Category Archives: Fiction

Why Would You Give It Away For Free?

Posted on by under Fiction, Publishing, Ruminations, Writing

It’s something they tell you to never do.  Never work for free. I agree with that to an extent, but I saw the sales of my self-published novel stagnating and decided I had to do something to get the damn thing out there.  The Kindle version only cost $2.99, but as soon as I cut that price to $0.00, the book has taken off.  I’ve given away more Kindle copies in 24 hours than I sold in the preceding seven months.  By all accounts, it’s a decent book, but getting word of it out beyond my own circle of friends has proved difficult, and so, for a few days, I’m giving it away for FREE.  So, if you’re looking for a book to read, and you like FREE stuff, (and who doesn’t like free stuff?), my novel, In The Sanctity of Revenge is available for download on Kindle for free through Friday May 29, 2015 (LAST DAY TO GET THE DEAL IS TODAY).  In case you’re still not sure if it’s worth it, here are some things people who’ve read it have said:

“Schnoor keeps you on the edge of your seat with this story packed full of scandle, inner struggle, sex, and blood shed. This is a must read for any Chicago native…”

“Great story! I’m sure it will hit home with a lot of people capturing the struggle that working families are living. Once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down!”

“If you are looking for a novel with excellent character development, an unflinching, realistic storyline, and a book you can’t put down if you tried, this is your book!!!”

“The author’s characters are well-crafted as is the plot. As the knife slowly twists and turns into the heart and soul of the main character, we along with him can feel that pain. We, along with him are taken, metaphorically, from Heaven to Purgatory and finally to Hell. It’s a story of how Evil can sometimes eat away at the soul of a man with high morals and principles and take him from a happy home in a good neighborhood to the depths of Desolation Row. If this is what author Brian Schnoor can do with his first novel – imagine what great books will be coming out of his imagination in the next few decades. I, like many others, are awaiting for the next Stephen King or Harlan Coben book – but read In The Sanctity of Revenge and you, like I, will also be awaiting the next Brian Schnoor novel.”

“By the end of the book, I couldnt wait to read this authors next effort. Was surprised to learn that this is his first novel. When the next one comes along, I’ll be reading it.”

“Thoroughly entertaining, a good read!”

Order it here Free until May 29, 2015: http://www.amazon.com/Sanctity-Revenge-Brian-Schnoor-ebook/dp/B00Q41PODW/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid= TODAY IS THE FINAL DAY!!

Thank you to all who have taken the time to read my work and for all the kind words and reviews.  I’m glad so many have liked it.  I haven’t paid any of these people to say any of this, so if you’re still wondering if you should get a copy, maybe that will convince you to give it a shot.  Good or bad, I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Feel free to post them here in the comment section.

Thanks again!

Brian

Fog and smoke in Chicago at 4 am – a Passage from the Novel: In The Sanctity of Revenge

Posted on by under Fiction, Writing

Jack reached in his shirt pocket for his cigarette pack, but it wasn’t there. As if snapping out of a dream, he was suddenly aware of his surroundings. It was nearly four a.m.  His kitchen was dark except for the lights under the cabinets at the far end of the room that shed just enough glow to cast faint shadows on the opposite wall and door. Jack looked around and found the cigarette box on the table in front of him. He picked it up. It was empty. He got his shoes, reached in his pocket and found a balled up ten-dollar bill, grabbed his keys and went out the back door toward the gas station at the corner.

The morning air was humid with a slight chill. Fog hung high in the alley, gathering around the lamplight like a swarm of mosquitoes. Though it was six miles east of his alley, Jack could smell the lake in the air, a mix of fresh water and stale fish. He liked it.

The city was quiet on Sunday mornings. The four o’clock bars were just emptying out and a few muffler-less cars roared down Montrose Avenue, but for the most part, everything was still. Jack breathed in the Lake Michigan air as deep as he could and exhaled slowly.

At the gas station, the store area was closed and locked. Jack had to make his transaction through an aluminum drawer and a tin speaker. From behind the glass, the muffled voice of the attendant reverberated through the speaker in a thick accent. Jack assumed he’d said something along the lines of ‘how may I help you’ or ‘what the fuck do you want’.

“Box of Marlboro Lights,” Jack pulled the ten out of his pocket and placed it in the waiting drawer. The drawer closed then opened again. The sawbuck was gone, a box of cigarettes and some change left in its place. Jack walked off smacking the pack against the palm of his hand.

When he got back home, he sat on the back steps smoking and admiring the peacefulness of the pre-dawn, the sky dark as night but on the verge of daybreak. Jack teetered between the peaceful city around him and the clanging clatter in his mind.

         — In The Sanctity of Revenge is a gripping tale of anger, betrayal, and vengeance set in Chicago in the wake of the Great Recession.

Available for purchase:  http://www.inthesanctityofrevenge.com http://www.amazon.com/Sanctity-Revenge-Brian-Schnoor/dp/0986297410/