When Darkness Falls by Ken Hudnall

The Anunnaki are coming home. The battle of the gods of old come once again to Earth in Ken Hudnall's When Darkness Falls. The residents of a small New Mexico town are caught up in the fray as mortal meets immortal in possibly the final clash for universal domination. Will the Earth be engulfed by the schemes of Asmodeus or Romar, Prince of the Annunaki Empire save humanity or will darkness once again fall on the Earth?

History is silent regarding his race walking the face of the Earth. But Romar, Prince of the Annunaki Empire was proof that once Gods walked the face of the planet. But these were all too human Gods, driven by the same ambitions as we mere mortals.

The Great Lord of Hosts, Anu ruled wisely, but his brother Asmodeus plotted to take the throne by use of the darkest sorcery. Stories of the civil war that erupted between the two factions came down to us as legends of gods and goddesses who warred for the souls of men. Anu’s forces won, but the great Anu was sorely wounded his the treachery of his own sister.

As a last effort to help the races he loved, Anu banished his sister to the Annunaki Colony on Mars and imprisoned his brother in the far reaches of his Earthly Empire. As a sign of his love for the people of Earth, he charged his only son with the job of guarding the emerging races from the evil working of the imprisoned Asmodeus, God of Evil.

Anu and his Annunaki Legions withdrew from Earth to the Heavenly City of Avalon, a station in space orbiting the sun between Venus and Mercury. There he rests to regain his strength sorely sapped by his sister’s vicious attack. His son Romar, immortal as a gift from the Gods, destined to walk the earth until the return of his father for the last battle against Asmodeus, Prince of Evil.

When Darkness Falls is available in eBook format at fine online retails such as Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble, Kobo eBooks, iBookstore, and Smashwords.

About Author Ken Hudnall

Military veteran, Captain Ken Hudnall, was an instructor in urban warfare at the United States Army Infantry School and is the author of 40 plus books, including the award winning Manhattan Conspiracy series. The first in the series was written in 1992, but was a chillingly accurate portrait of the terrorist attacks on New York City in both 1993 and 2001. He has appeared on CNN, FOX News, Coast to Coast AM and other major networks as a special consultant in urban warfare. In addition to his works of fiction, he has written extensively on the issues of unidentified flying objects and national security. Ken also hosts a nightly talk show on his radio networkthat deals with the paranormal, conspiracies, and the unexplained. Ken currently lives in El Paso, Texas with his wife. To find out more about Ken, visit his website at www.kenhudnall.com.

Mission to Seoul by Thomas Woods eBook is Free Through 31 May 2015

Looking for an intriguing espionage read while traveling this summer? We've got you covered. Through the end of May, 2015, we're offering the eBook version of Mission to Seoul by Thomas Wood for free on Google Books. There's no catch and this eBook will not self-destruct 30 seconds after reading it. Just kick back and enjoy a good read from your friends at Grave Distractions Publications.

Mission to Seoul Synopsis

During the 1970s the Republic of Korea (South Korea) was a strange mixture of modern industry and medieval traditions, of Christianity and Shamanism, of a democratic façade masking a brutal totalitarian dictatorship. The dictator’s wife was assassinated by his enemies, and the role of First Lady fell to the dictator’s daughter. No one was free of suspicion; no one escaped punishment for disobedience.

There were several American families living in the Republic of Korea during that time, descendants of the first missionaries and businessmen to break through the Silk Curtain and settle in what had been until the late nineteenth century The Hermit Kingdom. These people were treated with respect but were under constant surveillance to make sure they did not threaten the regime. Their names, like the names of the Koreans integral to this story, are altered for their protection.

Thomas Wood, a Peace Corps volunteer who specialized in hydraulic engineering, who now works for a prominent American company, took careful notes on the things he heard and saw while he worked in the R.O.K, from 1974—1977. This novel, featuring barely disguised characters participating in thinly veiled events, captures the essence of those days. Boyce Mann’s journey back to the land of his birth, what he finds there, what happens to him there, represent a fiction that Thomas Wood calls “historical fantasy.” His story may not have happened, but it did happen.

