Blog has moved!!

I started blogging from my website www.ejfindorff.com. So, I'm leaving this up for a while.

A French Quarter Violet

I just put my latest manuscript up for pre-purchase on Amazon for .99 cents. Click on the image to take you there!

Officer Violet Babineaux is called to the scene of a suicide where she finds her childhood friend Charlotte Labarre lying on a blood-soaked couch with a gun in her hand. Violet believes she could have prevented her suicide with a simple call. While placed on administrative leave, guilt drives her to investigate on her own, starting with Psychology Professor Daniel Russo who had an inappropriate relationship with Charlotte, his student. Violet portrays a vulnerable facade to entice his interest, however she falls for his charms. And Dr. Russo's news of Charlotte’s secret diary threatens to blow the case wide open.

Unsure about Dr. Russo's involvement, Violet presents a bold conspiracy theory involving cops to her partner Lenny Blake, but he and Homicide Detective Walter Wild dismiss her despite the evidence. When Violet finally acquires an elusive piece to the puzzle, the answers are far worse than not knowing.

Thanks everyone!

Story Cartel - an experiment

So, I was sitting around, considering putting my new novel A FRENCH QUARTER VIOLET on Netgalley before the release and my good friend and author Lynne Constantine lynneconstantine.com suggested Story Cartel, which is a fraction of a fraction of the price. The premise is simple. You sign up as a reader/reviewer and you download books for free and leave reviews.

Just to try it out, I put up WHERE THE DEVIL WON'T GO. It will stay up on their site for three weeks and then, there's a fourth week to leave a review. Don't know what I'm expecting, but if I'm let down, I'm really not out a lot. If it does work, then A FRENCH QUARTER VIOLET will go up next.

Please got to www.storycartel.com and sign up and check out my book - WHERE THE DEVIL WON'T GO - https://www.storycartel.com/books/where-the-devil-wont-go

Thanks!
E.J.

Audible Books - First Impressions

I decided listening to a book while driving from Chicago to New Orleans would help pass the time, and I've never listened to one before, so I thought it would cool. I downloaded the Audible app and listened to THE ZODIAC first because it was free. A lot of detail, but enjoyable for my work commute leading to my trip.

But for the thousand mile trip to NOLA, I bought Amy Poehler's YES, PLEASE to listen to on the way down, and I bought Michael Connelly's THE BLACK ECHO for ride back.

YES, PLEASE was very entertaining, being narrated by cameos of several guest voices. Poehler doing most of the reading of her own book was a pleasant touch.

However, on the way back, the man who narrated THE BLACK ECHO did all the voices himself, including the female's voice. And, bless his heart, he tried to speak in a higher, more feminine tone, but all that did was make me imagine a man in drag every time he spoke for the female characters. A couple of times, Jeffrey Tambor popped into my head. In several instances, the dialog made me laugh, being read in that manner, but I let it go. It was a good book.

Not discouraged, and while waiting for my free monthly credit for subscribing, I listened to MAFIA PRINCE because it was offered for free. Once again, the narrator did his own voices for the mobsters. But, he did a great job and the book was enjoyable.

With my next credit, I bought David Baldacci's NO MAN'S LAND. The male narrator's voice is great, but then there isn't much variation between his two main male characters. Plus, the main character sounds like Milhouse's dad's voice on the Simpsons. Find some audio of Milhouse's father, Kirk Van Houten. It's irritating to listen to in a book. Then, the bad guy's voice is so close to it, it could be Milhouse's dad's brother's voice. There are several confrontations with young, college boys who want to fight and that's a bit comical to listen to with the cheesy dialog.

The female's voices are done by a lady, thankfully, but one of the voices sounds like it should be in some kind of Valley Girl - tween - SNL skit or maybe Jimmy Fallen's EW skits.

So, I know reading these books give me a different experience, and I tell myself the narrators can only do so much and it's not an easy job to separate characters. I will continue to buy the audio books, learning just how my own books might sound read out loud. Plus, there's the entertainment value of an unexpected laugh while someone's getting murdered.

