My Other Identity

Are you one of those writers who has a stack of material in a file? Things you think would make good books or short stories that you'll "get to someday"? I've got a trunk full. Stuff I'll never get to or even live long enough to write. The other day I figured out a way to actually use some of that stuff. Like other writers before me, I'm going to use another name to write those "other books".

I've selected "Dean Breckenridge" for my new pen name. I just pulled it out of my rear end. My own books will be the Steve Dane series and other full-scale thrillers in the traditional form; under the Breckenridge name, I'll do pulpy crime stories. Most of those ideas I'll never get to are things I thought were too generic; upon new examination, they're actually okay, but still not something I want to do under my own name, so I'll make use of them under this new identity.

I'm in the middle of the first Breckenridge book, Blood Cries, about a war vet coming home to find out who raped his sister. It's turning into a really good vigilante action story. It will probably be short, but that's okay. A short, punchy action story is sometimes just what the doctor ordered.

Adventures in Createspace

If you're thinking of using Amazon's Createspace to publish your ebook in paperback, I can heartily recommend the service.

I've been setting up my new novel, The Rogue Gentleman, for paperback publication over the past few weeks, and it's been a great experience. A friend helped me out with the interior layout, and I was tempted to hire somebody to
design a new cover. I had already purchased a cover for the ebook but wasn't sure how to make it fit with the paper version. A little futzing around after work one night solved the problem, and I was able to do all of the cover art myself by dropping it into Amazon's pre-made template.

I ordered a proof once the initial layout was done, and it looks amazing. The glossy wraparound front stock not only brings out the colors in the cover, but also the lettering of the back copy. Inside, the content is in nice black ink on white paper, and not cheap paper, either. It's in the trade paperback format rather than mass market, and it's a quality presentation indeed. The product is well worth $12.99 (which I think is market standard currently), should you decide to take the plunge, but I'll be pricing mine around $7.99 (lucky #7 and all that).

Of course, reading the proof, I found not only errors but other things in the text that I wanted to adjust. Now the corrected file is back at Amazon awaiting their review; once done, I'll order another proof for yet another check. I think I'll have it on sale by summer.