Gamal’s Comments (group member since Jul 06, 2012)

Gamal’s comments from the Espionage Aficionados group.

Damn. Thanks for the tip. I'll try to fix it.

Gamal

Not every story benefits from complex portrayals of violence. But some stories and characters can be enhanced and improved if their violent actions had more consequences.

http://bit.ly/1M7loIg

Have fun.
Gamal

Spying is often referred to as the second oldest profession (prostitution being the first). In Espionage and Covert Operations: A Global History, Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius traces spying from Biblical mythology up to our current surveillance state. While the twelve-hour audio book skims over or leaves out much of the global history of spying, the book is a good overview for anyone interested in the impact of espionage on history.

http://bit.ly/1ItfkbC

I'm currently looking for advanced reviewers for my novel, A Taste of Honey from May 1, 2014 to May 31, 2014.

ARC's will be available in exchange for an honest review that you post on Amazon or Good Reads. It doesn’t have to be a five star review. An honest assessment of your reaction is all that I'm asking for.

Advanced reviewers for this book will receive a free copy of my first novel Smooth Operator as a thank you for your support.

If you enjoy crime thrillers or spy fiction, consider this premise:

Nikki Siriene will do anything for her lover Chris. She'll use her sexual charms to spy for him. She'll deal with everything from the constant slut shaming from his mercenaries to the threat of sudden violence from his targets. But she wants a better life. When Chris brings her to Argentina to seduce a suspected arms dealer, Nikki hopes this will be the one job that saves Chris and keeps them together.

Getting close to a powerful target is easy for her. Dealing with his paranoid business partner and mysterious wife create complications and problems she couldn't anticipate. The jealousy and danger increase until one explosive secret could cost Nikki her lover, her sanity and her life.

If you’re interested, just send me an email and I’ll take care of the rest.

Have fun.
Gamal

I'm offering five copies of my novel as part of a Goodreads giveaway. Click here for more info.

http://bit.ly/1fo7K91

Nikki Siriene will do anything for her lover Chris. She'll use her sexual charms to spy for him. She'll deal with everything from the constant slut shaming from his mercenaries to the threat of sudden violence from his targets. But she wants a better life and she wants it with him.

Nikki follows Chris to Argentina to escape the danger and stress of their lives. But new dangers are hiding in this paradise. Can Nikki learn the truth about Chris and the men who are hunting him? Will she be able to leave the life of a honey trap or will she have to sacrifice everything for love?

Anything for Love is available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/1h2w3KR.

Have fun.
Gamal

A new criminal espionage story called Anything for Love is coming out later this month. I'm currently offering ARC. You can get a sneak preview of it here and message me directly if you're interested.

http://bit.ly/1n82JA9

Have fun.
Gamal

My new novel Smooth Operator: The Life and Crimes of Warren Baker is now available for free on Amazon.

It has a 4.2 out of 5 rating and has become one of the top espionage thrillers this week. Advanced reviews have described Smooth Operator as "a thrilling, exotic novel packed with intrigue, action, deceit and sensuality."

You can find out more about it here. http://bit.ly/1cuoNnD

I hope you enjoy it.

Have fun.
Gamal

I’ve spent several months talking about the craft and business of independent publishing, but it’s all theoretical nonsense if I don’t actually publish something, right?

My new novel, Smooth Operator, is going on sale on July 31st. You can find out more information about it here.

http://bit.ly/14EZ8CS

Have fun.
Gamal

What is the connection between spies and seduction in real life and in fiction? I explore this question in my new essay "Like a Spy to Honey." Please let me know what you think. http://bit.ly/XY90pq

In the past six months, more than a thousand people have downloaded my short stories and given me a lot of positive feedback. As a show of appreciation to all my readers, I’ve decided to extend the free promotion another two weeks. I hope you get to enjoy some of my work as well.

bit.ly/14pRr3y

Have fun.
Gamal

I recently took a trip to The International Spy Museum in DC and I think members of this group would be interested in what they have to offer. My review of the place is here.

http://bit.ly/Qro8d2

Have fun.
Gamal

I think the members of this group will be interested in this book review. Please let me know what you think.

http://t.co/XRrUN3Zq

Have fun.
Gamal

As an writer, how to you deal with bad reviews? I just wrote an essay about it and I wanted to know what authors here thought.

http://t.co/bidKSTIK

Thanks.
Gamal

I know exactly what you mean, although I often reject a book based on the blurb alone. ;)

I think you're on the right track Michele. The badges will probably weed out some but not all of the issues. Perhaps people smarter than me at Amazon will alter the algorithm to deal with this problem. I guess I'm on my own until then.

Thanks for your idea.

Have fun.
G

I just got up to speed on the whole sock puppet controversy. Does anyone have a trick for dealing with this kind of deception outside of ignoring all five star reviews? http://t.co/D4TrqjuT

Thanks.
Gamal

Thanks Sam. I have a follow up question; when you decide to give up on a book, do you give up on the author as well or are you willing to give them another shot?

Have fun.
G

I just stopped reading a book after only reading about 25% of it. Part of me feels like I'm wasting money by abandoning the book and part of me feels like I'm wasting time reading a book that bores me.

Do you finish every book you start? If you don't what makes you turn away from a book mid read? I'd like to know because I want to avoid doing things in my own writing that turn people off.

Thanks in advance.
G