Apr 25

Why The Middle East Still Fascinates Writing Star Cliff Roberts


3There was a time in the past when the world didn’t know who a Cliff Roberts was. Back then, there were no cell phones, there were no computers. There were just dinosaurs. It was their lack of knowledge about Cliff Roberts that caused that dog-gone meteorite to come down from space and kill them all. This is Cliff Roberts, “The King of the Indie Authors,” and he’s ready to take your questions!

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Cliff Roberts burst onto the publishing scene in 2013 with his first major hit novel, “Reprisal! The Eagle Rises.” Several books in that series later, Cliff turned his attention to writing Western novels. His first three, “Shootout,” “Innocence and the Outlaw,” and “Connors Slate: Bounty Hunter,” have all been major sellers. Looking to continue his run of successes, he was swayed to join Outlaws Publishing earlier this year. Now, his first book for the company, “Draw!”, looks likely to be the biggest hit of the bunch.

Cliff currently lives in Tennessee and spends his time fishing, hunting and writing books. He has a quiet retirement, but still recounts one of his favorite writing experiences as a call from a reader. “Hello?” Cliff said, picking up the ringing phone. “When’s your next book coming out, Roberts?” a voice said on the other side of the phone line. “I’ve been waiting for six weeks to read the sequel to this damned ‘Reprisal’ book…”

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Cliff, how did you get into this writing business?

I took early retirement to really enjoy spending time with my wife and family. As wonderful as my family is, I found I also needed something to stimulate my mind. I have been active in sports and business for most of my life. Writing gave me something to do, something to think about, and a puzzle to solve.

A puzzle to solve?

Well, every single job in the world has a problem you have to overcome, or a situation you have to handle, or a puzzle to solve. Take writing, for example. Writing is the hardest thing to do for many people. For others, it’s easy—but marketing is hard. I spent all my life in sales, but I can’t market my books. I hired a marketing guy who works out the puzzle, and I write books and try to work out how my marketing guy solves the puzzle.

Why Westerns? You had such a great run with the thrillers, but now you seem to be all about the Westerns.

Westerns are a pure form of entertainment that are loved by Western fans but overlooked by others. It has been my dream to write books that everyone can enjoy. My books are, after all, written for people to enjoy. I like writing about the beautiful country in which I live, and Westerns give me that opportunity. Westerns give me a variety of themes to write about. I enjoy the variety, and Western readers are some of the most loyal readers in the world. I love that, and I want to please them. From the fan mail I get, I seem to make them happy.

Do you think Westerns say much about the American way?

Without a doubt, they do. They say everything about the way our country was—and still is. America is a land of dreams, opportunity, honesty, love… love is the most important word in that selection of answers. Love is the one thing I like most about America. We Americans love our country; we love our way of life. The Western shows just how far people will go—they will kill, steal, fight and die for their love of our country, and for what our country gives them in return—be it gold, silver, money, property or a good (or bad) woman. The Western is the American dream on paper.

Do you enjoy the Westerns currently riding high on the bestseller listings?

Absolutely! I really enjoy John D. Fie, Jr., Chet Cunningham, Rick Jantz, G.P. Hutchinson, and all the rest. I’m a guy who likes to get every new Western that comes out, and I love to spend hours reading them. I’m crazy about thrillers, too, but Westerns hold a special place in my library—and Westerns are the books I always return to when I feel I need a shot of pick-me-up.

Where do you see Westerns heading in the future?

I see them continuing to reign high on the bestseller listings. The audience is so loyal they won’t forget the authors they have been enjoying for so long. They also won’t forget that new writers are hitting the Western scene every single day. I think there’s a big future for the Western, and I want to be part of it because writing to me is a lifelong addiction.

Why did you sign with Outlaws Publishing?

Well, the dream for most authors is to be published. But for Western authors, there’s very little opportunity out there to be published. Outlaws Publishing is an outfit that has been able to sign Western authors, promote them effectively and sell a lot of books. Look at their list—they have Frank F. Fiore selling like crazy, John D. Fie. Jr, and others. They have the market knowledge, and I felt it was time for me to give them a go. I like their chairman, I like their style, and I want to be in on the game.

Do you have any more thrillers on the way?

I do have another “Reprisal” book on the way—but right now I really want to concentrate on my Westerns. I believe readers will be really hooked by “Draw!”

Why did you choose to have new covers made for the “Reprisal” series?” 

This is 2016. My covers were from a few years ago, but I want my books to be representative of what is happening right now in the world. The Middle East is still bubbling over. The good guys are still fighting evil, and evil is still fighting the good guys. The year may have changed, but the message of “The Reprisal Series” is as alive today as it has ever been.

Do you think “The Reprisal Series” offers a possible future for the route the world is currently taking?

Reprisal is fiction. But it’s fiction built on a sea of fact, and feeling. So, yes, it could represent the future. But it also represents the past, and it represents the now. Not to sound too much like Yoda, a lot of what is happening now was written about in those books. But the end is not in sight yet. I could have answered this question by saying, “Who knows?”

