L.K. Rigel's Blog, page 16
January 22, 2012
Cozy Up With A Book Blog Hop
It's blog hop time again! This is a fun and simple blog hop starting at midnight tonight now and running through January 30. Over 50 blogs are participating, and all the gifts are book-related and worth at least $10.
I've decided to reward my wonderful fans with extra chances in this blog hop. If you leave (or have left) a review of any of my books at Amazon, enter the link in the appropriate Rafflecopter task below. (At Amazon at the bottom of your review, right click on "permalink" to copy the link)
I love my prize! It's the first three books in The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. Winner's choice – Nook or Kindle.
Flash Giveaway – JL Bryan New Release: FAIRY BLUES
This week JL Bryan, author of Jenny Pox, is releasing Fairy Blues, the second book in his Songs of Magic series.
With their enchanted instruments charming the crowds, the Assorted Zebras attract interest from record producers, and soon they're off to cut their first album and music video. Jason and his friends don't know they've just become pawns in a sinister plot by a cabal of evil fairies…
Let's have a giveaway! I'll give away two copies of Fairy Blues at the end of today (9 p.m. PST). Enter the rafflecopter widget below, and answer whether you want a Kindle or Nook format if you win.
But wait! There's more! I'll give a copy of Fairy Metal Thunder to the first ten commenters who leave the secret phrase in the comments. Winner's choice, Nook or Kindle.
Secret phrase: Am I blue
Fairy Metal Thunder is the first book in the series:
Jason plays guitar in a teenage garage band called the Assorted Zebras, but they have no fans and no gigs, and they're going nowhere. Even worse, Jason has a crush on the lead singer, but she already has a near-perfect boyfriend.
One night, Jason steals enchanted instruments from the fairy world. Suddenly (with a little help from YouTube) every kid in the Midwest is crazy about the Assorted Zebras...
REMEMBER THE BOOK GIVEAWAY GOLDEN RULE: Redeem your loot right away! It's good for the author, and it makes you eligible for the next giveaway.
<a href="http://rafl.es/enable-js"&am... need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.
Giveaway Alert – Fairy Blues
Giveaway Alert! At 10 o'clock this morning (Pacific Time) We're having a JL Bryan-palooza. A flash giveaway of 10 copies of Fairy Metal Thunder, and a Rafflecopter giveaway of 2 copies of his new release in the series, Fairy Blues! (remember the secret phrase: am I blue)
(The post below will be unlocked at 10 o'clock PST)
January 17, 2012
Bawling My Eyes Out
UPDATE … It's finished! And I think it's good. I was bawling my eyes out at the end. LOLSM – The Loves of Leopold Singer: Maenads will be available shortly.
I'll put it up at B&N for a day or two before putting it into Select.
January 15, 2012
Protected: Assassin's Curse and $25 Amazon/B&N Giveaway (find password in the newsletter)
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Assassin's Curse Giveaway Today
Assassin's Curse – The Witch Stone Prophecy is the latest epic fantasy by Debra L. Martin and David W. Small. This released only last week, and it's racing up the fantasy charts – and today, author Debra L. Martin is giving away five Kindle copies through the newsletter.
You know the drill! Find the password and secret phrase in the newsletter to enter the post and win. It's that easy. Plus, we'll have a $25 gift card giveaway through Rafflecopter – Amazon or B&N, winner's choice.
When elite assassin Jeda received his assignment to kill a witch and deliver her twin daughters to the Countess of Berkshire, he had no idea it would be his last. The witch stuns him with an elemental blast, but not before he's able to throw his knife.
When Jeda regains consciousness, the dying witch is performing a compelling spell between him and her twin daughters . Now bonded to the girls, Jeda's old life is forfeit. His only thought is to take the girls and run as far away as he can. He has no idea that the twins are the ones spoken of in the long-lost prophecy of The Witch Stone.
Forces are gathering: the white witches want to teach them; the Countess wants her grandchildren back, and the guild has sent their best assassin to bring Jeda back, dead or alive. Jeda must use all of his assassin skills to stay one step ahead of them all, but will it be enough to save himself and keep the children of prophecy alive?
January 5, 2012
Maenads: The Loves of Leopold Singer
Many, many years ago I wrote a novel I called Carleson Peak. I had written novels before – heck, I've been writing all sorts of things all my life – but never anything with such scope or grandeur (tongue in cheek).
My doorstopper has been in a drawer but not forgotten. This is the book of my tender, silly, romantic imagination. It's a mess of a family saga, full of all the things you're not supposed to write about – forced sex, secret babies, religion, mermaids real or imagined. It covers too many years (1776 to 1856) and has way, way, way too many characters. Think Middlemarch meets Hawaii.
I submitted this novel to agents when I was still doing that dance. One agent emailed me while she was reading it, gushing about how much she loved it. In the end, she passed. Her agency didn't know how to sell it.
