Scott D. Southard publishes new novel "Megan"
We would like to congratulate ABNA writer, Scott D. Southard, for the publication of his novel Megan. You can read an excerpt on freado.com
The book is also being made into an audio book and you can hear an excerpt from the audio version at this link.
You can now buy the title on Amazon - Megan
Tom Maremaa's "Metal Heads" Book Reading
You’re invited to come to a book reading and signing of Tom Maremaa’s newly released novel, “Metal Heads,” from Kunati Books.
When: Thursday, May 14th
Time: 7:30 PM
Where: Books Inc
301 Castro Street
Mountain View, California
This should be a very special evening event, as Tom reads from his book and discusses the story behind his novel, one of the first of its kind to deal with the Iraq War and its aftermath. Listen to Tom talk about the book’s vision and characters, and hear how this truly original work of fiction came about.
Carol Buchanan wins Spur Award
Carol posted some more information in the forum.
Christina Pacosz's reading at Montserrat Poetry
Christina Pacosz's “Notes from the Red Zone”
Christina encourages you leave a comment on the blog if you are so inclined.
Listen to Robin Goldsby on NPR PIANO JAZZ
Pianist Robin Meloy Goldsby has spent much of her musical life providing a pleasant soundtrack for hotel lobbies and cocktail bars. She's written a book about her experiences, Piano Girl: A Memoir
.
In this encore presentation of NPR's Piano
Jazz, Goldsby joins McPartland for an entire
hour of fun and music. She performs some
original tunes, as well as several duets with
Marian. Piano Girl meets the Piano Queen.
A Body at Rest
The Macoomba Room at the Club Mocombo
Such Imperfection on Qarrtsiluni
Pacosz also had a poem appear there on October 16, 2008 - Depth of Field - and it isn't too late to comment on that poem if you are so inclined.
http://qarrtsiluni.com/2008/10/16/depth-of-field/
Conclave Journal Launches In Chicago
“Conclave is a different kind of literary magazine because of its character focus,” says founding editor Valya Dudycz Lupescu. “It has a less academic texture than many literary magazines put out by university presses. The black and white photography and bold cover art evoke a more accessible and artistic sensibility.”
Dudycz Lupescu, who divides her time between Chicago and Frankfurt, Germany, met most of her editorial team during their participation in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award contest. The Amazon online forum became a conclave for writers looking to find camaraderie and support during the competition.
After the contest ended, Dudycz Lupescu and her husband, Mark, founded ABNABooks.com, an online showcase and networking site for writers. Recognizing the high quality of talent in their ranks, the couple also created a small nonprofit publishing company, Wolfsword Press to publish Conclave, as well as future fiction, nonfiction, and poetry titles.
Dudycz Lupescu assembled an international advisory board that includes Nahid Rachlin, Maureen Seaton, Roy Kesey, Altaf Qadri, and 12 other renowned writers and photographers. The editorial staff then set out to find strong character-driven poetry, fiction, nonfiction, dramatic excerpts, flash fiction, and photography.
“The writing in Conclave is compelling,” said Dudycz Lupescu. “Kathy Coudle King’s dramatic piece, ‘A Couple of Boobs’ is a bittersweet and believable snippet of a mother-daughter relationship; award-winning author of Darkroom: A Family Exposure, Jill Christman’s ‘Burned’ is poignant and elegant; and Richard Rutherford’s ‘Mongo Hits the Mark’ is an unsettling naturalistic glimpse into fear and aggression.”
In addition to the launch, Conclave is participating in this year’s Around the Coyote Festival held in Chicago. Several of Conclave’s pieces were recorded by writers or performers and will be played in the festival hall to complement the visual arts being displayed over the October 18th weekend. Conclave Journal is also one of many locally based books and magazines to be featured in the new Publishers Gallery located in the Chicago Cultural Center.
“Conclave has generated an exciting discussion among our editors and contributors on what character really is,” said Scott Markwell, managing editor of Conclave and a Chicago-based writer, educator, and performer. “We've asked ourselves what character looks like and why it's important. Fundamentally, we believe character is core to good story-telling, rather than simply relying on the novelty of a narrative.”
The premiere issue of Conclave: A Journal of Character is available on Amazon.com, as well as in select bookstores. The inaugural issue includes the work of Denise Duhamel, Michael S. Glaser, Mark Neely, Gérard Lavalette, Thomas Weschta, Sebastián Utreras Lizana, and many others.
Conclave will open for online submissions in April for its 2009 issue. Authors wishing to submit their work can visit the Conclave: a Journal of Character website at http://www.conclavejournal.com for submission guidelines.
Rhythm
"Rhythm", Robin Meloy Goldsby’s first novel (after her 2005 memoir "Piano Girl"), spans 15 years in the life of her gritty, resilient protagonist and is told with lyrical prose and deft characterization. Well-written, sympathetically earnest fiction."
