@TheSMBoyce Judging Books by Covers & Amazon Top 100 #WriteTip #AmWriting #Fantasy

Heyo! I’m S. M. Boyce, author of Lichgates, and I’m here to talk about book covers and why it’s important to have a professional one for your book!

So let’s start with a story.

You’re scrolling through Amazon’s top 100 and something catches your eye. It stands out from all the others–a book with a great cover. You click on the thumbnail to bring up a larger image and then you continue to read the blurb and then, once that stellar book description hooks you, you click “Buy now.”

This story is a common one, especially in our fast-paced world where little holds my attention for longer than a few seconds.

You know the old adage: don’t judge a book by its cover. That’s nice and all, but people do it anyway. The cover—the colors, the text, the image, the artwork as a whole—grabs my attention and makes me pause long enough to look deeper.

Okay, one more story.

Let’s say you’re visiting a friend in a new town and you want to do some clothes shopping. You see a strip mall and park in the lot. As you look at the exterior of the shops, you see one that has a gorgeous sign, bright lights, and a door with “Welcome!” painted on it in green script.

Next to that, you see another shop that has a broken sign, flaky two-year-old stickers on the window glass, and a door with multiple pieces of paper taped to it indicating rules and regulations of the shop.

Which shop would you rather go into?

Even though both shops may have the same exact shirt, or the same pair of jeans, you will most likely find yourself visiting the shop that seems more colorful and professional. In fact, this shop might even have higher prices or it may have lower quality clothing, but it was the one that grabbed your attention. You may hate the shopkeeper and walk out in disgust in five minutes, but its appearance made you give it a chance.

A chance is all an author needs to win over a new fan. That’s why you must have a cover that pulls the reader closer to the blurb and the ultimate buy. It gives you as the author a fighting chance among all those other books in the same genre. A cover is the welcome sign for readers.

So let’s open the floor, shall we? What are some of your favorite covers? Why do you like them?

“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

More details about the author

 Connect with SM Boyce on Facebook & Twitter & Pinterest

A Day in the Life of Author Sue Parritt @OdysseyBooks #AmWriting #AmReading #SannahAndThePilgrim

A day in the life of Sue Parritt

The day begins around 7.15 when my husband, an early riser, brings me a cup of tea in bed and slips back in beside me. I savour each sip; this first cup somehow superior to all those that follow, ponder between brief conversation yesterday’s paragraphs awaiting attention. Out of bed no later than 7.45, lingering, daydreaming or staring into space isn’t an option for this well-organised writer. Breakfast a brief affair: muesli, toast, and another cup of tea. Next item on the agenda is the morning walk along the cliff top. I walk at a reasonable pace for half an hour, one day one direction, next day other direction. Where tangled trees give way to coastal shrubs or grassy banks the view is magnificent and ever-changing. Mirror-smooth or white-capped, I never tire of Port Philip Bay. Then it’s back home to domestic deeds or a quick trip to the shops, cursing long queues in the bank and post office, toddlers running riot in the supermarket, the spiralling cost of household necessities. Like the late Elisabeth Jolley, I can’t settle to writing until these chores have been completed.

Mid-morning I begin the key business of the day, the pursuing of a long-held dream, reward for long years supplying others’needs. In order to focus my mind, particularly if writing a first draft, I return to the previous day’s work, rereading and editing obvious errors. Major edits are generally postponed for the second and subsequent drafts but as a reminder I insert directions such as ‘extend para’ or ‘rewrite whole chapter’ into the text in upper case. When ideas pertinent to a different part of the narrative surface, I scribble them on paper, adding them later to a file of notes on the computer. A cataloguer in my former life, I am meticulous about organising my files in an easily retrievable form. Atypically, my desk is often a mess with pieces of paper scattered around, and by the end of the day, numerous empty teacups, plates and here I confess to a bad habit, crumbs caught in the keyboard!

Writing is a lonely business and occasionally a phone call or knock at the door can be a welcome intrusion (as any writer will attest) when staring at a problem paragraph threatens to cause meltdown or migraine. However, the longer I spend writing, the more I resent intrusions and am considering having a studio built in the garden (no phones, no temptation to run and answer the door) in order to achieve the desired peace and quiet.

Around five or six, depending on whether I’m on a roll or literally stuck for words, I save my document to a USB despite the fact I have a Seagate backup plus drive and venture into the kitchen to prepare the evening meal. Sometimes, in an attempt to ignore my secondary role, I set the oven timer for an hour or so and settle back down in front of the computer. Oh, for a string of servants to perform those boring but essential domestic tasks!

