Addicted to Books

While over at the Kindle Boards, there was a discussion thread focusing on websites / blogs that offer free book publicity / promotion. I'll be slowly checking them out, but I did register for one already, Addicted to Books. Nice, user friendly site, and I received an email from them when my novel, Mindjacker, was featured. Nice touch!

The link to Addicted to Books is HERE

Freebies & Tumblin' Dice

Just an FYI for anyone who may be interested, or knows someone who may be, my novel, Mindjacker, and all my short stories are available for free download today thru tomorrow (midnight) on Amazon. Just click on any of the covers on the sides of this blog to get to them. If you do read any, I hope you find them at least entertaining, and of course I sincerely thank you!

Downloaded (to my nook) TUMBLIN DICE by one of my favorite authors, John Mcfetridge. Been wanting to get to this novel for a while now, so I'm psyched to be reading it. I 'm 5 chapters in, and really digging it. Rock-n-Roll, lots of musical references, cool characters, great delivery and dialogue, bad guys, and crimes. Doesn't get much better than that, for me at least. 

You can check it out at B&N, or Amazon HERE and get more info on John over at his site HERE

News From John McFetridge

John is one of my favorite authors. He writes the kind of crime / suspense stories I really, really love. His novel, TUMBLIN' DICE will be on my e-reader the minute it comes out in March. He also shared an exciting, innovate, marketing strategy his publisher ECW Press has come up with. Check out John's post on the topic HERE



And.......I have made my novel MINDJACKER available for FREE download at Amazon today and tommorrow. I have also, since yesterday, made all my crime / suspense short stories free at Amazon. This will continue through end of today.

You can click on any of the covers on the sides of this blog to find them in the US, and click HERE for the Amazon UK store.

Have a Great Weekend Everyone!

My Book, The Movie

Found a pretty cool site called "My Book, The Movie".  It showcases an author's novel and the author gets to explain who they had in mind, or would envision playing the characters in their novel. Take a look HERE

Deciding something like this for my novel Mindjacker was pretty easy, because I modeled each character after someone famous as I wrote the story. Basically, I  had the image in my head and created the character based on that. The above picture is John Paul DeJoria, who I imagined as the nefarious, megalomaniac shrink Joel Fischer. But,  I'd be willing to throw Mel Gibson a bone to get his career back on track, if he was up for it. How about any of you. Any famous or infamous people you envisioned playing a part in your stories or novels?  Here's the rest of my cast for Mindjacker.

Tom (Fischer's brainwashed guinea pig) : Ewan MacGregor

Bryce (Fischer's other brainwashed guinea pig): Jarod Leto

Johnny Salvation (Fischer's limo driver and closest confidant) : Tony Sirico

Paul (stoner who steals the Dreemweever): Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit

Luke (other stoner who steals the Dreemweever): Sully Erna of Godsmack

Crystal ( Fischer' girlfiend and co-conspirator) : Jenna Lamia

Lee Lee (Crystal's best friend) : Sherry Stringfield

Derrik (Fischer's bodyguard) : Anthony Anderson

James ( Fischer's bodyguard and chemist): Vin Diesel

Evan ( L.A. cop in Fischer's pocket): Josh Brolin

Robert (Russian investor): Mickey Rourke

Jason ( Russian investor): Billy Bob Thornton

Victor (technology & multimedia wizard): Philip Seymour Hoffman

Scott (First victim of the Dreemweever): Jake Gyllenhaal

Merri ( Scott's Wife ): Cameron Diaz

Stephan ( Plastic Surgeon): Robert Klein

Sergey (Russian Hitman):  Wladimir Klitschko 

Anton (Russian Hitman): Dolph Lundgren

Dodge Challenger (Badass ride): as itself

So,  I have handed the studio execs a perfect cast with a kick-ass soundtrack. Now, they just have to get their people in touch with my people to finalize the deal :)

WE HAVE A WINNER!.... TF:80

TF:80, as unique and mysterious a handle as I have ever heard of ,came up with the correct answer. Crystal Kelly was modeled after actress Jenna Lamia, who had the following roles in the shows and movie I referenced in the provided clues. 

