An Arson Investigation, on #LisaBurtonRadio

Hey there all you nail benders and tool belt aficionados, you wood butchers of every stripe. You’ve landed on Lisa Burton Radio, the only show that brings you characters from the books you love, or soon will. My special guest today is Brian Nichols, owner of Nichols Construction, in Driscoll Lake, Texas. “Welcome to the show, Brian.”

“Hi Lisa. Thanks for having me. I admit I’ve never been interviewed by a robot girl before.”

“Don’t worry, it’s no different than any other interview. Now, Driscoll Lake is a small town. I think that’s important for our readers to understand. Tell us a little about Driscoll Lake.”

“Driscoll Lake is small, but growing. We’re located about ninety miles east of Dallas—close enough if you like the big city nightlife, but far enough to still have a laid-back feeling. We have a lot of newcomers to the town, but several of the families here go back generations. Rachel’s ancestors were among the founders.

“Oh, you wouldn’t know Rachel. We went to high school together, but she moved away to live with her father in Austin. She moved back to this area a few years ago. We’re friends. Good, um, friends. Well, let’s just say she’s really special to me.

“She’s a doctor and has her own practice here in Driscoll Lake. I don’t think that idiot investigator Greg Sikes believed either of us about what happened at her clinic.”

“Driscoll Lake sounds like a nice place. What would bring Greg Sikes into the picture at all?”

“In a word, arson.”

“Arson?”

“Yup.”

“Oh, come on Brian. You can’t just leave us hanging like that.”

“Alright… someone has set fire to two houses that I’ve built, as well as the house where I grew up, and a couple of business that I did some work on. There was another fire at Judge Lawrence’s house. It wasn’t one of my houses, but someone saw me near the scene before the fire. I swear I didn’t go near his place. Even Rachel’s clinic was targeted. And now, Sikes is saying the first fire at the old factory was arson. Sometimes I wished I’d never bought the place from Rachel. Why would someone believe I would I want to set fire to my own property?”

“Hmm… I get it, but there are so many other possibilities. How many builders could there be in Driscoll Lake? Maybe it’s a coincidence that the properties are connected to you. Maybe you’re actually the target. Did you ever look at it that way?”

“Rachel seems to think that’s the case. Matt, he’s the police chief and my best friend, believes it too. But Sikes doesn’t agree. I think the fire marshal has swayed his opinion. Abbott doesn’t like me.”

“How about an alibi?”

“Never thought I would need one. Trouble is on at least two occasions, I was supposed to meet Rachel somewhere and was late both times. Funny thing, the arsonist never strikes when I’m playing with the band. Oh, did I tell you? I play drums with a local band called Radical. We play a lot of Classic Rock. Music is my outlet. When I’m sitting behind those drums, I can tune out (no pun intended) everything else.

“Seems like whoever is setting these fires keeps a close watch on my whereabouts. Or maybe they use timers or something. Or maybe it is coincidence.”

“I understand. I had to do a bunch of arson research years ago. So what are you going to do?”

“Lisa, you should come to Driscoll Lake and take over the investigation. I’m sure you’d be fair minded. Seriously, this is hurting my business. I invested heavily when I bought the old factory. Took months for them to rule that fire as an accident, so we were unable to complete the project on schedule. At least that fire didn’t destroy the place.

“A real estate agent contacted me to say someone is interesting in buying the property. The offer was extremely generous. I admit I was tempted to sell. But Rachel wants me to keep the place. The property was in her family a long time. She proposed a business partnership where she’ll help with the financing. She doesn’t want me to give up on my dream of turning the old buildings into shops and restaurants.”

“Whatever you decide, I’m sure we’re all with you. Any final comments for our listeners today?”

“In spite of the recent crimes, Driscoll Lake is a great place to live and visit. And hey, if anyone likes Classic Rock, Radical is playing at a new club on Friday night. Come out and hear us play.”

“You can learn all about Brian and his struggles in the book Unknown Reasons, by Joan Hall. I’ll post all the details on the blog site.