Piano Girl: A Memoir
Rhythm: A Novel
The Target
BettyConfidential
http://www.bettyconfidential.com/ar/h/a/a02098.html
http://www.bettyconfidential.com/ar/h/a/a01740.html
http://www.bettyconfidential.com/ar/h/a/a02230.html
http://www.bettyconfidential.com/ar/h/a/a02173.html
http://www.bettyconfidential.com/ar/h/a/a01505.html
Letters to the World
.
She was also mentioned in the blog "Writing the Polish Diaspora":
http://writingpolishdiaspora.blogspot.com/2008/08/poems-and-photos-of-poland.html
ABNA Books Summer Update
Several ABNA Authors have exciting news to share. Here are a few updates:
- Richard Martin (ABNA Contest 2008) has his novel MIXED ANIMAL accepted for publication by MacAdam/Cage. From the Publishers Marketplace details: "Richard Martin's MIXED ANIMAL, a tale of hillbilly magical realism about the unlikely friendship that develops between a grumpy fix-it man and Reader's Digest connoisseur and the strange animal that fate (and a mad scientist uncle) drops into his lap."
- Robin Meloy Goldsby had an article appear in the July issue of The Writer, in the Breakthrough Column.
- Christina Pacosz had several of her poems written for her mother featured in the Editor's Choice section of the July issue of Kritya. The issue focused on "mothers" as a theme.
- Don't forget that the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award winner, FRESH KILLS by Bill Loehfelm will be released on August 21, 2008. Be sure to pre-order your copy.
Submissions have closed for the inaugural issue of Conclave: A Journal of Character. The premiere issue is due to be released mid-October and will include the writing of several ABNA authors. If you'd like to help support the journal, please visit and make a tax-deductible donation.
If you have updates to share, please let us know by sending us an email with "updates" in the subject to info @ abnabooks.com or visit the comment page. Thank you!
Soldiers of Orange
ABNA Authors June Update
Recent publications and wins by ABNA Authors:
- Julie Ann Shapiro has had three stories accepted for publication this month. "Senor P and the Missing Socks" is published in Short Humor UK. "The Dialer Spell" is published in Literary Chaos and "Dizzying Rain" is published in Inscribed.
- Marjorie Carlson Davis has another 2nd place short story contest win--the 2008 American Kennel Club Fiction contest. Her story will appear in upcoming issues of the AKC Gazette and Family Dog.
ABNA Authors, please send us your updates so that we can post them on news and include them in our quarterly newsletter, Echo by ABNA Books.
Send updates to Info @ ABNABooks.com and place "Updates" in the subject line. Thank you!
ABNA Books Online Newsletter Summer 2008
The contest that evolved into a community is growing strong on ABNA Books.com.
Be sure to subscribe to get the latest updates. Read the articles. Buy some books.
Come back often. Tell your friends.
Check us out!
ABNA Books continues to grow and evolve to meet the needs of the literary community. We have added a new page, the Small Press Collective. Participating Small Presses have listed their information and agreed to review the ABNA Books site for talent that may meet their needs. We invite all Small Presses to fill out the contact form if they would like to be added to the Small Press Collective. There is no cost for participation. We only ask that publishers notify us if they decide to sign an ABNA author.
Finding
Balance,
by Megan Bostic. "Is it possible to find time to
write while working, maintaining a household, and
attempting some kind of social life? If so, where
do you squeeze it in? I don't even work outside
the home and still barely find time to jot down a
chapter, paragraph, or even a sentence before it
slips into my middle aged, faulty memory abyss.
Ive had to be extremely creative when it comes to
my passion. Here are some ideas for how to squeeze
writing into your busy
schedule."(more)
Zen and the
Art of Writing, by Mark Fowler.
"If you could prove
God exists, should you? I don’t know who struggles
most with that question, my fictional protagonist,
Lowell Whaley, or me. If you can prove God,
doesn’t that take the whole faith thing out of the
equation?" (more)
Running the
Gauntlet,
Ian Thomas Healy. "There is a problem with most
writers. It is something that runs rampant through
nearly everything we do. No matter how much we are
writing, it is pervasive and insidious. It is even
running all through this paragraph. It is the
passive voice, and I hate it!" (more)
In
Our Words, Susanne O'Leary.
"Eight years ago,
when My first novel, Diplomatic
Incidents, was published, I thought: this
is it, I am an author, my career has taken off and
from now on, my books will be in the shops until I
decide to stop writing. I thought I would be
allowed to grow as a writer, building up a
readership over the next few years and the next
few novels, until I found my voice and wrote that
break-through novel, which might be my third or
fourth one. I expected my publisher help me
nurture my career, trust me to improve and go from
strength to strength. This belief proved to be a
complete fairytale." (more)
The Next
Step,
Julie Ann Shapiro. "Book marketing is not a solitary
event. It’s not like writing a book. It’s a social
process involving networking and promotions to
generate buzz about your book. One of the more fun
ways to get the momentum building is through
marketing collaboration with other authors."
