Halloween is here and I wanted to celebrate this spooky holiday by giving my readers a special sneak preview of my novel Devil’s Nightmare. I’ve been working on this story since January and initially wanted to publish it on Halloween, but it looks like we’re looking at an early 2013 release. I appreciate all of the support you have all given me as I work towards publishing this chilling thriller.
The editing process is currently underway and I’m already getting some great feedback from beta readers that received my book this week. The response has been very positive. Here are some comments about Devil’s Nightmare that I received from S.G. Lee who screamed through the manuscript in only a day. Wow! I sure wish I could read that fast! 🙂 Anyway, here are the comments received via email and also posted on Twitter:
“I just finished reading your manuscript. Very powerful. I loved it.”
“Reading an early copy of Devil’s Nightmare by Robert Pruneda @sharkbaitwrites and finding it a chilling good read.”
“If you like Stephen King you are going to love Devil’s Nightmare coming soon from Robert Pruneda @sharkbaitwrites.”
“[Devil’s Nightmare] is as bit as scary as Stephen King is to me.”
Click on the link below to get your free sneak peak of Devil’s Nightmare and let me know what you think in the comments section below. Happy Halloween!
I just wanted to send out a quick message to let everyone know that my debut novel Pursuit of a Dream (Book 1 of Victory Lane: The Chronicles) is currently on sale for a mere 99¢ for a limited time. So, if you’ve been hovering your cursor over the ‘Buy’ icon waiting for a price drop, now is the time!
“Pursuit of a Dream is a breath of fresh air. Readers will enjoy following Caleb’s journey from a rambunctious young boy to a determined young man who refuses to allow his dreams to pass him by.” | Sara Furlong Burr, author of Enigma Black
★★★★★
“If you want a compelling story about family, faith and dedication then you definitely want to take the time to read Pursuit of a Dream.” | Wyatt McIntyre, author of The Last Dance
★★★★★
“In the age of zombies, horror, and thrillers vying for attention, Pursuit of a Dream seems out of favor with the current trend … but, and this is a HUGE BUT, what isn’t out of favor is excellent writing and storytelling, and this is what Mr. Pruneda provides.” | Eden Baylee, author of Spring Into Summer
★★★★★
“If you enjoy a wonderful story that takes you through, highs, lows, faith and inspiration then you will find great pleasure in Pursuit of a Dream.” | Dannie Hill, author of In Search of a Soul
★★★★★
“Readers will truly enjoy the transition of Caleb from young boy to a focused adult with NASCAR racing on his mind.” | S.G. Lee, author of A Penny Saved, A Murder Earned
★★★★★
I truly enjoyed “Pursuit of a Dream” by Robert Pruneda. I cannot wait to see what lies around the next lap for the characters in this fine story and discover who will cross the finish line realizing a dream come true!” | Donna L. Sadd, author of Lucci the No Smoochie Poochie
★★★★★
Pursuit of a Dream is available in several formats for only 99¢ during this promotion. Just click on the image of your favorite eBook retailer below and grab a copy.
I’m pleased to announce a guest blogger to Sharkbait Writes today. A couple of weeks ago my friend and fellow author Kenneth Hoss asked if I would be interested in participating in a blog tour to celebrate and promote the launch of Storm Warning, the second book in his Kelli Storm series. Of course I accepted the opportunity and opened up the doors to my humble spot in cyberspace for Kenneth to share with my readers about his upcoming release. I would also like to point out that he is also a huge supporter of “Freedom Is Not Free” an organization that helps wounded service members and their families. Kenneth has given a portion of his royalties from Storm Rising to this organization in support of the brave men and women who serve our great country. For that I applaud him.
Now, let me hand the virtual microphone over to Mr. Kenneth Hoss, author of the The Kelli Storm series.
Storm Warning By Kenneth Hoss
First of all, I would like to thank Rob “Sharky” Pruneda for this opportunity.
Many people that I meet around town, when they find out that I’ve written a novel, inevitably ask me if it was hard. My answer is always, yes. However, I don’t look on writing as a task; it’s more as a labor of love. With the first book in the Kelli Storm series, in the beginning, I was a little unsure of my writing. After many failed starts, and with the help of a wonderful group of fellow writers, my work and characters began to come to life. With book two, Storm Warning, things went much smoother, and I had more confidence in my writing. Granted, the book took much longer to write, but I believe that is because I finally became familiar with my characters. They became old friends. Just like old friends, we argued, we fought and we even stopped talking to each other. Feelings got hurt and egos were bruised, but just like old friends, we eventually made up and the story continued. That’s the way I see them, as old friends, and yes, we do have conversations and I tell their story. As E.L. Doctorow once said, writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.