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

Description:

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.

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.

Christopher Mannino on What #Love Means to Him @Ctmannino #AmWriting #AmReading #YA

Have you always enjoyed writing?
I’ve always enjoyed books and reading. In elementary school I wowed my teachers by constantly coming in with more advanced books, reading every spare second of each day. During the summers, I’d sit on my parent’s porch in front of the beaver pond, reading book after book, gorging myself on fiction like it was candy. I’ve also always had an active imagination, and I’ve written in some form, from poetry to diaries, for over twenty years.

What else do you do to make money, other than write? It is rare today for writers to be full time…
My two greatest passions in life are writing and theatre, and I’m fortunate to pursue both professionally. My full-time job is as a high school theatre teacher. I teach in a school with a large and active theatre community, and am the sole theatre teacher/director. I teach 6 classes of drama a day, in four levels of experience, and wrote all of the syllabi for my class myself. We also mount large productions, including a musical, advanced drama production, student production, one act festival, and skit festival. I also coach my school’s improvisation team, and teach little kids theatre at a local stage during the summers. Theatre is a wonderful venue to explore creativity and to help inspire others, however it is a struggle to find a balance time-wise between my school life and my writing life. Most of my drafting now takes place solely in the summers.

What other jobs have you had in your life?
One of my first jobs was working inventory at a Borders Bookstore. I loved being around books, and it was also my first exposure to the world of publishing. I was shocked when I first learned that new releases had a limited shelf life, but it was my job to go through the store, see which books had reached the end of their run, then take them down, rip their covers, and send the “destroyed” books back to the publisher. I also worked there during the release of one of the Harry Potter books (Book 6), and I loved seeing the fervor around the release and the anticipation from so many fans, it helped inspire me to write myself.

What movie do you love to watch?
There are some movies that I can watch again and again and never tire of. My favorite movies are Howl’s Moving Castle and The Princess Bride. Each tells a brilliant fairy tale, one that is well-crafted, based on a novel, and yet depicted beautifully on screen. Typically I enjoy any movie that takes you to another place emotionally. I am a huge fan of the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings films, and was lucky enough to perform as part of a 200-adult chorus, which performed the films, one year at a time, at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. We performed the full soundtrack, with a massive orchestra and children’s choir, beneath a version of the film that had the soundtrack removed, and singing the melodies of Howard Shore’s brilliant music was one of the best performing experiences of my life.

What’s your next project?
School of Deaths is the first novel in a trilogy called The Scythe Wielder’s Secret. I’m currently editing the sequel, Sword of Deaths, and the series will end with Daughter of Deaths. There is a free prequel to the series available on my website ChristopherMannino.com, and I hope to add more short stories as well. After the series is complete, I’m going to write in other genres. There are some other YA Fantasy novels in my head, but I also plan to write adult genre fiction, including sci-fi, and I would like to write historical fiction as well. Eventually, I hope to write a full-length musical as well.

What does love mean to you?
Love means dedication, friendship, and caring more than anything. My wife is the love of my life. She inspires me as an artist, but also as a human being. She pushes me to be better at everything, and supports me when I struggle. Love means putting their needs before your own, and taking joy in their actions. Love is happiness.

What is your favorite color?
Purple.

What inspired you to write your first book?
The idea for SCHOOL OF DEATHS emerged when I was finishing my graduate degree at Oxford University. I spent four months abroad, far from everyone I knew. Every week, I traveled somewhere I had never been before. I would climb castle ruins in Wales and visit cathedrals in England. One of my favorite trips was to Tintagel Castle in Cornwall. After misjudging the time it’d take to get there, I became stranded. The tourist office was closed, and I couldn’t find a hostel. I walked from pub to pub asking if I could sleep above their bar.

The next morning, having slept none, since I’d found a room over a noisy pub, I crept to Barras Nose before dawn. Barras Nose is a stone peninsula, or rocky outcropping jutting into the Celtic Sea, just north of Tintagel. Tintagel itself is a small island with castle ruins on its cliffs. Some believe it to be the birthplace of King Arthur. When I reached Barras Nose, the winds howled so fiercely that I had to crawl on all fours to keep from being blown into the ocean below. Then dawn broke. No other humans were in sight. I struggled to keep my balance, but watched the sun rise on the ruins of the ancient castle, listening to the thunder of waves pounding the fifty foot cliffs I clung to. Wind battered me with ferocity, and I imagined a character being buffeted by winds, completely alone. I envisioned Suzie, alone in a world of men, buffeted by sexism.