(more)
Featured Published
Books
Read great fiction and nonfiction by ABNA
Authors!
Browse through our published books to read
works already available by these breakthrough
authors. These books are all available for purchase!
Here are few examples of what's available:
COOL by Mary
Walters
In these sixteen collected stories, Mary W. Walters
reveals the bizarre workings of seemingly normal
minds. Walters enlivens the commonplace, finds joy in
the intimate details of the surface, then takes her
readers into the infinitely varied landscape of the
mind with humor, clarity and purpose.
"She didn't want their
husbands, nor did the husbands want to leave their
wives. She'd thought of the affairs as good things,
small avalanches of intensity and passion in busy,
routine lives. Finished in their time - and with no
hard feelings afterward on either side. She had
always been careful, fastidiously circumspect. She
believed they’d left no victims.” From “Show Jumping”
Savage
Utopia
by Margaret Tanner
On board the convict ship taking them to the penal
colony of Australia, Maryanne Watson and Jake Smith
meet and fall in love. Jake hides a terrible secret
that will take him to the gallows if it ever comes
out. On arrival in Sydney, the lovers are separated.
Maryanne is forced to work for the lecherous Captain
Fitzhugh who attacks her. Fleeing into the wilderness
she meets up with Jake who has escaped from a chain
gang. They set up home in a hidden valley. When
Maryanne falls pregnant Jake risks everything to come
out of hiding to protect his fledgling family. Can
love triumph over such crushing odds?
Available
from www.whiskeycreekpress.com
JEN-ZEN AND
THE ONE SHOE DIARIES by
Julie Ann Shapiro
Brad Lynberry, a successful photographer is haunted
by the memory of Jen-Zen. He finds himself first
fascinated then obsessed with shoes but only lost
shoes! Is Brad driven by artistic inspiration or is
he going off the deep end like his sister fears? The
answer comes through encounters with his Grandma who
loves birds; a shaman named Red Hawk who tells him to
look in the shadows, and Jonathan the art collector
who leads him to Swansea where lost shoes keep
popping up in a display of whimsy. Time is running
out. Brad must unravel Jen-Zen s poetic riddles or go
mad trying.
FLASHES OF THE OTHER
WORLD by Julie Ann
Shapiro
Flashes
of the Other World is an intriguing collection of
short stories and one-act, to-the-point flash fiction
covering everything from dark family secrets and
death to lovers transforming into dinosaurs and
mental patients making a meal out of their mothers'
closets. Between the heartbreak, misunderstandings,
craziness and surrealism, Julie Ann Shapiro has
blended in some fantastic descriptions, funky yet
easy-to-relate to characters, and genius plot twists.
Available as an eBook from DPP
STORE
FINDING
MARGOT by Susanne
O'Leary
When Margo misreads the map as they travel through
France, her husband Alan indulges in yet another of
his habitual rages. On impulse, Margo walks out of
her emotionally suppressed life into the hands of
fate and the vast French countryside. As her world is
turned upside down, so are her expectations, and
while she is making new friends and waiting for Alan
to find her, she might just find herself…
GARBIE BARBYHOG-THE
WORM THAT WANTED TO FLY by
Veena Nagpal
Listening to his best friend Cathy
Butterfly chatter about the wonderful world that lies
beyond the garbage heap where he lives, Garbie
Garbyhog is extremely unhappy. All he longs for is to
be able to fly. He sets out on an arduous journey to
get himself wings. Garbie meets a young boy who is as
unhappy â he is sick of the way people leave their
garbage littered everywhere. They form a unique
partnership. Garbie realizes that God has created him
with a unique mission to hog garbage and turn it
into valuable vermi-compost. The book includes a
booklet on Vermi-composting. (Printing Rights
Available. Rights for Garbie Garbyhog - The Worm That
Wanted to Fly (except in India) are still available.)
Available
from environedu.promoters@rediffmail.com
THE MILKMAN
by Ian Healy
One question has plagued UFO
researchers for sixty years: What's the deal with
aliens and anal probes?
Blake, a milkman with a penchant for sword fighting,
and Liza, a reporter who needs a hot story, discover
the answer to this question when they are abducted:
aliens are clouds of sentient gas that require a
specific intestinal environment in which to live.
Blake and Liza are the first humans ever found to
possess the correct qualities. They will have only
one chance to save the world, their
friends, and themselves...
