Did I Make Amazon Mad?

I have no clue what I did, but over the past two weeks Amazon has removed several of the reviews for The Watchmage of Old New York, and blocked at least five (people have told me that their reviews were blocked). I’m now down to 18 reviews, and who knows how far it will fall.

I don’t understand what I did wrong. I’ve never broken the terms and conditions or tried anything shady. Hell, I don’t even let my family leave reviews for fear of breaking terms. I guess i’m just unlucky.

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They also removed several reviews that I’ve left on products and books. I think that this is kinda funny, but funny sad. They send me emails asking for reviews on this and that product, but it’s those reviews that get removed.

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Update Update Update…Update

If you couldn’t tell from the title, this is an update. A bunch of cool writing stuff happened in the past few days.

My short story “Skully” is now in the anthology Twisted Tales: 15 Literary Lies and Epic Yarns, published by Readers Circle of Avenue Park I’m in very talented and established company here, and I’m tickled magenta…which is even more tickled than pink.

You can buy it on Amazon for $2.99, or you can get it for FREE by joining their mailing list here

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Book Sale! Watchmage for 99 Cents!

It’s the holidays and I’m a giving kinda guy, so I put The Watchmage of Old New York up for only 99 cents on Amazon (on other sites it’s still $2.99). This’ll only be until New Years, so pick your copy up today.

Obviously this is only for the e-book. Amazon won’t let you sell the paper version for that cheap. If you want a signed paperback, with your own special dedication, contact me and I’ll make it happen.

Seriously, buy my book…do I have to bust out Jon Lovitz again?

 

Ok, so you don’t ACTUALLY have to buy my book. Honestly, I hate shilling like this. But if you like this blog, you’ll probably like my novels too.

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Something Bigger Than Life

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That’s right, the long-awaited reboot of my award-winning serial, The Watchmage of Old New York, is here! Click here for the Amazon buy site, or buy on Barnes & Noble, iBooks, or Kobo.  Don’t miss out on this, old fans and new will love what I’ve done with the story.

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You’ve probably figured this out, but I read a lot. Books, comics, the backs of shampoo bottles, if it has words, I will consume its soul, therefore gaining its powers.

This is a metaphor, but apt.

A few months ago, I wrote about how Inside Out explored human emotions by personifying them. Instead of being something abstract, suddenly Joy was a character, a joyful one, but with significant flaws. Sadness was a pariah, but with a hidden virtue. Anger, Fear, Disgust, all given life. This is how the mind works…

Sorta…

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Scifi/Fantasy and the Bigots that Love It

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Click the link above for The Watchmage of Old New York. Just 99 cents until October 27th, and then rising to $2.99.

My brilliant friend Michael wrote something on Facebook this morning. It was so insightful that I asked if I could share it here. This is not mine, but I wish that I said it. Here you go:

I will never understand how bigots of… well, any kind really, can be sci-fi-/fantasy fans.

Of course, we’ve got out Orson Scott Cards and Ayn Rands and all that, and of course their messages and styles will appeal to certain people, but I’m talking about people who glut on multiple major entries in the sci-fi/fantasy canon.

I mean, seriously. Practically every genre work of note is about liberating the oppressed. Lord of the Rings (for all its unfortunate Eurocentric implications) actually pushes for intercultural tolerance and cooperation, and the right of peoples to live freely as they will. Star Wars is all about taking down a greedy, oppressive regime that exploits its people. Harry Potter is all about respecting the dignity and sovereignty of all walks of life, regardless of how your values may clash or how weird they may seem to you. Star Trek has always (and, at points, problematically) prioritized humanity’s evolution beyond bigotry and warmongering over dramatic necessity. X-Men, even when everything else about it is stripped away, is about Civil Rights and the evils of bigotry.

And all of these stories are chock full of women who are strong either in body, mind, heart, or any combination thereof. Well, Lord of the Rings is pretty much a sausage fest, but the appendices help with that. A little.

So, how we manage get fanboys who are sexist, racist, homophobic, or whatever is just frankly COMPLETELY BEYOND ME. How does this happen? How can someone be drawn to works that are all about freedom, tolerance, and respect, and then turn around and be bigots? Like, what do they even get out of these stories then? Honestly?

Is it just that light sabers are cool? Is that really all?

He makes such a great point. Sci fi and Fantasy stories are usually progressive in theme. Unity, Peace, The power of the common person. These are not the thoughts of the bigot. Of course there are exceptions, but you are what you read. Even Orson Scott Card wrote Ender’s Game, and if that’s not a powerful progressive statement, I don’t know what is.

