An Excellent New Resource for Indie Authors & Readers

STEPHEN HISE LAUNCHES INDIES UNLIMITED
New Web Site Will Be A Resource for Indie Authors and Readers

Phoenix, AZ – 05 Jan 2012 – Indie Author Stephen Hise has launched a new website called Indies Unlimited. The goal of the site is to celebrate, educate, and promote independent authors. Content includes interviews, articles, links, video book trailers, contests, reviews, industry news, tutorials and recommendations.

“We are at the beginning of a technological revolution in how books are written, published, marketed, purchased, and read,” Hise explains. “I started Indies Unlimited to showcase the amazing amount of talent in the indie author community. I hope to connect authors with each other and with readers as well.”

IndiesUnlimited.com is designed to provide a platform for independent authors to share and exchange ideas, knowledge, expertise and frustrations; and, for readers and reviewers to become exposed to the amazing depth and array of talent in the indie community.

With a staff consisting of multi-published, best-selling and ground-breaking writers, Indies Unlimited is able to provide guidance and input to assist less-experienced authors. Hise says, “I have recruited authors and industry experts from different areas of the publishing field to provide insight, expertise, and diverse perspectives on the many facets of writing.”

Readers from all over the world have already found their way to Indies Unlimited, where they can sample excerpts of Indie Authors’ books for free, and even engage an author directly in questions and answers through the comments.

“Indies Unlimited offers so much to so many,” says award-winning author K. S. Brooks. “I really enjoy the sharp-witted, fresh content. It’s always good to be able to laugh when you’re involved in such a competitive industry.”

Authors who’d like to participate are able to submit queries via www.IndiesUnlimited.com/submissions.

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About Stephen Hise: Stephen Hise is an Arizona-based independent author and consultant. He has been writing both personally and professionally for many years. Hise published his first novel in 2010, along with a collection of short stories on which he collaborated with two other authors. More information is available at http://StephenHise.com and http://IndiesUnlimited.com

Not Enough Homework.

I get requests every day from authors – usually via email, asking for advice. How do I market my book? What’s an ISBN number? Is it important to have an eBook as well as a print book? My eyes are starting to roll back into my head.

I don’t mind helping and advising and what have you – but people need to do their homework. I’m not going to handhold if someone isn’t willing to put a little effort into it. This world of instant communication on the internet has made it way too easy for people to rifle off an email and let someone else do the work for them.

Here’s a question back: in the time it took to email me, couldn’t the answer about ISBN numbers for ebooks been just as quickly looked up on the Kindle or Smashwords web site? And here’s the answer: Why, yes, yes it could have. How do I know? Because I just did it last month.

The internet isn’t the only place I’ve seen this happen lately. It happens everywhere, even in hockey, too. Last month, Washington Capital player Jay Beagle got into a fight with Pittsburgh Penguin player Arron Asham and got knocked out. People were appalled because Beagle is “a rookie.” I do feel badly for Beagle, he hasn’t played since the fight, however, that is the risk you run when you engage a seasoned fighter like Asham.

Way the hell back in like 500 BC, Sun Tzu said “Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.” Why is that suddenly no longer true?

Isn’t that why sports teams have analysts? To tell them who/what to look out for and when? Someone does the homework for the team so they can go out and take advantage of their opponents’ weaknesses. Generals do it during war. Advertising firms doing it when marketing their clients. It needs to be done to survive.

What does all this have to do with anything? Homework isn’t a bad thing to do. It makes you look smart, prepared and people will take you seriously.

For example, I was on a radio show a few weeks ago. I listened to a couple of broadcasts in advance so I’d be familiar with the format and what the specific audience was used to. And thank goodness I did. I was completely prepared for the lackadaisical and self-centered attitude of the host. I didn’t get flustered, and I was able to roll with it. If I hadn’t have been prepared, I would have been blind-sided by the ridiculously unprofessional interview. (Despite the fact that my press kit had been forwarded to them – they couldn’t even remember my name – and showed no interest in doing so.) After the interview I received comments telling me how great I was, and how offensive the hosts were. Homework, my friends.

Today someone didn’t know what to do about being invited to guest post on someone’s blog. They didn’t know the rules or even really what a blog was. There is only one correct answer to that: HOMEWORK. If someone invites you to do a blog post or interview – go to their blog and check it out first. If it’s about sacrificing baby bunnies to Satan – and you’re a devout Catholic, then you SHOULD have your answer. KNOW your audience. KNOW your enemy. Blog is such a widely used term – the only thing that matters is what blog means to the person who invited you to post. I’ve been invited to participate in many blogs that have extreme adult content. I write suspense novels AND children’s books. I can’t send my readers to something like that.