How do you feel about the movie industry—and why hasn’t “Reprisal” been made into a movie yet?

The whole series was optioned, but they chose not to make it into a series of movies. That’s the way of the movie business. It’s either all go, or slower than molasses. Over the last few years, I have read several great Indie books that have never been made into movies. Look at Lloyd Tackett. He wrote some real doozies. Did they make them into movies? Not at all. It’s just the way of the industry. Maybe “Draw!” will become the movie. Who knows?

Where can we find your new book, “Draw!”, and will there be a sequel?

You can find it on Amazon worldwide. You will also be able to buy it at one of my book signings, and it will be available through my new website soon. There will be a sequel, and that sequel will be coming out in Summer 2016.

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Apr 21

So, Your Western Isn’t Selling… Isn’t It About Time You Turned Your Western Into A Hit?

Today’s interview is with a book promoter. His name Nick Wale, and he has the distinction of having had 15 books in the Western top 100 at the same time. He started off working for thriller writer Cliff Roberts, and during their first year together, he helped move $100,000 dollars’ worth of his thrillers. He then worked with romance superstar MJ Summers and helped her novel “Break in Two” become a huge success. Lately, he has been spending time with writers like Rick Jantz, G.P. Hutchinson, Jeff Breland, John D. Fie. Jr., and J.C. Hulsey, turning their books into bestsellers. If you are interested in the inner workings of book promotion and how to help your Western sell, you may be very interested in this interview.

 

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Nick, thank you for this interview. It’s great of you to join us.

It’s my pleasure.

So how did you get into this business of promoting books?

It happened overnight, really. I have always loved promotion. I’m a huge fan of the record industry and the way they built singing stars. Building an author into a star name has been a lot of fun. I started with Cliff Roberts, who started off selling a few books a month and ended up having one of the top selling thriller series of the year. Then I worked with MJ Summers who, as everyone knows, had a huge hit with her romance novels. After that, I worked on a number of great projects across the board and racked up some good successes—paranormal, non-fiction, romance, detective novels and, of course, Westerns.

Which do you prefer to work on? Do you have a particular favorite genre?

I love working on all kinds of projects—but Westerns are a special favorite of mine because I grew up reading and watching Westerns.

Why aren’t more promoters like yourself working on Westerns? Are people promoting Westerns?

Well, you have book promotion, and it’s very general promotion. People take a book and they put in front the reading audience. That audience buys, reviews, doesn’t buy, etc., and the book promoter is constantly trying to put together the crossword puzzle. Why isn’t this book selling? Why is that book selling? But I don’t think there are many book promoters who have the knowledge and confidence to take on Westerns because they just don’t feel they will sell, and every book promoter is looking for a huge success with every book they work on. Westerns aren’t generally known as bestsellers, but they are, and I’ve proven that time and time again.

When did you first realize that Westerns could sell?

I’ve always enjoyed Westerns. I’ve known Western writers from very early in my career, and I always knew those writers were being ignored without cause. The first one I worked on was a great Western by a very talented writer called Rick Jantz. The book is called “Colson’s Law,” and it took off very well. We did a very budget-friendly promotion, and the book went through the roof. Jantz became a name.

And you continued to push Westerns?

After Rick, I worked on G.P. Hutchinson’s “Strong Convictions,” which is still going strong today. His second book “Strong Suspicions” is also doing well. I’ve since worked on additional Westerns, and at one point had 15 of the Westerns in the top 50. I worked for J.C. Hulsey who had wonderful success with his “Traveler” series. He has a true Western spirit, and now runs a fantastic Western publishing house (Outlaws Publishing) which I am working with, alongside my regular clients. He’s one of the few publishers who cares more about promotion that charging his clients upfront fees. You know, this leads to me an interesting point. It doesn’t matter how long a Western has been on the market—take John D. Fie., Jr. An Outlaws author who had a Western on the market with another publisher for a long time without success. Once he signed with Outlaws and I started working on his stuff, he flew. He’s still up there in the top 50 with two books: “Blood on the Plains,” which I can personally recommend as a wonderful book; and “Luke Pressor: U.S. Marshall.” Cliff Roberts then decided to write Westerns and releases a slew of wonderful stories. Then there’s Jeff Breland who has a real talent for writing Westerns, Kenneth S. Pratt who is currently in hitsville with his “Willow Falls.” Then there’s Dennis Gager with “Storm to the Past,” and the list goes on.

How many Westerns have you helped sell?

I’d estimate close to a half-million ebooks by now, perhaps a quarter of that number again in paperbacks and half of that number in audiobooks. I would say that Westerns I’ve worked on have hit the Kindles of a large percentage of the Western readership.

How do you start to promote a Western? What would the first steps be?