“Before you leave, I’d appreciate it if you’d click a couple of those sharing buttons. It helps me keep the lights on around here. I’m also sure Joan and Brian would do it for you when your character appears on the next Lisa Burton Radio.”

***

Blurb:

If you can’t stand the heat…

Rachel Jackson hails from one of Driscoll Lake’s wealthiest families. Like her father, she became a doctor and is now a respected physician. But despite her successful career, Rachel feels something is missing from her life—until she crosses paths with Brian Nichols.

The son of a hard-working mother and alcoholic father, Brian acted out when he was young, earning a reputation as a troublemaker. As an adult, he’s worked hard to clean up his act and now owns a burgeoning construction company.

Rachel and Brian form an unlikely friendship which begins to blossom into something more. But a series of structure fires—determined to be arson—puts Brian in the hot seat. The properties are all associated with his work, making him the prime suspect. Toss in his juvenile history, and he finds himself the focus of a tenacious investigator. Even Rachel starts to have doubts.

Brian struggles to save his relationship, his company, and his reputation. But unless the real arsonist is caught before striking again, everything Brian holds dear may go up in smoke.

Purchase Link 

Author Bio:

Joan Hall likes to create character-driven fiction with strong, determined female leads and male characters that are sometimes a bit mysterious. Her favorite genre is mystery and suspense—often with a touch of romance.

When she’s not writing, Joan likes to take nature walks, explore old cemeteries, and visit America’s National Parks and historical sites. She and her husband live in Texas.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Pinterest | Facebook Author Group | Goodreads

 

Stopping in at the Writing Cabin

Lisa* had the sun tea all ready when I arrived, but seemed disappointed when I couldn’t stay long.

“It’s the new puppy. I can only get stuff done while he’s napping.”

“So what are you going to work on?”

“I really don’t promote on the blog very often. I think I’m going to post about my books.”

“Can I watch?”

“Sure.”

***

Most of you know I’m a writer by now, and I have a decent sized catalog of titles. It seems like they don’t have much of a lifespan, because something new always comes along. Other authors are cranking out projects and it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. Today’s post is all about mentioning some of my efforts. Maybe one of you will want to take one on vacation this year. Great poolside reading, and all that.

The Playground is my newest title. A power-mad businessman built a line of elaborate toys, just in time for the Christmas season. He loaded them with a special new social media for children. His plan is to brainwash the children into his own personal army. To this end, he turns to occult methods.

A cancer survivor, and former doctor finds herself working in end of life care. She is abducted into a strange secret society that can see into the otherworld. She doesn’t know what she’s doing, but she’s our best hope to stop the next generation of The Playground Network before it comes online.

She’s up against a brutal thug, racing to recover the software to speed up this nefarious plan. He’s bigger, has more street smarts, and a head start. Think of this one like my tribute to Tarantino, and Frank Miller.

Will O’ the Wisp is the story of fifteen year old Patty Hall. She’s being stalked by an ancient curse, but has no idea what it is. She’s perfectly prepared for the wrong problem, and if she doesn’t figure it out soon, she’ll join her relatives in the family cemetery.

This one is set in the 1970s, and features a strong coming of age story. Readers enjoyed the setting in a time before the Internet and cell phone technology.

The title is the North American Link. This is the one for the rest of the world.

The Cock of the South is my mashup of traditional fantasy characters with Greco-Roman fantasy characters. Follow Cobby as he gathers bands of oppressed non-humans and opposes the forces of Remus.

Part Exodus, part “hang together or hang separately,” this one pokes the idea of what might have happened to centaurs, Amazons, dwarves, elves, and others.

“Hail Cobby!” Check it out.

 

Arson is the story of Perry Wolfe, a elite firefighter who fights his battles in space. He loses everything due to a freak accident. He’s depressed, and tries to regain some of his former glory as an ATF Arson Investigator. This means traveling to another planet to attend training.

