Tracy Falbe's Blog, page 42

Helga: Out of the Hedgelands book blast and $100 giveaway

 

Helga: Out of the Hedgelands Twelve-year-old Helga has more danger in her life than most beasts her age—Wrackshee slavers after her, a vicious attack by bandits that nearly kills her, a race against dragons pursuing her, and leading a daring rebellion to save her life and rescue friends and family from the insidious WooZan. And that is just the beginning. But what do you expect when you are a young beast who just can’t see the stupid rules of the world making any sense?

Helga can’t accept things as they are and ends up taking on not just one, but two all-powerful, supreme tyrants in two different realms. Helga never intended to lead a revolution. It just sort of happened because she wouldn’t go along with the “rules of normal” that keep tyrants in power and entire societies enslaved. Beginning on a dangerous quest to solve some mysteries in her own past, Helga leads her quirky comrades on a journey that will not only forever change them, but upset ancient civilizations.

As an author, I’m drawn to eccentric, unexpected characters: those who surprise because they hear a distant galaxy, see a different music, create their own fragrance rather than get hooked on a soundtrack; the child who has her own ideas about how the emperor is dressed; the lunatics and rebels who tell stories on the boundaries. Helga’s unusual story will take readers to worlds they never imagined—definitely a whole new ride. Time and again, the unconventional heroine and her eccentric comrades overcome ominous tyrants and black-hearted slavers, not by battling to the last beast standing, but by being the first beast to think differently.

Helga: Out of Hedgelands is divided into three books which introduce the epic saga of the Wood Cow clan and their role in overturning centuries of slavery and tyranny. This story will continue in additional volumes of the Wood Cow Chronicles now in development. Over the series of current and future volumes, the entire history of the Wood Cow clan, the fall of Maev Astuté, and the coming of Lord Farseeker to the Outer Rings, will be told.  

Amazon
Book Trailer

   

Author Rick Johnson 
I am a native of the Great Plains, having grown up on a farm in the Platte River Valley of western Nebraska. I love the wild beauty of the Plains and nearby Rocky Mountains--the too hot, too cold, too empty, too full of life extremes. Typically, the awesomely diverse and the awesomely stark are much the same, even as they are different. Although I have lived in Michigan, North Carolina, and British Columbia, the western plains, mountains, and desert are in my heart.

As my day job, for over thirty years I have been a faculty member and administrator in higher education. Teaching broadly in the liberal arts, including creative writing, my professional publications include educational materials, poems, and 28 stories for young readers. During my spare hours, I have also collected and carefully studied the records of former times upon which the Wood Cow Chronicles are based.

It is my privilege to bring this astonishing saga to light. The Wood Cow Chronicles have been researched and written with the irreplaceable assistance of Barbara, my beloved wife of more than thirty-five years, and our children. Indeed, the essential research into the history of the Wood Cows has been conducted during the odd hours of family reading and storytelling "around the campfire" as we say--even when there is no campfire! This research continues and grows richer as our family expands across generations and continents.  

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Pinterest
 
 
Book Blast Giveaway $100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 5/1/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.

Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Watcha Reading? Blog Hop - share, surf, read, repeat

The Watcha Reading? Blog Hop simulates the experience of seeing someone with a book or magazine and asking that person “What are you reading?”
Word of mouth is an important way for readers to get recommendations. Hop around the participating blogs to be serendipitously exposed to new reads.
Bloggers looking for a new hop are invited to join the Watcha Reading? Blog Hop. The concept is simple. Write a post at your blog about what you are currently reading. It can be a book, ebook, magazine, or ancient scroll that a wizard just handed you. Do a quick write up about what it is, why you’re reading it, and what you find interesting about it. It does not have to be a full and proper review. For example you can say “I just started this book and the main character is intriguing because…” Or, “I have to read this book for my class and this is an interesting fact…”
I’d say a paragraph of 3 or 4 sentences would be a nice minimum size for the post. You can write as much as you want though.
If you can, include a graphic element like a book cover in your post.
IMPORTANT FOR BLOGGERS
1. Include my blog hop graphic with the text link labeling Her Ladyship’s Quest as the sponsor. In html mode in your blog editor, paste in this code to get the graphic and link text:
<p><img src="http://falbepublishing.com/images/wha..." alt="Watcha Reading? blog hop" height="200" width="200" border="0"></p>
        <p>Sponsored by <a href="http://www.herladyshipsquest.com&quot... Ladyship's Quest</a></p>
2. Copy and paste the link widget code into your post. This will display the links of participating bloggers so readers can hop around.  

