headquarters will remain in San Francisco, CA. Founded in 2007, Goodreads now has more than 16 million members and there are more than 30,000 books clubs on the Goodreads site. Over just the past 90 days, Goodreads members have added more than four books per second to the “want to read” shelves on Goodreads. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Subject to various closing conditions, the acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2013.

Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Off Topic (Cussing and other fun things to do)

***Off Topic***

To $*&@ or not to $*&@

Don't swear! Don't cuss! Don't offend me! Don't burst my bubble! I mean I have never heard a swear word in my life and own a Clean TV box that changes the word "Sex" to "Hugs" so I don't have to hear the word. This is all fine and well, I grew up in church and write clean books.

But why don't I label myself as a christian fiction writer? Because once you slap that label on yourself you become tied to a list of rules that even God himself would break as he does not have as strong a conviction as most Christian fiction publishers.

I don't write sex scenes, use profanity because in my personal decision, I am a writer, I can think of other words to use and want to show how my character is feeling. So what is my personal rule?

IF THE BIBLE SAYS IT, SO CAN I!

I think this is a solid rule. If you wish to write clean and sell into the CBA market as well as the general market--which I do, it is about as close to the line as you can get. I have yet to get a reader complaint because I didn't have profanity in my books.

Now the reason for this post is because some of you out there have a thin soft skin and think you are better than God. Better than God you say? Wow Aaron, tall claim, harsh words... all true. If the shoe fits and all that...

Who gripes about book content? Not the Christian bookstores, not the general market. I'll give you two guesses and one don't count.

So let me help you out my dear thin skinned reader.

The bible uses a few words in a derogatory way, here are a few:

Bastard
Whore
Dog
Harlot

Even Jesus told a woman she was a dog, others that they were vipers and so on. Now I don't want this to get into a religious post but the point is, don't have higher standards than God. He used harsh words to make a point and if he did, I think I can use them as well.

Do I use them much? Nope, maybe once in a whole book, I try to make it the right word for whatever the scene calls for. So next time you want to get all hot under the collar because you saw a word you didn't like, remember:

1. This is NOT Christian fiction, never said it was.
2. Chill out, there are so many fights about this subject and the only people fighting are the Christians, the rest are busy reading a good book.
3. You and your opinion are just as important as the rest of the universe and their opinion, which is a nice way of saying, no one cares what you think. =)
4. Be an adult. I know, this is asking a lot, but it was worth a shot.
5. If you want a down the line Christian fiction book, one that never says the word sex and everyone is nice to each other and never makes anyone feel bad, go get one, there are many to choose from.
6. Be real, if you even watch a movie, TV show, let people cuss on the subway in earshot of you than don't be all up in my grill if I decide to use the word bastard. Oh crap, you just read a cuss word!

Got you!

--Aaron




Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Creating Great Novel Beginnings – 3 Webinars With Les Edgerton

LES EDGERTON, well-known writer, writing teacher, and author of HOOKED: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One and Never Lets Them Go, is teaching a StoneHouse University 3-class series on creating great novel beginnings. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn from one of the best writing teachers around! These are online classes (webinars), so anyone with an internet connection can participate.

Note: Registration for all 3 classes isn't required, but is highly recommended. You must register for each class separately.

Class 1 – Creating a Great Beginning for Your Novel—Basic Elements

Tues June 26 10-noon MDT | $32 before 6/9, $50 after

CLICK for Full Description and Registration Page

* How openings have changed profoundly over the past decade.
* The basic elements of great openings and what’s important about each and how to achieve them.
* The inciting incident—what it is and why it’s crucial to understand this most important of all elements.
* Why backstory and setup “kill” novel openings.
* Creating surface and story-worthy problems and how they’re related.
* The differences between scenes and sequels and why everything truly important in a novel needs to be delivered via scene.

Class 2 – Creating a Great Beginning for Your Novel—Red Flag Openings

Wed June 27 10-noon MDT | $32 before 6/9, $50 after

CLICK for Full Description and Registration Page

* Five openings that almost always doom the story.
* Misconceptions about the two most important characters in a novel—the protagonist and the antagonist.
* The causality of plot.
* Why theme is unimportant when writing a novel’s first draft.
* How a publishable plot is constructed.
* Creating a road map for your novel—an outline that works and consists of 15-20 words.