A French Quarter Violet

Here is the opening of A French Quarter Violet, the latest book I pitched and am waiting for responses. Any comments by my hordes of fans would be appreciated.

Chapter 1

The paramedic didn’t bother to lift his hefty ass off the rear bumper of his ambulance, but managed to flick the butt of his cigarette toward my feet as if marking his territory. I could guess his attitude came from my being female or my being a cop or maybe both. He acted like a grade school bully, with thin lips and close-set eyes that measured Lenny and me. 

Tourists wandering the French Quarter encroached as if we were street performers, but Lenny ushered them along. A piercing trumpet and dull drumming on an upside-down bucket could be heard near Bourbon Street as the afternoon sun descended. 

I pulled out my little notebook of facts, ready with my pen. “I’m Officer Violet Babineaux and this is Officer Lenny Blake. What we got?”

 “Young, white female. Looks like suicide.” The medic lit a new cigarette. “Gun in the mouth. Brains on the wall.”

“I can say the same about smoking.” Lenny’s baritone carried as he plucked the newly lit cancer stick from the man’s lips and tossed it onto Royal Street, adding to the discarded debris the French Quarter tended to collect.

“Hey.” The medic squinted, not quite sure if he wanted to mouth off to an angry black cop large enough to body slam him.

“Where’s the other medic?”

“She’s still with the body. It’s messy.”

“Is one of them the landlord?” I pointed at one man consoling another on the curb in front of Diamond Minds, a quaint jewelry store with a torn green awning. One was a thin man, curled up with his knees to his chest, showing the whites of his eyes. His unkempt gray Afro lifted in the breeze and his ears hung low. The other man was pale, with deep wrinkles.

“Black guy’s the landlord. Mr. Bud Dooley. He’s freaked out. Says the girl’s name is Charlotte something.” 

Wait. Charlotte? 

The medic continued, “The white guy is the jewelry store owner. Apartment’s right above.” He pointed to an aging window with yellow shudders.

Lenny turned to me. “Let’s hit it, Babineaux.”

My blood pressure had dropped and my stomach growled, and for the third time I wished we had gotten lunch before the call. The second-story window caused my intuition to rise up in my throat. Charlotte’s attempt to contact me has to be a coincidence. The demon possessing that apartment called down to me. Come up and see your friend.

We approached Mr. Dooley, who responded with a snail’s pace. Lenny bent at the waist to get his attention. “Mr. Dooley. I’m Officer Blake and this is Officer Babineaux. We’re going to check out the apartment. We’ll be back down in a few minutes to take your statement, okay?”

“Horrible. So horrible.” His lips trembled for more words that didn’t come. Poor man. I’m glad he didn’t say Charlotte again. I don’t think I could take hearing her name come off his lips. It wasn’t her up there. It couldn't be.

We entered a green door that was propped open on the side of the jewelry store. I noticed that the paramedic had crossed the street to join us, not wanting to waste another cigarette. My noodle legs climbed the narrow flight of stairs, holding the railing with a tight hand. I’d been called to suicides before, but this could devastate me, seeing my closest childhood friend who had just reached out to me yesterday, and whom I had completely ignored. 

At the summit of the stairs, a long, dreary hallway came into view. Light beamed through an open door, which had a crooked 2C barely hanging on. The medic and I entered behind Lenny as the second EMT rose from the kitchen chair. Her pants exaggerated wide curves and she had a butch haircut. Medics weren’t allowed to leave a body alone until relieved. My brain filtered Lenny’s words into sputtering noises as I crept closer to the body on the blood-spattered couch.

It was my Charlotte; the Charlotte that stood by my side during the Little Magnolia Pageants; the Charlotte whose fun-loving personality withered with our friendship until I ran away to start a new life at fifteen. It was the Charlotte who had just yesterday left a note on my door. My Charlotte.