You will find this novel as intriguing and fascinating as you did The Year of Living Dangerously, and you will find that it touches you more deeply than that story because Boyce Mann is an American, not an Australian, and he faces his dangers not in a country like Indonesia, not well known to Americans, but in a country that has been military partners with the United States for over 60 years. Read this story carefully, read it with relish, read it for enlightenment about Koreans and about ourselves. Once you begin to read, you will not stop; and once you have finished it you will much more aware of the ambiguities of the international pageant.

The Northwood Conspiracy by Ken Hudnall

Fake terror is nothing new. According to recently released files, our government planned Operation Northwoods to stage phony terror attacks against American citizens in the wake of the Bay of Pigs. These attacks were designed to anger Americans into support for a second invasion of Cuba. Luckily, the plan was spiked by JFK. If our government has ever actually carried out such plans to stage phony terror attacks, the documents have remained classified. Given the reality of Operation Northwoods, or the manner in which FDR maneuvered Japan into attacking Pearl Harbor, one cannot rule out the possibility that, once again. The people of the United States are being lied to by their own government. Author Ken Hudnall dissects historical events and makes a compelling case that the false flag nature of Operation Northwoods has been pervasive since the Middle Ages.

Presented in this text are answers to the following questions:

* Who was behind the September 11th, 2001 attacks and what companies profited from that dreadful day?

* Did Abraham Lincoln force the situation at Fort Sumter to spark the Civil War

* What really happened to the USS Maine and how did the news media create the Spanish America war?

* Did FDR have intelligence that could have prevented the attacks on Pearl Harbor?

* Were the Knights Templar victims of an Operation Northwoods style downfall?

* Was the Zimmerman Telegram a construct by the Wilson administration used to lure us into the First World War?

Retired Army Captain Ken Hudnall reveals the truth behind these convenient happenstances and many more throughout history in The Northwoods Conspiracy.

The Nortwoods Conspiracy is available in eBook format at fine online retails such as Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble, Kobo eBooks, iBookstore, Scribd, and Smashwords.

About Author Ken Hudnall

Military veteran, Captain Ken Hudnall, was an instructor in urban warfare at the United States Army Infantry School and is the author of 40 plus books, including the award winning Manhattan Conspiracy series. The first in the series was written in 1992, but was a chillingly accurate portrait of the terrorist attacks on New York City in both 1993 and 2001. He has appeared on CNN, FOX News, Coast to Coast AM and other major networks as a special consultant in urban warfare. In addition to his works of fiction, he has written extensively on the issues of unidentified flying objects and national security. Ken also hosts a nightly talk show on his radio networkthat deals with the paranormal, conspiracies, and the unexplained. Ken currently lives in El Paso, Texas with his wife. To find out more about Ken, visit his website at www.kenhudnall.com.

GDP Takes Part in the Amazon Match Program

Starting today Amazon has rolled out their "Match Program" for digital editions. The program allows those who have purchased a print edition of a book, through Amazon, to get the eBook version of the book at a reduced rate or even free. It seems that print books purchased at any time, via one's Amazon account, can get the digital upgrade. Think of all the books you've loaned to friends over the years that have never been returned. Now's your chance to digitally reclaim those lost texts.

The majority of the Grave Distractions Publications print catalog has been enrolled in this program including the works of: Gloria Amendola, Dr. James T. Baker, Heather Carver, Rev. Michael Carter, Dr. Robert Eisenman, Brian Kannard, Carrie Kirkpatrick, William Michael Mott, Jean Victoria Norloch, Rick Osmon, and Thomas Wood.

The timing of the program couldn't be better with the upcoming holiday travel season. Even if you love the experience of paper on fingers reading, you have an affordable way to continue reading a book without lugging a print edition around the airport.

Amazon Wants to Sell Used eBooks?

This morning I almost choked on my coffee when I read Peggy Hageman's article "Amazon Wants to Sell Used Ebooks: Everyone is Confused" on the eConetent website. I would urge you to read the article before reading on... 

This is a potentially dangerous move for Amazon to make within the indie author community. While  Grave Distractions Publications is dedicated to giving value to our customers, we're also committed to delivering high margins to our authors. Our eBooks pricing model is to discount an eBook 50% to 70% of a print edition's retail. This model fulfills both commitments listed above. To either cut an author's royalties out of the equation or diminish royalties for selling at a rock bottom price point will only benefit Amazon (and any other "resellers" out there) and reinforce the notion there is no value in digital content to consumers. 

