All 5 covers for my 'Mage Hunter' series

With the release a few days ago of my new five-part Mage Hunter series, I've been asked, "Are you really going to have all five parts available?"

The answer is, obviously, a resounding "YES!"

As evidence of this, I thought I would give a very slight preview. No, not any of the story, but the covers, all five of them, the first one at the left and the others below. So at least everyone will know that much has been accomplished (actually, a lot more work has already been done, but this gives me a chance to show off my covers).

Also, for anyone interested, for a very limited time, Mage Hunter, Episode I: Blooded Snow is free over at Smashwords.

Books read in 2012: No. 72 -- Ielle: A Realm of Janos Novel

by Andre SanThomas

Started: August 25
Finished: August 28

Notes: I'm not much of an erotica reader, but this e-book has drawn me for a few reasons. My interest was initially piqued because this is erotica taking place in a fantasy world, so I want to see what the author does with this, the direction the tale takes. Also, I've sampled enough to know the author can write. And I'd like to add, attitude goes a long way, and this author has impressed me whenever I've seen him or her (I don't know which) on blogs or writing boards, etc.

Mini review: This was a damn fine read. The writing is solid, the mystery plot quite interesting, and the characters likable in their own manner. And I had a few chuckles because it dawned on my while reading this why I'm not generally attracted to erotica literature. I enjoyed the plot here, but I'd become frustrated every time there was a sex scene because I felt like it slowed the story down! Ha! This was no failing on the writer's part, as her sex scenes were written well and tasteful, but again, erotica just isn't my thing. For those who enjoy erotica, especially some slight bondage, this should be on your reading list. And even for those who aren't into reading erotica, if you enjoy fantasy, this is an interesting tale in an interesting world, and is worth reading.

Mage Hunter series begins

Today kicks off my new Mage Hunter five-part fantasy serial. Each Monday for the next month following today another episode will be released until all five episodes are available. Each episode will be approximately 20,000 words and will have a price of 99 cents, at least until Nov. 1 when I will consider changing the prices on at least some of the episodes (we'll see).

This first episode is Mage Hunter: Blooded Snow. For now it will only be available for the Kindle, though I am not currently tied into any contractual agreements with Amazon and might make the series available soon for other e-book reading devices.

The story takes place in my fantasy world of Ursia, about eighty years before the events of my Kobalos Trilogy. All cover artwork and design for the series are of my own creation, including the map inside.

Here, I'll let the description of the first episode speak for itself ...

A hunt for raiding barbarians turns upon the hunters.

But far worse is to come for the sleepy villages of northern Ursia and the soldiers who protect the villagers. The Dartague barbarians have had enough of the Ursians encroaching upon their mountainous borders, and the raids are but a feint to draw out soldiers while a much larger attack is in the works.

His squad mates slain, Sergeant Guthrie Hackett finds himself alone in the winter wilderness on the border between his homeland and the nation of barbarians. He discovers the Dartague have a new leader, a wyrd woman who is behind the border assault. Worse yet for the sergeant, he has fallen under the attention of an ice witch, an inhuman creature with secret goals of her own.

Seeking to survive, Hackett tries to make it back to his own countrymen, only to find there is relatively little safety for him anywhere in the northern regions.
----------------------------------
"Mage Hunter: Blooded Snow" is the first of a five-part series, and part of the author's much broader Ursian Chronicles.

A NEW EPISODE EACH WEEK!

Episodes are priced at 99 cents each until Nov. 1, 2012

Episode schedule:
Part 1: Blooded Snow: Monday, Aug. 27, 2012
Part 2: Sundered Shields: Monday, Sept. 3, 2012
Part 3: Bared Blades: Monday, Sept. 10, 2012
Part 4: Hammered Iron: Monday, Sept 17, 2012
Part 5: Changeless Fate: Monday, Sept. 24, 2012

Award winners on sale!

Readers! Eight award winners in the 2012 eFestival of Words "Best of the Independent eBook Awards" have grouped together to offer you an amazing opportunity. They've reduced the prices of their award-winning novels to 99 cents for August 27 and 28th!

