Tuesday, November 30, 2010

A Great List of Realistic Fiction! (The War of the Worlds, etc.)

If you like fiction that could be real, seems real, check out this list of Realistic Fiction that writer, Philip Chen developed on Amazon. Of course Dating My Vibrator (and other true fiction) is included!

And be sure to check out Phil's book Falling Star (The Watchers)

Here's a description of the book and Phil's bio--very impressive!



The World is at risk; not the ordinary risk seen every night on prime time news, but a horrific one that portends the possibility of total annihilation. Mysterious objects have been found buried deep in the murky depths of the ocean. Despite massive governmental efforts to uncover their real meaning the objects remained silent for decades. But something has happened. These objects wake up and start sending messages to outer space. Mike is pulled back into a clandestine world that he thought he had left behind to help decipher these messages. But he is attacked by gangs of ordinary looking Americans and must fight for his very life. Who are these attackers? Why have they targeted Mike and his colleagues in the secret agency? On top of these interwoven threats, Mike learns that a revered friend has died. With the death of this friend, is mankind's last hope for understanding the signals lost forever in the silt and muck of the ocean bottom? Mike's personal journey through 1960s America forms a backdrop to unraveling this mystery.

Robin Hathaway, well-known mystery writer of the Dr. Fenimore and other series and an Agatha Award (1998) and the David G. Sasher, Sr. Award (2009) winner writes,

"The discovery and subsequent search for a mysterious weapon buried deep in American waters, is the chilling subject of this thriller. The author’s knowledge of engineering and his use of specific detail increase the credibility of this intriguing story. A colorful cast of characters are involved in the search and their dramatic interaction is vividly portrayed.
Anyone interested in the future of America’s defense and weaponry will find this novel gripping."

********

Cover photo (c) by Tomo Yun 



About the Author:

Philip Chen was born in China in 1944 and immigrated to the United States in 1949. Growing up in Washington, D.C., during the 1950s and 1960s, Philip learned both the pains and triumphs of American society at a crucial turning point in America's history. After receiving a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Distinction from the University of Virginia and a Master of Science from Stanford University, he worked as an ocean research engineer in the development of deep submergence systems. Part of his work dealt with vehicles that could freely dive to 20,000 feet of water depth. He also participated as a hyperbaric chamber operator for manned dives inside a pressure chamber to 1,500 feet. He holds one U.S. Patent for an underwater mooring system. After his stint as an ocean research engineer, Philip was an environmental and energy engineer, a trial attorney, a public securities attorney, an investment banker, a corporate executive, a private equity manager (in Africa), a strategic consultant, a cartoonist, an illustrator, a website manager, and author. He received his law degree from the University of Minnesota. One of his mentors once told Philip that it wasn't that he couldn't hold down a job; he couldn't even hold down a career! Philip's biography has been included in Who's Who in America and in Who's Who in the World for many years.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

In the Final Hour: Rabbit Wins!

It’s still a mystery to me how poor Rabbit managed to leap ahead, after lagging behind, and win Red Adept's Eulogy Contest, but I’d like to thank everyone who voted for any of the eulogies. The competition was tough! 


REMINDER: Rabbit’s funeral will be held today, and his dear friend, the Energizer Bunny, will officiate. I’m sure Rabbit would be touched to know you came.


The assignment was: Write a eulogy for a character in your book. Rabbit plays a minor (but important) role in my collection of short stories Dating My Vibrator (and other true fiction). All this notoriety for Rabbit reminds me of the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead--just proves, as soon as someone keels over, we finally appreciate their value. A reminder to all of us to appreciate what we have!


Who knew Rabbit's demise would generate such profound thought...  Anyway, here's the eulogy:


Today, I say good-bye to the deceased, my dearest, most intimate friend. When we met, I was recently divorced, lonely, bereft. I needed someone, desperately, on whom I could rely, someone to connect with deeply—willing to plunge the depths of me. Then you showed up, signed, sealed and delivered. One touch and, instantly, I responded. You were a mover and a shaker, better than any man I’d ever known. You came on strong and filled the void my ex had left. But now, in the hour of my greatest need, I must say adieu. I blame myself for your death. I blame myself for ignoring you, for not paying attention. I could tell you were run down, over-worked, exhausted. But I thought only of my selfish needs and continued using you. Now I suffer for your loss. Nothing in this life is really guaranteed. No matter what they claim, you are not replaceable. Now, as I lay you in this box, preparing to return to your maker, I say goodbye to the friend who never let me down—until today, when I burnt out your battery. You will be missed, dear Rabbit.









