Chrystalla Thoma's Blog, page 9
November 10, 2012
A great new Young Adult novel: INCOMING ALERT by Arlene Webb
As you may have noticed in your perusal of my humble blog, I have now added a new page called “Favorite Books”. There I will be listing… my favorite books, yes, exactly. 
And Incoming Alert is one of them.
I honestly loved this book so much. The characters are quirky and funny, but also deep and well crafted, and so very real. The originality of the world Arlene Webb has created is amazing, and the interactions of the characters well realized. I highly recommend this book, and not just to lovers of Young Adult fiction. In fact, the book has some mature themes as well and would appeal to all audiences over 16.
How Not to Celebrate your Century Birthday:
Tell overprotective parents you’ll be fine.
Phase to a parallel dimension to amuse yourself with humans and choose a name.
Arrive flat on your face.
Learn you’re unique among immortals, and not in a good way.Hello, Earth. Boy’s victory dance on top of a cafeteria table
doesn’t last long.
She’s looking at me? Seriously? Jubilation vanishes when he realizes the young woman gawking at his trembling two-inch form–which should be invisible–is as frightened as him.
Major screw up that he is, he ignores everything he’s been told about survival and shifts
larger without first refilling his phase-depleted veins.
Then comes the icing on what’s sure to be his last birthday cake. After denying
he’s crawled out of the meatloaf, he bonds with the mortal. Not only is he
drawn to a first century name that guarantees anger and ridicule, it’s doubtful
he’ll survive this birthday, let alone celebrate another.Incoming Alert is a science-fiction adventure novel for general audience, but
contains violence and adult themes.
No vampires, weres, zombies, fey, or previously known supernaturals were used
or otherwise harmed in the making of this novel.
Purchase link:
Amazon
I have hard word from the author that a sequel is in the works, so keeping my fingers crossed it will be out soon, because I can’t wait to spend more time with these great characters.
What reviewers on Amazon have said about Incoming Alert:
“This is such a fun book to read. The lead character, Caron, leaps off the page with his exhuberance and innocence. Ms Webb has created a cast of unforgettable characters…”
“A book filled with sparkling humor, funny encounters, fascinating characters, of the human and Ron-kind, it also plumbs the depths of human nature, desire, and despair.”
About the author:
“Sci-fi, paranormal, thriller-mystery, indefinable, I’m an author who adds sweet and spicy layers of romance to any genre.”
Published with MuseItUp Publishing and Decadent Publishing, Arlene has many novels and short stories under her belt. When not writing, she runs family-owned greenhouses and florist shops in New York.
Website
Excerpt from INCOMING ALERT:
Caron swallowed hard. Dad was taking this “grow Up” thing damn seriously, but most of all, he wanted him to forget Lissa, forget Earth, forget becoming man-sized, and come home a failure? I love you Dad, but I just can’t do that. He tossed his braids back and traded fear for his most cheeky grin. “Ahh, father mine whose wisdom I honor, don’t treat me like I’m still in my eighties. If you didn’t coddle me, maybe I would mature.” He allowed his own Lissa-flavored tears to splatter. “Call me Boy for another century if you wish, but trust me not to disappoint you. Give me forty-eight hours to care for this human’s problems. I swear, I think I can do this. But, Dad? Why do I need to get tall? Not sure I want to phase so humongous I need to drink an elephant. Is there a zoo near here?”
Ask him. Spit it out. Very important detail. “Um, all parts of me will grow, right? Not that I plan to…er…do anything, but it’d really suck to be unronned, so to speak.”
Airon slapped his knee. He glanced at Lissa. “His naiveté would make a newborn shudder. You see why I fear for him?”
The heat crept from his face into his neck. Caron examined his toes.
Airon barked, “Look at me.”
Caron snapped his chin up. That dark scowl froze him in place.
“No predator can survive in this dimension if you’re visible for prey to crush under their foot. This isn’t IF where everyron loves you. The monsters here are real.”
He shrugged. Time to either hunt elephant or go to that whatever in the oblivion. He smiled, eyebrows cocked. “After I find a pleasant fiend to slurp, will you do something to get the wings rolling? Don’t tell me De can fly big as a man, too. Hey, Venge was shorter than you. You’re over six foot? I bet I can top that loser.”