In keeping with my weird titles, I always wanted to call the book Maenads. Then True Blood kind of ruined the idea. But now we're more than a season past the maenad storyline, and at least everyone knows what a maenad is.
I was sick between Christmas and New Year's. Sick as a dog. I couldn't work on Bride of Fae, and I happened to pull poor Carleson Peak out of its drawer. I still love it! This isn't like the books you're used to. It's reality based. No magical creatures, though of course with a setting in 19th century England (and Austria and the Caribbean and Massachusetts – told you it's a mess) there is talk of fairies and loa and mermaids.
So, I'm bringing it out! I won't be making a big deal about this book because it doesn't fit with the science fiction/fantasy I write now. But I think it's a wonderful story, and I do believe people who like love stories will love it. This is more "women's fiction" in that the happily ever after doesn't show up for everyone, but it's definitely chock-a-block with romance.
Oh, and I'll publish it for Nook too before putting it in Select.
January 3, 2012
Give Me Is Going To Print
TERyvisions has designed an absolutely gorgeous cover for the print edition of Give Me – A Tale of Wyrd and Fae, using Phatpuppy's art, of course! (I didn't include Terry's link because she's on sabbatical; I was just lucky to get this project in with her.)
December 30, 2011
LK Rigel's Best of 2011
Some pretty great things came to my attention in 2011. In no particular order:
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George Takei. His running commentary on Facebook is intelligent, provocative, hilarious, and kind.
The Orchard by Theresa Weir. As an enemy first unrecognized then denied destroys lives and the land, Weir rescues herself and her children and finds renewal in a creative life. And it's all true.
The antidote to entertainment porn.
Downton Abbey. I love these British series – and with Julian Fellowes involved, it's no surprise this is one of the good ones. Maggie Smith owns every scene she's in, and Michelle Dockery is outstanding.
Note: Be sure to buy or stream the British uncut version (stream link at Amazon – Netflix has the cut American version)
Elizabeth Warren. A real throwback to the days of American meritocracy, Warren was born into a working class family and received a great education in the days we still believed in investing in the next generation. Now she's running for a US Senate seat against Wall Street's darling, Scott Brown.
If Warren wins, it could be a sign that government by and for the people is the new black.
That last scene. Despite the boring misogyny that permeates Game of Thrones, it was all worth it for the last sequence. Can't wait for April 15.
Never Let Me Go. The book is unopened on my Kindle, but shot up the TBR list after I saw this movie. Dares to ask the question: Are we past the point of caring about our fellow beings' souls?
The story haunts me still.
December 28, 2011
Why Jeff Bezos Is Not Like Petyr Baelish
And why you can still read many books (all of mine) on your Nook, even if you can only buy them at Amazon.
Once upon a time, a great and powerful wizard named Jeff locked a slew of "independent" authors' books into his harem with the magic Exclusivity spell.
This appears to be only one small aspect of Amazon's drive to provide everything to everybody – and everybody to Amazon.
Don't get me wrong. I love Amazon. I've loved Amazon since 1996 when I realized I could order my textbooks on line and have them delivered to my door without having to wait in line forever at my college bookstore – and get a discount in the bargain.
Amazon is the only reason I'm able to write books. The bills must still be paid. I joined Select because I feel I have no choice. I want the promotional tools Select offers. But I hate, hate, hate and believe it is very wrong to deny Nook readers the ability to read books on their readers – or Kobos or Sony readers, for that matter.
The spirit of Lord Baelish to the rescue!
If you've seen or read Game of Thrones, you know that Petyr Baelish would act exactly as Jeff Bezos has done. Lord Baelish would charm the most beautiful of the beauties into his harem to ensure that the most powerful men of the realm (of course men, in Martin's world) came to him for their pleasures.
But Baelish would also offer a back door, so to speak, to those who couldn't – or wouldn't – enter through the front.
I believe, in this situation, Lord Baelish would tell such people about the free program called Calibre.
He'd say to non-Kindle users, go ahead and buy your books at Amazon – and get all the free ones Amazon offers too! Download them into Kindle for PC, the free reader utility Amazon offers for your computer.
Then run the Calibre ebook management program. Click "Add Books" in the upper left hand corner and browse to the Kindle Content subfolder which Kindle for PC will have created in your Documents folder. Open the book you want (which will be identified by its Amazon ASIN number).
Click on Convert Books. A big menu comes up that allows you to do fancy things, but near the bottom click EPUB output and then okay. In the lower right corner, you'll see a clocky sprockety thingy spinning while it converts.
Then you can send the .epub version of the book from Calibre to your Nook. I don't have a Nook, but I'm pretty sure the "send to device" button is involved! And here's a thread I found that should solve the mystery.
http://calibre-ebook.com/download_windows
http://calibre-ebook.com/download_osx
