Giveaway Winners Announced, NaNoWriMovember, and Curiosity Quills Anthologies

On an unusually stormy Monday here in the UK - although we seem to have escaped it in Scotland - it's time to announce the winners of my two year blogiversary giveaway. So, without any further ado...

1st place, winning a proofread and copyedit of a novel up to 100,000 words: Misha Gericke
2nd place, winning a proofread of a novella or short stories up to 30,000 words: C. Lee McKenzie
3rd place, winning a proofread of a short story or stories up to 10,000 words: Aldrea Alien

Congrats ladies! I'll be in touch ASAP about claiming your prize!

So, onto the next order of business: NaNoWriMo. I've been back and forwards over taking part this year, worried I wouldn't have time, but all the kids are now at school all day and well... I can't resist the challenge! I only got to 34k last year, so I'm on a mission. I've got an outline written out, which makes things a bit easier. It's open to change, of course, but once I've got it into a readable form that doesn't give too much away, I'm looking forward to sharing it with you all.

As an extra incentive to get to that finish line on time, I'm going to combine it with Movember and cultivate what will hopefully be a fine crop of upper lip hair at the same time as I'm growing my characters and plotlines. Andrew is joining in too - he grows a mean tache without even trying. If you'd like to sponsor us, with all proceeds going to Andrew's college fund, it would be massively appreciated - but I only get paid if I get to the 50k! As last year, I'll be posting weekly updates starting on Friday, this time with added tache pics from us two boys. Apart from this I'll not be blogging too much, but as always I will get back to everyone who comments.

And, last but by no means least... two anthologies, also for an excellent cause.

Support animals in need by buying Curiosity Quills' charity anthology Primetime. 10% of all
proceeds will be donated to humane societies on both the East and West coast
that spend well and do not stray from their “no-kill” policies.

Primetime brings together bestselling authors like J.R. Rain, Tony Healey, A.W. Exley, and more to create a spine-tingling, mind-blowing, quirky collection of short stories in
Curiosity Quills' first ever, annual anthology.

For a full list of the authors featured, and details on where you can buy Primetime, please see the Official Primetime page.

Support animals in need by buying Curiosity Quills' charity anthology After Dark. 10% of all
proceeds will be donated to humane societies on both the East and West coast
that spend well and do not stray from their “no-kill” policies.

Primetime’s steamier counterpart, Curiosity Quills: After Dark, where bestselling authors like A.W. Exley, Nathan L. Yocum, Jose Prendes, Jade Hart, and more come together to bring you hard-hitting, sexy, violent, and dark short stories to read when the sun has gone down and the kids are in bed.

For a full list of the authors featured, and details on where you can buy After Dark, please see the Official After Dark page.

Sound good, eh? See you all on Friday for the NaNoWriMovember kickoff. Have a great week!

The 13th Floor Complete Collection Blog Tour

Today I'm pleased to welcome back the supremely talented Christine Rains as part of the blog tour for the 13th Floor Complete Collection. She's talking about something that is tricky to get right, but very effective if done well. Over to you, Christine!

We talked about all sorts of villains this year in my guest post series. The tricksters, bullies, geniuses, and gods. There's one sort of villain that doesn't make an appearance in my series. One that I consider important in the realm of bad guys. That is the sympathetic villain.

This is the sort of character that falls into the antagonist role doing bad things, but there's a reason behind it that gains the reader's sympathy. Perhaps it's done through back story or through seeing how society treats him. He has a reason for what he's doing and perhaps he thinks it's good. It makes for fantastic characterization, but as much as we can sympathize, it doesn't change the fact he is the villain.

The sympathetic villain is becoming more popular these days. Two of my favorites are Dr. Horrible (Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog) and Severus Snape (Harry Potter series). I adore these characters, but no matter what anyone argues, they are still bad guys. They are, in a way, the anti-villain. A trend rising along side of the anti-hero.

Why is the sympathetic villain more attractive to people these days? Some suggest that we relate to the urge to do bad things more than we did a few decades ago. Or it could be that the heroes are too good to believe and so we flock to what we consider the more realistic character. Whatever the reason, I can see this trend continuing.

Perhaps we'll see more of George R.R. Martin's thinking: “There are no heroes or villains. Only characters with flaws.”

Who are your favorite sympathetic villains? Why do you think there are more anti-heroes and anti-villains these days?

