tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47326867164564260672024-02-07T18:08:22.535-06:00On The BirdCharacter driven storytellingJohn Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-80462345781472939072013-12-09T23:33:00.000-06:002013-12-09T23:33:11.733-06:00FLICKERS launch!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SkXysMUgG_2wuf2VZw9vssXLIYYMEz8Fr4z6f88v9z1fAS9IeVRTgUKB8pL5OwxyhAr44jsKYhdCVrmMamVTKqZ6Gelai9sQACTeC3XxP-qI9eHAvuQKkgvdhWbkmDcP-4apIgUMo0w/s1600/Flickers_CVR_MED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SkXysMUgG_2wuf2VZw9vssXLIYYMEz8Fr4z6f88v9z1fAS9IeVRTgUKB8pL5OwxyhAr44jsKYhdCVrmMamVTKqZ6Gelai9sQACTeC3XxP-qI9eHAvuQKkgvdhWbkmDcP-4apIgUMo0w/s320/Flickers_CVR_MED.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flickers-Weaver-Saga-John-Abramowitz-ebook/dp/B00H7NWS1M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1386652247&sr=1-1">Flickers</a> </i>on Amazon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/386583">Flickers</a> </i>on Smashwords</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">At last, Alex and Moira's story continues!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Alex Cronlord has failed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The zombie apocalypse that she
foresaw months ago has come to pass--in part because of her visions. Trapped in
the now-quarantined city of Dallas, Alex struggles both with the undead and
with her own guilt. She blames herself for the fall of Dallas, for leaving FBI
Agent Moira McBain to die, and for the lies she's still telling her father. When
Zach, her friend and fellow superpowered fighter, makes a startling confession,
it only increases Alex's inner turmoil.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Unknown to Alex, Moira is still
alive. Imprisoned in an alternate dimension and facing certain death, Moira
receives help from an unlikely source. To get home, she must fight her way past
both the soul-sucking Xorda and a frightening and mysterious group of
werewolves. She knows who her enemies are. But can she trust her only ally?</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-47566577873036894412013-12-02T19:37:00.001-06:002013-12-02T19:37:15.698-06:00Linguistic Love Blog Tour<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqcVeLjogB9SHndSwBrX4z0wEbEPrxDpXCEJ0fHKJMdt6bkY_M_koVIrZXWdTuVBrZRasKh3wg-g60hB8jdeQoGsGXmY6v8aNrg_eEENMORVLQlzLytd_M_2-NoomvX2HaZHSl4ExQLdo/s1600/Chryse11-4-13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqcVeLjogB9SHndSwBrX4z0wEbEPrxDpXCEJ0fHKJMdt6bkY_M_koVIrZXWdTuVBrZRasKh3wg-g60hB8jdeQoGsGXmY6v8aNrg_eEENMORVLQlzLytd_M_2-NoomvX2HaZHSl4ExQLdo/s320/Chryse11-4-13.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Today I welcome my editor, Chryse Wymer (she's the reason that <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Identity-Theft-Hunter-Gamble-Abramowitz-ebook/dp/B00CDB3K74/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1386034209&sr=8-3&keywords=John+Abramowitz">Identity Theft</a></i> was and Flickers will be technically flawless), who's showing off her glorious grammatical gifts (one might even say, her fantastical phrasal finesse) and looking for new clients, too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Enough with the rhyming, here she is:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thank you to
John Abramowitz, who has graciously allowed me the blog space to talk
about grammar. Well, in this case, I’m talking about <span style="font-size: small;"><i>usage.
</i></span><span style="font-size: small;">This
is the second part of my series on commas. If you are interested in
reading part one, visit A.B Shepherd’s blog at
<a href="http://www.abshepherd.net/">http://www.abshepherd.net/</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This month,
I’ll be hopping along from blog to blog to share my knowledge on
the nuts and bolts of great writing. I am a copy editor, proofreader,
and author—published both traditionally and independently. I’m
also raffling off Amazon gift cards to get you started on your
editing bookshelves. So here goes:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">COMMAS – PART
TWO</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As I said in
the previous blog, a comma’s main function is to <span style="font-size: small;"><i>separate.
</i></span>I
wrote about this in detail, as well as the first function of a comma,
at <a href="http://www.abshepherd.net/">http://www.abshepherd.net/</a>.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The second
function of a comma is to separate coordinated main clauses. (A
clause is a sentence part that contains a subject and a verb.) The
easiest way to look at this is that if you have two independent
clauses that are joined by the conjunctions <span style="font-size: small;"><i>for,
and, nor, but, or, yet, so</i></span>,
then a comma is generally used to separate them, e.g.: The front
windshield was cracked [,] and a zombie lay writhing on the hood.
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Comma
needed.</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are a
couple of exceptions with coordinated main clauses: (1) when the main
clauses are closely linked <span style="font-size: small;"><i><Do
as I tell you </i></span>[no
comma] <span style="font-size: small;"><i>and
you won’t regret it>; </i></span>and
(2) when the subject of the second independent clause, being the same
as in the first, is not repeated. <span style="font-size: small;"><i><They
were digging through trash cans and shambling across lawns.></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The third
function of a comma is to separate most introductory matter from the
main clause, often to prevent confusion. The introductory matter may
be a word <However,>, a phrase <In the meantime>, or a
subordinate clause <If you hate her so much,>. Very short
matter may not need this comma <On Friday we have music class>,
but phrases of three or more words usually do—and even the shortest
of dependent clauses always do. <That said,>. In almost every
case of introductory matter usage, a comma increases clarity. It
never hurts to use it, and sometimes, it’s absolutely imperative.
<While eating, the baby clapped her hands.>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="" name="_GoBack"></a>The
fourth function of a comma is to mark the beginning and end of a
parenthetical word or phrase, an appositive, or nonrestrictive
clause—e.g.: “I am sure[,] however[,] that dogs bite harder than
lizards.”/ “Doug[,] who is single[,] doesn’t like to dance.”/
“She wants to play Jesus, which is traditionally a baby’s role,
at the church’s nativity play.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="" name="Editing"></a>Join
me tomorrow at Robynn Gabel’s blog: <a href="http://dupler.org/">http://dupler.org/</a>,
where I will continue to discuss the function of a comma.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">BIOGRAPHY</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Chryse Wymer is
a freelance copy editor and proofreader whose main focus is on indie
writers. Her clients have been well reviewed, and one was recently
chosen as a top-five finalist in The Kindle Book Review's 2013 Best
Indie Book Awards in his category: mystery/thriller. For some years,
she has been particularly obsessed with William S. Burroughs’s
writing, who happened to coin the term <span style="font-size: small;"><i>heavy
metal</i></span>
... her favorite music. She’s also a published (traditionally and
indie) author. You can contact her at chrysewymer@yahoo.com, follow
her on twitter: @ChryseWymer, or like her on Facebook:
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChryseWymer"><span style="color: #00000a;">https://www.facebook.com/ChryseWymer</span></a>.
For more information and/or pricing, e-mail (above) or visit her Web
site: <a href="http://ocdeditor.weebly.com/"><span style="color: #00000a;">http://ocdeditor.weebly.com/</span></a>
(and yes, the first letter of Web site is capitalized. Look it up on
Merriam-Webster’s.)
</span><br />
<br />
<br />
</div>
John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-89120252020973560242013-11-01T19:49:00.000-05:002013-11-01T19:49:22.502-05:00Sneak Peek at Flickers!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLbGpK2Exa2VHMja-W07NZL4IocKJ5TLbWRZVYzeOIkCWOdUbwsiMLPvb2yLgHdow00jsiH_-IyfoSb7SsuYFP38A7fXgNyY808VlWBpec9bhHHMk9ZNgYP7e4-WEPl0aDYvNDph1dpQ/s1600/Flickers_CVR_MED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLbGpK2Exa2VHMja-W07NZL4IocKJ5TLbWRZVYzeOIkCWOdUbwsiMLPvb2yLgHdow00jsiH_-IyfoSb7SsuYFP38A7fXgNyY808VlWBpec9bhHHMk9ZNgYP7e4-WEPl0aDYvNDph1dpQ/s320/Flickers_CVR_MED.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">Just a little farther. Just a liiiiittle farther….</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">With every creeping step Alex Cronlord took toward her front door, her heart seemed to leap into her throat. Zach was just outside. Soon she’d be off to a movie and… whatever else he had planned. All she had to do was get out the door without being heard. She took another step…. Then another…. Her hand reached for the knob….</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Going somewhere, young lady?” That’s just the sort of thing Dad would say.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Alex froze as the contralto voice rang out from behind her. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">So close! </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Arranging her face into pure innocence, she turned to face her mother, who stood a few feet away with her hands on her hips. That’s just the sort of thing she would do.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Just out with a friend.” Alex squirmed under the glare of those green eyes. “I told you about it, remember? You said I could.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Technically, that was true, but Alex knew that wasn’t why she and her mother were having a staring contest. Or rather, why her mother was staring at </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">her</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> and she was trying to avoid the sudden impulse to run up to her room and hide.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">To be a normal teenager living with a normal family and going out to do normal things. But this….</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“I also said that if you’re going out with a boy, I want to </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">meet</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> him first.” Neither the older woman’s tone nor her posture left any room for disagreement. Turning her head, she called, “James!” </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">Definitely</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> the sort of “disagreement” they would have.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Alex let out a deep sigh. Getting up the nerve to ask a boy out had been a big deal for her— who knew if he’d still want to go once her mother got through with him? </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">Next time I’m climbing out a window….</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> “Come on, Mom. I’m sixteen. Don’t you think—” Before she could finish the sentence, her father’s voice rang out.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Her eyes brimmed over. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">This wasn’t real.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Yes, honey?” he said as he descended the stairs. Coming to a stop next to his wife, he wrapped an arm around her waist. The hint of a frown touched his lips as he glanced at Alex. “Everything all right?”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Dad,” Alex said, letting the words tumble out of her mouth without even stopping for breath. “I’m supposed to go to a movie with Zach tonight and it’s probably the only date I’ll have in my life ever and Mom’s </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">determined</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> to ruin it and—”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Her father laughed, holding up one hand in a “stop” gesture. “That’s a little melodramatic, don’t you think, sweetie? We just want to meet this Zach; that’s all. We’re curious. Are you afraid we won’t approve?”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">Well, given that Mom barely approves of </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">me</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;"> most of the time….</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Alex knew better than to say that. “No.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Then open the door,” her father said. “Let’s meet him.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Holding back a sigh, Alex turned and reached for the doorknob….</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">This was her fantasy. Real life was… </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">complicated.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 18px;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">—</span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 600;">Thursday, 3:32 p.m.</span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 600;">Alex Cronlord</span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 18px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“You’re still here?</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The contralto voice brought Alex out of her thoughts. She was standing in her childhood home all right, but unlike in her daydream, the front door had a deadbolt on it. The windows were boarded over, too. And the stinging sensation in her left arm reminded her of the injection she’d gotten just hours before.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">All the energy seemed to leave her body in an instant. She’d have given anything to live in that dreamworld for just a few seconds more. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">But you can’t. And it’s your own fault.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Trying as hard as she could to look like nothing was wrong, Alex turned around. Her mother stood there, just as she’d imagined—but without her father. Holding back a sigh, she said, “Huh?”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“I’m surprised you’re still here. I thought you’d be eager to get back to James.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Was that bitterness she heard in those last words? “I was just… thinking. That’s all.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Her mother arched an eyebrow. “Oh? About what?”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Alex knew better than to tell her mother what was really on her mind. She could hear the older woman’s stern reply in her head: “What’s happened has happened. Your life is what it is. Don’t waste time on fantasies.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Nothing.” Without waiting for a reply, she turned, opened the door, and stepped through it.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Just like in her daydream, Zach Mason was waiting for her on the porch. But it wasn’t for a date. For some reason, the wiry young man always insisted on coming with her when she went to get an injection. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">Wish I knew why he does that.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> As always, his jet-black hair was tied back in a ponytail, and there was a hardness about him that belied the boyish innocence in his features.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“We get attacked on the way back,” Alex said, stepping past him and onto the front lawn. As she walked, her right hand dropped to the gun at her side. Reassurance washed over her as her fingers closed around the cool metal of the butt.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Full-blown Xorda, or the gimpy zombie kind?” Zach asked. His voice suggested that he relished either prospect.