<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidg..." ></script>
3. Decide what prize to offer.
a. You can include the Rafflecopter form to give away my ebook Judgment Rising (get the code here).
OR
b. Include a giveaway for a prize of your choice. For example, you’re an author and want to promote a title so you use that for the prize on your blog as part of the hop. Or maybe you want to offer a gift card of some sort. It’s up to you.
4. After you publish your Watcha Reading? post, add the direct link to that post to the widget form. It will update to include your blog post everywhere the widget is shared.
The reading material can be fiction or nonfiction. It can be for business or pleasure. The hop is meant to give a snapshot of what you are reading.
In the link widget form put the name of your blog for Link Title. After a few bloggers get signed up I will begin to promote the blog hop until the end of May.
Blog hop ebook giveaway drawing

Comment with the button on the Rafflecopter form below to be entered in the drawing to win Judgment Rising: The Rys Chronicles Book III. Although it's the third novel of that fantasy series, new readers can use it as a point of entry. It begins 5 years after the close of the last novel and introduces new story lines and characters.

About Judgment Rising by Tracy FalbeTo the victors go the spoils, and Shan and Dreibrand have flourished for five years as the leaders of their respective kingdoms. Allied by friendship, they greet the future with excitement and grandiose plans.
Dreibrand counts on his relationship with Shan to protect him from the encroaching Atrophane Empire as he carefully avoids direct confrontation with his former countrymen, now under the undisputed leadership of his old rival Sandin Promentro.

But a greater malice than imperial ambition threatens the new lords of the Wilderness. The long dead civilization of Nufal, where Dreibrand and Miranda nurture their fledgling kingdom, has not forgotten the brutal genocide of its ancient war with the rys. The ghosts of Nufal may have been extinguished but their avengers remain. The inheritors of Onja’s wealth and lands will now battle the nightmare of their judgment rising.

See more about The Rys Chronicles at Brave Luck Books. 

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fun with table top gaming - Pandemic

 
I recently had the opportunity to enjoy a few gaming sessions and play Pandemic. It's been out for a few years but I have not had a chance to play table top games with actual humans for a long time. In the distant past I've spent many an evening playing Magic the Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons. I love that stuff, and it was fun to learn a new table top game. 
Pandemic isn't a really role playing game, but the players work together in a collaborative effort to cure diseases before they wipe out humanity. It's actually rather difficult to save the world, and we were only playing on the medium level. I think it's critical that one of the players draw the Medic card or the Quarantine Specialist. The Dispatcher is very helpful too. 
The way the game play is structured things can get out of hand very easily, as in disease spreads rapidly and beyond our capability to halt outbreaks. Especially devastating is that the same cities often get hit by infections over and over because those cards are put back on TOP of the infection deck, per the rules. 
I won't go into describing all the rules, but it did not take too long to grasp the major concepts. The best strategies were developed by learning how to put all of our various talents together for the best effect. Or, depending on our luck, sometimes we did not have much talent to draw upon. Then everyone dies of nasty disease.
Table top gaming has old fashioned appeal. Everyone is so connected by their little devices with screens and awesome video game graphics, but it's nice to sit together at a table and play on a board and draw cards and move little pieces. It really is. Despite all our wonderfully addictive technology, people still crave actual socialization over virtual socialization. I plan to include more table top games in my future. I'm especially looking forward to when my sons are old enough to give them a try. I can't wait to see how their imaginations navigate a dungeon.
Comment if you've played Pandemic or want to recommend a table top game.

