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By David Rothman

image Mark Coggins, the guy in the photo, studied creative writing under Tobias Wolff and Ron Hansen. He writes well-reviewed mysteries and has appeared in Ellery Queen’s.

Bill Smith is behind some Star Wars guides selling nearly half a million copies total. Jeremy Blachman delighted reviewers at USA Today and elsewhere with his satire of the legal world. Elizabeth Neff Walker has written 30 novels, one of which is about “weight, sex and fidelity.” Keith Melton’s urban fantasy novel is about a vampire who’d rather feed off the Mafiosi. Heather S. Ingemar delves into demonic worlds.

Those six writers are among the TeleRead community members answering a notice headlined TeleRead’s free promote-your-book arrangements. Seize the day, no? Mind you, this is just a sample. Sorry I couldn’t include everyone up front.

And now the promos…

image In alphabetical order by last name, here is how people wrote up their books, or at least some of them. If you wanted your book promo to be in this post, but didn’t get a chance to e-mail us or think your note went astray, just add a comment. Don’t be shy. The idea here is to be self-promoting.

To keep up the pace of the blog and reduce loading time, we will farm out most of the post to “inside”—the parts under this paragraph—but for the next few hours, we’ll try to keep everything on our home page.

Jeremy Blachman, author of Anonymous Lawyer

image This is “a satire about life at a powerful, deeply wicked corporate law firm, from the perspective of an attorney who’s writing a secret weblog exposing his firm’s inner workings to the world. The book developed from an anonymous blog.

“I started writing while a law student at Harvard, posing as a law firm partner ranting about the evils of life at his firm. The blog seemed to tap into what a lot of lawyers and law students were feeling about the industry, went viral, and I was revealed as the author in a profile in The New York Times… thus leading to an agent and the book deal with Holt to turn the blog into a novel.

“USA Today called the book ‘wickedly amusing’ and the Rocky Mountain News named it one of its best books of 2006.

“I created a parody law firm site that gives a sense of what it’s all about (and has a few podcasts and other fun stuff). Makes a good gift for an aspiring lawyer… unless you actually want them to become one.”

Mark Coggins, author of Vulture Capital

image “When venture capitalist Ted Valmont is belatedly informed that the Chief Scientist of NeuroStimix—a biotech firm in which he has invested—is missing, it’s not just business, it’s personal.

“Not only is the scientist an old school chum, but his disappearance jeopardizes the development of NeuroStimix’s most important product: a device intended to aid spinal cord injury victims. Since Valmont’s twin brother, Tim, was paralyzed in a college diving accident, finding the scientist and getting him back into harness is of the utmost importance to both brothers.

“Valmont engages August Riordan to assist in the search and the men soon discover that the disappearance is part of a larger conspiracy to use NeuroStimix technology for perverse applications. Terrorism. Prostitution. Slave labor. These are just the beginning.

And when a beautiful, mysterious young woman comes onto the scene, it’s
impossible to say whether the technology will provide the ultimate
means to save them all or be the catalyst for tortuous, self-inflicted
deaths…

“More information and details are here. On sale now for under $2 for Kindle and Scribd.”

Aaron DeMott, author of Meski, a book in progress

image “So I’m not published yet, but I’m about 90 percent done with a rough draft of a science-fiction story that I’m going to get published, one way or another.

“In the book, the Goddard is on a routine mission to take Guardian Tomed Nor to a diplomatic meeting, when it is attacked by pirates and forced to land on an uncharted planet to make repairs.

“Meanwhile…

“When a human ship lands unexpectedly in the middle of her clan’s territory, Bast is sent to investigate as part of her scout trial. After accidentally injuring her paw, she meets these new visitors and she, and her senior scout Rrrark, are invited to return with the alien humans to their home planet to open diplomatic relations. Soon they are caught up in what seems to be a pirate scheme that threatens to bring war to the galaxy with only her, Rrrark and two Guardians to prevent it.

“If this sounds interesting, you can follow my progress.”

Richard Guthrie, author of Power over Publishing:

image

Power over Publishing (in pre-press): "…Established media…kept prices for e-books high, engaged in technology suppression, exploited the draconian powers and provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, promoted cumbersome Digital Rights Management technology locks, and directed their media assets to promote doubt and fear in the minds of ill-formed consumers. Corporate publishing went to war with New Media.”

Heather S. Ingemar, author of Prophet’s Choice

image “Lyra is a girl caught in the middle. The demon warlord, the Scourge, has lain siege to the capital city of Zaanefra with his multitude of inhuman henchmen.

“The citizens of Zaanefra are outnumbered beyond imagination, but the King and his advisor, Loremaster Arken, are convinced they’ve got a weapon to turn the tide: her.

