…I had a guest post up on the Avid Reader Blog today! I’d have posted about it earlier, but Wi-Fi was not my friend today.
Anyway, if you love all things books, check out Fantasy Angel’s many and varied posts. And if you like my poetry, you can check out my post about what I wanted to write and why I didn’t do it right here.
Okay, now I’m going to go pass out. Nighty-night! 🙂
(c) 2014. All rights reserved.
Well, two more, actually. First up, I’d like to recommend The Showing by Will Macmillan Jones. In a departure from his usually comedic genius, he’s put together “a gripping, scary read” and, having read some of his flash fiction pieces in 416, I can vouch for his ability to scare. 🙂
So, what’s The Showing all about? Well…
It was a house Mister Jones knew too well, his family’s house.
Here it was, again for sale and he could not resist being shown around.
But his visit has roused that which was sleeping – how many will die before it can be laid to rest?If you knew how much of this story is true, would you want to sleep with your light on tonight?
Now if that doesn’t stir your interest, I don’t know what will. Oh, maybe this excerpt from Will’s website will do the trick:
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! Yes, even today, I’ve got a book recommendation for you. This one is currently free on Amazon, but only for one more day. Luckily, I’ve got the scoop on Cedric the Demonic Knight by Valerie Willis right here:
Known for hunting the supernatural, no mortal man realizes Lord Cedric is one of Sorceress Morrighan’s abominations. After competing in a tournament, he is wed to a Lady of the Court, Angeline. Cedric’s senses begin to overwhelm him and he struggles to decipher his feelings; Are they a creation of his incubine bloodline or truly heartfelt emotions for the girl who has lost it all to him? He finds himself forced to choose between falling in love or continuing his suicidal quest to kill his creator. Epic battles against all manners of beasts and demons fill this story with memorable antagonists such as Morrighan and her two sisters; Romasanta the Father of Werewolves; Succubus Queen Lillith and many more. Find yourself engulfed in lores and history long forgotten from the 12th Century and beyond.
And here’s a handy dandy excerpt, because…Well…Because why not?
…Better Than Perfect by the incomparable Tricia Drammeh. Tricia has a whole host of novels available, and you should all go and read every last one of them, then pay her to write more.
Also? Tricia is one of the nicest people you will ever meet, so, you know – help a girl out.
Anyway.
What’s Better Than Perfect all about? Behold, ze blurb:
Twenty-three-year-old Karlie is in the type of rut some people never escape from. With few friends, no boyfriend, and no plans to graduate from college any time in the immediate future, Karlie is as stuck in her ways as the elderly neighbor she spends all her time with.
When her world is invaded by two surly twins bound for criminal court, a too-good-to-be-true love interest, and a cute cop who keeps showing up at the most inopportune moments, Karlie can either fight against the changes in her life, or embrace them.
Sounds great, don’t you think? I checked out the first little bit on Amazon and found myself relating to Karlie almost immediately. If you want to know what I mean, then check this out:
Today’s featured book is Shades of Gray, the first book in Joleene Naylor’s Amaranthine series. Nothing is black and white, not even vampires, and when Patrick is found dead in his apartment, Katelina is left in a vacuum of uncertainty with no leads. Then the enigmatic Jorick appears. In a single sweep he turns over the rocks of reality to reveal what hides underneath in the shadows; monsters that she thought only existed in horror movies.
Trapped in a nightmare, Katelina is forced to accept the truth of vampires; vampires who want her dead for her association with Patrick. Jorick saves the day, but what should she do when her hero turns out to be one of the monsters? Can she really trust – and even love – someone who isn’t human?
Caught between light and dark, Katelina and Jorick must travel down a path of mystery and terror as their pasts are slowly revealed and their passions ignite, in a world that smells like blood and tastes like fear.
Look for the action-packed sequel, Legacy of Ghosts!
So, what are people saying about Shades of Gray? Well, Sharon Stogner, a reviewer for I Smell Sheep, says, “It is a different look at what it would be like to be in love with a vampire. More realistic.” But if you’d like to see for yourself, then you’re in luck because once again, I’ve got an excerpt to share…behind the cut!
