# Claws. By Ricky Sides.



## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there Kindle readers,

I just released my new novel. Claws has horror, suspense, action and a whole lot more to offer a reader. The description isn't up on the product page yet, so I'll post it here.

In picturesque Athens, Alabama, a pet food company is working with an experimental cat food laced with hormones and appetite enhancers. The feed causes cats to add muscle, gain weight, and exhibit extremely aggressive behavior. When Patricia Reese, head of the research project, threatens to expose the pet food as a threat to public safety, she finds herself out of work, her home ransacked, and all her carefully gathered proof missing.

The cats involved in the testing are scheduled to be euthanized by the company, but well-meaning animal rights activists release the animals. These enhanced, hyper-aggressive felines begin to prey on small game in the area, and then the ravenous animals turn their attention to people.

An unemployed scientist, a small special ops team, and a homeless veteran join forces to protect the inhabitants of Athens. Racing against time, they try to prevent the looming catastrophe.

But when someone steals the secret formula that created the menace and sells it to eight foreign enemies of the United States, the most deadly biological weapon ever created has been unleashed. The genie is out of the bottle and the world may never be the same.



I'm excited about the release of this book. I owe our Kindleboard member, 911Jason, a huge thank you for the cover. This is the third cover that Jason has designed for me. He's always a pleasure to work with, and he does superb work.

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## daveconifer (Oct 20, 2009)

Awesome, a new Ricky Sides book!  Sounds really interesting, Ricky.  I just tagged it and bought it (with my Christmas gift card.  I plan to buy a few more indie books this week too).

Cool...


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there Dave,

Thanks a lot.    This book was fun to write. I hope you enjoy the read.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Hello again, Ricky, and congratulations on your book.

(If you've gotten this welcome before, it's just as a matter of housekeeping. We like to put a copy of the "welcome letter" in each book thread. It doesn't mean you've done anything wrong, it just helps us know that you know the rules.)

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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Thank you Ann.


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there Kindle readers,

Claws is off to a good start. It has already garnered several positive reviews. One reader even suggested that I'd found my niche. I don't know about that, but I do know that Claws was a fun book for me to write. It is my first real step into the horror genre, but it won't be my last.


Thank you again for the warm reception this book has enjoyed.


Sincerely,
Ricky


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## Joel Arnold (May 3, 2010)

This sounds like a lot of fun. I may just have to buy it!


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## Tangiegirl (Dec 21, 2008)

Joel Arnold said:


> This sounds like a lot of fun. I may just have to buy it!


I just did.


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Thank you. I hope you enjoy the book.


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there Kindle readers,

I'd like to thank those of you who have purchased and tagged this book. 

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there folks,

I'd like to announce that for a limited time _Claws_ will be available at Amazon for $0.99. It's not my intention to maintain that price point because I genuinely feel the novel is worth more. I'm lowering the price so that I can try the book in the UK market at 0.71 pounds. I plan to leave the price at $0.99 for most of this month.

Thank you,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there Kindle readers,

I wanted to remind you that this book will be on sale for a short time only. Once this sale is over, I don't plan to run Claws at this price point again until December. I plan to adjust the price near the end of the month. If it's on your wish list, you should make the purchase prior to the the 27th. I'll be adjusting the price that day, but it'll probably take Amazon a day or two to adjust it.

Thank you for your purchases of this book. It's off to a good start, and already had five great reviews. I'd appreciate any assistance with tagging the book. 

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there Kindle readers,

We're coming down to the last few days that Claws will be on sale, so I thought I'd remind you that on or near the first of March it will be reverting to the normal list price of $2.99.

Quite a few people have taken advantage of the sale to pick up a copy. I hope more of you do so before the sale ends. Remember, it will be December before the book is priced this low again.

Thank you for your purchases this month.

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there folks,

I'd like to thank everyone who has purchased this book since its release. It now has six good reviews, and seems to be picking up a little interest in the UK. The key word there was *little*.  One gentleman in the UK also reviewed the book and gave it a very good review. I'm a bit excited by that because it's the first review on any of my books in the UK.

