EDITED 12-18-12. The contest is over – thanks to all who entered. Susie Lindau, you’re our winner. Check your email, and congrats!

We all know about the supposed Mayan Apocalypse. The ancient Mayan Calendar ends on December 21st, which is next Friday. Of all the recent doomsday scenarios, this one seems to strike the most fear into people. NASA has gone so far as to create a blog and FAQ page to head off the questions.

Here’s a link to NASA’s “Why The World Won’t End.” It’s got a specific page for the Mayan Calendar, which basically says the calendar ends because it’s starting over, much like our own calendar. It also dispels the supposed cover-up of the planet Nibiru, which is probably my favorite conspiracy theory: somehow, NASA and the US government has control of ALL astronomers in the world, forcing them to keep silent about the planet getting ready to crash into us. Right.

I think it’s all a load of bunk. But what would I do if I really believed it was our last weekend on earth?

I’d like to say I would do all the things I’ve always been too afraid to do: fly, go up in a hot air balloon, sky dive, ride a roller coaster. But I think I’d focus on my last meals. I’d start out the day with a plate full of bacon. And a few pancakes. Some Nutella for a mid-morning snack. Cheese tortellini for lunch, chocolate chip cookies for afternoon snack, sausage casserole for dinner. For dessert, a piece of white cake, loaded with super rich, very sweet icing. Then a nice glass or full bottle of Moscotto. I’d go out with class, of course. Bloated and shamed, but satisfied.

All my gluttony would be accompanied by a great soundtrack, of course! That’s why I’ve joined with some great authors to give away a iTunes gift card – just in time for the Last Weekend on Earth. All you have to do to enter is like Amazon Author Pages or Facebook–contest ends Monday morning, so make sure you hit the link and ENTER!

Stop by these other great blog to see what my author friends are up to this last weekend;)

Catie Rhodes

Paula Sharon

CC MacKenzie

Rhonda Hopkins

Anna Erishkigal

Dale Amidei

The homeless living in the storm drains beneath Las Vegas play an important role in INTO THE DARK. Stretching hundreds of miles beneath the city and known as the tunnels, the drains are a refuge for around 200 of the city’s homeless. Yes, people are living below Las Vegas in the storm drains, many of them directly beneath the Strip.

Reporter Matt O’Brien introduced the tunnels to the world in his excellent book, Beneath the Neon. He decided to research the homeless living in the drains after covering the Weber murder case of 2002 for Las Vegas CityLife.

A Cold-Blooded Killer Escapes.

Here’s your true crime case for this Thursday. In April 2002, Timmy “T.J.” Weber raped his girlfriend’s 14-year-old daughter and then killed his girlfriend and one of her sons. Police found the woman stuffed in a storage container in a bedroom closet.

Her son was discovered facedown on the mattress, arms taped behind his back and a t-shirt in his mouth. A plastic bag was secured around his neck with speaker wire. He smothered to death.

Weber originally left Las Vegas but returned a week and a half later. He attacked his girlfriend’s surviving son and his friend when they came into the home to choose items for the funeral. The men fought, and an injured Weber fled on foot. He eventually made it to a storage ditch and disappeared into the storm drain where he spent five hours underground.

Weber was captured after more than 3 weeks on the run. He told investigators his journey through the drains reminded him of the movie The Fugitive.

Timmy “T.J.” Weber was sentenced to life in prison for one count of murder and was sentenced to death for the second.

INTO THE DARK

I first discovered the tunnels in 2009 when I was researching for INTO THE DARK. I knew at once I’d found my stalker’s escape route, but I didn’t realize what an important role the storm drains played in the book until after the first draft was complete.

There are only a handful of scenes that take place in the tunnels and yet, they’ve added true depth to the book. As SWAT and detectives are searching for the man who becomes known as the Taker, readers get a glimpse of the dark and sadness festering beneath the city. Seeing this reality gives both my hero and heroine a new perspective on life and ultimately helps make them into three-dimensional characters.

So when it came to figuring out how to market INTO THE DARK, I knew I had to do something to give back.

I hate the idea of marketing, by the way. I’m not going to go around telling you all to buy my book and to please tell everyone you know about it. Maybe it’s a mistake, but I simply can’t do it. I’ll tweet and Facebook here and there, share some excerpts, do some giveaways, but I’m not going to run off at the mouth on social media. That’s just not me.

So here’s the plan: from today until the end of February (covering both of my blog tours) I’m running the INTO THE DARK Charity Blog Tour to benefit the homeless. It’s through Rafflecopter. There are several entry options, including tweets and Facebook shares.

Even better is the option to donate to HELP of Southern Nevada, the organization that aids those living in the storm drains. The raffle’s grand prize is a $100 donation from me in the winner’s name to the homeless charity of their choice.