Title: The 13^th Floor Complete Collection

Author: Christine Rains

Genre: paranormal romance

Release date: October 13^th, 2013

Blurb:

Six supernatural tenants

Living in a haunted apartment building

On a floor that doesn't exist.

Six novellas telling their tales.

A retired demon acquires a price on his head.

A werewolf is hunted by her pack.

A modern day dragonslayer misses his target.

A harpy challenges Zeus for the soul of the man she loves.

A vampire is obsessed with a young woman he can't find.

A banshee falls in love with someone who's death she has seen in a vision.

And a sweet ghost must battle a primal monster to save them all.

All the stories take place at the same time intertwining their lives together on the 13th Floor.

Includes “The Shadow,” a bonus short story.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/13th-Floor-Complete-Collection-ebook/dp/B00FF9QF3W

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-13th-floor-complete-collection-christine-rains/1116984997?ean=2940148537786

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-13th-floor-complete-collection

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/360987

Goodreads

Author Bio:

Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. She has four degrees which help nothing with motherhood, but make her a great Jeopardy player. When she's not writing or reading, she having adventures with her son or watching cheesy movies on Syfy Channel. She's a member of Untethered Realms and S.C.I.F.I. The 13th Floor series is her first self-published series. She has eight novellas and twenty-one short stories published.

Website 

Blog

Facebook

Twitter 

Goodreads

Launch of Beyond the Edge

Out now - congrats, Mary!

Some truths are better left unfound.

For two years Craze’s dear friend, Lepsi, has been missing. The murmurings of a haunted spaceship might be a message and may mean his old pal isn’t dead. The possibility spurs Craze and Captain Talos to travel to uncharted worlds, searching. Out there, in an unfamiliar region of the galaxy beyond the Backworlds, they stumble upon a terrible truth.

Meanwhile, Rainly remains on Pardeep Station as acting planetlord, dealing with the discovery of her lover’s dark and brutal past. Alone and questioning her judgment, her introspection unlocks more than heartache. Latent protocols in her cybernetics activate, forcing her to face a sinister secret of her own.

In the far future, humanity settles the stars, bioengineering its descendents to survive in a harsh universe. This is the fourth book in the science fiction series, The Backworlds. A space opera adventure.

Amazon / AmazonUK / Nook / Smashwords / Kobo / Other Outlets

M. Pax-- Inspiring the words she writes, she spends her summers as a star guide at Pine Mountain Observatory in stunning Central Oregon where she lives with the Husband Unit and two demanding cats. She writes science fiction and fantasy mostly. You can find out more by visiting her at:

Website / FB / Twitter / Goodreads / Pinterest / Wattpad

Dragon's Game cover reveal

Time for another cover reveal, this time it's the latest in EJ Wesley's Moonsongs series. Now this cover, in my opinion, is what you might call "badass". What do you think?

Jenny Moonsong recently inherited the title of "monster hunter" and an ancient tribal journal/how-to manual passed down by her Apache ancestors. She has already faced a werewolf, witches, and a troll. But nothing could prepare her for her latest confrontation...

Dragon's Game, Moonsongs Book 4, finds Jenny out of her rural West Texas element, searching for an evil witch in an urban Houston nightclub. After attempting to help a handsome and mysterious stranger out of a jam, she finds herself on the run from a ruthless gang who are even more dangerous than they initially appear.

Forced into a twisted game of life and death, Jenny must navigate the complexity of a budding relationship, and somehow survive a night filled with unexpected horror and paranormal mystery.

Dragon's Game is approximately 14,000 words or 45 pages, and is the fourth volume of the Moonsongs Books, an ongoing series of New Adult, speculative / urban fantasy novelettes by author E.J. Wesley.

(These stories contain language and content better suited for readers 17+)

~Moonsongs Series List~

Blood Fugue, Moonsongs Book 1

Amazon - B&N - Smashwords

Witch's Nocturne, Moonsongs Book 2

Amazon - B&N - Smashwords

Dark Prelude, Moonsongs Book 3

Amazon - B&N - Smashwords

Dragon's Game, Moonsongs Book 4

COMING SOON to Amazon - B&N - Smashwords

Moonsongs, Anthology 1 (Collecting books 1, 2, & 3)

Paperback & eBook - Amazon / eBook - B&N

Praise for the Moonsongs series:

"You won't find any romantic, skinny, sparkling werewolves here. What you will find is something scary and atmospheric like King's "Cycle of the Werewolf" that will leave you wanting more." Michael Offutt, author of Slipstream

