Sue Parritt Shares Her Inspiration for "Sannah & the Pilgrim" @OdysseyBooks #AmReading #Dystopian

What inspired me to write my book?

Anger, abhorrence and disbelief motivated me to write Sannah and the Pilgrim. I was and remain appalled by past and present governments’ policy on refugees and asylum seekers. News bulletins and current affairs programmes helped fuel my deep concerns about the direction our country is heading. From a country that welcomed scores of displaced people after the Second World War, we are becoming xenophobic, rejecting those that have fled what for most of us are inconceivable terrors. As a migrant myself, I tried to imagine how I would have felt, if instead of paying my ten pounds and travelling here on an ocean liner, I had been forced to flee my homeland, hand over my life’s savings to greedy people smugglers and risk my life by boarding a leaky overcrowded boat.

My thoughts then turned to a different category of refugees, those we can expect in the not so distant future. Low-lying Pacific islands are already under threat from accelerating climate change, about which wealthy first-world countries have so far failed to act. Soon there will be a flood of environmental refugees seeking a safe haven in our sparsely populated and prosperous nation. How will our government react then, when turning back the boats won’t be an option?

I felt my option as a fiction writer was to draw on contemporary government policies regarding refugees and climate change to create a portrait of a future Australia that is, to my mind, entirely possible. The idea to divide the country into zones according to race of origin came from a thinly veiled proposal made by an ultra-conservative politician some years ago. Research into climate change led me to place my characters in the most inhospitable part of twenty-fourth century Australia, the extremely hot, humid and disease-ridden north. Confined to the Brown Zone (formerly Queensland) the people, descendants of Pacific environmental refugees, are forced to cultivate the remaining fertile coastal strip to produce food for White Southerners, whose zone, although more suitable for human habitation, is too arid to support agriculture.

I was inspired to create the role of storyteller for my protagonist, Sannah, by the manner in which information is often distorted by both the media and government in order to provoke certain reactions. For instance, fears of being swamped by refugees are intensified by using terms such as ‘illegals’ and concerns over rising utility costs assuaged by promises to repeal the Carbon Tax. Sannah’s people are kept in ignorance through a steady diet of Tales (a weird blend of historical fact and fiction) delivered by government-trained storytellers. In similar fashion, we are fed only what governments and multinational companies want us to hear and it takes a great deal of effort to uncover the truth. Lies ensure compliance in both twenty-first and twenty-fourth century Australia.

About the Author:

Sue Parritt is an Australian writer, originally from England. Her poetry and short stories have been published in magazines and anthologies in Australia, Britain and the USA. After graduating BA University of Queensland 1982 (majors: English Literature, Drama and French), Sue worked in university libraries until taking early retirement in 2008 to pursue her long-held dream of becoming a professional writer.  Since then she has written Sannah and the Pilgrim, numerous short stories and poems and‘Feed Thy Enemy’, a feature film script set in Naples in 1944 and 1974 and based on a true story (Sue is currently seeking a producer). She recently completed a second novel Safety Zone and is now writing a sequel to Sannah and the Pilgrim – the working title is Pia and the Skyman.

When Sannah the Storyteller, a descendant of environmental refugees from drowned Pacific islands, finds a White stranger on her domestep, she presumes he’s a political prisoner on the run seeking safe passage to egalitarian Aotearoa. However, Kaire’s unusual appearance, bizarre behaviour, and insistence he’s a pilgrim suggest otherwise.

Appalled by apartheid Australia, Kaire uses his White privileges to procure vital information for Sannah and her group of activists regarding new desert prisons that are to be built to house all political prisoners. The group plans sabotage but needs help, and Kaire is a willing accomplice. But when Sannah turns Truthteller and threatens to reveal the country’s true history, even Kaire’s White privilege and advanced technology cannot save Sannah and her daughter from retribution.

About Sannah and the Pilgrim:

Sannah and the Pilgrim is a tale of courage, defiance and deceit that asks the reader, ‘Would you risk death by telling the truth about your country, or would you play it safe and spend your life as a storyteller?’

Are you concerned about our governments’ (both past and present) failure to act on climate change and the detention and inhumane treatment of refugees? I am, so I have drawn on contemporary conservative attitudes to present a dystopian view of a future Australia in my speculative fiction novel Sannah and the Pilgrim. Read it and discover what could happen to our‘lucky’ country.

