Tara Maya's Blog, page 29

Should All Literature Be Licensed?

Flavorwire raised an interesting point in the article Why You Should Worry About Amazon Buying the Right to Publish Kurt Vonnegut Fan-Fiction by Michelle Dean. Should all literature be licensed?

The Kindle Worlds program, which struck the deal, has in the past limited its acquisition of rights to series like The Vampire Diaries. Vonnegut is a bit of a square peg in that company. Never mind that it seems to vastly overestimate the American public’s engagement with literary fictio...

Halfway (Wizards and Faeries) by Stephanie Void

The world of Halfway is the anti-Harry-Potter: the wizard school is part of a shadowy organization that takes the students by force from their families. And the outside world isn't much better: if you are a wizard, you are looked upon with fear because of what you represent.

In the midst of this, in secret, twins are born: a boy and a girl. They are Halfway, the rare offspring of humans and a now-extinct race of faeries.

But the twins don't remain a secret for long. Temet, the boy, is taken as...

Barrenlands by Doranna Durgin

What? You haven't read Dun Lady's Jess yet? Fly, you fools! And go read it at once. And then read the other books in this wonderful series.


Before there was Dun Lady’s Jess…

When Ehren’s sovereign and friend was killed, Ehren, First of the King’s Guard, was far away — sent on a wild goose chase by the First Level Ministry, whose number he now believes must contain at least one traitor.

When a First Level wizard orders him to stop searching for the assassins and instead to find and neutralize the...

What Do Readers Like? Survey Results!

E-book Formatting Fairies conducted a fascinating survey:

I’ve recently concluded the first of what I hope will be a regular reader survey. Putting a finger on the pulse of the customer is always a good idea in business, and our business is no exception. I drafted the questions with the help and input of numerous other authors who took advantage of the opportunity to ask some of their most burning questions.
The survey was conducted from June 1-30, 2013, via Survey Monkey, and as many as 2,951...

The Clockwork Cathedral by Heather Blackwood

[image error]Medical student Felicia Sanchez is only trying to help an injured man when she slips through a time rip and into 19th century New Orleans, one very different than the one she knows from history books.

The only person who can get her home is Professor Seamus Connor, a former convict seeking a quiet life of obscurity. But even the “mad Irishman” knows that recreating a freak accident is next to impossible.

With the help of a local street urchin, they discover that their problems run deeper than...

The Rise of the Red Shadow and a New Blog Series

I've been working over the past couple weeks to organize a blog swap with some fellow fantasy and SF authors. This allows my readers to learn more about some books that might be of interest to you, and I'll get to share The Unfinished Song with other fantasy audiences. Let's kick things off today with Joseph R. Lallo's The Rise of the Red Shadow.


Before he was a legendary assassin and mythic hero, the creature known as Lain was just a simple malthrope, frightened and alone. The Rise of the Red...

Seers: Ten Tales of Clairvoyance

Is clairvoyance a gift or a curse?

Imagine getting a glimpse of what the future holds, and ask yourself how you would deal with the burden of this foresight.

Is it right to interfere with the pre-ordained? Is it your duty to avert the doom, or will your meddling make matters worse? Is it even possible to change the future?

What if those with the power to prevent a disaster disdain your warnings? What if you see what will happen, but have no idea when it will come to pass? Is your vision to be tr...

Inspiration from Places

A guest post from Rayne Hall
“Where do you find your ideas?” people often ask me.

The truth is, I don't find ideas. Ideas find me.

Like ghosts, they seek me out, haunt me, and don't let go until the story is written.

My mind is like a revolving drum filled with hundreds of jigsaw pieces, each representing a story idea. Sometimes two or more pieces click together, and that's when a story takes shape.

The location is often among the first jigsaw pieces to click. The setting lends atmosphere...

The Funny Thing About Research

About Rayne Hall Rayne Hall has published more than forty books under different pen names with different publishers in different genres, mostly fantasy, horror and non-fiction. Recent books include Storm Dancer (dark epic fantasy novel), 13 British Horror Stories, Six Scary Tales Vol 1, 2, 3, 4 (creepy horror stories), Six Historical Tales (short stories), Six Quirky Tales (humorous fantasy stories), Writing Fight Scenes, The World-Lo...

Writing Craft: Alone Into Danger

Buy Writing Scary ScenesA guest post by Rayne Hall

Have you written a horror story, or are you working on a frightening scene? Here's a professional technique for making it even scarier.

Solitary adventures are more dangerous than group adventures. In nature, an animal which becomes separated from the herd is vulnerable to predators. To make your scene scary, let your heroine face the danger alone.

The more you isolate your protagonist, the more frightening the scene becomes. Think of as many w...