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“The zombie kind. One of them drops right off the overpass and onto the hood of the car. You crash. We get swarmed.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Guess we’re taking the long way back to the hideout, then,” Zach said, referring to the abandoned building where a small group of survivors had taken refuge after the city had been overrun. “I take it you had a vision?”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Always do when I get a shot.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Alex stepped off the curb and into the street, not bothering to look both ways. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">Not like there’s much chance of getting hit by a car.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> As if to underscore that point, a green compact car was parked behind the white Toyota Camry that she and Zach had driven here. A thin film of dust covered the windshield. Several newspapers, still wrapped in their plastic bags, lay on the lawn just beyond the car. She saw no lights on in any of the nearby houses. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">Mom’s probably the only one left on this street.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">When it had become clear that the zombie outbreak was more than just a few people taking bath salts, many Dallas residents had scrambled to leave town before the quarantine was imposed. Alex had opted to stay behind. This was her mess, after all—it was only right that she help clean it up.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Her teeth chattered. It wasn’t cold. As she willed her skin to stop crawling, Zach caught up to her, pulling the car keys from his pocket. “I don’t trust her, Alex. Your mom, I mean.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Hearing the doors unlock, Alex slipped into the front passenger seat. Technically, she was a licensed driver and he wasn’t, but who followed those rules anymore? Besides, with all the zombie-killing runs they’d done over the last three months, they’d all gotten plenty of practice. “I know you don’t,” Alex said as he started the car. “But I do.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Why? She’s Wells Society. They’re bad people.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Alex turned a glare on him. “My mother and the Wells Society didn’t cause this mess, Zach. I did.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Whatever you say,” Zach said, shaking his head. Without another word, he buckled his seat belt, and they set off for the hideout.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">They drove past the Browning family’s house. Alex had gone to school with their daughter, Melody, though the two had never really been friends. Through the living-room window, she could see Melody’s mother shambling about. She couldn’t help but wince. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">I hope she and her dad are okay, at least….</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> A few blocks later: Dr. Hartman’s office. Her dentist. The windows were all boarded up. Hartman herself was dead—Alex had encountered her during a zombie-killing run a few weeks prior. Pulling the trigger had never been harder. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">My fault. All my fault.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Seeing a teddy bear lying in the middle of the road jolted Alex out of her guilt. Looking up, she saw a large U-Haul truck parked in front of the house on the corner. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">Guess moving day got cancelled.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Couldn’t this guy have parked in the driveway?” Zach said. “Now I can’t see around the corner.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Not like there’s gonna be traffic coming.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Hey now.” Zach’s scowl was replaced by his familiar smirk as he glanced over at her. “You never know.”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">They turned the corner—and found a giant man standing just a few feet ahead of them… right in the middle of the street. He was shambling along, apparently oblivious to his surroundings. “</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">Zach!</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">” Alex said, pointing at the zombie. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">“Look out!”</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">There was a terrible </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;">screech</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">ing noise as Zach turned the steering wheel wheel wildly. Alex held her breath, gripping the door handle so tightly that her knuckles turned white. But it was no good—the zombie filled their windshield as they hit it head-on.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Pain shot through Alex’s head as it struck the dashboard. Then there was black.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center; text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>FLICKERS</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center; text-indent: 18px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">12.10.2013</span></div>
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Did you like what you read? Tweet about it under hashtag <b>#TheWeaverSagaIsBack!</b></div>
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John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-76344715950077455092013-10-26T16:22:00.000-05:002013-10-26T16:22:10.562-05:00Good news!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Friends,<br />
<br />
I have just received word that On The Bird books (all of them) will soon be on <a href="https://www.oysterbooks.com/">Oyster</a>! This means that you, or your friends, or your enemies, or that girl you had a crush on in high school who never knew you existed, can read them for <b>FREE</b>! And when they do, <b>I STILL GET PAID!</b> What's not to like?<br />
<br />
I'm not sure when exactly the books will go up on Oyster, I'm not sure, but it could be as soon as Monday. For those not familiar with the service, Oyster is basically Netflix for books. You pay a small monthly fee (I think it's $9.95), and in return, you can read any book in their library for no additional charge. Said library contains over 100,00 books, including self-publishers like me and best-sellers like Neal Stephenson or Kevin J. Anderson. Sounds like a good deal to me--what do you think?<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoTZEIsiZq2KhPeXTd-r7V1BApH8bMptH2hbCVby1mFCxArzFBv7AB-yG3P-Bqp3zN5Ml3dixZoDLWUVod4rHlw5nJaRlIXXcjGHQrv0R8eFoPEqIUtGtqmsRGZdXVZP9NABd_ko6G7o/s1600/AtticusUndead_CVR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoTZEIsiZq2KhPeXTd-r7V1BApH8bMptH2hbCVby1mFCxArzFBv7AB-yG3P-Bqp3zN5Ml3dixZoDLWUVod4rHlw5nJaRlIXXcjGHQrv0R8eFoPEqIUtGtqmsRGZdXVZP9NABd_ko6G7o/s320/AtticusUndead_CVR.jpg" width="213" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLbGpK2Exa2VHMja-W07NZL4IocKJ5TLbWRZVYzeOIkCWOdUbwsiMLPvb2yLgHdow00jsiH_-IyfoSb7SsuYFP38A7fXgNyY808VlWBpec9bhHHMk9ZNgYP7e4-WEPl0aDYvNDph1dpQ/s1600/Flickers_CVR_MED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLbGpK2Exa2VHMja-W07NZL4IocKJ5TLbWRZVYzeOIkCWOdUbwsiMLPvb2yLgHdow00jsiH_-IyfoSb7SsuYFP38A7fXgNyY808VlWBpec9bhHHMk9ZNgYP7e4-WEPl0aDYvNDph1dpQ/s320/Flickers_CVR_MED.jpg" width="213" /></a><b>Also</b>, I'm proud to announce that an audio-book version of my novel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Atticus-Undead-Hunter-Gamble-Abramowitz-ebook/dp/B006AL4YC8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382822293&sr=8-1&keywords=Atticus+for+the+Undead" style="font-style: italic;">Atticus for the Undead</a> is on the way. I'm not sure of the exact release date yet, but it will either be December of this year or early 2014. Audiobook versions of my other books may follow, so stay tuned for information about that.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>And</b>, of course, my new book <i>Flickers</i> (<a href="http://onthebird.blogspot.com/p/the-weaver-saga.html">Weaver Saga</a> #3) goes live <b>Dec. 10, 2013 </b>on Amazon and Smashwords! Are you excited yet? Well, are you??</div>
John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-11357990946786869742013-10-19T15:36:00.001-05:002013-10-19T15:36:27.046-05:00Flickers Cover And Release Date!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Friends-<br />
At long last, I can unveil the cover for <i>Flickers</i>, Book 3 of <i>The Weaver Saga</i>! Check out this little beauty--my cover artist <a href="http://novakillustration.com/">Steven Novak</a> has really outdone himself this time!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGI3AyU1b6GAwRtNTdWJcli2OPYGcVxOX4StoixDz-iSy4VDomThI2T3L_96xMTXiwiKF07GKqE6_iSPMbzcDRYPdCFtqUzsxT7Jsul9ek_nBeFFWUowXayLGSekCmVdMacE1vbjTxhM/s1600/Flickers_CVR_MED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGI3AyU1b6GAwRtNTdWJcli2OPYGcVxOX4StoixDz-iSy4VDomThI2T3L_96xMTXiwiKF07GKqE6_iSPMbzcDRYPdCFtqUzsxT7Jsul9ek_nBeFFWUowXayLGSekCmVdMacE1vbjTxhM/s320/Flickers_CVR_MED.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b>And</b> we've set an official release date: The book will go live on <b>December 10, 2013!</b> In a couple of weeks, I will post a snippet from the book just to whet your appetite.<br />
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<b>For those not familiar with the Saga</b>, my plan was to put a terrifying twist on the usual paranormal romance tropes. The trouble starts when the story's teenage protagonist, Alex, meets the boy of her dreams. That proves to be less than a good thing, however, since the dream involved him killing her! From there, she is drawn into a complicated web of conspiracy and intrigue as she begins to have visions of murders that have not yet occurred. It's a world where no one is what they seem--not the young man at school who seems a little too interested in her; not the brash FBI agent who shows up at her doorstep; and not her mother, whom Alex begins to suspect is involved in what's happening to her.<br />
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If you want to sample the <i>Saga</i>, you can read part of Book 1 on <a href="http://cdn.booktrack.com/studio/index.html#!/bookshelf">Booktrack</a>!<br />
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Books 1 and 2 (<i>Weaver</i> and <i>The Void</i>, respectively) are available at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=John%20Abramowitz&sprefix=John+%2Caps&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3AJohn%20Abramowitz">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/John-Abramowitz?keyword=John+Abramowitz&store=ebook">Barnes & Noble</a>, and wherever e-books are sold.</div>
John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-64036416664006631452013-06-04T04:33:00.000-05:002013-06-04T04:33:51.705-05:00"A legend, Mr. Wayne"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So one piece of advice that I frequently see given to new writers is "Define your goal." Is finishing the book enough by itself--does your satisfaction come from the act of creation? Do you want an agent? Are you writing a "niche" book with the hope of finding a small cult following? Or are you out for a place on The New York Times bestseller list and a movie deal?<br />
<br />
In the two years since I made the decision to start publishing my stories, the answer to that question has eluded me. I certainly find satisfaction in telling stories--I don't think writing would be worth doing if you didn't. And I'm as invested in the development of my characters as a parent in his children. (What does it say about me that I'm nevertheless willing to kill them off with gay abandon? Don't ask.)<br />
<br />
But that's not enough. I've known for a long time that I wasn't content simply to invent people and let their adventures bounce around between the four corners of my brain. That's why I was a roleplayer before I was a novelist. I have things to say, and I don't want to just talk to myself. (If you do that, people think you're crazy. Oh, wait....)<br />
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That New York Times bestseller thing sounds kind of nice, too. And I wouldn't say no to a movie deal. (Actually, if I got one, I'd probably be so stunned that I'd stand there babbling incoherently.) But while all of those things (making fiction, finding an audience, achieving commercial success) are goals of mine, they're not my <i>goal</i>. None of those things, if achieved, would make me sit back and go "Yup, this is what I got into publishing to do."<br />
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So what would? Good question. And a few weeks ago, I realized that I didn't have the answer.<br />
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While I was thinking about it, my mind wandered to <i>Batman Begins</i>. (If you're looking for a logical connection between "writing goals" and "superhero flick," don't waste your time.) I remembered something Liam Neeson said at the start of the movie: "If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, then if they can't stop you, you become something else entirely."<br />
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To which Christian Bale asks "And what is that?"<br />
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To which Liam Neeson replies, "A legend, Mr. Wayne."<br />
<br />
And he was right. The reason that the Batman franchise can be rebooted over and over again is that the character has achieved such a stature that the specifics of his adventures hardly matter. He is an icon. A fairy tale. And because of that, individual storytellers can tinker with the specifics of his world and still have their narrative accepted by the audience. Heath Ledger's Joker, for example, bears little resemblance to Mark Hamill's, but I didn't hear many viewers complaining. Which version is right? They both are! And so is Jack Nicholson's. As long as the legend is right, the details are fungible.<br />
<br />
The success of ABC's <i>Once Upon A Time</i> is built on the same principle (though in that case the characters are <i>literally</i> fairy tales). Audiences will readily accept a version of the Snow White story that differs radically from either the Grimm's tale or the Disney movie because the specifics of her story are irrelevant. There's a Snow White. There's an evil queen. There's a magic mirror. The rest can take care of itself.<br />
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And that's my goal. I want my characters to win a place like that in the minds and hearts of readers. Thirty or forty or sixty or seventy years from now, I want someone to reboot Hunter Gamble's story and name the zombie something other than Sam Pollard. Or make his courtroom opponent someone other than Ellis Boyer. Or even do something really gutsy, like kill off Weldon somewhere in the book. And I want it to be okay that those details are different from the details in my version of the story, because the legend is the same: a hard-charging young lawyer who stands up when no one else will.<br />
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Do you think I'm asking too much?</div>
John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-12186284367225945112013-05-27T23:06:00.000-05:002013-05-27T23:06:28.857-05:00Fundraiser for Blood Kiss Movie!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGGGR8lrChyphenhyphenAv_SPE53q32QrvIEMxoNUKVCo1aNG_04CkVYjbJZQKauXjUAPb8ViXPdvJk-hNt-ymz-rl2f4UW5sSSZs-y3lsVXwxjltX-8T-n8UbU7SlBSLf7flVPIGWeOmoeMgWvfk/s1600/Blood+Kiss+Movie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGGGR8lrChyphenhyphenAv_SPE53q32QrvIEMxoNUKVCo1aNG_04CkVYjbJZQKauXjUAPb8ViXPdvJk-hNt-ymz-rl2f4UW5sSSZs-y3lsVXwxjltX-8T-n8UbU7SlBSLf7flVPIGWeOmoeMgWvfk/s320/Blood+Kiss+Movie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
