Pros and Cons of the KDP Select Program

By Andrew Seltz

The Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform is a powerful tool that allows any independent author or publisher to compete alongside the biggest New York publishing houses when selling Kindle e-books. Getting equal access to the market is no longer an obstacle to successful publishing. The main challenge is getting noticed by potential readers. And that is where the KDP Select program comes in.

What is the KDP Select Program?

KDP Select is an exclusive publishing agreement between Amazon and authors who are publishing their e-books through the Kindle Direct Publishing platform. When an author enrolls in the program, she can take advantage of several marketing tools that are not available to non-members.

Enrolling in the program is easy. Whenever an author adds a new e-book to their KDP account, Amazon will ask if they want to enroll the book in the Select program. If she declines at that moment, the author can enroll a book in the program later using a link in the KDP bookshelf. Enrollment is set separately for each e-book published. So, an author may have some e-books enrolled and others not enrolled.

By enrolling an e-book in the KDP Select program, an author agrees to sell the digital version of her book exclusively through Amazon's KDP program. The e-book cannot be sold in any other digital format (including PDF files sold from the author's own website) during the duration of the agreement.

The Select program runs for a period of 90 days. By default, the enrollment is set to automatically renew for another term at the end of 90 days.The author has to switch off the auto-renew option manually if she chooses to leave the program.

If an author does decide to cancel enrollment in the program, she must still honor the exclusivity agreement until the end of the current 90 day enrollment period. Failure to do so could jeopardize the status of her account.

Benefits of the KDP Select Program

So, you may be wondering, what benefits does an author get for granting exclusive publication rights for her e-book to Amazon. Basically, she gets increased exposure within the Amazon website, her book is included in the Kindle Lending Library, and she is permitted 5 giveaway promotional days for her e-book during each enrollment period.

The Amazon website and the Kindle Readers make up an amazing sales ecosystem. Built into every facet of the Amazon marketplace are cross promotional opportunities that can help sell more copies of your book. There are best seller lists (for both free and paid e-books). When you view a one e-book's promotional page, Amazon generates and displays a list of other e-books 'you may be interested in.' On order pages Amazon tells you what other products people purchased who bought what you just paid for. In short, there are multiple places where Amazon sneaks in a quick sales message. As a member of the select program, you get a little better exposure in this ecosystem.

The Kindle Lending Library is a benefit for people who join the Amazon Prime program. Those members are allowed to borrow one book per month from the library at no charge. Amazon sets aside a block of money each month to divide among all of the people whose books have been borrowed. Each borrow can generate several dollars in income for the author. Your book appears in all of the areas listing available library books (more exposure.) Also, when people view the sales page for your book, they will see the price prominently listed as free - for Amazon Prime Members. The sales price for everyone else is listed below in more subtle text.

Finally, members of the Select program can give their books away for free for up to 5 days per enrollment period. These free days can generate massive exposure for your e-book. Amazon generates best seller lists for both free and paid Kindle books in every category. The lists are displayed side-by-side on the website. So, if you hit the top of the free chart, you can be seen right along side of the top paid book - more exposure.

Disadvantages of the KDP Select Program

The biggest disadvantage of enrolling in the KDP Select program is that your e-book cannot be sold on any other e-book platform. No sales to Nook owners or iPad users, or selling PDF versions directly through your website. Amazon dominates the e-book market, but there are lots of other places to sell your e-book. Many people do not realize that you can read Kindle books using free apps, so they skip the Kindle Marketplace because they think they need to own a Kindle device.

Free days, as many authors have discovered, are not a marketing magic bullet. Just because you give your book away does not mean you will suddenly become popular and make sales once the giveaway ends. And, the benefits might not offset the restrictions of your e-book only being sold through Amazon.

Just as free days are not magic, the Kindle Lending Library is no guarantee of riches either. Since Amazon Prime Members are restricted to one e-book borrow per month, they often save that for an expensive title. As I write this, Amazon has set aside $600,000 for the Kindle Lending Library payments (a figure that has been consistent for several months.) The promise is enticing, but results are not guaranteed.

Should You Enroll in the KDP Select Program?

The decision to enroll depends on many factors. If you have only one title, you might be better off publishing on multiple platforms and selling directly from your website as well.

If you have multiple e-book titles, you may choose to enroll some of your e-books in the program as a way to expose new readers to your work and steer them toward your other e-books.

