Want to help out an Author? Want to become a Beta Reader? Consider joining D.E.A.D!

Founded by Author Saundra Woffington, creator of the Wine Valley Mystery Series, D.E.A.D. – Dark, Edgy, and Dangerous – is group for authors to help each other cross promote their books and for individuals interested in become members of ARC groups or Beta Readers.

For more details, visit the Facebook page for D.E.A.D.

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Coming soon! The price of a Lie and Friends in low places

In six weeks I will have two new stories in print. The first, The Price of a Lie, will be for sale on Amazon on February 4th. The second, the first in the Capital City Characters series, will be Friends In Low Places.

The Price of a Lie is the seventh installment in the Inspector Thomas Sullivan Thriller series and will see our favorite trio encounter their most challenging case yet. Those who’ve had a chance to read a preview copy have declared The Price of a Lie to be the darkest of the Sullivan series as well as the most revealing story when it comes to Sully, Sarah, and Father Nathan.

Set on a moon cursed with a dystopian society, the race to discover the answers their client hired them to find is the most difficult case yet.

The Price of a Lie will be for sale on Amazon February 4th, 2020. For those who want a Kindle edition delivered the minute The Price of a Lie goes on sale, click here to pre-order!

On March 3rd, my new spin-off series, Capital City Characters, will see the first novella in the series become available for sale. Titled Friends in Low Places, this novella provides the backstory for one of the most important characters in the Sullivan thriller series, Joe Maynard, the owner of Joe’s.

Fans of the Inspector Thomas Sullivan Thriller series will be able to learn more about the main secondary characters that play key roles in each of the Sullivan stories. Friends in Low Places kicks off the series by telling Joe’s story, without whom there would be no meeting place for Sully, Sarah, and Father Nathan. Like The Price of a Lie, Friends in Low Places is also available for pre-order on Amazon.

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A Quick Shout Out to my Beta Readers for The Price of a Lie!

When a reader sits down to enjoy a good, well written story, they are seldom aware of the fact that the final, polished story is the resort of more than just the author. I want to take this opportunity to thank the following individuals whose efforts all contributed to an improved version of The Price of a Lie. A special thanks goes to Chery Deariso, Robin Ludwig, Rosemary Kenny, Heather Wamboldt, Gail Hart, Peggy Hacket, and Darcy Yarsh.

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Vote For The Title That Will Tell Sarah’s Story!

In an earlier survey to pick the title for Episode IV of Capital City Characters, the respondents managed to produce a tie. As you can see by Sarah’s expression in the illustration below, she is not a happy clone!

Until the title is finalized, it won’t be possible to proceed with the cover design or interior production files to be made so the novella telling Sarah’s story can be published.

What you see above is a snippet from the digitized version of the original hand drawn sketch of Sarah by the illustrator for the story, Sadie Rose du Vigneaud.

To participate in the vote to pick the title for Sarah’s story, please click on the link to Survey Monkey to cast your vote.

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New Spin-off series coming in 2020!

During late winter or early spring of 2020, the first of what will be a spin-off series based on characters and locations of the Inspector Thomas Sullivan Thriller series will be released. Written as novellas and priced accordingly, each book in the series is meant to provide a short, entertaining read while filling in the back history of prominent secondary characters.

The first release in the series is Friends in Low Places. This noir style work tells the story of Joe Maynard, the slightly eccentric owner of Joe’s, the unofficial office of both Sully and Father Nathan.

Capital City Characters, Friends in Low Places

Future releases in the series will include Dolls, Dames, and Danger, a story of what happens when three somewhat naive young women head out for a night on the town. When the town is Capital City, it’s not always a good idea.

Dolls, Dames, and Danger

This story focuses on Sarah, Katrina (Sully’s adult daughter), Jennifer (Markeson’s beautiful cyborg), and a band of bounty hunters.

Other characters to be featured in the series in future releases include Father Nathan, Bagley, the reporter, and Sully himself.

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Interview With Author Sandra Woffington

Sandra Woffington is the author of the Wine Valley Mystery series. Her about the author segment on her Amazon Book Listing pages states:

I’m a natural-born daydreamer. Characters have popped in and out of my brain for as long as I can remember. The most important thing to know about me is that I love to write, love and hate my characters (they do crazy things that blow my mind), and I love to create worlds. I hope you enjoy them.

I also love sunsets, and I have two sisters and three daughters, so trinities rock my world.

And now, for the interview!

Author Sandra Woffington
Author Sandra Woffington

Please share if you would the path you followed to becoming an author.

First, I read books on the craft, and I wrote a novel, which I rewrote several times. I then returned to college for formal study, receiving my B.A. in English at U.C. Irvine, where I also completed the Humanities Honors Program. My thesis won distinction as “the most outstanding.” I earned my MFA in Creative Writing and an MA in English at Chapman University.

To read the rest of the interview please click here.

Grenache and Graves
Now available on Amazon!
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Tech Noir Legend Rutger Hauer Passes Away at 78

Rutger Hauer, the Dutch actor who brought the replicant Roy Batty to life in the classic tech noir film Bladerunner, has passed away at his home.

