(See last post for info about the cover poll or just go to my blog at www.BearMountainBooks.com and vote!)

Couple of freebie stories on my blog:
The first is for the technophobe in your life. The second is just in case you're thinking of traveling with your parents--or your in-laws:
Tech Support: Two Engineers and a Mom (http://www.bearmountainbooks.com/books-and-stories/mother-in-law/two-engineers-mom/)
Two Engineers and a Dad (http://www.bearmountainbooks.com/hobbies/travel/texas/palo-duro-vacation/)


And my books:

Executive Lunch (https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/5791) $1.99 - Multiple formats at Smashwords.

At Sony Bookstore (http://ebookstore.sony.com/search?keyword=maria+e+schneider)

at Amazon: Executive Lunch (http://www.amazon.com/Executive-Lunch-Sedona-Mystery-ebook/dp/B002WC99NI/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_3) (Also $1.99)

Blurb:

Sedona is given the opportunity of a lifetime: play an up-and-coming executive with all the trappings of wealth with someone else footing the bill. The catch: find out who is stealing company funds before the criminals find out that their program is being debugged.

Sedona runs into danger, the corporate glass ceiling, and an occasional chance at romance in her quest to figure out who is stealing money from Strandfrost.

Sage (https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/3625) (multiple formats; Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Sage-Tales-Magical-Kingdom-ebook/dp/B002HWSQTQ) or Smashwords (https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/3625) --$1.00)

Sword and Sorcery meets Agatha Christie. Three novellas introduce the Kingdom of Sage and those who protect its boundaries. Join Demetria and her husband Ward in their adventures as they protect Sage from evil: Rats, Snakes and perpetrators from within. Sometimes it takes a more experienced hand to save an entire Kingdom.

Catch an Honest Thief (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002KW448U) ($1.99; a cozy mystery) Available at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002KW448U) or smashwords.com
(http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/3798)

An Indiana Jones-style caper across the desert of New Mexico; high-tech gadgets, a mystery and a romance.

Alexia is trying to protect the crystals that power the city of Haven. Going undercover and stealing the crystals seemed like a great idea--until a real thief showed up.

Bait and switch is suddenly cat and mouse--but who is the real thief? And why is the new security chief spending so much time looking into her background?

Confessing her secret plans to protect the crystals might help the security chief narrow in on the real culprit, but it would cost Alexia her job, her freedom, and her status. Of course, if she keeps standing in the way of the real thief, it will cost her a whole lot more.

Young adults may also enjoy this cozy mystery with a romantic subplot.


More of my published short stories can be accessed from my blog. I've been fortunate to have a few readers post reviews of my books at Amazon.

Maria

Si! Welcome to the forum (check out our writer's area especially!) I'm off to take a gander at your short stories. And your SAGE sounds cool too!

Maria,

I cracked up reading your "Two Engineers and.." stories. They sound sooo like my own experiences with my parents.:rofl:

Wait... why does it sound funny when it happens to someone else but is extremely frustrating and exhausting when it happens to me? :blink: Maybe, I should write those times down to be able to see them in a different light.:)

:thanks: for sharing.

"Haunting Clues" is great too! Thanks. Good reads!

Thanks Dreams and Deb! Your kindness and welcome is very much appreciated!

Maria
(working on that signature thing today!)

Testing out the signature feature...especially since I don't think I did it correctly...

Maria

Edit: Looks like the links are there. Picture must have been too large. I can live with the links. They're unobtrusive.

Thanks & Welcome! Going right now to look/read your offerings!

If you can, I suggest making the titles in the sig be blue -- so it's more obvious that they are a link. Otherwise, people may not notice!

Thanks Penny!

Ah, good idea. For some reason, I thought the blue would be automated...let's try this and see what happens.

Thanks!

Edit. Well, that did not work. Back to the profile...

Thanks!!! While I was there, I sort of figured out the pictures for the books as well. They aren't links though. I suspect I could get that working as well, if I uploaded the pictures again and...goofed with it more. Feel free (anyone and everyone) to let me know what you think!

Thanks everyone a ton for your help/suggestions. That blue does look a lot better.

Maria,

I cracked up reading your "Two Engineers and.." stories. They sound sooo like my own experiences with my parents.:rofl:

Wait... why does it sound funny when it happens to someone else but is extremely frustrating and exhausting when it happens to me? :blink: Maybe, I should write those times down to be able to see them in a different light.:)

:thanks: for sharing.