In school, if you didn’t do your homework, you didn’t get a good grade. Why is it any different in real life? I bet Jay Beagle is wishing he’d done his homework.

copyright 2011 – K. S. Brooks

Blog Hop Part II – Good with a Dash of Bad?

Okay, now I’m getting the hang of this! Thank you Angelika Devlyn for steering me in the right direction.

Yesterday I was supposed to post this author question and give my answer as part of the Blog Hop: Thursday, June 23rd 2011:
QUESTION: When creating a main character, is it better to start with a good girl/guy with a drop of “bad”, or a bad girl/guy with a drop of “good”? Question provided by author Lara Z

MY ANSWER: I personally don’t create main characters that way. I look at what the character’s main goals are. I look at what they’re willing to do to achieve them. Then I put the obstacles in their way – how will they handle them? I believe a character’s motivation directly impacts their decision-making, and their interpretation of “good versus bad.”

If the perfect opportunity arises to torture, then murder someone who has done something heinous to a “good” character (let’s say her name is Lily) – and she knows there’s NO way she can get caught – why shouldn’t she take advantage of that? To the reader, that’s probably BAD, but in Lily’s head, it may be the only way to survive. Does that make HER bad?

I think perhaps the true answer to this question is: if you want a good character to do bad things – what weaknesses do you give them? The same recipe goes for a bad guy doing good.

Thanks for visiting me on the Blog Hop!

Blog Hop

Well, here I am, trying something new. Honestly, I’m not sure WHAT I’m doing – all this technical stuff is beyond me and should be left to people who know better (like 8 year olds with iPhones).

But, here’s my shot at participating in a “Blog Hop.” I guess that’s like a pub crawl but with a lot less crawling and no pubs.

Just in case this works, I’ll say welcome to my blog. I have a warped and sarcastic sense of humor. I’m mildly opinionated and I have no problem saying what I’m thinking unless it might hurt someone’s feelings. I stay away from politics and religion, but dive head first into important subjects like hockey, Superbowl commercials and Sasquatch sightings. I enjoy walks on the beach, pretending I’m Commissioner of the NHL, traveling, and seeing my books in print.

If you enjoy satire, please take a look around. I’d especially like to suggest “The American Robin: Hatched from Evil”, “Well Shiver Me Two by Fours”, or “Lollipop Lollipop Please Make that Commercial STOP”.

I hope you enjoy my blog!

“The Kiss of Night” book cover is up for a Sassy Brit award!

“The Kiss of Night” book cover is up for a Sassy Brit award! Please go to their site, and on the right, please check the box next to #5 – The Kiss of Night, then click on the Vote button just below the 10 entries. THANK YOU!!!

It’s super easy and you don’t have to log in or become a member or anything like that. It just takes 2 clicks and you’re done!
http://tjbook-list.blogspot.com/2011/06/june-2011-book-cover-award-voting-now.html

If you’d like to see the book covers up for the award, you can watch the Sassy Brit’s video here: http://youtu.be/z2yIVO9EX_0

If you want to skip the video and just see the cover for “The Kiss of Night,” that can be viewed here: http://www.agentnight.com/KissofNight.htm or below.

Thank you for your support!!

Eating Cheap on the Road

I’m a road trip veteran. After just recently completing 34 States, Washington DC and 4 Provinces of Canada in 45 days, I learned quite a bit about balancing meals and travel. So when Frugal Foodie blogger Beth Davies was looking for road trip meal advice for her column “Eating Healthy on the Road For Less,” I was glad to oblige. Here is the actual email I sent her:

Dear Beth,

Having just returned from our second 45 day road trip in less than three years, our “eat-on-the-cheap” philosophies are still fresh in mind.

#1 – Take advantage of the free “continental breakfast” hotels put out each morning. Skip the Starbucks and help yourself to the free coffee. Bring your insulated travel mugs and fill them up on your way out. If there’s a water cooler, refill your water bottles, too. Grab a piece of fruit per person and a yogurt as well. Even if you don’t eat them there, stash them in your cooler and they make quick, healthy snacks later. Just don’t forget the spoons!

#2 – This tip is handy especially if you’re traveling with a pet, since hotels do not allow pets to remain unattended in rooms. Eat dinner in your room. Most hotels now offer microwaves and refrigerators in room – and those that don’t usually have a breakfast area where you can use the microwave. Quite often we’d make turkey sandwiches from cold cuts in the cooler and heat up a cup of soup to go with them. Even if you pick up take-out sandwiches, that’s still cheaper than a sit-down meal, and after a long day of traveling, you don’t have to get to the hotel just to clean up and go back out again.