Whether you like to read mysteries, romance, horror, young adult, women's fiction, or fantasy, this group has it. Are you a writer yourself? Do you want to learn all about digitally publishing your next masterpiece? They've got you covered there too.

Get all eight award-winning ebooks for the price of one single paperback!

Award Winners

Best Mystery/Suspense: Dead is the New Black by Christine DeMaio-Rice
Best Non-Fiction: DIY/Self-Help: Let's Get Digital by David Gaughran
Best Horror: 61 A.D. by David McAfee
Best Romance: Deadly Obsession by Kristine Cayne
Best Young Adult: The Book of Lost Souls by Michelle Muto
Best Fantasy/Urban Fantasy and Best Novel: The Black God's War by Moses Siregar III
Best Chick Lit/Women's Lit: Carpe Bead'em by Tonya Kappes
Award for Best Twist ("I've Been Shyamalaned"): The Survival of Thomas Ford by John A.A. Logan

Here's a one-stop shopping link for your convenience: http://amzn.to/MO7qBY

Book Blurbs

Dead is the New Black by Christine DeMaio-Rice
Laura Carnegie gave up on the man of her dreams a long time ago. He's fashion designer Jeremy St. James, and not only is he her boss, everyone knows he's gay.

When the woman who holds the company purse strings is found dead in the office, and Jeremy's arrested for the murder, everything changes. If Laura can just solve this crime, keep the cops off her tail, break up a counterfeiting ring, and get the show on the runway by Friday, she might stop being Seventh Avenue's perpetual loser.

If you love Project Runway, or enjoyed The Devil Wears Prada, try Dead Is the New Black.

Let's Get Digital by David Gaughran
This guide contains over 60,000 words of essays, articles, and how-to guides, as well as contributions from 33 bestselling indie authors including J Carson Black, Bob Mayer, Victorine Lieske, Mark Edwards, and many more.

It covers everything from how the disruptive power of the internet has changed the publishing business forever to the opportunities this has created for writers. It gives you practical advice on editing, cover design, formatting, and pricing. And it reveals marketing tips from blogging and social networking right through to competitions, discounts, reviews, and giveaways.

If you are considering self-publishing, if you need to breathe life into your flagging sales, or if you want to understand why it's a great time to be a writer, Let's Get Digital: How To Self-Publish, And Why You Should will explain it all.

61 A.D. by David McAfee
61 A.D. For ten years, Taras has lived in the young city of Londinium, feeding off the city’s underbelly. But now Theron, his old enemy, has come looking for revenge, and Taras’ nights of living in relative peace are about to end.

Yet not even Theron can slip into town unnoticed, and the Council of Thirteen sends Ramah to deal with the two renegades once and for all. But unknown to the Council, a much older enemy is also in Londinium, and this time even the great Ramah might not be safe.

Set against the backdrop of the Iceni uprising in Roman-era Britannia, 61 A.D. continues the story of Taras, Theron, and Ramah, as they fight their way through history.

Deadly Obsession by Kristine Cayne
Nic Lamoureux's perfect movie star life is shattered by a stalker who threatens any woman close to him. When he meets photographer Lauren James, the attraction is instant--and mutual. She's exactly the sort of woman he craves, but the stalker makes deadly clear Lauren is the competition.
And the competition must be eliminated.

"Stock up on ice cubes because this is definitely one sizzling debut. Readers will be hooked from the first sentence- on the book and on Nic! As rich as a white chocolate cheesecake, Cayne's entrance into the suspense genre is invigorating, explosive and simply intoxicating." ~ RT Book Reviews Top Pick

The Book of Lost Souls by Michelle Muto
When teen witch Ivy MacTavish changes a lizard into her date for a Halloween dance, everything turns to chaos. And when no one is powerful enough to transform him back except Ivy, it sparks the rumor: Like father, like daughter. Worse, someone has used an evil spell book to bring back two of history's most nefarious killers.