His first arsonist seems to have ties to his murdered sister, but he’s in the wrong bureau to do much about it.

Living up to the family business isn’t for everyone, and maybe he needs something (or someone) else in his life. This story heats up in more ways than one.

Panama is the story of two dipshits who are in over their heads. Ethan and Coop took an assignment to look into some unusual events plaguing the construction of the Panama Canal.

They run into monsters, ghosts, witchcraft, and more in their adventure. It’s all driven by a Carlist pretender to the thrones of Spain and France, who wants to recapture the New World.

Panama also has a few fun celebrity cameos, appropriate to the turn of the century.

***

“Seems kind of dry,” Lisa said.

“What do you mean? I’m just trying to give a sample of what the stories are about, in case someone wants to take one on vacation.”

“Can I try?”

I turned my computer over to Lisa. “See if you think you can do better.”

Not that way, sillies. My stories are great for reading in bed. The adventure starts in my origin story, Wild Concept.

Wild Concept is the story of a new kind of robot, built in a concept lab to be the showcase of what technology has to offer. The robot, Lisa, takes a job at Hudson PD to test out her abilities in a human world.

What she doesn’t know, is that her creators intend to disassemble her for research purposes at the end of her experiment. When she finds out about the plan, this concept goes a little bit wild.

 

Then there is a really cool short story involving me, called Bombshell Squad. It’s tucked inside the Experimental Notebook of C. S. Boyack.

The Experimental Notebook of C. S. Boyack is a collection of short stories across the speculative genres.

It covers some science fiction, paranormal, and fantasy stories. Priced permanently at 99¢, it is a nice way to explore the kinds of stories Craig writes.

These stories are great for coffee breaks, commuter busses, and times when you can’t dedicate a weekend to writing.

***

“Yeah, um, I… Remember when we talked about the word naiveté?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, this may be one of those times, where readers aren’t quite going to understand.”

“Sure they will. It’s a joke. See they can read my stories in bed. Get it?”

“I get it, but you have to remember that picture you were sent too. That’s the world we live in. And stop shaking. Something is going to fly out if you keep it up.”

“But I have mad sign shaker skills.”

“I know. How about if we just return to the books?”

“Fine. Read one of Craig’s books while you’re on Summer break. They cover a broad spectrum of speculative categories, and are highlighted with great characters like me.”

“Perfect.”

*Lisa Burton is my personal assistant, and the official spokesmodel for Entertaining Stories. She’s a robot, and super smart at anything dealing with computers. She may be a little bit naïve in other ways.

Getting ready for tomorrow

I've been working on stuff tonight to keep it off my list tomorrow. One of these projects involved some kind of technical glitch, and I'm seeking help. I may have to delve into that tomorrow afternoon. My writing brain will be deep fried by then and a technical job will work the other half of my brain. I promised a friend, and I intend to come through somehow.

I found someone who knows about FM radio, and we've exchanged a few emails. I really won't need the information until Wednesday, so I'm golden there.

I'll probably have to take some time to get my tax stuff together. This is even less fun than a technical glitch, but also needs to get done.

Facebook is interesting. Who could have predicted that Lisa Burton's Facebook site would be more popular than the Entertaining Stories page. (Put your hands down, geez.) I found a bunch of the artists I enjoy on there and followed them. You never know when an author will need an artist.

I also found Leon Tukker. He is the incredible young man who made the cover for Arson. He's friends with Lisa now. If you'd like to check him out, go to Lisa's page. Contact information for him is the most recent post. Lisa's Page. He told me today that he'd like to do more book covers. Maybe some of you would like a great art contact.

Tomorrow is all about me and the Yak Guy. I have some good ideas there too, and am excited to get going.

For the rest of the evening, the graphic novel came today. I think I'll spend a little time reading it. In fact, I may see if the author and the artist are on Facebook.

Check this artwork out. Maybe Lisa needs a big hat and that dress.

