Excellent eBook Deals!

ebook dealsHere you go – a bunch of new free and bargain eBooks to read, just for you! You can fill up that Kindle now with the free and 99 cent eBook deals right here on Thrifty Thursday.

Readers: look in the comment section below. If you see one you like, click over and buy it. How easy is that? (If you don’t see the book covers, adjust your browser’s adblock settings.) Continue reading “Excellent eBook Deals!”

Which “Concert” Flash Fiction Story Gets Your Vote?

Vote5It’s that time again…time to choose your favorite flash fiction story of the week! It’s all up to you now – only one can win Flash Fiction Readers’ Choice Champion honors. It’s super easy – choose your favorite and cast your vote below.

Check out this week’s entries here. Make your decision, then use those share buttons at the bottom of the post to spread the word. Attention Authors: It is okay if you ask people to vote for you!

Voting polls close Thursday at 5 PM Pacific time. If the poll doesn’t close on time, any votes received after 5 pm will be removed.

REMINDER – entries over the 250 limit are disqualified.

Which "Concert" flash fiction story deserves your vote this week?

  • Rafael Rodriguez (43%, 16 Votes)
  • Annette Rey (14%, 5 Votes)
  • D. Douglas Mains (8%, 3 Votes)
  • JB Wocoski (5%, 2 Votes)
  • Judith Garcia (5%, 2 Votes)
  • Ann Zimmerman (5%, 2 Votes)
  • William Weiss (5%, 2 Votes)
  • Biswajit Mukhopadhyay (5%, 2 Votes)
  • Luigi Silvestri (3%, 1 Votes)
  • Rafael Rodriguez (3%, 1 Votes)
  • John P Marentay (3%, 1 Votes)
  • Paula Evans (0%, 0 Votes)
  • Marc Twine (0%, 0 Votes)
  • Amy Wood (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 37

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NOTE: Entrants whose submissions exceed the 250 word limit will be disqualified even if they win. ONE VOTE PER PERSON, please. Duplicate votes will be deleted. The results displayed above are unofficial until verified by administration.

Book Promotions: What Type to Use When

book promotion zeppelin-1817476_960_720 3As indie authors, we have a wealth of types of marketing and promotional opportunities available to us. However, some types aren’t as effective as others, and some are more effective when you’re farther along in your career. As a newbie, where should you concentrate your efforts? As a more seasoned indie, what will boost you to the next level of visibility and sales?

Here’s one list, together with our recommendations for when best to employ each type. Some are free; some, not so much. I’ve included a $ next to the ones that will cost you money. Continue reading “Book Promotions: What Type to Use When”

Why Scientists Shouldn’t Write Science Fiction

scientists writing science fiction LAB BOOKAnd why detectives need to be careful writing Detective Fiction, etcetera. Experts tend to fill their novels with esoteric information that gets in the way of the story, so choose your atmospheric/tech descriptions wisely.

Okay, Isaac Asimov had a PhD in Biochemistry. He was a genius. But I think it is safe to assume that you’re not. And if you are, you shouldn’t be listening to me anyway. Go away and create a brave new genre, and leave us plods in the dust trying to explain why you are so successful.

Asimov’s genius was in using his scientific background to make his Sci-Fi believable, but not letting it become the be-all and end-all of his work.

That is the bane of science fiction writers. So many of them think that they can create all sorts of verisimilitude by having wonderfully accurate science in their stories. And they are wrong. Because what the vast majority of people want is good stories. They couldn’t care less about the science. Readers want realistic characters, not realistic science.

Let me give you an example. Continue reading “Why Scientists Shouldn’t Write Science Fiction”