Devorah Fox's Blog, page 17

Best in the world

YOU DID IT!
Book Four of The Bewildering Adventures of King Bewilliam epic historical fantasy series, The Redoubt,  has been voted #35 of The 50 Self-Published Books Worth Reading (2015/16).
Not of 50 books in Port Aransas or in Texas or just the US but throughout the world. This was an international competition. And you, dear friends and readers made it happen. You are the best in the world. Thank you so much for voting and for getting others to vote. This is truly a milestone for an author.

To celebrate, King Bewilliam commanded me to put “The Redoubt” on sale on smashwords. Go to https://www.smashwords.com/books/view..., pick any digital format you like, and enter SSW50 at checkout to get this winning book at half price. But hurry, the king’s generosity does have its limits.

And did I happen to mention, thank you?

Fire and Lies debuts

July 2016 Angela B. Chrysler releases her fourth book, Fire and Lies, Book #2 of the fantasy series Tales of the Drui. With more elves, more magic, less Midgard, and more war, Fire and Lies completes the journey Kallan started in Dolor and Shadow. But her trials are far from over. Events, news, and updates are always available at www.angelabchrysler.com;

New Release 1 July 2016!
Fire and Lies (Tales of the Drui Book #2)

Blood waters the fields of Alfheim. War rips across the land of elves and usurped kings. The Fae gods draw near, and Queen Kallan’s strength is tested as she follows King Rune into Alfheim. But the Shadow Beast caged within Rune’s body writhes in hunger, and Kallan’s newest companion, Bergen the legendary Berserk, is determined to end the conflict with her life. As the witch, the king, and the berserk come together, the truth buried within the past resurfaces.

Now, Kallan must master a dormant power or watch her kingdom fall to the Fae who will stop at nothing to keep their lies.

Fire and Lies (Tales of the Drui Book #2) picks up right where Dolor and Shadow left off, concluding one chapter of Kallan’s life as the next chapter begins. Pre-order before 1 July 2016.

Dolor and Shadow (Tales of the Drui Book #1)

As the elven city burns, Princess Kallan is taken to Alfheim while a great power begins to awaken within her. Desperate to keep the child hidden, her abilities are suppressed and her memory erased. But the gods have powers as well, and it is only a matter of time before they find the child again.

When Kallan, the elven witch, Queen of Lorlenalin, fails to save her dying father, she inherits her father’s war and vows revenge on the one man she believes is responsible: Rune, King of Gunir. But nothing is as it seems, and the gods are relentless. A twist of fate puts Kallan into the protection of the man she has sworn to kill, and Rune into possession of power he does not understand.

From Alfheim, to Jotunheim, and then lost in the world of Men, these two must form an alliance to make their way home, and try to solve the lies of the past and of the Shadow that hunts them all.

Broken

When a young journalist, William D. Shaw, seeks out Elizabeth, an acclaimed author, in hopes to write her biography, the recluse grants him twenty-four hours to hear her story. What unfolds are events that teeter on the edge of macabre and a psychological thriller.

Together, they descend into the bowels of psyche and examine her past filled with neglect, rape, abuse, torture, and pedophilia to explore the psychology of a human being who has lived her entire life without love, comfort, family, physical contact, affection, therapy, or medication.

As William tries to understand Elizabeth’s decisions to embrace an isolated life, he witnesses Elizabeth’s multiple mental conditions that send her spiraling into the worlds of her psyche all while toggling the lines of insanity. Broken takes you inside the mind of a trauma survivor while one survivor relives the memories that resulted in her mental conditions. Experience what BPD and PTSD is like from the inside.

Amor Vincit Omnia

This anthology starts The Letters: a three part series told in the second person point of view. Each part is found in a separate anthology. To You (The First Letter) introduced a series of letters. Listen as I tell of our love and trials by death, none of which you remember.

So what is Angela working on now?

Kallan returns with Bergen and Rune in Winter and Ash (Tales of the Drui Book #3) as they journey to Mimir’s Well for answers. But Mimir’s Well lies at the root of the World Tree. To get there, is far from easy.

For You (Second Letter) to appear 18 August 2016 in the anthology Good Things

About the Author

Angela B. Chrysler is a writer, logician, philosopher, and die-hard nerd who studies theology, historical linguistics, music composition, and medieval European history in New York with a dry sense of humor and an unusual sense of sarcasm. She lives in a garden with her family and cats.