"-- a tense story with some unique elements. A very good read!" Alex J. Cavanaugh, Amazon Bestselling Author of CassaFire and CassaStar

"--reminds me of t.v. episodes; short, sweet, resolved in under an hour. But I’m talking good, interesting t.v.. The kind that draws you in and leaves you eagerly awaiting next week's episode." Books & Things Blog

"The writing is amazing - even in just a few short pages, you can see that right off the bat. It really engages you in the story and keeps you reading along until the end." Missy's Reads & Reviews Blog

"Blood Fugue has one of those endings that you least expect, giving it that "OMG" reaction." Insane About Books Blog

"His action scenes are thrilling, sometimes cringe-worthy. No doubt I spent the entire read curled over my computer not wanting it to end." robgirlbooks, Amazon Review

***

Add Dragon's Game to your Goodreads shelf!

And for a limited time, you can catch up on the entire Moonsongs series for just .99 cents (regularly $2.99) - Moonsongs Anthology 1 is on sale October 15th - 20th at Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

About the Author:

Growing up in small-town Oklahoma, there were limits on the amount and types of entertainment at my disposal. Perhaps that’s why I set my imagination free. After collecting degrees in psychology and counseling, life brought me to Missouri, Texas, and Northern California—where I currently read, write, and live. I fill my spare time playing video games, watching movies, planning for the zombie apocalypse, reading graphic novels, and playing with my dogs.

My passion for New Adult literature led me to producing the weekly New Adult Lit Chat on Twitter, and contributing to the NA Alley Blog. I’m also the author of the Moonsongs Books, a series of New Adult, speculative-rural fantasy novelettes.

BLOG – TWITTER – FACEBOOK – GOOGLE+ - LINKEDIN - GOODREADS

Congrats, EJ! I've read the first of his series, which was gripping, and I look forward to catching up with the rest.

I'm back from my holiday today, so I look forward to catching up with you all. Don't forget it's the last day to enter my Two-Year Blogiversary Giveaway where you can win a full edit on your book. And have a lovely weekend!

Butterman (Time) Travel Inc cover reveal

Today I'm taking part in a cover reveal with a twist for PK Hrezo's debut release. She'd like us to write about where (and when) we'd like to go if we could walk into a time travel agency and book a trip. Well, before we get to that, let's have a looksie at that fabulous cover.

Very nice, eh?

The possibilities are pretty much endless when it comes to time travel. I would definitely go and see what dinosaurs really looked like, at least the peaceful, vegetarian ones. And check in on the construction of the pyramids to see how they did it. Just a shame that so many slaves had to die. Probably most of all, though, I'd like to go back to the middle ages and see a real jousting match. Quite a spectacle, this was probably like the WWF Wrestling of its day. The atmosphere would have been immense.

So, what about you?

Let's find out a bit more about PK's book:

Welcome to Butterman Travel, Incorporated

We are a full service agency designed to meet all your exclusive time travel needs. Family-owned and operated, we offer clients one hundred years of time travel experience. A place where you can rest assured, safety and reliability always come first.

Anxious to attend a special event from the past? Or for a glimpse of what the future holds?

You’ve come to the right place. We’re a fully accredited operation, offering an array of services; including, but not limited to: customized travel plans, professionally piloted operations, and personal trip guides. *Terms and conditions do apply

Conference us directly from our Website. Our frontline reservation specialist, Bianca Butterman, will handle all your inquiries in a professional and efficient manner, offering a tentative itinerary and free fare quote, so you can make the most of your time trip.

We look forward to serving you at Butterman Travel, Inc., where time is always in your hands.   

You can get hold of Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc from the 12th of November.

PK Hrezo is a native Floridian whose life could easily be a Jimmy Buffet song. She shares her home with her firefighter husband and their two children. When not creating characters and their worlds, PK can be found at her other job of rearranging passenger’s itineraries for a major international airline. The only hobbies she loves more than traveling, are reading, writing, and music, and when the four are combined she exists in total bliss.  

She blogs regularly at PK HREZO: Fearless Fiction http://pk-hrezo.blogspot.com/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/PKHrezo  @pkhrezo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorpkhrezo

Website: http://down-the-rabbithole.com/

Congrats, PK!

A quick note - I'm currently away camping and will reply to any comments after my return on Friday. You can still enter my Two-Year Blogiversary Giveaway with prizes including a full book edit up for grapes.

Two Year Blogiversary Giveaway!

