Category: Books

Review time!

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sotmOver the weekend, I read the latest from Mark R. Hunter, Slightly Off the Mark: The Unpublished Columns.  With columns on everything from politics to the weather (one of my own favorite topics), this book was chock full o’ laughs.  I was crying with laughter within minutes of opening this book, and I elicited strange looks from my family as I continued reading.

At 190 pages, it was a quick read, and I finished it within a day.  I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately, and this was just what I needed to cheer me up.  So if you haven’t checked it out yet, I highly recommend it.

Go on.  You know you want to. 🙂

Mark R. Hunter is an author, firefighter, humorist, dad, and self-proclaimed home maintenance failure from northeast Indiana. His weekly humor column “Slightly off the Mark” appeared in three newspapers for over twenty years, which is coincidentally the age of his first grey hair, before being unceremoniously cut short in 2014. This volume collects his previously unpublished and “leftover”columns.

(c) 2015.  All rights reserved.

A ripple of noise

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TS2 War 2-2The firing had become more general, and without warning the mortars started up.  They were pulverizing the wood, raining down so fast that the scream of one merged into the scream of the next, each explosion merely part of a ripple of noise.  -War 2.2

I’ve just finished reading War 2.2 by Jim Webster, and…wow.  It’s been a while since I’ve had a book hangover like this.  I’ve been spending my evenings in various parts of Tsarina for a good month now, and I’m a little sad to have finished my time there, to be honest.

I started with Justice 4.1.  It was an excellent book, with plenty of twists and turns, and a fair bit of action as well.  By the time I finished the book, I was thirsty for more.

justiceWar 2.2 definitely delivered on that front.  Of course, with a war going on, I’d expect nothing less.  I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t more connection between the two books, but they were both very well done (and now I’m hoping for a third book).  If I didn’t have a reading list constantly clamoring for attention, I’d be tempted to start War 2.2 over again right away. 🙂

You can pick up your own copies of Justice 4.1 and War 2.2 on Amazon and Amazon UK.  I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I did. 🙂

(c) 2015.  All rights reserved.

I’m a guest!

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Chris Graham, aka the Story Reading Ape, was kind enough to feature me on his blog today, where I talk a little bit about my writing goals.  I hope you’ll stop by and check it out, and don’t forget to check out some of the other things he’s got posted!  His site is a virtual treasure trove for writers. 🙂

(c) 2015.  All rights reserved.

Getting to know Vatren Martoka

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Back in January, my friend and fellow author, Sam Dogra, tagged me in a character development challenge.  I started working on my answers before her post went live, but it’s taken me till now to finally finish them.  I’ve spent ten years getting to know this character, yet there were things I didn’t know about him till I filled out this questionnaire.  It was quite a lot of fun, and I’m thinking about turning this into a series of posts about each of my main characters.

I’ve done this as an interview.  I hope you enjoy learning about Vatren as much as I did! 🙂

Vatren Artwork by Hazel Butler

Vatren
Artwork by Hazel Butler

What position do you sleep in? ( i.e; stomach, side, back, etc.) Why?

I sleep on my back, propped up a bit so that I appear awake from a distance.  I used to sleep flat on my back, but these are dangerous times.

Do you have any noteworthy features? Freckles? Dimples? A scar somewhere unusual?

I’m afraid not.  I’m perfectly ordinary, except for the prince bit.

Do you have an accent? What does it sound like?

An accent?  Of course not.  I speak normally.  Well, as normally as any other noble Lokani citizen.  Accents belong to the poor and uneducated.  But not to me.

Do you have any verbal tics? Do you have trouble pronouncing certain words or getting your thoughts across clearly?

Verbal what?  Well…

Getting acquainted with Harriet Goodchild

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I know I’ve mentioned that I love being part of the writing community and helping out fellow authors before, but I have to say it again: The writing community rocks.  It rocks so hard.  Know why?

This is why:

If you haven’t heard of Harriet Goodchild yet, you should have.  And you’re in luck!  Because today, she’s going to chat with me about writing, fantasy, and her latest book, After the Ruin.

KK: Hi, Harriet.  Tell us about yourself.

HG: I live in Edinburgh now but I was born in the west of Scotland and go back there whenever I can. Lest that sound a narrow life, I’ll say I’ve lived in a few other places as well, including the United States and Australia, and spent twelve years in Oxford. Life in Oxford is rather like living in a fantasy novel: pretty soon you start meeting seneschals or quaffing from an aurochs horn after dinner.

I share my flat with two pets: a Bengal cat called Talisker and a very large goldfish called, imaginatively, Big Fish. Big Fish is outgrowing her third tank and soon I’m going to have to find a safe pond in which to rehome her. Until then, Talisker enjoys sitting nearby her tank to keep her company. Or at least I think that’s her reason. Never assume nefarious intent, even in cats!

