Category Archives: Blog

Coming Soon…The Bitten

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Coming Soon...The Bitten

You wonder what it is that goes bump in the night…The Bitten is an anthology of vampires, and werewolves, can answer that for you, Sleep with one eye open…this you don’t want to miss.

Mail Call! Here are some answers to recent emails concerning this Blog.

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I think I need to make it clear what this Blog is all about. Clarity is always good. I received lots of email asking various questions about my Blog. It would take a month of Sundays to answer all of them, so here is a list of answers. Hopefully you will find the answer you are looking for. If not email me at csylcox@charter.net

 

1. I Plug books. Plugging books means – I present to those following my Blog, those on my Facebook Authors Page, and followers on Twitter with a book exposure. I look all over the web, but mainly of FB book sites, for Independent publications. I’m an Indie. I know how hard it is to market. So, I do this for free to give the Independent Author exposure. I also benefit from my book exposure and hopefully generate some sales from it.

2. Payment is never required. I do not charge anything for this service. I do it for free.

3. I do reviews occasionally. I do not do, review for review …that stuff is crap.

4. Do I read the books I plug? Some I have. Most are sitting in my, To Read Stack. I plug six books a day on average. I also work full-time, I‘m married, and have other interest…like my writing . I do read over each to get a feel for the story. I copy and paste from the sales sight of the book and the only thing I produce is a title for the post.

5. Genre? Sci-Fi, Horror, Crime Drama, Detective, Mystery. I also plug kids books, cook books, and many others. I will not plug erotica or gore. It is just my feeling on Erotica, anyone can produce a hot and steamy sex scene but very few can make it sensual, loving, and full of passion. Most erotica is cheap lustful words thrown together causing some poor slob to masturbate. I’m not in Junior High any more. I want romance filled with sensual words, phrases, and longing. Gore, pretty much falls into the same class. Anyone can produce a bloody scene. But few can make it feel and seem real. When they do, it is no longer called gore or porn, but it is called writing.

6. Contact info…you can send me email csylcox@charter.net, also Facebook, my blog of course, Linkedin, Twitter…I’m not hard to find. In fact I look forward to hearing from you.

7. Yes, I do take submissions through email and messages on FB.

8. Featured Authors of the week, I choose and I alone. As of now the waiting list extends through August of 2015. I will and can make special exceptions. It depends on the Author and his/her achievements. If I’m told of an author who comes close to Russell Blake’s achievement of twenty-five books in thirty months…definitely, they would make the list right away.

9. Author introductions. Sure, I’m always willing to introduce new authors.

0. Books signings, and book launches are on a case by case basis, but I rarely say no.

11. What do I benefit from it? I’m here to help the Indie, whether they are green out of the box or a Vet with hundreds of books under their belt. I do this also to attract attention to my books and hopefully gain some sales from it. I place your books on here for free with the hopes of attracting attention to my own.

12. Book Requirements. That’s a tough one. I look for a book with a catchy title, and nice cover design. Their splash has to pull me in and make me want to read more. And if I do buy it or download it for free, I plug it. With that said, I want to make something clear about the cover. I understand new authors may not be able to hire an illustrator, or have the talent to create their own, or know of someone who is an artist willing to give a drawing, painting or picture. I do not solely use the cover and title has ear-marks. The splash, however, is the essence behind the author’s creativity and it does take some skill to master. I do depend on this aspect. I have turned down and sent reject emails based on this. The title was grabbing. The artwork superb. But the splash, well it told me nothing. On the other hand, I saw crappy titles, crappy artwork, but after reading the splash I had to read more. The splash aroused curiosity and I wanted to read more. Some of the best books are in plain Jane wrappers.

So, that’s it in a nut shell. If I did not answer your question, please feel free to send me an email csylcox@charter.net.

BOOK READER MAGAZINE Interviews Author John Reinhard Dizon

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Featured Interview With John Reinhard Dizon

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Here’s my bio: John Reinhard Dizon was born and raised in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn, NY. He participated in local and high school sports at Bishop Loughlin MHS, and was a key figure on the Brooklyn rock scene during the Punk Revolution of the 70′s. Relocating to San Antonio TX in the 80′s, he moonlighted as a pro wrestler before pursuing a BA at UTSA and degrees in Korean martial arts during the 90′s. He currently lives in KC MO where he is studying for his MA in English at UMKC. Mr. Dizon has been studying and writing about American and European society and culture for over twenty-five years.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing dialogue for my stick figure cartoons when I first got out of diapers. My Mom caught me reading the newspapers when I was three years old, that’s true. It became a lifelong addiction.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I collected the entire James Bond anthology by Ian Fleming as a boy and the Conan the Barbarian series as a young man. They had a great influence on my technique. I went on to Shakespeare in University, and am currently studying Franz Kafka.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Here’s the blurb (coming in May 2014 from Assent Publishing)…

Transplant is a shocking tale of murder and mayhem that unfolds as a missing athlete turns up at a NYC brownstone described by police investigators as ‘an indescribable pit of hell’. A missing supermodel found in the streets of NYC leads the police to the residence, where four renowned neurosurgeons are trapped in a basement under siege by NBA superstar Jerome Browne and a victim of horrific experiments known as Combo. Victims of ghastly transplant operations rescued from the building lead police to believe that the doctors are responsible for the demonic experiments. Yet the doctors’ alibi proves airtight as they assign blame to a mysterious Dr. Cyclops who lured them to the brownstone and framed them for the frightening atrocities. Homicide Detectives Tommy Jackson and Orrin Rampersad are being pushed to their limits in solving the case, coming across ever greater abominations as the truth is gradually revealed. They are faced with the choice of indicting four doctors considered pioneers in their field, or a phantasmal surgeon no one can prove actually exists.

Culturally it’s a narrative on three social levels. The ‘Mad Doctors’ live in an upper-class environment, four yuppie Jewish doctors. Tommy and Orrin are trying to raise their families in Lower Manhattan’s middle-class sector. The underground lab is in the high-crime areas of East Harlem. The detectives are symbolically and literally establishing the link between the disparate societies that the Doctors are involved in.

Adam Rauch is the major antagonist, having sacrificed everything in pursuit of knowledge. He cuts a deal with drug lord Django Tamsulosin to have fresh subjects provided for his projects. Yet he sincerely believes that his bionic limbs and transgenetic skin grafts will revolutionize the medical industry. He personifies the ideal of ‘the ends justifying the means’.

Tommy and Orrin are a righteous version of HBO’s True Detective. Tommy is a two-fisted, hard-drinking cop, but would never cheat on his wife. Orrin is the laid-back voice of reason but is absolutely fearless. They would probably prefer a violent arrest but end up with time as their major enemy.

The part I enjoyed most about writing this one was the research that got me back in touch with Manhattan, where I spent half my life. The other part was working with Tommy and Orrin. Quite a pair of characters!

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