Another Chance to be a Winner

"Good luck needs no explanation.” – Shirley Temple Black

My grandson, Sebastian, kindly assisted me by drawing the winning entry for a signed copy of Tina Murray’s book, A Chance to Say Yes. It’s a job he took very seriously, as you can tell by the photo.

And the winner is…Terri Tiffany for a July 1, comment – the first day of the contest. Congratulations, Terri! I hope you enjoy reading the book as much as I did.

Thanks to all of you who stopped by last month. For those who left comments and/or became followers during July, I appreciate your support and encouragement. Sorry I couldn’t hand out a book to you all, but I do have some budget restraints.

Fried Green Zombies and A Chance to Say Yes were awarded as prizes because they are books I thoroughly enjoyed and I thought it would be a fun way to support other new writers. For those of you who didn’t have Galen Kindley’s or Terri Tiffany’s luck, both books are available for purchase. Visit the sites of John Allen and Tina Murray for more information.

My own novel, The Ride, hasn’t been offered as a prize because I liked living in my fantasy world where everyone already owned a copy. With the arrival of my latest royalty statement, that fantasy dissolved as quickly as a snowball on a Florida beach in August. With reality rearing its ugly head, I had to face the fact that not everyone owns a copy of The Ride—yet.

Therefore, since we have another month of summer, I thought I would run this contest one more time. For the month of August, leave a comment and/or become a follower and be eligible to win a signed copy of none other than my novel, The Ride. You can read some of the rave reviews here.

This month you can also earn bonus entries. Earn one extra entry for every person you refer to my blog who leaves a comment – make sure they mention your name in their comment. Earn ten extra entries for sending an email to jane@janesutton.com attaching a photo of you holding your very own copy of The Ride.

If your entry is drawn on September 1, 2009, and you already own my book (I’ll have your picture as proof), I will send you a gift card of equal value. (Thank you, Galen, for this idea. I told you I was going to steal it! I’m referring to his July 20, 2009, blog.)

Since today’s subject doesn’t really invite comments, it’s open mic time. Introduce yourself, talk about your book, your blog, your favorite book, your favorite blogger, a movie you liked or hated, whatever grabs your fancy (as long as it’s rated PG).

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to ‘see’ you many times this month.

Tags: Shirley Temple Black, A Chance to Say Yes, Tina Murray, Fried Green Zombies, John Allen, contest, The Ride,

Lucky Winner of Fried Green Zombies

"A good book on your shelf is a friend that turns its back on you and remains a friend." - Author Unknown

Some lucky soul is winning a friend today. I know this isn’t my ‘usual’ posting day but it is July 1, and time to announce the winner of a signed copy of Fried Green Zombies, by John Allen. I didn’t want to keep you in suspense a moment longer.

I’d show actual pictures of the drawing but it is early in the morning and, well…I look like I just rolled out of bed. It’s not a pretty sight! So I’ll take you through it step by step.

All entries from June 1 to midnight June 30 are in the basket. I have my hand in the basket making sure they are thoroughly stirred. Hey, this is fun. I give them another toss or two.

Now, my husband, an impartial drawee, has reached into the basket and his hand is scurrying around selecting a random entry.

And, the winner is…a drum roll please…

Congratulations Galen Kindley! The chosen entry is from a comment you left on June 10. If you e-mail me (jane@janesutton.com) your mailing address, I will drop your signed copy in the mail.

For those who didn’t win, you can still purchase a copy of Fried Green Zombies on Amazon.com or on John’s website. And in case you missed John Allen’s interviews you can find them here, here and here.

I want to thank all of you who left comments and became followers in June. I really enjoyed hearing from you all and appreciate your support. Because, I had so much fun doing this, I am going to do it again.

For the month of July, when you leave a comment and/or become a follower you’ll be entered for a chance to win a signed copy of Tina Murray’s, A Chance to Say Yes. This is another book, I thoroughly enjoyed. In fact, my blurb made the jacket cover. I interviewed Tina in June of 2008. You can find out more about Tina, A Chance to Say Yes, and the sequel by visiting her lovely new website.

