Facing Off With Book Killers

I had an excellent illustration of the ongoing war of no reason on Amazon yesterday. My novel HARD CASE has been selling very well. The moment it accumulates a number of five star reviews an incoherent one star book killer hits. Yesterday, the novel received a wonderful five star review, and a one star hit piece. Here is the one star hit by William H. White:

“Badly edited and poorly written. Might appeal to an adolescent boy but surely not to an adult. A comic book in words.”

Here is the five star review by Martin Fricke

This book has everything: gripping fight scenes, rich character development, thrilling plots, good composition, and even absorbing romance. I'm going right on to DeLeo's next one, Hard Case #2.

We as authors wonder if both of these reviews can be true. Yes, they can. John Harding, the star character in HARD CASE, is a larger than life, completely fictional and unrealistic, pulp fiction superhero a bit like in comic books. I wrote him that way, because many times, we as writers write what we love to read.

Mr. White, for whatever reason, bought HARD CASE without bothering to read the three chapter free Amazon preview, doesn’t care much for my pulp fiction, and took the time to save other readers from themselves. To a reader with elevated literary tastes, I’ll even give him his ‘Badly edited and poorly written’ comment. HARD CASE is neither Hemingway nor even Lee Child.

Mr. Fricke, on the other hand, felt everything I hoped a reader would when reading HARD CASE. He enjoys the same type novels I do. It doesn’t mean Mr. Fricke doesn’t enjoy many other literary genres, but he recognizes pulp fiction, likes it, and doesn’t expect a literary masterpiece. It may be he became so absorbed in the storyline that he missed the ‘Badly edited and poorly written’ parts. I many times overlook flaws while reading myself.  :)

I’m not blogging about the merit of either review, or a marketplace that allows ‘book killings’, even when they provide lengthy free previews. I’m here to face the facts. We can’t do anything about the ‘book killers’. I wish we could. If a writer’s novel becomes popular on Amazon, it will attract ‘book killers’. I’ve read one star hit pieces on Lee Child’s books that made me cringe. Lee Child does not shortchange a reader. His books are good sized and provide many chapters for free previewing on Amazon. The one star hit pieces on his novels could only have happened because the reader completely ignored the free Amazon preview. We can point out the free preview, but it doesn’t do much good if they’re ignored for the express purpose of destroying a book’s sales – and unless you want a troll army marching up your ass, whining about reviews is a waste of time. Lee Child doesn’t, and I’m not going to either.  :)

I’m writing this today because there is only one thing we can do to face down the ‘book killers’ – write more of what we love to write, providing multiple targets for them in the marketplace. A writer can’t write to please a ‘book killer’ because the killer isn’t there writing one star hit pieces to help you understand your shortcomings. The killer is there to kill the book’s sales. It’s an already documented fact with numerous media articles condemning the practice. Once we realize that fact, we only have one course of action – write more books, and write them the way we want. Expanding our fan base helps us fight back in the only way we can - with new material. Plus, writing more successful books really pisses off the ‘killers’.  :)  So, to my writer friends: don’t fret, just write. Here’s the paperback cover of my new entry into the front lines, in partnership with my friend and publisher, RJ Parker.

Rick Cantelli, P.I.

I finished Rick Cantelli, P.I. over the weekend, and did the first two edits. It ended up at just over 91,200 words. Rick, as I’ve mentioned in older posts, is an Ex Seal Sniper, recruited and handled by CIA Counterintelligence Agent, Lois Madigan. When Lois’s husband Frank convinces Lois after a very close call for her and Rick in Angola to retire, she takes Rick with her to form Madigan & Cantelli Security and Investigations. They’re winding down now after over two decades in the business, handling the start of their seventh decade with class, and snarly resignation.

Then Stacy Alden, an old high school girlfriend of Rick’s contacts Lois at their office. Lois browbeats the reluctant Rick into calling Stacy. He agrees to meet her. Stacy’s waiting for him with two thugs, having sold him out to save her own life. That does not turn out well for the thugs, but the incident propels Rick, Lois, and their detective agency down a harrowing rabbit hole of danger – all of it with tendrils threading back to Rick’s first encounter with Stacy. The two old partners put thoughts of a golden age to rest. They lock and load, surprising everyone around them, who thought they were a couple of geezers marking time doing photo ops of cheating spouses.  :)

We’re experimenting with covers. This is the first one, seeing as how I’ve only gone through the first couple of edits. We’ll be releasing it everywhere, including in paperback soon. Here's the new cover we're considering.