Class 3 – Putting It All Together—Creating a Great Beginning and Using These Techniques Throughout the Novel

CLICK for Full Description and Registration Page

* When exposition/summary are used and when they shouldn’t be.
* Exploring that “all of a piece” that Flannery O’Connor defines a great story by and how to achieve it.
* Discussion of literary and writer’s terms and why they aren’t understood properly.
* Creating a novel from the template of the first 10-15 pages.

About Les Edgerton

Well-known writer and writing teacher Les Edgerton has had dozens and dozens of his personal students secure top agents and sell their books to a great many publishers, and thousands more have used the techniques from his hugely-popular classic writer’s text, HOOKED: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One and Never Lets Them Go to gain an agent and get their books taken as well.


Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Spread the Love Not the Hate!

I think every one of us has been on the receiving end of a bully. But what is a bully? I see it as someone that feels the need to put down others, or is cruel in word or in a psychical manner, as a bully. With the invention of Social Media a lot more people are Cyber-bullying.

I got some of this a few weeks back from another author. I was out-of-town in the mountains, when the attack came. This indie author took it upon herself to bash me all over Twitter and even posted on my Facebook wall. The lies worked all weekend and showed up on blogs and Goodreads. What was it all about?

Turns out that this person, no this bully, is in a position where they have a bunch of followers. Instead of using this power for good, they used it to sell their own books and con other unsuspecting authors into chain tagging and other schemes to advance their own work.

Long and short if it, I was in the way. I did not do what they thought I should do, i.e. I did not do it their way. So after one email and waiting an hour, they went to work making me look like some sort of monster that was out to get all Indie authors. What a joy to see that as I was out-of-town on a mini vacation, that back home, I was being hunted down.

Most of you did not even hear about this as I did not post much on the subject. But I fear it is a trend with the Indie author crowd. Is it fear? Is it that each author thinks the way they market is the way all of us should do it? Or is it greed?

Most of it is because we do not educate ourselves. We do not learn the business of writing so we think something another author does is wrong, when it is just that we have no clue what we are doing. Selling well does not mean you are an expert, but I fear many authors think that sales=brains.

The best way to stop bullying is education. This is why I wanted to be a part of this blog hop, it is a group that is speaking out and learning how to prevent this kind of thing from happening.

I am so glad that I have a community of writers and friends that support each other. It makes the bully in all our lives seem a little less evil. I bet all they need is a huge hug...or a stick to the backside! lol

Here are some rules to help stop a bully:

Do not jump to conclusions. If you see something bad about someone, check it out, talk to that person and don't just jump on the KILL bandwagon.

BE NICE!

Remember, we are all people, be kind and give everyone the benefit of the doubt.

Don't be stupid.

Remember that the bully is hurting, scared or is just unloved. They are acting out, it has nothing to do with you.

Protect your friends.

BE NICE!

That is all...




Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Guest Post: Paul Bishop: WHY PULP?

WHY PULP?

PAUL BISHOP (AKA: JACK TUNNEY)

Far too much of today’s fiction output is bloated filler designed to turn books into 700 page doorstops under the false assumption more is better. If you’re like me, you don’t have the time or patience to plow through 700 pages to read a story better served in 300 pages – or less.

The writers who work on the pulp magazines from back in the day understood this. Their audience wanted stripped down yarn filled with action, twists and turns, all with the point of providing reader satisfaction.

Hero pulps from the ‘30s and ‘40s, such as The Shadow, Doc Savage, and The Avenger, pull major collector’s prices today. To a lesser extent so do the weird menace and aviation pulps. Western pulps can still be had for bargain prices as can many of the romance and sports pulps.

The best of the sports pulps, Fight Card Magazine, however, demands the same high collector’s prices as the popular hero pulps. The stories in Fight Card Magazine were a definite cut above the stories in the multitude of other sports pulps. The most collectible issue of Fight Stories Magazine contain two-fisted tales of Sailor Steve Costigan written by the creator of Conan, Robert E. Howard.