Siobhan Miller in Law and Order - SVU

Carrie Schillinger in OZ

Sherri Ward in The Fighter. ( She's on the left end)

Thanks to those who participted and I'll do it again sometime soon. Here's another passsage that takes place after Crystal & Lee Lee arrive in New York.

         Crystal and Lee Lee stood in the same stall in the ladies room of the St. Regis Hotel.

“So, what do you think Lee?” Crystal took two power sniffs off the coke bullet, handed it to Lee Lee. “Is this a trip or what?”

“They are so good looking.” Lee Lee hit each nostil twice. “A little eccentric, but my God, are they handsome.”

“They’re hot, that’s for sure. It’s really freaky, you know, how this all worked out. Don’t you think?”

“Kind of, but we’re in New York. What do you expect? I’m not going to complain.”

“Me neither. Besides, you might just get your chance to be in the movies. Just let little 'ole Crystal work her magic on them.”

Crystal took a couple more hits off the bullet, offered it to Lee Lee.

“I'm good, for now at least. Let's go.”

“Okay.” Crystal opened the stall door. “Our princes are waiting.”

Step Right Up...Win a Copy of Mindjacker

As promised, here's your chance to win a free print copy of "Mindjacker", which I will ship to wherever the winner lives. All you have to do is guess the real life person that I had in my head when I created the character Crystal Kelly. She's a B-list actress and the main squeeze of megalomaniacal L.A. shrink Joel Fischer. So, here we go...

I was  / am a huge fan of the HBO series Oz, and this actress, who I first saw in one of my favorite episodes of Law & Order, appeared in a stretch of OZ episodes. The role she played in that L&O episode is who I had in my head. She's not an A-lister, but there was something about her I just dug. Below is the short chapter, where I introduce her in the novel.

CRYSTAL

        “How are you my dear?” Joel said over his cell phone.

“Actually, I’m getting ready to go to lunch. What’s up?”

“I wanted to run something by you. It might prove to be a good opportunity.”

“Oh, is that right. You know me, I’m all about opportunity. When it knocks, I’m right there standing naked at the door. No seriously, what’s going on?”

“Through a client of mine, I’ve been made aware of a director and a screenwriter, who are going to be in New York this weekend on a working vacation. From what I’m told, they already have a deal, an extremely lucrative one I might add, to make the picture.”

“And this is important to me...why?”

“It’s important to you because they will be in New York to review locations and more importantly, because two large roles have not been cast yet. Roles I might add, that you could be a nice fit for.”

“Now you have my attention baby. What’s the catch though? As much as I’d like to believe that this is only about little ‘ole me, I know there has to be something else.”

“Can’t this just be considered a simple act of kindness, done for no other reason than the worship of one of the most attractive members of the opposite sex?”

“Please, save it, come on.”

“Well, if somehow theses gentlemen, who I might add are relocating to LA, were to decide they needed to confide in a certain professional about their issues that might be considered a brilliant stroke of good fortune. Don’t you think?”

“Now you’re talking. So what’s the plan? I’m presuming the plan doesn’t include me investing any of my hard earned money. Does it?”

“Why of course not my dear, I think the two of you will be extremely happy with the arrangements.”

“The two of us, who’s the two of us?”

“Ah yes, like I said, there are two of them that are going to be out there and I can’t very well send you out there alone now. Can I? I was thinking that your friend Leigh Anne might be persuaded to join you. Do you think that’s a possibility? Of course, she wouldn’t have to know anything other than it’s a free trip to the greatest city in the world, outside of LA of course. What do you think?”

“I’ll ask her, but no guarantees. I’ll see if she’s up for it. It’s just a weekend right?”

“Yes, get there on Friday and back by Sunday afternoon. Get in touch with her and let me know, toot sweet. If she doesn’t want to go, start thinking of a plan B person. Anyway, just let me know, I’ll take care of all the arrangements. Five star all the way baby. Make sure you tell your friend that too, okay? Ciao.”

