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Countdown of the Top 10 Reasons You Should Read WORLD-MART:

10/26/2011

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10.  The title sounds like a famous corporate “person.”

9.  It’s only $4.99 on Kindle and other electronic formats.

8.  You seek to make one Indy author’s day, one book at a time.

7.  The story imagines a future in which everything is run by the Corporate Monster.

6.  The paperback would look fantastic on your coffee table.  I highly recommend it.



5.  Ms. Lane’s other science fiction works have proven themselves as highly creative and well received through numerous glowing reviews and reader polls.

4.  You would happily read any work that pays homage to speculative greats such as Vonnegut, Orwell, and Bradbury.

3.  You like dystopia and feel it’s fitting we have one for our time and place.

2.  It may be the only book you’ll ever recommend to your friends and loved ones that you didn’t particularly enjoy reading.  As one Amazon Kindle reader wrote in his 4-star review:

         
Note: This is probably the most confused review I have ever tried to write! How can, "I didn't  
         like it," and "well done" be in the same review?? That cannot make sense. But it does!

         Do I recommend this book after writing the above? Yes
.

1.  The ending will haunt you, and everyone loves a book that sticks with them like that.


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Please Welcome Guest Author Gordon A. Kessler!

10/23/2011

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Today, as part of his virtual book tour, it is my pleasure to welcome horror author Gordon A. Kessler, who has a great new release, Jezebel.  Gordon is giving away a $50 Amazon gift certificate to one lucky blog tour poster--the more blogs you post at, the better your chances of winning--so make sure to leave a comment.  

Thanks for stopping by The Cerebral Writer, Gordon!
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Thanks for hosting me on your blog, Lisa!

I’ve been asked to write about meshing horror with romance. Well that’s not only a potent mix but a perfect one! How appropriate that we discuss Jezebel with such an assignment. As many of you know, I wrote Jezebel while going through a divorce—hence horror without romance. But writing is great therapy, and I think Jezebel helped me through the tough times.

Romance, humor and horror all need a build-up—suspense—to draw out the most entertainment/emotional value of the target scene. Crafting any of these elements require similar techniques, even though the writer is looking for very different results. Whether looking for a sigh and a warm heart, a chuckle and a smile, or a frightened, wide-eyed start, a seed or plant is needed early on. This is done by simply placing something in the story in an early scene to be built on in later scenes. With the interest of not getting off track, I’ll just give a couple of simple examples: for romance, it might be a glance or a coincidental meeting of the soon-to-be, romantically involved characters; for horror, it might be the door that hasn’t been opened for twenty years or the spooky alley that must be passed every night. 

So, after seeding the romance, readers begin to identify with the characters and find empathy with them more easily. But they become interested in not only the romantic couple, but also in the romantic subplot that develops. This adds a depth and complexity to the story, as well as the feel of realism. Then, when one or both of these lovebirds find themselves in jeopardy, talented fictionists will be able to convey the tension and suspense quickly and hook the readers.

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In Jezebel, Tony Parker loves his wife, that’s obvious. She’s the mother of his children, his high school sweetheart—she keeps him grounded. But Tony’s going through that stage common to us all when we realize we aren’t the young, attractive person we used to be—he’s having a midlife crisis. Ripe and ready for the picking (and very willing) is his beautiful and seductive young assistant. Working closely with Sarah isn’t easy for a man who feels the need to prove to himself that he still has a little coal in furnace, yet who is also a moral family man who loves and appreciates his wife and family.  This is especially true since he seems to be coming down with more than just a little cold virus or flu bug. Something inside his head is gnawing away at his thoughts, making him do things he wouldn’t normally do.   

With the huge black Great Dane loose and terrorizing the city at night, dogs attacking their masters for apparently no reason, and the sexual tension between Tony, his wife Julie, and assistant Sarah, the action clips along at a very fast pace. Then, when Jezebel seems to be stalking Tony, his friends and his family, that rapid pace goes into overdrive. 