It was Howard’s boxing tales along with many others from Fight Stories magazines that are among my pulp favorites. They have long held sway in my imagination, yet there was no modern home for their novelette length – until now.

The advent of e-publishing has not only provided a viable publishing platform for the 25,000 word novelette, but also a way to reach specific niche audiences hungry for these types of tales.

The Fight Card series, created by myself and prolific writer Mel Odom, is inspired by the boxing tales from the best of the sports pulps. Told in the straightforward, hard-driving, two-fisted pulp style, the yarns we spin under the Fight Card banner are designed to be read in one or two sittings while still providing major bang and satisfaction for your reading dollars.

Published under the unifying pseudonym Jack Tunney, the first two Fight Card books have just debuted across all e-book platforms. Felony Fists (written by myself) and The Cutman (written by Mel Odom), take different approaches to their boxing tales.

Felony Fists has a crime twist with L.A.P.D. detective /boxer Patrick “Felony” Flynn facing down Solomon King, a brutal heavyweight contender owned by mobster Mickey Cohen. Flynn’s mandate – put King on the canvas and stop Cohen from taking over the L.A. fight rackets.

The Cutman is an adventure yarn. Merchant Marine Mickey Flynn, Pat’s older brother, is in the ring in Havana battling the human killing machine Simbari. The fate of Mickey’s ship and her crew hanging in the balance.

Next month, Split Decision by Eric Beetner – a noir tale to stand with the best of the Gold Medal originals – will be Fight Card’s main event.

In the following months more top notch tales from top notch storytellers with an affinity for fisticuffs and pulp-style writing, along with more tales from myself and Mel Odom, will be climbing into the ring.

If you enjoy two-fisted, straightforward, timeless storytelling give Felony Fists or The Cutman or both a try, and let us know what you think.

FIGHT CARD: FELONY FISTS

JACK TUNNEY

Los Angeles 1954

Patrick “Felony” Flynn has been fighting all his life. Learning the “sweet science” from Father Tim the fighting priest at St. Vincent’s, the Chicago orphanage where Pat and his older brother Mickey were raised, Pat has battled his way around the world – first with the Navy and now with the Los Angeles Police Department.

Legendary LAPD chief William Parker is on a rampage to clean up both the department and the city. His elite crew of detectives known as The Hat Squad is his blunt instrument – dedicated, honest, and fearless. Promotion from patrol to detective is Pat’s goal, but he also yearns to be one of the elite.

And his fists are going to give him the chance.

Gangster Mickey Cohen runs LA’s rackets, and murderous heavyweight Solomon King is Cohen’s key to taking over the fight game. Chief Parker wants Patrick “Felony” Flynn to stop him – a tall order for middleweight ship’s champion with no professional record.

Leading with his chin, and with his partner, LA’s first black detective Tombstone Jones, covering his back, Patrick Flynn and his Felony Fists are about to fight for his future, the future of the department, and the future of Los Angeles.

FIGHT CARD: THE CUTMAN

JACK TUNNEY

Havana, Cuba. 1954.

Mickey Flynn is an ex-Korean War vet turned merchant marine. He was born in the ghettos of Chicago and raised in an orphanage with his younger brother, Patrick. He was one of several young men who received an education from the nuns at St. Vincent’s.

But he was also taught the "sweet science" by Father Tim, a Golden Gloves boxer and retired police officer who only knew one way to bring a troubled boy to manhood. Father Tim worked with his young charges, taught them how to jab and punch and throw a hook that seemed to come out of nowhere. When the young men left St. Vincent's (Our Lady of the Glass Jaw), they were changed, fit and ready to take on the troubles the encountered around the world, no matter where they found them.

Now Mick's in Havana, working on WIDE BERTHA, his ship. After surviving a fierce storm at sea, the last thing Mick and the crew need to do is get crossways with the Italian organized crime flooding Havana, but it doesn't take much to put him in the cross hairs of a vengeful mob boss working for Lucky Luciano.

