Happy New Year!

I would just like to take a few moments to thank everyone who has read this blog, my film blog, and/or my short stories and novel. I have experienced a wealth of support and encouragement throughout the entire process of becoming an author. In addition, I have had a resurgence of interest in my past film projects and songs. The coming year should, hopefully, be filled with much more!

If you are on the fence about diving into whatever dream you have, make the coming year the time to do it. Be smart about the money you spend to make it happen, and with a little luck, you will be rewarded.

Thank you all for a tremendous 2013. I can't wait to spend the next year with you guys!
-Richard

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Fakes, Frauds, and Desperation

Famed psychic, Sylvia Browne, died Wednesday at age 77. Over numerous decades, she appeared on television, lectured to audiences, and charged hundreds of dollars for readings.

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Black...Thursday?

As some of you may have guessed, I have worked retail before. I've worked for the small mom and pops, as well as big box retailers. I worked at one for 3 holiday seasons when Tickle Me Elmo, Furbees, and Icicle Lights were huge. That was the start of the Black Friday Bonanza that we have known for the past 15 years or so.

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Now Available In All Ebook Formats!

The Check Out is now available from the following retailers!

Amazon Paperback and Ebook

Barnes and Noble Paperback and Ebook

Smashwords Ebook (all formats)

Booksellers At Laurelwood Paperback

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Happy Halloween Everyone!

Wishing everyone well on this Halloween! I've been watching all the Halloween films (1, 4, and 5 in the theater last night!) over the past couple of days.

I also have a cameo in a new film entitled I Filmed Your Death, which is making its world premiere in Memphis, TN at Studio On the Square on Halloween night at 10 pm. A song that I wrote is also featured in the movie.

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Author Interview: Glyn Gardner

I’m Glyn Gardner.  I’m an Emergency Room nurse, former US Army medic, husband, and father of two boys.  I grew up in Grand Prairie Texas, a suburb of Dallas.  I grew up playing basketball and football in the front yard, running through the neighborhood and getting into trouble like any other boy in America.

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Author Interview: Clive Precious

I'm an amateur student of the occult, folklore, witchcraft and anything else that is unexplained.

How long have you been publishing?

My first book, Mambo, was published back in 2010.

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Author Interview: Armand Rosamilia

Armand Rosamilia here, author, radio personality, father, friend, countryman and lover of M&M's. I write mostly horror and zombie fiction but I delve into thrillers, contemporary fiction, erotica and steampunk. I like to tell stories no matter the genre.

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Author Interview: Leigh M. Lane

October is my favorite month of the year. I celebrate Halloween the entire month long with horror movies, decorations, and scary books. I thought that I would turn the blog over to some authors of the genre this month. Here is an interview with novelist Leigh M. Lane to kick things off.

Thank you so much for having me here.  I’ve been writing horror and dark fiction for over twenty years, with thirteen novels and a massive collection of short stories under my belt.  I have a deep passion is Gothic, dystopian, and psychological horror.  My Gothic novel, Finding Poe, was a 2013 EPIC finalist in horror.  I’m married to editor Thomas B. Lane, Jr., my biggest fan and greatest critic.  I wouldn’t be where I am today without his faithful motivation and deliciously ruthless critique.

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Book Review: Night of the Living Dead: Behind the Scenes of The Most Terrifying Zombie Movie Ever

It's October which means I'll be focusing on some scary stuff all throughout the month! I'll have interviews with horror writers, review of horror filled books, and some other creepy material. To start, here's a review of a book about one of my favorite films.

In 1968, a group of young filmmakers, lead by director George A. Romero, released a low budget horror film that would eventually become a cult classic. The film was made with little money, and was basically an excuse to build the bank account of the commercial production company they owned. Instead, it launched Romero's career, created a new horror genre (that thrives today), and established the man as a legend.

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Author Interview: John Reinhard Dizon

Please introduce yourself.

My name is John Reinhard Dizon, author of The Standard available on Amazon through Tenth Street Press. I've got five previous novels also available on Amazon, so if you like The Standard you'll love the rest! There's also four (maybe six) other books coming out before the end of the year, so there'll be more than enough to go around.

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The Pros and Cons of Printing Part Three: Lightning Source

After going through two other publishers for The Check Out, I learned about another company, Lightning Source. I found out about them from the manager of the bookstore that I was selling my books at. I wish I would have known about them sooner, as I could have saved some time and money. I'm sharing them with you today, so that you can see them for yourself.

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Author Interview: Scott Skipper

Please introduce yourself.

I am Scott Skipper, and yes, that’s my real name.

How long have you been publishing?

In 1986 or 87 I published a few things but after a year I decided I had best get back to my career in the metal fabrication industry.  Now that I am retired, I have renewed my efforts and have been publishing for about three years.