“Lyra has the legendary gift of Sight, a thing attributed only to the powerful Prophets of old, men and women who wielded the Silver Scepter of Truth to maintain and protect balance in the land. But Lyra’s gift weakens her with every use, and she’s already lost an awful lot to this war; her family, her friends, and her home were destroyed by the Scourge on his march of conquest. Is she about to lose herself too?

“I’ve got a few other releases as well, and more information can be had on my Web site.”

Keith Melton, author of Blood Vice

image "Mafia hit man. Vampire. The criminal underworld just got a whole lot darker.

"Business has never been better for hit man Karl Vance. Boston is awash in mafia blood, and Vance has a certain fondness for blood. He’s a master vampire—one of the most powerful of his kind. Having sworn to never again feed on the blood of innocents, Karl preys instead on Boston’s criminal underworld. Which makes him a valuable asset to those who deal in death.

"Maria Ricardi intends to use that asset to its full extent in order to gain power within her patriarchal crime family. Vance thinks he’s been hired to keep track of the family’s princess, but she’s got a plan to get her hands dirty and earn the respect she deserves.

"Her driving ambition draws the attention of a rival clan’s newest and most dangerous ‘consultant.’ Alejandro Delgado, Vance’s centuries-old nemesis. Delgado zeroes in on the one chink in Vance’s armor—his fondness for the headstrong Maria.

"When she becomes enslaved by Delgado’s unnatural kiss, only one thing is certain. Vance has to decide which he wants more. To settle the score—or rescue her soul."

Bill Smith, author of Star Wars guides, among other books

image “Bill Smith, author of Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels, Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology and numerous Star Wars Roleplaying Game products, has released the first three ebooks in his new Outlaw Galaxy series.

“Outlaw Galaxy 1: Trip and the Space Pirates is a free download, as are several Outlaw Galaxy short stories. Outlaw Galaxy 2: Fugitive Among the Stars is a $2 ebook. Outlaw Galaxy 3: Hunter’s Truth and Other Tales (short story collection) is a $1 ebook.

“The Outlaw Galaxy series are space fantasy novels of swashbuckling adventure that appeal to the young and young at heart.

“Outlaw Galaxy e-books are available in HTML format. While not without its flaws, HTML is a universal format that can be read by almost any device. HTML is also easily converted to more specialized ebook formats.

“While Bill Smith’s books through mainstream publishers have sold nearly half a millions copies, he is a firm believer in the future of indie publishing, particularly ebooks. He also likes being able to write whatever he darn well pleases without answering to a committee."

Francis Turner, a co-author of How to Market in ICT Today: Tips and Stories from Top European Companies

image "What tools and techniques work in international ICT marketing now? And how much online vs. traditional marketing should we do? In this e-book, seven highly accomplished marketing experts from some of the most successful ICT companies in Europe share their insights and stories in a series of interviews conducted by Extendance.

“We found it extremely interesting, sometimes surprising and often entertaining how openly they spoke to us. Read, learn and apply this wisdom yourself."

Elizabeth Neff Walker (Neff Rotter), author of An Abundant Woman

image “Six months in America should give Dr. Amanda Potter a chance to re-evaluate her life. In London her marriage of twenty-two years is unraveling, and her hospital superior is trying to sabotage her career.

“But danger awaits her in America as well. The director of her OB/GYN department is actively biased against women of abundant proportions. Alas, Amanda is packaged in a petite but Rubenesque body with a personality more forthright than tactful.

“And then there’s the recently-divorced Jack Hunter, complete with melancholy blue eyes. He offers Amanda a challenge–and forces her to take a hard look at her own perceptions of weight, sex and fidelity.”

===============

A publisher also responded. Fearing I hadn’t been sufficiently clear about the use of the word "published," which I meant in an authorial way, I grandfathered him in.

Paul Durant

"The True and Pathetic History of Desbarollda, The Waltzing Mouse". Written by Noel Langley (The Land of Green Ginger, Script for Wizard of Oz). Illustrated by Edward Ardizzone (Writer & illustrator of the "Tim" Books, illustrator of many other children’s books).

We follow the fortunes of Desbarollda, a young mouse whose family have lived in the kitchens of a Duke’s castle for generations. Desbarollda has a passion and a talent for dancing, which comes to the fore when she’s caught by the kitchen boy and the Duke’s son. Her life seems set to be one of a career on the stage, but then…

Now available in paperback editions from Amazon UK and Amazon US:

Monochrome illustrations

Colour Illustrations here and here

With the original wrap-around colour cover, and illustrations and drop capitals throughout.

 
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