Featured Author: Penny C. Sansevieri

About the book

Amazon wants you to sell a lot of books. And How to Sell Your Books by the Truckload teaches you exactly how to do it. Internationally renowned Amazon book marketing expert Penny Sansevieri has created the ultimate guide for mastering the Amazon marketing system.

And in moments it can be right at your fingertips! The savings in time you’ll gain is enormous — when compared to painstakingly researching this information yourself.

When you follow Penny’s time-tested proven formulas you’ll instantly skyrocket the exposure you receive and kick your book promotion campaign into overdrive!

Plus, you can bypass all of the misinformation out there about how Amazon works. That’s because every secret you need to know to understand the Amazon marketing system inside and out is right here. Penny Sanseveri takes you step-by-step through simple and dynamic processes that show you how to:

• Get top visibility for your book on Amazon
• Increase sales through perfectly-timed pre-order campaigns
• Leverage a secret tool to get hundreds of reader reviews
• Use Kindle Unlimited to your greatest advantage
• Boost sales by knowing when to give away your e-book – it really works!
• Use keywords and book descriptions that puts your book in front of tons of buyers
• Identify and locate secret categories that drive bigger sales

Get your booked ranked #1 in your category!

How to Sell Your Books by the Truckload is your must-read, go-to resource if you want to really understand the inner workings of Amazon, so you can sell more books. Order right now and you’ll also receive these FREE BONUSES:

BONUS #1: Free listings to book bloggers, fiction bloggers, and romance bloggers! Includes hundreds of bonus resources!

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Interview with Penny C. Sansevieri  

Penny, what’s the story behind the title How to Sell Your Books by the Truckload?
Funny you should ask, it’s actually part of what I talk about in the book. So I was doing research on Amazon one day to see what searches were popular in regards to what I was writing and I discovered that the keywords in my title (with the exception of the word ‘Truckload’) were very popular so that’s how I named it. I’d love to say that it just popped into my head one day, but it didn’t, it was actually based on keyword research on Amazon.

Where did you grow up?
Well, I grew up in Southern California but also Belgium where I went to school (grade and high school) for ten years. I loved living there!

What’s your favorite memory?
I took my mom to the beaches of Normandy. She was a little girl in Belgium during WWII and she had never been, so we went there and to the American Cemetery and Museum which is incredibly moving.

Have you been in any natural disasters?
I have actually, we were in that fire that raged through California – I think 6 or so years ago. At its height it was chewing through 6,000 acres an hour, and by the time it hit us (with almost no warning) we had 30 seconds to get out of the house. No kidding. Thankfully my house didn’t burn but a lot of them around me did.

WOW! What is the most daring thing you've done, besides staying in your house too long in a fire?
Starting a business. No, really. I’ve been in business for fifteen years, and I can tell you that it’s the hardest and the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. I love it, but it’s not for the faint of heart

What’s one thing that you wish you knew as a teenager that you know now?
I was a geek as a teenager, I loved to read, study, etc. I wasn’t big on fashion or up on pop culture, and I always felt like an outsider. I wish I had known then that it was okay to be a geek, that geeks rock, and many geek-type people have changed our work. Think Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, etc. I’m not even close to being in their league, but it’s nice to know that even a geek can create magic.

What makes you happy?
Well a few things actually. My uber-perfect dog Cosmo, I love traveling in Europe, and last, but certainly not least: I love, love, love it when I get great buzz for an author we’re working with. It’s harder and harder these day to do that, so hitting that mark is pretty thrilling!

Do you have another job outside of writing?
I do! I run Author Marketing Experts, and I’m so fortunate to work with a fantastic group of women who work with our authors and publishers to help them market and promote their work!

What’s one of your favorite quotes?
Do what you love, and you’ll never work another day in your life.

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to write?
All of my books are hard really – the Amazon book which we’re discussing here is hard because Amazon changes what they do all the time, so the book needs to be written fast, produced quickly and updated frequently. It’s not a matter of "set it and forget it." I want the most current information out there. I’m a stickler for that.

You can be any fictional character for one day. Who would you be?
I would love to be Sydney Bristow from Alias – if you’ve never seen the show it stars Jennifer Garner, and many stars, like Bradley Cooper, got their start there. It’s also on Netflix! She is a super spy and kicks some serious a**, she always gets the bad guy.