Enter the INTO THE DARK Charity Raffle!

Will this help sell books? I have no idea. But I know it’s the right thing for me to do. I realize times are tight for everyone, but I hope we can raise a little money for HELP, and I’m excited to donate to the winner’s homeless charity.

If you’d like to help spread the word, feel free to grab some of the tweets listed at the end of the post.

And there’s more big news today! My official website is live! Visit stacygreenauthor.com for the full list of my blog tour. In addition to the Charity Raffle, I’m also hosting A Gift From Stacy–a chance for readers to win a $25 Amazon gift card, so don’t miss out on those events.

What do you guys think? Are you ready to spread the word and raise a little money for charity?

An Introduction to the Darkness Below.

WELCOME TO LAS VEGAS, a short story. (Contains exclusive excerpt from INTO THE DARK)

“5 Stars …”
“Creepy and Terrifying…”
“A Riveting, Fast Read…”

Dark, dirty, and terrifying, the storm drains below Las Vegas stretch hundreds of miles and house the city’s homeless and criminal element. Walking into the underground abyss is the last thing Tate wants to do, but his junkie sister has disappeared into the drains. Armed with only his flashlight, Tate wades into the gritty depths beneath Sin City to rescue his sister from her demons.

Every step into the smothering darkness challenges Tate’s resolve. With his sister’s life and his own sanity at stake, Tate must face his fears or risk becoming another victim of the Las Vegas tunnels.

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords
iTunes

An Excerpt from INTO THE DARK (11.30.12 in digital and print)

Emilie’s resolve faltered as they reached the tunnel entrance. She peered over Nathan’s shoulder at the triad of pipes branching off in different directions. Big enough for a tall man to walk through easily, their murky blackness was as foreboding as anything Emilie had ever experienced.

She pressed the button on her flashlight and shined it into the abyss. Four other lights joined hers, and the inner concrete walls of the tunnel became visible. Graffiti was scrawled over them. A bevy of cockroaches scuttled away from the intrusion.

Emilie followed Nathan and Chris across the threshold and tried not to give in to the claustrophobia that immediately wrapped itself around her. The tunnel was wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side with room to spare, but the sense of being closed in was amplified by the heavy silence. The group’s splashing feet echoed and then faded away into the never-ending darkness. How deep were the channels?

A smell resembling the rotten egg she’d once dropped on Evan’s porcelain kitchen floor hit her full force. Emilie’s hand flew to her mouth.

“Something else, ain’t it?” Chris’s voice broke the uneasy stillness. “I liken it to a men’s locker room filled with dirty socks and jocks after a five-mile run.”

“If you guys stink this bad, you need medical help. Christ.”

“At least my stomach’s not rumbling anymore,” Nathan said.

“Shit, I could eat,” Chris said.

“You can always eat. You’re like a human trash compactor.”

“Do you guys have any idea where to find Snake?” Avery’s voice came out muffled.

Chris turned around and shined his light on Avery. “Dude, that hanky over your face ain’t gonna stop the stink. Embrace it. Feel the burn.”

Emilie laughed as the knot in her stomach began to uncoil. The banter made it easier to forget why she was here.

Her right foot suddenly came down on something hard in the shallow stream of water. She stumbled into Nathan’s back before an arm caught her from behind.

“Watch it,” Avery said. “Last thing you want to do is fall face-first in this.”

“Sorry.” Emilie clutched the hem of Nathan’s thin T-shirt. “I tripped over something.”

She shined her light into the two-inch-deep water. A pair of soulless black eyes stared back at her. A child’s doll lay abandoned, its once-blond hair soaked with the filthy water.

Children lived down here?

“Into the Dark by Stacy Green explores deep, dark secrets and exposes a fascinatingly creepy killer!”

–Debra Webb, USAToday bestselling author of the Faces of Evil series

“Stacy Green writes suspense like a pro. You’ll be captivated from the first page to the end of this harrowing story. Don’t forget to breathe!”

–Diane Capri, #1 Amazon Bestselling Author of The Justice Series and The Hunt For Reacher Series.

Pre-Order Into The Dark

Add INTO THE DARK to your Goodreads List

INTO THE DARK Charity Blog Tour Tweet Ideas

Helping those in need for the #holidays. Enter the #IntoTheDarkCharity Raffle and help an #author give back http://bit.ly/PlKhrP

#IntoTheDarkCharityRaffle Discover a great new #author and give back for the #holidays. http://bit.ly/PlKhrP

Tate is afraid of the dark. But his junkie sister has disappeared into the terrifying storm drains below Las Vegas. The tunnels stretch hundreds of miles beneath the city, housing the homeless and Sin City’s criminal element. Armed with only his flashlight, Tate wades into the gritty depths of the storm drains to rescue his sister from her demons.