Sounds like my husband and I, but we're not your parents!

cheers

The Town Drunk has a new issue out (I'm not in this one, but mine is listed above or you can find it here: Haunting Clues (http://www.towndrunkmag.com/2007/schneider_clues.aspx).

The reads are free:

The Town Drunk Magazine (http://www.towndrunkmag.com/contents.aspx)

I haven't read the issue yet, but the magazine excels in humor and fun so it will be part of my weekend reading!!! The magazine has remained one of my favorites.

I also wanted to mention that my "Sage: Tales from a Magical Kingdom" has a gardening theme for any gardeners out there. It never occurred to me to mention it before, but someone was asking about it (both kindle and Smashwords allow a partial download for sampling.) For those that love plants, the main character is a Master Gardener--with a number of the chores and triumphs involved with those little green sprouts!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Hi Maria--

Just read Haunting Clues and liked it -- I'm a big fan of that kind of fantasy detective, so you really hooked me,. Hope to see more. Meanwhile, I don't have a Kindle, so I signed up at Smashwords and bought Sage. Good luck with your writing career!

Oh, and you should really have some kind of authorial website in your signature as well. I find it especially helpful to bookmark independent authors and check their sites from time to time so I can keep up on their new or upcoming releases!

Morlac--

Your kind words are very much appreciated! I love that story; it's one of my favorites, I admit. I have three others with that character/setting. I plan to compile them all into a collection and upload that sometime early next year. (I have to prepare the artwork as well as finish the novel I'm working on for release next year.)

Thanks for your advice on the signature--done!!!

Maria

Just a quick update: I made "Catch an Honest Thief" available on Smashwords for 1.99 in multiple formats (it was only available on Kindle at Amazon's site.)

Here's a link:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/3798

Maria

Now that both are up on Smashwords and available for more than Kindle owners, I bought both. Thank you Maria.

Thank you, Dreams!!!

Maria

Maria, I just finished reading Sage and loved it! Magic, swords, ghosts, fights, gardens, kingdoms, just a great fantasy story.:)

I was shocked when the last page appeared and I couldn't go another page because the story ended! :eek: I was soooo in to the story.

I want to know more... Are you going to continue it? I want to know what happens to everyone. (I don't want to be too specific, as I don't want to spoil it for others.)

:thanks:

Ah Dreams, you are sooooo kind!!!!! Thank you so much.

I have at least one more tale in the saga that is floating around...I'm thrilled with your request to write more. Another reader or two has suggested I just go ahead and write an entirely new novel with the characters/world. Anything is possible I suppose...although I confess I am not a fast writer, so the idea of just sitting down and writing an entire novel about these characters isn't one to take on lightly!!!

Thanks for taking time to post your enthusiasm. It means a lot to hear from you!

Maria

P.S. When you say "shocked" I want to make sure you have the entire file--you mean shocked as in, "Hoping there was more" not, "this ended in the middle of sentence on some sort of weird cliffhanger...???" I can verify most of the file types, but if you downloaded LRF that happens to be one I can't page through because I don't have a reader for that file type!!! If you have any doubts at all, you should be able to access the HTML files from smashwords. You can jump to the end to check the file. Don't hesitate to contact me with any thoughts/problems/suggestions! Thanks again for your kind words.

Oops, sorry about my wording. I was shocked because I was so engrossed in the story and wanted more!

So, here is the trick... **WRITE FASTER***:p

I really would be interested in reading more about the characters.

Oops, sorry about my wording. I was shocked because I was so engrossed in the story and wanted more!

So, here is the trick... **WRITE FASTER***:p

I really would be interested in reading more about the characters.

Finished reading Sage a couple days ago -- I actually read it pretty much in one day, stealing time on multiple computers at lunch and various other times/locations.

As you might guess, that means I liked it and found it engaging enough to want to keep flipping those pages!

A few comments, if you don't mind...

(a) I agree with the WRITE FASTER sentiment, but for independent authors, I worry about it. If you are your own-and-only editor (which, as an author, editor, and publisher, I suggest is often on par with lawyers representing themselves in the realm of "not great ideas"), please don't rush! The high quality of your writing and *your editing and proofing* are both key factors in what made Sage so engrossing for me.

(b) While I'm not a "mystery" genre reader per se, I do a lot of reading in the SF or Fantasy Mystery genres. Somewhere in your descriptions or metatags for Sage, you described it as a mystery, which ended up not quite being how I saw it.