General Information - Sannah and the Pilgrim by Sue Parritt

ISBN: 978-1-922200-14-3

Genre: Speculative Fiction / Sci-fi / Dystopian

Release Date: 26 April 2014 (Paperback and ebook)

Publisher: Odyssey Books (http://www.odysseybooks.com.au/)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1kBKqan

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/sannah-and-the-pilgrim

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sannah-and-the-pilgrim-sue-parritt/1119209936?ean=9781922200143

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sannah-and-the-pilgrim/id872478599?ls=1&mt=11

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21883471-sannah-and-the-pilgrim

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sue.parritt

LinkedIn: http://au.linkedin.com/pub/sue-parritt/60/622/301

Hank Quense on Unknown Authors & Book Signing Horror Stories @hanque99 #AmWriting #SelfPub

Book Signing Horror Story

Two years ago, I had a new novel released and I was determined that I was going to sell a pile of paperback copies locally. I contacted a few libraries and two of them agreed to let me have a book signing appearance. The libraries did a great job and produced flyers to hang around the library.

At the first one, i sat behind a table with a pile of books and waited while the library’s patrons ignored me. Finally, an elderly man approached and looked over the books. I sensed a sale. I gave the guy a description of the book and he picked one up and sat down. He browsed through the book and read several scenes over the next ten or fifteen minutes. Then he stood up, said, “I didn’t bring any money,” put the book down and left. He was the first and last potential buyer at that signing.

A few weeks later, I had the second signing at a bigger library in a bigger town. Only one guy showed up, a member of a write group I belong to. We spent an hour chatting after which I decided to give up and go home. The other writer did graciously buy a copy of the book.

I think the biggest hurdle an unknown writer has to face is his unknown status. A flashy flyer in a library announcing appearance by an author no one ever heard of simply does not attract a crowd. A writer needs more than the flyer and best good wishes of the library staff. The writer needs to get a message out through the community because a lot of people don’t go to the library, or if they use the library, they may not stop to read the flyer. The flyer should be in local stores and other public places.

I haven’t had a book signing since then, but I’m willing to try one more time with Moxie’s Problem. This time, in addition to the flyers the library makes up, I’ll produce my own flyers and announcements and then make the rounds of the local shops and venues to spread the word. I’m hoping more than one guy shows up this time around.

I’m also exploring a different situation in which I join forces with one or two other authors and make it a joint signing.

Do you enjoy untypical coming-of-age stories? Well, you won’t find one more untypical than Moxie’s Problem. Moxie is an obnoxious, teen-age princess who has never been outside her father’s castle. Until now. The real world is quite different and she struggles to come to grips with reality. The story takes place against a backdrop of Camelot. But it isn’t the Camelot of legends. It’s Camelot in a parallel universe. So, all bets are off!

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre – Fantasy, Sci-fi

Rating – G

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Connect with Hank Quense through Facebook & Twitter

Website http://hank-quense.com/wp/

@PMPillon's #WriteTip for Applying Memories To Writing #SciFi #Fantasy #YA

Our writing relies on our perceptions, leading us down a bright or dark path if that’s how we see the world but and are infinite in variety. For instance in Dostoyevsky’s case appreciating and writing about appalling privation because he himself experienced it as a starving writer and Solzhenitsyn also as a state prisoner. Who can fail to be moved by the young man’s utter destitution in Crime And Punishment, or the Gulag convict fussing over his boots without which he would be a dead man walking?

However, there are also cases of a writer’s life being a stark contrast from her or his writing, such as Guy de Maupassant who wrote beautifully and auspiciously even as he lived a life of depression and ultimately wrote as his epitaph: “I have coveted everything and taken pleasure in nothing.” 

We are a sum of our parts and at the same time we are a continuum, experiencing myriad states of life most often without even realizing it, with all aspects such as memories morphing into differing levels of appreciation. We forget most events and remember only a fraction, and we sometimes wish the two would transpose and we could forget that pedestrian remark dad made and instead remember something he said about mom when she was ill. If every single memory is still somewhere in our brain, until and unless a method for total recall is discovered we are forced to play with the cards we’re dealt; trudging through life with limited recollections that we can mine for our writing. A week ago I had a dream that I recognized as being a basis for a entire book as my previous books have been, but within seconds I forgot it and it’s clearly gone for good.

If we’re writing about a man whose girl friend has left him or vice versa, it helps to have some memories under our belt about amorous relationships. Writing blind about events with which we have no experience can still work if we have learned about them from observation or stories we heard from others, but it’s more problematic because more care must be taken to attain plausibility.

And ultimately our writing style will likely be the decider, such as the case of William Faulkner who gave up trying to mimic or emulate others and just wrote in his own consciousness stream and prose based on his experiences that eventually earned him universal praise and a Nobel Prize for Literature.

His celestial companion was waiting for him

Precariously climbing a sea-side cliff near Big Sur, ten-year-old Joey Blake was as yet unaware that near his grasp was an object, so odd, mysterious and alien to earth that it would change his life forever and the lives of countless others in the next few astonishing days. Reaching up as far as he could for a handhold it was just there; it had subconsciously lured him, occupied his mind, and made him find it. It was like he was meant to see and discover this object of unimaginable power … the power to change reality.

