Whew… it’s been a while eh?

Things have been a little crazy over the last month or so. Aside from writing three posts a week for the blog ‘Ebook Apothecary‘ and three per week for ‘Organically Inclined‘ — I’ve also been working part time, reading the books that I’m reviewing, working on my novel and all the other little odds and ends that come with life.

Keeping busy is good, aside from the fact that it makes time fly, and right now it seems like I haven’t enough already!

Shades has had a few overhauls over the last little bit. I have completely changed the names of all my main characters. (And these are characters that I’ve been hanging out with for about six years, so this change is a little bit taxing for my poor brain.)

I made this decision because I had chosen the names before I really knew my characters, and what the story was going to be about. Now, they, and the story are fleshed out, and I realized they simply weren’t working anymore.

Therefore, Jarenn, my lovely main character, is no more. He has been replaced by Carrick, who is much, much more suitable.

I have decided to forgo NaNoWriMo this year; while I would love to participate, I simply don’t have the time. Not to mention the fact that I can’t be starting yet another story at this point. I keep telling myself; Must. Finish. One. I’m refusing to allow any new plot lines to pop into my head until ‘Shades’, as I affectionately call my little project, is complete. (Or at least in the final editing stages.)

Now that you are a little bit updated, I must run; I just started a new scene this morning and I need to finish it before I can get my post done for the Apothecary and I do need to go to work today as well.

If you are feeling neglected here, since this personal blog of mine is definitely the least updated, you can check out:
My Twitter Account
My Facebook Page

My other blogs:
Ebook Apothecary
Organically Inclined

And their coinciding twitter accounts:
@EbookApothecary
@OrganicInclined

Oh! And it finally snowed this week!

Talk to you soon!(ish)

I had a very different post in mind when I woke up this morning, but after I did my daily check in at Amazon I figured it was more important to inform you about their new little feature.

Now, before you get tooooo excited, this new fabulous idea is only available for people with Amazon Prime. (Which you can certainly get if you wanted to…)

How it is going to work is this: If you are a Amazon Prime member, you will be able to borrow novels for free. They state you can borrow “up to one a month” which I’m assuming means… one a month. Which isn’t great – but it does increase the value of Amazon Prime. Currently it costs $79 per year to have access to a prime membership, which means if you read a bestseller a month, you are covering your costs for membership – prime also allows you to stream movies, get free shipping and so on.

If you already have a prime account, but don’t have a kindle — now is an even better time to get one! ;)

If you want to check out their Lending Library Page, just click on the link!

Some ebooks you can borrow through the Lending Library:

On a COMPLETELY not ebook related topic: I just found out that if you are a Mom or a Student, there are special Amazon account options… I had no idea!

Back the discussion at hand; what do you think of this new feature?

Just a gimmick or something worthwhile?

Let me know and I’ll see you tomorrow for a special ‘out of schedule’ post!

As you may know; I don’t do the whole ‘horror’ thing. (Which is why you’ve never seen any on this blog.) So don’t worry, I’m not going to try and scare you today!

Instead; I’ve found a selection of books that fit within a slightly less spooky Halloween theme. I hope you enjoy them, and of course;

“A Modern Witch” by Debora Geary

“Can you live 28 years without discovering you’re a witch?

A Modern Witch is a full length novel, 81,000 words or about 300 pages.  Light contemporary fantasy with a good dose of humor, a little romance, and characters you won’t want to leave.”

Find out more:
On Amazon for Kindle

“Pumpkin Town!” by Katie McKy

“What happens when a town has an accidental abundance of pumpkins? What do José and his well-intentioned brothers do with a mountain of pumpkins? 

An EXPLOSION of pumpkins? 

Step into Pumpkin Town and see!”

Find the ebook:
On Amazon for Kindle

“Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble” by H.P. Mallory

“A self-deprecating witch with the unique ability to reanimate the dead.

Word of Jolie’s incredible ability to bring back the dead spreads like wildfire, putting her at the top of the Underworld’s most wanted list. Consequently, she finds herself at the center of a custody battle between a villainous witch, a dangerous but oh-so-sexy vampire, and her warlock boss, Rand.”

Read my Review

Find the Ebook:
On Amazon for Kindle

And finally:

“A Field Guide to Demons, Vampires, Fallen Angels and Other Subversive Spirits” Carol K. Mack

“Did you know the Mbulu of South Africa has a razor sharp tail with a mind of its own? Or that the Kuru-Pira of Brazil has eyes that glow like embers, and fangs ripping from its mouth? In this updated edition of A Field Guide to Demons, Carol and Dinah Mack bring to life some of the most horrific and fascinating creatures ever described in mythology and legend. With a deft pen and global perspective, the Macks profile over ninety bogies including: mermaids, ghouls, vampires, kelpies, werewolves, and more. Readers will delight in exploring the origin, characteristics, and cultural significance of each creature. Organized by “habitat,” this book will entertain readers of all ages, while shedding light on religious and cultural ideals from around the world. With vivid details and highly researched entries, A Field Guide to Demons is a must have for academics, writers, students, and anyone interested in mythology or the occult” 

Find this ebook on Amazon

See you on Tuesday!