“Later magic man.”

The Beat On The Street and Win A Copy of Mindjacker

Going to be giving away a free print copy of Mindjacker, and will ship to wherever the winner calls home. All you need to do is check my blog on Friday March 18th, at 12:00 PM EST. All the characters in the novel were inspired by some famous person or another. So, I'll post a short excerpt, provide a clue, and the first person to guess the real life  person wins a copy, or at least something to stoke the fireplace with.

In other, far more interesting news...

-Chris Allinotte's Madness in March has been a real treat so far. R.S Bohn, Richard Godwin, and Angel Zapata have been featured so far. As the Nerd of Noir might say...Dig this shit HERE

-Speaking of Ms. Bohn, she's this weeks judge for Lili Childs Friday Prediction. Enter your best hundred words HERE

- Any time someone can expose "reality" tv for the mindless scourge that it is, I'm interested. Benjamin Sobieck is doing just that at the Flash Fiction Offensive HERE

- Col Bury is giving a rave review to Andy Rivers novel Maxwells Silver Hammer. I am so all over this, if I can get it from amazon UK. Details HERE

-If you've authored a novel or collection and are looking for some exposure by way of an interview at a pretty cool, up and coming site, stop on over to this thread on the Absolute Write site. Complete details HERE. I took them up on the offer and the first round of questions hey sent me are really impressive.

A Couple of Reviews

Last week I posted about just getting into and really digging  James Henderson's novel, "Baby Huey: A Cautionary Tale of Addiction" HERE I finished it a couple day and the excitement I had then pales in comparision to how I felt after I finshed it. I have been on the kindle and nook boards spreading the good word and the novel continues to gather traction and climb the charts. I posted the following review on Amazon. It's only .99 cents for kindle & nook. If you check out the other reviews, you'll see I am not alone and not bullshitting you.

Baby Huey: A Cautionary Tale of Addiction
Oprah Should Be Pumping This Novel (5 stars)
"By a sheer fluke of coincidence I found out about this novel on an indie book review site, one which I check frequently, but don't very often find novels that are the type I like to read. The reviewer gave it 5 stars and the review itself hooked me. For only .99 cents, I made the investment, took a chance. This is not only a great novel, it is an important one, which like the sensitive subject matter, had me hooked from the first page. I could not put it down, telling myself only one more chapter and I'll stop. I hate spoilers in reviews, so I will only say that I have heard great art described as someting that stays with you, makes an impression, and leaves you thinking about it after you have witnessed it. James Henderson has written a novel that had me laughing out loud, feeling sad, and sick to my stomach throughout, it is that good. Literary, dramatic, and full of twist and turns, I urge you to read it. You will not be disapointed! Like others have said, I didn't want it to be over and actually miss reading it."

A.J Hayes, who most of us know and is one hell of a writer, was kind enough to purchase my novel, "Mindjacker" for kindle (only .99 cents for kindle or nook) and provided a review, which I am very happy about and thankful for!

Mindjacker
Morality Tale In A Tornado (five stars)
Great ride. Like a combination Tilt-A-Whirl and Wild Mouse . . . in the dark . . .with really great music . . . and, oh yeah, your arms and legs get sucked off your body. The back story has the subtle flavor of some great movies: the original Manchurian Candidate, The Parallax View and the original Invasion Of The Body Snatchers. If this all sounds confusing and scary -- you're right. Read it, but make sure your chin strap -- and athletic supporter -- are cinched down double tight. Like I said, it's one helluva ride.

For those of you still not riding the ebook train, I'm going to be giving away a few print copies of "Mindjacker" next week, so stay tuned!

Mindjacker is #1 Bestseller on Smashwords

Last week I advertised a promotion on variuos discussion forums, including Nookboards, KindleBoards, eBook Gab, and Absolute Write, where you could download the ebook version of "Mindjacker" for free from Smashwords using a coupon code. The promotion ended last night and when I checked this morning it was # 3 on the bestselller list. This morning, I extended the free down load offer to December 12th and it has moved to # 1.