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The Pros and Cons of Printing Part Two: 360 Digital

Today, we continue our look at physical publishing with a company called 360 Digital. I found out about this company after Googeling printers. I got samples from a few of them, to compare the quality.

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Promotions Away!

Today, I had the pleasure of appearing on Radio Memphis, and doing a book signing at The Booksellers At Laurelwood. I was beyond thrilled with each experience, and hope that I get to do it again.

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The Pros and Cons of Printing Part One: Createspace

If you have spent the better part of a year (or two, or a hundred), there is a part of you that is not going to be satisfied by a digital copy of your book. For me, at least, it didn't sink in that I had published a book until I was holding a physical copy in my hand.

The decision to print copies is not one that should be taken lightly. There are a few reasons to do it, and a lot of others that you shouldn't. I have covered this topic before, but I think I am in a better position to evaluate the publishers at this point. Here are three that I worked with along with their pros and cons.

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Author Interview: Justin Bienvenue

Here is another interview with an independent author. His name is Justin Bienvenue.

Tell us about your latest book.

My latest book is a western horror entitled, “A Bloody Bloody Mess in The Wild Wild West” it takes place in 1870, five years after the Civil War in the fictional town of Toomswood. The town, already in a desolate situation, must stop a slick corrupt Mexican business tycoon by the name of Javier “Bone” Jones from taking over and destroying it. Emerson Shaw, an eager young man, will lead the town against Jones and his army of undead Civil War soldiers as they battle in an all out bloody war. The book delivers a great blend of the wild west and horror with a dash of history thrown in as well.

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Radio Memphis Interview!

I will be interviewed "on air" on Radio Memphis on September 3rd at 3PM.

You can listen anywhere in the world at:

http://www.pirateradiostudios.com/

I'll be discussing my book, The Check Out, and promoting my book signing that happens at 6PM that day at The Booksellers At Laurelwood. 

Tune in!

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Book Signing!

Excuse the lack of posts this past week. I've been busy promoting The Check Out.

I have a book signing set up at The Booksellers At Laurelwood in Memphis, TN on September 3rd from 6-7.

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How To Write a Police Procedural Show

If you’re reading this blog, you are probably interested in becoming an author. Well, throw that dream away! Writing police dramas on television is where the real money is. And, it’s so easy! Here, let me show you how. 

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Author Interview: Harmony Stalter

My name is Harmony Stalter. I have been a professional writer since 2005. I have written 6 books and published traditionally, but have turned to self publishing. My last three books, a stand alone short story, a poetry book, and my current release Two Romantic, Two Suspenseful: A Short Story Compilation has all been self published.

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How 70's Exploitation Influenced The Check Out

Hopefully, you have gotten your copy of The Check Out. If not, feel free to click on my Amazon Page and order it in Kindle Format ($3.99) or Paperback ($12.99).

Last time we chatted about the book, I discussed the Film Noir roots. Today's post will be about a genre that is almost the exact opposite from Noir: Exploitation!

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The Check Out

Today is the publication date of my first novel, The Check Out! It is available from Amazon in Kindle and Paperback format.



I have done several interviews with other blogs to promote the book. Here are a couple that are live now.

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Sometimes, Books Are Just Meant To Be Fun

With the release of The Check Out on Tuesday, I was a little too busy to get a post together for today. Luckily, there are other indie authors out there willing to step in and help This post is brought to you by Rich B. Knight, author of The Darkness of The Womb.  Enjoy!

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The Prologue To The Check Out

The Check Out will be available August 6th! To celebrate the upcoming release, I thought I'd give you guys a little taste. Here is the prologue to the book. Enjoy!

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Author Interview: Nancy Hartwell

I decided to start a new feature here on the blog, where I feature interviews with other independent authors. I am curious about other authors' experiences with self publishing, and feel like they could have a lot to teach. Here is our first author. I believe she has a fascinating story, both personal and literary. 

My name is Nancy Hartwell. I grew up in Tampa, Florida, studied international relations at American U in Washington D.C., married a distinguished attorney from Cameroon and lived there for 14 years. I am a life-long writer; I published my first poem in a national magazine at age 8. I was a technical writer for a special division of The Washington Post on Capitol Hill for 7 years, and lead proposal writer for an international consulting company for 14 more. I have traveled to 44 countries and can get into trouble in more than 20 languages. I had a radio play produced by BBC and another, in French, on ORTF

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How Film Noir Influenced The Check Out.

If you are a film fan, Film Noir is a genre that you've most likely heard of, and perhaps, are a fan of. For those that aren't familiar with it, Film Noir was a style that was popular in motion pictures during the 1940's and 50's. After rigid codes were enacted to curb "questionable" material from appearing in major studio films, the industry adopted this new style. Moviegoers, despite the vocal minority, wanted sex and violence on the big screen. Hollywood couldn't be as blatant as they had been, so they had to get crafty.