OBSESSIONS:
THE SHOCKING TRUE STORY OF THE REAL BILLIE
JEAN IN MICHAEL JACKSON'S LIFE
by Theresa J. Gonsalves
Delve into a world of intrigue, love,
sex and manipulation as you enter the real life world
of Theresa Gonsalves, known as the real Billie Jean
in Michael Jackson's life! Theresa Gonsalves grew up
in a fantasy world of Michael Jackson. She wrote him
numerous letters that intrigued him which led Michael
to cultivate a relationship with her after they meet
on her 16th birthday. As time goes on, the friendship
between them is nurtured. But while trying to develop
a relationship with another man, Theresa finds
herself pregnant and turns to Michael. Her baby's
father denies the kid as being his son. Michael is
privy to this information and soon the song Billie
Jean is released. When Star Magazine finds out about
their relationship, they dub her the Real Billie Jean
in Michael Jackson's life, as many believe the song
was written about her.
Featured
Not-Yet-Published
Books
Discover the next great novel!
Browse through unpublished books to read
the synopses of great novels from a variety of
genres. Download and review your favorites. Here are
few examples of what's available:
IN YOUR DREAMS
By Michael von Glahn
Institutionalized for behaviors resulting from a
sleep disorder, James learns to enter -- and alter --
other people's dreams. Discovered by a program
exploring the next stages of human evolution, he's
introduced to other teens with paranormal powers. But
when the research facility is destroyed by unknown
paranormal assailants, James and a handful of
survivors find themselves on the run from the
killers, as well as from government agents who think
THEY wiped out the program. Can they stay alive long
enough to decipher what's behind the attack -- and
what the real goal of the program was? (Read
excerpt)
THREE DROP PENNIES
by Julie Ann Shapiro
In Three Drop Pennies two teenagers and life long
friends, Tommy and Lori start a romance. But Tommy's
increasingly dark psychic visions threaten to tear
them apart. Lori seeks solace and collects pennies.
Online she befriends Bo, another coin collector.
Unbeknownst to Lori, Bo is a former mental patient.
He struggles to make his way in the world and is
tormented by his past, the evil impulses of Abe and a
bewitching ghost. When Lori disappears and is
seriously injured, Tommy must determine the nature of
Bo's involvement; as he too is lured into the world
of the mysterious penny man. (Read
excerpt)
WHERE THE HEART IS
by Susanne O'Leary
A woman finds out who her late mother was through
letters written thirty years earlier. It's a voyage
of discovery and identity. (Read
excerpt)
GUARDIAN OF THE
ELEMENTS BOOK ONE: The Paladin and the Pirate
by Jarucia Jaycox Nirula
Varuna (Una) Kannon lives an ordinary, American life.
She loves books, movies, and hanging out with her
best friend, Reed. The last day of school is the
first day to signal something unusual on Una's
horizon. Increasingly strange things happen to Una,
leading her to believe she's cursed, though her
mother insists it's something else. In the days
that follow, she's plagued with questions. Why is
Reed acting weird? Why are her parents so
indifferent? When her thirteenth birthday arrives,
its time for Una to except her fate, which will lead
to a calling no one has yet to imagine. (Read
excerpt)
TO:GOD@HEAVEN.COM
by Veena Nagpal 'A bitter, crusty old woman
in India. A young Indian girl in UK, trying to reach
out to God in a moment of trouble. A chance
connection. Set in India and UK, ‘To God @
Heaven.com’ is a growing up novel with a difference
in that the person growing up is an old woman in her
seventies.' (Read
excerpt)
LINCOLN PARK
by Anne Moore
Lincoln Park is a smart, sexy comedy
of manners set in downtown Chicago. Architect Philip
Hamner has just won a top prize, sending him to
Paris, with women falling all over him. Wife Sarah
feels like she's being left behind with a glamorous
but easy job and their three kids. His brother Marty
can't help it, but is in love with Sarah. Colleague
Anna openly pines for Philip. Young wanna-bees circle
Philip and Sarah, making sad or hilarious mistakes.
Philip's 40th birthday caps the story: will he stay
or will he go? (Read
excerpt)
DEEP
SIX: A JUST CAUSE NOVEL
by Ian Thomas
Healy
How is it possible to contain a prisoner who has the
ability to fly or walk through walls? In answer to
this question, the underground prison Deep Six was
built. It is the most secure prison in the world from
which nobody has ever escaped that is until a
brilliant psychopath engineers a mass breakout of the
entire prison population leaving it up to two guards
to thwart the escape. The underground prison quickly
becomes a battleground for a deadly war of attrition.
The two guards must devise a plan to overcome the
super-powered criminals and save the hostages.
(Read
excerpt)
THE PROPERTY
by G.R. Greene
Kath Havens isn't like
other people. She doesn't understand or trust them.