Saturday, November 27, 2010

Dating My Vibrator is now on Smashwords

I finally did it (with help from Blake Crouch)--published Dating My Vibrator (and other true fiction) on Smashwords.

I've hesitated to publish there, because of Smashword's tendency to arbitrarily lower the price of books without notification--that can have an adverse effect on Kindle pricing and lead to lower royalties. But at .99 cents, what can I lose? And Smashwords offers a large platform. So far not much has happened. My status shows that approval is still pending, and it's been about a week. Slow. But somehow people have managed to download free samples. Hmmmmm. I'll keep you posted!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Finals for Red Adept's Eulogy Contest--VOTE for your Fave ! (Rabbit's is #1)

Red Adept's Eulogy Contest is in the final round. For those of you who voted the first time around for Rabbit's Eulogy--Thank you! Please choose your favorite. (Rabbit's is #1)

The Challenge: to write a eulogy for a character from our book
The Prize: up to 3 weeks of advertising during the Christmas season on Red Adept's site.
(Red Adept is a well know reviewer)

I wrote a review for a character from Dating My Vibrator (and other true fiction) I'll post it here after the contest!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Suzanne

Friday, November 19, 2010

Give Someone a Kindle Book -- No Kindle Necessary

Just in time for the holidays, Amazon has made it possible to give a Kindle book as a gift. No Kindle necessary--it can be downloaded on a PC or Mac. To find out more, read this article: Give a Kindle Book

Amazon continues to be the leader in ePublishing.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Great Review from The Romance Reviews

The Romance Reviews gave Dating My Vibrator (and other true fiction) a great review today. Check out this site for information about books: reviews, contests, interaction. A good place for readers and authors.



Saturday, November 13, 2010

Ups and Downs in ePublishing

Dating My Vibrator (and other true fiction) has had a stellar week in sales thanks to a lot of help from fellow bloggers. Joe Konrath listed a fellow Kindle Boarders on his blog and that was picked up by Kindle Nation Daily. And the book was also featured on The Frugal eReader, a great site for finding deals on eBooks. Plus my eulogy for Rabbit was the winner for week one of Red Adept's Eulogy Contest.

Whew! What a week. Thanks to everyone!

The result has been: I've sold three times as many books in a week than I usually sell in a month.

At one book the book was ranked 1350 (out of 400,000) in the Kindleboards, showed up as #13 in short stories on Kindle, and #38 in short stories in all of Amazon.

So, I'm plugging away. Collaboration and networking are everything--especially if you're self-promoting a book. 

Just finished my rewrite and proof of Vestal Virgin -- it's out with readers and will be formatted at the end of the month. I'll keep you posted.

Suzanne

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Rabbit's Eulogy is the winner for Week One of Red Adept's eulogy contest!

Rabbit, a character from Dating My Vibrator (and other true fiction), has the winning eulogy for Week One of Red Adept's eulogy contest. Thank you for voting! Services for Rabbit will be led by his dear friend, the Energizer Bunny. I'm sure Rabbit would appreciate it if you come.

The finals for the contest will be held in a few weeks. The prize is advertising for a book on Red Adept's popular ebook review site. I will keep you posted.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

J.A. Konrath -- authors helping authors

J.A. Konrath is truly "The King of Kindle." He has been a advocate for eBooks and indie authors, offering a lot of information to fellow writers at no cost. Check out his blog to see the latest collaboration effort. Joe invited writers on KindleBoards to buy Draculas, the book he wrote with Blake Crouch, F. Paul Wilson and Jeff Strand, and in return he and Blake bought the writer's book and posted that book on Joe's blog.

I love ePublishing because writers help each other. Again and again, I see people sharing information, promoting each other, offering encouragement, discussing writing issues, even design book covers for very little or nothing. It's an incredible community. And J.A. Konrath is a leader.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Honorable Mention from Red Adept

Red Adept Reviews gave Dating My Vibrator (and other true fiction) a very nice honorable mention today. She says, "the writing style was terrific, with good imagery."


And thanks to everyone who voted for my Vibrator Eulogy! (Also on Red Adept Reviews)

Monday, November 1, 2010

I need your help!

Red Adept--the well known ebook reviewer--is holding a contest, and I need your vote!

I wrote a eulogy for Dating My Vibrator (and other true fiction) -- if you like it, please vote for #2 at this website Red Adept Eulogy Contest I could win advertising for my book.

Thanks!