Time travel and more

This young adult series of sci-fi fantasy novels begins with The Reality Master and continues through four other exciting and amazing stories about time travel and mysterious alien devices. Joey and the reader will face dangerous shadowy criminal organizations, agents of the NSA, bizarre travelers from other times and even renegade California bikers and scar-faced walking dead.

- Vol 1 The Reality Master
- Vol 2 Threat To The World
- Vol 3 Travel Beyond
- Vol 4 Missions Through Time
- Vol 5 The Return Home

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Genre – Science fiction, Fantasy, Young adult

Rating – G

More details about the author

Connect with PM Pillon on Facebook & Twitter

Karin Rita Gastreich on Writing, Relaxing & High Maga @EolynChronicles #Fantasy #GoodReads

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

I really like the places where I live now: Kansas City and Costa Rica. In another life, I think I might have enjoyed living in Europe, in particular Germany. But the truth is, I’m pretty happy with where I am at the moment.

How do you write – lap top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk?

I wrote my first novel entirely by hand in several bound journals, before typing it up on my laptop.  My second novel was composed on my laptop using Microsoft Word; to organize my third novel, I began using Scrivener.  I try to avoid writing in bed, because if I get a story spinning in my head too late at night, I’m likely to lose sleep.  There are certain places in my house where I like to write: my office, the family room, the living room. Wherever I am, I like to have a window to look out of, so I don’t end up staring at the screen all the time.  I also occasionally write in coffee shops.

Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge and thank for their support? 

My most important partners in writing have been my editors, Eric T. Reynolds and Terri-Lynne DeFino (Finder, A Time Never Lived, Beyond the Gate), and my critique partner David Hunter (A Road of Blood and Slaughter). All of them are excellent authors in their own right, so please check out their novels and anthologies!

Every writer has their own idea of what a successful career in writing is, what does success in writing look like to you? 

Success is a state of being, rather than an ultimate goal. As a state of being, it evolves with the writer.  Finishing a novel or short story is success.  Having the courage to share your work for the first time with others is also success.  Sending out queries, establishing your path to publication, developing and implementing a marketing plan are all elements of success. Every time a reader says, “I loved your book!”, that is success. I suspect most writers, like me, would like to reach a point where sales from our novels generate enough to live on. Some might consider that the defining moment of success, but it’s important to remember that success comes in many forms, and can be experienced at every stage of the writer’s journey.

When you are not writing, how do you like to relax?

I love to seek out natural spaces and go for long walks or bicycle rides. I also enjoy dance, especially flamenco.  I like to go out in the evenings and listen to good music, and have a drink with my friends.  I very much like to spend time relaxing with my family, my parents and brothers and sisters, my nieces and nephews, and my husband’s family as well.

Sometimes it’s so hard to keep at it – What keeps you going? 

Well, when it gets too hard to keep at it, I take a break.  A bit of rest and relaxation does wonders for recharging the batteries.  In truth, I rarely have problems getting back into writing; if anything, I really wish I had more time to dedicate to my characters. One thing that contributed to my motivation for finishing High Maga was the enthusiastic support of my readers, who have been anxious to read the companion to Eolyn.

How do you feel about social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter? Are they a good thing?

I was hooked into Facebook before I became a writer. Though I do use it for marketing, I tend to do most marketing through my page for EOLYN, while my personal page is more about interacting with friends, family, and colleagues.  I enjoy Facebook. It’s a fun social platform.

I have to admit I am not so fond of Twitter. I joined last year, and have yet to figure out the social part of this social network. It does seem an effective tool for amplifying a message (as long as that message is no longer than 140 characters), but in terms of connecting with real people in a get-to-know-each-other kind of way, it seems very limited.

I recently joined Pinterest, too.  Though the jury is still out on that one, I like the visual focus of this platform. I think it has a lot of potential.

In the end, Facebook seems to be the only network that really brings it all together for me: social interactions, the opportunity to market, and the ability to share with friends and family, using both words and images.

How do you feel about self-publishing?

My favorite route to publishing is small press.  Small press hits a nice middle road between self-publishing and traditional large press, avoiding the hassle of the former and the headaches of the latter.  My press, in particular, is a wonderful community of gifted publishing professionals who have played an important role in my success as an author. I think self-publishing can be an excellent option for many authors, but personally I am happy to have landed a home with a small press like Hadley Rille Books.

How important are friends in your life?

Is this a trick question?  Life would be impossible without my friends.

What social issues interest you the most?

Equality and diversity on every level. I would like to see barriers to participation broken down in all aspects of life, so that everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed and contribute to our society regardless of gender, race, ethnic origin, or sexual preference.  I am also a strong advocate of wildlife conservation and sustainable resource management.