And on a different subject, I’d like to announce that The Ride was reviewed by Linda Fasulo on WGCU Public Media radio. If you’re interested, you can listen to it by going to WGCU. Click on the "Arts" link and then "FL Book Pages."

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: John Allen, Fried Green Zombies, Tina Murray, A Chance to Say Yes, Linda Fasulo, WGCU, The Ride,

Fried Green Zombies, Part Three

So it was a race now. Which was going to kill him first? The cops or the truck-driving zombies from hell? – From Fried Green Zombies

We’re back with John Allen, author of Fried Green Zombies. If you missed part of the interview, you can catch up by clicking on Part One and Part Two.

Have you always known you wanted to be a writer?

Yes and no. The first “novel” I wrote, I wrote when I was in seventh grade. It was a short little thirty-thousand word thing, completely atrocious, but I really enjoyed the story-telling side of it. I took creative writing in High School, but my teacher was more inclined to set up coffee pots in the classroom and make us write about the meaning of song lyrics than to actually compel us to tell stories. But I did win a little award in high school for a little story I wrote – and looking back on it, it had all the elements of FGZ, minus the zombies and monster trucks, of course. The dark humor was there, as were the “mixed” elements of FGZ. Meaning while FGZ had zombies and aliens and dirty cops, the short story I wrote in high school – “The Chronicles of Charming,” had the mash-up of fairy tales and nineteen-thirties’ era gangsters told in a film noir style.

With a full time job, are you able to write everyday? Do you have a routine you follow before you begin to write?

My full time job gets in the way of writing. I jest, but writing every day can be difficult. My oldest girl is three, and my youngest is one. I’m at work every day by eight, and I leave by five. Then there’s dinner, chores, playing with the girls, putting them to bed – so that by the time my day stops, it’s nine o’clock at night. I try every night to write for at least one hour. If I’m on a good roll and have spent a little time during the day plotting where I want the story to go, I can get down a thousand words or so. Then, on the weekend, if I can steal the time, I’ll go to a coffee shop from noon until three, while the girls are having their naps, and get another three or four thousand words down.

My last job was much less demanding than my current one, and I was able to actually write quite a bit while I was at work.

Are there special items in your work area that inspire you or help you concentrate?

There are no special items that either inspire me or help me concentrate. All I need is my laptop and relative silence. My wife likes to spend nap time on the weekends watching television, so I escape to the coffee shop or to my office where I can work in silence. I find it very important to get up a head of steam and maintain it. Constantly starting and stopping makes for sloppy sentences and thoughts.

Why did you decide to self-publish and are you satisfied with that decision?

I decided to self-publish simply because I haven’t heard from any publishers. I was actually approached by a small publisher last week, an approach that was actually unsolicited – meaning it was a publisher to whom I had not sent a manuscript. Being approached felt nice. It felt like maybe someone had noticed.

But again, I didn’t write FGZ to make a lot of money. I’d be lying if I said that making money wouldn’t be nice, but I wrote it to have fun. The decision to self-publish is a tricky one.

I actually took part in a conversation between two authors the other week. One is completely self-published, and making a good living. The other has a traditional publishing contract, is better known, and sells a lot more copies (with a six-figure publishing deal on his last book).

But guess who makes more money (at least right now)? The self-published author. He makes roughly three to eight times as much money per book as the published author does, and gets to call all the shots. He can sell books online, and doesn’t have to sell nearly as many as the published author. He can market however he chooses. It took him longer to build up a dedicated audience, but he loves it.

Well, that’s all good and well, because they’re both making a good living. But for me, being self published has its pros and cons. I’ve had to market creatively. I promised my wife that I wouldn’t spend a dime on this endeavor, and with the exception of purchasing the ISBN numbers, I’ve stuck to that plan. Any books that I sell go into ordering more books or advertising. I use a print-on-demand service that handles all my printing and fulfillment, and does it pretty cheaply.

