The Debt Collector by Susan Kaye Quinn

I am so excited about this series. Check it out!

From the author of the bestselling Mindjack series comes a new future-noir serial, The Debt Collector. The first episode, Delirium, launches today (3/20).

What’s your life worth on the open market?

A debt collector can tell you precisely.

Lirium plays the part of the grim reaper well, with his dark trenchcoat, jackboots, and the black marks on his soul that every debt collector carries. He’s just in it for his cut, the ten percent of the life energy he collects before he transfers it on to the high potentials, the people who will make the world a better place with their brains, their work, and their lives. That hit of life energy, a bottle of vodka, and a visit from one of Madam Anastazja’s sex workers keep him alive, stable, and mostly sane… until he collects again. 

But when his recovery ritual is disrupted by a sex worker who isn’t what she seems, he has to choose between doing an illegal hit for a girl whose story has more holes than his soul or facing the bottle alone—a dark pit he’s not sure he’ll be able to climb out of again.

Contains mature content and themes. For YA-appropriate thrills, see Susan’s Mindjack series.

Delirium is approximately 12,000 words or 48 pages and is one of nine episodes in the first season of The Debt Collector serial. This dark and gritty future-noir is about a world where your life-worth is tabulated on the open market and going into debt risks a lot more than your credit rating. You can find out more about the series at the Debt Collector website and facebook page. The Debt Collector newsletter is a special list just for episode releases.

Early Praise

 “The street-smart science of LOOPER meets the cold, just-the-facts voice of DOUBLE INDEMNITY in this edgy, future-noir thriller that will have you holding your breath, looking over your shoulder, and begging for more.” —Leigh Talbert Moore, author of The Truth About Faking, The Truth About Letting Go, and Rouge

“Do you owe more than your life is worth? No worries. A more deserving person than you can benefit from that excess life—and someone else will get paid with it. Enter the Debt Collector.” —Dianne Salerni, author of We Hear the Dead, The Caged Graves, and The Eighth Day (HarperCollins 2014)

The first three episodes of Debt Collector will be released a week apart, starting Wednesday 3/20. The remaining episodes will release every two weeks. Delirium can be found on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, iTunes, Kobo. Or add it to your TBR on Goodreads.

Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling YA SF Mindjack series. Debt Collector is her more grown-up SF. Her steampunk fantasy romance is temporarily on hold while she madly writes episodes to keep Lirium happy. Plus she needs to leave time to play on Facebook. Susan has a lot of degrees in engineering, which come in handy when dreaming up dangerous mind powers, future dystopias, and slightly plausible steampunk inventions. Mostly she sits around in her pajamas in awe that she gets make stuff up full-time. 

Novelettes on the rise!

I released #1 (Suffocate) in my Breathless Novelette series in June. At the time, I had no idea they would become so popular in the indie world! Choke #2 comes out the end of Oct and Exhale #3 comes out in mid Dec. They will all be packaged as a paperback for the holidays.

But Isobel Lucas wrote her Hell Bent series and is releasing them 2 weeks apart. Smart idea!

Novellettes are becoming popular to indies because they are faster to write, you can release them quickly, and they grab your audience for the series because they come out faster than novels.

Indie readers tend to not like to wait for follow ups so the fact that Isobel is releasing them back to back is cool.

Hell Bent, Heaven Sent novelette series starts in October and will release every 2 weeks until the end of the year. 

(NOTE: Due to sex and language, this is New Adult recommended for readers 17 and up!)

Hell Bent, Heaven Sent - #1 is On Raven's Wings (10,000 words)

Mary Joseph's family is going through a financial crisis and now she's forced to finish out senior year at the local public school. In an effort to erase her Catholic school girl image, she joins a rock band, gets a makeover from her best friend, and changes her name to Raven.

Ian, the hottest guy in school, notices her and she's plunged into a world she never expected to enter. His kisses are as steamy as his body, but Raven doesn't know if he's telling her the truth about his bizarre family or if he's just saying anything to convince her to go all the way.

When disaster hits Raven's family, she has to make a decision: ignore Ian's wild claims or take a leap of faith.

On Raven's Wings is the first episode in a series of five novelettes (10,000 - 15,000 words) releasing every two weeks starting October 23rd. Due to sex and language, this is recommended for readers 17 and up.

To celebrate, head to her blog - she is she is running a huge giveaway.

Suffocate Cover Reveal and Cover Tips

I have a new novelette series starting next Monday 5/21.

It will be available on ebook only for 99 cents.

Suffocate is the first novelette in THE BREATHLESS series. It is a 15,000 word young adult thriller that combines the dystopic and science fiction genres.

For centuries, the world outside the Biome has been unlivable. Today, marks the first time anyone will attempt to leave the suffocating ecosphere. Eria is not worried because her scientist father has successfully tested the new Bio-Suit many times. It's a celebratory day until something goes horribly wrong. In the midst of tragedy, Eria uncovers a deep conspiracy that affects the very air she breathes. 

If those responsible find out what she knows, they won't stop hunting her until she takes her last breath.

The 2nd novella in the series, CHOKE, is scheduled for Fall 2012. The 3rd, EXHALE, is scheduled for Winter 2013.

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This cover is a good example of a great cover that costs less than $300. One that is not from an original photo shoot and uses a few different stock photos. You can get affordable professional covers if you use the right person and know what to look for.

You can use stock. But it has to be the right stock. The right resolution.

One major key to a good cover is in the photo shopping skills. If you are doing your own covers and you do not know photoshop, you are missing an opportunity to blend the layers and colors more effectively so the covers don't appear home-made.

Vania is great at doing photoshopping as well live the photo shoots so if you are in the market for a cover...trust me - she is worth every penny and she is very affordable. She has such an amazing eye. It's sic. But you don't have to spend 500 - 1,000 if you don't have it.

I asked Vania to give us a few tips when making a cover. She said...

1. Pick images that are clear to your story or theme and that will be interesting to look at. 

2. When photoshopping keep it simple and clean. No rough edges or busy compositions.

3. Blend, blend, blend. Don't stick images on top of each other like paper cut outs. 

4. FONT! Typography is just as important for you cover as the image itself. Pick something that fits in theme but that will also be easy to read when in small thumbnail. Nothing too thin. 

5. Ask for advice. Ask you fellow writers on what they think about your cover. Many times they can help you improve it, even if slightly. Don't be scared! They do it with love! 

Now for the cover!

What do you think? What is one of your favorite covers? Favorite indie cover? What do you look for in a cover?

Comment for a free copy.