Every Wednesday ALLi will tell the world about our members' latest book launches, news, awards, freebies, workshops and updates on the writing life and take a look at the projects and businesses of our partner members.
ALLi News
Conferences
We've just finished exhibiting, speaking and networking at Book Expo America's Author Hub and UPublishU conference in New York.
Now our last two outings for 2014 are in the UK: at Winchester Writers' Conference on 20/21 June and The Literary Conference at The Free Word Centre (the only centre in the world devoted to literacy, literature and free expression and ALLi's home in London), the previous weekend 13/15.
If you're attending either event, please let us know. We want to hook up with you there.
Book Expo America brought us great new ideas and connections, which I'll be sharing soon.
Ingram Spark
Good news for our members thinking of trying Ingram Spark’s services: our discount offer has been extended, so you can utilise Ingram’s huge distribution network to reach more readers across the world.
ALLi members are eligible for one year’s free subscription to Ingram Spark’s Global Market Access programme – making your titles available to over 39,000 retailers, libraries and e-retailers in their network. What’s more, if your global book sales exceed 100 copies or more in any given year, you’ll continue to receive Global Market. Access for free on a yearly basis.
Jeannie van Rompaey
Oasis is the first book in my proposed sci-fi trilogy.
I have just started writing the second novel in the trilogy. My head is crammed with ideas, my notebook full of story lines and character developments. Exciting.
Meanwhile I must continue marketing the first book, published on Amazon.
Summary: Meet the Mutant Humanoids. They may look a little different from us, but inside they're much the same as you and me. Left on a diseased Earth, they live in windowless compounds, safe from the contaminated outside. Safe, yes, but their lives are restricted.
When the mutant humanoids discover that some COMPLETES have also survived and living greatly improved lives on satellites, one called OASIS, they determine to rectify this imbalance and claim their share of Earth's heritage.
Even if you do not usually read sci-fi reader, there is plenty to interest you in this tale of likable but flawed characters. Read how little Mercury is transformed from mutant humanoid to complete human being and moves from a compound on Earth to Oasis, a seemingly Utopian satellite. Find out how his new life lives up to his expectations and how it lets him down. The book follows the fortunes of a series of different characters, mutants and completes, and takes you into two different worlds in a possible future.
Peter ODonnell (writing as Peter Prasad)
Gurl-Posse Kidnap is an action-packed, post-modern crime thriller set in the heart of California wine country. In a drench of Sonoma rain, family secrets tumble out, blind to who gets hurt. A drug deal unravels into murder, kidnap and redemption when a Cartel killer comes calling. PI Jake Knight fights to save his young client, Molly Draper, and help her see the light. Shades of native spirits and mysticism. Is Molly guilty? How guilty is she?
“Wicked thrilling but don’t put it on Facebook,” Allie said. “A girl with that kind of money has a target on her back,” said Col. Hazard. “Sexual slavery? I thought this was about drugs and murder?” Jake saw the danger ratchet up.
Michael N.Marcus
Those of you who've read my comments about bestselling know that I am not impressed by the BS label. HOWEVER, as an author/publisher (whore?) who wants to promote his books in any way possible, I'd be negligent if I did not point out that my latest book, Do as I say, Not as I did, made it onto THREE Amazon BS books on the day after it was published. One list this book is on is for funny cook books.
The book is not a cook book and is only partly funny, but I won't complain. Publishers can classify their books but Amazon has a mind of its own, or maybe several minds, and makes some strange decisions.
Bestselling status doesn't necessarily mean that I'll receive massive wealth or fame, have sex more often or grow a thick head of hair, but it feels good and might impress some people. Of course, you people in the book business know better, don't you?
Debbie Young
Interview on BBC Radio Gloucestershire
ALLi blog editor Debbie Young was pleased to be invited in May onto her local BBC radio station as the special guest of its Saturday afternoon chat show. The show's presenter, Manpreet Mellhi, is an avid reader and book lover and was interested in finding out more about flash fiction, which she'd not heard of before.
The lively conversation about all things bookish included the rise of ALLi and self-publishing, Debbie's imminent collection of flash fiction, Quick Change (due for publication on National Flash Fiction Day, 21 June 2014) and her family memoir Coming To Terms With Type 1 Diabetes, launched last November as an ebook and due out in paperback on World Diabetes Day later this year.
“Although I'd never met Manpreet before, the hour-long interview felt more like a chat over coffee with an old friend than a live radio broadcast!” says Debbie, who also featured on the station's broadcast from the Cheltenham Literature Festival last year. “I am always impressed by how easy professional radio broadcasters make the process look, juggling music tracks, news reels, trailers and weather reports throughout a natural-sounding conversation.”
You can read more about the experience and listen to a recording of the interview from anywhere in the world via this post on Debbie's author website:
Joe Cottonwood
May 31 was my 45th wedding anniversary.Oh, also: My indie book, 99 Jobs: Blood, Sweat, and Houses won First Place as the Best Nonfiction Indie of 2014, announced at BEA/BookCon on May 31.
Two reasons to celebrate.
Pauline Baird Jones
My blog post “The Bleak Mid-Morning” was picked to be a featured post on BlogHer.
And I have my cover art for my upcoming release, Core Punch: A Baker & Ban!drn Adventure. It’s a science fiction/mystery mashup. And the first in my An Uneasy Future Series.
If you are a member of The Alliance of Independent Authors and you would like to showcase your work on our ALLi Showcase, please send it to [email protected] to reach me no later than the Friday proceeding the Wednesday you would like it published.