While writing, Ms. Chrysler fuzzies her cats and survives on coffee, Guinness, and the writings of Edgar Allan Poe who strongly influences her style to this day. When she is not writing, she enables her addictions to all things nerdy, and reads everything she can get her hands on no matter the genre. Occasionally, she finds time to garden, mother her three children, and debate with her life-long friend who she eventually married.

Connect with Angela

Official Site

Twitter

Facebook

Google+

#IndiePrideDay and #IndieBooksBeSeen

Devorah Fox reads from The Redoubt

#IndiePrideDay and #IndieBooksBeSeen.

With the U.S. Independence Day just a few days away, the free-wheeling nature in many of us bubbles to the surface and seeks expression.

For authors, independence manifests in going it alone when it comes to publishing. Without an agent or an oligarchical publishing house to tell us what the market does or does not want, we boldly offer up our work the way we envision it. A reader of “indie” fiction, I find that spirit of independence results in writing that’s a little risk-taking, a little trailblazing, sometimes even a bit rough around the edges, but always infused with an earnest energy. As an indie author, I enjoy being able to offer you exactly what I have in mind, the way I see it, the way I want to do it. Your warm reception, your acclaim encourages me to continue steering my own ship even when storm winds blow and the waters prove treacherous.

Today, readers and authors observe Indie Pride Day. On blogs, on social media, you’ll find authors shouting to the world, and readers applauding. To celebrate, there will be new releases, discounts, and giveaways. For example, author Angela B. Chrysler is today launching her latest, Fire and Lies. Angela knows how to throw a book launch party so you do not want to miss it. As part of the festivities, I’m taking over Goodreads for an hour starting at noon Eastern Time. Come join me for games, prizes, and surprises.

You’ll also find us indie authors shooting off virtual fireworks all over social media. You’ll find me striking a blow for literary freedom not only on Goodreads but also Twitter and Facebook.  So toot those noisemakers, light up those sparklers, and applaud that spirit of independence.

Your vote counts

YES!! Thanks to you, The Redoubt has made the Fantasy genre shortlist for 50 Self-Published Books Worth Reading. Woo hoo! It’s a popularity contest so I need votes for The Redoubt to win. I’d be so grateful if you would take the time to pop on over and vote for The Redoubt. They’ll announce the winners in July. You can vote right here

or, click on this link.

In previous years, Books 1-3 in The Bewildering Adventures of King Bewilliam epic fantasy series have been finalists in this contest. Wouldn’t it be great for Book Four to win? You can make that happen. Please vote.

Putting pen to paper

Increasingly I’ve been writing in longhand first then keyboarding what I’ve written. I did my latest National Novel Writing Month project almost entirely with pen and paper. It’s especially puzzling because my penmanship is so awful that I can find myself in the grocery store baffled by some unreadable entry on my shopping list.
Yet there’s something liberating about curling up in my writing chair with a lined yellow tablet and a pen. Maybe since I’m not at my desk, it doesn’t feel like work?

Come to find out there’s an explanation for this phenomenon Check out this story, especially item #4.

Hmmm … I think I’ll check out those Blackwing pencils ….

Nominate “The Redoubt”

Nominations for The 50 Self-Published Books Worth Reading close at the end of this week. For whatever reason, the number of nominations is down on the number from last year. So that means your nomination for The Redoubt will very likely get it onto the shortlist. Go here to place your nomination for The Redoubt by Devorah Fox in the Fantasy genre.

Or, just fill out this form:

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Then stay tuned for me to shout, “Thank you. It’s a finalist!”

Less than a buck

I’ve opened a new boutique, a discount emporium of short reads. Come check out the 99¢ Stories. 
Perfect for when you’re waiting for a plane or train, the doctor is running late, or the work on your car is taking longer than expected. Or maybe you’re stuck on hold with Tech Support. Don’t sit there and grind your teeth in frustration. For pocket change you can send your mind off for a quick escape with a short read. They’re all digital so the 99¢ Stories boutique is as close as your Internet connection. Take a break and enjoy!

April recap

Before I dive into May I must report on how much fun April was.  I had a blast chatting live with Kori Miller on her Back Porch Writer Show, Friday, April 8. I revealed how the The Bewildering Adventures of King Bewilliam series came to be and pulled back the curtain on my writing process. You can listen in here (and stay tuned to catch Kori’s conversations with other authors who attended the Brain to Books Cyber Convention last month.