All those associated with Grave Distractions Publications love to write to share their ideas with the world, but we also like to eat and provide for our families. Be it digital, print, audio, or any other format an author's work has value. To decrease that value will insure fewer indie authors' voices will be heard. What has happened in the last three or four years in publishing is nothing less than revolutionary and indie publishing houses/authors have challenged the corporate publishing paradigm... and won. Moves like selling "used eBooks" will only suppress the indie spirit and once again shift control of the printed word back to corporate boardrooms.   If you're comfortable with having fewer choices and corporately censored books, buy all the "used eBooks" Amazon will offer. We here at Grave Distractions Publications will keep fighting against the tyranny of corporate control of the printed word.

Cyber Monday Deals

It's Cyber Monday and have we got some deals for you.  These offers are good Monday 28 Nov 2011 only.  Get 'em while you can.

Print Editions 25% Off

These print editions are 25% off the regular list price at our printing partner CreateSpace's site.  Use code H8N6WJCJ at checkout to get your savings:

Faith for a Dark Saturday

Graves of the Golden Bear

Prior Knowledge

Skullduggery: 45 True Tales of Disturbing the Dead 

Walking with the Widow's Son 

 

99 Cent Kindle Editions

No coupon needed!  These Kindle titles will be 99 Cents all day Monday!

Faith for a Dark Saturday

Holidays with Sundae: Conversations with My Cat

Northwoods Conspiracy

Peter Peacock Passes

Skullduggery: 45 True Tales of Disturbing the Dead

Spirits of the Border: School Spirits

When Darkness Falls

Thanks again for supporting independent publishing this Cyber Monday!

Graves of the Golden Bear:Ancient Fortresses and Monuments of the Ohio Valley by Rick Osmon

We'd like to announce the release of Rick Osmon's first book, The Graves of the Golden Bear: Ancient Fortresses and Monuments of the Ohio Valley in digital editions. Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook editions were released on Columbus Day. Other major eBook formats may be found at this title's Smashwords listing. A print edition will be issued before the end of the year. For current availability, please visit The Graves of the Golden Bear book page on our website.
Synopsis: What if our history books are wrong and Columbus wasn't the first European to set foot in North America? The Graves of the Golden Bears will challenge some of your core historical beliefs. From the earliest maps of the Gulf of Mexico by the Spanish explorers to the beginning of the 20th century, claims were made that a Welsh prince named Madoc brought thousands of colonists to North America centuries before Columbus. Though those claims were debunked, the claimants denigrated, and much of the evidence was lost or destroyed, some deliberately, the story lives on. Through shrewd and thorough investigation, this book shows that there is high probability and substantial documentation that four different countries knew the stories were true in general even if errant in details. None of those governments were or are yet willing to acknowledge the truth of such a mass immigration. This book tells why. In doing so, it also reveals some of the most appalling political intrigues in history. Prevailing and opposing political and religious doctrines are dissected and the reasons for such a huge, longstanding, and base coverup explained.

Using colonial era maps, modern computer and satellite imaging technology, historical accounts, official documents, archeological reports, and through collaboration with several other researchers the author found the sites of more than forty five ancient fortresses. In addition to the fortress sites that were known by the beginning of the 21st century, the author adds three more that were previously undocumented. The use of satellite imagery allows comparison of the strategic placement of the Ohio Valley fortresses and other ancient structures to those of the British Isles. The correlations of these sites are far greater than chance.

Also described in this text are artifacts, engraved stones, coins, arms, armor, and skeletal remains of Old World origin found in the greater Ohio, Tennessee, Chattahoochee, Virginia's New River, and Mississippi valleys. Forward by Scott Wolter, author of The Hooked X: Key to the Secret History of North America

Spirits of the Border: The History and Mystery of Arizona by Ken Hudnall

We're happy to announce the latest installment of Ken Hudnall's Spirits of the Border series has been released for the first time in digital editions. In Spirits of the Border: The History and Mystery of Arizona, multiple paranormal event listings are presented for over 50 Arizona cities. Tourists and locals are bound to find haunted tales no matter where they are in the region. Stories of lost treasures, bigfoot sightings, UFO, and secret government underground bases are also included in this edition. The digital edition is perfect way to take your passion for the paranormal any where you go. This title as been released for Amazon's Kindle and Barnes and Noble's Nook. Other major eBook formats maybe found at this title's listing on Smashwords. Click the book link above for current availability information.

