SUMMER READING SPECIAL DEAL….

Okay time for a Summer Reading Special Deal:

For a limited time “THE BRIDGE” is available for $1.49 on Smashwords. Here you can get the e-book version for NOOK, APPLE IPADS/IBOOKS, SONY, KOBO) as well as PDF for laptops or PC’s. There is also MOBI for KINDLE devices and Kindle Reading Apps.

Just click on the link below and get yours while the sale is on:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/272613

 

Signed Copies Available For $10.00…

SIGNED TRADE PAPERBACK COPIES OF “THE BRIDGE” AVAILABLE FOR ONLY $10.00, LIMITED TIME!

These are not the 1st edition copies, these are the re-edited 2nd edition copies. Each one is $10.00 a piece, plus $3.00 shipping/handling in the United States. Anyone interested in getting one of these please let me know down in the comments section or e-mail me. Payments accepted through Paypal.

Book Review: “Cat Playing Cupid” from the Joe Grey Mystery Series…

My Rating: 5 STARS

This fourteenth outing for the Joe Grey Mystery Series was both fun and intriguing for me. While I haven’t read the full series yet, I did read the earliest books and was quickly drawn into this wonderful world where some cats can speak and think on par with humans, while others cannot.

Miss Murphy keeps each story building on this mystery either slightly or heavily. In this case it was more heavily focused on while at the same time dealing with a classic whodunnit.  What is the connection between a body, dead 10 years, up in Oregon to the mysterious disappearance of a local man who was going on a hike locally? And when a second body, also dead some 10 years is discovered in an unmarked grave, the big questions arises to this person’s identity. Could this one be the missing local man? If not, then who is it?  And why were they buried with a book that frightens the cats, because it contains hints about them?

These are just a few of the questions that arise in this book.  We also get to see a bit more of the lives of some of these intelligent/talking cats.  Not all wish to live among humans.  Many are feral and distrustful of humans.  Yet they understand that there are some they can reach out to for help in a major crisis.  The scenes where the ferals reach out to those they believe they can trust can be quite touching and moving.  We see their point of view of their world, as well as the humans viewpoint.  We may not entirely agree with either side but the author gives us food for thought.  She makes us take a look at some of the relationships we’ve had over time with people in our own lives who had very different ideas about themselves and the world.

Another nice touch to these books is that they do not focus solely on the cats themselves but the people in their lives. It is an ensemble piece that keeps growing and evolving, along with the characters themselves. We are slowly introduced to more and more of the many residents of Molena Point (which is modeled upon Carmel California where the author resides).

This is an excellent series that keeps you coming back for more. You’ll find yourself cheering for the cats and their people, as well as a number of the secondary characters who keep the series growing. One of the more feel-good mystery series you want to curl up with on a quiet day and maybe make you wonder about any four-footed friends in your life.

“The Bridge” Has Finally Come To The U. K.

I just found out today that my beloved paranormal/mystery novel “The Bridge” is now available in the United Kingdom through Amazon.uk.com.  I hope it does well over there.   Here’s the link:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Bridge-Para-Earth-Series-ebook/dp/B00B86DR9G/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367594807&sr=1-1

Thoughts On Using The 1st Person Voice In Stories…

Well, a new month has begun and here I am already doing another entry about writing.  This is what happens when the muse takes hold and has something to say.  I hope you all enjoy today’s installment.

Yesterday, against my better judgement, I started writing a second book.  Mind you  I’m still working on “The Ship” which is the sequel to my first novel “The Bridge”.  But I was having troubles with “The Ship”.  I was making progress, but it was so slow I was going crazy at times.  I would write over a 1000 words in one day and then dump about half of them because they weren’t moving the plot along or really helping develop the characters as much.  I kept what did seem to be working and built on that the next day.  Sometimes this is one way of dealing with Writer’s Block for me.

Then yesterday, something else happened.  An idea for a different book that is part of my Para-Earth series started gelling like no one’s business.  It had sat on the back-burner for so long now it was boiling over.  Scenes and characters started coming to life to such an extent I had only one of three options:

A) Start writing the book

B) Leave it alone and hope I don’t forget all this great stuff that was coming up

C) Start taking notes and outlining the damn thing for later.