She had shot herself in the mouth. Blood soaked her concert T-shirt above her cute pink shorts. Her body was still in shape, but from metabolism, not working out. Blackish, pasty film coated her mouth, shoulders, and chest. Bits of her skull on the couch proved there would be a nasty exit wound. The gun rested on her side, inches from her hand.

“Violet, what’s wrong?”

Ignoring Lenny’s question, I stepped up to the couch to face her head-on, leaning over to confirm what I already knew. Childhood memories prevented any thoughts of my calming down. Small points of light invaded my vision and the room swirled. Finally, my knees gave out. Charlotte’s body rushed towards me until I saw the nothingness.

Where The Devil Won't Go Giveaway

For the next week (July 30 - Aug. 5), I'll be hosting the giveaway of my novel Where The Devil Won't Go.

Please click on link for details!
https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/4f9bb01762b103b7

Thrillerfest 2016

This is my third Thrillerfest. It will not be my last.

When I first arrived at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York, I prayed to God Of Pitching in hopes that requests would be plentiful.



My "pitch-dance," although viewed as strange and slightly arousing by hotel guests, worked, as many agents requested material, as well as requested I stop dancing without my shirt on.

At the cocktail party that night, I look out the window to see that Lee Child had arrived by his usual police escort. I found out later that these cops showed because the debut authors had a rumble in Ballroom I, and much blood was spilled.



I'll admit I'm a fan-girl when it comes Gillian Flynn. I had read Sharp Objects and Dark Places just when Gone Girl came out and I thought to contact her. Come to find out she lived very close to me. I tried to get her to meet me and another writer friend out for a bar to talk prose, but her book skyrocketed and that idea was shot to shit.

But, I did get to see Gillian Flynn interviewed by the very talented and hilarious Karin Slaughter. Dirty, dirty minds....


Another fantastic and inspiring interview was with David Morrell and Walter Mosley. I had to leave to take a call in the middle of it, and a huge roar of laughter came from the ballroom, but I'm sure I didn't miss one of the funniest moments ever.  I gotta buy the CD.



And finally, Lee Child Interviewed 2016 Thrillermaster Heather Graham. Not a great pic, but seating was limited and every cell phone was in the air. Two powerhouses talking love, life, family, and tossing food at dinner theater. Wisdom out the bleep-hole! Man, I love this conference!!!



I'll end this little tour by saying that this just a tiny, tiny sample of the exciting goings-on where the peons shake hands with the untouchables. Where Jon Land will get you another beer if you ask. Where you can sit at the hotel bar and rub elbows with agents and share belly-laughs with your peers.

Pretty cool.

Where The Devil Won't Go UPDATE

The editor I hired, Ms. Savannah Thorne - www.savannahthorne.com - did an awesome job on marking up WHERE THE DEVIL WON'T GO. I just finished the edits and trimmed some fat and am very proud of the result. So, for my 'tens' of fans - ha ha - it's re-posted as an ebook. The paper option will be available soon, too. And I'd like to mention that this is the first in a series and there will be more coming.

I'd also like to say to the inspiring writers out there that there is a Chicago conference I'll be attending May 14th this year. www.chicagowritingworkshop.com. I'll be pitching to several agents in the hopes of getting represented.

And then in July I'll be attending the Thrillerfest conference. www.thrillerfest.com to pitch to more agents. If anyone reading this attends, try to find me and say hello! You can even contact me before hand at ejfindorff@aol.com.

Happy reading!

One Self Publishing Pitfall

So, I "unpublished" my novel WHERE THE DEVIL WON'T GO because my wife found several grammatical errors. Before self-publishing this novel, two trusted beta-readers each found errors that I fixed. I read through the book one more time and found a couple of errors, also.

I thought we caught them all.

You never catch them all.

A month before this, I decided to bite the bullet and pay for a line editor for a new manuscript that I'm shopping around. It is the best decision I ever made. Savannah Thorne at savannahthorne.com was inexpensive and opened my eyes to so many things. I feel like I've turned a corner here.