She buys a home in the country wanting to live on her
own terms. The former owner’s death aroused no
suspicion and Kath has no warning she's next.
Kath's reality is different. Secrets about her
parentage haunt her, she is suspicious, and has
extreme mood swings. She's also a fighter.
After moving to the property, Kath's life
improves. She's learning to trust when
tragedy strikes. Her friends and family turn
against her. She falls into a dark place, a
depression that takes her to the edge of
self-destruction. (Read excerpt)
RHYTHM
Robin Meloy Goldsby
Teenage drummer Jane Bowman lives in swanky Sewickley
Heights with her father and two eccentric maids. She
attends a private high school, practices the drums,
and struggles to recover from her mother’s death,
caused by a fire in a Manhattan nightclub. After
graduation Jane moves to New York City, where she
encounters the best and worst elements of the music
business. RHYTHM reveals the tragic beauty of human
resilience, the restorative power of love and
laughter, and the way one girl's music—steady, solid,
and courageous—helps to mend her shattered heart.
(Read
excerpt)
DENA POWERS:
SUPERHERO?
by Megan Bostic
Strange things begin to happen to Dena Powers on her
thirteenth birthday. She writes it off as overtired
delusions, but only until lunch time, when an
incident at school leads her to believe that her
bizarre day is due to more than just lack of sleep.
Dena gets home to find out she has super human
powers. Her father advises her to keep her them under
wraps because of the overwhelming temptation to use
them selfishly. However, Dena confides in her BFF's
Mary and Rachel, who urge her to use her new gifts to
better society. Dena begins a crusade against crime,
while still dealing with homework, snobs, and boys,
making her world go from confusing to downright
chaotic. (Read
excerpt)
From the
founders of ABNA Books, we proudly
announce Conclave: A Journal of
Character
Conclave is an annual print journal that
focuses on character-driven writing in short
stories, flash fiction, creative nonfiction,
poetry, and prose poems. Conclave will also feature black and
white photographs, and excerpts from plays:
monologues, scenes, single acts, or one-act plays.
The editors will be accepting submission from
April 1 to July 1, 2008. (more)
Some News From Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Finalists
BAD THINGS HAPPEN by Top Three Finalist Harry Dolan is going to be published in summer 2009 by Amy Einhorn Books, an imprint of G.P. Putnam's Sons, part of Penguin Group.
Margaret Erhart's THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE GRAND CANYON is going to be published by Plume in Summer 2009.
Many of us have wondered about the Finalists and Semifinalists from the first Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. Have any received publishing deals? Literary agents?
Please send us your updates so that we can post them on news and include them in our quarterly newsletter, Echo by ABNA Books. Send updates to Info@ABNABooks.com and place "Updates" in the subject line. Thank you!
ABNA Author April Hamilton cited in MSN Money article
Here's an excerpt:
"Barnes & Noble is really complicit in pushing the industry to emphasize blockbusters and best-sellers," says indie author April Hamilton, who has successfully self-published two novels using tools provided by Amazon.com. Horowitz says Barnes & Noble has contributed to "homogenizing America's tastes."
To read more, please click here or go to: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/CompanyFocus/WillBarnesAndNobleWinTheBookWars.aspx?page=1
Congratulations to Bill Loehfelm, Winner of the First Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award
Born in Brooklyn and raised on Staten Island, Bill Loehfelm moved to New Orleans in 1997. He has taught high school and college, managed a pizza joint and an antique shop, and tended bar in the Quarter and the Warehouse District. "As long as New Orleans endures here, so too will I," writes Loehfelm on his Amazon profile.
Loehfelm belongs to a tight group of artists in New Orleans; the majority of whom are writers with a common connection to the University of New Orleans where they received their MAs and MFAs. Together they formed NOLAFugees.com in 1997 as a response to the national media coverage of the flooding of the Crescent City.
Fresh Kills won by receiving the greatest number of customer reviews on the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award site. Praised by Elizabeth Gilbert as "a story of real psychological complexity" and hailed by Publishers' Weekly as "the next Dennis Lehane," Loehfelm's debut mystery unfolds against the gritty backdrop of Staten Island as an estranged son struggles to find his father's killer and make peace with a terrible past.
ABNA Books congratulates Bill Loehfelm on his win, and we wish him well in his writing career.
You can pre-order Fresh Kills on ABNABooks.com, an Amazon Affiliate, and a percentage of the sale will go to help with the costs of maintaining this site. Click on the link below and reserve your copy today!
ABNA Books Online Newsletter April 2008
ABNA Books currently has over 80 authors participating on the site, 55 authors on the forum, over 69 published books and 75 not-yet-published books.
