Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Gauging success

Life has been pretty hectic the last six weeks.  In that time, I have finished a novel, placed it at about a dozen e-reader distributors, finished the paperback version of the same novel, done a half dozen interviews, joined another half dozen book clubs with great people who support new authors, and started book two of the “An Upstate New York Mafia Tale” series.

Book two is tentatively called Buffalo Soldiers.  Tentatively because I am aware of the historical implications with the name, but love what the title means with a mafia spin.

Also, I have worked with my brothers and my Dad to alternately spit-ball ideas, work on the legal side of the writing business, and get the online version of the writing business up to snuff.  To that end, we have a new website opening up called Best Fiction Novels at www.best-fiction-novels.com.  Thanks to Rob Denmon at Florida SEO Design, we have a workable presence on the web outside of this lovely blog.

With all of these things going on, I haven’t been able to reflect much on whether or not my novel is actually doing well since I released it.   I am having trouble finding the right way to gauge success.   I know it sounds like an odd thing to worry about, and I hear it from other indie authors a lot.  I have sold a couple hundred novels at this point.  I am told that is pretty good, but I have the desire to be read by as many people as possible and don’t really feel satisfied.  I guess that is a bit greedy.

I try to remind myself when I started toying with the idea of self-publishing that I would be happy if one person read my book and liked it.  I remember saying, “Hey, if one person reads it, that’s better than it sitting in a drawer collecting dust.”   But a curious thing began to happen.  As people read it and good reviews began to flow in, my confidence in the story has also grown.  It is almost a snowball effect of dissatisfaction based slowly on rising expectations.

To be clear, I don’t envision having the world’s number one seller, even though it is “America’s #1 Crime Thriller” by Nicholas Denmon.  But suddenly I feel eager to see just how far this novel, this series, can go.  The support of readers who like your book is contagious.  I remember when I dabbled in acting for a time.  I remember the addicting feeling of performing for an audience and that instant feedback on the performance.  It really is something hard to equal.   But reader support as they finish your work and give it a stamp of approval is really a feeling that rivals the instant gratification of performing on a stage.

So, in a way, the feedback and support has really made me ready to go hardcore on Buffalo Soldiers.  I don’t want to disappoint and I know what it is like as a reader to want the next installment in a series.

So, to sum up, thanks for the support and motivation!

Family Note:

Speaking of family, recently three of us boys, the ladies, and my Dad and his lady friend Paula and her daughter and his boyfriend met at an Italian restaurant to celebrate two of my brother’s birthdays.  At this restaurant an older man named Carmine greeted me at the door.

Carmine was as Italian as the meatballs and walked me to the table where my family and friends sat.  In route he told me he knew who I was because I resembled my brother who had already arrived.  He knew Paula and gave us our first round of drinks for free, and I felt like my novel came to life for a moment and we were suddenly sitting like a bunch of Goodfellas.  It was pretty cool.

I love moments where the whole crew gets together and laughter flows as freely as the booze.  Time seems to have sped up a bit lately, so I really appreciate moments like that.  I know I sound old at 29, but hey, shut it.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Teaser Chapter for the Sequel to For Nothing - Buffalo Soldiers; An Upstate New York Mafia Tale II

Teaser Chapter:

Buffalo Soldiers

Rafael Rontego tasted the iron flavor of his blood running over what was left of his cracked lips as the warm liquid filled his mouth.   He couldn’t see a thing and he felt a burning sensation on the back of his neck where it pulled against some unwilling tendons.  It was unnatural to hang your head so far forward, but Rafael dared not let them know he was awake under the hood.

The hood.

The damn thing smelled like straw, canvas, or dust.  Some sort of sack, Rafael mused.  It scratched at his face, and if his hands weren’t tied off behind his back he sure as hell would have tried to scratch half of his face off.  Or wipe the blood from his lips.

Or kill the bastards who brought me here.