I tried opting for C but next thing I knew I had written the opening scene of the book and was plunging forward with the project.  Tentatively I’m calling it “The Vampire Blogs”.  And as a homage to Bram Stoker who gave us “Dracula” I’m doing it as a series of journal and blog entries.  I’m choosing this route because I knew I wanted to do the entire book in the 1st person perspective.  Now most 1st person narratives stick with just one character throughout the entire story. This is a great device for a mystery or thriller because the audience can only know as much as the main character.  So when he/she gets surprised by something they didn’t know, so are we.

However, I knew from the start I’d need to be showing the audience what was going on in several different people’s heads while using the 1st person voice.  So how was I going to pull that off without confusing the hell out of my readers?  I turned to my “Spare Brain”, my wife Helen who is more well read than me, and asked for advice.  She told me that from what she could recall it had been done before but that it could be tricky.  Then she struck on the idea of paying homage to Mr. Stoker and instead of just letters and journals, use blogs and journals on the internet since I was using a modern day setting.  This was a masterstroke on her part.  I now had a clear path of how to switch heads and keep the “I” voice without confusing the audience.  The other thing I loved was the fact that I could build more suspense by letting the audience know things that only some of the characters were aware of.  Nothing gets an audience going like seeing some of what’s coming and realizing the characters don’t have a clue about it yet.  Plus you can still surprise your audience at times because they don’t necessarily know everything about the characters or the situation.  They know only what your characters have shared with them so far.

I’m Running A Special Sale This Weekend…

To celebrate my first novel “The Bridge” being #44 on Smashwords Horror Bestseller list of books over 100K words, I’m taking 50% off the price. It’s now available there for $1.50 for this weekend. So take advantage of it while you can. There’s 15 reviews on this page so you can get a good idea of what others have been saying about this strange blend of paranormal mystery and science fiction.

Remember: Smashwords offers this book in the following e-reader formats: Apple, Sony, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, EPUB, PDF (for regular laptops and desktop computers), and others.

Oh, and if you’re one of those people who already bought a copy and loved it, please help spread the word of this special promotion. Thanks so much and have a great weekend everybody.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/272613

I’ve Got A Bestseller On Smashwords…

BIG NEWS! My novel “The Bridge” is #44 in Smashwords Bestselling Horror books (over 100K words).

https://www.smashwords.com/books/category/883/bestsellers/0/any/epic/40

Another Review On Amazon For “THE BRIDGE”…

All right! Another 5 star review for “The Bridge” on Amazon

5.0 out of 5 stars
BUY THIS BOOK!, April 22, 2013
By Joe Hinojosa (Greenville, TX) – See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)
This review is from: The Bridge: Something waits (Para-Earth Series) (Volume 1) (Paperback)
I admit that The Bridge was a bit of a surprise. I usually don’t go for fantasy or anything paranormal, but I will confess that I became intrigued when I read about it on the author’s blog. Took me longer than I would have liked, but I finally bought it.

The beginning for me was a little slow, but it quickly progressed and hooked me. What I found to be most enjoyable were the main characters themselves. They were not all one-dimensional. The author tried to make them complex, but didn’t complicate the story. He showed us what we needed to know as it related to the story.

As far as the plot, it moved rather briskly as the story unfolded. The premise is great and it leaves you wondering what’s happening. I could never get a handle about what was coming next and it made it difficult to put the book down.

The climax and resolution were unexpected, put satisfyingly so. The story was quite moving, including the struggles each character faced in the arch on their own particular journey and it was a joy to have been along for the ride.

All in all, I think this is a great book and I would recommend it to everyone to read. Buy this book!

http://www.amazon.com/The-Bridge-Para-Earth-Series-ebook/dp/B00B86DR9G/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

My Press Release Kit…

For those of you (like me) who had never seen a press release kit, here’s the one I managed to put together.  I got some great advice from  a friend, Gwen Bodhan, who used to work for a newspaper.  She also edited the original Press Release I came up with.  I have no problem admitting her version was better.  So here’s what’s in mine.  I’ve included photos and am only leaving out only the actual book itself.  I send e-copies with my electronic Press Release Kit.  I send physical copies along with glossy photos when requested to.  I hope this helps some other writers out there who are getting their first book ready to be unleashed.