Your goals for publishing might be to establish your expertise and reach new customers for your business rather than profiting from book sales. In that case you would benefit from being able to reach a wide audience through free days.

Ultimately, you have to weigh the pros and cons of enrollment and decide what makes the most sense for you. Oh, and make sure and turn the auto-renew option off - just in case you change your mind later.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Pros-and-Cons-of-the-KDP-Select-Program&id=7211838

Cold Lonely Courage by Soren Petrek

Cold Lonely Courage is a Historical Thriller

Madeleine Toche races to the front only to find her brother mortally wounded during the German Blitzkrieg attack on France at the outset of World War II. His death and her rape at the hands of an SS Stormtrooper cast Madeleine down a path of death and violence as her desire for revenge reaches a crescendo. Joining the BritishSpecial Operations Executive and on Churchill's command she returns to France to "Set Europe ablaze."

CLC has 43 5 star reviews on Kindle US, more on Kindle Uk and a 3.92 for 97 ratings on goodreads.

"Cold Lonely Courage is a compelling tale of bravery and daring. Petrek creates powerful characters. The combination of fine storytelling and people you care about will suck you in from page one and glue you to the book through to its climactic ending."- James Thompson Penguin author- Inspector Vaara Series, multiple nominations for awards

COLD LONELY COURAGE will be free on kindle Friday June 21 - Sunday June 23rd.

Hoodoo Money by Sharon Cupp Pennington

Things are not always as they seem in the Big Easy…

After her almost-wedding to a bigamist, successful children’s author Braeden McKay has given up on love. She’s content to live vicariously through her imaginary heroine, Platypus Pearl, and a gaggle of adventurous, web-footed cohorts — until a working vacation in New Orleans shakes up her quiet, structured world. Had she known that souvenir nickel stolen from the grave of a hoodoo woman would catapult her into a nightmare of betrayal and murder, she would have insisted her friend put it back. 

Cursed nickel or unfortunate happenstance? Sanderson Montgomery isn’t one to discount the supernatural beliefs of others. This is the Big Easy, after all, Mecca to the spiritual and the superstitious. As a veteran detective, neither does he ignore cold, hard fact. And the fact is, someone or something is bent on harming Braeden McKay, and it’s up to him to protect her while keeping his heart out of the mix.

Can love, the very thing Braeden wants no part of, be the one force greater than any adversary — even a hoodoo curse? Amazon.com

 

Sharon Cupp Pennington’s short stories have appeared in numerous online and print venues, with anthology contributions to The Rocking Chair Reader in the Coming Home edition (2004) and Family Gatherings (2005), A Cup of Comfort for Weddings: Something Old, Something New (2007), and Good Old Days Magazine (March, 2007). Her debut novel, Hoodoo Money, was released in May 2008 and the sequel, Mangroves and Monsters, in November 2009. She resides in Texas with her husband, Wayne, where she is currently working on her third novel in this series.

Hoodoo Money and two hundred other indie published ebooks are included in the IAN Christmas Kindle Fire Giveaway! For contest info and to enter to win a Kindle Fire HD 8.9 CLICK HERE

 

 

IAN Christmas Kindle Fire contest is sponsored by 
The Wardstone Trilogy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Loon Lake by S.L. Coelho

Thriller, novella

Black Loon Lake, an isolated, rugged retreat for those who desire great fishing and privacy. Tranquil, timeless and treacherous. Those who venture there, are dying to see it.

Reactions to Black Loon Lake:

...If you enjoy that sensation of having your guts twisted up in a knot with fear, you have to read Black Loon Lake! 

...The perfect summer read. A thrill for less than a cup of coffee, and one that will stay with you a lot longer!...

...gave me the chills...

...couldn't put it down - your writing is clear, vivid and engaging...

...awesome. It captured my attention; I didn't want to stop reading until I saw how it ended!

...really good, I loved it. My adult daughter insisted on reading it - she loved it! 

...scary!!! My stomach was instantly in a knot...

...vivid, believable characters. Love the ending!

...I'm never camping again...

From the Author

Black Loon Lake was always intended to be a novella. People lead busy lives, they're asking for shorter reads which they can fit into their hectic schedules. This novella addresses the need for quick entertainment - it's not a huge time commitment, but a story which will stick with many.