Anyway, after my wife pointed out a missing word in Where The Devil Won't Go, I pulled it. It is now in the hands of the fabulous Ms. Savannah Thorne. (And don't get fooled by the "she-male" that pops up when you do a Google search - that's not her/him). Ha ha.

I've talked to a few avid readers and it seems they've come to expect the missing word or misplaced comma when reading self-published books. That's a good thing if they're that forgiving, but it's not a good thing to be apathetic about it. As for myself, I am embarrassed to have a handful of people reading through my errors.

Now, this is the first book in the Lucas Peyroux detective series, so Savannah will certainly get the next one soon. As I don't post here too often, please check to see if I re-published Where The Devil Won't Go once this post gets a few weeks old. It shouldn't take that long. Once it is back up, I will make another post.

Thanks everyone!

Where The Devil Won't Go

I finally decided to self publish the first novel in my new Lucas Peyroux detective series.

Quick synopsis:

Still shaken from accidentally shooting an innocent girl in the grasp of a crazed killer, Detective Lucas Peyroux’s first case back is a young Jane Doe washed up on the banks of the Mississippi. When the dead woman's sister disappears and local criminals start turning up dead, Peyroux realizes he has a vigilante on his hands, who might just be leading him to something a lot bigger than just another homicide. Can Peyroux track her down before she kills an innocent or ends up like her sister?

Check it out... Another will be out soon!
Where The Devil Won't Go

The Birth of KINGS OF DELUSION

I used to be one of those writers who swore to NEVER, EVER self publish. There used to be many of us.

I’d like to tell the story of how a book called Kings of Delusion came to be self-published. This manuscript is about a serial killer and the girl who got away, set amidst the flooding of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, covering the logistics of the police, paramedics and firemen. Needless to say, there were many challenges. The following is a tale about agents, publishers, editors, test readers, conferences, networking and thick skin. It’s a story about never giving up.

The events that led to the last resort decision of self-publishing Kings of Delusion is an interesting one, filled with many hills and valleys, not to mention a few pot holes. Before Kings Of Delusion came about, my first novel Unhinged had already been published by Medallion Press as an ebook and I figured to be well on my way. I soon learned otherwise. Turned out Medallion didn’t want my new stuff and neither did any agents or publishers I queried after that.

So, I had two books in my new detective series completed and I was sending one off to agents (Kings of Delusion still had yet to be a glimmer). I also joined the International Thriller Writers (ITW) organization as they only accept members who have been traditionally published.

One day I saw the profile of an author on ITW’s website. He listed Cynthia Manson as his agent, so I did quite a bit research to find her email because she did not have a website or advertise. What I did find was that she had made some major publishing deals. I figured not many writers knew of her and maybe I had a shot. Off went my query.

Months later, I received an email form Ms. Manson telling me her late response was due to my emailing to an old address and she was very interested in how I found her. I hadn’t run across an agent like this before, one who didn’t have a big Internet presence, which I thought was fantastic, and a bit odd. She wanted three chapters, impressed with my detective skills.

As luck would have it, she ended up wanting the full manuscript. I waited patiently until she sent an email regretfully turning down the project, not due to writing or liking the story, but that she couldn’t sell it. However, she actually wanted to talk about it over the phone! Any writer worth their weight in form rejections knows how huge a mere personal note is, but to talk on the phone? This in itself was an amazing opportunity.

We spoke for twenty minutes about why she didn’t want to take on the manuscript even though she liked it. She told me mentioning Hurricane Katrina in several spots interested her and if I could write a thriller set during that time, she’d be very intrigued, but no guarantees.

That very day I started jotting down ideas. Just a few months after I started my new project, I attended the Backspace Conference in New York and asked other agents if I should write this book. They all said NO! with varying advice. But being on the precipice of an agent, I ignored them and took on this task, which eventually stalled because I couldn’t get enough details about the activities of the cops during the flooding. The New Orleans public affairs office wouldn’t help me find a source, so I scoured the Internet for every detail and picture I could find until happening upon a blog by a paramedic named William Gilson.

