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Sunday, December 27, 2020

Blog Passes 50,000 Visits in 2020

Just a note of thanks to everyone who’s dropped by to visit … 52,000 plus times since July of 2015.

Like most businesses in 2020, my writing went even more virtual and curious readers followed as the blog had nearly 17,000 visits during the year. If the blog had that rate since the beginning, I’d be writing about passing 90,000 hits!

And as in past years, book reviews were among the most popular in 2020, with five of the top ten posts falling in that category. The most visited one was my review of Murder on Cold Street by Sherry Thomas in July. The book wasn’t released until October and since then, it has accumulated a 4.6-star average on nearly 600 reviews on Amazon (https://amzn.to/38BF77I). I’m sure my review was the primary reason for its success 😉.

Most of the other, most-visited posts in 2020 covered several topics, which makes inferring the reason difficult, but number ten was the announcement that Killer in the Retroscape would soon be available as an audiobook. It’s out now at Audible and Amazon (https://adbl.co/37sEXR8).

So, keep coming back and I’ll keep reviewing books and writing my own. And soon (perhaps February) you’ll see a second of my books out in audio. Maybe you can guess which?

Friday, December 18, 2020

Dystopian Fiction Lovers

I have something for you and you don't even have to face the end of civilization to win!

Enter here: https://bit.ly/dystogw 

For your chance to win a paperback of The Stand by Stephen King, Winter World by A.G. Riddle, After the Flood by Kassandra Montag, The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern and much more!

Then, skip the wait for the drawing and pick up some additional, free dystopian eBooks from the participating authors; luck is not required and you can unsubscribe at any time:

https://storyoriginapp.com/to/Vs89xMo


Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Complete Series Available at Your Favorite Online Retailer

For everyone who reads in an app other than Kindle, I've made the eBook versions Of Half a Mind and Mind in the Clouds available from Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, and other fine, online retailers as well as Amazon. You can now have the complete series (including Mind in Chains) on your favorite eReader.

Of Half a Mind

Dark Technothriller, Psychological Horror

2019 B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree
2018 Wishing Shelf Book Awards Finalist

A dark science thriller that will chill your whole mind



Mind in the Clouds

Military Thriller, Technothriller

How do you match wits with a mind in the clouds, when you are not sure if it’s the cold logic of machine intelligence or the coldblooded urges of a human murderer?




Mind in Chains

Medical Thriller, Domestic Terrorism

"... riveting, original, and thought-provoking." - D. Donovan, Midwest Book Review
"... Perrin is a master of the techno-thriller." - B. O'Hare, author of the Inspector Sheehan Mysteries





Monday, December 14, 2020

Book Review: You Only Live Once (A James Flynn Escapade Book 1) by Haris Orkin

 A Laugh-a-Page Spy Spoof; Just Don’t Read the Author’s Synopsis!

Don’t read the synopsis because I’m convinced that the “twist” the author gives in the first two sentences of it will be that much more fun if you walk into the story unprepared. Of course, the same can be said of this review, so I’ll give you the bottom line upfront so you can stop after reading it:

If you enjoy laughing and pulling for the underdog, then pick up a copy of You Only Live Once. Overall, it’s often politically incorrect, frequently profane, and always great fun.

Well, I guess you don’t want to be surprised (since you’re still reading), so here’s the twist that I suggested you skip. James Flynn is a double-O spy in Her Majesty’s Secret Service a la James Bond … or so he believes. In fact, he’s “… a heavily medicated patient in a Los Angeles psychiatric hospital.” The possibilities stemming from that satirical premise are many and largely humorous.  Author Haris Orkin picks one that bestows some of the characteristics we associate with a world-class spy upon Flynn—he can tell if his martini has been stirred or shaken, for example. But in other cases, Flynn’s confidence is just part of his delusion, e.g., his expertise in flying an Apache helicopter is all fantasy. And while this constantly shifting ground of factual vs. imaginary beliefs keeps the plot moving and the laughs coming, it also detracts a bit when Orkin wants to create drama. In particular, some of the fight scenes are vicious, but it’s difficult to feel too concerned about Flynn when you never know if he’s going to beat everyone with a single finger or his laser pointer. The dilution of drama, however, is a small price to pay for all the laughs.

The issues in craft are small. There are a few typos, e.g., “She was even more beautiful then he remembered.” There are a few changes in point of view within a single paragraph. And while the author usually refers to the protagonist as Flynn, occasionally he’d say ‘James’ did something. Those missteps, however, are more than offset by the humor and the affinity you’ll feel for Flynn and his band of reluctant followers. In fact, by the end of the book, you may want to join them in the next installment. I know I do.

See on Amazon: https://amzn.to/37U96r6


(I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.)

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Tales for listeners on the go!

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What you need to know about this promotion: many of the audiobooks are short (e.g., less than an hour) and several are about cats (for all the cat lovers out there). But there are also full length audiobooks in a variety of different genres.


So, do a little detective work and find the topic and length you prefer. With more than 20 short stories to complete novels, you’ll find a free listen to love.


https://storyoriginapp.com/to/MkcoGCm

Saturday, December 5, 2020

Audiobook Giveaway

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Through December 7, AuthorsXP is sponsoring an "Audio Book Giveaway". And while I suspect you will get several offers of a free promo code from the sponsoring authors, actually AuthorsXP will be gifting a subscription to Audible!


So, check out the details and enter for your chance to win.


https://authorsxp.com/giveaway


Thursday, December 3, 2020

Killer in the Retroscape is on sale

Killer in the Retroscape: A Near-Future Mystery is on sale at your favorite eBook retailer for $0.99 (£0.99, €0.99), now through December 7.

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In 2068, Doug Michaels finds his friend, Josh Unger, dead in his home. When law enforcement concludes his death was a suicide, Doug is dumbstruck – what could explain such a violent death in a future where such actions are unimaginable. Trying to unearth a killer, Doug creates a mental landscape of Josh’s past, a retroscape, starting in the mid-2030s.

 

Among its landmarks are:

  • An illness, sensationalized in the media as the “zombie pandemic”.
  • A mysterious phrase uttered at the attack on a government official.
  • Josh’s machine-intelligence wife, Julia, who may hold the secret … if she can only remember.


In the end, determining guilt in a retroscape littered with suspects tells Doug more about humanity, technology, and himself than he ever could have imagined.


https://books2read.com/u/3npP0P