Although Black Loon Lake is fictitious, the impetus behind the plot is not, which makes it thrilling, compelling, and frightening.  I hope you enjoy the title, and if you find yourself in the middle of no-where, remember - you're on your own~ Amazon.com

S.L. Coelho grew up in southern Manitoba, where she (frightened) entertained her younger siblings with tall tales. As she matured, these tales blossomed into written works, which found a home in her high school locker, only to be thrown out every June. It was from her grandparents’ small library she discovered the vehicle to be transported to captivating worlds. She prefers works in horror/paranormal, thriller and historical fiction, but she has read all genres. Her list of ‘must read’ books grows weekly, deciding which title to read first is the true challenge. She has eclectic taste in music, which ranges from Handel’s Messiah to Nickelback. When she’s not writing or reading, she procrastinates by indulging in the occasional raucous game of Texas Hold’em or 9-ball, but she is just as happy engaged in a challenging game of chess. Prior to her experience as a former literary-based preschool instructor, she managed a successful Applied Behavioral Analysis team for several years, where her technical writing experience became an asset. She resides in British Columbia, with her two youngest children, and her husband who loves her in spite of her imperfections, she considers herself a lucky woman.

Black Loon Lake and two hundred other indie published ebooks are included in the IAN Christmas Kindle Fire Giveaway! For contest info and to enter to win a Kindle Fire HD 8.9 CLICK HERE

IAN Christmas Kindle Fire contest is sponsored by 
The Wardstone Trilogy

Ice on the Grapevine by R.E. Donald

Mystery

Ice on the Grapevine is a traditional mystery featuring Hunter Rayne, a retired homicide detective turned long haul truck driver. The story opens on a July morning with the discovery of a frozen corpse at a brake check just south of the Grapevine Pass in L.A. County. Hunter, who is in southern California making a delivery, is persuaded by his irascible dispatcher, Elspeth Watson, to help clear two fellow truck drivers who are arrested for the murder. His job is made more difficult by the fact that the suspects, a newlywed couple, won't speak up in their own defence. 

The circumstantial evidence is strong, and a rookie detective from the L.A. County Sheriff's Department is eager to score a win. The investigation crosses the Canada-U.S. border when the victim is identified as a second rate musician from Vancouver, and it turns out there were more than a few desperate people happy to see him dead, including the accused couple. Hunter has to use all his investigative skills to uncover the truth.

Hunter’s ex-wife maintains that by taking to the highway Hunter is running away from his past, but he believes that the solitude of days on the road is helping him to heal from guilt over the failure of his marriage and the suicide of his best friend. His life gets more complicated when he feels an unwelcome attraction for a lawyer representing one of the accused.

Tangled relationships and multiple suspects emerge throughout the novel, as Hunter butts heads with more than one officer of the law to solve the crime. Amazon

R.E. Donald is the author of the Hunter Rayne highway mystery series. Ruth worked in the transportation industry in various capacities from 1972 until 2001, and draws on her own experiences, as well as those of her late husband, Jim Donald, in creating the characters and situations in her novels.

Ruth attended the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, B.C., where she studied languages (Russian, French and German) and creative writing to obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree.

She currently lives on a small farm in Langley, B.C., where she and her partner, Gilbert Roy, enjoy their Canadian Horses (Le Cheval Canadien) and other animals.

Ice on the Grapevine and two hundred other indie published ebooks are included in the IAN Christmas Kindle Fire Giveaway! For contest info and to enter to win a Kindle Fire HD 8.9 CLICK HERE

                        

The Charm: Olivia Hart and the Gifted Program by Alana Siegel

THE CHARM is a young adult fantasy novel and book #1 in the Olivia Hart and the Gifted Program series.

Imagine what high school would be like if your ex-boyfriend fired lightning when he was angry, the sporty girl in your class had enough strength to lift a flatbed truck, and you could charm your way out of trouble

When shy, sixteen year old, Olivia Hart, witnesses the actual rainstorm her ex-boyfriend, Max Smarr, creates in Pandora high school's cafeteria, she’s convinced she’s lost her mind. Nothing will prepare her, however, for the discovery of her own special Gift. 