This month we bring you the first column by ABNA Books feature columnist Ian Thomas Healy, as well as new columns by ABNA authors Rebecca Crandell and Tom Maremaa. We have several other “firsts,” as we feature an author interview with April L. Hamilton, who is paving new ground with her IndieAuthor movement. We also have Leah Davidson’s Book Review of 78 Reasons Why Your Book May Never Be Published And 14 Reasons Why It Just Might, by Pat Walsh.
Be sure to check out the newest featured published and not-yet-published books by ABNA authors, and stay tuned for the latest news.
Zen & the
Art of Writing, by Rebecca Crandell.
"When I conceived
the idea of the 7th Moon
Chronicles, most of us relied on
dot-matrix printers. I still have a stack of
yellowing sheets with holes along the edges, but
the story and its author have undergone so many
transformations that it’s impossible to connect
the initial concept with what exists now, on my
flash drive or in my heart." (more)
Running the
Gauntlet,
Ian Thomas Healy. "Hello, my name is Ian, and I’m
a self-published author.
'Hi Ian,' you all chorus.
A lot of people are curious about self-publishing.
What is it? How is it different from conventional
publishing? And, of course, can you make any money
with it?
To answer those questions, I’d like to share some of
my own experiences with dodging the pitfalls of the
self-publishing industry." (more)
Featured Book
Review,
by Leah Davidson. "December 31, 2004,
eleven-o-something PM. After one last read-through
of my first email query for my first completed
novel, I hit the "send" button. It took nine
months of late nights writing, time snatched
proof-reading and note-making on every lunch hour,
but I'd done it. I'd actually written a novel. I'd
read the first chapters of the latest Writer's
Digest Guide to Literary Agents (so of course I
knew how to write a query letter) and picked a
dozen agents I was sure would be thrilled to read
my manuscript. Now I was ready to barrage the
publishing industry with brilliant queries."
(more)
The Next
Step, by
Thomas Maremaa. "It was not an easy decision: I
had written both books with the intention of
placing them with a New York agent and a
conventional print publisher. Both works came to
me spontaneously and wrote themselves over a
period of time, working long nights and weekends,
as I channelled the voices of each narrator
emotionally and through some creative process I
can't describe. Both works, modesty aside, are
originals; nobody's done before. So what happened?
"(more)
Author
Interview with April L.
Hamilton. "I’m trying a different approach
with one of my works in progress, but every other
novel, short story or screenplay I’ve ever written
has followed the same process. I begin with a
protagonist and a general challenge or life
situation. Next I think about the likely people
who would populate the protagonist’s world: family
members, friends, co-workers and so on."
(more)
Featured Published
Books
Read great fiction and nonfiction by ABNA
Authors!
Browse through our published books to read
works already available by these breakthrough
authors. These books are all available for purchase!
Here are few examples of what's available:
SNOW BALL
by April L.
Hamilton
Cinder
Torley is an intelligent young woman who yearns to
escape the stifling yoke imposed by her small town
upbringing and unhappy marriage, but that doesn't
mean she killed her husband. When he goes missing
one night, Cinder quickly learns who---and how
few---her friends really are in this darkly comic
tale of dueling schemers and incompetents. The
sheriff thinks this might be his only ticket out
of back-country law enforcement. Coffee house
barista Clark Norris knows a sordid, true-crime
story could jumpstart his stalled writing career.
Glamorous correspondent Bailey Weems sees a
ratings bonanza that can make her a cable news
star. And as for Velma and Naomi, who may or may
not be part of the notorious Manitoba Six Canadian
crime ring, they're only in it for the black
market Phen-Fen. The surprising truth about what
happened to Cinder's husband will lay waste to all
these agendas, but will it prove Cinder's
innocence?
THE LOTTERY TICKET
by Tom
Maremaa
The
Lottery Ticket, set in the sleepy yet vibrant town
of Palo Alto, California, takes the conventional
murder mystery and turns it flat on its head. One
day Luke Cherry finds his mother hanging from the
living room rafters, an apparent suicide, but this
is far from the truth. When Luke's father, the
Ur-Geek of Silicon Valley, is arrested and charged
with assisting in his wife's suicide, all hell
breaks loose in the Cherry family. A stormy trial
ensues, shaking up the community. Dad looks sure
to be convicted, until Luke, his wily, loving son,
is able to connect with Dad's motley crew of
friends, including a tribe of Afghan refugees who
challenge the natural order of things and come
heroically to his rescue. The story is told in the
cool, unflappable voice of its youthful narrator.
CROSSING WITH THE LIGHT
by Dwight Okita
It
was a labor of love. Thanks to the fantastic and
multicultural Tia Chucha Press for being the first to
publish a book of my poems. Some of these poems have
been reprinted in the Norton Introduction to
Literature, the Smithsonian, an array of anthologies,
and textbooks from publishers such as Holt Rinehart
Winston, Penguin, and Milkweed. And they have
appeared on the NPR show This American Life hosted by
Ira Glass, as well as on Chicago buses and trains.
