Gah!

There, I’ve said it. Only two things drive me crazy in indie publishing. One is pricing – we’ve all seen how insane I am with pricing. But I’m okay with that now. Like Winston Smith with Big Brother, I have come to love 99 cents.

The other thing that has made me kookoo is categorizing the d*mn books!

Really, can anyone tell me what genre the Apocalyptos are? Space Junque seems obviously science fiction – but with goddesses and shapeshifters? A lot of straight science fiction readers are consternated by Asherah’s appearance going into the third act.

SFR? Yes, for Space Junque, but not purely so. No, for Spidey and Bleeder. Yes, kind of, for Copperhead yet to come. No, for the two books planned after Bleeder.

Fantasy doesn’t quite make it either, because of all the science fiction speculative stuff.

In Spiderwork, the series veers straight into the fantastic with shapeshifters, mutants, and the goddess’s new world order. Bleeder, where things have settled a bit, is a mashup of the new world and survivals of the old – with dirigibles!

That’s it! – Postapocapunk is born.

Bleeder has been accepted by The Bookish Snob for a tour in July! I’m so excited – my first blog tour.

I want it to be special, so not only will we give away lots of books during the tour, at the end one random participant will win a $100 Amazon gift certificate!

To celebrate, I’ve put Bleeder on sale for 2.99 (normal price 4.95) and Space Junque (Apocalypto 1) and Spiderwork (Apocalypto 2)  are at 99 cents — all through the duration of the tour.

You can get them for your Nook or your Kindle or at Smashwords.  Also, Space Junque is still free for iBooks.

No purchase will be necessary to enter for the $100 Amazon gift certificate, but there will be trivia questions about Bleeder for extra entries (you’ll be able to find the answers here at my website).

Two Ends of the Pen is giving away 5 fantasy novels for your Memorial Day weekend reading pleasure — and Bleeder is one of them!

Also included in the giveaway:

Dance of Cloaks and Dance of Blades by David Dalglish.

Blood of Reqium by Daniel Arenson.

And The Quest For Nobility by Debra L. Martin and David W. Small.

There’s poems – and there’s pomes. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is a poem.

When I have a little too much to drink, my friends get me to recite my favorite pome from childhood. It always brings joy to my heart and to the hearts of all who hear:

Antonio

Antonio, Antonio
Was tired of living alonio.
He thought he would woo
Miss Lissamy Lu,
Miss Lissamy Lucy Molonio.

Antonio, Antonio,
Rode off on his polo-ponio.
He found the fair maid
In a bowery shade,
A-sitting and knitting alonio.

Antonio, Antonio,
Said, “If you will be my ownio,
I’ll love you true,
And I’ll buy for you
An icery creamery conio!”

Oh, Nonio, Antonio!
You’re far too bleak and bonio!
And all that I wish,
You singular fish,
Is that you will quickly begonio.”

Antonio, Antonio,
He uttered a dismal moanio;
Then he ran off and hid
(Or I’m told that he did)
In the Antecatarctical Zonio.

* * * * * *
Now that is literchur.

Oh, my! It is such a BLAST when someone enjoys something you made. Whether it’s chocolate shortbread cookies or a song you recorded or a ceiling you painted … or a story you made up.

From her review, I think Reena Jacobs enjoyed Bleeder!

One Sunday in December 1999 when I was at my mother’s house, she came into the living room and said, “I don’t feel so good. I think you should call an ambulance.”

We spent 12 hours in the emergency room. She was in horrific agony. A terrible flu was going around at the time, and they gave her medicine for nausea. Then they gave her stronger stuff.

Much later, they realized she’d had a stroke. But not in her brain; in her bowels.

They did exploratory surgery, and her intestines were black. No circulation. There was nothing they could do for her but ease her pain. That Monday evening, I was the one who told her she was going to die. She lived until Thursday.

At the time of my mom’s death, we weren’t getting along so well. For the last twelve years, I’ve been a little bit numb about her. But I find today that I want to celebrate her. She was one of the most wonderful people I’ve ever known, and I’m so glad she was my mother.

I’m not religious, by any stretch. And yet I feel that she knows – right now, right this moment – how much I loved – love – and admired her.

Happy Mother’s Day, Norma Colleen Bedwell Rigel Van Liew.

This was going to be an enthusiastic effusion over Carolyn Jewel. I love her books, both her paranormals and her historicals.

Instead, it’s another chapter in the WTF saga that is Dorchester in the small and legacy publishing in the large.

In my opinion, Carolyn Jewel is going to flourish in the New World Order that is indie publishing, providing the best of both worlds for her readers.

For instance, Future Tense is a new story in her My Immortals series that you can pick up for your Nook or Kindle.

We’ve longed to have her backlist titles for our ereaders, so of course her legacy publisher … did nothing!

There’s no need to fear! (said in my best Underdog voice) Carolyn has at last recovered her rights and made Lord Ruin and The Spare available. 

[Lord Ruin for Nook, Kindle]

[The Spare for Nook, Kindle]

But wait! There’s more!

We all know it’s important to leave reviews – for good or not-so-good – at B&N and Amazon. Reviews help sell books. Leaving a review is one of the tangible things you can do to ensure your favorite authors keep writing.

And we all want Carolyn to keep writing!

So not only are these great titles available at last, but if you leave a review (and if you are 18 or over), Carolyn will send you a free copy of — in her words — a short but “pretty erotic historical” story and one “possibly filthy paranormal” story.

Click here for all the smexy details.

[The following about Dorchester has been resolved, as explained by Carolyn in the comments; hence the title change to this post.] Now, for The Outrage … If you’ve tried clicking on the Amazon links above, you have met with frustration and despair. Apparently, Dorchester sent some kind of demand to Amazon to take down Jewel’s backlist books, and Amazon did — without contacting Jewel about the matter.

There’s only one small problem: Dorchester does not have the copyright to these books. Carolyn Jewel does – and she has the reversion of her rights in writing.

Frankly, I don’t know how Dorchester thinks it can continue with any credibility in the business. What author would sign with them?

Meanwhile – grab Jewel’s books at B&N while you can!

UPDATE: According to CJ’s tweet, it was all a big SNAFU… sheesh.

 

@cjewelCarolyn Jewel

I’m working on Give Me. It’s fun. It’s light – despite the fact that it’s about obsession and murder and desire and all those underbelly bits of a dark fairytale.

But I was thinking about Durga this morning, and she won’t let me go. I’ve been seeing a scene with her and the Empani playing chess on the new balcony of her suite at the top of the admin building. They’re discussing the nature of naming, what it does to an Empani to take a name, how it shapes a counselor not having one.

I can’t think about the Apocalyptos right now!