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Cross Your Fingers...

8/21/2012

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So yesterday I put a copy of my novel, Head Above Water, into an envelope, along with my bio, contact info, etc..., into an envelope and sent it off to the main guy at the Arkansas Literary Festival. If they like it, and I need you to cross your fingers that they do, they will select me to be a featured author at the festival in April of next year.

So, keep me and my book in your thoughts in the hopes that I make it onto the panel and be that featured author that I know I am. :-)

More later....
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My worries...and joys.

5/30/2012

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Maybe it's the plight of all writers, specifically the "independent" ones like myself, who worry about what this writing thing is going to lead to, if anything.

Writing is one of only a handful of things that I KNOW that I'm good at it but I worry that, when it's all said and done, will I just be like many before and after me who will be a great writer that no one has ever heard of. Maybe I'm a bit narcisstic in calling myself a "great" writer but, if I didn't truly believe that I was good at what I did then I wouldn't be doing it.

I worry that people will look at my books as being "run of the mill" or just average when I want them to be so much more than that. Any time I write something I want to give readers something different than what they've read before.  I want them to feel the characters and the soul that I've put in it because any time I write something I put myself into it because what I write, in varying degrees, is me, even in the H.U.B. series.

But, at the same time, I find solace in knowing that total strangers who have read my book have loved it. I find joy in the fact that even one person has spent their money on something that I have created.

It still amazes me that a reader will leave a comment to me on Goodreads.com telling me that I'm a "great writer" and that they wish they could write a book like Head Above Water. Reading that lets me know that I've accomplished what I had hoped to do, even if I may be 999,000 people short of my intended sales goal.

I find joy in myself - in the fact that I'm committed to doing something, no matter the hurdles or setbacks that I face. I love how I keep trying to find reviewers and keep finding festivals, conventions, radio shows, etc... to get my books out. It makes every penny I've spent worthwhile.
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New Additions to the Site

4/3/2012

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Hey guys and gals.

As you know, assuming you visit the Event Calendar part of my site, I recently had a radio interview with Mr. Marc Medley (my 2nd with him). It was an awesome interview, just like the first, and I now have the audio of the full interview posted. You can listen to it by clicking on the Audio link on the site.

Another development - I have posted the first three chapters of Head Above Water on the new Excerpts tab so that you can sample it, hopefully enjoy it and then want to purchase it.

That's it for now but I promise to update this more frequently in the future.

Ben, out!
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Head Above Water Paperback Copies

2/27/2012

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Hello wonderful friends.

This post I am SO HAPPY to be writing. This morning my paperback copies of Head Above Water are FINALLY ready. This long journey of getting this book out is finally over - having gone from being in my head to being in a notebook to being published as an e-book to now being in paperback. And it has my picture on the back! :-)

I know times are hard for everyone but, if you love a good book, especially a romance book, then please support your book and pick it up! You can get it for $14.99 + S/H at https://www.createspace.com/3795232

ISBN: 978-1470058364
404 Pages

Will be available at Amazon.com in the next few days and I will put the link up for it once it's up and running on their site.

Autographed copies (the only place to get them) can be obtained via my site at http://benjaminjoneswrites.weebly.com/purchase-bens-work.html for $14.99 + $3.00 S/H.



MANY THANKS to all who read over it and helped point out out the seemingly endless list of typos, grammatical mishaps, etc..., etc...

So, tell your friends & family and anyone else that has a jones for a good romance that Head Above Water is available. I appreciate all the support.

Ben.
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Writing Update

1/4/2012

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Welcome back everyone. Hope all of you had a good holiday!

I felt the need to update everyone on what's going on with me. First, as most all of you know, I dropped the price on all of my published works on Smashwords, Amazon and Kindle to $.99 and, due to that I'm assuming, December ended up being my biggest month by far in terms of sales, not only on the new book, Head Above Water, but also on the H.U.B. series. I'm not making as much from each sale but I would rather have more sales than the money; the money will come if it's meant to be.

I have had nothing but positive reviews so far on the just released Head Above Water and I'm happy about the sales, though I would always be happier with a few more. :-) Just  in case you were wondering where you can get it, let me tell you:

Available for $0.99 via the following:

Amazon Kindle 
http://www.amazon.com/Head-Above-Water-ebook/dp/B006LZR8R6/ref=sr_1_10_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324349663&sr=1-10 


Barnes & Noble Nook =
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/head-above-water-benjamin-jones/1107965938?ean=2940013844346 

 
 
Smashwords = https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/114222

I'm also still knee deep in work on the Hip-Hop project with my co-writer Debbie Cunningham. When not working on that I'm working on The Girl In The Red Balloon so I'm anticipating for the upcoming year and a half or so are going to be full of new and exciting work. On top of all that you will also see the release from the collaboration that I have going on with my fellow Clan of the Flying Pens members - that's going to be real special.

I'm also working to get my name out there and trying to schedule radio interviews and conventions. I just completed a radio interview that I believe will be up to hear in the next week or so. I also have a radio interview coming up on March 24th and a convention that I will be attending to promote H.U.B. on March 3rd so I'm grinding HARD!

Anyway, I think that's about it for right now. As my grandmother likes to say, stay sweet!

More info later.
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Writing Update

1/4/2012

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Head Above Water Release

12/20/2011

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Head Above Water, my long labor of love, is now available! 

A self described adult fairy tale, Head Above Water is the tale of a man named Darryl and a girl named Leena who both work at the same company but work in two different offices a thousand miles apart.

A chance meeting sparks a fire in the both of them but circumstances prevent them from being together. Through the course of their lives they find it hard to remain apart and, though they are fated to be apart, they remain determined to be together.

Head Above Water asks the question - how much would you sacrifice for love?

I hope that everyone will check it out and enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Available for $0.99 via the following and coming soon for iTunes:

Amazon Kindle 
http://www.amazon.com/Head-Above-Water-ebook/dp/B006LZR8R6/ref=sr_1_10_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324349663&sr=1-10 

Barnes & Noble Nook =
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/head-above-water-benjamin-jones/1107965938?ean=2940013844346 
 
Smashwords = https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/114222

Spread the word to all of your friends and family as getting the word out is the hardest process for indepenent writers such as myself.

Thank you,
Ben.
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New Review of Head Above Water

12/15/2011

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Reviews of Head Above Water are starting to come in. Peep the current one from Mr. Demetrice Prince!

Head Above Water will be released on 12.22.11 and can be found on Smashwords, Nook & Kindle for only $.99!

""First let me state that I'm not the biggest fan of romance/love stories, so I was slightly skeptical about taking on the task of reading this. However, from reading some of Benjamin Jones previous works, I knew that I was gonna be in for a treat. Within the first few pages I was instantly hooked! What followed was 33 chapters of pure genius with a little bit of something for everyone while still managing to stick to a main storyline!  Mr. Jones truly does have  a way with words. You would be foolish not to read Head Above Water or any of his other works!" - Demetrice Prince

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First Review of Head Above Water

12/7/2011

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I am ECSTATIC!!!! If I had some money I would give it to you (but, alas, I don't so - sorry).

The first review for my upcoming novel, Head Above Water, has come in, courtesy of Ms. Kim Bailey, and it was more than I had anticipated it to be. I was nervous to even open the email but, now that I have, I'm on cloud 9. Check it:

"I have to tell you, I'm an avid reader and book clubber and I have never read a book like this. There's so much detail and imagination! I can appreciate that it was a love story sprinkled with a little science fiction. I'm not really into romance novels honestly, but this book worked for me; mostly because I could relate to the characters and bits and pieces of Darryl and Leena's relationship. Who hasn't been crazy in love at least once in their life?

I was able to imagine each and every character from the protagonists to the DLI employees. You did a great job making everyone's personalities seem so realistic. My favorite parts were the constant thoughts of Darryl and Leena. It was amazing how they were both thinking and feeling the same things almost simultaneously. Every thought was riddled with emotion and it made me want to keep reading to find out what would happen next. The ending was an unexpected, but nice surprise! I totally was not prepared for that. At. All.

Overall I think you did an excellent job! There's love, drama, sex, dysfunction, death and the afterlife. What more can one ask for in one book?"

Thanks again to Ms. Bailey for taking the time to read and review my work; MUCH APPRECIATED.

Head Above Water will be released on 12.22.11 - the first day of Winter - on Smashwords, Kindle, Nook and iTunes. Be sure to get your copy!!



Picture
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Fundraiser

9/27/2011

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I decided to try a fundraiser to raise the funds to get my book Head Above Water printed up. The cost of this service, for 100 copies, is approximately $574 so that's the goal I'm trying to reach. If I can get 574 people to donate one dollar then I'll be giddy beyond all belief. Of course, if you want to give more, I won't turn it down. :-)

About Head Above Water: Head Above Water is actually the first novel that I ever wrote, way before my work on Humanity's Ultimate Battle (H.U.B.). It's a romance book with a touch of "fantasy" elements added in; I like to call it an adult fairy tale. The book begs the question: how much would you sacrifice to be with the one you love?

What does your donation get you? Everyone who donates, be it $1.00 or $100.00, gets their name and hometown in the acknowledgement section of the book which is a pretty cool thing to see. How often do you get to see your name in a book? I know!! Plus you will receive a free copy of the ebook before it drops in December!

My goal is to raise the money, or as much of it as I can, by January 15th, 2012. The e-book of Head Above Water is coming out on December 22, 2011 so I would like to have the physical book soon after or, depending on how fast I can raise the money, possibly able to release it on the same day as the e-book.

How can you donate?  I'm glad you asked. Click HERE where you'll be able to donate as little or as much as you'd like via Paypal.

If you have questions please do not hesitate to shoot me an email at ben(at)whatishub.net

Thank you in advance for your donations!

Ben.
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    Benjamin Jones

    Author, wanna-be ninja, lover of hip hop music, the written word and monkeys.

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