Rontego couldn’t remember much.  He lay down to catch some sleep.  Sleep was all he had done it seemed.  Don Ciancetta told him he needed to lay low for a while.  The heat was too hot.  So he rented a suite at Salvatore’s Grand Hotel.   He felt the fog lift a bit as he thought of the place with its perfectly polished floors and marble.  Marble everywhere.  But it was the Jacuzzi hot tub that made him almost smile right there with the blood running down his face and the hood blinding him. The things he and the blond had done in there.  It was almost unfair to let them ever rent that room out again.  The room lay right next to the thruway and so had an easy escape route if he needed it.  Canada wasn’t far away and there were half a dozen neighborhoods he could disappear in if someone came looking for him.

The price was right too.  The owner knew Rafael Rontego.  He knew the hitman, and he knew his boss, Don Ciancetta. Everything was going well.  The stories on the news slowly drifted out of circulation.  The little amount of evidence, the Buffalo Police Department, had was destroyed, purchased, or went missing.

Even scared that cop straight into an early retirement.


This time he did grin, but the pain of his cracked lips brought him down in a hurry.   He had to focus.  Everything was so damn quiet.  Even though he couldn’t see a thing, Rafael closed his eyes.

Drip. Drip-drip. Drip.

The water was faint but his ears caught it all the same.  He prided himself on his hearing.  The notion made him grimace.  He never even woke up.  He never heard them when they grabbed him.  He assumed it was they.  It must have been well organized because he had lain down…he had lain down…and what?

What did I do before I lay down.  I drank a scotch.  I drank a scotch, laid down, and then… and then I was slung over someone’s shoulder and bumping my head on someone that smelled like old cigarettes and sweat.


The bumping felt like stairs. Rafael vaguely remembered hearing the thud of boots on wood too.   Then there was the dripping, the infernal dripping somewhere to his right.  Rafael strained his nose to smell past the iron and the damned sack covering his face.  It smelled wet.

Rafael’s heart sank.

I’m in a fucking basement.


He knew what happened in basements.  He had been on the giving end of a few of those wonderful parties.

His heart thudded against his chin threatening to knock through his chest and slap him in the face.  It only got worse when he heard footsteps descending.

Thump.  Thump. Thump.


The footsteps stopped, but a second joined the first and then he heard voices.  At first Rafael decided he must have been hit harder than he thought.  He couldn’t understand anything that came out of their mouths.

Then it hit him.  They were speaking a different language.  A language he hadn’t heard much of for the last eleven years.

They were speaking Russian.

PARTY TILL YOUR HEELS (Err...Boots) FLY OFF WINNERS -The results are in!

Well folks, we have winners from the Mafia Initiation Blog Party!  As promised we have awards to give out!

These folks swore by "oath and blood" and were initiated into the Denmon Familia and were thusly entered into our fun raffle for free e-books!

The winners are (sorry if the names are misspelled, mismatches of your real name and blogger name, etc.  Some of you posted in various places under various names!):

Victoria Krauchunas

Jean Patton

Ashley Welborne

Cullen Confection

and Genevieve Begg

Congrats on winning your free e-book copy of America's #1 Crime Novel, For Nothing....by Nicholas Denmon!  Please email me at nicholasdenmon08 at gmail dot com and I will give you a coupon for the free download!

Also....

There is a GRAND PRIZE winner!  This person (among others)  Went to all of the various listings- Goodreads, Facebook, this blog, etc and swore the oath!  They were then entered into a raffle of other readers who jumped through the same (fun) hoops.

Congratulations RENEE BENNETT!  You win an autographed paperback copy of For Nothing! Only the Best Fiction Novel ever.....by Nicholas Denmon!  Email me at the above address with your mailing information so I can have your book mailed out to you!

For the rest of you who did not win this time....STAY TUNED...I hear there is a July giveaway as well!!

For Nothing

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Interview With Allie Burke Books

Please check out the most recent interview regarding For Nothing with Allie Burke Books


The link is here and let me say what a good time it was! 


‎"I am a firm believer that there is rarely a straight line between good and evil." -Nicholas Denmon

[EXCERPT]



For the Loves' first Author Interview, EVER, and I have the pleasure of spending the day with Author of the amazing mafia crime thriller For Nothing. Do join us as Denmon talks about his widely acclaimed novel, of putting himself in "the shoes of a killer", and much, much more.


READ ON!