TV Tuesdays - Portlandia

I think the TV show Portlandia is delightful. It's not always laugh out loud gut-busting funny, but it's sketches are charming, thoughtful, and memorable.

What I love most about Portlandia is that it makes fun of people like me. The "You can pickle that" skit from season 2 makes me smile because I do a lot of pickling. I think I've even used that phrase "You can pickle that." Pickling is one of my favorite ways to preserve vegetables. Spicy pickled carrots are especially yummy although I understand the trepidation of my guests when I offer them a snack. I see in their eyes their realization that they have entered the home of someone who pickles.

Another great Portlandia moment is the little skit when the man forgets to bring his bag to the grocery. I'm one of those people who tries to always have her own bag and avoid stooping to a plastic one, even if I do use them for yucky garbage that doesn't go in the worm composter. (Paper bags go in the compost so I choose to get those sometimes.) In the skit the cashier is horrified by the man's lack of bag and has to call a manager.

In general the chemistry between the stars Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein is so perfect. Whether they are playing a married couple, just friends, or professional colleagues, they come across as so genuine. They are both very talented actors. I especially enjoy the costuming and the cross-dressing. Carrie makes a mind-blowing man in her (his?) wife beater tank. And Fred as a woman in the recurring Women's Bookstore sketches makes me chuckle every time.

Kyle McLachlan (Muad'dib!) as the Mayor of Portland is also a delight. He bikes and kayaks around the city. He's a truly enlightened political leader.

When I watched the Brunch Village episode in Season 2, I became even more smitten with the show. It was so clever and I could totally relate to the popular eatery that everyone was willing to wait for a seat in. After watching the episode before bed, I could not get it out of my head the next day. That evening I resolved to watch it again, but then saw on the episode list that the next episode was Brunch Village, the Director's Cut. I immediately watched the director's cut because the director's cut is always better than the original release, and it was! I especially admired the creativity of a show to produce a great episode and then immediately re-imagine its presentation in the next show and pull it off with smashing success.

I greatly anticipate watching Portlandia Season 3. I appreciate creative and clever sketch comedy performed by truly talented people. I wish them much success and thank them for their efforts.

Dogs, Cats or Both?

When I consider the differences between dog and cat people, I wonder...

Are cat people seeking an authority figure that will rule with an uncompromising iron paw?  Are cat people in need of a sounding board that will treat all of their ideas with contempt?
Do dog people want to assert themselves as a "master"?
Are dog people desperate for constant feedback about how lovable they are?
Do dog people possess a desire to witness the genitals of their guests snuffled? 
Mostly I suspect that both dog and cat people just want companionship that's soft and fuzzy. 
A psychological survey of over 4,000 people done by University of Texas professor Sam Gosling revealed some personality tendencies for dog and cat owners.

From the study summary at  http://www.utexas.edu/news/2010/01/13/personality_dogs_cats/
Forty-six percent of respondents described themselves as dog people, while 12 percent said they were cat people. Almost 28 percent said they were both and 15 percent said they were neither. Dog people were generally about 15 percent more extraverted, 13 percent more agreeable and 11 percent more conscientious than cat people. Cat people were generally about 12 percent more neurotic and 11 percent more open than dog people.
I like having both a dog and a cat. Perhaps I crave a cat to undermine my authority with the dog. Dogs have rules. Cats have demands.

I would not describe myself as an extrovert but I do enjoy the love and devotion I get from my dog. When I lost a beloved dog in 2011, I was overwhelmed by my grief and could not stand how empty the house was. I really do want that exuberant happiness that a dog delivers upon coming home. No matter how bad a day is going, a wagging tail always helps.

But what of cats? What do they offer? I admire a cat's innate sense of superiority. I like to enable their ability to sleep all day and avoid all the responsibilities that weigh upon us poor humans. I also like having someone soft and fuzzy to curl up by my feet in bed.

Some people think that cats aren't loyal, but I beg to differ. I usually acquire cats from shelters and when you spring a kitty from the pokey, he's going to be your homeboy through thick and thin, even when you bring a German Shepherd puppy home.