Spirits of the Border: The History and Mystery of Arizona includes paranormal tales from the following cities. Ajo, Ahwatukee, Alpine, Anthem, Bisbee, Bullhead City, Caldwell, Casa Grande, Chandler , Chinle, Cochise, Dardanelle, Douglas, Dragoon , El Frida, Flagstaff, Florence, Fort Bowie , Fort Huachuca, Fountain Hills, Gilbert, Glendale, Globe , Goodyear, Grand Canyon National Park, Holbrook, Jerome, Kingman, Lake Havasu, Magnolia, Maricopa County - East Mesa, Mesa, Nogales, Oatman, Oracle, Patagonia, Peoria, Phoenix, Pinal - Dudleyville, Prescott, San Manuel, Scottsdale, Sierra Vista, Tempe, Tombstone, Tucson, White River, White Mountains, Wickenburg, Williams, and Yuma.

Spirits of the Border: The History and Mystery of El Paso del Norte by Ken Hudnall

Since October is the spookiest month of the year, we're continuing to release digital conversions of Ken Hundall's Spirits of the Border series. Ken's series is an invaluable guide to ghost hunters and paranormal enthusiasts alike. Each volume allows the reader to explore the supernatural side of places in Southwest. This volume examines the paranormal underbelly of El Paso. Cities steeped in history usually go hand in hand with tales of the supernatural. El Paso is no exception to that rule. From UFOs to lost treasure and mysterious places to ghost stories, this is a fabulous guide to the city and the surrounding area. The digital edition is perfect way to take your passion for the paranormal with you as you explore the history and mystery of El Paso. This edition is now available for Amazon's Kindle and Barnes and Noble's Nook. All other major eReader formats can be found at our Smashword's listing. Links may be found at The History and Mystery of El Paso del Norte book page at the Grave Distractions Publications site.

Spirits of the Border: The History and Mystery of Northeast Texas by Ken Hudnall

Yesterday we uploaded our first digital offering of Ken Hudnall's Spirits on the Border series, The History and Mystery of Northeast Texas on Smashwords. Each book in the series is an invaluable guide to ghost hunters and paranormal enthusiasts alike. This volume allows the reader to explore the supernatural side of towns in Northeast Texas. With multiple paranormal event listings in over 75 cities, tourists and locals are bound to find haunted tales no matter where they are in the region. The digital edition is perfect way to take your passion for the paranormal any where you go.

Spirits of the Border: The History and Mystery of Northeast Texas includes entries from the following cities: Allen, Alton, Arlington, Avinger, Balch Springs, Big Sandy, Bridgeport, Burkburnett, Carrollton, Cason, Cedar Hill, Celburne, Commerce, Coppell, Corsicana, Dallas, Dekalb, Denton, Duncanville, Ennis, Euless, Farmers Branch, Files Valley, Fort Hood, Fort Worth, Garland, Gilmer, Granbury, Grand Prairie, Haltom City, Hamilton, Harker Heights, Haslet, Hemphill, Henderson, Hillsboro, Hutchins, Iowa Park, Irving, Jefferson, Keller, Kilgore, Killeen, Lindale, Longview, Luther, Marshall, Maxdale, Maypearl, Mckinney, Mesquite, Mexia, Mineola, Mineral Wells, Moody, Nacogdoches, North Richland Hills, Oakalla, Olney, Possum Kingdom, Princeton, Richardson, Scottsville, Sherman, Southlake, Springtown, Sulphur Springs, Sunnyvale, Texarkana, Thurber, Tyler, Waxahachie, Weatherford, Whitehouse, Wichita Falls, and Winnsboro.