The first thing to look at is the title. How is your audience going to relate to the title you’ve chosen? Have you chosen a series title? What do you have depicted on the cover? How are Western readers going to relate to your book? How are reviewers going to rate the book? How is the Amazon algorithm going to work with your book? How are you branding yourself? These are all questions we need to think about. Then we need to look at what you are doing on other fronts—do you have an audiobook available? Do you have your book available as a paperback?

Why are titles so important?

That’s a great question! Titles sold the movies, did they not? Look, star power is when you have name recognition—few authors have that. Title recognition is how people buy a book based on what they want. If you want a book about caring for your pet hamster you look for a book called something like “Caring for Hamsters.” If you want a Western, you look for “Gunfight,” “Rider,” “Sheriff,” etc. Authors should consider the buzzwords alongside their chosen titles.

How important is true advertising, like Facebook and Google, in your opinion?

“Advertising is the so-called kind-of solution you have been waiting for,” is the way I describe advertising. Advertising is what you do when you have a product that has an audience. When you know that Western readers are buying you on a daily basis, you introduce advertising. When you are starting out, you network. You take your book to the Western groups, communities and clubs, and there you start to build a readership. Once you have a bit of a following, and you know the demographic who likes your work, you start introducing ads. Advertising is useless unless it’s done in conjunction with reviews, keywords, correct covers, free giveaways, author recognition promotion and all the other stuff. I am not an ad-man. I am a press man. I build images; I don’t just run ads. I only run ads when it’s going to help my client gain more name recognition, and unless you have a proven product, you are not going to gain anything by buying Facebook ads at $5 a pop.

willow falls '1

Can you explain how the process works a little? Can it be done in steps?

Okay, now you’ve walked into my world and you want to be a Western author who sells books. You have a book, it’s called Shilo, and you are gaining one sale per week. Your brother bought the book, and your name is Lee Johns.

The first thing we are going to do is look at your book—what is it? What happens in it? Is there a giant fight scene? So can the book be called “Gunfight at Shilo?” How about “Gunfight at Shilo: The Shilo Western Series Book 1.” That would give you a bunch of keywords that would help you move books, and also make your title more interesting. What is on your front cover? A pale rider? Okay, Poncho, we are going to put a gun battle on the front. Your name? At the top of the cover. That’s where star names go. Now, let’s look at the description. We want it to be punchy, exciting, driven by action. Can we get a foreword written for you? We need someone with some name recognition. Let’s get it done. Keywords? We want to put you right in front of a Western audience, and we are looking for sales this month. We make the changes, and the sales start trickling in, stronger each day.

Then we set up a review drive and get people reviewing your book on a daily basis, then we start hawking your book around to the Western audience. By the middle of the month, we will be rolling with multiple sales each day, or as bestselling author Jeff Breland said, “I moved 26 books today…. What happened?” Or perhaps we’ll still be nowhere—at which point we go back to step one and start again. You need to start off the way you intend to continue. If you don’t, we don’t wait around for intervention—we try a different title, we try a different description until you click. We know your product has a good fighting chance, we know the audience is vast—we just need to make sure we have all the puzzle pieces in the right places.

Later on, we would be looking to get you on radio shows, we would look to take advantage of high level promotional tools like “BookBub,” and we would be looking to build your star power. But to begin with, we start by looking at your product and making it as saleable as possible, and then we build it from there. We are not just selling books—we are building Western stars.

I guess the bottom line is that the process sounds great, and it’s a unique way of working; but how much does all this cost? Many authors have been burnt by “book experts” before.

No, the bottom line is: Can I, an author, sell books? Yes, it’s very possible for you to write a book, sell books and become a name. How much will it cost to get this going? It can vary– We keep it reasonable, so authors have a chance to make a profit—but I can guarantee this—we will make it fit your budget. I’ve been lucky—the majority of Western authors I’ve worked with have comfortably made profit. That’s what I am proudest of. When you are cutting all the crap and doing what needs to be done, you can get this process done for much less than many would tell you it would cost.  The biggest problem in the book world is promises—“I can make you,” “I will make you,” “You will make…” In my opinion, there are no guarantees. It’s like anything—you can make it straight away, you can spend years struggling, you can fail to make the grade. It’s a calculated risk, and sometimes the odds are against you. The trick is to regulate what you are spending, and don’t spend so much it puts you in the hole. For example, start off by saying, “I am going to give this three months,” then re-evaluate after three months. If it’s working, keep going! If it isn’t—then you aren’t thousands of dollars in the hole. Treat it like a business, for it is a business.

Why do you think the Western has been forgotten by the book industry at large? Many people say that they have tried to have their Western published by a large publishing house and have been rejected every single time.

That doesn’t surprise me. The #2 Western on Amazon right now is one of mine—it was rejected. It’s not a case of being forgotten as much as it’s a case of bad business sense. Book trends are always changing, and the book industry believes that they are in a loss-making situation. The major book companies are apprehensive to take on anything—and what they do take on is chosen based on what they believe will sell and the demographics of readers. Western readers are the invisible demographic. They have some money, they have a love of reading Western books, they tend to like American culture, and in many cases are patriotic; yet they are almost as invisible to the book industry advertising experts as they are to the music ad guys who are promoting records. They know that romance sells well; they’ve been saying erotica is dying for years; they like artistic books and when those books don’t interest readers, they call them art; and they spend too much time pushing books towards a younger audience at the neglect of the older readers who are buying thousands of Westerns, Western romance books, general romance and historical fiction books every single day.

