Dave Folsom - HBS Author's Spotlight

Today our blog puts the Spotlight on Author Dave Folsom. He is the Mystery & Thrillers author based in the Northwest.

Author Genre: Mystery & Thrillers

Website: Dave Folsom's Books
Author's Blog: Dave Folsom - All About This and That
Blog: The Independent Author's Network
Twitter: @davefolsombooks
E-Mail: dave@davefolsombooks.com
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
LinkedIn: Check Out LinkedIn
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Pinterest: Check Out Pinterest


Author Description: Born and raised in Montana, Dave Folsom graduated from the University of Montana with a degree in Forestry and spent the first decade of his career working in and around the logging industry. This experience led to his first published short story entitled “Scaling Rexford” which won honorable mention in the 1992 Edition of the University of Oregon’s West Wind Review. This work eventually led to his first novel, Scaling Tall Timber.

Dave’s published works include Scaling Tall Timber, Finding Jennifer, The Dynameos Conspiracy, The Zeitgeist Project, and a collection of short stories and essays published under the title Running with Moose.

He resides in South Dakota with his wife, has three grown daughters and two grandchildren and winters in Arizona where there isn’t any snow.

SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author

The word is out: Sonoran Justice is coming soon? Can you tell us when we can look forward to it being in our hands? Give us a little tease about the plot?

Sonoran Justice brings back Charlie Draper, who is rapidly becoming my favorite character as I dig deeper into his complicated psyche. The story raps around the border wars on our southwestern boundary with Mexico. Draper is confronted with the illogical assassination of an Arizona rancher and the attempted killing of his law enforcement friend. Both appear to be the work of the cartels, but neither makes sense.

As Draper tries to unravel the reasons, he finds himself deep in Mexico facing a well-organized, violence-oriented cartel with a devious plan way beyond drugs and human trafficking. This new Charlie Draper thriller is nearly complete and will probably be in paperback soon. My drop dead dates are December 15th for the paperback and mid-January for the various ebook versions.

Several of your books have a setting in the northwest. Now you have switched to the Sonoran desert. What is next on your drawing board? Maybe a body found in the old Yuma jail. Are you working on another novel while you are finishing Sonoran Justice?

Like most authors, I have a log book of plot lines, many of which will never see the light of day. Right now I have enough research on border issues to write a half-dozen or more novels. The subject is an inexhaustible hoard of plot lines for a thriller novelist. That said I also have an interest in time travel and quantum mechanics so who knows what I might come up with next.

I understand you have a passion for Photography. That is a great combination: author and photographer. With the advent of color HD ereaders, have you considered making a picture ebook from some of your pictures and tell a basic story? Would you ever put more pictures in your ebook versions to enhance the reading experience?

I’ve just started in the HD realm after dabbling HDR photography. Both require an extensive knowledge of Adobe Photoshop which I’m working on, but haven’t mastered yet. I do try to make each book cover with a little more “pop” with each book, but I sometimes find it hard to balance the time between the two efforts, as I’m sure most writers do. I like the idea of adding more pictures to ebook versions. That sounds doable.

Tell us about the software you used for your book trailers and the process you went through to create it? Did you take the pictures before you wrote your book as part of your research? Or did you use the book as a map in creating the trailer? Where did you get the background music?

I stumbled on a software site called One True Media where you can upload your own photos and create videos for a very reasonable price. The software is very intuitive and walks you through the process. They also have great choices for background music, which is what I used. Like most photographers in the digital age, I have a bloated hard drive of pictures, some good and some repairable from which to choose. It’s a combination of both.

Has the timing of your book releases changed with the advent of ebooks and the online marketing that goes on? Will you publish the ebook or the hardcover first and why?

I’ve only published trade paperbacks which I do first simply because my formatting setup is for book publishing so it makes it easier. When I’m finished writing a book it is all formatted for a trade paperback and the conversion is fairly straight forward. I only have to run the edits and turn it over to my proofreader who appreciates it already being in book format.

Ebook publishing is a little more difficult because of the different multiple forms, Kindle, Nook, etc. I have found if I do Smashwords first, closely following their Style guide, Amazon and Barnes and Noble are fairly straight forward.

What is your main Marketing push? How much does social media play into your strategy? Do you do book signings, appearances and things like that?

I try to have my books on as many sites as possible, along with my own websites. I do extensive social media play simply because I think it’s necessary to build a platform and get your name our as much as you can. I haven’t done book signing or appearances but I do advertise where ever I can and this is my third blog appearance this year along with doing giveaways which seems to spike sales.

Do you enjoy blogging? Does it give you a break from storytelling? Is there an up and down feeling between blogging, writing and picture taking?

I enjoy blogging however time management seems to make it difficult on any regular basis especially when I’m working to finish a book. My photograph efforts do suffer as well. A good photography trip is always the highlight and a great break.

You belong to several writers groups. I am a follower of the authors in the group: The Independent Author's Network(IAN). What is your goal with the groups: Support, Knowledge, Marketing or social? Do you find that you run out of time trying to keep up with social media and groups and get your writing done?

