Suzanne Rogerson's Blog, page 56

#Tuesdaybookblog #Bookreview Spark and Carousel by Joanne Hall #fantasy

Spark and Carousel by Joanne Hall

Genre – Fantasy

 

Note – I won this paperbook a few months ago on twitter during BrizzleLass’ blogiversary giveaway. I’m so pleased I won and found a new author to follow.

First thoughts:

It is a beautiful book to read with its smooth cover and soft creamy pages. It’s heavy for just under 400 pages and I loved reading it in this form rather than ebook. I don’t like the cover art very much because you can’t get a feel for the characters, but the darkness suits the story and there is a hint of the demons that will soon be unleashed on the city of Cape Carey.

The inclusion of demons in a fantasy was something I haven’t seen much, so this really drew me into the story.

Summary:

Spark is a young mage who is untrained and out of his depths, trying to escape his past after the mercy killing of his dying master. He has great power, but because his master was sick, has no training or understanding of how to use his gift. Watch out Cape Carey, and whatever you do, don’t make Spark angry…

Incidentally, Spark is his nickname which he isn’t given until page 83. I did find this a little annoying, but understand it can’t be helped. It’s just in the beginning you are introduced to quite a few characters and it is not immediately clear which one is the main character.

Characters:

One of my favourite characters is Lord Carey’s daughter, Allorise. She is a nasty piece of work and will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

All the characters are well drawn and believable.

Issues:

I liked the characters I was supposed to like and hated the ones I was supposed to hate but I didn’t feel any great personal attachment to any of them. This is a shame, as caring for the characters is what makes a book great and truly memorable.

The other issue I found with the book was its description of sex. I don’t feel the level of detail added anything to the story.

Final thoughts:

Spark and Carousel was a real page turner and I had a lot of late nights when I just couldn’t stop reading. I will be looking out for more of Joanne Hall’s books.

Recommend to:

All fantasy fans, especially those who are not phased by graphic sex and death scenes.

Rating:

4 stars (if I had found more of a connection with the characters, it would have been a 5).

 

Blurb

Spark is a wanted man. On the run after causing the death of his mentor and wild with untamed magic, he arrives in Cape Carey where his latent talents make him the target of rival gangs. It is there that Carousel, a wire-walker and thief, takes him under her wing to guide him through the intrigues of the criminal underworld. But when Spark’s magic cracks the world and releases demons from the hells beneath, two mages of his former order make it their mission to prevent his magic from spiralling out of control. They must find him before he falls into the clutches of those who would exploit his raw talent for their own gain, forcing Spark to confront a power he is not ready to handle. Meanwhile, a wealthy debutante learning magic in secret has her own plans for Spark and Carousel. But the sudden arrival of the mages throws her carefully laid plans into disarray and she unleashes a terrible evil onto the streets of the unsuspecting city—an evil only Spark’s magic can control. Everyone wants a piece of Spark, but all Spark wants is to rid himself of his talents forever.

Check it out on Amazon and Goodreads.

 

 

 

 

1 month into KDP Select – my thoughts so far… #indiepub #selfpub #writetip

I signed up to KDP Select in August 2016. It was a horrible experience to unpublish with Smashwords after all the work that goes into preparing the manuscript for them. It feels like a step backwards to remove the book from so many book buying platforms, but I decided it was worth it to go exclusive with Amazon Kindle.

I came into KDP Select with high hopes. There seemed so many benefits of offering them  exclusive ebook rights, and being enrolled in Kindle Unlimited seemed like a win win for everyone.

Well, I’m disappointed to report the results so far are no better than when I was going it alone. I don’t see any benefit to being exclusive, rather I feel tied to Amazon with no help in return. Even running the Kindle Countdown deals has been a disappointment. They haven’t help with the promotion. All it has done is made me clutter my twitter feed, facebook etc with buy my book posts, which I hate. But if I don’t try to spread the word, whose going to know there is a sale on and what’s the point of doing it in the first place?

I did rush into KDP Select without reading the small print, but they draw you in by saying you can reach more readers, earn more money and maximise your sales potential. However, you can only run one promo in one enrolment period. I opted for UK countdown deals, not realising I couldn’t run the US one  at the same time. I also wanted to use their ‘5 day free’ book promotion, but do I want to tie myself to them for 6 months?

I had big plans to approach lots of reviewers in September, but I cannot give away copies of my own book. How ridiculous is that? I believe I may be able to gift copies, but I’m waiting for Amazon to get back to me on how this is done without going against their terms and conditions.

Anyone out there have any advice on how to make the most of KDP Select?

This is a very dispiriting time for me. I don’t like to be negative in my posts, and I’m sure when the next marketing opportunity comes up that I’ll feel more positive again. I suppose I just need to let off steam and then I can focus on finishing my next book. That is why I’m doing this. I love writing and I’ve loved sharing Visions of Zarua with the world and reading the wonderful reviews people have written.

I would just like to thank all those who have supported me. Without you guys, I’m sure I would have given up on self publishing by now.

***

I’m feeling a bit blogged out at the moment, but I hope to start sharing book reviews, writing advice and my photographs again soon. Thanks for bearing with me.

#Kindle countdown deal continues – Visions of Zarua £1.99 #epicfantasy

This is the last day of my UK Kindle Countdown deal, so if you missed Visions of Zarua for 99p, you can still pick it up for £1.99 today.

Why not read a sample here

Or you can go direct to the Amazon page and see what others having been saying about my debut fantasy Amazon UK. There are more reviews on Amazon US and the book’s goodreads page.

I’ll keep this post short and sweet, but later I’ll be posting about my experience so far with KDP Select.

As ever please help me spread the word. And if you have read Visions of Zarua would you consider leaving a short review? These reviews are the best selling tool any author can have, so I appreciate your time helping me reach more readers.