Comment with your opinions about dogs and cats. Which one do you have? Are you a dog-AND-cat person like me?

New Audiobook release: The Home Canning Guide for Everyone Who Eats

Hoping to expand on the success of my home canning guide that I published as an ebook in 2011, I've produced The Home Canning Guide for Everyone Who Eats as an audiobook. 

Recorded by voice professional Kris Keppeler, the guide is one hour and twenty six minutes long. It provides step-by-step instructions for using a water bath canner and pressure canner. Plus it has many tips for home canning, including how to find good produce and plenty of information to motivate you to enter the satisfying world of home food preservation.

The audiobook has 11 recipes with an emphasis on preserving tomatoes, jams, applesauce, and pickles. I also offer advice on how to find other recipes safe for home canning.

I decided to produce this successful ebook as an audiobook because it's always good to expand formats. At first I worried that a cookbook in audio might not be very desirable, but there actually is a niche market for vision impaired people. Just because someone's eyes aren't great at reading print does not mean a person isn't interested in cooking.

Also any person might be interested in listening to the information and learning how to can food at home while driving or knitting or cleaning. Audiobooks have been stimulating brains during monotonous activities for years.

Right now the audiobook is available at my website for $3.95. People can choose from either the zip folder of all the mp3 chapters or the m4b iTunes ready audiobook format.

I've inlcuded a sample mp3 chapter at the home canning audiobook page. Go have a listen and learn how the home canning process stops food from spoiling.

Soon this title will also be for sale at Audible and iTunes. I'll announce the retail distribution as soon as it happens. 

Even if you're a good listener but still want your cookbooks as text, you can get The Home Canning Guide for Everyone Who Eats as a printable pdf ebook. Read on screen or print all or part of it out. It's only $0.99 so that's some really affordable flexibility.

Two lovely Asian images added to my stock art catalog

Slowly but surely my selection of royalty free stock art is growing. I find and scan vintage and fine art images from old books and prints and prepare them for the digital market. Recently I added two lovely Asian works of art. 

The first is a divine color woodcut called Two Peaches on a Branch. Chinese printers crafted this image in the 17th century and based it on a painting by Ko Chung-hsan.




The second image is Japanese and called Mother and Child with Bird.


Please visit my stock art site and peruse these and other images. Prices range from $0.99 to $1.95 for individual high resolution 300 dpi jpegs. Creative people who need a variety of images for their projects are always in need of new sources of stock art, especially ones that aren't expensive.

Save 20 percent off hardcovers or paperbacks Rys Rising fantasy series

I'm passing along a coupon code from the print-on-demand service Lulu. I have a publishing account set up there that offers hardcover or paperback copies of Rys Rising: Book I, Savage Storm, New Religion, and Love Lost.

Through March 31st you can get 20 percent off with the coupon code VERNUM.

Access the Rys Rising hardcovers and paperbacks at Lulu.

If you're not in the U.S. scroll down to the bottom of the page. Under the heading International you can change the shop to your country. Lulu operates in many countries so maybe yours is on the list.

She sees her Good magic as Evil - Azrel Character Profile

Today I welcome author Nichelle Rae who is touring her new novel Only a Glow. Rae has prepared a character profile to help readers get to know Azrel. 

Currently the novel has a 4.5 star rating at Amazon. Now let's get to know more about Azrel.

Introducing the most hated person in Casdanarus, well the most hated person among those who know she has returned, Azrel; also known as The White Warrior. Also known as, for those among us that even knows of The White Warrior, “The biggest coward in Casdanarus who ever existed and will ever exist.” Or also known as “The coward deserving 1,000 torturous deaths.”
Granted Casdanarus doesn’t even know Azrel, but the world certainly has never forgotten her father; The First White Warrior, for which a death penalty awaits anyone in many lands of Casdanarus that even speaks highly of The White Warrior.Basic Statistics

Name: Azrel
Age: 29
Current Residence: Casdanarus
Siblings (describe relationship): Rabryn. Brother younger than her by 12 years. A very devoted and loyal and loving relationship is between them. They will protect each other to their last breath, even if the other does not want protection.
Relationship skills: Loyalty

Physical Characteristics:

Height: 5’9”
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Brown
Greatest flaw: Misdirected self hatred.
Best quality: Brave, Noble, Honorable, and Loyal.
Body type: Agile, Muscular, and Tight. Sleek and Feminine. Could be compared to a cat.