For Nothing

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

PARTY TILL YOUR HEELS (Err...Boots) FLY OFF WINNERS

Stay tuned.  The winners of the five free ebooks of For Nothing as well as the grand prize winner of a signed paperback will be announced shortly.

Thank you all so much for participating!  This has been a blast!

"I swear by oath and blood!"

And if you don't win, don't let that keep you from picking up your very own copy of For Nothing by clicking the picture below!
For Nothing

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

For Nothing Available In Paperback!

QUICK UPDATE (and then please continue the blog party in the post below):

For Nothing is now available in paperback!  You can pick up the novel at this link: For Nothing Paperback

So if you were one of those souls waiting for the paperback because you have not bought in to the E-Reader craziness...  the wait is over!

See what readers are saying about For Nothing and see why the first ten reviews all came in at 5 Stars!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

PARTY 'TIL YOUR HEELS (Errr...I mean...Boots) FLY OFF: MEGA AUTHOR BLOG HOP TOUR (JUNE 13-20)




TOUR RULES:

1)  HAVE FUN!!!

2)  INVITE ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!

3)  THIS TOUR STARTS:  Monday, June 13, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
      THIS TOUR ENDS: Monday, June 20, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
      Winners will be drawn and posted June 21st! *** 

4)  MEET AND MINGLE WITH ALL THE AUTHORS! EXPERIENCE A NEW PARTY DESTINATION AT EVERY STOP! PARTICIPATE IN EVERY BLOG CONTEST AND BE ENTERED FOR CHANCES TO WIN MULTIPLE PRIZES! EVERY BLOG VISITED IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO WIN!!

5)  PARTICIPATION AT ALL BLOGS IS RECOMMENDED, BUT NOT REQUIRED. REMEMBER, THE MORE BLOGS YOU HOP, THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING PRIZES. EVERY AUTHOR IS WAITING TO MEET AND INTERACT WITH YOU, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO SHOW EVERY AUTHOR SOME LOVE!

6)  DID I MENTION TO HAVE FUN?  WHOO! HOO!! HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOOO!

***Authors have full discretion to choose an alternate winner in the event any winner fails to claim their prize(s) within 72 hours of their name being posted or after notification of  win, whichever comes first. Anyone who participates in this blog hop tour is subject to these rules***


You think you're a wiseguy?

So welcome to my very first blog tour / blog party.  Setting up for this tour has been a really fun experience.  Each of the wonderful bloggers on this tour are putting together some great themes for their blogs.  Mine, as you can probably tell, is a mafia initiation.  So grab a candle, grab a gun, a glass of your favorite Italian red and let's get this party started!


What is a party without door prizes you ask?


Well I will be giving away 5 ebooks of my debut novel entitled For Nothing.  AND as a GRAND-PRIZE one free SIGNED print copy! Take a look at it here:

Synopsis:

Undercover cop Alex Vaughn goes deeper than ever into the organized crime family of Buffalo, NY. Motivated by justice and revenge, he seeks out the assassin that laid his friend Jack low.

Professional killer Rafael Rontego traverses the deadly politics of Buffalo’s mafia underbelly. In a city whose winter can be just as deadly as those wielding power, Rontego tries to stay ahead of the game.

Their two worlds collide in this epic thriller that takes the reader on a search for self, justice, and truth.


How do you win?  

It's easy!  All you have to do is "Follow" this blog and leave a comment saying, "I swear by oath and blood!"  Then you are initiated.  Follow that up with a "Like" on my fan page and re-post the same quote and you will be entered into the raffle.  Once you do those two small things, you are in!  I will randomly select five people to receive a free ebook from those that enter the raffle! 


If you post the oath on my Facebook, follow me on Twitter (with a mention about me and For Nothing), Follow and post the oath on my blog,  and post the oath on my Goodreads, you will be entered for the GRAND PRIZE signed COPY.


So what are you waiting for? 


1) Follow the blog
2) Swear the oath on my comment section below!
3) Like my facebook fan page:  The link is HERE
4) Post your oath there too!
5) Follow my Goodreads and post the oath HERE
6) Follow and mention my twitter: @NICHOLASDENMON


Then you will officially be members of the For Nothing Fan Club as well as entered in my raffle to win a free ebook!

