Barbados Trip 2013, Wedding Recital.

Hello, Everyone,

My recent trip to Barbados wasn't all about writing my current novel, meeting fans, and making new ones. My cousin also got married to her boyfriend of 15 years. And as a gift, I played my violin for them during the ceremony. It was so hot that the fans in the church were blowing at full blast. And although it was cool inside the church, the noise from the fans made it difficult for me to hear myself, let alone the organist who accompanied me, but I still got through.

Animekon 2013, Barbados.

Hello, everyone,

I've been very busy these past few months, multitasking between writing and editing. But I was invited to play my violin at my cousin's wedding in Barbados on August 31. Of course I couldn't refuse. But before flying there, my buddy and NYT Bestselling Author, Eric Jerome Dickey, introduced me to his friend, Erica Hinkson of Book Source. Ms Hinkson was kind enough to invite me to participate in an annual pop culture event called Animekon, which is similar to Comic-Con. Book Source not only sponsored Animekon, but also had their own lounge where local and international authors could showcase their books. I thought that I'd share some of these pictures with you. I had taken several other pictures, especially with those who purchased copies of Pandora's Succession and of Chill Run. Unfortunately my Android Smartphone went haywire and several pictures were deleted. But I managed to save most of them. I'll follow up with other news about my stay in Barbados next week.

IndieGoGo Crowdfunding Campaign for THE DEMETER CODE.

As part of my effort to publish my next novel, THE DEMETER CODE, I'm trying out crowdfunding. As a gift to all who contribute, I'll be giving out eBooks and autographed softcover books of PANDORA'S SUCCESSION and CHILL RUN. You'll even get a copy of THE DEMETER CODE when it's released. As a bonus, you can even have the chance to make a cameo appearance in an upcoming thriller.

Check out: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-demeter-code-a-thriller/x/2582459

The campaign begins today and runs until May 3, 2013. Contributions can be as low as $5 (every bit helps). So if you know of anyone who enjoys thrillers, please share my IndieGoGo page with them.

Thanks,

Russell.

The Demeter Code

Hello, Friends,

For the past few months I've been hard at work researching subject matter for my next thriller. I spent a lot of time reading novels from Stieg Larsson to Eric Jerome Dickey, as well as many other magazine articles. I've also consulted with a genetics/biochemistry professor in England, and an agricultural specialist in Idaho, who've been very helpful in making me understand the scientific subject matter that I'm researching. Unfortunately I cannot divulge what it is because it would reveal a major spoiler.

But there's something that you can all do to help. I'm looking to raise funds to help me with the production of my upcoming thriller, The Demeter Code,  the sequel to Pandora's Succession. I opened an account with RocketHub.com, which is similar to Kickstarter with the difference of it allowing Canadians to participate. I'm offering gifts in exchange for donations. You can check out my page at:

http://www.rockethub.com/projects/16925-the-demeter-code

I'd appreciate you helping me spread the word.

Best,
Russell

I May Fight Like An Amateur, But I'll Kick Your Ass Like A Pro.

When I wrote Pandora's Succession and Unsavory Delicacies, it involved a lot of research. Being limited in my knowledge of martial arts, it was important to consult with the experts who'd help me get CIA operative, Ridley Fox, out of many tight situations. Whether it was taking on former KGB operatives, the occasional Russian Mafia thug, or even a woman he once stood up on a date, the fight scenes had to be realistic. Tackling these two projects involved knowing that my audience will not only be the average thriller fan, but also readers who have a background in self-defense who'd .

Wim Demeere is one of two experts I consulted with who was generous enough to take some time from his busy schedule to help me. Check him out.

And for those who were wondering, Ridley Fox will be back this year.

"Like" Wim Demeere's Facebook Page
Wim's Blog

So Amazon wants to delete my review. I guess it doesn't help being an author.

Dear Amazon.

I appreciate everything you've done for Indie Authors. Your courage in taking the bull by the horns has helped to take a huge chunk of power from the dictators who've been running the publishing industry for decades, and given us authors a chance to get our work into the hands of readers. Furthermore, you've helped readers also because they now have more choice.

However I must question your latest move, which is clearly in response to the Sockpocket phenomena which has plagued the industry. How will this make a difference? You want to delete reviews written by other authors, however you'll leave negative reviews from people who've clearly not even read our books. Earlier this year I even wrote to you to complain about a reviewer who flagrantly gave away several major plot spoilers of one of my novels. However, you refused to delete that review knowing full well that it would negatively affect my sales. Fortunately I have many loyal fans who've willingly bombarded that reviewer with enough complaints that she removed the review.

You've done wonderful things to help out Indie Authors when you introduced kindle and KDP Select, but this latest decision clearly requires more thought. Authors who've enjoyed reading my novels have blogs and Facebook pages where they'll leave their reviews. The paperback version of my books are still available on the sites of your competitors, where they'll also leave reviews. As for your site, all I need to do is quote them in the EDITORIAL REVIEW section.

Hopefully your marketing team will meet again soon and come up with a better strategy. 

Sincerely,

Russell Brooks.

http://www.salon.com/2012/11/02/authors_cannot_review_authors_on_amazon/

CHILL RUN eBook contest giveaway.

I'll be giving away eBook copies of my thriller, CHILL RUN, to a few lucky winners. The contest begins today and goes through to September 8, 2012. The number of free copies will be announced during the giveaway.

To enter, all you need to do is LIKE my Facebook page, go to the thread, and type "I WANT CHILL RUN" in the comments. The link is below:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Russel...

Please share this contest with all of your friends because the more the participants there are, the larger number of winners will be selected.

As always, it would be a great service to me as well as all Indie writers for our readers to write a short review (5 sentences is great) of our books.

Good luck,

Russell