Kelli is a strong willed woman and has been described as a tough as nails detective. On the flip side of that rough exterior is a woman who doesn’t hide her emotions, a woman who loves, and wants to be loved. She can be a fierce opponent, a loving daughter, and a loyal friend. She is one person you don’t want to piss off, and you definitely don’t mess with her friends or family.
When I began writing her story, I really didn’t know her, having just met. After several months of conversations, I began to know her and her views, and I’m embarrassed to say, I began to fall in love with her. She has so many facets to her personality. She is smart, has a sarcastic sense of humor, and she’s a big foodie. Oh, and she loves sports. With the second book, Storm Warning, I found myself still finding out new things about her and the people around her. Things like how she handles loss, the strength she musters to keep from taking a drink when that’s all she wants to do.
Originally, I wanted to start a new case for Kelli to follow, away from the first book. Unfortunately, Kelli didn’t feel this way, and after several false starts, I finally yielded and let her run the show. Unlike the first book, in which I outlined the entire book, I only did a skeletal outline on this one. Oh, I did the bios for the new characters, at least those with recurring roles. With the minor players, I did a brief bio, just enough to get an idea of their background. I won’t go into a lot of details on the story, other than to say that once again, Kelli has gotten herself in deep. A storm is brewing and Kelli is right in the path.
Kenneth Hoss was born at Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas in 1957 to Albert and Mary Hoss. He served a combined total of fourteen years on active duty from 1974 to 1987 in both the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy. His tour in the Army took him to Frankfurt, Germany where he had the opportunity to travel Europe. While in the Navy, Kenneth spent most of his time stationed in San Diego and Long Beach. His Navy travels took him to Hawaii, Guam, The Philippines, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Okinawa,the Middle East and Pakistan. He has lived in several States, including South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Washington and California.
This week I’m having a special free giveaway to promote my first book Victory Lane: The Chronicles – Pursuit of a Dream. The e-book version is currently available exclusively for the Kindle as part of my trial run with Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing Select program, which allows Amazon Prime members to borrow one eBook per month through the lending program. Amazon also allows up to five free promo days per 90-day period, and since the end of my 90-day KDP Select period is coming up, I decided to take advantage of it. So after figuring out how to make my book available for free, I launched my promo campaign, which began on Tuesday.
Your feedback is appreciated.
So, why am I giving my book away for free? What’s the catch? The only catch is that by offering my book for free to my readers I’m asking that you simply return the favor by giving me some feedback on what you liked and maybe disliked about Pursuit of a Dream. I’m looking for honest feedback to help me grow as an author. Getting honest feedback will help me gauge what my readers like and dislike about the book. This will help me improve as an author and produce quality content in the future by continuing to write in a style that you like and make adjustments on certain aspects of writing that you may not like. This can only result in a more enjoyable experience in future books.
Campaign results in Top 5 spot in Sports Fiction category
So far, after some promoting on Twitter and Goodreads, over 135 people have downloaded Pursuit of a Dream, which I’m very grateful for. During this promotion, my book has reached as high as the No. 3 spot in Top 100 Free e-books in the Sports Fiction category on Amazon. Granted, there aren’t that many sports fiction books listed for free right now, but it still puts a smile on my face to see my book there. My last free promotion was through Smashwords, which only generated about 10 downloads, so you can imaging how pleasantly surprised I was to see the great response this promotion has had.
What if you don’t have a Kindle?
If you don’t have a Kindle but would still like to read my book, you can also read my book on a number of Kindle applications available for PC/Mac, iPhone, iPad, and any device that has the Android operating system. I’ll include it in the list of links at the bottom of this post.
For those who have already downloaded my book to their Kindles and Kindle apps, I thank you very much and hope you enjoy reading Victory Lane: The Chronicles – Pursuit of a Dream as much as I enjoyed writing it. I plan on working on Book 2 of Victory Lane: The Chronicles later this year while I continue to work on my first supernatural horror tentatively titled The Devil’s Nightmare.
Below is a list of links where you can take advantage of my free book promotion along with links to where you can follow me on Twitter, Goodreads, and Google+.