The Initiation
     Sonne knelt before the old gangster.  His heart raced as the man eyed him from behind his weather beaten visage.   His face was old, but his eyes had the look of  power.  The look of a power older than even him.  Sonne clenched his fist to squeeze the tremble from his fingers.

The man spoke, and his voice boomed  over the half dozen men assembled.  They wore black hoods but Sonne recognized several of them by the eyes gazing out from beneath the coverings.  He looked on one set as old man Aldo continued.  "We must ask again, Sonne, do you wish to enter into this thing of ours?"

Sonne swallowed hard but as he locked onto the eyes of his father, he knew there was only one answer.  

"I do."

Aldo lifted his hands and Sonne couldn't help but be reminded of the old priests in his neighborhood church.  "Repeat after me, Sonne Pieri."  The old man continued in Italian,  "Io, Sonne, voglio entrare in questa organizzazione per proteggere la mia famiglia e per proteggere I miei amici"

Sonne repeated the words, going over the translation in his head, "I, Sonne, want to enter into this organization to protect my family and to protect all my friends."

Aldo nodded his head in approval, but still Sonne looked for the tell-tale twinkle from his father's eyes before he sighed in relief.  It was almost done. 

Aldo came forward and asked, "Which finger do you use to pull the trigger?"

Sonne held up the finger on his right hand.  

Aldo took a small knife and pressed the steel into the flesh of his finger drawing a small bubble of dark liquid.  
Sonne didn't flinch and saw the twinkle again in his father's eyes, as he came forward and knelt next to him.

His father was his compare for the final part of the initiation.   

Sonne felt his heart slow as his father settled in next to him.  Sonne cupped his hands before him as Aldo held up a card with the Ciancetta patron saint, their saint from the old country, from back in Sicily.  Aldo muttered something Sonne couldn't hear, and crumpled the card in Sonne's hand.  He then took a match, struck it, and began to light the corners of the card creating a small ball of fire in his hands.  

Sonne heard his words come out of his mouth of their own volition.  Commanded by the winds of fate.  ""As burns this saint, so will burn my soul. I enter alive and I will have to get out dead."

His father spoke next to him, "Come in alive, go out dead."
With that, Aldo and Sonne's father pressed Sonne's hands together, extinguishing the flame.  Aldo grabbed Sonne's hands and lifted him to his feet.  The old man kissed him once on each cheek, smiled and said, "Welcome.  Welcome to this thing of ours."
 


MAKE SURE TO GO TO THE NEXT BLOG PARTY BEING HOSTED BY Sandra Nachlinger - BBQ PICNIC!!!! - http://iousex.blogspot.com/   I hear she has a GREAT PARTY planned!!! 

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

My Proof copy of America's #1 Crime Thriller came in...


My book before it is placed in its rightful spot...

As the print release for For Nothing gets ever closer, I was excited when I came home from work and saw a curious package on my doorstep.  I scooped it up, ran inside and opened the very first copy of my novel in print.  Hooray!  So I have it, I like it, what's next and why is it taking so long to get the book in print?

Straight answer?  I found a way to make the novel cheaper.  Almost half the price and it still maintains the quality I demand.  So unfortunately, it took a little longer than expected, but if I can save everyone ten bucks on the purchase, I thought it necessary.  

Speaking of my novel....

I was interviewed this week by Patti Roberts.  The link is here.  

Also, I received another excellent review on For Nothing and it was the tenth consecutive 5 star review.   That review can be found here.

And finally, on book news, I added my novel to an ebook platform called XinXii.com  and on this site, my novel is the most viewed for the second day in a row.  If you want to take a look and keep that streak going to three days, please click on this link.

The more clicks, the more exposure, so don't be shy!

One final note...more blog/book related than just book related.  I will be hosting a blog party.  The blog party is really a contest of sorts and it is called (get this) PARTY 'TIL YOUR HEELS FLY OFF: MEGA AUTHOR BLOG HOP TOUR - Now, I have been assured that even though mostly lady authors are doing this...(it consists of a contest where I give away free ebooks, decorate my blog consistent with a theme, and influencing a good old time as far as reading and winning goodies)  I am allowed to put a boot or something other than heels in the title...

