Free Friday Book of the Week: Unremembered Histories

It seems like every time I turn the page I'm reading articles about the demise of print media. Even though I'm an ePublisher with four eBooks under my belt, I refuse to believe all the hype about eBooks.

Personally, I still love my Kindle as much today as when I got it two years ago. However, I also love the wall of books in my office. I like the way they look, I like the way they feel and I even like the way they smell.

Nevertheless, when I travel it's always with my Kindle. What a great concept. That's why as of last summer eBooks surpassed printed paper in U.S. book sales. In Britain, 1 in 4 books being read today is digital.*

You don't need a Kindle or Nook to read eBooks. All it takes these days is an app. Even if you don't have a Kindle or other digital reading device, you can still read this week's Free Friday Book of the Week on your iPad or tablet or most laptops and computers when you download the app. Anyone with an iPad, or a tablet of any kind, or most computers can download and read eBooks.

Today, April 19, N&L Publishing is making Unremembered Histories available for free download.

The supernatural or paranormal is one of the common denominators in these stories. An experienced reader might recognize the fingerprints of Jorge Luis Borges on a few of these pieces. An Unremembered History of the World is one of my personal favorites, as is the short lead-off story Two Acts That Changed the World. I had a lot of fun writing Duel of the Poets, and was gratified when in the 1990's I was contacted by a Croatian poetry website that asked permission to make it a centerpiece there. The story more recently appeared in print last year in PROOF Magazine.

Of this collection of six stories an Amazon.com reviewer wrote, "If you value the short-story form, written in a way that entertains, informs, and prompts you to think, then there's a lot to appreciate in this little gem." If you forget to download the book on Friday the 19ths, you can still purchase a Kindle version for $1.99 any other day of the week by clicking on the book cover on the right side of this page.

The photo on the cover of this book is really cool to me. I took the picture with my film camera and later when I processed it I had forgotten what it was I'd taken a photo of. The abstract design reminded me of a man on a raft on a river with ice flowing all around him. As I enlarged the portion with the man I realized suddenly what it was, a large moth that had alighted on the door of my garage. It seemed to work for me as a book cover here, and like the subject matter, appearances can be deceiving.

I personally enjoy stories with that kind of "Aha!" feature. I'm hopeful that some of these will do just that for you. 

Today only: download Unremembered Histories here.

CORRECTION: Unfortunately our Free Friday giveaway offer has run afoul of a technicality in the fine print of our agreement with Amazon.com. Hopefully this will be corrected by next Friday, but in the meantime, IF YOU EMAIL ME (ennyman at northlc dot com) I will send a a copy of the manuscript by email. OR, if you purchase the book from Amazon.com today, I will send you an Official Red Scorpion Bookmark, which is a dollar bill with a Red Scorpion stamped on it. Value: one dollar.

Enjoy!

*wallstreetdaily.com, The Death of Print Media Continues, April 17, 2013.

AFF ~ The Red Scorpion

According to the Association of American Publishers nearly one-fourth of all 2012 book sales were eBooks. That's an astonishing number if you ask me. The actual amount was 23% with an expectation that though the rate of growth has slowed, it will still grow by 41% in 2013.

Ray Bradbury, who wrote Fahrenheit 451, undoubtedly never anticipated the eBook phenomenon. Fahrenheit 451 portrays a future in which firemen burn books because they are illegal. The story was written in response to McCarthy-era censorship. The title comes from the flash point of paper, the temp at which books would ignite on their own.

So, what is the flash point of an eBook? I suppose the modern version of Bradbury's novel could be titled Fahrenheit 392, the temperature at which a typical Kindle or Nook might melt. (I have not tested this theory yet.)

Today, April 12, is AFF... 
Another FREE Friday 
@ N&L Publishing.

Here’s the deal. Today N&L Publishing is making The Red Scorpion available for free download. Even if you do not have a Kindle or other digital reading device, you can still read my first novel on your iPad or tablet or most laptops and computers when you download the app. Anyone with an iPad, or a tablet of any kind, or even a computer can download and read eBooks. 

Today only: download The Red Scorpion here.

The Red Scorpion is a haunted house story with a supernatural twist. I wrote the book with the aim of creating a compelling adventure that teenage boys would want to read, but would be entertaining for all ages. My secondary reason for writing this novel was because a literary agent said that although I wrote excellent short stories, no major publisher was going to publish a my work until I wrote a novel. Since that's the game, I made the necessary sacrifices to give birth to this book.

Having written three Hollywood screenplays (yes, I had that dream, too) it was easy to create the story in such a manner as to make it easily translated to the silver screen. Feel free to share it with your friends who are producers... or all your friends, for that matter. And reviews on Amazon.com are always welcome.

Enjoy!

Introducing TGIFF

It’s FREE Friday @ N&L Publishing.

Here’s the deal. For each of the next four months N&L Publishing will be making one of my eBooks available for free download. Today we’re offering The Breaking Point and Other Stories, a volume of short stories that features my award-winning 1991 Arrowhead Regional Fiction Competition entry "The Breaking Point."

What’s interesting to me is that 1991 was the first year that they did not publish the winning story. I received recognition and a modestly small check, but the story never appeared in print. Ironically, two years later my first book was purchased but, again, not published. I received a larger check this time but it was an awkward disappointment because how do you describe yourself as an author after that? "I sold a book to Thomas Nelson Publishers," has a nice ring to it till you get the follow-up question. "Where can I find a copy?" "Well, it was never published. Uhmm, that's a longer story."

Nevertheless, with the advent of the digital age writers who desire to share their work can find a way. The barricades have been removed.

Today, Kindles and Nooks have become the bread and butter of the eBook industry, but it doesn't stop there. Anyone with an iPad, or a tablet of any kind, or even a computer can download and read eBooks. To read eBooks on your laptop or computer you’ll need to download the app first. To read The Breaking Point and Other Stories, download the book here.

About N&L Publishing

In 2011 I partnered with TJ Lind, a high school student in the Proctor DECA program with exceptional motivation. He was keenly attuned to current technology trends and had skills that I believed would help bring some of my books to market. The creation of N&L Publishing was an experiment in 21st century digital emancipation.

The Breaking Point and Other Stories was our fourth published eBook and my third volume of short stories.

I do have one request. Dylan once wrote in his song Fourth Time Around, “Don’t forget, everybody must give something back for something they get.” If you read the book and enjoy it, please take a few moments to write a review at amazon.com.

Speaking of Dylan…

Tomorrow (April 6) volunteers will be gathering at the Armory Annex, 1325 London Road, to do remodeling work. This week’s project include some mudding and painting along with miscellaneous other tasks. If you’re not up to remodeling you can also drop in to see what is happening and have a cup of Alakef coffee. It’s a great opportunity to help the community and meet some of the artists who will be working there.

And don't forget... TONIGHT at the Prove Gallery in Duluth this year's Minnesota Book Award finalists will be reading their work. Come hear Dore Kiesselbach, Patricia Kirkpatrick and Jim Johnson, Duluth's first poet laureate from 2008-2010. 7:00 p.m.

Thrive!