I also wanted to thank those of you who have tagged the book.

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there folks,

I thought I'd show you a picture of the cat that was the inspiration for the heroic cat in Claws.










Now as you read the book, you have this mental image to accompany the scenes.

Thank you for your purchases.

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Good morning Kindle readers,

Thank you for the sales of this book this month. I also want to thank you for the tags.   

If you follow my threads you know that I'm currently on a writing break while we make preparations for our son's pending wedding the 16th of April. I just wanted to let fans of this book know that I'm not doing nothing regarding the sequel. I've spent a great deal of time mentally going through various scenarios that will be included in the post apocalyptic sequel to this techno thriller. This mental preparation always makes for a better book, and I am pleased with the progress to date. I'm doing the same thing with my next peacekeeper book.

I'm also recharging my creative batteries and am looking forward to getting back into the creative writing I've loved for so many years now.

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## daveconifer (Oct 20, 2009)

I never thought I could be skeeered of cats, but the cats in this book pulled it off.  Great story by one of the most quietly successful Kindleboard writers...


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Thank you Dave. I've always liked the concept of taking something that would normally not be of concern to people and making them fear it. *The Birds* was like that for me, as were King's *It* and *Cujo*.

I don't know about being quietly successful. If that's the case I must be keeping it so quiet that I forgot to inform myself.  I've just been lucky that so many of my readers decide to go ahead and read the rest of my books.

I think JA Konrath is right. The release of a new title does boost all sales. I don't really understand why that's the case, but experience has taught me that this is true. I mention this because I try to release 3 to 4 books a year. If I am marginally successful, this might be a good portion of the reason. That said, I am nowhere nearly as successful as most of my fellow authors. This forum has some amazingly talented writers. It's an honor and a privilege to be among you all.

Have a great day,
Ricky

Edit: Wow! I just looked at your rankings for Wrecker. Well done Dave! It appears that it is you who are being quietly successful my friend. I'm happy to see your title doing so well. It couldn't happen to a nicer guy.


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there Kindle readers,

Claws just received another great review. An interesting trend seems to be developing in the reviews. This is the third review in which the poster mentions seeing cats and being disturbed by their presence for a moment. This would seem to indicate that the book reaches the readers on a deep level, and that's what I was attempting to do with this book. 

Thank you all for your purchases. I appreciate the fact that you are leaving reviews and tagging the book.

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there Kindle readers,

In honor of my son's wedding today I've listed Claws at $0.99 again. This sale price won't be a permanent move so I'd like to encourage people to take advantage of it soon.

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Good morning Kindle readers,

I wanted to inform you that you still have time to take advantage of the reduced price on Claws. I'll be resetting it to the normal price of $2.99 next weekend, so if it's on your wish list you may want to get it for $0.99 while you still can.  

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Good morning Kindle readers,

Now for a word about the sequel. I'm currently working on book 8 of the peacekeeper series, but have made a lot of plans for the sequel to Claws. I still anticipate being able to begin work on that sequel as soon as I complete book 8. I'm excited about this project. You might even say that I am distracted by it because I'm so eager to begin the book. I have already fleshed out several scenarios that will be in the book.

Reviews: Claws got another 5 star review this week on the Amazon page this week. If you've read the book I'd really appreciate a review. Reviews often tell us what we're doing right and what we're doing wrong. Therefore, your feedback is critically important in helping this writer improve his craft. Thank you for taking the time to review the book.

Tags:Thank you for taking the time to add tags to my books. Some of them are getting fairly high tag counts now. I appreciate every tag.

As always, I'd like to thank you for the steady sales.

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there folks,

Frankie has book 8 of the Peacekeepers and is working to edit that book. That means it's time for me to begin work on the promised sequel to Claws.  

Those of you who know me know that I take promises to readers very seriously. When I first released Claws a reader contacted me and asked me to make the sequel an epic post apocalyptic saga. I promised that reader to do my best. To that end, I am committed to spending the rest of the year working to achieve that goal, if that's what it takes. The sequel will be a long book. 

