Cool- another guest spot- Susan Kaye Quinn

Can fame and fortune be far behind? :-)
First we guest on the site of Joe Konrath, prominent Indie guru:
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2014/04/guest-post-by-dale-t-phillips-and-vlad-v.html

Today we're guesting on the great blog of Susan Kaye Quinn-- Innovation: Four Indie Authors, One Small Cooperative:  http://www.susankayequinn.com/2014/06/innovation-four-indie-authors-one-small.html

She's written the Indie Author Survival Guide, listed on my Writer's Bookshelf resource page as a necessary book for writers to absorb.

Tomorrow I'll be selling books at the Town of Fremont, NH 250th celebration.

And a week from Sunday, I'll be at Noir at the Bar in Boston, hobnobbing with cool mystery writers.

The Big Time

Great news today- I'm featured on the prominent website of Joe Konrath, one of the gurus of self-publishing. I've got a co-written guest post with Vlad V. and we discuss how to give your way to success as an Indie writer. Check it out, and feel free to leave a comment. Oh yeah- there's some special deals for you for checking it out...

This is The Big Time- like getting an at-bat in the Major Leagues. And we knocked it out of the park.

We've got some excellent comments already, and people have found value in our message. The idea of joyous cooperation and collaboration, rather than fearful competition (fostered by Big Traditional Publishing) is resonating with more and more people.

Everybody does better when everybody does better (saying of Jim Hightower)

We've got a lot of people we work with. Folks like Chris Obert of Pear Tree Publishing, who puts together author signings and the New England Author's Expo. The owners of Books and Boos bookstore in CT, where they host author signings and include them at their showcase table at conventions. The New England Horror Writers. The Sisters in Crime. Librarians. Reviewers. Independent bookstore workers.

It's a great New World of Publishing, and savvy writers are working together to make things better for everyone. Viva La Revolution!

Nigel Bird's Work May Be Dark

Hello All-- Here's a Guest Post by Nigel Bird, author of some pretty gritty tales of crime and punishment. The post will tell you where he's coming from-- so if you want writing that's down and dirty, grab his work.

*****

‘Grim, but really good.’

--That’s what Ian Rankin thought of Smoke.

Ian Rankin. Creator of Rebus. Inventor of Tartan Noir. A master of the writing craft.

You can imagine how delighted I was when I read those words. It was one of those moments when I felt I’d been given permission to call myself a writer and it’s those kind of moments that allow me to grow.

His quote is what it says on the cover of the book. It had to be used, didn’t it?

I guess that’s the question I’m posing here.

The comment separates into two wonderful halves.

Let’s take the grim.

I’m all for a bit of grim. There’s something in my psyche that can always find the shadow at the end of the rainbow, just as I can find a beam of light when the world is pitch black.

I’m proud to be in a collection called Grimm Tales (Untreed Reads) and the brothers Grimm were amazing talents as far as I’m concerned.

I do wonder what the average reader thinks when they see that quote, mind.

Does it make them want to get away quick, or is there something about it that draws them in? I can’t answer that and I’m hoping that there might be some comments so that I can gauge it.

Keeping that word ‘grim’ in the line is very important to me. First of all, it would be cheating to cut it out and simply say ‘Really good’ Ian Rankin. It’s not what he said. Secondly, it’s accurate.

What it might do for me is keep out those who have no interest in this kind of book.

I had a review recently for one of my collections. It’s called ‘Beat OnThe Brat (and other stories)’ and there’s a fairly aggressive cover. The reviews are amazing and often mention the difficult aspects of the work. Then this reviewer suggests it’s horrible because there’s so much violence and swearing. Fair enough, they’re right, but if such work isn’t for them I think I left enough of a breadcrumb trail away from the thing. I’ve had others for my novel, too. A couple of 1 stars from people who were shocked and horrified that such stories exist. That’s partly the dilemma of a giveaway as people click ‘buy’ without thinking too much.

But I digress. He said it was grim. It is. There are dog fights, killings, kidnaps, torture, easy sex and violence. It’s set in the very real world of a Scottish sink estate (or scheme). You won’t find much hope on the surface and should you dislike a world painted in these [honest] colours, it’s definitely not for you.

Then again, there is hope. You see, I did paint in some bright lights if you’re prepared to feel the story unfold. True, they’re hardly the vast bursts of a Turner painting, but they do exist.

And now to the ‘Very good.’

I don’t want to blow my trumpet too loudly, but I think it really is and it’s also why I’m here, to let you know.

I can also say that it’s even better than it was when Mr Rankin read it as I was given a serious lesson in editing by the publisher Allan Guthrie of Blasted Heath.

Which leaves me where I am, with a novella that I’m really proud of.

If it’s not for you, you’ll know it. If this lights your touch paper, why not go and check it out?

Grim – definitely.

Really good – I think it is, yes.

Featured Today

Terrific post today on the site Do Some Damage, one of the premier crime/mystery sites, run by a group of eight crime writers.

They feature this new writer named Dale Phillips, and his mystery novels A Memory of Grief and A Fall From Grace.

Wow. Getting some notice in prominent places. Let's hope it gets some readers.

Talk on Character Development

Hope you all survived the Thanksgiving Feed-a-Thon.

Now-- on to Christmas!

Omni Mystery News has me featured today, talking about character development in my writing.

Giveaway Contest and Guest Post

Giveaway contest starting today at Book'd Out!

Enter for a chance to win an ebook of "A Memory of Grief."

Also with a guest post by me-- just a few thoughts of my take on writing.