Do you find the time to read? 

Yes.  Reading is my number one strategy for relaxing in the evening before I go to sleep.

Last book you purchased? Tell us about it.

Shirley Graetz’s novel She Wrote on Clay is part of the Archaeology Series published by Hadley Rille Books. I’ve read several novels in this series, which features short novels that portray the lives of ordinary people in ancient times, based on archaeological evidence. Graetz’s novel relates the story of Iltani, a young woman living in Sippar some 3800 years ago, who dreams of being a scribe. It’s a very interesting book that communicates a lot of information about the lives of women during a period about which I know very little. I’ve enjoyed reading it very much.

Lands Ravaged. Dreams destroyed. Demons set loose upon the earth.

War strikes at the heart of women’s magic in Moisehén. Eolyn’s fledgling community of magas is destroyed; its members killed, captured or scattered.

Devastated yet undaunted, Eolyn seeks to escape the occupied province and deliver to King Akmael a weapon that might secure their victory. But even a High Maga cannot survive this enemy alone. Aided by the enigmatic Mage Corey, Eolyn battles the darkest forces of the Underworld, only to discover she is a mere path to the magic that most ignites their hunger.

What can stop this tide of terror and vengeance? The answer lies in Eolyn’s forgotten love, and in its power to engender seeds of renewed hope.

HIGH MAGA is the companion novel to EOLYN, also available from Hadley Rille Books.

Buy Now @ Amazon & Kobo

Genre – Epic Fantasy

Rating – PG-13

More details about the author

Connect with Karin Rita Gastreich on Facebook & Twitter

Blog http://eolynchronicles.blogspot.com

Lichgates (Grimoire Saga) by @TheSMBoyce #Fantasy #AmReading #BookClub

Something rustled in the far corner. She spun around, but instead of a gray soldier or the brunette woman, she saw only a small white fox. The little creature leaned against the bars and cocked its head, eyeing her as its giant ears flicked around to absorb the trolls’ hulking movements.

The fox trotted over and sniffed the torn hem of her jeans before looking up with its striking blue eyes. She reached out with her bound hands and gently scratched its chin. It hummed with pleasure. Kara grinned.

“At least not everything here is scary,” she said.

The little fox popped its eyes open and stared at her for a moment before it changed shape. Its fur melted away into the wet scales of a red lizard with a single black stripe running down its spine. Kara yelped as the fox-now-lizard creature scurried over the wood and out of sight. She covered her face with her hands and cursed beneath her breath.

She stifled a sob. “I want to go home.”

“Ourea isn’t the sort of place you can leave. It always drags you back,” Braeden mumbled, awake now.

“More comforting words of wisdom?” she asked, peering through her fingers to catch his bruised and battered gaze.

“No. You hardly seemed fond of that.” He stretched his fingers out behind him, and drops of the black liquid fell faster from around the cuffs as he moved.

“What’s wrong with your hands?”

“These shackles have poisoned spikes.”

She whistled. “Wow. Can I do anything to help?”

“No, but thank you.”

“Is that black stuff the poison?”

“I guess you could say that.”

“Is that a yes?”

Braeden frowned. “It’s my blood.”

“Wait, your blood is black?”

Well, it wasn’t the weirdest thing she’d seen in the last twenty four hours. She had yet to recover from those stupid roots and the book that turned its own pages.

“You know, blood is kind of important, Braeden. It’s not usually a poisonous thing.”

“It’s a long story.”

She gestured at the cage. “I’m not exactly going anywhere.”

“I think everything will become painfully obvious if we are headed for the same place, which I hope we aren’t.” His expression darkened, his eyebrows casting a shadow over his eyes. He looked up at her, and a chill crept down her neck.

“Wow. It’s been a pleasure talking to you, too. To think, I was going to take those cuffs off you.” She leaned against the cell wall as they took another bend in the road.

“As kind an offer as that is, only the person who put them on can take them off. And I meant only that you will not want to go where I’m being taken.”

“The writing is flawless. The kingdoms and surrounding landscapes breathtaking. The Grimoire is a piece of imaginative genius that bedazzles from the moment Kara falls into the land of Ourea. – Nikki Jefford, author of the Spellbound Trilogy

Spring 2013 Rankings

#6 Kindle Store | #1 Science Fiction & Fantasy | #1 Epic Fantasy | #1 Sword & Sorcery | #1 Teens

Now an international Amazon bestseller. Fans of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and Eragon will enjoy this contemporary remix of the classic epic fantasy genre.

—————-

Kara Magari is about to discover a beautiful world full of terrifying things: Ourea.