Olivia Hart has always been satisfied living in the shadows of her peers, and so high school doesn’t get any easier when her charismatic brother goes off to college and her relationship with her edgy boyfriend comes to an end. When she comes across an antique charm, she finds out that she can compel people with her mind and hiding is no longer an option. With the help of her friends in the Gifted Program and each of their special Gifts, what happens next in this young love and coming of age story will force Olivia into the spotlight, test her friendships, and cause her to question her role in a society. Amazon

Alana Siegel is the author of the Olivia Hart and the Gifted Program fantasy young adult series. She was raised on Long Island, New York. She was the valedictorian of Plainedge High School and graduated with a B.A. and double major in Finance and Accounting from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University. She currently lives in San Francisco, California, with her fiancé, Stefan Mag, and their ragamuffin cat named Zeus. Since early childhood she has loved to read fantasy books. Add a little romance and a happy ending and in her eyes you have a perfect afternoon of reading.  

The Charm and two hundred other indie published ebooks are included in the IAN Christmas Kindle Fire Giveaway! For contest info and to enter to win a Kindle Fire HD 8.9 CLICK HERE

Verliege by Micheal Rivers

paranormal thriller

The world of Adrian Bolt shattered as his wife lay butchered on the floor of Castle Verliege. His conviction by a German court was as swift as the sword that killed her. He maintained his silence knowing his story would not be believed. Though his reputation was impeccable there was nobody willing to stand for him.

Another world lay in wait for anyone living within the walls of the castle; waiting, watching, for eternity to keep the Mueller name upon its registers. There is only one world here for those who choose to stay. To enter its doors is an invitation you will not soon forget!

Praise for Verliege from Amazon.com

"...Like Gilman, Hodgson, and Lovecraft, the richness of dialog is not lacking in Rivers's prose...Rivers does not so much stand upon the shoulders of these giants as he rubs elbows with them."

- Amy K. Marshall, Staff Reviewer, Dark River Press 

" ... writing is so descriptive you will feel like you are there, in the story."

- Jennifer at Can't Put It Down Reviews

"...an offering so realistic... His protagonists have a realism that is not often found. "

- Karen Doering "Parent's Little Black Book"

Micheal Rivers, born in 1953, is an American author. His writing genres include Thriller,Paranormal and Horror. Micheal has been writing for several years. In the past he concentrated on Romantic Poetry. In recent years he has focused on writing Fiction and Paranormal stories.

Micheal has over thirty years of investigating and collecting stories of the paranormal. He is the lead investigator for the Smokey Mountain Ghost Trackers of Western North Carolina. He served his country as a United States Marine during Vietnam. He is a native North Carolinian. He lived in the Chicago area in the past and furthered his education there. He served the community as an Emergency Medical Technician while living there. Micheal currently resides in the mountains of North Carolina along with his wife and his Boxer he fondly calls Dee Dee.

Verliege and two hundred other indie published ebooks are included in the IAN Christmas Kindle Fire Giveaway! For contest info and to enter to win a Kindle Fire HD 8.9 CLICK HERE

IAN Christmas Kindle Fire contest is sponsored by 
The Wardstone Trilogy

Two Graves by D.A. Graystone

Two Graves Suspense, thriller

Forty year old Preston Peterson, pudgy, myopic and socially inept, knows the terror of being bullied. From his earliest childhood memory, he has faced ridicule, name calling, harassment and beatings. Fear ruled his life, possessed him, controlled his every encounter with others.

Now, he has killed.

Now, rage rules his life.

Digging out his despised High School year book, Preston uses computer aged photographs to find and kill look-alikes of his persecutors.

The time has come for those who bullied him to pay the ultimate price for their torture.

Preston is getting even and everyone is a target.

But with a panicked city and Lieutenant Gregg Mann's task force looking for him, Preston should have remembered the Chinese proverb, "Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig TWO GRAVES."  Amazon.com

"If you're a fan of fast paced serial killer drama you're going to love this one!"

Brenda C. - Readers Favorite

"Graystone has done an excellent job in creating an interesting and fascinating book."

Q Stewart-Book Reviewer

"I caught myself not blinking for fear of missing something. Two Graves is excellently written and keeps one on one's toes." H.L. Van Zyl-Book Reviewer

Derek Graystone was born in Rivers, Manitoba, Canada. After a brief stay there and in Trenton, Ontario, Canada, Derek has spent the majority of his life in London, Ontario, Canada. He graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelors Degree in English Literature in 1984.

Derek has had a varied career including jewellery store manager, warehouse manager for an ice cream distributor, manager of a gas station, and the finance and systems manager for a children's charity. In 2002, Derek quit his day job and started his own office automation and Internet presence company and a relaxation massage business with his wife. Derek is also a Reiki Master as well as having a successful online Wiccan business.