A Publishing Problem, Progress, and a Summer Giveaway

We had a shock at the start of the weekend. Amazon put my novel HARD CASE for free, without permission. It’s back at the regular price with some complications still to be worked out. Apparently in the fine print somewhere, they can hold specials without compensation. We’re looking into it. I am going to get an answer. HARD CASE and THE LURE OF HELL have been in the top ten, and usually the top five of Men’s Adventure for weeks with great rankings. It’s another adventure in publishing I never knew existed on the Amazon marketplace.

I’m going over 80,000 words in my new novel, Rick Cantelli, P.I. today, so I’m in the home stretch on it, way ahead of the September 1^st release I thought would be workable. Now, I’m thinking the first week in August. Since I already have 15,000 words done in the third book of my John Harding series, I’ll be on target for getting it finished by the holidays. My partner, RJ Parker, has a new contest going. It’s a summer giveaway. The details are here:

Summer Giveaway WIN a Kindle HD Fire or $200 Paypal Cash

Hard Case, The Lure of Hell, Summer Rain, and Customer Relations

I came into the shop this morning with a great attitude. HARD CASE II: THE LURE OF HELL reached #2 on the Amazon Men’s Adventure list again, with HARD CASE hanging around at #6. My partner, publisher, agent, and friend Author RJ Parker has done a remarkable job in a relatively short period of time and he has a promotion going on. Although battling sock puppet book killers and the Amazon badlands of ferocious competition, we’re clawing our way up in recognition.

My new novel starring aging P.I. Rick Cantelli is approaching 60,000 words and the third book in the HARD CASE series is nearing 15,000 words, so writing is still going well. My characters from the YA trilogy, DEMON are rattling around in my head for another humorous adventure too. So much for my fictional world, because I got a funny introduction to a new customer first thing this morning. She had an appointment for a brake check. When I opened the shop at just after 7:30, a 2002 Buick Regal crept in making the worst metal to metal screeching racket I’ve heard in quite a while. The owner, who will be known as Ms. Grindy Regal, was a harried looking woman with auburn hair, around five and a half feet tall. We had an unusual California summer rain this morning, so she had on a full length tan fashionable raincoat and medium heels. Ms. Regal exited the car, closed the door, and gestured at her chariot, with one of those pasted on smiles people think make them look friendly. In reality, they look kind of creepy to me, but hey, sometimes it’s just nerves.

“I have an eight o’clock appointment. Well, what do you think?”

Yes, the devil tried to pounce into control of my sarcastic nature, and make me fire off a few acid tongued one-liners I’m sure would not have been beneficial for anyone. I instead tried to draw the opening conversation to polite business interaction.

“Let me fill out an invoice for you, and I’ll get your contact information. I should be able to phone you with a complete estimate within the hour, Ms. Regal.”

As I started toward the office, Grindy brought me up short.

“I don’t have time for a complete anything. I’d like you to put pads on the front, and I’ll have a seat in your office. I brought a book to read.”

Oh boy. First off, on the phone I was very thorough in explaining how I estimate brake work, particularly the fact she would have to leave the vehicle. These situations rarely end well, when a customer comes in, having entered their own parallel dimension of reality instead of mine. “I can’t do that, Ms. Regal. By the sound your Buick is making, you have extensive damage to the brake system. When it comes to brakes, I only do complete repairs, because of the danger in doing patch work to the customer, and others on the road.”

Polite, formal, and disparaged in an instant.

“Just the pads for today please.” Return of the pasted on smile.

Uh… no. “As I explained, I don’t do that. If you’d like, I can inspect the brakes while you wait in the office, but I have no intention of throwing pads on your vehicle, and taking responsibility for you endangering yourself and others.”

Ms. Regal’s smile fled without even a vapor trail. Her eyes narrowed and the lips tightened. To her credit she thought it through before speaking. “To be clear I will not authorize you to do anything so you may as well not bother wasting your time with an invoice.”