“Eighteen-year-old Kali McAlister enters her steam-powered “dogless sled” in a race, intending to win the thousand-dollar prize and escape remote Moose Hollow forever. The problem? Fortune seekers and airship pirates are after her for the secret to flash gold, her late father’s alchemical masterpiece.

When a sword-slinging stranger shows up, wanting to hire on as her protector, she’s sure he has ulterior motives, but he’s the only one interested in helping her. The question is…why?”

This 18,000-word (80 page) novella, is another great example of Lindsay’s fabulous story-creation skills. After reading her ‘Emperor’s Edge‘ novels, I knew I had to check out some of her other works as well. This novella only convinced me that I have no choice but to read everything she writes!

It also helped to expand my vocabulary — To be perfectly honest (which is always a good idea), I had to look up the word “pugilsm”… It happens to the best of us…

For anyone who is curious, it refers to; the art or practice of fighting with the fists; boxing.

And so ends our lesson for the day; back to the review!

I’ve read some good steampunk and some not so good steampunk, but this novel falls into the ‘must read the next one’ category. I adore the bantering between the characters and the easy flow of the story. This is an adventure that you get lost in after just a minute or two, and you won’t emerge until you read the final words.

Besides; airships, pirates and mechanical dogs? How cool is that?

/5

The second novella, which I need to get my hands on, is ‘Hunted‘:

Read the review for ‘The Emperor’s Edge‘

Find the ‘Flash Gold‘ ebook:
On Amazon for Kindle
On Smashwords (Any ereader) **Currently FREE — Get it while you can!**

I had every intention of writing a review today, however Amazon has trumped that with their latest press release. I’m really quite excited about this, so without further ado:

You can now buy a Kindle for ONLY $79, if you live in the US. Yup. How perfect is that? Whether you want it for yourself or as a gift, Amazon just dropped it into a price range that is affordable. I wish they had done this before I bought mine!

It is lighter and smaller, though it still boasts a 6″ display, the amazing e-ink and wi-fi.

Note: the $79 version is the ‘special offers’ version — this just means that it will display ‘special offers’ and ads – though never while you are reading.

Isn’t it pretty?? The price even makes it less scary to buy one for the kids! (You can currently buy this kindle internationally but from what I can see, it is more expensive outside the US.)

But wait! I’m not done yet… not even close.

If your price range is a little higher, Amazon now has a few more options available to you:

That would be the Kindle Touch. This touch screen beauty is sleek, small, has build in wi-fi and can be purchased for the extraordinarily low price of $99. (With special offers). You can pre-order it now and it will ship November 21st. There is also a 3G version, but of course that is more expensive.

This is the one that I would purchase! (Not with 3G though, there are more than enough wi-fi networks for me to manage on) Unfortunately I will have to wait until it is available in Canada… It is US only for the moment.

The last all-new item I have to announce is the Kindle Fire. Their slogan? “From Kindle, Fire is born”

This would be an all-new tablet from Amazon. Now while it doesn’t feature a camera, 3G or e-ink it  does have a few features that make it quite remarkable.

First of all, the price; this tablet is being sold for the mind-blowing price of $199.

Can you say holy crap?

Now, for the moment, one thing makes it a little less exciting for me — it appears to also be a US only product. Though hopefully that will change in the near future. For the moment you (if you live in the US) can pre-order and it will ship on November 15th.

The touchscreen looks great, and apparently it boasts an all new browsing system that makes it super speedy.

It looks to me like it would be a great media device; for your movies, music and so on. However I’m not sure about reading on it — it would probably be similar to an Ipad in that regard since it is back-lit and not e-ink.

What do you think of this new development??

Check out the:

Kindle
Kindle Touch
Kindle Fire

For those of you who read my other blog, you heard this news an hour or so ago… it seems silly to post it in two places, but the fact of the matter is that it fits into the topic of both blogs. (This one being the personal one and the other all about ebooks.) There is also the minor fact that I’m quite excited about it!

I mentioned not too long ago that the wonderful Stephany Simmons was creating a cover for a short story of mine as a way to demonstrate how ebook covers can be made.

Today I get to share with you the final design that we agreed upon. If you are interested, check out Stephany’s posts about the process!

Ta Da!! What do you think?

I have a slightly different post for you today — crazily enough, this one is all about me!

The fabulous Stephany Simmons, author of Voodoo Dues, picked me as a guinea pig in a project of hers. She wrote a series of posts demonstrating how to design your own book cover. (She does a fabulous job!) You can find her blog HERE. I would definitely recommend a follow for anyone in the paranormal scene!