Unable to get free of bad luck and unfortunate circumstance, Mick ends up in the ring in an illegal boxing match fighting a human killing machine.


About Paul:
A novelist and screenwriter, Paul Bishop also has a distinguished career with the Los Angeles Police Department, where he has twice been honored as Detective Of The Year. With over thirty years experience investigating Sex Crimes, Paul brings a gritty realism to his writing along with a healthy dollop of hard earned gallows humor.

As a nationally recognized interrogator, Paul appears regularly as one of two principal interrogators on the hit ABC reality series Take The Money And Run . . .

His novels include Hot Pursuit, Deep Water, Penalty Shot, and four novels in his L.A.P.D. Detective Fey Croaker series: Kill Me Again, Grave Sins, Tequila Mockingbird, and Chalk Whispers. He has also published two short story collections, Pattern Of Behavior and Running Wylde, as well as writing scripts for episodic television and feature films.

Check out Paul's blog HERE
And friend him on Facebook
And as you tweet follow Paul on Twitter



Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

How Much Should An eBook cost? Part #2

How Much Should An eBook cost? Part #2

eBooks are a big thing and will in time replace print books. I do not say this cuz I hate books or bookstores, I say it cuz it is the truth. You notice how I use slang here on this blog? It is cuz it drives some of you literary types nuts... hee hee, I got to have some fun or I will go crazy!

Sorry, that was a bit of a rabbit trail. Now to the main event.

In the last post we looked at pricing for fiction, and saw how it is not the money per book but the monthly income. This will change how you look at eBooks, how you market and plan your marketing.

So to re-cap, it is about volume and fans. Your worth as a writer is not in the per unit sale but the monthly income. And if you want to really get picky, your worth is in what you sell in a year and ten years from now. I plan to be around for a long time and what I do is what we call the "Long Look."

The Sweet Spot.

As one comment in the last post said, some sweet spots are different from others. Each book is different. Some sell well at 2.99 and some at 4.99, it is up to you to test the market. The other thing to consider is that the market is changing all the time. It used to be that a book at .99 would sell a ton but now not so much. Some even have worse sales numbers at the .99 price point. Why is that?

Well, because people look at things different. Maybe all the self-published books are priced low so the reader thinks if a book is low it will suck. We need to keep testing and find out where the market is and what it is doing.

Now what about non-fiction?

Non- fiction is so different and does not sell as well as fiction. Most books that are non-fiction are sold at an event or by hand by the author. Also NF eBooks have a different fan-base. They are going to be the last to change over to E.

But as we see with textbooks they are making the switch right now, soon all schools will use them, students will buy expansion packs to get the latest update but not have to buy the new book.

So how do you price a NF eBook?

Again, testing. But as a whole 5.99-9.99. You are not talking volume with NF so you need to look at it different. Even with some fiction if you have a small fan-base you might look at pricing it higher to get the most out of each sale. I have one author that has all her books at 9.99 because it is a narrow book. She does well at the higher price cuz not everyone will like what she writes.

If you write a book on how to sell a house, you might price it at 7.99. Look at all the other main stream books with your subject matter and try to under cut them, but look at apples to apples. If other books on selling houses are in the 9.99 range do the same but price it like 8.97. Not to much lower but just enough to get you noticed.

One more thing you can try is a blog tour. They are not done as much with NF but that is just why you should do one. Finding bloggers that review NF might be hard but you will be getting in front of the right readers. Look into sites that talk or blog about your subject and work with them. NF is also a good eBook to sell on your own website or blog as again your readers are not as many and you will want to save their email and contact info.

Ask for reviews.

NF most of the time is information and helps people. Ask people that have read to leave a review. This will help sales and add value to your book so the reader feels good about forking over more money for your eBook.

Tag yourself to other books and authors that sell similar eBooks. This goes for any eBook or book on Amazon. Learn how to tag and use the tool Amazon gives you. If you want to learn about tagging I have a post on it, just click HERE.

In the next and final post on eBook pricing I will look at all the literary arguments against low eBook pricing. From the you are worth more side to the you will ruin the market side. It is all just a different way of saying "I'm Scared of Change!" But let us look and ponder the bad side of eBooks.