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One Small Step For Mankind

Writing is all about using your imagination to take you to a place that you can't really go. It's about putting you inside another person's experience, and showing you things from a different perspective. Fiction can transform our sense of self in ways that daily life usually can't. Every now and then, however, life has a way of topping our wildest fantasies.

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Bombs Burst In The Air...

People hate Memphis.  People that live here hate it; people that visit here hate it. People trash talk Memphis. People vow to move away from Memphis. Aside from a very few devotees, this city just can’t catch a break. That’s not to say there aren't good reasons for the animosity.

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No Post Wednesday

Due to lack of internet at home (which will hopefully be fixed tomorrow), there won't be a blog post on here for Wednesday. Come back Sunday for whatever the hell I think for then.

Heart,
Richard

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Lights, Pencil, Action: The Check Out Trailer!

As you may know, I came from the independent film community. I have directed a film of my own, and worked on several for other directors. Although I love being an author, there is nothing that excites me like making movies. When it came time to start the promotion for my new novel, The Check Out, I knew that I would be making a trailer. Today, I thought I would take you behind the scenes of our shoot.

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Writing School In A Can: Editing

Editing is the most important part of writing, short of writing the first draft. It's where your ideas are shaped into a more powerful form. It's where all the typos, misspellings, and all of that are fixed. Basically, it's what separates the professionals from the amateurs.

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Book Review: Up Jumps The Devil

Up Jumps The Devil
Michael Poore

At least since Milton's Paradise Lost, readers have been fascinated by the literary figure of Satan. Perhaps it's because we identify with his flaws, or because we just find villains more interesting than the good guys, but readers can't get enough of this fallen angel. Like vampires or zombies, every few years, someone comes along and puts a new spin on his backstory and abilities. In Up Jumps The Devil, Michael Poore takes his turn.

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The Pains of Self Publishing: Print Copies

Ebooks have revolutionized the self publishing industry. They have made it far easier to get your novel into the hands of the public than anything that has come before. You no longer have to rely on the fickle tastes of the publishing industry to take notice of your book, or spend years awaiting its release. That being said, I think all indie authors have that burning desire to hold a physical, printed copy of their work in their hands. I know I did.

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Book Review: The Peripatetic Coffin and Other Stories

When I picked this book up, I knew absolutely nothing about it. It was in a stack of books that I was trying to decide between reading, and I flipped through it to read passages. I was impressed by the language of the book, so I gave it a shot. I was not disappointed!

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Why Smooth Jazz Is Worse Than The Plague

Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Vince Guaraldi-these guys were masters of their instruments. They could take a trumpet, saxophone, or piano and create sounds that no one had ever heard before. They took musical conventions and turned them on their heads.These guys were so unorthodox that their music was the rock n' roll of their day. During the early part of the century, jazz was not only considered rebellious; it was dangerous.

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Writing School In A Can: The Routine

See? A writing post! Told you I wouldn't abandon them.

Anyway, we have covered the basics of getting your story together. You've got an interesting plot which involves characters that other people would want to read about. You've got some scenes kind of sketched out, little snips or dialogue, and notes that you've scribbled on a pad or stored in your phone. Great! Now, it's time to write.

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I'll Have the Ignorance Special With a Side of Hatred

I've decided to switch things up a bit here at the blog. While "writing school in a can" is interesting, there are about a million places online to get that information. I thought I'd focus more on my views and things from here on out. Don't worry, I'll still include posts about writing. I hope that you find this more entertaining, though. Now, on to the post!

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"It's About the Characters, Stupid"

So, you've got this great idea for a story. There's a crazy set of events that's going to happen, that's going to make readers laugh, cry, and close the book with a huge smile on their faces. That's great, but who does this plot happen to?

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Inspiration

What is the first step at becoming an author? Developing a story idea, of course. You may already have one in mind. You may just have an urge to write, but don't know what. All you need is a little inspiration. 

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How I Became An Author

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of self publishing, I thought I'd let you in on why I got started in the first place.

I grew up writing short stories and things as a child. I had crayon drawn booklets for years before I graduated to writing on lined paper. Eventually, I even managed to type some stuff out on an old typewriter- one page at a time. Of course, things were a lot easier when I got my first computer. However, I never really considered myself a true writer for a long time. It was just something I did as a hobby.

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Welcome to The Blog!

Ladies and gentlemen, the image to your left represents the culmination of nearly two years of work. From the initial gestation of an idea, through writing, editing, formatting, packaging, and marketing, I have spent time and money on getting this thing out.

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