Sample Sunday Hub

On Twitter, the hashtag #SampleSunday has been around for quite awhile. You post a link to a sample of your work and add that hashtag. It's a great way to let people get in a sample before they buy, and to get word out about said work. I've been doing it for quite some time, and I figured it was time to make a hub for it so readers can go to one place to find the samples. Take a look and enjoy!

Here's the hub for Dragon Guard, my Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy. You'll find links to the first four chapters, as well as a description, the cover image, and where to buy it.

Here's the hub for Ghost Betweens, my Young Adult Paranormal Adventure. You'll find links to the first ten chapters, as well as a description, the cover image, where to buy it, and an interview with me about the book and writing in general.

Here's the hub for Way Over the Line, my Young Adult Science Fiction Baseball story. You'll find links to the first fifteen chapters, as well as where to buy it. You can find the description and cover image when you click the link to the sample chapters.

Book Giveaways

After a week of buildup, I had a giveaway last week for my Young Adult Science Fiction Baseball Adventure novel (there's a mouthful!), Way Over the Line. You can see the original write-up here. On Thursday I conducted a drawing and came up with a winner. That winner was Jeff Beesler. Congrats, Jeff! That book will be in the mail soon, I promise (tomorrow morning if all goes well). 

I wasn't sure what to expect when I announced the contest. I figured I might get two or three people, or I could get dozens. It ended up being somewhere in the middle, which I was pleased with. I'll have more contests in the future, and I'm hoping to build on the success of this one. And I am calling it a success. It wasn't just two or three people who retweeted the contest link, but a bit more than that. Maybe some people who saw those links didn't try it this time, but might be more interested next time. Anytime I get a retweet, I view it as a win.

And speaking of book giveaways, I'm planning on having my next contest on August 2nd, my birthday. Why not give away a free book that day, eh? I'm trying to decide if I want to give away a paperback copy of my Young Adult Paranormal Adventure, Ghost Betweens (click here to see the Ghost Betweens hub right here on my blog for more info on that book), or if I want to gift someone a Kindle copy of my newest book, Dragon Guard (click here to see the Dragon Guard hub right here on my blog for more info on that book). I'll likely start the contest on Wednesday, July 24, giving a little over a week for everyone to enter. I'll write another post kicking it off, and I'll, of course, tell you what book is up for grabs then. In fact, if you have an opinion on which one you'd like to see me give away, feel free to say so in the comments. 

Looking at my bookshelf, I have two copies of Way Over the Line left, and two copies of Ghost Betweens. I plan on buying a couple of copies of Dragon Guard soon (my freebie copies from my publisher have long since gone) to give away, too. I'm also up for gifting Kindle copies of all three books. So I have plenty of giveaway opportunities for the future. I don't know if I'll do it every month, but I will hold regular-ish giveaways. I've sent the follow up to Dragon Guard to my publisher, and I guarantee I'll have a giveaway or two with that one when it comes out (haven't even started first edits, so a release date is not even on the horizon yet - I'll keep you posted). That will be book two of the trilogy, and I'm currently hard at work on the first draft of book 3. So, what I'm saying is, if you didn't win this time, keep trying! You'll have plenty of opportunity!  

Upcoming Book Giveaway

I recently realized I have a few paperback copies of two of my books, Way Over the Line and Ghost Betweens, sitting on my bookshelf. They're not doing any good there, so I've decided I'm going to have some giveaways in the coming months. The first one is going to happen next Thursday, July 4th. It's a big holiday here in the United States, but this giveaway is open to everyone around the globe. Obviously I hope the winner (and winners of future giveaways) will read the book and put a review up on Amazon, but that's not mandatory. I simply want to get my books out to new people.

Let's get to the meat of this first giveaway, shall we? Since, as I said, it's the Fourth of July (or Independence Day, if you prefer), and baseball is still considered America's pastime, I decided I'll give away a copy of Way Over the Line, a young adult (specifically targeted at 'tweens, though it's good for all ages) science fiction story about aliens and baseball. To enter to win your very own paperback copy, simply leave a comment below on this blog post (saying whatever you want - even if you just say "Enter me in the drawing," that's good enough for me), one on this Facebook post, or follow me on Twitter and retweet the appropriate tweet when I call for it (I'll specifically say to RT to win in that tweet).

I'll conduct my random drawing next Thursday, July 4, and alert the lucky winner soon after. I can sign it for you, too, if you'd like; we can discuss that when I get the address of wherever you'd like me to send it. Good luck, and tell your friends! 

I've Been Interviewed!

I've been interviewed by G.P. Ching about my book Way Over the Line. You can check out the interview at her website, So, Write. Give it a read! I hope it inspires you to download the book!