I’m a big fan of IAN and a couple of similar groups, as they are supportive, give me access to the efforts of fellow writers and help with marketing. One can’t ask for more than that. Time management is always a problem for me. I suppose it’s because I have so many interests that it’s easy for me to get sidetracked.


Author's Book List

Sonoran Justice
Coming SOON

The killer stood behind granite boulders high above the surrounding landscape. His custom-built M98B Super Magnum sniper rifle, chambered for .338 Lapua, rested on a wool blanket cushion spread carefully over the granite table. The finely-crafted rifle cost just under five thousand dollars, had a two and half pound trigger pull, a customize barrel with a muzzle brake, a 4x16 power high optic scope, a built-in biped in front and desert camouflage. The two things Damián Sanchez learned during his years of contract killing included: use a precision weapon and be patient. His specialty, killing at distance, ranked as his only employment. Demanding complete anonymity, and working only through a broker of such things, he required fifty percent payment up front. The drug cartels kept him busy and made him rich….
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Finding Jennifer
Charlie Draper only took the job of finding the missing girl as favor. He approached it convinced that the hot desert sun had likely eliminated another unprepared hiker rather than a part of the Border Wars. It didn’t take long to realize his error.

Then it became complicated. In less than a day he discovers that drug cartel members shot her and threw her into a volcano vent. The resulting trail leads into Mexico where his actions bring on the wrath of the cartel. The bodies start to pile up with a vengeance as he and his helicopter-flying Apache friend attempt to rescue the young women and prevent the revenge determined drug alliance from killing them all.
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Book Trailer: Finding Jennifer
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The Dynameos Conspiracy
Former government operative Lee Trainer, living quietly in Montana, finds a dead man on his doorstep with mysterious computer chip in his pocket. The killers, desperate to retrieve the chip make several attempts on his life and open a trail of deception and murder.

Following leads from Montana to the Cayman Islands, Trainer and a couple of old friends hunt down an elusive killer with a deadly agenda. While electrical blackouts plague the country, Trainer's best friend is ambushed by hired assassins entangling him in a widespread conspiracy to destroy the national power grid.
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Scaling Tall Timber
Recently injured in a vehicular crash that killed his girlfriend, a young forester is assigned to a new job in a remote area of northwestern Montana. He is befriended by an alcoholic logging truck driver, whose efforts to help enable both to grow into recovery helped in no small way by two women who guide them into recovery.

Centered on the western logging industry, the story focuses on events that bring sudden change to an ideologically resistant area and men's unwilling involvement. Upon arriving, he confronts his hard-driving boss rebelliously, but soon learns that finding what he's looking for will require a major effort on his part. The locals, a hard-working, hard-living, idiosyncratic lot take on the task of educating their new co-worker in ways he could never have imagined. Learning lessons that teach him about surviving the horrific, he finds himself melding into the eclectic area when changing times force the locals to rely on his assistance. Just as he becomes attached to his new surroundings and the quirky inhabitants, new technology threatens his job followed by news of a hydroelectric dam construction effort planned a short way downstream that will destroy the entire valley.
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Book Trailer: Scaling Tall Timber
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Amazon Buy Page -- Barnes and Noble Buy Page
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The Zeitgeist Project
Their planet slowly dying, ravaged by two hundred years of environmental carelessness and governmental greed, a select group of elitists plot to send unwitting crews on what will be a suicide mission. A young Command Pilot and one of her crew survive and find themselves in a strange world in which they are unprepared to cope. Two more missions follow before help comes from an unexpected source.
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Running With Moose and Other Stories
This book is all about people and how different we are, especially about life and how we deal with its mysteries. The stories include a little about death and an occasional encounter with animals and a lot about some of the colorful and interesting characters I've met told with a touch of humor, some adventure, and a little pathos. These fictional accounts are sometimes based on real people with the places and names changed to protect especially the moose
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Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the HBS Author's Spotlight plus the blog: eBook Author’s Corner. Check out the index of other Spotlight authors. Spotlight Index.

Dawn Greenfield Ireland - HBS Author's Spotlight

Today our blog puts the Spotlight on award winning independent publisher Author Dawn Greenfield Ireland. She is the creator of the Hot Chocolate series and two very popular non-fiction books.

Author Genre: Mystery Thrillers, Fantasy,Professional & Technical

Website: Dawn Ireland Writer
Author's Blog: Dawn Ireland
Twitter: @dawnireland
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
LinkedIn: Check Out LinkedIn
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Pinterest: Check Out Pinterest


Author Description: Dawn Ireland is the CEO of Artistic Origins Inc, a 100% woman-owned publishing company that has been doing business since 1995. She's the award winning author of The Puppy Baby Book and Mastering Your Money.

Hot Chocolate her new wickedly funny cozy mystery novel is collecting 5-star reviews on Amazon. It is the first in the series, and her fifth novel. Stay tuned for Bitter Chocolate (she posts updates of her progress on Facebook).

Originally from Feeding Hills, MA, Dawn migrated to San Antonio in 1968, then when her first son was one year old (1971) her family moved to Houston where work was more plentiful.