Airon jumped to his feet. “This isn’t a game, you insolent fool.”
Furious father alert. Get a phase on!
Airon stomped through glass and started to reach down for Caron.
“Don’t. I can do this. Better stand back so I don’t topple over you, right, Dad?”
Dread, worry and so much love filled those dark eyes above him, he closed his own. He knew he could grow—Up—at least six inches…Oh wait, sweet. He already was six inches.
Stretch. Expand. Enlarge. He watched the pretend ruler behind his eyelids. Molecules wanted to lock at seven inches, but he pushed to eight—ten, a foot.
Like climbing a forbidden blood-drain at home, he forced aching muscles onward. It hurt. Should it hurt? Who cared? I care, keep growing.
Interesting, four feet. Maybe he should stop. His skin had to be ripping, peeling from his flesh, instead of expanding. His bones, all two hundred and six, or eight, or whatever, vibrated. Damn, his balls had to weigh a ton apiece. Didn’t someron boring from Beginner Psych say short males were scorned on Earth? If he found a female here his age, she’d never want to dally with a Napoleon-complexed dude.
Five foot! Enough? But Dad said he’d know. It’d feel like reaching a cliff or something? If he stopped, asked, drained a whale whose balls really did weigh a half ton a piece—snicker, a ton a whale, he’d learned that tidbit in Fun Biology—then tried to phase taller, would Dad strangle him? Yep, no doubt.
Five feet, ten inches and—ohhh, his heart, lungs, internal organs no longer throbbed, they howled. He locked and fastened at five feet, eleven and a half inches.
He snapped his eyes open.
Crap. What good were long legs if they didn’t work?
November 7, 2012
New Release: Rex Equilibrium (Book 3 of Elei’s Chronicles)
Morning readers! I hope all is well in your corner of the world. Cyprus reports sunny and unusually warm for this time of year, so I’m sitting on my balcony typing this words with cats staring at me from below and sparrows hopping around…
And it is a good day, because Book 3 in Elei’s Chronicles – REX EQUILIBRIUM (The Bonding) is finally out! Like a baby taking many months to grow, this story grew and grew over the past year, and now it’s finally here. So for those of you who would like to read it: Tada! It’s now available.
A lot has happened since Elei fled his home island with a bullet in his side and the Fleet on his heels. With the help of his friends, he’s managed to disorganize the regime, run by the all-women race of the Gultur, and he’s on a mission to bring peace to the Seven Islands.
As old secrets come to the surface, friendships are forged and betrayals discovered, and a girl, Alendra, has managed to take hold of Elei’s feelings.
With a map that leads underground and the hope of toppling the Gultur regime, Elei and his companions seek a weapon to tip the balance of power. But unrest within the resistance means that this time they are on their own and, as if crossing a world torn by war while keeping Rex under control wasn’t enough, Elei fears that before the end Alendra might break his heart.
So… I wish you happy reading, as always, and look forward to your comments!
Links:
November 4, 2012
Pre-order The Minotaur at a discount
A quick notes for those who like mythology-based urban fantasy:
My novella THE MINOTAUR is due to come out with MuseItUp publishing this month!
Summary:
You can’t outrun your divine lineage. When Asterion, Poseidon’s son, travels to Athens to join the battle against the newly awakened ancient gods, he doesn’t expect Poseidon to ask for the sacrifice of fourteen youths, or to demand that Asterion don the mask of the bull, become his vessel, and kill them. Outraged, Asterion refuses, but when his half-sister Ariadne is selected for the sacrifice, he takes the mask and becomes the Minotaur in a bid to fight Poseidon and save her.
Theseus, another son of Poseidon, is also in Athens. In love with Ariadne, he cannot let her be sacrificed to Poseidon. Unaware of Asterion’s dilemma, he changes another’s lot with his own name to enter the labyrinth, fight the Minotaur, and return everyone home.
With brother pitted against brother and the labyrinth closing around them, the outcome can only be death–unless Ariadne finds a way to return them to the world of the living.
Now you can now PRE-ORDER it and save 20%. Available only in North America currently until the system is updated to accept pre-orders from around the world, but if you’re interested to purchase from outside North America, please email publisher.