The Brains to Books Cyber Convention was amazing. I learned so much and made so many great new friends. I entered The Redoubt in the Cover Wars book cover contest and although it didn’t win, it did better than I ever imagined. I also entered King Bewilliam in a Character Tournament, a “bracket challenge.” He didn’t win but he did best his first “opponent” who happened to be the character penned by the author running the tournament. Both contests were entertaining ways to introduce the series to new readers. I also did a Facebook page takeover which was a lot of fun. I created several games for folks to play. For example, since King Bewilliam confronts many a fearsome beast, I gave people a chance to build one. Give it a try. What did you come up with?

Meanwhile I was also doing another writing marathon for Camp NaNoWriMo. I did meet my word-count goal which was to add the remaining chapters to the first draft of a thriller, Detour. I hope to have this book out by January, 2017, but meanwhile, here’s a peek at the cover. I got the idea for this story back in 1993 and I’ve been chipping away at it throughout the years. It’s really near and dear to my heart and I will be very happy to get it between covers and in readers’ hands. You’ll be hearing more about it in the coming months.

Another story that I’m sentimental about is Naked Came the Sharks. I am delighted to have been invited to be the featured author of a new book club in Rockport, Texas. I’ll be the guest at their May meeting and I am so looking forward to sharing the story behind this story. If you belong to a book club, why not suggest that the club select one of my books? I might not be able to attend your meeting but I can supply supportive material like bookmarks or a readers’ guide. Just let me know.

Don’t miss The Sand Band

As has been customary for the past several years, The Sand Band makes its annual appearance in Port Aransas. It’s like a band rising from the ocean mist, they just appear somewhere during #TexasSandFest.
This year, the group will be performing at Treasure Island on Friday, April 29th. The Sand Band plays their own original music and many TropRock covers. Port Aransas local, Alan White, plays in the group and says the first time they played was at the Tarpon Ice House (now Treasure Island) several years ago. (I was there. They were simply fabulous!)He says the transformation of the Tarpon Ice House to Treasure Island is nothing short of phenomenal. White said Tommy and Linda did a great job in creating a first class music venue.

The group consists of Kelly Brown, Randy Brooks, Louie Chambers, all from the Dallas area. Also, Mike Eiras from Austin and Alan White from Port Aransas. Brooks is well known for writing the popular Christmas song, “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.” White said, “ all but Eiras play in the Dallas based group, The Bad Monkeys, “ so they know all the music. Eiras sits in from time to time; however, the configuration of The Sand Band never rehearse or practice together. Its simply a jam session from a bunch of talented musicians. That’s what makes it upbeat and fun for the crowd and the band as well.

“We bring our own crowd as well,” says White. “Fifty or more people from the Cedar Creek Lake Parrothead Club will be there headed up by their leader, Robert Render. The Cedar Creekers won the coveted Golden Coconut award for the best Parrothead Club in the nation. Those folks truly know how to Party With a Purpose. There will also be many Parrotheads from Port Aransas (President Deno Fabrie) and San Antonio (President Dave Spenny).”

You can get an idea about their sound by listening to the trailer for Naked Came the Sharks. The soundtrack is “Song of the Ocean” by The Sand Fest’s Kelly Brown.

So, if you are looking for some music to keep you on your feet, be at Treasure Island on the 29th.

#B2BCyCon: for latecomers

The Brain to Books Cyber Convention for 2015 is over but if you missed it, all the links are still live and will be until next year when a 3rd one is scheduled (and I’m already signed up for it.)
You can visit my “booth” on Goodreads any time. There’s a series of ongoing discussions. You’re invited to chime in. While I won’t be staffing the booth 24/7, I’ve arranged to be alerted if anyone drops by, so any comments that you make will get a response.

 

I want to thank everyone who voted for King Bewilliam in the #B2BCyCon Character Tournament and The Redoubt in the Cover Wars. They didn’t win, but both the king and the cover of the fourth book in The Bewildering Adventures of King Bewilliam did better than I expected in their respective competitions. I found it all very encouraging.

Meanwhile, this October I’ll participate in the Virtual Fantasy Convention. I did this last year. It was my first and I really didn’t know what I was doing but now I’m experienced (Cue Jimmie Hendrix). Signing up for this led to the latest awesomeness: I will be the featured author for the October edition of Fantasy Elite Magazine. It’s online and in print.https://www.facebook.com/FantasyEliteMagazine/?fref=ts Check it out!