I don't want to spoil any plot points for anyone, so I will avoid anything like specifics. Generally speaking, though, the plot seemed more oriented toward action than mystery. That's not at all a criticism of the story itself -- which, as I said, I thoroughly enjoyed -- it's more a musing over the best way to describe and market it effectively.

(c) I would certainly be interested in reading further stories in this series. I would also encourage you to keep them in the existing template of long-ish loosely connected stories rather than succumbing to any temptation to stretch into a novel-length work. I found one of the most charming things about Sage to be the pacing: it reads crisply and quickly, with none of the padding (or bloating) that I've come to find annoying in many SF/Fantasy series these days.

Thanks Morlac. You are just making my day, I tell you!!!

Thanks also for the feedback on keeping them in a loosely connected set of stories. I kind of like the way it has been going, but...it isn't exactly what you'd call traditional, so it's nice to have feedback that you liked that format.

Don't worry. I don't think I could write faster if I tried. Oh, to some extent, I could put words on the paper, but I am one of those writers that must step away from the work--usually three or four times after it is "finished" and then come back to it. And Finish it again. That would be the primary reason I am not a fast writer!!!

Would either you or Dreams be interested in leaving a review or rating over at Smashwords? No requirement and really, don't feel like you have to. I know some people don't enjoy that sort of thing, but it does help to have reviews when people are shopping--so if you are inclined, reviews are much appreciated!!!

Thanks for taking the time to stop back here and let me know that you liked the stories. Warms my pea-pickin' little heart, it does!!!

Thanks Morlac. You are just making my day, I tell you!!!

Don't worry. I don't think I could write faster if I tried. Oh, to some extent, I could put words on the paper, but I am one of those writers that must step away from the work--usually three or four times after it is "finished" and then come back to it. And Finish it again. That would be the primary reason I am not a fast writer!!!

Would either you or Dreams be interested in leaving a review or rating over at Smashwords? No requirement and really, don't feel like you have to. I know some people don't enjoy that sort of thing, but it does help to have reviews when people are shopping--so if you are inclined, reviews are much appreciated!!!


I can't promise that I'll get to writing a Smashwords review at all, let alone anytime soon -- I am really far behind several deadlines at the moment. :( However, I know how vital that sort of thing can be, and I really would like to support your efforts, so I do promise to try to get to it! (Part of the problem is that I can't bring myself to leave a brief review -- it would have to be relatively well-thought-out.

On the other note, do you have an outside editor or proofreader (formal or informal)? Or do you try to do it all yourself?

Hi Morlac! Do not worry about the review! Get to it if you get to it. I'm just happy that you took time to share your thoughts with me here!

Re: Editing. For...two of the Sage stories, they went through a BRUTAL critique group (Baens). Those people leave no apostrophe unturned.

In general, I have "readers" for all my stuff. I don't put out anything that hasn't been read by at least three different people. None are professional copy editors, but my husband is very detailed, and he catches most typos. Other readers provide feedback on storyline and any typos that they see. Of course, when I go in to fix things, I can, and sometimes do, inadvertently add mistakes/typos!!! I read through a finished manuscript that I am ready to submit 3 to 5 times AFTER others have read it and given it the go-ahead. I am a speed-reader so final edits are painful for me. I continually catch myself speed reading and have to force myself to read each word to check things.
But it's just part of the job. I know the more I edit, the better the work will be in the end.

Maria

Maria, I just finished Catch an Honest Thief.

Your stories were so totally different, and I loved both of them!! Alexia (Chris too!) had me always wondering what they were going to do and how.

This one was another page turner for me.:thumbsup:

:thanks: for such fun "reads".:D

Dreams, I wish I could give you a 1000 happy karmas! Thank you very much for taking the time to read my books--and to come back here and let me know you enjoyed them. Your gesture warms my heart, it does!

Just a couple of updates:

1. I've had another short story accepted (wheee!!!) and it should be out very soon...It's a mystery, a little darker than my previous works. I'll post the location as soon as it is out!

I did some traveling over the last couple of weeks and I'll be blogging about it. My parents wanted to go to Europe for some odd reason...so I finally agreed to be the tour guide (like I know anything about the region...) It might not be as interesting for those of you from Rome or Spain...but then again, you might be the ones to throw out hints that could save the next person...

I've started the first couple of entries and will be blogging along about it over the coming weeks: www.BearMountainBooks.com

Maria

Welcome back and congratulations on the short story. I'll be looking forward to reading it.

For anyone interested, "Catch an Honest Thief" is now available at Barnes and Noble.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Catch-an-Honest-Thief/Maria-Schneider/e/2940000699119/?itm=10

EDIT: Sage is also available at B&N as of Oct 30!