So, maybe you've all heard of the upcoming movie <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2126085206/blood-kiss"><i>Blood Kiss</i>?</a> That's the one that was written by Michael Reaves (who also wrote for <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygrEVnrg3Ic">this series</a>; oh, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEx9r5enZsk">this one too</a>) and stars Neil Gaiman (do I even need to tell you who he is?) and Amber Benson (Tara from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmoU05_Fr5A">this show</a>). Sounds awesome, right? There's only one hitch: it's an indie film. And that means, if it's going to get funded, we're going to be the ones to do it.<br />
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Now, I basically grew up on <i>Gargoyles</i> and <i>Batman: The Animated Series, </i>so when I heard that one of the people responsible for those masterpieces was making a movie, I was super-psyched to do my part. I was even more psyched when I heard that <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61Wzo2dlIC8">Amber gets to sing again!</a>) The problem is that I don't have all that much money of my own. So I decided I'm going to raise it.<br />
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Starting on <b>Friday, May 31st</b> and going through <b>Sunday, June 2nd</b>, I will donate the first $1,000 in profits from my book sales straight to the Blood Kiss Kickstarter! This applies for all four of my novels as well as my short story. So if you've been waiting for the right moment to find out what On The Bird Publishing is all about, this is it--get a good book for a good cause!<br />
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To recap, the things I've written are:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoTZEIsiZq2KhPeXTd-r7V1BApH8bMptH2hbCVby1mFCxArzFBv7AB-yG3P-Bqp3zN5Ml3dixZoDLWUVod4rHlw5nJaRlIXXcjGHQrv0R8eFoPEqIUtGtqmsRGZdXVZP9NABd_ko6G7o/s1600/AtticusUndead_CVR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoTZEIsiZq2KhPeXTd-r7V1BApH8bMptH2hbCVby1mFCxArzFBv7AB-yG3P-Bqp3zN5Ml3dixZoDLWUVod4rHlw5nJaRlIXXcjGHQrv0R8eFoPEqIUtGtqmsRGZdXVZP9NABd_ko6G7o/s320/AtticusUndead_CVR.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Atticus-Undead-Hunter-Gamble-ebook/dp/B006AL4YC8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1369712225&sr=8-4&keywords=John+Abramowitz">Atticus for the Undead (Hunter Gamble #1)</a></i><br />
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A zombie on trial for eating brains? Yes, please!<br />
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Hunter Gamble is an idealistic young attorney in a very special area of the practice--arcane defense. Funded by enigmatic billionaire Charles McClain and aided by shy-but-energetic research assistant Kirsten Harper, he's making the world a better place--one vampire, zombie, or werewolf client at a time. After all, they deserve their day in court, too, right?<br />
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When a young zombie walks into Hunter's office accused of murder (by brain-eating), Hunter's idealism is tested as never before as he struggles to secure the man's freedom. To do so, he must square off against a savvy and ambitious district attorney, contend with a judge who is deeply biased against arcanes, and stand up to a human supremacist group which will stop at nothing--not even Hunter's own death--to see his client convicted.<br />
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<b>"...punchy dialogue, sonic action, and vivid description...." <i>Kirkus Reviews</i></b><br />
<b>"...creative genius and exceptional writing." <i>Moonlit Dreams</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2016ca5bL_Nho6lqo45xVccP3AHNe3ZApXVolRCpMUdCqzc4kVTHolqKPT98e3vA-k5h3kqvdSDfuheMZ9LvhNc3kleco5k0_rorbNrZkKE-00LfRd4gVMZGSoSEeiHxE7aOoQ703Af4/s1600/IdentityTheft_CVR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2016ca5bL_Nho6lqo45xVccP3AHNe3ZApXVolRCpMUdCqzc4kVTHolqKPT98e3vA-k5h3kqvdSDfuheMZ9LvhNc3kleco5k0_rorbNrZkKE-00LfRd4gVMZGSoSEeiHxE7aOoQ703Af4/s320/IdentityTheft_CVR.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Identity-Theft-Hunter-Gamble-ebook/dp/B00CDB3K74/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1">Identity Theft (Hunter Gamble #2)</a></i><br />
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A man walks into the Texas Capitol. Shots ring out. A young aide lies dead. Sounds like a job for Hunter Gamble, right?<br />
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Wrong. After his disastrous "victory" in the trial of Samuel Pollard, Hunter has turned his back on defending oppressed vampires, mages, and zombies. Having accepted a position at his father's giant litigation firm, he's trying the glamorous cases, working in a corner office, and making a six-figure salary... and hating every minute of it.<br />
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As Hunter plots his exit strategy, he finds himself inexorably drawn to the case of the Capitol shooter, who is an old friend from law school. As he works to clear his friend, Hunter discovers that there is much more at stake in this case than whether one man was under a spell. Before long, he finds himself pulled into a magical conspiracy dating back to before the Unveiling--and with a singularly cold-blooded wizard at its heart.<br />
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The clock is ticking. The search for answers is on. And the author of <i>Atticus for the Undead</i> invites you to come along for the thrill ride--and get the magic back.<br />
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<b>"This is a tale of the supernatural at its core and begs to be given a chance." <i>IHOGeek.com</i></b><br />
<b>"<i>Identity Theft</i> is a great read, fast paced and exciting, it definitely keeps the reader on their toes." <i>Lindsay and Jane's Views and Reviews</i></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjq8dr7GIviqrJYgsydz0NUUEafTslrjF5Rq0QuygjT5EGspQy3A71moP1h_3btMRxHiC1QcnOZhzOOheCN-XxTrTybCYQVK57dzb0RHyIu24vvyUyT1UQTrLz8lrYj4sTn7AXCW14kI/s1600/Weaver_CVR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjq8dr7GIviqrJYgsydz0NUUEafTslrjF5Rq0QuygjT5EGspQy3A71moP1h_3btMRxHiC1QcnOZhzOOheCN-XxTrTybCYQVK57dzb0RHyIu24vvyUyT1UQTrLz8lrYj4sTn7AXCW14kI/s320/Weaver_CVR.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Weaver-The-Saga-ebook/dp/B005GRECJC/ref=pd_sim_kstore_3">Weaver (Weaver Saga #1)</a></i><br />
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Fifteen-year-old Alex Cronlord just met the boy of her dreams. Literally. Unfortunately, the dream involved him killing her. When she encounters him at her school the next morning, Alex understandably freaks out--and her mother's bizarre behavior only makes it worse. What Alex doesn't realize is that she can see the future--which will get her into a whole lot of trouble.<br />
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Across town, FBI Agent Moira McBain and her partner Andy Hall investigate a series of house burnings in Dallas, Texas. When a clue leads them to the Cronlords, Moira discovers a disturbing link between Alex's family and her own--which opens an old wound Moira has spent years trying to ignore.<br />
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Something is rotten in Dallas, Texas--something involving a secret society, children with extraordinary powers, and human-looking creatures who may literally be out of this world....<br />
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Welcome to a different kind of world-wide web.<br />
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<b>"Attention fans of <i>The Vladimir Todd Series</i>, <i>Alex Rider</i>, <i>Suck It Up</i>, or even <i>The Reformed Vampire Support Group </i>or James Patterson YA--especially the <i>Maximum Ride</i> series, I've officially met your next obsession...." Ricochet Reviews</b><br />
<b>"Weaver is one part science fiction, one part paranormal fantasy, and a whole lot of fun!" <i>Candy's Raves</i></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhghBFtWkpcfddtq4yzN0MSJ0yWkZond8GemXk2xl7Jx12GdkatG_jT46DLVwxgN7dC9Oor2v4nxlmlcHj1E7-Wc-Slr-QiATK2jNWNHNbJdbosl5pMD4BKKjGkLDXsAOL1fllai8xqZs/s1600/TheVoid_CVR+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhghBFtWkpcfddtq4yzN0MSJ0yWkZond8GemXk2xl7Jx12GdkatG_jT46DLVwxgN7dC9Oor2v4nxlmlcHj1E7-Wc-Slr-QiATK2jNWNHNbJdbosl5pMD4BKKjGkLDXsAOL1fllai8xqZs/s320/TheVoid_CVR+%25281%2529.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Void-Weaver-Saga-ebook/dp/B0082GXXJY/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1">The Void (Weaver Saga #2)</a></i><br />
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The zombie apocalypse is nigh!<br />
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The trouble is, Alex Cronlord is the only person who knows it. She is a Weaver--one of a group of superhuman children who are able to see the future--and she can still remember the vision she had just week ago of being chased by a shambling undead horde. But that's all she's seen of the coming horror, and lately, her visions have mostly been confusing. Dead bodies in dumpsters, a strange place called "Pinnacle," and no sign of a Xorda anywhere. At least, not at first.<br />
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As Alex struggles to make sense of these bits of information, a stitch-faced assassin surfaces with a vendetta against Ainsling Cronlord, Alex's mother. Ainsling is a member of the enigmatic Wells Society, a secret order of women who genetically mutate their own children to turn them into fighters against the Xora. She is the person who gave Alex her Weaver powers. And she is the person Alex can least afford to trust.<br />
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But when the stitch-faced man steps up his campaign against the Cronlord family, Alex begins to realize she may not have a choice. As she learns the disturbing truth behind her recent visions, Alex must decide how far she is willing to go to save the world.<br />
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<b>"It would be a great book to read as a mother with your daughters.... Oh, and anyone who likes Buffy or Angel? You really should read it." <i>Cabin Goddess</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b>"If you're looking for a fun summer read, you can't go wrong with this set." <i>MyMercurialMusings.com</i></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_tjpWnTmUZF7BHt65GETA2xWEljCUSQIJvIpizc5q7PzaR780uGYgB39bgjbV9_HO4EABNvVdgKiBM7Yn_CSK0aMXkUdnNBfVRpC97-C5iY0rP9UhxWvWlGdoCyZj22zGfK7kFAB_Ug/s1600/Antlerbury-Tales-Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_tjpWnTmUZF7BHt65GETA2xWEljCUSQIJvIpizc5q7PzaR780uGYgB39bgjbV9_HO4EABNvVdgKiBM7Yn_CSK0aMXkUdnNBfVRpC97-C5iY0rP9UhxWvWlGdoCyZj22zGfK7kFAB_Ug/s320/Antlerbury-Tales-Cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Antlerbury-Tales-Short-Story-ebook/dp/B005NKQWFY/ref=la_B005HMRZXQ_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1369713796&sr=1-5">The Antlerbury Tales</a></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
A rogue, a bard, and a paladin walk into a tavern....<br />
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That sounds like the start of a joke, but it's actually the start of several pages full of them. This short story follows the exploits of a comically mismatched group of adventurers as they embark on a quest for The Dice, mythical objects with the power to change fate itself, and compete for the affections of a beautiful barmaid.</div>
John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-83544916504694264892013-05-22T21:27:00.000-05:002013-05-22T22:06:29.672-05:00Pipe Woman Chronicles Release Blitz<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Release Day Blitz for the 5th and Final Book in The Pipe Woman Chronicles by Lynne Cantwell</h3>
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Naomi Witherspoon lives in interesting times. At the winter solstice, she was <a href="http://bit.ly/10KMTQe" target="_blank" title="Seized"><i>Seized</i> </a>by a Native American goddess to mediate a power-sharing agreement between all the pagan gods and goddesses and the Christian God. Then, as her relationship with her new boyfriend <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008ZDE6JU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008ZDE6JU&linkCode=as2&tag=cabinb-20" target="_blank" title="Fissured">Fissured</a>, </i>she <a href="http://amzn.to/14OTIV2" target="_blank" title="Tapped"><i>Tapped</i> </a>a wellspring of strength – her Native American heritage.</div>
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Now, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BX4AO9E/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BX4AO9E&linkCode=as2&tag=cabinb-20" target="_blank" title="Gravid"><i>Gravid</i> </a>and due any day, she must conduct the mediation of her life. Will she succeed? Or will it all go up in smoke?</div>
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The answers to those questions, and more, can be found in <a href="http://amzn.to/192B6UV" target="_blank" title="Annealed"><i>Annealed</i></a>, the final installment in the Pipe Woman Chronicles, an urban fantasy series by Lynne Cantwell.</div>
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It began at the winter solstice
And it ends
<em>Now. </em></h3>
<a href="http://amzn.to/192B6UV"><img alt="PWC5 - Annealed" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-125" height="800" src="http://thefinishingfairies.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/PWC5-Annealed.jpg" width="497" /></a>
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<strong><em>It’s zero hour…</em></strong></div>
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Naomi has just two weeks to find a new home for Joseph's grandfather. The old Ute shaman is fighting for his life against a mysterious injection of toxin he received at the hands of the Norse Trickster god Loki. If Naomi is to defeat Loki once and for all, she must learn what it is he seeks under the old man's wickiup. </div>
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She has just one week before she must mediate between the Earth's pagan gods and goddesses and the Christian God. If her efforts fail, all of humankind will suffer the consequences.</div>
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And her baby is due any day.</div>
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In this, the fifth and final book of the <em><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/104433-the-pipe-woman-chronicles" target="_blank" title="Pipe Woman Chronicles">Pipe Woman Chronicles</a></em>, Naomi is in a race against the clock to balance the demands of her body, her family, and her friends – and she must do it while the whole world is watching.</div>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/13GulSX" target="_blank" title="Annealed - PAPERBACK">PAPERBACK </a>| <a href="http://amzn.to/192B6UV" target="_blank" title="Annealed on Kindle">KINDLE</a></div>
<strong>A taste of chapter 10:</strong> Jehovah sighed. "White Buffalo Calf Pipe Woman, I concede that much of what You have said here is true. Humanity wrestles still with its baser impulses, even as it reaches for the pinnacle of its potential. Math, the sciences, engineering. I never thought they would figure out fractal theory." He chuckled. "I love My children dearly. Soon they will reach the stars. They are ever a surprise and a delight to Me." <strong>Lynne Cantwell's take on the excerpt:</strong> "Naomi has finally reached the Big Mediation -- the one between the Christian God and all the pagan gods and goddesses that the whole series has been driving toward. In this scene, White Buffalo Calf Pipe Woman has just outlined all the ways humanity has trashed God's Creation: ruining the environment, using Scripture as an excuse to treat other human races like animals, and so on. God acknowledges all of that. But it's also clear that He takes great delight in what He has created -- and He has a sense of humor, too."
