Free KINDLE book

Samhain Publishing is giving away another Kindle title. It is Giving Chase by Lauren Dane. Dontcha just love these freebies...and I love my Kindle like a fat kid loves cookies. :)

Sounding Off

This morning the popular publishing newsletter Galley Cat featured a story posing the question, 'Should Authors Take Their Publishing Complaints Public'?


In their article they spotlighted an author who leveled a charge against their publisher for not paying royalties correctly. That said, it appears to be a case of sour grapes as GC hinted that the author greatly inflated their sales numbers. While Nielson's BookScan doesn't lie, it also doesn't portray total sales numbers as every store doesn't report to BookScan.


So should authors take their complaints public?


I believe so...with a caveat - they'd better be sure what they are saying is correct or they are shooting themselves in the foot...or career.


If authors (including myself) hadn't spoken out about Triskellion then who knows how long that company would have limped along scamming authors? Trust me, I tried everything to settle with them amicably and the owners weren't having it. Sometimes public humiliation is the only weapon we have left and in the case of Trisk - it worked.



There are any number of examples such as the Trisk debacle - and who knows how many authors avoided the train wreck because those involved spoke out? Sometimes you have to stand up and risk taking a hit in order to do the right thing.

So you want to win a book?

Greetings, my friend Judy Mays gave me permission to give away a copy of her ebook, Celestial Passions: Meri. To enter simply post a comment on this entry and say...Hey JC, I'd like to win a book....or curse me out - whichever seems more appropriate. :)

Winner will be drawn on Tuesday. :)

Cover Blurb: Generations after the dols and orcs disappeared from Mediria, Lillalistross don al' Ademis from Drakan arrives with a tattoo of his clan totem, a dol leaping from the waves of a rolling blue sea, on his shoulder. Is he the prophesied "Path to the Dols and Orcs"? Can he lead the Medirians to them?Princess Merilinlalissa, eldest daughter of Mediria's monarch, has no doubts. This Drakian, somehow, someway, is connected with finding the dols and the orcs, and she's going to find out how. The fact that he's very tall, very handsome and very sexy only makes her determination to discover all she can about him, both in and out of bed, that much stronger.

Politics as usual...

Is anyone else annoyed with the smear campaigns that our Presidental candidiates are indulging in?

"He sucks..."

"No, he sucks more!"

These two fools are running for the highest position in the US government and their behavior has degenerated into grade school rumbles on the playground! If I had kids that behaved like this I'd blister their little butts.

Every week 8000 home loans are defaulted on - 1 in 171 homeowners will lose their houses this year - HIV is on the rise - Education levels are dropping - gas prices are rising - food prices are rising - our environment is degrading every year - drug prices are on the rise and older people can't afford to buy the medication they need to LIVE....and these two fools think its more important to poke at each other rather than tackle the issues that are important.

I'm SO over the presidential nonsense...

Ready to try a new author?

Then we have a deal for you! We have three ebooks available and you can read the first half of the book for FREE! If you like it, there are links in the document which lead you to purchase the book. If you don't enjoy the book then you're off the hook!

But we know you'll love these titles! ;)

http://www.thesamhellion.com/free.htm

Enjoy!!

Randy Pausch

How many times can you say you saw someone on tv and your life will never be the same?

I can say that about Randy Pausch.

Randy was a Carnagie Mellon (Whoa...big brains) professor whose greatest gift wasn't in teaching others, it was his love for his children.

In academia, it's common to ask tenured professors to give a lecture called The Last Lecture. This lecture is all about what they would want to say if they learned they were going to die tomorrow. The difference in Randy's lecture was the he was really going to die.

Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Paudch delivered the lecture of a lifetime in September 2007. It wasn't so much about what he wanted to say, it was more about what he wanted to say to his children in the future - the future without him. It was funny, poignant, uplifting and brilliant - an amazing statement from an everyday guy.

Thankfully someone uploaded it to YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo - be warned, it is long but SO worth the time. Once you see it, your life will never be the same.

I first saw this in December and I immediate sent links to all my close friends. The Last Lecture was made into a book and has been on the best seller list since April.

Randy Pausch passed away today at the age of 47.

Did you say...FREE???

Want some free ebooks? Go here:

http://tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=577

Happy Reading!

Utter Fabulosity!

Isabo Kelly UPDATE

Say hello to Jack, Isabo (and Brian's) latest creation.

Now, not being kid-centric myself, I think he looks like one of those little gnome statues you find in people's gardens. Well, minus the bad fashions and the beard of course. Okay, quit throwing rotten veggies at me! I only have dogs and they're cute too!

Don't worry, Jack - I'll be there when you get your first tattoo. :)

What is a girl to do?

What is a girl to do? I was going to blog on Project Runway but the Emmys were announced today. I'm so confused.

Let's dish on the Emmys as I really don't have much to say about them and later I can dish on PR. I went through the list of nominees only to realize I didn't know anything about more than half of the shows. I'm afraid network television is beyond me.

A funeral notable mentions:

outstanding reality program- Dirty Jobs versus Kathy Griffin. I love both of them but I'm pretty sure in a street brawl Kathy can take Mike. She has been working out you know.