Here is the link to pre-order THE MINOTAUR at a 20% discount
November 2, 2012
What Kings Ate and Wizards Drank (Krista D. Ball) is now OUT!!!
I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired this! (LOTR, folks). Precious! I’ve been hearing about this book for some months now – a writers’ guide to food and drink in fantasy and steampunk, something I sorely need for my writing, and also tickling the fancy of the history buff in me – and I thought the day would never arrive! But it has, published with Tyche Press, and now it is here:
“What Kings Ate and Wizards Drank” by Krista D. Ball is now, FINALLY, available on amazon, and will also be available on the other online stores and in print soon.
I have read it, and let me tell you, it’s so much fun! It’s for everyone interested in fantasy and history, not only writers. Krista pulls of a historical book in a personal, tongue-in-cheek voice that will have you laughing out loud. *DO NOT READ IN PUBLIC PLACES!!!*
Seriously. This is the most fun I’ve ever had with a historical book – and it’s also full of advice for writers and amazing recipes. Fried cod tongues and seal flipper anyone? :p
Look at this gorgeous cover:
Link to author’s website where the links to other retailers will be posted soon
What is the book exactly about? Here:
Equal parts writer’s guide, comedy, and historical cookbook, fantasy author Krista D. Ball takes readers on a journey into the depths of epic fantasy’s obsession with rabbit stew and teaches them how to catch the blasted creatures, how to move armies across enemy territories without anyone starving to death, and what a medieval pantry should look like when your heroine is seducing the hero.
Learn how long to cook a salted cow tongue, how best to serve salt fish, what a “brewis” is (hint: it isn’t beer), how an airship captain would make breakfast, how to preserve just about anything, and why those dairy maids all have ample hips.
What Kings Ate will give writers of historical and fantastical genres the tools to create new conflicts in their stories, as well as add authenticity to their worlds, all the while giving food history lovers a taste of the past with original recipes and historical notes.
About the author, Krista D. Ball:
Krista was born and raised in Deer Lake, Newfoundland, where she learned how to use a chainsaw, chop wood,and make raspberry jam. After obtaining a B.A. in British History from Mount Allison University, Krista moved to Edmonton, AB where she currently lives. Somehow, she’s picked up an engineer, two kids, six cats, and a very understanding corgi off ebay. Her credit card has been since taken away. Like any good writer, Krista has had an eclectic array of jobs throughout her life, including strawberry picker, pub bathroom cleaner, oil spill cleaner upper and soup-kitchen coordinator. You can find her causing trouble at http://kristadball.com
October 27, 2012
Tears of Crimson Halloween promotion – now live!
Weekend has come, Halloween is here, and the Tears of Crimson Halloween promotion is now live! Two days, 22 books, 12 authors, all of them either 99c or free. Get the entire collection for less than $15! So cool.
Remember that my book, “The Unfinished Boy“, is Free today and tomorrow!
Here is the list of links to the books!
You will find books by:
Karl Jones/ Michelle Hughes, Ian Davies, David Pickering, Ruby Barnes, Pam Howes, J. Thorn, John Hudspith, Ian Davies, Amanda Bretz, Revital Shiri-Horowitz, Tammie J. Burnsed, and me.
So grab a book and happy reading everyone!
October 25, 2012
Introducing Clockpunk
Reblogged from Da Vinci Automata:
Clockpunk is a genre of science fiction similar to Steampunk (some people even consider clockpunk to be a sub-genre of Steampunk). Clockpunk can be divided into historical and non-historical Clockpunk. Historical Clockpunk explores how the world would have turned out if certain technological developments that occurred later had happened in the Renaissance and or certain inventions in the time of the Renaissance were created on a mass scale in the time period.Non-historical Clockpunk is set in settings similar to the Renaissance but on alternative worlds, planets etc.
I have published a short Clockpunk fairytale called "The Unfinished Boy" and found that very few people knew what Clockpunk is, so this post is great!
Announcing Tears of Crimson Halloween Promotion (weekend 27-28 Oct)
Good morning everyone. I’ve been traveling in Germany this week, but managed to get included in a wonderful promotion for Halloween this upcoming weekend. Many great authors will come together and offer their books at 99c or for free. I will post again on saturday with the exact details, but here is a taste of what it will be like.
