What's new?

Just published A Simple Cure:

The novel engages the reader in the search for the cure of malignant melanoma. While an uncommon skin cancer, one American dies of melanoma almost every hour (every 61 minutes). The incidence rate has tripled in the last twenty years.

When nature, in her ultimate act of irony, strikes Richard Powell, a cancer specialist, with malignant melanoma, a highly aggressive form of cancer, his wife, Terri devotes her life to curing the disease that ultimately kills her husband.

While research laboratories are characterized as “noble” in search of cures, and proprietary drug companies are caricatured as ”ruthless and materialistic”, too often, the distinctions aren’t so clear.

The murder of a drug courier to obtain an experimental and promising treatment for malignant melanoma, unleashes a chain of devastating consequences.

People for Alternative Treatment, a company created to find cures for rare diseases, had fallen on hard times and become a subsidiary of Kendall Pharmaceuticals, a company with very different values.

Experimentation with a vaccine against tuberculosis is showing surprising effects in controlling malignant melanoma at PAT and UC Medical Center. Kendall is enthralled with the economic potential of such a treatment, while researchers are leery and have many unanswered questions.

Kendall’s determination to push the vaccine into clinical trial at all costs is in conflict with Terri and her ethical associates.

When clinical trials begin, the vaccine’s effects are miraculous. Soon, however, once again, we see the rule of unintended consequences.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ELWQ4IA

Update website as well.

lawrencewgoldmd.com

Trying ti increase sales

My two newest novels, The Plague Within and Deadly Passage are out and have received excellent reviews.
While I'm grateful for the praise and the sales, the latter, overall, have been modest.
I'm doing what I can through author websites, and at the end of July, and in early August, I'll be offering my novels for free. In the past, free offers have been followed by an increase in sales. These will include No Cure for Murder, Rage, For the Love of God, and The Sixth Sense. Since I have records of my previous month sales, I hope to see a marked increase.
Great sales or not, I continue to enjoy the writing process and the congeniality of fellow writers.

Since I last blogged, I've transferred my website from Yahoo to GoDaddy. The latter offers better tools to create and maintain the site. Take a look at lawrencewgoldmd.com and share your thoughts.

Blogging, I read, is a powerful tool for an author. I'll try to get to it more often.

Larry

More coming soon

I'm awaiting the final edit for the newest in the Brier Hospital Series, The Plague Within. My wife, Dorlis loves this novel and can't wait until it's out.

I'm awaiting the proof of my first non-fiction book, I Love MT Doctor, But...
It's a humorous book on a serious subject, patients and their physicians.

This is the blurb I'll be using in promotion:

You have questions for your physician, but don’t ask them?

Your physician has questions for you, but he/she doesn’t ask them.

That’s one hell of a way to run an airline, a railroad, a government, or a medical practice.

Why?

Fault is besides the point, but difficult or painful questions unasked or unanswered threatens your health and compromises the physician’s ability to help.

You have something that you want to confide to your physician, but you don’t. You sigh with relief when he/she doesn’t ask.

You’re a physician and you need the answers to questions that might make your patient uncomfortable. You’re relieved when he/she doesn’t ask or you run out of time.

Patients and physicians are limited in their ability to predict which questions will be unwelcome and you might be surprised by the response.

If it’s important, ask.

I Love My Doctor, But… empowers patients and their physicians and offers common sense answers to important questions.

The book deals with important issues and makes specific suggestions about:

1.     Malpractice

2.     How much care is enough

3.     Matching patient and physician

4.     Finding a physician

5.     Online information

6.     Getting along with your physician

7.     Take away suggestions

8.     When to go to the emergency room

9.     Glossaries: medical terminology and medical specialists

I Love My Doctor, But...

I'm waiting for several writers I trust to review and edit this short book (pamphlet) on problems between patients and their physicians. It's a lighthearted look at a serious problem.

I'm spending too much time promoting my works, but can't see an alternative.

My newest novel, Tortured Memory is selling reasonably well and has had good reviews. I'm relieved because this was the most complicated plot line I created. I worked hard to make sure the transitions worked, and thus far they have.

I'm having my novel, The Plague Within edited and hope to have it out in approx. a month. My wife, Dorlis really likes this novel.

Tortured Memory now available

Took my time getting this title available. I took heat for the editing etc. for Rage, and I'm still suffering for that. It's disheartening that some will let a few grammatical errors to interfere with the enjoyment of the read.
I had Tortured Memory edited and reviewed by others. I hope it worked out.

Both versions are available now at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BFOP316 (kindle) and at:
http://www.amazon.com/Tortured-Memory-Brier-Hospital-Lawrence/dp/1482585200/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361811273&sr=1-2&keywords=torturedMemory

I'll start my campaign for sales on Tortured Memory and getting reviews next week. Promos have become as essential part of the processes.
Tortured Memory is the 4th in the Brier Hospital Series. Readers like them and they stand alone although the scene is familiar as are certain players.

In addition, I'm writing a non-fiction book, a lighthearted approach to problems between physicians and their patients. I've made contact with several cartoon artists. Entertaining cartoons will help.

Lesson learned (pleasant for a change)

I underestimated the power of the free downloads in attracting attention to my work. I had two successful campaigns for First, Do No Harm (15,000) downloads and No Cure for Murder (17,000). Almost immediately after the novel returned to normal pricing, the sales went up and have stayed up.
This is a technique I'll use again and again.

I'm still not getting the sale I should (or think I should) from For the Love of God. I'm guessing it's the subject matter or the way I've portrayed the novel for readers. Religion may be the problem even though the novel only criticizes only those sects that allow children to suffer and die needlessly. I'll be reviewing the promotional materials to make it clear that this novel contains much of the same material that has made my other work more successful.

I'm nearing the completion of my next novel, Tortured Memory. I'm line editing (not my favorite thing) but most importantly, I've discovered an expert editor to help. I hope to have that available in a few weeks.

No Cure for Murder Free

My novel, No Cure for Murder will be free 1/11-1/13/2013.

I'm promoting this novel for the obvious reasons, but, in addition, I'm hoping that readers will enjoy another novel in the Brier Hospital Series and fall in love with the characters Jacob and Lola.

I knew that it was a risk having octogenarian protagonists and that the thirty-somethings might not be interested, but our population is aging and what's wrong with highly intelligent, competent, world-wise, and humorous characters of any age.

When I pitched the screenplay in LA last year, the thirty-something were true to their biases and weren't interested.
I think they're wrong, but, who am I?

If I can determine enough interest in these characters, I'd love to go ahead with another novel and perhaps push harder for a TV  series (if I can get them to live long enough).