I used to watch that show and love it! What’s the worst thing someone has said about your writing? How did you deal with it?
Great question! Years ago when I published the first edition of Red Hot Internet Publicity, there was a blogger who hated it – and I mean *hated* it. It was hard to read his review, and in fact, I thought for a moment about writing the person back. But I opted not to, I mean, what’s the point? Then, after a glass of wine and rocking in the corner, I realized that amidst some of his less–than-kind remarks, there were in fact some good tidbits and things I fixed the next time around. But I never pitched him for a book review again. Just sayin’

What would your dream office look like?
Minions, there would be lots of minions.

I love it! What are you working on now? 
Funny you should ask, I’m working on the next edition of Red Hot Internet Publicity!

About the author

Penny C. Sansevieri, Founder and CEO Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. She is an Adjunct Professor teaching Self-Publishing for NYU.

Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most innovative Social Media/Internet book marketing campaigns. She is the author of fourteen books, including How to Sell Your Books by the Truckload on Amazon and Red Hot Internet Publicity, which has been called the "leading guide to everything Internet." 

AME was the first book marketing and publicity firm to use Internet promotion to its full impact through The Virtual Author Tour™, which strategically harnesses social networking sites, Twitter, blogs, book videos, and relevant sites in order to push an author’s message into the online community. AME has had over eleven books top bestseller lists, including those of the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal.

To learn more about Penny’s books or her promotional services, you can visit her website. 

Connect with Penny:
Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Pinterest  ~  Google +

To enter the giveaway to win an Amazon Optimization Package, go here.

Guest Post by Miriam Auerbach

About the book

Patients at a posh Boca Raton rehab center are ending up stiffer than a Boca babe’s smile. Tough PI Harriet Horowitz, once a bedazzled babe herself, signs in at The Oasis at the request of a frightened friend.

As a pattern emerges in the murders, it’s clear the killer is targeting patients with an unusual addiction. How did they end up with the same drug problem at the same time and in the same rehab together? Harriet’s sleuthing leads her down a path of secrets and danger, and what she learns could lead her undercover assignment to a dead end.

Guest Post by Miriam Auerback

WHAT IS A BOCA BABE?

Boca Raton, Florida, has been hailed as the Beverly Hills of the East Coast. Now, to me, that’s a claim that cries out for corroboration. So let’s see – what are the commonalities between Beverly Hills and Boca? Opulent mansions and beautiful shopping areas? Check.  Young blonde women precariously balancing a size sixteen stack atop a size two tuchus?  Check. But frankly, I think they’ve got it backwards – it should be Beverly Hills that aspires to be the Boca of the West Coast. After all, we’ve got some home-grown beauts that they can’t shake a stick at.  Namely, we’ve got Boca Babes.  What, you may ask, is a Boca Babe?  Here are some clues:

•    If you live in a house the size of a jumbo jet hangar, then you are likely a Boca Babe.
•    If you don’t talk to anyone who doesn’t own anything made by Prada, then you just might be a Boca Babe.
•    If Neiman Marcus is #1 on your cell phone speed dial, you might be a Boca Babe.
•    If you’ve had diamond studs soldered into your earlobes, you could be a Boca Babe.
•    If your dog owns more clothing and toys that some people’s children, you just might be a Boca Babe.
•    If the only thing you know how to make for dinner is reservations, you are probably a Boca Babe.
•    And if you are all these things but you’ve hit the big 4-0, then you’re no longer a Boca Babe – you’re now a Botox Babe.

In sum, Boca Babes are high-maintenance, highly enhanced, high-end consumers married to high-income men. To illustrate, here is a pic of me posing as a Boca Babe (no, really, I’m just posing – this is not my everyday appearance!).

My series protagonist, Harriet Horowitz, is an ex-Boca Babe. Why an ex? Here’s the thing: a rich husband, no matter how revolting, is the price of admission to the Boca Babe Club. Harriet’s husband was indeed revolting. He abused her for ten years. Finally she’d had enough. One day when her husband raised his fists at her one last time, she told him, “Go ahead – make my day.” He obliged, and she shot him through the heart – with his (now hers) .44 Magnum.

