Black Friday 99¢ Sale ~ #1 in Romantic Suspense

Whoohoo! When STUTTER CREEK went on sale for 99¢ it hit #1 in the Amazon Kindle Store in both Suspense and in Romantic Suspense.

http://www.5Princebooks.com

Thank you readers ~ that was a wonderful ride watching those numbers go up and up. And it isn't over yet! The publisher ~ 5 Prince Books ~ has extended the sale through December 3rd. Not only that, but there are several other books on sale for 99¢ as well. Yaya!

Here are a couple of STUTTER CREEK reviews:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is SERIOUSLY scary! 

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Stutter Creek is a top class thriller! The plot is straightforward and all the more frightening for being so. The killer is focused on revenge and he doesn't care who he destroys in, literally, the execution of his plans.

The opening chapter is horrifying in the speed of what happens. The bait which the killer uses to lure his female victims is pitiful and as much a victim as they are.

Ann Swann's writing is brilliantly descriptive, flows superbly and her imagery is just enough to allow the reader to participate in the action. The cover, BTW, is superb.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and urge everyone who reads the reviews to buy the book and support the author - and no, I had never heard of her until I read this book which I found recommended on a list somewhere!

5 stars "Hell of a thriller. Wow, just wow. This little thriller had me wanting to read between my fingers!" 

Go here to order Stutter Creek while it's on sale: http://smarturl.it/stuttercreek

It's also on sale at: 

Amazon
iTunes
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords
Buy in Print $11.95

Be sure to read Chapter One of the follow up novel, LILAC LANE. It's included in the back of STUTTER CREEK, or you can go straight to the source and read it there: 

Lilac Lane http://tinyurl.com/qf2makb

"Ella and her son escaped her ex-husband's drunken wrath once. But now he's out of jail. Could that be him driving by their new house late at night, could he be causing all the strange noises in the attic? If it is him, can they survive another round with the madman?"

Here is another excerpt from one of the great books on sale for 99¢

A HEART ON HOLD 

Historical Fiction

War.  Devotion.  Deceit.  Death.  How long can a heart hold on before it breaks?  Most women would carry on with their lives after being thrust into widowhood, but not Charlotte Adamsland.  Upon learning that her husband, Captain Sanderson Redding, was killed in a botched escape from a Confederate prison in Illinois, she clings to his promise to return to her no matter what, and quickly heads north through a war-ravaged country with only her faith in God and her beloved horse to bring her beloved Sanderson home – one way or another.   $.99 ON SALE (ends 12-3)
Amazon
iTunes
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords
Buy in Print $12.95

Afterthoughts: Here are three more of my books on sale for 99¢ Ghost stories for all ages. 

Book One:
Stevie-girl and the Phantom Pilot

"Don't go in the spooky old house. No matter who dares you, no matter what lures you, do not go in!" 

http://ow.ly/rkYrw

It was the late 60s. The Beatles had washed across America like a British tsunami, Vietnam was a grainy, green and black dose of unreality on the evening news, a bunch of hippies had taken over San Francisco, and there was a heck of a rainstorm pouring down on Woodstock. But I didn’t know all that then.
I was a little bit lost, looking for something. I swear I didn’t go looking for a ghost...well, okay, maybe I did. But I didn’t expect to find one. Heck, I was just a kid. I didn’t expect much of anything. 

Book Two: Stevie-girl and the Phantom Student 

http://tinyurl.com/d47a8hs

 To us, 1970 was a time of beginnings, but to the country, it was a time of endings. National Guardsmen ended the lives of four students at Kent State College.  A hundred thousand marched on Washington to end the war in Vietnam, and in England, Paul McCartney announced the end of The Beatles.  It was also the year Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin both ended their lives through drug overdoses.  It felt as if the whole world was in turmoil.

            Our homeroom teacher said not to let the weight of the world stop us from being open to new experiences.  In fact she said it was more important than ever that we should be open-minded.  I wondered if she’d gone radical on us.  For a moment, I thought she might pick up a sign and start chanting.

            Come to find out, she was simply prepping us for a new addition to our eighth grade class at Crossroads Junior High.  His name was Derol Pavey and he had something called Tourette syndrome. 

Book Three: Stevie-girl and the Phantom of Crybaby Bridge http://tinyurl.com/n7pusfw 

            The year was 1971 and the time was like that hour between twilight and full dark, that time when anything is possible.  That’s how it was being young, I felt like the whole world was just waiting for me to blossom, to bloom, or to wither and fail.  And while I was waiting for something huge to happen . . . life kept on rolling along in fits and starts, never slowing, always moving.  Just like Stutter Creek, the one that meandered along beneath Crybaby Bridge.

