This maybe my last entry into Hugh’s photo challenge for a while as I am taking part in the A-Z April Blog challenge for the first time, whilst trying to finish my second book, and becoming a book reviewer. I don’t know when I’ll find the time to sleep!
The beautiful fountain is at Witley Court in Great Witley, Worcestershire.
Evensong – Krista Walsh – Book one of the Meratis trilogy.
I stumbled on this book last year when I was researching fantasy book covers. This cover instantly appealed to me.
Published 2014.
317 pages.
Evensong is currently free on kindle and the next two books Eventide & Evenlight are available to buy now.
Blurb
Author Jeff Powell wakes up to find the impossible has happened. He is within his own novel – summoned into the fictional world of Fendall’s keep by a spell he didn’t write. One the house enchantress hasn’t figured out how to reverse. When the villain he’s been struggling to write reveals himself, unleashing waves of terror and chaos, Jeff must use more than his imagination to save the characters he created – and the woman he loves.
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The premise had me hooked. What writer wouldn’t want to read about an author sucked into their own book! BUT you may not look at writing or your characters in the same way again.
It was a humorous tale, at times a touch on the gruesome side but nothing you wouldn’t expect from a fantasy. I liked the blend of our everyday reality and the fantasy world of Andvell. It was refreshing to have modern language and swearing in a fantasy setting, and there were some very funny moments when Jeff tries to ride a horse and is challenged to a fight by one of his own characters. He is totally out of his depths in his own fantasy world and quickly realises it.
As readers we can enjoy the tale as it unfolds. As writers we can relate to some of Jeff’s problems and learn a thing or two about the process of writing, and maybe we can even consider going a little easier on our own characters!
I rate this 4 stars – I think because of the format of the story, it was hard to emotionally connect with all the characters. However, it was still a great read and I will definitely be continuing with the story.
Check it out on Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com
I had to reblog this post because there is so much useful information to share. I can’t wait to update the key words for my novel on Amazon and make more use of the Amazon Author Central pages.
I love Amazon. They have so many tools in place to help an independent author succeed. Here are a few ways to make Amazon work for you.
Think of it as a search engine. As an author, you don’t need to rank higher on Google. You need to rank higher on Amazon.
Amazon works as a search engine very much like Google or Bing so you need to think SEO (search engine optimization) for your book. That means metadata. Most authors’ eyes glaze over at that word. But metadata simply refers to the keywords that are associated with your book and its category.
TIP: Your previous Amazon searches will influence your results, so be sure to log out to clear your past viewing history before conducting any keyword or category research.
Nowadays, keywords are phrases. No…
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It’s been an interesting experiment, asking my husband and children to read ‘Fire, Bed and Bone’. It is a children’s book, but one that I really enjoyed and rated 5 stars.
My husband, a huge fantasy reader, said it was ok but he didn’t feel very involved with the characters.
My son, 11, enthusiastic reader of children’s fantasy books, rated it 4.5 out of 5. He said he really enjoyed it, as he has other books by Henrietta Branford, though he didn’t have the same emotional response as I did to it.
My daughter, 9, who loves to read animal stories and books about witches and magic, stopped reading at the end of chapter 4. She enjoyed it up to this point but when two of ‘Old Dog’s’ puppies were killed she found it too scary to continue.I have found this a really fun challenge and look forward to sharing more books with the family and talking about them.
Have you read the same books as your family, and were you surprised by their views?
Below is the original book review:
My Rating 5 out of 5.
Pages 136.
Blurb from the front cover, which makes an interesting change.
‘A revolt is brewing. The year is 1381 and unrest is spreading like plague. England’s peasants are ready to rise against their unjust landlords. The violent upheaval will affect everyone – even dogs, like the old hunting bitch through whose eyes, ears and nose these dramatic events are revealed.’
Children’s book – I’d say 9+ but the book doesn’t state. I would be happy for my 9 year old to read it, and I think my son (11) would enjoy it too (in fact my son read ‘White Wolf’ by Henrietta Branford a couple of years ago and said it was one of his favourite books).
My daughter bought Fire, Bed and Bone at her school fair. She said she really liked the cover and the blurb and that’s why she picked it out of loads of other books…
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First off the price promo on the ebook / kindle has ended, but the pricing has gone wrong on Amazon, so it’s still at a bargain price for a short time. If you fancy a dark and thrilling read that keeps you hooked from beginning to end, check out Visions of Zarua.
It’s already got 6 great 4 & 5 star reviews on Amazon, but I would love to get some more. If you have read and enjoyed it, I would really appreciate it if you could spare a few moments to rate and review it on Amazon uk/us, goodreads, or whatever format you feel comfortable with. Getting discovered is all about the reviews. Plus I love reading the feedback, it lets me know all the stress and sleepless nights have been worth it.
The UK Goodreads Giveaway for Visions of Zarua has finished and a winner has been picked at random. It wasn’t as successful as the worldwide giveaway, but I was still very pleased to see 192 entered and that currently Visions is on over 800 peoples bookshelves to read. Of course, I didn’t time the giveaway well, finishing during the long bank holiday weekend means I can’t post the winner their prize until tomorrow.
I am shortly to embark on the April A-Z Blog Challenge, where I will blog everyday, except Sunday’s. My theme will be Crafts, but will also cover writing, editing, foraging and possibly a little magic!
My work in progress has to take a back seat for a few weeks during the Easter Hols and while I prepare for the A-Z blog challenge. I’m still determined to publish the first book in the Bloodlines series during 2016 and can’t wait to start working on the cover art etc. I’m really excited about self publishing the second time around, doing cover reveals and creating some pre-order excitement. Plus, I also hope to send out a few advanced review copies, and maybe do a blog tour beforehand. These are all things I didn’t know about the first time around. Self publishing is still a big learning curve, so if anyone has any advice, I’m happy to receive it.
Finally, I have also just joined Rosie Amber’s team of reviewers. Over the last few months I’ve really enjoyed writing reviews of the books I’ve enjoyed, and it’s great to have the opportunity to join a team of well established reviewers.
For those of you interested in picking up Visions of Zarua at its bargain price, here are some links, amazon smashwords nook
Thanks for reading.
A quick update.
The UK Goodreads Giveaway for Visions of Zarua finishes on 24th March (US time). That’s just two days left to enter. Please help me spread the word and enter if you fancy winning a signed paperback of this debut epic fantasy.
‘Two wizards, 350 years apart. Together they must save the realm of Paltria from Zarua’s dark past.’
The price promo for kindle and ebook is running for a few more days so you can download a copy now for only 99p / $1.99 etc. amazon smashwords nook
Thanks for your support.
This is a great opportunity to share your book reviews, discover new reviewers, and some extra exposure for the reviewers themselves. I’ve already found a couple of new blogs to follow.
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Here’s your big chance to get some free publicity! If you’ve had your book reviewed on a website or blog, post the link! It’ll be free publicity for you, and a potential source fo…
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve managed to participate in Hugh’s weekly photo challenge, but the idea of something that makes me calm was very appealing. Apart from taking a picture of a glass of wine (husband’s suggestion, not mine) this place does the job just as well.
This is Virginia Waters in Berkshire, a beautiful place to walk at any time of year. We’ve spent many happy family days wandering this Royal Park and its beautiful gardens. There’s interest all year round, but I love this spring morning where the carpet of blossom lays so thick it looks like snow.
These photos were taken on 31 March 2015, which became a very special day because we stumbled upon this grass snake basking in the sunshine. I was so happy to capture the shot, before I’ve only managed a disappearing tail! I was lucky this snake must have been feeling sluggish after a recent meal.
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