Every step into the smothering darkness challenges Tate’s resolve. With his sister’s life and his own sanity at stake, Tate must face his fears or risk fading into the dank oblivion of the Las Vegas tunnels.

Contains an exclusive excerpt of INTO THE DARK.

The cover was done by Laura Morrigan, and she did a great job. Also thanks to Shannon Jones Janeczak, Stacey Joy Netzel, Kristine Kelly, and Julie Glover for their editing help.

I’ve also got an official Amazon Author Page and a Goodreads Author Page. Feel free to check out/like/review.

INTO THE DARK has received its first 5-Star Review!

Some highlights:

“Well written and skillfully crafted…”
“Characters quickly come alive and keep gaining depth throughout the book…”
“While the thriller plot kept me turning the pages, INTO THE DARK is also an intelligent study of how past actions and events affect who we are and what we strive for…”
“Highly recommended.”

Read the full review here.

Contest Alert!

The official release of Welcome to Las Vegas will also kick off the INTO THE DARK Charity Blog Tour, and you’ll hear more about that next week. However, I’m planning some very special extras, and in order to get the advanced scoop – and a chance at a signed print copy of INTO THE DARK – you’ll need to sign up for my newsletter. The first edition will go out November 9th, and the winner of the signed print copy will be announced then as well, so you’ll need to be signed up by then. Go HERE to add your name to the mailing list.

INTO THE DARK’s cover reveal is October 29th at Night Owl Reviews. They will be running a contest, and I’ll send a reminder to you all. I’m sure it will be great, so don’t miss it. I’m also really proud of the cover, because my artist was able to use a stock photo I’ve had forever but couldn’t use.

Thank you all so much for your awesome support! Can’t wait to share INTO THE DARK with you all!

You write horror – have you always been interested in darker fiction? How did that develop?

My first idea of horror was actually movies, especially Vincent Price. I loved B movies and Japanese horror movies. Later, I watched a lot of crime documentaries and read a lot of crime fiction, which is different from horror but close. When I came to writing, I thought I’d like to try something creepy and viola, The Mountain City Bronzes was born.

When did you start writing? Was it a childhood calling, or something that came along later in life?

As a child I did a lot of drawing and writing poetry. My father kept all these little ‘books’ pages stapled together that I had given him of poetry written when I was a child. I wrote stories later, in my teens, I liked science fiction then and my English teacher said she’d never read such a good student short story. This encouraged me but I didn’t really know how to go about it, so I left it and pursued drawing and painting, until the ninties, when I took a correspondence course in writing. I was in my thirties.

I love the tagline for THE MOUNTAIN CITY BRONZES: How far will a community go to protect the safety of their children when they start to disappear? The story is a compelling, engaging read – what inspired it? 

I wrote this for a student story, when I started the writing course. My first lesson was write what you know, so I wrote something about a sculptor and a small town. I took a lot of literary license with sculpting techniques.

Kevin is in an interesting character–is he based on anyone close to you? 

Kevin represents ‘boy’ to me, just a typical boy, based on every boy I’ve ever known who worshiped his father.

Do you have a favorite horror story? One you’ve read over and over?

No favorite horror story. There are so many good ones. Of course, Poe is a favorite.

What’s the scariest thing that’s ever happened to you?

The scariest thing that happened to me was when I was about two and we went to an inn. There was a pier and my sister and I ran out on it. I fell off the end and under the pier was a giant spider. It was so huge that sometimes I think that it was only because I was so small that I thought it was so big. I had a terror of spiders for years.

Put yourself in the townspeople’s shoes–what would YOU do if your child disappeared?

I would search forever if my own child disappeared and probably become morose and even feeling guilt,y and I’d never move so the child could always find  me. My original story had the line. “It is so hard to lose a child, the searching never stops'” but my editor wanted it out. But that’s how I feel.

Let’s get personal. You live in Eastern Canada, a beautiful part of the world. How does that play into your writing? What do you do for fun?

I like the seasons in Eastern Canada, so a lot of my writing has a lot of seasonal things in it. I do like to walk and do genealogy research.

What’s your next project, and where can readers find you?

I’m working on some more dark fiction, maybe not so dark as the first. I have a bio on amazon.com and on the museituppublishing website. I also have a blog at http://madworldca.blogspot.com.  On Twitter I’m known as Madoxane, and I have a facebook and linkedin page.

Excerpt from THE MOUNTAIN CITY BRONZES:

The jail was a great refuge in June, but even in the winter, I found it pleasant to play in. There was so much fun imagining the structure when it was full, back in the gold rush. I could almost hear the walls and floors resounding to the voices of the thousands of lawless men that lived back then. In the large, empty vastness of our jail, I loved pretending I needed to find escape routes.

One day after tromping through the halls for an hour, I found a locked door.

Why is it shut tight?  What is behind that door?

Buy At MuseItUp (99 cents)

Buy At Amazon (99 cents)

Coffee Time Romance (59 cents, on sale)

Thanks so much for Madeline for stopping by. Please make sure to leave her some love!

I’m VERY honored to have Bob Mayer guesting today. His knowledge of the industry and willingness to share makes his blog a must read. In a publishing environment that’s in constant flux and often fraught with arguments over traditional vs. indie, Bob keeps a cool head and always puts the author first.

Thanks so much for guesting today, Bob!

Authors: Which Do You Value More: Bestseller lists or profit?

Most authors are very focused on bestseller lists.  Most of us want to say Joe Scmho, Blah-Blah Bestselling Author.  The blah blah tip is the NY Times List.  Actually, a handful get to say:  #1 NY Times Bestselling Author, which is the tip of the tip.  And then within the NY Times you’ve got a sliding scale:  Printed list or extended list?  The printed list is what appears in the paper.  The extended list can be found on-line.  Do you know how antiquated the NY Times list is?  It’s always been skewed. It’s two weeks late by the way!  Does the Times own a computer? Connected to the Internet?  They’ve been reporting the list the same way now for decades.  And it’s based on reports from stores, not actual sales.  One time I had the #4 bestselling fiction mass market title on USA Today and didn’t even hit the Times extended list.  Then I had a book on the Times list that never touched USA Today.  So which reality are they operating in?

Also, quite frankly, publishers can put enough co-op money and push behind a title to practically jackhammer it onto the list.  I saw an author become the infamous #1 NY Times hardcover in January and virtually disappear in a couple of weeks which says to me there was a hard push, then sales dropped precipitously.

Here’s the thing: bestseller lists don’t exactly equal ka-ching.  And ka-ching pays the rent/mortgage.  More importantly, making money as a writer allows us to keep writing.

I remember sitting at lunch years ago with several authors at the Maui Writers Conference.  We were discussing the business and I started talking about dollars and every author just about spit their iced tea out.  They said NO writer talks about actual dollars.  But they were also very happy to finally let the beast out of the closet and talk about contracts and real dollars.  Because it was their livelihood and for their entire career they had been working in the dark trying to figure out what they were worth, what their books were worth, what their time was worth and what their writing was worth.  But it was all hidden under a bushel.

There are quite a few indie and trad authors making a very nice living and they never hit the bestseller lists.  To them, I say, take satisfaction in that you get to do what you love and don’t worry about the ‘validation’ of lists that are vague at best.

Because not a single bestseller list focuses on earnings.  And that is a fatal business flaw as any MBA, or person with a business sense, will tell you.  Especially with the tidal wave of eBooks.  Let’s walk through a practical application of this.

A certain author sells 1 million eBooks. Woohoo!  At .99.  Well, okay.  But it’s a million.  I grant it’s a brilliant marketing move.  For the first person who did it.  For the rest, sorry, it’s not that unique any more.  A million eBooks on Amazon at .99, where each earns a little over .29.  Ultimately around $297,000.  Not chump change.  Except the guy in the next cubicle who sells 100,000 eBooks at $4.99, one tenth of that all important number, earns $349,300.  Huh?  Yet which one does the publishing world focus on?  The units sold.  However, which, ultimately, is the more important number?  You can’t pay employees with units sold.  You pay them with earnings.

Bad business.  Because at the end of the day we have to pay the rent/mortgage, the utilities and our business expenses.

Look at Publishers Lunch, which announces deals.  We know agents and publishers never give exact figures to PW.  So it labels them with terms:  good, nice, yada yada.  Except how many books?  What rights?  What royalty rates?  Which exact end from the low end to high end does the deal actually hit?  Ask anyone.  Big difference if they get the top number or the bottom number.

I know that we’re not going to shift to reporting actual dollar figures.  But I think as authors we need to be aware that believing in numbers with such a high degree of variance once you get into the details as our measuring stick has inherent problems.  I took some courses in psychology on statistics and how they can be skewed.

I know, it’s all we have. The key to success in digital publishing is not the immediate success and the bestseller list.  It’s the long tail, a broad base of titles, and consistent sales over the years.  Where bestseller lists really count is on Amazon if you get on that first page for your genre.  That’s called discoverability.

All I’m saying is let’s be aware that ‘success’ is different for each of us and there are many roads to Oz and even Oz is a different place for each of us.

What do you guys think? What’s more important to you? The money that goes into your bank account or the status of being called a best-selling author? What’s going to make you more successful in the long run?