I should say the manuscript would not have been written if not for Mr. Gilson. He told an amazing story of four or five days during the flooding of New Orleans, of what he had to do to survive alongside the police and firemen. His experiences had me riveted and I contacted him to pick his brain. He agreed to let me weave his harrowing days in the flood into my story about a serial killer. Within six months I had a manuscript prepared, not just driven because I had an agent’s attention, but because this novel turned out to be a labor of love.

Kings of Delusion had been amazing to write and I enjoyed every minute of it. I sent it off to Ms. Manson, who although impressed with the quickness of completing a manuscript in six months, still unexpectedly rejected it (insert disappointing cartoon music). But I couldn’t blame her if I didn’t write the book she was looking for. However, she did want to help it find a home.

She graciously suggested that I send it to her colleague Al Longden, which I did. She suggested if he liked it, they could possibly share the duties in representation. She had a special interest in movie rights.

Mr. Longden loved it.

I spoke to each of them again in that highly coveted call regarding representation and signing a contract, glad that they couldn’t see my happy dance—the type seen after one scores a touchdown. Next, Ms. Manson’s editor took a look at Kings and suggested that instead of revealing the killer in the middle of the book where the thrilling chase begins, reveal him at the end. Both agents agreed, as well as a friend of mine, so I made that major rewrite.

TIP: There’s a fine line between being stubborn about changing your work and trusting your intuition that something needs changing. Read your work like someone else wrote it and then be honest with yourself.

I originally called this manuscript TOXIC CITY, which Ms. Manson hated, saying it reminded her of some kind of nuclear Armageddon. I then suggested KREWE OF EXODUS, which they vetoed. We threw names back and forth for a while until I came up with BLOODWATER. Hey, it rhymes with floodwater. C’mon! They were both fine with it. And it stayed BLOODWATER for a while, but I will always refer to it as “Kings” in this blog.

Ms. Manson told me up front that she would only send Kings to her contacts at the big houses and let Mr. Longden handle the rest. She did as promised and the rejections, although favorable and flattering, were still rejections. Mr. Longden started sending out the manuscript to a few publishers, but then he had some personal issues to deal with. After a year of Kings sitting idle, I wanted to move on, so both agents and I parted ways.

Wow. Two-plus years gone. Good thing I kept writing new material. Always, always, always, work on new material.

I couldn’t even show Ms. Manson book two or three of the detective series because she had already rejected the first one. So at the time, not counting Kings of Delusion, I had four books total and one halfway done. I decided to take the notes from the editors who rejected Kings and do another rewrite to address the concerns that made sense. Once satisfied and happy with the product, I began the whole process of querying again, but I found out that no one wanted to touch Kings because of where it had been, like it was a defiled virgin.

But I didn’t give up. I created a test-reader group on goodreads.com where our good friend Mr. Rick Taubold became a group member and nine other people participated. They agreed that the suspects in Kings of Delusion needed to be involved from the beginning. Yes, I thought. YES! I could certainly see their point and knew this would be the final, missing piece.

Night after night, I worked on rewriting the first third of the manuscript, and when I was done, I let Rick and few others read it again and received their approval. After three major surgeries, it was ready to be seen with the sole intention of pitching it at Thrillerfest 2014, and then self-publishing if rejected there.

Attending Thrillerfest in New York was a blast. All writers should network at conferences if possible. The face-to-face is invaluable and inspiring. So, I pitchedKings of Delusion with eight or nine agents, but it was still damaged goods. No one wanted my baby! Defeated, I considered that I had other manuscripts to lure agents/publishers, but I couldn’t let Kings start collecting dust again.