Ivy's got a simple plan to set things right: find the real dark spell caster, steal the book, and reverse the spell. No problem! But first, she’ll have to deal with something more dangerous than murderous spirits: the school’s hotter-than-brimstone demon bad boy, Nick Marcelli. Demons are about as hard to handle as black magic, and Ivy soon discovers it’s going to take more than a lot of luck and a little charm if she wants to clear her status as a dark witch, get a warm-blooded boyfriend, and have her former date back to eating meal worms before the week’s end

The Black God's War by Moses Siregar III
Against the backdrop of epic warfare and the powers of ten mysterious gods, Lucia struggles to understand The Black One.

Her father-king wants war.
Her messianic brother wants peace.
The black god wants his due.
She suffers all the consequences.

"Moses is a fine writer deserving of success, and I think that it will follow ... I really enjoyed Moses's work." - David Farland, NYT Bestselling Author of The Runelords

Carpe Bead'em by Tonya Kappes
Hallie Mediate was raised by her (slightly) crazy Great Aunt Grace on the wrong side of the tracks in Cincinnati. Hallie escapes her hometown and never looks back.

That is, until she’s transferred back to the hometown. Not wanting her past to cross paths with her future, Hallie puts her life on hold.

Aunt Grace is still up to her old tricks, but Hallie finds some sanity at a local jewelry-making class where she uncovers a hidden talent for beading.

Will she keep searching for the happiness she may already have found?

The Survival of Thomas Ford by John A.A. Logan

Thomas Ford is the only survivor of the car crash which killed his wife. He is also the only witness who would be willing to identify the young, reckless driver who caused the crash. But the driver would sooner see Thomas Ford dead than ever let that happen.




Happy Reading!

Books read in 2012: No. 71 -- Lessons (and Other Morbid Drabbles)

by Michael Crane

Started: August 25
Finished: August 25

Notes: I've been reading a lot of print books lately, mainly because I've been trying to whittle down my to-be read pile (and still have a long way to go). Meanwhile, my Kindle has been feeling kind of lonely. To correct that, I thought I'd turn to this collection of 25 100-word pieces of fiction that supposedly range from the absurd to the horrific.

Mini review: Quite the fun little collection. You can read the whole thing in 10 minutes or less. Of the 25 drabble pieces, probably the first half dozen are the best, in part because you're still learning what to expect from these very short tales. As can be expected from a collection, there were one or two which didn't do much for me, but there were also a handful I found quite intriguing. Another thing I liked was the author sometimes fooled you, changing the direction a story was going just as you thought you had things figured out. Good stuff.

Books read in 2012: No. 70 -- Breakfast at Tiffany's

by Truman Capote

Started: August 23
Finished: August 25

Notes: I've long been a fan of Truman Capote, mainly for his work In Cold Blood, one of the finest non-fiction books I have ever read. I had known Capote was the author of Breakfast at Tiffany's, but I had always thought that meant he was the screenwriter for the movie. Then I came across this little book a while back in a used book store. Having not read a lot of Capote, I snatched this one up. It turns out this is a collection of short stories and one novella, the novella being the title of the collection and the movie.

Mini review: These are excellent literary tales, mostly sad in the end, though not necessarily heart-wrenching. Capote's writing here isn't overly lyrical, but there are nice touches to the scenery and sometimes to character descriptions. The characters themselves are quite simple outwardly for the most part, not too inward-looking, but with an aura of faint, almost tired surrender about them, reminding me somewhat of the characters from short stories by the likes of Hemingway and Steinbeck.

Books read in 2012: No. 69 -- Jonathan Livingston Seagull

by Richard Bach

Started: August 23
Finished: August 23

Notes: I've been meaning to read this little book about spirituality for some while now. Finally getting around to it.

Mini review: A nice little story, though I felt it was a bit dated in its approach to thoughts on spirituality, though there's nothing wrong with that. It's sort of an allegorical tale of the life of Jesus, up to a certain extent, or perhaps the earliest days of Christianity. Included some very nice photographs of gulls from photographer Russell Munson.