The title poem appears on a bronze plaque in San
Francisco along the Embarcadero.
Much of the poetic voice of my novel grows out of my
days as a poet.
BAREFOOT IN THE DARK
by Lynne Barrett-lee
Do you believe in
fairytales?
When Hope Shepherd loses her trainer while boarding
the 8.42 into Cardiff, Cinderella couldn't be further
from her thoughts. Painfully divorced, she's all out
of daydreams - and it's not a glass slipper, after
all. It's picked up, however, by a Prince Charming of
sorts - DJ Jack Valentine, who's just been divorced
too. He appeals on his show for the owner to come
forward; a latterday princess being just what he
needs... Hope works as a publicist for the charity,
Heartbeat, and is encouraged by her boss to get Jack
on board. A celebrity endorsement is exactly what
they're after, to raise the profile of their upcoming
fun run. So far, so good; a fairytale beginning -
their mutual attraction's just too strong to ignore.
But this is the real world, and these are two damaged
people. With both of them determined not to risk
another heartbreak, is a happy-ever-after an
impossible dream?
THE MILKMAN
by Ian Healy
One question has plagued UFO
researchers for sixty years: What's the deal with
aliens and anal probes?
Blake, a milkman with a penchant for sword fighting,
and Liza, a reporter who needs a hot story, discover
the answer to this question when they are abducted:
aliens are clouds of sentient gas that require a
specific intestinal environment in which to live.
Blake and Liza are the first humans ever found to
possess the correct qualities. They will have only
one chance to save the world, their friends, and
themselves...
Featured
Not-Yet-Published
Books
Discover
the next great novel!
Browse through unpublished books to read
the synopses of great novels from a variety of
genres. Download and review your favorites. Here are
few examples of what's available:
SWIMMING IN THE
RAINBOW
by Rebecca Crandell
Following a devastating attack on her home that kills
her only friend, young Zoé is torn from her solitary,
fantasy-filled life in pastoral Germany. With help
from an extraordinary man of poetry and courage, she
flees deep into the Mediterranean archipelago, barely
a step ahead of the soldiers who relentlessly pursue
her. Magic and realism collide as she discovers why
she is so important, why governments are fighting
over her. When the soldiers catch up to Zoé, they
force her into a world wounded by the loss of dream
and myth. Ultimately, she alone must choose between
life and final obliteration. (Read
excerpt)
SOLDIERS OF ORANGE
by Tom Maremaa
Soldiers of Orange is a
powerful, heartbreaking novel about veterans of the
Iraq war coming home and being treated for their
wounds in a California hospital. The story is told by
Jeremy Witherspoon, an ex-Marine who knows all the
soldiers on the ward, a collection of oddball, yet
heroic characters. Spoon, as he is called, witnessed
a brutal crime of war in Ramadi, did nothing about
it, and covered up the details. His fear is one of
discovery. One day a private contractor named Skank
shows up at the hospital, realizing Spoon's worst
fear. Critics have hailed Soldiers of Orange as the
Catch-22 of the Iraq war. (Read
excerpt)
A LIGHT IN THE CANE
FIELDS
by Enrico Antiporda
This coming-of-age story chronicling a
Filipino boy's wrenching passage from son of
privilege to guerilla fighter is a stylistic
tour-de-force. From its first lines, the saga of
Jando Flores seizes readers with the same chilling
intensity as the cold water that wraps around Jando's
chest as he hides in a river to escape a gang of
pillaging cutthroats. Mountain bandits, sugar
warlords, Peace Corps volunteers, dignitaries, and
revolutionaries all jostle beneath "mango-colored"
skies in this riveting epic of loss and
transformation, but it is a masterful and delicate
choreography--Publishers Weekly (Read
excerpt)
OF TWO MINDS, A STORY OF THE ALLIANCE
CHRONICLES
by Leah Davidson
Timu Maarinen, the worst slacker in Vaaseli's school
for diplomats, enjoys telepathic gifts so great, and
a family so prominent, he can't contrive to get
himself expelled. Stubbornly devoted to natural
history rather than politics, he falls under the
influence of three compelling women. His schoolmate,
Aulia, offers to help him academically, hoping to
spark his romantic interest; his sister Elian,
progressive scholar betrothed to the heir to the
throne, enlists him in her political causes; and Lady
Rilsa Karula decides to further his diplomatic career
while teaching him the arts of pleasure.
When these forces converge, they propel Timu into
dangers that threaten to destroy his family and all
progressives and jeopardize the international
Alliance made possible by the Peace of Alidor.
