Trad. vs Indie, a Personal View – Encore

Author John Barlow
Author John Barlow

[John’s on hiatus, so let’s revisit his post which started it all. Enjoy. – The Editors.]

I’ve been lucky as an author. Without ever making it onto the bestseller lists, I’ve managed to keep going as a free-lance writer since I quit my day job in 2004. Work as a journalist and ghost-writer has helped to make ends meet, but writing books for traditional publishers has been the main focus of my energy.

However, I recently began to ask myself whether it still made sense for a mid-lister like me to keep chasing traditional book deals as part of the professional mix of a free-lancer? As the indie revolution gains momentum, more and more writers are thinking of jumping ship. Last year I indie-published a humorous novel to test the water, using a pseudonym. The experience was strangely enjoyable, so with my latest serious work of fiction, a crime mystery, I’ve gone totally Kindle (and Kobo etc.). Here are a few thoughts on my experiences on my trad-to-indie switch. Continue reading “Trad. vs Indie, a Personal View – Encore”

Video Trailer: The Rock Hole

The Rock HoleWhen Constable Ned Parker is summoned to a hot cornfield one morning in the small Texas community of Center Springs to examine the remains of a tortured bird dog, he finds a dark presence in their quiet community. Ned is usually confident when it comes to handling moonshiners, drunks and domestic disputes. But the animal atrocities turn to murder, and the investigation spins beyond the old man’s abilities. Ned combines forces with John Washington, the almost mythical black deputy sheriff from nearby Chisum, to track down a murderer who is rapidly becoming a threat to his own family.


The Rock Hole, the mystery novel by Reavis Z. Wortham, is available from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.


 

Five Tips for Writing Action Scenes

Action sequences can make or break your book. We live in a world of action movies, but that doesn’t mean that our writing has to become one giant action scene. So, here’s a little checklist to make sure you don’t go overboard with your action scenes.

Continue reading “Five Tips for Writing Action Scenes”

Flash Fiction Challenge: Summer Fun

Photo by K.S. Brooks

This is the place. This is where you and your friends always had the best time. You came here every summer as a kid.

Tell us your favorite memory. Did you sneak under a carnival tent to pet an elephant? Was it the year you saw the kid who always bullied you throwing up after a roller-coaster ride? Maybe a first kiss shared with someone special that time you got stuck at the top of the Ferris wheel? In 250 words or less, tell me a story incorporating the elements in the picture. The 250 word limit will be strictly enforced.

Please keep language and subject matter to a PG-13 level.

Use the comment section below to submit your entry. Entries will be accepted until 5:00 PM Pacific Time on Tuesday, August 28th 2012.

On Wednesday morning, we will open voting to the public with an online poll for the best writing entry accompanying the photo. Voting will be open until 5:00 PM Thursday.

On Friday morning, the winner will be recognized as we post the winning entry along with the picture as a feature. Best of luck to you all in your writing!

Entries only in the comment section. Other comments will be deleted.