I had a little...confusion over how to download it, but it does work. B&N stores the books you buy in an "e-library" once you sample or purchase it. Then you download and either read it on your preferred reader or B&N also offers a free downloadable reader. I tried out their reader; it isn't bad. Again, maybe a little confusing at first, as was the fact that I couldn't find out WHERE on my hard drive it was storing the books!!!

B&N is also offering a few free e-books right now (with any sampling or purchase of another e-book). Dracula, Pride and...there were about 6. Supposedly that will go down to two freebies, but I didn't understand WHEN or how that all worked.

Maria

Hi Folks!

I'm getting ready to go live with my latest cozy mystery, Executive Lunch. But I'd really like some input on the cover. I have two possible covers posted at my blog with a poll underneath. If anyone has some time to kill, please stop over and vote (heckle or comment as you see fit!)

www.BearMountainBooks.com

Thank you!
Maria

I loved your other two books and can't wait for this one! I popped over to your blog and did the vote thing... It's at a tie! Hard choice as a cover does draw you to look at a book.:)

Thanks, Dreams. You are the best!

I did make some changes to Cover A, based on all the lushes that wanted a martini glass (who could have guessed that FIVE people would make the same suggestion???) So I threw that cover up for a sneak peek. It's not really part of the poll, but I kind of like the way it turned out.

I'm getting great feedback and having fun too. Some of the things that people ask for though--I tell you I couldn't do it, no matter what software I bought. One really cool suggestion was to take cover b and put it INSIDE a martini glass...like a reflection...yeah. That would look cool, wouldn't it???

"Sedona is given the opportunity of a lifetime: play an up-and-coming executive with all the trappings of wealth with someone else footing the bill."

Maria, the more I think about your blurb and some comments about needing an indication about the books being a cozy mystery...

Maybe show "Sedona" dressed as a female executive (side or back view) next to some trappings of wealth... getting into the limo, limo outside mansion, behind desk or in front of computer... etc... I think, I saw that the golf scene was only a tiny part (or something)... Just my little 'ol 2 cents..:p

I actually do have a drawing of "Sedona" but I'm saving it for something else (and I didn't draw her so I don't want to abuse the permissions given to me--I think it would be allowed as part of a cover, but I'd want the artist to get full credit and so on...so it left me with a bit of an issue if I just used "her" in a larger drawing.)

Requests, requests!!!! Pretty soon, I'll have a drunk Sedona with an empty martini glass!!!!

But you are right--and echoing a few other comments that I have received. I think I probably did a bit of a disservice in picking the golf course to focus on--there are other images that would have worked better.

Next time I'll solicit opinions a lot earlier...with rougher sketches...maybe I'll figure out an alt to offer in time...

I cracked up reading your "Two Engineers and.." stories. They sound sooo like my own experiences with my parents



______________________
overnightprints discount (http://www.sohodealsdiscounts.com/smb-deals/overnightprints.com-promotion-codes/)

Thanks, Dadan!

My parents do keep me in stitches...when I'm not trying to figure things out!!!

I've been invited to participate in an author blog radio show tonight--Nov 7 at 11 p.m EST. Yeah, in the dark of night. When I should be sleeping...so if you hear snores during the broadcast you'll immediately know I am guilty!!!

Here's the link to the party:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bookchatter

Bring your own popcorn and beer (do you think anyone will notice me chewing popcorn???) Hmm...better bring brownies instead. They are quieter.

There is a chat feature--you can ask questions as we babble. I *think* you have to register to comment (name and password and it's free). They have a guest setting, but I'm not sure you can comment as a guest. I tried that last night and it didn't seem to take.

I should possibly start a new thread, but I'm not sure if that is the preferred method of communication about news books, so to start, I'm going to update this thread. Feel free to chime in with advice.



The final cover for Executive Lunch has been chosen! (The cover is in the attachment--I have no idea how to drop a picture into this post!)

And yes, it is available--early release on Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/5791 for $1.99!

Smashwords has Kindle, Sony, HTML and other reader friendly formats. Executive Lunch will also be available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble in the coming days.

Smashwords has a sample and there is also an excerpt on my blog: www.BearmountainBooks.com

Thanks to everyone that stopped by and helped select the cover. Your advice was wonderful and improved the cover greatly!!!

Maria

Back Blurb:

Sedona is given the opportunity of a lifetime: play an up-and-coming executive with all the trappings of wealth with someone else footing the bill. The catch: find out who is stealing company funds before the criminals find out that their program is being debugged.

