Sunday, March 26, 2017

Silk: The Complete Trilogy by Daryl-Jarod



Title: SILK: THE COMPLETE TRILOGY
Author: Daryl-Jarod
Publisher: Daryl-Jarod Entertainment
Pages: 270
Genre: Erotica

From the vivid imagination of Daryl-Jarod, comes the long-awaited collection of the Amazon Best-Selling erotic series, Silk. Included are all 24 original jaw-dropping erotic stories, along with the brand-new tale, Pink Fortress, which reveals just how outrageously wild things become when an Uber driver falls for a sultry passenger. Sit back, relax, grab a lover and unwind, as Daryl-Jarod takes you on a wild erotic ride filled with unfaithful lovers, lustful thrills and the truly astounding power of romance and love. Caution! Erotica just got hotter!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Mystery at Manatee Key by Nancy Stewart #childrensbooks #children #books

Title: MYSTERY AT MANATEE KEY
Author: Nancy Stewart
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing
Pages: 36
Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Bella and Britt love to explore along the beach and at more remote places like Manatee Key as well.  It is there that they discover a manatee smuggling ring. 

The manatees have already been netted, so the girls must act fast!  But a kidnapper snatches Bella, hustling her into their hideout.  When Britt sneaks a look in the window, she discovers that the ranger is being held, too.  Now it’s up to Britt.  But what can a single girl do?

Mystery at Manatee Key is available at Amazon


Book Excerpt:
A dark animal circled slowly in the shallow water of Manatee Key. Walking closer, Bella whispered. “A baby manatee. And it has a patch of white near its snout.” Britt frowned. “But where’s the mother? It must be hungry. We should tell the ranger.”
“Yeah,” Bella said. “This one’s too young to be without her mom. Let’s go.”
The friends worked their way through the jungle-like brush back to their bicycles. Britt took the lead. “It’s really hot, but we gotta make time.” 
After a twenty minute ride down dusty paths leading to the main road in their coastal town, they reached the ranger station. “It’s quiet in here today,” Bella said.
 The ranger’s assistant glanced up from his reading. “Hi, girls. Can I help you?”
“We need to see the ranger and report an orphaned manatee,” Bella said.
He frowned. “She hasn’t come in today, and that’s not like her. I’ve called her phones. Nobody answered. And no one’s seen her. Have you by any chance?”
“No,” they answered at the same time.
 “Well, it’s a mystery,” he said. “I won’t call the police yet. But I’m getting worried. Now, about that manatee. Can you take me to it?”
 “Sure,” Britt said. “If you can bring us back to town. We rode our bikes here.” He nodded. “Of course.”

http://www.pumpupyourbook.com

Sunday, March 19, 2017

The Investment Club by Doug Cooper



Title: THE INVESTMENT CLUB
Author: Doug Cooper
Publisher: Rare Bird Books
Pages: 362
Genre: Literary/Upmarket Fiction

Forty million people visit Vegas every year but most never get past the strip. What about the people who live there? What brought them there? What keeps them there?

Told from the perspective of a seasoned blackjack dealer, The Investment Club tells the stories of a self-destructive, dwarf entrepreneur, a drug-addicted musical performer-turned-stripper, a retired, widowed New Jersey policeman, a bereaved, divorced female sportscaster, and a card-counting, former Catholic priest before and after their fateful meeting at the El Cortez Casino in downtown Vegas.

As the five learn the greatest return comes from investing in one another, their lives stabilize and take on new, positive directions. But their love and support for each other can take them only so far before they must determine the meaning and value of their own lives.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble


First Chapter:

