Zed Amadeo's Blog, page 6
August 21, 2015
The Blogger Recognition Award!
1. Select 15 other blogs you want to give this award to. Do some digging if you must! Find those blogs. You cannot nominate yourself of the person who has nominated you.
2. Write a post to show off your award! Give a brief story of how your blog got started, and give a piece or two advice to new bloggers. List who nominated you in your post. Make sure to attach the award yourself!
3. Comment on each blog to let them know you’ve nominated them. Provide a link to your award post.
4. Provide a link to the original post on Edge of Night. This way, anyone can find the original post if needed, and we can keep it from mutating and becoming confusing!
How This Blog Got Started:
First, thanks again to Sumaya from Sue’s Reading Corner for the nomination! I started blogging in March of this year when I decided that my author website needed a revamp. I thought blogging would be a cool way to meet other writers and readers who enjoy the genres that I write. Blogging has been much more enjoyable than I had ever expected. I’ve learned so much and had the opportunity to (virtually) meet some awesome people. I’m excited to keep blogging and connecting!
My Advice on Blogging:
1. Patience: You’re not going to magically get a ton of followers overnight. Building an audience takes time, so don’t get frustrated if it doesn’t seem like you have a large readership at first. Just keep at it!
2. Be Social: You know how excited you get when someone comments on your blog? Other bloggers feel the same way when you comment on their posts!
3. Interactivity: Make it easy for your readers to share your posts on social media, and try ending posts with a question for the audience to answer.
My Nominations for this Award (in no particular order):
7. XingSings
12. Anxiwarrior
13. Crushing Cinders
14. Books of Blood
15. Always Me
Have Fun Blogging!
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August 20, 2015
Two Free eBooks!
How would you like a free eBook?
No, scratch that. How would you like two free eBooks?
For a limited time, get two eBooks in my dark urban fantasy series “Kindred” for free!
Have you seen these suspects?
The above “Wanted” poster is a depiction of the warlocks that change Dina’s life forever in Resurrection, the first book in the dark urban fantasy series “Kindred.” For a limited time, Resurrection will be available for free on the Amazon Kindle store!
Get Resurrection for Free!
A LIFE LOST…
Brutally attacked and left for dead, Dina Durst’s mundane life is brought to an abrupt end.
A LIFE GAINED…
With her ordinary life broken beyond repair by the mysterious attack, Dina is dragged into a dark underworld of magic she never knew existed. No longer able to lead the life she once had, Dina embarks on a search for answers and quest for revenge, discovering new powers within herself.
A NEW PURPOSE…
Using her new discovery of magic, Dina rebuilds herself into a powerful new creature: a witch, intent on seeking revenge on those who wronged her. What nightmares and revelations will she unearth as she explores this dark world of fantasy and magic?
Experience Dina’s entrance into a supernatural and mystical world in Resurrection, the introduction to the “Kindred” series of dark urban fantasy novellas by Zed Amadeo.
The magic doesn’t stop there! Sign up for my newsletter, and get…
A Free Kindred Spellbook!
Get a Free Kindred Spellbook!
Get a taste of the story, or delve back into Kindred’s world of magic in this Spellbook!
Join the newsletter, and stay updated on new releases in the Kindred series! Like Reunion, which will be released later this month!
Becoming an author has been my dream for many years. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your support in helping me achieve this lifelong goal of mine. I was so thrilled to release my first story, Resurrection, on the Amazon Kindle store in May, the first of many to come, and am equally excited to release the next in the series. I hope you enjoy!
-Zed
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August 17, 2015
Top Ten Tuesday: Auto-Buy Authors
Welcome back to Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s theme is my top ten auto-buy authors. This one was tough – these days I’m more likely to borrow a book on Kindle or from the library than I am to actually buy it. These are the top authors whose books I go after as soon as I hear that they’re writing something new, or discover something that they previously wrote (in the case of the authors who are no longer living). Although I have not read all of the works by these authors, seeing their names attached to a project really piques my interest. To mix it up from last week’s post, I’ve divided these authors by genre. All author photos from Goodreads.
My Top Auto-Buy Authors
Horror:
1. HP Lovecraft
2. Matt Shaw
3. Jeff Strand
4. Thomas Ligotti
5. Edgar Allan Poe
6. Clark Ashton Smith
Science-Fiction
7. Octavia E. Butler
8. Stanislaw Lem
Graphic Novels:
9. Alan Moore
Non-Fiction
10. Oliver Sacks
Who are your auto-buy authors?
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August 13, 2015
Practical Writing Advice: Affordable Book Review Services
Getting your book reviewed is a crucial part of getting your book out in the world. But getting those reviews shouldn’t cost you a fortune.
Affordable Book Review Services
If you’re a new writer, getting those first few book reviews can be frustrating. Maybe you’ve tried reaching out to reviewers yourself, but haven’t been getting responses. Or perhaps you’ve taken a look at a review service, only to gasp at how much money lots of them cost. Like lots of writers, I can’t afford to drop a few hundred dollars on getting my book reviewed. Instead, I sought services that could provide me with access to the reviewers I needed without draining my wallet.