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
About the Author: Lynne Cantwell</h3>
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<a href="http://thefinishingfairies.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Lynne-Cantwell.jpg"><img alt="Lynne Cantwell" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-120" height="300" src="http://thefinishingfairies.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Lynne-Cantwell-300x300.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 5px;" width="300" /></a>Lynne Cantwell has been writing fiction since the second grade, when the kid who sat in front of her showed her a book he had written, and she thought, "I could do that." The result was <i>Susie and the Talking Doll</i>, a picture book, illustrated by the author, about a girl who owned a doll that not only could talk, but could carry on conversations. The book had dialogue but no paragraph breaks. Today, after a twenty-year career in broadcast journalism and a master's degree in fiction writing from Johns Hopkins University (or perhaps despite the master's degree), Lynne is still writing fantasy. In addition, she is a contributing author at Indies Unlimited and writes a monthly post for The Indie Exchange.</div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/LynneCantwell" target="_blank" title="@LynneCantwell">TWITTER</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lynne-Cantwell/" target="_blank" title="Lynne Cantwell's Author Page on Facebook">FACEBOOK</a> | <a href="http://hearth-myth.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" title="hearth/myth by Lynne Cantwell">BLOG</a> | <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/696603.Lynne_Cantwell" target="_blank" title="Lynne Cantwell on Goodreads">GOODREADS</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/author/lynnecantwell" target="_blank" title="Lynne Cantwell on Amazon">AMAZON</a></div>
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John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-72644578577301334072013-05-18T19:30:00.001-05:002013-05-18T19:32:37.526-05:00Blood Kiss Kickstarter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So today, I'm going to use this space to promote a project that is utterly not-mine. That would be <i><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2126085206/blood-kiss">Blood Kiss</a></i>, an indie paranormal fantasy movie. Let's review the things about this movie that are awesome:<br />
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1.) It's <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0072435/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1">Amber Benson</a><br />
2.) In a role where she gets to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61Wzo2dlIC8">sing</a> (!!!)<br />
3.) Starring opposite Neil Gaiman (yeah, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Neil-Gaiman/e/B000AQ01G2/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1368923116&sr=1-2-ent">THAT</a> Neil Gaiman)<br />
4.) In a movie written by Michael Reaves, who also wrote for <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygrEVnrg3Ic">Gargoyles</a> </i>(which might actually be the best show ever), <i>Batman: The Animated Series</i>, and <i>Star Trek: The Next Generation</i>, among others<br />
<br />
And that's without having seen a minute of the actual movie! But if it's going to get made, it still needs $30k. Now, I could go on, waxing poetic about the need to support indies and all the awesome projects that go undiscovered because they don't have corporate backing, etc. etc. etc.<br />
<br />
But I won't, because:<br />
a.) That shit's boring<br />
b.) You've heard it all before<br />
c.) That shit's <b>BORING</b><br />
and d.) The movie stands on its own.<br />
<br />
So come on. <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2126085206/blood-kiss">Chip in</a>. You know you want to.</div>
John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-5696417233195964562013-04-28T19:23:00.000-05:002013-04-28T19:23:26.799-05:00Bad Romance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So I've been noticing a thing lately. A trend. A trope that's getting used <i>everywhere I turn</i>. It's the "bad boy" love interest (the character can be either gender, but is usually male) and the protagonist (again, can be either gender but is usually female) who "saves" him from himself. Of course I see it in stories that are explicitly romance or paranormal romance novels, but it's even gone beyond that. I'm not going to name names because I'm not out to attack any of my colleagues, but I'm sure you can all think of a few. Lately, I feel like every time I pick up a novel and read the copy on the back, it's the same thing. The sexy dangerous alpha male. The often-more-innocent girl who loves him. Can he overcome his past/flaws to be with her?<br />
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Now, look, folks: I've got nothing against a good love story (yes, it really is true, despite how I treat relationships in my books). I even like stories about characters who strive to be better so that they can be "worthy" of the person they want. (I loved the movie <i>As Good As It Gets</i>, for example, which was about Jack Nicholson's neurotic writer doing more or less that. And I also liked the evolution of Spike's character after he realized he was in love with Buffy.) And I understand the appeal of a lover who's willing to change for you--it's a sign of devotion, a sign that you're special enough to that person to be worth changing for.<br />
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I get that. I do. And I understand why someone might long for that feeling. I'm human, too. I've had my share of doubts about my own worth (some might say, more than my share). I understand the ego boost that comes from a person trying to overcome their flaws for you. And I'll even admit that I'm not completely above using the trope myself--my next novel will have a couple of "bad boy" love interests in it. But can I just take a second here and point out that the "she can save him" trope is also pretty offensive and problematic?<br />
<br />
Let's start with the assumption (which, to me, is inherent in the growing use of the storyline) that the only thing that makes a person (especially a man, given that it really is usually "bad <i>boys</i>") attractive is "darkness." This seems to me to be particularly problematic when used in Young Adult fiction--is this really the message that we want to be sending to our young men? Now, don't get me wrong--I don't believe fiction makes people violent, any more than I believe violent video games do. People, even children, have freedom of choice. At the same time, though, to the extent that we as writers use our work to inspire people, shouldn't we take more care with the messages we send? Shouldn't we write the change we want to see in the world?<br />
<br />
Then there's the danger of giving readers false ideas about how possible it is to really "change" a person. Once again, this is a particular danger when the trope is used in Young Adult fiction. As someone who once had a "white knight" complex and has tried to "save" a few people in his life (self-mockery is part of the reason that my character Hunter Gamble is the way he is), I can tell you--most of them don't save. Sometimes they do. Sometimes you're lucky enough to meet one who has the tools to rise above his (or her) demons. But usually, when you set out to "save" a broken person--they stay broken. And sometimes it can have nasty consequences for you.<br />
<br />
And, to the extent that the person doing the "saving" is female, it perpetuates the idea that a woman's role is to be caring and nurturing. Not that there's anything wrong with being caring and nurturing, but the expectations for <i>who</i> should be that way are <i>highly</i> gendered. I can only speak for me, but I'm not a huge fan of traditional gender roles (for either gender).<br />
<br />
Where did we get the idea that a person is either "bad" (which usually means a criminal, a playboy, or sometimes even abusive) or he's boring? Where did we get the idea that it's healthy to stick with someone who acts like a stalker or an abuser? (To me, any time a character does that, the object of their affections should immediately <i>walk the hell away</i>. If some really extraordinary circumstances come to pass, then maybe s/he can re-consider. Maybe. But that should be a slow process if it happens at all.)<br />
<br />
No person is perfect, and no character should be, either. Sometimes the bad boy really does have a heart of gold. But can we try some other pairings, too? Would I be a total party-pooper if I said that I thought that this particular storyline needs some editing?<br />
<br />
I invite your comments (and am bracing for the likely flame wars.)</div>
John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-45076661459997907102013-04-21T02:50:00.002-05:002013-04-21T02:50:23.748-05:00Hunter Has Another Satisfied Client<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2016ca5bL_Nho6lqo45xVccP3AHNe3ZApXVolRCpMUdCqzc4kVTHolqKPT98e3vA-k5h3kqvdSDfuheMZ9LvhNc3kleco5k0_rorbNrZkKE-00LfRd4gVMZGSoSEeiHxE7aOoQ703Af4/s1600/IdentityTheft_CVR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2016ca5bL_Nho6lqo45xVccP3AHNe3ZApXVolRCpMUdCqzc4kVTHolqKPT98e3vA-k5h3kqvdSDfuheMZ9LvhNc3kleco5k0_rorbNrZkKE-00LfRd4gVMZGSoSEeiHxE7aOoQ703Af4/s320/IdentityTheft_CVR.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
Readers continue to be impressed by Hunter's return to the courtroom! The blog <a href="http://www.ufreviews.com/">Urban Fantasy Reviews</a> gave us their thoughts on the novel on Saturday, April 20th. (Despite the date, I'm fairly certain that the reviewer wasn't high while reading the book!)<br />
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Here's just a snippet of what UFR had to say:<br />
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"Identity Theft did not disappoint me in the least. I think part of the reason I found this book so enjoyable was that Hunter is a really complex character. He didn't just take a character exactly like the one from the first book and throw him into a new situation. He really gave Hunter some depth, Hunter had some really hard things to deal with, and ended up taking a different course and going to work with his father. I think this actually ended up adding a lot of dimension to Hunter as a character."<br />
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You can read the full review <a href="http://www.ufreviews.com/2013/04/identity-theft-by-john-abramowitz.html">here.</a></div>
John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-70105714502367048042013-04-16T18:28:00.001-05:002013-04-16T18:31:22.546-05:00"Identity Theft" is here!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
You wanted it, and now you've got it! Hunter Gamble is back in an all new urban fantasy adventure!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2016ca5bL_Nho6lqo45xVccP3AHNe3ZApXVolRCpMUdCqzc4kVTHolqKPT98e3vA-k5h3kqvdSDfuheMZ9LvhNc3kleco5k0_rorbNrZkKE-00LfRd4gVMZGSoSEeiHxE7aOoQ703Af4/s1600/IdentityTheft_CVR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2016ca5bL_Nho6lqo45xVccP3AHNe3ZApXVolRCpMUdCqzc4kVTHolqKPT98e3vA-k5h3kqvdSDfuheMZ9LvhNc3kleco5k0_rorbNrZkKE-00LfRd4gVMZGSoSEeiHxE7aOoQ703Af4/s320/IdentityTheft_CVR.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<i style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Identity-Theft-Hunter-Gamble-ebook/dp/B00CDB3K74/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366153909&sr=1-6&keywords=John+Abramowitz">Identity Theft</a></i><span style="text-align: left;"> on Amazon</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><i> <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/306732">Identity Theft</a></i> on Smashwords</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A man walks into the Texas
Capitol. Shots ring out. A young aide lies dead. The killer's excuse? He was
under a spell.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sounds like a job for Hunter
Gamble, right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Wrong. After his disastrous
"victory" in the trial of Samuel Pollard, Hunter has turned his back
on defending oppressed vampires, mages, and zombies. Having accepted a position
at his father's giant litigation firm, he's trying the glamorous cases, working
in a corner office, and making a six-figure salary--and hating every minute of
it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As Hunter plots his exit
strategy, he finds himself inexorably drawn to the case of the Capitol shooter,
who is an old friend from law school. As he works to clear his friend, Hunter
discovers that there is much more at stake in this case than whether one man was
under a spell. Before long, he finds himself pulled into a magical conspiracy
dating back to before the Unveiling--and with a singularly cold-blooded wizard
at its heart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The clock is ticking. The search
for answers is on. And the author of <i>Atticus
for the Undead</i> invites you to come along for the thrill ride--and get the
magic back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Reviews:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">"This is a tale of the supernatural at its core and begs to be given a chance." -<a href="http://ihogeek.com/2013/03/31/identitytheft/">IHOGeek</a></span></div>
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"...Fans of urban fantasies and legal thrillers will love this interesting mashup of the two styles." -<a href="http://katysozaeva.blogspot.com/2013/04/review-identity-theft.html">Katy Sozaeva, book blogger</a></div>
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"Identity Theft is a great read, fast paced and exciting, it definitely keeps the reader on their toes." -<a href="http://networkedblogs.com/KdQV6">Lindsay & Jane's Views and Reviews</a></div>
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John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-37663108096297742512013-02-11T20:36:00.000-06:002013-02-11T20:36:00.784-06:00IDENTITY THEFT gets a release date!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2016ca5bL_Nho6lqo45xVccP3AHNe3ZApXVolRCpMUdCqzc4kVTHolqKPT98e3vA-k5h3kqvdSDfuheMZ9LvhNc3kleco5k0_rorbNrZkKE-00LfRd4gVMZGSoSEeiHxE7aOoQ703Af4/s1600/IdentityTheft_CVR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2016ca5bL_Nho6lqo45xVccP3AHNe3ZApXVolRCpMUdCqzc4kVTHolqKPT98e3vA-k5h3kqvdSDfuheMZ9LvhNc3kleco5k0_rorbNrZkKE-00LfRd4gVMZGSoSEeiHxE7aOoQ703Af4/s320/IdentityTheft_CVR.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