Again, remember. You want to reach the most people(fans) and get the highest return (Money) out of each sale. The SWEET SPOT is there, it is up to you to find where it is. It is not what people are willing to pay but what they WILL pay.

Cheers



Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

The Devil in the White City: Review and thoughts

There are a few books I find myself talking about. It is a must, a need and this is one of them. The title rocks, the cover rocks and the book... yeah, rocks!

I am not into historical fiction, I tend to go for thrillers and such. So this took me by surprise. It is full of some way cool history and written like a novel. If you like thrillers but like some meat as well you will love this novel. I plan to read Erik Larson's other books and I would tell you to do the same.

I really want to have a good reputation about what books I tell you all about. I want them to be amazing so after you read you feel like I gave you good advice and not just hacked out something lame to fill a blog.

If you have read this book, tell me what you thought...

About The Book

Bringing Chicago circa 1893 to vivid life, Erik Larson's spellbinding bestseller intertwines the true tale of two men--the brilliant architect behind the legendary 1893 World's Fair, striving to secure America's place in the world; and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death. Combining meticulous research with nail-biting storytelling, Erik Larson has crafted a narrative with all the wonder of newly discovered history and the thrills of the best fiction.

"As absorbing a piece of popular history as one will ever hope to find." --San Francisco Chronicle

Reviews

The New York Times
“A dynamic, enveloping book. . . . Relentlessly fuses history and entertainment to give this nonfiction book the dramtic effect of a novel. . . . It doesn't hurt that this truth is stranger than fiction.”

Esquire
“So good, you find yourself asking how you could not know this already.”

USA Today
“Another successful exploration of American history. . . . Larson skillfully balances the grisly details with the far-reaching implications of the World's Fair.”

Chicago Tribune
“Engrossing . . . exceedingly well documented . . . utterly fascinating.”

Entertainmnet Weekly
“Paints a dazzling picture of the Gilded Age and prefigure the American century to come.”

Chicago Sun-Times
“A wonderfully unexpected book. . . . Larson is a historian . . . with a novelist's soul.”

People
“In a style that is suspenseful as well as entertaining, Larson shows us how both our highest aspirations and our most loathsome urges figured in the creation of the modern world.”

The Boston Globe
“Embedded . . . [with] treasures of description and anecdote. . . . Larson has crafted a work of excellence, not just suspenseful but historically informative in the best bedtime-story way. An ultra-satisfying read.”

The Denver Post
"Enthralling narratives that fully transport the reader into the past. An unqualified success."

About Erik Larson

Erik Larson, author of the international bestseller ISAAC'S STORM, was nominated for a National Book Award for THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY. He is a former features writer for The Wall Street Journal and Time magazine, where he is still a contributing writer. His magazine stories have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, Harper's and other publications.

Larson has taught non-fiction writing at San Francisco State, the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars, and the University of Oregon, and has spoken to audiences from coast to coast. He lives in Seattle with his wife, three daughters, a dwarf hamster, a Chinese fighting fish, and a golden retriever named Molly.


Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Book Review: The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl

I don't review books much as it takes time and I read a ton and it seems a little unfair to review one book when I have thousands under my reading belt. But, and this is my big but. There are some books that you just HAVE to talk about. I have a few that I recommend all the time. One is "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson, I will review this one some other time, and the one I am going to talk about today.

THE DANTE CLUB

Here is what the book is about:

1865 Boston, a small group of literary geniuses puts the finishing touches on America’s first translation of The Divine Comedy and prepares to unveil the remarkable visions of Dante to the New World. The powerful old guard of Harvard College wants to keep Dante out—believing that the infiltration of such foreign superstitions onto our bookshelves would prove as corrupting as the foreign immigrants invading Boston harbor. The members of the Dante Club—poets and Harvard professors Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, James Russell Lowell and publisher J. T. Fields —endure the intimidation of their fellow Boston Brahmins for a sacred literary cause, an endeavor that has sustained Longfellow in the hellish aftermath of his wife’s tragic death by fire.