Yes. I had to self publish it. Hell, Kings had earned the right to be self-published. I couldn’t let this amazing manuscript (in my opinion) wither and die in anonymity. I had Rick edit the bastard while I created a cover. It was during this last rewrite where the title “Kings Of Delusion” was born, having been mentioned to describe the suspects at a poker game. I did no testing on this name. I had some grand vision of the book making the title instead of the other way around, as Silence Of The Lambs and A Raisin In The Sun had done.

For the cover, I found two images and bought the rights rather cheaply. Having a design background, I made several versions of the cover it came to be. I wanted the title to be huge because these covers are basically shown as thumbnails on ereader websites. And it also looks good on the paperback, too. I chose Createspace and Kindle Direct Publishing. Yes, I’m tied to Amazon with the ebook, but the paperback gets bigger distribution, however lower sales.

It’s kind of an anti-climatic moment to finally see Kings for sale and yet, no one was rushing to read it, but I understand the long journey to build reviews and get the word out. Avid readers already have loads of books they want to read and can’t get to. The challenge is making them believe they can’t wait. Would I have been better off with a small publisher? I’d be doing the same marketing and publicity anyway. When several respected authors told me it’s better in some ways, I felt a lot better about it.

Now, the hard part (as if everything I just explained was cake) is how to get everyone’s attention on Kings of Delusion. Just call Oprah, right? Brad Pitt lives in the French Quarter, just throw a copy up on his balcony. Genius! In reality, I’m trying things on Goodreads.com and soliciting for reviews and giving it away for free and am beginning to research other avenues. But the major breakthrough has to happen first before I can write about it.

Hopefully that will be very soon.

Giveaway OVER!

So, my Goodreads giveaway is over and without naming winners, here are the results:

1078 entries. Awesome.

Over 500 members marked it to read. Again. Awesome.

The goal, of course, was to get the book in front of people and I think this was a great start. Whether it drives sales, time will tell.

When I get the ten winners, I will send off the books and wait for the reviews. If things go well, I have no problem with doing another giveaway.

If you can't wait that long, by all means, here it is for purchase:

KINGS OF DELUSION giveaway!!

So, for the next month you can enter to win a paperback copy of Kings Of Delusion that I will mail directly to your home.

Good luck!!!

This contest is handled through www.goodreads.com.

KINGS OF DELUSION finally released!

Honestly, this manuscript has been through the ringer. It has had an agent. It has been in front of the Big 5, all giving "rave" rejections. Something wasn't quite right, so I made alterations to address their concerns.

Then, I put together a group of test readers on www.goodreads.com and from their comments, Kings of Delusion took on a major rewrite of the first portion of the manuscript. This book is ready, but unfortunately, agents and publishers don't want to look at it again. It's been tainted.

Self publishing.

Should I? Yes, I should. This manuscript has earned it. And so I present KINGS OF DELUSION, currently on Amazon, but soon to be Print On Demand as well as on other ebook retailers.

Click to buy Kings Of Delusion.

Just Crawfish

The crawfish boil is New Orleans' version of a barbecue. When I heard a bar near me in Chicago was having a crawfish boil, I jumped on it. The crawfish were on the small side, but boiled right with potatoes, corn, sausage, etc. They also had pans of Jambalaya that was very tasty, or maybe the Abita on tap helped with that. Nothing like drinking during the day to shake things up.

When I first moved to Chicago, I felt special being from New Orleans. I never told anyone I felt this way, but when people found out where I was born, they instantly regaled me with stories of exploits of their trip. When they heard my accent, they might wonder if I had lived in Brooklyn, not sure about the odd inflections when I spoke.

I would also get to tell them about the "to-go" cup and how early I started drinking and it was perfectly legal. I get to tell them about Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest and the non-touristy things to do. When I lived in New Orleans all those things were normal, but outside of New Orleans, I was different in a good way.

But that feeling faded with my accent and I was a little disappointed when I go to this crawfish boil of about 80 guests and only saw one other person with a Saints jersey on and I didn't even get to talk to her. I wore my purple, green and gold striped Mardi Gras shirt and big Saints beads and not one comment from anyone, who were all dressed normal. They guys who cooked the crawfish didn't even comment on my loud shirt. 