The cover she designed is for a short story of mine, one that hasn’t been released to the public just yet. However, now that I have a cover, I am one step closer to that goal!

A very brief synopsis of the story:

“She lived a broken life, consumed by the fear of things she could not see; taunted by a dream that was everything her reality could never be. 

Until now.”

I’d love to know what you think of the cover; please do leave a comment and let me know!

“Pursuing a fanatical assassin, Commander Zacary Ryker crash-lands on the rogue planet of Niburu in the middle of an alien war. Only one thing stands between his revenge and annihilation; a mutant species called the Chimera. Facing extinction, they are forced to discover the truths that will determine if they are destined to survive on the mysterious planet of Niburu – and in the Multiverse beyond.”

The beginning of this book played out in my mind like something from Sin City. I could almost see it happening in black and white with splashes of deep red for effect.

It begins with a jumble of scenes that slowly sort themselves out as you become familiar with the characters, and a sensation that ‘something’ is about to happen.

Many of the characters have ranks or salutations and depending on the circumstances they might be referred to by their first name, last name, rank, etc… While this is perfectly logical, if you are like me and can barely remember your own name half the time, this can get quite confusing. Especially with the sheer number of characters. Don’t worry though! Even I managed to sort them all out eventually.

There is a midpoint to the book where the story shifts dramatically, and this is where I really began enjoying the adventure. By this point you have figured out who is who and you get a good feel for where the story is going. It no longer feels like Sin City but perhaps a little ‘Planet of the Apes’-esque.

(I’m not too sure what is with my movie comparisons today, just bear with me!)

I definitely enjoyed the story and I have every intention of reading the second book in this series. The writing is clever and well thought out, I didn’t notice typos, which is absolutely fantastic!

If you’re a sci-fi buff and looking for something a little different, this just might be what you need!

Warning: Video Contains Spoilers

 
The author and his band have also composed a very interesting soundtrack that coincide with the feel of this series. You can find it HERE if you want to check it out.

This is definitely an adult novel, I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone younger. 

/5

I fully plan on reading the next books in this series — I have to find out what happens!

Find this book:
On Amazon for Kindle
On Smashwords (Multiple formats) 

“Myranda is a young woman more interested in staying alive than being a hero. Orphaned by a continent-spanning war that has gone on for decades too long and shunned for failing to support it, she has been on the move since she was only a child. One can hardly blame her when she thinks that the chance discovery of a fallen soldier’s priceless cargo is the moment that will change her life. No one could predict just how great that change would be. It will lead her through an adventure of rebels and generals, of wizards and warriors, and of beasts both noble and monstrous. Each step of the way will take her closer to the truth of her potential, of the war, and of the fate of her world.”

This novel is definitely one of my favorite straight-up indie fantasy novels. I didn’t find it particularly fast paced, but though it lacked in speed it made up for it by completely engrossing me in the story. The twists and turns and development were great – there were a few I didn’t see coming, and I love that!

There is a rather in-depth look into the workings of the magic in this world, though it is always tied into the characters and as such isn’t just a clinical examination of how things work. The back story is intertwined into the story in such a way that it doesn’t become overwhelming or out of place.

When it ended, I wanted to do nothing but immediately start on the second in the series! I can’t wait to find out how this story ends.

The Author, Joseph Lallo, has just recently uploaded a brand new, professionally edited version of this book; if you read it, and enjoy it – do leave a comment letting others know!

/5


Find The Book of Deacon:
On Amazon for Kindle
On Smashwords (Multiple Formats)

The complete trilogy:

Available September 27th – Pre-order Now!

“The air pirate Andan Cly is going straight. Well, straighter. Although he’s happy to run alcohol guns wherever the money’s good, he doesn’t think the world needs more sap, or its increasingly ugly side-effects. But becoming legit is easier said than done, and Cly’s first legal gig—a supply run for the Seattle Underground—will be paid for by sap money.

New Orleans is not Cly’s first pick for a shopping run. He loved the Big Easy once, back when he also loved a beautiful mixed-race prostitute named Josephine Early—but that was a decade ago, and he hasn’t looked back since. Jo’s still thinking about him, though, or so he learns when he gets a telegram about a peculiar piloting job. It’s a chance to complete two lucrative jobs at once, one he can’t refuse. He sends his old paramour a note and heads for New Orleans, with no idea of what he’s in for—or what she wants him to fly.

But he won’t be flying. Not exactly. Hidden at the bottom of Lake Pontchartrain lurks an astonishing war machine, an immense submersible called the Ganymede. This prototype could end the war, if only anyone had the faintest idea of how to operate it…. If only they could sneak it past the Southern forces at the mouth of the Mississippi River… If only it hadn’t killed most of the men who’d ever set foot inside it.

But it’s those “if onlys” that will decide whether Cly and his crew will end up in the history books, or at the bottom of the ocean.”

The first book in this series is: