Mary Ann Poll: America’s Lady of Supernatural Thrillers
Member of Author Masterminds
Hello! I’m Mary Ann Poll, author of the four-part Iconoclast thriller series, and avid reader and researcher, especially if the topic is the supernatural.
The Iconoclast series was born through a series of outlines, writings, and musings. When I started writing, I thought my genre was going to be mysteries. But, that was not the case. I was so sure it was mysteries, I created Kat Tovslosky to be the one to solve the murders.
Not even my publisher knows that before Ravens Cove was an idea, I began a novel entitled, A Study of Evil. It was to be a real murder mystery with little to no supernatural undertones. The only similarity between A Study of Evil and what I eventually published is the main character, Kat.
For fun, here’s a scene from that never finished and never to be published manuscript:
A lone autumn leaf drifted to the ground from the willow outside Kat’s window. Fall had arrived, evidenced by mountains dressed in autumn’s hues of rusts, cranberry, and golds. Within weeks winter would descend on its frozen steed of snow, galloping across the next six months, leaving below zero temperatures and darkness in its wake. Kat let herself savor the deceptive security her warm, snug apartment offered against the outside world.
Alaska’s beauty and violence are never so visible as in the winter. Its beauty is never more than a glance away. Kat felt more than saw the grandeur of Alaska’s beauty every time she beheld the Chugach mountains awash in the brilliant pink palette of a winter’s sunset or the frost that fell like glittering snow after the freeze fog lifted its veil.
But Kat had always looked just as forward to winter’s implied threat as its breathtaking landscape. She was never more alive than when her physical or mental senses were challenged. In winter, a trip to the neighborhood grocer was enough to get the adrenaline pumping. The yearly ritual of driving in Anchorage’s first snow brought the survival instinct out in the seasoned residents. The majority of Anchorage drivers acquire amnesia from year to year; they forget that driving on ice and snow is different than driving on dry roads. Just getting to the intended destination without an accident requires an alert yet a calm mindset and the ability to divine another driver’s move. Kat saw this as a giant chess game; whoever captures the king of destination without incident wins.
Alaska’s weather had an even darker side. It had cost many lives. Once or twice a year, these tragedies were reported. Kat herself lost her first love to a hiking accident caused by the dramatic weather changes in Alaska’s mountains. Even in a large city like Anchorage that prides itself on all the modern conveniences, people die from exposure. Often, it was the homeless who could not or did not take advantage of the shelters provided to protect them. No matter how it happened, it was always a harsh reminder of nature’s cruelty.
Yes, Kat understood death caused by nature. It was non-discretionary and impersonal in its act, a violence that was usually a result of humanity’s witlessness. It was the unnatural act of man’s violence against man Kat could not fathom.
Until next time, I look forward to meeting with you, chatting with you, and discovering amazing books along the way.
The Secret Writings Behind the Iconoclast Thriller Series Whalers was first published with Readers and Writers Book Club: https://readersandwritersbookclub.com.
Author Campaign Method (ACM) for Authorpreneurs
This is Publication Consultants’ motivation for constantly striving to assist authors sell and market their books. Author Campaign Method (ACM) of sales and marketing is Publication Consultants’ plan to accomplish this so that our authors’ books have a reasonable opportunity for success. We know the difference between motion and direction. ACM is direction! ACM is the process for authorpreneurs who are serious about bringing their books to market. ACM is a boon for them.
Release Party
Web Presence
Book Signings
Amazon Author Page
Facebook Profile and Facebook Page
Active Social Media Participation
Ebook Cards
The Great Alaska Book Fair: October 8, 2016
Costco Book Signings
eBook Cards
Benjamin Franklin Award
Jim Misko Book Signing at Barnes and Noble
Cortex is for serious authors and will probably not be of interest to hobbyists. We recorded our Cortex training and information meeting. If you’re a serious author, and did not attend the meeting, and would like to review the training information, kindly let us know. Authors are required to have a Facebook author page to use Cortex.
Correction:
We take the quote by Marcella Smith, Small Press Business Manager, Barnes & Noble seriously: “The author is essential to the success of the book, giving energy behind the book to make it something that a customer will come in and ask for. That is what makes the difference in a book that sells, that develops legs, and has a life of its own. Otherwise the book goes on the shelf and stays there for three months. Then it gets returned.”
This is Publication Consultants’ motivation for constantly striving to assist authors sell and market their books. ACM is Publication Consultants’ plan to accomplish this so that our authors’ books have a reasonable opportunity for success. We know the difference between motion and direction. ACM is direction! ACM is the process for authors who are serious about bringing their books to market. ACM is a boon for serious authors, but a burden for hobbyist. We don’t recommend ACM for hobbyists.
We’re the only publisher we know of that provides authors with book signing opportunities. Book signing are appropriate for hobbyist and essential for serious authors. To schedule a book signing kindly go to our website, <
An Author Page on Amazon Author Central is a serious author ACM requirement and desirable for the hobbyist. Author Central is a free resource designed to help authors become more active participants in the promotion of their books. In Author Central you can manage an Author Page, update information about your books, and view Customer Reviews and sales information for your bibliography. If you don’t already have an Author Page on 
We hear authors complain about all the personal stuff on Facebook. Most of these complaints are because the author doesn’t understand the difference difference between a Facebook profile and a Facebook page. Simply put, a profile is for personal things for friends and family; a page is for business. If your book is just a hobby, then it’s fine to have only a Facebook profile and make your posts for friends and family; however, if you’re serious about your writing, and it’s a business with you, or you want it to be business, then you need a Facebook page as an author. It’s simple to tell if it’s a page or a profile. A profile shows how many friends and a page shows how many likes. Here’s a link <> to a straight forward description on how to set up your author Facebook page.
Active Social Media Participation
Mosquito Books has a new location in the Anchorage international airport and is available for signings with 21 days notice. Jim Misko had a signing there yesterday. His signing report included these words, “Had the best day ever at the airport . . ..”
The Lyin Kings: The Wannabe World Leaders
Time and Tide
ReadAlaska 2014
Readerlink and Book Signings
2014 Independent Publisher Book Awards Results
Bonnye Matthews Radio Interview
Rick Mystrom Radio Interview
When he published those overseas blogs as the book The Innocents Abroad, it would become a hit. But you couldn’t find it in bookstores.
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