Kara, a college student still reeling from her mother’s recent death, has no idea the hidden world of Ourea even exists until a freak storm traps her in a sunken library. With nothing to do, she opens an ancient book of magic called the Grimoire and unwittingly becomes its master, which means Kara now wields the cursed book’s untamed power. Discovered by Ourea’s royalty, she becomes an unwilling pawn in a generations-old conflict – a war intensified by her arrival. In this world of chilling creatures and betrayal, Kara shouldn’t trust anyone… but she’s being hunted and can’t survive on her own. She drops her guard when Braeden, a native soldier with a dark secret, vows to keep her safe. And though she doesn’t know it, her growing attraction to him may just be her undoing.

For twelve years, Braeden Drakonin has lived a lie. The Grimoire is his one chance at redemption, and it lands in his lap when Kara Magari comes into his life. Though he begins to care for this human girl, there is something he wants more. He wants the Grimoire.

Welcome to Ourea, where only the cunning survive.

—————-

Novels in the Grimoire Saga:

Lichgates (#1)

Treason (#2)

Heritage (#3) – Available Fall 2013

Illusion (#4) – Available Fall 2014

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre – Fantasy

Rating – PG13

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Sebastiana Randone's Cast of Distinctive Characters @sebasti29567440 #Fantasy #Romance

When first conceiving my characters for The House, I took myself back to the many fairy tales I had read as a child, and channelled some of the creatures and folk prevalent in those classic stories. By thinking of them as archetypes, I created a beastly and dipsomaniacal Lord, an analogy to the predatory wolf, a sensitive Lady powerless to find her true calling, an essence of the damsel in distress, and a troupe of personages that one never reads about in novels written during the (regency) era my book presides in. Such as is the diverse cast that inhabit my book; transvestites, homosexuals, rent boys, courtesans, poets, and of course a time traveller, to name some of this disparate ensemble.

Menacing gargoyles, half man/beast manifestations, another borrowing from the classics, clasp the walls of the house, while in  contrast, and most unexpectedly, the interior is adorned by cherubim, goddesses and friendly hard to define souls, whose animated amiable eyes follow in sympathy. Upon the face of it, the beasts ‘guarding’ the ramshackle house symbolise unknown and potentially perilous encounters within. The accidental visitor is left with very little choice for shelter however, for the forest whilst enchanting, has an impending darkness that only wolves and predators revel in.

With a narrative that takes the reader into the Georgian and Regency periods, I purposely created players that I had never met in the books of Jane Austen, nor of those of her contemporaries.  While the dramatis personae in ‘The House’ have walked the well trodden path of humanity, social mores of periods past would most certainly not have approved.  This was the distinction I enjoyed exploring. Despite the fact that I worked diligently to give them a voice that belonged to that particular era, the aspiration was to write a story that portrayed a familiar humanity. I have been a passionate reader of classic novels for a long while, and the stories that engage me most profoundly are those that present a psychologically complex society. Regardless of the departure from reality that this fantasy novel affords, my aim was to fashion recognisable characters that have travelled throughout time.

The House is an adult fairy tale rich in mystery and intrigue.

Here is a tale of a woman so absorbed with historical novels that her own reality ceases to offer any hope of romance and beauty.

Until one day this dreamy idealist finds herself in a mysterious forest. How she arrived there is unknown. Soon she encounters a dilapidated house, within whose ancient walls magical rooms that transport to parallel worlds lie in wait.  There she is transmigrated to 18th century England, where our heroine interacts with an odd mix of characters whose dysfunctional lives become immediately apparent.

Her first tribulation involves a nefarious lord, an archetype of the monstrous characters one encounters in fairy tales. The ramification from this confrontation sets the tone for the narrative.

A magic portal finally enables escape from the austere Georgian dwelling. She is then spirited back to the enigmatic house, and a journey to Regency London follows, where a large cast of eccentric identities present themselves.

Late one night, following a long stay in Florence, a young, heart-broken poet arrives. His introduction to the beautiful time traveller offers promise of restoration and love. But there are several more obstacles ahead before her destiny in this curious adventure is made apparent.

In the end an unexpected twist is revealed. But like all good fairy tales, this surprising conclusion is pleasing, even though the means of getting there are dark, and at times sinister.

Buy Now @ Amazon & Createspace

Genre - Historical, Fantasy, Romance

Rating - PG-16

More details about the author

Connect with Sebastiana Randone on Facebook & Twitter

Along The Watchtower by David Litwack @davidlitwack #Excerpt #Fantasy #MustRead

Excerpt - "Becky"

On the ground floor, the center of the hospital opened into a small courtyard, an insecure space with too many places for insurgents to hide. I took a quick breath and tensed.

“Wait up, Ralph.”

“It’s okay, Freddie. You’re safe here.”

“Give me a minute. It’s my first time out.”

I surveyed the perimeter. A few benches. A flower garden dominated by hydrangeas, but not like the softball-sized blossoms my mom used to grow. These were small and paler than the Cape Cod variety, which were a blue that could compete with the sky.