Due to the influence of a wealthy friend, the local Boca philanthropist Contessa von Phul, Harriet’s act was ruled justifiable homicide. And Harriet embarked on a new identity – Dirty Harriet – and new life. She sold everything, bought a Harley, and moved to a desolate cabin in the Everglades. She swapped swank for swamp, indulgence for independence. 

Harriet embarked on a new career as well: she opened up her own private eye agency, ScamBusters. And business is booming. Boca’s got a slew of scams. Investment scams, insurance scams, immigration scams – you name it, we’ve got it. So Harriet is doing just fine as a ScamBuster. But occasionally, murder intrudes. So far, Harriet has had four murderous adventures in the Dirty Harriet Mystery Series, including the latest, Boca Undercover.

But I don’t think Boca Babes are confined to Boca.  What do you think – do you have a version of Boca Babes in your town?

About the author

Miriam Auerbach is the author of a satirical mystery series set in Boca Raton, Florida and featuring Harley-riding, wisecracking female private eye Harriet Horowitz. Her debut novel, Dirty Harriet, won the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best First Series Romance. Miriam can only assume that this is because the heroine kills her husband on page one. In a parallel universe, Miriam is known as Miriam Potocky, professor of social work at Florida International University in Miami. She lives in South Florida with her husband and their multicultural canines, a Welsh Corgi and a Brussels Griffon.

Connect with Miriam:
Website  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads   

Featured Author: B.L. Blair

About the book:

Leaving Emily was Mitch’s greatest mistake.  Can she forgive him?

Growing up, Mitch Carson had always dreamed of leaving Holton, Texas, traveling the world, and writing life altering stories. As an investigative journalist, he made those dreams come true, but he left behind the only woman he ever loved. That was his greatest mistake. Mitch has returned home to see if she can forgive him for leaving her when she needed him the most.

In high school, Emily Fairview had fallen deeply, madly, and completely in love with Mitch. The two of them planned a life together far away from Holton, but when Emily’s family needed her, she chose to stay. Mitch chose to leave. Fifteen years later Mitch is back and wants a second chance, but Emily doesn’t know if she can forgive him.

Return to Holton, Texas one last time to see if Mitch can get Emily to forgive him.  Forgive Me is the fourth and final book in the Holton Series but may be read as a standalone novel.

Excerpt from Forgive Me

“Paul seemed pretty excited about that ad campaign,” Emily said after a moment of silence.

Mitch glanced at her and nodded. “Advertising is his passion.”

“What?” she asked.

“His passion,” Mitch repeated. “You know the thing he loves.”

Emily cocked her head and gave him a smile. “I thought Rachel was his passion.”

Mitch laughed. “Well, yeah, that’s a given. But advertising is also a passion. It gets his juices flowing. He loves it. You can tell. I believe everyone has at least one passion.  It may not always be a healthy one, but everyone has to have something that drives them.”

“What do you mean?”

“Take Steven, for example,” he said to her. Emily looked over at his brother. “You know him pretty well. What do you think is the most important thing to him?”

“Anna,” she said promptly. “Well, and Mia. And your parents, you, and Tori.” She stopped and laughed. “I guess that’s more than one thing.”

“No. You got it right. It’s family. Steven has always been a family guy. Has always wanted to be with his family, in his hometown. That’s his passion.”

“Hmm,” Emily said thinking. “Do you have a passion?”

“Sure, I have three.”

“Three?  What are they?”

He shot her a sly look. “You tell me yours, and I’ll tell you mine.”

He hadn’t expected the sad look that crossed her face. She didn’t respond. He reached for her hand and squeezed. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t think I have a passion,” she whispered.

“Sure, you do.” She shook her head so he continued. “You’re passionate about computers.”

She thought about it for a minute. “Not really. I mean I like working with them. I enjoy teaching about them, but I don’t think I can call it a passion.” She paused. “I really don’t have a passion.”

“Well, then, I guess we will have to find you one.”

About the author

B. L. Blair writes simple and sweet romance and mystery/romance stories.  Like most authors, she has been writing most of her life and has dozens of books started.  She just needs the time to finish them.

She is the author of the Holton Romance Series and the Leah Norwood Mysteries.  She enjoys reading books, writing books, and traveling wherever and as often as time and money allows.  She is currently working on her latest book set in Texas, where she lives with her family.