Sedona runs into danger, the corporate glass ceiling, and an occasional chance at romance in her quest to figure out who is stealing money from Strandfrost.

Well, I'll tell you about the books because I'm going to buy them. And, about your travel, did you like Malaga? I don't know it (although I'm Spanish) And I'm thinking about going to Rome next year.

By the way, the cover I like the most is the chosen one.

Hi Terisa, and Thanks!!!

Malaga was okay; a LOT bigger than we actually expected. I'd HIGHLY recommend the Malaga Footsteps Guide:
http://www.guide-to-malaga.co.uk/ by Brian Jones for anyone that goes to Malaga. He does a great job of highlighting the best things to see. Otherwise it looks like this big city with one or two attractions and it would be impossible to know about most of them. There's actually quite a bit there.

My only complaint about Malaga was that we couldn't seem to find a good restaurant. I kid you not, two of the places we ate at were almost unedible. The one was kind of expected; we were running into siesta and stopped in what looked kind of like a local fast-food place, but the other place was recommended. We tried paella and it was...not good. My own version of paella was a lot better and I don't even have the special pan! (I do have saffron, which I obtained from Glandeves (http://www.french-saffron.com/) --GREAT little place in France from a local farm. I'm guessing you can get it anytime you want if you live in Spain!)

I tried to buy saffron at the Barcelona market, but that place was so packed, I never found any! The market was pretty expensive as well. All the spices that I did see were "mixes." I like to cook so I wanted to buy specific things -- not buy "Pizza mix" or "pasta mix." The market itself was...wow. Lot of food and a lot of people!!!

That southern part of Spain (Malaga) is quite arid for being so close to the coast. We went into the mountains (El Torcal) and it was very interesting terrain.

I'll be posting more about Spain now that Executive Lunch is out--the blog will go back to regular type postings, including me finishing up the travel log!!!

If we go to Spain again, I think I'd like to see the area North of Barcelona--that coastline looked pretty fabulous when I was researching. I'm an outdoors girl; I like to see a castle or three, but then I want to stretch my legs and do some hiking!!!!

Maria

My only complaint about Malaga was that we couldn't seem to find a good restaurant. I kid you not, two of the places we ate at were almost unedible. The one was kind of expected; we were running into siesta and stopped in what looked kind of like a local fast-food place, but the other place was recommended. We tried paella and it was...not good. My own version of paella was a lot better and I don't even have the special pan! (I do have saffron, which I obtained from Glandeves (http://www.french-saffron.com/) --GREAT little place in France from a local farm. I'm guessing you can get it anytime you want if you live in Spain!)


Paella at Malaga? Nop. But fried fishes, gazpacho, salmorejo, they're very good.


I tried to buy saffron at the Barcelona market, but that place was so packed, I never found any! The market was pretty expensive as well. All the spices that I did see were "mixes." I like to cook so I wanted to buy specific things -- not buy "Pizza mix" or "pasta mix." The market itself was...wow. Lot of food and a lot of people!!!


I don't know Barcelona market, but now, spices are easier to find at a store than at a market (except if there's a specific shop). And yes, markets are very full places.


That southern part of Spain (Malaga) is quite arid for being so close to the coast. We went into the mountains (El Torcal) and it was very interesting terrain.


It's very, very hot, and very few rain, so it's quite arid.


If we go to Spain again, I think I'd like to see the area North of Barcelona--that coastline looked pretty fabulous when I was researching. I'm an outdoors girl; I like to see a castle or three, but then I want to stretch my legs and do some hiking!!!!

Maria

Yes, it's a nice zone but it would be better if you avoid very popular places, like Salou or Lloret. There're too much people and few nature.

Terisa--Thanks!

Now see, I should have asked you before I went to Spain, not after!

You are right, mom had the gaspacho and she loved it. I only had the fish that was in the Paella and it did not seem very fresh. We did not see fried fish on the menu at the other place, although there was at least one fried fish at the place where we ate paella. Sadly, in any case, I am not so fond of fried things. Not that I am an health nut, but I do try to watch the amount of salt and fat... This was a problem in Malaga as fried things abounded!!! Everything came with a side order of french fries; it seemed to be a local favorite. We all commented after the trip that it was difficult to find any fruits or vegetables on the menu. We went to a small grocery and there they did have fruit. We purchased some cheese and crackers and European cookies. :)

I have been to Europe before and generally loved the food. Of course, I am a foodie anyway, so usually I can find a few local dishes that I love (and then come home and try to copy!!!)

