Celebrating 2 more weeks at #1 for "SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE"

As we start the Memorial Day weekend, I'm celebrating 2 more weeks at #1 on the Fiction-Drama best sellers list at Smashwords for SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE. This book has been holding in the top number one or number two spot since late March.

This is my special Smashwords second edition, with bonus chapters from the sequel, Sons and Brothers Sail into Danger. The success of this book (and my four others) at Smashwords is the reason I can say that there have been thousands of downloads/sales of my fiction titles.

I'm offering this eBook for FREE for the Memorial Day weekend. Just enter TC77W at the Smashwords checkout (actually good thru 6/6/10).

The 'star' of SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE, Cameron Connors, is a young father trying to deal with a mother who likes the idea of children, but otherwise appears not to like her own. Cameron has managed to get his own two young sons away from his mother, but now he needs to rescue Brendan, his younger brother.

As Cameron has learned over the years, his mother can be quite two-faced, and heaven help anyone who crosses Mrs. Rachael Connors. Cameron and his mother are currently in a state of cease-fire, but that could change dramatically based on what Cameron has planned for the next few weeks in order to challenge his parents for custody of Brendan.

Will Cameron succeed in creating a new family of four, or will he lose? The stakes are high, and Cameron stands to lose custody of his own two sons if he is not careful. Follow the saga of Cameron as he struggles to do what he knows he must do, and what is right.

I review "Kendall's Storm" - great new book

For only the second time, I am going to blog about a book that I did not write. I'd seen the book on Smashwords, and I finally found some time to read it.

It was a good thing I started reading this book on a Sunday morning, because once I started I could not stop. This narrative absolutely kept me riveted right to the end. Kendall’s Storm was truly a great read, even as it kept me on the edge of my seat and took me places I didn’t always want to go.

This book may be fiction, but it has a sincerity and ring of truth throughout. Through the characters’ eyes and personal experiences, one learns (again) just how badly we, as a society, treat our youngest and weakest members. Through the empathetic storytelling of Janet Muirhead Hill, we also experience a coming of age with the certainty that love, affection and attention can make a profound and positive difference in a child’s life.

This is a companion book to Kyleah's Tree, and I understand that the author is currently writing the third book in this series that will bring the two young protagonists together. I can't wait.

Kendall's Storm was a wonderful, thought-provoking, and intense book, and I sincerely recommend it.

Happy Reading,

Wil

New York Times says more authors doing what I'm doing

Yes, the New York Times has confirmed that my method of publishing books is now more popular than ever. The NYT says more than three-quarters of a million books were published by 'microniche' publishers in 2009; by comparison, Random House published less than a third of that number.

I agree with the idea that using a microniche publisher, as I do, makes it possible and easy to get stories into print (and onto eReader screens). In fact, I use Lulu to get my books into print, and Smashwords to get my books onto screens. It's a great combination. I've now published eight fiction titles in the Adult Drama and Young Adult genres, and I was pleasantly shocked when one of my books spent some time at the top of the Smashwords best sellers list.

I write for myself and not necessarily to sell, but the notion that thousands of copies of my books are now in the hands of readers heartens me. I hope what I've written brings happiness to at least a few readers, but this could never happen in the old, traditional publishing model.

If you're interested, read the full New York Times article as it appeared in the Sunday Magazine on May 2, 2010.

Writing is now a grand adventure!

Wil

Kobo has new $149 eReader - and my books

A new entrant on the eReader market is being made available by Kobo. It's now for sale in Canada at Chapters and Indigo and is expected to be available in the US, at Borders, as early as May, but maybe not until June.

The really good thing from my perspective, is that my fiction titles are available on Kobo Books, including my Free eBooks, so now my books will be conveniently available on one more new eReader. I was really pleased that my titles were available at Apple's iBookstore on the day of launch for the iPad.

Don't forget, there's still a good way to read books on your computer, with mobipocket reader. See my April 1st blog post for details.

So, lots of ways to read. Hope you enjoy,

Wil

What would you say to your younger self - if you could?

I saw an interesting blog post by YA author Sarah Mlynowski. Her new novel, Gimme a Call, due out this week, is about a high school senior who accidentally drops her cell phone in a fountain. When she fishes it out, she discovers the only call she can make is to herself—as a high school freshman, at age 14.

Sarah went to twitter, and asked others what they would tell their younger selves if they had a magic phone. The responses are certainly interesting, and worth a look.

I responded with: Hey, 14-year-old self... That dream? Now a book http://bit.ly/AFL-TWW about a kid who made a difference! It's dedicated to you.

The book I'm referring to is A Family Legacy: THE WATSON WORKS (The eBook is now Free). That was my first published book, and the ideas and dreams that have followed are the inspiration for my other books. So... now you know.

Hope you read, and enjoy.

Wil

Boating (and other activities) on the British Columbia south coast

Today, for the first time, I'm blogging about someone else's books. I'm doing so because I discovered a series of books, including Up the Strait, that Wayne J. Lutz has just released on Smashwords. They are a collection of books about boating, kayaking, other outdoor activities and living on the south coast of British Columbia.

This area, the Strait of Georgia and Desolation Sound and adjacent coastal BC and the Pacific Northwest, is one of the locations in my books, SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE, and the soon-to-be released sequel, SONS and BROTHERS Sail Into DANGER. It is an amazing part of the world for natural scenery, and it makes a great backdrop for the characters in my books. (The current Smashwords special second edition of SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE includes bonus chapters from the sequel.)

Wayne Lutz and his wife also keep a blog about their current activities on the south coast of BC, and it's certainly worth a look.

So, lots more to read,

Wil

Thousands of Downloads and Sales of the Books of Wilson James

Thousands of downloads and sales of fiction titles by Wilson James. That’s an incredible statement to be able to make, and excited does not even begin to describe the emotions I feel about that reality. My five multi-format eBooks can be found at Smashwords, and are now also available for the iPad at the iBookstore. When I decided to make my books widely available less then four months ago, I could never have dreamed or imagined that they would be so well received, and I'm thrilled by that.

Two of my titles have made it to the top of the best sellers list for young adult fiction and one has made it to #1 on adult fiction in the drama genre. I’m amazed and humbled by that, and I’d like to share my work even more. Three of my titles are still FREE on Smashwords, one is ‘set-your-price,’ and I’m going to offer my #1 Best Seller FREE for a limited time. Here’s the lineup:

PLAYING THE ‘SON’ CARD – still free. (A 5-star rating, and top 15 on the most downloads list for YA fiction at Smashwords)

A Family Legacy: THE WATSON WORKS – still free. (At #8 on the most downloads list for YA fiction at Smashwords)

PLAYING THE BASEBALL CARD – still free. (In the top 5% on most downloads list for YA fiction at Smashwords)

ROBERT’S RIDE – ‘set-your-price’ from zero to any amount. (Made it to #1 on YA Best Seller list at Smashwords after only 6 weeks)

SONS and BROTHERS in SEATTLE. (Made it to #1 on YA Best Seller list and to #1 on adult fiction (drama) Best Seller list at Smashwords. Normally $4.99, but use code GV22M and GET IT FREE until April 30^th

Hope you have a look, and

Happy Reading,

Wil