Included will be my Clockpunk fairytale “The Unfinished Boy”, so stay tuned.
Here is the list of books, which is still being updated.
October 22, 2012
Freebie: The Angel Genome
This is just a quick note to readers who haven’t read the anthology “Extinct doesn’t mean Forever” by Phoenix Sullivan, or specifically my short sci-fi story “The Angel Genome.”
“The Angel Genome” is FREE today on amazon.
Lucia doesn’t believe in angels but she might believe in a small boy cloned from a forgotten race.
4.2 stars, 8 reviews
Happy Reading!
October 17, 2012
New Release (free!): Mantis (a short story set in the world of Rex Rising)
Sorry I haven’t been around, but I’ve been busy preparing the third book in the series of Elei’s Chronicles, entitled “Rex Equilibrium” which will be out after the first week of November.
Meanwhile, I’ve decided to publish a short story set in the world of Rex Rising, just to whet your appetite (but also to give you some background information on a character appearing in book 3).
Those of you who have read “Hera” (for free on amazon AND Smashwords), I’m sure you remember her encounter with a boy called Mantis. Since Mantis will make an appearance in Book 3, I’ve decided to tell you the story of how he came to be who he is… And how he met another of our heroes long before the events in Rex Rising.
I have put “Mantis” for free on Smashwords, and hope to get Amazon to make it free too. But for now, here it is:
Summary:
Before the events in Rex Rising, before Elei met Kalaes and Hera, another boy reached the island of Dakru, and this one was filled with rage. Because the regime took everything from him and he’d make them pay. This is the story of Mantis (whom you will meet in Rex Equilibrium, Book 3 of Elei’s Chronicles, coming out next month).
Grab a copy, and get ready for book 3. Happy Reading!
September 30, 2012
Guest author Jeff Holmes and Illustrator Mark Brayer – werewolves and mystery!
Today I have with me author Jeff Holmes, writer in a variety of genres including paranormal, science fiction, mystery and comics.
At the end of the interview, illustrator Mark Brayer who created the cover for Jeff’s latest novel “Holy Moon” also answers a few questions.
Chrys: Hi Jeff, welcome! Can you tell us a few words about yourself?
Jeff: Sure, I’m an Army veteran, for CEO and Chairman of a former ESPN production company and FOX News Radio affiliate. I began writing in the early 1990’s and just last year after returning home from the Army, began writing full time. Right now, I’m only focusing on three series; Holy Moon, The Nordic, and the Paul Hawkinson mysteries.
Chrys: Tell us a few words about your favorite genre(s) and your influences. What genre(s) do you write and why?
Jeff: I write in three different genres; dark fantasy/horror, sci-fi, and mystery. The reason why is pretty simply – all three sell very well in today’s market, and if someone is going to take the time and effort to write a novel, they might as well make money at it. J
I think what influences me to write in these genres, beyond the money, is that I have always had an interest in werewolves in particular, when it came to monsters. I’ve always had an interest in sci-fi as well. One thing I continue to want, badly, is to help produce a sci-fi show in Vancouver where all the excitement seems to be for that genre today. I am hoping at some point with some success from the books we can do that with either Holy Moon or The Nordic. We’ll have to see. As far as mysteries, with my last name being ‘Holmes’, it’s hard to not grow up and hold an interest in none other than Sherlock Holmes, which I somewhat base my character, Paul Hawkinson, on.
Chrys: Paranormal – vampires and shifters – is all the rage right now with Twilight and its derivative works. I noticed your book “Holy Moon” is categorized as dark fantasy. So what’s different about your take on werewolves? Are they the good or the bad guys in your story (or both?)
Jeff: Well first, Holy Moon isn’t a YA book as many of those in the craze are today. Others appear to be romance novels that just happen to have a werewolf as their main character or in the story somewhere. I thought it would be nice to just go back to the basics and leave most of the romance out and focus on the monster. Granted, there is something happening romance-wise in Holy Moon, but it’s not the spotlight of the story. What’s really different about the main character, Peter Foreman, is that he continues to practice his Christian faith while being a werewolf, hoping it will cure him somehow. It may or it may not, we’ll have to see. The story really shows us his struggles though with being a werewolf while trying to hold a professional career and just live, but like all good werewolf stories there’s a bad guy, or wolf in this case, who just has to come in and stir everything up which is where the story really takes off.