Intellectual/Mental/Personality Attributes and Attitudes

Learning Experiences: Too many to list here. You’re just going to have to read the book to find out. 

Character's short-term goals in life:Returning a lost magical necklace to its owner before the soul of the gem that is attached to the chain dies, and everything with the ability to heal in the world dies with it.
 
Character's long-term goals in life:Bringing honor to her father’s name by killing Hathum, the last reminisce of evil from the age of the last Shadow Gods rule before he can allow the Shadow Gods to rule her land again.
 
How does Character see himself/herself?Even though she was created by the very hand of the Light Gods of Goodness, she has suffered so much horrible hardship that she hates herself and her magic with a fierce passion for causing such hardships in her life. She sees her magic of Goodness as Evil because protecting it has hurt her so much.
 
How does Character believe he/she is perceived by others? She knows her brother loves her but any other positive treatment or sign of affection from anyone else is lost on her and confuses her. She hates herself so much she can’t see how anyone can love her.
 
How self-confident is the character?She is not. She is loyal and will die for anyone of her friends even though some of her friends she’s often doesn’t believe truly think she’s great, even though they do.
 
Does the character seem ruled by emotion or logic or some combination thereof? YUP! Both! She is ruled by emotion mostly. Her own hatred for the world that abandoned her great father who single handedly pulled the world back from the brink of Shadow 10,000 years ago. She is driven by her determination to bring honor back to her father’s name as The White Warrior. Also her logical side of warfare knowledge and weaponry and weapon use, taught to her by her father, gives her confidence in battle even if she is not confident in herself as a person. She knows she can kill and kill well, and she will do so in order to protect people she loves even though she doesn’t believe they could love her in return.

Emotional Characteristics
How does the character deal with anger?She loser her temper and starts arguments. Sometimes she screams really loud and changes into her White Warrior form when she gets angry enough to go temporarily insane.
 
With sadness? She deals with sadness by getting angry as well. She’s just learning how to cry at the beginning of the book when she’s forced to tell her brother Rabryn that she’s the world wide hated White Warrior.
 
With conflict? She argues…loudly.
 
With change? She is afraid of it at first in the very beginning of the book, but soon welcomes it if it gets her out of The Pitt and gives her the opportunity to kill Hathum and bring honor to her father’s name.
 
With loss? She blames her magic and her magical Sword and the Light Gods for taking anything from her.
 
What does the character want out of life? To bring honor to her father’s name and not lose anyone she loves in the process.
 
What would the character like to change in his/her life? The way the world see The White Warrior.
 
What motivates this character?Bringing honor to her father’s name is the only thing that drives her at first. Then the protection of her brother Rabryn and best friend Ortheldo are added to the determination.
 
What frightens this character?Failure and Water.
 
What makes this character happy? Her brother Rabryn.

Spiritual Characteristics
What are the character's spiritual beliefs? She knows the gods of her world exist though she does everything to try and not believe it because she hates them so much and blame them for all her hardship and loss.
 
Is religion or spirituality a part of this character's life? Yup. A huge part.
 
If so, what role does it play? She is the Light Gods very creation. She is Their earthly incarnation of Their very own power of Goodness and Light.

How the Character is Involved in the Story

Character's role in the novel: Main character. Heroine.
 
Scene where character first appears:Chapter One outside of her and her father’s cave she first appears at 13 years old.