These services are great for finding readers that are interested in reviewing the type of book that you write. If you’re a book reviewer, you can even sign-up for some of these to find new books to review!
A word before going forward: paying for reviews is ethically icky and against Amazon’s TOS. These services, however, do not involve paying for reviews – they only help you find reviewers.
BookRazor
BookRazor helps you find reviewers on Amazon based on your genre. You indicate how many reviewers you’d like to contact (you pay per name) and provide a few books similar to yours. Within seventy-two hours, you’ll be sent a list of reviewers that you can reach out to, along with a couple of pointers for emailing them. I personally used Book Razor and found their service to be extremely effective, with a higher response rate than my previous attempts. Plus, if you let Martin know I referred you, you’ll get a 10% discount.
Story Cartel
August 10, 2015
Top Ten Tuesday: My Most-Read Authors
Welcome back to Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week it’s the top ten authors I’ve read the most books from, some of which surprised me. All author photographs from Goodreads.
Top Ten Most Read Authors
1. Matt Shaw
Book Count: 19
Favorite Book: Happy Ever After
I wasn’t surprised that Matt Shaw was in my list of top read authors, but I was surprised that he was my most read one because he’s the author I discovered most recently. Happy Ever After was one of the first books I read on my Kindle.
2. Neil Gaiman
Book count: 18
Favorite Book: Sandman or Mirrormask
One of the authors whose talent I envy the most.
3. Marissa Moss
Book count: 15
Favorite book: Amelia’s Boredom Survival Guide
I read pretty much every book in the Amelia’s Notebook series as a kid.
4. Bill Watterson
Book count: 12
Favorite book: The Essential Calvin and Hobbes
I love Calvin and Hobbes!
5. JK Rowling
Book count: 11
Favorite book: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
The author that sparked my imagination as a kid, and continues to inspire me as a writer.
6. Scott Westerfeld
Book count: 10
Favorite book: Uglies
I think reading Uglies sparked the beginning of my YA phase as a teenager.
7. Chuck Palahniuk
Book count: 9
Favorite book: Invisible Monsters
He may be one of my favorite writers, but I still somehow manage to misspell his name every time!
8. John Peel
Book count: 8
Favorite book: Book of Names
Another surprise! I loved the Diadem series as a teen.
9. Stephen King
Book count: 6
Favorite book: Carrie
I saw Carrie the Musical once. I thought it was fantastic.
10. Jeff Vandermeer
Book count: 6
Favorite book: Annihilation or The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric and Discredited Diseases
I only discovered Jeff Vandermeer last year, but I wish I could have known about his fiction sooner!
Who are your most read authors?
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August 7, 2015
A Science Fiction Double Feature!
Two excellent sci-fi reads I enjoyed this summer!
Why yes, I am a fan of Rocky Horror! How did you know?
I’ve had the chance to read a lot of great books on my Kindle this summer. Although I tend to browse through more Fantasy than Science-Fiction books (I love both genres, but Fantasy is the primary one I write), I managed to stumble upon two excellent sci-fi reads to enjoy on my Kindle:
Book covers from Goodreads.
Furtl by Strobe Witherspoon
Furtl follows the adventures of Manny Kahn, the creator of the eponymous search engine which has grown to become heavily ingrained in the society of the future. A social network, self-driving cars, even monetary transactions…you name it, furtl is probably involved. When Kahn returns to the United States after a hiatus abroad, he finds that furtl has changed his home in more ways than he expected…
Furtl is a hysterical satire of today’s world. I often found myself laughing at how spot-on the parody was. Waitherspoon’s dystopian satire is available on Amazon for Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and in paperback.
Solace Inc by Jason Werbeloff
In today’s jam-packed world, you probably feel pressed for time more often than not. Constantly bombarded with images, advertisements, and screens full of text, it can be easy to feel drained from the sheer amount of information always being tossed at you. Wouldn’t it be great to have some way to break out of this constant grind?
Fast-forward to a future where this experience has increased exponentially, and the world around you is falling into a dystopian state. Now imagine that you could take a pill that would slow down your perception of time to provide you a temporary escape from this overly fast-paced world. Welcome to the world of Solace Inc, a quick, thought-provoking read that is well worth your time. The first book in The Solace Pill series is available for free on the Amazon Kindle store. Plus, if you sign up for Werbeloff’s newsletter, you can get the rest of the story for free as well!
Which sci-fi reads have you enjoyed this summer?
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August 3, 2015
Top Ten Tuesday: Retold Fairy Tales
Welcome back to Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish! This week’s theme is the top fairy tales I’d love to see retold, or retellings I’d love to read/have already read. All book covers from Goodreads.
Top Ten Retold Fairy Tales
1. Russian Lacquer, Legends, and Fairy Tales by Lucy Maxym
My mother bought me a used copy of this book at a library book sale and I read it front to cover many times over. I’d love to see any of these legends retold in the modern day.
2. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
I’ve seen this book on so many bloggers’ Top Ten lists that I feel like I must give it a try.
3. Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham
The first entry I read in the Fables series (which I never got to finish).
4. The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson
In elementary school, I borrowed a copy of The Little Mermaid from my school’s library. No one had told me that the original story was so much sadder than the Disney movie. I still think it’s such a beautiful story.
5. The Little Android by Marissa Meyer
Since I love The Little Mermaid so much, of course I would want to read a sci-fi retelling of this story! I had actually heard of this one before I’d heard of Cinder, although I hadn’t realized it had been written by Marissa Meyer at the time.
6. Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman
Definitely one of the most messed-up retellings I’ve ever read.
7. Castle Waiting by Linda Medley
A fantastic graphic novel story inspired by Sleeping Beauty!
8. In the Cities of Coin and Spice by Catherynne M. Valente
Inspired by the 1001 Arabian Nights.
9. The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde
Alternate retellings of Rumpelstiltskin!
10. Beauty by Sarah Pinborough
Another Sleeping Beauty adaptation.
What are your favorite retold fairy tales?
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July 27, 2015
Top Ten Tuesday: Fellow Book Nerds
It’s time for Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish! This week it’s the top ten characters who are fellow book nerds – a great topic as a proud bookworm and a former librarian! All book covers from Goodreads.
Top Ten Fellow Book Nerds
1. Ryter from The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick
It takes a certain amount of courage to continue writing in a world where everyone is plugged into a virtual reality.
2. Henry from The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
He’s a librarian! I tend to be fairly picky when it come to romance, but I surprisingly loved this book.
3. Scheherazade from The Arabian Nights
I hope I have enough imagination to come up with one thousand and one stories.
4. Clay from Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
I wish I could work for this bookstore!
5. Alberto from The Infinite Library by Kane X. Faucher
Hired to work for the eponymous infinite library. Kind of reminds me of a more serious and philosophical version of Mr. Penumbra.
6. Granger from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Imagine memorizing entire books to carry on the legacy of literature in a world where books are banned!
7. Jack from The Shining by Stephen King
If you’re a writer, don’t a become caretaker for strange hotels. It won’t end well.
8. Esther from The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
A semi-autobiographical writer from one of my favorite books.
9. Virginia Woolf from The Hours by Michael Cunningham
I haven’t yet had a chance to read the book, but I thought the movie adaptation was superb.
10. Mikael from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
A journalist. I’m still working my way through the book, but I loved the Swedish miniseries.
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July 21, 2015
Top Ten Tuesday: Diverse Characters
It’s time for Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and The Bookish! This week it’s the Top Ten Books That Celebrate Diversity/Diverse Characters. All book covers from Goodreads. I’m not really sure if these books celebrate diversity, but they do feature diverse people and/or protagonists.
Top Ten Books Celebrating Diversity
1. Monkey Mind: A Memoir of Anxiety by Daniel B. Smith
Neurodiversity: a man and his struggle with anxiety since adolescence.
2. Dawn by Octavia E. Butler
An African-American woman among aliens!
3. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks
A study of non-neurotypical individuals.
4. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon
Neurodiversity. Also a fantastic title.
5. Nekropolis by Maureen McHugh
Accepting artificial intelligence into human communities!
6. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Gender diversity. Also one of my favorite books.
7. Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende
A Hispanic woman in the 19th century.
8. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Neurodiversity.
9. Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
Body diversity taken to an extreme. What does it mean to be a “freak?”
10. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Women in Afghanistan.
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July 16, 2015
Book Review: INK: Red by Al K. Line
In a world gone to sleep, someone has to stay Awake.
Image from Goodreads
Imagine a world in which most of the population has fallen victim to a mysterious condition known only as The Lethargy, growing increasingly apathetic until they slip into a living coma until they silently pass away. Now imagine that you are one of the survivors, living in a deserted and dangerous world. Welcome to the world of INK.
Edsel has been captured by a cult that calls itself The Eventuals, a group in which every member is tattooed red from head to toe. He manages to escape this painful process and make it back home, only to find that his beloved companion Kathy has been killed by the cult. Spurred by the pain of this tragedy, Edsel sets out to get his revenge.
Along the way, he meets a young boy named Aiden, who has since lost his parents to The Lethargy (if you’ve ever seen Serenity, The Lethargy reminds me a lot of what happened on Miranda). Aiden is one of the people who is Awoken – individuals who have not only been able to avoid succumbing to The Lethargy, but have gained mysterious powers. Edsel and his companion set off on a journey together, fighting to survive in the post-apocalyptic world of INK.
INK starts off at a rapid pace that doesn’t let go until you finish the book. I found myself having a hard time putting the book down as I was reading. One aspect of INK that I appreciated was how the theme of revenge was handled and discussed. This book takes previous tropes in speculative fiction and melds these together to create a unique and unforgettable story. Plus, INK has a surprising little twist at the end. If you loved INK: Red, you can delve back into Edsel’s world with the next two books in the INK trilogy which continues more of Edsel’s story, and The Commorancy series, which explores this post-apocalyptic world at large.
INK is available on Amazon – free for Kindle, and $9.99 for paperback.
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