Dawn is the co-author of the animated screenplay Memoirs of a Dog (with Barbara Mackey) which won the Spirit Award of the Moondance Film Festival (children's category) 9/2011. Her dark comedy Plan B was a finalist in the Table Read My Screenplay script competition in 2010. Mastering Your Money won the New England Book Festival eBook category in 12/2008. Melody, A Girl and Her Dog, and Passage were finalists in the Worldfest Int'l Film Festival Script Competition in 2005.

The Puppy Baby Book was proclaimed a finalist in the prestigious IPPY book competition (2001) less than 90 days after publication.

And years before any of these successes, Standing Dead won the Women in Film and Television (Houston Chapter) screenplay award in 12/99.

SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author

Congrats on your new book, Hot Chocolate. You started off on the fast track. How much did pre-release marketing play in quick success? How much did your use of a publicist up front play out?

I tested the waters with the ebook prior to publishing the paperback. In February I did a virtual book tour and Hot Chocolate was a hit with the bloggers all over the globe. The virtual tour was the start of Hot Chocolate's success.

The publicist is primarily an Amazon publicist. She put together a campaign and drove traffic to see my book.

You are one of those unique people that are involved in the book publishing world and writing fiction at the same time. How do you manage your time? I read that you were at the Sugarland Marriott for a conference. How much traditional marketing do you do?

I'm running in every direction at one time, trying to balance a day job with moving forward with writing the second book in the series, and then using social media to get the word out.

There never seems to be enough time to update my website and blog, to Facebook, Tweet or post on LinkedIn. I love doing book signings. It is nice to meet people who are willing to take a chance on my work. So far, no returns!

How much do you rely on social media for your marketing effort? Which area do you concentrate on the most on Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin? Do you find that there is too much noise in some of these areas to do a good job marketing?

Every book I send out in the mail, or autograph and sell at an event has my three postcards inside. That is my #1 marketing tool. There are a lot of people who live vicariously through their social networking, and if I can interest people with my posts, tweets and blog, then I am doing great. I use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and my blog, plus Goodreads.

I am sitting here writing your blog, listening to Houston’s own Country Legends 97.1 and reading about Aunt Ora. That has to be the best of all worlds. Have you developed a book trailer for Hot Chocolate? (Give us a link if you have one.)

A book trailer is high on my list. When I get one done, I'll send a link, but I don't think that is going to happen this year.

With your new book Hot Chocolate hot of the press (pun intended), when will we be seeing your new book, Bitter Chocolate? Can you tease us with something about the Bitter Chocolate version? Do you have a plan yet for Sweet Chocolate?

Bitter Chocolate is half finished. If I could win the lottery, life would be a lot easier and I could stay home and write, hire an assistant to help with the marketing, etc. But, since I don't put a lot of hope in winning the lottery, I have to do the best I can with balancing work so I can get BC finished. Ha ha...

I do plan Spicy Chocolate, but have not thought about Sweet Chocolate... maybe that title will come to be!

I'll share what I printed in the back of the Hot Chocolate paperback, slightly modified to avoid spoilers for people who want to read Hot Chocolate:

Want more Chocolate? Get ready for book 2:

Bitter Chocolate!

The characters you loved in Hot Chocolate are back with more escapades of life in River Oaks.

Along with the regulars, you’ll meet Benny, Madge’s eccentric brother-in-law, her house manager Carmichael, and Roger Bainsworth III, Cissy’s new boyfriend.

Love is in the air! Uncle Tito brings his friend Pecos Ektadoro to Houston. Pecos met a woman from the Heights online and it might be a match made in heaven. But guess what? Pecosisn’t the only one in love. My lips are sealed.

Bernie decides he wants his Bentley back. The girls are horrified. They hire Joseph’s cousin Chewie as Bernie’s new chauffeur.

The Alcott clan have a new landscaping service after the old service provider got orders mixed up. Jingo Jackson of Roots and Branches hits the jackpot with the Alcott account.

Lila Mae and Amelia have their hands full with the Chocolate Ball that Dorothea was supposed to chair, but she dumped the event in Lila Mae’s lap. Madge isn’t much help either. She has her hands full with Benny. Louie and Scooter’s truce has ended?that’s all I’m saying about that relationship.

Expect company from Louisiana, and yes… there's a dead body in Bitter Chocolate and you'll never guess who or why or where. I'm not telling!

Tell us how your publishing program works? How do authors get involved? (Gives us a link here.)

I'm in the process of re-vamping and renaming my program, so I'm not providing a link at this time, but the gist of it is this - I've put together a program that teaches people:
(1) how to create the best product (book) they can,
(2) how to create their own independent publishing company, and
(3) how to get their book on all the sites to sell it.

One of the things I was impressed with while doing your blog was you find time to guide the Dawn Ireland Critque Group in Houston. Tell us how rewarding it is to work with a group of authors and meet them face to face? Can authors from out of the Houston area join your group or do you hook them up with sister groups?