Yes, that's right... two years ago today I sat down and started a blog. I never could have predicted the friends and opportunities that would come my way - in fact, I didn't think it would amount to anything. Over the last two years I've written three books, self-published an anthology, participated in countless bloghops, challenges and contests. All of it has been with the support and encouragement of you lovely bunch. Some say blogging is a dying art, but I hope not. I don't know of another medium where relationships can be built on this level, allowing for serious debate, laughter and learning. I wholeheartedly recommend any writer thinking about starting a blog to go for it without hesitation. We can always do with more friends!

So, my anniversary falls on a Friday this year. Good excuse for a party, eh? In celebration of my recently launched editing service, I'd like to offer some editing prizes to three lucky winners, as follows.

1st prize: Novel of up to 100,000 words proofread and copyedited.
2nd prize: Novella or short stories up to 30,000 words proofread.
3rd prize: Short story/ies up to 10,000 words proofread.

I'm doing it this way because I don't want to edit parts of novels and then have people feel obligated to pay for the rest. It would be great if you could indicate in the comments which prize you would prefer, so I can allocate prizes accordingly.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! I apologise in advance if I'm not around too much - we're packing to go away on a big camping holiday next week, but thereafter I will be catching up. The kids are off school and we're taking the whole clan with dog in tow too!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Indie Life bloghop - Selfy Publishers

Hello there. As part of my drive to get back into blogging, I thought I'd reinvigorate my posting for this group, which I've missed for several months. I'm still working towards self-publication of my novel and my WIP is undergoing revisions with this aim in mind. Today I'm talking about what it means to have validation as a writer.

I saw an item on This Morning recently (a daytime TV show in the UK, and no, I don't sit around watching TV all day; I'd done my work for the day and had just switched it on while making lunch. This particular segment was actually post-12pm!) They were talking about selfies, a phenomenon of which you are doubtless aware, whereby people take a picture of themselves usually to post on Facebook or Twitter. What I hadn't considered was that people are posting the pics specifically to get a reaction (along the lines of "Wow, you look cool/hot/smokin'/another temperature variant). Apparently they can be quite upset if no one responds. My initial reaction was that their lives must be pretty shallow if they need that type of reassurance, but then I told myself to shut up and stop being so judgemental. As writers, isn't part of our reason for publishing to receive validation, some signal that what we are doing is worthwhile?

Note I said reason for publication. I think many of us would agree that a big part of writing is to get a story out of our heads, exercise those characters knocking around in there and demanding we listen to their trouble. If that was all there was to it, that novel would be filed away in a desk drawer or hard drive and on we would go with our merry lives. But for most of us, at some point and after revising so hard we can't even see the words on the screen any more, we want to see if anyone else will like it too. (Let's face it, money is a very minor factor, if even a consideration at all in this game.)

A lot of people stress over reviews and take bad ones quite personally, although it's important to remember that it is based on the book, not you as a person. At least it should be... there is a notorious dark side to this whole thing, but in the main, reviewers are interested in the story, not the author. But it's human nature to see this as a reflection on ourselves and the tone of a review has the power to make or break our day.

What do you think? Do you need validation as a writer? What are your reasons for wanting to publish? Do you read your reviews, and what sort of reactions do you have to them?

Don't forget to head over to The Indelibles to check out loads more Indie Life blogs!

Nick Wilford, Freelance Editor - Official Launch

The day has come - time for the official launch of my editing service! Thanks to everyone who's helping me out with it this week. Here's the lowdown on why I decided to kickstart my business and what sort of things I have to offer.

With the unstoppable rise of self-publishing, it’s easier than ever to put your words and stories out there in the world. This is a great thing, and I’m all for it. However, it’s not just about the story - although of course, that is the most important part - but the way it’s presented. After spending months or years on a novel, building an incredible world and honing your characters and storylines to perfection, the last thing you want is to be let down by a lack of editing. It’s just as important as an arresting cover image.

Nick Wilford, Freelance Editor is a one-stop shop for affordable editing, proofreading and formatting services. With professional training and ten years of experience as a journalist and editor, the time has come to transfer these skills in order to help out the fellow authors I have come to love.

But it doesn’t stop there. I’m ready to edit anything; from a crucial term paper, to memoirs and other non-fiction books, short stories, articles or job application letters. Let me put that finishing touch on your masterpiece.

Feel free to take a look at my website for further details of my services and prices.

Also, look out for something exciting coming a week on Friday - it's my two year blogiversary, and I'm planning to give away some juicy prizes relating to my business!