Tag Archives: carol ervin

The Jenkins Cycle Binge Edition: front page on iBooks

What a great Tuesday. I woke up to discover my boxed set featured on Apple iBooks. I’m actually in the process of lowering the price to 7.99 in preparation for a promo of book 1 this weekend (so as not to “rip off” anyone who thinks they’re getting a $5 deal), so if anyone’s interested in picking up the book, maybe hang on until tomorrow, after it’s 7.99 everywhere.

P.T. Hylton made the astute observation that there are 3 “Awesome Indies” being featured right now on Apple: Harvey Click, Carol Ervin, and P.T. Hylton. In this screenshot, you can see Carol’s book just to the right of “The Martian,” and my boxed set below it. We’re cornering Andy Weir to steal his mojo!

Screen Shot 2015-09-08 at 1.10.07 PM

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More Dell Zero news — Reviewed at PerihelionSF!

http://www.perihelionsf.com/1409/reviews.htm

I’m chewing my heart out in envy. The other day she gets this neat video review, today she’s up in lights at a cool online science fiction magazine. What next?!

I told you these “Awesome Indies” were awesome 🙂

I’m told Dell Zero is going on sale today for a promotional period (99 cents). They usually drop the price by the afternoon some time, so be sure to check.

Sneak peak at this great review:

IF LITERARY THEMES ARE a sign of the times, dystopian fiction may be the canary in our coal mine. Stories celebrating social harmony and scientific advances are scarce as hen’s teeth, but the market explodes with cautionary tales that show our own society reflected in a futuristic dystopia. I don’t know if this signifies that most readers already feel we’re living in a bad (dys) place (topia). I do know it’s hard to find authentic characters in a compelling story no matter what the genre. In a field full of Brave New Knock-Offs, “Dell Zero” by Carol Ervin kicks all kinds of hindquarters.

Who is Dell Zero?

http://www.perihelionsf.com/1409/reviews.htm

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Dell Zero video review by P.T. Hylton

Check out this review of Dell Zero. It’s like watching TV about books 🙂

 

http://www.pthylton.com/august-book-reviews/

 

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DIY is worth a lot

I was lucky enough to beta read it. Absolutely incredible story, had me tearing through the pages when I was supposed to be looking for problems. Worst beta self-control ever 🙂

Welcome to the Mountain Women Series

Dell Zero, my first science-fiction novel, is almost ready to go. And whew!Dell_2

I’m sure I hold the record for the number of uploads to Kindle Direct Publishing, attempting to get my desired ebook layout. My effort feels like the greatest, worst, and most exhausting. The final arrangement is not exactly what I wanted, but if ever I need to correct a typo, I can do it myself. Being able to do it yourself is worth a lot.

There are many ways to achieve good ebook formatting, and the best is to have a professional do it! Some of my friends achieve the results they want with techniques I don’t know. “It’s easy,” they say. Not for me.

Of all the advice I found in forums and blog posts, Amazon’s “Building Your Book For Kindle” (a free Kindle book) was easiest and most helpful. I wish its writer would write…

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Great experience creating audiobook with ACX and Becca Ballenger

An “Awesome Indie” comes to audio format!

Welcome to the Mountain Women Series

I’ve just pushed the “Approve” button, completing my part of The Girl on theMountain audiobook! This project was made possible by ACX, the Audiobook Creation Exchange. On the ACX website, authors and publishers can audition prospective narrator/producers for their books. I listened to a lot of great voices and was able to have those who auditioned read different passages.

The narrator I chose made the story come alive for me again, and she was a pleasure to work with. After we agreed on a deadline, she posted several recorded chapters nearly every day. I chose to download and listen to the chapters using iTunes, then I emailed notes and corrections, if any, and she resubmitted the chapters.

In a week or two, the audiobook version of The Girl on the Mountain will be available for purchase through Amazon, Audible, and iTunes. It will not be available on compact disk–I’m told those are less used these days. Listeners download…

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The truth about the John L. Monk steroid scandal

Against the wishes of my family and my attorney, my priest and my neighbor Tony and his kids, Wanda and Monique, and some of their friends at school, I’ve decided it was time to come clean about the so-called “steroid” scandal that has been circulating in the media about me this week.