For a FREE Apocalyptic Horror Novel~Nominate TAKERS

Want a FREE sci/fi horror novel? If you have an Amazon account, just click the link below and read the excerpt from my new novel TAKERS: Apocalypse in Eden Book 1. If you like what you read, click the NOMINATE button to help get it published, then YOU will get a FREE copy when it comes out. https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/2USOQOPJ0OLZ6

Takers is Book 1 in a sci/fi apocalyptic horror story featuring Jack and his best friend, Snake, the deaf pit bull. 

Afterthoughts:
They only want one thing ~ your soul. 

And the winner is ...

HH Kaufman78 was chosen by Random.org as the winner of the Amazon gift card as part of the Dystopian Bloghop giveaway.

Thanks to all of you for entering and for all the nominations and the wonderful comments.

Happy Reading to you all!

Dystopian Bloghop Giveaway

Starting November 1st  through  November 7th you could win a $10 Amazon Gift Card so that you
can buy whichever Dystopian Novel your heart desires.

All you have to do is leave a comment in the comment section below. Tell me which Dystopian novel is your favorite or which one you hope to buy with your gift card.

Then, for an extra entry, go here https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/2USOQOPJ0OLZ6 to nominate my new novel, TAKERS: Apocalypse in Eden, for publication by Kindle Scout. You can read an excerpt first - and if it's published, you will also get a FREE digital copy!

Be sure to leave me your email address so I can notify you if your name is chosen. Winner will be chosen through Random.org Just make sure to tell me if you should be entered once, or twice!

To return to the main blog page go here http://www.myshelfconfessions.com/dystopian-giveaway-hop/

Bloghop co-hosted by April at http://www.myshelfconfessions.com and Kathy at http://www.iamareader.com

Want to look over a list of the most popular dystopian novels? Go here https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/dystopian-novels

Best of luck!
Ann Swann

author of TAKERS: Apocalypse in Eden
Please nominate this novel for publication by Kindle Scout

Cool Questions from 8th Graders

I was privileged to be allowed to read to students at Bowie Junior High school a few weeks ago. Here are some things they asked:

What themes do you write about? I write about people who struggle. In the Phantom series, the two main characters struggle with loneliness and with growing up. In All For Love, the woman struggles with so many things from infidelity, to alcoholism, to abortion and suicide. And in Stutter Creek and Lilac Lane, the protagonists struggle just to stay alive.

Who inspired you to write?  Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King, Mary Stewart (The Crystal Cave); in other words, all my favorite authors

How long does it take to write a book?  From a few weeks to a few months. Writing in first person (like in my Phantom series) is much easier than third person like my adult series (for me, at least).

How do you get over writer's block?  If I get stuck on a story, it usually means my brain is fried, so I’ll go for a walk, or go to Sonic for a diet vanilla Coke. If I write myself into a corner from which I can’t possibly escape, I put that tale aside and start a new one. I have a file of hundreds of ideas for stories.

Were you excited when your first book was published?  Yes! I was also very excited the first time I had a short story published (way back in the dark ages). I remember getting a letter in the mail and literally screaming my head off inside my truck. I think I had picked up the mail and was sitting in there to open it.

Who is your favorite author?  Stephen King — although I have to say his earlier work excited me more than his recent work. I love Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, The Body (Stand by Me) and stories like that. I also loved The Dead Zone and The Stand. One of his newer works that I like is Joyland.

What is the hardest part of writing a book? Staying off Facebook and/or other social media. I also spend hours just reading articles on MSN, etc. I’m a very nosy person.

How do you decide on titles?  Sometimes the title comes right away, but sometimes it’s later, in the story. And then sometimes, it doesn’t come at all and I depend on friends and readers to help me find it.

Do you have other people help you with ideas?  Hmmm, no. I’m sort of close-mouthed about my ideas, but I do have a writing group (eh, Ms. Harris?) to help with rough drafts.

Do you have places you go to write?  No. Just my computer (s). Or if I get an idea away from them, I write in my iPhone notes or my handy dandy mini spiral that lives in my purse.

How many kids do you have? 2.5 (I inherited a beautiful daughter from my husband’s ex, but she isn’t actually my husband’s daughter. It’s complicated. LOL.)  I also have 5.5 grandchildren ;-)

Do you use symbols? Yes. And I usually don’t even know it until later, when I read it through.

What method do you use to brainstorm? Free writing — I just write without stopping and without thinking. It works best when I’m really tired. Which is most of the time.

What is your writing process? Catch as catch can. I love to write in the morning with a cup of coffee. And I always write the best parts first. I don’t outline, but I do write the ending as soon as possible. It’s like my goal, to get to the finish.