But being self-published also means that it’s tough as nails to get into the brick-and-mortar stores like Books-a-Million and Barnes and Noble. I really would love to be in stores, but haven’t been able to make that happen yet.

How did you decide on the company you selected for self-publication?

I have two companies that I use for printing, chosen more or less by what they cost. Right now, one company handles my paperbacks, and another my hard covers.

What is your most helpful book on writing? Why?

This is a good question. My most helpful book on writing… (ready for it?) was probably “The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove” by Christopher Moore. Probably didn’t expect that one, did you?

I wrote a story like I like to read stories, if that makes any sense. I know what I like, and what I don’t like, and when I wrote Fried Green Zombies, I didn’t exactly want to emulate a certain story or style, but I knew how I wanted the elements and the arc of the story to flow. I knew how I wanted the humor to originate.

And when I read “The Lust Lizard”, I thought, “Wow, here’s a guy who can take a blues musician, a slightly-crazy former B-movie actress, and a giant Godzilla-like monster and make a fun story.” Then when I saw that he had a large audience, I thought “Wow, there are actually people out there who might like my type of storytelling,” because he had that mash-up mentality of juxtaposing several wildly different ideas and letting the fun go from there.

What is your favorite and least favorite marketing technique?

Favorite marketing technique: Having an open dialogue with people who enjoyed the story, asking them what they did and didn’t enjoy. I use facebook and twitter, and I openly encourage people to seek me out and talk to me. I also released a free podcast version of the book, available at the website (www.friedgreenzombies.com) and at www.podiobooks.com. That worked really well in getting the word out.

My least favorite marketing technique has been trying to get in stores. I lose a bit of the element of impulse buy when people don’t just see my book in front of them.

What bit of advice do you have for writers who have yet to be published?

This is another good question. I don’t know what advice I would have to give, except keep trying. I’ve read a lot of the hundreds of rejection letters that people receive, and I’ve certainly been turned down by plenty of agents. But the talk on the street is that the publishing industry is changing. There are all sorts of articles on CNN.com and other credible sites where more and more, the success stories are coming from the unpublished authors.

Maybe one day, I’ll be one of them. Maybe not. Either way, it’s not going to stop me from writing. I love to write. It’s a form of relaxation for me.

I’m looking forward to a sequel. When can we expect to read more of the adventures of Bob, Chett and Harry? What other projects are in the works?

Thanks! I’m currently working on two (yes, two) novels at once. One is called “Demoness – a Story of Amputees, Treasure Hunting, and Hard Luck Love” – it’s the story of a down-on-his luck guy and his run-in with the demon Lillith. It’s based on early Christian and Judaic mythology, so I’m having fun researching and telling the story. The novel is roughly one-third complete.

The other story, “Dead Man’s Blues,” fits into the FGZ universe, though it isn’t a sequel. I’m still very early in the writing phase on it, standing at one-ninth complete, so I’ll tell you more when I get closer to the middle. However, unlike, FGZ, this story is a much more serious story, though it is still action-packed, and while still being fast-paced, it is a deeper book than FGZ.

And then, of course, already in the very nascent stages, is FGZ2.
But beyond that, I have a page full of one-line story ideas that I want to explore in the future. I seriously doubt I’ll ever run out of ideas.

Anything else you’d like to say?

Other than a huge thanks? I’d just like to say that I’m glad you enjoyed the story! When someone like you, who has a bit more experience in the industry, has something nice to say, well, it’s a really good pat on the back. The world needs more of those.

Thank you, John. I’ve really enjoyed this. Good luck with this book and your others. I have a very good feeling we’re going to be hearing a lot about you and your work in the future.

You can follow John on Twitter, or visit his website. You can buy Fried Green Zombies now in a variety of formats from his site or on Amazon.

For a chance to win a signed copy of Fried Green Zombies, leave a comment or question for John.