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Click the meme above to join my mailing list. The current FREE gift is a PDF of short stories. I also share book deals and contests from other writers. It’s a great way to snag free stuff, and everyone loves FREE.

The Watchmage Pre-Order Begins!

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I’m over the moon to announce that The Watchmage of Old New York is now available for preorder! Right now you can pick up the E-book for 99 cents. The paperback will come soon. I figured “one thing at a time.” The Official Release is October 27th, just in time for Halloween.

It’s been a long, strange trip for Watchmage. What started as a “brain refresher” short story after writing Song of Simon went on to be a serial, then exploded with popularity. Now it’s a series of novels (one so far) and possibly what i’ll be writing for the rest of my life (although I do intend on finishing up the sequels to Song of Simon).

Have I mentioned that I’m really excited?

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I want to thank JukePop Serials for giving Watchmage a shot in the first place. I also want to thank everyone that supported it as a serial, and now as novels. You all rock.

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I also have my mailing list set up, so that’s pretty cool too. I’m going to send out my first newsletter later this week. You can sign up for it here, and you get a FREE PDF of short stories (some of which take place in the Watchmage Universe, but I’m not saying which ones). I’m also going to include book deals from other writers, so you might find some new quality books on the cheap.

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THE MOST EXCELLENT WORLDWIDE BOOK TOUR #3: Welcome author JASON GREENSIDES

Author: Jason Greensides

Book Title: The Distant Sound of Violence

Genre and Sub-Genre: Literary/Contemporary/Coming-of-age/Mystery

Book Content Rating: Adult (18+) Based on language, violence, sexual content.

Special Book Promotion:

Author Bio

Jason Greensides has a degree in Video Production and Film Studies and has made several short films, two of which have been broadcast on television – but writing fiction is his real passion.

He’s interested in ‘outsider’ types, people operating on the edge of society. This inspired him to write his first novel, The Distant Sound of Violence. It’s about a group of kids, one in particular, Nathan Dawes, whose philosophical obsessions and criminal connections have made him an outcast at school.

Jason is now working on his second novel, another coming-of-age mystery, but on coffee breaks he blogs and tweets about writing, and throws in the occasional book review.

Book Blurb:

Do we ever escape the decisions we make when we’re fifteen?

Nathan Dawes, the loser from school, an outsider, street philosopher and member of The Grove Runners gang, needs Ryan’s help to get Stephanie to fall for him. When Ryan’s lawnmower is stolen, Nathan sees this as his chance to enlist Ryan in his plan.

Although Ryan knows becoming friends with Nathan could lead to trouble, he reluctantly agrees to help. Stephanie wants nothing to do with either of them. Besides, she’s more interested in the one guy in the world she really shouldn’t be.

As Nathan continues his pursuit of Stephanie, and Ryan gets mixed up with The Grove Runners, soon events overtake them all, haunting their lives for years to come.

This intelligent and compelling debut is a heart-breaking tale of bad decisions and love gone wrong. It’s about choices that lead to violence, loss and tragedy.

Reviews:

“This was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. It is smart, gripping and even weaves an intriguing mystery into the mix. I cannot praise it highly enough. A masterpiece.” – D.M. Cain, author of The Phoenix Project and A Chronicle of Chaos

“This reviewer seems to recall something that was said of Dostoevsky and how, to be successful, a novel requires an overarching philosophy. It is especially in this respect that Greensides’s work merits ultimate recognition.” – The Literary Reader

“Every once in a while, I finish a book, don’t do anything for a while except sit and think about it. This is one of those… It’s rough and violent, but compassionate towards every character. This is one I’m definitely going to thrust upon my friends and family.” – Sunshine Somerville, author of The Kota series

“A powerful sense of place and a sharp, nostalgic feel pervade the novel, and the supporting characters are richly drawn…an engaging, exciting and thought-provoking read that I’d strongly recommend.” – Nathan Jones

“There are twists and turns, light and shade in every page and in summation the book was a joy to read… It is without doubt a skilled debut from Jason Greensides.” – Boopy

Amazon: The Distant Sound of Violence http://mybook.to/TDSOV

On sale $0.99 Amazon Kindle Countdown Deal, Tuesday 29th September – Sunday 4th October