Connect with the author:
Website |  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads 

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Cover Reveal for Vamps, Villains and Vaudeville

About the book

In 1920s Galveston, society reporter Jazz Cross is in for a surprise when she attends a traveling vaudeville show with her beau, Prohibition Agent James Burton, and sees an old flame in the production.  That night, they find a stabbing victim behind the Oasis — her half-brother Sammy’s speakeasy — who’s identified as an actor in the troupe. When the victim disappears and later turns up dead, Jazz must help prove that Sammy wasn’t the killer. After a second vaudeville actor is found dead, Jazz discovers that the events behind the scenes are much more interesting than the outdated acts onstage.

To make matters worse, Sammy’s old nemesis demands that he settles a score and forces him into yet another illegal scheme involving the troupe’s money-making ventures. Can Jazz help solve the murders and prove her brother’s innocence—so he can get away from the Downtown Gang for good?

A historical Jazz Age mystery inspired by real-life Galveston gangs and local landmarks. Vamps, Villains and Vaudeville will be out in late spring/early summer.

Check out Goodreads for the book giveaway for Gold Diggers, Gamblers and Guns through May 25.

Jazz Age Mysteries

About this author

Ellen Mansoor Collier is a Houston-based freelance magazine writer and editor whose articles, essays and short stories have been published in a variety of national magazines. During college summers, she worked as a reporter for a Houston community newspaper and as a cocktail waitress, both jobs providing background experience for her Jazz Age mysteries.

A flapper at heart, she's worked as a magazine editor/writer, and in advertising and public relations (plus endured a hectic semester as a substitute teacher). She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Magazine Journalism and served on UTmost, the college magazine and as president of WICI (Women in Communications).

Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play is her first novel, published in 2012, followed by the sequel, Bathing Beauties, Booze and Bullets, released in 2013. Gold Diggers, Gamblers and Guns, the third book in the trilogy, came out in May 2014 and picks up right after BBB.

Collier lives in Houston with her husband and Chow mutts, and visits Galveston whenever possible.

"When you grow up in Houston, Galveston becomes like a second home. I had no idea this sleepy beach town had such a wild and colorful past until I began doing research, and became fascinated by the legends and stories of the 1920s. Finally I had to stop researching and start writing, trying to imagine a flapper's life in Galveston during Prohibition."

Buy Jazz Age Mysteries

Guest Post by DD Marx

About the book

When Olivia gets news of her best friend Dan’s fatal car accident, her life is shattered. Consumed with grief and struggling to find any meaning or purpose to life, she trudges along with a gaping void in her heart. Finally, when her frustration reaches its peak, Olivia decides to put her trust in the depth of friendship the two of them shared. That trust finally allows him to breakthrough to her, and Dan begins to guide Olivia through the twists and turns of her life, leading to something new and entirely unexpected.



When Olivia exposes a gigantic internal scandal at work, her career implodes. With no job and nowhere to turn, she escapes to Palm Springs for the sympathy and care of her beloved cousin, Garrett. However, with only weeks left before the opening of his newest store, “Gin and Tonic,” Garrett isn’t quite the comfort Olivia had expected. She yet again tries to find her way, and in the process meets someone who begins to fill that void in her heart. She’s never before experienced a love like this; it heals her soul and rekindles her spirit – and just may have been the design of her dearly departed friend all along.



Beyond Believing is a sweet, funny, and romantic story that touches the heart, serves up delicious twists and turns, and shows the reader that there’s no such thing as “coincidence.” Author D.D. Marx regards this book as her “love letter to friendship,” written in memory of her best friend, Dan.

Guest Post by DD Marx

My VIRTUAL Tour across Europe

When writing my novel, I knew I wanted to have worlds collide so I would have to write from a perspective that was foreign to me. What I learned from it is that my bucket list continues to grow! I started with research, in many forms. I based one of my main characters in Scotland, a place I had never been and he was a Chef my trade something I knew little about. I started with my darling neighbor who was born and raised on Scotland. I asked her lots of questions to ensure I could describe the smallest of details. I searched on line, looked at many photos and studied surrounding areas to make sure I wouldn’t sound like a novice on the subject.