How do you choose your words to create a better mental image? The muse does that. My very best work doesn’t come to me consciously, but subconsciously. I really loved this line from ALL FOR LOVE, “The moonlight was seductive, it lay across the water like a transparent veil across a woman’s hair.” But I have no idea where that line came from. I wrote it out just like that, without stopping. And then I thought, well, I like that.

What is your favorite type of figurative language? Oh, I love metaphors, but similes are easier and they often pop into my work unbidden. I have to cut them out frequently. I also love onomatopoeia. Poe was the expert at making up his own sound words like susurration and tintinnabulation—I try to do that from time to time. I also fall into the alliteration trap sometimes—I love it, but it has to be seeded into sentences sparingly or it sort of starts to suck.

Why did you write Chems?  Awesome question! Chems came from an image of a boy finding a zombie in his dad’s toolshed. But I didn’t want just any old zombie—I wanted a zombie hero. So that’s what I wrote. I decided the government could make one using chemicals. Funny thing is, my cousin and I wrote an entire novel based on this blue pseudo zombie. We wrote every night sending the pages back and forth via email (she lives in Washington DC), but alas, the book somehow devolved into a zombie romance (I know, I know, it really was a horror story then) so it’s now simply lurking about in my Mac seeking asylum from the land of the dead novels.

Thanks for the cool questions kids. Take care and thanks to  your teacher for allowing me to come and invade your classroom!

Afterthought: Thank you, ToysRUs for coming back from the dark side. And thanks to the mom in Florida for helping them see the light. 

ToysRUs Has Gone to the Darkside

And I don't mean the Darth Vader darkside. If only life were still that simple.

Nope, this time the toy giant has gone plumb overboard.
Have you seen this article? http://time.com/money/3524670/toys-r-us-breaking-bad/ 

It says ToysRUs is now selling Breaking Bad characters complete with pretend bags of crystal meth and cash.

They admit they are doing this because sales have been lagging. So yes, it is true Virginia, there is no Santa and the all mighty dollar is the anti-Christ.

My question is, how did we get from Mickey, Minnie, and Barbie to this?

I'm not going to preach long. I just want to say one thing about this ridiculous ploy to make money. My niece is in jail. She, too, thought crystal meth was the ticket to the ball. She will probably not get out of prison until she's in her forties or fifties. This is her second or third time. She once told me meth is so addictive it makes heroin look like candy cigarettes. My once beautiful niece has not only lost twenty plus years of her life, she has also lost custody of her three year old daughter. That sweet baby can't understand why her mommy won't come and pick her up from her dad's house. She says she's visited him long enough, she's ready to go home now. But she no longer has a home with her mommy. Meth took care of that.

Wonder what that sweet girl would say about these wonderful new toys?

Afterthought: What's your opinion? 

Time and Bitty

It's Fall. I love this season - allergies and all. But this year it's especially poignant because I'm privileged to be in charge of the last grandchild not yet in school. Yes, I'm that old, but don't tell my inner child, she thinks we're still in our teens.

Bitty is three. He wants to go to school like his Mama, the teacher, and his two big brothers and big sister. On the other hand, he loves being the only one let out of the car at Audie's house in the cool-dark of predawn each weekday morning. Makes him feel oo-oo special (that's super-special in Bitty speak).

He has a slight speech imperfection if you hadn't noticed. We think he's simply imitating his older brother, Dawson, who has a major speech imperfection. They both call their Grandpa, Ah-ha. Do you see the pattern? Audie is Granny, Ah-ha is Grandpa. There is a technical name for this problem, leaving off the front sounds of words, I believe it's called Apraxia. It seems to be inherited. We'll blame it on Ah-ha.

I can't believe time has gone by so quickly that out of the four grandchildren who live nearby, this is going to be my last school year to keep one at home. Technically, he could go to preschool, he actually attends a speech class there twice a week, but I'm going to be selfish. I'm going to keep him with me so we can play and take walks and gather acorns and pine cones, read books and collect tiny black beetles and have paper airplane wars. It may be our last chance to act like children before the world gets us in its immutable grasp.

Afterthought: Thank goodness he's such a good napper. I wrote this while he was sleeping. Now, on to my book.

Interview with Denise Vitola, Science Fiction Author

Hi Denise:  Thank you for agreeing to share yourself with my readers today. I know you are an author and an editor, but please tell the readers what sort of books you write and how many you’ve had published.

I’ve published 12 novels and several short stories. I write dystopian science fiction mostly, but many would say I stray into fantasy and definitely into horror. My books would be considered cross genre, because most of them are also detective mysteries.