My blog party theme is a Mafia induction ceremony.  So be ready for that.  I will also be giving away free ebooks, and perhaps a signed regular copy of my book to the people who win the blog contest.  The rules will be announced later this week but it will be something easy like entering into my raffle by posting a key phrase on my fan page, blog, etc.  The more places you post, the more raffle entries you get, you dig?

And that is it for today my friends!

Monday, June 6, 2011

Ever Tried To Kill Your Brother?

Happy Birthday to Chris who is now old as of June 2nd.  Happy Birthday to Rob who will be older as of June 12.

I write this article knowing I have limited funds for birthday gifts, and two brothers who have birthdays within ten days of each other.  This article should help me hash out who deserves the better gift, and frankly, more of my love.

My brothers and I have a very complicated history.  By complicated I mean we love each other, but neither has this love prevented us from trying to murder each other on many occasions.  Generally, it has been a good thing that our failings as individuals carries over to our ability to plot and execute murder.

Why is this a good thing?

First, it is a good thing because none of us are currently in jail.

Second, I hate moving furniture and it would be exponentially harder with just me, or down one of my three brothers.  It would make for an odd number and inevitably one of us would just be sitting around.

Third, over the years I have found my brothers to be very humorous people and I wouldn't trade those laughs for less than a million bucks in cold hard U.S. cash.  Or Canadian currency otherwise known as maple syrup.

But before all of these great reasons to not murder one another, in the ignorance of our youth, we decided at various occasions that one of us must go.

Here are some quick examples:


1)  As far as I know this was our first attempt.  Chris and I are the eldest.  Chris is older than me but I don't think he honed his fratricide skills yet as I grew into a stellar toddler.   By the time he had, it was too late to try and "off" me and he made me an accomplice.  You see, quite unexpectedly, to us - probably not to her, my mother shot a third child from her womb.

There were three bedrooms in our house. Our parents shared one.   I had one.  Chris had one.  Some quick math told us that this new addition had to be subtracted.

Enter phase one of our plotting.

My mother owned a collapsible stroller.  I remember it vividly.  Even though I was about three years old, I remember it.  Adrenaline coursing through your veins as you plot the demise of a sibling has a way of solidifying your memory even at a very young age.

We took the stroller with its yellow and white flower pattern (it was the 80's folks) and we placed our brother Rob on the stroller.   He was one.  Maybe a hair older.

Chris, at five, was like our household McGyver.  He knew we had stairs, a baby, and a stroller.  


So when our mom was asleep or otherwise distracted, we loaded up that bundle of joy known as Rob into that flimsy stroller, lined him up on the stairs and gave a nonchalant shove.


Clunk! Clunk! Clunk!


We heard a yell.  My mom came running around the corner.

Everything happened so fast.


     MacGyver, the Swiss Army Knife of 1990's T.V                                    


  Chris, murderous Wunderkind

Chris ran left.  My mom ran down the stairs while simultaneously grabbing my arm.  As I blew down the stairs attached to my streaking mother like a flag on a pole in a harsh wind, I couldn't take my eyes off of the bottom of the stairs.

I was...dumbfounded.

The stroller had gone down an entire flight of stairs, into the basement, and landed upright on all four wheels.



Wile E. Coyote couldn't have a more disastrous ending.



 And life went on.

And the murder plots and destruction continued.

2)  This could have resulted in at least the loss of an eye so I am including it.  My mom came in the room just in time to see Chris cutting the eyelashes from my eye because my grandmother made a comment about how long and wonderful they were.  I went the next six weeks growing them back on one eye.

Yep.  One eye with lash.  The other eye without.

3)  A few years later I took a Lego to the head from a slingshot pointed by Chris as I opened my bedroom door.  The bastard had lain in wait.  It was a heck of a shot and took me directly between the eyes.  I remember the sound more than the shot and the throb just above the bridge of my nose.  As the light came back into focus, Chris stood there in the corner of the bedroom.   He looked shocked that he shot so straight and so true.  Even more shocked that the perfect aim hadn't resulted in my death.

4)  Several weeks later, I served up a dish of ice cold revenge as I took a dive off the top bunk onto Chris' head doing my best Sargent Slaughter foot stomp circa W.W.F. in the 1990's.