And it's official! Phase 2 of the fight for zombie rights starts <b>APRIL 16!</b> <i>Identity Theft</i>, sequel to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Atticus-Undead-Fiction-Series-ebook/dp/B006AL4YC8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1360636224&sr=8-4&keywords=John+Abramowitz">Atticus for the Undead</a>, will hit Amazon and Smashwords on that day. It will hit Barnes & Noble, Apple, Sony, and Kobo in the days following.<br />
<br />
Can't wait? Try a <a href="http://onthebird.blogspot.com/2013/01/identity-theft-sneak-peek.html">snippet!</a><br />
<br />
Also, <i>Atticus</i> will be the Book of the Day on <a href="http://ereadernewstoday.com/">E-Reader News Today</a> on Friday, February 15th! Mark your calendars and tell your friends!</div>
John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-26266339889526059522013-01-14T19:37:00.002-06:002013-01-14T19:37:42.328-06:00"Identity Theft" Sneak Peek<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hi all!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2016ca5bL_Nho6lqo45xVccP3AHNe3ZApXVolRCpMUdCqzc4kVTHolqKPT98e3vA-k5h3kqvdSDfuheMZ9LvhNc3kleco5k0_rorbNrZkKE-00LfRd4gVMZGSoSEeiHxE7aOoQ703Af4/s1600/IdentityTheft_CVR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2016ca5bL_Nho6lqo45xVccP3AHNe3ZApXVolRCpMUdCqzc4kVTHolqKPT98e3vA-k5h3kqvdSDfuheMZ9LvhNc3kleco5k0_rorbNrZkKE-00LfRd4gVMZGSoSEeiHxE7aOoQ703Af4/s320/IdentityTheft_CVR.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I know it's been a while, but I come bearing good news! <i>Identity Theft</i>, the sequel to the very-popular <i>Atticus for the Undead</i>, is almost upon us! At this point, I'm looking at a mid-March/early April release date. I'll have more details on the exact date in the next week or two, but in the meantime, I thought you guys deserved a sneak peek. First, to your left, you'll see the book's gorgeous cover, designed by my good friend Steven Novak over at Novak Illustration.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And now, a snippet from the book to whet your appetite. Enjoy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hunter followed two guards into the jail’s meeting room, where Clifford Hammond waited. Before he’d even stepped into the room, Hunter heard his old buddy say “Oh my God, it’s Mulder!” He chuckled at the use of the old law school nickname—even then, Hunter had made no secret of his intention to practice arcane defense. Cliff approached very close to Hunter and put his arms up as if he were about to tackle Hunter with a bear-hug, but his handcuffed wrists made the task too complicated. The two shook hands as Cliff gave an embarrassed smile.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Hey, Cliff,” Hunter said, looking his old friend up and down. The man’s hair sat in a disheveled mop atop his head, and his pale skin and rigid posture spoke clearly of fear. He was clad in the standard orange jumpsuit. “How the hell did you get yourself arrested, anyway? The only thing criminal about you is how much money you make—assuming you’re still making the world safe for polluters, that is.” Hunter grinned.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That got a little smile out of Cliff. “I’m still in-house counsel for Varion, if that’s what you mean,” he said, referring to the oil giant. “At least, until they hear about this.” The smile vanished.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“What happened? Come on, let’s sit down.” Hunter gestured to the table and chairs that were the room’s only furnishings. He instantly went into “tape recorder” mode, wanting to get as much information as he could in order to determine how, or if, he could help.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“I, uh, I shot a guy, Hunter,” Cliff said when they were seated, his gaze falling to the metal surface of the table. He visibly struggled to get the next words out. “I killed him. I didn’t want to, but I did.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hunter’s brows drew together. “You didn’t want to? You mean it was an accident?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Cliff shook his head. “This morning when I got to work, I pulled my car into the parking garage and there was somebody standing in my space. He was just standing there, arms crossed over his chest.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“What did you do?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“I rolled down my window and told him to move, that I needed to park. When I get out of the car, he handed me a picture of… of the guy I….” Hunter saw tears forming in Cliff’s eyes. Cliff wiped them away with a hand, making an obvious effort to compose himself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“It’s all right,” Hunter put a hand on his friend’s arm. “So he handed you the picture. Then what?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> “He stared at me with these brown eyes that… they were cold. They were… it was like he didn’t care about anything.” Cliff hugged his arms to his chest, visibly shuddering. “He stared at me and told me to go to the Capitol, right then, and find the guy in the picture, and kill him. He said I’d find the guy in the Capitol Grill. Don’t know how he knew that. He told me I wasn’t going to warn anybody or deviate from the plan in any way. Then he hid a gun inside my briefcase—and walked away. He didn’t give me a name, or a reason, or anything. Just handed me the picture, gave me the orders, and left.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hunter tilted his head to one side. “So what’s the missing piece here, Cliff? It’s not like you to go on a homicidal rampage just because a total stranger tells you to. Or ever, for that matter.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“He put a spell on me.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hunter’s posture instantly stiffened. “He <span style="font-style: italic;">what</span>?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“He hexed me, Hunter.” Cliff reached over and grabbed one of Hunter’s arms, and there was a definite note of pleading in his eyes. “You’ve got to believe me. You’ve <span style="font-style: italic;">got</span> to.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hunter held up a hand to calm his friend. “I do, Cliff, it’s just… I don’t practice arcane defense anymore.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Cliff frowned. “I’d heard that, but I didn’t believe it. That was what you always dreamed of doing.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Yeah, well, after the Pollard trial, the dream kind of lost its magic.” Hunter scowled. The trial of Samuel Pollard, in which an intelligent zombie had been charged with eating a woman’s brains, had made national headlines, so Hunter knew that Cliff would understand the reference.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Cliff’s grip on Hunter’s arm tightened, and Hunter saw the pleading in his eyes turn to insistence. “I need you to get the magic <span style="font-style: italic;">back</span>. Otherwise, I’m a dead man.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“It’s not that simple,” Hunter said, as a memory flashed through his mind for the millionth time in the past year. The hospital. The news report. Chief Garrison’s voice. <span style="font-style: italic;">We are authorized to confirm at this point that the victim is a woman named Kirsten Harper…. </span>“A friend of mine died because of the work I did for arcanes. The Salvation Alliance shot her. In the head.” Hunter’s eyes narrowed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The horror on Cliff’s face was palpable. Hunter felt the vise grip on his arm loosen. “Oh God… I’m so sorry.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Yeah. So am I.” Hunter’s voice dripped with rue.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Cliff sat there briefly in silence. “Well, if I was under a spell, that’s an automatic not-guilty, right?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hunter nodded. “Assuming it was involuntary, yeah.’”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Cliff squinted. “Who would voluntarily let someone control them?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Some people do. Don’t ask me why, but they do.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Well, I didn’t. And proving I was under a spell should be fairly easy, right? I mean, doesn’t magic leave traces?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hunter nodded. “You’d need to hire an aurist.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“A what?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“An aurist,” Hunter said. “They’re wizards who’ve been trained to see latent magic around a person. Most of the time, if a person gets hexed, it leaves a residue.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“<span style="font-style: italic;">Most</span> of the time?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Supposedly, there are a few wizards and witches who are so powerful that they can cast their spells and not leave any traces.” Seeing Cliff’s eyes widen, Hunter said, “But if they do exist, I’ve never met one. Assuming you can get an aurist to look at you before the residue fades, that should prove you weren’t in control of yourself.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> “And I bet you know a few aurists, don’t you? After working with wizards for as long as you did?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hunter nodded. “Yeah, I know a few. Some pretty good ones, actually.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“So get one of them to take a look at me. We’ll take that to the judge, and the charges will get thrown out, right? They’ve got to let me go, with no motive <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> the fact that I was under a spell, right?” Hunter thought Cliff sounded as though he were trying to convince himself of what he was saying.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Probably, but….”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Please? It’ll be easy. No muss, no fuss, no Salvation Alliance nutjobs. <span style="font-style: italic;">Please?</span>”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hunter chewed his lip for a moment, considering. And then, “All right. I’ll help you.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>I'm currently <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/364899803/identity-theft-an-urban-fantasy-novel?ref=live">raising money on Kickstarter</a> to promote the book. If you liked <i>Atticus</i> and this scene excites you for book 2, or even if you never read <i>Atticus</i> and this scene excites you for the series, please consider chipping in! Anything helps!</b></span></div>
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John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-17299969365556672652012-10-19T18:14:00.002-05:002012-10-19T18:14:20.130-05:00Sanity Vacuum cover reveal!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ladies and gentlemen-<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjPmSIt7Tv8monuRuT6Os1Y3sAvGX0g-zU8NvLs092W0-tioKHeNXRzQIxHcbXoa25SAbKPVm34ctQrKk88rJOfaKTMQ8nMnBOcZ2kDKm3WQy3xkdAjEzGEWol855UMOmsB5Xq0IhlZ8/s1600/TheaSept2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjPmSIt7Tv8monuRuT6Os1Y3sAvGX0g-zU8NvLs092W0-tioKHeNXRzQIxHcbXoa25SAbKPVm34ctQrKk88rJOfaKTMQ8nMnBOcZ2kDKm3WQy3xkdAjEzGEWol855UMOmsB5Xq0IhlZ8/s320/TheaSept2011.jpg" width="240" /></a>My good friend and colleague, Thea Isis Gregory (that'd be the pretty lady to the right) is releasing a new book just in time for the Christmas holidays! Taking a break from her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Locked-Zombie-Bedtime-Stories-ebook/dp/B0059AJIWM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350687487&sr=8-1&keywords=Thea+Isis+Gregory">usual zombie fare</a>, she's unleashing a space sci-fi novel called <i>Sanity Vacuum</i> upon the world!<br />
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My job today (and I've chosen to accept it) is to help her <strike>drive her readers crazy</strike> tantalize her readers by providing a sneak peek at the cover!<br />
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And so, without further ado...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB0ofX0mu-dLMIXm7uSO13HBDWCgw6Pe1Bqhu0dS2oSGekst02Y9HODjBaew4Yw3ehSx_WhburL1l5vxbMggWJPtEijJ7gg7BZ2rTMrf1INvkn9OfgWyzZxjyE_FtaVgovgfu0U8G7s2k/s1600/sanity+d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB0ofX0mu-dLMIXm7uSO13HBDWCgw6Pe1Bqhu0dS2oSGekst02Y9HODjBaew4Yw3ehSx_WhburL1l5vxbMggWJPtEijJ7gg7BZ2rTMrf1INvkn9OfgWyzZxjyE_FtaVgovgfu0U8G7s2k/s320/sanity+d.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Isn't it a beaut? Here's some info about the book.<br />
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<b>The Premise:</b><br />
Vivian Skye just finished university, and qualified for her first-choice internship. Not many would consider the distant and isolated Extra-Galactic Observatory cushy, but it's a dream come true for Vivian. Hailing from the low-tech planet of Aurora, she studied hard for this opportunity--and to leave her old life, and planet behind.<br />
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Her assignment is simple: perform a routine upgrade for the station's supercomputer, quIRK. Her reception isn't a friendly one, and eccentric quIRK becomes her only friend. However, the station's administrator, Bryce Zimmer is obsessed with quIRK--he suspects that the station's computer may have achieved sentience, something explicitly prohibited by the ABACUS Protocol. Compounding their issues, Bryce's traumatic and privileged past makes him distrust Vivian from the beginning. Desperate to keep control, he sabotages quIRK in order to eliminate Vivian. But, his plan threatens to consume the entire station and send them into the unknown void of intergalactic space.<br />
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Vivian must struggle to survive not only Bryce's megalomania, but also the emerging artificial super intelligence that is quIRK. Can Vivian and quIRK learn to trust each other and work together, before it's too late?<br />
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Sounds like fun, no?<br />
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Meanwhile, here's some info on Thea herself:<br />