And don't forget, you can get Way Over the Line, as well as my other two books, for free at Smashwords this week. Follow this link to head on over and pick it up!

Free ebooks: March 6-12

Smashwords is running a promotion for Ebook Week, and I decided to make all of my books free for it. If you haven't yet had a chance to check out my three books, now is your chance!

Way Over the Line: Eighth-grader Jessie Campbell loves baseball, but he's terrified of the ball. When he and his best friend, Ryder, are abducted by space aliens to play in the huge intergalactic baseball tournament, Jessie will need to deal with horrors such as space pirates, and, even worse, actually participating on the field. And if all of that wasn't enough pressure, Jessie may also be the fabled chosen one.

The Breath of Life and Other Stories: Twenty tales of horror, science fiction, and fantasy make up this collection of short fiction. The stories range from tales of Atlantis, video games that are a bit too real, what happens right after death, battles with vicious dragons, and much, much more.

The Friday Flash Stories of Eric J. Krause: Volume 1 (Ok, so this one is always free, but if you haven't downloaded it, why not do so this week?) : Fifty flash fiction stories. These are tales of horror, fantasy, and science fiction, as well as some bent more towards the mainstream.

Give one or all of them a shot! You can't beat the price this week. If you enjoy them, I'd love a review. Thanks! Enjoy your reading!

Where to buy Way Over the Line

If you'd like to see the first 15 chapters (roughly the first third of the book),you can click here for that.

If you're interested in picking up your (e)copy of Way Over the Line, you have options.

As a paperback:

You can buy it at Amazon for $12.99

You can buy it at CreateSpace for $12.99

As an ebook:

You can buy it at Smashwords in many different formats

You can buy it at Amazon for the Kindle

You can buy it at Amazon UK for the Kindle

You can buy it at Barnes & Noble for the Nook

It is also available at the iBookstore (soon if not yet). I don't have a link for it, but I'm sure a simple search will turn it up.

At each spot it is available for the low price of $1.99. I hope you make time to pick up a copy of your very own, and I'd love to hear what you think of it, either here on my blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, or as a review on whichever site you purchase it on.

Thanks! I hope you enjoy the story!

Why not buy an Ebook?

Tis the season to buy an ebook, and I have three for your downloading pleasure! These make great gifts, either from someone on your list or even yourself! And they're very reasonably priced.

The first book I have for you is my upper middle grade/young adult book, Way Over the Line. Jessie Campbell loves baseball, but he's terrified of the ball. Though he can make great running catches, if a ball is hit right at him, he'll duck out of the way. And forget about batting. When he and his best friend, Ryder Gonzalez, are abducted by space aliens, the boys learn that the aliens want Ryder to play in the huge Intergalactic Over the Line Tournament. Jessie is only along for the ride. He soon learns, however, that this won't be a simple spectator sport. He'll need to deal with horrors such as space pirates, and, even worse, actually participating on the field. With the help of Ryder, his alien teammates, a cute girl from another planet, and even Mickey Martell, the best baseball player in the Universe, Jessie must learn to push away his fears and focus on learning how to better play the game--both mentally and physically.

And if all of that wasn't enough pressure, there's also whisperings that he may be the fabled Chosen One, destined to bring the championship to his team.

Though this one is aimed at 10-13 year-olds, anyone who is a fan of baseball and/or science fiction will be sure to enjoy this tale. You can get it at:
Amazon for your Kindle here
Or here at Smashwords for most other formats, including right on your computer
Wherever you get it, it's only $1.99!

I also have a book called The Breath of Life and Other Stories, which is a short story collection containing 20 of my stories. They are works of speculative fiction--horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Discover what the downfall of Atlantis was. Enter a video game that is a bit too real. Watch a hide-and-seek-type game that gets interrupted by evil spirits. Discover what pushed one blues guitarist over the edge. See who the mysterious figure in the window really is. Find out why there always seems to be a crowd at accident sights. Find the secrets of eternal power with the twin coffins. Join a young adventurer on his first quest. Learn the secret of a town of dragons. Find out what happens when a war clone falls in love. Discover if a controversial medical technique can cure amnesia. Wait and see if a dating phone line is what it says it is. All this plus much more.

You can get it at:
Amazon for the Kindle
Barnes and Noble for the Nook
Smashwords for most other formats
This one will only cost you $0.99!

Finally, I have one that won't cost you a cent! This is a free download at Smashwords called The Friday Flash Stories of Eric J. Krause: Volume 1. This is fifty flash fiction stories that are tales of horror, fantasy, and science fiction, as well as some bent more towards the mainstream.

To download it for free on Smashwords, click here.

I hope you'll give these a look. What better way to fill up an ereader or smart phone with a reading app?