Thank you and have a great weekend.

 

#Kindle Countdown Deal: Visions of Zarua 99p today only! #epicfantasy #fantasy

My first ever Kindle Countdown deal is live today in the UK. Why not pick up this standalone epic fantasy for 99p.

Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars 14 customer reviews

Visions of Zarua | dark sorcery with slithering secrets, 8 April 2016

Highly recommend for fantasy, magic and mystery fans!, 27 May 2016

brilliantly written fantasy, finished it and wanted more!, 7 July 2016

 

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?

99p today only at Amazon UK

Please share and help me spread the word.

#KindleDailyDeals Visions of Zarua 99p today only! #epicfantasy #fantasy

My first ever Kindle daily deal is live today. Why not pick up this standalone epic fantasy for 99p. Only 22 hours left.

Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars 14 customer reviews

Visions of Zarua | dark sorcery with slithering secrets, 8 April 2016

Highly recommend for fantasy, magic and mystery fans!, 27 May 2016

brilliantly written fantasy, finished it and wanted more!, 7 July 2016

 

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?

99p today only at Amazon UK

Please share and help me spread the word.

#Tuesdaybookblog – Visions of Zarua KDP Countdown Deal #epicfantasy #kindle

News Update

I’m running my first promotion since joining KDP Select. On Thursday 9th September, Visions of Zarua will be £0.99 in the UK. As part of the Kindle Countdown deal, it will then be £1.99 on 10th until returning to its usual price of £2.99 on 11th September.

It’s also available for free if you are a kindle unlimited subscriber.

Why not take a chance on this standalone epic fantasy that’s currently shortlisted in the Creative National Writing Competition 2016.

Here’s what a few reviewers have been saying;

Thrilling and dark fantasy novel that really keeps you gripped from beginning to end!, 27 Jan. 2016

brilliantly written fantasy, finished it and wanted more!, 7 July 2016

Wonderful 3-dimensional characters in an epic fantasy, 12 July 2016

A gripping fantasy with a strong premise and endearing characters, 16 July 2016

See all the reviews on Amazon UK

Blurb

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?

***

This is an experiment and I’m interested to see if the KDP Select countdown deals have any impact on sales. Please help me spread the word.

I’ll blog about the results once I’ve finished working through the latest draft of The Lost Sentinel, my next book planned to be published late 2016 / early 2017.

Blog update #amediting The Lost Sentinel #fantasy

I am happy to report that I’ve finally finished what I hope is the final draft of The Lost Sentinel – Bloodlines Trilogy Book One.

I’m going to be taking some time out from blogging to read though it before passing it to my first beta readers. I’m hoping it’s all come together in this latest round of edits.

Then it’ll be time to look for book cover ideas and try to perfect my blurb!

Not sure I’ll be on schedule to publish before the end of 2016, but I’m really hoping to stick to my plan of publishing a book a year.

When I return to blogging, I’ll have some tips to share on keeping track of events whilst writing a trilogy or series.

Have a great weekend everyone.

#Fridaybookshare – Spark and Carousel Joanne Hall #fantasy

Set up by Shelly Wilson Anyone can have a go – all you need to do is answer the following questions based on a book you enjoyed reading and use the hashtag #FridayBookShare. Be sure to like, comment, and share other participants posts.

First line of the book.

Recruit fans by adding the book blurb.

Introduce the main character using only three words.

Delightful design (add the cover image of the book).

Audience appeal (who would enjoy reading this book?)

Your favourite line/scene.

***

Spark and Carousel by Joanne Hall

First line

Liathan ran, bare feet skidding on damp earth. The russet grass slashed his ankles as he crested the last ridge and slowed, hands on his knees, sucking air. The egg-shaped stone weighed down his pocket, and he took it out for another look. He turned it round in his hands, admiring the mottled markings. It was the kind of object the Philosopher used to find interesting.

Recruit fans (Blurb)

Spark is a wanted man. On the run after causing the death of his mentor and wild with untamed magic, he arrives in Cape Carey where his latent talents make him the target of rival gangs. It is there that Carousel, a wire-walker and thief, takes him under her wing to guide him through the intrigues of the criminal underworld.

But when Spark’s magic cracks the world and releases demons from the hells beneath, two mages of his former order make it their mission to prevent his magic from spiralling out of control. They must find him before he falls into the clutches of those who would exploit his raw talent for their own gain, forcing Spark to confront a power he is not ready to handle.

Meanwhile, a wealthy debutante learning magic in secret has her own plans for Spark and Carousel. But the sudden arrival of the mages throws her carefully laid plans into disarray and she unleashes a terrible evil onto the streets of the unsuspecting city—an evil only Spark’s magic can control.

Everyone wants a piece of Spark, but all Spark wants is to rid himself of his talents forever.

Introduce main character

Spark – Untrained, powerful, reluctant mage

Delightful design

Audience appeal

Fans of fantasy

Your favourite line

Allorise sat back on her heels, arms extended in a gesture of embrace, and sucked in a deep breath. The swirling spirit struggled, spectral fingers clawing at the drapes. But blood called to blood, and would not be denied. Slowly her father’s spirit was drawn towards her, until she reached out and caught it between her palms., crushing it into a bright ruby spark. She swallowed the spark, feeling heat travel down her throat and spread through her core.

Why not pick up your copy at Amazon now.

Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT THE BLUE RIDGE PROJECT by @NeilRochford #Thriller

Today’s team review is from Suzanne, she blogs at Suzanne has been reading The Blue Ridge Project by Neil Rochford Blurb Detective Andrea Nox is investigating a bizarre and violent murder-sui…

Source: Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT THE BLUE RIDGE PROJECT by @NeilRochford #Thriller

#Wordlesswednesday – Grass snake #photo #wildlife