Monthly Archives: October 2016

#fridaybookshare #DistressSignals by Catherine Ryan Howard #thriller @ShelleyWilson72

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Happy Friday everyone. I’m joining in the #Fridaybookshare created by Shelley Wilson. Check out Shelly’s blog.

Anyone can join in. Just answer the following F.R.I.D.A.Y. questions based on the book you’re either currently reading or have just finished reading. Use the hashtag #FridayBookShare and remember to tag Shelley (@ShelleyWilson72) 

First line of the book.

I jump before I decide I’m going to.

Recruit fans by adding the book blurb.

Did she leave, or was she taken?

The day Adam Dunne’s girlfriend, Sarah, fails to return from a Barcelona business trip, his perfect life begins to fall apart. Days later, the arrival of her passport and a note that reads ‘I’m sorry – S’ sets off real alarm bells. He vows to do whatever it takes to find her.

Adam is puzzled when he connects Sarah to a cruise ship called the Celebrate – and to a woman, Estelle, who disappeared from the same ship in eerily similar circumstances almost exactly a year before. To get the answers, Adam must confront some difficult truths about his relationship with Sarah. He must do things of which he never thought himself capable. And he must try to outwit a predator who seems to have found the perfect hunting ground…

Introduce the main character using only three words.

Adam – Desperate, single-minded, deceived.

Delightful design (add the cover of the book.)

distress signals cover image

Audience appeal (who would enjoy reading this book?)

Anyone who loves a mystery and a thrilling read.

Your favourite line/scene.

You could try to protect your own privacy, yes, but you couldn’t really count on those around you to do the same.

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I am loving this book!

Check it out for yourself on Goodreads.

#GoodReads #giveaway – Visions of Zarua #fantasybook #epicfantasy

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There’s still time to enter the Worldwide giveaway for Visions of Zarua, a standalone epic fantasy. The winner will be picked on 16th November to celebrate the 1st anniversary of publication.

Here’s a taste of some recent reviews…

4.0 out of 5 stars A gripping fantasy with a strong premise and endearing characters, 16 July 2016

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful 3-dimensional characters in an epic fantasy, 12 July 2016

5.0 out of 5 stars brilliantly written fantasy, finished it and wanted more!, 7 July 2016

Click the link to enter Goodreads giveaway.

Visions of Zarua Book Cover.jpg

Two wizards, 350 years apart. Together they must save the realm of Paltria from Zarua’s dark past.

An ancient darkness haunts the realm of Paltria.
Apprentice wizard Paddren is plagued by visions of a city on the brink of annihilation. When his master Kalesh dies in mysterious circumstances, the Royal Order of Wizards refuses to investigate.
Helped by his childhood friend, the skilled tracker Varnia, and her lover Leyoch, Paddren vows to find the killer.
The investigation leads Paddren down a sinister path of assassins, secret sects and creatures conjured by blood magic. But he is guided by a connection with a wizard from centuries ago – a wizard whose history holds the key to the horror at the heart of the abandoned city of Zarua. Can Paddren decipher his visions in time to save the Paltrian people from the dark menace of Zarua’s past?

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Read for free on Kindle Unlimited.

I’m also offering ebook review copies in exchange for honest reviews. Please get in touch if you’re interested.

#Tuesdaybookblog #Bookreview Rise of the Sparrows – Sarina Langer #fantasy

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Title – Rise of the Sparrows Book 1 of the Relics of Ar’zac

Author – Sarina Langer

Genre – YA Fantasy

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First thoughts

I was really pleased to have won a paperback copy of this book during its blog tour back in May. I’d already bought the book on kindle, but it was great to be able to read the paperback. I think the cover’s great and I was pulled in by the blurb.

Blurb

Growing up homeless and orphaned in a town that hates her, Rachael must assassinate the king of Rifarne to become queen to a people who once wanted her dead. Rifarne is a country opposed to magic. When its people demand harsh action, King Aeric sees himself with no other choice but to outlaw those with the gift. Rachael, who possesses the rare gift of a Seer, soon finds herself with visions of her own violent death. When her escape goes wrong and she ends up in the clutches of a vicious Mist Woman lusting for her blood, she finds she is the only person who can stop the war against people like her – and assassinating the king to take his throne may well be the only way to do just that.

My summary

This is a really great start to a new fantasy series. I like how the background is slowly built up with regards to the history of the people / magic and the prophecy surrounding Rachel. Not everything is revealed in book 1 which makes you want to read on and discover what mysteries are surrounding the Ar’zac.