Hauer’s “tears of rain” speech in the film was considered one of the high points of the story.

Batty was a rouge replicant on a murder spree in an attempt to have his predetermined lifespan lengthened. Bladerunner Rick Decker, played by Harrison Ford, was assigned to hunt Batty and the others in his group down and kill them.

In a deeply philosophical film, the “tears of rain” speech was significant. Hauer adlibbed parts of the speech which was a statement of the fantastic life experiences replicants have that organic humans don’t. The engineered humans are designed with a predetermined life span, usually very short, in order to maintain control over the replicant.

If you have not seen Bladerunner and are a lover of classic noir films, I strongly suggest you find a copy and watch it. It is beautifully filmed and is set in Los Angeles, a common noir city setting. If you can find it, watch a version with Harrison Ford’s Deckard narrating. I find this to be the best version.

For those interested in a philosophical explanation of the “tears in the rain” monologue, check this short video out.

The final 12 minutes of confrontation between Hauer’s Batty and Ford’s Deckard can be seen in this youtube video.

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And The Survey Said…

I want to thank the readers who took a few minutes to participate in my most recent survey about their book purchasing habits. Some people are always curious about the results of any survey they participate in so here is the data.

Question Number One:

When you read Kindle edition ebooks do you:

  • I only read books via Kindle Unlimited: 5.81%
  • I prefer to purchase books outright: 52.33%
  • I use a mixture of KU and purchases: 33.72%
  • I don’t buy from Amazon: 8.14%

Question Number Two:

If you buy an ebook, what is the most you will pay for a book?

  • Free only: 20.22%
  • .99 cents: 10.11%
  • 2.99: 12.36%
  • 3.99: 5.62%
  • 4.99: 11.24%
  • Price doesn’t matter if I want the book: 25.84%
  • I only buy when the title is discounted: 14.61%

Question Number Three:

Do you prefer books that are part of a series or stand alone?

  • Books in a series:  9.09%
  • Stand alone:  15.91%
  • It doesn’t matter:  75%

Question Number Four:

Do you prefer, when possible, to buy a series of novels in a box set or individually?

  • Box set: 36.36%
  • Individually:  12.50%
  • It doesn’t matter: 51.14%

Question Number Five:

Advertising in the digital age seems to be everywhere. Have you ever looked at or been influenced by advertising on any of the following platforms?

  • Amazon Also Bought:  16.87%
  • Amazon Sponsored Products Related to This Item: 6:02%
  • Facebook Ads: 7.23%
  • Pinterest: 2.41%
  • Instagram: 1.20%
  • eBook Newsletters Promoting Books: 66.27%

Question Number Six:

If you subscribe to e-newsletters promoting books, which ones do you subscribe to?

  • BookBub:  56.67%
  • Just Kindle Books: 3.33%
  • Book Adrenaline: 3.33%
  • ChoosyBookWorm:  0%
  • eReader News Today: 3.33%
  • Bargain Booksy: 3.33%
  • I don’t subscribe to any: 11.11%
  • Other: 18.44%

Question Number Seven:

Do you like the idea of novellas (short novels) that provide the backstory of recurring characters that are not the primary characters in a series?

  • Yes:  34.09%
  • No:  23.86%
  • It depends on the character:  42.05%

Question Number Eight:

When you are shopping for a new book, do you…

  • Shop by author: 20.93%
  • Shop by category/genre: 43.02%
  • Type in keywords to find novels you might enjoy: 1.16%
  • Shop by book title:  0%
  • Just surf the ebook retailer’s site: 20.93%
  • Other: 13.95

Question Number Nine:

Which of the following ebook retailers do you shop at?

  • Amazon:  76.67%
  • Amazon Kindle Unlimited: 24.44%
  • Kobo:  13.33%
  • Barnes & Noble Nook:  16.67
  • Apple:  14.44%
  • Google Books:  8.89%
  • Amazon UK: 12.22%
  • Smashwords:  13.33%
  • Tolino: 1.11%
  • Scribd:  0%
  • Other:  4.44%

Yes, I know these add up to more than 100%. This is due to the fact respondents were allowed to select more than one ebook retailer.

Question Number Ten:

Would you find illustrations in a novel interesting or an added value? NOTE: not a graphic novel – simply four or five illustrations interspersed throughout the story.

  • Yes: 69.66%
  • No: 30.34%
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City of Broken Lights Is Now Available!

The sixth installment of the futuristic neo noir Inspector Thomas Sullivan series is now available from Amazon!

City of Broken Lights
Crime Noir Thriller From The Future by K.C. Sivils

From the Amazon description:

A mysterious summons to another world.

News no man wants to hear.

Old acquaintances from the past, some of whom Sully would prefer to have never seen again.

A job that pays too well to turn down.

In the hot, gritty streets of the run down industrial district in the city of New Paris, Sully must race against time to find a kidnap victim and the truth in the City of Broken Lights.

For fans of Hardboiled Noir From The Future – Don’t miss City of Broken Lights!

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The Thomas Sullivan Chronicles and Other Stories