The Last Radio Show

Ah, creativity. It comes in many forms. We specialize in making creative fiction, non-fiction, and even playing cards (All or Nothing, or a Napier's Bones deck) available to a welcoming world. But there are also more transitory forms, in this case, a play called The Last Radio Show.

This play is being produced by the head of our local Drama Lab, Todd Wallinger, and he also wrote it and is directing it. Todd's previous productions include KILL THE CRITIC! and THE BUTLER DID IT! Where do we fit in? We will be helping behind the scenes. Believe me, you don't want to see us on stage.

The Last Radio Show tells the story of KUKU, a foundering radio station in the 1940's that had better come up with a great show or it will be shut down for good. This brand new, zany, fast-paced farce promises audience members an enjoyable afternoon or evening.

It is being performed at the Black Box Theatre in Colorado Springs from January 14-16, 2016. Tickets are available from Brown Paper Tickets. Come join us for an old-timey good time!

Happy Holiday Savings!

There's no doubt that books make great holiday presents and, through November 30, 2015, Amazon is offering a 30% discount of any of their printed books, including titles from our authors. This means you can get Napier's Bones, Radical Equations, A Fresh Look at God, or The Garden Varieties Greens Cookbook at a big discount. Use coupon code HOLIDAY30 to get something nice for a friend or family member or yourself!

And, speaking of gifts, a good one for an aging family member is That Cat Game, newly available from The Game Crafter. It is a great way to spend quality time with a loved one.

Party Up!

Two book launches for the price of one—that's free to you! Mark your calendars and join us Saturday, November 21, 2015 from 1:30-4:00PM at the Venue at Library 21C. There will be refreshments, book signings, give-aways, and maybe a few surprises.

Bob Spiller is proud to give his fourth book, Radical Equations, a proper sendoff. And Chuck Cabell will be doing the same with his thoughtful A Fresh Look at God. They will be signing copies of all their books, along with ranch writer Tom Stephenson.

Bob's titles include The Witch of Agnesi, A Calculated Demise, Irrational Numbers, Napier's Bones and the aforementioned Radical Equations.

Chuck will be signing his books, A Man of Intelligence, Quartermaster General: A Conflict of Loyalties, Chordially Yours, Continuing the Tradition, What a Ride!, along with A Fresh Look at God.

Tom will offer Cow Tracks of the Southern Rockies, volumes I and II, The Heart of a Cowboy, and Down the Road a Piece.


1:30-4:00PM, Saturday, November 21, 2015
Venue is upstairs in Library 21C
1175 Chapel Hills Dr.
Colorado Springs, CO 80920

Welcome Charles P. Cabell Jr.!

Another non-fiction writer has joined our midst: Charles P. Cabell Jr. Chuck has authored and co-authored several non-fiction titles on varied subjects including music, theology, and biographies.  He has self-published these on a local basis. We are helping him bring some of these works to the masses via Kindle ebooks, and print, starting with his theology book, A Fresh Look at God, available now on Amazon and CreateSpace.

Chuck has enjoyed an illustrious career in the Air Force topping out at Brigadier General, before moving to the private sector. He is now retired and spends his time bringing his words to the world through his non-fiction books and play-writing. In fact, there will be staged readings of a couple of his plays in February 2016.

Read more about Chuck and A Fresh Look at God on this page.

Cover Me!

Or at least cover your book. It doesn't have to be hard or expensive. But it should at least look professional, and more to the point, stop people in their tracks.

I came across an interesting study about what kind of pictures people like the best on Instagram. What does this have to do with book covers? Possibly everything. I think the study's results provide insight into creating covers that are eye-catching—and that is what you want, right? You want to grab people's attention. Make them pause and look at your book. As an example, take a  look at this chart from the article:

Far more people prefer brighter photos to darker ones by a huge margin. Maybe your novel is really dark and perhaps you want your cover to reflect that. Or maybe what you really want is to make people stop and consider your book. Brighter could be better. Of course you shouldn't get too carried away with color as this chart shows:

Their next graph talks to the complexity of the cover, as exemplified by the number of edges in a picture:

This tells me that a cover that is too simple will not attract as much attention as a more complex one. Check out the source for more ideas that could improve your covers.

Signing at MALCon

Our author, Robert Spiller (and Damon Alan, if you must know) will be signing books and speaking at MALCon in Denver this weekend. What is a "MALCon" you might ask (I know I would)? It is the Myths and Legends Convention and it celebrates our modern myths and legends, for 2015 focusing on Firefly, Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Supernatural, Lord of the Rings, and Game of Thrones. It is held at the Ramada Plaza Denver North. Heck, just go to their web site for all the details!

It's a Twister, Auntie Em!

The second edition of Robert Spiller's mystery, Radical Equations, is now available in both Print on Demand and eBook versions. And no, we didn't change the ending. We did change the cover a bit. This previous post shows it front and back in all its glory.

Radical Equations is the fourth book in the Bonnie Pinkwater Mysteries series and includes a twister as a major player. It also includes the usual dead bodies, along with the quick-witted math teacher heroine. The complete Bonnie Pinkwater series is available at Amazon.com.

A book launch party and book signings will be forthcoming. Watch our Events square for the dates and locations.

You can order the print version of Radical Equations from CreateSpace and the Kindle version from Amazon.