Liquid Fear seeps out

Liquid Fear is now live for 99 cents at  Amazon, BN.com, and Smashwords and don't forget to blog hop for the Fool's Gold Rush on April 1 and meet all the major characters. Eleven blogs, more than $200 in prizes, a chance to help Liquid Fear twist even more minds. Thanks for your support. This book was a fun but at times intense journey through some of my own fears--and believe me, I have a closet full. I hope you come along for the ride, tell your friends, or write reviews. Let's go crazy together.

Thanks to Jennifer at Book Den for the Countdown Image!
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Liquid Fear Upload, German Skull Ring, kids books

Been a busy week here at Chateau Nicholson and Haunted Computer Books.

The lovely and talented Christa Polkinhorn has finished a German translation of The Skull Ring, I've uploaded the new thriller Liquid Fear to Amazon, BN.com, and Smashwords (should be live by tomorrow), and received the art files for our new children's book Too Many Witches from Lee Davis. My children's books are some of my bestsellers at BN.com (I suspect the color Nook makes a big difference) and I believe translations will flourish as ebooks expand.

The ebook world is agush with the news of Amanda Hocking signing for $2 million after awesome indie success. Congrats to Amanda for following the dream, even back when it looked dim. The flip side is Barry Eisler's recent move to reject a half-million-dollar advance in order to self-publish, so clearly the indie train is moving in two directions. Compare with what's happening with the Dorchester/Leisure boycott, with a "legitimate publisher" in a real mess and allegedly not paying writers. Look for my post at JA Konrath's blog this week.

Also could use a few advance reviews for Liquid Fear so if anyone wants a copy, email me (hauntedcombputerbooks AT yahoo) or buzz me below.

Also don't forget the April Fool's Gold Rush on April 1--11 bloggers giving away $10 gift certificates, and if Liquid Fear breaks the Top 100, I will give away another $100 gift certificate. Crazy, I know. But why change now?

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New interview link

Latest Indiereader column is on Kindle bestseller John Locke and his tireless sales force

Interview at Misha's My Book Affair. Thanks, Misha!

Excellent Barry Eisler and JA Konrath discussion on the digital-book future--from guys who have turned down big bucks from big publishers to fly solo.  I met both these guys at the first Thrillerfest in 2006. Little did anyone know how much the business would change in just a few years. I'll be over at Joe's blog on April 1 as part of my Liquid Fear launch, discussing expanding your book base in the digital era.

I've also started a fledgling blog called Folkwiz to pursue my more sustainable/organic gardening endeavors, a little bit of modern Will Rogers crossed with stuff like saving seeds, growing food, and getting along iwth the neighbors.

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These Things Happened

Most of what follows is true, even the fiction. It contains cigarette smoking, drinking, and, yes, some sex, because I know you like that sort of thing. This has been a strange life. My life.

Features stories, poems, and essays of relationships, romance, joy, and pain. Some of this will make you laugh, some of it may make you cry. You might hate me later, but that's okay. You won't be the first.

Features "Our Future Together," "City of Dreams," "So You Want to be a Writer?," "Dead Cats and Rain," and more. 

99 cents for a limited time.
For Kindle at http://www.amazon.com/These-Things-Happened-ebook/dp/B004SQQWIQ
Other formats at Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/48233
Apple, Kobo, and BN Nook coming soon
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J.L. Bryan Haunted EBook Tour

(Jeff, or "JL" as he is known in the trade, was one of the first writers I met in the crazy world of indie publishing. And now here I am hosting the last stop of his Haunted E-Book tour--a day late--my fault. A warm welcome and farewell to a cool little book that you NEED TO BUY NOW! And also make sure you comment to WIN PRIZES!)

The (Dead) End of the Tour

It's just about time to close the evil spellbooks, pack the chains in the old trunk in the attic, and call in the exorcist—you've reached the end of The Haunted E-book Tour. 

Yes, we've been talking about ghosts for two months now, but the dark days of winter are over.  It's been a fun experience getting to know so many bloggers and readers, as well as doing these giveaways while trying to on the topic of ghosts for two months. 

I want to thank all those who have hosted the tour, and all the readers who participated, for making this a memorable and wonderful experience that I won't repeat again unless I lose my mind.  And I want to thank all the great indie authors who donated ebooks for The Haunted Library Grand Prize!

I started planning the tour back in November, with no real idea what I was doing, except that I wanted to reach out and find new people who might enjoy my writing.  Since then, everything has changed.  The number of people reading my books has grown tremendously, so much that I could afford beautiful new book covers from Phatpuppy Art and hire Scott Nicholson to do a full line edit on my next book, Tommy Nightmare, which comes out next month. 

Tommy Nightmare is the sequel to Jenny Pox, and I plan to have it out in April, since my wife's having a baby boy in May.  So I assume I’ll be busy then.