Then step right up, because all this week I’m going to be showcasing some fantastic books. First up is Donna Yates’s book, The Lone Hero. Escape to another world for the holidays where dragons rule and meet:
War has begun on Aberforth, the home-world of the dragons. The eternal being Einarr accepts his first mortal mission – to put an end to the warring but it will take most of his lifetime to try. In order for Einarr to have more strength than any other human, the dragon leader Zavat infuses him with some of his own strength and qualities.
Intrigued? I know I am! But in case that didn’t whet your appetite…
I finally got around to revising my first page, as posted here for Michelle Hauck’s first page critique blog hop. It’s taken a lot of time, a lot of thought, and a lot of quiet to get something figured out, but I think it’s good. It’s longer, but less wordy, and hopefully, more showy and less telly. Either way, it wouldn’t be what it is without your input, so thank you very much!
I’ve posted the revision at the top of the original post (clearly marked so you know what’s what), and would love some comments on the revision as well. Because, you know, we writers are nothing if not insecure. But on the off chance that you don’t feel like digging back through ten days of blog posts, I’ve also posted it for your reading pleasure below.
***
“Please, your Highness, have mercy. I beg you.”
“I would very much like to, sir,” Prince Vegin said.
The lovely and talented Michelle Hauck is running a blog hop to critique first pages and I am super excited to be taking part! If you’d like to join in the fun, here’s the post with all the details. Methinks the first page of The Price of Mercy could use a bit of help, but I’m not entirely sure where, so if you’ve got ideas on what would take it from blah to AMAZING, please, drop ’em in the comments below!
***
Revision (The revised version is a bit longer than 250 words (think ~280), but I wanted to include everything I covered in the original entry, so you get an extra thirty words of fun). 🙂
Adult Fantasy
“Please, your Highness, have mercy. I beg you.”
“I would very much like to, sir,” Prince Vegin said. Light filtered into the gallery through twin rows of stained glass windows, exaggerating the poor farmer’s haggard appearance. “I sympathize with you, but drought or no, you’ve still got taxes to pay. I cannot simply let you go.”
“Your Highness, I’ll do anything – anything at all – only let me go back to my family.” Dirty tears carved grooves through the layers of grime on his face, but hope shone in his eyes.
Before Vegin could reply, the chamber’s heavy wooden door burst open. The prince flinched as his father stalked into the room, the queen trailing behind him. King Tol’s gaze swept the room as the court fell to its knees. The guards scattered about the room stood a little straighter, not wanting to provoke the king’s famous temper. The peasant trembled before him, suddenly afraid for his life. The prince groaned inwardly – he hated fighting with his father, especially in public.
“Vegin!” Tol’s voice boomed through the chamber. “If you’re not going to sentence this man, I’ll be more than happy to do it for you.”
Alas, poor pencil, you’ve served me well:
I’ve had this pencil for at least a decade (perhaps slightly longer). I’ve written more stories with it than I can count, and a fair few books, too. Sadly, it cannot be replaced – while they still make this particular model, the grip is no longer smooth, but patterned, and it irritates my fingers after a while. Luckily, I’ve got a backup, but one day it, too, will go the way of its brother, and then I’ll be forced to replace it with the patterned grip pencil that I don’t like.
Of course, the patterned grip is still better than the dozens of other mechanical pencil styles available.
Rest in peace, oh pencil mine. You’ve earned it.
(c) 2014. All rights reserved.
I had the day off work today, so I took advantage of the free time and got some writing done.
Like, a lot of writing. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,000 words, if I’m not mistaken.
This excites me greatly because I’m not always able to get a lot of writing done on my days off and also because I managed to get a bunch of other things (cooking, a load of laundry, a bit of light cleaning) done today as well. Must be my long-lost time management skills trying to reassert themselves. 🙂
I hope today was as wonderful and productive for you as it was for me! How did you spend your day?
Suddenly they all died. The end. 