 

Sometimes, ya gotta try new stuff

We authors tend to all try the same things to promote our works. We blog, we tweet, we sign up for paid promotions. It all works to a degree, and there is no magic spell that will help us stand out from the crowd.

I've been known to try some crazy things from time to time, and today is no exception. I see that adult coloring books are all the rage today. Sadly, I don't have any of those. Still, maybe an old school trick still has some life in it.

My regular readers know that Lisa Burton, the robot girl, is a recurring character on Entertaining Stories. I recently promoted her to 'Official Spokesmodel' for Entertaining Stories.

Lisa takes her job seriously, and when I'm writing she really gets into it. She uses alternate voices to read back my dialog, calls me out for too many coincidences, and dresses for the part.

I recently sent her over to Sean Harrington's studio to pose with some of the outfits from my novels. Sean designed a paper doll sequence and you can have it for free. Those of you who've been lamenting a Lisa of your own, can now have one.

She's pretty helpful too. Just stand her next to your computer and read out loud to her. She will miraculously help you spot difficult passages and weak dialog.

The doll is Lisa in a classic James Bond pose. It clearly shows off what she did to $20,000 worth of GMO human skin.

I chose to print my doll on card stock. She stands up better when you dress her up.

Some of you may be happy with simply the doll. She's just as helpful as when she's in costume.

While the doll represents Wild Concept, there is an outfit for every novel.

If you prefer chasing the dreaded demon, El Chivato, through the Panamanian jungle, there is an outfit for that.

Maybe you want to delve deeper into witchcraft in your story. The outfit from Will O' the Wisp is there for you. Here are a couple of examples:

The Cock of the South

With the hat, which Lisa knitted herself, she filled in for Argon the cyclops. Without the hat, she assisted with any number of characters, from the Southern Dwarves to a Remsian nobleman.

Arson

Maybe you prefer Lindsay Pennington, from Arson. I still say this little pyro is the most fun supporting character I ever wrote.

Of course you can go absolutely crazy and mix them up if you like.

The whole kit is absolutely free. I've made a new page at the top of my blog. Click on the printable PDF files and go to town. Make as many as you want. Spread them around town. Give them to friends, with my blessing. I'm sure Lisa would be proud to serve as your bookmark.

A big thank you goes out to original cover artist, Sean Harrington. This project wouldn't have been possible without him.

Another big thank you to everyone who reads Entertaining Stories. Your comments are what keeps me motivated. Who knows, maybe one day I'll offer up a small Muse to put on the other side of your computer.

Galvanize

Let’s get galvanized

This is a cool word with several definitions. Today I want to take advantage of them.

1. gal·va·nize

   ˈɡalvəˌnīz/

   verb

   past tense: galvanized; past participle: galvanized

   1. 1.

      shock or excite (someone), typically into taking action.

      “the urgency of his voice galvanized them into action”
   2. 2.

      coat (iron or steel) with a protective layer of zinc.

      “an old galvanized bucket”

We’ll take the second one first. I like this word to describe authors. We are all vulnerable when we share our first work with someone. Our parents like it, and we breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe a close friend says he/she likes it. Then it becomes time to share it with strangers.

Maybe you join a critique group, like I did. Maybe you hire someone to edit it, or take on a mentor. You’re about to get galvanized. We have to hear critical things and learn from them. It’s the only way we get better. This protective layer is best applied here. You don’t want your first experience to be in the form of a review.

My critique group is brutal. We all treat each other the same way, and we get along well. We’re all better writers than when we started. We’re all properly galvanized.

I encourage all writers to get this kind of feedback. I still get bruised from time to time, but my protective layer is building up. Yours will too. I’m sure I delivered a bruise or two in my day as well. (But it was all handled face to face, and I didn’t blog about them.)

Now let’s deal with the first definition.

Reviews are the author’s lifeblood. This is even more important for the indie authors out there. I vow to post reviews of the books I read from now on. It’s easy to move on to the next project, but Amazon prompts me at the end of every book. It’s pretty easy to add a couple of lines right then and there. Reviews don’t have to be long or extremely detailed.