Caverns, Caldrons, and Concealed Creatures 3rd Edition by William Michael Mott on Kindle

Grave Distractions Publications is proud to announce the publication for Amazon's Kindle of the third edition of the cult classic Caverns, Cauldrons, and Concealed Creatures is the first book of its kind to examine the striking similarities between folklore, religious, mythic, "new age," fictional, and first-hand eyewitness and historical accounts of anomalous beings, entities, cryptids, hidden civilizations, and related anomalies. The expanded third edition includes hundreds of new pages, 4 new chapters, and dozens of new and additional images!

Drawing from scientific facts, folklore, comparative mythology and eyewitness/anecdotal sources, it is demonstrable that the structure of our planet, the history of our species, the underlying truths disguised as our myths, legends, folklore and " pop culture " imagery, are not quite what we have been led to believe. The Earth itself is much more complex in structure than we have realized, and our species has perhaps experienced, through the ages, encounters and conflicts with "others"— non-human intelligences or beings of various types who have seldom been our friends. Memories and accounts of these encounters have come down to us in the form of folklore and mythology, often viewed with superstitious terror or awe through the conditioned lenses of religions, religious interpretation or "folk traditions." Such encounters are continuing today.

The theories put forth in this book are based on two types of evidence: very strong circumstantial evidence based on folklore, mythology, religion, legends, archeology, geology, and related areas, and first-hand or witness accounts, both ancient and modern. Often these two areas of source material or even anecdotal evidence overlap.

It is possible that these various phenomena and beings are in fact modern representations of those who have traditionally been considered fairies, gnomes, trolls, nagas, djinn, "aliens" and their "magic" is a technology of such antiquity, advancement and complexity that it is, to our limited understanding, "magical." With UFOlogy, cryptozoology, Fortean phenomena, and all the rest, we are in fact seeing, perhaps even participating in, an ongoing contemporary " update of "folklore," which is in actuality the way our human minds attempt to gather, categorize, assimilate, comprehend and decipher (as well as "cover up" with terror-masking simplifications) the very REAL evidence for the existence of such beings and their ongoing yet seemingly inexplicable activities.

From ancient myths to modern experiences from credible witnesses, it is ALL folklore, and ancient folk traditions may contain much more truth than has previously been believed, just as "forteana" and related topics do today. Once we make the leap of understanding that the creation of folklore is part of the process of comprehending these mysteries, and even may be caused by them, the whole picture of our culture, literature, fairy-tales, Jungian archetypes, and so on takes on an entirely different light. The creation of folklore, based on very real " others " and their parasitical or otherwise peripheral activities, has become an instinctive, mind-protecting function for the collective human mind.

Throughout our oral and written history as a species, folktales and folk traditions have either hinted at or indicated the reality of this "hidden world" which surrounds us. The furtive and parasitical nature of this "alternate reality" leaves no doubt as to the intrinsic hostility of these "others," or at best, the indifference that some of their "racial types" or subspecies exhibit toward humankind.

This book has been previously published in a First Edition, an expanded Second Edition, and now is offered EXCLUSIVELY in a greatly-expanded, magnum opus 3rd Edition presentation by Grave Distractions Publications with introductions by Brad Steiger, Micha Hanks, Brian J Allen, and Dean de Lucia. Not only is this visually and textually stunning digital version more expansive and complete; it is considerably less costly than its printed predecessors. New chapters, artwork, photographs, maps, and introductions are joined by substantial data and observations added to each section of the book, as well as a greatly-expanded appendix featuring the possibly non-human-generated imagery discovered by Richard S. Shaver, recorded in solid rock, and evidence of an ancient civilization that once existed on our planet.

This text is available in other eBook formats. Visit the Caverns, Cauldrons, and Concealed Creatures page at the Grave Distractions Publications website for the availabilities.

New Relase by Brian J Allan: The Believers: A Reinterpretation of Mystical and Religious Phenomena

In our second eBook release this weekend for paranormal and esoteric author Brian J Allan, The Believers: A Reinterpretation of Mystical and Religious Phenomena we see the next step in a logical progression of research and inquiry: are the "spiritual" and "religious" matters that humanity espouses or embraces intimately connected to, or part of, the paranormal and anomalous realm?  Is this part of a greater reality which is not only quantum in the micro- and macro-level, but also a source of manipulative intelligences, some of which are greater than our own? Some people seem destined to be used by these manipulative forces for destructive ends; others seem doomed to be dupes. Brian examines all of this with his characteristically crisp insight and rapier wit, and as always, his research is factually impeccable. This is a very important book, and one that should reside on the shelves of every student of comparative religion, mythology, Forteanism, Ufology, and the paranormal.  Brian compares cults, religious practices, relics, and personalities to their paranormal counterparts. 