#3 – Eat lunch out. Lunch menus are always less expensive than dinner menus, and finding a neat “mom & pop” cafe in the Ozarks will give you a great taste of not only the cuisine, but the local color.

#4 – Whenever we travel, we always ask the locals where they would go for lunch.

#5 – Bolthouse Farms Smoothies – these all natural, healthy drinks are great for the cooler. There’s a flavor for every taste, from mango to mocha. I always carry a C-Boost Immunity Support since it’s easy to get run-down while on the road; and I carry a Mocha Cappuccino Perfectly Protein which is great to satisfy sweet cravings and hunger pangs. I especially love these two smoothies because they are gluten-free, soy-free and great for people with food sensitivities and allergies.

#6 – Other foods good for road trips: String cheese, cracker/cheese sandwich packs, corn tortilla chips, cashews, trail mix, fun-size Snickers, apples, clementines (easy to peel), yogurt cups, pudding cups, and baby carrots.

Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you find this information useful. Please credit me as Author K. S. Brooks.

Thank you and best of luck with your story!
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You’ll notice in item #1 I suggest people “take advantage” of the breakfast buffet. What I find hilarious is that what ended up being published in Beth’s article makes me sound like a vagabond going from hotel to hotel looking for continental breakfasts – “Raid the hotel breakfast bar: Action- adventure author and avid road-tripper K.S. Brooks looks for hotels with a free continental breakfast and also uses the fare for snacks later.”

Frankly I prefer the hot breakfast bars which have bacon and eggs and hash browns. Isn’t it nice to start off the day with a good hot meal in your happy belly? The best one I can recall from my recent trip was the Comfort Inn and Suites in Moab, Utah. I never forget a good breakfast bar. By the way, almost all hotels have some kind of free breakfast bar now, whether it’s just hot beverages, or coffee and muffins.

That’s all for now. I hear the Holiday Inn in Spokane is having its nightly customer-appreciation cocktail hour and I need to get going so I don’t miss the free pigs in a blanket and punch.

P.S. You can read Beth’s article here: http://www.mint.com/blog/saving/eating-healthy-on-the-road-for-less-05262011/

THIRD ANNUAL HOCKEY STATE OF THE UNION

Yes, it’s that time again: time for my annual address as the self-proclaimed Commissioner of the PNHL (Pretend National Hockey League). My agenda is designed to be quick and to the point so everyone can get back to watching this year’s incredible NHL play-off hockey.

COMMERCIALS:
Kudos go to Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin in the Geico commercials. The caveman, however, needs better material. And those new hot pockets? They look like they’re regurgitating something foul – they’re beyond repulsive to look at. My resolution: combine the two commercials. Joe and Craig can open, then send viewers down to the ice where NHL All-Star snipers use the hot pockets as pucks to shoot at the Geico caveman.

INTERMISSION:
Bill Patrick, Keith Jones and Jeremy Roenick are so entertaining that I’m finding intermissions aren’t quite long enough. Roenick’s personality has really livened things up and his honesty is refreshing. So you ask – if the hockey is really good and intermission is really good – when are we supposed to get anything done? Um duh: July.

PENALTIES:
This year I’m handing out penalties, because as self-proclaimed commissioner, I can.

The first penalty goes to the officials who are making calls on perfectly good hits. In this instance, I’d like to have the heavy yellow penalty flags from the NFL to hurl at the officials so they know I’m displeased. Come on – hitting is part of the game. I agree that head shots should be prevented by instituting serious consequences. However, a good hip check should not be a penalty.

I’m also a fan of tradition, but I’m sorry, I do not want to see another slimy octopus thrown onto the ice. Where are people in Detroit getting these things anyway? How come the ASPCO (American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Octopi) isn’t protesting? I think whoever throws the damn thing on the ice should be charged with a delay of game penalty and fined. And I am unanimous in that.

Lastly, I know the New York Rangers are no longer in it, but I have to dish out retroactive penalties for the awful play-off moustaches they were sporting this year. A few of those guys looked like they were hoping to audition for some throw-back 70s garage porn movie after the series. Um, not that I’ve ever seen anything like that. But I’ve heard things.