So the market for Westerns is still strong? Will it continue to be strong?

I’d say it’s as strong as it’s ever been—but it’s different because it doesn’t have the hype it used to have. Fifty years ago, you would see Western movies, Western TV shows, Western singing stars, Western-themed toys, Western books. Now you don’t see many Western movies, Western TV shows, true Western singing stars, but you do have a lot of books to read. These books are written and self-published in many cases. Most are not promoted in any way, but those that are show that Westerns can outsell almost anything on the market. The top selling Westerns are making good money.

You work for Western movie and Airwolf star Alex Cord, do you not? Is he writing a Western?

He may be. He’s working on several products at the moment, and each one will be a blinding success. I’ve worked for Alex for several years now—and it’s always a joy. He is one of the most talented writers I’ve ever read.

How can people get in touch with you? Are you taking on Westerns at the moment?

You can catch me day or night via email. Nick@nickwale.org. I’d prefer you ask me questions before making decisions about promotion. There are a lot of mistakes to be made in the book business, so let’s call this an open invitation. If you have a Western, and it isn’t selling, come and ask me why. Asking questions is free—and I’d love to hear from you.

This interview was originally posted on http://outlawspublishing.com/ and is reprinted with their permission

 

Apr 20

Flying Answers: An Interview with Becky McLendon: Part One

rebecca m

This interview is with the ever-talented Becky McLendon. Her new book, “Settling In: At Home in My Sky,” has recently been turned into an audiobook. Readers around the world can now sit back, listen to her great story and decide whether they have what it takes to become an aviator in retirement.

Her new audiobook is available now from Amazon. You can download it right here. You’re still not convinced? Let’s get on with the interview then… 

What do you think people are looking for when they buy audiobooks? What really grabs their attention?

I know what I am looking for.  I like an engaging or entertaining audio for long car trips.  It makes the drive much more pleasant, and the time passes quickly.  People tend to search for subject matter that strikes their interest, for example a passion, a hobby or quest for adventure.

How do you find the right voice—and how do you know which voice is the right voice?

I listed preferences when requesting interviews of narrators.  I selected a voice that best suited my particular dialect, age group and accent to tell my story.  After listening to several recorded auditions, I made my selection, and she did both of my books.

What were your major concerns about having your book turned into an audiobook?

I did not want audio to take away from my tone and voice as it was depicted in the writing.

Do you think there is an element of risk to the process? A chance that the right voice might not be quite “right”?

I am sure there is risk involved.  One could get over half-way through a book and the author might see that the narrator’s heart was simply not “in” the material. I was fortunate that my narrator really began to “feel” my books and grew to love them.  That to me is most important.

How long did it take for you to turn your book into an audiobook?

The whole process takes a month or two at the most.  My narrator worked quickly and made corrections quickly.  The only slow process was when I decided to take the audiobook down to settle issues.  Taking down, reviewing and re-doing took about two months. 

audiobeck

Download your copy of this great new audiobook today from Amazon!

 

Apr 19

So You Want To Write A Western Novel? An Interview with #1 Bestseller G.P. Hutchinson

 

 

Apr 13

So You Want To Turn Your Western Into An Audiobook?


Paul Provo in action

A great voice is something to be cherished… voices like Lanza, Sinatra, Elvis and Bob Dylan have all found success in the music industry, and when you have a voice like Paul Provo, you can get work wherever you go as easily as opening your mouth. Outlaws Publishing signed Chet A. Cord just recently, and needed a voice for his audiobooks. It wasn’t much a problem though, as Paul Provo, or The Golden Voice of Barcelona as we fans call him, was our first choice. He will be your first choice, too, after this interview!

 Paul Provo was born in the United States but moved to Spain at an early age. His career has moved in many directions from teaching, to music, to being an airline pilot. Now he has turned his considerable talents to narrating audiobooks. He was soon signed by authors across the world to become the voice of their books, as well as working for writing star Cliff Roberts, and completing several successful books by Chet A. Cord, the first of which will be hitting the shelves in just a few weeks. Paul Provo is your voice of choice. 

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Paul, how did you get into this crazy audiobook business?

I have always been enthralled by radio broadcasting. When Nick Wale, promoter of my novel A Web of Malicious Opportunity, at Novel Ideas suggested I do a voice-over demo, I went for it. He clearly heard something in my voice that has led us to signing a series of contracts in the Western genre. I have to say that, thanks to Nick, I´m having such huge success.

Which kind of books do you like to narrate, and whick kind of book would you consider to be a problem when it comes to narration?