Grave Distractions Publications has converted this text from the original print to various eBook formats. As of today it is available on Smashwords and at Barnes and Noble's Nook store. Releases for Amazon's Kindle, the iBookstore, and Sony eReader will be in the upcoming weeks.

New Relase from Brian J Allan: The Barriers of Belief

Over the weekend, Grave Distractions Publications released the first of two books by paranormal and esoteric author Brian J Allan.  "The Barriers of Belief explores the hair-thin line separating supposed extraterrestrials from virtually all the supernatural creatures found in myth and legend. The difference, where it exists, is based solely upon the perceptions and beliefs of the individual and the context in which the encounter occurs. It should be made clear from the outset that while this is not a book concentrating solely on alien abductions, it does describe situations where ordinary human beings have been placed in situations where the lines separating objective reality and fantasy become permeable.

The Barriers of Belief, contains several first hand investigations conducted by the author, also suggests that the mind numbing horrors so graphically described in the works of HP Lovecraft may be founded in the multiverse that surrounds our own version of reality. While the possibility of extraterrestrial interference cannot of course be ruled out, traditional folklore is replete with accounts that, if left in their context, describe contact and interaction with trolls, bogarts, ogres, fairies, elves, the sidhe, goblins, demons and many other entities inhabiting the very fringes of perception."  

This text has been converted from traditional print to various eBook formats by Grave Distractions Publications.  As of today it is available on Smashwords and at Barnes and Noble's Nook store.  Releases for Amazon's Kindle, the iBookstore, and Sony eReader will be in the upcoming weeks.

GDP Inks Deal with Paranormal Author Brian J Allan

To end the week off with a bang, we've inked a deal with paranormal and esoteric author Brian J. Allan to publish a number of his books in eBook formats.  Brian has been a contributor to The Fortean Times and is the editor of the UK's Paranormal Magazine.  We're excited about having Brian as part of the Grave Distractions family and will be posting more information about his titles at the Grave Distractions Publications website early next week.

GDP to Provide eBook Conversions for Ken Hudnall

Grave Distractions Publications has entered into an agreement with author and talk show host Ken Hudnall to provide print to eBook conversions for Mr. Hudnall's catalog.  Military veteran, Captain Ken Hudnall, was an instructor in urban warfare at the United States Army Infantry School and is the author of 40 plus books, including the award winning Manhattan Conspiracy series. The first in the series was written in 1992, but was a chillingly accurate portrait of the terrorist attacks on New York City in both 1993 and 2001. He has appeared on CNN, FOX News, Coast to Coast AM and other major networks as a special consultant in urban warfare. In addition to his works of fiction, he has written extensively on the issues of unidentified flying objects and national security.  Ken also hosts a nightly talk show on the Soup Media Network that deals with the paranormal, conspiracies, and the unexplained. Ken currently lives in El Paso, Texas with his wife.  To find out more about Ken, visit his author page on our website. 

Ken's first eBook release, When Darkness Falls, was released earlier this week on various eBook platforms.  When Darkness Falls is a paranormal thriller that deals with the residents of a small New Mexico town who are caught up in the machinations of immortals. 

GDP Does Digital Conversions for Author Norma Tillman

Norma Tillman, Private Investigator

Grave Distractions Publications is happy to announce that we are in the process of converting Private Investigation 101 and The Adoption Searcher's Handbook by Norma Tillman, Private Investigator.  Ms. Tillman specializes in finding and reuniting families & friends, and locating missing heirs.  Norma has appeared on many national and local television shows including Oprah, The View, The Nancy Grace Show, CNN, and NBC speaking about her cases.  Recently, Norma was interviewed by the Fab Over Fifty website about finding long lost friends.  Private Investigation 101 and The Adoption Searcher's Handbook are already available in various eBook formats at Smashwords and for the Nook.  Editions for the Kindle, Sony eReader, and the iPad will be available within the next few weeks. 