If I go again, I'll be sure and get your advice. At the moment, I'm pretty happy sitting in my easy chair trying to get caught up!!!!

Maria

Hello Bear

just read your short stories - I loved them. You have written them so beautiful that I could easily picture my parents and myself in them. I guess we all have stories like that.

Now I am going to try and get your books. The reviews of the other members made me curious and I always love to find an unknown (to me) author.

Keep them coming.:thanks:

Katti, Thank you for the kind words!

I hope you enjoy the books. If you have any problems downloading them, let me know!!

Maria

Maria, I'm adding your new one to my cart at Smashwords and really looking forward to another fun read.

:thanks:

Thanks Dreams! Can't wait to hear what you think of it!

Maria

Executive Lunch (http://www.amazon.com/Executive-Lunch-Sedona-Mystery-ebook/dp/B002WC99NI/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_3) is up on Amazon for $1.99 for Kindlers!

Sedona is given the opportunity of a lifetime: play an up-and-coming executive with all the trappings of wealth with someone else footing the bill. The catch: find out who is stealing company funds before the criminals find out that their program is being debugged.

Sedona runs into danger, the corporate glass ceiling, and an occasional chance at romance in her quest to figure out who is stealing money from Strandfrost.

There's an Excerpt on my blog (but of course you can download a sample from Smashwords or from Amazon!)

Off to update my sig lines...

Someone tell me if my sig is now obnoxious. It's kinda big?

I don't think so. I've seen quite bigger ones

I don't think so. I've seen quite bigger ones

Hah!

Thanks. I'll leave it for now. See how it goes. Took me a while of studying up to get the links/pix in there. :bookworm:

Thanks for the input!!!

Maria

Whew. The first review for Executive Lunch has been posted at Amazon (and no, I wouldn't tell you if it were a bad review!!!) ;)

Here is the text:



5.0 out of 5 stars Tickled my funny bone and I'm still laughing., November 18, 2009
By Old Granny "Granny" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

Have you ever worked in an office where the layout "...ensured that everyone was equally deprived of a window office with the exception of the managers"? Then you'll feel right at home at Strandfrost, the realistically exaggerated corporation at the center of Maria E. Schneider's delightful new mystery, Executive Lunch (A Sedona O'Hala Mystery). Schneider brings the reader face to face, and sometimes fist to nose, with a cast of diverse and interesting characters. The action starts inside the corporate corridors and soon spins excitingly into other equally bizarre venues. Even while you're chuckling, you'll realize you care what happens to the heroine, self described "lab rat" Sedona O'Hala. Whether it's fast moving action or dealing with a brother who threatens to rat Sedona out to their parents, Schneider writes skillfully and retains her sense of humor. This is Schneider at her best - funny, insightful, and exciting.

I'm completely THRILLED (and indebted to one "old Granny!" for her kindness!)

Maria

I've just had a little quiet time to start reading your new book, Executive Lunch, and it looks like it will be another great read.:thumbsup:

Hopefully, I will get some time during the holiday to delve into the story a bit more. (For some strange reason family want to talk when they gather together:p)

I've just had a little quiet time to start reading your new book, Executive Lunch, and it looks like it will be another great read.:thumbsup:

Hopefully, I will get some time during the holiday to delve into the story a bit more. (For some strange reason family want to talk when they gather together:p)

Isn't that *strange?* My family is that way too!!!! Never understood it, myself. ;)

Hope you enjoy the book, and I really hope you enjoy your holidays and family time. I recommend a chocolate cream pie to keep everyone in a good mood!!

I've updated the "blurb" for Catch an Honest Thief over on smashwords:

Alexia wanted to improve the security of the crystals that power Haven City. Going undercover and stealing the crystals seemed like a great idea--until a real thief showed up. Bait and switch is suddenly cat and mouse--but who is the real thief? And why is the new security chief spending so much time looking into her background? Young adults may also enjoy this mystery with a romantic subplot.

We're only allowed 400 words, so it's difficult to decide on just what pithy, interesting sentence we will write...

I've also updated the cover slightly, and that update should show up in my signature in the next few days. These are minor updates brought to you by reader suggestions. :iloveyou:

Hope everyone had a great weekend. If you're looking for ideas for using up leftover turkey, check my blog. I posted my favorite turkey salad wrap with caesar dressing recipe! I also highly recommend making an alfredo sauce. Goes really well with turkey, especially if you have smoked turkey...