But the plans of the Dante Club come to a screeching halt when a series of murders erupts through Boston and Cambridge. Only the members of the Dante Club realize that the style and form of the killings are stolen directly from Dante’s Inferno and its singular account of Hell’s punishments. With the police baffled, lives endangered and Dante’s literary future at stake, the Dante Club must shed its sheltered literary existence and find a way to stop the killer.

The brunt of the burden falls to Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, whose unique literacy in both poetry and medicine continues to pull him into the center of the struggle. An outcast policeman, Nicholas Rey, the first and only black member of the Boston police department, places his future on the line after discovering the secrets of the Dante Club. Together, they find the key to the murders where they least expect it: closer than they could have imagined.

Here is my take:

I loved this book. It was so well thought out, planned and kept me guessing. Not only that but it made me want to read Dante. I like books that spur me on to read more, other works and so on. I got to learn some history, read about the old school world of publishing and follow a killer that I found creepy and scary cool.

It is hard to review as there is so much to say, so let me just leave it at this. You must buy, rent, download, steal, or murder someone and take their copy if you need too. Just do it and read this book, it is well worth it and an amazing work.

I hope this helps as the weather gets colder, and you find you have more time in front of the fire sipping on a glass of wine. Take a ride back in time and read The Dante Club.

Cheers


Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

"I Like Men," Guest Post by Chris Redding

It is funny to me to see women writers try to write men, and men writing women in fiction. There is that curiosity, a need to get into the head of the opposite sex. I write from a female POV about half the time and I find that I like it a lot more, and it seems, this is also the case for Chris Redding.

I agree with her, Men need to be Men. I hate TV shows that make men out to be wimps and controlled by their wife or stupid half the time. IMO what woman wants a little man who is stupid? What does that say for their choice? Anyway... I rant on, here is Chris.

I LIKE MEN

First I want to thank Aaron Patterson for having me on his blog today. He invited me after I made a comment here and I thought that was cool.

I like men. I like them to be men.

Not juvenile boys in comedies. Men. In all their flaws and warts and strengths and weaknesses.

For instance, I love the show Top Gear.
There I said it. And I’m not ashamed.
Not the lame American version. Those three guys have no chemistry together.
Nope, I like the original British version.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go check out BBC America or Netflix because you can get it on there. I’ll wait.

(Whistling. Checking Facebook and Twitter.)

Done?
Yeah, I know they trash Americans, but I’m not sure some of their criticisms aren’t correct.

I love that Jeremy is bombastic. I like that James is a little flighty and that Richard is earnest. I also like that they all get along and no matter what, even if they don’t agree, they are good-natured about it. Ahem.

Anyway. Why am I making this confession?

Because I write a lot about men. I do a workshop called Show Up Naked: Writing the Male POV. One of the suggestions I make to my workshop attendees is to watch Top Gear. (The British Version.) You will see how men interact when women aren’t around. Well a G version certainly.

And how do I know all this? I work around men. My department probably has 100 employees and I think there are ten women. Just the other day I related to the men a conversation among female friends about stockings versus not when wearing a dress. I posited that women dress for other women when if we dressed for men it would be easier.

Men like to see skin. End of story. All the men agreed.

Back to Top Gear. I love that the hosts are allowed to be men. Criticisms have been leveled at them for not having a female host. I think it would completely change the dynamic. I want them to be men. I want them to drive the cars fast and careen around the track. I want them to play jokes on each other. I want them to disagree and still be friends and the end of the show.

It’s refreshing.
Know what else I want? I want men to be allowed to be men in romance novels. I want them to be strong and weak, but in only the way men are. I want them to goof up and I want them to make up for it and when they decide they want the heroine, I want them to move Heaven and Earth to get her.

In other words, I want them to be real.

Is that too much to ask?


Chris Redding lives in New Jersey with her husband, two kids, one dog, three rabbits. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in Journalism. When she isn’t writing, she works for her local hospital part time.