My critique group is just about 20 years old now, and only one person in the group is from the original team. It is very gratifying to help new writers get on the right track.
One of the hardest things to get across is that they should not be offended by criticism. It only makes your work better, and let's face it, if two or more people have the same comment, that's proof there's something wrong. Some people are shell-shocked when they receive their marked-up pages back and they're covered in red ink.

Some people never return, but those that stay for a couple of years - you know they are improving when you see their work each month.

The group is for Houston writers only. People who are looking for a critique group should Google "Critique Group" and their city and/or state to find something in their area. If there isn't anything, they need to create one. I don't mind answering questions at a later date if someone wants to know how to set one up.


Author's Book List
Hot Chocolate
Hot Off the Press Hot Chocolate is available as an ebook and paperback. It is 477 pages long, including reviews, snippets from the book, acknowledgements and dedications, the entire story told in 44 chapters. At the back of the book you will find eight mouth-watering recipes, and a look at book two in the Hot Chocolate series: Bitter Chocolate.

Meet the middle-aged Alcott sisters: Madge, Lila Mae and Dorothea, heiresses to the Alcott Chocolate fortune and mavens of Houston’s elite River Oaks.

Madge ambushes Lila Mae with Dorothea’s manipulative plea: she can’t care for Bernie, their 92-year old father, any longer. Lila Mae explodes in a hissy fit—she had warned Dorothea years ago that they should put Bernie in an assisted living center.

Robert, Lila Mae’s astrologer, warns of impending problems and he’s rarely wrong.

The sisters call a meeting with Walter Branson, their solicitor. They discuss Bernie’s nurse Bambi Chaline, a blonde bombshell who looks more like a hooker than a nurse.
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Mastering Your Money
If you or someone you know is constantly coming up short of money in your checkbook, or if you have checks bouncing like basket balls, Mastering Your Money will take the mystery out of maintaining your checkbook. You will soon learn:
* How to create a budget.
* Why checks bounce (Hint: you contribute to this).
* What happens when a check bounces.
* How to make your check register your financial guru.
* And how to maintain your checkbook so you can safely use online banking without disasters.
This book is perfect for:
* Young people getting started on their own.
* High school and college students.
* People starting over.
* Anyone thrust into the role of responsibility for their household.
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The Puppy Baby Book
This unique fill-in-the-blanks book gives dog lovers the same opportunity to chart their puppies growth and progress, as parents of infants do with their baby books. Now, as your puppy grows, you can document:
*Where the puppy was born
*The birth parents names and breeds
*Who the puppy resembles
*Where the puppy was adopted from
*Puppy's first meal
*The puppy's playmates
*When potty training took place
*Obedience school classes
*Favorite things to do
*What vitamins the puppy takes
*Medical records
*Medical emergencies and blunders
*And much more There is a keepsake pocket for the first rabies tag after it expires, a page where you can place your puppy's paw prints, a pocket to keep the adoption papers, a placeholder for an adoption announcement card, a first aid kit list, and picture placeholders throughout the book. You will be able to write what you did with your puppy on special days throughout the calendar year from New Years day to Hanukkah and Christmas -- 23 occasions in all.
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Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the HBS Author's Spotlight plus the blog: eBook Author’s Corner. Check out the index of other Spotlight authors. Spotlight Index.

Pamela Burford - HBS Author's Spotlight

Today our blog puts the Spotlight on Best-Selling Author Pamela Burford. She is the award-winning author of fourteen romantic suspense and contemporary romance novels.

Author Genre: Romantic suspense and contemporary romance novels

Website: Pamela Burford
Twitter: @PamelaBurford
E-Mail: Pam@pamelaburford.com
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Pinterest: Check Out Pinterest


Author Description: Pamela Burford has received four RITA and Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award nominations and is a frequent speaker at writers' conferences and workshops.

Her books have received outstanding reviews and been translated into more than a dozen languages. She is the founder and past president of Long Island Romance Writers, a chapter of Romance Writers of America.

Her sister Patricia Ryan, a.k.a. the Good Twin, is also a published novelist.

SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author

First things first. Tell us about your next book. When can we expect it in our hands? Give us a tease about the plot?

I’m changing course and working on a cozy mystery, the first in an eventual series. I’ve always loved mysteries, and of all the books I’ve written, those with mystery and suspense elements have brought me the most pleasure. I think it’s because I’m attracted to puzzles.

Writing a mystery is like creating one long puzzle, and I take delight in making that puzzle as challenging and entertaining as possible for the reader.

Like all my novels, there’s plenty of humor in my current work in progress. And although it’s not a romance novel, there’s plenty of sexual tension as my female sleuth’s affections are torn between two fellas, the proverbial good guy and bad boy.

As for a tease…the sleuth has a unique profession that brings her into constant contact with dead folks, and no, you’ll never guess what it is.

You’re one of the authors that has bridged the gap between the traditional world of publishing to the ebook environment. How has the advent of ebooks changed your publishing and writing? Can you see a change in your reading audience?

What an exciting time to be a writer! I could go on about this subject for pages, so let me just say that digital self-publishing has changed the way I publish my work, but not the quality of my writing. Readers are more savvy than ever and, as always, demand an author’s best effort.