Romance in a horror novel—I can’t think of a better way to really ramp up the tension. But I write mystery and sci-fi thrillers, as well. I feel romance plays a very important role in all of my novels for the same reasons I have explained. I hope you check out my stories and let me know if it works! 

Please, give me your comments; what makes a good scare for you, my dear bloggers? 

I have other blogs and websites for writers. You can tweet me at www.Twitter.com/gordonkessler, friend me at www.Facebook.com/gordonkessler1 and link with me at www.LinkedIn.com/in/gordonkessler.  

And you can always find my books at any online bookstore, including Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Nook, etc. All three of my thrillers are currently on sale in eBook formats for only $.99—trying to get those sales numbers soaring! Of course, you can find them in traditional paperback and hardcover at reasonable prices, as well.

Here’s how to find out more about my work: the book trailers on YouTube for Jezebel at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zHD9pmHOzk&feature=related; and Brainstorm at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eDjWJFbRdI.  

Then there’s my blog at www.WMxBlog.com  and my websites at www.GordonKessler.com  and www.ReadersMatrix.com. 
Thanks again for hosting me on your blog! Happy reading!

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About Jezebel:

Sleep lightly tonight…

A madman has come to town seeking a diabolical revenge and large dogs begin attacking their masters for no apparent reason and with heinous results.

Animal Control Director Tony Parker must find out why and stop the murderous attacks. Meanwhile, Jezebel, a huge black Great Dane has killed her master and is loose, terrorizing the city and stalking Parker and his family. Parker and Sarah Hill, his beautiful and seductive young assistant, attempt to unravel the mystery and stop the terrible carnage while dealing with their own demons and lusty desires.

The attacks must be stopped. Jezebel must be found-and soon, you see--there is one other complication. Parker seems to have come down with an annoying little virus. No, it's not one of those irritating summer colds. It's certain death.

She's a murderess, huge and black as a hell-bound night.

Beware. Jezebel is on the loose!

Excerpt:

Hill went to the front door and watched Chin’s van make a U-turn at the corner and head down the street.  The headlights flashed in Hill’s face, momentarily blinding her.  She winced.  The light burned her already blood-shot, weary eyes.

A silent moment passed before a sound came from outside.  The back yard.  Scratching.  Something was climbing over the fence.

The rifle.  It was still next to the back door.  Hill moved quickly toward the kitchen.  As she made it to the hall, the dog port began to open.  Hill stepped to the side, out of sight, before seeing what was coming through.

She trembled, backing up to the wall next to the large window that was painted shut.  She could run for the door, but by the time she reached it, she’d be seen.  No way out.  Hide.  Where?  There was no place.  Behind the sheer curtain, maybe.  In the dark, she might not be seen if she was quiet and didn’t move.

She pulled the curtain around her.  She could see through it, but it made the already dim room even dimmer.  The blowing fan was the only noise.  Nothing moved except the oscillating shadows of the fan blades beating the stale air through the room.  The green flash of the clock on the CD player caused an eerie, strobing light.

A dark shape slowly emerged from the hallway and moved into the room.  Large.  Huge.  Black.

Author bio:  Gordon A Kessler is a former US Marine parachutist, recon scout, and Super Squad team leader, with a bachelor's degree in creative writing. He is a Master Instructor for Johnson County Community College, National Academy of Railroad Sciences, and the BNSF Railway. He has taught novel writing for Butler County Community College, English Composition for Hutchinson Junior College and has previously indie-published the thriller novels Brainstorm and Dead Reckoning, and a book about the novel-writing craft, Novel Writing Made Simple.

He is a founder and current president of the Kansas Writers Association and tries to stay connected to writers and the writing industry by doing speaking engagements at writers conferences and for writers organizations, and does his own "The Storyteller" seminar in Wichita, Lincoln (Nebraska), Kansas City, and other Midwestern cities based on his Novel Writing Made Simple book.

