IT IS JULY FOURTH WEEK! I'M PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN
JULY 2, 2019
I want to begin this blog by thanking all of the military men and woman who serve our country so that we may enjoy the freedoms of being American. Both of my grandfathers and grandmothers served in War World II, my father served in the Korean War, my brother served in Vietnam and one of my sons-in-law currently serves in the United States Coast Guard. I have never once taken their service for granted and realize what each brought to our country. Again, I want to say thank you to all of our military personnel.
UPDATE ON MY SURGERY
I went to see my surgeon yesterday and he removed my stitches from the four incisions he made when he removed my gallbladder. I am doing great and feel fantastic although I tire easily. The good news is that he cleared me to get into my swimming pool although I can't swim because of the muscles involved. However, I can sit in the water or float which will cool me off for our backyard pool party on the fourth. Again, I want to thank everyone for their prayers, phone calls, get-well cards, texts for healing, support, flowers, soups, books to read while recuperating and more. Your support meant a great deal to me. The better news is that I am back at my desk writing, editing, and promoting.
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Likewise, while I was in the hospital one of my narrators, Timothy Burke, who is narrating my book HOW TO LAUNCH AND MARKET A BOOK, finished narrating the book and took the helm to receive all of the backmatter narrations from my other narrators to include. Thank you Timothy for that. This book is now available as an eBook and paperback book and within two weeks will be made available as an audible thanks to Timothy. As I receive confirmation from ACX, who is publishing the audible under Absolute Author Publishing House banner, on the launch date, I will share that with everyone. If you have written a book and haven't received the amount of sales you desire, you'll want this book. Likewise, if you are about to launch a book, you'll want it too. At only $4.99 for the eBook, it is a bargain.
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Inside, is my method of how I launch my books as the #1 New Release on Amazon. People who have used this book have met with the same succes. Listen to an excerpt from the book now narrated by Timothy Burke.
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Also, while I was in the hospital, Jessie Drumm, my narrator for NEVER STOP RUNNING finished it; so, that book's audible version will launch about the same time as HOW TO LAUNCH AND MARKET A BOOK. I am so excited about this audible book because of the many characters Jessie brought to life with her fabulous voice and accents. The reviews have been fabulous for this book on Goodreads and Amazon.
NEVER STOP RUNNING is a true labor of love for the both of us. I am so proud of Jessie. Take a listen to an audible excerpt now and hear for yourself how fabulous Jessie is as an audible narrator. Oh, there are a couple of others over on my Youtube channel.
Okay, on to the new book find. First, a little bit about myself. My very first mode of transportation that my parents purchased for me was a hot pink 125 Honda with black pin stripes. I was fifteen at the time. I loved that motorcycle. Besides that motorcycle, after I got married, my husband owned a candy apple red Harley and we'd go touring so to speak. Then, after he realized I wanted to drive it, he had another idea and bought me a Honda 350 Golden Wing. I was set. I realize most of you wouldn't have thought for an instance that I liked motorcycles, but I do. That brings me to this blog's author interview with J B Sandkamp and his book CHAOS THEORY: THE BIKER VARIABLE. Needless to say, I had a special interest. I hope you enjoy learning about him and his book in the following interview.
AUTHOR J B SANDKAMP
Tell your readers a little about
yourself, where you grew up, where you live now, where you went to school etc.
Let them get to know the personal you.
I am retired and widowed,
living quietly with my mother in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, where I’ve lived
most of my life, except for the decade spent in more exotic locales during the
time my husband was in the military. I took night courses in writing at the
University of Minnesota and The Loft for Writers, but this is my first novel. I
do have an unfinished novel languishing in a drawer somewhere. Who doesn’t?
What inspired you to author this book?
I’ve wanted to write since I
was a teenager, but I had to earn a living, so work, marriage and raising
children didn’t leave much time for such pursuits, and writing, for me,
requires great big hunks of uninterrupted time. One morning, I actually woke up
with the plot in my head, a beginning, a middle and an end, and an absolute
compulsion to tell the story. I’ve never experienced anything like it. I could
hardly take time away from it to cook, clean or even shower. My poor mother
suffered through the spasm somehow.
Where did you get the inspiration for
your book’s cover?
A friend of mine, who lives
in Florida, is a graphic artist, and she designed my cover for me. I told her I
wanted an American flag in the background, with a motorcycle, a woman and a
tattooed man on it and she took it from there. I think she nailed it.
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Who has been the most significant
influence on you personally and as a writer?
I grew up in Middle-Earth.
What were your struggles or obstacles you
had to overcome to get this book written?
Oh, my writing was terrible
at first. The learning curve was steep and it was much harder than I thought,
but I enlisted the aid of beta readers, and with their criticism and direction
and many rewrites, I think I have corrected at least my more egregious
technical errors, and, while it’s not high literature, I think it is a good
story (at least I have read it as many times as I read Tolkien and I still like
it). The satisfaction of opening an actual book with my words on the pages
inside was everything I’ve always hoped it would be, and more.
Tell your readers about your book.
Chaos Theory: The Biker
Variable is a contemporary novel set primarily in northern California, in the
fictitious and very small town of Cumberland. Cumberland is virtually owned by
and exists primarily to service the Knights of Chaos motorcycle club. It grew
up around the generational and quasi-legitimate business owned by the club
president and operated as a cover for the more nefarious and lucrative
activities of the gang. Mason Metcalf, a large man with shaggy black hair and
full-sleeve tattoos, is vice president of the club, antihero, and a very bad
man. His willingness to do anything for the club, his organizational genius and
attention to detail engineering a meteoric rise to power second only to the
president, and his club counts heavily on his skill and ruthlessness.
