Perfect Pawn (Kindle) - Free (Black Friday)

To all those folks who don't have any desire to run around on Black Friday, I have a gift for you. 

I am offering my debut novel, Perfect Pawn, free for the Kindle platform on Friday, November 29th. 

If you like Mystery / Crime / Suspense or Romance, this is the perfect book for you.

The only thing I ask is that after you read it, be so kind to leave a review for me.

Andrew

Happy Thanksgiving

I just wanted to take this opportunity to extend my sincere best wishes to everyone for a safe, healthy and happy Thanksgiving.

I would also ask that as we mark this day that you keep our military, law enforcement and fire personnel in your thoughts and prayers. It is through their sacrifice, each and every day, that we are able to enjoy days like these.

May God bless each and every one of you.

Autographed Copies - Now Available

Looking for a unique holiday gift this year? Why not consider an autographed copy of Perfect Pawn.

I have a limited amount of books that I am offering direct to readers in time for the holidays. I will be happy to personalize them for you and all books ship via USPS priority mail (US orders only) to ensure that they arrive safely to your door. If you need them mailed to an alternate location just let us know. Simply click on the image below to be redirected to the "Books" page.

If you reside outside the US contact us and we can advise you of the cost to ship to your country.

Once again, thank you for your continued support.

Win an Autographed Copy of Perfect Pawn

Deadline - Monday 11/25/13 @ 5pm CST

In order to celebrate the 1 month anniversary of the launch of my book, Perfect Pawn, I am offering up an autographed copy just for liking my FB page and sharing the site with your friends and family.

Follow the link below for rules:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Andrew-Nelson/168310343376572

Open Letter to the Dear Kind Folks at the NSA

To whom it may concern:

Dear NSA employee, I would be eternally grateful if you could manage to permanently document all my Google searches, Bing queries, E-mails, and all other research I have done regarding the following, but not limited to: Murder, Drugs, Theft, Jihad, Terrorism, Car Bomb, Espionage, Pipe Bombs, Suicide Vests, Faking Death, Secluded Mountain Areas, Vets, Farm Animals, Power Grid, Elections, the NSA (Sorry, had to check), the State Department, the Middle East, Prepping, Al Qaeda, Murder (it's a reoccurring theme), Arms Deals, the Qur'an, etc., etc., etc.

I've come to accept that my mind is a truly scary place at times.

I was sitting in the living room writing on the laptop and had to locate a recent search I did. As I went through the "history" I was struck that if anything sinister happened within a hundred and fifty mile radius I was most likely going to get a knock on my door.

It's times like this you want a national security agency keeping tabs on you so that you can say "look, I'm an author, it was only research."

Then I realized it was my wife's laptop and I breathed a sigh of relief.

I hear the female facilities for the Bureau of Prisons are so much nicer.

Gotta run, I need to go check the effective blast radius for C-4.

"Hey honey, are you using your laptop?"

Reviews / Feedback - What's on your mind?

I just wanted to take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who has purchased Perfect Pawn. Based on the feedback  I have been receiving, and the requests for the immediate release of the sequel, it sounds as if everyone has enjoyed it.

I would like to take this moment to ask for your help. Like everything, we live in a feedback driven world. Success of any product is measured by what others take the time to say. If you are looking at purchasing an item and you have two to choose from you will normally go with the one that received better reviews, even though they might perform exactly the same. That being said, if you have read the book and have not already reviewed it, would you please consider taking a moment to do so at either (or both) of the following links.

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G5U6JH2

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18761449-perfect-pawn?from_search=true

If you haven't read it yet, I'd ask that you keep this request in mind should you read it at a later date.

Once again I thank you for your continued support.

The Banality of Evil – Really Good, Bad Characters

“You’re a sick fuck.”

“True, but we all have decisions in life to make. Sadly, there really is only one choice for you. The real struggle is whether or not you can live with yourself afterwards.”

From the novel: Perfect Pawn

I’m twisted, I admit it. However, in my defense I will say that I am the product of a number of things ranging from my chosen profession of twenty-two years to my interests and hobbies.

Some would argue that I have had the displeasure of seeing people at their absolute worst, man’s inhumanity to man, to paraphrase Samuel von Pufendorf (1673). I admit that there were times when I have had to deal with someone who had lost all regard for human life. It is a very interesting experience. 

Probably the reason why psychiatrists get paid so much money.

What is the most interesting part of writing bad characters? Freedom. 

While you have to be very careful with your "good" guy or gal, you don't have the same restrictions with the bad ones. Like the title of Dennis Rodman's book, they can be "Bad as I wanna be".

For me as a writer, what makes a bad character truly interesting is not the one that does a dastardly deed because they want to, it's the ones that does it because they simply don't care. There is no empathy, no compassion, just an analytical approach to an issue facing them. 

It's the epitome of the Alpha baddie. 

You know there is no reasoning with them and the only question remains is: How far are you willing to go to stop them?

Perfect Pawn - State Journal Register

More good coverage. In the Thursday, Nov. 14th, issue of the State Journal Register (Springfield, Il.) they did an article on Perfect Pawn. Nice piece and it opens a door up in the state's Capitol.

Perfect Pawn - Now Available in Print !!

Well, it is now official - Perfect Pawn is available in print !!

It went live this morning and is available now through Createspace, which is an Amazon company.

https://www.createspace.com/4500028

For those of you with an Amazon account, we have been advised that it normally takes about 5-7 days (estimate) for it to actually appear on their shelves. When it does I will post a link there as well.

Once again, thank you for all your support and encouragement.

Perfect Pawn - The Book !!

Well, it is official. The print version is alive, well almost.

Today the wonderful UPS truck came and deposited the proofs of Perfect Pawn onto my door step. I often wonder if they ever consider whether the item they are delivering is a significant, life altering, experience for the recipient?