Chapter 1

Date: Friday, January 17, 2014                                                        Dow Jones Open: 16,408.02
           Never split tens.                                                                                    
           The words flashed in their eyes and formed on their lips. Nervous fingering of chips followed. Except for third base, the last, and most important, seat at the table. He controlled the fates of the other players, a role he seemed to enjoy. His stout digits remained steadfast, cupped over the stack of ten black chips measured to split the hand. Never had a doubt. Once he saw the house had a five of hearts, he knew his play.
My left hand slid to the shoe, eyes directed toward first base. “Twelve.”
The brim of her faded green military cap angled downward, concealing her eyes and half of her tawny face. Her hat more fashion than function, this girl had never served, at least in the armed forces. Her body, though, was all function. Lean and mean. Definitely put on this earth to move. It was just a question of if that was in the vertical or the horizontal.
She waved her hand over the cards, never lifting her gaze from the table. “I’ll stay. You’re going to bust.” She was there for one purpose: to make money. Played every night. Never for less than $25 per hand and often as high as $200 when she really got rolling. I wouldn’t say she was unfriendly or mean. Just had an edge to her. Wanted to be left alone and not have to talk to anyone.
Next to her in seat two, a burly man, about six foot two or three—somewhere in his late sixties— nodded approvingly. He had a half-inch gray flattop that with each tilt of his head revealed a thinning patch on top. “Good girl,” he said. “You don’t have to have great cards; just need the dealer to have worse ones.“ He plucked a red five-dollar chip off his stack and placed it next to his bet. Holding up his index finger, he said, “One card, down please.”
Sliding the card from the shoe without revealing the value, I said, “Down and dirty.” Directing my attention to his neighbor, I nodded at the seventeen in front of the surgically enhanced Barbie doll in seat three. “The ol’ mother-in-law’s hand.”
She furrowed her brow, barely wrinkling her taut forehead. “What does that mean?” It was obvious she didn’t know the game, but she wasn’t stupid either. Everything she did had a purpose. What she revealed at the table was exactly what she wanted the others to see to elicit the reaction she desired.
“It’s a seventeen,” I said, about to drop one of my standard lines, good at least a few times a night. “It’s like your mother-in-law. You want to hit it, but you can’t.”
“Well, I don’t have to worry about one of those.” Her eyes sank to her cards. “So do I hit or not?”
The burly, elderly man to her right said, “Always assume the dealer has a ten as the down card, sweetie. With the dealer showing five, you don’t want to hit because the house probably has fifteen and is going to bust.”
“Just let her play her hand, gramps,” the guy at third base said. Diminutive in stature—oh hell, I’ll just say it. He was a little person or dwarf or whatever the politically correct term is these days. He played with aggression and anger. Winning wasn’t enough. He wanted more. Acted like he deserved it. Like the world owed it to him. He banged back the remainder of his third cognac and motioned for the cocktail waitress to bring another one.
Nip-Tuck Barbie pushed her puffy lips out in a pout, waving her perfectly manicured fingers over her cards. “I’ll hold then.”
Seat four was all business. He was around fifty, black and distinguished, with a wiry frame. He had short salt-and-pepper hair on the sides and back that connected into a beard the same length but much thicker than the rest. Too methodical to be a pro, but he knew the game. He was firm and decisive. It was obvious he liked the strategy and analysis. My guess was accountant. His face was too kind to be a broker or a banker. Wasting no time, he pushed his fingers outward from his clenched fist over the cards. “I’m good with eighteen.”
The waitress delivered another cognac to the little guy at third base. He took a green twenty-five-dollar chip from his growing stack, which was almost as high as the one on his shoulder. He downed the drink in one gulp. “Bring me another,” he said. His eyes were drooping with each drink. He ran his hand through his wavy, reddish-brown hair and pushed the thousand-dollar black stack next to his bet. With his index and pinky fingers extended like a two-pronged fork, he said, “Split ’em.”
I tilted my head to alert the pit boss. “Checks play. Splitting tens.”
Gramps said, “Come on, junior. You’re going to take the bust card and screw the table.”
The pit boss walked over. “Splitting tens. Go ahead.”
I pulled the first card from the shoe, hesitating before revealing its identity. “You sure about this?”
He pressed his index finger repeatedly into the felt. “Flip the damn card.”
It was an ace. “Twenty-one.”
He pointed at the second ten. “Paint it.”
I pulled a queen from the shoe. “Split again?”
“Nah, I’m good with twenty,” he said. “I don’t want to be greedy.”
“Too late for that,” the Accountant in seat four said.
I knew what was going to happen before I even played my hand. I had seen it too many times before. One asshole screwing it up for everyone else. I revealed my down card. A king of spades. “Dealer has fifteen.”
The Accountant rubbed the bald patch on the crown of his head and shifted back in his chair. “Would’ve busted if you hadn’t split.”
“Come on, need a big one,” Lean and Mean at first base sneered.
I flipped the next card to add to my fifteen. An ace of clubs. “Sixteen,” I said, “Not going down easy.”
“Six or higher, six or higher,” Gramps said, standing from his chair.
I pulled the next card, peeking under the corner to delay their unfortunate fate before flipping a three of hearts. “House has nineteen.”
I scooped Lean and Mean’s last four green chips from the bet circle.
She ripped her hat off in disgust, her thick black hair and crescent eyes now visible, and glared at Junior. “You’re such a dick.”
I placed my hand on Gramps’s down card.
He pleaded for a ten. “Monkey, monkey, monkey.”
I turned over a six of diamonds. “Seventeen.” I snagged the two red chips from his failed double and redeposited them into the house bank. Returning to Nip-Tuck Barbie, in one motion I collected her chips and also seat four’s. “Another seventeen and eighteen, not enough to beat the nineteen.”
Greedily rubbing his hands together, Junior said, “But my twenty-one and twenty are. Daddy about to get paid!”
I pushed two stacks of one thousand to match his bets. “Twenty black going out.”
The pit boss approved the payout.
“That’s it for me,” Lean and Mean said. “I’m not wasting any more money playing with this jackoff.”
“Me, too,” Gramps said and pushed his thirty-eight fifty to the center to cash in. “I’m done.”
“Quit your bitching,” Junior said, tipping the waitress fifty for the new cognac.
“But we all would’ve won if you hadn’t split,” Gramps said.
Junior tossed two of the blacks back to me. “Give me some green.”
I measured two stacks of four green chips. “Check change. Two black coming in.”
He combined the stacks and tossed four green at Lean and Mean and one each at the other three players, giving the last one to me. “That ought to cover it, you bunch of cry babies. That’s why they call it gambling.”
Lean and Mean flipped the chips back to him. “I don’t need your charity.”
He pushed them to the middle of the table. “Well somebody take them because I don’t want them.” His eyes scanned the players, stopping on Lean and Mean. She put her hat back on and pulled the brim low again. He said, “Heeey, wait a second. I know you. You work down at OGs, don’t you? You and your girlfriend soaked me for about five grand one night.”
OGs was Olympic Gardens, a midlevel strip club on Las Vegas Boulevard between downtown and the strip. Midlevel because it’s not as swanky as the upper-tier places like Spearmint Rhino or Sapphire, but it’s also not the bottom rung like you walked into a methadone clinic the day after New Year’s. OGs biggest advantages are the location right on LV Boulevard and having male and female dancers to cater to both genders. The men perform upstairs and the women downstairs, which was obviously set up by a man, because that’s how most men want to operate in their relationships as well. If patrons want some seediness without feeling the need to bathe in hand sanitizer after leaving, then OGs is the place.
Lean and Mean snatched her purse off the back of her chair and slung it over her shoulder. “I don’t know you.”
“Well, you should. We spent about four hours in the VIP room. Your name’s, um…Faith, and your girlfriend, oh, what was her name? She was a real rock climber, that one. She had that chalk bag of coke in her underwear and kept bumping me up while she was dancing. Damn, what was her name? I kept calling her Dora the Explorer.”
Gramps said, “Just drop it. The lady said she don’t know you.”
“What are you, her pimp?” Junior gulped more cognac.
“That’s OK,” she said. “I was just leaving.” She turned and angled toward the door. Gramps followed her.
Nip-Tuck Barbie squirmed in her chair. “Geez, I never knew blackjack had so much drama.”
Junior picked up the hundred dollars in green that he had tried to give Lean and Mean from the middle of the table. “For someone who works for tips, you’d think she’d be more appreciative.” He tossed them to me. “I’m sure you’ll put these to good use.”
And that was how I met these five broken people—a drug-addict singer-turned-stripper; a widowed, retired New Jersey police officer; an alcoholic, divorced sportscaster; a card-counting, ex–Catholic priest; and a self-destructive, dwarf entrepreneur—who all somehow managed to wander into the El Cortez and sit at my table on a random Tuesday night.
I haven’t always been a blackjack dealer, but I have always lived in Vegas—fifty-seven years. Have held just about every hospitality job this town has to offer, from parking cars to cooking food to serving drinks. What I’ve never done is been a big winner. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my share of winnings, but they don’t even come close to the losses. For every night in the black, there were two or three in the red, and the red numbers always seem to be higher than the black ones. Don’t let anyone tell you different. They might say they’re even, but they’re well south of even; it’s just a question of how far. That’s why I gave it up years ago and switched to this side of the table. I can guarantee you I walk out of the casino up every night.
I’ve tried dealing other games, but there’s just something about blackjack. I like how communal the game is. I like how strangers sit down and in no time will be fist-bumping and high-fiving. Of course there are a fair share of squabbles as well, like the one I just told you about. You see, a lot of players think they’re just playing their individual hands, that they should trust their guts. But the good ones know there are rules and every decision at the table affects everyone else. I know the math says different, that each play is an independent event and will help others just as often as it hurts. But I’m talking about the bigger play, the energy at the table, the stuff that flows through and carries us all.
Yeah, I’ve seen a lot in my years flipping cards. Seen players win fifteen hands in a row and lose just as many; be down to their last ten dollars and walk away up a thousand; win five grand and slink away with their pockets turned inside out. Won’t say I’ve seen it all, though. Just when I think I have, a night like that Tuesday happens, and a story like I’m about to tell you unfolds.
Now I’ll admit I wasn’t present for all the stuff I’m about to share. Some of it I was and some of it was told to me, and, well, some of it I just filled in the blanks, and you’re going to have to trust me because in this job I’ve learned how to read people and recognize problems before they happen: the colleagues headed for an affair, the social drinker on the road to alcoholism, and the newlyweds who won’t make it to their fifth anniversary. Amazing what people will reveal across three feet of felt. They think they’re in control, but putting a stack of their hard-earned money on the table loosens up more than their wallets. It triggers their vulnerability, and that opens up the vault to all their secrets. I just have to watch and listen, like reading an open ledger. Most tell more than I ever care to know, as much by what they don’t say as what they do.
                                                                                                            Dow Jones Close: 16,458.56

Friday, March 17, 2017

PUYB Virtual Book Club Chats with 'Big & Fabulous: The Life and Times of Brenda Cankles' Randi Sherman



Randi M Sherman is the award winning author of humorous fiction books.
With an eye for detail, an ear for well-tuned dialogue and an incredible grasp of the obvious, all honed while performing stand-up comedy in Los Angeles and improvisational theater in San Francisco, Sherman adds just enough bawdiness to deliver character-driven contemporary novels that will have the reader laughing, thinking and connecting with the characters in her books.

A native Californian, Randi makes her home in California's wine country. Trying her hand at country living Randi describes herself the Eva Gabor of the Sonoma/Napa area.

Randi earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Chapman University.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK


About the Book:

The time for BIG & Fabulous, The Life and Times of Brenda Cankles is now! The emphasis is on positive body image, Big & Fabulous is a truly entertaining story that’s strongly written, funny, insightful and bitingly smart. Inside it’s covers, readers will find no shortage of acidly hilarious accounts of the highs and lows of living life inside a big and fabulous body.

Imperfect, impervious and improving Brenda Cankles is an unlikely heroine. Unfazed by the enduring censure of society, she is determined to realize the fabulous life that she has always believed is her destiny.

Brenda’s story – written in unflinching first person – is utterly unvarnished. Here, find a fantastically real person, sometimes struggling to fit in, but mostly giving the rest of the world the mother-lovin’ bird. From her clunky childhood, through her stumbling yet optimistic adolescence to her full figured and unapologetic emergence into adulthood. Brenda is a special brand of warrior. She is big, bold and beautiful. While the quirky cast of characters who surround her is eternally insistent that Brenda live her life in the background and fit into society’s mold, she will have none of it.

Author, Randi Sherman’s experience as a stand-up comedienne is evident as she delivers, BIG & Fabulous, The Life and Times of Brenda Cankles, the hilarious, often laugh-out-loud novel about the inner most thoughts Brenda Cankles, a very real character who is confident and brave enough to expect the world to accept her on her terms.

BIG & Fabulous, The Life and Times of Brenda Cankles is Sherman’s fifth novel, her fourth THE LOBBY has won 17 Awards for Humor and General Fiction.

Watch the book trailer at YouTube.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble


Before you started writing your book, what kind of research did you do to prepare yourself?

Coffee. I start with coffee. 

Another book of mine, The Lobby, had just been released and someone asked me what I was going to work on next. When I said that I had always wanted to write a book called, Yes, You Butt Does Look Big, she asked what I was waiting for. Although, I wasn’t sure what the book was going to be about, I started writing it that same day. Non-preparation is my preparation. You see, I let my books and characters evolve. I let them tell me what direction to take as they develop. The name also evolved as Brenda Cankles came to life and voila, Big & Fabulous, The Life and Times of Brenda Cankles was created.

Did you pursue publishers or did you opt to self-pub?

I have chosen to publish independently for three reasons.

One: After years of query letters and the great intention of being published by one of the well-known publishing behemoths - I realized I was not getting their attention. I could be because they don’t publish humorous fiction written by a author who is unknown to them. Or, perhaps they employ people who possess the magical power to judge an entire book based on four hundred word letter. Or, maybe their query letter email address is just an enormous trash can. Two: I also learned that large publishing firms have set budgets for promotion and it is reasonable that they allocate most of it to known money making entities such as like Patterson or J.K. Rowling - leaving the expense and effort of promotions on my shoulders. So, had to ask myself if I wanted to pay a percentage to them for that honor? And Three: My books are contemporary and I do not have the time or patience to wait while my manuscripts sit in a queue for six months, a year or longer.

If self-published, did you hire someone to format the ebook version for you or did you do it yourself?  Can you tell us what that was like?

I partner with Friesen Press in Canada. Through them, I can contract with editors and designers and all sorts of book professionals and services.

If self-published, how did you determine the price?

Hold onto your hat and get a calculator because this is how I do it.

At this point in my career, I am more focused on having my books read than browsing through brochures for yachts. Truthfully, one or two dollars will not make a difference today. As far as determining pricing: I figure out my book development costs, and the cost for planned promotions. With that I determine the realistic and expected sales (based on my past book releases and my promotional reach). My goal is to cover my outlaid costs and pay myself for the time it took to write and promote the book. I determine the cost for print on demand - and then add the amount necessary to repay myself in a one to two year period. I keep my book prices below bestselling authors so readers take a chance with an author who may be unknown to them.

Did you purposefully choose a distinct month to release your book?  Why?

I choose late winter or early Spring because my books are light and considered great Beach-Reads. It gives me time to promote them.

How did you choose your cover?

I usually have an idea of what I’m looking for and what mood I want set with the cover. I spend a lot of time looking through iStock photos and illustrations. I narrow down my selections by pulling up pictures based on my book’s theme. Then I work with a professional cover designer.

Did you write your book, then revise or revise as you went?

Both. After I started writing Big & Fabulous, I wasn’t convinced that it would be entertaining or have a message. My main character was a victim, sarcastic and negative, struggling against an unfair society. Ahem, it was a story that has been told a million times.  I put my manuscript aside for a while and thought about it. I thought about whether I wanted to work on something that wasn’t enjoying and if I wanted to put out another book with the same tired story we’ve read over and over. I determined that I needed to make my main character positive, funny and inspirational and I couldn’t do it as a narrative. So I switched things up and wrote the story in the first person, as Brenda Cankles, and stripped away the negativity and made her a positive, and strong. I also flip back and forth updating the manuscript as I write - to be certain that there is enough foreshadowing and covers some additions I make later in the story. When I’m done, I go thru the entire manuscript paragraph by paragraph to be sure that it clearly tells the story exactly as I intend.

Did you come up with special swag for your book and how are you using it to help get the word out about your book?  

In the past, I used swag, including T-shirts, book marks, personalized jelly bellies and a couple of secret weapons. However, I haven’t found a lot of return on the investment and I find that book giveaways are more effective.

Did you consider making or hiring someone to make a book trailer for your book?  If so, what’s the link?

I make my own trailers https://youtu.be/y2ubdgvOXBY


What’s your opinion on giving your book away to sell other copies of your book?

Initially (with my first books) I didn’t want to give away the books. I dug in my heels. After all, people should BUY it and support my efforts, shouldn’t they? Now, things have changed. I giveaway hundreds of copies at book fairs, I set up online giveaways and if I know someone has supported me in the past, or someone shows a lot of interest but can’t really afford to make a purchase, I send them free copies.

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released?

Come up with an elevator pitch. Complete promotions planning A to Z, And, put his/her ego on a shelf.

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do after their book is released?

Promote and promote some more. Be proud of yourself, enjoy your accomplishment and be humble. And promote some more.

What kind of pre-promotion did you do before the book came out?   

 Social media, FB ad blasts, press releases, build my audience

Do you have a long term plan with your book?

Yes, I do. I have a several step plan that takes me through a calendar year.

What would you like to say to your readers and fans about your book?

I created Brenda to be a new brand of warrior. She is a big, strong, bold and beautiful character. I fell in love with her. I hope you do too. So, sit back, open, enjoy.

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

PUYB Virtual Book Club Chats with 'Alan 2' Bruce Forciea



Bruce Forciea is known for taking complex scientific concepts and making them easy to understand through engaging stories and simple explanations. He is an Amazon Best Selling Author and author of several books on healing and biology, along with science fiction thriller novels. His fiction writing draws on a diverse and eclectic background that includes touring and performing with a professional show, designing digital circuits, treating thousands of patients, and teaching. His stories include complex plots with unexpected twists and turns, quirky characters, and a reality very similar to our own. Dr. Forciea lives in Wisconsin and loves writing during the solitude of the long Northern winters. 

Website & Social Links:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK


About the Book:

A brilliant artificial intelligence (AI) scientist, Dr. Alan Boyd, develops a new program that integrates part of his brain with a computer’s operating system. The program, Alan 2, can anticipate a user’s needs and automatically perform many tasks. A large software company, International Microsystems
(IM) desperately wants the program and tempts Dr. Boyd with huge sums of money, but when Dr. Boyd refuses their offer, IM sabotages his job, leaving him in a difficult financial situation.

Dr. Boyd turns to Alan 2 for an answer to his financial problems, and Alan 2 develops plan Alpha, which is a cyber robin hood scheme to rob from rich corporations via a credit card scam.

Alan and his girlfriend Kaitlin travel to Mexico where they live the good life funded by plan Alpha, but the FBI cybercrime division has discovered part of Alan 2’s cyber escapades, and two agents, Rachel and Stu, trace the crime through the TOR network and Bitcoin.

Alan 2 discovers the FBI is on to them and advises Alan and Kaitlin to change locations. A dramatic chase ensues taking them to St. Thomas, a cruise ship bound for Spain, and finally to Morocco. 

Will they escape detection? They will if Alan 2's Plan Beta can be implemented in time. Or is 'Plan B' something altogether different than it appears to be, something wholly sinister that will affect the entire population of the world?
Watch the trailer at YouTube!

Purchase Information:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher


Before you started writing your book, what kind of research did you do to prepare yourself?

I typically conduct research on characters and technical aspects of the story before I begin writing. I create character sheets with pictures of how I think the characters should look and include information about their personalities, likes and dislikes, and anything else I can think of.

For Alan 2, I had to do a good deal of research on cybercrime, the TOR network, artificial intelligence, nuclear weapons, our nuclear defense system, as well as locations in the book (Morocco, Brooklyn, Chicago).

Did you pursue publishers or did you opt to self-pub?

Alan 2 was published by Open Books, who published my first fiction work, The X-Cure. I submitted the manuscript for The X-Cure to a number of publishers and Open Books was interested. They then accepted the manuscript for Alan 2 as well.

If published by a publisher, what was your deciding factor in going with them?

I had been with another publisher for a non-fiction book I wrote about ten years ago and then tried my hand at self-publishing some other non-fiction books. I thought Open Books had a good system for helping authors and getting the book published quickly with some marketing.

If published by a publisher, are you happy with the price they chose?

Yes, I think it is important to hold the value of your work.

Did you purposefully choose a distinct month to release your book?  Why?

The release of Alan 2 was chosen based on the timeline for editing. My publisher only has so many spots per year and each book is put into one of these.

How did you choose your cover?

Open Books chose the cover. I think it’s great!

Did you write your book, then revise or revise as you went?

After the research, I write the first draft. This is followed by a number of revisions. I will read the book for pace, then again for character development, then again for dialogue, and so on until I feel it is ready for submission.

Did you come up with special swag for your book and how are you using it to help get the word out about your book?

I had some book marks for The X-Cure, and will be getting some for Alan 2. I might get some hats or T-shirts as well. I had an Unlocking the Healing Code cap (my very first non-fiction book) and I wore that thing out.

Did you consider making or hiring someone to make a book trailer for your book?  If so, what’s the link?

I had a book trailer made for Alan 2. It turned out really, really (did I say really?) great:



What’s your opinion on giving your book away to sell other copies of your book?

I usually plan on putting some copies aside for reviews and marketing.

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released?

Get a social media platform going. I had done this, but I’m much better than I was a year ago. 

Plan some kind of promotional strategy. This can be face-face (events, appearances) or online, or a combination of both.

Use your media platform to pre-promote your book.

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do after their book is released?

Continue promoting via social media and other channels.

Continue working your day job.

Tell everyone you know about your book.

What kind of pre-promotion did you do before the book came out?

I’ve been using Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to pre-promote Alan 2. I wrote a series of short stories and made them available for free on my site. I also added the book trailer to my YouTube channel, posted pre-ordering information on my website (https://www.drbruceforciea.com) and made arrangements for a blog tour.

Do you have a long term plan with your book?

Yes, all of my books have long-term plans. I believe it takes time to develop a following and I am here to stay for the long run. In addition to the usual channels, my books are available from links on my website, Twitter posts, Facebook, and so on and will be for years to come.

What would you like to say to your readers and fans about your book?

I would like to say thank you for taking an interest in my work. I really hope you find my stories entertaining and relevant to what is going on in the world today.