EQUIPMENT:
Martin St. Louis is one of those guys you love to hate. He truly is an amazingly talented player. So I’m not going to make a wise-crack about his height or anything, I’m just going to ask a question: what’s the deal with having a folding chair next to the bench at Verizon Center instead of sitting on the bench with the rest of the guys? I’m not sure if I can allow this kind of preferential treatment. What’ll be next? Recliners next to the bench? Or why don’t we just get rid of the bench entirely and give each player one of those nice leather massage chairs to sit in? See how quickly things can get out of control? (Note to self: ask secretary to order leather massage chair for my office.)

The Nashville Predators are missing out on a prime marketing opportunity. It’s all about branding, right? So change the team’s mouth guards so they have fangs like the logo, and also make them available to the public. Can you imagine the sales at Halloween?

Last year, I drove all the way to Vancouver to watch Olympic hockey. It was then I noticed Alex Ovechkin suddenly began tucking in the back of his jersey so his tail bone pad flopped out. Then, this season, he started tying what looks like a really long shoe lace around his waist. That flaps around when he skates. I don’t get it. Why does one of the world’s best players look like he’s having a wardrobe malfunction?

IN CLOSING:
This year’s play-offs have showcased some of the best match-ups I’ve seen in years. I hope they all go to overtime, and they all go to Game 7s. Hockey truly is FANtastic.

Review: Comfort Inn of Lewiston ID

2/28/11
Comfort Inn
2128 Eighth Avenue
Lewiston, Idaho 83501

I humbly suggest that Lewiston, Idaho is not the best place to find a hotel. We looked at the $45 hotel by the river which was kind of creepy. Then we drove down the street to the $69 hotel which stank of curry outside. So we decided to just give in, and for our last night go to a decent hotel. We drove up the hill to a less seedy-looking area and chose the Comfort Inn at $99 (but I talked him down to $84 because I can). There was also a $10 pet fee, which with taxes brought the stay to over $100. It would be worth it, right?

We looked at the first room which smelled like cat urine, so we went back to the desk and asked for another, which also smelled. Exhausted and frustrated, we decided the second room didn’t stink as much as the first one and we’d settle for it. I got the Febreeze out of the car and sprayed the hell out of the room, including the air conditioner filter, carpeting, bedspread, etc. We even opened the window, which helped until the wind shifted, bringing the nearby paper mill’s stench into the room. So much for that. At least there were no bed bugs and the internet worked.

The room was large and pretty clean, other than the mildew where the tub met the shower wall. I was going to complain but what were they going to do about it? Move us to yet another stinky room? Forget it. We’d be home tomorrow and we’d shower then. It was just very disappointing for the last night of a 45 day road trip. Home sweet home, here we come.

Review: Bucky’s Cafe of Cambridge ID

2/28/11
Bucky’s Cafe & Motel
10 North Superior Street
Cambridge, ID 83610

The only restaurant we found for miles and miles in this western frontier section of Idaho was Bucky’s Café. We rolled into Cambridge pretty much running out of steam, and there it was on the right.

The place was about half full with a lunch crowd of cowboy-hat wearing locals. The atmosphere was neighborly and chatty. The waitress was doing well considering they were short staffed. She brought my hot coffee and kept the refills coming. David ordered the soup and sandwich special of the day. For some strange reason, I decided to try the fish and chips. I was chilled to the bone and I guess I thought that would help warm me up.

From our table, we could see the cook cranking out the orders. We knew we had a while to wait, so I went outside and took some pictures of the town. Shortly after returning, our food was delivered.

David reported that his soup was excellent and his sandwich was decent. My fish was very bready and somewhat spongy – typical frozen fare. The fries were very good and plentiful. The food and cultural experience came to around $15.

Review: Sleep Inn of Mountain Home, ID

2/27/11
Sleep Inn
1180 U.S. 20
Mountain Home, ID 83647

We arrived at the Sleep Inn just in time. Almost immediately a line formed behind us for check-in. The young lady behind the counter was super nice and efficient, and in no time we were off to our room next to the back door. Being close to an exit is very convenient when you’re traveling with a dog. It’s not so great when the people in the room next to you are going out to their car every 5 minutes and letting the door slam shut as they go in and out.

The room was very clean and free of bed bugs. The internet worked. After a long day on the road, we both wanted a cup of hot tea, but the water in the carafes in the breakfast area was tepid. David went to the front desk to ask if they had real hot water somewhere, and within moments the nice young lady from the front desk called our room to let us know there was a coffee machine with hotter water up front. How nice is that?

We were very comfortable at the pet-friendly Sleep Inn. Mr. Pish’s pet fee was $10. Including that, the whole stay cost under $90. Unfortunately the discount hotel coupon booklet didn’t offer any savings in this city.