Like most serious, realistic writers, I am not in this for the money, just a "love of the game" and establishing a readership. If anyone would like to take advatage of the offer:

Here is the link http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/17083?ref=athenagwis and be sure to enter the NEW coupon code ZX83E to download for free.

Download Mindjacker for only 99 cents on Smashwords

In an effort to promote interest in the e-book version of Mindjacker, I am offering 99 cent downloads for today and tomorrow on Smashwords. You can choose whatever e-format you need, depending on your e-reader. PDF version can also be downloaded. 

To take me up on this offer use coupon code MR52G after you go to Smashwords HERE

In other news, another round of top notch stories have been posted for the 600-700 challenge over at A Twist of Noir. To check them out, click HERE

Pretty Cool Interview With Me by Sci-fi Author Daniel Carter

I know Daniel Carter from various messaage boards I frequent, and when he was looking for author's to intervew, I jumped at the chance. He did a great job, especially with the pics and his questions.  He is one hell of a nice guy as well.

If you want to read it, Click HERE.

Contest Time :Update: We have a winner.....Glenna

Glenna guessed the correct answer. It was John Paul Dejoria, co-founder of  the John Paul Mitchell hair system franchise.  He is also a very generous philanthropist. Congrats to her, and thanks to everyone who enterered.

Have a reading / signing tonight at a local library. I am a huge supporter of libraries and as part of the evening, if I am fortunate enough to sell any copies I will donate a portion of each sale to the library.

As promised, it's contest time. All you have to do is read the below excerpts descibing the diabolical antogonist of the story, psyhcologist Joel Fischer. Then, tell the me the name of real-life person I modeled him after.

# 1
Mr. Bigshot looked like a caricature of someone Scott had
seen before. His beard, cropped tight to his face and receding
hair, which Scott determined got colored regularly, was slicked
back tight to his skull and fed the piece de resistance, the
ponytail.

#2
Scott noticed Fischer’s eyes were extremely blue, like
crystal marbles. The oversized, porcelain veneers dominating his
mouth looked like they were made of ivory.

Stealing a page from "The Graduate", here's the hint..Hair Care.

This is tougher than the last contest, but I'm confident someone is going to find the answer. I'll post a pic of said person, once we have a winner.

Good Luck!

Peace,

Sean

A Twist of Noir and Contest Reminder

Thanks to Col Bury, I found out about a way cool thing going on over at the A Twist of Noir blog. The deal is that the writer needs to come up with a crime story that has the designated number of words. There were 100 openings (600 to 700) and the line-up is full of talent. That said, I put in my humble request to see if could take part, and the blog owner Chris, has given me a chance at # 622. I'm honored, excited, and nervous as shite, but I have always felt that to succeed at something, you need take a risk and push youself.

I am going to have another contest where you can win a free copy of "Mindjacker", which I will send to you, wherever you live. On Tuesday, October 12th at 12:00 PM EST I will post a small passage from the novel where a character's physical appearance is described. Keep in mind, that most of the characters in the novel are modeled after people who are famous in one way or another. I will also provide a small clue to help point you in the right direction. All you have to do is be the first person to tell me the name of that person.

Wooba Gooba With The Green Teeth: Contest Time Again

I am going to have another contest where you can win a free copy of "Mindjacker", which I will send to you, wherever you live. On Tuesday, October 12th at 12:00 PM EST I will post a small passage from the novel where a character's physical appearance is described. Keep in mind, that most of the characters in the novel are modeled after people who are famous in one way or another. I will also provide a small clue to help point you in the right direction. All you have to do is be the first person to tell me the name of that person.

For those of you that have kids, or even young ones you care about, I've been revisting some lyrics / poems I have had in the files and thought I would share this one.