I made the character a Chef. Why? Well I don’t really know why, but it seems like a very admirable and amazing profession that takes just as much art as it does skill. This was even more fun to research because it involved a considerable amount of time watching the Food Network: Top Chef, Cut Throat Kitchen, Beat Bobby Flay, and Chopped. I did searches of food festivals and famous restaurants in the areas of the world that I was trying to portray.

What it resulted in was hopefully a very colorful experience for my readers. I hope it lead to them salivating thinking of the delicious dishes that were being prepared and the surrounding in which they were being consumed. It really just made me hungry throughout the writing process. I am thinking about putting together a literal “book tour” together to follow my characters journey. I think it would make a remarkable vacation. Anyone want to join me?

About the author

D.D. Marx is a contemporary romantic fiction writer and blogger, as well as a lover of all things social. She is a graduate of the University of Dayton, as well as the Second City program in Chicago, where she currently resides. A proud aunt and self-described hopeless romantic, Marx has always has a knack for humorous and engaging storytelling. Her pen name is a dedication to her beloved friend Dan, who continues to guide and inspire her in her daily life.

Connect with DD:
Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Pinterest  




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Featured Author: Russ Colchamiro

About the book

Best pals Jason Medley and Theo Barnes barely survived a backpacking trip through Europe and New Zealand that — thanks to a jar of Cosmic Building Material they found — almost wiped out the galaxy. But just as they envision a future without any more cosmic lunacy:

The Earth has started fluxing in and out of existence, Theo's twin girls are teleporting, and Jason can't tell which version of his life is real.


All because of Milo, the Universe's ultimate gremlin.


Joined by the mysterious Jamie — a down-and-out hotel clerk from Eternity — Jason and Theo reunite on a frantic, cross-country chase across America, praying they can retrieve that jar, circumvent Milo, and save the Earth from irrevocable disaster.


In author Russ Colchamiro’s uproarious sequel to Finders Keepers, he finally confirms what we've long suspected — that there’s no galactic Milo quite like a Genius de Milo.

Interview with Russ Colchamiro

Russ, what’s the story behind the title Genius de Milo?
Sorry, folks, but I don’t kiss and tell. You’ll need to read Genius de Milo to find out that particular secret . . .

Tell us about your series. Is this book a standalone, or do readers need to read the series in order?
My debut novel Finders Keepers is a scifi backpacking comedy . . . think American Pie meets Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It's loosely based on a series of backpacking trips I took through Europe and New Zealand, set against a quest for a jar that contains the Universe's DNA.

My newest book, Genius de Milo, is the second book in the trilogy, where our bumbling backpacking heroes Jason Medley and Theo Barnes are once again tasked with retrieving a radioactive jar filled with the Universe’s DNA … before it wipes out the galaxy.

Genius de Milo (and Finders Keepers) is for fans of authors such as Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, and Christopher Moore, and movies and TV shows such as Harold & Kumar, Bill & Ted, Hot Tub Time Machine, Time Bandits, Quantum Leap, Groundhog Day, Northern Exposure, and Third Rock from the Sun.

And whereas Finders Keepers was set predominantly in Europe and New Zealand, the action in Genius de Milo has shifted mostly to the U.S. And, of course, there's lots going on in Eternity, the 'cosmic' realm where the Universe is created.

So for Genius de Milo, think Midnight Run meets Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

As the second book in the series, I wrote Genius de Milo with the understanding that it needed to work on three levels:

• As a satisfying, self-contained novel that new readers can enjoy even if they haven’t read Finders Keepers 
• As the second novel in the Finders Keepers trilogy that both continues and enhances the overall narrative and individual story arcs
• Structurally as a lead-in to the final, upcoming novel that will conclude the trilogy

Who are you?
To most people, I’m a mild-mannered scifi comedy writer, but in truth I'm actually a fugitive from another dimension, with the intergalactic agency in charge of such matters hot on my trail, looking to drag me back to where I’ll face my day of reckoning. All in all I’d rather them not find me, so . . . try to keep it to yourself.

But if you’re referring to my “Earth” life . . . I am a former journalist turned PR guy working in the commercial real estate industry, mostly in New York City.

I’m also married with four-year-old twins, so those little ninjas of mine keep me on my toes. And I have a crazy dog, Simon.

What’s your favorite line from a book? 


“Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time.” – Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut

How do you get to know your characters?