That’s a fair number of novels in publication. Which one would you say changed your life?

My first novel, Half-Light, sold back in 1991 to TSR, Inc., the makers of Dungeons and Dragons. I spent eight years teaching myself to write. There was no such thing as the Internet in those days, so I practically lived at the library and read old issues of The Writer to learn my craft. Half-Light was an old-fashioned space opera, but it was a love story, too.

When it was bought, I was actually on the phone with my agent. We were celebrating the fact that I’d sold, just that day a short story to Amazing Stories Magazine. Along came the call, she put me on hold, and returned breathless!

From there, it was no stopping me. I knew I wanted to be a writer. I wanted out of the 9 to 5 world as badly as anyone could ever want it. Half-Light fired my engines like no other book. I would get up at 4 a.m. and write until 6 a.m. Find a quiet office at lunch and write for an hour. I would come home at 5:30 p.m. and write until 9 p.m. I would write all weekend and every holiday. (I had a very understanding husband.) It was because of my early success with Half-Light that I realized my life was all about writing.

That sounds wonderful to me. Can you think of a book—written by another author—that had some sort of impact on your life?

There were many, but the one that cried, “You love science fiction and you know it!” was Frank Herbert’s DUNE. I got so lost in his universe that it was hard to find my way out again.

Being both a traditionally published author, and an indie author, are there any insights you can share? In other words, what do you see as the pros and cons of each?

I think the only pro of traditional publishers is the monetary advance when you sell your book. Everything else is the same. You have to write the best story you can and deal with an editor, and if you’re an indie, I strongly advise finding a good editor to make your words shine. Many new writers think that traditional publishers will give you the book tour and publicity, but unless you are one of the privileged elite, you can forget that. You are on your own. The one big pro of indie publishing is that you get to be your own boss. You don’t have to worry about bringing your book into line with the publisher’s policies. You can write whatever you please.

That is a big plus, isn’t it? So speaking of Indie publishing, which do you think is more important for catching the reader’s eye: cover art, the blurb, or reviews? Or is it something entirely different?

A great cover and a strong blurb are always important. Reviews never really tell you if you will love or hate a book because art is subjective. I think the most important thing for catching a reader’s eye is the first page of the story. If those first couple of paragraphs wow ‘em, then they’ll buy the book and keep reading.

I know you are also an artist. Do you design your own covers? Or do you design for others?  

I design my own book covers, but I know so many digital artists now that my next book cover will probably get worked over by a great illustrator.

What was your very first written work? (I think mine was a story when I was twelve or fourteen years old.)

I wrote a complete detective novel when I was about eleven or twelve. It was about 50,000 words and my dad diligently typed it up for me. It wasn’t a kid’s novel, either. I used cursed words and shot people, laid in clues and red herrings. I was determined to be the next Mickey Spillane.

I know from experience that you are also a top-notch editor. Please tell us how you got into editing and give us a brief description of what a good editor can do for a book.

I started editing books about 37 years ago after I did a stint as an assistant editor for a newsletter written for the United States National Commission for UNESCO. My boss taught me everything she knew. I took several English courses and suddenly, out of the blue, people started asking me to edit their novels. From that point on, I was inundated with clients.

I think a good editor is a good writing teacher. I try to help my clients understand why certain changes need to be made. If they need a bit of a refresher on various areas of writing, and if they are open to it, I will give them ‘assignments’ to write something a bit differently.

A good editor doesn’t just correct your grammar. A good editor will help you develop a book by showing you how to get the best out of the story, the language, and the characters. He doesn’t write the book for you, though. A good editor can only suggest changes. He should always remember that the book belongs to the writer.

I totally agree. You taught me so much with my first two books. So tell me, just how many incarnations of Denise have there been in this life? By that I mean what were your previous jobs, or have you always been an author/editor?

For many years, writing was my avocation. My day job was with the Department of State and the United Nations, and then in the late ‘80s I moved over to the Department of Defense. I’ve always worked in the higher echelons of the government—the Office of the Secretary of State or the Office of the Secretary of Defense. I was an Executive Secretary, which meant I kept the admin pool running while pouring coffee for dignitaries and generals.

I’m always interested in what drives a person. Give us your favorite life-quote and share the significance if you will.

The 20^th Century mystic, Edgar Cayce, once said, “You’ll not be in heaven if you’re not leaning on the arm of someone you have helped.” I have always tried to maintain this simple philosophy in my life, and I hope that it is reciprocal.

Oh, I absolutely love that quote. How about treating us to a favorite scene or passage from one of your books. 