At once, I could see my mom, hands buried in the hydrangeas, grooming her flowers—one of the few memories I could bear to recall. Me and my brothers in the driveway shooting hoops. Mom telling us to keep the ball out of her garden. She was happy then, surrounded by her family, her garden, and the ocean.

I looked past the hydrangeas to find purple asters and some lilies too. But no roses. For some reason, I’d been hoping for roses.

Despite the nice day, the courtyard was deserted, except for a woman about my age who sat on a wooden bench, finishing up a brown-bag lunch. Her eyes were closed and her head tipped back to take in the sun, making her appear to be dreaming. Sitting alone on the bench, her face seemed framed by flowers.

When she heard us coming, she sat up, straightened her scrubs, and smiled.

“Hey, Ralph. What do you have there? Another victim for me?”

“Becky,” Ralph said. “What’s up? This is Freddie, Lt. Williams, our newest patient. We’re trying to bring him back from the dead. Freddie, meet Becky Marshall, one of our physical therapists.”

I nodded a greeting to her, not much in the mood for small talk. She tilted her head to one side as if evaluating me. Then she gave me the kind of look that said we’d met before, if not in this world than in another, and that she intended to make a difference in my life.

“Is he ready for me?”

“Soon. If he’s assigned to you.”

My attention was drawn to a soda can on the bench next to her. I’d seen too many IEDs in soda cans.

She caught me fixating on it and grinned.

“Just my diet Pepsi, Freddie. See?”

She chugged what was left and tossed the can into a nearby trash basket. Then she crumpled the bag into a ball and to show off, stepped off exactly five paces and shot the bag into the basket in a perfect arc.

“Nice shot,” I said.

“I make that shot every time.”

“Yeah, right.”

She came close enough that our knees were almost touching and hovered over me, sizing me up.

“You’ll be mine,” she said finally. “I can tell. I get all the hard cases.”

As she walked away, light on her feet like a dancer, I fumbled for the wheel of the chair, trying to spin it around so I could watch her go. But Ralph had set the brake.

WINNER: Readers' Favorite Book 2013 

Bronze Award Winner, Drama Category -Fiction

A Tragic Warrior Lost in Two Worlds...

The war in Iraq ended for Lieutenant Freddie Williams when an IED explosion left his mind and body shattered. Once he was a skilled gamer and expert in virtual warfare. Now he's a broken warrior, emerging from a medically induced coma to discover he's inhabiting two separate realities. The first is his waking world of pain, family trials, and remorse--and slow rehabilitation through the tender care of Becky, his physical therapist. The second is a dark fantasy realm of quests, demons, and magic that Freddie enters when he sleeps.

In his dreams he is Frederick, Prince of Stormwind, who must make sense of his horrific visions in order to save his embattled kingdom from the monstrous Horde. His only solace awaits him in the royal gardens, where the gentle words of the beautiful gardener, Rebecca, calm the storms in his soul. While in the conscious world, the severely wounded vet faces a strangely similar and equally perilous mission--a journey along a dark road haunted by demons of guilt and memory--and letting patient, loving Becky into his damaged and shuttered heart may be his only way back from Hell.

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Genre – Contemporary Fiction, Fantasy

Rating – PG

More details about the author

Connect with David Litwack on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.davidlitwack.com

The Soul of the World (Legends of Amun Ra #2) by Joshua Silverman @jg_silverman #scifi

Kem dives to the ground in desperation, covering his head and neck from the rocks raining down. I didn’t see that coming. I thought I was quiet, he thinks.

The announcement of Cadmus’ elimination booms over the intercom. Well, at least I don’t have to worry about a vengeful brother.

The dust and debris settle from the crumbled wall. Find Kesi. Kem trots towards the end of the path. Before he gets there, he sees a shadow along the wall.

Dio turns the corner and spots him. She’s already throwing blue spheres before he knows what happened.

Kem hits the floor hard, dodging the first two. Dio hurls more at him.

His heart beats like a jackhammer in his chest. He is covered in dirt and sand. Kem swerves left, then right, ducking from a shot aimed at his head. He looks back at Dio, who walks with determination, shooting at him. Will she not let up a little? Got to slow her down.

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Genre – Science fiction, Fantasy

Rating – PG-13+

More details about the author and the book

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Website www.legendsofamunra.com; www.joshuagsilverman.com

#Author R.J. Blain On Her Writing Habits @rj_blain #amwriting #amreading

Tell us about your new book? What’s it about and why did you write it?

Storm Without End is the story of Kalen. Kalen is the short, crippled king of a place best known for its hostile terrain and equally harsh people. Someone out in the world wants to see the current peace between the kingdoms fail, and will do anything to make it happen, including using horrific beasts known as the skreed. It falls to Kalen, Breton, and the other Rifters to somehow put an end to a war that hasn’t officially started yet.