My normal reading usually consists of fantasy, horror, and thrillers, but I decided to try out the SciFi genre with Gabriel’s Redemption. After reading the first chapter I immediately grew interested in the story, while a bit confused at first with some of the technology, such as “neuretics” and “Mindseye”. However, as I continued to read further, it all started making sense, which actually made for some interesting reading. I loved the technology presented in Gabriel’s Redemption. Umstead does an excellent job of creating believable technology that isn’t too far-fetched.
There’s a lot of back story in Gabriel’s Redemption, but while some have noted that it was too slow-paced, I’m the type of reader that enjoys some good back story. I think Steve Umstead did a good job of giving me just enough back story without resulting in information overload. If you are the type who expects action from the first page all the way through the end, a little patience goes a long way. Umstead definitely rewards that patience with some great action and a satisfying ending! I finished reading Gabriel’s Redemption with a smile on my face.
My only complaint (which is a very minor one) is that I wish I could have learned a little more about the title character Evan Gabriel, but since this is part of a trilogy, I believe Umstead gave me just enough information to keep me interested. In a way, this is a positive note because I cared enough about Evan Gabriel to want to get to know him more in the story. The last pages of Gabriel’s Redemption leads me to believe I’ll be getting just that in the coming books.
This series is highly recommended for all Sci-Fi fans and those just trying out the genre for the first time. You won’t be disappointed.
Gabriel’s Redemption is available for all major e-reader platforms, and now in print:
About the Author:
Steve Umstead has been the owner of a Caribbean & Mexico travel company for the past ten years, but never forgot his lifelong dream of becoming an author. After a successful stab at National Novel Writing Month, he decided to pursue his dream more vigorously…but hasn’t given up the traveling.
Steve lives in scenic (tongue-in-cheek) New Jersey with his wife, two kids, and several bookshelves full of other authors’ science fiction novels. Gabriel’s Redemption was his debut novel, published in February of 2011; Gabriel’s Return, the second in the trilogy, launched in August; the finale, Gabriel’s Revenge, book 3, hit the virtual shelves in December.
Dictionary.com defines a writer as a person engaged in writing books, articles, stories, etc., especially as an occupation or profession; an author or journalist. That’s a very simple and vague definition of what a writer is, but it does sum it up. I’d like to take that a step further, though. Writing is a lot more involved than just putting words together to form a sentence. What I do like about this particular definition is the word “engaged.” That word defines a vital part of the writing life. One who is engaged in something is dedicated and focused on that particular task. Going back to the simple definition of a writer, anyone who writes something is technically a writer, right? Wrong. This is why as a writer of fiction I like to instead define myself as an author…not simply a writer.
Let’s look at how Dictionary.com defines an author: a person who writes a novel, poem, essay, etc.; the composer of literary work, as distinguished from a compiler, translator, editor, or copyist.
Mirriam-Webster defines an author as one that originates or creates; the writer of a literary work.
Now that sounds more like it.
The Author’s Writing Canvas
Writing fiction is a form of art. It involves using your imagination and telling a story that is original and hopefully keeps your reader turning the pages. This is a challenging process because when you are writing fiction you have to remember that while you may think you have written a great scene, you may lose your reader’s attention if that scene isn’t painted well on your writing canvas. You have to figure out how to capture your audience when telling your story, and more importantly, show the reader the details of your written scene. If the reader can’t visualize what you have written then it may be time to pull out the red editor’s pen.
When assembling your story your work of art includes everything from setting, characters, dialogue, pace, sentence structure and the overall plot. That’s a lot to think about when building a story and it can be quite a challenging process, but that’s part of the fun, especially when your characters disagree with your outline and you have to rethink the whole damn story. Those voices in your head get to arguing about where the story should be heading, and as much as you want to be in control, sometimes you just have to concede and give your characters the reins.
I’m an Author Because I Love to Write
I’m preaching to myself when it comes to all of the details involved in trying to create a story that others will enjoy, and when I’m staring at my computer screen with the deer-in-the-headlights look as writer’s block rears its ugly face at me, I have to step away from my writing canvas and remind myself why I’m an author. When I get discouraged after literally putting years of hard work into a book that doesn’t sell, which I truly enjoyed writing (and enjoy reading), that’s when I have to remind myself that I’m an author because I love to write. That’s it. Nothing more. Nothing less. If I write for the sole purpose of making a buck, then I need to stop writing.