When I started putting books out on Kindle, I never imagined how far things would go and how fast they would evolve.  Scott has been an important part of this journey.  He edited the Jenny Pox partial (the first five chapters) back when I was querying lots of New York literary agents about it in late 2009, and he told me that I should look into this Kindle thing, because interesting developments were happening with ebooks.

They've turned out to be quite interesting—I now hear from readers all over the world, and lots of people have messaged me in various ways to let me know they are eager for the Jenny Pox sequel.  This new book is the first one I've written with the knowledge that an audience was actually anticipating it, which makes the writing process both more exciting and a bit more challenging, too.  In fact, Jenny Pox is going to be a trilogy, with the third book coming out by the fall.  So, hopefully people will like that second one.

I should also thank Amanda Hocking, without whom Jenny Pox might still be a very obscure book.  Also thanks to Vicki Keire for her insightful beta read of Tommy Nightmare, and her feedback definitely improved the book.  As I write this, the manuscript is on its way home from Scott to me, and I expect to release Tommy Nightmare sometime in April.

In the meantime, I have some Grand Prizes to give you!  Commenting on this post within seven days enters you to win one of these great prizes: The Haunted Library ebook collection, a Kindle 3 with WiFi, and a Kindle DX—the more you've commented on the tour stops, the greater your chance to be one of the three Grand Prize winners.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, it looks like I have a novel to revise and hundreds of Grand Prize entries to tabulate.  Thanks to Scott for hosting today's final stop, as we lurch out of the ghostly underworld and into the bright light of the day.  And thanks to everyone who’s followed the tour!  I hope it has been educational and you’ve learned lots of useful information about ghosts that you can apply in your everyday life.  However, I doubt it.

Thanks again!

JL Bryan

http://www.jlbryanbooks.com

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Duncan the Punkin now out

My second children's book, DUNCAN THE PUNKIN, is now out as a NookBook and for Kindle at Amazon, available in color where supported by the specific device. Little Duncan learns a magical lesson in Halloween survival...
Art by Sergio Castro. Kindle, Apple, and paper versions coming soon.

New interview up at Southern Fried Gothic

New column up at IndieReader.com

Liquid Fear second draft--rolling along.

More soon!

Thanks for all your reviews--they really help.

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Colin Leslie inflicts The Inquisition on me at The Dark Abyss. The British Invasion is working backwards as I assault the Amazon UK charts, with Creative Spirit currently ranked #336 in the UK (and #6 in the horror category). I don't go nuts about rank since it is relative and sounds like bragging, but I think it's notable because (a) it was my worstselling book in US paperback and (B) no US ebook version is available.

If you're in the UK, why not give it a boost at 70 pence?
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Spyscript interviews Scott

My friend J.D. Mayo takes a turn into Scottie's brain.
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More reckless predictions & Liquid Fear

My latest wholly uninformed, wildly irresponsible, and less-than-rosy prediction on the future of ebooks is posted in my latest Indie Reader column.

A mini interview up at the wonderful World of Books run by Babs.

On the final stretch run of Liquid Fear. I suspect it has one more chapter. I will finish it tonight. My reward for the near-finish is to go get a truckload of cow manure. Hype for the book can soon begin, though the novel may fall apart during revisions.

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Indie talking

There's been a lot of lofty talk on some blogs about how writers need to price their books at a certain level to make a living. And bizarre predictions of expanding income forever for all writers. Sorry. It doesn't work that way. This e-book market is determined by readers and nothing but readers.

Sure, there's a hangover as people adjust to new buying habits, which is why they kept on paying $15 for their favorite name-brand authors, but it won't last.I don't think 99 cents is the universal standard yet, but it could come as soon as next year, 2013 at the latest. But I suspect the market won't even resemble the current set-up by then. If you want to know my thoughts, follow my blogs at Indie Reader.

Transparent Lovers has been marked down for sale by Amazon for kindle, now only 99 cents (I have no idea how long).At Amazon and BN and Smashwords
A ghost, a dead ex, and a living lover. What could be more fun?
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Forever Never Ends on sale

If you are quick and clever, you can take a journey to a remote Appalachian mountain where an alien entity is infecting the environment. An unlikely trio-a clairvoyant psychologist, a reclusive multimillionaire, and a drunken dirt farmer--team up to take on the organism before the infection can spread.

Forever Never Ends is on sale at Amazon and BN.com for 99 cents in ebook. You can also get the ebook at Haunted Computer and get free bonus books by Vicki Tyley and David Burton. Signed paper copies also available.

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Liquid Fear and more wild ebook predictions

I can't get enough of making a fool of myself. First, there's my crazy forecast at Ebook Endeavors, and then there's my LIQUID FEAR launch on April 1. You can click on the tab up there for details, but basically I am giving you money if you sell my book. How honest is that?

Yes, the "LIQUID FEAR fool's gold rush" is fun for the whole family. Except babies in diapers. And possibly creepy old men with Alzheimer's, but they're having fun anyway. More details to come. But if you want to know "fear," then try typing frantically on a book you haven't finished when you've planned a huge giveaway and launch blitz...heh heh. I love it.

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