Category Archives: Uncategorized

DriveThru Fantasy

While in my online travels I stumbled across another location to find fantasy ebooks. (And authors, another place where you can publish them.)

It seems to feature a slightly darker set of books than you might otherwise see under a fantasy setting; but check it out, you might like what you see.

Once I know a little more about it I’ll probably write a slightly more detailed post, but in the meantime:

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‘Pour’ by Taylor Napolsky

Pour“When Paul Dodgson finds an unnamed bar filled with blobs of ethereal light, he’s caught off guard, yet intrigued.

The more he hangs out there, the more his life twists around, and he can’t decide if it’s for better or worse…”

Based on word count, which sits somewhere between 19-20k, this story is a novella. Something that you definitely need to know before starting it. (That is one of the wonderful things about Smashwords, you’ll find an approximate word count on the book page.)

With so many books seeming to be near copies of each other, this one definitely stands alone. It is a unique concept that I haven’t read anywhere else and made for an entertaining read.

It is the first publication of Taylor Napolsky, though if this story is any indication, he should have a successful career ahead of him. Pour is well written and I didn’t notice any of those pesky typos that seem so prevalent in the stories I have read recently.

I look forward to reading new works by this up and coming author.

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Find Pour:

Amazon (Kindle)
Smashwords (multiple formats)

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‘Strange Neighbors’ by Ashlyn Chase

Strange Neighbors“He’s looking for peace, quiet, and a little romance…
There’s never a dull moment when hunky all-star pitcher and shapeshifter Jason Falco invests in an old Boston brownstone apartment building full of supernatural creatures. But when Merry MacKenzie moves into the ground floor apartment, the playboy pitcher decides he might just be done playing the field…

A girl just wants to have fun…
Sexy Jason seems like the perfect fling, but newly independent nurse Merry’s not sure she’s ready to trust him with her heart…especially when the tabloids start trumpeting his playboy lifestyle.

Then pandemonium breaks loose and Merry and Jason will never get it together without a little help from the vampire who lives in the basement and the werewolf from upstairs…”

This Paranormal Romance is written well, cheeky and has its funny moments. It would be a good book to read when you need an easy break from heavier material. The reason that I am rating it the way I am is because I found the characters to be a little bit too unbelievable – or at the very least; their actions.

If you don’t care whether or not the characters in your books react the way actual people do… then definitely go for it! They were all a little bit too superficial for my liking, but as you will see from the ratings, not everyone shares my opinion!

Note: This is definitely an adult book.

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Find it on Amazon

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100 Kindle Ebooks for $3.99 (or less)

While I was wandering around on Amazon today, (I do that a lot), I stumbled upon a page I figured I’d share with you.

The Editors of Amazon have hand selected 100 books, (for $3.99 or less) and compiled them HERE.

It is essentially just a big ol’ list of books and seems to include examples from most genres. The books that are featured there at the moment include:

Because of Winn-DixieThe Hound of Rowan: Book One of The TapestryThe Battle Sylph (Sylph Series)I Just Want My Pants Back: A Novel

So if you’re interested: Check it out!

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Lucky, Lucky Me!

As you probably know, I have recently been working on a short story; now I’m not quite ready to release it to the world – though it is now in its second draft/proofing stage and I feel it is getting much closer to that possibility.

There are a few new developments however, the first being that I have decided on a title, as well as what name I will be writing under.

The second is that I was chosen to be a guinea pig in a fellow writer’s book cover experiment.

Using the information I provided her with about the story, she is blogging the process of creating a book cover. The end result will be a cover for my short story! (We’re talking ebook format in case you were wondering.)

The story is going to be called ‘Intangible’ and the name I will be writing under? My own. Yours truly. Beth Hobson.

The writer, Stephany Simmons, is absolutely wonderful – she is putting up with my opinions and inability to decide which of the million options I like better. I have no doubts whatsoever that I’m going to love the final product!

You can find her on:

Facebook
Twitter

and of course, be sure to check out her blog and read about the process!

Kindle Accessories: Color Me Happy!

Though I have had my kindle for about six months now, I still don’t have a case for it. Something I want to rectify as soon as I can. I like to take it with me wherever I go, and not having it in a case is mildly stressful.

I haven’t decided which case to go with, so in the meantime I’m going to share with you the more colorful varieties that I’ve found!

