Fanfare! Spirelli Paranormal Investigations: Episode 1

[Jason Byrne]

Free as e-book today on Amazon:

"Jack Spirelli, paranormal investigator, public debunker of paranormal frauds, and private fixer for the magic-using community has opened his doors. Jack's in a crunch. Since he went pseudo-public with Spirelli Paranormal Investigations, his business has sky-rocketed. Debunking the scum who prey on vulnerable targets makes up half his business now. "

How effing awesome does that sound? Go get you some:
http://www.amazon.com/Spirelli-Paranormal-Investigations-Episode-1-ebook/dp/B01096BO90/
By Kate Baray

 

[Amber Zade]

oh - duh - FREE!!!

Yes, thank you!! I have a special place in my heart for con artists.

 

[Quillwitch]

Me too. I´ve worked for one and even married one.

 

[Quillwitch]

Free as e-book today on Amazon:

"Jack Spirelli, paranormal investigator, public debunker of paranormal frauds, and private fixer for the magic-using community has opened his doors. Jack's in a crunch. Since he went pseudo-public with Spirelli Paranormal Investigations, his business has sky-rocketed. Debunking the scum who prey on vulnerable targets makes up half his business now. "

How effing awesome does that sound? Go get you some:
http://www.amazon.com/Spirelli-Paranormal-Investigations-Episode-1-ebook/dp/B01096BO90/
By Kate Baray

Is this an author you know personally?

 

[Patricia D]

Me too. I´ve worked for one and even married one.

did that experience provide lots of material for your writing? ;-)

 

[Alistair Roberts]

I married a drunk once. Not something I'd care to write into a novel, although I suppose as a side character it has potential. I went to a Restaurant last night on a fourth floor overlooking Portland. I said to my wife, it'd make a perfect setting for a murder mystery

 

[Quillwitch]

did that experience provide lots of material for your writing? ;-)

Well, since I was one of his victims, I don´t think I will be writing about him any time soon. But they are fascinating to watch once you take a step back.

 

[Quillwitch]

So, I downloaded it. It was not free for me. I paid the grand total of 64 cents. Has anyone else downloaded the book? Jason, maybe?

 

[Alistair Roberts]

It clearly says Free!?!

 

[David Steele]

When I was suffering my period of unemployment, about 12 years ago, I started researching a book based on the claims made by mediums in the UK. I spent quite a bit of time working on "You're all a bunch of lying bastards", which involved looking up claims that the individuals had made (usually "I helped the police to recover a body as part of X investigation") and cross-referencing their stories with local newspapers and public records from trials and police reports.
Some idiot spoiled the plan by giving me a job, so the project remains unfinished to this day.

 

[Quillwitch]

When I was suffering my period of unemployment, about 12 years ago, I started researching a book based on the claims made by mediums in the UK. I spent quite a bit of time working on "You're all a bunch of lying bastards", which involved looking up claims that the individuals had made (usually "I helped the police to recover a body as part of X investigation") and cross-referencing their stories with local newspapers and public records from trials and police reports.
Some idiot spoiled the plan by giving me a job, so the project remains unfinished to this day.

Sounds like the X Files, or rather the anti-X-Files.

 

[Quillwitch]

It clearly says Free!?!

I guess mexicans have to pay. We always do.

 

[Alistair Roberts]

Bummer....

 

[Jason Byrne]

Is this an author you know personally?

No, it was one title on my daily SweetFreeBooks e-mail; it just sounded catchy enough to share here.

So, I downloaded it. It was not free for me. I paid the grand total of 64 cents. Has anyone else downloaded the book? Jason, maybe?

They are only free for a limited period of time — it's just a compilation of authors that are currently doing free e-book offers, just as any of us might do for a day, or a week, etc.

I've stuck a SweetFreeBooks e-mail in my "writing" folder in Outlook unread before, gone back a few days later and downloaded a book from the list without paying attention, and paid $2.99 because the free offer had ended.

 

[Quillwitch]

Well, I was just wondering if anyone had read it because I wanted to get other people´s opinion.

 

[Jason Byrne]

Well, I was just wondering if anyone had read it because I wanted to get other people´s opinion.