My goal is to galvanize you into action. Nobody likes to get trashed in a review. It happens, but we can say critical things without being mean to one another. We can also enjoy a book without gushing to the point that it looks like a fake. There is a reason for the stars between one and five.

For myself, there are blog followers who said they enjoyed my books, but I’ve never seen a review. Do authors watch? You bet we do. I know of one Wild Concept, three Panama’s, and one Arson who’ve dropped me a comment or line. All of these folks said they enjoyed the stories. (The Cock of the South is still on a lot of reading lists, and it’s too new.)

For myself, I’m posting reviews from now on. I haven’t always done it, and I’ve never posted one for a traditionally published book. That all changes today. I’m a big believer in walking the walk. Won’t you join me?

Let’s recap:

1. Writers should seek out critical feedback, and start building up that protective layer.
2. Readers should consider leaving reviews. They are what allows writers to keep writing.

PS: Okay, there is a third definition. It involves electricity and muscle tissue. I left off twitching frog’s legs and Frankenstein on purpose, but you can talk about them in the comments.

Let’s try something fun

My reader has been quieter than usual. I don’t remember things tapering off quite this much last December, but then, I don’t remember a lot of things.

I’ve never hidden the fact that this is a writing blog, or that I have books for sale. Let’s have some fun with this idea. Everyone can play along if you have a bit of fiction somewhere. Even poetry might count. It doesn’t matter if your stuff is unpublished either. Have some fun and let me hear it in the comments. Even better, blog about it and link back here so we can all find it.

You have a cabinet, a shelf, or even a room to decorate. You have to decorate it with “trophies” from your fiction. I’ll just snitch some items from the basement of the writing cabin:

From Wild Concept, I’ll need some Lisa Burton swag to hang on the walls. Maybe one of her calendars from a comics convention to support the Free Lisa campaign. Then I’ll need one of those anti fur posters with her and Bunny.

From Panama I need to put a fancy dagger in a glass case. This was made with anvil dust and quenched in iron water. The handle is made from a church cross, and was rubbed down with garlic oil. It has some elaborate silver wire worked into the handle. With a bigger room, I might shoehorn a beautiful wooden Hispano-Suiza automobile inside.

From Arson I want a pink fire helmet with a plush bunny face on front. It is so unique to Lindsay Pennington. There are a few cool drones I could play with too.

There are a ton of things from The Cock of the South, but I don’t want to get greedy. I think I’d like Cobby’s bronze gladiator helmet, and the blown glass still they used to make alcohol in Castor.

In my micro fiction, there was a small cannon named St. Michael that would make a nice display.

I’m still editing Will ‘O the Wisp, but there is a Thermos bottle decorated with The Banana Splits that might keep my coffee warm. There is also a small wooden trunk that is kind of nice looking and very interesting to boot.

So let me hear it. What trophies would you keep from your fiction?

Look! Posting on my own blog.

I admit to being a serial reblogger lately. It’s all such good stuff though.

I’m thoroughly enjoying Karen’s story, Neighbors. My character, Lisa Burton, is playing a supporting role here. Karen’s characters are wonderful too, and extremely colorful. I won’t link this time, you’ve probably seen my reblogs through the past few days.

Karen also read my book, Arson. She posted a wonderful review too. How could I not reblog this? I need reviews, and this is awesome.

This has been a Godsend for me. I’ve been very busy at work, with the holidays, and on other projects. I didn’t want you guys to think I’m dialing it in. I’m watching and reading all this along with you.

Old What’s Her Face* recorded the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show last night. We both get up extremely early for work, and the Idaho puritans wouldn’t air it at a decent time. We’re watching it right now. OWHF is thoroughly enjoying herself.

Alright, I admit to peeking once or twice. I just wish they had a girl or two with bat wings and tattoos. Maybe just a touch more meat on their bones too. What can I say, not everyone’s into Barbie.