I personally enjoy Westerns, having been born in Texas. But I am very comfortable with autobiographies and storytelling in general, I find problems with some authors whose work just doesn´t seem to have a true character with which to build the narration upon.

How do you choose books that you narrate?

Nick Wale gives me some options, then I decide which is most appropriate. We are flooded with requests from Western authors. It´s Nick´s criteria to decide which one of them actually reaches my project in-bin. Shoot it by Nick! He knows I am open to ALL good books that are well-written. I like nature documentary assignments and aviation-related themes.

How do you like to record?

Having a very quiet ambience is essential—not easy outside of a professional studio sound-proof booth. I am lucky to live on a wonderfully quiet hillside with solitude and silence as my only companions.

Where do you think the creative magic happens? Is it with the writer or the reader?

I firmly believe the author is the true artist. However, an engaging read is paramount to further success, and if I like what I read, then I can help in a big way.

How important is grammar and good editing to the process of narrating the book? Does a book have to be edited for you to work on it?

Great question. When I find grammatical or expressive deficiencies, I immediately contact the author. Good editing is a Godsend, but it´s unusual not to find occasional issues. And, yes, good editing is vital.

Are the Westerns being written now as good as the ones of the past?

Like with certain musical fads, a trip to the past opens a new vision for younger audiobook fans. There are not a lot of M.L. Estefania’s around, but more and more Western authors are turning to audiobooks to reach their fans.

Do you do other kinds of voiceover work, or do you stay strictly with books?

I do short video voiceovers in Spanish and English and look forward to more work in this line.

How can we get in contact with you?

Exclusively through Nick Wale at Novel Ideas. You can visit my website www.airlinersaredrones.com and follow me on Facebook—Paul Provo-Author. I am open to offers, but please contact me via Nick Wale. We are busy but always in search of a winning author to read for!

What are you currently working on?

I´m currently working on an aviation-oriented autobiography by Mike Trahan about his flying career as a Vietnam C-47 pilot, and the next one is his fantastic story called The Delta Years.

I am also producing The Tumbleweed Trail by Chet A. Cord to be released next month.  I am also assigned to Cliff Roberts’ Best of the West series and assigned to do a series of video-shorts for a political client in the United States.

What would your dream project be, and why?

My dream project? I suppose doing my own upcoming novel, A Web of Malicious Opportunity. In the meantime, I am too busy with assignments to do my own dream project, so I spend my energy making it yours! I love my job!

paul provo the voice

 

Are you interested in working with Paul? You can request audio samples from Nick@nickwale.org. 

 

 

Jan 21

A Moment with Author Karlene Price

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Karlene Price is an author with a new book on release. You may have read one of her previous books, if you haven’t… you will want to check out the new one. Check out the interview, and make your purchase.. You won’t regret it!

Why is it important for an author to be a creative as possible?

It is important because in that way they will use all their abilities and talents.

When did you know it was the right time to write your first book?

I didn’t. I attempted to write a novel when I was sixteen. It was much too short and horrible. I hope it’s buried deep in a dump somewhere.

What is the biggest piece of advice you’d give a young author?

Read and study everything, particularly the type of books you want to write.

How many books have you written?

Two to three dozen, at least.

What is your favourite place to work?

In what I call my home office at the computer.

Have you got a book you want to write—but haven’t yet?

Yes, several.

Can you tell me about your book—what is it about?

THE CERILLY SCROLLS is an action adventure/mystery/quest featuring two 20-year-old cousins who are given a scroll written in an ancient language. They learn it is one of six, and go on a quest to find all of them, only to learn the creation of their galaxy isn’t what they had been taught.

What is the different about your latest book and your other books?

It is written much better.

How did you find a publisher?

On the internet at Hipiers.com.

What kind of novels to you enjoy?

Cozy mysteries, science fiction, fantasy—particularly those latter that are crossing genres with mysteries. An occasional paranormal romance/mystery or romantic suspense.

How have the reviews been so far?

At the time of this writing, I haven’t received any on THE HALF-ELVEN MURDERS. However, they have been decent on THE POISONED PEN MURDERS and THE MISSING PELLIGER PAPERS.

What will you be working on next?

I will be revising sequels to THE HALF-ELVEN MURDERS. They are THE CHANIN CAPER and THE TALIZAR SCANDAL. I wrote them a number of years ago, well before THE HALF-ELVEN MURDERS sold.

Catch your copy of “The Half-Elven Murders” by click on the cover below!

 

Half eleven murders

 

 

 

 

Nov 23

Memories: An Interview with Author, Aviator and Veteran Mike Trahan

 

This special interview is with MMike Trahanike Trahan. Mike has recently finished his series of memoirs, “The Gift,” and is working on new products. His first audio book was just released, and the second isn’t far behind. Mike agreed to this interview, and I think it’s probably the best one he has ever done. Let’s not talk right now. Let’s read what Mike has to say. Mike… it’s over to you…

 

 

1. Why did you call your series “The Gift?”

The title “The Gift” came from a poem I wrote about my first flight in an airplane. One of the stanzas reads:

Until that moment my life was aimless,
With no real goals in sight.
The Lord gave me a GIFT that day,
His GIFT was the love of flight.