Do you intend to make writing a career?
On my first date with the woman who’s now my wife, we discussed life goals. I was in graduate school at the time, and told her my dream was to teach full-time high school theatre during the school year, and write during vacations. I’d be able to pursue both passions professionally. That’s now what I do, and don’t have any plans to change.

What is your greatest strength as a writer?
Having a vivid imagination helps me create vibrant and unique settings for my novels. My background in theatre, especially in theatrical design, also helps me visualize a story like movie in my mind. Taking those images on conveying them in words is my greatest strength.

Thirteen-year-old Suzie Sarnio always believed the Grim Reaper was a fairy tale image of a skeleton with a scythe. Now, forced to enter the College of Deaths, she finds herself training to bring souls from the Living World to the Hereafter. The task is demanding enough, but as the only female in the all-male College, she quickly becomes a target. Attacked by both classmates and strangers, Suzie is alone in a world where even her teachers want her to fail.

Caught in the middle of a plot to overthrow the World of Deaths, Suzie must uncover the reason she’s been brought there: the first female Death in a million years.

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre - YA Fantasy

Rating – PG

More details about the author

Connect with Christopher Mannino through Facebook & Twitter

@JordyLizama on Interesting & Clear Book Covers #AmReading #AmWriting #YA

Why Book Covers are So Important

The book cover is the first thing people are going to see. Before they read a sample chapter or a review of your book they are going to decide whether they like the cover or not. Make it clear, interesting and as original as possible.

Only time will tell if Sophia, Alec and the world are ready to accept the mission that has been passed down for many generations. This is more than a story of reincarnation. This is a story that never ended following the reign of the Greek gods. What has been hidden for thousands of years is about to surface in a small New England town. The impact on this rural village is ageless, but only the chosen time travelers know what is happening, the reason it is happening and how to control the outcome. 

The Men of Ages have walked the Earth unnoticed since the time of Greek mythology and have kept their ancient war alive by transporting the lead warrior in a most unusual time machine. There is only one way to stop the cataclysmic demise of the human race and Sophia is the answer. But, Sophia is a teenage girl faced with many human and nonhuman desires that create a tortuous path from antiquity to the present day. Love conquers all; or, so it seems.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Fantasy, YA 

Rating – PG

More details about the author

Connect with Jordana Lizama on Twitter

@RJ_Blain's #WriteTip on How to Find a Critique Buddy #Fantasy #AmWriting

Many people think writing a novel is a solo activity when it is not. Sure, the drafting process is (usually) a job for a single individual, but the editing work and much of what happens after the rough draft is finished is a team effort. Most authors have a small circle of critique buddies they rely on to help fix plot problems, strengthen their writing, and otherwise improve their book.

So, how do you go about finding a critique buddy? That’s the hard part. With so many authors and writers out there, it’s difficult finding someone who is as serious as you are and near to your level or better than you in skill.

Find at least one person who is more skilled at writing.

The idea of having a critique buddy is to improve your novel and your writing skills. This means you need to work with someone who has more skills than you do or is as skilled as you are. Two people with similar skill levels can really help each other improve. The linchpin of this arrangement is that both of you actively want to improve your writing – and your partner’s writing.

Find at least one person who is less skilled at writing. 

By helping other writers improve their writing, it becomes possible to see basic mistakes in our own. This only works, however, if you take the time to explain why something is an error. In order to explain a concept to another writer, you have to have a deeper understanding of what you’re trying to teach. If you can teach something to another person, such as the difference between telling and showing, it becomes possible to master that skill in your own writing.

Not Everyone Makes a Good Critique Buddy 

When you’re trying to find a critique buddy, you need to find someone who works well with you. There is a lot of diplomacy involved in critiquing a novel for a stranger, and this can often lead to people being less than honest about their feelings for a book. You need to find someone who will be honest with you, help you improve your writing skills, and most importantly, help you improve your novel. At the same time, you need to be willing to do the same thing for your writing partner.

Where to Find Critique Buddies 

Knowing what you need in a critique buddy is only part of the battle. Finding a critique buddy can be a difficult task if you don’t know where to look.