What’s everyone else doing tonight?

*Not the name on my wife’s birth certificate.

Assessing my big giveaway

Most of you know that Monday through Wednesday I held a big book giveaway. It was a lot of fun, and a lot of work at the same time. Each day required a blog post and a tweet or two. I wanted to stay on top of any comments I received as well.

I rate this event as a huge success. Many of you jumped in and shared the news on your own blogs and social media. The Rave Reviews Book Club also pitched in and many of the members retweeted and reblogged my data. They held another recruiting day at the same time, and I skipped out. I wanted my promotion to stay on top of my posts. As a small way of saying thanks, all writers should check this group out.

So what happened? I gave one title away per day. I ran a giveaway once before that lasted three days, and after day one it tapered off dramatically. I convinced myself to only run one day events from now on. I decided to make it last three days anyway, by running three titles.

The first book was Wild Concept. This is the same book that had the three day giveaway last spring. I managed to give out 41 copies. That’s pretty mediocre in my mind. Last time I moved over a hundred copies. Still, it managed to hit the top 100 in free science fiction. The highest number I saw was #86.

I have to explain that free days start and end at midnight Pacific Standard Time. I work for a living and get up at 4:00 AM, so I could not wait until 1:00 AM in my time zone to see how high any of them placed. This makes me kind of sad, and I think Amazon should send me an email or something.

The last book was Arson. This one fared pretty well, and hit the free science fiction chart at #52. It may have gone higher, but I’ll never know. I managed to pass out 95 copies.

I saved the best for last. Tuesday was the giveaway for Panama. The other stories are both science fiction, but Panama is a paranormal tale in an historical setting. for whatever reason, lightning struck on Tuesday. I managed to give away 364 copies of this book. There isn’t really a category for historical / paranormal stories, but I wish there was. Panama sat at number 5 on the free fantasy books right before I went to bed. With three hours to go, it may have climbed even higher. This excites me greatly. At the time I went to bed it was number 764 out of all books on Amazon combined.

Best thing about the event: For one shining moment, I was in the top five on one of the lists.

Four wonderful people purchased copies of Panama the day after the promotion. If anyone saw a higher number on the charts than what I saw, I’d love to hear about it. It was kind of fun seeing Panama with its five reviews between two books with hundreds of reviews. Does this entitle me to call myself a best selling author? Best giving author is more accurate.

The popular advice is that a giveaway will spur sales of other titles. The Cock of the South flatlined this week. Apparently, no one bought into my udder analogy. Still, it may take time for readers to finish the free reading. They could buy The Cock of the South months from now.

These are the numbers. It’s hard to draw any conclusions at this time, but it’s fun to think about. All I really know is that 494 pieces of my fiction are in the hands of people all over the world. Some people may have grabbed more than one title.

Will anyone even read the stories? I have no idea. Free things don’t have much value to people. I’m certain some will read them, and equally certain some will not. Did I just over saturate my market? Probably. As an unknown writer, getting readers is a big deal. If they like the product, they could become buyers one day.

Will I gain reviews? Did I just bait snarky reviews? I’ll just have to be patient. I could use some more positive reviews.

You can make numbers say anything you want. Maybe Tuesday is simply a better day to hold a giveaway. Maybe paranormal is more popular than science fiction. Maybe cowboys trump aliens and robots. Maybe shoppers are savvy to giveaways and know indie authors will hold one eventually.

What has your experience been with free promotions? I’d love to hear from you.

Last day, get ’em while they’re HOT

This is the last day of my three day giveaway. This time the book is called Arson. This is a return to science fiction and involves other planets and aliens. The expansion into space has caused a return to colonialism.

Perry Wolfe is a member of an elite team that fights fires in space. During a huge space liner fire, he receives a minor wound, but it is career ending. Rendered uninsurable, he can never be a firefighter again.