Free ecopies of Way Over the Line

I'd like to give out free e-copies to my middle grade novel called Way Over the Line. I'm doing this by giving out a code from Smashwords that will get you the book for free. Here's a description:

"Jessie Campbell loves baseball, but he's terrified of the ball. Though he can make great running catches, if a ball is hit right at him, he'll duck out of the way. And forget about batting. When he and his best friend, Ryder Gonzalez, are abducted by space aliens, the boys learn that the aliens want Ryder to play in the huge Intergalactic Over the Line Tournament. Jessie is only along for the ride. He soon learns, however, that this won't be a simple spectator sport. He'll need to deal with horrors such as space pirates, and, even worse, actually participating on the field. With the help of Ryder, his alien teammates, a cute girl from another planet, and even Mickey Martell, the best baseball player in the Universe, Jessie must learn to push away his fears and focus on learning how to better play the game--both mentally and physically.

And if all of that wasn't enough pressure, there's also whisperings that he may be the fabled Chosen One, destined to bring the championship to his team."

This is a book aimed at 10 to 13 year olds who are baseball and/or science fiction fans, though I think it's a story that can make anyone happy who reads it. And who can beat for free, right? To get your code, you don't have to agree to do anything but send me a direct message on Twitter. You can find a link to me on Twitter here. That's it, though I do have some requests.

If you enjoy the book, or if you think you know others who would enjoy it, please give them the link either on Smashwords or Amazon (both links are at the top right of my webpage, and I will put them at the bottom of this post). If you know teachers who teach upper elementary school or middle school/junior high, I'd love for you to share the links with them. If you know parents with age-appropriate kids, I'd love for you to give them the links. If you know others who simply enjoy a good story, I'd love for you to give them the links. The book is only $1.99 on both Smashwords and Amazon, so it won't cost much at all for those you recommend to. I'd appreciate it if you didn't hand out the code to anyone else, but honestly, there's nothing I can do to stop you from doing so. I only earnestly ask that you don't publish the code anywhere in a public forum.

That's all I request: if you enjoyed it, let others know. I don't even require it from you, just request. You don't need to retweet my links, you don't need to say anything about it. Just send me a direct message on Twitter and you get a code for a free book. I'd love a review on Goodreads, at Amazon, at Smashwords, but again, none of that is necessary for you to get your free code. It's just me humbly asking for some publicity for my story.

So, to recap, simply send me a direct message on Twitter and I'll send you a code for a free copy of Way Over the Line. That's it. No hidden catches. I just hope you enjoy the book and tell others that you enjoyed it. Thanks everyone!

In case you've never used Smashwords, I believe you have to sign up for an account to get the free book, but that account is free and should only take you a minute or two to sign up for. I also believe you don't need to enter any credit card number if you put in the free code.

Click here to find Way Over the Line on Smashwords

Click here to find Way Over the Line on Amazon for the Kindle

Way Over the Line at Amazon.com

Way Over The Line is now available on Amazon for the Kindle: Click here to check it out! If you don't have a Kindle, you can download a free app to read Kindle books right on your computer. Or if you have a smartphone or other device, you can download a free Kindle reader for that, too. No excuse to not check this out! ;-) It's only $1.99. It's geared towards kids ages 10-13, but I think even adults will enjoy it. It's a science fiction story with plenty of baseball, so if you enjoy either of those, give it a read. If you know any parents with kids who enjoy science fiction and/or baseball, let them know. And tell teachers about it, too; I'm sure they know some kids who would be interested in reading this story. I hope you give it a go and enjoy it!

Way Over the Line

Way Over The Line is now available on Smashwords: Click here to check it out! You can download it to most (if not all) eReaders and phones with eReader apps. Smashwords has plenty of options. You can also read it right on your computer if you don't have any devices to read it on. It's only $1.99. It's geared towards kids ages 10-13, but I think even adults will enjoy it. It's a science fiction story with plenty of baseball, so if you enjoy either of those, give it a read. If you know any parents with kids who enjoy science fiction and/or baseball, let them know. And tell teachers about it, too; I'm sure they know some kids who would be interested in reading this story. I hope you give it a go and enjoy it!

Way Over the Line

On Wednesday I'll be publishing ebook versions of an upper middle grade novel (might be considered a younger young adult novel) called Way Over the Line. I have another blog set up for it with sample chapters available. As of right now, you can read the first eleven and a half chapters. By Tuesday, you'll be able to read the first fifteen chapters (roughly one-third of the book). I'd love for you to go check it out, see what you think, and pass along the link to anyone you think would be interested--especially teachers, parents, and, of course, kids! That link to sample chapters also has a description and the cover art. Enjoy reading! It'll be available on Smashwords and Amazon for the Kindle on Wednesday, December 1 (or very soon after).