Michelle came through for me this afternoon and delivered my paperback cover wrap. It’s brilliant. She did have to nudge me to get the blurb done though. I stayed up too late last night and it went right out of my mind. Here it is, complete with the blurb I’m extraordinarily proud of.Continue reading “Bonus cover reveal: The paperback cover”
Tag Archives: fantasy
Hidden Fire Cover Reveal
HIDDEN FIRE progress report
I’m still planning to publish my book Hidden Fire this summer. I’ve made some progress. A couple of weeks ago I printed the whole book out and have been slowly editing. It took me the best part of two weeks to go through the first 11 chapters, but this weekend I’ve really put my back into it (because I haven’t the energy for anything else) and completed the read through. I’ve made some changes to the printed version and I now have to go back to my computer and make the changes in the document.
Yesterday a friend from university shared a video about formatting a book for publishing on Kindle, so I watched that and had a go at it. I have saved the original document too, so it’s not a big deal if I mess up. I currently have a file with the book formatted for Kindle, and another for the print book. I’m sure there’s front matter I’m missing and I need to find out about ISBNs and bar codes, but I’m getting there.
I’m waiting to hear back from my cover designer, but Michelle is busy working on her second novella, The Deceived, the follow up to her recently published The Bound. It’s understandable that she wants to concentrate on her own writing right now so I’m not going to be pushy. There’s eight weeks yet until publication date.
I’ve set up an author page on Facebook – Rosemarie Cawkwell – Indie Author. You’re welcome to follow and share if you’re on Facebook.
That’s about it. I’m going for a walk and then it’s back to work.
Extract: ‘Hidden Fire’, by Rosemarie Cawkwell
Brief summary
Hidden Fire is a fantasy novel, the first of four set in The Northern Isles of a world called Erce, in which a young woman, LIZZY FITZALBONI, discovers herself and her place in the world. Privileged form birth, she must learn that not everyone exists to make life easy for her, while navigating a complex political world where many would like to see her dead.
Synopsis
The Northern Isles are four islands to the west of the great continental empire of Belenos. Midway between Belenos and the western continent of Camar, they are key trading ports, controlling the supply of furs and oils from Camar to Belenos, and of silks and spices back to Camar. When the islands go to war everyone suffers. Lizzy FitzAlboni is the illegitimate child of the King John VII of Albon. His political marriage to Jocinta Tarjani, the granddaughter of the ruler of the second largest island, Sumoast, has always been rocky. When Lizzy is kidnapped just before her 21st birthday evidence points to the queen and her kinsmen in Sumoast. Jocinta is exiled back to her family. In Albon, political and religious currents awaken as religious authorities object to the queen’s exile and the people agitate for further reform of the political system. Lizzy becomes involved, while raising her brothers. When her friend Lord Gos Val goes missing while on in Belenos, Lizzy and her friends must investigate, but are too late to prevent the war everyone knows is coming.
Copyright Notice: The author asserts the copyright to this material. No copying, sharing etc. without permission.
(This is my work; steal it and I’ll hunt you down with a big axe and two mad hounds.)
Continue reading “Extract: ‘Hidden Fire’, by Rosemarie Cawkwell”
Review: Zombie Nation book 1: Zombie Juice, by Samantha Warren
Publication Date: 5th October 2016
Ebook received in return for an honest review.
The Kin twins, Kinley and Kincaid have lived in White Willows all their lives, almost sixteen years. They can just about remember the time before the zombie apocalypse. They live with their grandmother and help her run the town diner around their schooling. Soon they’ll finish school and become adults with more responsibility.
Then a convoy comes to town, bringing with it a new and deadly drug. And and new future for the twins.
This is a short book, only 80 pages long, but it was very enjoyable and certainly more original than some of the zombie apocalypse books I’ve read in the last year or so. The Kin twins are likeable characters and well-written, plot is well thought out and easy to read, and I like where it’s going. This book is a prologue to the series and we must wait to see where the author takes her characters.
There were a few editing errors, in word choice or grammar, which I’m sure will be ironed out before publication, but other than that I liked this YA novel.
Review: Monstrous Little Voices
Monstrous Little Voices
New Tales From Shakespeare’s Fantasy World
by Jonathan Barnes, Emma Newman, Kate Heartfield, Foz Meadows, Adrian Tchaikovsky
Published by: Abaddon
Publication Date: 8th March 2016
ISBN: 9781781083949
Price: Anywhere from £7.00 for paper back
Edition: Paper back
Review: ‘Witches Protection Program’ by Michael Phillip Cash
Chelshire Inc. Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members’ Titles Published: 14th May 2015 Paperback ISBN:9781511411349
Blurb
Witches Protection Program is filled with adventure & suspense Michael Phillip Cash creates a tongue-in-cheek alternate reality where witches cast spells and wreak havoc in modern day New York City.
