# STALKER by Dave Dykema



## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

My name is Dave Dykema. I work at a TV station in Ohio directing newscasts. I also try to get in a bit of writing when I have the time.

Fiction is my love, but I've also had success publishing reviews and articles. I like to write what I consider horrific thrillers, meaning they can be classified as horror/suspense/thriller tales, but have no supernatural elements.

STALKER is my first novel. The basic premise came to me when I was a student at Michigan State University and I realized I could get very close to people on campus without them seeming to notice. I remember I partook in one night of stalking "practice" to see if the idea was feasible, and then began writing.

Here's the product description:

_Dan Freeman loves horror movies. After seeing the movie "Stalker," he gets very enthusiastic about it, emulating the title character and following innocent people around for fun and thrills. He wants to see how close he can get without getting caught. Close enough to eavesdrop on their cell phone conversations? Close enough to smell perfume? Close enough to touch?

Dan suspects his girlfriend of cheating on him. One night, while following her using his newfound skills, Dan finds out an awful truth.

Now the stalker becomes the stalked._

The sequel to STALKER is PHOBIA. Here's its description:

It's been a year since the events of STALKER. TV station WKBC hires Jerry Stevens to produce a freelance retrospective on the case. He flies to Hollywood, gathers the cast and crew of the movie "Stalker" together, and goes about conducting interviews. But someone has a different kind of reunion in mind--one that deals with another of director Brett Hanson's movies: "Phobia." Playing the part of the killer, a masked figure recreates moments drawn from the film, slaughtering individuals based on their specific fears.

Link to STALKER: (below)
Reviews are most welcome.


_
edited to add KindleBoards link. . ._


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## chynared21 (Oct 28, 2008)

Dave Dykema said:


> STALKER is my first novel. The basic premise came to me when I was a student at Michigan State University and I realized I could get very close to people on campus without them seeming to notice. I remember I partook in one night of stalking "practice" to see if the idea was feasible, and then began writing.


*Interesting 

Nice to meet you. Your books sounds like it'll be a good read so I picked it up, sight unseed *


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## Bren S. (May 10, 2009)

Hi Dave  I just bought your book and look forward to reading it.


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## MAGreen (Jan 5, 2009)

Looks good! Great price too!


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## mumsicalwhimsy (Dec 4, 2008)

You came to the right place to post.  Good luck with your book.  I hope to start it this week.


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## cheerio (May 16, 2009)

I am looking for a new book, might have to pick this one up


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

Looks good. Love a mystery. Welcome to KindleBoards.


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

For 80 cents, I'll give it a try as it sounds interesting. But I probably won't get to it for awhile as I'm the middle of a long-ish scifi series that I won't finish for another week or so and I'm one of those weirdos that hates skipping around. 

Welcome to KB and thanks for letting us know about your book!


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

Thanks for the kind welcomes. I saw that the moderator added a link to my book, so I thank him/her for that. I've since added one to my signature and I'm curious to see if it works...


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

I got it last night - who could resist for 80 cents? - and I'm really enjoying it so far. The main character reminds me of one of my friends - minus the creepy stalking obsession, of course.


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## Angela (Nov 2, 2008)

Welcome to KindleBoards, Dave. I went ahead and downloaded your book. It may be a while before I actually get around to reading it, since my TBR list is pretty long right now, but it sounds very interesting to me!


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

I finished Stalker last night. Wow, what a page-turner! For 80 cents, you're really getting your money's worth - but this is great stuff at any price. I *highly* recommend it to everyone.


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## Thumper (Feb 26, 2009)

Thanks for making my To Be Read pile THAT much higher...


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

Thanks CS! That's quite a recommendation. Are you sure we aren't related?

(No, we're not).

It's just nice to hear an unbiased review. Glad you enjoyed it.


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

Sorry to bump this, but at least I let it slip to the 5th page before I did it. 

I also want to let you know that "Wrong Number" is almost ready and should be up on Amazon by the end of next week.


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## BookBinder (Jan 21, 2009)

I read this one.  Good mystery.......nice plot and will keep you on the edge of your seat.  I recommend it to all mystery lovers.


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

Dave Dykema said:


> I also want to let you know that "Wrong Number" is almost ready and should be up on Amazon by the end of next week.


Great news!


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

I understand as authors we're allowed to bump our book threads once a week.

Well, heck, it's been over 4 months since there's been a bump on this, so here it is.

Also, the version on Amazon Kindle now is an edited (cleaned-up) version. If you already bought the original and would like the newer version, you can email me at [email protected]

Dave


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## Adele (May 30, 2009)

I just ordered it as well.  I have a few books to get through, but look forward to it - it sounds interesting!