His websites, http://www.WritersMatrix.com and http://www.IndieWritersAlliance are landing pages for writers to help them in their writing endeavors. His author website is http://www.GordonKessler.com.

Other links:

http://www.ReadersMatrix.com

http://www.Twitter.com/GordonKessler

http://www.Facebook.com/GordonKessler1

http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/GordonKessler

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Review: JEZEBEL BY Gordon A. Kessler

10/23/2011

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Several dogs start turning on strangers and their owners alike while a Bible-thumping madman is leaving his mark all across town.  Called to investigate alongside local police is animal control officer Tony Parker, put on the case after several vicious mauling incidents show evidence of human involvement.  He works with his assistant Sarah Hill to help search for the cause before the growing group of roaming, murderous dogs claims even more victims.  A rabies outbreak appears to be responsible at first, and yet the dogs are seemingly becoming increasingly organized and timed in their attacks. . . .

Jezebel is a fast-paced thriller that calls to mind Dean Koontz’s brainwasher thriller Night Chills and Stephen King’s rabid horror Cujo.  I thought the story was well organized, albeit very notably action-packed.  The different turns are delightful and the level of gore is a nice compromise between tasteful and horrific.  The characters reflect a good level of development and the protagonist is likeable and believable.  The short chapter written in Jezebel’s point of view is interesting and well placed, and I thought the final twist at the end was very good, although I found the repetitive language referring to that twist to be a little distracting.  With that said, I recommend Jezebel to fans of contemporary horrors and thrillers who enjoy a lot of action in their books.


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Are we slowly slipping into a real World-Mart . . . and is there anything we can do to stop it?

10/21/2011

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Back when I was a child, not that long ago, small businesses were all over the place.  There were grocery markets, department stores, and restaurant chains, but “Mom and Pop” were still everywhere.

My first job was at a family owned, full-line pet store.  My boss taught me the importance of treating the customer right, taking pride in my work, always doing right by the animals, and being educated about what I was selling.  The bottom line was important, but not as important as customer loyalty and product quality.  Fast-forward twenty years and one would find me working as a manager at a corporate pet store chain.  I found the differences between the establishments to be profound—and that bigger does not always mean better.

After an especially trying tangle against the corporate red tape on one side of me and low paid young adults slacking under my watch on the other, I remember deciding I was going to write a book that took place in a world where everyone was reduced to a nametag, khakis, and a polo shirt.  In this world, no one took pride in what they did, so everything was of mediocre quality at best.  The multiple levels of managers and associates made it impossible to accomplish anything efficiently.  Everyone did all of their shopping at the Food-Mart, because that was the only place left for people to go.  Churches were owned by Faith-Corp.  People got all of their news from Info-Corp.

And then the terrifying thought struck me that we were already well on our way there.


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WORLD-MART Trailer

10/20/2011

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Buy it now for your Kindle or PC--paperback coming soon.
Update: paperback now available here.
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WORLD-MART is coming....

10/14/2011

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Government and corporate business have merged in an attempt to  keep the country  from going bankrupt, the effects of global warming and antibiotic-resistant  disease having caused a full collapse in infrastructure. The class divide has become profound, leaving most people trapped in an impoverished, working class world with little room for improvement. Complacency and corporate hierarchy  control and confound the masses, run by the elite few, collectively referred to as "Corporate."

George Irwin remembers a time before the Big Climate 
Change, back when the airlines were still in business and people still drove their own cars.  Sadly, his children have only known an indoor world of endless reconstruction, public shuttles, recycled water, and limited energy.  The world has changed much over his lifetime, but he still
believes in the American Dream. 

When an alleged terrorist act lands his wife in the hospital, however, George stumbles upon a Corporate secret that could mean the end of all civilization.

What does your future look like?

October 15 -- Kindle and PC
October 21 -- Paperback
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