I was very fortunate to know, at a very young age, what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, and that was to be a pilot. Getting that early start was the best thing I cold have done, and I think having a dream like that to strive for was a Gift from God. In the last stanza of the poem, “The Gift,” I wrote:

My only wish for my children,
As I watch them learn and grow.
Is that He will give them a dream someday,
And they’ll have their chance to know!

2. Who is your intended audience and why should they read your book?

I am trying to reach out to young people who are interested in flying to show them it can be done if you want it badly enough. And I am also writing for us old pilots who want to go back and reminisce about what it was like when we learned to fly.

3. How did you decide what to write about when it came to your life?

I felt that major turning points were important, and I included a lot of setbacks and disappointments, too, so the reader could see how those things turned out later on. Most setbacks and disappointments led to something much better. Again, I was hoping the setbacks in their lives would not discourage the young readers.

4. Tell us a little bit about your cover art. Who designed it? Why did you go with that particular image/artwork?

I provided the photographs, and my publicist, Nick Wale, designed the covers. It was a happy coincidence to note, when we finished the covers, that in each book I was seen next to an airplane and a progression became apparent.

In “The Beginning,” I was standing by a little Cessna with one foot on the wheel and one on the ground. In “The Air Force Years,” I was standing halfway up the boarding ladder on an AC-47 Gunship. The third cover, for “The Delta Years,” shows me standing at the top of the boarding ladder on a Boeing 737, in my Captain uniform. So, symbolically, each picture depicted my climb up the aviation ladder from the beginning to the pinnacle.

5. What was your favorite flying experience and why?

It would be hard to pick one experience out of thousands of them. If I had to pick just one, I would say it was my first solo flight in a little Aeronca Champion airplane. It was on my sixteenth birthday, which was the minimum age to fly solo, and it represented the achievement of a goal I had had since I was old enough to realize what an airplane was. It was also the beginning of a long and wonderful flying career for me.

6. How about your least favourite flying experience?

I would say any flight where my passengers felt uncomfortable because of a rough ride, or thunderstorms around us, or any other problem like that. I always felt their apprehension, and I did my best to reassure them that I was taking the safest course possible and that they would be okay.

7. If you could have experienced one thing within the flying world that you didn’t experience—what would it have been?

There are a couple, but I would like to have checked out in a seaplane and a helicopter. I never did that, but I wish I had.

8. Give us an interesting fun fact or a few about your book or series:

I think some of the unexpected adventures, such as flying into Saigon the night the famous Tet Offensive started, or running into a high school friend in Tokyo, Japan one day, were interesting and fun. I landed in Selma, Alabama on the day of that great civil rights march, and I flew some National Guard troops to Chicago during the Democratic Convention to quell the riots that were going on.

It seemed I had a lot of brushes with events that became historically significant.

I call those my “Forest Gump” moments, because in that movie he was always having brushes with history.

9. Do you read memoirs for pleasure?

Yes, I have enjoyed reading the memoirs of other pilots I have known or known about. Each story is similar and also unique.

10. How can we contact you or find out more about your books?

The best way to contact me is via email at MTrahan33 (@) gmail.com

11. What can we expect from you in the future?

Well, I just finished the third and last book in my autobiographical Series “The Gift,” so that completes that effort. I am considering a children’s book next, and probably a few short stories. I’m not ready to tackle another book right now. I am excited about this, though: We are producing my books in the Audio Format, and I hope to reach another audience that way. I am enthused about that.

Mike

You can find all of Mike’s books, including his new audio book of “Aunt Sadie’s Wake” on his Amazon Author Page. Why don’t you visit with Mike right now by clicking here!

Nov 09

Bob’s Your Uncle: An Interview with the Voice of the Westerns—Bob Rundell

rundell

As Western readers know– only certain voices can work when it comes to narrating Western novels. That voice has to be special, articulate, weathered and above all– authentic. Bob Rundell is a relative newcomer to the world of Western novels, but he is becoming one of the most prolific Western audiobook narrators available through ACX.

This interview is with the very popular Rundell. For those of you looking to get your Western on audiobook, you may want to use him. For those who love Westerns, you will certainly want to hear him.

Welcome Bob!

Hi! Thank you for asking me to do an interview for this site.

You are more than welcome. Let me start by asking why you like to work on Western novels? 

The characters are more diverse, genuine and believable.

What is it about the Western that gets your interest? 

The values of the times and the believable characters in their setting.

What are your favorite Western movies? 

Anything with John Wayne, Tom Selleck or Sam Elliot.

How did those movies influence the way you read the stories? 

The movies didn’t, but because I was raised in that lifestyle, it was a natural.

Is there a Western movie you would have loved to have read?

The Searchers, Conagher, pretty much most of them!

What do you have to keep in mind when you are reading these books? 

I try to “see” the characters and settings as the author does.