Characters

The main character is Rachel. I liked Rachel and her attitude to self-preservation, although her continued mistrust of everyone did get to me. But she is an orphan from the streets and I could fully relate to her not willing to trust a single person after the harsh reality of her every day existence. Maybe it’s because I liked Cale (the leader of the Sparrows) from the moment he first showed up and wanted Rachel to put her trust in him more quickly.

Writing style / Viewpoints

There are several viewpoint characters, which were handled with skill. It helped drive the story forward at the right moments and made me able to care more for the other characters. At times I thought the readers were drawn into the characters thoughts a little too much though, especially towards the end when I was desperate to see the story reach its climax through the action without being slowed down by introspect.

Final thoughts

I really enjoyed this book. It was a well written, easy read with a page-turning storyline.

I look forward to reading more of Rachel and Cale’s story and seeing what the future throws at them. The end of the epilogue certainly leaves me wanting to pick up the next book.

Recommend to

YA fantasy and fantasy fans in general

Rating

4 out of 5 stars

Check out the book for yourself Amazon UK   Amazon US   Goodreads

Indie Interview: Suzanne Rogerson #indieauthor of #epicfantasy Visions of Zarua

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I’m really pleased to share my interview over on Rebecca’s ‘Read A Lot’ blog.

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Since I’ve missed a whole week, I got right on to getting this interview uploaded for you. Suzanne Rogerson kindly agreed to take part in the Q&A, and there are even some graphics with qu…

Source: Indie Interview: Suzanne Rogerson

Results of the poll ‘Are book trailers worth it?’ #indieauthors #writers

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Last week I ran a poll to see if it was worth my time and money investing in a book trailer (original post). As promised here are the results.

40% stated it’s a waste of time.

40% stated they would consider buying a book if it had a good trailer.

20% voted other – (waste of money, don’t know what a book trailer is)

0% have sold books because of a book trailer

0% find books to buy that way.

I’ve had some interesting comments from other bloggers who mention other options available to people wanting to make their own trailer. As well as Fiver, there is iMovie, moviemaker and an Animoto app. I’ll be looking into these in more detail when I get the chance.

I still haven’t decided whether to go ahead with the trailer idea. And if I do, will I make the trailer myself or pay for a trailer to be made for me. It’s an extra marketing tool, but there’s still no saying it will encourage people to buy the book.

I like the idea of having a trailer to add to my Amazon page and post on YouTube. Plus there’s the option to get people to watch the trailer for entry into Rafflecopter and Amazon giveaways. These would be great for the trailer’s exposure, but yet more expense.

As one blogger said; ‘While I’ve watched a few book trailers out of sheer curiosity, I’ve never *wanted* to see one. They don’t tell me anything the blurb doesn’t tell me, and I have other things I’d rather watch.’ Lilyn G of Sci-fi & Scary.

So, after this little experiment, I remain undecided.

My thanks to those who took part in the poll, and to those who’ve taken an interest in the post.

Have you anything to add to the discussion? Has this poll encouraged or discouraged you to make or pay for your own trailer?

Visions of Zarua 1st anniversary #Goodreads #Giveaway #epicfantasy

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I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since Vision of Zarua was published and I want to celebrate by running a worldwide giveaway.

The winner will be picked on 16th Nov, an exact year after the ebook went live.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Visions of Zarua by Suzanne Rogerson

Visions of Zarua

by Suzanne Rogerson

Giveaway ends November 16, 2016.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Visions of Zarua is still enrolled in kindle unlimited, click here if you want to read it for free.

And if you are a book reviewer who is interested in reviewing, please use the contact me page.

Good luck to everyone who enters, and keep a look out for other giveaways I’ll be running over the next few months.

Are book trailers worth it? Join in the poll #WWWblogs #indieauthors #writers

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I have been making my way through my list of marketing ideas, which includes giveaways, blog tours and a book trailer.

I worked out a pitch, found a trailer format I liked on fiver, but then I chickened out. I started to question if it’s worth the £50+ price tag. Will I reach more readers? Is the £50 better spent elsewhere?

Before I take the plunge, I thought I’d open the question up to you guys. Please join in the poll.

I’ll post more about my thoughts on book trailers in a few days, along with the results of the poll.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear your thoughts and advice on the matter, please get in touch.