When I started writing Kick, the competition was quite fierce in the rankings on Amazon. Every day, someone on top came hurtling down, only to be clawed to pieces by up-and-coming indie authors like Carol Ervin and Lindy Moone.  Fortunes were eradicated over night, families broken up, economies toppled, and empires reduced to rubble.  These young authors were like the Huns against the helpless farmers in Medieval Europe.  Who wants to read tame stuff like “Kick” ($2.99 on Amazon while supplies last) when they can fry their brains on Hyperlink from Hell or lose their hearts to The Girl On The Mountain?  I’m only human, ok?  I’m just as vulnerable to temptation as anyone.  But I’ll be damned if my reputation is raked through the coals any more than I deserve.

Here’s what really happened:

So I was walking along one day, minding my own business, when I turned a corner and bumped into someone standing there.

“Excuse me,” I said, and started to pass.

“Where you going, bub?” the figure said.

“To the soup kitchen,” I said, “where I volunteer every day for the homeless.”

“And where you coming from, bub?” he said.

“I just finished a 12 hour stretch at the orphanage,” I said.

After first determining that the man wasn’t someone in need, I blessed him and wished him a jolly day, then continued on my way to the soup kitchen.

“Hold up, bub, com’eer,” he said.

I held up.

“Yes?”

“I heards you’s a writer,” he said.  “I heards you’s got a lot of competition.”

“Wheres did you heards that?” I saids.

“Never mind that. There’s uh, things…you know, that can help you with your, uh…shall we say….performance problem.

My back straightened fractionally and I felt my face begin to redden.

“I perform perfectly well, thank you,” I said, and started to turn away.

“Not that kinda problem, wiseguy,” he said, laughing quietly.  “How’s your hands today Mr. Monk?”

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First Chapter of “Cold Comfort”

I got permission to post the first chapter of “Cold Comfort” by Carol Ervin and I’m taking it 🙂   Have a look!

Chapter One

The first shriek startled Wanda like a sudden blast of wind. Since noon, she’d heard nothing but the squeak of leather, the horse’s breath and footfall, the rush of water. Only broken weeds suggested there might be another traveler on the grassy road. She twisted in the saddle but saw no one behind, no sign of anyone on the slope of charred trees or across the rocky river.

The howls repeated, high blasts of fury, a woman somewhere at the end of her wits. Maybe hurting a child, or being hurt herself in a terrible way.

Wanda’s horse, a red mare, stopped under a young tree at the roadside. She kicked the animal’s fat sides and jerked on the reins to pull up its head, but it did as it had all day─exactly as it pleased. When it stretched its neck to graze, she stood in the stirrups, pulled her knife from its sheath and cut a switch from the tree. Before she could slap the switch against its rump, the horse took off at a trot. Her butt bounced and her hands gripped the saddle horn. It was too late to wonder if she was better off alone.

She’d welcomed the loneliness and hardship of travel from North Dakota to West Virginia, choked by engine smoke, bone-rattled and sleepless for three days and nights. Pacing depot platforms, waiting for the next train. Sitting near family groups, bouncing other mothers’ children on her lap, avoiding men, lying about herself.

In Elkins she’d bought the horse for the last leg of her journey. After a full meal and a night’s rest in the Delmonico Hotel, she had no fear of following an unknown road on horseback. Everything ahead should be familiar, though she’d left the mountains way back in 1900, fifteen years younger. She told the stableman she’d ridden before. He’d given her a skeptical look.

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Cold Comfort, by Carol Ervin — Now available on Kindle

If you haven’t read “Girl on the Mountain”, you’re missing out. I totally just got the follow-up (which stands on its own), and that makes me a little bit happier than most people.  This will cause people to like me more when they see me walking down the hall at work, which will lead to favorable attitudes towards me and eventually pay raises, bonuses, comp days and other great things.

Yay!

Cold Comfort published on Kindle.

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The Cast of My Novel!

Carol Ervin’s post, below, is wonderful.  I actually read her book and loved it (disclaimer: she also read my book and reviewed it on Goodreads).

The cast of characters she lays out here are absolutely perfect.  Very clever post.

Have a look:

The Cast of My Novel!.

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