Michael Phillip Cash is an award winning and best selling author of horror, paranormal, and science fiction novels. Michael currently resides on Long Island with his wife and children.
My Review
Firstly, the plot; it has a great deal of potential and could be extended from this novella in to a full novel or even a series. I was disappointed with certain aspects – such as the explanation for Bernadette’s great conspiracy, and the reason Wes lost his original position. They just weren’t ambitious enough. If that was all I wouldn’t be too bothered but the insistent and weakly developed romantic plot irritated me.
Secondly the writing: not bad, although tension would drop in all the wrong places.
Characters: All the men are heroes of one sort or another, and all the women are horrible (either physically or psychologically) or weak. Returning to Bernadette, all her actions are predicated on the assumption that the romantic rejection by her sister’s husband would make her hate all men and want to lock them up in internment camps. Or Scarlett, who’s jealousy of Morgan should somehow drive her mad with power lust. It all tickled at something, and then I realised what it was. Straw-feminist arguments advanced by misogynists include ‘feminists hate men’, ‘women hate each other’, and ‘women compete for male attention’; I’m sure the author isn’t a misogynist, but his book read like an MRA fantasy, complete with the handsome white man coming in to save the day and get the, equally white, younger, pretty girl.
I really hope that is the ‘tongue-in-cheek’ aspect of the book.
Overall, I was underwhelmed by this book, although the idea itself has a lot of potential.
2/5
Lincoln book haul
I went to Lincoln with my sister for her 30th birthday today; I only bought six books..
From my favourite independent book shop, Lindum Books (4 Bailgate, Lincoln, LN1 3AE):
Ian C Esslemont
Return of the Crimson Guard
Stonewielder
Mark Charan Newton
Nights of Villjamur
City of Ruin
Dorothy Whipple
The Priory
And from the Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology’s Jew’s Court Bookshop (Steep Hill, Lincoln):
Kevin Leahy
The Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Lindsey
Both shops sell second hand and new books, and are housed in historic buildings which are interesting in themselves.
The books I bought have made me very cheery tonight for several reasons. The Esslemont books complete my Malazan collection.
I really liked the Dorothy Whipple book I bought last time I visited Lindum, and I really love the binding Persephone books have. It’s such high quality. I was pleased to be able to find another book by the same author and the lady in Lindum Books was very knowledgeable. You don’t get that sort of service in a chain book shop.
I was pleased to support the SLHA with my purchase, especially since finding books specifically about Lindsey isn’t always easy.
I ache quite badly; Steep Hill is a (well-named) killer and I’ve become more unfit since I last went to Lincoln. I really need to work on that. Back to the regular long walks it is.
Review: ‘Sorcerer to the Crown’ by Zen Cho
Published By: Pan Macmillan
Publication Date: 10th September 2015 Continue reading “Review: ‘Sorcerer to the Crown’ by Zen Cho”
Review: Stormbringer by Alis Franklin
Stormbringer
Book 2 of the Wyrd
Alis Franklin
Published by: Random House Publishing Group – Hydra
Edition: Ebook
ISBN: 9780553394627
Price: $2.99 (USD)
Publication Date: 21st July, 2015
Blurb
Ragnarok—aka the end of the world—was supposed to doom the gods as well. Instead, it was a cosmic rebooting. Now low-level IT tech and comic-book geek Sigmund Sussman finds himself an avatar of a Norse goddess. His boyfriend, the wealthy entrepreneur Lain Laufeyjarson, is channeling none other than Loki, the trickster god. His best friends, Em and Wayne, harbor the spirits of slain Valkyries. Cool, right?The problem is, the gods who survived the apocalypse are still around—and they don’t exactly make a great welcoming committee. The children of Thor are hellbent on reclaiming their scattered birthright: the gloves, belt, and hammer of the Thunder God. Meanwhile, the dwarves are scheming, the giants are pissed, and the goddess of the dead is demanding sanctuary for herself and her entire realm.
Caught in the coils of the Wyrd, the ancient force that governs gods and mortals alike, Sigmund and his crew are suddenly facing a second Ragnarok that threatens to finish what the first one started. And all that stands in the way are four nerds bound by courage, love, divine powers, and an encyclopedic knowledge of gaming lore.
MY REVIEW
I giggled so much reading this book. I think I enjoyed it more than the first one, Liesmith, because now that we know the characters their stories have a chance to blossom.
I love the characters of Lain, Sig, Em and Wayne. Hel and her siblings are very sympathetically written, and the younger gods are such teenage brats! If their actions weren’t so awful then it’d be funny.
The book could do with an editor, there were minor spelling and grammar errors that look like a slip of the keyboard, but nothing to distract from the story.
Very enjoyable second book.
4/5
Everything Is Better With Dragons 