Get Your Inner Thomas Paine on with Kindle Singles

In an news release yesterday, Amazon announced the following in a press release:
 
"Less than 10,000 words or more than 50,000: that is the choice writers have generally faced for more than a century--works either had to be short enough for a magazine article or long enough to deliver the "heft" required for book marketing and distribution. But in many cases, 10,000 to 30,000 words (roughly 30 to 90 pages) might be the perfect, natural length to lay out a single killer idea, well researched, well argued and well illustrated--whether it's a business lesson, a political point of view, a scientific argument, or a beautifully crafted essay on a current event.

Today, Amazon is announcing that it will launch "Kindle Singles"--Kindle books that are twice the length of a New Yorker feature or as much as a few chapters of a typical book. Kindle Singles will have their own section in the Kindle Store and be priced much less than a typical book. Today's announcement is a call to serious writers, thinkers, scientists, business leaders, historians, politicians and publishers to join Amazon in making such works available to readers around the world.  "Ideas and the words to deliver them should be crafted to their natural length, not to an artificial marketing length that justifies a particular price or a certain format," said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President, Kindle Content. "With Kindle Singles, we're reaching out to publishers and accomplished writers and we're excited to see what they create." "

The idea holds promise on a number of levels to say the least.   What better way to publish a journal length article or story without having to expand or contract one's content into a book or magazine article.  Sounds like the Kindle world may be reviving the age of the monograph in the digital age.  Thomas Paine and Voltaire must be smiling somewhere.

Will Pubit's LendMe Program Hurt Author's Sales?

Barnes and Noble has recently opened its new Pubit tool for publishing eBooks on their Nook platform.  The Pubit system allows users to upload their book in a variety of file formats (HTML, RTF, TXT, DOC or DOCX) to be converted into an eReader friendly ePub file.  The system seems to mirror Amazon's Digital Text Platform (DTP) for the Kindle.  The thrust behind the Pubit tool is to allow independent authors and publishers the chance to get into the ePub marketplace with relative ease.   Even Barnes and Noble's marketing efforts are bent towards indie authors/publishers.

Looking simply at margins, using Pubit to publish an eBook is not a bad deal.  Pubit is offering a 65% return on the sales price to the author.  Considering the delivery costs and price matching of Amazon's 70% royalties program, Pubit is an attractive option.  This is especially true if you've been using Smashwords to distribute your book to Barnes and Noble.  Pubit will allow independent authors and publishers to forego Smashwords middleman fees.  All would seem to be running on greased grooves for Pubit's contribution to the independent publishing universe.

That is until you take a close look at Pubit's terms of service.  If you blink you'll miss that when signing your book up for the Pubit service, you are also agreeing to their LendMe program.  The LendMe program allows the purchaser of an eBook to "loan" their copy to another Nook user for up to 14 days.  This is taken directly from the Pubit terms of service agreement:

""Barnes & Noble shall have the right to institute a program whereby customers of any eBook Store can loan eBooks to others. A customer who has purchased an eBook may loan such eBook to one (1) lendee during a lending period. No more than one (1) copy of any one (1) eBook can be on loan from an eBook lendor at any given time. The lending period is for up to fourteen (14) days. By submitting your eBook for distribution using the Service you agree to allow your eBook to be distributed through Barnes & Noble's lending program pursuant to the terms listed in this Section IV.H. and as may be modified from time to time by Barnes & Noble, in its sole discretion."

According to this TOS clause, there is no limit on the number of times one may loan a book.  Theoretically, if one could lend an author's book out an infinite number of times for periods of less than a day if the borrower returns the book the same day.  If you look closely, Barnes and Noble may modify the program from time to time.  Taken to an extreme, Barnes and Noble could turn the LendMe program into a sort of Netflix for print.  The question that no one seems to be asking is what will that do to the sales of independent author's works?  The old adage of "why buy the cow when the milk is free" comes to mind. 