Derek's first book, The Schliemann Legacy, is a spy thriller involving Nazis, terrorists and the hunt for the treasures of Troy.

Derek followed up with Two Graves, a crime novel about a serial killer who is killing look-alikes of the people who bullied and terrorized him in his youth. Derek is planning to release the next in the Kesle PD series called Too Many Graves which will appear in the summer of 2012.

Currently, Derek is working on two non-fiction books OMG, I Think I'm a Witch and A Year of Wicca about the Wiccan religion due for release in September 2011 as well as the first novel in the Witches of Aquarius series; Windcrusher will be released in December 2011.

Derek lives with his wife Yvette in their home in London Ontario when they aren't visiting their island getaway in Exuma, Bahamas. Derek is also the father of four girls and one boy and has three granddaughters.

Two Graves and two hundred other indie published ebooks are included in the IAN Christmas Kindle Fire Giveaway! For contest info and to enter to win a Kindle Fire HD 8.9 CLICK HERE

IAN Christmas Kindle Fire contest is sponsored by The Wardstone Trilogy

The Sugar Divorce by Suzanna Stinnett

Non-fiction/diet

This is the story of my recent experience losing weight and gaining muscle by maintaining a healthy relationship with my blood sugar and my insulin.I was completely frustrated by the loss of control I felt around my weight. I’m blown away at the success I’ve had in just a few weeks, and I want to share how I did it.

When I say sugar, I mean not just refined sugar but all foods that convert quickly to sugar. Maybe you’ve heard of “slow carb” (not “low-carb”). That’s another way of looking at how to eat to feel satisfied, keep your weight down, and maintain energy. Slow carb is good.

"I LOVE THIS BOOK ! I am so happy with my progress." Susan Goins, Ormond Beach, Florida

"Suzanna's book gave me the same feeling as when I read "Julie and Julia"! Her writing is friendly and personal - like your best friend writing to you, and encouraging you to come along for the ride." Heather Noell

"This very engagingly written book will help you to understand how managing your insulin by ditching the refined sugar and eating "slow carbs" and plenty of healthy protein and good fats will help you find your body again. Especially recommended for those of us in the over 50 group." Nutritionist, Diane Fischler of San Rafael, CA

"It's all a great prescription for life and Suzanna brings it to us with candor, humility and humor. Thank you Suzanna!" From Lori of Lori's Latest on Amazon Reviews

Today, people interested in fitness after fifty are benefiting from all the tools used by younger fit-conscious people. But there's one element that may play the biggest role in whether you are on the road to being strong & lean, or headed in the opposite direction as you age. That one thing is insulin -- and your sugar intake is the overriding factor in your insulin levels. Insulin is the agent that programs your body to hold onto every particle of fat, or to burn fat for energy. Your sugar intake is running the stop-and-go lights on your insulin.

Leaving sugar is not a little thing. Not when it's been your friend, companion, deep counsel, doctor, healer, stimulant and brain food. In his latest blockbuster book, "The 4-Hour Body," Tim Ferriss proposes a new relationship to sugar. When a person realizes a dangerous addiction, the customary "healthy" response is to end the relationship. But that doesn't really end it, does it? Once an addict, always an addict? This journey is one of coming into a new relationship. Amazon

Suzanna Stinnett was born in Lawton, Oklahoma and raised in the flat midwestern plains around bison, rattlesnakes and boulders. She wrote songs before she wrote stories. A long time resident of the coastal hills north of San Francisco, California, she now writes serial fiction set in the Bay area ("Cherry Tales") and offers a variety of e-books which can be found on Kindle. Suzanna is the founder of Bay Area Bloggers Society, ePub Clubs and Reclamation Arts.

The Sugar Divorce and two hundred other indie published ebooks are included in the IAN Christmas Kindle Fire Giveaway! For contest info and to enter to win a Kindle Fire HD 8.9 CLICK HERE

The Covert Element - A James Becker Thriller by John L. Betcher

Former military intelligence operative, James “Beck” Becker and his CIA code-cracking wife, Beth, have retired to Beck’s hometown of Red Wing, Minnesota. Their retirement has already proven more exhilarating than they’d expected.

But they could never have anticipated the new source of crime and intrigue in their small community. A Mexican drug cartel has set up shop a few miles down the road. And they’re not just selling. The new meth production facility is the largest north of the Rio Grande. 

