Time to Pay the Bills . . .

. . . and I’m giving Decisions a Five-Star Review!

We’ll get back to the fun stuff (photography, travel, wines, food, movies, and eReaders) or the serious stuff (aviation safety) later this week. I promise.  But first I’m going to do a little self-congratulatory crowing and to make a subtle plea to fans of both my book and this blog.  So please don’t fast-forward to the end.  If you must, then at least read the last two paragraphs.  I’d really appreciate it.

It’s been a banner month for The Great American Novel. I’m talking of course about that humorous, romantic, thrilling, edge-of-your-seat murder mystery Decisions, available for eBook readers from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon U.K. Not only has January been the bestselling month yet for this Publishers Weekly-reviewed novel, but this month has seen Decisions cited in many blogs.  Just this very week Decisions was reviewed in blogger Lynn O’Dell’s prestigious and well-followed Red Adept Reviews.  Lynn’s very in-depth review, gave Decisions a rating of 4½ Stars for Story/Plotline, 4½ Stars for Characters, 4¾ Stars for Writing Style, and a superb Overall Score of 4½ Stars for the entire novel.  Many thanks for the obvious effort and analysis you put into your very informative review, Lynn.

Many of the reviewers taking the time to heap praise upon Decisions are like me—they are first and foremost writers.  They are lovers of the written word, and they recognize and enjoy good writing and storytelling when they see it.  The following is a list of mentions, spotlights, and reviews Decisions has enjoyed this month:

Christopher Truscott (Rave Review):  “Thrilling Until the Very End”

DailyCheapReads (blog highlighting budget books priced at $5 or less)

Frugal eReader (blog dedicated to finding budget-priced novels)

Linda S. Prather—Author & Paranormal Investigator (blog for writing and for streams of consciousness)

Red Adept Reviews (4½-Star Review and Author Interview):  “This novel consisted of a very smart mystery with some fun twists. It kept me guessing until the end . . . ”

Word Pursuit — Jason G. Anderson (4½-Star Review):  “ . . . I think overall the book was superb and I’d happily recommend it to anyone who likes murder mysteries.”

And that’s all just during the month of January! Previously, Decisions was either mentioned, spotlighted, or reviewed in:

Candy’s Raves (& Rants) (4-Star Review):  “This is recommended for those that like quirky mystery suspense books with an island flair.”

Closing My Eyes Helps Me to See Clearly (Author Interview)

Kindle Nations Daily (Great place for Kindle owners to find free and bargain books)

Two Ends of the Pen (Author Interview)

It’s been a long journey getting Decisions out to my readers. Despite the best, never-ending efforts of my good friend and long-time literary agent Henry Morrison, Decisions was soundly rejected when it made the rounds in New York publishing circles back in 2002.  But I knew that both Henry and I were right—that Decisions really is a great read with an eager audience just waiting to be reached—when Publishers Weekly gave it a rave review (comparing it very favorably to the immortal works of Dame Agatha Christie) during the 2008 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.  When the Kindle came along and Amazon made ePublishing both easy and financially painless, I knew it was time to dive in and get Decisions out there to the public.  I’m glad I did.  Judging from the reaction of critics, fellow writers, and an ever-increasing fan base, it appears a lot of others are glad I did as well.

Recently Barnes & Noble followed Amazon’s lead with their PubIt! program, and I have since made Decisions available for the Nook eReader crowd as well.

But an author is never satisfied unless his readership is constantly growing. If you’ve read Decisions and enjoyed it, if you agree with the critics, reviewers, fellow lovers of the written word, and my agent, please spread the word.  Facebook it.  Twitter away.  eMail your friends.  Mention it in your blog.  The better Decisions does increases the likelihood of Henry finding a publisher for my upcoming novel The Globe, which I hope to have finished in the coming months.

If you haven’t read Decisions but enjoy this blog, why the heck are you waiting?  You’re missing out on a lot of fun.  But don’t take my word on that.  Click on the links above and see what others are saying.  And remember, both Amazon and Barnes & Noble offer free samples for download, or you can read a free on-line sample here: Kindle Boards Decisions Book Profile