One cool thing is that I got to meet Lake Charles, Louisiana native and Bears running back Matt Forte as I was leaving. It was a quick ten seconds and after his running the gauntlet of fan-selfies, he was interested in a getaway so we didn't talk New Orleans stuff, which is fine because I would have to tell him I'm a die hard Saints fan. 

My friends and I had a great time, but a crawfish boil is a social event in New Orleans. If everyone ain't talking to everyone, then its not a party…it's just crawfish.

BLOODWATER Test Readers

If you love thrillers and if you love historical fiction and you are a member of Goodreads.com, then volunteer to be a test reader for my manuscript BLOODWATER. This manuscript had been agented (currently not agented) and placed in front of editors of major publishing companies and rejected, but with flattering remarks. I feel like the manuscript is primed to go, but I get the impression the editors don't think it will sell, as this is more of a business than anything else.

At the moment, I am collecting test readers and you must be a member of Goodreads.com and join the group "BLOODWATER Test Readers" so you can post your review and comments.

If you email bloodwater.reader(at)aol(dot)com, I will email blast everyone IN JANUARY a pdf of Bloodwater formatted for e-readers. Here is a description of the manuscript:

BLOODWATER delves into a fictitious murder that takes place in the days before, during, and after the flooding of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. The reader will follow the TRUE accounts of Paramedic Evan Pelicano as he is saddled with the sixteen year old daughter of his slain friend Officer Jeremy Scarlet. At first, the paramedics and police officers navigate the floodwater trying to save residents, but then Evan finds he needs to save himself as well as protect his friend's daughter from the killer among them, all the while determined to reunite with his girlfriend, the Chief Deputy Coroner of New Orleans.

To recap, join Goodreads, join the group BLOODWATER Test Readers, and email bloodwater.reader(at)aol(dot)com. I will email the manuscript in January and then the discussions will begin.

Thanks everyone!

The choice to self publish

Wow, it's been a while since I posted anything.

I was messaging a self-published writer about his book that I wanted to read and he made the assumption that traditionally published writers (me) look down on Indie writers. I told him that I don't look down on self-pubbed writers, I just think that many self-pubbed books aren't as good as they can be because writers don't need to be patient anymore.

Now, I don't want Indie writers to think I'm calling them bad writers, that's not the case. I just believe that every writer needs to earn the right to self publish.

How do you earn the right to self publish, you ask?
You get good enough to get personal feedback from agents and publishers.
You stop getting ripped a new one from reputable critics online.

If self pubbing was around when I first started, then I would have ended up with a piece of crap because back then, I was sure it was ready. My God, no it was not ready. With no other outlet, I was forced to constantly edit, constantly submit and constantly open form rejection letters. I read tips and honed my craft the best I could in bits and pieces, each edit getting me closer.

I read my favorite authors in order to examine how they handled a paragraph and I micro-edited until agents began giving me handwritten tips on how to get even better. Trusted online critics started telling me my writing only needed to be tweaked. Publishers went from "no thanks" on the first chapters to requesting the full manuscript and then indicated what they liked and what needed work.

So, a few years ago I was published by Medallion Press and now with an agent and now with several major publishing house editors telling me my writing is strong (but the manuscript isn't for them), I feel that I have earned the right to self publish if I choose to.

Of course, waiting shouldn't apply to all writers. Some Indie writers won't regret having self published a book three years earlier because they've gotten good enough to see the mistakes they've made. While writing your fourth book, don't be ashamed about rushing out the first. Don't regret putting your writing out there before it is ready.

Cover of Snow

This is a review of COVER OF SNOW by author Jenny Milchman.

This novel starts off with the most intersting of premises, which I've learned from the author herself, doesn't want given away, even though the reader learns of it in the first chapter. So, with respect to the author, I won't speak of it. I will say this event drives the protagonist, as well as the novel, into dangerous, spine-tingling situations in this snowy small town that Stephen King would be proud of.