Online Writing Workshops 

Online workshops, including critique circle (critiquecircle.com), authonomy (authonomy.com), and book country (bookcountry.com) are great places to meet people and find potential critiquing buddies. All of these workshops involve critiquing or reviewing of other members, so they are also excellent places to learn or improve your editorial skills.

Social Media Networks

Whether you’re a fan of twitter, facebook, or google+, social media networks can be a surprisingly good place to find like-minded writers who also need a critique buddy. Don’t just accept any old Joe to be your critique buddy, though. Critiquing a single chapter is a good way to get an idea of whether or not someone you find on one of the social media networks is a good fit for you.

Real-Life Critique Groups

Meet ups and critique groups hosted at libraries, coffee shops, and book stores can be a great way to improve your writing – if you can find the super-secret group’s gathering point and wrangle an invitation to join them. These groups are often exclusive, requiring a writing-quality check before you can get an invitation, and may be difficult to find. Not all groups are like this, but it’s really dependent on your location. Small towns often don’t have enough writers to support a writing critique group.

NaNoWriMo and Other Competitions 

National Novel Writing Month, as well as other large-scale writing competitions, can be an excellent way to find critiquing buddies. Talk with other participants, and see if there are a few people you might work well with.

Good luck with your writing!

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

THE REALITY MASTER (Vol.1) by @PMPillon #Excerpt #YA #SciFi

FIRST BLOOD DRAWN

The next day at Mr. Sheridan’s class Joey assured Frank that he felt somewhat better, so he would follow through with a plan they had made in the car on the way back from Big Sur, to go to the skateboard park near Frank’s house and practice tricks. Joey didn’t ride his skateboard around because he preferred his bike; he just wanted to learn competitive tricks at the park so he kept his board at Frank’s house. Both of them had only three weeks of experience since they bought their skateboards new at their local mall. Joey rode his bike to Frank’s after school but as soon as he entered Frank’s room. 

Frank’s mom heard Joey’s voice and called out, “Frankie dear, could you straighten out your room a little bit before you go out?”

“Okay mom, I’ll do it right now, then we gotta go.”

Joey saw that he was stuck hanging around for however long it took for Frank to comply with his mother’s wishes so he wandered down the hall to Freddie’s room where Freddie was sitting at his computer as usual. Freddie’s back was to Joey, so he entered stealthily and pulled up a cloth covering a dry erase board next to the door to peek at what was written or drawn on it. Freddie kept the board covered so his room would look more like a normal kid’s room rather than the habitat of a total academic egghead. Written with a marker were long were long chicken scratch formulas with symbols of all sorts – lots of x’s and y’s along with an alphabet soup of other characters and only one distinct equation:

g = R (π X rpm)2
____30____
9.81

“Hey, Freddie, what’s up?” Joey asked, turning away from the board towards Freddie. He walked forward and plopped himself down on the bed, which was adjacent to the computer chair where Freddie was sitting.

“Oh yeah, everything is cool. Hey, do you know about the nano world?”

“You mean small, right?”    

“Yeah, super small, subatomic. Our laws of physics don’t apply to that world.”

“You mean like the speed of light, gravity, stuff like that.”

“Right. For all we know, there could be different realities in the nano world, black holes containing other universes – phenomena we can’t even imagine. Some cosmologists even say that there may be trillions of Big Bangs just like the one that started our universe happening every second and creating universes like ours or even exact duplicates of ours.” 

The thought occurred to Joey of showing Freddie the very strange object that was in his back pocket, but he decided it would be premature. Freddie was a genius, so he might know or could maybe figure out what this stone really was. But Joey decided he would show it to him later after examining it himself; he hadn’t really done this in spite of what had already happened with it, just nonchalantly carried it around in his bag or pocket; Joey was nonplussed about the stone, simply hoping no more strange events would occur. 

All of these thoughts came to him in a blink of any eye, quickly enough for him to set them aside for the moment and ask Freddie, “So, what are you going to do about it?”

“Well, I can’t actually do much about it, but scientists are finding out more about it by doing experiments with supercolliders. For instance, in our macro world, everything can only be in one place at one time, but in the nano world a particle can be in two places at the same time. As you can see on my screen, I’m trying to depict a subatomic particle arriving at two places at once, but I’m not good at this 3D software. You know how to do 3D?”

“Not really, but I can make a 3D screen saver.”