OCTOVO Weave Kindle 2 Leather Cover with Hinge (Fits 6" Display, 2nd Generation Kindle), Green/BrownM-Edge Executive Kindle Jacket, Purple (Fits 6" Display, Latest Generation Kindle)Cole Haan Hand-Woven Patent Leather Kindle Cover with Hinge (Fits 6" Display, 2nd Generation Kindle), Ruby SugarGreen mCover® Leather Folio Cover Case for Amazon Kindle 3 (Fits 6" Display, built-in inner pocket)CE Compass Faux Leather Cover for Kindle 3 (Red)Timbuk2 Nylon Kindle Sleeve (Fits 6" Display, 2nd Generation Kindle) Black/GunMetal/Lime-AideBlue mCover® Leather Folio Cover Case for Amazon Kindle 3 (Fits 6" Display, built-in inner pocket)Verso Kindle Cover, Urban Calligraphy by Sisters Gulassa (Fits 6" Display, Latest Generation Kindle), Pink/BrownM-Edge GO! Kindle Jacket, Pebbled Navy (Fits 6" Display, Latest Generation Kindle)kate spade new york Canvas Kindle Cover (Fits 6" Display, Latest Generation Kindle), jubilee stripe printM-Edge GO! Kindle Jacket, Green (Fits 6" Display, Latest Generation Kindle)Acase Classic Kindle 3 (Latest Generation) Leather Case (Sky Blue) with Screen Protector Film Clear (Invisible)J-Tech Digital Orange Genuine Leather Amazon Kindle 3 (Fits 6" Display, Kindle 3: Latest Generation) E-Book Reader Carrying Protective Case CoverBundle Monster Amazon Kindle 3 Ebook Synthetic Leather Opening Case Cover Jacket with Interior Compartments - Fit 3rd Generation - Purple

I like the fact that this one can also be used as a stand. This style + a light might be what I’m looking for.

DURAGADGET New Red Genuine Leather Kindle Case / Cover With Adjustable Stand For New 2010 Amazon Kindle 3, Amazon Kindle 3 Case, Amazon Kindle 3g case, Amazon Kindle Wi-Fi Case, 6" Display, Kindle Graphite, Latest Generation

This is a $125 Kate Spade Edition (good grief) – the extra $100 must be for the polka dots inside…
kate spade new york Patent Leather Kindle Cover (Fits 6" Display, Latest Generation Kindle), fire engine red

So many choices… I think I might start looking into the more ‘funky’ varieties. After all, I plan on keeping this thing for a while, I’d rather that it didn’t look boring!

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‘Voodoo Dues’ by Stephany Simmons

Voodoo Dues (Lian and Figg)“Helping the local Voodoo Queen with a problem wasn’t part of Lian’s plan for his future. Neither was involving Figg in the world he’d left behind. What is it they say about the best-laid plans?”

If you enjoy an Indie novel I think it is important to share that with as many people as possible. Books that are self-published or via smaller publishers don’t receive the instant approval that the big name books do. They need people like you and me to say “Hey, this was good — check it out” in order to convince others to give the book a try.

That being said, “Hey, this was good — check it out!”

Voodoo Dues is a quick read, a novella in fact — so it doesn’t hit the word count of a full length novel but you definitely get a longer read than a short story would offer. It is a little quirky, but I wouldn’t say that’s a bad thing. I’d shelve it with the easy reads on my Urban Fantasy shelf – next to books about Voodoo magic, zombies and magical mysteries.

I would have liked to learn more about Figg’s past and I’m hoping it will be revealed in the sequel!

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Buy the ebook:

Amazon Kindle
Barn’s & Noble Nook
Smashwords (all formats)

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‘Stealing Jake’ by Pam Hillman

Stealing Jake“When Livy O’Brien spies a young boy jostling a man walking along the boardwalk, she recognizes the act for what it is. After all, she used to be known as Light-fingered Livy. But that was before she put her past behind her and moved to the growing town of Chestnut, Illinois, where she’s helping to run an orphanage. Now she’ll do almost anything to protect the street kids like herself.

Sheriff’s deputy Jake Russell had no idea what he was in for when he ran into Livy–literally–while chasing down a pickpocket. With a rash of robberies and a growing number of street kids in town–as well as a loan on the family farm that needs to be paid off–Jake doesn’t have time to pursue a girl. Still, he can’t seem to get Livy out of his mind. He wants to get to know her better . . . but Livy isn’t willing to trust any man, especially not a lawman.”

When it comes to Christian romance novels, this is definitely one of those that I enjoyed the most. It is full of home grown ideals and a sweet country western storyline. It features an idealized early 20th century Christian outlook and a mystery beneath the romance plot which gives it the added edge that all good romance novels need.

The story is well written and conveys emotion with a skillful touch that will leave you smiling and occasionally teary eyed.

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Buy the Ebook on: 

Amazon Kindle
Barns and Noble Nook

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Emotions

I wonder if writers are more susceptible to emotions because they are required to look so deeply into the meaning and reason behind them. Love, anger, longing… you can’t just feel them and get on it with it, not if you want to convey them to others; make them feel it too. You have to understand more than just the surface emotion, and beyond that; you have to feel it, every time you write it.