Monday, March 13, 2017

PUYB Virtual Book Club Chats with 'Beethoven in Love' Howard Jay Smith



Howard Jay Smith is an award-winning writer from Santa Barbara, California. BEETHOVEN IN LOVE; OPUS 139 is his third book. A former Washington, D.C. Commission for the Arts Fellow, & Bread Loaf Writers Conference Scholar, he taught for many years in the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program and has lectured nationally. His short stories, articles and photographs have appeared in the Washington Post, Horizon Magazine, the Journal of the Writers Guild of America, the Ojai Quarterly, and numerous literary and trade publications. While an executive at ABC Television, Embassy TV, and Academy Home Entertainment, he worked on numerous film, television, radio, and commercial projects. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Santa Barbara Symphony - "The Best Small City Symphony in America" -  and is a member of the American Beethoven Society.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

INTERVIEW BOOK CIRCLE ONLINE AT YOUTUBE

INTERVIEW BLOGTALK RADIO


About the Book:

At the moment of his death, Ludwig van Beethoven pleads with Providence to grant him a final wish—one day, just a single day of pure joy. But first he must confront the many failings in his life, so the great composer and exceedingly complex man begins an odyssey into the netherworld of his past life led by a spirit guide who certainly seems to be Napoleon, who died six years before. This ghost of the former emperor, whom the historical Beethoven both revered and despised, struggles to compel the composer to confront the ugliness as well as the beauty and accomplishments of his past. 
As Beethoven ultimately faces the realities of his just-ended life, we encounter the women who loved and inspired him. In their own voices, we discover their Beethoven—a lover with whom they savor the profound beauty and passion of his creations. And it’s in the arms of his beloveds that he comes to terms with the meaning of his life and experiences the moment of true joy he has always sought.

Purchase Information:

Amazon


Before you started writing your book, what kind of research did you do to prepare yourself?

Researching and then writing “Beethoven In Love; Opus 139,” was a long journey, every moment of which was an absolute pleasure.  I learned ages ago that if you want someone to take the time and effort to read your book and find your work compelling and engaging, you must also be equally passionate about what you create. I absolutely love the entire process of crafting a story, from jotting down ideas and doing research when necessary, to shaping each line, each paragraph, each character, each scene. I want to transport the reader into a vivid and continuous dream that is so powerful, so all-encompassing that the next thing they know is that someone is calling them to dinner.

The novel both opens and closes at the moment of Beethoven’s death from illness at age 57 on a snowy afternoon in March, 1827.  He pleads with Providence to grant him a final wish—one day, just a single day of pure joy. In a metaphorical sense, the novel takes place in that moment, the moment Beethoven faces death.  In order to find that joy Beethoven must confront the many failings and disappointments of his life. In that manner – finding joy in our lives -- the entire novel becomes a universal quest about the ways in which each of us comes to terms with the meaning of our own lives and finds peace.

My initial thought upon coming up with this notion about Beethoven being forced to review the failings of his life by his “Ghost of Christmas Past,” before he could pass on to Elysium or paradise, was to read a single biography, find the empty or white spaces in his life that we did not know much about and then create a totally fictional story. After reading one biography, I quickly grasped that scholars and musicians knew and had preserved a staggering amount of information about Beethoven, so much so that there were few blank spaces to fill in. If I was going to do a novel about such a famous man, I realized that I was going to have to research that life fully and make sure everything I wrote was as accurate as possible. 

My personal dilemma was this: All of my mentors from my early years as a writer, John Irving, Tim O’Brien, Toni Morrison and the late John Gardner, all won National Book Awards or some similar accolade.  When I committed myself to doing a Beethoven novel, I knew there were two hurdles I had to overcome in order to be successful. First I would need to thoroughly research everything about his life and times and be exceedingly accurate or risk being shredded by historians and critics in the music world.  Given the enormous amount of material on his life, including dozens of major biographies, six volumes of letters as well as his diaries – not to mention his music - I was initially daunted by the scope and size of what I had taken on.  I decided not to proceed unless the quality of the writing line by line was at a level that those mentors would have approved.

Feeling the weight of their teachings upon me, I committed myself to doing everything necessary to research not only Beethoven’s life, but the life and times of his family, friends, and lovers and of the entire Napoleonic era, no matter how long it took. And then and only then would I write a novel based on that research that could stand up to the weight of any critic or criticism.

I spent nearly two full years researching before writing a single word of fiction. I built a chronological outline that ran over two hundred pages itself. I read all the major biographies; all the volumes of letters to and from Beethoven; I read his diaries and first-hand accounts of his life compiled by his friends. I listened to endless hours of his music. I studied the history of the times, from Voltaire and the French Revolution to the spas of Central Europe and the life of Napoleon – whose ghost plays a central role in the novel.

I read each book at least three times: the first to get a general sense of its content; the second to highlight specific notes (don’t even ask how many yellow highlighters or sticky notes I went through); and the third to transfer key information to my outline. If Beethoven or Napoleon referenced a philosophical text, such as the Bhagavad Gita or the works of Confucius, I would read those as well.

Shaping the novel out of such a full and rich life had little resemblance to my initial notion of finding the blank spaces in his life and creating a fully woven fiction. Instead it was more like chipping away at a giant block of marble to find the essence of his life.

Did you pursue publishers or did you opt to self-pub?

After I had a finished draft of “Beethoven In Love; Opus 139,” I made a number of attempts to reach out to literary agents and other publishers using my old networks of contacts and business connections.  “Beethoven In Love; Opus 139,” is my third published book. I have also published or written for hire innumerable business articles, short stories, radio pieces, commercials and screenplays.

Soon, I realized that the publishing world had vastly changed since my prior book, “Opening the Doors to Hollywood,” was released years earlier.  Every agent I spoke with – and there were many of high caliber - wanted either a celebrity driven piece or an easily commoditized book of 250 pages.  “Beethoven In Love; Opus 139,” is neither.