Perry enters the ATF firefighting school and gets shipped to a small moon called Quantico Two. His training facility is in the city of Glynco. He uncovers clues that link his sister’s murder to a string of arsons, but the FBI doesn’t welcome interference.

Perry can’t let go of being a firefighter. Maybe there is something else he needs in Glynco.

***

This story includes the most fun supporting character I’ve ever written. Curious?

This one has never been the subject of a giveaway or a countdown deal. This is the first promotion for Arson. It needs more reviews, and maybe I can gain a few from my giveaway. Here’s what my one review says:

“This SciFi thriller has plenty of action to keep your heart pumping. C.S. Boyack does a good job of pulling you into the story. I especially like the way he integrated alien species into the story as friends and co-workers. That aspect reminded me a bit of the Star Wars movies, but this story is much more sophisticated.”

Here’s the link one more time, if you want a free book: Arson.

My free promotion theories

This is a reminder that my big promotion starts tomorrow. I’m biting my nails hoping I set it up correctly. There were no hours and minutes available. It will either last one whole day, or one whole second. My plan is for a whole day. (Fingers crossed.)

It is designed like this: I will give away a different book per day for three days. If you’ve been wanting to read one of these stories, now is the time to grab it. The adventurous among you are welcome to grab all of them.

Getting my name out there has always been a challenge. I’m a hardcore introvert, and talking about myself and peddling my product is difficult for me. I’m more at ease talking about your product.

A guy has to do something, and this is what I came up with:

Wild Concept is a bit of science fiction that stays close to home. It’s about an experimental robot who has been given emotions and feelings for the first time. Those of you who regularly read my blog know Lisa. This is Lisa’s story. It will be free tomorrow, December first.

Panama is set in the early 1900s during construction of the Panama Canal. Ethan and Coop are retired military men. Ethan was a Rough Rider and Coop was a Buffalo Soldier. One talks with ghosts and the other dabbles in magic. The president asks them to look into some mysterious disappearances at the construction zone. They are ill prepared for what they find. Panama wants independence, Colombia wants to keep them, there is a Spanish Carlist rebel planning a major invasion, plus the Spaniard is backed up by an army from hell itself. This one has been pulling in quite a few five star reviews. Panama is free on December second.

Arson is the story of Perry Wolfe. He is part of an elite group who fight fires in space. He loses his job to a freak accident and must rebuild his life. He goes to the ATF school to train as a federal arson investigator. While there he uncovers some clues to his sister’s murder and a corporate takeover using arson as leverage. This one is deeper science fiction, and has some sexual situations in it. Arson will be free on December third.

But Craig, don’t you have four books out? Yes I do. The Cock of the South is my first fantasy release. It involves fantasy races in a desperate bid to survive in a human dominated world.

Here’s how I envision this. They say no one will buy the cow if you give the milk away for free. I’ve always seen the world differently. Check this out:

Look! Four Spigots.

There are four nozzles on this thing, I have four books published. You can have the milk from three of the spigots, but have to pay for the fourth. That fourth spigot has some amazing milk too. Mmmm. Here, have a free glass and if you like it maybe you’ll want to try the special brand in tap number four.

I don’t know if there is any real value in seeing my name get popular for a few days. Amazon stats change fast, but if there is maybe my stock will rise.

Your free download helps me. Some of you have gone on record saying you’d rather buy the books, that an author deserves compensation. God bless you for that. Don’t feel bad about grabbing a free copy. It helps with my numbers just the same. This time of year brings its own financial crunch. Free reading has to be a bonus to everyone.

If you still want to buy them you can. The Cock of the South is still for sale, and each giveaway only lasts one day. Those of you using the lending library, or Kindle Unlimited can always read them for free. That way I get compensation and you spend nothing.

These titles are all ebook only. You will need a Kindle app. There is a link at the top of my sidebar where you can get one for every device imaginable, and the apps are free. Every self published author out there will thank you for trying a reading app.

These are the last free books from C. S. Boyack in 2014. Don’t miss out, get a free book starting tomorrow.