Weekend Coffee Celebration

Posted on by thefensk

img_6284If we were having coffee today I’d mention my celebratory mood.  Yesterday was the second anniversary of the publication of my first novel, The Fever … but yesterday I was also announced as “Author Of The Month” at a bookish website called AuthorShout.

About two weeks ago both of my books were announced as short-list finalists for Book of the Year at ReadersGoSocial too.  Sadly I did not make the cut but at least I placed.  Or would that be a “show” in horse betting?

Of course, this has all had a minimal effect on sales.  But we indie authors just keep plugging away.  We have to.  We have these stories clogging our brains that just have to find their way out.  At least I do.

My constant joke is that I make just enough money writing to keep working at my regular job full-time.  But the bills still have to be paid.  Stuff breaks. The Water Heater for instance … just sustained a huge unbudgeted financial hit from that.  It never ends, does it?  I really need to sell some books.

Anyway, the Author of the Month thing is really cool.  Check me out at AuthorShout!

authorshout

Be sure to have a happy and safe Fourth of July!

By the way, can you pick up the tab today?

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Thomas Fenske is a writer living in North Carolina.  Help him celebrate!  Buy his books. He really needs the money.  Heck, he’ll even like it if you “buy” the free one at this point (that’s the cookbook, free everywhere but Amazon).   Go check them out:  http://thefensk.com

 

The Mossback … another look

Posted on by thefensk

This is just another fine-tuning of my Amazon blurb … I think it’s getting there.

cover-lg2a“The Mossback” made it’s first appearance in the pages of Thomas Fenske’s debut novel, THE FEVER, when owner Smidgeon Toll delivered a massive serving of Huevos Rancheros Especial to Sam, that book’s hero, and proudly exclaimed:

“There, what do you think of that?”

The description of gooey, spicy, goodness that followed spurred several readers to ask the author, “Is that a real dish?”   Now you can see for yourself!

Fiction has become kitchen.

Smidgeon will entertain you with her quirky, homespun wisdom as she shares a mini-history of the cafe along with some insight into what helps to make The Mossback a unique and delightful locale in the world of fictional eateries.

Along the way you’ll learn how to make her awesome square biscuits.  She also reveals details about the full-sized heap of bacon they serve on “THAT BLT, ” and introduces readers to other local favorites like the “Double Trouble Dog” and what has to be the “Best-Danged Buttermilk Pie” you’ve ever tasted.  As an added bonus, she has agreed to share her famous Potato Salad Secret, something surprising and simple that will take even the best potato salad recipe and crank it up a notch, maybe two!

Simply put, these are all part of what would have made The Mossback Cafe famous, well, if it actually existed.

So hop out of your pickup truck and mosey on in … there just might be some breakfast tacos or enchiladas lurking in your future.

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The Mossback Cafe Cookbook is still mostly FREE … check out my website for the free venues as well as the link to Amazon where it is 99 cents.  Feel free to share one of the other sites to them using the report a lower price option.  Or if you insist, buy it but be aware that there is a kindle version available at the Smashwords link.
While you’re there, feel free to browse my other books … summer is a great time to Catch THE FEVER!

Chicken & Chips?

Posted on by thefensk

A few days ago I made the Special Chicken Casserole from The Mossback Cafe Cookbook.  

It makes good use of two unusual casserole ingredients: mayonnaise and potato chips.  It makes a brief appearance in A Curse That Bites Deep, mostly because my darling wife made this a few times, so I included a version in the cookbook. 

It’s good!  Here’s the intro from the cookbook:

“This was one of Mama’s favorite recipes. When I was little, we never opened on Sundays, but most of the time we had this casserole after church. They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. I don’t know how true that is, but I have to tell you that Sam and I didn’t start getting really serious until after I made this for him at home … and it’s still one of Sam’s favorites. Mine, too, considering the result.”

Wait, you wanted the recipe?  Get the cookbook!  It’s free here:  https://goo.gl/dwGSsp

WeekendCoffee Validation 

Posted on by thefensk

If we were having coffee today I’d still be beaming about the review. 

“Review?”

Yes.  My first independent (and unsolicited) review of THE MOSSBACK CAFE COOKBOOK. 

A book review blog, The Edifying Word, had previously reviewed my debut novel THE FEVER and they picked up this latest offering, giving it an awesome appraisal. I was especially happy that the reviewer understood the “companion book” intent of the cookbook. As I’ve said before, it is more than a cookbook and provides valuable insight into the world of the other two novels (and those to come). 

So check out this review at The Edifying Word and while you are there check out their other reviews.  

