James D. Best

In novels, a story arc usually refers to rhythm of a story from introduction, to big trouble, to resolution. Basically, the rise and fall of...

Book covers are a big deal. People really do judge a book by its cover. The Steve Dancy Tales always use black and white photos with o...

I like westerns and I like Quentin Tarantino films, so I had high expectation when I rented The Hateful Eight . Bummer. It's not ...

Whispersync is an Amazon feature that allows you to switch between an ebook version and an audiobook of the same title. It’s a pretty...

I like  Quentin Tarantino films, especially the Kill Bill  duple. I wasn't over-enthusiastic for Django Unchained (I prefer my  ...

Honest westerns filled with dishonest characters. My son reads magazines and listens to books. He doesn’t have a lot of time for...

Books are a perfect gift ... and a great way to avoid the crowds.  At times, friends and relatives can be hard to buy for. Some s...

The Fictional Café has previewed the first chapter of Jenny’s Revenge , the fifth novel in the Steve Dancy series .  If you enjoy ...

Mike Shatzkin Mike Shatzkin has posted a discerning article about how print books are different than digital books. It’s common ...

Will The Homesman be a successful Western. Too early to tell, but at least it's not a tricked-out mash-up. The film is based on a Glend...

As a Western writer, I keep an eye on Hollywood Westerns. Last night I saw A Million Ways to Die in the West . I wish I could say the movi...

This seems like a good time to discuss Amazon’s ratings because The Shut Mouth Society has reached 100 Amazon customer reviews. Amazon app...

Coming up with a good book title is difficult, at least for me. Ideally, you want the title that will grab a buyer’s attention in three or ...

I semi-retired early and went into consulting to forestall boredom and to help make ends meet.* I ended up consulting for a Boston direct m...

Here's something you can't do on Amazon... go on a blind date. Chris Jager at lifehacker reports that a Sydney independent books...

On Tuesday I took a break from being a tourist and grandparent in New York City to do a BlogTalkRadio interview with Jennifer Hillman.

The Steve Dancy Box Set Many series authors issue box sets, including me. A box set includes multiple e-books presented as a collection...

Platforms, branding, franchise, fans, discoverability. There are many words bandied about that all represent the same thing: how does an au...