Thanks for stopping by.


Tags: John Allen, Fried Green Zombies, contest,

Fried Green Zombies, Part Two

He had learned that human women didn‘t make any sense. Why would alien women be any different? - From Fried Green Zombies

Here we are, back with John Allen and Fried Green Zombies. If you missed yesterday’s post you can catch up here. Don’t forget about the contest. Simply leave a comment and/or become a follower for an opportunity to win John’s fun and exciting book.

I love the title, how did you come up with the name?

Thanks! Originally, Fried Green Zombies started out as another story all together, called (tentatively, mind you), “Space Cowboys” or something like that. But as I started writing the story, it became apparent that I needed to tell more of the back-story, as it were. So, FGZ was born. The name came to me as I was writing the story. People who are inclined to think about zombies always think of them as these disgusting creatures with gray and green skin. Towards the end, there was a scene involving not only a firefight, but a fireball as well. Some of the zombies catch on fire, and I thought “Wow, those are some fried green zombies”, and the name stuck. Add to that the fact that when people think of fried green tomatoes, it has a very southern connotation. Voila!

Aliens, zombies, a couple of rednecks and the Dodge of Death make for an unusual combination. Where do your ideas come from?

My own twisted mind. I’ve always loved Edgar Allen Poe and his sense of the macabre. I’ve always loved Vonnegut and his humanism and his sense of an altered reality. And I’ve always loved Christopher Moore and his sense of the inane and weird. I grew up with a lot of the characters in FGZ – Chett, Harry, Clayton, Uncle Crank, Sheriff Barrack, Detective Moses – every single character is based off of a composite of characters with whom I interacted on a daily basis. These people were my friends and associates growing up in the rural south. I really grew up in Bovina, the location of the story. I really knew people whose sole hobby was mud-riding. And I loved those people, and they’re still dear friends of mine. I chuckled with an idea one day after watching some zombie movie. I thought, “Wow, if zombies invaded Bovina, they’d be in for something else,” because everyone I grew up with was well-armed, to say the least. So the idea was born.

Your cast of characters is wonderful. Bob is my favorite but they all came to life and I could visualize them easily. Are they based on your imagination or people you know? Do you write detailed character sketches before starting a project or do they develop as you go?
I wouldn’t have thought it possible to tie aliens, zombies, humans and vehicles together in such an entertaining and believable way, yet you did it beautifully. Do you write from an outline, storyboard or let the story or characters lead you?

I want to answer these two questions simultaneously, because I feel that they lead directly into each other.

The characters are definitely based on people I know. I do start with a character sketch, but it’s not very detailed. Basically, I think, “Okay, these are my lead characters, these are my supporting characters, and these are my background characters.” Then, with Chett, Harry, and Clay, I instantly knew who they were, their motivations, their friendship, and just generally who they were. Again, they were based off of composite caricatures from my life. I wanted Bob to be a true heroine, unabashed and unashamed of the person that she was. She obviously hails from a different culture with different norms and customs and acts accordingly. I wanted her to be like the heroines of the stories I read as a child, only more adult. Innocent, cute, charming, but brave and strong as an ox, outshining the guys.

So, in a way, the growth of the characters is an organic process, starting from an idea, and allowing them to grow through the story.

The characters help the story grow as well. I started FGZ with a very, very rough mental outline of what I wanted to happen. As I wrote it, I began an actual note-based outline and would fill it in from both the beginning and the end as the story progressed. I would introduce a new element and make sure that I included it in the wrap-up, or I would have to make changes down the line. But a lot of FGZ really, really surprised me. Characters would wind up in situations that I hadn’t imagined, and it was extremely fun writing them out of it. A lot of times I would chuckle at their responses.

In a nutshell: I write like I’m watching a movie. I have the characters in my head; I introduce them to different stimuli and situations and merely record how they react. That’s how FGZ came to be.