Relationships with other characters:

1. Rabryn: -- They are very protective of each other though Rabryn is very naive as to exactly what kind of danger he wants to protect Azrel from. He knows nothing of the dangers in the world outside of The Pitt he grew up in. He lived a very secluded life and knew nothing of weapons and warfare until Azrel came into his life. But he witnessed firsthand horrendous torture and abused his beloved sister endured at the hands of the people of The Pitt and he loves Azrel with a fierce unwavering love and will protect her if he can for the rest of her life. Azrel is more aware of the dangers of the world. She grew up being trained by her father as a warrior. Rabryn is the only wholesome pure and good thing in her life and she will protect him to her dying day because her brother is the only good thing she thinks is in her life.
 
2. Ortheldo: -- Grew up with Azrel starting at 10 years old (Azrel was 13) when Azrel’s father found him as a runaway.  The two were at first dueling partners only. But when they lost each other suddenly and unexpectedly for 9 years, they realized in that absence that they meant more to each other than just dueling and training partners. Ortheldo’s love for Azrel is much like Rabryns, only on the romantic side of the coin of affection. Azrel fights hard to love Ortheldo because she believe herself evil and doesn’t want him to get hurt, or to hurt him ever. But as the perilous journey of theirs progresses it gets harder and harder for Azrel to deny how much she loves him.
 
3. Beldorn: -- Beldorn is a kind and gentle Wizard that rescues Azrel from an unseen peril. After Azrel’s father dies, he temporarily takes over the role as Azrel’s teacher. They travel together for a year, all over Casdanarus, as he shows her races and realms her father only could show her in books. They become great friends and Azrel is genuinely sad when they have to part ways. They reunite down the road as Azrel’s journey gets underway and Beldorn plays the role of wise advisor.
 
4. Forfirith: -- Is Azrel’s horse. At first Forfirith is just a mode of transportation, but because Azrel loves horses so much, she treats him like a regular friend, even talking to him on a occasion. Shockingly, he somehow seems to respond to Azrel much like a human companion would, even without talking. Soon Forfirith becomes a loyal and trusted friend to Azrel that she depends on for more than just a means of quicker travel.
Excerpt Of Azrel:RabrynAs much as I wanted her too, as much as I tried, Azrel never belonged in The Pitt. Her upbringing with her father was so dynamic it sparked her fiery nature. The Pitt, because of its simplicity on top of the scorn for her, was the worst place for someone like her to be in. She told me once that it made her feel like a caged animal. She wasn’t so much an animal, but she had an amazing spirit. Because of that wild spirit, she was a caged animal in a sense. It made me sad knowing The Pitt had wilted that spirit over the years. Though it had indeed wilted, it was far from dead. I’d already seen it start to come to life again and we were only a day away from The Pitt. Nothing pleased me more now than to see my sister in good spirits. She was free now.
Quotes From Azrel:“Gift! How would you know if it’s a gift? You know nothing about my magic! How dare you call it a gift!”“Forgive me if I don't tremble in fear, but I don't see you as any kind of a threat to me.”“Don’t you dare go far into these woods, little brother. I had better be able to smellyou nearby. Do you understand me?”“If harm ever threatens you, I want it to be my life before yours!”
Contact Nichelle Rae: SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheWhiteWarriorSeriesTwitter: @Nichelle_WritesWebsite: www.thewhitewarriorseries.comGoodreads: Nichelle RaeBlog: http://booksreallyareveryentertaining.blogspot.com/
“Only A Glow” BOOK TRAILER http://vimeo.com/51313772
GET “Only a Glow” Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Only-Glow-White-Warrior-ebook/dp/B009MN5QI2/

New audio episode - Chapters 17 and 18 of The Goddess Queen audiobook

I just published two more chapters from The Goddess Queen audiobook production. Chapters 17 and 18 are now available in mp3 format. I'm over halfway toward completing the audiobook. I can't wait until it's done.



In Chapter 17 The Battle of the Jingten Pass, the army of Shan has reached the Rysamand and Onja’s magic strikes with devastating force.
In Chapter 18 The Glare of the Victorious, Shan encounters Quylan who begs for his help, and Dreibrand prepares for a reckoning with his old master Lord Kwan Chenomet.
Please visit The Goddess Queen audiobook page at Brave Luck Books to buy the new chapters.