Obviously, I hope people will spend a few bucks and dedicate some of their valuable time to read my work of art, my work of fiction, and enjoy it. However, if I don’t become the next Amazon best-selling author, or even get one five-star review, that’s okay. Why? It’s okay because I’m an author who simply loves to write.
The Author’s Thermometer
If you are struggling with your work of art and sometimes feel like kicking that writing canvas to the ground in frustration because your masterpiece isn’t selling, it’s time to take your temperature, because you may just be getting hot headed about nothing. Are you tempted to stop writing because you are entertaining the assumption that it’s not worth continuing to write because nobody is reading your work? That temperature gauge is getting too high now and you need to cool off. Just relax, take a deep breath and remind yourself of why you are an author. Why did you start writing to begin with? What is it that motivates you to continue writing? How do you measure your success as an author? Do you measure your success based on the amount of copies you sell or do you measure your success in the satisfaction of publishing a work of art? Your work of art!
Just Write!
Write because you love it. Write because you enjoy the creative process. Write because you are an author. Just write! Nothing more. Nothing less.
I’m excited to announce my first guest author at SharkbaitWrites.com, the lovely and very talented Carolyn Arnold. Carolyn just released her latest FBI thriller Eleven last week (on 11.11.11 to be precise) and has taken her book on the road with a promotional blog tour. Today she’s taken time out of her busy schedule to sit down and share a little bit about herself and her latest book. So grab yourself a beverage and make yourself comfortable. We’ll be back after this promotional video of Eleven.
My interview with Carolyn Arnold:
Carolyn, thank you for stopping by to visit SharkbaitWrites.com to help promote your new book Eleven. I have been anticipating its release since I first watched your promotional trailer back in September. I know you have worked hard at promoting it and have had your eyes set on the 11.11.11 release date for what seems like an eternity. Before we get into talking about Eleven, I have a few general questions.
Aside from being an author, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’ve been married for fifteen plus years to my best friend, and am a “furry baby momma” to two beagles, Max and Chelsea, who are two and a half years old.
When did you first realize you wanted to be an author?
I used to write as a teenager and thought it would be amazing to write a full-length novel, but it wasn’t until over four years ago that I rediscovered this passion. From this point, writing became a huge part of my life and now I can’t imagine life without it.
What one author inspired you the most to begin writing novels? What specifically about that author inspired you to write novels?
As far as one author who inspired me to start writing, I can’t say for sure. As I mentioned I did have a desire to write a novel as a teenager – maybe writing is just something I’m meant to do?
However, as writing has become an integral part of my life two authors have influenced and inspired me. This is David Baldacci and Sandra Brown. Both of these authors have inspired me in different ways.
Baldacci writes rich character description, background and motivation. I learned from his example words used to develop and strengthen characters is not only a good thing but integral.
Brown pushes the edge of where I would normally dare venture and I love that.
When you’re not making the keys smoke on your keyboard, what do you like to read?
I love mysteries and thrillers.
When you write your novels do you use outlines, note cards, and intricate planning, or are you a seat-of-the-pants kind of writer… a “pantser”?
Panster! Before I start I have an idea how it’s going to end, but the journey there is with my characters. Before I set out to write, I interview them and get to know them. I find this process helps immensely in rooting out backstory. I also know them better from the first word I write in the book.
Now on to your latest novel…
Eleven published on 11.11.11. Tell us the significance of the number 11 in your latest novel?
Eleven factors into the number of intended victims. Eleven is also the number of incisions the killer makes in his victims. Essentially the number and its representation factor symbiotically into the plot of the novel.
I love the television series “Criminal Minds” for one. Second, there is this small abandoned home outside of the city I live it. The idea for underground burial chambers just hit me when I saw it one day.
With that said, I’m going to give you the spot light to tell us about your latest thriller Eleven…
Eleven Rooms. Ten Bodies. One Empty Grave.
Brandon Fisher never expected this when he signed up as a Special Agent for the FBI. Working in the shadow of Supervisory Special Agent Jack Harper of the Behavioral Analysis Unit his career seemed set. But when the team is called to a small rural town where the remains of ten victims are found in an underground bunker, buried in an unusual way, Brandon knows he’ll never return to his normal life.
With one empty grave, and the case touching close to home, he fears he’s become the target of a psychotic serial killer who wants to make him number eleven. Only thing is, everything Brandon thinks he knows is far from the truth.