In the Finders Keepers series, I write each chapter from a specific character’s point of view. I spend a lot time getting into that character’s headspace. What does he think about what’s happening right now? How will she handle herself given the predicament she’s in? I try to embody each character, and then write as if I am that character.

Those who spend enough time around me will sooner or later find me muttering to myself about one thing or another. My daughter busted me just last week. More often than not, I’m working out some dialogue or plot sequence for whatever book I’m writing, asking myself if the pieces add up.

I tend to talk out loud, because I like to "hear" the dialogue. Makes for some interesting rides on the train.

Which character did you most enjoy writing?

Oh, you saucy devil. I can’t play favorites. Think of the drama I’d have to deal with. I love of all my characters equally (wink-wink).

Can't blame a girl for trying. What would your main character say about you?
"I knew you were crazy. I just didn’t realize you were that crazy."

Is your book based on real events?
Even though Finders Keepers and now Genius de Milo both have that authentic you-are-there, on-the-ground feel to them — I like readers to feel like they are experiencing what the characters experience — I pretty much made up all of the backpacking, road trip, and Earth-bound travel scenes.

But all of the scifi shenanigans are totally real and based on my intergalactic, interdimensional experiences across time and space.

That makes sense. Are you like any of your characters?
Jason Medley is definitely based on me. I won’t say how much of how he thinks, feels, and acts is actually me and how much is him, but it’s fair to say that we have a lot in common. When I did my initial backpacking tour through Europe back in 1994 … if I was stranded or lost — which happened to me a few times — I couldn’t Google where to go next, because there was no Google! There was no Internet! There were no modern cell phones.

When Jason was stuck on a train in Romania (in Finders Keepers) . . . that really happened to me. And believe me . . . being feverish, hungry, and alone, with no food or water, in the middle of the night, somewhere in Eastern Europe, with a drunken, mentally ill madman loose on a train is not something you just inherently know how to handle. At least I didn’t. Neither did Jason.

If you could be one of your characters, which one would you choose?

Milo. He’s the Universe’s gremlin, although his motivations might be different than what you initially think.

With what five real people would you most like to be stuck in a bookstore?


Albert Einstein, Harry Truman, Kelly Clarkson, and my two kids.

What song would you pick to go with your book?
“Sympathy for the Devil” -- The Rolling Stones

Who are your favorite authors?


Christopher Moore, Kurt Vonnegut, David McCullough, and Stephen King.

What book are you currently reading and in what format?
The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore,in paperback.

Where’s home for you?
West Orange, New Jersey

Where did you grow up?

Merrick, New York – Long Island. And then I spent about 20 years in New York City, split between Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens. A lot of my family is from Brooklyn and Queens, so I feel a connection there.

What dumb things did you do during your college years?
My buddy and I got arrested for third degree burglary. We didn’t actually do it — no, really! I swear! But we were most definitely in the wrong place at the wrong time, which was completely avoidable. We went looking for mischief, but instead found trouble, with a capital T. Good thing I knew how to teleport, or else we might have been in quite a pickle.

Whew! Good thing. Have you been in any natural disasters?
I’ve survived several hurricanes and blizzards, including Gloria, Katrina, and Sandy. And though not a natural disaster, I was on my way to work in Manhattan during 9/11. That was quite a day.

What is the most daring thing you've done?

Had kids!


What is the stupidest thing you've done? And don't say "Had kids."
Got in a car with someone way, way too drunk to drive. Fair to say I’m lucky to be alive.

Totally fair. I hope you learned your lesson, young man. How did you meet your wife? Was it love at first sight?
It’s a comical, yet romantic story I plan to tell in another book. And yes, it actually was love at first sight.

If you could only keep one book, what would it be?
Lamb, by Christopher Moore

You can be any fictional character for one day. Who would you be? 


Han Solo

What’s your favorite candy bar?

Snickers. But I’m allergic to peanuts, so I don’t eat them too often.

Try Snickers with almonds. It's much better. If you could live anywhere in the world, where in the world would it be?

San Francisco

What would you like people to say about you after you die?

Good guy who looked out for other people. A little crazy, but a good guy.

What are you working on now?
The third and final book in the first Finders Keepers trilogy.




Book Excerpt from Genius de Milo

Jason’s smile dropped away, replaced with a silent, open-mouthed slug of resignation, that whatever was happening was authentic, and unfolding in real time.