So if you enjoy post apocalyptic reads, you should really read Claws, which sets the stage for the post apocalyptic setting in the book.

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there Kindle readers,

My next book will be the sequel to Claws. I'm excited about that book because I'll be working with Robert lee McCullough, who made the photograph inserted in book 8 of the peacekeeper series. Robert is going to make several photographs that will be included in _After the Apocalypse_, which is the subtitle of the sequel.

I'm fortunate in that Robert has decided to work with a few authors in order to promote his photography business and is willing to do so at no charge, beyond credit for his photos. He tells me he can take on another author or two free of charge for now. I don't expect that deal to last long. If you other authors are interested in this service, send me a private message with your email address and I'll be happy to forward the contact info to Robert.

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Good morning Kindle readers,

I wanted to update you on the progress of the sequel since my last post. I've been working with Robert on fine tuning some of the photographs that will be included in the book. I picked several scenes that will be in the book and described them to the photographer. He then created the photos to match the scenes. He also submitted some that he felt would fit the book. I looked through those and selected the ones that I thought would enhance the tale. 

I'm excited about the inclusion of those photos in the sequel. I feel that they will add to the overall reading experience.

If you've read Claws, but haven't reviewed it yet, I hope you'll consider doing a review to let others know how you feel about the book.

I have a four day weekend coming up and plan to spend the majority of my time concentrating on the epic sequel.

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Good morning Kindle readers,

I wanted to give you an update on the progress for the sequel to this book. It's going well. I'm working on chapter 8 at the moment, and I'm pleased with the progress to this point.

There is an enormous amount of research required to accurately depict this story. I'm committed to taking the time to do it right.

Melding the storyline to the available photos Mac has supplied is going well. I'm quite happy with the results thus far. I hope to have this book ready for release by the end of November, but that's not a promise.   It's still too early to say with certainty.

Thank you for your patronage.

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there,

It's time for another update. I'm pleased with the progress on the sequel to this book. Chapter 19 is almost finished. Even better, Jason has completed work on the cover and it's wonderful.










I am now cautiously optimistic that I'll be able to make an October first release date, but it is still too soon to say with certainty. There is still a lot of work to be done. I'm quite happy with the book to this point. I'd say it is a bit under three quarters finished. The word count is currently around 79,000. I expect it to come in around 120 - 140K words. Much depends upon whether or not I add a couple of scenes I have in mind that I'm still not certain about adding.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I'll update you all again when it reaches the Beta Reader phase.

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there Kindle readers,

I'm happy to announce that Claws 2 has been distributed to the Beta readers. I've had feedback from some of them and am now polishing the manuscript. The next phase will involve sending it to Frankie Sutton for her editing. I am now cautiously optimistic that reaching the October first release date will be possible, but there is still a good deal of work remaining to be done before it is ready for release.

I'm happy with the way the book is shaping up. The inclusion of the many photos to enhance the reading experience has turned out better than I could have hoped. I owe Mac, the photographer, a huge thank you for all the hard work he has put into the development of the photos. Regarding the storyline, the Beta readers have been unanimous in expressing their approval. Some have made suggestions for improvements that I considered. I implemented several of those suggestions because I believed that they would improve the book. Some suggestions I didn't implement because they conflicted with other portions of the book.

That's all for now. I'm back to polishing.

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there Kindle readers,

I have news for those who may have been watching this thread for news of the release of Claws 2. After the Apocalypse. I'm happy to say that it is now live. All tags would be appreciated. 



As always, thank you for your patronage.

Sincerely,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there Kindle readers,

Do you remember the reading about the dime novels of the past? Well they aren't relegated to the past anymore. I just released a bargain pack that contains both Claws and Claws 2, which normally sells for $3.20. Now you can purchase books 1 & 2 as a set for $3.30, and that means you are getting book 1 for a dime. 



Have a great day,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there Kindle readers,

I've made Claws free on Smashwords for a while.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35072

Enjoy, and pleasant dreams. 

Sincerely,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there Kindle readers,

Claws is now free at Amazon. Enjoy.  

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.