Naturally, I was concerned about this program and the impact it would have on the authors Grave Distractions Publications represents.  On one hand, an author's works could reach a wider audience by being freely distributed via LendMe.  This could potentially lead to long term sales growth by fostering a fan of one's work.  The potential short term consequences are a loss of sales.  So what is the answer?  Is there any advantage to the author/publisher for being forced into the LendMe program?

I didn't have that answer for my company, so I turned to the experts at Barnes and Noble.  One would think that they would have done marketing research on the effects of LendMe and sales.  I penned a nice email to the Pubit team voicing my concerns and asking for data to set my mind at ease.  For my effort I received a form letter saying that: "We respect authors' copyright and would never institute a program that we did not believe created an opportunity to generate sales."

While I appreciated the warm fuzzy of Barnes and Noble creating a program that they felt would assist my authors, I like hardcore data.  After a couple of emails back and forth reiterating my request for something tangible to make me believe LendMe would be beneficial.  After another couple of rounds of emails, this is what I received: "We understand your request for data.  Our response is that participation in PubIt! is dependent on the accepting the whole agreement which includes LendMe.  If you are not comfortable with the program as described we cannot be of further assistance."

I could have understood proprietary data being an issue or even "we're taking a chance and want you to take the risk with us."  However, the answer Barnes and Noble gave brought back memories of "because I'm your father, that's why".  The question remains, will Pubit's LendMe program hurt an author's sales?  I don't know the answer.  If Barnes and Noble does they're not saying.

Grave Distractions Publications Titles Available in the UK for Amazon's Kindle

As of this week, all of the titles Grave Distractions Publications represents are available in the United Kingdom via Amazon's Kindle.  "This represents a significant opprotunity for our authors and their works", said Grave Distractions CEO Brian Kannard.  We hope those in the United Kingdom enjoy our titles as much as their American counterparts!

Here's a list of the titles Grave Distractions Publications represents and the appropriate link for Kindle users in the UK:

Dogs to Men

Faith for a Dark Saturday

Going Home to Heaven

Holidays with Sundae: Conversations with My Cat

Hospice Mementoes: A Salutation to Dawn

Love Notes: Unwrapping the Gift of Intimacy

Peter Peacock Passes

Prior Knowledge

Quest

Skullduggery: 45 True Tales of Disturbing the Dead

Truth: A Novel

Jean Victoria Norloch Releases Going Home to Heaven

Grave Distractions Publications is happy to announce Jean Victoria Norloch's second novel Going Home to Heaven has been released at Smashwords in various eBook formats.  Traditional print and Kindle editions of Going Home to Heaven will be released soon.  

Synopsis

During one of her many trips to the other side of the world,  Feenx receives an email from Heaven and is offered a choice – Stay on Earth and continue to work with the man Feenx knows to be her past, present and future; or go home to Heaven.  The reward is to learn from the spirits of truths that will help both her and her partner further their future work on Earth.

To go home to Heaven is to leave behind all those Feenx  loves. The brave soul risks losing connection with not only them, but the woman she was. Keeping with her nature, Feenx takes the risk and accepts God’s offer.  Embarking on a journey into the unknown,  our heroine does not know how long she will be gone or if ever she will be allowed to return.

Completing her transition into her little slice of heaven, Feenx acquaints herself with the local inhabitants. Each is a person who has been given the same offer as herself.  Joining forces with an old friend, a human fairy, a demon, and a couple old souls;  Feenx engages in an exploration of the human condition as seen from the view of these new friends.  Eventually, Feenx is approached by ancient spirits and agrees to be a tool with which they can communicate openly to those on Earth.  Though some of what Feenx learns cannot be immediately reconciled as truths,  she allows the ancients to continue their lessons.  The light of the truth she has thus far faced are but a candle beside the burning sun of the challenges Feenx will face in the future.  Feenx persists in her exploration of humanity, hoping she might share the slightest spark of that light upon returning to Earth.  Feenx survives her brief trip to Heaven and returns to those she loves. Holding dear to the hope for the future, Feenx continues her work with a fresh outlook on the potential strength of the human spirit.  

Going Home to Heaven is a unique exploration of the soul of humanity.  Seen through the eyes of highly spirited and unique entities whose only desire is to help humans move past the "now".  The goal being to being humanity into a new world of light, love and laughter.