(www.BearMountainBooks.com)

The Aspiring Mangaka and Writers Club has posted an interview/article about "Sage: Tales from a Magical Kingdom."

http://amwc.wordpress.com/

The Aspiring Mangaka and Writers Club has posted an interview/article about "Sage: Tales from a Magical Kingdom."

http://amwc.wordpress.com/

Nice, Maria.:thumbsup: (I'm one of those that would like more stories -or a whole novel- about the people in Sage.:p)

:thanks: Thanks, Dream! Nice new avatar. Although I liked the old one too.

Don't worry; I won't put up a post every time I get a review--but this is my first foreign review, so I'm particularly tickled.

http://paradise-mysteries.blogspot.com/ (It's down a bit on the page. Here's a direct link to the review if you don't want to see the other reviews on the page:

http://paradise-mysteries.blogspot.com/2009/12/review-executive-lunch-maria-e.html )

Long ago and far away, I mentioned I'd had another short story accepted...well, the date got changed from August to Oct...to...? As happens in the world of publishing, sometimes editors disappear or don't update their site for long periods (especially true in the short story market). At any rate, I'm guessing that the story wont' be published after all since I have not heard from the editor in...oh, three months or so.

I've contacted the publisher to try and either free the story for publication elsewhere or...get a possible publication date. I just wanted to let people know since I tooted about the story.

In the meantime, I'm busy at work on the second in the Sedona series...

Happy New Year everyone!

I know I said I wouldn't post every single review I get...It's possible I lied. Okay, I probably still won't post them all. But I really enjoyed this review by Working Girl Reviews (http://workinggirlreviews.wordpress.com/) for Executive Lunch:

http://workinggirlreviews.wordpress.com/2010/02/01/review-executive-lunch-by-maria-e-schneider/

Let's face it--it's my first 4 slipper review! Woot!

What a nice review, Maria. :clap: (of course, I loved all three books, so it's nice to read that others also enjoy your writing).

Finally! That short story I told you about last year has been published!

www.OverMyDeadBody.com presents:

Secrets in the Sand (http://www.overmydeadbody.com/sand.htm)

It's a free read (but looks a lot better in internet explorer than Firefox. The formatting for firefox runs over the page design.) I've been considering making a downloadable version for those with readers (the exclusivity period for the magazine is relatively short). Please let me know here or via my blog if there is interest!

Maria
www.BearMountainBooks.com

I'm about to publish my next book: Tracking Magic.

I'm running a cover poll over at my blog--the announcement is here:

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79843

But basically, pop on by my blog and vote for a cover for the book!

Maria
www.BearMountainBooks.com

The cover has been chosen!!!

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/12687

“Get Smart” meets “Ghostbusters!” A humorous urban fantasy, five case files from Max Killian Investigations:

Haunting Clues — Max is hired to expel a ghost from a mansion. To deal with the dead, though, he must first uncover the secrets of those still alive.

Curses! — Some days you curse, some days the curse gets you.

Dearly Departed — Max investigates a graveyard, but when it comes up empty, it’s his job to find the body–dead or alive.

Roadkill — Max can smell the dead long after they are gone. Of course, it’s not too hard to smell the ones that just died, but it could prove to be more dangerous.

Privy to Secrets — Some secrets are worth dying for. The trick is to know which ones make life worth living.

I expect it to go live on Amazon sometime tomorrow. It will also appear on iPad, KoboBooks and Barnes and Noble soon.

Thank you all for voting for the cover and offering suggestions for improvement.

Maria

Yea!! I like the change on the cover. I just added it to my cart at smashwords, and I waiting to add one more before doing my batch purchase.

I'm looking forward to reading this. :)

Yea!! I like the change on the cover. I just added it to my cart at smashwords, and I waiting to add one more before doing my batch purchase.

I'm looking forward to reading this. :)

Dreams, you are the best! I was beginning to wonder if someone had turned out the lights in here!!!

If you haven't checked out Fatherly Love over on Smashwords, do so. It was really good. There's a coupon running for it through...today or tomorrow. Lemme find the link...for the life of me, I can't make the link work to the topic, but here's the pertinent:

Title: Fatherly Love
Author: B. A. Wallace
At the Checkout page enter this coupon number: KH42Z (not case sensitive)
Coupon valid up to and including April 15, 2010.

Maria

Thanks, Maria! I added Fatherly Love as my "one more" and did my batch purchase.:)

Time for a new cover poll! June 3 (tomorrow) I will post three possible covers for Executive Retention--the sequel to Executive Lunch! Stop over and vote for your favorite cover!!!