Were you surprised to learn that your book is enjoyed by a diverse demographic of readers and not simply your targeted audience of males between 18 and 34?

That’s an understatement. To be honest, I consider myself fortunate to have found anyone who enjoyed it – it’s not exactly a mass-market book. Like I said, I wrote it for me, and anyone else who enjoys it, male or female, young or old, is just really cool by me.

But to answer your question: Yes. I have been lucky enough to get emails from all over the world from listeners (to the audiobook) and readers who loved it. One of the first emails I received was from Austria, and I thought to myself, “Do you even have four-wheel-drives and mud-riding in Austria?” Of course, I don’t see why not – we as humans are a lot more alike than we like to believe sometimes.

Join us on Friday when John talks about writing and discusses self-publishing versus traditional.

In the meantime, you can follow John on Twitter , or visit his website. You can buy Fried Green Zombies now in a variety of formats from his site or on Amazon. Remember books make great gifts, particularly when they are signed. If you are the lucky winner and you’ve purchased the book earlier, you will have a thoughtful gift on hand.

Thanks for stopping by.


Tags: John Allen, Fried Green Zombies, Bovina , Christopher Moore, contest,

Fried Green Zombies, Part One

It was Thursday. The end of the world was still a few days away. - From Fried Green Zombies

Have you ever picked up a book not expecting too much only to have it wow your socks off? That happened to me (and living in Florida ,I don’t even wear socks) when I read Fried Green Zombies by John Allen.

John handed me a copy of his book when we met at a television station in Biloxi, Mississippi. Though a story involving a Dodge pickup truck, UFO’s, zombies and a couple of rednecks didn’t really sound like my cup of tea, I decided to give it a chance. Am I ever glad I did! It’s a well-written book with eclectic characters, lots of action, and loads of laughs. You can’t help yourself—you’re forced to keep turning one page after another. To me, John’s writing is a cross between Carl Hiaasen and Christopher Moore.

I was thrilled when John agreed to an interview and decided to try something new—making him the featured author of the week. So today you’ll find out a little about John and the book. Wednesday, he’ll talk about how he came up with the title, characters and idea for the book. Friday, he’ll talk about the writing in general including thought provoking insight on self-publishing versus traditional. So don’t miss a day. And feel free to leave questions for him in the comment section.

Here’s John:
To begin, I’m a father of 2.5 kids (two here actually running around, and one on the way), and a bit of a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none kind of guy. I dabble in science, music, magic, anthropology, history, religion, writing, and marketing. It is the latter that I made my career, and the next-to-last that I wish to make my career in the future.

Fried Green Zombies is actually my second novel. The first, “Dinner with the Devil,” was a bit of a think-piece about this guy who goes out to eat and always has his dining companion, whomever they may be, possessed by the devil. Needless to say, I hit print and stuck it in my library, where it will forever sit, collecting dust.

Fried Green Zombies was written, believe it or not, completely for me. I needed something that would allow me to escape into another place, and Fried Green Zombies was born. I wrote it because it was fun for me to write.

Tune in Wednesday for more.

In the meantime, you can follow John on Twitter , or visit his website.

Also I’m announcing a contest starting today. The prize will be a brand new, signed copy of Fried Green Zombies. Entry is easy. For the month of June, each time you leave a comment, your name will be jotted on a piece of paper and tossed into a basket. During the month, those that choose to ‘follow me’ will receive an extra entry. To make this fair to those that have been ‘followers’ for sometime now, your names have already been thrown into the basket. On July first, a winner will be drawn at random from the entries. The more times you comment, the better your chances of winning.

But, don’t wait until July 1 to read Fried Green Zombies because you can buy it now in a variety of formats from John's site or on Amazon. Remember books make great gifts, particularly when they are signed. If you are the lucky winner and you’ve purchased the book earlier, you will have a thoughtful gift on hand.

Thanks for stopping by.


Tags: John Allen, Fried Green Zombies, Carl Hiaasen, Christopher Moore, contest,