Outstanding comedy series -my money is on 2 1/2 men only because I haven't watched the other shows. :)

outstanding drama-I'm going to say Dexter because serial killers rule!

Outstanding lead actress in a comedy-now this show I actually watch Ugly Betty and America Ferrera has been nominated. Go girl!

Outstanding nonfiction series- Deadliest Catch baby!! I do have to say that Discovery Channel is making a ton of money off of the show and the crabbers don't receive very much of it. (Just thought I'd throw that in there)

outstanding reality competition- I think it's all about Top Chef but they are up against PR. This could be a close one.

If you want to see the whole list, go here http://cdn.emmys.tv/awards/2008pte/60thpte_noms.php

Happy Thursday!

Guess what day it is...

It's time for PROJECT RUNWAY!!!

Can't help it, I just adore that show. The drama, the majesty....the seriously ugly clothes...it's everything I want in a tv show. Will there be anyone nearly as fabulous as Christian?

I can't wait to find out. My popcorn is bought, my jammies are clean, BRING IT ON!

2008 - The year of the BLOG

I'd like to announce that Novelists Ink now has a blog.

http://www.ninc.com/blog/

so if you're a writer looking for tips or a reader searching for a good book, check it out.

Free Stuff!!

Good morning bloggers,

Samhain Publishing is pleased to announce our very first Amazon Kindle ebook giveaway! The title is Nate from Beth Williamson. The free download period begins on Monday, July 14th through Sunday, July 20th. This title is the first in the Devils on Horseback series from Williamson and we’re thrilled to share this exciting series with readers. As an FYI, Williamson recently signed with Kensington in April 2008.

Our next Kindle giveaway will be in August. That title is Giving Chase from Lauren Dane. I will send out a notice with all the details once they are finalized.

We are planning quite a few more fun reader giveaways so stay tuned! Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions.

Lisa


Lisa Amrine, Marketing Director
Samhain Publishing
www.samhainpublishing.com


Book Details:

Nate by Beth Williamson

Kindle ASIN: B000W5MIOE

Paperback ISBN: 978-1599986593



Cover Blurb:

Amidst the post-war chaos that rains down around them, a controlling man and a desperate woman must choose between life and love.

Book one of the Devils on Horseback series.

Nate Marchand grew up as the only son of the town drunk. As a Confederate soldier, he found that order in the chaos was the only thing that kept him sane. Numbers, information, keeping everything in its proper place became second nature. The chaos of the war and its aftermath sent him into a rigid state that he couldn't seem to overcome.

He and his friends, nicknamed Devils on Horseback, leave behind the aftermath of war to start fresh in the west. Their new business venture flounders and desperation drives them to take whatever work they can. The Devils are hired to remove the Taggert family from land claimed by Samuel O'Shea, the largest landowner in Grayton, Texas.

When he meets Elisa Taggert, his entire world shifts beneath him. Attracted, bewildered, and off-kilter, Nate ignores his conscience in favor of his wallet.

The simple task of removing a woman, a boy, and an old man, along with a small herd of cattle, resembles a Medieval siege. Nate wrestles with what he knows is right with what he must do. Will his love for Elisa overcome his need for survival?

Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex, graphic language, violence.

Isabo Kelly, Take II

Born at 1am EST, Baby Jack and Mama are doing fine!!!

Yes, a boy. I can already tell he's going to be a handful as he was supposed to be a GIRL darn it. Only two hours old and already he's a rabble rouser!! I told her to put him back as he wasn’t done baking yet. :)

PRICELESS

If these guys get in trouble for not wearing pants - why wasn't Britney arrested for flashing her cooter everywhere?

Isabo Kelly Watch!

For those of you who know the fabulous Isabo Kelly - it's that TIME! She's in the hospital being induced and I'm waiting for her hubby to call me. Of course he's just going to tell me that it's a girl but I already know that. :)

In the mean time, go here:

http://eroticromancewriters.com/contests.htm

and enter to win a paperback copy of In The Gloaming, an anthology featuring the fabulous Mama To Be.

Manly Monday!

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy July Fourth everyone! I'm giving away an ebook copy of Winters Daughter at:

http://eroticromancewriters.com/contests.htm

Good luck

Guest Blogging

I'm guest blogging this week at NovelSpot and my topic is the path (koff) to publication. Check out my first post:

http://novelspot.net/node/2430

Sacrifice - My Latest Release!

Heart of the Raven by J.C. Wilder

Sold into slavery to an Overseer of the Realm, Dani is determined to win her freedom and make sure her heart is possessed by no man. For Haaken, time is running out. A family curse already condemns him to the form of the Raven and when he can find the one woman meant for him, only then will he be free. Too bad for both of them that this woman is determined to belong to no one.

Fly With A Dragon by Rosemary Laurey

A virgin sacrifice, a not-so ravening dragon and a happy ever after. Selected as the virgin sacrifice to the ravening dragon, Myfanwy awaits as Arragh, the fiery Dragon of Calder Bala, approaches across the sacred grove. But Arragh comes not to destroy. Instead he carries Myfanwy off to his domain in the far mountains, and a fate far, far better than death.