To complicate matters further, Terry “Bull” Red Feather’s former comrade-in-arms has come to visit. And he’s on a mission. His decades-long assault on the cartels is coming to a head. His plan is to blow up the drug plant . . . if he can find it. He wants Bull to help.

The Beckers’ challenge? To dismantle cartel operations before a full-blown drug war breaks out in Red Wing. Amazon/Kindle 

SILVER MEDAL - 2011 Readers Favorite Book Awards.

“I loved this book, I couldn't put my Kindle down! I can't wait to read more of this author's works. This book was so intriguing and suspenseful and best of all WELL WRITTEN.” Amazon Review. 

“An intelligent thriller that weaves the echoes of recent events into a lively narrative. Plotted deftly, this is a recommended read for all who appreciate stories in the vein of Clancy and Flynn.” Ryne D. Pearson, Bestselling Author of Simple Simon (which became the movie, Mercury Rising)

“This is a well-plotted and exceptionally written and researched thriller. Betcher tells a convincing story and yet manages to keep the violence and coarse language to a minimum and thus ensures a wide and satisfied audience. All the players are brought together as Betcher builds momentum and suspense for a satisfying ending that will leave you entertained and excited for the next episode. The book stands alone well, but I dare you to read this one without needing to quickly purchase The Missing Element (book 1) and The 19th Element (book 2). Highly Recommended. READERS CHOICE REVIEWS.

“This novel tells a complicated tale of revenge that comes to those who wait.” Marty Dodge for Book Pleasures.

“Follow the potential life of one Mexican-American individual who dedicated his life to eliminating the Drug Cartels. John Betcher's choice to use this character is intriguing, allowing us to see into the heart of many Mexicans who are just as concerned, and maybe even more so, about the influence of drugs in the United States and throughout the world. I commend John for this effort and look forward to future important books in this series. Highly recommended.” GA Bixler for REVIEWERS ROUNDUP. 

Amazon Bestselling Author, John L. Betcher, holds a Bachelor's Degree, cum laude, in English from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Minnesota Law School in Minneapolis. He has practiced law for more than twenty-five years in the Mississippi River community of Red Wing, Minnesota. Mr. Betcher has published an award-winning series of "Becker" suspense/thriller novels. The first four are THE 19TH ELEMENT, THE MISSING ELEMENT, THE COVERT ELEMENT, and THE EXILED ELEMENT. He has also authored the award-winning spiritual phenomenon, A HIGHER COURT.

THE COVERT ELEMENT and two hundred other indie published ebooks are included in the IAN Christmas Kindle Fire Giveaway! For contest info and to enter to win a Kindle Fire HD 8.9 CLICK HERE

IAN Christmas Kindle Fire contest is sponsored by The Wardstone Trilogy

Bone Dressing by Michelle Brooks

Young adult Fantasy

Time is running out … the Dark that's been chasing Syd for many lifetimes has finally caught up with her …

Sydney Roberdeau lost her parents as a young girl. Waiting for her life to start and the freedom that will come with her eighteenth birthday, Syd spends much of her time haunting the local cemetery. It is there, stretched out among the dead, that she feels most alive, most at home. Until one rainy night when Beau, Sarah and T.J. crash her ghostly sanctuary, appearing out of nowhere, turning her already inside-out world one degree past upside down.

Syd must now revisit past lives, dressing in the bodies of her previous selves … bone dressing. Her only chance to outrun the evil breathing down her neck is to face her own worst nightmares and her strongest desires. But if she can’t stay out of trouble in this life, how can she possibly fix mistakes from past lives? And just how many lives has she lived, loved and lost? What is Syd exactly, and what will she risk for the life of a man she doesn’t remember, the man she spent a lifetime with, the man she loves? Everything … including her very own life?

Bone Dressing, the first in a series of seven books, will carry Syd and Beau on an adventure that transcends life itself.

Michelle I. Brooks was born in the pre-dawn hours of a crisp February morning in 1966 in a little one-bedroom apartment behind the Alabama Theater in Montrose in the heart of Houston. She first saw the world as Brian Westworth Brooks until her grandmother informed Michelle’s mother that the number of protruding body parts had been drastically miscalculated, that her grandchild was a she, not a he. As it turned out, Michelle’s mother had been much too busy counting fingers and toes to bother with other jiggly bits. So, Brian Westworth became Wendy Lynn, another fine name which served Michelle well for all of two days. Upon signing the birth certificate, Michelle’s father surreptitiously changed her name one last time, ultimately introducing the world to Michelle Irene Brooks, one little girl big enough to have already lived the lives of three.