Come to think of it, most of these murderous endeavors were undertaken by Chris and myself.

Hmmm.  Maybe Rob was just better at it and never got caught.

As I sit here thinking which brother deserves a better birthday gift from me, I have to tell you I am leaning more towards Rob now.  I don't know if I owe it to him for years of attempted fratricide or if I owe it to him for not hatching evil plots on his older brother.

My only memories of his big fights were with Alex, the child born after him.

Perhaps true fratricide rolls downhill.

Either way, Chris looks less likely to get the good present this year.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Not mine, my buddy's so it's funny)

In life there are instances of unannounced and unanticipated moments of hilarity.  I have a buddy at work, and for the moment let us call him Jordon, who recently had a two and half week attempt at a relationship that derived from a blind date.

On this blind date he was introduced to a girl that we will call Jessica.  At first, everything was great.  Jordon found out that they both wanted to name their future dog Bo-jangles.  They even had the same name for a future kid that isn't something normal like "John".  It 's Kai.  As in Cobra Kai (think Karate Kid). Not to be confused with the Cobra commander.

Any one of these could be Jordon's future kid

Most likely NOT Jordon's future kid

Jordon told me at lunch that he thought it was "destiny" when he found out she had the matching couch and chair for his love-seat.

But passion such as this has a way of flaming out.  The hotter flame, the quicker the burn...or something like that.

Jordon started to notice how crazy Jessica was.  In fact he became crazily obsessed about it.   He noticed how she over dressed for everything.   "She would wear make-up and high heels just to get the mail, so I told her I don't need you to dress up for everything".

So the next day she wore sweatpants and a garbage bag if my memory serves me right.

"She started to listen to my music and watch my shows," a very bitter Jordon informed over lunch.

At first, I tried to let Jordon know it was a good thing that she took an interest in his likes.  "Trust me, you'll have things to talk about after the passion dies down."

But Jordon had enough, and he took Jessica to lunch to call it quits.

Where she told him in no uncertain terms, "no".  He was not allowed to break up with her.  He told her, yes it was in fact happening, and that is when the crazy train came to town.

In the span of a month (almost twice as long as they actually 'dated'...they saw each other under 10 times) she did the following which I deem funny enough to immortalize in my blog:

1) After they 'broke up' Jordon received an email from her every hour on the hour.  He didn't respond because he was getting a bit creeped out at this point.

Bad mistake....

2) He is invisible on Facebook.  I tried to find him and can't.  Then again, I am not an ex-investigative journalist like Jessica.  She found him on Facebook and sent him a message there...and on Twitter...and on LinkedIn...and via text...and left multiple messages on his phone.  The last message was, "Fine.  I am deleting your number".  And several days of peace went by....

3)  Jordon got a call from his Dad.  His Dad lives in another part of the country.  Jessica used her, apparently considerable, skills and tracked down Jordon's Dad and called him.  You see, she deleted his number and could not remember it.  Jordon is not listed so Jessica called his Dad and said she was a friend from New York.  Being thus disarmed, Jordon's Dad gave Jessica his number and the texts, phone messages, and email resumed.

But it is better to catch a fly with honey...
If they were a couple this would be sweet.  But at this point it even creeps me out...

4)  She knew that Jordon had a certain fondness for cupcakes that are made in Nashville.  She bought them and had them delivered to Jordon at work...

5)  Jessica took his boss out to dinner...to ask about him.  It was so blatant and obvious that the boss told us all the next day and is now refusing to dine with Jessica anymore.

And last but not least...

6)  She called and left a message of herself singing a song on Jordon's answering machine.  Jordon made the off the cuff remark during one of there three dinners that he never heard  her sing (she professed to be excellent, and was now proved to be a liar).

For the most part these, individually, aren't that bad.  But taken as a whole and given the short nature of their relationship, it is downright nuts.  Jordon and I went to lunch today and as we were walking out Jordon picked up his pace abnormally.  It was almost a sprint.  When I asked him what was wrong he replied, "Just keep walking, that was Jessica".

He saw her in line.  She lives forty miles away.  What are the chances of that?

Perhaps it was destiny after all.