I haven't even read it, myself. It was just an illustration of an effective hook, because I get these e-mails every day, and very seldom download any of them, even though they're all free. Even though many of them are frequently in the precise genre that is generally very interesting to me. The hooks are horribly-written, and that is a good indication — and one of the few you'll get before actually reading any of them, apart from the cover — that the book itself will be a waste of time. And this goes to the discussion going on in the other thread, "Getting Published: What To Do If You Can't Get An Agent.' I've posted examples on here before of books with perfect cover art, and exactly the kind of story I would love, but from the writing style of the hook I had absolutely no interest in it.

So, if anyone does happen to read this book before I do, I would be very interested to find out as well.

 

[Richard Sutton]

Just got mine! It's a couple of short books out right now, so you'll probably beat me to it.

 

[Quillwitch]

Well I´m already half way in. And the hook is precisely what is bothering me. I feel ripped off. Because, the hook seems to be selling one type of book and by the middle it is a whole different ball game. I would think it would be a sort of hard boiled detective kind of thing ( or maybe I just read it that way?) and it turns out to be a sort of YA fantasy about a half-human half -dragon girl who gets a job working for this human guy who really has no idea what he is doing in terms of the supernatural. Though the characters are funny and entertaining, the story lacks strength, i think and instead of going deep into the supernatural, it becomes Disney-ish. Sad, because I was starting to like the characters.
Doing some research on the writer, it seems she writes mostly YA and Romance. Not a bad thing, but, that is something that becomes obvious when reading this story.
In short, I feel she is selling one thing and delivering another. Mainly becacuse, i think, she has no idea what her overall story is really about. For example, the synopsis is focused on the guy/ detective who seems to be the main character, yet, in the story, it is the dragon girl that is in the limelight. She´s the side kick, yet it´s obvious that the writer is happier writing about her.You´re right when you say it sounds effing awesome, but it just doesn´t deliver that story. Which means--that idea is still up for grabs!
Anyway, that´s my two cents. I hope someone else can post their thoughts here. I´d like to know if this is just my own opinion or if others feel the same way.
I think those are interesting lessons.

 

[Jason Byrne]

Well I´m already half way in. And the hook is precisely what is bothering me. I feel ripped off. Because, the hook seems to be selling one type of book and by the middle it is a whole different ball game. I would think it would be a sort of hard boiled detective kind of thing ( or maybe I just read it that way?) and it turns out to be a sort of YA fantasy about a half-human half -dragon girl who gets a job working for this human guy who really has no idea what he is doing in terms of the supernatural. Though the characters are funny and entertaining, the story lacks strength, i think and instead of going deep into the supernatural, it becomes Disney-ish. Sad, because I was starting to like the characters.
Doing some research on the writer, it seems she writes mostly YA and Romance. Not a bad thing, but, that is something that becomes obvious when reading this story.
In short, I feel she is selling one thing and delivering another. Mainly becacuse, i think, she has no idea what her overall story is really about. For example, the synopsis is focused on the guy/ detective who seems to be the main character, yet, in the story, it is the dragon girl that is in the limelight. She´s the side kick, yet it´s obvious that the writer is happier writing about her.You´re right when you say it sounds effing awesome, but it just doesn´t deliver that story. Which means--that idea is still up for grabs!
Anyway, that´s my two cents. I hope someone else can post their thoughts here. I´d like to know if this is just my own opinion or if others feel the same way.
I think those are interesting lessons.

Wow. No wonder it's a free give-away. Thanks for taking that bullet. Now I feel kind of bad that I put it up here. It just goes to show you — cross-genre has a very hard time finding an agent because usually it's poorly-written.

 

[Quillwitch]

Wow. No wonder it's a free give-away. Thanks for taking that bullet. Now I feel kind of bad that I put it up here. It just goes to show you — cross-genre has a very hard time finding an agent because usually it's poorly-written.

Oh no, don´t feel bad. I think it would be an interesting exercise if several of us read it and give our opinion. It´s cheap enough. As I said, i have enjoyed the read, but it´s not what I expected. It´s not badly written. In fact the first chapters are quite good. It just doesn´t match up.