Oh, one more thing.  Research who would be interested in a press release about a novel and then query them before sending the packet.  They get tons of e-mails and there’s a chance they may not even be interested in your genre.  Don’t waste their time or your own.  A polite e-mail asking about sending a press release kit will go a lot farther.  Many reporters will delete e-mails with attachments that they have not been warned was coming.   A friendly e-mail handshake can really help you get further with them and start building a relationship.

MY PRESS RELEASE PACKET:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: April 18, 2013

Contact: allan.krummenacker@gmail.com

Photos available upon request.

AUTHOR DEBUTS WITH PARANORMAL, ALTERNATE REALITY NOVEL

Parallel realities have been a staple of fiction for many years. In every case, the same rule applies: Some event in history is changed, thus creating an entirely new reality. A few examples of such tales are speculative works about President Kennedy surviving the assassination, Germany winning World War II, or Jimmy Stewart’s character in “It’s A Wonderful Life” getting to see what would have happened had he not been born. So how can a writer put a new spin on the old parallel reality concept? If you’re a brand new author named Allan Krummenacker, you go a bit further back in time – or rather, way back in time.

In his debut novel “The Bridge,” Krummenacker introduces readers to a whole new take on the parallel Earth idea by way of a unique paranormal mystery. A reluctant psychic finds himself summoned by the ghost of a teenage girl who vanished from an estate sixteen years ago. As the psychic and his girlfriend – a police officer – start investigating, they discover the specter was just the latest victim in a series of disappearances dating back 300 years. Before they’re finished, they learn that a threat lies hidden inside the old stone bridge located on the property. A terrifying otherworldly being is about to escape from the stony prison created by the early Paleo Indians.

“The Bridge was a fantastic story that completely sucked me in. The characters were great, with witty banter that had me cracking up. You will not be able to put this down!” Cristina Reiser, Goodreads.com

‘Exhilarating! The story kept me tense the whole way through,” Michael Drakich, author of “The Brotherhood of Piaxia.”

###

Allan Krummenacker lives in Marina, California with his wife Helen. He is currently
working on the sequel to “The Bridge,” scheduled for release this summer. For complete details, visitallankrummenacker.wix.com/allan-krummenacker.

Friendly.

My Review Of Terry Pratchett’s “Wee Free Men”…

This is my latest review on Goodreads.com.  I thought I would share it here as I wish to keep expanding on the whole books theme of this blog.  Especially since I don’t have a lot new to share on my own writing efforts.  So to keep everyone entertained here’s my take on “The Wee Free Men” enjoy…

CRIVENS! What’s not to like about Terry Pratchett or young girl discovering her witch powers? Nothing. But throw in a bunch of hyperactive, Pictsies(who are six inch tall, blue-skinned, caricatures of Scotsmen) and you’ve got a priceless piece of fun and excitement.

Mr. Pratchett’s efforts to branch out his popular Discworld series into the arena of children and young adults really pay off in this first installment. We meet young Tiffany Aching young farm girl who makes great cheese, who is trying to come to grips with her annoying younger brother Wentworth. Tiffany has a head full of questions and a way of thinking that is more ‘Witch-like’ than a normal girl. And if that wasnt’ enough, she’s now seeing little blue men in kilts who keep referring to her as the Wee-Big Hag. They are the Wee Free Men whov’e been sent to find her by their Kelda. A danger is coming back to these sleepy hills, one which will test her new powers and her feelings for Wentworth in ways she never dreamed.

Laughter, excitement, chases, drinkin-fightin-stealin-and more fightin’, await the reader in this fast-paced story. Warning: you may find your sides hurting from all the laughing you’re likely to wind up doing as you read. But it’s totally worth it.

<a href=”http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5284559-allan-krummenacker”>View all my reviews</a>