Whether or not they succeed will be seen…

I wrote this book because I was a little tired of the standard cultural fare in epic fantasies. I wanted to pursue how the relationships between a bunch of different cultures and people would work. Every culture I created for this series focuses on a different element of human nature, which resulted in some interesting cultural quirks and characteristics.

This fantasy let me pursue how people behave, and that’s one thing I really love writing about.

If you could have a dinner party and invite anyone dead or alive, who would you ask?

I’d have a dinner party for two, with my father and me. He died before I was published, and he always helped support my reading (and writing habits) when I was a teenager, not minding when I ‘forgot’ most of my clothes and had to buy me new stuff so I could fill my duffle bags with books and writing journals.

But mostly, I’d hope we could just talk. It’s been a while.

When you are not writing, how do you like to relax?

I spend most of my ‘free’ time writing, but I do like to read books and try to learn how to crochet. I’m not very good at crocheting, but I have the reading books thing down to a science. Open book, read!

Real answer: I play Everquest, an old-school MMO. My character is a rogue. I run around all sneakysneaky, and then I get behind my target, and with a delighted squeal, stabbystabby my foes!

I also have a tendency to, in a sing-song voice, say, “Yay!!!” when we when events while raiding big bad ugly monsters. Occasionally, my husband will talk with people in a voice chat, and they will hear me go “Yay!!”

That’s about when 53 people start giggling at me. (My husband included.)

How often do you write? And when do you write?

Almost every day. When I’m actively drafting a novel, I’m usually writing 2,000-5,000 words (by hand) per day. If I have an editorial job or deadlines for a client, I try to write a minimum of 228 words per day. That’s my average word count for a single moleskine page, after transcription.

I write whenever I have the time to write. It isn’t uncommon for my journals to walk around the house so I can get to the writing whenever I have a few free moments.

Have you met any people in the industry who have really helped you?

A few years ago, I went to a very small Sci-Fi and Fantasy convention in Montreal. Tad Williams and Deborah Beale were present. I was on two or three panels with Deborah, so we got to know each other a bit. On the last day of the convention, between panels Deborah and I were both on, we went to a bar across the street. Tad joined us.

I learned a lot, and we had a lot of fun just talking. That made me decide, one way or another, I was going to really go through with sharing my novels with the world. Deborah was a huge help in teaching me a bunch of my flaws. Most importantly, she gave me really good advice on how to correct those flaws and turn them into strengths.

I don’t think I could have gotten this far without their help.

What do you hope people will take away from your writing? How will your words make them feel?

I really hope people will just enjoy the story, and get swept up in a world outside of our own – and have fun with it. Mostly, I just want to entertain people in the only way I know how.

If I could, I’d like my stories to encourage others to try to tell stories of their own, and think of new places that only exist in the imagination.

What’s your favorite meal?

Turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, and stuffing and gravy. With a side dish of gravy. I really love gravy. We celebrate turkey dinner in our household several times a year legitimately (Christmas, American Thanksgiving, and Canadian Thanksgiving) and whenever turkeys are on sale.

We really like turkey. I like it more than others, though…

What color represents your personality the most?

Red and yellow. Yes, two colors. They both are warm, energetic colors, and that’s how I am. We may as well throw orange in there for the same reasons. The entire warm-color spectrum suits me.

What movie do you love to watch?

Indiana Jones & the Raiders of the Lost Arc, Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade, Star Wars (a New Hope), Lord of the Rings, and the Hobbit.

No, I will not pick just one! I love them all equally! I can’t do it, I just can’t pick one of them! (Though if I had to pick a fandom, I’d go with Indiana Jones. He represents all of the things I wish I could be some days, and inspires some of the things I actually write about.)

How do you feel about social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter? Are they a good thing?

Like a lot of other things, I think social media sites can be good and bad. It all depends on how they are used and how much time is wasted on them. I use google+ as a way to spend a few minutes here and there when I need a break from other things, and it’s a great way to connect with fans and other like-minded individuals. The games on facebook are just a major time sink, and I think they should be avoided if you want to seriously get anything done. However, these platforms do provide an interesting way to reach out to fans, and I think every writer should at least have some sort of presence on them.

How do you think people perceive writers?

That’s an interesting question. Some people perceive writers as lazy. I’ve met others who perceive me as someone who works way too hard and needs to lay back and do more fun things in my life. I’ve met those who are somewhere in the middle.

Most, however, think I’m a little crazy, because I live in my made up world. Then they realize I make money doing this. I think those folks don’t know what to make of it, really. I’m okay with that, though.

What’s your next project?