Are there any important rules? 

The author is always right!

In your opinion, who is the greatest American folk hero from the West and why?

Davy Crockett — although a childhood hero because of the Saturday matinees and TV program, he was a very real personage that accomplished a lot in his lifetime.

How can people contact you to work with you on their books? 

By e-mail:  bobndawnrundell@gmail.com, whenuneedavoice@gmail.com, or phone: 719-429-1100

Do you think it’s important to have a large publisher as a Western author?

Size doesn’t matter — but ability to market does!

Of all the books you’ve worked on, which was your favorite? 

Unbroke Horses by D.B. Jackson.

Are you ever surprised by how many Western fans there are in the world? 

No . . . more surprised that there aren’t more.

Would you ever read a non-Western? 

I have. I have even done a children’s book.  Content is most important, not genre.

If you could travel back to the West and be a cowboy — would you? 

In a sense, I have and am.  I was raised in a ranch setting with all the animals, etc., and have that lifestyle as a very important part of my character-building life.  I have ranchers in my family and have had horses in my fields.  So, yes.

With a varied background in business and ministry, Bob has garnered a wealth of experience that provided insight to people, their thinking, and their tendencies.  He has spent many years as a pastor, counselor and teacher as well as the owner/manager of several businesses that included a successful insurance agency that he built up to over $3 million in annual sales.   As a happy husband of his wife, Dawn, and the father of four grown daughters, family and home are very important parts of his life.

His career in voice acting has only recently been a focus, and he has certainly enjoyed early success.  With praise from many authors and publishers on his voice and his characterizations, this certainly will be the central focus of his life for the foreseeable future.

Sep 02

Five Things to Check Before Publishing Your Book

bookSo, you’ve been through the painstaking process of writing, editing, and proof reading your book. Maybe you’ve even gone so far as to have had it beta read. The question is: Is it print ready? In our experience, most books aren’t. In the rush to get their book published, many authors overlook the nitty gritty details of what used to be called simply “typesetting.” Those details can make all the difference between a frustrating publication process, and one that goes swimmingly well, producing a top quality product.

 

  1. Did you use a template when you wrote the book? You’d be surprised at how many authors don’t. If you’re one of them, apply a book template now! It will save you a lot of money in ebook conversion and typesetting costs.
  2. Do you have two versions of your manuscript? You should! One for your ebook, with your “web-links” intact, and another for print where the weblinks are replaced by more traditional notes and bibliographic references. Is there anything that says “amateur” like a print book filled with blue underlined text, or an ebook with dead footnotes?
  3. Do you have two versions of your graphics? You should! In fact, you might need three! Ebooks use “web standard” graphics. That means they use the RGB color space and exactly 72ppi. Printers require a much higher ppi rate. 300 is pretty much considered the minimum. If you’re offset printing, you will also need to color separate the print book graphics for the printer. (POD printers don’t usually require this.) If the interior of the book is black and white, but the graphics are in color in the ebook, you’ll need to convert all your graphics over to 300ppi black and white images. Not all images convert to two colors gracefully. Keep that in mind when selecting graphics. It will save a lot of hair pulling later.
  4. Do you have two book covers? If you’re doing a physical print as well as an ebook, you’ll need both. The same rules apply to covers as graphics, and any decent cover designer will know this and supply you with the ebook cover at no extra cost. (I mean, really! It is just a front cover cut reduced to RGB at 72 ppi.)
  5. Do you know what kind of ebook you need? While inside the Amazon ecosystem, things aren’t changing all that much – Kindle is just “mobipocket,” a very limited, 20 year old technology. Outside of Amazon, things are on the move. The epub 3.0 standard opened up the ebook world considerably. If your book is a picture book or an academic book, you may need this functionality to present your book properly (at the expense of losing readers who use older technology). A simple novel, on the other hand, is far more forgiving in its presentation requirements. Graphic novels have their own e-publishing standards (though epub 3.0 now does graphic novels very well, also). It’s still the wild west out there in ebook land. A bit of study, or the opinion of an expert, is advised for complex projects.

 

Today’s readers aren’t really all that different from readers five hundred years ago: They want to immerse themselves in their reading experience. They want to “dive into” the book. That means presenting them with a familiar, comfortable reading experience. In the old days, that meant every book needed to comply with a long list of familiar typesetting customs and traditions that guaranteed a familiar look and feel. Today, that comfort comes from an alchemical stew made up only in part by your content. The other part is provided by the reading device and its software. Even the best software can’t make a badly formatted ebook look great; but it can turn a good presentation into a great one.

This article was written by Michael Matson of “Metaphor Publications.” You can contact Michael via their official website.