On the web:
www.chrisreddingauthor.com
http://chrisredddingauthor.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/chrisreddingauthor
www.twitter.com/chrisredding

Buy links:

Corpse Whisperer
http://tinyurl.com/3qccjpt

The Drinking Game
http://tinyurl.com/3jc953b

Incendiary
http://tinyurl.com/3dh4y8o




Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

BLOGFEST 100! Guest Post by Martin king.

When I think of my childhood I have so many good and funny memories that it is hard to pick just one. If I stick to reading I would say the day I read three books in one sitting and went blond for 24hrs. I had a splitting headache and everything turned white, I freaked out and yes when it went away I went back to reading under the covers with a flashlight.

Here is Martin King:

You may wonder why I am doing this blogfest of 100 mini childhood stories on 100 different websites during the month of August. Well I’m wondering the exact same thing myself... it’s killing me!

So while just releasing my first book, launching my new website, having to decorate my mother-in-laws new apartment and working full time, I’m beginning to wonder is being a writer really worth it?

It reminds me of a childhood memory of what happened one day when we were around ten years old. Myself, Holly, Baker and I think my sister too (yes they do bear an uncanny resemblance to the characters in my book), were out walking in a field near where we lived. It was a hot day and we were all just in shorts and trainers.

Half way up the field we stopped to mess around in some trees, we were always clambering around in trees like little spider monkeys. Holly was up in one tree when he slipped and fell. Now he didn’t drop far and Holly was made of stern stuff so thankfully he didn’t hurt himself badly.

However, I failed to mention he fell into a whole ditch full of nettles. Now just remember back to the start of the story... that’s right he was only wearing a pair of shorts. The poor thing was stung on every inch of his body. Can you imagine the pain? And then watching him get covered all over in calamine lotion was probably no fun for him neither.

Well in some ways, trying to get published feels that painful. To everyone else driving around on that day – it was a hot, beautiful day. But nothing is ever what it seems. Writing a book to everyone else seems amazing.

“Wow, you’ve wrote a book!”

But the hard work and pain, the social networking and marketing... none of that was written on the tin.

But you know what, I watched my mate soon recovered and he still had his mates, his life. After all the hard work of trying to get my books published, no matter what, I’ve still got my friends and my wife and my life. But now they are written down on paper... and that becomes an eternal memory.
These blogs are all about fun and sharing. Thank you for reading a ‘#100blogfest’ blog. Please follow this link to find the next blog in the series:

http://martinkingauthor.com/blog/7094550076





Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.

Why all the rules? From eBooks to Writing.

I went to New York for Thriller Fest and had an amazing time. As I talked with people and writers, agents and publishers they all seemed amazed that StoneHouse Ink has done so well even though we are only a year and a half old. The funny looks and long talks made me think.

Why is publishing easy for some and to others it is this huge mystery?

I think I figured it out. I am dumb... that is to say, I didn't know much of anything about publishing or writing or eBooks so I made it up as I went. Running a business from the clean mindset of just trying new things, experimenting and not letting the old rules bog me down, made the difference.

Here is the truth of it all. It really does not matter how the Big 6 have done it... does not matter how publishers think it should be done. If I have to print a book and go eBook later I say no lets go eBook first and print when we have sales. They say you can't do it on your own and outsell them. We outsell them all the time and most of our marketing is free.

All the terms, Traditional, Self publishing, Vanity, all mean nothing. It is a book, a product. How can we sell that product? If you look at it in these simple terms you will see that it is not any different then any other business.

Let us move to another subject. Writing.

Ah... yes, you must have a degree, have a background in English or be super smart to write a book. Let me say that in a different way. You have to have these things to get a big deal and sell enough books to make a living.

Character A must have a conflict with Character B and Character C has to Blah, blah blah! Foreshadowing, conflict, rules and all the things that you need to know to tell a story. I agree a lot of that is important but writing is the art of telling a story. imagine sitting around the camp fire and hearing different stories. Some tell it in a way that you feel like you are there and others tell it and it lacks the punch. This is the base of story. everything else can be taught.

But what if you have no training? What if you just like stories and want to give writing a go? What can you do?

A ton!

The great writers in our world are the people who DO. They learn as they go as the best teacher is yourself. Write, write and write some more. But if you never DO you never will DO anything. If you party every weekend, go out and mess around instead of putting in the WORK you will never be anything more.