Thomas Fenske is a writer living in North Carolina — thefensk.com

More Than A Cookbook

Posted on by thefensk

Just to be clear … The Mossback Cafe Cookbook is more than a cookbook. It is a true companion book to my novels.  They introduce the backdrop of the place and they intoduce owner Smidgeon Toll. The books are basically stories set in Texas and so, the cookbook has a strong Southwestern influence. 

The cookbook takes that base and gives Smidgeon a chance to tell us all a little more about her background and the cafe. 

The recipes are real and the  information she shares is a valuable resource that will enhance your enjoyment of the existing novels and subsequent stories in the series. 

So, when you see the word “cookbook” —  look beyond it, and consider this to be a stepping off point.  But don’t get me wrong, the recipes are easy and accessible to even fledgling cooks.  And delicious. 

Check it out … it is only in ebook form and it is only 99 cents.  

https://thefensk.com/cook.html
Happy Enchiladas!  

Thomas Fenske

WeekendCoffeeShare

Posted on by thefensk

img_6284If we were having coffee today, I’d be brimming with news.  I know it’s starting to sound like a broken record but most of it is about the cookbook.  It is what’s happening this week.  At long last the book has finally completed it’s initial rollout.

For almost a month it has been available on Smashwords, but at long last it is on Barnes & Noble, iBooks, and Kobo.  There is a process on Smashwords that verifies the format … they came back with some formatting tweaks I needed to make before it could roll out to everything else.  Now that it has been tweaked, the rollout is complete.  All the links to the various venues can be found on my web page.

The last piece of the puzzle, Amazon, is in place, but there are a few kinks.  For one, although it is free on Smashwords, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo, I can’t offer it for free on Amazon, at least initially.  So it sort of a Firesign Theatre thing … “Free, Only a Dollar.”  Or ninety-nine cents to be more precise.  It should be up on Amazon for a few days.  In theory,  once Amazon notices it is free in other venues, they will price match.  We’ll see.  If you want, I think you can “report” a lower price, like on Barnes and Noble, and that should help spur them to action.

Anyway, that is what’s going on.

bookofweekIn other news, as reported last week, the cover of my second novel, A Curse That Bites Deep, won a contest last week, AuthorShout.com‘s Cover-Wars.  My stint as “book of the week” has given me a slight boost in web page views.  Today is the end … it’s been a nice run.

Have a happy Easter Weekend.

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Thomas Fenske is a writer living in North Carolina.  More info on his books can be found at http://thefensk.com

WeekendCoffee WooHoo

Posted on by thefensk

bookofweekIf we were having coffee today it would be all about the contest.  “What contest?”  The weekly Cover Wars contest.  I don’t know why, but I chose not to proselytize here last week when the contest was starting. I don’t know why.  I guess I thought I had a lot of followers from here already and I posted about it outside of weekendcoffeeshare, but I just didn’t feel right about talking “vote for me” here.  Ah, but the week is over and my cover won!

One of the perks of winning:  A CURSE THAT BITES DEEP is the book of the week!

A little background: This competition is hosted by a book marketing site called Author Shout.  They offer a lot of author and book services and when you purchase marketing from them, they promote the heck out of your book on social media.  Every week, they have a free “Cover Wars” competition … they put up a batch (usually 10-15) cover photos and people vote for their favorite.

Sure, I think my novel A Curse That Bites Deep has an awesome cover, but I also know, this is WAR.  I enlisted the aid of my FaceBook friends and tweeted and posted on several mailing list groups I belong to.  The key to this contest is repeat votes … people can vote once every 24 hours.  I was able to gently pester my friends enough every day for seven days to get the win.  I’m always amazed at covers that get less than seven votes.  I mean, even if I was totally not going to win, I’d make sure I got at least seven votes, right?

So please excuse me for tooting my own horn a little this morning.  After all, it IS an awesome cover for an awesome book.

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Thomas Fenske is a writer living in North Carolina.  More information on his books can be found at http://thefensk.com

Please help a fellow out …

Posted on by thefensk

What? Three posts this week?  Well, things are happening.  Like this little ditty:

My latest novel, A CURSE THAT BITES DEEP is currently in a cover competition.  I need your vote!  Yeah, it’s a beauty pageant of sorts … or a popularity contest.  I’m beating the bushes trying to get some votes.  You can vote once a day.  I’m really proud of this cover.  I won this competition a while back for my first novel, and I want to repeat that success.  So I need your help.

It’s on a marketing site (Author Shout) that hosts this competition every week.  All you have to do is cast your vote (hopefully) for A Curse That Bites Deep.

Here’s the link:  http://authorshout.com/cover-wars

You can vote once a day.  Please do!!

Thanks!

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Thomas Fenske is a writer currently living in North Carolina.  Information on his books can be found at http://thefensk.com