One wonderful side effect of the digital revolution is that authors are now free to present works that might not be considered marketable by traditional publishers, who are notoriously wary of investing in risky projects. Readers now have the opportunity to discover one-of-a-kind gems that previously would have remained unpublished, as well as works of nonstandard length such as stand-alone short stories and novellas.

How did social media change your marketing? Do you still do personal appearances, book signings and tasks like that?

I still give workshops and library talks. I used to do book signings, but not anymore since most of my books are now in digital rather than dead-tree format. The world of social media is an online marketplace, information exchange, and kaffeeklatsch, all rolled into one. Facebook, Twitter, and their social-media cousins have eroded the barrier between authors and readers, and every author I know loves the change!

When you started converting your books to ebooks, did you go back and change the ebook versions?

After I got the rights back to Too Darn Hot and Snowed, and gave them new life as ebooks, I decided to let them stand on their own, with minimal changes.

I have also e-published an indie book, Snatched, which is a quirky romantic suspense. If Janet Evanovich and the Coen Brothers brainstormed a story, they’d probably come up with something like Snatched.

Basically I wrote the book I wanted to read, and boy, did I have a blast with it! In addition, some of my backlist books are being offered in ebook form by the original publisher.

Have you tried book trailers to promote your books online?

I have not tried book trailers yet. Like many authors, I find it too easy to spend enormous amounts of time on promotion, at the expense of writing time. I choose to do a limited amount of promo and concentrate on doing what I do best, and what I love: crafting entertaining novels.

Your twin sister and you make up a very talented and successful family. How did your sister, author Patricia Ryan, influence your writing? Did you tell each other stories as children? Do you share business experiences now? Do you ever plan on writing a book together?

It’s wonderful having another author in the family! When my sister Patricia Ryan (aka P.B. Ryan) and I were growing up, we constantly wrote stories and plays. Little did we know then that we would both become award-winning, multi-published novelists.

We are very supportive of each other’s writing careers and help each other in any way we can.

In the past we’ve collaborated on linked books in a series, but we both agree that we’ll probably never write a book together. We know the limits of sisterly love!

You are the founder of Long Island Romance Writers, a chapter of Romance Writers of America. How rewarding was that experience to be associated with the group? What was the main benefit you got from the group?

Founding LIRW is one of the shining points of my writing career. That was 17 years ago, and that group has blossomed into a thriving writers’ community that offers mutual support, education, and networking opportunities.

“Founder” sounds impressive, but all I did was give it the initial nudge; the wonderful people who joined and rolled up their sleeves did the rest. LIRW is my writing family, and I wouldn’t be the novelist I am without them.

I have gotten this question from some authors. Should I belong to some of the big author groups? How big an influence on your writing and career was it to belong to some of the top groups like Authors Guild, Novelists Inc., Backlist eBooks and Romance Writers of America?

Writing is the quintessential solitary pursuit. Getting together with others who are facing the same empty page—or screen—and the same frustrations and anxieties is crucial. It’s necessary for your sanity, but it’s equally important for your craft and your ability to reach readers.

Writers’ organizations offer educational workshops and conferences, not to mention the networking opportunities that result in invaluable “face time” with agents, editors, other industry pros, and other writers.

For example, Long Island Romance Writers sponsors an industry networking luncheon every June that gives writers the opportunity to pitch their work and has resulted in many first sales. Literary greatness does not happen in a vacuum.


Author's Book List
Snatched
Is an uncomplicated divorce and a fresh start at forty too much to ask? Apparently it is for Lucy Narby, whose life goes from blah to bizarro when competing kidnappers lock horns in her kitchen. And really, does the victor have to be that hot? If this is the Stockholm syndrome, it sure didn’t take her long to catch it!

Lucy’s kidnapper calls himself Will but looks suspiciously like ’80s child TV star Ricky Baines, whose acting career was cut short when he himself was snatched and held for ransom 25 years ago in a notorious cold case that remains unsolved. Will’s gang includes an aging French bombshell, an outlandish Irish giant with a mysterious past and a thing for Will’s sister, and long-lost Cousin Hal—a charming fellow who neglects to mention that he happens to be the twisted sociopath who kidnapped Will when he was still America’s favorite little star. Hal spent the past quarter century in the slammer for an unrelated murder, and now he’s out and determined to locate the $2 million ransom Will’s family paid. Someone else dug up the cash while Hal was behind bars, and that sort of thing tends to make twisted sociopaths a tad grouchy.

Fortunately (or not), Lucy’s bigamous ex is on the case. But so are a gay private eye in a fat suit and a bad-tempered parrot with an ax to grind, so no worries. Everyone has a secret and no one is who he seems when Kidnap Fever strikes.
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Snowed
We’re snowed in! The last thing wealthy photographer James Bradburn expects when he turns in after his surprise birthday party is to find a beautiful woman asleep in his bed. The last thing Leah Harmony expects after fending off an attack and succumbing to exhaustion during the party is to find herself stranded for four long days—and longer nights—with the sexy, enigmatic birthday boy at his isolated Gold Coast mansion. A record blizzard has trapped them together.