I also got very tired of seeing and reading what appeared to be the same werewolf story over and over again; a man change into the werewolf, rips his shirt off, runs through the woods, and mangles people. We’ve seen it a million times. I wanted to give a more personal and insightful take on the creature and let people really in to werewolf’s life who is just t to be normal, or as normal as he can be being what he is.
Chrys: Tell us about your latest release (could include blurb, small excerpt like 200 words).
Jeff: Peter Foreman is a real estate agent who hides a secret from his neighbors; the fact that he is also a werewolf. Hoping through prayer to rid himself of the curse, he finds an ally in his pastor, Reverend Ovesen. During his struggles, he is pursued by a wolf from his past who wants to include Peter in his pack and rebuild them back to glory. Peter finds his finally normal life turned upside down by his ignored past coming back to visit him.
“He struggled to control his panting breath, looked up at the golden cross, and two silvery tears dropped from his eyes. “God…forgive me!” Peter’s body slumped forward and he dropped his head toward the altar without censoring the flow of his tears. “I am so afraid of this heathen beast I have become! I am so afraid of what I might do! I could’ve killed a man today. I was so tempted.” He sobbed with increasing despair. “There are times I know not what to do! I feel myself within the beast, I see with my own eyes. But then there are times, when I am impassioned with emotion, the wolf seems to gain power and takes control. Please give me the faith to fight this thing inside me.” He lay fully prostrate before the altar and wept. “Please.” With his last sliver of hope, he lifted himself onto his knees, and looked up. He examined the rosary, bathed with his sweat and blood, and thrust it toward the cross and implored God in anguish, “Please!””
Chrys: Are you working on anything now? What are your publishing/writing plans for the future?
Jeff: Right now I’m working on The Nordic; a sci-fi tale of an alien race returning to Earth to see how the ones they left behind are doing after 3600 years. They left a message that time ago that they would return, but it was lost to history, possibly by the churches of those days who didn’t feel the need to share that bit of info with us. The Nordic will publish October 2012. I have a rotation for all three series every month from now through next June. My creative partner, Mark Brayer, and I are also working on comic formats for all three series as well. So, we’re quite busy!
Chrys: What’s the best piece of advice you ever had on writing?
Jeff: Honestly, it was to stop listening to ‘the talkers’; the ones who always talk about writing or talk about how to be success in this business without ever having actually done anything. We all know people like that; those who will offer advice not having been there themselves or have any reason to be offering advice in the first except to come across as ‘important’. Once I did that, I was able to separate myself from the ‘talkers’ and move on to the ‘doers’. It makes a big difference who you hang with because it all rubs off.
Chrys: What are your real life plans for the future? (I heard something about Sweden?)
Jeff: Once things get established with the writing, I would like to spend time overseas in Norway, possibly England or Sweden. Depending on how things go, I would also like to entertain the idea of getting a place over there. I think the culture would be more my speed. lol
Chrys: If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?
Jeff: Probably a Professor in a science related field. I think I would’ve really liked teaching.
Chrys: Where can people learn more about you and your writing? (links)
Jeff:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/JW-Holmes/156885134376759
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Holy-Moon/457331884291443
Chrys: Many thanks for visiting, Jeff, and good luck with everything!
The cover of your book is very interesting, has a comic feel to it, and I see it was Mark Brayer who created it.
Mark, can you tell us about your inspiration for the cover?
Mark: I think just the fact that even though this is a werewolf story, it has a different twist to it than the standard genre. The idea that the main character is a man of faith struggling with a werewolf curse was really was intriguing to me, and showing those two elements in someway on the cover was going to be exciting.
Chrys: Also, can you tell us a few words about yourself, your work and your influences?
Mark: I’ve been working professionally in the art/design business for over 25 years, creating art for corporate and business design, greeting cards, comic strips, comic books, children’s books, book covers, character design, etc.
Chrys: Where can people learn more about you and your work? (links)
Mark: The best way for people to find me and see my work, is to go to my website at www.lightspeedstudiosonline.com
Chrys: Thank you, Mark!