“That’s actually pretty good, but not enough for what I’m trying to do. Hey Joey, are you into cosmology? Do you know different adjectives for describing the cosmos or the universe? How about inexorable, which means like, not possible to challenge, and immutable, for unchanging, and what else?“

”How about UnBigWordAble, which means there’s no word that’s big enough to be able to describe it.” 

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

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Science fiction, Fantasy, Young adult

Rating – G

More details about the author

Connect with PM Pillon on Facebook & Twitter

@PatriciaLeslieA Balancing Writing, Work and Family #AmWriting #AmReading #Fantasy

I bounce around a lot. The Ouroboros Key was written before I returned to an office job after having children. I then spent a few years rewriting, took a trip to the USA to check out some of my locations (and visit friends) and finished it off way back in 2007 at a week long writerly retreat at The Varuna House for Writers in Katoomba (The Blue Mountains, not far from Sydney).

Right now, the balance is skewed heavily toward family and work commitments, with writing squeezed in between. I take books, notepads, laptop wherever I go and have lots of short notes on my phone.

Prophetic dreams have haunted Dan Tenney since childhood, foretelling him of a life-changing event that is soon to take place. But before he can learn the meaning of his visions, he is attacked by a shadowy group of extremists: the Brotherhood of the Grail.

Finding sanctuary underground, an ancient relic comes into his possession and Dan begins to understand the path his visions have laid out before him. His quest will be fraught with an otherworldly people and an event that could tip the balance in favour of human existence-or disastrously against it. The mysterious Brotherhood will do everything in their power to prevent Dan from fulfilling his destiny as the Bearer of Ouroboros

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre - Fantasy

Rating – PG-13

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Lichgates: Grimoire Saga, Book 1 by SM Boyce @TheSMBoyce #Fantasy #MustRead

Kara Magari squinted back up the path she’d just climbed. The gazebo’s roof peeked through the trees, evidence of where she’d been only ten minutes before. Not bad. With her finger in the air, she traced the way she’d taken, starting at the lichgate and going down over each step in her head. Her finger hovered and came to a stop, though, when she examined the base of the hill.

Built into the rock was a marble door, shrouded with overhanging roots and dangling moss that clung to its frame like bangs. She rubbed her eyes, but the closed entryway was still there when she opened them again.

She brushed her hand along the door’s smooth stone. It was simple, with only a round stone knob and a small emblem carved into the rock at eye level. The symbol looked something like a four-leaf clover made out of crescent moons.

Kara’s fingers itched on the handle, but she hesitated.

The ground trembled with a sudden force that knocked her against the cliff. The breeze stopped, dissolving with a hiss into the hot summer sky. She scanned the valley. Several somethings cracked in the ground under her feet.

Thunder rumbled overhead. A dark cloud churned in the sky, and her heart fell into her stomach; there hadn’t even been a single fluffy cloud up there ten minutes ago.

A blinding bolt of moss-colored lightning flashed, striking the ground nearby. The hairs on her arms stood on end. Heat coursed through her calves, and she caught her breath. Her ears rang.

Wait. Was that lightning green?

The cliff trembled as a boom shattered the air. It began to rain. The heavy drops pelted her skin and clung to her hair as another rumble coursed along the far edge of the valley. She needed shelter, and the last place she would go in a lightning storm was up a hill.

She turned back and twisted the door’s handle, sighing with relief as it opened—unlocked. Still, as wet as it was outside and as much as she wanted a safe place to wait out the rain, she lingered on the threshold to examine the room.

Mud covered everything from the floor to the ceiling. Since there weren’t any supports to hold the roof, she couldn’t figure out how the ten-by-ten dirt shelter hadn’t caved in yet. The air within was heavy, moist with the rot of dead leaves, and her only guiding light streamed in from behind her. Roots dangled from the ceiling like stalactites reaching for the floor. The wind picked up, howling as it pelted rain against her back.

Kara tested the ground with her sneaker. The dirt floor supported her weight, so she tip-toed into the room and left the door open. Rain fell in lingering drops on the threshold before it disappeared into the growing pools of mud. She stuck her hands in her pockets and watched the raging storm outside.

A flash of dark brown blurred past her.

She jumped. A tan flicker snaked along the roof, and clumps of soil fell in sheets. She glared at the ceiling, holding her breath as the settling dust rained onto her shoes.

It had almost looked like a root moving, but that—that was crazy.