Leah traveled to New York to confront the monster whose callous brutality altered her family forever. Now all she wants is to run back to Arkansas and forget she ever heard of James Bradburn. She guards a stunning secret as she struggles to resist the dangerous attraction that crackles between them. Of all the men in the world, James is the last one she should even think of that way! Little does she suspect he harbors a secret of his own.
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Too Darn Hot
Rule Number One: Never mix business with pleasure. New York restaurant reviewer Lina Holland learned that lesson by watching her beloved mentor self-destruct, and she's not about to make a similar mistake, even if the chef and owner of the restaurant she’s secretly reviewing is the most sexalicious hunk who ever seared a T-bone. It's not enough to be scrupulously impartial, she must avoid even the merest whiff of favoritism. Date a restaurateur? She can't allow herself to even think about it. Okay, she thinks about it, but that's all. Really!

Chef Eric Reid is a widower struggling to raise twin boys and keep his fledgling Long Island restaurant afloat long enough for word of mouth to lift it out of the red. Little does he suspect that the intriguing new customer groaning in ecstasy over his bourbon pecan tart is none other than the legendary Lina Holland, the reviewer whose thumbs-up could spell the difference between colossal success and the extermination of his lifelong dream. No one in the industry knows what Lina looks like, but he's convinced she's a brash, zaftig shrew who applies her makeup with a putty knife. When he finds out how wrong he is, the fun really starts!

Throw in a buttinsky roommate, a lecherous ex-husband, bribery by chocolate, and the fishing excursion from hell, and the result is, well, too darn hot!
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Fiance for Hire
The Wedding Ring: Four high school friends and a pact—every girl marries her ideal man by thirty or be prepared for matchmaking.

The Bride-to-Be: Amanda Coppersmith, successful at everything but marriage. There's absolutely no way she's going to let the Wedding Ring fix her up—been there, done that! She's determined to outwit her matchmaking pals.

The Prospective Groom: Nick Stephanos, sexy New York taxi driver and the perfect choice for phony fiancé. Except there's a lot more to Nick than meets the eye—Amanda's in particular.

The Hitch: How can a simple fake engagement get so complicated? Nick is willing to be bought and everyone's completely taken in. So why is Amanda having such a hard time remembering that Nick's not really her man? And why isn't there an easy returns policy on fiancés?
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One Eager Bride To Go
The Wedding Ring: Four high school friends and a pact—every girl marries her ideal man by thirty or be prepared for matchmaking.

The Bride-to-Be: Sunny Bleecker, a woman who has waited tables at Wafflemania for twelve years…and waited the same amount of time for her knight in shining armor to rescue her from that. She's still waiting…

The Prospective Groom: Kirk Larsen is starting a new life in his old home town. Between teaching and raising a toddler, he's not really looking for romance, but being with Sunny is as easy as it was twelve years ago. Almost.

The Hitch: Sunny is dubious when The Wedding Ring fixes her up with her high school sweetheart, but her doubts soon evaporate. Sunny's suddenly walking on air, dreaming of a white picket fence and a passel of kids, but she's about to come down to earth with a crash. Because Kirk has news that she doesn't want to hear…
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I Do , But Here'S The Catch
Four high school friends and a pact—every girl marries her ideal man by thirty, or be prepared for matchmaking.

The Bride-to-Be: Carlotta "Charli" Rossi, last of a dying breed—the thirty-year-old virgin. It's love at first sight when Grant takes her out, but is it only one-sided?

The Prospective Groom: Grant Sterling, handsome, rich and worldly lawyer—confirmed bachelor. A mousy unassuming woman is exactly what he's looking for. He thinks he's got it all in Charli.

The Hitch: Grant needs a wife if he's going to make partner in his stuffy law firm. A marriage of convenience without sex or other personal involvements is the ideal answer. Never did he think Charli would turn into a sexy siren, or that he would fall in love with her…!
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Love's Funny That Way
The Wedding Ring: Four high school friends and a pact—every girl marries her ideal man by thirty or be prepared for matchmaking. The Bride-To-Be: Raven Muldoon, therapist by vocation and aspiring stand-up comic by desire, realizes her friends in the Wedding Ring have made a grave mistake…and that's no joke. The Prospective Groom: Brent Radley, a man who looks like perfect husband material—until Raven meets his sexy-as-sin younger brother…and Brent turns out to be less than devoted… The Hitch: Brent's brother, Hunter, is no choirboy, but not even he would steal his brother's woman—no matter how tempted he might be. It's up to Raven to turn the tables….
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Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the HBS Author's Spotlight plus the blog: eBook Author’s Corner. Check out the index of other Spotlight authors. Spotlight Index.

Dani Amore - HBS Author's Spotlight

Dani Amore is an award-winning, international bestselling crime novelist. Her fast-paced ebooks are hitting the digital world by storm.