I have several projects in the works right now. First, I have Storm Without End’s sequel partially written. I’m about a fifth of the way through it. I also have the second novel of my other series in the works. On the side, I’m working on two fantasy standalone stories. One is a little steampunkish in nature. The other is a thriller Urban / Paranormal fantasy. 2014 is going to be a really busy year for me!

How do you feel about self-publishing?

As someone who is working with self-publishers every day, and have done both venues, I’m a fan of it. It isn’t the style of publication that is important: It is the amount of work, dedication, and attention to quality that really matters.

More self-publishers are getting really serious about writing, editing, and making their novels stand out. It’s a multi-player game now, and at the end of the day, there is very little separating a traditionally-published author and a self-published author if they are both professionals.

Self-publishing, I fear, will forever be plagued with those who aren’t ready to be professionals yet. But at the same time, I do feel that there is a lot of room on the market for everyone. I let the covers and blurbs determine which authors I’ll check the samples of nowadays, and then I let the samples decide for me. Self-publishing has a lot of potential, so long as authors try to write like they’re traditional professionals.

Do you know your neighbors?

I know one of them. They’re really interesting. For context, I live in Montreal, Quebec. It’s a very multi-cultural region. It’s a flip of a coin if I speak the language of my neighbors. I’m pretty certain the people on one side of me speak French and English. We have a big hedge separating our driveways, so we don’t have a lot in the way of random encounters. On the other side, however, the neighbors are tri-lingual: Greek, French, and English. We both have pools, so we have powwows to talk about how much we hate the cotton fluff trees.

It’s hard understanding them, but I learn a lot about different cultures every time we run into each other and have a chat.

I’d like to get to know the other neighbors, but I’m a bit shy like that.

When you get free time on the internet or you go to the library – what do you want to read about?

There are three things I’m likely to do at a library. Option one: Write. It’s quiet, and no one is going to bother me, and there is something wonderful about writing when surrounded by books. Option Two: I will randomly go into the reference section and pick a random book and start to randomly read a section of it. I’ll do this for 20-30 minutes, go put the book back, and get another one.

Option Three: I’ll go find some fantasy or science fiction novel I haven’t read before, read it and put it back.

Or check it out if I haven’t finished it before I leave the library.

On the internet, well, that’s a different story. I’ll go to Wikipedia and explore things, do research, or be very, very bored. When I get bored, I grab a journal and start writing, or I’ll socialize on google+, twitter, or facebook.

It’s gotten easier and easier to get away from the internet, ironically.

Do you find the time to read?

I try to make at least 15-30 minutes a day to read a fiction book. I read quite fast, so this 15-30 minutes often means I can finish a book in a week, sometimes two weeks. Once I’m done reading my fiction, I’ll write a review on it. Sometimes I post them to my blog and amazon/goodreads, sometimes I don’t. Next year, I want to review two books a month. It should be a fun challenge!

On the research front, I probably spend an hour a day just reading non-fiction. I really think non-fiction is important for every writer to spend time reading about daily, in order to build a good knowledge base. This knowledge base helps prevent plot holes, and gives a novel a more realistic feel.

Last book you purchased? Tell us about it.

The Dresden Files. Almost the entire series. Missing one or two books, I think. I’m not going to get started on it. It’d be bad. I’ll just say, “Me love you long time, Harry Dresden.”

Though, I got a copy of We Will Destroy Your Planet by David McIntee – it’s hilarious, and I really recommend it for anyone who has the urge to conquer a planet.

What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?

“`Do you know, I always thought Unicorns were fabulous monsters, too! I never saw one alive before!'

`Well, now that we have seen each other,' said the Unicorn, `if you'll believe in me, I'll believe in you. Is that a bargain?'”

Through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll

This really has always struck a chord with me. It speaks a lot about the manner of friendships in general. I think that if everyone took a few moments and looked at the person they’re talking to, believe in their existence, and get the same back in return, the world would be a far better place.

Everyone, I think, wants someone to believe in them.

Kalen’s throne is his saddle, his crown is the dirt on his brow, and his right to rule is sealed in the blood that stains his hand. Few know the truth about the one-armed Rift King, and he prefers it that way. When people get too close to him, they either betray him or die. The Rift he rules cares nothing for the weak. More often than not, even the strong fail to survive.

When he’s abducted, his disappearance threatens to destroy his home, his people, and start a hopeless and bloody war. There are many who desire his death, and few who hope for his survival. With peace in the Six Kingdoms quickly crumbling, it falls on him to try to stop the conflict swiftly taking the entire continent by storm.

But something even more terrifying than the machinations of men has returned to the lands: The skreed. They haven’t been seen for a thousand years, and even the true power of the Rift King might not be enough to save his people — and the world — from destruction.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre - Fantasy

Rating – PG - 13

More details about the author

Connect with RJ Blain on Facebook and Twitter

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