Executive Retention will go on sale on or near June 23 on Amazon. An excerpt is available at my blog and for anyone who wants an early copy, the entire book will be available on Smashwords.com for $2.99.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/15499

The cover may or may not be the final one chosen, but you'll always be able to download the new cover.

Thank you,
Maria

Blog to vote: www.BearMountainBooks.com

<turning lights back on >

:clap: Maria, more Sedona (I still love Max Killian Investigations:p).

I'll try to remember to pop over for the vote and look forward to adding another Sedona story to my summer reading. (If I forget, please remind me)

Congrats on your new book.

Grabbed coverage from IRELAND!!! Executive Lunch was reviewed there today:

http://meen-readingjournal.blogspot.com/2010/06/executive-lunch.html

One country at a time...

Also, if you haven't voted for the next cover in the series, hop over to my blog and vote! We're in the run-off stage! There are those that swear Cover A conveys the feeling of the first book and is the obvious pick---but there are those that say, It's All About the Money--Cover B!!!

Frankly...I don't know what to do. The polls are running pretty close...

Maria
www.BearMountainbooks.com

The cover has been chosen and uploaded to Smashwords!!!! The book has also been uploaded to Amazon and will be available in about a week. I'll post when it is available, but for now, Smashwords.com is the place to get Executive Retention!!!

Guess it's time for me to change ye old signature...

Thank you every for stopping by to vote. I admit I was surprised at the winning cover. I thought for certain Cover A would win!

Maria

For those of you who shop at Amazon, Executive Retention (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003RWSE92?ie=UTF8&tag=bearm-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003RWSE92">) is now live at Amazon!!!

Thank you,
Maria

Amazon has put "Sage" on sale for 79 cents! Double-check the price if you click (the link to my Amazon page is in my signature). I do not know how long the sale will last!!!

Maria
Oh, here is the link again:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002M3FL16

My sig line is getting a little out of control so I'm not sure how I'll change it--but for those of you who shop at the Sony bookstore, three of my titles are now available!!!



Maria at Sony Store (http://ebookstore.sony.com/search?keyword=maria+e+schneider)

Let me know if anyone has any questions or problems with downloads!!!

Maria

I posted this over at the Tracking Magic thread, so if you read it there, this will be a repeat:

All of my books are now available at Amazon's UK store:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s?_encoding=UTF8&search-alias=digital-text&field-author=Maria%20E.%20Schneider

So far as I know we can't do an author page there, but of course everyone here already knows all about me! :D

Woot!

maria

And now....!!!

Available at Diesel books!!! The covers haven't made it over yet, but the books are there!!!

http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=search&template=search&templatehead=&templatebody=&templatefoot=&limitcategory=&type=store&searchtype=efts&query=^efts.sql&q1=maria+e+schneider&index=default

I don't post often...part of it's the rules and part of it is that it's simply impossible to even find or follow certain authors in the forum.

So, at any rate, I want to let y'all know -- you can now sign up for email delivery of my blog if you're trying to keep up with me. On the left sidebar of my blog, there's a sign-up form. You can unsubscribe at any time. I blog a few times per week; the email won't go out more than once a day and won't happen at all if I don't post.

Please sign up if you're interested in keeping track of me. I've been asked about a newsletter that would come out when I have a new book--I'm trying this instead, mainly because it's automated. If you have feedback, by all means, let me know!

Blog:

www.BearMountainBooks.com

Thanks for stopping by the thread Jerry--you can probably start your own to talk about your books too! :D

Because there is a byline, I can't post this review about "The Sworde-Edge Blonde" by Alex Bledsoe in the reading groups. But if anyone is interested, I wrote a review for ebookworm.us:

http://www.ebookworm.us/2011/09/17/guest-review-the-sword-edged-blonde-by-alex-bledsoe/

I recommend the book with some caveats! Enjoy!

My review of Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep is up on SpineTingler Magazine:

http://www.spinetinglermag.com/2011/09/20/spiders-bite-by-jennifer-estep-review/

Spinetingler publishes dark crime fiction (quite a bit darker than I usually read and a lot darker than I write). Estep's book is about an assassin though so the review fits in there quite well.

There's a short story by Stephen Rogers out there for free to give you some idea of what the magazine publishes (a little darker than I prefer, but it's got humor. Dark humor...):

http://www.spinetinglermag.com/2011/09/19/fiction-where-you-are-by-stephen-d-rogers/

Maria