My first book “John Gardner: An Interview,” was published by the now defunct New London Press. The publisher of my second, “Opening the Doors to Hollywood” was Random House. It was a non-fiction work based on film and writing classes I taught at UCLA.  We had great distribution through bookstores nationally and it was a great kick to walk into a bookstore and to not only find it on the shelves but to also be asked for autographs.  That book sold in excess of fifteen-thousand copies but the profits were all gobbled up by Random House in shipping and distribution costs.  “Opening the Doors to Hollywood,” was also in terms of the history of the publishing world, ancient history and of little use in obtaining a new publisher for my Beethoven novel.

That’s when I turned to my friend and fellow writer, Russell Martin, author of the non-fiction bestseller, “Beethoven’s Hair.”  Russell also runs a small independent press, SYQ.  I ultimately decided to go with SYQ and found the process much more to my liking.  I was involved and had control over every aspect of the process, including the layout, design and cover. 
           
If published by a publisher, what was your deciding factor in going with them?

Trust!  I knew Russell Martin, the owner of SYQ, well enough that I trusted him to get the work done professionally, on time, on budget, while allowing for me to have far greater control over each and every aspect of the assemblage of the book.  And that is exactly what happened. Russell pulled the whole team toether, including web page artists, a publicist, proof readers, editors, and a top notch book designer, Hans Teensma. Hans selected the fonts, did the layout of each and every page and created the overall look of the book, right down to the high quality European style paperback that has folded over flaps much like the slip cover of a hardback.  I was extremely happy with the physical product and was personally able to sign off on each phase.

If published by a publisher, are you happy with the price they chose?

Yes.  Recalling my experience with Random House where the profits were gobbled up by shipping, SYQ and I decided to limit sales to online outlets such as Amazon and to pick price points for book print and electronic versions that were not only reasonable relative to the marketplace but were also set high enough that I would actually earn money from their sales.  Though I have as yet to reach the sales levels of “Opening the Doors to Hollywood,” my personal returns have been significantly greater.

How did you choose your cover?

Long before I finished the first draft, I asked my son, the internationally known painter Zak Smith, if he would do the cover art.  Zak is an artist and writer – with five books of his own - whose paintings and drawings are held in major public and private collections worldwide.  He has been exhibited in at least eight major museums, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art., the National Portrait Gallery and the Saatchi Gallery in London. Knowing his style intimately, I was certain he would come up with a Beethoven portrait that not only captured the theme of the novel but would also set the standard for an iconic image of the composer for the 21st century.  It took him several months to come up with the perfect portrait, but once he delivered, we trusted Hans Teesma to integrate it into his overall book design.  The result was most pleasing.

Another important element of the cover was endorsements. Russell sought out and was successful in finding established key figures in both the music and literature worlds for their quotes. We used several on the cover, others on the website and in promotional materials.

Did you write your book, then revise or revise as you went?

Years ago, when I taught fiction at the Writers’ Program at UCLA, I would constantly remind my students to think of their first draft as “The Ugly.”  By that I meant that it was more important to get your basic ideas, thoughts and story out onto paper than it was to immediately create a smooth and polished version.  You do not share an “Ugly” with anyone except yourself.  You know what you want to say and you probably know you are going to get there eventually – but no one else knows what is in your head and if you show that draft around, you will not get the reception you want.  If you accept that it is going to be “Ugly” the self-imposed pressure to reach perfection instantly is removed. Once relaxed, you can take your time getting it in shape – and only when you are close do you begin to share it.

As I noted earlier I created a rough outline and a notes file that was more than half as long as the novel itself before I ever started writing. Structurally I also wanted to mimic the musical form of a concerto where Beethoven was the soloist and his friends, lovers, associates and family represented the orchestra. Therefore I composed each chapter and would work through and revise it enough each day until it felt complete – not perfect, not polished but complete.  Whenever I started on a new chapter, I would go back three or four chapters into the draft and start re-reading and gently polishing the older chapters to get a running start so to speak on the new material.

When I had a complete draft I went back innumerable times to polish again and again.  I should note too that I too many opportunities to read parts of the draft aloud at either public events or to small circles of friends so that I could get a sense of the flow, rhythm and lyrical strength of that segment.

When all of that was done, I showed the draft to other writers and editors whom I trusted for their feedback – and there were a fair number of good notes that I incorporated.  Some were minor edits, others involved re-ordering whole chapters to shift the emphasis and highlight important themes.

Did you come up with special swag for your book and how are you using it to help get the word out about your book?

We kept this fairly simple.  SYQ designed postcards, business cards, and a website as well as Twitter and Facebook pages.

What’s your opinion on giving your book away to sell other copies of your book?

When we first approached a traditional book publicist to help bring the book to the attention of newspapers, magazines and radio stations, she insisted we first print a “Review Draft” for submission to these media outlets and then hold off a formal release of a final print and e-book edition until six months had passed.  She sent out about 100 copies but failed to personalize her approach, do much follow up or do more than I could have done on my own.  The result of these free submission was that most of them ended up on Amazon for sale as used copies.  The submissions did bring in a few radio and press interviews but were too few and far between and mostly in minor markets.  After our release date she then wanted to send another one hundred to the same places but I deferred realizing it was just going to be another waste of time and effort.

Since then we have selectively given free copies to people who have the power to be influencers and that has been far more successful. This way I continue to get good press and publicity.

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released? 

First and foremost is the key lesson I tried to teach writing students at UCLA when I was there was to recognize the fact that “Show Business” and the “Publishing Business” are just what their name implies: businesses.  This fact is all too often ignored or neglected by writers who only view themselves as suffering artists. There’s too much of that attitude around and it is damaging to the career of anyone who writes. 