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<b>Thea Gregory</b> is a firm girl from English Western Quebec, a total nerd, and she loves science fiction, zombies and physics. Between marathon cooking sessions, her clerktastic day job, and part time studies, she manages to find time to write. Author of the <i>Zombie Bedtime Stories</i>, her debut sci-fi novel, <i>Sanity Vacuum</i>, releases December 6, 2012. Thea's blog can be found at <a href="http://nerdygnome.wordpress.com/">http://nerdygnome.wordpress.com</a>.<br />
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So, in summary, I'm super-excited about this one, and you should be too. Tell all your friends about the gorgeous cover! Let's help make Thea's release day a success!</div>
John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-29165984249186153332012-09-28T17:51:00.001-05:002012-09-28T17:51:06.092-05:00Shinies!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A couple of big pieces of news to report.<br />
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First, <i><a href="http://onthebird.blogspot.com/p/the-legal-fiction-series.html">Atticus for the Undead</a> </i>has a new cover! Like all my covers lately, it is done by <a href="http://novakillustration.com/">Steven Novak</a>, an awesome artist who all of you authors reading this should totally use for <i>your</i> covers! I'm super excited about this one, so, without further ado, here it is:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoTZEIsiZq2KhPeXTd-r7V1BApH8bMptH2hbCVby1mFCxArzFBv7AB-yG3P-Bqp3zN5Ml3dixZoDLWUVod4rHlw5nJaRlIXXcjGHQrv0R8eFoPEqIUtGtqmsRGZdXVZP9NABd_ko6G7o/s1600/AtticusUndead_CVR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoTZEIsiZq2KhPeXTd-r7V1BApH8bMptH2hbCVby1mFCxArzFBv7AB-yG3P-Bqp3zN5Ml3dixZoDLWUVod4rHlw5nJaRlIXXcjGHQrv0R8eFoPEqIUtGtqmsRGZdXVZP9NABd_ko6G7o/s320/AtticusUndead_CVR.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Isn't that <i>gorgeous</i>? Yes, friends, as soon as Amazon finishes uploading it, that gorgeous cover will be on <i>my book!!!</i><br />
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Second, a reader named Hattie Gunter posted a very fair (and so thorough!) review of <i><a href="http://onthebird.blogspot.com/p/the-weaver-saga.html">Weaver</a></i> on YouTube. I thought I'd promote both my book <i>and</i> her YouTube Channel at the same time by posting it here!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qZuSe6k-Bd0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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That's all for now, folks!</div>
John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-86789178591628684752012-09-04T18:10:00.001-05:002012-09-04T18:10:32.694-05:00Another Reader Learns The Secret of The Stitch-Faced Man!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The following 4-star review of <i><a href="http://onthebird.blogspot.com/p/the-weaver-saga.html">The Void</a></i> comes from the book's <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-void-john-abramowitz/1110735556?ean=2940014408752">Barnes & Noble site</a>.<br />
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"GREAT STORY LINE BEING DEVELOPED!!<br />
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This is turning out to be a pretty good series! I know it has to be, because all I can think of now that I have read the first two back-to-back is how long I am going to have to wait for the next one to come out?<br />
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This series has surprised me. I liked the first one (<i><a href="http://onthebird.blogspot.com/p/the-weaver-saga.html">Weaver</a></i>) a lot, but this was even better. It is an exciting read with action and surprise. The characters have been a little more developed and we are starting to see how the Wells Society got started and why they think they can do what they do (no plot spoilers here!) There is no graphic sex and no unnecessary cursing. There is a little violence and death to deal with, so I think maybe teen and up (no little children). Hope I don't have to wait too long for the next one.<br />
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Another indie writer to love and watch for!!!!! Great job Mr. Abramowitz!!!"<br />
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<b>Author's Note:</b> S/he even spelled my last name right! Woot!</div>
John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-46940954819490241102012-08-18T22:47:00.003-05:002012-08-20T04:02:13.847-05:00Can You Get Rich On 99 Cents?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On this fine Saturday evening, I thought I'd weigh in with my thoughts on the 99 cent price point. This has been the subject of <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/20/ebooks-cheap-price_n_1160383.html?ref=books#comments">considerable</a> <a href="http://robonwriting.com/2012/05/04/my-novel-is-worth-more-than-john-lockes-comb/">back-and-forth</a> among the indie author community, but I have, so far, stayed out of it. Well, after having been "in business" for a little over a year and experimented with a wide range of marketing techniques, I'm ready to share my experiences.<br />
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When I wrote my first two novels, <i><a href="http://onthebird.blogspot.com/p/the-weaver-saga.html">Weaver</a></i> and <i><a href="http://onthebird.blogspot.com/p/the-legal-fiction-series.html">Atticus for the Undead</a></i>, I initially priced each at 99 cents. Having read that now-famous indie authors like <a href="http://amandahocking.blogspot.com/">Amanda Hocking</a> and <a href="http://www.darciechan.com/">Darcie Chan</a> skyrocketed to stardom after pricing their books at 99 cents, I thought that this might be a good way to encourage people to give my novels a try. I was an indie author, after all, who was launching his career during a recession, when people were going to be naturally hesitant to spend money. 99 cents made sense. So, with a deep breath, I gave it a shot.<br />
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It was a failure. A rather miserable failure, actually.<br />
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The 99 cent price drew few readers, and, what's more, since Amazon only lets you keep 35% of the royalties for books at that price, my profits on the books I did sell were beyond anemic--they were pathetic. I went months and months without a single royalty check to show for my efforts. So what was I doing wrong that Hocking, Chan, and the rest were doing right?<br />
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Of course I can't answer that question with certainty. I have no idea what's in the minds of potential readers, and even the most experienced writers and publishers say that there's simply no predicting which books will take off and which won't. Part of the answer may be that my genre (urban-fantasy novels which tend toward the thriller side of things) is simply less popular than the genres embraced by my more successful counterparts. Or it may simply be that I'm just not a very good writer (though for the sake of my ego, I try not to believe this).<br />
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But I believe that part of the answer is that there is actually a stigma associated with 99 cent pricing now, related to the stigma that accompanies indie authorship. I think many readers realize that big publishing houses wouldn't charge such a low price for their books--indeed, many traditionally published e-books are, in my opinion, now badly overpriced. Therefore, when potential buyers see a book at that price, they assume it can <i>only</i> be an indie novel, and the aversion to indies kicks in.<br />
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So I changed tactics. I marked <i><a href="http://onthebird.blogspot.com/p/the-legal-fiction-series.html">Atticus for the Undead</a></i> up to $2.99 (which is still probably cheaper than traditional publishers would charge, but I hoped the price increase would at least eliminate some of the "you get what you pay for" mentality). When <i>The Void</i> (Book 2 in <i><a href="http://onthebird.blogspot.com/p/the-weaver-saga.html">The Weaver Saga</a></i>) went live, I made <i>Weaver</i> itself free. The results of this move were dramatic--especially this month, now that Amazon has gotten around to price-matching. Copies of <i>Weaver</i> flew off the e-shelves, and <i>The Void</i> has delivered me my single best month of sales yet. It has even outsold <i><a href="http://onthebird.blogspot.com/p/the-legal-fiction-series.html">Atticus</a></i> during the months that <i>Atticus</i> was available on KDP Select. (If you're wondering why the "you get what you pay for" mentality kicks in for a book at 99 cents but not a book that's free, don't ask me.)<br />
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The lesson I learned? If you want to use low prices to encourage readers to try out your work, just go ahead and make it free. You don't make much money on 99 cent books anyway, and the heightened potential for exposure more than makes up for any losses you do incur--especially if, like me, you write series. I still hope to one day get rich as an indie author--but I won't be doing it at 99 cents.</div>
John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-5642557453069770722012-08-11T02:12:00.000-05:002012-08-11T02:12:20.904-05:00Can I Stop The Signal?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Does anyone else find themselves accidentally channeling their favorite fictional characters when they're writing fiction?<br />
<br />
For example, I'm sure it will surprise no one who reads this blog to learn that I am a <i>HUGE</i> fan of <i>Firefly</i>. Have been for years. Imagine my surprise when I sat down to write <i><a href="http://onthebird.blogspot.com/p/the-legal-fiction-series.html">Atticus for the Undead</a></i> and, quite unintentionally, found that Hunter had become Mal! Now, if you've read the book and watched the show, you'll know that they have little to do with each other. There's no space travel in <i>Atticus</i>, and, though he lives and works in Texas, Hunter is no cowboy. He <i>might</i> own a brown coat, but if so, it's purely coincidental. And yet, every time Hunter said something on the page, it was Mal saying that same thing in my head. (I may or may not have had to stop myself from inserting "gorram" and "shiny" into Hunter's dialogue a few times.)<br />
<br />
Similarly, when I was writing Assistant Director Odell Graves, Moira's boss in <i>The Void</i> (Book 2 of <i><a href="http://onthebird.blogspot.com/p/the-weaver-saga.html">The Weaver Saga</a>, </i>Book 1 of which is now free everywhere, by the way), I found that he wanted to sound very much like Agent Broyles from <i>Fringe</i>. (In this case, it probably didn't help that one of my beta readers for the book is a huge <i>Fringe</i> fan and actively pushed me in that direction.) I suppose this one is more understandable since both men are FBI Agents and both are the bosses of the main characters in their respective series'. And I do like the Broyles character quite a lot. But he's not allowed to body-snatch my FBI Agent, dammit!<br />
<br />
And then, tonight, as I was working on <i>Identity Theft</i> (sequel to <i><a href="http://onthebird.blogspot.com/p/the-legal-fiction-series.html">Atticus for the Undead</a></i>), I was writing an exchange in which Hunter's new client asked him why anyone would ever willingly let themselves be mind-controlled. It took true force of will to stop Hunter from replying, "Some people juggle geese." So not only does Hunter want to channel <i>Firefly</i>, he can't even stick to a single character. Curse him and his zombie-defending ways!<br />
<br />
Seriously though, am I the only one with this problem? Do vampire writers ever find their vampire characters talking like Spike or Damon Salvatore? Do space fiction writers ever have Han Solo or Admiral Adama earworming them as they write? This can't be just me--can it?</div>John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-66634155022962409882012-07-28T21:39:00.001-05:002012-07-28T21:39:19.435-05:00Yes, I AM still alive!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So I bet you guys have been wondering where I've been the last couple of weeks.<br />
<br />
The answer: I've been bunkered up in my writer's cave, trying to get my head around the sequel to <i><a href="http://onthebird.blogspot.com/p/legal-fiction-series.html">Atticus for the Undead</a></i>. So far, the book is following several of <b>John's Rules of Novel Writing</b>. For instance:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>However many words actually end up in the book, I've written about 3 times that many.</b> It never fails. In between normal editing, scenes I end up re-writing because I decide to take a different approach to them, and scenes I end up chucking because they just, well, suck, what looks like a 50-60k word book is usually a 150-180k word book on my end. This book is definitely no exception. Combine that with:</li>
<li><b>Beginnings are always the hardest.</b> By the time I get to the end of every book, I'm always <i>really</i> looking forward to starting the next one, if only as an escape from the many frustrations I've invariably encountered with the current manuscript. What I always forget is that writing the opening chapters of a new book can, well, <i>suck</i>. You have to introduce (or, if you're writing a sequel) re-introduce your characters in a way that makes them interesting to the reader, give the reader a taste for the flavor of your world, involve the character in some sort of event that hooks the reader into your story <i>while</i> you're introducing him or her, and do all of these things in a way that isn't ridiculously clunky or heavy handed. If you have more than one point-of-view character (all of my books so far have had 2, including this one), you have to do that for <i>each</i> character. Fun fun fun!</li>
</ol>
<div>
What does this mean for you? Hopefully, nothing! I'm continuing to work on the story and still hope to have it ready for you by year's end. But I thought you should know that just because I haven't been posting lately, doesn't mean I don't love you, or that I'm evil--well, I <i>am</i> evil, but <i>that's not the point</i>! Or, okay, it is <i>sort of</i> the point, because I put a lot of my evil into my novels, so this whole enterprise is sort of powered by evil (which is kind of awesome when you think about it), but... ah, you know what I mean. I think. I hope. Maybe. Kind of.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Keep the faith,</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
John</div>