KK: Have you always written?

HG: In my teens I wrote a lot. Short stories and poetry, mostly, and a novel that rambled on and on through several college notebooks, acquiring characters along the way. It wasn’t good – and I hope it never surfaces – but I enjoyed writing it hugely and that’s all that matters. Some of the ideas in those stories, in fact, laid the groundwork for all that I’ve written since, although I think my writing has improved since my teenage years. After that, reading a lot and writing a bit was enough, although I published some non-fiction along the way. Then, about five years ago…

It’s a sale!

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TD-SWASFAS-EcoverHey, everybody! It’s a beautiful Thursday afternoon and I woke up to some amazing news this morning, so I’ve decided to put my books on sale. From now until April 1, 2015, you can pick up Tuesday Daydreams and A Song for All Seasons for just $1.99! Find them on Smashwords and enter coupon code WN73K for Tuesday Daydreams or coupon code JR38E for A Song for All Seasons.

Enjoy, and have a great day! 🙂

(c) 2015.  All rights reserved.

After the Fall cover reveal!

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After the Fall Ebook CoverToday I’m happy to share in the cover reveal festivities for Abby Cavenaugh’s newest book, After the Fall!  A follow-up to her debut, Going Home Again, this book follows Tina as she adjusts to life after divorce:

It’s been six months since her high-profile divorce, and Tina is desperate to get her life in order beyond the spotlight of her ex-husband, pop singer Michael Day. But when she meets a sexy bartender who happens to be ten years her junior, Tina’s first fling after her divorce might become something more. Tina can’t resist Josh’s charms, but she needs something more in her life than another wannabe singer. Tina wants to focus on herself, to finally find a place in the world that didn’t come from marrying a celebrity. If Tina ends her fling and focuses on a career, she might lose her heart in the process. However, her second chance at love might also be her first chance to live.

After the Fall will be published by Swoon Romance this May.

Abby CavenaughAbby Cavenaugh is a writer of romantic women’s fiction for Swoon Romance, with her debut novel, GOING HOME AGAIN, out now. She is also currently seeking representation for her YA paranormal manuscript, DEAD TALKER. She lives in North Carolina with her twin sister, Amy, also a writer, her niece, Adeline, and their cat, Gus. She loves chocolate, Diet Coke, the beach, New Kids on the Block, and most of all, writing.

You can connect with Abby on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

(c) 2015.  All rights reserved.

Award season continues…again!

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liebsterYes, it’s another award post.  Apparently, ’tis the season.  This time, I’ve been nominated for the Liebster Award by Fantasy Angel of the Avid Reader Blog.  I get to answer eleven questions about myself before asking eleven more of my nominees.  Fun, huh?

I’ve been nominated for this one once before, and if you care to read my answers from a couple years ago, you can find that post here.

Now then, let’s begin:

Which fictional character are you most like?

I think I’m a lot like Hermione Granger.  We’re both bookish, and I always feel like I don’t quite fit in, which Hermione definitely didn’t at the start of the series.

Also?

A Song for All Seasons now available!

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ASFAS-EcoverI’m pleased, excited, and every other happy word you can think of to announce that my new poetry book, A Song for All Seasons, is now available!  You can find it on Smashwords, Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Createspace, and more!

TD-SWI’m also stoked to announce that the print copy of Tuesday Daydreams is now available at a new lower price.  Both the e-book and print copies now have a shiny new cover, and you can find them wherever fine books are sold (read: all the above)!

Aren’t Fridays just the best? 🙂

(c) 2015.  All rights reserved.

War!

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Well, I’m feeling rather terrible at the moment.  A couple of weeks ago, the lovely Jim Webster asked me to join in a blog tour for the release of his new book, and I happily agreed to it.  But then life happened, and the post I meant to share on Sunday (or Monday) didn’t go up…

*sigh*

I hate messing up.

TS2 War 2-2So here’s that post, with my profound apologies for not sharing it sooner.

An action packed investigation, from Delta mud to the palaces of Merchant princes, Haldar is back in War 2.2

Haldar Drom is starting to worry. The long running insurgency in the Zala Delta suddenly starts to spiral further out of control. Who is arming the insurgents? How and why? Then a leading local politician who is using his influence to try and keep things calm is threatened with assassination. It’s obvious that things are moving to a climax.

All Haldar has immediately available is a third year university student who gets given a dissertation project she’ll never forget; young journalist who he convinces to investigate the situation of the ground; and a retired marine librarian whose job is to keep the politician alive. As the investigation proceeds, from the mud of the Delta to the luxurious surroundings of the Drake Islands, Haldar comes to realise that he may be facing Wayland Strang’s counter-attack. Faced with a coup d’état spearheaded by off-world mercenaries Haldar has to react quickly to stop a major war.

Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?  Wanna sneak a peek?   Then read on!