In a shared-brain moment Jason and Theo slowly panned in Jamie’s direction  until finally she felt their accusatorial eyes lock on her. And though neither of them spoke, the imputation of blame came through with perfect enunciation: What did you do? What’s coming?

But what could she say? Which cluster of words could encapsulate both the scope and nuance of their predicament? Jamie could offer a pretty good guess as to why their immediate surroundings morphed before their very eyes—it had to be Brigsby-related, didn’t it?—but when it came to the what, she was equally mystified.

So all she could do was stand there. She blinked a few times. Then a few times more. The night went bracingly still, as if every fractal of sound had been drained from the Universe. The three of them held in place, petrified, as if the incredible forces converging upon them were seemingly just to be unleashed. Which, of course, they were.




About the author

Russ Colchamiro is the author of the rollicking space adventure Crossline, the hilarious science fiction backpacking comedy Finders Keepers, and the outrageous sequel Genius de Milo, all with Crazy 8 Press.

Russ lives in West Orange, New Jersey, with his wife, two children, and crazy dog, Simon, who may in fact be an alien himself. Russ is now at work on the final book in the Finders Keepers trilogy.

As a matter of full disclosure, readers should not be surprised if Russ spontaneously teleports in a blast of white light followed by screaming fluorescent color and the feeling of being swallowed by a tornado. It’s just how he gets around.

Russ encourages you to email him at authorduderuss@gmail.com.

Connect with Russ:
Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads

 

Featured Author: Timothy Klein

About the book

Evelyn's heart was getting a little crusty. Blame it on a sleazy boss and an even sleazier ex-boyfriend.



She was settling in for another lonely Saturday night, when a knock on the door interrupted her routine. The guy claimed to be an angel, sent to help fix some of her "relationship issues." But an angel? And not a cute, cuddly little cherub like she had seen on greeting cards, more like a rhino stuffed into blue jeans and work shirt. No, this guy means business.



Evelyn needed a little heavenly help, especially regarding her lack of a love life. And it would take a miracle to straighten out her career. But it turns out she's the one who needs straightening out.

Interview with Timothy Klein

Tim, welcome back to A Blue Million Books. What’s the story behind the title Cries from a Crusty Heart?
My characters came up with it. During their first conversation, Pale mentioned that Evelyn's heart was getting crusty, and the title came from there.

Is this book a standalone or do readers need to read the series in order?
This started out has a fun, even silly, little project. It got more serious than I expected and several people have asked about a second book. If that happens, you'd want to read them in order.

I see the book is available on Kindle for $1.18, why such an unusual price?No comment, I'll make you read the book to find out.

If you had an extra $100 a week to spend on yourself, what would you buy?
I'd split it between airplane fuel and camera lenses. I collect vintage lenses and adapt them to my digital cameras. Lenses that cost hundreds back in the seventies can now be had for $20 and some produce amazing images. Of course, others are now collector's items worth thousands.


What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned?
With regard to writing: there are no rules. I've read all the rules, and I've read a lot of popular, classic and best sellers, most of them break the rules. If you focus on the rules, you'll end up writing the same bland drivel that everyone else writes.

Do you have another job outside of writing?
Unfortunately, yes. We run an engineering design company during the day (and often into the night as well).

How did you meet your wife? Was it love at first sight?
It was "spite" at first sight! My wife was the little brat who ran around with my kid sister. Couldn't stand her! In fact, once I was complaining to my mom about her, (I was about 15; Marlene would have been around 10) and Mom said, "You shouldn't say things like that about her. Things change. You could grow up and marry her." I replied that I'd join a monastery first. Mom was right! Things changed. Besides, I would have been a lousy monk.

If you could only save one thing from your house, what would it be?
The Winchester 22 caliber pump rifle. My father bought it new back in the fifties, and it was the first gun I ever fired. Dad gave it to me several years ago, and it's also the first gun that our kids fired.

What would you like people to say about you after you die?
"Wow, he sure didn't look 107."

Good one! What would your main character say about you?
Evelyn is a little upset about how silly I made her look in the bar scene. She also thinks that I have a breast fetish but recognizes that all men do, so she just ignores it. However, all was forgiven once she got to the end of the story.

How did you create the plot for this book?
I never intended to write a novella like this! It was a dark and stormy night, (really, it was), and I was supposed to be working on the Saga series.