Another streak of motion raced down the opposite wall. It passed through a shaft of light, and Kara saw its pointed, wooden tip. Tiny veins sprouted from it like hairs, digging into the dirt so that it could travel.

It was a root moving.

A second spiny vine shot up from the floor and wrapped itself around her leg. It pulled. She tripped, falling into the first root as it snaked along the far wall. Dirt poured over her head, blinding her. The scent of decaying bark made her cough. The root tugged again, and she was yanked onto her hands and knees. It dragged her towards the center of the room. She reached for the knife strapped to her free ankle, the one Mom had—no! She couldn’t think of Mom. Not now.

A third root wrapped around her waist, and another grabbed her hand as she reached for the blade. The roots flipped her onto her back. With a bang, the door snapped shut. Her stomach churned. The floor disappeared. She fell, and the roots let go.

“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

More details about the author

 Connect with SM Boyce on Facebook & Twitter & Pinterest

7 Things You Didn’t Know About “Turning Curse” by A.C. Harrah #YA #Fantasy #AmReading

Turning Curse is fantasy, young adult novel written by up-and-comer author A.C. Harrah about irresponsible and fun-loving Prince Liam who is transformed into a frog when he rejects the arranged marriage between him and his best friend Cordelia. Little did he know Cordelia was a witch, and one that doesn’t handle rejection well on top of that. Held captive by Cordelia, he must escape her clutches and break the curse put upon him. His only hope in this endeavor is Cordelia's servant Gabrielle. However, Gabrielle has a secret of her own, and helping Liam is something she cannot do.

Turning Curse is fast-past read filled with magic, humor, romance, and adventure. All of this can be gleaned from its pages, but there are some fun facts that most readers do not know about the contents.

1.) The Naming of Cordelia

Harrah hopes you like Shakespeare because Cordelia is named after the youngest of Lear’s daughters in King Lear. While there may be some differences between Harrah’s Cordelia and Shakespeare’s, they share a tumultuous relationship with their father’s, and are unable to fulfill their father’s expectations.

2.) The Naming of King Gerard

While Cordelia may have been named after another literary figure, King Gerard was not. In fact, he went through many names until Harrah felt she had found one that carried a certain weight to it and fit the character’s persona.

3.) That Beastly Snore!

There is a scene in which Liam hears Gabrielle snore for the first time, and it is not a dainty sound. When one of Harrah’s beta readers stumbled upon it, they said the description should be changed because it did not fit the character’s personality. Harrah deadpanned: “That’s the point.”

4.) Not One But Two

For those who have picked up Harrah’s novel and read it, then you already know that it is a retelling of a fairy tale, but you may not have known is that there are actually two fairytales playing out in novel.

5.) The Inspiration

When Harrah’s Children’s Literature class reached its fairy tale unit, she was drawn to The Frog Prince because it did not fit the mold of the typical fairy tale, unless the prince is viewed as the protagonist and the princess as the antagonist. Realizing this, Harrah started looking through adaptations of The Frog Prince and realized it was often told from the girl’s perspective. Wanting to go against the grain, she began writing Turning Curse.

6.) A Heated Debate

When Harrah delivered her manuscript to her beta readers and editors there were mixed opinions about the ending in regards to Cordelia—to the point where not even a majority vote could decide the outcome. This led to a few tweaks at the end, and many hours of mediation to determine what was most true to the characters.

7.) From Chaos Comes Ideas

While editors and beta readers were mixed about what should happen with Cordelia, one question kept cropping up: what about Alan? Liam’s younger brother had earned a soft spot in the hearts of a few readers, and while Harrah had been prepared to write a sequel revolving around Cordelia, she soon realized there needed to be another story told beforehand.

Irresponsible was one word used to describe Prince Liam. Liam preferred fun-loving. After years of pulling pranks on his fellow nobles and ruining balls, Liam’s prospects for a bride are looking dim. At his wits’ end, Liam’s father arranges a marriage between Liam and his best friend Cordelia. She is the last person in the world Liam wants to marry. When Liam confesses this to her, she transforms Liam with a curse.

Now Liam must escape her clutches while breaking her spell, but he is trapped in her castle with no way to escape. His only hope is to persuade Cordelia’s servant Gabrielle to help him. However, Gabrielle has a secret of her own, and helping Liam is something she cannot do.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre - YA Fantasy

Rating – PG-13

More details about the author

Connect with A.C. Harrah through Facebook

Blog http://acharrahblog.blogspot.com