I have to admit there is a world of difference between publishing an eBook and being able to hold the physical book in your hand. I know a lot of people prefer the ease of eBooks but I am one of those old fashioned kind of readers.

I love books, always have, and to be able to hold my book in my hands is something I am struggling to put into words. I grew up reading Frank Herbert, Joseph Wambaugh, Alan Dean Foster, and so many others. I enjoyed being transported for a brief time to new worlds. I especially loved the rich character development of certain authors.

Now I sit here with my own printed book and wonder if they felt the same way when they held the first proof of their own book? Will someone read it one day and say I did the same thing for them? As a writer, it is the greatest complement I think you can receive.

Thank you so much for accompanying me on this journey.

The weather and writing

Whats the old saying about Illinois?

"If you don't like the weather wait 15 minutes and it will change!"

Well I can attest to the fact that it is undeniably true. Yesterday I was in a tee shirt, hauling in firewood and today it is 27 degrees outside. But fear not, the reports are that by next Monday it will be 67 out !!

In a way I like the cold as the sequel to Perfect Pawn takes place in January. It is getting me in the mindset. It's one thing to write that it is cold, but it is another thing to walk outside and feel the harsh sting of the wind against your face and go "Ah, that sounds much better."

As a writer you look for inspiration anywhere you can. Including how the sun or moon takes on a different feel when it is reflecting off the new fallen snow.

Check back with me in February when all that prose will be replaced with "Well, got hit with another three inches of this Godforsaken white S&*% again.........."

Writers, you can never keep them happy !!

Social Media Reminder - Facebook / Twitter

As a writer, one of the most important things for me is to stay connected with my readers. After all, it is with you in mind that I write my stories in the first place.

So this is just a reminder that if you have found your way to this website and would like to connect with me, and stay up to date on the latest information, just click on the links below.

https://twitter.com/Andrew_G_Nelson

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Andrew-Nelson/168310343376572

Perfect Pawn is now listed on Goodreads

Perfect Pawn is now listed on Goodreads. If you are an avid reader it is a great source of information and reviews of books from all genres.

Take a look and if you have finished reading Perfect Pawn please go ahead and leave a review.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18761449-perfect-pawn

What the reviews are telling me.

I commented yesterday about the feedback I have been getting and thought I would explain exactly why I’m happy about it.

Books to me have always been about rich story telling and characters I could relate to. In fact, it was the character connection in that original draft I did for Nancy over a decade ago that hooked her and led to me writing Perfect Pawn.

I guess I could have gone with your traditional action novel. But I wanted to do something different. I didn’t want to exclude any of my readers. So as I began writing I knew I wanted to incorporate a variety of elements. So I included action, romance, humor, and suspense. As you read the story I want you to feel, not like a reader, but like someone who is eavesdropping on an intimate conversation between people. I also tried to open up a bit of the world of the NYPD for my readers.

The feedback I have been getting indicates that I hit my mark.

But the most interesting feedback for me has been from fellow law enforcement officers. Connecting with them was important for me because they know the job and they would be the ones who would look at the book from a professional point of view. I’m happy to say that they are giving it a thumb’s up.

At the end of the day all any author really is, is a storyteller. Whether that story is good or not is up to the individual reader. I am proud that the reviews indicate that I have achieved that with Perfect Pawn.

Now, I hold no illusions that, going forward, every review will be positive. No author can please everyone. But I hope that the majority of my readers will be able to get something out of it.

If you enjoyed the roller coaster ride in the first book, wait till you see what life has in store for James Maguire in the sequel!

Countdown to the Print Version

Well, I thought I would update everyone on the status of the print version of Perfect Pawn. As most of you know, the e-Book version of Perfect Pawn launched a few weeks back. I have to admit, I have been truly humbled by the volume of positive feedback. 

I think what is significant to me is that the reviews are coming from a diverse field of readers. It seems that just about everyone is able to find something in this book to hook them.

Since the launch of the e-Book I have been directing all my efforts into the formatting of the print book interior and exterior. This is not a always an easy task. What you see in the program you are using is not always the way it appears in your upload. So you have to make sure everything fits, is formatted correctly, and that nothing has been added or lost. On top of that you have to ensure that your graphics fit properly. Let me try and explain the process a bit.

The print version of the book will be what is commonly referred to as a "C" Format (6"x9"), Trade Paperback. In essence it is a softcover version of a hardcover book. 

The chasm between the e-Book and the print is pretty wide. On the e-Book you don't really care about the length because it is in digital media. In print, paper is money and those costs can add up quickly. Most authors write simply because they enjoy it, not because they are rolling in the dough. I wrote a little about this previously in: Writing, Research & Reading – What’s a book worth

So after launching the e-Book I began the process of formatting the print version. The original print version was just over four hundred pages in length. To give you an idea of just how tough it is to make a living off of writing, if I had kept the original 400+ page format I would have been paying you to read my book…… Seriously.

Now, as much as I love all of you, that wasn’t going to work out for me. So I had to delve back into the world of Font’s, Widows & Orphans, and Layouts. Trust me, it’s not for the feint of heart. In the end, I was able to format the book to a passable 317 pages.

Mind you, I’m not planning on making enough to serve filet mignon dinners anytime soon, but I should have an adequate supply of Ramen soup going into the winter. However, should Hollywood call looking for the movie rights I’m going to throw one helluva party!!

So now everything is in and being reviewed. I am hoping that the print book will be available through Amazon in time for Thanksgiving.

Once again, thanks to all of you for your continued support and encouragement.

1st Newspaper Article - Breeze Courier

For those of you in Christian County area, the local newspaper, the Breeze Courier, did an article on the release of Perfect Pawn. It is in the November 3rd, 2013, Sunday edition.

Hope you enjoy it.