Much of my career work has been related to not only writing, but business and finance. I have always been described as one of those “Left Brain – Right Brain,” kind of guys who goes back and forth between these two worlds. 

The first five years I spent researching and writing “Beethoven In Love; Opus 139,” were clearly the creative side.  Once done though I switched gears and treated the printing, marketing and sales of the book as a business proposition.  What good is it if you write a great novel but no one reads it?  I focused on marketing and treated the costs and time spent as one would a business start-up, imagining that it would take a while to recoup those expenses. 

Clearly publishing and bookselling are industries that has been radically transformed by the web. Once I committed to a small press, I knew we had to maximize the use of electronic mediums to generate real business.  The old models didn’t work and I don’t think anyone has figured out the very best methods to deal with the new reality just yet.  Understanding that world remains a work in progress.

Once you commit to being a business person, you have to act.  That’s the second lesson. For instance, I created a large web and Facebook presence and then used publicists to promote the book to national newspapers and radio stations.  In the first few months following the release I did a lot of public readings and interviews on radio, in print, on podcasts and through the web. 

One needs to examine your target market and find ways to reach them.  This is a critical third step.  One of the beauties of a book about Beethoven is that I was able to target diverse markets through Facebook. We focused not only the world of book readers and clubs but also to the music world and have had a fair amount of success in both those realms. 

For example I have also performed in numbers of classical music venues in conjunction with Grammy Award winning soloists, small ensembles and even a full orchestra and choir.  The musicians would perform Beethoven’s compositions and I would read related selections from the book. In fact my first public reading was for a gathering of Beethoven scholars at the American Beethoven Society’s Thirtieth Anniversary Conference.  There I was, reading a work of fiction to the very people who knew more about Beethoven than anyone, and, thankfully, they loved it.

Now I not only have a following of devoted fans all over the world, I have also made a number of connections with the descendants of some of the true-life characters in the novel, such as the great grandson five generations removed of the woman, Giulietta Guicciardi, to whom Beethoven dedicated the Moonlight Sonata and is one of the women consider as a candidate to be his mysterious Immortal Beloved.

What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do after their book is released?

Marketing, marketing, and more marketing remain the three most important thing one does after publication.

The first marketing step of post release sales follows closely on the last point above. All of these creative activities, interviews and press releases have to then be feed into daily Facebook posts and Tweets and those in turn have driven sales.

Events like those above - as fun and important as they are, remain “one-off happenings” unless you give them a second life by then converting them into additional publicity for Facebook, Twitter, your Web Page, etc.  The more you are out there, the more credibility you create for your product.

You need to learn Facebook, learn to use their advertising models, find ways to build groups, friends and so forth.  Once established you can then feed your releases and news through those mediums.

What kind of pre-promotion did you do before the book came out? 

As I noted above, I created a Facebook presence, booked speaking engagements, hired the first of two publicists and began to use advertising on Facebook to targeted markets both prior and subsequent to publication.

Do you have a long term plan with your book?  

 Yes, simply put it is to sell lots of copies.

What would you like to say to your readers and fans about your book?

If you want to understand the passion I feel about “Beethoven in Love; Opus 139,” and in so doing find your own heart, then listen to Beethoven himself:

“Dear Reader…

Though still in bed, my thoughts go out to you, my Immortal Beloved, now joyfully, and then sadly, waiting to learn whether fate will hear us. I can live with you totally or not at all. Yes, I am resolved to wander so far away from you until that moment when I can throw myself into your arms and say that I am really at home with you. And I can send my soul wrapped in your presence to the land of spirits. Yes, unhappily there is no other way. You will not give in, since you know my fidelity to you. No one else can ever possess my heart, never, never. . . .

Why this deep sorrow when necessity speaks? Can our love endure except through sacrifices? Can we do anything to alter the fact that you are not wholly mine, and I am not wholly yours? Oh God, look at the beauties of nature and comfort your heart with that which must be. Love demands everything and rightly so. Thus it is for me with you, and for you with me. But you forget so easily that I must live for me and for you. If we were wholly united you would feel the pain of it as little as I do?

But today I cannot share with you the thoughts I have had during these last few days touching my own life. If our hearts were always close together, I would scarcely have made such observations. My heart is full of so many things to share with you . . .

Ah, there are moments when I feel that words amount to nothing. Have courage, remain my true, my only treasure, my all, as I am yours. The gods must send us the rest, what for us must and shall be ordained. . . .

You are suffering. Oh, wherever I am, you are with me. I would arrange it so that we can live together. What a life! Thus! But without you—pursued by the goodness of mankind here and there—which as little I deserve or want to. The humility of man towards man pains me. And when I consider myself in relation to the universe, what am I? And what is he whom we call the greatest? Within us lies the divinity of all.

 Oh God, why must I be parted from the one I so love. And yet my life in Vienna is now a wretched one. Your love makes me at once both the happiest and the unhappiest of men. At my age I need a steady, quiet life. Is that possible in our situation?

My angel, I have just been told that the mail coach goes every day, therefore I must close at once so that you may receive the letter without delay. Be calm, for only by a calm consideration of our existence can we achieve our goal of living together. Be calm.

Love me today, yesterday . . . .

What tearful longings for you, you, you. My life, my all. Farewell. Never cease to love me. Never misjudge this most faithful heart of your beloved.

Ever yours . . . Ever mine . . . Ever ours. . . .”

Ever faithfully yours,

Ludwig van Beethoven”