But, this isn't King, or James Bond, or Patterson where unbelievable events are participated in by the psychotic or super-smart. These characters are part of a small town where each connection is believable and she show respect to the reader in not holding thier hand through events that make sense when dealing with corruption, cover-ups, and just the inherent evil some people possess.

As with most novels, there are some directions the author took that I question. It would be hard to say without giving away that first chapter, but I'll just say after reading the entire book, Nora's husband had other choices, but in making a different choice, it wouldn't be the same book. And the ending is very satisfying in the same tone as the entire book, however, I think the climax could have been drawn out a little longer. (Yes, this coming from an author who has been criticized for the same thing in my own book UNHINGED.)

All in all, I give Cover of Snow 4 out of 5 stars. It was an entirely enjoyable read and kept me returning to it in my spare time where many novels are simply forgotten in my busy schedule. Be warned, once you enter the pages of this small town, you may find it hard to escape!!

The Value of Flawed Characters

Unhinged recently received a couple of reviews that mentioned how much they liked the flawed characters, and not just the main character, but all of them. Those flaws, those subtle quirks draw the reader into your character's world. Hell, give the mailman walking by a limp and he becames three dimensional even though he appears in one sentence.

No matter how perfect someone seems, you can believe there is a deep, dark secret...politicians, religious leaders, soldiers, and even stay-at-home moms. Everyone wants something and in literary terms, it drives the novel. Once you develop and embrace your character's flaws, you have to make damn sure their actions follow suit.

I find that most protagonists in thrillers and mysteries are good looking, strong, smart, inquisitive - all the things that make a hero, but in real life, would this person not be a wise-ass? Would this person not be selfish? Would this person not be cynical? Would this person not be eternally optimistic from a fear of not being liked? I'm not suggesting you change your character, just add another layer to them and you might find their choices and actions write themselves.

I always thought James Bond 007 was a series of movies about stunts, explosions and chases until the most recent movies when they gave him a little depth and suddenly he became interesting. As I think about it, Ignatious from Confederacy of Dunces is as unnattractive a main character as you can get and yet, he is so...warped and out there that you can't help be carried along in his comedic drama.

Anyway, those two reviews I mentioned are:

http://abookandareview.blogspot.com/2013/02/unhinged-by-ej-finorff.html

and

http://thereviewhutch.blogspot.com/2013/02/unhinged-by-ej-findorff-review.html

Thanks to everyone who downloaded the free versions of Unhinged, which runs until the end of February. Get it NOW!

UNHINGED for free

First, let me inform my tens of fans that my novel UNHINGED will be available for a free download starting February 15 for two weeks. At least, that is my publisher's plan. There is a chance that it may be delayed or not happen at all if there is a problem with the distributor, but I'm planning on it all working out. So, be on the lookout at your favorite ebook stores. I must warn you that Unhinged is graphic in some places and has much adult content, but you can't go wrong if you like thrillers.

Well, so much for me to consistantly write my blog using Confederacy of Dunces words. There are just too many irons in the fire; too much on the plate; being pulled in too many directions; in other words, too much life...

One day when I'm writing for a living, things should open up to let me write more interesting stuff in a blog. I saw one of these country singers the other day going on about his workout routine he does about two hours a day. Who the hell has two hours a day to work out? It's hard enough for working class people to take a crap ten minutes out of their day, not to mention the temptation of cheap, fast, fatty food on every corner. Once I'm writing full time, I'm sure my six pack abs will become a priority.

So, my agent informs me the new year will start with a fresh barrage to new publishers for Bloodwater. It is a fantastic book that follows a paramedic's true accounts of the days during the flooding of Hurricane Katrina, but is also involved in a fictitious murder. We've gotten many flattering rejections from the Big-6, so I'm one of the next tier publishers should take it, right.

Look out for a free copy of Unhinged and I look forward to your reviews (but only if you like it).