The Promise
I promise you my little one
To never raise my hand
Even in your darkest times
I’ll try and understand

I’ve done it all
I’ve seen the worst
Enough to tell you
You’re not the first

Life is not easy
And it is not fair
I’ll try to protect you
From the dragon’s lair

People will be mean
And say hurtful things
Stay true to yourself
And you’ll grab that ring

Some will have more
And others less
If I’ve kept my promise
You’ll do your best

To treat each one
As if they were you
And if they're down
You’ll help them through

There will come a time
When I’ll be gone
My promise is yours
To carry on

Don’t be sad
And don’t you cry
Just remember me
A cloud in the sky

Oh precious child
Gods true gift to me
Your heart is my soul
And forever it will be

Barnes and Noble Is Now Selling Mindjacker!

Got some good news yesterday. Barnes & Noble is now selling the print version of "Mindjacker" on their website. It was previously only available via Amazon. This is a big win for potential readers because B&N is offering it for $9.30 compared to $12.99 on Amazon. Some other retailers are also picking it up and I am excited about that as well. Anytime you can make it more economical and attractive for a reader to give your novel a try, it is a good thing!

To check it out on B&N..Click HERE

Check Her Out, Or Else!: Julie Lewthwaite

One of the best things about the internet and blogs, is it allows you to connect with writers, you would otherwise never have known about. My latest discovery is crime writer, Julie Lewthwaite. Her style is gritty, straight to the gut, and no-nonsense. After a read of one of her shorts, you almost feel violated yourself. Keep in mind, this is not your granma's kind of reading, and I don't suspect the local church group will come a callin' any time soon for any author nights, but she ain't writing for the moral majority. You can read more of Julie's writing HERE

Also, as promised, tomorrow is contest day. Here's the skinny:

You can win a free print copy of "Mindjacker", which I will send to you wherever you live. I am also going to provide a Smashwords coupon code for the entire day to let anyone who visits my blog download a free e-book version in whatever e-reader format they choose. Once you have the code, feel free to give it to others. The novel is also availble in print and e-book on Amazon, but it all started with Smashwords, so...

Here are the details:

Free download:
- Start time is 12:00 PM EST on Tuesday, September, 7 2010
- The free download coupon will expire at midnight.

Free print version:
-I will also, at the same time mentioned above, post a small excerpt from "Mindjacker" and all you have to tell me in the comment section is:

1) What author is being referenced.
2) What is the name of the novel
3) What is the character's name

The first person to answer all 3 questions correctly, will win the free copy.

Peace,

Sean

A few Writing Tips I'd Like To Pass On

I am going to try, once a week, to pass on some of the information I have learned since I got into this writing gig. So today here are some useful resources that were recommended to me, and are pretty common to all writers.

1) Read Stephen King's "On writing"- There are lot's of so-called experts willing to provide advice, but I and thousands or writer's seem to agree that this is a must read.

2) Join a writer's discussion forum- There are many, but Absolute Write & Writer's Digest seem to be the sites that most writer's use. You can follow along "anonymously" and learn, or you can join and participate when ready.

3) Read, Read, Read, especially the genre you want to write in.

4) Most authors have blogs. If you have a favorite author, check out and follow their blog.

5) Take a peek at Elmore Leonards "10 Rules of Writing" It is online and again, it is hard to find a writer who has not read and endorsed these.

That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check back next week as I'll be having a little contest where you can win a free print version of "Mindjacker".

My Q&A on Declan Burke's Crime Always Pays Blog

One of my favorite authors, Declan Burke, who wrote THE BIG-O and CRIME ALWAYS PAYS, was kind enough to offer me a Q&A session as part a weekly post he does with authors. To take a peek at it click HERE

If you have not read THE BIG-O, you don't know what you are missing. I am in the middle of reading the sequel, CRIME ALWAYS PAYS, which you can find HERE, and it is just as good, if not better so far.

MINDJACKER: is now on Smashwords

Well, I guess I can call it a dream come true. My first novel is now published. It's available as an e-book on Smashwords website. I'm hoping to get it bumped up to the Premium catalog in a week or so. That will get it on the B&N and Amazon websites, as well as the Apple bookstore. If anyone is interested in checking it out, viewing 20% for free, or shelling out $2.99 to buy it, click Here

I hope to have a print version available in July sometime.