Snatched off the street near her university by members of a street gang, ordered like pizza by an unknown entity, young, densely freckled, redhead, Cleone Fitzwilliam-Lunzer, heir to the controlling interest in the family company, understands she is being trafficked. However, she believes it is some machination by her uncle, who desperately wants her out of the way, or some sort of hostile takeover by a member of her board of directors. Something of an antihero herself and possibly somewhere on the high-functioning end of the spectrum, Cleone, a savant and polymath, with an eidetic memory, a conveniently accommodating conscience, and old money is transported into the desert for the hand-off. Witnessing an illicit transaction that goes badly wrong, she falls into the hands of the Knights.
After a brief and vicious gunfight, like the prize in a box of Cracker Jacks, the Knights pull a frantic and badly bruised girl out of the back of the SUV belonging to the dead corono of their erstwhile trading partners. She’s little more than a kid, and Mason is about to regretfully put a bullet in the head of this inconvenient witness, but the president thinks there might be some profit in her, and Quent has a nose for such things, so they take her with them. They can dispose of her anytime.
Cleone has plans of her own, big plans, though the voice in her head always asks, “You and what army?” Could the Knights of Chaos be the army of her need?
Snatched off the street near her university by members of a street gang, ordered like pizza by an unknown entity, young, densely freckled, redhead, Cleone Fitzwilliam-Lunzer, heir to the controlling interest in the family company, understands she is being trafficked. However, she believes it is some machination by her uncle, who desperately wants her out of the way, or some sort of hostile takeover by a member of her board of directors. Something of an antihero herself and possibly somewhere on the high-functioning end of the spectrum, Cleone, a savant and polymath, with an eidetic memory, a conveniently accommodating conscience, and old money is transported into the desert for the hand-off. Witnessing an illicit transaction that goes badly wrong, she falls into the hands of the Knights.
After a brief and vicious gunfight, like the prize in a box of Cracker Jacks, the Knights pull a frantic and badly bruised girl out of the back of the SUV belonging to the dead corono of their erstwhile trading partners. She’s little more than a kid, and Mason is about to regretfully put a bullet in the head of this inconvenient witness, but the president thinks there might be some profit in her, and Quent has a nose for such things, so they take her with them. They can dispose of her anytime.
Cleone has plans of her own, big plans, though the voice in her head always asks, “You and what army?” Could the Knights of Chaos be the army of her need?
Who is your target audience, and why?
My target audience is adult,
and I hope Chaos Theory: The Biker Variable, will appeal to both men and women
as an erotic thriller. Originally planned as a much larger work, I have divided
it into a trilogy, and have included the first chapter of Chaos Theory: The
Klaus Equation as a sample in the back of the book.
What do you consider your greatest
success in life?
Having and rearing children
is my greatest accomplishment in life, but actually, writing and publishing a
novel is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
What one unique thing sets you apart from
other writers in your genre?
This
is what reviewers have written:
“Read this book. Whether you're looking for motorcycle club drama, spicy erotica, quirky, three-dimensional characters, intelligent prose, or all the above, Chaos Theory has it. J. B. Sandkamp lifts this genre to a whole new level. And never mind the genre—it's just terrific fiction.” … Amanda Coffin, freelance editor
“Chaos Theory: The Biker Variable is one of those books I couldn’t put down, from the first word to the last. With such wonderfully detailed and creative characters you get sucked in immediately. The storyline flows from page one, keeping you guessing and wanting more. I am beyond excited to read the next installment.” … Jenny Yost
I have been told by those who have critiqued my work that I write well, my dialogue is especially well done, and my sex scenes, in particular, are compelling. I do action and description well, so all scenes happen in an actual place. My editor, Amanda Coffin is gratifyingly enthusiastic and did me the honor of writing a positive review. I believe my characters, especially the brilliant, secretive, flawed Cleone are well actualized and unique and the plot is logical and complex.
“Read this book. Whether you're looking for motorcycle club drama, spicy erotica, quirky, three-dimensional characters, intelligent prose, or all the above, Chaos Theory has it. J. B. Sandkamp lifts this genre to a whole new level. And never mind the genre—it's just terrific fiction.” … Amanda Coffin, freelance editor
“Chaos Theory: The Biker Variable is one of those books I couldn’t put down, from the first word to the last. With such wonderfully detailed and creative characters you get sucked in immediately. The storyline flows from page one, keeping you guessing and wanting more. I am beyond excited to read the next installment.” … Jenny Yost
I have been told by those who have critiqued my work that I write well, my dialogue is especially well done, and my sex scenes, in particular, are compelling. I do action and description well, so all scenes happen in an actual place. My editor, Amanda Coffin is gratifyingly enthusiastic and did me the honor of writing a positive review. I believe my characters, especially the brilliant, secretive, flawed Cleone are well actualized and unique and the plot is logical and complex.
The moment you start writing a book, you need to start marketing it. I'm serious about this tip. Please don't make the mistake of thinking that your book will market itself, because it won't. In fact, most authors will only see about one hundred book sales to friends and family if they don't market their book. Why? Simply stated, there are tones of books available and yours is one. You must better your chances of getting your book recognized long before it is published by promoting it on your social media sites. By this, I don't mean offer it for sale but let people know the progress you have made on the writing process. Post things about your character to get them interested and when your cover is completed, blast it everywhere with a cover reveal. Think of this in terms of how producers promote a movie being made that won't come out for another year. You know about that film long before they finish shooting it. It is no different for books.
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CONTACT DR. MEL CAUDLE AT DRMELCAUDLE@GMAIL.COM