Sincerely,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there Kindle readers,

If you haven't gotten your free copy of this book yet, I advise you to do so soon. I switched it back to pay on Smashwords, so I have no way of knowing how long it will remain free.

Since the book went free it has gained a few reviews. If you're one of the people who reviewed and or tagged the book, thank you. I appreciate the extra effort on your part. If you are one of the 10,000 plus who have downloaded it, I hope you read it and enjoy the book as much as I enjoyed writing it.

In other news, I sent my latest book to my editor today. It's Lina's Story, and is tied to the Peacekeeper series. The book goes back to the pre night of the quake days, revealing details about the natural disasters that were occurring in America and around the world. This book is one I have wanted to write for years. I finally got around to doing it, and I'm glad I did. I'm happy with the way the book turned out.

Thank you all for the wonderful sales I've enjoyed this year. Book 9, The Warlord has exceeded all my expectations for a new release. I owe that to you, the Kindle readers of America.

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## M Ramberg (Jun 23, 2011)

Just got my copy. Looks like a great read!


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

I hope you enjoy the book.


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there Kindle readers,

This is the last call for free copies of this book. Most of Smashwords' distribution points have dropped the free price and are now charging $0.99 per copy. It's just a matter of time before Amazon price matches them.

In keeping with the season:

Santa reading peacekeepers:










Mac reads claws:










Have a happy and safe holiday season.

Sincerely,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there Kindle readers,

Claws had a new review yesterday, but there was something different about this review. The reviewer didn't just post it on Amazon. She posted it on Barnes and Noble and Goodreads as well. That's the first time someone has written a positive review of one of my books and posted it to all three of those sites, so I was surprised. That was a lot of trouble for someone to go to on behalf of one of my books.

Today, my title Adventures in Reading will be free at Amazon. January 1st and 2nd The Birth of the Peacekeepers will be free. You can find any of my books at this link:

http://www.amazon.com/s?_encoding=UTF8&search-alias=digital-text&field-author=Ricky%20Sides#/ref=sr_pg_2?rh=n%3A133140011%2Cp_27%3ARicky+Sides&page=2&ie=UTF8&qid=1325334772

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there,

Today you can get the Claws combo book free.



Enjoy,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Claws is free for the next four days. There is a link in my siggy.  

Enjoy,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi Kindle readers,

I'll be leaving Claws at $0.99 for another week, possibly two, but after that, I plan to increase the price. If you haven't gotten a copy yet, you may want to think about getting one before I increase the price.

Claws is doing well in the UK. It had a great month in March. There have also been additional reviews posted in both the US and UK.

Thank you for your purchases of this book.

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there Kindle readers,

I wanted to thank everyone for the reviews on this book. It has gathered quite a few now. I'm pleased to see that most have been positive. That tells me I wrote a book that probably pleases most of the people who read it.   Claws was a fun book for me to write. I enjoyed the process, and working on Claws 2 was a blast. Some people have asked me if there would be another book in this series. I don't plan to write another, but I would never rule out the possibility. That said, it is my honest opinion that book 2, After the Apocalypse, covered everything sufficiently. There were no loose ends or major unanswered questions. Of course, I could write another for the adventure, which is why I won't rule out the possibility. 

In other news, I'm still working on the next peacekeeper book. I believe I'll have it ready for release in another month or two. After that, I am considering another Apocalyptic book. One not set in the Peacekeeper world or that of Claws. It is still too soon to provide information on that possibility.

As always, thank you for your purchases, reviews, and tags.

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there Kindle readers,

Claws is priced at $0.99 at the moment through Amazon's price matching. I just reset the price to $0.99 for a while, so it will be at that price until I decide to change it.

Since this is October, breast cancer awareness month, I have Coping with Breast Cancer free at Smashwords if you use a coupon code.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/62339

Coupon code: KZ44Q

If you know anyone who'd like a copy, please send them the link and code.

Thank you for your purchases and reviews.

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there Kindle readers,

Claws is  priced at $0.99. I plan to leave it at that price for the rest of the year, so if you are looking for quality books to gift to your friends without breaking your budget, take a look at this book.

Have a great day,
Ricky


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