(Read
excerpt)
DEEP
SIX: A JUST CAUSE NOVEL
by Ian Thomas
Healy
How is it possible to contain a prisoner who has the
ability to fly or walk through walls? In answer to
this question, the underground prison Deep Six was
built. It is the most secure prison in the world from
which nobody has ever escaped that is until a
brilliant psychopath engineers a mass breakout of the
entire prison population leaving it up to two guards
to thwart the escape. The underground prison quickly
becomes a battleground for a deadly war of attrition.
The two guards must devise a plan to overcome the
super-powered criminals and save the hostages.
(Read
excerpt)
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ABNA Books Adds Kindle Edition Section for Published Works
Amazon Semifinalists Launch ABNABooks.com
CHICAGO, Illinois – March 10, 2008 – ABNABooks.com, an online showcase, network and marketplace for writers, was launched on March 1, 2008. ABNA Books is a place for writers to present their work, keep track of fellow writers’ news and publications, and get the attention of publishers and agents.
What began as a group of entrants and semifinalists in the “Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award” contest, evolved into the Association of Breakthrough Novel Authors on ABNABooks.com. Through the Amazon discussion forum, participating writers grew into a community, working together to improve their writing and promote their books.
Brainchild of semifinalist Valya Dudycz Lupescu, ABNABooks.com establishes a more permanent home for ABNA writers and their works.
“Several writers and reviewers mentioned that they wanted a way to stay in touch and to find out about the publications of other entrants,” said Lupescu. “ABNABooks.com provides us with the place to do that. The general public can also subscribe for a free monthly update about news and publications.”
Selected as a semifinalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, Lupescu's debut novel, The Silence of Trees, gained more than 200 positive reviews from customers and reviewers. Lupescu and her husband, Mark, decided to create ABNA Books to maintain the community started during the contest, while at the same time providing the public with a place to track the manuscripts and publications of this talented group of writers.
"Since the manuscripts in ABNABooks.com have been pre-screened in Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award competition and most have received positive reviews from Publishers Weekly, I can see it as a legitimate source of good literature,” said Enrico Antiporda, author of the Top 100 Semifinalist entry, A Light in the Cane Fields. “I foresee literary agencies and commercial publishers mining the website to add to their catalogue."
With short synopses, lengthy excerpts, and prior publications, ABNA Books provides agents and editors a snapshot of writers’ projects and potential. The site also provides a place for comments and reviews, so that an author’s following and marketability may be glimpsed.
Patricia O’Sullivan has been an active participant on the Amazon forum since its creation. Her novel, The Hope of Israel, was also selected as one of the Top 100 Finalists. “What arose from this forum of competitors were friendships and writers’ support networks that sustained entrants during five long months of a public review period of their manuscript excerpts,” said O’Sullivan. “One might have thought the culling of entrants would have destroyed the ABNA community of writers. The opposite happened. What began as a contest became a community.”
For more information about ABNA Books please visit www.ABNABooks.com
###
About ABNA
Books.com:
ABNA began as a group of entrants and semifinalists
of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Through the
forum, they grew into a community of writers working
together to improve their writing and promote their
books. ABNABooks.com is the next step in their
evolution, a place to maintain that solidarity while
promoting their work and perfecting their craft. ABNA
Books is an online showcase, network, and marketplace
for writers, created by Valya Dudycz Lupescu and her
husband, Mark Lupescu. It’s a place for writers to
present their work, get the attention of publishers
and agents, and help each other in the process of
publishing and promotion.
Congratulations to the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Top 10 Finalists!
* The Hellraiser of the Hollywood Hills by Jennifer Colt
* Casting Off by Nicole R. Dickson
* Bad Things Happen by Harry Dolan
* The Wet Nurse's Tale by Erica Eisdorfer
* The Butterflies of Grand Canyon by Margaret Erhart
* Ring of Lies by Karen Laugel
* Fresh Kills by Bill Loehfelm
* Motherless Children by Randall Luce
* The Prospect of My Arrival by Dwight Okita
* Wrecking Civilization Before Lunch by John Ring
Amazon customers can go to the www.Amazon.com/ABNA site to download longer versions of each of the novels and then write a review. The following is taken from the Amazon ABNA site:
“Finalists will earn the following point values based on your star ratings:
•5 stars = 3 points
•4 stars = 1 point
•1, 2 or 3 stars = 0 points
•Download only (no review or star rating) = 0 points
The grand prize winner will be the finalist who earns the most total points from customer ratings.
Only ratings with qualified reviews will be counted, and a customer may only rate and review each excerpt once.”
For the first two weeks, reviews will be posted on the site, but after that they will be hidden to maintain the element of surprise until the announcement of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award winner on April 7, 2008.
Good luck to all the Finalists! We hope to see all your books on ABNA Books...as forthcoming bestsellers!