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I love Jurassic Park and wrote The Dinosaur Four because I believe we always need more stories about dinosaurs eating people. But I wanted something that felt different. The Dinosaur Four features many of the same dinosaurs and there's even a small nod to Jurassic Park in Chapter 31, but there are also many differences. Here are the top 10 differences between Jurassic Park and The Dinosaur Four:

1. The dinosaurs in The Dinosaur Four have feathers.
2. None of the characters in The Dinosaur Four are experts. There are no paleontologists or big game hunters, just everyday folks.
   
3. The herbivores in The Dinosaur Four are every bit as dangerous as the carnivores.
4. The death toll in The Dinosaur Four is double that of Jurassic Park.
5. There are no children in The Dinosaur Four (but there is a dog).
6. The Triceratops in The Dinosaur Four does more than just lie there.
   
7. The Dinosaur Four is not for kids - it contains graphic violence, profanity, and adult themes.
8. The dinosaurs in The Dinosaur Four are all from one period in time: the late Cretaceous.
9. The themes of The Dinosaur Four focus on how people interact with each other, rather than science or philosophy.
10. The dinosaurs in The Dinosaur Four are monstrous, not magnificent. The Tyrannosaur is not the hero.

If you're interested in more dinosaur action and adventure, check out The Dinosaur Four at Amazon.

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Revival tells the life story of a rock & roll musician named Jamie Morton from early childhood to his senior years. You get a strong feel for Jamie's first love, his aptitude for music, and his struggles with addiction. As a character study, Revival feels authentic but never really breaks new ground.

Jamie's childhood preacher Charles Jacobs wanders in and out of Jamie's story over the course of the novel. Reverend Jacobs loses faith early on in the story, but he never gives up his obsession with electricity, and each time Jamie meets up with Jacobs, he learns a little more about the mad scientist's latest experiments, non of which really ring true, despite King's huckstering and hand-waving.

And then there's the ending. The ending of Revival would have worked for a 30 minute episode of The Twilight Zone or Creepshow, but in a 400+ page novel, it feels ridiculous. If you really want to know what happens, this spoiler-filled customer review at Amazon sums it up nicely.

I "read" the audiobook, which is narrated by David Morse, who does a fantastic job. I enjoyed the storytelling, but I never felt any tension and I can't think about the ending without shaking my head.

I recently tested some different ads at Goodreads, and it has been a terrific learning experience. 

Goodreads allows you to control how the ads are displayed, and all of mine are targeted toward Goodreads visitors who are fans of the genres and authors shown in the box on the right. Some of these authors wrote books similar to mine, and some are just authors I like.

I spent $50 to set up my marketing campaign at Goodreads, but the money is stored in a pool until users click on the ads. Each click deducts a small amount from my initial contribution.

Goodreads lets you set up multiple ads for one campaign, and that's the interesting part. I wrote different copy for each one and then was able to see which ads were the most effective. 

Here are the eleven ads that got clicks ("CTR" = "Click Through Rate):

What's even more interesting, in my opinion, is to see the seven ads that didn't get any clicks:

I have not seen a big jump in sales from running this campaign, but I have learned from it, and that in itself has been valuable. 

Which ad do you like the best?

Wow - I am thrilled to have discovered Blake Crouch.

Pines is a great mix of mystery, thriller, horror and sci-fi. If you enjoyed The Dinosaur Four and are looking for something else to read, do yourself a favor and check out Pines. It's a fast, fun thrill ride.

Secret Service agent Ethan Burke wakes up after a car accident in a small Idaho town and spends the next three hundred pages running for his life and learning that things are terribly wrong in the community. 

Pines is being adapted for television later this year. If done right, it should feel like Twin Peaks + The Fugitive + The Twilight Zone.

I'm excited to pick up books 2 and 3 of this trilogy, both of which are already out.

Here's to the success of another Colorado author!

The Dinosaur Four has received 100 reviews on Amazon! 

Thank you to everyone who has written a review. I have read every single one and I appreciate them all, even the critical ones.

Critical reviews are great for readers. They help readers decide if a book is right for them. I want to sell as many books as possible, but I don't want to sell my book to readers who won't like it.

Critical reviews are great for authors. They help me understand where I'm succeeding and where I need to work harder.

Of course, I also love all of the positive reviews and I'm thrilled that readers are having fun with The Dinosaur Four. My number one objective in writing this book was to entertain and knowing that I succeeded for so many readers has been gratifying.

Quantity of reviews is really important too. When there are only a few reviews, it's easy to imagine that they might have been written by the author's friends and family. When a book has lots of reviews, it adds a level of legitimacy and makes it easier for readers to take a chance on a new author. 

Please keep the reviews coming. I can't wait to read the next hundred!

Read about my self-publishing experience, my favorite film, and learn the meaning of the title, "The Dinosaur Four."