</div>John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-3037661147144889952012-07-14T00:00:00.001-05:002012-07-14T00:00:13.257-05:00Writers, Take Heart!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The thing about being a novelist--or anyone who tells stories with the written word--is that the medium offers you a million ways to fail. Someone who excels at plot may be weak at characterization, while a writer who has mastered both may still fall short on scene setting. An author who is apt at mood creation might have trouble convincing readers to suspend their disbelief. And so on. There are a million different ingredients that go into the storytelling process, and very few people are experts at all of them. In fact, I'm not sure anyone is.<br />
<br />
Does this sound daunting? It shouldn't. To me, it's a source of tremendous relief. The fact that you are certain not to write a perfect story (does such a thing even exist?) frees you from the obligation to try. Which isn't to say you shouldn't try to write a good one, or even a great one--flagrant disregard for your readers is disrespectful and insulting to them. But it means you get to make mistakes and do things imperfectly--everyone will. Work as hard as you can to make your story the best you can, but if it's strong in nine ways, don't spend too much time panicking about the tenth.<br />
<br />
Remember that most readers will not be going over your work with a fine-toothed comb or a score sheet, giving you marks on each aspect. They're in it for the experience as a whole--for the forest, not the trees. If you have an engaging plot and make your readers feel what the characters do, those readers probably won't care if one or two of those characters are one dimensional. And remember that you won't always be consistent between stories, either--not every set of characters will be as great as the ones in that one novel, not every plot will be as gripping as the one you came up with for that short story.<br />
<br />
In short: don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Getting nine out of ten parts of your work right is damn hard as it is--don't drive yourself crazy if you don't get the tenth. Trust your readers to stay with you for what you did right--because usually, they will.</div>John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-5040338919225387182012-07-05T20:29:00.000-05:002012-07-05T20:29:53.303-05:00HELP MAKE ATTICUS FOR THE UNDEAD's FINAL FREE DAY A SUCCESS!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Friends-</span><br style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">After this 90-day term, I will be ending my contract with the KDP Select Program, in which ATTICUS FOR THE UNDEAD, my most popular novel, is currently enrolled. What does this mean? It means that while the book WILL remain available on Amazon.com, it will also return to distribution on the Nook, as well as other e-reader platfo</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">rms. It also means that I will no longer be able to host "giveaway" days for the book on Amazon, as those are only available for books enrolled in Select.<br /><br />Every book enrolled in KDP Select gets 5 free days per 90 day term. At the moment, ATTICUS FOR THE UNDEAD has 1 free day remaining. This means that folks who have not already downloaded the book have one last chance to do so, free of charge.<br /><br />ATTICUS FOR THE UNDEAD'S FINAL AMAZON FREE DAY WILL BE SUNDAY, JULY 8, 2012.<br /><br />Let's make it a good one. How can you help? Easy!<br /><br />IF YOU HAVE REVIEWED THE BOOK (as many kind book bloggers and fellow authors have), I ask you to please re-post your review at the top of your blog on July 8th, for that day only, along with a notation that the book is free for the day.<br /><br />NOT AN AUTHOR/BOOK BLOGGER?<br />No problem! There are still all sorts of ways to spread the word, liiiiiiiike:<br />-Twitter! Do a Tweet or two (I have some if you're not feeling creative)<br />-Facebook/G+ - put either the book's Amazon page or the Legal Fiction page on my blog in your timeline<br />And last but not least,<br />-Good old conversation! Tell some people. Tell LOTS of people!<br /><br />Who's with me?</span></span>
</div>John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-86344207062642685462012-06-29T23:00:00.001-05:002012-06-29T23:32:28.911-05:00Interview With Rhiannon Frater!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ladies and gentlemen,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm not even going to <i>pretend</i> I haven't been looking forward to bringing you this one. Seriously, there's been squeeing. Lots of it. And so, without further ado....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2ilVdr135S1oXkwtZX9xx0nwK5sKuk_BQGxpOVB6NiWqIUKymt1h6W7xez3vTC2z3amJZJOjOk5_CvVjXA7T9RC_fWgt3MJOVz_NVMw3S_y_L_henEM8GSTEJdMOCYWZkv9n3hrfUj4/s1600/RhiannonFrater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2ilVdr135S1oXkwtZX9xx0nwK5sKuk_BQGxpOVB6NiWqIUKymt1h6W7xez3vTC2z3amJZJOjOk5_CvVjXA7T9RC_fWgt3MJOVz_NVMw3S_y_L_henEM8GSTEJdMOCYWZkv9n3hrfUj4/s1600/RhiannonFrater.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">She is the award-winning author of the <i>As The World Dies</i> zombie trilogy and the author of several other books: the vampire novels <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pretty-When-She-Dies-Vampire/dp/1440429634/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341025578&sr=1-1&keywords=Pretty+When+She+Dies" target="_blank">Pretty When She Dies</a>,</i> <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tale-Vampire-Bride-Rhiannon-Frater/dp/1449560822/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341025611&sr=1-2&keywords=The+Tale+of+the+Vampire+Bride" target="_blank">The Tale of the Vampire Bride</a></i>, and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vengeance-Vampire-Bride-Rhiannon-Frater/dp/1441439889/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341025611&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Tale+of+the+Vampire+Bride" target="_blank">The Vengeance of the Vampire Bride</a></i> as well as the Young Adult novel <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Living-Dead-Zombie-Hunters/dp/1453608842/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341025705&sr=1-1&keywords=The+LIving+Dead+Boy+and+the+Zombie+Hunters" target="_blank">The Living Dead Boy and the Zombie Hunters</a></i>. The first two books in her zombie trilogy, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-First-Days-World-Dies/dp/0765331268/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341025522&sr=8-1&keywords=The+First+Days" target="_blank">The First Days</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Survive-World-Dies-Book/dp/0765331276/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341025555&sr=1-1&keywords=Fighting+to+Survive" target="_blank">Fighting to Survive</a>, </i>are available now in bookstores. <i>Siege</i> will be in bookstores April 24, 2012. She's also just released a new novel, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Bastion-Living-ebook/dp/B008A3SS1W/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341025748&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Last+Bastion+of+the+Living" target="_blank">The Last Bastion of the Living</a></i>, which she's here promoting.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Please welcome, the lovely and talented Rhiannon Frater!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>John:</b> Let's start with the basics. What made you decide to be a writer? More specifically, what made you decide to be a zombie writer?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Rhiannon:</b> I've been telling stories since I learned to talk, so I'm pretty sure I was born to be a storyteller. As for the whole zombie thing, they chose me. I considered myself to be a horror writer, but I had no desire to write about zombies. They scared me too much! Then one day a very intense vision of a young woman standing on her front porch staring down at the zombified fingers of her toddler pressed under the front door straining to reach her popped into my mind and I was hooked. I had to write that story. And it ended up being the <i>As The World Dies</i> trilogy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>John:</b> You have a knack for coming up with vivid, eye-catching titles. What's your secret?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Rhiannon: Most of my stories come to me in dreams and so do the titles. I think the only one that ended up the product of a title generator online--of all things!-- was my YA book <i>The Midnight Spell</i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>John:</b> Let's get past title and into content. There are lots of zombie books out there--what makes yours special?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Rhiannon: </b>According to my fans it's the cinematic feel of the story and the characters. I am often told by readers that they feel they've just watched a movie instead of reading a book when they finish one of my novels. Also, they love the characters and end up deeply emotionally invested in them. My fans tell me that reading one of my books is an immersive experience, so I suppose that is why they are "special."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>John:</b> Are you a pantser or a plotter?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Rhiannon:</b> I'm an organic writer. The stories just come to me. The characters appear and it's my function to figure out who they are and follow them on their journey. That being said, I don't usually plunge into writing a story until I have a fairly good idea of where it's headed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now that I'm dealing with a major publisher, Tor, I am forced to write a synopsis for my proposed books. It's hell! Ugh! I hate it so much. I try to make them as general as possible because I know things may change along the way.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhprW3VT-2v1J01dJo9Tx4TIB0T7k857Um3LhKZrned6rNED7S-FsN4kr6oRcfInu55CnVBu3G3Mu0BJ59UQfiKjpEd-lvBg81DhsyJ_FtycFmq5ZmtieCQfIaLuxpWSciKNh3QYcvuKb0/s1600/noname.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhprW3VT-2v1J01dJo9Tx4TIB0T7k857Um3LhKZrned6rNED7S-FsN4kr6oRcfInu55CnVBu3G3Mu0BJ59UQfiKjpEd-lvBg81DhsyJ_FtycFmq5ZmtieCQfIaLuxpWSciKNh3QYcvuKb0/s320/noname.png" width="214" /></span></a></div>
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>John:</b> You're currently here promoting <i>Last Bastion of the Living</i>. We'll get to the substance of the book in a second, but first, as a Joss Whedon fan, I have to ask: Is it an accident that the woman on the cover looks distinctly like a black-clad River Tam?</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Rhiannon: </b>That's the first I've heard that. LOL. But I think the woman in the leather catsuit is a genre staple, so people may see Catwoman or Selene, too.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The artwork actually precedes the bok. It's an art piece by Claudia McKinney of Phat Puppy Art. WhenI was writing <i>The Last Bastion of the Living</i>, I had it on my screen for inspiration. I liked how it perfectly captured the mood of my novel. When I finished the book, I realized it was also the perfect cover. I contacted Claudia and was pleased when she agreed to sell it to me. Claudia just altered a few minor things to fit the story. I love it.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Personally, the dead terrain, the look on the woman's face, the pose, just everything, accurately reflects the story. It's a perfect cover for the novel.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>John:</b> Well, River's clothing was <i>slightly</i> different when she did her zombie-killing. Also, as I recall, she was using machetes, not knives. And I should probably stop talking about this in case anyone hasn't seen <i>Serenity</i>. *looks around guiltily*</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">ANYWAY! <i>Now</i> tell us about <i>Last Bastion</i> itself. What's it about? Was it fun to write? Do you have any favorite parts or scenes? (Without being too spoiler-y, of course.)</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Rhiannon:</b> The story is about the last living city on earth known as The Bastion. It houses the millions of surviving humans behind a high wall. The world was destroyed by a viral plague that created undead creatures called the Inferi Scourge. The last of the surviving earth governments worked together to create a fortified valley in a mountain range with only pass into it. That pass had an enormous gate that was closed and locked once the last of the surviving humans entered the valley. The Bastion sat in the center of the valley surrounded by ranches, farms, a mining facility, a hydro-electric plant and a lake. It was supposed to be the New Eden. Then the gate to the pass failed and the Inferi Scourge swarmed into the valley. The Bastion ended up cut off from its resources and hundreds of thousands of people died.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Flash forward and the city is on the brink of death. Vanguard Maria Martinez is conscripted for a top secret mission that will help close the gate and eradicate the Inferi Scourge.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My favorite parts of the book are the prologue, which is an epic battle scene, and the ending, which I consider to be perfection.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>John:</b> What inspired the story?</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Rhiannon:</b> I had a really vivid dream about Maria Martinez looking out her window of her fiat and saw The Bastion. I love science fiction, dystopian, and zombie books, so I was hooked immediately when I saw the world.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>John:</b> What writers (or other fiction-makers) inspire you?</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Rhiannon:</b> George A. Romero, Joss Whedon, and Alfred Hitchcock are definite influences. Romero taught me to concentrate on the characters, Whedon taught me to kill my darlings, and Hitchcock taught me how to build up suspense and deliver surprises.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I've also been inspired by Bram Stoker, Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, and Ray Bradbury. All three have written stories that have completely transported me to other worlds.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Modern writers that I really enjoy are David Dunwoody, J.L. Bryan, Scot Westerfeld, Susan Kay Quinn, Ann Aguirre's sci-fi and dystopian works, and Ally Condie.