 

Aug 14

The Provo Files: The Latest Excerpt From Author Paul Provo

The latest excerpt from Paul Provo has arrived. Paul is one of the most exciting writers to have hit the scene in sometime! With a new thriller coming out later this year… this is your opportunity to read an exclusive segment from “A Web of Malicious Opportunity.”

pp*****

As she day-dreamed and stared out the cockpit window, Lisa was mesmerized by the menacing dark clouds and streaks of lightning along the horizon. She mentioned it to her husband, Teo, the flight´s captain, as he sipped his coffee. “Yeah, honey, there´s crap out here all right,” he managed apologetically. “There wasn´t supposed to be anything. At least, not along our route according to the weather charts. The frontal system is moving faster than any I´ve seen in a long time. It actually looks like it´s catching up with us… and it´s a bad one.” He felt the responsibility towards his passengers. Having the president’s wife and daughter on board didn´t exactly ease the pressure. Teo turned in his seat, facing his wife and asked, “So, what happened back there with Lady Solance?”

Lisa spread her hands apart, thumbs touching. “I´d like to throttle the woman. She was so, so arrogant. What an uppity bitch! Why in the world would Tom marry someone like that? He seems such a decent man. Was she always so damned stuck-up and bitter?” Her face reddened with anger as she recalled the unfortunate exchange she and the first lady had a bit earlier. Teo took their conversation a step further in an attempt to explain Solance´s behavior.

“No, actually not,” he explained. “My dad had a fling with her in their teens. According to him, she was pretty normal, but so was Tom for that matter. Mom says she´s becoming increasingly bitter through abandonment, but Dad shushes that off. He thinks Tom´s wealth has simply gone to her head. In fact, he swears there’s mental illness in her family genealogy. Personally, I think she´s bi-polar.” He wasn´t sure he wanted to touch on the subject, but he went ahead. “She hates me for dropping Selena. She won´t talk to me ever since I broke up with her.” He paused. Lisa listened intently. “Speaking of which, does she know I´m in charge today? Did she ask?” Inevitably, he knew she´d find out soon enough after giving his passenger welcome speech a little later.

Lisa rolled her eyes. “Honey, all she did was bitch and blow her nose. Her pupils were dilated. I think she was high.” The aircraft hit a small pocket of turbulence, jostling everyone in the cockpit. “But Selena looks like a nice kid. Too young for you, though,” she added with a subtle smile crossing her face. “She winked at me when the devil-woman wasn´t looking. I think she wants to talk to me.”

Teo had to agree. “Yes, Selina’s a good person, Lisa. She is very much like her father. But Solance… fucking hell, she´s turned nasty! Rumor is she´s hooked on drugs.” He paused to adjust the weather radar. “I don´t think Tom would put up with her any more if it weren´t for Selena.”

Lisa recorded the information and decided to let Teo off the hook. After all, she and Teo hadn´t even met each other when the split took place, she accepted.

Lisa continued, “After the two came rushing into the cabin, Solance looked at me like I was some kind of sickly, bothersome dog with fleas. I was damned embarrassed. So what did I do? I just went along and played the game. Showed her to her seat and used my strongest Texan drawl on her. She ain’t stupid; she knew I was pinching her ovaries.” They both laughed. “But hey, screw her. It´s her funeral.”

Lisa swallowed the last of her tea to get back to her chores in the passenger cabin. “By the way, Teo, honey,” she joked, “notice the swirly creamy pattern in your coffee? Guess what it is.” She let him digest the obvious joke.

He played along, his eyes widening. “No way. Are you serious?” They burst into laughter, and she looked him in the eyes.

She leaned forward and planted a kiss on his cheek. “There, now we´re even for the crappy weather you said we wouldn´t see.” She took another quick look out the windshield and added, “I thought this was going to be easy city! Doesn´t look that way to me.” She stood to go. Co-pilot Hosar huddled in his seat, silently staring out his side view window while Teo began typing in a request for Martinella´s latest weather via ACARS.

Suddenly, as if walloped by a giant invisible hand, the plane shuddered, dropping violently as it was robbed of lift, helpless in an endless vacuum. Teo felt the airplane shake in every inch of his body, and suddenly, it shot skywards. He nearly vomited. He reacted to the hysterical cries coming from the passenger cabin, but he was powerless against the extreme turbulence. Both cellphones and loose items, like pencils and pens and charts, shot dangerously by at eye level, like runaway missiles. The flight deck filled with dust from the floor, like fog from hell.

Hosan screamed at the top of his lungs. Teo shouted, “Shut the fuck up, Hosan! Take hold of yourself! Help me control the God-damned airplane!” The autopilot system expectedly disengaged, incapable of supporting the forces on the planes control surfaces, and the rookie captain instinctively grabbed the yoke with both hands to stop the plane from rolling dangerously beyond limits. Teo instinctively reached for the thrust levers and slowed to turbulence penetration speed, switching on both engine ignition systems. His flight bag and contents were spread all over the dust-filled flight deck. Scanning the flight attitude instruments and engine parameters, he could smell the stench of ozone from the lightning as it invaded the cockpit.

He heard trolleys crashing down the aisles, endangering the already petrified passengers. He thought of Lisa in the passenger cabin and was concerned for her safety. In a microsecond, all hell had broken loose…

*****

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