While being totally Texan and living in or near Montrose the majority of her life, Michelle has traveled the world and lived a life rich with love, laughter, heartache and adventure. She came into the world seeing it through different eyes and carries with her to this day a rich, unique perspective of the life breathing all around her and within her.

Bone Dressing and two hundred other indie published ebooks are included in the IAN Christmas Kindle Fire Giveaway! For contest info and to enter to win a Kindle Fire HD 8.9 CLICK HERE

IAN Christmas Kindle Fire contest is sponsored by The Wardstone Trilogy

Elizabeth E. Wilder is the Author of "Granite Hearts" & "The Spruce Gum Box"

The Spruce Gum Box

A Family Forged by Adversity. 

A Community United by Dreams.

Addie loved to run along the river’s edge so the wind could blow through her long hair, released from the strict bun her father demanded. When Jed returned from the lumber harvest in the spring, she would fly into his arms, releasing her pent-up passion from its winter prison. Little did they know their forbidden love would set in motion a series of events that would forever change their lives and make Jed a fugitive.

With a bounty on his head and his infant son hidden beneath his coat, Jed turned to the only man he felt he could trust—the leader of a nearby Micmac Indian settlement. The unlikely partnership that ensued defied all odds, overcoming bigotry, betrayal, and the unforgiving 1820s Maine wilderness, to stake a claim on the primitive New England landscape.

As the strife escalated between Great Britain and the United States over the border of Maine and the rights to its lucrative lumber industry, determination to survive and create a life for his young son drove Jed into uncharted territory and perilous adventure. 

Granite Hearts

Maine Historical Fiction  1844-1865

In Granite Hearts, sequel to The Spruce Gum Box, Sean and Gert Ryan set forth from the familiar comfort of their Aroostook River homeland in Maine to begin life anew along the Penobscot.  Naïve newlyweds, wide-eyed with fanciful future hopes and dreams, they leave tranquil Smytheville to settle near bustling Bangor, the mid 1800’s lumber capital of the world.  In time their bright future faces clouds of uncertainty.

Nana Hodge embraces the couple with her sheltering wisdom but can’t protect the growing family from escalating bigotry and impending tragedy.  Sean’s Micmac Indian roots spawn dangerous conflicts on the jobsite of Fort Knox being built to protect Bangor from possible British re-occupation. Though Gert raises their family to respect others, many choose not to return that respect.  Despite this, she grows strong fighting injustice towards the Penobscot Indian Nation, treading the dangerous shadows of the Underground Railroad, while growing as a woman within the suffragette movement.  

Unfortunately, Sean’s quest to provide the best for his family ultimately leads to their neglect and eventually strains the marriage. As his personal troubles devour him, Sean and Gert’s union begins to fracture, not having the strength of the beloved granite which he chisels at the Fort.  In time, their two  eldest sons leave home to fight alongside Joshua Chamberlain and the Maine 20th in the War Between the States. And thus, the Ryan family must endure even more sacrifice. 

Elizabeth E. Wilder 

As a senior that never gave up on her dream of finding time to write a novel, I launched The Spruce Gum Box in 2010 on my 72nd birthday. The sequel Granite Hearts should release spring 2012 with another great launch party on my 74th.  I have been asked if this is part of my bucket list. Hardly. Rather, writing historical fiction was the beginning of a new world for me, one that helped me decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. Whenever an opportunity arises, I spread the word of aging with abandon where age is just a number with a positive attitude.

 My husband of 52 years and I relocated from Maine to PA, settling in an active senior community. (No snow shoveling!). Here, I have been able to brush my stories with the color of years of experiences – good and bad.  This has in no way taken away our need to escape occasionally to the salt air of the Maine coast, lobsters and fried clams.

I am also involved with playing hand bells and directing a senior chorus. First and foremost will always be my family, grandchildren and of course Smokey the cat.

"Granite Hearts" & "The Spruce Gum Box" and hundreds of other indie published ebooks are included in the IAN Christmas Kindle Giveaway! For contest info and to enter to win a Kindle Fire HD CLICK HERE