“It’s not a waste of time, Ma’am. It’s state law. When I do anything to your car in my shop I have to by law have an invoice on it for your protection and mine. Come in the office.”

Grindy followed me in reluctantly. I filled out a complete invoice with mileage, license, and VIN number. I then had her sign it although I was not charging her for the brake estimate. Yes, it’s not a profitable business practice, but to avoid misunderstandings, I don’t charge for brake inspections unless it involves the ABS system. I clenched my teeth pulling the Buick ahead into a stall for the check. The brake pedal was spongy, and I had a good idea why. The master cylinder was low on fluid and had an inch of goop at the bottom from overheated fluid. After making sure the drum brakes in the rear were good and the wheel cylinders weren’t leaking, I proceeded to the noisy front. The rotors were ground down to the point they were wafer thin in spots. The hydraulic calipers were toast. The heat from metal to metal braking had turned the outer seals and boots into crispy critters. I have no clue how people can drive a vehicle in that condition. I immediately took pictures with my HD camera and adjourned into the back where I did a complete estimate, transferred the pictures, and printed out a two page collage for Grindy.

Back in the office in record time, 35 minutes – not bad for an old man, when the inspection required mechanics, photography, and computer skill. Ms. Regal was unhappy to say the least. Unhappy with my diligence, my explanation of repairs, the price of repairs (although very reasonable), and especially my pictures. She grabbed the pictures.

“I’ll take these.”

“By all means. I have file copies.” I watched the realization hit that I controlled the vertical. I controlled the horizontal… whoops… sorry… my TV time exposure to the ‘Outer Limits’ when I was a kid crept through. “I attach a sheet to the invoice for my records, so in case anything happens I’m protected.”

“What the hell do you need to be protected from?” Ms Regal was getting a little testy.

“Calm down, Ma’am. Your brakes are in a very dangerous condition. I urge you if you don’t want them repaired here, to have your vehicle either towed home or to another shop. I’m afraid you’re going to kill yourself or some other innocent people on the road.”

It could have been the mention of killing herself… or the innocent people. I won’t make a value call here. Grindy shifted into neutral. She sighed. “Can I leave it here for now until I make a decision?”

“You sure can, and you’re making a wise decision. I don’t charge storage fees for the first week if you stay in contact with me. You have a detailed estimate there. Take it and shop it around. For your own safety I advise you not to have a Backyard Bob do it.”

She brightened up at that a bit, so maybe it was a money issue, although I doubt she could beat my price for Delco replacement parts, labor and tax anywhere. Grindy called her sister for a ride, and I have adjourned here to the back of my bat cave to type up this latest excursion into customer car repair land.  :)

Top Ten for Amazon's Men's Adventure

I couldn't pass up the chance to show this screen shot. My two John Harding novels, HARD CASE and THE LURE OF HELL made it at least briefly to #3 and #4 in Amazon's Men's Adventure. That's uncharted territory. I'm enjoying the wave ride even if the rocks are dead ahead.  :)

 They just hit #2 and #3 with THE LURE OF HELL the number 1 New Hot Release.

Early Release for THE LURE OF HELL

Since we finished all the prep ahead of schedule, and both RJ and I were happy with the covers on HARD CASE I and HARD CASE II: THE LURE OF HELL, we did an early release of THE LURE OF HELL. Here’s the blurb for it:

In the second book in the Hard Case series, ex-Marine, cage-fighter and CIA operative, John Harding launches Harding’s West Coast Murderer’s Row into Mexico after the Zeta cartel, a Las Vegas sanction fight, and on the trail of three psychopathic serial killers.

To achieve these objectives, Harding’s CIA boss, Denny Strobert, introduces two new cold blooded killers to John Harding’s Oakland crew, Clint Dostiene and Lynn Montoya. Strobert has big plans for Lynn Montoya once she’s freelancing with Harding’s crew in the future too - he needs a woman on the West Coast Murderer’s Row not afraid to get her hands or her knife dirty.

Here are the book jackets for the two books in the series. Our release date has been a hit in sales so far today. We've already hit in the top 100 on Amazon for Men's Adventure, which is our targeted category, although most of the great reviews and e-mails about HARD CASE come from women who enjoyed the book. I believe they will really like my new member of the Harding crew: Lynn Montoya.  :)