I think my favorite passage comes from my latest book, THOMAS TALKS TO ME, How to Create Your Own Muse. Thomas is an angel who brought the gift of writing to the world. He ends the book by saying:

“Words are the gift for Humanity, one I paid a high price to bring. I beg you not to forget that. Placing your truth before the world is vitally important for a writer to remember and honor. You are not just writing for money. You’re writing for a legacy. You’re writing to bring people hope, inspiration, and freedom of thought. Whether you are crafting fiction, non-fiction, flash, poetry or essays, your words have impact. They are the only real magic in the Universe.”

That’s true, words are magic. And speaking of magic, if you could be any kind of animal in the next life, what would it be, and why?

I want to be a cat with opposable thumbs, who knows how to type.

Haha! That’s a scary thought, Denise. Is there anything in the world that scares you?

The thing I am most afraid of is that folks will stop reading my words. Seriously. It scares me more than death, itself.

Spoken like a true writer. Thanks for playing Q & A with us today. I look forward to working with you again one day.

To find out more about Denise and her books, check out the link below.

My website is http://www.thomas-talks-to-me.com. You can find book covers and links to my books, as well as icons that take you to my Facebook page and my Twitter Feed.

Afterthought: The winner of the Banned Book from last week is Leah

leah(@)whiteskyproject.com  Congrats, Leah. I will email you!

Banned Books Week - Giveaway Blog Hop 9/21 - 9/27

This blogpost is dedicated to bringing attention to the idea that certain books should be banned because of questionable content or language. Many books are pulled from public schools and public libraries because a few people want to impose their beliefs upon the majority of the population. I personally think that is dangerous. 

I was brought up with the idea that if you CAN read it, then you MAY read it. So I read anything and everything that piqued my interest. I raised my own daughter the same way. Now here's where I may differ from others in this campaign: I don't believe the same ideas extend to other forms of entertainment such as video games and movies. Those are passive pasttimes. They don't require any brain power. That's a huge difference if you ask me.

Books make you think, and if you aren't able to read and understand the words in the book, then you probably aren't going to attempt the material. Visual media, on the other hand, doesn't require one to have a working vocabulary. Quite the contrary, images on a screen are "fed" into your brain at warp speed whether you are "mature" enough for them, or not. I think this is dangerous, too. But that's another topic.

For this post, I'll just conclude by saying that some of my favorite reads were (or still are) on the banned books list (according to the American Library Association's website). These books are:
The Grapes of Wrath
To Kill a Mockingbird
Call of the Wild
The Color Purple
Animal Farm
1984 

More recent additions are the kids books, Captain Underpants, and the YA series, The Hunger Games.

I could go on an on, the list is very lengthy, but I think you get my point. Yes, there is controversy in all of these books, that's what makes them "good reads." 

If you would like to win an electronic copy of any banned book, just mention that book in a comment on this blog post (along with your email address), and at the end of the week, I will let Random.org select the winner. I will then email you the electronic version of that book.

Also sponsored by I Am A Reader: http://www.iamareader.com/

Afterthought:  To learn more about banned books, check out this website BANNED BOOK WEEK 

Here are the other participating blogs: 

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Bullying Leads to Suicide

"It often requires more courage to dare to do right than to fear to do wrong." -Abraham Lincoln

I don't often voice my opinions on current events, but every now and then I have to speak up. In light of something that happened in our little corner of Texas, the above quote seemed especially relevant.

You see, a little twelve-year-old girl took her own life this past week. No, I did not know her, but apparently she was being bullied both at school and on social media. Her profile picture shows a smiling face befitting that of an angel. And now--NOW--students are flooding her page with messages of love.   I can't even begin to express the sorrow and anger I feel, and yet child suicide is no longer an infrequent occurence. Some news reports stated that suicide is the third most common cause of death in children ages ten to fourteen.

Why am I writing about this in my usually book-laced blog? Is it because suicide has touched my own life? Not really, although it certainly has. This time it's because I taught this age group for many years--ages ten to twelve--and I know how easily this sort of thing can happen. It only takes one or two ugly comments to ruin a child's day. Pile comment on top of comment and over time, it can obviously ruin a child's life.

Besides, I had to write about it. Writing is what I do. When something bothers me, or hits too close to home, I write about it. I only wish that sweet little angel had lived long enough to develop such an outlet. Maybe another child will be touched by her death. Maybe that other one will cease to be a bully. Or perhaps that other one will open up and let someone else share his/her burden before it's too late. 

If we keep talking about it, maybe it will happen.

• If you or someone you know is battling depression or have ever considered taking your own life, help is available. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a free service for anyone needing help. Their number is 1-800-273-TALK.

For Valrie Stover, Rest in Peace little angel.