Author Links

Author Website http://jasongreensides.com/

Facebook http://facebook.com/jasongreensidesauthor

Twitter https://twitter.com/jasongreensides

Google Plus https://plus.google.com/+JasonGreensides/posts

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/jasongreensides

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10222503.Jason_Greensides

THE MOST EXCELLENT WORLDWIDE BOOK BLOG TOUR: Trip#1 with SUZI ALBRACHT

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Author Name: Suzi Albracht

Book Title: Death Most Wicked

Genre and Sub-Genre: Horror, Thriller

Book Content Rating: Adult (18+) Language and Violence

Author Bio: I love to write horror thrillers with intense personal relationships between characters. I started reading earlier in life than most of my friends and spent many hours hidden in closets and under beds, sneaking in just another ten minutes of whatever book I was reading. As soon as I was old enough, my mother would send me to the library to pick up books for her. This delighted me because it opened up a whole new world of books not available in school.  I read everything I could get my hands on but was drawn to sci-fi, horror and thrillers. As I matured, I would say my main influences became Stephen King, Dean Koontz and William Faulkner. My writing definitely reflects those influences.  I can honestly say my twitter bio describes me to a T – Write, scare myself, turn all the lights on, write some more. Take a break, play pool, kick butt/get butt kicked, go write more horror, double lock door.  To reach me regarding my book (s) or to just say hello (please, no spam), email me at SuziAlbracht@aol.com or tweet me on Twitter: @SuziAlbracht. Send me an email if you want to be alerted of new book releases.

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Book Blurb: The thing Evil craves most is innocence. When small children disappear, you can be assured that Evil has crawled out of its dirty corner. And when those children turn up dead, Evil has clawed its mark on humanity.

What if you were a homicide detective and little girls were suddenly being kidnapped and murdered by a devious pedophile? And what if that pedophile left no evidence behind except for the broken bodies? What would you sacrifice to save just one innocent child? Would any sacrifice be too great? What if it cost you someone you loved? What if, by saving that child, you unleash a horrific monster into your own life?

Mikael Ruskoff was living his dream. He was a highly successful, homicide detective working a career he loved. He had a mother who adored him, a son he took skateboarding, and a wife he loved more than words could express. He played a mean drum set every Thursday night with his best friend on guitar. His life was comfortable and pleasurable. Then he caught a case that would change his life forever.

Review(s):

Death Most Wicked

Wow!

By B. Martin on September 7, 2015

Format: Kindle Edition

This is one creepy novel. First you have a man who wants a little sister so desperately he’s willing to kidnap children, only to kill them when they refuse to live inside his shed. Then you have this hellish substance that turns victims into puddles of bloody liquid. And in the middle of all this is Mikael Ruskoff, a homicide detective who’s charged with solving a seemingly never ending string of murders. Suzi Albracht has a fantastic imagination, and she does a wonderful job bringing this disturbing tale to life. Twists abound. Characters are connected in ways you least expect. And it’s all presented in a way that will leave you on the edge of your seat. (or in my case, my bed) Definitely a novel horror fans will want to check out.

 

The Devil’s Lieutenant

An Excellent Tale of Horror

By Glen Barrera on March 18, 2015

Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

After reading and enjoying Albracht’s Scorn Kills, I knew what was in store when I began reading this novel. I wasn’t let down. In fact, after the first few pages I was convinced the author had taken this tale of horror to an even greater level. Like any good novel, horror or not, it’s the well written characters that drive the story. In this department, Albracht didn’t skimp: Jake Holyfield and his pregnant wife, Caroline; his brother Bobby and friend Max – the good guys – pitted against evil in the form of Carl and Dimitry Ivanovich. Quite simply, the bad guys want the good guys on their team, by whatever means. And they do have interesting means. But this story is also about the frailty of the human condition. What moral price would someone pay for unlimited money, youth, or the woman of their dreams? This is a fast paced read, with unexpected twists and turns, leading to a well-done ending. I definitely want to read Albracht’s next book.

Scorn Kills

Great read!

By Teresa Cikovic on July 1, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Someone certainly learned the hard way what happens when he scorns the woman he married! I couldn’t put this down and look forward to reading other books by Ms. Albracht.

Book Trailers: The Devil’s Lieutenanthttps://youtu.be/IPGepsZrm70

Scorn Kills, Death Most Wicked, and The Devil’s Lieutenant: are all part of The Devil’s Due Collection

Book Links: myBook.to/DeathMostWicked getBook.at/SCORN_KILLS myBook.to/The_Devils_Lieutenant

Author Links: Author.to/SuziAlbracht

FREE BOOKS! Goodreads Giveaway

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Hey everyone, my Goodreads Giveaway is almost over. Hurry and enter, you can win a signed copy of my dark fantasy novel SONG OF SIMON (Damnation Books 2013). It’s a great read, and any fan of high or classic fantasy will love it. Trust me, would I lie about the quality of my own book?–I mean…enter anyway.

Seriously, it’s a good book.
You’d like it.
I mean it.
Yes, you.
You too.
Yep.
Ye.

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