Adele


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

Hope you enjoy it, Adele.


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## d.rose (Nov 4, 2009)

I just bought Stalker for $1.49.. it sounds really interesting so it's added to my huge TBR.. I hope I get to it soon!
thanks for the recommendation


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

Did you go to


Spoiler



Michigan State


 at some point?


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## J Dean (Feb 9, 2009)

Well, I ALMOST picked it up, until reading the green and white related school! 

Kidding... I'll probably end up getting it for my wife.


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

Regarding the Green School, I was there from 1985-1987. If anyone remembers being followed by me, send me a line!

Just wanted to post that I got a 4-star review two days ago on Amazon. Its' been a long time since I got a review, so that was cool.


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## daveconifer (Oct 20, 2009)

Hey Dave, very cool news about the four stars.  I know what you mean about the reviews -- they're few and far between for me.  

I like the sound of both of your books.  I actually have that 'stalking' ability too.  I've learned to purposely cough or jingle my keys (especially if it's a woman) to keep myself out of trouble...


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## Adele (May 30, 2009)

Dave,
Just finished _Stalker_ - I enjoyed reading it. I wasn't sure what was going to happen next - it definetly kept my interest. Loved the ending.


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

daveconifer said:


> I actually have that 'stalking' ability too. I've learned to purposely cough or jingle my keys (especially if it's a woman) to keep myself out of trouble...


Do you walk heel to toe, heel to toe with a light, rolling motion? It's surprising how well that works...

Adele--Glad you enjoyed it.


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

I Googled my name today and came across this. Kind of wacky and weird. Too bad he called my second book Wrong Turn instead of _Wrong Number_. Oh, well.

Congrats Karen!

http://ireaderreview.com/2009/11/29/kindle-independent-authors-novel-gets-optioned-for-film/


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## Adele (May 30, 2009)

Cool!


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

_Stalker_ continues to plug along, doing quite well, outselling _Wrong Number_ about 2-1.

Thanks to all who've bought and experienced them, and happy holidays to all!


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## daveconifer (Oct 20, 2009)

Dave Dykema said:


> _Stalker_ continues to plug along, doing quite well, outselling _Wrong Number_ about 2-1.
> 
> Thanks to all who've bought and experienced them, and happy holidays to all!


Stalker outsells Wrong Number by 2-1? Did you ever consider changing the Wrong Number cover?

Sorry, couldn't resist. Both are awesome books!


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

Has anyone who's recently bought "Stalker" have any problems with it? Formatting or something else?

In January, I've had 3 returns, which is about 10% of all copies sold for the month. In the previous nine months, no one has _ever_ returned it before.

I'm assuming that new Christmas Kindle owners just aren't savvy enough yet when they click around and buy it by mistake. Or else hoards of people suddenly hate it. Either way, I'd like to know if there's some kind of new issue that needs attending.

Thanks


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

For the first time ever _Wrong Number_ is outselling _Stalker_. However, their prices are different, and _Stalker_ has just reclaimed a $0.17 lead over _Wrong Number_.

_Stalker_ is $1.49.

_Wrong Number_ is $1.29.

Any math whizzes want to try and crack how many copies have sold of each as of this writing?


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

Well, we're writers. I guess none of us are math whizzes. Different side of brain thing going on, I'm guessing.

Anyway, you kind folks can do me a favor...

If anyone's been thinking about buying Stalker or Wrong Number you could do me a nice favor and wait until Monday. I'm giving a talk to a writers group about Kindle publishing and it would be cool to have some decent numbers to show them. Since it's the first day of the month, I won't have a stockpile of sales built up. That's surely shameless! To make it even more shameless, it would be great if you could buy them around 5 pm Monday.

If you already have them, thanks, and I hope you enjoy.


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

Here's a few pull quotes about _Stalker_:

"I just finished reading Stalker and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The author did a great job in keeping the story moving, no real lags anywhere in the book and I just couldn't put it down. Loved loved the ending, which had my heart beating."

-Patrica J. Downey

"I was drawn into the story from the start. The characters were interesting and the premise compelling."

-S. Topper

"Absolutely chilling. The fact that unstable, psychotic killers can blend into society so well is what made this story so scary for me."

-Stacy L. Daniels

Thanks for reading.


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

Featured Author at The Indie Spotlight

Sunday: Dave Dykema - Stalker

http://www.theindiespotlight.com

Come up and read and leave a comment.