Carolyn, this book sounds awesome! I am definitely going to be adding this one to my collection. I look forward to seeing this book rise to the top of the Amazon best sellers list. It has been a great pleasure having you as my first guest author at SharkbaitWrites.com and a part of the Eleven Blog Tour.
Rob, thank you for having me as a guest on your site.
Brief Author Bio:
Carolyn Arnold is the author of several novels in the mystery, thriller and suspense genres. TIES THAT BIND, the first in a police procedural mystery series surrounding Detective Madison Knight, was her debut novel and published May 2011.
Carolyn was born in 1976 in the rural town of Picton, Ontario. While her passion for writing dates back to her teen years, it wasn’t until 2008 that she completed her first novel. She lives with her husband and her two beagles in Southwestern Ontario
A note to my guests: Thank you for visiting SharkbaitWrites.com and I hope you enjoyed my interview with Carolyn Arnolds. Be sure to visit Carolyn’s web site by clicking here, and if you haven’t done so already, you can get your copy of Eleven here.
After a long day of final editing and formatting, I am pleased to announce that “Pursuit of a Dream” (Book One of Victory Lane: The Chronicles) is now available for download on Smashwords.com! I was originally only going to submit the book to Amazon.com for launch day, but I liked the idea of having the book available in several formats on Day 1. Plus, I was able to submit and test the file conversions very easily on Smashwords. Getting the formatting right was another issue altogether!
Tabs Are Evil!
When I wrote “Pursuit of a Dream” several years ago I had no idea that there would be devices such as the Kindle and Nook to publish my work on. So, when I tapped away on the keyboard I naturally hit the TAB key for paragraph indents. Oh, how I regret that now! I have learned that tabs are evil! They are a complete nightmare when it comes to publishing an e-book. While the process of fixing those dreaded tabs wasn’t complicated, when you have a 155,000 word manuscript and about half of it is littered with tabs, it becomes a literal headache. When I write Book 2, I’m not only going to utilize auto indents in my word processor, but I’m also going to remove that blasted TAB key from my keyboard! Okay, maybe I won’t go that far, but you get my drift. After surviving the dreaded formatting process I decided that I was going to reward myself with publishing my book today.
Publishing Jitters
After getting the tab situation under control and setting up my account on Smashwords.com, I began to get a little nervous. This was it. I’m finally going to publish this puppy for e-readers. It took several upload attempts, further formatting adjustments, and testing on my Kindle, PC, and iPhone to finally step away from my computer and consider the job complete. The book is priced, all of the formats were ready, and now it’s time for marketing. Oy! I didn’t think I was going to be this nervous after hitting that PUBLISH button, but here I am, shaking like a leaf. Did I find all of the errors? Is the formatting going to work? Did I catch ALL of those blasted tabs? Did I… well, you get the point. Seriously, though, I am very excited that I finally have my book ready for purchase on Smashwords. It’s been a lengthy but rewarding process. It’s another goal that I can mark as complete.
A Special “Thank You”
In closing, I want to express my appreciation for all of you who have been so supportive of me during this publishing process, particularly all of my friends in the #PubWrite Network. Your words of encouragement, guidance, and cheering me on has meant more to me that you can imagine. I absolutely could not have completed this project without you. You are all absolutely the most incredible people I have ever met. I mean it truly from the bottom of my heart. If it wasn’t for you, my lovely peeps at #Pubwrite, I never would have followed through the process of releasing “Pursuit of a Dream” in e-format. I also never would have created SharkbaitWrites.com. You all are awesome!
Until next time, thank you for visiting and if you are interested in reading my first book “Pursuit of a Dream“, please click on the image below and download a sample (or purchase, of course) and let me know what you think.
I just wanted to send out a quick message to let everyone know that my debut novel 
First of all, I would like to thank Rob “Sharky” Pruneda for this opportunity.
Kenneth Hoss was born at Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas in 1957 to Albert and Mary Hoss. He served a combined total of fourteen years on active duty from 1974 to 1987 in both the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy. His tour in the Army took him to Frankfurt, Germany where he had the opportunity to travel Europe. While in the Navy, Kenneth spent most of his time stationed in San Diego and Long Beach. His Navy travels took him to Hawaii, Guam, The Philippines, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Okinawa,the Middle East and Pakistan. He has lived in several States, including South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Washington and California.
My normal reading usually consists of fantasy, horror, and thrillers, but I decided to try out the SciFi genre with 
Sharkbait Writes 
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