Author Genre: HARDBOILED MYSTERY Novels

Author's Blog: Dani Amore
Blog: Dani’s Independent Author Network
Twitter: @authordaniamore
E-Mail: dani@daniamore.com
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
LinkedIn: Check Out LinkedIn
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Pinterest: Check Out Pinterest


Author Description:
Dani is a award-winning mystery novelist living in Los Angeles. Her latest book is THE CIRCUIT RIDER, an Amazon Kindle Serial, which is high on the Amazon list.Dani first novel, DEATH BY SARCASM, cracked the Top 100 Mysteries on Amazon.com.

She says, 'I take a great deal of pride in writing the kind of books I like to read: incredibly fast-paced, a lot of humor, and real people in real relationships usually trying to do the right thing. My readers are the best people in the world, I love to hear from them and I answer all emails.'


SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author

You are off to a fantastic start in the self-publishing world. A start that so many other authors can only dream of. Can you share with us the first few steps that you took that were critical to your success besides writing quality stuff?

Bemused detachment. That's my secret. When I first started and my book, DEATH BY SARCASM, would bring in $8 in sales for an entire month, I found it amusing. I wound find something at the grocery store that cost exactly that to celebrate: usually, a six-pack of Heineken. And then I would keep going. Keep writing. Get excited by my stories. And then, when I sold more, I found humor in that, too. And I kept going. Kept writing, kept publishing.

The ability to separate the two, writing and selling, is essential. I look it as writing is my job. Looking at sales is kind of like checking out what's going on with the neighbors. Oh, my! Mrs. Higgins needs to clean her gutters - look at all those leaves!

What is your main marketing thrust now? How does social media fit into your marketing strategy? Do you do any traditional type things like public appearances, signing literature, etc.?

The main thing is to connect with my readers. I answer all of my emails, friend requests, tweets. An ongoing discussion with people who read my books is the best thing about being an author and other than the writing itself, the thing I enjoy doing the most. I've met a ton of great folks and am thankful every day for their friendship and support. One year I'm going to do an author tour and I'm only going to visit my fans. The people who encouraged me early on and still do. I'll supply the beverages.

Do you have any plans to start publishing your ebook in a paper version, sort of reversing the tables on traditional publishers?

My Kindle serial THE CIRCUIT RIDER, will be published as a paperback by Thomas & Mercer. My plan is to start publishing all of my ebooks as paper books, too. I just don't have a timetable yet.

We have had several of the Indie Chicks in the Author’s Spotlight. What a group of outstanding people. I feel so strongly about the group, I added their book in the list of your credits below (You are a co-author). What is the main thing that you get out of this association? Why is the book so successful, besides having outstanding authors?

Being a part of the Indie Chicks has been amazing. It's just a fantastic group of hard-working, talented, wonderfully nice people. I'm honored to be a part of it.

I notice that you’re also a member of the IAN group. They also have a great selection of authors. What is your goal in belonging to organizations and groups of fellow authors?

Before I published my first book, I reached out to quite a few authors. I'm sure some of them don't even remember me. But people like Steve Hamilton, Jon Jackson, Bill Eidson and John Wessel all helped me in various ways. I like talking to other authors and I think as a community we're very supportive of each other.

Steven King published a novel in pieces when ebooks first came on the scene. Now you are having great success in the Serial market. Can you tell other authors how the Kindle Serial program is working out? Did you start by writing a large document and then publish the pieces or are you publishing and writing as you go along?

It's been a great experience and I've enjoyed working so much with Thomas & Mercer. They are a bright, conscientious, highly innovative bunch. I did not write the whole book first. In fact, I had only written the first episode. So it's definitely been an intense experience.

I plan to do more serials, and I think the next time out I might try to write a first draft of the whole book. Then instead of writing each new episode from scratch, it would be more like a shaping and revising process for each new installment. Doing it that way would also still allows me to take reader feedback into account, something I've enjoyed a great deal on THE CIRCUIT RIDER.

Have you tried to use book trailers in your marketing?

I have done book trailers and have no idea if they helped or not. My favorite quote on advertising is: 'I know half of my advertising money is wasted. I just don't know which half.'

I have read that you use two professional proofreaders. (Great move.) How much outsourcing do you do to being your books to market?

Having outside help, especially with editing and proofreading is essential. I've got a whole team of great people I work with. There are no shortcuts. If you don't invest in putting out a professional product, it will probably be more expensive to you and your brand in the long run.



