Tag: Fiction

Grudging: Birth of Saints

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On Thursday, a brand new novel had a fantastic cover reveal, and I signed up with Rockstar Book Tours to help spread the word.  But Thursday was a rough day, and Friday was no better, and yesterday was just wild.  So today, I’m stealing five minutes to tell you about a new book from Michelle Hauck called Grudging:

GrudgingA world of chivalry and witchcraft…and the invaders who would destroy everything.

The North has invaded, bringing a cruel religion and no mercy. The ciudades-estados who have stood in their way have been razed to nothing, and now the horde is before the gates of Colina Hermosa…demanding blood.

On a mission of desperation, a small group escapes the besieged city in search of the one thing that might stem the tide of Northerners: the witches of the southern swamps.

The Women of the Song.

But when tragedy strikes their negotiations, all that is left is a…

Baby, when the lights go out…

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WTLGOThe Ink Slingers League is proud to present another anthology for your reading pleasure, and it’s just in time for Halloween!  A collection of twenty-five short stories from authors such as Tricia Drammeh, Joleene Naylor, Roger Lawrence, and DM Yates, When the Lights Go Out is chock full of thrills, chills, and mysteries.  And best of all, it’s free!

You can get your copy today at Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks, and Amazon.

(c) 2015.  All rights reserved.

Release day!

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Promo_Banner_AWB_Anthology

That’s right, my lovelies, it’s release day at long last!  Starting today, you can get A World of Their Own to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part.

AWB-AWOTOOddly enough, those last two bits have had a profound impact on the making of this book.  A World of Their Own is dedicated to great friend, fabulous author, and beating dragon heart of the Alliance of Worldbuilders, Lindsey J. Parsons, who died unexpectedly in January 2014.  All proceeds from this book will be donated to the World Literacy Fund.

So go on, buy a copy for yourself, your friends, your family, even that baby down the street.  Literacy is not just a privilege – it’s a right.

“A home without books is a body without a soul.”  –Marcus Tullius Cicero

Pick up your copy today, available in paperback (Amazon and Amazon UK) and e-book (here and here), and have a great weekend! 🙂

(c) 2015.  All rights reserved.

A bloody review

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Today’s review is brought to you by the fine folks at Glass House Press and the letter S.

Why the letter S? Because you can’t have serpents in the Thames without it! 😀

Hold on, I hear you saying. Serpents? In the Thames? What on Earth are you talking about?

Very well, then, I’ll tell you: behind the cut!

Can you believe it?

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It’s been almost a whole week since my last post!  Hard to believe the week is almost over already.

Today, to make up for my absence, I’d like to share the first couple lines of my current WIP (no, not from The Lokana Chronicles), a short story I’m working on for the upcoming Ink Slingers League’s next anthology.

It’s a ghost story, but I don’t have a title for it yet.  Heck, I don’t even have an ending for the story yet, or even a middle, which means I’ve got my work cut out for me to get it into shape by the submission deadline.  But this idea’s been rattling around in my head all summer, and I’m really starting to get excited about it.

It’s the stuff of urban legends (and Saturday morning cartoons): a long-lost relative has died, leaving you part of her fortune.  But there’s a catch.

There’s always a catch.

Very, very, VERY loosely based on something that actually happened to me, I love this story idea.  I used to read all the ghost stories I could get my hands on as a kid, but I haven’t really written very many of them.  This is going to be a fun challenge.

So, tell me – what do you think of my opening?  And what kinds of books did you love as a kid?

Have a great weekend, folks!

(c) 2015.  All rights reserved.

It’s almost here!

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Promo_Banner_AWB_Anthology

That’s right, the release of A World of Their Own is fast approaching!  After years of writing and editing and planning and editing and arting and editing one more time, I’m proud to announce that the Alliance of Worldbuilders has, at long last, chosen a release date for our first anthology.  Available in print and e-versions, you can get your copy on September 4.

This book is chock full of stories set in all kinds of fantastic places and featuring all kinds of creatures.  It’s got angels, dragons, vampires, dwarves, and much, much more.  You won’t want to miss this!

All proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the World Literacy Foundation in honor of our fallen comrade, Lindsey J. Parsons.  She was a fantastic author, archer, artist, and friend, and we miss her dearly.

We’re planning all sorts of fun things for the release, including a Facebook party that you can join now, so stay tuned!

(c) 2015.  All rights reserved.

Next up, it’s Flotsam or Jetsam!

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Flotsam or JetsamAnd now, as promised, I’ve reviewed Flotsam or Jetsam, another book involving Tallis Steelyard and his compatriots:

Benor arrives in Port Naain intent on the simple task of producing a handbook for merchants. Then there is a murder, and a vengeful family who will stop at nothing to silence those who found the body. Suddenly Benor’s life is no longer simple.

I should have read this book first, I think, as it’s quite a good introduction to Tallis Steelyard.  He strikes me as the kind of person who could charm the scales off a snake, or at least the kind of person who thinks he could.  I found him highly entertaining, and very realistic – who among us hasn’t known someone with equal talents?

At any rate, Flotsam or Jetsam was a wonderful introduction to Port Naain and the world Tallis and his lovely wife Shena inhabit.  It’s also a heck of a lot of fun to read; I’d have had it finished in an afternoon, except that my kids seemed to think I should feed them.  It’s short enough to read in one sitting, but long enough to feel like a complete story, and it’s a good thing there are more stories to come from Port Naain and the colorful characters who inhabit that city because I’d love to pay the place another visit.

Check out Flotsam or Jetsam; it’s a wonderful story.  You won’t want to miss it.

(c) 2015.  All rights reserved.

Review time!

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spindle-2000Joining Authonomy was my first step into the wider writing community. I know I’ve raved about the site before, but it really was a fantastic place at the time I was there. (Well, at the time I was active, anyway – I’m still actually there, but I haven’t logged in in ages.) Anyway, as a result of getting to know so many other authors, I’ve been introduced to some truly wonderful friends and some truly magical books.

Spindle, the first book in the Two Monarchies series, is one such book:

On books and writing with W.R. Gingell

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wrgWith me today is W.R. Gingell, author of the fabulously entertaining Spindle.  Read on to find out more about the author, and then stay tuned because tomorrow I’ll be reviewing the book!

KK: Hi there, W.R.!  Please – tell us about yourself.

WRG: I’m a Christian, a Tasmanian, and a lover of anything to do with bacon. I have a rather hobbitish Hubby (and the photos from Hobbiton to prove it!) and one lovely little dog who knows it’s a lost cause to beg food from me but still tries anyway.

I love jigsaw puzzles and knitting, and though I love my violin I do NOT practice as I ought to practice.

The word most often used to describe me when I was growing up was ‘dreamer’, though with my parents, the phrase ‘off with the fairies’ was probably more often used.

KK: I’m the exact same way with my flute.  I love it, but it spends most of its time lying lonely and sad in a cupboard. *sigh*

Anyway…Tell us about Spindle!  What’s it all about?