Instead, I was thinking about neighborhood politics and just how upset certain people were with others over trivial matters. There's an old proverb: "If God listened to every shepherd's curse, there would be no sheep." I started wondering what would happen if people knew that God was going to carry out the curses they so casually toss around? The story just started from there.

What’s one pet peeve you have when you read?
I have a very low tolerance for plot holes, and I don't like coincidences. I don't expect every detail to be absolutely perfect and I'm willing to stretch reality a bit, but get the main stuff right. Someone, probably someone famous but I don't remember who, has said, "A coincidence can get your hero into trouble, but never use one to get them out of trouble."

I guess that's two pet peeves.


Do you have a routine for writing?
No. I should have but I don't.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?
Almost all my writing is done at my desk in our hangar. Some guys have a model airplane on their desk, I have a full size Cessna 172 next to mine. It actually belongs to a buddy of mine that doesn't have a hangar. I told him he could keep it here as long as he doesn't check the hour meter.

What’s the worst thing someone has said about your writing? How did you deal with it?
We met a freelance editor several years ago who was an acquaintance of a friend of mine. He was working full-time at another job but needed some extra cash. He seemed like a good match and we had him start reviewing the first draft of The Saga of the Ellen Jane.  He got through the first third of the book and his comments/edits were, for the most part, very perceptive and helpful. He was reviewing the last third of book, when he asked a question regarding the plot that was explained in the middle of the book. I told him to go back and reread that chapter. 

Suddenly, I get an email, (at about 1:00 in the morning), from him telling me that this is the worst book he ever read, that it needs a complete rewrite and he can't work with us anymore! Turns out he even emailed the friend who had introduced us and told him, in even more colorful language, that the book was complete trash.

Lessons learned:
1. Be suspicious of an editor who brags about having over fifty different jobs in the last thirty years. (Not fifty contract gigs, fifty-some different full-time non-editing jobs.) Something isn't right.
2. If a potential editor is pounding down more beers at the party than everyone else combined, something isn't right.
3. If you hire the individual in spite of the warnings listed above and they send insulting and somewhat incoherent comments after clearly not reading the entire book, ignore the bum and move on. This leaves several possibilities:
a. He was toasted when wrote the email.
b. He was toasted while he was reviewing the book, which is why he missed several chapters. Once sober, he realized that he hated it.
c. Most likely, he was toasted the entire time.

In any case, you have just figured out what wasn't right and you now know why he had fifty different jobs...

What would your dream office look like?
A larger hangar with my office on the second floor. It would be built in the WWII retro style with a domed roof. My Beech AT-11 (from the Saga series) would be down below.

Why did you decide to self-publish?
We started Stearman Press based on the following three Laws of Publishing:
1. Getting a book published by a traditional publishing house is more work than writing the book.
2. It doesn't matter who publishes the book, it is up to the author to promote and market their book.
3. The only people making money in the publishing business today are the publishers.

Are you happy with your decision to self-publish?
It's more work than we expected. When we started, I only envisioned the original The Saga of the Ellen Jane trilogy, so starting a publishing company sounded like fun. However, I now have outlines for at least a dozen other stories and would like to spend time writing, not picking fonts.

If you self-published, what steps to publication did you personally do, and what did you hire someone to do? Is there anyone you’d recommend for a particular service?
Everything except the editing. We have hired professional editors because you really need someone objective to review any work. We've done all the cover art, book design, file generation etc in-house.

What are you working on now?
I'm supposed to be finishing the third book of the Saga series in time for my wife's birthday.

About the author

Timothy Klein was blessed (though he didn't always see it that way at the time), with a mother and a grandmother that were English teachers. Even though literature was a major component of his life, he rebelled against the Grammar Police, focusing on aviation and engineering.

Years later, while skimming the romance novel his wife was reading, he remarked, “I can write better stuff than this!” “Well,” she replied. “Go do it.” 

So he did. The first result was The Saga of the Ellen Jane. A World War II adventure/romance series set on the north coast of Brazil.
He hadn't expected to write a novella about love, hate and the words we use. It just happened. Granted, it skates casually onto some theologically thin ice, but it will get you thinking. Besides, it's not the first time he's been called a heretic.

Connect with Timothy:
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