Edward C. Patterson
& Gregory B. Banks


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

I just realized I never left a "Thank You" for this. I was on vacation while all this occurred, and instead of doing it immediately after I returned and found out, I just kind of spaced it out.

I like what your blog/website is doing and I've picked up a title or two through the exposure.

Thanks guys!


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

Now that all the republishing issues have been finally worked out, I feel safe offering "Stalker" for sale again.

A tale of movie fanaticism carried to the extreme, "Stalker" will surprise and startle you.


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

Bumping, but you also get the added privilege of seeing a goofy photo of the author trying to come up with this next idea.


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

Bumping so you can see my new "Wrong Number" cover in my sig.


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

Tomorrow I'm going to be the featured author of the day at The Spinning Wheel forum in the main Kindle thread on Amazon. That's an area where writers and readers chat about their current works and whatever else crosses their minds. It can get silly sometimes, but it's homey and fun. I'll be doing a "reading" and invite others to swing by.

I won't begin until between 930 and 1000am EST on Tuesday. Hope to see some of you there!

Dave Dykema


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

The reading went well and I had a lot of fun. Below is a link to where the reading begins, if you'd like to check it out. I read from both books, but started with "Wrong Number."

http://tinyurl.com/2ak4v3o


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

Stalker is a scary themed book, perfect for some Halloween creeps. Get inside the mind of Dan Freeman as he stalks unsuspecting passersby for thrills and fun. And then things escalate.


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

Pre-load those Kindle gifts you've bought!

If your loved one likes thrillers, perhaps they might enjoy Stalker.


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

If you've received a Kindle for Christmas, perhaps you might enjoy these.


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

I'm pleased to welcome Stalker as our KB Book of the Day!


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

Love your screen name! Thanks for the kind words about the cover. I'll pass them along to my cover artist (conception mine, execution his).


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

With the sequel coming down the pipe, I wanted to lower the price of "Stalker" to give more people a chance to check it out. "Wrong Number" has also been lowered. For a limited time or more remains to be seen.

Both priced at $0.99.


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

I seem to see my face a lot as I scroll down this page. Others are welcome to comment too, good or bad.


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

It's been forever since I bumped this.

Work on the sequel continues (slowly) but I do believe it will be done in the coming months. I look forward to hearing what you have t say about it when the time comes.


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

I enrolled STALKER and WRONG NUMBER in KDP Select today. What that means is that it is available to loan out. So if you passed on purchasing them, you can now check them out.

There will also be a free promotion, but that will come later.

I just enrolled them about five minutes ago, so you'll probably have to wait an hour or two (or three) before you can get them.

Thanks for any interest. Looking forward to some feedback!


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

"Stalker" is being offered on Amazon for free for the next four days. Grab it while you can!


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

"Stalker" is free Wednesday and Thursday.

The sequel is finally finished. "Phobia" will hit the Kindle store the last week of November.

Feel "free" to read "Stalker" to prepare yourself for "Phobia."

--He knows what scares you.


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

_Phobia_, the sequel, is finally finished and up.

Hope you check it out and enjoy it!


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

As the subject says...

Get it before this free stuff starts going away!


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

It's been so long since I've posted around here that my individual book threads are gone to the mists of time... Or backed up on some hard drive in a warehouse in Seattle.

No matter. You can follow the links below for the US or do a search in your home country. I'd look by title rather than last name since no one seems to be able to spell it.

STALKER is free through August 3. Here's the product description:

_Dan Freeman loves horror movies. After seeing the movie "Stalker," he gets very enthusiastic about it, emulating the title character and following innocent people around for fun and thrills. He wants to see how close he can get without getting caught. Ten yards? Ten feet? Close enough to smell perfume? Close enough to touch?

Dan suspects his girlfriend of cheating on him. One night, while following her using his newfound skills, Dan finds out an awful truth.

Now the stalker becomes the stalked._

Thank you very much. Carry on.

_Not that long -- only February.  Regardless, you're still allowed just one thread. I found your old one and merged this post. You can use the new bookmark function to bookmark it now, or, if you have an old bookmark, change "kindleboards" to "kboards". --Ann>_


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

STALKER is currently undergoing a Countdown Promotion, so if you want in, the time is NOW!


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

Thank you to all who have read my books and contacted me through the email address in the back or left a message here.

Just wanted to pass that along.


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

Dan Freeman gets in over his head when he starts following people around, based on his favorite movie STALKER.


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## SidneyW (Aug 6, 2010)

Looks interesting.


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## Dave Dykema (May 18, 2009)

I guess just changing my header didn't work. So here's a new post to bump it up.


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