Review: A Taut, Compelling Page Turner

REVIEW: Painless (Derek Ciccone)
Posted by Apex Reviews on July 7, 2010
Link

Reviewed By Josee Morgan
Official Apex Reviews Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

A Taut, Compelling Page Turner
Having lost everything that matters to him, Billy Harper rents a cottage from the Whitcomb family in the upscale Connecticut town of New Canaan and attempts to put the pieces of his shattered life back together again. Resigned to going the rest of his life with an unfeeling, frozen heart, Billy is in for quite the pleasant surprise when he meets Carolyn, the Whitcombs’ four-year-old daughter, who encourages him to thaw out his heart and live again; however, a series of strange incidents soon convinces Billy that Carolyn is quite the “unnatural” being, and when a rogue military organization learns of her special abilities and attempts to use her for their own purposes, Billy is ultimately forced to put his renewed life on the line to save the little girl without whom he never would have regained it...

With a rich cast of characters and taut, compelling plotlines, Painless is a veritable page turner. Skillfully crafted by author Derek Ciccone, Painless chronicles the personal transformation of a man wounded by life who ultimately learns to trust, hope, and love again – only to be faced with having everything he fought so hard to regain be taken away from him. The damning prospect of repeating the cycle of painful loss is the last thing Billy wants to experience, and Ciccone draws the reader into the gripping internal struggle with which he contends to prevent lightning from striking twice in the same place.

With superb character development and riveting, escalating action, Painless is an all-engrossing read offering invaluable life lessons about the virtues of never giving up – no matter how difficult the roads we travel. An enjoyable literary treat.

The Quick & Painless Newsletter

If you are on the email mailing list, you probably already received this. But in case you missed it...the newsletter is brief recap of what has been going on with Painless that I hope to send out a couple times a year. In this first edition, you'll find updates on ebook status, Operation Ebook Drop, an ongoing discount, among other interesting information. If you'd like to be included on the mailing list, just send your email address to derekbkclb@yahoo.com with a quick note that you want to be included.

1. Thank You!!!

The initial response to the book has been tremendous. Wasn't really sure what to expect when I got myself into this, but I think it's safe to say whatever the expectations were, they were surpassed. Thanks to all those who took a chance on Painless.

2. Painless is now an E-book!
Did you get a Kindle or Nook for Xmas? Painless has partnered with the E-book site Smashwords to publish as an E-book, and now can be purchased on all major E-book formats, whether that be Amazon Kindle (mobi), B&N Nook (epub), Sony ereader (LRF), and the most popular apps for iPhone (Stanza), to name a few. Currently can do one-stop-shopping by clicking on the Smashwords link above, which will take you directly to the Painless page, where you can purchase your E-book in whichever format you require. But within weeks should be able to purchase at specific sites, if desire (i.e. purchase Kindle download @ Amazon site). I will update that on the blog. E-books are new territory for me, and the industry in general, so interested to hear back from those E-bookers out there on how Painless stacks up as far as look, accessibility, price, etc. And as E-books continue to evolve, so will we.

3. Operation E-book Drop

Very proud to say that Painless has enrolled in Operation EBook Drop. It was created by a soldier and writer named Ed Patterson, and what it does is provide free E-books to soldiers abroad. From what I've learned, E-books have become very popular with military members, since they don't take up much space and are good for traveling. I think it's a great idea, and I'm excited that Painless is part of it!

4. Spreadin' the News
Painless has been out for nearly 4-months now, and has really developed a great word of mouth. The hope was that the book would inspire readers to tell a friend, and so far that has been the case - thanks to the efforts of many of you. So what are some things that can be done to continue spreading the word? Here are a few:

• Join the Facebook fan site Derek Ciccone Book Club and suggest to your friends (just sign in to your FBook page, click on Book Club, then either join, if you haven't already, and then click "suggest to friends" button and pick the friends you want to send an invitation to) Facebook is great advertising for the book.



• Reviews - I have received a ton of great feedback about Painless, whether by email or in person. That said, Painless is in need of reader reviews on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. It's a simple process, and here are some examples of reviews that have been posted.



• Forward this newsletter to friends of yours who might be interested in a good book. And anyone you know who wants to get on the mailing list, just have them drop me an email at this address.

5. Xmas Sale a hit! 20% off the hardcover was offered during the holiday season, hoping to accomodate those who wanted to give a hardcover version of Painless as a gift. I was thrilled to see so many take advantage of this. So I'm going to make the discount permanent going forward. All you have to do is use this code during purchase: 20WhoL20

Note: Can only be used if purchase it through my print publisher - which can be accessed through the link or via my Web site. I'm not allowed to alter the prices @ Amazon or any online sellers. If anyone has questions, or is interested in getting them signed, contact me through email, and we'll work something out.

6. Border(s) War: Unfortunately, Painless currently isn't being carried by Borders or Borders.com. This is a Borders corporate decision, and affects many new authors across the board. Too bad, but Painless is doing great in the two top online sellers - Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and is available at all other major online retailers.

7. Book Clubs: Had no idea that so many people were involved in a book club of some sort. I want to accommodate any book club that might be interested in reading Painless. I have no official programs directed toward book clubs, but if you're interested, contact me and I'll work with your group on things like group cost discount and my availability to meet with group to answer questions on the book.

Note: Carolyn Mueller writes a great weekly series for the Danbury News Times newspaper called Page Turners. It highlights local book clubs. If your club is interested in becoming "famous" and at least 2 members live in Greater Danbury area - Newtown, Redding, Ridgefield, etc,, you get the idea, she'd be interested in hearing from you : CMueller@newstimes.com

8. Where is Painless available?
Full print list @ Google Books
One of the most frequently asked questions I've gotten the last few months has been - I'm going to buy Painless, do you care where I buy it from? The simple and copout answer is, "It doesn't matter to me." While there are differences, the key is that the book is getting out there, and hopefully inspiring someone to tell a friend. Here is a brief list of the most popular destinations to get the book so far:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Dog Ear Publishing
Books-A-Million
IndieBound

Picture source: originalworks.com