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I can't name a favorite since I read in so many different genres and it depends on my mood.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>John:</b> Whedon fans unite! *high-fives* The biggest compliment I ever got was a Tweet from a reader yelling at me for "Joss Whedon-ing" her. That may or may not have had to do with a character I killed off....</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What advice would you give to others who are considering writing as a career?</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Rhiannon: </b>It's very hard. Educate yourself not only on how to write a novel, but on the publishing business itself. The first major task is to actually finish a book, but chances are your first book will be rubbish. Don't give up. Keep writing, keep learning, and choose the publication path that you are willing to put all your time and energy into.</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>John:</b> When you write a series, do you find fans' expectations intimidating? Does fear of not living up to those expectations make the writing process harder?</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Rhiannon:</b> Writing a series is a pain in the ass. That is why I'm trying to limit how many I'm working on at one time. Right now I have three. <i>As The World Dies Untold Tales</i> is one book away from completion. The <i>Pretty When She Dies</i> trilogy needs two more books. And the <i>Vampire Bride</i> series is probably going to be my long-term ongoing series.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I've already learned the important lesson to write the story that wants to be told and disregard all other influences. Yes, I want my readers to be happy with the story, but at the same time I have to stick with the rules in the world I've built and with the personalities of the characters. Sometimes characters do things that readers won't like and that's just the way it has to be. I don't meddle in the story. I learned that lesson long ago. If you try to force a character to do something that is against his/her nature or push the story in a direction that doesn't fit the plot arc, the whole thing derails. I know things happen in my books that readers may not necessarily like, but at the same time most of them understand why.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When it gets very hard is when you're on the last book of a trilogy and there is so much expectation in the minds of the readers. But again, I write the story that wants to be told and hope they enjoy it.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>John:</b> Imagine for a second that a movie studio (perhaps Lionsgate?) approached you and wanted to make your <i>As The World Dies</i> trilogy into movies. Suppose they wanted your input on casting. Who would you want playing Katie, Jenni, Travis, and Juan?</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Rhiannon: </b><i>As The World Dies</i> is optioned. I have even helped with the pilot script. Whether or not it's greenlighted or not is a whole other story.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For Katie I would love Kristanna Loken, Odette Annable for Jenni, Kuno Becker for Juan, and Ben Browder for Travis.</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>John:</b> Wow, didn't know that. Good for you. If it <i>does</i> get greenlighted, I will definitely be going. Congratulations.</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now then, let's look into the future. You seem to have several projects in the works at the moment. Care to tell us about them?</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Rhiannon:</b> I'm presently writing <i>Pretty When She Kills</i>, the sequel to my vampire/necromancer/zombie book <i>Pretty When She Dies</i>. It's a lot of fun to be back in that world after a four year absence. After that I hope to finish up my YA collaboration with dark fantasy author, <a href="http://kodyboye.com/" target="_blank">Kody Boye</a>, before moving on to a new standalone novel.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the near future I have two short story collections coming out: <i>As The World Dies Untold Tales Volume 3</i> and <i>Cthulhu's Daughter and Other Horror Stories</i>.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>John:</b> There's been a lot of grumbling lately (including from me) about the KDP Select program and Amazon's new sales algorithms. Any thoughts on that whole kerfluffle? Has it affected your sales?</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Rhiannon:</b> Not noticeably. I tried the KDP Select Program with mixed results. I'm keeping one or two books on it, but took <i>Pretty When She Dies</i> off. I'm hoping to continue to establish my name as a solid writer so that my primary marketing strategy is name recognition.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>John:</b> Are you, like every other author out there, planning world domination? If you are planning it, will you be silly enough to tell me so?</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Rhiannon:</b> The world? Bah. Universal domination is what I'm aiming for.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>John:</b> Not lacking for ambition, I see. Well, Rhiannon, it's been a pleasure having you on the blog, and I hope you'll come back for your next blog tour.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Readers (or potential readers) wishing to find Rhiannon around the web can do so at:</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.rhiannonfrater.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Her website</span></a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.astheworlddies.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The <i>As The World Dies</i> website</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/astheworlddies" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On Facebook</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/rhiannonfrater" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On Twitter</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And on her <a href="http://rhiannonfrater.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog</a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-76436418594405716472012-06-23T11:41:00.004-05:002012-06-23T11:41:51.354-05:00Happy Birthday, Joss Whedon!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Though I'm sure he doesn't read this, I feel that it's appropriate today to send birthday wishes to the man without whom On The Bird would not exist.<br />
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I have <a href="http://jerasjamboree.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/indie-author-interview-and-giveaway-john-abramowitz/" target="_blank">said before</a> that Whedon influences my fiction in a variety of ways. My interest in storytelling, and in writing, pre-dates my having any idea who he was, but it was only after consuming his work (over and over again) that I learned to tell stories <i>well</i>. Devouring episode after episode of <i>Buffy</i> and <i>Firefly</i> (RIP) proved to be the ultimate object lesson in character development and narrative pacing, witty dialogue and mood mixing. (One of the most flattering things a reviewer can say about a story of mine is that they loved the dialogue. That's when I know I've learned well.)<br />
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More importantly, though, Whedon's career provides an object lesson in artistic courage. As an indie, it is frequently tempting to "fall in line," to sacrifice my own artistic vision to the demands of the market and create a cookie-cutter, derivative version of <i>Twilight</i> or <i>Lord of the Rings</i>. From a business perspective, this might well be the sensible thing to do. But Joss never did that. He continues to tell stories that mix or jump genres, despite acknowledging that this has probably hurt his career. He made <i>Firefly</i> and kept fighting for it for years after cancellation (even though, "in Hollywood, people like that are called 'unrealistic,' 'quixotic,' 'obsessive....'"), eventually getting a movie made. He bypassed television and movie studios entirely and brought us <i>Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog</i> directly--a first-of-its-kind web show. And, in an age when mindless brain candy seems to be the order of the day, he made <i>Dollhouse</i>, a show explicitly designed to challenge viewers to think about prevailing cultural and social norms.<br />
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Granted, this may have been easier for him to do, since he comes from well-established Hollywood pedigree. And I'd probably still enjoy his shows even if he were to do more "mainstream" work. But there's something to be said for sticking by your vision even when it hurts your bottom line.<br />
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So, happy birthday, Joss. To many of us out there, you're still a Big Damn Hero.</div>John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732686716456426067.post-59402519788199073772012-06-17T00:53:00.000-05:002012-06-17T00:53:08.299-05:004.5 Stars For THE VOID<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The following is a review of <i>The Void</i> (<a href="http://onthebird.blogspot.com/p/weaver-saga.html" target="_blank">Weaver Saga</a> #2) <a href="http://rjkeith.wordpress.com/2012/06/16/the-void-the-weaver-saga-john-abramowitz/" target="_blank">Denise Lhamon</a>. It is presented here in its entirety. <b>Those who have not read the book should be aware that the review contains some spoilers.</b><br />
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"Okay, let me be the first to say: I am *so* happy I volunteered to review this book. It took me by surprise how much I actually enjoyed it, and how much I want to go back and read the first one. To be honest I had no idea I was reading the second in a series, until my brain caught up with all the information I was missing within the text. Luckily, Mr. Abramowitz does a well good job of filling in enough detail for someone to at least guess at what happened in the first book.<br />
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Keeping that in mind, I've had to tailor my review because there *are* chunks I am missing from the story. This tune mostly sings toward character development. Obviously there's a difference between reading a character from book one and book two. One would hope the author has progressed his or her characters far enough to notice some sort of change in them.<br />
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In this case, Mr. Abramowitz has done well by his characters in that they seemed to jump off the page right from the get go. Alex was believable as a teenager who believes that her Weaver powers are the only thing that make her special. What kid wants to be normal, anyway? Her father, mother, Agent McBain and other supporting cast are written in a way that I was able to grasp their personality within a few words *and* jump to conclusions that later proved wrong. A wonderful surprise.<br />
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The other part is back story. There is plenty I don't know about with how Alex's mother, Ainslin (sic), treated her in book one. All I have to go on is that she was not a very nice person. Another conclusion that had me startled as more of her character was revealed. Without going into too much detail (I don't want to employ spoilers, as it would ruin the whole thing), Alex's father has left her mother because of what she was doing to Alex. Basically, injecting the poor girl with nasty shots to give her these Weaver powers. Like any good dad, he got his daughter out of there quick, fast, and in a hurry. Well, from what I can gather, a Weaver, has visions about Xorda attacks. Some are visions in the future, other visions are about the past. Alex's visions are about her mother in her college days. So, what dad said about mum and her badness may not be entirely truthful. In the Weaver Saga the FBI gets involved. Well, a part of the FBI that no one really knows about and that employs Weavers to help them locate the Xorda and get rid of them, for reasons I'm not quite sure about yet. Other than the soul-sucking bit. You know, which is never fun. Now normally, the FBI doesn't employ 15 year old girls. In our universe, anyway. However, in this universe, they do.<br />
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I think I would have been more open to the fact had I started from book one. It was a tough pill to swallow coming into book two, but not all that unrealistic once the scope of the Xorda problem and these 'Weavers' were explained.<br />
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In short, it worked for the world I inhabited for 190 pages.<br />
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Overall it was a fun and exciting read, the action moved along fairly quickly and the pages kept turning as my interest in Alex and her plight grew. The dialogue was snappy, though it felt forced in some places, and it was relevant to the situation-there was very little deviation into nonsensical conversation that, overall, had nothing to do with the plot as a whole. I immediately found myself attached to the characters and interested in what was happening to them.<br />
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A right feat considering the audiobook I *was* listening too (sic) was a nominee for the Hugo and Nebula awards. But, that's another blog post.<br />
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The only problem I could *really* find with the book was some of the fight scenes. Reading through them proved troublesome, as some of the action got confused. There was only one unrealistic scene I could find, when Agent McBain had a Xorda a few inches away from her face and kicked hi in the head. I had to raise an eyebrow at that one.<br />
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Other than that, the book was fun, well written, and an awesome read. It, and its predecessor, are available on Amazon's Kindle Store.<br />
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For me, the book gets a solid 4.5 for its characters, fast pace, and overall excitement. Well done, Mr. Abramowitz, I look forward to the next one!"</div>John Abramowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974099891841900193noreply@blogger.com0