Author's Book List
Killing The Rat
Mafia lowlife Tommy Abrocci wants two things: to disappear into the FBI's witness protection program, and to do so with as much of Detroit mob boss Vincenzo Romano's money as he can steal. Unfortunately for Abrocci, Romano has no intention of letting a traitor get away with his money...or his life. But when Abrocci decides to celebrate his heist by hooking up with a high-priced call girl who is pulling one last trick in order to save her son from a notorious drug dealer, a botched murder attempt gets the attention of the FBI who is desperate to find their wayward snitch. One thing rapidly becomes clear: bullets fly, blood flows and no one is safe when you are...Killing The Rat. "Dani Amore is a sensation among Kindle owners who love fast-paced thrillers." -Mystery Tribune"Mover over, James Patterson. Dani Amore has arrived!" -Amazon.com A Top 10 Hardboiled Mystery and Police Procedural for Kindle!
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The Recruiter
What would happen if a military recruiter refused to take no for an answer? In this gripping thriller, Samuel Ackerman has one dream: to become a Navy SEAL. But after dropping out of the legendary unit's training program known as Hell Week, he is forced to become a recruiter in his small hometown. In order to earn a return trip to SEAL training, he must have a successful turn as a recruiter. As he soon proves, he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. "Readers of Steig Larsson and John Grishman will love Dani Amore. Whether you fancy new murdery mystery novels, or bestselling crime books, this writer's prose is sharp and lethal. You've been warned." -killerebooks.com
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To Find A Mountain
Set in Italy during World War Two, TO FIND A MOUNTAIN tells the incredible story of a young woman named Benedetta Carlessimo.

When Benedetta's house is taken over by the German Command and her father is forced to fight for the Germans at the front lines, she is left alone to protect her family and survive the violent, battle scarred German soldiers living in her home.

Ultimately, Benedetta engages in a very real fight for her own survival, with the lives of those closest to her hanging in the balance.

TO FIND A MOUNTAIN is an unforgettable portrait of a war, a family, and a young woman who faces terrifying evil with incomparable bravery.

TO FIND A MOUNTAIN is based on true events.
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Dead Wood
In the exclusive enclave of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, a woman who builds custom guitars is murdered. A disgraced ex-cop turned private investigator is hired by the dead woman's father and immediately becomes the target of a violent ex-convict. An enigmatic music star performs damage control on her links to the dead woman. And a professional killer who idolizes Keith Richards is brought into town by a mysterious employer.

Dead Wood is what great mysteries are all about: love, hate, faith and vengeance, all wrapped up in an explosive story that simply refuses to let up.
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The Killing League
In this tense, spellbinding thriller, a retired FBI profiler uncovers THE KILLING LEAGUE, a competition among active serial killers to prove who is the greatest killer, and learns that he and a woman whose life he saved are the grand prize.
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Murder With Sarcastic Intent - The 2nd Mary Cooper Mystery
In the follow-up to the international bestselling novel DEATH BY SARCASM, Los Angeles based private investigator Mary Cooper is hired to track down a missing child.

The case quickly leads her into the seedy underworld of LA's pornography industry where Mary's on again off again boyfriend Jake Cornell has been working undercover for the LAPD.

As Mary investigates, she soon uncovers a world in which no one is who they claim to be. Armed with her .45 and a heavily sarcastic wit, Mary vows to rescue her client's daughter and bring her captors to justice.
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Order the Book From: Amazon
The Circuit Rider - Kindle Serial
The Circuit Rider is a fast-paced, action-packed serialized Western.

In a wild land full of lawlessness and sin rides Mike Tower, a traveling preacher known as a Circuit Rider. Circuit Riders travel from town to town, offering their services to those in need. Tower is a man of mystery, utterly fearless though he carries no gun. As he sets out on this latest circuit, is he riding toward a new beginning, or running away from a former haunted life?

Bird Hitchcock, a woman known for her skill with a gun and love of the bottle, has taken the job of protecting Mike Tower on his journey to the West. Yet as she and Tower ride, they quickly find themselves on the hunt for an elusive killer who is brutally murdering women. Protecting Tower seems less and less important as Hitchcock discovers a link between her past and the murderer – will she finally get a chance to exact revenge and find redemption?
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Death By Sarcasm - The First Mary Cooper Mystery
DEATH BY SARCASM introduces mystery readers to Mary Cooper, a Los Angeles area private detective who masks her true, caring nature with a razor-sharp, heavily sarcastic sense of humor.

In DEATH BY SARCASM, Mary learns that her uncle, a former stand-up comedian has been murdered. She is asked to assist in finding the killer by both the police and family members. Mary quickly discovers that her uncle's death was just the opening act for a bloody rampage. As Mary investigates, she exposes a dark and deadly legacy with mysterious links to her own past.

DEATH BY SARCASM careens through Hollywood, Catalina Island and the posh mansions of Malibu, with nonstop action and unforgettable characters.
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Indie Chicks: 25 Independent Women 25 Personal Stories
This exciting anthology contains stories from twenty-five women from different parts of the world. Their ages differ, as do their backgrounds and locations, but one thing they all have in common is a spirit of independence and a determination to not only succeed, but prevail.

Whether their struggles are to maintain balance between motherhood and career, escape from an abusive relationship, or to step out in faith and pursue a dream, all of these women have forged their own path. As women, one of our most powerful 'gifts' is the ability to encourage one another.

This book is an effort to encourage women across the world. These twenty-five women share stories that will make you laugh, inspire you, and maybe even make you cry. Their hope is that these stories will inspire YOUR independent spirit and allow you to live the life you were meant to live.

All proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to a charitable organization that fights breast cancer.
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Order the Book From: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the HBS Author's Spotlight plus the blog: eBook Author’s Corner. Check out the index of other Spotlight authors. Spotlight Index.