J.A. Konrath worte the perfect blog post about this. From publishing to writing to all the new ways to get content, it comes down to as Nike says: Just Do It!

Here is what Konrath said:

Are You Writing?
I've got some bad news for you.

Right now, you're reading one of the most relevant, controversial, popular, and opinionated blogs about the world of publishing, and it is an epic fail on your part.

You want my sales. That's a statement, not a question. Or if you're dreaming even bigger, you want John Locke's or Amanda Hocking's sales. You want to make enough money to retire within the next 12 months. And you've dropped by my blog to learn how.

Maybe you've been following me for years. Maybe you just discovered me via a Twitter mention. Maybe you heard about me from a friend who said you should come here. If that's the case, your friend wasn't doing you any favors.

Because this blog is a time suck. There are hundreds of entries to read, and tens of thousands of comments. It's easy to get pulled in and waste hours, days, weeks.

Here's the bottom line: every minute you spend here is a minute you aren't spending on your writing.

You want my sales? I've got 40 different ebook titles currently selling. I'll have five more by the end of the year.

Amanda Hocking? Eleven so far. That Locke guy? Eleven. My writing partner Blake Crouch has more than 20 titles. That's why he's making over $30k a month, and you're not.

You'll notice Amanda doesn't comment here anymore, when she used to with regularity. Blake will pop in every once and a while and leave a comment, but he doesn't stick around.

That's because they're doing what you should be doing.

They're writing.

I'm lucky enough to be a full time writer, and I'm fast enough that I can waste my time here and still churn out more publishable words than most. And while it tickles me to get hundreds of comments to my posts, and though my message is no doubt being heard by many writers who are benefiting from it, the best thing you can do for your career isn't reading A Newbie's Guide to Publishing.

The best thing you can do is write. The more, the better.

How many words have you written today?

There is only one rule is you want to be a publisher or a full time writer.

DO IT.

When everyone else sleeps you stay up to finish that chapter. When all your friends go out you work your business. I do not ask you to do this forever, but for a short time and once you begin to see the pay off you will be the one going out and drinking in the sun on a exotic beach somewhere as your party friends work for their boss and fight traffic so they can afford to party on Saturday night.

Now is the part where you choose your life. What do you want?

Now, go do it and don't let the rules bog you down... Cheers

Airel and Her Humanity

I wanted to touch base with the book I just released called Airel. As we get reviews and comments on Facebook and Twitter I have had one come up a few times that I wanted to address.

On one hand I don't feel the need to explain myself but I like to open up and let you see the other side of writing. The main question, is in the book, Airel comes across as a girl who does not want to get wrapped up in a guy. She even scoffs at girls that make a boy their all, and fall into this crazy love and lose their heads.

After all this, she goes on and does that very thing and gets lost in Michael. One reviewer said this was an error on my part but missed the humanity in all of us. I wanted to make her real, and in a lot of ways she is real to me. And we all do things we say we will never do or have huge flaws in out thinking. Airel is the same way and her lesson is to learn how to live and be happy with just being her.

Now this was not a error, but put in with thought as in real life we are all like this. I know most books have a perfect set of rules and if they say they are spunky they stay spunky all through the book. But to me that makes them un-real. Flat and we all know that is not how we real people are.

So, in closing, most things I do have a good reason, it is for you the reader to find out what I mean or am trying to get across. The reviewer got it right, Airel was one way and did something that was not in her DNA, but guess what? She is not perfect and written to be that way.

Read and enjoy. learn and grow. I hope as you read and watch Airel grow as a person that you will give her some room to make mistakes and learn some things the hard way. I wish she could be perfect but she just is not.

The other thing to keep in mind is some girls are giggly, some are tom-boys, some are super emotional and some never even cry. As you read know that Airel is who she is, and if you are the kind of person that never cries or get excited, you may not connect with her as much. But again, that is all a party of being human. we are all different.

Thank you all so much for reading and keep giving me feedback as I write Michael I am excited to see how she changes and what will happen to her and him in the future.